#but its a fitting end for both of them for the trilogy

[yarrowleef-babbles]

on one hand i do understand that graduating and ~coming of age~ creates massive changes, and growing up into a new person with new goals may take you away from places and people you knew, and that drifting apart from people you were close to as a teenager is a very very common experience. I fully understand and sympathize with the desire to explore that in writing, to cope with the melancholy feeling and still find some value in relationships that were meant to fade away, and create comfort for yourself in affirming that that’s an inevitable part of life sometimes etc etc

that being said, i can't help be a little annoyed that moving on and away from childhood friends is so often regarded as an inevitable must, and I would just like to point out that most highschool friend groups Do Not go through terrifying life-or-death magical life-changing adventures that no one other then the people they were on that adventure with would be able to understand and like. idk man i feel like that unique and intense experience would make things different

and i get that like. magical terrifying adventures are a common metaphor for tumultuous teenage years. but that metaphor only goes so far because in world this has been a much more significant experience then simply the people you had classes with in high school

so there is unsurprisingly quite a bit of confusion and dissonance when the epilogues/follow ups of such stories casually go the route of "they kind of don't talk that much, you know how it is when you grow up, you just grow apart, it’s a bit sad but it happens to everyone"

like yeah i know how it is when you grow up with katy from home room who you talked about your first relationship heartbreak with over smores at 3am. but not quite as much the person/people you were spirited away from your normal life with and nearly died in each others arms multiple times while you discovered some buckwild magic no one back home would ever believe or whatever???

idk man is this the right stage for setting up a theme of “and then you drift apart but maybe text once a month” because i actually do find it kind of hard to believe such an experience could ever be reduced to casual. it’s weird. this doesn't actually have to be the only option

[emoangel44]

The thing I've always loved most about aa4 is how much darker the tone is than the rest of the series in a way that isn't just edgy for the sake of it, but subverts your expectations from the original 3 games in a really interesting way. The trilogy was built upon the trust Phoenix had in others, and it was something we as players could almost always feel certain in. AA4 flips this on its head and makes it so Apollo effectively can't trust anyone but himself.

Your mentor, who the in the trilogy was a paragon of wisdom you could always turn to no matter what, gets revealed to be the culprit and sent to jail in the first trial and by the end of the game his list of crimes has stacked high but you still have so few answers on why he did any of it.

Your boss, the goofy protagonist of the trilogy, is now inexplicably a washed-up, disgraced, cheating poker player with an implied drinking problem who seemingly found a new hobby in evidence forgery and jury rigging.

He has a codependent relationship with his daughter, your assistant, who usually is a completely innocent and hapless victim of circumstance. She sees herself as the provider for the house and will help her father cheat at poker, or forge evidence, or guilt trip the poor attorney they knowingly screwed of out of a job into working for them for dirt cheap.

The detective, the only other returning main character, a previous assistant, is completely changed since we last saw her. In the trilogy she was chipper and bright despite the hardships she faced, and now she's unfriendly and burned out, turned bitter by the world. The scene we're first properly introduced to her in Apollo genuinely spends several minutes thinking his boss is making him bribe her with cocaine.

Every single defendant is a criminal guilty of something other than what they're charged for. Each case centers around an underground black-market poker ring, a mafia family and medical malpractice, a smuggling ring, and a family of forgers and an incredibly shady troupe of magicians. The one thing all of these people have in common is that none of them will tell you literally anything about what's happening, half of them clearly reveling in being as big of cryptic assholes as possible.

The only person who doesn't fit this description is, for once, the prosecutor. Usually your biggest obstacle and the most morally corrupt of the main cast, he's the only person who's both 100% on the side of truth and on the same page as you for the entire game. He's just as clueless as you, being used nothing more than a chess piece just like you are.

But the truly masterful thing about AA4 is how morally grey it is. These characters aren't just one note villains. They're not even villains at all. Most of them aren't even malicious.

Your boss, for all the low levels he stoops to, is underneath it all the same guy he's always been, doing everything he can to bring a criminal to justice and protect his family. Your assistant is a sweet girl who truly cares about you, she's just prioritizing herself and her fathers safety before anything else. The detective is the same passionate and kind woman under everything else. The rest of the defendants are genuinely well-meaning young people who got involved in shady stuff they didn't fully understand.

The game is filled with good people trying to make the best of bad circumstances. The game has just as many fun moments as the original trilogy. For all it's rough appearance, the game has a similar heart. For every unanswered question or unrighted wrong, there's a smile or a hope for a better future. For every bad action, there's usually someone trying their best behind it. The game is melancholic and dark, but isn't afraid to let good shine through. It knows there's no shadows without the light.

[melodramaticatheart]

Apple Picking

Jacks may not have a use for apples anymore but that doesn't stop Evangeline from making apple pie.

Pairing: Jacks of The Hollow x Evangeline Fox Word Count: 505 Book: Once Upon A Broken Heart Trilogy Author's Note: This is so cute, like for me this is cannon no I will not change my mind. Taglist: @reminiscentreader, @urbanflorals, @nqds, @art-of-fools, @lxvebelle, @nuncscioquidsitamor-14

Evangeline hummed making her way down the long line of apple trees. It was late morning when she’d searched for Jacks and said she was going to pick some apples for the rest of the morning. Jacks not wanting to be left alone with the baby dragons, decided to join her. The Inn was having a slow day, leaving time for Eva to make a new favorite, apple pie. Jacks had rolled his eyes at her new baking obsession especially when she teased him about his old obsession for it, little did she know she was the reason he didn’t eat them anymore. 

Placing a soft kiss on her neck, he now also made his way down the path filled with the familiar aroma of apples. “Jacks get that apple for me, please.” Evangeline said pointing to an apple on a higher branch. Jacks got the apple quickly, hiding it behind his back before Evangeline could grab it. “Jacks” Evangeline scolded, dragging the letters of his name in a disapproving way, “Give me the apple, I'm serious.” She tried her best to put on a serious face meaning her words. How cute she looked when trying to order me around, Jacks thought grinning from ear to ear. “This apple comes with a price, little Fox,” He said leaning in until they were eye to eye. “You do know there are hundreds of other apples I can choose instead, right?” Evangeline asked, but her gaze had softened leaning more into Jacks presence, their noses brushing. “Maybe, but wouldn’t you at least like to know the price well? More of a reward really.” A finger found its way to Evangeline’s mouth tracing it. Slowly Evangeline let the basket she’d been using to collect the apples fall, moving both of her hands to cup Jacks’s face bringing her lips to his brushing them lightly. Jacks pulled away, dropping the now forgotten apple into the basket before pulling Evangeline under the shade of a tree pressing her up against it, kissing her once more this time more intensely, each part of their bodies touching, the heat rushed to Evangeline’s cheeks her hands pulling jacks face closer. As if that was possible. The kiss ended abruptly, both of them needing air, the sound of their heavy breathing carrying off into the wind. That's when Evangeline heard the little roar come from behind Jacks. Knowing how Jacks would react she burst into a fit of giggles still blushing from the neck up. 

Jacks turned ever so slightly but just enough to catch sight of three baby dragons chasing vibrant blue butterflies, “Never a moment of peace here” He grumbled under his breath dragging a hand across his face. Evangeline kissed him on the cheek going to pick up her basket “Just admit it you like them!” She exclaimed from the middle of the path scratching a dragon behind his ear. Jacks could only manage an eye roll as he stalked off the shadow off the trees following a now smiling Evangeline.

[caesarflickermans]

A TENTH ANNIVERSARY INTERVIEW WITH SUZANNE COLLINS

On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the publication of The Hunger Games, author Suzanne Collins and publisher David Levithan discussed the evolution of the story, the editorial process, and the first ten years of the life of the trilogy, encompassing both books and films. The following is their written conversation.

NOTE: The following interview contains a discussion of all three books in The Hunger Games Trilogy, so if you have yet to read Catching Fire and Mockingjay, you may want to read them before reading the full interview.

transcript below

DAVID LEVITHAN: Let’s start at the origin moment for The Hunger Games. You were flipping channels one night . . .

SUZANNE COLLINS: Yes, I was flipping through the channels one night between reality television programs and actual footage of the Iraq War, when the idea came to me. At the time, I was completing the fifth book in The Underland Chronicles and my brain was shifting to whatever the next project would be. I had been grappling with another story that just couldn’t get any air under its wings. I knew I wanted to continue to explore writing about just war theory for young audiences. In The Underland Chronicles, I’d examined the idea of an unjust war developing into a just war because of greed, xenophobia, and long-standing hatreds. For the next series, I wanted a completely new world and a different angle into the just war debate.

DL: Can you tell me what you mean by the “just war theory” and how that applies to the setup of the trilogy?

SC: Just war theory has evolved over thousands of years in an attempt to define what circumstances give you the moral right to wage war and what is acceptable behavior within that war and its aftermath. The why and the how. It helps differentiate between what’s considered a necessary and an unnecessary war. In The Hunger Games Trilogy, the districts rebel against their own government because of its corruption. The citizens of the districts have no basic human rights, are treated as slave labor, and are subjected to the Hunger Games annually. I believe the majority of today’s audience would define that as grounds for revolution. They have just cause but the nature of the conflict raises a lot of questions. Do the districts have the authority to wage war? What is their chance of success? How does the reemergence of District 13 alter the situation? When we enter the story, Panem is a powder keg and Katniss the spark.

DL: As with most novelists I know, once you have that origin moment — usually a connection of two elements (in this case, war and entertainment) — the number of connections quickly increases, as different elements of the story take their place. I know another connection you made early on was with mythology, particularly the myth of Theseus. How did that piece come to fit?

SC: I was such a huge Greek mythology geek as a kid, it’s impossible for it not to come into play in my storytelling. As a young prince of Athens, he participated in a lottery that required seven girls and seven boys to be taken to Crete and thrown into a labyrinth to be destroyed by the Minotaur. In one version of the myth, this excessively cruel punishment resulted from the Athenians opposing Crete in a war. Sometimes the labyrinth’s a maze; sometimes it’s an arena. In my teens I read Mary Renault’s The King Must Die, in which the tributes end up in the Bull Court. They’re trained to perform with a wild bull for an audience composed of the elite of Crete who bet on the entertainment. Theseus and his team dance and handspring over the bull in what’s called bull-leaping. You can see depictions of this in ancient sculpture and vase paintings. The show ended when they’d either exhausted the bull or one of the team had been killed. After I read that book, I could never go back to thinking of the labyrinth as simply a maze, except perhaps ethically. It will always be an arena to me.

DL: But in this case, you dispensed with the Minotaur, no? Instead, the arena harkens more to gladiator vs. gladiator than to gladiator vs. bull. What influenced this construction?

SC: A fascination with the gladiator movies of my childhood, particularly Spartacus. Whenever it ran, I’d be glued to the set. My dad would get outPlutarch’s Lives and read me passages from “Life of Crassus,” since Spartacus, being a slave, didn’t rate his own book. It’s about a person who’s forced to become a gladiator, breaks out of the gladiator school/arena to lead a rebellion, and becomes the face of a war. That’s the dramatic arc of both the real-life Third Servile War and the fictional Hunger Games Trilogy.

