#if we had 4 or 5 more episodes there wouldn’t be a complaint out of me

[spicysucculentz]

I hate hate HATE the trend of these fucking streaming shows being like 8 episodes long… where’s the time for character development?? where’s the time for worldbuilding??? Everything is rushed and shallow! Give me more fucking episodes you cowards

[i-have-one-braincell]

You mentioned not liking some parts of the show (usm), could you elaborate?

Oh boy where do I start😭😭

A few obvious complaints would be the fourth wall and overuse humour. The humour just felt very forced and shoved on my face and the fourth wall wasn’t helpful, if anything, I found him to be pretty annoying but not as annoying as Marvel’s Spider-Man, I couldn’t go past the first two episodes of msm unlike usm😅😅. The fourth wall did work well in the Deadpool episode since Deadpool is the KINGG of fourth walls break unlike Spider-Man, it basically felt as if Peter was another version of Deadpool with the constant fourth walls.

At least it changed in the last seasons but the show at that point kinda sucked for me.

Another complaint would be the characters. I love the team, I really do, but they just were kinda bland for me. They were assholes to Peter and never saw them interact with each other if it wasn’t Spider-Man/ SHIELD related. I wouldn’t mind if the show started with them disrespecting Peter and then visually appreciating his leadership and learning about his reasoning why he does what he does up to the first 2 seasons, in the show they just act like coworkers or kids forced to partner up for a school project. It unforgivable on my part that they wouldn’t appear again in the 3rd and last seasons since I actually grew to care for them in the 2nd season.

SHIELD was also an issue for me. I HATEDDD how Fury just spied and followed a 16 yr old boy just to recruit him and taking over his school life, the only normal part of him being Peter Parker without the need for Spider-Man. As well as the amount of cameras in his house which honestly was pretty disgusting😭 like why do they need a camera in the bathroom and the bedrooms????? I understand the intention but c’mon, the bathroom and bedroom???

A small ick of mine would be the lack of THE Johnny Storm and Fantastic 4 in the show. We had THE Thing, aka Ben Grimm, and freaking HERBIE, A FREAKING ROBOT FROM THE GROUP AND YET THEY DONT GIVE US JOHNNY STORM😭😭😭

I would KILLL for Johnny and Spider-Man to appear together and have an episode together to see them interact. Spider-Man would’ve geeked out with Reed Richards, he would have a pure sisterly relationship with Sue Storm. I was just soo disappointed😭😭

And to top it off, the main MAIN complaint of the show would be Spider-Man himself and how the writers handles him.

Aside from his fourth wall breaks and humour being annoying to me, his voice was slightly annoying😅. I would blame it on the direction of the writing since Drake Bell voicing Peter Parker in The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes was very well done, he was given a proper script in that show but in usm, he just…was eh. I gotten used to his voice in the show but it’s not my favorite, I usually prefer Josh Keaton from Spectacular Spider-Man or Yuri from the PS4/5 Spider-Man games voices when I write Peter in my fics.

I very much hate how a ton of Peter’s struggles were stripped away. Such as balancing school and Spider-Man, his grades dropping, his relationship with Aunt May, finding a job to support him and his aunt, how his relationship affects not just Harry but to MJ as well.

In the show, nearly everything was solved for him. He doesn’t stress about school and his grades cuz SHIELD is now taking care of that issue for him. He doesn’t worry about a strained relationship with his aunt since Aunt May is already working alll day and can sneak out easily without her knowing so no stress about curfews. Apparently money isn’t an issue in his life despite living in a 2-story house in Queens, New York that expects the yearly income to live there being over $44k(got that from GOOGLE 💀). Peter not interacting that much with Mary Jane is odd since apparently they knew each other for years, much longer than Harry, and yet Peter interacts and prioritizes Harry more than MJ throughout the seasons.

It honestly just feels as if the Peter Parker life is slowly being stripped away by his Spider-Man alter ego. There’s more Spider-Man struggles than Peter Parker struggles and it gets even worse in the last season with the SHIELD Academy since its JUST Spider-Man in the season. He eats, sleeps, and most likely showers and poops with the costume on💀.

The entire point of Spider-Man is maturity. He’s a kid forced to grow up into an adult after Uncle Ben died with Aunt May being the only one in his life to protect and support. The show just took away that struggle from Peter and it was just extremely disappointing to not explore Peter’s life. They focused more on having Spider-Man being a cool character than focusing on how cool Peter is as a person aside from being Spider-Man.

This show has a soft spot in my heart. I grew up with the show and introduced me to characters like Iron Fist and White Tiger but the premise wasn’t well handled.

[my-shields-are-down]

my one complaint about the episode last night is that i thought we would see more angst on the chenford front not just scenes of them at the beginning and end of the episode like i thought they would be tested like where was that part?

Are you referring to the episode description? Sorry to tell you this, but both the episode description and the promos we see are designed to get people to watch the episode.

Remember network TV is basically another mechanism for companies to spend money (buy ads) on commercial breaks and get a massive captive audience to watch their ads. The story that we the fans love so much is a small part of the money generating machine at ABC/Disney.

Season 3 + 4 were the worst. The promos rarely had anything to do with what actually happened on the episode. I stopped watching them because they were rarely right.

All that said, IMO there was plenty of angst for Chenford in that episode. Well, the members of Chenford:

Tim: pointed out that if Lucy became a detective, they wouldn’t see each other as much. He led an unsuccessful chase through the streets of LA, but the guy got away; and most importantly he killed someone. A fellow cop. That’s a huge deal. Very angsty.

Lucy: stressed about the detective’s exam in two weeks (hardly any prep time); found out one of the interview panel was basically going to blackball her, killing her chances of even passing the exam, much less scoring in the top 12; very sad and upset that she and Tim won’t be spending as much time together when she becomes a detective. Finds out she’s being black balled by a detective because of her 5-player trade (which I still don’t understand); and she finds out from Smitty of all people; and she doesn’t know how to help Tim cope with killing someone.

Tons of angst, and angsty situations. They may not have been directly tested in that episode but there’s plenty of ways in future episodes they could be tested. What if IA doesn’t approve Tim for duty? What if Lucy doesn’t pass or doesn’t get in the top 14 of the detective’s test? What if Tim killing that guy triggers his PTSD, what if Tim can’t cope with the hours, the violence, the deaths that come from working Metro long term? And with Isobel coming back next episode- tons of angsty situations there as well.

For me, I take the promos and the descriptions and analyze and react to all the possibilities before the episode happens, then erase everything from my mind and delete any and all expectations for an episode. That way, I am usually happy with the episode and really enjoy myself and the show.

But that’s me. You do you.

[thetimetraveler24]

PJO Episode Rankings

Episode 4: I Plunge to My Death

Episode 8: The Prophecy Comes True

Episode 5: A God Buys Us Cheeseburgers

Episode 3: We Visit the Garden Gnome Emporium

Episode 2: I Become Supreme Lord of the Bathroom

Episode 1: I Accidentally Vaporize My Pre Algebra Teacher

Episode 6: We Take a Zebra to Vegas

Episode 7: We Find Out the Truth, Sort Of

Key:

Good — Okay — Nope

My Thoughts:

Episode 4: Probably the only episode with a monster/fight scene I really liked and thought was well done. It was drawn out just enough that tension was raised. Even knowing what was going to happen, my heart was racing the whole time. Loved the Percabeth convo on the train when they should be sleeping. I feel like maybe that will be the callback they make when we get to the stables scene maybe? I really loved the addition of having the Arch as a temple to Athena. Loved the splashing Percy with water scene. Echidna was fabulous. Percy switching with Annabeth? Chefs kiss 😘

Episode 8: Ares fight was good. My only complaint was we never saw Percy develop water powers throughout the whole season so the wave comes out of nowhere without knowing his thought process behind it like we see in the books. I wish we got Ares cursing Percy because I truly believe the moment his sword fails him is end of MoA when he cannot use his sword to save Annabeth and cut the web. I’m sure there’s other ways to show how gut wrenching this is but I’m going to miss this when we get there. Also, disappointed there was no free appliance give away scene on the news but it didn’t seem like Gabe had a job in the show so I guess that wouldn’t have worked out anyway. Luke scene didn’t play out how I hoped but it was still a gut punch and having Annabeth be there was a fantastically angsty decision I’m loving.

Episode 5: This episode was Percabeth perfection honestly. Live laugh love Percabeth. The whole Grover and Ares thing was cool but also threw me off because I honestly don’t think the writers got Grover’s personality right. Aryan’s doing a great job acting what he was given, but book Grover would not be having this conversation. Not a huge fan of having Hephaestus present in this season, but I understand they had to figure out a different storyline because they couldn’t animate the spiders.

Episode 3: Bickering between the trio was great. I liked the consensus song. Loved the Medusa change. One problem. It was very sudden that they switched to trying to kill Medusa after Percy went to all the trouble to defend her and the episode painted her as a victim. It didn’t feel right to me. I think we could have explored that more and worked towards a shift in not trusting her anymore. Y’all could have shown the head too. Like it’s okay. Guarantee, middle schoolers can handle it. Also, we needed longer fight scenes. Draw it out, get my heart pounding because I’m so nervous about what happens next. Please.

Episode 2: Capture the Flag was a great scene. I guess there was one other episode with a well done fight scene. I think Clarisse and Percy’s fight was paced pretty well and it seemed realistic enough. I do wish the scenes with Luke showing Percy how to sword fight were before this because we don’t really get an explanation for why he’s suddenly pretty good at fighting.

Episode 1: It was a good start. I wish we focused more on Yancy and Nancy as Percy and Grover’s bully. I was hyped to see this played out and then Nancy got like a minute of screen time. There was a lot of exposition in this episode which is fine and expected but I feel like there was maybe too much? Some of the explanations could have happened in the next episode. Minotaur and Dodds fights were very anticlimactic. I was getting so hyped for the Minotaur fight and the second my heart started racing the Minotaur was beaten. Like… draw it out more. Build the tension.

Episode 6: We did not need Hermes. Didn’t need him. This episode humanized the gods a little too much and that’s not how this works. The gods are supposed to be deadbeat douchebags. They aren’t coming across that way. Also. Too much telling, not enough showing. Didn’t need to know it was the Lotus Eaters who ran the place. Let it play out please!!! That’s how you get suspense. If you let these scenes play out more then you wouldn’t have to force some tension by making the Solstice pass.

Episode 7: Easily the worst episode. All telling, no showing. Crusty was too easily beaten. Cerberus eating Grover was so stupid and unnecessary. Again, Grover was very ooc (all season but especially this episode). The pearl should have rolled into Tartarus. That would have been much more devastating. They also don’t even name Tartarus? As far as I can remember anyway. Like, obviously I know what that pit is but I read the books. Would you know what the pit was if you hadn’t read them? Hades was not giving god energy. Percy notes in the books that he was the only one to give off a godly vibe. I am coming around to his portrayal but I’m still not totally sold. Percy shouldn’t have figured out Kronos so quickly. Again. All telling, no showing this episode. Let us watch him put the pieces together. It’s not that hard, I promise.

Other Notes:

I wish Hades palace and Mount Olympus actually looked identical like in the books. Sad not to see that.

On the note of Hades being the only one to appear godly to Percy, I wish we could have gotten the gods fire eyes stuff. That was so cool in the books. And I wish the gods were made to look slightly bigger. Like seven foot maybe? Just slightly bigger so they tower taller than the lowly demigods, but also not totally out of proportion of a real human. The gods all appeared so… small. I liked Luke’s small, scary things get crushed speech and it would have been so in line with that to see very tall very big gods. Like, Hades’s throne room should not dwarf him. And it did. He was an ant and Percy and Grover were slightly smaller ants.

Anyway, these are all my thoughts for now. Probably will have to go back through and rewatch again to see if my opinions change.

