mars-the-menace

[mars-the-menace]

I love them normal amount

[mars-the-menace]

From the way Geta and Caracalla reacted to Acacius' and Lucilla's betrayal to their fear of the people's wrath against them, you can really tell how young and inexperienced these two really were.

Yes, they had an almost complete disregard of their subjects needs and, yes, they were heading straight to madness but there is also a tragedy to their stories. They were given great power at a young age, Caracalla's mind was all but gone and Geta showed signs of an unhinged character. They had no one to rely on except each other and seemed eager to have someone that they can trust.

But their madness also makes you wonder, how much of it can also be blamed on their position? These two would probably have different demeanors (and most certainly different fates) if they had never become Emperors which makes you realize how power can truly corrupt and destroy people and even display their true characters.

[mars-the-menace]

My (least) favourite part about writing fic for this ridiculous fandom is trying to play Google PhD for Caracalla's fantasy-convenience syphilis.

You don't get to just have symptoms from every godforsaken stage of the disease at once willy-nilly like you're collecting them in jars for display. Pick one or AT MOST two stages at once and sit with it. Christ.

Let's see what we've got here. Welcome to my unlicensed clinic for fictional people and friends only, but do take this neutral disclaimer that I dropped out of school at 12 so I'm totally a professional and this analysis is medically sound as all hell.

Ready? I'm not.

Primary stage: 2-12 weeks after infection - congratulations, nothing here. I have not checked his privates but the only symptom of the initial stage is the chancre, which lasts for up to six weeks before healing on its own and nothing else exists in this stage so. Clear based on presence of other symptoms.

Secondary: 1-6 months after primary stage. - rash, check - fever, can't measure without touch or thermo but a safe check anyway - sores, yes but in a weird location (how are you getting these on your cheeks exterior, tell me). - muscle aches, check. Have you seen how this boy walks? How he holds his hands? - weight loss, don't know. He's petite, doesn't really look malnourished. - headaches, hard probably. - hair loss, none. Fluffy as fuck. - swollen lymph nodes, again I have no touch contact. Probably though. - sore throat, no complaints and has no issue shouting.

Latent: that stage after secondary, where you kind of just don't have symptoms most of the time, but the virus is getting everywhere. Spine, brain, heart, nerves, organs, everything. Flares are possible but mild. Lasts up to 20 fucking years - our boy is like... 25 at most. Hopeful? Not so fast. Based on all evidence and speculation, I wouldn't give Caracalla's immune system much credit as to its ability to hold the infection at bay and the "up to" numbers are best case scenarios. The lowest range for how long the latent stage can last is three years, but quicker progression is usually seen in AIDS patients, and AIDS didn't exist in 200 AD, so we're ignoring that. Despite this, given the era and its customs and culture, it's perfectly possible that Caracalla's caught his infection in his early to mid-teens, which...

... no symptoms to check against, so, moving on,

Tertiary: Most people with untreated syphilis never hit the tertiary stage, because the infection takes so long to get to this point. Up to 30 years. Yet somehow, Caracalla manages to have tertiary stage neurological symptoms from advanced neurosyphilis while not having the physical symptoms or, sans despair-inducing circumstances, the age to show for it. And while having the definitive second/latent stage symptom of skin rashes, which you do not have in the tertiary stage at all. And you don't get to speedrun this stage either: you can live with this thing for twenty years without dying of it. You don't just hit tertiary one day and die next week. Again, how are you managing all of these cherry-picked symptoms and HOW are you fast-tracking them and yourself to hell SO fast. This is going to be such a long list but here we go: General: - brain damage / dementia / cognitive problems, absolutely. - heart disease, nope. - movement disorders and muscle problems, aside from the forementioned pain, no (clear) evidence. - nerve damage, no evidence. - seizures, none. - vision problems / blindness, none. Neurosyphilis: (can and will develop at any stage, however, symptom progression seems tied to general progression, you don't get to have tertiary stage symptoms with secondary stage disease, etc. Except if you're Caracalla and the gods hate you I guess.) Meningeal: - headache, hard probably - nausea and vomiting, no evidence - neck stiffness, I mean sure but he also sits like a sack of potatoes, differential diagnosis of your fucking posture sucks so much - light sensitivity, honestly Geta suffers more of this than Caracalla does (I think this is Joe's fault and I relate) - vision or hearing issues, still nope - cranial nerve dysfunction, no evidence

Menigovascular: - vertigo, no evidence - stroke, thank gods no - muscle weakness or atrophy, still petite but looks fine, twin comparison checks out

General paresis, early: - mood disturbances / irritability, very much - personality changes, yes (based on Geta's statement) - changes in sleeping habits, unknown - forgetfulness, dear god and how.

