#i know this is a pretty optimistic take on tom's character and i understand if it may seem unrealistic to some

[romanticoutcast]

Now that you somehow mentioned it I’d love to know how you’d see tom and his personality evolving, like how he would behave 8-10 years later(whether it’s in a canon or non-canon setting)! Bc i have my very own interpretation of late-teen/young adult sawyer and I love to know other opinions abt this kind of stuff— (btw I already read and loved some of your fanfics (those where he isn’t ded lol) so I have an overall idea but i love annoying ppl)

okay okay so...i have a LOT of thoughts about tom’s personal character development both in canon, and what it might lead to in the future.

this is all gonna seem like an unnecessary summary of tom’s character, but it’s all leading up to a point i sWEAR LMAO.

i think conspiracy could serve as a huge catalyst for tom’s character development, among other things. throughout the sequel novels, he continued to worm his way out of situations he deliberately put himself and others into multiple times, mostly by his own cleverness, while always making a big show of it. the more he proves himself in the public eye, the more he wants to do it again and becomes willing to create dangerous problems just to do so. he shows the town time and time again how smart he is, how special he is, how promising his future will be. in conspiracy, tom doesn’t impress the town in court with his detective skills, like he’s done so often before. it’s not another opportunity for him to show off, the way he wanted it to be. instead he makes himself look like a liar when confessing his harebrained schemes, because everyone knows none of it makes any sense at all, and so far tom has been nothing but a beacon of intelligence and common sense in their eyes. he becomes speechless and cries about all the ways his stupid mistakes have made jim suffer, and he’s gone too far this time to fix it. he humiliates himself publicly. just as tom’s rise to glory in st. petersburg was always a public matter (like he tried to make it), so is his downfall.

he got such a big head from all this past “”success”” that he truly believes it’s impossible for him to fail. once he does, he panics, loses all of his self-assurance, and tries to get jim out of the trouble he got him into the fastest, most straightforward way possible. tom, the one who is constantly lording his intelligence over huck’s head and scolding him for being a “saphead,” desperately tells huck that he wishes he had just listened to him instead of going after glory, that he was an idiot for playing with fire. it’s obvious that the events in conspiracy have taken a huge toll on tom’s arrogance and pride, and one can only hope that he won’t mess up the same way again after this.

warning, this take on tom’s character has a LOT of sawyerberry. another catalyst for tom’s growth could be huck leaving st. petersburg. i think it’s safe to say that although tom loves huck as his best friend, he takes his friendship for granted. huck needs to get out of town, find himself to gain more confidence and make relationships outside of tom so that he’s not so codependent on him. tom needs to realize just how much huck doesn’t need him, how much huck can thrive outside of st. petersburg and without tom. huck has always been a compassionate, generous person, and tom needs to become more appreciative of all the traits he dismissed before.

also, huck influencing tom to think outside of society’s set of rules that he, for the most part, is so stuck in. huck influences tom to adopt more abolitionist sentiments. strictly speaking in a romantic sense, the realization that tom might have feelings for huck causes him to go through the very long, difficult process of struggling to accept what he feels and decide whether he’s going to stay inside his comfort zone, where it is safe, or leave it and everyone inside. him realizing he just might be part of a marginalized group of people, a group of people that a christian town like his would find the feelings he feels, that he didn’t ask for, despicable, could be a huge wake-up call.

basically i feel that through nothing but fate (and huck) humbling tom a LOT could he go down a much better path than if he just continued to make a great name for himself all the time in st. petersburg. always staying within the comfortability of his hometown and having everyone inside of it think so highly of him all the time isn’t a challenge to tom’s worst personal flaws. going against the grain of society alongside huck just might be though.

in the end i just think of a young adult tom as someone who is still too proud at times for his own good, still gets wound up too easily over good literature. but instead he moons over books within the strict safety net of his brain. he’s just as clever and cunning and capable as he has ever been, but through years and years of reflection and the very difficult process of bettering himself, he decides he doesn’t want to go to the country’s greatest law school, or become judge thatcher’s apprentice, or president! he doesn’t feel the need for the same glory he used to!! he just wants to be with huck, and so they live in a humble house on the countryside, where they’re afforded some privacy.

he’s still himself, still a somewhat deeply flawed guy. but he’s trying to be better.

[everybody-loves-purdy]

Gonna sound mean but srsly, just bc some of you don't see the misogyny in this series or Nightheart’s thing itself doesn’t mean it isn't there. He's a shining example of the bad gender double standards in WC, where shecats are often pushed aside in story settings in favour of toms、 rarely getting the plots/story beats or whatever male characters do、or how shecats are villainised for things toms never are.

I firmly believe that if Finchpaw was the one going through all this、she'd be portrayed as unreasonable and immature in a way Nightheart never was. Ofc this is an assumption、but a pretty reasonable one when you look back on stuff like the whole Frecklewish controversy or just any other example of a shecat being punished for things a tom never would be in the same situation.

Reminder that Squirrelflight & Leafpool of all cats were almost sent to where the DF while Ashfur was chilling in StarClan. Or that Brightflower was originally said to be sent to the DF for experiencing anger over her kits dying out of all things、so shecats are sentenced to he11 for having emotions but toms get into heaven even after attempted murder、treason、attempted usurpation、& all that.

I think I'm justified in saying Nightheart is not experiencing nearly as much shade that if he were a shecat or if a female character was in his place.

I could go on bc there's really no room to doubt or argue about WC being misogynist. Seeing ppl excuse this feels kinda rude at this point. There's proof staring ppl in the face and they still feel the need to deny it、like the same kind of subtle sexism isn't a rl thing ppl experience or something that can cause negative affects on the fandom if we all decide to ignore or make excuses for it.

Sometimes I wonder if the reason why ppl keep defending it is bc those calling it out are often women themselves :/ I like to hope not.

I completely agree that the series is misogynistic at times, just earlier during the day you sent this ask I was discussing how I agreed with Sunnyfall’s video. Bristlefrost is a shining example of how misogyny is still impacting the series. And I do think you are right about the way Finchpaw would be treated if she was the one to have this character arc instead.

Although, currently, I do personally think that Nightheart’s story itself as it currently is in canon isn’t misogynistic. That could certainly change as the arc goes on. I know people take issue with Sparkpelt not being the one to have this arc in AVoS, but the truth very likely is that the Erins didn’t think of this specific character arc all those years ago, and so didn’t withhold it from Sparkpelt on purpose just to give it to her son later on. And given the Erins’ own explanation of why Nightheart is specifically affected (him being named Flame-) I can understand why they chose him over his sister. Could Nightheart have been female and it not changed anything (so far)? Absolutely, but the other two protagonists of this arc are female, and personally I think having Nightheart be the first male warrior descendant of Firestar’s “legitimate” bloodline (as in he and his direct line weren’t born as the result of a scandal) is a good aspect in even if it isn’t addressed in text (since he would be the first male warrior of this lineage since Firestar himself).

That’s just my take on it anyway, and it could definitely change as the arc goes on. But honestly for now I feel that overall once the six books are over, Nightheart might end up having the least going on unless something new is introduced. Currently ShadowClan has 3 very interesting build ups going on for female characters and Frostpaw has really interesting things going on in her life. I could end up wrong on this, one of these characters could end up wasted like Bristlefrost was, or done injustice like Frecklewish was since those happened so recently. But for now I’m going to try and remain optimistic that the Erins might learn from their mistakes and do better from now on, even if I am aware that optimism may be misplaced.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

IOTA Reviews: Truth

Hey. Hey guys. Remember when I said I was feeling optimistic about this season? God, that was funny, wasn't it?

Let's just... Let's just get into the actual first episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season: Truth.

We start off with Gabriel repairing the damaged Peacock Miraculous, which also restores Duusu's sanity, before he quickly gives it a test run by transforming with both it and the Butterfly Miraculous.

And good lord, the result looks atrocious. This is the design for the new and improved Hawkmoth? First off, the peacock feather eyepatch looks stupid. Is he trying to be the Phantom of the Opera? When Mayura had the same thing, it didn't completely cover her eye and matched her color scheme. It just doesn't match with this new design here. Other than the feather, the peacock aesthetic is barely visible here. The most we get is a peacock feather pattern on the back of his jacket. And then there's the popped collar and coattails, which only look more ridiculous than menacing. What made the original Hawkmoth design work was how sleek it was. It was simplistic, which reflected Gabriel's no-nonense personality. This just looks gaudy and unnecessary. How was this right after the amazing suit the animators gave Dragonbug?

So after Gabriel designs another stupid looking outfit, we cut to Marinette, who's still trying to figure out how the Miracle Ball works. She accidentally opens it, letting the Kwamis out, who wreak havoc on her room because Marinette suffering is going to be a big part of this episode. This just raises the question: Why can't Marinette simply order them back into the box like Su-Han did, or rather, is going to do? It's still not established what gives the Guardians authority over the Kwamis in the first place.

Two of the Kwamis accidentally start a video chat with her friends, leading to some more Unfunny Marinette Slapstick. But Alya thinks something's up with her friend.

Has Marinette even told Alya she's already in a relationship? Like, at all? It feels like all Alya is there for now is to remind the audience that Marinette and Adrien are “meant to be”, even if they're both in relationships right now. It's either that, or teasing Marinette over her crush and doing nothing to help her anxiety.

Marinette accidentally ends the call, before Luka calls to thank her for the pictures of Adrien one of the Kwamis accidentally sent him. Yeah, even though he barely appears in this episode (barring his scenes at Cat Noir), they're going to talk about Adrien a lot. Marinette continues to stammer around Luka (once again making fun of people who have speech issues), but Luka, being the ray of sunshine in any abysmal episode he's in, is completely understanding of it. He also sets up a pretty funny joke.

Apparently, Marinette missed her last date with Luka yesterday to see a movie that was re-released, Crocodile Heart, that was actually Jagged Stone's first movie. I wonder if it's connected to Crocodile Dundee.

While walking to the movie, Luka and Marinette play a game finishing the lyrics of a Jagged Stone song, establishing the former as a huge fan of the rock star. Before we can actually get an on-screen kiss for Lukanette, Mr. Pigeon attacks yet again, because I guess he's the first villain Hawkmoth wants to use in his new form.

Cat Noir sneaks up on Ladybug, causing her to accidentally throw him off a building before catching him, chastising him for the stupid jokes, yet Ladybug has to apologize for missing patrol with her partner, who casually acknowledges her new status as Guardian before the two go and fight Mr. Pigeon.

By the time they defeat him, the movie ends as Marinette gets back, disappointing Luka. We then get a montage of Marinette bailing on Luka multiple times to stop Akumas and Sentimonsters. To his credit, Luka is seriously torn up by all the times Marinette leaves him, showing he isn't just a calm soul.

After Marinette gets back, Luka takes her underneath a bridge to listen to the echoing sound of the water. Luka says that he never knew his father, and he would always go here to relax whenever he got stressed. He uses this to segue into asking Marinette where she constantly disappears to. He doesn't pressure her or anything like Alya, and he even says that if she still loves Adrien, he'll understand. He only asks for the truth. Unfortunately, Marinette can't tell him the truth, which just breaks the poor boy's heart.

Hawkmoth, now calling himself Shadowmoth, sends out an Akuma and an Amok for Luka at the same time, corrupting a guitar pick signed by Jagged Stone that Marinette gave him. And again, to Luka's credit, he fights back against Shadowmoth's influence at first, saying he trusts Marinette, but the temptation of knowing the truth is too good to pass up. He tells Marinette to run before being akumatized into Truth, assisted by the Sentimonster Pharro.

Truth's design is... pretty forgettable. The guitar pick being prominent around his neck is a nice touch, but it's just a generic black bodysuit with light blue highlights, and he has a third eye instead of a visible mouth. Pharro is also pretty boring, just a giant eye that freezes people in place so Truth can use his powers to make them tell the truth.

So Truth goes back to where everyone else was hanging out before he was akumatized and asks Alya to tell him the truth about Marinette.

Yeah, he's right, Alya. That's what you believe. We're supposed to treat Alya saying Marinette loves Adrien as an unbiased source. Truth asks Rose, Mylene, Tom, and Sabine what Marinette's secret is in this episode, and they all say she's in love with Adrien. That isn't actually the truth. It's like asking an atheist if there is a God. You know what they believe is the truth, but you don't know if that answer is actually the truth. Why not have them reveal other secrets about Marinette, giving the audience subtle character details? Like the writers could make someone say stuff like she still sleeps with a nightlight on, or that she secretly gets cookies from another bakery.

You know what also would have worked? Instead, have Truth catch Marinette before she transforms into Ladybug, ask who she actually loved, and then she'll blurt out Adrien's name, shocking both her and Luka. This could also make Ladybug's confidence in herself waver throughout the episode, wondering if she actually loved Luka at all. That would have been much better drama than what we're going to get instead.

Ladybug charges in to stop Truth, but is zapped by his truth ray, meaning she'll be forced to tell the truth when asked any question. Before she can admit her identity, Cat Noir saves her by retreating with her into the Seine, before reassuring Ladybug that he wouldn't force her to tell the truth by force. It's a nice bit that does show he respects Ladybug's secret, a far cry from his behavior in episodes like “Syren” and “Frozer”. Truth turns his attention to his mother Anarka, and asks who his father is.

Yes. Seriously. This is happening. Luka's father is actually Jagged Stone. I have... mixed feelings regarding this development, but my biggest question is, well... they're doing this now? They couldn't save this for another episode? I mean, was focusing on Luka and Marinette's relationship (something that had been established since Season 2) not good enough of a plot for the writers? Why shoehorn in this plot development? Why not save this part as a teaser for a future episode? You know, have Luka walk home, and remember what he made his mother say as Truth, setting up an episode focusing on his relationship with Jagged Stone.

But no! Instead, we're just supposed to go along with the plot taking a detour. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't want Jagged Stone to appear in this episode.

Truth heads over to the hotel where Jagged Stone lives and asks him if he's actually his father, the latter admitting that Anarka was right. Truth naturally isn't happy.

Well, to be fair, it's still a better title than his first drafts, like “It's Not My Fault the Condom Broke”, or “Up Yours, I'm Not Paying the Child Support, Bitch”.

Honestly, I can get what the writers are going for, and I like the idea of them trying to give some depth to a character who was mostly used for comic relief in earlier episodes. The problem is, as much as they want to portray Jagged as regretful for walking out on his family, it still doesn't excuse him for never even bothering to check in on his children and their mother while writing a song about it. He doesn't even bother to give some money to the person he knocked up.

