#10 years ticket meta

[waitmyturtles]

I can’t believe I’m writing something not related to Moonlight Chicken (✨Alan x Gaipa/Gaipa x Alan✨), but here we go, before the big MC finale: I managed to finish the totally wonderful 10 Years Ticket, my first Thai lakorn, out of a continued devotion to rummaging the rabbitholes of actors/actresses that tore my heart apart in previous dramas. In this case, in the aftermath of my ravaging affair with Bad Buddy, I had to catch up on Nanon’s and Ohm’s latest works. Dirty Laundry was an easy bucket. Ohm’s 10 Years Ticket was a hell of a something else entirely. 

I understood that, going in to 10YT, lakorns are generally assumed to be soapy, and I had to admit that I was concerned about entering this tunnel -- especially because I have a history of being seriously disappointed by subpar cishet roles for my otherwise dear QL actors (AHEM MACHIDA KEITA, the man needs better scripts; Akaso Eiji is faring so much better). As well, I’m not even all that familiar with Ohm’s other BLs and non-QL dramas, as He’s Coming to Me is on my list of essential BLs to watch, and I’ll get to it soon (SOTUS first). 

So anyway, I came into this apprehensive, especially considering how LONG the series is, at 16 episodes, and I knew there was violence, which I generally avoid. But I should have given GMMTV more credit. It was UTTERLY bingeable, a VERY DEEP study into long-term intergenerational family and community trauma, and I found it totally compelling as someone who’s trained in the social services. And, I am a huge fan now of director Fon Kanittha, who, VERY IMPORTANTLY, will be directing Milk and Love’s GL, 23.5 (EEEEEEEE). So I was glad to check off not just an Ohm box, but Fon’s as well.

AND! Because I’m still so new to Thai dramas, I’ve never seen a QL/drama with Off before (lord help me as I contemplate jumping into OffGun). And 10YT had a wonderful stable of GMMTV actors in Tu Tontawan, View Benyapa (who was fantasssstic), Pluem Purim (who was also great), and Foei Patara (so evil, so good!). 

The casting was superb -- especially for the insanely difficult subject matter.

I don’t know if I want to spend that much time on the plot, but I’ll do my best to explain what plot points matter to why I thought the show was a success. The show centers on Ohm’s character, Phukao, whose half-brother, Mai (Pluem) is shot and killed when Phukao is a very young child. Phukao and Mai’s family are close with a number of other families in their community. Mai is a drug runner, and his girlfriend -- the older sister of one of the other friendly families -- takes the rap for the shooting and is sent to prison, causing almost permanent friction between the families. Later in the show, the girlfriend’s younger sister (Kongkwan, played by Tu), is reunited with Phukao; they were friends as young children, but separated after the shooting, and Phukao had a long-standing grudge against Kongkwan, until he realizes his feelings for her as an older teenager.

I’m going to add trigger warning tags to my review, because as part of the layering of intercommunity and intergenerational trauma of this show, I don’t think I’ve ever seen depicted in a drama a young child witnessing as much as young Phukao witnessed, including post-mortem scenes and episodes of abject family violence. So it honestly was not surprising to me that Ohm/Phukao and Tu/Kongkwan did not ACTUALLY have, quantifiably, a tremendous amount of screen or speaking time.

I peeped on the 10YT tag a few complaints that Phukao and Kongkwan were actually a pretty tame and not exciting couple, but I have to hand it to Fon, because -- I think she rendered these two teenage characters quite accurately. If I were studying Phukao’s and Kongkwan’s childhood stories in a social services course, I’d be amazed that the kids could even talk, considering what they experienced and witnessed by way of violence and loss. 

In other big, macro words: this show was led VERY deeply by the criss-crossed storytelling of ALL of the stories of the families of the community that was destroyed by Mai’s shooting death. The domestic hell of Phukao’s family after the shooting. Phukao terrorizing Kongkwan’s family in retaliation. Off’s character, Plu, caring for his grandparents by entering the drug running trade and lying about going to college. View’s character, Zo, growing up without a mother. A queer storyline at the parental generation. Parents abandoning their kids, then showing up again. A mafia family storyline with corrupt police mixed in. And throughout all of this, a major theme of movie storytelling bringing all of these individuals along on their life growth paths.

It’s a lot of shit, terrible adult-level trauma that children and teenagers had to face, oftentimes alone, oftentimes with parents that were barely keeping it together themselves. People die in the show, parents die in the show. Kids are left to process alone. It’s just a LOT.

And maybe one or two parts were rushed. BUT: I truly think Fon balanced the script beautifully, and I give her major credit for that. To tell a story of FOUR FAMILIES and their interconnected trauma -- and to bring the story together to unite and reunite a group of childhood friends who commit to holding each other down -- it was no wonder this series needed 16 episodes, but it didn’t drag. It paced beautifully, the storytelling was varied, and everything was done honestly, especially the very empathic queer storyline, which I won’t give away, but I’ll just say this: ASIA, we need more elder queer stories, because you do them SO WELL when it happens. It was beautifully and heartachingly done.

What was refreshing for me to watch in 10YT, as I’ve been quickly educating myself on the history of Thai BLs, was to see multiple generations of actors in a storyline. I’m (COUGH) entering my early middle-aged years, and while I love our darling actors/actresses in their 20s, I do need to watch shows with cohorts more around my age as well. 10YT gave me a drama where each episode was led by a different family or entity, and that generational variation lent major authenticity to a show that would have otherwise been lost if it had turned into a teeny-bop vehicle for Ohm and Tu.

For the screentime that Ohm and Tu *did* have -- they were FABULOUS. Ohm was GREAT, Y’ALL. Mans got such chops. Gah. My heart. His poor character got sent through the trauma ringer. Tu mostly cried for her parts, but she played a tough cookie in Kongkwan, and -- not to spoil this, but I gotta say it -- she did pursuer VERY well. Get it, gurl. Off was fantastic, and I can’t wait to catch up with him in Midnight Motel. But for my money, View absolutely ATE her role, and I want to see her have a major role in some amazing all-star drama/QL at some point.

Was 10YT as SMART, and sharp, and critical of intergenerational trauma as Bad Buddy? No, they’re incomparable, because the stories were vastly different. 10YT laid out a reality that parents can actually fail. They can really, truly fail. And even while they fail.... children may feel an unspeakable, inherent urge to still love those parents. And maybe those parents can try to redeem themselves, in some way. 

I’m realizing that what I’m loving about this modern crop of directors from GMMTV -- Aof, Jojo, and now Fon -- is that they do complicated characters VERY authentically. You, as a viewer, are almost not allowed to wallow in dualistic interpretations when trying to understand these characters. No good and bad here, unless it’s screamingly obvious. And I think that’s a really compelling ask for Asian directors to make of what is a majority Asian audience in Thailand, where filial piety towards families is the major name of the culture game.

I hope this could be considered a decent review, because I didn’t dive too much into the plot, as it really would take a huge amount of time to unwind it all, and I apologize that most of this review is just generalist meditation. But let me just say that if you have the stomach to watch a drama that depicts an Asian perspective on community interconnectivity and the trauma that those relationships bring -- then watch this show. Much of the ways in which the families HANDLED the drama in this drama reminded me of my childhood (without all the criminal and family violence, thank goodness). If you’re in an Ohm rabbithole, I’d say this is a must watch, because he was brilliant in an utterly wonderful script.