General paresis, late: - mood swings, and how - memory loss, yes. - impaired judgement, sorry is laughing at this inappropriate - confusion, yes - delusions, yes - seizures, still no.

GP / psychiatric: - depression, no - delirium, hard maybe - mania, no evidence - psychosis, well on the way there

Tabes dorsalis: - ataxia (issues with coordination), reasonable or strong evidence sans differential (drugs. he's on so many drugs) - nerve pain, probably - bladder control issues, most likely not - outside of differential (script case -> fear) - abnormal sensations, we just won't know - vision changes, still no evidence - pupil abnormalities, none - loss of coordination/reflexes, some sans differential (DRUGS) - neuropathic arthropathy (bone/joint fragmentation), none - problems walking, some

So with all of that out of the way, this boy's manifesting: - none of the initial stage as far as we can tell, so he's had syphilis for longer than six weeks. Great, this really narrows it down, lads. - nearly all of the secondary stage symptoms, including rash, which is not present in other stages, indicating that he's either secondary or latent stage per presentation (1-20 years after infection). - one definitive symptom of tertiary stage syphilis, being his absurd amount of neurological / neuropsychiatric symptoms. Even then it's almost impossible for him to be at this stage under any circumstances, but here we are. TERTIARY STAGE DOES NOT HAVE RASHES OR OUTWARD SYMPTOMS. TERTIARY STAGE IS INTERNAL ONLY. (screams into a megaphone in the general direction of Hollywood) - three symptoms of early general paresis - every single symptom sans seizures from late general paresis (again you can't have this with your other symptoms by ANY standard that I have been able to dig up. Like based on medical law this is literally illegal go straight to fantasy disease jail.) - let's say one whole symptom of neuropsychiatric made out of two halves, with psychiatric disorders manifesting in late stage disease - 2½ symptoms of tabes dorsalis which is whatever, as none of this is technically outside the legal zone of what he's allowed to be experiencing.

WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF DISEASE PROGRESSION BLIND BAG ARE YOU DRAWING FROM. No wonder everyone's so worried about you. You're either going to die an absolutely excruciating and horrifying death in a week or in 50 years and nobody can tell which is it going to be.

The only thing we can say for somewhat certain is that regardless of where his disease progression is headed, his mental state is not going to go back to fine ever again thanks to the plentiful evidence of physical and permanent brain damage from his infection, even if he was pre-latent and experienced a decent degree of improvement in the asymptomatic period - but honestly, as a person of questionable mental and physical state myself, I relate to and accept this. Disability is not a death sentence.

The rest of this though? What the hell. What are we supposed to do with this. Who do I sue.

[mars-the-menace]

This will be my single controversial rant about Gladiator and its sequel (specifically my thoughts on Maximus being retconned as Lucius' father), and then I will be silent on the matter because this blog is meant to be A Good Time and I just enjoy sharing my love for Gladiator with everyone on here :)

KIND OF SPOILERS FOR GLADIATOR AND THE SEQUEL (BUT NOT REALLY) BELOW

As everyone knows, Ridley Scott made the choice to reveal in Gladiator 2 that Lucius is actually the son of Maximus from a secret affair with Lucilla. In G2, it's apparently implied that Lucilla was trapped in a bad marriage, fell in love with Maximus, and kept the truth about Lucius' father a secret. Lots of viewers have been split about this, with some thinking that plot point was implied in Gladiator and others feeling that it contradicts what was established in Gladiator.

I am strongly of the opinion that this choice was a bad one, that it does interfere with the integrity of the original film, and that Gladiator 2 would have been much better without that change. I'll give my reasons below.

1. Yes, rewriting Maximus as a cheater does destroy his entire character arc in Gladiator.

We've all seen Gladiator, right? The one where the hero has everything life can offer but longs only to return home to be with his beloved wife and son? Carries their figurines with him into battle, cares only for them when his own life is threatened, lays down to die by their graves after he finds them dead? Spends the whole movie only wanting to meet them again in the afterlife and only gets peace once he's there?

Yeah. Apparently that guy cheated on his wife with a princess. His son and Lucilla's sons are the same age, which means Maximus would have to have been married to his wife while also sleeping with Lucilla.

Maximus' entire character arc relies on his pure, unconditional, self-sacrificial love for his family. Take that away, and you have a generic action movie about a guy who wants revenge because the Emperor tried to kill him once. Even when Maximus has lost everything inside himself and cares about nothing else, he still honors the memory of his family and fights to avenge them as well as join them. He is shown still talking to his wife in the afterlife through prayer and believing she can hear him. As @streets-in-paradise pointed out, it's the equivalent of having Aragon or Hector of Troy cheat on their wives — it's just painfully out of character for them.

