#I mean in the end I'm to blame. I overanalyzed and was on a different path from the creators

[thelassoway]

I'm still so mad that we got all those parallels and callbacks and yet no tedbecca. It was all for nothing. THEY WERE IN LOVE DAMMIT!!!!

Hi!

First, I hope all is well with you.

And this gif sums up my feels on that season of that one show:

🍻

[becomingpart2]

Saw your post about the SA only making Spike the focus, and I agree. What do you think of the argument that it *was* about Buffy because it was about how she could forgive and inspire people to better themselves, and in the end Buffy saved the world by saving Spike and allowing him to be a Champion? And that it totally made sense for Buffy because she was compassionate (forgave Willow for trying to end the world) and acted the same towards Angel in S3, separated him from his soulless self and took care of him?

The only episode that compares in focusing on Angel and his psyche is Amends, as opposed to every other interaction between Spike and Buffy in Season Seven.

Hi, sorry this took so long.

So tbh, this is one of the first times I'm seeing this argument because it's just not common in the buffy circles I'm in. I'm actually a bit shocked that it is even an argument that exists and that is being used in some kind of attempt at justifying or even defending the terrible way the show handled the abuse buffy suffered.

I'm aware that much of the show's idea of what it means to be a hero lies in the idea of perservering despite everything, taking the punches life throws at you and continuing despite it all. Being kind and compassionate through it all because that's the hero's responsiblity, etc. But I don't think you can make that argument when it comes to gendered abuse, especially for a show that calls itself "feminist". It's frankly the opposite of that, it's offensive and misogynistic to the core.

Women are already educated since birth to prioritize other people's needs and comfort, especially men's, over their own. They're made to swallow their pain, their suffering for the comfort of the others, to not "disturb the peace" of their environment, to not make things uncomfortable, to not be "selfish". That is a huge component of patriarchy, whether that is about being a good mother and a good wife or to more extreme cases like being silent about your own abuse. And when women do talk about their abuse, that's usually accompanied by the overanalyzing of their every action and victim blaming; they did something to "earn" getting abused. You know, like Buffy in S6.

So no, I don't think buffy "forgiving" her would-be rapist simply because he's got a soul now is a good storytelling point by any mark. And that's made even worse by the fact she can't really forgive him because the show didn't want to acknowledge it again.

Faith, Angel and Willow, for instance, all had their wrongdoings acknowledged in the text to some extend: Faith went to prison, Willow goes to England and is afraid to use her powers again and Angel is isolated from the rest of the scoobies and at one point even tries to kill himself. Spike gets a soul in an ambiguous way where he makes it seem like he's going to use it to "punish" buffy for rejecting him and then goes back to sunnydale where buffy procedes to protect and take care of him after learning he's got a soul "for her", something that she keeps doing even after he proves himself a danger to her friends and family, even after he starts killing again. So I don't think her "forgiving" him is really comparable to the other instances in the show even if we might think some of them "got off easily" too.

(I think you can only make that argument for Willow, but to me what is different about her is that Willow was not a demon -- she's a human being and that separates her from the other villains. Even though she's killed someone, buffy's not a cop, it's not her job to bring "justice" in that sense, so I think her reaction is understandable).

I'm not really sure I'd say buffy completely separates angel and angelus, she always calls him "angel" even when he's soulless. I think her reaction in Amends is mainly about stopping him from killing himself and I believe she'd do that for anyone. She obviously still loves him and has conflicted feelings about what happened but I never get the impression that what he did to her is being swept under a rug -- they both very much acknowledge the damage that he's caused and how much he hurt her. And again, angel suffers the consequences of that by being isolated from the group, things are never really the same for them after S2, even though they try to lead a somewhat normal relationship after a lot of resistence. It's different from spike and buffy where their "relationship" literally blossoms from the abuse or better yet from pretending the abuse didn't happen.

I wouldn't be opposed to Buffy forgiving spike if that was actually an arc in the show but it wasn't. You can't have an arc about forgiveness when you can't even talk about what happened, when you can't even admit there was someone who was clearly in the wrong, someone who took advantage of the other person and hurt them the most, instead of vague allusions and conversations about "mutual abuse" (if you subscribe to the idea of mutual abuse, you're admitting Buffy did something to earn it). Amends was very explicit -- it was about the importance of keeping fighting and striving to do good even when you think of yourself as a lost cause because of the bad things you did. Your past doesn't define you, you can always choose to do better, to be better.

[flymmsy]

do you think that gort used to like karlach at some point? or was he just always faking it to get what he wants? curious about your interpretation of their relationship

I actually wrote about that here! (TLDR: He very much admired her, but Gortash has a fucked up way of showing admiration.)

Karlach and Gortash’s relationship is fascinating. I feel strongly that it was platonic, with perhaps some wiggle room on Karlach's part only because she is really quick to say "it wasn't like that." But I do think that Karlach became one of only a handful of people that Gortash (thought he) cared about.