[mach-speed-spin]

Rating Beyblade tournaments

This is a rating of the tournaments themselves, not the arcs. Stuff like character growth will be ignored here in favor of how the tournament itself is structured, the battles, and how they use characters in the context of the tournament

Season 1 Japan qualifiers: 7/10. Not a bad tournament, but it could’ve been better. There’s a lot of background bladers but only 9 named competitors, with 3 of them barely being non-background characters. They had 2, admittedly minor, characters who were there in episode 1 who didn’t appear here. They wouldn’t have made this a 10/10, but their inclusion could’ve bumped it to an 8

Chinese tournament: 8/10. Great arc overall. Even the matches against minor teams were great battles in their own right. My only complaints are how they glossed over the match against India, but that’s very minor (and we got to see one round in full at least)

American tournament: 9/10. No complaints here. It’s the Chinese tournament but better (the tournament itself, not the whole arc). The match against Thailand stood out as one of the best in the Chinese tournament (right behind the finals), and every minor team in the American tournament felt as powerful as Thailand’s. If you showed me one round from the matches against Mexico, Ecuador, and Brazil (excluding Kai’s rounds), and told me this was a major battle in the series, I’d believe you. And the final match against the US is even more action-packed than the final match in China

Russian tournament: 7/10. I’m counting Russia’s matches against China and the US as part of this (even if they’re exhibition matches). Ray vs Bryan and Tyson vs Tala are some of the best battles in the season, but the rest of the tournament doesn’t stand out as much

Local tournament at the start of V-Force: 1/10. I know I’m grasping at straws, but V-Force only has 1 major tournament. I know this is a minor tournament, but absolutely none of the battles were good. It’s a few background characters fighting, Ozuma quickly defeating one of them, and the final which also looks like 2 background characters fighting, despite having 2 major characters in it

Psykick Island: 4/10. It’s tournament-adjacent so I’m including it. The battles were alright, but nothing special. Figel had a cool design and I love Dark Emperor Bat, but the battles were just ok

Battle Tower: 8/10. Also tournament-adjacent. Each of the battles was good, with the battle against Kane being one of my favorites in the season. It could’ve been better with the other battles, but I can’t complain

2v2 tournament: 8/10. Same as the Battle Tower. A bunch of good matches with a few great ones mixed in. Only problem is how they handled Kane and Jim. I get that they don’t have Cyber Dragoon and Cyber Draciel anymore, but why make them this weak? Most of Zagart’s goons could probably defeat them in a 1v2

G-Rev Japan qualifiers: 6/10. The major battles were good, but there should’ve been more important characters. We had Tyson, Kai, Kenny. Daichi, and Kotaro. That’s 5 bladers. And Kotaro’s battles weren’t that great. They weren’t bad, but were nothing special

G-Rev world championships: 9/10. Every battle shown was great. Only problem is that a few rounds were glossed over. But the great battles were some of the best in the series, so it stays at a 9

Justice 5 Tournament: 10/10. Not really a tournament but it’s called one. Every battle was amazing. A major tournament like this, with no battles glossed over, and every battle being great? Easy 10

Aquatic Tag-Team Tournament: 4/10. It has everything I don’t like with previous tournaments (few important bladers, battles glossed over), but the stadiums made up for it. The original series had special stadiums, but more often than not they seemed to only exist for visuals. The special stadiums made battles look nicer, but here the special stadiums affect the battle much more

Survival Battle: 8/10. Good tournament with original rules that make it stand out amongst other tournaments. It doesn’t have anything that truly stands out, but it doesn’t have anything bad either

Battle Bladers qualifiers: 9/10. I decided to group all the qualifier tournaments together, but keep them separate from Battle Bladers. It’s a 9/10 because of how well it introduces new characters. Every single one of the characters in these tournaments are properly fleshed out enough to be major characters. Most of them weren’t, but by the time Battle Bladers came around, it meant to a single one was a background character. Also, the special stadiums we see in some of them are great (shoutout to Gingka and Tobio’s match for the stadium)

Battle Bladers: 9/10. Most of the first round battles were glossed over, but everything from the second round onwards was great. The first round would’ve taken this down to a 8, but the unexpected body horror toward the end and the final match keep it at 9

Metal Masters Japan qualifiers: 7/10. The battles we saw were great, and we truly didn’t know who’d make the cut (except Gingka) since all the important characters were there. I just wish we saw some matches with characters like Teru, Ryutaro, Tobio, and Tetsuya

Metal Masters Africa qualifiers: 6/10. The battles were just ok, but the format with the group battles followed by the 24 hour challenge bump it up from what would originally have been a 3

Metal Masters world championships: 9/10. All the battles were great, and the few special stadiums we got were also great. My only complaint is that there was a whole double-elimination thing we didn’t see. You’re telling me we could’ve seen Lera battle, or more of Desert Blaze, and we didn’t?

Mohenjo-daro tournament: 4/10. It’s just Ryuga stomping background characters, but the possibility of King Indus being a Legendary Blader added to it. King Indus doesn’t do anything after the battle, but the multiple red herrings we got during the season for Legendary Bladers were well executed, including King Indus

Gateway to Success: 7/10. The battles were great, but we only had 5 relevant teams, and the 2v2 format doesn’t quite work when you don’t have many characters. The number of important competitors sadly doesn’t live up to the grand scope of the tournament’s presentation

Showdown at the Tower of Babel: 6/10. The battles themselves are a 5, and the red herring was disappointing compared to the others. The 6 is because the Tower of Babel is not only canon to the series, but it hosts tournaments

Destroyer Dome: 8/10. The battles were great and the stadium was unique. My only complaints are that they didn’t use Jack as well as they could have, and that of the 20 competitors, 5 were background characters. They could’ve brought back Damian, or actually had Excalibur compete (Damian plus Excalibur perfectly fills in 5 slots). Or do bring back Desert Blaze since they didn’t get much focus in Masters

Beyster Island: 8/10. Great battles and a unique format. However, the format means that you can lose the tournament even if you win every battle for being too slow in your wins. It works to make this tournament different from the others, but it also means that it doesn’t settle who’s the better blader (something which most tournaments seek to do)

One Day Tournament: 2/10. Literally a single battle that matters. There are 2 non background characters in this. There is no reason to make it a tournament

Neo Battle Bladers qualifiers: 5/10. It’s a watered down version of the original Battle Bladers qualifiers. There are some cool matches (like Akuya wanting revenge), but nothing as great as the Stormy Battle Royal from the original

Neo Battle Bladers: 7/10. Enjoyable tournament, but it can’t compare to the original. None of the matches are glossed over, but that’s expected when you have half the number of competitors

Beywheelz World Championship: 2/10. We start in the finals. The battle is good, but it fails as a tournament. I debated giving it a 1 because of this, but the battle is good enough that it’s on par with the One Day Tournament

Beywheelz Grand Prix: 3/10. Not a fan of only having 2 important teams, but at least the format is unique enough

Judgement Bey: 8/10. It’s everything I like about the Justice 5 Tournament, but sadly not as good when it comes to the battles

District Tournament: 4/10. Valt’s wins feel very unearned, and the one major battle not involving Valt, Shu vs Orochi, has it’s own issues. It’s hard to take Orochi seriously as a competitor when he couldn’t score a single point on an injured Shu

Sword Flames vs Beigoma Academy: 4/10. Tournament-adjacent. It has the same problems as the District Tournament (Valt’s performance comes down to sheer luck), and the battles aren’t as good for action, but the stadium and performance of the other Beigoma Academy bladers bumps it up

Regional Tournament: 6/10. It’s a direct improvement to the District Tournament in every way, but still not spectacular

National Team Tournament: 8/10. Takes the core aspects of the Regional Tournament, makes it a team tournament, and improves on it

National Tournament: 8/10. Improvement over the team tournament, but many characters don’t get a shot at the individual tournament (Daigo, Yugo, Orochi, etc.) and the new characters (Naoki and Jin) aren’t enough to make up for it

BC Sol entrance test: 1/10. A single elimination tournament where only 2 characters matter, except both get in so the tournament matters even less

European League: 6/10. Decent team tournament, but nothing all that special (also the anime never showing us the teams’ point standings makes the staked of losing an individual match fell hollow)

World League: 8/10. The European League but bigger, a better format, and cooler battles

International Bladers Cup: 7/10. Every battle we saw was great. The format used points and actually showed us the bladers’ scores so we knew how much each battle mattered. Only complaint is how many battles they glossed over. I wanted to see the Silas vs Joshua rematch, and Xander vs Lui, and Silad vs Lui, etc

Luinor Cup: 8/10. All the battles were good, and the tournament is a regular 1v1 single elimination. There’s nothing that makes it stand out, but it is good

Battleship Cruise: 9/10. I’m counting the match against Valt as part of the tournament. All the battles were good, and the format was very unique. I just wish the battle royale had a bit more substance to it, and that we had gotten to see the full Beyathlon (beyblade golf, beyblade bowling, beyblade swimming, etc.). Seriously, they have Ranjiro bowling with his bey and don’t show us the full game

Dread Tower: 9/10. It’s as tournament-adjacent as the Battle Tower. The battles were all good, Count Nightfell added an unexpected but welcome twist, and the fact that we came so close to a tv broadcast of people dying in a beyblade match elevates this even further

Bey Carnival: 7/10. I’m not counting the guys in beyblade costumes doing the Beyxercise as part of this (that would make this at least a 9). The battles were good, but I am disappointed in how in order to make Lodin seem more threatening, they made Joe seem weaker. I get the power escalation aspect, but “his attack is as strong as Joe’s without the backfiring part” would’ve worked perfectly fine

Battle Island: 8/10. Good battles, an interesting format, and overall a good tournament. However, nothing in it truly stands out, and the odd absences of Joe and Lodin are weird (would it be that hard to have Blindt defeat them to give a supposedly strong blader a better record?)

Inferno Tower: 9/10. I’m counting both Dante’s and Delta’s attempts, and Delta’s rematch. Joe vs Gwyn wasn’t that great. Dante vs Blindt was pretty good. Delta vs Arthur (match 1) was great, and match 2 was just as good. Dante vs Arthur was one of the best battles in Burst. I can’t give it a 10 because that’s reserved for the absolute best, and not every match here is as good as Dante vs Arthur, or even Delta vs Arthur

Victories vs Inferno: 10/10. Best tournament or tournament adjacent arc in Burst. Love the format. Love the battles. Rainbow Turbo is aesthetically the coolest power up to exist in any piece of media I’ve seen (Power Rangers should have a rainbow ranger who is a fusion of the entire team and just glows with the power of a thousand gamer PCs)

Legend Festival: 8/10. Some great battles, and an interesting format. Sadly the format isn’t unique enough to make it stand out (it feels like a less extreme Battleship Cruise), and the randomness of the format (2v2 matches but your partner is randomly selected and changes every round, plus the 1v1 and 5-way matches) makes it feel kinda unfair

Ultimate Tag Series: 9/10. 2v2 round robin, with 6 teams, all of which are well developed, and with all the battles being amazing. None of the battles are glossed over, but in some we only see the second half of the match (which is still better than just showing the result, but not ideal)

Great Aerial Tour: 3/10. 4 (later 5) bladers, all important, facing off against 3 of the Legends. Sounds cool, right? Except the Legend Festival had 7 Legends. The Ultimate Tag Series had 8. Adding a blader mid-tournament was already done in the Battleship Cruise (with it being teased from the stat and having 3 bladers join). What makes this tournament special is that it takes place in a blimp, but the Battleship Cruise already did the “luxury vehicle tournament” thing, and if you wanna talk location, mfb had a tournament on the Tower of Babel. The way they decided who was going to battle sucked. It used a “minigame” format like the Battleship Cruise, but besides the battle royale, none of it was skill based. One of them was literally “pick the right door.” And this is without considering Bel’s blatant disregard for the rules

[raymondebidochonlifechoices]

S6b spoilers so far

In response to @crazymisscarly‘s post

1. We are going to be “totally unprepared for the rest of s6”. Thus spake Evan!

2. The old new couples (Barchie, Veggie, Jabitha, Tangs) are still on. Which is no surprise, as we pick up from 5x19.

3. There is a post of Jughead -in his Pop’s uniform- Tabitha and Pop at the Diner. Has Jughead resumed his old job to help out his girlfriend?

4. Jabitha are “still very much together”. They move in together “as a consequence from the PTSD from the explosion”. Don’t come at me: these are direct quotes from Cole (circa 6x9).

5. Bughead don’t have many interactions, at least not until 6x9 (see another of Cole’s interviews).

6. A time-loop plot is implied by Evan. Will there actually be one? Will it last more than 1 episode? Who knows?

7. Jughead, Betty and Archie suffer from “mysterious” / “arcane” sensory side-effects from the Dale/Vale explosions.

8. Jughead’s arcane side-effect seems to be hearing problems. Which seems quite natural after an explosion and not at all arcane but who am I to judge? Photos and dialogues seem to indicate that it comes and goes? Who knows? This plot will be explored in 6x6 and mainly in 6x7.

9. At one point, an ASL teacher appears.

10. At one point, something will happen with Jughead’s bike that will make Tabitha anxious.

11. Betty seems to be developing pyrokinesis?

12. Cheryl believes she’s responsible for said arcane effects (by unleashing Abigail’s curse). 10 bucks says she’s not.

13. The Ultimate Fight between Good and Evil teased in the Vale, will happen after all. This seems to be s6b’s immediate plot, as it’s what the writers are currently promoting. When this was supposed to be part of the Vale, they had teased couples choosing different sides. Current couples? Old couples? Who knows? Does it matter in the end? The fight will take place at the Diner. If they’d shot it during the Vale (as originally planned), it wouldn’t have lasted more than one episode (6x5). Will it last longer in the Dale? Who knows? 

14. An audition tape has been posted by b*rchiedaily where there is mention of a Ghost Train. I don’t remember much. In any case, it’s supernatural and it has to do with taking souls. Maybe it’s connected to the Ultimate Fight. Maybe not.

15. Cheryl mentions the need for an exorcism. Is it:

a. typical Cheryl

b. related to Abigail’s curse

c. related to the Ghost Train

d. Bret coming back from beyond the veil

e. Jason trying to have some peace and quiet at last

You decide!

16. There have been mentions of the Vale coming back in some way. Is it the arcane side-effects? Is it the fight between Good and Evil? Is it something else altogether? Is it another plot being dropped? Who knows? Who cares?

17. Percival Pickens, a descendant of General Pickers is Riverdale’s new resident. He’s Hiram 2.0 charming and manipulative and Archie’s new nemesis, as he wants to turn Riverdale into a utopia while pursuing a dark agenda. This must be one of those “fresh” storylines that the writers most certainly did not recycle from previous seasons, no, sir, not at all.

18. There will be a boxing scene. I bet there’ll be singing too. 

19. Penelope’s back! FINALLY! something interesting!

20. Hermione’s back. Probably for Hiram’s funeral, which takes place in 6x7.

21. Far less excitingly, TBL is also back. Will he wait for Archie&Co to finish their ultimate Good vs Evil battle or not? (He did wait for Betty to round up her Lonely Highway case after all ...) Who knows?

22. Betty cuts her hair. Or maybe it was just Lili.

23. Kevin grows a moustache. This will probably be Kevin’s whole plot line. I have no complaints.

24. Monica Posh might make an appearance or maybe it was just bts shenanigans.

25. I almost forgot: Archie and Glenn face off. 

There’s a strong possibility all of the above happen within the first two episodes.

