#i want to write a proper meta about this but I don't feel like I can elaborate more without getting really circular

[numericalbridge]

This is more of a first draft for a serious meta post i am planning to write, but since it would take me a few weeks (and the proper post will have screenshots, etc) i just wanted to address the popular fanon that Hunter had to prove himself for Darius to start to care about him/that Darius' care was conditional and he was just same as Belos.

And i feel like that notion just completely ignores the scene just after Darius collects the Emerald Entrails to his Blimp. And, yes, i will never shut up about that scene because that's my favourite Darius scene and - completely regardless of Darius and Hunter's relationship - showed that Darius had his own morals independent of the Coven expansionism and propaganda, and in this way that scene was clearly very intentional. There was no point for Darius to lie to manipulate Hunter, as some people had thought, since that wasn't what Hunter would want to hear/be asked about, so we can assume Darius was sincere.

And... Darius looked stern and strict and disappointed, not mean-spirited, not gloating about being proven right about Hunter - and if the fanon verison of Darius and Hunter's relationship was correct then in this, very intentional scene there was the perfect opportunity for that kind of reaction. And it was the first time we saw Darius as completely serious, without playing, and serious and stern in a very quite way. Same with the scene when they talk on the crow phone where Darius is complaining but, again, is not meanspirited or agressive, but since that scene is more comedic it might not have been that intentional. Back to the Blimp scene - as other people had said, if Darius truly didn't care or hated Hunter there would be no point for him to look disappointed.

And i don't mean he would care about Hunter in a very personal manner at this point, but as i see it he probably realized he had fucked up after the crow call (my headcanon-y interpretation of Darius' way of thinking in ASIAS here) and at the Blimp scene he saw that even if Hunter was a spoiled prince the kid clearly had problems. And thus Darius even nudged him in the direction of thinking for himself by just asking back whether this was something Hunter should be proud off. Yes, it might not be super gentle, but it is a far cry from what fandom usually sees in Darius' reactions. So with all this in mind, it seems like even if Hunter didn't change his mind, Darius still would have some notion of care to be disappointed and sad over this, and, imo, it would have set him towards more compassion or at least understanding towards Hunter even if Hunter didn't help his friends.

(and btw, nothing points towards Darius seeing Hunter as anything but the spoiled royality since there is a huge difference between a child soldier and a relative of the emperor assuming an important position at a young-ish age; and the Coven Heads are not even some inner court to be privy to the Emperor's life since he wouldn't allow witches to be this close. And even in their first scene while Darius was mean initially - especially with the cloak - it wasn't anything that s1 Eda wouldn't say, and we didn't even get to see how the cloak scene would've ended if Darius wasn't set off by his mentor's sigil).

And the thing is, sure there might be unfortunate implications with the way ASIAS ends, just as there are unfortunate implications with how 8 years old King was the one reaching out towards Eda with 'no more lies' while she barely had to apologize. And in the same way as King's development and choices are prioritized because the target audience is meant to relate to him and understand him more, i think the same happens with ASIAS. Yes, it is important to show that the adults shouldn't mistreat Hunter, but for a 10 years old watching it it is also important to show that, no matter how sympathetic the backstory, a 16 years old shouldn't push you to do something you don't want. So Hunter makes mistakes, learns from them and then gets rewarded by a nearest adult figure. It is a standart cartoon structure, and sure, it also shouldn't be free of criticism, but just not via demonizing and bad faith interpretations of Darius and only Darius.

And even in that scene, i feel like it is notable that Darius says 'make your predecessorS proud'. If Darius' care about Hunter was truly just conditional or if there was no intention to that scene, it would've been easy to say 'predecessor' or 'the previous golden guard' since that's who Darius cared about and in the beginning unfairly compared Hunter to, that's what the audience remembers, but Darius doesn't seem to have any connection to other golden guards, it is Hunter who cares about them and their legacy, so this, if intentional, also points towards Darius already realizing his mistakes and trying to just genuinely encourage Hunter.

And i feel like you need to look at the episode and Darius' character as a whole rather than focusing on only 2 scenes to decide whether there was the intention to paint him the way fanon sees him or not. And even if it is how the show intended us to see Darius - then maybe the fandom should examine this writing choice in the context of how the show prioritizes white and light skinned characters and their development, and how the show treats black characters, and why Darius is the one who wouldn't get a proper resolution or a way to verbalise his thoughts and opinions while Alador or Gwen or even Steve are allowed to do it.

[miralines]

I cannot get over narratomancy and kvasir associated heavily with poetry being the literal engine of the ratatosk express and thus the engine of the story and Story as a force personified

[matan4il]

911 ep 701 first watch reactions

(I don't think I have the energy to write proper Buddie meta, so here's me randomly squealing instead...)

LMAO In case you were wondering whether s7 of 911 will be subtle about their gratitude/debt to ABC for saving the show, the answer is a resounding no.

Also, I have lost a lot of respect for Frank as a shrink, but gained a lot of love for him as a sass king. "Did she win!?" The murderous look Athena gave him was priceless. I love her, too. She doesn't even need words to rule.

Man, nooooo. Don't give me a mutual "I love you" between Bobby and Athena like that.

"Go ahead and cut the green wire." Everyone and their sister: "Green? You said Red."

9-1-1 is the superior comedy they slipped into our drink, while we were here for our weekly action, suspense, drama and familial love.

Buck broke off with Natalia, and the show really did it like that. XD Every single person who rolled their eyes at this pairing during s6, we were all justified, but wow. The show really is the only forum to respect the pair even less than fandom does. And of course we find out about it in the middle of a scene built around Eddie being half naked, Buck watching him, with the camera specifically turning so we can discover Buck was initially covered by Eddie's body, and the angle change reveals him, when the whole thing wraps up with Eddie welcoming Buck back to the land of the living... Yeah, wonder what made Buck feel alive again. Don't know. 'Tis a mystery. We were given zero clues...

"I want the honeymoon life." *cries* Chimney is just such a good, good man. And okay, expecting your whole life to be a honeymoon's a bit unrealistic, but Madney are living together and they have a child. They know this. Chim knows this, but he still wants to go for it. Aim for the moon, you'll at least land among the stars, right?

Bobby baffled by Athena's reaction to Norman and Lola is hilarious.

I like how Chim has a great idea, but it's still obvious that it's gonna go wrong, because he can't help going overboard with it...

OMG, that scene with Eddie recounting to Buck what Christopher's date was like... If I were to write my Buddie meta, I would serve a three course meal just from that. I mean, the fact that watching Chris hanging out with a girl he likes, makes Eddie compare it to "hanging out with his guy friends" (when there's no lack of interest in this girl... in fact, it turns out that if anything, Christopher's problem is the opposite of a lack of interest) is so telling. There's a reason why that's where Eddie's mind went.

But then also... Eddie's trust in Buck got to me, the way he went to his best friend (not his own gf) for help with Chris. But that was still played with half a smile. But then Buck sort of disses himself jokingly, and Eddie won't have it. "You didn't end up like you." He sees how Buck worked on being a better person, even when Eddie wasn't there for the worst of it, and he appreciates it, and won't let Buck forget it. Meeeep. I love them.

