#invincible season 2 episode 5

[artbyblastweave]

Okay, Time for that belated Shrinking Rae post-

In the comics, Shrinking Ray's "arc" (bearing in mind an extremely liberal definition of that term, they had exactly one scene showcasing this) was that he was implied to be developing an inferiority complex; he's not necessarily incompetent, but he's out of his niche, his clever shrinking-based plans kept getting upstaged by brute-force solutions from the more conventionally powerful heroes like Invincible. He's the scrawny, nerdy little guy with the joke powers, he never gets a win, and in most fights he literally isn't visible. In the fight with the Lizard League his death is framed as pathetic and ineffectual- there's one or two panels between "I'll make you pay!" and getting eaten alive by Komodo. All of this is doing a couple of things- it's emphasizing that again, this is in fact a story and setting where superheroes sometimes just die really badly with limited fanfare- a thing that IIRC hadn't happened since the original Guardians team wipe in issue 7. Second, it's an indicator that the new Guardians are structurally kind of on the ropes. They're heavily staffed by second stringers, they exact second they have to split their forces they suffer a 66 percent casualty rate, and that's with backing from two capes who aren't actually part of the team. Grim! Anyway, when they do the adaptation Shrinking Ray becomes Shrinking Rae, because they want to tweak the gender balance of the cast and the pun is too good to pass up. But I think that there was a reasonable reluctance to transfer the "arc" from the comics one-to-one, because to be blunt, "Ineffectual Nebbish Glasses-wearer who whines a lot and dies pathetically," paired with absolutely nothing else, is gonna read as misogynistic if the character is a woman now. So in the adaptation Rae is markedly more competent. We're introduced to her taking down a much larger opponent by fucking around inside his ear canal, which becomes a favored trick of hers. There are traces of the self-esteem thing- the visual gag where she physically shrinks about a foot when getting chewed out in the briefing- but the overall throughline isn't "look at this loser who somehow ended up on the guardians." In the Lizard League fight, she doesn't get eaten- she's deliberately trying to execute a Thanus maneuver and just fucks it up, seconds after successfully killing a different villain the same way. And there's a second where it looks like it might work, too, before hope is cruelly yanked away. Which makes for a markedly cooler death scene- but who died? What was actually going on with her? Anything? In some sense she's cooler, but it's kind of an undifferentiated cool. She had what, Six lines? Seven? On balance I think Rae is still doing her fundamental job in the story, which is to pad the Guardians roster for a while and have someone who actually dies and stays dead as a result of the Lizard League fight- but I think they definitely missed an opportunity to give her some more texture than her comic counterpart had. Part of me thinks that the show would have been a good place to go even harder on Shrinking Rae being in over her head, but in a considered way, to emphasize that the Guardians aren't well managed- maybe tie it into the tensions between Robot and Immortal regarding sustainable team management practices. Part of me thinks you should go the other way, that if you're gonna do away with the idea she's underwhelming you should blow up her role, have her actually say and do some things that affect the story or the team dynamic in any noticeable way, because as it stands she's kind of visibly siloed as the designated mauve shirt. I'm definitely of one mind that this showcases something I suspected was gonna bite the show in the ass, which is that they're (laudably) diversifying a secondary and tertiary cast whose main role in the source material is often to die badly or fade out of focus.

[starliteonearth]

Two heartfelt hugs back to back?? Oh the writers are spoiling me 🤭

[nerdylilpeebee]

Just watched Season 2 episode 5 of Invincible

Spoilers below.

They better not kill Rex like this.

Like... I know Rex eventually dies in the comics, but it's not to the fucking lizard league (at least if I'm remembering right). He sacrifices himself to help stop a Viltumite. Please don't rob him of that. Please.

So unless they're deviating heavily from the comics, I refuse to believe he's gonna die next episode. And if he dies to a fucking guy with a gun, I will forever hate Show Cecil because he can literally teleport soldiers into that facility in milliseconds, there is NO reason he should be letting that happen.

DupliKate and Shrink Rae are... Well, I know that DupliKate survived to marry the Immortal, but Idk about Shrink Rae. DupliKate's probably in a state that they can still resuscitate her given all the technology they have at their disposal, but Shrink Rae is 100% dead.

That said, the big guy should have died seconds after she did. XD with the way his body bulged, his insides should be goop even IF he managed to crush her like he does. This ain't Luffy, man, he is not made of rubber. XD

Even so, solid episode, good drama, people were certainly shocked as the episode title said they would be, and of course we're getting the Sequid plotline.

Last thought to share: I refuse to like Amber. No matter how much they try to redeem her, nothing will change that she was abusive to Mark last season and that can't be fixed with pretty words and repeating the phrase "I signed up for this" when he has to leave to save lives. I'm honestly predicting that she's basically with him cuz she thinks it would be fucked up to leave him after what he went through (incredibly toxic relationships are the only thing that can be born from this).

[thevillaindoesnotexist]

This is going to surprise you

[sailorsmoon]

I'm sure you'll get a chance to make it up to me soon.

Mark Grayson and Samantha Eve Wilkins in Invincible season 2 episode 5

[gtinthepot]

MASTER LIST OF GIANT/TINY CONTENT

Disclaimer, I have not looked up everything on this list and most of it was suggested from others. I cannot promise the accuracy of the content. Suggestions for the list are more than welcome, leave a comment on the post for people to browse through after checking to see if its on the list already :)

I’ll be editing and adding to it here and there, so some reblogs of the post might be outdated. I suggest clicking on the source /main post to get the newest version. The old list can be found here.

7 deadly sins

A bug's life

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (some episodes)

Adventure time

Alice in Wonderland

Alvin and the chipmunks

Amour de poshe (the girl in his pocket)

Animorphs: #24

Ant bully

Ant man (1 and 2)

Antz

Archies weird mysteries (one ep)

Army of darkness

Art Attack

Arthur and the Invisibles

Athena complex (webcomic)

Attack of the 50 foot cheerleader.

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

Attack of the puppet people

Barbie and the nut cracker

barbie movies (look up specifics)

Barbie Thumbelina

Beastars

Beatle juice

Berserk

Big man japan

Bottle Fairy

Bramble the mountain king. (video game)

Brave little tailor (mickey mouse)

Bugs life?

Captain America: Civil War

Card captor sakura (one ep and some scenes)

Christmas Stories: The Tin Soldier is a good one.

Clifford the big red dog

Cuphead: Don’t deal with the Devil (mostly with certain bosses)

Darby o’gill and the little people

David the Gnome

Disenchantment

Dollman

Downsizing

Dr cyclops

Dr who (one ep: into the dalek)

Dragon ball

Dungeon meshi (a few chapters)

Ella Enchanted

Elusive people.(video game)

Epic

Ernest and Celestine (more of a mini-giant/doll-sized tiny size dynamic)

Fairytale: a true story (1997)

Fantastic Planet

Fantastic voyage

Ferngully

Final space episode 5

Frame arms girl.

Futurama (some episodes)

Gelias and the giant

Gen V

George shrinks

Gods of Egypt

Godzilla

Grandpa in my pocket

Gravity falls (one episode)

Grounded (video game)

Guardians of the Galaxy (vol. 2 more so than the first one)

Gulliver's Children (webtoon)

Gullivers travels (1939, 1977, 2010) as a well as a mini-tv series

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child: Aladdin

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child: Season 2, Episode 2 thumbelina

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child: The shoemaker and the elves

Helmecrons

Help I shrunk my friends

Help I shrunk my parents

Help I shrunk my teacher

Here come the littles

Hilda

Honey I blew up the kid

Honey I shrunk the audience ride at Disneyland

Honey I shrunk the kids

Hornby sets

How to Keep a Mummy ( Miira no Kaikata)

Inch high private eye

Innerspace

Invincible (Some episodes)

It takes two (game)

Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story

Jack the giant slayer

Jackie Chan Adventures (one episode)

Jaimes and the giant peach

Jitsu wa watashi wa (mostly the 4th episode)

Journey 2 The Mysterious Island

King kong

Kubo and the two strings

Land of the giants

Legoland

Lilo and Stitch the series (two episodes)

Little (Grrl) 

little nightmares 1 and 2 (game)

Littles

Lord of the rings

Macross sequel shows (-anime-)

Mars attacks!

