#I can't believe how quickly he manages to put out this episodes

[bluginkgo]

Episode 7 Teaser is out and it gave me too many crack theories

Well, after finally getting my head wrapped around the entire teaser- which took literal hours to process how amazing it all looked- I think I finally found the ability to put it into words.

Spoilers, duh and uh lots of words, so sorry

This'll be somewhat frame by frame crack down as well as crack theories that came to me while spending time looking at the red images too long that gave me a headache - anyways

As many have mentioned this before, V's corpse is gone, and only a sentinel's tail remains on the ground to the right. Although I wish to believe that V made it out alive, that hope is quickly dwindling. Although there is a small possibility that V somehow won the fight (perhaps with outside help such as J) and dragged herself away (based off of the splatter on the ground) I more so think that she turned into an eldritch V. That or perhaps has been mauled by the sentinels, and the body was dragged off. Although, I can not wait for Liam to prove me wrong about this theory (I hope he proves me wrong, cause I miss V ;w;)

The ground looking hall seems to be where the gang will enter right after exiting the elevator. Alongside this, it seems that the moment with N is also here (based on the background). Now, as for the look that N gives. It goes from worried and slightly scared to harsh concern (in my opinion, feel free to take that thought and yeet it as far as you wish ^_^). Something made him worry in a way that also slightly flared his anger. Two theories:

He saw something ahead of them, and this is the more likely possibility, because that tunnel gives way to the cave that N seems to have been dragged into from the teaser from November.

2. Uzi might have said something that made him more concerned. There is a figure that moves behind N, but it is very hard to see as to who it is- my guess it's Tessa, making Uzi the only candidate to possibly to walk in front of them.

Then we get to see this hole.

Possibility (also a bit wacky and highly unlikely): The entity will finally be revealed, that is, the center of the absolute solver. Something I noticed with the design of the absolute solver is that we get to see its limbs, but never the main body. It is always hiding somewhere, be it in the ceiling or the walls. Of course, there are also the eldritch forms we saw of Cyn, but in my opinion, it feels more like another limb. Now, with J's huge form, I'm a little more inclined to believe that's what it looks like as the main body. Holo spooky snake crab like.

Not to be dramatic, but... Core collapse, which made me chuckle. Because despite all hell breaking loose in these last couple episodes, Murder Drones still manages to sneak in tiny jokes like this. Oh, and I can't forget the dog too! XD

Something I still cannot grasp my head around is what is going on with the environment around the cathedral?? It's raining, but it's in a cave- ok can be sorta explained that it acts like a stalactite... but then what is going on with the vortex around the building? My current theory: uhhh... robo-satan, that is all.

A lot of scenes with humans and in a clear view (i.e. not like a video tape). This might suggest a flashback as many have already mentioned it. However, who, how, and why is there a flashback? Well, there is one crack theory I came up with. This is what Uzi is seeing. She is an absolute solver host, and it has been seen on multiple occasions that absolute solver has a hivemind, so it can easily show its hosts whatever memories its previous hosts had.

These next scenes I believe to be in the progression as shown.

@/haastera (don't want to bother them with a tag) also pointed this out, that these scenes may be back to back, based off of the lamp that is off to Uzi's left. However, what the heck would cause Uzi to snap like she did in ep4?

Uzi saw something in the tape that made her upset, the possibility of N killing Nori. Cons in that theory: N killed Nori post core collapse, and there would not be any evidence of it.

The tape had something that was similar to zombie drones tape that was marked "Don't show this to drones, they will not like it." Something in the tape may have forced boot the solver string in Uzi, and she was powerless to stop it. Cons: @bloodywolfwings mentioned to me that the reflection in Uzi's visor seems to be a door instead of a screen. So there's also the 50% chance that these two scenes are not even related.

MA'AM YOU PUT THAT SWORD AWAY, UZI HAS IT BAD ENOUGH MA'AM- in all seriousness, this is a 50/50 shot once again. Maybe Tessa is attempting to get rid of Uzi while N is gone. The opposite end of that is Tessa is attempting to help Uzi, perhaps an enemy that Uzi did not sense behind her.

These two scenes are related, I believe- the claw is hard to see behind the cross, but it is there, and not to mention that Dr. Chambers is wearing a camera on his head. However, there's more to it after I stared at it for a while. The absolute solver claw appears to be burning and glitching, this is only seen with DDs and solver drones when they are exposed to the sun. Perhaps the humans were slowly getting better at controlling the absolute solver, with some sort of power equivalent to the sun. But in the end, their efforts were useless, seeing as Nori still destroyed everything there.

We have seen these two scenes already, so not much to dissect here. Just NUzi being NUzi :3 while all hell breaks loose

This scene had me so confused at first.

I could not figure out what was going on with the cars. Cars are outside, our gang is in a cathedral, what happened- That's it. This is outside. And as many have already mentioned this, there are drones in the background so far identified as Lizzy and perhaps Thad. (I say perhaps Thad because my dumb brain won't let go of the idea that the drone on the left is Khan. Look, my brain said 'I think I see a mustache' and now I can't unsee it.) Either way, this is outside and the gravity has decided to take a break (as RedMage put it in the nuzi discord server). It seems that the gang will do something, or something drastic will happen (perhaps a second core collapse) that will cause the gravity of copper-9 to become unstable. So maybe the episode will end with the possibility that copper-9 is about to collapse like Earth did, as the gang tries to stop that event from happening.

Ahem, allow me a second of: FERAL N FERAL N FERAL N FERAL N- ok, I'm done for now. As many have pointed out, this may be the moment that N killed Nori, and Uzi might have to relive through that experience as the absolute solver shows Uzi everything that has happened up until now. His smile is not the one we've seen up until now when he's in his murder drone mode, but more of a smirk. Another theory I came up with is that when Uzi becomes possessed by the absolute solver, perhaps by default, N does too. Uzi is now N's admin, and if the admin is corrupted, there is nothing to keep N's solver string in his ai from fully corrupting him. However, there's a hole here.

The X on the visor generally means that there is a string in the drone's core is faulty and not functioning. This is because when the solver string attempts to take possession of the DDs, the admin program switches it to false and gives the faulty os string sign on the visors. That has to mean the admin program is still up and running, which pushes the theory of this scene being a flashback of N killing Nori, more likely.

Uzi's eye has burst, it seems, just like Yeva's. So now the question is, why does it do that? Doll also covered her eye, perhaps to conceal the damage that is already there. Theory: this happens because the solver inside of the drones is constantly attempting to get out of the host. It has been seen that it does destroy the bodies from ep5. And it seems that the red goop is what Uzi's attempting to hold back on her eye. It might be oil, but what makes me believe otherwise is the fact that it doesn't look liquid-like enough. Granted, that scene is literally 1 second, so the movement that may be there is really hard to grasp.

Doll HAS MADE A RETURN! And she's fighting someone with knives is what it seems like. Thoughts on who it might be? Literally, anyone in the gang, there is not much to go off of here. But to dissect it further, it could be like this:

Uzi- because she teamed up with Tessa and a DD, and it seems like Doll and the gang have separate goals, which upsets Doll and causes the fight.

N- another DD that had caused a lot of pain and suffering for WD when they first arrived to copper-9. So why not get rid of him as well while she's at it.

Tessa- the main character that seems to be very suspicious about every action. We know very little about her, and even more so what happened to her post gala massacre. Perhaps Tessa discloses the idea of killing every drone that is on the list of the drones experimented on. This will include Yeva and, therefore, Doll.

Now as for THIS.

That is a drone, for certain, now as to who it is, is really hard to guess. There is clearly a helmet on the drone, so it kinda narrows it down. Routes:

This is part of a flashback:

Nori or Yeva- one of the stronger solver drones that needed a better way of controlling/containing them. Backed up by the balconies/cat walks that are on the corners of the screen.

Some other poor drones- An even crazier idea of mine would be that the people were, in fact, worshipping the absolute solver. This is what happens to the heretics. Either that, or this was some sick way of worshipping the solver.

This is real-life time: Doll is the number 1 candidate, how she got to be like this, though... there are some possibilities.

Doll's solver form is taking control/form.

Uzi and Doll had a fight (consciously or not, solver might have forced a fight), with this being the outcome.

It's late for me. The amount of crack theories that have been bouncing around in my head is unreal. More than half of them are probably most likely wrong. Once again, take all of my theories and yeet them into the stratosphere if you wish ^_^ These will be mostly here just to come back to and see how wrong I was about everything.

[tprings-hair]

I'm sorry I just cannot believe that 3x22 the savage curtain introduced the dilemma of spock having to choose between following the actual personification of vulcan history and philosophy, or kirk, and then resolved it so quickly that it was barely even a source of stress for either of them. the answer was kirk, btw. in case that wasn't obvious.

SURAK: I will not harm others, Captain.

SPOCK: His convictions are most profound in this matter, Captain.

KIRK: So are mine, Spock. If I believed that there was a peaceful way out of this --

SURAK: The risk will be mine alone. If I fail, you lose nothing. After all, I'm no warrior.

SPOCK: The captain knows that I have fought at his side before and will do so now, if need be. However, I too, am a Vulcan, bred to peace. Let him attempt it.

spock is saying, let him do as he sees fit. let him follow his own principles. and let me stay by your side. kirk tells him to gather weapons in case surak fails, and spock does. he is casting aside the philosophy he was raised with in favour of war, and he's doing it for kirk.

KIRK: Your Surak is a brave man.

SPOCK: Men of peace usually are, Captain. On Vulcan, he is revered as the father of our civilisation. The father image holds much meaning for us.

KIRK: You show emotion, Spock.

SPOCK: I deeply respect what he has accomplished.

KIRK: I hope he accomplishes something here, and soon.

kirk is complimenting surak, and I do think he genuinely means it, but the way he says it comes off like an apology. like he knows what spock just let go of for him, and he wants to make sure spock is okay.

spock says, men of peace, and he is not counting himself as one of them. I think that's what makes kirk look up like that. throughout the show, he does use violence, but outside extreme situations he does it sparingly and elegantly -- the nerve pinch, the simple side step of a punch -- and usually advocates for a more peaceful solution. now, he's admitting how he has changed. he values peace. but he can't call himself an instrument of it.

and now he's comparing surak to a father image. christian implications aside (and that is difficult with star trek sometimes), he is standing beside kirk in spite of surak's and his own vulcan father's teachings, too. he sharpens his spear and looks frustrated with himself. he shows emotion. and he doesn't deny it, either! he says sincerely that he respects surak's accomplishments, and kirk stares at him, because that's more emotion than he generally cares to show, especially after it's pointed out to him. (early in the episode, surak points out his emotion on seeing him, and spock begs forgiveness. he is no longer looking for that from surak. spock has made his choice.)

he's angry at himself. and as a peace offering, kirk says he hopes surak has managed to broker peace here and now. even though you can tell from his tone and the fact that he's still making his own weapon that he isn't optimistic.

(and all of this is putting aside the fact that surak is definitely a jesus figure and spock rejecting his philosophy and forgiveness for an imperfect man is another kind of huge character choice. this has to be pointed out.)

idk how they managed to air this in the 60s. but I'm very glad they did.

[emmis15]

Daryl's three favorite memories,

2-

Daryl was leaning against the corner of that small room as loud music played. The tears streaming down his face were inevitable, and he was trying everything he could to stop them and at least close his eyes. Lost in hopelessness and the desire to die, he couldn't shake the guilt of the situation, along with not knowing what was happening outside or how Kat was doing. He stared at a fixed point between the dim light coming in and the floor, reminiscing about an old memory from when they were at the prison.

—Judith, I promise if you stop crying for Aunt Kat, I'll let you play with my pens, okay? —I heard the whisper of my "girlfriend's" soft voice as she returned from guard duty; dawn was breaking through the cell windows.

—What are you doing?—I leaned against the bars of the open door, looking at her. She looked tired, her hair tied back haphazardly, and dark circles prominent under her eyes.

—I accidentally hit the metal plate with the candle and woke her up, so I'm trying to calm her down so the others can sleep a little longer.—Kat rocked the baby in her arms as she whispered to him, but the little troublemaker wouldn't stop crying.

I approached her and took the baby from her arms, resting the baby's head on my shoulder and moving around the small space just as I had seen Carol and Beth do many times before. Kat tied her hair back better, focusing on organizing the scattered papers on the desk quickly.

—Did you get any sleep? —I asked, running my hand over Judith's head.

—Sleeping these days is a waste of time. I have to make the most of it to organize the group my way while Rick is grieving and having schizophrenic episodes anyway—she replied brusquely. I raised an eyebrow at her tone, which made her relax, calm her shoulders, and lean against the table.

Her arms crossed over her chest as she sighed, looking at her worn-out sneakers and the dirty floor. I could see her biting her lip hard as she avoided my gaze.

—You should sleep— I said, looking at her.

—At the moment, that's a luxury I can't afford.

—I know we're all going through a tough time. Lori's death was unexpected, but believe me, even when we have to regroup without Rick, we all take some rest, even if it's just a little.

—I know, and all I care about is that everyone rests so we can work tomorrow. But I took Rick's place for a reason; I can handle these situations. I can multitask, but time waits for no one, and I can't waste minutes or hours closing my eyes only to realize tomorrow that no one is guarding the fence or that essential supplies are missing. — his hands moved to his hips as he spoke.

—I know, really, I do, dear, but you can't carry the entire group on your shoulders, okay? We're supposed to be a team, or isn't that what you always say? —I asked in a softer tone as the baby began to fall asleep.

—That's what I say, but every team has a leader. Rick was the leader, but now he's seeing things in the air or ignoring his son, and I can't let everything fall apart. We all contribute in some way, but there will always be someone who has to bear the brunt of it, and that's okay because I want to be that person. I have ideas and an organization that's self-sufficient and fair to everyone, better than what we had before—she grabbed her papers and showed them to me, proving her point.

