#funny sitcom cliche

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

Cnetizens: 'OMG TV shows in the 90's were much better than today''We were so well fed in the past'

[sthilarions]

Somewhere along the way, Charles isn’t quite sure when, Edwin acquired the habit of telling Charles “I’m not angry, I’m disappointed.”

When Crystal first heard it, she rolled her eyes almost off her head. “Yeah, everyone knows that’s worse, Edwin, and also, cliched. What, did you hear that on a sitcom somewhere?”

The thing is, when Edwin started saying it, Charles would’ve found Crystal’s response utterly mental, which he strongly suspects is exactly why Edwin started. Obviously being angry is worse. Edwin didn’t exactly know the details about Charles’s dad until recently - still doesn’t, really - but he’s known from the beginning that Charles doesn’t do well with certain things, just like Charles knows Edwin doesn’t do well with certain things.

One of those things, since almost the beginning, was Edwin being mad at him, which Edwin picked up on embarrassingly quickly. Charles knows it’s partly because Edwin understands a lot more than Crystal thinks he does, about parents, and about punishment, and has since the beginning. So, yeah, Edwin started telling Charles that he wasn’t angry, he was disappointed, and it was a relief, every time. Charles suspects he probably visibly slumped out of tension every time Edwin said it for years.

But - the thing is, by the time they’ve met Crystal… It doesn’t sound so mental anymore.

Because Edwin does get angry at Charles, sometimes, and mostly it’s actually pretty charming - Charles will never ever tell Edwin that it’s cute when his mouth goes all tight and prissy, or that it makes him feel kinda warm when Edwin’s so worried about him that he gets mad about it. And even when it’s not charming, even when Edwin’s really genuinely mad and Charles really genuinely wishes he wasn’t, it’s… safe. It’s not even scary. He knows by now, even in the scared little kid part of his brain, that Edwin will never ever hurt him and never ever kick him out, and even more than that, Edwin works to not be scary when he’s mad.

Edwin learned all the things that make Charles freak out a little, even while Charles was actively trying to hide what they were. Learned what specific words make Charles flinch, and then never said them again. Learned what parts of his own body and Charles’s he shouldn’t reach for while yelling, and never moved towards them again. Learned, much against Charles’s will, what specific things Charles just couldn’t handle Edwin getting angry at him for no matter how he did it, and made sure he didn’t, even though at first it took him using that rather unpleasant talent of his for just switching all his emotions off entirely, before he learned milder ways to stop from getting angry, including, sometimes, being “disappointed” instead.

And it’s not that he’s gentle when he’s angry at Charles, exactly. He can give a tongue-lashing with the best of them, he’ll cuss if he gets pissed enough, he’ll insult and lambaste and, in general, get his point very, very across. It’s just that he’s learned all the exact lines where it goes from being memorable to being scary, and he doesn’t cross them. He’ll say something Charles did is “fucking stupid” if he thinks it was, but he’ll never say Charles is “bloody useless” because Charles’s breath caught and eyes went wide the one time he did. And that makes all the difference, really.

The point being, by the time they meet Crystal - Charles thinks she might be right. For Edwin, anyway. Because Edwin being angry means at best Charles gets to watch him get prissy or worried for him or wittily cutting which is always funny even when it’s at Charles’s expense, and at worst get harmlessly yelled at for a bit. And Edwin being disappointed makes him feel about two feet tall, like the Case of the Backwards Telescope, and makes him actually mean it when he says he’s sorry. Makes him feel squirmy in a very different way than the snakes in his stomach that his dad made him feel.

So he’s started to think, actually, that there might not be much worse that Edwin can - or, rather, would - do to him, when he’s messed up, than say he’s disappointed.

Until they’ve been hit by a low-level telepathic curse, that lets Charles hear a word or two from Edwin every so often if Edwin’s thinking it so loud he’s basically shouting it into the ether, and vice versa. Charles heard a couple things about his own body that Edwin definitely didn’t want him to be hearing. Charles didn’t mind, of course - was, in fact, quite chuffed. But also Edwin heard some stuff from Charles that he hadn’t wanted Edwin to hear. And that was the reason, although he’s not trying to say it was an excuse, that he did and said some things he definitely shouldn’t have.

And as they were wrapping up the case, Edwin started to say “I’m not angry, I’m just - ” and Charles braced for “disappointed”, but instead the word that rang so loudly in Edwin’s brain that it rang in Charles’s too was hurt.

And Charles realized there was, in fact, something Edwin could say that was a whole fuck of a lot worse than that he was disappointed.

But that’s a story for another time.

[wttcsms]

when you know, you know, atsumu miya ;

pairing atsumu miya x f!reader word count 1k synopsis atsumu considers marriage to be a trap, until he realizes that even a lifetime commitment to you isn't long enough content contains fluff, talks of marriage!!!! he's a softie

It starts off like this: nobody sees Atsumu Miya getting married — not now, not ever, not in the foreseeable future, nor in any of the millions of alternate and parallel universes that may or may not exist.

You’re just not the type of person we see settling down. 

Yeah, that might be true, but it still stings a little. It stings when he sees the white picket fences, and the cars with the MY KID’S AN HONOR STUDENT bumper stickers. It stings when he happens to accidentally catch a rerun of those family-centered sitcoms; the ones where they argue during the day and make up at night, with some cliche moral to the over dramatic situations that have occurred onscreen fifteen minutes ago. It stings when he watches his teammates get engaged and he has to congratulate them — he’s genuinely happy for them, don’t get him wrong — but still… 

It doesn’t matter. Atsumu Miya has long since held the firm belief that he’s just not the type of person the whole “fall in love, get married, have a family, cue the domesticity cuteness overload” schtick is meant for. Besides, it’s not like it’s something he’s spent years obsessing over (maybe months, at most). 

He rationalizes his bachelor status (that’s been a part of him for so long that it’s getting to become somewhat of a red flag for potential girlfriends) as him being the only one left with his priorities straight. After all, he doesn't have to worry about things like parent-teacher conferences or crayon drawings on the wall or trying to buy flowers to make sure the wife isn’t too mad when he comes home late. 

After all, he tells everyone, settling down is still settling. 

And Atsumu Miya, under no circumstances, ever settles.

Which is an ideal he clings to with such a tight grip, if it were flesh and blood, it would be suffocating. He doesn’t, he decides after a while, believe in marriage. 

(That is to say: he doesn’t believe that it’s possible for him. 

It’s not what he says explicitly, but it’s what he truly means.) 

So, when he tells you this on your second date, you’re a little stunned, but you’re quick to recover. Okay… So that’s the explanation you’ve been waiting for. The reason why this six feet two inches tall professional athlete with a bank account he generously withdraws money from has been single for so long is because he doesn’t believe in marriage. 

Other than that, he’s been nothing but great. Near perfect. So, all you do is nod and continue on with the original topic of the conversation. Eventually, your budding romance blooms into something much bigger than either of you ever anticipated or saw coming, and while you yourself have never mentioned the M-word after that date, it’s all Atsumu can think about right now. 

Marriage.

The concept of it looms over your relationship; a perpetual gray cloud that threatens to flood this perfect little relationship and have it all go down the drain. You never brought it up after he basically told you he would never marry anyone, and he never brought it up purely because — well — he’s a bit of a coward. 

