#and these scenes that all involve “tests” as foreshadowing for the sacrifice of his own son(s)

[dutchs-paisley-vest]

You ever just write something so gas but also so revolting

Is “The deification of Dutch Van der Linde” a tag on ao3??? Hold on. Let me check something.

Okay cool, so can I propose something then-

[i-want-froyo]

My Two Cents: Why Eren may be the father

This fandom is so divided, with half of us convinced that Eren is the father and half completely opposed to the idea.

I do not think Eren being the father makes sense outside of Eren being in an amorous relationship with Historia. However, I think that the likelihood of such a relationship is high.

I think that Isayama tends to write his relationships with a very light hand: romantic feelings are tied heavily to the plotline, and tend to be hinted at as opposed to heavily delved into. 

For example, look at Sasha and Niccolo. They seemed to be dating, but their relationship was developed with a handful of scenes and exposition both before and after Sasha’s death. The relationship also subverted fandom expectations, because most of the fandom at that point expected Connie to be the one who was with Sasha. But Connie later says that she’s like his sister, so while they were very close, their relationship wasn’t romantic. And Sasha/Niccolo was definitely unexpected.

One of the things I appreciate about Isayama is the fact that his characters are heavily dynamic, and our perceptions of them as well as their behavior changes drastically over the story, but in a very coherent way.

I ship Erehisu. One of the reasons I ship it is actually because Eren and Historia weren’t terribly close in the first arcs. That the protagonist could end up developing feelings for another main character who he previously didn’t have much of a bond with breaks formula for a manga, but it’s also quite realistic: in real life, our relationships aren’t set in stone. Our opinions and feelings towards people shift with time.

Eren himself shifted with time. As a standard shonen hero, he had a lot of the idealistic traits that these types have: tenacity, strong desire to protect his loved ones, desire for freedom, headstrong desire to fight whoever may threaten his friends’ safety. 

Historia has been shown to have these tendencies too. She aches for love more than ideals. She asked Ymir if they could live for each other, rest of the world be damned. Then she saved Eren, declaring herself humanity’s enemy in the process. She and Eren share a strong attachment to personal relationships, desire for freedom from the manipulation of past generations, and a propensity to pursue those goals even if they’re not necessarily the best idea. Eren also loves Mikasa and Armin, but the two of them are more worldly-minded, and can see the big picture of things. Historia clearly impressed Eren with her commitment to interpersonal kindness and protection (the orphanage) over worldly involvement. In any other story, these traits would make Historia into a saintly figure, but in this story, these traits end up making her complicit with Eren’s genocide. Like him, she prioritizes people she loves over ideas about “right” and “wrong.”

I do think Eren and Historia could be lovers. His honesty with her and acceptance of her was significant to her, and her freeing him was very significant to him. They clearly grew closer over the four-year timeskip as well.

So let’s look at Chapter 130. There are a few peculiarities about the Historia exposition here. 

One, why Eren reveals his genocide plot to Historia directly. You could say “He cares about her and wants to make sure that she knows he’s going to save her”, which is fine and all. He wants to save Armin and Mikasa too, although he kept them in the dark about this until he revealed his plot to all Eldians. Historia is the Queen. She absolutely could have alerted the MPs to Eren’s plans and stopped him like that. He says “you just have to keep quiet” about the plot, and that’s all. So as far as we know, there was no strategic reason for telling Historia, and great potential risk if she decided to betray him. He reminds her of her words when she saved him to convince her to keep quiet, thus making her guilty by complacency in his literal genocide. This is an incredible level of trust and foolhardiness that indicates that they are very close at this point.

Secondly, if Historia knew that Eren was doing everything in his power to free her from being bred like cattle and was complicit with the plot, that she immediately decides to go have a strategic farmer baby anyways is a big plothole. You could probably think of a few reasons why she acted like that if you tried hard, but there’s nothing obvious with this conversation to suggest that Historia should want or need at this point to have a kid with Farmer-kun. 

There is a possibility some people have brought up, which is that Historia may already be pregnant in the ch. 130 convo. The way the official translation is worded is very ambiguous, and leaves it open to interpretation. Historia could be asking Eren’s opinion on having a kid (for reasons we don’t yet know) or she could be delicately implying that she is going to have one.

If it’s the latter, it becomes much more likely that Eren is the father of the child. Historia and Eren would then go to Farmer-kun to give Historia a cover. 

From Eren’s POV, this conversation is clearly very important to him. It’s intercut with Zeke questioning Eren about Mikasa’s feelings for him. Remember that Zeke is anti-natalist. Eren says that he has four years left to live at most, and then the next panel is Historia asking about a child. It seems to me that Zeke may be testing Eren against his own ideology, trying to see how Eren feels about sexual relationships (and by extension, their implication: offspring). Eren mentally associates his response (effectively “I don’t have the lifespan for a serious relationship”) to Historia’s question. Either way, both conversations seem to be connected. They could easily be connected because they present to Eren a challenge surrounding his goal to sacrifice himself and save Paradis, namely romantic relationships. He’s thinking about what he could have had if he had not chosen this path to go down, but then he says “they’ll [his loved ones will] live on.”

