#There's just something about their dynamic in this episode

[thealexchen]

thoughts on LIS: Double Exposure?

This is probably gonna be my hottest take in awhile, but: I deeply dislike the idea of an official LiS1 direct sequel game existing. Excluding all my thoughts on the gameplay, story, Max's character, etc. I don't think a game like Double Exposure is necessary.

This isn't a new take either; back in 2020 I made a Reddit post saying I was glad we never got a continuation of Max and Chloe's story, because in order to have a plot, you have to have conflict. And to have conflict means your characters are forced to change or struggle in some way, and I simply wasn't interested in seeing that again. I never even read the comics. As long as Max and Chloe's future existed only in the fanbase's collective imagination and not in an officially licensed game, Pricefield could be as happy as I wanted and I wouldn't have to witness DN or D9's version of canon.

A lot of fans, including myself, are also confused and upset as to where Chloe could be in Double Exposure. Even if Chloe winds up having a surprise role, it would likely be too logistically difficult to write Chloe into one version of the story and not the other. Either way, DE is strongly pointing to Chloe no longer being the deuteragonist. If D9 was going to make a direct sequel with Max and Chloe, I could at least be intrigued by how they might write their dynamic and how they'd use Max's power in new and interesting ways. But instead there's... none of that. Chloe's nowhere to be seen and Max can't time travel anymore.

On a narrative level, Max and Chloe are the heart of the original Life is Strange. They represent the game's central relationship, and their very first interaction (Max saving Chloe's life) kicks off the entire story. Throughout the story, their dynamic advances the plot and mutually motivates their character arcs. You can't have LiS1 without either Max or Chloe; the story simply wouldn't exist without them. Now in DE, they don't even seem to be in each other's lives anymore. It's true, this series is meant to reflect universal feelings and experiences, which could include breakups, but the romantic catharsis of Pricefield as canon soulmates who defied time and space itself to stay together forever is something you can only get from the beauty of fiction. To jab DE's story with a dose of reality and go, "Eh, they grew apart. Shit happens," totally undermines everything the Bae ending stood for.

On a technical level, Max's rewind was an objectively brilliant game mechanic. LiS1 arrived onto the scene after Telltale had paved the way for the resurgence of choice-based, episodic games, but LiS1 totally reinvented the wheel by giving the player the option to go back and weigh each option before continuing, essentially save-scumming in-game. But the right choice was never that easy to determine, and Rewind brilliantly complemented Max's character arc of overcoming her indecision and learning to live with her choices. Not to mention, you could also use Rewind to solve puzzles, instead of the endless fetch quests the later games had. No other LiS game since then has given the player that kind of agency and interactivity. LiS2 had telekinesis, but the player couldn't use it, only Daniel. D9 tried with Backtalk and Empathy, but Max's Rewind was truly the narrative and gameplay jackpot that they haven't been able to recreate since.

So if you take away one half of the central relationship that made the first game so memorable, and the supernatural power/game mechanic that made it so fun to play... why even bring Max back at all? It just feels like D9 threw away their golden opportunity to build upon the major selling points of the first game and are only relying on name recognition of the Life is Strange "brand" and Max Caulfield.

What upsets me most of all about a direct sequel existing is that it proves that Life is Strange, as a series, now stands more for profits than originality. Life is Strange will always be an IP meant to make money for Square, I know that, but back when LiS1 was just a brand new episodic game, it stood out for how different it dared to be. In a landscape saturated with shooters, sexualized female characters, and casual misogyny, LiS1 instead featured a teenage girl in a contemporary setting that took her seriously and made her the hero of her story. Before it was a franchise, LiS wasn't concerned with the bottom dollar; it was a piece of art that just wanted to tell a thoughtful, unique story.

