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incesthemes · 10 months

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final thoughts: supernatural season 1

i was excited to finish season 1 yesterday! i even got to start on season 2, but that's not relevant to this post. i really enjoyed s1, and i think the showrunners did a great job at putting it together. it's been a long time since i watched older made-for-cable-tv shows and as much as i'm not a huge fan of episodic storytelling as a matter of personal taste, it was a breath of fresh air to be honest.

and if i'm being even more honest, my evaluation that i don't like episodic storytelling isn't even all that true here and might be more influenced by the shows i've watched than it being a hard and fast rule for me. it's still not my preferred method of storytelling, but i think spn takes what it has and makes something really good out of it. compared to shows like wwdits, i was relieved and delighted to discover that the pacing issues i was expecting weren't all that prevalent in spn. the recursive nature of episodic storytelling makes it very easy to press a "reset" button on the B plot of a series, which i find happens a lot in wwdits, but spn manages to keep the momentum rolling without ever really dialing back on the developments to keep things "more or less the same" for the benefit of future episodes.

that said, there are plenty of examples where the compartmentalization of the episodes makes that recursion very obvious, such as the full episodes dean and sam will go without ever even mentioning sam's developing psychic abilities. it's necessary, of course, to keep things relevant to the episode by nature of the plot structure, and as a result very generally relevant things are pushed to the wayside to benefit the episodes' A plots. so there are inherent drawbacks to episodic storytelling that i'm just not a fan of.

but compared to other examples, i think the inherent issues with the style of storytelling aren't that big of a problem here. they're dealt with well, and there are never too many episodes between major B plot developments. like i said, there's always a forward momentum, and nothing really feels like "filler" in the sense that the overall season plot is being ignored for the sake of a side quest. it did make me ease up on my feelings toward episodic storytelling to see that it can be done really quite well.

i've been comparing spn to charmed a lot since i started my rewatch, and i still think the comparison is relevant. at this point the shows are overlapping each other, with spn's first season corresponding to charmed's 6th season. by now, if i'm remembering my seasons correctly, cole has been well and truly killed and the whole "queen of hell" plotline has been averted within season 5. so that's the context supernatural is setting up its foundations. the wink and nod to buffy also implies that supernatural is building on a foundation set by that, too, but i have unfortunately not watched btvs so it's hard to make any real commentary on it.

either way i feel like i could make whole posts just comparing spn to charmed, and it's a lot of fun to see how dynamics set by charmed are replicated and subverted in spn with the main three characters (being sam, dean, and john). the biggest difference is of course that john is their father instead of an older sibling, but the tension and discord between john and sam does remind me a lot of a more hostile version of the relationship between prue and phoebe. the characters all occupy similar narrative roles, too, and with dean sandwiched in the middle as the family man, the whole trio is complete. the "power of three" doesn't apply to the winchesters, obviously, since it's made clear over and over just how dysfunctional and unhealthy the dynamic becomes when john is thrown into the mix.

idk i just like drawing the parallels here, and since s1 is the only time john really gets and screentime, this is the only place i can really make the connections.

anyway on the subject of dean and sam's relationship, i was honestly surprised to see how much wincest baiting there was from the very beginning. when i binged spn back in high school, i somehow missed... all of it? i don't remember it at all, which is hilarious because it's so obvious as i rewatch it now. makes me wonder what else i've missed, lol

i'm delighted by the codependency both sam and dean share with each other, and how quickly they become the center of each other's worlds. it borders on toxicity in how much they need each other, but it's also a reasonable maladaption to their situation: they do need each other because they're constantly in danger, and it's perfectly reasonable and justified for them to go to literally any lengths to keep each other alive, and to keep themselves together. it's a really interesting dynamic because you can watch dean talk about how many people he'd be willing to murder just to keep sam alive and nod along as if it's reasonable (because in a lot of ways, it is). i really like the depiction of their relationship, and it makes me even more excited to see how castiel entering their fucked-up little polycule will shake up the dynamic. just one season to go!

it's been a long, long while since i've watched these early seasons, so i'm really enjoying my rewatch. i hope the subsequent seasons are just as good as the first because i'm very excited to see more developments with sam's psychic abilities and of course the buildup to armageddon :)

#liveblogging: supernatural #.txt #spn reviews #spn1

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destielshippingnews · 3 years

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Edvard's Supernatural Rewatch & Review: 1x04 Phantom Traveler

In this week’s analysis, I’ll be discussing the unfortunate introduction of Abrahamic mythology, the lamentable gender politics of Dean in his nightwear, and magic languages.

Supernatural’s fourth offering, 1x04 Phantom Traveler, (not a misspelling, 'traveller' is spelt like that in America) is a solid episode. It’s not fantastic, and Supernatural certainly has better to offer, but it’s still an entertaining watch which introduces demons into the Supernatural universe and continues developing Dean and Sam’s characters, making them more distinct.

It is also the first episode Robert Singer directed for Supernatural. I didn’t see much to particularly comment on in the direction for this episode (my two years of Media Studies were not wasted on me at all), but one interesting choice, however, is the tracking shot of Dean’s sleeping form straight after the title card. EscapingPurgatory podcast had a shrewd postulation: the intended audience was heterosexual educated men between the ages of roughly 15 and 39, but a lot of them would be watching with their girlfriends and wives etc, and Dean is the brother who’s available at the moment.

