#insert andi mack reference here

[moonsharky]

BUDDIE ★ LOOKING BACK

[stephadoodles]

DOAFP Episode 1x04 Review - “The National Mall”

This was the episode that caused a lot of chatter amongst the people already watching and got a lot more watching, so it was interesting to go back and rewatch it, especially since the Bobby story line in particular has gotten quite a bit more development since then. There are also a lot of old-school Disney show vibes to the episode.

This episode doesn’t have a particular theme that connects all the story lines, but it does have the trend where one of Elena’s school lessons reflects something that’s going on in her personal life (which has some strong Boy Meets World vibes). Elena’s story line focuses on the concept of growing up and becoming a woman. It’s a continuation of the period stuff from the first episode, but this time it focuses more on bras.

The girls are only allowed to go to the Claire’s-equivalent store, and not allowed into the Victoria Secret-equivalent store in the mall. The girls want to prove that they’re mature and grown up after another run-in with Melissa and Jessi, who are once again bragging about how grown up they are. Interestingly, Sasha is the one pushing the issue, and later when Elena discovers she accidentally took the bra, Sasha also encourages her to hide it and forget about it. Normally Elena is the one forcing them to do things, so it was a bit of a switch.

Once inside the store, the girls proceed to prove that they are definitely not mature or grown up by goofing around with the bras and other lingerie items. They run into one of their teachers holding a thong, which promptly ends their goofing around.

This whole plot line has some serious Lizzie McGuire vibes, and it has a lot of similarities to that episode, down to running into a teacher in the bra store. As someone who grew up watching Lizzie McGuire, that particular episode is one that I remembered better than any of the others, and it’s great that Disney is finally creating content for the pre-teen age group again that isn’t super squeaky clean. There are ways to talk about puberty and everything that goes along with that in ways that are appropriate and still funny for those going through it.  Those types of pop culture experiences do have an impact on people, and I hope there’s more of that in the future.

In her English class, they’re covering The Raven, and the teacher points out that it’s meant to symbolize guilt, which connects to what Elena is feeling. It transfers over to her dream, which is told in the style of The Raven. It’s interesting to see how they use the school lessons as a metaphor for her real-life problems, and it’s a technique they use in the future too.

Ultimately, Elena’s guilt gets the best of her, and she confesses to her mother. Through a series of events, Sam ends up being the person who takes her to the mall, and he gives her a little pep talk about how the things that make a woman aren’t clothes or where they shop, but who they are as a person. While it’s a really nice talk and it does help Elena feel better, it’s a little weird that they had the adult guy give it to her, instead of any of the adult women, which would have made a lot more sense.

Sam’s story line, continued from the previous episode, is him trying to figure out whether he’s willing to be a part of a family with kids. He seems to think of himself as the cool uncle but has realized that it can’t be the case. After seeking out some advice from fellow co-workers (both of whom are gay, interestingly enough), he ultimately makes his decision when he steps in to help out with Elena.

Bobby’s story line with Monyca has progressed to the two of them attempting to kiss for the first time, with plenty of interruptions from various family members and friends. When his friends set up a hang out which essentially is just a make-out party, Bobby is pulled into a closet (insert metaphor here) by a very enthusiastic Monyca and emerges looking confused and out of sorts. Monyca is clearly thrilled by the experience, and Bobby’s reaction is a clear contrast. As has already been pointed out, it’s easily comparable to Cyrus’ reaction to kissing Iris for the second time.

However, it’s worth pointing out that at that point, Cyrus already had figured out that he had a crush on a guy, while I don’t believe that Bobby has yet. Cyrus was trying to figure out if he still liked Iris, and it was made abundantly clear that he didn’t. Meanwhile, I think this is the first time Bobby has really considered the fact that he’s not actually attracted to her. He kind of admits it in his conversation with Liam later, but he also tries to cover it up and give the response that Liam was expecting from him.

Gabi definitely got the least important story line this episode. While trying to impress her boss so she can get on a case that she’s very passionate about, she accidentally likes some of her boss’ old photos on social media. It was probably the weakest story line of the episode as well, and it turns out that all Gabi had to do was show that she wanted to put the effort in, and she gets the job. We do get some pretty great interactions between Gabi and Camila though, and I’m really enjoying their friendship.

The end of the episode is pretty great, and I really like how it was done. Elena was worrying about the whole period thing back in episode one, and it wasn’t really brought up again. And then, when she was least expecting it, she got it. It was a nice little endcap to her story line, and her starting to grow and mature a bit.

