#Storyline Development

[fogaminghub]

🌿✨ Attention, Visions of Mana fans! Are you ready to tackle Chapter 5: "We're Alm in This Together"? Our new blog post breaks down everything you need to do to find Von Boyage and collect the essential ingredients. Join Val, Careena, Morley, Palamena, and Julei in this thrilling quest! 

🗝️🌈

[drsantosgf]

to be honest, the ending wasn't my problem. it's not a horrible way to end a show that has primarily been about a dysfunctional but loving family trying and failing to stop the apocalypse. having that family die to save the world but die together and willingly and in the end be reincarnated (ish?) as flowers under the same tree, i think that's really beautiful in a way. it's the details that fuck with me. five and lila are an insane choice, no resolution for sloane, everyone kind of just fucking off and having stories with no payoff that don't actually build to anything, ray just walking out, etc. like the last few minutes weren't the worst, it's really just everything leading up to those moments that were at best highly questionable

[brbflyingtomars]

let annabeth have a crush on luke and let luke manipulate it and use it against her you COWARDS

i will not let you re-write history because it makes you uncomfortable ! it’s supposed to ! percy was very uncomfortable ! annabeth needs to be shown WHY it’s uncomfortable !

[fiona-fififi]

Call me homophobic, but I don't actually think it's great representation to stick a complex, dynamic, newly-realized bisexual character permanently with a flat, boring, underdeveloped love interest just because that was the first guy who showed interest.

[hellohellowelcome]

Standard shonen endings have rotted some people's brains. I've seen so many dudebros disappointed that Izuku didn't at the very least "bag his girl" as some sort of reparation for losing his quirk. And so much Ochako slander for "ghosting" Izuku for 8 years for being quirkless (not true btw, leak mistranlastion) because she wasn't explicitly Izuku's endgame love interest in typical shonen fashion. I even saw a tweet doing crazy numbers (70k+ likes) suggesting that Izuku should've gotten with Hatsume because at least she spent 8 years working on his suit....? Ask yourself why you feel like Izuku needed a canon love interest post-time skip to be happy. And then ask yourself why you hate women and view them as the MC's "much-deserved" reward for saving the day.

[celestialrealms]

Barbatos outside of the main story: I have only ever let Diavolo even remotely close to me, and he's the most important person in my life who I am completely devoted to... but I love MC and they are becoming an equal and comparable presence in my life. I want to show the sides of myself I keep hidden from anyone else to them, and for them to feel comfortable enough to do the same in return.

The fandom for some reason:

[sweetest-honeybee]

I’ve been drawing Vespa with a new design so I took it as an opportunity to fully flesh one out bc I’ve not even been drawing it below the waist for any reason but!! Lawd he’s so fine 😩😩

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

So, uh, to recap on the ladies of Andor, the pinnacle of progressive writing according to internet consensus:

Bix: After her character consisting only of "good at mechanics", formerly crafty (in the first Ferrix arc) and "traumatised", Bix gains a new character trait this arc - helpless rage and ✨✨✨drug addiction✨✨✨! Goodie. I'm so mad at this arc for her. We never see this woman happy independent of her trauma. We see her make happy for men - the shopkeep, Cassian occasionally, Brasso and co. in the first arc - but the only time we get an unobserved smile is when she gets her big Girlboss Yay Feminism revenge. And the featurette has everyone going "oh this is her moment", "this scene is about her" - IT'S NOT!! It's about Gorst! It's more trauma porn! Her happiness and functionality once again are dependent on men! She couldn't save herself from her trauma - she needed Cassian to help her get the drop on Gorst (and let's ignore how fucking improbable all that is for a moment, how does he even know where Gorst is???), and her happiness is fully dependent on Gorst living or dying. Her character does not EXIST without him this season. Why do we only ever see her take charge of her life to kill her abusers? The only other positive thing she's done for her life this whole season is to clean up the apartment, and she was doing that to *checks notes* hide her drug habit from her overprotective boyfriend. Feminism!! Please don't read this as an indictment of people struggling to cope with trauma, or substance abuse - I'm just so tired of everyone acting like this is such an uplifting, empowering narrative for this character, because I really, really, really don't see it.