Some of the sources:

6x6 synopsis, Jabitha & Pop at the Diner: ultimate battle, Veggie: ultimate battle, time-loop, Percival Pickens, Hiram’s funeral, Monica Posh?,  effing boxing, TV Insider Sprouse interview, Decider Sprouse interview, CBR Sprouse interview, Decider’s Battle of Betty’s Beaus & Trailer

There are also: a photo with info for scenes (ASL teacher, Jabitha and the bike) and 2 audition tapes (Betty’s pyrokinesis, Ghost Train) but I have no links. 

Feel free to add (and tag your spoilers)!

[shinygoku]

very intrigued to see what you think of Henry!!! ^v^ (character ask!)

Another day, another Big Green! (The others are Piccolo and Thunderbird 2 lmao)

First impression

"Green ver of that one big creepy dude" (Look, when I was Babby I saw a Gordon picture somewhere that minorly spooked me lmao)

Impression now

Ahh, Henry! In some ways, very much like Duck! Green, long nose, popular with the fans and I'm here like Yeah he's a good fixture of the series lol

Ok well, maybe I should disclaim that he's not one of my favourites, which is partly as I guess it's a bit hard to nail down his personality.

His, for lack of a better term, Illness Arc is fascinating and oddly Real for a series about machinery. Something's genuinely amiss with him, but the lack of a clear cause (at least, to the other engines, who presumably don't know he was built from stolen, incomplete plans and the logical issues that would arise from that) and his frequent complaints turn the other characters off wanting to hear about it, thinking he's exaggerating. Then the Welsh Coal stopgap is found! Then the very next story he has a horrible crash but it was a blessing in disguise because then he's rebuilt as a Black 5 and his health issues are gone forever! (ain't we envious of machines now?) Until Lazy Writer Disease sets in Meta-wise, but more on that later.

I think it's safe to say that it's Entry Level RWS Knowledge to know Awdry's frustrations with the character, and it is kind of hilarious how much he tried to write him out, and iirc Henry wound up with the most appearances and 'his' book has 5 stories instead of the uniform 4 for some reason. But it seems it takes further Lazy Corporate Mandates to actually write him out in BwBa which really sucks and is doing such an iconic lad horribly dirty.

Pictured: Henry as seen by Awdry/Mattel, who are about to just shove him out of the story with varying degrees of success.

Well yeah, for me I can't really settle on an opinion because he never seems to have anything solid after the Rebuild. He's kind of the nicer one out of the Terrible Trio, but sometimes he's as bitchy and obnoxious as Gordon without prompting. He seems to be pretty unlucky and sometimes his misfortunes are self inflicted, but they don't commit to this bit. He gets his (in)famous forest, much to Awdry's chagrin, but it does offer a nice gentler side to him. He also seems to be the main Fast Freight engine, particularly more Fish shipments, but this doesn't really inform his character. He all too often feels like a Spare, Green Gordon who's less full of himself (but still gets boughts of Envy and inflated self importance, like Tenders for Henry), and that's a shame because this nebulous lack of anything concrete seems to be why Bad TatMR Writing diagnosed him with Need Welsh Coal again for quite a long time (dunno if that only changed when Mattel/Brenner came in or not). But then the US dub makes him sound like w--dy all-n and that's the worst treatment of all! I kind of understand the temptation to make him the resident worrier but HUUURGHGHH NOT LIKE THAT

So yeah, the better characterization of him needs to strike a good balance of him being ...I guess a Gentle Giant, who enjoys nature and maybe is a smidge prone to bouts of feeling jealous. Maybe catches the engine version of colds more than the others because the early morning runs in the freezing air? I dunno, I'm trying to combine several traits that have been in Henry but never seemed to stick. But done properly, I could really get behind a nice, faceted character like that~

Favourite moment

It feels a bit mean to say, but it's due to the strength of the episode itself with the fantastic visuals, godly music and shocking drama (with a nice bonus of Correct Head Codes!) that put Flying Kipper at the top of this list!

Another part of this ep, is the beginning where the Driver is saying "Don't tell Gordon, but if you pull this nicely, the Fat Controller may let you pull the Express!". Like, that really squeezes my heart, because his driver is rooting for him, the prospect of a better regarded job is floating there, and knowing what eventually happens, it's like... oof! But in a good way.

...Also I think that must have been something Awdry added after deciding not to kill him off because having that bit and for it to all go up in flames would have made children and me extremely upset and he would have been buried under letters of complaint from angry mothers of the time.

Idea for a story

Other than the overly simple and grimdark "he was in fact killed that day" type coma inducers, I suppose the Two Henries theory being explored could offer some interesting interactions.

Like, what if the Henry who rolls back into The Big Station is instantly accepted and in fact, liked more than og Henry? What if the other engines instead couldn't fully relax around him? Were his memories perfect? Too Perfect?

And what would happen if OG Henry were later discovered... (and in what condition?) Dun Dun Dun dododo Dun!

The thing is, it is hard to really explore this because it's innately such a dark, heavy concept. I don't enjoy the 'Authoritarian Hellscape" lameass interpretation by normies. I like my silly workcom on the rails with warm fuzzies and funny antics, thank you very much!

Unpopular opinion

Some of his faces (even before the worsening first inflicted by Magic Railroad) are pretty weird looking! Maybe cause his forehead is so huge and smooth, but maybe just the odd mouth shapes. I like the variety, but they aren’t what I’d call cute... I find myself thinking ‘Moon Face’ looking at him [even with the lack of craters lmao] and oops I think I missed the weirdest grin of all, but here’s a small sample anyway

Favourite relationship

Not a favourite, per say, but some of the more friction-ish interactions he has with Thomas or Percy are pretty funny. With Thomas’ immortal flippant disregard to viaduct safety, Percy retorting that engines with Proper Funnels do, in fact, need scarves, something Henry wouldn’t know about, and that Henry somehow manages to dismiss Bill and Ben, a feat Gordon needs to take notes from. Even the Something in the Air exchange with Thomas, which isn’t really stellar writing just has a funny lame argument vibe.

For some nice Wholesome interaction, Bear is hands down the winner! Easy pick maybe, and it makes me wonder if Bear’s complete absence in the TVS is part of the downward spiral because he’d offer a lot more Plotlines.... hmmm...!

Favourite headcanon

Other than the universal fandom acceptance that He Digs Nature, Baby is the notion I’ve seen a few times that his “fear” of the rain, or what it would do to his paint, isn’t actually why he stopped in the tunnel, and it had more to do with his mechanical failure and/or him having something of a nervous breakdown. He does come across as something of an ass if you take the episode at face value, but there having a secret deeper meaning is way more interesting 👀

[anoray]

The MandoVerse

Wowza, there’s been a lot to unpack these past couple of episodes of The Book of Boba Fett.

Don’t have a lot of brain power left at this late point of the day but I will try mention a few things in Chapter 6 that stuck out to me:

1. The last 2 episodes have been sort of like watching the Arrowverse on the CW where all the superhero characters cross over for some big event arc. I truly enjoy the Mandalorian and Luke and Grogu so I have no complaints about seeing more of what is going on in their neck of the woods, but since we the audience didn’t get a heads up on this whole crossover angle to embrace it in some form of context, it feels odd that Boba is barely a cameo in his own show right about now. I think the Jawas have had more screen time than him. Presumably, this is all weaving together and Boba (and Fennec) will be back in the forefront of mix before the season ends.

2. R2-D2, I always love to see you. You are an imp in the best of ways. The same to you, Cad Bane, even though you are also an awful, horrid being. And yet, you didn’t kill Cobb Vance because you didn’t want to for some reason, so there’s that.

3. Ahsoka Tano, I adore you and yet you never fail to annoy me somehow. I’m going to hope the story plays out well with Grogu and Mando...but right now I’m remembering how you told Hera to let Kanan stay a prisoner of the Empire to be tortured and killed, then told Ezra to let Kanan stay dead right after he saved you in the World Between Worlds...and now you basically told Din that seeing Grogu would only cause Grogu pain. So you’re in the Tusken dog house for the moment.

4. I sure hope all those people in Garza’s casino club are not in tiny pieces. Please not Max and the jizz band! I’m pretty sure there will be some survivors, including the madam herself, but that was pretty darn unexpected and evil of the Pykes.

5. I want to see Grogu in his tiny beskar chain mail vest, and I want to see him wield Yoda’s lightsaber one day. Alongside daddy Din with his Darksaber, of course. I think Luke is helping Grogu and Din to get to that point even though it might not seem like it at this stage of the story.

6. Yay, our grumpy gladiator Wookiee is working for Boba. I’m still not crazy about the Mods. No doubt all the rival crime lord gangs are going to be pulled into this war with the Pykes. For a backwater, dirtball of a planet, Tatooine sure has a lot going on.

7. I’ve really enjoyed a lot of the visuals like the ringworld and these ant builder droids. Lots of tidbits in the background and easter eggs all over the place.

8. Last, and certainly a frivolous and self-indulgent finale: I wouldn’t mind at all if one of our word wizards out there writes an early Kanera fanfic where Kanan is dressed in the same outfit Garza’s dear, green male Twi’lek wears so well :3

In closing, I know some were not all that happy with today’s offering for a variety of reasons. I’m actually looking forward to Chapter 7 to see how the Mandoverse will culminate in a way that leaves the majority of the audience feeling content with how their fave characters were treated rather than enraged.

[sour-n-salty-citrus]

Do you have any hopes for the season finale? I saw in another ask, you described the dynamic between rick and morty this season as "very weak, distant, and downright frankly boring" and I completely agree with you! I hope that, because this is most we'll see rick and morty interacting this season, it'll have at least a few moments of what makes their dynamic so interesting to watch.

(Ok i started airing my grievances with this season, which ended up being... long, so skip this paragraph (starting at / / /) to get to my thoughts on the finale)

Oh gosh I remember that ask (I think-). And yeah, maybe I'm being a bit overly critical. I'll probably look back on this season with retrospect, and a kinder, fonder view. Ik androgynousblackbox (think thats right) made a great point about it being the season FOR rickorty shippers. And sure, I agree on some bits, like Rick acting all pissy and partying the way you would if your ex got with someone new in the planetina ep. Overall though, i think my problem lies in that I was enjoying more individual moments than episodes themselves, especially the middle three. For example- Amortycan Grickfitti. Like, I really liked the idea of the Ship getting on a crazy adventure with Summer and Morty (and Chutback). I like the idea of a Beth-Jerry-Rick adventure. But put together, it's just kinda... meh? You know? I liked the first half of the Thanksgiving special... but it kinda dragged on after that. I get that they want to give other characters (particularly female ones) more attention, which is completely understandable and i encourage it(!) but I can't help but find it underwhelming. Like, Summer in the voltron ep was like- girl how are you STILL vying for Rick's attention! He's the worst! Haven't we done this already? (I will say though I ADORE how far Beth has come, props to her for continuing to seeing through her dad's BS. I was worried the character would relapse into a more typical s1/s2 Beth, and I'm glad she didn't). Some of these plots, funnily enough, seem more fitting of the comics (they actually had a voltron parody already). Fun and entertaining for two or three-something issues, not so much a 22 minute episode. i think most of my complaints come from the dynamic between our titular characters- ok, I know I'm very biased (I mean you can see it), but I came to the show primarily for their relationship. It doesn't even feel drama-fueled, just that they kinda... can't be arsed. I'm torn because on the one hand, they're unhealthily codependent and this separation is probably a good thing, but on the other... it doesn't feel natural? I'm not sure if that's the right word- it's like, season 4 had them practically joint at the hip, but all that's suddenly flung out the window. It just kinda feels like this "i got better things to do" vibe from both of them and its strange. The only time they both got a solo adventure (I'm classifying "solo" as an adventure where they spent a significantly large portion of time together, without the other family members) was in the sperm ep and Thanksgiving ep. And, well, in the Thanksgiving ep Morty felt like a side character in his own show, and the sperm ep... um. Yeah. I don't think it's AS bad as people were saying, but I was cringing the whole time (the second hand embarrassment for Morty was so strong I had to turn off the episode multiple times and return to it. It's just like- godammit MORTY). And I think there's good reason those two seemed to be the most disliked episodes overall. They're the ones RaM spend the most time together and it's... meh. Meh? Meh. I don't mean to say the season overall is bad (it has loads of good points, and its amazing for Smith family as a whole) just that if we're talking specifically about the dynamic between these two? Yeah, I wouldn't recommend a single episode from this season so far to use as an example of their relationship.

/ / /

There's one thing this season has been pretty good at, though. And it's showing us what happens when Rick is alone.

And that brings me to the finale.

"Who is Rick without Morty?"

Well... we already know the answer to that. Pathetic. Sad. Lonely.