Oh Chim. I was giving you so much credit, and then you went and bought that outdoors jacuzzi. lol Still love him. That's what Maddie's reminding herself of right now, too. ;p

Poor Hen, she was great in this ep, but none of it was really about her, she was comic relief, both with Chim and with the red wire. Then again, she was amazing in this, like she always is with everything.

Eddie and Buck were both so good with Chris this ep, MY HEART. Buck with getting him to talk about what's really bothering him, and Eddie with realizing exactly what his son needs, and how to give it to him. They completed each other. Neither one would be helping Chris without the other one. Tell me again how they're not soulmates?

In conclusion, I love Bobby saying, "Let's go prove one of us wrong," when they're both right. Something WAS going on with Norman and Lola, AND Athena was using them to avoid him.

Argh. That scene of the ship and its passengers being hijacked was rough to watch. </3 I'll still be here to watch the conclusion of this. That's the power of 9-1-1 for you.

It def felt like a great kick to the new season. We had lots of comedy and fun, some great tension, some emotional moments (especially with Christopher), but all in all, it's still clear that the whole thing's a build up to next week. Are you excited?

[handkinkbis]

Show review: Destined with You.

So.... I might be in the minority, but as much as I enjoy Rowoon on screen I didn't start watching the show for him.

I was hoping for a witch/shaman Hongjo kdrama to finish near the eve of Halloween as the show seemed to be promising (very logically it seemed to be heading that way!). And she did cast some spells to my pleasure, but to my massive displeasure her witch arc was entirely forgotten about in favor of... not even sure what that kidnapping sequence was all about. Somehow most of Hongjo's agency as a character vanished into the ether as well during the past few episodes. Her character growth consisted of building the confidence to stand up to Nayeon, but her stubborn self reliance fueled by a lifetime of loneliness and trauma (her mother! Her father!!!!) stayed and was left unaddressed. And not to be dramatic, but I might die mad about it.

So past lifes were real, the curses and spells were real, Aengcho was really a shaman and the Gardener for whatever reason (also unexplored) wanted to marry Hongjo in the next life. But Hongjo in current day went from a strong, feisty character who was ready to spell cast her way in and out of trouble into... someone to intentionally get herself kidnapped??

It's like this show was written in the 2000s to early 2010s AND it hated women. I had high hopes for Ms. Ma, Shinyu's mother and Eunwol, but they were done DIRTY by this show. Hongjo's storyline was forgotten. Aengcho got relatively less attention compared to Mujin/Rowoon. It's like the main character changed somewhere and it became Shinyu/Mujin. Shinyu and Jaekyung had their cool lawyer moments (good stuff) and Hongjo got... Nayeon arrested? Nayeon, who was another villain without a proper depth or motivation other than being a 2010s kdrama era Mean Girl. Again, Hongjo and Aengcho were done so dirty. Even Shinyu's poor abused mother went back to her abusive husband AND she got pregnant. That was just tragic!

And kindly don't try to tell me that my reasons to dislike this show are wrong - I've every right to review and hate how badly this show butchered the stories of the female characters in this show even if Rowoon was hot in a bunch of scenes like that's going to compensate for it. I am not a Rowoon stan. 🤷‍♀️ I like him just fine, but it's been frustrating to watch as a non-stan since some stans seem to take any critique of the show as a slight towards Rowoon himself. But he has nothing to do with the writing, so put down your pitchforks, ok.

They should've stuck with the office romcom or made the show into a sageuk and dropped the false advertising of the show as a magic/fantasy drama. The sageuk era episodes SLAPPED. They were tense, beautifully shot and interesting, Aengcho had her moment! I LOVED her in her faceoff with the King, she was powerful and terrifying in that. And as soon as I fell in love with her, Mujin killed Aengcho (in a very meta symbolic way) and that was that. The show itself killed Aengcho and Hongjo.

This show was written to give Rowoon his cool and sexy moments. This was the Rowoon fan service show. Which is fine, but LEAD with that info then. I did enjoy Hongjo and Shinyu together and there were a couple of fun or emotionally compelling episodes, but I didn't finish with positive feelings about the show unfortunately because of the finale.

The writing of the show was exceptionally uneven and erratic. It seemed like from a different decade, but not this one. The relationship between Hongjo and Shinyu was mostly wholesome, but not always the healthiest for several reasons. Shinyu didn't always treat Hongjo well (and vice versa) and he made some decisions for Hongjo in true 2010s kdrama patriarch style.

Hongjo&Shinyu get 7/10 for being adorable and lovable. Loved their relationship development very much. I'm glad they didn't rush to have kids or to marry. The proposal at the beach while addressing Hongjo's dad was endearing.

Plot gets a 3/10 rating. There was potential... and it slipped through the writer's fingers. Loose threads were left untied. Side plots were abandoned or seemingly forgotten about.

Would I rewatch again? Maybe once I stop fuming about how Hongjo was treated by the show, but just for the Shinhong scenes. But it'll take some wound licking and fixit fic writing.

Please universe, give Boah better scripts. She's a wonderful actress and she deserves a role that's cool and that lets her showcase her talent. Many viewers seemed to lose their patience with her, even though the writing of the show was the true issue.

[ala-baguette]

OK but now I really want your "whole meta" about how "Remus talks about Harry when Harry's not around" because, ow my heart!

Im never sure on how to feel about Lupin, because on the surface he's likable, but under that-- where you been, dude? Would love to have you change my mind!

Noooo! Don't Tempt Me, Anon! No, really. I would love to, but maybe let's revisit that after I'm done with Knowing Where to Look. I could totally talk about Remus all day, but at this point it would just look like procrastination (which it definitely is). What I will offer you today: Remus is a character you have to love for his flaws. Fortunately (or perhaps unfortunately?) clinically depressed blurbos completely lacking in self-worth are my peeps. To paraphrase my thoughts on this topic for now:

Remus's absence is not about his feelings for Harry; it's about his feelings for himself.

I'll leave it at that for now and perhaps one day we'll come back with a proper meta on the subject. In the meantime, however, I have several Remus-centric fics I can offer to showcase some of my views on Remus and his relationship with Harry. I somehow always come back to writing Remus and he is featured heavily in several of my Left Behind stories as well as one of my early long fics. I will link here in case you have not read them and are interested:

A Life Filled with Laughter and Ice Cream, Florean Fortescue's Left Behind installment. This one is probably the most relevant to his relationship with Harry (or lack there of). Set during PoA, Florean and Remus share an ice cream and a chat about their lives during and since the first war.

Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Remus Lupin's Left Behind installment. Remus takes another stroll down memory lane (and the streets of Godric's Hollow) after his argument with Harry in DH.

To Crave a Dementor's Kiss, Nymphadora Tonks's Left Behind installment. The Remadora story from OotP through HBP. This one is less about Remus's relationship with Harry and more about his relationship with Tonks, but I do think it's a look at some of my feelings on his characterization. (One of these days I'd like to return to this one and rework it-- This was a very early Left Behind story and I was still finding my stride.)

A Lonely Path, my first long fic. An AU with a paternal Remus-Harry relationship. I add this to this list with some hesitancy as it is long, has less basis in canon, is quite old and my views and writing have changed, contains a fair amount of wish-fulfillment regarding Remus's ability to love, and I wrote it when I was 19, so it's rather an immature plot. However, I also don't feel like I can list my writing featuring Remus and not include it. If you chose to take the plunge into my 19 year-old mind, take it with a grain of salt, a little grace, and more as a way to see how my views on this character have evolved over the years.