A few notes:

They really aren’t using any brand names in this show. The stores are all fictional, the pop culture references are fictional, and there are only a few actual name drops (Pokemon is briefly mentioned in this episode). I wonder if it was a financial reason, like with Andi Mack

Melissa snapping her bra strap threateningly makes me laugh every time I see it. I don’t understand why this girl is the way she is

We get another openly gay character who we met briefly before. Craig is another one of Gabi’s coworkers, and it’s another example of the show casually having LGBTQ characters

Alexandra Billings, the actress who plays Gabi’s boss Joy, is transgender. It’s not stated whether the character is or not, but it’s another example of the diverse casting choices that the show has made

The fact that Gabi has a number of coworkers and friends who are openly LGBTQ is interesting and will hopefully come into play later when Bobby’s story line gets to the point of him coming out. Knowing that your parents would be supportive of you because of the people they already have in their lives is really important, and I hope it does play a role in that story line

We see Bobby playing with the tennis ball in the bathroom, which we’ll see again in a more significant manner later on

Another mention of Camila having to hide her relationship from her parents

[whydontwejustblog]

unusual asks

@anon that said “1-100,” i’m no chicKEN—

spotify, soundcloud, or pandora? spotify all the way.

is your room messy or clean? messy i like to think it’s neat.

what color are your eyes? a boring dark brown.

do you like your name? why? i hate it. i wish it was esteban julio ricardo montoya dela rosa ramirez.

what is your relationship status? what’s a relaytionsheep?

describe your personality in 3 words or less. boring.

what hair color do you have? still a boring dark brown.

what kind of car do you drive? color? …i’m not old enough to drive, but if i was, you better bet i’d have a rainbow car because #yolo. (lmao stop your influence @heartsavery.)

where do you shop? at the candy store. *instantly thinks of heathers*

how would you describe your style? non-existent.

favorite social media account? if i say tumblr, will it start working for me?

what size bed do you have? a queen-sized one. (no, that wasn’t a pun or anything.)

any siblings? i like to think she doesn’t exist.

if you can live anywhere in the world where would it be? why? i’ve heard of this place called niue, which apparently has pikachu coins as part of their currency, so sign me up. (japan is also another option, because i love the atmosphere in kyoto. except for that one time i got lost at night near a creepy abandoned church.)

favorite snapchat filter? i don’t use filters much since i don’t take pictures of myself, but i’ll have to say the classic dog filter.

favorite makeup brand(s)? i don’t wear makeup.

how many times a week do you shower? i shower around once or twice a day. weird, i know, but it’s normal around here in a country that’s hot all year round. (except, of course, when there are typhoons, because it’s one extreme or another.)

favorite tv show? danger dings (read: stranger things.) i even have a side blog for it. *cough* @anevenstrangerblog *cough* i know the question only asked for one but can i throw in asoue too? i love both the books and the netflix show. malina’s so pretty i cri. ooh, andi mack is another show that i absolutELY LOVE AND—

shoe size? 6.5 in us women’s.

how tall are you? not tall at all. next question.

sandals or sneakers? sneakers are all i own.

do you go to the gym? no.

describe your dream date. with nikolai lantsov. but since he’s “fictional,” i’ll settle for the person giving me a fortune, then leaving me alone for the rest of my life. (but if the person was finn wolfhard / malina weissman / sadie sink, they can *in mulan’s grandma’s voice* stAy fOrevEr.)

how much money do you have in your wallet at the moment? about 2500 pesos and 2000 yen.

what color socks are you wearing? they’re pikachu socks.

how many pillows do you sleep with? one or none because quite frankly, i only like hugging pillows. sleeping on them is uncomfortable for me.

do you have a job? what do you do? i don’t have a job, but my class runs a business (with a beneficiary who all the proceeds go to), and i manage its marketing and finance. i also design a couple stuff for my mom’s clinic thing, which i guess is considered a job since i get paid.

how many friends do you have? if you don’t count online friends, zero ahaha.

what’s the worst thing you have ever done? lmao idk, exist?

what’s your favorite candle scent? i dunno. most probably woodsy or floral scents.

3 favorite boy names? names don’t have genders.