Whether you love it or hate it, Life is Strange 2 was an insanely risky follow-up to Life is Strange that refused to rely on the convenience of a direct sequel because Dontnod stuck to their artistic vision. Meanwhile, all of Deck Nine's games have leaned on the first game's following to generate interest (BtS being a direct prequel, TC bringing back Steph, and Wavelengths expanding on Steph's connection to Chloe, Rachel, and Arcadia Bay). In other words, all of the subsequent LiS games by D9 have played it very, very safe. It's worked like a damn charm because there are still elements I love about each game, but the basic principle is nostalgia-baiting fans. It's just that now, Double Exposure isn't hiding that nostalgia bait at all anymore and prioritizing profits over telling a unique story. It's sad to see that LiS has strayed so far from its risky, daring, original, and unique artistic beginnings.

Before I end, I'll say that I can't be too cynical about it all, nor do I want to be. Because I can't deny how much joy this whole series has brought me, too. LiS was what got me into narrative adventure games and pushed the boundaries of what a video game could be. If nothing else, I am truly thrilled that Hannah Telle got the chance to play Max again. D9's always been great at maintaining relationships with their actors, and the casts of their games always have consistently great chemistry. Getting recognized by Erika Mori on my own blog is still unbelievable and speaks to the amazing community that LiS has built. As you can see, I'm still posting and reblogging stuff about Double Exposure. And while I don't see myself buying or playing this game for myself, I know it'll keep all of us talking for awhile, and I still live for a good discussion.

Thank you for asking! And thank you for reading.

[bengiyo]

My Love Mix Up TH Ep 2 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we began the Thai version of My Love Mix Up. Atom has a crush on his high school classmate Mudmee, admiring her nature. He borrows an eraser from her and realizes she likes the guy who sits in front of him Kongthap (based on a belief in writing your crush’s name on your eraser). Kongthap mistakes the eraser as belonging to Atom and think Atom likes him. Atom doesn’t want to embarrass Mudmee so says the eraser is his. Atom ends up jealous and competitive with Kongthap, but comes to see that he’s a decent dude. Kongthap doesn’t return Atom’s feelings, but wants some time to think about them because he doesn’t know what it means to like someone.

I am admittedly curious about the Thai version of Cinderella.

It’s always funny that a pair will be so lovey-dovey that get assigned roles for it in school plays.

Wow, an ad immediately.

Atom is a klutz in every iteration, but you can’t fall in love if you ain’t clumsy.

People recognizing each other’s kindness, and growing closer as a result, is one of my favorite romantic dynamics.

The Thai kids are always sliding across floors. What is up with this?

Okay, I’m giving Fourth a point for going for the Japanese comedic bit of tripping while standing when someone says something harsh or surprising to you. Kinda wish they hadn’t done a camera trick with it and just let Fourth carry the moment.

Welcome back, The Heart Knows.

Whoa, part 3 is under 4 minutes. I would be so pissed if we went to commercial break that quick on live TV.

I really love the costumes these kids put together for their play.

Oof, secondhand embarrassment.

I hope Fourth actually can’t wink, but this is still funny.

Of course, there’s a musical number. This is a Thai BL after all.

He is mopping the carpet.

Two songs? Get to streaming, girlies.

Aw, and here I was hoping they’d put Atom in the same getup as Mudmee.

They do like making Fourth and Gemini dance together, and they got a third song out of it.

The audience ate that fall up!

That’s right. Kick those boys out!

The Atom-Mudmee friendship remains strong in this version.

It’s really tough for this show, I think. Being on the exact same timing as the first adaptation leaves a lot of room that they have to fill with extra stuff, or they let moments go on a long time. As such, it gives the show a slower velocity that I don’t think helps the humor and makes the show a little sleepy. That being said, they are playing with the tropes in fun ways. They extended the brow wipe, and in Thai BL fashion got an ad out of shower scene with toothpaste instead. I do think I’m struggling with the “toxic masculinity” scene, because GMMTV has shown of late that they’re not that keen on dealing with queerness outside of the bubble. I don’t get why they would not have the class support Atom on the front end, and then introduce those boys, if they’re not going to deal with a queer awakening (which is part of the source material). It’s also a bit tough because Aoki doesn’t recognize how serious his own feelings are until the end of episode 2 when he gets saved by Hashimoto, but here he’s been mooning at Kongthap for the whole episode. Maybe it's the branded pair thing and I'm presuming more than has already developed, but it feels off.