[pandasmagorica]

Keep your hands on the handlebars, your eyes on the road, and a helmet on your head, dammit!

It traumatizes me when actor/characters are filmed driving a car and they take their eyes off the road to talk to another actor/character.

But Ohm/Phukao driving his motorcycle one handed so he can hold Tu/Kongkwan's hand to his waist with his other hand totally destroyed me.

And why aren't they wearing helmets? And Tu sometimes riding side-saddle?

I know they're actually stationary and in front of a green screen but still...you're succeeding at getting me to accept they're actually riding the motorcycle and it just freaks me out to watch them doing something so unsafe.

Oh, yeah, and @wen-kexing-apologist's post on Last Twilight episodes 1-3 reminds me (it's way down the post, forgive me) Day throwing his hands in the air while riding Mohk's motorbike. Don't do that! Please!

[unabashedly-so]

💙💜🩷 SDV Bachelor HC 🩷💜💙

How much has each bachelor explored their bisexuality?

Content warning: compulsive heteronormativity, loss of family, grief, risky sexual behavior mention, drinking mention. SFW.

✨The Bachelors✨

Elliott

look me in the eye and just try to tell me this man doesn't already know. i dare you i fuckin' dare you i WANT YOU TO

that line on the 10 heart boat scene about not knowing he could feel that way about another man is bullshit and that is a piece of canon I toss into the sea.

now please understand the majority of this is colored by my very vivid hc of Elliott's upbringing and young adult life, but you're literally reading a hc post that is labeled hc so you bought the ticket now board the train. choo choo mfs.

the low hanging fruit is that this is a man that canonically spends hours on hair care, dresses like that, talks like that, etc. etc.. Yes, you can be cishet etc. and do that, sure.

and don't get me wrong, it's valid that Elliott could just Be Like That. (I love and respect the hell out of that incorrect opinion)

but this man is penny-romance novel cover coded. just. think about that. think about this active CHOICE he is making.

ffs he lives on a BEACH and dresses in a THREE-PIECE SUIT with his PERFECTLY COIFFED hair that he has to spend HOURS on because that's what happens when you LIVE. ON. A. BEACH.

i am going to have an aneurysm about this man's life choices rn

he's arguably pretty self-secure*, which tracks because you don't get to be his age and not have some better understanding of yourself. As others have pointed out, there's no real ""growth"" in Elliott's arc because boy came whole because HE BEEN KNEW HE BEEN THROUGH THIS ALREADY. He's secure in his identity because he's worked it out already! He's moved on! focusing on his career and legacy now that he knows who is he and who he's not!!

*dont make me drag out the receipts his part is already long enough just trust me ok

now meet Elliott in his early 20's and wow, buddy, you are trying way too hard I promise you things are gonna be okay sweetheart

speaking of his early 20's, it's hc to me that he did, uhhhh, so much exploring. of everything. and everyone in the English and Theater department during university.

King Slut, long may he reign. 🙏

just. someone who's not as self-secure and self-aware would not be able to own the aesthetic PLUS the temperament we see with Elliott, who really only gets flustered with the intimate interpersonal stuff because he's a romantic and it's meaningful. He's confident in who he is and the kind of person he wants to be, and you don't get to that point in life without having done a lot of experimenting and soul-searching.

I could write a whole fucking meta on this boy, but for today: 9/10 he knows it, owns it, enjoys it, but he's got more interesting things going on in his opinion than to make one of his core personality traits just Gay/Queer/Bi/Pan, etc. He has an AESTHETIC and BI BY YOBA he's sticking to it.

also he can walk in heels better than you.

Harvey

Hmm, he's actually hard to get a read on for me. There's a few others in the fandom who might have a better take than me, but here's what I can offer.

first let's grant him that he's older. With age comes wisdom, experience, etc. the older bachelor/ettes are just going to be at an advantage vs the younger ones.

also... like 8 years in college. I cannot be swayed away from this as a crucial part of his journey.

twinkle TWINK-le little snack.

it just feels like one of those things he felt happening in high school and might have gotten bullied for it because everyone Knew but he couldn't/wouldn't just own it.

but then in college he finally realized that owning it would give him the power, so he did. kind of. very quietly.

he probably had a boyfriend or two in undergrad. They were definitely the kind to hold hands from the coffee shop to the library. you know the ones, we've all seen 'em. <3

and isn't he just so lucky that he can get butterflies from girls too?

a blessing and a burden for this man with anxiety because, oh no, now everyone's cute.

by the time he gets to Pelican town, his last relationship kind of ended on a sour note, so he's a little discouraged from pursuing romantic relationships, hence why he's a bit guarded and shy and nervous.

he gets a 8/10, he's just quiet about it because who's business is it but his own? also, like, he's literally the doctor for everyone. He's gotta keep some confidentiality in this small town.

Sebastian

while he doesn't show it, I'd say Sebastian is actually quite comfortable with being bi.

I mean like as comfortable as he can be around people in general.

He doesn't bring it up, and doesn't really let anyone know either, but again that's just kind of his MO, regardless of gender.

now when he's Together with someone, well that's a different story. we stan possessive Sebastian in this house 🫡

he probably wouldn't bring it up with the gang unless someone else brought it up first. 🤷‍♀️

would probably give some semi-defensive response of "yeah, what of it??" to his friends, but a low hearts farmer might get a coldly aggro "why are you asking? That's none of your business."

he and Maru Know about each other but keep those conversations private. hashtag just sibling things ig

has definitely kissed guys at concerts before. Lots of people can also provide a feeling of anonymity, letting him get lost in the crowd and not have to worry so much. 10/10

Shane

closeted sportsballer. As a former Closeted Sportsballer, I can see this going two ways.

First option: you DO NOT explore that unless you want things to get real weird REAL FAST.

Like, I'm not even talking locker room nonsense, let's be mature here. Even if you do not like your teammates, you WILL still share a Sports Bond with them built on a shared passion, a common goal, and lots of comiseration.

So if you're already on iffy social standing, which I'm just gonna go out on a limb and say Shane might have had... you're gonna have a bad time.

Then after his gridball career ended, it may have already been baked in that that was Dangerous. OR he could have just been so far down the path of self-loathing that he stopped looking at people romantically.

OR OR--part of his self-loathing actually opened him up to exploring his sexuality......

......which is a very nice way of saying he took part in a lot of risky sexual encounters. 😮‍💨 (with all genders! One night stands do not discriminate!)

so if there were any feelings involved, it was... not good or conducive to self-understanding. Probably made things worse.

cue the drinking! the depression! all the risky behaviors!

ALTERNATIVELY... Option two: he does explore Feelings For Dudes and it could have played into his sportsball exit. 🤔

Hi. Let me just reiterate personal experience here: LEAVING A TEAM CAN REALLY FUCK YOU UP depending on your life outside the sport. Sports teams are a social support group, like, I really hate the phrase "like family"... but literally structurally so similar. If you already don't have a strong family life outside of the sport (like Shane has admitted to, let's fuckin goooooo), AND being on a team is an overall positive thing in your life??