Thanks for the Ask, Anon, and sorry to not answer you properly. Hope these fics can satiate you for the time being. Now I've got a final chapter of Knowing Where to Look to write!

[unrivalling]

"Just When Was Grell Sutcliff Alive?" Part 1: Establishing a Timeline

So as many of you know, I recently got into Black Butler (I know, about 17 years too late), and I'm almost caught up. However, I want to talk about how I'm still thinking about Vol 29 and some of the lore dropping Othello does at the beginning there.

Namely I'm fixated on possibly having a timeline for Grell's human life and death.

This wasn't intended to be a proper meta. It's been too long since I've written one, and there's probably important stuff I'm forgetting or don't know. But I wanted to write all of this down to get it out on the page, for posterity. Then it accidentally became a meta. Oops. Mild BB spoilers up to Vol 29, and heads up for some discussion of historical homophobia, transphobia, and state violence at the end. As well as a canon-typical suicide mention. I use she/her pronouns for Grell, but broadly interpret her as queer and transfeminine given the complexity of talking about identity in the time periods I'll be referencing (I use "queer" as a reclaimed, academic, blanket term). I'm also largely taking a Watsonian approach (Grell's experiences from her perspective), although a Doylist approach to Grell (as in relating to the author's intent and cultural context rather than the character's) is also really interesting one, but feels like more well trodden territory. With that out of the way, let's begin.

The info we have So. Something really interesting happened in Vol 29. We got a lot of great Undertaker backstory, but Othello said something relating to Grell that made me eyes emoji.

"Weren't you around 70 years ago?"

So, she never replies to this. But it seems highly plausible this means Grell was not a reaper 70 years before the current date in the manga. We don't quite know what the lag time is between someone dying and becoming a reaper, but I'm taking this to mean she had not died yet, as I assume she would have remembered an event like the one Othello describes. I believe this is the implication. Now, I am making some assumptions:

- To clarify, I know this is all guesswork. I'm just having fun with different possibilities. - Like I said, we don't know what the lag time is between someone dying and becoming a reaper (as in, the new state of being, not the job), and we don't know how long it takes to go from trainee to collections to senior. - That Grell was around 25 when she died. It's hard to tell anime character ages from 20-40 at a glance, but her design seems similar to me to characters that are in their 20s in other series. She could be older or younger, but I'm using that in lieu of a better option. It's not precise, but it'll get us in the ballpark anyway - Black Butler has a lot of anachronisms. However, Toboso is known to research things heavily and her changes are typically very purposeful (the purpose is usually "Rule of cool" and that's why we stan). I'm assuming historical events happening in BB to mirror the real world except where indicated otherwise. - I'm also assuming she's English. The names Grell and Grelle are both German in origin, but there are a lot of Germanic names in English and Sutcliff as a surname originated in Yorkshire. This is only based on a quick Google search--I could do more later, but this seems in line with Grell not being presented as "foreign" to England in any way in the series making her stand out in the same way her flamboyance or flirtation with men does. Establishing a range

The series takes place in 1888 and 1889. 70 years ago would put Undertaker's defection at 1818. If what Othello says is true, this means Grell became a reaper sometime after that date.

Let's establish the outlier possibilities first (again, assuming a pretty rapid transition from human death to becoming a reaper).

The earliest possible date Grell could have become a reaper: sometime in the following year, around 1819. This would put her birth at around 1794, and her death that year in 1819. This feels unlikely because it seems like she would have been exposed to people talking about Undertaker defecting since it was such a catastrophe, but who knows.

The latest possible date Grell could have become a reaper is 1887, which would place her birth at around 1862. This is massively improbable to the point of being impossible since she's a senior in collections and I assume that didn't happen in a year, but again, it's important for establishing a range. Basically, tldr, according to this framework, Grell became a reaper sometime between 1819 and 1887, which puts her human life (and death) in that timeframe as well. This would place her in the Georgian-Victorian eras, or possibly even the 8 year Regency period.

Will the Reaper OVA I've only talked about the manga so far since the 1st anime canon is wildly divergent in a number of ways, but if we include the Will the Reaper OVA, this would push things towards the earlier end of that timeline. I don't know much about the history of fashion (especially not middle and lower class dress), but it seems distinctly late 1700s/maybe early 1800s to me. Which if I'm reading right, would actually push Grell becoming a reaper back as far as the 1790s or 1810s, and would dispute the 1819 date implied by Vol 29. IF ANYONE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE FASHION REFERENCES HERE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TELL ME. I WANT TO KNOW.

(Baby....Grell...furious and stark raving mad recently dead stray cat making it everyone's problem. I'm fine) This is subverted a little bit by the reaper outfits appearing more like Victorian businesswear, but Reapers always seem to be a few decades ahead of the world in terms of fashion and technology. My personal assessment is that the fashion in this is to make it immediately, visually clear that the OVA takes place in the Georgian rather than Victorian period, however that forces me to break my largely Watsonian approach for a Doylist one ("the animators perhaps decided it was necessary to show that time had passed since the events of the OVA"), but considering it came out so long before the lore drop in Vol 29, who knows.

I'm not inclined to take it as gospel truth for the manga canon, but considering Toboso did collaborate on that one, I think it at least worth talking about and considering as supplemental information.

I personally take this to support (but not solely uphold) the idea that "Grell became a reaper sometime during the Georgian period (1713-1837)", but again, grain of salt.

What would it mean for Grell to be a queer person in England in the 1700s and 1800s?

As far as I'm aware, we don't know anything about what Grell's life might have been like before becoming a reaper. Unless I'm missing something, that's a black box until Toboso reveals more.

But establishing this timeline gives us a great opportunity to consider the circumstances she would have lived under.

Understand that I'm not speaking in absolutes here, more "here are some interesting things I like to think about when considering why this character might be the way she is". I'm also not saying Toboso intended any of this to be read into Grell, but as readers I believe it's reasonable to assume Grell may have encountered these events or they might have impacted her unless stated otherwise. A brief list of things Grell would have been living under or around or could have been aware of. I want to do a part 2 talking about how these things might relate to someone like Grell, as well as talking about other major historical events not directly related to queer people (like, you know, the Napoleonic Wars), but this post is already feeling long enough: - The Buggery Act and the Offenses Against the Person Act, which made a variety of sexual acts punishable by death, including acts like anal sex. These laws were used to persecute people, usually queer men (although people who would today be called trans women and nonbinary people were also certainly prosecuted as well*), particularly in the 1700s and 1800s. I believe as of 1862 it was no longer punishable by death, but people still lived in fear of prison and hard labor (Oscar Wilde going to prison in 1895 being a famous later example). Here's an article about the men killed under the Buggery Act. *Trans men were not exempt from this, even if the specific legal and social threat was likely different. If memory serves, Dr. James Barry was jeopardized by rumors that he may have been Too Close to one of his cis male friends. - Molly houses. Generally considered places in the 1700s and 1800s where queer men gathered to socialize and find sexual partners. There was a lot of gender divergence in these spaces, and it's widely believed they were frequented by people who, again, today, could have a variety of gender identities. This article about molly houses and gender is really interesting. This article specifically talks about one in Whitechapel. - The Chevalier d'Eon. This one is just really interesting. While the Chevalier d'Eon was likely one of the first examples of legally recognized gender transition, this person was very famous and wealthy and the circumstances are buckwild. This video is highly watchable and informative. Grell

