#I also played Wilson 1 or 2 times but we don't talk about him

[lazyrants]

Remote Control (prod 121)

Original airdate: August 2, 2005

Story by Magnus Scheving

Written by Noah Zachary, Cole Louie, Magnus Scheving

Directed by Magnus Scheving, Raymond P. Le Gue

Executive producers - Magnus Scheving, Ragnheidur Melsted, Raymond P. Le Gue, Mark Read, Brown Johnson, Kay Wilson Stallings

Starring Magnus Scheving, Stefan Karl Steffanson, Julianna Rose Mauriello

Puppeteers - Ronald Binion, Gudmondor Thor Karason, Jodi Eichelberger, David Matthew Feldman, Julie Westwood, Sarah Burgess

There was a time in history where this was my favourite episode of the show. It was also my mother's. No, I totally wasn't agreeing with her just because she is my mom, hehehe!!!! There was ALSO a time where I made a crappy YTP of this episode, but we will get into that latur (or never!!).

So, anyways, the episode begins with, whaddya know, a recycled cold open. This is the fourth time in Season 1 I've seen this cold open. Frankly it's just getting annoying. It's not even worth noting.

Stephanie runs into Milford's house telling him that she is gonna play football with her friends, and she is eating breakfast while Milford is talking about how he was so good at football, they called him Maddog Meanswell. Classic 'cooler-when-younger' trope in almost every show I've watched. Stephanie is drinking some orange juice (the new Badland Chugs??!!).

Then she exits so fast we barely see her. To practice, she throws a ball around and is running, and Robbie is watching her in disgust. Sportacus is of course, cartwheeling around town and sees her, to his excitement.

Just look at this dude. How can't you like him? So, Sportacus flippity flops over to her, and she asks if he can teach him to play football. And Robbie gasps and gags.. in a reused shot.. from the first ever episode they filmed of the show "Sports Day".. what is going on?

This. Is. Not. What. They. Meant. By. Recycling. Reusing. Or. Reducing. So, Stephanie goes to get Ziggy and Pixel. They run over to him, and Pixel trips over his shoelaces. And Stephanie.. is annoyed. "Oh, you just fell flat on your face? Don't care, blue kangaroo wants to play sports with us." What a kind soul!

Sportacus explains how to play and Pixel has to run for the touchdown. When they start the game, it's going well until Pixel trips AGAIN. So the ball flies and hits Robbie's spying thing and he falls over the railing. XD LOL ROFL!!!!

So, it seems that in the span of .. however long that was, Pixel totally disappeared and went home.. and he suddenly has a shoe-tying gadget. The guy has a HOARD of electronic devices. He could've just searched up a video on how to tie them with your hands. This is 2004. (And YouTube was made in 2005, but you get my point..)

Then he returns, telling them he had to go tie his shoes. They say he could have done that on the field, but he says he'd have to bring his Shoe Tier 6000. Dude, I don't think this is the 6000th shoe tier you've made.. So they all leave Sportacus (the jerks!) without telling him (the even bigger jerks) all alone. But I don't think he really cared.

Meanwhile, Robbie is in his lair, demonstrating how much useless sports there are, basketball, baseball, football, and he cracks his posterior and arm bones in the process. Robbie wishes there was a way to control Sportacus. 4SHADOEEENGGUHHH!!

Everyone is impressed by his gagdet until Stephanie speaks up and says that it'd be easier to just learn how to tie them. But it wouldn't. But, then again, you'd have to bring it everywhere if your shoes untied. So she has a point. Pixel says that he doesn't have to memorize it this way because he already has a machine that does it for him, then he brings up the RIDICULOUS, STUPID idea to make a machine that does everything for him.

Stephanie doesn't like the idea, but the one time Lover Boy doesn't listen to Stephanie JUST has to be this one. So they perform Gizmo Guy, a new, updated down- I mean UPgrade from Easy Way, which was rejected by Nickelodeon because of the word 'thingy'.. sometimes.. I just don't even know. I think it'd have been cool if Easy Way was in 117 and Gizmo Guy stayed in this episode, like they did with 'No one's Lazy' & 'Take a Vacation'. By the end of the song, Pixel has finished crafting the one and only Remote Controller 6000.

This time the Remote Controller 6000 can tie your shoes (oh, so solution, use the remote control because it's more lightweight!), untie your shoes, reverse, turn off all TVs, turn ON all TVs, freeze, do your homework, basically anything! Ziggy drops the lollipop on the floor, and Pixel rewinds it. They do the trick another time.. and Ziggy LICKS the lollipop the second time, because of the three second rule. MY GUY, THAT WAS NOT THREE SECONDS. Even Steph is disgusted.

But she kinda looks like a vampire in the above screenshot for some reason. So, Stephanie decides to go tell Sportacus the news of Pixel's invention.. then runs away because the remote control is gonna do her homework. But Sportacus is doing some practice and warmups. So the gang are hanging out, and the remote control does Stephanie's homework in 4 seconds. HOMEWORK IN FOUR SECONDS WOULD BE HEAVENLY.

For a while, Pixel is totally obsessed with his remote control, and he even plays football, baseball and basketball using it. But Stephanie and Ziggy get bored. In fact, Steph is so bored she starts checking her nails. You have to be the most bored person on the universe to do that unironically.

So, they get mad at Pixel, and they go away to do something like a real game until Ziggy starts yapping. AND PIXEL TURNS HIS VOLUME DOWN. THAT IS SUCH A CRAPPY THING TO DO, REMOTE CONTROL OR NOT. So, then Stephanie tells him to put his volume up, but then we see Ziggy angry moment (!!!!!!!!!!) about how you can't do that to people.

So once they try to leave, Pixel.. freezes Ziggy solid like a popsicle (in his own words). What a little french fry hair boy. This just makes me mad, personally if I was ice cream hair boy I wouldn't take that kind of disrespect.. but they are too mad to talk to Pixel, but another problem has arised - Robbie heard it and saw it all.

He has the idea to remote control Sportacus FOREVER!! Meanwhile, Pixel gets kinda bored and he throws away the remote control. Unfortunately, Robbie has been busting his butt off finding this thing, and it lands in a bin he's carrying after riding a skateboard on accident.

REEMOOOTEEE CONTROOOOLLL!!! XD, Stefan was hilarious. RIP. So, anyways, he dances of happiness, and then Milford walks into town. Robbie makes the skateboard go forward and Milford steps onto it.

Depending on what he crashes into, he could be injured seriously hard if Sportacus wasn't in town. So Robbie is a really devious man. But Sportacus is on the rescue and he gets him off by spinning the puppet around which looks funnier then it is. Sportacus stops the skateboard by doing an astonishing flip and landing on it.

After Sportacus makes sure that Milford is okay, Robbie realizes that the problem is Sportacus, so Robbie freezes him mid frontflip. Genuinely surprised that he managed to do that.

So, anyways, Milford is asking him if he's sleeping, and he whispers that he likes taking naps too. XD! But Robbie isn't amused and he freezes Milford too. So, Stephanie and Ziggy see the freeze victims and ask themselves why Pixel did it, then Robbie reveals he did it (villians always lie but not this softie..) and mutes them.. then he freezes them while Stephanie proves she could have a career as a poser for YouTube clickbaiting thumbnails.

Meanwhile, Robbie decides to have a little fun with Sportacus. (This scene is exactly why my mum declares this her favourite episode.) He makes him run in fast forward, freezes him, makes him run backwards, and.. makes him do.. the cha cha cha. Cha cha, real sporty.

Then he makes him do a spinning flip.. for fifteen seconds. Then he throws a ball at him and freezes him as he catches it in mid-air. Frozeacus. XD. Pixel walks in and tries to run to save them, but trips over his shoelaces, and he TIES THEM HIMSELF. AFTER ALL THAT COMMOTION. MY. GOD. So, Robbie calls for a truck to run Sportacus over, but he clicks the Wildlife Channel instead.

XD. The truck is only like 2 seconds away from riding Sportacus over, but then Robbie fumbles it up. He tries pressing the fast forward button.. but he FACES IT AT HIMSELF. And he throws the control into the air, and Pixel catches it, playing Sportacus, when he shoulda been run over like 30 seconds ago..

So Sportacus kicks the ball away, uses the digger of the truck as a launching pad, frontflips into the driver's seat and stops the truck. Then Pixel unfreezes everyone, and he says he found a better gadget, his own body. Then they perform Bing Bang. Pixel plays with Robbie, then he unfreezes him and he falls into his lair, flopping on the floor.

He stands up and walks off camera then the episode ends.

It was kinda good, actually.

8/10

[starlightshadowsworld]

Bendy and the dark revival part 1

Thonks

No I'm not playing it but watching Mark play it because I am a sucker for horror and a bitch.

So here's my werid ass thonks thro it.

.

June 18 1973

We got a definitive date whoop

Audery looks amazing she seems like she'd be sweet I already like her.

.

"Only 800 frames more frames to go"

If that isn't the biggest mood.

Animators, artists ya'll deserve all the good in the world.

I hope your pillow is always cold and your favourite food/drinks in reach.

.

Archgate pictures

Oh so this isn't Joey Drew studios?

Nathan Arch

Guessing he's the guy in charge, wonder if this is before Joey than? Or if the company got bought out.

.

Red alarm

Are we... Not...??? Okay guess nothing to worry about.

They nailed the atmosphere here I swear.

.

A pretty girl like you shouldn't be wandering around all by yourself...

Get back fucker I got hands and I ain't afraid to throw em!

.

Red alarm blaring lift crashing

What did I say bout the alarm!

.

"Old Wilson will protect you"

... Can be bring the ink demon out?

Please.

I'll even give him a sacrifice.

Audery hun we are getting you a thermos so you don't have to do all this for coffee.

.

Arch gate pictures presents Joey Drew and the Ink Demon

Ohhh so I'm assuming the company was originally Archgate pictures and Joey worked for them before taking over the company?

Maybe?

.

Statue of Joey

... Man's got issues.

.

... Nevermind I found a plaque that explains things

Joey Drew

1901-1971

Joey Drew was the founder of the studio and the man who created Bendy. One of the most beloved cartoon characters of all times.

In 1929 with his partner Henry Stein, he created Bendy's first short "little devil darling" as an early talkie cartoon.

As his entertainment legacy grew over the years, Joey's optimism and pioneering spirit never wavered. Starting with just a pencil and a dream he created this studio.

Here at Archgate Pictures we strive to continue his dream and see Bendy live on.

Dreams come true.

So... Joey's dead.

And he created this studio, so this was initially Joey drew studios and than became Archgate Pictures after his death?

He died 2 years ago so it wasn't that long ago.

... I don't trust that he's actually dead.

Man spent too long going on about being immortal to just die.

And also obligatory "Oh they were partners 💅"

.

Silly vision sounds fun for something that ends up being so sinister.

.

Good to see we're bringing back the pedastels of imporant random stuff.

... Call me sweet Audery one more time Wilson...

All this and no coffee.

I don't even like coffee but for fucks sake.

.... And there's the ink machine...behind him.

Oh boy.

.

Soo book, inkwell, plushi, wrench, cog, I think it's the same as last time I might be wrong.

.

Ink is covering the floor and Wilson is talking about how "the ink is calling us"

This is still less creepy than the lift scene.

.

"Come find me and I'll show you your purpose"

That and the "you'll forget this whole thing" is getting creepy again... Like I'm so glad this is about ink and cartoons and shit.

This whole bit of Wilson grabbing Audrey and get backing into a corner... Yeah this is creepier without context.

.

And we're dead?

Title screen

👍🏼

.

WE'RE BAAAACKKKK

And... Audrey's inked?

But also human.

We got a Fusion on our hands? Or the ink processes was incomplete.

.

Poster reads RELAX Wilson knows your purpose, the man who killed the ink demon.

