#clever enough to get kyle killed and then use that to his favor

[razzle-zazzle]

love how the main villains of my South Park Bad End AU are a) a main character so deeply changed by his experiences that he's really only recognizable through his flaws* and b) a guy who appeared in a single two-parter and was mostly a parody of a real guy during it

anyway. Cavisuwa facts because I had to expand upon his characterization somehow:

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Cavisuwa is a raging misanthropist. He hates humans sooo much. The only reason he doesn't try to kill them all is because they have useful hands.

How did he possess Craig? Well, he's the Guinea Pirate! Stealing a body just kind of makes sense! It also explains the Michael Chertoff guise he wore in canon if bodystealing is just one of his powers.

The one thing Cavisuwa covets above all else? Power. Yeah, he destroyed all Peruvian pan flute bands so that giant guinea pigs and other giant guinea creatures could freely overtake the world, but his end goal has always been to stand above all else as the most powerful being alive. He wants to rule the world, and he doesn't want to be challenged on that.

Has never flipped anyone off, and never will. He'd rather smite them with lightning instead.

Soooo emotive, very gestural, constantly moving in some way when he's talking. Wears all his feelings on his face more than half the time. If you catch him off guard or get him angry enough, though, he'll be speechless.

Almost nobody realizes that the electrokinesis + strength are Craig's powers; they think that's all Cavisuwa. So Kenny & Kyle theorized that Cavisuwa chose Craig to possess specifically as a way to get revenge for the Peru Incident, and this is the general theory seen in the resistance.

Not every giant guinea pig actually agrees with Cavisuwa! Most of them follow/ally with him and enjoy having human slaves to help with grooming, but Cavisuwa's also not above exiling the ones that directly oppose him or refuse to fall in line. Guineatrice is a Guineasaurus Rex that works with the resistance (she's Timmy's main bodyguard + transport, kind of a spiritual successor to Gobbles)

Vain enough to take care of Craig's body/appearance, misanthropic enough to feel disgusted when splattered with human blood, still enough of a bitch to happily "put down upstarts" as loudly and violently as possible as an example to others. Tends to smell a bit like ozone/the air around him usually feels a little greasy thanks to all the electricity.

Resourceful enough to track down and possess Craig, clever enough to find powerful uses for Craig's electrokinesis, charming enough to convince Deery to murder Kyle and then forge an alliance with Stanny... and yet he still fumbled that alliance so badly in the end 😭

Wears a cloak made from spun giant guinea pig fur, both to try and alleviate the fact that he's possessing a human body and because it's bulletproof.

*and his general sad pathetic dog aura

[e11evenseggos]

You’re Like Coming Home

Sorry it’s so late, but I hope you enjoy your fic @blush-and-books​! It was so fun being your secret santa, Chloe! <3

This turned out so differently from what I planned/expected, but I hope it lives up to your prompt! :)

Read on AO3 or below the cut:

Kirsten smoothed out her light pink blouse, took one last glance in the mirror and walked to the front door of her house. She glanced around, but she was alone. “Camille?” She called. No response. Kirsten peeked her head into Camille’s bedroom where she found Camille passed out on the bed, still in the previous night’s clothes.

Kirsten flipped on the lightswitch and nearly shouted, “Camille!”

Camille startled. “I’m awake! Geez!”

“We’re late.” Kirsten stated matter-of-factly.

“Give me five minutes!” Camille hopped out of bed, and exactly five minutes later she emerged with fresh makeup, her hair pulled back in a twist, and a fresh shirt. Kirsten raised her eyebrows and gave a slight nod of approval.

The drive to Les Turner High School from their house wasn’t long, but Camille always felt the need to fill those few minute with noise. Unfortunately for Kirsten, this morning Camille’s fixation was on her instead of the newest Ariana Grande single.

“All I’m saying is lately you’ve taken an interest in being early. Every. Single Day. Part o the reason I wanted to be your roommate is because you’re as bad at time management as me,” Camille talked, gesturing with one hand while she drove with the other.

“I think it’s important to set a good example for our students with the new school year,” Kirsten answered.

“Okay. Keep telling yourself that.”

Once inside the school, Kirsten made a beeline for the teacher’s lounge with Camille in tow. Kirsten grabbed a paper cup and filled it with steaming coffee. She took a sip, scrunched up her face and began pouring sugar into the cup. A figure stepped up beside them, thermos in hand.

“Well if it isn't Mr. Lookin’ Goodkin himself,” Camille deadpanned.

“Will you please drop it?” Cameron begged.

“We’ll never not say it,” Kirsten said joining in. “Honestly, I can’t believe a group of students beat us to that nickname.”

“It’s not even that clever,” Cameron said.

“Or accurate,” Kirsten shoved Cameron playfully.

Cameron said, “You wound me, right in my sensitive heart.”

“Oh please. You had that surgery over fifteen years ago,” Kirsten said, adding more sugar to her cup.

“Aw how sweet,” Camille wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“It’s actually quite bitter,” Kirsten said, eyes trained on her cup.

“You’re playing dumb? Cute. Now move, Mama needs her energy juice.” Camille pushed between Cameron and Kirsten.

Cameron’s cheeks reddened, and he glanced over Camille’s head to Kirsten, who had finally looked up. They watched each other silently for a minute before Cameron finally headed towards the door while saying, “You coming, Stretch?”

“Now who’s using nicknames?” Kirsten asked, following him into the hallway.

“It’s a term of endearment. You and Camille were making fun of me. They’re completely different.”

“Right. Of course.”

“I’m being serious.”

“I know you are.”

As they rounded the corner to the Math and Science hall, kids suddenly filled the hallways and the noise level increased exponentially.

One of the students called out over the noise, “Hi, Mr. Goodkin! Hey, Ms. Clark!”

“Hi, Damon,” Cameron said with a nod towards the boy. The girls standing near him waggled their eyebrows suggestively.

“Nope. Don’t do that,” Cameron said as he passed by, which caused the kids to giggle. They reached Kirsten and Cameron’s classrooms, which were located right next to each other.

“Lunch at Jade’s?” Kirsten asked.

“I’m in,” Cameron answered.

“I’ll come too,” Camille said, reaching her classroom across the hall from Kirsten’s.

Linus came out of his classroom and said, “I’ll be there. What are we talking about?”

“Lunch. At Jade’s,” Camille filled him in.

“Apparently it’s the more the merrier today,” said Cameron.

“Is that a problem, Cameron?” Camille asked, her smile mischievous and a little less than friendly.

