#(this is why i love jlaw so much)

[leclercsainzz]

hello love x

i was wondering if you could potentially do one where the reader is an actress and is in the new hunger games movies and everyone ships her with tom but she’s also dating lando … could you make a love triangle situation with these two?? like maybe she hangs out with tom more than lando or something idk lol u can come up with anything (you can decide who the endgame is) sort of like a illicit affair or where maybe she is seeing tom and everyone is aware of it idk??? (at this point im just saying nonsense i think lol)

ILLICIT AFFAIRS

PAIRINGS: lando norris x gf!reader / tom blyth x fem!reader

TYPE: social media au

WARNING: // cheating implied

part 1 - part 2 - part 3 - part 4 - part 5

yourusername

liked by landonorris, tomblyth and 689,736 others

yourusername: making this movie was hands-down one of the best experiences of my life thus far! i cannot wait to share more behind the scenes content with you all:)) and with only one week to spare .. see you out there on our press tour!

view 5,846 comments

landonorris: can’t wait!

landonorris: proud of you, my love!! ❤️

↳ yourusername: ilyyyyy 😘

↳ user: lando being a supportive bf >>>

↳ user: alexa, how to get my own lando norris?? 😭

user: she’s so pretty, i can’t

user: after reading the book, i just know this movies gonna break me 😩😩😩😩

user: LANDO LET ME HAVE HER, PLEASE

user: SCREAMING!!! CANNOT WAIT!!!!

user: i have been looking forward to this movie since they announced it, can’t believe we’re only one week away

joshandresrivera: who’s the cute guy at the end??

↳ yourusername: just some guy i know 🤷🏻‍♀️

user: caNnot wait, omggggg

user: read the book and idk if i’m mentally prepared

user: you look soo good 😩😩😩

songbirdsandsnakes: our lucy gray ❤️❤️

user: i’m actually freaking tf out about this alapapalddbsod

user: YES YES YES YES YES

oscarpiastri: can i get free tickets?

↳ yourusername: absolutely!

↳ user: i love this duo so much 🤣

user: movie of the year incoming????

user: the movie hasn’t even come out yet and the amount of snow x lucy gray edits i’ve seen just from the trailer alone 😩

↳ user: i just know once the movie comes out they’ll be all over tiktok …. i can’t wait tho!!!!!!

user: i just realized that jason schwartman, viola davis, and peter dinklage are in this too!!! alwnsofnf

user: i’ve seen the trailer like 10+ times, can’t wait!!

hunterschafar: ❤️

user: will josh and jlaw be in this??

↳ user: noooo 💀 bro, this is set 64 years before them

user: she’s playing lucy gray right???

↳ user: yes

user: AHHHHHH

user: can’t wait for all the interviews omg!!!!

user: yn and the hunger games???? SIGN ME TF UPPP

user: soo excited over this

user: i wonder if lando will be attending the premiere

yourusername

liked by landonorris, oscarpiastri and 675,758 others

yourusername: last race with my favorite boyyy 🥺🧡

tagged: @landonorris

view 4,846 comments

user: LAST RACE??? WHYYY????

↳ user: she starts press tour tomorrow for the hunger games

user: ima miss seeing you in the paddock 😩

user: ima miss you in the paddock 😩 but i cannot wait for the hunger games press interviews

user: his smile 😩😩

user: my fav papayas 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 + oscar

user: the first pic 😭😭

user: last race??? nooooooo

user: wait, im confused …. why’s she leaving???

user: gonna miss you

user: last pic 😩

user: YN?!?!!? YOURE LEAVING??!?? 😭😭😭😭😭

user: my favssssss 🧡

user: ya’ll acting as if she’s leaving forever and won’t see her again lmaooo 🤣 she’s doing press tour bc the movie she’s in comes out in a week

landonorris: 😘😘😘

landonorris: gonna miss your cute face 🥺

↳ yourusername: gonna miss you tooo, pretty boy 🥺

user: the way he smiles around her

user: wait when is she leaving???

↳ yourusername: a little after the race

↳ user: wait why tho??

↳ user: she starts press tour tomorrow since her movie comes out next week lol

oscarpiastri: that smile thoooo 🤭

user: where is she going????

user: THE best couple

user: what movie is she going for?

↳ user: the hunger games

↳ user: WAIT FRR????? is it the new one???

user: parents, frrrrr 😍

user: can’t wait for press tour, i just know she’s gonna slay

carlossainz55: pic creds to me, thank you 💁🏻‍♂️

↳ yourusername: 🙄🙄🙄 yea yea

↳ landonorris: 😘

↳ user: ynlando who??? i only know carlando ❤️🧡

user: they’re the reason i believe in love ❤️❤️

user: the way he looks at her, bro 😭😭😭

↳ user: he’s sooo in love, i can’t 😩😩

user: we won’t see ynlando for a while 😭

user: my ynlando heart 😍😍😍❤️❤️

yourusername

liked by landonorris, hunterschafer and 689,945 others

yourusername: thank you, berlin ❤️ @thehungergames

tagged: @tomblyth @hunterschafer @joshandresrivera

view 7,526 comments

user: THE REFERENCE OMG!!!!

user: MOTHER IS SERVING, OOH MYYYY 😍😍😍😍

user: he’s sooo fine!! but he looks EXTRA FINE with the buzz cut & blonde hair 😮‍💨

📌 pinned

↳ yourusername: told yaaaa @tomblyth

joshandresrivera: ohh hiiii 👋🏼

user: yn came to serve

user: tom’s the new white boy of the month!!!

user: HER PINNED COMMENT

user: tom’s soo good looking 😩

user: she’s so beautiful 😍😍

hunterschafer: WERK

↳ yourusername: are we about to kiss rn?

user: okay but why do i ship her and tom?? 🫣

user: idc what anyone says, she looks gorgeous! 😍

user: ngl but tom and yn look good together 🤷🏻‍♀️

↳ user: she’s got a bf and he’s got a gf

user: this man’s gorgeous but i also gotta remember he’s the one responsible for finnick’s death

↳ yourusername: same bestie 🥺

↳ user: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

user: okay but her and tom look soo good 😩😩

landonorris: stunning 😍

landonorris: you’re gorgeous

↳ yourusername: 😘😘😘😘

↳ user: them >>>

↳ user: missing them rn 😩😩

user: dress is gorgeous! she’s gorgeous! i just don’t like the top of the dress, if i’m being honest

tomblyth: ❤️❤️

user: cannot wait till the movie is out!!!!

user: tHe second slide and fourth slide slandnslsmd

user: oBSESSED 😩😩😩😩

user: i can already tell yn and tom are gonna be my fav duo

user: tom tho 😍

user: you look soo beautiful, i can’t 😩

user: 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

user: i’m already a simp for president snow, and the movie hasn’t even come out yet

user: TOM, OMG 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

user: THE WAY SHE PINNED THAT ONE COMMENT 😂 yn being a coriolanus simp confirmed???

user: everything about you is soo slayyyyyyyyyy

user: nothing beats the original cast but they all look sooooo good, i can’t even lie

user: the dress reference 🤩

user: PLEASE GIVE TOM MY NUMBER!!!! OR GIVE ME HIS NUMBER EITHER IS FINE WITH ME

user: is it just me or does tom look better with the buzz cut and blonde hair???

↳ yourusername: you’re not the only one 😩 ive told him several times!!!!!!

yourusername

liked by joshandresrivera, landonorris and 699,947 others

yourusername: world premiere for @thehungergames 🇬🇧

view 6,836 comments

user: THE THRID POST ALSNDKDKDMDNSN

user: i ship

user: why do they look so in love in that third slide??

joshandresrivera: 🧡

user: yn, babe, where’s lando????

user: that don’t look like lando to me 👀

user: the chemistry is INSANE 😮‍💨

landonorris: you’re killing it, babe ❤️

↳ yourusername: 😘😘 love yaa

↳ landonorris: i love you moreeee 😘

↳ user: parents 😭😭😭

user: i hope her and tom date, they look so good together

user: ya’ll gotta stop shipping tom and yn, yn’s literally dating lando and tom’s got a girlfriend

user: tom and her look so good 😩😩😩

tomblyth: love you, gorgeous ❤️

↳ yourusername: ❤️❤️

↳ user: IM SORRY WHAT??!???