Returning to the plot of the show, the script does itself a major disservice as early as the cold open. This episode was broadcast in America four years after 9/11 (almost four and a half in Britain) and was right in the middle of the decades-long and still ongoing war on drugs. The atmosphere surrounding airfare has changed fundamentally. The air hostess clearly saw the man’s black eyes and was affected by it, and should have alerted somebody on the plane to her worries, because she would have thought he was on drugs of some variety at the very least, and possibly smuggling drugs on the plane. However, for the purposes of the plot she does not act on her misgivings, but simply gasps and goes about her day.

This raises the question of why the demon revealed its presence like that. Demons are usually incredibly stupid on Supernatural, but this level of dumb is difficult for me to believe. The air hostess could have very easily had the man thrown off the aeroplane, and then its plan would be scuppered. The most likely reason was to show the audience that the man was possessed, but the audience was going to find that out in about a minute’s time anyway, so why reveal it there? It breaks the fourth wall in a bad way.

Whilst on the aeroplane and the demon’s plan, the episode never makes the demon’s motivations explicit. Sure, Sam claims that demons like death and destruction for their own sake, but this doesn’t fit well with how demons behave later in the show. They are, forsooth, as thick as poo, but they usually have higher ups telling them what to do. Was the demon’s repeated downing of aeroplanes part of a higher up’s plan?

Before I go on, it’s worthwhile mentioning that this episode is the first one to introduce the idea of an actual Abrahamic Hell in the Supernatural universe. It’s not the only genre show of its kind to have included something like this, with Charmed having the Underworld where the Source of All Evil resided, and Buffy having various Hell dimensions, but those two examples weren’t Hell as depicted in the Bible.

Joss Whedon specifically avoided the idea of a Hell and employed dimensions ruled by demons and demon gods rather than Archangel Lucifer. Charmed used the Underworld as an equivalent of Hell, but it was not a place of punishment for human souls. While Charmed is definitely my least favourite fantasy/horror/sci-fi genre show (Prue notwithstanding), I appreciated that it took a step away from Abrahamic mythology. Buffy/Angel were even better, having their own mythology that had precious little to do with Middle Eastern religions and more to do with Dunsany, Lovecraft or sometimes even Tolkien.

Kripke, however, took the lazy route with Abrahamic, specifically Christian, mythology, a choice which I believe was to the show’s detriment. It’s supposed to be a show about American folklore and urban legends, but that stuff eventually gets thrown under the bus. Forget Native Americans, screw the Americanised versions of Scandiwegian lore, screw the Old West and the Gold Rush and all the tales revolving around America’s history. And Canada? Pfft. What even is Canada? And don’t even think about Mexico. Let’s just have yet more desert myths from 2-3000 years ago.

My distaste aside, this universe has a Hell (and a Heaven), and demons are made by torturing humans until all humanity is gone from them, or by letting the humans off the torture rack if they agree to become the torturers.

Knowing this, two possibilities come to mind. One is that this demon is repeating its own human death for some reason, and another is that it kills people and drags their souls to Hell to make more demons.

Repeating its own death is entirely speculative, but this episode mixes up demons with traits later associated with ghosts and death echoes. Never again is an EMF reader used to detect demonic activity, and unless I’ve forgotten a certain example, demons aren’t shown to act as specifically as this again.

The second option, that of dragging souls to Hell, doesn’t seem likely as it’s made clear that demon deals or trades are required in order for Hell to get its claws on human souls, at least in usual circumstances. There’s nothing saying that demons can’t just decide to drag certain souls to Hell, and there is an implication at the end of this episode that this might actually be the case, but it’s a stretch. If this were the case, however, it would give the demon a real motive and make the episode less of a stand-alone bit of fun with overt X-Files vibes.

Sticking with Hell events on the aeroplane for now, let’s skip to the end and the exorcism. Whilst trying to exorcise the demon, it tells Sam that Jessica is burning in Hell. Dean tries to reassure Sam by saying that demons read minds and that it was trying to get to him, but demons can only know the minds of people they possess. This then leaves three options: the demon was lying and Jess is in Heaven, it was telling the truth and Jess is in Hell, or the demon was just trying to get to Sam, but unbeknownst to him Jess actually was in Hell.

Technically speaking, Jess shouldn’t be in Hell. She didn’t make a deal (that we know of) and it’s established later in the show that most people go to Heaven anyway. But Kevin didn’t, neither did Eileen or Bobby. Mary did, even though she made a deal with Azazel, and she died under the same circumstances as Jess. As Jess is never mentioned as being in Hell by another demon in the show, and as Dean, Sam and Cas eventually visit Hell and find nothing of her there, we can assume Jessica went to Heaven.

The exorcism in this episode is strange compared to exorcisms in the rest of the show. The Doyle (external to the text) explanation is clearly that the writers didn’t know exactly how they wanted things to work yet, but the Watson (within the text) explanation could be that they used a different exorcism ritual. Later in the show, there is no intermediate stage between being expelled from the host body and being banished to Hell: they just go directly down. This version, though, forces the demon to manifest and thereby makes it much stronger and more dangerous. I personally think the version in this episode makes the demons more of a threat because it’s harder to exorcise them, but I can see why it became streamlined later in the show.

The fact the demon possessed the aeroplane, however, raises the question of why it didn’t do so in the first place. Maybe it’s more fun to possess a human first.

Speaking of the ritual, Jared tells us on the commentary that he had to have a Latin teacher from a local university instruct him in Ecclesiastical Latin because he learnt Classical Latin at school. As a language person, I’m left wondering why. It’s the same language, just pronounced differently. Does the spell need to be pronounced in a certain way in order to work? If so, would the Ancient Romans have been completely incapable of expelling demons with their own language? Would they have had to rely on Greek, Etruscan, Gaulish or Sumerian for the rituals? It’s just completely unnecessary, especially as we later see Rowena casting spells in Scottish Gaelic, Irish witches casting spells in Irish, Celtic ‛demons’ performing rituals in Gaulish…

At least the university teacher got a little bit of extra money, I suppose.