“No, not at all.”

RIIINNNNGGGG. The morning bell sounded as the last few students scurried into their respective classrooms.

Lunch at Jade’s that afternoon quickly became routine for Kirsten, Cameron, Camille, and Linus, often with Tim the physics teacher, Ayo the health teacher, Chelsea the English teacher, and Alex the art teacher joining them. Occasionally the football coach and part-time history teacher, Coach Quincy Fisher would join them, but he usually took his lunch with Principal Baptiste. As the semester wore on and teachers got behind on grading and involved with extracurricular activities, the group dwindled; however, Kirsten and Cameron always ate lunch together. It was likely due to this and their constant banter between classes that caught their students’ attention.

Several students sat in the back row of desks whispering and muffling giggles.

“Kyle, Emma, and Sally. Would you like to share with the class what’s so funny back there?” Kirsten asked. That shut them up.

Kyle and Sally remained quiet, but Emma said, “We’re taking bets on when you and Mr. Goodkin will finally get together.” Kyle’s eyes bugged out of his head. The rest of the class snickered.

“I want in on that bet!” Allison called from the front of the room.

“Guys, there is nothing going on between Mr. Goodkin and me. Most of the time, he’s just annoying,” Kirsten said.

“Annoyingly charming!” One of the students chimed.

Kirsten’s cheeks flushed, and she sighed in frustration while her students burst into laughter. “Okay, okay. Calm down. Now let’s get back to derivatives. Can anyone tell me what a derivative does?”

At lunch that afternoon, Kirsten broached the subject of the bet.

“My students talk about it all the time, too,” Cameron admitted.

“It’s completely ridiculous,” Kirsten said, grabbing a pot sticker off Cameron’s plate and stuffing the whole thing in her mouth.

“Oh, yes. Completely ridiculous,” Camille said, voice dripping with sarcasm. This was one of the rare fall days where Camille and Linus had been able to join them at Jade’s.

“Well it is,” Kirsten said defensively.

“For being the two smartest people at school, you two sure are dumb when it comes to your feel-,” Linus said.

“Can we just drop it?” Cameron interrupted. They did indeed drop it, but what Camille and Linus had said weighed on them throughout the rest of lunch and into the afternoon. Their banter was stiff and eye contact was awkward at best.

After school let out, all the teachers had a faculty meeting. They sat in the uncomfortable chairs in the library while Principal Baptiste stood at the helm. Maggie wore one of her signature power suits- fitted blazer, matching pencil skirt, and stilettos that could kill a man- her dress an ample metaphor for her personality. She was known throughout the school district for being a hardass, but a hardass that got results.

“The first order of business is the Homecoming Dance this Friday night. The decorating committee is led by the pep squad and their faculty advisor, but we need more volunteers for chaperoning the dance itself.” Maggie paused, waiting for a response. As the silence grew, her arched eyebrow inched higher.

“Kirsten just said that she would do it,” Camille called from the back of the library.

“Excellent Ms. Clark,” Maggie said. She clearly didn’t care who volunteered whom, just that chaperones were assigned.

“But I didn’t-” Kirsten started.

“Just a couple more names should do it,” Maggie talked over her.

“Cameron and I will chaperone!” Linus enthused.

“Perfect. Moving on,” Maggie said, not even allowing Cameron to protest either.

So there Kirsten stood, hugging the walls of the gymnasium decorated with several hundred twinkling lights, wearing one of Camille’s short dresses, and a diamond necklace hung around her neck, drawing attention to her pronounced collarbones. As a chaperone, her main job was to make sure none of the teenagers started making out or hooking up. She grabbed a plastic cup and filled it with Goldfish crackers, mildly zoning out on the students’ activities. For the most part, chaperoning had been pretty boring. Until Cameron walked in, dressed in a perfectly fitted tux.

He spotted Kirsten and headed her way. “Hey.”

“You’re late.”

“Got stuck in traffic. But I brought you something to say ‘Sorry.’” Cameron pulled a corsage from behind his back. He glanced up at her, eyebrows raised as if asking for permission. She stuck her arm out in response, and he slid the flowers onto her wrist. He had a matching boutonniere pinned to his lapel. Cameron moved to stand beside Kirsten. They stood motionless and quiet, the few inches between them simultaneously not nearly enough and far too many.

The upbeat music faded out, and a slow song came on. Single students stood awkwardly on the sides, while couples hugged each other closer. Cameron reached out his palm. “May I have this dance, Ms. Clark?”

“Of course you may, Mr. Goodkin,” Kirsten said, placing her hand in his. Cameron lead her towards the dance floor, releasing her hand when they got there in favor of her waist. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders, and they swayed slowly with the music. They heard several poorly concealed “oohs” from their students, but chose to ignore them and continued dancing. As the song progressed, they got increasingly closer, doing the very thing they were supposed to prevent the students from doing. They held each other’s gaze for the duration of the dance, communicating more with their eyes than could possibly be said with words.

I’d die for you.

I know. I’d die without you.

I know. I love you.

I know.

They startled apart when Principal Baptiste approached and called out, “Ms. Clark, Mr. Goodkin, follow me.” She turned around and power walked out of the gym in her stiletto pumps. Kirsten and Cameron shared wide-eyed glances before scrambling to follow Maggie through the throng of students.

“We have a student unconscious and throwing up in the bathroom. I need you two to stay with her until the ambulance arrives and then accompany her to the hospital. Her family will meet you there,” Maggie said as soon as they reached the relative quiet of the hallway. “We’ll discuss the two of you later,” she continued.

They nodded before rushing into the bathroom to take over from Coach Fisher who looked like he was about to throw up himself. Kirsten wet a paper towel and pressed it onto the girl’s forehead while Cameron sat beside the girl, keeping her rolled over on her side. They cleaned the girl up as best they could, and they wiped up the vomit nearest her face.

The paramedics arrived and took over the girl’s care, strapping her onto a stretcher and escorting her to the ambulance. Cameron and Kirsten followed close behind. They jumped in Cameron’s Volvo and followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital. They rushed into the lobby and found the girl’s family in the waiting room. One of the medics was talking to them.

“We’re running a toxicology report to see if she may have overdosed or gotten alcohol poisoning. Does she have a history of seizures or using illicit drugs or alcohol?” The medic said.

“No. Not that we’re aware of,” the mousy mother said.

The medic turned to Cameron and Kirsten and said, “Thank you for your help at the school.”

“No problem,” Cameron said.