[lauraameyauthor]

I'm not going to lie, that was rather disappointing. Episodes 5 and 6 were great, but those last two were much less so. I expected Colin to be upset at the Wistledown reveal, and I was ready for plenty of that lovely angst... but I also expected that to be resolved by the wedding, even if the wedding was delayed. To see Polin get married and yet not happy was not appropriate for this couple's dynamic. They are a slow burn couple, one that has been building for years, if the wedding was not to be the happy endgame, then that wedding should have been part of that slow build and happened a lot sooner. To have it be part of the third act breakup just left a sour taste that is hard to be rid of in the best of times, let alone in a show of such an ensemble cast with many different side-plots to take up screentime. The characters and the actors deserved better.

It wasn't all bad, however. Something that was done well, I feel, was Penelope's relationship with her family. It was nice to see her and Portia fight and come together and admit their similarities and wrongdoings. It was also nice to see some love between the sisters.

Francesca's story was also quite nice. I do like John and am sad to know he is not endgame. Though I am sure Michaela will be a nice choice, also.

Benedict's story, on the other hand, was pointless. The scenes between the three lovers - scenes which should have been crucial to his character development - were treated as little more than cutaways between more important storylines. The only benefit I can see coming from his story arc is Tilly's speech about love and society, which might have relevance for next season considering Sophie's social status.

One that note, I was very happy to hear that line about the masquerade ball. Much like I love a wallflower story, I love a Cinderella story, so I am looking forward to meeting Sophie. (And this time I will know better than to pay attention to PR)

Eloise I am in two minds about. She is a very self-centered character, but she is finally starting to realise her lack of understanding of others, so it felt good to see her take that step herself and request to go to Scotland. So, while I hated her for a lot of episodes 5 and 6 (she treated both Penelope and Cressida very poorly), I did not hate her enough to not look forward to her development.

Cressida I am a bit disappointed about however, and now wish she hadn't had the depth added earlier in the season. Making her more than the two-dimensional bully but giving her the just deserts of one did not reflect well on Penelope. Having the heroine's happiness at the price of someone who was in much a similar position does not feel fitting for a romance.

So, conclusion: There were plenty of good things (like I said, episodes 5 and 6 were great), and I will be sure to be reblogging gifs of them when I see them, but I had hoped for a more satisfying conclusion to the romance that brought me to the show.

[prapaiwife]

This episode was a little bit mind-boggling in the sense of people's feelings coming to sudden realization. So with taem she had told yak from the beginning that she did not see him that way. And I'm not saying that her feelings can't change because that's normal that's part of life but in the way of like her sensing that there is going to be a shift in their relationship dynamic. And so she doesn't want to lose yak at all that she's not as opposed to the thought of seeing him as more as he wanted to in the beginning. Which is why she was okay if he kissed her but looked disappointed when he didn't make the move to do so when she already knows in the back of her mind that he likes her because he told her that before. Because I think she knows that his feelings for her aren't there anymore as much as he tried to make it seem like it was. His feelings are now with dee and I think she can sense that and see it but at the same time maybe held out to that sliver of hope that she could maybe have a chance and it wasn't too late. And I don't want to say that she lost him today because she will always have yak as her friend but it's the way of being like too late to realize that you do reciprocate those feelings because that person has already found someone who gives them that feeling already it just must really suck lol

But in this episode when they're about to kiss she didn't back down it looked as if she was kind of waiting for it to happen until yak was the one who pulled away. All the while she knows that dee and yak have something going on. I mean she saw the necklace she can clearly tell that he is some type of importance in yak's life. When they all showed up at the hospital for his volunteer project and she spoke to the she got a good feel of him and the person that he is. And so I kind of thought that she was on board in the sense of knowing that maybe this is where yaks feelings are really for. But at the same time with her now it seems suddenly reliziing her feelings for yak is it because she really took what they told her last week for real that they are nothing serious. Because it's pretty obvious that it is to others I mean kao knows. I don't know it was just boggling.

