#major points for consistency imo

[wall-maria-around-ba-sing-se]

I love it when a “might makes right” character gets severely out-mighted by the protagonist and they immediately drop whatever villainous thing they were doing because “well I can’t argue with that I guess you were right”

[twoturtlesinabathtub]

I think writing a canon divergence for the mansion incident in re1 is the worst burden I've ever undertaken because continuity and consistency is Not a common occurrence in canon re content. What even IS canon I can't tell anymore lmfao

[emmitaaa4]

Previous anon- I forgot to mention that it appears that they have a close collaborative relationship with sjm and her merch agents. On the gadget4entertainment website they also mention that the acotar jewelry they sell is "is a brand new jewelry collection officially licensed by Sarah J. Mass. The whole collection was approved by the writer herself."

Thank you sm for the info Anon—you fully sent me on a deep dive... and I'm ngl, the playing cards might be a bigger deal than I first thought. So here's what I found, in case anyone else was curious too.

TL;DR. The cards do seem more “legitimate” than typical licensed prints or generic merch— as in, they're more than just “fanart that got licensed” (imo). They’re the only item on the seller’s site explicitly labeled as official, even though all merch—like author-approved jewelry collections—is officially licensed.

Disclaimer: I'm no marketing expert, this is just what I got from some digging, educated guesses, and context clues. And fueled by procrastination. (I have a final in 1 day. Its 4am. What am I doing lmao.)

OK so, some details:

All SJM/ACOTAR merch sold by the company has the same standard licensing statement: "Created with permission of Writers House LLC acting as agent for the author."

They sell a 65-piece jewelry collection for ACOTAR:

"Gadget4entertainment X A Court of Thorns and Roses is a brand new jewelry collection officially licensed by Sarah J. Mass. The whole collection was approved by the writer herself."

They also have similar collections for CC and ToG... => The fact that they have author-approved jewelry for all three of her major series suggests a consistent, direct relationship with SJM’s team—not just the more generic license deals you’d see with third-party print sellers.

And yet, none of the individual jewelry pieces are called “official” in their titles or descriptions...

... BUT the playing cards are literally titled the “Official ACOTAR Playing Cards Set” and marketed as “our new and official ‘A Court of Thorns and Roses’ playing cards set.”

The use of "official" is what got me wondering in the 1st place— it’s not a regulated term like “licensed,” but when used in product naming or marketing it can imply closer collaboration. And that wording is used nowhere else: if "official" and "officially licensed" were interchangeable, you'd expect the same phrasing across the board—but they're clearly making a distinction.

For ex., they market their calendar as “our officially licensed Velaris Advent Calender”. Peep that wording shift?

So to recap:

The site clearly distinguishes between standard licensing and direct author approval, so calling the cards 'official' feels like a deliberate choice—not just generic wording.

Only the playing cards get the "official" emphasis on both the title & product description.

Why does that matter at all? Well, the rest of the product line avoids ships altogether (aside from one Feysand ring), and yet the cards do have pretty clear ship-based symbolism...

I mean come on.

And while the K/Q/J pattern speaks for itself, imo it's the Ace that seals the deal. If someone were to argue that the other suits (Diamond & Spades) don't have as much ship symbolism (ergo point is null), the Club's Ace makes that hard to defend: Truthteller & roses speaks directly to Elriel, as Feyre's ring speaks to Feysand.

That combo is also one that comes back again and again in official artwork, whether it be in the borders of SJM's official ACOFAS interview, or the inclusion of the TT scene in the colouring book, or (arguably) the "new" ACOWAR cover design from 2020.

So basically, these could be just casual fandom cards, BUT! the fact that:

The cards are officially licensed and uniquely called “official” by a seller with known ties to SJM’s team;

The Elain/Azriel/Lucien trio mirrors the confirmed Feysand/Tamlin triangle;

The matching Aces (Feysand's ring VS Elriel's TT + roses) hammers the pattern in;

…makes it hard not to see this as at least a soft nod toward Elriel. Not canon confirmation, obviously, but probably definitely more than “just fanart.”

So yeah, I think this card set holds some weight. And honestly? I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up being a bit of a soft-launch for where the narrative’s headed 👀

[aihoshiino]

i've said this before but for all the problems i have with the movie arc specifically and how OnK more broadly sort of loses focus on/interest in Ai's story from then onwards, i'll never be grateful enough for how well rounded of a character the additions we get to her in that arc make her. obviously prior to that she was already fantastic, but the movie arc really doubles down on humanizing her in a frankly quite risky way for a character OnK needs you to sympathize with as much as ai: it allows her to be weak, selfish and flawed, and capable of hurting other people.

pre-movie arc ai's one real major transgression is her keeping the existence of the twins a secret, but this is in defiance of the entertainment industry's particular taboos and double standards, taboos and double standards that OnK posits as being plainly immoral - as such, it's not really anything ai is doing wrong.

even when the story starts digging into her dirty laundry as per the needs of aqua's investigations, the information we as readers get never paints ai as anything worse than having been a bit standoffish once upon a time. the stories continues to reinforce our understanding of ai as a victim who has been either harmed, neglected or both by pretty much everyone in her life and how this treatment has affected her. imo, the story does a very good job of painting a picture of a life basically defined by consistent, down to earth miseries without it feeling excessive or like overwrought pitybait but the fact of the matter is still that the ai we get to know is someone whose worst traits only seem to harm herself rather than causing her to behave in hostile or antisocial ways that direct harm outwards.

then comes the movie arc and we see how those flaws can twist into things that do, in fact, point outwards - ai's learned fear of vulnerability and her terror in the face of rejection and hostility can become cowardice when placed in the context of her outright refusal to have emotionally difficult conversations with people who are trying to reach her. her self-isolation makes her push away and reject when people offer her vulnerability and she is so used to having to make decisions for and protect herself, in having no other people in her corner that she can consult and have reciprocal dynamics of care with, that it leads her to be selfish and self-centered, making decisions for herself and other people and acting on them because she's decided it's what's best without consulting the other party or really taking into account their feelings.

and it all makes perfect sense! i remember being sooooo nervous going into the production phase of the movie arc because we got that bit with gotanda purposely riling up ruby where it seemed like they were setting up ai to have been a secretly deeply angry and bitter person and that just didn't make sense to me - ai to me had always been characterized not by bitterness but by self-hate, contradictory resignation and hope and a terrible loneliness. to my relief, this is also the route the movie arc takes with her - when ruby has her breakthrough, this is in a moment where ruby finally comes to understand ai as a "fragile girl" who was "always crying". and these flaws as properly fleshed out by the movie arc make perfect sense for a girl like that - a fragile person who's had to learn imperfect methods of protecting herself because nobody else will do it for her.

i'm not kidding when i called this risky, too! there really were a surprising amount of people who saw the nino/ai conflict and the hikaai breakup and lost sympathy for ai, especially in the latter case. i saw a lot of people assigning her blame, saying that she should have or shouldn't have done XYZ thing and that it was her own fault for how things turned out. but that's the risk you run when you allow a character to make a real, honest to god mistake that hurts other characters in turn.

for everything else the movie arc does wrong, this was the thing it had to do right. the ultimate conclusion of Ai's posthumous arc is a complete breaking down of the "perfect" Ai, both as an in-universe public figure and as a fictional character - in other words, humanizing her. but that can't be done without an acknowledgement of ai as a flawed human who has just as much power to cause pain as the people who hurt her in turn do.