Nothing about that man makes me relax.

Also this guy is really trying to hammer home he knows things which... Good for him but nah I'm good.

And I highly highly doubt he killed Bendy, or that he even could.

Also poster Wilson is missing his eyes. Not like real Wilson who only has one but he has 2 empty eye sockets.

I'm sure that won't be plot relevant.

.

Even the wall says welcome home but something tells me this isn't just the game being meta.

.

To Grant Cohen, accounting:

Please inform Mr Drew that despite his instance that the rumours of Joey Drew studios going bankrupt are untrue, i want to remind him that if his studio does indeed fail.

All equipment and experiments produced through our partnership, by contract, these belong to the Gent Corporation. We will reclaim these assets forcibly of necessary.

- Alan Gray, CEO (property of the Gent Corporation)

Okay so we've got Archgate Pictures, Joey Drew studio and now the Gent Corporation.

Who were working with Joey to produce the whole living ink situation.... Jeez.

So is Archgate under the Gent Corporation now Joey is gone?... And are they the reason joey is gone 🤔.

Because I'm pretty sure the studio does go bankrupt if I'm not wrong and Joey wouldn't have let his beloved creations go without a fight.

Large corporation V Joey Disney

Fight of the century I tell ya.

And all this right infront of my bacon soup smh.

.

Looks at Ted Wester memo where the "bank takes the goodies back"

Oh yeah they definitely got bankrupt. I'm sure somewhere ol Bertram Piedmont is laughing in his grave.

.

Wilson really doesn't know what no means does he?

So he's apparently "killed" bendy uh huh and it's been 211 days since Bendy was seen.

He calls himself a friend a protector.

Shudders.

And calls the rest of the ink creatures, children of the machine.

Despite them all being adults.

And he's put a manhunt on us.

Great.

.

The ink drips

Darkness has spread through his studio.. The reaching shadows creep around you. Something hungers for your corrupted flesh.

It is close. So very close.

It strains to grab you, choke you from behind. You will feel its breathe upon your neck.

It is close

Oh wow they found one of my poems from when I was 14.

.

Mutilated butcher gang member hangs out of a vent.

... Totally didn't jump.

Man he's been thro something, his eye has an X on it on rope. Something is in his mouth and he's bound by his wrists.

... What happened? Did he disobey the self proclaimed lord and saviour Wilson?

Because I believe the Butcher gang were on Bendy's side so they might be treated as the enemy.

Would explain that.

.

Annd yeah Audrey's like half ink half human with glowing eyes.

Cool.

But bizarre because no one else looks like that.

Why is she different?

.

So Nathan Arch was called about Joey's death. He hadn't heard from him since last April and sounded happy the last time they spoke.

... Oh yeah this is sus.

.

Ayy the toy bit, Heavenly toys.

Looks... Different. Got posters hanging of Bendy, Boris and the Butcher gang.

.

... So that's why there's so many hideu holes butcher gang jumped out.

I love how they just waddle away like fuck can't do ought.

Ha ha

flops scared me

.

ALICE!

Alice Angel aka Alison Pendal is here yess.

She's so sweet and poor Audery.

Alison confirming the machine can really spit u out as any of the cartoons.

I have a wolf he doesn't care for strangers

... 👀Sci Boris?!

Aka... I think Thomas Conner?

Stay away from the ink demon

He likes to smile and kills anything that moves.

So bendy is alive knew it

Also Alii you are not good at comforting.

.

We keep getting notes from our best pal and I am hoping it's Boris.

Not Sci Boris who hates our guts but sweet kind lovely Boris.

I miss Boris 🥺

.

A new terror has descended I go our lives.

This man named Wilson

Ever since our world feels strained, like a great beast held in chains.

The Ink Demon hasn't been seen in a long time. Many of us refuse to believe he's really gone.

But what does it matter? Down here were all sinners. Children of the machine all have the demon in our inky blood.

Ooo so these aren't written by Wilson.

I'm guessing Sammy than, especially with all the talk of sinners and such.

We all have demon in our inky blood... Wonder if that's the whole ink creatures are connected to each other.

The whole in the ink there's multiple souls what other Alice called "a buzzing screaming well of voices" in the og game.

Or Sammy's just crazy.

Probably that.

Wiggles to the jukebox

.

So Wilson was there when the ink machine was put up? And he wanted it's secrets.

Werido.

.

Wandering into the caution lock door room

This seems like a good idea.

Wonder what monster lurks behind these sealed walls.

... Ah the break room

Truly terrifying.

....wtf

Oh yeah just soups and drinks and a butcher gang member stabbed into a wall!

Bucket on his head, ink splattered on the wall he's stabbed into.. I think with the wrench?

And ink follower written beside him.

So looks like I was right, they do follow Bendy and someone, Wilson most likely is making an example of them.

Of anyone who follows the ink demon.

.

So Nathan decided to go into animation after Joey he died.

To resurrect the past.

Slow clap

.

Searcher enters room "if I find you on going to rip your face off!"

... Am I stupid because I didn't know searchers could talk.

I have never heard one talk as far as I can remember.

But no apparently they can talk.

.

Casually takes pipe out of beaten up butcher gang member

Pfft he don't need this.

[justjarminsports]

Highlights and Lowlights from Preseason Week 2

by; BenJarmin Munguia

date; August 19th, 2024

Week 2 is in the books; we get to see who had some excellent highlights and bad lowlights. How to make the list, and who didn't cut 

*********Highlights***********

Chicago Bears 

The Bears routed the Bengals this past weekend, 27-3, and it wasn't even close. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Tyler Badgent had a field day in Chicago. Williams rushed for a touchdown, while Badgnet completed seven of his eight pass attempts for two touchdowns. Wide receiver Donte Petis caught both touchdowns from Badgent while torching the Bengal's secondary. 

The Bears defense also stomped on the Bengals' parade. Three sacks and two interceptions while holding the Cincinnati Bengals to a lonely field goal helped secure the Bears a 3-0 preseason record. Chicago's defensive end, Daniel Hardy, leads the league with 3.5 sacks. 

Williams has been so hyped about this Bears team that we are not looking at how good this defense has been this preseason. There have been 11 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 2 forced fumbles. It makes me wonder why this defense is not getting talked about.

Bo Nix

Denver Broncos torched the Green Bay Packers 27-2 (Yes, the Packers only scored 2 points)

The Broncos quarterback Bo Nix led the Broncos to two scoring drives, completing 8 of his 9 passes for 80 yards and a touchdown, which tight end Tim Patrick caught.  Leading Denver to a 10-0 lead before he was done for the night. 

Nix has led the Broncos to every scoring drive this preseason except when tight end Lucas Krull fumbled a catch in Week 1 preseason game vs the Colts. There is something special about the name Nix.

Colts Running Backs 

If you were a running back for the Colts on Saturday night. You were the MVP. The Indianapolis Colts ran the Arizona Cardinals out of town with 166 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns.  The Colts took control of the clock for 34 minutes and ran the ball 37 times, beating the Red Birds 21-13. Both running backs Zavier Scott and Tyler Goodson combine for 90 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns. 

******LOWLIGHTS*******

Daniel Jones 

New York Giants Quarterback Daniel Jones played his first game since tearing his ACL last season, and everyone expected Jones to play……Well, you know……

Jones struggled against the Houston Texans' defense, throwing two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown by Texans cornerback Jalen Petrie. Jones had a really nice pass to wide receiver Darius Slayton, but it didn't erase turnovers. Now, remember, Jones signed a four-year $160 million contract extension after his only "decent" year at quarterback.

Steelers O-line.

It's nice to have two very mobile quarterbacks, but when you can go through an O-Line like water, those quarterbacks will be running for their lives. Wilson was sacked 3 times and completed 8 passes for …..47 yards. That's 5 yards per completion, and quarterback Justin Fields was sacked as well, but was sacked 3 times last week vs the Houston Texans. Steelers could only put up one field goal on the board in Pittsburgh. Perhaps a better O-line and they could put up two field goals.

Falcons sitting Penix for the rest of the Preseason

I don't understand why you signed a quarterback to a 4-year contract during free agency,  and then you used your 1st round pick to draft a quarterback and not start him for the regular season, just for him not to play more than one preseason game. What is Penix's role here?????  Did the Falcons miss their first-round pick????? I do not want him to get hurt, since his past history and what happened to Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, But Penix has to get used to the system. Sitting him won't do much.

If there were any other Highlights or Lowlights that I missed, let me know in the comments or let your Local Couch GM know.  

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

April 9, 2024

LOOKOUT — EARTHQUAKES, ECLIPSES, SIGNS FROM GOD

Marjorie Taylor Green has a message for all of America: God is watching. Y'all better repent, the Georgia MAGA star warned. We got earthquakes and eclipses and all kinds of stuff and there's gonna be an Apocalypse if Donald Trump is not elected. Yikes, this is serious. As you may recall, MTG compared Trump to Jesus because like Christ he is being persecuted by a dastardly government. That's bad. It's lucky we've got MTG around. She also pulled the covers back on “Nancy Pelosi’s gazpacho police,” that use cold soup against her enemies. They're practically as bad as Hitler's Gestapo. “She’s a traitor to our country, she’s guilty of treason,” MTG said of the former speaker of the house. “And it’s a crime punishable by death is what treason is.” The Georgia firebrand has knowledge of myriad concerns of the day. She came out strongly against “fake meat” that is grown in “peach tree dishes.” It's all some kind of dietary conspiracy to change the DNA of children and turn them into Democrats. When Marjorie Taylor Greene speaks, people listen. Now she's got Speaker Mike Johnson in her crosshairs because he staved off a government shutdown by cooperating with Democrats and there is no sin worse than that. Those eclipses and earthquakes aren't foolin' around.

DAYLIGHT-SAVING-TIME ON THE MOON?

If you think switching to Daylight Saving Time is hard here on Earth, think what it will be like on the moon. That's right, U.S. scientists will soon assign the moon it's very own time. In the future when we colonize it, people up there won't want to go on Earth time because it could screw everything up. A day on Earth is 24 hours. A day on the moon is 29.5 Earth days. No Wilson, we are not making this up. Golfers on the moon might like it, but if you suffer from season affective disorder (SAD) you could get messed up. Talk about depressing. Put another way; during any given day on the moon, it will be daylight for about two Earth weeks and then dark for about two Earth weeks. Greenwich Mean Time — which is our standard based on the Greenwich Meridian in London — could get confusing on the moon. On the other hand, English astronauts might throw a wobbly if they could only take tea once every fortnight. New terms would have to be invented for life on the moon. For example what would, “pack a lunch” mean. Pack 14 lunches? Would, “see you tomorrow,” mean see you in two weeks? What about, “take the rest of the day off.” The four-day work week? It gives the Theory of Relativity a very weird feel. Where is Einstein when you need him.

NASTY EMAILS: BASEBALL STRIKES OUT IN CITY OF SALT

The staff here at Smart Bomb put together an investigative unit to get to the bottom of the plan to bring the Bigs to the City of Salt. Along the way a raft of emails came into their possession. Here is a sample:

Councilman #1: We're getting hosed. The mayor is getting sucked in. She should play hardball — no pun intended.

Councilman # 2: She's playing patty-cake with those vipers. They could turn around and bite us right in the situation.

Councilman #1: This is starting to feel like some kind of shell game. One team goes here; one team goes there; nothing up their sleeve; and then the pea disappears.

Councilman #2: And we're left holding an empty bag and the tax increment turns into tiger butter.

Councilman #1: Don't look at the man behind the curtain.

Councilman #2: I'm starting to feel like the Palestinians. What about the Geneva Conventions and everything.

Councilman #1: We're outgunned. They've got the Republicans and the developers.

Councilman #2: A distinction without a difference.

