#it's not a perfect season but to me it's a cathartic season

[anniemal2004]

last post is exactly why I love buffy s6. love to see my no 1 girl broken and depressed and deeply disconnected from her closest friends and the world at large. I eat that shit up every time

[quietwingsinthesky]

part of me wonders like. what if ruby's mom had just left. what if ruby had said "i'm named after a road", looking at her with so much hope in her eyes, and her mom, who made this choice nineteen years ago, couldn't handle it. and left.

[twig-tea]

TsukuTabe S2 Is Perfection

I’ve been waffling about what to write about Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna s2, which completed last week (and which we have access to at all thanks to the hard work of @furritsubs). I have had to just give up on getting across how much this show means to me; there's no way I'll be able to communicate these feelings with words. Season 1 was excellent but Season 2 was everything I wanted and more that I didn't know I needed. This is going to be more disjointed than usual because I don't know how to be coherent about this show (and because tumblr ate my first two attempts).

At its core, Tsukuritai Onna to Tabtetai Onna asks what if we were all just a little bit more conscientious and kind to one another? What if women were given space to be themselves and to make the choices that were best for them? This is the world of TsukuTabe, and I'm so grateful to have had the chance to inhabit it over these last four weeks. 

I have so much love for the way Nomoto and Kasuga develop their relationship in conjunction with their relationships with the other women in their lives. Nagumo, Sayama, and Yako are integral to the success of Nomoto and Kasuga’s relationship, and they're also important relationships for the happiness of Nomoto and Kasuga in their own right. The found family vibes are immaculate. 

The conflict between Kasuga and Nomoto this season was so perfectly them; the way they struggled with the transition from friends to lovers and being two people who are kind and giving in a relationship together and how that requires honesty and trust were both familiar conflicts that hit me hard in the feels. 

Kasuga's conflict with her family also hit me really hard. I once did the wrong thing and showed up to support my family in caring for someone who abused me, and it was a horrible experience that was ruinous to my mental health and took years to get over (and in the end they had to find a different solution anyway, which they could have done in the first place). Watching Kasuga refuse to make a similar decision, standing strong in the face of the social pressures of her parents and her aunt was so healing for me. And then to have her decision affirmed by someone of her parent's age? I sobbed in those scenes. 

I also loved the way this season handled Nagumo’s anxiety issues and how she was given space to decide to get professional help on her own time and terms. The way her parents tried to help was also very familiar to me and realistic, and it was just a little heartbreaking how they tried and didn't understand how their attempts at helping added pressure in a way that wasn't helpful. 

The way this show covers this important beats in a person's life through these small, everyday moments, and in such a gentle way, is what I love so much about it. The show itself makes a safe space so that these subjects can come up and not feel overwhelming. 

And it's also really important to me that all of the characters get to have these moments. Sakae not only reflects on her insensitivity and the unfairness of Japan not having marriage equality, but she also reflects on the pressures on her to marry and whether she actually wants that for herself. Fujita not only helps Kasuga gain proxy acceptance for her choices but gets the same back for herself around her decision to divorce. All of these women live in ways that invoke social stigma, and the way this show gives explicit permission to these women to live their best lives is both cathartic and critical.

I can't end this disjointed ramble without talking about the character I most identified with this season, Yako. Yako is an older, self-actualized asexual lesbian who makes friends with Nomoto on the Internet, recommends lesbian films to her, and mostly listens and affirms as Nomoto goes through her own process of discovering herself. I ran a GSA and have been on the Internet a long time, I've been in Yako’s position a lot (though I can only aspire to be as kind and wise). She is so patient and so genuinely happy for Nomoto when she and Kasuga get together, and she seems so quietly thrilled to have more wonderful people in her life willing to indulge her random party ideas. Her sharing a connection to a LGBTQ+-friendly real estate agency while being angry on their behalf that she even has to was perfection. 

It's so important that these characters say the things they say aloud. I want to inscribe every sentence of this show into everyone's brains. This show is perfect, and lovely, and a warm bath, and a hug, and a cup of your favourite warm beverage perfectly fixed to your liking all in one. If you haven't done yourself the favour of watching yet, I highly recommend that you do so immediately. 

[not an ID: Real footage of the entire audience's satisfaction and catharsis after watching TsukuTabe S2. Actual ID in alt text].