This season has been phenomenal in humbling Rick. (And trust me I'm happy for it- every time someone beats the crap outta this shitty old man I'm like YES!!! IT'S WHAT HE DESERVES!). Ep 1 had his "nemesis" clearly besting him, ep 2 had Beth making constant digs (love her) and overall pointing out his extreme callousness and cruelty towards even himself(ves). Ep 3- when Morty shows interest in a girl and ditches him (like seriously it's not like he's moving out, chill) he immediately goes on a bender and develops a deep attachment to the first person he can (wearing yellow, funnily enough). Ep 4, he devotes himself to becoming an "honest man" for his new child, only for it to instantly be taken away from him. Ep 5 highlights how RICK is the asshole for making fun of and taking advantage of someone well-meaning and honest, if "simple", and how literally not cool that is. Ep 6 has his crazy rivalry with the president, and they both get smacked down a couple pegs for that. Ep 7 shows what happens when he allows himself to get carried away, and that he can end up driving everyone else away in the process (lucky they still wanted to save his ass when he needed them). And episode 8? Hooooo boy. Episode. 8. We see a direct parallel in Birdperson with Morty, and the whole "Rick and [insert] 100 years!" Rick has few people he cares about, arguably only one or two that he truly devotes himself to, but when he does, boy does he go HARD. We see younger Rick, optimistic, energetic, friendly and hopeful. And we see all of that crushed in minutes. Rick is desperate for a companion, someone to see the stars with. He needs someone there, someone he can trust and rely on to stay. Someone like Morty. So without Morty, who is Rick?

No one.

And the thing is, Morty doesn't need Rick anymore. Not like Rick needs him. In season 1, Morty was this bright-eyed kid who was new to the cosmos and the multiverse, who needed his grandpa there with him as they explored all these places together. But that's not him anymore. That's not them.

The promo has Morty using the portal gun to go somewhere w/o Rick's permission (i like to think it's boob world lol). It doesn't matter to me as much where he's going, as much as he's doing it alone. He doesn't just not need Rick there, he doesn't want him.

(Also correct me if im wrong but I've missed that sweet portal gun so much. I think the last ep was like- the first time this season we saw it).

Morty's response to Rick? "Replace me!". And wow. Wow. WOW. Morty doesn't give a FUCK! I think Rick thinks that because he's so smart, that he can offer so much, that Morty will come crawling back, and I don't think he will.

Hopes for the finale! Hmm. I mean, I definitely hope "evil" Morty makes a reappearance, haha. I think we all do tbh ;). I want to see some Morty development too, this season has been very Rick-centric (not that there's anything wrong with that!) so I wanna see what's in store for Our Boy. I really hope we get to see the Citadel again, and see the state it's in, but I doubt it. We know something super big is in store, it's just a question of what? Other hopes I have is some Summer + Beth action (please let them team up Im BEGGING) and Jerry too ahaha. I'd love if some other side characters made an appearance as well. Oh- I'm definitely expecting a dramatic cliffhanger at the end of the first half leading to the second half, with the kind of angsty music that leads into the credits (pls that shit is so good (OH WAIT imagine if it was like, for the damaged coda, but like- the chopin version or smth so it could be more subtle maybe bruhhhh)). Ok haha, maybe that's asking too much, the writers made it clear in the story train ep that they weren't gonna do that big dramatic showdown (... unless 👀). Oh, I'd also love some Premium Angst too, like someone getting kidnapped/nearly dying (like ACTUALLY nearly dying). These stakes better be so damn high I could spear a man on them! OH, also I remember androgynousblackbox (is that right? I hope it is) mentioned something along the lines that they could be driving Rick and Morty apart this season in order to have them come back together stronger than ever in an explosive finale, which, I'm strongly hoping for myself.

Thanks if you made it this far! If you have any thoughts on or hopes of your own for the finale please feel free to share! :D

[fedonciadale]

One of the deleted scenes was Jon smiling almost smugly at Dany when the northerners spit at her. What was that, if not a confirmation of political Jon? That Jon and episode six Jon couldn’t be more different. Why release that scene then, if it’s such a contrast to what they’ve shown us canonically? Something’s definitely off. I don’t think it’s such a stretch that they filmed another ending, but then shied away from releasing it for fear of backlash. They pretty much confirmed that they had to appease Emilia in many ways, allowing her to play a bubbly and “innocent” Daenerys just before she died and listening to her complaints about being a “damsel in distress”, wanting to wield a sword and kill wights, and they indulged her. This shows that she had the power to impose her wishes, because those scenes don’t make sense at all. Paranoid and genocidal Dany switched to happy and hopeful in a matter of seconds, and a 5’2 girl with no previous training whatsoever that lifts and throws around a heavy sword is suspicious. Episode 6 is the most butchered one, because political Jon could have happened up until episode 5 (perhaps episode 4-5 Jon was more sacrificial than political), so maybe the last one was shaped by the general audience and Emilia’s reaction. What’s most confusing is that they released the smug smile scene. Wasn’t Jon in love with Dany? Wasn’t he gutted that he had to kill her? Didn’t he believe in her until the end, so much so that Tyrion had to convince him to do something? Then why release that scene? I think that proves that the show was somehow hijacked, and that other scenes like that may have been filmed. Like a Jonsa wedding.

Hi there!

I think we can say for sure, that they cut some scenes for the sake of being more ambiguous about the true loyalty of some people including Jon. And they never solved the ambiguity not with the Knights of the Vale, nor the Catfight at Winterhell nor with Political Jon.

They cut the scene in season 7 where Jon tells Ghost to watch over Sansa, they left out the scene where Dany orders Jon to come to her cabin, they cut the scene where Sansa asks Bran about Arya.

In season 8 they cut the scene were the Northerners spit at Dany, they cut the scene where Sansa saved Missandei’s life and added Dany fighting and changed Dany’s last scene to a bubbly “small girl” Dany. It is as if they did not want to commit to DarkDany until the very last minute although they had given hints as early as season 2.

I wish the creators of today would realize that it’s not bad if some of the audience can guess the plot. It doesn’t diminish the joy, not at all.

To be quite honest, that was always a problem with GoT but it became more of a problem with the lack of book material. Take the Red Wedding. In the books, you get hints before the event, you have a sense of dread, you know something will happen, and then you are hit in the gut when you realize that your worst imagination was still not bad enough....

The way they did the RW in the show was to divert from the PoVs that could have given an insight, and that was their method. Just hide the PoVs and everybody will be surprised about the twist. But the thing is, with this method they had to hide Sansa’s PoV through the second half of season 6 and through season 7 and Jon’s PoV throughout season 7 and 8. And at some point you lose the audience. If it had been just the show I wouldn’t have cared for Jon’s fate, not at all. And I still  only care because of what his fate in the show might mean for the books. ShowJon can rot for all I care - and the loss of his PoV is mostly to blame for that.

Anyway, I think that they cut some minutes from the last episode. I still think it’s suspicious that the announced running time was a few minutes longer than the actual running time. I also think they might have had another Tyrion-Jon convo and decided after the reaction of the audience that they needed to explain why Dany had to be killed. And there might have been a scene where Jon returns to Winterfell. I know this is very tinfoily.

It is of course also possible, that they simply did not care enough. They wanted the big twist of Dark Dany and every cutting and editing decision in season 7 and 8 was under that priority. And they neglected everything else and they still managed to make a complete mess.

Btw, I think they released the cut scenes because they still want to make money. I doubt there is an agenda or a need to explain themselves behind that. They need people to talk about GoT and releasing deleted scenes is a way to ensure that.  Well, they only have themselves to blame that GoT has ceased to be part of popular culture.

Thanks for the ask!

[shadowed-dancer]

My Thoughts on the New MHA Opening and Ending

I have thoughts, and I will share them because oh boy if I don’t get this out I’m gonna explode

Vague Spoilers for the manga (up to chapter 258 and vigilantes) because I discuss the upcoming arcs, but I don’t discuss any major plot points in detail. Still, proceed with caution if you’re anime only

Keep in mind, this OP and ED will cover the Endeavour Agency Arc and the MVA Arc, so I will be judging them accordingly.

First, the OP

This is a good OP... in theory (that’s going to become my catchphrase for this post). It’s nice to look at and flows pretty well, but my biggest problem is that it doesn’t do it’s job. An OP is supposed to be a sort of... summary (?) of the Cour it plays for. That means any cool plot points, emotional beats, and important characters should be featured in some way, shape, or form. We’ll talk about that more later, but first let’s discuss the music.

The song is really good. I have a feeling it will continue to grow on me as I listen to it more often, but yeah my first impression is that the song sounds great. My only complaint about the music itself is that it ends kind of abruptly (I noticed this is the JT opening too). The previous openings used to have a bit of instrumental to “play us out” and lead us to the end card, but this one feels like it ends very suddenly and unnaturally.

As for the visuals...

Yeah alright I’ll admit, the visuals are stunning... in theory. I appreciate the variety in backgrounds and colours, it makes the OP really interesting to look at. This was actually one of my biggest problems with the JT Opening, it all took place on the training grounds, so there was no variety (everything was metal tubes with a blue sky, with only 3 shots set somewhere different). I appreciate the style of this OP.

But like I said, that’s only in theory, as in, through screenshots these are all pleasing to look at. The pacing of this OP is wild, and I truly don’t know who to blame for this.

That sunset shot above? It lasts approximately 12 seconds, zooming in every few to make it seem like something is happening (when in reality it’s still the same poses, angles, etc). While there’s nothing wrong with a nice, drawn out shot, it becomes irritating when compared to the pacing of the rest of this op.

At the 41 second mark, we are given the shot above. It has flowed directly from the previous sunset scene. We still have not moved away from the image of the trio (aside from the opening shot and the title card) yet we’re approaching the halfway mark of the OP.

The next shot is the MLA, which lasts about 5 seconds. Ok, perfect. Not too long, but also not short enough to be confusing. It cuts away a little fast once the dude on the far left appears, but does anyone actually know who that is? No, seriously, I’m asking. I don’t remember his name and he’s not on the wiki, so I can only assume he’s not important. Therefore, it’s not all that bad if the shot cuts away shortly after he comes into frame. The audience is able to take in the scene without having to pause...

... And then the problems start

While this shot is fine in theory, it pans up fast and  cuts away quickly. You know how hard it was for me to get this screenshot? Really hard. You want to know why I struggled so much? Because, due to the timing of the cut and the way it pans upwards, it’s almost impossible to pause on Dabi’s face. I literally had to go frame by frame to get it, because he’s in shot for so little time that naturally pausing is guaranteed to miss him.

When watching this in real time (without pausing) the cut away makes you feel as if you missed something because “something was there, I just couldn’t register what because now it’s gone”. Unlike Compress, who wears a very colourful coat you can recognize the entire time, Dabi’s pants are more blended into the background.

It also doesn’t help that this shot is literally composed to draw your attention away from Dabi until the last possible second. Due to framing, your eye is naturally drawn to the brightly coloured Toga in the foreground, making it super easy to miss Dabi in the back (until, of course, his bright face appears and contrasts against the background, drawing your eye just in time for the scene to change, leaving you to wonder who or what you missed).

I know this sounds like nitpicking, but this shot is the only group shot we get of the League, and is also the start of a seriously weird trend for the villains in this OP getting the short end of the stick.

Anyways, then we get what I’ll call “The Carousel Shot” in which every Class 1A kid shows up and poses dramatically, as if they were on a carousel. It’s a lovely sequence and I really enjoy watching it but... why is it in this OP?

Seriously, this is a genuine question. Class 1A barely shows up in the Endeavour Agency Arc, and NONE of the students are in MVA. This sequence (not counting the three boys at the end) lasts 8 seconds. Why is this much time dedicated to characters who are barely in the arc? (Unless Studio Bones extends their work studies into fuller plot lines which oh my gosh please don’t do that, or if they do, do it quick).

We then get what I call the “Oh God I Blinked And Missed Everything” sequence, which lasts 3 seconds (not including the longer, moving shot of Shigaraki at the end) and features NINE INDIVIDUAL IMAGES, none of which are related to each other. Not only is this 3 images per second, but the fact that they are all unrelated means you can’t even use previous information to fill in the blanks.

What do I mean by that? Well, imagine if I show you 9 images of various pro heroes posing. If I play that in 3 seconds you’ll absolutely miss some of them, but as long as you catch some you’ll still get an idea of what I’m trying to show to you. Your brain is able to fill in the gaps that “I recognized 4 pro heroes, therefore the rest must have also been pros” even if you didn’t register every single frame.

That doesn’t work if every frame features a completely different subject. The shots in this sequence vary so widely that it’s impossible to find a through line. Some feature multiple characters, some feature one, some are closeups, some are super far away, some are character’s we know, others are characters we don’t. It’s impossible to get a solid read on what you’re being shown.

Now, again, there’s nothing wrong with these super quick shots... in theory. The problem comes from the fact that these shots are the only indicators for some of the major themes that will be explored during this Cour (like Twice’s growth and young Shigaraki).

That being said, let’s move away from criticism and talk about speculation, because hidden amongst this sequence are two... interesting images.

This All Might one is very reminiscent of the shot in Chapter 257, where Aizawa and All Might have a conversation while staring up at the stars. However, this is technically the start of the “War Arc” (or the “prologue”, if that’s what you want to call it), so this might indicate that we’re going to get farther into the series than a lot of us guessed.

(Many people suspected we’d get to that cliffhanger at the start of the season (if you read the manga you know the one), but after seeing the pacing for JT a lot of us assumed we’d be lucky to even finish Endeavour Agency. It seems we’re back to the cliffhanger now though lol). 

This is another really interesting shot because it’s indicative of Shirakumo, meaning we might get to see Aizawa and Mic confront him some time this Cour (this also makes sense, since this confrontation technically happens before that All Might scene I mentioned in the previous paragraph).

But the cat specifically is a really strange addition. That cat is named Sushi and, correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think Sushi is ever mentioned in the main series. I think he’s only in Vigilantes.

This might just be a little Easter Egg for Vigilante readers, but I’m personally hoping that they’ll add at least a few Vigilante shots in there to really tug at the heart strings. I’d say I want a whole Vigilante episode but I don’t think they have the time (unless they really cram MVA, which I do NOT want).

