#I just think this every time I watch s2e2

[all-mirth-no-matter]

I really wish that instead of Michael it’d been Polly’s daughter Anna who was alive and got brought into the family business. I mean I get the point of it being Michael — he was the apprentice turned heir appointed threat, the new age to Tommy’s old ways. But how cool would it have been to see a young woman in this new era. An educated girl who becomes the company accountant, who Polly tries to protect from the surly side of the business but she’s her mother’s daughter and just can’t stay away. It would have been interesting to see Tommy navigate the same roadmap, just with a girl cousin instead, and the boatload of other complications that come with that minor detail change. I could see him being more protective, less threatened — but I’d still want to see her hungry for the life, for the power — and Tommy having to fight her the same way he ended up fighting with Michael. Only it’d be way more emotional.

Honestly I just wish there’d been more women. And imagine how angry she’d be when Polly dies. Just the dynamic all around would be so different. She’d have a different relationship with Polly, one where she sticks up for herself against her mother and acts out. And she’d be doted on by her cousins, protected, and she’d fight against all of it just wanting to be treated like one of the guys. She’d make them teach her how to shoot and fight despite Polly and Tommy trying to keep her away. She’d basically be the Ada substitute since she became like half a character throughout most of the show. Don’t get me wrong I love the main women characters who were part of the show, but it just could have been so cool if that one change had been made.

[every-sanji]

what are some of your favorite moments where sanji just gets screwed over (like the hgeegh bit)

I'm not sure if that's like. Getting screwed over so much as just being made fun of for saying silly things. That said I do think his bit where he just starts talking in wing dings (here) is incredibly funny and given the fact that it has been one of my most popular posts this month I think most of you can agree with that. I do in general think the zoro and sanji dynamic is incredibly funny even if I'm just skimming for sanjis I'll keep an eye out for them for a giggle.

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

There's something that feels so...unrepeatable about OFMD, and I think one of the big aspects of that is the casting of our two leads.

Stede, especially - it would have been so, so easy for Stede to be absolutely unbearable, and we know they had trouble finding the perfect actor for him before Rhys sent in his audition. I don't think anyone other than Rhys Darby could have pulled it off, frankly. He gives Stede such an earnest air about him, and he's so expressive that you can feel Stede's self-doubt, his guilt, his anxieties, all without them having to explicitly tell us. If Taika is amazing at having eyes, Rhys is amazing at having a face. Every time I watch an episode, I notice something new to blow me away about his performance.

And that's not to say Taika isn't giving Ed 110%, either! I think Taika Waititi is a very underrated actor because he's really pretty amazing. Not a lot of actors would've been so clearly able to convey Ed's emotions and personality with a huge fake beard glued to their face, and his s2 acting is so subtle and impressive once he doesn't have to act with the beard on. He's an incredible actor - one moment that stands out to me is the two shots we get in s2e2 of Ed laying on his back sobbing. The first time we see it, it's heartbreaking. Then in the quick "I had a very rough night last night" flashback, it's sad but funny! It's the same thing but he still manages to give us a very different tone.

But the best thing about it? Their chemistry. Ed and Stede click fucking immediately, and their chemistry sells it. Because Rhys and Taika have been friends in real life for so long, they do love each other, so even though they're acting a different kind of love, it's not a stretch for it to be believable. It's the kind of thing that you just won't get if you pick two random actors who've never met before, no matter how good they are. They're visibly just so comfortable with other and love working together, always glancing at each other and checking in and playing off each other's performance, and because they like each other so much, they're able to be vulnerable with each other in a way that really comes through on screen.

There's something so special about Ed and Stede's relationship, and their casting is so incredibly spot-on. I've never seen anything quite as all-around perfect.

[verdart]

I made the unfortunate decision to comment on a tiktok saying

"Blitz has every right to doubt Stolas' intentions and I will di on this hill defending Blitz"

Which made me actually realize in the context of Stolitz how much the fandom vilifies Blitz.

Upon rewatch I realized that he is actually kinda innocent lmao. So here comes the rant hop on in Verda rants at 4am again train.

The thing is first of all we need to work our media literacy muscles. So Stolas stans who think he is a uwu babygirl that dod nothing wrong repeat after me. "Blitz didn't watch "just look my way", "owl in a cage" or any other Stolas longing scene that we cried over"

Now that thats setteled I don't want to hear any "he is trying" bs because as of now (pre full moon s2e8) he hasn't actually done anything that Blitz is aware.

Lets start from the top my initial comment was about how Stolas treated him for so long before actually catching the feelings and how Blitz has a right to think he is not genuine.

Up top lest start with the condescending pet names and I won't be hearing Blitz cant be mad at that Stolas does it bc he thinks he likes it... jesus okay s2e1 when stolas starts the imp dirty talk what does blitz do a) encourage him b) get naked and dtf bc that was hot, c) shuts him up

Ding ding ding C. Stolas can still take this as bedtime play sure but we have a case for Blitz not liking it from day one. Other than that we all know he views Stolas' (perhaps in his mind endearing) pet names as condescention.

Secondly even if we ignore the power imbalance Stolas is the one to suggest the transactional fucking... s1e1 even tho in the forst time it was Blitz's doing, sorta. So don't at me saying well Blitz just uses him for the grimoire, like girly duh that was the premise. But Stolas also uses Blitz. Imo lending a book vs fucking in payment is a bot excessive but for Blitz's case beggars cant be chosers.

Now to the elephant in the room... Ozzie's. Does Blitz invite him (Stolas) purely out of selfish intentions that has nothing to do with him? Yes. Is he a dick? Yes. But Does Stolas hide his fucking face when he has a reality check? Yes. But then y'all be mad bc Blitz pulled his hand back.

