#currently working on a review of each of the storylines in the show so I'll go into more comparisons there

[thatgirl4815]

I am curious about your thoughts on the Boston Nick storyline in the final episode. I was very happy with the way the show portrayed them. I'm a huge fan of SandRay but Boston Nick is my next favourite "couple" and I am so very much ok with the last scene of them. I saw some outrage here about the show doing Boston dirty but I cannot relate at all. I love Boston as a character since EP 3 and Nick about EP 2. I think their final conflict with Boston still being selfish and although he knows what Nicks expectations regarding a relationship but still leading him on (hence the lying about he was just in the bathroom) is so in character that the break up seems so deserved. The problem was never that Boston sleeps around. It's about him doing things although he knows that they will hurt those people that love him. Accusations that the show was constantly slutshaming him I frankly cannot grasp. I was very impressed by the way Boston Nick was handled (writing, directing and most of all acting-wise). A "sad ending" if it is built up well is in my eyes much better than a happy ending that is forced (glancing at Top Mew). So how are your thoughts on this pair?

I also like the way that BostonNick has turned out, even if I think that the way we got there, particularly in this episode, felt a little rushed. I wrote up some predictions before the series aired and one of those predictions was that Boston would end up alone and Nick would find someone new to be with, which isn't exactly what happened but is ultimately pretty close...I'm glad the show didn't settle for a "every couple gets a happy ending!" because realistically Nick and Boston were always on different paths.

I found Boston and Nick's interactions in the first half of this episode very cute, and very demonstrative of Boston's willingness to change. What bothered me--and I assume it bothered many people--was when Boston showed no hesitation in pursuing Boeing. Even when Boeing asked if Boston's boyfriend would be okay with this, Boston brushed it aside, despite knowing that Nick would most definitely not be okay with it (he might've tried to convince himself otherwise, but deep down Boston knew that this was the whole problem with their relationship in the first place).

I agree with you completely that Boston's promiscuity is not the problem here; it's the lying about the promiscuity that creates so much conflict. Boston is selfish, but wanting to casually hook up with multiple people while committed to a partner isn't a selfish move in itself if both members of the couple are okay with it. Boston does what he wants with no regard for how others might react to it, because in the end it's about what he wants in the moment. He even says that he prefers to live in the present, and that's one of the biggest warning signs that he isn't made for long-term, monogamous relationships (at least not right now).

As I said, my problem is more with execution this episode, because I would've preferred if we could've dwelled more in the effects of Boston's behavior and possibly even seen a bit more struggle on Boston's part in trying to stay with Nick. Instead, we have Boston immediately pursuing someone else right after he said he's going to change. I understand the point there, but I think showing Boston struggling with that would've drawn attention to the fact that he's just not into this kind of a relationship, even though he was trying. It would also villainize him less, which I realize might not be the point, but I would've liked to see more of an effort when other potential suitors are present.

Agreed that TopMew was ultimately forced. After the cheating, everything spiraled, and it felt like the show wanted them together so badly that they were basically straining for it. I will admit I am biased, but to me the only couple that really settled into their ending was SandRay. TopMew felt like they were missing something major throughout the series, and BostonNick ended in a place that made sense but that could've been better developed with more time. Not only with Boston but with Nick too--I want to see more of Nick's realization that he should pursue what's best for him. We saw a little bit of that with his conversation with Sand, but I wanted just a bit more.

Lastly, about how the series has treated Boston...I've also seen a lot of discussion back and forth about whether he was a target of the narrative or whether he was treated justly by the narrative. In my opinion, we're meant to feel a ton of conflicting feelings about Boston. There's anger and hate for what he did to Mew, bitterness about all that he's put Nick through, but amidst all of that I do feel that he was owed an apology from Cheum. I don't think the narrative has necessarily painted Boston's lifestyle as problematic, but I think the characters have. Time and time again characters made points about how Boston sleeps around, but I wish they would've realized at the end that it isn't that Boston sleeps around--it's the way he manipulates others and lies to them, often using sex. There could've been more recognition and awareness from the other characters about what exactly Boston's problem is. I also know that Jojo has made comments before about showcasing this specific kind of lifestyle for a gay man, so I think the intention was not to paint Boston's promiscuity as a negative, but to show how he's essentially weaponized it to his own selfish ends. Regardless of how we got there, I'm glad we see that conversation between him and Mew where Mew says that he must make an internal change. Boston can sleep with as many people as he wants, but he has to contend with his own selfishness and dishonesty.

Anyways whew that was a long answer, sorry. We built up to this ending with Boston and Nick even though there was hope that they might turn out. In the end, I think I just wanted a more seamless transition into this ending for them.

[waitmyturtles]

Turtles Catches Up With Old GMMTV: A Honorable Mention For War of Y, and Another Look at How Thai BL Talks About BL (With a Bonus Watch of BL: Broken Fantasy)

[What’s going on here? After joining Tumblr and discovering Thai BLs through KinnPorsche in 2022, I began watching GMMTV’s new offerings -- and realized that I had a lot of history to catch up on, to appreciate the more recent works that I was delving into. From tropes to BL frameworks, what we’re watching now hails from somewhere, and I’m learning about Thai BL's history through what I’m calling the Old GMMTV Challenge (OGMMTVC). Starting with recommendations from @absolutebl on their post regarding how GMMTV is correcting for its mistakes with its shows today, I’ve made an expansive list to get me through a condensed history of essential/classic/significant Thai BLs produced by GMMTV and many other BL studios. My watchlist, pasted below, lists what I’ve watched and what’s upcoming, along with the reviews I’ve written so far. Today, I take a look at the more recent attempts by the Thai BL industry to critique itself with War of Y and the mini-documentary, BL: Broken Fantasy.]

2022's War of Y. Let me start this piece off by saying that this show is not good. My friend and BL elder educator, @bengiyo, once said about the OGMMTVC project, that some people (LIKE ME :'( ) just have to look into the abyss to satiate their curiosity about how this genre has developed, and that's definitely a point of the OGMMTVC. Not all past Thai BL shows are good, not by a long shot, and I don't recommend War of Y if you're watching dramas for pleasurable experiences only. (If you want to watch a GREAT drama that critiques the Thai BL industry, start with 2021's Lovely Writer, and I'll get more into this later.)