Leaving your team (willingly or unwillingly) takes away that social support. And not just the social/emotional support, but the structure to your life, the routine, the feeling of belonging, the PURPOSE!!!

gee, wonder what kind of feelings those can bring about in a person. like a sad chicken man.

are we seeing a trend here???????

Ok this definitely got more into a sportsball psychological study, but what I'm saying is my money's on gridball heavily influencing his trajectory but since he DIDN'T have the family or social supports outside of it, he crashed and burned afterwards. Contrast with Alex below who DID have social supports and--

focus, bisexuality.

Personally, I like the idea that Shane's been with dudes, but it's never been anything emotionally healthy (except maybe one pre-gridball-exodus which could have prompted the leave......🤔👀) or fulfilling.

5/10, would be 6 but he got -1 because it was driven by self-loathing. >:(

somebody come show him some mlm love!!!

Sam

baby boy. sweet baby boy.

the younger bachelor/ettes are at a bit of a disadvantage because they're in the time of their life where they would be exploring their sexualities in a conducive environment. Not to say the valley isn't but there's, uh, only 11 other singletons there and they all know each other sooooo...

that said, due to Kent's military career, it's likely Sam has had time living outside of Pelican Town, so may be a bit farther ahead than, say, Sebastian who's lived there his whole life.

speaking of Kent, it's canon that Daddy has been in and out of his life and tbf I don't remember exactly how Sam feels about that but

I'm JUST SAYIN'. baby boy gets a whiff of attention from some buff dude who wants to make him his baby girl?? melting.

you know the trope of how girls with absent fathers sometimes overcorrect for that and seek out male attention like crazy? well, who says boys are any different??

what I'm getting at is this: you're trying to tell me Sam has NEVER had a raging crush on Alex?????

I mean fr it was probably like. Alex told him "good choice" on his ice cream flavor once and it was all downhill from there.

plus I'm hoping he's got a solid enough friendship with Sebastian (and Abigail) that they could talk about these things without it getting weird.

also, singer/lead guitarist in a band?? come on, too easy.

anyway 5/10, once again a bit oblivious until he gets smacked in the face. Definitely a flavor of "haha no homo bro! :):) ...... unless...?? 👀"

Alex

closeted sportsballer, round 2 EXCEPT

he canonically admits he crushes real easy. so just statistically speaking, there's an equal likelihood that he's crushed on the male singletons of the valley, too. Which totally doesn't even take into consideration his gridballer time, which I'll get to in a second.

he also admits his crushes don't usually last very long. part of that probably has to do with a lot with attachment issues (seriously he should be more messed up than he is), but if gridball is just SDV American Football, there's probably a good deal of internalized homophobia Alex has had to either work through or not work through. hence why his not het crushes might not last long.

but confusing and conflicting as they may be, THEY'RE STILL THERE. just. probably presenting more like a "wow I'm really noticing this person a lot lately huh. I mean I guess they look pretty good and seem kind of cool..." he's completely and utterly oblivious to so much, his own feelings included.

so what I'm saying is there was a brief window of time where Alex unknowingly had a crush on Sam and, listen, under the right circumstances Sam/Alex (Smalex?) could have been canonized--don'T BOO ME, I'm RIGHT

as for gridball, compulsive heteronormativity is absolutely rampant so there's no way he could have felt comfortable exploring his interest in other gender(s). ESPECIALLY in his case where he's still kind of on the outside, trying to model himself to fit a certain kind of mold. Just, no chance, absolutely none.

and really, Idk, between him and Haley I'm starting to get real compulsive heteronormativity vibes now... not that they're mad about it, but they were kinda forced into those roles and, well, the shoes KIND OF fit I GUESS...

you might say it was ... they're kind of sh... shoeho--shoehorn--*shot*

Anyway, boy's represso. 2/10, if you called him bi he'd say wait why are you leaving , what did you want to tell me???

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, April 11

Buffy: (shrugs) I'll be fine. Spike: Buffy. You're not happy here. Buffy: Please don't make this harder. Spike: You don't belong here. You're something... You're better than this.

~~Doublemeat Palace~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Elope (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by veronyxk84

Followup Tests (Angel/Maggie Walsh, E) by MadeInGold

A Strange Sort of Afterlife (Multiple Crossings, T) by Ditsyjo and Wolfcubx2

Daisies (Buffy/Spike, T) by desicat

I Know I Should Figure This Out on my Own (but if you come back, could you take me home?) (Cordelia, Wesley, T) by purple_mechanicalpencils

Cooking Together (Crossover with Dawson's Creek, G) by Julikobold

Rock Concert Tickets (Buffy/Spike, G) by Julikobold

Spilling (Crossover with The Golden Girls, G) by Julikobold

A Year of Judgement (Ethan Rayne, T) by NAOA

Say Yes to Heaven (Buffy/Spike, R) by Maxine Eden

[Chaptered Fiction]

Object of Affection, Chapter 1 (Xander/Spike, E) by felixsfishnets

Scooby Family Therapy, Chapter 1 (Joyce/Everyone, E) by Anne_Hathagay

Highlands and Tropical Islands, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Faith, M) by QuillBard

Ripped Stockings, Chapter 1 (Giles/Jenny, E) by TheClowniestLivInExistence

Written in the Stars, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by RavenLove12

Celebrating You, Chapter 9 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by DeamonQueen

Army Wife, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, R) by though_you_try

Keep You Ghosted, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, R) by hydranjenna

The Boyfriend Swap, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden

The Stars to Hold Our Destiny, Chapter 10 (Crossover with Star Trek, FR15) by Hermionetobe

Blood and dust, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, 18+) by Blackoberst

It's Easy Time, Until It's Not, Chapter 24 (Buffy/Spike, AO) by hulettwyo

Coming Through, Chapter 55 (Buffy/Spike, AO) by hulettwyo

Service Unit, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, AO) by hulettwyo

Hope is the thing with feathers, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by will_

What The Drabble? Vol. 2, Chapter 10 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by veronyxk84

In Your Dreams, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Geliot99

We're Going to be Friends, Chapter 16 (Buffy/Spike, R) by scratchmeout

Build a Bridge, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Niamh

Love Lives Here, Chapter 47 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Passion4Spike

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Dark Willow Fan Art by erin_m_creates

Artwork:🌸🌸🌸 by novivi

Comic:favorite scene by fox-toothed

Gifset:Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1.07 & 5.18 by whatisyourchildhoodtrauma

Gifset:S01:E09 - The Puppet Show (Part 1) by thecrazyknight

Gifset:The Zeppo by dailybuffysummers

Gifset:Anne by detectivedawnsummers

Video: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: Portrait Painting | Time Lapse - Fan Art Series by TIM NARDELLI

[Reviews & Recaps]

Joan the Vampire Slayer (and Randy) | 6x8 "Tabula Rasa" | The Normies Group Reaction! by The Normies

"The I in Team" (4x13) | *Buffy the Vampire Slayer* Reaction by cass reacts

Older and Far Away: Buffy 6x14 Reaction by Dakara

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER - SEASON 6 EP 22 GRAVE (2002) REACTION VIDEO AND REVIEW FIRST TIME WATCHING by Reel Reviews With Jen!