[decepti-thots]

sorry, still thinking about whirl. imo the most important characteristic whirl has in MTMTE isn't the obvious ones. it's not that he's an asshole, it's not that he's funny, it's not that he's violent, it's not that he's done terrible things, it's not that he hates himself. all of those are important, and they're usually the immediately obvious traits that stick out panel to panel. but they're not what drives the narrative function of the character most across the whole run of the comic.

imo the thing that most defines the engine driving whirl's narrative function is that he is astute and perceptive. it doesn't come up in obviously quotable panels moment to moment, but the way his arc interacts with the overall arc of the comic is that whirl is the one who sees through a lot of the bullshit that's going on and the way he acts and the decisions he makes overwhelmingly rely on that knowledge. unlike most characters, his decisions are rarely defined by the emotional intensity of his own investment in this or that thing (an interpersonal relationship, an insecurity, a need to prove something) but instead by his sharp awareness of the dynamics of the people around him.

whirl knows the score with rodimus and what the whole mess that is their 'mission' is really about- or rather, what it isn't about, not really. he does not take it seriously because he understands in a very real way, it's just not serious, it's an excuse. whirl knows the score with cyclonus and tailgate and when to intervene in that whole mess instead of being kind about it. whirl understands what getaway is doing and where it's leading and that both makes his decision to initially back getaway's plan both an asshole move but also a decision made with total clarity, in contrast to almost everyone else who makes that decision. whirl knows how to get past drift's act and gets a punch in the face for it, because he smells the bullshit there immediately. whirl is not unaware of the social dynamics on the LL at all; he is choosing to be as abrasive and inhospitable as he usually is on purpose with full knowledge of what he's poking at. whirl gets to the supposed afterlife and immediately knows it cannot possibly be real!

unlike basically every other major character, there's really no point whirl makes a decision with his judgement meaningfully clouded by something. he has a strong interiority and motivations, absolutely, but above all else he is making every decision, no matter how bad or self destructive, with a level of genuine awareness and clarity that is pretty much unique, and his assessment of everyone and everything around him is pretty much unmatched if you read between his constant pisstaking. it's fantastically good, and what makes him a completely essential part of the ensemble all the way through the comic's run. nobody else can be so consistently relied on to respond to the situation presented to him as it is. (cyclonus is really the only person in the cast who recognises this, i think, and it explains why they wind up perfectly matched. see again: whirl's interventions with him and tailgate.)

[bakasara]

I have so many gripes with this two-parter, lol. For those who were in the spn trenches-- I'm having bucklemming flashbacks: everything is a one-liner and nothing makes sense from a structure or writing viewpoint.

Let's break it down into the 3 main problems that imo take this Big Event from an amazing, high-stakes premise to a lackluster ass execution. (And yes, for Eddie go to point 3.)

1. Suspension of disbelief is a bell curve, ok?

If you are obsessively concerned with realism, your story is going to miss out on a lot of emotional moments that just cannot be crammed into a 40 minute episode format otherwise. The reverse is also true, though. If you handwave every single realistic thing because you deem it an obstacle to an emotional story, it's going to be harder and harder for people to stay immersed.

The whole team was made to spend two episode acting like they straight up don't care and/or don't understand the level of threat they're dealing with just so that the plot could happen, which is absurd and out of character, for one.

... And it's also counterproductive.

The OoC issue could've easily been solved by shifting the "Rescue the team (118 argument) VS Not rescue the team (government argument)" to "Keep looking for solutions beyond what seems possible (118 argument) VS Be conveniently quick to give up (government argument)".

It's a minor tweak that would show up mostly through changes to the characterization of the military and FBI guy to make them more square and unfeeling, clearly having lost focus of the human aspect and become too quick to pull the trigger. It's one of the more ubiquitous underdog tropes: there is still an element of the 118 playing it less safe, because the red tape is supposedly there for a reason, but what may seem as morally dark grey on the surface because of the risk posed by an outbreak is recontextualized by the fact that there is a bigger and worse guy on the other side – the suits – who's lost track of what he's really supposed to be working at. The actions of the 118 now make sense for the situation and the 118 remain the good/better guys.

TL;DR: We didn't need the 118 consistently acting like they don't understand the severity of a deadly supervirus getting out of containment with no cure. Framing them more starkly as the underdog in the situation and having them go against big government players who've lost sight of their mission to help people is infinitely more compelling, and would have reinforced the real emotional pull to the episode: y'know that quote, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"? They are all mildly insane when it comes to each other, and will look for solutions to the very end even when from the outside it looks like they're going against impossible odds – just continuing to tape and plug up little holes everywhere to keep each other alive, if you will, even where most people may argue the sane thing is to accept defeat.

2. Not trusting your audience to have basic reading abilities never pays back.

Buck being used as an audience proxy to explain to us that Athena wants to go behind the suits' backs? And what an SD card is? FUCKING REALLY?

This may sound like it's just about Buck – which, hey, that would be fair – but it's not. Take the tsunami arc. A major aspect that made it compelling was the way it showed how the lives of complete strangers, who would've never touched otherwise, came to intertwine because of this tragedy that swept over the city. The premise to Sick Day/Lab Rats is kind of the reverse: it's ALL about our team of main characters, most of whom are locked away in a bunker. The episode hinges entirely on the strength of their bonds with each other against the outer world, which outside the lab is embodied by the government and inside the lab is embodied by this larger-than-life virus that completely overpowers them in theory. From a writing standpoint, it's all about how cleverly their affective dynamics with each other are used to stir emotional reactions in the viewer.

Fanfiction writers wrote the playbook on this; when I think of original fiction mastering this I think of something like Bioware for videogames. Troperrific is the name of the game.

So if you pair up Athena and Buck... you'd better fucking show me a fucking action couple. The have their team-slash-family in danger, and none more than them understand what it means to have Bobby trapped inside as a wife and a honorary son. The intention for this to be the force behind their team-up was clearly there. And having Buck be that dumb was the perfect way to ruin it.

I can see a remake of that scene perfectly: Buck panicking initially when he hears Bobby say him and Athena should leave the rest of the 118 to die, because he's Buck and of course he would panic. Bobby switching to talking only to Athena same way he did in the actual scene; Buck catching up now that he's had the time to focus and ultimately agreeing to leave it to the army and the FBI to handle. Cut to Buck and Athena powerwalking outside, side-bumping fists now that they're out of sight and getting each in their own seat of the car without the need to say a single word.

And maybe don't have Buck ask what an SD card is. It's fucking fine. COME ON. Show, don't tell, and all that. Athena Sneakily Grabbed A Plot-Relevant Thingy from a crime scene and Showed It Triumphantly To The Camera, and in two minutes we're going to plug it into Karen's computer and we can mention it's pictures from the crime scene just for extra clarity. I think the viewers may just be able to follow along.

TL;DR: Sorry, I just don't believe Buck is that dumb, he's not. Having Athena explain the plot to Buck like we're all two year olds is insufferable, and more importantly it's taking away from what really matters: if you make your whole two-parter hinge on team dynamics and then pair up Buck and Athena, I had better see the two baddest bitches to ever walk the earth in fucking synced action. They HAVE to be Understanding Each Other Implicitly because the real treasure was their shared love of Bobby all along.

3. Ok. Three three three. You CANNOT. You simply CANNOT. You fool. Leave a main character COMPLETELY FUCKING OUT of a Big Event two-parter that's all about the fucking CORE TEAM GOING TO SUPERMAX FOR EACH OTHER.

Come the fuck on.