DL: Can you talk about how war stories influenced you as a young reader, and then later as a writer? How did this knowledge of war stories affect your approach to writing The Hunger Games?

SC: Now you can find many wonderful books written for young audiences that deal with war. That wasn’t the case when I was growing up. It was one of the reasons Greek mythology appealed to me: the characters battled, there was the Trojan War. My family had been heavily impacted by war the year my father, who was career Air Force, went to Vietnam, but except for my myths, I rarely encountered it in books. I liked Johnny Tremain but it ends as the Revolutionary War kicks off. The one really memorable book I had about war was Boris by Jaap ter Haar, which deals with the Siege of Leningrad in World War II.

My war stories came from my dad, a historian and a doctor of political science. The four years before he left for Vietnam, the Army borrowed him from the Air Force to teach at West Point. His final assignment would be at Air Command and Staff College. As his kids, we were never too young to learn, whether he was teaching us history or taking us on vacation to a battlefield or posing a philosophical dilemma. He approached history as a story, and fortunately he was a very engaging storyteller. As a result, in my own writing, war felt like a completely natural topic for children.

DL: Another key piece of The Hunger Games is the voice and perspective that Katniss brings to it. I know some novelists start with a character and then find a story through that character, but with The Hunger Games (and correct me if I’m wrong) I believe you had the idea for the story first, and then Katniss stepped into it. Where did she come from? I’d love for you to talk about the origin of her name, and also the origin of her very distinctive voice.

SC: Katniss appeared almost immediately after I had the idea, standing by the bed with that bow and arrow. I’d spent a lot of time during The Underland Chronicles weighing the attributes of different weapons. I used archers very sparingly because they required light and the Underland has little natural illumination. But a bow and arrow can be handmade, shot from a distance, and weaponized when the story transitions into warfare. She was a born archer.

Her name came later, while I was researching survival training and specifically edible plants. In one of my books, I found the arrowhead plant, and the more I read about it, the more it seemed to reflect her. Its Latin name has the same roots as Sagittarius, the archer. The edible tuber roots she could gather, the arrowhead-shaped leaves were her defense, and the little white blossoms kept it in the tradition of flower names, like Rue and Primrose. I looked at the list of alternative names for it. Swamp Potato. Duck Potato. Katniss easily won the day.

As to her voice, I hadn’t intended to write in first person. I thought the book would be in the third person like The Underland Chronicles. Then I sat down to work and the first page poured out in first person, like she was saying, “Step aside, this is my story to tell.” So I let her.

DL: I am now trying to summon an alternate universe where the Mockingjay is named Swamp Potato Everdeen. Seems like a PR challenge. But let’s stay for a second on the voice — because it’s not a straightforward, generic American voice. There’s a regionalism to it, isn’t there? Was that present from the start?

SC: It was. There’s a slight District 12 regionalism to it, and some of the other tributes use phrases unique to their regions as well. The way they speak, particularly the way in which they refuse to speak like citizens of the Capitol, is important to them. No one in District 12 wants to sound like Effie Trinket unless they’re mocking her. So they hold on to their regionalisms as a quiet form of rebellion. The closest thing they have to freedom of speech is their manner of speaking.

DL: I’m curious about Katniss’s family structure. Was it always as we see it, or did you ever consider giving her parents greater roles? How much do you think the Everdeen family’s story sets the stage for Katniss’s story within the trilogy?

SC: Her parents have their own histories in District 12 but I only included what’s pertinent to Katniss’s tale. Her father’s hunting skills, musicality, and death in the mines. Her mother’s healing talent and vulnerabilities. Her deep love for Prim. Those are the elements that seemed essential to me.

DL: This completely fascinates me because I, as an author, rarely know more (consciously) about the characters than what’s in the story. But this sounds like you know much more about the Everdeen parents than found their way to the page. What are some of the more interesting things about them that a reader wouldn’t necessarily know?

SC: Your way sounds a lot more efficient. I have a world of information about the characters that didn’t make it into the book. With some stories, revealing that could be illuminating, but in the case of The Hunger Games, I think it would only be a distraction unless it was part of a new tale within the world of Panem.

DL: I have to ask — did you know from the start how Prim’s story was going to end? (I can’t imagine writing the reaping scene while knowing — but at the same time I can’t imagine writing it without knowing.)

SC: You almost have to know it and not know it at the same time to write it convincingly, because the dramatic question, Can Katniss save Prim?, is introduced in the first chapter of the first book, and not answered until almost the end of the trilogy. At first there’s the relief that, yes, she can volunteer for Prim. Then Rue, who reminds her of Prim, joins her in the arena and she can’t save her. That tragedy refreshes the question. For most of the second book, Prim’s largely out of harm’s way, although there’s always the threat that the Capitol might hurt her to hurt Katniss. The jabberjays are a reminder of that. Once she’s in District 13 and the war has shifted to the Capitol, Katniss begins to hope Prim’s not only safe but has a bright future as a doctor. But it’s an illusion. The danger that made Prim vulnerable in the beginning, the threat of the arena, still exists. In the first book, it’s a venue for the Games; in the second, the platform for the revolution; in the third, it’s the battleground of Panem, coming to a head in the Capitol. The arena transforms but it’s never eradicated; in fact it’s expanded to include everyone in the country. Can Katniss save Prim? No. Because no one is safe while the arena exists.

DL: If Katniss was the first character to make herself known within story, when did Peeta and Gale come into the equation? Did you know from the beginning how their stories would play out vis-à-vis Katniss’s?

SC: Peeta and Gale appeared quickly, less as two points on a love triangle, more as two perspectives in the just war debate. Gale, because of his experiences and temperament, tends toward violent remedies. Peeta’s natural inclination is toward diplomacy. Katniss isn’t just deciding on a partner; she’s figuring out her worldview.

DL: And did you always know which worldview would win? It’s interesting to see it presented in such a clear-cut way, because when I think of Katniss, I certainly think of force over diplomacy.

SC: And yet Katniss isn’t someone eager to engage in violence and she takes no pleasure in it. Her circumstances repeatedly push her into making choices that include the use of force. But if you look carefully at what happens in the arena, her compassionate choices determine her survival. Taking on Rue as an ally results in Thresh sparing her life. Seeking out Peeta and caring for him when she discovers how badly wounded he is ultimately leads to her winning the Games. She uses force only in self-defense or defense of a third party, and I’m including Cato’s mercy killing in that. As the trilogy progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid the use of force because the overall violence is escalating with the war. The how and the why become harder to answer.

Yes, I knew which worldview would win, but in the interest of examining just war theory you need to make the arguments as strongly as possible on both sides. While Katniss ultimately chooses Peeta, remember that in order to end the Hunger Games her last act is to assassinate an unarmed woman. Conversely, in The Underland Chronicles, Gregor’s last act is to break his sword to interrupt the cycle of violence. The point of both stories is to take the reader through the journey, have them confront the issues with the protagonist, and then hopefully inspire them to think about it and discuss it. What would they do in Katniss’s or Gregor’s situation? How would they define a just or unjust war and what behavior is acceptable within warfare? What are the human costs of life, limb, and sanity? How does developing technology impact the debate? The hope is that better discussions might lead to more nonviolent forms of conflict resolution, so we evolve out of choosing war as an option.

DL: Where does Haymitch fit into this examination of war? What worldview does he bring?

SC: Haymitch was badly damaged in his own war, the second Quarter Quell, in which he witnessed and participated in terrible things in order to survive and then saw his loved ones killed for his strategy. He self-medicates with white liquor to combat severe PTSD. His chances of recovery are compromised because he’s forced to mentor the tributes every year. He’s a version of what Katniss might become, if the Hunger Games continues. Peeta comments on how similar they are, and it’s true. They both really struggle with their worldview. He manages to defuse the escalating violence at Gale’s whipping with words, but he participates in a plot to bring down the government that will entail a civil war.

The ray of light that penetrates that very dark cloud in his brain is the moment that Katniss volunteers for Prim. He sees, as do many people in Panem, the power of her sacrifice. And when that carries into her Games, with Rue and Peeta, he slowly begins to believe that with Katniss it might be possible to end the Hunger Games.

DL: I’m also curious about how you balanced the personal and political in drawing the relationship between Katniss and Gale. They have such a history together — and I think you powerfully show the conflict that arises when you love someone, but don’t love what they believe in. (I think that resonates particularly now, when so many families and relationships and friendships have been disrupted by politics.)

SC: Yes, I think it’s painful, especially because they feel so in tune in so many ways. Katniss’s and Gale’s differences of opinion are based in just war theory. Do we revolt? How do we conduct ourselves in the war? And the ethical and personal lines climax at the same moment — the double tap bombing that takes Prim’s life. But it’s rarely simple; there are a lot of gray areas. It’s complicated by Peeta often holding a conflicting view while being the rival for her heart, so the emotional pull and the ethical pull become so intertwined it’s impossible to separate them. What do you do when someone you love, someone you know to be a good person, has a view which completely opposes your own? You keep trying to understand what led to the difference and see if it can be bridged. Maybe, maybe not. I think many conflicts grow out of fear, and in an attempt to counter that fear, people reach for solutions that may be comforting in the short term, but only increase their vulnerability in the long run and cause a lot of destruction along the way.

DL: In drawing Gale’s and Peeta’s roles in the story, how conscious were you of the gender inversion from traditional narrative tropes? As you note above, both are important far beyond any romantic subplot, but I do think there’s something fascinating about the way they both reinscribe roles that would traditionally be that of the “girlfriend.” Gale in particular gets to be “the girl back home” from so many Westerns and adventure movies — but of course is so much more than that. And Peeta, while a very strong character in his own right, often has to take a backseat to Katniss and her strategy, both in and out of the arena. Did you think about them in terms of gender and tropes, or did that just come naturally as the characters did what they were going to do on the page?

SC: It came naturally because, while Gale and Peeta are very important characters, it’s Katniss’s story.

DL: For Peeta . . . why baking?

SC: Bread crops up a lot in The Hunger Games. It’s the main food source in the districts, as it was for many people historically. When Peeta throws a starving Katniss bread in the flashback, he’s keeping her alive long enough to work out a strategy for survival. It seemed in keeping with his character to be a baker, a life giver.

But there’s a dark side to bread, too. When Plutarch Heavensbee references it, he’s talking about Panem et Circenses, Bread and Circuses, where food and entertainment lull people into relinquishing their political power. Bread can contribute to life or death in the Hunger Games.

DL: Speaking of Plutarch — in a meta way, the two of you share a job (although when you do it, only fictional people die). When you were designing the arena for the first book, what influences came into play? Did you design the arena and then have the participants react to it, or did you design the arena with specific reactions and plot points in mind?

