#context time! i found out about this game from the wiki and thought oh sweet a fun cute novel type game!

[cursedthing]

[stumbles into the room covered in blood all scratched up and disheveled] hey guys so i just finished playing pesterquest. what the fuck

[wigwurq]

WIG REVIEW: FOSSE/VERDON

Are you ready for another prestige limited series from FX? Do you like the legitimate THE-A-TRE? Can you do jazz hands upon request? Well then Fosse/Verdon might be for you. MAYBE.

But what about the wigs? Let’s discuss. As this an eight episode series, I will be updating this post weekly and adjusting whether or not the wigs do or do not wurq. Spoilers, obvs.

So this show is about legendary director/choreographer Bob Fosse and his wife/Broadway legend, Gwen Verdon. If you have never heard of either, I suggest that you stop reading because this show is definitely not for you. Sorry? Produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Hamilton’s Thomas Kail, this show is made ONLY for theater megageeks and basically no one else. As a former drama club president who definitely got Joel Grey’s autograph after seeing the original Broadway revival cast of Chicago, I thought I fit that bill but after watching this thing, I don’t even know that I qualify. My husband, who spent most of the episode asking questions until finally just deeming the whole thing “boring” was absolutely not the key demographic and yes he went into this knowing who these two people are and has seen several musicals. Similar limited series focusing on very specific pop culture such as Feud: Bette and Joan did a much better job catering to the uninitiated. 

EPISODE ONE: LIFE IS A CABARET

We begin at the end, then go straight to the middle, which is: a choice. We first see Sam Rockwell in old man makeup (sorry - I could find no images of this to share) and then backtrack. Much of this episode is focused on Fosse’s transition from choreographer to film director. This is when Fosse had already lost much of his hair and had a bad combover and Rockwell is given this wig that is giving me Ed Harris circa 1998 feels and like all bad man wigs, looks terrible from the back.

We are then plunged straight into production for the film version of Sweet Charity without any explanation of anything other than the fact that (duh) he’s directing the iconic Big Spender number. But wait - there’s a twist! Turns out Michelle Williams as Gwen Verdon did a lot of the directing! DUN DUN DUN. I am all for giving ladies their propers and approaching narratives as if they are Glenn Close’s The Wife character but this does not change the fact that this red Marilyn Monroe wig is not very good. 

This is all very Theatre-y with a capital T and an ending in RE NOT ER. Everything has a Theatre quality to it - but not in that Tony winning Hamilton way, more in that Emmy winning Grease: Live! way (Kail directed both) which is to say that there is no immediacy or intimacy to anything - all the characters feel like they are far away, performing on a stage - and it leaves the viewer feeling empty and, well, bored. TV and stage are just not the same! Oh, and Fosse just found out that movies and stage are not the same because Sweet Charity was a big flop! Look at how sad they are in their gorgeous apartment and terrible, bent wigs with backs that jut out from their necks! THE HORROR!

So then Paul Reiser shows up. He is fine and I’m glad he’s getting work and he’s thankfully not wearing a wig! When a new character shows up in this show, you spend the first five minutes or so trying to figure out who they are supposed to be playing, like an IMDb charades game since no one explains who they are and simply give vague context clues. At first, I thought he was Neil Simon, then he mentioned making a movie with homosexuals and Nazis so I was like: DEFINITELY MEL BROOKS but it turns out it he is Cabaret producer Cy Feuer. You, know - CY FEUER? You don’t?? WELL WE’RE NOT GOING TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU WE ARE FOSSE/VERDON.

Aaaaanyway, Fosse gets the job of directing Cabaret and goes to Munich and meets Liza Minnelli who in this tv reality looks like this which is not how Liza Minnelli ever looked. AND THIS WIG. AT LEAST GIVE LIZA A GOOD WIG NOT ONE YOU FOUND AT RICKY’S. NEXT.

Then Paul Reiser gives Sam Rockwell a lot of guff about taking too long to direct things and not deciding about costumes and hiring ugly German prostitutes to be extras yet somehow allows him to wear these really ugly shoes. Throughout, Rockwell’s wig is a mess of a tumbleweave, not unlike this show. And then Michelle Williams shows up to save his ass like all capable ladies ever and even goes to buy a gorilla suit in NYC only to arrive back in Munich where Rockwell is boning some German translator who looks way too much like Ann Reinking. There’s also a lot of nonlinear theatrical vignettes into Fosse’s past that play like, well, All That Jazz. Which this is not. 

In the end, we go back to old man Fosse, and it is told to us that he has only EIGHT MORE MINUTES TO LIVE. Kudos to the production team for somehow trying to turn  Bob Fosse’s 1987 death into a thriller. Spoiler: it’s not.

EPISODE TWO: WHO’S GOT THE PAIN?

We (obvs?) begin in Majorca, where 70s-era Fosse and Verdon have gone to patch up their marriage. Also can you think of a more bougie place to go in the 70s to patch up your fancy marriage? There are a lot of scenes on the beach where Sam Rockwell’s 90s Ed Harris wig gets blown around and Michelle Williams cries into a cardigan. And because misery loves company, apparently their best friends, the Neil Simons, are along for the ride. Joan Simon is Gwenny’s best gal pal and her wig is something one might find in a pile of Halloween wigs to play Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction.

We then travel back to 1955, or “267 since Gwen Verdon’s first Tony Award.” Yes, this show is still doing this insufferable titling which really is a lot of fun facts that add up to nothing. Regardless, we’re at the point where Verdon and Fosse meet as he “auditions” her for Damn Yankees which he is to choreograph. I have to say that this scene, with both actors dancing and wearing much better wigs than their characters wear in the 70s (still terrible though!) was pretty fun! They can dance! 

They also obvs fall very much in love, though weirdly the scene of them actually having sex for the first time is buried in a montage. You have very odd priorities, Fosse/Verdon! Complicating matters is Gwen’s perpetually bent wig, Fosse’s kind of ok in comparison wig, and oh and the fact that he’s married!

This show not only wants but DEMANDS that you wikipedia everything that is happening, mainly from its distinct lack of good storytelling. Anyway, Fosse’s 2nd wife was Joan McCracken and OMG CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A PRESTIGE TV SHOW ABOUT HER? Wiki tells me that her first husband ended up being Truman Capote’s lover and that Capote based the character of Holly Golightly on her and seriously why are we wasting our time on this Fosse/Verdon mess when we could be learning more about her?!?! Anyway, what the show does tell us is that she has a mysterious illness that makes her sometimes not be able to walk (Wiki explained that she had some heart attacks around this time). Also, she is no fool and fully realizes that Fosse is gonna leave her fabulous ass for Gwenny - just the way he left his first wife for her! Also please look at Sam’s terrible lace front here. Also Joan’s wig is very much Joan Allen in Pleasantville which is to say: the best wig on this show. 