Mickey and the bean stalk

Micro Machines

Micro Ventures

Militsioner (Video game)

Minami-Kun no Koibito (2015)

Minish cap (video game)

Moana

Modest Heroes Kanini and Kanino (Short film)

Monster (video game)

Monsters Vs Aliens

My hero Academia (some episodes)

My Little Lover

My Miniature Manual (webtoon)

My Monster Secret (specifically one character)

natsume yuujinchou

Nau-lmg

Night at the Museum

Nils holgersson

Ok Ko! lets be Heroes season 3 episode 9 Planet Vacation

One Punch Man (some episodes)

Onward (a few scenes)

Osmosis Jones

Ozzy and Drix

Pans labyrinth

Paper mario sticker star (Video game, two levels)

Peter pan

Pikmin 1, 2, and 3 (game)

Pinocchio

Pokemon sun/moon anime second season (one ep)

Ponyo

Rainbow Magic

Ratatouille

Rick n morty (one episode)

Robotech (-comic series; new ones-)

Robotech (season one/The Macross Saga) (-anime-)

Robotech Remix (-comic series-)

Super Danganronpa 2 (video game, final boss)

Shadow of the colossus (video game)

Small blessings (webcomic)

Small Lands Survive The Wilds (Video game)

Small soldiers (1998)

Smallfoot

Smurfs

Smurfs lost village

Snorks

Spirit of wonder: The shrinking of miss China

SpongeBob SquarePants (the wumbo episode)

Steven universe

Stormlight Archive (-book series; has tiny fae people-)

Strange days at blake holesy high (one episode)

Strange magic

Stuart Little

Sugar apple fairy tale.

Super giant robot brothers.

Tales to Astonish (comics)

Ted Hughes

Tentacular. (video game)

The 3 worlds of gulliver

The 7th voyage of sinbad

The amazing colossal man

The bee movie

The BFG

The bfg 1989

The borrowers (1973, 1993 1997, 2011)

The Borrowers (Arrietty)

The Borrowers exhibition at the Hancock Museum

The Boys (some episodes)

The dwarf and the giant 1901

The Fantastic Planet

The hobbit

The hulk

The incredible shrinking man

The incredible shrinking woman

The Indian in the cupboard

The iron giant

The iron man

The Journey.

The Last Guardian (video game)

The Last of the Huggermuggers by Christopher Pearse Cranch

The Little Bits

The littles

The magic school bus

The nut cracker

The owl house (one episode)

The phantom planet

The Rescuers

The return of the Borrowers 1992 and 1993 tv series

The Secret of Nimh

The secret world of Arrietty

The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde

The simsons (one episode)

The storyteller (one ep)

The Suspicion and #42

The Sword in the Stone

The tale of the princess kaguya

The ultimate avengers (1 & 2)

Thumbelina

Time loader. (video game)

Tinkerbell and The Great Fairy Rescue

Tinkerbell and The Pirate Fairy

Tinkerbell movies

Tinykin. (video game)

Tom and Jerry

Tomb thumb

Townsmen VR. (video game)

Toy story

Transformers

Transformers (old series)

Troll hunter

Troll in central park...??

Trolls

Trolls band together

Ultraman cosmos

Underdogs

Unravel. Porcelain tales. (video game)

Valkyrie Drive Mermaid (one episode.)

Village of the giants

Violet Goes to The Beach (webtoon)

VR Giants. (video game)

We’re Back! A dinosaur story

When the Dolls Woke (book)

Wild Kratts

Wild, wild planet

Wiplala

Wrath of the Titans (one scene)

Wreck it ralph

Yarn (video game)

Zootopia

[weebsinstash]

My yandere Invincible posts have been getting notes recently now that season 2 is starting and there's a specific idea I have in my head for platonic yandere dad Nolan x daughter Reader because of a scene from the first episode, the scene from Mark's past where (small spoiler I guess) Nolan visibly heavily contemplates killing Mark and Debbie (because Mark might not get his powers and, he doesnt want to fail his mission) but quickly stops himself and is clearly ashamed for what he almost did

I keep thinking of a specific scenario. Reader is his second-born daughter who is a couple years younger than Mark and you're his little princess and you're just, outside playing while your parents occasionally peek out at you through the glass door/window to the backyard and, you're like 5 or 6 when things just, suddenly change, it hits you like lightning. Things look differently, they smell different, the sun on your skin feels different, the toys in your hands feel lighter and weirder than before, and when you start to slowly squeeze them, they start to break, but, you're smart and fast enough to stop.

But it's not JUST your body. It's your MIND. Suddenly you're remembering all those cartoons you've ever watched, practically every memory you have, every experience, every fact.

Temporarily, ever so briefly, you start to float, and you easily figure out how to put yourself down.

You're so excited you can't even make a sound-- you've got your powers like Dad!-- and you go to tell your parents, and you see then talking inside. You don't want to interrupt and wait outside patiently, deciding you'll go in when they're done talking even ss you're bouncing in excitement. And, you see everything from Ducktape Man to Mom and Dad talking to that menacing movement your father made, where some animalistic instinct inside of you knew it was HOSTILE and, in just a few moments, you're putting it all together, like either some gullible kid who believes everything in cartoons, or, perhaps, someone who just became a lot, lot smarter: you start hypothesizing that Nolan must be evil and has some hidden ulterior motive. Why would Nolan be so mad at Mark not having powers to the point of violence, murder? Oh, because if Mark didn't have powers, he wouldn't be like dad, he'd be a human? Does dad not like humans? Does dad want to hurt humans? Is there any other reason Dad seems to almost NEED his offspring to be Viltrumites too?

Oh, is Dad a bad alien who wants his children to leave Earth and human culture behind for their roots? And if he doesn't succeed, he'll snap? Is it like in those cartoons where the evil father tries to bring his kid to the darkside and the hero has to fight and defeat them even if it hurts?

The whole theory and coming into your powers is surreal, it's inhuman, but it's the new you, the new Viltrumite you. You burst into tears as you become overwhelmed and stressed at the idea you might have to fight your evil dad, lying to your father, no, Nolan, that you were crying because you broke your toy on accident and he has to shush you as he promises you a new one but your chubby little kid arms aren't squeezing him as tight as they used to

You start keeping secrets. You start watching him all the time, the things he does, the things he says, and the more and more, you become convinced. He never stops treating you as his little angel, and you even notice, he's, for some reason, gentler with you than Mark and, as you grow older, you realize it's because you're a girl and for whatever reason he's falling into the very stereotypical role of, treating both you and Mark very well overall, but, also being more lenient with you, telling Mark he has to be a good brother and protect his baby sister, Nolan always trying to buy you little sweets, but, after you saw what you did, your behavior towards him immediately shifts. You try to act the same to avoid arousing suspicion but you aren't nearly as affectionate and, as you get older, you take advantage of using puberty and needing independence as an excuse to put emotional walls up and distance yourself from him, even as he constantly tries to engage and spend time with you