↳ user: excuse me??? sir????

user: TOMS COMMENT AKALSMDN

user: the chemistry is INSANE

user: he called her gorgeous 😭😭😭 brb gonna go cry

hunterschafer: YUPPPPP

hunterschafer: serving as always!

user: MOTHER IS SERVING 😍😍😍

user: obsessed with you and tom 😍😍😍

user: if i were lando, i would be crying in a corner rn

user: why do they look like a couple in that third slide??

user: toMs’S COMMENT!! he called her gorgeous

user: ya’ll shipping her with tom as if she doesn’t have a bf

↳ user: have you ever heard of cheating??

user: ya’ll see the interview?? she called him delicious and said that it’s so easy to fall in love with him 😭😭

↳ user: she said, “and getting to work with that is delicious to an actor like me” bffr she never said anything about it being easy to fall in love with him 🙄

↳ user: actually she did proceed to talk about how easy it is to fall in love with him?????? if anything you bffr

user: @landonorris come get your girl

user: she’s so touchy with him 🙄🙄🙄🙄

user: LANDO OPEN YOUR EYES

user: we’re all thinking the same thing right?? 😏

user: they’re definitely fucking around

tomblyth

liked by yourusername, hunterschafer and 678,927 others

tomblyth: thank you, l.a. 🤩

tagged: @yourusername @joshandresrivera @hunterschafer

view 5,936 comments

user: ngl but yn and tom look cute together

user: PARENTS FRRRR 😍😍😍😍😍

user: lando & yn >>>>>

user: they have sm tension

user: ya’ll are crazy if you think yn would leave lando for tom

↳ user: and youre crazy for not thinking that maybe yn already cheated on lando with tom 🫢

user: @landonorris @landonorris @landonorris

user: lando’s busy trying to win a race while yn’s busy fooling around with tom

yourusername: SNOW FALLS ON TOP!!!

↳ user: yes, on top of you

↳ user: nahhhhh 😭😭😭

user: how’d you know about the tattoo??? 👀

yourusername: love yaaaa ❤️

↳ tomblyth: back at you! ❤️

↳ user: @landonorris

hunterschafer: cute

↳ user: how does it feel to third wheel all the time?

user: yn’s literally soo gorgeous!!! 😩

user: if i were yn, i’d be all over him too, idcccc

user: lando’s stronger than me bc if my gf was like this with another man id be going apeshit

user: they’re 100% having an affair

↳ user: ohh definitely!

↳ user: the fact that he knew about her tattoo that none of us knew about says a lot!!!! this man has explored her body

user: yntom >>> ❤️❤️❤️

user: i wonder if lando knows about the tattoo tom was referring to

↳ user: that man is clueless like the rest of us

user: @landonorris

user: not ppl tagging lando 😭😭

↳ user: he’s gottta open his eyes

↳ user: @landonorris

imessage

— author’s note: this is simply for the story, i’m aware that rachael and tom both have partners

pt2?

[spacetimeshark]

i think one of the reasons catching fire in particular is so superior to the mockingjays has to do with visual appeal. (and for some reason oscar winner jlaw having the most monotone expressions despite katniss' emotional inner monologue...) i get that it's supposed to represent war and tragedy, but use the colors on the squad themselves and in 13! it makes no sense for the capitol to be devoid of color!! the books point out specifically glittering buildings and pink and orange streets!!!

i love thg so much but there's a reason 99% of people have the same ranking for the movies despite mockingjay not being that bad of a film at all.

(and why tbsosas is gonna cement itself above mockingjay for most ppl)

[petruchio]

Bestie I think you’re so right about the movie altering Lucy and Coryo’s romance to better convey the themes within the limitations of the medium!

Like it’s actually a huge book! I knew they would have to cut a lot for the sake of run time so I was fully expecting them to sacrifice some of the details that do so much heavy lifting for the deeper themes.

But I was so pleasantly surprised, and I honestly think that preserving the themes must have been a central goal in the production! I was noticing small changes - but they all seemed to serve keeping the major themes in tact?

Like I saw it with my family (who all read thg but not tbosas) and I went in wondering. Like how are they going to make a meaningful, faithful, adaptation of such a large book?? Will my family understand The Themes? And they did!

I think it speaks to Suzanne’s writing ability (her themes are layered throughout every level, so a few cuts won’t gut them entirely) and smart/intentional alterations.

Like you mention with cutting the kiss, I think doing so highlights the transactionality of this moment. Coryo won’t kiss her OR give her the compact until she denounces Billy taupe! Like literally he won’t save her life (do the right thing, like Tigris says) if she’s in love with someone else! Interesting!

But like you say, if they do !finally! kiss (without that monologue) it’s easier to miss how manipulative he’s being in that moment and the importance of it!

I think they made a similar smart choice with being shipped off to 8 - I might be wrong here!! But I’m pretty sure he isn’t ordered to be a peace keeper? He CHOOSES that because he sees it as his only avenue left? (Which I thought was some military industrial complex commentary sprinkled in but now I’m afraid I imagined this whole thing LOL)

So assuming I’m not misremembering - I thought making highbottom force him to become a peace keeper also worked similarly. Like letting him choose that (without the internal monologue) makes his motivations seem genuine when they aren’t fully. So it’s just better for the movie medium perhaps?

Anyways, rambling done lol thanks for listening 🌟

ohhhh how i love all of this!! i love you for taking the time to send all this to me -- and thank you for validating my reading of the altered love story!!

and YES i was so pleasantly surprised by how well they managed to maintain a lot of the thematic content of the book, esp because we KNOW how much they gutted it in the original trilogy. i have a couple theories on why: the first is that the filmmakers are devoted readers of my tumblr blog and they understood the importance of preserving the political themes from the novels when adapting them to the screen (ok obviously i am joking.) my real theories are -- the cultural conversation has shifted a LOT since the original films got made, and i think they were more aware and more *able* to be more explicit with so many of those ideas. i also wonder if the act of adapting the story of someone from capitol was easier than adapting someone from district 12 -- there's been much ink spilled over how we, the privileged moviegoers who are watching the film in theaters, are much more like capitolites than we are like katniss herself. and i wonder if that made it easier to adapt -- because one of the big critiques of the thg films is that they really glam jlaw up even when she's in district 12, and it makes scenes like the "remake" scenes kind of lose their power and biting social commentary. whereas with snow, and the capitol, and the games themselves, we're meant to understand that they ARE a facade, and the movie can really lean into that. (side note, my least fav costume in the whole movie was lucy gray's swimsuit. pretty much for that exact reason -- it was too ~perfect~ for the setting.)

to your point about the change with snow deciding vs being ordered to become a peacekeeper -- i honestly couldn't remember either so i went to see if i could find the quote from the book and it's this:

[...] But as he approached the dean, a cold dread washed over him. There, arranged on the table like lab specimens, were three items: an Academy napkin stained with grape punch, his mother’s silver compact, and a dingy white handkerchief. The meeting could not have lasted more than five minutes. Afterward, as agreed, Coriolanus headed directly to the Recruitment Center, where he became Panem’s newest, if not shiniest, Peacekeeper.

honestly i wish i remembered what exactly is meant by "as agreed" but i do think you're right that in the book it's more implied that he doesn't have another choice -- because he didn't win the monetary prize, he has to enroll. so i think you're right that the point is that the idea that it's his choice at all is in question because it's societal pressure and his family's financial status that kind of forces him into the military industrial complex. but i think, because they made this scene so explicit in the film, that you're right that having him be ordered to do it instead of hearing him justify it in his head manages to accomplish what we need it to for the sake of the plot moving forward (if kind of weakening that angle of sc's commentary)

also, here's something to chew on -- i was thinking as i was watching the film if part of the reason some of the changes didn't irritate me so much was because i was more forgiving of the need to shift things around to account for the lack of internal monologue because the book is written in third person instead of first person. i mean, obviously i am overly attached to pretty much everything about katniss, and yes that comes down even to her internal monologue, but i did wonder if that made some of the changes feel more natural to me, because we still kind of get them explained to us in the book as an observer, instead of listening to someone explain themselves to us (i don't know if that makes any sense?) -- but i guess what i'm trying to say is that maybe reading tbosas is more like watching a film, vs reading thg which is more like you are experiencing something alongside katniss? and that's because of the pov choice?

WELL that was a ramble! i'm always amazed by how much we can say about these books and films!! they're just so layered and so fascinating -- i'm loving all the conversations i've been seeing about tbosas. i feel like a lot of it is really starting to gel for me the more i read people's thoughts and analyses. (i still think the third act is messy though. no matter how great suzanne's themes are, i do think the pacing is rough. lol!)

[destinyc1020]

It is not Sunday yet but I have a confession to make.

I’m so done of seeing Sydney in everything she is to me a medium core actress that only is known for her big boobs. And suddenly she is everywhere. I blocked her name on Twitter I blocked her name on Instagram. And still see her everywhere help me! With the succes of anyone but You she is even more obnoxious. I constantly see story’s about her lying about her upbringing or other stuff and everybody lovesssssss her WHY!!!

What I’m most upset about is the fact that she get so much more and faster while Zendaya has worked her ass off and is not getting the same treatment as her. Also it doesn’t take longer and she will be on the same level or even bigger than Z unfortunately.

Hey Anon!

Thanks for your confession! 🥰 As promised, I saved your ask for Sunday lol.