[freswoe]

i really don’t know how im feeling about the latest fhjy episode. sure, it was fun, the combat planning was great to watch and the battle map was awesome, but… story-wise? It wasn’t good. more than that, the preview for the next episode looks like it’ll mainly be just a battle episode, and that combination does Not make me feel optimistic about the ending of fhjy as a whole.

i think the thing that best sums up my confusion and disappointment with this episode is when Ally/Kristen shouts ‘For Lucy!’ and honestly… why? What about Lucy Frostblade - the kind girl whose major philosophy was that the world is cold so we have to keep each other warm, the foil to Porter’s house of conquest without mercy - suggests that she’d want the brutal murder of her friends without any attempt to talk to or redeem them? the entire season has stressed the doubt/conviction relationship - with the RGs representing wrathful conviction and the BKs representing doubt - and yet there’s zero doubt, zero room for understanding, when Fig’s first action as Wanda Chillda is to stress that she fucking hates ruben and wants to see him die. also, whatever the fuck was going on with ivy and fabian.

its just. this episode is the penultimate episode of the entire season, and if i was watching with no prior knowledge, id probably say it would be episode 13, 14 etc. a cool fight, but absolutely zero emotional resonance - just the Bad Kids going to town on yet another enemy. cool fights, cool planning, cool teamwork, but nothing really special about it.

i’ve seen some people saying not to take this so seriously, that it’s an dnd liveplay so of course the storytelling isn’t always gonna be Handcrafted To Perfection TM, but Fantasy High has a track record of some pretty amazing and thoughtful storytelling, and that’s what makes this episode kinda suck. There’s zero emotional resonance. The BKs clearly view the RGs as minibosses, annoying obstacles to defeat so they can focus on the main event, and that would be fine if that’s what the RGs were. But they’re not. We’ve learnt about them, we’ve seen how they were corrupted and groomed, we’ve seen how they really are just the Bad Kids who really went bad. They have narrative weight! They represent the mindless, wrathful conviction that the BKs are trying to stop, and for the BKs to slaughter them with that wrathful conviction (with no room for doubt or redemption at all) is… it’s not good.

don’t get me wrong, I get why (they’ve been awful to the BKs all season, cathartic last fight etc) but it still sucks narratively. like i can’t stress enough that the BKs are using the exact same tactics that they resented the RGs for to slaughter them. ruben says to fig that the BKs are killing his friends (despite their awful interparty relationships, they’re still his friends) and her response, instead of the understanding and kindness that fig (and, tbh, Emily) are known for is to cast ruben into literal fucking hell.

even oisin’s death was anticlimactic. gorgug’s kill on him was cool, but no nod to adaine? not even a mention of ‘you led my friend on and broke her heart so now i’ll break your heart?’ the broken heart thing was Right There and nothing happened. oisin died, a player was removed from the field, the battle went on. no emotional connection or resonance whatsoever.

i don’t know. from a narrative perspective, this episode was bad. all the nuance of the bad kids/rat grinders dynamic has been lost. the bad kids have become Exactly what the rat grinders said they were with apparently zero self-awareness on the matter. they shoot porter and jace and the RGs down with zingers and cool spells and don’t bother even trying to de-rage the rat grinders, and the result is an episode 19 which feels like a mid-season miniboss fight. they bring the same approach to fighting the RGs that they did to fighting the monsters in the Last Stand, which, y’know. not good.

the only way i can think that they might turn this around is if the BKs are shown to be influenced by rage/the RGs get brought back (still hating the BKs, but at least giving them the chance to try again), but I really don’t know at this point. just overall feeling very disappointed.

[local-omen]

bad batch finale thoughts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

first of all damn. like damn. they really did it. those crazy sons of bitches did it. they ended this beloved show in a way that was cathartic, happy, full of tension, and did all the characters justice. my faith in star wars has been restored. i am so happy

—— the tension was unmatched this whole episode. like narratively, killing off tech told us as the audience that no one is safe, there’s no plot armor. so the whole time i was like omg they’re all gonna die but they dIDNT BECAUSE THEYRE THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS AND BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOYALTY AND LOVE FOR EACH OTHER AND THATS WHAT THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT. LOYALTY AND LOVE. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

—— CROSSHAIRS HAND IM SOBBING there is something so heart wrenching but amazing about his 'shooting hand' being taken away from him. it's like the physical embodiment of why he was created but now that he's free of that embodiment, he can choose to be whatever he wants. such a good choice narratively imo

—— that elite task force was badass i'm obsessed with their designs and their fighting styles i kinda wish we got more of them but they were also terrifying

—— crosshair finally made the shot that mattered the MOST. i love him so much. like he seriously means so much to me idec

—— still bummed that tech is actually dead (no he’s not haha loser i’m happy in my delusions). while i do think it’s technically more realistic for clone soldiers bred to die and raised with the expectation that they’ll be killed in battle to lack emotion, i think the lack of emotion this season was to its detriment. however i will say that the “clone force 99 died with tech” line was so good it pretty much made up for it lol

