#legit one of my favorite s2 dynamics

[ovaryacted]

So I have a few thoughts about tonight’s episode of HOTD, just cause it wasn’t my favorite but I know it’s a build up of what’s to come. Either way, I will share them cause I can.

WARNING - S2 EP. 5 HOTD SPOILERS

Okay first let me start off by saying the cinematography of this show is otherworldly, very beautiful shots of Dragonstone and the sunset and everything. My eyes like it very much.

To that bitch that was saying “Behold Meleys…” or whatever the fuck, you better keep my girl’s name out of your mouth. Trust me, you will be dealt with. But anyways, my baby ain’t deserve that. Rip Rhaenys & Meleys, you were some real ones. 🫡

Aegon was really in the bed burnt to a crisp. I mean he reminded me of a side of baby ribs, all he was missing was some coleslaw and barbecue sauce to pair with it. And the fact that Aemond was just looking over him so smugly was crazy. He ate that though, he don’t give a fuck about his brother like damn, that’s cold.

Uhhh, I’m starting to feel a little bad for Alicent with how they’re casting her aside, but I also knew she wouldn’t be exempt from the sexism of the realm. I also think this was used as a way to show her parallels to Rhaenyra, where despite the fact she was supposed to rule the 7 kingdoms and was the chosen heir, sexism still fucks her over the way Alicent has fed into it and this is her karma, especially now that her side piece hurt her feelings.

Another parallel I know others caught was that one clip of Aegon/Alicent’s dynamic where Aegon legit calls for her (that made me so sad), and right after it jumped to Jace/Rhaenyra talking. Like damn, Alicent is a bad mom fr. ☹️

I would like to give one clap to Criston Cole for finally putting his job before pussy and thinking with his upstairs brain. He will never get his tens from me, but he ate that little thing up.

Aemond is so fine. That’s all I have to say on that. 🙏 (even though Helaena clocked his tea, I still want him).

Caraxes is so damn cute. I love the noodle very much and all of his noises.

Baela, my honey my sweet. That’s my fucking niece and y’all better respect her name. “I am blood and fire” You fucking are bae, you absolutely are. Humble your peepaw!

Jace be mugging down. Like everytime he’s on the camera, he starts mogging and serving face. Incredible, truly. Adore him. Why he kinda f- [GUNSHOT].

And last but not least, SOMEBODY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET DAEMON OUT OF HARRENHAL. HES FIGHTING DEMONS AND FUCKING THEM WHEN HE’S NOT SUPPOSED TO. HES TWEAKING OUT! SOMEBODY SAVE HIM! Sigmund freud can’t keep getting away with this!

Real shit though, I think it’s starting to sink in my head that Daemon is not a good person and he’s really showing his ass. And I think Ser Alfred is going to do some real bitch shit so I’m scared for that.

Anywho, I hope next week’s episode will be action packed and we get to see more dragons, more of my favs, and less of Daemon’s tweaking! These are my two cents. 🫡

[chirpsythismorning]

I feel like a big part of the reason Anti Bylers are so aggressive is because this is the first time in mainstream media where there's a chance that the main couple of the show may end up being mlm.

Not only is there a likelihood that the main couple will be gay, it will come after years of these fans assuming that the cliche, safe straight ship was going to sail from start to finish.

If you look at the "predictions" these individuals have for season 5, which honestly have less to do with narrative direction and more to do with what they want, you'll always catch a certain undertone to what they're saying:

"The heterosexual, white male audience is the default for media. We will allow the wlw ship, so long as it has limited screen time. We will accept Will surviving, and even allow him to have an acceptance arc. But you will not receive queer rep at the expense of a ship that we are nostalgic for. The straight male audience is the one that matters, and we will be represented by the main couple in the show."

My favorite is when they’re asked what they hope for Mike and El in s5, only to list off qualities of Mike and Will’s dynamic. I legit saw someone say that they hoped they finally took the time to talk through their problems (oh so you’re admitting they never do..) and that we’ll actually get to see them be a team…

Like, do you hear yourselves?

I would actually like to read off their play by play of how they imagine s5 going down. Not just their wishes but like what they literally imagine happening over the course of the season, episode by episode.

And I’m talking the confident milkvans ones that are like super hostile about it. I wanna see what they hypothesize will happen in early s5 related to Mike and El… I don’t think I could keep it together if it is anything along the lines of them instantly making up and being happy for the rest of the season… 😳🤣

They just don’t realize how dumb that sounds.

S4 created conflict and hasn’t settled it. It was considered the beginning of the end, meaning those parts are going to fit perfectly together. If Mike and El were lacking romantically more than ever before in s4, don’t expect that to change much…

And gentle reminder that rewatch value is everything. If milkvans have to skip 3 eps in s1 bc they’re not together or fighting, skip all of s2 bc they’re separated, skip most of s3 bc they broke up in the second episode, skip most of s4 bc they separated in the third episode…. What does that fucking tell you?? They are not being prioritized for rewatch value, that’s what. Whereas byler is. (Bylers also are capable of watching milkvan scenes religiously… I can’t say the same about milkvans being capable of handling more than one second of rewatching a byler scene. And it’s bc they know if they watch it the mental gymnastics they gotta go through to convince themselves nothing romantic is going on is near impossible…)

Byler endgame is going to make the rewatch for the entire series hit, while milkvans, even with a hypothetical endgame would probably watch s1 and s5 and say the rest doesn’t matter. Do they think that’s how the show is supposed to be watched?

With one season left, they should have been hoping that monologue wasn’t in s4, but instead s5. Bc now how can those two one up that? They simply can’t. It was put there to show that they’ll never progress beyond this point. Nothing will ever top it. This is as good as it gets and yet, they still lost. What should that tell you?

What are they gonna just repeat that monologue in s5, but have mike say it 20x and THIS TIME it works?? Yay? Like there’s literally nothing satisfying about that in the least.

Can’t say I wish bad for ppl that simply like Mike and El and are bummed that they’re starting to lose hope. That as a basic idea is like whatever. I don’t like seeing ppl sad. Even if I told off a milkvan directly, seeing them like feeling depressed afterwards, does make me feel bad.

But when it comes to the hostile ones, people literally resorting to harassing directly with complete strangers unprompted and threatening to dox, over people merely theorizing? Like?? Was it ever that serious?