He’s the type of person who’s set on his own convictions, by the way. If his balls ever drop, and he decides to Man Up, he figures he’ll start the conversation just like that. His stubbornness is nothing new to you, but him figuring out that he might be wrong makes his stomach feel funny. It’s sick and twisted. 

“Hey, what do you want for dinner tonight? I’m at the store right now, and I’m in the mood to cook.” He can picture it clearly: you, standing in one of the grocery store aisles, phone balanced in between your ear and shoulder as you compare the ingredients of the name brand and generic cereal. 

He’s in the locker room, about to pack up his gym bag (that you’ll complain reeks) and head back to his apartment (that’s starting to feel a lot more like yours, with the way your skincare products dominate the bathroom counter), and it hits him so suddenly, he has to sit back down on the bench. 

Atsumu Miya thinks that marriage isn’t for him, and as a defense mechanism, he decides that marriage sucks anyway. But through the tinny speakers of his phone, he can hear you toss something in the shopping cart. He hears the faint crying of a toddler in the background, and then he starts to think about what it would be like to walk around the store with a baby that takes after you. Right now, you’re already sleeping in the same bed with him at least four times out of the week, but it would be perfect, he thinks, to get the privilege to wake up to you every morning.

“Atsumu?” You try to get his attention, and Atsumu tries to ignore the warm and fuzzy feeling he gets when he considers a future with you. Settling down is still settling, he tells himself, and then he thinks of the way you looked when you caught the bouquet at a friend’s wedding. The pleased smile on your face, the triumphant way you held the flowers over your head, head thrown back in glee; you looked absolutely radiant. You caught his eye, and you quickly lowered your hands, giving him a sheepish grin. 

He realizes now that if anyone is settling, it’s you. You don’t know that he notices the way you tear up at weddings, or how excited you sound when you get back from dress shopping with one of your friends. You want to get married, and the only thing stopping you is him.

He’s spent ages deluding himself into thinking that he’s somehow losing if he decides to trap himself into a marriage with someone, but no one can accuse him of settling when it’s you he’s marrying. You’re the prize. You’re the only person in the world he wants to give his last name and an obnoxiously big ring to. 

“Make whatever you want, baby. I’ll eat anything.” He’s checking the locations for the nearest jewelers in his immediate vicinity. “I might be a little late, though. I have to check on something.” 

[nocofamilyau]

Any Cody-specific headcanons you have for this AU?

Definitely the more chill parent (though he still has a spine and won't hold back if you're a cunt to him) though he can come off as overly lax when it comes to giving his kids what they want and considering their feelings over anything else (I mean, he doesn't have many good examples to get advice from, so he ends up relying on occasionally dubious parenting blogs)

A sucker for cheesy (dare I say bad) sitcoms with the big casts living in overly expensive apartments or houses and get along by the end of the episode. So what if they're tropey and cliche and not even funny, it's comforting to watch other people live their life as if nothing incredibly sinister happened to them because they decided to degrade themselves on national TV at a young age!

Doesn't have much social media anymore, the only ones he uses you can't even tell it's him, he doesn't post anything anywhere for... obvious reasons, and only really uses it to stay in contact with close friends and lurk/see what other people are up to

His old/retro console collection has kept going strong! He's managed to bag at least 20 or so consoles since he started

He's surprisingly good with kids. Specifically older kids and tweens, so particularly those around Mike's age. Maybe cuz he's still interested in a lot of games/media that kids gravitate the most toward to, so having Mike and his friends around to share his interests sort of helps him embrace that and make him feel less like a loser

Definitely bonds the closest with Mike since they share the same taste in media. Mainly from Cody showing him stuff that he grew up on/ having movie nights together. One thing they're both really hooked on right now is the newest iteration of Mutant Forces Are Go!, an action cartoon about teenagers that transform into mutated animals and fight crime and shit. It started out as one of those toylines from the 80's that got made into a cartoon, one that Cody was obsessed with as a kid. Vibe-wise I'd say the one they're both watching now would be closest to stuff like Samurai Pizza Cats or The Aquabats! Super Show!

He's somewhat forgiven his father now that he's a father himself. Somewhat.

Had a phase in his early 20's where he idolised Elon Musk (or like the Elon-equivalent within the TD universe... Leon Dusk? idfk) He doesn't idolise him anymore for obvious reasons, but it's hard to tell if he came to his senses himself about it or someone had to knock some into him)

[crenmir]

honestly ı am glad sarcastic chorus quit cuz his analyze videos about hb was more complaining on how the New ep oh Helluva didnt go into the direction he wanted rather then actually critisizing the show in his latest videos . it was obvious he didnt enjoy watching season 2 .and he does over analyze things a lot..this show is is comedy mixed drama kind of thing well ıts not really comedy anymore but it still has silly moments..funny gags

and yeah ı agree that hb sometimes has a shtty pacing it makes me so frustrated too (especially S2Episode4) ,though ıts an indie animation and sadly they cant just release the whole season in a week or smth like that like how some shows does.

And in prev episodes we had to wait for like 3 months or more until the next One come in SOMETIMES TWO OR MORE MONTHS ONLY FOR A GIF(full moon episode lmao) 😭 so it makes sense Why the writing is flawed in some ways ..cuz they have to keep the tension so the fans wont get bored waiting the next episode for months ( ı know it relases monthly now but it wasnt like this before).

I actually think that Helluvaboss was never really suited taking a whole season slow character arcs and relationships yeah ı also love shows with more then 4 seasons and at least have 30 minutes episodes or more though ıts not really possible to do that with indie animation ..Helluva only has 4 seasons and SO MUCH to tell in its story YES hb again has flawed writing but ı am just tired Twitter talks about it like ıts the WORST writing in a show .

tbh ı used to not really like Helluva Boss..before season 2 djdjssj.. OKAY OKAY ı'll be honest Lol ı actually couldnt stand watching clips of season 1 whenever ı saw it on YouTube or on other socials well the jokes in season1 didnt make me laugh it was annoying for me ı thought hb was just another shtty show like family guy where the jokes are so gross and cringe .. ( ı still dont really like sum of the seggs jokes in the show but dont really agree that hb is only HAHA CRİNGE UNFUNNY SEGGS jokes !)

ALSO I WILL SAY HB MADE IT OBVIOUS in Loo loo Land that .this show DOES TAKE IT'S CHARACTERS SERIOUSLY ..AND they are human..NOT ONLY THERE FOR MAKING THE AUDINCE CRINGE AND LAUGH FOR HOW FCKED THOSE MESSY DEMONS ARE..

