#I think I was trying to look for ones mentioned in osp

[overlysarcasticpolls]

Not necessarily "Which is your sign" but which constellation is your favorite? Is it what it symbolizes, the myths about it, or something else altogether?

[Image Source]

[deusvervewrites]

So, I've been thinking about Bakugou (again) and I realized that one thing that irritates me is how much it feels like Horikoshi is/was trying to have his Cake and eat it too with Bakugous arc.

He wants him to have a redemption arc, which is good, Bakugou is nowhere near the irredeemable villain zone, but he also wants him to be a Measuring Stick for Izuku and others, a goal for them to work towards and more of a Rival instead of a villain, and that BEFORE he's had his redemption arc. And as a result he REALLY doesn't want to put him through the wringer or have him fall in the way that the best redemption arcs need.

For example, Zukos redemption arc worked so well BECAUSE he didn't switch sides in Ba Sing Se in season 2, he had to get everything he wanted back at the cost of everything that actually mattered and then had to realize how empty he now felt and that the had made the wrong choice. That's why his redemption works so well. The same can be said for Catra from the 2018 version of She-Ra: She could have switched sides in season 3, but instead she doubled down and rose higher in power while falling even deeper as a character, only to end up all alone and powerless and lost. And that's why her redemption works.

But Bakugou... He isn't allowed to ever really fall, to fuck up one time too much and look back and see the trail of errors in his wake. We get close to that several times, but he is always pulled back up, because "he is just the rival and their classmate, he isn't really an antagonist, this would be bad, right?". Which not only sabotages his potential redemption, it also has the unfortunate side-effect that some of his worst behaviors are implicitly enabled and/or normalized.

The worst part?

There was a perfect opportunity in the Ground Beta fight after the Provisional Licensing Exams. Had Bakugou, after Kamino and failing the Exams and everything else that happened at UA, lost that fight against Izuku, it could have been the perfect catalyst for him to finally reexamine his biases and opinions.

But no. Bakugou magically has zero issues keeping up with 8% Full Cowl Shoot Style Izuku and actually wins that fight AND is then essentially encouraged in his opinions by the teachers.

God damn it.

I think Zuko and Catra are both interesting comparisons

Zuko doesn't realize that he's doing the wrong thing until late Season 2, and he still backslides when given the opportunity for his father's approval. It's not until he has it that he realizes that he doesn't actually like having it.

Catra starts the series well aware that she is the bad guy, and she doesn't care because all she cares about is Adora. She hits her rock bottom somewhere either during the finale of Season 3 or throughout Season 4 depending on your interpretation. Overly Sarcastic Productions has an entire 40 minute breakdown of her arc in Season 4 and how it parallels a protagonist, leaving them both at their lowest and trapped together for the start of Season 5.

(OSP has also discussed redemption arcs on multiple occasions, and specifically cite Zuko's arc by noting how we are constantly introduced to him in sympathetic circumstances, such as interacting with Zhao and humanized through Iroh.)

Both of them get what they think they want and come to realize that what it's not what they actually wanted at all. I've heard it said that Bakugou only wins when it's not important but that's really... not true. I've mentioned before in passing that the school format means that the student characters have limited agency in the narrative. Saying that the Battle Trials wasn't winning in a way that matters is not quite true because the school year will continue regardless of who wins or loses or how. The closest thing we ever really see to Bakugou deciding he doesn't like the way he's succeeding is his internship with Best Jeanist.

There is never really a moment where Bakugou gets what he wants and decides that he really doesn't want it. The only way he could have a moment like that is reaching the Number One Hero spot or something to that effect.

But that's not the only way to do an arc like this. I go on and on about it, but Infinity Train Season 3 really is that good about showing off Redemption Arcs.

Bakugou's whole thing is that he recognizes the flaws in his own behavior without outside input, which is interesting, especially in a shonen, which generally has the kid characters do all the work since that's the target age demographic. Yeah it makes UA come across as a worse institution but that's par for the course in Magical School Young Adult Fiction.

The real issue is that we don't get to see a lot of that reflection. He gives a speech about why he had to be the one to end All Might... while dragging Midoriya out past curfew to beat him up. His final Hero Name is worse and gaudier than the joke names he gave at the start. He nearly failed the Final Exam because he wanted to just attack All Might over and over, and he is currently getting field heart surgery because he... attacked Shigaraki. Over and over.

The closest we get to him showing indications of responsibility is when we get a fucking flashback in the War Arc* to him telling All Might that he used to bully Midoriya, and when he identifies that Midoriya will always put other people before himself without ever mentioning why exactly, the person who he personally called Useless for eleven years might not have great self-esteem, but also I can recognize that Horikoshi does not want to tell a story with themes of mental health, and to complain that the story lacks those elements is not a valid reading of the text.

I feel like Bakugou has a lot of narrative potential in a lot of different aspects of My Hero Academia, but he's not really being used as effectively as he could be. I maintain that him losing his Quirk during this arc but becoming a Hero anyway would be fucking rad

*The sins of the War Arc are incalculable, but the most prominent one is that they skipped over four fucking months to get there and then had to keep flashing back to all the important things that happened

[the-monkey-ruler]

Even in games like HIB do mention buddha like its as simple as that

Hell if they don’t want to literally names dropped him, they could have alluded d to him by saying his tittle like “the enlightened one.”

Its the dissonance that makes lmk stands out more so than the others jttw adaptations. Especially when we the audience doesn’t know IF swk is a buddha here. (He might be a bodhisavtta but since they have yet to name dropped guanyin, i dont think they will)

Jttw as whole does balance these two religions and able to showcased them as is. The refusal to allude other religions besides daoism just raised eyes on lmk n their decisions in this aspect. (Esp when swk IS the victorious fighting buddha and great sage equal to heaven. The way that characters goes out their way to avoid saying his actual name or his better well known tittles is bit weird. Esp when it very important to his character moreso than being the monkey king ever was)

like imagine building up to this title that you ever accomplished in life only to never be refer to that bc they see your first job ever first and the rest never to be acknowledged.

Like hell buddha and swk does have a connection here that in lmk seem to be nonexistent to uphold the narrative of JE is bad!! (When that just a poor dude in head management of a corporation.) it a questionable decision esp it seem like recon (bc lmk did mention buddha in like s1 and the usual narrative of how havoc on heaven goes. Like swk being trap in the furnace.)

His lmk character feels like hes just another flanderized goku. Hes just a messed of a character once you look past his goofiness and compare him to others swk. He does not uphold well—for this to be known as westerners first introduction to xiyouji (apart from OSP) it just sad that he could not be as complex as he should have been.(he can be something other than goofy-other than traumatized mess but he can do so good as much he had harmed)

Its kinda sad for being a protector of children, he had ended up being portrayed as irresponsible n a threat(bc of his various blunders)

Rip swk pissing in buddha fingers scene. You shall be missed

I think they could have done a lot with Lego Monkie Kid Wukong if they have given him the time he needed. They have a strong foundation of a plot to show Wukong has a mentor role but it looked like they rather a sacrifice character building for drama and shock value...

I’m not sure if he does have his other titles but considering I saw someone say that the “Great Sage” title was a reference to Xiyouji rather than that being his name… insane really. Like... just now knowing that is his NAME!

I'm not trying to bank on LMK on teaching people about Xiyouji like it's not meant for that... but at the same point, it's crazy to me to think that a Xiyouji piece of media is making 'references' to the original media despite it being in the same universe where everything happened like... of course it's going to reference the original source material. It is literally canon in the story that it happened.

And yeah them brushing off Wukong is also a monk and a Buddha... it's more strange than anything cause he is immortal... and the rest of the pilgrims should have also been immortal so I hope they touch why THAT isn't the case but... I feel like there are just going to be a lot of plotholes left unanswered for 'the reader's interpretation.' Like why did Wukong go on the journey if it wasn't his redemption arc for him to finally see that he had gone too far? Or why have the Jade Emperor defeat him when it just shows that it was about strength and not about ideologies? Again I've seen bad guy Jade Emperorbefore and here it looks like they are trying for a 'there is more going on' angle but... idk... just so many things that are not being played out or being far too rushed to be really fleshed out.

Which I feel like is the show's biggest weakness with Wukong. They are so busy rushing the plot they never give time to flesh him or even other characters out. He isn't the one that suffers from that which is a shame cause the show does have a lot of charming characters too!

I don’t know… I like the show but I think I'm going to just enjoy that I can and hopefully... things might get better this time... but maybe I just got to accept that they are never going to give their own characters the development or time they need.

A real shame.

[vinxwatches]

(re)watching Transformers: Prime season 1

this was a series that was on during a time, but i don't think i ever saw the end or even a lot of it, though i do remember the motorcycle robot well and thought she was really cool (may have been lesbianism or gender envy), and Red from OSP mentioned is with some regularity which has kept it in my mind. also it was what i was watching when i got picked up to see my sibling for the first time after they were born and i remember being quite annoyed i had to stop watching the show, which clearly has stuck with me for way too long.

ep1 darkness rising, p1

well, it almost looks good. almost, but the lighting engine is just too weak to pull most things off. the graphic quality just doesn't seem to be able to pull of what they want it to. the terrain is extremely low in quality. i expect that to get a lot better, not just with seasons but even though the first season as they build up more assets.

damn that wasn't long for the first death. might also explain why he didn't look great. how much time do you put into a character that exists for 5 minutes?

it's interesting to see an enemy with a plan we know at least in part will fail as they don't truly have the element of surprise. for protagonists it's common, classic tragedy stuff. but never for antagonists.

wow, real subtle guys. two dark purple spiky cars driving like assholes. no one will ever notice anything up. also pausing really reveals how bad things blend. the entire scene has motion blur Except the characters. even still the action is surprisingly good. i just hope the human cast won't be unbearable.

small dextrous fighter dodging around strikes for larger opponents that she can take down? well if that isn't my favourite. no seriously that's always what i try to play in games. i'm no good at hit but it's my fucking jam.

