#I would've loved to see her again in S3

[charliethomascoxuniverse]

‘Daredevil’ Star Deborah Ann Woll: Marvel Hasn’t Called Me to Join Disney+ Reboot, So ‘I Am Not Part of It’

By Zack Sharf  Nov 17, 2022 (X) (X)

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are making the jump from Netflix’s canceled “Daredevil” series to Disney’s upcoming limited series “Daredevil: Born Again,” but their former co-star Deborah Ann Woll might not be following. “True Blood” alum Woll starred opposite Cox as Karen Page on all three seasons of Netflix’s “Daredevil.” Considering Karen was a prominent character on “Daredevil” and Matt Murdock’s primary love interest, many Marvel fans have been wondering whether or not Woll would appear on “Born Again.”

“I can say this: they have not called me yet. So, as of now, I am not a part of it,” Woll revealed on a recent episode of the “Inside of You” podcast (via Total Film), hosted by “Smallville” alum Michael Rosenbaum. “I would be thrilled to get to be a part of it. They know where I am. Like I said, I love the character Karen Page. I love telling that story. I feel like I have more to say. But it is up to them what kind of story that they want to tell.”

Netflix pulled the plug on “Daredevil” in fall 2018 after three seasons. The show never got to resolve its storylines and craft a proper series finale.

“The Marvel series feels unfinished to me because we got canceled when we thought we were going to have more,” Woll said. “There’s a part of me that was like, ‘I had more to say about Karen,’ and I felt I was in the middle of that story.”

Cox has already made the jump to the proper Marvel Cinematic Universe by reprising Matt Murdock/Daredevil in a “Spider-Man: No Way Home” cameo and in a couple episodes of the Disney+ original series “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” In the series, Matt becomes romantically intertwined with Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), so if he’s going to have any love interest in “Born Again” it might be Jennifer and not Karen.

Disney and Marvel have only confirmed Cox and D’Onofrio (back as Kingpin) for its “Daredevil: Born Again” cast. The series is set to run 18 episodes.

[lowkeyrobin]

still so disappointed that mr pennycrumb [fives dog in the comics] didnt rlly appear much in the show </3

ok ok so its the academy's birthday and the reader is insanely good at gift giving and never forgets to give presents if theres smth special happening. they hand out the gifts to everyone except they avoid five and disappear w/o them knowing where they went, only to come back at dusk w/ a larger box. obviously five went insane and rambles on how worried he was before the reader finally shuts him up by plopping the box on him, and boom. theres a puppy.

[loved the last viktor fic btw. literally bawled my eyes out]

- 🦇

OMG YES the only appearance we saw was in s3 when Luther went on a jog before he got napped :( ; and thank you!! I got bored and I couldn't extend it any further so it's kinda dumb but it's alr haha ; thanks for requesting, hope you enjoy! ; also sorry this is so short and dumb idk writers block is so picky

FIVE HARGREEVES ; mr pennycrumb

summary ; when the umbrella academys birthdays roll around, you get five a whole ass dog

warnings ; language

disclaimers ; some of the gifts are related to hobbies/interests that are more of hcs than actual canon

word count ; 738

masterlist

When you walked into Allison's with multiple boxes and bags for the Hargreeves, they all knew you were at it again with your insane yet accurate gift giving. They started with cake, then moved over to presents.

Gift giving in the family was like secret Santa in a way. Everyone would essentially get gifts for all the others, and they'd pass around gifts one by one, usually by number order. Luther was always first, Viktor always last. Lila usually snuck in around Diego, because duh. Viktor had gotten used to being last, the forgotten one. But around his family now, he knew it wasn't like that anymore. He'd rather go last so everyone else could have their special time on their special day.

So, the group sets the gifts tagged for Luther on the table in front of him. The kids halfway watch from afar, paying attention to the TV and their toys more than their celebrating parents, aunts, and uncles.

You were among the minority in the house that didn't share a birthday with them, thank God. You would've gone insane over big birthdays like this.

Five, meanwhile, was going insane over you basically ignoring him all day.

You'd gotten Luther some workout gear, knowing he'd taken up going to the gym within the past couple of years. Among other gifts were little trinkets and other things he wanted. He was a little hard to shop for, never really wanting anything, enjoying the quality time over any gift giving.

Next was Diego, and inside the gift you got for him, was a knife sharpening kit. He'd lost his old one just in time. Lila came up next, receiving a few nice outfits you found for her and a gift card to Cosmoprof, as she'd been thinking about re-dyeing her hair to white again.

Next up was Allison, grateful for the numerous acting job business cards you'd given her on top of a bunch of books that were on her Amazon wishlist. She was a serious reader who wanted to get back into acting, now.

Klaus was after her, ecstatic about a carry-around cleaning kit. You were going to go with a joint maker to make his life easier before he got sober. Now he wouldn't need a full bag of cleaning supplies, he'd have your perfect gift.

Five decided to go last, wanting to watch his family be happy more than open presents himself.

Ben was next, receiving some letters from modeling agencies. As he should.

Viktor was second to last, very appreciative for the new drink recipes you'd made and found for him atop the pile of clothes you'd gotten him.

You disappeared around dusk, leaving Five to open his presents without presence. He was physically eighteen, mentally sixty-two today.

As he looks up, seeing the lack of you around, he hides a soft frown. He noticed how you weren't standing near him all night, how you barely even spoke around him.

"Did you do something to Y/n?" Klaus asks out of the blue. "They just kinda... dissappeared"

Five shrugs. "I don't think I did. Even if I did do something, they'd talk it out with me"

Allison shrugs. "I think that's them" she comments, looking out the screen door to see you pull up in your car again. "Diego, could you get the door?"

Diego turns around, unlocking the door for you, holding it open as he sees you holding a big box.

"Why is that box bigger than you?"

"Also, why is it moving?"

You set the box on the table in front of Five, a wide smile on your face. "Open it"

He slowly sets aside the large box of coffee pods he received from Diego to the side, slowly reaching for the box flaps. As he pulls them to the side, out jumps a little dog.

"Oh my God?"

Five smiles, pulling the puppy into his lap. He looks up at you, a glimmer in his eyes. "Why did you get me a dog?"

You shrug, moving the box off the table. "You're a lonely old man, you need some company"

He chuckles, petting the pug's head.

"What're you gonna name it?" Ben asks, arms crossed.

"Him" You correct

"Mr. Pennycrumb" Five answers.

"Why?" Luther asks.

The physically younger boy shrugs. "Why not?"

"Interesting choice" Klaus mutters with a shrug.

Five smiles up at you, giddy like a little kid. "Thank you"

"I try"

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

The Impact of Tech's Death: Was it necessary? Was it in vain? Why did Tech have to die?

Disclaimer: This will be a very emotion fueled rant and I'm sorry if my personal feelings get in the way. I love my boys, but there are times when I just sit there and shake my head. I do my best to understand their circumstances, but sometimes the Crosshair girlie in me really can't make sense of things.

The short answer: NO, it wasn't necessary. With S3 now behind us and my rewatch of S2 at its conclusion, it hit me just how little weight Tech's death had on the overall plot.

Let's breakdown the finale a bit:

The lead up: Tech found out that his long-lost brother Crosshair was captured by the Empire and sent to a shady place where no good was to come. He also discovers that Crosshair sent a distress message, warning his brothers to hide. Realizing that Crosshair was in danger, Tech decided to rally the others on a mission to find and track Hemlock's ship, hoping it would lead him back to his brother. The mission is a complete failure, with Tech being forced to sacrifice himself in order to save his family.

The Aftermath: the Batch is discovered by Hemlock, Omega is captured, Hunter cuts his losses, and Crosshair remains a prisoner

Here's the part that really messed with me: Tech's death DID NOT affect Hemlock's capture of Omega and it DID NOT change the ability to track the ship. The only impact it had was that Hunter decided to cut his losses and pull an early retirement. And even when Hunter is like "we're going to get Omega back," he doesn't mention Crosshair once.

Tech died to save Crosshair. Period.

(and the others I know, but this mission wouldn't have happened if Cross wasn't in trouble)

Which brings us to S3 where Tech is hardly mentioned, Crosshair himself is never shown on-screen learning of what happened, and there is no moment where anyone (except maybe Cross) processes their feelings about it. Why kill off a beloved character when their demise has almost no impact on anything? The only thing it really impacts is the speed of which things get done and Crosshair's mental health. It makes no sense. I think there was an interview where DBB said they tried to keep Tech alive, but couldn't write a script where that was the case. Ok? Then go back and talk some more about the plot. Or if you can't avoid killing him off, then show the characters processing it or why Tech's death mattered. The cynical side of me says Tech died in vain. I'm being brutally honest here. Tech could've survived and Cid would still sell out the Batch and Saw's detonators would still destroy the ship and tracker. From a story POV, it's pretty bad when a main character's death barely leaves an impact.

In CW, Fives' death enabled Rex and Ahsoka (and Maul by extension) to all survive Order 66. Satine's death led to Mandalore being thrown into chaos, thus leading to the Siege of Mandalore.

In Rebels, Kanan's death crippled Thrawn's Tie-defender project, made Pryce look bad, and taught Ezra important lessons about sacrifice. For Hera, we got to see her grieve the loss of her lover. Kanan's death mattered. Also, the buildup to Kanan's sacrifice was him becoming Caleb Dume again after everything he went through.