ı actually .hated the stolitz ship before (lol) ..ı started to fall in love with the show and it's main ship when they decided to explore the characters and give them more depth ..especially stolitz.. djsjsjs

I AM SO GLAD they didnt kept pilot stolas .THANK GOD .not another damn toxic af yaoi turning soft and loving ı think that it wouldnt be realistic or enjoyable at all (yeah it would be fun to watch evil pilot stolas ..but later on his character would be ruined and feel so forced when he "falls in love" with blitzø and helluva boss would be this cliche toxic af yaoi shit , AGAIN stolitz was never toxic in current helluvaboss not pilot well their relationship was just unhealthy and all )

Again IF stolas was this heartless evil gay augar daddy to blitz and he somehow started to "fall in love " with blitz and become a good character ..it would be like Jinx or..like other basic toxic yaoi bs where the seme is rich af and he sexually ass*alts the uke where He is only there for seggs and he somehow catches feelings for the uke later on the episodes and oh he is nice now aww look at them they are cute and love eachother now!!..(ew)

So ı dont agree on "it would have been better if they kept stolas the evil mastermind who is this heartless cheater to his wife and an Abuser to blitzø also has some sick obsession with him and sees him nothing more then a seggs toy for his sick twisted fantasies and he somehow starts fall in love with blitz later on the show ..ı think it would have feel so forced and out of character for pilot stolas .

ALSO..some people are forgetting hb was actually going to be a sitcom kind of thing where blitz is this horrible selfish main character who Does messy fcked up shit and has no character depth at all he is One of hell of a Boss(lol) ! he would have been just HAHA FCKED UP HORRIBLE DEMON DOES MESSY SHIT! so ı am so glad viv didnt stick to the pilot for the show's original idea , cuz if she did hb's only purpose would have been to be cringe af and has actually unfunny overly seggs jokes well..gross "dark fcked up humor" like family guy or south park..

well ı do respect sarcastic chorus's opinion on quitting rewieiving the show ..ı mean again like it was so obvious he didnt enjoy season 2 at all.. ı mean ı always watched this show only for stolitz lol.

honestly ı disagree on stolitz is "softened" for making them more likeable..ı think stolas and blitz are really complex characters and so human ALSO just because stolas is being abused by stella doesnt mean viv decided to write that to make stolas seem all nice and not flawed at all "and he is innocent" thats not true .

if you looked on old insta posts( where the spindle crew used to roleplay as some hb characters) you would see that stella was always meant to be abusive to him ( where stolas takes a photo with pilot stella and it obvious he is bothered by her holding his hand on the table you can also see he put a sad emoji on the post SO NO viv never changed how STELLA was abusive to him in the show ..her character was always like how it is in hb now .

and yeah ı honestly agree on them not really exploring stella's backstory but like not every bad person in shows needs a sad sob backstory to make them a villian though yeah ıts kinda annoying stella didnt even speak to Octavia or tried to manuplate her into making her hate stolas in the Last episode and well she just laughed with Andy .

though if ı recall correctly we will see her backstory in season3?..ı really dunno ,ı really hope they show more flashbacks of stolas's teen-young adult years and well how STELLA was always abusive towards him before even he "cheated on her")

( ı know hb showed us that she was always abusive even before stolas "cheated" on her .. ı mean in S1 episode 1 where she shittalks behind how stolas sucked in bed and she SA'd him but ı just want to see her abusive Side much more then just her laughing at stolas's face yannow?)

Also it is shown in S1E1 that she tried to hit him and he blocked her hand this means she did phsically abuse him before cuz she was in shook when stolas blocked her hand ..so NO... she isnt this misunderstood character who is angry at her husband cuz he cheated on her .

The reason Why she was pissed to stolas on him "cheating " on her was because he cheated on her with a low ranked demon .. an imp .

Again ı wish and WANT Helluva Boss to show more abusive side of stella if they ever show flashbacks of her marriage with stolas when they were young adults .

Also ı want hb to show her manuplative relationship with Octavia MORE (well we do know stella doesn't really care about her and uses her as a tool for andrealphus's plans as it was shown in mastermind episode where stella smirks while hugging to her crying daughter..or not Letting her speak to stolas in sinsmas ep and was happy to seperate her from stolas )

but ..ı want to know more of their dynamic ..like Why Does Octavia cares for her if they are not so close. Does she thinks she has to love her because stella is her mom ?

Well in octavia's drawings when she was a kid shows us that she was more close with her dad since she never included drawing stella on them.also having similar hobbies and interests with stolas..( where they both like stars ..plants..well drawing. Singing to cope with their emotions ..)

..but again ı REALLY want to know Why she said.."you don't love mother" to stolas .Does she even know her parents didnt marry with love and it was actually an arranged marriage Does she thinks her dad ruined everyhting when he cheated on her mom ???

I want to know that

AND WELL ı think stolas didnt even cheat on stella , just like he said "cheating implies a betrayal". these two people were forced into marrying eachother for making an heir together. They NEVER loved eachother . so he CANT betray something that was never there in the first place (love) also him sleeping with blitz was the only "selfish" choice he made in his life..

AND YES stolas and STELLA are both victims to this fcked up goetia system.. BUT that doesnt excuse stella taking her anger out on stolas and abusing him.

[jamie-ann-mason]

The Golden Age Of Television

As a GenXer, I can proudly say that we have lived through the greatest generation of life. From the birth of the internet and social media to the evolution of television, it is a fascinating concept.

The Golden Age of television was officially a cliche from 1948 to 1960, with 90% of American homes equipped with the black box that was starting to dramatically change the theory of life.

Early TV was primarily live events, music and musicals, and news. That changed in 1960, with television becoming more in-depth with dramas, scripts, and portable video cameras.

As an early teen, I can remember watching re-runs of The Honeymooners with my parents. I loved Jackie Gleason. He was obnoxious, loud, and funny. The Honeymooners, though not the first sitcom, was considered the sitcom that launched the concept of a series of short continuous stories that would keep viewers in tune week after week.

Google lists the peek television era from 1999 to 2023, a claim that I find difficult to believe.

However, many TV historicans actually believe the peak television era was 1970 through 1999, a state I also believe to be true.

The 1970s brought science fiction to the small screen, which was enhanced with the invention of color TV.

The 1980s saw the sitcom rebirth and explosion, along with crime dramas and cable television, which launched MTV, the first ever TV station dedicated to playing a new phenomenon called music videos.

In the 1990s, longevity was popular with shows like Seinfeld, ER, and the Simpsons, an animated comedy about a modern dysfunctional family.

Writing this, it's giving me chills and unlocks memories of my favorite shows that I enjoyed growing up. These shows became my identity. I understood the characters and the storylines, and I managed my life around weekly 30 and 60 minute intervals.

As an early and mid teen, Friday and Saturday nights were golden for me. Miami Vice was the coolest thing on television in the late 80s, and Saturdays were consumed with iconic classics like Amen, 227, The Golden Girls, and Hunter.

Back then, and even still to this day, there's nothing like getting into bed on a Friday or Saturday night and spending it watching television re-runs. It's one of life's greatest pleasures and a deep source of self care that's often overlooked.

Television from the 70s 80s and '90s just hits differently. They drew viewers through storylines, writers, and producers, like Steven Bocho, who produced Classics like Hill Street Blues, Doogie Howser MD, Law and Order, and NYPD Blue.

Sitcoms related to daily life, often teaching life skills like family values and positive role modeling, which was a common message in shows like The Cosby Show.

Different Strokes tested the concept of racism with messages of diversity and inclusion through love and compassion. Something we desperately need today.

