#Original : The Great

[saturncodedstarlette]

“I’d love to not love you some days.”

“It is a burden, is it?”

“Unrequited love is notoriously so.”

[pendragonsclotpole]

i’ve been seeing posts/videos on youtube about the next possible star trek movie and having it take place decades before the timeline of tos and like

do they not understand how feral i (and many other fans i assume) would become if we finally got an adaptation of star trek that gave us more spirk?

spirk was the pairing that launched a thousand ships! not to mention the amazing fanfics its spawned. sure exploring the playground of the star trek verse is beautiful, but as tos and aos have shown us, there are an infinite amount of realities out there where james t kirk wound up with a spock. hell kirk himself said it in the scene from aos that never was

“You once said being a starship captain was my first, best destiny… if that’s true, then yours is to be by my side. If there’s any true logic to the universe… we’ll end up on that bridge again someday.”

[yesimwriting]

okay i keep binge watching the great on hulu and i am so obsessed with it fr,, i kind of want to write for it (especially for peter, ik he’s extremely toxic and kinda a bad person but this is extremely on brand for me lmao)

i feel like there’s not an audience for it?? idk might write it or might not but if anyone likes the idea pls let me know 

[devdas5z]

Elle Fanning

[themusesof75]

Long Ago, Chp 7

The Mummy's Rage

"It's not a wish, Gigi. It's a game for us to play." Princess Cleo said to the dour genie.

"How does this game play?" Gigi asked, shyly looking at the floor.

Princess Cleo presented her a night-gown, "The game is called Hide and Shriek. I've heard your kind has phenomenal cosmic powers, so you might be able to copy this too beautiful face of mine."

Gigi morphed into the princess, who shrieked with admiration, and then dressed in the gown. Princess Cleo tucked the good-looking replica into her own royal bed. 

"There will a visitor later tonight. You may ignore them." The princess said, at her jewelry box she traded her heavy earrings for small pyramid-shaped golden studs. 

Gigi purred, "This is marvelous. My Finder Nefera told me to stand all night and day. Oh, is this sheep wool?"

"And lamb's skin." Princess Cleo said, she kissed Gigi's forehead and blew out the lantern.

Princess Cleo wore a black sleath dress; no embroidery, gems or shawls. She was purposedly plain for the occasion of spending time with her older sister, Princess Nefera.

"Mother would play this with me, when she was around." Princess Nefera said as she moved pawns on the senet board.

"She would teach me how to paint my eyes. Remember when you called me 'Princess Camel'?" Princess Cleo asked, her pawn moved carefully to avoid the traps.

Princess Nefera chuckled, "Oh yes. Mother is scholar-smart but beauty-blind. Come here, little sister."

The younger royal willed herself to sit still as her sister's hands, often used to slap servants, were so close to her face. Princess Cleo feared at any moment her wild older sister would ram the brush through her nose. Princess Nefera did not harm Princess Cleo with the ink brush. In a reflecting-bowl of water, Princess Cleo saw the orange and red wings painted at the corners of her eyes. Princess Nefera's soul may have been pure evil, but she did blend colors well. 

"Nefera, this is exactly what I see when I look at a sunrise." Princess Cleo said, "Let me thank you with a very rare, very tasty drink. All the way from across three deserts."

The princesses sat comfortably as the servants brought the jug of wine. They poured the flower-petal-infused drink into the royal goblets.

Princess Nefera expanded a wide smile, " Sip from both goblets before me, sister."

Fluttering eyelashes widened as Princess Cleo innocently asked, "Dear Nefera, do you assume I'd poison your drink?"

"Duh, you're a rival heir. I'd be insulted if you didn't try. So try both drinks." Princess Nefera stated, her high voice was impatient.

Princess Cleo gulped, and then drank from her sister's goblet. The goblet was empty, so Princess Cleo began to drink the next cup. When she began to lower the unfinished cup, Princess Nefera tipped the cup to insure the whole drink gone.

A hiccup from Princess Cleo created a blush on the young woman's face. "Satisfied?"

"Ask me in the morning. If you make it to the next sun rise." Princess Nefera said as a servant filed her fingernails. 

Princess Cleo leaned forward in her seat, she asked for a servant to bring her a bowl. She placed a linen napkin over her nose and a servant lit a candle. Princess Nefera reasoned the candle was mixed with herbs to imitate a pleasing scent. The candle was a failure, thick grey smoke went to the ceiling and caused the elder princess to cough. Princess Cleo held her breathe and walked across the huge room. She listened from afar as her sister choked on the toxic smoke. 

Hiding behind a pillar, a cloak over his head, a monster threw a heavy cloth over the wicked candle. The flame was drowned, the smoke dissipated. Princess Cleo gave a brief touch on the monster's shoulder. With the stone idol of Ma'at, Princess Cleo bashed her sister's head. The woman smacked the ground with a dull thud.

The princess and monster put the unconscious heir to the throne into a closet. They threw a blanket over the still Princess Nefera, folding onto the floor. The monster pulled back his cloak, a mess of living snakes grew from his head. He slowly moved the glass protection over his eyes and a magic turned everything in the closet to grey stone.

The monster put the glass protection back over his eyes and turned to look at the smiling princess. Princess Cleo jumped into his arms, and he twirled her off her feet. 

"See now, that's how you end an evil dictator. You're my hero." The monster said as he embraced his princess.

"Everything went according to plan! Deuce, your timing was perfect." The princess said as she stroked her monster's handsome face.

"You are perfect. I will make sure every monster, and human, follows your reign." Deuce said as they walked casually from the closet. 

Princess Cleo put her hand on his back and chest as they walked, "This is all everything I could ever want. Oh, wait, we can't forget the next part."

Discreet servants built a brick wall over Princess Nefera's room. Before sealing the extravagant space shut, the servants were ordered to pour the most flammable oils over everything. Princess Cleo dropped a tiny flame, on a finger-size wick, into the last window of the stone wall. A servant then sealed the wall with the final brick. Princess Cleo told her loyal crew to take the rest of the evening off and to eat merrily.