I sighed heavily and approached her, picking up the scribbled sheets with indecipherable handwriting and putting them back where they were before embracing her tightly against my chest. I could feel her muscles relax under my touch as she wrapped her arms around my body.

—I'm pretty sure your plan for managing everything and ensuring equitable tasks will be a success, I know it. But I need you to rest because when you go to manage everything and control or do your tasks, it'll be very hard for you. You'll get tired, and somehow you'll end up ruining your perfectly planned work— I spoke against her hair, kissing her forehead gently.

We remained silent, enjoying the rays of sun beginning to enter through the small window, the light gradually warming our skin.

—¿You are going to sleep?

—No, I have to explain my plan and convince everyone that it's the best idea. Forget all of Rick's work to do what I want while he's grieving. Besides, I promised Lori to take care of her son, so I have to give everything I can to make his grieving process as bearable as possible and not force his sister onto him as an obligation— she pulled away from me as she spoke, running her hands over her face to wake herself up.

—Carl is a smart kid, ¿okay? He will realize when you are with him out of obligation and fatigue, and that will not help.

—But at least I'm doing something, okay? I'm not trying to shield him from pain or ignore him like Rick does. I promised Lori I'd take care of her son and daughter, and if I have to collapse from exhaustion to do it, I will, not just for him, but for everyone.

—You should be able to rest and enjoy the possible stability it gives you. Not carrying all the work or the burden of the group, trying to live a normal life that we will never have again. That's your problem too, Kat. You are trying to paint reality rosy so that we can feel good about the little normality we have in this new world.

¿The problem? When everything goes to hell, it is a much harder blow for everyone to face reality.

—I can't do it. Someone has to suffer for everyone else to be happy, and I offer myself as a tribute to the harsh reality, so everyone can have a plate of food, shelter, family, comics, and baby food—she was about to slam her hand on the table, but my tense look at Judith stopped her in time, letting her hand drop slowly onto the wood.

I sighed, she was as stubborn as a mule, but I wouldn't stop until she could close her eyes for at least five minutes.

—Let's make a deal, ¿okay? I need to sleep now. I'll give you three hours to do everything, and if you're not in my bed with me by 9, I'll come looking for you— I pointed at her sternly.

She gave me a dirty look, but she nodded anyway, just in time to hear the whole group starting to get up because the sun was already high in the sky.

I left Judith in Carol's arms before walking to my cell and collapsing onto the lousy bed to grab a couple of branches that weren't yet arrows to distract myself, waiting for her to come to my arms. Calculating the time with a tap of my foot against the wall and in my mind, counting the seconds and minutes like a clock.

I knew the three hours had passed because no one was in the dining area, and everyone was scattered with papers in their hands. It seemed like everyone had agreed to try Kat's idea, even if they didn't understand her handwriting or the concept, judging by the confusion on their faces, like Glenn's.

I was about to get up heavily and my eyes barely open, but I saw her walking tiredly to my cell.

—40 minutes, just that, Glenn's going to come wake me up because I know he won't have any compassion if I get mad at him for letting me sleep longer—she nestled into my chest as if it were her pillow and wrapped her arms around my neck.

—You and Maggie have the poor guy trapped between a rock and a hard place—I said with laughter in my voice, closing my eyes and enjoying her weight on my body.

I chuckled before feeling her lips on mine and then resting her head against my neck, my hands on her waist resting as if it were my home between the worn seams of her jeans and the little skin left exposed by the short shirt she was wearing.

Hello, I hope you like it and that you can give it a like or reblog to reach more people. English is not my native language, so if there is any mistake, please let me know respectfully <3

[look-how-they-massacred-them]

Preliminary Poll

The Ghost Gang (Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde)

Submission reason:

Okay so. the ghost gang were set up to be super intresting in ghostly adventures because in the first episode Blinky manages to weasel their way out of being eaten by pac man by agreeing to help him in his fight against Betrayus and the ghost army by giving insider info and stuff. Good start. Their motivations are established, they want their bodies to be returned so they can be alive again, and Pac and the President can do that for them as long as they continue working as double agents.This has a lot of potential. Early season one sets up their dynamic well. They all want to do the right thing but are struggling with various character flaws preventing their true redemption: Clyde wants to be a good person but is easily bullied and bossed around by others, who override any objections he may have and force him to get involved in the plot no matter what side that may be. Pinky is doing all of this for purely selfish reasons: She is in love with Pac. She will sabatoge and harrass any of the ghosts to get her way. This is also how Pac cements his teamship with them, by falsely professing his love for her so she'll sabatoge his execution. This can also backfire against Pac though, as Pinky is also easily jealous against any other girl who shows even remote interest in him, and can be easily mislead into believing pac is cheating on her even if it's a misunderstanding. It's a whole thing and is very annoying Inky is indifferent to both sides, he just wants to be on the winning team, and wants to do the least work. He also ends up being the most vocal against working with pac, but mostly because he is indifferent at best to Pinky's love life and is most likely to be accidentally eaten by Pac, as it quickly becomes a running joke in the show. Blinky seems to be the most logical in this regard, judging which stance he should take based on the opinions and status of the rest of the ghost gang, pac and co, or betrayus and the other villains, and what would work best in the moment. He will argue with the other ghost gang members if there's room for discussion/debate, but will submit if there is any true urgency to the situation or if Pinky yells loud enough. They never actually settle into a concrete flaw for him though. Early episodes seem to think his problem is that he is perfectly fine with working for Betrayus if it benefits him, but this is diminished in later episodes due to the fact they greatly reduced his role in season 2. So early on, this worked great. Pinky got an episode where she and pac's friend Cyli had to work together to save him and Pinky learned to be less selfish, good development. The ghost gang as a whole have an episode where they have to give up a chance of getting their bodies back in order to save Pac. But the thing is, the writers just can't commit to it. They're the GHOST gang, so they can't ever have their bodies back lest they become functionally unrecognizable to the brand (which may play into why we never actually learn much about their lives before they died). And if they get redeemed without ever being offered their bodies, people will get mad that they aren't being rewarded for their loyalty. So they're stuck always having to tow the line, getting occasional episodes where they inch closer to their much needed developments, but never actually being able to reach them. Clyde needs to learn to stand up for what's morally right, but is never put into a position where he does so on purpose and is rewarded for it. Inky has an episode where his morals vs his selfish desires literally splits him into two beings, but this is not fully explored at all and so Inky is never actually confronted about his flakiness.

Blinky has at least three or four character flaws that could be explored but the writers just kinda stop paying attention to him at all. Pinky needs to get over herself and reach a state where not being romantically involved with pac is acceptable for her, but she only ever gets as far as reluctantly accepting cyli as being pacs platonic friend and then continuing to be passive aggressive towards her anyways.

As it went on, they became less and less involved, and more of the episodes had them just warning Pac about things he was already aware of, and many attempts to help him further being more or less unsuccessful.

It gets so, so bad in season 2. They make a Blinky centric episode where they imply he may have known Pac's missing parents before the war and yet it's never actually acknowledged. It could have been such a great development considering how much the ghost gang had begun to stagnate at that point. It also makes it clear that Blinky has clear moral boundaries that he refuses to cross, which is ALSO a really good development. But... the episode was actually just a vague Kung Fu Panda ripoff where Pac learns to use his roundness or whatever, and the episode wasn't actually supposed to be a Blinky development episode at all, and so NOTHING that happens in the episode is EVER mentioned again.

By the mid point of season 2, the ghost gang is imploding. Clyde has devolved into useless comic relief, with none of the intelligence he exhibited in the first season and his pacifistic nature treated as nothing but a gag. Blinky starts going several episodes without getting a single line, having exactly one line of dialogue in exactly three episodes and having more than one line of dialogue in another three episodes out of this 26 EPISODE SEASON. As an indirect result of Blinky's lack of dialogue, Inky is forced to juggle both his own as well as Blinky's roles, making his character inconsistent.

Pinky in particular gets it VERY bad, because, since she was the one to have dedicated episodic character arcs, she starts straight up regressing. She finds out Betrayus and co plan to psychologically torment Pac by pretending to be his missing parents and she says nothing because Pac had the audacity to be happy during the holidays which meant he MUST be seeing someone else behind her back. In the very last episode of the series, she sabotages a budding relationship between Pac and Elli and does not even admit it when Pac is severely depressed. CLYDE ends up the one revealing the scheme, and that can't even be boiled down to his own character arc about doing the right thing because HE DID IT BY ACCIDENT!!!! Inky and Blinky have no significant role in this episode because both of their last lines were in the halloween/christmas episodes respectively so all they do is kind of look on and be there.

And then the show got cancelled.

There is so much miscellaneous complaints that I could go on for ages about. The episode where they split up two for two that should have been major since they usually act as one unit but it barely gets glanced over because it was done solely to avoid having to make new models for inky and blinky in the 8bit world if they weren't even going to do anything that episode. The episode where Pac forces the ghost gang to get involved with his school life drama and never gets called out for it despite the fact that he literally threatened to eat them over something that was out of their jurisdiction. The fact that the Wizard of Oz parody episode gave it's version of Blinky a more complete arc than the show proper did.

When people think about problems related to PMATGA they usually instantly think of the fart jokes and the fact that it was cancelled before getting a proper ending but. Man I am so angry about what happened to the ghost gang they really deserved better. Like the way it was shaping up towards the end it seemed to be approaching the idea of the ghost gang never getting their bodies back at all. Which would have been sad since the early episodes leaned heavily into their redemption which just gives the whole thing just an air of tragedy to it.

Like man, the ghost gang are like four out of five of the original Pac Man characters. You'd think they'd actually focus on them.

Propaganda:

The first two episodes are actually pretty good as far as ghost gang goes so. I'd recommend that. You get to see them wearing little executioner hoods. They feel bad about having to go betray their new friends. It's fun.

[far-side-skies]

Reworking Noob

Inspired by this post by @crossyyt. Saying what we're all thinking, Number One Fan was a lackluster episode despite the fact that it furthered what little overarching plot we managed to get out of the end of Season 2.

And it's because of this guy.

Gifs from this post by @atmosiacyclonia

Yeah, Noob. "The fan", and the writers' way of making jabs at both the fanbase and the industry as a whole apparently. Kind of entertaining on a first watch, especially over a decade after the show has ended, but looking at it critically...

He's just kind of a nothing character overall. We didn't need him to get involved in the quest for Warp crystals, he doesn't add anything to the story, he doesn't leave any meaningful impact on the story and yet he gets frozen in the prison crystal in Cyclonia Rising. Anyone could've been in his place and not much would've changed overall.

But I'm a believer that all characters have a use, you just need to find one for them. Noob didn't have much potential, but the potential that he did have feels wasted.

So let's see how he could've been put to better use.

TL;DR: I put him on the reserve team that was mentioned in Talon Academy and then never brought up again. Alternatively he could be a relative of Dark Ace.

Edit: I hit post on this too soon, added more thoughts as soon as I realised this wasn't in my drafts anymore.

First off: remove the meta commentary aspect. Poking fun at fans is bad form and commentary on real-life merch production in a fantasy setting like this is, in my opinion, nonsensical and makes my worldbuilding brain itch.

Second: Let's take a look at this kid's design.

When did y'all notice that Noob has black hair

and red eyes?

I only noticed a year ago.

Remind you of someone?

Allow me to freak out a bit, because

This can't have been an accident, right? What was the intent behind it? As far as I've noticed, these are the only two characters with this specific colouring. What was Nerd Corps trying to tell us??

Ok, freakout over. What are our options?

Noob and Dark Ace are related, and Noob's obsession with the Storm Hawks comes from knowing that he had a relative who was part of the old team.

Possible, but considering how quickly Noob bounced from being a Storm Hawks fan to an Absolute Zeroes fan, I don't think it's likely. If that is the case, then a rewrite of the episode would be needed to show a little bit more loyalty from Noob. I don't know about everyone else, but the jump from one fanbase to another feels like a pattern of behaviour in my opinion. He rotates through special interests on the regular. Nothing against that in a real-life context, but it feels like another mean-spirited jab at fans.

Meta commentary aside, Noob could be rewritten to be a fan of the original Storm Hawks because of this potential relation to them. It'd give us something close to a "real" origins episode if Noob was given a chance to infodump about his old idols. Maybe he dislikes the new team for being "inauthentic", or he doesn't care all that much about them, he's just interested in the Condor; a crucial piece of Storm Hawks history.

As for Dark Ace? Noob could either be unaware that the copilot he might be related to was a traitor (possibly indicating that the Sky Knights tried to cover up the traitor aspect), or he rejects the copilot out of disgust. He's just a traitorous Cyclonian after all and fodder for an identity crisis in Noob if he was anything close to a main character.

In short: Noob could've been used as an exposition device.

Option 2, and my personal take on how Noob can be made useful:

Rewrite him in full and give him a touch more screen time. Put him in Talon Academy for a scene or two, and then have him beg to join the reserve team that Aerrow suggested to Lynn. "Number One Fan" makes good on this suggestion and is about the whole reserve team, not just Noob.

I see this as a two birds, one stone solution. Noob gets to be useful, keeps his character trait as a mega-fan of the Storm Hawks, and that loose end from Talon Academy gets tied up somewhat. As much as I love the show, its episodic writing lead to quite a bit of disappointment. But it just means we get to play with all the elements like dolls.

Let him be an exposition piece for the world in regards to sky knight merchandise, but have it make sense in the context of Atmos. If he really is the only Storm Hawks fan out there (which I find doubtful), why are action figures of the team being made without the Hawks knowing? Either all his figures be handmade, or repurposed from existing figures of more popular teams like the Rex Guardians. Or hell, keep the joke that there aren't any Piper dolls in production, but have it be due to resource scarcity brought in by the war. Or Cyclonis bought every single Piper doll to use as target practise for whatever machine or weapon she's working on.