As a queer person and someone who likes history (I don't have any specific training, I just like learning about it), I already think a lot about what it must have been like to live during this specific time period, and Grell slots into that pretty well as a character to fixate on, since she dovetails with the other existing hyperfixation. By extension, I like using this information to think about what Grell's human life might have been like, and how those experiences could be aligned to explain a lot of her behavior, and seems especially poignant to me in light of all reapers having been people who committed suicide, another recent lore reveal in the manga. Maybe she lived closeted and lived in fear of discovery. Maybe she wasn't afraid! Maybe she was impulsive and endangered herself and others! Maybe she got blackmailed. What if she experienced her first taste of femininity at a molly house? Does she only go after men who reject her because she lived during a time where her affections being returned was intensely dangerous? Did she care about anyone? Is anyone she knew still alive? Thank you so much to everyone who read to the end! If I'm able to rally, I do want there to be a part 2 to this going more into detail about how it makes sense to me that these homophobic and transphobic societal pressures could have created a character like Grell.

[generalluxun]

Fanfic writer ask meme: J, S, T

J:  What’s your favorite fanfic trope?  Have you written it?

I don't know if it's a trope but it's a tag. Emotional hurt/comfort. Which I used to not tag separately from hurt/comfort. Just something about pain being recognized, people coming together, learning, growing, helping each other. Probably comes from a childhood of hidden trauma. 😅

S: How do you feel about fan art inspired by your writing

Yes please? Fan-art. Translations. Re-imagining, you name it. Knowing you've inspired someone else, made them feel strongly enough to create, that's amazing.

T: Any fanfic tropes you can’t stand?

Probably several, but let'so with the biggest.

Saaaaaallllllllttttt. I can't stand salt fics. They're such a lazy negative mess. Like just imagine the level of bile you have to have to invest yourself in a years long art project just to mock your titular character?

That isn't to say you can't write villain arcs for prople. Take Alya Cesaire, one of the biggest salt-fic targets. If you *want* to write her being a villain then *earn* it. Show me a proper descent based on her own traits and circumstances, don't just 'dur hur she bad' because the canon narrative did something you don't like, or you want to smash a ship together.

It's no secret the disdain I have for Thomas Astruc, yet when I used his self-insert as a villain for a fic, even at the most meta point in the fic, the characters still treated him with the same respect everyone gets in the show. The focus was still on learning, hope, and growth. Isn't that just *better?*

Salt-fics that flatten or discount a character's context suck just as much. Chloé gets a loy of that. The self righteous 'it's no excuse' from people who have no idea.

[brilliantfantasticgeronimo]

Rogue thoughts and reactions--->

not taking many notes this time cause i wanted to Savour this one tbh and what a blast so far

rogue and doctor so far is like. rtd striking gold potentially here (i kno he didnt write this one i mean more like. in the long run. i could see fans going crazy over this Type of ship and spending sweet $$$$ on it lol).

ruby looking at this "scene" like it's a tv show………. live…….. honey u best believe in ghost stories hyper post-modern genre tv show seasons cause u are in one

cushy… wordsmiths-ing count…

"ruby: you know how i forget about a man?" with a woman? (shot)

the parallel of these guys "dishonoring" these ppl while the doc and ruby do kind of the same all the time sdkflj

mmm second time i see a triangle logo (it was there last ep on the door to the MEP area that lindsey and rickey ran into. camera held on suspiciously long on it…) (triangles…. three…. susan TRIAD???)

doctor this says you're single and available. oh another word. "very" available.

COME ON ACE WE HAVE WORK TO DO

"wow" boner dialogue

mention of gallifrey.... "i might take you one day" oh man. oh man………..

"random barren dimension" yes this is not an equivalent to a silent confinement analogue at all don't think about it too hard guys

"i lost everyone"

they're leaning on……………. oh yaz just broke a coffee mug somewhere

maybe the real enemy was fandom all along

THOSE TV SIGNALS BEAM OUT ACROSS THE STARS. TV SIGNALS. TV SIGNALS. TV ISNGALS TV

SIGNASLKDJASLKDJASKLJ1!!SKLFDJDSLKJFSDLK JF SHUT UPTJSDLFKSDJ (i die)

ok im enjoying The Concept a lot, as expected…….. but gotta say rogue does feel a bit two dimensional so far :/ (maybe even a bit cliche?) i feel jack in his first ep had more depth at first for example (bounty hunter but also lost his memory. doing amoral things but being swayed by the doctor at the end. etc). but there's time THERE'S TIME. DONT LE TME DOWN EPISODE PLEA SE. there's always a twist-

you people and your bridgetons. in my time this would all be a big ass downtown abbey reference

sad thing is this is def one episode i wont be able to watch with my homophobic parents at all oof lmao

this dialogue.... kinda thoschei acadamy years coded ngl

"tell me what your heart wants or i shall turn my back on your forever" defining 15 character dialogue……….

(commitment phobe doctor moment. my girl hastn changed at ALL) (btw intrigued by rogue's "i lost them" bc it could mean a lot right. it's the most delibarely ambiguous of pronouns dklfjsd like it could be a nonbinary character but could also be a couple characters? or maybe im reading it wrong sdlkjf)

play our games on a magnificent scale…………… games motif……….

"i thought i was interesting- but you??" exactly!!! doctor who>>>>>>>> bridgerton/all other tv shows. case made.

god i feel so stupid. i dint catch that twist at all TOT

wedding season finale. chuldur's know where it's at.

oh finally there's the scene from the trailers!!!!!!!!!

"how long do they live for?" oh he's gonna says A Thing "thats a long time to suffer" I WASN'T WRONG /GOES FERAL ( i knew the family of blood coding was leading somewhere…)

the doctor beatiing these cosplayers with his "i object" tv tropyness……….. the meta of it……… theory gang we're gonna make it yet i swear

ok yes this is sad poor ruby but like. but literally last month 14 killed/sacrificed donna w/o sm hesitation so sdklfjdsklfjsdklfj (yes im still like. HEY THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT THING THAT HAPPENED. WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT IT.)

oh is rogue a chuldur as well? he feels too invested in the trolley problem of it all sdlkfj

im gonna say it.... i thought that resolution was kinda........ as the kids say..... weak sauce sfkdj

like oh nooo he got teleported oh noooo. like he's gonna be fine slkdfjsd didn't really hit that hard :/ should have had a proper death sacrifice thing.

"im sorry....." "....AAAANYWAY , it is what it is!!!! " my man is so broken holy shit. holy shit.

it's ok to be sad. !!!!! TOT

CONCLUSIONS!!

sdlkjf ya'll i really wanted this to harder but idk i didnt feel the depth or sensibility this called for was there tbh. but it was a blast!!! but … it missed a bit of that x factor thing. like some kind of universality to the romance w/ the rogue. i feel he was too sketched-in.... i was also a bit disappointed that ruby's friend was not her friend bc it meant her whole thing this ep of connecting to that woman was for nothing (and up until that point it was feeling very Important specially after the marti thing) (and speaking of, the chuldur's were kinda very sketched-in / surface-level as villains as well) … yeah. idk. kinda disappointing ngl (diodati > this i think). pretty fucking gay tho so that was nice.