That night Stolas was read once, Blitz was like at least 2 times... if we don't count the stuff for Stolas by proxy. He was having a hard night bro. And after Stolas invites him he is like no and Stolas respects that. Which if the show didn't add s2e2 in between it wouldve been a perfect stepping stool to get the Stolitz on healthy communication territory but that didn't happen.

I cannot for the life of me pin point when Stolas genuinely falls for Blitz. If its from day one damn it took him long enough to understand what he was doing was wrong.

Anyways we as fans can't be mad at Stolas because we know he is starting to understand the absolute power imbalance he created and the position he left Blitz in. He has realized that the thing is lets remember and repeat "Blitz is not watching the show with us". Blitz doesn't know of this sudden change of heart.

Now to adress a few meaningful interactions we have after ozzies. The fucking pixelated phone texts from s2 western energy.

Stolas apologizes but in that way that I look down upon. "Sorry if" like girl own it up anyways Blitz brushes it off and Stolas instead just goes hehe I didnt care either. Yall need relationship therapy my god. Important thing is Stolas was trying to reach out. But instead of going anything I said that made you upset etc he could've actually apologize properly for getting ashamed. Tho Blitz should also apologize for inviting him on a date for his own gain but thats another bag of worms I won't open tonight.

Other than that he has put off seeing him and doing the transactional fucking for a while. During those times. And as we know from all the phones Blitz breaks after talking to Stolas and hearing hus dirty talk he isn't too excited about. We don't exactly know if he comes or not on those nights. But he is also showm to be quite comfortable in s2e2 with the "my dick is good but its not that good" comment so maybe they do continue the arrangement... idk. Either way we know they haven't really talked.

All I am saying is that both parties of this ship are guilty af of hurting eachother and taking advantage of eachother. But as the power house of this power imbalance, Stolas needs to be held accountable. And he is doing that now!! Or will, in s2e8 and I can't wait to see how that goes. Overall, I can see totally why Blitz shuts down any signs that Stolas might actually be into him. He has a good bunch of reasons too. And as far as we've seen from the trailer we will get to hear him say it out loud as he should.

[pagesofkenna]

there's a post in the tag about someone wishing to see more Omar in D20 and I agree, but it also reminded me about how a year ago a few RPG streamers I like started Power Play, and I never ended up watching it, and I just recently learned that Omar was in that and I could have seen what an awesome player he was long ago if I just had watched it

and then I got to thinking about how many cool actual plays are out there that don't have the budget that Dimension 20 or Critical Role have, but tell really cool stories with really good players regardless! And a lot of these players deserve recognition, but there's so little space to showcase new players for audiences who only watch D20 or CR

so anyway I compiled a list of every single actual play Omar has been in (at least, those I could find VODs for)

Power Play: actual play of Icons, a silver-age inspired superheroes rpg, hosted by QueueTimes! It's played remotely, about 59 episodes long, and includes several one-shots where (I think?) they play some other game systems as well

The Borros Saga: Banesbreak: actual play of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by PixelCircus! Played in person, about 12 episodes long, with some one-shot vignettes. Aabria is also a player here!

Monsters and Fables: actual play of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by the official D&D channel! Played in person, 6 episodes long

Buffy the Vampire Slayer RPG: actual play of Dungeons and Dragons, hosted by Hyper RPG! Played in person, about 9 episodes long, and half the time Omar is DMing!

Balboa Cantrip Academy: actual play of Kids on Brooms, a rules-lite magical school rpg, hosted by Hyper RPG! Played remotely, and only 3 episodes long (Episode 2, Episode 3, on Twitch)

Pugmire: Homeword Bound: actual play of Pugmire, a simplified D20 with dogs, hosted by Saving Throw! Played in-person, only 3 episodes long

The Last VHS Store: a 3-episode series hosted by Saving Throw, where Omar GMs a lite D20 system he designed himself! All in-person

Carrier Penguins: a series of 4 one-shots hosted by Saving Throw, playing Lasers and Feelings, an easily hackable lite system. Ep1, Ep2, Ep3, Ep4, all in-person

Oneshots specifically:

Aces in Space charity stream with QueueTimes, playing Blue Shift - remote

The Golden Girls charity stream with PixelCircus, playing Lewd Grannies - remote

The Gauntlet s2e2 with Hyper RPG, playing Pathfinder (Omar later GMs the 8-episode s4) - in-person

Spy Island ep1 with Hyper RPG, playing ?? (an ad-hoc mafia/werewolf rpg) - remote

(And here's just a truncated list of his Saving Throw oneshots, bc there's a lot: Scooby-Doo rpg playing Wildlings, Lasers and Feelings with the Doubleclicks, House of 100 Nightmares GMing Dread, John Wick charity stream playing Lasers and Feelings)

Game the Game (board games instead of tabletops RPGs) with Geek and Sundry, playing Pitchstorm, Aftermath, and Scott Pilgrim - in-person

He was also a campaign guest player in Failed Save c2e3 (D&D, PixelCircus), Damsels, Dice, & Everything Nice s3e2 (D&D, PixelCircus), and Ironkeep Chronicles ep21 (D&D, Saving Throw)

[pinkandpurple360]

I feel so bad for Blitzø, in a perfect universe he would have just been the silly animated sitcom boss of the show who would then have an unfurling deeper background, but now he's just been reduced to Stolas' "love interest" (if you can even call him that for how forced it is) and even tho we get the chance to see more of his past, they of course always have to reel it back in with that fact (sorry if this sounds confusing, i'll try to explain myself better if necessary)

You’re completely right. I genuinely keep forgetting who stolas is singing about, because it’s so forced and utterly detached from Blitzo as a character. We are looking at a figment of stolas’ wet dreams. These two things don’t connect. Blitz isn’t physically present during any of his song numbers about his creepy “feelings” and one of the song numbers is literally about how they don’t have anything special.