[queenvhagar]

Initial thoughts on HOTD season 2 episode 1 "A Son for a Son:"

Alicole

Maybe an unpopular opinion but Alicole seemed to appear out of thin air so quickly with not one but two sex scenes in one episode... Like when did this start? Who started it? How did these characters suddenly get to this place of complete sexual liberation in this way based on literally everything we know about these characters and this world up until this point? Alicent is a deeply religious widow of the king who has lived decades in servitude to the realm without much thought to her own desires and Criston is a knight of the Kingsguard sworn to celibacy who broke his vow once with royalty and almost killed himself out of guilt. Somehow they're at the point where he's giving her head in the middle of the day and she's riding him at night in her bed and the build up is just... non existent save one look and line in season 1 episode 9. Like... what's going on here?

For the first scene I was like "ohh cunnilingus is technically not breaking his vow in a way so maybe this is how they get around the whole Kingsguard vow/honor thing" but then she's just full on riding him later and the way the show shows us this is through the perspective of Helaena as she walks in on them with Jahaera as she's coming directly from B+C sawing Jahaerys' head off in his bed. If Alicole was about reclaiming pleasure or connecting in dark times, there's something there. But compare this almost voyeuristic view of Alicole sex to the focus on female sexual pleasure given to Rhaenyra's sex scenes in the first season... it kind of weird of the show to now just have Alicole have sex as some weird "woah what the heck" bit at the end of the B+C sequence, as if the whole end of the episode really needed some extra shock value. It doesn't even really need to be there to explain why Alicent and Criston weren't there to see B+C... It happens far enough away that the two could've been doing anything else and not have known it was happening.

Alicole sex and particularly this second scene really adds nothing narratively. I would have preferred that Alicent witness B+C like in the original or be doing literally anything else, because the point of Alicole sex in the show of course isn't on their pleasure or their relationship or anything it's just some moments we're intruding on.

I'm not sure why they felt the need to add this element. We already know Criston defends Alicent no matter what and we didn't need to add sex for that to hit. We also know they have a weird bond with weird feelings so like the sex doesn't add much. Like good for them but character wise I don't really see how this realistically developed. I also am not sure about the power dynamics given she is his personal guard, but since they didn't devote any thought to this is season 1 when Rhaenyra forced sex on him, I doubt they will stop to consider how he ended up getting into another sexual relationship with a royal and/or his thoughts about the whole thing. Basically the "after the episode" clip explained that they think Cole is the most messed up character in the show who just flaunts his responsibilities and vows left and right... and that's about as far as they're gonna go about it. Basically: look, he's a hypocrite! But we knew this already.

Blood and Cheese

I'm glad that the show at least let Daemon basically instruct B+C to take a son for a son no matter what if they couldn't find Aemond like he and Rhaenyra initially intended... However they did cut before Daemon literally said it so count on TB stans to give him the benefit of the doubt despite it all 🙄

I still think the book B+C is supremely superior without the weird walking in on Alicole voyeuristic thing and with Helena choosing between her two sons instead of the twins, but for some reason they erased Maelor to make TB look better in the long run and not have to deal with the whole "Rhaenyra puts a bounty on a toddler that gets him torn apart by a mob" thing... so I guess they're going with what they've got...

I do appreciate the build to the moment, the anxiety and atmosphere leading to what will happen. Very well done cinematically. Imagine this plus being committed to sticking to the source material... The amazing scene that could have happened. However the realistic sawing off a six year old's head sound as his mother picks up her six year old daughter and walks out of the room was something that really makes you remember the horror element of early seasons Game of Thrones and something I really appreciate that they let us have. Could it have been better? Yes. Is the book version better? Yes. But I am overall ok with what we got (minus the ending because... wtf) and I'm really looking forward to the fallout we'll get next week.

