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kingbabysitter · 2 years

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steve rambles about s4 p1

here are my live thoughts through my first watch through; there will likely be more. spoilers (obviously), read at your own risk (also forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes, as i am writing this i am currently bouncing off of the walls because of this damn show)

GOD THIS SEASON!!! i know people are pretty divided on it, but i LOVED it so far. i’m a bit worried where it’s going to go during part 2 - namely with will and mike, jonathan and nancy, and i’m becoming so protective over dustin, max, lucas, (and erica!!) so far. i have to admit - as someone who never cries at movies/tv shows, this season got me choked up more than i’d like to admit, namely during max’s scene w/ vecna in the upside down, the battle against the demogorgon in russia, jopper reunion, and the possibility of nance getting hurt (i’m normal and i have normal thoughts).

in terms of storyline, i was a bit confused why we didn’t see the cali gang at all after like. the middle of episode 6 or something. i hope we get to see them soon in part 2. i really liked the russia plot, i found that the beginning of the joyce/murray plot was a little boring but GOD as a dynamic they work really well together and i’m so glad that murray is a “main” character this season. i am loving robin as always - she was definitely written for gay band/theatre kids and it shows (good thing.) “i have a hard time with social cues,” oh robin the platonic (capital P!) love of my life and worst best friend ever.

speaking of loves of my life, i LOVED the characterization and relationships this season. it was great to be back with nancy (although, i do NOT think it should be romantic), lucas and max made me sob, suzie’s siblings, especially eden, are hilarious and i loved that feeling of a chaotic house full of kids, argyle and jonathan are my two new favorite stoners, joyce and murray are unlikely best friends!, and, of course, hopper and enzo being “friends” (as much as you can be in a prison where you cannot trust eachother) was really awesome to see too.

wasn’t a big fan of jason’s gang/the basketball squad.. i think they were good to move the plot along and i think jason seeing patrick Die was an important aspect, but they were kind of just.. dropped after that? i’m not sure if they’re going to make an appearance in part 2 or if they’re mostly going to stay in the background. i’m going to be 100% honest with you guys (sorry steddie fans) i did NOT like eddie in the beginning. i was worried he was just going to be some edgy stereotype that was kind of a shitbag to everyone but the fandom loved him anyway. now i can see he is just Mentally Ill and has been treated like SHIT by society. he reminds me a LOT of myself when i was younger, i resented anyone who was popular/rich/etc because i had been treated so poorly by them so i completely empathize with him on that front. i’m going to be honest i’m still not sure why he couldn’t move his game to another day; i’ve DMed before (and have been in a decent handful of campaigns) and as long as you have the prep time and plot [at least semi-]planned out (it seems like he does!) you usually don’t need a set date. i’m not saying his reaction wasn’t justified (and i love getting more erica screentime!!) but it just felt like the stakes weren’t as high as the basketball game. tl;dr - pre-chrissy death eddie i was ehh on, after-chrissy death eddie? i think he’s Neat. :-)

favorite duo this season (so far) HAS to be nancy and robin. i am so happy for nancy to have a good friend again after barb. they both deserve the WORLD

the twist with 001. OUGH. i got the fact that 001 was vecna spoiled to me, and during the beginning of the finale i started putting two and two together (who 001 was), so i knew what was going to happen to him (which sucks, by the way - i really wish i could’ve been caught off guard, there were a lot of twists at the end that i had spoiled for me unfortunately! please remember to tag your stuff correctly!

very glad that everyone is sort of having a more equal amount of screen-time. i was pretty pissed last season especially since i felt like they really pushed jonathan and nancy aside... the fandom sure has!! regardless, i think that they incorporated the new characters pretty well too, it was definitely a LOT at the beginning but given that the kids were going to two different NEW schools it made sense. (i’m also kind of glad that el didn’t really do anything with the other kids at the lab and 002 was the real only person who we had to keep track of... so many faces in that lab!!) finally, i want to shed light on dr. owens... i love morally grey characters like him, i think he is supposed to be one of those “good people who have done terrible things,” and dr. brenner’s message really applies to him (not dr. brenner though. fuck that guy). you can tell his heart is in the TRYING to be in right place but he’s definitely still corrupt and is working with the man who is testing on literal children and giving them severe trauma. so, once again, morally grey.

my biggest questions for part 2 are: - why are we stuck in 1983 in the upside down? (my first idea was that’s when the gate was opened, but that doesn’t make any sense given the timeline of season 1.) barb died on november 8th, not the 6th, so i don’t think it was vecna trying to mess with nancy’s head.

- what the FUCK did will paint.

- how is everyone’s relationship with eachother going to develop?? i’m loving the characterization this season!

- not a question but i need to see what happens to jonathan and nancy please please please please. i have SO many theories about the love triangle i don’t know how much longer i can wait

- where is vickie? duffer brothers Answer Me. c’mon.

#steve's thoughts #stranger things spoilers #stranger things season 4 spoilers #stranger things #stranger things season 4 #s4

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out-of-context-batfam · 3 years

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Robin 80th Anniversary 100 Page Spectacular

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dumbkiri · 4 years

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Fate Changes Final

Parts: [1, 2, 3, 4 ,5, Here ]

Summary: Not every star-crossed couple has to have a tragedy end like Romeo and Juliet. The end of [Name]’s note proves that.

Pairing: Jason Todd x Female! Reader

Genre: Fluff? Slight angst?

Word Count: 2.1 k, 6 pages (pretty short)

Warning(s): NONE..for once lol

A few days later…

“I get why you’re doing it,” Dick walked up from behind [Name], staring up at her Batsuit in a glass enclosure, “although, I will miss you on the field. Nobody really fights like you do.

”[Name] scoffed with a smirk on her face, “Do you ever get bored of complimenting people? Is that a skill others can acquire? I’m very interested.” She turns around with her arms crossed over her chest. Her [e.color] eyes had lost their color. Dick would describe it as a thin film of sadness covering her bright [e.color] hues.

“If you are interested, I can give you lessons on how to ‘woo’ people.” Dick placed his hands on his hips and smiled down at [Name].

“Now that you mentioned it, I’m not a simp,” [Name] laughed at Dick’s funny reaction. Her childish laughter echoed in the cold Batcave.

“I’ll ignore that for now,” Dick’s smile faded away when he redirected his gaze to the enclosure. He never imagined that she would retire from being Batgirl. She didn’t stop fighting crime when Jason died. His death only fueled her. Even after death, Jason was still her motivation. “So what’re you going to do now?”

[Name] sighed and uncrossed her arms and followed Dick’s own pose. She leaned on one leg and rubbed the back of her neck tiredly, “Actually, that’s what I was going to discuss with you guys.”

Dick awaited her response in anticipation.

“I, uh, got a job as a kindergarten teacher, it’s something I always dreamed of-- well at least, w--when...whatever I don’t have to explain. This is embarrassing enough for me.” [Name] stopped sputtering and ignored the incredulous look she was receiving from her best friend.

“I can’t believe it!” Dick exclaimed and hunched over from laughter. He held his sides and his body shook with happiness. He straightened up and noticed the deathly glare from the female. He wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and breathed out, “Wow! The Brave Cardinal is now a kindergarten teacher? I just can’t believe you go from fighting thugs to caring for younglings.”

[Name] turned her back on Dick and huffed, “Laugh it up, but I want to live a normal life.”

She faced him with a determined look and pointed at herself with a newfound confidence, “I am going to live a normal life and have a normal job. I’ll start a normal family and have normal problems. If I want that then I need to retire being Batgirl.”[Name]’s eyes connected with Dick’s, “And I hope you guys, are fine with that?”

Dick smiled at [Name] with kindness and with hope, “Of course, all that we ask of you is give us a visit from time to time. Alfred would love some normalcy in his life.”

“I can manage that,” [Name] giggled and raised her arm up, her hand in a fist. Dick formed his hand into a fist as well and they both bumped their closed hands together,

“See you soon, Dick Grayson.”

“See you soon, [Name] [L.Name].”

Three Years Later…

Bruce held the bundle of joy carefully in his arms. He stared at the baby girl with wide eyes as his arms adjusted to a comfortable position. Then he looked up at the mother of the child.

“Why are you staring at me like that? It’s embarrassing…” [Name] looked away from Bruce with a blush. Her hands fumbling with each other.

Dick jumped up in excitement while Tim choked on his coffee when they saw The Bruce Wayne holding a child no older than two years old. Dick ran over to Bruce with the biggest smile on his face. He reached out to the baby girl, but Bruce pulled away.

“Dick, I just got the chance to hold her,” Bruce muttered.

Dick’s shoulders slumped and he backed away to give [Name] a bone crushing hug. He lifted her off the floor and spun her around. The two of them laughed at the happy situation. Dick finally set [Name] down and asked his questions. “This was the surprise?! How come you didn’t tell us sooner? Where is Henry, I thought he was going to be here too?”

[Name] chuckled, “Henry had some business with his employees and told me to introduce you all to the new family member.” Her [e.color] eyes looked over to her baby girl. Alfred was helping Tim hold the baby, but Tim was stiff as a statue.

[Name] looked back at Dick and announced loud enough for everyone to hear, “Her name is [D.Name] Martha Davis. We had trouble with her middle name, but then we thought of Bruce."

The older woman looked at her mentor with a kind smile, "Henry and I wouldn't have met if you didn't introduce us together. We are so grateful that you did because you guys granted my wish."

"And what was that?" Tim asked, holding on [D.Name] carefully. He was lolling her to sleep without even noticing it.

[D.Name]'s [e.color] eyes watched her mother with a certain shine in them. Her [h.color] hair was fluffy and short. People said she was the spitting image of [Name] and the mother couldn't deny.

[Name] placed her hands on her hips and walked closer to her family, "A normal life."

……

There's so many things I want to say to you. So many apologies. So many acceptances. I know that moving out of Gotham was something unexpected for you and I knew the news devastated you. I was also feeling the same way.

We never really got the chance to love each other right. I think we missed those chances. But I'll never forget the fleeting moments between us. They were nice while they lasted, right?

I missed that Christmas night when Bruce held an event at the manor. You had to attend because you were his ward and you invited me as your date. Everyone was dancing and I remember when you walked up to me with that goofy smile on your face. You asked me if I wanted to dance with you. I declined and your smile just disappeared.

So later that night before I left the manor, I went into your room to surprise you. I hope you remember this night as much as I do. You opened your door and oh god, you were so surprised. I still remember that funny look on your face. Makes me laugh every time I think about it.

I asked you if you wanted to dance with me and you happily agreed. You didn't hesitate at all. So you started up the music on your favorite station and what would be our song, Fly Me to The Moon, played. You held me so close that I could smell the faint cologne you had put on earlier. You smelled like chocolate and mint.

I know you did because all you ate at the party was chocolate and the mint? I still have no idea why mint. We danced almost all night and I ended up staying the night. You let me sleep in your bed even though there were plenty of other guests rooms. You just wouldn't let me go and I wasn't complaining.

That's when I found out you were Robin and Bruce was Batman. Then for some reason, there was a push. Like someone was telling me to join you two. Fight the bad guys. Bring justice. Enforce fear. You two were the dynamic duo in my eyes. You had this incredible chemistry that I longed for with somebody. That I wanted in a family.

So I ended up being Batgirl. Those were the days. Fighting crime with Batman and Robin. I thought I was dreaming for some time. But once I got a punch to my face, I knew the pain was real. That I wasn't dreaming.

You protected me on those patrols. You fought for me. You took bullets for me. Knife wounds. Bruises. You did everything in your power to make sure I was safe. That I would come back.

I wished I did the same for you. I wasn't there for you in your time of need. I didn't read your letters for weeks because my life in Metropolis was so consuming. I didn't do what you did for me. My guilt consumed me so much that I forgot how to be me.

I returned to Gotham, but like you said I was too late. I came into the manor with my belongings and Alfred told me Bruce was searching for you. That you ran away to go kill Joker. I waited all night in the living quarters for you to come back home. Bruce returned with nothing. He couldn't find you.

Then we got a video. I never felt so disgusted with myself. I never felt so hurt watching you be near that maniac. Joker, he was all fun and games. He brainwashed you till the point where you were going to tell him who Batman was.

I jumped at the sound of the gunshot. I cried at the sound of your body dropping. I fell to my knees at the sound of Joker laughing.

My heart broke so much that it was beyond repair. I did what I did best after your death. I took out all my anger and frustration on the vermin in Gotham. I took out all my shame and guilt on me. I was keeping watch on Harvey Dent one night and I got a call from Alfred. He was speaking so fast that I couldn't understand him.

All I got in that sentence was Joker, your name, kill and Batman. Our mentor was going to kill Joker. I sat on the roof for a minute thinking, 'Finally, finally Batman is getting rid of the stupid clown.' He deserved to die. The Joker was nothing, but the darkness in Gotham City. But then I came back to my senses.

I know, you hate him. You have a damn good reason to. I hate him as well, but we can't dictate who dies and when. We don't have the authority to plan or think how a person should die. So I ran.

I ran. I jumped. I rolled. I stopped.

Batman had Joker in his hands. A tight grip on his neck and if Bruce squeezed any harder, he would have killed the deranged clown. I watched on scared. The man who taught us the one important rule was going to break it. He was going to break the rule.

"We are no better than them!"

That's what I shouted. That's what got Bruce to release Joker. I was relieved that I stopped him from crossing that line. Because once you do, you can't ever go back.

I'm sure you heard that Joker died. It wasn't a gruesome death, no. It was a sickness that got him. And I think it's ironic. Joker was a plague in Gotham City. And he died from an illness. He died.

I lived on for months always dreaming of you. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw you. You were my everything. You were my protector. You were my Romeo. And I was your Juliet.

Our paths have never touched. Yes, we held hands. We kissed. We hugged. But we never were on the same page. And that is what breaks my heart. We were star-crossed lovers.

Joker was the one to separate us. He was our outside force. Another reason why I hate him so much. He took you away from me.

But our love doesn't have to end. Our story doesn't have to end like Romeo and Juliet. I'm not saying we can be lovers. I already said we missed those chances. But what I am saying is that we can still be in each other's lives.

And I want you to meet somebody. It's been a long time since we last talked. It's been three years? I heard from Dick that you're coming around lately which is great. I often come back to the manor as well.

I live in Gotham now, close by Wayne Manor for various reasons. The main reason was because of my daughter. She's two years old and if you saw her, is basically, she's the spitting image of me. I want you to meet her.

It sounds selfish. I know. But you're still a part of my family. You will always be a part of my family.

I want you to know I love you, Jason Todd. I'll always love you no matter what. And in an alternate universe, I hope that our fate changes.

Your Juliet, [Name] Davis

------

“Hey can you slow down a bit? It’s difficult to run in a dress!”

“I told you that we were going outside! It’s not my fault you don’t listen!”

A teenage girl huffed after the male in front of her. His midnight black hair soaking in the sun. His red shirt and black pants showing off his built body. She watched as he stepped over a creek with ease and he turned around just in time to help her hop over it.

He held her hand gently and smiled at her, “The dress does look good on you though.”

[Name] blushed and lost her footing. Her body ended up bumping into the boy and they fell onto the flower bed. “Oh, Jason! I’m so sorry about that! These shoes aren’t good with grip and-”

“My god, [Name], do you talk this much when you’re this flustered?” Jason chuckled and reached a tentative hand toward her face. She leaned into his palm and sighed in content while he stared at her.

“Jason, what are you thinking about?” [Name] questioned staring at the male with worried [e.color] eyes. She adjusted her body on top of him where she sat on his lap still facing him.

The teenage boy sat up with his hand remaining on her delicate face. His blue eyes reflected the bright blue sky. “I just, I’m glad we’re together. I was afraid that you’d reject me and that your parents would refuse my courting toward you.”

[Name] grabbed his hand and traced circles on his palm. “Yeah, I’m glad too. I don’t know what I would do if we didn’t have each other.”

Jason smiled and whispered, “I love you, [Name].”

She heard his words and stared at him with wide eyes. Then she made the first move. She moved forward and pressed her lips against his own soft ones. [Name] pulled away and noticed the pink tint on his cheeks.

“Can we do that again?” Jason asked and before he could get another kiss, [Name] stood up and brushed her dress. Then she started running toward the castle where Jason was crowned prince.

“Only if you can catch me, your majesty!” [Name] laughed running ahead.

Jason had this familiar goofy smile on his face and he jumped to his feet. He proclaimed, “Oh I will and when I do, you won’t regret it!”

And in an alternate universe, I hope that our fate changes.

......

TAGGED Fated Changers: @anotherfan07 @httpfandxms @greyxdaze @zalladane @iwriteaboutstuff @cutiepoo16 @kaylinfayezink @thescottpack @izzieg3987 @loxbbg @seymoourr @terralupa @backstagepaige @downtownbabyyeah @http-used-eraser @laggyphone @osejn @realityshifter111 @ishanequa @ryryryleigh @fvckthebatboys

#Jason Todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd imagine #alternate universe #dc #dc universe #dceu #arkham knight #x reader #red hood #red hood x reader #red hood imagine #batfam imagine #fate changes #ending

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preciousthingsareprecious · 4 years

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Hey, not to be a bother but my little brother's (9th) birthday is coming up and I want to get him a comic book or a graphic novel. But i have know idea where to start or what's any good do you have any suggestions? Totally cool if you don't.

It’s no bother to me at all! I love doing recommendation lists and as it so happens, I’ve been reading quite a few titles for younger readers lately as a part of my side job.

There are a lot of great comics/graphic novels out there for kids and young adults, meaning this list is in no way comprehensive. I’ve picked out books I’ve read myself and enjoyed, and I tried to mix it up a little bit in reading level and style because reading is not always one size fits all.