Listen, assuming the best faith I can: this could be a case of Real Life having happened. Say, scheduling conflict. It literally doesn't matter. If one of your mains can't be there, you still find a way to mention the character in-story and you bring him into the story like that. I'll do you one better: a really simple way to do it wrote itself within the second ep. When Hen gives Ravi her pep talk about calling your loved ones, that was the planting of an idea into the viewer's mind. There really is no one-size-fits-all answer to that dilemma, which speaks to the emotional complexity of these tragedies.

You then have Chim deciding to talk to Maddie, because this may really be their last chance. (In the good version of this two-parter everyone's phone calls are come-and-go/keep breaking up, btw. Because they're sealed in a secure lab underground and it raises the stakes to have them struggle to communicate with each other. Obviously. Fucking hell). But you have Buck, safe on the outside, wanting to call Eddie and then deciding not to, because he realizes it's more for himself than anything and it's just making Eddie agonize over it 12 hours away where he can't do anything. It's as simple as showing Buck's finger hovering over Eddie's contact on his phone at a moment of distress, then opting not to call. But with different characters deciding to act in different ways based on their circumstances, you're now Exploring A Theme and it's a coherent way to include the character with no better options.

however you do it, it'll never be ideal to have a main missing from these kinds of pivotal episodes, but you HAVE to find a way to tie them into the story in some meaningful way.

That said, if Ryan/Eddie could've been there, and the writing simply didn't include him, then it's SO SO much fucking worse lmaoooo.

First off, it was really important that Eddie be shown to come back to LA because that's where the people who matter to him are, not because of Bobby's fucking funeral. As he (re)learns to choose joy for himself and to stand up to his parents/regrow his confidence in his own parenting instincts, it's crucial that he recognizes LA is where he wants to be because that's where Eddie's family and Chris's life are. The motivation to go back should be internal and advance his emotional arc.

Personally, I have ideas for how I would've tied him in for the most meaningful impact in the least time (considering the constraints of these kinds of episodes!) And these ideas definitely involve a big entrance making up for an early absence. Any team member who happened to be missing could get that same big entrance treatment, just tweaked to fit the character – we're fundamentally talking about the 118 being a family, where the team isn't complete without everyone in it playing their unique role, and the missing piece of the puzzle arriving at a moment of despair will always have you feel like you were just given another fighting chance.

Personally, I'd have had it revealed in 8x15 that when Chris and Eddie left, they actually left for LA, both too eager to go back home and with Eddie willing to make a second trip later to take care of the loose ends (job, house, etc.) in El Paso. They mean to surprise Buck + the team so they let them believe they're still in Texas. Chris finds out about the lab incident through his phone on the way, leaving Eddie conveniently only a short time away from LA and only missing for the initial part of the emergency. When Buck doesn't pick up his phone (via literally ANY excuse for why he'd miss the call), and no-one form the team does either (bad signal, which again should've been a thing), it now makes the most sense that Eddie would call Athena and it's HER who introduces her guy on the inside (or I guess, technically, on the outside) whom the suits don't have on their radar. He pulls up not in a helicopter but, necessarily, in the most unassuming car ever, making it not about showy stunt money but about the idea that Eddie's worth is about who he is (as in how he behaves, tying into his emotional arc) + what counts is showing up and everyone's contributions count (tying into the two-parter themes).

Also great 'cause Buck can be relieved af to finally have His Guy there for support, but there's no time for hugs. Oops! Just casually slipped in some friendly (🤔) yearning while Impeding Outside Events are unfolding! No! Don't use your precious screen time so well!

Anyway, Buck and Eddie are then either NOT paired up (the ideal version imo, we keep this about Buck and Athena as we're centering their connection to Bobby) or they ARE paired up (if you absolutely need to take advantage of the wider themes of the episode to advance any kind of dialogue between them and can't do it next episode). And the rest is pretty much Eddie occupying his rightful place in the episode instead of Tommy. Because. Lol. Lmao even. (I totally think we can still use Tommy, btw! to make Eddie mega jelly. if u even care :) And not during the supervirus whatever whatever where he's the epitome of thematically out of place. But I digress.)

And OF COURSE when everybody is getting their camera shot breaking down over Bobby's death it's. EDDIE. On the outside. Having his quiet breakdown along with the rest of the. Y'know. THE REST OF HIS TEAM. Because he actually knows who Bobby is and cares about him and yeah ok literally what was the point of fucking Tim Tam looking like the 🙁 emoji on my fucking screen while everyone was bawling. I. ... WHAT.

Either way. The point is. They really left Eddie out of the two-parter without mentioning him once say fucking SIKE.

TL;DR: Leaving a main character out of a two-parter Big Event centered around the familial bonds between your main cast is a capital sin punishable by death. There is no version of reality where it's acceptable. If Eddie/Ryan simply could not be there for real life reasons it was imperative to find an emotionally and thematically significant way to mention the character. If Eddie/Ryan could be there, it was imperative he BE there in a meaningful and unique way that contributed to saving the team, much like the other mains all were. There is NO EXCUSE.

There, I said my piece. I hate when I can see how little it would take to fix a poorly executed narrative.

P.S.: I have a personal love of Hozier/Work Song and I think it fit perfectly with Bobby's death but. HOLY SHIT. Do not break the momentum by having a character Make An Observation AFTER you showed Bobby dying ("dying". whatever). Chim can have his survivor complex next episode. OH MY GOD. They had already showed the body bag so we knew he was supposed to be dead-dead. They had that AMAZING shot of Bobby's cap to cut to and then cut to black on the last clap. NO DIALOGUE EXPLAINING HOW CHIM FEELS. PLEASE. THE MOMENTUM. COME ON. SHOT OF THE CAP THEN CUT TO BLACK. TO THE BEAT OF THE SONG. COME ON. HOW DO YOU FUCK UP THE EDITING/WRITING THAT BADLY.

[rmbunnie]

I like Batman. I like Batman as a character. I like Bruce Wayne. But it is very unserious when people act like Jason Todd, or maybe Damian, the robins as a whole, or any one writer, or any specific story arc, is singlehandedly corrupting Bruce’s character into an severe and inflexible colleague and distant, emotionally-unavailable father. Because even if he hadn't consistently been a questionable, loving yet unhealthy AT BEST father figure in the majority of his appearances since the early 80s (and I do mean to Dick, to Cass (actually shaping her into his image in Batgirl 2000 at the cost of her social development and autonomy ISNT good,) a BAD mentor to Steph, not even getting into Helena, like truly it’s not all about Jason?) The first well-written book that comes to mind where his morality is at its worst imo? That’s Wonder Woman: Hiketeia. No robins, no batfamily, just Bruce putting aside Wonder Woman’s input and the context of the situation and chasing down a girl who killed the men responsible for trafficking, assaulting, and killing her baby sister, to the point where it ends with her jumping off a cliff.

And the thing is I still like reading him in Hiketeia, because he fills the role he needs to fill in that story well, his actions align with his wordview even if it’s taken to the extreme in an uncharitable way, and he keeps my attention. I just think it’s goofy how some of us on here look at the guy who’s big character trait is being a hard-to-know, stubborn, and condescending control freak who puts other people's emotions on the wayside in favor of his mission prolifically, and go “all he did was LOVE TOO MUCH! His mean kids and associates and teammates are PUNISHING HIM for LOVING with his BIG BIG HEART and it’s tainting the narrative!” And you could say “well Hiketeia doesn't count, Greg Rucka is just a hater!” (though I certainly wouldn’t.) But when the issue is Damian entertaining the idea of leaving the family business, and before that it’s Red Hood stepping on toes, and then, wait, before that it’s Green Arrow and Wonder Woman, and then Huntress, and then oh wait we can’t think about the weird patch with Nightwing where their relationship was super rocky, and then Jason but before he died, and of course the Green Lanterns are basically treated like punching bags for him to do something awesome then- Like maybe if it’s a consistent pattern spanning what, 20, 30 years now? The issue isn’t Damian or Red Hood alone, or PKJ or Greg Rucka or Judd Winick or Marv Wolfman + George Perez or even Jim Starlin being a hater, but your blorbo just having extremely well-documented character flaws?