SC: Katniss has a lot going against her in the first arena — she’s inexperienced, smaller than a lot of her competitors, and hasn’t the training of the Careers — so the arena needed to be in her favor. The landscape closely resembles the woods around District 12, with similar flora and fauna. She can feed herself and recognize the nightlock as poisonous. Thematically, the Girl on Fire needed to encounter fire at some point, so I built that in. I didn’t want it too physically flashy, because the audience needs to focus on the human dynamic, the plight of the star-crossed lovers, the alliance with Rue, the twist that two tributes can survive from the same district. Also, the Gamemakers would want to leave room for a noticeable elevation in spectacle when the Games move to the Quarter Quell arena in Catching Fire with the more intricate clock design.

DL: So where does Plutarch fall into the just war spectrum? There are many layers to his involvement in what’s going on.

SC: Plutarch is the namesake of the biographer Plutarch, and he’s one of the few characters who has a sense of the arc of history. He’s never lived in a world without the Hunger Games; it was well established by the time he was born and then he rose through the ranks to become Head Gamemaker. At some point, he’s gone from accepting that the Games are necessary to deciding they’re unnecessary, and he sets about ending them. Plutarch has a personal agenda as well. He’s seen so many of his peers killed off, like Seneca Crane, that he wonders how long it will be before the mad king decides he’s a threat not an asset. It’s no way to live. And as a gamemaker among gamemakers, he likes the challenge of the revolution. But even after they succeed he questions how long the resulting peace will last. He has a fairly low opinion of human beings, but ultimately doesn’t rule out that they might be able to change.

DL: When it comes to larger world building, how much did you know about Panem before you started writing? If I had asked you, while you were writing the opening pages, “Suzanne, what’s the primary industry of District Five?” would you have known the answer, or did those details emerge to you when they emerged within the writing of the story?

SC: Before I started writing I knew there were thirteen districts — that’s a nod to the thirteen colonies — and that they’d each be known for a specific industry. I knew 12 would be coal and most of the others were set, but I had a few blanks that naturally filled in as the story evolved. When I was little we had that board game, Game of the States, where each state was identified by its exports. And even today we associate different locations in the country with a product, with seafood or wine or tech. Of course, it’s a very simplified take on Panem. No district exists entirely by its designated trade. But for purposes of the Hunger Games, it’s another way to divide and define the districts.

DL: How do you think being from District 12 defines Katniss, Peeta, and Gale? Could they have been from any other district, or is their residency in 12 formative for the parts of their personalities that drive the story?

SC: Very formative. District 12 is the joke district, small and poor, rarely producing a victor in the Hunger Games. As a result, the Capitol largely ignores it. The enforcement of the laws is lax, the relationship with the Peacekeepers less hostile. This allows the kids to grow up far less constrained than in other districts. Katniss and Gale become talented archers by slipping off in the woods to hunt. That possibility of training with a weapon is unthinkable in, say, District 11, with its oppressive military presence. Finnick’s trident and Johanna’s ax skills develop as part of their districts’ industries, but they would never be allowed access to those weapons outside of work. Also, Katniss, Peeta, and Gale view the Capitol in a different manner by virtue of knowing their Peacekeepers better. Darius, in the Hob, is considered a friend, and he proves himself to be so more than once. This makes the Capitol more approachable on a level, more possible to befriend, and more possible to defeat. More human.

DL: Let’s talk about the Capitol for a moment — particularly its most powerful resident. I know that every name you give a character is deliberate, so why President Snow?

SC: Snow because of its coldness and purity. That’s purity of thought, although most people would consider it pure evil. His methods are monstrous, but in his mind, he’s all that’s holding Panem together. His first name, Coriolanus, is a nod to the titular character in Shakespeare’s play who was based on material from Plutarch’s Lives. He was known for his anti-populist sentiments, and Snow is definitely not a man of the people.

DL: The bond between Katniss and Snow is one of the most interesting in the entire series. Because even when they are in opposition, there seems to be an understanding between them that few if any of the other characters in the trilogy share. What role do you feel Snow plays for Katniss — and how does this fit into your examination of war?

SC: On the surface, she’s the face of the rebels, he’s the face of the Capitol. Underneath, things are a lot more complicated. Snow’s quite old under all that plastic surgery. Without saying too much, he’s been waiting for Katniss for a long time. She’s the worthy opponent who will test the strength of his citadel, of his life’s work. He’s the embodiment of evil to her, with the power of life and death. They’re obsessed with each other to the point of being blinded to the larger picture. “I was watching you, Mockingjay. And you were watching me. I’m afraid we have both been played for fools.” By Coin, that is. And then their unholy alliance at the end brings her down.

DL: One of the things that both Snow and Katniss realize is the power of media and imagery on the population. Snow may appear heartless to some, but he is very attuned to the “hearts and minds” of his citizens . . . and he is also attuned to the danger of losing them to Katniss. What role do you see propaganda playing in the war they’re waging?

SC: Propaganda decides the outcome of the war. This is why Plutarch implements the airtime assault; he understands that whoever controls the airwaves controls the power. Like Snow, he’s been waiting for Katniss, because he needs a Spartacus to lead his campaign. There have been possible candidates, like Finnick, but no one else has captured the imagination of the country like she has.

DL: In terms of the revolution, appearance matters — and two of the characters who seem to understand this the most are Cinna and Caesar Flickerman, one in a principled way, one . . . not as principled. How did you draw these two characters into your themes?

SC: That’s exactly right. Cinna uses his artistic gifts to woo the crowd with spectacle and beauty. Even after his death, his Mockingjay costume designs are used in the revolution. Caesar, whose job is to maintain the myth of the glorious games, transitions into warfare with the prisoner of war interviews with Peeta. They are both helping to keep up appearances.

DL: As a writer, you studiously avoided the trope of harkening back to the “old” geography — i.e., there isn’t a character who says, “This was once a land known as . . . Delaware.” (And thank goodness for that.) Why did you decide to avoid pinning down Panem to our contemporary geography?

SC: The geography has changed because of natural and man-made disasters, so it’s not as simple as overlaying a current map on Panem. But more importantly, it’s not relevant to the story. Telling the reader the continent gives them the layout in general, but borders are very changeful. Look at how the map of North America has evolved in the past 300 years. It makes little difference to Katniss what we called Panem in the past.

DL: Let’s talk about the D word. When you sat down to write��The Hunger Games, did you think of it as a dystopian novel?

SC: I thought of it as a war story. I love dystopia, but it will always be secondary to that. Setting the trilogy in a futuristic North America makes it familiar enough to relate to but just different enough to gain some perspective. When people ask me how far in the future it’s set, I say, “It depends on how optimistic you are.”

DL: What do you think it was about the world into which the book was published that made it viewed so prominently as a dystopia?

SC: In the same way most people would define The Underland Chronicles as a fantasy series, they would define The Hunger Games as a dystopian trilogy, and they’d be right. The elements of the genres are there in both cases. But they’re first and foremost war stories to me. The thing is, whether you came for the war, dystopia, action adventure, propaganda, coming of age, or romance, I’m happy you’re reading it. Everyone brings their own experiences to the book that will color how they interpret it. I imagine the number of people who immediately identify it as a just war theory story are in the minority, but most stories are more than one thing.

DL: What was the relationship between current events and the world you were drawing? I know that with many speculative writers, they see something in the news and find it filtering into their fictional world. Were you reacting to the world around you, or was your reaction more grounded in a more timeless and/or historical consideration of war?

SC: I would say the latter. Some authors — okay, you for instance — can digest events quickly and channel them into their writing, as you did so effectively with September 11 in Love Is the Higher Law. But I don’t process and integrate things rapidly, so history works better for me.

DL: There’s nothing I like more than talking to writers about writing — so I’d love to ask about your process (even though I’ve always found the word process to be far too orderly to describe how a writer’s mind works).

As I recall, when we at Scholastic first saw the proposal for The Hunger Games Trilogy, the summary of the first book was substantial, the summary for the second book was significantly shorter, and the summary of the third book was . . . remarkably brief. So, first question: Did you stick to that early outline?

SC: I had to go back and take a look. Yes, I stuck to it very closely, but as you point out, the third book summary is remarkably brief. I basically tell you there’s a war that the Capitol eventually loses. Just coming off The Underland Chronicles, which also ends with a war, I think I’d seen how much develops along the way and wanted that freedom for this series as well.

DL: Would you outline books two and three as you were writing book one? Or would you just take notes for later? Was this the same or different from what you did with The Underland Chronicles?

SC: Structure’s one of my favorite parts of writing. I always work a story out with Post-its, sometimes using different colors for different character arcs. I create a chapter grid, as well, and keep files for later books, so that whenever I have an idea that might be useful, I can make a note of it. I wrote scripts for many years before I tried books, so a lot of my writing habits developed through that experience.

DL: Would you deliberately plant things in book one to bloom in books two or three? Are there any seeds you planted in the first book that you ended up not growing?

SC: Oh, yes, I definitely planted things. For instance, Johanna Mason is mentioned in the third chapter of the first book although she won’t appear until Catching Fire. Plutarch is that unnamed gamemaker who falls into the punch bowl when she shoots the arrow. Peeta whispers “Always” in Catching Fire when Katniss is under the influence of sleep syrup but she doesn’t hear the word until after she’s been shot in Mockingjay. Sometimes you just don’t have time to let all the seeds grow, or you cut them out because they don’t really add to the story. Like those wild dogs that roam around District 12. One could potentially have been tamed, but Buttercup stole their thunder.

DL: Since much of your early experience as a writer was as a playwright, I’m curious: What did you learn as a playwright that helped you as a novelist?

SC: I studied theater for many years — first acting, then playwriting — and I have a particular love for classical theater. I formed my ideas about structure as a playwright, how crucial it is and how, when it’s done well, it’s really inseparable from character. It’s like a living thing to me. I also wrote for children’s television for seventeen years. I learned a lot writing for preschool. If a three-year-old doesn’t like something, they just get up and walk away from the set. I saw my own kids do that. How do you hold their attention? It’s hard and the internet has made it harder. So for the eight novels, I developed a three-act structure, with each act being composed of nine chapters, using elements from both play and screenplay structures — double layering it, so to speak.

DL: Where do you write? Are you a longhand writer or a laptop writer? Do you listen to music as you write, or go for the monastic, writerly silence?

SC: I write best at home in a recliner. I used to write longhand, but now it’s all laptop. Definitely not music; it demands to be listened to. I like quiet, but not silence.

DL: You talked earlier about researching survival training and edible plants for these books. What other research did you have to do? Are you a reading researcher, a hands-on researcher, or a mix of both? (I’m imagining an elaborate archery complex in your backyard, but I am guessing that’s not necessarily accurate.)

SC: You know, I’m just not very handy. I read a lot about how to build a bow from scratch, but I doubt I could ever make one. Being good with your hands is a gift. So I do a lot of book research. Sometimes I visit museums or historic sites for inspiration. I was trained in stage combat, particularly sword fighting in drama school; I have a nice collection of swords designed for that, but that was more helpful for The Underland Chronicles. The only time I got to do archery was in gym class in high school.

DL: While I wish I could say the editorial team (Kate Egan, Jennifer Rees, and myself ) were the first-ever readers of The Hunger Games, I know this isn’t true. When you’re writing a book, who reads it first?