War of Y, directed by the chaotic Cheewin Thanamin and the I-am-assuming-to-be-misanthropic-and-indulgently-self-righteous-and-preening Den Panuwat, gave us 20 episodes of what I believe they thought to be groundbreaking critical art about the currently Thai BL industry. Let me set up an outline so that I don't spend too long on the bad stuff, and explain why War of Y does at least get an important mention (but not an official inclusion) on the OGMMTVC list.

1) What was War of Y about, how it was structured, and some quick high points, 2) Comparing War of Y to other pieces of Thai BL fiction that did a better job of critiquing Thai BL culture, and 3) A close-out reflection of Aam Anusorn's 2020 mini-documentary, BL: Broken Fantasy.

War of Y, as presented by Cheewin and Den, is designed to be a meta-drama of four chapters, all examining a specific aspect of the Thai BL industry. The first chapter, led by Billy Patchanon and Seng Wichai, focuses on two ship partnerships competing with each other, to the mental detriment of one of the older ship's celebrities; the second chapter focuses on two HORRIBLE warring managers; the third chapter showcases, in excruciating detail, god help us, a Y idol reality show, replete with singing; and the final chapter depicts the creation of a BL series and the rise of another super celebrity, whose career potentially gets derailed by his relationship with a female acting colleague.

Before I get into the few high points, I just want to say that this bloated structure (four chapters of five episodes each) did not do this drama well. It could have been edited down GREATLY for more succinct messaging. The other major issue I had is that the Thai BL genre -- as a romance genre itself, that demands romantic and coupled endings -- is just not the right genre to meta-critique the industry from which the piece of art comes from, not unless you're the screenwriter of Lovely Writer, who deftly managed some very complicated storylines into true art. There was no deft to War of Y. Couples got together in pandering and condescending ways, because that's how a Thai BL should end, right (?!); HORRENDOUS warring enemies suddenly made up with barely any context except to make money, and so on. I kept saying to friends during my watch that in a Den Panuwat show -- the worse you are as a character, the more likely you are to be redeemed for seemingly no good reason.

[Exhibits B and C in Den Panuwat's screenwriting record of questionable human characteristics? Fucking Only Friends and Playboyy. THE WORSE THOSE CHARACTERS WERE, THE BETTER THEIR OUTCOMES. Yeah, we really wanted those assholes to end well. ANYWAY. (I am committing to never watching a Den Panuwat show again. ANYWAY.)]

But there were a few high points. Actually seeing a Y idol reality show, something that international fans may not be able to appreciate with a lack of subtitles, was at least eye-opening for the inter-related nature of these kinds of shows, with some performers subsequently getting series gigs. (I understand that Santa Pongsapak, of My Own 12%, is an example of this kind of performer, who started out first as a music idol trainee.)

And the acting. Some of the acting was EASILY the best part of War of Y, as it very often happens in questionable Thai dramas: Billy (BILLYYYYYYYY), First Piyangkul, Dome Waruwat (who we most recently saw in Cooking Crush, and who absolutely SLAYED as one of the SLIMIEST, GROSSEST characters EVER, ohmygod), and

SENG MOTHERFUCKING WICHAI

(who will win one of the crowns as one of THE BEST FUCKING ACTORS IN THAI BL at the conclusion of the OGMMTVC project)

were easily the best reasons to watch War of Y. The range of Seng Wichai. It's ironic that he left Idol Factory last year, ending the BillySeng ship, and was then disgracefully treated like utter crap by the media and BL fans for the reveal of his relationship with Freen Sarocha. That, in itself, could make for a heartbreaking drama about the BL industry, but alas. We have War of Y instead. Seng is a motherfucking hero, and is also the KING of cringe, playing a horribly behaved actor who learns to overcome his insecurities to stand up against the advantages taken unto him by greedy managers.

We also had MANY wild and crazy cameos from real BL professionals in the show. @twig-tea and I agree that director New Siwaj's cameo was BAFFLING. He played a BL director (which he actually is) who maybe hated making BLs? (Maybe he actually hates it?) But still does it? And was mostly checked out of making the BL-show-within-the-BL-show, until he was called out about it, and then behaved like a good boy. Like. That cameo, along with a literally-evil NetJames and an even more inexplicable and weird literally-evil MaxNat cameo (wtf, that wasn't filled out AT ALL), were the really weird ones. The sad ones were ones like sweet NuNew Chawarin telling young BL guys that they have to sing (NO THEY DON'T). There was actual!Tee Bundit telling off Seng Wichai's character, that was rad. Director Lit Phadung of SOTUS and Dangerous Romance (😬) was there. Even the original novelist for Thailand's first television BL, Love Sick, was there, playing herself as Kwang Latika, who complained to a producer within War of Y that the show-within-the-show (yeah, I know) was taking her novel out of context. That shit sounds familiar! I could have used more accurate commentary on that.

The last high point that I can muster is that the show began to toe the line of the issue of actors needing to explore their sexualities for art's sake. As fans, we truly do not have much insight into this process, and I think it's for good reason, so as to protect actors (wherever they land on the sexuality spectrum) from very real, emotional, and sensitive processes and workshops that prepare them for taking on queer material. We know that actors like Nanon Korapat from Bad Buddy use Method techniques in their performances, and that can be mentally draining. Do I believe that some actor pairings experiment with dating, and may actually be in relationships? Yes, I must believe it, considering the psychological work these young men have to do to build attraction to each other for art's sake. The CEO of Korea's Strongberry studio confirmed as much earlier this year.

Unfortunately, I think War of Y leveraged these very sensitive realities to blatantly and flippantly indicate that ships can be ASSUMED to either explore sex with each other, and/or to even assume that they SHOULD be in relationships, à la the television BL romance formula that I mentioned above. I think this show could have transcended the romance genre formula, frankly, and I think the show came kinda close to doing that in the last chapter with First Piyangkul -- but not before setting up First's character, Achi, as a cheating monster-machine who was willing to go to great lengths to protect his fame, including outing his trans-female ex-girlfriend and co-star (YEAH, THAT HAPPENED), as well as separating himself from his ship and sexual same-sex partner while still indicating that they were dating. The whole storyline was just -- BLEH.