If we’re so delusional and we’re just setting ourselves up for disappointment, why not wait to say I told you so when it’s all said and done, if you’re so sure? Why dedicate so much of your time trying to discourage people on the other side? Unless it somehow qualms doubts you have?…

What makes this whole situation such bullshit, is that if this were a queerbait situation, you still shouldn’t be out here being hurtful like literally spouting off how you can’t wait for people to experience getting queerbaited? Like it’s fucking weird? The prominence of queerbaiting is literally referring to show runners taking advantage of fans, making them think it’ll happen, even encouraging it, and then ripping it away, usually ending in a bury your gays situation. That is the norm in the industry and it’s only now within the last few years starting to change in mainstream.

The hypocrisy of it all, is that they think we should just accept what they believe is the only possibility, queer-bait. But you know if the roles were reversed, which they inevitably will be when s5 drops, they’re going to be playing the victim, saying nonsense like if queerbaiting is bad then so is straightbating!! and it’s just going to be so out of touch and pathetic.

It’s not the same. Whatsoever. And the fact that they can’t see that, that one result is lazy writing and one is epic subversion, and are literally making a mockery out of the situation, convinced they’re right bc they have history on their side and gays should just be used to never getting their way and THATS okay to them?

Like it’s almost painful to watch. Especially knowing the 180 they’re gonna pull when they end up in the situation they convinced themselves we were gonna be in.

[fearthhereaper]

Finally finished my The Originals rewatch and I have a few thoughts that I didn't have the first time I watched it, back when it was airing.

Klaus's character assassination in TO has been a well-known fact for years now so nothing new in that area. Klaus was my favorite character during my TVDU fangirl era even in spite of it all. He was by far the most interesting character to me, but I have to say that during the rewatch I found myself enjoying Elijah and his complexity to the point where Klaus and his constant over the top theatrics bored me at certain points. The baby plot was stupid, but then again I always thought that, and the only good thing it gave me was Hayley Marshall and Klayley.

Klayley was...as beautiful, as interesting, as iconic as ever. Truly one of my biggest ships of all time, by far the best dynamic in the show imo....but I have to say, as an ex-Haylijah hater, they ate sometimes. Chemistry wise - they're really good. The story is still weird to me but the chemistry really sold most of their scenes this time around. I don't necessarily ship them, because I still think Elijah's feelings exist due to wrong reasons but I can see Hayley's side of it very clearly and I don't dislike it nearly as much as I had the first time around. They really pulled me in during certain scenes, so that was interesting and new.

Marbekah was always a fine ship that didn't really do it for me but now....damn do I hate it. It's so painful to watch and I genuinely don't believe those two love each other enough to pull all the shit they did. I don't believe that she groomed him, at least not intentionally, so it's not even the usual issue of her watching him grow up that's putting me off, it's just the fact that they truly didn't need to do all that because the Epic Love™ feeling they were going for was just not present.

Camille's storyline in s1 was legit so good, it didn't feel like she existed purely as Klaus's love interest. Her storyline in that season was so interesting and one of my favorites from the whole show. S2!Cami, she existed a bit more for Klaus, and I don't even want to mention s3!Cami that was turned into a vampire for no reason only to be killed off for no reason, in both cases when she was finally getting a new (probably very interesting) storyline. I didn't like the whole "I have darkness in me thing" but her storyline in s1 left such a good impression on me that I felt genuinely robbed by her premature death. (but then again the whole show sucked after s3 so maybe her character dodged a bullet)

Freya could've been a Klaus 2.0, instead we got a family therapist older sister whose job was to cast spells and make speeches about her family. S2!dark!Freya is who Freya should've been and stayed and there should've been far more tension between her and Klaus. She adapted way to quickly to having so many siblings, she was somehow the wiser older sister despite living ten years to her siblings' thousand. A shame that the creators for some reason hated dark characters, they made all Mikaelsons far too soft. She can be morally dubious and still love her family bffr.

I felt much more sympathy for Finn and his situation. His very understandable hatred for all Mikaelsons except Freya and his mother. He had every right to try to off them all, sorry.

And to finish it off with Rebekah Mikaelson who suffered the same character assassination that her brother did because who the fuck is TO! Rebekah. As far as I'm concerned TVDs3!Rebekah is the only Rebekah that is in character. From the random maturity she gained in all of three months between TVD and TO, to the painful motherhood woes, i-wish-i-was-human woes, her character became a completely different and frankly...a very boring person. Suddenly she's the one keeping Klaus and Elijah out of trouble.... Rebekah???? REBEKAH??? is keeping Elijah out of trouble....went from living a thousand years as their spoiled baby sister to I'm suddenly the mommy keeping the order of the playhouse.

[foibles-fables]

I watched Warrior Nun a bit ago for the first time and absolutely loved it!!! Then when I read your fics, especially Because The Light is Close, legit it’s literally canon for me- like the yearning and tenderness was all so perfect fr!

However, when in comes to the actual show, a part of me struggles to see how Ava actually reciprocates because while Beatrice is OBVIOUSLY down bad (and the writers/Simon would be doing her a disservice to NOT acknowledge her feelings for Ava in S2) how does Ava show that?

First of all, WELCOME to the fandom!!! Couldn't be more thrilled to hear you enjoyed this silly show. Second of all, omg thank you so much for the kind compliment, I'm so soft. BTLIC is really really close to my heart and it makes me so happy to hear that folks are still enjoying it to this day.

Third--you have NO idea how much I love your question here. Seriously, it's s a compelling one!! And I think it's something that'll come more into focus in season two. Because you're totally right: we don't really have a ton of definitive signs of romantic attraction between them, outside of episode 8. And most of that, I'd argue, does come from Beatrice. It's aaaalll (purposeful) subtext and wild amounts of chemistry.

And while that's enough to launch a thousand ships of yearning, it's true--as much as I like an angsty fastburn, I'd also love to see them put some real legwork in the writing to get both of them to a place where a feelings admission/potential relationship could take place. Because consider Ava--still very much coming out of sheltered isolation, traumatized to the bone. A lot like Aloy in this regard...hmm my favorite character/ship dynamics are showing. She's definitely got more growing to do on her own--in her friendships and in her confidence and in her training and in her personal feelings of safety--and I hope she gets to do that in a big way in season two. I think any romantic feelings she may or may not have for Bea will crop up out of these other forms of growth in an organic way.