SC: My husband, Cap, and my literary agent, Rosemary Stimola, have consistently been the books’ first readers. They both have excellent critique skills and give insightful notes. I like to keep the editorial team as much in the dark as possible, so that when they read the first draft it’s with completely fresh eyes.

DL: Looking back now at the editorial conversations we had about The Hunger Games — which were primarily with Kate, as Jen and I rode shotgun — can you recall any significant shifts or discussions?

SC: What I mostly recall is how relieved I was to know that I had such amazing people to work with on the book before it entered the world. I had eight novels come out in eight years with Scholastic, so that was fast for me and I needed feedback I could trust. You’re all so smart, intuitive, and communicative, and with the three of you, no stone went unturned. With The Hunger Games Trilogy, I really depended on your brains and hearts to catch what worked and what didn’t.

DL: And then there was the question of the title . . .

SC: Okay, this I remember clearly. The original title of the first book was The Tribute of District Twelve. You wanted to change it to The Hunger Games, which was my name for the series. I said, “Okay, but I’m not thinking of another name for the series!” To this day, more people ask me about “the Gregor series” than “The Underland Chronicles,” and I didn’t want a repeat of that because it’s confusing. But you were right, The Hunger Games was a much better name for the book. Catching Fire was originally called The Ripple Effect and I wanted to change that one, because it was too watery for a Girl on Fire, so we came up with Catching Fire. The third book I’d come up with a title so bad I can’t even remember it except it had the word ashes in it. We both hated it. One day, you said, “What if we just call it Mockingjay?” And that seemed perfect. The three parts of the book had been subtitled “The Mockingjay,” “The Assault,” and “The Assassin.” We changed the title to Mockingjay and the first part to “The Ashes” and got that lovely alliteration in the subtitles. Thank goodness you were there; you have far better taste in titles. I believe in the acknowledgments, I call you the Title Master.

DL: With The Hunger Games, the choice of Games is natural — but the choice of Hunger is much more odd and interesting. So I’ll ask: Why Hunger Games?

SC: Because food is a lethal weapon. Withholding food, that is. Just like it is in Boris when the Nazis starve out the people of Leningrad. It’s a weapon that targets everyone in a war, not just the soldiers in combat, but the civilians too. In the prologue of Henry V, the Chorus talks about Harry as Mars, the god of war. “And at his heels, Leash’d in like hounds, should famine, sword, and fire crouch for employment.” Famine, sword, and fire are his dogs of war, and famine leads the pack. With a rising global population and environmental issues, I think food could be a significant weapon in the future.

DL: The cover was another huge effort. We easily had over a hundred different covers comped up before we landed on the iconic one. There were some covers that pictured Katniss — something I can’t imagine doing now. And there were others that tried to picture scenes. Of course, the answer was in front of us the entire time — the Mockingjay symbol, which the art director Elizabeth Parisi deployed to such amazing effect. What do you think of the impact the cover and the symbol have had? What were your thoughts when you saw this cover?

SC: Oh, it’s a brilliant cover, which I should point out I had nothing to do with. I only saw a handful of the many you developed. The one that made it to print is absolutely fantastic; I loved it at first sight. It’s classy, powerful, and utterly unique to the story. It doesn’t limit the age of the audience and I think that really contributed to adults feeling comfortable reading it. And then, of course, you followed it up with the wonderful evolution of the mockingjay throughout the series. There’s something universal about the imagery, the captive bird gaining freedom, which I think is why so many of the foreign publishers chose to use it instead of designing their own. And it translated beautifully to the screen where it still holds as the central symbolic image for the franchise.

DL: Obviously, the four movies had an enormous impact on how widely the story spread across the globe. The whole movie process started with the producers coming on board. What made you know they were the right people to shepherd this story into another form?

SC: When I decided to sell the entertainment rights to the book, I had phone interviews with over a dozen producers. Nina Jacobson’s understanding of and passion for the piece along with her commitment to protecting it won me over. She’s so articulate, I knew she’d be an excellent person to usher it into the world. The team at Lionsgate’s enthusiasm and insight made a deep impression as well. I needed partners with the courage not to shy away from the difficult elements of the piece, ones who wouldn’t try to steer the story to an easier, more traditional ending. Prim can’t live. The victory can’t be joyous. The wounds have to leave lasting scars. It’s not an easy ending but it’s an intentional one.

DL: You cowrote the screenplay for the first Hunger Games movie. I know it’s an enormously tricky thing for an author to adapt their own work. How did you approach it? What was the hardest thing about translating a novel into a screenplay? What was the most rewarding?

SC: I wrote the initial treatments and first draft and then Billy Ray came on for several drafts and then our director, Gary Ross, developed it into his shooting script and we ultimately did a couple of passes together. I did the boil down of the book, which is a lot of cutting things while trying to retain the dramatic structure. I think the hardest thing for me, because I’m not a terribly visual person, was finding the way to translate many words into few images. Billy and Gary, both far more experienced screenwriters and gifted directors as well, really excelled at that. Throughout the franchise I had terrific screenwriters, and Francis Lawrence, who directed the last three films, is an incredible visual storyteller.

The most rewarding moment on the Hunger Games movie would have been the first time I saw it put together, still in rough form, and thinking it worked.

DL: One of the strange things for me about having a novel adapted is knowing that the actors involved will become, in many people’s minds, the faces and bodies of the characters who have heretofore lived as bodiless voices in my head. Which I suppose leads to a three-part question: Do you picture your characters as you’re writing them? If so, how close did Jennifer Lawrence come to the Katniss in your head? And now when you think about Katniss, do you see Jennifer or do you still see what you imagined before?

SC: I definitely do picture the characters when I’m writing them. The actress who looks exactly like my book Katniss doesn’t exist. Jennifer looked close enough and felt very right, which is more important. She gives an amazing performance. When I think of the books, I still think of my initial image of Katniss. When I think of the movies, I think of Jen. Those images aren’t at war any more than the books are with the films. Because they’re faithful adaptations, the story becomes the primary thing. Some people will never read a book, but they might see the same story in a movie. When it works well, the two entities support and enrich each other.

DL: All of the actors did such a fantastic job with your characters (truly). Are there any in particular that have stayed with you?

SC: A writer friend of mine once said, “Your cast — they’re like a basket of diamonds.” That’s how I think of them. I feel fortunate to have had such a talented team — directors, producers, screenwriters, performers, designers, editors, marketing, publicity, everybody — to make the journey with. And I’m so grateful for the readers and viewers who invested in The Hunger Games. Stories are made to be shared.

DL: We’re talking on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of The Hunger Games. Looking back at the past ten years, what have some of the highlights been?

SC: The response from the readers, especially the young audience for which it was written. Seeing beautiful and faithful adaptations reach the screen. Occasionally hearing it make its way into public discourse on politics or social issues.

DL: The Hunger Games Trilogy has been an international bestseller. Why do you think this series struck such an important chord throughout the world?

SC: Possibly because the themes are universal. War is a magnet for difficult issues. In The Hunger Games, you have vast inequality of wealth, destruction of the planet, political struggles, war as a media event, human rights abuses, propaganda, and a whole lot of other elements that affect human beings wherever they live. I think the story might tap into the anxiety a lot of people feel about the future right now.

DL: As we celebrate the past ten years and look forward to many decades to come for this trilogy, I’d love for us to end where we should — with the millions of readers who’ve embraced these books. What words would you like to leave them with?

SC: Thank you for joining Katniss on her journey. And may the odds be ever in your favor.

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

Image ID: Two glitter texts, reading as "NIGHTMARE FACTORY – DEVLOG 0". End image ID.

Hi, I'm Garça Visconde Mirigis, and I'm VERY happy to announce that this post you're reading is the first devlog ever for my nightmare game, a 3D platformer parody of mascot horror genre! And yes, nightmare, not dream game, because making my actual dream game is way out of my current abilities at the moment!

Ever thought to yourself how different a horror game would be if our protagonist decided to help the monsters instead of... [reading a list off-screen] killing, imprisioning, sacrificing, exorcizing or even banning them to other dimensions? Because I have, for ungodly amounts of time, and after literally years I decided that the time to actually make this thing has come. Welcome to the NIGHTMARE FACTORY!

OKAY BUT WHAT IS THE SYNOPSIS?

As previously mentioned, NIGHTMARE FACTORY is a parody of mascot horror games, set in an abandoned toy factory that also used to host a theme park. You play as Vera Torres, a 57 year-old mechanic who used to work in there. One day, our dear Vera receives a call from an old coworker: The higher-ups are going to sell the factory and the theme park, but they need a good inspection, and no one is accepting the offer! Feeling a bit nostalgic and wanting to help her friend, Vera decided to help take a look inside...

... Only to discover the place is now filled with strange monsters whose leader has, somehow, decided that she's actually his mother?! But she only had one kid ever in her life...?

Yeah, Vera is CONFUSED, and it's now your duty as the player to help her figure out just what the heck is going on!

... AND WHAT THE HECK IS THE GAME ACTUALLY ABOUT?

The game is a lighthearted and pink look at mascot horror as a whole, featuring little references to other games and lots and lots of silly jokes. It is also a long love letter for the genre, because as much as I like poking fun at FNaF, it did change my life for the better and it will forever have a soft spot in my heart. I love the franchise despite it all, and making a whole game just to poke fun at it and other similar games feels stupid. No one can create a good parody if they don't love the thing they're parodying even a tiny little bit.

NIGHTMARE FACTORY is not an "aha look at how stupid this is" look at mascot horror. I want it to be as sincere as possible, and the end product needs to be honest and not ironic in the slightest in order for it to be a success.

HOWEEEVEEEER. Despite the silliness, NIGHTMARE FACTORY can and will feature grapphic imagery and disturbing content due to its nature as a horror title. Trigger and content warnings have not been currently set, but shall be added as development continues.

WHAT ARE THE ~ INSPIRATIONS ~ ?

HEHEHE. HAHAHHAA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. MY FAVORITE PART!

The gameplay is inspired by the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, Pac-Man World 1-2 and Rayman 2! These are my favorite platformers ever and I played them for hours as a kid, and since NIGHTMARE FACTORY is all about toys and childhood I figured it would be the perfect fit!

For themes and story, NIGHTMARE FACTORY is inspired by Five Nights at Freddy's, Bendy and the Ink Machine/Bendy and the Dark Revival, Tattletail, Poppy Playtime, Silent Hill 1-4, Welcome Home, My Friendly Neighborhood and the Lacey series on YouTube! Some of the themes include loss of childhood, the horrors of motherhood and girlhood, corporate corruption, trauma recovery, grief and rage.

For visuals, however? Alice: Madness Returns, Hello Kitty Roller Rescue, Strawberry Shortcake: The Sweet Dreams Game, Disney Princess' Enchanted Journey and old dress-up flash games are my references!

THE SETTING

The game is set in 2020s São Paulo, Brazil, AKA where I live, and it can and will feature elements of brazilian culture. The final version should have both english and brazilian-portuguese translations, with cultural notes being featured to help non-brazilians understand some jokes and themes better.