There's also an element of Maximus' love and respect for his Emperor, Marcus Aurelius, another driving force in his characterization. I think Maximus has too much respect for Marcus to have had an affair with Marcus' married daughter, even if he knew Marcus maybe would have wished Maximus had married Lucilla. We never get much insight into that part of the past, but if we go by the virtues Maximus upholds throughout the movie, I just don't think Maximus would have considered sneaking behind Marcus' back to sleep with his daughter.

Either way, the emotional heart of Maximus' character is his love for his family, and retconning that so your sequel has a "bigger emotional impact" is nothing short of undignified and sloppy.

2. All the conversations between Maximus and Lucilla in Gladiator imply that they did have a romantic relationship — but that it was public (not clandestine) and took place before either of them were married.

Yes, Maximus and Lucilla definitely were in love at some point. Russell Crowe and Connie Nielsen have great chemistry, and their conversations (both of them) hold so much weight with "what could have been." Lucilla talks about how she wounded Maximus deeply as he did her, and their conversations are full of things like, "Is it so terrible seeing me again?" The weight of their previous emotional attachment pervades the movie in a way that is inextricable from the plot.

BUT. Maximus and Lucilla had their relationship A LONG TIME AGO. This is very clearly established by the way they talk to each other. Maximus has been in Germania for twelve years (taking breaks only to go home, but NEVER to visit Rome). He and Lucilla presumably met sometime before that, probably while the royal family was visiting some city where Maximus was serving in / commanding the army. The details are never established.

However, Maximus and Lucilla clearly had a public enough relationship that Marcus and Commodus knew about it, but there is never the slightest mention in Gladiator that Lucius might be Maximus' son — something Commodus surely would have exploited had he known it was a possibility.

Maximus and Lucilla were in love, but it was before they married other people. They were probably teenagers or young adults who fell madly in love, wanted to marry, but were stopped for whatever reason (probably Maximus not wanting to play politician's games, as he implies). Maximus met the woman he eventually married, Lucilla married Lucius Verus, and they carried on with their lives until they met again at the beginning of Gladiator.

Also, Maximus talks about the respect he had for Lucilla's husband (a far cry from what Gladiator 2 implies about Lucius Verus), and she talks about how she mourned Maximus' family. Sure, you can read into the script and find stuff about how Maximus could have been Lucius' father, but it explicitly goes against the values and implications of the overall acript.

Connie Nielsen stated that she played her scenes thinking that Maximus was Lucius' father. She's an actress, and she plays Lucilla brilliantly. But she's not the scriptwriter, and no matter what her intentions were, the script implies that their relationship took place much longer ago, before either of them were married. @becomelions made a great post about how Lucilla, too, can wish as much as she wants that Maximus was Lucius' father, but he couldn't have been. Not unless you retcon all of Gladiator as fanfiction.

3. Maximus' relationships with Lucilla and Lucius are not meant to replace those he had with his wife and son — they are meant to be reflections of some of the bigger themes of the film.

With all that said, this is not a hate post about how Gladiator should have been about Maximus and his wife and son, and how I hate Lucilla and Lucius' story and think it contradicts that blah blah blah. NO. The storyline with Lucilla, Lucius, and Maximus is one of the strong points of the whole movie — but not as a replacement for the family he has lost.

In a lot of ways, Lucilla represents Rome as the ideal Maximus always believed in: beautiful, noble, and proud. When he becomes disillusioned with Rome, he becomes disillusioned with Lucilla; when he starts to believe in the hope of Rome again, he starts to believe in Lucilla again. They're always linked. Lucilla is not the woman he wants to start over with and marry now that his wife is gone. She is an old friend and ally whom he eventually learns to trust again.

Lucius, on the other hand, represents what Rome can be again. Lucius is the grandson of Marcus Aurelius, and I think Maximus longs to honor his mentor by preserving the life of his last living heir. Lucius reminds Maximus of his son, yes, and he brings out the protectiveness and the desire to do for Lucius what he couldn't do for his own son. But that doesn't mean Lucius has to be his son for that relationship to have emotional impact, as I will explain further in point 5.

4. Maximus' relationships with Lucilla and Lucius are genuinely integral to the film, but as they are — not as what they could be.

Again, I absolutely love the dynamics between Maximus, Lucilla, and Lucius throughout Gladiator. Russell and Connie play off each other so well with those "I remember how you used to be but that was a long time ago" vibes. Russell and Spencer Treat Clark only share one scene, but it's one of the film's most memorable scenes.

However, we are not meant to question those relationships as "oooooh but what if Lucius is actually Maximus' son????" Maybe Ridley left that door open for the audience to consider, but again, I feel like the film contradicts that by implying that Lucilla and Maximus loved each other much longer ago.

When you make Lucius Maximus' son, Lucilla's seeking out of Maximus as his savior becomes less interesting. It becomes "I'm calling on you to save your son even though you don't know he's your son" instead of "I'm asking you to act out of the goodness inside you to save a boy who doesn't deserve to die any more than your own son did." The version we see in Gladiator is so much more impactful.