Onto your question, more specifically! My answer stems from my point above: Ava's gotta grow in a big way, especially from the beginning of season one. And that's why I love JC as a character--he was a safe person for her to do her first real reckless things with, and a great person to help her learn more about herself. And I think it speaks volumes that Ava trusts Beatrice from the jump, too--the dinner scene, anyone? Even in her voiceover, she determines that Beatrice is a safe spot when she's feeling unmoored.

Also consider: an overwhelming amount of Beatrice's trauma centers around her sexuality. It's something that must be on her mind near-constantly unless she represses it--and she's very aware of it when she's experiencing an attraction to women. Hence--we get the more palpable hints of it from her during season 1, with Ava. Meanwhile, Ava is probably not as preoccupied with her own sexuality whatsoever. Pretty strong textual vibes that she's bi, and given her mindset, I don't think that's something she would struggle with. Not as preoccupying as Beatrice's feelings.

In any case, I do trust Simon and the team to give us some super satisfying character arcs for both of them before they explore any kind of romance--I'm pretty sure they recently put out an article that said exactly that. Which I love. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers, so let's get them to an even more solid place of trust and cooperation and shared experience. Then let the feelings bloom.

[squimp]

NEELIX! :D

Ok thank god for this and for you. keep in mind im only like almost done with s2 of voy

favorite thing about them

He is LITERALLY just a silly goofy little guy likeeee wtffff who let this little freeky deeky thing in the bridge crew briefings like what is going ONNNN and he is so silly and goofy and a little bit sassy and sometimes naive yet wise but also like.. he is so very kind... and caring ... and he is a man who can cook and we love to see that. and i like that he got to do his little vlog tv show. i would watch a briefing with neelix every day. i think he is so cute and i love him

least favorite thing about them

ok i have to say it his romantic relationship with kes is just so so terrible and awful and bad and makes me tear my hair out it just sucks... it SUCKS........ also jealous neelix arc was like mad annoying lol

+ i have seen people refer to him as Quark Lite... like they tried to put a quark type character in voy but its just not the same and on a certain level i get that ok yeah.. but also.. its fucking neelix dude LOOK AT HIM HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GUY... NEELIX NATION.... RISE.... NOW!!!

brOTP: NEELIX & TOM PARIS 5 EVARR THEY ARE BESTIES FOR THE RESTIES

OTP: im an unstoppably powerful tuvok x neelix truther ok they are perfect for each other and have the best dynamic

nOTP: neelix and kes -_- its just so hard to watch man

unpopular opinion: I like him :-) he might be one of my favorite voyager characters legit

random headcanon: i think he would make such a great dad or uncle or grandpa and he would have 1 billion kids and name them after all his friends and it would be awesome

favorite picture of them:

this was genuinely so hard to choose but... neelix ass #1 goat

they were so throuple for this ^

[3416]

My favorite Tk/Nancy scene was def the conversation during the kidnapping ep when they got the fake pregnancy call and TK was like “it’s like the world is taunting me with this pregnancy call :/“ and Nancy was like “and this is hitting home for you how exactly?!” like asdfghjkl they’re so funny, my favorite dynamic + friendship of TK’s

i ADORE them. i love how they play off each other as the youngens under tommy (the way she calls them kids.. im yellin) and i love the dynamic shift when they barely know each other and are kinda competing to when it starts to morph into real friendship. their banter is top tier, nancy rllllly knows how to tease people and call tk out for his petulance (and i hope some day w a legit nancy storyline, we can see the opposite too), and i just think about those months between the end of s2 and the start of s3... when it's clear no one was really getting together or staying close.. they undoubtedly are closer bc of that time even if it was just at work. i love the teasing abt carlos during the ice storm and how much nancy actually wants to help him, not just for the sake of the group but bc she knows he's hurting. she's got genuine care for him, and i love them being buds and being able to rely on each other. it's definitely one of my favorite tk dynamics (i say.. abt like all tk dynamics but... her, judd, and paul 👌👌)

[zendyval]

Ted Lasso Ep 11 Spoilers- Mostly Rebecca related

So I’ve been thinking a lot about Rebecca’s arc this season and I’ll be honest that I haven't loved it overall. I really never thought I would have to worry about the writers actually going there with Rebecca and Sam for all the obvious power dynamic reasons that I won’t get into here.

I love Rebecca. She’s my favorite character. No, that doesn’t mean I like everything she does or agree with everything she does, nor should I.

I have however seen some things saying how OOC Rebecca’s behavior has been recently and maybe particularly Episode 11 and that is one thing I don’t agree with. Do I hate that she went to his house and basically asked him not to go all while having their very personal relationship in limbo? Yes. Do I think it was manipulative and selfish even if I don't think she was meaning to be? Yes. Do I think she needs to just make a decision and stop dicking Sam around? Yes.

Do I think this is OOC for Rebecca and that S1 Rebecca would never? No. I think we never see this side of S1 Rebecca because she was deeply entrenched in her immediate revenge plot and couldn’t see much beyond that. She wasn’t ready to experience any sort of romantic love. Which she’s still not really ready, but she’s in a very different place in S2 than in S1 having let go of her initial pain re: Rupert and having built a community around herself where she isn’t alone. She is loved. She loves people. Baby steps.

But she’s also someone with very deep trauma stemming largely from her abusive relationship (and probably the stuff with her dad from last episode) who hasn't dealt with any of it. This isn’t excusing what she is doing but I am saying there are reasons for it and I think she’s not seeing the part where this could hurt Sam or the team or herself. I think she genuinely can’t figure out if she has actual feelings for Sam or if she feels like this is her one real chance with a nice guy and if she lets it go she will never find love. I think she’s hoping someone else will tell her what to do, like Ted last night.

The part I have issues with is it not that I think Rebecca is necessarily being written OOC so much as how everyone around Rebecca is reacting to it. I’ve never wanted to see Rebecca be shamed or publicly humiliated over it, but it is weird that none of the characters around her seem to point out to her why dating YOUR 21 YEAR OLD EMPLOYEE WHOSE WHOLE CAREER YOU CONTROL is not it. How’s it both bad for her, both personally and professionally, bad for Sam, and bad for the team overall. How it will put her in positions like Ep 11 where Sam is being offered this amazing opportunity (if it’s legit and not a fake Rupert thing) and she can’t tell where her professional and personal feelings begin/end and how it’s manipulative to Sam to have to weight these things too when making a decision.