CURRENT SITUATION

NIGHTMARE FACTORY is currently sitting at "the single gamedev is desperate to start programming but he's busy with uni work" stage of production, but do not worry, the single gamedev is also working on the story, how level progression shall go, how the game should feel to play, and, of course, planning the mechanics, AKA the most important part of a fun game. I'll make an entire devlog detailing every single main mechanic as soon as I'm able to finally start fully working on this!

NIGHTMARE FACTORY is being made with Godot, Blender and Krita, and it will be released first for PC.

NOW A LOOK AT HOW THE SINGLE GAMEDEV IS ALREADY ANXIOUS ABOUT MAKING THE GAME

It wouldn't be a project I made without me losing my mind about it from day 0!

Nightmare Factory is a 3D platformer game, with around ~30 levels planned, divided into 5 acts/chapters/arcs/sessions. You can think as these sets of levels as Crash Bandicoot's Warped level selection, like this!

After answering some asks relating to mascot horror as a genre, I remembered a conversation I had with my amazing partner some weeks ago about how I want to release NIGHTMARE FACTORY. YES, I didn't even start programming it, but this is the type of thing I need to settle on before I build a good chunk of the game. It will be important!

But then. There's the problem: I don't like it when games are "released" but you have to pay more to get all of them. Yeah, each chapter would be super cheap so they would have a full game price when combined, but also. Do I want to do this. Do I genuinely want to do this. Like? Am I sure this is the right way to do it?????

Image ID: Screenshot of Crash Warped for the PS1, with Crash standing in front of a warp room with 5 blue buttons on the floor, each marked with a number from 1 to 5. The 6th button has the face of Tiny Tiger, signaling it to be the entrance to a boss fight level. End image id.

My first plan was to release each act separately so I could both get feedback and also have more fun, because by getting feedback I would be way less worried about messing things up + I could update things like character physics to be less wonky or more stiff in case it was a common complaint, which could change the entire level design. And also because I'm a clown and I want to make a mascot horror parody, and releasing it in chapters aligns perfectly with how I want this to go.

Anyways, this has now lead to me deciding that the game should be a "pay for it once" type of thing. I'll still release it in chapters, but the updates will be for free. Will I regret this decision because liking it or not I need money + I am an indie dev + there's nothing wrong with game devs expecting to be, y'know, PAID for their work? Absolutely so!!!!! But I think that, for now, this will be how I develop this silly game.

Anyways, this is getting long enough, so I'll finish it for now. Character introductions will be made after the gameplay-focused devlog, so see you guys soon enough! Byeeee <3

[swaps55]

Joker self-sabotages :( While Joker and Kaidan might be able to rekindle their friendship in time, while Kaidan might be able to construct his half of the bridge to rebuild their friendship, it won't stand on its own, and Joker keeps burning his own half of the bridge down. The way you wrote it, it's all dependant on Joker's mental health. Luckily for Joker, if Shepard is doing well, Joker is doing well, and Shepard does well with Kaidan. Honestly understand Joker. Having power is the first step

You have no idea how much I am grinning over this inbox FULL of your brilliant observations.

You are SO correct.

Joker and Kaidan's friendship is a favorite of mine. Before Opus took over my life, I had intended to write a series of one shots that would follow it through the trilogy. The forging, the breaking, and the salvaging. I posted one or two - without much structure - and had some scribbled notes for others.

Now those ideas are just getting folded into Opus, and they have morphed and changed as needed, but I am still really excited about them. Here is one of the half-scenes I scribbled out a few years ago now. It doesn't quite fit Opus!Kaidan and Joker, but some of the sentiment does. I have latched onto the idea that in ME2, Joker believes as much as Shepard does that if they can just get to Kaidan, everything will be okay. And then...it isn't.

And all that guilt turns to fury. Because the person who could have fixed it...didn't.

~

“Why the fuck weren’t you here?” Joker demands. “Why did you have to go and do exactly what you would go and do, walk away when we needed you here?”

“Joker-”

“You know I hated you after Ashley died?”

Kaidan falls silent as though someone slapped him in the face.

“Shepard had to leave someone behind, and he chose her and not you. I could hardly stand the sight of your face after that. What made your life worth more than hers, huh? But after being with Cerberus, you know what? I understood it. You know why he saved you? Because you’re magnetic fucking north. Ashley was a soldier. She’d follow any order Shepard gave her. Oh sure, she had an opinion about it. She had an opinion about everything. But she was a solider, and she followed her fucking orders. You? You have a conscience. He gives you an order and you think about it. You may think you’re a by-the-book kind of guy, Alenko, but at the end of the day, nothing’s getting between you and your goddamned moral center, not even a court martial. That’s why he saved you. Because when he looked in the mirror and didn’t know if the reflection looking back at him was Shepard or Saren, you were there to make sure it was Shepard.”

“I don’t have to listen to this,” Kaidan mutters.  

“Yes you do. Yes you do. He needed that when we went after the collectors and you weren’t there to give it to him. Only thing worse than watching him die once was watching it happen again, only slow.”  

Kaidan throws an arm in the air. “What do you want from me, Joker?”

“I want you to hate me as much as I hated you. You killed Ashley. I killed Shepard. We both lost something. Why won’t you just snap? For once.”

Kaidan stares at him. “Joker…you didn’t kill Shepard. Look at me. Joker. You did not kill Shepard.”

[fyreflys]

Everyone tries to compare the characters from TBOSBAS to Katniss and Peeta, because we like to try and draw literary parallels & analyze and find meaning where there may or may not be. And I feel like that kind of detracts from all the characters. We try to fit them in a box by saying “so-and-so is just like so-and-so!” When in reality all the characters are so drastically different. Sure, Peeta and Lucy Gray were the performers. Sure, Lucy Gray and Katniss were the singing mockingjays from the seam. Sure, Sejanus and Katniss both pushed against the Capitol control. Sure, Jessup and Peeta were the gentle protectors, who got hurt and needed nursed. We could go on and on and on, but (to me at least) it feels like trying to shove puzzle pieces together that don’t fit but still make up part of the same picture. Yeah there’s similarities, but the differences seem to outweigh them, so saying they’re parallels for each other just doesn’t seem fair to the complexities of their characters. It strips them of their background and the meaning and impact that they serve in their individual stories. I think we see the few nods and foreshadowing Collins throws at us for the original trilogy, and we immediately want to say everything is symbolic of each other, because history and art repeat themselves, & perhaps the idea of Snow reliving everything he went through when he was 16 is a satisfying twist for a corrupt character. But the truth is it is its own story.

HOWEVER- I’d still like to offer my own spin/parallel, just for shits & giggles.

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mention how similar GALE is to SNOW. Again, far from a perfect fit, but there’s a lot about Snow and Lucy Gray’s story that reminds me of Gale and Katniss.

Gale seems to view Katniss as belonging to him; he’s possessive, and jealous of Peeta. He wants Katniss where he knows she’s safe. He is the cage, and she is the bird. Just like Snow is Lucy Gray’s cage, not wanting her to be free, but rather his. In control, belonging to him, and jealous of even the idea of another man or thing in Lucy Gray’s life (man gets jealous of a fucking goat, thinking it could be a person, let alone Billy Taupe). Additionally, despite Snow and Gale seeming to be on completely opposite sides of the spectrum (Snow is 100% for the Capitol, & Gale is 100% against the Capitol), they seem to value the same things. They want power. They want control. They want attention and recognition. Gale goes searching for that in the form of joining the rebellion and it’s highest ranks. He helps develop and plan bombs with little to no regard of the civilians they might kill, literally telling Katniss that it’s a price worth paying, an eye-for-an-eye type thing. He buddies up with President Coin (who, we could say, for parallel sake, represents evil & tyranny and totalitarianism, like Dr. Gual). Snow does it in the way of sucking up to anyone and everyone he can (Dr Gual, Mr Plinth) in the name of gaining positive recognition & money (or whatever else he might want) & constantly playing politics. He also shows little regard over the deaths of others. He kills Bobbin, and doesn’t seem haunted by that whatsoever, just sees it as a stain on his name. When faced with the possibility of having to open fire on the civilians of district 12 when they show anger at a hanging, his first thought is “do I remember how to shoot a gun?” and not “I don’t want to kill people”. Both of them fawn over a girl who is quite clearly not theirs, nor anything close to a “perfect match”.

By no means am I saying Gale is as bad as if not worse than Snow; we don’t know Gale’s inner thoughts and workings, and he does seem to act out of the kindness of his heart & show selfless qualities, and he’s not nearly as controlling and possessive when it comes to Katniss as Snow is to Lucy Gray (at the end of the day, Gale cares about Katniss being happy- Snow cares about Lucy Gray being his). But I think the comparison is interesting to consider regardless, and I haven’t seen anyone talk about it. :)

[cross-my-heartt]

Three Act Structure of TBB

(Part One: Season One aka Act One)

So since I’m so boldly convinced that season three will be the third act in the batch’s storyline I wanted to do a more detailed breakdown of this theory by looking back on the story so far.

It might get confusing as separate seasons can have their own internal three act structures (much like a movie from a trilogy can follow the formula on its own) which can sometimes overlap with the larger plot’s elements.

But messy is where the fun’s at and I look forward to hearing if anyone has a different interpretation of things.

Now! Here’s a simplified diagram of the three act structure:

We currently find ourselves at the end of Act Two, right after the crisis when things are looking bad for our protagonists and their plight is yet to be resolved (which happens in act three). Some diagrams point to the beginning of Act Three as being a time for rallying which makes sense in the context of the show:

The batch are scattered, our remaining trio will need to make a plan and get help before rushing in for a rescue, i.e. the climax of the third act.

But for now I want to go back to season one and look at how it fits into the larger picture. I’ll be using an article from braddailey (not putting a link to avoid being yeeted from tags) as reference here.

Act 1: The Beginning (Set-Up)

The Ordinary World (Stasis)

“In most narratives, we’ll spend some time in The Ordinary World of the protagonist. This is where we’ll learn about the rules and ways of the world, what the protagonist’s normal life is like, and who the characters of that world are.”

This is definitely something we have in our story. According to the article this stage can be very brief or even implied but what’s interesting here is that most of it is located in The Clone Wars where we get an introduction of the batch and most of the context for what their world and circumstances are like.

The beginning of Aftermath can also be part of this stage as we get some scenes with the batch on the battlefield (this time with Echo included, to show that he’s now firmly part of the team) and what their more casual dynamic looks like in the scenes in the mess hall.

Then we move on to The Inciting Incident (Call to Adventure) or rather jump back to it as it’s sort of sandwiched and spread in between:

“Inevitably, something has to change. The Inciting Incident either brings about that change, or sets into motion what will bring the change. It might define the protagonist’s goal for the story, but it certainly kicks off the journey or adventure.”

The inciting incident in this case is Order 66 and the Republic’s transition to the Empire. As we know this ushers in a ton of change for the clones by turning their world completely upside down. On a smaller scale the batch’s own normalcy is disrupted by Omega’s appearance and the activation of Crosshair’s chip, both of which are catalysts for major shifts. One regarding the batch’s goals and the other shaking up their established unity.

Refusal + Hesitation

“It’s normal for the protagonist to refuse, resist, or hesitate when the Inciting Incident comes knocking. [...]