“Thank you,” the father echoed, voice gruff and short as he held back the tears welling up in his already reddened eyes.

“You’re welcome,” Kirsten said.

“We’ll get out of your hair,” Cameron said before leading Kirsten back to the car.

Once they were seated, Kirsten said quietly, “Thank you for taking me to my first school dance.”

“Oh, no. The night’s not over yet. It’s not homecoming without going out for awful breakfast food afterwards. You ever been to Al’s Waffle Palace?” Cameron asked.

“No, but I feel like that’s about to change whether I want it to or not,” Kirsten joked.

“That settles that, Cupcake. Prepare yourself for a truly unique, though not necessarily good, experience.” With that, Cameron pulled out of the parking lot.

Twenty minutes later, Kirsten and Cameron sat opposite each other in a booth at Al’s Waffle Palace, the harsh fluorescent lighting as far from romantic as one could get. The cook leaned over the counter and asked, “What’ll you have?”

Kirsten flipped the laminated menu over, skimming the options. Cameron placed his hand on the menu, lowering it back to the table, and then he said, “We’ll have the breakfast special.”

“Coming right up,” the server said.

“I don’t think anything here is ‘special,’’ Kirsten whispered across the table.

“Have a little faith in the magic of copious amounts of grease and butter,” Cameron said in mock-seriousness.

Minutes later, the server delivered two plates of fluffy waffles, greasy bacon, and scrambled eggs with a bottle of maple syrup and assorted jellies and jams.

“This is it?” Kirsten asked in disbelief.

“Go ahead. Take a bite,” Cameron watched expectantly. Kirsten carefully cut a small slice of waffle and took a bite.

“Mmmmm,” she hummed happily.

“Now try it with a bite of egg and bacon all dipped in syrup,” Cameron said, demonstrating the stack with his own syrupy fork. Kirsten follows suit and hums once again.

“I thought you were really into fancy food,” Kirsten said.

“As a self-proclaimed foodie, I choose not to let any prejudice towards a meager establishment such as this prohibit me from enjoying something so delicious just because it is also something horrible,” Cameron said with a smirk.

“How progressive of you,” Kirsten said, her tone serious but her eyes glimmering.

After they finished their midnight breakfast, Cameron drove Kirsten back to her house. After he pulled into the driveway, Kirsten said, “Thanks again for tonight. It was really fun.”

“You’re welcome,” Cameron said softly.

“I’ll see you Monday,” Kirsten said as she opened the door and stepped out of the car.

“See you Monday,” Cameron echoed.

Kirsten turned and walked up to her front stoop, stopping to fish out her house key. Cameron grabbed her by the arm, spun her around, and kissed her. It was deep and soft and perfect. His hands moved to cup her face, and Kirsten wrapped her arms around him, fingers playing with the curls at the nape of his neck. It was over too quickly even though it had left Kirsten breathless, and from the looks of things, Cameron as well.

“You needed the perfect ending to your homecoming night,” Cameron finally said, cheeks still flushed from the kiss. Cameron turned and walked back to his car and drove away, leaving Kirsten frozen in front of her door for a minute before she finally found movement again.

As soon as she stepped into the living room, Camille pounced on her. “Weren’t you supposed to be the ones preventing people from hooking up tonight? Not actually hooking up?”

“We did not hook up. It was just a kiss,” Kirsten said.

“That was no mere kiss. Plus, the dance ended hours ago,” Camille argued.

“Which is why I’m exhausted and going to bed now,” Kirsten said, ignoring Camille’s prodding.

Monday morning came, and Maggie called Kirsten and Cameron into her office as promised. They hadn’t seen each other since the kiss, and they hadn’t talked either.

“Hi,” Cameron said, not quite meeting Kirsten’s gaze.

“Hi,” Kirsten echoed, bumping shoulders with him. This caused him to finally look up. Kirsten gave him a small smile before saying, “How much trouble do you think we’re in?”

“Knowing Maggie? Enough,” Cameron answered.

They stepped into Maggie’s office and sat down opposite her.  

She immediately jumped in saying, “Took you long enough. I bet you’d be together by the end of the first quarter. So now I’m out fifty bucks. Thanks for that, by the way.”

“Sorry?” Cameron asked.

“No, not sorry. This whole bet was ridiculous.” Kirsten hedged.

“In all seriousness, though, I expect complete professionalism between 8am and 3pm. And I need you to promise me that if things don’t work out between you that it won’t adversely affect your jobs in any way,” Maggie said.

“Of course.” Kirsten nodded.

“You got it!” Cameron said a little too enthusiastically.

“Dismissed,” Maggie said. She picked the papers up that she’d been reading before Kirsten and Cameron stepped into her office. But she still had a faint smile on her face as they scurried out of her office.

Kirsten glanced at the clock on the wall in the front hallway. 7:47. She grabbed Cameron’s hand and pulled him towards the Science hallway.

Cameron glanced down at their intertwined hands.

“What are you doing?”

“Come on, we have thirteen minutes. These are classic tropes we’re living out right now. Hot for teacher?”

“Oh my god,” Cameron said before pressing Kirsten up against the nearest set of lockers and kissing her.

He pulled back to catch his breath, and Kirsten whispered, “You’re like coming home.”

[365footballorg-blog]

Armchair Analyst: Your complete guide to the Week 13 MLS slate

May 25, 201812:17PM EDT

The final weekend of May does not mark the final collection of games this month. There’s a quartet scheduled for Wednesday – two East, two West – so between that, injury and certain players headed off to World Cup camps, expect a decent amount of squad rotation this weekend.

Should we expect goals, though? A month ago the league was averaging nearly 3.3 goals per match and just about everybody was lighting up the scoreboard. Now we’re down to 2.8, and my gut feeling is a bunch of the bottom-dwellers looked at the top teams and said “wow we’d better just bunker against that because if we try to come out and play we’re going to get killed.”

It’s part of the ongoing stratification of the league. Parity is still at the heart of MLS, but certain teams have been better at acquiring top talent, or developing young talent, or integrating all their talent (or all three), so there’s starting to be haves and have-nots.

We know what happens in those situations because we see it all over the world: The have-nots play for the 0-0, or the smash-and-grab. Thus the onus is on the haves to crack ’em open early, control the game state and force them to come out and play.

Of late that’s been easier said than done.