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992) - Film Review by VIDEO ZONE

The Re-Watcher's Council | "Reptile Boy" Buffy the Vampire Slayer S02E05 Spoiler Review by LGRN - Entertainment

Podcast: Angel S4E1: Deep Down by Booze & Buffy

Publication: The 10 best Angel episodes, ranked via digitaltrends

[Recs & In Search Of]

spuffy fanfics where drusilla plays a major role in the story recced by mcgnagallsarmy

[Community Announcements]

New "Good Vibes" Flair Announcement by r/buffy

Fandom5K 2024 Schedule by fandom5k

[Fandom Discussions]

[on Buffy being 'kicked out'] by moistvonlipwig

[Riley's ending] by breezybeej

[Xander in the S2 finale] by nicnacsnonsense

[S6 as a Willow fan] by aingeal98

[Ask: Lies My Parents Told Me meta] by momsforroadhead and explosionshark

[Meme: why is the library closed?] by sunnydale-high-school-rumors

Conflicted feelings on the show so far... by multiple authors

Which Firefly transplant to Angel did you enjoy most? by multiple authors

Questions about souls by multiple authors

Do you think Dawn existed within the Wishverse? by multiple authors

What are some pieces of dialogue that you hated? by multiple authors

What are some of the most mind-blowing Buffyverse moments? by multiple authors

Most interesting Wishverse character? by multiple authors

Season 7: did anyone ever say whether the lighting and wardrobe were intentionally meant to be so gloomy/dark? by multiple authors

Buffy's reaction by multiple authors

Giles' reaction to Joyce blaming him for Buffy leaving Sunnydale by multiple authors

Faith, Hope, and Trick by multiple authors

What are the best moments of each season? by multiple authors

Ryles comeback was poorly done by multiple authors

Just started reading the comics and I have questions about Buffy's relationship with Angel and Spike by multiple authors

Does becoming a vampire mean the body is possessed? by multiple authors

Which one time/small recurring character you wish became a main cast member? by multiple authors

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[nequittezpaswrites]

The Twilight Films: I have no memory of this place

As I tinker with the draft for Inter Vivos, I decided to watch the first Twilight movie for what I'm pretty sure is the first time since it came out in theaters. I have no idea where it's streaming these days and had no desire to find out and pay whatever subscription service has its rights this month, so I did this by purchasing the first three films on DVD at a thrift shop for less than $10.

For context, I was 16 when the movie version of Twilight came out. I read the first book probably in early 2006, and devoured the rest of the books as soon as they came out. I went to a book signing for the release of Eclipse in 2007, and at that book signing I wore a black t-shirt on which I'd written "I sparkle in the sun" in glittery silver puff paint. Stephenie Meyer read that shirt, and smiled a little and made a comment along the lines of "Do you?", and then she signed my books.

(Aside: I no longer possess these books. Once the book series was finished, I no longer had a fervent desire to see what happened next fueling my love for Twilight, and hating on Twilight became popular and a means of demonstrating that you were not Some Silly Little Girl pining after Sparkly Vampires. The signed copies were donated, so they've either found a new home, or are sitting among their fellows on the shelves of a Goodwill somewhere. Seriously. Go into any thrift store with a book section and you'll be able to find a copy of Twilight. Or, perhaps, any book that sits in a thrift store for over a fortnight metamorphoses into a copy of Twilight...)

I don't remember how I felt about the Twilight movie at the time, though I can guess I didn't like it as much as the book. I don't remember seeing New Moon or Eclipse in theaters, but I know that I must have, because I still have the ticket stubs. My Twilight ticket stub, alas, appears to have been tragically lost to time.

(Aside 2: I made a habit of collecting ticket stubs from about the age of 12-13 until things went fully digital and you stopped receiving physical tickets for anything. This is how I know I saw The Wombats in concert three separate times, and just rediscovered the fact that I possess an autograph from the late Morgan Spurlock on a ticket stub from a screening of his Comic-Con documentary.)

I have no memories of seeing the second and third Twilight films whatsoever. I'm positive that I never saw Breaking Dawn, because by the time it came out I was in college and was distinctly Too Old to Be Excited About Twilight. And, while I have participated in the "Twilight Renaissance" with fic and meta commentary, what little I delved back into the source material was strictly the books, not the movies.

Which is all a very long-winded way of saying that I went into watching this movie very, very fresh. I had no memory of this place. And so, now that I'm twice the age I was when I first saw Twilight, my thoughts on the first film:

The effects aged poorly. They can't have looked good even for the time period, right? The vampire running looks utterly goofy, the jumping is clearly on wires, there are shots where people are sort of gliding in such a weird way that they don't look inhuman so much as like they are standing on a treadmill.

All the meme-able lines deserved to be memed. I knew it was coming, and "the fluorescents" still made me laugh out loud.

The fashion was certainly... current for the time.

I've only read excerpts of the books in recent years, not done a full re-read, but boy, does all the stuff I found romantic in high school look like a parade of red flags now. I feel like this must have come across worse on screen than it did in the books. Surely. I hope.

Alice was barely in this film? I suppose she plays a larger role in later books, but I was surprised how little time she got here. I think Rosalie actually had more screen time. Odd.

I was pleasantly surprised by the chemistry. Yeah, it's awkward and stilted a lot of the time, but there are a few scenes where Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson seem legitimately drawn to each other, and it's cute.

In short, I had a good time, and look forward to watching New Moon so I can enjoy Michael Sheen hamming it up as Aro.

[chungledown-bimothy]

why league of legends and not a traditional sport like football or basketball or something like that? it's such a toxic community, why do you choose to be part of it? (no offense intended, not being judgemental, genuinely curious.)

none taken- while the professional scene is slightly less toxic than the game itself, yeah it's still a mess. which is why the extent of my interacting with it is watching and occasionally posting on tumblr about it- i don't even play the game.

(this got a LOT longer than i'm sure you were asking for, i'm sorry about that. the tldr is that i really love the game and it delivers things that no other sport does, traditional or esports)

as for why not a traditional sport... a lot of it comes down to accessibility, i think

i love sports in general. i love super bowl parties, if i'm invited to watch a live game i'm so excited to go. some of my best childhood memories are from Cal football and basketball games and Giants baseball games. but tickets/cable/streaming services cost money, and i just don't have enough of that.

lolesports.com is free, as is the youtube channel.

why league among all esports, though? there are two parts to that, i think. why not something else and then why league.

what i love most about sports is the team. it's teamwork and trust and big picture strategy that i love the most.

i couldn't get into starcraft or smash- individual sports, including traditional sports, just don't interest me as much. (pokemon vgc is an outlier bc i fucking love pokemon, and wolfe glick is SO great, but even that doesn't hit the same amount of passion as league does)

so then why not cs:go or overwatch? those bitches are fps, which gives me a headache to watch and that perspective makes it feel more focused on the individual than the team as a whole.

so the question remains: why do i love so passionately the professional scene of a game i used to play as a form of self-harm?

because i love it.

i fucking hate playing it, but as a game, i think it's beautiful. it's got a fantastic balance of both individual and team skill expression.

and let's be real. there is only one way to play baseball. there are only a couple of ways to play football. basketball's a bit more variable, but it's still fundamentally the same every time.

