#we had a takeaway and are doing a rewatch

[tornrose24]

So when I rewatched TGAMM’s ‘The End’ and got to Scratch’s backstory, there was an interesting detail I missed regarding Todd that I took for granted that also explains some things.

The detail was that even before Scratch lost his soul, he always had that pale, tired-out look. That post-soul regained look was NOT his default look.

For comparison, here’s how he looked before he lost his soul (it’s not a super flattering image on him, but it’s one I tried to take with natural lighting that also shows off his appearance):

And here is after he regained his soul (not sure if the color of the image is the best, but there should still be a noticeable difference in his skin tone):

The only time in the flashback that he even comes close to a healthier skin tone is when he first wears the blue shirt, but you can see that he still has those dark eyelids. I’m not sure if it was intentional or a slip-up on the animator’s part.

My takeaway is that Scratch’s issues slowly and gradually effected his natural appearance, which we do see when he’s at work. He started to take on that tired look with the bags and dark eyes, and his body language gradually changed to reflect his gradual slipping into a numb state. And it appears that no one really noticed when he instantly lost his soul because in a way he was gradually losing it before it finally slipped away. It’s likely not even his co-workers noticed the change because it was gradually happening under their radar, and I suppose no one actually cared enough to check in with Todd to see if he was doing ok. He likely contributed to this himself as well if he didn’t want to take a risk on making any friends or find love with another.

I repeat–no one noticed Scratch’s physical state was changing to reflect the loss of his soul. I don’t know if Adia noticed, but it would partly explain why she tried so hard to get him to come join her besides fulfilling their shared childhood dreams. When he finally lost his soul, he just became this person who simply existed and nothing more–no one bothered reaching out to him besides him getting snapped at by Mayor Brunson. As for Molly, she just saw him as some random person who seemed naturally gloomy and who had no life in his eyes.

When I mentioned this visual difference to @jackie-sugarskull   she brought up that the physical change to Todd’s appearance–upon regaining his soul–was further proof of how much Molly changed him for the better. Molly didn’t just help Scratch change his outlook on life or encourage him to become human again–she indirectly and unknowingly helped transform the man’s physical appearance as well when it was time for body and soul to merge back as one. His new outlook on life only further helped complete the transformation.

#the ghost and molly mcgee #scratch the ghost #todd mortenson #character design

[boringkate]

I watched Lena Dunham's Sharp Stick (2022) with a babe last month. Which I absolutely loved!!!

It's never explicitly acknowledged, but the main character is clearly supposed to be (despite the producers claiming otherwise) in some way neurodivergent. Or something. She's meek and impossibly sexually naive (to the point where me and the girl I watched it with had initially assumed the character was intended to be a child). Apparently they had approached an autism sexuality advocate to work as a consultant for the film before backpeddling.

Trans girls tend to be autistic.

The main character also had a hysterectomy (as did Lena Dunham).

Trans girls tend to be infertile.

She's shown taking estrogen.

Trans girls tend to take estrogen.

She becomes obsessed with porn and begins having one night stands with random men from the internet in hopes of finding validation by proving her sexual desirability.

Trans girls tend to do that shit.

It ends with her realizing and leaning into her impregnation fetish (while getting fucked by the one black guy she knows who had just brought over some 40s and called them homies and also while her black step sister's hands unexpectedly drift in from off screen to hold her because even when she managed to push it off to the last second Lena Dunham is incapable of being chill and normal about race).

Trans girls can't go ten seconds without making the same joke about how if you don't think you can get a trans girl pregnant then you just aren't trying hard enough (and the frequent fetishization of black men in trans and especially neighboring sissy communities can't really be denied).

Also the bartender is played by Tommy Dorfman (a trans woman) with it being her first time playing a character with a girl name.

But I'm not trying to suggest it's intentionally a movie about the tgirl excperience. That would be silly. Really the takeaway should be that (no matter how varied women's lives may be) we (trans women and cis women etc) can still always find common ground and shared excperiences. We're all in this together.

But anyways I was looking at Lena Dunham's Instagram yesterday (I've been off and on again rewatching Girls, so she's stayed on my mind).

One post features the music video she directed starring famed trans girl Hari Nef.

Another post shows that she recently read trans boy Elliot Paige's memoir Paige Boy.

Another post shows a conversation she had with Jon Bernthal (on his podcast) where she explains the word cis to him and talks about having also explained it to her husband (this is the only clip from her appearance on the podcast that she chose to post).

BTW did you know that she was an executive producer for the 2021 show Genera+ion (which I recall featuring a trans boy actor playing a cis boy character who gets a girl pregnant).

Fascinating!

Meanwhile. Ten years earlier. In 2013 (a year into my transition and a year before Time declared that we've reached the trans tipping point) an episode of Girls features a doorman telling one of the titular Girls that "a tranny walked in last time and he was just walking around the floors, but it was nothing." (lmao)

UPDATE: s05e02 features a "did you just assume my pronouns" bit. (in a way that felt reactionary and gross because the theyfab saying it was an absurd hipster barista that the audience isn't intended to sympathize with)

UPDATE UPDATE: s06e02 features the leader of a group for women entrepreneurs saying "For those of you asking on our Facebook if the group is open to trans women: The answer is: We don't know. Okay?" (which I thought was fun)

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE: s06e03 (the literal next episode) "I even went to a couple of hookers and one of them had a dick."

[i-love-you-all]

I don’t have many cinematic thoughts considering I am at work today so I can’t exactly rewatch a million times, but Viper… holy…

So Iso and Omen once worked for the same organization (assassins/hitman stuff I think) but they had a goal of preventing the knowledge of radianite from spreading. Viper (part of Kindom) discovers this and Omen, then known as Ghost, finds her is supposed to kill her. The fight goes poorly and ends with Omen being trapped in that box turning into the first Radiant. He loses all memory and is recruited into Valorant at some point after. He’s lost years to that incident… but Viper kinda both protected herself and caused everything happening now… neither are the good guy, as this works seems to be leaning into — the absence of black and white (almost. looking at you Realm guy who tried to kill Harbor.) Still, killing/reshaping your assassin into an asset is a ballsy move.

Iso was mind controlled for parts of his work if I remember correctly, but Omen seems to know everything and at least in some part agreed with the directive. Which, what is the directive now? Radianite is in the world and being rapidly incorporated into tech it seems, so what is this organization trying to do now? I assume Iso will be the key to that one day…

I could get into the ability stuff as cinematic and the agent’s daily use of abilities is different than game mechanics but that’s only useful knowledge for fanfic writers lol.

Idk my takeaway is that I was team Viper until she turned it around and used him. But this probably does lead into Reyna’s sister. That’s the same box later on in the Reyna vs Viper card, and from what we know about Reyna, Viper is supposed to develop some suit to help Reyna’s sister essentially live? And that Reyna collecting souls is basically keeping her and her sister alive?

#I still <3 sova tho #valorant #valorant omen #omen #valorant iso #iso #valorant Reyna #reyna

[omarcitoloves]

initial young royals s3 thoughts after sleeping on it before rewatching!

start off i loved omar and edvins acting so so much this season it was truly something special. also begging and pleading with omar to not wait too long to do another acting project he has such an energy about him.

simons storyline was also so important to me and i felt like we finally dove into him a little. didn’t love how he’s still seeming to always put his own things aside for everyone else’s feelings? linda is better mom more attentive this season but it felt very much like simon didn’t have a single person to lean on and they were all coming at him from every angle.

wille - i get he’s under so much pressure and grief with his family but he was on another level of mean half the season. some of his comments and that shush. girl be serious. good to see him stand up to his parents though.

overall it just felt like a lot. and a lot shoved into so little. a bit like whiplash and so little time for conflict resolution which is wilmons biggest issue. they never really talk it’s just bits and pieces and it’s all wille yelling at simon or simon putting on a brave face until the breaking point. so many external factors built up just to keep them apart. idk felt messy to me but maybe that was the first watch. lots of strings from s2 feel forgotten and idk how they’re going to wrap this up in just one more episode…

wilmon. wilmon when they had the chance to be they were so sweet that’s what makes it heartbreaking. which could be lisa’s point. still unsure if they will end up together bc again. nothing is resolved. i wasn’t expecting pure fluff but it did feel a bit like we were sold more happiness than we got we never had a chance to linger with them feeling free like we did in the pervious seasons

this could change when i rewatch and i’ll update soon! main takeaway is simon will always be my baby

#and they gave so much redemption to august and sara #idk it just feels something is missing and rushed #but then again ive always had issue with only 6 eps for such a complex show #young royals s3 #young royals #young royals s3 spoilers #simon eriksson #wilhem x simon #prince wilhelm #wilmon #omar rudberg #young royals s3 thoughts #young royals s3 review

[sepublic]

            MAN rewatching S1 can be a trip because like. Remember when Luz actually let herself be openly angry at Eda to argue about things she wanted for herself??? Or when she confidently said she doesn’t deserve to be in the detention track! Only for Luz to come out of S1 with the takeaway that she was wrong to ask for things, no thanks to her trauma with Belos especially! Because S1 for Luz was about her realizing the consequences of her trying to pursue her fantasies, and while there was definitely some accommodation she had to give others…

         Luz has overcorrected now, and believes accommodating others is the ONLY lesson for her to learn. So she spends so much of S2 grappling with the guilt of what she did to Eda and Camila and her friends, actively apologizing for her own existence by trying to be as pleasing as possible. And Belos just sees and FEEDS into this so well that by S3, Luz has resolved to focus on being a Good Girl who accepts what she’s given and makes do with what she has, smiling the whole time!

         Hence that… concerning video diary. And Luz seeming almost scared for her mom when she asks Camila why she isn’t angry at Luz… Good lord. Though if there’s any consolation (aside from that episode’s resolution and Luz’s steps to realizing she can still WANT things for herself), that scene clearly has Luz wanting her mother’s love regardless, asking to spend the night with her, and being validated. Because Luz could admonish herself all she wanted for it, but she still had desires in her heart that she couldn’t deny, still had things she asked for regardless. I look forward to Luz once again exercising her belief in herself to demand things, and sometimes even be angry about it without having to necessarily apologize!

         Which, yeah, TOH definitely does have at least some things to say about the healing power of righteous rage. Between Eda’s “I have a RIGHT to be upset!!!” at her mother, Amity breaking through Odalia’s bonds through sheer wrath. Willow’s own anger was scary and sometimes even concerning, but ultimately totally justified in prompting Amity to apologize and admit her own failings, twice.