So, first of all, I can sort of understand how it might feel seeing an actor/actress "everywhere" and it suddenly feeling annoying to you. I used to feel that same way about Jennifer Lawrence tbh lol. 😅

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE JLaw, and I actually find her to be a great actress, but at one point in time, prior to the #metoo movement, it just seemed like she was "Hollywood's Darling", and that she was being PUSHED in our faces everywhere lol. 😅 And then you look at other Black actresses around in the industry and you wonder, why JLaw and not [insert Black Actress Name Here]?? 🤔

I'm sure there are probably some people out there that feel the same way about Zendaya tbh lol. 😅

I think it just happens?? 🤷🏾‍♀️ I think a LOT of people in the GP start to dislike an actor/actress JUST because they are seemingly "everywhere" lol.

I've always felt too though that some actors will have a special "year" or two where they have a HUGE movie coming out, or they have some things to promote, so, of COURSE they're going to be "everywhere", because their projects that they've worked hard on are finally coming out and they are obligated by the studios to promote their work. But after, they go back into hiding, and remain under the radar.

That's how most actors work tbh. Their fame/exposure comes in waves. Right now I guess it's Sydney's turn to shine lol? 😅

I literally don't know much about her work/acting talent since I've only seen her in "Madame Web" lol, but so far she seems decent to me? And if she's working "Euphoria" then I know she must be a good actress cuz most of the actors on that show are pretty decent I feel?

What I’m most upset about is the fact that she get so much more and faster while Zendaya has worked her ass off and is not getting the same treatment as her.

With that said, I can definitely understand this sentiment above. Sometimes it feels a bit unfair when you see certain White actresses (or even actors), especially NepoBabies being promoted more or getting "instant success and fame" over other Black actresses/actors who've been working in this game for a longer period of time (sometimes, decades) and they don't even have HALF the amount of fame or "buzz" and success surrounding their names. It's even WORSE when you feel like SOME of these White actresses (or actors) aren't even as talented as some of the POC that you like, but yet they STILL get fame and attention over POC actors. 😔 That can definitely be annoying, so I get it.

Idk much about Sydney or her background growing up (I don't really follow her like that tbh), but I'm not even surprised that she gets a pass tbh. She's an "All-American"-looking (hate that term btw lol 😒🙄), blonde, WHITE woman with BIG BOOBS. Oh, and apparently she comes from a very MAGA Trump-loving family. 😒 That right there should tell you everything you need to know and why she might be given a pass and liked by certain demographics in this country.

Also it doesn’t take longer and she will be on the same level or even bigger than Z unfortunately.

Hold up hold up here....

This is where I have to disagree with you lol. I don't believe Sydney will EVER be on the same level as Zendaya popularity/fame-wise. No way. Zendaya goes by a one-name basis.

The type of level of fame that Zendaya has in Hollywood only comes like once in a million lol... 😅🤣 In fact, I'd venture to say that MOST of her peers won't be on her same level in terms of fame-level....just being honest. Plus, Zendaya has dabbled in so much stuff, music, acting, modeling, brand deals, etc.

Not saying that Sydney can't do the same thing, but do I really think she will be at the same level fame-wise worldwide that Zendaya is? No, not really. I don't think you have to worry about that Anon lol.

With all that said, I don't really know how I feel about Sydney yet. Some things she's done has seemed kinda sus to me (specifically regarding Tom/Zendaya, and then there was the whole Glen Powell PR stunt), so I give her the major side-eye. 👀

But do I think she's a "mean" person? No. There are just some people I don't think I really trust. And I kind of feel like I follow Zendaya's lead on some things. If Z seems like she doesn't trust her, and she actually KNOWS her and has worked with her, then I trust Z's "spidey senses" lol. 🤭

[principiumindividuationis777]

Celebs Should Date Non-Celebs

We all know that celebrities, even if we try to look away, are irresistible. Most of them are so good-looking, so talented, so good at drawing attention to themselves, yet somehow remain mysterious, because they are often actors, so we ask ourselves, "Is s/he really serious, or acting?".

Yet they are often unhappy in relationships with other celebrities, breaking up as often as they get together. There are exceptions (e.g. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Freddie Prinze Jr.), but for the most part, celebrity power couples, like pie crusts, are made to be broken.

Thus, what should celebrities do? They should date ordinary-looking, unknown people with low-wage jobs, like most of us.

They could consider the advantages:

(1) We would never cheat. Seriously, think of your biggest "celeb crush". If that person were with you, you would be so obsessed with pleasing that person that the thought of cheating would never cross your mind. If, for instance, Amanda Seyfried or Emma Watson suddenly wanted me, why would I look elsewhere? Anyone else would just be a huge, depressing step down from their magnificence.

(2) We would never steal their thunder. Celebs have to be competitive to survive in show business. They do not like being upstaged. Well, if they did us the honor of showing up in public with ordinary folks like us, the tabloids would read, "(Celeb name) with unknown guy/girl".

(3) They would save money. It's true that they would probably buy things more expensive than we are used to having, as gifts for us, were we their significant others, but we would not have Hollywood expectations. Those of us used to dining at McDonald's would be grateful for anything we got, and would not expect mansions and sports cars and such.

(4) We would introduce them to more people outside the dog-eat-dog world of show business, helping them find more real friends (not sycophant employees and bully producers), givng them an escape, a sort of vacation world among "normal" people, where they would disappear from the press for a while, then return to the spotlight if and when they felt like it.

(5) We would protect their privacy from the paparazzi. If a celeb dates another celeb, both are worried about lawsuits if they got aggrassive with a tabloid reporter. Why? Because they have so much money, and thus so much to lose. Those of us with almost nothing to lose would not care: "Stay away from my guy/girl... or else." Thus, we would be unofficial security/bodyguards too, wanting no money, but only love in return.

Jennifer Lawrence, for instance, actually said she would probably say yes to a male fan (saying if they wanted to date her, "Just ask me."), explaining that she hadn't been with a man in a long time.

Sometimes the people who would be available (e.g. crew members on set) are intimidated by A-listers, and so never ask them out, even though the worst they could say is "no". Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, and celebrities might just be happier with "ordinary" boyfriends and girlfriends.

Right back at you, JLaw.

[thesunrisesss]

Have you seen the prequel movie? If yes🌹>>>

A. In your opinion, please rate TBOSAS movie with 1-10 scale.

(1 = I hate it, 10 = I love it.)

Things that you like :

Things that you don't like :

B. For people who also read the novel.

Your opinions about the difference between the book and the movie :

Thank you 🎼

@curiousnonny

Thank you so much for the ask!! Yes, I have seen the movie (twice lol). On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate TBOSAS as a 9, because a 10 to me would be a 1 to 1 recreation of the book. Compared to the rest of the film adaptations we have, this is the best one by far. I'll start off by breaking down the things that I liked most about the movie.

Let's start off first and foremost, Francis Lawerence was determined to fit everything cleanly into one movie. While most of us know that there was more than enough material to warrant two movies, if that happened, I believe that it would have suffered the same fate as Mockingjay Pt. 1 & 2. This is what he said during an interview that I think sums this idea up well:

"In an episode of television, if you have a cliffhanger, you have to wait a week or you could just binge it and then you can see the next episode. But making people wait a year, I think, came across as disingenuous, even though it wasn’t. Our intentions were not to be disingenuous." - Variety

So, would it have made more money in the long run? Sure. But would it make the fans happy? Probably not. Both he and Suzanne aren't just in it for the money. They want to both make something they're proud of, and something they know the fans will enjoy and I think that really shows.

Another great example of how they listen to the opinions of their fans is shown in their casting choices.

Back in 2012 when the movies first started being released, there was a lot of public outcry about not giving accurate representation to the characters in the books.

Listen, as much as I love JLaw, her personality, her acting ability, and the beautiful way she brought Katniss to life, she doesn’t look like Katniss as was described in the book. Suzanne is very intentional with the information she gives us. Katniss is a hunter, living in the Appalachian area, and has "straight black hair, olive skin, and grey eyes"; Katniss is coded as Native. Jennifer is not.

This can also be expanded into the representation of District 12 as a whole. While we're watching the events of the Reaping take place, nearly everyone in that crowd is white. If most of the people living in the district live in the Seam and look like Katniss, then where are they? Why do they all look like merchant children?

So, with that all being said, I am very glad that this time around they had a more diverse cast.

Here are the things that I picked up on myself: Clemensia is Asian, Coral was queer-coded, Bobbin was missing an arm, Tanner was missing an eye, Wovey had down syndrome and, Tigris is played by a trans actress (and was a huge fan of the original series growing up). I'm aware that there is probably a lot more I missed out on, but those are just the ones I picked up on on my own.

Another bit I loved was the character outfit choices.

Snow wore different colored roses to signify his mindset at different points in time. He wore a red rose during the reaping ceremony, red roses signifying passion and pride as he thinks he’s about to win the Plinth prize. When we see him at the train station he gives Lucy Gray a white rose, which signifies loyalty, purity, and innocence, as are his views towards her and the Games thus far. Then, during the start of the games he wears a yellow rose, which signifies friendship and luck, which represents how he feels about Lucy Gray.

Another thing that really stood out to me was the choice of character design. Of course, most of the attention is going to the Academy uniforms, and Lucy Gray’s reaping dress, but there’s so much more that we can pick up on if we look closely.

