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antis-delete-your-blogs-pls-thx · 4 years

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Mouse’s Reclist (#2/?)

It’s time for a second reclist! Here’s the first, if you want. This is again in no particular order. Title, author, pairing, and fandom will be listed, as well as if it’s a WIP.

The first few are going to be Snarry, because my reading list recently has basically consisted of entirely Snarry. Why? Because I fucking love Snarry. Sue me.

Angels on the Moon by Writcraft - Harry Potter/Snarry - The aftermath of the war is almost as difficult as the war itself, Harry is a mess and Severus is a reluctant survivor forced back to Hogwarts to recuperate from his injuries. When a brick-bonding spell goes awry, Harry and Severus are forced to confront hatred, misunderstandings and a new and unexpected intimacy which takes them both by surprise. Notes: This is the classic-style Eighth Year!Fic, which has long been my favourite trope in the HP fandom. It’s an especially loved trope of mine when it comes to Snarry, too, as I am problematic filth, and teacher-student relationships are my jam. It’s also a classic bonding!fic. But the way it handles the tropes is just… *chef’s kiss*

The Man Underneath by maraudersaffair - Harry Potter/Snarry - Severus is a secret Auror and must always be disguised. When Harry Potter becomes his new partner, Severus struggles hiding his true identity and burning attraction. Notes: This is more bottom!Snape than top!Snape, which I know isn’t to everyone’s taste. However, it’s fucking fantastic, and as someone who has a cathartic and self-fulfilling love of “char A is ugly and has a shittonne of self-hatred and yet manages to score super hot char B” (something that I struggle with myself and still worry how I manage to keep my own gorgeous partner over), this is perfect. Not that I even agree with J.K.’s assessment on Sev’s ugliness. I like the “goth filled with churning angst” look.

a forest, dark and deep by bleedcolor - Harry Potter/Snarry - Once, many years ago (for that is when all great stories begin, many years ago; we never consider we might be in the midst of our own great story) there lived a boy. But wait, you might say, there is nothing special about a boy living, many people do and never amount to much of anything. You would be right, but you would also be wrong, because this story is not about a boy who lived, but The Boy Who Lived, and that is all the difference. Notes: Harry is cursed and must go on an adventure to the Fountain of Youth to find the cure. I cried. I cried a lot. I cried a lot a lot a lot a lot. Happy ending, though! Fairy tale fic. One of the best fics to read if you want magic in the HP universe portrayed more like magic in ancient medieval history tends to be portrayed: mysterious, Eldritch, Occult-like power that requires strange and sometimes dangerous rituals to harness.

you like making me work for it by bottlefamebrewglory - Harry Potter/Snarry - “Before what, Mr. Potter?”//Before Snape had looked at him, drunk and miserable without knowing why, and told him that he could change his future if he wanted. Before he had pulled Snape out of the darkness he’d been determined to drown in. Before the memories. Before he’d looked into Snape’s eyes and watched him die.//Harry didn’t often change his mind, not about people. He’d been accused by Hermione more than once of being stubborn, even prejudiced. And, once upon a time, he’d thought he’d known exactly who Severus Snape was. But that had changed and Harry was no longer that boy anymore, just as Snape could no longer ever be just his hated professor.//“Before,” Harry said again, more finally.//Harry was pretty sure the fact that everyone never thought he’d live past seventeen was at least half the reason becoming an actual adult was so goddamn strange. Severus just wanted to get on with his life now that it was free of controlling old men.//Or, five times Harry flirted with Snape and one time Snape flirted with Harry. Notes: @snapedefender‘s most recent masterpiece. Post-War!fic, one of the best of. Harry worms his way into Severus’ life, as he always does. Also he has a big crush. Their interactions are golden. Everything about this is golden, in fact. It’s just delightful. Read it, please.

How the War Was Won by avioleta - Harry Potter/Snarry - Severus Snape should be dead. Instead, he wakes up after the Battle of Hogwarts to find himself quarantined in a house full of Gryffindors, waiting for Harry bloody Potter to save the world…again. And Severus must be going crazy because he can’t seem to stop thinking about Potter. (Or, where Harry needs a distraction, and Severus doesn’t refuse.) Notes: War Doesn’t End with The Battle of Hogwarts!fic. And it’s by avioleta, a longtime and well-loved Snarry writer. Well-loved for good reason! They know what they’re doing, and it shows. I’ve long loved “Harry and any number of Slytherins are holed up together and must get along” as a trope, and this nails it perfectly. Another fav was in my previous reclist, Hauntingly by ObsidianPen, where Harry is holed up with Draco, Sev, AND Tom! Fun times!

Chasing Ghosts by DictionaryWrites - Harry Potter/Snarry/WIP - “I guess I’m not ready to join the land of the living just yet,” Harry says. “Need a little more time here at Hogwarts, with all the ghosts. You know what I mean?”//In the aftermath of the war, Harry doesn't feel ready to leave the safety of the castle, and to go out into the world at large: he wants to stay. The Room of Requirement - with great reluctance - grants his wish. Notes: Adult!Harry wakes up in the Marauders Era and becomes a teacher, all while he tries to figure out the nature of spacetime. TIME TRAVEL!FIC! That’s in all caps because I love and adore time travel!fic with all my heart. Again, more of a bottom!Snape story. I used to think I preferred top!Snape, but bottom!Snape has come into my heart with a passion as of late and showed me I’m not always going to want Snape to nail Harry into his mattress. This also shows more of Snape’s backstory, with mentor!Lucius and all, which is a fav of mine as well.

OKAY! Enough Snarry, yes, sorry. Moving on!

Love Potion #9 by murderlight - Bleach/GrimmIchi - Gifted with a horrifying box of potion-laced chocolates from Urahara in the hopes he might feed them to somebody, Ichigo thought all the excitement for Valentine’s Day was done with. Then Grimmjow had to get snacky.//A story in which Ichigo is entrusted with the scientifically altered affections of his once-enemy, and might just discover some of his own. Notes: I love the goddamn love potion/love spell trope. This one highlights the dubcon nature of making someone fall in love with you (even on accident) a lot more, but still makes everyone’s feelings feel genuine and real. And of course it ends happily. And there’s no noncon, if that’s not to your taste. Ichigo is a good boy and does not stroke that pussy until that pussy is entirely free from Kisuke’s experimental serums. Yes, I made that pun.

The Edinburgh Problem by snorklepie - Sherlock/Johnlock - “A nice holiday, just a bit more...murdery. ” John said drily.//“Yes! The best kind of holiday!” Sherlock beamed. “So we won’t get bored!”//After he separates from Mary, John returns to Baker Street. Following a request for help from Sherlock's cousin Violet, the detective and his blogger take a trip to Edinburgh. John discovers more about the Holmes family and Sherlock than he bargained for, but tries not to run screaming. Notes: I fell in love with Violet immediately. I am so gay. If you are also attracted to women, you will probably join me in falling in love with Violet. She is amazing, and very Holmes. But a more balanced Holmes. Well, as balanced as a Holmes can be. I love case fic, I love Sherlock Holmes in general because of my adoration for murder mystery (yes, I am a forensics major, thank you for being able to clock me very obviously), and I love deep backstory and family bonding. It’s a long, long ride, but it is undoubtedly worth every single minute.

The Loss of Flesh and Soul by deuxexmycroft - Sherlock/Johnlock/Abandoned WIP - Five years after John Watson puts the murderous Sherlock Holmes behind bars, a vicious copycat killer emerges. A reluctant John is pulled out of retirement to seek the expertise of the only man who can help, a man who has developed an unsettling obsession with John himself.//Crossover with Red Dragon/Silence of the Lambs Notes: It’s Hannigram but Johnlock, what’s not to love? Sherlock’s characterisation in the TV show is already unsettling enough (well, in the beginning, but I like to pretend Sherlock doesn’t exist past S2), so adding in a little Hannibal Lecter is fantastic. Yes, it’s an abandoned WIP. Yes, that hurts like hell. But it’s so, so worth it anyway. Seriously, this is one of the best executions of serial killer!Sherlock I’ve seen in fandom, and given how fucking gigantic the Sherlock fandom is, hopefully you can see how big of a thumbs up that is imho!

Sinking the Land by emungere - Sherlock/Mystrade - Three weeks ago, Mycroft Holmes picked Lestrade up outside New Scotland Yard and made him an offer he'd been unable to refuse, despite his best judgement. Mycroft had sucked his cock, dropped him off at home, and Lestrade hadn't heard a word from him since.//Now, the door of the black car swung open as Lestrade drew level with it. He could just see Mycroft's profile, hawkish nose and shallow chin limned by the orange glow of the streetlight. Notes: Porn WITH plot! That’s the best way to take your porn, imho. One of the best ways I’ve seen the Mystrade relationship developed. It’s just so real. And Lestrade is so head-over-heels, which is my favourite way to take my Lestrade :p.

Clark Kent, of Krypton by TerresDeBrume - DCEU/Superbat - Batman crashes on Krypton a few days before the Turn of the Year celebrations, and Kal-El's life takes a sharp turn to the left, on a path that will, ultimately, lead him to becoming Clark Kent. Notes: Krypton Wasn’t Destroyed!fic is always, always, always my favourite. Sci-fi mystery again, yes. If you saw my first reclist, then you understand that I am always going to fall for a sci-fi mystery fic. This one develops Kryptonian culture beautifully, and equally-as-perfectly encapsulates what “Clark Kent Pretending to Be a Mild-Mannered Reporter, but on Krypton” would actually look like.