—— THE ENDING WAAA A A AAA A. A A A A. A AAA. A A A A A. A A AAA AAA AAA AAAA A A AAAAAA A A. omega and hera best friends confirmed. they were rebellion pilots together. omega is in the rebellion. like that is just the perfect ending to her character i can’t even. because of course she would. and i love her. i’m so proud of her. she is the heart and soul of this show and anyone who hated her is prolly feelin realllll silly right now

—— damn we’re really just not gonna know who the cx 2 operative was huh. like. he really was just a guy

—— that last shot of tech’s glasses almost got me i fr almost cried. he would be so so so proud of omega. he would be proud of all of them

—— omegas and hunters older designs mean everything to me. just. storytelling through clothes will never not be my favorite thing. her little skull patch 😭🫠 the bandana 🫠🥲

this show means so much to me, truly. it has inspired me artistically, comforted me, and connected me to some amazing people. i don’t even feel stupid for writing all these thoughts about a ‘silly little star wars show’ because damn it this is what art and stories means to people!! this is how powerful they can be! i do not need to hide behind jokes and irony to communicate how much this artistic work means to me!

<3

[mlbigbang]

2023 General Fic Rec List

It’s the end of the year which means it’s finally time for the ML Big Bang’s yearly fic rec lists! We’re really excited to bring you our contributors’ favourite fics started this year to supply you with plenty of reading material while you’re waiting for the Big Bang fics’ publication in January.

drowning (in plain sight) by @buggachat

Everybody had expected Monarch's defeat to be a moment of triumph. Nobody had expected Gabriel Agreste, unmasked and mind frayed from continual abuse of the miraculous, crying out to all who would listen and making Paris certain of one thing: His son, Adrien Agreste, is one of his sentimonsters. And now he's missing. Nobody can find him— not even the superheroes, and not even his closest friends. But Marinette, Nino, and Alya aren't ones to give up so easily. They'll find him, no matter what it takes. (But, geez, would it kill Chat Noir to lend a hand?)

I think most of the fandom already read this fic, but if you haven't, you should give it a try! The angst is balanced by how deeply Adrien's friends (including Plagg and Felix) care for him, and the reunion at the end is so touching.

all of your flaws and all of my flaws (are laid out one by one) by @coffeebanana

Ladybug and Marinette have both been acting strangely since Monarch's defeat, and Chat Noir would give anything to know why—to be able to help them. He just…didn't expect his answers to come when Ladybug drags him to his father's statue in the middle of the night along with a bag full of spray paint.

An incredibly cathartic scene set after the Season 5 finale that is a perfect mix of angst and hurt and comfort! All the emotions are so raw.

Dreaming Wide Awake by @uptoolateart

Gabriel died a hero. He sacrificed himself in the final battle against Monarch. Or so Adrien's been told. At least he has his mother there to help him through the grief. So what is this niggling feeling that this isn't how the story was meant to go? And why does he keep having flashes of another world that lies just beneath their own?

A fantastic follow-up to the Season 5 finale in which Adrien is dealing with the loss of his father, and his relationship with Marinette, in a reality that's not quite right. Incredibly emotional and moving.

All That Glitters by @trishacollins

After - After the dust settles, and things feel a little bit more...permanent. Nathalie thinks back on her mistakes. With Felix as close at hand as he is, she thinks one of them might be fixable.

Every fic should be a Sentibug fic, and that's why I rec this. I love that it runs with the finale of S5 and addresses various characters' feelings about senti stuff, which is the real big question hanging over the end of the season. Well, one of them :)

The moment I knew (I’d no choice but to love you) by @bbutterflies

“He’s dating me,” Nino said, taking Adrien’s hand in his own. Adrien could only stare back at him in shock. “How dare you all force him to come out?” Nino continued, glaring at the reporters. “That was disgusting.” He pulled Adrien over to the car, guided him in, and shut the door behind them. In the relative quiet and privacy of the backseat, Adrien finally processed what had just happened. “So… when were you going to tell me we were dating?”

It's fake dating, but with Adrino!! What's not to like?

The Parable of the Caller by nemali

A week after Hawk Moth’s identity has been revealed, Adrien finds himself with nowhere to go, nothing he can do, and worst of all, strange gaps in his memory he can’t explain. In a stroke of luck, he stumbles upon a burner phone filled with voicemails from one of the Saviors of Paris: Chat Noir himself, who disappeared following Hawk Moth’s arrest. But with each new voicemail Adrien listens to, he’s forced to confront the fact that there might be some kind of connection between himself and Chat Noir — and discovering it might leave him more broken than before.

It's subversion of so much. Adrien is the ex-Guardian. Adrien has lost his memories. There's been no reveal. He has no idea what this mysterious series of voicemails from Chat Noir means. A+++ read.