Your family is worried what's wrong with you when you start calling him Nolan instead of dad, you suddenly don't want to spend time with him, your mom, and even your brother. You start working the second you're legally old enough, but, despite how bright and inquisitive you were as a kid, your grades are. Average. As in, deliberately average. You can never let Nolan know what you are. As you age and hear more and more of his comments where you can tell he's insulting not just anyone in particular, but the entire human race, you steel yourself, because you know, you know this man cannot be your father anymore, and you may even have to kill him. But you're so overly cautious about him and anyone else not finding out that you're limited at training options. You can't just fly anywhere, you can't just practice martial arts against normal humans, but, you find ways to make it work. You work manual labor jobs your father scoffs at, you wait until night and/or you know he's off planet to practice flying in one single field where you can see for miles all around you and see any witnesses or planes coming

You are a daughter with every intention of either abandoning her family and leaving the planet, or killing her father. Once you realized that you were an alien, unlike Mark and unbeknownst to Nolan, you're more like your father than you realize. You become more apathetic to humanity, more nonchalant about where you are in life. Suddenly you don't have to worry about your grades or college or things like that because, well, what good will earth stuff do you in outer space? Maybe you'll pick up some more practical knowledge but, really, the only reason you don't leave the planet once you start getting older is literally just that, one you're still attached to Mark and Debbie, and two, you don't have a flight suit and know your clothes will burn up and. You wanna get out of here but you don't want to be naked in space!!

Like picture this. Mark has just gotten his powers and you're heartbroken because, over the last decade your father started spending significantly more focus on Mark instead of you, inviting him to things he doesn't even mention to you, finally shifting almost his exclusive attention to his son, and, now Mark is "just like dad", already starting to get full of himself because hes stronger and "better", which worries you because, you eventually deduce Nolan is some kind of invader who is having kids to be soldiers. Like imagine sitting at the dinner table and Mark is all "don't worry sis, I bet you're a late bloomer too :) youll get your powers soon" and Nolan pipes in like "yeah and then we can all go out flying together" and you just look him dead in the eyes and don't reply. You're constantly having to temper your anger and keep up your ruse because if you're too openly hostile, he'll figure it out, and you have literally not a single doubt in your mind that he'll kill you for his mission, which is funny because you've actually adapted a lot of the "don't care I'm an alien" mindset that he wanted Mark to have

Nolan has no idea why you clearly hate him, why you fake smiles, why you stopped spending time with him. He still remembers when you were a toddler and you were running around, skinning your knees all the time and picking yourself up with little sniffles like nothing happened because you just wanted to keep running and exploring and playing SO bad. You used to be so bright. He had such high hopes for you. Honestly he always thought you would potentially outmatch Mark and be his strongest child, but. Here you are, a straight C student, working manual labor jobs, completely average, and refusing to bond with him in any way. He can tell you're keeping some sort of secret from him, but whenever he goes to confront you about it, you're... surprisingly scared, but, not as scared as you should be, in the nuanced ways one would shrink away as a child being scolded by their parent. It's almost like... you're holding some sort of grudge against him

I couldn't decide which version I prefer in terms of Reader finally being exposed. Maybe you don't realize Mark is trailing you and he finds out and tells Nolan behind your back under the mistaken impression you recently got your powers and was training in secret to make it a surprise. Or there's some sort of attack or disaster or accident where you're shot by a robber or they attempt to stab you and it just, dents against your skin. Or even, you start disrespecting Debbie because you're frustrated about being an alien that can't die and she let this man into her bed without truly knowing who or what he was and you're resenting her for it and you make a really awful comment and get in an argument with her and in anger she moves to slap you and fractures her hand against your invulnerable face, or you have to catch her wrist so she doesn't hurt herself and Nolan can tell by your reflexes that you're not fully human

I also just like the idea of. You're 18 and you make it very extremely clear you're moving out and your family is like, REFUSING but they technically can't stop you (although the idea of Omniman going full yandere dad and physically locking you up so his baby girl doesn't leave the nest certainly IS a nice thought) and they notice, instead of packing your things, you're donating them, getting rid of them. The day of your move happens and you're standing there with only a backpack and you haven't told them Any details about where you're going or, just, ANYTHING, and Nolan is looking at you like a big sad hound dog "can't I at least drive you 🥺" and you're like " :) no that's OK, I've got my own ride" AND JUST FLYING AWAY. I just think it'd be extremely relatable and hilarious if you keep up the ruse for so many years and you finally blow your cover because you lose your temper or because you've been hurt emotionally. Nolan tries to ground you, "March upstairs right now young lady!" and you're just like "march?" As you start levitating away just to spite him and he's picking his jaw off the floor. Mark sees you acting out one day "You're just jealous because dad likes spending time with me over you and you don't have any powers" and youre so hurt at seeing your big brother who you've been wanting to protect all this time become a pawn of your father that you just start hovering in the air right then and there, "you can have dad. You can have everything. I'm not even staying on this planet anymore"

I dunno, I kinda like the idea of Reader being this kind of, you know, still kind and all that, but a really almost, inhuman figure in the sense that your specific alien genetics or mutation causes you to kind of snap onto Genius Mode and you become sort of this calculating detached figure who pretends to be human and is openly hateful to your entire family because, as you see it, you're on your own and don't need or want them, you're different than them, your mental abilities are different even from Nolan's, and, meanwhile, said superhero is desperate to find out why his little girl hates her Daddy so much. He's still, you know, got that Viltrum in him, but Debbie and Earth has drawn out more of his humanity and he does love you, he does want you in his life, and it HURTS for you to reject him

But then he finds out about your powers and. Suddenly you're just supposed to magically forget how he started pushing you away too as he wants to bond with you again, teach you, train you. He has no idea he's proving your years of theories right as, he is overjoyed at discovering you have powers, like, you very clearly detect the "oh thank GOD you're not ACTUALLY a lowly human" energy oozing off of him and you realize you were right all along, you really were never more than just an extension of this narcissistic man from his freak species of savages, that he came to Earth with ulterior motives and it's dangerous for you to continue to be around him

You can try to pull away from him all you want, but even if he never found out about your powers, Nolan won't ever let you slip through his fingers. He knows how heartless and cruel this galaxy can be, and, if you're really truly such a fragile little eggshell of a human, then, clearly you need your doting dad looking after you until you're a little old lady passing away of old age while he looks exactly the same as the day you were born. But. That's not what's going to happen because even if that scenario came to pass he would quickly see that you aren't aging. There's no way you can fake that.

I just imagine a Reader who hardens herself into a true soldier and starts planning for the day you kill your father. You lure him out one day into a certain area and you jump him with like Homura vs Walpurgisnacht levels of preparation, hurling all sorts of materials and chemicals and objects at him, testing what works yet nothing does, coming at him with all sorts of different attacks and techniques you've had to teach yourself and pick up on your own, but, he's older than you, FAR older, and much more experienced, and he finally has to do something he hates and punches you in the gut so hard it makes you collapse and start throwing up but, he's just. POSITIVELY EUPHORIC. you just tried to kill your own father at like 17, 18, 20 years old and he's standing here "I KNEW IT, I knew you were special! Did you plan all this? Wow! you even tried to pierce my heart! where did you even get explosives from, did you make these?" Like he's THRILLED at the absolute sheer brutality, like, you just tried to KILL HIM kill him and he's like "Awwww I'm so proud 🥰🥰🥰 my little baby girl is a true viltrumite" and now YOU'RE FUCKED because now he loves you more than ever and, he was lowkey becoming massively depressed at the idea of outliving you, losing you, having to see you die, and now he doesn't have to, so. Now he can have both of his kids for rhe next hundreds and thousands of years 🥰 he has so many things he wants to show and teach you, so, now that he's seen how truly capable you are, it's time to start your training, but also, making up for all that lost bonding time you spent pushing dear old dad away ❤️

[halloweiner69420]