I'm not saying a conflicted relationship like this can't work in animation (a decent example being Steven Universe slowly growing to resent his mother for her time as Pink Diamond and believing his birth was an excuse for her to avoid responsibility), but you need to put more emotion into this. I don't come from a broken home, but if it turned out my dad was, let's say, “Weird Al” Yankovic, even if I enjoy his music, I wouldn't be happy that he decided to come back now of all times without so much as a “hello”.

Truth goes to Marinette's house/bakery, and starts looking for Marinette's diary to find out her secrets. It's almost like the minor plotline that he has a deadbeat dad was only there to eat up airtime. Ladybug is still affected by Truth's powers, and not long after she summons her Lucky Charm, Cat Noir is zapped too, so he starts asking questions that basically amount to complimenting certain qualities he and Ladybug have. When Ladybug asks him what he thinks about her being Guardian, Cat Noir says nothing's changed between them. It's a nice strategy, very reminiscent of when they had to talk in rhyme when fighting Frightengale. I'm also glad they aren't trying to play up Cat Noir not feeling as important immediately now that his partner has access to top secret information.

Cat Noir Cataclysms Pharro, but rather than destroying the Sentimonster, it causes it to go out of control, accidentally paralyzing Truth with some manipulation from her and Cat Noir. Ladybug then de-evilizes both the Akuma and Amok, defeating Truth.

Marinette struggles to find the words to explain things to Luka, but he says that he'll be waiting for her when she's ready. While walking back to his houseboat, Luka runs into Jagged Stone, who promises to write a song together with him. Because I guess Shadowmoth was kind enough of him to not erase that part of his memory. And of course, Luka just accepts this despite the fact that Jagged was absent from his entire life.

So according to this show, you shouldn't bother to give mean people a second chance, but it's okay to give your deadbeat dad a second chance without harboring any negative feelings? I'm sorry, but I just don't see the point of shoving in this subplot if you're barely going to do anything with it before coming to a resolution. If there was more detail put into it, like if Luka just angrily lashed out at Jagged for abandoning his mom, I would have been more open to it. But in the end, this major character revelation is nothing more than filler the episode doesn't need.

We cut to what I'm surprised doesn't happen at the end of every episode given how much crap she gets, Marinette crying in her bed, saying it's too dangerous to have a boyfriend thanks to Shadowmoth. One of the Kwamis apparently doesn't know what crying is, so Marinette asks them to give her a hug, and the showrunners really need to find another song to play at the end, because the upbeat song playing doesn't go with Marinette crying at all. Imagine if this song played at the end of Deep Space Nine's “In the Pale Moonlight” when Captain Sisko confessed to basically being an accessory to the murder of an alien ambassador. It'd be tonally jarring, wouldn't it?

Even the ending image doesn't feature Luka and Marinette together. Instead, he's hugging it out with Deadbeat Stone like everything's okay.

So yeah, that's how the episode ends. In case you couldn't tell, I thought it was awful.

Remember in my New York Special review, where I theorized that Astruc rewrote it to focus more on Adrienette to stop people from shipping Lukanette? I have another theory that I also want to be taken with a grain of salt. I think this episode might have also been rewritten a little to follow up on that. I mean, why else would Astruc spend two seasons building up Luka's relationship with Marinette only to rip it away the episode after they officially get together? It would also explain why it feels like there's two separate episodes going on with how shoehorned in Jagged Stone is.

But other than that, this episode managed to screw up the one thing I was actually looking forward to about this season, seeing Marinette together with Luka. Even if they were going to break up, I was hoping there would at least be a character arc for Marinette where she realizes what she truly wants in a relationship isn't with Luka, leading into a relationship with Adrien where she feels more confident in herself. I was at least hoping their relationship would last more than A SINGLE EPISODE.

In fact, remember that tweet Astruc made soon after the New York Special, defending Marinette and Adrien essentially cheating on Luka and Kagami respectively?

What exactly was so complicated about Season 4 when you're immediately going to break up a couple you spent two seasons building up? Astruc's predictions are about as accurate as Uri Geller.

And then there's the fact that all everyone talks about this episode is Adrien. Marinette's wall is covered with pictures of him, Alya thinks her friend's abnormal behavior is because Adrien's in the room with her, Luka somehow knows Marinette loves Adrien and is actually cool with it, and everyone else thinks that it's her biggest secret. How convenient is it that all of this happens when barring his scenes as Cat Noir, Adrien doesn't appear in this episode barring a five second cameo?

When I was writing this episode, I saw a tweet Astruc made addressing a question someone posed, asking why Adrien didn't get as much screentime in the recent Shanghai Special. He said that “history does not revolve around him”.

For the love of God, writers, just give Marinette a plotline that doesn't revolve around her feelings for Adrien for once. People already started to get sick of it halfway through last season. Either have her confess and make the Love Square canon, or stop letting it dominate the main story for once. Why can't the writers just let her move on from Adrien for more than a single episode? Give her a goddamn break already.

I once again have to ask: what was the point of building up a relationship between Luka and Marinette since Season 2, if you're just going to break them up the second they get together? Why make a big deal about Marinette's conflicted feelings for both Adrien and Luka if you're just going to ignore her feelings for the latter in favor of the former? And remember, chronologically, this was right after the end of Chloe's “damnation arc”, another plotline that had been built up since Season 2 only to be aborted in favor of “sUbVeRtInG tHe AuDiEnCe'S eXpEcTaTiOnS”. It feels like the writers are trying to punish people for getting emotionally invested in any storyline that doesn't relate to the holy pairing that is the Love Square.

This episode is just frustrating to watch. Part of me knew Marinette and Luka were going to break up, but I didn't think it would be this bad, and it would be so soon. I'm glad they're on somewhat good terms, and I liked the buildup to Luka realizing Marinette might not trust him, but the timing of this episode is what baffles me the most. Is it any wonder I think Astruc may have rewritten this episode?

If any Lukanette shippers need to recover, I'd recommend checking out @mc-lukanette​. They have some wholesome one-shots and fix-it fics for some of the weaker episodes of the series. In fact, she already wrote a fix-it to this abysmal episode that’s so much better than what we got.

[motownfiction]

will: 54, 73, 78

daniel: 80, 53, 38

lucy: 54, 75, 76

very obsessed with the fact that there are no doyles in this ask … daniel marrying sadie does not make him a doyle!

for ✨will✨

54. does your OC think with his/her head or heart?

will thinks with his head, but it’s all about what makes sense to will. it might not resemble someone else’s (lucy’s) logic … it’s just his. if will believes that wearing red will help him to pass a math test, he’ll do it. it might be absolutely bizarre to the person across from him, and even then, he simply does not care. will also cares about making sure that things are just so. he wants things to work as they’re intended to, while other people (lucy) just want things to work. he’s also the kind of person who will not follow a rule if he doesn’t understand why it’s a rule, but if he understands it, he follows it like a hall monitor on a multi-cam sitcom.

73. what is your OC’s favorite form of entertainment?

you know, i think will likes movies! he doesn’t necessarily seek out, like, art flicks or anything. but he likes going to the movies, and he likes tentpole/event films in his teens and twenties. now that he’s older, of course, his tastes have sharpened and refined. but will saw star wars like thirteen times in the summer of 1977 when he was ten years old. i can also see will liking action/adventure films in general … he really, really liked mission: impossible when it debuted in ’96, but he had to act like he hated it because of how big of a hit it was/how often it was quoted and parodied in other texts/tom cruise in general. i don’t think he liked top gun, though. i think he was too busy raising a two-year-old child and going to college.

78. what is your OC’s favorite time of day?

will is an early-evening kind of guy, especially in the summertime. it’s when he feels like his muscles can relax, and he can really take a good, long breath. he’s a lot more stressed than he’s willing to admit, so the early evening is good for him. he probably won’t admit this or anything, but “in the cool, cool, cool of the evening” is sort of his unofficial theme song. i love him

for ✨daniel✨

38. how does your OC react to/handle stress?

if you are ever stressed, daniel deluca is the guy you want on your team. he’s almost incapable of feeling it. even in the most stressful, hectic, and simply awful of times, he can find a way to be relaxed and optimistic. he just breathes through it. you’d think he would be terrible in a crisis because he has such a gentle nature, but he’s not. he can lead you out of any stressful situation. something clicks for him when he gets into hot water. he’s like ice – the coolest person any of his friends will ever know.

53. what is the health of your OC?

i think daniel is in pretty decent health, actually. he’s a pretty decent athlete. short kid runs fast to avoid (potential) playground bullies who were mean to him simply because he was the shortest kid in class. he doesn’t get sick very easily, which might have something to do with his (slightly) overbearing mother taking incredible care of daniel and lola whenever they were even remotely ill. he knows how to cure a cold in 6-8 hours because linda knew how to cure a cold in 6-8 hours.

80. what is your OC’s favorite dinosaur?

this is so funny … i don’t picture daniel as having been a dinosaur kid, but like, out of all the kids, he’s the most likely to have gone through that phase. he’s probably super basic and likes the t-rex. except it’s almost definitely because of some weird reason, like he relates to having short arms.

for ✨lucy✨

54. does your OC think with his/her head or heart?

come on. you know lucy thinks with her head. that’s, like, the center of her character. it’s the reason she’s so difficult to get along with. she’s blunt, ambitious, and viciously organized. there are some people in this world who don’t even think she has feelings (she does, but she’s only comfortable expressing anger because it’s the toughest and most righteous emotion). lucy thinks emotions are dangerous distractions, and if you’re not thinking logically, then you’re not thinking at all. she makes the “right” decision, even if she knows she’ll be in pain. her whole philosophy is that no matter the decision you make, you will have regrets, even if it turns out great. it’s not a pessimistic thing – just a realistic one. but in that case, you might as well do what make sense. that’s her philosophy (and mine, lmao).

75. what is your OC’s favorite scent?

lucy would never admit this to anyone she didn’t trust with all her heart, but she’s a little obsessed with bath and body works. she worries it’s frilly and distracting, and yet, she loves it, anyway. her favorite scents are the ones that remind her of desserts (specifically cookies and cakes) and fruits (cherries, strawberries, and raspberries). but i feel like elenore bought her a bottle of champagne toast soap a few years back, and she’s been obsessed with it ever since. so, she likes stuff in that vein, lol

76. what is your OC’s favorite animal?

easy – lucy loves lions. she, too, wants to be the king of the jungle. sometimes, if only in her imagination, she is.

[bobbystompy]

91 Quotes I Enjoyed From 2020

Below are my favorite quotes from 2020. Though most occurred throughout the year, some took place before but were encountered during.

1) “You don’t have to be new to make new.” - Rick Rubin

2) “He put the beat on and go to sleep then wake up with a verse.” - The Lox

3) “Every opinion is bad.” - Blink-155

4)

(via Twitter)

5) “At the start of every disaster movie, there’s a scientist being ignored.”

6) “Be brave enough to suck at something new.”

7) “Comedy is the only job you can have where you can use everything you know” - Robin Williams via Dave Chappelle

8) “What’s the worst swear word where you live?” - Josiah Hughes

9) “Cookies are a really great way to get everybody to like you for a short period of time” - YSAC

10) “The worst dancer at a wedding is the one who’s not dancing.” - John Mulaney

11) “I never saw the end of the tunnel. I only saw myself running out of one." - Kobe Bryant

12) "A good movie begins as you're walking out of the theater" - Ethan Hawke

13) “When I was young and starting in cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart which is, 'The most personal is the most creative.’ That quote was from our great Martin Scorsese.” - Bong Joon-ho

14) “Run to the rescue with love, and peace will follow” - River Phoenix via Joaquin Phoenix

15) “Thank you -- I will drink until next morning.” - Bong Joon-ho

16) “Men will bury their emotions for decades and then take it all out on children tubing while they drive the boat.” - @krauter_

17) “They help you with the dumb face stuff, but they don’t tell you how to fix it” - Adam (Nate’s friend), on having older sisters

18) “We all had our connections, but it’s not the details themselves that matter, it’s the feeling behind them. There are a million coming-of-age tales. Lady Bird’s secret sauce is how deeply its creator gave a shit. The older I get, the less I care about anything but the sense of a filmmaker’s personal connection to the material. It doesn’t matter what it’s about, what genre it is, or whether it’s genre at all. I only really care that it feels like something the filmmaker had to tell me, and that it was that filmmaker in particular who had to tell it. It has to answer the ‘why are you telling me this’ question, and not just why are you telling me, but why are you telling me.

Lady Bird is a movie that feels like only Greta Gerwig could’ve made. And it’s only because it’s so specific to her that it can be so meaningful to so many people.” - Vince Mancini

19) "I have cast some lonely votes, fought some lonely fights, mounted some lonely campaigns. But I do not feel lonely now.” - Bernie Sanders

20) “Ever hear a Beatles song you haven’t heard before?”

21) “Drinking is an emotional thing. It joggles you out of the standardism of everyday life, out of everything being the same. It yanks you out of your body and your mind and throws you against the wall. I have the feeling that drinking is a form of suicide where you're allowed to return to life and begin all over the next day. It's like killing yourself, and then you're reborn. I guess I've lived about ten or fifteen thousand lives now.” - Charles Bukowski

22) “You shouldn’t have to hear a band to know if they’re good or not” - Josiah Hughes

23) “I was raised by OGs.  Some of you were raised by IG.  I understand.” - Ice-T

* * *

[Here is where I note the line of demarcation that was the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the US, pushed forward by Tom Hanks’ announcement, the NBA and NCAA shutting down, and, then, the nation itself.]