Q It Again by writerofprose - Star Trek/QCard - Picard thinks his position, as captain of the Enterprise, plays the largest role in Q's obsession with him. Q would like to take that bet, even if Picard wasn't making one. What say they try it again, from the start? Without the captain nonsense? Notes: A poignant take on Q’s weird fixation with Picard. Not that anyone can blame him. I mean, shit, the man is Jean-luc Picard. Anyone would be fixated on him. Q uses his Q powers to explore Picard in multiple alternate universes, and erases his own memories in order to come in unbiased. Picard gets to keep his original memories, and those of the AU. Does Q still like Picard as much when he’s not at the helm of the Enterprise?

American Outlaws by manic_intent - Red Dead Redemption/Morston - “Bounty’s for one ‘Jim Milton’,” Sadie said, as she got close to the man under the oak tree. “Wanted for murder, robbery, and unnatural acts.”//“Unnatural what?”///“Don’t got details on here.” Sadie passed the folded up poster to her hunting partner. “You all right?”//Arthur Morgan didn’t answer her as he smoothed open the poster. He was aggressively smoking a cigarette, his second, judging from the stub on the grass. Notes: I loved RDR and RDR2 so much that I wrote my own fic in the fandom, despite knowing jackshit about late 1800’s America. It was only a ficlet, in order to hide how little I remember from my contemporary history classes, but much more talented people than me took on the burden of whole-ass novels. Here’s everyone’s fav BNF manic’s take on a fix-it Morston, pre-RDR1 but post-RDR2. It’s excellent. Who doesn’t enjoy forbidden love historical romance? Especially with a delicious helping of age gap. If you’d like Vandermorgan or even Vandermorston, check out more of manic’s stuff, and also kriegersan, who is another long-time fav of mine.

Every Deckerstar fic by wollfgang. But especially a softer beginning, an amnesia!fic, and if you saw all of me, a true form!Lucifer!fic. You know, since angels are described as weird Eldritch beings in ancient texts. Both tropes are my favourite. Also that latter one has monsterfucking and we are all monsterfuckers here.

A Modest Proposal by ignaz - House M.D./Hilson - Tritter's case against House still depends on subpoenaed testimony from Wilson. To save House from losing everything, the doctors of PPTH decide on an unusual solution, which in turn leads to unexpected consequences. This is a story about the sacrifices we make that turn out not to be such great sacrifices after all. (Contains spoilers for everything up to and including "Merry Little Christmas.") Notes: Work 355 on the AO3. It’s that OG. And for an OG slash fandom, too. Well, not Star Trek levels of OG, but it’s a fandom based on Sherlock Holmes, and ACD did come before Star Trek! You’ve probably read it. It’s the OG Hilson Pretend Marriage!fic. But I had to rec it because when I get bored I watch House on Amazon Prime (or the thousands of clips they upload to YT nowadays), and I always am struck by HOW GAY HOUSE AND WILSON ARE OH MY GOD. I can never watch it with Mum in the room, though, because she was in the medical field before she retired, and the unrealistic nature of how House characters behave (and some of the medical procedures) make her SOOOOOO peeved. Though doctors, especially surgeons, were apparently huge egotistical dicks at times. Maybe not kill your own patient levels, though.

In A Place Where No One Appeared by Gefionne - Star Wars/Kylux - Following the destruction of Starkiller Base, General Hux is ordered to remove a wounded Kylo Ren to a place where he can recuperate. Knowing nowhere else to house him safely and discreetly, Hux takes Ren to his family’s estate on Arkanis. He anticipates adding this experience to the already long list of abhorrent memories he has of his childhood home, but six weeks in company with Ren turns out to be something quite unlike Hux expected. Notes: The imagery is so fucking vivid, I love it. The entire world of Arkanis is just lit up so beautifully in Gefionne’s words. This takes a little liberty with Hux’s backstory, given there wasn’t too much out at the time, but it’s so fucking good, I’d prefer its canon to the actual one, lmao.

all that you love will be carried away by coldhope - Star Wars/Kylux - Supreme Leader, the oscillator is failing. The collapse has begun. There is nothing that can be done.//Hux, sent to retrieve Kylo Ren from the dying Starkiller Base, has lost almost everything, and has little patience or tolerance left for anyone or anything--particularly not Snoke's pet pseudo-Sith and his amateur theatrics. But you do the job that is in front of you, to the best of your ability, and you hold on as long as you can. Notes: One of the first Kylux fics, and one of the best. Their relationship is just so real here.

London Calling by SectoBoss - Overwatch/WidowTracer - Recaptured by Overwatch, Widowmaker is sent on a mission to assassinate a high-ranking Talon agent in London. It should be an easy mission – get in, take the shot, and leave. But when Tracer’s your getaway pilot a lot of things can go wrong, and things like 'subtlety' and 'discretion' tend to be the first casualties. Now, lying low after the mission goes awry, the pair of them have to survive in the city until Overwatch can get them home. Notes: Written when OW was in its heyday. And before the fandom was qqqquite as bad as it became. A WidowTracer case!fic, with Amelie as the reluctant good guy, which is always the best trope and I don’t take concrit on this point.

To the Victor, The Spoil by Annakovsky - Hunger Games/Haymitch/Katniss - No berries, no mockingjay, no rebellion. Katniss killed Peeta in the arena, and now she has to live with herself like every other victor. Notes: An old fandom, an older fic, back in the day when nobody complained about fucked up dark!fic. And fucked up dark!fic this is. Rape, age gap, age gap rape, Katniss losing all hope about the future, etc. But damn, it’s good.

The Want of You by MKK - Star Trek/Garashir - Julian Bashir is not quite sure yet about his feelings toward his enigmatic new friend Elim Garak. So when they both show symptoms of a mysterious illness, it seems they'll now have more time apart to ponder the future of the relationship. Their symptoms worsen, however, and to their shock, they discover there's only one way to effectively and inexplicably ease the pain: getting physically closer and closer - and closer. Notes: A forced bonding!fic where Bashir doesn’t actually know Garak all that well. As in, set very early in the canon. Very early. Which is my favourite way to read this beloved trope, because the whole fun of it (imho) is characters who barely have a grasp on each other’s personalities being forced to learn them.

Timeshare by astolat - Harry Potter/Drarry - “It’s not for long,” Hermione said. “By the time we get back to Hogwarts, the Unfettering Brew will be ready.”//“Listen to you!” Ron said. “He’s got to get through a month with the Dursleys and a month at Malfoy Manor. With Draco Malfoy.”//“Yeah, thanks,” Harry said, because he hadn’t just spent the last week contemplating just how much more horrible his summer holidays were about to be than they’d ever been before. Notes: Another forced bonding!fic, this time by AO3’s own founder. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love it. Their interactions here are perfect.

Speaking of Drarry, here’s a Veela!Draco fic I’ve recced before, but I don’t believe was in the original masterpost.

Talk to Me by Saras_Girl - Harry Potter/Drarry - When the usual channels of communication are shut down, the most surprising people can find a way in. A strange little love story. Notes: Harry is temporarily deaf and blind thanks to a misaimed spell. Draco takes care of him, in secret. Identity porn at its best.

Semaphore by DevilDoll - MCU/Stony - "I’m trying to like you, Tony. You’re just making it very hard." Notes: I wanted to rec another OG. One of the first Stony fics in the MCU, and still one of the best. It holds up very, very well and is worth a read if, by some miracle, you haven’t already.

Prisoner’s Dilemma by AvocadoLove - MCU/Stony - After taking the airplane down in the Arctic, Steve wakes to find himself imprisoned as a human test subject. With no idea where in the world he is, his only ally is a fast-talking inventor in the cell next door. Something’s off about Tony that Steve can’t put his finger on, and it’s obvious Tony doesn't fully trust him either. But to escape they may not have a choice… Notes: IDENTITY PORN! And it’s by an author I adore. AvocadoLove has pioneered the MCU MattFoggy fandom, and also donated their efforts and words to Stony. It’s the best. And it’s canon divergence! Which is another favourite trope, and one I can’t ever seem to stop writing myself. I have a lot of appreciation for it.

Speaking of MattFoggy, all of theapplepielifestyle’s works for the pairing are amazing. And all of their works in general.

Belief Space by magicasen - Marvel 616/Stony - The Time Gem appears not when it is wanted, but when it is needed. Steve learns this the hard way.//(Or: an Infinity #6 AU where Thane refuses his birthright and the Avengers are doomed - until the Time Gem shows up within Captain America's grasp.) Notes: A 616!Stony fic, if you’re craving something in the comics rather than the movies. Still with Civil War angst and Stony angry tension, just this time it’s even more painful, because their friendship in the comics!verse was beautiful and their fallout even more devastating.

This time tomorrow (where were we?) by dorcas_gustine - Marvel 616/Stony - Tony goes to see Wanda, and suddenly Steve is alive and there are Skrulls! Or maybe Tony is just going crazy. Nothing happens in this fic, until the very end. Seriously. There's a lot of talking, mostly at inopportune moments, Tony's views on the acceptable gifts to give people are slightly different from everyone else's and he spends more time than would seem necessary being (half-)naked. What else is new? Notes: More 616 for your Stony needs! Tony time travels into a word pre-Secret Invasion and decides to fix things his damn self.

despite the threatening sky and shuddering earth (they remained) by praximeter (Zimario) - MCU/Stucky - “They really didn’t want the mask to come off.” Hill thumbed through the scans, and pulled out a film that she then handed over to Sam, face mostly expressionless but for the flat line of her pursed lips.//Sam accepted the film and held it up to the light, angling so both he and Steve could see it, squinting at the outline of the Winter Soldier’s skull, and the blips of unnatural white that showed up, God, in his brain, not to mention about half his teeth, plus the mask, with its thin protrusions—//“Those are pins,” Steve realized. He looked over at Hill. “The mask—it’s nailed to his face.”//Hill’s face was as unmoved as ever. “Like I said. They really didn’t want it coming off.” Notes: TWS Identity Porn!AU. Gore, given that the Winter Soldier’s mask is literally stuck to his face. But it’s excellent.