Bringing up Maarva and Kerri as people Cassian failed to protect and nothing else is so telling. That's not even what happened! He was abducted as a child, he didn't abandon his sister, and what was he going to save Maarva from? Old age?? But that's their whole narrative purpose to the writers I guess...

Mothma: Well, I know the constant political downward trajectory is her whole thing, but we really spend the whole arc seeing her do nothing but failing to convince other politicians (mostly men) of anything and being made to look like a fool for even bothering. So far all we've given her this season is being too soft and emotional (which, by the way, is why it's a little odd to me they're pinning the same thing on Cassian - why do we need this narrative redundancy here?). And her one "big moment" (read: over thirty seconds of uninterrupted talking) she gets to have this arc is either a front for Kleya's and Luthen's business or a pointless and reckless lashing out at Krennic's overt imperialism and propaganda.

Dedra: Yeah, she's holding all the strings, but in a weird way, her whole narrative is dependent on Syril now, and I have a bad feeling this is all leading up to him being butthurt about being used. It's a great spy storyline, but just like Mothma's part, great as it is, in combo with the deeply uncool treatment of Bix, it starts to feel like an unfortunate pattern.

Cinta: I actually liked her scenes a lot! Especially the scene in the café - it had an interesting ambiguity, for a moment there I was wondering if Cinta was running Vel, getting back with her to keep her on track on someone's orders. I think I may be giving the script too much credit here, given how weirdly stilted the other two romances were handled this arc it might have rather been a case of "the writer really thinks lovers talk that way". But even if it was an accident, I think that would be an interesting feature in the show, because they're the one couple who genuinely seem to be compatible and on the same page about what they want! And I get that they were making a point to get her killed so uselessly, by friendly fire, on accident. But man, this show refuses to give a woman happiness, even for the span of a timeskip. Whenever any of the ladies seems happy or get something she wants for herself, you can already be sure she's about to die or have something incredibly heinous happen to her immediately after. And the execution of that scene pissed me off, because if that scuffle had even just been relocated to the tunnel entrance, I would have bought it. But no, they're in a really wide, mostly empty alleyway, the blaster was mostly pointed at a wall and trapped between the two men wrestling for it, and you don't even see anyone being close behind them, and yet Cinta not only manages to get hit but instantly killed - what are the fucking chances? And yes, it's a metaphor, but again, with the overall bad aftertaste, it feels targeted and cruel at this point. With how little we got to see of Cinta, it really made her death seem like an afterthought. Like Brasso, this could have packed a punch, but we knew so little about her and had seen her even less, so it just fell flat.

My only positives(ish):

Vel: Her character is really growing on me! She has such a nice, well-executed, subtle development compared to most other characters on this show. She's clearly learned from Aldhani, and she's learning from Mothma and Luthen, too, and her resentment at the life she's leading is so beautifully expressed by her last scene: The greatest punishment she can imagine is recruitment to her cause. Because that's what she's doing to this guy. Recruitment. This is on you forever, this is all your life is now, you owe me and everyone whatever you have to make up for this. That's so heartbreaking, and so real. Am I pissed that Vel is constantly and pointedly denied happiness at absolutely every turn? Yeah! But at least for her, it feels like there is a little more agency, because she chose this life, even though she clearly has options. For her, it feels a little more tragic and narratively weighty, and less like a pointless onslaught of misery.

