#and i like to think this begins to MAJORLY release michael from his role of wrath-bearer and back into his mercy

[muzzleroars]

Are we just gonna ignore the ticking time bomb which is the truth about Lucifer's fall (eventually) coming out? What would or why would it happen? Or would Uriel and the other old angels take that one to the grave?

lucifer's fall is a now complicated narrative - anything written in uriel's books on the matter is obviously false, fabricated as god directed him to do so, but the memories of the angels from that time have been repeatedly put into question, making it difficult for even those directly involved in the war to now say what happened in those days. compounding this is the simple fact that god is seen as infallible and so, therefor, as the end authority on what the truth really is. uriel doesn't have access to thoughts, but god does. to this end, if god tells them all the lucifer had designs to take over his throne, that he was scheming, jealous, wicked, it must be so. lucifer's words, his public stance against god, were nothing more than lip service - he is the father of lies and used deception to his ends. at first, it's difficult for those who knew him to believe even if god's word must be so. yet, as time goes on, as they forget lucifer, as they forget his boundless love and his endless passion, they begin to accept it, believe in it, and ultimately hold it as gospel. because of their closeness, the archangels do hold private reservations, with michael's being the worst and resulting in the manifestation of his dogmatic adherence to god, but otherwise...it is widely accepted and adopted as true, even for those who were a part of the war. unfortunately, hell has access to the testaments.

now the testaments. aren't that important to v1. the history of this place isn't of particular interest to it and it largely puts them out of its mind after quickly reading and filing them away. however, gabriel will ultimately have to reach a true point of reckoning and deconstruction of his faith - he has reflected on god's world and its falsehoods, in his fall he has reveled for a time in rebelling against it and everything he was under it, but once the turbulence slows, he needs to actually confront himself as an angel that has lost its faith in god. and i think during that time, with all its suffering, its hate, its grief, v1 directs him toward the testaments it nearly threw in its trash bin. he deserves to see the truth as god himself wrote it rather than be an abandoned child left guessing. and while they hold a myriad of hard truths for gabriel to process, the truth of lucifer is devastating. he questioned the existence of hell, he questioned the validity of its purpose, and for that he was cast out. because god didn't have an answer. when gabriel sifts through the haze of eons, digs under the story as told by god, pushes past the severe punishments they all endured under the guise of rooting out any more like lucifer (used, in no small part, to make them all hate him, to make it seem as though their agony was caused by lucifer instead of god), he can remember him in parts. it's so hard to undo the damage done, all the deception, punishments, and threats god used to make them all weapons against lucifer, but now as a fallen angel, gabriel is faithless just enough to find his way to his own real memories.

they aren't strong. they barely cling to the corners of his mind after so much battering. but he remembers what it felt like in lucifer's presence, the warmth and jubilation of his experience. he radiated love and his words poured forth that love, his brilliance shared with all that joined to him. the pieces are broken, but i think this, paired with working up his courage to actually seek lucifer out and seeing his fate, would set gabriel on a campaign to finally pull his memory out of the shit god callously cast it into and force heaven to really see who they still cleave to. he deserves that much, though he may be now warped beyond recognition like so many of the angels that fell with him. and while he can do little to fight for this directly, his main goal is to make his siblings see what he does. they will all be VERY resistant to his attempts, but it would likely be uriel who is the first to admit to falsehoods in this narrative - he's written enough edited content to know god directed him to lie in his histories, so he accepts it the easiest. the other two prove much more difficult - raphael wants little to do with the conversation and michael is incredibly volatile at the idea. and gabriel knows why. he understands it. raphael is kind, he is so gentle-hearted the truth is too terrible to swallow - and, selfishly, he wants peace and harmony. this would disrupt the comfort he and all of heaven has left, and his main directive is always, always to make things comfortable. michael is just as obvious, he has combated this in his own soul for all this time, tearing apart from the inside out over the idea that lucifer may not have deserved his awful punishment and how holding that belief made him some kind of apostate in his own mind. so any mention of it sends him into a rage, proclaiming his hatred for lucifer and condemning gabriel's own hell-twisted mind for contorting the truth so.

the only way they could be convinced is to read the testaments for themselves and be sure it is god's word (hard to deny i think, as i hc they are written in the language of heaven which nothing in hell can reproduce...and v1 must actually interpret it for gabriel, as the words burn his eyes and nauseate him, so could come from no infernal source) raphael recoils from it, retreating into prayer as though that could change the words in front of him. uriel is....resigned yet ashamed, like he always knew this to be true and feels his hand in perpetuating it for all this time. but in reality, michael's determination is the most important - he is still the prince of heaven regardless of his current state, and so is now their highest authority. and he sees the words. he sees himself. he sees all this has come to, the kingdom of god as the banner he carried and his broken little family gathered around him. in spite of themselves, they want him to say something. but god's word is his word. he reads it for what it is and michael, always so legal, always so literal, can interpret it only one way. he grasps at his scripture, yet the closest crime worthy of hell he can attribute it to, accusing the work of the holy spirit to be evil, hardly fits. he would be twisting canon's meaning and lucifer's words, as he only questioned. he just asked. it could be a sin to ask...but never a sin that couldn't be repented. the more he thinks on it in measured silence, the more he knows he's inserting ambiguity where there is none. god transposed his guilt onto lucifer, knowing it was wrong. and michael can't go against the word of god.

he will determine with raphael and uriel how best to tell heaven. and he will finally undo his chains

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a large fortune and a strong jaw must Batman.