I think there were definitely romantic connotations with Historia in this chapter. She may have asked Eren to have a child with her for unexplained strategic or even more nebulous sentimental reasons (and he denied her because of the aforementioned four-year lifespan) or she is already pregnant with his child. In that case, he may be regretting his decision because he wants to have a family. 

Again, the fact that Eren tells Historia in this short chapter more than he’s told most of his other loved ones after the timeskip as a whole and fully trusts her to keep it a secret (and she has) speaks volumes imo to what kind of relationship the two have. I think that if Eren is the father, the pregnancy is definitely a result of love. Eren and Historia both value personal attachments and freedom. Instead of breeding like cattle, they bring a child into the world out of love. Eren Krueger told Grisha to find a woman within the walls to love, and then mentioned Armin and Mikasa, so his words were also directed at Eren. I think that this may also be a form of foreshadowing.

[kinetic-elaboration]

September 10: The 100 1x06 Fog of War

Mmmm watching another ep and it’s been less than six months since the last one?! * jinxes self *

Bellarke date at the outside cafe. (WHY IS THIS OUTSIDE CAFE NOT IN MORE FICS? WHY IS IT NOT IN MY FICS?)

I don’t always love Clarke’s art tbh but I do love her Mount Weather sketch.

“You won’t be by yourself.” They are canonically Soft with each other.

I have a hard time believing they would wait two days just sitting on their hands, Abby or no Abby. YOU GUYS WERE THE LEADERS. JUST LEAD STUFF.

“We’re at war. We’ve all done things,” is, like, first, beyond the point, because even in war, one doesn’t usually attack civilian villages. (Unless one is a terrorist.) And second, it’s weird that Bellamy would be defending Finn? Not really sure how to read that. Unless his hatred of Grounders is truly that intense, which is possible. And third, are they really still at war? Because after attacking the dropship, the Grounders have done... literally nothing? Like it’s a semi-war scenario.

“Next round’s on me.” Do they have to.... pay for things...? With what lol?

“Salvaged Monty’s still. Now if we could only salvage Monty.” Someone here has a sense of humor. Also lol @ everyone at Camp Jaha using a teenager’s illegal still.

Really, the “pardon for surviving” should not include time on the ground, because pardons aren’t forward looking. Also they bring back the idea of trying Finn later. They just don’t want to deal with Murphy and Finn, and don’t really see the massacre of Grounders as a big deal, which, I am a Sky Person partisan to the last, does not reflect well on them. I think also they still haven’t figured out what tf their judicial system on the ground is, and just don’t want to deal with that yet either. Which isn’t a great excuse but it’s of a piece with how this show deals with society-building questions in general. (By... not.)

And Finn still doesn’t even feel bad.

And Murphy thinks Clarke and Finn are still together...? I guess that makes sense given how long he was away. He’s ALWAYS behind on delinquent gossip.

Clarke to Murphy: “Just because they pardoned you doesn’t mean I have.” Another line that should be iconic.

If Mount Weather is the reason they never heard from any other Ark Stations then they should have heard from more of them after S2 just putting that out there.

Raven is so beautiful.

And I’m sorry but she’s completely in love with Clarke here.

“You and your friends are not soldiers...” Hmmmm except in a certain sense they kind of are. Love this s2 adults versus delinquents conflict though.

Anyway I realize this is just to get them going back to Mount Weather but they were apparently doing this radio mission to get more Guards from other stations, which never happened, which sort of reminds me of Day Trip and the ‘winter supplies’ excursion when apparently winter doesn’t exist in the future anyway.

Literally only now at the credits.... Why am I like this?

So Maya couldn’t survive on the ground, obviously, because blood isn’t good enough, it has to be bone marrow, which, fine, for plot purposes--but what if she could???

“I know the plan was to assimilate them into the gene pool.” COMPLETELY forgot about that. So they did have a reason for being so nice to them. That is a rather long term plan though...

With the delinquent blood, they’ll “live longer and feel better.” I wonder what the sickness rate is, then. What the quality of life is, low vitamin d aside.

“If I agree to harvest those kids, then I won’t deserve to see [the outside] again.”

That Finn is a good tracker is, like, not a retcon in the sense that this was true in season 1, but still a semi retcon in the sense that nothing in the very early episodes implies he’s Mr. Earth Skills. (Unlike, say... Wells.)

Privileged Ark people really do just throw rules around and up and down however they like. Like, Abby clearing her daughter’s friend because “he was trying to save his friends” even though what he did was objectively much worse than pretty much anything the 100 were imprisoned for? Or other people killed for? Hmmm,, yeah, okay.

Jaha’s death wish transformed into a lazy acceptance that he is invincible is truly one of the best character arcs on this show imo. Infuriating but amazing.

“How many times on the Ark did we go two days without water?”

He recognizes the prison as a train station, which is not objectively surprising but I bet the Grounders don’t know what it is. Somehow. Since memory isn’t a thing in the future either.