oh she has way too much detail to be a background character. i don't remember this goth girl at all for some reason though. she does have the best personality so far though (yes i like enthusiastic characters)

p2

good way to make him intimidating: give his every footstep a screen shake.

i thought they were going to go somewhat light on combat. NOPE. the bad guys will cut people in half. the good guys will do a fancy kick move of someone's neck and take their head off.

and sometimes it's Very ps2.

damn, it didn't take long at all for the villain to make a turn for the monstrous. i thought that would be season finally or at least mid finally shit. oh shit i think i remember that tiny robot very well, may well have inspired a lot of things i've come up with over the years.

p3

man they really use a lot of plotpoints in the opening multi parter. my fear is that that'll result in a very status quo no progress middle of the season.

i'm getting the feeling that they either don't have the ability or time to fully render some scenes which is why some turn out way worse then others.

and of course the military can't be shown as truly bad.

p4

seriously that the undead army is already a thing is worrying to me. where do you get to go beyond that? "if your opponents are already dead how can we defeat them?" you stop them from being able to move.

ah, they are trying to give the humans a purpose... good luck.

blades extended straight out of the forearm. seems rather impractical. severely limits the amount of cuts you can make as you can't edge align, and these blades seem really short.

the boy walks away... i'm sure i'm supposed to be sad about it, but i'm really not. he added nothing other then being whiny. he'd obvious return. got to have a "default" guy, lets hope he find a bloody use. because responsible isn't interesting.

ok, pretty good threat for what to avoid in the future.

p5

i repeat again: a LOT of big plot point early. i'm afraid for the rest of the series.

transformers is pretty big on defending the home you didn't choose. there's a really harmful message in that. patriotism is incredibly dangerous, which is part of why america is so dangerous, to others and too itself. it's also big on them choosing to defending the home they didn't choose. there's a much less harmful message in that.

Masters and Students

oh, Starscream has a goa to work towards. will it be one episode or a seasonal thing?

"you are a motorcycle, shouldn't you know how to put one together?" "you are a human, can you build me a small intestine". there are some significant differences (motorcycles are designed and lack most useless parts while humans are not and our internals are a bloody mess design wise). but also fair point and fucking funny.

also neat choice to make soundwave, who acts the most like a robot, a drone in plane form.

oh i think i remember this episode. at least the science project subplot i hated.

Con Job

oh yea, he has the high villain shoulders.

Convoy

i was going to say that there were less and less ps2 moments. then they introduced a new setting and yea it's not looking great.

pretty good ending speech and pretty interesting concept for future plots.

Speed Metal

fucking hell don't say "that's my girl" it's fucking weird and gross.

at least they aren't (currently) pairing up the main human male and female character because i don't trust this show to do that well.

Predatory

oh shit we're diving into some heavy shit here. i'm afraid spider lady will be an obvious bad guy.

damn there's serious PTSD going on here. and how RC seems perfectly equipped to fight her could be extremely deep story telling if you read it that the made herself perfect to fight exactly her again.

Sick Mind

ok, they found the hidden enemy ship. so things are maybe moving forward. also really telling that they'll try a rescue of someone they don't know over hitting the enemy they know they have.

a plague ship. such a cool idea. so sad that it's currently probably a bit bad taste to use for things like ttrpgs. though if it's like a necrotic disease. zombies that turn you into zombies by biting you it's probably fine to use.

oh, inside someone's brain episode? really liked those in the owl house, lets see how they visualize it and what they do with it.

"i have thoroughly researched the theoretical literature" and today in least confidence boosting sentences.

interesting it's bumblebee and nor rc. i wonder why.

damn, smart play by bumbles, smart counterplay by megatron. not smart enough. really cool.

not to inventive with the visuals, but probably the coolest episode so far, maybe with predatory. and damn that cliffhanger.

Out of His Head

powerplays between the two people conspiring together. very interesting dynamic.

ok, megatron is back, things do move... and no one seems to be too bothered about it atm. i'm guessing that's what the next episode starts with.

Shadowzone

oh damn, starstream going to use the dark energon in desperation to be level the playingfield.

oh hey, people being out of phase, i recently saw this startreck episode. damn, and they left most of a zombie in the other phase. that'll be interesting for the future.

Operation: Breakdown

damn, how much transformer gore will we see in this one? just one lose eye and where it was supposed to go, kind of a letdown

Crisscross

fucking hell this episode is going brutal. more brutal then the breakdown episode.

Metal Attraction

damn, first instance of damage being permanent.

so they try to make the mom look bad by being over protective. but we don't get any sense that most recon missions go perfectly smoothly and safely. now i'm sure that's like characters in stories going to the toilet, but it does make it feel like they are very often dangerous making the mom seem more then reasonable. they also try to make RC seem over protective even though she takes them on missions she believes are safe and sends them back when dangers shows. i don't think they'll make the conclusion stick well.

i wonder how permanent they'll make those very neat retributive cuts. she seems like the type who'd keep them until she killed the one that gave them.

oh, his dad left... i though he might have died... that's either a much stronger stance, or his father will be revealed later making it much less interesting because we've seen that dozens of times. and they didn't make them worrying the bad thing they did, but instead not accepting change. surprisingly well handled.

Rock Bottom

not like this (be burried under a metric fuckton of rock and then drilled to death)... why not? a swift, easy end to one of the biggest threats. boring for the series? sure. but they could have made it saving before attacking and it would have made total sense.

Partners

i just realized the autobots make for a pretty standard 5 man band... sort of. some are easy. like bulkhead is the obvious big buy, ratchet is the obvious smart guy. now arcee and optimus are obvious leader and lancer. but you could question who's who. for the leader optimus is rather rarely the focus... but yea no he's the leader. and arcee is a neat lancer being the smallest compared to the largest, nimble and dodging instead of standing his grown and tanking. which would make bumblebee the heart which makes total sense.

if anyone would turn coat starscream would make some sense... but also not as he'd want to tripplecross. however he thinks he'll get more.

T.M.I.

damn this episode felt like one of the writers was struggling trough a family member suffering dementia.

Stronger, Faster

i think i remember this episode. unless the energy problem keeps coming up.

i mean... is what he's saying not true though? he's saying it like an asshole, sure, but what did he say that was wrong?

are you really giving the decepticons two corrupted forms of energon? seems redundant.

One Shall Rise, Part 1.

the only vagally reasonable natural threat to europe is something weird that kills power. sorry, it's just bizarre how safe Europe is compared to the rest of the world. this is not a flex, Europe is life on easy mod.

on the one side that's some cool lore. on the other i'd love it if for once something was called "the blood of X" and it's just myth, nothing more. not the plot twist of "the blood of X was Actually the blood of X and not just a fancy name".

One Shall Rise, Part 3.

damn, that's one hell of a cliffhanger for season 2. sure, the threat is defeated, but now the decepticons have optimus.

[antiloreolympus]

10 Anti LO Asks

1. A deconstruction (which its definition is to look at the smaller parts and whys of how something was created) of the HxP myth would be looking into how ancient values played into why Persephone & Demeter were left out of the decision making process, why Hades didn't properly court her, what went into Demeter being away from Olympus and why she stood up for her daughter instead of accepting it, etc, not making up everything to where it resembles no myth at all. That's lying, not deconstruction.

2. RS def seems like she read about tropes AFTER LO was published and seems to think “ah yes that’s what I’m doing too!” But that’s not how it works?? Like she also claimed LO was a “twist on the monster boyfriend” genre when it’s very clearly not?? She seems to think even mentioning something or having even a vague similarity to a common writing trope is in fact the trope and by virtue of her being the writer she’s “deconstructing” it when she’s?? Not using those tropes or deconstructing them?? Also she needs to stop claiming she’s deconstructing anything. When she actually plays with actual tropes (like the massive age gap with the man as the more powerful one to the woman who needs him) it’s entirely played straight, which is the exact opposite of deconstructing? Idk it seems like trying to come off as more clever of a writer than she is when it’s ok to admit she’s not? Like girl you’re using common fanfic tropes from 2014 please stop acting like you’re deeper than that. 

3. Rachel: MY character Persephone

Greece and it’s people, both ancient and modern: excuse me?

4. ngl i feel like Persephone/Kore was deliberately dumbed down from the start of the comic to play up the angle of her as a pure and innocent uwu bean. it removes depth from her character because in the earlier chapters she was naive but not completely ignorant. but then she's only 19. and then goddesses of eternal maidenhood. and then her not knowing basic phrasing of "sleeping to the top" despite knowing in chapter 1 that Zeus and his brothers are known because they sex a lot...they stole her brain cells

5. Also can we talk about how horrifying Hera's actions are from Demeter's point of view. Imagine your sibling setting up your child with their brother in law. A dude as old as you. Behind your back. Your college age daughter. Not once even thinking to check with you before creating and internship specifically to give them a chance to hook up. And we are supposed to find Demeter's outrage funny. Man I would murder my sibling.2-2

6. I just wish the people who insist there actually is this super special secret ~real~ version of the H/P myth actually backed it up, because as soon as you press them on it they immediately go silent and try and change the subject. Like surely if it's this well known and real, show us the proof! Hell, make Rachel show proof of it that's not just a tumblr post! I'll wait!

7. at best maybe you could argue the shades being "unpaid labor" is a commentary on unpaid internships but 1) even internships end, the shades are stuck with that forever, 2) they are done willingly, the shades are forced into it, but also 3) rachel does realize even then hades is still the bad guy in it, right? like idk how she thought he looks GOOD for it? yt women are so weird.

8. OSP also while defending Hades and Persephone as the only "functional" relationship and that the kidnapping was "just how marriage went" will insist Zeus, Apollo, and others are evil for having (actual) consenting relationships with women they carried off (as opposed to Hades, where the text always says he kidnaps her). Anyone acting like OSP or Rachel are good faith actors for actual mythology knowledge and not a vessel of their Tumblr rotted biases is ignoring what's right in front of them.