        And of course, the aforementioned concern at Luz no longer being angry for herself (when in S1, her arguments with Eda are ultimately good things that DO get her what she wants, and/or force Eda to reevaluate how she’s raising Luz and talk to her honestly about it). It’s hard to be a show that encourages fighting back against the mold without endorsing one of the prime motivators to rebellion, after all; The fundamental conflict is that people are unhappy here. And we exist in ways that aren’t palatable to others and are entitled to that.

#the owl house #luz noceda #character analysis

[david-talks-sw]

Doylist outlook on the Anakin & Council scenes during "The Phantom Menace"

About 4 years ago, I'm talking to an older friend of mine who grew up with the Original Trilogy.

He tells me that one of the disappointments of the Prequels, for him, is that the Jedi Knights had been built as these "Knights of the Round Table" and, instead, what his generation got was "monks who'll pick on a 9-year-old for being afraid".

Which makes sense in a story about their corruption and downfall, but he'd have preferred to root for them, see them in their heyday.

And, like, I agreed.

I didn't necessarily feel they were picking on him when I watched the scene as a child, my takeaway from that scene was the "fear leads to anger" part. But when I was thinking back on it as an adult, what my friend said seemed to track, and it was in-line with the "Jedi are corrupt" prism through which a lot of people see the Prequels, 2018-me included.

But nowadays - having read a whole bunch of George Lucas quotes and rewatched the scene - I don't think that it's meant to be perceived that way.

I've briefly touched on this last year, but if we look at this scene from a Doylian perspective, rather than a Watsonian one, it's clear to me that the point of this scene is three-fold.

1) Moving the story along, making sure Anakin is present in the third act.

"This was a little tricky, when writing the script, in that I didn’t want Anakin to become a Jedi yet, cuz I’m saving that for the end of the movie. But at the same time I still had to have him tag along. (laughs) And I was able to use, really, the device of the fact that Anakin had been put in Qui-Gon’s care and that he had promised his mother that he would take care of him as a way of allowing him to take the boy along with him on this trek… to the next third of the movie. But one of the difficulties of writing a script with lots and lots of characters is rationalize why everybody’s along." - The Phantom Menace, Director’s Commentary, 1999

This one's pretty simple to follow.

We need Anakin in the third act so he can blow up the big ship at the end. So the Council doesn't take Anakin in, but let's Qui-Gon keep him as a ward until a more definitive decision can be made.

2) Foreshadowing Anakin's inevitable downfall.

"We have the little testing scene which is really designed to allow him to be accepted as a Jedi, eventually. Because he has the powers… but as Yoda points out, there’s a lot of fear in him, and anger. That’s why they actually deny him the chance to become a Jedi. But it’s also - when they relent later on - it’s the thing that ultimately begins to describe some of his downfall". - The Phantom Menace, Commentary Track #2, 1999

Also straightforward. Anakin will become Vader, so let's hint at this.

The Jedi are clairvoyant wizards, they see all the red flags but must also admit that his future is clouded. In doubt, they'd rather err on the side of caution and not train him.

As George explained in Cut Magazine, in 1999, both the Council's prediction and Qui-Gon's decision are ultimately correct and wrong; Darth Vader does plunge the galaxy in darkness, but he will also bring back balance to the Force.

3) Illustrating the Jedi's principles by injecting his own values into their teachings.

"Ideas don't come into a story that easily. A lot of the time the characters have to say what you mean, and to do that the characters usually have to have differing opinions about the idea so they can discuss it." - (collected in The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005), 1996

This is where things get tricky. What did George mean?

Well, there's plenty of quotes where he says Jedi can feel emotions, namely love... what does he say about fear, specifically?

Okay, so that sounds a helluva lot like what Yoda says. Or rather, Yoda sounds a helluva lot like George.

If we go by the idea that the Jedi are, "dunking on Anakin and chastising him for being afraid because they've lost their way and now repress their emotions"... then it's inconsistent with what George Lucas was saying in the above quotes, because he clearly agrees with Yoda and uses the character as a vector to get his own ideas across.

It'd also wouldn't track with what we see in The Gathering, during The Clone Wars, in which we see that to gain their kyber crystal, a Jedi must overcome their weaknesses - including facing their fears.

So either George wanted us to think the Jedi Council collectively decided, on that specific day, to say "to hell with everything we stand for: fuck this kid in particular, just because"... or that's not how we're meant to read the scene.

I'd say the only reading that is consistent with everything George said is the following:

Anakin is afraid, he misses his mom. Which is normal.

The Jedi sense this and ask him how he feels, hoping he'll have the sense of admitting to this feeling (first step towards solving a problem is acknowledging there is one).

Anakin refuses to admit he's afraid, even after they explain that they know he is. He doesn't see what him being afraid has to do with anything.

Yoda explains the dangers of unchecked fear. If you don’t address or overcome it, it'll eventually lead to suffering and the Dark Side.

So Anakin being afraid isn’t the issue in itself, it’s that he won’t even acknowledge that that fear is there. Which, again, is completely normal, but a Jedi is supposed to be above that... and Anakin's age makes it so that he'll have a hard time learning this.

Hence why they initially decide he won't be trained.

So Lucas was clearly going for a classic Yoda moment, like "do or do not" in Empire Strikes Back… but to most people, the way the scene is written makes the Council seems cold, unfeeling, and dunking on a 9-year-old and makes Qui-Gon look like the reasonable one.

Could George have conveyed his intent more clearly?

Now, another writer might have decided to illustrate this philosophical lesson about unchecked fear differently, in a way that makes the Jedi seem kinder, less detached and more relatable. Lucas will be the first to admit that he’s not that writer.

"I'd be the first person to say I can't write dialogue. My dialogue is very utilitarian and is designed to move things forward. I'm not Shakespeare. It's not designed to be poetic. It's not designed to have a clever turn of phrase. [...] Dialogue isn't my strength. I use it as a device. I don't particularly like dialogue which is part of the problem." - EMPIRE, 1999

He writes dialog that takes you from point A to point B. The bottom line is Anakin's got too much fear and that he's too old? He'll stick to that bottom line.

It also doesn't help that, well, we're only shown Anakin as a sweet child, without being shown the traits that make the Council go "hmmm maybe not".

Like, the more explicit way would be to show the Council having a vision of death and destruction and Anakin standing in the middle of it... but you wouldn't even need to go that far.

Originally the scene went on for just a tad longer, with the Council prodding Anakin more and the latter screaming "I'M NOT AFRAID!" in anger.

Thus proving Yoda's point, that there's some unchecked fear and anger in him which - due to his age - will be difficult for him to master.

This was cut from the final movie, but was kept in printed editions of the script and the novelizations.

Interestingly, there was also this other deleted scene, where Anakin gets in a fight with a young Greedo, after the latter accused him of cheating at the Boonta Eve race.

According to this commentary, the scene was cut (to Rick McCallum's dismay) because George felt that - while it showed Anakin had a temper - it didn't really establish his character one way or the other, in the scope of The Phantom Menace.

And therein lies the issue, right?

George isn't building a cinematic universe, he's not making a TV series: he's making 3 movies, each about 2 hours long.

There's a short amount of time and a looot of stuff he'd like to say about how a good kid becomes a bad man and how a democracy becomes a dictatorship, and all the other subplots regarding symbiosis etc... that's a lot of things for a movie.

So when he's structuring how the Prequels explore the first theme, it's done as such:

First movie: Show Anakin was a sweet kid, hint at his fear.

Second movie: Show Anakin's other flaws, his love for Padmé & Shmi's death, which will eventually increase his fear and mark the first step toward his fall to the Dark Side.

Third movie: Anakin's fear of losing Padmé causes his fall.

And that's it. Nothing happens outside these movies.

A project with a larger scope (or one that only focused on Anakin's rise and fall) might've explored how Anakin felt growing up in the Temple alongside other already-trained Jedi, his trauma from his days as a slave, his anger issues, whether he ever asked the Jedi to go back and rescue his Mom, more details on his friendship with Obi-Wan, how Palpatine manipulated him from day one...

In that project, you'd put those deleted scenes and lines back in.

But this ain't that project. This is the space equivalent of a fairy tale.

So, to Lucas, none of the above factor into the story about Anakin's downfall, by virtue of not being in the movies.

Which makes it unrealistic to a majority of viewers. But George (indie experimental filmmaker with a vision) had a very specific thesis he was going for:

So at some point we're left with two choices.

1. "Death of the Author"

If George's thesis wasn't conveyed clearly enough, or executed well enough and what you saw killed your suspension of disbelief, or if you plainly disagree with George's view on fear... then obviously, go to town with heacanons, go with the "Jedi are dunking on Anakin 'cause they lost their way" interpretation.

Sure, it's not what George Lucas was going for, but as my friend who I mentioned at the start said to me more recently: "Who cares? Either the Jedi are intentionally meant to be seen as arrogant, emotionless a-holes, or the Prequels are bad movies."

Which I disagree with, but hey :D

2. Seeing the scene the way it was originally intended.

This is the one I'm going with. If you still like George's thesis and see it clearly when you watch the Prequels, then great.

In that moment, Qui-Gon - while ultimately correct about Anakin being the Chosen One - is being rash and trying to force Anakin in a mold the Council and Obi-Wan know he'll struggle to fit in. In that moment, they're in the right, he's in the wrong, and Anakin is caught in the middle. And that's pretty much it.

In the end, the most important part of that whole scene is the message "fear leads to anger, hate and suffering". And these are movies for kids. And as a kid... I got the message.

So the scene did its job with high scores, as far as I'm concerned.

#I already touched on this scene before a couple of times so I thought I'd put all my thoughts in one post #jedi #attachment #anakin #george lucas #sw meta #bts tidbits #star wars #tpm #the phantom menace #jedi order #meta #anakin skywalker #long post #this has been in my drafts for months ffs #need to find the time to complete this stuff

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

Crosshair in "The Solitary Clone"

I've been rewatching The Bad Batch with my cousin and we just finished The Solitary Clone last night. There is one scene that hasn't left my mind and yes, I will psychoanalyze Cross's face because he is so expressive in the subtlest ways. Also, this is my takeaway from this scene.

Cross says "We're soldiers. We do what needs to be done" in response to Cody's question regarding the morality of their actions.

Cody replies "Well, you know what makes us different from battle droids? We make our own decisions. Our own choices." Then, he walks away, leaving Crosshair with his thoughts.