As I said above, let him be from the Talon Academy. Have him be so enamoured with the Hawks' takedown of this Cyclonian institution that he latched onto them as heroes and then got wrapped up in war propaganda in his efforts to become their number one fan. He's obviously a good few years younger than the team, so have his understanding of the war be incredibly shallow, and maybe give him an arc where he learns from that.

I was going to add more to this a lot more but a misclick or some kind of tumblr goof caused this to he published half-finished instead of saving it to my drafts, so eventually I'll make another post elaborating on these ideas. For now though I'm curious to see what everyone thinks, and their own takes on Noob. Is he a waste of screen time? Did you guys scrap him in your AUs? Did yall forget about him? Let me know.

[hauntedwitch04]

Love on ice

Steve Harrington x figureskater! Reader

Words: about 1.3k words

Warnings: none, just me talking during the one shot like it's a fleabag episode ahahah

Author's note: Hi! I'M SO SORRY, but saying that uni is kiking my ass is little. I have so much to study and a little time to do it, but after a week (and some day) I finally managed to write a oneshot for the b-day for the beautiful @mystargirl-interlude. It's not much, but I hope you like it!

Requests are open I Ask

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Join the Taglist

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<><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<><<<<<<<<<<><<<<<<<><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>

The first thing you notice upon entering the arena is the cold. It's not that it's not cold outside, but inside this place, because of the ice rink it always feels like entering a freezer.

You have headphones on and don't really hear your surroundings until without really thinking about where you are stepping you collide with a strong, imposing figure. You take a few steps back from that abrupt contact and notice that the wall you had seemed to run into was none other than the famous Steve Harrington. The only nice guy on the field hockey team you've ever met.

Disagreements between these two sports have always been very well known, and even somewhat canonized, but that is not at all the case with our golden boy in front of you. He is always ready to clear the ice rink first in case you have to train more for important competitions, he comes very often to watch your competitions and support your team, but above all he does not denigrate your sport, but on the contrary he always compliments you on your skill and technique, admiring you for what you can do.

Damn I think I need a moment alone, this man is too perfect, ... but back to our story.

Once he, too, realizes who you were, he blushes a little and begins to pour a barrage of excuses on you, believing he has hurt you. For a moment you stand staring at him: his fluffy, at least to the eye but you are sure they would be to the touch as well, brown hair is messily arranged; his brown eyes sparkle under the light of the arena, while his nose is slightly flushed with cold. He is the most beautiful human being you have ever seen.

"Hey it's okay, don't worry. I had to watch where I was going, too." You try to stop him from kneeling down in front of you to apologize. He glares at you as he asks what you were doing there at that moment.

"I don't recall seeing anyone booked now to use the track." He says, looking thoughtful as he tries to remember the sheet hanging at the entrance.

"No indeed, but I have an important competition on Sunday and I can't come to practice this evening because I'm celebrating my birthday with some friends, so I preferred to practice now." You confess, smiling, seeing his puppyish look change to a face of full astonishment and glee as without a second thought he throws his arms around your body and hugs you tightly, sending you spinning a lap or two in the air. You can't help but blush at that gesture, but at the same time you enjoy the feeling of his warm body next to yours. You smell his scent, mint and hairspray, and inside you know that somehow heaven smells the same way.

When he puts you down you feel your cheeks go hot, and quickly you try to turn away, commenting on how you don't want him to see your new wrinkles. He laughs at your joke and takes your face in his hands, and immediately you feel your heart begin to lose its rhythm, going lurching against your rib cage.

"No bullshit, you look beautiful, as always." He comments, looking at you with those bright eyes of his, as you see his gaze fall on your lips for a second, knowing that you did the same.

You, blushing even more, and somehow trying to bring the topic to something other than you, when he really wants to talk about you.

Then out of nowhere he looks at you, and with his usual sly smile, capable of making any girl fall at his feet, he asks you something that leaves you deeply shocked.

"After practice, do you have to see your friends right away?" He asks, and you shake your head.

"I have a couple of hours before I see them." You say, not totally understanding why he asked that question.

"Would you like to take a quick ride with me?" He asks blushing as he continues to blurt out something else. "You know I'd like to spend some time with you, and also celebrate your birthday." You can't help but look at him shocked, not understanding if what is happening is a dream and is all real.

You don't find the words, and simply nod. Under your breath you then blurt out something about going to change so you can start training as soon as possible and so finish earlier, and he in turn nods saying he will wait for you there. You don't even feel like walking as you make your way to the locker room, so surreal did the situation appear to you.

You feel you're skating ten feet above the sky as you think about all the things the two of you are going to do together, and you realize that maybe it wouldn't hurt to bring him to dinner with your friends, too, if he obviously has the desire and the time, already knowing that they're going to make fun of you for life, learning that right now you have the look of a 12-year-old girl on her first crush after he accidentally looked at her in science class. Okay, maybe you're slightly lost. Maybe even more than slightly, but after all, who are we to judge.

At that moment you still don't know that you will spend all your training joking and playing with him, making him do the simplest figures possible, and yet you will see him fail miserably and fall every time. Once he will fall so hard that he will lie completely on the ground, dragging you with him since he was holding your hand, and you will end up looking at each other's lips for a good five minutes before you realize that you will be on top of each other, close enough to feel each other's pulse.

This won't be the first moment, though, where you'll end up kissing the handsome player, since even later while you're outside the gym to make your rounds he'll wipe your face after some ice cream gets on your nose, and in a second you'll feel like you're the only people in the world, and you'll be one second away from kissing each other passionately again in the middle of the street, just like those old Hollywood movies where people still kissed in the rain, giving hope to little girls who would experience a love like theirs; but this time you will be interrupted by your friend calling you on the phone because you are late for dinner.

You won't even realize the wish you've granted when you blow out the candles that night, until you see Steve laughing with one of your friends, who once your love turns around gives you the thumbs up and says with a lip, "Nice shot girl! And she's got a nice ass, too!", only at that instant will you realize that you wished he would kiss you, that Steve would place those soft, fleshy lips of his on yours.

And you don't even know that that wish will come true soon, that same Sunday, when you come down from the podium after winning the race, you will run up to him, to Steve, who had insisted so much on coming to watch the competition because he wanted to support you, going straight into his arms, and in the heat of the moment you will place your lips on his. For a second you'll pull away scared that you've made a misstep, but he won't even give you time to formulate an apology, that he'll rest his lips on yours again, and again it will seem to you that there are only the two of you in the world, no other souls but yours intertwining in that moment in the confusion of the crowd, amid shouts and cackles, while all you can feel is his warm body next to yours, and pure happiness invading you.

But that's future, and who am I to spoil the best story you'll ever see (and experience) ;).

TAGLIST

@esposadomd @yourpurrrrrfect @eichenhouseproperty @the-ruler-of-death @sev0-0 @digitalhearts @kayden666 @backups-backups @sheyami @daeneeryss @starsval @rorysreallyrandom @superbookwormy64 @mortica-raven13 @watersquirtpewpewboomm @vixparker @imnotcryingurcrying @e_dollly

[streets-in-paradise]

Waiting - Andy Barclay x Reader

Requested by Anon

" hey can you make a story about Andy Barclay getting jealous at someone because they’re flirting there S/O. Btw it can be fluff or whatever I am having you have that choice thank I love your content ❤️❤️❤️❤️"

Sure, anon! And thank you for your kindness <3

Warnings: No proofreading, Insecure Andy being reassured by his s/o in fluffy and flirty ways.

Summary: A hopeless time of watching him unsuccessfully date other persons in front of you preceded the beggining of your relationship with Andy and now you can't believe he is the one feeling jealous.

Tags: @losersclubisms

Too long you had watched in the shadow of his failures, waiting untill he would stop ignoring the fullness of the woods for a single tree. As a server in the restaurant were most of his disastrous dates took place you had a privileged spot to observe the regular downfalls, convinced that you have never meet anyone with such terrible luck for romance. What started as an empathy driven approach just trying to help him out quickly turned into something else and you found yourself trully Interested on him.

Andy was a sweet guy who just have been lonely for too long. Everytime one of his dates would leave him heartbroken you were there to pick up the pieces hoping he would catch your signs. Getting to a point where you could start dating required a lot of patience from you, virtue that you lost after the redhead fiasco leading to directly asking him out by yourself.

It took him a while to understand you actually wanted to be with him, since at first he was convinced you did it out of pity. His way of loving made you feel as if your relationship was the best thing happening in his life and he was constantly afraid of loosing you.

He was not the kind of man who would start a fight over jealousy, but you could tell whenever he would be swallowing those feelings pretending to be just fine.

The first time it happened you realized he was so not ready to deal with other people flirting with you. A silly confussion with a stranger at a bar ruined the whole moment for him. The actual episode wasn't even a big deal, since you politely declined and sneaked your hands on top of the back pocket of the pants of your silently angry boyfriend to send a passive agressive message making the stranger dissapear.

Andy felt your hands softly squeezing his butt and that at least managed to distract him a bit.

" Did you notice how shocked he was? That dude couldn't believe i'm with you. " He openly commented. " … Sometimes even I can't believe i'm with you. "

" After all I have been waiting for you? " You sweetly complained. " How many cute people did i see you with before you stopped drowning in self pity and noticed I wanted your attention all along? "

He didn't consider that before, probably because those dates had such terrible outcomes he couldn't imagine you caring for that.

" Did I make you jealous?" He asked while a soft shade of blush in his face made him look down for a brief instant. " Me?? How?"

" I saw you put your heart and soul into each one of those, trying so hard for things to work because you liked those persons. That amount of dedication had completely won me over even before we started dating. " You frankly admitted. " They may have been desperate to run away, but I was there watching and wanting so badly to be them. You didn't have an easy life, i could tell that, but you are a wonderfull man so sweet, thoughtfull and handsome. A bit weird, maybe, but still adorable. You wanted love and I was desperate for a shot to love you, but there was always someone else rejecting you that you cared more about. "

" I was a fool, i know. " He apologized, still in disbelief. " Let's say I was misguided by the advice of an old friend. "

" You were driving me insane and I was so jealous of your dates. I began to ask myself what else could I do to make you notice me. I almost changed my hair colour but a friend told me that going redhead would have been too much. "

The confession made him chuckle.

" I love you exactly as you are … and I'm feeling quite jealous."

Verbally expressing his feelings was hard for him, but he did it in the spirit of his surprise.

" You have no damn reason for it, because i'm going nowhere. " You reassured him, pulling him closer. " I'm here with you and there is no other one I could want to be with ríght now. "

He was a happy, awkward mess evidently affected by your words in all kinds of ways.

For so, you decided to carry on taking things a bit further.

" Once we get back to my place you are all mine." You whispered close to his ear. " I'm going to show you exactly how much I love you and how wild you drive me. "

The insidious thoughts temporally faded under such delightfull promise.

[footballerimaginess]

Watching TV together

30 Day Writing Challenge 2. Watching TV together James Maddison Word Count: 541 You and James had finally managed to put all the kids to bed, putting all 3 of them down was a struggle especially as none of them wanted to sleep when they were meant too.

"Right now they are asleep, shall we settle down and watch something?"James asked as you let out a yawn. "Mm, sorry. Yes that sounds perfect. I promise I won't fall asleep whilst watching TV though" you smiled as you sat down onto the sofa. "I'll see that when i believe it" he smirked as he passed you the remote control before walking to the kitchen to see what dinner he could make quickly. "So I made this super quick, just a stir fry. I hope it is okay" he smiled as ye passed you the bowl of food. "This looks so good, smells fantastic too. Thank you, glad I can have you as my personal chef" you tucked into the stir fry. "Ha that is just great, well someone had to be the chef didn't they because I'm pretty sure that you can't cook" you turned to see James having a big smirk on his face. "Well there is just no need to out me like that" you teased him. "Joking anyway, what do you fancy watching? I think we finished our series the other night" James asked as you clicked onto Netflix or Amazon which ever you preferred. "I have heard about one day, saw people all talk about it on TikTok" you asked James. "Oh yeah I saw that, if you are ready to cry maybe we need to get some tissues out" he laughed as he put his bowl down as he had practically cleared it. "Yeah okay, you don't have to watch it if you don't want to? if you don't fancy crying?" you asked him. James shook his head. "No course not I will watch it and if you dare tell anyone if I cry I will be pissed" you let out a little giggle as he knew you so well, watching him as he pressed play on the first episode. "Do you wanna come cuddle over here?" James asked as you nodded, jumping over onto his side of the sofa as you snuggled up to him as you laid your head gently on his jumper, breathing in the smell of his aftershave. "I have no clue what this actually is about you know, just seen people say how upsetting it is. I feel I should get the book first and then hopefully read it" you told James despite him not even listening to you. "I don't either, maybe we should have actually looked it up before pressing play because I don't wanna get confused you know" you leaned across him as you grabbed your phone and googled what the show is about. "So it is basically about a couple who have only just met, they know that they have to go separate ways. But when they leave after one day they can't stop thinking about each other" you read out loud. "Sounds great, but why must you Google everything. Just watch it for fuck sake" he laughed as you slammed your phone down. "Fine" you sighed loudly as you watched.

[smolwritingchick]

The Bangtan Gal Chapter 18- American Hustle Life Episode 1

Chapter Summary: Jennie can't keep her mouth shut when BTS are suddenly kidnapped in LA. She gushes over Tony and BTS meet Coolio

Words: 3,000+

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'What is hip hop to Jennie?'

Jennie (I feel like hip hop is how you express yourself. It's real. It's deep. It's not about money, sex, and drugs. But, not a lot of people understand that. I grew up listening to a lot of hip hop because of my father. He would always blast the music around the house. Almost every single day. He made me want to learn more about it. I'm eager to learn more about hip hop.)