there's so much more room for creativity in league. both forced, because patches and updates actively work to facilitate fresh metas, and natural, as certain teams or players will find styles that work best for them, with pocket picks or counter-meta strategies or just looking at the meta and going "no, we're good enough that we don't have to do that, we're gonna do things our way go fuck yourself"

there aren't rules like double dribbling or illegal passes. once you're on the rift, the only hard limit is your skill as an individual and as a team.

i love that each game, barring absolute massacres, has three stages, and seeing how they flow into and through each other is always a delight. each game has its own narrative in a much stronger way than is possible in many traditional sports.

i love that games are shorter. this isn't really an issue with basketball, as those games are also high octane and pretty short, but i've got attention span issues, and football and baseball can get so samey 2+ hours in.

league games are about half an hour, a nice concentrated dose of competition. (94 minutes the dream my beloathed)

i'm also a sucker for a good narrative, and by god league is full of them. from R7 winning the LLA's first international best-of series just this morning to Faker, who i'm not going to go into right now because this post is already so long, and his history goes back 10 years with no sign of slowing down (hopium. the day faker retires i will actually cry)

so yeah. from mind games and strategies in draft to skill expression and team coordination and shot-calling in game, i love every second of a league of legends game, as both a game and a more general sports fan experience.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The Justice Department has opened an antitrust investigation into the owner of Ticketmaster, whose sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets descended into chaos this week, said two people with knowledge of the matter. The investigation is focused on whether Live Nation Entertainment has abused its power over the multibillion-dollar live music industry.

That power has been in the spotlight after Ticketmaster’s systems crashed while Ms. Swift fans were trying to buy tickets in a presale for her tour, but the investigation predates the botched sale, the people said.

Members of the antitrust division’s staff at the Justice Department have in recent months contacted music venues and players in the ticket market, asking about Live Nation’s practices and the wider dynamics of the industry, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation is sensitive. The inquiry appears to be broad, looking at whether the company maintains a monopoly over the industry, one of the people said.

Live Nation did not immediately comment. A spokeswoman for the Justice Department declined to comment.

Officials in the Biden administration have spent the last two years trying to push the boundaries of antitrust law. The Justice Department has mounted several challenges to major mergers, successfully persuading a judge to block Penguin Random House’s purchase of Simon & Schuster but losing some other cases. The Federal Trade Commission has sued to block Meta, Facebook’s parent company, from acquiring a small virtual reality start-up.

The new investigation is the latest scrutiny of Live Nation Entertainment, which is the product of a merger between Live Nation and Ticketmaster that the Justice Department approved in 2010. That created a giant in the live entertainment business that still has no equals in its reach or power.

In 2019, its last year of business unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Live Nation put on 40,000 events around the world and sold 485 million tickets through Ticketmaster, according to the company’s annual report. Live Nation is one of the music industry’s biggest powers in the management of artists, meaning the personal representatives who negotiate business deals on behalf of artists. According its most recent annual report, Live Nation had 100 managers working with more than 450 artists. It does not manage Ms. Swift.

When the Justice Department approved the merger — over significant opposition from the music industry — it required the company to sell some parts of its business. It also reached a legal settlement with the company that forbade Live Nation to threaten concert venues with losing access to its tours if those venues decided to use ticketing providers other than Ticketmaster. Those terms were set to last for 10 years, until 2020.

In late 2019, after an investigation, the Justice Department found that Live Nation had repeatedly violated this provision of its decree. It extended the terms of the settlement by five years, to 2025, and adjusted some of the agreement’s language to clarify what the company was allowed to do when negotiating ticketing deals with venues.

Members of the Justice Department staff have asked whether Live Nation is complying with the agreement as part of their new inquiry, said one of the people with knowledge of the matter. Officials at the agency have grown increasingly wary of such settlements, believing the best way to settle antitrust concerns is through changes to a company’s structure.

The debacle involving Ms. Swift’s concert tickets this week has exacerbated complaints in the music business and in Washington that Live Nation’s power has constrained competition and harmed consumers. But it was also an example of extraordinary demand for a highly desired commodity in very limited supply.

The problems began Tuesday when Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan system, which aims to weed out bots and professional scalpers from the process, began doling out access codes to fans who were interested in buying tickets to Ms. Swift’s Eras tour, scheduled to start in March.

According to a blog post by Ticketmaster, which was published on Thursday but deleted within hours, 3.5 million fans registered for the program. The company “invited” 1.5 million of those customers to the presale by sending them codes, and the remaining two million were placed on a waiting list.

That day, Ticketmaster received 3.5 billion system requests, causing its app to crash for many users; some who were in the process of buying tickets with their codes were unable to complete their transactions. According to Ticketmaster, two million tickets were sold on Tuesday alone. Another presale, for Capital One cardholders, was held on Wednesday.

But Thursday afternoon, Ticketmaster canceled its plans for a public ticket sale on Friday, when it would typically sell any tickets remaining after presales. It was unclear how many tickets had already been sold for Ms. Swift’s tour, and how many — if any — remained.

On Friday, in her first comments about the ticketing debacle, Ms. Swift posted a statement to social media saying she was looking into the situation to see how it could be improved. But she also expressed disappointment in Ticketmaster.

“I’m not going to make excuses for anyone,” Ms. Swift wrote, “because we asked them, multiple times, if they could handle this kind of demand, and we were assured that they could.”

[butcharyastark]

Speaking of jcs, can I have a rating of the musicals/ different versions?

HOWDY, IM SO GLAD YOU ASKED.

keep in mind ive only watched a handful of recordings or productions compared to other ppl but i do have Opinions on the ones ive watched. [cracks knuckles] so:

1. biased maybe because i just watched it but the 50th anniversary arena tour (circa early 2023, there have been other castings last year ik but this year's one is the one i love). i had the chance to go see it bc it was in my state this month and its the latest one i've watched but it instantly blew away all the other versions i've seen. just... the great singing of 1996 london cast and great acting of 1973 movie and creative staging like the 2018 live in concert.... it had everything and there was not a single ball dropped or a single bad or even meh actor or song or artistic decision. i am usually not one to rec ppl to go buy a ticket to an event but seeing it was the best intro to musical theater or live performances i could have ever had and AHHHHHH. sm details of this will stay in my mind forever re: jcs i can't pick one thing to deacribe bc it's Everything and i'd be here for two hours if i tried. it has my FAVORITE ending of any jcs production and idk if any other production will compare to the high intensity emotions and poetics and symbolism combined with amazing singing like this one.

2. have to go with 1996 london cast recording. i havent seen it and idk if there are even any bootleg recordings of it, but the album is The jcs album i relisten to. fucking A+++. again, maybe i'm biased bc this was my first full jcs album (as opposed to random songs), but idk if anything else but the 1973 movie studio recording album can compare purely musically to me. i love how you can HEAR the acting in the emotional singing while also not sacrificing the singing itself (looking at you 2000 movie judas), and idk i feel like it so clearly tells the story in the tone even without being able to see it, and that's fantastic. every other jcs production in terms of singing and audible acting gets compared to this one, for me. this is the one i hear in my head when i remember or mentally sing the lyrics.