It is this interaction that really caught my eyes. This is Cross's reaction to Cody asking him if he knows how're they're different from droids:

Crosshair stiffens and takes a breath in, taking in Cody's words and anticipating what he's about to say next. There is so much pain and conflict written on his face. Cody is challenging his beliefs and hitting a very sensitive topic for Cross. What are the clones' purpose in life? To be solider and fight, just like the battle droids. The clones are also frequently mistreated because of this. To Crosshair, a clone who would've been "decommissioned" if his mutation wasn't helpful, if he can't be a soldier, then what is his purpose? When Cody states that it's because the clones can make their own decisions and choices, Cross's expression changes slightly again and all the guilt, self-loathing, and pain is on max level for us the audience to see. Due to the chip, Crosshair had his choices taken away. But even after the incident on Bracca where he got turned into Kentucky Fried Anakin, Crosshair is still under the Empire's control. He lets them dictate his actions and follows their orders. Cody's words are hard for him to swallow, and I think deep down, he knows Cody's right. But because of everything that's happened and Crosshair's internal conflict with who he is, it's difficult to hear.

As Cody begins walking away, we get this expression:

He almost looks angry. But angry at Cody? I don't think so. I think its anger at himself and the remaining resentment he has towards his brothers. The pain in his eyes is still there on full display to see. One of Crosshair's main ways of communicating is purely through his body language. He doesn't need to say much in order to articulate his emotions or get a point across. Cody's words are sinking in to him and he doesn't like it because it reminds him of his internal conflict.

Something I've noticed about Crosshair on my Bad Batch rewatch is just how insecure he truly is, especially regarding who he is. Many people when talking about Cross bring this point up and now that I rewatch the show, I see it. Insecurity and identity are at the focal point of Crosshair's character. It's always "I'm a soldier" or "we're made to be more than that." Cross can't see himself outside of that role which brings him into direct conflict with Hunter. Hunter kind of imprinted on Omega. He sees this child as a new path forward in life. She's his moral compass, the reason he keeps fighting, and one of the most important things in his life. Hunter can't live without her in his life. Crosshair doesn't have an Omega who brings him a new perspective. That is, until Cody and Mayday show up.

Another thing I've noticed about Crosshair is that he's very clingy. Because of his life on Kamino and his insecurities, he tends to cling to those who make him feel wanted or useful. Cross values loyalty and has a deep desire to feel wanted by others. The Batch was his family, the only other people who understood him and wanted him. When they left him, he became very jaded and angry. After everything they've been through, Cross was still thrown aside. And that breaks him internally. Then, it's the Empire. Crosshair was raised to be a soldier first and foremost. Who seeks soldiers to fill their ranks? The Empire. Who demands loyalty and promises to reward those who follow orders? The Empire. Who makes Crosshair feel useful in a time of great confusion? The Empire. So, he clings to them in hopes that he will find a place to belong. Cody is next. Cody is the only familiar face to Crosshair and the only one who treats him with kindness. Rampart sure as heck doesn't care and the other clones don't want to be near Crosshair. He's different and he doesn't really fit in anywhere. Heck, look at the contrast between the uniform. Anyways, Cody is able to connect with Cross. In turn, Crosshair sticks by his side the whole time and even asks for him after the mission on Desix is over. Speaking of Desix, the whole mission plays out like an episode of Clone Wars with battle droids and all. Of course it's gonna remind Cross of the olden days. Finally, there's Mayday. Mayday owed Crosshair nothing but gave him everything anyway. And Cross really latched on to him because Mayday is the last lifeline he's got. Mayday's actions and kindness affected Crosshair in a way he didn't expect. When Crosshair helps him back and forms a bond with him, it's a touching moment. It also symbolizes Crosshair accepting his clone identity. He's embracing a part of himself he initially wanted nothing to do with. At the end of the day, Crosshair wants nothing more to belong somewhere and with someone. He wants to be wanted, not alone on some desolate rock. The Outpost broke the camel's back in terms of how much longer Cross could keep going the way he was.

Alright, that was pretty long. But, I wanted to share my thoughts because that scene and Crosshair's specific reactions hit so different a second time. He is fighting against himself and he knows it. But his internal conflict is so strong that it makes him very stubborn. In the end, he winds up in a weird sunk-cost fallacy situation. He does pay the price in the end. He loses Mayday and everything that keeps him tethered to the Empire and life. Crosshair's desire for belonging and purpose are so strong that he doesn't get out until he can't take it anymore. He is pushed to his brink and by then, it's too late. He can either rot until he's completely dead on the inside or make a choice that'll get him killed. Either way, Crosshair's only way out was death. But, the Empire had other plans for him. Hopefully, season 3 will give him a happier ending.

Crosshair's story is one of embracing your identity and overcoming your insecurities. It's one of finding where you belong and that what might initially seem as the right place is actually far more damaging then it let one. He is such an incredibly complex character and in my opinion, one of Star Wars' best. He's never gonna be Vader level, but for those who know him and his story, Cross will leave an impact on us.

Thank you for reading, I hope you made it this far, and I'll be back shortly with more Crosshair content. Take care.

#star wars #the bad batch #crosshair #tbb meta #the solitary clone #the outpost #commander cody #tbb mayday

[onewomancitadel]

A smattering of general updates:

I played Tears of the Kingdom. I didn't really enjoy it. I understand why it was popular though; I'm just not the demographic for these types of video games anymore. I didn't find it creatively rewarding and after a time I sat there thinking 'I would rather be writing right now', and since then I have learnt that writing is made easier by doing things which are not writing, because it makes me miss it. My dad also doesn't really like it but for some reason has played hundreds of hours in it. I don't know either - I think he will take anything called Zelda at this point.

I spectated the Doctor Who David Tennant Special and watched some clips of the new season. I'm not a fan of RTD, and not a DW fan anymore (not for a long time), but it was an interesting study in how studios try to attract old and new fans.

I read a lot of books, and that lie people tell you about all books being good for you is a lie, because a cyberpunk anthology of short stories made me so angry I got heartburn. I think people who say that are saying so because they wish that they could read a lot, in which case I say, yes I think reading is a gift and we should engage with it, however, sometimes I get so physically angry from something stupid/bad I've read because bad writers exist that it gives me actual pain. I am reading Howl's Moving Castle right now and it's very joyful; I am very surprised by the liberties the animated film took! However so far I do think both experiences are worthwhile, and if you enjoyed the Ghibli film, I very much recommend checking out the original book if you want to revisit that world again. The prose is straightforward but a little whimsical, and Howl is very, very funny. I have laughed aloud a few times.

Well, you know I rewatched Dark, and it's funny that during my exile I said 'this is like if RWBY got the ending it deserves' and then, er, I found out it's not renewed yet, and that's still up in the air, which for the entirety of RWBY I have only had one true moment of doubt of such a thing, and that was a while ago.

On that topic, yes, I still ship Jaune/Cinder, believe Cinder's redemption is likely, etc., although there are some more external concerns I would wager now than before. Before I thought it very possible to do without any commercial influence, and it depends what compromises they do or don't end up making or having already made. My analysis of Jaune's arc in V9 may not hold water as much (e.g. if you lean towards the view there were rewrites to cater to growing the audience, or perhaps it's two ideas married? I'm not sure) so I'm going to think about it more, and there always has been a tension in RWBY between what is being expected/baited and what is foreshadowed/said/actually happens.

I figured out how to write again and what was blocking me, so there's that. To talk about it a bit more, since my break I have worked every single day on writing. My key takeaways are that you need a delicate balance of delusion and self-doubt to get anything done - you don't know you can do something until you actually do it - and every excuse I invented for not writing was not the reason I was not writing. I can write with a migraine beginning to set in on an uncomfortable desk where I can't even rest my elbows properly on the end of a bed with no back support without aircon in the middle of summer before I've even taken my hair out from bedtime plaits in my pyjamas. I didn't even expect to get my fic done right before midnight, actually I was like 'well lol that's not going to happen, I'll write anyway though, fuck New Year's' because I wasn't doing anything, and then I finished and looked at the time and was like ooooh. I actually completed my goal! So I'm very proud of that. Anyway writing is breathing, to me, I go crazy if I don't do it, no matter what it is, and every single piece of nonsense advice of productivity was not helpful, ever, but I did figure it out. Also admittedly I got a fire burning under me again because I found out I was actually right about Raven, in which case I took that as a sign from heaven I was on the right track. One should hope.

I am excited about Dune Part Two, yes, although I am trying to avoid Villeneuve talking about the film because I know all the marketing is basically directed at people who aren't Dune fans, and I have to see it for myself to see what it's worth. I enjoyed the first film, and Villeneuve seems excited to direct Dune Messiah, in which case I am willing to do whatever possible to make that happen. Because that's about as complete a story you're going to get in a major motion picture adaptation and it would be So Fucking Good.

#seraphina party hour

[i-am-befuddled]

Ok honestly, I think “Oops” is the best Helluva Boss episode of season 2 thus far. The previous ones have struggled with tone switches and using too many vulgar jokes in the place of substance, but imo this episode knocked it out of the park. (Details below, long post warning)

Yes, there were sex jokes but that’s to be expected in HB, and I didn’t feel like they were out of place majority of the time. The tone balancing felt pretty good overall, and I loved seeing the different sides to each of the characters.

Fizz and Ozzie are somehow the cutest and most wholesome couple, and they were a great contrast to Stolis/Blitzø. I adored getting confirmation about Fizz and Blitzø’s backstory, and the added detail that Blitzø actually had a crush on him was cute and made it all the more heartbreaking. It also confirmed that he lost his mom in that fire too, but I find it interesting that he keeps this detail from Fizz. I think he’s still holding onto that guilt/doesn’t want to burden fizz with it, so that was really interesting character writing.

I’ve seen a couple complaints about the apparent “miscommunication trope” between them, but I somewhat disagree. Yes, miscommunications are always annoying in fiction, but they do happen irl. And given what we know about blitzø, communicating has never been his strong suit. It’s implied that their relationship was stressed leading up to the fire, due to some jealousy or insecurity, and given how severe both of their injuries were (and the emotional damage dealt), I think it makes sense that they wouldn’t investigate the miscommunication. Fizz did have every reason to cut blitzø out, even if he didn’t have the whole story. And blitzø was dealing with enough of his own trauma and guilt to let it fester. They both turned to bitterness and lashing out in anger, so I’m glad they had the opportunity to set the record straight (and that they’re not entirely on good terms yet, but can grow)

Also Fizz talking about his disability in a mostly positive light was really cool to see. He acknowledged how it was painful and took a lot of adjusting, but he’s happy with where he is today and has learned to live with it.

I’m also enjoying seeing blitzø reaching out to more people in his past. First Barbie and now fizz. I assume this has to do with Stolas getting hurt, but whether Blitzø is doing it consciously or not remains to be seen. Regardless, I think we might see a real turning point in his character soon.

Like I mentioned previously, I also loved seeing the different sides to each character. I liked seeing Ozzie interacting outside of a stage and as a business person, as well as how he acts around fizz. Seeing Stolas admitting to catching feelings and still wanting to be respectful was awesome, as well as seeing the side of him that’s not just a horny owl.