Gortash on a very base level would never put his security into the hands of someone he didn't trust. A lot of people really wonder "Why Karlach?" - and that's a great question to ask, what is this ~19 y/o (roughly) going to do for you? But it is because it is a bizarre pick that we should look deeper - on the one hand, she's young and impressionable and he can mold her - thats an obvious motivator. But on the other, I strongly believe Gortash saw himself in young Karlach. I also love Karlach and don't want to diminish anything that Gortash did to her, but I am a little skeptical of her "I didn't recognize evil when I saw it" line. I think that's not entirely true - I do think Karlach knew more about what he was (not a Banite, but an Arms Dealer), but she was young enough that she didn't quite understand the true ramifications of that. I think she knew her boss was bad, but didn't think too deeply into just how bad he was and the consequences of his actions. Plus, he gave her financial security she literally never had. As a person who grew up in poverty, yea I'd be willing to overlook a certain degree of shit too for that security.

[And to those who might be unhappy with that take - you're not giving Karlach enough credit. Someone who did bad things/was around bad people and ended up developing into an insanely incredible person in spite of it (and in opposition to it) is a testament to her character AND way more impressive than someone who was just blind and ignorant. She's so much more than that.]

Even more interesting is how genuinely happy Gortash is to see Karlach if you play her origin. It only comes out in this very quick origin-specific interaction - but he actually laughs and sounds different than the entire rest of the game.

"By the Black Hand, I'd recognize that voice anywhere."

Now, I'm insane and overanalyze voice actor's performances all the time, but his voice is immediately rougher and his cadence is different before it shifts back into the regular Gortash voice immediately in the next sentence - "Karlach - it's been an eternity" - as if he's caught himself slipping into something he shouldn't have. Will the real Enver Gortash please stand up?

I've also written about how I think Gortash is genuinely surprised that Karlach is angry with him/blames him for the Hells. It reveals so much about how he's so delusional about his own trauma.

So - in short - I feel that Gortash would say Karlach was one of the closest people to him ever and fully mean it. It's just that she happened to be close to someone who was a terrible, terrible person.

[bookishdaze]

Welcome To The Monkey House

I swear I didn't mean to write this much. I only wanted to know the title of the novel, but noooooo. I just had to overanalyze this single moment in the movie.

Remember this book Mae picks up?

I had to squint at this shot for longer than I'd like to admit. I could only see the author's first name, and I struggled to pick up the last name when Trevathan said it. Forget about making out the actual title. Fortunately, after a bit of digging, I found it! It's 'Welcome To The Monkey House' by Kurt Vonnegut. Very fitting, given Mae's circumstances. Welcome to the monkey house indeed, Mae, haha!

The book is a collection of 25 short stories, one of which is actually titled 'Welcome To The Monkey House.' Kurt Vonnegut is known for weaving satire and science fiction into his stories that explore themes and his criticisms of war, religion, science, and politics.

And so, like any normal, sane person would do, I whipped out my tinfoil hat and read the story with my POTA goggles on and tried to find any connections and similarities to Kingdom. Here's a link to a free PDF version for anyone curious.

First, a very quick summary.

Warning: It features sexual assault and a questionable portrayal of women. That's the 60s for you.

Earth is facing an overpopulation problem with 17 billion people. The world government decides to tackle this problem through two methods. One is through Ethical Suicide Parlors where people go to volunteer to be put to sleep. The other is the government mandating everyone take ethical birth control pills, which make one numb from the waist down. People are still able to reproduce, but the pleasure of sex has been taken away.

Nancy is a hostess at one of these parlors, and she's told by the local sheriff there's a criminal called Billy the Poet who is known for kidnapping hostesses and forcing them to have sex with him. He's a nothinghead, which is someone who doesn't take the ethical birth control pills. They're called nothingheads because they are "bombed out of their skulls with the sex madness."

Billy succeeds in kidnapping Nancy, waits for the effects of the ethical birth control pills to wear off, and takes her virginity. However, the story portrays this assault as a necessary evil. Billy's previous victims actually help him with kidnapping Nancy because they're grateful and understand why he did what he did to them. Billy is remorseful about what he did to Nancy, but he does it because he believes the law is wrong and this is the only way to make others understand.

It ends with Billy giving Nancy a bottle of normal birth control pills that will allow her to feel pleasure and not reproduce. The label on the bottle says Welcome to the Monkey House.

Okidoki! Now lets overanalyze this baby. I'm no Vonnegut expert, and I've only read this single story of his, so any Vonnegut enthusiasts will have to forgive me for any inaccuracies, lol.

Before I continue, I'm not saying this is necessarily what the filmmakers intended. They most likely included the book because of the title and they thought it was clever. The other most likely reason is that both Kurt Vonnegut and Pierre Boulle, the latter who is the author of the original Planet of the Apes novel, were writers who used scifi to explore themes of science and religion in their books. However, where's the fun in the simple answer? JOIN ME IN MY DELUSION!

Nancy Reminds Me Of Mae

Okay, kinda? They're two vastly different stories, but let me explain.