Anyway, the rest of the episode is devoted to working out some musical kinks in Damn Yankees and watching Michelle Williams dance around in a bad wig. Oh, and then finally leave Fosse in Majorca when she realizes he’s about to leave HER fabulous ass for some German translator (I’m sensing a theme here). And the show ends trying to make Joan McCracken’s death into a thriller! Spoiler: Wikipedia tells me she died in 1961! Wikipedia is a much better show than this, also. 

EPISODE THREE: ME AND MY BABY

We begin in some random editing suite where Fosse has gone to begin editing Cabaret and because this show cannot and will not stop trying to be All that Jazz (which I rewatched this weekend and LORDT IS THIS SHOW TRYING TO BE THAT MOVIE - AND ALSO BOTH ARE GARBAGE!) there is an elaborate dance number with random editing assistant (?) ladies. The one good part of this is: Sam Rockwell dancing. Otherwise: garbage fire.

Speaking of garbage fires, the (4 hour!) rough edit of Cabaret that the editors put together for Fosse while he was in Majorca (which he was really pissed about because HOW DARE THEY DO THEIR JOBS) is a friggin mess. Speaking of messes, THE BACK OF THIS WIG. Is Fosse a monk? What is happening here? However, I do appreciate the casting of the dude who played SpongeBob on Broadway as Joel Grey. 

Back at Casa Verdon, where Fosse DOES NOT LIVE ANYMORE, Gwenny is making dinner and trying to get her own career back together when Fosse shows up unannounced with Chinese food and pleas for Gwenny to help him edit the mess that is Cabaret. RUDE! Gwenny and her bent wig have their own dinner dates with her agent, Peter Scolari at the Russian Tea Room to get to THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 

Thus, Gwenny leaves their daughter with Fosse and his epic combover at the editing suite to go to her dinner date and HE CAN’T EVEN HANDLE being with his tween daughter for a few hours (since he definitely has to make time to bone his editing assistant) and ropes Norbert Leo Butz in a very shaggy wig to come hang out with his kid in a hotel room. Gwenny is NOT HAVING IT. 

Even though Butz basically just ate a bunch of sloppy food and made the daughter watch a b horror movie, Gwenny points out that leaving a tweenage daughter with a random dude in a hotel room is INAPPROPRIATE EVEN IF THAT DUDE WROTE MARTY WHICH IS A PERFECT MOVIE. 

This makes her reflect on her own (somehow very Magdalene-Sisters-like) tweenage years (as played by a younger actress whose image could NOT be found on the internet, gurl) when she was raped and impregnated and then slut-shamed by her parents into marrying a much older alcoholic. YIKES. 

So back in the 70s,  despite the fact that she’s in some rando straight play called Children! Children! (yes really) which is being directed by a condescending asshole and taking care of her kid, she somehow finds time to go help her estranged idiot husband edit the movie that she basically co-directed. SERIOUSLY WOMEN HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING. Also all these wigs look like crap. Just when you think Fosse is maybe being redeemable, he decides to bring up the Gwenny’s illegitimate son AT THE VERY WORST MOMENT DUDE YOU ARE THE WORST.

Back with Young Gwenny, we see her giving her infant son to her parents to raise so she can go be a dancer. We then cut to her triumphant turn in Can-Can (some years later but Fosse/Verdon definitely doesn’t specify how many). Gwenny’s show might be a triumph, but her wig is still a mess. Oh, and she’s still haunted by the cries of the baby she gave up BECAUSE WOMEN CAN NEVER FULLY HAVE NICE THINGS.

EPISODE FOUR: GLORY

We begin at Cabaret. Isn’t life one, you guys? Fosse is all poised for this to be the flop that (apparently?) Sweet Charity was but nope: it’s a big huge critical and commercial hit! Do whatever you want, now, Fosse! Oh wait, you already do everything you want anyway? Cool! Fosse and his circa 1997 Ed Harris wig are now unstoppably arrogant! Get ready! So Fosse’s next project is the medieval/psychedelic nonsense musical, Pippin which will definitely give you contact highs. 

JUST LOOK AT HOW HIGH THIS MUSICAL IS. I think when people from the Mid Waste think of Broadway musicals, this is what most of them still think that looks like. Also this is how I fear I’ll die. 

Speaking of! Gwenny’s best galpal, Joan Simon (wife to Neil) is dying of cancer! It’s very sad because she’s really nice and despite her bad Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction wig I appreciate her dedication to half updos with bows that match her outfits. 

Gwenny does not even have time to be sad about this because she needs to take her bent wig over to Pippin rehearsals to pick up her daughter only to find that Fosse has given her FOUR TABS TO DRINK THAT IS LIKE 3 1/2 TOO MANY. She handles it by smiling through her hatred and truly this was a very Miranda Priestly moment and also I like Gwen’s top. ALSO LOOK AT THE BACK OF FOSSE’S WIG NO THANK YOU PLEASE.

Over at Pippin rehearsals, we also meet Ann Reinking (who will become Fosse’s lady love for the next decade or so) but for now she’s keeping things professional and also this is Andie MacDowell’s (wigless, thank god) daughter. Ok!

Fosse is definitely NOT keeping things professional and basically boning the rest of the Pippin ensemble cast, whether they like it or not! There is a very #MeToo moment where Fosse ends up getting a knee to the groin and GOOD.

Not so good? Gwenny’s play Children! Children! (that title - I still can’t). Despite asking Fosse to come over and FIX. IT. he is too busy becoming the poster dude for Time’s Up and Gwenny’s show ends up getting bad reviews and closing immediately. Also her wig is fully turning into a Jean Stapleton in All in the Family lewk. Whilst Gwenny’s professional life is going to crap, Fosse is winning ALL THE AWARDS as shown in a really confusing montage which suggested that the Tony Awards are before the Oscars. INCORRECT.

In the end, Fosse drunkenly tries to go bone Gwenny but she has wisely shacked up with that dude from Obvious Child which literally leads Fosse into a MENTAL INSTITUTION and the entire show to basically just turn into All that Jazz which I will remind everyone is a very derivative and terrible movie! OY.