SPOILERS FOR INVINCIBLE SEASON 2 EPISODES 4-5

i love rex splode

[lover-of-mine]

can i be petty for a moment and say that it's wild how eddie/kim not only had more chemistry, but also had more moments where kim understood eddie perfectly and so much emotional intimacy between them in two episodes than buck and tommy in the entire season 💀 like we don't even know kim's last name and yet she had more of an impact on the narrative...HELL shannon diaz is DEAD and she's still affecting the story more than tommy is 💀 i hate the outcome of the kim storyline with chris leaving but one has to admit...it's not that the writers don't know how to write buck and tommy in a meaningful way, they just don't want to

HONESTLY. People like to deny it but Ryan's chemistry with Devin is incredible. And Kim was ridiculously insightful about Eddie, kinda impressive that she only knew him for a few weeks and was delivering analysis worthy of eddieblr. "I think you're cautious because you have more to give than you think anyone can take" is the type of shit you would read in a post waxing poetics about the way Eddie hides because he's scared of his own intensity and it's a literal line on the show said by a character who had been there for 5 minutes, didn't have a last name, might be kinda insane, and totally blew up Eddie's life. And it's not like the show doesn't know how to develop relationships with a time crunch. Taylor had 4 episodes in s4. They did make it seem like she cared and she did read Buck in the way Buck was presenting himself, did she called Buck out for acting like he's invincible? Yes, but so does everyone else but Eddie, so like, it is a common interpretation of the way Buck acts, and it makes it feel like she thought about it. Miss girl tried. They had 6 episodes with Tommy. And they went nowhere with it. They were somehow better at writing a reporter into the story than another firefighter. Kim was in 2 episodes and was reading Eddie like he was her favorite book. Fuck, dude, Ana was in 5 episodes of s4 and we saw her have a bigger impact and Ana was firmly in the background. The show made such an intentional choice of not giving bt a fighting chance, it's kinda impressive. It's kinda like getting a 0 on a test because you know all the right answers and are choosing the wrong ones on purpose. Every single one of their scenes could've been written slightly different and have a completely different effect. It's crazy, yk? They really just... didn't want to.

[mintaikk]

HAVIN THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE

Hazbin Hotel in a month, Helluva Boss episode soon, Just got into Good Omens and HOPEFULLY it comes out in 2024, New Percy Jackson show, I just found season 2 of Heartstopper is a thing, Invincible in 2024, AND SEASON 5 OF LEGO MONKIE KID IN LIKE ONE OR TWO MONTHS

IM SO EXCITED

[mikewheelerfan2022]

Invincible Season 2 Episode 5 Spoilers below

Oh my god Rae’s death was so much more brutal than in the comics

[romancomicsnews]

5 Characters who should get an Invincible Special Origin Episode

Invincible Season 2 has just wrapped up, and while some fans are a little disappointed with its ending, overall the general consensus has been positive. From excellent music, to phenomenal voice work and animation, along with X-Men '97 its been a great time to be a superhero fan AND an animation fan.

This season also brought in a handful of new characters, as well brought some fan favorites to the forefront, including Allen the Alien, Rex Splode and Immortal.

I think I speak for everyone when I say I love being in this universe, and would love to see more. And while I know Season 3 will be here sooner than Season 2 was, I've been thinking about all those incredible characters and the Atom Eve Special.

It went a long way in showing how good the animation got, expanding on Atom Eve, and evening building up threats like The Lizard League.

I think theres alot of potential in expanding some of these characters, seeing their origins and helping build up their character development.

So I'm going to go through some, along with ideas as to how the episodes can play out. Spoiler Warning for Invincible Season 1 & 2 and mild spoilers from the comics.

5. Bulletproof

Starting off with one of the newest members of the Guardians of the Globe, Zandale Randolph AKA Bulletproof is definitely a character you forgot was in this season.

While he is known for a few big things in the future, he didn't really get to do much this season. He wasn't very useful in the sequid invasion, didn't really help in any major fights, nor do we know anything about him. So why him?

His history in the comics is rather tragic, and I think is something we are going to explore. His twin brother, a mad genius, attempts experimenting on Zandale in order to give himself superpowers. Instead it gives Zandale superpowers, and kills his brother.

Due to this, and unable to tell his parents, he pretends to be both brothers to preserve his brothers legacy.

That tragedy is alot, and could make for an amazing episode, with his brother being the villain and explain why he is so guarded.

Plus, I love Jay Pharoah. More Jay Pharoah please.

4. Dupli-Kate

We got some hints at Dupli-Kates origin in her eulogy from Immortal. Her powers come from a curse upon her family, that led to both her and her brother gaining the ability to multiply.

What you don't know is they started off as a brother sister team before going their separate ways.

We actually see Kate's brother Multi-Paul in the cell when the Maulers escape again. Seeing a young version of Multi-Paul before their inevitable confrontation in a later season could give us more stakes.

Yes, this is another sibling rivalry just like Bulletproof, but this could start way more fun than Bulletproofs.

And two multipliers who are children fighting it out in a dramatic finish? Also good television.

3. Monster Girl

Talk about a tragedy.

Monster Girl's curse was given to her after falling in love with a man whose grandmother disapproved of her. That grandmother was a witch, who turned her into an ogre with extraordinary power.

We don't get much else from her origin, which could give us some wiggle room.

This could start as a love story turned horror story, unable to get out of her monster form, feeling trapped in her own body. We can have the witch be an Agatha Harkness type, and a physical threat in the episode too.

Once she is defeated, Amanda is able to turn back and be with the man she loves, until she realizes months later, that she is getting younger, and he breaks her heart.

The beats are all there, and I'd love to see a magic based episode in the Invincible Universe mixed in with some Hulk style action. Plus, building up Amanda will be important as she is vital in the comics.

2. Thaedus The Great Betrayer

You didn't think I was only picking Guardians did you?

Thaedus' episode could be by far the most interesting, showing us Viltrum from a first hand perspective, before he betrayed and before he formed the Coalition.

I don't want to get too heavy into spoilers, but he causes a brutal blow on the Viltrum Empire I'd love to see first hand. We can keep Peter Cullen, or get a younger voice actor, but either way, seeing a younger Viltrum Empire would be very intriguing and a bloodbath.

1. Rex Splode

Despite being one of the most annoying characters in Season 1, Rex is by far the standout of Season 2 in my eyes.

Another origin that was slightly teased, I can imagine Rex's episode can be his sad origin, meeting Atom Eve in act 2, and taking out his oppressors by the end in a good old fashioned team up.

This could be a direct sequel to the Atom Eve Special, giving us more Eve, and help us understand their relationship even better. Plus Rex being blind sided with a girl who can make anything? Sounds like a fun battle to me.

Thank you so much for reading! Please consider following, and check out my socials and other sites here! And let me know: Who do you want to see get an Invincible Special Origin Episode?