As I chatted with another fabulous BL elder, @twig-tea, about after I finished War of Y, clearly, Cheewin and Den thought they were intellectual geniuses upon the creation of this show, thinking that a BL itself would be a sufficient mechanism to offer meta commentary about problematic aspects of the BL industry (IT'S NOT). Twig wisely said to me that a writer or directly simply CHOOSING a topic to explore vis à vis a BL -- like a criticism of the industry itself -- is not, in of itself, worthy of laudation. And Cheewin and Den were CLEARLY expecting flowers by the end of this drama. If you've ever lived in smelling distance of southern California, you'll know that entertainment industries love nothing more than to talk about the entertainment industry, and that they think that fictional drama art is the best way to obsess over the vagaries of these industries (IT'S NOT). Instead, Cheewin and Den basically outed themselves as economic shippers and idiot faux-savants who are clearly in the game for fame, and maybe the dudes themselves, which -- BLEH REDUX.

On the OGMMTVC list, Lovely Writer does such a better job at covering the latent homophobia and judgments against actors within and external to the industries that take on BL. War of Y actually teed up a LOT of interesting topics, such as the BL-to-het-drama-and-studio pipeline that I talked about in my past OGMMTVC KinnPorsche pieces -- but these topics in War of Y just instead drowned in misanthropic meditations about fame, sex, and money that seemed far more suited to reaaaaalllly-bad Cinemax than, say, a proto-documentary.

The OGMMTVC syllabus also has YYY, from 2020, as a first entrée to BL-commentary-within-BL (and funnily enough, YYY also stars Lay Talay, who was the main anchor of War of Y, and was actually fantastic in both shows). YYY is a lot more succinct, CONCISE, zany, weird as HELL, incomplete, INSANE, not the greatest show, but HILARIOUS, simply in part because of its different and wonderful writers in Fluke Teerapat (a former BL actor himself) and Tanachot Prapasri. If you're looking for commentary about BL within wild-ass fiction (and if you're willing to watch it with shrooms or a fifth of vodka), watch YYY. (And remember that you're really watching YYY to watch Poppy Ratchapong eat his role of Porpla totally alive. Utter brilliance.)

Otherwise, as a means of complementing this review, I also watched 2020's non-fiction mini-documentary, BL: Broken Fantasy, by Aam Anusorn, another Series Y director who made the documentary, perhaps in part, to atone for past BL shows that he made, like 2Moons2 and Call It What You Want.

BL: Broken Fantasy featured interviews from directors, actors, and actual fans, about the nature of shipping, what the industry demands of actors, what fans themselves demand, and offered even a little bit of insight from two HUGE actors, Bright Vachiwarit and Win Metawin of 2gether and Still 2gether, about the process itself of young men acting in a queer coupleship.

The documentary is perhaps too short for its own good. And it sets up Aam as an unwilling participant within the BL industry, seemingly not knowing about what he was getting into when he first started making BLs (2gether's director, Champ Weerachit, also presents this way, which I found a touch disingenuous, as they were literally filming 2gether in the documentary).

But BL: Broken Fantasy hammered on a couple of important and real points. The economic benefits of shipping are HUGE. The sponsorship deals, the fame, the money -- they literally make young actors very rich and very well attended to. The fans EXPECT shipping performances, so that they themselves can situate themselves as caretakers or "mommies" to their young flock of boba-eyed actors that they worship. And for directors who want to earn money by making filmed art: the budding industry offers them that opportunity in growing spades. ( @lurkingshan will be happy to know that of all people, Aof Noppharnach, confirms to the documentary's audience that BL is a romance genre of love stories. As if there was any doubt, playa!)

At this point in time, in 2024, if I want a meta-critical understanding of the BL industry, and its many impacts on queer populations, fan bases, and Asian and global society, I'll go to Dr. Thomas Baudinette's Boys Love Media in Thailand and choose the academic route. We are SO LUCKY now to actually have tremendous academic discourse on the genre and its impact on media, fandoms, queer society, and global and regional acceptances of queer equity.

As opposed to the roads that academics are paving, War of Y allowed itself to bloat and gloat, on behalf of its creators, about their desires for shipping, for lavishing attention on beautiful young men, without offering us objective insight into the mindsets of these gentlemen who are important artists and creators in many of the shows we love. There needs to be a space for fair and objective criticism about an industry that may, at many times, take advantage of these young men. While there were many industry cameos in the show, the most frequent cameo was Den Panuwat himself. That enough should tell us what this show was ultimately really about.

[Well, as you can tell, I am fucking DONE with War of Y, laughing my azz off, and -- I'm off to greener pastures. I'm taking a cute and quick break from the OGMMTVC to devour Japan's anime version of Cherry Magic for an upcoming comparative (and totally self-indulgent) Big Meta on Thailand's and Japan's versions of that franchise. (And I have also been watching Fully Booked, AMA.) But I've got a long-awaited rewatch of The Eclipse coming up, to explore how GMMTV handled homophobia as a centered topic head-on, and from there, I go back to Idol Factory to watch Thailand's first GL, featuring the lovely FreenBecky, in GAP.

AND THEN: HOLY SHIT! FINALLY! My School President. I can't wait.

Here's the latest of the OGMMTVC list. If you've got any questions or comments about the syllabus, just mosey on over to this link and drop a comment my way!

1) The Love of Siam (2007) (movie) (review here) 2) My Bromance (2014) (movie) (review here) 3) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 4) Gay OK Bangkok Season 1 (2016) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 5) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 6) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 7) Gay OK Bangkok Season 2 (2017) (a non-BL queer series directed by Jojo Tichakorn and written by Aof Noppharnach) (review here) 8) Make It Right 2 (2017) (review here) 9) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 10) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (review here) 11) Love By Chance (2018) (review here) 12) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) (no review) 13) He’s Coming To Me (2019) (review here) 14) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) and Our Skyy x Kiss Me Again (2018) (review here) 15) TharnType (2019-2020) (review here) 16) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (OffGun BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (no review) 17) Theory of Love (2019) (review here) 18) 3 Will Be Free (2019) (a non-BL and an important harbinger of things to come in 2019 and beyond re: Jojo Tichakorn pushing queer content in non-BLs) (review here) 19) Dew the Movie (2019) (review here) 20) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) (review here) (and notes on my UWMA rewatch here)