* * *

24) “There are decades where nothing happens, and there are weeks where decades happen.” - Vladimir Lenin

25) "Taken together, this is a massive failure in leadership that stems from a massive defect in character. Trump is such a habitual liar that he is incapable of being honest, even when being honest would serve his interests. He is so impulsive, shortsighted, and undisciplined that he is unable to plan or even think beyond the moment. He is such a divisive and polarizing figure that he long ago lost the ability to unite the nation under any circumstances and for any cause. And he is so narcissistic and unreflective that he is completely incapable of learning from his mistakes. The president’s disordered personality makes him as ill-equipped to deal with a crisis as any president has ever been. With few exceptions, what Trump has said is not just useless; it is downright injurious." - Peter Wehner

26) "Epidemics have a way of revealing underlying truths about the societies they impact." - Anne Applebaum

27) “A funny thing about quarantining is hearing your partner in full work mode for the first time. Like, I’m married to a ‘let’s circle back’ guy — who knew?” - Laura Norkin

28) 

(Jojo Rabbit)

29) “The world ends when you're dead. Until then, you got more punishment in store. - Deadwood: The Movie

30) “All bleeding stops eventually.” - Deadwood: The Movie

31) “Our Father, which art in heaven… / Let him fucking stay there” - Deadwood: The Movie

32) “It’s like a power outage, but we still have power” - Ryen Russillo, on the pandemic

33) “Whenever Sox baseball returns, it’ll be weird to not have Farmer on the call any more. The relationship between a fan and longtime announcer is always built in the little moments. One afternoon, he’s the soundtrack as you clean the garage. On another night, he’s your bookmark for the game as you stand in line for churros or walk down the ramps at Sox Park to try for better seats in the 100 level. A voice like Farmer’s becomes so familiar that you only really notice when it’s no longer there.” - Kevin Kaduk, on the passing of Ed Farmer

34) 

(via Twitter)

35) “In my songs, I try to look through someone else’s eyes, and I want to give the audience a feeling more than a message” - John Prine

36) “Observe everything. Admire nothing.” - Generation Kill

37) “Trump, by that definition, has always been a wartime president -- always willing to sacrifice people he doesn’t know to things he only sort of cares about” - David Roth

38) "Whenever they speak Michael Jordan, they should speak Scottie Pippen." - Michael Jordan

39) "Fiction is a bridge to the truth that journalism can't reach." - Hunter S. Thompson

40) “Airlines sending me “we’re in this together” emails. When my suitcase was 52 pounds I was on my own.” - Mike Dentale

41) “Sometimes you can be the worst source of your own story” - Ryen Russillo

42) “Family is not necessarily blood, but instead who you would bleed for.”

43)

(via Twitter)

44) "This is the deal that Jordan made, knowingly or unknowingly — that he would trade everything he had for everything he wanted. And then, when he won all those things, he found that he had nothing but that.” - David Roth

45) “I’m brand loyal, but the brand doesn’t matter” - Caitie Miller, on why she doesn’t like generic peanut butter

46) “NOBODY shitposts Gene Hackman!!” - Mark Dehlinger

47) “When a man concludes that any stick is good enough to beat his foe with—that is when he picks up a boomerang.” - G.K. Chesterton

48) “You can be appalled forever, but shocked only once.” - Jeff Weiss, on early Eminem

49) “Whether I’m pessimistic or optimistic, the fight’s the same” - David Simon

50) “Freedom can never be completely won, but it can be lost.” - Bernard Simon

51) “Racism in America is like dust in the air. It seems invisible — even if you’re choking on it — until you let the sun in. Then you see it’s everywhere. As long as we keep shining that light, we have a chance of cleaning it wherever it lands.” -Kareem Abdul Jabbar

52) “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist -- we must be anti-racist.” - Angela Davis

53) “Start as close to the end as possible” - Kurt Vonnegut, on creative writing

54) “You can’t stay woke all the time — that’s insomnia.” - Dr. Cornel West

55) “No, I get it. I’ve dated a lot of Geminis.”

56) “The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” - John Krakauer, Into The Wild (via Tyler Keller)

57) "I couldn't show them my For You because it's pretty much just lesbian stuff and depression memes" - Maggie Loesch, on showing TikTok to her coworkers

58) "It's 1 a.m. in Slovakia and I've already had one bottle of wine and I don't know how long this press conference will go, so good luck to me." - Marian Hossa, following his NHL Hall of Fame announcement

59) “All I want in life is to go on an Anguilla group trip” - Mandy Gilkes

60) “You miss old friends when you don’t see them, but you miss them more when you do.” - Chuck Klosterman

61) “The only way to appreciate the present is to pretend it’s already the past.” - Chuck Klosterman

62) Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth Until they've faded, but trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back At photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked

(”Everybody's Free [To Wear Sunscreen]”)

Second time that essay’s been quoted on this list.

64) "I mean, it's just human nature to suck up to the people above you, crap on those beneath you, and undercut your equals” - Brian, Family Guy

65) “You never quit a job. You quit a manager.” - Brian Bedford

66) “All the pictures in my house are of people I’m not friends with” - Tracy Cunningham

67) “In order to leave something behind, you have to leave.” - Dr. Herman, Grey’s Anatomy

68) 

(via Twitter)

69) “You can obsess about death if you don’t have to obsess about dying.” - Brendan Kelly via “White Noise”

70) “If it’s right to do, it’s wrong to wait.” - Andy, doorman 

71)

72) “When I'm sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court] and I say, 'When there are nine,' people are shocked. But there'd been nine men, and nobody's ever raised a question about that.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

73) "America is mostly people who’ve never left their state saying we have the best country in the world." - Billy Wayne Davis

74) “A writer is someone who knows at least 80% of their writing sucks.” - Gabe Hudson

75) 

(via Twitter)

76) “You’re dead twice” - Brendan Kelly

77) “Perfect is the enemy of good” - Voltaire (via Zach Lowe)

78) “I don’t want to be a savior, I want to be a mirror.” - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

79) “I get bad Twitter FOMO but not real life FOMO. That just goes to show I need to get off the Internet.” - Josh Thomas

80) “Is there anything you love in life that you engage with seriously that you don't also engage with humor?" - Sam Sutherland, on his relationship with Blink-182

81) “My favorite genre of music is my friends' bands" - Josiah Hughes

82) “Let’s fall in love like both our parents aren’t divorced.”

83) “Seabiscuit may be the only earthling that was on both sides of the stamp.” - Brendan Kelly

84) “There’s no shame in coming in second, except in, like, wars.” - Family Guy

85) “I feel like I experience writer’s block 100% of the time, and when I do write, I have impostor syndrome.” - Phoebe Bridgers

86) “We teach based on what we most need to learn.” - psychologist on Grey’s Anatomy

87) “Having too many choices is the leading cause of stress” - Grey’s Anatomy

88) “I think we've all gravely underestimated the extent to which this year has changed all of us, permanently” - Kelli Maria Korducki

89) 

(via Twitter)

90) “I wonder if people understand why they don’t have polio” - Sandra E. Garcia

91) “Ending songs is terrible, so let’s keep singing” - Dave Hernandez

[incorrectcats]

MY OPINION ON CATS 2019

This is going to be long...

Before saying anything else, I want to say that I went to the cinema feeling optimistic and prepared for any change there could be in the plot, the characters, the music and the numbers in general. So, yeah, I prepared myself beforehand for all the things that WON’T match he 1998 movie. Because, yeah, for best or for worse there’s no such thing as canon in Cats.

And remember: no matter your opinion, behind this movie there’s real people with real feelings, and you’re no one to insult their hard work. Even if you don’t like the movie, please be respectful and always keep in mind that celebrities are people too and they can suffer if they read your nasty or rude comments. Be kind.

NOW, THE SPOILER-FREE REVIEW:

I loved this movie.

I could just say that and leave, honestly. It made me cry, it made me laugh and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Of course, there are some things I didn’t like, but overall, I love this movie.

In my opinion, it contains all the magic and fantasy of the musical, but with new elements. The music is amazing, it’s new and old at the same time (I swear I was smiling like an idiot with every new song).

The choreographies, even if they weren’t my fav part, had a lot of amazing points and it shows how talented is the cast. Speaking about the cast: I LOVE THEM? It’s lovely how much the enjoyed making the movie and how much effort they put in it. I’m so thankful for this and, honestly, it was an absolute pleasure to watch. I genuinely love this movie and I can’t wait to watch it again.

THERE MIGHT BE SPOILERS AHEAD, BE CAREFUL:

I’m going to start with the things I just didn’t like and then move to other aspects I enjoyed more:

Straight to the point: Jennyanydots and Bustopher Jones were, as I expected, a comic relief. I didn’t like some of the jokes and the kind of humour but, in the end, I enjoyed Rebel and James’ performance.

Misto not saying “Presto!” not even once is something I’ll never forgive. I’m HURT.

The choreography… It was, in my opinion, very sharp and harsh. The movements were too precise and not as fluid and elastic as cats movements should feel. However, I understand why, because the same choreographer that choreographed 2016 revival worked in the movie, and I got the same feelings from 2016 Cats. A very Blankenbuehler-ish choreographie, lol. Anyways, there are some amazing dance moments (Skimble’s number, Frankie and Robbie in general… I loved them)

I’m not who to judge but I don’t think Tom Hooper is the best director for a musical. Sns, he does some weird shit that sometimes won’t let you enjoy the choreographies as a whole. Anyways… I’m no one to judge his work ;;

There are more things I missed (Jelly, Demeter being important lol, some parts of the songs and other cats singing the songs of the “contestants” …) but I think I’m done with this part.

Honestly… All the background cats looked almost he same. It was impossible to tell them apart, and that made me really sad ;;

OKAY, THE THINGS THAT MADE ME CRY 7 FUCKING TIMES THOUGHOUT THE MOVIE, lol joking, these are the things I like (although I did cry 7 times):

CASSANDRA, I LOVE YOU. She stole my heart and I’m in love now. She lowkey takes Demeter’s part at some points but… I love her. Wow.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Yeah, I know, I know: I’m being biased again. BUT HEY, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THE SONG??? THESE SMOOTH ASS FUCKERS KILLED. That jazzy and cool vibe… I’m so in love omg, this number exceeded all my expectations and I’m SO happy……… And them collaborating with Macavity KILLED ME. I love them so much and I’m so happy with their portrayal in the movie.

Overall, I liked the songs? The feeling was very different to 1998 movie, but I still loved the versions. They're like... More like today's music? I don’t know, but I enjoyed them a lot. I was expecting a little more energy from our boy Tugger, but I’ll talk about it later.

I love how the characters look, fuck it, the CGI department had worked their asses off and the designs are pretty cool. I can’t even imagine how hard must be to create and animate all that fur and all the details (whiskers, ear hairs…). Victoria’s new designs is stunning and I’m still crying over it.

Jennifer Hudson left me heartbroken omg, Grizabella. But I feel that her redemption has less strength bc Victoria already accepted her before Memory.

Taylor Swift KILLED ME, guys. I’m dead rn, writing from the afterlife. I was impressed by her number and, honestly, is one of my favourites. I loved all the concept of Bombalurina co-operating with Macavity and Teazer and Mungo helping her.

SIR IAN MCKELLEN

Beautiful Ghosts? Absolutely gorgeous. I was so moved by that song and Francesca was incredible.

Random things:

About Tugger: he reminded me of Tyler's Tugger more than John's. You know? Younger, less of a star and more of a brat lol

ALL THE THING GOING AROUND BETWEEN VIC, MUNK AND MISTO? AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT NOTICED IT?

SAME FOR VIC AND MUNGO AT SOME POINTS??? AAAAAAAAH.

AND CASS, DEM AND TUGGER????

AND CASS AND MUNKUSTRAP???

Damn, the ships, sorry.

Talking about Munkustrap, MAAAAAAAAN I really liked him in the movie even if he’s less of a good boy than normally lol

Tuggers riffs during Misto’s song, I’m still laughing about it. (Misto’s song gave me mixed emotions, ngl… I still don’t know if I liked it, but Misto is a baby).

SKIMBLESHANKS STOLE THE WHOLE SHOW AND IS THE BEST NUMBER. I SAID WHAT I SAID.

Dame Judy Dench breaking the 4th wall and saying the “Dear little cat” thing. I’m still crying.

AAAAAND I think this is it for now. I’m probably forgetting a lot of stuff but, yeah, if you want to discuss, my dms are open!

[blue-mint-winter]

ST Voy s4e20 Vis a Vis - Paris-centered ep about him going through some sort of a crisis, he’s clearly unhappy with his life and has a lot on his plate, so he escapes into his hobby of tinkering with 20th century cars to cope. An alien with a new engine needs some help from him, but it turns out that the alien is a shapeshifter that steals people’s identities and DNA. It was both amusing and slightly horrifying to see what the imposter does with Tom’s life, because on one hand he was abusing everyone’s trust, on the other hand he counted it would be easy and it wasn’t because of Tom’s numerous duties that he couldn’t perform well. Everything ended well, but I think B’Elanna should be more horrified that she allowed some fake creeper to kiss her and do who knows what else.

s4e21 The Omega Directive - Very interesting episode in which a secret Starfleet protocole is activated that’s more important than the Prime Directive! Janeway has to destroy a molecule before it makes warp travel impossible. What makes this work is just how serious this ep is, the stakes are very high. I liked how Chakotay convinced Janeway to work with everyone instead of going off alone with just Seven on this mission. The complete secrecy was less important than dealing with the threat together. Also, the conflict between Seven who wanted to stabilize and preserve the molecule and Janeway was sharply portrayed. Things were tense between them, but they reached balance and understanding. Also, the beliefs of Seven and the Borg were explored, with their search for the molecule which means perfection to them. All in all, excellent ep.

s4e22 Unforgettable - Bland love story between Chakotay and a woman from a species that others forget after several hours after contact. I didn’t like the guest star, she seemed too perfect and calculated, after all suspicious aliens trying to take advantage of Voyager’s good will I was expecting she was lying about the whole love affair and just wanted to use them to get away from her pursuers. But the writing in this ep just wasn’t that deep. Amnesia can be a fun trope in romance stories, but here and with these characters it couldn’t work well. It’s just not good for a oneshot. If an established character had an amnesia and it was a whole character arc across several eps or even a whole season, that could be interesting and well explored. One ep about another species just can’t do that. What I mean is that this trope needs emotional investment in characters from viewers. The best thing about the ep was Neelix giving some good love advice to the local love guru Chakotay. Lol.

s4e23 Living Witness - I thought this was a Mirror verse episode, because everyone was out of character, but instead it was a different twist. Thankfully. 700 years in the future a historian of a race called Kyrians finds a backup module of the Doctor and finds out that the history of Voyager he knew is a lie. The ep tackles the interesting issue of revisionist history, how much of it is interpretation to suit current needs. The two conflicted but coexisting races blamed Voyager for genocide in their history to keep peace between themselves. At first, the Doctor just wanted to clear Voyager’s name, but things spiralled out of control when the riots started. In the end, the historian convinced Doctor to go through with exposing historical facts so that the conflict can be resolved at last. I think this ending to the episode is very optimistic as Kyrians seemed very stubborn about the version in which they were victims and martyrs. However, it’s quite a clever story.

s4e24 Demon - Voyager is low on deuterium and they stop at a Y-class or Demon-class planet to mine some or they’re going to shut down. Kim finally grew a spine and starts speaking up and taking initiative, even getting back at Paris. Personally, I think it’s the result of his continued exposure to Seven, not some kind of epiphany. I enjoyed the predicament and the twist in this ep, it was a little predictable if you know Star Trek, but it was still pulled off very well. Also, Neelix and Doctor having that argument about Neelix and 3 others sleeping in sickbay was pretty amusing.