A Masked Game by @mysticraven20

For almost ten years Paris has been peaceful. No villains. No heroes. No hate. But, as always, peace never lasts forever and as a new threat takes over the city of love, there’s a change in the game where this time death is permanent. Adrien has been living full of hope after the worst years of his life. He’s free. He’s settled. But most importantly, he’s in love. After years of trying to find his calling everything came together the day he married his wife, or so he thought. Marinette still craved the companionship of her partner. It had been a decade since she’d seen him; the dull ache in her heart constantly asking what had happened to him. If only she had the opportunity to speak to him one more time. The chance for a reconnection appears when Paris’ heroes are needed again and as feelings begin to resurface so does the hate, love and lies. Ladybug and Chat Noir will need to find a new dynamic to make this work, saving not only their friends but also themselves, leaving Adrien and Marinette to risk everything in a need to survive.

Whodunit, murder mystery MLB fic from a great author exploring a new genre/style. Not just exploring, succeeding. Acing it. Wonderful story. As each chapter dropped, it really felt like the entire fandom was racing to read it first. Everyone was hooked. You should get hooked, too!

[mikeywayarchive]

Photo: Jawn Rocha

Mikey Way debuts his Dark Horse Comics series, Christmas 365

Anna Zanes | July 24, 2024

Full article under the cut:

It might still be sunny out, but Mikey Way is stuck on Christmas. Alongside co-writer Jonathan Rivera and illustrator Piotr Kowalski, with Brad Simpson on colors, the My Chem guitarist-cum-graphic novelist (Electric Century, Collapser) has announced Christmas 365, an upcoming series with Dark Horse Comics, also home to Gerard Way’s Paranoid Gardens and The Umbrella Academy. This oddly feel-good story, bizarre and magical as it is loaded with gallows humor, follows the arc of Peter Rockwell and his family as they navigate the treacherous holiday season, aided by some words of wisdom from a strip mall Santa. Way describes the surreal satire astutely: “Like most kids growing up, I would often fantasize, ‘What if [Christmas] never had to end?’ That very thought was what sparked this story.” Though it's got the spirit of The Nightmare Before Christmas and the kooky suburban charm of Better Off Dead — this team has created a series that’s fresh, surprising, a bit spooky, and entirely their own. 

In speaking to their process, AP connected with co-writers Way and Rivera. “Finally being able to tell this story is a real dream come true! The idea came about a decade ago, and there were plenty of starts and stops in the process,” Way shares. “Putting it in comic form felt like the perfect way to tell the story exactly how we envisioned it after so many years of wanting to share it with the world. Let's be honest, I don't think there's a kid alive who hasn't wished Christmas would never end. Haven't we all fantasized about it being something we got to live day after day?” He continues, “I saw this as an opportunity to tell a funny but heartfelt story, in the vein of all of the classic ’80s and ’90s Christmas movies that I loved so much. I remember watching Home Alone and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation back to back one night and wondering, ‘What story is left to tell?’ An hour or two later, the framework for Christmas 365 was born.”

The connection between co-writers has been an ongoing one, though this project sees it come to fruition. “It's been really fulfilling getting to finally write a story with Jonathan Rivera, who is one of my best friends — I think we've known each other over 20 years now,” Way says. As for the rest of the highly experienced team, “Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson brought the story to life exactly as we imagined, giving it the feel and imagery of a ’90s Christmas movie through and through. Daniel Chabon has been a terrific editor to work with and really helped us keep the story focused. I am sure this goes without saying, but it has been a real honor to be able to put out a comic under the Dark Horse banner. The folks over there have always been super kind and supportive to me, and have a rich history with my brother. So to be joining the ‘family’ with my own story to tell is pretty surreal!” 

Rivera, also known for Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye, adds, “Mikey and I had been talking about this story for a while, but it really started to come together as a comic during the pandemic. We’re living in stressful times, so it felt so cathartic to work on such a sweet and strange story about forgiveness and spending time with the people we love. It’s also the type of story we rarely see in comics, and that made me really excited as well.” 

For the writer, a goal has been achieved with this project. Dark Horse has long been a northern star in the industry for Rivera, who caps the chat off with, “I’ve been a fan of Dark Horse comics since I picked up their first Aliens vs. Predator miniseries as a kid. I later worked with them when I ran the official Myspace for The Umbrella Academy back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. So it brings me great joy to come home again with a book that means so much to me!”

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics

[oneofthosebells]

All right, I might regret this but I'm going to say it anyway.

If you hated S3 (or didn't hate it overall but have issues with it), then I fully support your right to criticise it as much as you want. Rant away, air all your grievances, get it all out. I might even agree with some of your criticisms and nitpicks, because as much as I personally loved S3 (and S2, always) I don't think it was perfect by any means.