Simple by Osidiano - MCU/Stucky - Written for the capkink meme; "To the Winter Soldier, there are basically three kinds of people in the world: superiors, mission support, and targets. He doesn't have the context to understand things like friendship. So what he sees in the Smithsonian exhibit and what little he remembers or feels about his past, he interprets in that light. He thinks that Steve must have been his handler during World War II. That the reason he couldn't kill Steve and the reason he was smiling in the museum photos was because Steve was a good superior who treated him well (or at least didn't hurt him like Pierce and Rumlow, which to him might be the best he can imagine).//Thinking he understands the situation, he decides to report to Steve. Cue misunderstandings, confusion, and heartache for both of them." Notes: Bucky taking a while to snap out of TWS mode is one of my favourite tropes. This fic executes it perfectly.

Bridge Over Troubled Water by soniclipstick (veriscence) - MCU/Stuckony/Phlint - Ultron is destroyed, the Avengers are in disarray, and the Winter Soldier is still in the wind. Steve knows that he has to fix the ever-growing ocean of distrust between Tony and himself, so he takes a leap of faith and tasks Tony with the most important thing: finding Bucky Barnes. But it takes a pair of sexy but stolen hand warmers, several robots, Hawkeye and countless selfies before Steve realises the immensity of what he's set into motion. Notes: I would die for Stuckony as a ship. It’s one of my favourites to read and to write, and this fic here encapsulates it quite frankly in the best way.

Strange New Worlds by Leletha - Supernatural/Destiel/Sabriel - AU…THE FUTURE: Humanity survives everything, spreads to the stars, and finds it needs to know where it can land. Enter interplanetary explorers Sam and Dean Winchester…and sentient starships Gabriel and Castiel. Then ships and crews start disappearing out in the black and, as usual, all goes straight to hell. Notes: I corresponded with Le’letha when they originally wrote this fic, and my love for it has only grown in the years since. Sci-fi mystery, yes. Dude, Castiel is a sentient spaceship. That itself is premise enough.

In His Image by Anonymous - Supernatural/Sabriel - Kali can breathe life back into a corpse, but what exactly is Gabriel now? Gabriel flits around various centuries trying to work that out, Dean has another powered-down angel and a little brother to look out for, Castiel has forgotten how to trust, and someone keeps sending Sam annoying little notes on his laptop. Oh, and Bobby would like to remind you all that there’s an Apocalypse still going on. Covers season 5 from Gabriel’s death to the finale. Notes: My favourite Sabriel fic. God only knows why the author abandoned it. I have their original name, but it doesn’t feel right to reveal it when they made the conscious choice to anonymise. Let me just say that they were a favourite of mine.

If You Were the Last Woman on Earth by Vali - Doctor Who/Thoschei (Twissy) - Just because your best enemy accidentally destroyed planet Earth is no reason to refuse her hospitality. Written for the Only One Bed fanfic challenge. Notes: That last note doesn’t even begin to cover how wonderful this fic is. Tropes are irrelevant, this captures them perfectly. Still one of my fav ever Thoschei fics. Now just get me one where The Master calls our titular hero Theta Cubed Sigma Ex Squared Lungbarrow, please.

A Wealth of Sorrows by evelynwaaaaah - Dragon Age/Solavellan - Things are getting back to normal in Skyhold now that Corypheus is gone. Until the Inquisitor collapses in mid-conversation. Notes: Solavellan is still a ship I would die for. This fic will make you ship it, if the game didn’t already. And this is coming from someone who romanced Cullen on my first playthrough.

Reclamation by copperbadge - Harry Potter/Background Jily and Wolfstar - In an alternate universe, one man still struggles with a moral decision made many years before. Notes: What if Tom Marvolo Riddle wasn’t quite the same maniac of the canon!verse and was accepted to the position of DADA professor? By the esteemed copperbadge.