Sticking with the aeroplane a little bit longer, Dean’s fear of flying is a welcome expansion to his character, though it was clearly included with the intent of making fun of him. It could easily have been played as such, but Jensen’s comments on the commentary indicate he saw it as an opportunity to provide more depth to Dean, as his connection with Lucas through their shared childhood trauma did in 1x03 Dead in the Water. In these two episodes, Jensen begins taking Dean away from the writers and making him his own: he was supposed to be the sidekick, but Jensen said nope.

In making Dean afraid of flying, but having him so insistent upon flying in spite of it, The Show perhaps did itself a bit of a disservice in its mission of making Sam The Hero and Dean The Sidekick. Dean was terrified, but flew anyway. That is bravery, and it’s what the audience wants to see in a hero.

Sam, however, does not miss an opportunity to make me dislike him (you knew this was coming at some point, don’t look surprised). Not only is he incredibly unappreciative and derisive of Dean’s talents, such as making his own EMF from an old Walkman, but he was also derisive of Dean’s fear of flying.

Sorry, let me reword that. Derisive of Dean for being scared of flying. It’s perfectly rational to be afraid of being in a giant metal bird suspended miles above the ground, but Dean agreed to it anyway in order to save people. And Sam treats him like a child because he’s scared of take-off and turbulence. Dean’s fear is a rational one, something that a person who hasn’t been sheltered from reality would have. Sam’s greatest fear, however, is…

Clowns.

I get it, they’re brothers, and siblings are supposed to rib on each other like this (the siblings I still talk to aren’t like this with me or each other, so I find it difficult to relate to Dean and Sam’s relationship) but it makes Sam come across as an utter cunny-hole. If somebody is clearly terrified of something and on the edge of a panic attack, you don’t sneer and mock, and then demand he calm down. Sure, Dean needed to calm down and Sam was the only one who could do it, but talking to him like a child just reveals how little Sam knows of taking care of other people. He’s the pampered younger brother, and it really shows.

He also shows a lack of judgement when roughly putting a hand on Dean’s shoulder while he was distracted. Dean’s essentially a war child (and suffers C-PTSD) and you just shouldn’t do things like this to somebody like that. That’s how you trigger panic attacks or flashbacks. Ask a veteran, I’m sure s/he’ll agree.

Aside from that, the middle-aged man on the aeroplane winked at Dean – winked – when Dean was walking down the aisle with his EMF reader. A man winking at a man has sexual overtones nowadays, and has done for a long time. How many men wink at a built guy standing over them like that unless they’re sure they won’t be punched in the face? Dean had his EMF reader out at that moment, but he was simultaneously on somebody else’s radar. Something about Dean set sexual bells ringing in cameo middle-aged man’s head. Regarding Sam, there’s two important moments for him in this episode (Jess aside): when he discovers John talked about and praised him in his absence, and when he exorcises the demon. It’s made clear in a few episodes’ time that Sam never felt like he fit in with his family, and that he believed John was disappointed in him. Exactly how he came to this conclusion is uncertain, since John doted on Sam and afforded him liberties he never would have allowed Dean, but it’s clear their relationship is difficult. Going away to university was Sam’s attempt to run away from the dysfunctional family he felt an outsider in and to escape John (and Dean): that he apparently didn’t speak to either John or Dean during his time there says a lot.

He finds out, however, that John praised him, undermining somewhat Sam’s belief that John regarded him as a disappointment. Episode 1x05 Bloody Mary provides another moment of character growth for Sam that subtly changes the way he perceives himself, but all in due course.

Praise from parents is important for children, and it really shouldn’t be hard for parents to tell their children they’re proud of them, even if they don’t say it in as many words. In spite of his difficult relationship with John, Sam gets that by proxy in this episode (whilst Dean’s happily checking out all the men in the hangar) and it changes the way he sees himself and John, even if only slightly.

The other moment – discussed above – is his exorcism of the demon. I don’t mince my words about disliking Sam, but even I can see he had potential. He’s the weird kid who wanted a normal life, but because of cursed blood had that hope denied him. Series 4 shows us the beginning of what Sam could have turned into when his blood magic arc truly kicks off, and it could have been a riveting plotline if written and handled well. Think for example of Willow in Buffy and the journey she went on with her magic powers: there was real darkness in there, and a gargantuan struggle to overcome it and become stronger.

This exorcism reminds me of Willow’s first steps at witchcraft in 2x22 when she casts the spell to restore a certain character’s soul and we see the potential for true strength as she performs the spell with ease. This exorcism of Sam’s should have been something similar, and his demonic powers should not have been completely removed and forgotten about in 8x23. He could have been Supernatural’s answer to Willow, and the Dark!Sam arc in series 3-7 could have been the first in his descent into darkness and his fight back out to take control of his own powers and become the opposite of what Azazel wanted him to be.

But – and not for the last time – three words come to mind. Such potential, Supernatural.

You might remember I mentioned the tracking shot of Dean (and neglected to mention the revealing shot of his thighs and underwear). Paula R. Stiles’ suggestion that the fact the writers and director for this episode were men doesn’t cheapen it is one I don’t understand. Jensen is in my 100% objective and unbiased opinion one of the finest men alive, but exploiting that in order to draw in an audience does cheapen the show.