On the one hand, it’s reasonable to think that Finn’s attack was coordinated from above but on the other hand, these two prisoners literally could not have ordered it, because they have been... imprisoned... the entire time. And I mean truly putting two Sky People who could not themselves have been involved in another Sky Person’s murder spree into some sort of Saw scenario in response to that murder spree really isn’t “justice” in any sense of the word. Like truly the JD in me is just SCREAMING. There is no nexus between the people you have and the person you’re angry at, other than “Sky Person” but the thread is so tangled you’re just.... throwing around bloodshed for lolz. (I know it’s a test and that part isn’t dumb but the scaffolding of the test is DUMB.)

I am still not over that someone gave Jasper a stuffed toy bear as a thank you for giving Maya blood. Also, it looks like... an alarm clock?

I like Dante but every time he says “Jasper” it just creeps me out. Maybe it’s the way he’s, uh, playing him.

It is 100% true that Mount Weather was not meant to last that long. At least not in the sense of ‘as a closed facility.’

Ridiculous as it is to pardon Finn AND take him adventuring AND give him a gun, I like the tension between him and the others, that they have officially forgiven him, and want to still love him, but are wary of him, scared of him, for good reason. For all that people are constantly ‘doing bad things’ and yelling at each other about it, this scenario doesn’t really have a parallel anywhere else in the canon.

“According to Clarke, before the bombs, there were buildings everywhere here. I’m guessing some of the had access to the bunker. So we’re looking for ruins. Anything man-made.”

Bellamy says he and O aren’t under the Guard command. But in a way, aren’t they? Like aren’t the Guard basically in authority over all Arkers? I know I’m overthinking but does he see himself as more delinquent than Arker? Especially with the “our people” are in Mount Weather.

All those mice.... Or rodents....

What a scenario: Clarke and Finn hiding from the acid fog in a weird little personal bunker where they once fucked, and now there’s a dead body in it, and Finn put it there. Not even Olav can top this.

Raven playing with the radio is my kink.

Parking garage as tomb. Who would protect a parking garage with a big-ass steal door that protects cars from radiation? If it does lead to Mount Weather (no recollection if it does) I guess it could be... part of it? Idk. Nice aesthetic though.

Bellamy is very comfortable calling people Sir. Polite young man.

So Clarke’s Dad’s watch returns to Clarke. I can’t remember what ultimately happened to it. Is it basically tainted now?

Monty’s obscene jealousy of Maya just gets me every single time. Makes up for the horrendous second hand embarrassment I’m getting from the rest of this scene.

“Hey, it’s pizza day! Who’s hungry?” uhhhhhhhhhhmmmmm So natural. Cute dress though.

How did she figure out the breach wasn’t an accident? Or that there is surveillance? Anyway now that she knows she was experimented on, and that Jasper was experimented on, one would assume she is pissed. One would assume that’s part of why she shows them the Grounders. Also to stop Jasper perhaps from embroiling his people even more with (her own) untrustworthy people. Because truly it is in part to save them, but it’s also a real risk to herself, admitting this terrible thing she’s been a part of.

“To get you to agree to be her blood brother.” He’s not wrong but that language is sooooo jealous--both revealing the threat he feels (because Jasper is his ‘brother’) and diminishing the JasperMaya relationship (which he knows to be romantic, and is turning familiar.)

Why did the show ever try to top the pure horror of the Grounder Torture Prison?

“What are we supposed to do?” / “Die.” Another Iconic Exchange. This is Monty’s morality: uncompromising. Are the standards he sets for himself hypocritical or consistent? Also, some foreshadowing lol.

I wonder what Monty’s allegiance is to the other kids... Would he have irradiated the Mountain for them if Jasper were safe? Legit question because he defects to his mom’s side pretty fast in S3, and he would 100% leave Mount Weather through the side door just like Clarke, at this point, which Jasper refuses to do even if it were possible. I am intrigued by this scene and the switching of plans/different points of view.

So this is the revelation that the acid fog is a Mount Weather weapon. I always really liked that twist.

Okay so this explains why they didn’t get to the other stations, because they choose to keep the tower up to listen to Mount Weather, but it’s actually not a tough call bc if you defeat Mount Weather and take your people back, then you can get rid of the blocking signal, and then find your other people, so win-win, you just have to go in order and on that note, why did it take 3 months to find only one station??

Is that a....hand crank mp3?? Got a lot of juice from just a little bit of cranking.

There are a hella lot of storylines in this episode. I completely forgot about Jaha and Kane and Lexa.

Kane’s continuing death wish makes him utterly unreasonable. What in a million years makes you think that the Grounders value sacrifice as opposed to just being sadists? I mean, you don’t know. You’re imposing your value system and also your thought processes on them. You’re also assuming that if one of you killed the other, the survivor would actually get something, like a chance to negotiate, which is probably not true--in fact, Gustus basically told you as much with “We’ll hear the terms of your surrender form the survivor.” Winning means nothing except you get to surrender!! And probably die!! They are not coming to you in good faith is what I’m trying to say and having watched the whole season I know I am Right.

“You didn’t order the massacre.” / “Not that one.” Honestly dude get over it lol. Interesting that Jaha, although he has transformed in some ways, keeps to the old lines, about survival, the human race--and our people, if the human race is broader than just the Ark, which it is, and no big deal. So in some ways his morality has not changed at all, at its core.