Both Mae and Nancy have been raised to believe the government is right on how to solve humanity's main problem, even if it's wrong. Mae believes the world belongs to humans and not apes, and will do whatever it takes to complete her mission that will help put humans back on top. Nancy believes nothingheadedness and sex are to blame for the world's problems, so people should follow the law and take the pills that strip them of their pleasure.

Mae and Nancy dislike people from another group. Mae has been raised to fear and hate apes. Nancy's disdain for nothingheads is apparent when after the effects of the ethical birth control pills had worn off, she tells her captors, "I may be a nothinghead now. But that doesn't mean I have to think like one or act like one."

Finally, Mae and Nancy's worldviews start to change after their encounter with a person from the other group. Mae believed apes are to be feared and despised, but meeting Noa challenges those beliefs. Nancy is shocked to learn that the women who helped Billy kidnap her had gone through the same thing, foreshadowing that Nancy's beliefs will change just like theirs. Both Mae and Nancy don't completely switch sides by the end, but seeds of doubt have been planted in their minds, and with time, will come to understand that what they've been raised to believe is wrong.

Welcome To The Monkey House Meaning

Okay, remember that label with the phrase Welcome To The Monkey House on the normal pills? Let me explain the reason for that.

The story explains how the ethical birth control pills were originally used on monkeys. The creator of the pills had decided to take his eleven children to the zoo's monkey house after church on Easter, but was appalled to find monkeys...um, well, playing with their little rocket, if ya know what I mean. This led him to create these pills for the monkeys so that visits to the monkey house are more appropriate. Now humans are mandated to take these same pills or risk jail.

So when Bill gives Nancy a bottle of normal birth control pills with the label Welcome To The Monkey House, it sounds like a call to join the other side. For Nancy to join the nothingheads. Join the ones that are seen as sick with sex madness, when in reality it's just normal human sexuality. The phrase suggests the nothingheads are like monkeys, inappropriate and out of control. Comparing other groups of people to animals is a common way to dehumanize them and portray them as evil, but in 'Welcome To The Monkey House,' the real dehumanization is stripping people of their sexual pleasure, an integral part of being human that is also observed in many animals, including monkeys and other primates.

Now if I were to continue drawing parallels between Mae and Nancy, the phrase Welcome To The Monkey House would quite literally mean just that for Mae. Mae would join the monkeys. Well, in this case, the apes. Through her relationship with Noa, she'll realize humans and apes are the same, and that she is no better or worse than this other group she sees as animals.

Okay, I'm Done.

One last thing. This part made me chuckle. Both Mae and Nancy are capable of choking people and breaking their necks, apparently!

[nathank77]

11/11/24

6:39 p.m

So I've been thinking, I have anxiety about all the things I wrote about still but at least for now they are at bay even though I think I'm having heart palpitations atm.. I am still very unsure about what to do about my chlorestoral. My muscles aren't that sore from the gym.. at least yet.. and I really stepped it up. I've had a few spasms but only a few.

I'm glad I'm presumably doing it safely. Wednesday I can add another 3-5 workouts to my routine. Sooner rather than later imma be spending like 5 hours there at a time.

I wish I knew what the right decision about my chlorestoral was. If I take the statin say tonight and I get spasms I'll blame it all on the statin even if I ended up getting them without the statin but I wouldn't know bc well.... I mean... I can't do two different things and see the results unfortunately. I'm def waiting on this decision for a while. I'm wondering if the gym and cutting down on cheese will be at all helpful.

I'm going to need cigarettes soon. I really got to cut down. I don't want to go to new Hampshire anytime soon but it's coming up really soon... it sucks. I'd quit if I could leave this house and get an apartment and get away from my mother and the dog. If I could find a gf.

I also have been thinking about my gauges bc as I was overanalyzing it trying to buy them... I was like am I too old for them? I mean i go what if girls don't like me bc I'm short, or bc I'm bald, or bc I wear glasses. I've never thought about if my gauges have anything to do with it... I've had them since I was like 14.... so I mean they really feel like a part of me. It isn't hard to size down but last time I did it only shrunk to a double zero... so it would never go back to normal. Idk if I want it to shrink to begin with.

All I know is Stacey hated them. Jon hated them. Cecile I think thought they were hot but hated the smell. I'm not sure if she hated them but I think she was the only person i dated to actually think they were hot...

Katie had double zeros so she was indifferent to mine. They weren't hot or ugly. I just wonder if maybe i shouldn't be wearing them. But then again they really are apart of who I am.

People get tattoos. Sleeves and all that and they can't really remove them if they think they look unattractive later (i mean there is laser but it's expensive and you get my point.) However tattoos are considered hot even if the tattoos are fucking fucked up. My sisters tattoos are all bad except three. She has three really nice fucking tattoo, only 3 and the rest are really fucking bad yet everyone compliments them. People think she's hot bc of her tattoos they don't care that most of them look like a 10 year drew them.