It was mentioned a TikTok, going over Tigris’s outfits, that the designer intentionally gave all of her outfits some kind of unfinished hem, as if she was still a work in progress. (I can’t find the original TikTok anywhere, I believe it was posted by Lionsgate, but it’s no longer there)

And Dr. Gaul’s outfits are phenomenal. I would say my piece about it here, but Leftie said it so much better than I could say it myself, so I will link it for you here: TikTok

Then, when it comes to the tributes, each tribute looked like they were all coming from the poor districts, but they all had something unique about them. Coral had a fish on her flannel representing District 4, fishing, Wovey had an outfit covered in buttons on her shoulders, and had a heart made of buttons on her pants representing District 8, textiles, 

There are also many things I liked about the little callbacks to the original trilogy, but don't have enough to say on it to write them their own paragraphs, so I will list them below.

The long shot on the bow and arrows on the Cornucopia, sitting and waiting to be used, because no one there is ready to take the first shot.

Lucky canceling his dinner reservations. “Two and a highchair”, I wonder who that highchair is for.

The mention of Katniss and being too early in the season. Need I say more?

I think these were all great choices because anyone who has been a fan of the series will know what they were trying to tell us, but it also blends in so well with the rest of the movie. I have no doubt in my mind that those who watched this movie as their first introduction to the series didn’t think any of those moments were out of place.

Now we’ll move on to the things I didn’t like, and honestly, I’m glad to say I don’t have many, so I will list them below:

Why is District 12 still so white? If the Seam is a large part of the population then why is everyone so gosh darn pale? Where are the people living in the Seam that all looked like Katniss and Lucy Gray??

Where is Clemmy?? I really wanted to see her act like a snake.

Where is Ma Plinth? She is such a huge character in the book and yet we don’t even see her face in the movie.

The interview between Lucky and Lucy Gray while at the zoo felt too fast, could I tell you how to do it better? No. But I do think that the pacing of it was a bit weird.

I really wish we saw a mockingjay pin somewhere, that would have been a nice call back.

The overall pace of the first half of the movie. They did really well getting in the stuff they did, but so much happened in the books that it felt like we were jumping around quite a bit trying to show us all the things that were necessary for the story.

Lack of Snow's inner dialogue. I understand why it wasn't included, but it really adds so much depth to his character that without it he just appears...normal. (Listen you can think Tom is hot all you want, but babe, respectfully, if you still think Snow is smashable after the movie ends I will personally give you my therapist's contact info)

For those who didn’t read the book, but watched the movie, I will leave you with this.

Snow is a sociopath. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He is hot and evil. That’s how it's supposed to be.

No, Snow and Sejanus didn’t kiss in the book either, I’m sorry.

Read the books. It brings so much more light and depth into the characters that you literally cannot do in any movie.

Listen to the audiobook. If you think reading the book will bring the characters to life, then this will make them feel like you know them personally. It's voiced by Santino Fontana (aka Hans from Frozen) and he adds so much to the story, minus the singing. You would think they would let a man who can sing sing the songs, but they don’t. I think it’s cause they’re scared of the edits we would create. (Btw, don’t support amazon by listening to it on audible. You can listen to it for free by either supporting your local library by using Libby or by listening to it on youtube)

Lastly, I’ll leave you with some things I'm hoping we will get to see at some point in the future.

Another book. I really hope Suzanne comes back with another addition to the series at some point. I know she only writes when she has something to say, so if she does, I'm really excited to see what she might come up with.

A TV series adaptation. Diverse and inclusive cast. One episode per chapter. One season per book. One bonus season where each episode goes over the games of previous victors. I would love to see Mags, Haymitch, Johanna, and Finnick’s games.

The extended cut. There is a 3hr 40min cut of the movie that we almost got, but didn’t, and I need to see it. There's currently a live change.org petition urging Lionsgate to release it. As of writing this, it has just over 12k signatures. If you're interested you can sign it here.

More interviews with Suzanne. Even if she doesn’t write any more books I really just want to hear more about what goes on in her head.

More people joining the HG community. It’s been a special interest of mine ever since the movies were first announced, so I’m super happy that it’s picking up steam and getting attention again!

[sometimesoliloquy]

The Handmaid’s Tale 5x09 “Allegiance”(or “Are We There Yet?”👀

 Ok, first of all I would like to know who the heck butchered the closed captions in this episode, I usually keep them on for clarity but this time it was just confusingly distracting; there were so many wrong word usages I thought I was reading Twilight. Secondly, I would like to know who butchered Nick's beautiful hair, and can I have a word with his barber. Thirdly, I would like to know how they plan to try and wrap up all these season 5 storylines (gently guided towards The Testaments) in less than an hour, especially when they've spent like 60% of the season solely on Luke making sad and/or annoyed faces.

Mark Tuello is giving June and Luke a briefing of the Hannah rescue mission as they walk through a military airplane hangar. He introduces them to Commander (yeah I did a double take at that, too) Elijah Vance, who is so alarmingly attractive that for a second I wonder if they've decided to add a third love interest for June and make it a lop-sided pentagram(?). But then he tells June that he's going to bring back Hannah and return to his own daughter, with a reassuring nod of his very attractive head, so of course we immediately know he's definitely not going to make it. June once again bullies Mark into something he probably definitely should not be doing, demanding he let her and Luke watch the live feed of the raid, which I would assume is supposed to be super high level clearance (Mark is such a softie, he just can't say no! At least not to blondes).

Serena is having Mommy & Me glamour shots taken for the fertility center, under the strict direction of a slightly manic Mrs. Wheeler (is it just me or is she getting more and more unhinged?), who is feeling very bossy today in her big-girl pants. Alanis ixnay's Serena's plan to be at the grand opening with baby Noah. She is not worried about Gilead Commanders, but she is worried about germs. And breastfeeding. She wants "her smart boy" to go back on the bottle so as not to bond too much with the handmaid because he surely must miss it. Serena towers over Mrs. W about to strike back, but then remembers who is wearing the (very small) pants and utilizes June's advice. The passive-aggression in this scene alone could fuel a month of PTA  meetings. Back at Commander Lawrence's, Aunt Lydia's new matchmaking service is now in full swing. Well, I guess it's not new, just expanded from matchmaking sex slaves handmaids with rapists commanders, to now matching fresh widows with their husbands' killers. Lawrence is panicking because Naomi is 2 minutes late (he would hate me), but finally she arrives for her audience with the king commander, for some reason seeming a bit apprehensive (no idea why). She goes very quickly from begging not to be booted off to the colonies, to humbly lobbying for just a nice little condo for her and little Charlotte, but Lawrence is "not her realtor,” goddamnit, I mean doesn't Naomi know a romantic and heartfelt marriage proposal when she hears one? Luckily, Yenta Lydia is there to help translate, and Naomi says what we're all thinking "this is a marriage proposal??" Yep.yep! Done being the most awkward we’ve ever seen him (for now), Jlaw tells her to mull it over and excuses himself for "work". Lydia counsels her to overlook the small silly little matter of her prospective fiance having had her husband shot in the head in the middle of brunch like a week ago, and she warily says she'll think about it. Lawrence eavesdrops and I can't really tell if he's hoping she'll say yes, or praying to whatever esoteric god of economics he believes in that she'll say no. It's nighttime at the Wheelers, and Serena's putting a bottle for Noah in the fridge, when she gets an idea. Taking a page straight from June’s Handmaid playbook, she decides to pay Mr. Wheeler a little visit in his office to try and get him on her side (if Mom says no, ask Daddy, amirite?). Unfortunately for her he's a bit smarter than Fred (and also still pretty pissed she played him and shot his driver), and he sees right through her buttering up. He's a practical man, though, and being a businessman as well (I guess, I actually have no idea what he really does besides Gilead cosplay, does anyone?), he also appreciates a good sales pitch. He says he'll consider her proposal to play God's fertile vessel messenger or whatever at the center's opening reception and promptly dismisses her with his eyes. Serena says "praise be" but Mr. Wheeler did not graduate from Gilead commander college, so he just responds with a super enthused "oh yeah”, and Serena leaves, satisfied with her small victory (over her small oppressor).  June and Luke arrive at the command center to watch the live feed of the raid. Mark directs them to the screen showing a birds' eye view of "all the activity at Hannah's school" and June stares in awe at being the closest she's been to Hannah since the glass box incident, and the closest she's been to getting her back, ever. As she's drawn closer to the screen and emotionally whispers out to Hannah, we hear girls' collective bedtime prayers fade in and cut to Hannah standing in the prayer circle with her classmates. As the camera zooms out we get a glimpse of their dorm (I guess, for lack of a better word?). It actually  reminded me a lot of the red center except instead of rows of cots they have cute & cozy little white lace-curtained glamping tents arranged in a circle. At least they would be super cute and cozy if they weren't basically transparent, merely offering the deceptive suggestion of privacy. And, you know, if the whole concept weren't so damn creepy. Inside her preteen bride glamping tent, Hannah appears to say her own silent prayer, and then looks cautiously over to the Aunt on duty before opening her picture-bible (since no words, and stuff). She turns the pages from--interestingly--the story of NOAH and the ark (hmm) to the Tower of Babel and Abraham sacrificing Isaac... She finally turns to a blank page and I start thinking "Omg is she going to write something??" and I'm getting all excited but then she pulls out a drawing of flowers in a spiral pattern (which brings to mind “precious flowers” in The Testaments) and I'm like oh she's just drawing, that's cool too, and I mean she obviously likes gardening so I guess she likes flowers, and wait, is drawing forbidden too, is that not considered a "wifely" art or is it too close to writing since technically you're using an implement also used for writing and I'm so wrapped up in these thoughts that I almost miss when she actually does pick up a pencil and smiles wistfully as she WRITES(!!) "HANNAH", signing her name (her REAL NAME, AHHH) at the bottom of the drawing. At this point I have so many questions, but I'm also crying too hard to concentrate on any of them. This is all intercut with June's rapt tear-filled eyes glued to the screen and the sound of the pilots' transmission... when all of a sudden alarms sound, the signal is lost, and the civilians are kicked out of the war room. Tuello eventually emerges into the hallway and tells them the girls are safe... but still at the school (so short-term safe anyway I guess). Gilead had anticipated the raid and all three planes were shot down by their anti-aircraft systems, no survivors (RIP, hot good-guy commander, tragically we barely knew thee!). Cut to June's devastated face.