But please, please don't start taking it out on your fellow fans. Don't accuse people of 'overlooking all the plotholes just because of a cheesy happy ending'. Don't accuse people of 'worshipping Saint Lisa' because they have a different opinion on the writing to you. Don't assume that everyone who enjoyed the final season was an 'abdication truther' (ugh I hate that term).

I've been that person before, hating something that everyone else in a fandom loved. It feels like screaming into the void, wanting to shake some sense into people because how can they love this plothole ridden mess?! Do they not see how bad the writing is?! Have they been brainwashed by some soppy scenes and cute kissing?!

Yeah, I've been there and it sucks. I highly recommend finding (or starting!) a groupchat of like-minded people to get it all out, do some cathartic ranting. But please, I am begging you, don't start taking it out publicly on your fellow fans.

We all watch shows for different reasons and get different things out of them. A plot point that was really important to you might have been a minor, easily ignored, niggle to someone else and vice versa. You can never assume you know what's meaningful to other people and what isn't.

And you know what - even if some people did only enjoy S3 because it has a happy ending, that's a valid reason to like something? I don't think that is the case for most people tbf and it's certainly not for me, but even if it was, so what? Life is hard and TV is escapism and happy endings for LGBT+ couples in film/TV are still, sadly, rare. Let people enjoy things.

[blakbonnet]

Point blank question, no time to think about it: do you prefer OFMD season 1 or 2? why?

Oh S2 100% ❤️

don't get me wrong, S1 is lovely and when I rewatched I kept thinking "oh god they were both babies 🥹" and for right reasons too, it's the perfect 1st season and instantly I'm on both their sides. You see Stede's flashbacks, you see Ed's boredom and depression - how could you not love them.

but S2 added so much more depth to both of them, not just their overall story but it played the part of being the second arc so fucking well, like I'm astounded how 8 episodes later I feel like they're brand spanking new people and yet the same characters naturally growing around each other, does that make sense? This time we knew them already as much as they knew themselves. But they learnt so much more about their own dumb selves and each other like.

Their relationship to each other - ie the whole point of the show - just seems so much more mature, and they fought and found their way back to happiness and joy. The healing, particularly for Ed, has been just so cathartic to watch.

Also, I don't think I've rewatched S1 that much cause I rarely do. I kinda remember most stuff and usually that's enough, but with S2, I've already rewatched it so many times because there's so so much to still unpack here 🫠 and so much unhinged meta I wanna write

To me : S2 was bigger and better than S1 in every way without ruining the fairytale vibes of s1 for me personally.

[theflyindutchwoman]

You know in my mind Lucy's mother would visit without warning and that's how she'd learn for Tim. Lucy not telling her because they're not close and want to protect the relationship because she know her parents. Tim would want everything to be perfect and try hard to please them during dinner but her mother isn't gonna like Tim because he is a cop and divorced. I see her to be traditional don't why. And that's what would cause Lucy to blow up. Defending her relationship and telling her mom what she has kept for herself all these time. For her biological dad and everything else. Calling her on her hypocrisy and lack of support and dare I say love. Then we'd have chenford scene for support that strengthens the couple. I could see a scene where Tim stop trying to please the parents and just tell them how amazing Lucy is and what a good cop she is and that it's sad they miss all of it without lucy present in the end of the ep. Like lucy deserve to stand up to her parents herself and Tim would just calmly tell them the facts. I would want to see this in s6. We saw Tim met with Rachel and ashley parents we can do it even with a short season it's just 1 ep. Maybe then, in the next season we could see Lucy parents finally try. You know I imagine season 7 to be the engagement for chenford so they could work on building the relationship during the preparation for the wedding. Because I don't see the end of episode ending with a good note for the daughter/parents in my scenario. It wouldn't be realistic and too easy. Not me making up a full scenario in my head. At least now we know it will prob not happen lol

It's the rookie so the storyline with the parents could be a hit or a miss tbh as we know sometimes they miss. 🤐 hoping for the best tho as always!

See, this is why I'm a bit conflicted about Vanessa showing up again because I don't know what I want to see.

On the one hand, I wish she would come back just so Lucy could stand up for herself and finally confront her mom on her hypocrisy because it's a very much needed conversation. I think it could be very cathartic for Lucy. And to be frank, I thought that was where we were headed with the reveal of her bio dad… Alas, it went nowhere (for now). But on the other hand, I kind of want Vanessa to make amends. To admit that she was wrong. It may be too unrealistic (and it certainly wouldn't happen within one episode) but at the same time, I want Lucy to have some closure. Not that she can't have that in that other scenario of course.