To be fair, Supernatural is hardly high culture and commercial television is about revenue, but things like that break the illusion of artistic integrity, just like not making Dean explicitly bisexual does because that’d scare away too much of the audience. If having scantily-clad women in a show or film is there for the male gaze and drawing in money, then so too are Dean’s thighs and buttocks, similarly cheapening the show. If the male gaze objectifies women, stripping them of their power and subjecting them to male desires, then the female gaze objectifies and strips men of any power they might have and subjects them to female desires.

If it’s bad for the gander, it should also be bad for the goose.

Neither do I think it matters one bit that the writer and director are men, or am I supposed to believe a woman has never encouraged or coerced another woman to flash a bit of boob in order to get men to empty their pockets? Claiming that presenting a person as an object of possible sexual attraction turns him into an ‛object’ is strange, and that claim’s only ever made when women are being presented for men’s enjoyment.

But let’s stick to Supernatural because I have work in the morning. To be honest, I never notice if a woman on screen is being subjected to a ‛male’ gaze because I have no sexual or romantic interest in women whatsoever: if a woman is supposed to be portrayed as appealing to men’s eyes, it’ll usually go straight over my head because it just doesn’t register as having anything to do with sex. Interesting, however, is that this begins the trend of treating Dean in certain ways that women are usually treated, or associating him with ‛feminine’ traits.

Some people go overboard with for example Dean’s association with and likeness to Mary, his taking on the parental (maternal?) role in Sam’s upbringing, his knack with children etc, and use it as evidence to suggest that any traditionally masculine behaviour – or masculine behaviour at all – from Dean is a performance to keep up an act so that he can hide how feminine he really is.

My take on this is quite different than the condescending viewpoint that a man behaving like a man is performing and pretending. Dean’s ‛feminine’ traits are not his ‛true’ self in opposition to his feigned masculine behaviour. There is absolutely no contradiction between Dean exhibiting ‛feminine’ traits such as being good with children, cooking, or trying his hardest to fill the role Mary would have filled, and being a masculine man who identifies very strongly with being male.

I do think it’s fascinating, though, and the complexity and depth of Dean as a male character is one of the reasons he is one of my favourite characters. We rarely get to see men who are very manly and also incredibly loving, loyal and paternal and who exhibit a normal range of human behaviours and interests, including ‛masculine’ and ‛feminine’. That’s what normal men are like, something television and film seem to have forgotten.

Regarding Dean in bed, note that he is a stomach sleeper (sleeping on your stomach keeps your tummy safe), and this is consistent throughout all fifteen years of the show. However, this early in the show he takes his trousers, outer shirts and shoes off, in contrast to sleeping fully dressed as he begins doing sometime rather soon. He’s alert and cautious this early in the show, but not yet quite so worn down that he can’t be bothered to get ready for bed.

Note also that both brothers have sleeping problems here. Dean knew Sam was still up at 3am, meaning Dean likely slept for less than three hours, having been woken up by Sam at 5:45.

The end of the episode presents the brothers with something to be hopeful about. John has a new mobile phone number, the first evidence they’ve had so far that he is very probably still alive. It’s not much to go on, and John does not answer Dean and Sam’s call, but it’s something the boys can latch on to and keep them searching for John. Whether or not they should be searching for John is another question altogether, though, but at least it got the plot going in 1x01.,

Phantom Traveler is a strong but flawed episode which builds on last week’s expansion of Dean’s character and role, as well as introducing demons and Hell into the lore. The cut scene where Dean has to remove all his concealed weapons before going into the airport really should have been kept in because it says a lot about his character, as does his sleeping with a blade under his pillow, but other than that, I’m happy to leave this episode now on a positive note.

#Michael's Supernatural Rewatch #SPN Rewatch #spn 1x04 #phantom traveler #sam winchester #john winchester #dean winchester #demons #hell #male gaze #female gaze #christian mythology

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satinpetticoat · 4 years

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It’s 2020 and I have feelings about Cole Turner RIP 2002

18+ year old spoilers?

It’s the year 2020 and I’m not over it.

So during quarantine I rewatched Charmed against my better judgement. I actually hadn’t seen S5-8 as a whole because back then life changed for me so I wasn’t as dedicated as S1-4.

I completely fell in love with Phoebe and Cole back in the day and honestly during this rewatch I loved them as well until you know S5. However, if we are being woke (which I don’t think a show that had all POC’s be demons should be considered woke lol) S5 they basically did a checklist of all abusive things and had Cole check everything on that list. Sad. SO SAD.

I think a lot of the appeal of P&C rest on Alyssa and Julian’s chemistry. IT WAS INSANE. I really don’t think Alyssa was paired with anyone else (and boy did they go out of their way to bring in new handsome dudes for Phoebe to date) and hit the same amount of chemistry as she had with Julian. Alyssa & Julian’s chemistry on that show was homerun and I would never understand why showrunners wasted it when they could have milked it for all it was worth. WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND.

And don’t fucking tell me Phoebe and Cole weren't’ a game changer for the show, and Cole wasn’t popular. Look at the reboot, it was one of the storylines they copied IMMEDIATELY IN SEASON 1. ofc the reboot couple has the appeal of a wet noodle but that’s another story

I know some people who like P&C dislike Paige and blame her for the breakup (because stupidly the writers themselves have Cole blame her in his last episode which is a dumb argument from everyone. If we need to blame a character it needs to be the fucking Seer). But I think Prue would have never trusted Cole anyway so Paige kind of took on that role within the sisters. Plus Paige is cool.