Also seeing that crimson and striker are still threats was helpful. While I was missing their motivation in the beginning, I realized that kidnapping Fizz and Blitzø wasn’t really their plan — it was happenstance that they took advantage of. Which feels in character.

Only minor complaints I have are that Fizz’s song went on for just a touch longer than I felt necessary, and some of the characters (Blitzø, crimson and striker) felt like they were just in Greed for the plot to happen, but that’s sometimes necessary for storytelling. I might find a couple other critiques upon rewatch, but my immediate takeaways were largely positive.

Overall, fantastic episode. The animation was stellar, as was a lot of the character work, and the voice acting was very good. I really hope that future episodes can take after this one.

#long post #helluva boss #fizzarolli #blitzø #Stolas

[paintedvanilla]

okay! about fight club bc i would like to have your opinion on this!

do you think the experience of watching it for the first time already knowing the plot twist ruins the experience? since its a fairly new fixation of yours, did you already know about it or did you watch it blindly? last but not least, how was your experience watching it for the first time and rewatching it after actually knowing what is going on?

bye-

Eee!! I love this ask hi!! Sorry it got buried in my notifications and I didn’t see it until now!! OKAY SO:

I don’t think it RUINS the experience. I think knowing the twist during your first watch allows your first watch to just be like a second watch, for someone who didn’t know the twist. You still get that sense of being in on something, and watching everything unfold is so rewarding. I notice something new literally every time I watch the movie. Me and Manar literally watched it tonight, and we noticed something new that clues the viewer in on Tyler and the narrator being the same person. That said:

All I knew about fight club when I watched it was that you don’t talk about fight club and my buddy manar was obsessed with it. I had no idea about the twist. It blindsided me. I was completely mesmerized. And I love showing the movie to people who don’t know the twist. It’s amazing. I wish I could relive that moment over and over again. It’s fucking incredible.

Rewatching after the first time, my biggest take away was that during my first watch, I remember there were multiple scenes where Marla would do something and I would be like, “man what is her DEAL” but the second time I watched it I was like. OH. THATS HER FUCKING DEAL. SHE DOESNT HAVE A DEAL. SHES DATING A NUTJOB. THE GUY YELLING AT HER IN THE KITCHEN IS THE GUY WHO REARRANGED HER GUTS 15 MINUTES AGO. THATS HER DEAL. That was my biggest takeaway during my second watch. Marla is like. Shockingly normal and well adjusted on a second viewing.

#thanks for the ask! sorry it took a minute to get to #i have some other unanswered asks too sorry I’m being slow #op #fight club #transmascchiato

[parttimesarah]

💜 My immediate takeaways from WWDITS 5x1&2 💚

First off, I LOVE how much we are seeing the production crew of the documentary so far! I love the mockumentary format and acknowledging it more just adds to the comedy for me!

Ending that first post-Derek-bite scene with Guillermo saying "There's no turning–" !?! I mean, that has to be foreshadowing!

I know we all said we want to see more jealous Nandor, but him not knowing that he should be jealous is going to be SO delicious!

Introducing the idea that Nandor has been trying to get in touch with his feelings and acknowledging the work that others do as "OK" is a lovely first step towards him genuinely appreciating Guillermo.

The face Nandor initially made when Guillermo said he wasn't going to be around all the time! 🥹 Reality is going to breakthrough for him, I can feel it!

The look of the vamps is on fire! Laszlo's hair is a bit longer and he is wearing the hell out of those clothes. Nandor is looking slightly tan, which is nice, and his beard looks a bit fuller. Nadja is gorgeous, as always! Guillermo without glasses was cool, but I'm also kind of glad he will be keeping the fake lenses.

POOR GUIDE! She is such a sixth wheel in the vampire residence, but I am so glad she's there as a female presence alongside Nadja again. And she got a picture in the credits!

Seeing Nadja get energized by reconnecting with her heritage was awesome. I'm not sure I'm totally onboard with the hex subplot, but Nadja focusing on kindness to get rid of it will be enjoyable and makes sense as a character motivation for a number of episodes.

I'm not sure where the doll subplot will lead outside of the information we can glean from the teaser footage (something to do with helping the doll lose her virginity?), and I'm not sure exactly how much I'll want to keep returning to that plot.

Colin is back on form with his adult energy-sucking ways. I particularly enjoyed him with the other vampires. I missed that dynamic last season. I do hope the election sub-plot doesn't feel too forced when it shows up.

The idea that Guillermo can heal himself, be out in the sunshine, eat regular food (especially tons of protein), and maybe have other elevated senses, could actually make him the most powerful character in the whole show and I'm all sorts of here for him realizing that!

I LOVE The Barren/Baron and the Sire being introduced already, I hope we see them again. Using them as the sages who have the most vampire lore but are essentially an old retired couple is such a sweet idea.

Derek being a friend of Guillermo's throughout more of this season would be so great. Guillermo hasn't really had a platonic friend so far in the show. I think Laszlo and he are getting there, but their relationship is SO much more complex.

Seeing just how in touch with his own emotions and vulnerabilities Laszlo has become is lovely. Seeing him holding hands with Nadja on the couch was so sweet. It makes him keeping Guillermo's secret that much more believable. Guillermo confessing to him (even though he believed Laszlo knew already) shows that Guillermo feels like he can trust Laszlo too.

Laszlo saying that he might be able to convince Nandor to bite Guillermo?! I'M SORRY, WHAT?!

And finally, can I just say, LASZLO ALL ANGRY AT GUILLERMO AT THE END BUT STILL CONCERNED FOR HIM WAS SO FLIPPIN SEXY!

That's all I got for you for now! Two rewatches tomorrow when I stream it for my friends who don't have cable, then GIFs to follow! Let me know if you have GIF requests!

Here's to theories and imaginings for the next week! xx

#wwdits fx s5 spoilers #wwdits 5x1&2 #wwdits fx #what we do in the shadows fx #what we do in the shadows #nandor the relentless #guillermo de la cruz #nandermo #nadja of antipaxos #the guide #colin robinson #my thoughts

[thatgirl4815]

Warm Milk (meta)

This probably goes without saying, but I think there are several connecting threads between the appearance of warm milk this episode. There are a few telling moments in the dialogue that hint at its symbolism and the animosity between Porsche and Tawan. 

Before I get into it, I also want to mention the innuendo of warm milk and what it *ahem* suggests sexually (shoutout to @atlasshrugd​ because I honestly didn’t even form this connection when I watched). In this meta, I tend to look at warm milk a bit more abstractly, but I think this sexual connection still works with the idea of fighting for Kinn’s affection that shows up as a result of Tawan’s appearance.

Ok, now onto 2 specific scenes…

Warm Milk Scene #1

P: “Where is Ken?”

T: “He’s sleeping. I don’t wanna wake him up. I couldn’t sleep so I had to get some warm milk. You couldn’t sleep too, Porsche?”

P: “...”

T: “Porsche, what are you afraid of? Do you think I would fool Kinn, or are you afraid of something else?”

P: *drinks milk* “Tastes good.”

--

There’s not a whole lot going on in the conversation itself, but there are a few key takeaways. Tawan puts on this front of comfortability, swirling the milk around with his spoon, leaning up against the counter as if he was invited here rather than simply seeking refuge here. He’s cool and calm, looking up frequently, while Porsche keeps his gaze down with a stoic, reserved expression. 

What does this have to do with warm milk? Well, nothing too obvious--though warm milk is often associated with comfort; it’s connotations are positive. It coincides with how Tawan is outwardly portraying himself, as if he’s meant to be here. I, personally, would not venture to get myself a drink alone while basically being held captive at my ex-boyfriend’s mafia mansion, but obviously we know that Tawan has a game plan. It’s suavity at it’s finest. It’s interesting to me also how this contrasts the Tawan we saw at the beginning of the episode. We know he’s a skilled manipulator because he’s able to quickly shift between feeble & groveling and confident & controlled.

Aside from body language, Tawan contributes to this persona through the way he phrases his responses. Tawan dominates the conversation with Porsche hardly saying a word. This is telling in and of itself, but I also noticed how Tawan calls Porsche by name twice here. Generally, calling someone by their name in a conversation gives emphasis. It can also be a way of targeting someone, demanding a response by narrowing the focus on them. After these name drops, Tawan goes in for the kill by asking some pretty intensive questions. He’s  still speaking cryptically, but at the same time, he’s addressing the tension between them and Porsche’s owns insecurities. His agenda is like Vegas’s: to create a wall between Kinn and Porsche. But unlike Vegas, he has the advantage of a past relationship with Kinn. The end result is the same, but unlike Vegas, Tawan does not try to rip Kinn apart--but rather, make himself seem revered in Kinn’s eyes.

“Do you think I would fool Kinn, or are you afraid of something else?”

This line catches my attention most, because it’s the first time Kinn is mentioned in the conversation. I’ve rewatched this scene several times, and I think it’s possible to interpret this line in a few different ways. I think what Tawan is really saying here is: Are you really worried that I am going to betray Kinn again, or are you worried that I will take him away from you? If this is really what he’s saying here, then he’s subtly creating a line between what a bodyguard should feel for their boss (not wanting them to get betrayed) and what someone wants for/expects from their significant other (trust).

Porsche, of course, does not play into the game. This is part of the reason why I said in another post (here) that I think Kinn and Porsche handle Tawan’s reappearance relatively well, considering. He manages to weasel his way in between them, and he thinks he succeeds, but I would argue that this is all part of Kinn’s plan in the end. Yes, I think there are still some pretty weighty trust issues between Kinn and Porsche, but I don’t think Kinn really believes that Porsche is the mole. If Tawan thinks that--and truly believes his manipulation is working--then it is easier to take him down/expose his true intentions later on. Then again, we know that Kinn’s judgment goes astray when it comes to Porsche (likely because he’s had such a strained relationship with feelings due to Tawan and his father), so it’s impossible to say for certain. A lot of this episode is made up of subtext, especially between Kinn and Porsche; they share many long looks that portray an array of emotions. It’s just difficult to pinpoint what they are both thinking (but that’s a conversation for another post). 

Warm Milk Scene #2

Porsche and Tawan’s roles have been switched in this last scene between them. Tawan thinks he’s won. Porsche, conversely, keeps his head down, mirroring his reaction during the first warm milk scene. Thankfully, Porsche doesn’t say anything during this scene, which is arguably a sign of defeat, but I can’t help but find it somewhat empowering. He’s not giving Tawan the satisfaction of hearing how broken he is by being locked up by Kinn.

Two of the most important aspects of this scene are familiarity and role reversal. They guide the dialogue and the expressions between characters.

T: “How is it? Quiet and peaceful, huh? Here’s some hot milk. Drink it. So you’ll get a good sleep.”