And the saddest part is he shines when stolas isn’t there. In all of S2E2 Seeing Stars and in some S2E1 The Circus, it was so uncomfortable and hard to watch I had to look away in a mixture of cringe and disgust. I liked his scenes talking to fizz and talking to Cash, but outside of that I was just watching him being tossed around like a doll for stolas to play with.

[Discussion of Non-Con below 🚨]

Seriously the amount of times he’s grabbed by the arm, or tossed on the floor, asking for it to stop, wanting to get away, feeling trapped, feeling scared and confused, or mopily dragging his feet while stolas is by contrast domineering in public then blushing and giggling and wanting to be ravaged in private, it just makes me sick. The pity is on the wrong person. It’s like you’re supposed to be excited by the clear and explicit noncon. “But?! (Sigh)…yes papa” he ‘agrees’ to all of this as a kid and as an adult it’s “alright fine (deep sigh) I guess I can do this real fast” And of course he has to say “Ew!” Before it all. Just so the non con kink is really satisfied. 😓😓😓

The ship appeal is “yes it was noncon and forced at first but he started liking it after he stopped resisting—his mind doesn’t like it but his body does”

DISGUSTANG

Every scene he’s in without stolas is good, and he’s thankfully been separated from him for most of season 2. He had much better character in Exes and Oohs, Unhappy Campers, the Western Energy hospital scenes up until that really cringe line at the ending, Oops except the part where he’s venting in the most sanitised charitable way possible about his sexual abuse at the hands of stolas, and in mammons episode he became my favourite character in the special. I think it’s only after season two that I’ve really started to like him.

Your point is really good too, we see a clip of his past only after a rant about how he wants stolas to love him, and then immediately after the clip we have to look at stolas’ ugly face again.

And the reverse is true. I liked watching how detestable stolas is when Blitzø isn’t around, how annoyingly apathetic he was in oops and in western energy’s opening scene, he fits the ‘love to hate’ category really well in some scenes.

These characters need some time apart, and by some time I mean the rest of their lives.

[kiirotoao]

07/07/2023: Happy Byler Day!

In celebration, here’s a countdown list of my top 7 Byler details/moments!

7. Eggs and syrup (s1e1 and s3e1)

This detail is pretty easily overlooked, especially considering that it’s present for only two blinks throughout the show, but it’s one of my favorites. In fact, this detail was one of the first Byler facts that got me to ship Byler. The representation of the unconventional breakfast pairing for the show’s quote-unquote unconventional relationship pairing is just too perfect. I love this silent emphasis of their queerness together.

6. At it again (s3e5)

I don’t have a proper title for this moment, haha, but I can quote this scene from memory and just. Have to say it along with Byler. Every single time I rewatch 😭. The drama. The shouted whispers. Mike’s idiocy. Will’s sass. It’s glorious. It’s beautiful. And, best of all, it hurts way less than the rain scene, which is a win for me. Also, I love how these two fought really badly literally a day ago, but then they come around to arguing like a true married couple again because they can’t help but gravitate to one other.

5. “Crazy together” (s2e2)

Ah, the Byler staple. Now, this scene got me to put Byler on my radar when I first watched the show, so I have to give it a top 7 spot, for sure. Also, just, this scene is so tender and sweet. What a lovely way to show how sometimes the best relationships are made through sharing the worst times in your life. It really does help to have someone to confide in through awful situations, and this scene heartwarmingly highlights that. Additionally, their youth and innocence taking on this trauma together is what gets me every single time. Byler are so strong for each other, and it shines so brightly, here. It’s plain endearing.

4. The heart-to-heart apology (s4e4)

This scene is literally the pinnacle of Byler’s unspoken love, and the flirtation is off the charts. It’s just so, so lovely, and the atmosphere is simply wonderful and fit to make you forget you’re watching a thriller show. The flirting itself is all that I need to spotlight for this scene, and truly, I don’t have to say anything about it, do I? This moment just speaks for itself.

3. The shed scene (s2e8)

When making this list, I was torn between 3 and 4, but I ended up putting the shed scene at the top 3 because Mike’s speech here absolutely wrecked me the first time I watched it. The tears, the transparency, the traction despite Will being unable to utter a word in reply. I also just made a kinda long-winded grammatical analysis on the phrase above: “it was the best thing I’ve ever done” and how soft and adorable it is to say, and I cannot describe how close to tears I was, too, when watching this scene, like Will was. How often do you hear your best friend pleading for your life by talking about how you changed theirs? This moment is so sweet.

This moment is also somewhat unprompted, drawn from the rawest recollection of Mike’s mind, coupled with the desperation, it brings out how truly important this moment is for Mike. And the fact that this speech seems to prompt Will’s Morse code tapping makes it all the better for us to know that Mike’s message was very likely received. This scene is simply so tender. It is Mike and Will in their most exposed forms all season long, maybe even ever, for Mike (because I think that the van scene might be Will’s, but let’s not worry about that right now, this is a happy post 🙈).

2. “Not possible.” (s3e8)

I wish I was exaggerating when I say that Mike’s little smile in this scene changed my brain forever. Well, maybe I don’t care that I wasn’t exaggerating, actually. This scene is unapologetically adorable. It’s not as flirtatious as the s4e4 heart-to-heart apology, not as lengthy as the “crazy together” scene, not as clearly pivotal as the s1 opener, but it’s chock full of implicit love.