In the practice room, while the guys were practicing, Bang PD and the manager walked in and they bowed and greeted them. Asking where Jennie was, Rap Monster informed him that she was taking a quick bathroom break. Bang PD decided to tell them that they would be going to America to work on their new album, making them excited.

"Jungkook bragged so much." Jimin pointed out.

"Since he stepped on American land," V added.

"And that the smell is different."

Rap Monster grinned feeling excited. "Oh, wait until Jennie finds out."

"Find out about what?" She walked in, immediately bowing and greeting Bang PD and the manager.

"You all are headed to America to work on the new album." Bang PD let her know as she looked around. "How do you feel?"

"C-come again?" She stammered. "A-America?"

Jennie (AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)

"Jennie, are you okay?" Namjoon chuckled and put a hand on her shoulder. The guys watched on in amusement as she tried to pull herself together.

"She's shook." Jimin chuckled, watching her eyes get glossy while putting her hands together.

"This isn't happening, we're actually going to America?" The excitement of her voice made Bang PD smile and nod as she jumped up and down. After settling down, Bang PD continued to give them instructions.

"This is not an opportunity that is just given to anyone, any day. And as you know...you're not going to play, right? Of course, it'd be good to get excited but go there prepared, right? You're not going there to play. Jennie, I'm counting on you to be a helpful guide for them when you land."

"Yes, sir." She bowed.

"You all can do well, right?"

The members respond with a contented, "Yes."

"Because I want you all to do well. I prepared something really special. A special present. This is probably going to be the first and last time you're receiving something like this as a singer under me. Don't think things like, 'Oh, there'll be another one.' Right?" He revealed a gold envelope, making Jennie and the guys grin and clap. 

"It's gold!" Jimin pointed out.

"It's hip-hop." J-Hope added.

"Isn't it great?" Bang PD smiled

"We'll work hard." Rap Monster reassured

"I'm going to give it to your manager so when you land in America and tell him to give it to you, quickly." Bang PD informed them. "Like it?"

"Yes!"

'Smiles they cannot hide'

Jennie (I'm trying not to tear up right now like this is friggin' awesome! I'm going home! We're going to America! I can't wait to show them around!)

"Work hard and record well with the producers, too."

'What do you want to do when you go back to America?'

Jennie (See my family if they allow me! I want to go back to the beach and swim around. I also want to eat my favorite food and walk around the neighborhood.)

'The long hoped for departure to America day has come'

Arriving at the airport, Jen chuckled at the guys shouting. "Amerika!" in excitement while fans film them getting out of the car. On the plane, Jennie sat in front of Jungkook, Rap Monster and J-Hope while sitting with Jimin and Suga.

Playing games on her phone throughout the ride, J-Hope vlogged and turned his attention to Jennie.

"Munchkin~, you'll show us around, right?"

Turning around in her seat, she waved at the camera. "You betcha!"

"How do you feel going to LA?" He interviewed her. "What's it like going back home?"

"I can't even think of coherent thoughts at the moment. I still cannot believe this. But you guys will love LA."

'Finally, They Arrived'

As soon as they land and walk into the airport, they are met by loud, screaming fans, filming, taking pictures, videos, waving and holding up fan signs.

"JENNIE!" Someone screamed, startling her as she turned her head to the group of fans awaiting BTS' arrival. Surprised, she watched in awe as they wave and hold up fan signs of her.

"Jennie!"

"Welcome home!"

"We missed you!"

Cracking a smile, she started laughing to herself and waved back. "Can I please see them, really quick? Please? I'll be quick, I promise." She pleaded to the manager. Sighing, he decided to let her go just this time and came with her to keep a close eye.

The fans' screams got louder as she approached them with a big grin on her face. Their cheers were almost deafening as they were eagerly awaiting her to approach them.

"Hi!" She waved at them and started tagging some hands and giving out high fives.

"Can I take a picture with you!?"

"Me too!"

"Can you sign this!?"

Jennie nodded. "Yeah, yeah, sure. I gotta be quick, I don't have that much time, but I just wanted to thank you all for waiting for us to arrive." She beamed, earning a chorus of you're welcomes.

Making quick work, she tried to take as many photos as she could and autographs.

Suddenly, she sees one teen girl tearing up with tears of joy. "Oh dear, don't cry! Come here." She decided to engulf her in a warm hug, while other fans tried to join in the hug and touch her.

"I love you, so much. Please continue doing what you're doing in BTS." The girl muffled in the hug, holding her tightly. "I can't believe I finally got to meet you, thank you so much."

Feeling her eyes sting, Jennie murmured in a brittle voice, "Thank you..."

Meanwhile Rap Monster was watching on with a smile on his face.

Rap Monster (I don't think Jennie really understands how much she's cherished. It made me happy to see her with the fans, engaging with them)

Jennie (I'm mind boggled that I get fans emotional like this. It shocks me, that people give me so much love and support with BTS. I never noticed how beloved we are until now. It's great to be home.)

"Jennie! You do not know how much I have friggin' missed you! Good luck in K-Pop!" Another fan told her.

"Thank you! I will work hard. Look forward to our next album."

"Jennie! Can you tell J-Hope I said hi!?"

"Sure, what's your name?"

After the fan tells her, Jennie made a mental note to let Hobi know.

"Jennie, I brought you smarties!" A fanboy presents her with a big bag.

"This is all MINE!?" She happily accepted the bag. "Oh, I gotta give you a kiss for you, get over here."

"A kiss from Miss Bangtan? Yes, please!" He happily said as she pressed her soft lips against his cheek.

"Thank you for the Smarties, I'll eat them as soon as I leave."

"You are so beautiful! Do you think I can take you out on a date?" He shot her a flirty look.

"Oh wow, w-we just met!" She covered her cheeks, feeling flustered while the girls giggled at her.

"Jimin was right! She is easy to tease!" A girl giggled.

"Jennie, we gotta go!" The manager called out in Korean as she let out a sigh. She really wanted to stay but she has a job to do with BTS. And she didn't want to get another scolding for staying too long with the fans since they were on a time limit.

"I gotta go, but please continue to support BTS. Listen to our music and look forward to our next album! Love you guys, thank you so much." She waved and met up with the manager.

Jennie (The support is overwhelming. As soon as I got into the van, I just broke down into tears. I couldn't hold it in anymore. This. This moment. Being here with BTS, what we've accomplished so far. Tears of joy. Thank you, ARMY.)

In the van, Jennie sniffed and tried to control her tears of joy, while Rap Monster let out a laugh and wrapped an arm around her. 

"It's okay." He murmured in a soothing tone.

After pulling herself together, they all ride around LA and receive the golden envelope that Bang PD presented to them back in South Korea. Their first stop was heading to the LA Dodgers Stadium to watch the baseball game. After walking around, watching street performances, they're back in the van, while the guys are jamming out to Drake's 'Started from the bottom' while Jennie giggles at their goofiness.

Still feeling a bit jet lagged, she napped throughout the whole car ride. When it turned to night, she was still napping while the manager pulled over to check out the complications with his visa. When the manager leaves the car, a group of black men appear in front of the car and hijack it. J-Hope turned around and finched, leaning up against Rap Monster in fear while Jennie stirred in her sleep, hearing loud movement.

"What the hell!?" She blurted out, feeling her stomach drop as she opened her eyes to find unexpected guests in the car. The guys were frozen in fear, trying to comprehend what was going on.

"Relax! Relax!" One of the black men shout.

"Relax!? I'm not about to relax! What the hell are you doing!?" She shouted in nervousness.

Jennie (I know I shouldn't even be talking, right now, because I could get killed just like that. I dunno if they're carrying a weapon! I just woke up, what the heck is going on!?)

After the men took their phones and told them they were taking them to their hotel, Jennie closed her eyes and started to feel the tears coming. Shaking her legs, she started to feel anger pent up inside of her.

"No! No! No!" Jungkook exclaimed in English.

Jennie (I'm so...angry. I'm more angry than I am scared! I just got back home! And now I'm getting kidnapped? All I could think about was my mom, my dad, my sisters...my life was flashing before my eyes. Am I going to die tonight?)

In a shaky voice, she murmured in Korean, "Guys, just stay calm. Just do what they say. We'll figure out."

"Where are you taking us?" She asked in English.

"To your hotel room." One of the men responded.

"You're not gonna kill us...are you?"

"No, we're not gonna kill you."

Jennie (I think my adrenaline kicked in. Because I would be scared to even speak but my heart was racing, I had to keep talking. Rebelling isn't a good idea. I don't know what to do! I feel responsible for all of our lives but I dunno what to do. I felt helpless.)

After the scary car ride, they arrive at Skid Row. The men shout at them to leave the car and they all head inside a hideout.

They all sit on the couch. Jennie sat in between Rap Monster and Jin. "S-so are you going to tell us what we're doing here?" She muttered, looking up at the men with butterflies in her stomach.

"Just look straight ahead." One of them ordered.

"They want us to look straight at the screen," Jennie told the guys in Korean.

"I ain't playing around, man!" One of the men shouted at Jungkook for looking around. The sudden shout made him flinch. "Look straight, fool!"

"Hey! He didn't do anything, wrong. Just leave him alone, all right? He's scared and so are the rest of us." Jennie spoke up in aggravation, narrowing her eyes at the man. "Just calm down."

"Jennie." Rap Monster hissed, trying to make her stop talking.

Turning her head to him, she protested. "I wasn't going to just-"

"Little girl! Look at the screen!" The man yelled at her and she flinched in fear at his booming voice.

After seeing her flinch, the BTS members glance up at the man who yelled at her. Jin grabbed onto her hand and squeezed it while Rap Monster ended up gritting his teeth.

Rap Monster (I just wanted her to stop talking, just in case anything else bad happens. I couldn't take it if anything happened to her. Or any of the members. But my blood just boiled a bit after he yelled at her.)

Jennie (If they had any weapons or anything, like a gun or something, I'd probably get shot for opening up my mouth. Honestly. I get hard headed and get stubborn sometimes.)

"Okay. I'll look at the screen. You don't have to tell me, twice. I already heard you the first time." She responded.

Jennie (I dunno if I was about to get hit, or killed, I dunno why I kept talking. It was stupid, I know, but I couldn't sit there and let them talk to Jungkook like that. He didn't deserve to get yelled at. I just got so protective. I feel like I have a huge responsibility for us as a group while here in America since this is my home. I know where things are at, but this is not what I wanted to happen.)

The men order the guys to take off their hats and also their shoes. "Take one sock off." The men order.

"Are you kiddin' me...?" She muttered.

Jennie (My damn nail polish is chipped. I didn't put new nail polish on. Now I gotta take off my socks? This is great. Very great. What's next? My death? Just let me go peacefully. That's all I ask.)

"BTS!" The screen said. "Welcome to the American Hustle Life hip hop school. beginning tomorrow for training provided by the greatest legends of hip hop, and the best tutors around, you will be born again as a true hip hop artist. See you tomorrow."

Jennie (You mean to tell me...this was ALL SET UP!? They couldn't have done it in a more CIVIL way?! Unbelievable! Big Hit count your days!)

"We goin' be back here tomorrow. So ya'll can stay here. Peace!" One guy said as the men left.

Jennie and the guys sit in silence while they leave. She sighed loudly and stood up, pacing around.

"I'll check the door..." She murmured and looked to see if they left. "Yeah, no one's there. They left."

"What is this...while I was sleeping..." Suga groaned.

Walking up to Jungkook, she kneeled in front of him. Seeing him so shaken up broke her heart as she grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Are you okay?" She whispered. He nodded in response and she made him stand up, wrapping her arms around him for a hug.

Jennie (He was so shaken up. I'm just as scared as he is but I just really wanted to stay cool and calm. For him. For all the guys. I dunno how I managed.)

"J-Hope, are you good?" She tried to calm him down.

'In the middle of picking up their mental states and shoes'

"Hey, let's sleep. Just sleep." Suga advised as the guys made their way to the bunk beds.

"Hey, you going to sleep?" Rap Monster turned to Jennie who remained on the couch.

"I will in a bit. I can't sleep after what just happened." She replied.

"I'll stay up with you." Jungkook offered.

"No, no, it's fine. Get your rest. I know you're tired. I'll be okay." She smiled in reassurance.

Jennie (I'm sorry but I can't just sleep after what just went down. I can't do it. I'm going to be up for a while. I'm glad they're concerned. But I need to have my heart rate down and my emotions in check because I am still in a state of shock and fear. I'm blessed I get to live another day.)

The next morning, BTS and Jennie are awakened by loud shouting and clapping. As three of their tutors get them all awake and ready for the day.

"What ya'll come to LA for?" The tall guy asked as Rap Monster answered him that they were here to make music.

'Their tutors that decided to stay together with them for BTS' hip hop overseas studies'

'Their hip hop school, American Hustle Life, where they'll be together 24 hours with their tutors has started.'

"Let's start with the introductions, we're gonna introduce ourselves and we'll go down the line and ya'll can tell us your names and a little bit about yourselves," Tony announced.

"Well, I'm Zaire, man! I'm a rapper and I'm a producer." He introduced.

'Newcomer rapper who works really hard aka Zaire.'

'Dante Evans'

'Dante who is skilled with a lot of passion'

"Nate Walka. I'm a writer, and a rapper and a producer."

'Pro composer, Nate Walka. A pro composer who shines from Grammy Awards. The hidden treasure of the hip hop industry, the genius writer, Nate.'

"I'm Tony and I'm from Texas."

'Rapper and lyricist, Tony Jones. Used to be a basketball player and is a rapper while being a lyricist.'

'The giant good looking rapper who exceeds 2 meters, Tony.'