Back to the Seer, things that I just cant let go. If Phoebe had ever admitted to herself and the sisters that she fucked up when she killed the wizard that was going to take away Cole’s Source powers I would be able to move on from the internet. But she doesn’t. So I am forced to moan the dark corners of the internet whispering “Cole deserved better” in 2020 lol.

Do I hate Cup? No I don’t. Tbh the Cup development is nonexistent so there is nothing to like or hate. It’s just meh. But I’m not above misspelling his name because it’s dumb. The problem I do have is the dude was there for *check notes* SEVEN episodes? And the relationship is more about the show TELLING us he is Phoebe’s love rather than SHOWING us. Exhibit A: Chris calling him Uncle Coop this tell us we have to like him because it’s predetermined Exhibit B: and this one makes me salty, the writers retconned the apple skin, fuck off find your own apple skin in the SEVEN episodes you existed, Exhibit C: Cup is approved by the elders. So Piper and Leo have to fight for their love against the elders for nearly a season but because Cup has the Elders seal of approval from the get go we have to accept this is the real deal. Ok. I guess. I mean the Elders have fucked up in the past jsyk. I mean the Elders were such judgemental bitches your mom had to hide your half-sister lol ok ok I’m pushing it.

Did I wanted P&C to live happily ever after. Yes. Do I know Julian had to leave the show. Yes. But did the character had to exit the show in that way. No. Did I want a hero’s death. Fuck yes. But I would have settled for him becoming a neutral figure, or continued to stay on the wasteland idk becoming the new wasteland guardian and that would still have ended P&C relationship since they can’t be together. In this scenario he’s cursed and Phoebe has to move on, but you know they loved each other as opposed to S5 where she hates him and he goes mad for some reason??

SPOILERS FOR COMICS/NOVELS WHERE THEY CONTINUE TO LET COLE DOWN nexttt

Like I know what you (you being the franchise) are doing, you know Cole is a popular character that you keep bringing back to life for *cough* guest spots *cough*, 2010 comics and the novels released in fucking 2015 (War on Wtiches and Let Gorgons be Gorgons) but you continue to fuck it up

In the comics Cole dies to save fucking Cup from an ancient atame so Phoebe can continue to be happy. Cole becomes increasingly self-less in the comics and this is where it ends. He earns nothing for himself, only happiness for Phoebe which is ok I guess after the S5 fuckery there was no hope for them anymore. It is a better death, but feels hollow because Phoebe hates him at this point anyway so welp.

What I truly HATE how writers try to make Cup cool by having him ride Cole’s coattails. STOP TRYING FETCH HAPPEN ITS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. First the apple skin in the show, next Cup puts Cole’s father soul in his body because he feels bad he got a) to live b) Cole’s one true love (HONESTLY WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT BENJAMIN TURNER IF COLE IS NOT EVEN THERE), and in the Let Gorgons be Gorgons novel they pair up Cup/Cole for a cool adventure. Cup is all like oh Cole embraces violence quickly (which ok he does0 but asshat someone has to do battle all these fucking demons now and I don’t see you volunteering. Cole can’t help being a badass. At the end of the novel Cup is glad Cole is there because life with the charmed ones can be dangerous and Cole can act as their bodyguard as if the reader needs to know Cup is okay with this situation. DO YOU EVEN GO HERE CUP? The worse part is the show never really gave us a Leo/Cole adventure even tho Julian and Brian played off each other SO WELL.

I can rant more but I’m emotionally drained at the moment. I am obsessed with Phoebe/Cole at the moment so I’ll probably continue

#cole turner #charmed #phoebe x cole #rant #a rant #OG charmed #phole

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tamayokny · 5 years

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Name ten favourite characters from ten different things (books, tv, film, etc.) then tag ten people

This was extremely difficult to do. The first two were easy, since they are my ride or die, but choosing 10 different characters? From ten different things? I don’t know if I even like 10 different things, but I found some loopholes, lol.

tagged by @bpdanakins <3

1. Lara Croft - Tomb Raider

Lara Croft has been one of my idols since I was a small child. My mom had bought Tomb Raider: Starring Lara Croft and Tomb Raider: Adventures of Lara Croft for my sister on the PlayStation. I remember watching my sister play it, and then sometimes I was allowed to play it. I continued the Tomb Raider legacy throughout the years.

Lara Croft is just. Amazing. I love every version of her. Classic Lara deflected the life her parents had wanted her to have, and paid the price for it. Did that stop her? No, it did not! She was able to make her own mark in the world. LAU!Lara wanted to find out what happened to her mother, and honestly I love Keeley Hawes as Lara. She was witty and funny, and Legend is one of my favorite TR games. And Reboot!Lara? I love her. I honestly don’t care what people say, Reboot!Lara is great! Her first game is also fun to play. Each version of Lara Croft offers something different, and I love it. While many of Lara’s core values are in each incarnation (adventurous, ambitious, brave, etc.), each brings a new perspective which I enjoy!

Fun fact: my irl best friend and Lara share the same zodiac sign!

2. Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) - Marvel

I LOVE WANDA MAXIMOFF WITH ALL MY HEART!!! She’s a huge comfort character for me. She’s one of the most powerful mutants (yes, I am ignoring the retcon), and she’s complex. Wanda first appeared in X-Men #4 alongside her brother, Pietro, as members of Magneto’s Brotherhood. Eventually, the twins become heroes and join the Avengers.

Wanda’s mutation is magic; probability, to put it at best. She can warp reality. While she is strong, she is also human. Many remember her best as having a mental breakdown and creates House of M (influenced by her beloved brother). After this, she goes off the radar for a few years before her reincarnated sons find her.

