#S5 recap

[owarinaki]

Bungo Stray Dogs EP61 [S5EP11] - Fukuzawa 's break down

[steve0discusses]

S5 Ep 50: Tristan Hates Horses, I Think

Been a while! Tumblr’s annoying as hell changes to the text editor took a lot of wind out of my sails, ngl. It had some problems they're resolving as they go, but it was really annoying to use and to edit if you write any amount of youknow……words….

And I was talking to a friend about this, and they were like “have you tried writing it in google docs and copy pasting it after?” And I happily realized when you copy paste from google docs, it also copies the PICTURES. This has literally saved hours of my life, y'all. It has turned something that was so frustrating I didn't want to open tumblr again into something that is no longer an obstacle so I can write once more!

So lets travel to Yugi’s brain, where Tristan desperately has to make up for all the work he hasn’t done because he was just a wee tiny bit possessed.

It may be hard to pick up where Tristan is on this picture, and I hope I recorded it somewhere in OBS like 2 months ago when I finished the series because it was such a funny animation, but hot damn this boy has hops.

And  you can see him there on the ground in the bottom left corner, that isn’t a rock, that’s Tristan having toppled a man with his bare hands, a man who had a sword and was sitting on an armored horse.

Can you believe this guy ran for school president? And then lost and humbly became the janitor?

Meanwhile, Joey discovered magic.

Confirmation that duel disks are made out of old tank parts.

Realizing for the first time that magic exists, they decide to peace out.

Back in the real world, Mokuba and Roland don’t know where the hell Seto went. Which is weird, I figured Seto would at least leave a note or a text message or…anything…but apparently even if he did, he just disappeared at some point down in Marik’s old living room.

So Roland and Mokuba decided that in order to find him, they would have to take a massive Boeing 747 to find their lost child.

Some kids have a motorcycle, some kids have a scooter, Mokuba just wants the most boring ass big commercial plane that is meant to sit a couple hundred people in an awkward way. That’s what Mokuba wants.

Just Mokuba things.

My bro who edits these for me wrote in huge ass letters "ROLAND SIGHTING" While saying "ROLAND ROLAND ROLAND" so I want y'all to know how much we appreciate a good Roland in this house.

Speaking of, I know it's like season 5 but...who is the other guy? He wears funny sunglasses but I have never heard his name, not once.

But this is when the plane was filled with heavenly light.

They begin to see the fight happening between Seto Kaiba (the OG Seto, the one that is cool and isn’t depressed because his not-wife died) and Bakura (who is now Zorc). Don’t ask me how the time stuff works, and why we see it now of all the times in human history, and right over Egypt in the sky. Don’t ask me why.

I assume it’s time compression shenanigans, just like FF8, so maybe it’s just every moment in time is able to see this UFO in the sky, but overall, it’s here because it looks cool. The fact that this right here is actually not a physical place, but is actually a figment of Yugi’s imagination shaped by Pharaoh’s botchy memories--is neither here nor there. Instead, it’s everywhere. 

Seto is unimpressed by this, because he knows how science and timelines should work, and this wouldn’t pass Kaiba Corp inspection.

Back at the yellow palace made of cheese and mario blocks, Pharaoh is still knocked out from that time he summed all 3 dragons last episode, which to me feels like just eons ago. 

But it’s OK, he’s fine now.

Typically he’d be dead, because his dragons died on the battlefield and their life force is connected to their monsters. But not only is Pharaoh 1.) already dead and 2.) the author of this universe and cannot die or this universe ceases to exist he’s 3.) got the puzzle, which means he can’t actually perma die, unlike everyone else in his court who is perma-gone.

He is not surprised by what is currently happening in Egypt’s downtown strip.

This is probably every day in Domino. Every day Seto Kaiba wakes up everyone in town with his three-headed dragon princess just because he can. Hell, Seto was doing this fight with Bakura on the top towers of Domino just this morning (or last morning…not sure if time passes in real life the same way it does in puzzle life)

The audacity of Yami right now, the one moment Yugi isn’t there to scream about ledges, this boy is leaping joyfully off that ledge. 

He fuses with the dragon which gives him this familiar outfit.

I thiiiiink it’s the same outfit as Alexander season? I’ll be real with you though, I don’t really want to look it up. Either way, good to see the return of putting on a ton of armor in a card game, I don't think we've seen it Canonically since that one time Joey did it against Valon, and ever since then, Joey kind of forgot it was a thing he can just do.

But unlike Joey, Yami doesn’t take the opportunity to punch Zorc in the face, instead he just loses yet another time.

This time he didn’t even pass out, he barely even died. This is progress, truly.

But as Zorc is powering up the peepee missile to fire in Yami’s face (what a way to die!), Shadi has decided to inform us why he’s been stalking these kids for this entire show.

So there’s two ways to read this. 1.) Shadi was Hassan the entire time but had to go back in time from this moment in order to do it or 2.) Shadi possessed the power of Hassan last second so Yami could avoid death one final time.

Both of these explanations don’t fully make sense to me, I’ll be honest, because in order to know that he’ll be needed in the first place, Shadi had to know that Yami would die at this particular moment--a moment that is a different timeline than has ever existed before.

So really, Shadi was just going by a hunch. He was like “I dunno, I’ll see how this goes.” which is more in line with the Shadi we know and love.