[nohara-rin-dot-mp3]

Hello hello thinking about Rin again and realized I don’t know exactly what went down in canon during kaguya fight… did she try to make obito and Kakashi kill themselves?? Does she appear to Obito in dreams/purelands…? Couldn’t find good sources to confirm and thought if anyone knew it would be you lol. Needed for research purposes :)

OH BOY!!!! rin's appearances in the war arc are all so fucking unhinged (not going over the flashback sections here because that's a topic that's already been covered extensively, but yes. she is also unhinged throughout those). there's two major points where she shows up and they are, yes, that time she tries to get obikaka to kill themselves and that time she tells obito that he did nothing wrong ever. really normal points of characterization for her.

as to whether or not this is really rin's ghost... i consider it to be about as canon as hamlet's dad's ghost really being there. which is to say: i think that it is the more textual reading to say that rin is really there, but there is also absolutely merit to reading her as not there! i personally go back and forth as to what it is on purpose, because rin is the Contradictions Character. and also not even allowing her ghost to be real emphasizes rin's non-existence within naruto (always a fun thing to do). but i do think she would say + do all of that shit because she is insane.

WEIRD STUFF PART ONE: "kys" said rin like a kind devoted intellectual girl

naruto manga chapter 686 consists mainly of some not-particularly-well-written scuffling with kaguya narrated by kakashi and occasionally intersected with a healthy dose of self-loathing to prep us for some fun avoidable suicidal self-sacrifice

he's fine this is normal kks behavior actually :]

both kks and obt end up attempting to jump in front of kaguya's attack to save team seven. this is a choice that both of them make un-influenced, because [uncritical glorification of self-sacrifice as redemptive as a vehicle for pro-konoha ideology internalized and sought out due to their intense self-loathing], but it is very notably a choice that they might not have been able to make were it not for rin's ghost swooping in to help drag them into the path of the attack!

obviously, obito intervenes to ensure that he alone is able to commit epic suicide no jutsu, but i think it's notable that obikaka both acknowledge rin as the reason they are able to jump in front of the attacks... and neither of them think the question the morality of this. naruto does not condone helping your friends commit suicide. rin having a level of influence over the physical world and using it to help those two's suicide instead of. doing literally. anything else.

that is weird!!! that is weird okay!!! rin does not know team 7. rin has no reason to value their lives over her own teammates. rin does not help obito minimize the damage to just himself; rin helps both of them kill themselves. and no one fucking questions it because of course not but like that's not very normal!!! that's not a decision that is kind or normal!!! i don't know what kishimoto's purpose in adding rin to this scene was.

WEIRD STUFF PART TWO: genuinely how were we meant to interpret this shit

here is an image of an illusion of rin that is representative of obito grappling with his morality and love for her. it is meant to be somewhat unsettling and horror-toned.

here is an image of rin's real ghost that is supposed to build sympathy for her and obito as characters and is meant to be romantically toned:

not news because there are many rinmages that depict her on the verge of homicide. but it certainly is a framing for that scene!!!!

genuinely unsure what the fuck was going on throughout the entire segment of obt's afterlife. i wrote a meta about a sub-textual horror reading of it a while back that still holds up imo if you want to get more into it...but the big things of concern to note about this scene is that rin is totally okay with everything obito ever did :]

THIS JUST IN: nohara rin supports the bombs on babies movement. unsurprising.

anyways. textually, this was probably meant as a way of cementing obito's redemption/change of heart but. that is not how it comes off. "the whole time." even during the genocide??? really???? really??????? also not relevent to the point of this. ramble. but i like the background being light grey because the present has white borders and flashbacks have black borders and this liminal space has something inbetween. big win for enjoyers of girls who don't exist

uhhh hopefully this was helpful? lmk if you need any other screenshots of panels or context i'm happy to provide. as long as it's about rin i mean i don't know shit about anyone else

[pikahlua]

Can you expand a bit on why Hawks would want to keep the hero rankings rather than get rid of them? I'm having a hard time understanding why he would do that whatsoever. What "good points" are there that he would want to keep? It always felt like a major source of corruption imo, especially since one of Nagant's jobs with the HPSC was taking out corrupt heroes who found unsavory means to boost their rankings (convincing normal people to do crimes, then arresting them). Appreciate your insight as always <3

Hawks' major criticism of the hero rankings was not the rankings themselves but the popularity component of the rankings.

Saying the "popular" thing, saying the thing everyone wants to hear, isn't heroic; it's cowardly. It's conforming. Hawks is looking for a dependable hero to be a symbol, and such a symbol has to be strong in the face of criticism. They can't capitulate to what's easy and popular, especially when such sentiment stands in contrast to what's needed and righteous.

Hawks goes out of his way to pick Endeavor to mold into a leader because Endeavor has that leadership quality--he's not trying to look good in the public eye in every moment. He's consistent and dependable. He has the highest rate of incidents resolved--even more than All Might. Hawks thinks Endeavor is reassuring, that people will follow his lead.

Of course, the good part about the "popularity" component of the ranking is that it keeps people in check. To give an example, there's this concept in my old line of work called independence, which is divided into two things: actual independence and the appearance of independence. It's important for someone in my old position to be independent in fact BUT ALSO in appearance. If people can't TELL you're independent, how much does it help even if you actually ARE independent? The same thing can apply to heroes in terms of public approval. Yes, heroes need to take public approval ratings with a grain of salt, because sometimes doing the right thing is not the same thing as doing what's popular. However, consistently going against the grain without a thought for helping the public understand you, without regard for social mores or others' feelings, will eventually turn the public against you. It's the issue Katsuki had to deal with as he went through his character arc. If the public doesn't trust you, why would they take your hand when you reach out to save them?

Hawks never really goes into anything like what Nagant mentions, and I don't know if Nagant's commentary on heroes who colluded with villains for fame and glory even was a) directly referring to the hero ranking system or b) something that can be resolved by eliminating hero rankings in the first place. That issue seems like a product of fame chasing, not merely public approval, and people will continue to crave the limelight whether or not there's a ranking system. But if people aren't dependent on heroes being the only heroic ones, such as in this new list of everyday heroes Hawks is considering, the existence of fame-chasing heroes doesn't hurt society as much. People won't be depending on heroes to all be perfect and good, they'll support each other, and so the whole system won't be shaken up by the public image of heroes wavering.

As an aside, there's one other funny thing to me about this idea Hawks has.

Hawks is a young upstart, and the fact that he landed this influential political position is quite a shake-up of the status quo. Japan notoriously likes to have things happen in a certain social order, and young people jumping up the ladder ahead of their elders always makes for an awkward dynamic. I do kinda think Hawks is being considerate by not "doing things a little too fast" and completely destroying the old system, because something that radical is not always palatable to the majority opinion, especially when the person advocating for it is as young as Hawks. Just changing a system this much is already a pretty radical step based on my (limited) understanding of contemporary Japanese politics. And I direct you back to my commentary on how Hawks is building on what the older generations have given the next ones. He's always been a character that sat between the older and newer generations like a bridge, so this seems like a decent compromise.