Truth and Illusion by penny_dreadful - Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica/MadoHomu/KyoSaya - “I’ve, um, been dreaming.” She closes her eyes because it’s easier to ignore Mami and Homura’s stares. “In, in my dream I’m still in bed, but I-I’m not alone, Sayaka’s next to me but she’s not breathing, she’s—”//She’s pale and cold and pretty in the same way the stained glass windows of Kyoko’s father’s church are pretty and she’s lying so still she can’t be anything but dead. But in her dream Kyoko still curls around her, soul gem in hand, keeping her warm, keeping her safe—//“—she’s dead, I didn’t even know her that well and she’s dead and in my dream I’m so, I’m scared that there’s nothing I can do.” She opens her eyes. “But there really is nothing I can do. She’s already gone, and we left her there.” She stares hard at her hands. “We weren’t really even friends.” Notes: Not really a fix-it for MadoHomu, but certainly one for SayaKyo. Homura does more spacetime bullshit. Kyouko remembers.

~~~

I think that should cover it for now! That took me ageeeees, and I have games to go waste my life on and fics to write now lmao. Let me know if you want a third installment!

#fic recs #recs #fic rec #long post

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densiland · 6 years

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A Line in the Sand (9x23) and Ninguna Salida (9x24) - DensiLand: Analysis of all things Deeks & Kensi

A Line in the Sand (9x23) and Ninguna Salida (9x24) – The one(s)... where everything is broken

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a DensiLand Analysis returns! (And thanks as always to ncislosangelesfan.com for all the screencaps!)

Even I can’t believe it’s been 4.5 seasons(!) since I wrote & posted one of these. It’s a testament to 1) how burnout I was from the incredibly long “The Frozen Lake” (5x10) effort and 2) how life can change.

Before we jump into the episode, I want to express my gratitude to the entire cast, crew, etc. for creating these incredible episodes, episodes that have been sorely missed in regard to their quality, entertainment, storytelling, conflict, action, and so much more. It made me remember everything I loved about this show and characters.

So why these episodes & this post now? This all stems from our incredible @wikideeks team and our reviewer Karen. I was so excited to share my comments on these episodes on her review post. I found I couldn’t stop writing! It grew far beyond what was appropriate for a simply “comment” and I immediately felt that pull to write this post - almost exactly the same feeling that drove me to start this blog in the first place! Just know it’s not as chronological and detailed as my previous posts grew to be, as they had gotten out of control. (Plus, I wanted the most important stuff IMHO at the end!)

Preparing for the episodes - In seeing who was writing & directing these, I was excited! Then I thought, "Oh no, Military! What is he going to do to them this time?!" Like others said, where has THIS pair of episodes been all season?! THIS is the quality you get from people who have "institutional memory", who have been there from the start and can pull from the mountain of backstory. What an epic reminder of what this show has been and still can be. The rest of this I'll break into categories & characters.

HANDICAMS - Like someone else said, it was too erratic this time. Were they different cameras or the operators running? It was too jarring. Callen's pursuit with no music, which I'm sure was a purposeful choice, didn't just feel like NOT their show, but also not a professional network show at all. Weird.

(Simply because this photo should be posted.)

2 HOURS! - It was a glorious NCISLA movie that so many of us have longed for! Definitely worth it. Quality from top to bottom!

MOSELEY - Let’s just get this out of the way, as I don't want to spend much time on her. Initially, I expected they were pulling a "Granger" - hate him at first and then grow to love him. Nope. Not even an inkling. This character &/or actress (???) were consistently abhorrent. (It probably even made some of us apologize for the times we were angry with Hetty.) Not only does Moseley (thus Ms. Long) need to go based on all of this character's out of line words and actions, but I also hope it's done in a spectacular way. No slinking out silently to raise her kid. No, this is deserving of a public shaming from the entire team and epic firing by Hetty (in her most bad-ass fashion)! Deeks and the rest of the team deserve to be avenged. (Can you tell I’ve gotten pulled into the Marvel Universe since my last post?)

HIDOKO - As to not be forgotten, even though we didn’t “see” her Hidoko deserves mention. Good actress, interesting character. But it really depends on what TPTB might have in store for her if I’m invested in having her back. She's probably alive, but either way I'm ok. (But if she's dead did it have to be in such a graphic way?!)

ISSUE OF CHARACTER - I loved the continued thread of "character", as like Karen, I immediately had a flashback to Deeks & Sam's conversation over the chess game on the stakeout. Seriously, how do you question Callen's character? (Even Callen wonders this...)

SAM - They kept making such an issue of his continuous bleeding and I don't think it was just due to his slowing down/not keeping up with this case. It feels like there will be something more with this. It's no surprise he wanted to go after the kid, based on his own, and I like how he acknowledged the entire team was in this together. I'm curious why Moseley didn't snap at him the way she did Deeks.

FIRED - Yeh, that happened. (See the Surf Log over at wikiDeeks - tough to keep so short, thus this here!) I think we’ve all been waiting for a season or so for this too happen. Whether it was from Granger losing patience, LAPD pulling another stunt, or who knows what else, this had been foreshadowed for quite awhile However, the reason for this was outrageous, as there was no real basis other than Moseley pitching a hissy fit. (Reign it in Gayle!) Yet, like Deeks I was still utterly shocked.

For a moment. For some reason knowing Hetty was still there gave me confidence and peace that the decision would be reversed. Eventually. (And yes, a rascal indeed!)

Also, I don’t get why no one else on the team defended Deeks. That was disappointing. This was a very different reaction than when Callen turned in his badge.

Can we also appreciate this Tyra Banks-like “Smeyes” (pronounced Smize) from Deeks/ECO? Knowing he can testify against her (& with Kensi as a witness) is all we need as faith that he’ll be back.

BROKEN TEAM/PLANE SCENE - Skipping ahead, (don’t worry I’ll come back to “The Garage”) I actually loved the plane scene, of seeing them all at odds with each other as 1) it's something that rarely happens, especially at the same time and 2) creates the intrigue of how they come back together.

(Thoughts about Silent Kensi are ahead!)

(Who else shouted & did a fist pump when they saw Deeks emerging from the car? What? Oh that was just me? I bet if you’re reading this you did too!)

Yet, based on what had happened, sadly there was no way this was a happy reunion. If anything, it just ramped up. The tension in that fuselage was combustible!

Call me a “raging optimist” (like my BFF does about me with my honors students, even though that’s the opposite from my natural default), as it applies here. Even when I see it with my own eyes faith springs eternal when considering Densi. They’ve invested too much for too long for it to be otherwise.

This single utterance, “I’m still your partner. At least one last time.” Ouch! A punch right in the feels! The bittersweetness of this possibly being their last mission together.... NO. Absolutely not. I am not having it! So let’s unpackage this:

His words might initially just sound like carrying out his responsibility (even though he’s technically fired) of being Kensi’s partner, of “having her back”. It’s so much more. I know you Deeks; I’ve got your number! It’s simply be a pained cover for his unwillingness to leave Kensi.

He used the word “partner”. We all know how much that term actually carries, and it’s far beyond their work pairing, even if that was the jab he was taking. The other word holding a lot of weight here is “last”. Is this Deeks drawing a line in the sand (stay with me) specifically to get Kensi to see how serious he is and to force her to consider “their” finality? If so, this is a risky move in knowing how Kensi can’t be forced into anything.

Speaking of...

THE GARAGE SCENE

DENSI - That scene. Those actors. This is the brilliance that brought me (& probably you!) to them. I know so many people are just longing for the "happily ever after". In the long run yes. Yet if you know anything about me (from this blog), I'm a fan of the long-run, the journey, of overcoming obstacles. I've become accustomed to having the minority viewpoint on this.

Some comment they thought Densi was already past this topic. While yes, it's been a regular subject, I don't recall (like Deeks) there being any firm conclusion. Perhaps people aligned the engagement with agreement regarding kids and “getting out”, when that's clearly not the case. What they showed us were each of them being at absolute odds/opposite ends of a spectrum with each other. When in order for them to be together is a compromised (not like Kensi referred) negotiated middle ground. A happy medium if you will. I understand having kids does tend to be an absolute; however, the when, where, how, etc. are fluid.

DEEKS - Dear Lord, when Deeks uttered, "I don't think we should be getting married." - the tormented look on ECO's face CRUSHED me. (BRILLIANT & BRAVO!) Deeks has only recently made firm moves & plans to get out. (Kensi has never been one to make personal choices quickly.) The events earlier in this case and season have seemed to only escalate this. To me, it feels like anxiety & fear are pushing Deeks to get them out "before it's too late". (Although the “knocked up” comment was wrong in so many ways.)

He’s now become desperate & pleeding. ECO gives us a Deeks who is coming undone, even beyond his post-torture recovery - & it’s beautifully vulnerable.

This may feel smothering to Kensi who isn't YET there. (He's always been ahead of her with their 'ship.) As always he was willing to work through it before he’s pulled away. Still, he gives us hope: HE GETS TO THE PLANE. He gets to her.

KENSI - Yes, I left her for last, because again if you know anything about me, Kensi's my girl, a character I can relate to in too many ways. So here's my defense of Kensi.

First, it's too easy to project onto her in the garage as she says very little in the middle of the discussion. Silence it tough to interpret accurately without infusing your own beliefs. Second, that silent characteristic is pure Kensi. She withdrew, just as she has so many times before. Here, huge kudos to DR, as she isn’t able to rely on words, but instead must carefully express non-verbally to convey Kensi’s thoughts & feelings.

Some might be angry that Kensi hasn't "evolved" past this, but in unexpected situations we naturally gravitate back to what we know, what is customary to us. Kensi simply reverted to her natural default. She was struggling to handle everything Deeks was putting on her in that moment and I believe was working to try to get a grasp on the warring thoughts racing through her mind.

Third, someone else commented that maybe she has for some reason learned she can't have kids. Intriguing, but a stretch in my mind. As if this was true I'd suspect she'd feel driven to tell Deeks. Why? Out of fear he would leave her and she had to know, had to get it over with. I prefer to read this as fear that maybe she won't get pregnant; that this would make her feel like a failure to herself and Deeks. She (&/or he) would feel so ashamed then THAT will make them fall apart. She's trying to get in front of a potential future situation that might not even be reality - at least as far as we factually know at this point.

She's silently screaming, as her very worst fear is coming true: She believes he's leaving her. While Deeks' initial words might lead to that thought, that's not really what he's saying. (And he says that!) He needs (they both do) to work through this topic before they get married.

Kensi's turning to go back to the job, yelling at him about her job, of who she is, is "just" her reverting back to what is known, solid, and safe - her job. Her job that won't change. Her job that won't betray her. The one thing that's always been there for her to escape to. Something that makes her feel proud, satisfied, and fulfilled. A job that very rarely puts personal, feeling demands on her.