I broke the list down by comics and graphic novels and stuck to DC related titles, but if you’d like a list of things outside DC that I’ve found enjoyable shoot me another ask and I’ll compile one (it won’t be as long because most of my outside DC reading isn’t geared towards younger readers). I also linked each title to it’s DC Comics page where you can find summaries, covers, and options for ordering (but your LCS is probably still open and right now is a great time to order from them so give them a call).

Trades

Super Sons- This is always going to be first on my list of suggestions. Superboy and Robin having adventures? It’s a great story for anyone, but it’s content is safe for younger audiences to thoroughly enjoy. There’s a few books in this series, and it’s followed up by Adventures of the Super Sons, so if you want to pick something that has a lot of content this is a good choice.

Batman Adventures- These are drawn in the style of Batman the Animated series and follow the same characters, but the stories are just about all new. It’s been collected into 4 volumes, so it’s another series with quite a bit of content!

Batman & Robin Adventures- Same as above only now with added Robin! If you’re looking for something that follows the Dynamic Duo on their adventures look no further. There are three volumes of this series.

Batman: Li’l Gotham- Li’l Gotham is one of my favorite comics of all time. It’s a collection of stories that follows the Batfamily and various villains in short collected stories. It’s light, humorous, and generally a lot of fun. This series has two volumes.

Batman / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures- Listen, do I even need to sell you on this book? It’s Batman. It’s TMNT. It’s amazing.

It follows Batman, Robin, and Batgirl as they deal with mysterious Arkham breakouts and mysterious Ninja Turtles who’ve appeared. Just as a note, this isn’t Batman vs TMNT by Tynion (which is good, but I wouldn’t categorize as kid friendly). This series stands alone, so it’s good if you want to pick something that’s not going to require an investment to finish.

Graphic Novels

Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime- I could go on and on about how good this book is. It’s by the same creators who worked on Li’l Gotham, though it’s not a sequel. It’s a collection of 4 stories that put the Batfam in the middle of fairy tales. You’ve got Robin mixed up in Pinocchio, The rogues gallery spinning wild tales, Alfred in Wonderland, and Batman dealing with the Snow Queen. 10/10 this is a good read.

Batman: Overdrive- This is a re-imagining of Bruce Wayne’s younger days. Bruce is 15 going on ready to drive everything in sight and on the hunt to find out who killed his parents. Does he don a home made Bat costume? Yes. Does he partner up with a young Catwoman? Also yes. Is he angsty and dealing with trauma? Three for three. It’s a fun story, with a lot of action,and a ton of car talk/fixing/driving/just a lot of cars (I mean it is called Overdrive).

Shadow of the Batgirl- Listen? This book? It’s great and it’ll go on all my recommendations of books for young readers. It does the best job of any of the Ink or Zoom books of re-telling a character’s backstory for younger readers. The essence of Cass is still very much here, as she runs away from her dad who wants her to kill, and moves into a library where she finds friends, learns to read, and decides her own destiny.

The Lost Carnival: A Dick Grayson Story- Technically this book is out on May 5th, so it might be out a little late for you to order. This story features a teenaged Dick Grayson still working at the carnival with his parents. He’s a bit of a hothead and a showoff, but he’s got a good heart and a whole lot of curiosity as he explores a rival carnival that’s taking all of Haley’s business. It’s a fun, enjoyable read that’s got action, mystery, and a hint of magic.

Zatanna and the House of Secrets- Last but not least! I wanted to include this in case you’re looking for something with a magical element. The story follows a young Zatanna as she has to rescue her dad from a house full of magic! She partners up with Klarion the Witch Boy as they navigate the twists and turns of a house that is often upside down. I walked away from this book grinning, it’s cute and quite a bit of fun.

#Comics #Precious answers #rec list #comics rec list #I did read Lost Carnival! I got an advanced copy through my super secret librarian ways #I hope this helps!

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cocastyle · 4 years

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Silver Cat

Pairing - Steve Harrington x platonic!reader

Word Count - 4,730

A/N - just some cute Steve and Y/N dynamic duo going on :) my requests are still open, so you are welcome to message me if you would like something written! I write for so many different fandoms and there are some that I haven’t even written for yet that I plan on writing for so just let me know which fandom it is and I will let you know if I write for them :) I hope you all enjoy!

Request - hey if youre taking requests do u mind doing a y/n Fic where she’s part of the scoops troop in s3 and she helps them w the russian codes and stuff (with a lil platonic!steve and reader)? @the-story-of-the-tucks

"Have a nice day," Robin Buckley muttered as she stuck her stiff arms out to the couple in front of her, two ice cream cones in her hands.

The couple quickly grabbed the ice cream, ignoring the look of pure boredom on Robin's face before the girl exclaimed happily, "Thank you!" Robin just gave them a forced smile in response.

The couple moved out of the way to reveal the smiling face of a young boy, his curly hair sticking out from underneath his hat while his smile was so wide that Robin couldn't help but wonder if it hurt his face. "Hi!" the boy said excitedly.

Robin perked up slightly, raising an eyebrow in curiosity as she said back, "Hi."

"I'm Dustin," the boy told her as if it would answer all of her questions.

Robin just looked at the boy in amusement and confusion before replying, "I'm Robin."

"Pleasure to meet you," Dustin smiled. "Uh, is—is he here?"

"Is who here?" Robin questioned, her amusement fading as she gave the boy a look of pure confusion.

At that moment the back door to Scoops Ahoy shot open and Robin let out a small sigh as she realized who Dustin was talking about. "Henderson!" Steve Harrington excitedly exclaimed, the two boys instantly laughing in joy as Steve came bounding over to Dustin.

"Henderson! He's back! He's back!" Steve exclaimed, excited to finally see his young friend who had been away at camp for so long.

"I'm back!" Dustin confirmed, earning a huge grin from Steve. "You got the job!"

"I got the job!" Steve said before imitating a trumpet and rushing the rest of the way over to Dustin. Robin raised both eyebrows in amusement as she watched the two boys perform what must have been their handshake which ended with a lightsaber battle and Steve bleeding his guts out everywhere before the two laughed. Robin was about to question the older boy about Dustin when a voice broke out from the front of the store.

"Shit, is that you, Harrington?" a voice called out, amusement evident in their voice.

All three quickly turned to look at where the voice was coming from to see a young girl around Dustin's age standing at the front of the store, a fresh set of white converse on her feet, mom jeans, a yellow shirt and a denim jacket tossed lazily over one shoulder. The girl popped a piece of chewing gum and Robin chuckled, already liking the girl despite not even knowing her.

"Y/N L/N, well shit," Steve muttered, the two staring at each other in silence before breaking out into grins and running over to each other. Y/N was in the older boy's arms within a matter of seconds and Steve instantly spun her around, laughter escaping both of their lips as they hugged each other for the first time in weeks.

"Woah, how come I didn't get a welcome like that?" Dustin complained while Steve set the young girl back on the ground.

"When you've know each other as long as we have, you're bound to get a welcoming like ours," Y/N explained before she glanced over at her friend with a smile. "Besides, don't act like I didn't flip my shit when you got back yesterday."

Dustin chuckled and shook his head at the girl, memories of how Y/N had literally screamed before tackling the boy to the ground in a hug flashing through his head. Both of the teens had been away at camp for the past couple of weeks—Dustin having attended a science camp while Y/N went to a big music camp—so they had missed each other immensely.

Both had wanted nothing more than the get back home and reunite with their friends, but so far their friends had ditched them and left them to dry pretty much. That left just Dustin and Y/N and the two had decided to go see Steve that day after Dustin had mentioned needing to tell them both something. However, Y/N had to stop by the restroom before going to Scoops which was why Dustin had arrived before her.

"How many children are you friends with?" Robin suddenly asked, breaking the three from their thoughts and thus making them turn to look at the older girl who was looking at Steve in amusement.

Y/N chuckled softly and Steve sent her a small glare before he looked between Dustin and Y/N and then gestured towards Robin as if that was all the explaining he had to do.

This only made Y/N laugh louder and Steve rolled his eyes playfully before grabbing the girl and giving her a noogie which only ended up making the two laugh while Dustin and Robin watched the two interact in amusement.

Yeah, it was definitely good to be home.

- - -

"No, no. No way," Y/N muttered as she shook her head, shoveling some more ice cream into her mouth as she glanced up at her curly haired friend.

"Hotter than Phoebe Cates?" Steve questioned, his eyes showing Dustin his disbelief. The boy quickly shook his head and leaned back besides Y/N his arm around the seat behind her. "No."

"Mm-hmm," Dustin hummed. "Brilliant, too. And she doesn't even care that my real pearls are still coming in. She says kissing is better without teeth."

Y/N and Steve both scrunched up their noses in disgust and glanced at each other while Dustin wasn't looking. Y/N then just let out a small sigh of disbelief and ate another spoonful of ice cream, leaving Steve to deal with Dustin.

"Wow. Yeah, that's great," Steve managed to get out. "Proud of you, man. That's so—that's kinda romantic. That's like wow."

Dustin just smiled in response and Y/N and Steve shared another look before quickly looking towards the boy who had began to talk. "Hm. So do you really just get to eat as much of this as you want?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah. I mean, sure. It's not really a good idea for me, though. I gotta keep in shape for the ladies," Steve told them while Y/N raised an eyebrow at the older boy.

"Yeah, and how's that working out for you?" Robin called our earning a giggle from Y/N while Steve looked to his coworker in annoyance.

"I like her," Y/N said as she smiled in Robin's direction.

Steve gave them young girl a pointed look before saying, "Ignore her,"

"She seems cool," Dustin argued.

"She's not," Steve muttered quickly. "So, where are the other knuckleheads?"

Y/N huffed at that before sticking her spoon into her ice cream sundae and looking to Steve. "They ditched us yesterday," she said, a pissed off expression on her face as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"No," Steve said in disbelief.

"Yeah, our first day back. Can you believe that shit?" Dustin asked while Y/N let out another huff and leaned against the curly haired boy's shoulder.

"Whoa. Seriously?" Steve questioned.

"I swear to God," Y/N frowned, thinking of how the group had all welcomed her home with open arms before ditching her at home.

Dustin noticed the girl's long face and used his free hand to pat the top of head that was leaning on his shoulder. "They're gonna regret it, though, big time, when they don't get to share in our glory," Dustin assured the two.

"Glory? What glory?" Steve asked, his eyes flickering between the two before stopping on Y/N who merely shrugged in response, not knowing what Dustin was talking about.

"So, last night, we're trying to get in contact with Suzie-" Dustin began as he scooted closed to the two, leaning in slightly as he began to lower his voice. "And uh-"

Steve and Y/N blinked as they stared at Dustin who whispered something so low that they couldn't process it. Dustin glanced up at the two and he almost chuckled at how similar they looked. It was a surprise to all that the two weren't actually related, their mannerisms and even some of their features being quite similar.

Steve and Y/N continued to stare at Dustin blankly for a second before they both asked, "What?"

Dustin clicked his tongue in response and sighed as he whispered, "Uh-" His voice got low again as he whispered and the two were left staring at him blankly once again.

"Just speak louder," Y/N finally said.

Getting annoyed, Dustin looked at the row before yelling out, "I intercepted a secret Russian communication!" Immediately, all eyes were on him and Y/N and Steve both looked at the boy with wide eyes.

"Jeez, shh. Yeah, okay, that's what we thought you said," Steve muttered as they watched everyone go back to what they had been doing before. "What-What does that mean?"

"It means, Steve, we could be heroes. All three of us. True American heroes," Dustin explained.

"I'm in," Y/N replied almost immediately, the idea of getting to deal with Russians and hang out with her two best friends being enough to have her on board.

"Woah. Woah. Hold your roll, kid," Steve said as he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "American heroes?"

Dustin nodded his head. "Just think, you could have all the ladies you want and more," Dustin told him.

"More?" Steve asked.

"More," Dustin said with a nod.

"I like more," Steve muttered.

"And you'd get to spend more time with your favorite person in the whole wide world!" Y/N exclaimed as she tossed her arms around Steve's neck and hugged him, squishing her face against his making Steve give her an annoyed look while Dustin chuckled at the two.

"Eh, you're okay," Steve shrugged making Y/N look at him in fake shock. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! All the ladies in the world and I get to hang out with you two knuckleheads? That does sound pretty nice." His eyes then flickered to Dustin. "What's the catch?"

"No catch, I just need your help," Dustin told them.

"With what?" Y/N asked.

Dustin gave her a soft smile before reaching into his bag and pulling out a small book, the sight of it making Y/N's eyes light up while Steve looked indecisive.

"Translation."

- - -

Y/N sat silently with her feet propped up against the table as she leaned back in her chair, Russian voices swirling into her ears and through her head while her foot lightly swung to whatever tune was in the background of the recording.

When the recording stopped, Dustin glanced up at his two friends and gestures towards the small recording device, "So what do you think?"

"It sounded familiar," Steve said making Y/N turn around to look at the boy in surprise.

"What?" Dustin questioned.

"The music. The music right there at the end," Steve explained.

"Harrington, you're supposed to be listening to the Russian, not the music," Y/N sighed as she shook her head at the boy. He only shrugged while eating his banana.

"Y/N's right! Listen to the Russian! We're translating Russian!" Dustin exclaimed.

"I'm trying to listen to the Russian, but there's music," Steve complained.

"You never could multitask," Y/N sighed earning a playful glare from the older boy that had her sending a sly smile in his direction.

"All right, babysitting time is over. You need to get in there," Robin announced as she walked into the back room of Scoops Ahoy. Her eyes then landed on the small whiteboard that used to have a bunch of tally marks on them, but now had translations. "Hey, my board! That was important data, shitbirds."

"I guarantee you, what we're doing is way more important than your data," Dustin assured her.

"Yeah? And how do you know these Russians are up to no good anyways?" Robin asked.

All three of their eyes widened. Y/N didn't take her eyes off of Robin as she whispered to the boys beside her, "How does she know about the Russians?"

"I don't know," Steve muttered.

"You told her about-" Dustin began, looking to Steve in annoyance.

"It wasn't me," Steve insisted.

"Hello, I can hear you. Actually, I can hear everything. You three are extremely loud," Robin told them making the three frown in response. "You think you have evil Russians plotting against our country, on tape, and you're trying to translate, but haven't figured out a word because you didn't realize Russians use an entirely different alphabet than you do. Sound about right?"

Y/N couldn't help but smile at that, already liking Robin more and more by the minute. "I've said it once and I will say it again, I like her," the girl said as she pointed towards Robin who sent her a small smile.

"Yeah, no," Steve muttered as he pushed Y/N's hand back down, not liking the idea of Robin being some sort of role model for the girl who he was used to having look up to him for so long. Maybe he was a little jealous, but he would never admit it.

Steve and Robin seemed to be having a staring contest before Robin suddenly lunged for the recorder. Steve was quick and had the device in his hands within seconds, "Whoa! What do you think you're doing?"

"I wanna hear it," Robin told them as if it were obvious.

"Why?" the trio asked, although Y/N's was more out of curiosity while Dustin and Steve wanted to know what Robin's motive was.

"'Cause maybe I can help. I'm fluent in four languages, you know," Robin told them.

"Russian?" Dustin asked, his eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Ou-yay are-yay umb-day," Robin replied.

"Oh-ho-ho! Holy shit!" Steve exclaimed making Y/N snort before bursting into a round of laughter.

The older boy glanced over at her and she pretended to wipe away tears as she said, "That was Pig Latin, Harrington. Not Russian."

Robin smirked and Steve watched with a frown on his face as the two girls fist bumped before muttering in unison, "Idiot."

"But I can speak Spanish and French and Italian, and I've been in band for 12 years. My ears are little geniuses, trust me," Robin assured them.

Y/N glanced between the boys and Robin before nudging Dustin who was sitting beside her. "Come on, let her help," Y/N pleaded before she looked up at Steve and gave him her best puppy dog eyes. "Please, Steve, please."

Dustin glanced back at Steve and gave him a small shrug to tell him that he really didn't care, that it was up to Steve. The older boy's eyes flickered over to Y/N and he sighed at the sight of her. "Fine," Steve mumbled causing Y/N to let out a squeal of excitement before she jumped out of her seat to hug the boy.

Steve's look of annoyance slowly melted away as he looked down at the girl. "Okay, squirt. No need to go soft on me now," Steve jokingly said as he patted her head. Y/N just smiled up at him and pulled away before returning to her seat. Steve glanced at her once more before looking to Robin who was holding out the scooper with a smirk on her face.

"Come on, it's your turn to sling ice cream, my turn to translate. I don't even want credit," Robin told him. "I'm just bored."

- - -

Y/N was half asleep by the time they finally started to make any progress with the recording. Her head was lying against Dustin's shoulder, the boy trying to move as little as possible as to not wake her up.

It wasn't until Robin suddenly exclaimed, "Wait, that last part, just one more time," that Y/N jerked awake and Dustin was finally able to move his arm which had started to fall asleep.

"Okay," Dustin said as he quickly rewinded the recording before letting it play again.

"Okay, that word," Robin pointed at the recording, Dustin quickly stopping it as the two kids looked up at the girl. "Um. . .It's pronounced "dly-nna-ya"."

"Dly-nna-ya," Dustin and Y/N both muttered as if they fully understood what she was saying.

"Which is spelled. . .D. . .D. . .D. . .D. . ." Robin muttered as she quickly ran to the table while Dustin and Y/N moved to the whiteboard.

"The. . .the chair," Y/N said as she pointed towards the weird symbol.

"The chair-looking thingy," Dustin agreed.

"Yeah, okay," Robin muttered as she flipped through the book. She then suddenly froze before looking up at the two in excitement. "We've got our first sentence."

"Oh, seriously?" Dustin said in excitement while Y/N shook the boy's shoulders and leaned against him, a huge grin on her face.

"Yeah," Robin told them before speaking in her best Russian accent, "The week is long."