I love how Mike and Will communicate through dnd, particularly how they talk about the game differently apart from other Party members, and that’s the kicker that I love about this scene. Usually, Mike especially as we’ve seen throughout seasons 1-3, dnd is referenced with a sense of leadership about the Upside Down, used as a tool for knowledge with others. But between Mike and Will, here? They use it as a tool for their relationship, which is such a wonderful contrast to show how much Mike and Will mean to each other. And what’s more, Mike brings up this analogy, first, singling out Will and how special he is to Mike.

“What if you join another party?” It’s a simple question, and at face value, it sounds like, ‘what if you find another friend group without me? What if you move on?’ Which I think it is asking, but it’s also, ‘what if you move on from me?’ And Will’s quick and faithful reply, “not possible” is all we need to hear to know that Will is going to carry Mike’s love with him no matter what. Topped with cute glances each other’s way and a quickly leaving Will to let the emotion wordlessly simmer, this tiny flirt holds my heart.

1. The season-episode parallels

If this detail looks familiar, it’s because I’ve talked about this one before. And, yeah, looking at it a lot more over the past year, I gotta say that it’s my favorite thing about Byler.

It is such an interesting detail, and basically, it’s the way that the episodes of s1e1, s2e2, s3e3, and s4e4 all have pertinent Byler moments, arguably the most important Byler moments per season that kickstart a lot of the show, and every single scene has so many little details that they share. Mike on the left, Will on the right. Will’s honesty, Mike’s unawareness. The clothing. The alternating lighting. It’s been my favorite parallel to talk about on all platforms I’m active on, and so I crown this one as my winner. It’s such a loaded parallel, and it’s everything in my niche that I love to talk about as it covers so much of the show and Byler, from the bigger details of how it affects the show down to the smaller details of lighting, clothing, and coloring.

And also, this parallel inspired me to make my TikTok account and dedicate it to Byler. Then one thing led to another, and so this detail is kinda the reason why I’m here on Tumblr, too. So I owe it a lot, haha.

The season-episode parallel reminds me that I’m not alone or ‘looking into it too much,’ and even if this is all a coincidence, it’s a damn good one.

Thanks for reading, and Happy Byler Day, again! Now, go forth and enjoy more posts!

[feministsouthpark]

South Park Filler Guide - Season 2

Link for Part 1

I find the existence of filler guides quite amusing, since for some shows it makes sense (like Naruto), but for others (like Pokemon) it absolutely doesn't and they still exist. So here is an attempt to do an absolutely unnecessary one just for fun. 😅

The classifications are CANON (an episode with major storylines present), LORE (in which we get significant backstory or world building, but could be skippable)  and FILLER (completely skippable episodic storytelling, not connected to overarching story arcs)

PLS my analysis will have spoilers, if you're a first time viewer, just scroll to the bottom and read the list and only read full text if you are familiar with the content of the show already!

S2E1 Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus is FILLER

This is the definition of filler, and not even a good filler, but the one that drags. The whole episode is a waste of time, and a horrible season opener if you ask me. I don't even care if Saddam Hussein dies in this one, skip it anyway, all you need to know for his next appearance is that he is already dead, which will be obvious and TBH since the movie gives a different story about his death, this one might as well take place in an alternate continuity. S2E2 Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut is CANON

We're back with the conclusion of the season 1 mystery. For now. S2E3 Ike's Wee Wee is CANON

Kyle learns the secret of his brother and he also gets a great deal of character development that makes this episode a must-watch. S2E4 Chickenlover is FILLER

A great character episode for Officer Barbrady, nontheless a filler half hour of the show. S2E5 Conjoined Fetus Lady is FILLER

One might enjoy this one for Pip. Or for Nurse Gollum. But not for its long-lasting consequences, that one is for sure. S2E6 The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka is LORE

This one is debatable, and the one that I would think most people would actually debate on, since most of it is a one off story, however there is a single scene at the end with Satan and Saddam, which acts as foreshadowing for the movie, so that one scene provides context, however the movie is enjoyable without this little introduction. S2E7 City on the Edge of Forever (Flashbacks) is FILLER

Again, you can't make more specific filler content than a whole episode that is just a dream. Stan dreams that Eric dreams that Ms. Crabtree falls in love. S2E8 Summer Sucks is FILLER

I was thinking about the Mr. Twig storyline. It does build up Herbert's identity as a gay man. However looking at it, this doesn't seem like manga original content, rather, this hits every usual beat of an anime-exclusive filler arc. Edit: I know South Park is not based on a manga, it's an elaborate joke. S2E9 Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls is FILLER

Anything that gets brought up later from this episode is counted as filler content, so in the long run it doesn't matter. S2E10 Chickenpox is FILLER

Stuart and Gerald get some backstory, but otherwise the whole story is a one-off. S2E11 Roger Ebert Should Lay off the Fatty Foods is FILLER

I believe this one was expected. Nothing in this episode matters by the next. S2E12 Clubhouses is FILLER

Randy and Sharon divorce. They get back together by the end. Bebe likes Kyle. She doesn't by the end of the episode. Typical filler stuff. S2E13 Cow Days is FILLER

The Terrance and Phillip dolls never appear again. Neither does Eric believing himself to be a Vietnamese prostitute called Ming Lee have any consequences. S2E14 Chef Aid is FILLER

Herbert Garrison's filler arc with Mr. Twig comes to an end. Chef sleeps with a lot of women. End of episode. S2E15 Spookyfish is FILLER

I love this episode, but Sharon being crazy and all the paralell universe stuff are solely for this one. S2E16 Merry Christmas Charlie Manson! is FILLER

Eric now has a bunch of family members, none of which we ever see again. S2E17 Gnomes is CANON

It may come as a surprise after such a long string of fillers, but since the gnomes return and Tweek becomes a major player later, it only makes sense for this episode to be seen as fairly plot-heavy. S2E18 Prehistoric Ice Man is FILLER

Stan and Kyle get into a fight and then make up. The iceman never returns.