So in that sense I’m really nervous of how the writers are going to resolve this because since all the power dynamics have been swept under the rug, I can’t tell if the writers think this is cute or problematic? What I want is for Rebecca to realize next episode she has to cut him loose and let him pursue his dreams, whether that is staying or going. Going back to Nora telling her that the easy choice isn’t always the right choice. I want Sam to have agency and also realize that he has to choose his own career and can’t be caught up in her trauma. But I don’t know that I trust the writers.

But anyway, that was long. All to say is that I don’t see this as super OOC for Rebecca because this is a deeply traumatized woman who is acting in selfish ways right now and she’s likely going to continue to do so until she finds therapy or gains some sort of reality check.

This is not the storyline I wanted for her and she's a deeply flawed character but I see it and I get it and I still love her. I also truly hope S3 Rebecca lets her find a way out of her truly self destructive tendencies and also I want more of the boss bitch side.

[stina-bo-bina]

Ships Meme

Talk about the first ship you ever had. That was Chandler/Monica  when I was 14 and in high school. I don’t even know how it began. I was  watching Friends reruns and saw them get together and boom! Obsessed.  It’s funny because I never went for Ross/Rachel but C/M were a good, easy ship to start out with.

Talk about three of the most important ships throughout your life.

What’s your current OTP? Right now it’s Josh/Donna since finishing The West Wing for my first time in October and currently slowly rewatching.

What’s your current NOTP? None.

Do you have any poly ships? No.

How do you feel about love triangles? I hate them! I much prefer a lot  of other keep them apart tropes.

How do you feel about RPF? I’ve never been into it.

Have you ever shipped yourself with a character? Yes, I think with the male part of every ship. hahaha.

Do you have many ships that never got together at all? No,  I don’t think so. I tend to ship pretty mainstream.

Do you ship any characters that have never met? No.

Talk about your favorite first kiss. Luke and Lorelai: amazing, amazing, amazing. It still makes my stomach flip every time I watch it. ALSO Nick/Jess. Amazing. Josh/Donna’s first kiss is also amazing. The whole vibe with the music.  (I know this said favorite but those are my top 3 I guess.)

Have you ever been disappointed when your ship finally got together? Yes, Booth/Brennan let me down a bit. It was kind of a bummer how we saw no lead up to it. I liked that they had a kid (well, 2) and got married but once they got together they weren’t as great anymore.

Has a ship ever broken your heart? LUKE/LORELAI. I mean, they made up for it in the end but late s6/s7 was painful in real time and I was legit heartbroken. Also Sam/Diane because they never ended up together.

How do you feel about will they/won’t they? Many of my ships ARE this, so I guess I like it. Although it has to be  “will they” in the end AND I  don’t like it if it’s until the VERY end.

Have you ever “shipped at first sight”? Don’t think so.

Talk about a ship you initially disliked. None.

Talk about a pairing you’ve stopped shipping romantically. None, I don’t give up shipping much once I start.

Talk about a moment which made you question an entire ship. Lorelai sleeping with Christopher a the end of season 6.

Have you ever shipped something despite yourself? No.

Talk about a ship you feel alone in shipping. None, I’m a mainstreeam shipper.

Is there a ship you just don’t get, but have nothing against? I have nothing against Ross/Rachel  but I never shipped them hardcore which seems strange that I didn’t.

Which of your ships have the best chemistry? Luke/Lorelai and Josh/Donna are pretty consistent through the whole series. Nick/Jess are strong in s2 and so are Booth/Brennan in s2.

Which of your ships deserve better writing? Nick/Jess (mostly Nick). His character got so strange after they got together.

Do you mostly ship canon pairings? Yes.

Have you ever shipped a pairing before you even started watching the show/movie simply because of gifs and graphics or similar? I was kind of like this with Booth/Brennan I think. Josh/Donna too. I knew   they were a big deal and would end up shipping them before I watched.

Have you noticed a pattern in your shipping? Is there a romantic dynamic you’re more drawn to? Friends first. 

Is there a ship you’ve shipped for most of your life? Chandler and Monica I started shipping in 1999. 22 years. Of course it comes and goes but whenever I get in a Friends binge I fall right back into them.

Does shipping come easily to you? Not really. I ship very few ships compared to all the TV I watch and there’s a lot of couples out there I’m cool with (I like Jim/Pam for example) but I don’t consider them my SHIP.

Do you need to ship something to really enjoy a movie/book/tv show/comic? Yes and no. I can enjoy a lot of shows without shipping obsessively (The Office, How I Met Your Mother, tons of shows I watch). But when I ship that’s when it spills over into OBSESSION.

Name a couple of fandoms in which you have no ships. HIMYM (I liked Barney/Robin but never felt I was a shipper), Modern Family, Grey’s Anatomy. 

Talk about one of your favorite headcanons for a ship you love. I feel like Josh/Donna have a lot of  headcanons that are fandom recognized (the trip was to Hawaii. They move in together right after).

Do you have a favorite trope and/or AU for your OTP? I never really get into AU.

Do you like and use ship names? The only time it’s something other than their initials I think was Luke/Lorelai (JavaJunkies).

Is there a fictional relationship you’d really want for yourself? I’d go for the ones with less breakups and drama (Chandler/Monica, Josh/Donna aren’t too bad).

If you could change one thing about your OTP, what would that be? I understand Gilmore Girls wanting Lorelai to go through the whole Christopher relationship to prove it wasn’t right for her, but I’d change how it was done.

Which ships have made it to marriage? Chandler/Monica, Booth/Brennan, Nick/Jess, Luke/Lorelai (haha I can say that now!).

Which ships have children on screen? Chandler/Monica, Booth/Brennan, (Nick/Jess do in the flashforward?).

Ship that took the longest to get together? Josh/Donna

Ships that never broke up? Chandler/Monica, Booth/Brennan, Josh/Donna (simply because they got together at the very end haha).

[not-so-mundane-after-all]

Well, I think it’s time to create my own list of thoughts and wishes for season 3 of Titans

(I am well aware that some of these points are merely a wishful thinking but a girl can dream, right?)

First of all, the official stuff we found out so far:

- Redhood - I know Jason was treated poorly (to say the least) in s2 and that is a legit reason to be angry at the team but please let this transition make sense. Curran is putting a lot of work into it and I am sure his performance will be amazing, but storywise I really hope it’s not gonna end up being done in a “bratty kid throwing a tantrum” kind of way.