I don’t have much to say about the last bit of the OP. The action shot between the 3 boys was nice, and it follows the sort of narrative through line they established from the early shot of them sitting at the sunset. I also like the shot of Endeavour fading in to replace All Might, even if it’s very simple.

But I want to talk about an overarching problem I touched upon earlier in that villain shot: the way the villains are handled in this OP.

This is a good OP... in theory. The problem is, it doesn’t represent half the arcs in the cour! Every shot of the League is so rushed that you can barely register that they were on screen before they’re gone.

I have no idea how many Episodes Endeavour Agency will take, but I’d assume 3 (4 if you count the Christmas episode). 12 episodes for this Cour minus 3 for Endeavour Agency = 9 episodes left. If we truly do get the prologue for the War Arc (and if we assume it’s only 1 episode) that leaves us with 8 villains episodes.

8/12 episodes (aka two thirds of the Cour) will likely be about the villains. And yet they’re pushed to the background so hard in this OP.

I want to dream, and I want to believe that this OP is going to magically change when MVA starts. The song fits super well, and I can imagine like an inversion of the OP but from the Villain side! Wouldn’t that be neat? Imagine right after the “it’s alright” part Shigaraki just freaking decays the title card... oh man that would be so cool. But, alas, I highly doubt they’d do that.

Side rant, but you know what was so fun about MVA in the manga? It’s that, for 21 chapters, we leave the kids behind and the villains become our protagonists. Suddenly Shigaraki is the one we’re rooting for, suddenly we’re learning backstories for everyone, and suddenly we find ourselves just as attached to the villains as we are to the kids. It’s an inversion that’s SO RARE to find, and I think many people (myself included) were hoping it would be reflected in the OP.

A big part of being the protagonist means featuring heavily in the OP, and a lot of us just wanted the villains to get that honour, even if only once. As is, the OP still treats them as the antagonists when... really they aren’t. Not right now, at least.

So yeah, final thoughts on the OP are that it’s good, it’s just not very representative of the arcs it’s supposed to cover. If this was just for Endeavour Agency, I’d say it’s actually really cool, but if we assume that this is what will play for the Villain Arc, then it simply doesn’t do it’s job. And it makes me sad to say that because, again, this OP is really well done.

If I had to rate it? Hmmm

If Studio Bones actually grants my wish and creates a different visual for the Villain Arc (while using the same song) and then this version only plays for the Endeavour Agency Arc and the War Prologue? I’d give it an 8/10. It’s really good, but it could use a few more elements that are clearly derived from the Agency Arc (ahem, Todoroki siblings).

But if this is the OP that will play for the entire Cour? a 6.5/10. It’s nice, but it’s not representative of one of the arcs it’s going to cover. And, unlike other arcs like Pro Hero or Summer Exams, the villain Arc is so important and takes up so much time that it honestly feels like a bit of a disservice.

Now for the Ending

I want to say that I appreciate how soft this ending starts. This cour will likely feature a lot of episodes that end on... heavier themes, and I think the sight of peaceful, falling raindrops is the perfect way to let the audience process their emotions before starting the ending in earnest.

The song itself is very nice, and I like that it’s a bit slower than the more recent endings.

(Side note, but the FUNNIEST moment in the entire series is when Sir Nighteye dies because it’s so emotional and everyone is standing around his bed in his heartwrentching silence, only for the ending to come BLARING IN out of no where. If you forgot how jarringly hilarious it was, go listen to the Eri ending and tell me that’s not the funniest thing this series ever did. Anyways yeah I’m glad that’s not gonna happen this Cour).

This ending is a bit all over the place in terms of it’s visuals, but honestly I think it works. Most endings usually have a theme tying them together (all the Class 1A girls, a fantasy AU, old photographs, planning a party, etc) but this ending’s theme is a bit harder to identify.

That being said, I think it’s just supposed to show everyone going about their day. It’s calm, it’s peaceful, and it’s just very sweet to think about

I like this shot. Actually, scratch that, I like this whole sequence. I enjoy anything that allows Class 1A to chill and have fun.

Hawks is featured quite heavily in this ending which, fair. He’s pretty important in this arc.

I really love the shot where Endeavour immediately switches to Hawks, I thought that was a lot of fun, and very good symbolism on how Hawks wants to be like Endeavour. I also love all the shots of Baby Hawks, because it’s adorable.

Something about this shot is just so cute. It’s the little domestic things like waiting for a bus that make this ending feel... idk the word, real? It shows a side of the characters that we’ll never see in the episodes, but we know have to exist.

Like yes, of course the kids have to wait for the bus. We never see it, but of course there are those moments of quiet. Agh, I love it.

The villains also make an appearance and I’m very happy about that (I’d love to see more of the villains just chilling around, I think they deserve it). I kind of wish they weren’t sitting in a dark room for the sake of being edgy, since I think it would be nice to see the villains just... sort of existing, but honestly it’s still a nice shot. I also like how this shot sort of mirrors the first one with Class 1A (someone coming in while everyone else is sitting and waiting for them).

That being said, as much as I love looking at Dabi and his stupid face (affectionate)... why is Dabi the one getting the closeup?

Mind you, endings don’t need to be connected to their Cours (they can be, like the Eri one, but they don’t have to be). But this ending does seem to be connected to the arcs it intends to cover, given all the Hawks appearances, the boys wearing their work study scarves, etc.

So, I ask again, why Dabi? Out of the six League members, we learn the backstory for four of them in this arc (Shigaraki, Toga, Twice, and we very briefly learn about Spinner). The only two left out are Dabi and Compress.

I can only assume they chose Dabi because he’s constantly in contact with Hawks, and therefore that makes him important? If the OP told us anything, it’s that Bones values the Endeavour Agency Arc over the Villain Arc lol...

... Oh my gosh please tell me that’s not actually the reason Dabi is focused on here BONES WAI-

Anyways, the ending comes to a close with Hawks watching over the kids and Endeavour. The relaxing time is done, it’s time for work studies.

Overall impression? It’s great. It’s hard to screw up an ending, so as long as you have something pretty on screen, it’s wonderful.

I’ll give this a 9/10

[longitudinalwaveme]

The CW Rogues: My Biggest Gripe With the 2014 Flash Show

In many ways, the CW Flash show is what got me into comics. While I had watched (and loved) Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and read loads of DC guidebooks as a kid, it wasn’t until I saw a clip from the 2014 CW Flash show that I really got invested in the DC Universe. While I had already started watching B:TAS (and loving it), Batman wasn’t what got me into comics. No, that was the Flash...or rather, it was Captain Cold. While watching a clip from the Justice League episode Flash and Substance on YouTube, I saw a link to a clip from “Family of Rogues” (from Season 2 of CW’s Flash). Intrigued by the premise, I found the show on Netflix, watched the entire episode, and was hooked. Not only was the Flash just as nice as he had been on Justice League, but two of his Rogues were siblings, and they actually cared about one another. I wanted to know more, so I looked Captain Cold and the Golden Glider up. My research into Cold and Glider led me to the other Rogues, and soon I became a Flash fan. I watched the show, I re-watched “Flash and Substance”, I read articles about the characters from the comics...and eventually, I started reading the comics themselves. I loved the characters and the lore, and I enjoyed the generally lighthearted tone of the books even into the modern era. Unfortunately, as I learned more about the comics, I grew less and less interested in the 2014 TV show. It made too many alterations to character I liked in the comics...and eventually, I basically stopped watching the show out of frustration. Ironically enough, by getting me into comics, the show alienated me from itself....and a big reason for that was the way it handled the Rogues. Here’s a rundown of the CW Rogues, and why I was frustrated with most of them. 

1. Captain Cold. I actually enjoy Captain Cold on the CW show; he’s recognizable as Len Snart and his sarcasm game is on point. (It doesn’t hurt that Wentworth Miller is really attractive, either). His relationships with Lisa, Mick, and Barry are fantastic, and it’s a relief to have him be treated as a competent threat. That being said...he’s a bit too suave for Captain Cold, isn’t he? Silver Age Cold thought he was suave, but he wasn’t; and modern Captain Cold is middle-aged, grouchy, and very rough around the edges. His smooth, suave nature reminds me more of classic Sam (the original Mirror Master) than Captain Cold. 

2. Heat Wave. Dominic Purcell did a great job with the role he was given, and physically he’s an excellent match for Mick. That being said, CW Mick is very different from the Mick in the classic comics, who was a bit dim-witted and rather gentle and sweet for a supervillain. CW Mick, by contrast, is, as I think @gorogues put it, “Hothead McAngryman”, which wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t seem to have bled back into the comics themselves. Villains with fire powers being hotheads is a bit overdone, so I’m not thrilled to see comic Mick being put into that role. 

3. Golden Glider. Hands down, Lisa is my favorite of the CW Rogues. Despite the fact that her costume and power set are completely different than they were in the comics, they managed to get her personality down pretty well; making her just as dangerous and competent as the boys. Flirtatious, crafty, devious, and yet still at least somewhat sympathetic, the CW version of Lisa Snart takes home the gold for the best adaptation of a Rogue. If only they hadn’t completely forgotten that she existed. 

4. Pied Piper. Note that I have not seen his Season 6 appearance, so I’m just judging this based on his appearances in Seasons 1 and 2. Piper is disappointing; in his first appearance he wasn’t as fun as Silver/Bronze Age Piper or as sympathetic as modern Piper, and I’m not crazy about the idea of him being motivated primarily by revenge on Wells/Thawne, since that wasn’t his motivation in the comics at all. I also don’t remember him being able to puppet or hypnotize people with his music, which is too bad, since that’s his main schtick in the comics. What’s more, if you want to reform a character, don’t do it offscreen via reality warping and then forget about him for four seasons. It sounds like his Season 6 appearance was better, but I haven’t seen it so I can’t comment on it. Also, “the Pied Piper” is kind of a nonindicative name if he doesn’t play a pipe/flute. 

5. Trickster II (Axel Walker). Axel was actually decent in the CW show. I still like comic Axel better, but they got the gist of his character down and even made him a bit sympathetic. In fact, he’s probably in the top three best Rogue adaptations that the CW did. 

6. Trickster I (James Jesse). I love watching Mark Hamill play CW’s Trickster...but man, he is not playing Giovanni Giuseppi on the CW show. He’s playing the Joker with a different name. It’s especially weird since we know from JLU and that one short where Mark Hamill plays himself, the Joker, the Trickster, and Swamp Thing that Hamill can do a non-Joker Trickster and do it well, so my suspicion is that it was just because Trickster was also the Joker in the 1990s Flash show (where he was also played by Mark Hamill). Regardless, murdering random people and threatening to blow up small children during Christmas is not something the Trickster should be doing. 

Although this does prove Mark Hamill could do a live-action Joker. I’d pay money to see that. Mark Hamill is a great Joker. 

7. Weather Wizard. CW Weather Wizard isn’t egregiously bad. He’s not out-of-character like Trickster, and he’s not boring to watch, but at the same time it feels like there’s something missing. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t quote Twain. Maybe it’s because there’s not the sense that he was a loser before he got his powers. Maybe it’s because they changed his origin completely (and also made him older than Clyde for some reason). It could even be because he’s not wearing a green leotard with a huge collar, puffy sleeves, and ridiculous elf boots. Whatever it is, though, he’s just missing that spark that makes me like comic book Wizard so much. 

8. Mirror Master I (Sam Scudder). I don’t know how you make Sam Scudder more boring than New 52/Rebirth did, but somehow the CW version of the character pulled it off. Granted, Cold had already stolen some of Sam’s characterization, so that didn’t help, but they could’ve leaned into his skills as an inventor or his love of showmanship or something. Instead, we got a generic thug with what was basically Evan McCulloch’s power set. Boo! Boo I say! 

9. Top (Roscoe/Rosa Dillon). The Brave and the Bold Top is more interesting than the CW version, and he doesn’t even have spoken lines! That’s how boring this Top is. Also, the gender swap was pretty pointless. I wouldn’t have minded a female Top if she’d been intelligent and creepy and snobbish in the way that Roscoe is, but why even bother changing the gender if the character is going to have such a minor role? They also substantially depowered the CW Top, since Rosa can’t spin at super speed and isn’t telekinetic. A massive missed opportunity. 

10. Mirror Master II (Evan/Eva McCulloch). I can’t comment on how good of a character Eva is, since I haven’t watched any of the episodes with her in them, but I will say I am disappointed that the character does not seem to be Scottish, does not have Evan’s weird sense of humor, and lacks his tooth gap. 

11. Captain Boomerang (George “Digger” Harkness). Not only did he not actually appear on the Flash, but he was also boring and didn’t even seem to have an Australian accent. I was very disappointed with his role in the CW. 

And now for characters who aren’t Rogues: 

-CW Eobard is really good. I have no real complaints about him. 

-CW Grodd is also really good, though I do wish he was from Gorilla City as per the comics rather than a lab experiment. 

-CW Magenta got most of the important character beats down but felt a bit out of place with Barry as the Flash. 

-CW Shade was possibly even more boring than CW Sam, which is saying something. 

-CW Zoom didn’t really feel like Zoom at all. Not only was it weird to see him fighting Barry and not Wally, but he was just a generic serial killer and didn’t have Zolomon’s unique outlook on the world. The loss of his time manipulation powers was likewise disappointing.

-CW Jay is really good. I love him. 

-CW Jesse Quick has very little in common with her comic book counterpart; I like the comic version better but don’t actually mind the CW version all that much.

-CW Wally is decent enough, though I don’t see why they couldn’t have kept him as Iris’ nephew rather than making him her brother. Also, they didn’t use him nearly as much as they should have. 