9. what i dont get is you get the stans defending it like "we need this because i also have a bad mom too!!" like ok one please go to therapy but also if you really need to feel "represented" in myth with a bad mom then the eros and psyche myth is right there, or any myth with hera, or clytemnestra is right there, and many more. they dont need to have rachel butcher one of the few positive mother-daughter myths feel "represented", esp when it's to prop up a man who was the bad party in the OG myth.

10. RS cant even explain persephone's ridiculous coloring without overstating how ~perfect~ she is. i would actually respect how nonsensical and immature this writing is if it werent for the fact RS much fancies herself the next Homer who is also the peak of feminist literature and is improving the mythology. yes, the gods are better and more beautiful than any mortal, but it's an even field when its just them. persephone being "perfect" doesnt make up for her lack of .. anything, really.

[omiramotakiart]

Unamed 19th century literature crossover ideas, possible angst incoming:

This happens from 1900 to whenever I feel like stopping.

Johnathan is a stay at home dad, he works from home.

Mina and Van Helsing are the local paranormal investigators.

The business is called Van Helsing and Harker's , they couldn't come up with a better name...

Let's call the creature Adam, see... Adam isn't dumb and for the sake of angst he's been trying to build himself some friends after finding Victor's notes or something like that.

All the atemps have failed.

Van Helsing is in his 60s on the original book so... he's been on this since a young age... constant flashbacks to mid victorian novels (I love the fashion from those eras)

Possible necromancy? In this crossover? More likely than you think.

Good old Abe had adopted Adam and is training him as an apprentice

Johnathan is being supportive.

"Oh so that's our new friend... can he babysit Quincy Jr. For a couple of minutes? I need a break..."

Baby Quincy Jr.

Badass mama Mina has guns and crossbows and a bunch of enchanted jewelry.

I like to think the events of Jekyll and Hyde happened during the 1880s so... necromance the dr.

Him and Hyde are the local cryptid.

"They say he's a deformed giant figure with sharp teeth and claws and the strenght of a dozen men!!!" Nah, honey he's just an edgy old guy who refures to wear his glasses, os built like a hunched over twig and needs to take better care for his hair.

Idk how but possible Alice randomly popping out from Wonderland... she would be in her 30s I think...

Something about young Abraham meeting old Ishmael to get nautical cards or details. Will be important later... probably.

Necromanced Dorian Gray, still a bitch.

"I don't care if you are 40 or one hundred, you look like a teen and don't you dare talking to me like that young man, I can break you in less than a minute!"

Mina Harker, probably...

Somehow Adam is the only one with enough common sense to know not to do something stupid.

Mina has common sense but chooses not to listen to it.

Carmilla reference??? I mean we gotta have vampires.

Obligatory mention of Edgar Allan Poe's work.

Let's just say Ishmael spent his last days with certain man who the world thought had drowned but in reality just wanted to stay away from all the bullshit

They are married and the book said it.

Queequeg deserved better.

Thanks to OSP I'll assume Arthur and Jack are a couple and either their wives are fake or it's lavander marriage

Let's not lie to ourselves all the references to Jules Verne works are here for the sake of teampunk

Needless to say most people here are queer

Adam actually gets along with Quincy Jr.

Were you brought back to life by any employee of Van Helsing and Harker's? Well shit now that means you will babysit for the Harkers or be adopted by Van Helsing

Don't you try teaching stupid shit to the child, Dorian, your portrait can always be shanked...

Jekyll is just a grandpa, good for him

[glenncoco4]

You Can Count On Me

A/N: Chapter 4

••••

4 months later...

Hetty walks into the bullpen, interrupting Kensi and Sam’s conversation, and quickly notices one looking a little worse for wear. “Ms. Blye. Mr. Hanna. Oversleep again, did you?”

Kensi tries to bite back a smile as the ex-SEAL gets called out because of his partner’s inability to show some decorum when it comes to being a house guest.  

The OSP Manager begins to pace back and forth between the desks before abruptly stopping. “Early this morning, I got a call from the LAPD. They’ve lost contact with Detective Deeks. He’s been on an extended undercover assignment since he left us.”

Callen walks up to his desk just in time to hear his boss’ announcement. “How long has he been out of contact?”

“Yesterday afternoon.” The small woman quickly answers. 

“It’s kind of soon to be hitting the panic button, isn’t it?” Sam states, wondering why LAPD is so quickly to sound the alarm on a detective that’s undercover. 

Hetty nods in understanding as she turns to the tech operator. “Mr. Beale.” 

The three agents turn towards the screen being met with an image of a charred car. All knowing that it’d be almost impossible to survive something like that. “14 hours ago, a bomb detonated in this car in South Central. Two occupants, both killed.”

“Emilio Ortega and his bodyguard, Luis Fellano.” Eric states, sending a wave of relief through the junior agent’s body. 

Hetty looks to Kensi,  knowing that this situation will be affecting her more than the others. “They were both targets of Detective Deeks’ undercover assignment.” As soon as she locks eyes with the brunette, Hetty watches the sinking feeling cross her features. 

As dread fills her heart, Kensi’s mind can’t help but go back to the first time she feared for her best friend’s life.

Her eyes go wide in terror as her father turns down the street and the raging inferno spews from Marty and Bertie’s new apartment.“Daddy!” 

Quickly pulling up to the building and slamming on the breaks, Don and Kensi both jump out of the truck. The older man turns to his little girl. “Baby girl, I need you to go next door and call 911.”

“But, dad.”

“Do it!” 

Before she can respond again, she watches her father run towards the front door, kicking it in just a gulf of flames come out. Once clear, he covers his nose and rushes into the apartment. 

The 9 year old feels as if time is slowly passing by, it feels like hours before she’s able to pull herself together and start towards the neighbor’s house, doing what her father told her. She’s just about to start heading next door when a sudden shatter pulls her attention back to the building. 

As the smoke continues to build, Marty hurriedly runs out the front door, coughing and wheezing. His eyes are burning but suddenly become clearer when his eyes meet hers. The shaggy blonde watches as his best friend rushes over to him, panic written clear across her features. 

“Are you okay?”

“I’ve been better.”

Shaking her head, the brunette carefully avoids the gash across his left forearm and throws the other around her shoulder helping him towards the blue pickup truck. She opens the tailgate, prompting him to sit down before she rushes to the front seat, returning with a bottle of water and old rag. Kensi douses the rag with some water before handing the bottle over to Marty and starts to wipe the soot off his face. “What happened?”

“He found us.”

Her brow furrows in confusion before it hits her. He? Gordon. “He…where is he now?” 

Marty takes a sip of water and turns back to the inflamed building once again. “Your dad, he was-“

A loud explosion interrupts the 12 year old, making both their eyes go wide in trepidation. 

She may be young but only takes a few seconds after seeing the explosion that makes her realize what it most likely means for her dad and Roberta. “Oh my god.”

“Kensi!”

The two pair of eyes fly to the side of the building as Don comes into view, in his arms Roberta’s limp body lays, blood running down her face. “Marty, buddy, hop up.”

The blonde does as he’s told, watching as the man who’s more like a father to him than his own lays his mother down on the tailgate. “Is she okay?”

“Yes, she’s going to be fine. Gordon just hit her over the head.”

“Where is he?” Kensi questions, looking around ready to open a can of whoop ass. 

“He’s had a knife. I had to fight him off.” Don turns his attention away from Roberta and towards the 12 year old, a frown playing at his lips. He knows how horrible Gordon treated the pair and frankly he’s not sorry for how it ended. “He’s not gonna hurt either of you any more.”

As Don’s words it him, tears begin to pool in his eyes as a sudden sense of relief takes over his being. Before he can truly process what’s happening, Don places his hand on the boy’s shoulder, pulling him in for a hug to end all dad hugs. “Thank you.”

“Kensi?”

She’s drawn out of her thoughts, at the sound of the team leader calling her name. “Huh?”

“Did you get all that?” Sam questions, noticing she’s caught a bit off guard, who could blame her. 

She shakes her head, trying to focus her attention back to the present. “I’m sorry, what?”

Stepping up to her, the ex-Navy SEAL bends down, now eye level with her, his eyes gaining the attention of hers. “Hey, look at me. I know you’re close to this. Can you keep your head in the game?”

She nods before taking a deep calming breath. “Of course.”

“Okay, now lets go talk to Detective Traynor and see if we can get your boy back.”

Her boy. She wishes.

••••

She steps inside the boat shed, immediately meeting the eyes of her best friend’s handler. “Hey, Jess.”

Detective Traynor takes the agents offered hug. “Hey, Kens, I’m doing everything I can to find him?”

“I know.” She nods, knowing that after her, Jess is one of the people that Marty can trust and has a solid relationship with.

Hearing the door close, Kensi turns towards her teammates. “Jess, this is agents Callen and Hanna.”

Each of the boys shake her hand before quickly getting to the situation at hand. 

“Detective Traynor, tell us what you know.” Callen asks, knowing how pertinent each and every single detail is.

The three listen as the detective explains the situation and operation that Deeks is involved in. 

As Jess is explaining the case, Kensi can see in her teammates eyes that they’re thinking Jess and Marty may have had something going on by the way she’s talking about him. Little do they know that the detective is batting for the other team, Jess that is. It kinda makes her smile for a brief moment as she thinks back to when she and Marty unexpectedly ran into the detective and her girlfriend at the beach one evening. The pure and utter surprise written on her best friend’s face was the definition of a Kodak moment. But it was her elbow connecting with his ribs, making him wince after he mentioned that she should join the girlfriends for a threesome, that really makes her smile. 

••••

Once Jess leaves Kensi and the guys decide to head back to the mission to see if Eric has any lead. Just as she steps outside, her phone starts buzzing. She quickly pulls it from her pocket, seeing an unknown number and pushes the green button, hoping and praying to anyone that will listen that it’s him. “Marty?”

“Kens.”

“Where are you?”

“Our spot.”

She takes a deep calming breath, focusing on the sound of his voice. “Okay, just stay there. I’m on my way.”

“Kens?” 

Her throat strains, trying to stop herself from crying as she hears the turmoil in his voice. “Yeah?”

“I...”