Is it a crying shame that Shadi, who has been with us for so many seasons, and it so integral to this show had such an unceremonious death? Yeah. I feel like I didn’t quite get the closure I wanted but I’m also sort of confused as to…what happened. But I’ll leave it there because apparently we get more Shadi content in Dark Side of Dimensions.

Anyway, I have no idea if these images will even fit into a post with how how tumbler does posts nowadays, and I'll be real I had to re upload the last bit of it, which I suspect was over 15 images???? Not sure??? but we found a workaround! google docs works!

Also, Seto didn’t die today! Instead it was Shadi! For a SECOND time!

I cannot believe how freakin lucky Mana is, this girl is still kicking and if Mana survives everything I am…going to be astonished, that’s what. Mana secretly OP, who knew?

And always you can read the rest of these here

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

if I turn it into a link it doesn't work right because the text editor is really, really bad. I hate it a lot. But uh...feel free to copy paste it until I can get links to cooperate.

[thevampirediariesdiary]

officially announcing the DAMON/ELENA BEST EVER MOMENT BRACKET (cooler title tbd)

how it’s going to work:

we’re gonna go season by season, starting with season 1!

I’ll start by posting a chronological list of the stand-out moments for the season (season 1 is here). at this point you can nominate other moments I forgot, petition for the separation of moments I lumped together into one, and/or send me propaganda for your favorites! this phase lasts a week.

then the polls begin! each round of polls will last a week. *insert pathetic begging to remind you that if you reblog the poll posts we will have way more fun*

when we’ve gotten a final winner for the bracket, the next season will start. we have four seasons to catch up on, and then we’ll do s5 once I finish my rewatch, and s6 when I’ve rewatched that.

someday (in the distant future) we can make the top 5 from each season go head to head and get an all-time best!!

[pixiemage]

Grian:

Me: knowing this is for Traffic Life and giddy af, wanting S5 to come out like tomorrow because I’ll die if it doesn’t

Also me: on the MCNN recap crew and also busy af, begging Grian to wait until November because I’ll ACTUALLY die if I it comes out tomorrow

[crow-enthusiast]

just rewatched lucifer rising and you know what ruby is kinda slay

bragging to the man you just betrayed is hilarious you are a little bit awesome girl

but also she told sam that lucifer would reward him for letting him out and like lmao if the reward is stealing his body then yeah

[sometimesoliloquy]

The Handmaid’s Tale 5x09 “Allegiance”(or “Are We There Yet?”👀

 Ok, first of all I would like to know who the heck butchered the closed captions in this episode, I usually keep them on for clarity but this time it was just confusingly distracting; there were so many wrong word usages I thought I was reading Twilight. Secondly, I would like to know who butchered Nick's beautiful hair, and can I have a word with his barber. Thirdly, I would like to know how they plan to try and wrap up all these season 5 storylines (gently guided towards The Testaments) in less than an hour, especially when they've spent like 60% of the season solely on Luke making sad and/or annoyed faces.

Mark Tuello is giving June and Luke a briefing of the Hannah rescue mission as they walk through a military airplane hangar. He introduces them to Commander (yeah I did a double take at that, too) Elijah Vance, who is so alarmingly attractive that for a second I wonder if they've decided to add a third love interest for June and make it a lop-sided pentagram(?). But then he tells June that he's going to bring back Hannah and return to his own daughter, with a reassuring nod of his very attractive head, so of course we immediately know he's definitely not going to make it. June once again bullies Mark into something he probably definitely should not be doing, demanding he let her and Luke watch the live feed of the raid, which I would assume is supposed to be super high level clearance (Mark is such a softie, he just can't say no! At least not to blondes).