21) 2gether (2020) and Still 2gether (2020) (review here) 22) I Told Sunset About You (2020) (review here) 23) YYY (2020, out of chronological order) (review here) 24) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (review here) 25) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 26) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For The Sake Of Rewatching Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (re-review here) 27) Lovely Writer (2021) (review here) 28) Last Twilight in Phuket (2021) (the mini-special before IPYTM) (review here) 29) I Promised You the Moon (2021) (review here) 30) Not Me (2021-2022) (review here)

31) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 32) 55:15 Never Too Late (2021-2022) (not a BL, but a GMMTV drama that features a macro BL storyline about shipper culture and the BL industry) (review here) 33) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) and Our Skyy 2 x BBS x ATOTS (2023) OGMMTVC Rewatch (Links to the BBS OGMMTVC Meta Series are here: preamble here, part 1, part 2, part 3a, part 3b, and part 4) 34) Secret Crush On You (2022) (review here) 35) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here)  36) KinnPorsche (2022) OGMMTVC Fastest Rewatch Known To Humankind For the Sake of Re-Analyzing the KP Cultural Zeitgeist (part 1 and part 2) 37) Honorable Mention: War of Y (2022) (for the sake of an attempt to provide meta BL commentary within a BL in the modern BL era), with a complementary watch of Aam Anusorn’s documentary, BL: Broken Fantasy (2020) 38) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 39) The Eclipse OGMMTVC Rewatch to Reexamine “Genre BLs” and Internalized/Externalized Homophobia in GMMTV Shows (watching) 40) GAP (2022-2023) (Thailand’s first GL)

41) My School President (2022-2023) and Our Skyy 2 x My School President (2023) 42) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 43) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) 44 La Pluie (2023) (review coming) 45) Be My Favorite (2023) (tag here) (I’m including this for BMF’s sophisticated commentary on Krist’s career past as a BL icon) 46) Wedding Plan (2023) (Recommended as an important trajectory in the course of MAME’s work and influence from TharnType) 47) Only Friends (2023) (tag here) (not technically a BL, but it certainly became one in the end) 48) Last Twilight (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as Thailand’s first major BL to center disability, successfully or otherwise) 49) Cherry Magic Thailand (2023-24) (tag here) (on the list as the first major Japanese-to-Thai drama adaptation, featuring the comeback of TayNew) 50) Ossan’s Love Returns (2024) (adding for the EarthMix cameo and the eventual Thai remake)

51) Dead Friend Forever (2024) (thoughts here) 52) 23.5 (2024) (GMMTV’s first GL) (thoughts here)]

[bomberqueen17]

The Witch King

This is not like, a coherent review or anything.

Yesterday I was just like possessed with anxiety nonstop the whole day and everything I did seemed to make it worse and i just like spun my wheels and I got some things done but mostly felt worse and worse and more and more stressed, due partly to external circumstances but largely, i think, to nothing in particular. And finally after dinner I was sitting on the couch comfortably and realized you know what, fuck it, I am not going to "try to write" and wind up refreshing tumblr and chatting on discord all night, not while I'm already fretting and stewing like this, i'm going to be miserable and probably get in a fight or something and i don't want that. Fuck it. So I went to the tab I already had open in my browser, which I'd had open for weeks but the time was never right, and I bought the kindle version of Witch King and read it right there in my browser, the whole way through, did not click away or put it down or move or do anything else, and you know what it was fantastic.

I'd read a preview and been like hm i don't know what this is about and read a couple of amazon reviews that were like this was really confusing, some of which concluded so i didn't like it and some of which concluded so i super liked it, and like, I've been a fan of Martha Wells since she put the Element of Fire up for free chapter by chapter on her Livejournal when the rights reverted to her in like 2006 or so, so I knew what I was going to get and also knew that I would not particularly know exactly what I was going to get until I got it, and I also knew I was going to enjoy the ride, but I hadn't wanted to read it in stolen or exhausted moments lest the "this is confusing" bits prove too much.

In the end I found it not in the slightest bit confusing, it was a very straightforward interspersed flashbacks storytelling technique that i thought suited the story beautifully (not to be spoilery but we join a character in medias res with an action scene and it's him trying to figure out who has betrayed him in a complicated political scenario, and in the process of unspooling this he has to revisit the site of where the complicated political scenario was first set up, some sixty (?) years earlier, so he's retracing his own steps and it's really well done I think, introducing new bits of history right as they're relevant to the current storyline-- and just fantastically done, not at all forced, completely natural and compelling, and no the reader isn't told anything they don't need to know but you do get everthing you need to know, there's no unneccessary coyness at all).

So anyway i loved that, and I hope there's a sequel planned but it stands alone just fine if not, I'm already figuring i'll alternate my rereads and do every other chapter each time, so I can do All The Backstory first, then All The Current Timeline story, and that's such a fun way to eke out many many many rereads of a story that like all of Wells' works I will reread until I have chunks of them memorized (anyone who has read my works surely has found whole undigested bits of hers bobbing around in there because I do this so much; I found the phrase weary past bearing in something of mine the other day and was like oh that's moon when ember first shows up i stole that whole emotion wholesale out of the third raksura book yes i did).

Little side notes: Love the aroace qpr vibes with Kai and Zeide, also sort of enjoy the lowkey genderfuckery that comes with a demon who has his own gender then inhabiting bodies that had different genders. Great magic system too, and I love that we first get introduced to how Kai's pain magic works as a like totally fait accompli chunk of didactic worldbuilding and then in a later chapter we get to see the flashback of him inventing it and understand why it works the way it does, that was also so well-wrapped-up.

Anyway-- Definitely recommend this one but probably it is best if you can do it like I did, in one big binge-read. It took me probably three hours and I was trying hard not to read it too fast.

Yeah. Anyway. People assume I'm a big reader. I was, as a kid. I am not now. This is the first new book I've read since probably the spring sometime. I don't casually read things i only read them if I'm going to add them to my Pantheon of Rereads, and that goes for fic too mostly.