The buildup to Tech's death was great too because it was about the Batch trying to find Crosshair. And while the mission is a failure, it showed that they were willing to go back for someone they lost. They hadn't given up on him. But everything after falls pretty flat and only makes Tech's death even sadder.

Why did Tech have to die? Because he probably would've found Tantiss a lot quicker than everyone else. I really think that's the case and that's pretty bad writing if you ask me. I still love TBB immensely, but I'm willing to call it out when it falls short.

It also really pisses me off as a Crosshair fan that Hunter just completely throws him under the bus. I will let my biases speak for me because it really bothers me and I'm sorry if you disagree. I value your opinion too. I don't know if Hunter subconsciously blamed Crosshair for Tech's demise, but I would've felt a whole lot better if he decided to honor Tech's wish of saving him. Hunter was always going to go after Omega, so why not add Crosshair to the mix? Was it because he still thought Crosshair could be lying? I understand cutting his losses in the moment due to the pain of losing Tech. I get that 100%. But after, he just doesn't bother to think about Crosshair. Would he even have gone after Crosshair if the original last-minute retirement plan came to fruition? Crosshair suffered immensely and who knows what would've happened if he just got left there with no one coming for him. Tech was the only one who supported Operation: Rescue Crosshair. No one else suggested that idea except him. (I know Omega also supports it, but I'm talking about the boys). Yes, I know I'm being harsh and perhaps unfair, but it hurts ok? I know Hunter has no clue what's going on with Crosshair.

But here's why it bothers me so much outside of Crosshair getting the short end of the stick again: It makes Tech's death feel even more in vain because the reason for why Tech died is just forgotten about.

Let that sink in. Tech's death doesn't leave ANY lasting impact on the plot post-incident.

It makes even more frustrated and just heartbroken because of how cruel and unfair losing Tech really was. Had we gotten more time of the Batch processing emotions or taking something meaningful away from it, then that's different. But no. That's not what we got and I am heartbroken by it. At minimum, we should've gotten one scene in S3 where Crosshair (or anyone really) talks about it in a meaningful way. (No, "CF99 died with Tech" doesn't count). Yes, Tech's legacy can be seen through Omega's actions but that's not enough.

All and all, the only real weight Tech's death had was on Crosshair's mental health. And even then, it's only implied instead of said straight out. If Tech hadn't died, then Crosshair probably wouldn't have decided to enact Plan 99. (Or he would've due to other reasons).

In conclusion: Tech never had to die nor should he have died.

[howtobecomeadragon]

if they wanted us to like mlvn, you know how the s3 finale would've gone?

scrap the entire "i like presents" exchange, scrap el trying to remind mike of when he said 'i love her' before, scrap mike's "uhh what'd i say again? oh heat of the moment stuff"

instead they would've had mike talking about using cerebro to talk to el all the time, and he would've joked, "and i'll keep trying to get you to fall in love with 'never surrender'" and then he'd burst back into the song he sang at the start of the season as a cute throwback.

el would smile at him and laugh a little tearily, thinking back on the moments when their relationship wasn't facing such a huge obstacle. she'd shake her head and cover mike's mouth again, and she'd lean in and say "i love YOU, mike." and then she'd pull her hand away and mike would be blinking in surprise with a smile pulling up at the corners of his mouth. and only once el sees that smile would she lean in and kiss him. and mike would reach up and hold onto her shoulders for the kiss, or he'd put hand at her waist or cup her cheek. when they pulled away, el would be smiling and with her nose crinkled, she'd say, "but i don't think i love that song. maybe you can sing madonna instead?"

THAT'S how it could've gone if they wanted us to buy their romance.

but umm yeah none of that happened. 🙂 and instead they made their interactions super awkward 🙂 and mike didn't show any hint of reciprocating el's love declaration and stood there, not moving with his eyes open, as she kissed him 🙂 hmm a bit odd innit 🙂

[veninorchid]

Bridgerton S3 Review

Dearest gentle reader, I am disappointed, sadly.

And as I respect your opinion, so too, shall you respect mine. I'm not here to bash on #Polin fans and the fact that they enjoyed it, but what -was- season 3 of Bridgerton truly?

I love the Mondriches, but do they really need so much screen-time? What did their own ball add to the story exactly? Had the same feeling about the Dankworth-Finch ball at the end, but at least that one proved its necessity as -the reveal all- ball. Because there was of course no Duke of Hastings (Simon) to host it, so they improvised.

This season had too many stories going on at the same time which were all fighting for the spotlight when it should've focused on #Polin, cause that is what was advertised/hyped. It did not deliver…

Season 1 - Daphne and Simon They had the most screen-time and all other stories got a little bit of shine. But even then some of those had either Daphne or Simon in the picture/background. (Marina-Colin, with Daphne as chaperone is one of the examples) None of the other stories distracted from the main focus.

Season 2 - Kanthony Same here. While there was a lot going on in this season with Anthony courting Edwina and going all the way to the alter with her (creative license, since it didn't happen in the book) and then on the other hand we were seeing the other side with his having the thickest desire and longing for Kate. You could cut that shit with a knife, I tell you. But no side stories were overpowering. It was 90% lead character -stuff. Season 3 - Benedict---, I mean #Polin -minus the actual #Polin Were their (the directors/screenwriters) initial thoughts that we've been seeing them for 2 seasons, so we don't have to pay that much attention to the leads? Wrong! That was friendship, this is love, longing and passion. So much new ground to explore for these two. Little scenes like dancing in the church, stealing loving glances is cute and all, but we got nothing more than that. Nothing memorable.

No wait, we got carriage frolicking in part 1 and a mirror first time in part 2. You're right, I apologize. Anything else? Name any other thing you remember from this whole season. I'll wait, seriously.

Did maybe the night scene come up in your memories? Where they had an angry make out and he once again let his hand venture below? I felt the anger/passion in the coming together and pushing her against the shop, sure. The quick flash of him reaching between her thighs was more of a recycled scene from episode 4 or even from S03 Kanthony. I mean honestly. Was there really even a chance he'd take her in the streets? It felt unnecessary and forced. The dialogue was good and would've been better at their home where it's believable they could enter an intimate scene that -could- be finished if they so wanted it. Or not if his anger won over his desire. Did I mention they were both drinking before they met? I didn't say drunk, I said drinking.

I guess they improvised the whole Mme Delacroix scene (before the angry make out) with her offering advice and booze just to give Pen a reason to drink and coincidentally be in Colin's path for the scene? Wasted screen-time. Do I also need a drink to feel the -love- this season?

First part, Colin helping and chasing Pen. Second part, let's ignore and distance myself from her. They really stretched out Colin's pulling back from her because of the whole Whistledown thing, when they could've done fast forwards, saying things like 'Colin, it's been weeks. Or it's been so long, can we get passed this' just to show the time frame. But instead we get long minutes of silence and ignoring each other. Filming Colin from the back, zooming in. Then from the front zooming in. Then him watching her leave the house, slowly getting up from sleeping on the sofa, walking towards his desk. Lifting and opening and reading her old letters. Do you have any idea how long that feels? When she exited the bedroom and delivered her dialogue he could've already been behind his desk. Did we see Simon (S01E02) walk into the room, open his father's desk, take out the unopened letters etc.? No, the flashback ends with him already seated and holding the letters. Same thing could've been done here.

Oh, let's not forget side character-stuff. Let's talk more about that.

Again, I cannot stress it enough. Mondriches. Duke of Kent stuff and moving up, is fine. Seeing them struggle constantly onscreen is not. Wasted screen-time. You can easily have us hear about that in conversation. How miserable and sad he is because he had to close the bar when he became part of the ton. So many ways to handle that. Moving to part 2. Why did we have to get the whole preparation for their ball? What did it add to the story exactly? Just let everyone arrive at the ball and let that be the first we all see of the decorations. Did we see Lady Danbury prepare for the huge conservatory ball in S2? Lady Trowbridge's ball in S1? All of Her Majesty's balls? No, so it was wasted screen-time.

Francesca's story was sweet, bless her, but also unnecessary detailed. Was it the autism angle they were trying to push forward? I'm all for it, but only when you have a series with more than 8 episodes. (God, I miss 22 episode series) Because she is still a side character in #Polin's book, no matter which way you turn it. At Francesca's wedding we had the whole vows scene and everything and the two LEADS!!!! were stealing glances at each other while standing behind the whole ass family. You're the leads, act like it! It felt like S1 and S2 with them being in the background.

We all know Bridgerton's known for taking liberties with the wardrobe. The tailored waists for Pen enhance her body beautifully, but Cressida's wardrobe is bordering… scratch that! has taken a 250 MPH free-fall, into ridiculousness. I also absolutely did not care for -seeing- the reasons behind Cressida claiming to be Whistledown. Should've just kept her as a bitch. That's what we enjoyed about her. Fine, you decided on that development for her character, so here's an idea. She was so chummy with Eloise. Could've just had her tell Eloise that she was being pressured by her parents to marry and then being send to the country to live with a horrid aunt. Wasted screen-time. You only have 8 episodes to work with for crying out loud.

