#[ and hopefully new dynamics for chrissy!! ]

[mlssworld]

🐑 🍦 updates below.

[thestobingirlie]

some of the writing does seem to be hit-or-miss with the duffers here.

some of the writing choices they made/make along the way are very positive; (deciding to keep steve/joe in the show instead of killing him off, taking away lonnie's intended redemption and giving it to steve instead therefore making steve a loveable and fan fav character, etc)

but they also have flaws in the writing; them not killing the main characters brings up flawed writing choices. they do not want to kill steve off, so they created eddie's character to kill eddie off instead to further dustin's arc, but that resulted in very scenarios. steve and dustin's bond was minimized in favor of dustin and eddie's dynamic to pose eddie as a close brother figure for dustin, it made steve's character suffer in the narrative, and the way eddie was treated came off as weird.

making steve move on from nancy was a good narrative choice for steve's character because it showed that he was developing for better with getting rid off a failed relationship in which he was basically cheated on, but it got backtracked when the duffers tried to bring that love triangle drama to s4 and made steve love nancy again which erased his development from s3 by making him seem like he never actually moved on from nancy anyways.

now, they might fix this issue and make steve ''he just thought he had a crush on nancy because the other characters pushed him towards it'', and it would make sense but the whole point here was that steve was not supposed to listen to anyone and would be able to make his own choices when he already had a realization that he moved on from nancy in s3.

i honestly believe that the duffers should’ve just killed hopper off. as much as i love him and el and it would physically pain me. i mourned him! we read the letter. and at least then we wouldn’t have had that stupid fucking russian plot line, and we get actual consequences for what characters do. like hopper just fell down a hole and lived??? and then adding eddie in purely because they didn’t want to kill steve was so lazy. i’m tired of the new loveable character they kill off. i mean, apparently they even started saying they regret killing chrissy because the actress has chemistry with joe quinn, and it’s like… how can you regret killing the main plot line????

anyway! yeah, other relationships suffered so the duffers could try and connect the audience to eddie so it hurt when he died and it just wasn’t worth it.

honestly… i think the duffers never really had steve move on. he says he’s not in love with nancy anymore, sure, but stancy as a plot never actually got resolved. it was just shoved to the side because the duffers didn’t know how to resolve it. so they didn’t! but now in s4 stancy are forced to interact and it pops back up. and because the duffers love drama and love triangles, we didn’t get nancy and steve actually having a conversation about their relationship and what went wrong/the barb of it all etc. it was just flirtatious looks and steve confessing his feelings. it’s lazy writing.

and writing s5 as steve just getting shoved into having feelings for nancy would honestly be lazier. like, yeah, steve does do things in an attempt to get the people he loves to approve of him, and it is hopefully something he’ll grow out of as he realises that you shouldn’t have to change for the people you love. but to try to erase s4 stancy would not be a good idea.

[bisexualsmackingnoises]

Date anon again! Have you posted your ocs?? I don't think I've seen them srry if someone already asked about them!

Hey date anon! Thank you so much for your ask about my OCs, it means a lot to me that people are interested in them! I had this laying around in my inbox for an era and a half, but I thought now would be the perfect time to release them!

If anyone wants to learn more about these babes, just ask! I put a lot of time and love into them.

HAPPY 150+ FOLLOWERS, EVERYONE!

My (Main) JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Vento Aureo OCs!

Daphne Libertina (she/her)

Say HIII GIRLIEEE to my first and most developed Vento Aureo OC, Daphne! She’s your classic Y2K aesthetic airhead archetype. While designing her, I found Bimbo TikTok and fell in love with the aesthetic and the ideology. Because of this, a lot of the ditzy behaviour I worked into Daphne’s personality and design is inspired by Chrissy Chlapecka’s New Age Bimbo. She’s kind of a hyperfeminine vessel for whatever “girly” sentiments I have as well. I’m not that outwardly feminine in my daily life (I have a gender crisis every second week, subscribe for more!), so Daph was an experiment in expressing it elsewhere. This resulted in a newfound obsession with the colour pink and a renewed love for characters like Elle Woods and Cher Horowitz.

You might know her from my absolute banger of an art debut, the “Nectar” post*. Her besties include @blackevermore’s Chiara, @amarettocoffee’s Gina, and @bucciaratis-titty-window’s Strelitzia. Love ya galz, xoxo!

Stand: Scarlet Letter (Namesake: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne [Book]). Alternatively**, Teen Idle (Namesake: Teen Idle by MARINA [Song])

*DISCLAIMER: She does not actually do… that. Even if @bucciaratis-titty-window says otherwise. Don’t listen to her. (That being said, take a wild guess who I ship her with.)

**“Why does she have two stand names?” Her stand was developed as SL but TI adheres to the music reference stand criteria. That being said, it’s a creative choice that I use SL regardless. Both pieces of media play a huge part in her foundation.

Capriccio “Crema” Solitario (they/them)

Described often by my friends as a feral noodle, Capriccio—codename Crema*—is my compulsory “Hey, I kinda wanna bang literally all of La Squadra???” self insert that gives me intense gender envy. Capri started out as a joke character, as their old name was “La Squadra Thot” or “LST” for short (take from that what you will). This was eventually shortened to “La Thotra” … until I gave them a tragic backstory and a real personality. That being said, their base function was still present in their later design: they were La Squadra Esecuzioni’s stress toy for a little while, but eventually settled down with two of my favourite assassin degenerates and holds their own as a valuable member of the team.

Stand: Mindless Self Indulgence/MSI (Namesake: Mindless Self Indulgence [Band])

*I have a headcanon that La Squadra’s “names” are all codenames, and that they have perfectly reasonable—if not slightly referential—normal names.

Lucetta “Lulu” Vitali (she/her/they/them)

Lucetta is probably the closest OC I have to a genuine self insert—she’s the most like me out of all of my JoJo OCs, anyway. Funnily enough, she doesn’t have that much development outside of her relationship dynamic with her long-term boyfriend*. I’m still trying to figure out how to translate all of me—or at least the key parts of me—into her and how she lives. Stay tuned for that. For now, I’ll bet that she’s working an entry level position in the writing industry, a projection of my future (hopefully).

Dierdre Darling (she/her)

Stand: N/A—just a regular ol’ person.