Councilman #1: I saw Willy Mayes hit a home run at Dirk's Field when was 9.

Councilman #2: How did this happen. We just got thrown out of the game.

Post script — That'll do it for another week of springtime in the Rockies where we keep track of freedom of the press so you don't have to. Old saw: Freedom of the press belongs to those who own one. Matthew Prince is a billionaire who moved to Park City recently and bought the town's historic newspaper, The Park Record. He also bought land on a hill overlooking Old Town Park City and proposed building a very big house there. When neighbors objected to the McMansion, Price sued them and then wrote a screed in his very own newspaper explaining how dumb Park City government is. Call it freedom of the press. From our “truth-telling” file, this: Rep. Mike Turner, R- Ohio, is complaining that his GOP colleagues are parroting Russian propaganda regarding Putin's war in Ukraine, saying it's all about NATO — which is... well, propaganda. Mike McCaul, R-Texas, added that Russian propaganda had “infected” the Republican Party’s base. What a surprise. No secret, Donald Trump doesn't want to fund Ukraine and is buddies with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Trump said he knows how to end the War — just give Crimea and Donbas to Putin and call it good. See, that wasn't so difficult, was it?

Well Wilson, bad omens abound. We got eclipses, earthquakes, blizzard and floods. It's not that we want to focus only on the negative but when the sun goes out, what can you do. The eclipse won't last long but what it foretells might. So get the guys in the band to put down their moon rocks and take us out with an anthem for the times:

I see the bad moon a-rising I see trouble on the way I see earthquakes and lightning I see bad times today Don't go around tonight Well, it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise I hear hurricanes a-blowing I know the end is coming soon I fear rivers overflowing I hear the voice of rage and ruin Don't go around tonight Well, it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise Hope you got your things together Hope you are quite prepared to die Looks like we're in for nasty weather One eye is taken for an eye Well, don't go around tonight Well, it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise

(Bad Moon On The Rise — Credence Clearwater Revival)

[is-on-its-way]

Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more - 1

Post-Episode: s06e06 How the Ghosts Stole Christmas

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

Part of the Scully is a human Series

———

Mulder watched her as she giddily unwrapped her present, and unwrapped his. He let the paper fall, it was an VHS. He took it out of the box and read the label. Scully had stopped unwrapping her gift to watch his face as he read the inscription. It was labeled in Scully’s neat lettering.

August 2, 1972 NYY v BRS Full Doubleheader

“I think thats the right one. I asked Gerry from communications if he could track down the original broadcast but he had no luck. Then I asked the Lone Gunmen, they found it in about fifteen minutes.”

His hand was over his mouth and he was blinking.

“That sounds about right for a government salary.” He said quietly, transfixed, staring down at the tape.

He was transported to two places at once in his head. A car with her two years ago and Fenway Park in 1972 with his dad. It had been a small comment during a long drive with her. 

“Why do you like baseball so much Mulder?” She had asked as they drove through Virginia on the way to a wildlife refuge near the outer banks. There had been reports of a swamp monster that had turned out to be a wild horse entangled in orange safety fencing. He’d been talking about the latest Mets verses Nationals game.

“Its a spiritual experience"

"Like Elvis." Scully said sarcastic

" You don't believe me, but I can tell you about the best game Ive ever been to, it might change your mind.” He glanced at her and she seemed interested so he continued.

“I’ve been a mets fan since I was a kid. My father was a staunch Red Sox fan and I loved to watch him boil in anger whenever I cheered a NY team. But they were the underdogs and I loved an underdog."

She laughed at this revelation.  "Of course you do."

"So back in '86 the Mets at the end of dramatic season of bar brawls, a stampede at Shea stadium which turned the field to mush, a comeback from 3-0 to win a nearly five hour game, and a recorded rap single anthem for the ages, were making their first world series appearance since 1973.

“The year your sister was taken?”

“Yeah.” He nodded “And get this, they were playing the Boston Red Socks. I had to go for posterities sake, to tell my grandchildren I was there. I had to go see my team beat my fathers. So I made my way up to Shea stadium in time for the 6th game.

But they were losing. Bad. Everyone knew the red socks would win by the top of 10th inning. Mets down by three, the clubhouse was being decked out and filled with champagne. If Boston won the game they’d win the world series. Even the scoreboard had flashed CONGRATULATIONS RED SOX! accidentally as the Mets stepped up to bat.

But then Carter, and rookie Mitchell, and Knight came through with singles. As batters came and struck out, Carter ran home, then Mitchell, and the Mets were tied. The NY crowd was screaming so loud, no one, including the guys on the field could hear themselves talking.

Then Wilson hit a ground ball, the first baseman tried in vain to get it and it rolled between his legs. Knight was able to round third and score 6-5 and the Mets… won. 

Keeping them in the world series for a tie breaking 7th game which they also fought a comeback from to win the world series.

Its generally regarded as one of the greatest games in baseball history, and I was there, watching my team, who hadn’t won a world series since the 60’s.

“Did your dad go with you?” She’d asked.

“No, we hadn”t been to a game together since I was 11. Before… everything with my sister. A full double header, his beloved Red socks against the Yankees, in the sweltering August heat. I got a sunburn that lasted a week. Of course I rooted for the yankees. We got heckled by the home crowd and he stood up for me, yelled at them to leave me alone, even though he hated my penchant for NY teams. That was the second best game Ive ever been to.” He shrugged “I guess thats part of the reason I like it so much.” Scully had watched him searching his face for a bit after this. 

He was lost in thought remembering sitting with his dad sharing hotdogs and soda. Jumping up and down with everyone when the Red Socks had won the second game, because he wanted to be a part of the fervour. The happiness on his dads face. That had all gone after Samantha had gone. 

———

“Mulder?” She put a hand on his arm and it brought him out of his reprieve. 

He looked up at her and wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. 

“I cant believe you remembered that” He said releasing her. “Thank you Scully”

“You’re welcome Mulder” she was searching his face in concern.

“Open yours” he said, she still held her half unwrapped gift.

She opened it and said “oh, Mulder” It was two jars one honey and one bee pollen from a farm in Annapolis. “Thank you” she leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

“I know a guy named Barry and he makes his own honey near where you grew up in Maryland, among other things I shouldn’t divulge.” She raised her eyebrow and gave him a skeptical look “I figured you can mix the honey in with the bee pollen so it tastes better.”

Scully laughed. His heart leapt, he loved to hear her laugh. 

“Oh wow Mulder, how did we both know to get things from our childhoods?”

“Well I don’t know if you know this Scully but we’re often very in tune with each other.” He said in a sarcastic tone. 

“Even in our delusions apparently.” She said “How many people do you think are buried under those floor boards?”

“Im not sure but Im planning to go back after Christmas to check, in the daylight.” 

She raised her eyebrows looking skeptical, then said “Can I come?” 

He laughed, “You’re not worried we’ll end up shooting each other?”

“Well Mulder that was all in our heads… I think…” She looked confused

“But you want to come pry floorboards up with me?”

“Well, it would be nice to have physical proof that that couple isn't really under there… but if you don’t think I need to be there…” she looked down at her gift.

“No, of course you can come, you’re always invited.” Mulder said brushing his hand on her thigh to catch her attention.

She looked at him and smiled. "I at least want to bring a carbon Monoxide detector and see if we weren't being poisoned."

———

She looked out the window at the hint of deep blue dawn and checked her watch “Oh I have to go!”

“Right you’ve gotta go unwrap presents.” Mulder said his heart dropping in disappointment.

“Yes.” She took his hand as she stood in front of him looking down.

He met her eyes.

“Will you… will you come to dinner later?”

“I don’t think your brother would want…”

“Don’t worry about him, besides my mom said if I wanted to invite you she’d be happy to have you.” She wriggled his hand blushing a bit at divulging something so personal. 

“When did she say that?” He said genuinely curious

“After I was abducted. When I came back. She said you have a standing invitation whenever I wanted.”

Mulder smiled.

“Come on, I promise you fun and probably charades.”

He shook his head “Okay, but I don’t know about the charades.”

“Really? You’ll come?” She smiled

“Yeah” he said standing up and following her to the door. 

“What should I bring?”

“Just you, or whiskey for the whiskey bar.”

“How Irish” Mulder said jovially. 

Scully smiled “4:00 pm, you know the address to my moms.” she said.

“Yes”

They reached the door.

She stood on her tip toes and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for my gift”. 

“You're welcome.” He grabbed her hand as she turned “Thank you for mine. Really.”

She smiled at him and slipped out the door. Mulder touched the place she had kissed. He put the tape in the VCR, sat on the couch, and pressed play.

[girafficinterchangeformat]

Couches in 9-1-1 Season 6a

This is just for fun and means absolutely nothing. There were a couple of things that made me go 🤔 however

Episode 1

- Lucy is on a sofa with her broken foot (probably nothing right? It's before the couch convos and it makes sense to have her on a couch for this video call to show her resting. Don't panic if you're worried about BuckLucy being a thing I guess?)

- This is shortly followed by Chris mentioning Buck's lack of couch (he's right, it is weird, and Buck's 'solution' is a stopgap that's probably dragging out too long)

- Chim says he'll crash on the couch while Maddie and Jee Yun stay over (nothing to do with Buck's storyline, just a nice contrast)

- You can see Karen and Hen's sofa in the background of Hen and Athena's scene where they have a belated lunch date

- Chim and Maddie reconciling on the couch after not watching the romcom (Chim doesn't sleep on the couch that night!)

- I guess there's a sofa in the 911 call where Maddie calms down a little boy who thinks his brother ran away during hide and seek

-Also in Bobby's office when Hen confronts him about clipboard Buck

- "Is this 'cause I don't have a couch?" The 'at ease' convo between Bobby and Buck

- Buck moves his armchair to where his couch used to be and tries to be at ease

- You can't really see the sofa in Athena and Bobby's living room but Samuel crashes the car into the area with a sofa in the sunroom (hope that doesn't mean anything)

Episode 2

- There's an outdoor sofa-y thing in the tunnel of lust scene that definitely doesn't count

- Buck and Hen talk on the sofas in the firehouse loft. 'at ease' part 2 (I think Buck might have to figure some stuff out for himself and not try to get definite answers from his mentors)

- There's a Background Sofa in convo between Hen and Chim discussing finals

- Montage! Throwing popcorn on Hen as she's revising on the couch in the loft. Hen studying on the sofa at home. Hen standing in front of the sofas to revise.

- Hen sits in an armchair (not a sofa, she's all alone🙁) and Karen has her back to the sofa when Hen breaks down on her over failing

- Bobby helps Beatrice reach her letters from Samuel in a room with a sofa?

Not sofas so even more tenuous - Frankie is collecting chairs and Athena and Bobby sit on rocking chairs in the sunroom where the couch was smashed by the car

Episode 3

- Sofa in the living room at Athena's parents' home in flashbacks

...yeah, this wasn't the episode to look for couches 🙃

Episode 4

- Background sofa in the 'no secrets' loft scene but they are all sat at the table. Buck is alone at one end

- Outdoor loveseat in the bike chase

- Is Athena on a sofabed thing at her parents'?

- Eddie talking to his dad about intergenerational issues on his sofa (please take your shoes off!)

- Still no sofa in Buck's living room while talking to Connor about why they chose him as a potential sperm donor

- The girl and her mother sat on couch while daughter tells her mother a fairytale and acts it out before the abusive dad finds them

(Why did they make Noah a baddie, he was so sweet and learning the job so well!😬)

- Hen in another montage, this time with her living room sofa shown a lot as she does chores, followed by getting drunk with Buck and background couch

- There's a kid asleep on the sofa in the sorority house

- Chris playing video games on sofa in the middle of the night when he's grounded (rather than his bedroom where he's been shown to have a computer) and Eddie sitting on the coffee table to talk to him

- Buck tells Connor and Kameron that he'll be their donor with no sofa in the background again

Episode 5

- You can see Athena and Bobby's sofa when May comes to visit and meets Hoover which is unusual

- Background Couch at Hen's when Bobby hands over Hoover to the Wilsons

- Background Sofa when Chimney comes home to Magda the nanny blitzing the kitchen

- There are couches at the house where the robbers get caught?