- Barbara Gordon - I don’t want to hear anything about a love triangle, got it? She’s being introduced as Dick’s ex for a reason. There might be some little things thrown in here and there like we had with Dawn in s1 but a full blown drama? We don’t need that shit! And besides, it’s been said she won’t be very happy to see Dick, neither she’ll be thrilled about Nightwing and Company running around her city.

Unless they turn it all into a comedy where instead of Kory being jealous - it’s the kids! Gar and Rachel going completely feral whenever Barbara gets close to Dick, giving off you’re not our mom so get out vibe and Kory lets them because she finds it hilarious (this season is supposed be *lighter* and *more fun* as I’ve heard, right?)

- Scarecrow - I am VERY intrigued to see that character. He’s supposed be locked up and working with GCPD but I do hope we’ll get to see him in action. I’m not really into comics world, I had to do my research on him, but from what I’ve found… Damn, fear toxin torture that show their biggest fears and nightmares would be awesome for my angst crave

- Blackfire - personally I don’t find a reason to panic. I know that the treatment of both Anna and her character, especially in s2 was unacceptable, I 100% agree with that. And it does give a reason to worry for s3. BUT why am I not worried?

1. Damaris Lewis has been promoted to a series regular a long time ago

2. Even with all the stuff happening in Gotham, Blackfire is still set to be the main villain - we had the same situation in s2. Cadmus was brought up to introduce Conner, even though Deathstroke was the main villian. So whatever is happening in Gotham, it’s for the introduction of Red Hood while Blackfire remains main villain.

3. Look at what Anna has been saying and the vibe she’s giving off! Would she be this happy if Kory wasn’t getting more screentime? Would she be getting calls from the showrunner about creating Kory’s background and having a chance to pitch him ideas like incorporating her native culture in building the world of Tamaran? WOULD SHE SAY WITH A HUGE SMILE ON HER FACE THAT THIS IS THEIR BEST SEASON YET?

So don’t worry too much about our girl. I’m sure she’s getting her time to shine. Even if it ends up being not as much as we would want, it’s still progress from last season.

And if the writers follow a similar schematic as for previous seasons, I see it going like this:

Blackfire = Deathstroke = Trigon (Main Villian)

Gotham stuff/Redhood = CADMUS/Conner = The Organization/Nuclear Family/Angela (side villian/introduction)

Scarecrow and Barbara = Doctor Light = Amy Rohrbach and Nic Zucco (plot device, appearance in 1-3 eps at most)

I might be wrong though, so don’t hold me on that. Because there’s also another storyline that needs to fit in between all of this

- Rachel on Themyscira - I am sure they won’t show as much of the island as they were originally planning for the same reason they moved the team from San Francisco to Gotham - weather conditions in this time of year resulting in lower temperatures, shorter and less sunny days. All of that wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for filming being pushed back due to Covid. I also had a feeling from the beginning that Rachel won’t come back victorious, or at least she will come back alone, with Donna showing up on her own later or at the end of the season. Now, with an information of the possible use of Lazarus Pit, it all makes even more sense. All my knowledge about those pits comes from Arrowverse so correct me if I’m wrong, but is Donna going to struggle with Blood Lust because of that? It is possible imo.

- Roy Harper and Tim Drake - I don’t have much to say about them, really. I’m excited to see Roy but the only valid reason for him to show up is to grieve Donna and maybe share his condolences to Dick or something like that. We don’t need more OG Titans drama. And Tim… well, new Robin in town will catch Jason’s attention and definitely spark some jealousy, evolving into a feeling of being ditched and abandoned, further confirming his belief of being a “reject”. All of this will only push him further to Red Hood.

Now, for the things I personally want to happen…

- Dickkory getting together - even if it happens in the finale, we need to see the progress! I don’t want this to happen off screen during the possible time jump. I want to see them supporting each other and being there for each other. I want to see Kory being his right-hand (wo)man and them leading the team together. And most importantly for me - the one thing that really brought them together in s1 - a continuation of their co-parenting of the younger Titans.

- Gar’s trauma being adressed - and I’m talking BOTH SEASONS. He really struggled with killing that guy in s1 and what CADMUS did to him made it all worse. He needs to talk about this with someone (and I hope that someone is Dick). And I really want to know if what happened to him is gonna have any lasting consequences.

- Donna and Dick need to talk things out - the worst thing about her death for me is the fact that these two didn’t get the chance to talk about what happened. Donna wasn’t a saint either and I find her behavior in the second half of s2 very hypocritical. It almost felt like this Donna and s1 Donna are two different people! She and Dick have a very strong bond and a lot of history. I’m sure they’ve had their fair share of fights in the past. I really hope they will sort this thing out and get back to being this amazing duo I fell in love with in s1.

- Rose and Jericho - I really want to see how this relationship will work and progress with them not really knowing each other but sharing one body.

- Growth and progress in Kory, Rachel and Gar’s powers - I think I don’t need to elaborate on that. I want to see Kory and Rachel fly, Rachel using more of her powers and discovering stuff like teleportation and telekinesis, Gar turning into other animals (lets pray HBO MAX will provide a decent budget for all of that). And obviously, following that…

- Supersuits for those three! - do I need to add more? I don’t think so.

- And can we get rid of Hank and Dawn? - I liked them in s1, tolerated them at the beginning of s2 and by the end I just wanted them gone. They are completely useless. Honestly? If I were to pick one… Hank can stay, we can still do something with him. But Dawn can go and don’t come back for all I care. I only need her for one more thing I’d like to see but more about that later.

And now the two most important things for me…

- MORE CORE FOUR FAMILY MOMENTS - this was the magic of season 1 that we only got some crumbs of in 2x01 and then it disappeared completely. I am in desperate need of Dick and Kory co-parenting their two superpowered teenage kids. And can someone FINALLY call Dick a DAD?! I would pay fortune to see that happen.

