#alas i still have 3 seasons to watch and recap

[feministsouthpark]

South Park Filler Guide - Season 8

Link for Seasons 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

PLS my analysis will have spoilers, if you’re a first time viewer, just scroll to the bottom and read the list and only read full text if you are familiar with the content of the show already! S8E1 Good Times with Weapons is FILLER

Yes! Everyone's favorite season premiere is a filler, baby! It was fun, we sang, we cried, in the end Butters never has a scar on his eye again. S8E2 Up the Down Steroid is LORE

We have a new tradition, which is that after last season's Krazy Kripples, we'll have a new Jimmy episode every year! And this is the first time we meet Nathan and the rest of the special education kids. S8E3 The Passion of the Jew is FILLER

I wanted to tell you this one was canon, because the season has constant mentions of Passion of the Christ so far, but in the end, it doesn't even matter. S8E4 AWESOM-O is FILLER

Sooo if every anime filler was as good as these ones, the filler guides most likely wouldn't exist (or they would, because humans), but again, what we have is a self-contained story. S8E5 You Got F'd in the A is FILLER

At one point I might have convinced myself that what I'm doing with this recap makes some kind of sense, but alas, it doesn't. This became an episodic show and we miss out on all the best episodes. Why am I lamenting at You Got F'd instead of Good Times with Weapons? Because I'm a loose cannon with no regard for the law. That may be true, but I get the job done, God damn it. S8E6 The Jeffersons is CANON

No other Mr. Jefferson episode came out while Michael was still alive. As a hologram he later references his name being Jefferson again, but this one only ads a little more context to that. This one also pretty much introduced the new cops of South Park. S8E7 Goobacks is FILLER

Yes, Darryl and the Took our jobs meme are here, but it will return in enough episodes to still be understood. S8E8 Douche and Turd is CANON

What a great election episode! We get town lore (Stephen with the ram's horn again) and an allegory that will return in a big way later. S8E9 Something Walmart This Way Comes is FILLER

I regularly forget this one exists and doesn't make a difference at all. Sorry, got too subjective. Objectively this is an episode with a simple message and without a larger scope for the show. S8E10 Pre-School is FILLER

Trent Boyett never returned. But if you think about it, he is one of the boys' greatest foes. I wish one of the specials was a follow-up of the 15 year old versions of the characters meeting Trent again. If everything else fails, THAT would bring me back and change my classifications! S8E11 Quest for Ratings is FILLER

One time the boys played cops. They even played musicians. Now they play newsreaders. Only Jimmy is in for the long-run and he will get episodes that focus on that individually. S8E12 Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset is CANON

Not just because it's a follow-up to Death Camp of Tolerance, that in itself wouldn't be enough. But Paris also has an extended role in a specific later episode I mentioned a lot, but never dropped. It's 200 by the way. And 201. Now I am a bit picky of which ones to include if we got no other clue for an episode. The show never got to 200 celebrities at that point. Also, some of them were in that episode first. So only the most prominent ones get their debuts counted as canon ones by default. S8E13 Cartman's Incredible Gift is CANON

A character dies. Harrison Yates gets more role here as a detective, slowly drifting away from Barbrady. S8E14 Woodland Critter Christmas is FILLER

It's just in Eric's mind. Some of you are already mad at me for this. Some of you will only get it later and be mad at me in the season 11 post.

SPOILER-FREE RUNDOWN

Again, CANON means you should watch it, FILLER means you can skip it, LORE is somewhere in-between, any episode with the LORE label will have an explanation that helps you decide if you should include it or not. S8E1 Good Times with Weapons is FILLER S8E2 Up the Down Steroid is LORE* S8E3 The Passion of the Jew is FILLER S8E4 AWESOM-O is FILLER S8E5 You Got F'd in the A is FILLER S8E6 The Jeffersons is CANON S8E7 Goobacks is FILLER S8E8 Douche and Turd is CANON S8E9 Something Walmart This Way Comes is FILLER S8E10 Pre-School is FILLER S8E11 Quest for Ratings is FILLER S8E12 Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset is CANON S8E13 Cartman's Incredible Gift is CANON S8E14 Woodland Critter Christmas is FILLER

*Casually introduces the special ED kids

CANON counter:

S1: 9 out of 13  S2: 3 out of 18  S3: 6 out of 18  S4: 10 out of 17  S5: 8 out of 14  S6: 11 out of 17 S7: 6 out of 15 S8: 4 out of 14

Overall: 57 out of 126

[gellavonhamster]

monthly media recap: may 2023

the lusty month of May! this one is gonna be long

read:

The Terror by Arthur Machen - a properly unsettling short novel about strange murders happening in England and Wales during World War II. I gotta say, I think the narrator is wrong :D as in, based on the story, I have a slightly different opinion on the cause of what happened

The Great Return by Arthur Machen - a novella about the reappearance of the Holy Grail in a small Welsh village; short, but beautiful

The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories by Algernon Blackwood - not bad apart from, as usual, certain period-typical yikes, but after Machen and M.R. James it just doesn't seem as good, and the endings to many stories felt too abrupt to me. However, I am a big fan of the character whose rooms were haunted by his friend's ghost, so he went to his other friend's place to study because "there's no hallucination about that exam; I must pass that whatever happens."

Issues No. 1-3 of the Hellebore zine - yep, still reading this, still in an absolutely random order. Witch trials, poison plants, the cult of Pan and other good shit; I've bookmarked the names of some books I might give a try later. I feel like the articles in earlier issues were more, uh, informal and essay-like and became more scientific as the zine continued to be released, which I think is a good change tbh

Temeraire series, Books 4-7 (Empire of Ivory, Victory of Eagles, Tongues of Serpents, and Crucible of Gold) by Naomi Novik - hell yeah! I started this series in 2019 (I believe?), read the first three books, loved them, but then kind of forgot to continue. Catching up on it now and greatly enjoying the alternate history (in very broad strokes: Napoleonic wars with sentient DRAGONS in the air force), constant adventures, anti-colonialist themes, and the extremely likeable cast.

+ progress on Lancelot-Grail: done with The Quest for the Holy Grail, The Death of Arthur, and the first part of Post-Vulgate (The Merlin Continuation). Currently reading the Post-Vulgate version of the Grail quest and Book 8 of of Temeraire - Blood of Tyrants

watched:

Daisy Jones & The Six (2023) - there were changes in comparison to the book that I liked (loved Simone's storyline in the show, for example) and that I disliked. I think the novel and the adaptation work together best. The soundtrack is amazing, and the original songs are very good even out of context

Valkoinen peura / The White Reindeer (1952) - older horror films often are more haunting than the newer ones despite limited special effects and mostly relying on things like lighting and music - or maybe because of that - and this Finnish film is a good example of that. God forbid women do anything (turn into a murderous reindeer)

November (2017) - fascinating folk horror set in 19th century Estonia - mundane magic, deals with the devil, and the unrequited love no spells can fix. Beautiful and sad and very well-made

Yellowjackets (season 2, 2021-?) - AAAAAAA!!! I know many people found this season much worse than s1, but I honestly enjoyed it, even if I didn't agree with all decisions (they better do something unexpected about Van's cancer, or I'll be mad). The finale is devastating, but I kinda expected that to happen :( it was one of the most likely character deaths. Alas, the only one of these women I'd be ready to let go is the one who's certainly not dying unless they all die in the end (which is not that unlikely, I guess). Anyway, this is one of my favourite shows at the moment, and I'm really excited for season 3 (and the mysterious bonus episode?..)

[mulderitsme]

Essence / Existence recap (i’m finally done with season 8!), and after a pompous and wordy introduction about the meaning of life (i think?), we open with...

some quality mother/daughter bonding, YES PLEASE. margaret is adorable, look at that megawatt smile!! she’s so happy her daughter is finally getting some semblance of normalcy and happiness, and that she gets to share it with her. the whole scene is cute af. and scully wouldn’t be scully without her fond annoyance for the whole thing. the baby shower was margaret’s idea, wasn’t it. 

so much heteronormativity i’m suffocating. scully is right, it is a conspiracy. 

she boops him on the nose! mulder is goofing around!! she’s taking care of him and he’s loving it!! i love them!!  

mulder knows about as much as scully does on this pregnancy, i.e not much. they were told it was impossible, and yet there’s a baby growing inside of her against all odds. he’s pretty sure he’s the only non-alien and/or non-implant option - whether or not they talked about it, although i do believe they did. he and scully are in this together. their main question now is “how a woman who was diagnosed as infertile and unable to conceive is about to give birth in a couple days,” and that is scully’s question too. even if he is the father, it’s not for him to say. this is scully’s business and scully’s alone. when pressed by skinner, he is the one volunteering to call her. he won’t let anyone ask that question but him. 

i just love this shot. did i mention i love it when scully touches her belly? because i do. 

it’s in scenes like this i am reminded how much scully loves her mother, yet can’t tell her anything about her fears and traumas. first because margaret wouldn’t understand, and second because it would mean putting her in danger. “you keep everything so bottled up” and she does. she has to. the minute she opens up and trusts someone it backfires and she’s either in danger or her baby is. which is exactly what happened here. 

scully has sacrificed a lot for this job. she’s become an x-file herself. but her absolute worst fear would be to be convinced that this is all what mulder sees in her. all that he is here for. but scully has always been bigger than everything to him. he only ever sees her. it’s only ever about her.

“you’re never just anything to me, scully”, echoed here, over 15 years earlier.

if someone says “barren” one more time i’m going to fling myself out of the window. 

scully, it’s a nice sentiment, but i really don’t think that’s a good thing. i am very worried. why isn’t she more worried about this?? giving birth is no joke and routinely kills people. like, what kind of plan is “i’m a medical doctor i can coach you through it”? i think she’ll be a little more preoccupied with pushing and breathing and trying to stay alive while giving birth without any medical help or staff around her than giving pointers. this is a terrible plan. 

i just like this shot. also, when did reyes start calling her “dana” and not “agent scully”? while scully insists on the formal “agent reyes”, even in the more pressing situations. 

you guys, i love reyes sfm. she knows it sucks and it’s not what scully hoped for but she’s going to scrub and clean that house to make it feel homey and comfy for the woman in her charge. her shy little smile when she invites her in, waiting for her reaction... adorable. she did her best to make this place look good and it’s not too shabby, tbh. bless her heart. 

and i have to say, my little bi heart is very happy with the reyes x scully content. this episode is so full of little gems between these two. i know the fandom is all over mulder and scully (rightly so), but i’m digging the badass FBI ladies team up. where are the fics of these two?? 

do not touch her squishy or she will end you. 

this ship ships itself monica, that’s really gay.

i don’t even care what’s happening with the guys and all the car chasing, this is where the real action is. the determination. the righteous anger, the protectiveness over this child she hasn’t even seen or held yet, but whom she loves so much already. the fear and the despair, begging monica to protect her baby when they are powerless to stop them and she knows this. all they can do is have her deliver this baby safely. 

i love that they showed the birth as messy and ugly as it can be in real life - i mean, as much as TV allows it. she’s grunting, sweating, her hair is sticky, her face torn into a grimace because fuck yeah birthing a child is no small feat. too often on TV we see clean, perfect births that are over in an instant and the mother doesn’t even break a sweat. i love that they allowed scully to look ugly here. it makes the moment all the more raw and human, all the more desperate. 

and there he finally is. this is doing things!! to my heart!! seeing scully in her PJs and holding the baby she fought for so much. her little smile. the joy radiating from her face. “how is everybody doing” mulder is going to be the dad with all the embarrassing and corny jokes, isn’t he. 

scully literally can’t stop looking at mulder as soon as she sees him with the baby. mulder is entranced, giddy and awed, happy to finally meet their son. william, “like your father” also like your father, scully, and your brother, but ok, let’s say it’s because you want to make it very clear that mulder is the father of your child. anyway, i could watch these two making eyes at each other for hours.

US. EXCUSE ME WHILE I SCREAM 

here is the show dropping yet another plot point because it doesn’t know what to do with it. why didn’t the super soldiers take william? is he normal? scully doesn’t understand, mulder doesn’t understand, and i sure af don’t understand. do the writers? i doubt it. 

EXCUSE ME WHILE I SCREAM SOME MORE isn’t this the first “real” kiss in 8 seasons of this show?? and with a decent lighting, no less?  

“the truth we both know”. the truth is that this show is all about the love these two have for each other and the uniqueness of their bond. forget about aliens and conspiracy and mythology that makes no sense. the truth is in them. they truth is them. we been knew. 

can it end here? 

[byler-4-life]

I apologize in advance for this monstrosity of a post. But I have to get a point across here. Like...either Byler is endgame and is going to happen, or Will Byers is going to go down as one of the most tragic TV Show characters of all time.