Look, I’m sorry, not to be that person, but he probably would have been better off killing Lexa there. I mean, I know he’s choosing ‘an innocent’ in his mind but... what a power move to behead the Commander WHILE you’re her prisoner. Good old Jaha, smart and quick and sure of himself.

Just uh not quick enough at murdering I guess.

I’m no Lexa fan but that was an excellent entrance and it remains an excellent entrance. Also while I never thought she was as smart as people said, because name me another tactical decision she made that was actually good, this was a smart ploy. And probably the most subtle thing any Grounder character ever did, even if it does end with her basically beating Jaha up ‘as a message’ as if she were a gangster.

Is this the episode that introduces Blood Must Have Blood? Already Tired of it tbh.

This Clarke and Finn scene is so sad. I realize that they  purposefully made him unredeemable at this point, that this story line was always intended to be the method by which he was written off, and that there’s only so much awkwardness you can write around this scenario, but nevertheless it would have been interesting to see Finn in the long term, in a way. Not redeemed.. I don’t know. Whatever I’m thinking it’s not in the range of this show, though, for sure.

Did Jasper and Monty tell all of the 47 everything? To get them to volunteer? (Answer: No, but they told at least Harper and Miller, maybe a few more.)

“How high are you right now?” We were SO robbed of more intoxicated!Monty scenes.

Jasper and Dante: creepy creepy creepy.

“There’s been a Wallace in this office since the bombs.” So glad to know we immediately reverted to some sort of pseud-monarchy post-nuclear war. That said it’s only been 97 years so that’s like 3 Wallaces tops.

Prioritizing the radio also means of course admitting that getting the 47 out of MW is a priority for Abby/Ark PTB, which wasn’t exactly clear before.

I’ve never been a fan of the “Build a brace for yours” line and I’m still not, because I think conflating physical and mental injuries is not exactly helpful, but I guess I appreciate it as a look into Raven’s mind--Raven, who has never really understood mental scars and never really does--and the soft way she says it is a sort of forgiveness. Not really forgiveness she has the right to offer, and in a way a very brash thing to do, because this was literally a war crime that her best friend committed, but nevertheless.

Jaha: appears. Everyone else: what the absolute fuck.

So on that mission they accomplished... literally nothing they set out to do lol.

What is that random shot of Camp Jaha doing there? They’re not within sight of it. They’re still where they set up tents.

I want to point out that this is the FIRST time the Grounders have demanded that the Sky People “leave” or implied in any way that they consider the Sky People to be on “their” land, and that this was never an issue in Season 1, when their beef seemed to be for things like crossing the river at Mount Weather, accidentally dropping their flares on a Grounder village, and torturing a Grounder spy. But I guess at this point the narrative needed to focus on something because the actual reason for the feud, which is roughly, we accidentally pissed each other off and then kept on retaliating, doesn’t play very well or make the Grounders, who were rehabilitated this season, very sympathetic. (Guess who still has zero sympathy lololol?)

[cogentranting]

Arrow Season 1 Highlights

As part of my countdown to the season 7 premiere, here are my picks for the best and most memorable parts of season 1. 

Top 5 Episodes

Pilot 1x01 - Few shows have such an exemplary first episode but the pilot remains one of Arrow’s greatest episodes. The action is great, it sets the tone, we get to see the dual sides of Oliver, and there’s emotional moments between him and practically every main character. It also sets up a few great mysteries. 

Damaged 1x05- This episode shows off Oliver intelligence with his grand scheme and the way he manipulates everyone involved. But it also involves a lot of emotional vulnerability- from the flashbacks during his lie detector test, to showing Laurel his scars, to him being tortured for the first time in the flashbacks. It does a lot to establish who Oliver is, even if you can’t completely trust any of it. 

Vertigo 1x12- We get Oliver in peril, Bratva connections, Seth Gabel as the Count, brother/sister moments, Oliver losing control and attacking Diggle... And the ending with Oliver injecting the Count with Vertigo while Quentin tries to stop him, is one of the most morally dubious things Oliver does in season 1. Overall, just a really solid episode. 

The Odyssey 1x14- Slade and Oliver take the forefront and go on their first adventure together. Oliver begins to learn to fight and begins to step up and become a hero in flashbacks.  Felicity joins the team and gets some great heart-to-heart scenes with Diggle, not to mention the iconic moment of her finding Oliver in her car. Plus, once more we have Oliver in peril. 

Sacrifice/Year’s End 1x23/1x09 (I couldn’t pick between the two, especially because I like them for the same reasons)- Great character moments, great action. Tommy’s death is in there. Oliver and Thea bonding while Oliver’s in the hospital. Thea’s weird anti-texting and driving PSA to Roy. Big important fight scenes with Malcolm. Really solid arc episodes, both of them. 

Top 5 Fight Scenes

Oliver v the Kidnappers 1x01- Our introduction to Oliver as a fighter, it shows off his skill, his parkour, and most importantly, his ruthlessness. With no weapons, Oliver kills 5(?) armed men with little trouble, and no hesitation and it clearly establishes just what kind of man we’re dealing with. 

The Hood v the Dark Archer 1x09- Oliver has been essentially unmatched so far. Some opponents are more of a challenge than others, but mostly he’s been able to beat everyone he comes across. And he so. thoroughly. loses. A big, grand defeat. It’s also a very dynamic fight, through the different parts of the abandoned building. 