[maniacwatchestheworld]

A quick guide to recent Harvey Dent media for new fans (aka Misha stans)

So you've recently become interested in the character of Harvey Dent. Who can say why. Maybe you're interested in getting into comics and he happens to be the one character that's caught your fancy. Maybe you're here because you've been watching this recent TV show and are curious to know more about this one adult guy in the main cast. He seems like a cool guy! Though let's be honest. You're probably a Misha stan who got into Gotham Knights because your boi is in it. Regardless of why you're here, maybe you're looking at this character and wondering what's come out with him lately and if you should check it out! So here! For your viewing/reading pleasure, a quick run-down on Harvey's most recent appearances and where you can expect to see him!

This post is very long, so strap in kiddos!

Gotham Knights

You're likely here because you've been watching this one, so I'll keep this brief. In this latest TV show, Batman has died and was revealed to be Bruce Wayne. A bunch of kids are the top suspects and are being accused by Gotham District Attorney, Harvey Dent. The kids now need to work together to prove their innocence and find the real killer.

I don't plan on watching this show, but Harvey Dent is being played by Misha Collins of Supernatural fame in this one, and it promises to really dive into Harvey's backstory. As of writing this, only the first episode is out, but what we have so far looks entertaining and has been well received by the Misha stans at least. Reviews more generally do seem pretty lukewarm on it though. I can't speak to its quality, but hopefully it's a promising start to what will hopefully be a good portrayal of the character! Who knows what'll happen!?

The Harley Quinn Show

This show is currently in between seasons, and I don't know when it's coming back. It's a show that focuses on Harley Quinn as she tries to become a top villain in Gotham. The first season is her trying to gain respect from the Legion of Doom after breaking up with the Joker. The second season is based off of the "No Man's Land" event that happened in the Batman and related comics in the 90's or something in which the American government decided to give up on Gotham after a disaster, and so Gotham's top kingpins took over the city. Season 2 focuses on Harley's efforts to kill off each of the 5 villains (The Penguin, The Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Two-Face, and Bane) that have risen to power in Gotham. Season 3 sees Harley not really wanting to pursue villainy anymore as she starts being in a relationship with Poison Ivy.

It's a fun show. Pretty funny, incredibly violent, and very gay! If you want to see a sympathetic Two-Face, this is NOT the place to find it! In this series, Two-Face sticks pretty true to his name and is a lying, backstabbing asshole through and through! But hey! The fact that he isn't dead yet when they've had every opportunity to kill him off could mean that they might have something fun planned for him in the future! Hard to say though. In any case, here's his latest appearance in the show as of the writing of this:

The Joker's wife almost takes a tire iron to his face and I love that for her lol. Two-Face a supreme asshole in this show. But he definitely does have lots of chances to be pretty funny. I think that he still has potential for development and storylines, but thus far he's been pretty one-note. It feels like a DAMN SHAME to not use Two-Face more given the direction that this show is taking, so I have hopes that they'll do something interesting with him soon. (Harley became Bruce's therapist and so the show may take a turn for more interpersonal character drama with psychology thrown in over superhero junk. Feels like a wasted opportunity to not capitalize on Harvey's storied mental health issues for that!) But for now, he's a great antagonist to Harley (and everyone, really), fun to watch for how much of an asshole he is, but isn't much more than that.

Task Force Z

So you've heard of the Suicide Squad before, right? Basically a lot of supervillains join a government taskforce to go on missions that no one else would take. They do the kind of dirty work that superheroes could do, but for whatever reason don't. And the villains that participate in this program get lessened sentences in exchange for their service on these missions. Yeah. So take that... But now it's with zombies. Undead Suicide Squad!

So in this comic, Two-Face recruits Jason Todd (who was formerly one of Batman's Robins but who now has the superhero identity of the Red Hood) to be the field leader of this special undead Suicide Squad taskforce. They have a way of bringing people back from the dead, so instead of getting lessened prison time, the supervillains participating in this program get another chance at life.

I've only read the first issue of this series so far, but I do honestly like what I've read so far. The series is over now, and it's recently been collected into 2 volumes, so it should be pretty easy to find to buy if you so wish! (I've also found both volumes at my local library too!) When it comes to Harvey in this series, honestly, the relationship between him and Jason seems to be a big highlight! Which honestly makes sense. They're both men who have made a lot of mistakes and want to be better. Both have violent pasts, have killed people, and struggle with being on the side of the angels, but are doing what they can to do what's right. If they work together, maybe they can finally be the good guys! Also Jason Todd is probably Harvey's favorite Robin since he's Robin #2, let's be honest. Too bad they're terrible at their jobs! The impression that I get is that their team is constantly dying because Harvey and Jason are both dumbasses and bad at their jobs. Thankfully they can bring their team back to life pretty easily, but they keep sucking at their jobs! The vibe I get from Harvey and Jason's relationship in this series is basically...

Harvey: Are you winning, son!? :D Jason: I fucking hate you, Dent! Harvey: ... I guess that's an improvement over, 'asshole' ... Little steps...

But hey. They're trying their best lol.

Here's the first thing with Harvey in it that I saw in the Task Force Z tag:

[Source]

(You see in the next panel that Harvey got Jason orange juice. Isn't Harvey such a dad!?) And honestly, if that doesn't make you smile just a little, this series probably isn't for you.

Honestly, this series just seems to be having fun with it and a good time. It doesn't seem to take itself very seriously, and that's perfectly good with me! If that's good with you, maybe check it out!

Batman: the Audio Adventures

So this is a podcast. It's currently on a break as of the writing of this. Season 2 came out, and at the end of season 2, it said that it would be returning in part 2 so like... On the one hand, it ended on a cliffhanger. On the other AHHHHHHHHHHH! So I hear that a part 2 is coming out but WHEN!? If you decide to pick this one up, just know that more is supposed to be coming, we just don't know when.

So the story for this... It's Batman but a podcast. What more needs to be said? But it is a very quality podcast! I've listened to a decent number of podcasts in my time, and this may just be the best podcast I've had the pleasure of listening to! It's funny, it's dramatic, it's well-acted, it has spectacular music, it's moody, the characters are well-written... It's just a delight all around! It's on the same level of quality as audio dramas that I've actually had to pay money to listen to, but for free on Spotify or YouTube or other places you get podcasts! And this may contain my favorite iteration of Two-Face and Harvey Dent.