Serena is having Mommy & Me glamour shots taken for the fertility center, under the strict direction of a slightly manic Mrs. Wheeler (is it just me or is she getting more and more unhinged?), who is feeling very bossy today in her big-girl pants. Alanis ixnay's Serena's plan to be at the grand opening with baby Noah. She is not worried about Gilead Commanders, but she is worried about germs. And breastfeeding. She wants "her smart boy" to go back on the bottle so as not to bond too much with the handmaid because he surely must miss it. Serena towers over Mrs. W about to strike back, but then remembers who is wearing the (very small) pants and utilizes June's advice. The passive-aggression in this scene alone could fuel a month of PTA  meetings. Back at Commander Lawrence's, Aunt Lydia's new matchmaking service is now in full swing. Well, I guess it's not new, just expanded from matchmaking sex slaves handmaids with rapists commanders, to now matching fresh widows with their husbands' killers. Lawrence is panicking because Naomi is 2 minutes late (he would hate me), but finally she arrives for her audience with the king commander, for some reason seeming a bit apprehensive (no idea why). She goes very quickly from begging not to be booted off to the colonies, to humbly lobbying for just a nice little condo for her and little Charlotte, but Lawrence is "not her realtor,” goddamnit, I mean doesn't Naomi know a romantic and heartfelt marriage proposal when she hears one? Luckily, Yenta Lydia is there to help translate, and Naomi says what we're all thinking "this is a marriage proposal??" Yep.yep! Done being the most awkward we’ve ever seen him (for now), Jlaw tells her to mull it over and excuses himself for "work". Lydia counsels her to overlook the small silly little matter of her prospective fiance having had her husband shot in the head in the middle of brunch like a week ago, and she warily says she'll think about it. Lawrence eavesdrops and I can't really tell if he's hoping she'll say yes, or praying to whatever esoteric god of economics he believes in that she'll say no. It's nighttime at the Wheelers, and Serena's putting a bottle for Noah in the fridge, when she gets an idea. Taking a page straight from June’s Handmaid playbook, she decides to pay Mr. Wheeler a little visit in his office to try and get him on her side (if Mom says no, ask Daddy, amirite?). Unfortunately for her he's a bit smarter than Fred (and also still pretty pissed she played him and shot his driver), and he sees right through her buttering up. He's a practical man, though, and being a businessman as well (I guess, I actually have no idea what he really does besides Gilead cosplay, does anyone?), he also appreciates a good sales pitch. He says he'll consider her proposal to play God's fertile vessel messenger or whatever at the center's opening reception and promptly dismisses her with his eyes. Serena says "praise be" but Mr. Wheeler did not graduate from Gilead commander college, so he just responds with a super enthused "oh yeah”, and Serena leaves, satisfied with her small victory (over her small oppressor).  June and Luke arrive at the command center to watch the live feed of the raid. Mark directs them to the screen showing a birds' eye view of "all the activity at Hannah's school" and June stares in awe at being the closest she's been to Hannah since the glass box incident, and the closest she's been to getting her back, ever. As she's drawn closer to the screen and emotionally whispers out to Hannah, we hear girls' collective bedtime prayers fade in and cut to Hannah standing in the prayer circle with her classmates. As the camera zooms out we get a glimpse of their dorm (I guess, for lack of a better word?). It actually  reminded me a lot of the red center except instead of rows of cots they have cute & cozy little white lace-curtained glamping tents arranged in a circle. At least they would be super cute and cozy if they weren't basically transparent, merely offering the deceptive suggestion of privacy. And, you know, if the whole concept weren't so damn creepy. Inside her preteen bride glamping tent, Hannah appears to say her own silent prayer, and then looks cautiously over to the Aunt on duty before opening her picture-bible (since no words, and stuff). She turns the pages from--interestingly--the story of NOAH and the ark (hmm) to the Tower of Babel and Abraham sacrificing Isaac... She finally turns to a blank page and I start thinking "Omg is she going to write something??" and I'm getting all excited but then she pulls out a drawing of flowers in a spiral pattern (which brings to mind “precious flowers” in The Testaments) and I'm like oh she's just drawing, that's cool too, and I mean she obviously likes gardening so I guess she likes flowers, and wait, is drawing forbidden too, is that not considered a "wifely" art or is it too close to writing since technically you're using an implement also used for writing and I'm so wrapped up in these thoughts that I almost miss when she actually does pick up a pencil and smiles wistfully as she WRITES(!!) "HANNAH", signing her name (her REAL NAME, AHHH) at the bottom of the drawing. At this point I have so many questions, but I'm also crying too hard to concentrate on any of them. This is all intercut with June's rapt tear-filled eyes glued to the screen and the sound of the pilots' transmission... when all of a sudden alarms sound, the signal is lost, and the civilians are kicked out of the war room. Tuello eventually emerges into the hallway and tells them the girls are safe... but still at the school (so short-term safe anyway I guess). Gilead had anticipated the raid and all three planes were shot down by their anti-aircraft systems, no survivors (RIP, hot good-guy commander, tragically we barely knew thee!). Cut to June's devastated face.

Back on her porch, June's phone rings and it's Lawrence, who she does not sound very pleased to hear from. He protests that he "was trying to avoid all this bloodshed" and some other Gilead nonsense, and FUCK, of course it was a Jlaw set-up!! So he sent the video of Hannah, I have to think it was his" insurance policy" to get June to New Bethlehem. If she she somehow didn't turn it over to Tuello, he would know he had her hooked on relocating; if she did and the Americans used the metadata to plan something (as they  did), he would be ready and make sure it failed (as he did), and there he would be to again offer her NB (as he does), as her last and only resort to be close to Hannah. He sweetens the pot by "dangling Nick in front of her" and while she's super pissed that he's also now trying to use Nick and her feelings for him to manipulate her, she seems to actually be considering it for a second. Until he reveals that there's another catch now: he wants her to denounce the American military action to feed the Gilead propaganda machine. And THAT is a deal breaker. She calls him out on being "one of them" despite knowing better and when he does the "blah blah I'm making it better for Eleanor blah blah" thing, June verbally nut punches him in the heart saying that Eleanor hated him and was so ashamed she'd rather die and she watched her die and oh man I never thought we'd see this confession out of her to be honest, and it is intense! Lawrence is crying and honestly it's hard not to feel a little bad for him here even though it's pretty much the truth and I think deep down he knew it too (I mean I'm pretty sure we literally saw Eleanor tell him she hated him and try to shoot him). Then he says that Eleanor still would have wanted him to help June and Hannah (which is true) but he means he's gonna "help" by bringing June to New Bethlehem, not by actually doing the right thing (like Eleanor would have actually wanted), so it's pretty clear he's really just still trying to use her for his greater plan. She makes one last tearful attempt to beg him, in vain, and then tells him he can go fuck himself, and herself proceeds to fuck up her garden in an anguished fury. Luke comes running out of the house and human-straitjackets her and I assume he's trying to be helpful and calm her down but it was painful to watch June physically restrained and begging to be let go. I also suspect her "please let me go" has a deeper meaning, but I've been thinking along those same lines for multiple seasons without fruition so who knows. Just as Serena is about to once again escape the Wheeler house for her big fertility debut, Mrs. Wheeler comes stomping out in her new Reformation dress and promptly bitchslaps her, twice. Did Serena turn the other cheek? Maybe, but only because she didn’t have a choice. I have to admit I burst out laughing here because honestly, compared to all the misdirected abuse she perpetrated on June and Rita, I think she got off light here, and I'm not above a little schadenfreude. Mrs. W is super pissed that Serena went behind her back to get Mr. W's permission, and even more pissed that this slut sluttily snuck into Mr. Wheeler's study after hours! She indignantly demands to know just who Serena thinks she is, and uh, duh she thinks she’s June, obviously. Mrs. W is now coming with (GET IN, BTCH, we're going Gileading), and this is gonna be a fun field trip.