[iguessitsjustme]

Hi Rae!!!

I hope you're doing very well! My question is, what do you think about music in Unknown?? Because honestly every time the stripped down piano version of the opening song pops up I am FEELING THINGS. So I wondered what's your take on that.

Helloooooo

I've been...okay I guess. Work is currently using up all of my brain power which is why I have made multiple bad decisions this week (don't ask) and also why I haven't posted much about Unknown. I come home from work every day, sit on my couch, and stare at my wall while thinking "wow what a day" for the past...month? So most of my thoughts about shows have been "what a cute little show I'm watching." And Unknown needs more thought than what I've been able to give. At least for me. Plus everyone else was already writing such fantastic meta that I was just eating it up like I've been starving.

So while I definitely noticed the music in Unknown, my thoughts have been "hnnnnng good music." Buuuut since you asked I did actually turn my brain on for a bit and try to sort out my thoughts on the music. At least a little bit. This is going to be very bare bones (for now) mostly because I do not currently have the time to go back and rewatch some scenes to do any sort of proper analysis on anything. I'm also going to try to avoid spoilers.

I would be remiss if I didn't at least say how much I love the theme song. Something about me that might surprise some people is that I normally listen to the opening song once and then skip it the rest of the time because I'm eager to get into the show (and tbh most of the time I don't like the theme songs that much) but I never once skipped Unknown's opening. It perfectly encapsulates the whole show. I feel every emotion from the show in the opening itself. I cannot explain further I just love it.

This show's soundtrack is one of my absolute favorites. I always say that the goal of a soundtrack is to help set the tone for the show and this soundtrack blends seamlessly with the other show elements for the biggest emotional payoffs. Not only are all of the songs extremely good, but they are used extremely well.

I think the most brilliant part of the auditory choices in Unknown is actually the use of silence. It is used very well and makes the music choices have that much more punch when watching. Part of the reason the music makes you feel so many things when watching is because it is such a stark contrast to the silence that proceeds it. The silence sets up your emotions for the music to swoop in and basically gut punch you (sometimes. sometimes it's a loving caress. but most of the time in this show it's a gut punch but in the best way).

Soooo I don't really have a take specifically on the piano version of the opening, but those are my general Unknown music thoughts. I will consider doing a whole music analysis if anyone wants one and also work stops stealing my brain.

[hekateinhell]

What are some of your fave headcanons/meta you'd give to someone who is lestat/armand curious but doesn't know where to begin with them? (it's me, I'm the lestat/armand curious one)

I didn't realize this until it was pointed out to me, but I always tend to approach this ship/pairing from a post-canon perspective. And hear me out--given that there are entire segments of other fandoms that have zines and cons dedicated to ships that have much less to go off of--I really don't think Lestat/Armand is that big of a reach, considering the obvious? For me, it's where I get to be creative and also extremely self-indulgent (but at least I'm self-aware?).

HCs:

Initially, it would take some time for Lestat to admit to the feelings he has for Armand canonically. But he might find it easier to express his affections nonverbally through a telepathic communication here or a lingering touch there.

Armand says in TVA that Lestat "had given" Shakespeare to him and that he reads Shakespeare whenever he has a "bellyful of despair." Now, Lestat slips him little quotes he's scribbled out onto pieces of paper and hopes Armand likes them. It's equal parts romantic and melodramatic.

They'll eventually have to... communicate re: their Mutual Marius Issues™️, which will be excruciatingly painful but cathartic. Here's where they can actually start moving forward.

Gift-giving is a large part of both of their love languages and they treat it as a competition; Lestat does finally get to polish and dress Armand up the way he said he wanted to in MtD.

In that vein, physical touch and caretaking would also be love languages for them. Remember how upset Armand was when he saw Lestat lying on the church floor and noticed that his hair was left uncombed? Appearances are important to both of them, but especially to Armand who spent 300 years dusty, ragged, and unkempt underground. He would want to brush Lestat's hair every night and Lestat would let him. Lestat's the possessive one and Armand's the overprotective one.

Armand could use his powers to create soothing illusions for Lestat when he's feeling stressed re: court and/or having a PTSD moment (think of a therapeutic calming room for a child). Lestat would comfort Armand with physical embraces (like when Armand's crying and clinging to him after Marius is kidnapped in BC).

Given that they're two of the youngest ones in mortal age within their close circle (excluding Benji and Antoine), they would bond over their almost childlike innocence and wonder (and confusion) when it comes to modern mortal innovations.

Lestat admits in the PL-trilogy to liking Armand's taste in interior design, and I imagine their house would be the bougiest one out of all of the ships' by far.

The Fast-Food Meta

(one day I'll write a proper dissertation but that day will not be today)

In-text, they're both attracted to each other, they kiss and admit to loving each other (several times), and consider each other family. They have so much history and so much in common in terms of their early life traumas (abusive childhoods, religious influences). As much as they clash and contrast, they also complement each other very well.

A large part of the draw for me with this ship is how they would exist outside of the maker/fledgling power dynamic--it's something Armand avoids and Lestat craves, and it's why I think it would be such a surrender for Lestat to intimately bond with someone that he doesn't weld such a significant power advantage over. Armand's always given Lestat a fair fight and a run for his money and that's intimidating to Lestat (rightfully so, even though he can respect and appreciate it).

Even if they're unmatched physically, Armand can balance that out easily with his mental gifts and wisdom combined with his basic understanding of Lestat. Lestat can't control Armand and furthermore, he doesn't want to! The only control Lestat would ever have over Armand is what Armand would permit him to have. Think about it... Armand's fiercely independent. Marius tried and failed to beat submission into him and Santino, of course, took it to another level. But with Lestat, Louis, and (human) Daniel, it's still a choice of when and how Armand's surrendering his power.

Adding another layer to this is the telepathic connection Lestat and Armand have (something Lestat cannot have with any of his fledglings and the same goes for Armand with Marius and Daniel). I think it would be an incredibly healing experience--such a comfort and security to both of them--if they existed in a relationship where that mental link wasn't removed from the equation. It's something I love to explore whenever I write A/L (psychological dynamics are where I live). Somewhat related: Lestat has never "written" from Armand's POV the way he has Daniel's, Marius's, and Louis's. Either Armand keeps his mind locked tighter than a steel trap around him or Lestat knows better than to go there.

Lastly, Armand finally snapped and told that boy to grow up and Lestat started making an effort the very next day.

[soloorganaas]

I just got back into MWPP when I finally caved and read ATYD and was struggling to find any other fics like it. Stumbled upon your meta and that honestly describes it perfectly - the last time I was in this fandom was like 8 years ago and all of the things I've loved about it don't seem to be present anymore (jegulus?! when did that happen?!)