Slade Wilson vs. Billy Wintergreen 1x14- Not only is it a great fight (it involves Slade, of course it is) It’s one of the first sword fights on the show, and it is important foreshadowing-- Slade kills a former friend because he’s been betrayed. And someone loses an eye. 

Oliver v Mr. Blank 1x20- This one is fun primarily because it’s in Queen Mansion and Oliver is in plain clothes. Its always fun to see the two sides of Oliver mix, and watching Mr. Blank react to that is also interesting. Plus, dramatic lightning, and Oliver improvising weapons, fighting up and down the stairs. It’s a good scene. 

The Hood v Malcolm Merlyn 1x23- Oliver’s final (haha not really) confrontation with his nemesis, who has already beaten him twice before. A nice dramatic rooftop setting. And Oliver winning by stabbing an arrow through his own shoulder to kill Malcolm, is fantastic. 

10 (+ a few) Great Scenes/Moments

Not a top 10 because I’m sure I’ve forgotten some. But 10 that I really like. Plus honorable mentions. 

Nightmare 1x01- Having just returned home, Oliver is sleeping on the floor in front of an open window, dreaming of the Gambit sinking; when Moira tries to wake him, he instinctively flips her to the ground and puts a hand on her throat. This scene sets the stage for just how broken (and how dangerous Oliver has become). It’s dramatic and emotional, and very well portrayed. 

“My coffee shop is in a bad neighborhood”  1x03- The iconic first meeting of Oliver and Felicity. It’s funny, and charming, and so sweet when looking back at how far they’ve come. And without this scene we wouldn’t have Felicity who is such an essential part of the show.

“I killed your daughter” 1x05- The lie detector test that Oliver takes for Quentin. First of all, Oliver is easily able to beat a lie detector, and that’s cool. Secondly, you get to see the unexpected toll that Quentin’s questions have on Oliver, as they trigger ptsd flashbacks and an admission of the guilt he feels over Sara’s death. It’s emotional and vulnerable and well done. 

“I just want it to be quick like yours”  1x06- In flashbacks, Oliver is trapped in a cave and dreams/hallucinates a confrontation with his father. It’s a really pivotal scene because it ends with Oliver trying to kill himself (which doesn’t work because the gun is also a dream/hallucination). It’s heart-wrenching to see Oliver brought so low so early on and it sets the stage for years of self-destructive and at times suicidal behavior to come. 

“I don’t need the bow” 1x12- Diggle cautions Oliver not to go out against the Count’s men because he’s still feeling the effects of Vertigo. When Oliver can’t reliably aim an arrow, Diggle thinks it’s settled until Oliver delivers this iconic line, and then proceeds to go out and beat up all the counts men with his bare hands. A testament to Oliver’s Awesomeness.

“You might have some fight in you after all” 1x13- Slade and Oliver meet for the first time, beginning one of the most important relationships of the series. A pivotal moment, that establishes Slade’s character well, and a key point in defining Oliver’s will to survive, as he (breaks his hand? dislocates something? its not clear) to escape. 

Oliver and McKenna’s first date 1x15- Oliver and McKenna go on their first date. She starts questioning him about the island, triggering ptsd flashbacks and leading to him becoming irritable and offending her. It’s a nice little slice of life moment with an underrated character (I love McKenna) and one of the clearest demonstrations of Oliver’s ptsd. 

“Because you always have” 1x16- Oliver is forced to reveal his secret identity to Tommy in order to save his father. High stakes, emotional, and a great moment in the relationship of these two

“You sentenced me to that island” 1x23- Oliver and Malcolm get a face-to-face confrontation at last and for the first time, Oliver has someone to blame for all that he’s been through up to that point. We get to see Oliver’s anger and betrayal, are introduces to the personal side of this nemesis relationship, and hear Malcolm’s justifications

Oliver kills Fyers 1x23- This is the first time that Oliver actually makes the choice to kill someone. He’s killed before accidentally, and he fired the missiles that destroyed the camp, but didn’t seem fully aware that Shado had reprogrammed them in that way. But this time is a very deliberate choice in order to save Shado and it marks a turning point in Oliver’s life. It’s also his first kill with a bow and arrow. 

Oliver and Moira go to Big Belly Burger (I don’t know what episode)/ Diggle takes Tommy and Oliver to Big Belly Burger 1x03- Season 1 has some great human bonding moments in Big Belly Burger and I miss those. 

Felicity and Diggle talk in the foundry for the first time 1x14- Its a really fascinating look at their beliefs about Oliver’s crusade, and such a different introduction to the mission simply because Oliver is not a part of the conversation. 

“I looked in his eyes. He’s a killer.” 1x04 - Oliver loses control in Iron Heights and Laurel turns against the hood as a result. A side of Oliver that rarely comes through, that part of him that’s fueled by rage and not quite in control. 