He’s still stunned, and she knows it. She can’t help but think about the photos of the charred car and how close he was to losing his life. How close she was to losing him. “I know. I know. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

[z-liveblogs]

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief - Liveblog

Kinda.

So I was rereading that book for the first time in a couple of years and there's a thing I'm trying to do with it (you guys will find out if I ever manage to finish it), so I was taking notes

So I thought maybe it'd be interesting to share some of those in here, since tecnically this counts as a liveblog

Small note that my books aren't in english, so if I quote the books that means I'm quoting them in my language and translating to english, so it probably won't match word by word what you have at home

So, here it is

Pgs. 117-118: why isn't Percy affected by his own sweat? It's water

Pg. 124: Grover says that no hero has ever managed to bring someone back from the dead. But isn't there a myth where Heracles rescues Theseus from the Underworld? Or something? I think OSP made a video

(No specific page mentioned) I forgot how fun Grover was. Why wasn't he in HoO? :(

Pg. 212: "it was the only time he had permission to visit Olympus - the darkest day of the year" wow, and you guys wonder why he's so bitter

(No page mentioned either, but right before the confrontation w/ Echidna) Why does Hades' helm radiate intense fear? That would make sense if it was Phobos' or Deimos', but, as far as I know, fear isn't part of Hades' domain.

(Grover is the one to mention that, though, and that aspect of the helm, at least as far as I remember, was never explored in the books. So it's possible that Grover was wrong)

Percy recognizes him as Procrustus, a giant who tried to kill Theseus. Percy, then, showing just why I think he's a slytherin, convinces Crust to lay in one of his own beds, immediately activating the trap.

Apparently Houdini was a demigod. I wonder who his parent was

"I noticed Hades must have built his palace to look like this one. He isn't welcome at Olympus, except for during the winter solstice, so he built his own Olympus in the Underworld. Despite my bad experience with him, I felt pity. Being banished from this place seemed unfair. It would make anyone bitter" - Percy GETS IT

"-Wow, Annabeth - he complained. - You sound like an old goat-mom." - I thought all satyrs were men? Maybe it's just a saying, idk

"I spent my days coming up with new strategies for capture the flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the flag away from Ares' hands" - WHY does the fandom think Percy is dumb??

Luke warns Percy that if he tries anything funny the scorpion will be faster and he'll be dead in sixty seconds. Instead of doing just that, and being done with the threat that Percy represents, Luke decides to monologue, as if he was a 007 villain.

[worldismyne]

Analysis: Warrior's of Hope (Peds Psych 101)

SPOILER WARNING FOR DANGANRONPA ULTRA DESPAIR GIRLS

This post will look at the Warriors of Hope as a group. Now since we are talking about the Warriors of Hope, we will be discussing child abuse. So if at any time you feel things are getting to you or need to decompress after the essay, feel free to click this link.

What is a Paragon?

To start, we will be focusing on the paragon trope, defined by Overly Sarcastic Productions as a hero that is both righteous and charismatic; your "do no wrong" hero, if you will. They do what is right all the time because of their personal beliefs. Protected by a heavy coat of plot armor, they gather a small group of companions who learn through their example to be better heroes; and together they overcome evil and spread peace throughout the land. That’s the basic formula of a paragon hero, if you want or need  a more in-depth explanation, I would strongly suggest watching OSP’s video.

In the first game, we follow Naegi, your textbook paragon hero up against Junko Enoshima, the queen of charisma. I feel it important to mention that Junko, while almost a paragon in the way she gathers her followers, is missing the key ingredient of knowing she’s doing is right, because she admits to the opposite. She’s doing the wrong thing on purpose to see what will happen and how far she can take it.

While in the second game you look at Hinata (our paragon hero) up against Komaeda; someone who believes wholeheartedly they are right, but lacks the charisma to rally allies in-universe. You can love Komaeda all you want, but no one during the game's central plotline seems to particularly like him or want to follow him. Which makes Junko and Komaeda foils of each other in a way, each consisting one half of the paragon trope.

So what does this have to do with Another Episode? Simple, the dynamic is flipped. The Warriors of Hope are each paragon’s in their own right, varying on the scale of righteous and charismatic. But what makes them villains is that what they believe to be right, is in fact horrendously wrong. Their righteousness and charisma become their greatest flaw when pointed at the wrong enemy. It showcases how this type of character can be equally dangerous on the “wrong side”. We see this especially in Nagisa, who has openly convinced himself the ends justify the means. A place where children can be safe is the top priority, nothing can stand in the way of this ideal, not even the lives of other humans.

Additionally the real heroes of this tale are two halves of the paragon hero, like Junko and Komaeda. We have Fukawa; hideously unliked by everyone around her but righteous to a fault, and Komaru; an ordinary girl who appeals to everyone, yet has no strong beliefs outside of her need to feel safe. We are reminded throughout the game over and over again that the reason Komaru was picked as the heroine was not because she wanted to help others, but because as an ordinary girl. And this isn't portrayed as a bad thing. When teamed together, Fukawa and Komaru formed a paragon duo strong enough to overcome the obstacles before them. The game flat out states they are meant to work together, in order to make up for each others shortcomings.

So it is here we see the typical dichotomy of Danganronpa flipped in Another Episode. In which two character types that were typically used for villains are up against a group of paragons set on a path of destruction. Bringing to question, if someone like Naegi were to be sent on the wrong path, could they be redeemed and change direction?

And the answer the game gave us… was no.

At both the end of the game, and the end of the anime we are left at a standstill where neither side will move. No outside force can change how a paragon thinks other than the paragon themself. Sure outside circumstances may kick-start introspection, but they can not change the way this type of character progresses by force. Not to say that change is impossible; but that journey would take more time then both the anime and game could allow, especially if we were to cover all five characters. But further discussion on the matter should be left on a character, by character basis.

Age and Developmental Stages (Time to Get Scientific)

As a BSN with a particular interest in pediatrics and psychology, a great deal of my analysis’ will refer back to my classes. Writing characters under the age of eighteen can be really difficult for writers, especially if they are not in constant contact with at least one individual from the age group they are trying to portray. Often times in media, we find child characters to be annoying, grating, and unrealistic; because on an instinctual level, we understand that's not how children that age typically act. You won't see an eight year old acting like a teenager, or six year olds throwing tantrums.

This is especially important, because children are not bound to the same rules as adults when it comes to understanding the world around them

According to Kotoko's mother, Kotoko was still 10 years old while she was alive. And while we can't determine when exactly her murder took place, we can say it happened shortly after the despair incident but before Junko was locked in the school.  Since the children still refer to themselves as Super Elementary School Levels, they can be no older than 13 based on the Japanese school system making them range anywhere from 10-13. So what does this tell us about how they should think?

Erikson’s theory of child development indicates they are just now gaining their own sense of identity outside of the roles they had been assigned. There is pressure to look to the future and what they want to be when they grow up. If they don't see a place for themselves in society or dislike the role they've been forced into, they will be more likely to rebel and cave to peer pressure. We see this especially with Nagisa who struggles between his role as the new leader verses his previous role as the dutiful son. If they are on the younger side, their sense of self worth relies heavily on the praise of their peers and mentors, seeking approval of their accomplishments. They define themselves through peers and test values/belief systems against society.

Above all else is an inherent inability to understand abstract concepts, or ideas that extend beyond where they are and what they know. Simply put, they cannot understand why adults are bad or that someone may have an ulterior motive. They know that their parents were bad, so all adults must be bad. This idea is reaffirmed when their peers share the same conclusion.

Everything is black and white, good or bad, right or wrong. They are just beginning to understand that an idea, such as freedom, means something different to everyone. Until they fully comprehend this, they are unable to fully empathize with individuals that don't share their viewpoint. When it comes to things that are not physical like love, empathy, morality, justice; they simply can’t understand it the way adults do.

In their mind, their view is right because they are good, anyone who disagrees must be wrong and therefore bad. This is not a moral thing, it’s how they cognitively process the world.

This is in no way saying their actions were justified. Simply, that they were just beginning to understand that there are things outside of what we see/say/do. The idea that someone can be both good and bad, nice yet dishonest; was not something they knew before Monaka betrayed them.

Coping Mechanisms in Children

When it comes to abusive situations, a huge emphasis is placed on power and control. Children in these situations will do anything to seek the control they do not have. This can include laying low, people pleasing, hurting themselves or others, aiming for over-achievement or perfectionism. It's not entirely uncommon to see children using multiple coping mechanisms at once, jumping from one to another until they regain a sense of safety and stability.

In times of stress, children will exercise their ability to control their perception of what happened. This can include denying the effects of trauma (Masaru),  detaching their emotions from what happened (Kotoko) and failure to see that something can be positive and negative at the same time.

Children may also try to change or justify their situation. They can try to rationalize, or explain why something bad happened to them, even if the explanation is not grounded in reality (Jataro). Or they may try to please/appease those who hurt them by seeking approval (Nagisa).

I cannot emphasize enough the importance power and control has over children in these situations. Power is safety, exercising that power is a reminder of that safety.

Building the Children's Paradise has less to do with recreating Lord of the Flies, and more to do with creating a place where they have control over everything in their environment (rules, peers, and who is allowed close to them). Anything that threatens their position of power is an immediate and personal threat to their own sense of safety. For example, the peers they consider friends are brainwashed into doing exactly what they say. The only adult allowed near them acts as a slave to be manipulated and mistreated.

The Influence of Role Models and the Importance of Subjective Information

We know very little about their parents from a omnipotent view. With the exception of one letter from each parent, all information comes from their victims. However, there is still much we can determine about them, in how the children themselves behave.

According to the "Identification" theory; a child's behavior patterns, beliefs, and values are greatly influenced by their parents. And not because it was something that was taught, but it was something they saw routinely growing up and adopted themselves. While this does not eliminate their ability to make their own choices, a great deal is to be said about learning through example. Self destructive behaviors like substance abuse, low self-esteem, and violent behaviors are often traits learned by watching their parents. We know in great detail about what the parents did to their children, but very little about what their parents did to themselves or peers.