[bthump]

Hi! I recently reread Berserk and a question came to mind: what do you think about the motif of light/darkness presented in Berserk? It's especially clear in Griffith's speech: "He who bears light exists in the deepest shadow. And it's within darkness that true light is discovered." What do you think this motif points to? What does it reveal in Berserk? I'd love to read your thoughts, thanks in advance!

Thanks for the ask, sorry this took a couple weeks to answer. I definitely have thoughts on this topic that I've referred to a few times in various posts, but I wanted to lay it all out relatively thoroughly here.

At its core, imo the light and dark motif boils down to connection and companionship vs isolation and loneliness - which I'd argue is one of the most bedrock themes of the story.

In terms of pure visuals, Miura consistently illustrates loneliness as being surrounded by darkness. Guts' companions are described as "warm lights" by the Beast of Darkness in chapter 290, and Schierke sees "lights" in Guts' subconscious that turn out to be memories of people he's loved in his life.

The connection between Guts and Griffith especially is often represented by a flash of light, whether visually on the page, symbolically reflected in eyes, or as a diegetic yet significant part of the environment:

In addition to phrasing like "he shone before me" or "the more dazzling he is in my eyes." We see less from Griffith's perspective, but his torture chamber monologue is also full of this light imagery, so it goes both ways. "As he shines so glaring within me..." Here's a post with even more examples.

And I think most uses of darkness and light in the story essentially stem from this root of loneliness vs companionship. From the Beast of Darkness and the Falcon of Light, to the darkness in the heart of humanity, to the climax of the Millenium Falcon arc and the line you quote.

Everything that falls under "darkness" here springs from and is amplified by emotional isolation, and one of the major points of Berserk is that the best way to combat all the negative feelings that make up the Idea of Evil, the hell whirlpool in chapter 7+8, apostles and demons - fear, sorrow, trauma, despair, etc - is through emotional connections with others.

Godo spells it out in chapter 130 when he tells Guts a healthier alternative to his Black Swordsman rampage would've been staying with the remaining Hawks and immersing himself in sorrow with them:

As does Flora in chapter 203 when she says Guts' choice to protect Casca is also his own protection from "hellfire" (which in context is Guts' own hatred fueling his revenge campaign, as explained in the previous chapter):

Chapter 250 really hammers out this theme and the visual light/darkness motifs when Irvine describes becoming a beast when he's alone, but demonstrates humanity when he's with Sonia and covers her with his cloak:

This theme pops up constantly if you know to look for it, these are far from the only examples.

And it comes to at least one climax during the confrontation between Ganishka/Shiva and Griffith. Ganishka has a chapter detailing his life of isolation stemming from extreme paranoia, paralleled to his current existence as a being far beyond the rest of humanity and unable to connect with them (itself a parallel to Sonia's loneliness in her clairvoyance in chapter 250 above, imo Griffith's emotional distance as a leader in the Golden Age and as a virtual god in the current story, and the way Guts sees the world when he's wearing the Berserk armour and consumed by rage) and concluding that darkness is all there is.

Griffith appears as a beacon of light on a dark horizon. Ganishka forgets his own urge to kill and wishes only to connect with him in some way, as another being on the same plane of existence.

Through that brief connection the world is remade in a blaze of light:

Fantasia explicitly brings humanity together by uniting people against dragons and stuff, also described with a light metaphor:

However, there is one complication with the light-as-relationships motif: dreams can also be represented by light.

I described emotional connections as the best way to combat the darkness, and that's consistently framed as true in the story, but according to Berserk it's not the only way - another way is through having a dream, something we're told when eg Casca explicitly says that everyone is weak so they have to rely on dreams and other people as sources of strength:

A major aspect of Berserk is the way it contrasts dreams and (emotionally open, mutual) relationships as two ways of combating dark feelings, and shows how dreams are often less emotionally healthy. Griffith's dream vs his relationship with Guts is something I've written about at great length lol, but there's also Guts' dream of revenge vs the potential to be emotionally open with the RPG group, the troll arc villager's speech about dreams potentially being "opportune escapes," the simple fact of worldbuilding that people sacrifice loved ones to become obsessive monsters, etc.

I think it's also notable that apostles feel a compulsion to follow and love Griffith, as if sacrificing an emotional connection for the sake of a dream leaves an emptiness in them that they long to fill, yk? Dreams can help stave off the darkness, but they can't be your only source of strength or you'll become a monster who still craves love and connection. I think that magical compulsion towards Griffith is symbolic of this sentiment.

And basically since dreams can also be symbolized through light - like Griffith's shining castle, or the campfire of dreams chapter - I think it's up in the air whether the shift to Fantasia is more about bringing humanity together or about fulfilling its collective dream. Or maybe those two things are one and the same in this instance, tying it all together.

And Griffith's "He who bears the light exists in the deepest shadow. And it's within darkness that true light is discovered," line is particularly interesting in this context imo because it's a pointed echo of at least two notable griffguts scenes.

Griffith in the torture chamber of course, in both literal and metaphorical darkness with Guts "blazing" in his mind like lightning, and Guts shining while the dream grows dull in comparison - "true light." And Guts' nightmare in chapter 290, where the Beast of Darkness refers to Griffith as "the true light that burns us."

There are also strong parallels between this scene in Guts' mind and the climax between Griffith and Ganishka, which I've discussed before. Ganishka pursuing Griffith to destroy him and fulfill his dream becomes a longing to connect with him when he's fully isolated as Shiva.

SO BASICALLY I think there's a recurring motif of people chasing dreams instead of human connection and finding themselves, when all's said and done, still longing for that connection, because dreams aren't enough. Maybe Griffith is referring to fulfilling a dream when he says "it's within darkness that true light is discovered," as he fulfills his own dream by bringing Fantasia into the world. He discovered what he thinks is his true light when he fell into despair and sacrificed all his friends, isolating himself as a monster.

But if so, I think the narrative is still referring to emotional connection as the "true" light, and Griffith is yet another monster who still isn't fulfilled even with a dream, because he's alone. Like Rosine who has her Land of the Elves but finds she wants Jill's friendship more, or Count Slug who treasured his daughter above his life, or Ganishka who forgets his urge to kill Griffith and just wants to connect with him. Griffith did discover "true light" in the darkness once, and it was the realization that Guts was more important to him than the dream.

Just as Guts' true light is Griffith, and he wants to destroy him because the longing for him "burns" him.

I'd even go so far as to say that Griffith is the "Falcon of Light" because he's the "King of Longing." He represents light because it's what he yearns for - both the dream and an emotional connection. And, maybe, because it's also what he delivers to people. Like the way he's referred to as "the desired," and that aforementioned apostle compulsion I mentioned earlier, but also maybe Fantasia as a way to bring humanity together, depending on where that part of the story is going?

So yeah. To sum up, darkness = all those dark negative feelings that make a person monstrous, which are given strength through isolation. Light = the things we rely on to combat those feelings: dreams and relationships with people. But only relationships are truly fulfilling - if we just rely on dreams but remain isolated, we'll become monsters eventually anyway. This is woven through the story in various ways through various relationships and plotpoints, and Griffith and Guts are the central relationship that illustrates it.

Hope this was a decent answer!

[twinsarekeepers]

I’m curious as to your honest thoughts on the show? Like I love pjo and all but the show was a bit of a let down writing wise. There’s always the point of “it’s an adaptation, not a carbon copy” like yes but this new writing isn’t exemplary better than the book just because it’s rewritten by the author himself

I think the show is well-written not because Rick is attached to it, but because I actually like the way the writers are approaching adapting the source material. I have a lot of issues with the original books in terms of writing quality because frankly speaking, I don’t think Rick is a very good writer. He has a lot of interesting things in those books that he never explores or drops within the first two and this fandom gives him and the books too much credit imo.