But no matter the amount of resistance, the wheels of fate are turning, and the story is set in motion. The protagonist will make a leap of faith, and accept their quest, or they will be dragged into the story against their will.”

This stage is again interspersed throughout the season. As there’s a lot of events happening in season one, we can point to several of them being part of it: the batch refuse to complete their mission of killing the refugees which puts them at odds with the Empire. They commit to escaping and leaving their old lives behind. They take a leap of faith when they don’t leave Omega with Cut and Suu, thus accepting her as a major source of change for their group.

All in all the events that follow in the season all focus on adaption and the batch finding their way around this new world. They sometimes hesitate, sometimes argue but mainly they are now in the thick of it and forced to make important choices that determine the course of their story.

(Interestingly enough the article points to the source of this stage being fear of change. The first person to resist change, either by his own will or not, is Crosshair and his refusal and/or inability to change is what becomes his main theme in the show and is also what separates him from the rest of the batch.)

Act One ends with a climax of its own which for season one is the events on Kamino, i.e.:

The End of the Beginning

“By the end of Act 1, or the beginning of your story, the reader/viewer should usually know:

Who the protagonist is What their ordinary world is like What the nature of the quest is Who or what the sources of antagonism are Who some of the supporting characters are”

So our protagonists are now the batch with the new addition of Omega. We could argue that Crosshair is on a different path at this point which is proven by how little screen time he gets in comparison to the others in the next season.

We’ve had enough episodes to know what the batch’s new reality looks like at this point. We know what their dynamic with Cid is and that they constantly need to fend off the Empire when they come into contact with it. There’s also the reality of an overarching dilemma: to stand and fight or put survival first.

The main nature of their quest for now is to survive however and in particular: to survive with a new more vulnerable member in their group and adapt to life with them.

The sources of antagonism are the Empire and unfortunately, by extension, Crosshair. We may not see him come into direct conflict with the batch anymore but he has lost his status as protagonist for the time being. We’ve established that at this stage his goals and values differ from those of his brothers’.

And finally we’ve had good introductions to some of our secondary cast: Cid, Howzer, Rampart, Gregor and Rex have all been integrated into the story.

All that’s left is to move on to the next act, the one that has the least defined internal structure of the three but generally involves: “[the protagonist] learning new things, testing what they learn, making mistakes, and probably meeting new people.”

Sound familiar? Yeah, that’s season two if you ask me.

But if some of this sounds like things that have already happened that’s because season one has its own, albeit vague, internal three act structure, with its own climaxes, twists and obstacles.

There are all the elements of an act 1 in Aftermath with it introduction of several major changes, the point of no return or the climax of act 1 (the batch’s escape), the mini arcs of act 2 as well as its midpoint with its moment of clarity and revelation (learning about the chips).

Finally, we can point to either War-Mantle (Hunter’s capture) or Return to Kamino (the bombing of Tipoca) as the act two climax, with the characters’ situation looking dire and hopeless before the events (resolution) of Kamino Lost. And while a single episode might seem rushed to be an entire third act on its own, it’s not obligatory for the third act to be as long as its counterparts.

In fact act 2 takes up the majority of the season, with acts 1 and 3 being a very small portion of it. That's because tv series leave a lot more room for their protagonists to grow, evolve, go on side quests and experience minor setbacks that help build character, introduce subplots or facilitate world building.

But anyway these are my two cents on season one. Again, my point of reference is the article on Three Act Structure on braddailey dot com which I highly recommend. There will of course be a part two for season two so please look out for that one!

(Uhh if anyone wants to be tagged for it lmk? Please, I'll combust before I tag anyone without their explicit permission.)

[ram-on]

whenyourbirdisbroken asked:

Hi ram-on! Thanks for your tags on that fic rec for Carry That Weight, I've never read that fic but your tags made it sound very interesting! What are other McLennon fics you like, if you don't mind sharing?

Hello there, @whenyourbirdisbroken! Thank you for my very first Beatles related ask and sorry for the late reply!! I discovered fanfiction through the Beatles fandom, I had never read fanfic before! But I'm still too bad at bookmarking things, so I'll certainly forget some I loved. Still, here's a list of those I can remember now:

Carry That Weight and its sequence Hello Goodbye by @waveofahand It's a massive work by a massive talent and it has a very special place in my heart. @idontwanttospoiltheparty described it very well in their recent post about it, and I added a bit of my commentary in the tags. Don't worry about the length, you don't have to read the two parts to enjoy it, but also if you start from the beginning and it's your cup of tea you may soon discover you never want it to end!

 Mums, Yur Boys are Crying by waveofahand. If you love hurt/comfort, this fic includes both John and Paul suffering - John's mom dying and Paul helping him go trhough the funeral, etc, and then Paul himself getting into another situation, and John worrying about him too. The boys are young but there's kindness, maturity and wisdom in it and the typical picturesque, novel-like features of waveofhand's prose. A special bonus are the very charming scenes between Mimi and Paul which may colour your perception of the interactions between those two forever (I always expect them to act like that in other fics). It's also a delightfully finished fic, it has a beautiful ending and conclusion.

Everything by merseydreams . As you may notice, I'm mostly a fan of drama and angst, but @merseydreams are my favorite exception. They're a comedy genius, their fics are romantic, charming, witty, very vivid and enjoyable both on story-buld level and micro-sentence level. I've often told them they should write scripts for sitcoms and romantic comedies/dramedies and other good things. Also good thoughtful characterization, relationship study-ing and dialogue too (so there's seriousness in them too! They're ultimately happy but not fluffy.). I love all their fics but I guess The Birthday Party is the best by being the longest, if you somehow missed it go read it ASAP! 

i was a younger man then (now) (post hoc)  by fingersfallingupwards.  This fic is so touching, that I don't know how to describe it. It's a very poetic, imaginative and unique story about John&Paul-forever and time travel. About the connection of their souls in a fantastical but poignant sense that somehow fits them so much. Might make you cry but it's worth it. Also, completely finished fic as well, with a thrilling emotional twist towards the end. Might be the most complete fic I've read. The fic also provide very good context for the flaming pie anecdote :-)

On our way back home by Kathleenishereagain. This one is also about time travel, but in a different way, basically about old Paul getting back to being young again and how he'd do things differently. I think it's quite popular so you probably all know it. (Funny thing is I never thought I'd care about time travel, but ultimately it's just a writing vessel and aren't we always time travelling when we fantasise about the Beatles?) 

Close The Door Lightly When You Go by RosalindBeatrice. Set in 1979 when Paul comes to visit John in the Dacota, who acts like he doesn't want him there. It's awesome, one of those fics, in which they have real tension and problems which makes it all more real. It's mostly inner-thoughs and dialogue-driven but very intense nontheless, great characterisation, great attention to detail, just fantastic for lovers of post break up relationship studies and excellent writing.

The Wild Horses trilogy, from which I especially love the last part, Son of a Shining Path. It's about young Paul and John and Paul being abused by his father, and the first part might be a bit too dark for some. But I love the writing, and especially in the third part (which has no abuse but other suffering) I just love how well being worried about someone you love and being unable to show it is written in the end there. It's subtle, very realistic in its details, I love it.

I'm Looking Through You by @idontwanttospoiltheparty That's the only fic in this list which is still a work in progress, still updated. If you follow the author on Tumblr you know how smart they are, and their fic is just as thoughtful and attentive to the Beatles history, the music and the psychology of it all. The story gets more exciting and rich whith each chapter, I fell in love with the last three. It also pays attention to all four of the Beatles and their human sides and motivations in a way that rarely happens. Last chapter included the best incorporation of the Manila adventures I've read in fic. Just many emotionally packed and thrilling scenes all around (also that thing I just wrote about being worried about someone and being frozen about how to help them which I love being written realistically in fics -- is here too.) Go read it if you haven't and let's read the next update soon together!!

Widow by abromeds on LJ. This story is more than a decade old, but it's no wonder it still appears in fic recs. It's about death and grief - not John but Paul dying like John did - so it's truly dark, not like fun angsty, but truly deeply dramatic and real. So you might think why read something sad, but maybe you should, because it's so good. It's also serious writing on meaningful topic and I think the fictional element (Paul dying and not John) somehow helps it being more bearable and at the same time makes you think about the actual reality and we kinda avoid doing it, don't we? And it's just very well written, there are also very plausible-sounding flashbacks of their history and relationship through the years (the one about why John actually climbed the fence in Cavendish is my favorite!), so it's not really all about death. And my absolutely favorite thing in ''Widow'' is the very ending, the last sentence even. It's the most perfect, most poignant ending this story could have had, an ending any good fuckin literature could have. Sometimes I walk on the streets and think about that ending. 

-------------------

This fic rec is got too wordy, so I'll end this here, although there are other fics I've enjoyed just as much, but I'll add them some other time!

Always feel free to recommend me some fics too (or to share your thoughts on the already mentioned!)

[aerithium]

Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: T&T Review!

★ Score: 9.5/10 ★ Date Finished: February 26th, 2024 ★ Final Thoughts: This game was a pleasent surprise after the last installment, the first case (often the "tutorial" case) is actually deeply rooted in the story of the game and its clear right away as you are playing as Mia Fey. Starting the game this way immediately roped me in and I was heavily intrigued by the characters as well. The game lacks slightly in the second case and more in the third but neither are bad, not to mention both are necessary for sections of the end to land as well as they do. The fourth trial is a direct call back to the first and was highly anticipated by me as you learn so much more about Mia Fey and the new prosecuter for the game, as well as see more of the mysterious witness from episode one. But the true star of this game is the fifth and final case, one of the few cases in the trilogy that rocked me to my core and had me completely and utterly invested from start to finish. Not only does the case wrap up the game great, it is also a stellar culmination of the entire trilogy. This case has it all, it brings back beloved characters, answers the burning mysterys that were previously set up, calls back to previous cases in both this game and the previous games, and becomes quit the tear jerker when you reach the final answers. The main characters are written so well and have such a deep connection to the player and the characters around them, especially as you realize how deep some of these bonds go and see new ones just beginning to form. The music was also fantastic, every track fits so perfectly in each moment and I could listen to Godot's theme for hours on end. This game is the perfect end to the original Ace Attorney trilogy to me and I am excited to see where things go in the rest of the games I have left to play. I so desperately want to give this game a full ten but my dislike for the third episode just can't allow me to do it as I heavily disliked the characters and their designs in the episode, even if the trial was interesting in the end.