I love Wanda because she has heart, courage, and cares for others. She’s intuitive and sensitive and, in many ways, reminds me of myself. I genuinely love Wanda with all my heart. She remains to be my number one favorite superhero. I wish more people knew her--the real her. The MCU does not do her (or her brother) justice. At all. (At least AOU kind of got their “reluctant villains to heroes” origin story well enough?)

Also: fuck you Marvel for retconning Magneto as the Maximoffs’ father. It’s been 5 years but I still elect to ignore that.

3. Phoebe Halliwell - Charmed

Growing up, Charmed was one of my favorite TV shows. To sum it up, it’s about a group of sisters who discover that they’re witches. Specifically, they’re the Charmed Ones and they protect the innocent. For awhile, I’ve said that Piper is my favorite sister but after my last rewatch, I say that Phoebe is my favorite.

At the beginning of the series, Phoebe was the youngest and the rebel of the family. Before the pilot, Phoebe was living in New York but we see her move back in. We also see that she has a strained relationship with her eldest sister, Prue, due to her scummy fiancé. Phoebe is also the reason why their magic was unlocked. (As children, their powers were bounded in order to keep them safe.)

Over time, we see Phoebe mature more. However, there are a few things that never changes with Phoebe. She’s kind and caring for others, always wanting to help them no matter what. (She shares this trait with the youngest sister, Paige.) She is deeply connected with her emotions (which causes her to gain the power of empathy in season 6). Phoebe has also had rough luck with love (see: Cole the demon, etc.) but no matter how much she gets hurt, Phoebe still has hope. She still has love in her heart. No matter how much she gets knocked down, she finds a way of getting back up, and I admire her a lot for it.

4. Catelyn Stark - A Song of Ice and Fire

Family. Duty. Honor. This is House Tully’s family motto, which is deeply embedded into Catelyn. Catelyn was married to Ned Stark during Robert’s Rebellion, after her former betrothed was murdered in King’s Landing (who, ironically, was Ned’s older brother). Their wedding night resulted in the birth of their firstborn: Robb Stark, heir to Winterfell and King in the North.

Catelyn Stark is the mother of the wolves, and her love for her family is no doubt a core of her character. However, Catelyn is clever and if you mess with her, you will certainly gain her wrath. Her eldest values her for her wisdom, and will turn to her for help. She will do anything for her family, such as freeing Jaime Lannister to get her girls back, or offering herself to save her eldest during the horrific events of the Red Wedding.

Catelyn is murdered, along with majority of the Stark party, at the Red Wedding. However, she is resurrected and becomes Lady Stoneheart. Stoneheart is out for vengeance, because she believes all of her children are gone; taken by the enemy. Stoneheart murders Frey or Lannister alike--whoever is associated with them. She holds no mercy.

There is so much more to Catelyn that I could go on, but I will stop here. (Besides, I need to reread the books again!) I will say this: fuck you, D&D.

5. Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) - Marvel

MAGNETO TIME? MAGNETO TIME.

Erik Lehnsherr was a young boy when World War II happened and because he was Jewish, he was sent to Auschwitz. His family did not survive, but Erik did. Depending on what you follow on, Erik either A) escaped with Magda (who is the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver’s mother) and started a life with her or B) he hunted down the men who worked for Sebastian Shaw (movie universe).

Anyway, Erik had been a mutant since around the time he was sent to the camps and after the horror and trauma he’s faced, Erik decided that mutants would never be accepted by “their less evolved kin”. So, he became Magneto, a protector for mutants and enemy for humans.

Magneto is only one side of the coin, however. Charles Xavier is a longtime frenemy of sorts, both having different perspectives in life. Xavier believes in coexistence, but Magneto believes otherwise. He had seen what humanity is capable of, and he never wants that to happen again. If he must be a villain, than so be it.

Magneto is beautifully complex. He has done some questionable things (I’m thinking of the comics for this one), but he has also done great things for his people. “Never again,” he says. He fights to keep it that way. Magneto is sympathetic at best, and I certainly understand where he comes from. Tell me this: if you were Magneto, what would you have done?

Also: while Michael Fassbender is not Jewish in any way, he did one hell of a job portraying this amazing character.

6. Kira Yukimura - Teen Wolf

I wasn’t planning on adding Teen Wolf to the list, but here I am.

Kira was introduced to us in season 3b, written as a “new love interest” for Scott McCall. I remember a lot of fans of a certain ship were pissed, but whatever. I’m not here to talk about romance.

So, in 3b Kira was a new student, with her dad as the new history teacher at Beacon Hills High School. She’s of both Korean and Japanese descent, and she ends up playing an important role in the story arc. We find out that she’s a Kitsune, thanks to her mother who explains how a Kitsune and a werewolf must come together to defeat the Nogitsune, who happens to be possessing the loveable Stiles Stilinski.

After this, Kira becomes a part of the McCall Pack and Scott’s girlfriend. In my opinion, they’re cute together but many people hate them together. Oh well. Kira also becomes a badass in her own right, as her abilities evolve. However, in season 5, the creators put her on the shelf, as she trains with Skinwalkers and is never seen again. I am so fucking MAD about that.

Like many characters on this list, Kira has heart and courage. She’s a bit of an introvert but she is loyal, and cares for her pack. She’s cute and a bit goofy. She is skilled and deadly. Kira is one of the coolest characters Teen Wolf had, and the way they treated her was disappointed. (Even though after her death, Allison was always mentioned/connected in some way. I like Allison, don’t get me wrong but all I can say is: interesting...)