There is no doubt about the influence of television. It shapes our world. Social media is filled with debates on the greatest shows of all time, broke down by genre and decade. There are countless online fan clubs and boards for timeless classics that have been off the main airwaves for 30 or 40 or even 50 years, where fans evaluate and debate characters, stories, and seasons.

That is how influential this genre of television was to its viewers and why I consider this the golden era of television.

It is nearly impossible for me to pick a favorite. There's just so many.

One thing I will say is that one of the most influential shows in my generation was Beverly Hills 90210.

90210 is not a media darling but well represented in the forementioned online groups and fan clubs. I don't believe Beverly Hills ever got the notoriety it deserved because it was overshadowed by Friends and Seinfeld, which related to young adults, where 90210 was marketed to late teens.

But the 90210 craze was very real with apparel, lunch boxes, cologne, and perfume, all dedicated to the kids at West Beverly.

And to somebody who lived it, you didn't do anything on Wednesday or Thursday nights.

It was can't miss TV, because the next day at school you were gossiping with your friends in front of your locker about the love triangle between Kelly, Dylan, and Brenda.

The draw to 90210 for me and my friends was the relatability of the characters and the realistic storylines that influenced day-to-day life for teenagers and high schoolers at that time. It was transcending, with episodes that focused on breast cancer scares, divorce, SAT scores, underage drinking, and pregnancy. All relevant issues to teens in the 90s.

The characters themselves may have lived a glamorous and silver spooned life, but in all actuality, they were plain and everyday. Every school in America, from New York to the cornfields of Nebraska, had a Brandon, a Dylan, or a Steve, because the high school dynamics are virtually the same no matter what school you attend, and that made it relatable to all high schoolers.

The last episode for 90210 aired May 17th, 2000. While there were some decent sitcoms and dramas in the early 2000s,

it was clear that the concept of television was changing and has changed significantly since this time.

With the expansion of streaming services and different social media platforms, the concept behind television programming and family marketing has transitioned to singular people.

Along with this is cost, flat, or non-motivational story lines and characters, and the "success now" idea of many executive producers and television stations have. All of which has contributed to the demise of modern television as many late Boomers and GenXers remember.

This period of life will never get to be relieved again. Much like drive-ins, burger joints with food servers on roller skates, and 57 Chevy Bel Air's, life has turned the page to where we are now. And like it or not, we must turn the page also.

But just because the page is turned doesn't mean we can't look back on past chapters with envy and appreciation.

This was the golden age of life. And the golden age of television. And we all were lucky enough to have lived both.

[cantsayidont]

"Of course — Astros hat equals two-state solution!"

MO (2022–2025): Charming if contrivance-heavy Netflix sitcom about a Palestinian refugee (comedian Mo Amer) who's spent most of his life in Houston, Texas, working under-the-table jobs and side hustles while waiting out his family's endlessly delayed asylum claim and dismaying his mother (Farah Bsieso) by dating a Catholic Chicana mechanic (Teresa Ruiz). (One of the show's minor pleasures is watching the main character code-switch fluidly between English, Arabic, and Spanish.)

Amer is a likeable lead, and it's great to see Palestinian characters treated with such warmth and sympathy, as well as a bluntness about the occupation that's rare in any U.S. media. (How often does one hear the word "Nakba" on American TV?) However, while the story is partly autobiographical, the level of over-the-top incidental plot contrivance is high, and even a mostly comedic treatment of the horrors of the American immigration machine can be a lot for this format. The show also leans too hard on some standard-issue sitcom tropes about over-aged adolescents who just need to grow up (which feels a tad forced given that most of Mo's problems can't be solved that way), and I found the treatment of Mo's autistic older brother Sameer (Omar Elba) cliched and condescending; I wanted to see more of their older sister Nadia (Cherien Dabis), who has solved her residency problem by marrying a well-meaning Canadian goober.

The moving finale has Mo, Sameer, and their mother finally returning to Palestine shortly before October 7.

CONTAINS LESBIANS? I wasn't sure if Maria's Mexican aunts were supposed to be sisters or partners, but that's as close as it gets. VERDICT: Funny and touching, although the friction between the sitcom format and the show's dramatic aspirations can be distracting.

[legion1227]

Kevin Can F*** Himself: Review

Criminally underrated.

Kevin Can F*** Himself is a dramedy that ran for 2 seasons on AMC and AMC+ from 2021 to 2022. Set in Worcester, Massachusetts, the show follows Allison McRoberts, played by Annie Murphy, trying to take control of her life once more when she realizes she's confined and unhappy in her marriage to her husband Kevin, played by Eric Petersen.

Go watch it.

That's it. Just go watch it if you haven't already. And if you have, watch it again. Get the numbers for it up. It deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.

I'm 24 years old as I write this. I'm moved by this art form, this medium of television, among others. I've enjoyed many classic and modern sitcoms, from Cheers to Friends to How I Met Your Mother to The Good Place to It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, to name a few. I've also enjoyed some of the greatest dramas to touch television screens, like The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Barry. I'm not saying Kevin Can F*** himself is exactly like these shows or that it's quite similar, but that these shows have demonstrated how spectacular these genres are and can be. But never have I seen a show that combined comedy and drama in a manner like this.

Some comedies can have a dark tone or edge to them, like Always Sunny. And some dramas can be comedic and downright funny, like Succession. But I've never seen a show spend half its time filmed in a single-camera setup, reminiscent of TV dramas and focus on characters living real lives and grappling with the consequences of their actions, and then the other half filmed like any typical sitcom you've ever seen that features a laugh track or was filmed in front of a live studio audience. This is what the show Kevin has to offer you.

It goes from cliche comedic silliness with undertones of how chaotic or insane or troubled these characters are to real-life circumstances just. like. that. The drama is intriguing. Allison spends the first season trying to figure out a way she could get away with murdering Kevin without getting caught. In season 2, she pivots to trying to fake her own death and get away from her controlling, manipulative man-child of a husband. Some characters are only seen in the sitcom format, some only in the drama format, and some appear in both worlds. When some characters transition from the sitcom world to the other side, it is fascinating. It's gripping.

Without spoilers, in the final episode, there is a scene I had been waiting so long to see that when it happened, I locked in. I became the guy from that one meme when he's leaning back and relaxed before something happens that makes him lean forward and hyper-focus.

Comedy-wise, when it comes to the jokes, they're not the most overtly funny, but the writers capture that boomer humor of a guy hating his "old ball and chain" wife and feels like something from an older era. If you took just the comedic scenes and ran a filter on it, it probably wouldn't be too out of place with some sitcoms of old.

Although, in an ideal or just world, this show would've run for at least three to five seasons with more episodes. With eight episodes in both seasons, there's only so much exploration and diving into characters and relationships you can do when you're that damned confined. Although all things considered, the ending manages to be an acceptable one, in my opinion.

If it had more time, I truly believe this would be considered one of the greatest shows ever. As it is, it's a compelling experimental blend that's still really great. Would absolutely recommend it. 4/5.

[livythewriter]

Self Doubt (Elsbeth x Fem!Reader)

Word count: 1497

Warnings: Angst, hurt/comfort, negative self talk and self doubt, insecurity, depression

Summary: Reader is feeling down and insecure about herself and Elsbeth helps her through it.