Really feeling like an old man on the porch but glad to see I'm not the only one :) obviously this is not meant as bashing, of course fandom should evolve it was just quite a culture shock that has me wanting to write another fic just to get more old school wolfstar out there haha

reading through old wolfstar fics is a TRIP. it actually feels like living breathing healthy fandom!! as opposed to what we’ve got now which veers between teens who’ve never been exposed to the outside world and straight women with fetishes and adults running some kind of high school clique and absolutely nobody has any media literacy or basic literary analysis skills. this obviously does not include my beloved mutuals, who are perfect ❤️

I really don’t read much wolfstar fic anymore other than things written by or recommended by my mutuals bc finding anything that feels like proper wolfstar takes so so much time. you’re of course right that fandom shouldn’t stay the same and ideas evolving is a good thing. it’s just that in so many cases the ideas in this fandom haven’t evolved. they’ve just been swept away entirely and replaced by two-dimensional self-insert trends. so not only is the writing bad, it’s not connected in any way to canon and it’s not building on the decades of fandom + fanon before it.

the hanleia fandom which I’m also part of has been going for like 40 years and the fics are so different from a couple decades ago but still so so good bc all that knowledge has been passed on!! but now trying to even find pre-atyd wolfstar ideas or fics for myself is difficult, let alone seeing them circulated around the fandom to be picked apart and played with and reconstructed. it’s just such a huge loss and makes me really really frustrated sometimes. BUT there are a solid group of people shaking their fists at clouds and determinedly clinging on to the old way of fandom (actually reading canon and then critically engaging with it) so they give me hope the marauderstok horrors won’t eclipse wolfstar forever

also I just wanna add that by critical engagement I don’t mean every fic has to be a literary masterpiece. write them fucking in the shower or making pancakes together idc, it would just be a better fandom if those fics fed off and back into this whole creative world developed since the 90s, rather than one mediocre fic from 2018

[addictedtostorytelling]

i’ve been rewatching csi from the beginning (because i’ve never been able to make it past season 9 without grissom) and i’m finally up to the end of season 7… i have like 3 episodes left and i’m SAD. this team dynamic is so special to me and i feel this slow crawl of devastation that i’m (again) witnessing the end of what has been for 7 seasons. soon sara won’t be her usually cute and passionate self (in love too) that we get see in season 7, and she’ll leave, and then warrick is going to die, and grissom will leave… and nothing will ever be the same on this show. i don’t know how to get over it. how did you do it? how do i move on? how do i mourn this team dynamic that i’ve loved for so long and get used to new variations of the team? god, i wish grissom came back for a proper full ep earlier than the freaking series finale and the new show. i’m just… not sure how to enjoy without them all 😭

hi, anon!

yours is a very heartfelt question, and, unfortunately, i am probably the wrong person to answer it, because i never really "got over" the changes to the show post-s7, either.

not gonna lie to you: i have only watched the s10-s15 era of the show once through in its entirety.

the s8 and s9 angst i can deal with in order to get to the happy gsr ending in episode 09x10 "one to go." however, i hate all later seasons of the show beyond that point with all the salt that is in me, not only because of the cast turnover but also because the writing and production values of the show changed so much as to make the series (and the remaining characters) unrecognizable.

most of the time, i just straight-up ignore the fact that those seasons exist, preferring to imagine my own canon-divergent au version of the show (starting from the end of s7) instead.

i really do not engage with them unless someone sends me an ask.

that so, i can't exactly tell you how to learn to accept the new team or get comfortable in that altered narrative landscape. i never did, on either count.

instead, my advice is this: keep in mind you're not obligated to finish watching csi if doing so isn't enjoyable to you. you fell in love with a particular group of characters, story universe, and cast dynamic, and if those things went away or ship of theseus'd themselves into a production that is fundamentally different from the one you fell in love with in every way save name, you don't have to stick around anymore.

remember: you're watching this show as a hobby, not a job.

the #1 rule of fandom is to follow your bliss, so if you're not naturally motivated to finish the series—and especially if the thought of doing so is actively causing you dread—then you don't have to force the issue.

give yourself permission to say, "for me, the series ends with episode 08x01 'dead doll' or episode 09x10 'one to go' (or wherever you want to draw your line in the sand)" and then walk away.

if you need closure, write your own au version of what happens after that point or else find some fanfic author whose vision aligns with your own. keep living blissfully in your s1-s7 happy place with the original team graveyard, where grissom is the boss and sara stays in vegas and warrick doesn't die and they all keep solving cases together until retirement.

and then don't sweat it.

you're not being a "bad fan" or letting anyone down, and there's still plenty of material in the early seasons for you to engage with.

now.

if you absolutely feel you must finish the show (for whatever reason), i guess one thing i might suggest is to engage with work from fans who genuinely enjoy the later seasons. i know there are some folks in this fandom who adore the new characters and team graveyard version 2.0. they write meta and fic and make gifsets about it, and they have a total blast doing so. hanging around their blogs might help you to find things to appreciate.

another thing you might do is give yourself permission to "cherry-pick." watch just to see what happens. if there's stuff you like, go ahead and incorporate it into your conception of the show. the rest, discard. as i said above, you're not obligated to enjoy the show in a certain way and especially not "across the board." so if you like the fact sara has mother-in-law drama but hate the fact she gets divorced? then keep the first thing and toss out the second. if canon makes a stupid-ass decision, you can elect to ignore it.

and regardless of whether you ultimately decide to finish out your watch-through or not, don't forget: the beginning of the story—i.e., those seven golden seasons you so love—will always be there, and you can return to them as often as you want. the beauty of a story is that it exists in perpetuity. grissom, catherine, warrick, nick, sara, and greg will all still be there waiting for you, and you can continue to enjoy their dynamics however you best prefer them.

good luck, anon! if you choose to continue your watch, i hope you enjoy yourself. if not, then i hope you have fun mentally setting up shop in the early seasons.

i certainly do!

thanks for the question! please feel welcome to send another any time.

[reileinaxiu]

Yiling Siblings vs Yunmeng Siblings

The winner? Obviously...

Warnings: Some curse words. I have tagged this anti Jc, and Anti Jyl, and anti jiang in general If you like this then feel free to read and if not I will question your priorities and why are you looking for these types of metas when you stan the jiangs. Also I was lazy to look for factual references in the translations and I was busy with studying so not a lot of complete arguments or thought. So yeah comment if I've got some facts wrong or if you can link to me proper evidence. I wrote this for pleasure so please keep unconstructive or mean comments to yourself. I've been wanting to get this of my chest and out there.

Now!

.

Let's talk about WWX two sets of siblings again!

About how Yiling Siblings are superior in every way and how Yunmeng Siblings are overrated and not as fluffy as all those screenshotted moments people like to claim as "proof" of their "pure" sibling bonds.

.

One, WQ compared to JYL

This is not a competition, but if it was WQ would take first place in the big sister of the year award and JYL would take 5th.

It's a little difficult to write this without sounding downright mean and dismissive to JYL, but compared to WQ her acts as a big sister pale in comparison. Don't get me wrong both of them grew up in toxic environments WQ lived under fear and filial duty to a power hungry tyrant and his baby bro more or less a hostage along with the rest of her branch(depends on the adaptation). While JYL lived under a (verbally abusive) mother, who physically abuses the one you consider a brother, and a passive father. And they endured to raise their brothers mostly with absent parental figures.

.

In terms of parenting their blood brother, WN and JWY couldn't be more opposite than China and Argentina.

.

“You’re born with a smiling face. Always smiling, never mind too much about sorrowful things, no matter how worse the situation you’re in, you can always be happy.“ CQL Yanli.

.