EPISODE 5: WHERE AM I GOING?

The title of this episode should really be an question for the viewer: where are you going? Where are we all going? Are we still really watching this show? Sadly: yes. UGH I think we’re more than halfway through now? Let’s just finish this thing!

We begin at the mental hospital where Fosse ended the last episode. Gwenny and their kid are visiting him and Fosse is basically catatonic. This does not stop Gwenny from moving FULL STEAM AHEAD ON CHICAGO! Then cut to: Southampton? Huh? Sure! There, Fosse and his best bros, Neil Simon and Paddy Chayefsky are having a beach weekend which leads to the above upsetting 70s mens shorts (which thankfully Norbert Leo Butz did NOT sign on for). I love dudes who refuse to wear shorts in the summer, no matter how hot it is. My husband is one of these dudes. 

The one problem with this beach weekend? Everybody together in their best impression of Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain: IT’S RAINING! So everyone is stuck inside. And also it’s kind of a Big Chill sort of scenario except the role of Kevin Costner as the dead friend is now: Joan Simon. And also Fosse just got out of a mental institution 3 months ago. And he’s there with his girlfriend and Gwenny is there with her boyfriend. AND ALL THE WIGS ARE TERRIBLE. 

So Fosse’s girlfriend: Ann Reinking! When last we saw her, she was ignoring Fosse at Pippin rehearsals but it’s explained that after his (1 week!) stay in the looney bin, he gave her a ring and now they’re in LURRRVE. Ok? Andie MacDowell’s daughter plays Annie and she doesn’t wear a wig and she’s fine. Fosse’s circa 1997 Ed Harris wig is still very upsetting. As is his tan!

Also upsetting? Gwenny rolls up with this RAT TAIL (it’s hard to see in this pic but it’s the best I could do!) We’re supposed to believe that in the last 3 months she suddenly grew this monstrosity out?!?! MORE ON THE BONE CHILLING TRUTH ABOUT THIS RAT TAIL LATER.

Gwenny also has a really nice boyfriend named Ron. He is played by that guy who played a nice guy in The Office, Obvious Child, and Girls. He doesn’t wear a wig and he is very nice! Fosse’s combover is not! 

Oh also along for the ride is Fosse/Verdon’s daughter Nicole who is definitely too young to be dealing with all these effed up grownups and also is bored and ends up giving herself a cigarette/pickle-induced stomach virus. GET IT TOGETHER, PARENTS.

Most of the episode is about whether Fosse should direct Dustin Hoffman in Lenny or proceed with Gwenny’s vanity project, Chicago, despite the fact that his doctors told him to take a year off work from either! Spoiler to anyone who has never seen All that Jazz or who does not know enough about Fosse to even bother watching this: HE DOES BOTH! WHO IS THIS SHOW EVEN FOR?!?! Also Norbert Leo Butz’s man wig is not as bad as the rest. Great work on not wearing shorts again also! Also Fosse/Verdon bone again in secret even though they are married but have lovers. The 70s! 

 And now to the critical and bone-chilling facts about Gwenny’s rat tail! After a night of drinking and making terrible professional and personal choices, Gwenny sits down to a breakfast of coffee and one single piece of fruit and then....UNCLIPS HER RAT TAIL AND POUFS IT UP! So first off, that clears up the whole “how did her hair grow so long so fast” question. HOWEVER. This now leads to another case of WIG GASLIGHTING. This is when a wig (which is being passed off as real hair) is of equal or lesser quality to a wig that is a known wig within the context of the narrative. In other words - the quality of this rat tail (which we now know to be a wig) is of the same exact quality as the wig Michelle Williams wears to play Gwenny. WIG GASLIGHTING! For other bone-chilling examples of past wig gaslightings please see my reviews of The Danish Girl and Oceans Eight. WIG GASLIGHTING IS TERRIFYING.

EPISODE 6: ALL I CARE ABOUT IS LOVE

And here we are. Throughout this (limited) season, we’ve gotten hints and asides, teases and tosses of All That Jazz but this episode fully just is a remake of the movie All That Jazz. Which I recently rewatched and is terrible. Terrible still? Anyone who would be watching this show would clearly be familiar with this awful film - so why make an episode that is that entire movie with absolutely no new information?!?! Again: WHO IN THE HELL IS THIS SHOW FOR?!?!

Anyway, if you haven’t seen All That Jazz, this episode is about Fosse editing Lenny while also directing/choreographing Chicago AND having some heart issues that end in hospitalization. Gwenny’s wig is bent as ever and Fosse’s circa 1997 Ed Harris lewk is still the same. Truly, there is no new information in this episode at all except that some of it is presented with Fosse AS Lenny Bruce which was an AWFUL IDEA. 

OH! Except this lady playing Chita Rivera who is really good and has the brunette version of Gwenny’s bent wig. 

ALSO! Nicole Fosse is now played by this slightly older actor who looks nothing like her younger version (or the actual Nicole Fosse) and is in a definitely terrible wig (and also forced to wear heavy makeup to visit her dad in the hospital because kids aren’t allowed to visit hospitals? IS THIS REALLY A RULE?)

Anyway, there’s a lot of All That Jazz hospital drama here and a lot of terrible flashblacks to Fosse’s burlesque tween years which attempt to explain his messed up relationship with women in an extremely Don Draper in Mad Men flashback way. There is also messed up hospital sex with Ann Reinking! THIS EPISODE IS AWFUL IN EVERY WAY!

EPISODE 7: NOWADAYS

Fosse recovered! For now! Back at Chicago rehearsals, everyone is wearing extra socks and doing just great. The most important addition to this show this week is that they got some dude to play Jerry Orbach! His man wig was terrible!

He also very did not look like Jerry Orbach! Anyway, this episode was mainly about Gwenny being TOO OLD for all this choreography, y’all. She was huffing and puffing all over fake Jerry Orbach so Fosse had to cut a lot of her dancing but once the show opened guess what? Gwenny got better reviews than the show itself! Take that, dance steps! However, there was a whole part where Gwenny read Fosse for filth and said that he owed his entire career to her and how dare he make the finale a duet between her and Chita! (He made the finale a duet). There were also many flashbacks about Fosse and Gwenny’s fertility issues and I almost believed that Nicole was adopted until Gwenny got legit pregnant while Fosse was too busy dancing to construct cribs. You almost taught me something, Fosse/Verdon!