Let’s take a look at Week 13:

Friday Forecast

Toronto FC vs. FC Dallas

8 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Have you seen the Sebastian Giovinco to Tigres reports? You should look at them, and then think about the fact that Giovinco is 1) 31 years old, 2) not the player he was two years ago, 3) injury prone, and 4) on $ 7 million per year. Then look at this:

Re: Giovinco-Toronto FC GM Tim Bezbatchenko tells me that, despite speculation and rumours, the club has received no offer from Tigres UANL. #TFCLive

— Joshua Kloke (@joshuakloke) May 23, 2018

That is not a real denial, is it? The question isn’t “have you received an offer from Tigres?” it’s “would you listen to offers from Tigres?”

I’d wager they would. Giovinco is still arguably the best player in MLS, but he’s on the downslope and almost certainly won’t be the best player in the league when his current contract ends after next season. But he’s clamoring for a new contract already and, from afar, things seem to be at more than just a gentle simmer.

If Giovinco plays angry it’s usually good, provided he can avoid getting carded for abusive language or simple dissent. Nonetheless the Reds have to deal with all of that as they re-integrate a bunch of newly healthy players, and as they try to climb out of the early-season hole they dug for themselves. It feels slightly dangerous and combustible.

Dallas will be waiting, happily, to try to throw a wrench into the works. They have just one loss all season but just one win in their last four, and tossed away two points last weekend.

Houston vs. NYCFC

8:55 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Way back in Week 1 the Dynamo blitzed Atlanta United 4-0 in Houston. Atlanta came into that game attempting to play the way that NYCFC play just about every game: four at the back, build with the ball on the ground, push the fullbacks up in order to create overloads and turn possession into both width and penetration.

Houston knew it was coming and just battered the Five Stripes by drawing their line of confrontation at the midfield stripe and turning every 50/50 ball into a breakaway opportunity. If Atlanta were going to play so much on the front foot, and bring their defenders so high upfield, then Alberth Elis was going to run into space all day.

And so he did. That, plus set-piece dominance, made for what is still one of the most resounding wins of the year, for anybody.

Obviously there should be some warning sirens going off for the Pigeons. Patrick Vieira has been adamant that he doesn’t want to change the way his team plays – under him they value the ball and always will – but he’s been a touch pragmatic about where they build, what formation they play (it was a 3-5-2 last week) and how high they’ll push their fullbacks. In other words, don’t expect Ben Sweat to get too far upfield on the left since that’s where Elis lurks.

Do, however, expect Alex Ring to be under heavy pressure from the Houston attackers. If he handles that well, NYCFC will give themselves a much better shot than Atlanta did two months back.

LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes

11 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

My colleague Bobby Warshaw has been working on the assumption, since he arrived, that the Galaxy would be better with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench. The idea is that with him out of the lineup the entire team would end up playing with a more egalitarian bent, working for and with each other in order to carve out chances rather than playing through their fulcrum of a superstar No. 9.

This point of view is not without merit (though to be clear: he is wrong. You can build a scheme for a heavy-usage Zlatan and be successful if you’re smart about it).

The real problem for the Galaxy isn’t Zlatan, or the attack at all, really. It’s… elsewhere:

I literally groaned out loud several times making this cut up. Check out the LA Galaxy *trying* to play out of the back against the Montreal Impact today. pic.twitter.com/dwuwV4DgEl

— Joseph Lowery (@joeInCleats) May 21, 2018

That clip’s made the rounds this week, as it should’ve. It’s never clear how LA intend to shuttle the ball from back to front, and so there tend to be a lot of aimless long-balls. With or without the big Swede, that’s not a great plan.

Of course it might be good enough against a Quakes team that, week to week, looks like it has no idea how to defend, and no idea of how to play as a unit. They almost certainly lead the league in hospital balls and are probably second only to Montreal in blown offside traps.

Saturday Slate

Seattle Sounders vs. Real Salt Lake

5 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

How many healthy starters do the Sounders have left? It’s not a ton, but honestly they might still be OK because RSL are just shocking when trying to defend on the road.

Borek Dockal is not, and never has been particularly fast. And yet:

It’s becoming more and more apparent by the week that Kyle Beckerman and Damir Kreilach can not play together without getting carved up because neither has any kind of footspeed. If this was circa 2013 RSL – a team that kept the game small and tight, that constantly used the ball to create angles and meaningful possession – they could probably pull it off.

But that’s not how they play. They’re a “spread the field and run at ’em” team when they have the ball, which means any turnover is an existential crisis. And while it’s undeniably true that RSL aren’t 2013 RSL, it’s undeniably-er true that MLS isn’t 2013 MLS. Teams are better and smarter and even the bottom of the barrel can go HAM if you don’t track through the midfield.

So I’m thinking keep an eye on Magnus Wolff Eikrem or Cristian Roldan bursting out of midfield and into space for Seattle.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. New England Revolution

5:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Columbus did a very clever job last weekend of playing over the Revs high press and turning it into a game of second balls in midfield off of Gyasi Zardes knockdowns:

This is pretty much the default setting for Vancouver, a team who hit more long-balls than anybody else in the league. The key will be for them to be measured long-balls rather than the rushed, aimless types they often resort to. And the other key will obviously be to understand their own midfield shape – the ‘Caps play with multiple d-mids, and while that can gum up opposing attacks there’s also often a bit of “you take him, no I’ve got him”-type uncertainty when it comes to closing down lanes and making zonal reads.

Which is to say that you can get in between the lines against a Vancouver team that’s not as defensively sound as they were last year. The Revs weren’t able to do that at all against Crew SC last week, but Columbus are made of sterner, more organized stuff. Watch for Teal Bunbury to release into space as Diego Fagundez drifts into pockets between the ‘Caps midfield and defense.

New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union

7 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

The Union have won two in a row in commanding fashion. Their “Trust the Process” central defense of Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie has largely been very good, and it’s nice to see a coach give his young players time to improve. Jim Curtin deserves some dap.

It’s been a feel-good two weeks for Philly. And now they head to Harrison to take on the Red Bulls.

Updated top 10 of G+A/90 (no PKs), 500 min+

1) BWP – 1.86 2) Kaku – 1.33 3) Villa – 1.06 4) Lamah – 1.06 5) Elis – 1.06 6) Piatti – 1.02 7) Valot – 1.01 8) Quioto – 1.00 9) Vela – 1.00 10) Diaz – 0.99

BWP is on track for a 25 goal, 16 assist season if he plays 2000 minutes

— Tutul Rahman (@tutulismyname) May 21, 2018

Good luck.