Sounds a little like hyperbole, no? Well, let's just recap. This starts when Will is 12. Just 12 years old. This adorable, sweet, little, innocent bean here. Just keep in mind these pictures for future reference:

He's kidnapped by an interdimensional monster and forced into a dark, cold, lonely place all by himself. He's stuck in another dimension for a whole week, trying desperately to get out, wondering if anyone is going to save him, all while constantly fearing for his life. Alas, the demogorgon did get to him:

And, even after he was rescued, he was still puking up slugs:

All this is from S1. Enough trauma to last several lifetimes. But wait, there's more.

Apparently Will hadn't suffered enough, so they had the Mindflayer set its sights on him. And well, we all know S2 didn't turn out the best for this now 13 year old boy.

And if the mental pain and anguish and loss of innocence of having your body forcefully entered against your will isn't enough, they decided to heap on some intense physical suffering as well:

And to end the series, you have to have the monster literally burned out of you by your own mother while you're tied down to a bed.

Surely our boy has had enough right? Wrong. On to Season 3. 14 year old Will is mostly sidelined this Season, but he's present enough to get ignored by his friends and put down by his best friend for his "childish" interests, a fact that hurts Will so bad he breaks down and calls himself stupid before resorting to demolishing his childhood fortress. The same haven of safety that helped to save his life in the Upside Down. He's then forced to pack up and move from the only home he's ever known, severing all his friendship ties, such as they were.

Well at least they're gonna fix stuff in Season 4. So here we go, and...what? Excuse me....hmmm...okay. So I've just gotten word they in fact did NOT fix things in Season 4. We have Will, now 15 (or maybe actually still 14 since the Duffers apparently FORGOT HIS BIRTHDAY) so happy to see Mike at the airport for the first time since leaving town, get his hug physically rejected (when Mike has no problem hugging anyone else this series). He's then forced to third wheel and watch his best friend/love of his life have fun with his step-sister. He then LIES TO MIKE (something we have seasons of evidence that Will hates to do) in order to project his own feelings for Mike onto El because that's what he thinks Mike needs to hear. And he's then forced to help Mike "confess" his "love" for El as he stands there and hears Mike say that his life didn't really begin until the day Will disappeared?

Guys, even if you don't ship Byler, you have to admit....this is a pretty fucked up life in the span of 3-4 years. My point in posting all of this (and actually depressing the hell out of myself as I looked for all the screenshots) is if they really leave him like this, and Season 5 doesn't turn things around for Will...or maybe even somehow gets worse and they either kill him off, or force him to stand there and fake a smile while Mike and El live happily ever after....well then fuck this show.

They introduced us to this sweet innocent kid, made us all fall in love with his character, then treated him like their personal punching bag for four seasons. If they aren't planning on giving him a happy ending, that's just downright sadistic. After everything Will has gone through, they're going to make him a gay kid in the 80s living in smalltown Indiana in middle America, with an unrequited love for his childhood best friend? A fact that makes him feel "different" and like he's a "mistake"? Overkill for the sake of overkill. Trauma p*rn. And that's just the suffering they've shown us onscreen. Just think of how many nights laying in bed alone Will has had these thoughts about himself. Or desperately wishing that Mike felt the same way, even though he "knows" it's hopeless. Truly tragic.

Yes, other beloved characters in this show have been traumatized too, yes. But they've also all had sustained happy moments that the show has shown us on screen (for characters that were around for more than one season). Every time Will seemingly gets an ounce of happiness it's violently snatched away.

I refuse to believe that the show doesn't want to give Will a happy ending. There has to be a reason for his suffering. And yes, I think Byler is the only satisfactory happy ending. And that's not my choice, that was the choice of the showrunners. They made being in love with Mike his whole character in S4. Gay pining at its finest. Trying to intro a new love interest at the last minute isn't going to cut it. I'm not going full delusional like before. But I do believe that S5 Byler has a good chance of happening. Otherwise...it kind of taints the whole experience.

[davidmann95]

Comics this week (8/4/2021)?

Anonymous asked: Comics this week?

The Nice House On The Lake #3: I'll have to go back soon and check all the symbols to retain who's who, but this just keeps...damn. We've talked about Tynion's unbelievable level-up, but we're not even getting the benefit of watching Martinez Bueno become a giant in real time, he went and did it nice and casual-like while all our backs were turned.

Stillwater #9: The bits and pieces of worldbuilding keep luring me in, but the actual events are lying flat on the page for me at this point and I think I should back out rather than continue committing to a title I enjoy so little month-to-month, or at least tradewait. Guess I'll go to #12 so that if I choose the later there'll be a nice clean line of division.

The Good Asian #4: I think I'd appreciate noir a lot more in general with recap pages that illustrated everybody's relationships with one another. Easily my favorite issue yet though. That opening! That raindrop page! That ending!

Commanders in Crisis #11: Oh hell yes, the most the book's lived up to its enduring promise and gosh is it sweet. Countdown's on to the big finale and then for good measure my very own comics debut with one of the backup features in the Vol. 2 trade.

The Wrong Earth: Night & Day #6: Dangit I guess I became emotionally invested beyond just the strength of the core concept without even having noticed, huh.

Batman #111: Yes, yes, this is Tynion doing standardey-standard superhero stuff to finance the real work going elsewhere but he's real good at that so I'm happy, who cares, is Ghostmaker getting an entire goddamn annual to himself please

The Joker Presents A Puzzlebox #1: My dad was interested in this one; I wasn't blown away, but it is nice that someone's finally putting in the effort to make Joker actually funny.

Justice League Infinity #2: A nice little Superman spotlight issue - it makes a predictable decision in one aspect that'll surely rankle some, and it's not what I would have picked myself, but it handles it as well as one could. In any case, this book's still going well above and beyond what I ever would have expected, expanding beyond what the show could have done instead of feeling like a watered-down reencapsulation ala the second season of Batman: The Adventures Continue.

Justice League #66: Better than the last few issues anyway, and a testament to Synmar being one of Bendis's few all-the-way-good ideas during his time at DC.

Avengers #47: Turned out dad dug the start of this arc so I decided to stick with it and I'm pretty happy I did, I can feel the gonzo creeping back in.

X-Men #2: Thus far this run feels as close to the platonic ideal not of X-Men but what I want from a Justice League comic as anything since at least Sixth Dimension - bunch of fun archetypal personalities dealing with big problems in weird cool ways with minimal fuss or muss. There is a certain kind of distinctly charming comic that makes you go "y'know, in a perfect world, this would be the absolute bare minimum for how good an ongoing needs to be. Rocks no boats but everything you asked for" - will this rewrite the playbook aesthetically, conceptually, thematically, or character or otherwise storytelling-wise for the X-Men? Basically not a chance in hell. Did Pepe Larraz draw them turning into a Voltron in the first issue and does this issue continue in that spirit with Duggan still turning in a surprisingly good Hickman impression? YOU BET.

Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1: It was a perfect comic, up until the last couple pages where it became a perfecter comic, an expression of praise I feel is truly in line with the thought processes of this wonderful tales' focus. Backup was nice too even if I couldn't tell what was going on.

The Immortal Hulk #49: Oh hell and heck, Ewing doing prose again and baby you know I missed you. Wasn't sure how this could properly wrap things up with so little space left but even if the finale wasn't quadruple-sized there's no mistaking that this is go time.

[breakingarrows]

Briefly Noted

3/16/21

Saturday brought on another bout of depression and decision paralyzation, unable to bring myself to do much of anything. Sunday I was finally able to force myself to hit A while hovering over a game called Alice: Madness Returns.

I am aware of the original game, having watched Noah Caldwell-Gervais’ video on both Alice games, and it is conveniently available within Madness Returns as well. Madness Returns itself has a great visual hook in its introduction, the cutscenes of flat cut outs constantly moving and eventually bleeding. The art style is very grim throughout, but also fantastical and unique, it is something you really have to see for yourself. The introductory scene sets the stage: Alice is in therapy with some doctor who wants her to forget the tragedy of her family’s death by fire that she may or may not be responsible for (I highly doubt she is). The doctor is an intimidating fellow, not just due to the imagery of an older man treating a young woman, as well as all the other children in their orphanage, but also because of his end goal being the erasure of troublesome memories instead of some other, healthier, resolution. You wander about the orphanage listening to the disparaging comments from the other, younger, children before making your way into the streets outside, follow a cat, and meet a nurse from your old asylum. Alice’s breakage and entry into Wonderland follows soon after but the perspective changes and you get a narration from the nurse right after you, controlling Alice, meet her in the London streets. It seems to be the nurse’s internal monologue recapping what already happened but what happened happened right after you meet her, so it kinda sets off your sense of time progression. Essentially she tells Alice how she overheard Alice mention something that could incriminate her in regards to the family’s death by fire which plunges Alice into Wonderland. I have not yet returned to reality so I’m not sure if Alice is currently catatonic or something else as I doubt she actually was plucked away to enter the reality of Wonderland.

In Wonderland you are quickly armed with a Vorpal Blade and begin progressing down your typical “character-action” game. Moving from location to location, entering arenas to fight enemies until they are gone and you can move forward, doing some platforming, using weapons and abilities to solve puzzles are trigger animations, accruing more abilities and weapons as you move along. It is all filtered through the grim Wonderland aesthetic, which goes a long way to making it very fun and easy to just glide your way through. So far there are no complex button combinations to execute to achieve a higher style score ala Devil May Cry, and no violent execution moves ala God of War. There is some violence, especially when it comes to chopping off the heads of these little goblin-like enemies who wield tea plates and forts and spoons as weapons, but it is never excessive. You can sometimes seek out pig noses that you “season” with your ranged weapon, a pepper grinder, in order to gain access to a hidden or blocked off location that usually holds a bottle, the accumulation of which I am still not sure works towards anything in particular. It is not particularly challenging, even on hard, though there was one instance of being overwhelmed by the combination of enemy types, one of which requires dodging at the correct time so that they would become open to taking damage.

I have not yet pieced together enough of what is being said to discern the narrative’s overall direction, which keeps me intrigued as to where it will go and whether it succeeds. I am assuming it will be Alice dealing with her past guilt and loss, though I also have a feeling this game fulfills a long history of sequels hitting the reset button and undoing only to redo the journey already accomplished by the first. Otherwise it has been a very satisfying romp through this interpretation of Alice in Wonderland’s titular setting and my desire to see more of it has yet to die down.

Despite my weekend depression on Saturday, that evening I was able to pick up and complete an old replay I had started of Alan Wake. I think it was halfway through Episode 5 and then the entirety of Episode 6. I still really love that game for all its rough edges. The idea of a malevolent being, trapped in a lake, attempting to influence artistic creators by using their art to alter reality and warp it to its own desires is pretty cool. Of course lots of Twin Peaks imagery helps as well, such as the finale revealing Wake taking his wife’s place in Cauldron Lake (Cooper taking Alice’s place in the Black Lodge), and an evil version of Wake called Mr. Scratch (Cooper’s doppelganger who eventually becomes Mr. C in The Return). Juggling enemies with the flashlight, dodging incoming projectiles, and deciding which weapon to finally kill the Taken with is still a challenging and fun dynamic that I don’t think they matched until Control’s sort of flow from gunfire, telekinesis, and melee.

Viewing American Nightmare long after the details on the failed Alan Wake 2 project and it becomes really easy to see how it is a sort of frankenstein of leftovers from Alan Wake combined with the ambitions for Alan Wake 2 hampered by being a budget title. Some parts are familiar, as the HUD and flashlight combat dynamic remain the same, but instead of linear progression alongside the Pacific Northwest landscapes you are dumped into a large arena of a map with specific points pre-appointed to trigger fights.

The framing this time is as an episode of Night Springs, the delightful FMV spoof of Twilight Zone you would find on televisions throughout your adventure in Alan Wake. Wake served as a staff writer for the show early in his career, seemingly setting this up as one of his scripts come to life, with him serving as the Champion of Light and his doppelganger Mr. Scratch as his opposition. Mr. Scratch is also the star of this game’s FMV scenes, and is clearly enjoying his time being evil. Whether this is Remedy’s interpretation of what Cooper’s doppelganger would have been like had we gotten a proper Twin Peaks Season 3 in 1992.

Wake’s choice of weapons has gotten an upgrade: picking up a mini-uzi triggers Wake’s line of, “It’s about time we went full-auto,” as all your previous weapons were single shot, single load. Sadly the rapidly tapping X in order to reload faster is gone now as you are generally replacing clips of ammo instead of slotting each individual bullet into its slots. It is a strange little touch to miss, not as far-reaching to affect gameplay like Fallout 4 dropping the weapon-consumption-as-repair mechanic for duplicate inventory items, but still something I kept thinking about.