I didn’t know why I felt so… blegh. From the moment I woke up, something just felt off, and then I would spiral into negative thoughts way too easily. This led to me staying in my room for half of the day, not wanting to face the world.

The TV was my only companion through this as I watched hours and hours of some brain rotting sitcom. It wasn’t funny, and I wasn’t enjoying it, but I didn’t have the energy to change the channel and surf through tens of channels looking for a good show or movie.

“Jason, I told you to do the laundry!” The cliched overworked wife scolded her husband, her hands on her hips as she stood in front of the television.

“Sorry, I was too busy watching football!” The cliched lazy husband did an overexaggerated shrug, a dopey smile on his face. I hated this type of humor. Why was I even watching this show?

 I flipped off the TV and rolled over, already annoyed with the world and tired. Everything felt like it was crashing in on me, even though everything was fine. I tried to hold back the negative thoughts closing in on me, but they were just too much to handle, and I would occasionally find myself trying to redirect from the latest negative thought.

While I was in the middle of my wallowing, I heard a knock on my door. I groaned loudly into my pillow, hoping the person didn’t hear that, and yelled out ‘One second!’ before quickly trying to make myself at least a little presentable.

I ran down the stairs and answered the door, panicking a little when I saw Elsbeth outside my home. I did not want her to see me like this.

“Hey there! I know this is sudden, but I was just thinking we could have a girls night in, huh how does that sound?” She offered, a giant grin on her face. In place of her usual many bags, were many grocery bags, all filled with a variety of treats.

“Uhh sure!” I tried my best to sound cheery. Why did I accept? Because I hate myself. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy hanging out with her, I just didn’t want her seeing me like this.

She came in, putting her grocery bags on the couch. “So, where do you wanna hang out? The living room? Your room?”

“I guess my room.” I said. Luckily, my room wasn’t that messy, so it wouldn’t give my awful mood away.

“Alright, hey do you think you could do me a favor and carry up some of the bags? I know I’m usually carrying a lot of bags – at least according to other people – but these ones are kind of heavy and my arms hurt…” She rubbed the back of her neck, looking a little embarrassed.

“Yeah sure.” I grabbed some of the bags, and we went up to my room.

“So, what’s on TV?” She asked.

“Oh, some shitty sitcom about a lazy husband and a tired wife.” I sighed.

“Is there anything else on?”

“I didn’t check, but I totally can!” Maybe that came out a bit too eager. I flipped the channels until some mindless action movie caught my eye. Well, better a mindless action movie than a mindless sitcom.

We sat down together and watched the movie. Elsbeth had brought candy, chips, stuff to make raw s’mores, ice cream, and popcorn. The food was pretty good, and even though I still felt pretty bad, I felt myself starting to feel a bit better with her company.

“Hey, could you pass me the chips?” Elsbeth asked.

“Yeah sure.” I passed them over to her from my side, and she grabbed them, thanking me.

“You know, salt and vinegar is pretty good, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I honestly prefer sour cream and onion.” I shrugged.

“That’s also pretty good!”

Elsbeth’s gaze locked onto the screen as an epic scene came on. “Wow, this movie is really good!”

“Yeah, I heard the main actress did all her own stunts.” I said.

She looked at me, surprised, “Wow, really?” “Yeah!”

“If you became an actor, would you want to do all your own stunts?” She asked.

“I guess. At least some of them. I think it would be pretty fun.”

“I don’t know if I could do my own stunts, I’m pretty afraid of heights…”

“Yeah, me too.”

“By the way, are you alright? You seem a little off.” Elsbeth asked.

“I’m alright, just been a bit tired today.”

“Alright. You know if you’re ever feeling down, you can talk to me…” Elsbeth said in a gentle voice.

I nodded, trying to keep my emotions at bay, “Yeah, I know.”

“Okay.” She still didn’t look quite convinced, but she went back to watching TV.

After a while, she spoke up again, “So how’s your day been?”

“Oh, it’s been alright. I’ve been watching that stupid sitcom all day.” I shrugged.

“Seriously, are you okay? Because you would’ve normally switched to something better.”

“Yeah, I’m alright I swear, don’t worry.” I feigned a smile.

“Okay…”

“I have to use the bathroom, I’ll be one second.” I got up and went to the bathroom, doing my business, and then washed my hands. While I was in the middle of doing that, I caught my reflection in the mirror. I looked quite a mess today, and seeing that kind of started bringing back the negative thoughts I had been trying to fight all day.

I started thinking about how easily affected I was by things, and then about how weak I was, and how Elsbeth didn’t deserve someone who was so weak and sad. I really was a mess, and was I ever going to get better? It didn’t feel like it. Maybe I would always be this weak. My eyes filled with tears as the negative thoughts wouldn’t stop, and then I started to sob quietly.

I heard a knock at the door, “Are you okay in there? You’ve been in there a while.” Elsbeth’s voice called out.

“Yeah…” I couldn’t stop my voice from cracking.

“Please let me come in… I know you’re not okay.”

“Okay.”

The door opened and Elsbeth rushed in, putting a hand on my shoulder, “Oh dear, what’s wrong, huh?”

“I don’t know, I’ve just been so sad and tired today, and I can’t stop being sad, it won’t go away…” I started to fall apart and ramble.

“That’s okay… we all have our off days, it’s perfectly okay to feel that way. Hey, look at me.” Elsbeth tried to meet my eye. I finally looked at her, my vision blurry with tears.

“I’m sorry. I don’t deserve you, you’re too good for me.” 

“Oh, come here…” She engulfed me in a tight hug, “You know that’s not true… Your mind’s just being a jerk right now, don’t listen to it okay?” Elsbeth cooed, rubbing my back in circles.

“I hate my mind…”

“I don’t like what your mind’s saying to you right now… You deserve so much good, okay? Don’t listen to those awful thoughts. It’s gonna be okay, I’m here…”

I sobbed into her shoulder, her embrace was what I most needed right now.

“Shhh, let it all out… It’s okay.” Elsbeth ran her fingers through my hair.

I eventually began to calm down, and pulled away from the hug. Elsbeth gave me the most tender smile, and brushed hair out of my face, “I just wanna say, I know it seems like you’re not doing much right now, but I am so proud of you. You’re doing great, and you have progressed so much over the months. Please give yourself a break, alright? You deserve a break.”

I nodded, returning her smile with a shaky one of my own,

“Your smile is so beautiful, you know?” Elsbeth raised her hand to cup my cheek, “I wanna see it more.”

“You make me wanna smile more.” I said earnestly.

“Aww, you’re so cute.” She leaned in to peck me on the lips, making me giggle, “Come on, let’s go back to your room. We can cuddle while watching the movie. Does that sound good to you?” I nodded, and we went to my room, snuggling up in each other's arms while watching the movie. Elsbeth’s hand stroked my hair while the other one rubbed up and down my arm. As we watched the movie, I found myself starting to feel a lot better, and even tired as my eyes began to close.

“You going to sleep?” Elsbeth asked in a soft voice.

“Nooo, just resting my-” I was cut off by a yawn, “eyes…”

“Awww, get some rest, you deserve it sweetheart.”