It also cheapens what Lucius' journey could have been in Gladiator 2! Again, @streets-in-paradise pointed out how much better the sequel could have been if Lucius had been acting in the shadow of a brilliant man who captivated the city of Rome but also was his friend for a little while. As I'll discuss in point 6, having the reveal of Lucius as Maximus' son is just the laziest possible route for a sequel, and it certainly drags down the dignity of the relationships we see in Gladiator.

5. One of the strengths of Maximus' choice to fight for Lucius' survival in Gladiator lies in the fact that he doesn't have any familial obligation to him.

This is one of my favorite points, because I do love the dynamics between Maximus and little Lucius! Maximus has a bone-deep obligation to save his family — he rides for days and nights to get home and save them, but he misses them by a matter of hours. He wrestles with guilt and misery because he feels like he failed them. He was supposed to be their protector, and he couldn't save them.

BUT. Maximus has no such blood ties to Lucius. This kid is the son of Maximus' ex, the grandson of Maximus' dead mentor, and the nephew of his most hated enemy. Maximus doesn't have an obligation to Lucius as his father: he doesn't even know him until Lucius approaches him in the arena.

And that's what makes his decision to fight for Lucius so powerful. Maximus sees Lucius as the hope of Rome, and he decides that's still worth fighting for — something he had given up on before. Even though he has no obligation to save Lucius as his son, he wants to save him as an innocent young boy caught in political matters over his head.

Again, making Lucius Maximus' son cheapens the impact of that decision. Ridley Scott built up so many amazing plot points and relationships, and it really disappoints me that he just cast them aside to make some easy money by relying on the success of the original.

6. Relying on such a trite, overused plot point to make up the emotional foundation of your sequel can only weaken your sequel and ruin the dignity of your original film.

My final point is simply that Gladiator 2 could have been really well done. They could have done something original with it (or something totally off-the-wall like Russell Crowe's vision LOL). But I think Ridley Scott was banking on that nostalgia factor, and he chose a plot point that he knew would be easily marketable — the hero of the second film is the son of the hero of the first film.

We've seen it done literally hundreds of times, from Star Wars to Superman to Toy Story, and having that be the big reveal of Gladiator 2 is just lazy writing. To have Lucius trying to live up to the legacy of Maximus the hero would have been interesting. To have Lucius discover that he's the son of literally anyone else would have been interesting. To have Lucius discover that he's the son of Maximus is an eye-roll-inducing move that should have been trailer bait and nothing more.

Primarily! Because it can't be the emotional foundation of the movie! Lucius has to have his own journey if it's his movie; he can't just walk in Maximus' footsteps and be like, "Father, speak to me," if he's not going on his own individual emotional journey. We as the audience have to relate to our hero because he's our hero, not because he's the son of our hero.

I'll be honest — I probably wouldn't go see a sequel to Gladiator no matter what it was about because I think Gladiator is a perfect standalone movie and should have stayed that way. I just don't think you can recreate the scale and impact and simplicity of Gladiator in today's film industry.

However, I could at least have had respect for a sequel to Gladiator if Ridley Scott had shown some respect for his own movie. I just hate the fact that Maximus' noble, honorable character is reduced to a cheating husband whose only character trait of note is that he served Rome. Maximus is one of the best characters of the 21st century, and I love him too much to support a movie that trashes that legacy (as well as tries to replicate the beauty of my favorite film of all time).

Final thoughts:

Gladiator is a movie. You can read into it whatever you want, and it doesn't hurt anyone.

I love Gladiator more than I can say, and it's really important to me not just as a cultural icon but on a personal level as well.

Anyone who knows this blog knows how much I love Maximus Decimus Meridius, and Ridley's choice to change Maximus' character so drastically is one that really just ticks me off.

To me personally, Gladiator 2 is not canon, and I will never consider it so on this blog.

[mars-the-menace]

An analysis of Emperors Geta & Caracalla from “Gladiator II”

(*SPOILERS AHEAD!!*)

Hands down they were two of the most interesting characters from this movie and they deserved more screentime but thanks to the complete script and the actors' incredible performances we can gather a lot about their personality as individuals and dynamic as brothers.

Emperor Geta

The released script has confirmed that Geta was the first to be born and we had already kinda guessed it because of the way he behaved and how other characters used to address him for important matters.

He also had a more calculating and observant nature in comparison to his brother and he was certainly calmer. Nevertheless he was power hungry, slightly unhinged, hedonistic, selfish, naive, short-sighted and uncaring and blind about his people needs. The interesting thing is that he seemed genuinely hurt by Acacius' and Lucilla's betrayal which means that he genuinely wanted their respect and loyalty.