You still accrue manuscript pages, now with a higher production video clip of Wake narrating the text, and you still shine a flashlight on Taken and follow up with lethal weapons, but it doesn’t quite have the same charm as the original, main game. As an arena it is also disappointing in terms of throwing challenging combat at me, although this may be more due to the dropoff from the finale of Alan Wake into the introductory arena of American Nightmare in terms of how many enemies and enemy types the game is throwing at me. One new Taken form will split into smaller duplicates to avoid the light, a fun new mechanic, especially when you exploit it to quickly cause eight smaller Taken to appear from one and then wipe them out with a quick wave of mini-uzi bullets.

American Nightmare is more a curiosity piece than anything, watching what Remedy was able to cobble together out of leftover parts from a failed pitch project to a game I really love.

[popculturebuffet]

Animation Reviews:Star Vs: Mr.Candle Cares

Tom is back! Yeah I know this took about a month, with the pride month reviews and life being kind of chaotic, I put these next two tom reviews on the back burner, even doing another star review in the meantime for Father’s Day. But with Pride Month winding down and our next episode up being gaytatstic, it was time to come back. It’s just a shame it had to be this one.  We’re in Season 2 now, and early in it, with this being only the third episode and the first to not involve the main plot, as the first two dealt with the fallout of the first season finale, and set up some of the main conflicts for the season. I WILL cover those arcs eventually and recap parts of them if necessary but for now they have zero impact on what happens here. That being said just because it dosen’t tie into the main arc with Ludo and Toffee-Wand, dosen’t mean it’s not important, as this episode both marks a major turning point for tom and also digs into the recurring theme for the next two seasons of star grappling with her responsiblities.. in this case future ones. We also get a peak into her mom’s personality. So with not much exposition to cover, I will see you under the cut.. please?

We open at school and it’s career day, something my school didn’t have for whatever reason, but is a common thing as new Gudiance Counsler mr candle has so far been giving everyone really great advice that fits what they want. Star is eager to have her turn and soon does.  Inside the office Star is offered Candy, which she politley refuses before we find out, unsuprisingly, Star thinks he’s a fourtune teller. A great bit. The mood quickly drops deep into the basement when Candle hammers into star that her destiny is to be queen and it’s carved in stone despite what other plans she may have. THen things get.. a bit creepy with Mr.Candle asking if Star’s dating marco and when she says no and that i’d be weird to date given they live together he urges her to start thinking about her future husband.  And yes I’m aware Tom probably wrote his script, and Tom knows about as much about school as star Does or else Mr Candle would’ve been suspended, at least for this, it’s still unnerving to hear a grown man not only before this tell a teenager she has no choice in her future, but then try and set her up with an unstable teenager in the creepiest way possible and somehow not get fired. It’s hard to watch Star leaves depressed and it’s marco’s turn.. and once again Mr.Candle proves to be a pretty terrible minon, suggesting Marco be a janitor on garbage island. Now as probably isn’t a shock to you given most of you have probably seen this ep, and we’ll find out in a minute anyway, Tom is behind this: trying to keep star and marco apart and get her back with him. And while parts of this do stink of Tom’s own lack of understanding of star, more on that later, and hatred of Marco, as well as not getting earth, as we’ve seen Mr.Candle is actually godo at his job and we see a bit of a real session that’s not part of an emo’s poorly thought out scheme that proves it. He could EASILY manipulate both, or at least try to with marco, but instead just goes along with a script written by a teenager that instead makes one of his targets depressed and the other instantly ready to tell him off or , had Candle been less lucky, go to the principal with this. Now granted this level of gross incompence is another day at echo creek, but it just dosen’t work. I don’t buy that tom couldn’t of found someone more competent with the giant amoutns of money he has to throw around. Then again Tom is really bad at evil when you think about it: I mean sure he can throw hands, as we’ll see in later episodes, but his evil schemes are poorly thought out at best and i’m certain if he had stayed a bad guy after this episode, he would’ve dropped to just proposing to star every time he sees her like teddy from brooklyn nine nine. 

So naturally Marco and Star talk about this with Star really depressed about seemingly being trapped becoming queen, while Marco gushes about how great being queen would be from his perspective... including never having to pick out clothes, fair enough, and never having people not like you, which is depressing. Poor boy. I missed this Marco: Awkward, insecure, but likeable. and also very much possibly gender fluid. Why they threw that out i’ll never know, but it’s canon for me now at least.  Anyways, Marco decides to confront candle int he bathroom because why not. It’s not any more awkward than Candle trying to convince star to make out with tom without saying tom’s name. But yeah as I let out of the bag early above, Marco finds Candle talking to tom via the toilet, and tom is livid he didn’t mention his name, while Candle insists he’s working on it and that Starco, and he uses that word exactly to Marco’s confusion and my delight as I do like when writers latch on to fan terms and poke a bit of fun at them, is platonic. Tom tells him to be sure and Mr Candle dismises him. Before tom can get too mad about this, Candle reveals i’ts becaue he has to pee and tom insists he flushes first. A really great gag.  So to try and compete with tom and candle for dumbest person this episode, Marco has his own stupid plan: Brag about being “smooch buddiess” with star to piss him off.  I assume the next two steps are ???? and profit. I”d also like to note for those unaware that this clip was used in the promo and assumed it was a love spell or some sort of altered mind thing, as it was way too early in the series for them to get together, and smacked of “let’s bait the shippers and hope they don’t get too pissed”. Given I did ship them at the time, it was massively annoying knowing this was obviously out of context, but it’s better than when I watched avatar first run and any hint of kataang was played up and an entire fucking episode was dedicated to fucking with shippers heads. I really need to rewatch avatar on netflix I have NOOOO excuse. Anyways naturlaly the obvious happened; A pissed off tom, who Need I remind you last time nearly killed marco and only didn’t because star used freeze dry and it was super effective, who drags marco away to a tourture wheel. Meanwhile, Star goes to her mom for support. So I get to talk about Moon: Star’s distant mother who’s her exact oppsite: strict, stone faced and in control at all times. And she does LOVE her daughter and get some development later on, but it still dosen’t change her core and she still has real issues actually listening to star that, like some of star’s own issues, she never really grows past. So natrually this goes about as well as trying to get a cat to do anything: She confirms star is kinda stuck inherting the throne before , in an oddly sad moment.. being genuinely confused when Star asks if she’s happy. It’s... a really good character moment to be honest, and sets up her character well now she’s being fleshed out better this season: Moon just.. really dosen’t care about herself or her own hapiness. I mean her marriage is , paradoxically, one of the only marriages in the mewni queenship that not only lasted but is very healthy, but otherwise she just dosen’t care. The kingdom comes first... and to me it comes from the later revlation she was orphaned around 15. She just spent most of her life putting the kingdom FIRST, just like she figured her mother would’ve and probably did, and putting her heart and soul intot hat. And thus she can’t really fahtom someone being SCARED of all that responsiblity and drudgery when for her, it was just a fact she had to accept at star’s age. She probably woudl never be happy but the kingdom’s what important. The thing is A) that’s deeply unhealthyt o begin with and B) it’s easier to accept something like that when you’ve lost your mom, your dad’s never been around and you have only one other person in your life supporting you. Star has LOTS Of other things to her life: friends, hobbies things moon never had a shot at. Not only that but Star’s lived her life iwth a mother who, rather than be supremley happy and beloved like moon’s own mother, seemd miserable, strict and a workaholic.. things star wants to avoid being. Their very strained relationshp probably isn’t helping this. Moon quickly leaves the conversation, but it instead just makes Star spiral further and decide to do something.. drastic.  Meanwhile in hell. 

Okay not that bad. Let’s try this agian meanwhile in hell. 

I said not THAT bad. Jesus. 

Close enough. So in hell, specifically Tom’s room. Marco admits he was just getting tom’s goat, which his goat skull objects to, and while Tom is oddly mad Marco lied marco actually gets to tom by countering he lied to star... which is true not just this time but last episode too. Tom relases marco from his pain wheel. 

And states that he can’t let him go, he knows too much etc etc, and challenges marco to a fight to the death, which marco acccepts.. inping pong. However tom is really great at ping pong and destroys him.  Back with star she’s gotten a great punk makeover. I do wish that star had a permanent outfit change at some point as her temporary looks are always great, and it woudln’t of killed them to do it in season 3 when they had to change over the intro anyway. Alas. She plans to do something drastic.. we’ll find out why in ab it. Back at ping point Marco challenges for double or nothing, despite tom having multiple paddles and him having none and the scorring demon begging him to stop. Tom obliges him, and the two.. actually start to bond. We’ll get way more of that next time. Btu the two bond over how star just tends to cheat, making up rules or changing them to win at the last minute, and how she just does what she wants.. and it’s then.. Marco FINALLY gets through to tom and points out the obvious: Star won’t get back together with him unless it’s what Star wants and Tom gives a face that screams ‘my god what have I done” realizing both how hew’s screwed up and how for now at least, he may never get her back and no amount of scheming will fix it. It’s a great character moment: Tom finally realizes that he can’t just.. MAKE star love him. You can’t MAKE someone love you, they have to want it too. And star dosen’t want him right now and his stalking is only hurting her.  It’s here Tom turns a corner. This episode was his lowest moment for sure, as while the blood moon ball scheme was sleazy, trying to make her love him via a magic moon thing was creepy, it wasn’t horribly intentioned and while I do think tom knew it’dmake her love him again I don’t think he knew the full extent of the moon’s magic or how it’d tear her apart inside if she say loved someone else, as ended up happening since it didn’t let her let go of her feelings for marco while with tom himself. Here he knows what he’s doing is wrong,  as Marco’s comment makes clear, but is so desperate he’s gone with an insane, dumb and really creepy and manipulative scheme. He TRIED being nice, that didns’t work so he probably felt he had to get more creative and more manipulative... i’ts just he didn’t realize while he LOVES being Royalty, star hates it. While Tom’s parents, who we’ll get into more in a review or two, were loving and supportive, even if his dad may not have been at this stage again we’ll get to his parents when they show up, are fully loving and supportive star’s are loving.. but one of them as we saw just dosen’t GET HER. So while to tom the crown is a great thing to star it’s not so mucha nd given he has trouble with empathy, Tom simplyc an’t understand how much he hurt her until marco spells it out for him And it isn’t just in the text either; As I said in the previous tom review, the writers clearly weren’t wure which way to go with tom, so this episode was the turning point: would tom get worse and become star’s enemy fully.. or would he do the unexpected, at the time anyway, and truly try to change and become another loveable member of her inner circle? And honestly.. I feel they made the right decision. Tom really dosen’t fit into the mewman oppresion cycle as neatlya s the other antagonists who are either the opressors or the result of them. He’s a privlaged kid on the outside of it, as , again , i’ll dig into more in the future. And the show kind of.. outgrew recurring antagonists by season 3. They had a few set up this season, but most either faded away or went all the way up to big bad, and I feel the writers realized that tom just.. didn’t work as that and worked better as a kid struggling with being better than as an incel douchebag antagonist. And given he’s one of the two things that helped prop the show up during it’s worse moments in the latter half, it was the right call and the reason i’m doing this arc at all.  Anyways Tom and Marco head back to the diaz house where Star.. has a mermaid and is complteplating chopping off her tail so she can legally never become queen... yeah I meant what I said when I said drastic. Tom however reveals his deception, and .. genuinely apologizes, another sign of growth, letting star go for now. He does get a WELLLLL earned slap, as I said his actions this episode were the lowest he’d sink and still really creeptastic.. but accepts his apology after that, appricating that he at least apologized and grew a bit.  Star, while now not going to disfigure someone to save herself, I mean that sort of thinking did give us the doom patrol but still, is still bummed about being queen when Marco, in a good bit of ship tease back when this ship wasn’t in my nightmares, tells her that yeah she’s stuck being queen.. but tid osen’t mean she has to be miserable. Don’t do it like moon, do it like you. They hug, and Tom, in another great bit of growth, just smiles and heads off, letting them have this moment and letting star go.  We get one final scnee where candle bails on local alpha bitch britney after tom recalls him which sends her into a depressive spiral later in the series. Ha ha... why did they bring this character back for Season 4?  Final Thoughts:  This episode is the queen of mixed bags. Seriously on one hand there IS some really damn good character stuff, with Star confronted with the hard truth of her becoming queen and begining this and next season’s theme of star building up to her future, and Tom going from 1 and a half dimensoinal douchey stalker to the complex and relatable character he’d become in future episodes. However the good is smothered like bad.. just like smokey the bear had to smother his joint before each PSA. Like “Red Action to the Future: over in my OK KO reviews, it feels like wasted potetial: the idea of both Star and Marco rexamining their future and Star being confronted with having a fixed path and trying to avoid becoming queen are great.. it’s just Star ends up being a supporting player in the episode, and I feel it would’ve been better if moon had been forced to deal with the effect of her words on her daughter, as she’s gone after her scene and what she nearly caused star to do never has any effect. And Mr.Candle is just an.. awful character. Incompitent, even if parts of that are on tom, unfunny, kinda creepy.. ther’es just nothing really enjoyable about him and it makes the first  few minutes a slog as he gaslights two teenagers for money and we never learn just what the hell he is or what his deal is. He just drags the episode down.  Really whiel i’ts not TERRIBLE like some of the series worst episodes (Lint Catcher, Stump Day, Marco Jr, Mama Star), it just feels like it could’ve been better paced or made a half hour so star and moon could have more of a plot.  If you enjoyed this you know the dril; like, reblog etc and if there’s a star or other animated show or movie you want me to review , just shoot me a suggestion or comission it outright for 3 bucks! I’ll get back to tom this weekend hopefully with freindenimeis and hopefully get to my last two reviews before pride lets up. Until we meet again, later days. 