… SPOILER-FREE RUNDOWN

Again, CANON means you should watch it, FILLER means you can skip it, LORE is somewhere in-between, any episode with the LORE label will have an explanation that helps you decide if you should include it or not.

S2E1 Terrance and Phillip in Not Without My Anus is FILLER S2E2 Cartman's Mom is Still a Dirty Slut is CANON S2E3 Ike's Wee Wee is CANON S2E4 Chickenlover is FILLER S2E5 Conjoined Fetus Lady is FILLER S2E6 The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka is LORE* S2E7 City on the Edge of Forever (Flashbacks) is FILLER S2E8 Summer Sucks is FILLER S2E9 Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls is FILLER S2E10 Chickenpox is FILLER S2E11 Roger Ebert Should Lay off the Fatty Foods is FILLER S2E12 Clubhouses is FILLER S2E13 Cow Days is FILLER S2E14 Chef Aid is FILLER S2E15 Spookyfish is FILLER S2E16 Merry Christmas Charlie Manson! is FILLER S2E17 Gnomes is CANON S2E18 Prehistoric Ice Man is FILLER *Only for its last scene if you want a tease for the movie. Personal notes: You may notice that this season is a lot less plot-heavy than the previous one, with only 3 canon episodes out of 18 compared to the 9 out of 13 in the first.

[clarajohnson]

the magicians s2e2

i love that glancing little violin motif in this show whenever they're doing some cute little magic

(raging attraction to alice quinn voice) own it, pumpkin

penny's fucked up hands are so fun

julia should kill the beast just for doing his fucking vaudeville act

simply horrible choice to make him sing it's not intimidating or unnerving or even amusing it's MOSTLY JUST THE FUCKING WORST

it's not invisible, it's just not

all good media about college or grad school needs a cheekily named living area a la the haus from check please

i'm your wife i want to be obedient ohhhhhhh fen i am so sorry about that

god i love josh hoberman "like lando and han, right on" you fucking DWEEB

i feel like margo got a very quiet but very effective character upgrade between seasons

what do you think the magical govt is like in this universe? like who outlawed battle magic? it really seems like a fuckin free for all to me

good for victoria i wouldn't stick around earth either

i do agree that marina is sheer hellcat perfection but i don't think she deserved to be involved in any of this. every time i see her i think of the scene with her cat and i just kind of cringe and frown and get very nervous.

but also when i see her i think aw hi abigail hobbs :-)

has there ever been a girlboss bigger and better than marina andrieski?

it's so sad to leave eliot stranded without any of the main cast, much as i love seeing him interact with fen, he just seems so lonely.

hale appleman acting the shit out of this farm monologue for no good reason

on a planet with no zoloft...

i love a quick little puzzle montage. there's something very, very satisfying about the problem-solving in this show (most of the time...) and the way they choose what will be a big deal and a quick fix

"i only picked people already doing each other" that's so romantic of him

wait also "i've been doing this shit since i was twelve, except on a computer"

why is marina the single most interesting character on this show for me this watch

my goodness i did not remember fogg and bigby at all

penny is kind of a wimp, i love him, but he is a wimp

i love that q can't help but warn julia like she's kind of his biggest opp a lot of the time (LOVE YOU JULIA) and he's still like hey bestie :-) i just wanted to let you know about some important stuff <3

no FUCKING way are we up to cacodemons already

"are you even jewish?" "no... but options."

love that eliot gets to fillory and decides objective number one should be agriculture. like i know it's played as a joke but also, he just fast-tracked the fillorian industrial revolution.

JULIA AND MARINA HAVE LITERALLY SO MUCH TENSION IT'S UNBELIEVABLE

[theartgremlin2]

Apparently people are complaining about this week’s Bad Batch s2 episode being uninteresting. While I was a little bored while watching, that has more to do with the episode’s pacing than it’s actual content. The comparison between Tech and TAY-0 made it quite fascinating to me.

One of my main gripes about Tech has been how underdeveloped his character is. He’s the smart one! He’s got a big, beautiful brain and an ego to match. Occasionally, he behaves a bit robotically because of how direct and literal he takes things. I don’t think I’m the only one who has felt like that. It seems to me that the writers realized it too, which is why TAY-0 is the perfect person to contrasted against Tech in this little character study of an episode.

TAY-0 was quite capable of doing his job. He was the current champion racer when we are introduced to him. Cid wouldn’t have bet so much on him if she didn’t have every confidence in him. We’ve seen her do it with Omega, and she clearly thought she would win that wager with Millegi. Not only is TAY-0 a competent Pilot, he is also relatively intelligent. He knows how to fix his speeder, and how to re-assemble himself. He even has a certain sense of art, though that isn’t really explored. He is very similar to Tech in that he has an inflated ego. This is likely from all the praise and popularity his skill as a pilot earns him in the races. However, TAY-0 has one glaring flaw: he’s inflexible.

The move where the two rival pilots who trap their opponent and saw into their speeder is not a new strategy. The announcer and the crowd all know what’s going on when a pilot gets trapped between these two in the tunnels. TAY-0 has seen these rivals do this likely several times, and yet he is incapable of adapting to the situation when it happens to him. In addition to this, when Tech is attempting to repair him, TAY-0 insists that Tech is doing it wrong. He cannot imagine the possibility that there might be another, possibly even better way to re-assemble himself. And this inflexibility is why TAY-0’s ego comes off so gratingly. He behaves as though he knows best in every situation because he is a great racer! There is no need for him to learn anything from anyone else!