[willosword]

WOOO now that i'm done with my rewatch i can post my little side project :]

below the cut is my personal record of invincible's rate of adaptation with episodes vs issues and pages bc im super normal about this kind of stuff (not fussing too much with it so some pages might slip through the cracks here and there):

SEASON ONE

s1 episode 1: #1 (19 pages), #2 (9 pages), #6 (3 pages), #7 (21 pages), #16 (2 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 54 pages from 5 different issues

s1 episode 2: #2 (7ish pages), #3 (16 pages), #4 (3 pages), #5 (21 pages), #8 (1 page), #14 (5 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 53 pages from 6 different issues

s1 episode 3: #6 (2 pages), #8 (14 pages), #9 (13 pages), #10 (7 pages), #21 (1 page)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 37 pages from 5 different issues

s1 episode 4: #15 (2 pages), #18 (18 pages), #21 (2 pages), #25 (2 pages), #26 (2 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 26 pages from 5 different issues

s1 episode 5: #14 (1 page), #18 (5 pages), #19 (16 pages), #30 (1 page)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 23 pages from 4 different issues

s1 episode 6: #6 (13 pages), #8 (3 pages), #20 (15 pages), #21 (2 pages), #22 (9 pages), #25 (2), #30 (1 page), #31 (4 pages), #32 (1 page), #36 (9 pages), #37 (7 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 66 pages from 11 different issues

s1 episode 7: #9 (3 pages), #10 (9 pages), #26 (1 page), #34 (6 pages), #35 (2 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 21 pages from 5 different issues

s1 episode 8: #11 (21 pages), #12 (20 pages), #13 (20 pages), #14 (7ish pages), #22 (1 page)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 69 pages from 5 different issues

(season total 349 pages)

SEASON TWO

s2 episode 1: #13 (1 page), #14 (3 pages), #16 (11 pages), #17 (3 pages), #18 (1 page), #20 (1 page), #21 (1 page), #22 (1 page), #24 (16 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 38 pages from 9 different issues

s2 episode 2: #9 (2 pages), #14 (2 pages), #15 (12 pages), #17 (3 pages), #19 (3 pages), #21 (12 pages), #22 (1 page), #25 (1 page), #31 (4 pages), #38 (2 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 42 pages from 10 different issues

s2 episode 3: #20 (3 pages), #23 (20 pages), #24 (1 page), #25 (14 pages), #36 (1 page), #37 (2 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 41 pages from 6 different issues

s2 episode 4: #26 (16 pages), #27 (10 pages), #28 (15 pages), #29 (17 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 58 pages from 4 different issues

s2 episode 5: #22 (4 pages), #28 (7 pages), #29 (1 page), #30 (16 pages), #31 (9 pages) #38 (6 pages), #39 (17 pages), #40 (19 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 79 pages from 8 different issues

s2 episode 6: #24 (2 pages), #28 (3 pages), #35 (15 pages), #41 (16 pages), #43 (13 page)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 49 pages from 5 different issues

s2 episode 7: #10 (2 pages), #25 (4 pages), #32 (3 pages), #37 (4 pages), #38 (3 pages), #41 (2 pages), #43 (1 page), #44 (10 pages), #45 (13 pages), #47 (2 pages), #48 (2 pages),

TOTAL ADAPTED: 46 pages from 11 different issues

s2 episode 8: #33 (20 pages), #34 (14 pages), #43 (2 pages), #45 (2 pages), #46 (5 pages), #47 (2 pages)

TOTAL ADAPTED: 45 pages from 6 different issues

(season total 398 pages)

[retrieve-the-kraken]

Young Royals Season 2 play-by-play analysis

This is a much longer analysis because so much happens on this episode that sent me on a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts... I couldn't stop from writing a near essay worth about most crucial moments. Can't stop, won't stop.

EPISODE 5

Simon has been keeping Wille’s sweater under his pillow this whole time, probably sleeping with it. Does it still even smell like Wille? Is the scent fading? Is that why he needs to inhale harder, longer, deeper, wrap his whole face in it? He closes his eyes and licks his lips, like he’s trying to conjure the memory of the feeling of being with Wille, the taste of Wille’s lips. He’s still conflicted, just because he gave in at the ball and kissed Wille doesn’t mean that things have gotten any easier for them. He’s still technically with Marcus, he’s still aware that things with Wille are difficult, that Wille still hurt him, but he’s so drawn to him, he’s finally allowing himself to feel all the things again. He’s been fighting for so long and it’s exhausting.

Smelling Wille’s sweater is like a drug to him, he‘s conflicted, confused, and he needs a hit right now. It’s not going to help things become clearer, in fact they’re probably going to get more muddled. (Fun fact: smelling the person that you love can release the chemical oxytocin, a hormone and neurotransmitter that is also released when we hug and when we orgasm. That’s why it’s often referred to as the love hormone. Our brain chemistry combined with our feelings for a person can determine whether we think that person’s smell is the most fantastic thing in the world, even if they should smell stinky and unpleasant. Simon’s brain loves Wille’s scent. If his feelings for Wille had changed at all, Wille’s scent might not have had the same effect on him anymore. But he still has feelings for him, and so his smell is the most attractive and comforting thing in the world to him.)

Meanwhile Wille cannot contain his happiness, he’s full of hope again, and the shower intensifies that. He’s alone with his thoughts and he gets to mull over them. (Fun fact: did you know that showering lifts your mood because of negative oxygen ions? Sounds contradictory, but these are negatively charged atoms generated by the falling water, and they make you feel energized. That’s part of the reason why Wille is smiling like a madman here, the shower is boosting the way he already feels. Happy, elated, hopeful, invincible. Simon kissed him, he’s still majorly under the effects of oxytocin).

Wille making a sandwich for Simon… like a little callback to their first night together, and him making Simon a s… I love you, Wille, I love you with all my heart.

August being all smug about the fact that he’s gotten the speech, then looking over at Wille, knowing that he probably also got the speech, and he looks annoyed. Wille automatically bites his nail anxiously.

Simon desperately wanting to talk to someone about kissing Wille. He feels like a bad person because he “betrayed” Marcus. But baby, you had already told Marcus that you didn’t want anything serious, you were still getting over Wille, you weren’t ready to move on yet, and he’s the one who convinced you to stay in a “relationship” that you didn’t want. So maybe… it’s Marcus’s fault. (Not excusing kissing someone else when you’re in a thing, situationship with someone else, but… read the room, Marcus.)

“But does that make you a bad person just cause you do one bad thing?” Sara, are you comparing Simon barely cheating on Marcus with Wille to you betraying your brother or August causing a whole royal scandal? Or maybe she’s referring to her secret relationship with August, which is, in her mind, a direct betrayal of Felice. She doesn’t think she’s really doing anything terrible to Simon by being with August, and she thinks that August can still be redeemed. She’s giving him a second chance, which she often chastises Simon for doing to other people (Wille, Micke).

“You’re supposed to tell me to forget about Wille and be with Marcus.” Simon feeling so guilty, and conflicted. He feels like he’s betraying himself because he shouldn’t still have such strong feelings for Wille after everything that happened. He’s so conflicted and desperate for something certain, something easy.

“But you’re not in love with Marcus,” says Sara, leaving out the obvious which is “you’re in love with Wille instead.” But also talking about herself. “You can’t control your feelings. If you have feelings for the wrong person, it can still feel just right.” Poor Sara, you fell in love with the worst person. But she’s right, you can’t control your feelings. Simon has been trying to do that all season and failing fantastically.

Sara being all nervous about learning the protocol for meeting the royal family. August being a brown-noser with Jan-Olof. They both want it so bad.

Simon singing with all his heart, singing like he’s never sang before… and Jan-Olof with his frumpy face. I love that Simon stands up for himself, that he argues, that he states that they’ve been practicing. “It’s important to stick to tradition.” “But I thought the whole point was to prove that the school has been modernized.”

“We want this to be a group performance, not a solo.” And then when Simon storms out, Jan-Olof actually says to the teacher “Good.” THE GALL. All the other bullshit about tradition and continuity might be true, but at that moment it becomes evident that it was also about not giving Simon the spotlight, to make sure he doesn’t stand out. Fuck you, Jan-Olof.

I'm here for a Simon and Felice team-up. I want them to be hot curly-haired melanin-blessed fierce besties, especially after what happens in the next episode... Simon seems to be cool with her now, despite how she treated Sara at first, despite the whole kissing Wille in his room, despite everyone knowing that she used to be in love with Wille. And Felice is the supportive friend we all deserve.