[sparda3g]

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Chapter 312 Review

The result is in. After multiple backstories and observations, it’s time to declare the winner. The last chapter’s ending was rather odd with a strange phenomenon occurring, but this chapter will unravel it. Before so, the chapter begins with a recap sort of, only in Mana’s point of view. The Demon Lord Soma’s dish was so good, she’s actually stripped by the black magic spell. Well, we do have an ecchi series starring with a Demon Lord, so this is not new to me. What’s new however, is the unlocked potential of Gifting, or more like a fusion.

At first, I thought nothing new was happening with the crowd, losing their clothes, but then I realized that when I said, “losing their clothes,” I meant it literally. Their clothes are destroyed like in foodgasm, only in real-life. I find it funny how Azami explains the phenomenon with a straight face. I mean I suppose it makes sense when Bursting and Gifting collides into a real-life stripping display, but Soma’s friends pretty much nailed my reaction. In short, the crowd are stripped and clothes are shredded away; it’s too good. It’s like what I imagine after fans watched Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2 Episode 5; too much awesomeness. But hey, we’re not here to talk about SnK; we’re here for SnS. Bottom line, Soma got this win.

Asashi’s slow defeat is nice and somewhat meaningful. Mana put Asashi in his place despite portraying as the protagonist. The problem is, he’s an Isekai protagonist. It is cool to have an ability to use other abilities based on the respective knife, which is odd but okay; however, it’s not original. I do like the metaphor of every layer display the use of other chefs, but underneath, it’s only hollow. It’s the best way to describe Asashi as a whole; using food as a metaphor no less.

Soma and Asashi have gone through a similar experience; journeying through various chefs. The major difference is the result. Asashi basically stole their skills alas knives, while Soma learned about their skills and create his own style. That’s the true experience. It’s equivalent to plagiarism; what can you learn from it if you are simply copying? Sure, it may be a good writing, but it’s not yours and you’re not evolving. You know, like Deku apparently. Okay, no more references. I don’t know if it’s a metaphor or not, but it is assuring that Soma knows his father is much, much stronger than Asashi. I would like a clarification, but even so, I like the acknowledgement.

Expected but a good feel moment, Soma wins and defeat a protagonist. Always bet on the Demon Lord. Seriously, we can resume a normal programming with the original cast. However, the chapter is clearly designed to put a closure towards Soma and Asashi’s rivalry, and it’s perfectly fine by me. It does cover some of the familiar aspects that started the series, including the romance.

I’m glad that Soma wasn’t able to learn where the foundation of cooking alas Joichiro’s advice from chapter 1 came from, even when he asked Asashi. This way, he can learn it for himself and the romance will bloom naturally, rather than a hunt. Also, the flashback is nice, added the detail to Joichiro’s rebound. It doesn’t unraveled the time he first met with Tamako, but you can sense his passion was renewed, thanks to her. It’s sweet that he tried to pay her back for saving him. I believe we will get a full scope soon, especially when the next generation of the family will challenge soon. It does explain how and why Asashi wanted to find love, which is kind of charming. It may be an ideal to get better from the power of love, but happiness is the true answer.

I’m not a fan of Asashi, but I can see where his character was going. Much like Game of Thrones Season 8, there are ideas that are actually pretty good; however, whether it’s the pacing, writing or other drawback, it hindered from what could have been a solid execution. Okay, this time, no more references. I do appreciate some of the aspects that were good; the backstory, the care-free personality, and bits of the conclusion. It makes sense to reflect his loneliness and got lost in the shuffle of what he truly wanted.

Joichiro did help to add to the equation of Asashi’s character’s closure. His advice is give it time and it will arrive; he knows because he raised him. It’s simple but it works. Not sure if we will get an epilogue moment with him, but no pun intended, in due time. The chapter ends abruptly in a sense because Mana wasn’t done with Soma just yet. It’s like someone put a quarter in an arcade machine; a new challenger just joined. It is a way to remind fans that it’s not completely over. So for those who were afraid of ending right here due to the magazine’s editor, it still has some life left before closure. Plus, they pulled a double kill on those two gag series, so it’s fine.

Overall, I thought it was a nice chapter that ended the feud. I may not have been a fan due to complications, but it did end on a good note, so I’ll give Tsukuda that. This means it’s Soma versus Erina time. If you haven’t seen it, there’s volume 35 cover, which feature Erina Family. My best guess is volume 36 will feature Soma Family. What could be the one after it? I am pretty curious. Whatever it is next, the endgame is near.

[sole-cuore-amore-e-droga]

Tel Aviv 2019: Straight outta Finland to Eurovision with a meme icon and his side-kick

“heeeeeey what is that song on that video???” Definitely not Darude - Sandstorm. Grow the fuck up.

I mean that they basically threw off the open call for songs from Finnish artists, instead opting for having one artist national final, usually one very known but very gettable-bored-of name so that they could get some more viewership rather when they pick a random nobody from a bunch of other random nobodies. Last year YLE got themselves an artist whose Eurovision ticket was long overdue, but this year they went the extra step and brought us HIM.

No, not that HIM. They can't go anyway as they've already disbanded. I'm talking about HIM.

Yes, THAT HIM. Meet Toni-Ville Henrik Virtanen, which thankfully has a pseudonym to publish his music with - Darude. Almost 20 years ago he published this beautiful techno single "Sandstorm" with lyrics like "du du du du du du du du du du du du". And now it's become the big-ass target of memery for the past few years on the Internet, with Darude being very well aware of it all - I don't think he has escaped questions about "Sandstorm" now that the Eurovision interviewers media is on horizon and interviews literally every single representative, no matter if they're shy or unpopular with the bookies at all.

And even if "Sandstorm" was the only thing to shake his tiny little Finnish world, it did not break Darude to be just a one-hit wonder (well he still looks like one but yeah) and he's got more music out ever since. And it probably sounds a little too tragic when YLE resorts to just nagging and begging Darude to represent their nation, even kinda secretly hoping that thanks to him Finland can have a qualification just solely for the meme factor. Darude even said so that he at first rejected their calls, but this year became THE year for him to go, and he's not alone obviously - his credited vocalist friend for this ride to Tel Aviv became Sebastian Rejman, a bit washed-up media star who already did some collaborating with Darude.

So the format was basically the same for this year's UMK - artist announced separately, then each of their 3 songs gets published every week on a specific weekday, with single cover art and a music video already, and the Finnish people together with international juries vote for the best track. Simple as that. Unlike with Saara Aalto though, all Darude & Sebastian songs were barely even distinct from one another in sound - just techno songs that have a piece of "Sandstorm" with themselves. Well only 2 do anyway. But still, techno/house songs to listen to on the radio when you're driving and minding your own business. And I had hard time picking favourites but all of them were alright I guess. Yet somehow my least favourite happened to win... and that was "Look Away", very much so inspired by natural disasters and how do we all ignore everything around us. No matter if it's a storm or hurricane or tornado or wind throwing sand at our eyes.

I don't know why the song didn't click with me all that much at first, I suppose it was because it's just a mindless gloomy techno song that raises global awareness (we already have Denmark talking about that, but they're insisting that "love is forever", while Finland is just... getting up more seriously in all this), and besides that, it's just incredibly repetitive. It consists more of the pre-chorus-ish chorus (I mean the line "is it in my head? Am I the only one?" and that other line preceding) and the actual chorus that mostly goes like "look away, look away, look away...". Even to the point when the song ends with some additional “look away”ing but under a different drum beat. What's it with Finns having a passion for the word "away"? We already had seen them sending a "Sing It Away", which was basically a cheer-up tune telling you to sing your problems off... while this year? We're trying to NOT look into the problems dead in the eye. We're looking... erm, uh, away.

But now I do have to say that I somewhat like it. Tell it to ya - the B minor chord is possibly one of my least favourite music keys, so I might as well be a little bit more negative on it if takes the song with itself to sound incredibly dull and painfully meh. So thankfully we'll be hearing it live half a step lower (idk if that's what it is with most EDM singers in Eurovision that shit like this can be possible, as well as idk why are they allowed into Eurovision in the first place. But seriously, why can't you just choose the same key you sang in in studio for Eurovision...), which made the song sound better to me - as a Nightcore junkie, I am passionate about hearing songs in different keys all the darn time, to see in what key would a certain song sound the best. It's usually the song's key that makes me like a song better or worse live rather than a live performance itself (though in some NFs I can see which of my favourite acts are DoA by not even emoting towards them - my emotion has to be evoked, and if I evoke it on purpose, well then, I'd just rather stay motionless completely on anything and only yelp if a song causes me to do this unexplainedly). We'll see how Sebastian will execute his singing live. As for now, he's the captain of this sinking ship that hit a small iceberg (another one of the disasters we usually "look away" from until it's found in our history books). Not Darude. Darude's just merely a musical hold-up of the disaster. It all has to depend on the vocalist and if the staging clicks with the audience. Sure, Darude can put on a red wig and green sunglasses so that he could click with the meme audience, but that won't get the Finns far.

So I like this song, it actually has some cool musical moments thrown in (I like the piano for one), I can enjoy this off my free time. But Estonia does it better at the "Finno-Ugric EDM-ish entry about Mother Nature's tantrums" category and I ain't even sorry for saying this. But I gotta be sorry for Darude. This year's UMK had the lesser care about it because... well, these songs weren't exactly inspiring or anything, and with people wanting something groundbreaking, their hopes kept on vaning away with each and every song release of the UMK entries': "oh so the next 2 two songs will be good right?" "oh so then the last one will be the best one, yeah right?" "...oh, okay then .-." And him, as the Finnish meme king, should have deserved a better year for a better Eurovision stint, so he could have become something à la Epic Sax Guy. Right now I mostly see a middle-aged DJ with 2 kids, not a redhead dude with green sunglasses looking shadily on us. And that's okay sometimes because memes don't necessarily need to be remembered for memes (just like I mostly remember Kanye West for music, and then memes come second), but Finland's gonna take a miracle to get through, and I hardly see any. That's an aina mun pity.

Approval factor: Eh, it's alright, but I would certainly not hold it up to high regards post-contest? lol.

Follow-up factor: it's kiiiiinda bleak knowing that after giving us probably one of the most favourable dark horse efforts for Eurovision they're now going down the dancier route, with one entry after being a banger, the other being a dad banger. Ah well. It doesn't flow so neatly in my eyes, it seems.

Qualification factor: almost dead in the tracks. Finland flows anywhere they can, having a lot of bad luck for 3 years this decade, and I doubt that the juries will be supporting this heavily, considering they are better at rating good vocalists over bad ones, so I don't think this will sail through. But I secretly have hopes in this. It's not that bad, but Estonia is in this semi too, and it's a friendlier EDM track, so I don't quite think that repetitive will out-compell the good formulaic. Plus, Sebastian has a lot to fix vocally, and I doubt that he will carry Finland any further if he doesn't fix anything, so so far the chances of Finland aren't looking up imo. Bottom 5 at the semi is more likely if not already the actual outcome. Maaaaybe 10th in the semi at best, but I doubt it.

NATIONAL FINAL BONUS

The more this section pops up in my works, the less I wanna recap national finals anymore. I hope there’s more breather moments with me having to review a lot of internal selection songs in between the ones from NFs, because this whole season was an utter disaster, and it’d help if the next one isn’t. So let’s check in on Finland's selection’s best:

• But seriously, did anyone ever see Darude as a Finnish representative coming??? No??? Me neither. I was just sitting there, waiting to see if there's a hope for Mikael Saari (you know, that balladeer guy from previous UMKs - I do believe some audiences love him just as much as Saara Aalto, who only was on one UMK and one Euroviisut) to be announced on this special separate programme. Nope - the trilingual hosting trio of the programme that included Krista Siegfrids in it as the token Swedish speaker just happened to happily proclaim Darude as THE Finnish hopeful... and the world was s h o o k e t h. Just look at him go. His smug grin is still iconic on here.