My Personal Ranking of the live action Batman incarnations based on their Jawlines.

No. 9

Lewis Wilson - Batman [Theatrical Serial] (1943)

Lewis Wilson was, of course the first on-screen portrayal of the Caped Crusader, so there's something that must be said for that, regardless of the fact that his story has little to do with the comics and his dialogue, being written in the middle of WWII was inevitably cringe regarding the Japanese villain of the story. War time propaganda notwithstanding, this serial did introduce many aspects of now standard Batman lore which were canonized in the comics following its release, such as the Batcave, and the characterization of Alfred we know and love.

But I'm not here to talk about any of that. I'm here to talk about Lewis Wilson's jaw. At the time his casting was praised for accuracy, even if his performance was found wanting. He looked like Bruce Wayne-- but for my money he just didn't have much going for him where it mattered. Since the jaw is the only exposed area of Batman's face, it counts for it to be distinctive and Wilson's just isn't.

No. 8

Robert Lowery - The New Adventures of Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder [Theatrical Serial] (1949)

Budget wise Robert Lowery got the short end of the stick when he literally took up the mantle from Lewis Wilson for the 1949 sequel serial, but he did benefit from a major reduction in the racial slurs in his script.

Jaw wise, Lowery isnt much of an improvement on Wilson. It was incredibly difficult for me to find a good picture but I'm willing to give lowery the edge.

No. 7

Christian Bale - Batman Begins (2005), The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

To be honest this is the only thing that's always majorly bothered me about Christian Bale's Batman. Perhaps the narrowness of his chin was why they felt the need to overcompensate so hard with the Batman Voice.

No. 6

Michael Keaton - Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992)

I love Michael Keaton. He's one of the broodier Bruce's, but he manages to carry that bit of whimsy that sets this Era apart. Crazy to think that these films were the first dark on-screen take on Batman when you compare it with the modern dark and gritty obsession.

Keaton's jaw isn't the strongest but like the movies and his performance you have to give credit where credit is due--it is distinctive.

No. 5

Ben Affleck - Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), The Justice League (2017)

I've never seen either of these films, so I can't pass judgment on Ben Affleck's turn in the role, but then I've always considered Justice League Batman sort of different to regular Gotham flavored Batman, so I don't hold him to the same standards. Except in one area.

Not gonna lie, that's a formidable chin. He's got the dimple and everything. The rest of the actual JAW leaves more to be desired though, but we're definitely getting there.

No. 4

George Clooney - Batman & Robin (1997)

I'm not a George Clooney fan in general. Quite apart from the hatefulness of this movie (and I DO hate it SO very much, for its wasted potential more than anything), I didn't really care for Clooney IN it. Perhaps it's because he's George Clooney (TM) but I find his range of performance very, very limited. Although he had some excellent scenes with Alfred, the writing everywhere else was not helping him, at all.

The one area where he can't be faulted, is of course the one I'm here to discuss. Now, No. 4 is pretty low, all things considered for a chin as renowned and impressive as Clooney's, but he is so low because that's not Bruce Wayne's jaw: it's George Clooney's.

No. 3

Val Kilmer - Batman Forever (1995)

Now here's where we get into some real quality. What? No my love for Val Kilmer as Bruce Wayne didn't influence my ranking. Perish the thought. Though I will say he did end up landing higher on this list than I thought he would.

What I really like about Kilmer's jaw is the clean lines. No distinct dimple on the chin, but that's made up for by the straight cut of the jaw as a whole. It's a bit softer, (and so, so pretty), but very reminiscent of Adam West. Which makes sense, given the influence the 60's TV show had on Batman Forever.

No. 2

Adam West - Batman (1966-1968)

Speaking of straight cut jaws, get a look at that. Adam West's legacy looms heavily over every subsequent Batman, and I think that's with good reason. The mandible knows no distinctions in tone, it is a constant so no matter how far removed your Bruce Wayne is from the Camp and Circumstance of 1966, there's one standard by which all Batmen can be judged, and that my friends is the square cut gem pictured above.

No. 1

Robert Pattinson - The BATMAN (2022)

One that certainly measures up to that standard, in my opinion THE ONE that even surpasses it, is Robert Pattinson's recent outing in the famous cape and cowl. Everything here is running in Battinson's favor: his cowl is the only one designed to give full exposure from corner to corner and I would like to kiss the costume designer because there's so much to be displayed here. What angles! Really God gave us a gift when he was sketching out RPatts. We've got the prominent chin, with dimple but not one deep enough to distract from the sharp angles of that jawline. If I was Selina Kyle I'd be afraid of cutting my hand.