'Your first meeting with the tutors'

Jennie (I wake up to loud yelling, and see three guys. And Tony, I just couldn't stop staring. Tony is fine as hell! Oh, mah God...why is he so hot? It's been so long since I've gushed over guys. I can get used to waking up early to that. HAHAHA! Let me stop, cut this okay? Don't let it air! Hahaha! Oh God, what if he sees this? I may have a tiny crush on him. I'm looking forward to working with him...and the others. Yeah, the others. He saw me all bare faced and everything. He's so cute. My goodness. Why are the guys that I have crushes on, older than me? It isn't fair! I was born the wrong year hahaha)

"We have you guys for two weeks," Tony informed. "You can't go home. We work. No play. Not too much sleeping."

Jennie (Oh...great...not much sleeping...thank you. Sleep isn't my best friend.)

"Rule number two. We're gonna have competitions." Tony added. "We're gonna have a winner and we're gonna have a loser."

"The winners are gonna get a prize. Some type of reward." Nate mentioned

"The losers, bad. Rule number three you're gonna listen to us." Tony continued.

Jennie (Oh I can listen to you all~ day Tony. I'll be a good noodle for you. Let me stop, cut this out too! Hahah! Why am I so giddy!? Ah...let me stop embarrassin' myself.)

"We're gonna help you guys. So BTS, we have a very, very special guest. A legend in the rap game. He's known internationally. He's gonna come in and speak to you, guys. Make sure you guys pay attention. Okay?" Tony and the guys leave the room.

Jennie (It can be anybody. I have no idea who.)

After they come back, they reveal Coolio walking in as Jennie widens her eyes. 

"Coolio, right?" Rap Monster called out.

"Coolio! Holy crap!" Jennie stood up in surprise.

Jennie (What the-what the hell?! I'm in the same room as COOLIO!? Do you know how HUGE that is!? Gangster's paradise~)

BTS and Jennie applauded and he sat down. "So all ya'll speak English?" Coolio asked, sitting in a chair.

"I do. Rap Monster can speak it, too. The rest, not so much." Jennie answered.

"How did Hip Hop start? Where'd it start?" Coolio turned his attention to Suga who sat there dumbfounded. Turning to Jin, he asked, "What was the first rap single to go platinum?"

Jin just stood there baffled, while Coolio stood up and continued to ask questions but the guys didn't answer.

"Hello!" V greeted.

"What's up?" Coolio shook his hand.

"What's up." V cutely greeted in English. "Turn up!"

His sudden words made the guys laugh, while Jennie remained silent, feeling nervous at Coolio's serious expression.

Jennie (Oh no. Not good.)

"What does turn up mean?" Coolio questioned him.

"Let's go party? Turn up!" V jumped up and down in his seat.

Coolio was not amused and V apologized. "Give me 25 push ups." He said out of nowhere while Jennie dropped her jaw in shock.

[odanurr87]

Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1

Last year I watched a bunch of kdramas, too many for me to properly review at the rate I write about them. As a result, I'm gonna try something different and quickly review those dramas that released in 2022 that I watched, and maybe recommend a few alternatives here and there in those cases where the show didn't live up to the task. Considering it's been a while since I watched some of these dramas, I binged a couple of them again to better inform my commentary. If you're short on time, or just want to add kdramas to your ever-increasing watchlist, you'll find a ⭐ next to the titles I wholeheartedly recommend, and a 💀 next to those I feel should best be avoided, but you do you. If you still haven't watched some of these shows, this list will hopefully give you some idea of whether you'll enjoy watching them (or not).

A brief note on my rating system before we begin. I use bins for my 1-10 scale in the following way:

Anything between 5 and 6 is considered average

Shows between 7 and 8 are considered above average

Shows in the 9 to 10 range are the cream of the crop

Anything between 1 to 4 is considered below average, with the 1-2 range reserved for the worst offenders.

Thus, I have two possible scores for the average, above average, and cream of the crop categories, what I believe makes my life a little easier when rating shows. I have occasionally given half point ratings (e.g. 7.5) to certain shows when I feel they're halfway to a better grade, but that has been the exception rather than the rule.

So without further ado, welcome to my Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1!

A Business Proposal⭐

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: "You know I'm good at a lot of different things, right?"

We start with one of my favourites and the best short romcom of 2022. Based on the manhwa of the same name by Haehwa (original story) and NARAK (art), Taemu Kang (Ahn Hyeo Seop) plays the 'perfect CEO' stereotype who ain't got no time for love so, after several hilarious events, he eventually hires Hari Shin (Kim Se Jeong) to play the part of his girlfriend to fool grandpa. Unbeknownst to him though, Hari is his employee. Will their fake relationship turn into a real one? You bet your ass!

The show ticks almost all of the required tropes, subverts some -what was a pleasant surprise- and entertains throughout, making perfect use of its runtime. The second lead couple, played by Kim Min Gue and Seol In Ah, also turned several heads, not to mention the latter had great BFF chemistry with Kim Se Jeong. Week after week, I was looking forward to every episode of this show, especially considering how disappointing another romcom that aired around the same time turned out to be, and that you may or may not find in this list. You could say this show aired just in time for Samantha and Rachel to cure my FLAWless disappointment.

Again My Life⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: Lawful Lawyer is back!

The better Lawless Lawyer of 2022. Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi) is a prosecutor who travels back in time to put the people who murdered him behind bars while the audience wonders which female lead he should date. And between Kim Ji Eun, Hong Bi Ra, and Veronica Park Kim Jae Kyung, well, he's definitely not lacking in choices. Fortunately, time travel is merely used as a trigger to tell the story (similar to 365: Repeat the Year in this respect), so we don't have to worry about kdramas' rather abysmal track record with sci-fi. The show keeps you hooked episode after episode, finding a good balance between the scheming, putting people behind bars, throwing some punches (has those trademark LJG action sequences!), all the while going after the next big fish. Last, but not least, it does an incredibly good job at managing an ensemble cast of characters, and there are a lot of them! If you're a fan of Lawless Lawyer or Lee Joon Gi, you can't go wrong with this one.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 1

Episode count: 20

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Watch a fantasy cdrama instead

Alternatives: Fights Break Sphere, Fighter of the Destiny

When I watched the character promos for this show I thought this could be Korea's answer to some of China's fantasy dramas, possibly Xuanhuan dramas, and I was all for it! I liked the male actor, Lee Jae Wook, in other dramas I'd watched with him (he was great in When the Weather is Fine and Search: WWW), and Jung So Min playing a master assassin and mentor in a fantasy drama was quite appealing. Of course, I was a bit worried when the teaser dropped, with its emphasis on some weak comedy, but I decided to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, Part 1 didn't live up to the task. It meandered a lot, definitely under-using its 20-episode order, focusing on every romantic relationship under the sun and then some, ultimately delivering an unsatisfactory hero's journey for the ML, while the antagonists played ping-pong with the alchemy of souls. At times, I was reminded of Hwarang, a show I have reviewed very poorly and that seems to have relied on the idol factor to garner popular appeal.

I've previously compared Jang Uk's journey to that of Xiao Yan from the cdrama Fights Break Sphere, in that I expected the former, from the previews, to undergo a similar rise to power as the latter, rigorously training under his master, slowly climbing his way back to power, but with the additional appeal of developing that romantic relationship between Jung So Min's character and Lee Jae Wook's, what would've made for a more rewarding journey for both the character and the audience. This is a tried-and-true formula, also used by the popular anime The Rising of the Shield Hero, to mention but one other example. Unfortunately for us, Jang Uk can hardly be bothered to train (supposedly, he "trained" with twelve masters for years and didn't learn a damn), except at the very specific, and limited, times that the script dictates, instead relying on luck and plot contrivances to "skip ahead" his way to power, what makes for far less memorable scenes. Additionally, the cdrama nails the master-student relationship thanks to the great rapport between Baron Chen's Yao Chen and Leo Wu's Xiao Yan, but there's hardly such a bond between Mu Deok and Jang Uk.

In the end, Part 1 of Alchemy of Souls should've been about Jang Uk's rise to power under the guidance of his master, and later love interest, Mu Deok, but it's too unfocused, its attention constantly diverted by comedy, love polygons, or caricaturesque villains doing dumb things under everyone's noses. Perhaps its only saving grace was the character of the Crown Prince, brilliantly played by Shin Seung Ho, who was able to nail both the comedy and the drama when called for. However, if you're looking for a good fantasy drama with a more traditional (or any) hero's journey, watch Fights Break Sphere instead, with the caveat only the first season has been released, and it's doubtful there'll be a second. I'd also recommend Fighter of the Destiny, with Lu Han. It probably doesn't have as good CGI or sets, but it has a better grip on the hero's journey than Alchemy and nails the camaraderie aspects.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 2

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Works better as a standalone watch

I should've probably left Part 2 of the show for Part 2 of my list, but I'm going in alphabetical order so that's that. This is one of the shows I decided to rewatch to refresh my memory and, to my surprise, it fared much better the second time around. Why's that? Read on to find out!

Part 2 of Alchemy of Souls starts strong, much stronger than Part 1 did, something many were doubting when the news hit that Jung So Min wouldn't return for Part 2, instead being replaced by the original Naksu actress, Go Youn Jung. Fortunately, she does an excellent job throughout, but especially in the beginning of Part 2, which comes across as more of a fairy tale (Rapunzel's), and where the show decides to embrace some of the typical marriage contact tropes, as Young Jung's character fake-marries the now uber-powerful Jang Uk in order to escape from her mother's tight grasp. Honestly, I wish the show had started with Part 2, in media res, and used the material from Part 1 for flashback storytelling, in a similar vein to how The Untamed did it. God, that would've been so good! Precisely because Jang Uk has become sort of a demigod he can boss around all of the useless supporting characters from Part 1 (I'm looking at you, Pathetic Assembly of Evil), and pretty much do whatever he wants, so it's quite commendable to see him return smarter and more measured in his decision-making.

As someone who watched Part 2 live back then, it started to lose its initial glimmer when an inevitable reveal kept being delayed episode after episode, hinting that it would obviously occur the next one. Of course, this never happened, but what made matters worse was the fact that the ML was kept oblivious while everyone around him found out and chose not to tell him because... reasons? I can understand one person keeping the secret for his own agenda, maybe a couple, but I find it astonishing that even Jang Uk's friends and family shared this same agenda, as they also kept the truth from him. Additionally, the more this delay continued the further the narrative possibilities were constrained and, thusly, certain scenarios conjured up by fans never came to pass. However, this will not be much of an issue for people coming in blind to Part 2 (or with a healthy distance from Part 1). Perhaps even the fact that the noble idiocy card is played, or that the main antagonist is obstinately preserved by the writers until the very last episode to little effect (when he shouldn't have made it past Part 1), won't present much of an issue to newcomers.

Having said this, I still feel the final battle for the fate of the world remains rather underwhelming and anticlimactic, not helped by the fact that certain characters are resurrected right before said battle. After all, if the show outright establishes death is not permanent, minutes before "the end of the world," why should I fear for any of the characters? Even Jang Uk himself, during this final battle, doesn't show an ounce of worry that maybe this time he will not make it out alive, regardless of his powers, making the fight seem entirely mechanical and perfunctory. The writers even throw in some half-baked plot device about the King's Star being powered by seven other stars, and since it had never been explained throughout the show a character has to exposition-dump it on our laps (there's quite a lot of exposition dump going around in Part 2, what helps newcomers to the show). It's a plot device prominently featured in the cdrama Fighter of the Destiny, which I previously recommended, so maybe it was inspired by it?

In the end, if you still want to get a taste of the Alchemy experience, I wholeheartedly suggest you treat Part 2 as the original show, with Part 1 being the prequel made to cash in on the show's success that, ultimately, you may not even need. Thus, as a standalone, I'm revising my original rating for Part 2 from a 6/10 to a 7/10, bumping it into my above average bin.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Better luck in S2

Alternatives: Good Doctor, Again My Life

Woo to the Young to the Woo started off with a bang and had me sold after binging its first four episodes (I had a bit of an offset), making me hopeful this could be one of my favourites from 2022. Sadly, it was thereabouts that the quality of the writing slowly started going downhill for me. Woo lost me on two fronts: the weak framing and execution of the legal cases, and the underdeveloped cast of supporting characters, who were mostly neglected in favour of Park Eun Bin's Young Woo. Don't get me wrong, Park Eun Bin nailed the character, and her conversation with her mom in Episode 8 was particularly poignant and well executed, but it wouldn't have hurt to give characters like Min Woo or Jun-ho a case that resonated with them, like "The Strife of the Three Brothers," which was relevant to Young Woo's BFF Geu Ra-mi.

I'll take Min Woo as an example because, out of the whole cast of supporting characters, he showed the most promise. The show mentions in passing that Min Woo is his family's sole breadwinner, what could explain why he's so competitive and regards Young Woo as a threat rather than a boon, but the show never tries to explore this when it has the perfect medium to do so in the form of the legal cases. So why not give him a case that echoes some of his struggles trying to support his family while making headway into the competitive legal world, thus allowing us and his teammates to get to know him a little better? In essence, show us, don't just tell us. How am I then supposed to buy his sudden change-of-heart in "The Blue Night of Jeju" when you've given me nothing to support the fact he's bonded with anyone in the team? (besides Jun-ho who was already his flatmate) Perhaps not surprisingly, this particular episode throws a bunch of arcs left and right for the supporting characters to try and grab hold of, but too little too late.

As a procedural, I feel Extraordinary Attorney Woo is pretty average. It either didn't know how or never intended to handle its supporting cast of characters and successfully integrate them into the narrative, similarly to how a show like Again My Life did. To draw a curious parallel, the final episode of Again My Life gathers all of "the good guys" at the restaurant of Hee Woo's parents. There are 14 of them in total, not counting Hee Woo and his parents, and I feel like they've truly become one big extended family by show's end. Extraordinary Attorney Woo has a similar scene, gathering everyone at Min Shik's place that is meant to convey the same feeling, but they don't quite feel like a team yet, let alone a family. Maybe in Season 2?