"No one will understand why this happened. Or why the body wasn't even in there." Deuce said, hugging Princess Cleo from around her back, his snakes tickling her ears. 

Princess Cleo rested her hands over the gorgon's crossed arms, "Exactly, my love. We've thrown them off the logical trail. We've saved my queendom." 

She twisted her face to meet his kiss. Princess Cleo held his face with one hand, in a grip that would become law to never break.

"Hey!"

Deuce and Princess Cleo broke their kiss. Council-member Gory stared incredulously at the pair "I, like, just murdered you!"

The princess smiled, "Right on the sun-dial. Darling, please handle that."

He kissed the top of her head and walked towards the Night-walker. "I've always wanted to fight one of you's guys."

"Hold up, double-agent." Council-member Gory said firmly, a pale hand raised, "I see things are changing and I want to join you. I will assist where I can."

Princess Cleo scoffed, "Lady of the Leech, let's get real. We don't trust one another."

"I didn't trust a spoiled child to take real control of her family's legacy. You aren't that princess. You've impressed me, heir." Council-member Gory said with a bow. A Xiphos sword swung a feather from her nose.

"Impressed enough to get your coven all behind her?" The gorgon asked, jutting his chin towards Princess Cleo. 

"Of course, we were always supportive of the right person on the throne. Cleo, you are definitely the right princess." The Nightwalker said, not caring that the tip of the blade met her skin and black soot fell down her robe. 

"You will address me as her Royal Highness, Goddess of the Sun, Sea and Air, Pharaoh Cleo." Princess Cleo said, raising her arms as if hailing the wind to blow.

Council-member Gory put on a phony smile, "Absolutely, your highness."

Deuce dropped his blade and gave a sarcastic grin to the Night-walker. His posture was more casual but kept his hand on the Xiphos sword. 

"Oh, and if you betray me, I will tell everyone, my father first, that you sucked my sister dry." Princess Cleo said with arms crossed in a graceful pose. 

The Night-Walker's eyes went solid black, like a fearful animal. Her light grey skin, usually smooth and plump, wrinkled as if locus flew up her veins. 

"Maybe we'll see you tomorrow night." Princess Cleo said, her arm linked with her gladiator, and walked out of the palace.

Council-member Gory sucked air between her fangs and rubbed her temples. "This will congeal, this will congeal... This princess is more trouble than the tall one. Can't believe I'm saving this, but I miss the oblivious, tall one."

A gushing wind blew Council-member Gory off her sandals. She didn't fall to the floor, her powers kept her afloat. In instinctual defense, Council-member Gory's arms became leathery wings, her nose and eyes grew high and slender. The wind blew hard, pointedly in the Night-walker's position, and the source had Council-member Gory squeal in terror.

The De Nile palace's garden had an opening to the Nile river. Sunstar roses sprinkled a path that led to the lotuses, floating on the water like stars in the sky.

Princess Cleo leaned on her boyfriend's arm as she spoke," And then we'll move the camp creatures into Inner City. My dearest friends will live in my wing of the palace."

"You want to move us here?" Deuce asked, "Believe me, I want to live near you but the dudes at the camp will think you're recruiting them as servants."

Princess Cleo put both palms on his arms as she scoffed, "I'll make it law to treat monsters better. I don't need more servants; I need to protect my treasured ones."

Deuce squeezed around his princess' waist. The princess laughed and leaned into his affectionate, shoulder-length snakes. 

The gorgon held her stare with glimmering eyes, "Meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me."

"Gods, that's sad." 

Princess Cleo's blood went cold at that voice, that voice should've been gone from the air forever. Deuce blocked Princess Cleo and drew his Xiphos sword out in defense.

Princess Nefera stood in the garden, jaw grinding and sheer scarves flying in a windstorm around her. The wind was enchanted, it circled Princess Nefera without knocking her down. The furious woman wiggled her fingers and the wind picked up sand by the pounds. Princess Nefera controlled the sand, she rumbled the very earth they stood on.

The waves of sand engulfed the gorgon, though he fought against it to keep near Princess Cleo. The princess tried to hold his arm but he was lost in the swirling toward of burning, stinging sand. 

"Seriously? You and that?" Princess Nefera asked, skewing her head to present her almost-humorous disgust.

Princess Cleo screamed, "Why couldn't you stay dead! You as Pharoah would be the end of our line!"

"You as pharaoh would be worse. You'd give up everything we own and perverse, for your pets! A DeNile should be the supreme heat of the sun!"  Princess Nefera yelled, her arm slid to her sister's direction, and the sandstorm followed.

Princess Cleo swore a curse on her sister before the sand flew down her throat. The grains of minuscule rocks flew at a speed that burnt and pulled the skin from her flesh. Released, Deuce was raw from the sand-storm. In the adrenaline of trying to save the princess, the gorgon's human-like skin shed and revealed green scales, harder than the humanoid flesh but not immune to pain. He still fought through the rough waves that were smothering Princess Cleo. 

Council-Member Gory sunk her fangs into the gorgon neck and pulled him off the sandstorm. She flew them off the ground and Deuce stabbed her in the face, right through the eye. The bat-like monster dropped Deuce, who rolled, and jumped up to face the predictable traitor. 

Council-Member Gory wiped the black ooze from her already-healing head. "Wanna be a triple-agent?"

"Get staked."  The gorgon said, inhumanly calm. His mind was screaming to get back to the sandstorm, but his body was dodging and stabbing to stay undead. 

"Flea-bag, get that over with!" Princess Nefera demanded.

The Night-walker rolled her eye and screeched to the night sky. Deuce and Princess Nefera covered their respective ears. A flood overtook the sky and fellow creatures of the night answered Council-member Gory's cry. 