And then there's the side character of all side-characters. Benedict. Didn't they make the very -deliberate- decision to push back Benedict and Sophie's story in favor of #Polin as S3? To then give me so much useless Bentilly sexy time; Time that could've easily been given to #Polin things. If you can make up stories about him being confused as to his sexuality, you can just as easily come up with new, none book, stories for the actual leads. Could've left everything they forced on us about Benedict for his actual season. What's gonna be left for his own season? Wasted screen-time. Should've made him absent, continue the art-school in the background, anything. I mean, an extended honeymoon for Kanthony instead of a forced story to have them onscreen. Do the bloody same for Benedict and focus on #Polin. Every time we saw Benedict, he was playing twister with Tilly and later with what's his name (don't even care) It's not relevant, it's wasted screen-time.

I'm gonna end my review (rant!) with one last thing.

Shallow kisses. Heck it's acting, so you don't have to shove your tongue down your co-actor's throat, but keep your lips open and hollow out your mouth to at least make us think you're playing tongue-twister. As soon as their lips touched, they closed their mouths and it became a fervent peck-fest. Like kissing air and practicing in front of a mirror. Yes, they look good kissing each other, but the kissing itself was bleh.

First kiss in part 1 was going the right direction and was pretty believable, but after that… shallow as f*ck. And to think they were supposed to be increasing in passion after that first kiss. All of them were closed-mouth pecks, I'm sorry. Was it the height-difference that didn't allow them to actually suck each other's face off? ---------------

I will not do a TL;DR, because if you skip this review/rant, you will not have missed anything. Have a great day people.

Yours truly, Venin Orchid (aka Lady Regency-nerd) PS: did anyone notice the nice touch at the end? The Whistledown Silhouetted lady on the top of the page had been changed to look more like Penelope. You're welcome <3

[findmeinthefallair]

I hadn't spotted these a year ago:

Oh my god, guys???!!! Parallels:

2. These are the same face - the Depression Face.

It tugs at my heart like nothing else, because...

3. Oooh never paid attention to this:

4. These lil' guys were moving and animated while sleeping here, aww:

5. The screenshot below, to me, is foreshadowing that Hunter may have expressed his wish to study at Hexside...but once that wish is actually granted, he too is gonna be depressed - at school, specifically - for months, and frustrated that he simply cannot be enthusiastic about classes the way he initially hoped. He'll push and push himself and judge himself for why he "can't even" enjoy lessons he's supposed to be excited about:

6. Do you think they took Hunter to the zoo's bird hall, before he carved Waffles (I personally view it as a good element of exposure therapy)? :

7. People usually put the S1 screenshot of Luz drawing light glyphs, next to the one with Flapjack fading away...but I saw this too:

It makes me wanna chew extra recycled cardboard about Luz and Flapjack parallels, specifically. Because of what they both offered to the world, if you think about it:

8. If Camila went through an outfit change like this in her nightmare:

Imagine the mayhem of Hunter's many nightmares with his many outfits :S

9. A really good reference for how Hunter healed pre-timeskip, is this sequence, where the order has been altered a bit below:

(who knows, maybe Willow recorded a lot of vids of him on her scroll T___T)

10. Wow this sums up the show doesn't it:

11. Ugh you can't tell me that...they wouldn't have had a similar-ish mirror scene with Waffles and older Hunter to these, if we had a full S3 or more seasons:

Him approaching a mirror with no palisman beside him...I can't imagine how that was in those horrible months. (Maybe he does this before heading out to conduct a Palisman Adoption Day)

12. I feel really happy, confidently believing that he unlearned this body language:

in the presence of adults, especially his new parental figures. Coercive control wasn't a dominating theme in his life anymore. And while we didn't see it onscreen, he would've found the space to even initiate connection via physical touch with his parents, like what Luz naturally does here:

I say "physical touch" specifically, because to quote @idlescree's amazing video analyses, Hunter's own physical body - not just his mind - was the ultimate and most intimate battleground for Belos to exert control, by possessing Hunter and using him as a puppet in the most direct way possible. So for Hunter to get physically close to family to express love after Flapjack's death, in spite of terrible spooky thoughts that he might still gravely injure others...that isn't a small feat at all.

13. I think his casual sweater is a plain gold colour, and his cosplay outfit has its yellow colour: because he's still influenced by Belos.

The black of the wolf tee and in the cosplay, feel to me like foreshadowing of his post-possession grief. Even after Flapjack is gone, Hunter still thinks about Belos and is still walking around in the same cosplay outfit. His newfound freedom and healing is reflected in his timeskip design (calm midtones of orange and blue): when Belos has no more hold on him via a painful history. We would see a progression from the predominant darkness of the black colour to those peaceful midtones on his clothing.

14. Best one saved for last! It's a headcanon, but I draw a few connections. @childlikegoblinqueen and I were talking about him likely returning to the place where poor Flapjack was slain, even if it takes a number of years before he can do so. Waffles will be with him.

Imagine...instead of running frantically in the night:

he calmly strolls during a beautiful Halloween evening, with autumn leaves blowing in the wind once again:

There are no horrors awaiting him, and very importantly, he can believe that.

And he visits the spot at the lake, and puts his hand to his chest:

but for once, he can smile while doing that specific gesture. All the times that he has put a hand to his heart in the show, he wasn't smiling (link). He then leaves and then returns to his family (walking in the opposite direction of the portal above) to have an actually joyful Halloween celebration.

[green-alm0nd]

[Crosshair X gn!reader]: Bigger picture

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Summary:

After Crosshair joined the Empire, your relationship has been complicated, especially since there was palpable and unresolved tension. After settling down on Pabu for the first time in Crosshair's life, you decide it's time to confront him.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: SPOILERS FOR TBB S3, ANGST, lots of angst, Crosshair being a prick, reader also being a prick, arguments, fights, mentions of break ups, reader has a sister who unfortunately was killed, swearing. Basically angst. Not proofread.

[Part 1] [Part 2]

Enjoy!

----

The sanctuary of Pabu was supposed to be a place to stay, to call home, to leave your past behind and start over. It was an island, away from the Empire, with little resources yet grateful people.

Now, it was just an island. The isle you admired the most became just an island when the marksman put his feet on the ground tiles.

It had been almost a year since Crosshair had last spoken to you. And you didn't make it easy either when he joined the Batch again. You refused to make eye contact, and actually speaking was not on the list. If anything, you'd respond to his snarky comments with your own snarky comebacks, but having a real face to face and heart to heart talk wasn't even on the plan. The last time you had seen eachother was on that deck back on Kamino, and he denied everything you had. That hurt you more than anything else.

You sighed at the thought. The weather on Pabu that day was rather windy, and messy. It was almost like the Force had decided to match your personality with the island's weather. However, you headed over to the small cottage you lived in, and found Omega on the door.

"Hey." She greeted, with her usual, bright smile. You weren't in the mood, but tried to smile nonetheless.

"Hey, kid."

Omega stayed quiet for a few seconds, before she spoke again.

"You think Crosshair hasn't changed." She said.

Your grip on the doorknob tightened.

"Omega, we've talked about this."

"But he has! He has changed!" She insisted, her innocent eyes full of determination pierced through yours.

You let out an exasperated sigh.

"No. He hasn't." You responded firmly.

"If he had changed, he would've come speak to me when he joined the Batch."

To this, Omega let out a pout, and left you without another word.

It was sad to let the kid down, but it was the truth. If Crosshair truly cared about your relationship, he would've gone see you a long time ago.

----

When the night settled on the island, you were still outside, leaning on the railing. Omega's words kept repeating inside your head. What if he had changed? What if he had become a different person? He could've still tried talking to you, at least say something. Then again, you hadn't made it easy for him, either.

You hadn't greeted him when he came on the ship, you always came out with some sort of witty or snarky response to his plans, and you had overall chosen to ignore him.

As if on cue, a shadow leaned on the wooden wall of your house. You knew who it was. There was only one person able to be this stealthy, there was only one person who made your heart quicken. No matter the situation, your heart would always beat for him. Seeing him there, standing near you, made you remember all the nights you spent together. The love, the passion, the laughs, the hope, the excitement. But it also brought a sense of sadness, pain and dread to you.

You turned to face him.

"Look who decided to show up." You chimed, with a fake grin.

Crosshair just kept staring at you, his toothpick moving to the right side of his mouth.

"You're mad at me." He pointed out.

You scoffed.

"Of course I am." You spat, entering your cottage. You expected Crosshair to follow, since you were sure things would get heated pretty quickly.

And so, he did. Without a word. You closed the door, and leaned on the wall with your arms closed.

"You better explain why you were next to my door in the middle of the night."

Crosshair didn't answer at first.

"Omega told me to talk to you." He finally answered.

You let out a huff, which sounded more like a bitter, breathless laugh.

"So you're here because Omega told you to talk to me? Unbelievable."

Crosshair looked away.

"She told me you were angry at me, so I decided to come see you." He responded, curtly.

"And you couldn't find the guts to talk to me without Omega telling you to? After everything we've went through?" You asked, your eyes pleading.

He looked at the floor.

"I've done things." He started. You knew it was hard for him to accept he was wrong, it was part of his stubborn personality after all. But you weren't going to be easy on him.

"Yes, you have. You've done horrible things."

"And I guess I regret...some of them." He said, clenching his jaw. It was hard for him to accept that.

You laughed bitterly.

"Some of them? You guess? Give me a break, Crosshair. You joined the Empire, knowing they would exploit you. You killed innocent people." You replied, fists clenching.

"Back then, I was being brainwashed."