--

One of the interesting things about manipulation, as we’ve seen with both Vegas and Tawan, is how they’re able to present kindly facades. For Tawan especially, this involves feigned concern for Porsche’s well-being. Again, the subtext speaks much more than the characters’s actually do (which honestly goes for the entire show). 

Tawan hints here how he knows the situation Porsche is in, which is a blow for a few reasons. For Porsche, this cuts deep because it is insinuating that he is just the same as Tawan, a betrayer and a sneaky liar. It implies that Kinn sees him the same way he sees his ex, which is understandably one of Porsche’s, and Kinn’s, biggest fears. 

The warm milk comes into play to showcase Tawan’s familiarity with Porsche’s situation here, a reference which no-doubt tortures Porsche immensely. When it comes to body language, Tawan noticeably reaches out to lay a hand on Porsche’s shoulder through the bars; he even offers a little squeeze. Once again, he is confirming his satisfaction with what he sees as winning the battle. Porsche is behind bars while Tawan is out and (mostly) free. Tawan seems to interpret this turn of events as Kinn choosing him which--given Kinn’s attitude towards him--is a stretch. But Tawan is cocky nonetheless, because he’s gotten his foot in the door. Unlike the first ‘Warm Milk’ scene, Kinn has actually done something against Porsche now. Like the first ‘Warm Milk’ scene, Porsche does not engage (though in this case, his posture--slumped on the ground, closed eyes, head down--and silence are all huge signs of defeat). 

Tawan makes a kissy face to top it all off, taunting him, before walking out. Only when he leaves does Porsche open his eyes, looking dejected and even a bit confused. Although the circumstances are quite different, I connect this scene to the bathroom scene a lot in Ep5.

‘Warm Milk’ & Tawan (Symbolism)

Symbolically, Tawan is like warm milk in that 1) he tries to offer a sense of familiarity to Kinn and use it to manipulate him and 2) he offers false comfort. Warm sour milk would be a better metaphor in this case, but the fact that it’s only “warm milk” hints at Tawan’s well-crafted facade. He wants people to believe he is a certain way, when we see that he is really the exact opposite. Might be a little extensive for this metaphor, but I think it’s worth considering and I just get really hung up on details like this for some reason.

**Tawan looks and seems comforting, but once you actually take a sip of him, you recoil at the sourness.**

~ ~ ~

Another long meta from me. For more KP meta, see this post! And as always, do let me know your thoughts and how you interpreted this episode. A lot of things are very much up-for-interpretation, so I’m curious to know how others saw the ‘warm milk’ thing (or if I’m just reading into it wayyyy too far). 

Until next time...<3

#kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #kinn x porsche #kinn porsche #kinn and porsche #kinnxporsche #kinnporsche meta #Writing about warm milk symbolism was certainly unexpected #but I'm not complaining #Honestly gotta watch this ep about 100 more times to really digest everything #that still won't be enough #Tawan is so nasty I wanna throw that milk in his face #wouldn't be so comforting then would it? #kinn anakinn #kinn theerapanyakul #porsche pachara #porsche kittisawasd #kinn kinnporsche #porsche kinnporsche #kinn #porsche #tawan #tawan kinnporsche #vegas theerapanyakul #vegas #vegas kinnporsche

[trelkez]

Me watching Ted Lasso 3.11:

I truly thought the last few episodes of the show had broken any remaining faith I had in its storytelling, but no. The second scene of this episode: that broke any remaining faith I had in Ted Lasso's storytelling. This season is NOT GOOD. And yet: are they going to make my OT3 canon? Are they?

I'm going to process Ted Lasso 3.11 (mostly) the way I did last week, by doing a rewatch and taking everything in order as it happens. The show's writing is so incoherent at this point that I'm not going to attempt to impose order on it; things just occur. This is the way.

1. Ted's Mom

I spent the entire opening credit sequence mentally reviewing every Ted/Trent fic I've ever read that had some kind of take on Ted's mom – and realizing that whatever we were about to get wasn't going to be as interesting as anything I'd read in fic, because this season is hell-bent on the idea that all conflict can be washed away in the space of a single conversation. 

Remember when I would've just been excited to finally meet Ted's mom? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

2. Jade hates working with her boyfriend

And who can blame her? This woman has one thing, and that is working at Taste of Athens. Come on, Nate, get your own thing!

3. "We want you to come back to Richmond."

So, okay.

I've already written pretty extensively on how badly handled Nate's redemption arc has been. This has been a problem all season long; before I moved back to Tumblr, I was writing small, irate tweets about it.

Let's go back and look at some of the things I said during and after season 2:

2.07: Nate - his characterization has been really consistent: he's always been a jerk to Will, he uses his power over others to belittle them to make himself feel better, he conflates being assertive with being aggressive, this stuff was in s1 too

post-s2, 1/3: the show put a lot of work into showing Nate punching down, his growing narcissism, the ways feeling underappreciated makes him cruel to others and himself; I don't think we're meant to take away that being denied a Nespresso machine justifies a heel turn

post-s2, 2/3: Nate's history with women as shown is not great - when he thinks he's fired he immediately calls Rebecca a shrew; "perhaps you'd like to give me your number, too" to Jade the hostess as soon as he feels like he can order her around; kissing Keeley at all

post-s2, 3/3: when he kissed Keeley I was like, sure, this tracks; (for him) it becoming solely about him being mad that it wasn't enough to get Roy's attention also tracks. but the rest ... and some of the media takeaway ... is weird to me. is this relatable content?? should it be?

What gets me about all of this is that sometimes, this season has almost convinced me that Nate leaking the panic attack story to Trent was just a weak moment for which an otherwise lovable guy should be forgiven – but the evidence isn't there. They were so consistent in how they built up Nate's fall; they seeded that in as far back as season one. They signaled it through hair color! They unfolded it piece by piece, in a deliberate, escalating spiral from which there ultimately was no last-minute escape.

And then we get to season three, and two seasons of careful character building immediately becomes meaningless. Season three's Nate is a different person. This entire season is taking place in an alternate universe. And there's no reason they had to do that, because they had an entire twelve-episode season of increasingly long episodes in which to slowly but surely make Nate a better person! Time for him to learn a series of important lessons that tie into past behavior; time for him to slowly reconcile with his father; time for him to grow without erasing the person he had always been. Time to build him up into a better version of himself.

Instead, this is what we have. And even then, some of the most important parts of the story of Nate's redemption have happened off-screen. Nate quitting off-screen last week was truly shocking; the team discussing Nate's situation, deciding to forgive him, and voting on whether or not to invite him back – that happening off-screen is unforgivable. The West Ham storyline has, thus far, mattered so little to this season that maybe (.......maybe) we can say that severing ties with Rupert wasn't a key part of his journey, even though that's absurd, but Nate's return to Richmond is everything. That's the whole ballgame. 

For Colin to be part of the welcoming committee is truly fucking egregious. Even this very season, Colin is still repeating his affirmation from therapy as he actively works on building up his self-confidence – something Nate deliberately tried to destroy. At no point did I imagine that a one-on-one with Colin wasn't going to be part of Nate's apology tour. But now – one sprig of lavender for Will, and that's all it takes? Nate's treatment of Colin isn't going to be addressed at all? 

This is the same team that collected red cards like candy against West Ham after Roy and Beard showed them the video of Nate ripping up the "believe" sign. Remember the power walk of fury past Nate to open the second half of that game? Why do they now suddenly want him back? Because they heard he was working in a restaurant and felt sorry for him? Because they heard he apologized to Will and decided that was enough? At this point, I genuinely think the writers didn't know how that conversation would go, so they skipped over it. If you aren't sure how to get the team back on Nate's side, just have it happen off-screen; then it doesn't matter how it happened, only that it did. If you only tell and never show, you can make anything happen without having to get from A to B. 

All of this mess, all of this time, and we don't get to be in the room as the team reaches some kind of closure on everything Nate did.

4. "Richmond have won fifteen matches in a row. With two games left, you're just four points off Manchester City for the Premier League title."

Thanks for expositing all of that, Reporter Guy. If it weren't for the occasional infodump, we'd never know what was going on in the team's season! Exposition Characters, you're the true heroes.

5. "That goal is a lie. It should be retracted from the record. I apologize to everyone, especially the kids."

If they had kept to this kind of funny-but-alarming tone without going too overboard on it, Jamie's pre-Manchester depressive episode would've been a lot more effective.

I know this show can handle depression, anxiety, and parent-induced stress in a thoughtful way and balance that with tonally appropriate comedy, but can it do that … anymore?

6. Ted's ever-increasing mom stress

To that end: the way they built up Ted being so put out his mother was in town, I thought for sure we were going to find out he had been dodging her calls about something (was Michelle getting married after all?) and this would reveal whatever it was to the audience. 

I think – I think – that the actual intended effect here is to underscore that Ted ran an entire continent away from his problems and all of his unprocessed trauma, and having all of that catch up to him without warning triggered a stress cascade resulting in the meltdown we'll get at the end. But if that's the intention, what this episode really underscores is that they simply do not know how to handle this sort of storyline anymore. Dottie Lasso is lovely and entertaining and you definitely can look at her and see where Ted comes from, but the Ted parts of this story are about as nuanced as a sledgehammer on concrete.

7. "Trent, your hair is fabulous. It really is. It's just stylin'."

I never thought that Trent would actually meet Ted's mother in the show. I can't wait to see what fic writers do with this. (Please don't get discouraged by however the show ends and walk away, fic writers! We need you now, tonight. We need you more than ever.)

8. Van Damme's mask

This is officially more follow-up on a previous episode's subplot than we have had about almost any other subplot this entire season, and it's about one of the most disposable stories they've told.

9. OT3 Watch: "Shouting is Roy's love language."

Does Trent ship it? One of us, one of us.

10. OT3 Watch: Jamie crying on Roy

There's a lot about this scene I loved, so let's take a break for positivity! That sounds nice, doesn't it?

Jamie bursting into tears and then, when asked what's wrong, saying, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know": intensely relatable. He's already in tears as he walks into the boot room, just barely holding it in, and the second Roy pushes him to toughen up (in general), he loses it, because of course he does: he's dreading another trauma at the hands of his abusive dad, in the hometown that hates him. It makes perfect sense for Jamie to be having a serious depressive episode, and it is entirely in character for him to describe that as "I don't use any conditioner anymore, because what's the fucking point."

This is one thing this season has done well, with patience and consistency: it's believable for Jamie to break down crying on Roy because they put the time in to get these two to that point. Last season, it was a big fucking deal when Roy hugged Jamie. This season, if Jamie is going to cry on anyone, of course it's going to be Roy.