Kleya: I love her so much. And I could (and should) point out that it feels a little shallow to have her be completely reduced to "being the only competent person among men who are losing their shit at all times". We know nothing else about her, other than that she is Girlboss(TM). But, unlike with Bix, we actually see her be outstandingly competent completely on her own merit all the time, and even though the script neglects her, too, there is an implication that she has actively and deliberately sacrificed the rest of herself to be this spymaster - instead of the writers simply forgetting to give her anything more. And I just think Elizabeth Dulau is KILLING IT. In a weird way, Kleya is giving me the power fantasy that most Star Wars gave to little boys. It's not exactly a win for feminism - it's yet another flavour of "women can either be competent and powerful OR express their emotions and be vulnerable with people" - but I do have a soft spot for her, and her moment at the exhibition was the tensest shit I've seen this whole season. Nothing more gripping so far than watching this woman attempt to turn a screw.

[lilithdemonwife]

We have recurring characters and minor recurring characters reaction to Bobby dying, but we don't have a reaction on screen from Eddie? One of the main characters is not there and does not even get a 20 sec on screen reaction of another Main character dying?

[atomicrebelfire]

Dear 9-1-1: Please Don’t Waste These Characters

Things We Desperately Want to Know About Tommy Kinard

Listen. We love BuckTommy. But can we talk about Tommy as a character for a second?

Because this man has quietly become one of the most layered and intriguing characters on 9-1-1, and the potential for his story is just sitting there, begging to be told. Give us:

🔹 He’s a firefighter pilot, Army veteran, mechanic, Muay Thai fighter, and basketball player. The man flew into a hurricane in episode 7x03 like it was just another Tuesday. Give us a “Tommy Begins” episode and let us see how he got here. What happened after he left the 118 in Season 2? What did Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell look like for him in the Army? What were those missing years like?

🔹 He’s also a risk-taker—bold, impulsive when it counts, the kind of guy who throws himself into danger without hesitation. That doesn’t just come from nowhere. What did his time in the Army look like? What kind of high-stakes missions did he fly at Harbor? How many lives has he saved from the air?

🔹 But he’s not just action and heroics—he’s emotionally nuanced too. In Season 7, we saw the jealousy, the longing to be included, the way he watched the 118 and clearly missed being part of something like that. That quiet ache? That’s character depth.

🔹 In Season 8, we saw him get vulnerable again—pulling away from Buck because of insecurity over Buck and Eddie’s bond. He’s clearly been hurt. He clearly holds things close. Which just makes us ask:

✨ Who are his people? ✨ He seems like a loner—but he has to have friends, right? He’s charming. Who’s his confidant? Who checks in on him? Does anyone at Harbor really know what he’s carrying? (Also: We want to meet that cousin he mentioned.)

🔹 What was it like coming out later in life? What relationships did he lose because of it—and what did he find? Has he always wanted to fly, or was flying his escape?

🔹 And sorry, but—where are his medals? Where are his commendations? His air rescues? His near-miss stories? We want the flashbacks. The grit. The emotional weight. There’s no way he doesn’t have crazy stories from his Army rescue days.

Tommy Kinard has fought battles—some literal, some emotional—rejection, grief, war, identity, love—and still shows up with quiet steadiness, loyalty, and strength.

He’s more than just Buck’s love interest. He’s a whole story waiting to be told. We just want to hear it.

Let Tommy be his own character. And then—let him fall in love.

And one last thing?

We know 9-1-1 probably still considers Tommy a guest arc character. But whether by accident or design, They’ve built a fascinating, emotionally rich arc for him. After 8 seasons and countless deep dives into the existing main cast’s lore, it’s time to focus on a goldmine of a character who’s right there like Tommy. And honestly? Ravi too

And while we’re at it? Give us more Ravi too. He’s more than just a comedic exit line. What’s his deal? What’s his backstory? The fans are ready.

[hargr00vy]

Been getting back into Star Wars lately (thank you Andor S2) but my ROTE brain is still going full-throttle, so this happened? Jedi Farseers, anyone?