3 favorite girl names? names don’t have genders.

favorite actor? noah schnapp, my precious son.

favorite actress? millie bobby brown because why not.

who is your celebrity crush? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

favorite movie? the bee movie ahAHAHAHA the original spongebob movie.

do you read a lot? what’s your favorite book? i read waaay too much, and just like any of my other favorite things, i can’t pick just one favorite book, but i love six of crows by leigh bardugo.

money or brains? can i have both?

do you have a nickname? what is it? i’m called stupid a lot, does that count? ahaha :’) micah’s actually one of my nicknames.

how many times have you been to the hospital? too many times to count.

top 10 favorite songs? i have too many songs i like, so i’ll list some i remember right now (and limit myself to one song per artist.) crazy=genius by p!atd, bellyache by billie eilish, migraine by tøp, c’est la vie by maurice moore, glorious by macklemore, for him by troye sivan, my songs know what you did in the dark by fob, non-stop from the hamilton cast recording, teacher by prettymuch, and we the party by why don’t we.

do you take any medication daily? just vitamins, not medication.

what is your skin type? idk dude.

what is your biggest fear? the unknown.

how many kids do you want? zero.

what’s your go-to hair style? just my hair down since i’m lazy.

what type of house do you live in? (big, small, etc.) i don’t know how to describe the size of my house lmao.

who is your role model? thomas the tank engine.

what was the last compliment you received? i’m not sure if it was meant as a compliment, but that one anon who asked advice from me said they were awed by my independence so there’s that.

what was the last text you sent? i sent “i’m hungry” to one of my housekeepers.

how old were you when you found out santa wasn’t real? he IS real. i don’t know what the quackidy quack you’re talking about.

what is your dream car? lightning mcqueen. ka-chow!

opinion on smoking? i’m asthmatic, so personally, i don’t smoke, and i don’t encourage it either. if you’re talking about cigarettes, it harms the lungs of not only the smoker, but the people around them. it also affects air pollution (its effect is 10 times stronger than those of diesel car exhausts), and i’m very against all types of pollution to the environment. (i’m looking at you, glitter, which, if you didn’t already know, contributes to the pollution of waterways.)

do you go to college? i will in 2 years. (i’ll be a wee child all alone in another country :’( @whydontwejustbesomethingdiffrent i’m dragging you along if it’s the last thing i do.)

what is your dream job? i don’t really know lmao.

would you rather live in rural areas or the suburbs? suburbs.

do you take shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels? who doesn’t?

do you have freckles? no.

do you smile for pictures? i don’t like having pictures of me taken, but i occasionally smile awkwardly.

how many pictures do you have on your phone? i recently cleared out my photo library so now i’m left with only 3033 pictures.

have you ever peed in the woods? no.

do you still watch cartoons? duh.

do you prefer chicken nuggets from Wendy’s or McDonald’s? there are no branches of wendy’s where i live so i’ll go with mcdonald’s.

favorite dipping sauce? does gravy count?

what do you wear to bed? pajamas.

have you ever won a spelling bee? i’ve never participated in one aside from the mini ones we used to hold in class before, which i won because the competition wasn’t exactly tough.

what are your hobbies? photography, bullet journaling, brush lettering, eating, reading, scrolling endlessly through my phone, dying, and other fun stuff. coding and robotics are cool too.

can you draw? @thefangirlingmaster i still stand by my opinion that i can’t.

do you play an instrument? the only instrument i can fluently play is the violin, since i was taught how to play it at 6 years old, but i own a guitar and keyboard which i can sorta play.

what was the last concert you saw? a pentatonix one.

tea or coffee? water.

starbucks or dunkin’ donuts? starbucks.

do you want to get married? not really.

what is your crush’s first and last initial? f.w. (hint: it rhymes with pinn rolfhard.)

are you going to change your last name when you get married? i dunno man.

what color looks best on you? still dunno man.

do you miss anyone right now? no.

do you sleep with your door open or closed? closed.

do you believe in ghosts? uh…

what is your biggest pet peeve? my neighbors slow walkers

last person you called? my dad.

favorite ice cream flavor? cookies and cream.

regular oreos or golden oreos? i only eat mini-sized regular oreos.

chocolate or rainbow sprinkles? choCOLATE *insert gif of that one fish from spongebob*

what shirt are you wearing? a panda shirt i got from singapore a couple years ago.

what is your phone background? it’s a zoomed in face of the ice cream octopus from dora. my parents say it’s creepy, but i think it’s calming. (i couldn’t post it on here because tumblr says i reached a limit, but if you wanna see it, tell me to send it to you.)