Both Y/N and Dustin's faces fell. "Well, that's thrilling," Y/N muttered.

"I know," Robin told her, giving the two kids a sympathetic smile. "But, progress." The two nodded in agreement.

"Progress."

- - -

"The week is long. The silver cat feeds. When blue meets yellow in the west."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Y/N asked as she looked up at Steve who was standing beside her. The two stared at each other for a second before looking back to the whiteboard with their arms crossed in front of their chests and their heads titling to the side.

Shaking his head, Steve put a hand on the girl's shoulder and began to walk out of the store, knowing that it was late, the mall was closed, and he needed to get her home. Dustin and Robin followed behind and the four were all silent as they tried to figure out what it meant.

"I mean, it can't be right. Did we do something wrong?" Y/N finally asked as she watched Steve close up shop.

"No. It's right," Robin assured her.

"Honestly, I think it's great news," Dustin said causing Y/N to look at her friend confused.

"How is this great news?" Steve asked with a chuckle of disbelief. "I mean, so much for being American heroes. It's total nonsense."

"It's not nonsense. It's too specific," Dustin told them. Y/N's eyes widened in realization before she hurried over to Dustin's side. She grabbed his arm to stop him from walking any further before whispering to him, "You think it's code?"

Dustin nodded, "It's obviously a code."

"What do you mean, a code?" Steve asked, having eavesdropped on the two.

"Like a super secret spy code," Dustin explained.

"That's a total stretch," Steve muttered in disbelief.

"I don't know, is it?" Robin asked.

"You're buying into this?" Steve asked in surprise.

"Listen, just for kicks, let's entertain the possibility that it is a secret Russian transmission. What'd you think they were gonna say, "Fire the warhead at noon"? And my translation is correct. I know that for sure, so "The silver cat feeds". Why would anyone talk like that unless they're trying to mask the meaning of their message?" Robin asked.

"Exactly," Dustin said whole Y/N just looked to Steve and muttered, "She's got a point."

"Why would anyone mask the true meaning of their message unless the message was somehow sensitive?" Robin asked again. "So I guess that confirms your suspicion."

"Evil Russians," Dustin and Y/N both nodded before giving each other a fist bump.

"I can't believe I'm about to agree with these strange children, but, yeah, totally evil Russians," Robin agreed.

"So how do we crack it?" Dustin asked.

"Well, I guess we translate the rest and hopefully a pattern emerges," Robin replied.

"A pattern. Right, like maybe "silver cat" is a meeting place?" Y/N suggested.

"Or a person," Dustin said.

"Or a weapon," Y/N listed off.

"It's probably gonna take a super genius to crack it, but-" Robin began, but that was when Y/N noticed that Steve wasn't following behind them anymore.

"Uh. . .where's Steve?" Y/N asked. "He's kind of my ride home and losing him would be a bad idea right about now."

Not to mention she always got a sort of bad feeling whenever her friends disappeared. It had been happening ever since Will was kidnapped and taken into the Upside Down, but even though she knew the gate was closed, she still had a sneaking suspicion that something was going to happen. So Steve suddenly not being by her side was making her feel a little on edge.

Dustin seemed to notice this and he frowned before quickly looking around, his eyes locking on Steve who was a little ways away. "There he is," Dustin said and Y/N quickly turned before letting out a small sigh of relief. She didn't even hesitate before running back towards the boy who was kneeling down beside one of the kid rides that were littered around the mall.

"Harrington, what the hell?" Y/N muttered causing Steve to look up and see the small hint of relief and worry that was in her eyes.

"Sorry," he whispered once he realized what must have been going through her head. He then looked back to the ride and began to rummage through his pockets while Y/N furrowed her eyebrows.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

Steve frowned as he looked at the change in his pocket. "Uh, it's a quarter. I need. . ." he paused and looked over at the girl. "Do you have a quarter?"

Roving chuckled as she walked up with Dustin by her side. "Sure you're tall enough for that ride?" Robin asked.

"Quarter!" Steve yelled in frustration before Robin tossed a quarter at him. The boy hugged and quickly bent down and put the quarter into the machine, the group of four watching as the machine sputtered to life before the horse ride began to move.

"You need help getting up, little Stevie?" Robin joked, not expecting Steve to turn around and shush her almost immediately.

Dustin chuckled, but Y/N could tell by the look on Steve's face that he was trying to think so she glanced at Robin and Dustin before whispering, "Guys, just shut up, okay? I think he's on to something."

"More like on something," Robin muttered before her and Dustin chuckled, but a deadly glare from Y/N had the two both shutting up.

The three then turned their attention back to Steve and the ride before they suddenly seemed to recognize the music that was softly playing with the ride.

"Holy shit," Y/N muttered before Steve looked up at her. The two both grinned before saying in unison, "The music."

"The music!" Dustin exclaimed in realization as he quickly took off his backpack and dug around for the recording. He eventually found it and began to play the recording again, the music instantly lining up with the ride in front of them.

"I don't understand," Robin told them.

"It's the exact same song on the recording," Dustin explained.

"Maybe they have horses like this in Russia," Robin suggested.

"'Indiana Flyer'? I don't I don't think so. This code, it didn't come from Russia," Steve told them. "It came from here."

"Well shit."

- - -

"God, my brain hurts," Y/N muttered as she stared at the paper in front of her. Robin chuckled softly as she took a sip of her drink before saying, "Same."

"How come Steve and Dustin get to go chase down Russian bad guys while we are stuck back here trying to crack the code," Y/N complained.

"Cause the world is sexist," Robin replied with a shrug. "But even if it wasn't, do you honestly think they would have a better chance of cracking the code over the two of us?"

Y/N chuckled at that, already understanding what point Robin was trying to make. "Okay, I see what you're saying. But still. . .I'm starting to get a migraine from all this thinking. It's supposed to be summer, so why do I feel like I'm still in school?" Y/N asked.

Robin gave the girl a small smile before nodding towards the paper. "Could you read it out loud to me again, please?" she asked.

Y/N sighed but nodded in response. "The week is long. The silver cat feeds. When blue meets yellow in the west. A trip to China sounds nice if you tread lightly," Y/N said.

"Tread lightly?" Robin muttered as she tried to figure out what that could mean.

A knock on the back door made the two freeze and Y/N set the notebook down before following Robin over to the back door to find a man standing there with a box in hand.

"Delivery for you," the man said.

"Thank you," Robin told him as she quickly signed a paper and took the box.

"Have a nice day," the man said before turning to leave.

Robin was looking down at the box and absentmindedly muttered, "Yeah, you too." She then began to close the door, but that was when Y/N's eyes caught sight of something that had her gasping and going to open the door again.

"Hey!" Robin exclaimed as she watched Y/N run into the small alley that was behind the shops.

Y/N ignored the older girl, her eyes latched on the jacket that the man had on that had a silver lynx on the back. "Silver cat," Y/N muttered in disbelief before her eyes widened. "Silver cat!"

She quickly shoved past Robin who was looking at her confused before she grabbed the notebook and began to run out of Scoops Ahoy. On the way, she passed Dustin and Steve who were just heading back.

"Y/N! You're not gonna believe who Dustin thought was a Russian," Steve laughed.

Dustin looked to the boy in shock before pointing at him and saying, "You did too."

"No, I did not," Steve began to argue, but Y/N ignored them and ran right past them causing the two to fall silent and look after her.

Robin came running up at that minute and Steve looked to the girl with a frown. "What's wrong with the kid? What'd you do?" he asked a little protectively.

"I didn't do anything," Robin replied defensively. "She just ran out."

The three then looked back to see that Y/N was now standing on top of a sitting area in the middle of mall. She slowly spun around in circles as she mumbled to herself, "A trip to China sounds nice. A trip to China sounds nice. A trip to China sounds nice. A trip to China sounds nice."

Her eyes then locked on the Chinese food place and her eyes lit up, "A trip to China sounds nice!" She then glanced at the notebook for the next part and whispered, "If you tread lightly. If you tread. . .If you tread. . ." Her eyes latched onto a shoe store and she laughed softly to herself. "If you tread lightly."

"When. . .when blue and yellow meet in the west," Y/N muttered the last part to herself. She looked around before her eyes caught sight of the huge clock in the mall that had a blue and a yellow hand. "When blue meets yellow in the west!"

"Y/N," a voice said and the girl looked down to see Dustin, Steve, and Robin standing there. Steve gave the girl a concerned look before saying, "Are you okay? What are you doing?"

Y/N smiled and quickly got down before going over to Steve and grabbing onto his arms. "I cracked it," she told him, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Cracked what?" Steve asked.

"I cracked the code!" Y/N exclaimed as she shook the boy's arms. She didn't even give him time before she let out a small squeal and hugged him. The boy stood there in shock before glancing over at Robin and Dustin who looked back at him with wide eyes.

Steve slowly wrapped his arms around the young girl to hug her back as he let out a chuckle of disbelief.

"Well shit."

* * *

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Best of DC: Week of March 18th, 2020

Best of this Week: Robin 80th Anniversary

All of the Robins are awesome.

Every Bat-fan has their favorite as they usually define the era when they began their love of Batman and comics in general. Older fans love Dick Grayson for being the first and greatest Robin that helped make Batman brighter. Edgy 80s kids and teens both love and hate Jason Todd for being the bad boy that died. Younger fans love Tim Drake for being the one to carry the name in the later seasons of the animated series and being one of the best and smartest Robins. Girls get representation from the spunky Carrie Kelly and the awesome Stephanie Brown. No one like Damian. (I’m kidding, he’s super fun.)

There’s a Robin for everyone and this 100 Page Spectacular celebrates the long history of Batman’s greatest sidekicks (though misses a chance to give Carrie Kelly her own short story) and does an amazing job in displaying each characters personalities by some of the best people to have written them over the years. Because there are so many, I’m only going to talk about the ones I really enjoyed!

The first FOUR stories follow Dick Grayson and some of his best eras.

“A Little Nudge” is written by Marv Wolfman with pencils by Tom Grummett, two parts of the legendary team behind the best years of the New Titans (1989). This story follows Dick Grayson as Batman begins to nudge him in the direction of becoming his own man by being increasingly irritable to his protege. At this point in time, Dick was dealing with the stresses of outgrowing his childhood identity and Batman’s continuing overbearing nature. Where Bruce was all about being cold and methodical, Dick thought with his gut.

Grummett, Scott Hanna on inks and Adriano Lucas on colors illustrate Dick’s frustration through his increasingly sour facial expressions and sudden heroic actions. The costumes are as colorful as those old days with Dick wearing the bright yellow cape, bright red tunic and the elf shoes. In the middle of the dynamic duo’s fight with Natural History Museum thieves, Dick stops fighting when a child gets shot, against Bruce’s orders, and stays with him until the bad guys either get away or get taken down by Batman.

Later on, Dick tells Batman that he’s outgrown the Boy Wonder name and sets off to become his own man as Nightwing. Wolfman gives readers an excellent inner monologue from Bruce where he owns up to the fact that he was nudging Dick in that direction because he had just turned eighteen and Bruce believed in him. Batman always supports his kids, especially his first and it turns the story of separation into something heartwarming.

“Aftershocks” is a fun story by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel who worked on my favorite Nightwing series in the 1996 - 2005 era of the character. This wasn’t anything major, just Nightwing doing everything he could to save people after an earthquake causes massive damage to a suspended bridge in Bludhaven. This era of Nightwing was characterized by him mostly striking out on his own and becoming a Bludhaven police officer, being inspired by Jim Gordon.

Dick really came into his own and developed a rogues gallery to himself during this time, not to mention the sweet costume with the blue “wings” running down his arms into his fingers and those big, bulky gauntlets and boots. This era was the epitome of the 90s with big set piece moments, big muscles and Nightwing just being a nice and generally charming guy. After diving off of the bridge to attach a winch to a falling car, the woman inside asks to name her baby after him and he smiles and says, “Robin works, right?”

“The Lesson Plan” is a story from my favorite modern age creators in Tim Seeley, Tom King and Mikel Janin. The Grayson series took place shortly after Dick’s identity was exposed to the world during “Forever Evil” (2013) by the Crime Syndicate. At this time he was acting as a spy for an agency called Spyral while spying on them for Batman. I never think of Tom King as a comedy guy, but this story was almost gut bustingly hilarious. It was just a world trotting adventure where he teaches one of the students of St. Hadrian’s how to be a spy.

Truly this series was Dick at his most handsome, witty and skilled. He jumps out of a helicopter and grabs onto the cords of a cable car before rescuing a woman held hostage by terrorists on walruses. Dick, the student and the hostage ten fight off more terrorists in Tanzania, riding a bus headed for Los Angeles of all places before Dick finds himself in something Dejah Thoris would wear and having a night with the hostage who reveals herself to be a gorilla from Gorilla City. It’s absolutely absurd, but it is immensely fun and welcome since that whole series is well regarded by fans.

“More Time” by Judd Winick, Dustin Nguyen and John Kalisz is a far more somber tale about Jason Todd potentially a short time after the events of Under the Red Hood. Jason Todd was the second Robin and met his unfortunate end in the 1988 story, A Death in the Family by Jim Starlin and Jim Aparo. Jason eventually returned in the Batman: Under the Hood story where Winick and Doug Mahnke re-envisioned the former Robin as a violent vigilante Jason does have something of a strained relationship with Batman, but it wasn’t always that way as this story illustrates.

One thing that Dustin Nguyen has always been great at, it’s making kids super adorable and he does so in this story as it flips back and forth between the past and the present as Jason gives Bruce a birthday present in the form of his father’s watch, which Jason sought to fix. Nguyen and Kalisz characterize the past with Jason appearing as a happy, young kid under the dim lights of the Batcave and a twinkle in his eyes. He’s happy to have a home and a father to care for him so he wanted to do something nice for him.

Present Day Jason is characterized by dark backgrounds with bright oranges, smoke and heavy blacks for the shadows. Jason is far more tired, grizzled and angry, but he still finds the time to place the same gift box from all those years ago on the Batmobile for Bruce to find. At this point in time, they may have been at each other throats, but the love between them was still there, buried deep - culminating in two side by side panels of past and present Jason saying, “Happy Birthday, Bruce.”

“Boy Wonders” is a story about Tim Drake by James Tynion IV, Javier Fernandez and David Baron and sees Tim taking advice from all of his brothers. Next to Chuck Dixon and Geoff Johns, James Tynion IV has had one of the longest lasting impacts on the Tim Drake character throughout his run on Detective Comics by emphasizing the power of his mind in comparison to the other Robins and why he could ultimately be the successor to Batman above each of them or eke out a new life for himself.

While taking down the cast of The Warriors on a speeding train with Nightwing, Tim contemplates what his future will be. He looks to Dick as the one who did everything that he’s doing now and Dick tells him that as the smartest Robin, the best thing he could do is use that mind to bring up the next generation of heroes. Jason, the reason he’s even wearing the costume of Robin in the first place, tells him to take everything he’s learned from Batman to become BETTER than him. Arguably, it’s Damian that gives him the best advice by telling him that he’s the most capable of all of the Robins and that he should choose a path himself instead of relying on the advice of others.

Of course, this story takes place before the events of Detective Comics Rebirth where Tim does chart his own path in making Gotham safer with his Gotham Knights Protocol, but things don’t exactly turn out well for him. For all of the talk about how Tim is the smartest, he unfortunately could never get out of his own way long enough for things to go right...especially now that he’s going by “Drake” in that awful brown costume.

“Fitting In” is a Stephanie Brown story by Amy Wolfram, Damion Scott and Brad Anderson which sees Stephanie trying to live up to the standards of each of the boys that came before her. Stephanie was absolutely the shortest term Robin that Batman took on, as he only allowed her to take up the mantle in an attempt to get Tim back after his real father told him to hang up the cape after discovering his sons identity.

Even still, Stephanie did everything she could to earn Bruce’s respect and Wolfram plays on this and that past story by making it more about Tim than Steph. She has to train in the same costume that Tim did, but she proves more...voluptuous than Tim. Her costume bursts at the seams and Alfred designs the costume that she’s known for. She and Batman then get a call about fire at an amusement park and ride off to take down Firefly.

Unfortunately for her, she gets captured, but being the innovative girl that she is, she manages to free herself and take down Firefly at the same time. Damion Scott’s art is very well suited to the cartoonish action and paints her as a capable sidekick despite initially being a damsel in distress. I honestly wish her run as Robin would have been longer because she honestly fits well in the role as the bubbly Robin in contrast to the hell that Tim was going through at the time.

A point can be made that this story also had some needless sexualization, but given Bruce's lack of respect for Stephanie and him just wanting a replacement Tim at the time, this was well written from that perspective. He never cared for Stephanie and her time as Robin was mostly her trying to live up to Tim's standard which eventually left her to try too hard and "die" because of it. I’ll always take more Stephanie Brown as I can cause even now there’s not enough of her and I’m damn sure not reading Young Justice by Brian Michael Bendis.

“My Best Friend” is the one that makes me the most sad as it revolves around Jon Kent writing an essay on Damian as well...his best friend. I feel like the Super Sons series was also done a dity hand by BMB as he took Jon and aged him up for his Superman story when we could have gotten more fun stories between Damian and Jon. As far as homages to one of the better Rebirth series this one was just fun.

There’s not much to say other than Jon reminisces over a few of their adventures and tells readers about the side of Damian that we don’t often see because the Bat-boy is always a little bit too intense. Jon reminds us that they’ve fought for most of the time they’ve known each other, but when it comes to being heroes, Damian always had his back. It’s heartwarming. Of course there’s the continuity issue of them going to the same school in this story cause Jon was only ten at the time and Damian was thirteen, but honestly I only care about the friendship.