Finally, let's not forget in the field she screams at him, "We stay together." While it might have been in the heat of the mission, those words extend far beyond their professional partnership - just as Deeks’ final lines in the plane. This is the fight in Kensi, the grit of doing whatever is necessary, even if it's painful to get to resolution. (Think of how much time & effort she put into tracking down her father's killer.) And just as Deeks got to her in the plane, she didn’t get on the chopper; she stayed with Deeks.

Yes, she’s angry. But is she really angry at Deeks? Maybe on the surface. But it’s just as likely she’s frustrated with herself of not being able to find a way to get out/to see beyond this job, of not having worked this out solidly with Deeks before this point, of having walked away from him earlier. We know an angry, fighting Kensi isn’t going to let anything get in her way; the struggle is perhaps her biggest obstacle is herself. Yet she’s able to break out, even if it’s verbal lashing demanding that she & Deeks stay together on the ground. This shows us she's not willing to really walk away or lose Deeks.

For all the times their ‘ship has “appeared” more one-sided, of Deeks being the one chasing after Kensi, here we get the opposite. (We’ve seen it before, but more quietly & casually, like when she was trying to see him after the torture, when he was in jail, even when he’d been shot & in the hospital.) Her single line is all the hope I needed. (Hope from Kensi Blye, who woulda thunk?!)

ONE LINGERING ASPECT - There's one thing I am struggling to come to terms with. Kensi has seen Deeks having been tortured, of temporarily walking away from the job once. We know he somewhat came back to NCIS because of her, but did she think it would be that simple? That all of these near-misses would have no impact on him? (Remember Nate said the trauma is physically & psychologically cumulative.) That he's made of the same steel that she is? That he would simply bounce back (again)? She lives like she's bulletproof even though she's already been proved otherwise (coma). If it could happen to her, wouldn't the same hold true for Deeks? Does this not also scare her?

Seems strange, especially for a daughter who lost her own father at a pretty early age. How has she not considered that for her own future and that of a potential child/children? As someone who experienced this loss myself, I personally would work to avoid that at all costs.

CLIFFHANGER - I actually like this, not knowing what's going to happen. Of course that's maybe because this show has trained me to expect a positive outcome (eventually). There are so many potential permutations and combinations of outcomes to consider and keep us invested over the summer - something that's been sorely lacking the past couple of years. So I say, "BRAVO!"

Finally, as fate would have it, today my daily lunchtime Dove Dark Chocolate wrapper contained, "Keep them guessing." As Deeks would reply, "Done."

-------------------------------- P.S. As for all the swirling rumors of ECO leaving fully or partially, until he says, who truly knows. While I personally subscribe to an “all in or all out” mentality, the man has to live his life. Yes, he has a family to support (which is easier with a full-time gig), but it also has to be a life well-lived. We all have dreams and aspirations, work to avoid stress and boredom - celebrities included. For him to go into a recurring role, would be disappointing and lessen both the show and Densi. I would never be happy for us to lose Deeks. (The only support I’ll put here is for DR & Kensi; she was here before Deeks and is a complex and compelling independent character in her own right. She doesn’t need Deeks or any other man to be a significant individual character.) ECO & Deeks leaving completely would be devastating, something I personally refuse to consider.

#NCIS Los Angeles #ncis la #NCIS: Los Angeles #NCIS: LA #NCIS:LA #densiland #densi #deeks #Marty Deeks #kensi blye #deeks x kensi #Eric Christian Olsen #Daniela Ruah

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thejakeformerlyknownasprince · 6 years

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What would u say are the best and worst book narrated by each character ?

I sat down to come up with my least favorite book by each narrator and had a pretty easy time of it — there’s an unfortunate dip in quality in the series around #39 - #43 that I can point to as definitely not my faves — and then ended up totally baffled by how to choose JUST ONE favorite book by each narrator, because such a task is almost impossible. In conclusion, I really love Animorphs, as you probably never would have guessed from reading this blog. So, with a little cheating, here goes:

Tobias

Least favorite: #43, The Test

The plot of this book pretty much requires that all of the characters, but most notably Rachel and Jake, act in ways that really don’t fit with their behavior for the rest of the series. My cynical hypothesis about What Was The Ghost Even Thinking rhymes with schmender schtereotyping, but even if I more kindly assume that everyone was just acting strange to jerk Taylor around, I can’t really enjoy this book.

Favorite: #49, The Diversion

Tobias’s point of view works so well for this book, because its plot draws attention to his status as a partial outsider not only for human society as a whole but also for his team. He’s literally trapped in a liminal space that here actually gives him a lot of perspective on his friends’ families — and the importance of sticking close to his own. (And by that I mean 93% Ax, 7% Loren.)

Other favorite: #23, The Pretender

Speaking of Tobias being sort of stuck between roles, this book is so good because it shows the strength of his position as both able to access and able to escape being human. He moves flexibly between a ton of different roles in this book — a leader to the hork-bajir, a supporter to Jake, a parent to himself, a son to Elfangor, a quasi-hawk, a quasi-human, a quasi-andalite — and does so with astounding grace and aplomb. Resting bitchface has never seemed like a cooler accidental superpower.

Another favorite: #33, The Illusion

This book is the brutal shadow-self to #23, instead shutting Tobias out of a whole bunch of different roles over the course of the plot. It does however contain one of the series’s best villains (Taylor is terrifyingly sympathetic) and some of its best moments of heartwarming body horror in the final battle.

Least favorite: #8, The Alien

Honestly, there’s nothing really wrong with this book, but there’s nothing amazingly right about it either. It has a few great moments (Jake’s naïve optimism at the kandron’s destruction giving way to fear for Tom, Ax having dinner with Cassie’s family, Tobias definitely not tattling on Ax) but overall the plot is just kind of inane and doesn’t do much to move the series forward.

Favorite: #38, The Arrival

Estrid et al. act as such a cool check-in for not only how much Ax has grown as a person through spending too much time around humans, but also how much the team as a whole has grown until they are actually more effective warriors than a group of battle-trained andalite assassins. Every time I reread this book I end up making noises of triumph and fist-pumping the air, no matter how public my location is at the time.

Favorite favorite: #46, The Deception

This plot hinges on the stark contrast between Ax’s terrible and unavoidable awareness about the horror of open war and the Animorphs’ lack of standard of comparison beyond “hey, remember D-Day?” MM3 and #28 both do important work to condemn humanity from the outside, but this book actually uses Ax’s perspective primarily for celebrating the whole human species from an outsider’s point of view.

Marco

Least favorite: #40, The Other

As I’ve mentioned here, at this book’s core is an interesting concept that very emphatically does not age well. On top of the cringe-inducing attempt at an After School Special treatment of the idea that (*gasp*) queer men with AIDS are human too, it also has a largely nonsensical plot that strains both credulity and logic.

Favorite: #25, The Extreme

It’s a brilliant use of Marco’s perspective to comment on the constraints and terrifying outer reaches of Jake’s leadership, one that also contains a highly enjoyable mix of humor and horror. Because Marco. I could reread this one a thousand times and still find new aspects of the narration to delight in.

Also favorite: #15, The Escape

This book makes amazing use of Marco’s unreliable narration and lack of self-insight to contrast his willingness to imagine himself confronting sharks with his willingness to run from them upon a real encounter, along with his determination to kill his mom and his inability to stop himself from saving her. Marco is at his most human in this book, and also his most lovable.

Also also favorite: #51, The Absolute

The governor of probably-California is one of my favorite minor characters in the series, and I absolutely love the dynamic between Marco-Tobias-Ax any time it occurs (this book, #46, #30, #49), meaning that this surprisingly fun aside acts as a much-needed breath of fresh air and comic relief in between the Animorphs losing the morphing cube (#50) and blowing up the Yeerk Pool (#52). Plus, Marco + tank = OTP.

Cassie

Least favorite: #39, The Hidden

I’ve said most of this before, but this book is just… nonsensical. And it’s not delightfully nonsensical like parts of #26 or #14, it’s mostly cringe-inducingly nonsensical.

Favorite: #29, The Sickness

Arguably this is the best Animorphs book, both IMHO and by fan consensus. It’s got a simple but devlishly difficult plot, a ton of great characterization moments for all six kids, a handful of brilliant devices and settings that meld beautifully to Cassie’s overall character arc, and a wide-reaching perspective on the importance of overcoming difference that is a huge part of what makes these books so good. It’s also funny, horrifying, edge-of-your-seat engaging, and tear-inducingly beautiful at the very end.

Also my favorite: #4, The Message

Whereas #29 is probably just hands-down the best book ever written, #4 holds a special place in my heart because it’s the first Animorphs book I ever read and the one that convinced me to go find the rest of the series. This one is sweet and mystical, bleak with the dawning realization that these poor defenseless cinnamon rolls are in this war alone but also hopeful with the realization that these precious cinnamon rolls are in this war together.

Jake

Least favorite: #47, The Resistance

Although I’m of the opinion that #41 is more poorly-plotted, this book manages to be both poorly plotted and glaringly racist. Its plot doesn’t make sense on several different levels, not the least that Visser Three knows how to find the hork-bajir valley in this book and then apparently forgets how to get there for the entire rest of the series. And don’t get me started on Jake’s reprehensible behavior from the moment he casually declares Tom “as good as dead,” through to him trying to boss Toby about what’s best for Toby herself, all the way on to him being a jerk to Rachel and Marco. Blah.

Favorite: #31, The Conspiracy

Unlike #47, this book actually makes really good use of Jake’s character flaws to drive the plot forward — he’s bad at being vulnerable, and that ends up being a huge problem for his team. It also leans hard on the irony of Jake being the only one with a “textbook” family (i.e. upper-middle class, heteronormative and monogamous, European-American, traditionally gendered, outwardly happy) and also being the only one under constant threat for his life any time he’s at home, thereby accomplishing one of the series’s better comments on the fact that children’s lives aren’t as simple as we’d like to think.

Favoriter: #53, The Answer

There are definitely flaws with RL implications in this book, but the plot is so freaking brilliant that I can still regard it as a Problematic Fave. The final battle is so well-engineered and the Moral Event Horizon is so terrifying as it swings by that I assign this book to myself for rereading any time I’m struggling to write action or battle. It’s a scary, awful book, but also a very fitting capstone to the series.

Favoritest: #26, The Attack