3. 1973 movie. carl anderson. first official filmed jcs production. 70's outfits. meta narrative. do i need to say anything else? this was my second jcs version i consumed when i Got Into It and man im glad it was. when i first watched it, it seemed kinda just alright (probably bc im not a huge fan of movies from the 70's or 80's), but the further time goes on the more i realize this is kinda just The jcs. the classic jcs. i said 1996 london cast recording is what i compare everything else to musically, but i feel like this version is the one that every other version has to live up to. simple question: is your jcs production better than carl anderson painfully crying out "he won't listen to me!" on a mountain in the desert in a fringe outfit as jesus steps out of a tour bus, yes or no? and most of the time the answer is no.

i'm not a huge fan of older movies but the acting and music in this is top tier, the costuming is fun most of the time, the sets are neat, and the underlying metanarrative about an acting group performing jcs inuniverse for a film or smth is rlly interesting. it's the only other jcs album i have saved in my music folder besides the 1996 london cast recording. 9/10

also as a judas fan this is also the judas i compare every other judas to bc... goddamn carl anderson covers every base. desperation and anger and righteousness and tenderness and pain and bitterness and longing.... he has the range. and honestly it's got my favorite version of Superstar so far. i don't think anyone else has topped carl anderson's version yet.

4. swedish arena tour (idr the year). amazing casting, AMAZING acting, fucking incredible costumes, great singing. the only reason it's this far down this list is bc i prefer other character interpretations, but like, the appeal of bisexual vampy switch jesus who flirts with most of the apostles inbetween his main love interests of biker milf mary magdalene and legolas-in-a-mesh-shirt judas... simply cannot be understated. pretty much every artistic decision is 7 or higher out of 10. it's a very consistently good production, and a very gay one. i like the swedish translated lyrics also.

5. 2000 movie. i think everyone knows by now how bad this one is but it's so campy and jcs is inherently ridiculous as both the appeal and the concept that it loops back around to being good. it's not my fave version but it was my third jcs version and it was honestlly rlly fun to watch. what it lacks in singing, it makes up for in acting. i think Heaven On Their Minds, Everything's Alright, This Jesus Must Die, The Last Supper, and Superstar are the numbers that shine here. i think this movie is actually my favorite versions of everything's alright and this jesus must die. i really like the symbolism they try to use in this one. ik i said i genuinely think the acting makes up for the singing, but this might be higher if judas actually SANG. or if pilate was less sympathetic bc i actually hate this pilate djdjfj this version gets points for being much less antisemitic than other jcs productions with the priests, and then immediately loses them by being noticibly more racist than others in the temple. also my favorite peter is in this one. his acting in the last supper is like 25% of my enjoyment of this version.

6. 2018 live concert. full disclosure, i haven't finished this one yet, but i love it so far. i love the outfits and the staging and the energy and casting. this singing is not my favorite and i'm genuinely not sure if john legend knows how to act or if they just cast him bc he's john legend (i'll find out in the second half ig bc i also didn't like the acting of the 50th anniversary tour jesus in the first half and THEN--) but judas does a good enough version of heaven on their minds which is my main criteria for judging a jcs production in personal likes and i do Love the meta themes of casting a real superstar singer as jesus christ given the themes of the musical. i like the dynamics between judas and mary in this one. i think judas is in the closet in this one which is very sad but his outfits absolutely make up for it. it is a spectacle and a half and i'm enjoying it so far. it might get bumped up to #5 depending on how the second half goes.

7. original concept album. i know it's very weird putting the origin of the whole thing at the bottom, but that's not because it's bad, it's just not smth i'm in love with as a whole. i do need to relisten to it--actually i will do that today--but it was really good the first time i heard it, i'm just not a fan of the sound of early rock and prefer the way various versions adapt the music in progressively more modern times. objectively talented singing tho and heaven on their minds goes OFF. i may have more takes after relistening, but that's it rn.

8. i've listened to a bunch of other tidbits of assorted performances, mostly judas solos, bc as i said, i judge a jcs production by its heaven on their minds performance and i went scouring through classic and modern versions of that at one point. this is not part of the proper ranking bc i haven't listened to them in full, but i wanted to mention them here at the end. if anyone wants a list of my fave recs of that to look into:

original mexican cast (1975)

original japanese cast (1976)

mexican revival cast (1984)

original russian cast (1992)

original czech cast (1994)

jesus christ surferstar (2003)

all female jcs recording (2022)

most of these albums can be found just uploaded on youtube or even spotify which is very cool, please check them out, i had fun skipping thru them.

and uhhhh there's all the versions i've watched in full, or mostly watched, and a few of the ones i've done neither! ik this is very long (longer than i intended) but i hope this is what u were looking for and was entertaining or helpful!!

[lurkingshan]

I have started 10 Years Ticket (it’s so excellent y’all I’m already having meltdowns about it) but I’m only three episodes in and scared to go in the tag. Does anyone know if there is meta out there about the Thai film references they’re using? I feel like there is context and significance there I’m missing.

[miraculousmarkets]

Another topic I want to talk about that isn't news related but I feel will give legitimacy to my words, is how I see so many parallels between Pokemon cards and crypto. Pokemon card trading and grifting was how I got started. I was a kid, I liked Pokemon, but I liked getting bargains and ahead more. Always had a thing for winning although nothing beats the W I got with my bugaboo.

We grew up very differently. I was a poor kid, both her parents had money. She immediately knew how to make a portfolio and had doors opening, but also had a lot of pressures I never had. Noone expected me to succeed, noone forced me to do anything I didn't want to do. There's a certain freedom and peace of mind in that, but at the same time it sucks not to have, especially when you have a competitive and masculine spirit. It was only natural I'd get into sales and marketing as a job as I got older. Used car-lots, cold-calling... But that's a story for another day. What I want to discuss is how all the same nerdy kids who grew up on Pokemon cards, either moved on and forgot about it, or evolved much like their Pokemon, probably into crypto.

Crypto is considered the laughing stock of investments because of it's volatile nature. As I write this, Pepecoin for example is at 1.87usd and still dropping. Which isn't half-bad for a crypto all things considered, and I believe in Pepecoin. However, most don't like too put their faith in memes, especially when there's so much mythology around crypto. Now, this Gengar card will run you about 70 dollars. It was released back in like 2008. Ex was a new game-mechanic and people freaked. (Game freak huurhuurhuur bad pun) Ok... So what can we learn from this?

1: Pokemon cards will appreciate in value... sometimes. Evidentially I guarantee this card might've been double in market price back in 2008, however, it maintains some of it's value because it can only drop so steeply, along with physical rarity.

2: The market of Pokemon cards vastly differs from other markets because it is a game first and foremost. As such, a lot of it's costs depends on immediate demand coupled with rarity. "Meta" defining cards will go for a lot regardless of how common it is. True of any card-game. However, once the meta changes, you can expect a huge dip. This kinda makes timing the market even more difficult than with other investments. Trends can give you some idea of the trust in a stock or the direction of a meme coin. You either have to open a new set Early and capitalize in the small window of time this card is in rotation to sell high, pull a random holo and hope card shops give you a decent deal, or sit on it for seventeen years and sell it for 70 dollars when you had no way of knowing how much of it's value would be maintained unless you had some notion of how it would interact in unlimited formats and/or how much it got printed. I looked up the price of a Platinum booster box (the set this was released in) and first price I saw was 1500usd. There are 13 cards in a booster pack, 36 booster packs. If I had unbelievable luck, dare I say...miraculous... And pulled this Gengar out of every single booster, I could make 252,000usd. More than a year's salary of a doctor.