Orlando City vs. Chicago Fire

7:30 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

A few weeks back I looked at Orlando City’s schedule and said that they were entering a brutal stretch in which they’d be outright favored in just two of the next 13 games. This, the third game in that stretch (they’re 0-2-0 so far, though they’ve played well), is one of them.

The Lions have been much more structurally sound over the past three halves of defensive soccer, having mostly cut out allowing the breakaways that had caused them so much worry through the season’s first two months. The fact that it hasn’t paid off with a point is a type of cruel irony.

Regardless, here’s the simple truth: At home against a slow, injured and fading Chicago team, they can’t afford anything but the full three points. And that means the central midfield has to be better at tracking runners than they’ve shown:

Minnesota United vs. Montreal Impact

8 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

MNUFC – go ahead and @ them if you want to – have taken just seven points from their last nine games as they’ve struggled mightily to defend in the box. Bobby Shuttleworth is putting in damn near man of the match performances on the regular, which has kept more than a few of these games respectable.

By the eye test I’d say that the Loons actually have a better front-to-back defensive structure than they did for much of last year, and recent acquisition Eric Miller has helped noticeably at fullback. But they are sloppy and epically prone to mental lapses in central defense, and if you’re sporting that particular flaw you’re going to lose a lot of games.

Montreal have all those same flaws plus a few more. They’re comfortably ahead of MNUFC’s all-time-worst-defense pace the Loons set last year and have lost seven of eight. FiveThirtyEight puts their chances of claiming a playoff spot at just 8% (which IMO feels high).

They should trade Ignacio Piatti, sell whatever other veterans they can part with, and go into full rebuild mode. Piatti’s not the problem – he never has been – but the timeline Montreal are looking at, he’s too old to be part of the solution. Montreal have largely ignored the draft, have been slow to develop their Homegrown talent, and have been far too in love recently with importing injury-prone, 30-something defenders. They are years away from competing, and Piatti doesn’t have that kind of time left.

Chicago? Columbus? Seattle? Somebody out there will give up all their TAM and a young talent for the guy.

Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers

9 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

The Timbers have been a counterattacking machine over the last few years. That kind of disappeared in March, but it’s come back with a vengeance since then as they’ve ripped off five straight wins. Here ya go:

The question against the Rapids is always “will they give you room to counter?” Colorado are still very much a sit-deep-and-break group (they love a good, direct long-ball over the top to Dominique Badji) and that kind of reactive approach obviously has its benefits in the modern game – if you’re not trying to play with the ball in your own defensive third, you’re not going to have as many potentially fatal turnovers.

But the truth is that somebody’s going to need to be on the ball in this one. Given Colorado’s miserable start, their ever-present 5,280 feet of home-field advantage and the existential nature of their upcoming stretch (four of five at home, and I’d say they need nine points to keep their playoff hopes at all realistic), it’s perhaps time to throw caution to the wind spend time playing on the front foot.

Is that a switch they can just flip without exposing themselves in transition? I doubt it. But nothing else has worked.

LAFC vs. D.C. United

10 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

D.C. got themselves a nice-looking win at San Jose last week. They scored two goals off of high pressure and one on a lovely long-ball over the top that caught the Quakes backline predictably flat-footed and out of alignment. It was good stuff from D.C.

It was also a rarity this season. United have spent less time in the attacking third than anyone else in MLS, and despite a very nice collection of committed, skilled, two-way attackers they just haven’t really been able to figure out how to move forward with intent more than every so often.

The numbers back that up:

Team Passes Into Final Third Sporting Kansas City 924 New England Revolution 818 Columbus Crew SC 776 Minnesota United FC 760 New York City FC 758 New York Red Bulls 755 Philadelphia Union 694 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 669 Orlando City SC 664 Los Angeles Football Club 650 LA Galaxy 646 Atlanta United FC 631 Houston Dynamo 622 FC Dallas 618 Real Salt Lake 617 Montreal Impact 610 Chicago Fire 590 Toronto FC 588 Seattle Sounders FC 572 San Jose Earthquakes 556 Portland Timbers 541 Colorado Rapids 531 D.C. United 398

If you can’t even figure out how to get into the most dangerous spots on the field, maybe your best bet is to just defend there? That’s why there’s promise in the high pressure they used to undress San Jose.

LAFC are obviously a level or three above the Quakes, but they’ve been susceptible to the high press themselves at times this season. Of course they’ve also annihilated a few teams that have attempted to press them badly, and their whole ethos is “we will pass right through you.”

They’ve done so with less effectiveness since Marco Ureña went down injured last month, but what you’re hearing is Adama Diomande’s music. The Norwegian was superb in a midweek friendly vs. Borussia Dortmund, and Bob Bradley – who coached Diomande at Stabæk a few years ago – went out and got him for a reason.

Bright start for #LAFC, possessing confidently and taking the game to #BVB. Adama Diomande showing early signs of good hold-up play as the #9, exactly what Bob Bradley wanted him for. #LAFCvBVB #LAFCBVB #MLS pic.twitter.com/qrqdJ4w1UE

— Jason Foster (@JogaBonito_USA) May 23, 2018

Sunday’s Finale

Sporting KC vs. Columbus Crew SC

6 pm ET | Match Preview | TV & Streaming Info

Two of the best teams in the league right now, but both have obvious shortfalls at the moment. For Crew SC it’s still their inability to generate goals from the wing – an ongoing concern that my I’m guessing Gregg Berhalter is prepared to wait out (Niko Hansen has loads of promise as a goalscoring winger, but his decision-making needs lots of refinement).

For Sporting it’s been a lack of any sort of creativity from central midfield in the absence of Felipe Gutierrez. And it’s not just “hey see if you can ping the ball around and open up the defense” creativity, but the sort of goal-hunting, dangerous-movement-off-the-ball creativity that the Chilean brought to the table back in March.

DP signing Yohan Croizet has, uh, not been up to the task:

Kind of amazed by this from Croizet. #MINvSKC pic.twitter.com/3utemwkvJe

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) May 20, 2018

So yeah, still work to be done. But this should be a good one nonetheless.

One more thing to ponder…

Happy weekending, everybody.