“Bat and Mouse” is a story by Robbie Thompson and Ramon Villalobos which sees Bruce and Damian having separate brooding inner monologues about how neither understands the other anymore and about how they want to open up to each other, but the distance between them has grown too wide. Admittedly, this is a much darker story in the respect that Batman and Robin haven’t really been the same since Damian started his new Titans team and started down a darker path that his father has yet to find out about.

Thompson captures this feeling that Damian is arrogant but scared. He feels like he’s outgrown what Batman has become because he’s willing to get rid of threats almost permanently through erasing their memories and villainous tendencies (see Teen Titans, 2018). At the same time, he’s afraid that maybe what he’s doing isn’t the right path and he so desperately wants to reach out to his father, but feels like he can’t.

Batman is the same way in that he loves his son more than anything and wants to regain the relationship that they had in the past, but doesn’t know how to say the words either. He knows that Damian is hiding something big, but he doesn’t want to accuse the boy and deepen the already cavernous rift. Even as they take down the robotic villain Quietus, they show signs of breaking through their equally cold exteriors, but fail to do so and I get the feeling this will all come to a head soon.

The Robins will always be some of my favorite characters in all of comics. Each of them have distinct personalities and quirks that set them apart from a lot of comic characters, especially when it comes to the trauma that they’ve faced alongside Batman. This special won’t be for everyone, just like each era of Robin isn’t for everyone, but overall, I really enjoyed it and the creators selected to honor these fantastic characters.

#robin #robin 80th anniversary #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #stephanie brown #damian wayne #carrie kelly #dc comics #comic books #comic review

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lightsandlostbells · 5 years

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so, overall, what did you think of season 3 of stranger things?

It took me a while to answer this question because I had to sort out how I felt about this season! I guess if I had to narrow it down to an overall opinion: enjoyable, but very messy. Had some of the series’ best moments but also, while I was watching, I had far more grumbles and gripes than the previous two seasons.

I’ve never really been hung up on whether this show is derivative or plays too into nostalgia or w/e. Plenty of media does that. And despite all the time I’ve spent dissecting micro-expressions and weighty silences in European teen dramas that are filmed for the cost of a candy bar … I am way into genre films and TV shows. I love monsters and superheroes and spectacle! I watched Stranger Things the weekend it premiered because I love ‘80s movies about kids on bikes having adventures, I eat that shit up. So I don’t expect this show to be a hardcore deconstruction and re-imagining of those tropes (though that sounds like a pretty great show), I’m fine with it being what it is: a solid, spooky sci-fi/horror throwback series. What matters most is whether the story and characters work. Personally, I would say whatever criticisms you can make of S1 and S2, they had heart, and unfortunately I think some of that heart was missing from S3. Much of that, IMO, comes from sidelining some of the familial relationships that were at the center of the narrative in S1 and S2, like the Byers family and Hopper & Eleven, and to some degree the important friendships like the party, although there were other friendships introduced in this season so that wasn’t as glaring. It’s not a surprise that one of the best-received parts about this season, Steve and Robin’s friendship, is also responsible for one of the most heartfelt scenes Stranger Things has ever done.

There was also a way larger emphasis on comedy in S3. Comedy is probably my favorite genre, and I did laugh at a lot of humorous moments in this season. But I also felt like there was more comedy for comedy’s sake, like long sequences created intentionally to make the audience laugh. Whereas in S1 and S2, I can’t remember any scenes like that? The comedy was more understated and came from character personalities and relationship moments rather than joke set pieces. That’s perhaps another reason why S3 felt like it had less heart.

My hope for season 4 - and I am assuming there is a season 4, because apparently this show did mega ratings for S3 - is that they don’t add more major new characters (except love interests for the gay characters, go ahead with those, lol) and instead focus on the existing cast, which is already a very strong ensemble, yet many of the characters have gotten pushed to the sides. I would love if they added to the episode count: a lot of Netflix series drag out their seasons, like they have enough story for 10 episodes but have to stretch it out to 13, but Stranger Things has the opposite problem. I feel like if they had 10 (or 11, ha) episodes they could have more time for breather moments and more space for character arcs. This season was really fast-paced in my opinion, and although that’s a positive in many respects, I missed a lot of the down time.

Also, I think every season has taken place over like a week maximum, not including the epilogues, and like … you can make the story last longer than a week! Not everything has to go to hell in like a day or two.

Some more specific opinions underneath, obviously lots of spoilers.

First of all, I gotta say, I feel like a weirdo, because so many of the reviews for this season are like A RETURN TO FORM AFTER A DISAPPOINTING SECOND SEASON and UP THERE WITH SEASON 1 NOT THAT CRAPPY SEASON 2 THAT NO ONE LIKED and uhhhh … I liked season 2 just fine? It’s probably my favorite. There are things I don’t like about it, but the stuff I love is stuff I really, really love. Hopper and Eleven’s relationship, for instance. Steve and Dustin teaming up and Steve Harrington becoming a guardian to four children. Those are not just great elements to the series, but directions that I think only a second season could have taken - Hopper and Eleven’s bond wouldn’t have had half the weight if they weren’t established as traumatized, broken people in S1. Steve Harrington becoming a babysitter would not be nearly so delightful if we had not known him as the popular douchebag stereotype from S1 - if he were just a cool dude hanging out with kids from the get-go, the impact wouldn’t be as great. After S1 used Will Byers as a MacGuffin in S1, S2 gave Will a much larger role and that little actor acted his ass off. His performance generated a lot of genuine suspense and chills. There was Sean Astin being lovable! Paul Reiser’s character being a surprisingly good guy! Yeah, there are big flaws in the season, and you can argue it’s too much of a repeat of S1, but to me it was a version of S1 that made the characters more specific and interesting. I’m just … genuinely baffled by how it’s supposed to be demonstrably worse than the others. Because of the Kali episode? I didn’t think that one was terrible, either. I think it broke up the momentum of the chaos at Hawkins Lab, and Kali’s friends were obnoxious, it’s certainly not the greatest writing of the series, but as a whole the episode is like. Fine. It’s fine. It’s mediocre, not atrocious. It’s not the worst thing ever. It doesn’t ruin anything about the story or direction or the series. Most importantly it’s easy to ignore or skip on a rewatch if you don’t like it. The backlash was way overblown.

My biggest disappointment with season 3 was Hopper. Whaaaaaaat. Whaaaat did they dooooo.

Hopper in previous seasons is a flawed, messed-up human being, but I always knew where he was coming from. When he yelled at Eleven in S2, I still got why he did it. In this season he felt cartoonish. The overprotective paternalistic dad trope is annoying BUT I might have been less bothered had they connected it more to Eleven’s lack of experience with the world, less RAWRRRR KEEP BOYS AWAY FROM MY GIRL. Or if Hopper had not demonstrated like, actual rage toward Mike and we just saw him fuming about it to himself or venting to Joyce, if he was trying to keep that shit under control. (I did laugh at him singing “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim” in the car, I gotta admit.)

But his attitude toward Joyce was what really bummed me out. I’m not into this show for shipping reasons, but I low-key enjoyed the possibility of Joyce and Hopper hooking up based on previous seasons. This season felt like they were writing a completely different dynamic for them, one that was much more aggressively obnoxious. I think their intentions were clear - they were going for a Sam-and-Diane relationship, something that was referenced early on in the Bob flashback - but the problem is that their relationship was not like that at all in S1 and S2. When I think of Joyce and Hopper from those seasons, I think about him supporting her after Bob died, or listening to her concerns about her son, or working together to find Will. They didn’t have this combative dynamic! Frankly watching giant-ass Hopper yell at tiny Joyce was viscerally unpleasant. (Side note but in the first trailer there was a shot of Hopper running at the Fun Fair with someone else who I assumed was Eleven, but no, turned out to be Joyce, Winona Ryder is just that tiny next to David Harbour.)

Also, considering this season ended with his death (and we all know he’s not really dead but OK) it’s such a waste that there were few Hopper&Eleven moments! Only the finale brought some quality content on that front. But otherwise their relationship was out of sight, out of mind for almost the whole season, which wasn’t a great choice, both to maximize the emotional impact of the ending, and to expand upon their situation post-S2. I mean, it’s been months since then, how has their relationship changed now? Hopper’s letter talked about the stuff he enjoyed doing with his daughter - why didn’t we see any of that on screen this season? It could’ve helped with the Mike angle, too, like show Hopper and Eleven watching TV together and laughing and having a good time, and then the phone rings and it’s Mike and suddenly Hopper’s watching TV alone as Eleven’s now focused on her boyfriend, we see his disappointment, etc.

Scoops Troop - Now they were a delight. They had such a ludicrous story but for the most part it worked due to the characters playing off each other and because the writing/acting/directing embraced the silliness.

Steve Harrington is easily one of the best characters on this show. I fucking love that guy. He’s consistently entertaining, he’s had possibly the best character growth out of anyone in the series, he’s evolved from a stock ‘80s asshole stereotype into someone who’s funny and sympathetic and likable. He’s this amazing blend of the ridiculous with the heroic. Steve and Dustin were great together, as they were last season, and I’m cackling that Steve acquired YET ANOTHER CHILD under his supervision without even trying. But the MVP of the season was the Steve & Robin friendship. Holy shit do I love that relationship. Holy SHIT.

Robin herself is a terrific new character, smart and funny and once you know she’s half-Uma, you can’t unsee it. I was loving her already and then the bathroom scene happened and I YELLED. I was so utterly overjoyed. If they had made Steve and Robin hook up, honestly … I would’ve been fine with it, like this show doesn’t need more heterosexual romance but at least they had a fun dynamic, but man, the friendship angle was so so superior. It’s a type of relationship that media is lacking, and the specific circumstances of this friendship made it genuinely moving to me. I keep wanting to write like a meta post devoted to just this relationship because I just have so many emotions about it! But they play well off each other as a comedic duo and as an odd couple friendship, and they’re really what each other needs, IMO. Steve needed this close friendship more than he needed a girlfriend; in this season he’s clearly adrift and we’ve seen the kind of shitty friends he had in like season one, is Dustin the best pal he had at this point? And I love Steve & Dustin but Steve needed a good friend his own age. Robin is a lesbian in small-town Indiana in the ‘80s, and she was clearly full of fear that Steve would hate her if he knew, and for him to accept her so easily, not even making a big deal about it? That’s kind of life-saving, really. I can’t wait to see more of them, if Netflix wants to make the half-hour Clerks-esque spinoff about them working in a video store and shooting the shit, I would be 100% down for that.

I have some mixed feelings about Erica because I think she could have benefited from getting the same humanization as the other kids (and I’m going to leave the discussion of racial tropes gently by the side at the moment but … yeah). The other child characters are played more like actual people with vulnerabilities, which has been part of the show’s appeal since the first season, and Erica was more like the sitcom kid who always has a snarky quip ready; however, she did make me laugh and I like that they tapped into her being a nerd, I wish they’d explore that in future seasons with the character. “I’m ten, you bald bastard” was one of my favorite lines of the season, I lost my goddamn mind.

Billy - Lmao, so Billy in S2 was the woooorst. This dude had ZERO redeeming qualities. His abusive dad creates a smidgen of sympathy, I guess, but Billy goes so far beyond normal teenage assholery that it didn’t make a dent in my opinion of him. You can redeem someone like Steve Harrington, first of all because Steve actually feels regret and works to correct his mistakes, but Steve also didn’t go to a point of no return in the first place. Billy did, for me. Physically and verbally abusing his younger sister? Attacking a black middle-schooler for the crime of being in the same room as his white sister? What a piece of shit.

With that in mind - I have no problem focusing on him as a villain this season, I really don’t. It justifies his inclusion in S2 other than as a human antagonist who’s ultimately not really connected to the main plot, as it retrospectively establishes him as an even greater threat in this season. I also think the actor did a good job with the material he was given. However, ultimately this dude’s arc was underwhelming. The thing is … I can tell they were trying to show Billy struggling with the Mind Flayer, but Billy is so lacking in any positive qualities that it’s kind of like, where does that struggle even come from? Yeah, even the worst people aren’t going to be wild about having a monster from another dimension hijack your body and use it to collect people for spare parts, but this is the same dude who was about to run over Mike, Lucas, and Dustin on their bikes last season for absolutely no reason. He beat Steve to point of unconsciousness and could’ve put him in the hospital. He assaulted Lucas. So I really need some evidence of Billy’s moral compass because it is not inherent and there’s in fact plenty of evidence that it doesn’t exist. I’m not very enthusiastic about redeeming a racist, abusive creep, but I also think if you’re going to go for him helping Eleven at the end … you have to show some current potential for goodness, not just “used to be a nice kid.”

A really glaring omission: the lack of any family/home scenes with him, Max, and their parents this season. We left off last season with Max telling him to leave her and her friends alone. How is their relationship since then? Is there still a lot of friction? Is there a tense peace? Has their relationship improved in any way? We really needed to see that follow-up. I get that Max crying over Billy this season makes sense in that he’s still her family and we can still have love for those who hurt us … but I also feel that we needed something between them to justify her pain, like even just the potential of their relationship being a fraction better, or the suggestion that Billy used to be OK to Max before he went full asshole. And I think we really needed to see Billy’s dad being currently abusive in this season - tbh, missed opportunity that the dad didn’t get flayed like, out of revenge (which would have been both satisfying and horrifying), missed opportunities for suspense when we think Billy might serve up Max and her mom to the Mind Flayer, etc.

Another missed opportunity: drawing parallels between Billy and Will. Both are possessed by the Mind Flayer. Both had shitty dads calling them homophobic slurs. Both could be read as gay (I’m not hungry to claim Billy as LGBT representation or invested in this interpretation but his scenes with Steve in S2 admittedly have that sweaty homoerotic dick-measuring vibe, if you want to take it there). Their names are both William, FFS. The difference is that Will is a sweet and gentle kid surrounded by loving family and friends who fought to save him, and Billy is a violent, cruel dude who probably doesn’t have any real friends, just shallow connections. You could show how the Mind Flayer could more easily possess and manipulate someone like Billy, but that wasn’t really explored.

Also, is anyone going to dwell on the fact that like … Max is living with an abusive man as her stepfather? He’s shown hurting Billy’s mom. Does that not concern anyone that he is very likely to attack either Max or her mom?

Oh, and thank God they didn’t take the Billy/Karen thing all the way. In retrospect, even weirder considering Billy’s mommy issues.

Joyce - I get that it’s a big leap downward in emotional investment to go from “must save my son” to “fucking magnets, how do they work” but I liked that she had her own investigation that wasn’t full of emotional turmoil. Winona forever.

Mike - Everyone is ragging on him but I think he was less terrible than people are making him out to be. He was bratty in a teenage way, but he wasn’t the worst kid ever. I didn’t take his now notorious line to Will (“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls”) as something intentionally cruel or homophobic, just something that came out wrong and that he instantly regretted, and he and Lucas did seem genuinely apologetic over the D&D game and went over to Will’s in the rain out of concern. And the reason he lied to Eleven was because SCARY ASS HOPPER threatened him??? Also, his concern over Eleven overexerting herself was not misplaced, lmao! It really took that long for anyone to go, “Hey, should we be worried about the amount of blood coming out of her nose? Should we be concerned about the effects on her brain?” Sure, Eleven has the final say in whether or not she uses her powers, but tbh… she didn’t have a normal upbringing and her view of her powers is probably skewed. Like, would Eleven have enough basic medical knowledge to be worried about brain damage or nosebleeds, or would that just be the norm to her? Is she making these decisions with a full grasp of the potential consequences? Anyway, I don’t have a more negative opinion of Mike after this season.

Eleven - I loved Eleven a lot in this season. I don’t know if it did a ton for her character arc, but it’s nice to see her slowly develop into more of a normal girl. And the season was rough for her in terms of getting her ass kicked, she goes through so much mental and physical pain! In the end she loses her dad and her powers!

Of course one of the bright spots was her and Max becoming friends! Not gonna lie, there was something a little … simplistic about some of that depiction of friendship for me - just that so much of it was SHOPPING and GIGGLING and BOY TALK, girls being GIRLS, when Max has been portrayed as a tomboy and Eleven is a telekinetic kid raised in a lab, that maybe their interactions shouldn’t have fit the mold quite so much - but it doesn’t truly bother me because they were so sweet and fun. I loved them tracking down Billy together and I appreciate that their friendship carried throughout the season, that Max was the person shown carrying an injured Eleven along with Mike, Eleven comforted Max after Billy died, etc. That was a definite sore spot of S2, the girl-on-girl jealousy and Eleven flat-out rejecting Max’s friendly introduction, and I do think they took that feedback into account for the better here. I also like that Eleven was clearly taking cues from Max, the more “worldly” of the two about boys and clothes and teenage attitudes in general - it gave their friendship a more specific shape.

I cannot WAIT to see her living with the Byers family next season. Like if they don’t spend significant time on that dynamic, it will be the biggest disappointment. There could be 8 episodes of just boring mundane Byers domestic scenes and I would love it, please inject it into my eyeballs, Duffer bros. I want to see her bonding with all of them, trying to fit in at school, attempting the most normal life she’s ever had. Also lmao, she and Will can finally have a goddamn conversation??? I hope they’ve been withholding that relationship because they were planning to go all out with those new sibling vibes in S4. They are the two characters who have been most traumatized by the Upside Down, we deserve to see them connect.

On that note, I have a lot of thoughts about Will in this season! Mainly - underused as FUCK. After all that trauma of being possessed by the Mind Flayer last season, they barely utilize this connection in the second half of S3. Even his Spidey sense hardly came in handy??? Now that was really weird, IMO, because the least they could do was have that feeling alert the others or be useful, but lmao it was practically pointless.