Tattoos are considered hot regardless of content, quality, or anything mostly. Gauges were really big when I was a teenager. And then they slowly phased out. Idk. But I know two out of four of my exes thought they were hidiuos...... so idk maybe they aren't attractive?

Also as stupid as this sounds I still got to believe there is hope for me and the girl of my dreams. Even if there isn't bc I don't have anything to live for. Other than me and with the way my living situation changed once Riley got here... I mean I actually feel like I have two options suffer until I just can't anymore and then kill myself. Or just do it now while I still have some form of a quality of life.

I just want someone to hold my hand through a few procedures and show up for me and not give up on me. Idc if me and her are just friends it's not enough to stay alive but it's enough to keep me trying. Idk if that makes sense.... like if we ended up together it'd be entirely enough to keep trying. Family dinners, family movies, all that is a dream. But as friends I mean it isn't enough to keep me here but if she were to show up it might make the difference in the short term to have a place to go and be cared about. To have someone to be there for me sometimes. I just want someone to hold my hand during the biopsy. To be there for me for the hysterectomy and I mean repatha. I'd like someone to give me advice even. But I have no one.

Christmas is going to suck this year if it snows. Thanksgiving is going to suck if I don't go to my dad's. I just want a place to go

I just want someone to be there for me. I just want someone to talk to. I just want to find a place where I belong bc it isn't here.

[notacatdown]

her bargaining nature… her knowledge of how to get the best prices, what are cheaper but similar alternatives, when the best time to go is, etc.

I was questioning the impracticability of buying stuff that's not essential when her dad has limited money left, but it make sense when we get to end of the episode, and its revealed she told him about a gold mine.

are you just spying on her? did u have intentions on talking to her, but overheard all this so you stayed and listened? like i actually wonder if he kinda wanted to follow up on his 0% feelings from the festival? idk!

I want to see these questions answered too! Although I don't like that we no longer hear Miaomiao's thoughts after ep 18, I think the drama could have still been entertaining if we started hearing Mu Sheng's thoughts and get the answers to these early episodes. I was waiting for the drama to answer so many questions.

I thought the drama wanted to set up the novel scene that takes place after he catches her skulking around the guest rooms (which doesn't happen in the drama). In that scene, she lies that she was looking for someone to talk to.

like "i thought you were being nice to me. wdym we cant randomly hang out late in the evening?

from the moment i first watched this moment, i knew ziqi had some connection to the real world. i was like, why does he care so much about this? he cares a lot. this is kinda sus. and after the Go game they definitely make it more obvious.

It's so fun to read your thoughts that don't have the bias of a pre-conceived notion of what Mu Sheng is thinking! It feels like I'm watch the drama with fresh eyes. So awesome! I agree with everything you wrote here. At the time, I thought he was just being Mu Sheng, who is fascinated by Miaomiao's oddities. The way demons/yao are fascinated by humans. The actual topic isn't important to him. He overanalyzes everything she says and does. He's playing 3d chess while Miaomiao is playing checkers, and he thinks they're playing the same game.

hes so taken aback by the way she plays, and asking her if she even knows how to plaaaaaay. i genuinely think he was dumbfounded here, not even trying to get at her.

Oh, that makes so much sense for that scene. I like how different the drama scene comes across when we don't hear his thoughts. In the novel, he's catches on that she doesn't know how to play. When he puts his hand on his forehead, he's silently questioning himself. What's wrong with him that he keeps playing along for so long and tells her his courtesy name. He eventually blames it on sleepiness. But, the next day, Miaomiao notices he looks like a person that had a good night's sleep unlike her. So, we know he's lying to himself.

well, the percentage didnt go negative until later, so he clearly did not hate iiiitttttt!!! and that means SO much to me. he was willingly getting flicked in the forehead over and over, not just because he agreed to it, because he totally couldve told her "youre just getting back at me" or something dumb to get out of it and maybe offered an alternative that favored him, but also because he totally saw this as a bonding moment

Such a good point! It didn't occur to me that Mu Sheng getting out of it is was an alternative until you mentioned it. This made me rethink the novel scene that was skipped before five-in-a-row. It's from Miaomiao's point of view, and she "tricks" him into letting her hold his arm while they're walking back to her room. I initially thought, he agrees to it because if he says no it'll hurt his pride. But now that you mention it, it could also be that he enjoys it. I think he has a hierarchy of Miaomiao touching him is way better than him touching her.

im not going to psychoanalyze much here, but i feel that miaomiao likely did not pursue any romantic relationship maybe because of her struggle with the loss of her dad, which very much impacted her during her most formative years. and its unlikely many kids her age could relate, and she already seemed to be pretty introverted/picked on by other kids, so she maybe drew herself in even more.

I like all the psychoanlyzing! I would have like to see what she was like during the years between her father's death and the start of the drama. She seems extroverted and comfortable socializing to me, but I can also see it as she's more comfortable because she views everyone as a game/novel character.

but she seems to me to be the type to have grown up on the internet and fantasy world of books and games and shows and thats how she found a sort of community. her interactions are more online-based than anything physical, which i think makes her more awkward and perhaps a bit socially inept at times. :-( i feel for her.