"Don't give me that shit, you joined to save your own ass. You had a choice, Crosshair."

Crosshair's fists tightened, and so did his jaw.

"I didn't. I was being manipulated." He replied, slightly raising his tone.

"You had your chip removed! You could've stopped it the second you were free from its control!" You said, slowly getting closer.

"I needed you. The Batch needed you. Where were you when-" You were interrupted by Crosshair's sharp voice.

"At that point, the Empire had plans for me. I was able to see the bigger picture that you couldn't." He snarled.

"What the fuck are you talking about?! The Empire just wanted to use you! They never had big plans for you!" You responded.

Crosshair spat his toothpick into the ground.

"That's your problem." He said, finally looking at you.

"You could never see the bigger picture! You always did what you were told and you could never see anything further than your damn nose. I saw the potential of the plans they had. You, on the other hand, stuck to do what you were told to do like a fucking lap dog." He spat, poison coming out from his words.

There was a pause, where your eyes filled with tears.

"You got my sister killed."

Crosshair groaned, annoyed and pissed.

"She was Force sensitive. You wouldn't believe me if I told you that I tried to get her to run away."

You wanted to punch him, and you tried, but he was always too quick. He pinned your hands in one of his, so that you wouldn't hurt him. Everything that was happening brought you a sense of painful nostalgia, the memories of a happy Crosshair next to you, dreaming of what would happen after the war ended. Now, it was all gone.

"How the fuck am I supposed to believe you?!"

"I'm not asking you to. I just wanted you to know." He responded, his tone calm once again.

"She admired you. She saw you as a big brother." You said.

Your eyes filled with tears, but Crosshair's cold gaze spoke in volumes.

He let go of your wrists, and placed his hands on his pockets as he headed to the floor. It seemed like the 'conversation' about your sister, and everything else was done.

"Did you seriously believe that I would want to continue our relationship after what you've done?" You asked, bitterly.

The marksman stopped in his tracks.

"No." He finally replied.

"It's over, Cross." You said, the nickname bringing up old and almost forgotten memories.

"But I'm sure it was over a long time ago, was it?"

Crosshair stayed quiet, and sighed.

"Yes. Yes, it was."

He opened the door, and left. You stood still, alone in the living room of your small cottage before your knees gave up.

To think that, if you had actually forgiven him, you could've actually been happy with him besides you.

----

I've disappeared for a while, but I'm back :p

I may edit it in a future, but I'm not sure.

Reblogs and shares are highly appreciated <3

My requests are open!

[fiamat12]

LUKOLA STATUS: THEORIES

I agree with much of the theory linked above and don't think any of it is far-fetched since celebrity reputations are critical, esp. admist promo for a big-time TV show. A few things I'd like to add, w/ a bit of a different take:

1) N might've been dating someone, too, when L was dating A. (Maybe E, casually? For those of you who don't buy E, it could've been anyone w/how private N is). I also don't think L ever let it get serious w/A (although monogamous), knowing he'd reunite w/N for the WT, because even in the early days (Jan. & Feb.) you could see he was still down bad for N. I do think L was unsure, however, of where they stood since N was likely the one who asked to separate (& maybe was seeing someone else) and needed to know he still had a chance - although if he didn't (but why wouldn't he - they're soulmates), I don't think he & A would've lasted. I also think he distanced himself from A as early as after their March LA trip...

2) I don't necessarily see A as a villain out to ruin a rel. btwn L & N. Idk that, at first, A realized what she was up against; if the theory is correct, L & N were separated, so A hadn't seen them interact, nor had S3 been released w/their obvious chemistry on display. She'd watched fan edits of S1-2 & literally said F' it, but that was nothing compared to what was unleashed btwn L & N in S3 (both onscreen & off) that she hadn't seen. I'm quite certain L didn't divulge to A when he & N rekindled bts so I can see A being confused & desperate to hold on. I'm not sure that A threatened L but, rather, perhaps was loose lipped or took it upon herself to post her & L on sm, at which point L had to reign her in lest rumors abound. (Side note: I'm conflicted abt the Instyle stunt & if Luke participated in coordinating it 🤔)

3) I agree that L & N always had a plan to come back together (ahem, the claddagh promise ring), but perhaps it took longer than expected w/the negative media storm after papgate (which I do believe was unplanned) and L's entire friend group acting unhinged. I also agree that L has had an arrangement to help A by appearing w/her publicly for a bit, before breaking it off and this - a) protects N from being brandished a homewrecker and - b) distracts from his rel. w/N for their own privacy. I'm not sure he would tell A of his intent, but seeing as she could infer much of it, an NDA had to have been signed at some point.

4) I'm unsure how much L & N have been in touch since papgate. I think the narrative they're playing out is that L was dating A, realized it was a mistake, broke up/is breaking up w/her and upon S4 filming or so, will start a reunite w/N. I think N began a soft launch w/her love song posts, but had to take a step back when L received negative backlash (again!) about his HBS after his stylist's post. And I think N's appearances w/JD are to take the heat off of L. Do I think L & N have been seeing each other more than they let on? Yes... maybe even prior to the love songs, as I believe the public narrative is different than what's going on bts. And that's ok. It's their relationship, and they will come out if & when they choose 😊

What are your thoughts??? Theories???

ALSO, always possible: I could be totally wrong, and both L & N could be dating completely different people or no one. But I still believe they are soulmates & endgame 👫

[lornaka]

Some TBB s3 trailer reactions/thoughts

If you follow me on twitter/IG you probably saw these already

First of all, FEBRUARY 21???? SO SOON. I'M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE WHEN IT ENDS AAAA

Secondly, CROSSHAIR. They kept Crosshair's old armor, even as they had to lose and repurpose and probably sell parts of their own kits while surviving.. they kept his armor intact NOBODY TOUCH ME.

As I thought, it seems Hunter and co will reunite with Omega and Cross in the premiere. This isn't surprising bc I couldn't imagine Omega being in captivity for long, she is the central kid character and has to be in the thick of all their adventures.

Re: Tech. I know in my heart that Tech is alive but tbh I'm one of the few people who doesn't want the brainwashed Imperial Tech plotline bc it feels redundant at this point, we already had Echo and Cross as victim of experiments/brainwashing.

Mostly I'm just tired of seeing clone characters getting stripped of their agency to a ridiculous degree when it's not necessary for their character development at all, at some point it starts to feel like angst for angst's sake bad fanfiction style. I just want to see him being his capable self, not another victim in distress.. Combined with how a portion of this fandom has a tendency to infantilize him, I'm feeling some level of trepidation if Imp!Tech is indeed where this is going. But I ofc will take any scenario where he is alive > any scenario where he is dead. The family must be complete :< So while I have my reservations, I'm totally open to seeing whatever they have cooked up and reserve all judgement until I get to experience the story as it's told. I'm just cautious about this particular possibility bc I keep seeing fandom folk clamouring for it. As for THAT character cameo... God I so wish this means that godawful book was yeeted from the canon once and for all. This is a Dark Disciple hater household, sorry to those who liked it for whatever reason. I have nothing against Vos as his own character, but Ventress didn't deserve an ending THAT shitty so please keep her away from that bullshit.. please.. I'm so happy to see her again ;_; and I'm so happy that the big cameo wasn't Ahsoka lmao I would've thrown something. Anyway aGHHH I'm overflowing with emotion rn I love that show sm!! *cracks knuckles* opens up a folder of wips from almost a year ago titled "Crosshugs"

UPD. So apparently DD is still canon. So let me get this right.. TBB s3 is supposedly aligned with DD being kept canon.. but DD takes place before order 66?? Does it mean that Asajj faked her death to get the jedi to leave her alone lmao literally being "the reports of my death were greatly exaggerated". I get it girl I would've faked my death too to get out of a toxic relationship.

[chirpsythismorning]

Some of the evidence supporting Mike not being in love with El is brutal. No, but seriously.

In s3, when El's leg is injured, instead of Mike putting his arm around her waist, allowing him to take some of the weight off her injured leg, he puts his arm around her shoulder, basically having the exact opposite affect of taking the weight off of her, instead just adding more weight for her to have to carry.

Now, I’m not coming at Mike here, I’m actually coming at the writers, because this choice here has everything to do with them using this gesture to signal Mike’s lack of feelings for El, even at the expense of realism.

I say this bc any person with common sense, including Finn and everyone around him and Millie filming these shots, would've known it looked unnatural for Mike to be adding more weight onto El as opposed to taking some off of her.

This means that what Mike did here, Finn was directed to do, and therefore it was for a specific reason.

And we know they could have easily made the opposite choice, because they show us Max AND Lucas doing it.

See how putting an arm around El's waist looks so much more natural? Because homegirl is injured and clearly needs help taking weight off her leg to qualm some of the pain she's experiencing there, which is why Max and Lucas are shown here doing it the correct way.

And so, why can't Mike do the same? Why are the writers making a point to show Mike being incapable of simply taking some weight off of El, instead doing the exact opposite?

I don't think it's as deep as Mike not being able to do something intimate, and that's bc, again we see Max and Lucas doing it.

I honestly think what they're trying to convey with this choice here, is that Mike thinks he's helping El, when he is in fact doing the opposite despite his best efforts. The implications of that and how that sort of aligns with their romantic relationship and what it leads to at the end of s3, going into s4, is pretty spot on.