OMG I CAN’T STOP LOOKING AT THESE PICTURES OF FAKE JERRY ORBACH. Anyway, Fosse/Verdon then legit DID teach me something: apparently a few weeks into the run of Chicago, Gwenny inhaled some confetti during the finale and it effed with her vocal chords but she refused to leave the show, thinking it might close if she did. BUT THEN Fosse got LIZA EFFING MINNELLI to take her place while she got surgery and recovered! This was news to me! HOWEVER, Fosse/Verdon refused to show me any footage of even fake Liza in the show which was a real missed opportunity. 

Anyway, Liza revived the show and Gwenny was kind of pissed about it but on every level: THE SHOW MUST GO ON. Here is Gwenny during the finale which she was forced to share with Chita. And this show didn’t even show us the full finale! I DEMAND TO SEE MICHELLE WILLIAMS DOING THE HOT HONEY RAG WHY DID YOU EVEN MAKE THIS SHOW IF I CAN’T SEE IT. There is literally no reason for this show to exist if it can’t show me Michelle Williams doing a cartwheel in a top hat.  What a world. What a wig. 

IN CONCLUSION: LOOK AGAIN AT THE TERRIBLE MAN WIG ON FAKE JERRY ORBACH. 

EPISODE 8: PROVIDENCE

We begin (or should I say end?) with some grumpy old men talking about what they can and cannot eat (spoiler: they can’t eat anything good!) Both Fosse and BFF Paddy Chayefsky have heart conditions and creative conditions. And I have a condition with this wig on Norbert Leo Butz. NO THANK YOU PLEASE. Anyway, Paddy tells Fosse how to rewrite All That Jazz aka how to rewrite his life and Fosse DOESN’T WANNA HEAR IT. And then Paddy dies and Fosse quite literally dances on his grave but in a really sad and mournful way. Yes, really. 

Meanwhile, Fosse interviews Gwenny in preparation for All That Jazz which honestly is just way to meta at this point, and she kinda tells it like it is. And I kinda know I’m not gonna miss this bent wig! 

Meanwhile, Ann Reinking is forced to audition to play herself in All That Jazz while under the painfully awkward and terrible direction of Fosse in this circa 1996 Ed Harris wig and LORDT I WILL NOT MISS LOOKING AT THE BAD OF THIS THING!

Then over at All that Jazz rehearsals, Gwenny and Nicole are met with bizzarro visions of themselves much like these bizarro visions of themselves in this show and omg everything just got way too meta and NIcole’s wig gives me hives. 

AND THEN. AND FRIGGIN THEN. LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA HAD THE AUDACITY TO PLAY ROY SHEIDER PLAYING BOB FOSSE IN ALL THAT JAZZ. JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THIS SHOW COULDN’T GET ANY MORE VAINGLORIOUS. MY HEAD AND MY TV JUST EXPLODED. 

Honestly, this is the only way for this terrible show to end - in a blaze of glory and nonsense. Well actually, it ended with Gwenny and Fosse reteaming in old age makeup to direct the revival of Sweet Charity but the internet refused to give me any pictures of that and fine. And then Fosse died on a sidewalk in the arms of Gwenny. And then for some reason the whole show ended with a shot of Nicole Fosse’s Vermont house. 

WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT’S BEEN YOU GUYS. But now we can finally be rid of these terrible terrible wigs and this terrible terrible show. 

VERDICT: DOESN’T WURQ

[lasorciereviolette-blog]

Why I love Madou Monogatari Saturn despite its flaws (spoiler free)

First, what is Madou Monogatari Saturn?

Madou Monogatari Saturn is, well, Madou Monogatari for the Sega Saturn, meaning a late 90s turn based RPG for a system that really didn’t get all the love it should have because of bad business decisions on Sega’s part. It was released at the tail end of Compile’s control of Puyo and imo when they were doing some of their best work on the franchise (see Tower of the Magician, which is probably the best Disc Station game and arguably one of the best Madou Monogatari games period).

Okay, but what’s it about?

Once upon a time, there was a great paladin known as the Golden Hero who fought an evil interdimensional creature called Yoggus. He fought to the very limits of his power, pouring his own life force into his holy sword to defeat the creature. He thought he vanquished his foe and was glad despite his imminent death, knowing his world was safe... When he was surprised by Yoggus’s power to exist in multiple planes of reality at once. With no power left he was swept into a dimensional tear and his fate left unknown.

... Except that was just a story a wandering bard came into Arle Nadja’s hometown saying. Or is it? Not long after hearing the story, Arle comes into contact with some of her friends, who are behaving erratically around a strange smoke. Carbuncle’s gem laser seems to be able to disperse the smoke and return people to normal, so Arle and Rulue (the smoke’s first victim) decide to look into the source of this smoke. Along their path, they come across Schezo, who sometimes has answers and at others doesn’t remember what he’s been doing and antagonizes the party. The search for the truth takes Arle and Rulue all over the Madou world encountering a great deal of the major cast members and getting into a bunch of silly situations, while still maintaining some seriousness of the older Madou games.

You can find a translation for story events here, as well as links to a playthrough on Youtube: http://cw.nanako.moe/wiki/Log:MMS_Translation

Now that we’ve gone over that, we can continue into why I love Saturn.

First of all, I get that it’s probably not for everyone. Different strokes for different folks and all. But to me Saturn is very nostalgic; it’s a very 90s RPG and very Compile-style if you look at any of their supplemental materials.The characters are pushed to great comedic sociopath heights while remaining in character. It’s kind of like watching an anime where everyone’s a jerk of some kind and getting toyed with in slapstick fashion. Again, very 90s Compile, so expect some raunchy humour, thirst, and violence from almost everyone in some way. It’s not really a kids’ game, more like a teenager game.

However, it also features Rulue at what I find to be her best characterization; She’s a haughty and vain noblewoman, yes, but she’s still friends with Arle and still determined to do what’s right for the world. She’s in love with Satan, but it doesn’t devour her whole character; hell, she recognizes when Satan’s caused too much trouble for once and decides to sock his face in as a result!

For someone used to the one note Rulue found in current Puyo, this should be a massive improvement. It sure is to me.

Satan’s also doing something unrelated to Arle for once! Again, massive shocker if you’ve come in from recent Puyo and have never seen Satan doing anything apart from chasing her. Without going into spoilers there’s not much I can say except that he’s his usual irresponsible self but tries to clean up his mess when things go too far. He’s still a goof, but overall more serious than in most Puyo games. I’d say the closest comparison here is probably to his characterization in 15th or 7, where since he was not the one causing chaos he’s a lot more stern and unamused with people. 