It’s weird because I’m not sure if they just don’t know what to do with Will if he’s not being a victim (which is stupid because there’s plenty you could do with him), but at the same time, he has one of the most poignant subplots of the season. From the reactions I’ve seen, Will feeling rejected and left out as his friends move on really resonated with a lot of viewers. But then this thread is abandoned after episode 3, for the most part. Will cries and destroys the place that represents his childhood, a place that was created specifically in response to trauma (mentioned in S2 that he and Jonathan built it after their dad left), this is very rich emotional territory … and then the show’s just like ehhhhhh moving on. He’s just hanging out in the background and touching his neck for the rest of the season.

And now I gotta talk about that other thing with Will.

I am so confused by what the Duffer brothers are trying to accomplish with Will’s sexuality, because on the one hand it seems like they have a really clear idea about it and on the other hand they’re just like¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The thing is … it seems very obvious they have always thought of Will as gay. This is blatant from the original pitch from the show as well as one of the S2 scripts (the only one that’s available publicly, so who knows what else they’ve written). I accept that people have different interpretations, but The Line this season is far from the only textual support for Will being gay, and I think it makes for a much, much stronger narrative if you read Will as gay in addition to not wanting to grow up as fast as his friends and being stunted from trauma - that is an entire meta post in itself, though.

What gets me about the ~ambiguity is that the Duffer brothers planted the gay hints in the first place! They are absolutely not there by accident! Like I’m not speaking for the teenage actors but lmao, the adults involved in the writing and directing of this series absolutely fucking knew how that “not my fault you don’t like girls” scene would be interpreted, especially considering fans were debating Will’s sexuality from the beginning, based off the many homophobic comments leveled at him in S1. There have been TV shows where fans latched onto gay “subtext” that was likely unintentional, but this isn’t one of them.

IDK, man, it’d just be nice to have some confidence in where this is going. I loved Robin and the bathroom scene made me think that yeah, they might do a decent job with Will’s sexuality, something I might have doubted before. Under no circumstances do I expect a Skam S3-style coming out arc for Will, but I’m also uncertain if I should expect anything from the show on this front at all or if they’ll play it coy to the bitter end. Though I guess I’d still take the ambiguity over giving him a female love interest after everything. Lol, that would be a giant oh-fuck-no.

Real talk, though, let’s discuss what an utter waste it would be to not write a scene where Joyce tenderly accepts her son when he comes out to her. You really aren’t going to bring that instantly iconic moment to life, assholes? You’re not going to provide that for Winona Ryder’s and Noah Schnapp’s Emmy reels? MAKE IT HAPPEN, BASTARDS.

Nancy and Jonathan have a reputation for the most boring plots but they’re fine, w/e. I’m not deeply invested in their romance but I don’t want to fast forward their scenes or anything. Nancy is an underrated character; she’s extremely proactive and always has been, and I enjoy watching her shoot things. I think the best thing they could do for both characters, though, is to separate them next season, not just physically but storyline-wise. Jonathan would be best in a subplot involving his family, because he’s at his most likable as a son and brother, and Nancy should either go off with Mike (a sibling relationship that is VASTLY undeveloped), or she should team up with Robin. I mean it, Nancy and Robin would be a power pairing, let me show you my manifesto. Both are smart young women who are good at solving mysteries. Would Robin think Nancy is a priss after Nancy unloads several rounds into the latest demogorgon chasing them? Would Nancy find Robin a refreshing alternative to the crushing suburban conformity that she claims to want to avoid? Oh, the possibilities. Meanwhile, Steve tags along in the background, all like OH SHIT, my lesbian BFF and my ex-girlfriend are in cahoots!

Lucas and Max were playing relationship counselors to Mike and Eleven through much of the season. Max still had a fair amount to do, but Lucas needs a meatier subplot next time. I feel like they’re not sure what to do with him? I would like to see him and Erica interact more since their dynamic so far is one-note.

There is one hell of a conversation to be had about the Evil Russians of this season, but I’m really not the person to do it.

Also about the depiction of capitalism this season. That’s more thinkpiece-y than I am equipped to do right now.

The product placement is something that should bother me more but I’m just like … shrug. Except that New Coke bit because that was an actual mood-breaker.

Could have done without Russian Terminator guy. That was a blatant ‘80s homage so I get why he was there, he just wasn’t all that interesting. And was that guy supposed to be superpowered or something? Was he getting jacked on Upside Down steroids??? What was his deal???

Alexei/Murray was the true OTP of the season, let’s be real.

The trend of lovable, doomed minor characters continued with Alexei. Props to that actor for making you root for the guy. He even made me kind of love Murray? I was very WTF over that guy encouraging two teenagers to fuck in S2, and I’m still not into his habit of telling people to bang even when they’re adults, but I guess he just needed a sympathetic Russian buddy to win me over.

There were a ton of moments where I felt like the characters made stupid choices as opposed to earlier seasons. Will getting dragged into the Upside Down in the first 10 minutes of the series is an impressive example of a horror movie character doing everything right and making good decisions - a 12-year-old, no less. And he was still overpowered by the demogorgon so it’s not like making good decisions will always save you! Whereas this season I was like LORD some of these characters are drinking dumbass juice.

There was also so much silly stuff happening, like things that are even more far-fetched than previous seasons, but I just kind of went with it. Yeah, of course there’s a secret Russian base under a shopping mall. Sure.

This season is objectively disgusting in terms of gore and yet I was fine with it? And I’m someone who was repulsed by Barb’s corpse in S1. The Mind Flayer being made of people was some nasty shit but effective horror. I felt bad for the poor little rats :( Oh, and the flayed humans, too. Some of them. Was sad to see Mrs. Driscoll bite it but FUCK those cartoon misogynists from the newspaper.

Visually beautiful! Starcourt Mall is an amazing set and I’m rather sad that the mall was destroyed, although that was basically a foregone conclusion. Some great cinematography, too. On a purely aesthetic level I had a great time just blasting this season into my retinas.

I have had the motherfucking NeverEnding Story theme song in my head for almost two weeks and I’m suffering.

#lillypedalsxx #replies #stranger things #also they referenced my university this season so i dug that thx 4 the shoutout

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animatronicblizzard · 5 years

Text

s3 opinions

so, I just finished season 3 of strangers things and OH BOY do I have a lot of thoughts and would love to like discuss them with other people 0: so feel free to disagree, agree, argue, anything!

first thing I want to mention is how in terms of the character storyline and how it flowed, this season did it amazingly, everything linked together in a nice little bow, nothing happened for no reason and that was definitely satisfying

however, somewhere where the season wasn’t the best was in its characters and how they ““changed”” from the previous season, they just really didn’t execute it well

like the relationships that developed and overall how hard the season was shoving it in our faces was,,,not good. every other season, I LOVED seeing how mike and eleven’s relationship but this one felt weird, mike was way too controlling and I know why because he loves her or whatever but still it just didn’t feel like mike, ya know? but I’m glad their ““break up”” helped el gain some self indentity! but don’t even get me started on max and lucas, oh my fucking godddd

but the friendship that max and el formed? I fucking loved it, it was so adorable, although I’m not even a fan of max, same with the friendship between steve and robin, i really like how he accepted her when she came out, that’s character development babey

also the subtle divide between will and the rest of the gang was a really nice touch, will is stuck in a weird funk, he desperately wants to go back to how things were before the upsidedown so that he can have his childhood back but the others are in that stage where they feel like they’re more mature than they are, leaving behind the ‘childish’ things they used to play which in its own way, leaves will behind too (and makes his friends seem like assholes)

and dustin, they were so focused with themselves they practically forgot about him but, I’m glad he still had steve and even erica too, they all had a really fun and quirky little dynamic, they were highkey my favorite part of the show

lastly, for as long as it was short lived, the little duo of murray and alexei was so goddamn entertaining and pure??? we didn’t get enough of them

I have a lot more thoughts but this is lowkey getting too long so I’m going to wrap it up with the, in my opinion, most important part of s3, billy. his character development was fucking amazing, he got the redemption arc he deserved and I like how despite being a pawn for the mind flayer the whole time, we truly got to see him, for who he was. his sacrifice, his motivations, suddenly it all made sense, he wasn’t a bad guy, he was just a byproduct of abuse but he was able to overcome it. I could write so much more on billy and I probably will in a different post but basically, he saved in what my opinion what would’ve been a kinda lackluster season, don’t get me wrong, I still absolutely loved s3 but it just felt more hallow then the other ones

lmao, skeet yeet sorry if this doesn’t make much sense, I’m sleep deprived from binging it but please agree/disagree with me, I’d love to hear what everyone else thinks 0: and I took out a lot of other points I wanted to mention, like hopper and joyce so I’ll probably reblog this with a follow up lol

#sleepy post #stranger things #stranger things spoilers #stranger things season 3 #eleven #el #mike wheeler #will byers #steve harrington #robin stranger things #billy hargrove #max hargrove #lucas sinclair #dustin henderson #idk who else in it my brain isnt working #my stuff

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business-as-usual-bats · 5 years

Text

Tim's First Christmas as Robin

Tim walked through the hallways of his school with a smile because he officially had the best life ever.

Why? Because Tim Drake was Robin. He helped people. He saved lives. He worked with literal superheroes. It was hard work, exhausting in every way, it took up all his time, and he still had a lot to learn, but at the end of the day he made a difference in the world.

Batman had begun to warm up to him, too, trusting him more with patrolling certain areas alone and handling common thieves and muggers. Batman even complimented him yesterday!! After Tim solved a mystery about Penguin's disappearing shipments in Gotham Harbor, Bruce said, "Good job" and kinda gave a smile!! According to Dick, that's, like, practically the equivalent of a hug!

And since Dick is coming back to Wayne Manor for the holidays, Batman said Tim doesn't have to go patrolling on Christmas, so he can be with his family.

Tim's parents! That's the best part! His parents were finally coming home after being gone half the year. They were supposed to be home months ago... for the first day of the school year... Halloween... Thanksgiving... but they kept getting held up at their jobs. But this time they promised they'd be there on Christmas Eve! Tim went ahead and put up Christmas lights and a tree in preparation. He had it all planned out. He even got ingredients to make gingerbread cookies. Never before had Tim felt so... festive. A few times he caught himself humming along to the overplayed Christmas jingles on the radio.

So, now was the last day of school before winter break. His last class was Algebra and he took his usual seat by the windows. Everyone was goofing off, the teacher didn't even bother to try to actually teach anything by this point. The class comedian of his peers was talking to everyone,

"Nah, I'm just sayin' it's true! Whenever you're watching a movie and sex scene comes up then -BAM- your parents are right there outta nowhere."

Everyone is laughing, including Tim. God, that'd be embarrassing. Does this really happen that often to other people?

"Yeah, your mom be ignoring you all damn day and then she's suddenly all about your life when people start making out. Like how does she know? It's gotta be like the same magic Santa uses to sense who's naughty or who's nice."

"Shit, man. My dad could be gone for 8 years but as soon as that scene comes up he's right there behind me sayin, 'Hey, son. Watcha watchin'?'"

The jokes are silly and dumb and it makes time pass by quickly. Thr bell signaling the end of the day rings and Tim sets off for Wayne Manor.

Patrol goes well, too. It was all business as normal until the Dynamic Duo got back to the cave and who should be there but

"Dick!" Tim yelled, getting swept up in a classic Grayson hug. "Put me down!"

"Merry Christmas, Tiny Tim!"

"It's not Christmas yet."

"It's Christmas every day if you carry love in your heart." Dick grinned and plopped him on the floor. "I got you the coolest and totally-not-a-robin-motorcycle gift ever!"

"A what?" Tim squeaked. "Motorcycle?? But I don't have anything nearly as cool to give you-"

"Now, now, I specifically said it wasn't a motorcycle. But if it were, then I'd tell you it's fine and not to worry about it! It's Christmas!"

"Dick-"

"I'm gonna hug you again-"

"Don't you dare!"

"Pfft. Fine. But hey, I heard your parents are coming home?"

"YEAH!" And Tim didn't mean to shout but the words starting pouring, "They're gonna be home in time for Christmas and I put up the stockings I made, and I have a list of all of dad's favorite Christmas songs, and I'm gonna make gingerbread cookies cuz I found this awesome recipe online, and I got them the perfect gifts because you see last year my mom was complaining on how she didn't have any earrings that matched my dad's favorite tie that he wears all the time which I think was her way of telling him to get rid of the tie but instead I got him a new tie that's the same color and got matching earrings and-"

"Woah! But you'll still stop by the Manor to say hi, right?"

"Duh! I'm not about to miss out on Alfred's homemade Christmas cookies you guys brag about all the time."

"Good! How was patrol?" And they chatted away until Tim decided it was late and he should go home.

The days dragged on until finally finally it was the morning of December 24th. His parents would be home any second! He waited, looking out the window now and again, watching the clock tick by...

And he waited

And waited

They were late.

He called his mom twice, and she answered the second time.

"Yes? Tim, honey?"

"Mom? Um... are you guys almost here or...?"

"What? Oh no, I thought we told you. We aren't going to make it in time for Christmas. You see-" and she explained how an artifact they'd found was accused of being a fake and how much of a legal mess they were in... and... more excuses... "I'm sorry, honey. You know if we could we'd much rather spend Christmas with you. We sent your present in the mail."

"I... I know, Mom." Tim sighed, "I'm not mad. I understand."

"You're such a kind boy, Timothy. We love you so much. We never stop thinking of you."

"I love you, too." And she hung up.

Tim stared ahead blankly, the phone still in his hand. He wasn't sure how long he just stood there, but suddenly his phone rang again

"Hello?" Tim answered. His voice sounded distant to him, like he wasn't even the one talking.

"Tim!" It was Dick, "Hey, so I know we should probably know this but, um, are you allergic to any nuts or spices? Like, even just a small allergy to something?"

"No."

"Sweet! Thanks! Hey... are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"You seem... off."

"I'm fine. I'm just... distracted with my family. They... aren't as excited as I am to be home."

"Oh, that sucks. But they made it home, right? They're there with you now?"

"Yeah, no. They made it here okay." Tim didn't know why he was lying... Was he ashamed? And at who? His parents? Himself? "I should go."

"Well, alright. See you later!"

"Yeah." Tim sighed and threw the phone away from him in disgust.

His eyes stung, he quickly wiped away the beginnings of tears. This was stupid to cry about. Not worth it. Why cry? Just because his parents broke another promise? Because they say they love him but they keep leaving? Why don't they stay? Did he do something wrong? Is he that horrible that they don't want to be around him? Why isn't he good enough for them? Why don't they like him? What can he do better?

Tim started crying and immediately hated himself for it, but he couldn't stop. It all seemed so unfair. It hurt. And the hurt made him want to be comforted, and he wanted his mom here to comfort him. But she's not. She can't be. And somehow, Tim knew it was his fault.

He looked at the Christmas tree blurred through his tears and thought briefly about pushing it down. But that wouldn't fix anything, would it? No. It wouldn't bring his parents home. There was nothing to do about it.

He curled up on the couch facing the Christmas tree and let the tears fall until he could sleep.

The next day was Christmas. Yay.

Tim didn't feel like celebrating. Or moving in general. He managed to slink over to the living room and turn on the TV. Maybe he could watch something to distract him from Christmas.

Or every channel could be focused on the importance of family during Christmas time. Literally. Every. Channel. Christmas and love. Christmas and love. Fuck Christmas. It's was just a stupid commercialized waste of time! Why's he even doing this Christmas shit? He's pretty sure his mom is Jewish anyway! Ugh!

But then he clicked the channel and woah- that's more skin showing than he expected. Suddenly, he remembered:

"Whenever you're watching a movie and a sex scene comes up then -BAM- your parents are right there!"

What if...

He changed to one of the more "mature" channels debuting their Christmas specials. It was sappy romance stuff, which isn't the worst, but he was more of a scifi kind of guy.

It was a typical plotline. A lady is scheduled to marry a prince but she's in love with a commoner guy. Lazy writing. It's been done before. But maybe...

Is it too childish to hope for a miracle on Christmas?

He sat with rapt attention through the whole ordeal. At one point the lady runs away to meet her forbidden true love (even though it's totally going to get her caught and in trouble and might even get the lover killed). They start kissing and taking off their clothes, but Tim isn't paying much attention now because this is the moment! He listened for the doorbell, for a knock, for a car, for a voice... But no parents came running. No one was there at the door. Why did he even hope...

Tim glared angrily at the two naked people on screen, "Is it too much to wish for my family to be here on Christmas??"

Then a *ding dong* came from the front of the house. Tim paused the TV. Wait. Could it be?

One second he was in the living room, the next he was swinging the front door open without any hesitation,

"Mom?? Dad??" Tim called excitedly before realizing who was there, "Oh... Hey, Dick. Uh, come on in." He tried not to look disappointed.

"I thought you were going to visit the Manor?" Dick pouted, walking in. Only then did Tim notice Alfred was following him.

"I lost track of time." Tim said honestly, "I'm sorry." Oh God, what if Bruce was upset with him? What if Bruce hates him now?? What if he ends up leaving Tim for months at a time and lies about being home for Christmas??

"Where are your parents?" Dick asked, but it was more rhetorical than anything. He could no doubt see the puffy eyes of someone who spent the night crying. Tim answered anyway.

"Africa."

"Still, on Christmas?" Alfred raised both his eyebrows in disapproval.

"It's not their fault! It's... work stuff. They don't... they said they'd rather be here with me but... It's not a big deal."

"Well, as that may be, Master Timothy, I insist you join us today and tonight at Wayne Manor."

"Yeah!" Dick chirped. "Alfred made a ton of food, like, all of your favorites! Didn't you, Al?"

"Indeed, I did, sir."

"But, Bruce-"

"Is the one that asked us to come and make sure you're okay." Dick smiled, "He's waiting for us. Actually, I think he really missed you on patrol last night."

"Really?"

"If I may," Alfred whispered, "Master Bruce also specifically requested I hang up a stocking with your name on it."