[bigskydreaming]

Just heard about Tom King’s explanation for why Bruce hit Tim in Batman #71, and its gross and stupid and awful and IMO probably just backpedaling and something he worked in after the fact when he got hit with a ton of backlash he didn’t see coming because he didn’t think it was that big a deal when he wrote it. As far as I’m concerned, its still abuse apologism, because coming up with a make believe in story justification for why Bruce hitting his kid wasn’t really what it looked like, even though it very definitively was meant to look like Bruce hitting his kid, like...hello, that is very much the essence of abuse apologism. God, I can’t wait for him to be gone.

That said, I know people are celebrating Tynion taking over, but I’m still extremely wary on that front, and I’d like this to be talked about more, given the EXACT things fandom is most holding against King, myself included, and all with very good reason. Because I have DEFINITELY not forgotten Tynion’s bullshit inclusion of BOTH Tim AND Damian hitting Dick at different points in Batman & Robin Eternal, simply because they were pissed at him, and him making no attempt to defend himself or call them out for this, and then with Jason eagerly trying to bond with Tim over this moment and being gleeful about it and comparing it to his recent punching of Dick in Grayson #12 and like, wanting to talk about how good it felt to deck the Golden Boy.

Because it was NO different, and it drives me nuts that Tynion’s writing is so positively regarded because fandom is more than happy to forget about those instances since it goes hand in hand with the tendency to gloss over things other family members do to Dick. And again, let me be clear, this in NO way is meant to lessen, invalidate or take away from the very justified and rightful criticism of King’s writing of Bruce and Tim, its simply a plea for people to BE CONSISTENT WITH THIS STUFF, AND NOT JUST BASE IT AROUND WHETHER OR NOT IT HAPPENS TO A CHARACTER YOU LIKE.

An older brother passively letting his younger brothers all hit him and get away with it and make no attempt to EVER raise it as a criticism or point of complaint against them, because its a kind of apology for upsetting them each to the point where they wanted to hit him, like. That is STILL abusive as hell. It doesn’t matter that he’s the older one, because abuse isn’t about set ages or positions or anything like that. Its simply a dynamic. Its the exploitation of a power or advantage one person has over the other. In each of these cases, it was the exact same dynamic...the power that was exploited in each of those scenes, that the brothers all had and Dick has never been shown having a comparable advantage, is that Dick was desperate for his brothers to forgive him and get past their issues with him, and he was willing to do or allow anything to see that happen, and Jason, Tim and Damian were each very much aware of this tendency and desire of Dick’s, and at no point was it ever framed as if any of the three had any expectation or care that Dick might retaliate or hold this against them. This is an abusive set up, its shitty, bad writing for a family, and not calling it out as such is shitty, bad writing and bad takes and abuse apologism.

This isn’t meant as a bash Jason, Tim or Damian thing, because that would require accepting this as part of their family dynamic with Dick, and I DON’T. Its a terrible dynamic, it should be regarded as such, and pushed back against and called out rather than ignored or normalized. Every bit as much as Bruce’s abusive actions at times are called out. If people don’t want to validate these scenes’ existence at all, I can understand and empathize, but as I’ve said in past posts, the problem I have is with the willingness to engage on the topics and instances of Bruce being abusive with Jason or Tim but then any mention of similar shitty scenes between him and Dick at MOST reduced to ‘and he’s punched Dick a couple of times’ before swiftly moving on. BE CONSISTENT. That’s all I’m asking. 

What King wrote was shit. He should be gone. I’m glad to see him gone. It should be addressed. It should get all the fix-it fics. I’m glad to see it get all the fix-it fics.

I’m just extremely unsettled by the cheers for the return of a writer who wrote THE SAME DAMN KIND OF SHIT in one of his most acclaimed instances of writing the Batfamily, with no mention of these exact same kinds of scenes, dynamics, and bullshit explanations or lack of followup and accountability....from either canon OR in fandom responses to that canon, potential fix-it fics, etc. The fact that in Tynion’s case, each and every one of those scenes happened to revolve around the character that fandom most frequently glosses over being the butt of his family’s bad writing or worst tendencies, like....its not a coincidence, its like pretty much the entire heart of my constant harping on about double standards and inconsistent criticisms of hugely charged topics such as abuse and abuse apologism.

Again, I DON’T want to see it validated that everyone in Dick’s family is apparently fine with hitting him when they’re ticked at him. I just want to see it validated that this is a thing that has been written more than once into canon, and normalized into more than one fanfic. With no resulting trend of fix-it fics that either tackle addressing these instances, revealing they’re a problem, discussing why they’re a problem, or rewriting those dynamics entirely so that this problem never exists in the first place...the way fandom produces fix-it fics and headcanons for the times other Batfam characters are the ones victimized.

Tynion has written some good stuff. Far more than King has ever managed. But I’m still extremely worried about HIM of all people, being the follow up to King, given the specific nature of most peoples’ issues with King and his writing.

Because when Tynion has written the exact same kind of bullshit, with like....no real sign of pushback or criticism from fandom and readers saying hey this is bullshit, this is NOT the kind of family dynamics we want to see...

There is absolutely no reason to hope or be optimistic that Tynion won’t pull the same crap again and think nothing of it....because unlike with King, nobody’s making enough noise about how this is crap and writers should think twice before writing it!

Just to be perfectly 100% clear, that is the ONLY real point of this post. This is not a waaaah, Dick has it so much harder than everyone else, it is not an attempt to make it a competition, it is not an attempt to take anything away from Tim or the reactions fandom had to what happened to him, this is simply me being worried about seeing more bullshit happen to yes, admittedly my favorite character here, but specifically because we’re going into a new run written by a writer who’s already established a tendency to write this kind of dynamic in regards to the kind of scenario where Dick feels he has stuff to make up for and his family has reason to be angry at him, with fandom largely agreeing....given that y’know, we’re talking about that very same writer now about to take over at a time when Dick will once again only JUST be returning to his normal self as Nightwing and Dick Grayson and a member of his family....with him most likely being poised to feel he has stuff to make up for and his family has reason to be angry at him, with fandom largely agreeing.

Like, do you see why I’m concerned about that particular combination of things, especially when added to the supreme lack of mentions these moments of Batman & Robin Eternal got the first time around? 

And given that all the issues people have with Ric Grayson are quite likely to be transferred right back over to Dick the second Ric disappears for good, even though all their criticisms and complaints are more accurately attributed to the actions of someone who’s been pointed out to essentially NOT be Dick Grayson, as in that’s the entire premise of the story.....much like how all the issues people had with Spyral and Dick’s faked death landed solely on him at the time, even though all their criticisms and complaints were more accurately attributed to Bruce’s canon actions?

Just saying, as much as I hate King’s writing of Batman #71 and his followup to it, at least its been a relief to see that hatred validated and reflected across the board by all parts of fandom, even those of us who aren’t Tim fans first and foremost. Its crap. We all agree its crap. Nobody’s saying otherwise. Just like with Lobdell’s bullshit with RHATO #25. I never WANT to have to read about abuse within the Batfamily and ensuing abuse apologism but it really really really helps when fandom’s largely on the same page about it being what it is and saying in no uncertain terms, hey, we don’t want to see this shit.

Just...please, please, please don’t make me sit through months and months of abuse and abuse apologism in canon and fandom if history repeats here again, just because ‘well at least its not King’ and because its happening to Dick instead of Jason or Tim. That’s all. That’s literally my only point and concern. 

[unordinary-analysis]

Episode 145

Honorable mentions:

Was it just me, or was john’s edginess this episode so much more electrifying than usual. I don’t know, i’m not sure if “edginess” is the right word, more like he’s being like such a snake and those are my favorite type of characters. The ones that know they hold the strings and take full advantage of it. God, that’s the best

John has so much potential to be the tom riddle of unordinary if he just stopped instinctively slapping and yelling at everyone that pissed him off like really bro?

It feels really weird to see submissive arlo

I’ve recently realized that we are nowhere near the end of Unordinary as a story because the ultimate climax is going to be that drug company, ember, and invisible guy because those were introduced in the beginning and have been peppered in so far, you can tell that it’s going to be the final boss

For some reason now, I'm like hyped to see a tiny, evil (I’m kind of picturing a mini john) Terrence shoot

But like seriously, i want to see what’s happening now get so hyped up, this big war between hierarchy and vengeance, but then it just like zooms out and you realize that it’s all been pretty insignificant. I don’t really know what I’m saying, but I know it’s likely I will sit down to write a whole ass theory after this. Not even a theory, just like a hype post lmao.

Also want to make a for and against post about the hierarchy I don’t know

John’s a little whiny bitch ain’t he

But a manipulative whiny bitch recently, and I live for that. It’s so weird to compare him to how he was at the start of the comic...

On one hand, I don’t know whether I’d like the repetition of a john and Remi fight because he’s really fought everyone and we know he’s going to win, but then i just want to see black lightning

It’s been too long since I’ve seen Arlo’s barrier please it adds on to my lifespan, uru-chan

John in the middle of a deserted alley like “oop you don’t want people to see you fighting me”

None of you can understand how much I want Blyke to figure it all out. Like pleeease show the readers and the characters what he can do, that he’s not just a fighter. I know this is where you’re going uru.

Honestly, Blyke is going to be (I’m optimistic) such a great king.

“What’s he like when the abilities he collects wear off?” Is that foreshadowing

Is it too much to ask that Blyke didn’t think anything of John’s muscles other than ‘damn he’s hot”?

I’m so sorry for not having an actually section for that ending, but I don’t really have any solid theory, I’m just excited

Like, everyone’s wondering if Blyke finally figured out who Joker is, but literally how would he have recognized it from John in a tank top…??

One of the top comments said “Blyke you smart ma***.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN. WHAT IS “MA***”??????? What kind of swear is that…? (sorry it’s just bothering me)

Was gonna procrastinate this, but it was such a good episode, I couldn’t god this is why I started writing these

John vs. Arlo:

    God, even though this conflict is more flattering towards Arlo, I can’t help but side with both of them. Arlo is that classic redeemed douche that you can’t help but root for, the one with understandable morals and his logical brain yesss. But then there’s John with his snakey behind-the-scenes controlling (lmao i already talked about this in the honorable mentions). I don’t know. Just know the dynamic is phenomenal (dynamic is everything, always remember).

    You know, I have to say I am disappointed in a small way at the way this scene played out, though it didn’t end as bad as i thought it would if that happened. I was expecting John and Arlo to come to some sort of compromise. I thought at least Arlo would have figured out a way to stop John from defeating Remi. I’m sad because of two big reasons. One: kind of repetitive and a waste of a scene, if i’m going to be harsh. We’ve had loads of scenes where John gets away because of what he holds over Arlo’s head and I wanted something different so bad. I thought it would be different because Arlo apologized this time, but nothing really progressed or got accomplished in this scene. Two: neither of the characters acted any different than they had. I know that Arlo apologized, and that was intriguing in the start, but when John got annoyed, he went right back to aggressiveness (which is completely understandable, but just so overused). John, obviously, acted very much the same, or at least had the same mindset. Only new development there was that he showed Arlo that he knew how everything worked and knew the places that Arlo couldn’t hurt him (am I being clear enough?), but I mean, he’s always been about intimidation. *sigh.* I really only enjoyed this scene because of how powerful and in charge John acted. Not like, he was on top, but more like he was aware of how to use it. Different from just bossing people around, but I was getting a small bit of old Arlo from him, and I loved that kdhfksjfh.

    I have to say that I don’t fully understand when John says, “With this, you’d be sabotaging yourself even further (about Arlo being seen fighting John).” Like… boy. Arlo isn’t really looking for support from the students. That won’t help him and yet the threat works. I don’t know. Lmao do neither of them realize nobody likes Arlo anyway? Not like that would help. A bunch of low-tiers ain’t gonna be able to take John down, it’s a canon fact. I don’t know…

Isen’s theory:

Also, Isen’s theory is at least partly wrong because someone said that when Cecile and John collected the powers, he didn’t look at them, yet he used them, so I don’t really know what’s going on about this. I’ve already posted this on this account, but whatever 

[arecomicsevengood]

On Alan Moore’s SUPREME

It is an understatement to say we live in interesting times. These are chaotic times, and I hope we survive long enough to learn from them. I do not know how they will be remembered. I only know that I do not believe that hindsight is 20/20. Rather, nostalgia has distorting effects that render eras in caricature. I know this because while people often look at things and say “hey, remember the nineties?” with this quasi-ironic tone meant to pigeonhole things according to a handful of superficial traits, I actually feel like I do remember the nineties, and they were not that, but they were very far from where we are now.

I recently tracked down collections of Alan Moore’s run on Supreme via my local library. Supreme was a character created by Rob Liefeld at Image. Liefeld and Image are both prime examples of what people think of when they think of “1990s comics,” though their influence continues to this day, maybe stronger now than it ever was then. The backlash against this stuff that followed, which involved a great deal of nostalgia, that you see in things like Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ Kingdom Come, or Kurt Busiek’s Astro City, is, I would argue, way more definitive of the era, in that there was maybe a “square” or defensive reactionary tone that seems more out of step with the modern moment, maybe because they essentially “lost.” Moore’s Supreme is about comic book reboots, and comic book history. It’s pretty nostalgic, but it’s also one of the more optimistic Alan Moore comics: The reaction against the superficial Image work also included a rejection of the “grim and gritty” aspects of Moore’s eighties work.

These Supreme collections are out of print, which is weird. While new stories continue to be told set in this universe Rob Liefeld created, but I think it’s pretty widely acknowledged that Moore’s comics were the best things to come out of there, the stuff where the ideas make the most sense, where there’s material that can be expanded upon. I know Brandon Graham took material from Moore’s work for his Prophet run. The recent Warren Ellis/Tula Lotay Supreme: Blue Rose derives from concepts in Moore’s run. It’s vastly tonally different, aiming for some sort of slow-paced Solaris vibe of mystery, which Moore’s run explains in such a way that it feels like Ellis’ run would have less of a reason to exist were his source text widely available.

I read Moore’s first issue at the time of its release, and was not that into it. When I think of the comics I was into at the time, I understand why: Thinking of Mark Waid/Humberto Ramos series Impulse, or Christopher Priest and Mark Bright’s Quantum And Woody, the emotional connection I had with those books as a reader is basically impossible to imagine anyone having with Supreme. I don’t think Moore was interested in doing that: I think he was trying to crack “nineties comics” and was seeing a bunch of dumb garbage it was very easy to think mixing in some pastiches would improve.