In the script there is a deleted scene where Geta and Caracalla asked from Lucilla to adopt them as her sons, which was a common practice back then to strengthen the bloodline. The Emperors knew that they had no right to the throne, so they made this offer to Lucilla, a daughter of a well-respected Caesar. It was a clear political move, especially from Geta's part (for Caracalla it's also something else which I will get into later).

Geta was a person that despite his cruelty he craved loyalty, admiration and respect. He wanted to be loved by his people but he didn't understand that he also had to take care of them. By mercilessly continuing his conquests he had deprived the people of food. Still he tried to gain that respect by controlling Lucilla just like he said in the script “He who controls the lady of Rome controls the people”.

When the riots began after Acacius' death, Geta seemed to have reached a point of desperation and was even seen hiding his face on a curtain and crying.

His relationship with his brother was both complex and immensely interesting. In a deleted scene they can be seen bickering and arguing and it is explicitly said that they were like this every day. But there was also love from both ends and Geta seemed to genuinely worry about his brother's health. When they were children Geta used his own body as a shield to protect Caracalla from their father's blows which clearly suggests that they had an abusive childhood and ever since then he had always protected him. It's also most certain that he didn't want Caracalla's health problems to become known in the empire and when Acacius' betrayal was revealed Geta was the one that calmed Caracalla's outburst which can also mean that this wasn't his first time restraining him. It was also interesting that when Geta lashed out at Caracalla and threw wine at his brother's face he seemed to be regretful after the anger slowly left him.

All those arguments that happened every day never made Geta love his brother less and even voiced his great concern for him to Macrinus about how he gets worse every day. Caracalla could be even slowly dying from his various diseases and Geta felt helpless.

When Caracalla attacked him the script said that Geta wasn't entirely surprised because he had experienced these kind of moods before. Therefore it's not improbable for Caracalla to have physically attacked Geta in the past. Even at that moment the latter seemed to reach his brother and almost made him change his mind but Macrinus showed up and ended everything.

Geta was really having a huge burden on his shoulders: His responsibilities as a ruler which he proved unable to fulfill and his role as a big brother who had to protect and care for his little brother. A role which he also failed because he underestimated Caracalla's insecurities and put his trust on the wrong person.

Emperor Caracalla

Caracalla was the one that had completely lost his sanity thanks to his various illnesses. The script has confirmed that he suffered from syphilis and lead poisoning and that's a lethal combination. And yes, both diseases can affect the brain:

Caracalla was shown to be impulsive, unpredictable, short-tempered, bloodthirsty and was neither clever nor perceptive as shown when he displayed joy at Lucius for killing his champion after loudly refusing the Emperors' mercy (an outrageous act at the time) and his inability to understand Macrinus' schemes and lies.

He was naive and behaved in a childlike manner which was unbecoming of an Emperor. He was also very hedonistic and seemed more absorbed into enjoying the pleasures and luxuries of his position (sex, food, drink etc.). He, furthermore, appeared to be even more promiscuous than his brother having both male and female concubines around him. In a deleted scene he was seen going with his brother and their concubines to their bedrooms which means they fucked in the same room and shared their concubines. Caracalla invited even Macrinus to their bed to show them his “might”. Even Geta was like "bro chill".

I found his relationship with Lucilla interesting. Apparently he appeared to have a special interest for her:

Lucilla could know this since she tried to reason with him not to kill Acacius and when she was ready to be thrown into the arena herself, he was hesitant to do it and even asked Macrinus if this was necessary (If you ask me he was ready to hit that milf)

But that doesn't mean that he also didn't feel jealousy and anger for the love that the Roman people had for her. In his own words “We give them everything. What has she given them?”. Poor Caracalla didn't understand that his unpopularity came from the way his father took the throne while Lucilla was the daughter of a beloved Caesar. He certainly wasn't the brightest in the room since he failed to comprehend that his disinterest for the people made him unpopular thanks to his famous movie line “They can eat war!”.

His monkey, Dondus, was his comfort animal. He loved and cared for it. It was his companion and friend. It brought him joy and in return he spoiled it with food, clothes and even the seat of the First Consul. He was highly protective of it and, in a deleted scene, he even shouted at Geta for the latter's treatment of it.

But his relationship with his brother was the most engaging one. Apparently Caracalla was having delusions about Geta. He claimed that he tried to kill him by asphyxiating him in the womb with the umbilicus (something that is probably unlikely since it's impossible to remember something like this) and that he always lies to him. It's more possible that the diseases had heavily affected his brain and made him forget or alter things. The script even calls it "dementia" which is something really sad to have at such a young age.