No way. But... Alfred wouldn't lie about that would he... Bruce really... Wow

"...Right. I'll visit him as scheduled and then leave." By the glint in Dick's eye though, Tim had a feeling he'd be staying in the Manor longer than planned. And honestly? That sounded a lot better than staying in this house alone.

"Great! I'll get your coat." Dick walked around the corner to the living room. "It's this way, right? Oh. Huh. I remember this movie."

Oh.

"TURN IT OFF IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE-"

The end.

#tim drake #batfam #batfam headcanons #batman #bruce wayne #dick grayson #alfred pennyworth #one shot #fanfic #my writing #long post

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blackroseaki38 · 5 years

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Tea Party For One

When Tim was younger, he was happier. Sure, his parents were rarely home — and when they were, they were only there to bring him along to Gotham's latest gala or charity event. Too bad they never make it to the Wayne events because they are so spontaneous. Tim wouldn't mind getting a chance to meet his heroes — but so far, he hasn't been able to. Of course, things changed when his parents started talking to a woman who always came to children's events. It was during this time that the betrayal began.

She was a tall woman with long brown hair and little makeup on. Tim always recognized her because of the tiny orange ribbon she tied on her neck — it always stood out next to all the dark colors the other elitists wore. He didn't know her name, but he remembered some of the conversations she had with the parents at these events, including to his own parents.

"Everyone knows kids can't be allowed to be themselves," she would say in her deep voice.

"But what about creativity and being different?" one patron asked, naively, like she actually believed in those things.

"And look where that has gotten Gotham. We got creative and different crazies alright — the Joker, the Riddler, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, you name it! It isn't a good thing," she countered swiftly.

"So your tea will keep our kids calm if they drink it twice a day? What if we don't get your tea?" his father asked cautiously.

"They'd get themselves killed in a city like Gotham for sure," she said, taking a sip out of her drink.

"I'm sure my four-year-old is fine," his mother replied, not wanting to admit she wouldn't be able to protect her son in front of these other prestigious parents.

"But any good parent would be able to afford my good ol' Granny's special soothing tea to help keep their kiddies nice and calm, not to mention quiet!"

That was the end of the conversation. He remembered his parents returning home with a copy of that lady's card.

Soon after, he got a nanny to make sure he drank his tea on time and to help out from time to time.

"Now, as Timothy's nanny, you must make sure he gets his special tea every morning and every evening," his mother told his new nanny before she and his father went on another one of their ongoing trips.

After that, he always had to drink the horribly bitter tea because his nanny made sure he did. It was after he started drinking the tea, that he felt out of sorts with himself.

"Now, now. Tim, honey, I know you don't like your tea, but you know the rules. Your mommy and daddy want you to drink a nice big cup of this tea every morning and every night. Now, if you're a good boy, I'll give you some candy," his nanny would say. She would bribe him to finish his cup when he was younger. As he got older, he got used to drinking the tea without wanting candy, like he had a need to drink his tea — but when he started to have trouble thinking and theorizing about things, he knew something was wrong.

Tim wasn't sure why his head was always muddled and clouded. He wanted to read his books without feeling lost and confused. He wanted to do so many things. His head kept spinning and spinning like the characters from the Saturday morning cartoons. One morning, when his nanny wasn't looking, he did something he never did before. He spilled his tea in the potted plant nanny liked to keep on the dining table as a centerpiece. On that day, his head felt clearer then it did in what felt like forever. From then on, he knew something was wrong with that tea, so he wanted to avoid it at any cost. When Nanny left for the evening, Tim dug a hole in the plant's pot. He planted a paper cup in the hole and covered it with a picture of dirt he took earlier that day. Every day after that, he would spill his tea into the hiding place and would empty it once his nanny left.

Tim knew his head felt clearer without the horrendous tea being forced down his throat, but for the first few days after he stopped drinking the tea, he felt like he was dying.

He started vomiting after every meal that second day without the tea. His nanny's hand rubbing his back as he would be hunched over the toilet was one of the only comforts he had. She just thought he caught a stomach virus, but knew she couldn't take him to the doctor. People would ask why is she with Timothy instead of his parents and then the questions would begin.

Throwing out his guts wasn't the only effects that happened to his body. His nanny would say he has a fever, but Tim felt like he was freezing and his tremoring wouldn't stop for hours. His clothes would always be damp from the continuous stream of sweat his body would be letting out. He tried to eat, but nausea would always kick in a few seconds after a bite and he wouldn't be able to eat anymore.

The cloudiness of his head was back. But, this time it would worsen. Before, it felt like nothing was ever clear, but at least nothing hurt. Now, his head felt he was holding up 1000 thoughts.

Tim knew whatever was going on must be because of the tea. He was able to spill it down the toilet while he was ill like this while his nanny was distracted. He felt almost tempted to give up, to drink the tea and let all his suffering end.

But he knew he mustn't! He saw the news reports on tv about Batman and Robin. He remembered the joy he felt when he went to see the Flying Graysons. He remembered how happy he was when he figured out their identities. He remembered all the things he used to do before the tea came into his life — and he wanted that all back.

He knew if Batman and Robin can keep the darkness of Gotham from consuming the city, then he can keep himself from being consumed by the darkness of the tea.

Tim tried his best to stay strong. His sleep might have been restless and his body continued to rebel against itself for a few the next few days, but he kept fighting. With his heroes in his fogged head, he fought himself to keep away from the tea.

After 3 days, most of Tim's ailments were gone. He was no longer vomiting or nauseous. His fever had broken that second day. He was no longer sweating and his clothes were dry once more. His muscles still ached for a few days and he would tremor from time to time. By the end of the week, he was back to normal, well the new normal at least — and best of all, his head was clear again!

But Tim knew he couldn't keep avoiding the tea forever. So, he ordered a lot of packets of tea that looked similar to the ones that were delivered to his home every month. When the package arrived, while his nanny was out getting groceries luckily, he hid the packets in a place he knew his parents or nanny never went into, the attic.

That evening, after missing another dose of the tea, he climbed on to the counter and found the large box full of tea bags. After counting them all, he replaced them all of them. He flushed most of them down the toilet. He knew he would need to make sure to have at least 60 packets of normal tea for every month — but he kept one bag.

He got his favorite teddy bear, the only toy his parents let him have since he got it at some children's charity event. He only got it because every teddy bear bought for $100 raised money for orphanages. Of course, his parents not only bought him one but also made sure to mention it every time he went to that's man's next charity event, making Tim bring it along. It was no wonder the other rich kids made fun of Tim.

He took a pair of sharp scissors he found in the kitchen and cut his teddy bear open from one of the seams. He placed the tea bag deep inside the toy's body, making sure the white fluff hide it well. The next day, he asked his nanny to sew his teddy after it ripped the night before — so, of course, the naive woman fixed it, without realizing what was inside of the teddy.

Tim knew he had to keep at least 1 packet safe. He needed to find a way to contact Batman and tell him about the evil tea, and he won't give up till he does! He knew he must not be the only kid being forced to drink it, from what he heard his parents talking about with other elite parents. He had to keep fighting to find the person behind this conspiracy and he can only do that with a certain dynamic duo.

Tim wasn't sure what part his parents played in this scheme. Did they know what was in the tea? Did they suspect? Or were they innocent bystanders like the other naive Gotham elitists. Whatever the case, Tim knew he would always feel betrayed by them.

They might have not to know what was in the drug or where they are ordering it from, but they should have tried it themselves before forcing him to drink it. So many years spent trying to stay afloat over the water. Years wondering why his projects and theories weren't coming together the way he wanted — all because his parents thought some 'soothing tea' from a strange lady would keep him quiet. He was used to being betrayed by them by leaving him alone, but the tea was the last straw. From now on, Tim knew he would have to be on his guard when his parents come by for the next high-class event in Gotham.

Tim Drake would be forever changed by this unknown betrayal by his parents — but then again, his whole life so far has been a betrayal.

#badthingshappenbingo #bad things happen to good people #batman #Tim Drake #druggedTimDrake #BatFam #betryal #TeaPartyForOne #TeaPartyTimDrake #janet drake #drugs #drugged #druggedtea #druggeddrink #jack drake

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theimpossiblescheme · 5 years

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“Where do you come from, where do you go? What is your scene, baby, we just gotta know!”

I said I was gonna make an appreciation post for Yvonne Craig’s ’66 Batgirl, so… here she is, Barbara Gordon, that Dominoed Dare-Doll out to strike at the heart of crime!

The network wanted to introduce Barbara Gordon to the show almost immediately after her “Million-Dollar Debut” in the comics, and being renewed for a third season gave them the perfect opportunity. After airing a short presentation to introduce the character, featuring Babs in a much pointier mask fighting off Killer Moth and his goons, they were given the green light to properly usher her into the show. The rest, of course, is network television history; and while a lot of people can agree that the third season of the show was largely a series of missteps, Batgirl was definitely not one of them.

What makes Babs so interesting in this show is that she’s the perfect demonstration of how femininity and badassery don’t have to be mutually exclusive. She’s naturally a very warm, charming, and eminently helpful person who goes out of her way to look after her family and her community. She’s a bookworm who works at the Gotham City library and studied almost every subject. She’s very much a daddy’s girl who almost never fights with her father and regularly invites him over to watch TV with her. She loves to cook and entertain guests. She loves classical music and museums of all kinds. She dresses like Jackie Kennedy at a thrift shop. She loves to surf and swim and has a thing for charming jocks. She keeps a gorgeous apartment full of trinkets and vintage furniture with a little parakeet named Charlie to keep her company. And she visibly wears striking eye makeup even under her Batgirl cowl.

For God’s sake, her Batgirl motorcycle has ruffles on it!

But absolutely none of that takes away from what a devastatingly competent crimefighter she is. In fact, she uses her reputation as an underestimated Girly-Girl ™ to her best advantage, similar to the way Babs does in Batgirl: Year One. People tend to not pay her any mind because she’s a girl who can’t possibly do anything interesting in her spare time? Gives her plenty of time to build her own Batgirl Cave in the back room of her apartment, complete with a revolving wall for ease of access to her costume station, an early computer and switchboard with a Lucite screen, a forensic chemistry set, and an elevator lift for her motorcycle!

People expect her to be soft and meek? Perfect opportunity to take people by surprise by scaring them out of her apartment, even out of costume, and fully turn the tables on them as Batgirl, the fierce bruiser who loves nothing more than a sharp verbal takedown followed by a good scrap! Punching isn’t a ladylike thing to do? No rule saying you can’t ballet-kick their noses up into their brains and grab the nearest blunt object to use as an improvised weapon!

Woman crimefighters aren’t expected to be as clever as the Dynamic Duo? Time to surprise everyone by using common sense and book smarts to solve cases instead of Bat-Deduction and breaking out of deathtraps by being genuinely resourceful rather than relying on deus ex machina (she does get the occasional assist, but this girl freed herself from self-tightening garotte wire. That counts for something.)!

Every time someone on the show tries to sell her short, she gets around to proving them wrong within seconds, and it’s the most satisfying thing to see. Her biggest flaws as Batgirl were that she could be a little too rough and sometimes unintentionally cruel (such as the time she sprayed Louie the Lilac with sentient rot because she thought he was just bluffing). But with time and experience she learned better and continued to improve as Gotham’s newest protector—a job she took very seriously, but still had a sense of humor about.

Interestingly, in her first couple of appearances, Babs seemed to be very aware of the fact that people were going to end up comparing her to Batman and Robin, and it manifested in a rather competitive spirit. She constantly kept secrets from them, even ones that pertained to the case they were working on, and she would even hide evidence from them so she could have the satisfaction of busting the bad guy first. They didn’t seem to trust her on principle at first, especially Batman, who believed that it was in women’s nature to try to outdo men in everything (holy sexism, ya douchecanoe); and she apparently decided that it wasn’t worth the effort to change their minds. When they asked her about where she got her information, she would be deliberately vague and mention things like tarot cards and tea leaves—“all part of a woman crimefighter’s arsenal”—as a sort of Take That against them. And at the end of almost every episode, she would disappear without a trace while their backs were turned, making them wonder where the hell she could have gone. Eventually the three came to trust each other much more and fall into an easier and more cheerful rapport, but she would still disappear on them when the job was done.

One of the biggest shakeups on the show was that the member of the original “Batfamily” she was closest to was none other than Alfred! He was the first to stumble upon her secret identity, and she made him swear to secrecy “as a gentleman’s gentleman.” And he kept his word and continued to serve as her confidante, meeting with her in secret when she didn’t know if she could trust Batman. Every opportunity there was to help Babs, Alfred took it, no matter what, whether it was freeing her from a particularly tricky trap or helping her track a criminal across Gotham. The two of them quickly developed a really adorable familial relationship based on mutual trust and affection, and you could tell how fond of each other Yvonne Craig and Alan Napier must have been.

The one vastly different addition you could possibly quibble with about this Babs is that there’s this rather aggressive effort to try to pair her up with Bruce. Her father is very in favor of the idea of the two settling down together (even though Babs is fresh out of college and Bruce is at least in his late thirties). And while Babs thinks Bruce is a nice enough guy, all of their “dates” end up being rather awkward since Bruce is a colossal dork out of costume, and she honestly just finds him a bit boring. Besides, “he’s no Batman.” She has a rather thinly disguised hero-crush on Batman and often wonders who he is under the mask—one can only imagine her reaction to finding out it’s the same guy who would rather watch the news in the back of his limo than talk to her. The attempt at shipping is there, but it never really goes anywhere, so… dodged a bullet there.

And in case anyone is wondering about her and Dick, while they aren’t romantically interested in each other at all, they do make a fantastic team and seem to view each other as brother and sister or at least good friends. There are entire subplots of episodes where the two team up to save Batman’s bacon, and it’s glorious.

All in all, Yvonne Craig—once a dancer for the Ballet Russe and then a character actress who’d performed opposite Perry Mason and Elvis Presley—gave the world one of the defining heroines of the 1960s. One who never stayed a damsel in distress for long and was spunky, witty, rebellious, kindhearted, determined, free-spirited, and more than capable of holding her own with the boys. If anyone remembers anything about the third season of Batman, it’s Batgirl in all her purple glory, and her legacy has endured for so long that even Gail Simone has gone on record saying that when she writes Barbara Gordon, it’s Craig’s voice she imagines.

Unfortunately, Batman’s third season would be its last; even with hopes for a fourth season on the horizon, the destruction of the sets meant that the Terrific Trio would never set forth again on the small screen. Fortunately, though, this wouldn’t be the end of this Batgirl—she was given another chance in cartoon and comic book form!

In The New Adventures of Batman, she takes on Catwoman to clear her own name from the taint of crime, singlehandedly rescues Robin from both the Joker’s and the Riddler’s henchmen with nothing but brute force, and adds a whole new passel of gadgets to her utility belt, including her own grappling hook gun and a makeup compact that conceals pocket sand she can use to blind her assailants.

In the recent Batman ’66 standalone comics, she gets to help Batman face off against Lord Death Man in Japan, takes on the Joker and Catwoman multiple times, helps free her father from Bane’s clutches, outwits all of the Big Four through simple office politics out of costume, and singlehandedly fends off the Bookworm and Queen Cleopatra with ingenuity and a good pimp slap respectively.

In Batman ’66 Meets the Man From U.N.C.L.E., she battles Poison Ivy’s plant goons (accidentally decapitating one of them with a single kick) travels with the Dynamic Duo, Napolean, and Illya to Monte Carlo to face off against Hugo Strange and his new international crime syndicate, and almost throws hands with Strange all by herself.

In Batman ’66 Meets Wonder Woman ’77, she graduates from Batgirl to Batwoman (Kate Kane’s initial appearance never caught on, it would seem) and takes her place as the new police commissioner of Gotham City after her father retires.

And most recently, in Archie Meets Batman ’66, she and Dick Grayson go undercover as transfer students to help flush out the new supervillain threat plaguing Riverdale and its students, facing off against the Joker and Catwoman in particular so far while dealing with the rabid crushes Archie and Betty have on them.

And as long as people still show an interest in this iteration of Babs, there will probably be more content still to come. Not gonna lie, this is my favorite version of Barbara Gordon in any medium—I love her personality, her approach to challenges, her fighting style, her relationships with the rest of the cast, and even her costume. Maybe one day, in a new Batman ’66 comic, we’ll get to see more of a supporting cast for her—bring in Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Frankie Charles, Jason Bard, and all of the characters we’ve come to know and love from the greater DC canon! Hell, even better, give her a chance to become Oracle and pave the way for new Batgirls inspired by the good she’s done for Gotham! But for now, we should all take the opportunity to appreciate the most iconic Barbara Gordon and the legacy she left behind.

Before I go, I thought I’d leave you guys with a snippet from the Man From U.N.C.L.E. crossover comic that I think best encapsulates this Batgirl and why she does what she does. If ever Barbara Gordon had a mission statement, this is it, and I can never commend the comics enough for recognizing what makes her so special.

#dc #batman 66 #barbara gordon #the schemer speaks #I had this in me for a long time and I had to get it out.#I love her so much you guys have no idea--you could not ask for a more perfect Barbara Gordon outside of 'Birds of Prey.' <3

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themattress · 6 years

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My Top 50 OUAT Episodes

And now, as a final goodbye to OUAT, I give you this list of my personal picks for the 50 best episodes in the series, listed in order of airing. Two-hour broadcasts are counted as one here.

1. Pilot - 1x01. One of the best TV pilots of recent years due to how quickly it grabs you and emotionally invests you in its magical atmosphere and the plight of its central characters.

2. The Thing You Love Most - 1x02. Best watched immediately after the pilot, as it deals with the same story but from the dark and twisted perspective of its villain, the Evil Queen.

3. Snow Falls - 1x03. Snow and Charming are, well, charming in their first adventure together and the start of their romance, as is sweet Mary Margaret in the present day.