- Buck still doesn't have a couch when we see him with the dog as he rushes down his stairs to quiet Hoover

- Athena's sofa can be seen through the window from the backyard group hang as they celebrate Hen's exam results

Episode 6

- Chimney is sat on his sofa when Hen calls to tell him off for the date ambush in the flashback (he gets up to get a drink so he's only there to show he's waiting for the call)

- Background Sofa when Deidre the social worker comes to give Hen plot relevent info (Karen is already planning for the changes that will come with Hen's studies and Hen hasn't realised how life will change until now)

- And again when Hen calls Karen and Denny picks up so she can hear the explosion at Karen's work

- Karen and Hen sat on banquette seating on a date, trading crazy ex stories and getting serious in another flashback

- Background Couch during the convo about Eva being pregnant and Hen adopting Denny, Karen walks over to stand by the sofa

- Blink and you'll miss it Chimney's sofa when he lies to Karen over the phone (she's sat on the airport bench chair things which isn't a sofa)

-Hen is not sat on the sofa when Karen goes to see her but a poem/poäng chair and Karen sits on the coffee table. You see a corner of their sofa in this scene though

- Background Couch when Hen comforts Denny about Karen and offers him hot chocolate

- Karen and Hen sit on the sofa and stare (with a little worry and awe) at baby Denny on the coffee table in the last flashback

- Karen is going to spend a lot of time on the sofa during her recovery and Denny joins her as Hen tells her that she wants to remain a paramedic

- Hen then comes to sit with them and they all hug! 😊

Episode 7

- Background Couch that Felisa wasn't sitting on while waiting for her cursed bracelet (you can see it as she unboxes. she was sat on an armchair before this and moves to the kitchen counter)

- Other, unnamed firefighters are using the sofa during the welcome back breakfast for Hen which is around the table

- More unnamed firefighters on the couches in the loft when Eddie is trying to call Felisa about her bracelet in the kitchen area

- Alexis is sat on the sofa in the video where Felisa promises her audience an unboxing of the bracelet

- Again with the anonymous firefighters on the sofas in the firehouse loft during the Athena reveal of the heist

Episode 8

- Still no couch at Uncle Buck's home when he babysits Jee-Yun

- You can see Bobby and Athena's sofa when Bobby is grilling outside

- Background Couches in the office in the horrible boss scene, though Tyler sits on an armchair in a flashback

- Eric the Incel is sitting on the sofa at Darius's friend's house eating chips and being passive aggressive

- Also in the scene where May comes to pick Darius up and nicks Eric's manifesto

- Eric and Darius look under the couch cushions for the notebook

Episode 9

- Big sofa in the living room behind the mom in the fireworks/severed hand call

- Karen and Hen sat on sofa for Denny's birthday present opening

- Firefam taking their chats to the roof, rather than the sofas in the loft, which were monopolised by anonymous firefighters last episode (although there's also unnamed firefighters on the roof in another circle)

- Background Couch when Athena talks to Bobby about Wendell's death and comforts him (again, unusual to see it in their living room scenes)

- Background Couch when Hen shows Denny a picture of Eva after he asks about his bio mother

- Hen is laying on a sofa when they have the conference call, you can see Chimney's couch behind him and Eddie is sat on the floor next to his playing video games. Split screen as Buck tells them his sperm took shows couches for the other 3 but none for Buck (this feels deliberate)

- Hen and Karen are sat on sofa as Denny stands and apologises for asking about his bio mother then they all hug on couch

- I think I only saw the sofa in the murder house when Maddie and Chimney visit in daylight (next to the Christmas tree. Is that the Xmas episode? No skin off my nose, I just know a lot of people like Xmas episodes)

- Eddie falls asleep (snoring) on his couch while playing video games (this is the last sofa of 6a)

[tyk-tyk-tyk]

(its iwontknock, i wish tumblr would let us send asks from second blogs) on my post you said your first d&d character was the lodger and i am SO curious about that!! can i ask more about that, like what his class was? id love to hear about your portrayal!

Well, I hope my fellow players don’t pay attention to this blog lol. If you are GO AWAY YOU NERDS Tw for child death and unethical experimentation juuuust in case, I know Knock-Knock has a lot of that regardless but if D&D folks see this too I want there to be a heads up

Looong post under the cut, adding tags in a sec

I’m actually kinda thrilled that you asked, we haven’t started the reboot yet, but hopefully we will soon! When I first started playing him, I was hella inexperienced and a little shy, so I didn’t quite get to fully do what I wanted with him & had a HORRIBLE backstory, but I’ll give a few details anyways. Then I’ll explain what I’m gonna do with his reboot haha

To also save some confusion, I named The Lodger “Bormot” as that’s what some of his voice files are called, it’s just a Russian name that means “Mumble” :)

I made him a half elf druid! It was a lot to tackle at first, but I really felt like it fit his character. Whereas druids are usually blessed by the Earth and such yadda yadda, I made it so that the Earth borderline cursed him by being in the wrong spot at the wrong time. He comes from this long line of elf intellectuals, and still does his worldology stuff out in the middle of nowhere. After he gets cursed though, his home starts dying and he pulls a “Well, this isn’t good!” and runs away and ends up meeting the party. Did I mention that he’s a half elf that doesn’t believe in magic bc of his sheltered life? More on that later. Some fun stuff that ended up happening is he literally met half plant people (my DM had no idea LOL) and Bormot proceeded to have a panic attack and casted Call Lightning by accident. We were like level 15 btw I came in LATE He also managed to talk down a dragon despite his low charisma score (I think I actually rolled well and my DM took pity on me, a new player)

The ‘rebooted’ version of him is still largely the same, a half elf druid, just with more of a fleshed out story. His Grandfather is kind of this disgraced elf who hates magic since he thinks his peers rely on it too much, they don’t use their braiiiiins. So he then raises Bormot’s (half elf) dad to reject magic, and continue their worldology science that’s Definitely A Real Science I Swear. Bormot’s dad gets married ofc and decides to live in the middle of nowhere where he can conduct his science in peace with his family. The wife gives birth to a beautiful baby girl shortly after! While on a hunting trip, Bormot’s dad shoots at something he thinks is a deer, but ends up being an old & weak God. Oops. So he does what any responsible scientist does and vivisects the thing before it dies, taking lots of samples of its blood. This kinda makes him lose his mind as now there’s real, physical evidence in front of him that higher powers and magic might be a pretty valid thing. So of course he does what any highly responsible father does and puts some zesty ichor (God Blood) into his child just to see what happens! She dies, unfortunately, as the powers that be of a god isn’t something a really tiny elf girl’s body can handle. The mother enters grief and becomes more overprotective. having no idea that her husband accidentally killed their child. She gives birth to Bormot a long while later. Daddy-o doesn’t want the wife to know about his experimentation since she’ll whine about MoRaLs and refuse to let him inject more blood into their son, so he keeps it a secret for as long as he can. When Bormot is older, he tries again, and it works! ... Sort of. Now the poor kid is having constant nightmares and hallucinations, and is having trouble both sleeping and meditating. He’s freaked out about the potential magic that he has, since his dad said that magic isn’t real, and his dad is definitely always right and doesn’t lie! He grows up like this his whole life. Bormot’s mom does actually end up finding out about it and gets into an argument with the dad, so the dad does what any responsible husband would do and kills her after it escalates. At least he feels guilty for this one. Her body is buried next to the sister’s near some pine trees so the roots will hopefully grow over them and conceal the bodies more. Bormot has no idea he even had a sister, and his dad lies and says that his mom left. When Bormot’s old enough to live on his own, his dad peaces out to conduct more research and tries to prolong his own death, even if he has a lot of years left. Bormot starts the game around when he leaves his house, wondering where his dad ran off to & wants to learn what the hell is up with his hallucinations and Not Real Magic.

I left out details since this was already getting so LONG, sorry mobile users Anyway the TLDR is Bormot’s dad makes a lot of bad decisions that leads to Bormot being a druid hermit that doesn’t believe in magic, and his journey with his friends is all about realizing that he’s more than his worldology ‘legacy’ and that magic is indeed real and it isn’t bad to embrace it. But we’ll see if he makes it to the end or dies to a goblin or something

Thanks for reading my self indulgent D&D rambles, I can give updates if anyone is ever curious about it later

[writer-monster]

11 reasons why cap 4 should reintroduce Bucky Barnes as the love interest, an essay

to start this off, i am not writing this essay from a shipping place nor do i believe that this would have any influence at all over the upcoming movie. i expect nothing. this is simply something that i would personally like to see. (of course no hate to anybody who thinks differently)

here are 11 reasons why i think making Bucky into Sam Wilson's love interest in Cap 4 would be a good move for Disney.

-

1. on the Chinese film market - and why it's an irrelevant argument against the inclusion of homosexual themes in Cap 4

the Chinese film market is something that has been blamed for a lack of diversity in Hollywood films a lot lately. many people claim that this market with a lot of buying power has been responsible for the lack of gay and black representation in particular within Hollywood films.

and we have certainly seen Hollywood treating it as such, going so far as to cut gay scenes from movies for their Chinese releases, and vastly minimising John Boyega's (a black actor's) presence in the Chinese poster of Star Wars The Force Awakens.

[image ID: on the left is an image of the American poster for Star Wars The Force Awakens, featuring John Boyega prominently on the right-hand side. And on the right is the Chinese poster for the same movie, in which John Boyega is barely visible.]

so we know at the very least that Disney believes this through their own actions and efforts to self-censor for the different markets.

but Captain America 4 is a black-led movie, don't you forget. and Disney can't minimise Sam Wilson/Anthony Mackie in the movie or the poster because it's his movie and his poster. and no amount of creativity in the editing room can change that (thank God!).

so if by their own argument the film is already going to be either banned, panned or slammed in China... then what do they have to fear from making it a gay movie too?

-

2. oh, the queerbaiting

queerbaiting is an unusual cultural idea. and sometimes i find myself thinking that the term is far too easily used, but then all of a sudden i will stumble upon a movie or show that is so quintessentially cruel and overt in it's... well... queerbaiting that i will start to wonder what the hell kind of a bizarre relationship all these straight people seem to have with their friends. take Troy and Abed from Community or John and Sherlock from Sherlock as the perfect examples of this. (in which my reaction to the show's creators saying the show wasn't gay was to ask so then why did you make it so gay?!)

i felt that Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in tfatws were getting quite close to this level of queerbaiting.

there was the field scene, the couple's counselling scene, the boat scene, the couple's counselling scene, Bucky going with Sam to face Karli when she told Sam to come alone, the couple's counselling scene, ALL the staring scenes, Sam checking out Bucky's ass here as they said goodbye, the "i would move in with him but" hidden scene, "Uncle Bucky" showing up at the cookout scene, the romantic walking off together into the sunset together ending scene, and the couple's counselling scene. did i forget anything? but i mean seriously, the couple's counselling scene!!! that thing they did with their legs and their crotches while staring deep into each other's eyes, would any straight guy willingly do that? do straight guys crotch-snuggle now?

[image ID: an image of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes during the therapy scene with the quote, "Isn't anybody going to drag me into impromptu couple's therapy and slot my legs firmly between theirs before staring deeply into my eyes?"]