I laughed, “I’ve slept enough already…”

“After the day you’ve had, you deserve rest. I’ll be here in the morning.”

“Alright…” I closed my eyes, and began to doze off, feeling safe and comfortable, and finally at peace.

[fairiegardens]

My preferred sitcoms will always be my comfort sitcoms, my wife & kids, king of queens, the golden girls. But I also think the golden girls is up there in forever top 5 because it’s always funny no matter what episode you put on I laugh aloud. I like friends I don’t care that it became cliche then trendy again, it is just a fun silly time. Modern family from beginning to end is great. Brooklyn 99 has lost its allure over time plot-wise but I’ll always love Andre Braugher in his role. How I met your mother is special to me but imo it’s a romcom parading as a sitcom. Schitts creek is one of the best modern day sitcoms

[chiefbeifongcanrailme]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗

I guess the angry emoji did its trick. So in no particular order:

1) Music: I think this was the very first Linzin fic I ever wrote. I've mentioned before that it's based on a song that I listened to as a child and at the time that I wrote it, I was feeling very nostalgic and Linzin was my comfort. So together, the whole experience was cathartic. I always tear up a little when I read this fic (so I kinda avoid it too lol), but it's the one I hold closest to my heart.

2) Sex Talk: Ha! I don't know what was going through my head when I wrote this. I think it's an excellent comical piece- it's giving major Linumi sitcom vibes. It's sweet, funny, and short- just like me.

3) Maroon: This is my first Linzolt songfic. When I heard the song for the first time, I was literally picturing Zolt's house and the two of them. And I fell in love with the whole idea. It still is one of my favorite songs, but this fic is my personal music video for it.

4) A Series of Unfortunate Proposals: Strangly enough, @guiltysecretpasttime and I received the same prompt and even though we went in totally different directions, both our Linumi proposal fics wound up to be perfect. In this fic, Bumi keeps trying to propose to Lin and fails in the most uncanniest of ways. It's a funny one, and I remember working very hard on it at the time so I like to look back and smile at it.

5) Physical Laws: This was my 100th fic on AO3! It's probably one of my longest one-shots, it's sweet, corny, smutty, filled with cliches and rain. Of course, it's Linumi and it's a spinoff of sorts for my fic Laws of Physics. In no way do I think the writing's perfect, but I feel like it's one of the only fics where I've gotten around to writing everything I wanted to. So it's gotta be a favorite.

[dorothydalmati1]

Obscure Animation Subject #116: Brandy & Mr. Whiskers

Created by sitcom writer Russell Marcus and produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, it aired on Disney Channel from August 21, 2004 to August 25, 2006, having two seasons of 39 episodes with two 11-minute segments in each, aside one episode that’s a half-hour special.

It follows the lives of the titular characters Brandy Harrington, a pampered yet spunky dog and Mr. Whiskers, a hyperactive rabbit who get stuck in the Amazon Rainforest together.

These titular characters I really live with their fun dynamic. Brandy’s a literal bitch. Not saying that because she’s a female dog but because she’s literally unpleasant and selfish. And that’s why I love her, you don’t ever see a girl act like this in a disney cartoon! And then we have Mr. Whiskers, whose a really silly oafish that somehow has a large vocabulary, and he’s hilarious!

The supporting characters in the show, Lola, Ed, and Cheryl and Meryl are also nice additions. The show’s humor is pretty neat, has good dialogue and meta humor back when it wasn’t so common and in your face. Talking to your Rick and Morty and Teen Titans Go! I think my favorite aspect of this show are the quick throwaway gags, those get the most laughs out of me.

This show would easily be good for me but, even with great characters, a story is what drives a show forward, and sometimes the stories can get lackluster. Some plots are pretty cliche and overdone, and while some of these episodes managed to be good and funny enough for me to forgive, the others… yeah, I don’t really love at all. Also some episodes have weaker comedy than others mostly due to the plot not having enough material for them to work with, so it can feel pretty barebones and episodes having the action start halfway in.

But with that being said, I do like most of the show just fine, and I would even recommend it to people because just like Dave the Barbarian, the humor is pretty different from your average disney cartoon.

[fearsmagazine]

AS WE KNOW IT - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Buffalo 8

SYNOPSIS: “Set in Los Angeles in the late 1990s, struggling writer James Bishop grapples with the emotional shrapnel of a recent breakup with his longtime girlfriend, Emily. As James holds up in his Hollywood Hills home with writer's block, his eccentric best friend Bruce shows up with bad news. The city has plunged into chaos by an unusual zombie outbreak, courtesy of tainted soy milk, wreaking havoc on James' semi-charmed kinda life. With the streets of Los Angeles swarming with the undead, James, Bruce, and Emily come together to barricade themselves in the house while reconciling their personal struggles. And occasionally, letting in the only food delivery service still operating, Abracadabra.” -Press Release

REVIEW: Josh Monkarsh’s film feels like a play as James’ home is the main setting and much of the story unfolds in the living room, kitchen and bedroom. The limited locations add to the feel of a 90’s sitcom, from “Seinfeld,” to “Friends” and the late 90’s “Freaks & Geeks.” Clearly these characters are in their mid to late 20’s but their lack of maturity make them seem much younger.

Monkarsh, DePaolo and Francis’s script is jam packed with 90’s references and bits and gags that rely on period as well. One of the jokes between James and Bruce is their love of “Waterworld,” which they watch on a laserdisc (yes, I still have a player and a collection of laserdiscs). It is clearly a love letter to that period of time when life was simpler and complicated in different ways before the advent of the smartphone, tablets and laptops. The absurdity of the zombie plague being caused by tainted soy milk takes a back seat to the relationship between the three characters, and Rory, the delivery person who happens to be an old acquaintance of Bruce, makes for a nice distraction.

The film has a rather dry pacing, and even Bruce’s chaotic moments come at a slower pace. There is an overall malaise that you would expect from the zombies. Somehow it all works and becomes engaging. Each actor brings elements to their performances that make for likable and sympathetic characters, even Bruce. It’s a great ensemble cast, but I have to say actor Danny Mondello creates this memorable character that could have easily been cliched but comes off fresh and memorable, like an early Joe Pesci performance. Actor Chris Parnell received a nice amount of screen time, with an additional scene during the credits, and it would have been nice to see a bit more of Pam Grier.

I enjoyed the cinematography, costumes and production designs that captured the period. The editing sustained my viewing engagement. The zombie make up and designs are simple and effective, as well as the special effects, with nothing too gorey. I liked Michl Britsch’s score. It enhanced the comedic tones of the film and added slightly more energy to the film.

AS WE KNOW IT is a relationship comedy set against the backdrop of a zombie outbreak taking place in Los Angeles. The film is kind of a 90’s American slacker reworking of “Shaun of the Dead,” with a tone similar to Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don't Die,” but without some of the film’s more bizarre moments. A fun and mildly funny trip down memory lane with some likable characters who take center stage over the zombies. Monkarsh does a nice job with the material but given his film credits to date I’m not sure when and if will see Monkarsh venturing into the horror genre again soon.