That would make a lot of sense. It does feel like she views this world through the lens of transmigration stories and drama tropes. In the novel, Miaomiao is a gold mine for unfiltered cracky observations and off-kilter problem-solving. Her observation are about things unique to the Fu Zhou's fantastical world (novel version) instead of broad commentary that could be used for any xianxia drama (drama version). So, I think what we see in the drama supports your head canon of Miaomiao. She is trying to make sense of this world by defining it under the rules of xianxia dramas.

the stepping towards her is actually kinda insane. like ummmmm what are you doing? you can see it in her face for a sec esp with her eyes widening.

i think his comment here is twofold; hes talking about how she may be pretty but could be poisonous, representing how he thinks that she puts on a good face but may have bad intentions / hes talking about how the hairband may seem nice but it holds a very poisonous thing, which is his demon form, that he hates.

I'm on torn on this. I initially thought he was referring to both of them because he put the flower in her hair. And, I can see Miaomiao interpreting his words this way. But, when I watch this scene after reading the original scene in the novel, I think Mu Sheng is only referring to himself when he says beautiful things are malicious. That putting the flower in her hair is simply his excuse to get close to her.

I think you're right. I'm probably overthinking things. We don't know about his deep loathing for himself because of his demon heritage until ep 7, and he comes off as relatively happy and sure of himself until then.

im assuming they had to give away/sell all the rich things they got? not that i understand why, or care to try and get why.

Her dad had to use the original taxpayer money to bribe Dowager Consort Zhao in the past, so there was no money in the county treasury. He refilled the treasury with his money when the official came to check.

also, idk where yao and fuyi went off to, but bye, i guess. though, in the background of when shes waving, they share a glance of surprise almost, like oh, wow, a gold mine, thats pretty great, and fuyi smiles at miaomiao.

Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi feel like NPCs that get put away without care when they're not needed for a specific scene. Except for MiaoMiao's interactions with her father, the screenwriter has been omitting a lot of their novel scenes with Mu Yao and Liu Fuyi.

For example, Miaomiao asks Liu Fuyi a question their boat, and he answers,

"Over the years, Yao'er and I have long become accustomed to shouldering everything on our own. Rather than say we're lovers… it would be better to say we're partners. We depend on each other, but we also compete with each other. In this relationship, we're afraid of losing to the other. A single loss means an unrecoverable defeat…" He looked at Miaomiao with the sympathetic eyes of an elder and stopped talking. "You're still young. You don't understand."

From that conversation, the readers can see that he and Mu Yao are more than the simple heroic figures Miaomiao has read about, and Miaomiao begins to see that her understanding of them and their relationship is shallow.

im not gonna lie, while i think it gets under his skin a bit in a envious type of way, i think he also genuinely feels like anyone who has the opportunity to be with their parents is not at fault for doing so.

+100

during my first watch, he gagged me so badly here. it didnt really cross my mind that he was in on it, so i was like WHAAAAAAAAT? as if it wasnt obvious LMAO. ugh, my god.

It was such a good twist! I love that he fooled everyone, but Mu Yao.

hes right about not understanding why she chose to do it, since he doesnt need her to answer, cause he'll just find out soon enough.

but spoiler alert, he does not. i have to say, this might be one of the more loose ends im upset with. its not that it doesnt make that much sense to drop it, like he totally changed course after she (in ep 7) saw his demon form and wasnt afraid, and if anyone feels that way, is willing to even go as far as to risk her life for him, whatever she had planned cannot be worth that... but, i do wish it was brought up again! she drops hints about her not really being lin yu and all to him, which i suppose is meant to clear up how that suspicion of her purpose dissipates, especially in regards to her whole talk about the dream world, yet i still felt a little unsatisfied about it! does he chalk it up to a mix of that, and maybe considering that she wanted to get rid of it for the same reason he did, since she cares about him, she certainly has to care about yao to an immense extent if she was, as i said, willing to die for him? this is all me trying to get inside his head and how he interpreted everything and made the decision to drop questioning her about wanting to burn the map.

Agree with all of this. There's a lot of unnecessary vagueness behind Mu Sheng's motivations and behavior. I want a conversation between them to clear things up. Would take less than a minute to show. When she wanted to burn the map, she didn't know why Mu Sheng wanted to burn it, so it can't be because she wants to protect Mu Yao. Its weird that he's okay with her continuing to be close to Mu Yao when her unknown intentions might be sinister.

Even if its only 1% chance, I would think Mu Sheng wouldn't be willing to take that risk even if Mu Yao likes her. Although Mu Sheng says to Mu Yao that Liu Fuyi is up to something, I thought he was only slandering Liu Fuyi to use him as a scapegoat.

Actually… I'm not sure what Mu Sheng thinks of Liu Fuyi. How do you think Mu Sheng views Liu Fuyi?