(well well well, how the turn tables) June goes to see Mark, who is looking very defeated and I do feel very bad for him, Mark needs a win, FFS! She tells him about Jlaw and that she is DONE with that son of a bitch. She's itching to keep fighting and wants to know what's next. Mark asks "what about Nick Blaine"? OH, she’ll never be done with Nick Blaine, sir! NEVER. Sorry, where was I? Oh right. Mark informs her about the offer he proposed to Nick. She's startled, and initially looks maybe concerned at the risks of Nick spying in Gilead, but when Mark tells her that Nick could come to Canada (eventually), could get immunity, the wheels start turning, and an impossible spark of hope lights her eyes. This is clearly something she never thought could happen, and the possibilities it brings up are quite seductive. Mark is all of me when he says “maybe you could persuade him” (GODDAMNIT JUNE, DO WHATEVER IT TAKES, WOMAN). He notes that Nick (an Eye and a Commander) defecting could have a big impact. He adds that June could too, if she were to put her power to use, but she says she doesn't feel comfortable doing that "right now" (same wording as Nick, twinning!). I have to think she's afraid that being more public could possibly put Hannah or Nichole, or both, in danger. She tells Mark to set up the meeting with Nick, and determinedly marches off to kick her boo's butt for turning down that ticket to Canada.

(Ok but what about now... How bout now... Now?)

At the Gilead "fertility center", Serena is holding court to a gaggle of impressionable, baby-hungry women and espousing the wonders of Gilead fertility. "There was a lot of heartache and disappointment" is an interesting euphemism for "we committed treason, mass genocide and then enslaved all the remaining women to either make them human incubators or our unpaid domestic help", but alright. Really, she swears though, it's the clean air and prayer. Also on display is a propaganda poster of a woman with perfect golden locks of fanned out hair, smiling beatifically at her plump new baby, because motherhood is very glamorous (said no mother ever). "Smiling" through her teeth, Mrs. Wheeler summons Serena to send her home, without Noah, and tomorrow “I’ll bring Noah by myself".  Ok, Alanis, yesterday you didn't  want him exposed to all those germs, but I guess you've forgotten this. But the little guy has to be fed first and uh oh, Serena didn't pack a bottle. The sweet nanny (martha?) jumps in to take the blame (oh NO, girl, she doesn't deserve this kindness from you!). Mrs. W wants Serena to be snappy about it, but Mr. W suggests it's up to bb Noah and is then quickly reminded of who wears the pants, even though he is currently literally wearing the pants, as Mrs. W shoots him a look that instantly withers his testicles. As Serena walks to the back for a private place to nurse, we see the wheels turn in that scheming head of hers. At Serena's request, kind nanny leaves her alone, and now I am very worried for kind nanny's health and safety and I wish they had given her a name because I feel weird just calling her "kind nanny". But anyway, I hope she doesn't get punished for Serena's scheming, because as soon as the door closes Serena is out the back exit and running headlong into traffic with her precious miracle child. After nearly getting run over (she turns to try and shield baby Noah though so I guess her motherly instincts are kicking in), she begs the driver to help her and the very startled purple-haired woman tells her to get in. Looks like this Thelma has found herself a new Louise! It does strike me as yet more irony that this is a person Serena likely would have turned her nose up at in the "before" as a sinful, slutty woman, just because of her appearance. June pulls up to her and Nick's "special place" at the old Mary Magdalena school, and damn it looks so different, all green and teeming with foliage and birds chirping; it's really a beautiful setting. I half expect a bird to land on June’s hand while she sings to it. Nick is sitting at the top of the stairs smoking (aw, just like old times) as she approaches. He wishes she'd said yes, taking her (and me!) aback. "To Lawrence's offer?' (yeah wtf, seriously, Nick?). She counters, demanding to know why he said no to Tuello's offer. She's pissed, and he's defensive, and they argue about which one of them is going to move in this long distance relationship. And then Nick drops the bombshell: Rose is pregnant, which suddenly silences June. She struggles with a complex mixture of emotions, from the gut punch that this revelation is to her heart, to relief that he won't have to navigate the handmaid issue, and finally seems to come to the realization and acceptance of what that means; that he will not be coming to Canada and (at least for now) is tied down to Gilead. Though he's still reacting a bit defensively about "doing what's best for his family", the gentle and simple understanding she shows quickly brings down his guard (as if he could ever keep that up with her!) and he approaches (as if they could ever keep that much physical distance from each other!). They contemplate the mess of it all and look at each other with major heart eyes. Nick inevitably glances down at her lips and in my head I start singing "Kiss the Girl" from the Little Mermaid but goddamnit no luck. Nick sighs emotionally and asks her to tell Nicole she loves her and thinks about her all the time (stop, I'm sobbing). He's looking down like it's too hard to look at her, and saying he should go like he really doesn't want to, and June disarms him again with a small joke. They go all googly-eyed again and say "I love you" to each other in the most heartbreakingly matter-of-fact way (I'm sobbing even harder now). He takes a breath and leans in juust a hair (yes! sha-la-la-la kiss de girl!)...and then maddeningly veers at the last second, leaving June breathless and me like the wailing face emoji. I guess I get it though. It's like if he allowed himself to give in to the smallest touch his resolve would crumble and he'd never be able to tear himself away. STILL EFFING HEARTBREAKING, though. "Hey Nick" she calls softly, still flustered but calm and smiling warmly. "Children look up to their fathers. Set an example" (yes, you realign that Blaine moral compass, girl!). He looks at her thoughtfully, and walks away (nooo). I wonder if he's thinking also of Nichole again (and not just the child he plans on being able to raise) and being internally devastated again (ok, jesus, can I please stop crying yet?). June does that thing she does a lot recently after talking to Nick where she's breathless and crying and smiling and heartbroken and happy all at the same time. It's a detail I love about these two: the way they have specific little body languages that are exclusive only to being around each other