That said: I think it was a mistake to go quite so hard on playing this for laughs. Depression and trauma absolutely can be mined for comedy. "Do you think a depressed person could make this?" works because it's still Ben Wyatt, it's just Depressed Ben Wyatt. Jamie smushing Roy's face around as Phil Dunster gives it his absolute best comedy wailing sob doesn't … feel like Jamie? It just feels like comedy. If the moment isn't organic to the character, probably it needed a rewrite.

"It probably needed a rewrite," the Ted Lasso season three story. – Then again, I wonder all the time how much of this season's problems are due to the infamous production-halting Jason Sudeikis rewrites, so … maybe not? Maybe this season needed fewer rewrites and more Bill Lawrence? Who can say.

("Will, you missed a good one" is a great closing note for the series-long gag of overheard emotional scenes in the boot room. If they do another one in the finale, they'll have overshot it.)

11. "Hey, Roy, would it bother you if we brought Nate back?" / "No, I don't give a fuck."

At this point, I briefly stopped watching. 

I went back to 2.12 to see if Roy knows that Nate was the source for the panic attack story: as of that episode, as far as I can tell, he doesn't. 

I went to 3.04 to see if there was any indication during the West Ham episode that Roy had figured it out by then, but that episode focuses on the "believe" sign, which everyone but Ted seems to be finding out about for the first time.

Roy doesn't know that Nate actively tried to ruin Ted. (Does it make any sense for Roy to not have done the math when he was in the room when Ted opened up to the coaches about his panic attacks? Probably not, but that appears to be the canon.) He does know what Nate was like, particularly toward the end; he knows that Nate abandoned ship for West Ham; he knows that Nate ripped the sign, and he used that to turn the entire team against Nate for the West Ham game; and perhaps most importantly, Roy is not especially known as an easygoing, forgiving guy.

This is a man who carried a devastating news clipping around in his wallet for his entire career and beyond. A guy who couldn't hug Jamie in celebration until he headbutted him to make them even. This is Roy Kent, who is known even by people who don't watch this show as the one with the anger issues.

And he's just – fine? To bring Nate back? He holds no grudges? Roy Kent? We're really going to have Roy Kent as the voice of "yeah, whatever, I don't care" while Beard is left to fume alone?

12. "If you bring that Judas back, I will burn this place to the fucking ground."

Once again, Beard is the only one who's seen season two. And yet, this is being set up as a conflict that Beard has to set aside. 

Has Nate apologized to Ted at this point? No. Was Nate an increasingly toxic presence in the locker room last season? Yes. Do they have any knowledge of his coaching style at West Ham that we're aware of that would suggest that he's had a major personality change? No. Are they currently on a fifteen-game winning streak without Nate? Yes. Are there only two games left in the season? Yes. 

Is there any reason to bring Nate back at this point? No. And Beard, who has been the only one all season long who has retained any emotional awareness of past events, is only allowed to have that awareness so that it can be used as a justifying force for Nate's return.

I support you, Beard. This is all some bullshit. You should be allowed to be pissed about it. 

13. Nora!

Is Rebecca's aside about Nora telling her to stop using her private jet the closest we're going to get to a Nora appearance this season? There's still time for her to pop up in the finale, but that seems unlikely.

14. OT3 Watch: Keeley checking in on Jamie

I was on the fence about whether or not they were going too hard on humor with Jamie's depression until "a suitcase is a drawer without a home … wahh." This is the best they could do for depression comedy? This is a comedy series that did an entire season about depression!! Phil Dunster really is doing his best in this episode, but not even he could elevate that line.

I do like the general concept of Roy going to Keeley for help with Jamie, only for Keeley to make it all worse. Roy being better at comforting Jamie is conceptually very funny. Writing dialogue that does justice to a story outline is tricky, isn't it? Mm.

15. Sam and Rebecca???

Are they doing this, or are they just going to tease it every single episode? Are Sam and Rebecca endgame? Surely not, right. If it were endgame, wouldn't we have gotten into the meat of it a lot sooner than … the finale?

If you know a Tedbecca shipper, maybe give them a warm cookie this week, because this episode did not move that anywhere promising.

(My money is still on Houseboat Guy popping up out of nowhere.)

16. OT3 Watch: Jamie and Keeley follow Jamie home

If this is the first time Keeley is meeting Jamie's mom, that means – he never took her home when they were dating?

Roy staring in absolute slack-jawed shock at Jamie and his mom cuddling on the couch is me. Roy is me. Setting aside for a moment just how much is going on there, I never would have guessed that Jamie had a relationship like this with a mom who was still in the picture. 

In 1.06, Jamie talks about how his mom got him into football and supported him but probably wouldn't be proud of him lately; in 3.06, we hear about a trip they took to Amsterdam when he was a teenager. Is that … it? Have there been other references to his mom? In 2.08, when Richmond plays Manchester City, there is a lot about his dad but no reference to his mom that I remember. The show is so laser-focused on Jamie's dad that I assumed his mother, whether dead or estranged or somehow unwell, wasn't an active force in his life in the present day.

This is a show about dads. They've told us that in interviews all along. Ted's dad, Nate's dad, Jamie's dad, Sam's dad, Rebecca's dad, even a whiff of Trent's dad; Ted's relationship with his son, even Phoebe's relationship with her Uncle Roy. We see Nate's mom, but that is almost entirely about Nate's relationship with his dad. The only characters who get to have meaningful ongoing not-about-dads onscreen relationships with their mothers are Rebecca and Nora, which is … weirdly gendered?

But now, with the curtain about to drop on this show, they're doing a Mom Episode. We get two moms we've never met before dropped on us in one hour. We know almost nothing about these moms, because they've never been made central to the story in a way everyone's dads have been; and here, in an episode titled "Mom City," their stories are still mostly about each character's relationship with his dad. 

Even so, those stories need to fit into what we know about Ted and Jamie. "I love meeting people's moms. It's like reading an instruction manual as to why they're nuts," right? Ted and Jamie's moms, introduced here at the eleventh hour, should shine a light on things we already know about these characters and make us think, "this explains so much."

Does Jamie's mom actually explain anything we already knew about Jamie? Does it actually make sense for Jamie to have had, all this time, a sweet, supportive mom available for hugs on demand, or does this just create a lot of new questions the show doesn't have time to answer? I don't think Jamie's mom as we meet her (or his future GBBO star baker stepdad) are fully outside the realm of possibility for his character, but we could've had more time to untangle all of this if they had spent as much time on Jamie's mom as they did on his dad. Instead, I'm left with: you're telling me Jamie Tartt isn't actually touch-starved? Jamie Tartt?

You're telling me Jamie's mom watches all of his matches … but has never been to one? Jamie's mom got him into football and drove him to all of his practices, but he's playing right down the street and she's watching from home? Jamie's mom is this important to him, but never met Keeley? Jamie's mom is this important to him, and we've only ever heard about her as the reverse side of a story about Jamie's dad? There are some drop-ins you just can't make in the eleventh hour.

Also: what is going on here? I'm with Roy. Wow. Wow.

17. Jade really hates working with her boyfriend

Is this really just a way to get Nate back to Richmond? Yes. Is it nonetheless completely valid for Jade to not want to have to hear about Nate's salty nuts scheme after work hours? Also yes. You might be a girlfriend ex machina, but you are nonetheless valid, Jade.

18. OT3 Watch: Jamie's posters

*chinhands* So are they, like … are they doing this on purpose, or … no, they have to be doing it on purpose, right? Right?? Maybe it won't ever go any further than this, because even now I have a hard time imagining an OT3 becoming canon, but they are surely at least tipping their hat to it. 

19: OT3 Watch: walking off arm-in-arm

Surely they aren't going to make it canon.

20. Pep????

They actually brought on Pep Guardiola for a Ted Lasso cameo? In an episode about Manchester City leading the title race, airing in the same week City won the title irl? I'm legit impressed.

21. Jamie's injury drama

This is honestly the dumbest way to generate in-game drama. Jamie goes out on injury and Ted's coaching masterstroke is to act like they've just lost a player to a red card and now have to defend a one goal lead with ten men? Just in case the training staff can shoot Jamie up with enough painkillers to let him finish the game on an injury he couldn't walk on? 

I know Jamie is their star striker and all, but did Sam, Dani, and Colin suddenly lose their scoring abilities when Jamie hurt his ankle? We just had a major subplot last week about what a heater Sam has been on – did that suddenly disappear? Does this team have no ability to adjust to the loss of a player? They've won fifteen straight games!! In real life, that would be one of the longest win streaks in Premier League history! No team becomes that successful without quality substitutes. Just get someone on the pitch, before Manchester fucking City takes advantage of being a man up and gets the equalizer we're told they've been on the verge of for the entire second half.

Why. This is Ted Lasso, why am I getting hung up on its football strategy? This isn't about strategy, it's about Ted and Jamie. Nothing matters except the conversation they're about to have on the sideline. Everything else happens exclusively to allow that conversation to happen. The football is just set dressing. None of this matters.

It's just so dumb, though. God.

22. Jade hates working with her boyfriend so much

Truly next level of her to blackmail her boss to get Nate fired so she can have some peace in the workplace. Does she only exist in this show to advance Nate's storyline? Yes. Is she doing this to be a Good Girlfriend? Yes. Can I ignore both of those things and pretend this is just a badass move by someone who does not care to mix her relationship and her job? Also yes.

23. Ted Lasso and forgiveness

This season's insistence on total forgiveness – that the past is the past, that holding a grudge is a moral failing or a poison of the soul – is one of its biggest flaws. Everything needs to be tied up just so. Characters can't truly grow unless they let go of whatever anger they're holding onto. In the end, everything must come around to wholesomeness and healing. As the show nears its end, it is doing everything it possibly can to wash all slates clean. 

(Except, possibly, with Rupert. We'll see.)

In a void, Ted's mini-speech to Jamie about how he should forgive his dad so that he himself can heal might be – not something I would at all agree with, but fine, in that I don't have to always agree with characters on television shows and Ted is clearly doing some projecting here re: his situation with his mom. But in this broader context of what's going on with Nate, on the sideline of a game, it just feels … forced, and kind of gross. FORGIVE YOUR DAD SO YOU CAN KICK FOOTBALL. FORGIVENESS FIXES EVERYTHING. Okay, Ted Lasso. Okay.

Remember when Dr. Sharon said, "I think you [still hate your father] too, Ted, and that's okay," and they talked about the things Ted both hated and loved about his father, because it was okay for him to hold both of those things inside him at once? Where has that gone?

24. Manchester Loves Jamie

I'm not going to ask what the point of putting Jamie back on for one minute and then substituting him straight off was – do they truly have no one else who could have put them up by two? – because honestly, the City fan ovation was so unbelievable that football strategy pales in comparison. They spent an entire game booing and shit-talking him in the stands, and then he scores a goal on a wobbly foot and they suddenly realize he's Good, Actually and cheer him off? In a game that could decide the league title?