In the novel, during the period before they arrive at the capital, Mu Sheng thinks Liu Fuyi is an excellent demon hunter, a reliable teammate, and a gold standard for moral behavior. He's jealous of the attention that Mu Yao gives Liu Fuyi and wants to break them up. He feels like a kid who's single mom has started dating. Liu Fuyi has also committed the most unpardonable sin in Mu Sheng's eyes. He's indiscriminately nice to everyone! How dare Liu Fuyi be nice to people other than Mu Yao, lol.

i did NOT expect this to be as long as it is... please forgive me. i wish i couldve added more screenshots, too, because he was SO expressive in this scene! gosh, what a good ep!

Thank you for all the perfectly timed screenshots! Its really fun to look through them and see all the little moments I missed. Ding Yuxi is so good with his expressions and body language. Not sure if I already linked this to you before. https://www.douyin.com/video/7438670151370706186 It has his favorability in the top left. His eyes are so expressive.

lgief rewatch ep. 6

yayyyyyy the gomoku episode <3 AH this is so precious to me. esther yu and ding yuxi seemed like they had so much fun doing this, and i had so much fun watching it over and over again!

if youd like to discuss lgief, feel free to send me asks, chats, or reply to any of these posts.

ep 1 / ep 2 / ep 3 / ep 4 pre-festival / ep 4 festival / ep 5, 5 part 2 / ep 6

so we start the ep with all the workers leaving bc theyre not an official's residence anymore, and oh man, i love the side of miaomiao we get to see because of it.

her bargaining nature… her knowledge of how to get the best prices, what are cheaper but similar alternatives, when the best time to go is, etc. miaomiao, how often do you do this in your world? you are so funny for this. queen. im obsessed with her.

and i love her little pathetic fake stepping in place to make it seem like she was leaving, LOL. as well as how cute she is hopping on her two feet while her dad is amazed. like yaaaaah i did thattttt i know my stuff.

screencap for her pretty hair design. i wonder if her maids did it for her one last time before leaving.

ziqi listening to this convo goes down had me wondering why, esp with his solemn-type expression. are you just spying on her? did u have intentions on talking to her, but overheard all this so you stayed and listened? like i actually wonder if he kinda wanted to follow up on his 0% feelings from the festival? idk! but hearing this caused a fork in the road and he chose a different approach to her from what he couldve been planning.

miaomiao blaming herself for her dads death is so so sad. it must be a bit difficult at this moment to believe that the man next to her is some version of her father while thinking of her real one, and it is a little jarring to hear them both talk about him as some Other Person, instead of "no, i wouldnt have blamed you, dear," but the feeling is there all the same. at the end of the day, that is like her dad, but shes definitely trying to detach a little bit because its Not, and goes as far as calling him "old lin" to create a boundary for herself, i imagine. otherwise, she would absolutely get too attached, and thats why she also warns him if she suddenly goes back to being mean she hopes he isnt upset.

playing with his chain, mysteriously in the darkness...

"youre so powerful" the sarcasm is hilarioussssss. she thinks bc she reached 0% shes got some leeway. its true, she does.

i like how she uses something similar to his lines from the map burning on him. it was not lost on me.

whys he lowkey look unhappy when he asks if hes not welcome. like "i thought you were being nice to me. wdym we cant randomly hang out late in the evening?"

and miaomiao realizes how wonderful of an opportunity this is to get some positivity from him! she really treats him like a quest for so long... and he goes "uh huh, right. im welcome now, i see."

miaomiao im sorry his bitch ass eavesdropped and isnt even apologetic about it. he didnt seem so sinister when he was listening, but now hes cornering her! and she is so surprised at it too! you can see how shes processing what hes saying and what that means. oh shes so offended, even though in the imperial capital shes so for it. i love that scene there lol.

from the moment i first watched this moment, i knew ziqi had some connection to the real world. i was like, why does he care so much about this? he cares a lot. this is kinda sus. and after the Go game they definitely make it more obvious.

i wonder whats going on in his head when he asks this tho? is he thinking that she is some type of demon who can time/universe travel or something? because hes linking that to her being weird/sneaky, and i cant imagine how else he would make it make sense in his head given the universe.

fully reblogged version linked here

[queenofthearchipelago]

Also btw, there *are* different levels of fandom. You can just... watch a thing for fun with your brain mostly turned off and just absorb the plot as it happens without thinking. You can focus on only one plot and then be bored when your favorite character leaves the screen. You can just coast through a story and pick up only what the creators obviously wanted you to pick up and nothing else. You can notice the foreshadowing. You can notice the musical themes. You can notice the faces the background characters are making. You can overanalyze every second of the show and make predictions.

And none of those paths make anyone a bad fan? Or a bad consumer of stories? Because we pay attention to the stories that matter to us in ways that excite us?