Likewise, the kids have an opposite view of Junko which is equally as biased and inaccurate. According to the Warriors of Hope Junko is sweet, caring, and blameless. As someone who met one of their most neglected needs, she represented a sense of security and love they never had. But we all know Junko's true nature and how manipulative she can truly be. The children actively deny any accusation against her because she became, essentially, their surrogate parent. It's not clear how involved she was with them, but we are given a sense that at face value, she took care of them the way a big sister ought to. Once again, an example of this black and white thinking still held by the children, it also gives us insight on the validity of their information.

Questions like "Why does Junko want to destroy the world?", "Why is my dad an alcoholic" or "Where’s the rest of my family?" may not have occurred to the kids as important, and certainly were not included in the original narrative. With no intent to excuse the abusive behaviors, it's important to keep in mind we are given a very narrow and subjective view of their home lives that purposefully excludes any positive redeeming aspects. This is all by Junko's design; as a way to keep them in a traumatized, despair-induced state that would facilitate the killing of adults.

We know this, because several rules of the Children's Paradise Commandments expressly forbid remembering the past and emulating the behaviors exhibited by their parents (including Nagisa trying act as a competent leader). Any positive influences their parents (or any other adults) had are actively being repressed to perpetuate the massacre of Towa City.

Cultural Considerations

If you're reading this, there is a high probability that you live someplace other than Japan. Your views on everything are influenced by the culture you grew up in, and just because we can relate to other cultures, doesn't mean that we completely understand them and the issues their country faces on a daily basis. The best we can do is look at the window they provide us.

In Japan mental illness is a taboo topic to discuss publicly. It's seen as something to be ashamed of or suffer in dignified silence to protect the family's reputation. Equally taboo is the discussion of child abuse, with the Japanese government only starting to track of cases in 1990. 50% of all sexual abuse cases go unreported because of Japan's cultural stance on upholding strong moral values closes off the discussion, in a “it could never happen here” sort of way.

Foster homes in Tokyo are packed to capacity with kids that were taken from their abusive environments with nowhere to go. Not because people don't care, but because culturally, the discussion of abuse and having an adopted child are not embraced the same way as in other cultures.

In fact, both Kotoko and Nagisa point out that the surrounding adults wouldn't help them. It's not entirely unthinkable, given Japan's history, that they had tried to reach out for help; only to be let down by a system that was still adapting to discussing the topic. The revolution of reporting and advocating for children's rights is still a new and growing practice in Japan.

When Danganronpa Another Episode released in Japan, the number of child abuse cases were the highest ever, surpassing 70,000 reported cases for the first time and has been rising since they first started reporting cases. This isn't to say people were abusing their children more over the last few decades, but that people's stance on reporting abuse has drastically changed and continues to improve. Games like Another Episode not only champion the cause of child advocacys among newer generations, but spreads it to a wider audience, including people who will form and change the governmental and social aspects of Japan's culture in the future. Games like Another Episode provide an important platform to discuss societal issues that have for years been ignored because talking about them was 'uncomfortable.' To unironically quote G.I. Joe. "Knowing is half the battle."

Abuse in DR

The topic of child abuse is not a new one to the DR universe. In fact several characters share similar childhoods and have spoken quite openly about them.

(Masaru: Oowada, Kazuichi)

(Jataro/Monaka: Fukawa, Mikan)

(Kotoko: Sayaka, Hiyoko, Akane)

(Nagisa: Togami, Ishimaru)

What separates the Warriors of Hope from the other characters, is their age and proximity to these negative events growing up. We closer see the impact of what these things to do to their personality and worldview because they're still children. It's all the more heartbreaking because we understand, while dramatized, it is something very real and in some cases, relatable. Seeing their stories play out, makes us uncomfortable, because we know that there are children out there that experience similar pain and there is very little we can do about it at the very moment we are reminded these things exist.

However, it is important to acknowledge the things about society that upset us, as it is a crucial step in orchestrating change.

I'd like to end by highlighting charities and organizations working to fight child abuse in my own country. If you do not live in the United States I would highly recommend finding reputable charities in your area that are working to help, if you are interested in volunteering or donating to the cause.

Thank you so much for reading this crash course through child psychology and I look forward to seeing you in the next analysis.

http://www.ylc.org/

https://promisehouse.org/

https://lnfy.org/

[romancemedia]

NCIS: Los Angeles S11E11 - Answers

In the 11th episode of the 11th season of NCIS: Los Angeles, it’s the mid-season finale, but before the show goes on break and returns at the start of next year, the team have big discussions in store as they all are facing big potential changes in their futures.

This was One of the Best Episodes I Have Ever Seen. The title says it all as this episode provided us with so many answers to various questions we’ve been asking ourselves for a long time and now they give us clarity and insight on the future of the NCIS LA team. For a change, the team wasn’t out on the field for the whole episode, but instead they were all at OSP having important discussions about themselves and their futures. To be honest, I’m always wanted an episode just like this one, but I never thought it would happen until today and this episode was truly amazing, spectacular and just downright breathtaking. The episode begins with the team finishing one case, but soon find themselves preparing for another and while they get themselves ready at HQ, they all take this time to discuss their futures.

First, our beloved Densi. This was one of the best highlights of the entire episode as we can jump and scream for joy as it’s revealed that for the last few months, Kensi and Deeks have been TRYING TO HAVE A BABY. DENSI ARE TRYING TO GET PREGNANT!!! YAY!!! Unfortunately, Kensi and Deeks still have yet to get pregnant despite their best efforts and now the weight of that is starting to effect them with both expressing their fears and frustration to each other. Densi honestly have the best emotional scenes together as it’s just great to see them being emotional and vulnerable and find comfort and support with each other. Kensi is worried she might never be able to get pregnant as it does unfortunately happen to some women and Deeks is afraid of the future to come for their child and what kind of father he will be since he didn’t have the perfect childhood himself. I love that Deeks and Kensi can truly be themselves around each other. In the end, despite their fears, Kensi and Deeks decide enough is enough and let their fears go and simply live in the moment because it will happen, they will get pregnant when the time comes. Plus for a split second I thought Kensi was upset because when she mentioned her dad I thought. OMG is it the anniversary on when he died? Also, I LOVE ALL THE DENSI KISSES!!!

Second are Callen and Sam’s moments were probably the most intense throughout the episode as they had some tough conversations about both their past and future, but I’m glad they both got closure and have a plan for their futures. Sam did a great job getting Callen to open up as he isn’t very willing to share his feelings or thoughts, but that is definitely one of Sam’s super powers, not to mention he can read Callen like a book. I’m surprised to discover that apparently, Callen still loves Anna, but he blames himself for not telling her he loves her back and in the end apparently, he was the one who ultimately ruined their relationship? Since Anna killed Abram Sokolov back in season 9 which resulted in her going to jail and later on the run, it was ultimately downfall to her and Callen, especially since she blamed him for what happened since he testified and told the truth, even though she told him to. However, after Sam and Callen’s conversation, it seems now it was all a test from Anna to Callen to see if he really loved her and in Anna’s eyes, Callen failed, making her believe he never really loved her at all. I realize now that Sam was right, it seems that Callen really did push Anna away, because just like Hetty’s job offer, Anna was the real deal. Anna was a permeant part of Callen’s life until he pushed her away. This newfound perspective into Anna and Callen’s relationship proves, things aren’t always black and white. Sam seems to have gotten through to Callen since he’s declared he’s going to find Anna. I wonder how he intends to make things right between them. 

Aside from the focus on Callanna, I enjoyed the other realisations that Callen also needs to discover who he is today. Since he finally learned the whole truth about his past and lead his father to rest, Callen now needs to learn what kind of man he truly wants to be. As for Sam, I am so happy that he has finally gained peace and closure regarding Michelle’s death at last. Sam is finally ready to move on and he deserves to be happy and hopefully that means we will get to see him and Katherine get together sometime in the near future. Plus, I am really happy he decided to turn down the job with Lance Hamilton and has a whole new plan to OSP better than ever with Callen taking on Hetty’s job... which he accepts at last. I’m looking forward to seeing them face their futures and I think Sam was right, Callen is finally starting to become "a real boy" at last.

Finally, Neric. To be perfectly honest, these two really had me confused most of the time as their discussion was both a little about their relationship, but also involved Nell’s family, revealing her mom is getting worse, her father has become a full-time caretaker and now she is living with her sister, Sydney. I feel bad for Nell as the stress of her relationship with Eric and troubles her family really started to effect her all at once. Regarding Eric and Nell’s relationship, Nell seems to think they maybe moving too fast since they just jumped right into a serious relationship without ever actually dating. It reminds me of a season 6 episode when Deeks and Kensi faced somewhat similar issues shortly after they first got together. However, unlike Densi, who both decided to take their relationship slower, Nell decided to hit the "reset button" on her and Eric’s relationship. I ain’t gonna lie, I Really thought Eric and Nell were gonna break up. In all honesty though, I felt the conversation was once again more focus on Nell and her family than really her relationship with Eric, which was kinda a disappointment in some ways. I was really looking forward to seeing a bit of drama in their relationship as it’s always interesting to see any relationship face a few troubles or obstacles because in the end it makes a relationship all that much stronger, which is what I was hoping for Eric and Nell.

Anyway, I feel this episode was perfect as it was a good way to prepare us, the fans for the next chapter of NCIS: Los Angeles. I know there have been some people, including myself, worried this episode was a sign, indicating this could very well be the final season of our beloved television series. However, after finally watching this episode, I don’t feel worried or concerned anymore. This episode was the perfect example of the old saying, "When one door closes, another one opens". Everyone on the team were saying goodbye to their worries and concerns and are finally ready to face the next chapter of their lives and it couldn’t be at any other perfect time because we are also reaching the end of 2019 and will soon be moving on to 2020. Personally, I feel this episode was just a perfect way to say goodbye to the worries and fears and be more open and ready for the good times to come and I really believe we have plenty more good times to come for NCIS: Los Angeles in 2020. Both for the show and ourselves.