[transgamerthoughts]

a vast methodical fragment

(this is a cross post from cohost. pretty much all my stuff ends up there first. that said! writing here is what initially led to me getting a job as professional critic so some stuff will still end up here)

i am playing Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. no spoilers in this post! don't panic! though I have seen the ending and will eventually write on What This Remake Business Is Even About Now I'm taking a slower recircling back through the world and doing side content. because this is a good world. that's maybe the biggest strength of the entire game! there's a remarkable sense that the world has been as well-considered as the characters. part of what makes the remake trilogy feel more solid than something like final fantasy 16 is the ways in the texture added into every location. final fantasy 16 had a lot of maps and lore and codex entries that were meant to create a sense of "realness" to Valisthea but the sum total of that falters compared to even some of Rebirth's smallest moments. no timeline, however meticulous, can compare to watching protesters in lower Junon wave signs outside of the Shinra-controlled entrance to the city or seeing how bars are themed in the Gold Saucer.

when I wrote about the end of Final Fantasy 16I made comparisons to Triangle Strategy. both games tackled similar matters on paper but in practice, I felt that the latter succeeded because it had an understanding of its settings material realities. In their podcast on ff16, the folk at Abnormal Mapping (I think specifically Austin as the guest third chair) noted that while the game had aspirations about tackling slavery, it only ever really showed Bearers being used for servant work. they aired out laundry or lit fireplaces. it belied a certain lack of consideration for the world and its needs why is someone airing out laundry with magick when they could be cultivating a field? yes, Titan is a great summon useful in war but would his existence not affect the Dhalmekian Republic's infrastructure and architecture?

Rebirth doesn't have this issue. Walking in any town or exploring the outlying regions starts readily reveals locations that have a great deal of consideration and consistency. I know where the food come from, I can stumble in on teachers reading stories to classes or else telling them some local folklore. there are popular songs, i run into veterans of old wars and stumble on abandoned forts that still have old ammo boxes in them, local superstitions and phrases. the pieces fit together.

I've quibbles with Rebirth in the sense that I think it's a bit distracted as a story. there are times when the larger sound and fury threaten to signify nothing and I don't think that's simply to do with the fact that it's adapting a fairly freewheeling portion of the 1997 original. but that's a very particular complaint targeted at the meta-narrative. What Is This All About?

for the moment, i'm content putting that question on hold. the contrast to ff16 is perhaps what's ringing most loudly in my mind. this is a world with wave-race dolphin riding, combat simulators where an android named Chadley digitizes local gods into pocket-sized summon materia. it's a place where your ninja friend accidentally creates countless copies of a joke-character and they all team up to renovate a seaside inn. but I take it more seriously.

a jaded person might say that it had that grace built in because of my nostalgia but the truth it that earned this consideration through the care built into the world. it didn't make demands of me. the developers looked at the world, asked how it would work and wove that into everything. i know the latest gimmick popsicle flavors for crying out loud!

the difference between a heap of lore and a properly built world can be thin and arbitrary but if there's one thing I really appreciate from this ongoing Remake project, it's the how much the player understands How It Got The Way It Is.

[autumnalfallingleaves]

Since I’m currently in a Star Wars phase, I was thinking…. How about a WondLa trilogy AU set in the Star Wars universe?

:D!!!!

It wouldn't be me if I didn't have a crossover or a couple for things I'm currently interested in, so I absolutely have a few, lmao.

I've been thinking of a post-WondLa canon SW AU wherein SW isn't in our past; rather, it's in the future and is currently set in the Prequels/Clone Wars era (my favorite :) ). I'm fudging with both canons a bit and putting WondLa several millenniums ahead of where it is in canon to fit in with the SW timeline and also saying that the galaxy is not far, far away. It's the Milky Way. SW humans are from the humans that abandoned Earth via the Dynasty Corporation and affiliated and just. Never came back.

(Continued under the cut because this got long lol)

It's been three or so years since the Battle of Solas, so Eva is around 16. My thinking is that Orbona is out in Wild Space, so it's been lost to charts and maps for a while, thus explaining why the people of SW don't know that the human home planet still exists, or even that there is a human home planet. During the War, the disaster trio (Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka) end up crash-landing on Orbona on the salt flat near Lacus and find themselves trekking from the now-broken Twilight to what they can see as the nearest civilization, which seems to be a mix of species, most of which-- barring humans-- the Jedi have never seen before. Let's say, for consistency's sake, that the aliens who ended up colonizing Earth/Orbona where from farther out, potentially the galaxy Ezra ended up in, so they're not present in the SW galaxy. Thus, the Jedi can't understand them. They, of course, manage to encounter Eva and co. and, since the humans speak Basic (or English, as the humans of Orbona know it), manage to get a rundown of where they are. (Obi-Wan's nerdy ass is incredibly excited to learn that Orbona/Earth is the planet of human origin. Think of the fossil records.)

And thus, through a series of shenanigans, Orbona is introduced to the larger galactic stage. A selection of beings from Orbona is chosen to go to Coruscant in order to present their planet to the Senate. This includes Eva, Vanpa, Rovender, and maybe Huxley? And others. Redimus is protection.

The Jedi have no idea what to make of Eva. She's extremely strong in the Living Force, but it presents itself in a way none of them have ever seen. I think she and Yoda would get along very well, to the horror of everyone else. She and Anakin would also eat bugs together.

One of the things I've been thinking about the most for this is Eva and the clones, because she, herself is also a clone, just of someone else. I can imagine they bond over that fact as well as personhood and being a second-class citizen in a place that doesn't really care for you. (Say what you want about New Attica, but Eva's status as a clone and her unique experiences were totally brushed over by the Atticans and I don't think she was super happy about that.) I think the vod'e would hear that Eva is still using her designation as her name (Earth in Vitro Alpha, ninth generation) and encourage her to find a name for herself, if she wants to. Eva Nine thus becomes Evelyn "Eva" Kitt :)

This somehow leads to Palps getting outed and ousted because I am all about fix-its in this house.

Other ideas I've had are SW characters in the WondLa setting, which I think is also very fun, but I've thought less about. For instance, the "Eva" would likely be either be Ezra or Omega due to the "naive little kid sees the world, grows up, and develops some pretty serious skills while also finding a family" thing. Ezra works thanks in part to already having similar powers and his relationship with his mentor/dad figure is similar to Eva's. Omega also works because of weird-little-girl-ness, vibes, being a clone, and a similar arc of losing a loved one and having to learn how to move on, though, in this AU, I feel like the person she loses- her caretaker- would have to be Nala Se and not a brother. (You can also insert Batcher in as Otto quite nicely. Maybe Ezra could get a Loth-Wolf?) Hunter is the Rovender, though I'd make it so he had a falling-out with his brothers instead of them being dead and that's why he left.

This also means that it's easy to insert Emerie as the Eva Eight figure, but also means that, in order for Ezra to work, there'd also have to be a bunch of Ezra clones running around. Lmao.

[roniarose]

Guardians 3 thought dump

Aaaah i actually liked an MCU movie for once

The Guardians were kind of the perfect team to go up against that type of villain, a team thats taken two movies to learn and are still in some ways learning that their differences and flaws are what makes them a family, up against someone who sees those flaws as a failure to be discarded. All of the Guardians spend a lot of time across all three films trying to escape how others view them, so this antagonist really feels like the perfect choice to culminate the trilogy

Also man the russos took a fat wet shit all over gamoras arc and james gunn still managed to salvage it and make it work, I was fucking terrified the whole movie that they were gonna end up together when thats literally impossible with this gamora, But gamora calls out quill immediately in this, and tells him thats shes not that person he so desperately wants. Peter still at least has the arc that he was meant to have regardless of gamoras fridging, where he needed to realize that hes projecting what he needs from other people onto those people, especially gamora. The movie still hints that they COULD end up being together, they just both need to spend time becoming more actualized versions of themselves. And peter needs to resolve more of his emotional baggage and sexism.

Its funny because from the way 2 ended its really obvious that gunn had planned for them to be together in 3 but that basically got ruined when she got tossed into the infinity stone pit. :/ i’m glad gunn was smart enough to realize that trying to redo 2 movies worth of relationship buildup across one movie was a bad idea

Lets see what else

Oh, hey Nathan fillion, long time no see! I’m glad you finally got to be in a story about a ragtag found family in space that didn’t end up getting canned, and i think the fight you did in the building that looked like a middle school science textbook illustration rocked, 10/10 keep rocking the Michelin man fit

I like that Adam Warlock is a big dumb idiot man that carries a pet around and listens to king crimson because its super obvious gunn had no clue what to do with him but had to have him there because the mcu continues to be an ever expanding nightmare mess. 10/10 no notes

Obviously the i am groot reveal was cute, and also a kind of cycle break that didn’t feel forced or like it had extra gravitas added to it, the reveal that the audience is part of the family now just gets to be a simple little moment

I love that nebula gets to be relatively more relaxed in this movie on the whole, she honestly deserves it, let her sip her lil sodie pop.

I loved Draxs lil dad moment in the third act as well, and how it ends up forcing nebula to learn that emotional intelligence is just as vital to have a practical intelligence. Up until that point she really underestimated him and a lot of the rest of the team because she had been taught by thanos a lot of the same things our villain believed, that theres only one kind of way to be, and that only perfection and results matter. She ends up learning through the guardians and drax that we each of our own individual strengths and perceived flaws, and that real perfection is in the culmination of those forces in our lives. I thought it was nice :)

The last thing i can think of is that I liked how a series defined musically by track from the 70’s and 80’s ends off with a track from the 2000’s. A way of communicating subtly our characters aren’t trapped in their past anymore. Great stuff

Anyways thats what i got atm, if you stumbled on this and are wanting more mcu stuff, sorry to disappoint, this is prolly the last mcu thing i’m checking in for unless something reveals itself to be more interesting in the future. I wanna try and talk more about other things tho, so maybe you will like those posts!

Testing this out

[pilotheather]

we're back

youre trying so fucking hard to set up this unit spin off. im going to be horribly honest with you: i dont really care, and i think this is such a corny way to do it. i think torchwood (the show) is something people see with rose-tinted glasses a lot of the time, but i do think its slower introduction to the characters, completely isolated to its own tv show, made more sense. i feel like this weird vibe of just setting up these big personalities who all neatly fit into the exact archetypes you'd Expect... i dont know. i dont care for any of them. i love big weird non human robot-adjacent entities and i dont even care. and that fucker has cable-like tentacles too. i should be sold.

i think its also cuz they are like so obviously these Scifi archetypes for shows like this which is fine but leading first with a quickfire round of rather than getting a softer introduction to them just sort ofmakes them feel like fake cartoons. i think thats sorta why ive never truly warmed to paternoster gang too.

like i think my issue - and im welcome to be proved wrong, whenever we do get this unit spinoff - is i feel like its leading with the idea of "i want a spinoff" first rather than an attempt to fill a specific niche or hole for stories. i feel like sja and torchwood were both very specifically shows that would be in the universe, but would cater to things that would not suit the proper show, and had their own cast driving it.

like i'll be honest i like kate but ummmm im not sure i like her enough to follow her into a spin off. LOL.

sorry thats my hater era over im 2 seconds in

oh no nevermind i also hate big budget takes itself too seriously bullshit wheres the losers

is rose still meant to be like 15. her in business casual for the day job at unit.

okay The Vlinx.