Now should Vanessa make a come back, I absolutely can imagine your scenario, with her showing up unannounced (like she did in 2.05) and thus finding out about Tim - especially if he was the one to open the door #awkward. I doubt very much Lucy would voluntarily mention her relationship to her parents, not in the current atmosphere. She's far too protective for that. I get the feeling that while she is still in contact with them, she also does the bare minimum - like sending flowers for the big dates and that's it. Which honestly is more than they deserve. So the only 'Tim and Vanessa meet' scenario I can picture at the moment is the accidental one. Be it an impromptu visit at Lucy's apartment, at the station, at the hospital… or by sheer coincidence.

I do think that Lucy would be overall wary of her mother. Considering how Vanessa's last visit went, she would be on edge the whole time. I don't know if Tim's divorce would be a point of contention : I feel like the age difference, his job and the fact that he was Lucy's TO would take precedence over that. Although I'm not ruling it out either. And I have no doubt either that Lucy would stand up for herself. She did it several times already after all. But that's also why I want Tim to support her here. Because it has to be tiresome for her to have to justify her choices and happiness over and over again, knowing full well that it's not going to change her parents' minds. As amazing as Jackson was for standing up to Vanessa, Lucy didn't see it. And neither did we. So it would be nice for her to see someone in her corner. Especially since up to this point, Tim has been playing the devil's advocate and has defended Vanessa's behavior several times.

I don't know if it can fit in S6, since there seems to be a lot of intense storylines already, but it could work for s7, yes.

[mephoj]

what did you think of the iii finale?

SO sorry i meant to answer asks sooner but i just kept putting it off to better word my thoughts later. so um. Well

ill be very brutally honest, i thought the iii finale was stupid as all hell. i don't have the right words right now to fully elaborate on the specific parts i hated (maybe if i remember ill add onto this in a reblog,) but everything about it felt so unnecessarily rushed and nothing like the energy of the original show that i loved so much. and im not saying this to be a hater !!! trust me, i avoided speaking on the finale for a while on purpose, in case i just needed time to process it (i was iffy on the alien plot in ii14 on the first watch too but now i LOVE it, so yknow that can happen with sudden new twists and characters sometimes)

i really really wanted to like it, but as it simmered in my head more, and the more i rewatched it, the more ridiculous and out of place it all felt. they weren't just throwing spaghetti at the wall until it stuck at this point, they threw out the whole damn pot and wasted it all. (does that even make sense?)

most of all, it just felt so deeply disappointing. it did have some interesting parts (like the reference to the s1 finale or opening more on mephone issues) but they did them all so strangely, all i can think about is all the ways it could've been better. and thats honestly way more frustrating than just being plain bad.

so many characters were filed down and reduced to clean, perfect Nice Ones by the end just so they could have a sweet feel-good ending which really doesn't fit into any of the rest of the current show's tone, especially if they plan to connect it back to s2. on top of that, it all felt so undeserved and empty. there was hardly any real conflict, emotional or otherwise lasting any longer than 5 seconds at a time throughout the entire season for the character's rest by the end to truly feel cathartic. it felt more like those shallow kids movie endings where everyone dances together and everythings fine. and sure, i know kids are the primary AE audience, but so much of iii just felt near insulting how much the the characters would talk down and overexplain every single emotion they felt and end every conflict with a hug or whatever. its like watching petty toddler fights lmao

this is more than i was expecting to write and ill admit its mostly about my issues with how they wrote mephone by the end but whatever lol i do not like most of iii . sorry 👍

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

Like many others, Izzy's arc had been my absolute least favorite thing this season, but with the hindsight of the finale...it still feels rushed, but at least it makes more sense and is, at least for me, much more satisfying.

I had been among those wondering why they didn't stretch Izzy's arc out into next season, and now we have our answer - he was going to die at the end of the finale. And they had to fit a lot into eight episodes.

Izzy had to realize he was wrong about wanting Blackbeard over Ed.

The crew had to save him to symbolize Stede's influence.

He had to try goading Stede and fail, proving to him and to the audience that Stede knows Ed better than anyone and Stede is a good captain.

He had to be pushed down to his absolute lowest to be "reborn" as a symbol of the Revenge and what Stede's way of piracy can accomplish.

His lowest needed to provide a cathartic arts-and-crafts time for the crew to rally together over to help them deal with their own trauma.

We needed time to see what he's like as this new character. This is where it still falls short for a lot of people, because what we did get wasn't really enough and we didn't see enough of him bonding with the crew or making real amends. Still, good stuff about the healing power of queer community.

And then he had to give Ed closure. Izzy's death reframes the way he threatened and goaded Ed in s1e10, reminds him that he is so loved, and Izzy's death is also the death of Ed feeling like he has to be Blackbeard. It gives him permission to see who else Ed can be. Narratively speaking, it's delicious.

I doubted pretty much all the way through, but they really stuck the landing. Not perfect but given the time they had I'm honestly pretty impressed.