Series: 

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MLSsoccer.com News

Armchair Analyst: Your complete guide to the Week 13 MLS slate was originally published on 365 Football

[grosserfluss]

30 days of suikoden challenge , day 6 ——

favorite star of destiny from suikoden v

talk about a tough decision........there are so many stars in s5 that i like, but also at the same time none that jump out at me immediately like sasarai or sierra, or even snowe ( shit, what’s with all these s names....... ). the closest in terms of just emotional attachment and intensity would be sialeeds — fuck, another s name — but she’s not a star. after a lot of deliberation, i think i have to pick my favorite based not only on emotional attachment and personal bias, but on how well the character’s own narrative presents as part of the game and how well-implemented they are, and for that, in the end i think points come down to roy. 

someone masquerading as the protagonist isn’t totally new in suikoden — there was a similar sequence in s2 with that guy who pretended to be riou for the sake of capitalizing on his reputation. with how much s5 takes from 2, it’s no surprise that roy is an expansion of that one guy; they took what that guy did with riou and made it into an entire plot point in s5, which i thought was really creative. i definitely thought that making a plot arc out of the consequences of someone else taking on the protagonist’s role was both realistic and clever — there are definitely side effects like that when you become a heroic figure, and i like that s5 explored it more deeply.

i also enjoy that even after the arc was over and you get to recruit roy, that’s not the end of him. he doesn’t just become another one of your random 108 stars — he becomes central to the loyalist army’s strategic plans and features at many crucial plot points. in a game where you’re mostly recruiting people for arbitrary reasons because you need all 108 stars, there usually isn’t any significance to the people you’re bringing into your army. you’re asking these people to join you because.......idk, just because. sometimes because their skills are unique, but it still feels random most of the time. in light of that, it’s refreshing to be recruiting roy for a practical purpose; it’s not just because freyjadour doesn’t want to kill him or forgives him or something, it’s because there’s something that roy can do that would benefit them strategically. thus, his recruitment is well-implemented into the narrative.

roy gets a lot of bonus points in that regard too just because he’s just about the only one of his star whose actually in any way prominent to the story. the other chizoku stars ( or ‘bandit / thief star’ ) are either completely negligible or just unsavory, and it’s nice to see this star get the spotlight in one game and handled favorably. it’s also nicely symbolic because the chizoku is one of the earthly stars, which contrasts directly with freyjadour as one of the heavenly stars. they set up a nice parallel as foil characters in that way, since roy is very much the “earthly” side of the frey / roy coin, being more in-tune with the mundane necessities of life and survival while freyjadour focuses on far-sighted, loftier ideals. they contrast each other effectively and i’ll leave the rest of this train of thought for another day when i talk about my frey / roy ship feelings.

on a character level, roy is also appealing. i definitely liked him from the moment i first saw him, without even knowing his personality or how he would appear in the game. he does, unfortunately, wholly embody the ‘rogue with a heart of gold’ trope, but it’s somehow more endearing because he’s still so young and foolhardy. though he’s a good guy with a surprisingly strong sense of honor, he’s not savvy or worldly enough to discard his more immature side, and still huffs and puffs all the time — and that’s not just a show; he really does enjoy that kind of spotlight and does still carry a certain degree of hubris. 

i would have liked the game to show more of this dichotomy — after his initial recruitment scene, he reverts right back to his playfully roguish ways for the rest of his appearances, and i would have liked to see more of the discussion on his feelings of envy towards freyjadour ( getting dealt such different hands in life despite looking so similar ) and i would have liked the game to pursue more of lyon’s line when she tells him that he’s acting childishly for ruining other people’s lives just because he thinks his own is unfair. it’s — presumably? — something that roy takes to heart despite acting sarcastic about it at first, and i want to know how it might have influenced his time with the loyalist army. he joins and agrees to help because he’s holding true to his promise that, if he lost the duel, they could do anything with him, but how does he feel about what he’s doing later on? does he see himself as wanting to do good / help the prince’s cause because he acknowledges lyon’s words ( and if so, how much of it is him really wanting to, and how much of it is to impress lyon )? is it out of fun so he can keep impersonating the prince? the game never tells us more about how he feels about the whole thing.

that being said, there’s a lot of great character base set up in just his meeting with freyjadour. again, he’s clearly noble in his own way, and — though crass — clearly well-intentioned. i enjoy that he’s young because it gives him room to grow, because he also so clearly continues to posture all the time. it does sadden me a little bit that most of his appearances in the rest of the game center around his crush on lyon ( which personally i don’t really like, but i very rarely enjoy these kinds of forced romantic interests, especially in a love triangle like this, especially since i also don’t really like frey / lyon haha ). but i understand that in a game like suikoden, it’s hard to give one character too much screen time. there’s so many other things to cover. still, even just one scene or a better conversation the night before the decisive battle where roy addresses his feelings of envy or maybe how his perspective has changed or not changed would’ve been nice.

one thing i do really like also is his role in the alternate endings / paths of the game. if you lose to him in the duel, roy really does take over the prince’s role as head of the army, and dies for it — since.......he has no experience leading an army or being in that kind of position at all, presumably. even though it’s a bad ending, i’m really interested in his attitude surrounding this, too. does he relish in the opportunity to live the high life? does he come to regret it down the road? does he realize he’s essentially abandoning his own identity? does he learn what it’s like to have the lives and faiths of so many people riding on you? it’s a really interesting alternate path for the sake of roy’s own character arc, and fun to think about, for sure. also, in the event you choose to defend your own castle, i do also like that he ends up dying for your cause. it’s both suiting and kind of sad that he dies not as himself, but as freyjadour. though of course it leads to the player not being able to get all 108 stars, it’s a good narrative move on the developers’ part, i think.

so i think basically my “i really like roy” is not so much “here’s all the reasons why he’s a great character” like i feel about my other favorites, but more along the lines of “here’s all the reasons the role he plays in the story are really thematically nice and why he’s really thematically nice as a foil to freyjadour and i wish the game had given us more insight”. but i’m starting to realize the latter remark is how i feel about s5 as a whole orz

( also not totally related but my vague headcanons about roy being haswar’s secretly abandoned child totally work since lunas is geographically closest to rainwall and that’s where he grew up / operated. yes.... )

honorable mentions: miakis ( probably real runner-up ), rahal, freyjadour, kyle, belcoot, cathari, shoon, ernst

[aion-rsa]

15 Best Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series

When “Batman: The Animated Series” was first announced, many people assumed it was just a grab for popularity from the movies, but it was much more. First airing in 1992, the TV series was a groundbreaking show that ran for 86 episodes and achieved critical acclaim for its dark tone, film noir visual style, complex writing and faithfulness to the comics.

RELATED: The 15 Best Villains in “Batman: The Animated Series”

It had a lasting impact, launching the DC animated universe, leading directly to “Superman: The Animated Series,” “Justice League” and others. It also set a new tone for children’s television, showing how an action series could be exciting and well-written while pushing boundaries. It was also just a lot of fun. Here at CBR, we decided it was long overdue to run down the 15 best episodes of the groundbreaking series.