*For the record, I'm actually currently single & happy that way. Lulu, however, is dating her high school sweetheart. Guess who!

Mild gore warning on this one, she's... special.

Dierdre came to me in a moment of exercise delirium while listening to Blood Eater by Mom, and was inspired by the way zombies work in the TV show iZombie. Well, that’s how her stand works, anyway. She began Araki-style, power first and character second. She’s a shrill, unhinged woman with an insatiable craving for human flesh, blood and bone. She’s kinda like Secco, but worse. And yes, those teeth are purposefully, cosmetically sharpened. Also, a Unita Speciale member. Ask @bucciaratis-titty-window who babysits her.

She’s not exactly “with” anyone right now, but the joke at the beginning of her development was that she’d fallen hopelessly in love with a man who could create the rot and decay of time before her very eyes… oh, did I mention she’s fascinated by decay?

Stand: Living Dead Girl (Namesake: Living Dead Girl by Rob Zombie [Song])

[sevensided]

When will the sequel to ADATS take place? Will it follow Mike and Will directly after October 22nd 85? Or are you thinking sort of a 10 year time skip thing? Or maybe like spring 86 (when season 4 takes place)

Also, will you be including the new characters in the second part? (Eddie, Jason, Chrissy, all the new ones that st announced) thanks for anwering :)

Fantastic questions! The sequel will cover October-November 1985 and end on Thanksgiving (or maybe I’ll extend it to include Christmas...). It’s intended to bookend rather than extend the story of ADATS, and it’ll be non-canon compliant (unlike ADATS) largely because of my creative choices (like the Byers moving to Chicago, which hasn’t been canonically confirmed). My other AU ideas would be a ten year skip, but the sequel to ADATS won’t have a significant skip at all.

It’d be interesting to include new characters, but I think I would only embark on a story like that if it was a rewrite of S4 (which hopefully won’t have to happen lol). I don’t feel confident taking those characters on because we know so little about them. I’ll absolutely write fic once S4 is released, though. I’m really interested in the Mike/Chrissy dynamic and Eddie sounds like a cool character. For future work I’d consider it, but the ADATS sequel will focus almost entirely on the Byers and will be written from Will’s POV!

[loganhowllett]

just finished watching stranger things 4 volume 1 and omg that ending!!! ( spoilers ahead )

i honestly can't wait until the entire gang reunites. idk how that's going to happen since almost everyone is so far apart from each other. i almost forgot how much i missed everyone until i saw them on screen, and so i can't wait to see everyone reunite hopefully in volume 2. but i'm glad we got to see joyce and hopper reunite!!!

all of the kids were so GOOD in this new season, and i was so excited to meet the new characters such as eddie and argyle. also poor chrissy, i wished we had more than 1 episode with her.

i just loved seeing how the dynamics developed throughout the new season, ESPECIALLY with nancy and robin, and also eddie's interactions with everyone. i'm glad we got more scenes with nancy and robin together and the fact they consider each other to be friends now. and despite all of the trauma eddie experienced and how he's never really interacted with steve, nancy and robin in the past as far as we know, it was so good to see him go after them to save steve in the upside down.

also i forgot how terrifying this show was lol, but i feel like the tone definitely got darker this time around compared to previous seasons.

ugh july 1 can't come any sooner!!!

[albionjake]

My Top 20 EastEnders Characters Of All Time

Yes this is happening.

I love EastEnders. Everything about it really. I think it’s responsible for some of the greatest characters ever created on TV. Also some of the absolute worst but we’re not here to talk about those! (Looking at you, The Ferreiras) I have come up with a (questionable) list of my favourite 20 EastEnders characters. My criteria? I think longevity is a big plus. The more time I spend with these characters, the more fond I’ve become of them I guess? I also tried not to be blinded by nostalgia... People tend to forget that Michelle Fowler was only in EastEnders for 10 years, to put that in context: Lauren Branning has now been a character for 11 years... It’s the same for many EastEnders ‘legends’. Den and Ange were only really around for 4 years or so... So I’ve been wary of filling the list with a load of pre-2000 people. Jamie Mitchell, you were handsome but you’ve not made the cut.

ANYWAY. Time for a bloody list.

20. Carol Jackson I originally had Sonia here but then I remembered her old mum and changed my mind. Sorry Sonia, you can have the non-existent number 21 spot. Always the bridesmaid. Carol Jackson is an interesting one because she spent so much of her time being a mopey, moaning old cow but when it mattered she showed so much heart and realness that it has to be commended. Lindsay Coulson is one of the best actresses the show has ever seen and made Carol into the most sympathetic of characters. Carol was more like a real person than most characters on the show and I found it refreshing. She’s also the mother of three genuine EastEnders legends (Sonia, Robbie, Bianca) and has so many strong links to the Square. I think it’s a real shame that she’s gone and I really hope she returns one day.

19. Tamwar Masood This seems an odd placing, I know. But I feel Tamwar represents a side of the show that is a little unrepresented in this list. Comedy. Yeah sure, some of the comedy in the show is a little heavy handed (the wonderful Kim Fox, for example) but there are some characters that are so wonderfully, subtly funny and Tamwar was certainly one of those. He was on the show for 9 years and was such a great presence to have around. Always there with a deadpan, sarcastic comment. He wasn’t involved in many memorable storylines (his whole wedding storyline was a waste of time, in my opinion) but now that he’s gone, I really miss him. The Masoods in general were absolutely brilliant and I’d love to see a return for them, if not the whole family then at least more Tamwar.

18. Billy Mitchell Yeah that’s right, I refuse to ignore the runt of the Mitchell litter. I love Billy. I think he’s another very realistic and believable character. He’s so loveable and kind, completely different to who he was when he was first introduced. A perfect example of a character growing into something more. He’s always there to help the Mitchells, no matter how horrible they are to him. His relationships with characters are always so heartfelt and believable too. His granddaughter Lola, his ex-wife Little Mo, his wife Honey, his kids, Jay, Roxy, Pam and Les and even Jamie Mitchell in the end. All really lovely relationships to have watched over the years and all down to how bloody great Billy Mitchell is. May he remain in the Square for decades to come.