If you're looking for a show featuring another savant autistic lead, but with a better grasp on developing an ensemble cast of characters, as well as a romantic relationship between the leads, then Good Doctor is the show for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a kickass lawyer, well, you probably already know who I'm talking about.

Fanletter, Please⭐

Episode count: 4

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: A lot of heart in a small package

The first among three shows in these lists that feature Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park as either main or supporting leads. I'd only previously watched Choi Soo Young in So I Married an Anti-Fan, a show not without its share of issues, but her as the female lead wasn't one. Indeed, she was one of the highlights and I was looking forward to seeing more of her work. As such, I was looking forward to this mini-series, more so when I realised Yoon Park would play the role of a father willing to move heaven and earth for his daughter, what is not a typical setup in kdramas (in my watching experience, mind you). Off the top of my head, I can only think of Marriage Contract and Lie After Lie as similar shows, in terms of how much of a protagonist the child actor is. Both are shows I would wholeheartedly recommend.

As for Fanletter, Please, I was positively pleased by how much content and social commentary this show was able to fit into its 4-hour runtime without harming the storytelling, something that even full-length kdramas struggle to achieve. Having said that, I would've welcomed one or two more episodes to let it breathe a little bit more and, of course, to watch some cute family moments! This is definitely a case of so good you want more of it. Still, Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park make it work within the available runtime, what's a credit to them and the script. CSY was on a roll last year (as you'll find out in Part 2!) so I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her dramas, and it was very welcome to see Yoon Park play this devoted father character after the disappointing Forecasting Love & Weather (though he was pretty good in it). Give me more short dramas!

Forecasting Love and Weather

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki, Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Couldn't forecast love and I have my doubts about the weather

Alternatives: She Would Never Know, The Rational Life

I have a soft spot for Park Min Young, having watched romcoms like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? and Her Private Life, or even melodramas like When the Weather is Fine. And who can forget Healer, where she played the part of Lois Lane to Ji Chang Wook's Clark Kent (watch it, it's a classic). I couldn't remember a drama with her that I didn't enjoy watching, so it broke my heart a little to see what a disappointing mess Forecasting Love and Weather turned out to be. I should've heeded a friend's advice to steer clear of Song Kang dramas, even though the script was clearly the worse offender by far.

The show hooked us in with the initial romcom elements, and then decided to veer into slife/melo territory, as the relationships between the different couples started to fray, with conflict being driven at an accelerated pace by the issues that arose from poor communication, or an outright absence of it, and how the different couples handled (they often didn't) the results of their miscommunication. I didn't much mind at the time because I felt they were being somewhat mature about it without overplaying their hand, and because my weekly romcom fix was being delivered by A Business Proposal, but they were treading a fine line... that got utterly ground into dust in the last six episodes. At this point in the show, the nonsensical drama was amped considerably, to the point it could've given Young Lady & Gentleman a run for their money, setting us up for the inevitable breakup. Why? Because the kdrama gods have written that a breakup must inevitably occur in Episode 14 or thereabouts, and this show is not about to subvert that trope!

Like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Forecasting Love and Weather failed at properly handling its ensemble cast of characters, trying to juggle five relationships to some very mixed results, when it would've been better off simply focusing on the main and secondary couples. As a result, by show's end I could've cared less what happened to the main couple, and was actually a bit more invested in the secondary one, played by Yoon Park and Yura, possibly because they at least tried to talk to each other and work things out. Honestly, Yoon Park's Ki Jun got the better deal out of all the characters in the show. How do you make Ki Jun, the guy who cheated on his fiancée with Si Woo's girlfriend, a more likable, or at least interesting, character than everyone else? You have him grow from an immature baby into a more or less responsible adult. You could argue that the main leads experience growth of their own, but it struck me as a bit aimless, a bit hollow. I mean, 16 episodes for Ha Kyung's boss to tell her you learn more from your mistakes than you do your successes? Seriously? Just go to r/GetMotivated for that.

Would I recommend this show? Unless you want to learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes of a weather forecast, not really, but maybe it's my fault for having high expectations due to PMY. It's not a bad show though, just average. If you want far better executed takes on this concept, check She Would Never Know on the kdrama side, and The Rational Life on the cdrama side.

Glitch💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/10

Verdict: Watching an episode of Ancient Aliens on the History Channel would've been more exciting and a lot shorter too

Alternatives: Circle

Can I get away simply by saying watching this show was a glitch? No? Dammit. I should've known better than to watch a Netflix-produced kdrama, even if it does star Nana, 'cause they've all been a bust for me, but Glitch was one of the privileged few shows I watched in 2022 that made me feel I had utterly wasted my time, with no redeeming qualities about it. 500 minutes to tell a story that lacks focus and is all over the place, perhaps stretched thin to meet a Netflix episode quota, with a FL that is not particularly interesting to follow, as she goes through a midlife crisis and teams up with Nana to investigate a UFO cult that may or may not have kidnapped her ex to sell his kidneys. Okay, maybe I made up that last bit about the kidneys.

The comedy doesn't land, the mystery doesn't land, the drama doesn't land, and the UFO doesn't land either. Undoubtedly, the finale is the better episode of the show, not least of why because it marked the ending, but also because the show didn't have any more time to dawdle as it had been doing for the past nine episodes, what gave it some much needed focus. To make matters worse, the surprises and twists at the end of each episode just weren't good enough to keep you hooked, nor, I'm afraid, were the leads. I was tempted at the time to give this show my first ever 1/10 for the way it wasted my time over the span of those 500 minutes, with a story that was infuriatingly inconsistent and lacked a lot of common sense, but it's probably not that bad. Still, I would only recommend watching it to my enemies, probably alongside something like Sisyphus.

Good Job

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Good fun

Alternatives: Secret Royal Inspector

Another ENA network show, like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, but shorter and more entertaining, as we follow the crazy antics of Eun Soon Woo (Jung Il Woo), a chaebol CEO who doubles as a private detective (think Bruce Wayne/Batman), and Don Se Ra (Kwon Yu Ri), his newly-recruited superpowered assistant, as they aim to solve a 20-year-old cold case while uncovering other, smaller, cases, helping people and rectifying injustices along the way.

Good Job is just a fun ride overall, even if the comedy can be a little hit-or-miss sometimes, especially when it drags on for too long or tries the Marvel route of undermining certain scenes. The writing too could've benefited from another revision, as some events feel gratuitously delayed, like when a character refuses to reveal a certain name only to do so a few minutes later, while others are forced to a head, like Se Ra discovering Soon Woo's batcave. Oh, yeah, he has a batcave, of sorts, and even an Alfred, in the form of Lee Joon Hyuk's Director Hong, whom you may recall from Mystic Pop-Up Bar. He also has a talented sidekick and comedic support, Jin Mo (Eum Moon Suk), both a lawyer and a hacker, who also gets into a romantic entanglement of his own with Se Ra's best friend, Na Hee (Song Sang Eun). This is the mini-Justice League you'll see play dress-up (these scenes are so over-the-top fun!) from episode to episode, as they go undercover to solve cases and get one step closer to their goal. In this sense, this show could be compared to something like Taxi Driver, but, unlike the latter, Good Job doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you for maximum enjoyment.

While the resolution of the final case felt a bit underwhelming, and perhaps a tad perfunctory (I did appreciate the brief redemption arc for one of the antagonists though), Good Job achieves in 12 episodes what Extraordinary Attorney Woo could not in 16, making its cast of characters grow into a team, one I would not mind accompanying in more adventures in future seasons. Will that happen? Probably not, so if you're looking for more fun adventures of the sort, and don't mind traveling to the past, I would not hesitate to recommend Secret Royal Inspector, with Kim Myung Soo and Kwon Na Ra.

Grid💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Disney+

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Another nail in the kdrama sci-fi coffin

Alternatives: 365: Repeat the Year, Reset, Circle

Sci-fi is one of my favourite genres, but kdramas have had a rather lousy track record at delivering good quality sci-fi and, sadly, Grid does nothing to change that. Our story starts in 1997, when a mysterious time traveler known as "the Ghost" laves a program for an energy grid to replace Earth's failing magnetic fields. This Grid is now managed by the Administration Bureau who intend to track down the Ghost and unlock the secrets of time travel... eventually. The show's comprised of only ten episodes, yet the pacing of the first half is slower than it has any right to be given the events depicted (hint: they aren't that exciting) and the dialogue isn't stimulating enough to sustain such a slow burner. This "season" could've been compressed into 5 or 6 episodes and it would've been stronger for it. Of course, then it would hardly qualify as a "season" (though Netflix seems to think it does).

The main plot line focuses around this serial killer and the fact that the Ghost is helping him evade capture. Why is this time traveler aiding and abetting a criminal? Honestly, this question was never interesting enough to fuel ten weeks of watching (the pain!) and it shows. Additionally, it is not answered conclusively, although there are some bread crumbs for the viewer to put the pieces together. In fact, this statement captures the show in a nutshell; it raises questions, but never provides any conclusive or satisfying answers, playing on the viewer's knowledge of other (better) time travel stories so they can come up with their own. Perhaps the worst example of this is the season finale, which is only meant to set up events for a possible S2 (in your dreams, or nightmares), thereby raising even more questions.

The writer behind this, Lee Soon Yeon, is apparently quite good, having written for Stranger and Stranger 2. I haven't watched either show so I can't comment on them, but time travel stories aren't for everyone. Having said that, the "mysteries" that are supposed to keep viewers hooked were also underwhelming. I remember reading an article that recommended Grid as a show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I suppose it's possible to fall off your seat while asleep, right? If you want a show that uses time travel well, though in very limited fashion, merely as a trigger for the plot to unfold, watch 365: Repeat the Year. The cdrama Reset is a great exponent of using a time loop and one of my favourites from 2022. If you want kdrama's best exponent of sci-fi to date, watch Circle (review on the way).

If You Wish Upon Me⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: The genie from Aladdin would be proud

First things first, there is a better version of this show if you take out the gangster storyline, which was entirely superfluous, and better integrate the sister storyline into the main plot. You can also drop the jealous doctor who added surprisingly little beyond being jealous at the required times (what a waste of a perfectly good character). Repackage it all into a shorter, 12-episode, season and this show could've reached 9-10 territory for me. Those are pretty much the weakest aspects of the show.

With that out of the way, it's a very good show. People have compared it to Chocolate given that it takes place in a hospice ward but, for my part, I dropped that show after 5 or 6 episodes, partly because of the ML. No such problem with Ji Chang Wook's character here, an orphan and ex-con with a heart of gold, and a cute dog he's named "Son." Despite all the abuse he's been subjected to throughout his life, he slowly starts to open up as he does community service at the hospice. Paired with Choi Soo Young's flirty Nurse Seo (love her!), these two alone make a powerful case for watching this show. Sung Dong Il also delivers a great performance and has some wonderful exchanges with Ji Chang Wook's character.

The show follows the "case of the week" formula for the most part, certainly during the first half of the drama, as Team Genie tries to fulfill the final wishes of the hospice's patients and often positively impact other people's lives in so doing. Be prepared and have tissues at hand. Beyond the gangster detour that wasted our time towards the end, and drew dangerously close to upending all the good will the show had garnered throughout its run, the final episode really brings it home, coming full circle and delivering a really satisfying conclusion to our story, one final surprise as Team Genie brings down the curtain on their show and bids us goodbye.

In short, yes, it could've been better with a tighter focus but, as it stands, it's one of the better shows to have come out in 2022, and perhaps Ji Chang Wook's best work since Healer (with the caveat that I have not yet watched Suspicious Partner nor Lovestruck in the City). And Choi Soo Young is now 2 for 2! (this girl's on 🔥🔥)

Jinxed at First💀

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Oh, it's jinxed alright

Alternatives: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Goblin, Scripting Your Destiny

I had measured expectations for this drama. Na In Woo had previously worked with the same director in 2021's River Where the Moon Rises, a show I enjoyed a great deal, though mostly because it was the first time I delved deep into the history behind the drama, namely the tale of Princess Pyeonggang and On Dal the Fool, and the history of the Three Kingdoms' period. He was brought in late, with production underway, to replace Ji Soo; he barely slept, had to adlib a lot of his scenes, and still managed to have great chemistry with Kim So Hyun and, to my mind, had the better grasp on the character of On Dal. I'd hoped Jinxed at First would give him another opportunity to shine, but, alas, that was not the case.

The first episode alone is a hectic storytelling mess (and, incidentally, River Where the Moon Rises alumni reunion), rushing through a lot of backstory and setup for the rest of the season. We're introduced to Soo Gwang, a bright student with a promising future and powerful friends, whose life takes a turn for the worse when he meets Seul Bi (Seo Hyun), a woman imprisoned since birth by his best friend's dad because of her strange ability to see a person's future through a single touch. Cut to a year later, where we find Soo Gwang working as a fishmonger under a different name, only for Seul Bi to track him down again, determined to remain by his side.

Honestly, I'm not sure what genre this show wanted to be, but I'm pretty sure it failed at most of them. For the first 6 or 7 episodes it tried to resemble something like My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, as Seul Bi is just as innocent and naïve as Miho was (even if Miho sold it better than Seul Bi did, to my mind), and both male leads were resolved to get rid of her. This is perhaps the strongest portion of the show, as Seul Bi adapts to her new environment and neighbors, making new friends while at the same time helping Soo Gwang get rid of his (never explained) bad luck. I even enjoyed some of the comedy. However, unlike My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, there is not enough chemistry between the leads to have them fall in love with each other over the course of 6 or 7 episodes. Well, not in Soo Gwang's case at any rate, as Seul Bi has been infatuated with him for years. Upon falling in love, the trope that naturally follows is a break-up, after which point the show starts to resemble more of a makjang, turning to corporate and chaebol intrigue and infighting. This is also around the time Soo Gwang's best friend, Min Joon (played by Ki Do Hoon, from Scripting Your Destiny), decides he's in love with Seul Bi (what?), something even more out of left field, especially when he's already engaged to Lee Ho Jung's (Soljiwan!!!) charming character, Ja Kyung, who effortlessly stole every scene she was in. Min Joon, if you don't want her, I'll gladly take her off your hands!