(yeah i stole this image from a buzzfeed article on the fan reactions to the couple's therapy scene. but given that they stole 80% of the content of that article from fandom tumblr, i think it's pretty even-steven.)

there's also the fact that people started talking about bisexual Bucky Barnes a lot after the tiger pictures line, and the lead writer Malcom Spellman responded to the talk of Bucky's bisexuality with "just keep watching". well we watched, Malcolm. but it's beginning to feel like you were just jerking us around.

-

3. the writing

seriously though, what else is Bucky Barnes doing right now in the MCU? his only remaining connection to anything going on right now is through Sam. there is literally nothing else established that's left for him to do that doesn't involve Sam. he moved to Louisiana to be closer to Sam (canonically), he hangs out with Sam's family (canonically), and Steve is presumably gone and is definitely not coming back for more adventures.

he has no villains or loose ends left. he has no other superheroes that he appears to be in contact with. he has no girlfriend or potential love interest, or even other friends or family. he is living in a tent that he has secretly set up in Sam's backyard and is mysteriously appearing from the bushes when it's time for dinner like a stray cat.

in my opinion there is no other meaningful and pre-established progression for Bucky's character that wouldn't just feel cheap.

plus, i don't think the general audience would be all that surprised if they kissed. i think a LOT of people picked up on all that tension. i think a lot of straight people picked up on all that tension too.

-

4. the chemistry between the actors & the chemistry between the characters

the original pitch for tfatws was essentially just this, it was the chemistry between Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie and their respective MCU characters of Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson.

now obviously Anthony and Sebastian are simply friends, and i wouldn't mean to imply anything more. but they are also not their characters.

Sam and Bucky's scenes together before tfatws were both limited and short, and yet audiences still fell in love with the dynamic between the two characters.

in interviews, these two actors are constantly slipping into character and flirting with each other and frankly it's adorable. plus it's really entertaining. i'd love to see that dynamic, unfiltered, in a movie.

because believe it or not the flirting is actually even more open in their interviews than it was in tfatws. and i'm leaving some links as proof.

this here is known as the "married" compilation

and here's a "lucky dip" selection of interviews - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,

and here's Anthony trying to get Seb to take his jacket off.

i'm just saying, why not let their chemistry shine? these two are so talented and so entertaining, especially when you put them in a room together. and can you imagine how absolutely hilarious and brilliant it would be to watch them navigate being a couple?

(and for those who bring up the "friends would be uncomfortable pretending to be dating" argument, i'm not here asking for a sex scene or anything. i don't think anyone would expect them to show any more intimacy (physical or emotional) while playing a couple than what they've already shown together in say... tfatws or in their own interviews. not that i actually expect anything regardless.)

-

5. if they were a man and a woman they would've gotten together in tfatws

i have no more to add here. just that... yeah, they would've.

-

6. and i'm not talking about the comics here, i'm talking about the MCU.

i understand fully that none of what i'm saying here falls in line with these characters from the comics. but the mcu itself doesn't fall much in line with the comics either, and these two characters especially are very different from their comics counterparts.

i'm not asking for these two to get together in the comics. tbh i don't think that it would work.

but the mcu Sam and Bucky are different and closer than their comics counterparts. they've got different histories, different backstories, and a very different dynamic. please rest assured that i am only talking about them in the mcu.

-

7. Bucky Barnes is believably bisexual. and Sam Wilson has never been proven to be straight in the mcu, nor has he had a love interest.

(now please continue to keep in mind that these points only stand for the mcu versions of Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson, and not at all for their comics counterparts.)

Sam Wilson has never had a love interest, which is crazy because have you seen that man! he has had two blink and you'll miss it moments of verbal expression of attraction to women, both in TWS. and that's the extent of it, through his entire history in the mcu.

Bucky Barnes has had a number of surface-level female love interests, but none of them even came close to the level of connection and chemistry that Bucky shares with Sam.

and i'm sorry SarahBucky fans, but i just don't think there's very much to their relationship either. i love Sarah, i really do. but it's Sam who shares all the meaningful moments and history and chemistry with Bucky. and i don't see what making her into a love interest would do for Sarah's character either, what would that add to her story?

[Picture ID: Bucky at the cookout with Sam, Sarah, Cass and AJ. Bucky and Sam are looking at each other and smiling.]

and also there is the whole tiger pictures thing... again. which does strongly suggest that Bucky is bisexual whether this was intentional on behalf of the writers or not.

-

8. it's representation... AND it feels natural

marvel hasn't had a lot of queer representation that's been noticeably present in the MCU at the time of writing this.

there have been a lot of failures so far, from the bisexual erasure of Valkyrie in Thor Ragnarok to the wlw erasure in Black Panther.

there was queerbaiting almost identical to the bisexual Bucky baiting for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. when asked if he had considered featuring a gay hero in gotg2, director James Gunn stated that "We might have already done that. I say, watch the movie." after the movie's release audiences were understandably confused about the lack of queer representation. To which the director followed up his comments with, "But we don't really know who's gay and who's not. It could be any of them."

there is also Loki, considered by most fans after the airing of his six episode series on Disney+ to be both a poor attempt at both genderfluid representation and bisexual representation. with both attempts being summed up fairly well by the term "blink-and-you'll-miss-it". (also it's just terribly written and Loki doesn't wear any interesting clothes! fanficcers are a Goddamn blessing in this hard time!)

and let us not forget that Andrew Garfield was apparently FIRED for pushing for a bisexual spiderman. a bisexual spiderman within an interracial mlm relationship no less.

so for all these failures, marvel, why not allow us queer fans this? two brilliant and heroic men in a loving interracial relationship. two heroes that we can look up to.

now, one of the biggest detractions from the argument for representation is the idea of "forced diversity". and some poorly written characters certainly do end up feeling forced into the narrative. take Iceman in the comics for example, with Jean Grey just straight up suddenly telling him he's gay. like, marvel, sweetie, that's not how this works! and i don't know a lot of queer people who thought much of that "representation".

but the crux of the "forced diversity" argument is almost always that it feels unnatural within the story, right? and i don't think that anyone could say that about MCU Sam and Bucky ending up together, given these characters' existing chemistry and their history. they've both played characters in gay relationships before so we know that it's not outside of either actor's wheelhouse. and y'all know that Anthony and Seb can act, people. if it's in the script i believe that they'll make it seem like the most natural thing on earth.

-

9. it'd be a nice change

there's been an ongoing meme lately about "Disney's first gay character", the joke being that they continually announce gay characters without really ever including gay characters in their films.

this is to the point where Disney has formed a reputation amongst queer audiences of being homophobic.

if Sam and Bucky were to become a couple, then Disney could have its first actual gay character within a gay relationship. AND have him be in the lead of his own movie, no less.

it's also worth keeping in mind that there's likely an overlap between the people who were outraged by a Sam Wilson Captain America, and the people who'd be outraged by a gay Captain America. and if they were already not seeing the film, then i don't think much is gonna change that.

queer audiences would definitely love it, and the media attention would be guaranteed to be huge. i mean, simply look at the amount of media attention mere rumours of a character's queerness gets you and multiply that by a canon confirmation of said rumours.

but i'm pretty sure that Disney already knows this.

-

10. and yet, in truth, it's not about the representation

in truth i've never felt that i had any trouble relating to characters of any sexual orientation, race, gender, sex, body type, etc. (although that is not to throw any shade at all on people who do wish to see themselves represented) but for me, i think it's more about the story than the packaging.

and yet, a love story is still just a story. straight or queer, monoethnic or interracial. when two characters have chemistry and history and have sacrificed for each other time and time again, and they also can't keep their hands or their eyes off each other, then i'm pretty sure that that's a love story.

straight or queer, monoethnic or interracial, it shouldn't be about these simple labels. it should be about how well written the relationship is. it should be about chemistry, and history, and sacrifice.

because i'm fucking sick of all the hollow, forced romances in media no matter the genders of the participants. i'm sick of lazily written, shallow relationships where any two people sharing the same space for any extended period of time will simply fall in love. it's boring, it's repetitive, and as a writer myself it drives me up the wall!

romance stories suck! and everyone knows that romance stories suck. between twilight, and most of the entire YA genre, and love triangles (so boring), and romance used as poorly-written throwaway subplots in Hollywood movies, the world is in agreement that the romance in western media is simply dreadful. and yet we still want love stories. it's an entire genre that sits at the heart of the human experience (<3), and yet one which so few of today's best known writers seem truly able to capture.

i don't think that i'm the only one who feels this way, either. i suspect it's actually a large part of why fandom is so romance-centred in the first place, that we're all just starving for a good love story.

(btw i think fandom has a reputation for being something that as a whole that it is not. it has this reputation for straight up demanding things and harassing people until they get their way. while unfortunately there are a few people who do this, they're fucking annoying and i swear that they're far from the majority.

in my experience fandom is mostly about writing a five thousand word story at three am while drunk off your ass because it might make someone whom you've never met smile, editing it in the cold light of day, and then posting it. expecting nothing. sometimes getting nothing. and sometimes getting someone send you kudos or a comment so heartbreakingly wonderful that it makes you smile in return.)

-

11. so once again, it is all about the writing.

i want to see Sam and Bucky get together in the mcu, not because they would be a gay couple but because i genuinely believe that their story has potential to be an amazing love story.

and i know the mcu isn't about the romance. it's why in my personal opinion we haven't gotten a lot of good canon romances besides Peter Quill and Gamora. and i don't think that the mcu should be all about the romance either. i fucking love the action and the fighting scenes. i love the comedy. Captain America: The Winter Soldier had no romance and it was a fucking treasure, it was an amazing spy-action-thriller and it made my little gay heart dance. Thor Ragnarok had no romance, and it was an utterly brilliant comedic spectacle action film. not every movie needs romance.

but mcu Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes were doing couple's therapy and fixing a boat and walking off into the sunset together in tfatws. they were inseparable on the battlefield. they've got a dynamic. it's beautiful, it's romantic, and it's gold.

a budding relationship between them in the next movie would be a good way to explore both characters more without the narrative feeling too stilted and separate. at the end of tfatws, both Sam and Bucky fans found that their respective fave felt somewhat underutilised and that their characters were underexplored.

now, that problem would be even more difficult to remedy in a movie, because the plotline of a movie needs to be really tight to work (giggity). and we know that the central conflict of the movie is gonna be action-based (which is good), but we still need each character's personal journey and growth to tie into the main conflict. (which is another issue that some fans found with tfatws, that these characters didn't really feel connected to the action-based plot on a more personal level.)

if Sam and Bucky are already in a relationship, however, this whole dynamic changes. first, their relationship has already been set up for nicely since TWS and through tfatws and they would officially be the best-fleshed-out couple in the mcu. but most importantly, a relationship gives them a perfect vehicle to explore both of their pasts comparatively and connect them personally to the action-based plot.

do you want to establish that Sam is a little too trusting and naïve? then establish this through his relationship with Bucky, and through showing his placing his trust in Bucky. (rather than through having him sympathise with a villain who threatened to murder his sister and his nephews).

perhaps you want to show Bucky recovering from his trauma? show us how comfortable he is with Sam. they get along, they're enjoying each other's presence, we see more of Sam's life and of his family, and then let Bucky tell Sam something that's raw and dark and honest about his life as The Winter Soldier. something about a memory, one that he only just recalled. he's opening up. and maybe what he tells Sam is even something that sets up the future action-based conflict, to ground that in something real.

you want to explore that Sam has trauma too? do this through Bucky. he tells Bucky a story about his time in the military. in the form of a flashback, he shares his own story of loss to evoke before the audience the shared theme of feeling at fault even when you're simply a helpless bystander to an act of pure destruction.

then, action sequence! and it's directly connected to Bucky's time as the Winter Soldier. explore the grief of someone whose life the Winter Soldier tore apart manifesting into a villain perpetuating the cycle of pain. establish your villain.