I do think Mike thinks he's doing the right thing by being with El instead of voicing any doubts at the end of s3, because he is under the assumption that she is in love with him. I do think he believes he is indebted to her and that this is the least he can do after everything they've been through together, which has mostly been riddled with romantic pressures and so continuing that instead of disputing it seems like the only option anyways. Not to mention, he does care for her deeply, so it's not hard to imagine that he's a teenage boy confusing deep care for love (he literally tells us this is his problem when he can only say care and not love to El's face... but that's a whole other conversation).

Still, when it's all said and done, Mike's not actually doing El any favors by being with her romantically, if that is not what he truly wants.

Because that's the sad truth about all of this, which is that you would never want someone to be with you just because you want them. If you knew that they truly couldn't have those feelings for you, you'd want to know, right? You don't deserve someone just because you have deep feelings for them. And I think there's so many layers to this idea, bc many people are capable of not giving Byler a chance bc they truly believe Mike could never return Will's feelings. Will also feels this way atp, so though it hurts, he rips the band aid off, because he would never want Mike to be with him just out of pity or something. No one would want that. And so it all really comes down to who Mike truly loves romantically and wants to be with. And the right thing to do, even if it hurts someone, is to be honest, because being with them just bc you think that will make them happy is never going to be enough if you aren't truly feeling it, or worse, feel it for someone else.

We see how Mike's inability to be honest with El at the end of s3, leads to a season of Mike feeling deeply insecure and undeserving of the love El has to offer him, and even though he does try, he always comes up short. Despite Mike putting up this front that they are the perfect couple, the details are telling us something is off. And it gives him away.

Another example that I think is very similar to this loaded gesture from Mike to El in s3, is the scene in s4 when they hug in the airport.

Common sense ppl, picture this: You're reuniting with your long distance girlfriend. Then suddenly, she runs up to you, with her arms wide open, and instead of opening your arms wide to embrace her properly, you take the bouquet of flowers you brought her as a gift, and shove them against your chest just as she approaches to hug you, effectively squishing the present you got for her (a pretty delicate present at that) for no reason other than to... what exactly?

Like?? El isn't even squishing the present Mike, she's trying to hug you, dude! Your gf is trying to hug you properly and you threw the gift you got for her in between you so you could throw in a careful! x3??

Again, this has less to do with Mike's thoughts and reasoning behind this gesture in a literal sense, and more to do with the simple fact that this is a narrative choice! Mike is not a real person! There are real people sitting down and writing this and actors are having to do multiple takes to act it out. What feels natural for a situation is going to be what is often chosen 9 times out of 10, because of realism and wanting the audience to see stuff happening that is believable. That 1 time though, when it's not being done the way it would usually be, is usually because there's a specific reason for it.!

So the question really is, not why is Mike doing this, but why are the writers having Mike do this, and what message are they trying to convey about Mike's feelings based on his behavior, in these moments where he's just not capable of committing to El genuinely, one way or another?

[endiness]

✨ s3 positivity ✨

i think the show did a much better job of appreciating jaskier this season. like, geralt and jaskier's friendship actually felt like a friendship for once. he and ciri were close and had a great dynamic that was funny yet heartwarming and their scene together in the cabin in particular was really lovely. even if they didn't have as many 'big' scenes together as they did in s2, the jaskier and yennefer stuff was still great. yarpen actually appreciated jaskier and thanked him. there was a lot of jaskier helping people in the background during fight scenes. jaskier's ptsd and trauma from being tortured by rience wasn't just brushed off and was a really big motive behind his actions. (also just on a shallower note, but i really liked jaskier's purple flower chemise and i thought his hair was cute af.)

i LOVED radskier and how they were able to see each other through the masks that they put up for the rest of the world and how they just understood one another but then also the inherent tragedy of them and the whole star-crossed lovers of it all. plus joey and hugh's chemistry was AMAZING. i also really enjoyed jaskier and vespula's relationship, too, and how close yet casual they were with each other and how they could go from fighting to hooking up to vespula teasing jaskier about his crush right back to hooking up again.(or they would've if SOMEBODY hadn't've interrupted them.)

in general, i liked the inclusion of queer characters and relationships this season from jaskier and radovid and philippa and eva to just random minor background characters and the ~hints of ciri's sexuality and whatever the fuck's gonna happen with her and mistle next season lol and i liked the way the show handled queerness and how it was just normalized. (especially since, all things considered, homophobia in the books isn't that big of a deal anyway — at least definitely not to the extent fandom generally portrays it as ie #period typical homophobia.)

the fam bonding at the beginning of the season and just getting to be domesticTM with each other and actually happy together was really cute and it was a nice treat especially knowing how the rest of the season and books huh what who said that plays out. also, the ice skating scene in particular was really sweet. (but also, ciri ice skating 👀 iykyk~)

the desert episode was a great adaption of the book and freya absolutely killed it. (same with joey at the end of the episode tbh! well, and the beginning but especially the end of the episode.)

the songs were all really great. extraordinary things was my favorite, enchanted flowers was really lovely, the ride of the witcher was a banger, all is not as it seems was an earworm (affectionate), and freya really showed off how talented she is at singing in a little sacrifice.

overall, i just really liked the season and thought it was great and that the show did a good job of adapting the book. i also think that the writing felt a lot more cohesive than the previous seasons as there was a lot more focus on the characters and their relationships.

[hysteriaww]

You get kai and bonnie so much together and individually everything you say fits them in canon so well it's too bad the writers really fumbled with them because when kai showed up he was a breath of fresh air and the best part about him is he's all about bonnie that was new and realistic bonkai was their last shot at getting the vampire diaries interest back up again

AH thank you so much for this lovely message, you're so sweet!! Yes, it really is such a shame the writers fumbled Bonkai bc it rly did seem like they had some great ideas there in the beginning, but the execution fell flat :( I feel like Kai was a breath of fresh air not just for us fans but also the cast & crew! U could rly feel their spark of new excitement for a dying show when kai showed up bc i think they all sensed that he was unique and different from the tired, recycled plotlines they'd had since S4.

Ian in particular seemed much more interested in his scenes when Kai was around (and much more lifeless when he wasn't) and Bonnie ofc was *given* much more interesting scenes when Kai was around, compared to prior seasons. Even Alaric & Jo, who started S6 as rick's new boring romance of the season, became relevant, layered and interesting bc of their links to Kai. Like rick loved to play the hero & act like damon was morally beneath him in S6 but his need to protect Jo from Kai brought out a selfish streak that made him go behind Jo & her fam's back to make shady deals w Damon & Kai as long as it kept Jo safe! Even Jo was revealed to be quite crafty considering her backstory of how she tricked & betrayed Kai in 1994, which made her much more interesting than her early role as rick's bland gf.

Even Liv & Luke were (im sorry) SO BORING in S5 but 1000x more interesting in S6 once their story got linked to Kai. His existence single-handedly linked so many disjointed characters & plotlines from previous seasons (like why'd they even bring Rick back after dying in S3? His relationship w Jo (and by extension, Kai) was the only thing that made him relevant for the rest of the goddamn show)! Even the Heretics were introduced to the show through KAI & the gemini/siphoner lore and fully lost steam as soon as Kai wasn't there to make 'em interesting!

As for Kai's links to Bonnie, ya i agree she rly was their last chance to make things interesting bc they'd already given Elena & Caroline "dark" romances that fans were too attached to to accept anything else (see: Delena being forced to stay together; Steroline forever being overshadowed in most fans' minds by Klaroline) so giving Elena & Caroline new pairings would've disappointed fans, whereas Bonnie was a blank slate they could've gone WILD with bc none of her canon pairings had strongly attached fans... yet they gave Elena & Caroline new romances anyway and scrapped Bon's romance with Kai :)))

That is what felt malicious. In S6 alone, they gave Elena who ALREADY HAD DAMON the new guy Liam, then gave Caroline the same guy Liam, Enzo (briefly) AND Stefan, whereas Bon *almost* got Kai & *fully* lost Jeremy in S6. ??? Any writer who paid half as much attention to her fans as Plague did (considering how much ott fan-service she wrote into tvd & how many twitter fights she got into w fans whose ships she disapproved of) HAD to have known her fans wouldn't accept Caroline/Enzo, Care/Stef, Care/Liam or Elena/Liam as much as they loved Care/Klaus & Elena/Damon. Yet she did it anyway bc she preferred LOSING FANS to giving Bonnie someone interesting!

She even planned Kai to be Bon's love interest in S6 bc she thought he wouldn't be popular w fans & instantly torpedoed that once she noticed fans' love for him bc, as I said before, Plague PAID ATTENTION to her fans' reactions. So fans having lukewarm feelings about Steroline was enough to get 'em married, but fans LIKING Kai was enough to get Bonkai axed. It's a common joke that Plague saw Caroline as her self-insert (neurotic, hyper-organized blonde control-freak) which is why she dated more men than even Elena. But I think a large chunk of tvd's white teen girl fans saw Care as a self-insert too (bc w each subsequent season, Caroline was increasingly written & designed that way, which is why fans turned on tvd's original self-insert, Elena, & worshipped Care instead).