• During the wait for all the UMK songs to pile up, the excitement for Darude faded away and everyone moved on to support other countries. I can't blame them, because I have found like one decent song this UMK that's still worth listening to twice a year or so - "Superman". Where Darude becomes the everyday hero for ordinary people that have difficulties in live to do mundane stuff. Maybe this song would have made him look like a better meme than his current entry would have? Just watch him go on his DJ booth dressing like a knock-off superhero because EBU doesn't allow blatant advertising. A way better gimmick than Gromee's snakey hands. Alas, no one will have to hear "Superman" anymore. Granted it's just an EDM song just like any other, but somehow I liked it best, end of.

• There's at least one memorable screenshot from UMK as well, so I'm happy with that. I saw this pop up on my Twitter time line and I could not stop laughing inside. Seriously. Krista and this other guy should host ESC provided Eurovision is ever coming back to Finland. They had a lot of iconic outfit changes during the NF itself (and the NF itself had "Look Away" with some dancer on a cube but they scrapped the tall cube for Tel Aviv entirely), but those floral onesies are my favourite.

Now I kinda hope that there’s something that will alarm YLE in the meantime that Finland needs a better approach for Eurovision and we’ll see another fully-fledged UMK in the works next year, and then Finland can be great again. For now, I’ll just wish “onnea” to Darude and Sebastian, with hopes that people don’t look away from their song at all! (but most likely they will so what’s the point.)

[millennialdemon]

Summer 2019 First Impressions, Round 2!

Premieres the past few days have mercifully been better -- but that’s not saying much considering how awful the earlier releases were...

-- Dr. STONE

To be honest, I had already developed a bad taste in my mouth for this just based on the trailers I had watched weeks before the premiere. I thought the protagonist was wildly unappealing and unrelatable, not just because the art/design style is not my favourite, but because of his personality... I was crossing my fingers he wouldn’t be as insufferable as he was in the trailer clips, but alas...

The “novelty” of a shounen where “Science Trumps Magic And Fantasy!” is completely lost on me, because the first episode honestly didn’t feature much science, at least not in a meaningful or interesting way? Sure, the protagonist rattles off some chemistry terms and has fucking E=MC2 on his shirt collar in the post apocalypse (I wish I was kidding...), but him having survival skills enough to build a primitive hut isn’t a display of Genius Intellect, and even at the end when he finally “figures out” how to crack open the shell of stone covering the birds he collected, we didn’t really see him... figure it out. He just did the same thing a bunch of times over a long span of time. Because science is doing the same thing over and over again until it works and not experimenting...?

I assume though that that will be explained in episode 2. I assume. I hope. Or maybe I could rewatch it and see if I missed some pivotal detail of genius realization, but I’d probably still be distracted by Taiju yelling constantly and Senkuu looking at the camera and smirking about #Logic. And some story things that seem glaringly wrong to me even with the hyped up shounen tone, like teenage boys being trapped in stone with their minds aware of it for thousands of years and still having the same personalities as they did before when they finally escape it... 

...I guess what I’m saying here is that the comedy/adventure mashup tone is not terribly appealing to me, and that I think it comes off as a bit pretentious when it tries to lay off the Shounen Shenanigans. The characters range from nothing to sneeze at to actively irritating, and for a story trying to make a statement within a genre, it felt super run of the mill. But I will stick around and see how it goes, I suppose... 

Tepid 5/10. 

-- Fire Force

Probably the best premiere so far, but it still didn’t blow me away, and had quite a few problems just in episode 1... fanservice is the number one turn off of course (and on this note, not just the exploitative visuals of it, but also how it changes the perception of the characters reacting to it... protag boy was alright in my books until the script begged him to look at a co-workers chest, sigh), but I also found the writing very clunky, which is a shame because if it took its foot off the gas re: Flashbacks And Repeated Declarations Of Intent, it could have been more compelling than not at all. You almost had me, protagonist boy, but alas... Anime Bullshit Got In The Way, As It Tends To...

The animation was beautiful (the fire animation! Wow! Cool "firefighting” scenes too) and I actually ended up really warming up to the character designs and weird firefighter-but-a-bit-fantasy aesthetic. I tend to like the shape of over-sized clothing and the modifications to some of the fire fighting uniforms were charming (even though they were pretty silly and unnecessary) like the mage’s witch hat and the nun’s outfit. Other than the outfits, I thought the actual character designs were pretty good too. (Shout out to the protagonist’s mother, who looks like a completely generic, normal anime mom, but she just has pointy teeth! Obsessed with that for some reason)

That’s pretty much all I have to say about it so far. It has potential, I think, but it could easily be squandered with perverse slap stick at the wrong defining moment. 

... Like most anime...

7/10 for now. 

-- GRANBELM

Hmm... I’m not sure what to say about this one. It actually wasn’t as bad as I was expecting based on the super moe art. But it was certainly messy and wore its inspirations on its sleeve with a bit too much pride...

Let me put it this way: Have you ever wanted to watch a slightly dark and serious magical girl anime, except they also have mechas, and once a month they all fight each other in epic mecha battles on an alternate plane of existence for some reason, while wearing frilly dresses or absurdly ugly bikini/frog hoodie combos, because they are mages who can access magic that was sealed away by seven legendary sages hundreds of years ago because humanity was using magic for evil?

I hope the answer is “No, that sounds ridiculous.” Because it was. 

But beyond a few very questionable magical girl outfits, there actually wasn’t any pantyshots or leering cameras, and this is the first show this season to feature an all girl cast that wasn’t completely reprehensible and severely misogynistic.

And I think that counts for something. So 5/10 for being bizarre and average but not making me gag. Yet.

-- Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? Season 2

Alright, I know the “premiere” that dropped a few days ago wasn’t actually episode 1 of the new season, it was a recap episode for the previous season (it has been a few years, I suppose, but I’ve never seen an anime hype itself up so much by releasing a recap before a season premiere)... but I’m glad I watched it anyway. So that I could remember all of the memories of terrible ecchi I repressed when I was 19 (SERIOUSLY forgot about Lili and Hermes existing!!! I wish I could forget again!!!), and could better brace myself for another Godforsaken season. I already watched one season for Bete Loga, I can do it again...

Preemptive, like, I don’t know, 3/10? for being inherently bad, but nevertheless being something I am going to watch and complain about and wish was better the entire time.

and! Thankfully my beloved partner warned me about If It’s For My Daughter I Would Even Defeat a Demon Lord -- which I might have checked out because of positive reviews -- because they had heard that the manga apparently has an Usagi Drop trajectory which is tragic and vile. So anyone sighing in relief and happily reviewing that it’s Unexpectedly Not Horrible!, I recommend holding your breath...

It’s literally the worst, to see an anime about a little girl being adopted, or just existing in general (Dragon Maid...) and having to think “Oh no, this is going to be horrid”, and then being relieved that it isn’t p*dophilia. Only to find out: Actually, it might be! 

The bar is under the ground. It’s in hell. 

See y'all in a few days with the next batch of probably not great anime premieres, maybe!

[asongofhopeandjoy]

When I eventually do my Free! re-watch (as in re-watch the entire TV show and most of the movies, not including the recaps) - it's going to smack me in the face that a TV show I have loved for almost a decade is truly over. ;-;

Yes I'm still mourning after watching the final Free! movie, don't look at me!!!!

But you can look at my thoughts about the final film. If you haven't seen the final Free! movies, don't click the read more button, as I'll be talking about spoilers / giving away the ending. Proceed with caution if you want to watch the final Free! movies with zero knowledge of what happens!

I only have TWO complaints and then I'll get to the things I really enjoyed:

I maintain that Free! season three added way too many new characters who I don't care enough about to feel that their inclusion justified how bloated the final movies felt sometimes. They're cute! And I'm not hating! But I'm glad we didn't get a season four because that may have meant less time for the characters I felt truly invested in.

I really, really missed Hiroko Utsumi's direction in this movie and can't help but wonder what it would have been like if they were still in charge of the Free! franchise, because I felt like her artistic flare was really missing in this film. I think the final Free! movies could have been so much artsier and visually memorable under her direction, but alas, I'm glad she has moved onto other great projects and is doing really well. She deserves the success! (That skateboarding anime everyone loves? She's in charge of that baby and she's THRIVING.)

Okay, now some happys! :3

I'm so delighted that Makoto's happy ending is getting to coach and support others because I feel his character arc was all about realising "I'm not like my friends, but I don't have to be to find success or feel content or feel close to my loved ones." It's so rare to see a main male character who looks like Makoto have an arc like that so good job writers, good job!

I'd have also made Sousuke a coach in my ideal version of this movie, but I also love the choice to have him on the final swim team with Rin and Haru because he's one of the characters I really became invested in during season two. Glad to see he recovered from his injury and used what he learned in season two to make sure his friends don't make the same mistakes he did. His character arc feels really complete now.

Also, I can't believe Sousuke and Haru casually went from foes to bros. I'm here for it! ;-;

Some of you may be surprised to hear this because I'm rinharu shipper, but I'm really glad Haru and Rin had one last final fight to iron out any lingering insecurities the two may have had about their relationship friendship. Poor Haru was scared he was going to lose one of his best friends again and even though he was mean about it at first, I'm glad he didn't keep those feelings bottled up, because it gave him a chance to work them out with Rin. It made a great plotline for part two because Rin and Haru's friendship is the heart of Free!, and I'm really glad the director and writers honoured that.

Now to act unhinged about rinharu... Omg... The flirting... The pining... The lover's tiff... The breaking up and making up... Haru's coach telling Rin to get it together and tell Haru how he feels!!! THE HUG!!!!! RIN HOLDING HARU TENDERLY IN HIS ARMS FKEIPAFFKOPAKFPEAFPAKEFPOAKEFPOAEFPEAEAPAAAEAAKFPAFPAFPEAPEOEAKFPFAFPAKFPEKAFPOEAKPEOK!!!!!!!!!!!

Rinharu shippers ate good, thank you Kyoani!

Seeing Soumako go from crack ship to bonafide fanon ship that enjoys each other's company and support each other through life's hardships was also a treat. <3

There were even some Nitori and Momo crumbs too!

Seeing Nagisa charm the mean new character was amazing, I love him. <3

Seeing all the official art that I've geeked out about over the years in that final montage... hoo... man... I'm not crying, you're crying!

So yeah, those are my thoughts about Free!, the original beautiful sport boys doing sports beautifully anime. She was iconic, she was the moment. I thank her for bringing me a lot of joy over the years and I couldn't be more grateful.

If anyone needs some tips about how to mourn an almost decade old show, I recommend listening to the opening song and reading fanfic to numb the pain. <3

[shirtlesssammy]

13x21: Beat the Devil

Guys, we may have just watched Robert Beren’s last episode for Supernatural. I’m a little emotional about that, but am so excited about the possibility of Wayward Sisters.

Then:

Let’s do the time warp again!

Now:

Guys! We finally FINALLY get some domestic fluff. We’ve paid our dues and now the family is finally together, happy and whole. Sam, Dean, Cas, Mary, and Jack eating pizza and shooting the shit around the bunker’s war room table. Dean eats too much. Mary tells cute childhood stories. Cas judges his husband’s choices. My teeth rotted during these two minutes of goodness.

Alas, it’s just a dream of Sam’s. Let’s break it down --because we rarely get an inside look into Sam’s thoughts (let alone what he’s really thinking, and a dream can reveal things even he’s repressing on the outside!) He honestly has an open hostility towards Dean’s eating habits. His purity/demon blood feelings run bone deep. Ouch. He craves a homelife and Mary’s little stories about Dean’s childhood. He clearly sees Dean and Cas as domestic nuggets of love. He wants to save Mary --for her to recognize him as a hero. And Jack! Is part of the family. My heart.

Also, baby boy Sam really needs a bigger bed. If Dean can get memory foam, Sam can get a California King. Just saying.  

Well, with Gabriel on board, Team Free Bunker has all the ingredients and a witch to cast the spell to get them to AU land. Unfortunately, Gabriel doesn’t quite have the umph to produce the grace necessary for the task.

Cas makes the argument that they need archangel grace and they only have one source for it --Lucifer. Sam and Rowena are particularly distressed.

*Team Free Will Meeting in the Kitchen Alert*

Sam, Dean, and Cas meet to discuss their options. Sam is adamantly against finding Lucifer, but Cas makes it clear to him that *they* let Lucifer out and he’s *their* responsibility.

Meanwhile, Gabe is finding interesting historical materials at his local library #LOVE YOUR LIBRARIES EVERYONE

He’s also making excuses for his poor grace performance to Rowena. She wants to hear nothing of it.