THE DEMON’S QUEST

Written by the legendary Dennis O’Neil and Len Wein, and directed by Kevin Altieri, “The Demon’s Quest” was a two-part episode that first aired in May 1993. When Robin was kidnapped, Batman was confronted by Ra’s Al Ghul, who had figured out his secret identity as Bruce Wayne. Ra’s claimed he needed Batman’s help to track down his daughter, Talia. When Batman agreed, they were led on a global chase that leads to dark secrets.

“The Demon’s Quest” introduced Ra’s Al Ghul, a legendary villain in the comics but not well-known in any other adaptations, and showed the great intelligence and power he wielded that made him a threat to the Great Detective. It took the Dark Knight to other countries and made him a more global hero, and also showed how the series was dedicated to bringing the comic book world to life, not just showing Batman in an animated form. Besides all that, it was just plain awesome.

I AM THE NIGHT

“I Am The Night” (written by Michael Reaves, and directed by Boyd Kirkland) aired in November 1992, and focused on the motives behind Batman. Set on the anniversary of his parents’ death, the escape of the Penguin left Batman struggling with whether he had actually done any good in his fight against crime, especially when he tried to stop an escaped mob boss known as Jazzman. Along the way, he came across a young boy who scorned Batman, but later came to understand and appreciate his influence.

“I Am The Night” was one of a long line of surprisingly emotional episodes for the series, which wasn’t afraid to explore the psychological tone of Batman. His constant struggle against crime took its toll on him and he was plagued with uncertainty over his motives, but it also worked as a fun and exciting story. “I Am The Night” was a haunting and moving episode, unlike anything we expected to see in children’s television at the time.

ROBIN’S RECKONING

In February 1993, “Batman: The Animated Series” aired the two-part episode “Robin’s Reckoning,” written by Randy Rogel and directed by Dick Sebast. In the episode, Robin came across a mobster named Tony Zucco, the man who caused the death of his circus-performer parents, leaving him an orphan. Despite Batman’s efforts to stop him, Robin set out to get Zucco, and was forced to confront the man and see whether he would kill for his revenge.

“Robin’s Reckoning” was a surprisingly powerful and dark episode, exploring Robin’s grief, his origin and the price of revenge. It also tied into Batman’s own grief and pursuit of revenge for his own parents’ death. The episode has been critically acclaimed, earning the animated series an Emmy award for “Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour).” It’s also just a great treatment of Robin and one of the few Robin-focused episodes of the series.

IF YOU’RE SO SMART, WHY AREN’T YOU RICH?

Written by David Wise and directed by Eric Radomski, “If You’re So Smart, Why Aren’t You Rich” aired in November 1992 and introduced the Riddler to the series. When the frustrated computer game designer Edward Nygma was fired by his company, he was taunted by his boss with the title phrase. Nygma returned as the puzzle-obsessed criminal the Riddler, determined to punish his old boss for stealing from him. It was then up to Batman to match wits with him.

The Riddler had become known as a chaotic and hyperactive villain in the 1960s Batman TV series, but the animated series made him a much more deadly and stable enemy. Instead of a series of bad jokes, the Riddler used a wide variety of puzzles and games to exact his revenge, and the riddles were much more sophisticated and clever than the ’60s version. It was another great villain made better by the animated show.

READ MY LIPS

Written by Joe R. Lansdale, Alan Burnett and Michael Reaves, and directed by Boyd Kirkland, “Read My Lips” brought Scarface and the Ventriloquist into the animated series. In the May 1993 episode, Batman is fighting a crime spree led by a mysterious man known as Scarface, who turns out to be a ventriloquist’s dummy. Yes, in this episode, Batman’s nemesis is a wooden dummy or at least the meek man who controls the dummy and treats Scarface as if he’s alive.

The writers on the animated series did a great job on the big bads like Hugo Strange, but also had an amazing gift to take some of the worst and least interesting characters in Batman’s rogues gallery and make them the best. The Ventriloquist is a perfect example, a bizarre and demented villain who shines in this episode. When Batman stumbles across Scarface lying in bed, alone, there’s a moment where he watches it as if waiting for the doll to come to life. In a world of human crocodiles and evil clowns, a living doll kind of made sense.

JOKER’S FAVOR

The seventh episode of the animated series was “Joker’s Favor,” written by Paul Dini, directed by Boyd Kirkland, and airing in September 1992. In the episode, an average guy named Charlie Collins cursed out a car in traffic, only to discover the driver was the Joker himself. When Charlie begged for his life, the Joker made him promise to do him a favor. Years later, even though Charlie changed his name and left Gotham, the Joker tracked him down to collect.

The idea of a road rage incident making someone a target of the Joker is funny enough, but the Joker’s dogged pursuit of a normal man makes this one of the strangest things he’s ever done. The episode is also noteworthy as the first appearance of the Joker on the show, and also the first appearance of Harley Quinn in any medium. It’s a great episode and one of the Joker’s best on the series.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM

Directed by Boyd Kirkland and written by Laren Bright, Michael Reaves and Joe R. Lansdale, “Perchance to Dream” aired on October 19, 1992. In the episode, Batman was knocked out and woke up in a world where his parents never died, and he never became Batman. He’s engaged to Selina Kyle (who never became Catwoman), and seems to be a happy man. While it seems like his fondest wishes have come true, Bruce began to suspect something was horribly wrong and finds the disturbing truth.

For an action series, this was a bold move for the show, since there really wasn’t a villain in most of it. This is also a particularly emotional episode, showing how Bruce Wayne would trade all his skills and power for a happy life, and shows how much he lost in his pursuit of his war on crime. It’s a favorite among fans and even Kevin Conroy (who voiced Batman in the series) called it his favorite episode of the entire series.

NOTHING TO FEAR

“Nothing to Fear” aired in 1992, and was the 10th episode to air overall on the animated series. Written by Henry Gilroy and Sean Catherine Derek, and directed by Boyd Kirkland, “Nothing to Fear” introduced one of Batman’s most feared enemies, the Scarecrow. When a university in Gotham went through seemingly horrific attacks, Batman discovered a madman dressed like a scarecrow was behind them. A former professor who specialized in the study of fear, the Scarecrow was trying to get revenge on the university for firing him. When Batman was exposed to the Scarecrow’s gas, he began having hallucinations of his own greatest fear: his parents being disappointed in him.