The Audio Adventures somehow manages to make Harvey a character that you're simultaneously afraid of and afraid for! Harvey and his Associate are horrifically violent, and yet you can't help but to feel bad for Harvey. To my knowledge, they really capture the OCD experience well. You can really feel how much their compulsions control Harvey and how much he wishes he didn't have to be like this. His life is fully out of his control and he well and truly can't help himself. And his Associate just isn't helping. This is an iteration of Two-Face in which he has Dissociative Identity Disorder, has him be a villain, and yet somehow manages to not inherently demonize DID. Harvey's Associate is a welcome addition to the cast, and for once isn't someone that they're trying to get rid of! Harvey is simply tragic in this podcast, but is also immensely intelligent, and the way he bounces off of his Associate is just captivating to listen to.

If you like BruHarvey, or just want to see a piece of media that really zooms in on the tragedy of his character, this is a great one to go with! In terms of BruHarvey, there are some moments in season 2 that are choice. Just. Chef's kiss!

Here's a monologue that Harvey and his Associate have together about shoulder angels and devils. It doesn't have much of anything to do with what Harvey's going through in this season, but it does capture their characters well.

They are absolutely unhinged, and I gotta say that I love that about them <3

The Doom that Came to Gotham

This animated film came out like... Within this last month. I haven't gotten the chance to watch it yet and I don't know that I will because it contains a LOT of upsetting things! It's Batman, but with eldritch horror! This is an Elseworld's story. This film is basically an H.P. Lovecraft-style AU for Batman. So it takes place sometime in the 1920's, and Harvey Dent is running for Mayor of Gotham. And then lots of terrible things happen and before you know it, demons from another dimension are going through a flesh portal to Gotham to kill everyone. This is NOT a happy story from what I've heard!

If you want to see Harvey just... Suffering SO much, then this is the film for you! Congrats! Apparently it also has a handful of good BruHarvey moments in it though, so at least have that.

For a preview... Here! Just have Harvey crying! I feel like that's a pretty appropriate preview!

Batman (comic series)

So... In the current Batman comic book arc, Bruce Wayne has apparently gotten himself sent to an alternate universe where Batman was never really a thing (Bruce died young or something). And so now Gotham is controlled by a cabal of villains, led by Red Mask, Catwoman, and others including a drugged up and YOLKED Judge-esque Harvey Dent! Sounds like Gotham has become a pretty crappy police state that uses the Scarecrow's Fear Toxin and a police force drugged up on Bane Venom to keep people in line and send dissenters to the sewer. Bruce meets up with the local resistance and becomes Batman for them... Also Commissioner Gordon is a talking skeleton for some reason... >.>

I don't read the Batman comic series, so I can't personally speak to the quality of this current arc, but I've heard that it's been good! From multiple sources! Just not in regards to Harvey lol! Honestly, this Harvey looks a bit... Boring. Interesting idea, but the execution is looking kinda... Ehhhhh. Speaking of execution, in this, Harvey really isn't Two-Face. He seems to be taking after an idea that Batman: the Animated Series introduced of a Judge vigilante that murders people that he deems as guilty of crimes! :D I like the Judge and want to see them do more interesting things with him! Too bad that this might not be it... >.< But hey! If you want a 'roided up Harvey... For some reason... Here you go!

[Source]

An image of Bruce choking Harvey out because this is what their friendship is all about. u.u (Also Bruce calling Harvey a big boy just tickles me!)

Also Harvey does seem to recognize Bruce in this universe and is quite bothered by how a man has seemingly come back from the dead to kick his ass! So there is some implication here that Harvey and Bruce were still friends of some kind in this universe.

I'm not reading this one, but hey! If this AU idea sounds interesting to you, go ahead and check it out!

Detective Comics

So last but certainly not least, you have the comic series for which the company is named. Now this I actually have been reading! And let me just say, it's quality! Great stuff going on here! Basically they decided to make an Opera-esque Batman story. This current arc is titled, "Gotham Nocturne" and to put the story in as simple of a manner as I can... So the Arkhams (who built Arkham Asylum) descended from the Orgham family which are very powerful foreign dignitaries of some sort. The Orghams have come to Gotham City to gentrify the place to their liking so that they can rule over it unopposed. They are doing this through mind control brain demons, sentient songs, and are just generally trying to burn Gotham City to the ground right now, especially the poorer neighborhoods. Also Bruce is feeling old and has a bat demon from another dimension living in his brain right now. Also Harvey's been GREAT in this story so far!

So when you get a comic book, there will sometimes be a second, shorter story packed in with the main story that you bought the comic for towards the back of the book hence the term "Back-Up Features". Often these stories are unrelated to the main one, but in this case, the stories they've been telling in these back-up features relates to the events of the main one. And so Harvey and Two-Face got their own little story in the back-up features... And that story was excellent! Basically, Harvey has been forced into serving the Orghams against his will and is not very happy about it at all. He has no choice. If he tries to resist the Orghams, the brain demon that they gave him would melt his brain. But Two-Face is not effected by this brain demon and can do whatever he wants... Now if only Harvey would let him have control of the body... This story does a great job of unpacking Harvey and Two-Face's tense history together, and really gets at the heart of their conflict which ultimately culminates in them deciding to try and work together instead of against each other. And honestly, it's simply a wonderful story that addresses their plurality and shows that Harvey and Two-Face are important to each other and in fact need one another! In this story, their plurality isn't an issue that needs to be cured. It's a blessing in disguise and allows them to do things that no one else could! It's a deeply plural story that simply could not be told with a singlet and is everything that I want out of a Two-Face story! You can tell that this story cares deeply for plural people and wants to do them justice! It's a story that rejects the idea that Harvey should strive to live his life as close to a singlet as he can and embraces his plurality, saying that Two-Face isn't someone who deserves to be eradicated, but rather is a person that deserves to be understood and loved as much as any other human being!

[Source]

This story has so much LOVE for plural people and the individuals that they share their system with. And I genuinely hope that they feel it. It's wonderful and a Two-Face story like none other that has been created thus far for him... And that's a damn shame. It's a shame that there aren't more stories like this. And therefore it's a story that you should read! And this is just the back-up story! There's more good stuff in the main story! Two-Face killed a goddamn werewolf in the main story! :D

[Source] (That guy he shoots is a werewolf, trust me.)