This is why I’m not very moved when people try to ascribe meaning to a certain scene or choice he made in the books to get mad at the show for changing. As an example, one of the main things people were upset about was the kids “knowing everything” in the show when they were getting tricked left and right in the book. Many posts were dedicated to how the book version is superior because it illustrates how they’re just twelve years old kids so of course they’ll make mistakes and get tricked by monsters.

That’s a perfectly fine interpretation but I was twelve years old when I first read tlt and I was able to anticipate almost every single trap, despite being pretty gullible and naive at that age. My knowledge of Greek mythology consisted of Disney’s Hercules, maybe two Google searches, and my second grade teacher’s reading of the kid friendly version of the Odyssey. No where near the level of Percy who’d been learning for a whole year in an established class on the topic with Chiron or Grover who was literally a satry born into the world or Annabeth, who spent the majority of her life dedicated to studying specifically quests and Greek mythology and was also on the run fighting monsters for a good portion of her childhood. Like twelve year olds can be dumb but those three stumbling into every trap was asking me to suspend my disbelief too far. I remember being upset that they weren’t able to figure it out because it was obvious that Rick wasn’t making that choice to show any personality flaws or character dynamics (because he would’ve had them learn and grow but they never did they just kept being not smart), he just wasn’t able to figure out a way for them to fall into those traps organically so he had to dumb them down.

I think the show was able to get across the characters’ childishness without compromising their established backstories. Yes, Annabeth knew it was Medusa right away because that makes sense for a kid who has experience with running into monsters. But, she still acted very much like a child in her interactions with her (and throughout the episode and season). She lashed out and called her a liar and wouldn’t listen to her side of the story because it painted her mother in a bad light. That’s peak twelve year old behavior.

Yes, Percy figured out Kronos was behind everything, but it makes sense because Percy knows Greek mythology and where Kronos resides. He still very much acts like a child when he asks Hades to give him back his mom in exchange for nothing because it’s the right thing to do.

There are dozens of examples like this for a lot of complaints of the show. And this is not me saying that the show is perfect: every single show has flaws. For me, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the dialogue or the exposition dumping. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment though because I don’t think it was egregious (and wrt the exposition dumping, I expected it because the book did it and there’s really no way to “show not tell” Greek myths). I also didn’t like that we didn’t get to really see the huge clashes between Zeus and Poseidon in the weather (we got references to it through news reports but I would’ve liked something more). I was able to look past it because I really liked the storytelling and the themes the show was pulling out of the original source material.

I loved Medusa-Sally parallels and Medusa-Annabeth parallels. I loved the juxtaposition of Pan’s quest to manifest density. I loved Percy and Annabeth’s opposite trajectory in respect to their relationships with their godly parents. I loved exploring Sally’s choice to send Percy to school instead of camp. I loved explicitly coding Annabeth as autistic. I loved Luke’s backstory being brought earlier into the story. I loved the deadline passing and Poseidon surrendering to save Percy. I loved Persues-Andromeda and percabeth parallels. I loved fleshing Grover out. I loved glory vs home seeking being the central theme of the show.

And lastly, I was able to understand that with a limited number of episodes and run time (due to the nature of child labor laws!), they did the best they could and I feel like they did a pretty good job for a first season.

These are not ALL of my thoughts on the show because that would be a very long post. I gave one detailed example of why I think the show succeeded in something the fandom tries to ascribe the books and it was like three paragraphs lol. Anyway this is not the post to try and convince me that the show is bad for whatever reason you have cooked up. I’m not going to change my mind and I doubt I’ll change yours. Here’s to a season 2 that builds on a solid season 1!

[starscelly]

people smarter than i have pointed out other major issues with it but another one of my Things with the pwhl expansion draft is how this format of each Already Very New team losing several big name players has to be sooo bad for fan retention, especially for people just getting into watching the league. you settle in, you pick a favorite team, you get familiar with all the players finally. and then you literally lose such a significant chunk of them. and its not like you're losing your bottom pairing and 2/3 of your 4th line or your backup goalie or something. no! it is the top scorers on the team, it is the shiny new rookies, it's your most solid defenders, it's your starter goalie, it's your fucking captain!!!

imagine just getting into a team and then that team is immediately gutted and entirely changed from the reasons you stuck with this team. because ultimately! yes theres geographical loyalties and everything But At The End Of The Day most people stay fans because of their loyalty to a team. as in to the players. especially in a league where there are only 6 teams. so when you're forcing such intense changes into such a young league ... people are left wondering what they're even supposed to be loyal to, because it's not the Notable Quarter Of A Team they just lost!!!!!

imo you can't hope that people will stay fans of a team because of Team Loyalty when you just completely changed what their team is, first of all, and second of all when the league is SO young. we've technically only seen one (1) FULL season! the inaugural season started Weird and Late . the team you JUST fell in love with is COMPLETELY different now and you still probably aren't familiar with many of the players in the league if you're a casual fan! i'm sure its better for diehards who are like well at least we can sign x, y and/or z, but newer fans who aren't familiar are just like . well what the fuck is even left on my team.

and like. i'm sure this will build to something beautiful and large or Whatever one day but currently the way they've been building this league has been consistently unfriendly to fans and also. to the players lol

[foxbuck]

BuckTommy or Buddie (Endgame Spec)

Pt. 1- BuckTommy

I've seen a lot of theories about why BT/Buddie would go cannon, but I haven't seen anyone compile all of them yet. This is my best attempt at a semi-comprehensive guide to the theories that I think hold some weight! I didn't get all of them of course, so if I missed an important one please please put it in the notes. For the most part I'm using other users' ideas and then building on them, so all users and the post I referenced are linked next to their theory (go check them all out!!!).

For the sake of ease I'll be referring to all the pieces as "___ theory." Also I don't know what the fuck the writers are doing in that damn room so don't take any of this too seriously. It seems to be a general consensus that they're making some peculiar decisions recently so who knows what the hell is gonna happen next episode/season.

sahtinekryz post BuckTommy is Chekov's Gun

"A narrative principle emphasizing that every element in a story be necessary, while irrelevant elements should be removed. For example, if a gun features in a story, there must be a reason for it, such as being fired at some later point." (Wikipedia)

The Checkov's Gun theory claims that Tommy's repeated appearances must have a narrative purpose. Tommy has been consistently reappearing/mentioned in s8. His story hasn't closed yet because the gun hasn't gone off yet. Something major is going to happen with him, and a very likely explanation is that he will get back together with Buck.

Personally I started with this one because it has a lot of weight imo. Sahtinekryz mentioned this in their post, but the showrunners probably spent a significant amount of money to have Tommy and his expensive-ass helicopter stunt in 8x15. He is reoccurring in these episodes for a reason. I'm not going too into depth with it because a lot of the other theories build off of it, but definitely keep Chekov's Gun in mind while reading the other theories.

-

Main Character Tommy

vanpalmersgf post Tommy Character Independence

This theory states that Tommy is being set up to be more important in the show because they are giving him scenes where he is a) present and b) acting independently from Buck (maybe ((hopefully)) implying that the runners are trying to give him his own arc??)

The best evidence for this is Tommy's appearances in the 8x16 flashback saving Bobby and in the funeral procession. In both instances, Tommy was involved because he is a character that the show sees as important--he wasn't just there to interact with Buck. The showrunners want the viewers to like Tommy.