Overall, this was a truly great episode, leaving me with a lot of happiness and high hopes for the rest of the season to come in 2020. BTW, I liked that Kensi mentioned her minor crossover with Hawaii Five-0 from years ago and I still can’t believe the bar is called, The Squid and Dagger. Plus I was happy to see that Granger was mentioned.

[chrisodonline]

hi :) how do you feel about the direction sam's character has been taken in season 10? what do you like/dislike about it?

Ooooh, that’s a good one.

I’ll try to keep it short (HAHA), but that’s a multifaceted answer, definitely.

What do I like?I like that Sam is thinking about his life post-OSP. They’ve all been doing that more, even if it’s just sort of in a “What’s next?” scheme. The most overt discussions have definitely been with Deeks and then Kensi. However, it’s good to see Sam doing some introspection and figuring out who he is now, ruminating on matters, etc. It’s also interesting to see him being a different!Sam than we’re used to.

That being said...what don’t I like?*looks around* *whispers* Pretty much everything else. 

I think immediately post-Michelle it made sense for Sam to be sort of more of an introvert, switching spots with G in that regard. However, this is Sam Hanna -- he has been impacted by things but he is always true to himself. He’ll never be the same person following the loss of his wife, but he’s not the type who morphs permanently into an entirely different person.  (No one fully does that, especially once you’re well into adulthood.) Facets are different and you can be shaken to your core, but someone like Sam will always have his core intact. He always has. It doesn’t make sense that at this point he’s still pushing G farther away while letting other people in more -- but expecting otherwise from G. Maybe Todd’s and COD’s schedules are just getting too different, but it doesn’t make sense to me.

‘The Bachelor’-esque game they play with him also kind of annoys me. Don’t get me started on the King thing. (Weird, un-Sam-esque drama for drama’s sake.) Especially when it alternates with DeChamps, whom I otherwise like. 

I would have liked to have heard something -- ANYTHING -- about his parents at this point considering, well *motions at everything* I’d like to also hear more about his kids. I wish Kam hadn’t gone away. We wouldn’t have to see her all the time, but it would have allowed her to come up more and for the kids to play a bigger role in Sam’s everyday life -- because that’s who Sam is. He may not get to be a devoted husband, but he’s still a devoted father. Tom Olsen, or another old buddy of Sam, would make a great Nanny-but-really-bodyguard for Kam. He’s lost the chance to make more memories with Michelle. I don’t see him wanting to miss out on as many memories as possible with Kam. Yes, her going was originally very in sync with Sam and Michelle, their values and approaches. Sam’s pulling her out, though, would have shown a “change” in Sam without overdoing it. You know?

One last thing: I mentioned how I liked that he was looking at a post-OSP next step. What I don’t like is WHAT he’s looking at. I always saw Sam as moving on to become a trainer/instructor for the agency or its ilk. That to me is Sam’s strength and something he could do forever -- and rock at. (Mentoring all the baby!agents?? Come on!) This business about working more independently sans a base of operations is shenanigans. I’ll let the man have his boat, whatever floats his -- well, boat, I guess. However, Sam doing something he’s tried to pull G away from when he’s also such a team kind of guy? Y’all. No. Sorry. 

Oops. That went long. Duh. ‘Tis I!

[thesportssoundoff]

When your main event obfuscates how great your show is: The UFC in Nashville!

Joey

April 20th, 2017

Well I mean this has been a while, eh? After taking a pseudo break to just get away from the wackiness of MMA, it's time to get back to the grind (one supposes) and look at another UFC event! Live from Nashville, this is a really good card with an utterly perplexing main event. For free TV, there are three types of fights that really hit the spot in terms of being a nights worth of viewing. The first are fights that pit two names you know with divisional relevance duking it out. The second are fights that pit prospects you care about in fights that should showcase them either against names I know or vs other prospects. The third are fights that pit names I know against one another in fights that lack divisional relevance but have a great potential for action and excitement. All jokes aside, this card has all of that. It just has a very....odd main event. Let's get to it!

Fights: 13

Debuts: 1 (Cindy Dandois)

Fight Changes/Injury Cancellations: 1 (Jorge Masvidal/Demian Maia moved to another event)

Headliners (fighters who have either main evented or co-main evented shows in the UFC): 12 (Cub Swanson, Joe Lauzon, Diego Sanchez, Al Iaquinta, Jessica Penne, Stevie Ray, Jake Ellenberger, Thales Leites, Alexis Davis, Ovince St. Preux, Eddie Wineland, Jon Dodson)

Fighters On Losing Streaks in the UFC: 2 (Ovince St. Preux, Jessica Penne)

Fighters On Winning Streaks in the UFC: 6 (Cub Swanson, Al Iaquinta, Artem Lobov, Eddie Wineland, Brandon Moreno and Sam Alvey)

Stat Monitor for 2017:

Debuting Fighters (Current number: 11-9)- Cindy Dandois

Short Notice Fighters (Current number: 6-10)

Second Fight (Current number: 11-12)- Matt Schnell, Michael McBride

Twelve Precarious Ponderings:

1- So the main event. Let's talk about that and let's try to be mature while we do it. The most obvious issue is that Artem Lobov is headlining an event. That's a tough pill to swallow for hardcore fans although I'd argue we've seen worse main event slots given out to less deserving folks. Whatever the case may be, there's two distinct avenues at play. The first is that Cub earned a main event slot because Cub's fight with Doo Ho Choi was amazing and worth re-watching on a loop over and over. As such this is a chance to reward Cub Swanson and if you had some bad vibes about Conor McGregor, you get to watch a loyal dude kick his ass and make him look like a goof in front of a captivated audience. The second is that Conor McGregor wanted his buddy to headline an event and so the UFC was just like "Sure thing!" and here we go. They're gambling on Lobov outlasting Cub or that Cub Swanson is washed after a brutal as hell fight. Either way it's a frustrating thing that kind of hampers an otherwise good card.

2- If Cub Swanson does what he does and they put a live mic in front of his face and he does not mention Conor McGregor at least once then he deserves to be buried to the prelims forever. You don't have to BEG for the guy but try it at least, shit.

3- Lost in the drama of Al Iaquinta's layoff was how damn good he was looking prior to that. Even if you feel like he lost vs Masvidal (an opinion I'd value but maybe not share), you still have to acknowledge that he's refined some of those wacky scramble based holes in his submission game and his striking has come a looong way. Iaquinta was really zooming up the ranks then he hit the wall about the UFC---and then he came back. Diego Sanchez is a good test for him in many ways, the most obvious being that if Iaquinta is rusty, Diego's pace and versatility (strike a bit, wrestle a bit, grapple some) will be a good test for how quickly he can shake that rust off.

4- The real co-main event in my eyes is the Joe Lauzon vs Stevie Ray fight. Stevie Ray's arguably one of the better unheralded lightweights on the UFC roster; a 27 year old Scot with a good overall game and room to grow as he continues to work with TriStar MMA. Joe Lauzon's kind of become what most long term "job for life" lightweights; he always has exciting fights, he's always going to be somewhat limited vs the better athletes coming up in the division and he's going to win some close fights and lose some close fights. Stevie Ray is coming off a weirdly important win over Ross Pearson on short notice but there's so much to Joe Lauzon's game that'll test Ray's development. Wins over Lauzon and Pearson would set Ray up to maybe start dabbling with guys at the lower half of the top 10.

5- I'd really hope Eddie Wineland has a plan to deal with Dodson that doesn't involve eating 100 leaping hooks. Wineland's made an amazing career comeback but I have serious fears and concerns for him vs a younger faster equally powerful guy in Dodson.

6- Speaking of which, why have people forgotten about Dodson in a crowded 135 lb division? He probably beat Lineker, he's got the speed and his power has migrated up with him as he jumps up 10 lbs. I don't think he's ever going to challenge for the title with Dillashaw, Cruz, Rivera and Garbrandt manning the top 30 but I think he can fight plenty of folks in the top 10 and give almost all of them a run for their money.

7- Mike Perry vs Jake Ellenberger is going to be a fun fight while it lasts. I just have questions or rather I have serious concerns about what Ellenberger has left at this point. Jake's always been a fighter who runs hot or cold but it's fair to wonder if a long career from a young age and a wealth of action fights have left him pretty much spent. Similarly I have questions about the upside of Mike Perry after "Platinum" spent  his entire fight vs Jouban looking utterly perplexed that a karate guy can attack from a variety of angles while also not standing there flatfooted for one of your wacky ass haymakers. This is one of those fights where it's sort of win/win for the UFC. If Ellenberger wins then you can always repackage him off a win for another top fighter. If Perry wins then a promising (on paper) prospect gets a big name on his resume and a chance to rebound a little.

8- Buried on the prelim slate is a REALLY great 125 lb between Dustin Ortiz and Brandon Moreno. Thus far Moreno has been a revelation for the UFC, a TUF 125 castmate who essentially flopped on the show (finished in the first round vs Alejandre Pantoja) before winning two fights in a row including the super scalp of Louis Smolka in the first round. Dustin Ortiz is a rough tough guy to beat as evidenced by his pretty spiffy record with wins over Ray Borg, Justin Scoggins and Zach Makovsky. His losses are to bigger flyweights (Wilson Reis or John Moraga) or better grapplers (Jussier, Benavidez) and Moreno is neither of those. It's a damn fine test for a guy playing with house money. If Moreno wins then he's got a major scalp on his resume and maybe you can toy with the idea of him fighting MM for the title soon. If he loses? Well Ray Borg and Justin Scoggins were able to bounce back from that so why wouldn't he?

9- OSP vs Marcos Rogerio De Lima is such a 205 fight I can't even begin to discuss it in words. The guy who has lost three in a row and 4 of his last 5 while also having obvious notable flaws (poor wrestling vs elite comp, awful cardio) vs a guy who just beat up a blown up 185er while also missing weight whose best win is Clint Hester. What a fucking wacky deal to be third on the main card and yes, I know OSP is from Tennessee but still!

10- Cindy Dandois makes her debut on this card and she's either going to flame out in two fights or fight for the title. There's really no middle ground here. Also why isn't this at 145 lbs? Isn't this why we have this division now?