And we're still in only the FIRST act of this Batman opera! We have a LONG way to go until the end of this story, and it promises to be incredible if the quality keeps up!

Sadly, Harvey may have departed from the story for now. After Two-Face saved Batman in the images above, and got Bruce fixed up a bit, Two-Face basically threatened Batman, telling him to leave them alone and that if he tries curing Harvey ever again, that he'll torture and kill everyone Bruce loves and then himself, and then he exited stage left. But hopefully he'll turn up again in the story! I hope he does at least! If he doesn't I'll be real sad and upset!

-

And so there you have it! Some of Harvey Dent's most recent appearances and where you can find some of the most recent stories he's in! Even if you don't end up checking any of these out, hey! At least now you know where you can look into the character a little more and know a little of what's going on in the Batman universe right now!

[fizziepopangel]

Yellowjackets Season 1 Recap & Review

Riddle me this: How would your life have been affected if you had not only survived a plane crash that ended with the deaths of several people, but also ended up stranded in the wilderness through the winter as a result? Yellowjackets is a dramatic tv series centering around just that.

Now, it's important to know that the events of the show switch between the past and present days of the characters we follow. I personally love media that does this because it does show how trauma works in the sense of flashbacks that put you back in the mindset you had in the midst of the original event, as well as how we think about past events that shaped us into our current selves. The then and now perspective of the show offers both understanding and questioning of the now we watch the girls now turned women navigate. While I enjoy that back-and-forth perspective of the show, I'll be reviewing one timeline at a time for the sake of making this easier to read and write. So let's get into a Fizziepop take on season 1 of Yellowjackets.

For anyone who hasn't watched the first season of Yellowjackets, this is your sign to do it as soon as soon as you get the chance

*WARNING: THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE SEASON IN QUESTION, I SUGGEST WATCHING THIS SEASON BEFORE READING.*

The Recap:

It's 1996, the Yellowjackets are a high school soccer team whose girls are going to nationals in Seattle... that is until their plane crash lands in the wilderness. While most of the girls survive this tragedy, most of the adults do not and the singular coach who does becomes an amputee after one of the girls takes charge of the situation.

After mourning the passing of the flight crew, and their friends and coaches, the girls eventually wonder away from the crash site in an attempt to find food and shelter. When the survivors of the crash eventually find an abandoned cabin in the woods, they take it over and begin trying to make the best of their lives given the situation they've found themselves in; their hope of being rescued dwindling as the days pass.

While each character has their own storyline, we only truly focus on those that we'll follow into adulthood, this being said, the characters we follow show not only their true feelings and insecurities, but also the lengths they're willing to go to keep themselves and their hope alive. A great example of this is the character Misty Quigley, the team's not-so-popular equipment manger, purposely breaking the tracker from the plane after the crash in an attempt to keep the survivors stranded because she felt valued when she was able to give her direction in first aide. Misty is portrayed as the odd duck of the group and therefore feels the need to be the center of attention and most trusted, valued member of the group, equating her almost forced popularity with the others genuinely liking her. In contrast, the character Jackie Taylor shows her true colors when she feels her influence and slowly begins to let her sweet, nice to everyone popular girl persona slip. On the other end of the scale, we watch as both Lottie Matthews and Taissa Turner slip into madness; Lottie's seeming to be a form of mental illness that she's no longer medicated for, and Taissa's being one due to trauma.

As the months go by, Lottie begins to take over as a leader under the guise of her believing herself to be more in tune with the earth and it's inhabitants and things greater than us that only she can seem to comprehend. Though this gives a sense of hope and security to a large part of the group as winter approaches and food becomes scarce, not everyone feels so comforted by Lottie's newfound status.

On the other hand, we have a different storyline intermingling with this as the events of the crash from their high school days follow them into adulthood in the form of an unnamed character that seems to be stalking 4 of the survivors. As the stalking continues, the former yellowjackets are forced to reunite and revisit the memories they tried to push down from '96. While the character haven't changed too much, it seems that their friendships dwindled after the getting home, most of them seemingly not having spoken to each other since getting home and getting back into some sense of normality; two of the girls even having families of their own now. But that all seems to be taking a sharp turn as the women are blackmailed, stalked, and forced to do what they feel they need to in order to keep their secrets safe.

The Review:

Getting into the review side of things, I have very few complaints about the series thus far. The characters are well written and don't seem to lose their individuality unless its relevant to their storyline (i.e. Misty feeling the need to be popular, Shauna feeling the need to try to mimic Jackie in ways in order to get out of her shadow, or Jackie trying to do what's expected of her to keep popularity prior to the crash). It was enjoyable seeing the different reactions to the crash both directly after and further down the line, and interesting to see the portrayal of Lottie's deteriorating mental health being portrayed as clairvoyance as some sufferers believe it is. In all honesty, I believe the writers have actually set things up for Lottie's character to have a genuine ability to understand these supernatural things she claims to, but as it is now, it could just as easily be a psychosis she's experiencing due to being without treatment for an extending period of time. Regardless, I believe Lottie's storyline has become one of the most interesting within the first season with Taissa's sleep walking being a close second that I hope continues to be looked into.

As I'm a big horror and gore fan, I was happy to see the wonderful death scenes portrayed so early on, but I wouldn't have been mad if there had been just a little bit more. After the plane crash and amputation of the coach's leg, things remain kind of tame for quite some time, which I believe is kind of a shame and a waste considering the setting of the 1996 scenes and how much the girls endure only to escape fairly ok despite the phycological effects.

Final Thoughts:

In the end, Yellowjackets is actually a good watch for those who enjoy drama that doesn't involve them and mysteries that keep you thinking as the plot thickens with each passing moment. Highly recommended for those who want to watch a series that is ongoing and need something to look forward to at the end of a long week as it is released weekly. I'm sure you'll be dying to see the new episodes the same way I was after finishing season 1.

[thoughtfulpaperback]

Charmed 2x12 Review SPOILERS!!!!!!

Okay let's do this. Sorry I skipped one but times are hectic. For entertainment I give it an 8/10. Same format. Dislikes, likes and highlights

Dislikes

1. Macy Kneeling to Abby.

Let's just get this one out the way. I can see where they might have been going with this.