Every time Oliver ditches Diggle (and Rob) 1x01-1x04

[books-covers-andanalysis]

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Chapter by Chapter Analysis: Chapter 15

Heads up, I outright spoil Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hallows bear the end of this analysis, so read with caution

Ho boy, this chapter

So we start off by seeing Harry, Hermione, and Neville getting in to trouble. We continue to see the impact Harry's words had on Neville in this chapter, because he actually snuck out of bed to warn Harry and Hermione that Malfoy was going to try and get them in to trouble. Coming from a boy who wouldn't even tell on Malfoy a few chapters ago, this is huge, and he looks rather hurt when he believes that Harry was trying to get him (and Malfoy) in to trouble, which of course isn't true

They lost Gryffindor 150 points, and Harry, who is adored by everyone in the school, is now hated by everyone, as well as Hermione and Neville, so Harry decides he will not be involving himself in things that don't concern him anymore. This goes so well. Of course, Harry doesn't stick to it. We've seen in this book, and will continue to see, it's just not who Harry is to stand aside and let others get hurt. Still, he does try and even gets tested when he sees Quirrel begging someone that Harry assumes is Snape (it's not) to stop, and than finally gives in. Quirrel has also been pale and thin

As we see in Chamber of Secrets, this is due to Voldemort clinging to Quirrel, and Quirrel being kind of like a horcrux. He's influencing Quirrel a lot in this book, and it kinda makes Quirrel's death tragic. But Harry doesn't involve himself

For their detention, Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Malfoy must go to the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and find the unicorn that's been killed. Before going in groups, I really like that we see how scared Malfoy is. He is human, after all, and it would be a bit unrealistic for him, a 12 year old, to be fearless because he is mean

We also get more confirmation of how much Harry's words impacted Neville when Neville is close to Harry and holding on to his cloak as they first go in. This isn't because Harry is the only one that isn't scared, Harry is just as scared as the rest of them, but Neville associates Harry now with comfort. Harry is the only one that made him feel better when he was down, and now being close to Harry would have brought Neville a bit of comfort, if only he didn't get put in a group with Malfoy

And than Harry, Hermione, and Hagrid come across the centaurs, and the centaurs are acting odd, to say the least. They're being incredibly unhelpful and only talking about how bright Mars is. This is because centaurs look to the skies and the heavens to tell the future, and we'll get more in to that in a minute

We also see Harry and Malfoy being paired together after Malfoy scares Neville and can't be trusted not to do it again and they need to find the unicorn. Whether Malfoy would have tried to scare Harry too is unknown, because they find the unicorn rather quickly and Malfoy ditches at the sight of a cloaked figure drinking its blood. Harry, however, is frozen in fear. The cloak figured sees him and starts advancing on him, and Harry's scar bursts in pain he has never felt before, as the piece of Voldemort inside him tries to rejoin the original soul piece. Harry, however, gets rescued by Firenze, a young centaur. When Harry shakes the pain off, Firenze says the Forest is incredibly unsafe for Harry specifically. This is not only because of Voldemort, but because many creatures in the Forest know of Harry too, and there are many dark creatures there that would happily kill him so that Voldemort could rise without threat again. Firenze and the other centaurs than have a curious conversation; they yell at him for "messing with the stars" and warn him not to go against the heavens. However, Firenze ignores them and brings Harry to safety

As they walk, Firenze decides to drop a bomb on Harry; that cloaked figure drinking the unicorn blood was Voldemort. As expected, Harry is terrified. He is white, shivering, and scared, as anyone, let alone an 11 year old, would be. And now we get a description that sounds airily like a scene in goblet of fire. Firenze describes that when you kill a unicorn and take its blood, you will live, but you will live a half life because you have slain something so pure and defenseless. This is foreshadowing at its finest, so subtle than even upon rereads, it probably goes unnoticed by casual readers. In Goblet Of Fire, Voldemort takes Harry's blood in to his own body, and has taken blood from something "pure and defenseless", and he stays alive, but kind of in a half life, because he has blood from Lily's protection in him too, he also has Harry's love inside him. The love running through Harry's veins severely weaken him to the point of collapse when Harry dies, but he can't die, he still has a horcrux and Lily's protection in him. But he is severely weakened, almost like living a half life. This foreshadowing is so subtle, it is absolutely astounding

We also hear how Firenze hopes the planets are wrong about what will happen, and takes off. Now, in Deathly Hallows, we will see Harry sacrifice himself in the Forest in the chapter, "The Forest Again,". This chapter is called "The Forest". The centaurs have read that Voldemort will kill Harry in the Forest in the stars. This is masterful writing, to say something so low key and even have the chapter titles parallel each other, I just have to applause Jk Rowling

I adore these books so much oh my gosh

[a-nerds-ponderings-blog]

THIS WEEK IN REVIEW

March 19 – April 16

 FANTASY

Once Upon a Time

Season 6: Episode 16 – Mother’s Little Helper

Gold and Belle convince Emma to help Gideon, explaining that together they can stop the Black Fairy. Henry experiences a disorienting shift in his powers that forces Regina to seek counsel from the previous Author. Meanwhile, in Fairy Tale Land, Hook attempts to win the assistance of an old adversary by betting his most prized possession on a game of cards. And, in a flashback, the Black Fairy tortures young Gideon in hopes of molding him into the perfect apprentice.