Also, the character is basically just Superman, and while in some ways Supreme is “better” than, say, Scott McCloud’s Superman Adventures, in that a good deal of work and thought is being put into creating these riffs on the Superman concept, Rick Burchett’s art, drawing Bruce Timm designs, is more appealing than what Joe Bennett comes up with, though, so it’s kind of a wash. Chris Sprouse comes on board later, and when he’s drawing the book, it’s great. The book moves from being “kind of a slog even though it’s clever” to “actually pretty fun.” After working together on Supreme, Moore and Sprouse would launch Tom Strong together. That’s another comic I stopped reading early on because I wasn’t getting that much pleasure out of it. Both Supreme and Tom Strong have flashback sequences drawn by other artists (in Supreme, they’re usually handled by Rick Veitch) that are also meant to be reference some other genre or historical moment, fleshing out backstory but also demonstrating Moore’s cleverness, which is two-fold: it’s both the cleverness of a plotter, telling stories pithily, and the cleverness of a student of comics showing how much he knows, via jokey parody. This becomes tedious when baked into the structure of every issue of a comic, but it’s also how Supreme gets to have Rick Veitch pages, which are welcome when the stuff set in modern times is drawn by people whose work isn’t fun to look at. Still, it’s a superhero comic where the core of most issues is not a fight but an extended vaguely comedic riff.

Another person to continue on to Tom Strong is letterer Todd Klein, who does a great job here, enough so that, when late in the run there are issues he didn’t letter, they’re demonstrably worse and harder to read. Tom Strong does have a different colorist than Supreme though, and in some ways there are weaknesses even in Sprouse’s issues that can be laid on the coloring: It’s “nineties” in a true way, in that it’s tied to the computer coloring that was then state of the art. I am pretty sure I read the later issues of Tom Strong in collections a roommate owned, but I remember none of them. Most likely I will forget these issues of Supreme. The most impressive thing about Moore’s run is the long-term plotting, that the payoff to a year’s worth of stories is set up very early, and points that would pay off later are seeded throughout.

Still, in the mind of a kid, a year is a very long time. A developing brain pursues a lot of interests. There are very few comics I read every issue of for a year: To do that would cut into my ability to take chances on comics like, say, Alan Moore’s first issue of Supreme, when I’d never read any of the previous ones. Another reason I didn’t follow the title as a kid is this: By the time you get to the point where you have a preference for good superhero comics over bad ones, you’re also interested in non-superhero comics. The best stuff in the series are later Chris Sprouse drawn stories that work effectively as superhero comics, where multiple villains fight multiple heroes, and jokes are made steadily. This all follows up on groundwork laid earlier in the run.

These collections are not published by Image, but rather a book company called Checker I am pretty sure is no longer in business. The books at my library were not in great condition, and they’re not very well-designed. There’s an Alex Ross image on the front,  and Rob Liefeld on the back, alongside text that gives bios of Moore and Liefeld but says nothing about the Supreme comics the books contain. The interiors use Alex Ross drawings between issues, to cover for the original cover art being largely abysmal. I’m pretty sure Liefeld could reprint them at Image, although “this comic is drawn by a ton of different people, and quality varies” is not an appealing sales pitch. There were also other flashback stories, drawn by the likes of Melinda Gebbie and Kevin O’Neill, that ran in the original comics but aren’t in these collections, which I would hope a future reprint would restore. Around this time, Moore also did a run on Youngblood with Steve Skroce that was never collected, fondly remembered by some but also compromised by the fact that the last few pages currently extant, were drawn by a considerably worse artist.

What’s fun about these Supreme comics is that, for all the nostalgia for the past they contain, they’re still dense with ideas. It’s clear that what Moore appreciates about the old Superman comics he’s explicitly homaging is the imagination therein. He’s riffing, but extrapolating as well, these aren’t pure analogs. There are these science fiction or mythic elements all pressed together. I’m not saying there’s much that originates with Moore here, but in his bricolage things feel new, it’ll get your neurons firing. This is truly wild: the concept of the Supremacy, where all the alternate Supremes hang out, and its corresponding Daxia, where all the alternate reality versions of his nemesis hang out, both built in limbo, is surprisingly similar to plot points on the show Rick And Morty.

There are comics that are better than Moore’s Supreme, many more of them available now than there were twenty years ago. I read them, I write about them, and much of my championing of them stems from a preoccupation with storytelling. But there is a different kind of substance to these stories. It’s not “substance” in the sense of meaning, or emotional content. The substance is the sort of idea-space you swim in while reading fantasy or science fiction. I like to think that if you’re reading this you consider yourself a smart person, and that manifests itself as a certain snobbery in certain ways. Maybe you don’t read that sort of stuff as much as you did when you were a kid. As an adult, I’ve got other hang-ups. It is maybe a form of solipsism, though it stems from empathy, or a desire for it, obsessed over my own ability to relate to others. This is the stuff that makes up the content of “literary fiction” whereas I think of being a kid and trying to be imaginative or imagine possibilities beyond reality as essentially a spiritual quest. Reading this collection I could sense I wasn’t engaging it enough, even if only a portion of the pages were drawn well enough to make me want to engage it.

Moore is a spiritual person, obviously. You can listen to him talk about his work and artmaking and time and life and death and find a great deal of comfort. So much of his work is deeply reassuring and helpful, even though much of it is dark and more pessimistic than his Supreme run, and it’s often done through these genre pretexts. His work is much richer than what’s propped up by current trends, and it’s all informed by this grand history of literature, where what follows in Moore’s wake is frequently hollow because it doesn’t have this grounding in possibility and potential, but is instead premised on the observable. I’m making fun of Warren Ellis here, his obsession with science magazines and the idea of Moore’s run of Supreme as an observable phenomena after Moore made it exist.

It’s easy to view the way you engage this type of work as escapism, and there is truth to that, I think, when you’re an adult reader. I do think that when you’re younger, engaging with this stuff is more of a building a toolkit of ideas to engage with existence in a way that will stave off existential woe one encounters as they age. I frequently have this feeling that I am more tired than I used to be. My head is now subject to this feeling which is for all intents and purposes stupidity that maybe stems from trauma of having bad things happen to me (I have repeatedly been the victim of violent crime) and anxiety over things still to come. (Whether it be more crime or fascism or whatever, the complete collapse of the social fabric.)

There’s a feeling of being enervated I want to chase and have no idea how to, but it was genuinely present in my past. I know I can’t find it in nostalgia, in binge-reading old comics. That is 100% a trap and I know that the feeling I want is actually dependent on the absence of nostalgia, of being awake to there being possibilities in the future I can barely foresee. Moore’s run of Supreme taps into this energy, and he doesn’t think of it in a nostalgic way, the way he viewed 1963. He was engaging the moment, and finding the energy and collaborators that would propel him into the America’s Best Comics line, the sort of “better things” that might exist for a person in the near future that it is in the moment impossible to foresee. In all likelihood, the ability to manifest these things comes from a receptivity to potential that these comics evince.

Last week I turned 34, then the next day I found out my editor at The Comics Journal, Tim Hodler, was leaving it. I’m aware I need to leave Baltimore, get a new job, embark on a career path, enter into a new relationship, change everything about my life; all of these things both for their own sake but also to hopefully get the gears turning in my brain so I can write fiction again and feel that I am doing something.

When I read these book collections I was sort of wishing that like 2/3 of the pages were redrawn so that a book could exist which would have a reason to be read. Now I’m writing about it so I can remember I read it, and trying to explain why I’m doing so inevitably becomes about dissatisfaction with what is potentially giving way to something better, but I’m as overwhelmed by the facts of my own existence as Chris Sprouse would be at the fact that all the pages I would want him to redraw were already drawn by other people. Moore’s Supreme run can be reduced to these things that are essentially truisms: It’s “a moment in time,” “a transitional work.” This is true for so many things, but it is better to be these than the other thing that so much amounts to, a dead end.

[confusedinfj]

The INFJ'S Guidebook to People: Spotting Entps

So you've tried typing by the letters and by the cognitive functions. Now you're looking to verify your typing makes sense. What are some key attritubes you should be looking for...?

A real entp is...

Not super Extraverted. Like enfps, their first function isn't about people, it's about possibilities.

Able to be mistyped as an Extraverted thinker. They like to 'think' out loud, or so it seems. They're actually just showing off. Alternatively, you're hearing their Ne. You'll be able tell the difference if you ask them for their opinion and then realise how much quieter they are.

Afraid of upsetting people. Can be easily manipulated on occasion.

Not sure of what they're feeling. Able to be convinced they're feeling anything.

Able to be excited about anything. Tell them they'd make a good doctor and watch them plan their lives as a doctor.

Usually highly intelligent.

Involved in way too many things at once.

Probably stressed because of all the things they're doing.

Accidentally flirting with everyone. They love banter, so it doesn't mean they actually like the person they're flirting with. Unlikely to lead someone on though because it's obviously playful.

Bad at remembering things. Able to throw a tantrum and then forget they did it.

Annoying. Probably the most annoying of the types in that everyone finds them annoying.

A sticky beak. They have FOMO bad.

Kind hearted. Even when they're annoying they mean well.

Liked by everyone.

Loyal.

Fond of a good bargain.

Not fussy. Happy to sleep on a bed off the side of the road.

Fussy. Just because their headphones are broken doesn't mean they're going to get new ones. They're still the best headphones ever. Also, their clothes may be all over the floor, but don't you dare put them back in the wrong spot.

Pretty happy and oblivious as kids. They often get in trouble for arguing, and then make it worse by arguing why they shouldn't get in trouble.

Rational. They like weighing up pros and cons and using reason to determine the best cause of action (Ti)

Romantic. Entps see so many possibilities and prefer not to filter their dreams through logic. You'll find that your entp friend probably has hundreds of romantic dreams they're keeping to themselves, whether it's running a farm or ruling the world.

Kind of lonely. Like enfps, most people like them, but they don't really have any close friends.

A dangerous driver. They like to speed and will justify their speeding. Just for my husband's sake, I would like to point out that it's not just him. I have another entp friend who likes to drive at 200km/h on Freeways, and another who ruins a car every other month. I actually can't believe all entps aren't dead because of their bad driving.

Sadly, a natural lawyer. They will argue about anything as if they're in a court of law, even personal matters.

Probably not aware that they're lonely.

Blunt without realising it. May really upset you without trying.

Often not aware of people being mean to them. People often mistakenly think they're patient when they are just oblivious.

Oblivious. Probably won't notice they upset you. You'll need to tell them. They will try to argue it away, so you'll need to be forthright. When they finally understand how upset you were they'll probably cry. Tertiary Fe being triggered brings on tears.

Usually pretty easy to calm down if they are stressed or crying. Since they're still rationals they like advice when they're upset.

Over defensive. Entps are often oblivious when people are mean to them, but they're also not good at telling when you're NOT being mean to them. This leads them to take offence at random things and be overly defensive about it because they feel attacked.

Messy and disorganised. Usually clean. Likely to obsessively organise one drawer when stressed, ignoring the rest of their messy house (inferior Si).

Good at taking constructive criticism. Or just criticism. Entps genuinely want to grow personally.

Argumentative. But more in a bickering kind of style, in that they just LOVE arguing about anything for no good reason. Tip: if an entp starts arguing over something stupid with you, tell them they're arguing. They will argue they're not and won't even realise the irony for a good five minutes. 😂

Usually quiet.

LOUD. there is no in-between for an entp. They get louder as they get more excited and happy.

Always working on some strange puzzle.

Sometimes creating weird puzzles. For example, my husband went through a stage where everything he would put in the calendar was in some code. The only problem was when he forgot one or two of them I had no clue what he had meant either. (and when I say code, it was like, 'I have the dentist on Monday. The dentist's name is Gordon, like the tank engine, and Gordon the tank engine is green. Green reminds me of lettuce, which is in the story of rapunzel. So imma write down rapunzel).

Soft. Even if they don't cry in public, they might tear up easily.

Big criers.

A type that naturally seems to have a bit of adhd.

A good judge of character. Sometimes they can be over optimistic though, because they really want to like everyone.

Suddenly overwhelmed. Entps will take on more and more AND MORE until... MELT DOWN. This looks like tears and losing track of everything all at once. May bring about spectacular failure if damage control doesn't occur quickly.

Things an entp might say...

'that's a cute dog. I'd like to get a dog one day. What kind of dog should I get? I don't know, I don't know any dog breeds. I think I'd name it Harold though. Only if it was a boy. Otherwise it would be Charlie...' or any other stream of consciousness monologue (Ne)

Anything that baits you into a debate. Eg, 'isn't it great how Trump wants to build a wall?'

Anything that baits you into bickering. Eg, 'I didn't say that'.

'I don't know', with regards to their opinion or feelings. This is a bad sign if it is followed by a pause, because it means they do know, they just don't want to tell you. If they really don't know it will be followed by a list of potential reasons.

'You say I annoyed you at precisely 2.15 pm. If this is the case, then why did you laugh at my joke at 2.16pm?' or any other legal speak during a personal argument.

'Do you know Hitler introduced a similar law to the one I'm breaking now? This law is evil and I don't have to follow it for that reason' or similar.

An extremely ambitious ambition such as, 'one day I'll own the moon'

Anything sad said cheerfully. For example, my husband once cheerfully told me about his friend in grade five. He finished with, 'anyway, he's dead now'.

A story that they've started half way through. They forgot the first half was in their head.

Anything annoying.

Something sweet with heart eyes.

An example of a rational but romantic entp - Tom Holland

[monday--vibes]

Far From Home: It’s Certainly no Homecoming

When I went to the theatre last night to watch Far From Home yesterday, I was optimistic. I knew the movie wasn’t going to touch on all the ramifications of 3.6 billion people suddenly reappearing—Spider-Man is far too light-hearted a movie for such a heavy subject—but I’d made my peace with that fact. Plus, everyone’s been going on about great the movie is. So… yeah. Optimistic.

What I ended up watching was, frankly, a disappointment.

Now, don’t get me wrong—I love Spidey. Always have. And I think that both the MCU and Tom Holland have bought a lot of great things to the character and to the franchise. Holland’s Spider-Man is great both with and without the mask on, and he’s such a awkwardly charming character that you can’t help but root for him.