- Relationship progress between the Core Four - all the possible variants, but especially with the kids. It’s already been pretty much established that Rachel is Daddy’s Girl while Gar is Mama’s Boy. And it was nice to see Dick and Gar growing closer during season 2 while Rachel poured her heart out to Kory. But I was VERY MUCH with Gar and Kory when they both asked Rachel “Have you talked to Dick?” because girl YOU AND YOUR FATHER NEED TO TALK! A lot has happened, okay? (Not just because I am an absolute sucker for this dynamic and they are my favorites, but… get ready for a rant) I really want to go back to the way things were in s1 where they had at least one scene together every episode, where they talked and bonded a lot, where we actually could see the progress of this relationship. We’ve been stripped of that in s2. A little bit at the beginning, something at the end (I’m still mad Rachel didn’t get any closure for that nightmare that scared the hell out of her and yet had no influence on further events). I want to see Dick really embracing that role of a father, stepping up to responsibilities he kinda forgot about in s2. It would be nice to see a callback to his conversation with Dawn in 1x02 about how he’s “not taking her in” because “he can’t do family”. I’d love for Dawn to throw one big “I told you so!” in his face (and Dick agreeing she was right all along). I want to see Rachel leaning on him for support and encouragement while also growing independent in her own way. I also need to see more physical affection. Hugs are great and we always want more of them, but a touch of hand on the arm or cheek, or a forehead kiss would kill me. And I dream about a verbal “I love you” everyday…

Well, I think it’s all for now. Nothing else comes to mind atm. I might update this list as time goes on and we get more details…

[dreamerandcrazy]

Ok, so I haven't been able to comment much on my Riverdale rewatch mostly bc i'm watching it with my boyfriend and we have an agreement of no cell phones when we're watching, otherwise we can't pay proper attention to it. But I wrote down some notes about the episodes I did watch (I watched up until ep 6, which is very ironic bc apparently today is its anniversary, so yay for my perfect timing). I actually remember most of the stuff that happened in s1, so here's mostly a few things I paid more attention to or noticed about the characters and the ships, or things i'm able to look at through a different view now that i've watched all the seasons. Strap in if you want to see my notes, if not just scroll please, no ship or character hate here please. Also, feel free to ignore, this is really just a personal look in some stuff I didn't notice in my first watch.

- Betty's character used to be much happier and lighter in season 1. I know we're introduced to "Dark Betty" right in episode 3, but still, I feel like the way Lili played Betty in season 1 did not hold the same "darkness" as it does in the following seasons. The scene where she is dancing happily in her bedroom because she's going to homecoming with the boy she likes? The scene where she introduces Jughead to the Blue & Gold and gets him to work with her? Her genuine innocent happiness at seeing her sister again after so much time? The way she interacted with Kevin and Veronica? Those were all chef's kiss because she actually feels like a teenager in them. In all her girly glory, she radiates youth energy and it's a thing that was sadly lacking after s1. Btw this is not a critique at Lili's acting at all, I blame it entirely on Ras and his obsession with dark Betty.

- There's actually so many indications of Cheryl being a lgbt character in the first episodes that I have no idea how I missed it the first time. But then again, there were many indications with Veronica as well, and sadly that's not the path Ras chose for her.

- Jughead in s1 is truly so superior in so many ways that it's not hard to see why he quickly became such a fan favorite. I think even if he wasn't played by Cole Sprouse, he still would have conquered many fans' hearts. Sadly, the things that made Jughead such a loving and interesting character for me also fizzled out in s2 when the writing team decided to make him a woke serpent leader instead of allowing him to sticking to his true personality as a passionate mystery lover, a dedicated friend and very nerdy, which was very cute. I feel that we got some of that back for him in s4, which was good, but sadly s1 is where my love for him really stayed to stay. But I still care for him, and s5 has a promising storyline for him which i'm excited about, so let's see if s5 Jughead can become better than s1 Jughead.

- Going back again to Cheryl for a sec, I just noticed that the red lipstick actually wasn't that common for her in s1? At least not in the first five. I wonder when did it start becoming her trademark? Anyways, it's actually a really good look her and allows you to appreciate Madelaine's natural beauty even more.

- Also, did anybody notice how Alice lowkey figured out who killed Jason in ep 2 lmao, like... in episode two she legit says she wouldn't be surprised if the Blossoms themselves had killed Jason, which... is what happened LMAO, considering we know it was his father. And even more hilarious and tragically ironic note, in ep 6 she's laughing at Betty suggesting that Hal killed Jason because "do you think your father has the stomach for it?!"... Ma'am... i'm-.... 😂😂😂😂.

- This rewatch has reminded me of how much I adored and how I much I miss Josie and the Pussycats. The girls were such a nice addition to the cast, and their songs were so beautiful. I truly wish we get to see them again someday, but at the same time I also think the actresses deserve to be at a work place where they're given the treatment they deserve and not completely ignored and treated like extras.

- Archie/Valerie was super cute and is very underrated in the fandom, but i'm glad Valerie stood up for herself and didn't take any of Archie's or Cheryl's sh*t. Still sucks because they were really good together, though.

- Why was Jason not allowed to talk, lmao? Like, i'm sure it's become a running joke in the show at this point, but back when season one was airing what was the excuse for it? He appeared in so many flashbacks and scenes and we still never heard a single word ☠️☠️☠️☠️. I just want to know what was the reason lol.

- I liked s1 Reggie, but I feel like Charles Melton's Reggie is better because he actually feels like a douche with good intentions lol, and he has more of a personality. Most of the time I even forgot about Reggie in s1, but after s2 he definitely made me more aware of him. So for that, I like Charles Melton's Reggie more. But the actor from s1 still did a good job with what he was given.

From now on I will be talking about the ships, so bear with me, and know that I am a multishipper. Yes, I have my preferences. No, my word is not law, it's just an opinion, so please respect it.

- Bughead is still super cute in s1. I feel like from s1 they will always be my otp, even if I no longer feel as strongly about them now and have a different insight as to where I would like their story to go, and now I definitely see the problem others had mentioned before of how they kind of took over the show, which is something I kind of closed my eyes to before... But I really loved them in s1. It felt like a very juvenile teenage relationship, they didn't give much thought on why and if they should be together, they just went for it like teenagers usually do, and they were very very cute together.

- I feel like if you don't count Beronica (because they really were the best no matter what you say or ship), if there's a ship that deserves "best chemistry" award for s1 is probably Varchie. I lost my interest in them years ago, but this rewatch reminded me of why I actually loved them once. They never really became an otp for me, but Kj and Camila's chemistry in s1 was VERY GOOD, and I really liked them. Their kiss in the pilot was electric and the s&xual tension was OOF, and that chemistry carries on through the season. You can easily tell something will happen between them eventually. It makes me sad bc I don't know what happened after s1, but their chemistry from s2 onwards was just... not there for me. Which is ironic bc it's the season they truly started dating and they got a lot of smexy scenes, but I just... didn't feel it. But I'll leave that comment to my s2 rewatch. For now just let me enjoy Varchie's chemistry in s1 while it lasts because it was really good.