(I’m sorry, can we just look at these heart-eyes again?)

Later on, a super lively engagement party is going on at Lawrence's lair of darkness house (christ, these people could really use a good drinking game or something to get things going, maybe charades?). While the menfolk are busy talking politics and drinking and other things unbecoming of a lady, the women gather in the sitting room and Mrs. McKenzie fawns over a pregnant Rose, telling her how much joy her own (stolen) child has brought to her life. Mrs. Calhoun, meanwhile, is a real negative nancy: mean-girling first Aunt Lydia (she can't sit with us!), and then poor Rose, saying some super shitty things about "being concerned about the baby", "considering". Ok, bitch, you stole your baby from a poor brain dead girl you kept "alive" as an incubator, but please, go on. In Lawrence's office, under the fire-lit glow of a beautiful vagina flower painting (no irony deficiency here!), McKenzie, Calhoun and new beardy commander who I guess is kind of important congratulate themselves on their dick swinging military victory and brag about the fun new friends they’re making, like Russia, China and North Korea. Jlaw makes an "Any club that would have me as a member..." reference, but only Nick seems to appreciate the joke. MacKenzie again talks about "taking care of June Osborne" (but like why is he so obsessed with her tho) and Nick and Lawrence have to try and hide their uncomfortable expressions, AGAIN. Having sufficiently bro'ed out, the men join the wives and Nick is a good attentive husband while Jlaw and Naomi stare at each other like they'd rather be anywhere else (I change my mind, send me to the colonies!). MacKenzie toasts Jlaw as "one of us"(yikes). Nick raises his glass but his expression is  contemplative, verging on wary? If Lawrence is indeed  "one of them" now, is there still a "we" to be had with Nick and Lawrence? Or will their interests start conflicting. Hmm hm hm. Nick may be willing to make some concessions if he believes it is for the greater good, and to protect his family, but I have a feeling he'll soon reach his limit. Whereas I think Lawrence has shown he has no such limits, and is willing to do anything to enact his vision, (which he also sees as his redemption). Naomi looks vaguely terrified as Lawrence grips her shoulder in truly the most awkward way possible affectionately, his wedding ring (to Eleanor) prominently displayed on his finger. In Little America, Mark reads off the names of the fallen soldiers at a candlelight vigil, although it's kind of hard to be heard over the obnoxious yelling of asshole protestors (like can you guys take a break for one night?). Tuello calls up Hot Commander Vance's adorable daughter Emma to lead the pledge of allegiance, but the poor sweetie falters under the pressure and all the stupid shouting. June (who's there with Moira, Luke and Rita), asks Emma's tearful mom if she can help, and kneels by the child's side to recite the pledge together. Just when Emma's getting on a roll and the crowd joins in and it starts getting emotional and inspiring and stuff and even I start being like "God bless America!", suddenly shots ring out and the crowd screams and ducks. Sweet little Emma is frozen in fear, but luckily June goes into mega mom mode, slow-mo diving to throw them both to the ground and shield the kid. Bullets rip through the hanging American flag, preeettty much right where they were just standing, so THAT was close. June's face can confirm. *** Allegiance. Sooo many allegiances. They were broken, formed, strained and renewed over the course of the episode. Lawrence definitively demonstrated to June that his allegiance is and always will be to his mission of "reforming" Gilead, trying to correct his mistake and implement his original utopia (without the religious nutjobs), whatever the collateral damage may be (including his own personal wishes). June's first allegiance will always be to her daughters, and her top priority to see them safe (hey hey, the next episode title!). Lawrence is now at odds with this goal, and so instead  she commits to the fight against Gilead, and working with Tuello. Forming, if not an allegiance, than at least an alliance, against their common enemy.  On the surface, it would seem like Nick's allegiance is now to his family, his "new " family with Rose and their baby on the way. But it's bullshit to say that June and Nichole aren't his family, too, as he makes clear to her later. They both understand that they each have people they care about and need to protect, but the fact is it doesn't take away from their bond, and they also reaffirm their allegiance to each other in their "I love you's". While Lawrence and Lydia seem to be strengthening their alliance further into allegiance, Lawrence and Nick's may be becoming strained, and could soon reach a breaking point. As Lawrence further aligns himself with traditional Gilead in order to gain the power to achieve his goals (including forming a marriage allegiance with Naomi), Nick may start to doubt the "vision of a better Gilead" that I think he badly wanted to believe in (as he has his own guilt weighing heavy on his shoulders), either in Lawrence's sincerity or implementation. A reckoning may be coming where Nick has to draw a line in the sand, and I for one can't wait for that. Tally ho to the finale!