Homecoming, to me, is probably the definitive ­Spider-Man movie (sorry, Raimi fans). The characters are great, the pacing is good, the writing is tight, the villain is sympathetic. The serious moments know how be serious and the light moments know how to be light. The central theme—Peter learning how to be Spider-Man instead of using Spider-Man to try to impress Tony Stark—is clear without absolutely beating you over the head with it.

So… why am I so disappointed in Far From Home? 

(Lots of spoilers. Read at your own risk.)

I spent way too much time thinking about it, and this is what I think it boils down to:

1. The movie’s too convoluted.

In the first act, we’re introduced to Beck and the Elementals, which means sense considering they’re the movie’s antagonists. But we also (seemingly unrelatedly) are introduced to the idea of a bunch of post-Snapped, recently revived kids going to Europe for two weeks. Then there’s Happy’s romance with May, Peter’s romance with MJ, Ned’s romance with Betty, Peter’s romantic rivalry with Brad, and Peter not wanting to Spider-Man. That’s… too much. ‘Nuff said.

And then there’s Beck’s plan, which is also way too convoluted.

One of the reasons why Toomes’ plans worked is for a few main reasons—they were simple, the uncertainties could be controlled, and it was clear that Toomes and his men had been doing this for a while. And even then, throwing one rogue element in there—in the form of Spider-Man—completely messed things up.

Toomes’ rationale is good, too. It started as a way to take back what’s “his” and get back at someone like Tony Stark, who screwed him out of a contract at what must have been a time of high unemployment in New York (how many ruined office buildings were there?). And, while that theme stays constant, it’s clear that this rationale has shifted over time; Toomes has gotten maybe a little too comfortable with the money he makes by weapons dealing. It’s a simple rationale: money is a powerful, relatable motivator.

Beck’s plan, on the other hand, relies almost entirely on just so many uncertainties. He hopefully tricks Fury, and hopefully keeps tricking Fury. Peter is hopefully is such a state that he’s not quite thinking straight so that Mysterio can hopefully gain Peter’s trust. Then, Peter will hopefully give Mysterio EDITH, which was one of the last things that Stark ever gave him.

It’s clear that part of the rationale here is revenge on Stark, but that falls flat for a couple of reasons—one, it’s kind of been done in Homecoming already; two, Stark’s not even there to defend himself anymore. We, the audience, want to dismiss this rationale because it goes against everything we know about Stark’s character, and we can’t even get Stark’s own rebuttal.

The second rational, even worse, is “we want the world to pay attention to us!”

… There are easier ways to do that, dude.

2. Mysterio isn’t developed. (Like, at all.)

Admittedly, the MCU’s weakest point is developing its villains—just think about Dormamu in Doctor Strange or Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy. They’re evil because the plot needs a bad guy. Full stop.

Even Toomes didn’t get all that much character development, really. But he’s such a grounded, every-man character that I would argue he doesn’t necessarily need all that development. It’s also what makes him a sympathetic villain—we’ve all been in situations where we’re stuck between making a bad/easier decision and a good/hard decision. We all have families that we want to care for and be capable of caring for. We can, at some almost visceral level, understand Toomes’ motivations just like we can understand Peter’s.

However, because we don’t know very much about the world Mysterio (says he) comes from, we can’t relate on a personal level. We don’t know if Mysterio’s even a particularly outstanding person on his world, since he was one of many who supposedly fought the Elementals. He just shows up, and everyone trusts him implicitly, but there’s no reason for that to happen.

And, while Peter might be desperate to have someone else to help him shoulder the burden of Spider-Manning, and might be looking for a replacement for Stark, we see almost no meaningful interactions between the two characters. So it feels completely out of left field when Peter decides to trust him with a multi-billion-dollar orbital defense system, despite Peter knowing just how incredibly powerful it is and, presumably, what could happen if said system falls into less-than-superhero hands.

3. There’s no suspense.

I’m just going to give one example/comparison here. Let’s look at the Big Reveal.

We learned about Toomes being the villain pretty early on in the movie; we learn about Mysterio being the antagonist pretty early into the movie, too. And yet, again, Toomes works where Mysterio doesn’t.

In Toomes’ case, this works because the reveal of Toomes’ character being the Vulture isn’t the Big Reveal—nor is it supposed to be. The big “oh shit!” moment is when we find out that the Vulture is Liz’s dad, which we find out the same time as Peter does, when Peter’s already clearly nervous, and when that shitty string of bad luck that’s been following Peter throughout the movie seems to be turning around.

We’re already emotionally invested in the moment—because we want things to turn around for Peter, because it’s such a relatable moment, and because Holland’s emoting so well—that this reveal of Liz’s dad being the Vulture just works.

Then, of course, there’s absolutely amazing car scene between Peter and Toomes, which gives the reveal the weight it deserves, reveals Toomes’ motivation, and gives Peter that final hard choice: do the right thing and stop Toomes even though the man’s threatened his and May’s lives; or keep his head down, act like the kid he is, and pretend that he doesn’t know about the Vulture?

In Far From Home, the Big Reveal seems to be when Peter finds out that Mysterio is the antagonist—but since the audience already knows that, it doesn’t carry all that much emotional weight. 

The Big Reveal happens to Peter, but not because of him, which weakens the moment. And above that, when it does happen, Beck isn’t there to defend himself. For the exactly same reason Beck’s motivation doesn’t work—he’s making accusations and wants revenge against someone who isn’t there—the Big Reveal doesn’t work, either.

Finally, any tension that does build up in that scene immediately gets killed because of the pacing. After all, as soon as they find out about Mysterio, Peter and MJ rush back to the hotel, and the we have all that time dedicated to awkward exchanges between Peter and MJ, and MJ and Ned. Then we have Peter trying to get to Berlin… and then we have the first altercation between Mysterio and Spider-Man. It’s the equivalent scene to the car scene from Homecoming, but it just comes way too late.

4. The entire movie’s a fucking tease.

This, I think, is what I’m most disappointed in.

Homecoming was a lighthearted movie—there’s no doubt about it. But it knew when to be serious, knew when to cut the tension, and knew how to get the audience emotionally involved.

There are so many moments in Far From Home that could have been—and, frankly, should have been—explored more fully. Peter trying so desperately to try to connect with this new mentor figure is one. The absolutely, viceral betrayal he must have felt as soon as he fould out that Beck was the antagonist is another. (Don’t forget: He compared Beck to Stark, of all people, in that bar scene.) Then there’s the realization that, out of everyone, he still has one adult he can rely on for Spider-Manning—Happy.  

There’s also the train scene, which is a real, physical embodiment of Peter’s emotional pain, that just gets swept aside by happy footballers and a helpful street vendor.

Then there’s that great scene between Peter and Happy in the plane… that, honestly, is a pretty great scene. I love it. Holland and Favreau both bring their A-game. It’s touching, and emotional, and we finally really get to see what Peter’s been fighting with this whole movie. But even that scene is couched by two pretty goofy lines (the whole “adult films” bit beforehand; Happy’s startled, stammering “no, I mean, like, what’re you going do right now?” after) that mitigate the whole thing.

Final Verdict:

I know I just spent a lot of time shitting on the movie, but I don’t want anyone to think that it’s a movie that I actively hate. I don’t hate it—honestly. And I acknowledge that this movie had a lot of questions to answer because of Endgame.

There are a lot of great points in the movie, and the actors do a great job. There’s great chemistry between Holland and Zendaya, and between Holland and Gyllenhaal. The movie opens up some good, interesting questions about Spider-Man’s future and about the MCU as a whole.

But, at the end of the day, good actors are just a piece of what makes a movie great. And maybe, it just wasn’t a good idea to try to tack a light-hearted, mindless action flick onto the aftermath of something as heavy as Endgame. It just… doesn’t seem to work.

[boltsandashes]

Initial Reactions 9x11

So... I really didn’t love this episode? Let me know if you guys feel the same. I just overall feel that this was a much weaker episode than the past few, sloppy writing and hugely pointless subplots and wasted cameos and––

There were a few things here and there I liked but... well ok, bouncing into bullet points.

What the actual fuck was that Jesus cameo? So coming into this I was worried I was probably hoping for something bigger than what we’d get from his scene, but I don’t think it’s just my Tom Payne loving brain exaggerating things when I say that was easily the most pointless cameo I’ve ever seen on TV and TWD should be ashamed of wasting him and letting his fans down like that. That flashback was nearly pointless, gave us nothing but the charter, and Tara was the one who had that. Jesus didn’t need to be in that scene at all and I’m just deeply pissed and disappointed that he was brought back for that, that he wasn’t given one single damn second that meant something to go out on.

I could not get on board with that entire projector lightbulb storyline. I get what they were going for, it was a sweet thought. I understand that they didn’t want to wait for the herd to pass because the fair’s coming up soon (though –– how fucking big is that herd and how far away is the fair? Can they really not come through again after the herd passes?) But having something so deeply trivial juxtaposed against something so intense, so life or death in the Hilltop segment, just made it really hard to give half a damn about.

Connie saving that baby and the whole run through the cornfield was a nailbiting, intense, and amazingly shot segment. I love that we were brought into her world a little more through the muted sound, to experience it a little closer to the way she must have.

Honestly why were the elderly blacksmith and his wife brought out for this? I know that they ended up with the baby  so maybe they just wanted to establish some sort of connection there? But actually why the hell would they be the people running out through that gate with Daryl to help him potentially battle Walkers and human enemies alike? Were there no able-bodied people who actually knew how to fight? Why would Magna and Yumiko yet again hide behind the big safe walls while their friend is in danger and let those two go out instead? I mean..... honestly did I miss something there? 

Did anyone else think Enid’s speech to Henry was 150% counterproductive? “Carl taught me that you need to stay true to yourself. Don’t let the world change you, don’t let it take who you are. Now I’m gonna need to you to go against everything you believe in and send this girl back to her abuser kay thanks.” It just felt like such a sloppy and backwards way of convincing him and, again, took a callback to a past character that could’ve been really meaningful and used it in exactly the wrong way.

Okay..... other good things... I continued to enjoy Daryl’s characterization this episode. Honestly I love what they’re doing with him overall this season. I don’t think it’s just ‘cause he’s my favorite, he’s really shining and I love it.

There was a segment in the walking dead video game Survival Instinct where Daryl has to go through a movie theater full of Walkers and I got hit with pretty intense nostalgia for that game from this episode. Wasn’t the highest quality game but I loved it.

I’m struggling to find other things to say about this episode.

...Like really, did all of the Carzekiel plot feel sort of awkward and forced to you guys? It felt weird and pointless and shoehorned in, like they just needed something for the characters to do so they came up with... that. And yeah, seeing Carol become more optimistic for Zeke was nice, but we’ve kind of seen that already? And again, seeing it happen through such a pointless and risky segment was just more frustrating than endearing. I guess if it wasn’t pointless then it wouldn’t offer the same message of “yes, we don’t need this but we deserve good things” but christ, Zeke. There are other cool things you could show the kids. Or other ways to handle this. Or the show could’ve not juxtaposed people risking their lives for a lightbulb with people risking their lives for a baby, highlighting how silly and inconsequential the former seems.

...Or maybe I’m just still bitter from the Jesus segment. Let me know what you thought of the episode. Maybe I’ll mull everything over and end up liking it more later in hindsight.

[iasmelaion]

Yuletide 2017

Don’t mind me, just crossposting my Yuletide letter here. Fandoms are The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt (has nothing to do with that Tom Cruise movie), Sense8, 17776, and Moonlight. Sorry to everyone on mobile where I guess read mores still don’t work?

Another year, another Yuletide! Thank you for signing up to write in one of my fandoms! I can't wait to see whatever you come up with, and with these fandoms, chances are I'll love whatever it is you choose to write. If my requests/prompts/details don't catch your interest, just remember that Optional Details Are Optional, and that I will be thrilled to get fic in any of these fandoms at all. As far as my basic preferences go: I am okay with gen, het, slash, and femslash. If I've indicated a pairing preference in my request, don't feel pressured to write it! I'm a big gen lover, and I'll specifically note if there's a pairing I don't want to see with the characters I've requested. Also, a confession: I usually skim through sex scenes. I know, I know, what am I doing in fandom if I skim past the porn. But I am almost always way more interested in character interaction than in sexy times. Feel free to include sex scenes! I'd just really prefer that porn not be the whole point of the fic. Things I love: banter, subtle but meaningful declarations of love and/or trust, pining, characters finding home and family with each other, the smaller moments of domesticity or the calm before the storm, crossovers, detailed worldbuilding, lolz, feelings, women being complex and sometimes assholes, dudes being stoic yet simmering with repressed emotions, any number of forced intimacy situations (fake married! Undercover relationship! Surprise soul bond! Huddling for warmth! Oh no there’s only one bed! Sex pollen! I could go on, really), threesomes/sedoretu-style moresomes, and indulgent emotional hurt/comfort. Things I don't love: dark fic, character bashing, character death, non-con, infidelity, incest, alpha/beta/omegaverse fic, mpreg, harm to children, being mean to robots, unhappy endings, issuefic. Also, while I generally love AUs, I love these fandoms for their settings and the characters in those settings, so I'd prefer no total AUs (canon-divergent AUs okay though).

1. The Last Samurai - Helen Dewitt (Ludo, Sybilla) My desires in terms of Last Samurai fic are simple: I just want to know what happens to Ludo and/or Sybilla, after the book. Especially Ludo. Who does he end up being, when he grows up? What does he do with his brilliant mind? Hell, what name does he choose to go by? I'd really just love to see something about an older Ludo interacting with the world and the interesting people in it, a sort of extension of the kind of adventures he got up to in the book. I'd also love to know more about Sybilla, whose character arc I thought ended up getting somewhat short shrift. How does her life change as Ludo grows up? Does she enter the world again, academic or otherwise? How does she continue to deal with her depression? This is my third fourth fifth sixth SEVENTH, holy shit, year requesting this, and I live in hope! I’m pretty sure the book is even in print again now! Here is what I said in years past: I wrote about my thoughts on the novel here, if that interests you. Anyway, like my request says, I more or less want straight up future fic about Ludo and Sybilla. I want to know what kind of man Ludo becomes, what happens to Sybilla as Ludo grows into an adult, what happens to their relationship. In short, I just want to know more. Whatever you do to fill my insatiable desire to know more more more about these characters will make me happy. Don't feel like you have to match the style of the novel. I will be very impressed if you do, but it's not a dealbreaker for me. Anyway, Ludo and/or Sybilla future fic! That's my Last Samurai request in a nutshell.