Fun fact: Arden Cho, the actress, is the VA for Sam Nishimura in Tomb Raider (2013)!

7. Lois Wilkerson - Malcolm in the Middle

The mother of four boys, the matriarch of the Wilkerson household is not one to push around.

Lois has had a rather rough life. Her parents were not the best, and everyone tries to push her down. However, Lois fights back and is not afraid to stand up for what is right. Francis, her oldest, describes her as an absolute menace and while her sons and husband fear her, they also admire her for her strength and courage. Lois is tough as nails, but she can also break, too. However, her family--the family she and Hal created, no one else--is there for her. Lois is incredibly strong willed no matter what, and I love her so much.

8. Theon Greyjoy - A Song of Ice and Fire

No words can describe on how much I love this fashionable war criminal.

Before the start of the series, Theon is a hostage/ward of Lord Stark, as a result of his father’s failed rebellion. Theon was a reminder that if Balon Greyjoy pulled something again, his last (male) heir would get the chopping block. Pretty brutal for a young child, right?

Now, at the start of the series, Theon is nineteen and is seemingly best friends with Robb Stark, the heir to Winterfell and the North. He shows loyalty to Robb and the Starks, claiming that Lord Stark was like a father to him. He’s also skilled with archery and, like I mentioned earlier, fashion.

Then A Clash of Kings occur, and we began to see how Theon Greyjoy is.

Robb Stark has been proclaimed as King of the North, and sends Theon to the Iron Islands in hopes to gain allies with Balon Greyjoy. However, this does not occur. Old Greyjoy says “fuck that and if you’re [Theon] aren’t with us, then you‘re against us.” We see Theon conflicted, but we also see how strained his relationship with his father is. In the end, Theon joins the Greyjoys, and promptly sacks Winterfell. However, that is not the end. Theon is tricked by Ramsay Bolton and this vile man takes Winterfell. I believe while he took the women and children captive, the men were killed...save for Theon, of course.

Theon is held captive by Ramsay Bolton, and is tortured quite brutally. Theon goes through a lot in this time. His appearance had changed drastically: black hair turned white and brittle, he becomes skin and bones, and loses a few fingers and toes. Theon is no longer Theon. He became Reek. The new Reek.

Then, Jeyne Poole (or Sansa; I hate you D&D) arrives, under the guise that she is Arya Stark and she is to wed Ramsay Bolton. Jeyne begged Theon to help her, but he is in no position of power. He is a completely broken man. Time flies by. Jeyne is in absolute misery but with the help of Mance and some spearwives, Theon is able to escape Winterfell with Jeyne during a winter storm. Currently, in the books, Theon is set to be executed by Stannis Baratheon, who is currently holding him captive.

Theon Greyjoy may be a fuckup, but to me he is such an amazing character. He holds much conflict, from being a hostage/ward to Prince to prisoner. Theon Greyjoy may have done a lot of shit, but he is also a survivor. Everything he has been put through, he somehow lives to see another day. Despite holding negative feelings to Lord Stark and everyone around, claiming he owed no one anything (fair enough), he loved Robb. When Theon had found out he was murdered at the Red Wedding, you know what he thought?

I should have been with him. Where was I? I should have died with him.

Theon is far from perfect, but that is what makes him great. He has come so far, and I hope his journey does not end any time soon.

9. Suki - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Zuko may have the best redemption arc (or does he? See above.), but Suki holds a special place in my heart.

We first meet Suki season one, on Kyoshi Island. She is the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, and effectively puts Sokka in his place. However, when Sokka requests a few lessons, Suki is happy to help...as long as he followed the guidelines.

Suki is a certified badass. Although a non-bender, Suki has incredible skill and event went against Azula. However, Suki and the others surrendered (so that Appa would not be captured), leading to her imprisonment at Boiling Rock. Eventually, Sokka and Zuko free her (with the help of Mai). After this, Suki joined the Gaang in ceasing the 100 Year War.

Suki is strong but like many other characters in this list, she has heart. She is an effective leader and fighter, offering her help whenever she can. Too bad she was never mentioned in The Legend of Korra. Suki is underrated and she deserves more love and respect.

10. Max Mayfield - Stranger Things

We first meet Max in season 2 as the new girl in Hawkins. She seems like your average girl but she quickly gets tied into the party after Lucas begs her to show her what has happened with him and the rest of the party. However, there’s a lot more to Max.

Max moved to Hawkins with her mother, stepfather, and stepbrother. It’s easy to see that Max and Billy, her stepbrother, do not get along. Billy is outright mean to her, lashing out at practically every chance he gets. Max fights back, however...especially when he threatens her friends.

In season 3, we finally get to see Max and El bond. (Thank God we didn’t have to put up with the “jealousy” tidbit. I would have--) El believes that Mike is lying and Max is like, “Well yeah. Come on let’s go to the mall!” and the girls have a blast together. I was so happy to see the two bond and have fun. I was so happy that El was spending time with someone other than Mike. I was so happy the girls were having fun by themselves. Honestly, the best part of season 3 was them becoming friends.

I love Max because she is confident and is not afraid to speak her mind. She’s funny and in many ways, we are alike. (Especially with our attitudes on boys and relationships.) However, Max is also vulnerable. We see this with her stepbrother, especially in season 3 I think. Their relationship was drastically different in season 3 and while many didn’t like it (myself included)...I also thought about Max. She’s a young girl and no matter how much bad blood was in between them, it will be traumatizing to see a transformation like this to someone you know quite well. It would be scary.

Anyway, I love Max.