This game features Lagnus Bishasi as one of the main characters. And he’s so adorable. In Puyo, Lagnus doesn’t really have much context to him. You’d have to go into old ass untranslated Madou Monogatari novels to find out who he is, and even then you’d probably be kind of confused because of immortality and time travel shenanigans. And why is he turning into a kid? What’s his deal? Here he’s explained in a way that’s fine for newcomers to understand; He’s the Golden Hero, a hero from another world tasked with beating up Yoggus. Like we found out in the beginning, he tried his very best to defeat Yoggus but failed and got thrown into a dimensional portal more spoilers yadda yadda tl;dr he’s stranded in the wrong world and been shrunk down into kid form. Due to Arle’s backstory in Madou Monogatari in general I like to compare him to Arle if Arle was a cute paladin rather than running away from a demon’s advances... Anyways. Again it’s quite hard to talk about him in much detail without spoilers but he’s just so sweet and that stands out in a game where most people are out for themselves.

Look, he can’t even properly sass Schezo without resorting to a ‘no u’, and Schezo’s been bothering him for a while. He’s that nice.

Some people call Lagnus a Mary Sue, which I don’t understand at all, but that’s not really important for this post. Maybe I should do a “On Lagnus” at some point, huh...

Okay, back on topic. 

The dialogue is pretty great. Because Rulue is out in all her haughty authority we get quite a bit of great dialogue coming from the characters. Arle is not a mean terror for once, she’s closer to how she acts in Yon; more of a straight man for the wackier characters to bounce off of. I talked a lot about Rulue before and again, I think she’s at her best in this game. I also quite like Schezo.

Now, here Schezo causes contention sometimes, because he’s straight up a arrogant twat. But going with the above, I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. He definitely gets treated like an arrogant twat and though the narrative presents him as powerful and dangerous, he gets about as much respect as he deserves (ie none). He’s used for comedy and that’s not a bad thing when the game is just that; a comedic JRPG.

Here’s just a few choice Schezo moments:

Oh yeah, and Schezo’s a definite pervert in denial in this game, but I’ve kind of been over that in past posts so anyone who’s gotten this far in this post probably already knows that. This just adds to the 90s anime comedy feel I get from the game. I really do like the humour in this game. 

The game does have its problems, I’m not going to lie. The characters could be better utilized rather than showing up for a few minutes and then leaving again and not being seen, for instance.

Some of the character designs are also... 

Yeah...

Look, I don’t even hate it, it’s definitely better quality-wise than The Final Test, but those shoulder pads that all the guys have are just silly. I can admit that. The girls have much better designs (Rulue’s and Draco’s are probably my favourites of all their designs period, and Witch’s at least has some cool details even if it’s otherwise boring).

Other than some weirdness, the art design itself isn’t too bad. The in game sprites seem to be similar in style to Waku Puyo Puyo Dungeon’s regular art and the actual attack animations and spells are pretty cool! Not as cool as Tower of the Magician, but the artists were definitely not slouching on this game (again, unlike in The Final Test).

This was a pretty rambly post. What am I saying here? Well, I guess just that you should at least watch a playthrough of the game for yourself or download a ROM and see if you like it rather than just listening to the common crowd. I really like Saturn! Other people don’t. It’s going to come down to your personal preference and sense of humour and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just give it a chance. You might end up enjoying it.

[gameridernews]

Ex-Aid review: Month 11 (Episodes 42-45)

Here we are... the final month of Ex-Aid. With only 4 episodes left, how does the show wrap up?

Well, for starters, let me say this: I'm only going to be covering these episodes the way I would any month of episodes, then will do a separate post where I talk about the show overall - give me time to write that one. Also at the end, I return to my final predictions to see what I got right or wrong.

Oh, a small addendum to the last review since I'm pretty sure I talked about the summer movie: We know now that it's a 1-year-later story, so anything I said about it as an alternate ending to the show... is completely invalid. Oops. 

So with that being said... let's tackle the final level.

With Gamedeus unleashed, turns out Masamune wanted to give one last middle finger to the world by reprogramming Gamedeus to let off one hell of a pandemic - everyone in the area has been infected, and it's as bad as when Nico was infected with Gamedeus' virus.

Now I'm gonna be honest, I wasn't sure how to feel about that idea - yeah, it does work as a big finale thing. But it's also what the summer movie was doing, so in that regard it feels redundant. But I warmed up to it since it shows everyone caring for patients in a way that really fits the motif of the show - we're seeing not Riders, but humans, care for the people they want to protect on a personal level. Also Taiga and Nico are wonderful human beings, you guys.

While that's happening, Kiriya and Kuroto are using a clever plan as an excuse to beat the hell out of each other. I was into it once they revealed what they were doing - by continuously infecting themselves with the Gamedeus virus, they build up a resistance, and the end result is a new Doctor Mighty XX Gashat which can eliminate the virus - a shame it doesn't get used to transform, but hey, we know there's at least two different places that could be used now that the show is over...

The Gamedeus Bugster, VERY ironically, is a bit of a small talking point here. Apart from causing a pandemic (which is arguably Masamune's work), and having all the powers of the past Bugsters, the only notable thing about him is the buildup and his quick death once Doctor Mighty XX is delivered to Ex-Aid.

This is something I can understand being a downer, but... we don't have nearly enough time to justify bumping down Masamune in favor of some villain that's just appeared - I didn't expect him to actually stick around because it'd be a waste of time. But I also see it as a miraculous victory - against all odds, they somehow managed to find a way to stop him at the least second.

What they didn't count on was the lingering sanity of Masamune Dan! With no further options, Cronus appears before Ex-Aid and crew can finish off Gamedeus, only to do the job himself and absorb the hell out of Gamedeus' data to become Gamedeus Cronus!

How is Gamedeus Cronus? Well... I know how Rider shows work. We are at that stage where the design process becomes "What can we make with as few new parts as possible?" - which I don't think is unreasonable considering the show's just about over and they're focusing on the next one. That being said, it does what it needs to do well enough - it's Gamedeus but as a Rider. The fusion works within story context.

In a surprising twist, turns out the Ride-Player that's closest to Gamedeus is... Nico! So Masamune, now being perhaps more powerful than the unstoppable Gamedeus, knows EXACTLY what he's doing when he insists on having her challenge him.

He's just screwing with them all now, aiming for the one character who has no Rider belt. Even though Nico is more or less like a Level 10 Ride-Player (d-don't add that to the wiki, that's a joke), she's not unstoppable.