I find that as a creator, I'm just thrilled when one person gets it. I create things assuming that most people won't pick up the very specific thing I put down. And that's not because I created it badly, but because people are so subjective. We all interact with stories with our own perspectives and talents and experiences. It's a good thing, that I might draw a sunrise and give it to someone who thinks it's a sunset, but it's still beautiful.

And quite frankly, I'm always so intrigued by the ideas people take away from my work that I never even thought of. The ideas that make so much sense, I really could have created it exactly for that reason, but I didn't. Someone took my work and gave it new meaning and then told me what that meaning was and it made me love my creation even more.

And I think we underestimate how often that happens with professional storytellers too. Alex Hirsch, who created Gravity Falls, often would read fan theories of his own story, that he himself admitted made a lot of sense even though he didn't think of it.

Idk, I just think everyone needs to calm down sometimes about What The Creator Intended or What This Scene Actually Means or What This Character Is Supposed To Teach Us. The intention is not the beginning or the end of all the beautiful things that can come from an art, stop limiting it by being so certain you're the only one who can be right. And don't be quick to blame someone else for not seeing what you saw.

[creepy--claws]

[● Trigger warning: Discussion of abuse, Skinamarink spoilers

Say what you want about Skinamarink but that shit scares me more than any ol' analog horror ever will. Yes the phone is my mortal enemy but that's not the point. It's what it means. Stuff like the windows and doors being taken, Kaylee having her face taken, and the toys on the ceiling and just disappearing in general

The shot with the toys on the ceiling and slowly getting further and further away and more out of reach...

I personally believe that it is all symbolism for abuse and though it does take a more dream-like form in execution, like a horrible nightmare a child would have, that's what situations like that feel like. I don't live in the worst household ever, but I do know what it's like to be physically punished for minor things, unfairly punished for minor things, and be antagonized by those you look up to. I saw somebody say something about how the demon taking the form of the mother is how children sometimes pretend that their parents are possessed or replaced by a supernatural entity so they don't have to face the reality of the situation. I notice I do something like this where I blame their horrible behavior not ok their ideology, but on their alcoholism because alcohol changes people and makes them worse people.

Let me also discuss Kaylee losing her face because she cried out for her mom and dad. They took away her mouth so she wouldn't speak about the pain she's going through, and this can be linked to just demon doing demon things, but it can be linked to a parent taking away their child's ability to talk because they might speak up about their trauma and make them look bad. I actually remember my mom doing something like this when I brought up something she did to harm me, which included harsh words and physical punishment for something I didn't do and she knows I didn't do. I brought it up while we were around other people and she did her best to deny it and change the topic by focusing on minor parts that weren't relevant to the actual point of what I said. It worked and nobody commented on it at all or took me seriously.

Another note is having to silently agree with bad things that your parents say in order to not get punished for thinking differently. I know my father will punish me and my sibling for speaking against his ideology. I try my best not to ever bring up those topics but he somehow manages to bring it into conversation despite it never being tied with the actual topic. What am I saying this isn't a bullet point I'm just getting emotional at 12am

But being in a rough situation with your sibling is really scary. You not only worry for yourself, but the one you grew up next to and lived beside for a long time. Seeing them go through unimaginable pain is agonizing, and it broke my heart to see that portrayed in this film.

One last thing. The title of the movie. Skinamarink. It's a reference to the nursery rhyme "Skidamarink" and I think a lot of things tie into it with a repeating cycle and constant never ending things that happen daily. The nursery rhyme is sort of repetitive with a few things interrupting the whole "Skidamarink a dink a dink" but it mostly stays consistent. Abuse is consistent and it carries out everyday in a cycle. It's something you can't just easily escape. I think one thing that links to the whole repetitiveness theme is the clip of the one cartoon playing over and over and over again before another toy is taken, another example is near the end where blood repetitively flies on and off of the ceiling with children crying in the background. That blood is spilled every day and it won't stop.

OK that's me overanalyzing media again because I see people shitting on this film for the cinematography but that's a little unfair because they're missing out on the true narrative. The narrative which scares me and chills me down to the bone because being stuck in an unsafe household does feel like a dark, scary nightmare where a demon lurks your house in place of your parents and you have no protection from the ones that hurt you because your guardians aren't there for you and the things you have left to cling to get further away as reality starts to yell in your face. I feel like the constant "go to sleep" is to get the children to ignore reality whereas the "wake up" is to get them to face reality head on. In my opinion the cinematography is fine, it captures the essence of a dark nightmare perfectly, and like you're all alone at night with nobody else there and only the comforts of items that make you feel better and bring you back to innocence. I just heard a scary noise so I'm going to leave now goodbye!]

[sadbi-hours]

Oh the 100th episode of ahs!I.Fucking.Loved.Every.Damn.Second.Of.It!

Okay, sorry...y'all can sue me but I gotta give it to Ryan Murphy a bit here! He delivered...that fucking shit was everything I'd been waiting it to be! It was entertaining as all get out to me...it was wild. The music was magnificent, especially the wonderful atmospheric use of the Smiths 'How Soon Is Now' at the end! The acting was even more on point then ever before...and you know what, it was just good ole' fashion 80s slasher fun and craziness!