So, like Boris is a complete Samwitch shipper (obv. after Saileen and Sody), but this WAS SO FUNNY. Why wouldn’t these two hook up? Gabe is all about that and Rowena deserves to get hers. But, yeah, what even is this script? Lol. Apparently Ruth and Rich ad libbed the voiceovers. I’m dying.

TFW decide that Lucifer is the best option, and they can use his grace indefinitely to keep the rift open. They run to the war room to tell Rowena and Gabe. They catch the archangel and witch in flagrante delicto. Omg, guys. Sam and Dean’s reaction is one thing, but Cas! I die.

Cut to Lucifer getting not-drunk on liquor at a bar. Harry Chapin’s Cat’s the the Cradle playing the in background (Ouch, please, please, please do not let his child turn out just like him.) The bartender is sympathetic to his complaints--- but not really! It’s Gabe! And Lucifer was drugged! And Rowena binds him so they can haul him back to the bunker for their plan to be enacted.

Once at the bunker, Rowena prepares the spell, and Cas cuts Lucifer’s neck to extract his grace. They’re going to slowly use his grace to keep the portal open longer than 24 hours.

TFW and Gabe head to the AU while Rowena stays behind to monitor (a very annoying) Lucifer.

Once in the AU they all take a bit of a tumble down a hill. Gabe ends up face first in Cas’s crotch. Awkward. And Show, why pray tell do you only cut to a reaction to --and a very interesting one --of Dean? No chill.

Cas places them about two days walk away from Dayton, Ohio, and Mary and Jack’s outpost. While walking, Cas and Gabe have an angel heart to heart. Cas asks Gabe what his next plans are. Gabe’s not sure. Cas informs him about how heaven is dying --heavily implying what Gabe’s next role might be. Sam and Dean have a heart to heart about Sam’s mood. I mean, it might be that they’re so close to finding Mary and Jack, but I think Sam’s just happy about the humidity giving his hair that extra curly bounce. On point even in a dying world. But seriously, Sam’s so happy to be so close!

Cue screaming. Hahahahahaha...nothing bad can possibly happen now!

They find a couple battling a vampire and take the monster out. The couple inform our merry travelers that there’s only two ways to get there --over the mountains via a very out of the way detour or under a tunnel where a whole nest of vamps are camped out. Samwise Gamgee gives a stirring speech and they all head for the tunnel.

And we’re back with Rowena and the archangel everyone voted as Heaven's most annoying ass (ask anyone in the garrison). Lucifer continues his serenade to Rowena. When it doesn't appear to be working he shifts his strategy, reminding her vividly how he assaulted and then killed her. Rowena can't tune that out and, to be fair, neither can I. It's so disturbing. It’s the casual taunting of a sociopath.

Rowena tells Lucifer that TFW and Gabriel are in the AU to go rescue Jack – and that they're more father to him than Lucifer will ever be. This makes Lucifer so angry that he powers up again and busts out of his cuffs. I'd roll my eyes, but this “anger power” was established earlier this season. Anyway, he grabs Rowena by the throat and pushes her up against the wall. Before he can kill her, Rowena manages a quick word of magic and casts him away. Lucifer flies across the room and straight through the rift.

Left alone, Rowena hastily packs her things and talks through her predicament. She's the only person who might be able to keep the door open but... “Au revoir, bon voyage, not my problem,” she announces saucily, ready to head out. And then she pauses, curses, and starts to dig through her book of spells for something to help with the rift. That's our girl <3

In the AU, our team heads into the creepy tunnel system. It's dingy and dark and before you know it, they find their first vampire. Sam kills it quickly and they move on, but not before another vampire catches their scent and begins to trail them. Another vampire attacks and they successfully defend against it. Guys, it's just like the Fire Swamp in the Princess Bride! They suffer a few dangers but it's nothing they can't handle, right? RIGHT? The team spreads out in a large junction of tunnels (not smart guys NOT SMART). 

As they're all split up and investigating different tunnels, a whole bunch of vampires attack. Damn it. These vamps may be feral but they don't appear to be total loners and instead hunt in a pack.

Floyd eats it in short order while everyone works to fight off the rest of the vampires. Sam gets captured by two vampires and one bites the carotid right out of Sam's throat. Blood gushes from his throat in quite a shocking manner. They must have strapped the blood cannon to his neck. The vampires drag Sam away down the corridor. Cas races after them.

Dean finishes off the last of the vampires and races after Sam, only to be stopped by Cas. To Dean's despair, Cas tells him that Sam's dead and that they've got to continue their mission. They don't have time to go after Sam. Dean is devastated and...I know this is all over Tumblr but it's SERIOUSLY HARSHING MY MELLOW to see Dean's face after this. The agony! (Curls up into a ball.)

Here, have a kitten instead.

The next morning they're hiking on the other side of the mountains and Dean is completely checked out. Maggie tries to thank him and tell him that she's sorry about his friend. He's barely responsive, lost in reliving watching his brother's death.

And so we cut to Sam. Or rather, we cut to Sam's body lying on the ground in some dead-end tunnel, his eyes wide and empty. Sam. Is. Dead. This show isn't fucking around.

The Dayton-bound team runs into angel warding, blocking Cas from going any further. Gabriel helpfully burns out the warding (nice job, man!) and human soldiers race out. It's the resistance! Mary enters the scene like a goddamn vision, greets Cas, and then heads for Dean. She pulls him into a hug and then asks after Sam.

Ugh. I'm sorry. Here, have another kitten.

And just as we're all single-man-tearing our way through our Supernatural-themed flasks (or whatever) Sam wakes up in the tunnels. He checks his throat and it's healed.

At first we're worried, thinking he's been turned into a vampire. (It's gotta be a bitch to hunt down your crazed vampire sire in the pitchdark tunnels of an apocalypse world.) But then Lucifer shows up.

Lucifer reveals that he brought Sam back to life. I'm so conflicted because it's a great explanation for how Sam might be resurrected. And yet...it's Lucifer. What a bag of dicks. Lucifer goes on to explain to a not-at-all-okay Sam that he powered up by eating a gaggle of Michael's angels. Ew. Lucifer. Not cool.

Sam's still in shock when Lucifer offers him a deal. Sam can lead Lucifer to Jack or he can stay back in the mine and die at the gaping maws of the ten or so rabid vampires who've gathered just outside the little room. “Join our monster RAVE, Sam!”

Sam considers it. I mean...he considers Lucifer’s offer. (Obviously he’s got a glow stick so he’s gonna rave a leeetle bit.) “You need me,” Lucifer tells him.

Elsewhere our heroes arrive in camp. Jack demands to know why Cas didn't bring Sam back to life. Cas isn't powerful enough – and neither is Gabe. Dean loads up on fresh water for a mission to go retrieve Sam's body when...TA DA! Sam walks into camp. He's shadowed moments later by Lucifer.

Let's get ready to rumble, I guess.

Alternative Quotaverse:

We've been avoiding dealing with him because we're afraid

The three amigos with their bro hugs, pep talks, and melodrama

I know you're trying to bait me with your seeming neanderthal misogyny. Anything to distract yourself from your profound, deeply emasculating humiliation. Sorry, Lucille, I'm not biting.

Not our world, not our problem. Right?

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive!

[thebachelordiaries]

‘Straddling For A Rose’: The Bachelor Ep. 3 Recap

Hey, it’s me back with another last-minute Bachelor recap. This episode was about doing it doggy style in a trailer park....oh no wait, that was just the themes for the two group dates.

Here’s small anecdote for you: When I’m in the car with my dad and it’s too hot, I like to tell him to turn on the air conditioner just a tad. However, he is a man of extremes so he just blasts the A.C. until I turn into a fucking icicle. The same goes for when I tell him he’s driving too slow; he immediately starts speeding and I fear for my life.

What I’m trying to say here is that my dad is in charge of picking out dates for this season of The Bachelor. For several seasons now, we (or maybe just me) have been complaining that the show recycles the same old, boring dates.

Well guys, my dad (the show’s writers) are finally listening.

“Oh you want new group dates? We’ll give you fucking new group dates,” a producer yells manically, spit flying everywhere.

Anyway, I’m rambling more than Lauren S. on her 1-on-1 with Arie (spoiler?), so let’s get this recap started.

GLOB Group Date

The psychopath show writers (my dad) decided upon demolition derby (sorry not sorry about your concussion, Brittany) and now, they chose WWE wrestling, or the lesser known GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling), However, in this case, it’s GLOB (Gorgeous Ladies of the Bachelor). GOT PARENTHESIS?

The women on the date learned how to wrestle, or at least pretend to wrestle, like the pros, while these washed up women wrestlers with faces that look like melted candle wax talked shit to them, making my girls Bibiana and Tia cry.

This old hag asked Bibiana if her mom knew how to spell when she gave her that name. I would’ve snatched her wig SO QUICK.

“Bitch, you don’t even know my mom.” -Bibiana

Then another old lady pulled Tia’s hair, who probably had in her extensions, and homegirl was not having it. I would’ve been done too.

Bibiana and Tia get it together after a good cry and end up battling each other as Bridezilla and a Southern Belle. Bibiana’s costume was actually hysterical.

“I’m the Bridezilla and I’m about to eat these bitches for lunch.”

Lauren B. had a hard time getting the acting part down and kept laughing. Lauren, how are you going to convince me to buy overpriced skincare or a cheap curling wand on your Instagram story if you can’t even get your fake acting down? Do better.

I just want to talk about Maquel as a lunch lady. Poor Maquel deserved a rose just for having to wear this outfit. That mole was actually disgusting.

The fights went like this: Bekah the Sex Kitten vs Maquel the Lunch lady. Jacqueline the Beauty Queen vs Krystal the Cougar. Maquel the Gold Digger vs Lauren B. the Princess [this match was slightly pornographic but producers definitely put in some added audio in there.] Bibiana the Bridezilla vs Tia the Southern Belle.

Also, we can’t forget the cameo from a Bachelor favorite, Kenny King, an actual pro wrestler. He clearly let Arie win, but damn, I love Kenny. He’s so entertaining. I’m glad he was brought back.

I mean, someone needed to show off their abs on The Bachelor, and we all knew it wasn’t going to be Arie.

The cocktail portion of the group date took place in an RV park; just another redneck place to make Tia feel at home.

Arie told Krystal that it’s hard to have her in a room with a lot of other women and he has to “check himself.” Kind of like how I have to check the sound settings on my television to make sure Krystal’s voice isn’t actually that annoying. But alas, it is.

Krystal sucks so much. She thinks her time is more valuable than everyone else’s and that its okay if she takes that time away from other girls trying to get to know Arie to “decrease her competition.” Tia may feel at home in a trailer park, but Krystal, you’re actually white trash.

In other news, Bekah straddled Arie. I’ve also decided that his hand grabbing of the face move is weird.

I’m really happy I procrastinated this recap because Saturday Night Live did a Bachelor skit called “Car Hunk,” which referenced Bekah’s short hair.

Fake Bekah: I have short hair. Isn’t it the weirdest thing you’ve seen in your life?

Fake Arie: Yeah, but somehow I still like you.

Fake Bekah: That’s because I’m barely 21.

Fake Arie: Oh yeah, that’s what makes me horny.

Gross, but true.

TFW you think you have the strongest relationship with The Bachelor but the girl on your left (our right) just dry humped your man in a trailer, unbeknownst to you.

Arie gave the rose to Bekah because...”you were outstanding today and tonight you were amazing.” I swear to god those were his words. Juan Pablo was more articulate.

1-On-1 With Lauren S.

When Lauren S. is chosen for the 1-on-1, I’m convinced she is Arie’s favorite. I’m basing this on the fact that both Lauren Bushnell and Vanessa Grimaldi got 1-on-1s on the third episode.

Lauren S. is pretty, funny and I feel like she’s a bit too normal for the show. I really like her, even if her face permanently looks like this:

Lauren and Arie take a private Jet to Napa where they go wine tasting. They show a lot of their casual conversations, which I take as a good sign, even if they are about basic things like going to bed early and drinking wine; Arie isn’t the best conversationalist anyway.

But Lauren just keeps on talking, and talking and talking...and talking. Arie is so done with her that he starts eating the prop food.

Why nobody eats on dates: the contestants eat separately before the date so when they are televised, nobody is making gross chewing noises for the cameras and mics. The food is supposed to be untouched and probably has been sitting there for hours. However, Arie’s clearly bored AF with Lauren S., leading to this low-key hilarious segment.

Arie initially said Lauren is what he’s looking for in a future wife: beautiful, mature and with a great job.

At the end of the day, Arie ~thinks~ that’s what he wants, but in reality he wants 22-year-old manic pixie dream girl who straddles him in a trailer park instead.

Arie sends Lauren home and nobody knows where she is going; Will she just fly back home and meet her luggage at the airport? Nobody knows.