Building off this idea, giving Tommy's character more independence in the show and establishing his relation to the 118 in his own way (in contrast to his only connection being through Buck) allows for him to later be recognized as an important part of the 118 family, which is damn near exactly what distantreverbs brings up in their post about Tommy's 7x04 wish. distantreverbspost 7x04 Wish

“I was super jealous… All of you. The 118. How it’s become like a family over there. I mean, how you all… were willing to put everything on the line for one another. I wanted to be a part of that.”

I really do like how well these two theories fit together. Tommy outright said last season that he wants/wanted to be a part of a family like the 118. Tommy's character getting this independence feels like he could be set up for his own mini-arc, and as op said, "Tommy’s entire narrative is clearly being built around fighting through his demons and getting the loyalty and love he so desperately craves as his reward."

As I mentioned already, giving Tommy's character more independence from Buck in turn tightens his individual connection to the 118 as a whole. Having a closer connection to the 118 leads up to his 7x04 wish being granted, and, being reintroduced to the 118 through Buck, the reasonable follow up would be for him to reestablish his connection with Buck.

-

distantreverbs, niraves, Chug Ugly (yt) Invisible/Red String Theory

I think this is a relatively popular theory but I can only really find a few posts and a video so I linked those.

"String theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings."

Just kidding. I can't find a definition for this one though, idk where y'all get this shit from. Anyway.

Invisible/Red String Theory basically states that soulmates are connected throughout time and space with an 'invisible string.' I'm not exactly sure how to explain this, but I think that giving some examples of how this applies helps.

1. Tommy leaving the 118 opened the space that let Buck join. (This one feels the most tangible, almost like Tommy is literally pulling Buck along behind him.)

Abby connection (including in s1 where Abby's parents thought Buck was Tommy.)

The bubbling scene (where Buck and Tommy are thinking about each other at the same time.)

As niraves mentions, previously these were all accidental. However, the 'Abby reveal' makes it seem like Minear is solidifying them and making them now seem intentional in-universe. The showrunners are actively giving this theory substance (and Minear reposted the yt video so ..!) Points for Bucktommy.

-

Parallels

I'm not giving these a lot of weight because they can happen on accident a lot of the time I think, but I figured I'd mention a few recent ones since it was already mentioned that some accidental things are being made to be seen as noteworthy now. I also only found a few so.

sahtinekryz post Madney/Bathena parallel in 8x15

In 8x15 Maddie and Athena both listened/watched as their s/o was laying down in immense pain, paralleling Tommy watching Buck collapsing on the camera at the end of the ep. In all instances, there was a barrier between the pair (glass, distance [only audio or visual]). Iirc Tommy's scene was actually decided on film day that they should show him watching Buck. Take from that what you will.

bucktommysource Try Again

[Buck in 5x18] "Is that really love? Right, shouldn't it be when you're at your worst, they're at their worst, you have every reason to give up and you still decide you want to try again"

[Buck in 8x11] "You want to try again?"

ambernotember I should go.

[Maddie talking to Chimney] "I should go."

[Tommy talking to Buck] "I should go"

firehose118 BuckTommy at Madney wedding

Buck and Tommy having a major scene Maddie and Chimney's hospital wedding implies a parallel between their love and the love that Maddie and Chimney have. Narratively, if this parallel holds, it makes no sense to not have Buck and Tommy reconcile/be endgame

That's all for now! Feels really short so I know I missed a lot, but I wanted to get this out now so I'll have to come back or make a continuation post.

I'm planning on making a part 2 with Buddie theories so if y'all had a theory you want me to add then definitely comment/put it in the tags; it would help me make a bit of a longer post than this one (and save me a lot of research time lmao) <3. Same with if you have anything you think I should add to a BuckTommy cont. post.

Setting aside long-term spec, I really don't think that we've seen the last of the Buck/Tommy relationship. All of Tommy's minor reappearances hint at him doing something, and that is really undeniable. These theories are all of course about a BuckTommy romantic relationship, but even if we don't get that, all signs point to them making up at least platonically.

Also please no shipping discourse in the notes, these are all just theories written in good fun, not meant to say one ship is better than the other <3

[hollyberrygarden]

"Eternity in the Embrace of Sloth," the newest costume story featuring Hollyberry and Eternal Sugar, is one of the best yet, imo. I had to make my own post about it

if you haven't read it yet, please read it before you read this post—not only because of spoilers but because it is a very interesting story. I think it's longer than the majority of other costume stories, but it is 100% worth it. you can find the story in-game in the Cookies tab -> Costumes (third button) -> Costume Sets (bottom left) -> it's the very first story on the top left; click the Story button with a book on it and you're good to go. alternatively, you can read the story at this link (takes you to the fandom wiki)

full analysis under the cut due to length

to summarize, it's an alternate end to episodes 9 + 10 of Beast Yeast where Hollyberry stayed in the garden with Eternal Sugar. Hollyberry chose to keep her friends trapped in the jars "all those years ago" and now guards the gates to the garden with a shield given to her by Eternal Sugar. she has some doubts about whether she made the right choice, and Eternal Sugar reassures her that she did

the entire story is filled with Hollyberry's thoughts about her choice, the garden itself, and the friends she left behind to live her new life. it's filled with her confusion and a consistent voice in her head asking, "was it truly the right choice?" she has no idea. but these thoughts haven't left her at all. we know this because Eternal Sugar questions why she keeps "tormenting herself instead of savoring the pleasures of Sloth." this concern is not new for Hollyberry; she has dealt with these worries for years, alone, without someone to support her or walk her through them

Eternal Sugar reads right through her, even when Hollyberry says she has no troubles because there are none in the garden. Eternal Sugar immediately gets angry—not openly yelling, but with words as "sharp as knives." she appears happy, but her words are filled with the veiled anger and frustration we see in the story. she point-blank tells Hollyberry not to lie to her and asks why she lied. Hollyberry is genuinely surprised because it's clear that Eternal Sugar has been watching her for a while, long before she descends in front of her at the start of the story to ask about her troubles. Eternal Sugar hopes she doesn't regret her decision to stay in the garden, and when Hollyberry doesn't reply, she says, "say that you don't." even if Hollyberry doesn't mean it, even if it isn't the truth, she wants Hollyberry to say she doesn't regret staying there with her anyway. she needs her to say it because anything else would disrupt the peace and "Happiness" they've forged together. or rather, it would disrupt Eternal Sugar's idea that their Happiness is actually what Hollyberry wants and is actually true

Hollyberry never actually replies to this, instead getting sucked back into her prior concerns. she thinks about her mindset when she was first convinced: fearful of a world of suffering, her heart "in dismay" and "on the brink of collapse." she was struggling, horribly so, and Eternal Sugar's promises sounded too good to be true. it was the escape she's always sought, right in front of her. she didn't even have to run to find it this time.

but her protective instincts, the way she's cared for her loved ones, have not faded. she guards the gates, but she wonders what from if there is no pain. she tells herself the decision she made was for her loved ones' happiness, but she wonders if they're just unhappy instead. she lives to protect those she cares about, but now she isn't, and she may even be the cause of that pain. she has a shield, given to her by Eternal Sugar herself, but there's nothing she needs to protect at all. everyone she loved is already safe. "happy." what else is she supposed to do?