Her "im never the one, im not perfect like elena" insecurities made her a blank canvas for (white) girls to see themselves in, which is why she wins Miss Mystic Falls, why she's a privileged Founding Fam member, why she gets to dress fancy & go to Mikaelson balls that have nothing to do w her, why she gets ALL the men, why she becomes the 1st vampire to be pregnant, why she gets to marry Stefan (then instantly lose him so she can go kiss Klaus in the spin-off), why she gets to be tvd's last vampire standing, why she repeatedly gets to have her cake and eat it too. By presenting Elena as "perfect/ideal" & Caroline as an "underdog," fans naturally sympathized more with Care's "struggle" (even tho she repeatedly got EVERYTHING!) Based on this, Plague refused to let ppl like Klaus date Bonnie (which would've made sense) but shoved him w Caroline (which didn't make narrative sense) bc that gave her & white fans the chance to see themselves in Care & feel like THEY were dating Klaus.

(Btw I wanna add that I actually do like & enjoy Caroline! This is a critique of the shadiness that went into *writing* Caroline, not a critique of Caroline herself)

Similarly, Kai was allowed to want Bonnie as long as fans didn't like him, but once he got popular, Plague killed Bonkai bc she believed that she & her (white) fans wouldn't be able to see themselves in Bonnie and feel like THEY were the ones dating Kai. But Kai was not Klaus, Stefan, Damon, Enzo or Kol. His character was CONCEIVED w Bonnie in mind to the point that erasing his obsession w her would make him not even feel like KAI anymore. And that wouldn't work bc fans wanted gucci kai, not walmart kai. Also, his general personality quirks were just not the type that would vibe w Caroline. Chris Wood said it himself, "Kai likes to be the one who talks, he doesn't like to listen, so I think Caroline might make him wanna snap her neck & move on" bc Caroline ALSO likes to talk. So writing him w Care would change Kai too much & writing him w Elena was not an option bc Delena was set in stone & Nina was leaving. So, how'd plague have her cake & eat it too? She refused to let Bon have Kai, and bc there was no other white girl who made sense for him, she kept Kai eternally single so white fans could eternally imagine themselves w him.

And uk what's the worst part? I don't believe all white fans would've necessarily struggled to see themselves in Bonnie if she'd dated Kai. I think Bonnie being the ACTUAL underdog struggler of the show made her very relatable to people, regardless of what your race is (esp bc tvd rarely addressed her race or centered any plotlines on it). I think Plague's own subconscious biases just made it impossible for her to fathom seeing herself in a PoC character, which is why she wrongly assumed all her majority white fans worked the same way & letting Bonkai happen would've disappointed them & made them stop watching. (But that being said, even if it was just a "business decision" to her... isn't it funny how disappointing masses of white klaroline fans didn't stop her from tossing Care at stef, enzo, whoever she wanted, but ONLY stopped her when it came to Bonnie's ships (bc she was looking for excuses to scrap 'em anyway)? Oh plagueee ur biases are showing, girlieee)

[nikolai-vincent]

Y'all I have a big list of Byler things and I need help to make sure that everything I've stated is actually true and not my mind making things up💀🤣🤭 so prepare for a long list and I'll cut it down so it doesn't take years if you wanna scroll by it lmao

Mike tried calling Will all the time while he was in Cali (& could be the reason for weird airport interaction) Mike can't use a telephone to talk to El bc of of government listening in, so Dustin's words are about Mike calling Will but not being able to reach him.

It wasn't love at first sight, the offical season 1 trailer with the scene where they first find El, Mike's first thought is "That's not Will." And also this is Mike's plan to get rid of her from the night they found her, even though he is supposedly already in love with her since he said he loved her the moment he saw her?🤨

His monologue didn't help/wasn't fully true, El didn't have a single flashback of her and Mike throughout their whole relationship except for when they found her in the woods. They've been dating for roughly 9 months before breaking up for 3, then getting together again and currently at 6 months (so 1 year and 3 months of officially dating, having known each other fully for 3 years, although not fully because she was gone for a whole year) and yet she didn't have a single other memory besides the night they saved her?

Mike and El didn't speak that much for 2 full days while they were stuck in the van?? Even after Mike's love confession, all El was apparently talking about was how she feels like she lost the battle with Vecna and how Brenner had put it into her head and stuff.

Mike has a sort of superhero idealization for El. He's mentioned multiple times that she's a superhero, she's a machine that can help find Will, and it's shown throughout the seasons how much Mike loves superheroes. In my opinion, that's not a super great thing to compare your girlfriend to, especially after she has shown to want to be more than that, but feels like that's all she's good for now.

They never see eye to eye/always disregard the others feelings/attempt to be understanding. All of their arguments I've seen, they both try to be understanding at first, but then they shut each other down and speak for the other person when they're doubting each others thoughts (one scene perfectly showing this is their fight in El's room in season 4).

Mike and El knew each other for roughly a week (at 12 years old) before getting together and then immediately getting separated for a whole year, only to become reunited and jumping immediately into a relationship at 13 and ignoring their friends to only kiss each other for 6 months and not deepen their bond emotionally?? Then they break up like it's nothing and Mike doesn't know what she likes when he tries to buy her a gift to apologize (only after Lucas says something) (then getting into a fight with Will for the first time and apologizing as soon as possible on his own choice).

Mike has issues saying I love you (tried saying it once in s3 and couldn't even say the word "love", instead going for "blank makes you crazy" which El didn't understand. Only time he says it was in a high stress situation and he blurted it out to everyone except her, with a look of shock and confusion. S4 he doesn't say it at all, writing "from, Mike" all the time, to which he is confronted by her and only is able to say "I care for you... so much." And "I say it." ("It" being I love you) (which is a lie) That fight in El's room would've been the perfect time for him to tell her he loves her after he sees her crying to him about it, he could have perfectly said something like, "El, of course I love you. I'm sorry I don't say it, I'm just not used to feeling this way, but thank you for talking to me about it, I'll try to work on it." Or something to comfort her. In the end he is only able to say it in a high stress situation (AGAIN) and only after having a whole speech from Will, and needing Will to tell him not to stop and to say whatever it was he couldn't before. (Which, Will didn't know that Mike couldn't say I love you to her) Mike was given false hope that El needed him and felt better for being different because of him, which was a lie and those feelings were from Will himself, his speech was a veiled love confession.

Mike subtly (or unintentionally) compared both of his relationships with Will and El by saying that meeting Will "was the best thing he's ever done" but meeting El was "Not fate. Not destiny. Just simple, dumb luck." (He chose to befriend Will, by actively going up to him and asking, whereas he didn't choose to meet El, it was an accident).

Mike struggles to switch his focus between El and Will, we've seen throughout all of the seasons how Mike acts with Will and how he acts with El, and I'll be honest, they're pretty similar. He's soft, sweet, and casual with Will, and he's nice, gentle, and kind with El (just in general, relationship stuff aside). But then you put them in the same room and Mike doesn't know how to act properly with either of them, and we honestly don't see the real interactions with these three until season 3. I've noticed a lot that when Mike and El are in a relationship, they ignored everyone and just made out, but after they broke up, the whole group was together and had no issues with doing so (I guess the flayed helped with that, though lol).

Will is the only person that Mike will immediately try to apologize to if he did something wrong, whereas anyone else he blames others and doesn't apologize until someone tells him to (examples: Dustin told Mike to apologize to Lucas in season 1 after they fought, Mike was blaming Lucas and didn't want to apologize even though Mike was the one that started the fight. He didn't apologize to El in season 3 for the way he was acting, instead choosing to lie and needing help from Lucas on what to get for El as an apology (again, Mike knows nothing about El by this point still), and yet later on after he has a fight with Will, he bikes to Will's house to apologize, he blames himself, calls himself an asshole (with Lucas following, not leading). Seasone 4, the second fight that Mike and Will have is in the skating rink, Mike calls Will a douche and says he sabotaged the whole day by moping, rolling his eyes, and not talking but later on he goes to Will and immediately starts apologizing and says he was being a self pitying idiot, and telling Will that he wasn't being a douche and Will didn't deserve to be called that).

Mike and Will are very different compared to their friendships with Dustin, Lucas, or Max. (With proof being from Mike himself, saying "Max and Dustin and Lucas.. they're-they're great.. they're great, it's just-it's Hawkins, it's not the same without you. And maybe I was worrying too much about El, and I feel like I lost you or something." (Something along those lines lol)

The Duffers have compared Mike and El's relationship to Elliot and E.T, a friendship between a kid and an alien.

El was upset with Mike during the cabin cleaning scene (giving him a side eye and sighing heavily before going to her room) after Mike's supposed love confession.

Mike agreed (by nodding) when Will was talking in the desert about how it's scary to open up to people you care about the most bc of them possibly not liking the truth (Will was comforting Mike about El during this, sort of) (Why would El not like the truth if the truth was that Mike loves her?? Sus).

Mike showed a big difference in priority when it came to searching for Will vs El. In season 1 after Will went missing, Mike (+ the party) was told by the police to stay home and not interfere in the investigation. Mike disobeys and goes out (+ the party) to search for Will in the dark and rain. After meeting El, they use her as a weapon to continue searching for Will. After finding Will's "body" in the quarry, Mike switches on El and is mean and blames her for not telling the truth about Will. El then shows Mike through the walkie-talkie that Will is alive and Mike believes her (even after seeing Will's body, he has hope again that Will could be alive), he's nice to El again after this. Vs, when El goes missing at the end of S1 and going into S2, Mike believes she's dead (although not seeing a body), and doesn't go searching for her. He sees her through the window on the same night she disappeared, but he never goes out to look for her. The only thing he does for the whole year is try to talk to her through a walkie-talkie, but he never leaves his house to try and find her (even though he's seen proof of her being alive) while she's gone, Mike's priority is fully focused on Will and his possession. In season 3, Hopper threatens Mike to stay away from El (similarly to what he said about staying home and not looking for Will in season 1) and he immediately agrees and doesn't try to see her.