Back on her porch, June's phone rings and it's Lawrence, who she does not sound very pleased to hear from. He protests that he "was trying to avoid all this bloodshed" and some other Gilead nonsense, and FUCK, of course it was a Jlaw set-up!! So he sent the video of Hannah, I have to think it was his" insurance policy" to get June to New Bethlehem. If she she somehow didn't turn it over to Tuello, he would know he had her hooked on relocating; if she did and the Americans used the metadata to plan something (as they  did), he would be ready and make sure it failed (as he did), and there he would be to again offer her NB (as he does), as her last and only resort to be close to Hannah. He sweetens the pot by "dangling Nick in front of her" and while she's super pissed that he's also now trying to use Nick and her feelings for him to manipulate her, she seems to actually be considering it for a second. Until he reveals that there's another catch now: he wants her to denounce the American military action to feed the Gilead propaganda machine. And THAT is a deal breaker. She calls him out on being "one of them" despite knowing better and when he does the "blah blah I'm making it better for Eleanor blah blah" thing, June verbally nut punches him in the heart saying that Eleanor hated him and was so ashamed she'd rather die and she watched her die and oh man I never thought we'd see this confession out of her to be honest, and it is intense! Lawrence is crying and honestly it's hard not to feel a little bad for him here even though it's pretty much the truth and I think deep down he knew it too (I mean I'm pretty sure we literally saw Eleanor tell him she hated him and try to shoot him). Then he says that Eleanor still would have wanted him to help June and Hannah (which is true) but he means he's gonna "help" by bringing June to New Bethlehem, not by actually doing the right thing (like Eleanor would have actually wanted), so it's pretty clear he's really just still trying to use her for his greater plan. She makes one last tearful attempt to beg him, in vain, and then tells him he can go fuck himself, and herself proceeds to fuck up her garden in an anguished fury. Luke comes running out of the house and human-straitjackets her and I assume he's trying to be helpful and calm her down but it was painful to watch June physically restrained and begging to be let go. I also suspect her "please let me go" has a deeper meaning, but I've been thinking along those same lines for multiple seasons without fruition so who knows. Just as Serena is about to once again escape the Wheeler house for her big fertility debut, Mrs. Wheeler comes stomping out in her new Reformation dress and promptly bitchslaps her, twice. Did Serena turn the other cheek? Maybe, but only because she didn’t have a choice. I have to admit I burst out laughing here because honestly, compared to all the misdirected abuse she perpetrated on June and Rita, I think she got off light here, and I'm not above a little schadenfreude. Mrs. W is super pissed that Serena went behind her back to get Mr. W's permission, and even more pissed that this slut sluttily snuck into Mr. Wheeler's study after hours! She indignantly demands to know just who Serena thinks she is, and uh, duh she thinks she’s June, obviously. Mrs. W is now coming with (GET IN, BTCH, we're going Gileading), and this is gonna be a fun field trip.

(well well well, how the turn tables) June goes to see Mark, who is looking very defeated and I do feel very bad for him, Mark needs a win, FFS! She tells him about Jlaw and that she is DONE with that son of a bitch. She's itching to keep fighting and wants to know what's next. Mark asks "what about Nick Blaine"? OH, she’ll never be done with Nick Blaine, sir! NEVER. Sorry, where was I? Oh right. Mark informs her about the offer he proposed to Nick. She's startled, and initially looks maybe concerned at the risks of Nick spying in Gilead, but when Mark tells her that Nick could come to Canada (eventually), could get immunity, the wheels start turning, and an impossible spark of hope lights her eyes. This is clearly something she never thought could happen, and the possibilities it brings up are quite seductive. Mark is all of me when he says “maybe you could persuade him” (GODDAMNIT JUNE, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES, WOMAN). He notes that Nick (an Eye and a Commander) defecting could have a big impact. He adds that June could too, if she were to put her power to use, but she says she doesn't feel comfortable doing that "right now" (same wording as Nick, twinning!). I have to think she's afraid that being more public could possibly put Hannah or Nichole, or both, in danger. She tells Mark to set up the meeting with Nick, and determinedly marches off to kick her boo's butt for turning down that ticket to Canada.

(Ok but what about now... How bout now... Now?)

At the Gilead "fertility center", Serena is holding court to a gaggle of impressionable, baby-hungry women and espousing the wonders of Gilead fertility. "There was a lot of heartache and disappointment" is an interesting euphemism for "we committed treason, mass genocide and then enslaved all the remaining women to either make them human incubators or our unpaid domestic help", but alright. Really, she swears though, it's the clean air and prayer. Also on display is a propaganda poster of a woman with perfect golden locks of fanned out hair, smiling beatifically at her plump new baby, because motherhood is very glamorous (said no mother ever). "Smiling" through her teeth, Mrs. Wheeler summons Serena to send her home, without Noah, and tomorrow “I’ll bring Noah by myself".  Ok, Alanis, yesterday you didn't  want him exposed to all those germs, but I guess you've forgotten this. But the little guy has to be fed first and uh oh, Serena didn't pack a bottle. The sweet nanny (martha?) jumps in to take the blame (oh NO, girl, she doesn't deserve this kindness from you!). Mrs. W wants Serena to be snappy about it, but Mr. W suggests it's up to bb Noah and is then quickly reminded of who wears the pants, even though he is currently literally wearing the pants, as Mrs. W shoots him a look that instantly withers his testicles. As Serena walks to the back for a private place to nurse, we see the wheels turn in that scheming head of hers. At Serena's request, kind nanny leaves her alone, and now I am very worried for kind nanny's health and safety and I wish they had given her a name because I feel weird just calling her "kind nanny". But anyway, I hope she doesn't get punished for Serena's scheming, because as soon as the door closes Serena is out the back exit and running headlong into traffic with her precious miracle child. After nearly getting run over (she turns to try and shield baby Noah though so I guess her motherly instincts are kicking in), she begs the driver to help her and the very startled purple-haired woman tells her to get in. Looks like this Thelma has found herself a new Louise! It does strike me as yet more irony that this is a person Serena likely would have turned her nose up at in the "before" as a sinful, slutty woman, just because of her appearance. June pulls up to her and Nick's "special place" at the old Mary Magdalena school, and damn it looks so different, all green and teeming with foliage and birds chirping; it's really a beautiful setting. I half expect a bird to land on June’s hand while she sings to it. Nick is sitting at the top of the stairs smoking (aw, just like old times) as she approaches. He wishes she'd said yes, taking her (and me!) aback. "To Lawrence's offer?' (yeah wtf, seriously, Nick?). She counters, demanding to know why he said no to Tuello's offer. She's pissed, and he's defensive, and they argue about which one of them is going to move in this long distance relationship. And then Nick drops the bombshell: Rose is pregnant, which suddenly silences June. She struggles with a complex mixture of emotions, from the gut punch that this revelation is to her heart, to relief that he won't have to navigate the handmaid issue, and finally seems to come to the realization and acceptance of what that means; that he will not be coming to Canada and (at least for now) is tied down to Gilead. Though he's still reacting a bit defensively about "doing what's best for his family", the gentle and simple understanding she shows quickly brings down his guard (as if he could ever keep that up with her!) and he approaches (as if they could ever keep that much physical distance from each other!). They contemplate the mess of it all and look at each other with major heart eyes. Nick inevitably glances down at her lips and in my head I start singing "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid but goddamnit no luck. Nick sighs emotionally and asks her to tell Nicole she loves her and thinks about her all the time (stop, I'm sobbing). He's looking down like it's too hard to look at her, and saying he should go like he really doesn't want to, and June disarms him again with a small joke. They go all googly-eyed again and say "I love you" to each other in the most heartbreakingly matter-of-fact way (I'm sobbing even harder now). He takes a breath and leans in juust a hair (yes! sha-la-la-la kiss de girl!)...and then maddeningly veers at the last second, leaving June breathless and me like the wailing face emoji. I guess I get it though. It's like if he allowed himself to give in to the smallest touch his resolve would crumble and he'd never be able to tear himself away. STILL EFFING HEARTBREAKING, though. "Hey Nick" she calls softly, still flustered but calm and smiling warmly. "Children look up to their fathers. Set an example" (yes, you realign that Blaine moral compass, girl!). He looks at her thoughtfully, and walks away (nooo). I wonder if he's thinking also of Nichole again (and not just the child he plans on being able to raise) and being internally devastated again (ok, jesus, can I please stop crying yet?). June does that thing she does a lot recently after talking to Nick where she's breathless and crying and smiling and heartbroken and happy all at the same time. It's a detail I love about these two: the way they have specific little body languages that are exclusive only to being around each other

(I’m sorry, can we just look at these heart-eyes again?)