WHYS THERE A LITTLE BEEFCAKE SECURITY GUARD. IS HE LIKE YOUR LITTLE BOYTOY, UNIT? sorry hes not even my typ. harriets really cute though

sorery i still dgaf

rtd and his anagrams. christ.

ive been laughing all day about a reddit comment that said "rtd is a" and i cant stop laughing at it and i dont know anyone who will find that funny in my life so i cant even

WHY ARE THEY JUST FUCKING

SORRY THATS SO FUNNY THEY WERE LIKE LETS QUICKFIRE ADDRESS THE STUPID MYSTERY BOXES. SUSAN. TARDIS... S TRIAD.... SUSAN AGAIN.

i really fucking hope it isnt susan. people have said it before but i just feel like ive always liked the idea of jsut leaving her be. dont revisit it. its fine.

sorry help me why are they just pulling everything out help me

i feel like theyre trying to be too meta about it and not in like a clever way its just like a lets state the obvious to everyoneits that vclassic TELLING NO SHOWING that i feel like christ it keeps ... feeling like the writing is doing that so much

CAN ANYONE TALK ABOUT HOW NCUTI LOOKS IN THE LEATHER JACKET BTW?

soery its like not even 10 minutes in and im like already feeling like a hater i just i dont know i feel like so im fine with them cashing in on nostalgia and being a bit self aware in finales sometimes but i feel like this and then the trilogy last year... LOOK most dw finales and special eps of the nu era are kind of rooted in some sort of classic right its like dalek dalek cyberman master dalek lets go to gallifrey for this one but its like still at least one thing sorry im sick of it i dont wanna see mel any more i dont wanna be in unit CAN WE FOLLOW THE DOCTOR AND RUBY see them figuring it out PLEAAASEEE they can point out its obvious its fine but the fucking round table discussion

SORRY I KNOW ITS BEEN THE HOT TOPIC ITS LIKE THE WAY THIS SEASON HAS GONE TOO FAST CUZ ID SAY A LOT OF THE EPS WERE GOOD IN THE END BUT ITS LIKE SO MANY OF THEM WERE TOO HARD DEPARTURES FROM WHAT WE REALLY NEED WHICH IS JUST

TIME WITH RUBY AND THE DOCTOR . PLEASE.

nevermind i love mel on the moped

ugh ive been wanting a bike for so long but i keep hjearing about so many accidents i wanna kms in a controlled environment

my second thought btw: i think one of my favourite season finales will always be s4's. and yes that does also bank on this big, lets have ALL OF THESE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER!!! and have one huge crossover event even if the story isnt as good. but as ivealways said: that works because its earned through four seasons of building up all of those individual characters. it can stand on that legwork thats already been done. i just dgaf otherwise. its why, and maybe this is controversial, i can never give a shit about a good man goes to war. (although i also loathe that because that storyline does my fucking HEAD IN)

im also hating this so hard im not even far enough in sorry i just love to hateeeeeeeeeee

help e christ if it wasnt for reddit i would not fucking recognise anyones fucking face is hat the same woman i mean rby also isnt clocking her does she have some fucking perception filter on . missus flood what is up with you

missus flood what even is wrong with you

"why did you never go back to see her?"

because susan was lowkey annoying af

SORRY

SORRY WOMEN

i also do wanna know: if hes mentioned her face popping up a lot, are they not scanning their fucking databases for matches. like thats definitely technology they have. lets be so for real

AGAIN SORRY THE OTHE RTHING I HATE ABOUT IT IS THE TIME SINK IT IS GREAT LETS HAVE OUR INTRODUCTIONS AND HAPPY WOOPEEEES AND MEETING THE TEN BILLION FUCKING PEOPLE WE'RE BRINGING ALONG WHEN THEYRE REALLY NOT ENRICHING THE EPISODE AND ITS JUST WEARING EVERYTHING SO THIN DUDE COME ON OH WAIT HANG ON LETS INTERRUPT THE FLOW AGAIN TO BRING IN SOMEONE ELSE AND STOP IT!! EEEENOUGH!

(again with the way s4 finale was handled: i think it was really good the way they had everyone sort of... separated out? they had them all cleanly following their own plots. so it didnt make shit a fucking mess.)

caralas literally chill w can bring carla

Do you have a time window. Ten floors down. classic shit.

i think i also ironically did i say this bit already i fucking hate trying to do big... sci-fi organisations like this trying to fight the aliens or villains or whatever. sorry just a taste thing. like compare this to how torchwood was presented in s2. it just feels like we're thriving in it and im not a fan of them being our unapologeticbesties we swing around and giggle with. can we get some nasty fucking vibes in here please. i loved when capaldi was a cunt with them.

this is also why i refuse to ever engage with the avengers content

christmas eve 2004. god shesso young. (im 4 years older literally).

sorry i also hate mystery box companion bullshit fuck off can we not just get some cunt from the local

SORRY I JUST THINK RTD FINALES ARE SO BADLY CAMP SOMETIMES

i keep thinking about how she looks like jodie i think its the boots with the ankles sort of poking out

thats my bad aura sorry i was hating too hard

NOT THE BOYTOYS

THEYRE PICKING OFF THE BOYTOYS

theres that irony again of like they'll sit there and do a whle bit like haha duh ofc we know its an anagram DUHHH but then half the dialogue is just fucking . SAYING SHIT STRAIGHTFORWARD AND OUTRIGHT SHUT UP

hes in hell. god damn it. i hate it when i lose my boytoys and he ends up in hell

imagine if this was the beast from the satans pit

what a hilarious hater moment that would be

sorry now I- UMMMMM THE BOYTOY IS DUSTTT AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

colonel winston is making me giggle. lke the monkey. guys i dont know anything abou overwatch but that monkey makes me laugh

guys we're on susan watch

shes going to be the dumbest red herring ever isnt she amen shes just nothing please rtd you fuckerr- DOCTOR CALM DOWN

CAN WE GET HIM A FUCKING STIM TOY

CAN WE GET HIM A BLUEBERRY MATCHA

CAN WE GET HIM SOMETHING TO COPE WITH

so cool we brought an image of this thing up before and it wrecked our shit lets do it again hell yeah come on

harriet i need you

SHES NOT HER ITS SO FUNNY

EVERYU TIME SOME CRAZY BITCH NAMED SUSAN APPEARS DO YOU DO THIS.

BRO DOES THAT MEAN THESE GIRLIES WRE CONNECTED HELP ME IMAGINE IF THAT WAS SUSAN AND NOW SHES JUST STUCK WITH THE FUCKING MEMORIES OF RAISING LINDY. COME ON SUSAN. BREAK THE FUCKING TRAUMA CYCLE. YOU DIDNT NEED TO RAISE HER LIKE THAT MAN.

can we get the tardis a ginger ale

THAT FUCKING CAMERA ANGLE BEING A FAKEOUT FOR A FUCKING RUBY SUNDAY THIS WHOLE THING IS A TV SHOW SHTICK IS SO FUNNY ACTUALLY

SUSAN TRIAD DOING THIS IN AN EMPTY CROWD IS SO FUNNY

SUSAN TRIAD YOU HAVE TO GET IT TOGETHER GIRL THEY'LL BE CLIPPING BITS OF THIS ON TWITTER

the king innit

HARRIET ARBINGERRRRRR YESSSSSSS

SLAYYYYYYYY

NEVERMIND THAT BIT GOT ME A PRETTY WOMAN WILL GET ME SOOO EASY

TRICKSTER MENTION IS INSANE

her children doubt and dreaddddd so silly

WHOS THIS HATER

SUTEKH

THATS SO FUCKINGH FUNNY

HUNDREDS OF REDDITORSARE PUNCHING THE AIR. MAYBE EVEN TENS

I LOVE HOW IT LOOKS LIKE SHIT

SO WHAT IS WRONG WITH RUBY

HELP ME I SPENT SO LONG BEING A HATER I DONT KNOW SHIT ABOUT SUTEKH SORRY CLASSIC FANS

ANYWAYS

[rotzaprachim]

The thing about writing a post apocalyptic sw au (station eleven and TLOU) is that it helps anúnciate the reality that the sequel trilogy is a post apocalyptic narrative. Like, the sequel trilogy is really, really bad, and one of the places it’s so bad it becomes fascinating is in the gap between the Light Action Adventure corporatized media Pew Pew Pew series it Thinks it is with all its product tie ins and Lego sets and the knock em out balls to the walls Hopeless post apocalyptic narrative it actually is. Never is it convinced that anything in the galaxy improved or rebuilt after the return of the Jedi. Because it is not a Series Smart enough to come up with it’s own plot lines it simply regurgitates the original trilogy plot lines without the intelligence to make a nuanced commentary about intergenerational trauma or way survivors of fascism must continue to fight new forms. The sequel trilogy is a hamster wheel. The war never ended. Everything is the same. The Death Star is the same. The rebellion is now the resistance, a far more splintered, shatter shell that can fit into and out the back of a single hangars. The weapon that killed a planet now destroys a planetary system. And what gets me is the individual stories. These are the children of an apocalypse. Finn was taken from his family as a child to become the next round of stormtrooper canon fodder. Rey scrabbled for survival by physically tearing sustenance from the carcasses of a war. Poe was born during the last war and lives to see his adult live suited up into the same conflict his parents fought. Rose is a refugee of a planet destroyed like alderaan and kenari. Every one of them is born on this hamster wheel without a way off. It’s why I have a hard time reconciling rogue one and andor as existing in the same universe as the sequel trilogy, because I think RO and Andor are both so much more cuttingly brutal and so much more hopeful that what the ST provides. Finn and Rey and Rose and Poe are way some substantiation of Andor’s worst nightmares. They’re literally each living the lives Cassian and so many others died to prevent from happening.

[technicalthinker]

The thing about Rogue One as a movie that even though I do love it, it's a bit in a unique spot. It's from the era when they made Star Wars spinoff movies, which then shifted into making shows instead. It basically has a movie-unique cast, but a tragic ending, but also leads directly up to episode 4 without being structured like part of a trilogy/series.

I've viewed its role as "prequel to episode 4/original trilogy" or potentially "bridge between prequels and original trilogy" but tbh it leans so much towards the original trilogy and has less to do with the prequels that I most often see it as "prequel to ep 4".

But I feel like, after Andor S1 and the announcement of Andor S2 being the last season + leading up to Rogue One; Now Rogue One as part of the star wars franchise has a completely new and clearer role

I feel like tonally it's going to function as a bridge between Andor and The original trilogy, showing where the fight against the empire will end up and lead into. But it will also be a finale of Andor, in a way.

Like Andor so far have been a story of the many faces of the rebellion, but with Cassian as a focus and his arc as a thread throughout. We have watched him at several occasions team up with a new group of characters to accomplish some type of heist/mission (Aldhani and Narkina-5 both kinda fit this).

So when looking at Rogue One through that same lens, it fits so well? Like the movie's use of instantly iconic characters that you only get to know for a short while, that you only get to know through the rebellion and this mission, feels even more like a consistent narrative choice instead of some flaw when seen in the greater context of what Andor is doing. The way we unfairly lose them to the battle against the empire in a way that feels that even feel unfair to us as an audience. Jyn being a mirror to Cassian becomes even clearer, and him inspiring her to rebel and lead (as he did with Kino) becomes even more of a solid characterization.

A good prequel is supposed to make the original thing even better, and Rogue One was that to A New Hope imo. But now, Andor has even become that to Rogue One.