[hawkinslibrary]

i don’t love these recap vids lol

[dylanconrique]

watch me go insane when those clips of  tim and lucy saying “the thing you learn early on as police officers, is that your future is never certain.” and “anything can happen to anyone at any time.” in the opening recap 5x19.

like.... full exorcist, head spinning around on shoulders insane.

[castle-dominion]

Season premieres & finales, trying to remember what happened when

season 1: he met beckett

he said "I looked at your mom's murder"" & she kicked him out

Season 2: he came back for a photoshoot & the reporter said "ooh I want to see the two of you in action" but I think this one is the one where the body got stolen.

he left for the summer with Gina

Season 3: his artist was murdered when he got home from his book tour. he started investigating on his own so they arrested him for murder lol.

Monty got shot, beckett did too & was on disability for three months. Castle says he loves her.

season 4: Gates shows up. First homicide back is some gal who got shot in the chest ("good thing beckett sat this one out") & hastings had a line with a front shot on her. they are simultaneously investigating becketts shooting. also the guy's name is rod haelstead which is very similar to a famous Métis fiddler rod olstad.

Monty's place had a breakin & evelyn shot someone with his old gun. Files were stolen. the dead guy who stole files was in contact with an old friend from the military who got him into this crap. Smith calls again, as he does. Castle needs to stop becks from looking into this case. He fails, she's hanging off a roof, all she can think of is castle. Ryan saves them by telling gates their secret & especkett get suspended & they are mad at ryan. Beckett resigns & goes to sleep with castle. No time passes but she does get a suspension in 5x1 which was the hiatus.

Season 5: Smith got beat up by maddoox. Ryan shows up at beckett's apartment bc he is working without a team. Esposito gets his army friend to find maddox. Caskett find smith all beat up & go to his property where esposito also happens to show up. The file goes kablooey & the cops are like "caspeckett why r u here?" Ryan shows up at beckett;s apartment again & gets two guns pulled on him lmao. they do a puzzle & somehow the file got blown up into pieces but not blown up into ash... anyway they find out it's bracken. Smith "dies". Beckett is not an assassin. Beckett wants her job back & gates is like "smh" but she lets beckett back. Well. After her suspension which is why I consider 5x1 to be more like 4x23b.

She gets a job at the AG's office bc of some anti surveillance tech guy who I really appreciated. Castle is like "what about me" but then proposes.

Season 6: she is working at the AG's & engaged to castle. Castle is no longer working with the nypd. Alexis introduces Pi too.

He has resurrected Derek Storm. Beckett turns out to be married. Castle got into a car crash & disappeared. Beckett is back at the nypd btw. She is the new roy montgomery, always quitting her job & coming back.

Season 7: they pick up at the end of the last season but Castle is missing for 2 months after that. Then they find him. Yay. He has no memories. (He should keep it that way.)

castle also becomes a pi in this season.

Castle's childhood trauma comes back to haunt him. Beckett is trying to be Captain or Senator. Castle gets an award & all the people are there which is nice.

Season 8: Beckett has become captain but then gets a call from the AG's office from some poor nerdy kid. Bracken, who is in jail now, still has a plot going on. Sullivan does not return (he was beckett's replacement when she was in the AG's). Hayley Shipton is introduced. She takes a break from her relationship with Castle & he is no longer working at the precinct but he keeps coming back anyway.

Idk how it ends. Don't tell me.

[blairswldorfs]

Am I about to rewatch IZombie again??