Tech is already a magnificent pilot. We have witnessed him flying the Marauder in ways that rival Anikin Skywalker’s ingenuity. He has probably gotten the Batch out of more tight spots than you could count on all you and your closest friend’s fingers and toes combined! In contrast to TAY-0, however, Tech has the humility to admit when he doesn’t know something. He does not claim that his experience piloting the Marauder makes him just as good a racer as the droid. Instead, he recognizes that this is a different skill, and spends time familiarizing himself with it before he decides he can do it. And once the race is over, he does not soak in the praise that the racing fans pour on him. He savors the glory for a moment, accepts the praise, and moves on.

This is not something I ever thought I would say, but Tech’s humility is what makes him a compelling character. He can be a smartass. He can be annoyingly correct. This actually put me off the character in the first season. I was not a big fan of Tech. But he can also be endearingly eager to learn. S2e2 even foreshadowed the closer look at Tech’s humility we were going to get by allowing him a moment of revelation when Romar points out to him that the Serennians had existed before they became Separatists.

This development has softened me a little towards the character, and I can’t wait to see more of him!

[unreasonable-keysmash]

After the last episode, idk, I'm considering giving in and tagging my posts helluva boss critical.

On a philosophical level, I don't think there should be a "helluva boss" and a "helluva boss critical", it should just all be under "helluva boss", because you can critique the things you like.

But in practice, it doesn't work out like that. (It was most egregious with S2E1 and S2E2, but still,) every time there's a new episode I go in to the main tag and I wonder if me and all these people are still watching the same show.

The people in the critical tag seem to be pretty negative but the people in the main tag are overly positive so idk, maybe if I participate in both I can get a balance.

[comrade-bucket]

good omens s2e2 thoughts

I want to scream about every episode of good omens as I watch it slowly, I wish I had a community around it but I don’t wanna poke around tumblr or anywhere for fear of spoilers and I like to savor shit (“you go too fast for me binge watchers!!”).

So hear ol void buddy take my screaming!!

Idk if I’ve ever made so many noises at a screen! I have a lot invested into this world to the point where everything is imbued with Benefit Of The Doubt Goodness, like it’s my child. I guess that’s what being a fan is like but also being a fan can mean being extremely disappointed so there’s that

I’m not disappointed I’m screaming! Okay episode 2. I love the buddy holly song and the gasp I made when Gabriel sings it. I loooove the little gay dorky conductor motion Aziraphale makes before singing it to people, I am obsessed with it, I’m chewing the walls.

Job!!!! I just read a fanfic that partially takes place during the book of Job, I haven’t dived HARD into the world of GO fanfic but I’ve read enough that take place in biblical times that make me go “huh wow the bible is this real thing full of very old and pervasive myths, oooo there were real people wandering the desert back in the day,” sense-of-awe type vibes. And then the show is doing that!!!!

I love a show that wrestles with this very big question that feels like it is playing out for me on some ancestral level, as a person (like many of us) descended from people who believed in God: “HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU EXIST AND BE SO CRUEL, HOW COULD I BELIEVE, FUCK YOU GOD FUCK YOU!!” lol maybe that’s not entirely a question. Hard not to giggle at it a little but it’s also like a pretty big thing to wrestle with?? (I’ll die on this hill but see: thor love and thunder - dumb little box office stories that actually are wrestling with that if you choose to go there)

Bible fanfic!!! It makes something in me itch in a good, I think, way

What else. Brain all over. There’s Jim ordering the books by the first letter of the first word, which is like the damn Spotify playlists that spelled out those words. GOD DAMMIT!!! Brain tickles!!! What does it meeaaaannn?? Should I start looking for acrostics everywhere, like in that weird headline about the ducks held by that rando in the pub who is going to be important prob?? What does it mean when you open your life to the unhingedness and magic of little synchronicities like that, of things vibrating with hidden meaning???

The angels not recognizing Gabriel is sooo good - me expecting a more typical “ha ha he tries to hide Gabriel, shenanigans ensue” - nope, he just answers the door, the angels don’t know him, Aziraphale (like us) is like “….okay what the fuck???” [unless it’s the miracle that’s hiding him, that’s possible]

There is something with identity and who are you if your appearance changes but you stay the same (the goats, Job’s children); who are you if your appearance stays the same but you are fundamentally different inside and/or nobody recognizes you and/or you have to pretend to be someone else (Gabriel/Jim, Job’s kids when they come back) (and then there’s Maggie and Nina actually being entirely new characters with the same face!) (and! on the opposite side, Beelzebub having a new face and the story is like “eh, new face, same guy”) - what is identity, what is a self??

And then identity is a theme for Aziraphale too right!! At the end of ep. 2 he’s like “what am I???”, it’s a whole existential crisis, (you feel for him so hard, because these actors are so fucking good??). He’s like I can’t possibly be an angel because I did these non-angelic, demonic things… and Crowley is like “🤷 you can still be an angel, more or less”…….. if you appear to be an angel then nobody has to know…… and what, really, is the difference

(“if it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck”... and Crowley’s thing with ducks!)