2. Sense8 - Any I basically just have a lot of EMOTIONS about the cluster and the experience of being sensate, and would love a fic exploring that. What exactly does it mean, to be part of a cluster? Our main cluster seems to have had a somewhat unique/traumatic experience of being “born,” how does that make their take on being sensate different? The show did a pretty good job visually showing it, but I'm super fascinated by what the interiority of the experience is like. The members of the cluster seemed to feel a pretty instant empathy and understanding of each other, what's that like? By now they must know each other better, what was that process like, learning all the mundane stuff about each other in non-life or death situations? How does being a sensate influence their relationships with the other people in their life? What happens when, say, Will tells Diego or Lito finally tells Hernando and Dani (on the way to rescue Wolfgang perhaps)? I know Season 2 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, but feel free to just jump ahead to some nebulous future where everything’s resolved if you want. You by no means have to answer all or even any of these specific questions, they’re just guides for the kind of thing I’m interested in here. I picked Any characters here, so go wild. I'm most interested in the main cluster, but I'm overall fascinated by the whole sensate experience and what it means for any given character's relationships and experience of the world. Any fic exploring that would be great. Shipwise, I'm into all the canon pairings and basically any permutation of the members of the cluster. My tl;dr thoughts on Sense8 are here and here. This is a fandom where I sort of feel spoiled for choice in terms of characters I'm interested in, so I picked Any for this request. I love the main cluster and their relationships with each other, you basically can't go wrong picking any given combination of them and smushing them together. I'm also very interested in all the non-sensate side characters and how they interact with the cluster. I really just want more more more in this universe.. 3. 17776 - Any I am so utterly FASCINATED by the improbable and amazing and weird utopia Jon Bois has built with 17776. It’s a world that seems to be positively teeming with stories, and I’m wildly interested in reading about any and all of them. I do not actually care about football qua football; I like the country and centuries-spanning version of the game Jon Bois has extrapolated here, but you don’t have to make it the focus of anything you write. What I’d love to know more about are those first few decades after humanity realizes they can no longer die. Or, heck, who first realizes people have stopped dying, and how do they approach that mystery? How do other parts of the world deal with immortality, what games do they play? I know Jon Bois thinks that humanity is alone in this universe, and won’t be able to overcome the practical roadblocks to long-range space travel, but what if they did? What if humanity’s not alone? Who are the kinds of people who’d fling themselves out into the big, wide dark of space, with no expectation of returning, and eternity stretching out in front of them? What other bits of electronics or AI have gained their own sentience or significance, and who do they talk to? Honestly, I’d be thrilled with you exploring just about any nook or cranny of this fascinating universe. I’d only ask that you maintain the source’s absurd yet optimistic and loving tone. Bittersweet and even a little elegiac is fine, I just don’t want anything grim or dark here. The world we’re living in right now has plenty of that. Also, do not feel the need to try any wild format/coding stuff the way Bois did if you don’t want to. A vanilla text story is more than enough for me. A quick primer on 17776 in an effort to snare more people in, and also just elaborate a little more on why I love it: 

You can find 17776 here. It is...hard to explain. Maybe impossible to explain. For one thing, it's a sort of multimedia storytelling experience, composed largely of text, but also some video and audio, and some website weirdness. Jon Bois of SB Nation wrote this, ostensibly, as a series on the future of football. It is not what you might expect, given that starting point. The premise is this: humans stopped dying and aging as of April 7, 2026. Any other risk of injury or illness has been mitigated by a worldwide network of nanobots that will fix anything. It’s a post-scarcity utopia, all pressing problems fixed Having reached this pinnacle, and having hit the hard limits of ability and resources that leave them unable to meaningfully explore space, the humans of 17776 are left with some weird ways to pass their endless supply of time, one of which is playing football. Only it’s not football as we know it, it’s football blown up so the field crosses states and the timespan crosses decades, centuries. 17776 opens with the space probes Pioneer 9 and Pioneer 10 trying to talk to each other, many years in the future. As 17776 slowly unfolds, Pioneer 9 is shepherded into sentience and learns about what’s going on on Earth from Pioneer 10 and JUICE (the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer). Pioneer 9 learns about football, and the people who play it now, and some people who don’t play it, but are passing their endless amount of time in different ways. Really, the whole experience is worth a read/watch, I’m not doing it justice here. I’ve always been fascinated by fictional takes on immortality, and 17776 offers a pretty new take on it, one where everyone is immortal, not just a few people, so humanity has to figure out how to deal with it together. It would be easy to turn this premise into a horrifying dystopia, a sort of endless hell for all the humans stuck on Earth together with eternal life and no escape. What I love about 17776 is that Bois turned this premise into a utopia, a bittersweet sort of heaven. There are things and experiences that the humans of 17776 mourn and miss (no more children seems like an especially bitter loss, ouch), and they seem to be a little obsessive about cataloging and exploring the past. But it’s so meaningful to me that, when free of want and hardship and death, this vision of humanity buckles down to do ridiculous, wild, fun, sweet things like play century and country-spanning games of football, or travel around learning every minute detail of every place, or travel around meeting each other to share stories. Here is a quote from Jon Bois that really gets at why I’m so fascinated and in love with the 17776 universe: Humanity’s technological advancement over the last 150 years has been almost frightening, but that’s a very small speck of time. I think we’ll eventually hit a wall, and that wall will be, “we can’t travel into deep space ourselves.” Too much distance, too much radiation, and too little incentive. If that ends up being the case, we’ll have nothing to do but solve our problems on Earth. I’m being really optimistic when I guess that we might someday. After we do that, we’re gonna want our games, our art, and each other. One day, we might see those as the only reasons we’re here. In a world where there is no death, where the biggest human problems have been solved, there's something beautiful about those things that still hurt, those things we still lost: the dream of space, children, childhood, endings. And what sweet hope, to distill down our reason for being here to games, art, and each other. There’s a real love of people that runs through all of 17776, and that's one of my favorite things about it.

4. Moonlight (2016) - Chiron, Kevin Just give me Chiron and Kevin’s happy ending. The world hasn’t been kind to them, but I want to believe in the possibility of it being kinder, of them being tender and kind with one another, after everything. I want to believe that they can build a life together, even if it’s not the kind of life they or anyone else would have expected. Trevante Rhodes said, “I like to think they’re together, walking in Central Park hand-in-hand when they’re 90 years old,” and yeah, that’s what I hope for them too. So I’d love a story about how they get there, or how they start that journey. Another possible prompt, this one from something Andre Holland (who plays Kevin) said: “I have this image of them walking along with Kevin’s son and teaching him, either overtly or experientially, about what masculinity is and what it means to be a man, in all the variations that are possible. That, to me, is the magic of it, that there’s a young boy in the world who will grow up with a different idea of masculinity than either of them had.” The thing I loved most about Moonlight was how incredibly intimate and tender it was, how quiet and clear-eyed. It felt like living in Chiron’s skin. And I love it as a love story too, even though the ending was bittersweet. I took it to be hopeful, and obviously, I’m a lover of happy endings. Ultimately, as sad as parts of Moonlight were, as hard as life obviously is for Kevin and Chiron, Moonlight healed some wounds in me that Brokeback Mountain and so many other unhappy queer love stories left, by showing all that hard stuff, but offering a way forward anyway. Kevin, calling Chiron to reconnect. Chiron, taking a risk, making that nine-hour drive to see Kevin. Kevin and Chiron letting themselves be vulnerable to and with each other. Both of them, ultimately, reaching for one another.

[sage-nebula]

Hello! I want to get into watching the Office because it seems really good and I loved Parks and Rec, but everytime I start watching I can't make myself continue. The first few episodes are just like... the punchline that everyone is racist just happens too often for me to swallow. Is there a point where I can start watching where the writers kind of leaned away from this or should I just tough it out?

Hi! So, this is going to be a long answer, and I hope that’s all right, haha. As someone who loves both The Office and Parks and Recreation (though I actually like The Office a bit more, even though I think Parks & Rec is more consistent across the seasons in terms of quality), I have a lot of thoughts on both.

So, here’s the thing:

Although The Office and Parks and Recreation were created/produced by the same guy (guys? I know that Michael Schur for sure worked on both, though I think there was one other person working on both as well), they’re very different in tone. Whereas Parks and Recreation tends to be more optimistic and idealistic (in that even when things go wrong for the cast in the short-term, in the long-term they’re almost guaranteed to succeed, and even when there’s squabbling and bickering, for the most part the characters tend to be optimistic, and idealism---particularly Leslie’s idealism---is rewarded), The Office tends to be more caustic and cynical. Things very often don’t succeed for these characters in the short-term (long-term projects don’t happen as often, and even then there are a few big long-term failures), and they’re much, much more prone to being snarky and cynical. Additionally, whereas snark and cynicism are often “punished” on Parks and Recreation (in that the cynics are usually proven wrong/converted to idealism, again, usually by Leslie), this isn’t the case on The Office. Not only is The Office a world of snark, but since things don’t tend to magically work themselves out on The Office due to it arguably being a more realistic setting (I mean, Pawnee, Indiana isn’t even an actual city that exists, whereas The Office takes place in the very real Scranton, Pennsylvania), cynicism isn’t punished here because having a more idealistic outlook---particularly without the experience or power necessary to back it up---is more likely to backfire than it is to succeed. (i.e., although Michael very often wants everything to magically work out . . . it usually doesn’t.) And that’s not to say that The Office is a depressing show where everyone always loses, because that’s not true, but it is to say that while the antagonists on Parks and Recreation are caricatures of people rather than opponents that actually exist (and as such our idealistic protagonists can more easily overcome them), the problems and antagonists on The Office are more grounded in reality and, as such, reality tends to ensue.

So with that said, I first want to address something you said about the early episodes, which is here:

“The first few episodes are just like... the punchline that everyone is racist just happens too often for me to swallow.”

I actually find it interesting that this is your viewpoint, because my opinion is that The Office, as a whole, actually tends to show this attitude in a negative light!

The episode I think you’re mainly thinking of happens in season one, and it’s episode two (I believe)---“Diversity Day.” In it, corporate has sent an ethics counselor to the Scranton branch of Dunder-Mifflin (where our main cast is employed) to give a diversity seminar because Michael, the boss, imitated a Chris Rock routine and was rather ignorantly racist while doing so. Michael, of course, hates the idea that anyone but him could be in charge (and is also too ignorant to realize exactly how and why he was being racist), and as such he not only ruins the seminar, but then proceeds to make everything more offensive by having “diversity activities” throughout the day. This culminates in him being slapped for real by Mindy Kaling, who was playing Kelly Kapoor.

Now, with that being said, I can understand why that would be hard to swallow! It’s not easy to see a character acting like that. But the thing about The Office is that we’re not supposed to be laughing with Michael, or sympathizing with him; it’s very intentionally framed (in my view, anyway) that he is in the wrong when he does things like this. We see this via the more heroic characters in The Office finding what he’s doing wrong, offensive, awful, and very often calling him on it (especially as the series goes on). For instance, in “Diversity Day,” it’s clear that no one there really approves of what he’s doing. They’re all going along with it because they have to, but while there are some characters who do hold bigoted viewpoints as well (e.g. Dwight and Angela, who are also not shown in a heroic light, especially at that point in the show), the characters that we’re meant to sympathize with (e.g. Jim, Pam, Oscar) don’t agree with what’s going on, and usually say so. (e.g. Pam says, “Based on stereotypes which are not true and that I do not agree with . . .) So in this case, it’s not, “haha, racism is funny!” but more, “my god, this guy is such an ignorant ass, and yet there are people like him out there, and people like these office workers who have to suffer through it.”

And that’s the thing: Parks and Recreation has a lot less of that (once they stop trying to have Leslie be Michael near the end of S2---because she made quite a few ignorant/racist comments toward Tom in the first two seasons), but it was also more of an idealistic show. The Office shows that people have prejudices, bigotry, et cetera, but always in a negative light. We’re never supposed to sympathize with Michael when he makes comments like that, and we’re certainly not meant to sympathize with disgusting characters like Todd Packer (who I believe is introduced in S2, but he might make an appearance in S1). Granted, Packer’s scenes are never funny to me regardless, but he is important to show Michael’s growth later on, so. Regardless, although The Office does include things like that, they’re never meant to be the punchline. It’s not, “laugh at the racism!” but rather “isn’t this awful? and isn’t it awful when things like this happen in your workplace? because we know they do, we’re sure of it, even if we’re exaggerating it a tad for comedic effect.” Especially later on, that sort of behavior is always framed as wrong.

WITH ALL OF THAT SAID! (I told you this was going to be a long response, haha, I have a lot of feelings.)

Just like how Parks and Recreation’s first season was so horrible that even the cast denounces it (“Don’t bring up those shitty episodes!” said Aziz Ansari during a cast panel), it’s pretty much agreed upon that the first season of The Office is the weakest season as well, due largely in part to the producers trying to create the British original. In fact, the first episode is pretty much a shot-for-shot remake of the British original. In season two, however, they break away from the U.K. formula and become their own thing, and from then on it’s pretty much unanimously decided that the U.S. The Office surpasses that of the British original. The characters become fleshed out, the storylines become deeper, and overall the show vastly improves.

So, with all of that said?

I do still recommend toughing it out through the first season since it’s only six episodes long, and there are some great little subplots in the first season as well (such as Jim and Dwight’s alliance). Plus, there are a few nuggets of plot in the first season that continue into the second (such as Jim’s temporary girlfriend, Katy). But if you’re having trouble with the first season (and I don’t blame you!), then I would recommend skipping the first two episodes (“Pilot” and “Diversity Day”). That leaves you with:

“Health Care”

“The Alliance”

“Basketball”

“Hot Girl”

The most important episode here is “Hot Girl” (which is the last episode of season one), due to the fact that Katy is introduced in it, and she makes reappearances in season two. That said, I think the others are worth watching as well. “Health Care” has some great shenanigans in it, shows how ineffectual Michael is as a boss/how desperate he is to be liked, and is good for Jim/Pam content; “The Alliance” has the hilarious subplot of Jim and Dwight’s alliance, which, trust me, is more hilarious than it sounds; “Basketball” does have more of Michael’s ignorance (he’s ignorant a lot, it’s a marked character flaw, but he’s never rewarded for it and he develops through it as time goes on), but I feel that it’s still important for Jim/Pam content; and “Hot Girl” is necessary for reasons started above.

All of that said, again: There is a noticeable quality jump from the very first episode in season two, “The Dundies,” which is where some of the most notable quotes from the show come from (e.g. “I feel God in this Chili’s tonight”). So if you really want to you can skip straight to that, but I recommend at least watching “Hot Girl” first, as well as the others noted in the bullet list.