[iamnot-theboynextdoor]

i finally watched wwdits ep4... so much good stuff in there. evie's return(!), her breaking up with colin robinson again (but not feeding off him! i think she does genuinely like him, but them being together would ruin the comptroller narrative they made).

the council of energy vampires was *chef's kiss* (the part with the slideshow... that's exactly how i felt trying to read that financial legislation shfhdjsjsj) "protecting the energy vampires' way of life" seemed important, so i really hope we see evie again this season!

the laszlo/nadja stuff was so cute. he was trying so hard for her, and i'm so happy it all worked out and nadja didn't completely die from second-hand embarrassment

nandor being overzealous with his new gym buddy (because he misses guillermo!) was also so fucking funny. big F to Alexander, i'm sorry you had to deal with mr stage 5 clinger (nandor would make a great energy vampire, and colin robinson would be so pissed off that nandor doesn't even energy drain on purpose). and then guillermo and nandor went to the movies together after all, aww (with nandor being his hypocritical rude self of course, i shouldn't love him so much but i do)

the moral of this episode was that every character is so stupid. and i think that's beautiful <3

[owarinaki]

Edogawa Ranpo - BSD S5EP1

[steve0discusses]

S5 Ep : I don't know the episode numbers anymore I never wrote them down, so from here on out, I'm just going to number up from my previous post. So I guess episode 49

Fun fact I finished this post a week ago and then never pressed send. I can blame this on a lot of things, (work, illness, brain fog, etc) but at this point we just know it's the universe trying to keep me from finishing S5 of my Yugioh reblog, lmao.

So, last we left off, Sad Seto was next to die.

What makes this extra weird is that the other Seto is going to just watch this entire thing happen. He apparently didn't have enough traumatic disassociating while watching his Blue Eyes Wife die, now he will disassociate from watching himself go out in a blaze of glory, too.

Sad Seto's strategy against Zorc is not really what you'd expect out of the #2 of Egypt's court. Although...I guess before everyone biffed it, Seto was more like #5? #6?

He's above Mana I feel. Barely. Mostly because Mana probably isn't the right age to legally work, even in ancient Egypt when the working age is like...if you can walk.

But he was apparently so busy doing Aknadin's taxes that he's decided it's good judgement to throw himself at a 800 ft tall dragon/crotch/man.

for his credit, Sun Tzu's art of war hasn't been written yet.

And Sad Seto realizes his true purpose, which is that he has a smarter, stronger, and more powerful girlfriend (ish.) Which is a running theme on this show, as we all know.

In a bizarre cut that I can't believe they left on US TV...other than I think they couldn't cut this any other way, the penis dragon attached to Zork extended it's neck up to grab Blue eyes by her neck and just fling her into the ground, killing her instantly.

I don't like that the neck can extend longer. I don't like that it's a function of the dragon crotch. They knew. They knew what this looked like. Thanks, I hate it.

Also what an embarrassing way for Seto's past self to die. Truly the hieroglyphs about this event will be wild, and thousands of years later, Grandma Muto probably looked at this event etched into stone and just thought it was weird ancient pervert stuff.

Sorry if you were thinking Sad Seto would recover last minute and realize he's like the most OP person in Yugioh. He instead rotted from his hand and joined the rest of our Egyptian cast in Shadow Hell.

Leaving us with just Mana. And like kudos to her, but how on EARTH did she survive so freakin long!? Like of all of them, I thought Seto would be the last one. Not Mana. Not in a million years did I think it'd be the girl who hid in a pot.

But youknow maybe that's why she survived?

And then Bakura casually walked away from the only Seto who matters. Which is fitting, because if memory serves, that's also what Yami did to Seto for like half of the Battle City tourney.

It's such a weird strange bod on this dragon. It's such a strange bod. He's both got kind of a belly, but also is ripped to shreds. Such a weird bod.

In case you were like "We haven't given Seto enough motivation," we also toss in a few nearly dead brothers just to make sure we have properly traumatized this boy to the point where he'd duel someone who isn't Yugi Muto.

Seto decided magic exists 6 minutes ago, and he's already better at magic than Yugi Muto who's had access to it for YEARS.

Like he learned about magic in a different culture, a different time, a different language, and now he's fighting the final boss.

But it's Seto, so I buy it. He would speedrun his life like this.

That's the dialogue of the show where he says his first words were "neutron blast attack" and youknow...he probably has very few memories of himself as a child since his parents died and his other family put him up for adoption...but he knows his first words?

That, or Seto likes making his brand a reality by making up whatever nonsense it takes to make that brand legit. Which I can also see him doing.

Also please don't look at this foreshortened hand, don't look at it, ignore that this happened.

So thanks to Bakura's weird choice to drag Seto into this universe in the first place, now Bakura has to fight Seto and his 3 blue eyes that would not have existed here otherwise.

++++++ME RANTING ABOUT THE SETO ARC FEEL FREE TO SKIP++++

TBH it kinda makes the whole Sad Seto arc feel kind of like it didn't need to exist. Like this is the Seto fight that matters. This one right here, and although they share a name, it's not with the same guy who fought Zorc at the beginning of this episode.

And like I could add it to a list of problems with this season. But Sad Seto started out so interesting, and then forgot. It was like he only existed to introduce the dragon, and not explain anything at all about the nature of Seto Kaiba we know and love. Like the possession of Aknadin can be a parallel to how Seto was raised following Gozaburo's footsteps, but youknow...that's all old territory.

Like, I wish I had any sort of new growth from the interaction of either of the Seto's together in the same room, much like we've been getting from Yami facing his past self. Yami's been growing a lot, he's been facing his demons, but Seto? Seto's been walking around this desert trying find wifi.

(which like he did find a "wifey" which is almost wifi but wasn't as helpful because she was dead)

The Seto Kaiba who is fighting Bakura right now, is the same exact guy we saw at the end of the last arc against Zeigfried Von Schroeder.