Caracalla felt inferior to his brother and he never had anything that was completely his. He suffered from insecurities and when he presented himself as Emperor to the Senate he said: “Now I am the only one. I was the true us, and he was the false me. We were always "we", all our lives, but now I am only I, me, alone”. (Which is a badass line and we got robbed but that's a talk for another day)

When he cut his brother's hand and smiled I believe he did as if to say "look he bleeds" and probably because he felt relief in finally hurting him the way his brother "hurt" him all that time. But in the end he couldn't do it. He couldn't kill his brother and showed not only hesitation but also got teary-eyed by Geta's words. If Macrinus wasn't there to help, Geta would be able to reason with him.

But it's kind of peculiar how he claimed that “My hand held the blade, but my Father's hand guided mine. I was the puppet, dancing on his string” (rip to another amazing quote) even though their father was abusive. We can only blame this to his insanity.

Sadly, Caracalla seemed to worsen mentally after his brother's death as the script also said.

He couldn't even remember what he had done.

And something else which also points to his insecurity is the throne which he picked to sit on the final game:

In his final moments he felt the same way Geta did: helpless and afraid.

Died alone on his brother's throne.

(special shoutout to Joseph Quinn and Fred Hechinger. They were given so little screentime and yet they delivered thanks to their incredible work 🛐)

[mars-the-menace]

Johnny Storm fanfics are 1000X better when they have little technology.

Is this just me realizing Retro Futurism is my fav aesthetic? Yes.

They have robots like H.E.R.B.I.E. but they still have tiny tv screens and read newspapers and use chalkboards and have pagers and real books and put their space sounds on vinyl records.

Like? Oh but they have flame resistant clothes that don’t burn when Johnny uses his powers like he’s the sun incarnate.

IT’S SO GOOD.

[mars-the-menace]

i hate chris evans’ performance of human torch in the 2005 movies so much because it takes a single aspect of johnny’s character (a flirt) and fundamentally misunderstands why johnny storm is like that

the whole point of johnny being the “showboating” member of the fantastic four is because he fundamentally believes that everyone else on the team contributes MORE than him. he’s around 6-8 years younger than the other three who are globally revered scientists, astronauts and pilots. he was just an teenager that got in way over his head when he snuck on a rocket ship with his sister and suddenly has powers. it’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened to him!

sure hes a flirt and a showboat and arrogant, and is flashy, but it’s meant to cover up the fact that he’s incredibly insecure. that’s why his powers are fire based. every member of the fantastic four’s powers reflect them and their doubts and insecurities and character flaws and johnny is going to burn himself alive. that’s the entire point.

to make him into a womanizing asshole doesn’t understand his character, because johnny legit wants to do good, he just doesn’t think he can.

anyways joseph quinn’s johnny storm is one of the better characterizations ive seen in a bit (other than the ongoing ryan north ff because marvel rivals also kinda messed up johnny’s character) and im so excited for this movie

[mars-the-menace]

I personally think the fact that Skyler was pregnant and then newly postpartum for the majority of the show gets glossed over way too often lol. Not in an "oh pregnant women and new moms are soooo emotional 🙄" way either, but moreover like how deeply deranged a lot of Walt's behavior towards her really is in that context. Like here is this woman who is pushing 40, experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and all the financial and emotional concerns that come with that, raising a son who has a disability and handling all of the unique responsibilities and challenges that are a part of that experience, coping with what was essentially sold to them as a death sentence for her husband, all while also having to get back into the workforce after an extended time at home. It's crazy how vulnerable of a position Skyler was in during the time when Walter was sneaking around behind her back, lying and engaged in illegal activities right under her nose. Walt consistently harps on the stakes of his situation but ppl seem to completely disregard the weight of Skyler's. She gave birth without Walt. Handled the sleepless nights and diaper changes and night feedings and newborn tears without him. When she desperately asks him to get diapers at bedtime, he can't even do that for her without traumatizing Jesse and going to a bar while he's out of the house. Sometimes I remember that Skyler was an aspiring writer and I just want to cry lol. Losing so much of herself in motherhood and caught up in Walter White's web of lies and abuse. that's a tragedy of Breaking Bad I seldom see discussed but it's one I think about every time I watch the show. Skyler White you will always be one of my favorites, I love you so much

[mars-the-menace]

I find it funny how many of Team Black are anti House Hightower calling Alicent’s children Targtowrs as an insult and they’re Visenya and Maegor stans yet they forget that Maegor married and very much wanted a child with a Hightower woman

Ceryse hightower wasn’t some random throwaway wife either. she was chosen because her uncle was the high septon, and maegor needed that religious approval. Aegon the Conqueror on the marriage between his son and the Hightower daughter:

“King Aegon, mindful of the advantages of closer ties with Oldtown and its ruling house, saw wisdom in the choice and agreed to the match.”

But then you’ve got team black acting like “targtower” is an insult. for having a hightower mother. they call alicent’s children fake targaryens while conveniently ignoring that their fave maegor wanted so badly to have a child with a HIGHTOWER woman.