[lover-of-mine]

imo the reason's tommy's dry humor doesn't land is because it seems to be a permanent condition and he literally cannot get through most scenes without saying something deadpan. whereas with eddie like yeah we laugh about him being a Bitch™ but he has plenty of emotional and serious moments to balance it out. like in his first episode when buck was being a dick eddie snarked at him, yeah, but he also tried to get buck to open up and tried to connect with him on an emotional level. there just...has to be balance? idk. i didn't mind tommy's snark in 7A, i found it funny and thought it was indicative of him having a personality. but the rest of the season kinda proved that being dry and deadpan IS the extent of his personality and that's...just boring and off-putting

(Putting these together because yes, if you saw me posting just the screenshots earlier, no you did not)

I think that literally the thing, one or two comments could make Tommy charming, but once they start happening during every conversation he becomes condescending, which is what happened (I will forever wonder if the way Tommy is being charming during 704 and then just keeps getting more and more condescending is because we are seeing him through Buck's rose colored crush glasses during that and the rest is just us watching the actual Tommy). We don't have a balance between snarky and genuine when it comes to Tommy, so it's hard to see that as good natured, or coming for a place of intimacy because we don't see anything else from him. And when it comes to Eddie, even when he's snarky, he's reassuring? You don't know math? is showing that he knows Buck. Every interaction he has with Buck during under pressure seems to be coming from a place of wanting to know Buck and even the gym scene he is validating Buck's feelings. The you're no Abuela and you're half a Carla, in the same scene Eddie says "there's nobody in this world I trust with my son more than you" and that moment of true intimacy makes up for whatever joke comments. With Tommy being deadpan is the extent of his personality and when attached to Buck's puppy like ways, especially when it comes to infatuated Buck, he is two steps away from coming off as mean (he's not there, I'm just saying that it is a possible evolution of the dynamic, but I also don't think it's gonna get that far), but the main thing there is that the dude won't bend. At the end there I was begging for a moment of genuine connection and it was pretty much ruined by the deadpan way he deals with shit. It becomes off putting for real.

Ps, no idea who Cagney and Lacy are, sorry lol

[yearnerspermit]

Been thinking about Armand’s claim that Louis asked him to remove memories, and as much as I don’t believe him or the way he presents it at all, from a writing perspective I am considering the possibility of if there is any kind of veracity to this, how the writers might go about it and what layers it would add to the story and dynamic

I’m thinking about how in 2x05, when Armand brings up Claudia not loving Louis, and he says he knows, Louis immediately starts spiraling and talking about Paris “coming back to him.” Now, he is very high at this point and disoriented from it, but it does indicate that, if nothing else, he’s been suppressing those memories himself — that’s my personal interpretation but it does lend itself to the possibility of memory tampering before that, whether consensual or not.

One thing I noticed - the piano note that plays repetitively over the beginning and end of the episode when Louis and Armand say the words that have been fed to him. It plays at this point in the episode as well, when he says memories are coming back to him. But not just that note, it goes back and forth between that, and a step up, then back down, before moving into the rest of the score. That note was very clearly associating itself with tampered memories, so what does that say about Louis recovering memories in 1973 about Paris?

I think one way or another, those memories have been suppressed, either by Louis’ behavior, or Armand. The only way I see there being any potential truth to Louis requesting memories being removed is right after the events of Paris, when he feels he’s lost everything and is likely at his emotionally most vulnerable. Those kinds of moments and drowning in grief where you would do anything to take it away

If that’s the case, there is some element of Louis asking for that to happen, but that still is something that Armand clearly would go on to use as permission to alter memories in a way that I don’t think Louis would have ever consented to, and we now don’t have any evidence or way to verify if he did consent to this at any point.

And to use a possible original ask/consent to continuously act in your own self interest, regardless of how much Armand thinks he’s preserving something, would still be a complete violation and betrayal, possibly even more so because it would mean Louis trusted him with his mind and memories, only to have Armand then use that trust as an excuse to erase and replace entire parts of him

But that’s just my speculation on how it might play out if there is literally any scrap of truth to that claim. More likely than not, especially after Assads BTS talking about Armand trying to find a new way to spin things, it’s probably still just a lie, or at least a twisting of some kind of truth

[nalyra-dreaming]

Do you have specific types of scene you would like to see on the show? Whether it's from the books or like a trope, a treat etc... Like, I'm a sucker for earnestness and hugs so I'm dying to see that upcoming scene. I don't have anything more elaborate tho. It's weird because I'm always like, nothing is so perfect that my imagination can't make it better, but with this show I don't even expand it that much. 99,9% is better than anything I could possibly imagine, and that's because I do believe I'm a creative person. But I just love what the show gives me. Even the bad stuff lol. Anyway, what about you? :) This can be about Loustat, them individually and even other characters/dynamics btw.