Later on, a super lively engagement party is going on at Lawrence's lair of darkness house (christ, these people could really use a good drinking game or something to get things going, maybe charades?). While the menfolk are busy talking politics and drinking and other things unbecoming of a lady, the women gather in the sitting room and Mrs. McKenzie fawns over a pregnant Rose, telling her how much joy her own (stolen) child has brought to her life. Mrs. Calhoun, meanwhile, is a real negative nancy: mean-girling first Aunt Lydia (she can't sit with us!), and then poor Rose, saying some super shitty things about "being concerned about the baby", "considering". Ok, bitch, you stole your baby from a poor brain dead girl you kept "alive" as an incubator, but please, go on. In Lawrence's office, under the fire-lit glow of a beautiful vagina flower painting (no irony deficiency here!), McKenzie, Calhoun and new beardy commander who I guess is kind of important congratulate themselves on their dick swinging military victory and brag about the fun new friends they’re making, like Russia, China and North Korea. Jlaw makes an "Any club that would have me as a member..." reference, but only Nick seems to appreciate the joke. MacKenzie again talks about "taking care of June Osborne" (but like why is he so obsessed with her tho) and Nick and Lawrence have to try and hide their uncomfortable expressions, AGAIN. Having sufficiently bro'ed out, the men join the wives and Nick is a good attentive husband while Jlaw and Naomi stare at each other like they'd rather be anywhere else (I change my mind, send me to the colonies!). MacKenzie toasts Jlaw as "one of us"(yikes). Nick raises his glass but his expression is  contemplative, verging on wary? If Lawrence is indeed  "one of them" now, is there still a "we" to be had with Nick and Lawrence? Or will their interests start conflicting. Hmm hm hm. Nick may be willing to make some concessions if he believes it is for the greater good, and to protect his family, but I have a feeling he'll soon reach his limit. Whereas I think Lawrence has shown he has no such limits, and is willing to do anything to enact his vision, (which he also sees as his redemption). Naomi looks vaguely terrified as Lawrence grips her shoulder in truly the most awkward way possible affectionately, his wedding ring (to Eleanor) prominently displayed on his finger. In Little America, Mark reads off the names of the fallen soldiers at a candlelight vigil, although it's kind of hard to be heard over the obnoxious yelling of asshole protestors (like can you guys take a break for one night?). Tuello calls up Hot Commander Vance's adorable daughter Emma to lead the pledge of allegiance, but the poor sweetie falters under the pressure and all the stupid shouting. June (who's there with Moira, Luke and Rita), asks Emma's tearful mom if she can help, and kneels by the child's side to recite the pledge together. Just when Emma's getting on a roll and the crowd joins in and it starts getting emotional and inspiring and stuff and even I start being like "God bless America!", suddenly shots ring out and the crowd screams and ducks. Sweet little Emma is frozen in fear, but luckily June goes into mega mom mode, slow-mo diving to throw them both to the ground and shield the kid. Bullets rip through the hanging American flag, preeettty much right where they were just standing, so THAT was close. June's face can confirm. *** Allegiance. Sooo many allegiances. They were broken, formed, strained and renewed over the course of the episode. Lawrence definitively demonstrated to June that his allegiance is and always will be to his mission of "reforming" Gilead, trying to correct his mistake and implement his original utopia (without the religious nutjobs), whatever the collateral damage may be (including his own personal wishes). June's first allegiance will always be to her daughters, and her top priority to see them safe (hey hey, the next episode title!). Lawrence is now at odds with this goal, and so instead  she commits to the fight against Gilead, and working with Tuello. Forming, if not an allegiance, than at least an alliance, against their common enemy.  On the surface, it would seem like Nick's allegiance is now to his family, his "new " family with Rose and their baby on the way. But it's bullshit to say that June and Nichole aren't his family, too, as he makes clear to her later. They both understand that they each have people they care about and need to protect, but the fact is it doesn't take away from their bond, and they also reaffirm their allegiance to each other in their "I love you's". While Lawrence and Lydia seem to be strengthening their alliance further into allegiance, Lawrence and Nick's may be becoming strained, and could soon reach a breaking point. As Lawrence further aligns himself with traditional Gilead in order to gain the power to achieve his goals (including forming a marriage allegiance with Naomi), Nick may start to doubt the "vision of a better Gilead" that I think he badly wanted to believe in (as he has his own guilt weighing heavy on his shoulders), either in Lawrence's sincerity or implementation. A reckoning may be coming where Nick has to draw a line in the sand, and I for one can't wait for that. Tally ho to the finale!

[starrrbakerrr]

What's your favorite character from The Hunger Games trilogy?

Why do you like them?

Your favorite scene or quote from them?

Do you like the actor/actress' performance who play them in THG movie series?

Thank you :D

@curiousnonny

(I am so shit at answering asks. I’ll start to reply then stop to finish later, and then forget about it until weeks later and I still won’t have a concrete answer so I continue to put it off until I finally finish and post🙃) but anyway…

Hiiiii @curiousnonny

It’s a given that Katniss is my favorite character, and it’s hard to articulate my favorite things about her. I think see myself in her, and I think she’s a character that’s often misunderstood in the book but also by readers. This is mostly the fault of the movies in my opinion, and I think they framed her as this badass girlboss archer who takes no prisoners and is the breadwinner of the household (which is how District 13/the Rebellion framed her as too). And I think Katniss is incredibly strong and all those things, but I don’t think people a lot of people understand that she has to be strong if that makes sense. Or it’s just not acknowledged enough.

And I guess this segues into my opinion about Katniss in the movies. Jennifer Lawrence is an incredible actress, one of my favorites. Silver Linings Playbook is my favorite drama movie because of her performance. And to be honest, few people could play Katniss and I think JLaw is one of the few people that are talented enough to have a convincing portrayal. But I read the first book (and CF I think, I don’t remember the rollout with the premiere of the movies) before the movie was announced, and I had this picture of Katniss and all the characters, and I had an image of Panem. The movie didn’t match that. Even small stuff like the film making the cornucopia silver instead of gold bothered me. I was 11/12 lol. I’m not the biggest fan of the movies as adaptations of the book. I actually didn’t see Catching Fire and Mockingjay pts 1 & 2 until March when they were on Netflix 😭. That was also when I reread the books for the first time and reading it in adulthood really enhanced my perspective of the series (thus 1/2 of my blog). There are amazing actors in movies and the script is good. There’s little to no cringe like Twilight. And Josh’s Peeta in CF is something so special to me (that’s bby boy fr they really underutilized him in these films). But ultimately I don’t connect much with the movies because they left out some things I consider foundational to the story (leaving out Madge also bothered me). I enjoy watching them as entertainment, but I wish there was a better adaptation of the story out there as someone who loves film/tv more than books. It was a missed opportunity.

I haven’t read the prequel yet, I plan on it before the film comes out. I’m really excited to see how the movie will compare with the book so fresh on my mind, and if it’s a better adaptation then the trilogy.

[wistfulweaverwoman]

What do you think about the way character appearance being portrayed or narrated in THG novels?

What's your opinion about THG movies casting? Especially Katniss' and The Seam residents casting?

Is it important that Seam and Merchant residents of District 12 have different appearance in the screen? Yes/No? Why?

What do you think about division /dynamics between Seam and Merchants in District 12?

Thank you :)

@curiousnonny

@curiousnonny

I think the way the characters are portrayed is super interesting. With first person perspective you know, as the reader, that ever character introduced is seen through the eyes of the protagonist, and therefore with some type of prejudice. We learn in the first two chapters that Katniss is unreliable as a narrator, contradicting herself or giving more weight to the opinions of some and less to others, or even herself. There are things that happen that Katniss doesn't exactly consciously think about that are still in the narrative that give clues to what's happening or what someone is doing, or maybe feeling so we have to pay special attention and kind of piece together a fuller picture.