Mike has a lot of familial/platonic parallels with El's father figures than he does romantic, he's always paralleled with Brenner (with proof in season 4, the "what did you do?" / "what have you done?" scene at the rink) which is so bad and sad, and some scenes similarly with her and Hopper.

Gotta say it, Mike has looked at Will's lips multiple times (at least 4, off the top of my head) (which is 4 times more than he has with any of his other friends probably) and he barely does it with El. If it was a mistake during filming, they would've shot it again, bc they were obvious but they stayed in.

And just with the way Mike looks at Will compared to his other friends or even El, that boy looks more in love than the one canonically in love.💀

In both season 1 and season 2 (besides their first kiss and the snowball (which weren't planned originally, I believe)) Mike has never been the one leaning in or attempting to kiss El, he just stands and stares confused as she does all the work.

Mike has Will's art all over his basement from when they were children (and some in his room, I think?) But he throws away and crumples all of the letters he receives from his long distance girlfriend? Sus.

The difference in Mike's reactions to being broken up with romantically vs platonically in season 3. His face shows a sort of disgust and almost guilty when El breaks up with him, and his face is full of guilt and sadness when Will tells him he wanted to stay with him forever.

Mike was fruity af during his apology to Will in S4 Ep4 just saying.

Canonically Mike only smiles in pictures when Will is in them as well. (Photos in tags bc I'm at the limit😔)

It's been confirmed that Mike is clueless about Will's feelings for him, so I'm wondering why he was so affected by the 6 months away with only a couple phone calls that lead to him not even wanting to hug Will at the airport (even though he saw how happy and excited Will was to see him again) when he hugged Will perfectly fine at the end of S3 (even though they never actually resolved their first fight in the rain?) Hm. Sus.

Mike has Smalltown Boy on his (OFFICIAL) spotify playlist?? A song about "the need for gay men to flee small-town intolerance and pursue reinvention in the big city. " ???

Just a cute thing about Mike and Will beings friends since the first day of kindergarten (when they were 5 years old) and having the longest friendship out of everyone in the party.

Kind of iffy about this one but the song Tarzan Boy was playing at the roller rink (a song about being free and doing what you want) when Will, Mike, and El were at the table. (Probably not a lot of significance but still a thing).

From an outsiders perspective, Mike and El were not happy when they were skating at the rink together, from Will's perspective, they were super happy and laughing together while Will was left behind. This is shown when Angela walks into the rink with her friends, we see Mike and El from her pov and their faces are very stoic while they hold hands.

That's all I have for now, I've had these written in my notes for like 2 years lmao but please, if you've even gotten this far, let me know if anything looks inaccurate and I'll fix it:) and also feel free to add anything you've noticed as well! I'd love to see it.

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

"The Bad Batch" Series Review

Now that this show is over and I've had some time to think about it, I'll give my overall thoughts, its strengths, weaknesses, and how it compares to other two main popular animated shows. In general, TBB is a solid show with fun characters, beautiful animation/music, and moments of truly peak Star Wars. Is it perfect? Definitely not, but I love it all the same. It's probably a solid 8/10 for me. In many ways, TBB is the type of show I absolutely love. It's dark, character driven, and touches on mature themes. I love seeing how different characters came to terms with Order 66 and the birth of the Empire. At a time when hope seemed at its bleakest, seeing characters try and find it again is very compelling.

Tbh, I think one of the reasons why I love this show so much is because it really hits home for me. A lot of the themes and ideas that are explored by the characters are also things I've been exploring at the same time. TBB has been a comfort show for me as the world becomes even scarier and I grow as a person. It was the show I needed right now. Also, the Batch remind me of my own friend group. So, I might be a bit biased here.

In comparison to the other shows, I think I love TBB about the same as much as the others. Some days, I'll prefer TBB, other days, I might prefer Rebels or CW. Each show has something I truly love and something that frustrates me. For example, Rebels has a lot of emotional moments I enjoy, but Zeb was really slept on after S2. CW had an amazing scale and scope, but some arcs were just awful. You know which one I'm talking about. TBB is the same. It really depends on the vibe though. At the end of the day though, I truly love all 3 shows and all the joy (and tears) they give me.

Alright, let's get into the nitty gritty.

Weakness:

I'll start off with the flaws just to get them out of the way. I think TBB's biggest flaws are regarding balancing the character dynamics and arcs. I understand that Omega is more or less the main character since she really changes the Batch's life, but they needed to do more. I wanted to learn more about the Batch. However, sometimes it felt like characters could only grow when Omega was with them. Granted, this wasn't the case 100% of the time. Crosshair is the most notable example of this and I loved Tech's interactions with Romar and Phee. Unfortunately, it does affect the characters if they only get characterization with one character. Echo is the biggest victim of this imo. They had a goldmine to explore how he felt in the aftermath of Skako Minor, but they didn't. Crosshair wound up being the Batcher who would've understood him most, except they only exchange two lines of dialogue together in S3. That's it. Imagine how impactful it would've been for Cross if he talked to him. Echo truly understands the horrors of being turned into a lifeless machine. It was an opportunity that was practically gift wrapped for the writers. Sadly, it did not come to pass. Overall, this show just needed more Echo.

Btw, TBB wasn't the only show with this problem. As mentioned above, Zeb didn't get much to do after S2 and I'm disappointed in that. Even Rex and Kallus also got sidelined after S3. CW's format was more forgiving with this, but certain characters like Savage became more irrelevant once more popular characters showed up. Additionally, Echo not learning about Fives was a massive missed opportunity.

Branching off of that, having Omega as the centerpiece also means that the emotional moments tend to happen with her. Now, that's not a bad thing, except it only seems to happen with her. In S1, it really felt like no one cared that Crosshair was gone. This is their brother who they've known forever. Why is Crosshair the only one who seems to be really emotional about the whole thing? Since the Batch have only ever had each other, I would've expected them to be more upset/bothered when one of their own suddenly does a 180 in personality. And again, it's not like it's not there, it is, but it really needs more. I'll be honest, I really didn't like S1 Hunter at all. The man tunnel visioned on Omega.

I'm more forgiving about the rough start since both CW and Rebels were also kinda rough. However, I think the lack of clear focus did hurt the show a bit. Rebels and CW had a greater scope: fighting in a war/revolution. TBB doesn't have this since everything just got uprooted. Had the show been a bit more focused, I think it really would've helped a lot. S2 and 3 both established what the overall focus was pretty quickly. But with S1, it seemed to jump from the inhibitor chips to whatever Omega's purpose was to Project War Mantle and I was like: so, what was the Batch's goal other than survival?

There are other things that bugged me as well. Tech's death should've been handled better. I get that the Batch are soldiers so they aren't expected to cry in each others arms. Except the closure for Tech's death wasn't enough. What wound up happening was half the fandom questioning if he was really dead and searching for hints that he was alive. I covered this in my S3 review, but to summarize: the writers needed more time and more deep character moments. TBB thrived on those deep, mature conversations.

I know I just went off, but I truly love this show with all my heart. I know it's capable of so much more as shows in its strengths. It just frustrates me when it falls short.

Strengths:

Crosshair. Looking back at his overall journey, Crosshair is easily the most compelling character. I'm linking my study of him because his arc is just that good.

https://www.tumblr.com/marvel-starwarsfangirl/750696139213471744/crosshairs-character-in-tbb-a-study?source=share

What's so impressive to me about Cross is that he doesn't need to be in a lot of episodes in order to tell his story in a satisfactory way. Everything he's in is so well written that I can easily tell how he's feeling, why he feels that way, and why he makes the choices he does. In S2, not once did I have to wonder why he decided to betray the Empire or befriend Mayday despite that arc being only 2 episodes. The subtext really said it all perfectly. TBB does such a good job with his character, but I won't go on any further because we'd be here forever. Anyways, I love Crosshair and he has the best redemption arc in Star Wars. You can't change my mind.

TBB also touches on mature themes and I love that they are explored in a thoughtful way. Tech's conversation with Omega is really beautiful. It speaks to a lot of people and I love that the writers chose to take a thoughtful route instead of just having Tech say something nerdy and calling it at that. The same thing with Crosshair's PTSD. It was a genuine issue that affected him and not just when the plot needed it. I also appreciated that he was given time to actually try healing. Letting the characters sit down and have deep moments is what really connects the audiences to them because we see what makes them vulnerable. Light-hearted action is fun and all, but there is so much more to these characters than "blaster go pew." I really resonated with Crosshair's story and I know many people did the same with Tech's. I also loved how the show showed Omega adapting to the change around her; it can be very difficult sometimes and I appreciated that it wasn't still sunshine and rainbows after. Echo had a role within the Batch and his absence definitely shook the dynamics.

The animation and music are just perfection. It speaks for itself, but it's perfect imo. (yes, I'm aware of the errors, but it doesn't impact the actual quality).