Night-walkers, shifting into their human-like forms, pinned down Deuce. A few went to carry the aching Council-member Goring. 

"Make him watch." Princess Nefera said in a shrill, almost giddy, voice. She swiped her hands around her head, spreading the sand to nothingness.

A Night-walked gagged at the red, stubby limbed meat puppet that fell from Princess Nefera's sandstorm. The gorgon gave a dry sob at the insane picture, his deceiving eyes he couldn't bear to believe what lay before him.

"You know Baba, our Daddy, made me promise not to kill you, until after your wedding to that weird Prince boy. But you, Cleo, couldn't, like, try not being a bother. Your fault, and Daddy will understand that." Princess Nefera said as she clapped her hands.

The Night-walkers went to the dead-meat and carried her away from the garden. The gorgon's sobs grew louder, until his throat was cracked from two small pink hands.

"You'll feel better later, Deuce." Draculaura whispered to her friend, hiding in plain sight among her coven. 

"Two less annoyances in my queendome." Princess Nefera said, her violet eyes shone pink and she levitated above the garden and then the palace walls. "Gory, get here now."

The Night-walker, with her fellows flapping behind her, went to Princess Nefera's side.

"Now will you tell me where these abilities came from?" Council-Member Gory asked, her bowed head only stared at Princess Nefera's emerald-crusted sandals. 

"Just know there's no way for you to gain them. For me, all it took to release these powers was a little slit to my throat years ago." Princess Nefera said as she glowered at the cities three rings of cities limits. 

"Like the common people, slitting your throat would do nothing but silence that high voice of yours." Princess Nefera stated, her teal nails growing and clinking as they crossed, "Speaking of which, let's begin with slicing up my little sister's secret little allies."

[dylanconrique]

remember when i said fuck it and was going to watch buffy for the first time, and then just.... never got around to it?? i'm actually gonna do that now.

[pynkhues]

Have you seen Fire Island???!!!!

I haven't yet, anon! I'm super keen to - it comes to Disney+ in Australia on June 17th, so I'll watch it then!

[toastedsmoreo]

It’s honestly kind of shocking just HOW badly HBO Max fucked up. They have a ton of content, old and new, that is genuinely great, and from what I know a lot of their digital-only releases have been pretty popular. ESPECIALLY the animated stuff. Literally the only, ONLY things they could’ve done to mess up were A) cancel the new original stuff everyone was excited about, and B) just give up on the platform. And they did both, back to back, just because of one (1) CEO change and the decision to merge with Discovery. Which, btw, has a significantly less popular user base than HBO Max. Like, Disney owns both Disney Plus and Hulu, evil as that is, but they haven’t merged them for a reason: they have two entirely different user bases. And they wouldn’t dare get rid of one or the other, especially the more popular one. Why the HELL would anyone in their right mind get rid of their wildly popular streaming service and transfer it over to another one that most people have never even heard of???? Oh yeah, because girls are too dumb to like animation or scripted content (which hasn’t been true in the history of forever), so if we’re going to go to Discovery, we gotta get rid of all the popular, scripted shows. Plus the female lead superhero movie that could’ve printed money, just to be safe. And a bunch of animated content that isn’t even targeted towards girls. I think doing nothing at all for a year straight would have been better than literally every decision Warner Brothers has made this past month…

[coffeeandacig]

HUGE M*A*S*H NEWS!

Direct of the MASH Matters Facebook Page

M*A*S*H: THE COMEDY THAT CHANGED TELEVISION, AN ALL-NEW TWO-HOUR CELEBRATION OF TELEVISION’S MOST INFLUENTIAL SITCOM

NEW ORIGINAL SPECIAL AIRS MONDAY, JANUARY 1, ON FOX

Featuring New Interviews with Cast Members Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff,

William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Wayne Rogers and Loretta Swit,

as well as Original Series Executive Producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe

Plus Rarely-Seen Archival Interviews with Writer/Producer Larry Gelbart,

and Stars Larry Linville, Harry Morgan, McLean Stevenson and David Ogden Stiers

In the all-new two-hour special, M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television, premiering Monday, January 1 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, join the men and women who made M*A*S*H as they celebrate one of the most beloved, enduringly popular, often quoted and influential comedies ever created.

As the definitive look at the 14-time Emmy-winning television classic, the special centers around new interviews with original cast members Alan Alda (Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce), Gary Burghoff (Cpl. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly), William Christopher (Father Francis Mulcahy), Jamie Farr (Cpl./Sgt. Maxwell Q. "Max" Klinger), Mike Farrell (Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt), Wayne Rogers (Capt. "Trapper" John McIntyre) and Loretta Swit (Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan) and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe. In these intimate, highly personal remembrances, the creation and evolution of the show’s iconic characters are revealed, alongside rare and never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, photos and stories.

Writer/producer Larry Gelbart, as well as additional series stars Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) and David Ogden Stiers (Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III) are remembered through a vibrant collection of clips from the series as well as in rarely-seen archival interviews. With unique experiences, observations and memories from 11 seasons of M*A*S*H, this special will make audiences laugh, touch their heartstrings, and leave them on a nostalgic high while celebrating the sustained brilliance of the iconic sitcom.

“M*A*S*H is not only a great television series, it is a cultural phenomenon. It has made multiple generations of viewers laugh, cry and think, often in the same episode,” said Executive Producers John Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan. “We are excited to team with FOX to create this unprecedented window into an innovative television classic.”

"M*A*S*H is among the most iconic sitcoms in the annals of television history. It's a timeless show that comedically captures the 4077th medical corps and how they managed to maintain their sanity while saving lives on the front lines of the Korean War,” said Dan Harrison, EVP, Program Planning & Content Strategy, FOX Entertainment. “Larry Gelbart, Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe brought this incredible comedy to life thanks to their ensemble cast led by the incomparable Alan Alda. FOX is proud to celebrate the landmark achievements of one of the best comedies ever created."