Okay ...I now realize curiousnonny is asking about character appearances LOL. The appearances are super interesting because it automatically sets up more barriers within the district than just "rich" and "poor".

I'm not super in love with the casting. I don't think they specifically cast for the Seam, it seems like the whole concept was dropped for an overall poor district. While JLaw is a wonderful actress I think she's physically too big (tall and thick) and pale and old to properly portray Katniss. I imagine Katniss looking more like a younger Arianna Grande, olive complected, 5' nothing and 90 lbs soaking wet. Katniss is supposed to be little and JLaw looks like a well fed overgrown Career.

I do believe it's important to portray the differences in appearance between the merchant and Seam residents. It tells a visual story that doesn't take much time to do, that even within the districts oppression exists. If you're going to tell a story about war the theme of "the other" is important. We get a very watered down version in the movies, the districts versus the capitol. But a huge part of the Capitols control came from pitting citizens within the district against each other, and then later pitting districts against each other within the arena. It's why Haymitch's words "remember who the real enemy is" is so poignant, because while Katniss KNOWS those dynamics they still cause some level of conditioning within her that she must struggle through to overcome. Here's a post that I wrote where I went into some detailing on the theme of othering in the books.

When I first read the books I kind of sussed out that the the Seam residents had probably been there a REALLY long time to have become so ethnically homogenized. The impression that I got was that the merchants were transplanted sometime later and since they and their circumstances were so different they just kept to themselves and created their own ethnicity/culture. And of course the Capitol encourages their divide, for the very reasons that Gale rants about in the woods.

[tenitchyfingers]

Definitive take nobody asked for about the whole thing that’s been going on for the last few years with Chris Pratt

he’s pretty decent in his action roles, actually. I found him very convincing in all of them. And I’ll say something more: I’d absolutely see him being a rebooted version of Indiana Jones (speaking as a longtime Indy fan, like I’ve spent most of my life being absolutely crazy about the character and the first 3 movies - Crystal Skull doesn’t exist in Ba Sing Se), he can get in shape for the role, he’s young and understands the ironic side of Indy, and he’s also got those same roughed up “man sweating and dirty with dust, blood and mud and still looking camera-friendly” vibes.

“But his church-” he denied going to Hillsong or knowing anyone who does. He said he actually goes at Zoe Church in LA, which seems to be your typical run of the mill religious congregation, nothing Evangelical or otherwise extremist. Which means it’s not a church that ever made the headlines for supporting gay conversion or made damning statements about queer people. It’s just a church, and what churchgoers think is up to them. I can say this because I was raised Christian and understand one priest’s take doesn’t necessarily reflect on his entire Parrish.

“But his disabled son-“ he never said he hates or resents his disabled son. He literally just said he was happy to have a healthy daughter, and everyone else added fictional things he never said to what he actually said. And, honestly, saying you’re happy your second child is healthy after having a disabled one is 100% fair and natural. Nobody actively wants their children to be disabled.

Here’s the thing: you can absolutely and completely, genuinely love and dote on your child who has a disability, and also be happy that your other child doesn’t have the same obstacles in their lives. I’m saying this as the aunt of a boy with learning disabilities and two nieces who don’t have them. I don’t love my nephew any less, and at the same time I see he deals with some really awful obstacles and of course, we are all ready to accomodate his needs. The point is, it’s also good that his sisters don’t have to deal with the same difficult journey. Because shit is tough to deal with for everybody, him first, and I see it every day. There is nothing ableist about that.

“But his dog-“ holy shit, that’s a dumbass reason to hate on someone. A dog? O rly?

So anyway, until he does something overtly homophobic, racist, transphobic, misogynistic, ableist, you name it - I’m fine with him, and don’t see why everybody is so open about hating on someone they don’t even know personally. Again, I’m not a fan, I’m just sick of seeing so much hate on someone for such stupid reasons and over things that are straight up hearsay and misinformation. Just say you don’t like his acting, that is more of a legitimate opinion. But when I hear people bring up any of the above, I literally have to laugh at them. Because they need to grow the hell up.

Sorry for the rant, but I’ve seen this bullshit for a while and it’s all complete nonsense, and anyone who got even remotely informed about the whole thing knows it’s all much ado about nothing. Hating him is just a trend that came up from nothing and is just gonna end up into nothing, same as the hate against JLaw from a few years ago.

You don’t like his acting? Fair! You think he’s Satan’s son because of something you read on Twitter or on an online publication that makes its dough on gossip? Your opinions are worthless.

That said, fuck the original voice and accent for Mario. As someone who was born and raised in Italy (aka an actual Italian) I am SICK of people thinking that’s what Italians are and speak like. None of us speaks English like that. Literally nobody. And don’t see why people can see that bad Asian accents are inappropriate, but can’t see why Italian accents are also inappropriate. It’s all fucking inappropriate and offensive. So FUCK YOU and FUCK YOUR NOSTALGIA, I’m happy that this once Mario doesn’t have a dumbass, silly ass Mickey Mouse voice and an even dumber, frankly awful so-called “Italian” accents. I’m 100% good with Mario losing anything associating him to mocking stereotypes about Italians. He can be a fucking Californian WASP plumber. I encourage it actually. Fuck the noise.

And the rest of the trailer looks FUCKING AMAZING. I’ll absolutely be slamming my ass on the theatre seat for this. Fuck y’all.

[petruchio]

Also can we talk about those little Appalachian culture moments?

I actually grew up there (Chattanooga outskirts, so not SUPER Appalachian, but enough LOL) and when we moved to the Midwest I suddenly realized that traits I’d never considered before were betraying me! Specifically how I talked! Like even my most professional voice sounded so painfully Tennessee Valley-Appalachian and it was incredibly othering.

I never considered how Lucy Grey would definitely have an accent until she opened her mouth in the Capitol and suddenly had such a noticeable one!!! I felt so seen!! You never think about how you talk at home, you’re just normal. Until suddenly you’re an outsider every time you speak. It’s a moment I’ve felt before, and it was extremely effective on-screen!

Then when Coryo comes to 12 the inversion of that is incredibly fulfilling - especially the bar scene!

When Maude ivory jumps on stage and announces the next set and it’s almost unintelligible, I about lost it!!!! It was so funny, and I felt so seen again! Like yeah that’s exactly like what that feels like lmao! You bring your boyfriend home and he literally can’t understand your family’s dialect 😭😂 (and also he’s now painfully aware of just how much you change your voice to be understood)

I thought that was great and really added to the feeling of Coryo and Lucy’s respective othering in each other’s communities!

YES!

i LOVED lucy gray's accent -- in my head i always imagined her sounding kind of like dolly parton (i think it's something about the way the scene in the hob is written -- something about her dialogue just sounds so dolly-ish to me) and i loved that they really leaned into it (and it supports my theory that part of the reason jlaw and jhutch were cast in the og movies is bc they're both from kentucky, even if they don't have super strong accents, haha!)

and i feel like it really emphasizes one of my personal favorite themes from tbosas which is the way political resistance is woven into the fabric of american folk music and so much of that tradition does grow out of appalaicha and the particular and specific music tradition of that area. (and why me and the queen herself rachel zegler are both galaxy brains for putting bob dylan on our lucy gray baird fanmix playlists because bob dylan is one of the foremost figures in the american folk revival movement of the 1960s and so much of his songwriting derives from appalachian folk traditions!) (well technically miss rachel put a joan baez cover of dylan on her playlist but, like, she gets it; it's all about folk music and politics and art as revolutionary)

[whence-the-woody]

Catching fire rewatch

Hemsworth is supposed to be what 19? Looks 35. She's also definitely not 17.

Omg Gale making her feel guilty for survival. Twat. It's an aspect of him in the books but film gale is just that.

The ankle break healing period is a big loss

Snow is so good lbr. How is he also Mr Bennett?!

Katniss never wanted war, she just wanted her family safe. Its so much more complex then one girl starts a revolution. Love it sf much.

Ugh all the stuff on camera. So cringe I die.

Peeta is just so good I love him

They overuse the salute in the movies

I like that Gale chooses to stay for the rebellion and its not about katniss. More true to the character.

It's true that katniss doesn't know how she feels about anything or anyone until the second reaping. Then it's all about saving Peeta.

You could live 100 lifetimes and never deserve that boy. So true.

There are survivors. No winners. This is the main point they leave out of the films that really bothers me. Those who live are forced to mentor, to be slaves to the capitol, are sex trafficked, their loved ones killed, the torture doesn't stop. No one wins.

She's right. If anyone deserves to live it is peeta.

Movie katniss really seems more in love with gale then book katniss ever was.

We deserve haymitchs story. His trauma is so overlooked.

Ugh effies face. Every time.

I so ship effie and haymitch ngl

They make the Victor's all look crazy without pointing out enough that they were made that way

One of the problems is how old jlaw is in this but you can deny she's damn beautiful in this movie

Finnick is the worst death idec. Worse then prim.

I do love johanna. Again, they cut out her trauma and backstory too much.