But I won't. I don't even think I physically could considering how shipments and print sheets work.

I could pull 10. That's lucky and realistic. That's 700 dollars which is nice, but it doesn't let me even break-even. I'm sure there's other cards in the set, but I'm not going to retire on Pokemon cards this way. It'd have to supplement the hobby. Whether I like playing the game, or just collecting, it could only incentivize, that's why it was a "fad" in the 90s as people were thinking of booster packs like lottery tickets that one good pull could be the difference between eating ramen every night to caviar. It was never going to happen.

The same holds true with crypto to some degree. While I do believe crypto is the future of commerce which I will get into in a later blog, and you can more steadily profit off of it playing it's guessing game. It is essentially just another game. It's a game for adults of trading memes and hope over make believe internet coins that can increase your income, but at the end of the day most coins flounder. Even the ones that are built to withstand the test of time like Bitcoin, are essentially Gengar. Noone knew at the time what Bitcoin was, let alone what it would amount too. Now even on a bad day, Bitcoin is sitting at 60k and it's only going to get better. However, it's the same as saying gold is your ticket to owning a yacht. It isn't. It'll be an asset, it kind of already is. That's why JP Morgan and Blackwater are buying into it. Evidentially their backup plan is Bitcoin should they need to rely on that as a padding to a huge crash of some sort. However, as it stands... It's just gambling for big nerds who never grew up. And I keep coming back to this but I don't think everyone is going to be trading in Bitcoin when crypto becomes normalized anyway. People will probably use an infinite number of crypto and I'll write about that later as it just keeps coming up.

I just wanted to illustrate that a lot of the same mentality it took to succeed in crypto, it took to get ahead in Pokemon cards. And just like Pokemon cards, the real winners are the people who made friends, who have fond memories, who kept themselves busy, who met a nice girl and married her through a mutual hobby.

[in-the-wrong-direction]

Fringe Day #5

My wife's sister is visiting with a friend so we curated a selection of shows to take them to, because jet-lag is for losers.

Please DON'T See Our Show

We completely ignored the marketing for this one and bought tickets. An illegal Zumba class figured out it was cheaper to book a Fringe venue than their local parish hall, and are dismayed when an audience has the gall to turn up expecting a show.

It's a solid comedy in the meta vein of Noises Off and the Farndales where backstage drama affects the onstage stuff. Very fun stuff from a great group.

Thinking Drinkers: Booze-ical

First of our Fringe staples, the Thinking Drinkers are a comedy pair that do lectures and tastings of booze while promoting responsible drinking habits. Their message, their motto, their mantra: drink less, drink better!

This year they teamed up with a musical trio called Flat and the Curves to produce a Booze-ical. Both entertaining and educational, and it comes with a guided tasting of five different beverages. What more do you want?

Jollyboat: 10 Songs For Geeks

The second staple and a comfort show. Ed and Tommy are lovably enthusiastic bards that sing nerdy songs. Their opening number, Pirates of the Karaoke, sets the tone pretty well and the puns just keep going from there.

They've also got a second show that we'll go see. Tommy has coded a multiplayer game of some sort and they've named it Jollybox.

Sophie's Surprise 29th

We saw the show last year and had to see it again. A diverse group of friends throw their friend Sophie (randomly selected from the audience at the start of the show) a surprise party. There's dancing and acrobatics galore, as well as a lot of comedy. I said La Clique was maybe the best circus show at the Fringe, but I think this show might just top it. This is circus at its absolute best.

[waitmyturtles]

In this edition of FUCK, THINGS GOT REEEEEEEAL GOOD: Step By Step, episode 9 thoughts:

First off:

THANK GOD THAT BABY IS OKAY, BUT I'D LIKE A FOLLOW-UP UPDATE ON THEIR HEALTH, PLEASE.

I'm a mom. A slightly traumatic birth scene in a BL! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

I'm talking with @lurkingshan about this, but I'm going to leave the timeline issues of the pregnancy to the real SBS experts. If the baby was OKAY and CRYING after a traumatic labor like that, my mom spidey sense says the baby was likely 34 weeks or above. Otherwise, that would more of a real emergency situation, with the need for a very sterile environment, and a really fast, emergency transport to a hospital and a NICU. (Also, around 34 weeks is when moms are advised to not be far from a hospital -- at least in the States -- in the case of this emergency onset birth situation, so that's what's leading to my guess about Ae.) Again, this means that the show may have made a big-ass timeline jump, and I don't think I'm expert enough to apply that to Pat and Jeng, so I'm gonna leave that alone.

Also, at THAT stage of pregnancy, late and belly-dropping.... yeah. Maybe a short stop on a bus can induce labor. We have a family member whose labor was induced when she tripped from a bus. (Real quick education, family: if someone around you breaks water, GET THEM TO A HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY if you can, the risk of infection SKYROCKETS after water breaks.)

Okay. Give me babies and I give you mom. Let me step away from that for a second to say:

The show FINALLY GOT GOOD, for my tastes.

Tee Bundit got an editor. We got CRISP dialogue. SMART writing. The episode fit what it needed in its runtime. That's all I was asking for, dear Tee.

We got words. We got real descriptions about boundaries. We got real resistance to CROSSING those boundaries. We got meditations on how to DEAL with those boundaries. We saw Jeng RECOGNIZING that those boundaries are preventing Pat from coming to Jeng intimately, and that Jeng HAS A RESPONSIBILITY to DEAL with those boundaries, instead of ONLY leading with his heart, in a difficult boss-employee situation. We got Jeng managing his heart, yes, but also DEALING ACTIVELY with being PROFESSIONAL as well, and recognizing that he has to STEP AWAY from his role as Pat's superior. GOOD, JENG.

We have Pat still Pat-ing. Pat's like, I'm not gonna date my boss, but also, he liiiikkkeess meeee? He's too good for meeeeeee! PAT, jesus. Thank you, Jen, for working on dusting off our guy. (@lurkingshan, I was literally JUST writing this, lol.)

But also, thank gawd -- at least we have PAT SPEAKING UP and using his words. Like an adult. (?!) And -- being EMPOWERED to USE his words by his WONDERFULLY COMMUNICATIVE PARENTS! So, now we see that Pat, while raised in a sad environment with the separation of his parents, is actually attuned to..... talking and using his words regarding his emotions! We know and see that he can do it -- because his parents can do it, and therefore modeled that behavior for him. (Amarin Nitibhon, great dad in 10 Years Ticket, great dad in Step By Step, keep being a great dad!)

But Pat's still gotta keep Pat-ing, and he's still confused, and... what? He's surrounded by snacks and might need the further reflection of another older adult in Jeng to get deep in his feelings.

I don't know if my read is accurate on this. Is Pat the kind of person that NEEDS people around him to help him reveal his complicated feelings to himself? I think so. He's a young adult, kind of overwhelmed by everything going on, his sister dropped a baby in public (HE'S AN UNCLE NOWWWWWWW) --

Homeboy is GROWING UP. Step by step? Maybe the point of this show is that you don't grow up as well in this world, step by step, without leveraging your family and community around you as best as you can. I like that read, but I don't know if it's accurate yet.