The M*A*S*H two-and-a-half-hour series finale that first aired on CBS in 1983 remains the highest rated telecast in television history, delivering an incredible 77 audience share and 60.2 rating. To-date, the show has never left the air, continuously running in syndication, on basic cable and now streaming on Hulu. The series was produced by 20th Television.

M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television is directed by John Scheinfeld (Reinventing Elvis: The ’68 Comeback, The U.S. vs. John Lennon and What The Hell Happened To Blood, Sweat & Tears?) with Scheinfeld and Andy Kaplan as Executive Producers.

Viewers can watch M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television next day on Hulu, Fox.com, On Demand and FOX Entertainment’s streaming platform, Tubi. On Demand is available for customers of Cox Contour TV, DIRECTV, DISH, fuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon FiOS, XFINITY, YouTube TV and many more.

[ericdeggans]

My List of the Best TV in 2023: An Abundance of Quality Even in Adversity

What’s the surest proof that there truly is too much television available these days?

The fact that, even though 2023 featured historic performers and writers strikes in Hollywood which crippled film and TV production for months, there was still enough great series and projects to fill an entire notebook page.

Way too many, in fact, for me to cover in my small part of NPR’s awesome annual listing of the best TV and film of the year, compiled among six different critics. It’s one reason the strikes went on so long in the first place – for fans of great TV, it didn’t really seem like much changed, as streaming services kept dropping cool stuff, thanks to their long production lead times.

Ironically, viewers may notice the strikes’ impact more next year – in part, because a lot of cool TV shows left us in 2023 (pour one out for Barry, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Crown, Reservation Dogs, Succession, and, possibly, Ted Lasso) and also because the streamers will spend some time rebuilding lineups which got depleted.

Here, where I have a lot more room is my highly subjective and surprisingly long list of the Best TV of 2024:

TOP PICK - Succession – A show which perfectly captured how the dysfunctions of wealthy families can impact the world delivered a note-perfect finale that surprised – though I did predict Tom would win out – and yet felt completely inevitable. All while the world was second-guessing and writing their own endings. Masterful.

The Last of Us – Who knew reinventing the zombie apocalypse story was simple as coming up with a new cause – fungus, eww! – and the willingness to hand big chunks of the story over to compelling, fully drawn supporting characters. Doesn’t hurt to have ultimate zaddy Pedro Pascal and precocious acting genius Bella Ramsey on the case, either.

The Bear - Speaking of compelling supporting characters…this show’s second season sparkled by giving the other employees in Carmy’s greasy spoon-becoming-a-great-restaurant lots of narrative room. But it took flight with unexpected, brilliant cameos from Jon Bernthal, Olivia Colman, Oliver Platt, Bob Odenkirk, Sarah Paulson, and the legendary Jamie Lee Curtis.

Reservation Dogs – Proof of the amazing, authentic, original stories which come from letting indigenous people tells their own stories, smashing together a crushing realism with the sense that a jarring visit from the spirit world is always around the next corner.

Fargo – Not sure I love the ultimate message on the healing power of suburban, white, upper middle class Midwestern family life (or what happens to the one major Black character). But crackling performances from Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason leigh and Dave Foley make this year’s installment the best version in many years.

Shrinking – An emotional and truly funny comedy that reminds us how hilarious Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams can be while not making us spend too much time on Jason Segel’s angsty privileged white guy shtick.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – The TV series which scored the most by taking the boldest swings, leaning into Trek’s original heritage as an adventure-of-the-week which told the most ambitious stories on the small screen.

(The dancing, dubstepping, boy band-style Klingons on Strange New Worlds powered my favorite TV scene of the year.)

Star Trek: Picard – Yeah, I put TWO Trek series here, because everyone else in critic-land seems to be sleeping on the fact that they made more than one excellent season of a new Trek series filled with nods to what came before, including this show, which reunited the Next Generation cast in a storyline basically about old people saving the universe from young, clueless, mind-controlled pawns.

Barry – Wasn’t thrilled about how grim this series’ finale eventually became. But respected the fact that co-creator/star Bill Hader never shied away from the fact that the show was going to be his laboratory for all the directing and storytelling tricks he ever wanted to try, and a dark comedy about a hitman-turned-actor has to be seriously dark to mean something.

Beef – A road rage incident becomes a crackling, entertaining look at everything from Asian family culture to Elon Musk-level mogul dysfunction while also proving my girl Ali Wong can act her ass off.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Story – While other celebrities are executive producing documentaries to show how legendarily cool they are, Fox helped create an up close look at his struggle with Parkinson’s disease which show how hard it is to put on socks and take a walk on a new York street without crashing to the ground right in front of a concerned fan.

Only Murders in the Building – A comedy about over-privileged crime podcasters in an Upper West side apartment building should not stay entertaining over three seasons. But this show pulls it off, tossing in against-the-grain cameos by Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep that provide the best icing on a very fine cake.

Slow Horses – This show about a department filled with failed British intelligence agents not only subverts the spy genre, it subverts the satires which originally subverted classic spy dramas, like Get Smart. Topped by mesmerizing performances from Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas, I would have subtitled this one, Get Smarter.

Happy Valley - This series about an experienced, ball-busting divorced single mom of a police sergeant in a mid-size town in Britain notched an underappreciated series finale featuring the amazing Sarah Lancashire as Catharine Cawood, finally confronting the man she blamed for her daughter’s suicide and her grandson’s emotional turmoil.

BS High – A great documentary often tells a story which keeps going deeper and better, like a descent into a spellbinding madness. This film achieved that by giving center stage to master manipulator/football coach Roy Johnson, who got ESPN to air a game featuring his Bishop Sycamore High School team; the film contends their crushing loss eventually exposed that the school didn’t really exist.