“but the lords who bore witness to the bedding all agreed that the prince made a lusty husband, and Maegor himself boasted that he had consummated the marriage a dozen times that night. “I made a son for House Targaryen last night,” he proclaimed as he broke fast.”

Later, they faced the problem of having no heirs. But instead of annulling the marriage outright, Maegor simply left the continent when the Faith grew angry over his polygamy. He didn’t ditch Ceryse. He didn’t revoke her crown. He just dipped out. And when he returned as king? He brought Ceryse back with him. He reinstated her as queen with full rights and feast-level pomp. They even had a second consummation.

“With Maegor in turn swearing to restore Ceryse to all the rights, incomes, and privileges due her as lawful queen. They celebrated their reunion with a great feast and had a second consummation.”

I think Maegor loved Ceryse. the accounts were written by maesters who had incentives to be biased. He loved her as well, but they had marriage problems because of the lack of heirs she was about a 10 years older and he still banged her like there is no tomorrow. Then left her because she didn’t get pregnant, then came back to bang her some more and bring her back to KL.

And his mother Visenya did not hate House Hightower. What she despised was the Faith and the rebellious Warrior’s Sons:

“You are a fool and a weakling, nephew. Do you think any man would ever have dared speak so to your father? You have a dragon. Use him. Fly to Oldtown and make this Starry Sept another Harrenhal”

Notice that quote explicitly targets the Starry Sept, not the entire city or even mentioning Oldtown proper. But it’s been twisted into “Visenya wanted to burn down Oldtown and Hightowers” 

I also think that Ceryse could have loved Maegor

Ceryse, still at Oldtown, continued to insist that she was Maegor's only lawful queen

Ceryse may have genuinely cared for Maegor, and her insistence on being his only lawful queen could reflect a continued emotional attachment perhaps love mixed with pain and wounded pride. It suggests a belief akin to, “I am your true wife, no matter what you’ve done.” Agreeing to accept his other wives may have been an act of reluctant love, a way to stay close to him or reclaim a place in his life. Over time, she seemed to grow more comfortable around him, possibly in response to small gestures where Maegor showed restraint or even affection an uncommon softness in a man known for cruelty. Yet her repeated insistence on her lawful status, even as he openly defied the Faith and his vows, suggests that she could not or would not let go of that marital identity and the emotional bond that still tethered her to him.

Hightower women will always be loved even by cruel men!

[mars-the-menace]

i think what gets me about the whole "viserys didn't want aegon on the throne because of his 'dirty' hightower blood" thing is.... the utter stupidity of him then marrying a hightower instead of the valyrian bride being offered to him and fathering four children on her three of which had strong competing claims with rhaenyra.

this is also the same man who allowed aegon to claim a dragon and had him married to his sister, two things that you could only do if you were targaryen. he allowed for all three of helaenas children to have cradle eggs and regarding helaena show-wise he was supportive of her being jace's queen. and based on the fight he & rhaenyra had about her betrothal to laenor, he absolutely would have officially made aegon his heir if rhaenyra ever fell out of his favor, meaning she stopped continously seeking it in order to maintain her position (ie naming her son after him)

[mars-the-menace]

I think people forget that if Alicent had not pursued her ideals and installed Aegon to the throne then the result would have been the same—Rhaenyra would be compelled to kill him and his brothers to ensure her own rule and to minimize the chance of any uprising.

Show!Rhaenyra seems averse to the idea of killing her siblings to secure the throne, but the thing is, she would essentially have had to do it because it would pave the only way to legitimize her rule, as it were, and to hold it in place without any question. If all the challengers to the throne no longer existed, then no other rule would pose any threat to Rhaenyra, which means that her own reign would be secure.

Some might argue that “no, Rhaenyra wouldn’t have to kill her siblings if they’d sworn fealty to her and stayed put” but this is a foolish idea as per Westerosi/medieval standards because AS LONG AS ANY OTHER HEIRS WERE ALIVE there always was a threat to the current monarch’s reign. Anyone dissatisfied with Rhaenyra’s rule for any reason, big or small, could very easily inspire an uprising using the remaining Targaryen heirs as figureheads to pursue their own ideals. It is very important to me that people finally understand that, and eventually see the harsh reality that Alicent had to accept, and the necessity behind her decision to install Aegon to the throne. She knew that if she didn’t get to do it, then she might be risking his life and that of his siblings. So for Alicent and her sons, pursuing the throne was really the only available option, since they were, in fact, living in a patriarchal society, and they would never be viewed as anything LESS than pure-blooded, thoroughbred Targaryen heirs.