I'm gonna leave the rest of the meta to the real SBS experts. Thank gawd the baby was born okay, but I'm gonna need an update. If Tee Bundit gives me breastfeeding in the next episode, I WILL give him flowers in Thailand, FOR REAL. Come awn. Don't stop at birth! It'll be a good excuse to show SOME body parts -- maybe not the ones we expect, though, ha.

And we get funsies with Pat and Jeng, finally, next week?! Let's motherfucking go.

EDITING TO ADD: Any moms out there watching SBS? I need fellow moms to laugh/cry/emote at all that childbirth stuff with.

[pandasmagorica]

Not having enough luck with Off and Gun. Abandoned both Theory of Love and Cooking Crush almost from the beginning.

Too bad. They totally hit it out of the park with Not Me, my favorite QL series ever, and I'd love to see them again in something as deep.

Please GMMTV!

(Okay, loved Gun in Midnight Museum, so there's that. And Off in 10 Years Ticket. So not a total absence.)

[adnanfinowings]

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[semi-imaginary-place]

trigun reactions. End of maximum. Spoilers

People talk about Wolfwood being doomed by the narrative and I disagree, the one doomed by the narrative is Vash. Vash is the one with all the foreshadowing that he's dying. His hair is almost all black, his health and condition are worsening, multiple characters have commented on how he's dying.

90: haunted by nico chan. Wolfwood is shown to be on vash's mind twice once when he decides to attack legato and again when he kills him. Like legato says its notable that now is when vash decides to break his life long 100+ year vow not to kill.

91: the day will come when you have to choose that line's been repeated at least 3 times too bad i cant remember where. Its not just wolfwoods philosophy, vash wanted to protect his legacy or maybe just the reminder that wolfwood once lived.

92: wasnt there a whole thing about how plants can't survive outside of those glass bulbs. Given how many chapters are left i dont think vash and knives are going to fight which is very very interesting narratively and on a meta level. I say that because most of the other fights have taken 5-10 chapters to cover like legato or livio.

93: uh nuclear fallout doesnt work like that. Any blast no matter if it hit knives of the fleet would be spreading radioactive particles. It might not be a direct hit. But thats 2 nuclear detonations. Yall are going to die of radiation poisoning.

94: ticket... what did that represent again... freedom to choose your destination? So the translations all say different things. Vash prays that the plants can choose the end of this confront tation/their future/what side to take. But is the ticket for himself or for them?

95: Also yeah there is no big epic final battle vash appeals to the plants, to bridge the gap between plants and humanity and communicate. As the feather memories drift down plants and humans find a common point in knowing vash. And the plants choose vash's philosophy of live and peace and abandon knives. Hmm so the cable vash stuck to his neck acts as plant life support. Vash has never made a promise to return until now.

96: contrast of vash who's more scars than skin and knives who is regenerating half his body. From knives perspective he's not wrong he really was abandoned by everyone: humanity, rem, vash, and the plants he convinced to his cause. Vash says there's no more reason to fight but knives will not waver.

Oh ho does knives feel a smidge of guilt for breaking their bond first as vash's gun finds his head. Ok im a bit confused did vash just kill chronica? Hmm but the framing isnt right and why would there be an explosion is he black holed it. Oh nvm she's still shooting at them. Vash uses the last of his lifespan to fly them out but he's too weak so knives makes the other wing. Great imagery.

97: the more things change the more thing stay the same man vash just cant stay in the laws good books huh. DID KNIVES TURN INTO A TREE??? Ok ok the most likely reading is that as knives said he was dying and out of power so he used the last of his life to make a miracle that would help humans. HOWEVER i rather like the idea that he ditched vash (because of complicated emotions and history) and is now wandering the world powerless and essentially human. Also isnt vash suppose to die soon the whole black hair thing he was on the point of collapse during the legato(?) fight blood everywhere, bleeding from his eyes falling apart, if vash survives it is technically, technically possible knives did too.

(https://trigun-manga-overhaul.tumblr.com)

[enjoymorestuff]

The Scarecrow Video Psychotronic Challenge

Scarecrow Video (the biggest video store in the world, it's awesome) has a movie challenge for October. Let's go!

1. DIRECTOR’S FIRST FILM: Starting off with an easy one for you. Make it especially cool by choosing a director not particularly known for making psychotronic stuff.

2. THEY WERE IN THAT?: One with a then unknown actor who is now very known.

3. TWILIGHT YEARS IN THEIR CAREERS: An aging American actor in an overseas production.

4. WORKING REMOTELY: One that takes place out in the cut somewhere.

5. ENJOY YOUR STAY: Park your keister for a single location flic.

6. THE TORN TICKET: You guessed it, films/scenes that take place in a movie theater.

7. “META” MILITIA: Be on the lookout for any one of an enemy squadron of self aware films operating in your area. Report if seen…

8. IN YOUR DREAMS: Heavy on the dream sequence, Jack.

9. PASSES LIKE MOLASSES: One with a looooong death/dying sequence.

10. “I GOT YOU, BABY GIRL”: A post-apocalyptic film with some emotional heft.

11. ⬆⬆⬇⬇⬅➡⬅➡🅱🅰: Select and start a movie based on a video game.

12. GUERILLAS IN THE MIDST: One involving soldiers or set during a war:

13. RELIVOMAX: Do your enigmas need resolving? Don’t wait, talk to an expert to see if Relivomax is right for you. Taking Relivomax may result in flashbacks.

14. AKA: The same great show by a name you didn’t know.

15. HALLYUWOOD: It’s time to dig up the onggi and watch yourself a South Korean joint, the saltier the better.

16. OZPLOITATION: Maximize your wander with some thunder from down yonder.

17. BORED OF EDUCATION: Stegman says school ain’t just for makin’ money, it’s also a great place for a story to unfold.

18. CAN YOU DIG IT?: Archeology turns up the darndest things…

19. ACCOMPANIED MINERS: Danger! Stay out of mineshafts, ore else!

20. THE GREAT UNSTREAMBLE: Search all night with all your might, it still ain’t found on any site. Bonus for desert/drought content.

21. VIDEO STORE DAY: This is the big one. Watch something physically rented or bought from an actual video store. If you live in a place that is unfortunate enough not to have one of these archival treasures then watch a movie with a video store scene in it at least. #vivaphysicalmedia

22. HIGHWAY TO HELL: A savage car chase is the vehicle for tonight’s viewing displeasure.

23. VACANCY: Road weary are we? Pull over for one that’s set at a hotel or a motel. Goodnight?

24. STOP AND CHOP: The supermarket just became a shop of horrors! Cleanup on aisle 24.

25. FROM THE NIGHT OF: Any movie with “NIGHT OF” or “FROM THE” in its title.

26. ANY WITCH WAY YOU CAN: Cast your eyes upon a spellbinder.

27. MONSTERS… ALL?: Dracula, Frankenstein and Wolfman are (universal)ly adored. It’s time we start seeing other “people”.

28. THE BIG TAKEOVER: An A.I.’er that goes haywire.

29. PHANTOM LIMB: Severed or not is optional but this extension of will has to have a different energy pushing it.

30. CAMPOTRONIC: A summer camp that puts the zing in blazing inferno, the spice in hospice, the fest in infestation, the fun in funeral. Go and have yourself a time.

31. “THE FINAL CHAPTER”: Last in a series… Get it?