I’m a Virgo – Creator and activist Boots Riley made an urban parable where Black excellence became superpowers and the world’s exploitive class came for a 13-foot-tall Black teen played by the always compelling Jharrel Jerome. Always inspiring to see how Boots turns mainstream media’s tropes and expectations against itself.

[wellntruly]

Some M*A*S*H laugh track thoughts (laugh talk), just because I'm having them.

The News, as it were, is that I’ve managed to push past my initial bounce right off no-laugh-track M*A*S*H, and have been catching some episodes without it as I was confirming my B-sides.

It is still true that I’ll get distracted in spots noticing that a scene is paced to something no longer there. This could, however, be an occupational hazard. It was once my actual job to pay attention to the rhythm of an edit of a TV episode, noting that we needed a bit longer of a beat here, or needed to tighten that cut there. But noticing this sort of thing is now mostly my curse—the rest of you don’t have to live like this.

It is also still true that particularly in those earlier days, where the laughter is almost always just ebbing and flowing around any non-operating scenes, to me it really functions much more like a score than anything. It was just part of the audio texture of the show, something I was just resting on, or kind of wrapped up in like a thick cozy blanket. That first episode I tried to watch without it, I felt like that blanket had been pulled off, leaving me feeling a little stark and cold.

However! It is also true, that some scenes? Do play quite different without a laugh track, play better. And in many different moods! I’ve seen characters reveal themselves in certain moments to have been funnier, needier, cuter, sadder. There was a scene of Radar selling Hawkeye shoes that had hardly registered with me with the laugh track underscoring it, that without it was suddenly so sweet and pathetic and lovable. Also, sometimes, scenes play worse! There it’s almost always that the characters feel more callous (that coldness, again). You also, of course, entirely lose the impact of the moments where the laughter goes away. Coldness in a different way (cold big good).

Toggling between the two sometimes reveals things about the actors’ performances as well, which I find really interesting. I only saw a couple from his era laugh-free, but I’m pretty sure Harry Morgan is funnier when the timing is all up to him. Loretta Swit is a fucking professional and built in so much space in the early days of her just making expressions and humph!-ing that she knew would play great with the track, suddenly making her deliveries feel oddly slow without it. Alan Alda, burlesque baby, is playing Hawkeye Pierce as someone who himself is also always waiting for the laugh, so his character feels entirely consistent across any form, which is fascinating and also makes me helplessly shove my hands into my hair. Silence around William Christopher’s Father Mulcahy feels awkward but it works, just a little differently; laughter version of the show is much fonder toward their chaplain.

Like how I feel about M*A*S*H in other ways, it drives me to distraction a little that I can’t have everything I like at once (later seasons Margaret, formally experimental episodes, Charles; early seasons rampant bisexuality, sharper anti-military sentiment, Henry). Sure I’m talking pie-in-the-sky, ‘give me this scene with the laugh track and then the next one without’ kind of dreams, but honestly mostly I mean on a technical level. The difference in picture quality between the restored & remastered edition on Hulu and the original broadcast version on the DVDs (as far as I can tell, the only source for the laugh-free cuts), can itself be almost laughable. Eye clarity in particular is really sapped by that low resolution, occasionally giving the Hulu version somewhat of an "unlocking the secret shrimp emotions" effect.

An interesting thing where at times the show can feel more real WITH the laughter in the background, because you can actually see into the faces of the people stuck in this tragicomic purgatory.

Then on the OTHER HAND, there’s really getting to hear the whoooole quality of Alan Alda’s voice in something like, say, this scene. (And oh my God.)

The nearest thing to like, a unified theory I’m probably gonna end up with, is that I wonder if M*A*S*H with laugh track and M*A*S*H without might be like film adaptations of books. This sets laugh-free M*A*S*H as "books," surely deeply pleasing the laugh-free M*A*S*H people who are going, correct, because the book is always better. Meanwhile the movie-first people are also nodding vigorously, with their belief that if you watch the movie first then read the novel after, you can love the movie itself, and then just get MORE and different material with the book later, picking and choosing from each to create your own personal whole of the art piece. And based on just, the very consistent anecdotes I've seen on this issue, I'm getting the feeling that similarly, starting with the laugh track version might be the surest way to love ALL the versions of M*A*S*H, every concurrently running story that this show was telling. Which, with a series this....surprisingly meta-textual, I sure want that.

[saturncodedstarlette]

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

“Sometimes I think you're the only person who really knows me.”

“I do.”

“You look at me and I can tell you sense all of me.”

“I can see your greatness, your strangeness, your fucked-upedness, your lies.”

“My lies?”

“You love me.”

“I...”

“It's impossible though.”

“What?”

“Us.”

“… yes.”

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

[disneytva]

20th Television Animation Showcases First Simpsons-less San Diego Comic Con Schedule

With the WGA currently picketing and a looming SAG-AFTRA strike already impacting San Diego Comic-Con with several Disney divisions skipping the convention (Marvel Studios,Lucasfilm Entertaiment,Disney Television Animation) However, here’s a glimpse at the schedule of the convention.

Some shows have promised cast appearances, but that’s still TBD given that the SAG-AFTRA contract expires on July 12, and actors aren’t permitted to promote their wares during a work stoppage. 

For the first time ever the hit animated prime-time comedy "The Simpsons" will skip the convention as the crew of the show wants to stay soliditary with the WAG strike and SAG strike as the show is under the WAG.

Thursday, July 20

FX’s Archer: 14th & Final Season Exclusive Screening and Q&A: 

Archer returns in advance of its upcoming 14th and final season, premiering August 30 on FXX. Includes screening of the season opener and additional surprises.

Ballroom 20, 5:45 p.m.

Friday, July 21

Solar Opposites

The show packs up the sci-fi and gets normal . . . for a second. Then it’s back to classic Solar chaos, mayhem in the Wall, and some all-new Silvercops adventures. Join the aliens for a hilarious and out-of-this-world first look at the upcoming fourth season on Hulu.