17. Shirley Carter She feels like a fairly new character but she’s been on the show for over 10 years now. In her own right, she was brilliant but since her family joined she’s been a pretty unstoppable EastEnders force. Her initial Phil romance and all that came with it was brilliant and her friendship with Heather was one of the best the show has seen, along with her relationship with Ben. But since Mick and his family arrived, things have got incredibly interesting for Shirley. She’s now the matriarch of a whole family. So many new relationships and dynamics and still so many more places to go as a character. She’s grumpy, funny, nasty, bad tempered but ultimately very good hearted. Characteristics we may see again a bit further up this list. Shirley is the sort of character that EastEnders will always work well with. She couldn’t be more perfect for Albert Square.

16. Jay Brown/Mitchell I want to put him higher but I need to be honest with myself and admit Jay hasn’t exactly been at the forefront of EastEnders classic storylines or anything. I just really bloody like him. Yes, I fancy him a bit too. Ultimately, I just like him a lot. I think he’s a lovely character, the sort of character I hate seeing bad things happen to. His tragic early years with his dad’s death still feel very raw and I feel protective over him. The way the Mitchell’s made him one of their own was a brilliant idea and his relationship with Phil, Billy and Ben have all been a joy to watch. I really hope the show gives him more to play with because wasting such a wonderful little character would be a shame.

15. Den Watts Yeah that’s right. I’ve put Dirty Den here. Why? Because overall he’s only spent about 7 years on the show. His first stint is undeniably iconic. He was the first big character the show ever had. He was the reason that 30 million people tuned in on Christmas Day in 1986 when the show wasn’t even two years old. He was the first landlord of the Queen Vic. He was in the first scene and said the first words. But he wasn’t around for long. By 1989 he was floating in the Thames. Then it was 2003 and he was ‘back from the dead’. That whole return was a waste of time. Yes it gave us the brilliant Chrissie Watts and a few other great moments but ultimately it just soured the memory of who Den was before. He’ll always be iconic to the show but he’s not too high on my list.

14. Bianca Jackson Some may be surprised at how high this is but the woman is an absolute legend. Her friendship with Tiffany was one of the great EastEnders friendships, something the show often does very well indeed. Her affair with her mum’s husband Dan was gripping. Her relationship with Ricky was utterly iconic. She has links to a lot of the greatest characters the show has seen which makes her pretty important all round. Her horrible clothes, her gaggle of children, her brash personality, all of it is bloody wonderful. I can’t imagine we’ve seen the last of her and I hope she comes back soon.

13. Grant Mitchell Lower than many EastEnders fans would put him but Grant isn’t what he once was. Sure, he’s got bags of charisma and has had some of the greatest storylines the show has ever seen. He’s also one half of the most iconic brothers in TV history. His whole family is (in my opinion) the best EastEnders has seen or will see. But Grant keeps coming and going and I think it’s damaging his legacy. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for bringing Grant back but please can we have him for a couple of years rather than a few months! It’s such a shame when he just pops back for a bit to remind us of his potential and then just leaves again. I understand that Ross Kemp isn’t interested in a full time return and that’s a real shame but maybe then we should just say goodbye to him for good?

12. Sharon Mitchell/Watts I know, I know, I know. The way I go on about her, you’d expect Sharon to at least have made the top 5... But the reason I love Sharon so much is that she is a bit shit. She’s been a character since the very first episode and has never gone away long enough for a return to feel like too much. Her initial return in 2001 is one of the most iconically camp moments ever. Everything Sharon does is camp. She’s like a lowkey drag queen. I love every Dynesty-esque look, every flutter of the eyelid, every pout and every black outfit. She’s completely ridiculous and annoying but she’s a complete legend and I love her.

11. Ian Beale I know, that’s three real legends in a row now. It’s just... Ian is Ian isn’t he. He’s never going to set our worlds on fire but he’s fucking Ian Beale and he’s been with us since 1985. He’s the annoying little brother we’ve all grown to love(ish) after 30 years. We’ve seen Ian go through all sorts of things and he really has been at the centre of some of the biggest storylines. His marriage to Cindy was truly delightful and his breakdown over the death of his daughter Lucy was incredible. I maintain that Adam Woodyatt’s live acting on the special episode was Oscar worthy. Ian is a legend and he’ll hopefully be there until he’s very old.

10. Ben Mitchell Look, I’m aware that he’s pretty annoying. But what a character. Why do I love Ben? I find his weird personality very funny. He’s always been weird in a variety of ways and I’ve enjoyed them all. His daddy issues have never felt forced. Anyone with Phil as a father would have issues, particularly if they were gay so everything about Ben makes perfect sense to me. Also, we’ve known Ben since he was born. We saw his mum meet his dad, his mum discover she was pregnant, him being born, him contracting meningitis giving him impaired hearing. We only missed 7 years of his life when he went to South Africa with Kathy so we know him so well. I’ve loved pretty much all of his storylines and I hope Ben sticks around ages longer. I must say, I do hope he goes off the rails again soon, I wouldn’t want him to be normal for too long.

9. Frank Butcher A legend if ever there was one. It’s such a shame that Mike Reid died at the relatively young age of 67. It would have been great to see a bit more of Frank. Frank Butcher truly embodies EastEnders, in the same way Alfie and Mick (neither of whom have made this list) have done since. Proper EastEnd wide boys are a staple of the show and you’ll never get a better one than Frank. His relationship with Pat is one of the most famous in British television and the scene where he wore nothing but a spinning bowtie is one of the show’s most iconic. Three of his strongest connections on the show were to characters that that are yet to come on this list which is probably the reason he’s featured so high, I associate him with the best. He was loud, funny and sometimes utterly heartbreaking. I miss him.

8. Max Branning A higher placing than I expected for Max but I think it’s warranted. He’s an absolutely brilliant character. He’s so charismatic, he’s funny, he’s charming, he’s sneaky, he’s frustrating, he’s clever, he’s a hero, he’s a villain and he’s one of the show’s greatest ever characters. His marriage to Tanya was always brilliant viewing, I still hold out hope that we’ll see a return to those days. The affair storyline with Stacey is obviously up there with the greatest. His two daughters are also fantastic characters in their own right with so many layers. The show is always a better place with Max around and I’d love to see a proper return for the Max Branning we know and love. I want him back with Tanya, with a good relationship with his girls and a nice strong base in the Square.