Later, Sam is dragged into battle against this villain for protecting Bucky. But Bucky doesn't want Sam to protect him. He feels guilt for what he can't control and he doesn't want Sam getting hurt because of him. Bucky reminds Sam that he has a family, one who needs him and who loves him. He tells him to go home.

Sam reminds Bucky that he's a part of that family. And that sure Sam's a hero and his job is to protect anyone and everyone, but that he's doing it because he wants to. It's not simply to prove that he can, or to prove that he's not a bystander (this connects to Sam's trauma here), but that he's doing it to help people.

and this gets Bucky thinking about who he is and what he's doing here. is he a hero who stands by Sam's side? or is he an ordinary man who stands aside? or perhaps, does he stand alone? what does he stand for? Maybe Sam knows. But does Bucky?

Sam and Bucky fight off the villain again, and for the first time Bucky meets this adversary face to face. And Bucky recognises this villain, and has a flashback to the genuine pain that he inflicted upon them in the form of the Winter Soldier. Bucky freezes mid-fight, he almost dies, and Sam has to save him.

Sam chews Bucky out for almost getting killed because he was afraid for him. but Bucky takes this the wrong way and goes off to fight the villain alone, or perhaps to die alone, he's not quite sure.

He puts up a half-hearted fight. He apologises for what the Winter Soldier has done, and he waits for the killing blow, when Sam swoops down and he saves him. He asks Sam why he saved him and Sam calls him a moron. And then, Sam asks him what sacrificing himself would solve. He tells him that you can't choose your past but you can choose your future (connecting to his own experience of loss and guilt and grief). And that no matter what Bucky Barnes still has a future, whether that's as the Winter Soldier or the White Wolf or just some dork with a day job. And that he has a future as a part of Sam's family too.

Sam fights the villain, and it's toe to toe. He delivers a few good blows, but receives a fair few himself. And then the villain tears off his wings, first one and then the other, in a manner reminiscent of what the Winter Soldier did to him in TWS. Through Bucky's eyes there's a flashback to highlight the parallels. Sam gets back on his feet and he fights his best fight, but is now losing.

And then the heavily injured Bucky steps up and fights by Sam's side, and only together do they take down the villain.

"So... I inspired you, huh?" Sam teases with a smile, utterly exhausted. "With my heroism and-"

"You inspired me." Bucky said, equally exhausted. "Let's leave it at that."

Together, Sam and Bucky go back to the safety and warmth of their family. Sam fixes his wings. Sam goes back to being Captain America. And Bucky... he's around, but it's unclear what he's doing.

That is, until the very end. When Sam is in a fight, and suddenly Bucky shows up and helps him out.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asks.

"I've made up my mind." Bucky says. "I'm the Winter Soldier. But now I'll save lives, Sam. Now, like you, I'll be a hero."

Sam smirks. "So does this make you my sidekick, then?"

Bucky smiles. "C'mon, at least make me a partner." He says.

"How about co-workers." Sam says (in flashback, he remembers back to the death of his last on-the-job partner).

"How about friends." Bucky says, with a wry look.

"Bucky... I don't want to see you put your dumbass self in danger." Sam says.

"Oh, and it's ok for you to go running off into danger on your own all the time?" Bucky asks.

"Yes." Sam says stubbornly. "Absolutely it is."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not a dumbass?!"

"Sam, if you think I'm not gonna be watching your back for the rest of time... then you're the biggest dumbass I know. And I don't care if you need me or not, I will be there for you."

"Because Sam, you're more than Captain America. You're more than a good soldier. You're a good man. And I think sometimes, the world forgets what the difference is."

-

...or something like that.

(i only spent like 15 minutes on that. you know if i were actually writing this movie i would come up with something much better. and if anyone from marvel is seeing this, yes i can come work for you. i will make the time, let's do this thing right!)

-

finale

at the end of the day, whether or not the mcu chooses to make Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes a couple, it's their decision. and they don't owe me anything.

i'm just some random person on the internet. who thinks that Captain America 4 should #givecaptainamericaaboyfriend

[fanficmaniatic]

Episode 5 theories

Okey, so I have a bunch of theories for the next episode, which I really believe may be really far off, but... I'll share anyways:

Theory 1:

I've heard a lot of people saying how they scenes in New Orlands (when they are throwing the shield) form the trailer don't really seem to fit the show rn, and I propose:

Those scenes are flashbacks, to about a month after the blip. We would see sam new with the shield and his reaction, and maybe a convo with Bucky is what makes him feel unworthy of it. In those scenes we see them talking about the Shield, plus discussing what they are now, It makes sense if the relationship is new, and then would give the "...and he is not my partner" comment (plus Sam's annoyed reaction) a really could layer of history. And then a shot of them walking their separate ways happens, which could explain why Bucky doesn't answer Sams texts.

(keep in mind that in the scene of them throwing the shield, and in the scene of them fixing the boat, they both have different clothes, and them fixing the boat feels to me like last 10 mins of the show)

why I think this COULD be? a)Bucky seems to at least know of Sam's nephews, and b) After seeing the shield Covered in blood, I really don't think anyone should play around with it.I agree with Sam when he said It should be destroyed.

Theory 2: (I don't like this one that much but I feel is probable)

There will be a time skip, but not necessarily right away. it could be:

a) They take the Shield, and the government offers it to Sam. Sam accepts but Bucky who now thinks that it should be destroyed. They have this convo in New Orleans after the gov gives Sam the Shield as Sam practices. They end up going their spare ways and by the middle of the eps because they now have different views as they had in the begging. Sam becomes Captain America,- Time skips a few months- but it still feels wrong for him.

(also this pic may be Bucky in Sams announcement ceremony ??)

(or a flashback to sam giving up the Shield??)

w/ this theory the show would end w/ sam going against the Flag Smashers and Bucky joining and bam! they become a team. or as I prefer, Bucky still comes, they become a team, but sam destroys the Shield and becomes the best version of falcon.

b) Sam and/or Bucky steal the Shied the vids of them practicing is like 3 months in the future or something. but idk how that then leads to them parting their separate ways and reuniting again. But all this could be wrong, I am just sharing what I think could happen.

Theory 3:

And this is more of a "series finale" theory, but after E4, I don't think Sam is going to become Captain America. Don't get me wrong, he deserves it, and he is more than worthy of it! I stand by that! But he doesn't need to be Captain America to be the Legend he is becoming.

Now, what I think could happens is that by the end of E5 Sam Wilson Will be Captain America, BUT by the end of E6 he is going to get rid of the shield and be the best Falcon he can be.

[wolf-stark]

You ask I deliver — both tfatws asks in one!

tfatws weekly ask 1

i finally saw ep1!! i wont be able to see ep2 until thursday at the earliest but i already have some Thots on this ep. here are the ones I remember

first is, and i'm so sorry for this, a grammar lesson. an appositive is when you stick an additional phrase in between commas, dashes, or the like. i actually just used one! the "and i'm so sorry for this" in the first sentence of this paragraph is an appositive. thing is, most english speakers don't normally use them when they speak, only in writing. so i'm always on high alert whenever i hear somebody in tv or movies use one. (it's generally a marker of bad screenwriting). anyway there was one right in the beginning of the episode. the white army guy yelling at sam wilson said "first lieutenant Torres, our intel officer, will be helping on the ground." yeah so. the writing of this series started out on the wrong foot for me. but the rest of the episode was obviously tons and tons better (every interview i see with malcolm spellman makes me love him more and more)

the contrast between the opening minutes (falcon action sequence) and the rest of the ep.... i would 100000/10 rather watch a series with just sam and bucky dealing with life. i dont give a single crap about the flag-smashers or any of that. i just want sam, sarah & fam getting their boating business back on the ground & yeeting racist dickwads, bucky going through therapy and making amends, sam and joaquin being bros, sambucky homoerotic tension, etc.

the cinnamontography! wandavision mostly used cinematography to signify era n stuff. tfatws doesn't have wv's premise to go off of, so here's some tricks i noticed:

with sam there's obviously all sorts of shots with the captain america iconography next to his face, but he hasn't totally claimed it. there's the mural of steve rogers in the background; there's sam staring into the shield like it's a spectre of steve's face; there's sam looking into the exhibit, the shield and sam separated by glass and a layer of camera focus. steve is a constant spectre, always there, an idea, a symbol himself. sam's relationship with this iconography is distanced. he is separated by glass exhibit walls. by painting canvases. he doesn't yet feel worthy to take on that iconography. this whole thing was pulled off quite well but also a bit on-the-nose if only in quantity. there's just sooooo much fancy iconography stuff

speaking of the exhibit, there's something that i get real pissy about. it's when like, there's an action going on you're supposed to be paying attention to but the cinematographer is like,,,, hey! check out this location! or this headline! or something! there was a lot of that in the exhibit. the camera was like, you could focus on sam and rhodey's convo (which was fine but could have been so much better with an extra like 10 minutes of deep character study talk) but noooo you want me to look at the symbol for the united nations and read all the text about bucky who hasn't even showed up yet. shut up i know the lore and ill watch the shot-by-shot breakdown yt vids you don't have to make the shot this long jkdsalcjklasejf

my fav trick was with bucky and the therapist. i had seen a clip of the scene with bucky and the therapist beforehand and i thought the cinnamontography was super obnoxious, but then i was like, oh duh. the shots frequently change the distance between the camera and its subject. sometimes it's uncomfortably close and sometimes it's really far. a clear allegory for the duality of therapy, esp for bucky! therapy is an invasive process wherein he is ruthlessly examined, picked apart, and berated for his trauma (this therapist is crap in every way btw, "mean therapist" works for greg house and greg house only). so the camera goes close. it makes the viewer claustrophobic like bucky. but when he's like "no i haven't had any nightmares" the camera suddenly goes really far. we see bucky as this tiny head in the center of the bottom of the frame. we are distanced from him. he has pushed us away. we cannot see him. he lies because he is vulnerable. so yeah, amazing work there. the therapy scene was hard to watch on purpose!

did bucky slip a note to yori inside the dollar bill? bucky stop making me emooooo. the suuper awkward fake smile has me 😭 (veteran trying to adjust!)

mark my worrrrds when sam asks someone y the govt picked john “white bread” walker they’re gonna say “we needed somebody everyone can get behind....someone uncontroversial, someone everyone can see themselves in” like that exact racist dog whistle

tfatws weekly ask 2

just saw ep2 so im taking advantage of the 2 seconds i can be on tumblr without worrying about tfatws spoilers before new episode drops

when isaiah said "your people put me in prison for being a hero" and bucky thought "your people" means hydra. 🤦‍♂️

speaking of racism, the interplay between sam being Black (anti-Black racism) and sam being the Falcon (negrophilia, "can i take a selfie w you as i deny you a loan?") and the intersection between the two (j*hn lichrally called sam "steve's wingman"! he takes the crypto out of crypto-racist in like 2 seconds!) !!!!!!!! a Black celebrity's Black experience, the separation of man and identity!!!! (thinking about vanessa bayer in snl in that skit "beyonce is black" telling her black friend "you're not black, you're...my girl!")

after sam gets racially profiled by cops we see j*hn standing in front of cop cars cinematic parallels turns out j*hn is racist who knew

this therapist sucks major ass but she got bucky and sam together in the same room and ready to collaborate...that's something ig. it was lichrally couple's therapy she said she used her miracle exercise with couples sambucky antis get blended

bucky says "he was wrong about you so maybe he was wrong about me"...that's not how people talk. when therapist asks bucky, the guy who doesn't talk at all about himself, "y do you hate sam", the last thing bucky's gonna do is actually connect his hatred of sam to his own self-worth issues. bucky generally refuses to talk about himself, so why would he talk about himself in the one context that nobody ever links back to their own neuroses: hatred of other people? one thing human beings hate most is admitting we're wrong. admitting you hate someone because of your own issues? that's a major therapeutic step. bucky would absolutely have to be prompted to do that. even like one or two lines of dialogue more would have set up that line better. but in terms of the actual thought? an amazing way to take the sam/bucky relationship. bucky bases his self-worth on steve believing in him, and if steve is wrong bucky has no self-worth, so 1) he has to develop self-worth disassociated from steve's assessment of him and 2) he has to love himself before he can love sam, and 3) he has to realize that sam giving up the shield is a sign of sam's humility not his unworthiness.