They really outdo themselves on a regular basis, don't they :))))

Hmmm.

I... want to see the intense emotional scenes from "The tale of the Body Thief", and the dance at the end of "Blood Communion" as an end of the show :)

And I want that the flight in QotD means something for them.

I know a lot of book fans are pissed that they repurposed that flight in episode 5, but... honestly? Imagine Loustat getting there. And then doing that flight, as a sign of trust, and love.

Like. That flight could be even more than in the book.

And that ... I would want to see, yes :)))

Pretty please^^.

[billpottsismygf]

I just watched The Five Doctors to brush up on my Susan returning knowledge, just in case all the build up comes to anything, and it's quite goofy but extremely charming. I was aware ahead of time of Tom Baker's parts being taken from Shada, but it's still executed in quite a funny way. "Oh no, I'm being stolen by a triangle! This was definitely what was originally happening in this shot! And now I'm mysteriously trapped in the vortex all episode, don't worry about it!" The guy in a silver morph suit who is supposedly the deadliest killing machine ever was also a wonderfully silly highlight. It's the first time I've seen this version of the Master as well and he's good fun! He's no Roger Delgado, but Anthony Ainley has such an over the top camp energy to him with his flowing cape etc. that worked really nicely with the tone of the story.

Richard Hurndall makes a valiant effort as the First Doctor. He's not William Hartnell, obviously, and he's still a little brusque but I think he gets One's mannerisms and sense of humour better than David Bradley. Interestingly, this story also has him being misogynistic in a way that then gets reacted to/commented on (eg. telling Tegan to get them some refreshments/to stay in the TARDIS rather than going into the action), which is again not fully in character for One. However, it's nowhere near the level of character assassination in Twice Upon a Time.

One of the reasons I wanted to watch this now was because I'd seen people saying that the Doctor worked out the abandonment stuff with Susan here, but he absolutely doesn't. We don't even see her be collected by the floating triangle to get an idea of her life. She just appears and finds herself with her Grandfather, then we don't get to see their parting. Although there's no apparent animosity between them, and they fall straight back into their old dynamic, there's also nothing in the way of hashing out the whole "I shall come back" thing. If RTD is planning to make good on his many Susan hints, there's definitely still fertile ground there. You could even throw in a line acknowledging that "I saw you in the Death Zone on Gallifrey, but we didn't get to talk" or something similar.

Sidenote, I got extremely excited at Jamie's appearance. I was happy that Two got to hang out with the Brigadier, but I was a little sad it wasn't with Jamie because I thought I recalled Fraser Hines not being able to do this one. I may have been thinking of The Three Doctors, though, so it was such a joyous surprise when he appeared, even though I knew immediately that he and Zoe were illusions. If we do get Susan back properly (and I hope we do, with Carole Ann Ford specifically), can Jamie be next on the list for a main series return? I adored his appearance in Tales of the TARDIS, but I yearn for more!

[elizabethshaw]

hm. thinking thoughts

under the cut for spoiler reasons:

this is literally just me writing stuff up in no real order so there is probably not all that much coherence to it. ah well

loved how unsettling it was having something wrong with the tardis! the tardis (in the tv show at least) is usually the one guaranteed safe place in any given dr who episode and so to have it suddenly a threat like that felt genuinely unnerving

the time window sequence was cool. really liked the fuzzy, there-but-not-quite-there visual effects

i also loved the monologue/prophecy/whatever, built things up very nicely and idk. i just vibed with it. i have more to say but the words are not coming to me right now