- Now we get to Barchie, who I made clear was the reason for my rewatch, so let's get to it. I LOVED the way Barchie was written in s1. I remember when I first watched Riverdale, I was curious about their dynamic but didn't put much thought into it because I loved Bughead too much and wanted them to be together, and I thought Barchie would be the traditional "first og ship" thing and wouldn't have a big follow up, but boy was I WRONG and am I GLAD for it. I'll talk more about their development in the next seasons when I get there, so for now let's focus a bit on s1. Just in like the first two episodes, there is so much Barchie foreshadowing, like, it's legit insane how it was right there in my face and I missed it the first time! "I have never felt what i'm supposed to feel with betty", "it's not my fault he doesn't like you", "I can't give you the answer you want"... Omg, those are obvious eyebrow raising "this will come back to bite you in the a$$" moments and it's incredible how they actually DO! I would call it clever writing, but like... it's Riverdale lol. So I really am just glad that the ship was done this way, i'm glad Barchie has the back story that they do, they've really come a LONG way and i'm happy I get to experience their whole growing storyline. It's also especially good because s1 actually provides you with scenes that show you their friendship and how they're so close, you see them hanging out, talking, their pictures together, everything was just really done well with them. Still have a bit of critique with the way Archie contradicted himself sometimes regardinf his feelings for Betty, but let's be honest, we've watched enough Riverdale to know that's just a problem with the writing.

- Kevin/Joaquin is still my favorite Kevin ship, i'm sad it's completely impossible to go back to them someday so for now i'll just be really glad it existed and that I got to see them even if it was short-lived. They had great chemistry and their kiss scenes always outsold.

- Beronica... sigh. Beronica. The most wasted chemistry i've ever seen on CW and I've watched a LOT of CW shows. There was so much potential there, s1 was practically overflowing with them and it's one of the reasons it became some popular. I remember when the Beronica fandom was the biggest one, ah, good times. Veronica and Betty were easily the best part of season 1, their friendship, their lowkey romantic moments, they were just superior in every way. This ship deserved better, not even just as a ship, but as a friendship.

- Veronica's s1 hair >>> Veronica's hair in seasons 2-4. I loved the side part and I am glad it's back in season 5, it looks so much better like that.

- Cheryl, as always, deserves better. Can't wait for her to meet Toni so I can watch again Cheryl finally get to love someone and be loved back, which is exactly what she deserves.

For now, that is all! I will probably make another post soon when i'm done with season one and from season two on I will be live-blogging the episodes since I will be watching it alone. Once again, pls, no hate, my thoughts are my thoughts. Peace.

[booasaur]

I loved warrior nun! I went into it w no expectations other than my brother telling me to watch it and it ended up being so good! I looooove Beatrice and was so happy to see she’s gay (I’m assuming based on her heartbreaking reaction to the word lesbian that she’s specifically a lesbian). Ava honestly annoyed me a lot of the time but I loved all the others, esp Mary! And Ava/B seemed like a potential thing in that hug for me too and then post cinderblocks was !!!! Even tho I think it’ll (1/2)

End up as a one-sides crush given her earlier fixation on JC I could also see them as a slow burn friendship turned more. I doubt the show will go there but you never know lol. The show was good beyond any shipping tho which is actually rare for me nowadays, I really hope they get a second season! (2/2) 

It was good! I was shocked, tbh. It was good in this very specific way that I appreciated, partly because recently, in addition to the shows I watch on the regular, I’ve been trying some f/f books, mostly genre, and the variation in quality of the pacing and especially dialogue can be so noticeable. I need dialogue to be four things: natural, distinct between different characters, advancing character, and advancing plot and honestly, this should be the bare minimum, but it’s really not. So I just super appreciated it in this show that I absolutely didn’t expect it from, first seasons and super cheesy sff plots usually mean tons of worldbuilding exposition and attempts to establish and nail down characters, but this did so well with that, just jumping in and passing info as needed. And the actors all committed to their admittedly absurd characters and totally embodied them. I think honestly I just had such low expectations that this exceeding them so well made for an even bigger positive gap in the experience.

Yes, I LOVED Beatrice, god, what a character! From the start. So compassionate while being such a competent leader, that is my absolute favorite character combo. It’s like, you’re a good judge of people, you see them for what they are, and you still think well of them. Love that. And the little hints about her gayness, which I do agree with you, I think she is a lesbian, but how it was revealed! This goes back to what I was praising above, how the show chose to tell this story, what and how it revealed, who it focused on when it did it. Like, you know from Camila telling her about that passage while smiling to herself, that she knows about Bea’s past and if she does, you can speculate that it’s probably a whole open secret, and from Camila’s own reaction, not everyone judges her for it as harshly as Bea herself seems to. How much was conveyed in just that little! I loved her relationship with Camila, tbh! I almost wonder if that’s where they might go, but maybe not. I’m kind of afraid they’ll kill off Camila if/when s2 picks up because you can’t have this high stakes battle and not kill someone off, right? Maybe Mother Superion (who had the HOTTEST voice, btw). 

Ava...Ava, Ava, Ava. I can totally see how she rubs people the wrong way but I found her endearing. She’s a total dumbass, for sure, but she knows it, they all do, lol. She’s trying! Mary was greaaat. The way she’s gonna protect Ava because of Shannon...everyone’s so multilayered. Lilith being raised for this and being passed over again and again, like, I love them all.

The Ava/Bea (Beava? oh wait, lmao, probably not) thing is...it’s definitely canon one-sided, yeah, I guess we’ll have to wait to see how they go with them? The way they introduced JC and even his whole crew, I thought he’d stay relevant the whole time, but he disappeared halfway through and tbh, I don’t know what he could offer next season, except a place to lie low, since Jillian’s now distracted? But they have other contacts already and if they bring him back, it’ll have to be for more than that. He better not get his own powers or something.