[chaifootsteps]

I still think it’s an absolute joke that viv thinks ANY of her fanficy yaoi abuse writing no deeper than a piss puddle on the pavement is comparable to Bojack Horseman at all, and I feel like Stella vs Beatrice is the perfect example of that.

In Bojack, it’s established early on that Beatrice was/is a horrible mother to Bojack, the two best examples imo being her telling Bojack as a child that he ruined her beauty and that he better make up for that sometime soon, and her phone call telling him as an adult that he was born broken. But later on in the show, with the episodes The Old Sugarman Place and especially Time’s Arrow, we learn Beatrice suffered a terrible life too, one might argue even worse than Bojack’s, and that makes us sympathize with her. It’s obviously no excuse for what she’s done, especially since she was still actively making people’s lives worse with what she pulled with Hollyhock, we understand why she became the person she is. Time’s Arrow has such a cathartic and powerful ending, I’m never going to forget Bojack choosing to end the cycle of abuse that plagued his family for decades by giving his mother, with her final semblance of lucidity, by comforting her and making her think of fond memories.

Meanwhile in Helluva Shitshow we know jack and shit about Stella other than “i ENjoY tOrMEntiNG yOu” which is just, such a dogshit line. What were her parents like? What was her childhood like? What does she think about her brother? What is her personal life like outside of her family? What are her accomplishments? Interests? Goals outside of murdering the rapey owl bastard? We’re well into season 2 and we STILL haven’t gotten even ONE interaction between Stella and Octavia, mother and daughter, like are you kidding me? I cannot prepare for Hazbin if it’s supposed to be female focused while THIS is how a female writer writes her female characters, unacceptable is it what it is.

So yea, TLDR Beatrice solos Stella and viv should’ve never written for Helluva, things people are already well aware of. Sorry for the long winded rant but I had to get this off my chest after making an essay in my head about this in the shower. Hope you’re having a good day Chai, I’m now reminded of the absolute banger that is Hi-Fi Rush because of your username, thank you

This, this, this.

Beatrice was a masterpiece of a character. It's established very early on that she's absolutely awful, sometimes comically so and sometimes tragically, and also that she and Butterscotch are both miserable characters in a desperately unhappy marriage, and it just builds and builds from there into some of the most powerful writing on the show.

Stella is a character that's not only paper thin, but Vivzie will mock you on twitter if you like her or even attempt to sympathize with her.

[fuckyeahgoodomensfanfic]

Good Omens Fic Rec: Ink Blots and Forget-Me-Nots

Ninth Circle Ink was hardly more than a stone’s throw from the flower shop; Aziraphale knew from past experience that it took less than thirty seconds to go from door to door (forty-five if you had to wait for a car to pass). It had been a perfect arrangement in the beginning, when they were just starting out. Owning a flower shop across the street from your boyfriend's tattoo parlor is fun and adorable. Owning a flower shop across the street from your ex-boyfriend's tattoo parlor? Not so much.

Length: 42,373 Words

AO3 Rating: Teen and Up

Best for: Safe in Public, Slow Burn, Slight Angst, Human AU

Triggers: None

Read it here, fic by gutsandglitter

*Minor Spoilers* This story was written in 2019 but reading it now after season two...hm..extra ouch. In this Human AU, Crowley and Aziraphale were together for 14 years before separating and still own shops across from each other. The perspective changes from present to past and we slowly learn what happened to them. It's devastating at times, learning something from their history and then coming back to Aziraphale's present day heartache. It's so heavy on him. It's primarily an Aziraphale point of view, yet you'll still be able to pick up on Crowley's feelings very clearly. Of course Aziraphale misses all the signs, it's a fanfic after all. No romance brain cells allowed here folks.

Internalized homophobia is one of our main themes here. It's something all of us LGBT people know intimately, and I'm sure we've all had experiences that mirror Aziraphale's and Crowley's in this. Fear, shame, having to hide, being hidden. It's heartbreaking but cathartic to read a story that knows this feeling and doesn't villainize Aziraphale for his actions here. He may blame himself, but the story doesn't.

It's not all gloom though! The present day is filled with scenes with The Them, Anathema, and Madame Tracy that I really enjoyed. I love Adam's matchmaker schemes and how it never goes to plan. In the past, the original character of Elsie was one of my favorite parts of the entire story. She was the original owner of the shop Aziraphale now runs and becomes family to our boys. It was such a wonderful and heartfelt found family story line to go along with their new found family in the present. While there is a lot of heartache in this story, there is also so much love!

Completely safe in public. It'll break your heart a bit, but it's ends on a very good note and I wouldn't classify this as angst. Slight angst yeah, but it's not depressing. Well....2004 is a bit depressing....good luck with 2004....