conversely, we don't get into why sam hates bucky? yeah sam has the right to hate a guy that has tried to kill him (albeit while brainwashed) multiple times, and now shows up in his life just to bash him but. everything happens so fast i cant follow their relationship

in fact i dont feel like i understood much of anything. like y did bucky and sam go on that mission together? how connected are sam/bucky/joaquin with the government? doesn't bucky just want to retire now? literally what is everyone doing/feeling and why???

if battlestar becomes a knowing commentary on the black best friend stereotype i'm gonna party, but i dont expect much of that

the interplay between man and symbol. captain america is obviously a symbol. the shield is obviously a symbol. but steve rogers? the. man behind the cowl? he too seems to become a symbol. a paragon of a good guy, so good he's unreachable. steve was just a guy stop idolizing him the last thing steve would want is to be idolized

as the resident musician/music nerd on mcublr, 1) that captain america rally music slaps, but 2) re: the song at the end of the ep, if you're just gonna rip off mozart's lacrymosa then at least play mozart's lacrymosa. we wont blame you the lacrymosa slaps (if you dont know what im talking about go on yt and search it up youll recognize it fo sho

look i love enfys nest as much as the next guy but if tfatws is gonna get erin kellyman to play another innocent little gurl blackmailed into the fakeout-villain position (her text seemed to suggest as such) then 😡 like why can't women just....be evil? young, freckly, innocent-looking women? girls are not untouchable pure objects but full of rage and resentment just as much as anyone can be

bonus ep1 comment: bucky says about that senator whose car he hijacked, "she continued to abuse the power i gave her." fictionaldarling on yt say that he says "i" because he can't disassociate himself from his winter soldier persona which begets endless and senseless guilt. like dude. can i not be emo for like 1 second.

OKay. First off, as much I enjoy your sending it to me, what made you decide to send me these??

-

TFATWS WA #1

Don't worry about getting this to me as early as possible. I usually don't watch the episode right away.

1. Cool writing lesson.

2. Everyone wants a comedy show [like Friends] about the MCU superheroes.

3. Cinematography is always a beautiful thing.

4. Sam definitely has to carve his own Captain America status for himself, outside of Steve's ya know everything.

5. They have to do that for people who was just now tuning in because they're in love with Sam Wilson or Sharon Carter.

6. I think the therapist was taking a 'tough love' approach for Bucky, because she likely has some very strong opinions about the literal assassin she's been assigned to give therapy too. She did not choose to talk to him, she was assigned that make that clear in the second episode.

And, Bucky isn't lying when he said it wasn't a nightmare. It wasn't a nightmare, it was a resurfaced memory. So, technically he wasn't lying - and yes, the camera does move away because while he's saying he didn't have a nightmare, he's not expanding on what actually happened - so, he's still pushing the therapist/us away.

7. Bucky, and Steve, have/had a TON to adjust to.

8. Yeah, I agree that will be the bullshit line they give. If they ever actually talk about it.

TFATW WA #2

Yeah, always got to take advantage of avoiding those spoilers lmfaoo.

1. Honestly, that line was double meaning. Both about White people and Hydra [which is made up of mostly white supremacists/nazis] So, the line is gesturing to both White People in general and Hydra assholes together. I think the terminology is “double edge sword”??

2. This whole paragraph structure confused me, ngl - so I'm going to answer it the best I can. I do like that they're not ignoring the fact that Sam being Black is 1000% the reason he's not the Official Captain America - because the gov't is racist as hell.

I also like the little lines about how they point out little things about Sam's Falcon persona, like that kid calling him 'Black Falcon' specifically and Sam's response show the split between Sam and Falcon itself.

John is a dick for calling Sam the wingman of Steve Rogers. Sam was a hero all on his own before Steve asked him to join up again. [Side note, it's lichrally??]

3. Exactly, the parallel of Sam being profiled and surrounded while just on the street and John being surrounded by fans and being able to spring Bucky with apparently only a few sentences shows a Loooooot

4. Honestly, at this point I wonder if she's not actually a therapist and is just an agent assigned to assess Bucky outside of an Official Building. I do know, however, that her 'look at each other and speak' exercise is actually a real therapy practice. It's just a little slower.

5. Actually, I think he would've blurted that out. That whole line. I don't think Bucky hates Sam. I think they could've done the scene better, but I think that had Sam prodded him/the therapist been more annoying Bucky would've lost control of his emotions and blurted out the whole "If he was wrong about you, he was wrong about me" but I feel like the writing for this show is just... not there. Sometimes you blurt shit when you get overemotional and I think that was what Bucky was supposed to be like.

6. I don't think Sam hates Bucky, I think he doesn't trust him though. I do wish they'd talked about that though. The whole 'talk to each other' scene should've been a LOT longer and a LOT slower.

7. Sam and Bucky's relationship is being fast tracked because they don't really know how to work the relationship out, writers-room-wise. Bucky is technically retired, but I feel like he's trying to live up to Steve's expectations and doing what Steve would've done and we all know that if Steve was there, Steve would've jumped on that plane with Sam. It looks like Sam/Bucky/Joaquin are a side-team based from Military services but as Sam says they're all free agents so...?

8. Sadly, They seem to just be propping up to be another stereotype.

9. Captain America is a symbol. Steve Rogers is a man. But now Steve Rogers is an idol because of all the shit he's been through and honestly, it's not a bad thing he's become an idol for people - it's using Steve as a reason to make White Bread Walker the next Captain that makes Steve's idolization so fucked.

10. I don't know anything about music so I have no opinion here, sorry.

11. Enfys?? Also, I think they did the whole Innocent Girl Thing as side commentary for Bucky lowering his guard about seeing a young girl rather than a guy.

12. Bucky is the Winter Solider. The Winter Solider is Bucky. That is how Bucky will always see it because although he was brainwashed, it was still him and he remembers all of it. When you have constant memories of something 'someone else' did, you tend to not be able to pull the two personas out of each other. I want Bucky to take up the title, White Wolf instead of Winter Soldier. Honest.

This is all my opinion, I’m honestly a little disappointed with the writing of TFATWS so far so... I’m not really optimistic about this.

[lokaneiscanon]

Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder rant

Seeing Natalie Portman returning to reprise her role as Jane Foster, nevertheless wielding Mjolnir, finally getting the treatment this character deserves, was surreal to say the least. I had just started reading Lords of Midgard, the 8th issue of Mighty Thor (2015 - 2018), and had fallen in love already. But I didn't suspect at all that Taika Waititi would pull this card in Thor: Love and Thunder, considering Jane was barely mentioned in Ragnarok. The news about my favorite actress portraying one of my favorite characters coming out of the blue - you can imagine the excitement. Alas, I quickly remembered what the fandom thought of that comic (at least on tumblr) and imagined it now growing tenfold, cuz not everyone in the MCU fandom reads comics but pretty much everyone wants to watch another Thor movie. And yes, many fans weren't ready for this step, still recovering from Sam Wilson getting the shield in Endgame. Which is completely fine. We're not obligated to like everything Marvel throws in our faces, we're allowed to criticize and express our opinion on the internet or wherever. What is not okay is mindlessly hating, and even worse - using false facts to support said opinion.

I have seen some people using the argument that it is one of Marvel's worst selling comics. Which has already been proven wrong by multiple sites, including Comichron, just Google it, as I did myself. I read multiple posts, ones saying how good Jane is doing as Thor in sales, others disproving this, so I checked for myself the numbers at the site mentioned above month by month to be sure. The comic truly had its downfalls as the story progressed but in my opinion it's normal for the 1st issue to have more sales than the 21st. If we compare it to Unworthy Thor, which started running a bit later and followed the now unworthy Odinson, the data shows the latter had more sales. But then again, while Might Thor was at its 17th issue, Unworthy Thor was at its 2nd. Also, they later crossed paths, shared comic issues, it's fair to say they go hand in hand and Jason Aaron, the author, probably doesn't want us to compare them, as they complete and compliment each other's stories. Still I decided to check the comic that made Thor unworthy in the first place - Thor: God of Thunder (2012 - 2014), which seemed to me more "comparable" to Might Thor (2015 - 2018). *I keep putting the years it was being released so as to not be confused with previous Mighty Thor issues, whole Odinson was still Thor, please bear with me* So yes, the numbers were pretty close, but from what I saw, Mighty Thor had the upper hand if we compare first issue to first issue and so on. (In defense of Odinson, we have to take into account that this data is only from the US and does not include digital sales. Also, he's been around since the 50s. We could argue Jane was a breath of fresh air that some Marvel fans were indeed ready for. As a non-American, and also a person without a hint of knowledge in economics I cannot take into account inflation and whatever else has prevented or enabled Americans to get their hands on the comics or has affected prizes through the years. Bear that in mind.) Moreover, from what I saw on Comichron, both comics had much competition - God of thunder was released along with Avengers vs the X-men, the Uncanny X-men, pretty popular at the time, and the Goddess of Thunder faced Civil War 2 and DC Universe Rebirth (yes, DC is in the game too), also dominating with tremendous sales for the longest time. Yet I stick with my original statement - both Thors are valid and shouldn't be put against one another regardless of profit. Because at the end of the day what will matter the most is the story. And boy, what a story it is.

Now, I haven't read the Thor: God of Thunder, but as I was doing research I found one very well written summary and explanation of Thor's arc and his becoming unworthy and I will post a link below, because I honestly feel I wouldn't be doing this comic a favor by describing it without having read it. Which I plan to do in the future, tbh. It's a fantastic prelude to the Mighty Thor (2015 - 2018) that I've come to love. First, I'd like to ask you all to stop hating on the comic without having read it first. It doesn't make any sense and being petty for the sake of being petty won't benefit neither you, nor anyone, really. Now, about the comic itself - the art is magnificent. It's just gorgeous. Mighty Thor isn't , thank all the gods, sexualized, she is pretty buffed and generally looks like a warrior. As it is with the other characters, I dare say. The background truly captures the essence of every world Jane finds herself on. Action scenes are just the right amount and balanced with dialogue well. On a side note, it's pretty funny to read/listen to in your head the Shakespearean English cursive in which Jane talks as Thor. The plot line branches beyond this comic, starting from Thor: God of Thunder and leading to the War of Realms. And it is elaborately built in every issue. You don't know what to expect, yet it makes sense when it happens. Which leads me to the characterizations. My God, what a treat Loki is in this. Clearly, my opinion is kinda biased, since he's my favorite character, but you never know which side he's on. What his motivations are. And it just feels so... Loki. His writing is brilliant. Almost makes me forget what the MCU did to him. Also, he gets some daddy time with Laufey (not as kinky as I make it sound). Frigga/Freyja is just as awesome as in the MCU, even more, at least in the comics she calls Odin out on his shit, who btw is I guess an asshole in every version and universe. Malekith, the main villain, is unbearably despicable, I want to tear every page he is on. He really was mishandled in the Dark World, if you want some true action with the dark elves, you are welcome to enjoy. I saved the best for the end - Jane Foster/ Might Thor. Now, if you think Dr. Foster spends her time boasting about her worthiness and how Odinson is just called Thor, but she is Mighty Thor, you are horribly wrong. She just... does her job. Because the hammer chose her. Because there's no one else to do so. That's it. If you think there's some feminism involved, yes, there sure is, but it certainly isn't the reason Jane became Thor in the first place. It was not the creators going SJW because it's trendy, as such a mindset is honestly offensive to any descent creator with any self respect, but a well thought out story arc, which, I repeat, you have to read the comic to understand. Jane is not at all whiny about the hate she gets in-universe, not only from foes like Odin and who-not, but from Shield and generally people whose asses she's saving. Her having cancer is not something they pulled to provoke sympathy and make her look like a victim - on the contrary, she is a damn hero and a victor. I don't want to give out spoilers, but her being Thor is actually a giant sacrifice that no one really appreciates (both in-universe and in the fandom). She is not Thor to prove she can be, or just to prove "women can be heroes" - she doesn't have to. She is simply needed by the realms and so she does her job, even though she is called a thief, persecuted and generally hated. All that matters is that the hammer finds her worthy - the beauty and simplicity of that fact you will find out, for the last time, if you read the comic.