The Empire was really freaking scary. TBB did a great job showing how the Empire started encroaching on the entire galaxy and began phasing out the clones. Occupations started, Rampart began his chain code system, and any form of dissent was immediately silenced. There was no question as to how ruthless they were. And there were genuine consequences to the actions of characters. Rampart was thrown under the bus for something he was ordered to do. The Empire doesn't protect anyone except Palpatine. "The Outpost" is so brutal and raw, but it perfectly shows how the Empire can drain a person until they break. Both Rampart and Hemlock are two fantastic villains that capture the true horrors of humanity. Rampart is a cold and greedy man. We all know people like him and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Not even humble juice in prison could make him reevaluate his views. Hemlock is a monster that only cares for his experiments. He was such a different villain compared to the Sith and greedy imperials we tend to see and I appreciated that. Even Crosshair was a good example of how misguided beliefs can turn people against one another. Like with Rampart, we all know people like Crosshair. It grounds TBB that much more.

I also loved the main focus on family in this show. It's a value that I hold dearly because of my beliefs and how I was raised. At the end of the day, the Batch's greatest strength comes from the bonds they have with each other. In times so dark, it's the people they love the most that will help them get through their struggles. I honestly love that. Whether it's friends, siblings, or parents, those bonds are so important. People aren't meant to tackle the world alone. TBB does a great job showing how hard it is when you're stuck in a dark place and how impactful it can be to have people who love and support you. Overall, I really loved it.

At the end of the day, I just really love the Batch. They mean a lot to me, especially Crosshair and Omega. Omega herself is such a sweet bean and her light truly is beautiful. I've loved watching her journey over the last several years. She's a wonderful character and I love her dearly. I love Crosshair (he's really hot, ok). I love Tech's charm and quips. I love Echo's strong drive for justice. I love Wrecker's big heart. I love Hunter's... fatherly instincts.

Ok, I know that was long, but I am so grateful for this show. I love TBB with all my heart and there's so much more to say. For now though, I'll just say that TBB has truly made an impact on my life. It gave me something to enjoy when times got rough and it gave me Crosshair. I will always be thankful for him.

[lesbianmity]

I hate when people say that Amity lost her personality after she and Luz got together. The "Luz's awesome girlfriend" thing was a 1-episode thing, and it was bad!!! It was a bad thing!!!

The whole episode shows Amity trying to prove herself as a good girlfriend, and she was scared Luz would leave her if she wasn't. She grew up in an abusive family and isn't used to unconditional love. Her behavior wasn't healthy, that's the point and she learns that by the end of the episode!!

During the rest of the season + s3, we sadly don't see much of Amity (keep in mind, from Follies at the Coven Day Parade onwards, the storyline was rushed due to cancellation)

BUT we still see her stand up to her abusive mom. We see her joining the Bonesborough Brawl instead of going to coven tryouts. We see her talk about her future and how she isn't sure what she wants to be (which is normal considering she JUST left her abusive/toxic household where she was being forced to follow a path she didn't want to). We see her rekindling her friendship with Willow, and getting to truly know her. Getting close to her old mentor again

Sure, considering Luz is the protagonist and her girlfriend, many of the scenes focus on their relationship, but the show doesn't make her all about their relationship, at all!

I'm sure that, if we had more time, Amity would've been even more developed, but what we got isn't bad. I feel like the fandom is more to blame for reducing Amity to "Luz's girlfriend" only. She's a great and well written character, who could've been even greater with more time

[sunnyelfs]

Heyyy @coffeeandsadbooks, remember how I said I want to write something regarding the “love vs duty” conflict? Well, I did. 

It started as sort of “fix-it” thoughts on s3, Wilhelm's path to renounce in particular. I was thinking about how the plot would have evolved so his final decision was more significant. And every time I thought of another option, I came back to a thought shared by many viewers who were left unsatisfied with the ending. It seemed unearned. And I think that's partly because the conflict that seemed like it would be central to the series didn't work.

What makes a good “love vs duty” conflict? When it's a hard choice for the character to make. When they value their duty, would it be something they were told to do or something they choose to do. During the third season, the creators made sure that this choice is not a difficult one. 

From s1 and s2 we know that the main struggle for Wilhelm is the fact that he can't separate the Royal Family as an institution and his family… as simply a family. This is especially reinforced after Erik's death, but Wille seems to have always felt indebted. In episode 2.05 he says to Boris, "I know I've been lucky, and I should be grateful". So, Wilhelm realizes his privilege, good for him. What about the sense of duty? Again, I'm reminded of his dialog with Boris in the same episode. When he says that "they" are counting on him, he's referring to his mom. Later in the episode, when he goes to see Simon, he says that if he gives up his place to August without scandals, that way he can free himself and not let his family and Erik down. Memorized. 

So, the first thing season three does: shatters Erik's perfect image. Which is kind of weird, considering that Wille said back in season two that "there was Crown Prince Erik, and there was just Erik," meaning he kind of already realized that the public persona of the perfect prince and his brother are not the same thing. Perhaps that's why the homophobic initiation story was chosen, as it was the only thing that would affect Wille. We know it wasn't intended from the beginning. This can be seen in the way Ivar and Lisa herself talked about Erik after the first season (check this post if you missed that). Obviously, it was a late decision. So, we get a breaking point for Wille where he doubts his brother would have supported him. What does this have to do with the monarchy? Well, I'm sure some people will connect it, but my opinion: nothing. Once again, Wilhelm already knew that Erik wasn't perfect, that he separated his personality and his public persona. Plus, after all, August tells him "Erik loved you more than anything and would certainly support you." Thus the sheep are intact, the wolves are fed - Wilhelm still hears assurances that Erik would have supported him, but it takes away the fear of letting Erik down.

The next thing is making sure Wilhelm doesn't see any value of his role. That's a whole separate topic that I delved into while thinking about two possible ways in which the plot could have led him to renouncing (that would've worked better than that we got). First: actually trying to be the Crown Prince. This would have worked well alongside the plot of Kristina's illness. Wilhelm is so afraid of letting his mom down that he takes on more responsibilities because of her illness. He wants to support her and reassure her that she can count on him. Along the way, he's starting to skip school and neglect his own needs in order to fulfill his duties as Crown Prince. Eventually this obviously leads to a point where it becomes clear that it can't go on like this. He either stays Crown Prince and loses his love (and friends, if he had any besides Felice, who is too patient with him to give up), or he gives up trying to please the Court and decides that being a normal person is more important to him. And there's no way you're going to convince me that the plot of season three showed exactly that. 

The other option would have been to protest. Throw in Kristina's illness storyline, it's only needed anyway to raise the stakes. Showing Wilhelm's attempts to make a real difference. Choosing mental health issues or lgbtq+ community as his charity and defending that decision to the Court. Actively participate in how students defend the school. Sign a bloody petition, thus breaking a few royal rules. Openly support Simon on May 1 and maybe separately speak out against bullying (oh that would be awesome, his single post asking for his privacy and his partner's to be respected would be enough to give Jan-Olof a heart attack). The plot with the attack on Simon's house would play well here, add to that threats, condemnation and maybe a conversation with Kristina about how this is exactly what she wanted to avoid. Besides that, Wilhelm does not separate his family and the Court. For him, fighting with the Court = fighting with his family. In case you want to say “but they wouldn't let him-” oh but they WOULD. Wilhelm is well aware of that. He's aware that his renounce will be worse than anything else for The Court, so they will tolerate his rebellion, they would even have to play along. They would even make Simon play a bigger role – and this is the moment to talk about how this “support” from The Court, e.g using them for “creating new royals” is much worse. It would turn Simon into another puppet of the court, which no doubt he wouldn't like. Even if for a good cause, he's hardly ready for that. They would talk about it with Wilhelm – all of it, how it doesn't work, how it hurts them both. And so the need to make a choice is with us again, but this time Wilhelm first tries to use his privileges for good, and then gets completely frustrated with it and gives up. 

The last part is Wilhelm's family. We know he doesn't want to let them down. Their final conversation in the car makes it look like the moment Kristina stops being his boss and his mom, their relationship will get better, so it's another point for renouncing. Except it won't be that easy. Their problems lay deeper than than, it will take a lot of effort to fix that. And that given the fact that we don't know if she was actually willing to let him go or it was just a petty, something like “let him have it one last time, we will work on that later”. That's why this last-minute decision doesn't work for me, because I'm not sure if it was the final one. 

Let's summarize. By the end of the season, Wilhelm had literally nothing that made the choice even remotely significant. He doesn't initially value his so-called duty, and the connection between that duty and his feelings towards his family is broken during the season. This choice at the end costs him literally nothing. I would also like to address the issue with him making all the important decisions based on his emotions. It was discussed here. For one, it's the fact that Lisa herself is sure that Wilhelm did understand his position but chose to refuse it. I feel like it's the pretty common thing for a writer, because in your head the story have much more details and everything seems perfect. But as we can see from the viewers reactions, it's not the case here, as the show never actually showed this. The fact that Wilhelm putting his emotions first is not a problem as such, but you can't pretend this is equal to the path of growing and actually understanding what you have, what you want, and why those things are incompatible.

This conflict only works well when the choice remains difficult and unobvious to the character, even at the end. Leaving the character with only one option is very cheap and lazy. It literally kills the whole conflict as such. 

It's for that very reason that the “love vs duty” conflict didn't work.