are you outgoing or shy? depends on the people i’m with.

do you like it when people play with your hair? it tickles.

do you like your neighbors? i’d prefer it if they moved far far away (haha shrek reference) and took their horrible karaoke with them.

do you wash your face? at night? in the morning? i wash my face everytime i shower.

have you ever been high? nope.

have you ever been drunk? nope. (i was gonna come up with some punny joke but i’m too hungry to think right now. which reminds me, i have to go eat something real quick, be right back—)

last thing you ate? oh wow, perfect timing. i just ate mango float.

favorite lyrics right now? it’s from my son troye’s song, suburbia. “swallow nostalgia, chase it with lime. better than dwelling, and chasing time. missing occasions, i can’t rewind. can’t help but feel i’ve lost what’s mine.”

summer or winter? it’s basically summer all year round here so—

day or night? night.

dark, milk, or white chocolate? milk chocolate.

favorite month? december.

what is your zodiac sign? sagittarius.

who was the last person you cried in front of? my dad.

[vertigoambrosia]

anyway here’s shotgun

still weird watching  the carat recap now that i was there

ughghghg that andy pic

i wonder how far in the future the shotgun matches they shot at the fan expo will air

oh no i’m on camera

woah that’s the first expression mack has made in like six months

yaaaas the rise schism is coming

pretty interesting that this is coming down to idealogical differences: pete’s all ‘rise is about advancement’, and tarkan is like ‘rise is about winning by any means necessary’

mike bailey’s finger wtf

like seriously did it actually break or is he like, triple jointed?

anyway here’s toby blunt

i gotta admit i am not really paying attention to this

i know manticore toby blunt has been a wxw mainstay but i don’t really have any attachment to him

i’m still ambivalent about the bobby gunns love - he totally deserves all the noteriety, but i just wish it weren’t through such facey reactions

also it feels a little weird for a dude who hasn’t been on shotgun in a hundred years to get a title shot, even just a tv one

like, manticore is obviously known if you go to shows and academy shows, but for someone just watching shotgun adn the events it’s kinda like if koray had a title match

also tbh i have a lot on my mind so without storyline drama real life is seeping in

yes i live for bobby getting booed

i do think it’s sweet though that apparently on day 3 of carat bobby actually came to the irish dudes in the crowd who were starting the bobby chants and thanked them for being so hot for him

HAHAHAHA that line about speedball getting banned fromn the US is great

hmmm bobby vs tk is interesting...i mean i haven’t seen tk wrestle much so i don’t have much to judge on

(the times i’ve seen him were with travis)

but it’s another good character clash for bobby

ummm wxw pls give us toni vs wesna II

also i think it’s super cute that toni’s like ‘wesna threw me into a bunch of chairs...i love her!’

‘i prefer sweets over carat’ nerrrrddddd

also, it’s super cute that toni treats kelly like her little sister

‘be good, stay in the gym, eat your carbs’

:( tim...

lol what is walter doing with his hand while he’s speaking

his face noooooo

tiiiim noooo

ok he promises he’ll be back that makes us feel better

‘stay off the twitter’ hahaha

of course tim says ‘the twitter’

awww dragan

ok see emil is still a heel cause his advice is basically ‘stop being depressed bro’

dragan’s next shirt should be a warhol reference since he’s got that look now

let’s see if i find veit muller interesting for once

i love marius but can we admit his entrance gear is kinda fug?

more saiyan than ninja

somebody somewhere on the internet speculated that the long game for the title is andy beats ilja and then marius saves the day and wins the title

i don’t feel like marius is at the title stage yet, but we do need him to eventually beat andy

i guess it also depends when andy challenges ilja

ok that reverse boston crab is cool as fuck

pendulum swing kinda seems more like a taunt than a real move though; it’s dumb

wow wtf i have never seen a shoulderbreaker before

ok so i guess i did find veit muller a bit interesting good showing sir

i’m actually a wee irked that we’re not getting walter/travis since they set it up at the last show

but also i’m not into multimans

i do love how ilja just inserted himself into the main and put his title on the line for no reason except that...ilja

no chill whatsoever, will randomly join fights

boo this man

eagle more like snake

what is ninepins is that an old person game

HAHAHA GET HIM MARIUS

KILL HIM

that episode seemed shorter than usual but i’m pretty sure it wasn’t...