[hanayotta]

i've also been thinking about how the main trio share the theme of striving for freedom and running away.

li lianhua was the first that i saw this in, with him running from his past, his legacy and the image people in general have of him as li xiangyi. from the expectations and roles that come with it. furthermore his relations, past and present, all those who get too close and threaten to limit his freedom. also (according to my personal interpretation) trying to evade societal norms he used to be bound by, like heteronormativity – which he used to fulfill in his relationship with qiao wanmian. now he immediately shuts down any woman making advances on him, without exception.

then, actually more obvious than li lianhua, is fang duobing, who's ALSO trying to escape the heteronormative life plans his family has for him, the arranged marriage to be exact. he keeps choosing to refuse the path prepared for him to instead chase after li lianhua, his dream of becoming a detective and follow his heart into the jianghu. but also wanting to have the freedom to choose li lianhua and spending time with him, against all better judgement or alledged better options.

finally you've got di feisheng who we only later find out has been trying to free himself from the gu bug all this time and by extension the shackles of his horrible past. he also doesn't care to fulfill the expectations people have of him: of exclusively being this evil final-boss leader of the jiangyuan alliance and of wanting to rule the world. even wanting to be strongest martial artist isn't on the forefront of his mind anymore, against wuyans expectations, with li xiangyi out of the picture. funnily enough he too struggles with heteronormativity or, well– he seems pretty certain about not being interested in having a female partner. unfortunately for him the world's largest yandere hasn't gotten that memo yet. so she is another factor he continuously runs from (in a broader sense).

funnily enough, while all three of them experience flight impulses in various situations, they often don't understand or respect it in each other, like with fang duobing chasing after li lianhua and them trying to force a cure on him. or li lianhua trying to "return" fang duobing to his family, seeing it as the better option for him. i think, out of all of them, the best understanding in this context is the one li lianhua has for di feisheng, which kind of shows in the openness with which he treats the amnesiac "a-fei" – as opposed to how fang duobing treats him on occasion, trying to link him back to the image of the bad guy.

[buddiesbuddiess]

If we do get a clear canon buddie hint next week, my guess is that it’s either going to be a feelings realisation from Buck or Eddie (but not in front of the other one) OR some sort of aborted love confession while Buck is buried under the rubble and Eddie is saving him.

That way we can go into season 9 ready to roll out will-they-won’t-they for the majority of the season.

[bisexualmikisayaka]

there are 100% blind spots in Andor (especially when it comes to race) that the writer’s room just kind of fails at but i think it’s possible that many of the difficulties with this episode (and more we may see in the future, i suspect) come with looming budgetary, timeline, and season constraints. like, gilroy mentioned that there were some monetary constraints and things had to be done cheaper by mid season, and you also have the fact that you now need to get four characters to a reasonable endpoint so that their appearances in future media seem like a logical progression, and also deal with everybody else in your fairly large ensemble cast in the meantime (huge issue with deciding to downsize from five seasons to two).

i think there’s a lot of reasons to critique things like cinta’s death or bix’s miraculous recovery - both of those seem like they should have been given much more weight and screen time rather than being shoehorned in for maximum Plot Twist Energy at the final moment. but there simply is none of that screen time to spare - we have to tie up luthen, kleya, perrin, leida, sculdun, lonnie, deedra, syril, wilmon, partagaz, vel and bix’s story in like six episodes. so like… yeah, of course all the characters are being thrown together in increasingly ridiculous ways, and the relationships that were painstakingly developed earlier are now getting speedrun. i don’t love it either - it leads to writing decisions that have problematic real world implications, as well as decreasing the overall quality of the show - but it at least makes some sort of sense why it’s happening.

[sunbloomdew]

olric is aroace and happy being single btw, he told me himself

[evebestthinker]

[...] And so, the woman dies. The woman dies so the man can be sad about it. The woman dies so the man can suffer. She dies to give him a destiny. Dies so he can fall to the dark side. Dies so he can lament her death. As he stands there, brimming with grief, brimming with life, the woman lies there in silence. The woman dies for him. We watch it happen. We read about it happening. We come to know it well. - Aoko Matsuda