When the producer picks up Lauren’s suitcase from the mansion, everyone is shocked. Caroline starts crying and then Krystal starting giving this annoying speech.

“Get off your high horse and stop being so condescending to everybody because you met his dog,” says Caroline, regarding Krystal.

Caroline just seems incredibly likable so if she doesn’t like you, you’re probably on America’s shit list. 

Dog Training Group Date

I’m not going to call this date “Doggy Style” like the perverted show writers. Instead, I’m going to say the girls had to train already trained show dogs and put on a performance. Everybody failed miserably, except Brittany, who deserves not one, but two Emmys for her amazing performances as a tree and lamp.

I swear Chelsea can see dog shit on the ground and somehow relate it to being a mom and how “serious” she is about being here. And that’s just what she did during her alone time with Arie. By the way, I still don’t like her face.

Annaliese is the only form of entertainment for the second half of this episode. Once again, she had another “traumatic” childhood experience that directly related to this group date. I’m not going to mock her for that, because almost losing your eye from a dog bite is a totally valid trauma. However, her neurotic personality is fun to watch. 

Annaliese started felling a lot of pressure to kiss Arie since all of the other women did it already. Unfortunately for her, she’s 32 and too old for this 36-year-old grey-haired man. 

His body language says, “I’m just not that into you.”

I literally don’t remember who got the group date rose. I think it was Chelsea. Because she’s a mom and deserves it more than anyone else, or some shit like that.

Rose Ceremony

Annaliese’s freakout over not kissing Arie carries over into the rose ceremony.

She asked Arie if he wants to kiss her and he says, “I don’t think we’re there yet.”

At this point, we all know Annaliese is probably going to go home, and she does too. She basically tells Arie to send her home and was pretty mature about it. I hope she has a good talk with her therapist and turns this new “traumatic” experience into a positive.

Bekah wasn’t the only woman to straddle Arie this episode, Jenna did too. Jenna reminds me of my roommate from college. They’re both unpredictable and insane but like, in an endearing way.

Since two women already went home before the rose ceremony, only one woman didn’t get a rose. That was unfortunately my girl Bibiana. 

Were Arie and Bibiana a match? No. Could Arie ever handle a woman like Bibiana? No. Did I think she should’ve stayed around longer because she’s the most entertaining thing about this show? Yes.

The positive is she is going to appear on The Bachelor’s Winter Games. At least ABC knows a good thing when they see it.

I’m going to end this recap with....Arie sucks. And so does Krystal. Wait a second, maybe they are perfect for each other.

[adambethyname-blog]

Why “The Sopranos” Ending Was An Insult To Fans

Everyone is using the COVID-19 quarantine to get reacquainted with long-running television shows like “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” and most notably “The Sopranos.” Those who are diving into “The Sopranos” again are invariably forced to acknowledge how the show ended with its infuriating “cut-to-black” as Tony Soprano looked up from the diner table.

Some people said it was ingenious.

Some people said it was cruel.

I’m going to tell you why it was cowardly and quite frankly the biggest cop-out in television writing ever.

I won’t say it sucked or is “terrible/awful/horrible.” “The Sopranos” is like pizza: even when it’s crappy, it’s still pretty good (I’m talking to you “Christopher” episode). But the truth is David Chase punked out like a little bitch when he wrote the finale.

Let’s recap how the ending could have gone. There were honestly three possible endings that were plausible considering the show’s plot:

1. Tony dies somehow: Tony gets taken down in a blaze of glory or some mob hit where he’s covered in fake blood and left splattered all over the living room floor or something. This most certainly would have upset the fans who stuck with the Soprano family for 6 drawn out seasons.

2. Tony lives happily ever after somehow: Everyone is dead. “All his enemies are smoked” (to steal a line from Tony). And he goes home to his wife and empty nest. No one would have bought it because how many career criminals with Tony’s body count, not to mention the loose ends he left out there (Carlo comes to mind), walk scot-free and get to live life on their own terms? The FBI wasn’t just going to give up on him and say, “Welp, we tried.”

3. Tony goes to jail: Probably where I would have laid my bet early in season 6. There were too many LEOs in the mix and involved with the war between NY and New Jersey. Someone was going to slip up and roll on Tony. It had happened too many times already (Adrianna, Eugene, Big Pussy, Ray, Jimmy, Carlo). If Tony went to jail, I could see the masses screaming for a “well what happens when he gets OUT?” follow up.

I’m sure a creative mind can think of a lot more possible endings but these were the most likely scenarios. Yes, I’m aware, Tony could have been an alien from outer space or something so save it.

But rather than write a kick-ass episode that uses one of these three end points (all of which would have made perfect sense), David Chase decided to sell out the cast, crew and fans with this ridiculous “cut to black” gimmick. He figured out that if half the fans were going to hate whatever the ending was, he had to write something that incorporated all of the aforementioned finales simultaneously (insiders tell me the “Tony is an alien” finale was rejected early in the creative process, but this is unverified).

So Chase leaves the ending ambiguous, maybe he was shot and killed, maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he lived, maybe he died. He came up with an ending that could theoretically please and annoy BOTH sides while giving the film school snobs something to embarrassingly read into and find ridiculous hidden meanings in. I can’t tell you all the dumb theories that come out of the spottily-bearded faces of millennial art grads.

It was an act of cowardice. You spend all these years creating this world of characters and you didn’t have the guts to end it properly. And for what? And why? Because you didn’t want to upset the other side in one capacity or another? A good, properly done ending would have united the Tony Lives/Tony Dies crowd if it was executed (heheh) well. But Chase tried to have it both ways and the result was infuriating. I guess he figured if he pissed everyone off equally, that, in and of itself, is a form of fan base unification.

Personally, the show could have ended at the end of the “Season 6a” (HBO split the final season into 2 halves like it was some Harry Potter movie). Phil was in the hospital. AJ had a girlfriend and a job, Meadow was in California with her boyfriend and Tony sat by the Christmas tree wearing that ridiculous beret that was a gift from Meadow. If anything that was the perfect metaphor for the previous 5 1/2 seasons : “Look at what a guy will do to appease his family.” It’s a thread that we were reminded of over and over again. Tony told Dr. Melfi in “Two Tonys” that what Tony Soprano does to feed his family shouldn’t be confused with Tony the Man as they’re two different people. It was touching to see Tony in his house at Christmas with both his “families.” No ambiguity. No wondering if the power went out. Personally, when I watch my DVDs, I stop right there.

But, alas, Chase chickened out and ended with the infamous cut to black. He’s slipped up and said that, yes, Tony was dead. But who really cares now? He danced around the answer for 17 years and now we’ve moved on. He ruined his own show with his indecisiveness.

[furederiko]

This is the LAST post for December, meaning it's also the FINAL post for the year. Anything special to publish in the conclusive day of 2017? NOPE. Just this... uhmmm, random ramblings. Ahahaha...

My internet went down completely for around 2 weeks since December 13th. The unexpected 'incident' (I apparently has burned my modem *sigh*) made me switched into my creative side and did genuine FUN non-internet related things instead. And I got all caught up by it... that I practically did NOT prepare anything for Tumblr.

Had a Random-News-Digest prepared for mid-December, but ditched it completely because the content would be highly outdated now. Wanted to do my monthly recap-view for "Kamen Rider Build", but haven't finished it so it'll have to wait until next month. The only thing I could pull off was the recap-views for "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" last 2 episodes of the year. Though to be honest, that amazing show was part of my 'offline fun' as well. So yeah, unlike last year, there is no TOP 10 list this year. Didn't even publish anything for Christmas, because I completely FORGOT about it! LOL... (^^;)

Anyways, to make up for all of that, I've written a rough 'RECAP' of what went through my life this year. Entertainment-wise, of course, and not all but just some of the highlights. In list form! Why? Because I feel like it *grins*. Here goes nothing...

Movies, Oh movies...

- Watched even less movies on the theatre this year, and opted to wait several releases on home video. Only went to see the big guns, thus there isn't any disappointment. - Surprisingly, I loved the live action "Beauty and the Beast" more than the animated original. Dan Stevens' solo number "Evermore" is stuck in my head ever since. - Haven't seen "Coco", and really want to. Here's hoping the home video will be released soon. I guess I should see "Cars 3" first, huh? - "Dunkirk" was magnificent. War movie is usually not my forte, so I'm pleasantly surprised that Christopher Nolan managed to make me enjoy one. Was it the short duration, the all-out jerks of the army, or the non-stop intensity? Don't know. But if there's at least one thing I've gained from it: I disliked Harry Styles ever more now. No kidding. Poor French soldier... - I'm a visual guy so when I saw a disturbing scene, it usually stayed on my head for a good while. That bloody scene after the bomb explosion on "Stronger", for example? *sigh*. I hope Jake Gyllenhall receives an Oscar nomination for his work on this movie. - "Death Note" and "Ghost in the Shell"? Enjoyed the first one more, but both deserved better. - Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" was mediocre, but I'm among the minority who actually want to see more of Universal's Dark Universe. Even if just to see more of Russell Crowe going Jekyll. Charlie Hunnam's "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" was the movie's kindred spirit, while "Kong: Skull Island" was the opposite. Kong will be meeting Godzilla in the coming years! - Comic book adaptations were generally top notch. Naturally the three Marvel Studios' releases; "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2", "Spider-Man: Homecoming", and "Thor: Ragnarok"; would be my top picks. Don't ask me to choose which one is the best though! All three were amazing and marvelous in their own unique ways, so I'd gladly rank them in the same spot just to be fair. - I admit, "Logan" and "Wonder Woman" were great too, but I didn't like them as much as everyone else on the planet. Not sure why, I guess... none of them was my cup of tea? Let's just say, there were problems on each of them that I couldn't quite tolerate and it reduced my overall impression on them. - Don't ask about "Justice League". I'll wait until I can borrow a copy when it's out on home video. Not wasting my money on a poorly reviewed DC Films. For now, "The LEGO Batman Movie" remains to be the best DC release of the year. - "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" was just NOT as good as the prequel. It was fun, but it felt like it's repetitive yet also missing something and trying too much.

Show Must Go On...

- Just realized that I've seen MORE TV series this year! Both the currently in broadcast, or titles from previouse years like "Westworld". Oh WOW... - Both Marvel's "Iron Fist" and Marvel's "The Defenders" were genuine duds. Both TV series were underwhelming and disappointing, that I have lost any urge to see Marvel's "The Punisher". - Haven't seen Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." 5th season as well, because I haven't been feeling it. Though that will change in the near future because I'm itching to see its 5th episode. Hey, my boy Fitz and Hunter are the star of that episode, right? THAT I just have to see! I wonder if seeing that episode would be enough to convince me to watch the previous four episodes... - Currently following Marvel's "Runaways", though this 1st season might be my first and last. Don't know why, but not feeling it either. I think CW's "Riverdale" was a more watchable show, and even that one have been dropped after Season 1. LOL. I guess teenage soap-opera is just NOT my thing. - The 5th and final season of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" was kind of... all over the place too. This show should've ended with Season 3, if you ask me. It had a bittersweet ending, akin to "Samurai Jack". But it also did not ended gracefully, and far less enjoyable to follow. - "Stranger Things" Season 2 was amazing. It had a somewhat different vibe compared to the 1st one, but equally enjoyable to watch. Poor characters whose name starts with 'B'... - I think the 3rd and 4th Seasons of "Voltron Legendary Defender" were initially meant to be one unit. The show's first two seasons were impressive, but these latter two were... okay? I don't know why, but it felt like it has waned a bit. - "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" was somewhat similar. I had great time with Season 1 and 2, but Season 3 was a bit... uneven. Many of the jokes didn't quite hit, and some of the story development started feeling like a recycled trick. Still, I would love to see a 4th Season, and hopefully with better improvements. - Was expecting "Big Hero 6: The Series" to be as amazing as the Oscar-winning movie... but alas that didn't seem to be the case. Didn't quite enjoy the 2-episodes premiere as much as I wanted to. A complete opposite to "DuckTales", that hit all the right notes. The sole complaint I have about this reboot/remake, is that Scrooge McDuck's adventure isn't airing new episodes on a weekly basis! Aaaaargggh, the long wait is making me angry. - If you haven't seen "Thunderbirds Are Go", then what are you waiting for? I feel the 2nd Season had more and more amazing moments, to the point that I hope Season 3 will come sooner than later. - Comedies are taking my leisure time now! Have been following Seth McFarlane's "The Orville". It was mediocre to good, and desperately in need of improvements (hopefully in Season 2). Yet I keep going back and see it. Is it the star power of its guest stars? - Adam Scott and Craig Robinson's "Ghosted" is on my top priority watch. Sure, the quality has reduced a bit since the pilot, but the supernatural agents aren't going anytime soon from my house. - The same with Kevin Finn! Great goodness, I have only started watching "Kevin Probably Saves the World" since early this month (the benefit of NOT getting preoccupied by the internet LOL), but I'm already regretting why I didn't start sooner. Now I honestly can't wait to see more! Kevin is such an adorkable, likeable, and surprisingly relatable quirky lead. The kind of guy I would totally love to be best friends with in real life. Really though, the show is infectuous with its acts of kindness, heartwarming with its pleasant vibes, and also surprisingly engaging through its personal conflicts. If you hear me giggling, laughing out loud, or sobbing lately, you can probably thank Kevin, his guardian Angel, family, and friends for that! Seriously...