Felice: “They don’t want new rumors about the two of you, you know?” (And then Wille goes and blows the lid off of that in the next episode. You don’t want rumors? No problem. Nothing but verified information straight from the source from now on.)

Again, they are sitting together, even when Simon is angry about Wille, if not directly at him. Simon, don’t reject the sandwich, please, Wille made it with so much love… don’t be like that, Simon, please, he wants to please you so bad…

One day they will have a nice encounter in the music room, from beginning to end…

“Everything I do becomes a problem when you enter the picture.” This was why Simon said that he couldn’t accept Wille’s role, because he still thinks that it’s somehow Wille’s fault, that it’s not something out of Wille’s control. “They don’t want you to be associated with me, as per usual.”

“How long do I have to be punished for that video?” It’s true, he’s constantly being victim-blamed for the video, as if him and Wille wanted to get caught, as if it was their fault that the video was recorded and leaked and became viral… It’s like when actresses have nude pictures and they get hacked, and the media reports it like they shouldn’t have had nude pictures of themselves, and how embarrassing for them and the negative impact it might have on their careers... Instead of condemning the hackers…

“You don’t get it because you haven’t felt the consequences.” Simon is so angry about his song that he says things without trying to see from Wilhelm’s perspective. Haven’t felt the consequences???? Have you not seen this sad boi puddle of anxiety mopey mess walking around the school this whole time, almost getting yanked out of his dorm by his bodyguard and dragged all the way back to Drottningholm??? Did you not see him seething every time August was in the vicinity???? Did you not spot his raw red eyes from crying in his ridiculous wig???

“Yesterday was a mistake.” Simon says it, not because he doesn’t have feelings for Wille, but because he’s jaded. It will never work between them, they are not equals, there’s a whole institution hellbent on making sure that they never get back together. And Wille decides to try to level the ground.

This whole argument. It hurts so much. Of course Simon is hurt, at being lied to, at feeling like he can’t trust Wille. But we know that he really doesn’t understand, that he really would not get anywhere by reporting August. The fact that he says to Wille that he is the royal family, that he’s just like them, just like his mum… But we’ve established that yes, Wille hid the truth to protect Simon, just like Kristina hid the truth to protect Wille, but their motivations were different. Wille really truly wants to protect Simon, whereas Kristina protects her son and by extension the royal family.

Wille trying to control his panic attack in the music room. He feels like he fucked everything right up again. My poor baby. (Also, he just told Simon that it was August, and Simon can do whatever he wants with that information, and he’s probably worried that the thing he was trying to protect Simon from will actually happen…)

“Okay, so it wasn’t because it’s him.” Jan-Olof doesn’t answer, instead changes the subject. Duh.

”What a fucking snake.” “We always knew that August was an asshole.” “Yeah, but I meant Wille.” Simon turns like he was about to say something, but doesn’t.

Rosh being as good a lawyer as August’s dad. Give me Lawyer Rosh walking into court with her cow-print coat, please.

“Wille is right, people like them never get convicted.” Depressing truth. Rosh has a good point too, but it’s still bad advice. “Don’t you want everyone to know what August did?” The thing is that the royal family can probably manage to cover it before it even gets out, even after he’s gone to the police…

“Erik never had to give any speeches before he was of age.” This points so hard to how different Kristina treats Wille. Erik was, for all we know, the perfect Crown Prince, he didn’t have to make up for anything. Wille has to make up for past “scandals”… he has to clean up his image a lot, become the perfect Crown Prince in no time. Kristina probably thinks of this as pushing Wille to power through into his role of Crown Prince. Fake it till you make it. She’s sizing him up for his role, for whether he will be committed to it.

Now she poses the possibility that Wille may be deemed unfit. Or wether he'll be able to produce heirs. He’s fucking sixteen… “We risk upsetting the entire system of government.” So much for modernizing. Kristina has proven again to be old-fashioned and homophobic.

“I can’t force you. And I shouldn’t have to either.” Bullshit, Krissy. You’ve just mindgamed/mindfucked him into doing it, by revealing strategically that August is his backup. That was your plan all along. This whole conversation is so manipulative. “You have to remember that your decisions not only affect you. I need you on my team, Wilhelm.” Fuck you, Krissy. What about being on Wilhelm’s team instead, for once?

Wilhelm touching the broken frog prince snow globe, like he’s consulting with Erik...? Or like he’s realizing that the frog prince is free from his snow globe prison. It was terrible at first, it felt horrible for the snow globe to smash, something precious broke, but… now the frog prince is free…

But I love that Wilhelm wants to think about himself for once. And not in a selfish way. He’s weighing his options.

Sara not understanding that it’s not Felice’s decision who purchases Rousseau, and storming out.

Wilhelm finally opening up completely during the session, trusting Boris, making the tea and being very expressive.

“There was the real Erik, and then there was Prince Erik.” Erik had more training for his role, he was the first born, Wille was the spare. As far as everyone knew, Wille was never expected to step into the role…

“I know that I should be grateful for everything that I get, the honor, the privileges and everything, but how hard can it be?” He is aware of his privilege and he is aware of what is being asked from him in return, and he hasn’t realized that he would give all those up in a second, if it weren’t because he feels bound by duty.

“I do owe them, I have to do all this.” “Do you really?” Good, Boris, good.

I’ve said it before and I’ve said it again. Wilhelm drinks hot tea like a Viking. Dear god boy, your tongue, your throat, the roof of your mouth... (@makingupachangingmind pointed out that water in psychologists’ offices is always lukewarm, but it’s not… Wilhelm just boiled the water himself, and as he pours both cups you can see the steam. That is freshly boiled water. Obviously poor Edvin was not made to drink boiling tea during the scene, but for all intents and purposes Wilhelm just drank really freaking hot tea because he doesn’t mind how hot it is. It’s like he’s trying to kill something inside of him.)

And then Boris gives him permission to think about himself. To be a bit selfish.

By possibly giving August everything he’s ever wanted, Wilhelm might gain something much more important and valuable: his freedom, and the freedom to be with Simon.

August is playing chess with the same third year boys that turned on him before (they’re even almost in the exact same places and positions as the day they voted for Vincent). Like there’s no longer bad blood between them for voting him out of his prefect position. But knowing August, it’s simply because he doesn’t have to be resentful about that anymore, because what he knows that they don’t is that he’s about to be the top dog, once it becomes obvious that he’s the next in line to the throne.

I like that Malin calls Wille by his first name, not Crown Prince. I know that most of the time, people don’t have to address him that way, but often they do, so for Malin to be so familiar with him it’s nice.

Sara seeking comfort in August, and August being sweet. Ugh, I hate him so much, stop making me like you.

“If I let him take over, I could be free. From all this, I could be free with you. But if you go to the police, then I won’t have a backup anymore. I won’t have a choice. I can’t be free. I’ll be betraying my whole family, betraying Erik. I don’t want that.” This whole speech, it’s so simple and beautiful. Wille is finally doing what Simon asked him to do last season, to figure out what he wanted, something that he had to do on his own. And Wille figured it out, but even when he did it on his own, he was thinking of what Simon wanted too. Wille wants to be free, but it’s only worth it if it’s to be with Simon… so he exposes his feelings, he tells him what he wants, and what he hopes, and then leaves the choice completely up to Simon.

“Did he just say that he’d give up the crown for you?” Is one of the most iconic lines from this season, along with “they don’t have names”. I need a t-shirt of each. The look on Simon’s face as he realizes that yes, the boy he loves would literally give up everything for him, he would give up being King of Sweden, if it means he gets to be with Simon... If Simon will have him...

Jesus Christ, August is also giving up a part of himself, something that he felt was so important… for love. AND He looks so freaking cute looking at Sara… Goddamn you August.