Seemingly having exhausted the depth of its narrative well, the show dragged its feet for several episodes, eventually deciding the story was better served by turning a character into a psychopath, who also wanted Seul Bi for himself and was willing to kill anyone in the process, an eye-rolling set of circumstances eventually resolved thanks to Seul Bi's expansive (aka nonsensical) repertoire of supernatural powers. And, of course, in a show of this caliber, the amnesia trope could not be absent, a card that is dealt in the very last episode and resolved at the very last minute. What a payoff.

When I first learned of this drama I recall reading an outline that went something along the lines of, "Unlucky man meets a goddess of luck." Would it have been too much to ask for a show fitting that description, but in the vein of the excellent Goblin instead? Or maybe something like Scripting Your Destiny, which is certainly not as good as Goblin, but is still way better than this, and much shorter too. If you want to watch a show that features a romantic relationship between a god and a human, I encourage you to give those a try instead, as well as the aforementioned My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.

[lee-hakhyun]

595, 596, 597

yoo joonghyuk you asshole

here's my summary and thoughts on the first half of episode 9, 'Words that Can't Be Written'!

595. Words that Can't Be Written (1)

so. lee hakhyun's in a terrible state, and he was pulled away by a thread of light

o..ouch....

right, so this is definitely yoo sangah so, kimcom is aware that's something is up, but it seems they can't help out? oh hakhyun,,

lee hakhyun wakes up to jhw and ksi calling his name, and when he looks down, his body is fine. his head is not fine, probably. when jhw leaves to get water for lhh, ksi and lds come over to ask lhh what happened.

it seems he doesn't remember what had just happened he confirms with everyone that

they weren't able to find jiyoon, but she's read orv a lot. i'm sure she's still alive somewhere. but there's another question

are they really dead? did any of them end up in the underworld? are they just.. gone?

ye hyunwoo comes up and greets hakhyun then, and lhh belatedly notices people are moving around and preparing for something

emergency defense? this was happening earlier than in orv, and it wasn't planned. how did all the green zones get destroyed so quickly? ...there's only one answer to that. lhh had too much faith in yjh

god damn it, joonghyuk lee jihye goes to the stairs to watch. it's too late to persuade her to help now, but it seems ye hyunwoo has prepared everyone beforehand

to make it clear, the '7 apostles' is an orv fan club but it's led by 7 'apostles', one of which is killer king lhh again noticing the differences between this turn and kdj's turn

jung heewon. i love you. in every turn, she wants to protect,,,

orv isn't over yet. there are still stories to be told 'he couldn't even do that properly' holy shit hakhyun give kdj a break LMAO

with ye hyunwoo and gong pildu leading chungmuro station, the emergency game starts

this is concerning. she's not here to help the readers and it seems han sooyoung is planning on killing yjh. yoohan♡

596. Words that Can't Be Written (2)

gong pildu uses [armed zone], and his turrets take out waves of ground rats, but more continue to rush in. people fight, and people die.

lhh and ksi talk while they fight. i can see how sein didn't see the scenarios as fully real,, this is like both the most unbelievable yet believable thing ever. it's orv, who hasn't thought about what would happen if the scenarios started? but it's a whole different thing if it actually happened. there would be some separation from reality

yeah.. this could mean something going to write your own story, hakhyun?

the stuggle continues, and grolls start to emerge along with the ground rats. grolls are 8th grade monsters, and take a lot more to kill than a ground rat eventually, gong pildu needs to reload, and hakhyun's party steps up to cover the gap they manage to survive that long, but gong pildu was getting tired. kim dokja had given him a ton of potions, but hakhyun.. well, he's about to, but gong pildu calls hyunwoo

HE WENT ALL IN ON MAGIC POWER. THIS INSANE KID i commend him for being so attached to a character he'd base his whole strategy around them. the 'tech tree' that hyunwoo had been talking about all this time was for this. he's putting everything into surviving with gong pildu

good for him! the constellations took notice too (i don't know if i've mentioned this before, but pay attention to the constellation who hasn't revealed a modifier. he keeps showing up with,, interesting messages.)

but, someone says the words.

don't know if i talked about this before, but the last time someone said things were going 'smoothly', things did NOT go well. a screenshot from chapter 558

if you find yourself in the scenarios, do not say smoothly ^^

so, there are phases now, and a giant 7th grade monster appeared. the pildu and hyunwoo combo can not deal with this. but there's someone who can.

hakhyun has his own tech tree! well, not really, but it's close enough

another mention of hakhyun writing side stories speaking of the side stories;

597. Words that Can't Be Written (3)

lhh got that notification, but he's kind of in the middle of a battle. can't really check his phone right now. let's put that aside for now

jung heewon! with her new attribute, 'judge of demons', she's able to deal with a monster at this point only yoo joonghyuk would be able to kill.

oh!! she learnt a skill on her own!! jung heewon!!! catching the interest of the constellations too jhw against an imaginary yjh.. getting thrown off a bridge would do that to you jhw was really strong in the main story also,, lhh wonders if she'll be able to match yoo joonghyuk this time

there's the chapters, and the one we're reading right now i previously posted screenshots on this, but he uses the comment passes and gets very short comments. this pisses him off. with 2 passes left, a new option appears

pay coins to read top rated comments! coins really are everything the comment may be referring to hsy's plan for yjh? of course, lhh has no idea about that, and thinks that obviously nobody can deal with yjh he uses his final pass, and,

uh oh. but everything's going smoothly?

oh.

the comments are still increasing. lee hakhyun thinks, are the stories of the 'extras' written?

i'll come back to this in a later chapter.

lee jihye is a main character, not an extra. she wouldn't die. neither would jung heewon. but what about cheon inho? lhh hands jhw to ljh, who takes it in confusion. and then lhh starts walking forward.

i don't know how i feel about him relying on his skill to tell if he'll live or die. i believe in him, but this also doesn't feel good but go hakhyun!! write something good! you wouldn't go too far, would you?

[crashpill]

What if he doesn't come back?

A quiet evening falls upon Wellington Wells as Edie and George have dinner. After they finish eating, Edie diligently does the dishes while George gets ready for his night shift. When George is ready, he returns to the kitchen.

"I'll wish you a good night later, take care, and don't go out. See you in the morning. I love you, Kitten," he says, giving her a final kiss before Edie sees him off to the door.

"Take care, my Puppy," Edie replies, closing and locking the door after he leaves. After finishing the dishes, she prepares for bed in the bathroom, putting on her pajamas and brushing her teeth. When she's done, she turns on the bedroom television, and Uncle Jack's Good Night Show begins, with the second episode of Hansel and Gretel playing. She lies down in bed and falls asleep quickly.

George's shift is relatively quiet until he hears something in a dead-end alley. It's a foggy night, making it difficult to see with his flashlight. He grips his nightstick and cautiously enters the alley.

"Hello? Is anyone there? Show yourself!" he calls out, but there's no response. He continues further, scanning the area. "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Suddenly, a rat leaps out from a trash can and runs past George. "Damn vermin!" he exclaims, startled. He retreats to his post and continues his rounds.

A few calm hours pass until he finds himself in the same alley again. This time, he hears something, but he dismisses it, thinking it's another rat. "Not again," he mutters, moving closer and catching a glimpse of a shadowy figure with two red eyes in the fog. He stops, fear creeping in. "Is someone there?"

Naturally, he receives no answer but takes a few more steps. "You'd better not be another rat..." He looks around but finds nothing. Suddenly, a figure appears behind him and laughs.

"I'm afraid you've come to the end of your time." the figure says, startling George. He reaches for his nightstick, but before he can strike, he receives a cut on his arm. "Damn it!" he cries out in pain, dropping his nightstick.

Before George can react, the figure in the fog strikes again, causing George to fall to the ground, screaming. George isn't dead yet; he struggles to defend himself. He manages to grab his nightstick and hits the figure's legs.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching Bobbies can be heard, likely drawn by George's screams. The figure in the fog vanishes as the Bobbies arrive at George's side. They rush to him as he fights for his life, trying to stop the bleeding.

"George! Hang in there, buddy... a doctor will be here soon!" one Bobby says, but George can barely see anymore, mumbling.

"Foggy... Jack... it... was... Foggy... Jack," George stammers before closing his eyes and dying in the arms of the two Bobbies.

Both of them, who tried to keep him alive, remain silent and briefly remove their helmets. "Thank you for your service, George. You were a good comrade."

When the doctor arrives with the third Bobby who fetched him, they pronounce George dead. They take him away and cordon off the alley. The Bobbies continue their night shift.

The Bobby who had spoken with George makes a detour to the Pride residence. He hesitates as he stands before the house, just as the sun rises. He knocks loudly on the door.

Edie is awakened by the knocking and rushes to the door. "ONE MOMENT, PLEASE!" She goes down the stairs, forgetting to put on her Joy mask, and opens the door. She is surprised to see a different Bobby than George.

"Good morning, what can I do for you?" she asks.

The Bobby looks at her with a serious and sad expression. "Miss Pride? I have something to tell you..."

He struggles to deliver the news, knowing how much she loved George. Normally, Bobbies and doctors only say that the deceased are on "holiday."

"I'm sorry to have to tell you, but your husband George passed away during his duty last night..."

Edie can't believe his words, and tears start to flow before she can speak. She hopes it's just a bad dream, but the Bobby's hand on her shoulder makes her realize it's not. She breaks down in tears and collapses into the Bobby's arms. He allows her to cry and comforts her as best he can. It's hard for him not to cry as well, but he tries to remain strong and hands her a Joy. He knows that Edie often forgets to take her Joy, but he doesn't want to burden her with it now.

Several minutes pass, and Edie is still crying in his arms. The television sets in the house turn on, playing Uncle Jack's Good Morning Show.

"Edie... I know this is difficult for you, and I'm here for you. Stay home for now and be with your friends. I'll come back later this afternoon to check on you. George asked me to tell you the truth, even though it's difficult, but I wanted to be the one to tell you. Take care, and George still loves you, and he's always with you," he says before giving her another brief hug.

Edie looks at him with tear-filled eyes and nods. "Thank you... Constable."

With that, she closes the door and collapses to the floor, continuing to cry. She repeats to herself through sobs, "George... I love you... why did this have to happen?"

A few hours pass, and Edie is still sitting on the floor, her tears now dried up. Suddenly, there's a knock at the door. Edie startles and gets up, wiping away her tears. She remembers to put on her Joy mask before answering the door.

She opens it to find a doctor standing there. "Good day, Miss Pride. I must inform you that Mr. Pride is on leave starting today. After such strenuous work, he's earned it."

Edie knows he's lying, and due to her fear of doctors, she only nods slightly. The doctor sniffs lightly and extends his hand with a Joy pill in it. "I think you should take your Joy, Miss."

Edie silently takes the Joy, but this time, it doesn't seem to have any effect. The doctor doesn't notice and bids her farewell.

Edie is puzzled as to why her Joy isn't working anymore. She knows it should make her feel better, but it doesn't. Panic sets in, and she picks up the phone and dials the number of the Bobby who had been with her earlier that morning. A woman answers, but before Edie can say anything, the Bobby picks up the call.

"Edie? Is that you? Should I come over? Can I bring you something?"

"Please come over... I'm not doing well... I..." Before she can finish her sentence, he interrupts.

"Don't worry, I'll be right there. Give me a few minutes; I'm on my way."

He hangs up and rushes over to Edie's house. Edie hangs up as well and sits on the sofa. She starts to panic, wondering why her Joy isn't working. She's grateful that the Bobby told her the truth.

After a while, there was a knock on her door. She got up and opened it; it was Bobby. He entered and closed the door for their safety. He was doing things for Edie that he shouldn't. They both went to the living room and sat on the sofa.

"What happened, Edie?"

"A doctor came... and told me he's going on vacation now. He gave me my Joy, but... it's not working."

"How? It's not working?"

He was confused, not knowing what else to do. "Do you want one of mine? I know they're not for regular use, but maybe it'll help you."

Edie nodded and took the Blackberry Joy he offered. But she showed no reaction either.

"Damn... I think it's not working for you either."

She panicked and didn't know what to do anymore. Bobby held her and tried to calm her.

"It's okay, Edie. No one will betray you to the doctors. You just need to avoid getting caught by them. Try to calm down for now."

Edie nodded slowly. "Yes, but George... he's gone... forever. I don't know what to do without him. He was... he was my everything."

The Bobby nodded. "I and the other Bobbies are here for you. Whatever happens, we'll help you. We're so sorry it happened to him tonight. He was a good person."

"Why? Why him? ...he didn't do anything to anyone... who was it?"

"We think it was Foggy Jack... he mentioned him, and the crime scene looked almost like the others, just not as severe... but we couldn't catch him, let alone save George... I'm sorry, Edie."

Edie remained strong, as she couldn't cry anymore; she simply stayed silent. After a while, she looked at him. "Can you stay here today? I can't be alone..."

Bobby looked at her and nodded. "Of course, I'm off today anyway, and I told my girl I'd let her know if I stay with you. I was prepared for this."

Edie was so grateful and hugged him. She was thankful that he told her the truth and that he was staying with her.

"Thank you... George would be proud of you for doing all this for me."

"I know how important he was to you. He only spoke good things about you. Plus, I heard you're a good cook?" He tried to lighten the mood. "Maybe I'll get something good from you tonight!"

Edie smiled slightly at his words and nodded. "Of course, whatever you want! We just need to go shopping."