"and standing on high is the Mother and Father and Other of them all" i haven't even read lungbarrow but them saying "other" here immediately got my attention lmao

for an episode called "the legend of ruby sunday", it felt like (particularly in the last third of the story), there was remarkably little actual focus on ruby. while i do genuinely like her as a companion, i do feel like she's been one of the biggest casualties of the shift to a shorter series length with less time for "filler" episodes - we simply haven't had the time to get to know her on a deeper level, and i was hoping, given the title, that this story would do something to rectify that a bit. and then it didn't.

saying that, i did appreciate them giving her some more scenes with her mum this episode, i think she has a really nice dynamic with her family and we haven't seen enough of it since the christmas special imo

no trickster :( he got a mention at least but i was hoping he'd be the villain ngl

i have watched pyramids of mars once, four years ago, and barely remember the plot (my main memories of that episode are sarah with a gun ngl), probably going to have to rewatch it before next week. dailymotion you may have to be my saviour once again

not entirely sure how i feel about sutekh as the main villain. this is at least in part because my memories of pyramids of mars are hazy as anything, but i'm just... undecided. to its credit, the episode itself actually did a good job of getting me very excited about the reveal while i was watching, but as an overall thing? i don't know yet. i think i'm going to have to wait until i've watched the finale next week to form a full opinion

i reckon he must have hitched himself onto the tardis around/during "wild blue yonder" though - this is the first time where the tardis starts making The Noises, and is also the first time susan twist turns up, and that can't be a coincidence, especially given that, as previously established, it was likely fourteen's salt trick in this episode that let the toymaker back into the universe

i rewatched "the church on ruby road" earlier this week bc i figured it'd be a good shout and i hadn't watched it since broadcast, and during that i felt like mrs flood was maybe a "retired" companion, possibly a future companion (maybe of a future doctor) that we haven't met yet. after this ep though, i'm not so sure. she seems at least aware of sutekh in some way, and also seems potentially antagonistic, but i'm not sure she's actually directly linked to him. i'm fairly sure as well rtd said at some point she's more of a mystery for later series so. hm. it'll be interesting to see what more we get of her in part two

i can't shake the feeling that they are going to do something with susan further down the line. there have been more mentions of her in this series than in basically the rest of new who put together and i can't help but think that this must be for a reason even if susan twist wasn't her

anyway the real mystery for me: what is the vlinx. i have been thinking about this on and off since december. what is it. how did it get into unit to begin with. i need answers

[awesometothe3rd]

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

forever obsessed with dynamics between vampires, specifically that of a maker and fledgling, as a way to explore abuse. the creation of a vampire itself can so easily be a literalization of the lasting impacts of trauma and also much more simply the ways a perpetrator might shape their victim’s very identity. the extremes of isolation in the way that the new vampire, in most narratives, must cut all ties to their mortal life, or else go through an elaborate charade to maintain the facade of humanity, while forever still being removed from it. and the sheer dependence and vulnerability of being in an entirely new state of being, wholly uncertain of what it entails, and relying on another person to define… everything.

[chappelroan]

8x11 larp and the real girl is a gay dean manifesto, to ME

[bumblingbabooshka]

Tuvok Voice: You are her official right hand while I have been making detailed psychological observations about her for the past four years - we are not the same.

[Patreon | Ko-fi]

[turtleblogatlast]

[ cw: death mention / family death mention / ]

Mhmm I sure love thinking of the reality where we did get more time to really know Karai and her dynamics with the bros. Losing her hit hard in the finale, but it would’ve hit much, much harder had we known Karai longer and really saw her relationships develop with everyone.

I especially would have been interested in her dynamic with Leo, as past iterations often have the two of them clash in ideals and the like while still sharing many characteristics. Two sides of the same coin, and all that. Her specifically being the bros’ Gram-Gram also adds a whole new dynamic as well.

Imagine how interesting it would be, to have Karai start off on Leo’s side for once, showing wholly just how alike the two are at their cores and bonding as family without the worry of betrayal or animosity that other iterations suffer through, only to have Karai die anyway. Their parting hug and the desperate look of horror Leo wears later on would have hit that much harder, I feel.

[ananxiousgenz]

just read through the monster's reflection transcripts for some research and on an unrelated note i am now crying thinking about benten and juno