Holy shit and that flows into undertones of things being a metaphor for being closeted?? Would love to untangle it more but that scene where Aziraphale eats the meat - 1) was SOOOOO fanficky (in the best way!!), I mean I’m puking, (Book of Job fanfic! Just an intimate encounter in the space between scenes); 2) was very easily some kind of stand in for, you know, temptations of the flesh, gay sex type thing. (I mean… did he have to eat the meat like that… did Crowley have to watch him like that... I mean… come on. Amazing.) (incidentally I think Michael sheen is playing Aziraphale even gayer this season mannerisms-wise and I just love it a lot!!) - so anyway, Aziraphale and Crowley’s whole thing being “we love each other, we know we love each other, but NO ONE CAN KNOW how much we love each other”… even to the point of hiding it from ourselves, lying to ourselves (cough Aziraphale)… that theme just feels so present!

Being closeted… you have this experience that is so pleasurable and full of love and can’t possibly be wrong (eating meat, befriending a demon)... and yet the highest powers are telling you it’s wrong, god says it’s wrong, that’s your entire identity, so who are you?? You just have to pretend… oh man it’s so sad pals!!!

I’m obsessed with this identity thing. I wonder if it’ll be important to the plot. Back to episode 1, Az & Jim: “I know someone who looks like you” “that’s probably me then! I think that’s one of the ways you can tell” - ha ha funny joke cute line, except wait, it is thematically resonating throughout everything, oops!!

ALSO getting caught in the rain and taking refuge under an awning and falling in love = it raining outside the garden of eden and Crowley shelters under Aziraphale’s wing…. GOD FUCKING DAMN IT

Okay those are some of my long chaotic thoughts, thanks for listening void!!!

[kafkaguy]

8, 9, 19, 22, 23, and 26 for the mash asks <3333333

8. what’s your favorite ridiculous storyline ?

s2e2 5 o'clock charlie is one of my favourite episodes and also one of the funniest storylines and i think it counts as pretty ridiculous, what with the various ways trapper and hawkeye try to stop frank from firing the gun at the plane and the various ways frank fails without anyone else even trying. also the whole premise of 5 o'clock charlie is hilarious. but a close second is s5e6 the abduction of Margaret because a) anything involving colonel Flagg is ridiculous b) frank assuming she's been kidnapped by communists is very silly c) it could all have been easily avoided if klinger had just remembered to tell everyone where Margaret went and I relate to that ❤️

9. episode you could genuinely write an entire essay on?

there's definitely quite a few. the two that come to mind are s2e6 'Kim' with a focus on Trapper and the phenomenon of orphaned kids in war and members of "the other side" feeling the need to take care of them, and s5e22 'Movie Tonight' because I love "a movie within a movie" and the way it sort of reflects on itself as a show (fictional people in a real war watching a movie with fictional conflict vs real people watching a tv show about fictional people in a real war)

19. favorite character that’s talked about but never onscreen?

sparky! he's done so much for radar and mash 4077, he always comes through for the favours radar asks of him and generally sounds like a cool guy, seems to be good company down at the other end of the radio :) and the way Radar always gets so enthusiastic talking to him i like to imagine they have a really good relationship :) I'd also love to be in sparky's position tbh. I'd love to be in his position.

22. a klinger outfit you’d want to “borrow" (and probably never give back)?

most of klinger's outfits are too femme for me and most i appreciate their beauty and grace in the way that *he* wears them, but i love his cute little nurse outfit complete with the cape and everything

Next halloween costume... images taken from tumblr user klingerfashionarchive

23. a storyline you wish they’d gone a little deeper on?

i don't even know. Anything involving trapper, especially his kids, like in Kim or the first mail call episode. also Henry's death! I think the show could have referred to Henry a lot more because after Abyssinia Henry the only time I remember the consequences of his death being shown is in s4e4 the late captain pierce when Hawk says "Henry's dead and they're still coming" but idk! I feel like I didn't see it leave enough of an impact on radar 💔 or hawkeye and Margaret, who were the ogs who knew him best. or even potter, who's taking the place of a dead man! maybe I'll write my own episode

26. blog gets to pick whichever question they want to answer

answering question 5: do you have a favorite patient? it's definitely the guy in s6e16 patient 4077 who they try the new clamp on and is so delighted about it he's like "i'll send you guys Christmas presents every Hanukkah" I remember him always because a) Jewish mention! and b) he was just happy to be there and happy to be alive. honourable mention to s1e17 Tommy gillis who was the first important guy to die in mash he did so much for the lgbt community 🫡

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I'm making myself sad thinking about Ed's suicidal behavior at the start of s2. Because the thing is, the methods Ed picks for his suicide attempts are so fucking brutal.

Ed's a smart guy; I'm sure if he really wanted to, he could have engineered some way to get someone to kill him painlessly. But he doesn't do that - it's passive "maybe I'll die in one of these 89 consecutive raids" at first (surely not a painless death to begin with), but then you realize later in the season he's probably actually aiming to break the record to bait Ned Low, a guy known for torturing people before he kills them. And Ed's attempt at the end of s2e2, the one where he goads the crew until they don't have a choice but to mutiny on him...getting all your friends to violently beat you to death is a pretty rough way to die.

The only time Ed isn't rocketing towards a very vicious and painful way to die is when he tries to get Izzy to shoot him, but even then, that can honestly be read as him making sure he's disarmed before he goes out there and gets the crew to mutiny on him, with a side of "if Izzy kills me now, that'd be alright, too." Every time I watch that scene it looks to me like Ed knew he wouldn't be able to get Izzy to shoot him.

The thing that really sticks with me isn't just that Ed's suicidal, it's not just that he wants to die. It's that he feels like he deserves for his death to be the most painful way to go he can think of. He doesn't just want to be punished because he feels like he's an irredeemable monster, he thinks he deserves to be hurt.

In conclusion: Stede Bonnet please hug your boyfriend and give him a nice soft blanket to cuddle up in, he needs it.