He was glad to see Edie smile briefly. "It's on me today! We'll go shopping together, and then you'll cook us something nice."

Edie nodded. Suddenly, the TV turned on, and Jack with Famous Britons came on in the living room. Edie looked at the TV and rushed to turn it off.

Bobby looked at her in surprise. "Why did you turn it off? You love Jack!"

Edie sat back down with him. "I can't handle it right now... that was his favorite show..."

"Oh, I see. How about we go shopping now?" Bobby and Edie spent the rest of the day shopping for the evening and cooking together. The distraction seemed to help Edie a bit. Fortunately, the day passed quickly.

After dinner, they both sat on the sofa and talked when Edie suddenly fell silent and looked at him.

"Do you think we can secretly make a grave for him somewhere? So I at least have something to go to and talk to him?"

He looked at her and nodded. "We can try. We'll find a place for him. Don't worry about it. Try to get some sleep for now, and tomorrow we'll look for a place, okay?"

Edie nodded and got up. She brought a blanket and pillows for him to sleep on the sofa.

"If you need anything else, help yourself. I'll be upstairs... trying to sleep."

"Alright, Edie. Sleep well, and feel free to come to me if you can't sleep, okay?"

Edie nodded and went upstairs. "Goodnight." She turned on the TV in her room, Uncle Jack with Red Riding Hood part 1 was playing. It took her a while to fall asleep, and she didn't sleep through the night. She was plagued by a nightmare and woke up in a panic. She jumped out of bed and ran downstairs to Bobby, waking him up.

He immediately got up, wrapped her in a blanket, and sat her down next to him, comforting her until she fell asleep. When he noticed that she had fallen asleep after a while, he carefully lifted her and took her to her bed. He put his blanket back on the chair in the room, covered Edie with her blanket, turned off the TV that was still on but showing nothing, and sat in the corner chair in the room. He covered himself and, after a while, fell asleep in the chair.

[aliasimagines]

exam stress//mary goore

a/n: i made a post about writing this, but never actually posted it, so in honor of me failing an exam this week and having to write three next week, i present you another episode of Mary being my comfort character

word count: 411

  You feel as if your eyes are melting out of your skull as you read through another sentence, only to realize you don't even know what the paragraph is about. Groaning in frustration you squeeze your eyes shut.

  The bed shifts beside you and you feel Mary's hot breath on your neck. The feeling of his lips lingering at the sensitive skin makes you giggle but you catch yourself and pull away.

 "Not now, Mare."

 "You've been staring at that shitty laptop for hours."

 "Yeah and I still know nothing!" You snap, not angry at him, but yourself. 

 "I'm sorry- I just.. I need to study this shit because I'm gonna fail and the university is gonna kick my ass out and I'm gonna search a shitty nine to five job but nobody's  gonna employ me cuz I'm a stupid drop out so I'm gonna have to sell my body for living which will cause me to be alcoholic and eventually I'm gonna kill myself. "

  Mary listens to your exaggerated future predictions patiently. Once you're done he places two fingers on your jaw and turns your head so you're facing him.

 "That's bullshit. You know why? Cause you're fucking smart, babe. You.. You always get in 'the end of the word is here' mood before exams but you always pass, and with good grades too! Gotta stop putting yourself down like that. Believe in that big brain of yours, yeah? " he gently taps your forehead." And let's say, shit happens, you get an f, you fail. They are not gonna kick you out of school, that's not how it works. But let's say they're are stupid enough to do so.. I think we'll manage. With your big brain and my pretty face we can figure something out."

  You snort at the last sentence but quickly blink away the tears forming in your eyes. You look at your boyfriend with an emotional smile.

 "Thank you, Mary, you really are the best thing that ever happened to me."

 "Yeah, yeah whatever.." he tries to play it off, but can't help his lips curling up into a small smile as he leans to kiss your cheek." Go, read through it again if you feel like it but after that we're sleeping. It's late and you need to rest for the test..and I wanna cuddle." he adds the last part in a very small voice making you chuckle before kissing him on the lips. 

[theowritesfiction]

‘The Day of Black Sun Part 1: Invasion’

Okay, here we are with the big mid-season double header! Right off the bat, I have to remark on another sweet Water Sibling moment, with Katara slipping a drink into Sokka's hand as he's pouring over the maps. Aww <3

The invasion force arrives... and no, I can't think of anything else but Haru's facial hair committing crimes against all common decency. 30 Jerk Points for that mustache. Also, Aang getting a new glider just in time... that snack compartment sounds like a Sokka idea, though. I loved Appa's armor - okay, I guess the scam money was put to good use. I don't love Aang shaving his hair - 10 Jerk Points.

Poor Sokka choking up right before it was time to present his big idea was kind of mean... but Hakoda's explanation of the plan really underlines how desperate it is. Most of the fighting is still being done without the aid of the eclipse. Also, there are some very serious flaws in the plan that I can see right away, and I will probably do a more serious meta about it, but I will immediately challenge the assertion that 'once the Avatar has defeated the Fire Lord, the war will be over'. Like... why would you expect the war to be over at that point? Why wouldn't the Fire Nation keep fighting back against an invading force striking into the heart of the capital? The Fire Lord isn't the only one keeping this war going. The moment the eclipse is over, every firebender in and around the capital will be looking to kick these invaders out, because there is no way in hell they will be viewed as 'liberators'.

And yes, I think this invasion plan was terrible and is one of the reasons why I don't subscribe to the genius Sokka theory. But even if the overall plan is not good, I can still give Sokka credit for his awesome inventions that individually performed as intended. <3

Okay, the Kataang stuff... let's get that out of the way quickly, I don't really blame Aang for wanting to kiss Katara before heading into what they believe is the decisive battle, even if Katara just wanted another big sister moment. I still find the framing of this whole 'romance' very badly done. The last Kataang moment was way back in The Headband, which was pretty much the only clear time where Katara showed romantic interest in Aang, and yet it had no follow-up and here Katara once again acts confused and uncertain, and knowing what we know about Katara and how free she is with her affections... once again, she is clearly far less interested in Aang than Aang is interested in her. Sorry, facts only. Also, since I was still subjected to Kataang kiss which I find gross, I give the culprit (Aang) 20 more Jerk Points.

I think Mai actually spent a lot of effort trying to be supportive for Zuko during these Book 3 episodes. I think she deserved better than a crappy letter. 30 Jerk Points for Zuko. Also, Zuko, saying farewells to Mai and Ursa, but not to your sister who brought you back, gave you what you wanted and kept your ass safe? Boo, 20 more Jerk Points to a bad brother.

The action in the harbor is appropriately epic, but I don't have too much to say about that. It's action, what do you want me to say? I'm a bit sad that Hakoda's injury put Katara out of the final confrontation, and she wasn't there to face off against Azula... robbed again :(

The ending actually felt very satisfying to me. Aang's despair at having been tricked and the viewer realizing that Azula has outsmarted everyone... ah, how does Azula manage to be the best even when she doesn't appear on screen? <3

Anyway, see you soon in Part 2, but meanwhile, here are the updated Jerk Points for Book 3:

Zuko - 460 Aang – 280  Roku - 100 Hide, Sokka - 80 King Kuei - 60 Toph - 50 Haru - 30  

[generalluxun]

The Last of Us 2 won't work as a TV show

I'll put spoilers below the cut. However without spoiling I can say: I don' tthink the second game will work the same on TV as it does in a videogame. It relies on player input for part of its theming. If you the player are not controlling the characters at points, the impact of those moments changes dramatically. It's possible to tell *A* story with Last of us Part 2 on TV, but it functionally can't be the *same* story the way season 1 managed to translate the first.

SPOILERS!

I'm not going to talk about how good/bad the story of TLOU part 2 is, many many people have done that. Just for full disclosure I'll share that I believe the *delivery* was fatally flawed for multiple reasons, not the least of which was deceptive marketing specifically because they *knew* a section of people would be upset and well, once they pick up their day one pre-order you have their money.

That out of the way there are several factors that don't play out the same:

Joel's death: Killing a character in a videogame can be fraught, but the character exists only in that videogame. There's no 'star power' no big paycheck, no established fanbase separate from the game the character inhabits most of the time. Pedro Pascal *is* Pedro Pascal. He has tons of fans, killing him in anything, especially a 'oh hey twisty blindside!' is going to be messy fans who watched the show *for* Pedro will check right out.

You Are The Monster: This is a running theme in TLoU2. From Joel, and passed on to Ellie, but a part of that impact is that it is the player who is driving the character. When you get to the inevitable 'They were real people too!' moments the impact isn't the same if the audience is just watching other people do things on a screen. When you try to sell the ''X is the monster' it's all second hand via TV. The player didn't make those choices, there's no investment. The closest you get is sadness watching a character go off the rails, which was not the same angle the game was playing.

This can even be seen as failing in the game at some points. Players playing as Abby who wanted to let Ellie win, just because they liked Ellie's story more, or players who simply waited instead of torturing Nora, trapped in a 'no progress' mode because they didn't buy into the gameplay feedback. All of that, turned up is what a show faces.

No surprises: TLoU2 relies heavily on twists, surprises, and shock to keep things going. We could talk about the structure of the game but that's another post. The Show, if it is trying to follow the same path, faces a huge problem: The game exists. Spoilers will be everywhere, and very likely sought out because they exist, especially after Joel's death. TLoU didn't have the same problem because its narrative really doesn't rely on twists. It's a fairly linear progression *executed extremely well* There's never a sense between episodes that the show might betray your investment in character X or Y. The plot of TLoU 2 will be split open quickly by a much larger portion as people sift through 'what's coming up?' as soon as the show 'betrays' them for the first time.

Set Piece Fatigue: TLoU2 has quite a few 'Because, Game!' choices in the plot. We need a thing to happen so we can set up an event. The most blatant happens at the very end when Ellie finds Abby, cuts her down, gets her and Lev to a boat and *then* decides to fistfight her to the death in thigh high water. It makes for a 'gameplay' moment, but you kind of have to turn everything off to get there. Games give more leeway for this, because the set piece is normally worth it. Audiences just scream at the screen normally.

The Experience of TLoU2 the Game: Breaking it all down to bare capitalistic bones. TLoU2 won tons of awards and some people loved it, but a solid chunk of people, just didn't. They bought it, they helped pump those record sales numbers, but it burned them by being a very different experience than what they expected(and I would argue what they were sold on). They won't be buying TLoU3 without tons of sweet talking. As a production company you need only examine that to tell yourself 'We'd like to not lose 25% of our audience after or even during season 2, please' that's just math.

All this not to say they can't tell a similar story. Not to say Joel can't end up dead, and we can't have protagonist Abby. It's just saying the road there is going to have to look very different, a faithful adaptation this time, would be a disaster.

[kidnappedbycartoons]

Azula deserved better.

You expect me to believe that Iroh, who is a literal war criminal and didn't realize the error of the Fire Nation until the war killed his son, can change, but fourteen-year-old Azula can't? She was failed by the adults around her. She didn't have an Iroh or Usra to guide her. No, she had Ozai. And look at Ozai!

I mean, look at her relationship with Usra. I didn't read the comics yet, but in the show, it's clear that there is some tension between the two. Anytime we saw Usra and Azula interact in the show, it was always Usra telling Azula not to do something or wondering what's wrong with her. And in the beach episode, Azula says that she can talk about how her mother loved Zuko more than her and thought she was a monster. You expect me to believe that Azula wasn't jealous of the attention and love Zuko got from Usra?

Also, I don't think Usra told Azula that she was a monster, but you know who I think put that in Azula's head? Ozai. She wasn't getting that much love and attention from Usra, so she sought it out in her other parent. She wanted his attention and the best way to get that was to show off the traits that Ozai favors. He's someone who leads with fear, he lacks empathy, he is ruthless, and so Azula became like that to stay in his good graces. Ozai probably told her that her mother thought she was a monster.

Also, Azula is clearly capable of care and is also lonely. We see this during the beach episode. Yeah, she is manipulative and toxic towards Ty Lee and Mai, but does no one notice that when Ty Lee is upset, Azula feels bad for her. We see this when Azula almost makes Ty Lee cry at the party and she quickly apologizes. And we see it again when they're at the beach and Ty Lee is talking about her home life and why she joined the circus. When she's not looking, Azula is looking at her with a face of concern but when Ty Lee looks back at her, Azula fixes her face so that there's no hint of emotion on her face. She does care for her friends, but she doesn't know how to because the only example she has to go off of is Ozai.

And during the beach episode, we see that she feels jealous because while Ty Lee can get all the boys to come to her yard, Azula cannot and finds it hard to talk to them. After taking Ty Lee's advice and managing to kiss a boy, she is talking about world domination and being the most powerful couple in the world, which scares him off. She doesn't know how to interact with someone if it doesn't have to do with the war and winning. And who is also obsessed with all of this? Ozai.

She also cares for Zuko. Now, is there a clear power imbalance between the two and has Azula been toxic towards him? Yes. But she does care a bit. When she lied and told Ozai that Zuko killed the avatar, she didn't even know that there was a possibility that Aang lived. She didn't find out UNTIL Zuko gave her that obvious lie. Up till that point, she was just helping him out with his standing in the Fire Nation. But when she found out that there was a possibility, it worked in her favor. And during the beach episode, she seeks Zuko out herself. She doesn't tease him that much, no. She comes to get him and bring him back to the group. And if she wanted to be the Fire Lord so bad, why would she bring him back? She didn't bring him back as a traitor like she was going to in the start of book two. No, she brought him back and helped to restore his honor. How would that help her? It doesn't.

All I'm saying is, if Iroh can change, why can't Azula change? If Zuko can change, why can't she? She didn't have an Iroh or Usra like Zuko did. She had Ozai. And look at how Ozai is. Iroh calling her crazy and saying she needs to be put down leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Azula deserved better. She could've had a redemption arc.