Hilton Indigo Ballroom, 3PM.

The Great North

The Tobins are back at Comic-Con. Join your favorite Lone Moose family for a hilarious look at their outrageous Alaskan adventures on The Great North, ahead of its fourth season on FOX.

Hilton Indigo Ballroom, 4PM.

Bob’s Burgers: 

The Emmy Award–winning animated series returns to Comic-Con with an exciting first look at an upcoming episode before the series returns to FOX this fall.

Hilton Indigo Ballroom 5PM.

Saturday, July 22

 “Futurama” 

You won’t want to miss the world premiere screening of the beloved sci-fi animated series “Futurama” before new episodes debut on Hulu on July 24. After a 10-year hiatus, “Futurama” has sprung triumphantly from the cryogenic tube, its full original cast and satirical spirit intact.

(Ballroom 20) 11AM

“American Dad!” 

Emmy Award–winning animated comedy “American Dad!” is back in action at Comic-Con for another year! Don’t miss all the fun that the Smith family has in store before all-new episodes return to TBS this fall.

(Ballroom 20) 12PM

“Family Guy” 

Award-winning and fan-favorite series, “Family Guy” returns to Comic-Con for another iconic year. Join in on the Griffin family fun as they celebrate one of the longest-running shows on television, with over 400 episodes and more all-new episodes coming to Fox this fall. (Ballroom 20) 12:45PM

[hybbart]

an attempt was made to digify the tamacrafters

some of them look more like rookie digimon than baby digimon so in my head they all come from a baby digimon (probably something like hermitmon) and most of the designs are In-Training and Rookie digimon.

ive been brainrotting digimon for 5 months now since I found out all of it was on hulu so you have reawakened something in me today lol

Nice!!! His Mega digivolution is just bayonetta with a mustache

Digimon is a great franchise, I highly recommend tamers for shows and hacker's memory for games, those are my favourites. Hacker's memory is technically a sequel to the original cyber sleuth but I just like it the most.

[thesoftboiledegg]

"The Prince and the Product" still wouldn't be a great episode, but this dream idea on Reddit would've made so much more sense. It would explain the bizarre plot (Fry having a nightmare about Leela leaving him) and reintroduce the concept of advertisements appearing in people's dreams from the original run. Toys make sense for Fry because the Hulu episodes keep emphasizing his childlike nature.

[themusesof75]

Long Ago, chp 6

who to trust?

“You seduced the baby princess. Nicely done, snake-man.” Council-member Gory said in the shadows of the palace.

“Eww, don’t call her a baby. It’s gross. But yeah, we’ve been talking for a while and,” Deuce leaned back with ease, “I’m in a position to ask for almost anything. Like putting an end to her sister.”

“And their parents! Can’t have them crowding the throne. Little Cleo will be all that’s left? Easy to influence, she’s terribly insecure.” The Night-walker said with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, sure, that made it all real easy for me.” Deuce said, behind his protective eyeglasses he could look up and that made lying easier.

“Slithered into the royal cradle and wrapped the princess. How I wish you could squeeze the life out of her too!” Council-member Gory said, not noticing the snakes barring their teeth.

“Me too, totally, but you know we need her; familiar royal face of Egypt to spare panic over the population.” Deuce said, he explained the same concept to his leader when she wanted to completely dismiss Princess Cleo.

The night-walked considered this path of thought, “Of course. Play the long game.”

“Oh, I painted the long-game in her head. Like, if all the assassinating gets too intense, we’ll check out of this city.”

“Wow, the stupid little mortals will fall for.” Council-member Gory laughed, her fangs.

Deuce grinded his fangs but kept his smug face on, “Let’s talk more about offing the pharaoh's family.”

…

Princess Cleo shouted for Ghoulia to come by her side and brush her hair. She then remembered she sent Ghoulia to the Medusa’s homebase, outside of the city, for the undead ghoul's safety. Princess Cleo would send word to her friend/ right-hand to return to her duties in the morning. The princess stared in the mirror and debated brushing her own hair. First time for anything, she slowly ran a hand through her long, night-black lochs.

The task was tiring. Already exhausted from spending a day with Nefera, Princess Cleo clapped for a servant.

“Hey, they’re a little preoccupied.”

Princess Cleo crossed her arms as the gorgon approached her.

“Preoccupied as statues, I assume? You don’t know how hard it is to find good help.” Princess Cleo said as they embraced, his snakes twisted around her fingers.

“You have all the help in the world. And I’m here, what do you need?” The gorgon asked.

“Oh I have some ideas.” The mortal princess said as she pulled him to her bed. The gorgon chuckled as she tossed him down. They layed side by side under her fortress of pillows and shear curtains.

“Ghoulia was safe when you left her.” Princess Cleo demanded to know.

“Yes, curled up with a good scroll. I left her this morning and spent my day watching you and Nefera tickle each other over which citizen to barbeque.” Deuce said, stretching out from his toes to snakes.

“There was no tickling. And why did you watch?”

“To make sure she wasn’t barbecuing you.”

Princess Cleo met his eyes and held his stare, a small smile under her nose.

“How sweet. And you should know I saved many lives today and fired half the council. We’ll be replacing them with fresh-meat before the week is up.” Princess Cleo said, mightily proud of herself.

“You did all that. In front of Nefera?”

“She does not care what happens to the people,” Princess Cleo pronounced painfully,” they’re all objects to her. You know, I’ve always seen her as a terror but, after today, I see her for the typical privileged person she truly is. It was the most fun we’ve ever shared together.”

“Whoa.” The gorgon said, he'd never heard his princess speaking so plainly of her sister.

“I know.” Princess Cleo said, the strange mixture of feelings pressing on her heart.

“Cleo.” He saved her name for the rarest occasions, “If you’re thinking over this whole offing your family deal, well, we could reconsider.”