Making yet another parallel with Alicent and Margaret Beaufort: history proved that any living heir is dangerous to the rule of a rather new and controversial monarch, which is what both Henry VII and Rhaenyra are. Henry VII because he is a Tudor—Lancastrian heir instead of a York, and Rhaenyra because she’s a woman instead of a man in a patriarchal society. Therefore, for Rhaenyra to stay in power and secure it, she would have to eliminate all other possible heirs. Only then would the realm accept Rhaenyra as their rightful Targaryen ruler, as they finally accepted Henry VII as the unifier of the two houses when all the York heirs (along with their pretenders) were dead and buried.

[mars-the-menace]

I don't like that Rhaenyra's dress was white when she married Laenor because there was no reason to. From what I remember, they were not supposed to get married yet, it was just an announcement and celebration of their betrothal. They only had to get married then because of what happened with Criston and Joffrey causing panic and also resulting in Joffrey dying (from what i remember).

Not to mention, even if it was their actual wedding, medieval weddings didn't typically have the bride dressed in white, that was something that came about in the victorian era, with Victoria popularising it. Before that, brides typically wore their best dresses, and for a princess like Rhaenyra, that would mean going all out to show off your wealth with colour and jewellery.

All that is to say, I wish Rhaenyra had a black dress to contrast with Alicent's green dress, and to make more sense of how the two sides were created in their world. It would make sense that she also wears the colours of her house. She's supposed to be the heir, so she represents the very house of Targaryen, and the best way to show that is through her clothes, through the colours of the house (black and red).

Away from the colour of the dress, I don't like the hairstyle. It's obviously fake, Rhaenyra has never been shown to have thick enough hair to pull off that hairstyle. I like the red jewels put in the hair, but the hairstyle itself needs a change. They could've just kept the braid without that top part, and maybe have Rhaenyra wear a crown instead to symbolise to the court that she's the crown princess no matter who she marries (image is important, especially through appearance, even now. Already emphasised).

All this to say, the show fucked up.

[mars-the-menace]

Alicent Hightower

[mars-the-menace]

i think i've finally decided that making alicent and rhaenyra childhood friends was a bad idea in the long run. it worked only for the first season.

because yes, making rhaenyra and alicent childhood friends did add more depth and tragedy to their relationship, but the show's choice to sacrifice rhaenyra's relationship with aegon was it's undoing.

rhaenyra and aegon having a 15-16 year age gap means that they never grew up together. she is the same age as his mother. they have no relationship, so the tragedy of 2 siblings fighting each other is completely lost in the show. it is replaced with the tragedy of 2 childhood friends fighting each other, which is just - as proven in s2 - not enough. it doesn't work! am i suppose to believe that these women that spent the last 20 years hating each other still somehow care for each other? am i suppose to believe that the relationship that they have is still meaningful to them in the wake of their own children \ grandchildren deaths?

the tragedy of the dance is rooted in aegon and rhaenyra's relationship. siblings that care for \ hate each other being forced to kill each other. and btw that doesn't mean that i think that alicent is not a main character \ deserves less screentime!

also, making aegon and aemond the main rivals for the strongs instead of aemond and daeron was a bad decision imo. daeron and jace are the same age, and viserys desperately wanted them to have a good relationship. but daeron took his family's side and resented the strongs. daeron and jace are both the same age, grew up together and are highly capable warriors. they really missed an opportunity with not leaning into the daeron \ jace rivalry. aegon's main rival should've always been rhaenyra, this is the relationship the show should've prioritize and explore. especially considering how they won't meet again until dragonstone.

[mars-the-menace]

Book Aegon with Sunfyre

I like how the scars make their faces look alike. They've been through a lot together ❤️‍🩹

[mars-the-menace]

it's crazy how much abbot we get in his first 3 minutes on screen. first thing we learn about him is he's suicidal. the first thing. the first shot of him on screen is him taking a drag of a metaphorical cigarette and being like "the horrors sent forth at the beckoning of god eclipse all ration and reason" and literally 15 seconds later the man is leaning over the edge and giggling "cant believe you guys are making me jump hahaha!!" then in the elevator down he looks like an einstein stunt double all of a sudden and is giving robby the run down on all the cases they have and he fucking ends it with "god help you all. good luck with that." that is a direct quote. he said those words. abbot and robby step off the elevator and a naked patient runs past him and he has the audacity to look surprised. he looks like who the fuck is that guy as if he didn't just admit and treat that man. abbot just blinks and is like "my circus and monkeys no longer, I forfeit my crown". eyes on the prize, he has to finish up his little tasks and lets his spine fuse into a parabolic arc as he's hunched over a computer and then he IMMEDIATELY tries to take mel's whimsy out back to put two between the eyes. TWO. not one, because one isn't enough. he needs two just in case whimsy escapes. and by god it does.

[mars-the-menace]

AHSOKA (2023) Part Five: Shadow Warrior | Dir. Dave Filoni