So it's time for big brother Taiga to step in, because it's as he's been saying from the start... only he needs to be the one who fights. 

This was a big moment for Taiga, because his motivations are clearer than ever. And he uses both Nico's and... some random Kamen Rider Chronicle Gashat, both at the same time, to transform into Cronus. If you were wondering, TV Asahi just refers to do this "Kamen Rider Cronus (Taiga Hanaya Version)". I'm not sure what the second Gashat is adding aside from it representing Nico, but I do like how this form seems to have access to ALL weapons. Imagine the catharsis of gaining access to this in a proper Chronicle game. 

After Taiga gets tossed around a bit, Hiro and Emu show up to remind him that doctors have to work together, and they give him a white coat! That... later we learn that it's okay for him to be a doctor again but that still made me go "Wait, is that legal?" - the three use their strongest forms, reminding us Taiga is in need of something stronger than Level 50...

... then Gamedeus Cronus brings in one last video game trope by revealing that a proper final boss has a second form. Kickass! It's at this point, a true pandemic begins. People become Bugster Viruses, which I thought looked pretty goofy. Masamune is certainly bringing hell on Earth, just like a proper final boss. Turns out he knows exactly what video games are all about.

As an aside, did you know I was considering doing monthly reviews for the next show in the form of video? I'm still undecided, but I am still thinking of how I can keep that simple enough that it won't be hell to edit. I only bring this up because hey, we get our cameo for the next Rider here, Build!

This was a dumb cameo, but a fun kind of dumb. I liked how it involved Genm being mistaken for Ex-Aid, because not only is that going back to misunderstandings from Genm's cameo in Ghost, it's also a resemblance that has not come up in a long time. Made me go "Oh right, it IS weird that they look so alike!"

You gotta take cameos with a grain of salt, but they do admittedly try to capture the basic idea of what that character is like. If Build is anything like this, he seems kinda fun. This whole bit of him wanting a sample from Ex-Aid is actually followed up in the summer movie, which I guess is okay to say now since it's gonna have to be talked about when the upcoming winter movie happens.

Now then, let's talk about heartbreak.

In order to make the people happy, Poppy basically sacrifices her own existence to spread the vaccine to Gamedeus' virus and cure everyone, effectively stopping the pandemic. 

This was especially touching when you realize that the most exposure she's had to the general public is being depicted as a deadly Bugster that has even infected others. She's making quite the sacrifice for people who might not even want her alive. You’re breaking my heart, girl. 

Then we get what I was most interested in during the episode preview... the baby war! 

Ex-Aid brings us back to the Level 1 forms in a clever way, reminding us of its function: Separate the virus from the patient. As everyone switches to the forms we first came to know them for, they beat the Game out of Deus and even perform a chibi Rider Kick together!

But then...

More heartbreak.

With Parad forming a proper bond with Emu, he's found that he lacks something: The chance to redeem himself. He's let a lot of people suffer, and it seems like one fight alongside Emu isn't enough to rid him of his sins - that’s pretty mature of him. 

So after Poppy sacrificed herself by using Doctor Mighty XX to turn into a vaccine, Parad does the same to latch onto Gamedeus and finally put an end to it all, so that humans can live in peace.

The day is saved.

Or, you know, fuck you. 

Masamune knows what's up. If Parad is gone, that means Ex-Aid - the only one with the power to face him - can't transform. The Riders are effectively powerless to stop him and his time powers. Try as they might, they can't punch something that punches them harder in less than an instant.

The day is ruined. And it looks like this finale is the BAD ending! You beat us, Cronus!

Or, you know, fuck you.

Yes, in a miraculous come-from-behind revival that we get explanations for later, Emu is back in action! And with everyone standing together in the dark setting (Cronus powers are weird), we recreate episode 1's opening scene... with Genm offscreen because of a delayed Continue apparently.

This fight was quick, but fantastic. Everyone gets a piece of Cronus, even Lazer in bike form. Which I now realize is odd for him to revert to, but I guess he figured he'd have one last ride with Emu. No way that phrase can be taken out of context.

Masamune is defeated, and... I'm a little mixed on Masamune, I'll be honest.

The reset from last month was something that came into play because Masamune's Bugster infection intervened, giving them the glowy eyes Emu gets when he does M stuff. While they use that effect again during his last Gamedeus Cronus fight, it... kinda never came into play again. It was just some random thing that served no purpose other than to artificially extend the drama. So... that was pointless.

As for what happened here, with Masamune's final act being to stab himself with his own Gashat, I can only assume he was trying for one more final fight since Graphite used Gashats this way, but it kinda just... kills him. So I'm not sure what to make of it. It doesn't help that they never give it any lip service. He's just gone.

Masamune has been a great villain up to this point, but I feel that he's been all over the place within these final two months and hasn’t been at his best. Still, now that he's gone, peace can properly return. No fakeouts, just status quo.

The rest of the final episode is essentially an epilogue for our beautiful cast. 

For starters, I guess the Bugster Virus still lingers, it's just not nearly on the level of Gamedeus. I guess that works, since otherwise we'd have to say goodbye to Kuroto and Kiriya. Speaking of, Kiriya will be taking part in developing medicine that fights against the virus, with the help of the new CEO of Genm Corp: Tsukuru! Burger-san is in chaaaarge! That puts a big smile on my face.

Taiga gets a pretty sweet deal. His efforts have given him the right to be a doctor again, and his previously abandoned hospital has been cleaned up and is now in service as a Bugster Virus hospital. Not only that, Nico has graduated and wants to work for him! Adorable.

Hiro is passing down his expertise to future generations, and even though it's not directly stated, we know that he now has much more respect for the patients now that he's spent plenty of time with Emu.

As for Emu, he relays all that happened to the ministry of health, and is offered the chance to stay in CR. Which I guess is fair since his introduction to it was happenstance. 

Lastly is a speech where Emu admits a grim truth: Those infected with the Bugster Virus have been cured... but they have not yet been able to restore the lives lost. As it currently stands, they still exist as data, and when questioned on whether that could be considered "living", Emu says something very mature. When Kuroto first revealed that the victims would be reborn as Bugsters, Emu was strongly against them being data because that can hardly be called living. Has he changed his stance now?

Well... no. He instead believes that medicine has come a long way, and that one day, they WILL find a way to bring these people back properly. The way it was handled was, again, very mature of Emu. I really can't say enough that he's grown up since the beginning.

Kuroto, not so much. But at least he has godly talents.