Belle will never give up on anyone, will she? She always sees the good in a person no matter what. That is one of her endearing qualities, but it seems that Gideon is beyond hope. However, there seems to be more to his story, and it will be interesting to see where his loyalties lie in the end. Henry’s shift in power seems to be a simple way of speeding up the plot to bring us the “final chapter”. Is this an indication that this may be the last season of Once Upon a Time? There have been several talks about renewing the show for a seventh season, as well as discussions of some of the key actors’ contracts being finished this season. It will be interesting to see what changes may come if the show is renewed.

Season 6: Episode 17 – Awake

Still trapped in Neverland, Hook aligns himself with Tiger Lily, hoping to find a way back to Emma. Back in Storybook, Regina works to break the sleeping curse that David and Snow are under, and Gold denies The Black Fairy, which brings the two of them to a fearsome impasse. In flashbacks, we learn what Snow and Charming sacrificed in order for Emma to fulfill her destiny as the Savior.

This episode was mainly a way to bring the Black Fairy to Storybrooke and let everyone know of her existence, bring Snow and David back from their curse, teach the town what they gave up, bring Hook back, and show that Gideon was under the control of the Black Fairy. It was a lot of exposition, but not a lot of tension or action. The history between Tiger Lily and the Black Fairy was not very necessary, but it did give an explanation as to why she had the wand. The events of the episode unfolded in a way that made the episode entertaining, but it was mostly just exposition and a way to move the story forward.

NEXT WEEK

Season 6: Episode 18 – Where Bluebirds Fly

In flashback, Zelena befriends a young woodcutter who has been cursed and turns to her for help finding a new heart. Zelena is forced to choose between keeping her powers and her friendship with him. Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, Zelena decides to take on the Black Fairy and put a stop to her, once and for all, against Regina's wishes, and the Charmings disagree over Emma and Hook's wedding plans.

  PARANORMAL

IZombie

Season 3: Episode 1 – Heaven just got a Little Smoother

Liv has discovered there are more zombies living in Seattle than she previously believed. In fact, there’s a private military contractor employing a small zombie army, and that army is preparing for the day humans learn of their existence. Major was exonerated for the crimes of the Chaos Killer, but is still considered a pariah. He manages to land a job with the one and only place that will hire him. Meanwhile, Blaine is accused of lying.

Welcome back to our favorite brain eater. It is interesting that IZombie is starting to take a turn towards the True Blood approach. However, they understand that if they reveal themselves as zombies to the human world, there may be some backlash from the humans. And they are right… humans would see them as brain-eating monsters, and probably fight back. The possibility of coexisting seems to be on the horizon, but it is far away. Blaine’s memory loss continues to baffle everyone. Knowing his character and his history, it is possible he could be lying to exonerate himself, or he could actually be suffering memory loss. It all makes Ravi’s research more difficult, because even he doesn’t know what to believe. It will be interesting to see how this season pans out, and what actually does happen when zombies reveal themselves. Could it be like True Blood all over again?

Season 3: Episode 2 – Zombie Knows Best

When Liv, Clive and Ravi arrive at the scene to investigate a fatal car accident, they begin to suspect foul play was involved. Both starving, Liv and Major consume the brains of the accident victims, a well-meaning father and his angsty teenage daughter. Meanwhile, when Clive is brought in for questioning about a family that was murdered, he’s forced to reveal his past history with them. Lastly, Peyton extends an olive branch to Ravi, and Major hits a road block in his search for Natalie.

One of the really good things about this show is the actors’ abilities to behave differently than the character originally is. This is seen in both the behaviors of Major and Liv this episode. We see Liv take on the persona of many people throughout the seasons, as she consumes many different brains. But to see Major doing the same was entertaining. Of course he would have to take the teenage daughter brain and add some comedy to the situation. All in all it made the episode a bit lighter than it would have been. And given Clive’s revealed dark history, we needed that comic relief.

Season 3: Episode 3 – Eat, Pray, Liv

To help Clive solve the murder of a lifestyle guru, Liv consumes his brain and takes on his Zen approach to life. Ravi’s old boss, Katty Kupps, is getting closer to discovering the truth while also getting closer to Ravi. Meanwhile, Blaine and Peyton continue their budding friendship, much to Ravi’s dismay. Lastly, Major is struggling a bit at his new job.

The crime in this episode was somewhat the back story of the situation. The main thing is that Ravi has a serum that might cure the “zombie’ issue, but it needs to be tested. Blaine is asked to help out, but does not want to remember his old life. However, now that Major is starting to feel the symptoms and side effects, we’re running out of time. This causes Ravi, probably for the first time, to lose his temper. It was interesting to see such a tense moment being handled by guru Liv, who was trying to find her sense of zen amidst all the fighting between the others. This was not a turning point episode, but it was certainly a good one to watch. And we got to hear some nice singing from Blaine.

NEXT WEEK

Season 3: Episode 4 – Wag the Tongue Slowly

Clive’s patience is tested when Liv consumes the brain of a murder victim who had the reputation of being the ultimate office gossip. Meanwhile, Blaine and Peyton continue to grow closer as they wait to see if Ravi is able to reverse the effects of the cure. Lastly, Major is one step away from fulfilling a promise.