This setting is so cool. This plot is so cosmic and yet so personal. This use of the chee is so bitingly brilliant in its commentary on pacifism as a luxury not everyone can afford. This story has so many moments that are either heartbreaking callbacks (the opening scene with Tom’s memories from #6) or bloodcurdling foreshadowing (Jake and Rachel’s casually absolute trust that each will be willing and able to kill the other if necessary). This narration feels like a middle-aged and yet middle-school protagonist struggling to figure out who he wants to be — and defeating a cosmic power at its own game with the power of love. I could gush forever.

Rachel

Least favorite: #48, The Return

Again, there’s nothing truly wrong with this book; it’s just a silly and inconsequential aside into the main character’s maybe-dreams at a time when the plot outside her head is heating up to the boiling point. It makes this whole thing come off kind of like Bilbo sleeping through the Battle of Five Armies.

Favorite: #27, The Exposed

I’m not normally a big one for romance, but this book makes me ship Rachel and Tobias so hard that my tiny bitter walnut of a heart grows two sizes every time I read it. Rachel has such great self-awareness that she doesn’t like any situation she cannot control or at least do violent battle against, and yet she dives into the bottom of the ocean with both eyes open and her chin up because that’s what she has to do to protect the rest of her team. Crayak has no idea what he’s talking about when it comes to asking her to turn on her loved ones.

Additional favorite: #32, The Separation

As I’ve said, I didn’t really get this book until I realized that it’s not so much about Rachel herself as it is about how the rest of her team views her, and how she defies their simple categorizations, both well-meaning (Cassie) and not (Jake), through simply being herself. Rachel is both masculine and feminine, both tough and vulnerable, and she makes no apologies for any of it.

And another favorite: #37, The Weakness

This book has an important role for the rest of the series in that it shows how the Animorphs’ guerilla tactics can easily be taken too far, and also how Jake’s discernment of his teammates’ strengths and weaknesses keeps them all alive. Rachel makes a fair number of logical-seeming decisions in this book that prove short-sighted, and of course it all leads to her and Jake’s brutal Checkovian epiphany at the end.

Added additional also favorite: #22, The Solution

A brutal but powerful read, this book focuses on the ugliest parts of Rachel’s personality (her sadism toward David) but also the most powerful ones (her compassion for Saddler and protectiveness toward both Jake and Jordan). It also shows that her reckless taste for violence and her boundless desire to protect her families both biological and found are actually two sides of the same part of her personality.

Okay I have a lot of favorite Rachel books: #17, The Underground

It’s oat-freaking-meal. Only it’s not just oat-freaking-meal, and I’m not talking about the extra-tasty maple and ginger flavoring. It’s a biological weapon. It’s a way to harm the enemy, but only through harming prisoners of war. It’s a social dilemma the like of which we rarely see in children’s books. It’s a lesson in decision making under uncertainty. It’s a moral imperative, but no one is quite sure what that imperative is saying. It’s a deconstruction of the implied assumption that it’s possible to write adventure stories in which no one gets hurt. It’s awesome. It’s hilarious. It’s disturbing as fuck. Welcome to Animorphs.

#animorphs #narration #animorphs meta #asks #answers #anonymous #rachel berenson #jake berenson #tobias fangor #aximili-esgarrouth-isthill #be really nice if cassie and marco had last names wouldn't it #k.a. applegate is a god #the rest of us just worship her

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furederiko · 7 years

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1st post for the month of August 2017! And it's the 'Clash of the Reds'. Yes, a belated write up for Kyuranger episode 24!!!

NOTE: This recap-view is for the episode that aired on Sunday, August 6th, 2017 07:30 JST. It was initially meant to be published last week, just a few days after it was broadcasted (precisely on August 8th). Unfortunately, the plan got sort of derailed. Long story short... the social media detox that was only planned to last for a week, got unexpectedly extended for another because I was bedridden afterwards. So yeah, hence the long delay. But not to worry, recap-view for episode 25 will arrive very soon to make up for that!

- Assuming the show will be 48-49 episodes in total, that means it's officially around its halfway point. Yes, eventhough things are already feeling so heavy and serious, we still have HALF a season to go from here! NOTE: If it's 48 episodes in total, that means this episode marks the end of the first half. If it's 49, then the next one (episode 25) serves that purpose. - We should know by now that Kyuranger isn't the type of show that likes to drag plot points. This episode is just another solid proof of that. Just three episodes in, and Tsurugi's facade of bravado has been peeled away, revealing a more sentimental true personality. Interestingly, we also get to see him struggling with memories of the past. I wonder if it's in a way, implying that Tsurugi is suffering from a... war PTSD? O_O. In order to get to the bottom of this, he needs to know 'the truth'. Thus, he sends out Spada and Raptor on an important mission. Which of course, also serves as the show's usual excuse for characters to be absent from the episode. Not that I'm complaining... - But the two aren't the only ones who need to be... benched out. This episode is clearly a double focus for the Reds, as they try... or rather, 'forced' to work out their differences. Hence... it doesn't even take long for everyone else (sans Commander Xiao, who stayed on the Rebellion) to get literally swallowed by our MotW, Malistrate Gabbler! IMHO, this right hand of Tecchu is a scary MotW that should really have had higher rank in the Shogunate. Why? With his ability alone, he actually succeeds in taking down SEVEN Kyurangers all at once! WOW, right? - Anyways, eventhough he doesn't approve Tsurugi as Kyuranger at first, Lucky begins to... sense there's something 'wrong' with Tsurugi. Commander Xiao wisely helps him realize, that the 'legendary hero' tends to act the complete opposite to his words. Proof? Tsurugi's boasting about immortality, eventhough he had already lost that ability before his cold-sleep. And hearing a holographic projection of Don Armage making fun of his fallen comrades, causes him to lose his composure. Symbolizing that inspite of his words that dismissed them as 'expendables', he actually CARED for them. Also, he's telling the Kyurangers to be his shield, yet he's the one who does that to protect Lucky! Oh the irony... - Speaking of being a 'shield', the show introduces a new character in this episode: Kuervo (VA: Daisuke Namikawa, who previously voiced Engine Speedor in Go-Onger). He's one of Legendary 88 Warriors that represented the Corvus Constellation System, their strategic advisor, and also a personal close friend to Tsurugi. He was the one whom Tsurugi refered to as 'sacrificed his life for him', during the battle against Don Armage in the past. Thus obviously, he's the one responsible for leaving behind a deep 'scar of friendship' in Tsurugi's heart. Fun Trivia: The word 'Cuervo' is actually the Spanish word for 'Raven/Crow'. And yes, in case you're unaware, Corvus is the Crow Constellation! So as always, TOEI isn't even trying to be subtle when it comes to names. LOL. - Intriguingly, assuming Kuervo's truly dead, then that means there's only one sole candidate who might end up becoming the new Don Armage: Olion (whom you can see using a sword and a mostly white outfit in the flashback scene). Remember my theory that proposes Olion as the Darth Vader of the show? This reveal just adds that notion. Then again, we never really witness Kuervo's body (just like Scorpio) as well, so anything's still possible here. Beside, we also know how that much-hated Jedi eventually became Vader? Meaning we can't rule out anyone yet, because the rule of death is pretty much flexible in science-fiction. - Lucky challenges Tsurugi to share his story (get it? his-story? XD), even if just to put them both on the same page. Instead, that makes him understand the reason behind his stand-off-ish demeanor: Tsurugi simply doesn't want to sacrifice any more comrades in battle. Aaaaaw... T_T. That's why he wants to deal with Gabbler and Tecchu alone. So yeah, someone's definitely having a lone survivor syndrome! Tsurugi even proves that point, by taking Lucky's Leo Kyu Globe as hostage, to prevent him from joining the fight. Fun fact: I just realized. True to his 'Soldier' namesake, Tsurugi is acting like a drill-sergeant. Showing all tough and mighty bravado on the front, but secretly tries to protect his comrades. He even has his share of warfare PTSD. That's a really good angle right there. - Due to the duration, of course said twist doesn't last long. Tsurugi gets into a fickle due to his previous wounds, and Xiao and Lucky arrive to save the day. The younger Red then proposes a new 'system' to Tsurugi's face: "If the current saviors... and the old savior work together... We... can create a new legend!". So yeah, ignoring the fact that it might have arrived a tad too quickly (I WAS expecting more resistance and stubborness)... the 'Rivalry of the Reds' has been resolved. It shouldn't come off as too surprising though, as Draco Commander says it best... "Say what they will, these two get along pretty well.". Indeed, they ARE actually two of a kind. Probably the reason why they're both Red, right? LOL. - While Draco Commander distracts Tecchu, the duo works together to free the other Kyurangers. Good timing, because they are all (including the mechanical ones like Balance and Champ, the joke's on them) almost on the verge of having all their life energy drained! With none of them being fit enough to join the fight (thus preventing any of the mecha sans Gigant Phoenix to be used), it's up to the Reds to handle the giant battle as well. Taking down Gabbler is easy, but what can they do when Tecchu decides to tag along? That's when a miracle occurs. Or in the words of Tsurugi, "It's about to be truly legendary!". - Yes, the other 10 Change Kyu Globes (including those of Spada's and Raptor's... who are busy tinkering around with a lever-like contraption) join the battle in their own free will! They boost the power of Leo Voyager and Phoenix Voyager, thus forming... the 12 Kyu Globes combination, Kyutamajin. Gotta admit, it's a rousing and exciting sequence. As for the robot itself, when I first saw the catalogue picture, I thought the new combo looked weird and odd. But now that I've known the concept and seen it in action, saying I've warmed up to it would be a huge understatement. Because I'm actually DIGGING this combination! Sure, some parts still looks a bit awkward (like the giant ball on top of the head), but this is a smart design, that unites all 12 heroes in one mecha without overdoing it. And this is coming from a guy who actually liked those messy-complicated clusterfuck formation in Go-Onger and last year's Zyuohger. LOL. In a way, it's a solid mecha. - The problem is, only the two Reds are using Kyutamajin! And knowing how the internet works, this has surely rubbed some fans in the wrong way. Of course, since this episode aired two weeks ago (once again, this recap-view is a week late), everyone should know by now that there's a logical reason to why only Leo Red and Phoenix Soldier are sharing the control of this mecha: because the others are being saved for episode 25! LOL. Then again, it's not like the Reds aren't hinting about it throughout this episode. I mean, they ARE repeatedly asking the tune of, "Can we really move it with just the two of us?". They're not even being subtle about it. I guess impatient fans wouldn't be able to see these hints past their complains, huh? LOL. NOTE: Kyutamajin isn't even using its ultimate finisher in this episode. "Kyutamajin! Meteor Booster!" is a just a secondary attack that only manages to take down Gabbler. Don't forget, Tecchu is still at large! - Tsurugi officially joins the team, as proven by his Kyuranger License. Yep, the one that Kotarou delivered for the team at the start of the episode. Something that even Xiao hasn't owned before (hence why he 'forgot' all about it, huh? LOL). It's nice to see all 12 onboard the same ship, right? Hold on, the question here is... what about Spada and Raptor? - Turns out, they are in Planet Tocky of the Horologium System, in search of the Horologium Kyu Globe. Why? Because Tsurugi wants to use it... to travel back in time, and see with his very own eyes, what