[simpforcatra]

i'd like to propose the ideal SPoP speedrun viewing order. feel free to argue for your own episodes. this mostly follows the catradora arc with some additions i consider essential- but it does skip some episodes that are perhaps useful for context

s1e1 and s1e2. obviously the sword parts 1 and 2. vital to understanding not just the story of spop but also catradora. also introduces us to glimmer and bow.

s1e8. princess prom. not as essential in the world building order but i mean like. come on. it's princess prom. maybe the second gayest episode in the show.

s1e11. promise. the breakup. fr this time. i think this episode really seals the reason why catradora is so filled with angst.

s2e2. ties that bind. my only pick from s2- this is mostly just a for funsies one because catra interacting with bow and glimmer is hilarious, and i felt weird not including s2 at all.

s3e3. crimson waste. e2 is fine but i find e3 more interesting and fun, and it's got catra. this is imo the best cold opening in the series, and leads into the next 3 episodes.

s3e4-6. portal centered. 4 sets up the whole shebang and there's a bit of drama between the two. 5 and 6 are portal world and are really gay. at this point there is no catradora content until save the cat arc, but i feel like the next couple are pretty vital to watching the show if you're speedrunning it.

s4e1. coronation. one of my personal favorite episodes in the show. the parallels between glimmer and catra are chef's kiss.

s4e6. scorpia. pretty emotionally charged episode and we start running into the bottom of catra's arc.

s4e9. hero. i'll always bake a pie for you mara <3

s4e10. fractures. catra's fracture. the best friend squad's fracture.

s4e11+12. beast island/destiny. pretty important imo, we find micah, we learn more about she-ra, and we start to see the first glimpses of adora's she-ra, not the first one's she-ra.

s4e13. destiny. catra bottoms out. shit goes down.

s5e3-5. save the cat arc. corridors is an instant cry ep and i actually enjoy the gas station episode, plus i feel like it helps bring glimbow back into the fold. and of course the whole reason we're here is save the cat itself.

s5e8 onwards. finding melog. returning to etheria and saving the chipped individuals. spinnetossa arc did make me cry. don't throw tanks. drunk shadow weaver. failsafe. the kiss. you're my dad. this is the crux of the show. we are watching these.

total episodes: 26 (half the show total) runtime: roughly 9 hours

honorable mentions:

s1e3. razz. not the most important character imo but her episode with adora is pretty good.

s2e5. whiteout. fun ep that is interesting but not entirely catradora packed.

s2e6. lightspinner. this is a good ep but i really dont want to see sw more than i have too.

s4e2. valley of lost. introduces double trouble, but perfuma annoys me this ep a bit

super super condensed version (idk why you'd even watch this):

s1e1+2

s1e11

s3e3

s3e5+6

s4e12+13

s5e3

s5e5

s5e8

s5e11-13

episodes that you can not convince me include:

s2e4. roll with it. this one is like actually filler if you argue for this one you're just wrong

actually pretty much every other episode in s2 that i didn't mention.

okay thanks please present your counterarguments if u love this show as much as i do lol

[stuck-in-the-ghost-zone]

macccc hi. hi hi <3 ik u don’t watch qsmp but i wanna cry in ur inbox for a second. we got. fucked up sibling dynamics. it happened. cellbit had a twin sister named bagi and he went missing and was thrown into a war and she searched for him endlessly. his first memory is standing over a dead body and having to eat it to survive. bagi is slowly recovering her own memories and is desperate for him to remember her. he keeps pushing her away bc he can’t fathom that he had a LIFE and a FAMILY and people who CARED about him. he thought he came from war but he came from love and didn’t even know it. bagi became a cop just so she could try to break him out of prison but she never got the chance bc he broke out first and she lost him again. she spent fifteen years looking for him and he spent fifteen years trying to survive. they’re both devastated over this in different ways. this always happens with media i get into it always comes back around to messed up siblings i’m going to start eating the floorboards. the strider bros the plant twins ccrimeboys. this is my brother and i need a shovel to love him. you can get a new son or a father but who can grow me a new brother. yk. just gonna lay here and cry for a minute brb

anyway how r u doing!!! how’s it going!!!! how r ur blorbos!! i never got into adventure time as a kid what’s it like what’s the recent series like how’s it going :3 how r ur little guys i wanna know!!!! i’m still watchin hannibal btw makin my way thru s2e2 AS WE SPEAK!!!

OH GOD OH FUCK I LOVE HORRIBLE TRAGIC SIBLINGS !!!!!!!!!!!! i keep saying this but im so glad im not directly into qsmp because i KNOW i would be imprinting on cellbit like a baby duckling. it was A JOKE AT FIRST because i saw he had a white streak but every new thing i learn about him im like. of fuck thats my type of character like. to a t. unbelievable.

I AM DOING GOOD its sooooo cold today and i cannot wait 2 be done with work so i can get all cozy (<< guy who is dumb and chose a career path that is Almost Always Outdoor Manual Labor) . adventure time is soooooooooooooo so so so good. i actually have not seen ANY of the post-canon series which is why im currently rewatching the main one!! i want 2 watch them so bad. ive heard such good things about fionna and cake. ouuguguhg. its a very good show its the perfect balance of really silly and lighthearted and also.... emotions. <3 formative piece of media. u are speaking to the worlds biggest flame princess kinnie. also i have been thinking abt my ocs a lot lately bc i havent drawn them since artfight. this is a DISGRACE.

IM SOOOO GLAD UR STILL ENJOYING HANNIBAL. oh season 2 goes nuts. season 1 is probably my favorite as a whole but my favorite Individual Episode is the season 2 finale. ohhh the season 2 finale makes me so insane. ouguha. also lmk when u meet a character named mason verger i have a funny story about him <3