Read it here, fic by gutsandglitter

[melonteee]

I just wanted to say that reading your responses to opla related asks has been so cathartic. I felt like I was going crazy with everyone praising it to the high heavens. I've agreed with everything you've said so far and if I'm I'm allowed to complain a bit? I was so so disappointed with Bellemere's character. I'm adopted, so the scene where she refuses to deny that she has daughters despite her not being their biological mother has always been something that hits extra hard. So I was so disappointed when instead of proudly announcing that she's their mother it plays out like she was forced, because he saw that their were three plates on the table. Then her saying she wanted the money to cover for the girls instead of her felt more like an afterthought. Idk maybe it's a minor hang up compared to the overall story but one piece has such a focus on found family that opla just kind of misses and it makes it feel empty. It makes me worry for potential future seasons.

Anyway sorry for rambling and hope what I said made somewhat sense. I'm not good at putting my thoughts into words.

Anon this made perfect sense and I hadn't heard of these changes and oh my god, why is this show runner unable to understand the impact of the biggest scenes lmao ??? every big event or big scene I have seen or have been told about is constantly hit with this extreme emotional shallowness that is trying to replicate the original but has no idea what MAKES those scenes so impactful fghjkd like I'm glad this has been cathartic for you cause I have been feeling just as crazy about iiit 😭😭😭

[what-gs-watching]

"I'm just a boy in a neon suit, standing in front of a girl, reminding her that Notting Hill is her favorite movie."

GANG. I went to see The Fall Guy and it was SO. FREAKIN’. GOOD. Like, sooooo good.

I have to admit, I’ve been a bit disillusioned with movies for the past few years. The industry has changed and like, really, do we need so many fucking movies about APES? Apes? For real? I do not understand why they’re making like 90% of the shit they’re making and I used to love to go and see absolutely everything and I haven’t felt that way in a while. 

Y’all,in the summer of 2008, there was Ironman, Dark Knight, and Pineapple Express. That was the height for me. That was the last time I felt really tuned into what was going on at the movies. 

The Fall Guy reminds me a lot of that summer. It would have fit perfectly. I would have seen it at least three times, we would have wandered into showings a few minutes late because there was nothing else going on that day and we wanted to get out of the heat and just have a good time. It feels nostalgic, and I love that. 

Wherein, Ryan Gosling plays Colt, a stunt guy for a popular movie star, in love with Emily Blunt’s camera operator turned director Jody, who's trying to make her first movie, after Colt suffered a terrible injury on the job and basically disappeared.

I’m gonna be Stefan for a second - this movie has EVERYTHING! Car chases, adorable couple moments, a dog that bites people in the junk, karaoke, a dopeeee neon suit, explosions, a dead body, movie quotes, friendship, and, obviously, a shit ton of incredible stunts.

ALSO! Hannah Waddingham. Shout out to that gorgeous amazon woman for being charming as hell and also a ridiculous villain. Girl, you are on fire and I want to see you in literally everything.

But my favorite part? Jody explaining the plot of the movie she’s making while forcing Colt to perform a stunt that sets him on fire, over and over, in front of the entire crew. Obviously, the movie plot has parallels to their brief affair, and she’s calling him out on abandoning her so very publicly, hiding her hurt behind the details of her movie couple, Aliena and Space Cowboy (which, LOL). And he takes it on the chin, and he tries to answer her as honestly as possible in between takes, burning and thrown against a wall. It’s funny and a little bit cathartic and a little bit sad.

Once she finally decides he’s down with the stunt, he climbs into a truck to leave and the radio starts blaring Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”. He starts singing along and remembering their time together and ya boy starts to cry but is then interrupted by Jody asking “are you crying to Taylor Swift?” and the whole thing was absolute perfection. They had me in the palm of their hands, after that. 

And that’s like, pretty close to the start. The rest of it is madcap and fun and Ryan Gosling really is a fucking powerhouse. He’s Noah from The Notebook, he’s Ken, he’s a fucking mouseketeer and he’s always so, so, so, so good. The man is a national treasure. I will follow wherever he goes because it’s always wonderfully entertaining.

It’s really just two hours of the perfect movie going experience. And the confusing thing is, it seems like the studio didn’t realize what they had? I remember the first time I saw a preview for it, it was supposed to come out in March which is when you dump out tepid movies no one’s really dying for. But then they moved the release to May which made more sense, summer movie season, but man they are not touting this movie the way they should. 

It’s universally appealing! The chemistry between Colt and Jody! The full on absolutely crazy action sequences! The banter! 

It’s an incredible summer movie. And it put me in a great mood. I need more of that in my life, and I bet y’all do too. Maybe I’ll go again, and pretend I’m a youngin’ just looking for something to do for the afternoon, ignoring my terrible adult obligations. That’s what movies are for, and I’m glad The Fall Guy helped me remember that. 

Ryan Gosling, you wonder.