They maybe are trying to move away from the ambiguous route with abby (trying to make her sympathetic with her whole patriarchy thing and her dead mom) I mean she is progressively becoming more predatory with Harry so with that in mind, this was possibly one of the "abby is really a bad person not a feminist as she is only out for her own gain and not the empowerment of all women". And I can get that maybe they were also trying to show "look Macy is willing to do the most degrading thing possible just for the chance at rebuilding that power of three/charmed bond with her sisters for the protection of the magical community".

But listen.....

We all know Abigael isnt a star feminist. We already know (although we dont exactly know) that she has some sort of plan up her sleeve to be weary of.

There has been too much attempted ambiguity and the main characters letting her get away with terrible things that the message isnt coming across.

Plus Maybe yes showing Macy being willing to do something that really probably hurt all of us (epecially those of us who are minorities) to watch, may have been to drive home the differences between her and Macy and play up Macy's love for her sisters

But like we know Macy and Abby arent similar (as much as you writers tried to play that up at first). And you know just adding more sister bonding moment and just the fact that Macy was willing to go to abby after all the previous stuff was enough to show she was desperate? Maybe just add more sister bonding moments so we can see how dedicated they are to each other?

Maybe? Just saying.

If the writers are finally going to commit to Abby being a full on villian then I guess the seen was worth cementing that she is horrible (sort of).

Here's my question though as I consider whether the scene was worth it. Who is this show for and what is it trying to show? I mean if it is for minorities and women then i can see how showing these historical and current issues (conflict of power and consideration among women where race is concerned) then I guess showing it and having that controversy makes sense. But like we live it.

As minorities we already know. I know I struggle between wanting my experience shown and also wanting to watch something where for once the minority characters arent subjected to that experience. Charmed did better at addressing controversy and women's issues in season 1. I dont care if it was "obvious" or "heavy handed" because when it is not you basically get the kneeling scene where you dont know what the point was, if it was necessary, and are left feeling hurt or bitter about it.

2. Hacy Kiss.

Listen Brenda/on, this is on my like and dislike list. I will mention what I dislike about it.

The first thing is that it was a fantasy. I mean yes I like that we get full on confirmation that Macy has romantic feelings for Harry and not just considering that she might have them, but I honestly hate the fact that they would tease us like that. Especially when Macy is at a low moment. Which I will get into.

They are kinda ruining Macy for me. Listen, at this point they havent given us enough insight into Macys feelings or thoughts to understand why she isnt pursuing Harry. We can speculate and infer based on previous seasons and some of what the writers or showrunners say on twitter, but this season itself hasnt done much in showing Macy's thought process and so it falls flat. It isnt her reluctance to let people in or not wanting to get involved with someone after Galvin since she does pursue Julian and gets serious relatively quickly. She, at least now we it is confirmed, has those feelings for Harry, but is still choosing to be with someone else inspite of those feelings. I hate that. Harry is obviously tempted by abby and is being naive with her, but he isnt pursuing her and has blocked her advances (except the kiss) so far which may change who knows, but the point is if Macy was just casually dating and enjoying Julian's company I would be like okay, still hate that she would lead someone on when she has feeling for someone else, but if its casual there is less of a chance of the other person being hurt.

I cant get behind Julian x Macy, not because of Julian (who so far is perfect and probably going to be a villian or some how connected to the villians because it is a common trope) but because of Macy. Julian x Macy isnt Healthy because Macy knows she has feelings for someone else. She is using him. That isnt to say she doesnt genuinely like or care about him, but at the end of the day she is using him. Which is crappy because Julian so far seems like a great guy and doesnt deserve being the "distraction". I mentioned this all the time but my least favorite love triangles are the ones where one person is using the other.

Healthy would be Macy and Julian being friends while she works through her feelings and then decides who she wants to be with. Not being with someone while having feelings for someone else.

Macy was shown in season 1 to be rational and could be rational to the point of compartmentalizing and coming off as cold. So maybe that is where they are drawing from, but again little effort has been made on the part of the writers to show what's going on in her brain other than that fantasy kiss. And again I am still like....okay so what does that mean in the long run you butts!!!

3. Helen's suicude

I am so iffy about how shows portray people completing suicide. Like on one hand I get that them showing her exercising free will, but suicide portrayed as a positive rather than a tragedy is just....ugh for me. I still am not sure how I feel overall about it.

Lore wise I hate that they use it to explain why Harry and jimmy couldnt kill each other, because in an interview rupert claimed Harry was immortal now because of the elder thing and the show said it in that first episode. So like are both true? So if harry tries to stab himself like Helen will he just end up back in the coffin and alive since she is immortal?

I mean we are 12 episodes in and have about 10 to go so we really should be working towards a cohesive lore and storyline not adding confusing or not well explained layers. The world building they did in the first half was a lot better which makes me wonder what they heck is going on in the writing room.

Likes

1. Parkerita

Let me explain. While I fancy Jordan x Maggie together. I'd prefer that be a slow burn and steady friendship first. Parker seems to be Maggie's first love. It makes sense that she is still grieving and holding on. While I kind of wanted to be done with Parkerita in fairness to all the season 1 romances that where tossed out, I like the nod to Phole. I felt the OG Phole relationship was not healthy, but I liked the tradgedy of it. I think if new Charmed wants to wrestle with that and do it better (although my faith in the writers is low right now) then I wouldnt be against it. I love a good tradgedy and I sat through Phole so I'll sit through this one.

2.Hacy kiss

I love that the writers finally did something to show us what is going on in Macys brain. I need more (not necessarily Harry fantasies but I wont complain if we get more of those). I do hope a real Hacy kiss is a bit different because one one hand the fact Macy wanted to kiss harry when she was feeling down says something to me about how she feels about him and that she still trusts him (but it could, If I wanted to be cynical, just be more evidence that Macy skews towards using people when she is repressing or feeling down although she didnt actually kiss him, if she had I think I would have not liked it in that particular moment given it would have felt more like using him that expressing feelings)

Highlights

1. Abby really thinks no means maybe 😒 . . .

2. Mel is a lesbian magnet and I'd be fine with her just casually dating while all this other crap is going on as long as she is happy

2. Helen

3. These horror movie vibes though!!