Him talking about being King August and Queen Sara… like it’s in the bag…

Sara being sour still about Rousseau and making Felice feel terrible… it’s not the people that are buying Rousseau that she’s angry about, it’s not entirely about Rousseau being sold either, Sara feels helpless because it’s just another way in which she’s acutely aware of how much she doesn’t fit in with her peers. If she had the money, she could buy Rousseau for herself… But instead she has to depend on Felice’s family making “the right choice” of new owners for Rousseau, which let’s face it, Sara wasn’t going to be happy about absolutely anyone who might be interested in buying him. “What does she expect, for you to keep Rousseau so she can keep riding him?”

Wille waving his pencil to catch Simon’s attention… And that whole conversation whilst talking about the book… ugh, my heart. Simon finally understanding the pressure that Wille has on his shoulders, and Wille apologizing for it, and Simon forgiving him and understanding that it's not so simple and that it's not his fault, and basically saying that the ending is unknown so there’s hope… And Sara in the background being like “what’s going on between these two”. And Henry being Henry, of course.

“I mean she killed herself.” Ugh, let’s hope this is not foreshadowing of anything. (Unless it could be something about Erik…?)

LINDAAAA MY LOVE. We didn’t get enough Linda this season and it’s really upsetting. What’s even more upsetting is that Linda is so excited that Simon is in a relationship again with someone “caring” as far as she knows, that she doesn’t realize that Simon is uncomfortable with the conversation. Linda, I love you, but read the room. And of course Simon won’t say anything because he technically IS still with Marcus.

“Tampoco los voy a abochornar si vemos a la Reina (I won’t embarrass you either if we see the Queen)”. Now please let THIS be foreshadowing of the first time Linda and Kristina meet, PLEAAAASE. Not the embarrassing part, the meeting part. Please let them meet, please let them interact, please let Wille and Linda be super sweet with each other and for Kristina to realize that they have a warmer relationship than she has with her own son. Please let Kristina watch how Linda and Simon interact and realize how different that is from her relationship with Wille.

Sara tells August that Simon knows, like a little snitch, but she truly hopes that August will do the right thing, because she doesn’t understand how August works. What August knows that Sara doesn’t is that he gains nothing by confessing to the crime, as his stepdad told him. So now he has to find a way to save his ass. And that means sinking Simon somehow. (The game of chess is foreshadowing, though, throughout the whole show. August needs to be several moves ahead of Wille and Simon somehow. And someone pointed out a while back that, in the first episode, when Wille and Alexander are playing chess, Alex checkmates Wille, which is also foreshadowing to the next episode, where he has a role in pinning Wille and Simon…)

Simon thinking about how to tell Wille that he’s still going to the police… But Sara and Henry interrupted… Simon added a “But…” and then they came in and Wille had to leave because he felt physically ill.

EDIT (2023/03/23): I just realized I was wrong as I was rewatching most of this scene yet again (for fic research purposes, strictly) and it’s Wille who says “but…” then trails off when Sara and Henry come up. I don’t even want to know what he was going to say, because it doesn’t matter anymore, because after he has a breakdown and Simon comes by his room, Simon clarifies that he’s not doing it to hurt him, that he needs to do the right thing, and Wille says he knows and that he’s not trying to stop him. So we know already that whatever he might have said before the interruption was best left unsaid , perhaps. Maybe he would have protested, bargained a little, tried to sway Simon’s decision, and that would have negated what he said before, about it being Simon’s decision. So he kept quiet. He could have easily asked Simon to talk in private, try to talk him out of it, try to stop him, but he kept quiet, letting the reality of Simon’s choice to sink in, accept his fate. He needed to accept Simon’s decision, whatever it was, for Simon to trust him fully again.

After he throws up and as he’s brushing his teeth, he sounds like he's wheezing, he’s having trouble breathing. He's feeling weak, getting into bed without even taking his shoes off and rolling himself into a blanket burrito of pain and sadness... Because he knows that he will never be free, he will never be with Simon… he’s trapped forever… my poor baby…

“Are you mad at me?” No, Simon, you know he’s not… it’s just a tiny little thing of his whole world crumbling down…

Wille understating how sick he felt, because he didn't want his own feelings to influence Simon's decision. He's putting Simon first, because he loves him, even if if it's at the cost of his own freedom and happiness.

Simon seeing the frog prince/frog king snow globe smashed and Wilhelm keeping it on a little plate in his room, with all the jagged broken pieces, he probably doesn’t know the story behind it, but he must deduce then that it held a lot of meaning to Wilhelm, that he wouldn’t simply throw it out just because it smashed.

“But it’s scary.” “It’s scary for me too.” They're both scared, of the consequences of their actions, Wille is scared of having to be Crown Prince, of disappointing people, and Simon is scared of fighting for nothing, of things staying the same, of pointlessly fighting the system and perhaps other consequences… but they’re also both scared of the same thing, of being without one another, of having to be apart, of losing each other… they were so close, and suddenly everything goes up in smoke…

Wille tentatively reaching for Simon’s hand, and Simon letting him take it, caressing his fingers. They're both so resigned. “What will happen to us?” “I don’t know…” Kind of like the ending of Kris by Karin Boye…

They hug, and they both get a hit of oxytocin. It’s like Wille’s dream at the beginning of the season, breathing in each other, feeling at home and safe in each other’s arms…

And then they give in, for one last kiss, perhaps… then they look at each other, silently asking each other “can we at least have one last time?” So much has been written about this scene already, about all the built-up desire and yearning and aching bubbling to the surface, about them thinking that this might be the last time that they get to be together, so they decide they will have one last night together, just in case, to cherish forever. To assure each other that it’s the circumstances that are keeping them apart, not themselves. They are in. They are it for each other. To know that they love each other, that this was real and intense and worth fighting for, even if they can’t be together in the end, might help them survive.

I just want to fixate on three instances: this moment when Simon’s aching and yearning come through in his face again, in that little frown, and then it disappears in an instant as he melts into the kiss, into Wille’s arms, and he breathes in and relaxes and lets himself enjoy this, enjoy the taste and the smell and the feeling of Wille again…

And the best kiss in my opinion is this moment, when Simon takes control, as he climbs onto Wille’s lap like he’s been aching to do for so long. Because it’s obvious that Wille has always been hung up on Simon, it’s obvious that his feelings for Simon never went away, that he was in it the entire time… But Simon tried to hide/push his feelings away so much, get over him, move on, he tried so hard, but now he’s done fighting it, and he lets his desire take over. Get on top, take control, ravish him. Hands on his hair and on his face, kissing him desperately, grinding against him, chests rubbing, heavy breaths, devouring his neck. It’s so intense and beautiful… the song choice is chef’s kiss. It is holy.

And of course, the moment where Wille manages to ignore his own pleasure, his own elation, long enough to have the presence of mind to close the fucking curtains. Simon looks momentarily conflicted, at the sudden darkness, but then Wille lets out a nervous little chuckle, as if he’s asking “is this okay?” And Simon smiles. Yes, it’s okay. With that simple move, Wille regains control of his own narrative, for him and for Simon. They regain their privacy. They are safe with each other. At this moment, the world outside disappears, shut out completely, and it's just them.

I don't know how many times I've rewatched this episode, but I never not lose my shit over every single beautiful Wilmon moment...

Next episode is just me screaming and yelling at the screen...

This episode is brought to you by OXYTOCIN™.

[coraniaid]

Brainstorming Different Endings To Doppelgangland

Inspired by this post (and the reply from @secretlyasummers), here are some ways that Doppelgangland could have ended that don't necessarily involve the gang cheerfully sending a soulless vampire back to her own world because she misses killing and torturing people. Would these have been any better than the canon version? No, but they'd all have annoyed me in a slightly different way.