7. Stacey Slater/Fowler I adore Stacey. I think she’s just absolutely bloody fantastic. I want her to my friend. When she first arrived, it felt like one Slater too many seeing as the family were taking up every storyline going but how wrong I was. Stacey Slater is the best thing about EastEnders right now and she’s not even got a storyline. I just love having her around. Her relationship with Martin has gone from something that felt a bit weird to something that feels entirely right. The way she talks him down from his crazy parenting habits is always such a joy to watch and the way she’s always such a great step mum to Bex is delightful. I obviously loved her affair with Max and now I love their friendship. I love her relationship with Kat and the way she isn’t afraid to kick off. Her mental health storylines have always been compelling and Lacey Turner is just one of the best actresses on British TV.

6. Pat Butcher/Evans This is getting very difficult now. The top 6 really are in a different league for me. Pat Butcher is one of the absolute best. She is almost THE icon of EastEnders. She was an ex-prostitute with a heart of gold and a vicious tongue. Her and Frank were the (pearly) King and Queen of the show for many years. Pat was related to so many fantastic characters over the years and had friendships with anyone that mattered. Her relationship with step-daughter Janine was always brilliant to watch. She was always there for her granddaughter Bianca and all her kids. She was a great enemy and eventual best friend to Peggy. Pat Butcher was so many things to so many people. She had the most iconic look with the huge earrings, loud shirts and too much makeup. Her death came far too soon but was incredibly moving to watch. It’s a shame she’s gone. Would be great to have had her around the past few years.

5. Peggy Mitchell The best woman that ever owned the Queen Vic. Yeah sure, Angie was iconic. Pat looked very at home there. Kat couldn’t have been a better fit. Linda is doing a brilliant job. But Peggy is the true landlady of the Queen Vic. “Get out of my pub” is all you need to say to realise that she’ll forever own that place in a way. Peggy was such a tiny little ball of fury and passion. The Mitchell’s are my favourite family by far (there are 6 people with that surname on this list) and she was the undisputed head of that family. Peggy with her two boys, Phil and Grant, will always be the most iconic soap family. She had some incredible storylines and Barbara Windsor gave some wonderful performances. Her one downfall might be the amount of time she actually spent on the Square. She went on breaks fairly often and I always feel like that ruins the characters momentum a little bit. Saying that, her return for her death really was beautiful. I’ve cried multiple times at the scene where Phil reads her letter to him after she’s gone. I think the nation felt the pain at Peggy’s loss as much as the characters did. 4. Kat Slater/Moon What a character. She’s the newest character in the top 5 but has managed almost 17 years! I suppose there was a 5 year break but I don’t think it did much to slow her down. Kat is such a brilliantly complicated character. Viewers loved her and the whole Slater family pretty much as soon as they arrived and Kat was immediately the stand out member. She’s loud, loveable, nasty, compassionate, funny, emotionally draining and much more. She really has got it all. Her Zoe storyline came so soon into their arrival that it gave us an understanding of Kat’s past straight away. It was a brilliant way of giving an explanation of Kat and that little girl who was abused is constantly visible in the character. Her relationship with Alfie is one of the most beautiful on the show. Her relationship with Stacey is a joy. She’s now got a load of kids who will hopefully grow up into great characters in their own right and have Kat as an old EastEnders matriarch figure. She had a great friendship with Bianca that couldn’t have felt more right and she’s had so many fantastic enemies over the years too. You’re never bored when Kat is around and I really hope she returns soon because I miss her terribly. No more RedWater please! Just Kat in the Square. 3. Phil Mitchell The top dog of the Mitchell family has to come highest really. He might not be as likeable as the previous Mitchells listed but he really is the best. He’s had more storylines than most of this list and has spent so much time actually on the show. A good handful of these characters have had loads of extended breaks but Phil really hasn’t. He’s just got back from a break but is already in full Phil Mitchell mode. Phil is best when he’s tearing the Square apart and putting people in their place and it’s great to have him back. This list is full of names that have strong links to Phil: Peggy, Grant, Ben, Sharon, Ian, Billy, Jay, Shirley. It really is testament to what a brilliant character he is. Back in the day, it was Grant who was everyone’s favourite. Grant had all the storylines and Phil was his softer and slightly more boring brother but once Grant was gone, Phil very quickly took over. The ‘Who Shot Phil’ storyline was one of the show’s most iconic. His relationships are always great, even if it is sometimes unbelievable that quite so many beautiful women would fall for him. His rivalry with Ian is one of my favourite long standing strands in the show too. Then you’ve got his two kids Ben and Louise, both great characters in their own rights now who will hopefully be around for a lot longer. He recently had another son with Denise who I’m sure will pop up 15 years or so down the line if the Mitchell’s are still a thing by then. The best thing about Phil is how flawed he is. He’s been a nasty piece of work and will probably continue to be in the future but it’s played so well that you can never properly hate Phil. Everything he does makes sense in his world and the viewers always understand where Phil is coming from, even when they disagree with him. He’s a very special character that Steve McFadden should be proud of. 2. Dot Cotton/Branning The face of EastEnders. Fair enough, Dot’s storylines these days (and most of her history, really) isn’t as exciting as most others on this list but it really doesn’t matter. The character work that has been done on Dot over the years is second to none. EastEnders fans love this woman from the bottom of their hearts and that’s down to how she’s been written for all these years. She’s an incredible character. She’s the only character that’s done a single handed episode. One whole episode with only Dot in it. Dot’s history is so rich and so full of heartbreak but also full of love and happiness. A simple storyline like Abi moving out of Dots comes with such huge emotion and that’s because she’s leaving Dot alone. Anyone but Dot and it wouldn’t have had half the impact. We care about Dot as if she was our own grandma and I can’t think of many characters I can say that about. She’s also so funny. It’s easy to think of Dot as a tragic character after all that’s happened to her and the losses she’s suffered but it’s just as easy to think of her as a comic character. June Brown has always played both sides to perfection. We love Dot whether she’s feeling sorry for herself on her own or being a busy body in the Vic drinking her tomato juice (or sherry at Christmas of course). Dot is an icon if ever there was one and it’s going to be an unbearably sad day when she leaves us. 1. Janine Butcher Yeah yeah yeah, I’m aware that the 5 people above Janine have a much stronger case for being proper EastEnders legends. But come on… Janine is such a force of nature when she turns up, it’s impossible for me to choose anyone else. I’ll admit, I’m pretty obsessed with Janine. I find her completely captivating. She’s so completely evil but then she shows you that tiny glimpse of good in her and you’re right back on her side. She couldn’t be more manipulative, for the characters or the viewers. Obviously the moment you think of when you think of Janine is pushing Barry down the cliff (“If only he’d worn slip on shoes”). She’s manipulated so many people over the years that it’s amazing she’s never been the subject of a whodunnit, hopefully she’ll return one day for that. Although not a murder whodunnit, I want Janine making people’s lives a misery for many years to come. Then there’s the soft side. We often saw the soft side with her beloved dad Frank. We also sometimes saw it between her and different men in her life but never for long. The person I remember most fondly for bringing out Janine’s soft side is Pat. Janine and Pat’s relationship was one of the most hate-filled yet love-filled I’ve seen. When Pat was dying, it was Janine that made me cry most. Seeing Janine so sad about losing someone was too much for me. I have such a great fondness for every side of Janine. I really really really hope Charlie Brooks decides one day that it’s time for Janine to come back because I can’t imagine a year goes by without EastEnders giving her a call. If she never returns though, I wouldn’t mind too much. That final scene when she’s in the airport after murdering Michael and someone asks her what she’s been up to: “Oh you know, just getting away with murder”. OH MY GOODNESS. What a line. What a woman. What a character. Please let her come back soon.