Eternal Sugar calls it "boredom," which is probably close to the truth. when Hollyberry leaves to take a bath to take her mind off things, Eternal Sugar grows more openly angry, her eyes "colder and colder." she considers Hollyberry's thoughts to be "useless" and laments how much she has to keep an eye on her. her next choice is to not have Hollyberry guarding the gates anymore. we don't see the end result of that, but I think it would only backfire. without the gates to guard, Eternal Sugar can keep an eye on her, which, in theory, should help her further appreciate and enjoy Sloth. instead, I think it's taking away the final thing Hollyberry can do in the garden. with the garden fulfilling her needs and no monsters or enemies to fight, there is nothing for her to keep her occupied. Eternal Sugar is there, but her company is obviously not enough to dissuade her thoughts, if she has been with her for multiple years and still seems to regret her decision

but in the end, Eternal Sugar loves this about her:

"'ahh, my dearest. your imperfections cause you so much pain. and yet, you try so hard to hide it from me~ …mm, but that is precisely what makes you so lovely to me. he he.' after all, it was Hollyberry Cookie's own choice to stay. a choice to protect her friends. so strong, yet, so weak-hearted. could there truly be a better other half?"

Eternal Sugar's opinion of Hollyberry doesn't seem to shift, even with these thoughts. I think she loves these "imperfections" because it reveals her heart, weak to Eternal Sugar's influence. she convinced her to stay all those years ago, and even though she hasn't fully convinced her of the greatness of Sloth, Hollyberry still made that choice. it wasn't Eternal Sugar's decision. it was Hollyberry's. Eternal Sugar has never once forced someone back into the garden—so she says—but here, she refuses to let Hollyberry leave, both in this story and the main one, where she fears her cultivated Happiness is wrong. I think Hollyberry is the exception to her typical rule in that regard, since she thinks she knows her so well. she's so determined to show her how well she knows her that she doesn't mind the imperfections, the doubts, the potential regret, because Hollyberry is her other half. she isn't going anywhere. she has nowhere to run to. they both know this

the costume story shows us the alternate end to the Beast Yeast episodes, but it also potentially serves as a "bad end" to the story itself. Hollyberry refuses to accept the reality of suffering and doesn't awaken as a result, and Eternal Sugar gets to worm her way into her heart and soul, cultivating the Happiness she thinks is best, at the expense of everything Hollyberry ever cared about, and, to me, everything that makes her who she is. Eternal Sugar still doesn't seem to know her at all, no matter how much time has passed

[dorkydegeneracy]

I know we had this debate at the end of the season about who is gonna be the next captain. And honestly, the show is made in such a way that all of the Fire Fam are supposed to be seen as the "Best Firefighters Ever" which makes them all excellent candidates for Captaincy when they are ready.

I wanna talk about mi amor, specifically tho. 🌎

In a world in which this situation with Chris isn't a road block and he doesn't have this whirlwind romance going on with his coworker, Eddie Diaz really would be a consummate captain. And if you didn't believe it before 8x18, that episode so clearly demonstrates Eddie's proficiency as a firefighter.

His military past indicates that he has peak organizational skills.

He knows what it takes to be a leader, but has the trust and love for his team which makes him not a dick (to those people who do not turn him on. Sorry Buck.).

And honestly he might be the most skilled firefighter of the bunch. I know, all of the Fire Fam are peak firefighters, but Eddie edges them all out (heh 😏) imo because he can go for those insane rescues with Buck, while being Parameddie. Every other character of the Fire Fam sticks either primarily to medical (Hen and Chim) or does primarily search and rescue (Buck and Ravi) unless shit goes wrong (which, since it's 911, happens quite often). Eddie is the only one that consistently does both, and I think that is indicative of something.

Granted, it is obvious that moving forward, Eddie will be replacing either Chim (most likely) or Hen in the ambulance. Which he is going to excel at. Because he is Edmundo Diaz. But it's going to take a minute for him and Hen to build a level of familiarity with one another since they are changing partners after working with other people for so long (Buddie have been working together for 7 YEARS, and Hen and Chim have been together for even longer).

This is actually something that I am sure they will tease out in S9, especially as a Buddie plot point. Because Buck and Eddie are going to be able to figure it out and gain "chemistry" with their new work partners. But I definitely think that there will be some tension stemming from the fact that they no longer will be working close enough to have each other's back at work. And now they don't live together. So what is their relationship supposed to be as two people who see each other everyday at work, sleep in the same bunk room, but do the vast majority of their work separately, after working closely together for so long?

I see lots of juice in the near future. Maybe they will diversify beyond orange.

[isycamor]

i do kind of have mixed feelings about the armand reveal i will not lie. but at the same time, I think we forget that we still do not have all the information (lestat’s pov, and armand’s unfiltered pov of the trial, maybe even sam’s pov loool). also i don’t think this was particularly ooc nor do i think that it flattens armand’s character.

one,i think him doing this is completely in line with what we have seen from his character thus far. at this point (ep4/6 in paris) imo it is clear that he is feeling unloved/rejected on some level by louis [dreamstat haunting their relationship was the proverbial shoe waiting to drop; there was always a lingering feeling of inadequacy armand was feeling in his relationship with louis and considering his history (his trauma) we know how deeply this would affect him]. madeleine semi-confirms that there’s a sort of wall in the vulnerability of the loumand relationship when she asks louis why he doesn’t tell armand he loves him. armand is a character that desperately wants to be wanted, is desperately insecure, and on top of that, like assad said in an interview, very forward thinking. i think he really did not think his relationship with louis would survive — not with the burden of lestat, the burden of claudia/madeleine, and honestly i think it was coupled with a lot of self-hatred. the coven was a far more reliable decision for him. louis, throughout their relationship, was not a very consistent partner if we’re being honest (and i say this as a ldpdl apologist every tongue that rises against louis shall fall unless in defense of claudia). he refused to join the coven, he was constantly haunted by lestat in vital moments of loumand relationship development, he and armand were on verryyy different wavelengths about the labeling of their relationship, madeleine’s turning in itself i think also put a major strain in their relationship, etc. i don’t say this to excuse armand, but to contextualize his feeling of isolation within the relationship.

and thinking about his history, his trauma, i really do think that he would latch onto whatever seems to be the most consistent. he yearns for that commitment, and to feel wanted; and if he was not feeling that with louis, he would make the decision to stay with the coven. years upon years of abuse, and having that abuse be tied with a twisted sense of worship with marius, I believe has stunted armand significantly. armand is cunning, manipulative, whatever, but he really does not like being a leader. he leans into subservient positions constantly, and i think this is a pattern of learned helplessness that would explain why he perhaps may have felt as though he “could not prevent it” wrt the trial. i think him honestly believing he could not prevent it and also directing the whole thing are not really mutually exclusive here.

i don’t think this diminishes his love for louis at all either, he loved louis before during and after the trial, and the trial’s preparation. this was done in response to feeling unloved by him, not in response to not loving him. and i think, at least within the show’s presented narrative thus far, witnessing the actual trial along with lestat’s action versus his own inaction at its conclusion perhaps really put his guilt and regret into perspective which led to him saving louis from the wet room. and after finding a way to be with louis again (claiming to have saved him), and having louis speak to his commitment to him (even if it was done as a way to torture lestat), made armand solely focused on preserving his relationship with louis in any way possible - and unfortunately that meant also preserving this big lie. armand isn’t some supervillain that secretly wants louis dead - he did genuinely spend his life trying to make up for it. he is desperately desperately lonely and he has lived centuries feeling inadequate and unloved. this deep deep insecurity and attachment to preserve feeling loved/wanted drives his actions in paris, in san francisco, and in dubai.

so no! i don’t think it reverses any development of his character at all! honestly, apart from delainey’s claudia, armand was my shining star of season 2. assad played him brilliantly, and i don’t think this finale diminished the complexity assad (and the writers) gave to this character at all.

(i also think having this revealed and what this will do to armand’s psyche (as a character who i think is really really afraid to look inward) is such fun setup for season 3)