Since Kuroto got just a bit of Poppy's virus when she sacrificed herself, he was able to restore her! And with the okay of the ministry of health, she will continue her service to CR just like always! I must say, considering this character was too much for me to handle at the beginning, I'm happy to see her stay!

Not only that... when Emu got close to Parad as he sacrificed himself, it seems that he reabsorbed just a bit of Parad's virus, which is how Emu was able to transform during their last fight with Cronus - tightly wrapping it all up, aren't they? Because of that, Parad gets to live. 

I'll be honest, I always feel like I need to be more critical when a character is immediately brought back after death... but the tears in my eyes during that moment tell a different story. I guess I’m okay with this. 

With our final scene that seems to be a later moment, we randomly get... product placement! Yes, it seems Kuroto was "inspired" to make a new Gashat based on his mysterious encounter, which I'm sure has a form attached to it but it currently just causes the trailer to play. Oddly specific power. 

But wait! There were predictions I made. Let's see what they were and how they panned out. There's a lot of em.

First off, I'm gonna just summarize two here: Previews led us to believe Parad might be killed off, as well as Taiga. Aside from me guessing Cronus was the one who killed Parad, I guess I was right in saying they wouldn't kill off either character at this point in the story. I feel the need to address those quickly since they were no-brainers. I even thought they were excessive to say at the time. But... 

I think since the heroes now have the Proto Gashats [which contain Saki's data], they’ll be able to convince Hiro well enough to return. That being said… Masamune giving him a new form with no strings attached? Suspicious. Maybe there’ll be some kind of mind control in place in the event Hiro turned on him. This man thinks ahead. It’s gonna take a heavy duty “What it means to be a doctor” speech to shake Hiro from this one.

Okay, I guess Taddle Legacy was a form with no strings attached. It made sense in my head.

Graphite and Parad [might be] successful in infecting Masamune’s belt with the virus of Gamedeus... which results in him becoming a Gamedeus with the unstoppable power of Cronus! That’s, like, twice unstoppable. Perfect for an endgame villain.

I knew it would be a perfect endgame villain! But it turns out this was all Masamune's doing.

I also made a prediction about the ending and talked about how the summer movie was setting itself up as an alternate ending... but again, that turned out to not be the case. But I did say what I thought would be the ending for the show:

I think that the show will have your standard happy ending. Bugsters are gone, CR is disbanded, everyone goes back to their regular lives as doctors/non-doctors. All that needs to be kept in place is the ability to transform, or at the very least modify the gear so it isn’t required anymore. Basically, the show’s ending is more welcome to continuation and crossovers.

And it sure is! But they were surprisingly cool about not undoing much. The Bugster Virus still exists, CR is still needed, and they work in a way for Emu to still have the ability to transform. Which is about as crossover-friendly as you can get.

So that was a show. I'm actually gonna end this review here, because I think it's only fair to have a SEPARATE review to talk about the overall show. The characters, the plot, the style... it's something that would make this post twice as long. So give me some time to write it.

As for the next series, Kamen Rider Build? I am cautiously optimistic! Some believe there is a noticeable coincidental format to Rider shows in which a really good show is followed up by an okay show then followed up by a crappy show. I just take them each as their own thing. There's elements of this new one I find interesting and I look forward to seeing how it presents itself.

With that being said, see you next game, when I analyze Ex-Aid as a whole.

[mycasandstarrs]

SPN 5x18: “Point of No Return”

Quite the interesting song choice. “The Man Upstairs” by Kay Starr.

Bummed out Zachariah at a bar.

“That’s all they care about upstairs, ain’t it? Results, results, results. They don’t know. They’re not down on the ground, in the mud, nose to nose with all you pig-filthy humans, am I right?”

“Absolute—filthy what?”

lmao, poor guy catching what Zachariah said.

Another gif I’d seen often without knowing what the context was.

RIP Stuart and the bartender. Killed by Zachariah’s “boss”...whoever that is.

Dean-o.

Preparing to leave.

I”m trying to pause the screen to read this letter Dean is writing. I can make out the words “you’ll look after her” which is probably referring to Baby (tho I did initially think it was about Lisa, as he had told her last episode that “they” won’t get what they want from him without agreeing to something first...aka protection for her and Ben.) Also before that statement, it looks like Dean made a Back to the Future reference (which, of course he would) “Where we’re going, we don’t need  no roads”

He also mentions someone (or something?) being an “honorary Winchester in my book” and I hope he means Cas.

[After episode edit: Supernatural Wiki is awesome and provides a transcript to a good chunk of the letter. It confirms most of my guesses except the “honorary Winchester” is Bobby; I ain’t even mad about that.]

It was about to be sent to Bobby.

“It’s not too hard to figure out the stops on the Farewell Tour.” Well thank god Sam knows Dean so well.

“How could you do that?”

“How could I? All you’ve ever done is walk away.”

“And I was wrong. Every single time I did.” 

“You know I have to stop you.”

“Yeah, well, you can try. Just remember: You’re not all hopped up on demon blood this time.”

Dean delivering some low blows here...and he’s just getting started.

Cas! 

Who is phenomenally pissed and staring daggers at Dean.

“But if Lucifer burns this mother down, and I coulda done something about it, guess what? That’s on me.” Huh, that’s still part of the reason Dean says yes to Michael in S13.

“You’re not my father. And you ain’t in my shoes.”

DEAN WINCHESTER, YOU TAKE THAT BACK IMMEDIATELY.

It would’ve been kinda hilarious if Bobby had shot Dean for that alone.

“That’s the round I mean to put through my skull. Every morning, I look at it. I think, ‘Maybe today’s the day I flip the lights out.’ But I don’t do it. I never do it. You know why? Because I promised you I wouldn’t give up!”

:(

RIP 2 angels. Killed by Cas.

Will the real Adam Milligan please rise?

Cas wards Adam.

My god, Adam sounds so much like Dean.

Whoomp, there it is. Adm was brought back to replace Dean as Michael's vessel.

Cas shading Dean, lol.

“Why would they do this?”

“Maybe they’re desperate. Maybe they wrongly assumed Dean would be brave enough to withstand them.”

“Alright, you know what? Blow me, Cas.”   

Adam even acts like Dean, whereas Ghoul!Adam was more like Sam...

“Please, just trust me. Give me some time.”

“Give me one good reason.”

“Because we’re blood.”

Yeah, that ain’t gonna cut it.