Manchester City could have won the league title right here in this game if Jamie hadn't scored that goal and the City fans cheer him off? In what universe. In what version of reality. Were there no even vaguely believable feel-good moments they could engineer for this game???

25. OT3 Watch: Roy whispering sweet nothings

They aren't going to make it canon, right??

26. Jamie's dad in rehab

This is one of the only "thing we heard nothing about and then suddenly it happens" moments where it makes sense for no one to know what's going on. It's positive growth for a shit character that I can actually get behind and believe in.

Jamie's dad is here doing the work and trying to get better. Instead of having it as an extremely brief reveal in the penultimate episode of the series, imagine if they had done this earlier and shown his dad getting out of rehab, and spent some time on Jamie deciding whether or not to forgive his dad now that his dad is sober. Emphasize the hard parts. Show them building a new relationship as different people. That would be so much more in keeping with the actual themes of this show than the magical thinking this season has engaged in.

27. Pep??????

"Don't worry about wins and losses, just help these guys be the best versions of themselves" from Pep Guardiola is THE MOST TED LASSO version of Pep Guardiola I can imagine. I cackled out loud. I threw back my head and laughed like a woman eating a salad. A+ comedy, intentional or otherwise.

28. Nate hiding under the desk

Why? Why. I mean, I get why – this humanizes everything Nate did in 2.12 and makes him seem like a pathetic guy who can't even ruin a sign right, and retcons some of the most potent parts of Nate's season two arc to make us feel empathy for him where we might not previously have; I had this issue with the rolling chair pratfall video earlier in the season, too – but it just exhausts me. They couldn't spend the time redeeming him organically, so they're rewriting what's already happened to make it seem less bad.

Going back to Ted's funeral therapy session with Dr. Sharon: remember how Ted had this deep, terrible fear of losing someone he loved because he didn't do enough to make them feel their worth, and Nate unknowingly cracked that wide open when he accused Ted of "abandoning" him? Remember how Nate could only feel important if he was the most important person in the room, so being one part of a team felt like rejection – and Nate at the absolute bottom of his spiral, having already tried to ruin Ted's life in the press, tore at him with every emotional weapon he had on hand?

Now we're going to reframe all of that as, "ahhhh, this little guy, can't even do a harm to a desk chair, look at him hide from cleaners, so sad, someone rescue him from restaurant!!"

I'm so ready for this show to end. It'll be easier to pick and choose the parts I want to hang onto once canon is closed.

29. OT3 Watch: champagne

But they aren't going to make it canon, right?????????

Honestly, get someone who looks at you the way Roy looks at Jamie here. Just incredible.

If this is the most OT3 we ever get, it'll be enough.

30. Beard's backstory

Let's pause here a moment.

As a coping mechanism for whatever the show was going to throw at me in this episode, I made myself a bingo card. Every time I got a square, I won a tiny piece of chocolate. I made some of the squares obvious hits, some of them decent possibilities, and some were wild swings at things I knew would never happen.

Earlier in this episode, I hesitated over giving myself the "Beard Backstory" square for Beard and Dottie having nicknames for each other, wondering if that qualified as our Beard backstory for the episode. And then … Beard showed up at Nate's door.

In that moment, I truly felt I had cursed myself with this bingo card. Don't invite possibilities you aren't willing to see play out on-screen, I think is the lesson here?

"Just like in Les Mis." – Nate, and all of us

I really don't know how to feel about this Beard backstory. In theory, I have no issue with Beard having a backstory about being incarcerated for meth and Ted helping him out afterward, but in practice, I'm not sure it makes any sense whatsoever. Beard has a record that no one knows about? He's been an assistant coach in the Premier League for three seasons and it's never popped up in the Daily Mail that he was in prison on a drug conviction? I know in the real world Ted wouldn't be allowed to coach Richmond to begin with, but just how far into fantasyland are we?

(I also have some questions about the "and then I stole his car" twist. What exactly are the writers trying to say here about people freshly out of prison? He had a difficult re-entry, totally understood; he found a place to land, and immediately turned back to crime? Should they maybe have spent a little more time unpacking this story before they made it canon?)

All of that aside, I'm not sure I really wanted a Beard backstory. For the entire run of this show to date, Beard has been something of a Ted-adjacent cryptid with a very clear personality but relatively opaque motivations, whose history we've learned about through wildly random drop-ins that always raise more questions than they answer. He's a guy who roams the city at night and collects subcultures like stamps. He's in an eternally tortured relationship with a manic pixie nightmare girl who somehow suits him perfectly. His devotion to Ted has never, ever been in doubt. 

I just don't think it actually rounds out the character of Beard to know exactly where he's coming from and why he's with Ted. The mystery is part of the character. Introducing an in-depth backstory in the penultimate episode of the entire show feels … kind of cheap? I would completely understand if other people felt it was long overdue and are happy to get it before the end, but to me, pulling back the curtain feels like a misunderstanding of what makes Beard a great character. We don't need to see the man behind the curtain. Being able to wildly speculate about what makes Beard Beard is a big part of his appeal. 

And to drop this in as a plot mechanism for bringing Nate back into the fold – to make this significant change to a major character as a shortcut on Nate's mismanaged path to redemption – I'm just so tired.

This whole thing where Ted emotionally manipulated Beard into forgiving Nate by invoking Ted's own past assistance to Beard – I'm not sure that comes across the way they think it does. Ted wants everyone around him to forgive Nate and the only one who isn't willing to do it is Beard, so Ted forces the issue by hitting Beard where it hurts to get Beard to project his own past trauma onto Nate's situation. Does Ted really think that Beard stealing his car is equivalent to Nate putting his mental health history on the front page of every newspaper in London? Even if he does, why does he think it's fair to Beard to pull out Beard's trauma like a trump card? 

31. Fuck you, Mom!!

What was Ted's relationship with his mother back home, that she comes to visit him in London and within 48 hours, everything he's been holding onto for years comes boiling out of him in a series of F-bombs borrowed from Jamie Tartt? What was their dynamic like in Kansas, that the minute she shows up his shoulders go up around his ears and he can't handle anyone he cares about liking her at all?

Is this happening now because Ted unlocked all of this in therapy? Is it happening now because he's been away from her for so long? Was he not visiting her on those trips to Kansas? Is it the change in setting – having her in London, in his space, meeting his people?

This whole "thank you / fuck you" speech feels overcooked at best, well-acted as it is, and it veers into some really incoherent areas. When Ted tapped his chest, I thought, "oh god, is he impotent in his soul?" Honestly, that would have made more sense than Ted saying he's afraid to get close to his son because "I know he's going to leave."

Yes, Ted is afraid of losing people, but we know because Ted has said so in therapy that his response to that fear is to pull people closer in. To try to make people feel wanted, feel valued, feel good about themselves.

In Ted and Henry's relationship, if Ted has projected his dad onto anyone, it's been himself. If there is a monster under the bed here, it is Ted's fear of turning into his dad, of having the potential for that inside him. That line would have made 110% more sense if it had been, "I'm afraid I'm going to leave," even if we would have had a lot more to unpack on-screen at that point. As it is, it's just – kind of nonsense?

Did they feel like they had to pull out some extra motivation for Ted having been in London all of this time? They didn't. The degree to which they are trying way too hard in some areas and not at all in others sure is something.

32. I've read this fic

Rebecca and Bex? Yeah, I've definitely read this fic. That "Bex divorces Rupert and takes West Ham" square on my bingo card is going to reappear next week.

33. "Do you know what time it is?"

"It's the time of the season when we do X" is a little too much meta self-awareness for me, and the "I'm going to invoke truth bombs as a concept but I don't actually have one" is clunky execution to set up Ted's cliffhanger line, but the staging: flawless. In seasons one and two, Rebecca comes into Ted's office and stands on the left of the frame, facing right. In season three, Ted is the one who comes into the office and stands on the left, reversing their positions both physically and narratively. That kind of attention to detail is A+. 

(I wish they gave that much attention to the plot, but I'll take it where I can get it.)

What's next?

One more episode left to cram in everything they could possibly want to do with this show! We're on a real run here of episodes that cram in abrupt resolutions to ongoing stories while also dropping in a ton of new elements we don't have time to explore, and I wouldn't expect the finale to be all that different.

- Before 3.11, I thought the chances of Ted going back to Kansas were 85% for, 15% against. Now … I think it might actually be closer to 75% for, 25% against?

This episode pushed so hard on sending Ted back to Kansas, and we're being set up in that cliffhanger for him telling Rebecca he's quitting after the season ends, and – there's still an entire finale to go. Will the episode just be one long goodbye, or will there be some last-minute twist to keep him in London? I think the chances of him staying in London are actually slightly better now that the "I'm going back to Kansas" twist isn't being held for the end. Still pretty unlikely, though.

I say again: if he goes back to Kansas, fine, we can fix that in post. If he goes back to Michelle, I'm turning this car around.

- Every social media feed I have has been frantic with speculation as to whether or not they're going to make the OT3 canon in the finale. My money is on Not Canon – I think a wink and a nod at it is as much as they're going to do – but I'll be happy with anything that isn't a flash-forward in which Jamie has a girlfriend. Just let us walk off arm-in-arm-in-arm with room to speculate, show.

- So Nate goes back to Richmond, Ted leaves, and Nate becomes head coach, right? Just like we could pretty easily guess was going to happen before this season even started? There's still a chance of a surprise shake-up there, but I'd put it at, like … 5%. A 5% chance of this not going in the most predictable possible direction.

- If Ted leaves, does Beard stay or does he go? He stays, right? If they try to convince us that Jane is dying to move to Kansas, I'll have to Eternal Sunshine the entire finale from my memory banks.

- I am very much hoping for a thoughtful farewell with the pub trio. They've earned it.

- It's West Ham they're going to be playing in the last game, right? If Nate's West Ham storyline is going to have any meaning, he has to go up against his old team with his old old team in the last game of the season while Rupert's drama plays out in close-up.

There should also be some simultaneous game drama happening with Manchester City. They were four points down before this game, so on the final day of league play, they'll be one point down. If City wins, they win the title. If City draws or loses and Richmond wins, Richmond wins the title. If City loses and Richmond draws, then … actually, there could be interesting last-minute drama if they're trying to break through on goal differential, but I don't think the show would go that far into technicalities. Richmond has to win, right? They aren't going to send the show off on anything less.

Five days until we're free!