CAST: Mike Castle, Oliver Cooper, Taylor Blackwell, Chris Parnell, Pam Grier, and Danny Mondello. CREW: Director/Screenplay/Producer - Josh Monkarsh; Screenplay - Brandon DePaolo & Christopher Francis; Producers - Daniel Cummings, K. Asher Levin & Joshua Fruehling; Cinematographer - Stephen St. Peter; Score - Michl Britsch; Editors - Yvonne Valdez & Rebecca Weigold; Production Designer - Lorus Allen; Costume Designer - Zoe Poledouris-Roche; Special Effects - John McConnell; VFX Supervisor - Kevin Vanhook. OFFICIAL: https://asweknowitmovie.com/ FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/-0U1pgXaygk?si=MqlxM792N7xDsdPX RELEASE DATE: Nov. 10th New York City, Chicago, Seattle; Nov. 15th Los Angeles; Nov. 17th Boston; Dec. 1st Calabasas.

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[hieronymus-botch]

Happy 16th anniversary of iCarly, everyone! Ok, so I've been putting this off for a while, and probably the hype has died down such that no one will care about this at this point, but I finally got around to watching the iCarly revival, and I have some Thoughts. (sidenote, I didn't even realize today was the anniversary until yesterday, I had to marathon the entire third season this morning and am currently typing when I should be sleeping so I can prepare for my birthday trip to Dallas tomorrow so I can get this out today.) Spoiler alert: They are generally not positive thoughts. Disjointed rambling potentially spoilery details below the cut.

Ok, I'm just gonna come right out and address the elephant in the room: It just isn't the same without Sam. I have nothing but respect for Jennette McCurdy and utmost sympathies for what she went through and cannot blame her at all for not wanting to reprise her role, but none of that changes the fact that of the problems I have with this show, a solid 80% of them are at least partially attributable to a lack of Sam.

With the sole exceptions of Kevin and Sully because I am a sucker for cute animals, ever single new character the reboot introduces sucks. Harper is a cookie-cutter sassy black woman stereotype, in season 1 Millicent is just straight up an asshole to everyone for no reason, and even in the subsequent seasons where her assholishness is toned down, "11 year old businessperson" is an incredibly cliche character archetype that every sitcom ever has used and she does not do a particularly unique or interesting rendition of it, and all of the other characters don't have enough of a discernible personality for me to say anything about them other than that they're annoying and not funny. I especially didn't like the show's pre-season 2 approach to a supporting cast where instead of introducing secondary characters and then having them come back periodically, it would introduce a character, have them be the focal point of roughly three consecutive episodes, not be funny or interesting for any of them, and then disappear into the ether and be replaced by a new one. Also, Paul is quite possibly the worst of the bunch and I suspect that the only reason he wasn't phased out like most of the others is they already got all the actors from the original they could and were willing to settle for actors from different classic Nickelodeon sitcoms just to activate people's nostalgia glands.

Despite in theory being the defining feature of the show, the iCarly webshow is so rarely relevant to the plot of this show that I'm pretty sure if it were any less relevant, calling the show iCarly would legally constitute false advertising. It's occasionally tangentially relevant to the plot and once in a blue moon there'll be an episode that can generously be called "about the webshow", but if you just go through each episode and make a list of the things they're about, "the iCarly webshow" doesn't even make the top 5. As previously mentioned, I suspect this is because they don't know how to make the webshow segments work without Sam.

Due to a combination of the lack of Sam, severely reduced presence of the webshow, and the characters being adults now, a majority of the original series's sources of conflict are no longer available. The writers have chosen to compensate for this by making Carly into an insecure moron who repeatedly tells off-the-cuff lies she has no hope of backing up for no reason other than to seem more talented or successful than she is to people she ususally doesn't even particularly respect, and also intermittently turning Spencer into a douchey asshole who forces his wacky ideas on other people whether they want them or not.

I really really hate how Freddie's mom's deranged and abusive behavior is treated like a cute quirk and he continues to put up with it even after he has the means to do otherwise, and after the episode where he decides to keep living with her even though he has a job and a girlfriend and a kid, all of the awful shit she did to him is just implicitly forgiven without her ever apologizing or admitting wrongdoing at all and now she's just Part Of The Gang. If I were Jennette McCurdy, I would probably interpret this as some kind of incredibly fucked up slight against me by the writers for declining to reprise my role, but more charitably they probably did it this way because her actress was one of the 4 from the original who were willing to reprise their roles on a regular basis and they're desperate to cling to anything that maintains a connection to the original series.

It's especially funny how the show confronts the fact that in the original the gang practically tortured Lewbert for the crime of being ugly and having an annoying voice, but like, de-confronts Mrs. Benson's insane helicopter parenting, which the original pretty much did acknowledge was super fucked up but the revival as previously mentioned doesn't?

The whole love triangle/will they or won't they romance element was always my least favorite aspect of the original, and I don't like it any more now that there's even more focus given to it. Creddie is frankly the most boring generic "he was a boy she was a girl can I make it any more obvious" ship imaginable. Perhaps I'm being paranoid but I think a lot of small subtle things I don't like about this show can be attributed to the fact that they knew all the queer fans would lose interest as soon as there was no sam to ship carly with so they pivoted hard to the "aggressively normie straight girl" demographic. If Sam were on the show at all I am 100% certain they would've made sarly canon but due to circumstances beyond anyone's control but Jennette McCurdy's thankfully dead mom she isn't so they instead chose to give us even more of the same generic interchangable hetero Main Boy X Main Girl romance the original already had.

None of the Spencer romance episodes work for me either, because in the original, spencer's girlfriend of the week would have some kind of unique trait of her own that would put spencer in a unique situation, wheras in the reboot the joke is always just "spencer is a weird goofy guy and has weird goofy relationship habits."

Why the fuck did they keep the laugh track. They've already changed a million different other things both big and small, even the music and sound effects specifically are noticeably different, why the laugh track of all things. No more laugh tracks. Society has progressed past the need for laugh tracks.

I fucking hate Carly's apartment. This is 100% unironic. Designing a set that looks unique and distinctive while still being a space the protagonist could believably live in is genuinely a very important part of making a sitcom at which the original succeeded and the revival fails. You could probably take someone who's only ever seen one episode of iCarly several years ago and show them a picture of Spencer's apartment set without any of the actors and they'd recognize it. I could go on Zillow or Airbnb right now and find a thousand domiciles that look identical to Carly's apartment.

On a more positive note, I found it genuinely very sweet how Carly tried her best to go all out for Freddie's birthday despite the fact that she hates hers.

Once again I'm probably just being paranoid but I'm suspicious that they wrote iCause a Cat-astrophe and titled it that so people would presume that the "cat" in the title referred to Cat Valentine from Victorious in order to generate more hype.

I'll admit, the finally learning about Carly and Spencer's mom and the big cliffhanger ending of her showing up at the wedding was pretty exciting, but like, they're calling out their mom for walking out on them, but not their dad for choosing to go live on that submarine when they were already down one parent and forcing his son to take on a parental role for his younger sister that he didn't sign up for?