Episode 6 did not take itself too fucking seriously like some of the others eps have and, don't get me wrong, I'd have been okay with that...if it hadn't been poorly excuted in some areas...but anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I didn't for one moment take this episode seriously and I loved it dearly for that!

I didn't get pestered with deep ass questions that I knew I was probably will never get any answers to--though there is still a bit of time and would like a answer to a few of them--nor did the ep or writing try to get me figuring out what the overall storyline was...and the greatest miracle of all, there was no insanely unexpected plot twist waiting in the wings for me to flip my lid over!

Oh I bet you could imagine the immense sigh of relief that I took when this episode was over...and I wasn't having some form of a mental breakdown...my god, it could be heard in every room of my house!

This episode for what it was was fantastic! I love it...I adore it...and I have very few gripes with it--or at least for now knowing my overanalyzing ass!

But anyway, Brooke, I just have one thing to say...WILL YOU MARRY ME? She's become my ride or die...my main chick! I freaking loved her this episode, especially in that (spolier) during her execution speech to Margret! Oh man, I was just...

So fucking proud. My bby...my light...fire of my loins, I adore you with every fiber of my being...and I'll never doubt you again! You have my forever love 💘

And I loved how she told RR and Satan where to shove it! Iconic!

And poor Mr.Jingles' being a whole ass fucking mood during the beginning of this episode...all fed up with RR's shit and just like...

That freaking look on his bloody face as RR murdered all those people was priceless...and so me haha! I just know that he was lowkey wishing that he had just fucking let himself die up at Camp Redwood in 1984! He was tried of the same old shit and I don't blame him, Benji has never been about that life...and also that scene with him sipping on his Tab all slow and delicious like as RR gets his ass beat was hilarious!

But yo seriously, why you gotta do my man like that Ryan! He just chilling with his wife and baby...working a peaceful job rewinding and renting out videotapes..and I'm not gonna lie, I was mad jealous! It's like lowkey my dream of mine to work at Family Video for a living...and get to interact with like minded staff and video renters who love movies as much as I do...and recommended good ass movies to people all day long who are less of a movie geek as me. Yes it is a life's dream...i'm not much of an overachiever! I'm easy to plese lol...and mad props to Benji's movie choices. I most certainly approve...who needs that horror shit, huh? Haha!

But anywho, I felt a mad sense of connection to Benji this episode. He just wanted to live peacefully with his wife and son! He didn't give a single fuck for Camp Redwood...and he shouldn't. He got the happy ending he deserved...and RR's ass had to fuck it up for him! But I'm living for how Brooke, Benji, and Donna are probably going to be TG i guess! I didn't expect it...especially after all the fuck shit they had been through, even though I still kinda care less about Donna!

But I will give her this...she made a fucking entrance at the end of this episode! I never felt so happy to see someone I lowkey want to taste the blade! Angelica Ross was working it at the end there.

So I totally...at least for now, agree with how's one TG per say! My vengeful angels came to collect names...and fuck Margret's shit all the way up!

And to Margret...and now by extention, BD Trevor:

IT'S ON SIGHT!!! I just felt y'all should know that! If not from me...than trust Brooke or Chet gonna make you taste that steel blade.

And you know what, Chet's call for blood...ain't even mad at it! It's what she deserves...he got her slippin' and she needs to pay. And bruh, Trevor man...👀 watching you my man! I'm hoping you'll turn it around...but I doubt it! You got that Xavier and Chet logic going on...they did the soft good boi bby route and look what it got them so...

And speaking of Xavier...and Montana...

(not mine! credit goes to the owner!)

Need I say more?! I can die happy now...my only gripe is that I want fucking more of it! Give me more more more! Please and thank you 😏

And yes for right now, I am discounting that it's OOC for the Xavier's character arc..but you what, fuck it, I enjoyed it the living hell out of it!

Plus, most of episode 6 is set in 1989...so he's been stuck up at CR for nearly 5 yrs....and nothing good or bad he's done has gotten him out of there. So I don't mind encouraging a little bit of mischief...especially when it invloves Billie and Cody making out. I'm sorry...but yes, I'm that bitch tonight! Ryan Murphy's telling us to fuck the character arcs he's built...so I am too...for now.

And Ray, bro...

I mean yo, you ain't wrong...we really shouldn't just be k wording people left and right for no reason...but he's just such a whiny bitch about it! And where do you get off being high and mighty moral king, when you've been cleaning up their messes...I mean RIP Ray I hardly know ya...but I'm sorry I'm different, I'd be telling them to clean up their own pile of dead bodies! I got better things to do...so sorrynotsorry! Maybe if you had been written better I would care...

And I loved Montana's 'What about my murder...don't I count?' and even with my forever love for her, I was lowkey like No Montana...you hella deserved that shit! Plus, you doing you...living that extra dead afterlife with your man's! So Stay in your lane...count those blessing!