#ted lasso #ted lasso meta #episode reactions

[wawamouse]

Oz Rewatch 3: S2E02: Ancient Tribes

This episode, we are reintroduced to Peter Schibetta. Knowing that he sort of plays a bigger role in the season, it’s kind of interesting to remember he he comes onto the scene. That is, I feel like he’s introduced in a way similar to Ortolani, where you think he’s going to make moves in Oz but he never really ends up reaching that height. In any case, Sister wasn’t too impressed with “Mr Mole Jr” (funnily, Busmalis gets introduced in this episode also).

This episode saw a lot of predictions by Sister and I have to confess that her silly, unhinged rambling over my shoulder somewhat distracted me from reflecting on the actual episode. This fun in this is that the Miguel arc for this episode usually pisses me the fuck off (on his behalf), but tonight, that frustration was traded for a laughter-induced headache instead. On the other hand, I don’t really have any of my own big takeaways for this episode. I feel like, carrying on from last episode, it was pretty enjoyable and things still felt fresh. If I recall correctly, one of the things in season 2 that sort of drags for me is the Whittlesey/McManus drama, but there wasn’t much of that in this episode.

(Augustus's Beecher panic) Sister: ... I don't know. It's not like he's a snake slithering around under the covers looking for something to bite off...

Sister: Oh no! A pedophile!

Sister: McMonald's

Sister: I know that one! They (the rat shit) costarred in the Invasion of the Body Snatchers! (She watched the movie with me the other night, which inspired my Oz AU... although, sadly she has no idea who Chico is yet, so I can't explain my whole idea to her)

Schillinger: Yes :) Sister: That's his racism coming back

Nothing really: Sister just really enjoyed the way Miguel was sitting like "a posh Italian mother, prone to gossip" here ("He's got those West Side Story ankles")

Sister: Oooh you're messing up your parole! She's got this on tape!

Continuing her perceptive predictions, Sister correctly guessed that something had happened to Glynn's child to put them in the hospital when his wife called. Then, to cover her bases, she went on to predict that Glynn and Mukada were having an affair due to the fact that Glynn said he'd call his wife back and also because Mukada came out of Glynn's office with a sweater that was "clearly" not his.

Sister's deranged commentary soon transformed into conspiracies about a torrid office romance love triangle between Glynn (CEO archetype), Miguel (ingénue), and Mukada (jilted/yesterday's news). Truly the delusional babbling of a madwoman, but as I said, where usually the bit where Glynn makes Miguel miss his visit with his family pisses me off, I stopped breathing a couple times from laughter.

The only times that Sister paused in her mutterings about how everything was a Sign™ of the Plot™ was when Miguel talked to Sara, at which point she hissed "Don't look at her! Leave her alone, she has work to do!"

Sister:

Sister: THE LOVE TRIANGLE!!!

(^ Literally she said "I'm like Lucifer right now" and when I looked over my shoulder she was doing these hands. She is an adult woman btw) (We are twins)

Sister (offhandedly) (knows nothing): I don't care for this romance. Me, thinking: You don't even knowwwwwwww....

Stray Thoughts:

A huge miss in terms of predictions: When she saw Poet this episode, she predicted that he would die. I think this is mainly because she did not recognise him from last season, as he had cut his hair.

"10 months away has de-aged O'Reily and made [Adebisi] look learnèd... but not that learnèd"

Sister thinks Sister Pete is delusional (in terms of having high confidence and poor insight into her patients)

Tears streaming down both of our faces as Sister theorised that Glynn must have really blown up his personal bathroom if visiting hours were already over by the time Miguel finished cleaning it

Sister said that Miguel getting dressed reminded her of one of those tasteful sort of voyeuristic vintage male pin up-type illustrations. We Google image searched for several minutes but failed to find exactly what she was referencing (a great disappointment to all).

Me: Any final thoughts for this episode? Sister: Hmm... I feel like it seemed like a Valentine's episode Me: That's because you made up romantic side plots throughout most of it.... Sister: Hmm... How many butts did we see? I feel like we saw a lot of butts this episode... We saw Mr One-eye's butt (Schillinger)... we saw flashback Nazi butt (Beecher)... we saw Miguel's butt 🤗 *raises hands as if cupping*

#text #oz rewatch #oz hbo

[storiesbyrhi]

I just re-watched season 2 of Stranger Things and here's the takeaway for me - stop me if you've heard this one before ;) - whoever I was when I watched it in 2017 is not the girl you see before you. I have a wayyyy different interpretation of the characters and the show.

(Season 1 thoughts here.)

'MADMAX' was the coolest way to introduce Max. She is absolutely as rad as I remember. I'm not entirely sure they knew why they wrote Max into the show... Was it to give Lucas something to do (which is shitty for his character); was it to add another girl (yay tokenism); was it a setup for later seasons (I might accept that because not all new characters have to be the star of the show)? Who knows! What I do know is that Sadie Sink really gave Max teeth in an otherwise... eh storyline.

I forgot Nancy and Steve went to Barb's parents for dinners. Makes me so fucking sad. The entire Barb situation is tragic. Idk if it was a reaction to the 'Justice for Barb' movement but regardless, having some follow-up around that was so important. Nancy's trauma being (somewhat) explored was great too.

Jesus H. Christ Noah Schnapp can fucking act. Like yeah, Sadie Sink killed season 4 but Noah Schnapp season 2 is incredible. And he's thirteen! And the intensity and nuance in his performance are wild! !!! !!!

I remember being so charmed by the Dustin and Steve pair-up. Still am. Still am.

"He likes it cold." Yikes. Like I said about season 1, it's cool watching this through a Vecna lens. It feels plausible he was the plan for the show all along.

My memory of Dart was a nice one. Turns out that I forgot he killed Mews. Fuck that guy Dart. He is not my homie. RIP Mews. You deserved better.

I remember the demodogs being more dog-like. They truly be serving Silent Hill, huh?

Unpopular opinion but I don't hate the Kali storyline. I can see how I thought it sucked in 2017; waiting all that time for season 2 to finally come out, then getting that. I probably wanted more action and group bonding. However, I like that we got to see a) an alternative outcome for El had she not found Mike and Hopper, and b) El gain some autonomy in her search for history and home. It makes her choice to be Hopper's daughter more meaningful. The storyline also broadened the danger and cruelty of Brenner and co., and gave a legit setting for El to learn more about her powers.

RIP Bob. My memory of you was correct and you truly are a hero. Casting was A+ because nobody thought they'd violently kill a LOTR/Goonies star in the 80s themed show.

Watching the entire gang in the Byers house in episode 8 was so cool. That sweeping shot of all of them poised ready for the demodog attack... chefs kiss. I am now even angrier that they were all separated in season 4.

There's so much talk about cool television dads. Din Djarin this. Bandit Heeler that. Joel Miller who. Bob Belcher why. Where is the hype for Joyce Byers, who once again proves to be parent of the motherfucking year?! Are you kidding me?!

Knowing that the show goes on to call Mike the heart of the party is a real kick in the teeth. Will is so utterly the heart of this family and found family.

So, I never fell in love with Steve. Not a Stevie girlie. But, ah, this rewatch has me feeling all kinds of things. The fucking character development on this boy?! Might have to branch out into some Steeeeeedie x Reader fics. Shiiiit.

I. Love. Nancy. She. Is. So. Smart. Give. Her. More. Guns. And the scene with Dustin at the dance still breaks my heart. I love her, your honor.

Murray was exactly how I remembered.

Hopper was wayyyy better this season. The "sometimes I think I'm a black hole" speech was fantastic. Him telling El about Sarah, finally, is so healing for them both.

My opinions about Jonathan and Steve changed so much between 2016 and 2023, so I went into this with an open mind re: Billy. However, here's the thing. He's racist. Racists just aren't babes. No matter how else his behaviour and personality are contextualised, he will always be a racist so it's a hard no for me. Yes, Billy is the victim of an abusive parent, but that can only be used to explain some of his behaviour. Not all of it. Nor can it be used to excuse some of his behaviour. Nothing that has happened to Billy can justify the way Max is terrified when she hears his car. She is terrified of him. I'm not saying they don't love each other in a very complicated messy way, but when I try 'redeem' (for lack of a better word) season 2 Billy, I can't. Billy deserved a safe and good home, deserved better than what life gave him, but he'll continue to be a blocked tag for me. I do wanna say that I think he's an important character for a lot of people, and that is so valid. That's why I don't go around posting shit about him 24/7. I'll probably have a lot to say about him in season 3 too, because hey guess what, sexualising a teenager is weird as hell @ grown up adult women living in Hawkins.

At the end of season 2 I am so keen for some more El/Will friendship, Max development, and Jopper.

And I'm onto season 3. (Edit: here's the link!)

This has been a Stranger Things Rhi-Watch.

#Stranger Things #ST RhiWatch #Stanger Things 2 #Rhi Talks #steve harrington #joyce byers #jonathan byers #will byres #nancy wheeler #mike wheeler #lucas sinclair #dustin henderson #billy harringrove #jim hopper #jane hopper #el hopper #eleven hopper

[joelslegalwhre]

hey em 🫶🏼 apologies for all the asks - 3, 5, 11, 21, 26 💖 xx

hii eden <33 never apologize for too many asks, they make me so happy! 💜

(I'm so so sorry for answering so late, I've been crying over work and then spent my money on mando stickers and a Pedro shirt on Etsy to cheer me up😗 but I'm back)

3. What playlists do you have on your phone?

I have all of them downloaded so I'll count them as "on my phone" lmao. (pls I know it's full of Pedro but the covers just make me smile okay?😂)

5. Guilty pleasures?

Idk if anyone knows them outside my country but listening to my old Bibi&Tina tapes makes me so happy lmaoo

And I loove to sit in bed with some takeaway, a Dr Pepper or lemon soda and watch either Prospect, Bloodsucking Bastards or Equalizer 2 for the hundredth time 😂🫢

(and I only rewatch s1 of gilmore girls bc it's my favorite🤫)

11. What was your childhood dream job?

I had two, first one was interior designer bc I wanted to be like Joanna from Fixer Upper lol and the other one was being an archeologist (I think I saw an episode of the backyardigans where they were archeologists and I always loved museums and documentaries about Egypt etc - and I still do😮‍💨🫶)

21. A song that evokes a good memory?

It's a beautiful day by Michael Bublé!!! My mom is his biggest fan lmao so I've been listening to his songs since I can remember (fun fact, he could be my uncles twin, they look almost identical 😂) and I did little concerts for my family with this song, we always listened to it in the living room together and his concert was my very first one! It makes me SO emotional just listening to it now ngl🥹

26. Do you believe in second chances?

Yes definitely! I think everyone deserves a second chance (there are some things that you just can't forgive of course, but I hope you know what I mean)

Really Get To Know Me

#em answers <3 #get to know me #fav moots <3 #about em