11- If you want an example of how the UFC responds to you if you're good, not thrilling and kind of annoying; check out where Bryan Barbarena is coming off a loss.

12- Alexis Davis has struggled to keep herself relevant at 135 lbs but she's normally a fighter who gives an honest effort in each fight. The same could be said for Jessica Penne who has had a lot of tough fights since her UFC debut. She fought Randa Markos, Joanna Champion and Jessica Andrade in the UFC and they've all been tough fights. She gets a bit of a step down, well a major step down, in Danielle Taylor.

Must Wins:

1- Cub Swanson Dude there's just no excuses here. Cub Swanson cannot lose to Artem Lobov because if he does, they'll be no coming back from that. You can't do that.

2- Jake Ellenberger This is probably the last chance for Jake Ellenberger to really keep his grip on a UFC roster spot. Mike Perry is not going to confound him with angles or wrestling. He's just going to come down and throw punches and see who goes down first. Ellenberger CAN win that kind of a fight and if so, he probably lives to fight another day. This is similar to the Matt Brown fight except Perry's noway near as proven or talented as Perry.

3- Alexis Davis This is kind of crazy but the 135 lb landscape is wide open. Alexis Davis beat Amanda Nunes once upon a time and so if Davis can fight with the slightest bit of frequency, there's nothing stopping her from having another run in the division.

Five Underlying Themes:

1- Will the UFC try to paint this main event as anything other than an intriguing if not nonsensical action fight?

2- Will we get some announcements regarding the UFC 212 and the UFC 213 PPV cards?

3- Whether or not Stevie Ray can build on his big win over Ross Pearson and make it two veteran scalps in a row.

4- The potential impending ends for two amazing long time action fighters in Joe Lauzon and Diego Sanzhez.

5- Whether Al Iaquinta can get his carer back on the right track after a self imposed hiatus.

[antiloreolympus]

8 Anti LO Asks

1. the thing is like even the poets we draw from get critiqued too. a lot of people thought hesiod was an evangelist with an agenda to push, homer (if they existed) was often lampooned for contradicting lines and spending too much time making lists than developing the story, aeschylus and euripides were both seen as biased and cynical and were often mocked, along with many more, and yet LO fans think their kiwi tumblr fave is somehow above all of them and shouldn't be critiqued? Get over yourselves

2. the problem with the 'make your own story" argument is that, assuming you try to retell hxp at least, youll have LO fans attacking you for "stealing" from rachel, who in turn never promotes or supports other retellings unless it adheres to her worldview (such as OSP). say what you will on punderworld or ficlets, but they always prop up lesser known creators with their platforms, meanwhile rachel when tasked with helping others (like Lets Play) she made it about herself. that speaks volumes.

3. a lot of LO fans think antis are just randomly haters but that's not true. Most of us were once devoted fans who couldn't ignore all the issues anymore and who still remember when it had promise and effort put into it, not the rushed husk it is now. It isnt just blindly hating it, it's being annoyed & disappointed of what could have been and how much the comic has declined and how the fans refuse to acknowledge its faults. How would we know how badly its gone down if we weren't fans once?

4. idk man i wouldnt tell people who dislike lo to make their own comics because those end up being way better. reylos did the same thing to disney over how badly they hated the last star wars movie and now their fanfics are becoming NYT bestsellers. just saying.

5. Maybe I'm dating myself here but one of the funniest parts of fandom used to be the most devoted fans calling out the bad stuff in what we liked and discussing it, because it was fan to pick it apart and clown on it. IDK why now LO fans and people like them are so convinced they can only mindlessly praise with no dissent and all critique is invalid. It's basic critical thinking skills that one can like something and still acknowledge the flaws. It's a bad look to admit you can't do so IMHO.

6. lo fans really need to get off this high horse that lo is perfect and therefore can never be criticized. even the best pieces of work ever have actual things to critique within them, and lo is not somehow better than all of them  to not be critiqued as well. its an ever growing list of issues lo keeps adding up because of who is behind. sorry, rachel, if you want sole credit for the writing and art, you have to own all the critiques too, and the fans needs to accept it. 

7. sorry, LO fans, but we are allowed to critique a work that gets so much privleges that even other webtoon creators dont get (seriously, the majority stull have to live off commission work while working on a full time comic) meanwhile rachel gets away with bad writing, cliffhangers that aren’t resolved for years, worsening art, and her bad and entitled attitude all while the company constantly promotes her while the majority of their catalog doesn’t, she has a full team rushing work for her while she at best does sketches and the occasional banner art, and gets her a bunch of media deals that the rest won’t ever get even a scrap of, all while already being a well off, privileged white woman who cries to her thousands of fans when her ego is bruised because more and more people are noticing her shitty politics and morals put into her work and are rightfully calling it out. at the very least you’d think someone in such a high rank at one of the worlds biggest media houses would actually put in the effort to make the best product she can and respect the people and culture she’s making bank off of, but she’s not and frankly does not seem like she ever will. She quite literally said it’s HER story and she’s allowed to do what she wants with it, and has spoken over Greeks time and time again that their input doesn’t matter over her personal feelings and thoughts. you don’t see other people in her position who also made bank (such as Rick Riordan or Madeline Miller) treat Greece and it’s people so awfully as her, her fans, and her product do, yet she gets all the excuses in the world while the above mentioned and others work on their mistakes and try to always put their best products out there, all while respecting Greece and it’s stories and even giving platforms to the underrepresented, meanwhile Rachel herself can’t even keep colors in line or keep designs on model while her writing gets more and more nonsensical, with her status only going to enrich herself and her ego while the rest are clinging to survive. God willing, maybe another mythology webtoon will be picked up to give her some competition and actually force her to put in the work for the rewards she earned off the backs of others, and that can’t happen soon enough.

8. NGL, kinda funny that LO Stan defends it by claiming people who dislike it are just “hacks like the woman behind 50 shades” like … uh … you know LO is ripped off from 50 shades, right? Like quite literally, it’s almost point for point exactly the same as 50 shades, down to the CEO with mommy issues and BDSM mixed with weird obsessions over a college girl’s virginity and a jealous ex who is into it versus the pure MC. Rachel is literally the hack ripping off 50 shades that that stan is claiming antis are. Wild stuff.

Anyway both the 50 shades woman and Rachel owe Stephanie Meyers a lot of money Bc they both in turn just ripped off Twilight anyway lol

Based on this post:

https://alatismeni-theitsa.tumblr.com/post/663420719494053888/why-not-write-a-take-of-your-own-on-the-myths

[romancemedia]

NCIS: Los Angeles S10E18 - Born to Run

In the 18th episode of the tenth season of NCIS: Los Angeles, it featured Nell being forced to help her sister, Sydney and former classmate, Andre Martinez when they are forced to go on the run.

This was a decent episode to follow up from the Densi Wedding from last week. It was an interesting case of the week where Nell found herself basically being kidnapped by her own sister and later found herself in the middle of the team’s latest case involving an old classmate. Andre Martinez is accused of stealing classified intel, but as the case further progressed it became quite clear that Andre was set up to be the fall guy while his boss was the real bad apple of the bunch when it’s revealed she has been working with the Russians. The case soon took a HUGE turn for the worse when Rogers told the bad guys of Andre’s location... meaning he was endangering the lives of Nell, Sydney and Andre all because the team didn’t tell him the truth about Nell’s involvement.

Personally, I can definitely see the two sides to every story and in this situation I can understand the team’s reasoning for hiding Nell’s involvement from Rogers. However, I also completely and definitely understand Rogers being SUPER PISSED at the team for keeping him in the dark. Personally, I think it’s safe to say, the team has trust issues with people outside OSP, considering what they went through with Mosley in season 9 and how she treated them. I think they kinda see Rogers as being the male version of Mosley and it was different with Kilbride and Ochoa because they knew Hetty trusted Kilbride and Ochoa earned their trust and respect. However, the way Rogers was kept in the dark throughout the episode was pretty terrible and disrespectful when it looks like he is really trying to get through to the team. While Rogers may have appeared as a bad guy when he was first introduced, I think this episode really showed he does care about the team and wants to befriend them, but that can’t happened without mutual trust and respect. In the end though, it was nice to see the team finally make the effort, inviting Rogers for a drink to Deeks’s bar and apologizing for their actions. Hopefully, it’s the start of true teamwork and cooperation between them and Rogers from this episode forward.

Sydney as always was a real annoyance and despite the fact things maybe getting better between the Jones sisters, I still REALLY Dislike her. I loved those artist girls, especially for dissing Sydney after how she dragged Nell in this crazy mess and I can’t believe that Eric actually figured out the meaning behind Nell’s secret message. That was weird, but the truly weirdest moment was Kensi’s horse when it wasn’t frightened, scared or terrified whatsoever when Kensi fired her gun. Usually, horses would be absolutely freaked out by something like that, but this horse was unfazed for some really strange reason?

Meanwhile as for the newly married couple, Kensi and Deeks, they returned from their honeymoon and got one very cute scene at the start of the episode. Seriously they can be so cute and so weird at the same time. Unfortunately, after that, there was pretty much no other real Densi moments in this week’s episode since Deeks pretty much worked up in Ops the entire time. It was disappointing. Heck, even when that weird guy flirted with Kensi I was expecting Kensi or anyone to to say "I’m/She’s married". However, while there wasn’t much romance between the newlyweds in this week’s episode, there was still plenty of love in the air... mainly from Sydney’s crush on Andre and Eric being super worried about Nell. Seriously, Sydney’s crush on Andre couldn’t be more obvious or weird for that matter and the entire time, she tried and FAILED at flirting all while getting extremely jealous of her sister’s closeness with him. Plus I felt so bad for Eric. Although it was really funny watching him be so worried about Nell when everyone thought he was paranoid, I felt so bad for him when he found out about Nell and Andre’s kiss. I knew the moment that happened, Eric Was Not going to be happy. However, we must all remember it was strictly a cover kiss, nothing more. In the end, it’s good to see that Neric are together again and reconciled.