A Spoonful of Anime and Toku

- Turns out, "Kekkai Sensen & Beyond" wasn't the sequel that I expected to be. It's... 'different' than the first season. But when you get to see what the other members of Libra (even the team's butler) are doing in their daily lives, should one even be complaining? In the end it was indeed as amazing and fun ride as the first season, even if lead protagonist Leonardo Watch took a back seat most of the season. I'm already crossing my fingers to see more adventure of the team. But it likely won't happen in the near future, huh? Bummer... - "Ballroom e Youkoso" was a peculiar dance. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half, but after Tatara changed partner things got... hectic and irritating to follow? It was still good, but a rather uneven show if you ask me for honest impression. At the very least, it wasn't a wasted opportunity like "Kabuki-bu!" was. - "Houseki no Kuni" was of similar situation. Its animation was gorgeous, story was peculiarly engaging, and world building was great. But there were episodes that were undeniably better than the rest, and I didn't quite like how it ended. I guess that finale was teasing for more seasons? Hmmm... - It's been years since I follow a Pretty Cure series, and "Kira Kira Precure A La Mode" wet my appetite and got me back to the game. Unfortunately, while the design was interesting, and the sweets angle was neat, the story was somewhat weak. I have lost my initial enthusiasm after the first half, but I still watch it because it's going to end pretty soon. Not quite expecting a mindblowing finale though, especially if the animation quality is any indication. A common problem of TOEI Animation. Remember "Sekaisuru KADO"? - Dang it, what an impressive year it has been with Super Sentai. "Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger" was kind of dull and boring last year, but had a great ending this year. And it was quickly followed by something even better. Yes, another show that has dragged me on a pleasant roller coaster ride is none other than TOEI's "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger". Since its premiere run on February, until its Christmas episode that wrapped up its 2017 run, I haven't been disappointed once with the series. Yes, I had an issue with the spin-off series of V-Cinema "Episode of Stinger", but that didn't count as the broadcast lineup. Though it's painful for me to soon say goodbye to this amazing season, I hope its last month will be memorable and a blast. Particularly because I'm currently having second thoughts about the 2018 season... - Just like its weekly storyline, "Kamen Rider Build" is still moving me back and forth. I'm honestly on the verge of dropping it completely, but I guess I'm going to check out several episodes from the next "Kamen Rider Wars" arc. I kind of feel it takes too long to get to this point when it could've been done earlier, but who am I to argue, right?

Name of the Game

- "Nintendo Switch" was a hit! Ever since its release on March 2017, the buzz and hype for this hybrid console only continue to increase. I wonder if I will be able to purchase one next year? Perhaps, just in time for the next Pokemon gen? - Speaking of Pokemon, the addition of Generation III from Hoenn region has made me go out and explore "Pokemon GO" again. The whole Raid Battle system and Niantic's handling of the Legendary Pokemon had disappointed so bad that I was close to give up on this App. Thankfully, now I have a horde of new reason to walk around the neighborhood. Problem is, can the same premise work in the long run? Niantic really need to consider new social features that enables players to engage with one another. - "Street Fighter V" had a weird set of DLC characters this year. The 2nd Season contained mostly new characters, that was a hit or miss with fans. Thankfully, things seem to be picking up next year with the Arcade Edition. Not just because my man Cody Travers is all dandy clean and returning to the game, of course. Question is, will I be able to play the game eventhough I don't have any plans to pick up a PS4? *giggles*. - I also haven't been able to play "Persona 5" due to the exact reason. LOL. Thankfully, "Persona 5 the Animation" has been announced to air next year. Sure, I'm a bit skeptical with the fact that A-1 Pictures and not Production I.G. will be doing the animation, but at least this will be my way of enjoying the game... WITHOUT actually playing it. - LEVEL-5 should do more of that worldwide Puzzle Quest! That was meant to be a prelude or some sort to "Layton's Mystery Journey: Katrielle and The Millionaires' Conspiracy", but I think the game developer should learn by now that it could work as a stand alone project. It made people come together in surprising way, and attracted fans to come back everyday to check out the new worldwide puzzle. Real FUN!

Oookaaay, that went A LOT longer than I expected. And I'm 100% sure that there are items that completely slipped my mind. As of writing this line, it's only just a few hours before the year ends! Aaaaarggggh *grumble*. Gotta publish this one soon then!

With that said, 2017 has been a difficult and challenging year. Particularly to a very discriminative and straight-out evil political atmosphere. One that allowed people to show their true despicable nature and selfishly trampled others for it. Last year I did say that "There's so many reasons to be hopeful about 2017", but reality had spoken differently as it turned out there were plenty more to discourage us throughout the year. Many people have even lost their fate in humanity this year.

But you know what? I'm going to say the same thing this day as well. There are SOOO many reasons to be hopeful about 2018. I don't know if it's because I'm currently caught up in the holiday spirit, or because I've been feeling extra thankful and blessed this month. One thing I can openly attest, is that things DO GET BETTER. So don't ever lose hope, and keep fighting the good fight in the name of just and goodness. I'm being lazy right now, so I'm just going to copy and paste my own words from last year: "Life can sometimes be hard, but all we need to do is stay strong, stay high spirited, and more importantly, keep moving forward! Happiness and blessings will surely find its way, in ways you might not imagine!".

And also this next one... because I'm going to be saying more or less the same kind of statements anyway: "Thanks to those who have been reading my blog all year long. I know I haven't spent much time (or any) to address you one by one, and heck, I might not even know you're there. But please know that I'll always be grateful for your presence, your time, kindness, and more importantly patience to walk through my long and sometimes pointless ramblings. What you've been doing means a lot for me, and I hope what I've been posting has and will somehow benefit back to you in return.". 2017 ends in just a few hours away, so let's enter and stride through 2018 with a hopeful and brave heart, the biggest and earnest smiles, the most sincere love and compassion for others regardless of their religion, race, or skin color. More importantly, let's make 2018 a year that we can be proud of. Where we take a stand for what's right and good! Where we become better human being than we are this year!

SEE YOU TOMORROW IN 2018!!!

[dwtsfun]

Dancing with the Stars Season 25 Week 4: MMY: Rankings

Hey all. So sorry about this being late. Ran into some problems and issues as I was coming home from work. But I’m back. As many of you know, when I put up a post late like this, I end up doing a ranking versus my typical recap style. So that is what I’ll be doing now. I have some thoughts on Derek and Sharna before I actually start. I’ll miss them. As many of you know, they were my favorite couple this season and I was hoping to see Fish^2 in the finals. But alas, we are here and Derek was used as the sacrificial lamb for freaking Nick Lachey. Someone who can’t dance and doesn’t even look like he wants to be there. In week 4. Imagine being so bad that the show has to throw a couple that can dance and wanted to be there under the bus just for you to get through the first 4 weeks of competition. And imagine how pathetic a show has to be to even go through with something stupid like that. Wow. So yeah, I’m still slightly irritated by that. But Derek and Sharna had a great dance that I think was worthy of one 9. I’m glad he went out on a celebratory dance for his daughter though. She’ll always be able to have that memory of her dad. So now, let’s get into the ranking.

1. Jordan and Lindsay- I really think these two are in a great place right about now. I think his story this week will humanize him to all of the naysayers out there. His dance was absolutely incredible and Lindsay did a great job of telling his story. I really think he’s one of the more likable and relatable Disney stars that we’ve ever had on the show. Right now, I don’t think he’s struggling too much in terms of votes. And I don’t think the show has any reason to screw him over.

2. Lindsey and Mark- This dance was really great. The choreography was amazing and Lindsey’s quality of movement was gorgeous. It was like she was floating through the dance. I really thought she should have gotten a 28 at the very least. It was that good. Barring any sort of nutty judging and tinkering going on behind the scenes, I really doubt that our top 2 is going to be people other than Lindsey and Jordan. I’m just not sure who’s going to take the MBT home.

3. Drew and Emma- Emma made a really smart decision by doing a trio jive with Drew’s brother, Jonathan. I think it made them really stand out and it brought a different layer to Drew’s dance and story. He didn’t do it all by himself and I think bringing in his brother made the dance appeal to way more people. The dance itself was actually good. I was impressed with Drew and by what Jonathan was able to do (tbh I think Jonathan may be more of a natural mover than Drew is). It was good, I enjoyed it and this couple is really making people notice them. I like that.

4 (TIE). Frankie and Witney/Victoria and Val- So Frankie and Witney are really doing much better than I expected. Dancewise, he’s pretty darn solid. And he seems to be connecting to the general audience extremely well. At this point, I really feel like both he and Drew will be in the finals. Victoria is mostly here because of her score. I really feel like the judges went slightly overboard with that 27. While it was a decent dance, there were many technical issues. And they’re going to have to start calling her on it at some point. Because if they don’t people may cry foul. Especially since they did it with other contestants that had a disability about things that they really couldn’t control. I think she can make it far. But at this point, I’m not sure she’ll actually be in the finals. Because I don’t see folks rallying behind her like they did with Nyle, Noah and Amy. And part of that may be due to the fact that the show is only allowing her to be her circumstances and not the full fledged human beings with many other rich experiences outside of her illness and almost losing her life. I don’t want to discount that part, but I also want to acknowledge that there’s more to her than just that. If that makes any sense.

6. Terrell and Cheryl- Yep. These two are really showing themselves to be true contenders and not throw away contestants like the show may have hoped for. Terrell’s dance was actually really good. His frame looked great and his technique was much better than we’ve seen from him. As he is dancing truer to his size, he’s starting to loosen up and his dances look so good. And Cheryl is super smart. She’s definitely one of the best pros on this show and every time she comes back, we see exactly why she’s been so successful on this show. Give her her props. And also, give props to whoever told TO to shut up. Whoever they are, they need to know that they’re an angel. His demeanor the past two weeks has been so much better than the first two weeks. He’s actually kinda really cool, sweet and funny when he doesn’t speak too much.

7. Vanessa and Maks- This couple is here because I don’t think they like each other and I think the audience will be able to pick up on it. This sucks for Vanessa because I actually like her. And I wish she was partnered with Alan, because then she might have been able to make the finals. But at this point, unless the show decides to crank up the manipulation, I don’t see them getting close to the finale. I see them going out about the same exact time that Heather and Amber went out. And it sucks for Vanessa. As far as their actual dance went, it was alright. Vanessa had absolutely no hip action and the choreography from Maks was boring. But she did a good job with the dance and you really saw her emotions.

8. Nikki and Artem- I’m so glad Nikki had her breakthrough. This was the performance that she needed to let her know that it’s cool for her to let her guard down a bit. I really think she was finally able to move a lot more freely than she has in the past. I do think that she’s become expendable to the show at this though. And while I don’t think they’re going to really do much else to sabotage her, I don’t really think they’re going to do much to give her a helping hand either.

9. Nick and Peta- Oh how I wish these two were the ones to leave this week. I am so sick of seeing his awkward nondanicng self on my screen every single week. This contemporary was so blah and nothing about it was that good. Peta really seems like she’s grasping at straws to try and find moves that Nick can do that won’t make him look as awkward as he truly is. Because even though we see an awkward mover out there, Peta is doing a lot to lessen how awkward he is. And that’s baaaaaaddddd. I wish he was going to be the one leaving next week. But I think being in jeopardy for a second time will get people voting for him for one more week. After next week though, all bets are off and he’s on his own. And I don’t think he’s going to be able to make it much further.

10. Sasha and Gleb- These two are such a non event. Sasha is a decent dancer and could be really good. But I’m not sure what Gleb is doing. I don’t understand why he can’t choreograph interesting dances over here, that really show off his partners in a positive light. I mean it’s so bad that I forgot to keep watching these two dance on Monday. They started, I watched about 15 seconds and then I started looking at pictures on my phone. I don’t think her story will resonate with enough people to move them to vote for her. Heck I kinda forgot what was in her package. So with all of that said, I think these two will be leaving next week. It’s unfortunate that they’ll be gone before Nick is, but I won’t lose much sleep over it.

So yeah. Those are my rankings. Let me know your thoughts and I will talk to you all soon!