This can describe WWX's surface traits but there is more to him than being able to carry burden with a smile. It's admirable to face the world with optimism but that doesn't mean you should suppress the things hurt you or that you should endure it or that it is okay to experience such things

(btw this is one of the top lines in cql that I hate with a passion and not just because it was said by a Jiang)(also where else did this line come from again? If this was only found in the cql if so nevermind but I can def see JYL saying this type of things too)

.

WQ can see as clear as day when WY is hurting and scolds and pesters him to take better care of himself and lets him know that she will be there to help.

.

Towards WWX, their isn't much to say about JYL, we can't fault her for her limitations in the mess of dynamics that is her family. She tries to be kind and treats WY like she would her brother. The only reasons she's pretty high up in WWX's heart is because he was young and impressionable when he joined Yunmeng Jiang. A small act of kindness in a toxic environment will seem so much more in terms of significance to him. Interactions with JYL are more playful than anything substantial. They are playing the act of the clingy little brother and the doting older sister.

.

WQ brings realistic thorough thoughts for WY's well-being. She scolds him to take care of his health and doesn't praise him but at the end of the day even if WY hides his hurts with poor bandages WQ will rip off those bandages and rewrap them more expertly and make him drink potent remedies.

.

What is soup compared to effective medicines when you are hurting(physically and emotionally that is)?

.

PS. Don't hate on me for my horrible metaphors.

.

Two, WN compared to JWY

To start off let's begin with the POV of side characters or extra or whatever gossip mongering people there are in the MDZS universe.

WN was the Ghost General, the right-hand man to Yiling Laozu WWX.

While to JWY, WWX was supposed to be his right-hand man and subordinate.

.

Already there's a glaring difference.

WN would accept LWJ as a good partner for WY. And as long as WY is happy and cares for that is all he asks.

.

JWY didn't last one minute before sneering in disgust at LWJ and WWX's relationship after stalking them through Lotus Pier. Why do people need to ask why he is a homophobe?

Also I find myself insulted to even compare WN to JWY.

Between a backstabber and the most loyal friend even beyond death how could that compare.

Too many times has JWY turned his back and averted his eyes and directly harmed WWX .

While WN has stayed through thick and thin with WWX.

.

Three, WN compared to JYL

Okay! The quiet supportive sibling comparison.

Yeah there is no comparing. Hands down WN is the winner. The man committed treason for WY. While JYL couldn't even drag an apology out of JZXun's fat mouth.

.

Four, WQ compared to JWY

Are people comparing WQ strictness to JWY's so-called tsundere personality? Newsflash tsunderes don't actively gut their loved ones and declare them the enemy of the world.

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Five, the DafanWen Family.

Let's be real the Wen Remnants were the probably the nicest most normal family there is in MDZS who just got roped in to suffering under the Cultivation World's politicking, and wars and aftermath of wars, just the entire Cultivation World bullsh** shebang. In fact, they were probably the most resilient and family oriented which was actually the foundation of their ancestor Wen Mao's teachings. Compared to the tally of all the broken complicated family relationships we have by the end of the book.

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Six, the Jiang Family and all their general sh**

Its mostly in my How I became Anti JC and Anti Jiang in General.

Check it out for more reasons to say that this family is the byproduct of a trainwreck and a plane crash on a stormy day.

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Seven, WWX's true family in the end.

I count 3 main family members of WWX's and a lot of adopted ducklings. Those would be: his husband, LWJ(obviously), his little radish son, and his best friend/brother in all but blood who stood by him through some of his most harrowing moments, and that is

.

.

JC

.

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Just kidding 😂 it's Wen Ning who else deserves that honored spot?

.

Let's not forget our favorite Baby Lan, Jingyi, and our romantic Ouyang Zizhen, and our real tsundere Jin Ling (ok he might have stabbed WWX too but at least he looked to regret it and didn't mean to hurt him. I headcanon a post-canon apology and heart-to-heart between JL and WWX).

.

Eight WWX's matching personalities with WQ and WN.

Righteous, Protective, Talented, Mold breakers.

Righteous, while we know WY is the moral compass of the story, to see wrong and seek to do what's right despite society's disapproval, WQ and WN are surprisingly the same. WN saved WWX and JWY because WWX was kind and supportive to him and for nothing else in return and that it was the right thing to do and he knows that WC and the rest of the rotten side of his family is doing wrong. WQ may have helped hide them to protect WN from the consequences of his actions but she didn't have to heal them diligently, and shelter them. She could have sent them off immediately with supplies especially after JWY 🤬 hurt her precious brother and spat vitriol everywhere he went.

.

All three of them are super protective, and super loyal to their family. (WY considered the Wens his family and absolutely despaired when they left to be executed (aftermath of this is the Bloodbath of Nightless City), WN and WQ sacrificing themselves to the Jins for the rest of their family and WY)

All three of them were geniuses in their own right. WY as a genius inventor(he invented his own path in 3 measly months!), prodigious cultivator (late start became ahead of everyone). WQ, genius doctor recognized by WRH. And WN, recognized by WY as a prodigy in archery.

They were the mold breakers of their current society but mostly WY and WQ. WY for mastering and understanding resentful energy and adapting his knowledge to Cultivation. And WQ, for conceiving the idea of a Golden Core Transfer. They were the definition of heretics to everyone but that's what made them amazing and unfortunately feared.

.

I don't see any mentions of JWY being righteous(definitely not), nor talented, JYL too she was always average and never done anything notable that is to be mentioned besides the praise that comes from WWX and JWY.

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Lastly this is just an aesthetic preference but Wen Qing, Wei Ying, and Wen Ning rhyme in pinyin, even if their Chinese definitions are different. You know how we like to shortcut MDZS characters to their name initials like WWX or LWJ.

Guess what! Their intials are still similar you could write the Wen adopting WWX or adopting his name and there initials would remain the same! So I could comment WQ and WN somewhere but in my heart they are Wei instead of Wen. The three were meant to be siblings! MXTX probably planned this too.

Although fate has WWX grieving both older sisters in his first life.

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Guess which little brother is still more than welcome in WWX's second life?

I'll give you a hint: It's not JC.

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References(mostly):

https://modao-zushi.fandom.com/wiki/Grandmaster_of_Demonic_Cultivation_Wiki

Exhiled Rebels Translations

The Untamed

[kamenwriter]

"Space Babies" and "The Devil's Chord" reactions.

Spoilers I'm sure behind the cut.

Space Babies

"It was a genocide" wait I thought the time war got trapped in a painting and then...oh wait the Master killed them all during the Chinbal run, didn't he? God we could just ignore that whole mess but noooooo

The butterfly gag...sigh.

"we made it...we went to the stars" like, I get the whole "hopes and aspirations thing" but when we've got billionaires trying to sell us colonizing mars when it would be a hundred times cheaper and easier to save the planet we're living on, I'd rather a solar punk future not a colonization future. Am I being exceptionally cynical? Maybe. These are just "reactions" not a proper critique.

I can only imagine how difficult filming with all the babies was.

Making the Doctor adopted and all about "embracing what makes you unique" is good Timeless Child damage control but I dunno the idea of him being a renegade of a detached society appeals to me more than him being THE ULTRA SPECIAL TIME BABY.

The AI might actually be an AI?

AND there's something mysterious about Ruby because of course there is.

Star Trek ass looking uniforms on the crew.