-CW Barry I generally like a lot; Grant Gustin is a good fit for the character. That being said, I do wish they hadn’t given him the dead mom origin, which was a retcon I am not fond of. 

-CW Iris is quite good (in the first three seasons, at least); she’s intelligent, loyal to Barry, dedicated to her job, and quite independent. The fact that she and Barry were foster siblings in the CW universe is kind of weird, though, since it makes their romance kind of awkward. 

-Joe West is not Ira West (Iris’s father in the comics), but I actually don’t care. Joe West is made of awesome. (I like Ira too, but I like Joe enough that I don’t mind having him replace Ira.)

-The Fiddler on the CW had very little to do with the comic Fiddler. 

-I’ve never been particularly invested in the Thinker (comic or show), but I will say that the CW’s version of the character was very different from his comics counterpart. 

-CW Ragdoll was just as creepy and unsettling as comic book Ragdoll, though he had a very different backstory. 

-I never expected Baby Josh to make it into the CW, let alone as a gender-swapped teenager named Joss who wanted to kill Weather Wizard. It felt like they never knew where to go with her character, though, so it was a wasted opportunity. At least she didn’t die like poor Baby Josh, though. 

-Big Sir in the CW show is a MASSIVE improvement over the comic version. This is probably the only character I will say this about. Though I will say that I kind of wish he’d gotten his stupidly ugly comic book costume even though it would’ve made no sense. 

-Peek-a-Boo is a pretty solid adaptation of her comic book counterpart. 

-Rainbow Raider (Prism) is much better in the comics than on the CW show, where he only existed to be a boring plot device. 

-Linda Park dating Barry was weird, but they actually did a good job with her character before she vanished.

This is not intended as a criticism of anyone who likes the show or its characters; it’s just me musing about my personal problems with it. 

[jadoue1999]

The X-Men and the member they lost - Chapter 4

Summary: This chapter references the 6th episode of WandaVision and the events from Wanda's point of view in my previous story in chapter 2-3-4. I recommend reading those before continuing, but the best would be to read the entire story. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Previous parts: Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, 

Chapter 4: Regrets

The episode continued with both the twins talking directly to the camera. Erik frowned at this unusual situation, was this how television worked past the eighties? Billy was dressed up as some sort of magician and was talking about Halloween. The two brothers argued about the true meaning of the holiday, one saying something about being someone else for a day and the other one saying it was all about candies and scaring people. Erik smirked, from the little time he had been with Peter, he, too, would have probably said the same thing had he been asked. Speaking of him, he had yet to appear. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait long as the twins moved to the living room, where he was laying on the couch, sleeping. The metal bender was still feeling uneasy about the blonde hair. The boys talked, the one wearing the cape seemed suspicious of him. They argued about waking him up, but he beat them to it.

“Blood is thicker than water, I show you!” Peter screamed as he sped off the couch. The twins yelled and started pacing around the couch as Peter used his speed to circle around the sofa. Erik smirked despite himself, it might have been a pretend, but the speedster really did seem to have a good time with his fake nephews. The scene cut to Wanda going down the stairs wearing a costume she qualified as a fortune teller. Peter watched her, unimpressed.

“Wow, that is so...”

“Rad!”

“Lame”

He frowned, that was a little strange, and rude. Charles probably felt his confusion since he turned to him. His gaze was enough to inform him that he too found the line strange. It switched to a reference to their childhood to which the redhead seemed confused about. But that didn’t make sense, she had casted him as Pietro; surely, he would have his memories as well? The husband walked down the stairs wearing a frankly ridiculous costume. Peter also made fun of him by trying to guess what he was dressed as. Vision walked to his wife and seemed to challenge her authority once again. He quickly moved on and pointed out how Wanda hadn’t really talked about her brother before. The scene cut to him and the twins playing games. Then the android decided to go off on his own, to which Peter stepped in.

“Don't sweat it, sis. I got the old XY chromosome. Uncle P to the rescue, uh?”

Raven spoke up at the strange line, “is- is he referring to the X gene? I know it doesn’t make any sense since it doesn’t seem to exist in this universe, but it’s so specific...”

Erik agreed with the shapeshifter, while it technically made sense in the sitcom word; it was way too specific to just be a throw away line. Was Peter conscious to a certain degree? He secretly hoped not, he must have been suffering greatly if he was.

Peter then asked about balloons and shaving cream, something that had apparently happened at the manor before because Charles sighed suddenly in exasperation. He was vaguely whispering about the clean up it took after one of his pranks. Peter and the long-haired twin sped off at Wanda’s complaint about their lack of costumes, coming back with matching ones and spiky hair. From what Erik could gather, they were probably dressed as runners, their hair up perhaps meant that they were going fast? He had no idea; he had never really dressed up for Halloween before.

The scene cut to the neighborhood where everyone was out and trick or treating. He had never seen so many town resident active at the same time, and now there were children. Erik noted with curiosity that the ratio parent to child didn’t really make sense; not enough kids were out for the number of adults present. He suddenly had an idea.

“Charles,” he said, turning to the man, “with that many residents, perhaps Wanda’s hold is weakened; can you read any of their mind?”

The telepath put a hand to his head in concentration and stared at the screen for a few seconds. His gaze didn’t falter as he desperately tried to make contact with the poor townspeople. After a moment, he shook his head.

“There’s something blocking me from seeing into anyone’s mind; I’m betting Wanda has something to do with it.”

Erik sighed in defeat and turned back to the screen, the children were off, and the redhead was questioning Peter.

“You're testing me.” He told her accusingly, she widened her eyes at the accusation, apparently not fond of being so easily read.

“No, I'm not.”

Peter raised his hand in surrender, showing he didn’t blame her. “Hey, it's cool. I know I look different.”

“Why do you... look different?”

Erik stared at the screen anxiously, Wanda was definitely aware that something was wrong. How could Peter answer anything that wouldn’t sound suspicious? He had always been quick to find something to say, hopefully he would still have it, even mind controlled.

Peter tilted his head, acting nonchalant. “You tell me. I mean, if I found Shangri-La, I wouldn't wanna be reminded of the past either.”

Whatever that place was, he had never heard of it, but the context made it seem like a perfect place without remorse. The children came back, asking for more candies and Peter suggested to use superspeed to be more efficient. That was... strange to say the least. He was running with the boys without worrying about whiplash, they were holding on to his belt. They really seemed happy, like any uncle and his nephews. Slight worry crept into his chest as he noticed that his speed now showed up on camera; something it never did before. Was he slowing down for the sake of the show? Also, there was a little blue lingering behind him. Raged filled Erik as he realized that Wanda had changed the aspect of his speed to match her late brother’s. She had erased his name, his hair and now his speed; was there something this woman couldn’t and wouldn’t do to fulfill her fantasy world? 

She went to talk to the neighbor on the left, Herb if he remembered well. It turned out that Vision wasn’t actually on duty, which meant he had broken out of her control for now. That assumption was right, the next scene showed the android walking through the neighborhood, feeling uneasy about his surroundings. He smiled to some passerby as he noticed a couple putting up decorations. Except they were not.

“Is this a common occurrence?” He questioned his friend. Both adults were stuck in a loop, the woman was in the process of hooking up a ghost, but she lowered her arm before she ever reached the fishing line. The husband in the back keep picking up and putting down a bucket.

“No, it isn’t,” said Charles. He frowned as a tear rolled down the woman’s cheek, ”they are trapped in their minds, but unable to do anything. Wanda is sidelining them because they’re not useful to her right now, but they have to keep acting as they would be if she were there.”

Erik stared at the wall, deep in thoughts. They were all suffering, that meant... “Is Peter stuck in his mind as well?” The telepath was silent, but it was enough to confirm his fears. “I wish he could have told me earlier, perhaps I would have been enough to save him from this fate.”

Charles shook his head with a serious face. “Don’t say this, old friend, even I did not sense anything amiss the night of his disappearance. As for knowing earlier, Peter didn’t tell anyone other than Raven. She’s the one that told me.”

He looked at the screen where Vision was still observing his surroundings with discomfort. “Watching this woman puppet my son on her show just serves as a reminder that I missed nearly thirty years of his life. And even now that I’m aware of his existence, I can’t do anything to save him from this nightmare.”

Charles stopped him from saying anything more as he put a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Erik, Peter is a very secretive person. And as much as he rambles like his life depends on it; we never knew his real name or the fact that he had a twin sister.”

He had to give it to his friend, Peter hadn’t really spoken much about his past to anyone. But had he been aware that he had a son, could he have made a difference?

The screen now showed Vision walking away and it cut to a commercial. Erik didn’t watch much as he was contemplating what the episode had been so far. He had seen horrible things in his life, but Wanda’s little perfect life was unsettling. There was no record of how she made it in any of the files, it just appeared out of nowhere. The only other person he had seen displaying a power that was close to what the redhead was doing was, ironically, Jean; the other redhead he knew at the mansion. He had seen her unleashing hell to destroy En Sabah Nur back at Cairo and had been impressed since.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Kurt panicked at whatever was going on at the television. The little boy was slowly decomposing. He wasn’t sure was had happened previously, but he watched in disbelief as the boy’s cheeks hollowed out and his eyes slowly disappeared. Then all that was left was a skeleton as the screen showed a picture of a yogurt brand.

‘Yo-Magic! The snack for survivors!’

What was that commercial? What did it even mean? Was there a threat looking to consume Wanda’s magic or was it a metaphor for what was happening to all the citizens? Everything in this show seemed to have a double meaning. He really should have paid attention. The screen switched to Wanda, Peter and the boys. They were walking in front of a theater that showed movies that hadn’t come out yet. Well, except maybe parents trap but he doubted it was the original one. Peter was complaining about having to return the candies and Wanda was teasing him about being a bad influence. The speedster turned to her, offended.

“I'm just trying to do my part, okay?” Erik frowned, his part? Could he be aware about his predicament? If so, why not try to escape? Or perhaps she wasn’t able to completely subdue him, and he ended up being casted as someone that knew too much for his own good. There was no telling what was going in the speedster’s head. Peter continued his rant, explaining his purpose, “Come to town unexpectedly, create tension with the brother-in-law, stir up trouble with the rugrats, and ultimately give you grief. I mean, that's what you wanted, isn't it?”

His remark earned a general frown from the viewers in the room, what did she want?

Wanda narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion, “What happened to your accent?”

Peter didn’t let her get to him as he snapped back, “What happened to yours?” That caught her off guard, though Erik couldn’t think why. Perhaps she was supposed to have an accent? Her files did say that she was from this Sokovia place in Europe.

Kurt suddenly spoke up, “I know Peter can be sarcastic, but he’s being very rude. He’s never like that normally; is that his role or is it him being conscious and trying to hide it?”

The teen had a point. The speedster was hyper and excited, but he wasn’t rude. The lines he was forced to say definitely didn’t sound like something he’d just blurt out at someone he was supposed to consider family. Peter continued talking about being shot for no reasons and hearing her voice calling to him. That was definitely the other brother’s memories, that was for certain. Erik wasn’t sure how to feel about this. Did it mean that his son would now be stuck with a double set of memories trapped in his head? Was he torn between two versions of himself? He couldn’t dwell on his questions as the children came running back. “They've got full-size candy bars a few blocks up. Mom, can we go?” Tommy was suddenly gone in a blur and back in an instant, with candy bars in his hand. He looked proud as he exclaimed, “Next stop, Cavity Town!”

The excitement on Peter’s face was something that made Erik smile. He found himself wishing that the circumstances were different, perhaps Peter could have reacted the same way to a student. The way his eyes gleamed up and his mouth turned into a wide grin seemed so genuine, so much like Peter. “Right on, little dude! Chip off the old Maximoff block. You've got super speed!”

Wanda and Peter looked at each other with pride in their eyes. If Erik hadn’t known better, he truly could have believed that they were siblings. They simply felt right together. He watched as Tommy broke into superspeed, running all around the place as Wanda slowly began to get more serious. Peter, though, was grinning like a mad man and repeatedly nodding in approval as the mini speedster raced through the street. Their fun was cut short as Wanda grabbed her son, stopping him abruptly. He frowned at her movement, if there was one truth about Peter, it was that once he started, he couldn’t be stopped by anyone. He was simply too fast. It was because of his superspeed, no one could touch him. It had to be the same for Tommy. How could she even see the young speedster in the first place? Let alone being able to grab him without any whiplash. Wanda then warned them to not go past Ellis Avenue. From her tone, he had to assume that it was the end of the barrier.

Raven turned to Charles, “he has superspeed, is he a mutant?”

The professor continued to look at the screen. “By how it manifested so suddenly, we have to assume that they are. The real question is, did Wanda steal mutant children from our dimension or are those children her own?”

The next few scenes were unexpected to say the least. Vision had found the dreaded Avenue and realized that no one was moving. He switched to a futuristic looking suit and flew in the air. The voices of the residents were echoing in the screen. Vision spotted a lone car, which ended up being Agnes’. She wasn’t moving either, that was unsettling since the woman usually was always so full of life. The robot did his best to question her, but she seemed barely aware of her surroundings.

“How can she even move at all? No one else is,” chimed in Raven.

That... was a valid question. Perhaps the fact that she was usually so close to Wanda gave her a slight immunity against the end of the barrier? He didn’t have time to tell his idea, Vision suddenly woke up the neighbor. It didn’t help much though, she confirmed that it was Wanda who controlled them and then started freaking out. He put her back under the spell and she drove away. The scene cut away as he was nearing the barrier.