“No, John Winchester was some guy who took me to a baseball game once a year. I don't have a dad. So we may be blood, but we are not family. My mom is my family. And if I do my job, I get to see her again. So no offense, but she's the one I give a rat's ass about, not you.”

Dude, it’s not their fault they never found out about you.

Jeez, what a dick.

Not that easy to escape, pal.

“The one thing worse than seeing dad once a year was seeing him all year.”

“Do you know how full of crap you are?”

“What?”

“Really. You see, it was me and it was my mom. That's it. She worked the graveyard shift at the hospital. I cooked my own dinners. I put myself to bed. So you can say whatever you want about our dad, but the truth is, I would have taken anything.”

SERIOUSLY WHAT A MEDIUM BAG OF DICKS

 Does Adam ever stop with the smartass remarks?

DEAN WHAT THE FUCK.

“I mean, think about how many people we've gotten killed, Sam. Mom, Dad, Jess, Jo, Ellen. Should I keep going?” None of those deaths were your own fault, you’re reaching for straws here pal.

“I just…I—I don’t believe.” 

“In what?”

“In you.”

I hate Dean’s campaign of driving people away so they’ll let him go, I h a t e t h i s.

“You’re angry, you’re self-righteous. Lucifer's gonna wear you to the prom, man. It's just a matter of time.” 

“Don’t say that to me. Not you...of all people.”

Omg, an almost direct parallel from “When the Levee Breaks”.

You made Sam cry, you asshole.

I love Bobby checking in on his sons :’)

How did Dean know Cas was gonna come down to check in on him? That crash was well timed.

And Cas actually showed concern for him!!

Dean, you fucking asshole.

“Cuff him to your chair.” lmao

Adam, meet Zachariah.

The other time where I can’t even argue against Zachariah...except for the “erotically” bit.

“Trust me, kid, when the heat gets hot, they're not gonna give a flying crap about you. Hell, they'd rather save each other's sweet bacon than save the planet.” Oh wait, there’s another time he’s just...kinda right. Tho I’d kinda argue that they’ve come a long way from that.

OOOHHH HERE IT COMES. ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES IN THE SERIES...and the reason I started shipping Destiel full time.

El Sol!

OOOOHHH IT’S DEAN BEATDOWN TIME!!!

It is so satisfying to see Cas beat the shit out of Dean after everything he’s said and done in this episode.

Also, how are NONE of the passing civilians noticing this fight???

I just...get a huge kick out of that scene. 

And now, I attempt to explain why this scene (of all scenes) was the reason I started shipping Destiel:

To me, there were two stages of Destiel; 1. Dean’s in love with Cas and 2. Cas is in love with Dean. For whatever reason, this was the moment I realized Cas had very deep feelings for Dean. 

The level of betrayal he was feeling from Dean seemed much more personal than just ‘I went to bat for the guy and he struck out, wah wah”. 

Also, the fact that he emphasized that he did/gave EVERYTHING for solely Dean definitely came off more than platonic to me. 

(Not to mention how close their faces were to each other; almost every time I watch this scene, I half expect them to start making out with each other.)

All I know is that from there on out, I looked forward to their interactions--well, even more than I already did-- and that I was looking at them in a different light.

“Bobby, what do you mean ‘Adam is gone’?”

“Should I say it in Spanish?”

lmaoo. Knowing Bobby, he probably could.

“What the hell happened to him?”

“Me.”

ayyyy

Unceremoniously dumped on the couch, lmao.

And I also kinda love that they asked about what happened to Dean only once, then proceeded to talk more about Adam. It may be because he’s the bigger fish to fry, but it kinda reads to me that Bobby and Sam are in silent agreement that Dean had that beating coming, so they won’t even ask more about it.

The Green Room.

Oh, Persephone move there bro.

“So you lied...about everything.”

“We didn’t lie. We just avoided certain truths to manipulate you.”

Adam, you poor fool.

i wonder who carried Dean down to the panic room.

“Word to the wise: don’t piss off the nerd angels.”

“Either it’s a trap to get me there to make me say yes, or it’s not a trap and I’m gonna say yes anyway. And I will. I’ll do it. Fair warning.” No, you won’t.

“When push shoves, you’ll make the right call.” Sam’s right.

“I—I don’t get it. Sam, why are you doing this?“

“Because… you’re still my big brother.”

I am like, Sam’s #1 fan when it comes to this episode. I am rooting like hell for him.

Van Nuys, California.

I love Dean’s reaction as Cas takes off his tie; he even looks over to Sam like “you seeing this?”

“Whoa, wait. You’re gonna take on five angels?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that suicide?”

“Maybe it is. But then I won’t have to watch you fail.”

RIP Dean, torn a new one by Cas.

Dean looked at Cas like he thought the box-cutter was for him.

RIP angel. Killed by Cas.

One down, four to go.

What a badass move.

“You came for me.”

“Yeah, well, you’re family.”

Awww.

Crap.

Zachariah’s just twisting the knife.

“Damn it, Zachariah. Stop it, please. I’ll do it.”

“I’m sorry. What was that?”

“Okay, yes. The answer is yes.”

:(

You can literally pinpoint the moment Dean changes his mind.

“I said…before Michael gets one piece of this sweet ass…he has to turn you into a piece of charcoal.” There’s the Dean I love.

“Michael’s not gonna kill me.” Zachariah’s last words.

RIP Zachariah. Killed by Dean. Still such a satisfying death!

Whoa, just realized Dean watched Zachariah die...and he still has eyeballs.

Dean lets go of Adam to help Sam. That one little decision with such huge consequences...

“Dean! Help! Deean!” 

Poor Adam. I really do feel sorry that he got caught up in all this. I’m kinda hoping they’ll address him a bit in S14.

“You think Adam’s okay?”

“Doubt it. Cas either. But we’ll get ‘em.” aww.

“So, what changed your mind?”

“Honestly? The damnedest thing. I mean, the world’s ending. The walls are coming down on us, and I look over to you and all I can think about is, ‘This stupid son of a bitch brought me here.’ I just didn’t want to let you down.” 

ACCEPT THE APOLOGY SAM.

“Just...let me say this. I don't know if it's being a big brother or what, but to me, you've always been this snot-nosed kid that I've had to keep on the straight and narrow. I think we both know that that's not you anymore. I mean, hell, if you're grown-up enough to find faith in me…the least I can do is return the favor. So screw destiny, right in the face. I say we take the fight to them, and do it our way.”

That meant the universe to Sam.

HELL FUCKING YES DEAN. You are forgiven for the bull you pulled this episode.