4. That Still Small Voice - 1x05. Jiminy Cricket of all characters gets a surprisingly dark and emotional backstory that resonates with him in the extremely intense present-day scenario.

5. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter - 1x07. Jamie Dornan gives an incredible performance as the tormented Sheriff Graham / Huntsman, all the way to the episode’s tragic conclusion.

6. Desperate Souls - 1x08. We get our first true insight into the backstory of the enigmatic Rumpelstiltskin, and Emma becomes sheriff, making this a truly pivotal episode for the show.

7. Skin Deep - 1x12. A truly subversive, twisted take on the Beauty and the Beast story, with some unexpected layers added to Rumple’s character and Robert Carlyle’s performance.

8. Red-Handed - 1x15. Little Red Riding Hood IS the Big Bad Wolf. That is awesome.

9. Hat Trick - 1x17. One of the most terrifying, surreal episodes in the entire series, with the great Sebastian Stan knocking it out of the park as the deranged Mad Hatter, Jefferson.

10. The Return - 1x19. We learn why the curse was cast in a devastatingly emotional story that adds more to the characters of Rumple and August as the season enters its final stretch.

11. The Stranger - 1x20. August’s true identity is one of the best reveals in the whole series.

12. An Apple Red As Blood - 1x21. Part 1 of the season finale, as Regina in both the past and present gears up to finish off her nemesis, with the episode ending on a huge shocker.

13. A Land Without Magic - 1x22. Part 2 of the season finale, the best finale the show ever had, and quite possibly my all-time favorite episode. Almost everything about this episode is perfect and gives you the feeling of a story coming to its end as the threads come together.

14. Broken - 2x01. A solid season opener that sets the show on an exciting new course.

15. Lady of the Lake - 2x03. Things really pick up as Team Princess is formed, Cora is established as the new Big Bad, and we get some beautiful moments between Snow and Emma that make it all the more shameful that the show utterly ruins this dynamic later on.

16. The Doctor - 2x05. Dr. Whale is Victor Frankenstein. Did NOT see that coming!

17. Tallahassee - 2x06. The first adventure that “Captain Swan” (Emma and Hook) partake in together, while at the same time we finally learn about Emma’s sad past with her ex-lover.

18. Queen of Hearts - 2x09. A thrilling conclusion to the first arc of Season 2, where we finally learn Cora’s motivations and get an epic fight between the heroes and the villains.

19. Manhattan - 2x14. This episode is a real turning point, with Emma’s ex-lover being revealed as Rumple’s long-lost son, along with several new insights into Rumple’s past.

20. The Queen Is Dead - 2x15. One of the show’s most emotional episodes, in no small part thanks to Bailee Madison’s truly amazing performance as young Snow in the flashback.

21. The Miller's Daughter - 2x16. We learn about Cora’s fascinating backstory and the true nature of her relationship with Rumple. But then she dies, and the season totally falls apart.

22. Second Star To The Right - 2x21. Finally it feels like shit is getting done, and the concept of a terrifying re-imagining of Peter Pan in the flashback is immediately captivating.

23. And Straight On 'Til Morning - 2x22. The mess Season 2 became gets cleaned up in this gripping finale, with a brilliant new story set-up laid out to be followed in Season 3.

24. The Heart Of The Truest Believer - 3x01. OUAT is truly back at the top of its game here, juggling four different plot threads perfectly and introducing its greatest villain, Peter Pan.

25. Lost Girl - 3x02. The flashback here is meh, but the present day stuff is nigh-perfect.

26. Quite a Common Fairy - 3x03. For the first time, Regina’s potential redemption feels good and genuine, and Rose McIver’s re-imagining of Tinker Bell is a delight from the start.

27. Good Form - 3x05. Hook’s backstory is amazing, and Captain Swan truly begins here.

28. Ariel - 3x06. JoAnna Garcia Swisher makes a truly perfect live-action rendition of Ariel, and the interactions between all the characters in Neverland take a truly engaging turn.

29. Dark Hollow - 3x07. Belle and Ariel, on a mission from Rumpelstiltskin, team up to fight John and Michael Darling who serve the villainous Peter Pan. Only on this show, people!

30. Think Lovely Thoughts - 3x08. The “Nevengers” truly show how far they’ve come working as a group here, and we get one of the show’s most shocking and twisted reveals.

31. Going Home - 3x11. The perfect series finale that isn’t a series finale, with the action increasingly slowing down so that you can fully appreciate the emotions. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if the show had ended right here, I’d have been completely satisfied.

32. Witch Hunt - 3x13. Just plain fun and funny, with great dialogue and great character interactions that really get you re-adjusted to these characters and to life in Storybrooke.

33. The Jolly Roger - 3x17. Quite possibly the quintessential Hook episode, showing just what kind of a person he was and how he desperately wants to be a better man now.

34. Snow Drifts / There's No Place Like Home - 3x21 / 22. After the incredible letdown that was the climax of the Wicked arc, we get this two-part finale that really embodies the magic OUAT had and never quite will again, with Emma’s character arc coming to a fitting end.

35. The Apprentice - 4x04. “The Dark One lies. The Dark One tricks”. This episode does a perfect job at re-establishing Rumple as a true villain and a schemer to be reckoned with.

36. The Snow Queen - 4x07. Quite possibly the most heartbreaking villain backstory the show has ever had, plus riveting scenes between Elizabeth Mitchell and Jennifer Morrison.

37. Smash the Mirror - 4x08. It’s overlong and the Regina and Robin subplot is complete bullshit, but everything else in both the past and present is golden. The 4A arc peaked here.

38. Shattered Sight - 4x10. The boffo comedy in this episode is cringe-inducing, but all of the serious, emotional stuff centered around the Snow Queen and her family gets me every time.

39. Poor Unfortunate Soul - 4x15. Ursula’s backstory is kind of iffy, but the effect it has on Hook and his development here is really good, as are the villains and August’s return.

40. Sympathy for the De Vil - 4x18. “Evil isn’t born, it’s made”...except in this case, where it is 100% born and takes us on a twisted tale that could pass for a good Twilight Zone episode.

41. The Broken Kingdom - 5x04. The twist of the glorious kingdom of Camelot being a kingdom literally built on sand, and its monarch a disturbed megalomaniac, is a great one. Plus, Snow and Charming actually get do something heroic after a long period of inactivity!

42. Nimue - 5x07. The actors portraying Merlin and Nimue really sell the doomed epic romance between the two, as we get the most far-back flashback in the show’s entire run.

43. Labor of Love - 5x13. This episode can be summed up as “The Nevengers are back.” That alone counters the disappointment of how blandly Hercules and Megara are portrayed.

44. The Brothers Jones - 5x15. A touching tale of brotherhood, good intentions gone wrong, self-loathing and forgiveness, plus giving Hook closure with his big brother. I just love it.

45. Firebird - 5x20. The flashback is utter tripe, but the escalation in the present-day story, the performances, and Captain Swan’s True Love test makes this episode well worth it.

46. Last Rites - 5x21. Aside from that moment with Robin, this episode is awesome, especially the Underworld scenes with the duo I never knew I wanted: Hook and Arthur.

47. The Other Shoe - 6x03. This episode embodies what the show SHOULD have become: a more light-hearted series with adventures-of-the-day starring Emma, Hook and Henry.

48. A Wondrous Place - 6x15. Hook sails on Captain Nemo’s sub, the Nautilus, alongside Aladdin and Jasmine, meeting up with Ariel and facing down Jafar. Only on this show, people!

49. The Song in Your Heart - 6x20. Because really, who doesn’t love a Musical Episode? This one centering around Emma and her marriage to Hook makes it all the more special.

50. The Final Battle - 6x21 / 22. It’s got a LOT of problems, but the ending it reaches is truly one that fits the show, and we would have been better off if ABC hadn’t renewed it afterward.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

The Price of Gold - 1x04. Rumpelstiltskin’s first showcase episode, and he’s terrifying in it.

Dreamy - 1x14. Screw the haters, I really liked this episode! It was hilarious and sweet.

The Crocodile - 2x04. Our introduction to Killian Jones / Captain Hook. It’s a good one, and I’d have liked it better had Rumple’s role in both the past and present not been so disturbing.

Save Henry - 3x09. A tad anti-climactic and the Regina focus was misaimed, but still good.

New York City Serenade - 3x12. A damn fine start to a new beginning for the show.

Rocky Road - 4x03. Elsa and the Snow Queen are both fantastic characters, both shown well here. It’s held back by the introduction of Will Scarlet, who ended up being a waste.

Darkness on the Edge of Town - 4x12. This episode gives us the visual of villains on a road trip stopping at a drive-thru. You just gotta love that! Also, the Chernabog was awesome.

Operation Mongoose - 4x21 / 22. Despite Isaac’s (and by extension, A&E’s) terrible writing, the weird situations and performances from the actors makes this an entertaining finale.

Siege Perilous - 5x03. A good old-fashioned Camelot adventure is just what I wanted.

The Bear King - 5x09. Again, screw the haters. The show needed more episodes like this, a standalone where the plot takes a pause and the side characters are allowed to develop.

Broken Heart - 5x10. The present-day plot is absolute crap, but the flashback in Camelot is really well executed, and Colin O’Donoghue is clearly having a blast playing Dark Hook.

Souls of the Departed - 5x12. Not ideal for the 100th episode, but a good start to the Underworld arc, with a lot of familiar faces returning and a great new villain introduced.

Devil's Due - 5x14. Despite her fate in this episode, it’s great to see the writers presenting Milah more sympathetically than she was before, and Hades continues to be a delight.

Our Decay - 5x16. The first episode where Zelena feels truly human instead of the cartoonish psychopath she was before, with her and Hades’ romance being legit touching.

Sisters - 5x19. While I don’t much care for the subplot with Prince James, the main plot featuring the reconciliation between Cora, Regina and Zelena is great and beautifully acted.

Strange Case - 6x04. Oh, Mr. Hyde, you left us way too soon. The episode is sadly weighed down by Rumple’s textbook abuse toward Belle, which we now know is never truly punished.

Dark Waters - 6x06. A good bonding episode between Hook and Henry, plus a great new character from the Land of Untold Stories who is actually faithful to his source material!

Heartless - 6x07. For once, Lana Parilla actually gives us an old-school Evil Queen performance, where she’s scary and truly malevolent rather than campy and over-the-top.

Mother's Little Helper - 6x16. I really like the Dark Realm, and wish that more was done with it. The reunion between long-time rivals Hook and Blackbeard is also a lot of fun.

The Black Fairy - 6x19. The retcon that Rumple was born a Savior is ridiculous, but the titular Black Fairy’s backstory actually makes her an interesting character for the first time.

A Pirate's Life - 7x02. It was nice to see Emma again, and even better to see that the Hook in this arc is actually Wish!Hook rather than the original, who is still living happily with Emma.

The Girl in the Tower - 7x14. Robin and Alice are beyond precious as a couple in both the past and the present, finally washing away the bad taste left behind by “Ruby Slippers”.

The Guardian - 7x18. It may have been late in coming, but Rumple / Weaver actually becomes interesting here as we get to explore his relationship with his newfound friends.

Homecoming - 7x21. It’s good to see several old characters again, and even better to see all the loose threads from that abominable Season 6 Wish Realm two-parter finally addressed.

Leaving Storybrooke - 7x22. Except for Rumple’s end, most of what happens following Snow and Charming’s appearance is utter shit. But.....at least the show is finally over!

#Once Upon a Time #ABC #Opinion

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healing-hanyou · 6 years

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Ace Attorney, Danganronpa, Love Live for the ask meme

STRAP YOURSELVES IN, KIDDOS. THIS IS A FUCKING ESSAY RIGHT HERE.

Ace Attorney:

Favorite Male Character: Miles Edgeworth. Shi-Long Lang is great as well. I also have a soft spot for Klavier, Sebastian and Apollo. And, naturally, my space son, Clay Terran.

Favorite Female Character: Kay Faraday!! Props also go to Mia Fey and Trucy Wright, as well as Athena and Jinxie.

Favorite Het Ship: Farabeste (Sebastian/Kay). Cykesquill as well, but I’m very specific about how and when I like it...like, ridiculously specific. Diego/Mia is good as well. For something more ridiculous that I think would be fun, Clay and Athena could have had a great dynamic. Maybe even Clay and Jinxie, if we go out and be totally wild.

Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Klapollo, Langworth, Nahyuta/Simon. Vera/Trucy, lady Cykesquill, Robin/Myriam and Athena/Juniper for the ladies.

Least Favorite Male Character: how to I condense the list of the bastards? Kristoph is evil, but I cannot deny he had charm as a character - he’s terrifying, but fascinating, so I cannot name him as my least favourite. I think I’ll go with either von Karma or Blaze Debeste. They’re responsible for so much misery, and they don’t have any tragic reasons for being the way they are.

Least Favorite Female Character: Ma//ya Fe//y. I know the reasons people have for liking her, and I can forgive some flaws in writing, but she simply has too many of them. I know she is a courageous girl who ultimately wishes to do good, but the way she acts, especially in the first two games... just make me go ‘hmmmm’. Honestly, my favourite games in the series are those where I don’t get to see her. Young Pearl is also very low down on the list, and she was my least favourite for a long while, but her teenage years made me soften up to her, she’s pretty great in DD.

Least Favorite Het Ship: anything that encourages abuse, like Grant/Lana? Why would you do this? Also, I’m not fond of Athena/Apollo or Juniper/Apollo. Apollo is far too gay in my eyes to ever be together with a girl. Phoenix/Maya is another one I dislike.

Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): same rule as above applies. Aside from those, I... don’t have many slash ships I actively dislike, surprisingly? My main one would be Wri//ght//wor//th, since, in my opinion, it’s very overhyped, and I cannot turn around in this fandom without seeing it, but even that is mostly just...annoyance.

Dirty Little Secret: I haven’t forgotten about my dumbass theory. I’m just...really fucking slow.

Headcanon(s): this will need to be answered in its own separate asks. I have headcanons for everyone. For now, though - Jinxie Tenma is a Fey.

Unpopular Opinion(s): I like Gyakuten Kenji far more than the original games. In general, games with a protag that’s not Phoenix and newer games in the series I tend to like more. Not to imply that the original trilogy was bad or anything, but... Edgeworth is far more solid as a protagonist, not only because his side was relatively unexplored, but because his investigation methods were so much more sensible. Phoenix has this ‘wing it’ approach, which works fine, until you see past it. When you see past it, the tension build-up it tries to pull fails massively, and you just get annoyed by Phoenix never thinking ahead for anything, or being oblivious. With Edgeworth, when there are moments of tension, they appear because of something genuinely unexpected, or because Edgeworth made a miscalculation (which allows character growth). Even when Edgeworth has to pull dumb or crazy shit, it feels like it makes sense, because he thinks, even when he panics. Also, Phoenix is tied down by the worst accompanying duo of Maya and Pearl all the time, while Edgeworth acquires an absolutely amazing set of sidekicks (and he not only gets fun new ones, like Kay and Lang, but there’s so much detail in his interactions with Gumshoe, Franziska and Larry as well? It was great to see the Edgeworth/Larry dynamic of the friendship). Plus, I like the Logic Chess things, the soundtrack is my favourite (how exactly COULD you even attempt to top Shi-Long Lang’s theme???), at least if we’re not counting PLvsAA as a part of this universe, and I like the visuals of it much better. In short, everybody should play these fucking games right fucking now, and storm Capcom offices so they actually port GK2 for the Western market.

A lot of the same criteria apply for the newer games, too. While DD was a comeback for Phoenix, it was a game with mixed protagonists, and it was a new Phoenix as well. Apollo probably has my second favourite supporting character crew after Edgeworth, and, at the time, his Perceive mechanic was refreshing to see after being stuck to the same gimmick for 3 games. Same with Athena. She differs dractically from both Phoenix and Apollo, and brings a new mechanic and a new set of associated people. In other words? I’m happy this series is trying new things, and exploring extra protagonists where it can. It has improved a whole bunch as a result.

Danganronpa:

Favorite Male Character: Byakuya Togami, Kiyotaka Ishimaru. Nagisa Shingetsu. Gundham Tanaka, Hajime Hinata, Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko, Nagito Komaeda. Shuuichi Saihara, Ouma Kokichi, Rantarou Amami.

Favorite Female Character: Aoi Asahina, Celes, Touko Fukawa. Sonia Nevermind, Peko Pekoyama, Akane Owari, Ibuki Mioda. Angie Yonaga, Kirumi Toujou, Maki Harukawa, Tenko Chabashira.

Favorite Het Ship: Togami/Asahina, Ishimaru/Asahina, Hinata/Ibuki, Tanaka/Pekoyama (I’m especially fond of this one, also titled Soft Animals Edge Duo). Sonia/Kuzuryuu is also great, though that is a platonic ship, as I headcanon Sonia as aro.

Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Naegi/Ishimaru, Naegi/Togami. KomaNaegi is quite pure, but a friend also got me into KomaSouda as a complimentary ship to TanaPeko. A crackship, but still a favourite is Izuru/Ryouta. And, of course, the ultimate fave - Saiouma. (A nice shoutout also goes to Oumota and Amamota). As for the ladies, Kirizono and Celesgiri, and all gay Asahina ships are good, SoniAkane & Pekobuki. In V3, Tenko is mega gay, so there’s a chance for every gay ship, however, my favourite one is Tenko/Maki. If we’re talking non-Tenko ships, Angie/Maki sounds fun.

Least Favorite Male Character: in DR1, surprisingly, none. Well, Hagakure can get on my nerves, but I like just alright all of them. In SDR2, Nidai, in my opinion, didn’t have that great of a development, so I guess him. Though I also have plenty of issues with Souda. In V3, Gon//ta Go//ku//ha//ra.