Peter and Wanda were walking through the straw maze and sat on one of straw bundles. They talked a little about their parents and how she truly was living her best life. Then Peter pulled a face that was very unlike him and started questioning her. That made no sense, he was pushing for information Wanda should have known. Was there something else in this town talking through his son? She looked frightened for a moment, but Billy ran to her, screaming about their dying father. He was a telepath. Both twins apparently had mutations.

‘Don’t sweat it, sis. It’s not like your dead husband can die twice!’

This remark greatly angered Wanda and her eyes glowed red as she blasted him into nearby decorations. She turned to her son and made him focus on his claim. Judging by the screaming outside of the base, Vision had gone outside the town and the twin sensed it.

The broadcast suddenly cut off.

An alarm blared through the base, ringing loud enough to feel the vibration. Shouts outside of the bunker quickly made them aware of the situation. The barrier was expanding. The three other people with him were quickly picking up their stuff, but Erik couldn’t move. She had blasted his son away, like he was nothing. Was he dead? He hadn’t moved at all, he hoped he was just unconscious. Charles was grabbing his arm, telling him to snap out of it. The world suddenly caught up to him, they were in danger, the barrier was expanding. They had to get away.

He got to his feet, trying desperately to not think about Peter and the pain he had to be in. They ran out of the bunker; the barrier was already beginning to move towards the base. Soldiers were scrambling around, trying to get into cars and escape their upcoming fate. No one was paying attention to them, so Charles turned to the teenager.

“Kurt, you have to get us out of here,” the young man was frozen in place, staring at the approaching red wall. The professor pulled his arm, “Kurt!”

The blue mutant snapped out of his trance and told them to hold on to him. He closed his eyes in concentration, but they didn’t move. He opened his eyes in fear before closing them and trying again. “I- I can’t!” He panicked, “I’m sorry. This is my fault; I can’t do it!”

Raven gave him a reassuring smile and encouraged him to try again. He nodded and concentrated once more. After a few agonizing seconds, the world melted into a puff of smoke and they reappeared a mile away from their previous spot. Erik felt a nausea similar to the one he felt back when Peter broke him out. He looked around with a smirk. They had done it; the boy had succeeded. They looked at each other and laughed in relief, Kurt had saved them. They would live to fight another day, they were- they were-

Not far enough.

The red wall was still moving towards them with increasing speed. There was no escape now, the teen was too exhausted to try moving them again. He grabbed Charles’ hand and braced for impact. The telepath warned them to try to hold on to whatever they deemed was their story. Perhaps they would be able to remain unaffected if they could block their minds from Wanda’s control. He quickly followed his friend’s advice and focused on his life and the reason he was here.

His name was Erik Lehnsherr, he was a mutant, he had lost his family because of the Nazis and he had traveled to a different universe to find his son, Peter.

The wall crashed over them, he felt everything around him pulsing.

His name was Erik Lehnsherr, he was a mutant, he had lost his family and he had traveled to a different universe to find his son, Peter.

He felt Charles slipping away from beside him.

His name was Erik Lehnsherr, he was a mutant, and he had to find his son, Peter.

Raven kept calling for him, telling him to hold on.

His name was Erik Lehnsherr, and he had a son.

The teen he had been traveling with kept apologizing, but he wasn’t sure why.

His name was Erik Lehnsherr.

The woman had gone silent.

His name was... Erik.

He was alone, had he always been alone?

His name was...

It was...

What was his name?

***

Notes: Props to anyone who can tell me what was my reference for Erik going into the Hex (Not Marvel) Thank you for reading, reviews are always appreciated! Next chapter: Charles the Xtraordinary has a visitor

[luki-fanfic]

Helluva Boss 5: The Harvest Moon Festival

Huh, Helluva Boss usually drops by mid month. Wonder why this episode is taking so long to put toget-

*Episode airs*

0_0

Oh. That’s why.

I’ll admit it, my interest in HB was waning. Episode 3 and 4 honestly didn’t do much to keep me interested. Spring Broken had a lot of plot and writing issues, and I felt the concept could have been better executed. C.H.E.R.U.B was more solid, but did have some issues, and just wasn’t that fun to watch.

Harvest Moon on the other hand? Oh boy, now there’s an episode. I am, if you’ll pardon the pun, back on this horse. World building, the action scenes, incredible animation, relationship development of the bad kind, more worlds, interesting characters! It gives us so much to work with.

Spoilers abound, so read carefully.

That said, I will start this with my biggest complaint – and it’s one I’ve had for several episodes, but this one really rammed it home due to the ‘sneak peak’ clip we had of the opening. In the black and white boards, the swearing was limited, and honestly the writing was pretty witty. Then we got the finished product – certain lines were missing, and several words had been replaced with random swearing. Considering what the scene was, it felt like the finished product was a step down – I really wish the scriptwriters would realise random swearing isn’t always funny, and they’ve given proof that their writing is snappy as is.

Anyway...onto the actual episode. We learn that I.M.P seems to be building up their business as Blitzø has 15 clients looking for a kill. Considering he had to do a sale to get a multiple kill, and the other episodes show him basically going out straight after getting the job, they’re clearly building up a name for themselves.

This is further shown with the arrival of Striker, who compliments his decision to go into business for himself, since most Imps don’t. This is new information, since we’ve seen Wally attempt to start his own business – although clearly it wasn’t going well – but if Striker is to be believed, most companies in Hell, even Imp City, don’t have Imps as the owners. Maybe it’s a financial capital thing, maybe it’s partially Hell’s racism, or maybe Imps just generally prefer to follow, which Striker seems to allude later. It’s hard to say with the information we’ve got at this point, but it does put I.M.P in a slightly different light – and probably explains why Blitzø is fairly incompetent when it comes to running the whole thing. He has literally no one to ask or use as an example, and the society he lives in generally assumes he’s going to fail by the nature of him being an Imp.

In fact, even though Blitzø owns I.M.P, he is still completely dependent on Stolas and his Grimoire. Without it, I.M.P is screwed – the reason they’re even at the Harvest Festival is because they can’t work. And that’s what Striker tells him in the final act. Their society has made sure that he can never truly be successful on his own merit, no matter how hard he tries.

I’ve seen some debate on whether what Striker told Blitzø was true or just an attempt to let his guard down. It’s hard to say, because Striker says and does some very conflicting things, but I’m going to believe it was genuine. Why?

He lets Millie and Moxxie live to have leverage over him. He does insult Blitzø to their faces, but why would he need leverage once his job was done?

When Moxxie learns the truth, he doesn’t even try to talk him round, just kill him. Millie is also tossed to the side – possibly because neither of them are ‘superior.' Blitzø gets a full on speech about their superiority and how much he respects him, even if he’s hiding a knife in his tail for if he can’t talk him round.

When he has Blitzø on the ground at his mercy, he doesn’t mock him. Instead, he tells him he genuinely thought they’d be a good team. He had the advantage, but doesn’t take the chance to continue the insult.

Like most Imps, Striker seems to dislike the demon royalty, but at the end of the day, is also working for one (and can I say that twist was brilliantly well done? It made SO much sense but I honestly didn’t see it coming). What is his end goal? Is he envious that Blitzø has some kind of power of Stolas while he has to be obedient? Is he aiming to kill Stella once Stolas is down? Maybe opening an assassination business to take out anything Overlord and above? We just don’t know.

And with that, we’ll step off this train of thought to speak about something else very important in this episode. Stolas. Specifically his relationship with Blitzø, and precisely how wrong it is.

I admit it, I future-shipped them, especially thanks to the Instagram (which become a bit of a bait and switch when the insta-accounts were declared ‘non-canon’). I acknowledged that the relationship was problematic and needed some serious work on both sides before it could really be a functioning relationship, but this episode hammered home exactly how much needs to happen in a way the other episodes didn’t. The pilot and Murder Family treated Stolas as a gag, and then Loo Loo Land made us all care about him and his actions. But Harvest Moon showed the other side of it, and I'm not sure the ship can realistically recover.

Stolas considers Imps as inferior, to a ridiculous degree, and Blitzø is no exception. He has absolutely no respect for Blitzø, and holds all the power in the relationship. We saw this a little in the previous episodes, but they were either alone, or Blitzø was working for him, and surrounded by people aware of the relationship. His actions could be somewhat explained away.

In Harvest Moon, Stolas proves he treats Blitzø this way even in public. Blitzø has very obvious issues regarding his name, so Stolas persistently using a nickname and treating him the way he does around people who aren’t aware, says a lot about how much Stolas doesn’t care about Blitzø’s opinions. Even if Blitzø does have some feelings for him – which I do suspect due to his panicked attempt to explain it as transactional. If he didn’t care, he would probably find it easier to explain. At the same time though, he’d be happier if he could get the book without the monthly visits, because what he has with Stolas isn’t a relationship, no matter what Stolas tries to pretend. Any feelings Blitzø develops puts him even further under his control.

Part of me wonders if the relationship evolved between the pilot and the first episode in planning, and that’s why we have such a disconnect between the Insta relationship and the canon one. I’m really hoping the series addresses it in the future.

Finally, lets talk about that final reveal. Stella has hired a hitman to kill Stolas – even armed him with two angel-tech guns.

(Which, also finally gives us confirmation that Imps/Hellhounds/Succubi can die from conventional weapons, but the higher ranked native demons need angel weaponry to off them).

Stella is also confident enough to scream it over the dinner table. Stolas either doesn’t care, or isn’t paying attention – if he doesn’t care, if definitely puts his motives regarding the original invite up in the air, but if he isn’t paying attention? Then it’s another point in the anti-Stolas tab.

That said, this scenario does ask a question. Why don’t these two divorce? Stolas is clearly not in love any more, and living together clearly isn’t doing Octavia’s mental health any favours if she’s literally hiding behind her music rather than interact with her parents. He should be the first to offer a divorce, but he hasn’t brought it up. And if he hasn’t, maybe the reason Stella hasn’t is because they can’t?

It’s generally assumed that the two of them have an arranged marriage, and that Stella’s anger at his relationship with Blitzø is due to his status more than the cheating. But then wouldn’t it make more sense to hire a hitman to kill Blitzø rather than Stolas? Choosing to kill Stolas, even if it would hurt Octavia, suggests it’s the only option left to her.

I’m guessing we’ll (finally) get some Stella development next time Striker appears, and get an idea of what makes her tick. But for now, I suspect the two of them regularly had lovers on the side, but kept it discreet until this point. Stolas refusing to keep his relationship with Blitzø quiet is causing untold damage to their name and status. Stella wants rid of a man who not only doesn’t love her (if he ever did), but is constantly humiliating her for not hiding his much lower class lover (which we know by this episode he doesn’t even attempt), and since the rules of Hell for demons of their status doesn’t allow divorce (or perhaps their arrangement doesn’t), assassination it is.

Hell, maybe the plan was to kill Stolas, and frame Blitzø for it. Striker clearly knew about their relationship before they met (which should have been a red flag now that I thing about it), so Stella probably mentioned him. It would also put the recruiting on another level, if Striker actually did get Blitzø involved at the final moment and teamed up.

Oh, and as a final amendment? If that angel-gun that Striker left behind is not now in the hands of I.M.P and becomes a key piece when Asmodeus, Mammon and the real Fizzarolli show up? I will be very disappointed.

[criminalmutantsins]

My Top 10 Favorite Ducktales Characters

…………………………………………………….

NO. 10 Hewey Duck

At number 10 is Huey!

Hewey has been my least favorite triplet for most of the series; it by no means he’s a bad character or any of the sorts, Huey is more down to earth compared to other characters. It’s hard to say much about Hewey other than how he’s a sweet, fun character I’m glad is around.

His development in season three was good, though the weakest of the three. Kinda half-baked and rushed, as if the creators thought, “we have to add some Huey development since this is his season.” With Dewey and Louie’s, it felt like their respective seasons revolved around them instead of the other way around. The only episode I really think perfectly gave Huey development and at the same time move the main plot forward fluidly was the “Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!” with the whole Huey vs. Violet rivalry. Y’know what also sucks. Huey wasn’t even that integral to the finale. That annoys me to no end.

Now, I’m going to end this with positive notes.

What got Huey into the list was his sweet nature and how integral he is to the team’s balance. Every team needs someone who represents order and Huey is just that. Plus, his innocent love for romance is so cute. I love the episode where him and Webby were setting a date up for Fenton and Gandra.

NO. 9 Scrooge McDuck

Scrooge is probably the most interesting protagonist I’ve ever watched. Unlike most of them, he’s more of an anti-hero than a pure hero like Steven Universe or Luz from Owl House.

I don’t really have much to say about him because I don’t love him as much as the characters above him. He probably has the best development- Lena’s rivaling his really well. In the beginning, Scrooge was a grumpy miser but now, thanks to the kids, his heart is softer and more open. His cheapness is annoying, but the good qualities overthrow the bad.

Scrooge most likely would’ve been higher in the list if “The Life & Crimes of Scrooge McDuck” didn’t happen- or at least occurred in season two instead since humility and hard work was the main theme. The writers went overboard showing the audience how bad of a person Scrooge was in the past, especially with him taking advantage of the poor villagers and leaving them in their states-without even helping them. This episode downgraded Scrooge pretty badly.

NO. 8 Donald Duck

Although on the lower half of the list, I still hold so much love and respect for this version of Donald. He’s such a massive improvement from his previous iteration. The creators made him kind and strong-willed but kept his anger issues. Though, they turned that flaw into a more comedic and positive aspect of Donald since he uses that intense anger to protect his family. Speaking of that, his relationship with the triplets is absolutely adorable. He loves and protects them like a great father, and I’m still a bit peeved that characters didn’t acknowledge that more. Instead, their relationship was sidelined and pretty much haphazardly... replaced-I don’t know if that’s the right word- with May and June.