[gossipnetwork-blog]

Chrissy Metz Reveals How Kate's Miscarriage on 'This Is Us' Affected Her Personally

New Post has been published on http://gossip.network/chrissy-metz-reveals-how-kates-miscarriage-on-this-is-us-affected-her-personally/

Chrissy Metz Reveals How Kate's Miscarriage on 'This Is Us' Affected Her Personally

In the final five minutes of last week’s This Is Us, Randall revealed some horrible news to a stunned Kevin: that (spoiler alert) Kate had miscarried her baby. And in tonight’s episode, we saw firsthand how truly devastating that moment and the aftermath was for Kate and Toby.

“It’s not a comfortable [experience] to talk about, but it’s important because there’s so much shame around it,” Chrissy Metz, who plays Kate on the series, tells us. “One in five women will have a miscarriage, and I’m sure we all know people personally.”

For viewers, Kate’s loss is a personal one—we saw her do everything in her power to ensure a healthy pregnancy for herself and the baby. Metz felt the responsibility as well, which made for a very challenging week of filming. “I would literally go home and not want to talk to anybody,” she says. “It was difficult because you’re crying and all these emotions are right there all the time.”

The result, though, was a beautiful and powerful hour of television that not only reduced us to a blubbering mess (shocker) but helped raise awareness about the physical and emotional toll of pregnancy and the loss of an unborn child. Here, Metz explains more.

Before season two began, creator Dan Fogelman brought in each of the cast to break down their storyline for the year. Did you find out Kate would miscarry the baby the same time you found out she’d be expecting?

Chrissy Metz: Yeah, we found out during the summer [about the miscarriage], and I said, “No! This is going to be so heartbreaking.” Not only to convey, but to have people live through the experience with me and with Kate. But we trust the writers and Dan so much, and I know there is a bigger picture and story about going through something so difficult as a miscarriage. Nobody talks about it. They don’t talk about it on network television, and they don’t talk about it as in depth as we do. That’s so important in the dynamic of how [the aftermath] shapes Rebecca and Kate’s relationship, and Kate and Toby, and how Kate really feels about herself and what it means for the future. So, I realize there was so much more to do that I was hopeful, if that’s the right word. I was excited for the challenge and that hopefully this will bring a lot of discussion about miscarriage.

You and Chris Sullivan (Toby) carry the episode and each scene is extremely painful. How did you process such an emotional workload?

Chrissy: It was challenging, because you have to sit in that space for days on end. On a cellular level, your body doesn’t know the difference between real sadness and the sadness you’re portraying. I would literally go home and not want to talk to anybody. I would take a shower or a bath and just get in bed and listen to music that might shift my mood or meditate to get out of that space because you have to recover for the next day. It was difficult because you’re crying and all these emotions are right there all the time. Chris and I always have a great time on set and are laughing, joking, singing, and dancing in between takes, and I couldn’t really do that. That was a challenge for me, because I have such a great time with him. I literally was in my own space; actually, in Kate and Toby’s bedroom, where I go to just be alone because you can’t really distract yourself from that. It was challenging.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Tell me about the scene where Kate goes to the King Buffet restaurant. We see her fill up her plate, but then she sits down and pushes it away. Did you interpret that to mean that she didn’t want to eat her feelings, or she didn’t want to go backward with all the progress she’s made?

Chrissy: I think it was all of those things. She felt so guilty for being plus-size and being pregnant that she felt that was the reason she lost the baby, which is not the case, necessarily. Many plus-size women have awesome, healthy babies and carry them to term. But because that was sort of always playing in her mind—that she didn’t want to eat because of that, and she didn’t want to fall off the wagon—she had no control over anything else but pushing that plate of food away at that moment. It took a lot for her to even…you see when she recognizes the [restaurant] sign and is like, “OK, this is my comfort.” Then she goes in and she’s like, “No, this isn’t my comfort. This isn’t going to bring the baby back. This is not going to make me happy. It’s going to make everything worse.”

When you numb yourself out on food, you really aren’t dealing with your emotions. I think she’s ahead of that because of the therapy she had at the weight loss camp; she knows this isn’t going to help. It was one of the first times a really traumatic experience happened to her and she didn’t go for food. So it was important for her to show up for herself that way.

The episode makes a point of relaying that Kate’s miscarriage is nothing she could have prevented, which is so important because women often have a tendency to blame themselves. The doctor even says to Kate, “The main thing is, you got pregnant, and most likely, you will be able to again.”