Overall, this episode was okay, but I REALLY wished we could’ve gotten some more Densi and I can’t believe there was ZERO mention of Hetty since her long awaited return. Other than that, this was a great Nell episode and a real pleasure for Neric fans.

[romancemedia]

NCIS: Los Angeles S10E8 - The Patton Project

In the eighth episode of the tenth season of NCIS: Los Angeles it focused on the team working together with a familiar face to locate a member of the Patton Project and stop a potential terrorist attack.

Okay I’m gonna say it... I don’t believe this episode was a real powerful episode as they tried to make it out to be. To be honest it looked more exciting in the promo than the actual episode itself. The case of the week focused on the team being forced to work with former Mossad agent, Tobin Shaked to locate and quite highly possibly assassinate a member of the mysterious Patton Project, a highly dangerous group of people willing to use extreme military force to take out Islam’s. It was also the same group that Kensi previously encountered last season during the nuclear missile threat involving her ex-boyfriend. It soon became quite clear the team were NOT comfortable or happy in having to take on this kind of mission and soon the reasons behind their involvement were quickly revealed. Everything involving the team being forced to work on this was all because of everything that happened in Mexico and now because of what happened the Office of Special Projects has gained quite an unflattering reputation. By the end of the episode it was revealed that Deputy Director Ochoa had made a deal to involve the team, but it was all to save them and their careers since OSP was threatened of being shut down and disbanded for good because of everything involving the Mexico mission fiasco.

I think it’s definitely safe to say that both Deputy Director, Ochoa as well as NCIS Special Agent, Arlo Turk both made a point and let’s be honest it is the truth whether the team likes it or not. Although I love the team and they have done an extraordinary great amount of work throughout the course of the series, they have been known to bend the rules, take the law into their own hands, go rogue etc. Personally I think Deputy Director Ochoa was both teaching the team a lesson as well as giving them a wake up call as this mission was defiantly one of the consequences of their actions resulting in everything that went down in Mexico.

It was hard, but I think Ochoa was trying to show the team the road they have slowly started to take as they seem to realize they have been slowly starting to grow out of control. Like Deeks and Sam said, they have started to become the Judge, Jury and Executioner and I think they really need someone like Deputy Director Ochoa to remind them that while there are times when you need to break or bend the rules, they still need to followed them as well as a reminder that there are consequences of their actions and need to be punished for them. It’s obvious the team didn’t like hearing the truth and despite Callen and Sam’s objections, they really needed to hear those words and really need to learn to take responsibility for their actions and recognise when they have gone to far. At least we have Deeks as he knows when something of this situation was both crazy and again going to far. I think he is really the only member of the team who can actually see the more sensible side in situations like this mission as well as Mexico.

I have to admit I’m disappointed that there weren’t more scenes focusing on Kensi and Deeks, considering how much the last episode focusing on the Patton Project storyline really affected and focused on their relationship. With everything that happened before in The Silo, you would think we would see a lot more moments between them in this episode. Personally I was even hoping this would become a Densi centric episode, but I think it’s safe to say at this point that they are saving the really good moments between Deeks and Kensi for their wedding. Speaking of which, we’ve got more wedding talk between the soon to be bride and groom discussing seating arrangements and we even got a mention of one of Deeks’s closet friends with whom we met briefly back in season 6, right before Deeks and Kensi finally and officially became a couple. Kip Brigham, Deeks’s star basketball friend was mentioned and I’m glad we’re gonna see him at the wedding and hopefully we are FINALLY going to meet Kensi’s friends, Kat, Mindy, Mandy and the Tiffany’s at the wedding too. Plus the scene of Deeks trying to recognise Kensi’s relatives was both funny and cute.

Overall, I admit this isn’t one of my favourite episodes and I gladly admit that I think the promo was exaggerating this episode. Plus I know some of my opinions may sound kinda harsh towards the team, but that doesn’t change how much I love everyone and again I think Calle and Sam really needed to hear those words from Deputy Director Ochoa the most. Although the team can take things to far for the right reasons, they really need to remember to follow the rules and take responsibility on occasion as well as not taking things too far. Let’s just hope they remember this lesson if they ever do something as stupid as Mexico Ever Again. Plus I loved that Turk constantly reminded them that he saved their lives in Mexico as if it weren’t for him they would most certainly be dead. They will NEVER live that down.

[chrisodonline]

On Mosley, Redux

As I mentioned in my loooong post earlier, I had thoughts reflecting on the Joelle episode and Mosley over the course of this season.  

About a month ago, the lovely and sweet @aprylynn spammed me with the best asks in the world because she knew I needed some distractions.  There was one I never answered because it was impossible not to write a treatise to answer it.  I never stopped thinking about it, though, and working on today’s post reminded me of it.  

The question was essentially about what I thought would have helped Mosley’s character be more consistent over the season.  I’ll touch on that, what I would have liked to have seen (more) in the character -- purely subjective preferences, and why I feel like the Joelle episode wasn’t as much of a drop off before next season as it seemed at first -- even to me.

For the record, I don’t need to see new characters love and adore our core team players, especially if they are the boss.  Enabling is not a form of support, and you can be supportive and constructive -- in fact, that’s better for everyone.  It would make sense for a boss to come in and be supportive but not enabling.  Friction is inevitable, but need not be the only plot contribution of the new boss.  Your mileage may vary, and that’s always fair.  People are not all a hive mind, or all TV shows would be the exact same thing. 

I would have liked to see Mosley do more rather than just say what she wanted to do and what her expectations were.  She could still be the super confident and classy lady, which would be a fun contrast.  I felt that’s where they were aiming, but they had Nia hit some notes that just weren’t right when setting up Mosley’s classiness. She came off as more haughty and superficial at times, again, to me.  Moving on.  So, a classy but sassy new boss who truly takes the team to task by making them all do psych appointments, reviewing their old files and talking to them one-on-one about past performance reviews, what she sees could be improved, and making them do paperwork/reports on old cases and missions -- mostly theirs but some from other teams, perhaps old cases, to get them to review how to improve. Send them to some professional development opportunities with training -- mix up the dynamics of who goes while there’s a mission -- allowing for the cast to work around their needed schedules.  Ask reasonable, straightforward questions that needed answers after each case, etc.  Obviously, this would be strewn across multiple eps -- office things aren’t made for a whole hour of TV.  She could have been someone who just really loved rules or who had seen firsthand in old roles the dangers of not being careful enough or when agents aren’t given the proper guidance, etc. 

Mosley didn’t do that, though. Again, she was a lot of talk and no show on taking issues with the way team does things, what her goal was, her disagreements, etc. She would then intermittently support the team when they’d least expect it and flaunt how helpful and deserving of trust she was -- despite not really earning it.  She was owed their respect as the boss, but trust takes time.  These are people always on edge and not easy to get to -- they have to be for their jobs.  It’s also very common in this line of work. She gave them a figure harder to pin down than Hetty, whether intentional or not.

Back to the Joelle thing.  Throughout her episode, she kept talking about how she was doing everything for her family.  Even when she lied and G pretended to fly off the handles to test her, he noted to Sam that she was telling the truth in that moment.  The most consistent thing she said was her motivation was her family.  She was all over the place at times, and it seemed to be her using her spy craft moment to moment to figure out what move would be the best to get what she needed to keep her family safe, especially her son.

Cut back to Mosley.  We know how much her son has motivated her to do things.  If you look back at everything, you can see a very, very consistent figure if you see someone who is doing what it takes to get her son back -- with shrewd knowledge of how these organizations work and the ability to be what’s needed at any given time.  The threats to the team, constant voicing of issues, call for improvement, insistence on a weird glass office to watch over everyone more effectively, bringing someone who is on her side and could slide into a position if she gets someone transferred, etc. It begins to look very performative. Now, anyone who’s ever worked for a highly formalized and structured organization -- whatever the entity -- knows how much saying the right thing gets you a lot further than doing the right thing.  Mastering that empty/vague admin-speak is a skill, and people who can do it go far. Mosley can do it.

So she works really hard to make connections, she knows how to be one with the higher ups.  She works to find out where her son is, or speculate it.  She looks for opportunities, and she finds one.  She comes from a Secret Service background, so it makes you wonder how much she’s been looking into this particular opportunity.  Has she scoped out other nearby agencies with LA offices? It’s been years since she’s seen her son, and she knows how to do a long plan. 

She starts doing the NCIS angle -- if anything it’s an agency that might not deal with her ex enough to have a red flag about her, but it’s one with access to various locales.  She eventually gets to this job.  She’s heard about the team, they’re the best, they’re a bunch of cowboys who can get stuff done; G Callen’s reputation surely precedes him in all agencies he’s worked with.  The legendary Hetty Lange’s does, as well. And, hey, all these people have been trained by her!  Hidoko, at one point, tells her these are the people she’d want to have her back if she were ever in grave peril.  I don’t think she needed convincing.

She sells herself as someone who can shake things up and make things right in the OSP, and the higher powers believe her.  She says the right things to make it look like she’s doing power moves and what she was sent for, and she says them continuously with audiences -- no one has any reason to suspect she’s not there to do the job.  She tells them she needs time to figure the team out and see where they’d be better fit, trying to get them to improve in certain areas while also building their trust. Again, the higher ups all think this is well and good.

Of course, she has to keep two sides happy: the higher ups and the team.  She slides whenever she can, when the stakes are low or when it’s reasonable to say yes.  She has to gain their favor while also keeping the favor of the higher ups.  She’s going back and forth, not always well, but she’s probably learning gradually that her son really is nearby.  The stakes are high.  She’s also not the best people person, so knowing the right ways to gain personal not professional favor is not her strong suit.  She, like Joelle, is a woman with a mission. She plays the cards she needs for her own purpose. It is a very understandable purpose.

The question going into S10: Will having achieved that purpose make her leave OSP? Will she get the boot for not doing what she was told, while the team is also seeing some temporary consequences? Will they be able to explore this more and give her a quasi-reboot, now that she’s no longer dealing with the high stakes of her son?  

Again, though, all just theories/thoughts. 

I promise I’m done for the day!