[dustydreamsanddirtyscars]

“Shaving People, Punting Things”-Promo for the 2nd Half of Season 13 “Siamo Tornati” a.k.a. “We’re back!”

Alright, like always when something new is released, I am fast asleep halfway around the world. So of course I am late to the party and no one needs another post on any of this, but here I go anyway… ;P Just wanted to briefly touch on the aspects I found interesting in this little snippet - though of course we know the episodes always drastically change in tone to these promos the show puts out. Still… there may be one thing or another that could be a sneak peek into something possibly more interesting.

Of course most of this seems to be centered around the spin off given most of the shots feature the cast of Wayward, the bits that I find most interesting however I feel may be more part of the overall bigger arc of “Supernatural” and the story of the Winchesters - saying it again, I wished the show would put as much effort into its look, the locations and shots and darkness at all times and not just for the spin off episodes, because in quality those differed quite a bit to most other episodes written under Dabb as showrunner.

But I’m going to stop ranting and just briefly, bullet style mention which moments spark thoughts:

1) Fire in the bunker: Or at least I assume it’s a door in the bunker since it looks so much like the one to Dean’s room which was featured with the long shot in 9x14 “Captives”. Will be interesting to find out how that one plays out. I have mused many a times about the bunker possibly (needing) to burn down in order for the show to progress further and for the Winchesters to “move on” literally - after all so much devastating stuff happened in these four walls. So yeah, colour me curious on that one and if someone puts the bunker on fire on purpose (maybe Lucifer who can’t get to his son hiding out there? or maybe Jack accidentally lights it up?)

2) Red boots and red hexbags: I adore that shot just for the visual alone. I suppose it could mark the re-introduction of Rowena? Or maybe even Sister Jo (definitely loved that shot of Danneel as well - I am not sure but it could either be Jack or Mary, rather thinking the latter behind her in the frame).

3) Castiel’s smile and Bobby’s weary eyes: I don’t know about you, but Castiel’s smile kind of gives me goosebumps, because we have not seen Cas smile like that in a long time, so immediately I think that this may not be Cas. Then again, I could see Cas smiling about and feeling delighted about the fact that Lucifer is locked up and can’t get to Jack. In relation to Bobby there ain’t much to say since you really can’t take away much from one close up, but still to me it feels like Otherworld!Bobby may “remember” something from another life…

4) The guy at the truck stop: This fella could be anyone of course, but I think the show has used him before. And I feel vaguely reminded of the guy who prays to “God” in Season 5 when Dean tells him he can call Michael down. Plus: Cliché look wise one could associate the looks of the guy with how Jesus is depicted often times, but that may be accidental - then again it would not be completely  surprising if the show decided to actually bring Christ into play. Though I have to admit I think I would not be a huge fan of that since the show has worked so cleverly with Team Free Will all at times filling the role of christ. So in that regard to me there is no need to introduce “Jesus”.

5) The “Bad Place”-Traveler and a Knockout: It seems to me that when Sam and Dean return from Jurassic World, they may bring back someone from that world and just sound wise that being reminds me majorly of the “Chitters” in S11. The way they moved, the clicking sounds… I don’t know it just gave me similar vibes - though of course the chitters had green and not red eyes. That episode back then to me always also alluded to so much more - the whole aspect of a new species and something “dark with wings hatching” could be re-introduced. I suspect though that if the show wanted to tie the beginning of the season into it they could retcon the shedim maybe living in that world… I guess we’ll see. My gut feeling still tells me that that traveler is somehow connected to Kaia and serves as her “shadow self” and with that works as a parallel to Dean’s MoC arc, which was paralleled to Kaia in the mid season finale (as talked about here and here). Plus, I feel like the fist through the door and Dean punching Sam (he somehow doesn’t look like he may be the one calling the shots there, but it’s hard to tell in those milliseconds) both loosely call back to the MoC arc as well.

6) The one with the head hanging down: This shot to me feels like it is played about to be one of the most integral aspects of the second half, but I could be entirely wrong. In any case it sems whoever that is has been locked up for quite a while. Just hair wise one could assume Aesmodeus, but I don’t think that’s the case. Hair and clothing wise I personally had to immediately think of Gavin McLeod, but that is unlikely as well. Then I wondered about the truck stop guy and whether he may be the one Donna tells to “not lie to God” and then I had to also think of Metatron. I guess it will be none of any of those options lol, but most sense would possibly make the truck stop guy. Personally, what I would find to be most compelling and which I guess isn’t ever going to be the case, is if they finally introduced normal SPN-universe’s Michael and that would be him…

So yeah, that’s about ir. Like I said, no one needs another post on it. Sorry!!! Therefore last but not least, Dean’s ending line. I’m sure it’s entirely meant to be taken in relation to the episode it’s in, still I personally have felt for a while that SPN may have 1 and half seasons left at most…