“Deuce. My sister was pleasant to me today. Today, for the first time ever in our whole lives. Today I learned she had the ability all this time and never chose to be less-than-heinous with me. After today, I want to kill her even more.”

“Thank gods, cause Gory thinks I can manipulate you into killing by her schedule.” Deuce said, fingers lacing through the princess’ fingers.

Princess Cleo couldn't believe he was so cheery. “Repeat that now, what you just said.”

The gorgon recited everything he said to Gory. Princess Cleo sat up as she listened and tapped her mouth with her fingernails.

“She doesn’t see me as a threat. It’s brilliant but incredibly insulting.” Princess Cleo said, her low voice drowning deeper.

Deuce reassured, “Babe, she isn’t the sharpest sword under the bed. You’re terrifying when you get to know you.”

“You think you can kill her for me?” Princess Cleo asked her monstrous beau.

The gorgon shrugged, “Sure. I’ve never killed a Night-walker before, sounds like a good time. You know, the coliseum wasn’t supposed to be as much fun as it was, but I met a lot of really interesting, smart, wild dudes. They taught me a lot.”

“I admire your talent of making friends wherever you go.” The princess stated part wryly and part sincere. “I like that about you.”

“I like the way you say it. Gods, the way you say it just makes everything sound… richer.” Deuce said, taking her hand in his again. He sighed. “I’m going to have to teach you how to defend and murder for yourself.”

The human princess raised her chin. “Why the sigh? I’m vicious.”

“I know, and I love that about you, but you don’t do a lot of things alone.”

“I’ll be alone? Where is Ghoulia in this scenario?” Princess Cleo found his choice of words game-like. 

“Not there to stab and plunge.” Deuce said, keeping his patience. 

“She’s safe, then, in another room...” Princess Cleo stated, not accepting any other way. "My sweet, you haven't asked me how I plan to end Nefera. Let me tell you..."

...

Ghoulia's family had been servants of the DeNile for many generations. Ghoulia was born in the palace, in the servants' quarters, and since her first steps she'd served Princess Cleo. She went where Princess Cleo went, around the grand palace and sometimes on trips to meet other royal families in similar enormous palaces and temples. As they grew older, Princess Cleo secretly rebelled and snuck away into the city's streets. Of course, Ghoulia went with, partly because it was her duty and because Princess Cleo appreciated her interests in sciences and epic readings. They walked through the high-class merchants' circles, seeing many of the same trinkets they'd seen in the palace. They journeyed deeper down the city and found treasures and foods neither had imagined before. The gorgeous, one-of-a-kind garments sewn by the werewolf captured Princess Cleo's adoration. Ghoulia was scared of the inhuman beast-people, until she had a conversation with them. There was a troublous start of Princess Cleo learning to demand less and speak softly to the werewolf-seamstress. After many arguments and threats, Princess Cleo quietly became a regular-client and even, though neither would admit, a friend of Clawdeen of the Wolves.

Princess Cleo may have been the most spoilt human the monsters ever met, but she was charming and never batted an eyelash over the intimidating creatures. In the beginning, it was Princess Cleo's opinion that as royalty she could never be harmed or even insulted by anyone else, so she felt fine in the monsters' community. In the years that followed, she learned a smidge of humility for the not-so-royal types and gained genuine friendship in the creatures and ghouls.  

Ghoulia didn't have the Princess' confidence. It was the undead ghoul's understanding that she was on the sideline of the creatures' activities because she was slow in step and speech. Ghoulia had been that way before her death, and it got worse after her resurrection. She felt safe in Lieutenant Medusa's camp of refuges, but barely welcomed. Ghoulia slept in the tent of the orphans. She was short for her age, so she let the monsters lead her to the children's cots. The small monsters were shrill and sticky with honey covering them whole. Ghoulia ignored the noise as she read a scroll Deuce gave her from Medusa's tent.

"Hey you."

Ghoulia lowered the papyrus-paper to see a child with long arms and a lion-like head. The child stared at Ghoulia. Ghoulia looked around to check if they were talking to someone near her. The child pulled her arm and dragged her out of the cot. Ghoulia weighed very little, so she didn't fight the pull, she simply let the child tug her outside the tent. The lion-like child gave her a wooden hoop and asked her to hold it up. Ghoulia did so and a clay ball was thrown at her side. She realized other small refuges were throwing clay balls, in effort to reach into the hoop.

Ghoulia moaned a cease and desist. They did so, thought demanded she entertain them. Ghoulia saw a tree near the well of the camp. She placed the hoop on a branch and motioned for the refuges to play the higher games. A griffin child flapped her wings and flew on top the branch, making an easy point. She challenged the other children to try and reach the place she lounged. No one made it and the kids became frustrated. Ghoulia pitied them and saw where they were making mistakes; so, one by one she instructed the children on what to do. 

The long-armed-lion-kid she told to throw over their mane for better aim. She gave the cyclops child a palm-leaf-hat so the sun didn't hit his eye. For the child with three heads and no arms, Ghoulia suggested trying one mouth at a time until they found the best mouth for the job. The children improved, giggled and became more affectionate with Ghoulia as the day went on.

"You have excellent sight and ingenuity." 

Ghoulia turned around and her smile dropped as her undead-heart thud faster. Lieutenant Medusa looked down at her, giant yellow and silver snakes thick as the tree branches. The gorgon was nine-feet tall and Ghoulia read many epics crusades the lady went on through her centuries. Yet, the monster woman's smile was kind. She bent down in a squat and asked Ghoulia,

"Could I ask your advice on how to couch monsters? You've brought out the best in these young souls. What did you see in them?" Lieutenant Medusa asked, in a tone of casual conversation. 

Ghoulia could no longer sweat but stared at the square-jawed monster with a green blush on her cheeks. She remembered how it felt to speak to Princess Cleo and copied that line of speech. Her voice was shaky, but she explained the anthemics of each body type and the percentage chances of their unique structures. 