Honorable mentions: Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat), Ororo Munroe (Storm), Jean Grey (Phoenix), Anna Marie (Rogue), Sam Nishimura, Malia Tate, all of House Martell, Dustin Henderson...

Thanks for reading! I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Tell me, do I have a certain type of character that I’m attracted to? Also, I’m not sure who has all done this, so if you haven’t it: who are your top 10 favorite characters? Let me know!

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thestcryofus · 5 years

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About mun: What are your top 5 fave ships to rp & why?

Choosing just five is impossible! So, this post is going to be one big gush session. You have been warned.

These are in NO PARTICULAR ORDER, so no one get their panties in a bunch.

Swanfire: This was one of the first real ships that I fell in love with in Tumblr rp and it is still an OTP. Swanfire has and will always own a very special piece of my soul. For one thing, my Neal is so different because although he’s from the show, I have put so much time and effort into his backstory that to me, he feels like an OC, and his relationship with Emma is something that I really cherish.

RoyalKnight: Listen...Abigail and Frederick are soulmates, okay? And Once Upon a Time did not do this couple justice! Where was my reunion after the damn curse broke? WHERE WAS THEIR FREAKING HAPPILY EVER AFTER? All Abigail ever wanted was her knight!

EvilCharming: Yes, I know, the majority of the fandom is probably all for Snowing. And I’m not anti-Snowing by any means. But, I just love the idea of Regina and David and there are so many ways for it to play out.

Chalex: WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN? I shipped these two since day freaking one. Whether it was Michael and Erica’s chemistry or something else, idk. But, something about Charlie and Alex drew me in. And despite everything, I never wavered in my faith in them. While the show progressively tore my heart out, I love that I have this avenue to explore what should have happened.

Roy/Thea: So, initially, I was hesitant about playing Roy because I wasn’t altogether confident about my ability to play him. But, as I played him opposite @tigereyesmuse‘s Thea, not only did it become easier, but I began to develop a love for Roy/Thea that I didn’t know I had. While watching Arrow, my main focus had always been Olicity, so while I liked Roy/Thea, they’d never really been a focal point for me. But, now they’ve truly become an OTP.

Darhkatom: When Nora Darhk came into the Legends universe, I really had no idea that I was about to get a new OTP. The moment Courtney and Brandon shared the screen, it was electric. It’s interesting because sometimes off screen couples have no on screen chemistry, but these two have it in spades. And I just knew this was something special. Over the course of a season, I was hooked and soon they were OTP status. Ray brings out a softness in Nora, and Nora helps Ray loosen up a bit. They balance each other out.

Alura/Zor-El: I didn’t know how much I would love this ship. They make me cry, they make me smile, they make me hurt. I feel a full range of emotions. I just love them so freaking much. I want to know everything. I want to explore their backstory, how they met, how they fell in love, etc. I’m kind of obsessed. :P

Lois/Clark: In all verses, Lois and Clark are all heart. I have always loved them and I always will. I think what I love so much about the Clois dynamic is that Lois is very much the anchor for Clark. She’s what keeps him grounded, and she’s his rock. The one who reminds him of his humanity.

Steve/Julie: Steve Rogers is the all-American boy scout. Committed to his duty to his country, he never thought that anything would make him think twice. But, Julie does. She often makes him feel torn and its difficult. I love the angst because Steve hates hurting her, and he hates putting her in the position where he has to leave, but he also knows where he’s needed and sometimes you have to make difficult decisions.

Tony/Violet: Tony’s dynamic with Violet is different. I feel like Tony tends to be more of the early Tony where he was still kind of an ass, lol. Which is kind of fun. Yet, she also brings out the playful side of him at times.

Lois/Hunter: These two used to be so full of angst, because Lois was a huge idiot. But, I think we finally decided to give them a break and let them actually be happy for once. Hunter was, for the longest time, the one that got away. The one that Lois could never shake.

Clark/Lucy: When it works, it works. Of course, Harper and I never have had a ship that hasn’t worked. Lmaoo. We’ve had one we screwed up but we don’t talk about that trainwreck. XD Anyway, Clark and Lucy are epic and somehow they manage to make it work, even if she is a Lane, and he has to deal with one Lane at home and one at work. Poor Clark.

Tony/Pepper: Pepper brings out the softer side of Tony Stark. He never really saw himself as the type that could settle down and be happy with one person, but then he met Pepper and she flipped his world upside down.

Andy/Prue: WE WERE SO CHEATED! Andy/Prue deserved so much better and I love that I get to rp them and let them be happy and have the life, love and family they deserved to have!!!

Flynn/Eve: If you have not seen the Librarians, go watch right now! Also, it ended far too soon. Also, Evelynn are soulmates! That is all.

Maria/Michael: They are so freaking epic and I just want to cry okay? I mean, everytime I rewatch the original Roswell, I get so many feels. They are so freaking just ughhh, I love them!!

Janet/Eddie: October Road ripped my heart out, stomped all over it and had a party. But! Then, the ten minute series finale mended it!

Zoe/Wade: So, here’s the kicker. I hated Wade for the longest time. I was a huge Zoe/George fan. It took me forever to finish Hart of Dixie because I was mad. Lmaoo. But, I stuck with it, and I actually ended up liking Wade a hell of a lot more than even Zoe, because of his character growth. And now I will go down with this ship!

Logan/Veronica: LoVe is everything! EVERYTHING! I was a Veronica/Logan shipper from the beginning, and I always will be. These two are soulmates, and they will be together until the end of time!

#[out of stories]#//yeah i think this turned into 18 lmaooo #tigereyesmuse

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