Again, sorry this is so long, but please feel free to ask for further clarification! The Office is definitely one of those shows, I think, that has a certain tone to it that can be a bit hard to get used to---but I also think it’s really worth it, and it does have its successes and moments of idealism as well. (In fact, the series ends with one of the most hopeful quotes imaginable (“There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point?”), so there is definitely some hope there. There’s just also a lot of, well . . . snark, too, haha.)

[avaliveradio]

10.21 New Music Monday Release Radar with Jacqueline Jax

Musicians create music to express their creativity and skill. Listening to new music is an experience and an opportunity to connect with that creative spark. Explore some exciting new music from creators all over the world recently discovered by our host Jacqueline Jax as she searches the far corners of the globe for talented songwriters and music creators who are telling their truth to bring the listener a unique experience.

SUBSCRIBE to our broadcast here: www.wavve.link/avaliveradio

Listen to the Show: https://anchor.fm/ava-live-radio/episodes/10-21-New-Music-Monday-Release-Radar-Mixed-genre-playlist-with-Jacqueline-Jax-e7t8ub

Artist: Miranda Easten

New Release: Stars And Dreams

Genre: Pop

Located in:  Christchurch City, New Zealand

This song reminds me of warm Summer nights spent star-gazing with good company. The music I am creating at the moment is therapeutic and honest. I'm not afraid to write about how I am feeling or what's catching my soul on fire. My new album is a mixture of biographical lyrics as well as observations I've made about current events or people and stories I've heard of.

I create music because... creating something from nothing makes me happy. I love how I can start the day with a blank piece of paper and by mid-afternoon I have created something tangible and shareable. After the music is created I will put it out there and move onto the next creation right away. I would be quite lost without a pen, paper, and guitar!

Next... I am currently recording my debut album (and several music videos) with some amazingly talented musicians and good friends. I feel very blessed to do what I love every day.

LINKS:  https://open.spotify.com/artist/6tPllDnDr6rB7CS5diguqw https://www.facebook.com/mirandaeasten https://twitter.com/MirandaEasten https://www.instagram.com/mirandaeasten

Artist: CEEM

New Release: Remedy

Genre: Electro Pop

Sounds like: Black Coffee

Located in: Seattle, Washington

This release is important as it's the final single before the release of the full-length Cruel World on Oct 18th. The main theme of Cruel World is a moody and brooding blend of pop and electronica, and as an artist, the project was inspired by so many losses from 2016.

'Remedy' is a sequel to another song I wrote called 'Unbreakable' written in response to living through the 2016 terrorist attack in Nice France on Bastille day. Coming back from that trip feeling shattered and confused, the song helped put his life back together. 

As cathartic and healing as writing Unbreakable was, he still felt that need to face his ultimate fear and go back to the scene of the crime. I went back to Nice July 2019 for Bastille day, alone this time, and retraced the steps and the horror that took place. I wanted to go back and finish writing Cruel World, but for the first four days I was there, the words wouldn’t come, there was some sort of glitch in my brain. I would put pen to paper and write but nothing felt authentic or genuine until I made it through Bastille day.

LINKS:  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/track/2QoZZRRxGzMGqvj1RYXgfP?si=wyY-B755TJCDJ25JRtYbGQ Twitter - @musicbyceem Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/musicbyceem Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/musicbyceem

Artist: A Permanent Shadow

New Release: Now

Genre: Indie, electronic, rock, synthpop, eighties

Sounds like: David Bowie, Moby, John Grant, Peter Gabriel, LCD Soundsystem

Located in: Barcelona, Spain

The music we are creating is... thoughtful, deep, dark yet optimistic, powerful, beautiful, catchy, hopeful, and uplifting. "Now" is a carpe diem song with which we've written a note to ourselves and other people to stop worrying about the future and thinking about the past. Life is happening NOW and we should take it by the horns and be happy.

Music is what I think about 83% of the time...

It's what I've always wanted to do and one of the very few things in life that give me total fulfillment. I adore the creative process. It is an absolute joy to write a song and then record it in the studio and observe how it is gaining shape. Apart from being a musician, I am also a fervent music fan. I never grow tired of discovering new bands and digging deeper into the catalogs of the real greats.

Right now we are...

We have just launched our first album "Songs of Loss" which the song "Now" can be found on. We are busy with promotion and also are preparing a one-off live show to be webcast soon.

LINKS:  https://www.reverbnation.com/apermanentshadow/song/31155111-now https://open.spotify.com/track/3ksn7QYDyqpFZ7rsounxsT https://www.twitter.com/apermanentshad1 https://www.facebook.com/apermanentshadow https://www.instagram.com/apermanentshadow

Artist: Sleuth

New Release: Empty Room

Genre: Genre: Electronica, sub-genre: techno/trance.

Sounds like: Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos, Portishead

Located in:  Portland, Victoria, Australia

'Empty Room' has recently been described by one reviewer as an ‘experience.’ This song takes the listener inside my journey to a time when I was feeling extremely frustrated and angry. I’d tried to convince a potential colleague that I was a decent person after they had openly condemned me to others. They had stonewalled me for months because I was viewed as a competitor. Yet stupidly I’d kept trying, and kept getting shut down repeatedly in the face of their ‘solo show’. I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t see the same potentials that I could, or see that my intentions were good. The truth was of course that they just didn’t want to! 

This song came from the ultimate realization that I couldn’t do anything about their lack of belief in my character or vision, despite having given up so much of myself to prove ‘there’s somehow sunlight breaking through’. 

I am someone who resonates strongly with the story of the Phoenix rising from the ashes, never destroyed by the fire, so much so that I have a large Phoenix tattooed all over my back. 

This song is a declaration of finally understanding the game that was being played, as well as a cathartic expression of rage, war, and victory. Empty Room draws very vivid musical images for the listener.

The Album...

'Empty Room' was released as part of my debut album Umbra Anima - meaning Shadows and Light. The album is a celebration of both the lighter and darker elements of my journey - not everything that we experience is pretty or aesthetically pleasing to all, but that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t teach us, or have value, or be recognized and celebrated. Those sentiments of the album are perhaps best expressed in my song Empty Room - a song about blazing defiantly in spite of others’ negativity and fear.

LINKS:  https://open.spotify.com/album/0VlFahuWVPQp5GlCi6niSn?si=9bx2JpchQnm2vRdWyd4yBw Twitter: @sleuthmusic1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleuthmusician Insta: @sleuthmusic11 Bandcamp: www.sleuthartist.bandcamp.com

Artist: Nathan Lewis Thomas

New Release: The Melody

Genre: Pop: Singer-Songwriter / Alternative Pop

Sounds like:  Hozier / John Mayer / James Bay / Tom Misch

Located in:  Warrington, Cheshire, United Kingdom

This song is an exploration of the idea of music as a form of escapism. The Melody's stomping rhythm, rich vocal harmonies, and catchy hooks are sure to draw you in.

The music I am creating is the result of years spent honing my sound to find a style that truly represents what I'm about musically. I love compositions with a strong harmonic arrangement and I like to think that I have incorporated that into my first release.

I do this because I love it! I am very lucky to be able to work as a musician as my profession, but my work involves performing covers. As musicians will know, there is nothing like expressing yourself through your music and I am no different, which is why I have decided to release some of my material as an exciting side project to my work.

Right now I am recording my second single which will be out in December. I can't wait for people to hear my second offering.

LINKS:  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2sHLtIl30kabkXt22Qvo2D?si=qqysRWCcTDWtHbu2F_KT-g Twitter: www.twitter.com/musicbynlt Instagram: www.instagram.com/musicbynlt Facebook: www.facebook.com/musicbynlt

Artist: MoPoNeck

New Release: Enough Love

Genre: reggae, dancehall, afro,

Sounds like: WIZKID, DAVIDO, KOFFEE,SIZZLA, VYBZ KARTEL, MOVADO,ALKALINE, AKON

Located in: Roseau , Common Wealth of Dominica, West Indies 767

This song was written based on the name of the beat. The beat was named 'Enough Love' so I tried to see where those two words appeared most in my life, and most of those times were in relationships, where my other half would ask me questions like, baby how much do you love me? Baby on a scale of 1-10 how much do you love me? But I would always answer her with, Baby please tell me how much love is enough? Cause there is no such thing as Enough Love or Too Much Love, when you are in a relationship with someone no amount of Love is too much or Enough. There is no such thing as Enough Love so I wrote this song based on this concept of Enough Love.

My direction is to showcase the music from my country to the world and keep on adding to my countries Arts and Culture by creating good songs and keeping the vibe positive. The music I am creating for fans right now is tailored more to things that they can relate to. Music that they can listen to and feel the lyrics and vibe to the melody and rhythm.

I do this because...

I was born into the first-ever music store on the island. My dad had a studio at home and a studio at this store, so while my mom was pregnant I was already listening to music while I developed as a baby in her stomach. I recorded my first song when I was 8, but I was recording myself on cassette way before then. I love making music for my friends, fans and to represent my country. What I love most about performing is making a connection with the crowd and watching them engage while I sing my lyrics. My inspiration comes naturally. I am inspired by all the things going on around me.

Right now we are...

 I'm currently working on a script for the Enough Love Official Music Video to be recorded sometime next month. To subscribe to my youtube channel so you can get notified as soon as it drops.

LINKS:  https://open.spotify.com/album/0ksuDkDwxbxqb6wUduFwVH www.twitter.com/moponeck https://www.facebook.com/MoPoNeck www.instagram.com/moponeck

Artist: Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion

New Release: Spy vs Spy

Genre: Contemporary Jazz

Sounds like:  Down To The Bone, Fourplay, Fattburger, Pieces Of A Dream

Located in:  New York, NY

"Spy vs Spy" is the second single by Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion, a Contemporary/Smooth Jazz ensemble, led by saxophonist/flutist Warren Keller, featuring original, groove-oriented music. “Spy vs Spy” pays homage to the great TV theme songs of yesteryear- think 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' "Spy vs Spy” is driven by an infectious sax and flute line that will have you boppin'! Though you might be looking over your shoulder to make sure you're not being followed!

We try to straddle the line between C-Jazz and Funk. "Spy vs Spy" compliments our debut single, "Kickin" It," also from 2019, in establishing the 'Spontaneous Groovin' Combustion Sound.' We want our tunes to be fun, yet provocative and slightly different than the rest- not just background music!

Right now, we're most excited about having locked-in the next single campaign, going for adds in February 2020. Early next year, we'll release that single #3 (TBD), hopefully, to even better results than the first two records achieved!

LINKS:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwMPuprOTvE https://open.spotify.com/album/1sFBTZq6aL0OC7OZeh1zCg https://twitter.com/Spontaneous_GC https://www.facebook.com/SpontaneousGroovinCombustion https://www.instagram.com/spontaneousgroovin

Artist: Suniil Bhatia (Artist)/ Sound Machine (Band)

New Release: Kahani Sunil (I'm stuck in here)

Genre: Indie Hip Hop with Poetry Rap and shades of Rock Music

Located in: : Mumbai

Kahani Suno means 'Hear a story' in in English. The song is about the artist and can be relatable to any individual as its about the trials, tribulations and struggles which an individual goes through in life. In a brief translation, the song says "Hear my story which is about aspirations, struggles, sadness, times of feeling lost in the journey of life, destiny and moving on with hopes of getting a new dawn"

This music is part of an ongoing album called 'Yeh Din' which means 'These Days' in English.

One can convey one's thoughts and emotions through words and music. Performing is the way to communicate ones songs and if people are able to relate to them, the work of an artist is done. Living a life of ones dreams is the only thing which pushes us to do what we do. Am still doing what I'm doing accordingly.

Right now I am working on more songs to complete the Album.

LINKS:  Reverbnation : https://www.reverbnation.com/sunilbhatia/song/31226644-kahani-suno-im-stuck-in-here Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/sunil-bhatia Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/album/2YN7ZCGcV9hame4JWJnwci  Twitter : https://twitter.com/sunilbhatia Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/YoursMusically Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/sonu.sunil.bhatia

Artist: Bucket Boys

New Release: Won't you be

Genre: Pop music, Adult contemporary, Roots, Fifties

Located in: Mönchengladbach, NW, Germany

If you’re a fan of the 50’s sound, check out the Bucket Boys. The latest songs of the BUCKET BOYS, published in autumn 2019, are the construction box to build all kinds of stories dealing with love and hate. We have songs between yesterday and tomorrow, nice and naughty, sick & sicker.

If you’re looking for an unrealistic illustration of LOVE'N'HATE, you’ll find all you need in this sound from Rock'n'Roll to Country, from Roots to Desert-Rock. The songs are inspired by a different kind of backyard-romance and desire, tequila-driven fantasies and even all imaginable varieties of love and hate.

I do this because...

I love concerts, The Bucket Boys are still on the road. To feel dust and sweat on their skin, burnin’ heat in one hell of a night. An endless landscape of desert’s sand and burnin’ darkness in their eyes. With Tequila-driven fantasies, a taste of backyard-romance and dirty desire, are they looking for their lucky chance.

This mixture of rock’n’roll and country, roots and desert-rock, it makes them happy and is the ultimate soundtrack of a never-ending road-movie.

The Bucket Boys are promoting their new album "Love'n'Hate" and play live on the "up to honey hill-tour".

LINKS:  http://www.reverbnation.com/bucketboys/song/31155604-wont-you-be http://open.spotify.com/track/63u8p69QInABgsf0TtngV3 http://twitter.com/bucketboystweet http://www.facebook.com/TheBucketBoys

Artist: Cabela and Schmitt

New Release: I Pray For You

Genre: Rock/Pop Ballad

Sounds like: The Beatles, Tom Petty, Imagine Dragons, Coldplay

Located in: Nebraska and Colorado

Cabela and Schmitt are an alternative to classic rock. Our influences come from decades of listening to great music. The song is about a couple who gave up too early. The sadness and turmoil of a love gone wrong tearing apart two hearts that give it all up before true love is achieved. And you pray that it will all work out.

This song is track eleven on our newly released album DANCING SHOES. The music comes from our souls. It's an absolute part of us.

Right now we are gearing up for the holiday season with some original Christmas songs. Also, we have been setting our goals and preparing for 2020. Lots of good marketing ideas are flowing.

LINKS:  https://open.spotify.com/track/2QTgOQ4WWWVIqCPvUMdLUV?si=4Ok9qCcDTTybMCyr7kjtcw Twitter: @CabelaSchmitt https://www.facebook.com/cabelaschmittmusic https://www.instagram.com/cabelaandschmitt www.cabelaandschmitt.com