Beyond this point the thoughts basically stop being criticism and start being minor nitpicks:

The original series repeatedly pointed out how weird and sad it was that Spencer didn't have any adult friends, but after 10 years he now has even less friends that aren't via his sister given that T-Bo appears to have skipped town. In the draft of this post I had in my head before I watched season 3, I was also gonna mention Socko being conspicuously absent and make a joke that since this can't be explained by his actor saying no because he didn't have one in the first place, that maybe this is a Ken Penders type situation where Dan Schneider somehow personally owns the rights to Socko specifically somehow, but then Socko and his various unusually aptly named cousins abruptly went from being mentioned zero times in seasons 1 and 2 to 3 times in season 1, so like, is that actually what happened and it took them until season 3 to get the rights to Socko back from him somehow?

In the original series Webicon was supposed to be like Comic-Con and Vidcon at the same time and in the reboot it's a Fyre Fest expy and I am immensely curious how exactly they got from point A to point B.

There is no way in hell Fredward Benson became the coolest most popular kid at school in the like 6 months between Carly and Sam leaving town and graduation. As previously mentioned this show has a lot of contrived plots but that one takes the cake.

I notice they make a lot more pop culture references than they did in the original, even to kid-friendly media. Probably this is due to different IP-related restrictions on streaming vs traditional TV. Some of them are genuinely good but a lot of them were very dated and cringey even when the episodes aired.

What the hell does Mrs. Benson do for a living? Possibly she's old enough to be retired now but she had no visible signs of a job and ample time to abuse Freddie in the original. Is she just getting mad alimony from Freddie's dad?

There were both an episode about Carly throwing an Italian dinner party and a whole arc about Spencer opening a restaurant and Spaghetti Tacos are mentioned in NEITHER of them. This is automatically unforgivable.

In the cold open of i'M Wild and Crazy where they're all playing Never Have I Ever, spencer says "never have I ever gone skydiving", when uuuh, yes, yes you have spencer, you all went skydiving, it was a major plot point in iGo to Japan, a special movie-length episode that was one of the most memorable in the series.

Why are the pearphones shaped like normal phones now? Could the prop department really not have been bothered to make the pearphones again so they just stuck pear stickers on real cell phones and called it a day?

Given how he was a full-on core cast member by the end of the original, I find it very weird how Sam is repeatedly mentioned and we get a cute little lore reason why she's not in the show but Gibby is just treated as if he never existed.

In conclusion, honestly, I think if they wanted to make a continuation of iCarly aimed at adults who grew up with the original, the best way to do it would've been to make it about Spencer. Actually cast someone as Socko, maybe introduce some new characters like a snooty, pretentious more successful artist to be spencer's rival with, or a cute art supply store cashier who he has a will they or won't they with, that kind of thing. It could sort of be a spiritual antithesis to Frasier, y'know, snooty uptight academic vs goofy manchild artist. Failing that, I think they really should've just left iCarly to rest.

[castlebyersafterdark]

Facebook is a bleak place, possibly even bleaker than Reddit cause at least on Reddit people seem to at least have some understanding of characters/the show. Here’s a real thread. (Shout out to the Byler in the thread, even if their proposal is stupid):

“ I think (will) definitely left, I think they have to go back to the beginning to kill vecna when he isn't as strong, that's my theory”

“ My theory is...it was all a game. At the beginning of the first episode they're all downstairs playing DND, this whole story line, new characters, the upside down-everything, was just part of the game they've been playing. It'll end in Mikes basement when the boys are all still young.”

“Mate none of it was real. It's all a game of dungeons and dragons and none of it was real just a made up story inside 4 kids heads. The end…”

“This. I have a feeling the very last scene is going to be them waking up, after they all feel asleep playing D&D all night”

“What if it was all a dream. Hopper never got El, she never existed. The boys still grew up the same, and all of the stuff never happened.”

“Then Will can finally have Mike 👍”

“ Im just hoping Will has a nice haircut this season🙏”

“ It'll be funny if it's like Jumanji and they just got sucked into their D&D game 😂”

“ Courtney i was JUST saying this”

“ Will is the mind flayer!!!!!”

“ I feel like they never found the real will to begin with and the one that’s living right now is a spy”

“ I'm kind of hoping it was never will that returned and part of whatever is going to go down in 5.”

“ Vecna is a very powerful lich. He can transmutate, he can distort reality, he can shape shift, he can make many different upside down type worlds, he can teleport. So, remember eleven sister eight? How she made it look like the bridge caved in but it didn't?

Imagine that, only wayyyyy more powerful and can do more than what she did. So, therefore, Will never left. He is manipulating peoples minds into what he wants you to see. Look it up in wiki fandom regarding Vecna 1st edition.”

“still hoping they can go back in time somehow and change everything and or save some people. They kept showing Vecnas clock and the ticking of it and such so I always thought it was going to mean something about time. 🤷🏽‍♀️ I just want Eddie back lol”

“ I'm having a watch party for season 5 shyt better be good. Lol😆”

(guy with a trump fist in the air pfp) “ Who is will? Been so long I forgot. Got to re-watch the whole thing”

“ the boring one lol🥱😂”

“ me too, I loved it and can't waite but have forgot the storyline now.🙈”

“ I have waited that long i don't even care anymore”

I was like "what charles leclerc doing?" Then saw the caption and realized it wasn't charles🤣”

“that zi0nist twink got hot”

“ I hope they don't do it all as a dream that Will has!!”

“ literally would be too cliche”

“ it would honestly save the show from what it has become…”

It's so disheartening that the only theory for those actually saying something sliiiiiightly beyond the inane repetative cliches is STILL A CLICHE like the furthest people can go is "it was all a dream/games" theory. THIS IS SO BORING. We know this isn't going to be the case but why is it with every piece of media where this is an applicable school of potential thought THIS is what people cling to believe. WHY DO PEOPLE LIKE IT??? Does anyone have any insight?

It feels like it's such a safe way of viewing media. They can will away anything bad or complicated that happens, and they don't have to think about what any of it meant. It's suuuuuch lazy writing. Undermines everything. I don't think it says anything?? "This character invented everything we saw on screen to actually cope with-" stop. It works in an episodic sitcom style show, not the entire point of a five seasons long horror/scifi/fantasy/adventure show. Lumping in all the genres here.

Then you get all the boring cliches as well here, very accurate round-up (I may not be on FB but I've seen variations of these on article comment sections and posts on official instagrams). Will's haircut mention. "I miss Eddie." Will being the bad guy all along. I know who Will is but I'm so straight and bigoted I'm going to pretend that I don't remember one of the main fucking characters whose name is repeatedly said over and over and over the first season and has been there the whole series. They took too long to film it and I don't care and yet I'm still wasting my time posting on FB.

AHHHHHHGGGGGHGHGHGHGHGFHXMDG O;Aw*l9R8 9=[I;FJNZFBDrP FOVHDBZJZFJVE H0RP[0E'AVPUJHVBV VNGHXEP980P9U TPHIL S;FNVOFIPDOUSEU0p*OSG ZBNLL\S[VOBV;COMPXOFDUSJVZ

I'm fine....

[eyeballtank]

Something that can be both funny in real life but also argued to be a basic cliche/joke mechanism is whether or not pets can go along someone's personality.

Like muscular sports guys with Pitbulls or some bimbo women with Chihuahuas.

Like associating specific dog types with personalities or types of people, like something out of a sitcom.