I don't love the 2nd one but the whole interview portion is perfect.

Finnick and Annie break my fucking heart man

The censorship just says so much

If it weren't for the baby. Peeta you underestimated genius you.

Obviously ceasar is always a villain but when they hold hands he looks proper traditional villain. Goddamn tucci.

Effies character development tho

First tears. I'm still betting on you.

Aspect ratio. Masterclass once again.

Forever mad they cut out peetas prosthetic

Ugh maggs. The actress does such a good job.

Peeta helping her die peacefully 🥺. I get why katniss didn't know but they could've given the morphlings names

Really loving johanna on this rewatch. Her angry form of love and protectiveness.

Annie and finnick. Every time. I need to know their story.

Those shitty movie stills in the necklace 🙄

That kiss tho

I know it can all be called an act but she's so scared to leave him. And really she never sees this version of peeta again.

It's pretty boring from this point lbr

I need to reread the books but in terms of the films, catching fire feels very building block. Like it sets up everything that comes next but in and of itself it doesn't move things much. It's like the start. And alot of introductions. But really the story only moves forward in the last 10 minutes.

[4amtherapy]

Hello ships,

Me again. 🙄why do I still 00 or bother about donkey name sakes. The world may never know. I do. It’s because I know they never cared as much; but, I still care. Babababumbum *in a Bey V*

Anywho, what time is it you ask???? I shall give you an indication.

I am currently having a Miss Ravenous ClawS cap themed party of one. The thing is though…I’ve been to this one so frequently that I simply can not bear to be at this particular tea party without slumber involved. So I will lie here. In a bed. Some would say it is ‘mine’ to lie in. alone. until death. Some would even write me about that concept so relatabley beautifulI. I’d fall in love. I would reply to sum, oh X; wonderous X-men, please send wolverine and jlaw right on over to speed that d word all the way UP! But, alas! That is also never allowed.

……

Dear Mrs. Rowling & Mr. Patterson,

I am writing to inform you that this hat selection sucks balls. Please do not leave me and my OG.EmmaWattbulb to drown alone in this spotlight that you’ve cast upon us. {As magicians do}, We are no longer too young. We are too ready too young is more like it. However, I am also writing for advice on how to get off; or rather …more comfortable (if you will) on this moving staircase from Hell in a Noreaster basket. Have you already been doing it? I’m sure because I know you are our introvert friendships in the dark and stormy nights. Am I still just a character in your story and not A human? It turns out I be still stupid and still teary hours. So, I guess I begrudgingly need More…from myself? Yes. But that bitch never listens to me. So 🤷‍♀️. Who else I got?! Idk. because people like us use pseudonyms like maniacs these days. Lmk what you think.

Taboot, here is my love’s language: doing the most to be in my tree and my wed [dingdingding!] without doing the physical presence is a non symbolic present that I aaf tell her I desire above all her other worldly presents. My ashy is such a hothothot thinker. ….I think she needs my icy words in her bed just as bad as I need hers. Symbiotic. LY ofc.

P.S. Rihanna still a bad bixch.

Love All.

@ashleynicolette @ashleyfrangipne @allmusic @allhalseyfanaccounts @samanthamariaofficial @samanthafrangipane?nope!Never.

@societyoflivepoets @deadwhiterichassholism @lamarrapkinships @leatherboygeraldhimself

[mcfiddlestan]

Ship it/Don't ship it: Scott Summers/Emma Frost

Scott/Summers

Don’t Ship It

Why don’t you ship it?

Mostly bc my interactions with the X-Men fandom have been limited to Erik, Charles, Raven, and Remy. I RPd an Erik and three different versions of Raven/Mystique at one point. One of my Ravens was in a Marvel Uni RP Twitter group, and she had a relationship with Remy. They called them Ramen. LOL anyway... I do enjoy the X-Men movies, but I'm super unfamiliar with the majority of the characters. I only got into Cherik after X-Men: First Class, and that was mostly bc of Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy. Same with Raven. JLaw was my first fictional wifey (I consequently left her for Brie Larson, but I still love me some JLaw), and I actually immensely dislike Rebecca Romijn. In saying all that, while I don't have an issue with James Marsden, and in fact enjoy him in many many movies, I do not now nor have I ever liked January Jones. Her casting as Emma Frost was meh for me. Emma Frost was meh for me. Until I joined that Marvel Uni RP group. After I got Raven going, I added two more characters. A super ditzy Darcy and biology professor with a hidden agenda, Nathaniel Essex, aka Mr. Sinister. My Essex became involved in a sordid love affair with Emma Frost, a grad student, and when things with the group went sour, Emma's writer and I took our characters out and continued to RP on our own. She wasn't a fan of JJ's, but Emma Frost was her #1. She started out using Jennifer Morrison but later changed her to Blake Lively. I used Ewan McGregor for Essex. Anyway, the RP made me a fan of Emma's, tho I don't really interact with much media of her anymore. So, maybe it's not that I don't ship it. I'm sure if I read more fics of them, I might.

What would have made you like it?

Being more familiar with the characters, probably. And a better actress, lol.

Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

Hmm...I'm sure it's great!

Thanks for asking!

Ship It/Don't Ship It

[killingsboys]

Your tag :

#so many people reblogging this and then being completely wrong in the tags lol. u r who i'm complaining abt

And these "there was never really a love triangle, the struggle between picking peeta or gale was infinitely more complex than that", "but nobody understands these books like i do"

could you talk more about this? I just recently read the novels, so I don't participate when fandom shipping happened in 2012-2015. Thank you 😊

hi anon, thank you so much for giving me an excuse to rant about the hunger games some more <3 and i hope you enjoyed the books! it's probably my favorite series of all time (maybe tied with trc?) so i am always excited for people when they read for the first time 💛

okay so the first tag was just me being petty about people who were reblogging and tagging the post like 'but the catching fire movie was good' or 'jlaw was good as katniss' because those opinions always annoy me and seeing them in the tags of my post was 🙄

but the love triangle comment...... hoooo boy i can talk about this all day!

first may i just say: there is no actual love triangle in the hunger games. not in the way that a lot of other books — and the movie adaptations for this series — have a love triangle. because the question was never 'which guy is more attractive' or 'who does katniss love more.' the question was never about the men at all: it was symbolism for choosing a way of life. and it was about choosing a way of life without morally indicting the other way of life.

i say this as an everlark enjoyer: the books should never have been ship-ified, ever. the actual defining relationship of the series never had anything to do with peeta or gale, it was about katniss and prim. everything katniss does is for prim up until the moment that prim dies. that is why everything feels pointless when prim dies: because it is. because we have to go with katniss as she finds a reason to live in a world without her sister. and neither gale nor peeta are that reason to live, although they both symbolize two different choices: fire or the dandelion. fighting or peace. both are necessities, and neither are a wrong choice all the way across the board, but only one of those choices is sustainable for katniss. that is what choosing peeta is about, not a love triangle or soapy relationship drama. it is about katniss choosing life, possibly for the very first time.

thank you for allowing me to get up on my soap box, anon <3 you are always welcome to come talk to me about thg!!! i hope you have a lovely day/evening 💛

[jechristine]

I don't get the mud-slinging when it comes to T and Z. "T said this but Z worked with Harvey Weinstein!' 'Z worked with CB but Tom worked with MB!' like y'all there is no point to that. Trying to score points by doing a back and forth about who is more 'problematic' than the other is a thinly veiled and pointless stan war here. Anons should absolutely know better than to let convos devolve into comparisons when I think we're all here (or I hope) for T and Z. And that means knowing when to discuss them on an individual level, and when to discuss them together.

I think it's okay to discuss things they've done in the past, but not as a reactionary 'competition' on which one is worse or something to each other? Because even though these anons aren't specifically stating that's their intention, that's basically what I'm getting out of it. Because why else bring up issue x that has nothing to do with issue y and then respond in the same manner - unless you're having a knee-jerk response to defend one over the other?

Also, have to say that the Harvey nonsense sure didn't start here. Z's detractors have been using that against her for years - Taylor Swift fans, Z's LSA haters. So whoever brought that up, please realize that it's not remotely relevant or right, and not remotely her fault either. People try the same with JLaw, and it feels icky every time that people are so eager to dunk on a woman that they'll skirt right on by placing blame where it's actually due - on Harvey. It's always baffling to me that people are much more willing to blame others for the actions of people like HW, CB, and MB instead of holding the abuser or assaulter themselves more accountable.

Another anon with another rant for you, apologies! Summed up - I love the discussion, but I don't love when anons try to bring their stan war mentality here. Especially to a TZ blog, this is a space where they are both truly appreciated, and where a lot of us are mature enough to discuss them on an individual level.

Thanks, Anon. I agree with all of what you said, obviously. Love a good rant. I said earlier today that this whataboutism is a deflection tactic due to it being too hard or whatever to address the specific points or critiques; it’s easier to change topics and insinuate bias or hypocrisy. I agree the practice is tiresome, and I’m going to keep trying to let it die in my inbox.