  Supernatural

Season 12: Episode 17 – The British Invasion

Sam and Dean get a lead on Kelly Kline’s whereabouts. Mick drops by the bunker unexpectedly and decides to join the hunt.

It was very entertaining to see Dean’s reaction to Mick’s joining them on the hunt. The comment about “Hogwarts” was a perfect fit in with the two Winchesters and with the situation. As they go racing off to discuss things with Kelly, but they realize she has more company than they expected. Mick tries his best to work with the boys, but he just doesn’t quite get how they do things, and is constantly bothered by “the code” getting in the way of his own morals. It was sad to see his punishment, he was starting to grow on me, and it reveals just how ruthless the British Men of Letters can be. It could be interesting to see what fate lies in store for the Wnchesters.

Season 12: Episode 18 – The Memory Remains

Sam and Dean investigate a missing person’s case in a small town. The lead witness tells the Winchesters the attacker was a man with the head of a goat. Sam and Dean aren’t sure what to believe but when the witness goes missing they realize the town is hiding a dark secret.

This was an interesting episode; the boys went up against a god that was being fed by the townsfolk. The episode was somewhat uneventful, but had its own twists. We thought it was one person, but then it turned out to be another. Then we thought it was just humans killing humans, but then we discover there was more to the story, including a god that received offerings of human lives. But little do the Winchesters know, while they were off on this job that the Men of Letters sent them on, they were being hunted themselves. While they were being watched they spoke of legacies and had a very touching moment. Several of us ran quickly to Google to see if this was the final season of the show, because of their “legacy” talk and the scene with the initials. It was a sad moment, and either spoke of ending, or gave dark foreshadow for what is to come. What does the Men of Letters have in store for these two? Will they both survive? It will be intense, that’s for certain.

NEXT WEEK

Season 12: Episode 19 – The Future

Sam comes up with a way to stop Lucifer’s baby but Castiel has something else in mind for Kelly. Dean is furious when he finds out someone stole the colt. Kelly makes a bold choice about the baby’s future.

  SCI-FI

The 100

Season 4: Episode 8 – God Complex

After a disappointing discovery, Clarke and Abby question how far they're willing to go. Meanwhile, Jaha finds a lead to the mysterious Second Dawn.

It is amazing the lengths you will go to in order to survive. And the things you will justify yourself for. Clarke had to face some of the same things she destroyed Mount Weather for in this episode, watching a man die screaming in agony, and then decide who she would test next. It was difficult to watch her and Abby discuss the situation, and realize that they would have to find a way to live with themselves after. We all knew that Clarke would make that final sacrifice, especially after what Murphy said to her. It seems that Jaha may have found the secret to the salvation of humanity. But something tells me that it will not be enough, or the different clans will not be able to get along long enough to work together. It is one thing to find a solution or a cure… it is another thing to gain the trust of everyone to ensure they get it.

NEXT WEEK

Season 4: Episode 9 - DNR

Jasper and Bellamy go on a quest. Meanwhile, Clarke struggles to keep the peace after word of Jaha's discovery spreads.

 Doctor Who

Season 10: Episode 1 – The Pilot

A chance encounter with a girl with a star in her eye leads to a terrifying chase across time and space. Bill’s mind is opened to a Universe that is bigger and more exciting than she could possibly have imagined - but who is the Doctor, and what is his secret mission with Nardole on Earth?

Welcome back Doctor! And Welcome Aboard Bill! This was an interesting introduction to a new companion, as well as a new season of the show. We get the notion that the Doctor has given the TARDIS speech so many times he almost expects the comments. But Bill keeps veering in directions he can’t imagine.. like the TARDIS being like a kitchen. The story about the girl with the star in her eye was sweet and interesting enough. It was not an alien trying to attack the Earth; it was a simple mistake and lesson to be learned. The entirety of the episode was Bill learning about the Doctor, in her own quirky way. I do believe, upon first meeting this companion, I liked her straight away. It seems that we will have a lot more comedy with this season than we had in previous ones. Nicely done and welcome back.

Season 10: Episode 2 – Smile

In the far future, at the edge of the galaxy, there is a gleaming, perfect city. This brand new human settlement is said to hold the secret of human happiness - but the only smiles the Doctor and Bill can find are on a pile of grinning skulls. Something is alive in the walls, and the emojibots are watching from the shadows, as the Doctor and Bill trying to unravel a terrifying mystery..

Who ever thought Emojis would be terrifying? This episode is another example of how the things we as humans create will eventually turn on us. The emojibots were created to make a perfect world where people would be happy, but what happens if they are not? We also see the development of Bill and the Doctor’s new found friendship as they traverse this new city. She is smarter and more analytic than she lets on straight away, and it seems this impresses the Doctor. And of course, she never does as she is told… in true companion fashion. It was interesting to see how the Doctor tested her from time to time, during the scene with the map for example. This episode was creepy in its own way, but entertaining at other times. This companion is growing on me more and more.

NEXT WEEK

Season 10: Episode 3 – Thin Ice

   Please be advised that the comic book shows will have their own weekly post this season, just changing things up a bit. Please keep an eye out for the Superhero Low-Down

If there are any shows that you think we should check out or that we have missed, please send us a private message or leave a comment below.