"The planet down below refused to stop the babies from being born, but refused to take care of them afterwards" hey now this is getting close to some proper Doctor Who.

"It's like a children's story" this is is a good set up for the mystery here's hoping they stick the landing. Now watch it being some alien that feeds of psychic energy and manifested as the babies fears or something.

The incredibly literal baby raising machine made a bogeyman out of boogers to give the babies a monster to fear. Okay. Acceptable.

I totally understand the Doctor empathizing with the bogeyman but why the babies?

The constant babiesSPACEbabies bit got old so fast.

And a fart joke.

And don't forget, Ruby Sunday is super special and not just some random person we can't have random people do incredible things in Doctor Who nope nope nope

The Devil's Chord

The visual representation of The Maestro sucking out music and eating it is some fucking comic book shit and I am here for it.

The Maestro starts playing the intro oh god don't let this character be meta don't let this character know they're in a story don't fucking lay on that crutch.

"What about my clothes?" Both of those retro ass fits would work fine in the 60s. I'll concede to the hairstyle change though.

...trying to visually communicate the Maestro's influence on reality is definitely a trick. Again this feels exceptionally comic booky (That's a compliment).

Oh that's right Susan was potentially killed during whatever bullshit killed the Time Lords during the Chinbal run.

I do enjoy a camp villain.

The Doctor using the Sonic to actually do something sonic. What a refreshing change of pace

Ugh don't wink at the camera.

"I was born in 2004" well I'll just turn to dust, then.

Power scaling doesn't just affect shonen series the Doctor has to go up against literal gods now...

Callback to the Sound of the Drums yeah okay.

"There's a hidden song deep inside her soul" SPARE ME FROM THIS TROPE OF COMPANIONS BEING SUPER SPECIAL.

"What is this song?" "Christmas" actually it's the Carol of the Bells which was originally a Ukrainian song called Shchedryk do your research.

MuSIC BaTTle hahahaha

DONT WINK AT THE DAMN CAMERA

I want to make this clear I have no problem with a big musical number at the end but making it a meta joke I wanna bash my head in with a hammer. I'M SO FUCKING SICK OF META WRITING.

So in summation Space Babies was kind of what I expect from nuWho nothing amazing I would have loved The Devil's Chord if it weren't for the "oh Ruby is some secret incredible thing" and all the metaphorical and literal winks at the camera.

[deadliestpieceontheboard]

Is Andrew Misogynistic? How so?

FYI: this is the second time I'm writing all this because Tumblr just. unpromptedly deleted the whole thing just when I was done, so if there's anything weird I apologize, and feel free to ask about it.

This started out as a reblog from @stuck-in-between-two-worlds that got too big and I decided it deserved it's own post, so I hope it helps :)

First of all we need to lay out that it is very clear that Nora didn't always have the vocabulary to explain the things she wanted to say. Think about Neil's sexuality, or Andrew's mental state. She knew how they worked, but not the proper names to things.

So when she stated that Andrew was misogynistic (on an ask about Neil's mom and through Renee's pov on son nefes), did she mean it as in "Think Women Are Lesser and #GenderRoles"? Very likely not.

This is what causes a lot of backlash, because today this is the definition we have for misogyny, and it really doesn't make sense for the character. But it's important to remember that the series came out almost 10 years ago, and much of it (including son nefes) was drafted even longer before that. Social issues were not talked about the same way as today, so it was very plausible then, if you didn't have the right information, to call a character that holds a prejudice against women, even if it's not based on a patriarchal view, misogynistic.

And Andrew DOES have issues with women, like it or not:

1- He had 12 therapists before Bee, many of whom straight up said they would never let him work with women again [x]

2 - This exchange with Renee

3 - His deal with Aaron was specifically about women hurting him. That's why Andrew's reaction to Allison was way stronger than to Matt, even when what she did was considerably milder. This extended to the point that "not letting a girl hurt him" meant not letting them get close to his brother at all.

These are the unquestionable examples, but some people could take how he treats Katelyn, the way he is agressive to Abby at the motel, or the justification for taking Dan to Eden's as signs of it as well, but that's more open to interpretation.

So what can we take from this? Purely from what was given in canon or word of god, that Andrew is weary and distrustful of women, but that it really is a PREjudice and he's capable of looking past it in Bee and Renee when they prove it to him that "they're not like other girls", so to say. This is a completely valid textual analysis, and, from what little she said, Nora's intention when writing the character. You can dislike it, hc it differently, but not deny that it isn't there.

Now, his reasoning for these beliefs is something we do not have explained anywhere, so while I (or anyone) can guess at it, this is where we enter personal interpretation / meta / headcanon territory, and you can choose to completely disregard my take.

If you ask me, I see it as a personal bias formed from his trauma. (which doesn't excuse his actions in any way btw).

Between Cas, Tilda, and what we can assume are many foster homes, Andrew sees women as a threat he can't predict. Men hurt him explicitly and outwardly, they hit him and slip in his bedroom, and these are all very palpable dangers. Women were the ones that abandoned him, turned a blind eye, neglected behind smiles. How do you protect yourself against that besides being careful? It's not something you fight with your fists. (honestly i can expand on that but this post is long as it is and idk if anyone is really interested)

So, TLDR: Is Andrew misogynistic? By the understanding we have of the word today, no. But I don't think it's fair to ignore all this facet of the character just because the author used the wrong word to define it, right?

Don't you think his flaws make it all much more interesting?

[raayllum]

What’s your take on Terry’s fate?

I’ve heard various theories- some think he may sacrifice himself for Claudia at some point, or that maybe Claudia is keeping him around to be a sacrifice for something down the line.

I’m not sure what to think cuz I do think Claudia really cares about Terry- but his character does kinda seem to be leading up to some purpose.

I have a lot of thoughts about Terry, currently stewing on who he is on his own and then who he is in relation to Claudia (both how she's impacted him and how he is impacting her). Claudia is clearly upset when Rayla threatens him in 4x09, but she also has security in leverage and knowing that Rayla tends to be bloodless (i.e. knocking out > killing all the human guards in 2x07) even if like, that's not much to bet on.

So I don't think Claudia would be willing to sacrifice Terry. He's been instrumental in helping her with Viren, was the one person she had while her brother was gone and Viren was dead, and he's murdered someone for her.

I do think he'll provide a sort of secondary moral horizon. We've seen him turn away from cruelty/punishment he sees as unnecessary (taunting and keeping Rayla from her parents when Claudia has done all this to reunite with her parent). The Callum-Terry parallels have also been hammered in quite hard ("I think too much about everything" "Trees to meet you" "I'm going to have all the feelings") but I want to write a proper meta about that eventually. Which is really to say: I think what Aaravos being unleashed on the world will really mean has clicked for him (which makes sense, as Claudia is a walking cognitive dissonance, he doesn't mind dark magic, and the dark mage trio know the least about Aaravos now compared to everyone else), and Terry is going to have issues with destruction on that level.

I don't know if Claudia will be willing to listen to him, as we know someone has to help Aaravos get out of the mirror and she, Viren, and Callum will likely all have roles to play. If Terry leaves Claudia that'll sting; if both Terry and Viren start backing down partially because of the damage Aaravos would do and because of how it's causing Claudia and she sees that as them betraying / misunderstanding her... That's probably where I still lean the most, but who knows! We'll simply have to wait and see