"Clever woman. If I could take you away from your troop, could we please speak in my tent?" Lieutenant Medusa asked, she snakes wriggling softly down her biceps. 

The children whined and pleaded for Ghoulia to stay with them. Ghoulia agreed to follow Lieutenant Medusa right that second. 

...

"That is the best plan I've ever heard." Deuce said, his green snakes nodding in agreement.

"You think Medusa would follow it?" Princess Cleo asked.

The gorgon jumped off the bed and held out his hand, "You're beyond needing Medusa. We could do that ourselves." 

Princess Cleo beamed at him and jumped up to hold his waist. "We need to do it! Tonight!"

"Yeah we do! We gotta get everything on your list-"

Princess Cleo clapped her hands, then slid her rings under his chin, "It's on the way."

"We're going to save Egypt. I am so proud of you, Cleo." The gorgon said as he crossed his hands behind her back and swung her around, the earrings jingled. 

"That's Pharaoh to you," Princess Cleo said as she pushed him back on the bed, "My dear."

Deuce stared as the sparkling princess climbed over him, "You're the ghoul of my dreams."

The servants Princess Cleo clapped for waited until she was less distracted. They were silent and kept their sight on the titles. 

"How long have they been there?" The gorgon asked as the princess kissed the scales of his neck.

The blushing Princess Cleo wasn't concerned, "Don't worry about it, they're discreet."

...

Heath groaned as he was handed a plat of potatoes. His hand hovered over the potatoes, and he emitted a meager ember. He smeared some butter on the potato and said, "Next in line."

"You're doing well, Heathaclese." Lieutenant Medusa said, she and her friend Ghoulia walked around the line to observe the hungry camp.

The boy made a long whine, "Ma'am, I'm wasted in cooking duty. I belong out in the streets, passing out your word to make new friends."

Ghoulia moaned, "I've seen you burn the pamphlets and chat-up pretty monsters and humans." 

"Hey! You!" Heath tried to think of something else to say to her, but instead faced the Lieutenant, "I thought we kept the undead in the scroll-room. Best they can do is clean. Sand speck by sand speck."

"She's better suited in helping me tidy up the ranking around here. I've reestablished many of the undead to new positions that better fit their talents." Lieutenant Medusa explained. 

"You ask can't the undead to speak for your mission. No one can understand them! It would take them all day to make it around the block!" Heath complained. The blue-haired undead ghoul, whose name he forgot, pulled his toga down to meet his eyes.

"We'll ask them to do what they can." Ghoulia moaned in a chilling tone. "They will make the paper, ink out Medusa's most recent proses and teach the children to read."

Heath moved around Ghoulia to plead, "I could-"

"No, you couldn't. We have piles of ash to prove it." Lieutenant Medusa stated, she was finished speaking and they all knew the conversation was done. Heath looked at the dirt and went back to the potato line. Ghoulia felt a strange burn in her corpse, it wasn't frilly happiness but a deeper pride she hadn't known before. The famed Greek Lieutenant had her back. They shared passions and greater interests in helping the refuges. Ghoulia felt with the Lady Gorgon's help, they could improve monsters' lives.

...

Council-Member Gory walked on the ceiling of Princess Cleo's bedroom. Through the shear curtains, she saw the princess sleeping alone in her bed. Council-Member Gory back-flipped silently to the edge of the bed. She didn't land, she hovered mortal. Council-Member Gory saw an open present from the Ptolemy Prince. The Night-Walker held a venomous aspis snake around her shoulders. The docile creature was cold resting on her undead shoulder but Council-Member Gory had whispered for its obedience. Council-Member Gory stretched her arm to the bed and quietly told the animal to slither down to the warmth. The snake did so, curling itself to the princess' legs. Council-Member Gory didn't wait long until she heard the snake clamp down in the DeNile heir's flesh. The Night-Walker observed the body begin to writher, the mortal mouth gasping in dying screams. Council-Member Gory watched the body swell and burn. After a while, she put a finger to the DeNile's neck; the heart-beat raced and then went still.

Bye Bye, Cleo: The Night-Walker thought with jolly anticipation for the moment the mortals of the palace woke up. Only a few hours until the dismal sun of Ra would rise.

Council-member Gory considered how she would thank the son of Medusa for his idea. The serpentine-boy Deuce had suggested the slow and painful animals and his advice paid off. Council-member Gory could pay him with as much of the DeNile treasure as he requested. The gold and trinkets meant nothing to her, she just wanted the palace to home her fellow Night-walkers. After tomorrow, Council-member Gory could invite the rest of her coven to live in the huge, beautiful, high-ceilinged Pharaoh's city. They'd be well fed from the thousands of servants, then the city and then the whole country. With the open spaces on the DeNile Council recently opened up, Council-woman Gory could place who-ever she wanted at her table, since the poor royal family would take months to mourn their baby princess. 

Mortals get so hung up on funerals and grieving, Council-member Gory thought with a roll of her eyes. The Pharoah and Princess Nefera would panic over a possible traitor among them. In the chaos, they'll assassinate anyone who'll look at them funny and that was more of the good red-stuff to pour in the Council Member's goblets.

Council-Member Gory licked her fangs in anticipation. Her happy planning was interrupted by a smell of fire. Her supernatural senses smelled fire before it caused smoke and while she could bat-wing out at great speed, she hovered towards the source to answer her curiosity. If she caught them at the exact right moment, heated blood made for a fine buzz.

The Night-walker dropped her jaw when she saw the figures before the shielded fire. The flames were coming from inside Princess Nefera's bedroom, the doors sealed with a brick wall still wet from fresh cement. Though what truly shocked Council-Member Gory was Princess Cleo, alive, arms wrapped around the gorgon boy as they nosily smooched in front of the bricks. 

"Hey!" Council-member Gory loudly stated, interrupting the embrace. She looked into both sets of eyes and said, "I, like, just murdered you!"