Like many other episodes on the animated series, “Nothing to Fear” nailed and brought to life a villain from the comics. The Scarecrow’s origin was really good and his hallucinations scary. Batman’s hallucinations also really took a dramatic twist to the story, showing what the man who brings fear to evildoers actually fears himself.

HARLEY AND IVY

Written by Paul Dini and directed by Boyd Kirkland, the episode “Harley and Ivy” aired in 1993 and made a huge impact. In it, Joker’s sidekick girlfriend, Harley Quinn, broke up with the Joker and decided to strike out on her own. When she met Poison Ivy, the two went on a crime spree. As they proved to be surprisingly effective, the Joker tried to get her back with Batman set to take them both down.

This episode teamed up Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn for the first time, a pairing that’s proved so popular that they continued to be partners in the show, and even in the comic book continuity. The two will probably also be partnered on the pending “Gotham City Sirens” movie coming soon. The episode was also fun on its own and way more female-centric than others with a moment where they blew up a car full of catcalling men, making female viewers��everywhere cheer.

FEAT OF CLAY

Written by Marv Wolfman and Michael Reaves, and directed by Dick Sebast (Part 1) and Kevin Altieri (Part 2), the two-part episode “Feat of Clay” aired in 1992, introducing Clayface. When the actor Matt Hagen is attacked by mobsters, he is forced to drink an experimental drug that turns him into a clay-like creature, able to change his shape and appearance at will. Calling himself Clayface, he set out to get revenge on the mobster, while fighting Batman who was trying to stop him from going too far.

Once again, the animated series showed a surprising range for action shows at the time with a dark and mature tone, even while staying safe for kids. The scene of Hagen being held down while the thugs poured the Renuyu into his mouth, even in silhouette, stood out as a horrifying scene for any show. The episode also made Clayface a sympathetic villain, reminding us of how the series reached for compassion even in criminals.

TWO-FACE

In 1992, the series aired another two-part episode, “Two-Face.” Written by Randy Rogel and Alan Burnett, and directed by Kevin Altieri, the episodes introduced the villain Two-Face, formerly known as district attorney Harvey Dent. Successful and well-respected by Gotham City, Dent’s face was scarred by acid, which caused his personality to warp. Originally a beacon of justice, he now was a man who flipped a coin to make all his decisions. He used his skills and knowledge to get revenge on the mobster who disfigured him.

Brilliantly voiced by Richard Moll, the episode took the time to introduce the villain Two-Face in two episodes, and also introduced the idea that Dent was schizophrenic before his accident. Setting Bruce Wayne and Dent as friends, it’s more tragic when Two-Face tears them apart. The episode has drama and emotion on a level we had rarely seen in children’s television, let alone a Batman show. Just like the Riddler, the animated series was able to take a classic villain and make him even better.

BEWARE THE GRAY GHOST

In 1992, “Batman: The Animated Series” aired “Beware the Gray Ghost,” an episode (written by Dennis O’Flaherty and Tom Ruegger, and directed by Boyd Kirkland) about an aging actor who once played the superhero known as the Gray Ghost on TV, but was now long forgotten. His life changes when he gets a visit from Batman, who’s trying to track down an old episode because someone is copying a crime committed in it. Along the way, Batman gives the old man his dignity and his heroism back.

The episode delved deeper into Batman’s origin, revealing how his love of a pulp character inspired him to become Batman, something that had never been a part of his past in the comics, arguably but should have been. At his heart, Batman was just a fanboy like all of us. As if that weren’t enough, the episode had the 1960s’ Batman, Adam West, voice the Gray Ghost, bringing him full-circle into the Batman franchise.

THE LAUGHING FISH

In 1993, “Batman: The Animated Series” aired “The Laughing Fish,” where the Joker used a toxin to deform Gotham’s fish with hideous smiles and threatened the patent office to try to copyright them. Written by Paul Dini and directed by Bruce Timm, Batman had to protect the people whom the villain targeted while trying to track down the clown, and the episode ended with Batman fighting a giant shark. It really had everything we wanted from a Joker and Batman story.

“The Laughing Fish” was actually based on three different Batman comics; “The Joker’s Five-Way Revenge” from “Batman” #251 (from 1973 by Denny O’Neil with art by Neal Adams), “The Laughing Fish” from “Detective Comics” #475 and “Sign of the Joker” from “Detective Comics” #476 (1978, both by writer Steve Englehart with art by Marshall Rogers). It was funny and scary with great action sequences, and stands above all other Joker stories in the series, of which there were many.

ALMOST GOT ‘IM

In 1992, “Almost Got ‘Im” first aired, written by Paul Dini and directed by Eric Radomski. The episode was a frame story with five of Batman’s villains (Killer Croc, Penguin, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, and the Joker) all playing a poker game and telling a story of how close they came to killing Batman. The stories they tell range from funny (Killer Croc’s “I threw a rock at ‘im”) to the bizarre (Penguin covering him in nectar so hummingbirds would peck him to death), but all are very entertaining. The episode even had a twist ending.

“Almost Got ‘Im” was like five episodes in one with a wide variety of concepts and tone, giving each villain a chance to shine. The episode even managed to give the origin to the Batcave’s famous giant penny. It was a wonderful chance to show how the “BTAS” was willing to explore different story structures, not just “Batman meets villains and fights them.” No, this show tried to keep it fresh and interesting, and it succeeded in doing exactly that.

HEART OF ICE

Written by Paul Dini, and directed by Bruce Timm, “Heart of Ice” aired in 1992, and was about the origin of the ice-powered villain Mister Freeze. When a series of thefts go down in Gotham City, Batman discovered they were pulled off by Mister Freeze, a man with a gun that instantly freezes anything and is forced to wear a suit that keeps him in sub-zero temperatures. As Batman tried to fight Mister Freeze, he discovered the tragic origin of his enemy.

Throughout his incarnations prior to this episode, Mister Freeze was always a minor villain in Batman’s rogues’ gallery, a gimmick who was overshadowed by more popular villains like the Joker. “Heart of Ice” changed all that with a backstory involving his lost wife who was cryogenically frozen and an accident that gave Freeze his new icy curse while trying to save her. The origin was so moving that it was copied shot-for-shot in the 1997 movie, “Batman and Robin.” It was also a game-changer for “Batman: TAS,” an episode that won the show an Emmy for “Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program.”

What did you think of “Batman: The Animated Series?” Let us know in the comments which episodes were your favorites!

The post 15 Best Episodes of Batman: The Animated Series appeared first on CBR.com.

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