1) Vampire!Willow doesn’t come back to the Bronze after being captured in the library.  The gang debate about what to do with her, with Willow being keen that she get to live (just as she is in canon), but when they get back to the library they discover she’s managed to break free.  Last shot of the episode is her heading out of town.  She may or may not be coming back.

1A) As in (1) but we actually get to see that our Willow deliberately left her something to help her escape (much like Xander’s Lie, this can be something she hides from the others and which seems like it should be really important but that the show only ever half-heartedly follows up on once and only in its final season)

1B) As in (1) but – tying up the episode, which began with the Mayor telling Faith he was going to have Willow killed – while heading out of town vamp!Willow runs into Faith and is staked

1C) As in (1) but – remembering who the vamps she recruited originally worked for – vamp!Willow tries to kill the Mayor to take over as Big Bad, finds out he is invincible and is (again) staked

2) Rather than kill her, our Willow offers to try to cast a spell to give her a soul.  Vamp!Willow is so disgusted by the thought of being like her dimension’s version of Angel (or, really, any universe’s version of Angel) that she stakes herself instead

2A) As in (2) but rather than kill her, our Willow casts a spell that she promises Buffy will render vamp!Willow harmless until they can figure out what to do with her.  Good news: rat!Amy now has a new friend!  (She is prone to biting but that just means she’s friendly.)

2B) As in (2) but rather than offer to give her a soul, Willow just does it without worrying about any question of  permission or consent.  (This doesn’t change the plot much, but it’s arguably much more in character.)

3) The episode’s plot plays out more or less the same but at some point Anya drops the exposition that, because the spell she and Willow carried out wasn’t done properly, in a few hours after being brought to this world vamp!Willow is going to return to her own dimension anyway.  The audience gets to hear this but the Scooby Gang doesn't  Just as Buffy and Willow are arguing about what to do with vamp!Willow, she vanishes.  Cut to her being staked by Wishverse!Oz just as in canon.

3A) As in (3) but we don’t see what happens to vamp!Willow in her own dimension, freeing up the possibility of her returning to the show again. 

4) The episode just plays out exactly as it does in canon, but we don’t get the (slightly cowardly) reveal that what the Gang did is actually fine because vamp!Willow got staked immediately anyway.  This (rightly) makes fans of the show a bit more uneasy about what the Gang chose to do. (This also makes the return of vamp!Willow in later episodes possible.)

5) Anticipating Season 4, the episode ends with D’Hoffryn showing up and saying how delighted he is by all the chaos and devastation caused by Willow’s spell.  He lets her know – much to Anya’s chagrin – that a vacancy for the post of vengeance demon has recently opened up and suggests she might be interested.  Willow is horrified and turns him down, but vampire!Willow accepts in her place and they both disappear before Anya or anyone else can do a thing about it.

6) The episode plays out exactly as it does in canon.  However, sometime in Season 4 we get another Wishverse crossover episode, this time with the Wishverse’s version of Kendra traveling to our world for some reason.  Willow cheerfully asks how the other Willow is getting on, and a horrified Kendra asks her if she’s really admitting to sending a vampire back to terrorize the population of Sunnydale (she then turns to Buffy, looks disappointed, and shakes her head: “no wonder you died”).

7) Vampire!Willow doesn’t come back to the Bronze after being captured in the library.  The gang debate about what to do with her, with Willow being keen that she get to live (just as she is in canon), but the Gang’s deliberations are interrupted by the arrival of the Wishverse version of Jesse, battle-scarred and wearing an eyepatch, who delivers a long speech about how much time and effort he has spent studying magic to bring her back to his dimension to face justice.  (Xander is conveniently out of the room for this whole thing, while it becomes obvious as the speech progresses that Buffy cannot remember who Jesse was.) After Jesse and Vampire!Willow vanish, this scene is never explained or commented on again by anyone.

[wheredidhiseyebrowsgo]

uhhm….

hi?

im new here, but i was kinda looking for a fic that… doesn’t necessarily diverge from canon bu still builds the sterek relationship, if you get what i mean at all?

sorry if this is confusing, or has already been asked.

sorry.

Welcome!

one tiny little howl by Myulalie

(1/1 I 1,00O I General)

As the saying goes, wolves howl to communicate their location to other pack members. It makes Stiles wonder, because he doesn’t know how to answer in kind.

when the sky falls, you're my escape by thedoortomymind

(3/? I 3,338 I Not Rated)

Derek and Stiles find themselves and each other.

All Her Children by petals42_tumblr (rosepetals42)

(7/7 I 8,058 I Teen)

A series of fics about Melissa McCall's relationship with all her children.

Powerful (Why I got you on my mind?) by AireHaleinski

(1/1 I 14,217 I Mature)

The nightmare of the Nogitsune seems over for Stiles Stilinski and the pack, but peace is far from being a part of Beacon Hills’ life: Derek Hale, in fact, is about to experience the heartbreaking loss of his powers, that leaves him hopeless and sure of a tragic and upcoming death. Can the growing bond between two broken souls, fight forces otherwise invincible?

That Depends On How You Define Werewolf by janonny

(2/2 I 16,613 I Mature)

We’re all shapeshifters. It happens rarely, and it happens for a reason. Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person that you are. – Derek Hale, Season 2 Episode 5

“I didn’t shoot him if that’s what you’re worried about,” said Stiles’ dad. Then he smiled wryly. “Though I did push him against the wall and threaten to strangle him with my bare hands.”

Stiles gaped at his dad, because Derek…was Derek. And the Stilinski men weren’t exactly buff. They were built more slender and agile, though Stiles was still waiting for the agile part to kick in.

Blood Pounding in Our Veins by minusoneday

(10/10 I 41,305 I Mature)

Stiles figured that Mrs. McCall finding out Scott’s secret would change things, but he’s completely unprepared for the very first thing she does, which is to invite Isaac to move in with her and Scott.

 ***

In which Stiles is angry. For some very good reasons.

will to follow through by owlpostagain

(2/2 I 42,411 I Teen)

“It depends entirely on how you look at it, I guess,” Stiles shrugs. “On the one hand, instant healing and the apparently inherited ability to pull off leather at all times. On the other, serious attitude problems and a suspicious disappearance of eyebrows.”

“Even Derek’s?” Danny snorts, “that’s a lot of eyebrow to lose.”

“I know,” Stiles agrees. “You should see, it’s so weird. Every time I want to ask him where they go, except he’d totally eat my face off.”

“There are worse ways to die.”

Running Up That Hill by maypoison

(32/32 I 139,488 I Explicit)

“Even before the pack joined together, Scott was trying to protect you. And he still is trying to protect you, even if it means leaving you out of all this.”

Stiles does roll his eyes at that. “Yeah, but it didn’t work did it. I was still involved, and so was my Dad. We were nearly killed by Matt, and then Gerard.”

“My point is, people change. Relationships aren’t always perfect. Scott's tried to kill me before."

Stiles raises an eyebrow. "So, you’re saying that someone trying to kill you is just a small flaw in a relationship?"

“We’re werewolves.” Derek answers with a shrug, as if that was a perfectly good explanation.

Under the Wolf Moon by Pdxtrent

(41/41 I 105,563 I General)

Laura Hale has disappeared. But from there, things go very very differently. Expect adults acting like adults, and actual communication and not terrible decision making. Though it's still Beacon Hills, so you know things are going to be complicated.

************************************

He packed a bag as quickly as he could and grabbed his passport just in case. He looked around the apartment, glanced at his sister’s closed bedroom door and then walked out.

An hour later he was at the airport.

Two hours after that he was in the air.

Seven hours after that he was touching down in San Francisco.

Another hour and he was getting into the rental car that would take him to literally the last place on earth he ever wanted to return: Beacon Hills, California.