Chrissy: Yeah, that’s a really important note and scene. One in five women will have a miscarriage, and I’m sure we all know people personally. They could not have done anything to prevent it. It’s just nature, and that’s what happens. But it’s so difficult, especially surrounding Kate and her issues with her weight. I’m glad that was explained in that way too, because you could be thin, overweight, tall; it doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter. We can bring up the conversation and say, “Wow, isn’t that interesting?” Because how do you ever bring up a miscarriage? What do you say, and where do you say it at? It’s just not a comfortable situation to talk about, but it’s important because there is so much shame around it.

The scene where Rebecca visits Kate in the present day is such a welcome moment after so much turmoil. Do you think this will be a major turning point for them heading into the next half of the season?

Chrissy: You know, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Nothing can be entirely forgiven overnight, but it definitely sparks forging a healthy relationship and moving in the right direction for them. They were finally vulnerable enough to express true, deep, raw feelings about two really traumatic experiences in their lives, and they never thought they’d have common ground. They never had before. There was so much resentment or pain or sadness throughout their relationship. Kate always felt she was inadequate, and so did Rebecca, in that she never felt she was a good enough mom.

They’ve just been misunderstanding each other. I don’t know if it was Rebecca showing up at Kate’s door, or Kate letting her guard down, or both of their [actions] sort of working together perfectly at the right time, but they were ready and willing to take a step in the right direction for each other and the relationship. I’m so, so glad that it’s moving in that way. No relationship is ever going to be perfect, but it’s definitely cracked open something new for them.

Let’s talk about Toby. Kate lashes out at him and says this happened to her, not him. My first thought was that Toby better stand up for himself. It may not have been a physical thing for him, but it absolutely happened to him, too.

Chrissy: That’s right. That’s right.

Do you think Kate is too hard on the people she loves? And did you have trouble with her in that moment, even though you understand her anger and her sadness?

Chrissy: Well, I think so much of that was projecting. We hurt the ones we love, and we project our feelings onto them. A lot of that was that, as opposed to not understanding how he was really feeling because when you love somebody, you don’t want them to go through any pain. Also, she has never been through this, so she’s feeling sorry for herself and trying to, in a way, minimize his feelings. She felt hers were so much more valid, when they aren’t. Yes, of course, she was physically carrying the baby, but it was so important that he communicated how he felt. Initially, I was like, Ugh, I can understand both sides of the coin. I’m very diplomatic that way. But ultimately I was like, “No, I have to play it in that he doesn’t know [what it’s like].” Yes, it’s grief and sorrow, but he really doesn’t know. And, of course, I was playing it in the way that there’s a hormonal imbalance because her body still thinks it’s pregnant. There’s all that going on, too. But it wasn’t easy. It’s not easy to get angry, though I think it’s very good progression in Kate communicating her feelings, whether they were misdirected or not.

PHOTO: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Let’s end this on a lighter note: Why didn’t Kate and Toby get a new shower curtain? Did they really have to pull the old one from the garbage?

Chrissy: I thought the same thing! I said the same thing! I was like, “They can afford a new shower curtain!” But you know what, it was about that shower curtain in particular. Like, getting that one so it could remind them it didn’t break them. It didn’t break their relationship. It only made them stronger, just like Toby rushing out to find that baby bath, only to give it away. That’s what he had control over in that moment, and he wanted to help in any way he could. I think it’s more a symbol of, we get to have this reminder when we’re in the bathroom and we walk by it every day. We see there’s still hope that they did this together. And because it was when she fell in the tub, I think it was more symbolic. But I thought the same thing initially!

I thought, “I just hope they sanitize that before they put it back up!”

Chrissy: I know, right?! Luckily, it was just on top of the garbage and not inside. But, listen, I always think about those things. I ask a lot of questions! In this case, it was more symbolic.

Related Stories:

The Story Behind Kate and Rebecca’s Explosive Fight at Kate’s First Singing Gig

Mandy Moore Opens Up About Rebecca and Kate’s Complicated Relationship and What’s Next

The This Is Us Executive Producer Reveals How Chrissy Metz Reacted to Kate’s Pregnancy

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Those Terrifying Robot Dogs Now Have A Metal Claw They Can Use To Open Doors/Rip Out Your Heart!

We still might be centuries away from flying cars, but at least we're one step closer to robot dogs that can hunt us down and mass murder humanity! JK, hopefully?

That's the future Boston Dynamics teased this week after unveiling a version of their already-terrifying robotic quadruped that learned a new trick: it can now open doors and escape with its friends!

Related: Sophia The Robot Finally Came For Chrissy Teigen

The robotics company, which, BTW, has been heavily funded by the U.S. military, freaked the fuck out of Twitter this week after releasing a video of the familiar robot opening a door with its -- what else? -- MASSIVE METAL CLAW.

The responses varied from hysterical posts about how these rapidly evolving machines will inevitably enslave us to.. actually, that about covers it.

Watch the video (above) to meet your robot overlords and see the human reactions (below)!

Why does Boston Dynamics seemingly brag about being the developers of our future mass murderers and robot overlords? pic.twitter.com/3oNzkpyvIT — Jᴏɴᴏ Pᴇᴄʜ (@JonoHimself) February 12, 2018

that boston dynamics robot takes forever to open a door, we're going to be fine. — Matthew Zeitlin (@MattZeitlin) February 12, 2018

Every time Boston Dynamics updates its doggy robots there are thousands of posts on how the future machines will enslave us — each watched and typed and shared on little machines that have already enslaved us ... https://t.co/t87swMIHNP — Thomas Rid (@RidT) February 13, 2018

honestly for like 8 years ive been watching videos of boston dynamics perfecting dog shaped future killing machines and its always framed like im supposed to applaud that it learned to hunt me a little better this month. — el-p (@therealelp) February 12, 2018

Watch the @blackmirror episode with the robot dog and be prepared to be scared shirtless! pic.twitter.com/H0vvVsDLZD — rorymcevoy (@rorymcevoy) February 13, 2018

Ok, a few jokes were made... to distract us from our bleak future as robot slaves:

Uh Oh: The Boston Dynamics Robots Are Doing the Mother-Daughter Scenes from 'Lady Bird' and Absolutely Nailing It — Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) February 13, 2018

Before we wrap this up, let Jurassic Park explain why this particular development is so alarming:

Save us, Laura Dern!