really 'happened' to Don Armage. Yep, time travel is the show's next big arc! And this discussion comes at the right time, because Spada and Raptor pop up on the communication screen with a 'distress call'. Why? Because something is going on in the Planet that can't be handled by only the two of them... A few additional notes before I wrap this up: - Bandai Japan released a Special "Henshin Series" episode after this episode was aired. And it was.... hillarious as always! I thought the company was going to release one after every episode (they should, tbh), so it was a bit of a bummer when the series stopped four months ago in episode 6 (following Mr. Pega's short-lived debuted). The fact that the previous extra members (Xiao and Kotarou) haven't had their time in the spotlight yet, also added to the disappointment. So obviously, the arrival of this special episode was more than just a pleasant surprise. That's right, because all extra members get their chance to show off! Interestingly, this video didn't include Phoenix Soldier's henshin pose. Does this mean we'll be getting another one in the future? Especially with that rumored new transformation gadget? Here's hoping... - More movie scenes can be seen in the opening, as well as the new trailer that debuted after the episode. There were two standouts from them. First, Leo Red is using Herakles Kyu Globe in the movie, to somehow deal with the Kerberos one. Second, there are obvious scenes hinting that Commander Xiao is killed in the movie. Remember, this is Japan and their habit of spoiling things in advance. Eventhough the movie is doing really good! Then again, should we really believe that Xiao is dead? I seriously doubt it. Just look at what happened to the Kamen Rider Ghost's summer movie last year... LOL. - Haruka Tateishi (Amu of last year's Zyuohger) is giving an exclusive on-location tour for Kyuranger's G-Rosso action show. Go ahead and see it, it's all kinds of fun. Makes you eager to see her character returning to meet the Kyurangers in the upcoming Versus Movie, right?

Overall: Tsurugi's 4-part debut arc has come to a close. Thanks to the show's swift pacing, it didn't take long for the legendary soldier to get grounded and humbled down. Even his signature arrogance has already been taken down more than a notch, revealing a more painful and broken nature. I love how he and Lucky seems to exhibit contrasting personality from one another, while in actuality, they are still the same color. Yes, the conflict between them got resolved a little too quickly for my taste. Then again, it also proved my point that they are basically two of a kind. And in a way, Tsurugi was welcomed to the team in an organic manner, so I'm not complaining. Overall, a great albeit imperfect episode, with a stunning but equally imperfect debut for a new mecha combination. But that's because the next episode will be... something else! You'll see... Next week: Prepare for tissue, because Kotarou is giving us all the feels! PS: Expect the recap-view for Episode 25... in just a few hours from now! ;D

Episode 24 Score: 8 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: August 15th, 2017 - Version 2.10. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

#tokusatsu #SuperSentai #kyuranger #uchu sentai kyuranger #uchuu sentai kyuranger #review #melancholymoments #friendship

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makersteve · 6 years

Text

This build guide contains the out of the box upgrades I highly recommend for any CR-10.

This is my second CR-10S – the first I upgraded from a CR-10 to an S. I bought this “used” from the 3d-printer-online store on eBay. The box arrived with broken glass but 3d-printer-online quickly agreed to send me a new one. Total cost was under $300.00 with some fixin’s I had to apply.

Being used, this printer definitely had an easter egg hidden within (which we can discuss later), but I definitely benefited from someone else’s misfortune.

New on Amazon, they can be had for a little over $500.00 with free shipping.

Difficult: Easy

Price: $300ish used, $500ish new.

Time to complete: 1-3 hours (there will be some troubleshooting)

Print Area: 300x300x400mm (great size for the money.)

Features: Insulated Heated bed, Great Creality stability, Resume on power-failure, Flexible, Removable Print Surface, Ready to print!

Satisfaction: Complete!

Mandatory (IMHO) 3D Printed Upgrades

Cable clip

Pressure fitting Clip

Basic Stringing Test – For Testing!

Recommended Tools

PTFE Cutter

Digital Level

Digital Micrometer

Recommended Parts/Supplies

WD-40 Specialist Dirt and Dust Resistant Dry Lube

Loctite Blue Stick, Medium Strength Thread Locker

CR-10/S Aluminum Extruder

Metric nut and screw assortment

Hatchbox PLA Hatchbox PLA White (my favorite) Elmer’s Purple Glue Stick

In the box.. broken glass.

Cleaned up, slightly used

Control Box and Parts box.

A view of the control Box.

Gantry Assembly.

Parts in the box laid out.

First upgrade out of the box, fix the bed leveling, in accordance with https://makersteve.com/2018/10/02/a-tale-of-two-enders-bed-level-ender-3-fix/

Unscrew all four upgraded bed leveling wheels.

Top view of the hotbed plate.

Hey look! An insulated bed.

Get your Metric nut and screw assortment out.

Need four each M4 nuts for the leveling fix.

One on each screw coming through the hotbed.

All the way down and tight.

This one takes a little finesse, but it needs a nut also.

Sprint goes on before the hotbed strain relief.

Just like that.

Looks good.

Check the hotbed rollers, ensure eccentric nuts are snug but not too tight. The eccentric nuts are the 3 nuts shown, as you turn them, they tighten the rollers to the v-slot of aluminum extrusion that comprises the frame.

Make sure the bed sits flat, loosen the horizontal screws all the way around. You will probably find the bed wiggles and is not level when you push on a corner, we will fix that real quick. Stay with me.

Front and back.

Clamp one end to your work surface and tighen the opposite corner while pushing down, then tighen each corner working your way back to the clamp. Your frame should sit flat now.

This is a great opportunity to use some Loctite Blue Stick, Medium Strength Thread Locker. Just a dab on each screw.

Now put the three remaining springs back in place

Flip the hotbed over, holding the springs with all three hands and mate the hotbed back to the hotbed base.

Now place the gantry assembly on the base, it should balance.

Align the T-slot nuts as shown below so they properly seat in the v-slot of the frame. Ensure they are loosen enough for the T-slot nuts to properly engage and lock

Hold the bracket in place and snug it up, but not tight, yet.

Loctite up your screws that go in through the bottom.

Position the frame just off your table enough so you can get underneath, line up the holes and screw the base to the gantry assembly.

Like so.

Other side.

Now tighten the T-slot nuts on the bracket, left and right.

Assemble the spool holder

Connect to control box.

Break out some new filament and hang it.

Identify X-axis motor connector, X-axis endstop and Extruder.

Plug in extruder

X-axis endstop

X-axis motor

Identify the Z motor and cable(s). You will have two with a CR-10S, only one with a CR-10

Connect them to the motors.

Z-Axis motor connector and Z-axis endstop connector shown below.

Connect the X-axis endstop

Make sure it is inserted all the way.

Connect Z-axis motor

Connect Z-axis endstop

Find the two Y cables, on is for the motor, the other for the endstop.

Connect em up!

Connect the hotbed cable, it is keyed, once inserted, twist the locking ring.

Connect the hotend cable, it is keyed, once inserted, twist the locking ring.

Choose your voltage!

This is how I rock 220V in the USA!

Connect the filament sensor. If you don’t want to use it there will be a little chip that is on the end of the cable.

Tighten up and align the remaining rollers… use the eccentric nuts as shown. The rollers should not spin freely ones you are tight, do not over tighten.

Left side…

Right side…

Extruder assembly… they should all roll smoothly.

Let’s do some preventative maintenance on the hotend. This fix is based on The Hot End – Channel. I know this printer was used.. I know it was returned, there had to be a reason.

New printers from the factory come with gaps between the nozzle and the PFTE tubing.. I recommend fix this for brand new machines.

Loosen the hotend compression fitting

Heat up the hotend

Look at that… no good! It was leaking.

Look down the throat…

Jam some spare PTFE tubing through..

Yup.. there was a booger in there!

That was reason one this printer was returned.

Get out!

New nozzle in this case to ensure no issues. If you buy replacement nozzles, ensure they are for an MK-8 Hotend! Here they are on the Creality store on eBay.

Clip that PTFE back

All the way to the scarring on the tube.

Cool it down..

Add some WD-40 PTFE Dry Lube

Get some!

A little down the throat…

Let it dry

Catch the drippin’s!

Good to go!

Make sure you drive the PTFE deep.. don’t stop short of the nozzle.

Put the compression fitting on..

Tighten it up.

Jam it in there until it stops.

If you aren’t sure, use the small wrench to press down the compression lock and push some more.

Just like that…

Clip the extruder end.

Spray some PTFE dry lube on a napkin and wipe the tube..

Just a bit will do.

Look how far you need the PTFE to go into the compression fitting, don’t stop short.

Break out your connector locks and clips that were listed above.

Just need one.

Bad-a-bing!

Cable clips, I use four.

Gorgeous.

Let’s make sure it’s level and won’t bind! See this walk-thru for more detail on leveling

https://makersteve.com/2018/03/24/manually-leveling-your-creality-cr-10-or-cr-10s-or-just-about-any-marlin-based-3d-printer/

Check the surface the printer is sitting on.. yeah, I know.. OCD.

Align the gantry with the power off.. should match the upper horizontal of the frame.

Loosen the screws on that support the leadscrew.. they should just be snug, this will prevent binding.

Verify your lead screws are generally the same distance from the frame the whole way up.. left and right side.. I use three points, top, middle, bottom. Within a mm is good to go.

I level the bed to the lowest point of the hotend to ensure the tip does not hit the surface.

Manually test the motors and extruder, fan and hotend..

All three axis..

To test the extruder, you have to heat the hotend or a safety will not allow it to move.

Test the fan..

Heat up the nozzle…

Now move the extruder..

Ready to go..

I prepared a mirror to replace the broken glass as shown https://makersteve.com/2018/03/25/getting-your-print-to-stick-on-your-3d-printer/

Scratch it up!

Apply some Elmer’s Purple Glue Stick

Heat it up… feed it with filament, you are ready to go.

Not a bad first layer..

A little adjustment to retraction.

Great bottom layer.

That’s it.. I will go over Aluminum Extruder Installation shortly.

There is a ton of other useful stuff on Makersteve.com and more coming every week.

Be sure to check out my Ultimate Build Guide for Creality Ender 3

If you find this useful, please consider purchasing products through any of the links on the page, it’s free to you and I get a little something for my time. Or, just go shopping at Amazon or Ebay or Gearbest.

You can also support me through Patreon with as little as a dollar a month.

Happy Printing,

Steve

Ultimate Build Guide for Creality CR-10S / CR-10 – Step by Step – A MakerSteve Special Report This build guide contains the out of the box upgrades I highly recommend for any CR-10.

#3d printer #3d printer adhesion #3d printer assembly #3d printer leveling #3d printer troubleshooting #3d printing #3d printing 101 #3d printing for beginners #CR-10 #Cr-10 Upgrades #CR-10S #CR-10S Upgrades #how to 3d print

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lindamarionn · 6 years

Text

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It?

If you read my best toaster oven piece, then you know that I’m no stranger to them. I spent hours combing through what was on the market, eliminating the fluff, avoiding the “toaster” and focusing on the machines that would provide me (and those alike) the results, or requirements, I was looking for. What are those results, you ask? Well, for one, I’m not looking to toast bread. A toaster oven, which is really at this point a mini-oven, should be able to roast, broil (or sear), bake and even keep food warm. It needs to be able to fit more than a pizza and its controls must be variable enough that a chef (or an aspiring one) feels as though they have enough control that it allows for creativity within the kitchen. And that’s why The Brava is such a vexing product to me. And I mean that in the most humbling of ways. Call it a form of flattery through a side serving of negativity. But keep reading and you’ll learn why.