Least Favorite Female Character: All DR1 girls are good, and even if they aren’t, they’re at least interesting or entertaining. But if I have to pick, Junko, if we’re judging morality. In SDR2, Mi//kan Tsu//mi//ki and Hi//yo//ko Sai//onji,in terms of morality and/or being dicks. In terms of rather poor writing (despite having a good idea), Chi//a//ki Na//na//mi. In V3, H//i//m//i//k//o Y//u//m//e//n//o and K//a//e//d//e A//k//a//m//a//t//s//u. The final one is also my least favourite in the entirety of the series as a whole.

Least Favorite Het Ship: Jun//ko//ma//e//da. In general, any Junko ship is not very good for plenty of reasons. Na//e//gi//ri. In SDR2, Souda/Sonia (she’s clearly not comfortable with him), Nidai/Akane, Hi//na//na//mi.. Not sure if should be mentioned here, but romantic Kuzupeko? Mostly because I cannot picture it as a thing. I do, however, like them platonically, they do care about each other a whole bunch. In V3, Sa//i//ma//tsu (never make me look at it).

Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Chi//hi//mon//do. Even if I do like Mondo okay, it’s not healthy. Ka//mu//ko//ma. Son//dam. Jun//ko//mi//kan? Mahiru/Peko for sure. Kiib//ou//ma, too.

And the one I guarantee I’ll receive anon hate over - Te//n//hi//mi.

Dirty Little Secret: this series somehow manages to combine the good with the ridiculous in such a way that I can accept.

Unpopular Opinion(s): I am the literal embodiment of unpopular opinions in this franchise. I think V3 is the best game of the series, and it had a brilliant twist (both the start one and the final one). I don’t really ship the most popular ships, the obvious exception being Saiouma (and, to an extent, SoniAkane? It’s a popular Akane ship, at least). I think Saihara is a far better protag choice than the other option that was presented, since the story and its structure was made to fit him. I’m the unpopular opinion and rarepair central in this fucking thing. (Please help me.)

Love Live!:

Favorite Male Character: yay for not having prominent males, which means I get to skip 2 more questions here.

Favorite Female Character: In Muse’s, my top 3 is Hanayo, Eli and Maki. In Aquors, my top 3 is You, Kanan and Dia (though Mari and Chika are also very lovable).

Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Makipana! It’s very very cute. I also quite like HonoEli. HonoMaki is also quite nice. In Aquors, YouKanan or DiaKanan.

Least Favorite Female Character: Not unpopular by any means, but Ni//co Ya//za//wa. In terms of singing voice, Kotori. In Aquors, R//i//k//o S//a//k//u//r//a//u//c//h//i.

Least Favorite Slash Ship (both M/M and F/F): Ni//co//ma//ki??? I will never understand why people like it. In Aquors, Chi//ka//ri//ko and You//ri//ko.

Dirty Little Secret: I quite like A-RISE. Every song they’ve ever done is an absolute banger, as the youth says.

Unpopular Opinion(s): would you look at that. Another fandom where I’m the monarch of rarepairs.

#Ask meme answers #wow I sure as fuck got...spirited #apologies to all and everyone #I tried by best to slash out character and ship names I list in my disliked sections since I don't want people to see them through search #alsoo for my own safety #I know whose fans can get very aggressive so I am taking no risks #no more angsty messaes for me please #anyway cheers for asking #wanderingthroughwickford #Words spoken at me

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ecoorganic · 4 years

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'Ted Lasso' and the Journey From Viral Promo to TV Series

Jason Sudeikis reprises his role as a befuddled coach in England, with his viral NBC promos evolving into a full-on TV show. He explains the story of how it happened.

There’s a scene in Ted Lasso, where the title character–Jason Sudeikis’s American football coach who abruptly turns into a Premier League manager–sprints to the assistant referee in the middle of a crucial match after raising his flag for an offside call.

“Come on, now! What do you mean? How’s that offside?” complains Lasso, with his characteristic Kansan drawl as the linesman looks at him with confusion.

“What?” asks the official.

Lasso gets closer. “No, I’m serious. How’s that offside...I don’t understand it yet.”

This lack of complete understanding and across-the-pond confusion is one way to describe the essence of Apple TV+’s latest sitcom, which originated from a 2013 NBC Sports promo. That's where Sudeikis introduced his character as part of the network’s acquisition of the Premier League broadcast rights.

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The idea was simple. Lasso, an intense, wide-eyed college football coach from Kansas City arrives in London and enters the alien world of the Premier League. In the promos, he takes over Tottenham (the following season,

he returns as head coach of youth girls' team St. Catherine Fighting Owls), questioning why players don’t wear more pads and teaching the art of flopping. He has no knowledge of the game or its cultural and historical significance. It was a satiric outlook at two different worlds seen through the eyes of a naïve American, and for NBC, it was a way to both attract a loyal, knowledgeable soccer fan as well as appeal to a new audience.

In the end, it worked, as both promos (2013 and 2014) went viral and gained a tremendous amount of attention. Combined, the videos have generated more than 20 million views on YouTube and helped the network build a strong foundation for its Premier League audience.

It’s been six years since those promos aired, and soccer in the U.S.–without Ted Lasso–has grown tremendously in popularity. So how was the character revived?

“I guess it’s a dozen little things that go right that you’re willing and ready to receive,” Sudeikis told Sports Illustrated. “After doing the second video (in 2014), it really unlocked elements of the character that we found very, very fun to write and portray and view the world through. So, one day in 2015, my partner Olivia (the actress and filmmaker Olivia Wilde) came up to me one day and said, ‘You know, you should do Ted Lasso as a show,’ and I said, ‘I don’t know,’ but then after marinating on it, I thought maybe this could happen.”

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In spring of the same year, Sudeikis got together with his creative partners and writers, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt–the three of them started together with Chicago’s well-known improv group The Second City and Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago; Hunt also plays Lasso’s assistant coach and confidante Coach Beard–and powered through for a week to see if they could create a show out of it.

“When you have a germ of an idea, you don’t know if it’s something you say out loud or if it’s a tweet or a letter or a screenplay, who knows," Sudeikis said. "So, we sat down, and we were able to bang out a pilot pretty quick in that week. As well as outlining six to 10 episodes of the first season. And that let us know, ‘O.K., there’s something here.’”

Despite the excitement for the idea, that’s all it was at that moment–an idea without a home. So, life continued, and the three friends left Ted Lasso alone for a few years and diverted their focus to their respective careers.

“But that allowed us to get a little space from it, and low and behold, the showbiz gods looked and smiled down on us and brought Bill to our doorstep,” Sudeikis said.

"Bill" is Bill Lawrence, the experienced television writer, producer and creative force behind award-winning shows such as Scrubs, Cougar Town and Spin City. Lawrence entered the frame in 2017 when he and Sudeikis played pickup basketball a couple of nights a week and one night, the idea of Ted Lasso came up. After a few more chats, he read the script and the concept and was immediately interested.

“I wanted to work with Jason Sudeikis, he just cracks me up. I thought he was awesome on SNL, whenever he shows up in a movie, I’m immediately into it and he seems like that dude you want to hang with,” Lawrence said. “I’d also seen those sketches, the promotional videos for the Premier League back when he did them and I thought they were so funny, and he said, 'What if we made that character three-dimensional and really rounded him out?' Ted Lasso can still be goofy and funny, but we could also have our version.”

And this was critical for Sudeikis. In the commercials, Lasso’s unawareness is funny and often endearing, but for a show, there had be more to him for the audience to not just laugh, but also root for him.

“I think Scrubs is a fantastic show. You can put the 10 best episodes of it up against any show,” Sudeikis said. “Bill writes male characters and relationships so beautifully, his use of music and dealing with heavy duty issues of life and death. And now, two years later, here we are talking about it. It’s actually really gonna happen and I can’t kind of believe it.”

Not only is the show happening (it premieres this Friday), but it also succeeds in its mission. Ted Lasso is warm, it’s funny and–like the main character–it has heart. Unlike the commercials, where Ted’s biggest trait is his buffoonery, the show celebrates his relentless thirst for hope. He is a man with passion, dignity and someone you for whom you cheer. Lasso is the eternal optimist, whose naivety is both a strength and a weakness, and just like J.D from Scrubs, Lasso is vulnerable (in the show, he actually leaves the U.S. to escape from a troubled marriage) and aches for comfort. That’s what he offers his new team in return–an arrogant, underachieving Premier League side controlled by a scorned owner. It’s not Tottenham this time around, but the fictional AFC Richmond.

Lawrence sees Lasso as the perfect example of the inspiring teacher. A sports version of Robin Williams's John Keating from Dead Poets Society, where his personality is a weapon against cynical reporters and resentful fans who naturally express their disgust at the thought of an American with no knowledge of the game taking over their beloved club.

“We all grew up with a favorite teacher or a favorite coach. They put us on a path. These people never force you into doing anything. It’s just good folks,” Lawrence said. “Me and Jason overlap cause we also like doing shows with heart and because it’s such a dumpster-fire time in the world, Jason really wanted to do a show that was hopeful and optimistic, and most sports movies have that. That’s what's at their core. It’s the underdog. We were trying to capture that optimism and hopefulness that comes with those iconic figures from your life, whether it’s a coach, a teacher or a parent.”

If there's a coach in the real Premier League that emits optimism and hopefulness, it's Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp, and Sudeikis admits that Lasso's character in the show is partly inspired by him.

“Man. When I heard about him taking his squad to go do karaoke, I was like, ‘hellooooo, story idea…’” said Sudeikis, who also admires Pep Guardiola. “I really love those coaches. I really like the way they handle themselves as leaders of an organization. They are guys who I would follow into a fist fight.”

Sudeikis loves the game but fully admits he still needs to do more before calling himself a hardcore, scholarly fan.

"I love the sport. My joke has been that I have a deep appreciation for it but a shallow understanding. But that’s why I keep company with Brendan and Joe, who know their stuff,” Sudeikis said. “But it’s still all new to me. Every time I go to see a match, I buy a kit for me at the gift shop and a kit for my little boy. I’m ready to be a fair-weather fan for whoever needs it [laughs]. I know people hate for me that, but that’s the truth.”

The showrunners put together a cast with colorful characters who add depth to the multiple plots. There’s the tough-as-nails veteran midfielder Roy Kent (surely inspired by Roy Keane and played by Brett Goldstein), the narcissistic Man City loanee Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster), the charismatic duo of Dani Rojas (Mexican star played by Cristo Fernandez) and Nigerian forward Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh). Nick Mohammed (who can be seen in Sky TV/Peacock’s Intelligence) also shines as the quiet kitman. It’s also refreshing to hear NBC’s Arlo White serving as the show’s commentator throughout AFC Richmond’s season.

But if there’s someone aside from Sudeikis's Lasso who steals the show, it’s Keeley Jones, the confident and no-nonsense TV celebrity/model/PR guru played by Juno Temple. She was the only actor who didn’t audition, as Sudeikis, who knew her work, wanted her in the show from the get-go.

“I met Juno with Olivia when they were on Vinyl (Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese’s 2016 HBO show), so I’ve done karaoke with her. I’ve been in a room with her. I knew her,” Sudeikis said. “She’s so fun and dynamic and just pro-female. She’s just a kick-ass that lives with an excitement that’s fun to be around, and that’s a little bit of what the character had.”

In the end, Ted Lasso is exactly what an audience needs right now. It’s a story that makes you laugh and reminds you to smile at adversity. It’s a lesson that’s less about football management and more about unity, and the script works because it takes a hold of our differences and embraces them as one. And it echoes Lasso’s favorite Walt Whitman quote, “Be curious, not judgmental.”

Lasso is heroic, not because he commands respect but because he earns it. He is kind, because he doesn’t know any other way. But like us, he is also vulnerable, and that’s why we can relate to his journey.

“He’s more white rabbit than white knight, but he’s actually becoming the change he wants to see in the world, without any agenda,” Sudeikis said. “And these days, that’s unusual, both in real life and on television.”

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ashleyjacksonblog · 7 years

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8 Celebrity Couples Costume Ideas That Are So Iconic, You’ll Win Halloween This Year

With Halloween rapidly approaching, it is of the utmost importance that you explore all of your costume options ASAP. If you’re planning on teaming up with your boo, then zeroing in on the best celebrity couples costumes is always a good route to go.

Not only do celebrity couple costumes come across super witty when executed well, but they’re also tons of fun to put together. One of the most satisfying parts of Halloween is the looks on your friend’s faces when you show up to the party in something awesome. Celebrity duos never fail to win over the people’s hearts. How could they not? After all, we spend so much time either consciously or subconsciously absorbing intimate details of their lives and bringing them up in conversations as if they were one of our cousins. Whether you choose to pay homage to a throwback couple that is no longer together, or an “it” couple at the height of their fame, it’s pretty hard to wrong. Plus, let’s not pretend it’s not totally fun to walk around the streets for a night channeling our favorite celeb couples like it’s our job.

Ultimately, we can’t guarantee that you will win every costume contest, but we can definitely give you some epic inspiration.

1. Kim And Kanye

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One of my favorite things about Kim and Kanye is their commitment to everything decadent, regardless of the practicality. Whether it’s Kanye’s ridiculously unwearable clothing label, or Kim’s truckload of plastic surgeries that she, to this day, vehemently denies, these two never fail to keep us laughing. I mean, remember that time Kim started crying while she was on vacation because she lost her earring, and Chloe pointed out that she needed to simmer down because she could obviously buy another one? But I digress.

The key to nailing this costume is all about Kim. If you don’t have long black hair, then you’re definitely gonna need a wig. This is where things get fun. Remember when you used to stuff your bra? Well, to make this celeb costume believable, you’re going to need to stuff your bra and your underwear — to the max. (The bigger, the better.) If you don’t mind spending a bit more money, butt and hip padding are also an option.

Then, you’re gonna need to put on something scandalous, but Kim’s many sensual looks make this a no-brainer. Kanye also has plenty of looks to choose from, but make sure you get some gold chains and something that says Jesus that you can artfully vandalize to say Yeezus.

2. Blake Shelton And Gwen Stefani

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Although they definitely aren’t a couple that anyone would have thought would get along — an assumption based mostly on preconceived notions about the seemingly unreconcilable difference between punk and country music — these two make an adorable yin and yang duo.

The key to making this costume particularly funny is choosing looks from their early days. So Gwen needs to serve up some serious No Doubt vibes with crazy hair, armbands, a studded belt, a bra top, and a tie. A platinum blonde wig is also a must. Blake Shelton could really use a black cowboy hat, cowboy boots, black jeans, and a denim button-down shirt. Extra brownie points if you can get your hands on a guitar.

3. Kylie Jenner And Travis Scott

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Kylie Jenner’s recent pregnancy announcement definitely sent the internet ablaze, especially when rumors spread about whether or not she is Kim’s secret surrogate. Regardless, this definitely gives us some epic fodder for Halloween costume inspiration. The key to nailing this celebrity duo is going to be Scott’s signature 10-year-old girl braids and Kylie’s baby bump. For maximum brownie points, consider some butt and hip padding paired with a sexy bodycon. A long, dark wig and a ton of contouring should do the trick. Check out some of Scott’s looks here.

4. Oprah Winfrey And Stedman Graham

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These two cuties proved an entire generation of Peter Pan-ers that you actually can date your partner forever without ultimately tying the knot. And honestly, good for them. The fact that Stedman is so dedicated and comfortable being the obvious Robin to Oprah’s Batman just makes us love them even more.

To be right on the money, Oprah will need a voluptuous wig — either her go-to curly or her throwback flip will do. If you’re going for talk-show Oprah, then a mic and a two-piece outfit (with pencil skirt and blazer) is perfect. All Stedman needs is a suit, a salt and pepper wig, and a mustache.

5. Jennifer Lopez And Marc Anthony

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Sadly, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony are no longer together. This, however, doesn’t mean we can totally pretend that they are for the sake of an epic costume. Marc needs some slim cut pants, a bright and shiny long-sleeved shirt, sunglasses, and if you’re willing to go the extra mile, a wig. Jenny from the Block should definitely have a flashy dress, long brunette wig, and a head mic, because remember when head mics were a thing? Some glam bling for her and a thin chain for him are the perfect accessories.

6. Britney Spears And Justin Timberlake

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Another couple that unfortunately didn’t stand the test of time, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears will probably go down in history as one of the most famous celebrity couples ever. This is why no couples celebrity costume list would be complete without them. Whichever look you choose is totally up to you, because the most important part of this costume for both Britney and Justin are the wigs. Britney needs a long blonde wig, and Justin needs a short blonde fro. Both of them could also use head mics because again, remember when those were a thing?

7. Barack And Michelle Obama

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These two are straight up the inspiration behind all of our couple goals. Supportive of one another, accomplished, and oh so sassy, Barack and Michelle are the truest ride-or-die couple around. Barack will need a suit and Presidential-looking tie with salt and pepper hair. Michelle needs a tasteful black wig, a pearl necklace with earrings, and a well-fitting First Lady-esque cocktail dress.

8. Portia de Rossi And Ellen Degeneres

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If you’re anything like me, nothing get you feeling better than the thought of this adorable and inspiring celebrity couple. I’m sorry, but Ellen is soooo cute. Every time I see her adorable face, my heart is filled to the brim with joy. Portia’s effortless elegance combined with Ellen’s humor creates the perfect dynamic duo that will have everyone bowing down in reverence for your epic choice in Halloween costumes.

Ellen should definitely have a pixie-cut or short blond wig as does Portia — although do note that her hair is a bit longer and usually slicked back in a contemporary pompadour. Portia should also have plenty of elegant-looking costume jewelry and a gown. Ellen should either be in a two-piece suit, OR a pair of slim cut pants, oxfords, and a blazer.

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8 Celebrity Couples Costume Ideas That Are So Iconic, You’ll Win Halloween This Year

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