Another thing that annoyed me was Donald’s voice treatment. The creators pretty much portrayed his speaking problem as a joke, which is terrible. I hope to goodness that children with speaking troubles don’t take those “jokes” to heart because there is nothing wrong with having a different voice. It’s also surprising how much characters mostly don’t understand him when I can seventy percent of the time. This complaint is more towards season one since that was the season where most of the jokes happened.

Anyways, I hope this Donald will start a new beginning for the next iterations of him. A nice guy who has anger issues but means well. Same with him and Daisy’s relationship-another massive improvement the writers did. They are such a great couple from the episodes we got with them and this dynamic should continue.

NO. 7 Webby Vanderquack

Another character who was massively improved was the great Webby Vanderquack!

In the original series, she was a boring damsel-in-distress with no personality-pretty much like the earliest Disney princesses. The ‘17 creators did such a great job molding reboot Webby into a character who can kill you with kindness or impressive fighting skills. This pink-loving queen is probably the sweetest character I’ve ever met; I just want to hug her.

I love her optimism and caring personality. She was able to change Lena for the better and not give up on her when almost everyone did. Webby is the best friend you can have.

While I’m not fully on board with the Webby finale twist, I really liked how her interest in the McDucks played some big part of the finale. Do I wish it was in different circumstances? Yes, but I’m still glad Webby got an important moment for herself. That interrogation scene was very emotional; seeing Beakley fully breakdown like she did was shocking and really set the mood of how pivotal that moment. I literally almost cried seeing Webby so heartbroken by her grandmother’s lies- this pink baby deserves all the love in the world. At least she found out the truth and gained a parental figure in her life.

NO. 6 Louie Duck

I’ve gotta admit; I did not like Louie that much at the start of the show. Greedy and selfish characters usually don’t get my love, but season two changed. A lot more depth was added to him such as his insecurities and anxieties. I struggle with these issues and it was nice to see a character show that as well. One of my favorite arcs was Louie’s trouble connecting with Della; it was realistic and not rushed. While watching this season, I was often having trouble connecting with people, even old friends. Sort of having someone experiencing them alongside me made me feel less insecure and lonely.

His development was really good too, from beginning to end. At first, Louie was someone who was willing to execute every angle no matter how much it could hurt his loved ones. Yet, he grew to be a humbler person who now knows the consequences of his angles. A favorite episode of mine is “The Richest Duck in the World” because of this development. Seeing Louie clean the Bombei’s shoes with Scrooge made my heart melt.

What lowered him down to number eight was season three. There were a few episodes that backtracked Louie’s development like “The Trickening” and “The Fight for Castle McDuck” episodes. He was a real jerk towards Huey for no reason. It frustrated me enough to affect this list. And I also prefer other characters more.

NO. 5 Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera

You can’t expect me to not put this quirky and adorable dork in the top five! He’s one of the best boys in the show. Him being voiced by the great Lin-Manuel Miranda does add some bonus points- you can tell I’m a big Hamilton fan.

Like Webby, Fenton was drastically improved. He became this sweet, scatterbrained scientist who only wants to help people. I instantly fell in love with him. And it got even better when Fenton became Gizmoduck- my second favorite DT hero. He deserved so much more screen time, especially in season 3; “Beaks in the Shell” was not a good enough episode for Fenton and his relationship with Gandra. There should’ve been more. The finale moments he had was not satisfying enough, particularly him and DW sort of team up. It was rushed.

If a Darkwing Duck reboot takes place in the ’17 universe then Fenton must be a major character- at least show up in ten episodes a season. A Gizmoduck and Darkwing crossover is essential, and I will riot if it that doesn’t happen. And more Fandra, my fifth -maybe fourth- favorite ship.

I also had a big crush on Fenton back in season one. You can’t help but love him this sweety pie. This pretty much influenced thirty percent of his placement.

NO. 4 Launchpad McQuack

This muscular dummy is amazing! He brings a sense of comedy and light to every episode he is in. It’s infectious as h*ll!

I liked Launchpad instantly. He’s kind and wants the best for people. Optimistic characters are almost the best characters. They are great reminders of how there are still many good people in the world. Whenever I’m down and watch Ducktales, LP makes me feel a lot better with his dumb yet endearing moments. My favorite jokes are literally LP sending Beakley an invitation saying not to come and when he tried to make small talk with Gosalyn at the window; I can never stop laughing at those moments.

There are times when Launchpad’s dumbness irks me, but his good qualities overthrow that. Though, I wish he wasn’t used too much as comedy relief; LP had the potential to gain more development than what he got. I’ll give an example. Learning about his family would’ve been great to know- an appearance wouldn’t have hurt either. It could’ve opened a reason to why LP cares about Scrooge’s opinion and cares about him like a dad. Maybe there’s some bitterness in LP’s relationship with his dad and that’s why he doesn’t talk about his parents. Loopey not being introduced was a missed opportunity. Big brother Launchpad is all I need.

I also have a small crush on Launchpad, though mostly for his personality and voice. He’s still cute *wink.*

NO. 3 Drake Mallard

We made it to the top three! With the dashing caped crusader Darkwing Duck starting us off!

It’s funny how much I love a character who’s only appeared in like five-maybe six- episodes enough to put him in the top three. I had some trouble defining many reasons why I love him; it’s this weird connection I have with DW. He’s this dorky dummy who loved a big part of his childhood enough to make it his reality, yet I love him so much.

I think what made me fall in love with him was how similar we are. Like him, I was a meek person who got pushed a few times- either physically or mentally. Those times also inspired me to grow stronger and be an inspiration for the next generation. I can be pretty clumsy too(lol). Characters I see myself in are usually really high in my love list and it shouldn’t be surprising that Drake is one of them.

His kind and genuine nature was also what drew me in. And, I just made this realization, this is the first time I don’t prefer the original iteration over the latest one. I still love ‘91 Drake but he’s too arrogant.

Unlike the original DW, Drake became a hero to help others- though a wish for glory played a bit of a part too. This clumsy, stuttering actor took a step to become his hero and a future one for children like him. That’s admirable. His lovable personality also being so cute enough for me to want to give a big hug is a good addition.

NO. 2 Lena Sabrewing

Hands down Lena had the best development!

She started off as this distant loner who followed the gray area of morality. Now, Lena is a part of this loving family and her own person. A few of her episodes are my favorites, such as “Friendship Hates Magic!” and “A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill.” They are well-written episodes and hit me in the feels.

Like Louie and Drake, I see myself in Lena. There are times I’ve been afraid I’ll take on my family’s bad habits or turn like them. That’s why I love “A Nightmare on Killmotor Hill!” Watching Lena try to be good enough and feeling insecure reminded me of the dark times I usually think about. There are even times I have dreams of these issues. The creators must have been inspired by me (lol). Though, I am kind of jealous of Lena because of how great her friends are. I want friends like Webby and Violet.

Even so, I do have some issues with Lena. Her magic arc was not written as well as her previous arcs. This might be more of a personal opinion than anything, but I’m still going to say it. Lena learned to control her magic too quickly, and it was treated as more like a plot device. And a shaking one at that. For example, in “The Split Sword of Swanstantine” Lena was able to stop time and send her and Huey into his mindscape. But, somehow, she couldn’t conjure a burst of energy to attack Steelbeak; granted, Huey mentioned that, yet Lena’s reasoning was dumb. Attacking someone with magic is way easier than doing what she did. I’m a little lenient on this since that idea lead to more Huey development, though I’m still going to critique it.

A great thing about Lena learning was her temporary outfit change. She looks absolutely amazing in light colors, which I didn’t expect, and her hair design is what I saw she would look good in. The eye shape is kind of weird.

Lena’s magic mode is in my list of cosplays.

NO. 1 Dewey Duck

Finally, number one is Dewey Duck!

Dewey has stolen my heart since the beginning. His positivity and fun nature always make me smile, even during the toughest times.

In my opinion, Dewey has the best arc/development of the triplets. His arc trying to find out what happened to his mother was what kept me watching Ducktales and helped me see why this show is so special. Many of my favorite moments are in season one, specifically ones involving Dewey. For instance, the scene in “The Last Crash of the Sunchaser!” where Dewey was willing to risk his life to get the last piece of paper and possibly solve what happened to Della was emotional. Hearing the desperation in his voice while pleading with Scrooge to tell him what happened hit me hard. I can’t imagine how much pain HDL have gone through not knowing what happened and thinking they aren’t allowed to ask. It would be terrible to experience.

Another moment I loved was in “The Spear of Selene.” It was when Dewey was hesitant to know what happened as the possibility that Della was a bad person grew more prominent. He looked so defeated admitting that realization and it reminded me of myself. There were moments when I realized that my parents were not as good as I thought. It hurt me a lot. At least sweet Dewey didn’t have to go through that. The scene when Dewey started tearing up seeing his mom in the sphere was also heartwarming. I wanted to give him the biggest hug.

Dewey’s insecurities of not being good enough and to be loved is what I struggle with too. Its kind of different because I have trouble believing anyone loves me while he wants everybody to like him. Confidence is not my forte.

……………………………………………………………

[bloomingundertheshadows]

So, I got around to watching the new shameless episode. And I do see why people are not digging this gallavich storyline because it’s really not my favorite either. However, I’m just at the point where I’ve accepted this:

In all honesty, I just don’t think it’s that deep. I don’t think we’re going to have a deep conversation about whether they want monogamy/Mickey’s clear issues about just wanting to give Ian what he wants, etc. I truly believe that this storyline is literally just supposed to be a humorous plot point about Mickey spending all their money and a miscommunication about screwing other people (I mean even the music in the scene is extremely upbeat). In two or three episodes, Ian and Mickey will fight over him spending 50 dollars on beer and then they’ll try to have a threesome with disastrous results. Then they’ll make up with Mickey saying he’ll talk to Ian before spending and they won’t screw other people. I honestly believe that’s all there is to it. Nothing deep and philosophical, just relationship troubles played for laughs.

I fell into this trap last season with the marriage rejection storyline. I remember writing posts about the emotional angst I wanted to see and dreaming that we were finally going to have a conversation about Mickey’s issues about Ian pulling the rug out from under him. And you know what? It just didn’t happen. Instead, we got Byron: who was a joke of a character that simply existed to show that Mickey was hell to live with. There was never any real conflict there, Mickey was never going to actually leave Ian, and the show made it hella clear. I’m not trying to discount the very lovely proposal scene as well as Ian’s admission that he doesn’t understand why Mickey would love him. However, these scenes took up maybe 5 minutes of the season? Probably 10 if you count the wedding. These dramatic/emotional moments just simply aren’t the focal point of the season anymore, and most of the episodes will probably be more in the style of Mickey and Byron living together rather than Ian tearfully walking away from Mickey after trying to propose. 

I’m not trying to spark a huge debate about the quality of Shameless writing, but I think it’s fairly well acknowledged that the tone/goal of Shameless has changed in recent years. The writers have leaned much more into the comedy aspect, such that it’s mostly darkish comedy with punctuated emotional moments. I’m not going to launch into the debate of whether this is good, bad, or neutral. But I think this is why we have the storylines we do. I think about Season 10 when Terry burned down the wedding venue. If that has happened in Season 3 or 4, the tone would have been much much darker. Simply put, the show that gallavich was born in doesn’t really exist anymore. It has morphed into something else. 

This doesn’t mean I don’t have issues with the way gallavich was portrayed in S10 and now. I’m still annoyed we never got to discuss Mickey’s feelings about Ian leaving at the border or really resolve the emotional conflict that should have built up from Seasons 5 - 9.  But I’m also acknowledging that the emotional conflict I want just simply doesn’t exist in this Shameless. There’s no way the show could maintain the tone and style they have now while putting in the content I really want. 

And I think people are entitled to be annoyed at that too. I am in the crowd that didn’t really like the storylines they seem to going for this episode and may indicate future plans. My main issue with them is that a) it feels like filler and b) I feel like they’re just throwing in generic conflict instead of conflicts that make sense in the context of this very very complex and long lived couple. Tami and Lip could fight over money like this or literally any other couple on the show, there’s nothing that feels distinctly gallavich. You could give KeV and V this dialogue, and I wouldn’t notice. I also just...don’t really like that we’re back to Mickey being irresponsible, and Ian being all together. It feels very early shameless to me, and I wanted something more meaningful and original for the last season.  

However, I’m at the point where I just don’t have the energy to write a whole post on what I wish the episode had done or my issues with the writing. I feel like my complaints would need to be addressed at a level so high that I’d basically be asking them to rewrite most of the show. I mean, we all know they’re going to end up together in the end because the writers know that if they don’t, they’d be in so much hot water, they’d never live it down. I’m not trying to discourage people from voicing their complaints and issues - there is always valid criticism to be had for every show. 

The reason I’m not as upset as I was last season is really that I feel like the writer’s goals are just not aligned with my vision. I’d be over here reading in depth into Mickey’s actions while the writers were probably like “hey guys wouldn’t it be funny if Mickey’s going on these reckless spending sprees and Ian’s just flipping out.” I mean, let’s not forget that JW thought the gay jesus storyline was hilarious even though he thought it would piss people off. And so while I will probably internally scowl at what they do this season, it doesn’t bother me like it used to. I am much more at peace with Shameless than I previously was. 

That’s all. There’s not real point to this post. Just the ramblings of a mad person who can’t deeply dissect tv shows with real life people.