The Brava is No Ordinary Toaster Oven

The Brava is no ordinary oven. If you’re familiar with the June oven, then the Brava might make more sense to you. But this ain’t no June Oven, according to its CEO, his culinary masters and everyone working on the PR team. The Brava uses completely new technology and is focusing on food curation, and somehow (IMHO) appeals to both noobie cooks and those one chef knife bag away from being designated a professional. In fact, that’s what’s so confusing, or vexing about the Brava to me. I’m no chef, but I like to work my way around the kitchen, testing timing, adding ingredients and experimenting on how to enhance a recipe. Yes, the Brava still appeals to me. Why? Because it allows me to achieve simplicity if I so choose. Or I can opt for complexity. It’s sort of a choose your own adventure of ovens. Why?

How the Brava Oven Works

This is how the Brava works. It’s an oversimplification but bear with me. The Brava uses super powered bulbs that achieve infrared cooking (i.e. not conduction or convection cooking which tends to dry out foods by warming the surface or air). There are 3 bulbs on top and 3 on the bottom. Each bulb (aka heating element) can be controlled individually, unlike all toaster ovens on the market today. This means that you can have a variety of things (aka varying density) on one tray and cook ingredients to perfection. It’s an entirely new way of thinking about cooking in an oven. But not one that blows one’s mind. It’s more like “but of course, that only makes sense”. The folks at Brava (their expert chefs), on a single tray, made me a complete meal of salmon, tomatoes, and broccolini. They cooked it all at the SAME TIME and it was virtually perfect. First off, the team has spent a countless amount of hours testing a variety of ingredients to know what cooks in what amount time. As result, they’ve got a database that you can access directly from the machine’s touchscreen (it also has a smartphone app - duh). So, in this case, they were able to choose the aforementioned ingredients as a macro and hit the go button. But that’s not all: they’ve also got a thermometer that has 3 sensors in it. This got stabbed into the salmon and allowed me to select my internal desired temperature of medium rare. And best of all, because these bulbs produce instant heat and don’t require the air to be warm, so there is ZERO preheating. This means less energy usage and less time waiting. Music to my ears. Note: the Brava can bake. Which means it can heat the air. It does this using a combination of the heating elements, the fan, and the correct tray (there is 1 glass tray and 1 metal tray). Following that the Brava oven displays the predicted cooking time - in this case about 14 minutes - and adjusts according to the salmon’s internal temperature. In my case, it added about 2-3 minutes to the speculated time. This felt somehow calming on account of the fact that I knew what was happening and no guesswork was needed. And walla, the food was cooked and I was eating. The broccolini still had the right amount of snap, the salmon wasn’t dry and the tomatoes were juicy but not a soggy mess - no easy feat if you ask me. Cooking with light is the REAL DEAL.

What’s Next For Brava

Inside the Brava is a camera. But unlike the June Oven, they’re not trying to guess what you’ve placed in there…yet. However, as they build up their database and customer feedback - the Brava is connected to WiFi - they will add some machine learning into the mix. And while they don’t plan on identifying the foods you’re putting in the oven - largely because that’s a trivial matter - Brava does say they’ll soon be able to identify when food is burning and turn off or reduce heat. But snazzy tech aside, you, the expert chef, can still cook like one. And while Brava plans to partner with a food packer who will create prepackaged meals, you can individually select ingredients from the touchscreen and cook leverage its thermometer and knowledge-base to get things cooked just right. And if you’re like me, you know, as an expert and informed as you’re, there is no accounting for variable weights, thickness and sizes. Yet, the Brava can.

Brava Oven Final Thoughts

The Brava is not cheap. Anything but by comparison to the top end of most toaster ovens; it’s $995 on their website right now, but that’s a preorder price. It will increase to $1295 once the “early bird” pricing is over. When that will be, I don’t know. But I think they plan to ship the preorder units in November of this year, 2018. To be candid, I’ve never used such an advanced oven. There are a few manufacturers that are coming out with competitors, such as Meile’s Dialog oven. However, the Brava is more approachable, since it doesn’t require a professional or permanent install. And yes, the Brava will fit under most if not all counters.

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? is available on http://gadgetreview.com

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? published first on http://www.gadgetreview.com/ Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? posted first on http://www.gadgetreview.com/

0 notes

coniecoleman · 6 years

Text

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It?

The Brava is No Ordinary Toaster Oven

How the Brava Oven Works

What’s Next For Brava

Brava Oven Final Thoughts

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? is available on http://gadgetreview.com

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? published first on http://www.gadgetreview.com/ Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? published first on http://www.gadgetreview.com/ Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? published first on http://www.gadgetreview.com/

0 notes

lonniemanning · 6 years

Text

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It?

The Brava is No Ordinary Toaster Oven

How the Brava Oven Works

What’s Next For Brava

Brava Oven Final Thoughts

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? is available on http://gadgetreview.com

0 notes

jennifernail · 6 years

Text

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It?

The Brava is No Ordinary Toaster Oven

How the Brava Oven Works

What’s Next For Brava

Brava Oven Final Thoughts

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? is available on http://gadgetreview.com

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? published first on http://www.gadgetreview.com/

0 notes

gadget-reviews · 6 years

Text

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It?

If you read my best toaster oven piece, then you know that I'm no stranger to them. I spent hours combing through what was on the market, eliminating the fluff, avoiding the "toaster" and focusing on the machines that would provide me (and those alike) the results, or requirements, I was looking for. What are those results, you ask? Well, for one, I'm not looking to toast bread. A toaster oven, which is really at this point a mini-oven, should be able to roast, broil (or sear), bake and even keep food warm. It needs to be able to fit more than a pizza and its controls must be variable enough that a chef (or an aspiring one) feels as though they have enough control that it allows for creativity within the kitchen. And that's why The Brava is such a vexing product to me. And I mean that in the most humbling of ways. Call it a form of flattery through a side serving of negativity. But keep reading and you'll learn why.

The Brava is No Ordinary Toaster Oven

The Brava is no ordinary oven. If you're familiar with the June oven, then the Brava might make more sense to you. But this ain't no June Oven, according to its CEO, his culinary masters and everyone working on the PR team. The Brava uses completely new technology and is focusing on food curation, and somehow (IMHO) appeals to both noobie cooks and those one chef knife bag away from being designated a professional. In fact, that's what's so confusing, or vexing about the Brava to me. I'm no chef, but I like to work my way around the kitchen, testing timing, adding ingredients and experimenting on how to enhance a recipe. Yes, the Brava still appeals to me. Why? Because it allows me to achieve simplicity if I so choose. Or I can opt for complexity. It's sort of a choose your own adventure of ovens. Why?

How the Brava Oven Works

This is how the Brava works. It's an oversimplification but bear with me. The Brava uses super powered bulbs that achieve infrared cooking (i.e. not conduction or convection cooking which tends to dry out foods by warming the surface or air). There are 3 bulbs on top and 3 on the bottom. Each bulb (aka heating element) can be controlled individually, unlike all toaster ovens on the market today. This means that you can have a variety of things (aka varying density) on one tray and cook ingredients to perfection. It's an entirely new way of thinking about cooking in an oven. But not one that blows one's mind. It's more like "but of course, that only makes sense". The folks at Brava (their expert chefs), on a single tray, made me a complete meal of salmon, tomatoes, and broccolini. They cooked it all at the SAME TIME and it was virtually perfect. First off, the team has spent a countless amount of hours testing a variety of ingredients to know what cooks in what amount time. As result, they've got a database that you can access directly from the machine's touchscreen (it also has a smartphone app - duh). So, in this case, they were able to choose the aforementioned ingredients as a macro and hit the go button. But that's not all: they've also got a thermometer that has 3 sensors in it. This got stabbed into the salmon and allowed me to select my internal desired temperature of medium rare. And best of all, because these bulbs produce instant heat and don't require the air to be warm, so there is ZERO preheating. This means less energy usage and less time waiting. Music to my ears. Note: the Brava can bake. Which means it can heat the air. It does this using a combination of the heating elements, the fan, and the correct tray (there is 1 glass tray and 1 metal tray). Following that the Brava oven displays the predicted cooking time - in this case about 14 minutes - and adjusts according to the salmon's internal temperature. In my case, it added about 2-3 minutes to the speculated time. This felt somehow calming on account of the fact that I knew what was happening and no guesswork was needed. And walla, the food was cooked and I was eating. The broccolini still had the right amount of snap, the salmon wasn't dry and the tomatoes were juicy but not a soggy mess - no easy feat if you ask me. Cooking with light is the REAL DEAL.

What's Next For Brava

Inside the Brava is a camera. But unlike the June Oven, they're not trying to guess what you've placed in there...yet. However, as they build up their database and customer feedback - the Brava is connected to WiFi - they will add some machine learning into the mix. And while they don't plan on identifying the foods you're putting in the oven - largely because that's a trivial matter - Brava does say they'll soon be able to identify when food is burning and turn off or reduce heat. But snazzy tech aside, you, the expert chef, can still cook like one. And while Brava plans to partner with a food packer who will create prepackaged meals, you can individually select ingredients from the touchscreen and cook leverage its thermometer and knowledge-base to get things cooked just right. And if you're like me, you know, as an expert and informed as you're, there is no accounting for variable weights, thickness and sizes. Yet, the Brava can.

Brava Oven Final Thoughts

The Brava is not cheap. Anything but by comparison to the top end of most toaster ovens; it's $995 on their website right now, but that's a preorder price. It will increase to $1295 once the "early bird" pricing is over. When that will be, I don't know. But I think they plan to ship the preorder units in November of this year, 2018. To be candid, I've never used such an advanced oven. There are a few manufacturers that are coming out with competitors, such as Meile's Dialog oven. However, the Brava is more approachable, since it doesn't require a professional or permanent install. And yes, the Brava will fit under most if not all counters.

Brava Oven Review: Is Infrared Cooking for $995+ Worth It? is available on http://gadgetreview.com

0 notes