Which means the reason that Seto is now souped up and capable of going up against Bakura isn't because of anything we witnessed here in this arc, but because of the weird horse guy last arc who taught him how to put up a better firewall.

And maybe there was a draft where Seto decides he is a spiritual reincarnation of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Maybe there was a draft where he gained a new ability. Maybe there was a draft where he realized the gravity of what was happening and wanted to save the world.

But it ain't this draft, unfortunately.

Seto is here not because of an internal growth reason, but because he was on a tablet in S2, and we have to know where that plot thread went to have an ending...but the show rewrote what it initially said in S2.

Like in the OG timeline, it was Seto who killed Pharaoh. But here we found out it was actually Aknadin who possessed Seto to kill Pharaoh. (and at some point in that fight, Pharaoh stuck his soul in a box and sealed away Zorc)

Sad Seto was apparently a chill bro the entire time. Just a nice guy who arrested half of Cairo and had a sort-of-girlfriend for about 8 hours before she biffed it.

And I would have been OK with that, if it were more interesting than what we initially thought happened in the past: where we thought it was a kickass Seto launching a coup. But unfortunately, it's not, instead it's a boy who started out powerless, and continued to be powerless despite working in Pharaoh's literal court. He didn't even have the power to not get possessed.

And I am sure there were other drafts, and endings are hard, and the author did get hella hospitalized while he wrote this season, animation is a miracle of many moving parts and budgets, and we were lucky to even get an ending to this show. So I don't want to sound like I'm complaining when there are so many worse directions this show could have gone. I'm just a little surprised it went this direction, mostly.

But say what you will about Yugioh, it doesn't like to be predictable, doesn't it?

+++++++++++++++++++OK I'M DONE++++++++++++++++++++++

Speaking of characters who haven't gained anything from being here, Tristan is no longer possessed!

Tristan begs his apologies and Yugi takes it gracefully. Which means, it's time for the main character of this entire show to finally re-enter the plot.

And they do so, in style.

Y'all I remember being excited about the look and style of extreme sports, but I do not remember this many heelies in the 00's.

Anyway, this is the link to read these in chrono order, you know the drill. See you next time to see yet another girlfriend biff it!

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

[threadmonster]

I don't really know how to describe the feeling? FOMO somehow, maybe? I don't like it though.

It's like when there's two or three popular anime series and everyone is only talking about them and you just sit there after giving them a try like, "yeah, okay I see the appeal but... *munches on some popcorn while rewatching an anime from 10 years ago*"

I don't hate the series that this applies to. I kinda feel like maybe I just don't get it? I have felt this way even in middle school about books.

This is more about experiences outside of tumblr.

[imaginary-land-scapes]

The Crown, S5 E10

We've come to the end, and it's simply a set-up for Diana's death

Which, presumably, will happen in episode two or three of S6

I'll predict right now that the crash will happen in ep 2, the funeral in ep 3 (alternately, a retreading of The Queen in ep 3 and the funeral in ep 4), and then we will move briskly into the 00's, the queen mother's death, William & Kate, and so on and so forth

I like Bertie Carvel as Tony Blair, and I think he'll be splendid in s6 - Peter Morgan already has spent so much time with this character, and he immediately gets more screen time than Johnny Lee Miller

Once again, I am asking

WHY cast JLM if you don't plan to USE him? I never got a sense of Major as anything but a blank canvas that suffered in the Thatcher's wake. And maybe that's what he was, I don't know any modern british political history, don't @ me, but this is a modern drama! Give me a little bit of personality! A few stakes! Any sort of sense of what's going on politically at this time!

Lol @ diana voting "No" on the monarchy

Music choices excellent this episode, as they have been all season. Fly Like An Eagle -> baroque opera at Charles' was a beautiful transition

They lay the boat metaphor to rest with the boat, finally, and thank god

This has been a very weird season for the show. Seasons 2 - 4 really shone as a semi-anthology series, where a number of episodes are interconnected but still standalone, and our characters are given chances to have real and deep moments with each other that gradually build their arcs over time. In this season? Not so much. Pacing and structure are noticeably muddled. The queen gets short shrift this season. Staunton did wonderfully, but was given little screentime and even less material. At least we only got one "Phillip is a whiny bitch" episode this season, instead of two or three as per usual.

Standout episodes: Episode 4 (Margaret's sadness hour - the actually palpable chemistry between Manville and Dalton, ooh ooh) Episode 5 (tampongate - great framing of the well-known story), Episode 9 (divorce stories - poignant)

Standout line: "He was sucking Sarah's TOES, mummy!" - Prince Andrew is a nightmare, but my god this line ruled

[metawitches]

The Handmaid's Tale Season 5 Episode 6: Together Recap

The Handmaid's Tale S5 Ep6: Together Recap- June & Luke are held prisoner by Gilead sympathizers. Aunt Lydia learns Esther is pregnant & asks Lawrence to look into it. Serena grows desperate to escape the Wheelers' control. #Handmaid'sTale

Episode 6 picks up soon after the previous episode left off, with June and Luke in a prison van, on their way to an undisclosed location in No Man’s Land. Serena discovers that her morning doctor’s appointment will take place in the Wheeler’s attic, in a birthing suite they’ve furnished with the latest technology. Just to make sure she and the baby remain completely safe and in their clutches.…