[deathbyzamboni-us-blog]

Best Records of 2017 (so far)

After years of people BEGGING me, I have finally deiced to write about music, occasionally. This means I’ll be another asshole in a sea full of assholes who think that their opinions on music are worth reading. Seriously though, I have decided to keep a written record of what I listen to and what I think about it. I’ll be posting when times allows it and further entries will be shorter… or longer I don’t really know or care.

This post will be about the records that I have listened to in the year of our Lord 2017, that I think you should give a shot.1 Finally, I won’t be able to bring the same level of insight with these artists as with ones I have more familiarity with. Many of the artists on this list are new to me, which is exciting.

First some honorable mentions:

The Menzingers – After the Party

The chorus of the first song, “Tellin’ Lies” simply asks, “Where are we gonna go now that our twenties are over?” This theme of the rocker growing up that permeates the record and is channeled through Springsteen with a punk backing.

Suggested Tracks: “Tellin’ Lies” “Bad Catholics” “Your Wild Years”

White Reapers – The World’s Best American Band

 You already know whether or not you like this record, based on the title of the title alone. A collection of solid rock songs. My only problems are I wish the production was a little messier and the songs were faster.

Suggested Tracks: “The World’s Best American Band” “Judy French” “Another Day”

Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound

Now this band I have some history with. This is the follow up to Here and Nowhere Else and this record has eased on the Dinosaur Jr. like punch of that record. Unfortunately, there isn’t a track here that reaches the heights “I’m Not Part of Me”.

This is a bad and good thing. It’s bad since none of the songs on Life Without Sound are as good as that one, but it’s good because “I’m Not Part of Me” was so good that it distracted away from the other songs on that record.

Ultimately Life Without Sound presents a collection of exceptional songs with some awesome hooks and it adds up to a more cohesive record.

Suggested Tracks: “Things Are Right With You” “Darkened Rings” “Modern Act”

5) Charly Bliss – Guppy

Talk about a ray of sunshine! This record feels like it was discovered in a 90’s record bin in between copies of The Breeder’s The Last Splash and all of Weezer’s early output.

Despite the fun that this record holds I feel that the biggest hurdle for most people to overcome is Eva Hendrick’s chipmunk like vocals. Yes, they’re abrasive but further listens prove that they are perfect for the cocktail of bubblegum alt. rock that is this record. Hendrick’s melodies are some of the most addicting sounds I have come across in a while. All the while having a hint of sexiness to go along the rocking feel of this record.

Suggested Tracks: “Percolator” “DQ” “Black Hole”

4) Hurray for The Riff Raff – The Messenger

Hurray for The Riff Raff is spearheaded by Alynda Segarra. From what I can gather this is a semi-autobiographical concept record. She switches the point of view in song to explore the lives people currently living in America.

To complement this theme is a variety of song types; “Living in the City” feel likes a great Pretenders song (her voice reminds me of Chrissie Hynde’s); “Rican Beach” has a Spanish beat to it; “Pa’lante” is a piano ballad that tries to encapsulate the desires of all American’s. (Well I just wanna prove my worth / On the planet Earth, and be, something / I just wanna fall in love/ Not fuck it up, and feel something.)

I have only listened to this record a couple times, but I find it reveals itself more on each listen.

Suggested Tracks: “Living in the City” “Hungry Ghost” “Pa’lante”

3) Diet Cig – Swear, I’m Good at This

Since The White Stripes, two piece bands have been more prevalent. Many of these groups try to hide the lack of instruments by filling the space of the sonic pallet on their recordings. Diet Cig embraces this lack of sound to create intimacy so when the noise does kick in the effect is more powerful. It’s classic quiet/loud/quiet dynamic I know, but that has missing in recent years.

Lead singer/guitarist Alex Luciano has no problem embracing the intimacy in her lyrics as well. Many of these songs come off as if she were whispering deep emotional secrets into your ear. For instance, the song starts off the album, “Sixteen” regales a tale of sleeping with a guy in her hometown who goes on tells everyone afterward. This leads to her moving to the city and most of the songs deal with being young and lonely when you move away from home.

The lyrics may not be complex and that’s a good thing. All you need to do is tell the truth when you have an electric guitar to help tell your story. Finally, many of the songs feel like well-produced versions of early Guided By Voices. There are big songs here despite their short length.

Suggested Tracks: “Leo” “Barf Day” “Blob Zombie”

2) Japandroids – Near to the Wild Heart of Life

It has been five years since these guys released the best rock record of the decade, Celebration Rock. The hype has built up from that time making the initial listens of Near to the Wild Heart of Life a little disappointing but further spins have proven that this record is a worthy follow up.

The narrative of Celebration Rock was a love letter to your 20’s that culminates with the happy ending of marrying the girl. The record was wild, balls out and romantic. Near to the Wild Heart of Life’s title track plays almost as a recap of the previous record which leads the narrative of figuring out where you’re going in your 30’s when you have gotten everything you wanted.

From the second track (“North East South West”) onward the tempo slows down (a bit) but still provides the fist-pumping choruses of the previous record. It’s clear that this is a transition record so not every song is a winner (“I’m Sorry (For Not Finding You Sooner)”.) There are successes with the sonic experiments (“Arc of Bar’s” synth are very welcome for its 7 minute long run time.) 

A lot of the lyrics may be silly but hopefully, we don’t have to wait another 5 years for a new record.

Suggested Tracks: “Near to the Wild Heart of Life” “North East South West” “Arc of Bar”

1) Kendrick Lamar – Damn

The title of this record and its cover encapsulates the feeling I have waking up every day in the year of 2017. In the true follow up to my favorite record of 2015, To Pimp a Butterfly. (He did release Untitled Unmastered last year but that was just a holdover of material from Butterfly.)

I know it’s cliché to put this record on my list, but the record is so good. Though it took me multiple listens to appreciate some of the songs in the first half of the record, but it is a complete album. From the intense and flow intricate opener “DNA” to the sublime ballad of “LOVE,” DAMN offers a wide range of feelings and emotions to engage with.

Kendrick is smart here, making only a few allusions to the current presidential administration. It defiantly comes up but this record reminds us that politics make up a fraction of our lives so, why dwell on things. No matter who you wanted to win, the personal problems you had before are very much still here and must be dealt with, as well.