I'm not making you read the comic or watch Thor: Love and Thunder. I myself don't know what to make of this film yet because there's barely any information about it. I only know it will be based on the comic so that's a reason for my hopes to be up already. On the other hand, since I didn't like Loki's characterization in Ragnarok, I'm not sure what to expect from Taika. There are valid reasons to not like the idea of Jane returning to the MCU as Thor, which you are entitled to. However, reasons such as "why does everything have to be political these days" are not. Because if I had to make a list of everything politically related in the MCU, it would take forever. Steve Rogers kills nazis is the most blatant example. Make of it what you want. But I think we're far enough into the 21st century to realize art and real life are not that separable. It's undeniable that art affects people and that is to say, people everywhere. And they all have different opinions and aren't gonna like everything media is offering to them. And I wish I could simply tell you not to watch the movie but I'm a Marvel fan too and I understand that I can't just take away Thor from you because I want Mighty Thor as well. But none of us can stop Marvel from producing it. So, to quote an image I saw recently, I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people. Let the rest of the fandom enjoy what they want to enjoy. Yes, ik I can play around with the tags and avoid posts that unnerve me but, for example, I'm looking up Mighty Thor fanart, which obviously isn't anti-Mighty Thor, yet I get attacked in the comics for anticipating a movie that doesn't even have a full cast yet. Ik I'm not asking for too much when I wish to get the same internet experience (not only tumblr, but also insta, YouTube, Twitter, any site) as the Thor Odison fans, for example. I'm aware I cannot stop all the toxic fans and the trolls but I hope this post has inspired those of you who simply can't envision Jane as Thor, or don't like Natalie Portman in the role, or whatever eles personal preference that doesn't involve political issues and isn't harmful to the community, not to attack every post on your dash with hate. The movie is called LOVE and Thunder, for God's sake. (on a side note, is a franchise that is too afraid to show LGBT characters for more than 1 minute so as to not lose profit from China, THAT politically correct)

Anyway, that was a veeeery long rant, sorry to whoever reads this but, like, please, I put effort into this, hoping this time around I won't be the only positive reviewer of a movie, like I was with Solo: a Star Wars story (yes, I'm still bitter about this), which was boycotted for no apparent reason but was a decent film in reality, and I'm only bringing it up because it has a similar experience to Love and Thunder for getting hate before even being released. I'm not defending a billion dollar company that flopped in box office once, I'm defending the viewer's right to media they are interested in. If you don't like the character, remember - that's your opinion, not a fact that the character sucks. Kudos.

Not very easy to navigate, I advice you to do the research month by month individually for comics you'd like to compare. Also, if you happen to find more reliable data, pls say so in the comments.

Here you have the summary and explanation of the greatness of Thor: God of Thunder, Jesus, I'll go bankrupt if I buy this one too.

Yes, I want to end the sales dispute once and for all, I'm tired of seeing it on my dash. This guy probably explains it better than I did.

@awesomejenlawrence you said you'd like to read this and I delivered

[ocw-archive]

Film Brings Big Names, Bucks to North Shore - Honolulu Advertiser, December 8, 2002

By Wayne Harada HALE'IWA — Get actor Owen Wilson talking, whether it's about "The Big Bounce" or any other subject, and you're sure to get some of the bemused, laid-back language and attitude that have made him an audience draw in such films as "I Spy," "The Royal Tannenbaums" and even "Shanghai Noon."

On Wilson's experience filming "The Big Bounce" in Hawai'i:

"It was supposed to be in Detroit, but the producers reworked the script and decided to do everything on the North Shore." In the film, he plays a charismatic drifter named Jack Ryan in what is described as "a sexy noir thriller."

"I didn't question it," Wilson said, "because they might have changed their minds. But I can tell you it's going to really show Hale'iwa and the North Shore as pretty picture postcards; Hawai'i definitely is one of the characters in the film."

That's right, Wilson and his co-stars Morgan Freeman and Sara Foster share psychic billing in "The Big Bounce" with the beauty of Hawai'i. But beauty isn't the only possible incentive for the location, though it certainly doesn't hurt.

In the midst of wavering controversy about the state high-technology tax incentive called Act 221, the filmmakers — who don't have that tax break, though they have asked for it — have been aiming their cameras from Hale'iwa to Waialua, using real places such as Hale'iwa Joe's and Ali'i Beach Park to make Hawai'i very much a part of the story.

"Bounce" producers say they hope to qualify for the tax break, accorded Universal's earlier North Shore-based, surf culture-inclined "Blue Crush," but they're also willing to operate without it because they're getting fabulous scenics for the edgy romantic caper, based on Elmore Leonard's novel of the same name.

"Look at me, in T-shirt and shorts," said producer Steve Bing. "Who'd have thought that you could do a movie in winter in this kind of weather?"

"I feel like I'm on my own time, filming in a great location, after working in Eastern Europe for my past three films," said Wilson, the likeable actor with a head of surfer-dude hair and a distinctive crooked nose, who spearheads a star-studded cast happy to be spending time in what most people think of as a paradise.

"The Big Bounce" is produced by Shangri-La Entertainment. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures in 2003. Though the producers wouldn't divulge their budget, filmmakers are likely to spend $10 million here by the time the film wraps up New Year's Eve, according to insiders.

And the filmmakers have been good neighbors, sources say.

"It's a great crew," said Greg Gurstenberger, manager of the Keiki Beach Bungalows on the North Shore, where several days of filming took place.

Partner with the community

Producers rented Gurstenberger's bungalows — 10 of them over 8 1/2 acres — to shoot a lu'au scene. They hung a faux name, "Keiki Vistas," between two oversized tiki figures leading to the beach, and decked out two cottages with thatched roofs. About 30 aloha wear-clad extras filled the central yard for the lu'au sequence, which began with verses of "Hanohano Hanalei" played over a speaker.

Gurstenberger, his wife Annie, and their two children, Reese and Wina, were hired to look like partygoers.

"They painted and spruced up some of the rooms, which they'll repaint when they're done in the color we like, so we're happy with the arrangement," Gurstenberger said. "Instant renovations."

"The Big Bounce" is on a five-day shooting schedule — rare for location filming — giving cast and crew weekends off. The crew has become close-knit, members say, holding a big Thanksgiving dinner at the Turtle Bay Resort for cast and techies so no one would be left alone. A similar Christmas gathering is expected.

"We didn't want to make this a grind for anyone," Bing said. "And certainly, we didn't want to alienate the neighbors."

"I was at a Sunset Beach community meeting last week," state film office manager Donne Dawson said, "and I got a very distinct feeling from those there that this film production is much more a partner in the community than an objectionable presence. 'The Big Bounce' has been very good for the state and very good for our production community, many of whom have been directly involved in the shoot."

There were some snags, Dawson said, like an election-day traffic tangle triggered by the production, despite the fact that the crews had the proper permits to film. In that case, "Bounce" crews worked to speed up their operations and clear the area as quickly as possible.

Still, she says, "I hope the community can recognize the tremendous value the film industry can have on Hawai'i's economy, because so many of these productions want to do the right thing within the communities they are shooting in."

Apparently, makers of "The Big Bounce" think Hawai'i's worth it. Bing said filming in Hawai'i cost $10 million to $12 million more than anticipated because some equipment wasn't available here and had to be shipped in.

"We've worked hard to earn the respect of the community," Bing said. "Two-thirds of our crew are local hires; we could have used the tax break offered 'Blue Crush,' but we came anyway."

"There really have been a lot of pluses being here," said executive producer Zane Weiner. "It's working in the USA, not a foreign country, and we've had wonderful cooperation from the local unions and crews. The film office has been exemplary."

Cast of veterans

It's a pretty big movie, with high-profile names in front of and behind the cameras.

Bing, whose earlier credits include "Night at the Golden Eagle," is a co-writer on a pending Jerry Bruckheimer film, "Kangaroo Jack." Director George Armitage boasts credits that include "Grosse Pointe Blank" and "Miami Blues." Executive director Brent Armitage worked on "Gross Pointe Blank." Weiner, another executive director, was unit production manager on "8 Mile," "Wonder boys," "October Sky" and "The Lord of the Rings."

Owen Wilson chimes in to say, "The filmmakers were able to assemble a great cast — one of the reasons I'm happy to be aboard."

That cast includes the latest Hollywood "it" girl, Sara Foster, cast opposite Wilson as Nancy Hayes. Until recently, Foster hosted MTV's "ET on MTV," and she has been a regular model for such labels as Guess and Tommy Hilfiger, with exposure in such mags as GQ and Glamour.

Charlie Sheen was last seen in his Golden Globe-winning role as deputy mayor of New York, on ABC-TV's "Spin City." In "The Big Bounce," he plays Bob Rogers Jr., a cohort of construction magnate Ray Ritchie, played by Gary Sinise.

Oscar winner Morgan Freeman plays Walter Crews, a powerful local businessman, bringing even more marquee appeal to the talent roster, which includes Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Bebe Neuwirth, Harry Dean Stanton and Vinnie Jones.

Surf and fun

During a recent shoot at a lodge-like house on the rolling grounds of Waialua Farm, Foster said her movie debut has been a real eye-opener, in a manner of speaking.

"I get up early, like 5 a.m., and it's so dark in the morning," she said. "But at the same time, I get to open my curtain, and the ocean's out there. You couldn't ask for a better atmosphere, but it's a whole different ball game from television."

Foster describes her character as "very manipulative, someone who knows what she wants and is going to get it. ... She meets this boy, played by Wilson, and he's wonderful, so part of the movie is how their relationship evolves and develops.

As for that boy — Wilson: "Off-camera, Owen has been so sweet; like a big brother to me, very protective. I don't know if I can ever work with anyone else again; I think we have chemistry."

Generally beloved for being a likeable screen doofus, Wilson said he's quite comfortable with his character (not to be confused with the same-named spy in some other movies):

"And I had some sex scenes with Sara that were fun to shoot. There are tougher ways to spend the day, believe me."

Sheen, who grew a mustache for his part, said he feels his career pendulum is swinging in the right direction now. He's actually been pretty visible lately, sharing the TV spotlight with his dad Martin Sheen, the star of "The West Wing," in a funny credit-card commercial.

"It's one of those (Hollywood) cycles," he said of a see-sawing career. " 'Spin City' was good for me, and this is my first film since doing TV. It's been a fun adventure, but I've been happy since getting married (to actress Denise Richards, who spent Thanksgiving with him).

"Denise has been very good for me," Sheen said.

So has the assignment; he uses his film breaks to focus, limber up and concentrate, he said, and he's thankful he's "got a chance to do some good acting with a great cast."

It's certainly not all work. With the North Shore beckoning and surf in the actors' front yard, a couple of them have taken to the waves — with assist from such local pros as Brian Keaulana.

"I did some surfing, for the camera and for fun," said Wilson.

"I went out there, too — but no, not on the day of the big waves," Foster said.