Suggested Tracks: “DNA” “LUST” “LOVE”

1.     For future reference, If I have chosen to write about a record, you should listen to it. I’m not trying to do turkey shoots here. I am trying to make suggestions and come to writing about music in a positive light. If I do think the record sucks I will state it in the first sentence.

[gossipnetwork-blog]

The Story Behind Kate and Rebecca's Explosive Fight on 'This Is Us' Season Two Episode Two

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The Story Behind Kate and Rebecca's Explosive Fight on 'This Is Us' Season Two Episode Two

This is Us fans have always been aware that Kate (Chrissy Metz) and Rebecca (Mandy Moore) have a complicated mother-daughter relationship, but the exchange between the two on tonight’s episode was downright brutal. (Spoilers ahead!)

Rebecca decided to surprise Kate by attending her first singing gig—but rather than appreciate her mother’s support, Kate lashed out and unleashed years of anger in the process. “You still make me feel like a stupid, fat little kid,” Kate admitted after Rebecca said she sang “incredibly beautifully”—a word choice that set off Kate. Dumbfounded by her daughter’s accusation, Rebecca asked what she had ever done to make her feel that way, and all Kate could could say was, “You existed.” Ouch.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Kate followed it up by telling her mother that she only wanted a daughter like herself, and she was never going to be that. “No, you wanted me to be the you that you never became.” Rebecca remained impressively calm and collected, telling her daughter that she had nothing to say because, “I can’t think of anything that would be quite that terrible. You and your brothers are my entire life.”

So what provoked Kate to lash out like that? With too many questions and not enough answers, we asked executive producer and co-showrunner Isaac Aptaker to fill us in.

My jaw was on the floor with some of the things Kate said to Rebecca. Did you discuss how far you were willing to push their conversation? Or what damage this could do to their relationship?

Isaac Aptaker: We’re very fortunate we have a lot of brilliant female producers and writers on our staff who have wonderfully complicated relationships with all of their mothers. [Laughs] So, we had a lot of personal experience and real stories to draw from. Dan Fogelman wrote that episode with Bekah Brunstetter, who is one of our writers, and they did such a good job capturing how much love is there, but how much pain these two women have caused each other over the years and continue to inadvertently cause each other. It’s a long scene, and there’s a lot to it. These episodes are only 42 minutes, [so in editing] we wondered if there was any where to make a cut, but Mandy and Chrissy are just so good and we found it so compelling that we left it pretty much untouched. I think that was the right decision.

At the end of their exchange, Toby tells Rebecca he doesn’t know the full history between Kate and her mother. Is it safe to say that for us, as viewers, we don’t know either? Because what we’ve seen so far of Kate and Rebecca’s relationship doesn’t indicate there’s this much bad blood.

IA: Yeah, definitely. The relationship between Kate and Rebecca is going to be a big one that we’re really unpacking this year. Kind of how in season one it really focused on the dynamic between Randall and his mother and the secret of William that she kept from him for so long. This season we’re really diving into the mother/daughter relationship and what it was like for these two women growing up over the years and how they drifted apart and how they can hopefully come back together as adults.

PHOTO: NBC/Ron Batzdorff

What do you think was the worst of Kate’s accusations?

IA: Oh man, I think the saddest and truest thing that she says to her there is, “When I look back on this day that is my first time singing in front of a crowd, this is what I’m going to remember.” That breaks my heart because Rebecca just wanted to be there. She comes from such a place of pure intention; she just wanted to be there for her daughter and celebrate what should have been this really joyous occasion. And totally, inadvertently—through no fault of Rebecca’s—her presence turned it into this loaded thing for Kate, and it had the exact opposite effect. That’s why their relationship is so poignant and powerful. Rebecca just wants to be a good mom to her daughter. She just wants to do right by her, and it feels like every time she makes a move, it just ends up exploding in her face.

I know. I was like, what did she do that is that bad? She didn’t kill Toby!

IA: [Laughs] Right, right!

Do you worry about having these two female characters pitted against each other?

IA: We never talk about them as pitted against each other. Again, we really try to draw from our own experiences and the experiences of the women on our staff, particularly in this case, and also Dan’s family experiences because Kate’s a lot based on his family. We believed these are two women who are trying to repair and to do right by each other, and there’s a lot of baggage there and history there. At the end of the day, as you saw at the end of the episode, they have that small little repair in the car, where Rebecca tells Kate that she really loves Toby. So even moments after they said these pretty cutting things to each other, there is that effort to get through it and still be there for each other. So no, I don’t think we ever look at it as Kate and Rebecca pitted against each other. It hopefully captures the realities of what is a very complicated, fraught, but ultimately love-filled relationship.

Will we ever see Kate in her 20s in order to get more of that backstory?

IA: That would make our casting department’s head explode! It’s something we talk about a lot, just from a production and practical standpoint: When do our teenage actors transform into our adult actors and do we need another person to bridge that gap or is it something that we can do with our wonderful hair and makeup department? We’re very, very interested in visiting Kate in that time. In terms of whether it’s going to be Hannah [Zeile; teen Kate] or whether it’s going to be Chrissy, you’ll have to wait and find out.

PHOTO: NBC

Some fans haven’t gotten on board with the character of Toby, but I thought it was so funny and sweet that he told Rebecca he’ll always be team Kate.

IA: Honestly, we are baffled why anyone wouldn’t love Toby. We adore the character and Sully as an actor! We’ve heard every now and then there are people out there who aren’t on board with him, and I don’t get it. If I had a daughter or a sister, that’s exactly the guy I’d want them to be with. He’s just such a funny, fresh, genuine guy who we all love, and it felt like a very Toby thing to say. But no, it was not a pointed comment to anyone out there who doesn’t think he’s the guy for Kate. [Laughs] We don’t understand that.

Heading into next week, will Kate and Rebecca pick up from where we left off?

IA: Next week is Sylvester Stallone’s episode, so that’s the big focus there, but this is a bigger season-long arc that we’re going to explore their relationship over the years. We don’t dive right back into [what happened in the club], but it’s going to be a big part of the season. We’ll definitely hit on many more moments over the years of Rebecca and Kate, both at each other’s throats and being there for each other in really beautiful ways.

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