Man, though, I would so love if they went with Ava/Bea, not just for the main character wlw part or it being super central f/f, but they’re legit great as friends and teammates, Bea gets through to Ava in a way nobody else does (though Mary comes close--who’d have thought, being nice works) and Ava helps Bea let loose a little without compromising her leadership. I actually super loved that even after the ep 8 reveals, Bea didn’t lose what made her Bea, she didn’t start to moon over Ava and drop the part of her that’s a great leader. A lot of media has so much trouble writing character dynamics after that turn, they’ll soften and neuter them far beyond they should, they become different characters, but Bea was exactly who she always was. I also hope they get a second season to like, at least finish off this story, but also I wouldn’t mind seeing more of the f/f. :P

[taytei]

I've been meaning to ask - what specifically sparked your intense interest in RoTMNT? I've never seen it so I hope passionate fans can give a little insight? Plus your artwork is extremely gorgeous ❤❤❤

you fool - you’ve activated a loooooooooong reply, cause i will take every opportunity to praise this series

the original draw was the beautiful animation - it’s super refreshing to see so many beautifully done 2D animation shows coming out lately

the 2nd was that I grew up liking tmnt as a kid - not as OBSESSIVELY as i do now, but i liked it enough! I knew about the brothers and what they were like, what they dealt with, etc. So i was was interested to see what Rise brought to the franchise

But what KEPT me in the series and really brought out a weirdly deep passion for it is the relationships in it - it has some of the BEST written familial relationships ive seen in … a long time.

more beneath the cut cause … this gonna get long son

The brothers all have unique dynamics between all of them, with specifics interests they each have and how they overlap and interact. there is … SO MUCH HUGGING it’s legit one of my favorite things about the series.

They’re all openly affectionate and mention how much they love each other CONSTANTLY, while in the next moment doing the very sibling-esque thing of calling dibs on each others things, etc.

there’s this post that compiled as many as they could and i STILL dont think they got all of them???

Link to THE GOOD VID

it seems to be following the trend of “show that starts out super light hearted and goofy and then progressively gets darker/more weighted as the series goes on”, while still maintaining the humor that he had since the beginning.

which i HAVE to articulate here cause i think that’s what turned so many people off about it - they expected it to be more along the lines of 2012, or maybe 2003. Grit with humor layered over it. It’s not. It’s primarily COMEDY/Action-Family.

Another point that I love about it. I was low-key expected crude humor (butt/fart jokes every 2 minutes), but NOPE. It’s situational humor, dry/sarcastic humor, physical humor and it gets me every time.

Tho it CAN count as a point against it. The show DOES have it’s weighty, emotional moments, but they don’t tend to linger as long as they should and don’t come as often as i’d like. I think this comes down to the fact that a majority of the episodes are 11 minutes, so pacing is a TAD rushed in some.

I’m hoping this might be remedied in season 2! with s1 being more of a set up season, getting us super comfortable with the boys, their dynamics and powers, and the villains they’d be facing. While s2 is (supposedly) gonna delve more into backstories and hopefully more emotional moments!

Sorry for the super long reply sahhklgsa

I at some point wanna make a post or maybe even a … commentary?? video?? with my praises AND my critiques of the show - tho i might wait until more of season 2 has come out. Cause you can love a show and still critique the things you’d like improved on/have slight problems with.

THANKFULLy rise hasn’t had anything i’ve had MASSIVE problems with, which is really refreshing sakhklgsa

anyways i’ll end it here but these are … more or less my surface level thoughts shaklhgklsa

[xsecretblastsx]

What do you think were chair’s best and worst moments as a couple?

I got this ask ages ago, I’m sorry i only got into it now, but better later than never right?

Best moments: 3x12 This is one of my fave moments in the whole series, and when it comes to their relationship it stands out because it shows how deep their emotional conection really was, Blair has such an insight on Chuck and what he feels and how he deals, and in turn we also see Chuck allowing himself to be vulnerable with her in a way he really didn’t before and it’s such a loving moment between them. 6x10 Surprising, but for this episode I didn’t pick their wedding, because while that’s the culmination of their story, is their engament that really gets me in the sense that is a call back to S2 when everything was uncertain, with their only hope being that somehow in the future they would figure out a way of making it work. So here, 4 years late of that moment they’re at that future, partnerts in crime, equals, utterly in love and not afraid to be vulnerable to each other. Chuck and Blair about to hold hands at their wedding.

5x10

I wasn’t so sure about including this one, and because it ends tragically and whatever progress gets loss, but there are two moments here that I feel i can’t ignore: Blair taking the leap in a way she hasn’t dare to probably since the end of S2, ever since their break up in S3 she’s being afraid of the amount of love she feels and the vulnerability that means and how she deals and acts because of it, it’s the first time ina while she believes she’s ready. The second thing is Chuck saying he’ll love the baby as much as he loves her, and this is huge for him, a couple of years ago he wasn’t sure he was capable of loving someone, of being there for someone and now he’s able to do that. It’s also a good contrast to Blair dismissing Chuck and his ability to be a father in a earlier episode.

4x09 (this whole episode, though)

Again not sure this is a best moment in the sense that nothing monumental is happening they’re just having a bit of a sexy time while also plotting ther way to the top, but the thing for me is for one, this moment is so them when and what I imagine their married life is going to be like day to day. Is a nice preview, sure we got some “married” moments in S3 but they were more on the tender side, so I’m glad we got to see this one.

The other moment from this episode (might be unpopular) I love is actually when they said goodbye at the end of the episode, is one od the few moments in S4 they actually stop and have an actual conversation about them. Getting back together then, they weren’t ready so I do feel they need that separation, regardless of what happens later, the fact was they need to feel on equal footing, otherwise they would never stop playing with each other. I love how even if they’re deciding to be appart it doesn’t feel like an ending, rather like a promise, that they’ll find their way back to each other.

5x06

At first sight this is mainly a big moment for Chuck. This is the moment I think he finally gets it,what he needs to do to move forward and to deal with the responsability of his own actions, and I feel Blair needed to a) see this from him b) the apology, not becaus she hasn’t forgiven him, because for the most part she did, but also because this was progress for him. It also brings their story to a next phase, even if they might not realize it at the time. Since their brake up in S3, it was easier for Blair to dissmiss their relationship by claiming Chuck’s not ready, by not trusting him, she puts the blame on him on why it wouldn’t work, and sure he had to work a lot of himself, but a changed Chuck means Blair can’t put it on him anymore, now the one holding back is her and her own fears (take S3 she can and did forgive him for the hotel thing, she gets why he did it, she can’t forgive herself for her willingness to do it though) this is why in 5x07 she tries so hard to prove he hasn’t change because then she has a legit reason to keep him at bay, to not acknowledge that she loves him, that she wants to be with him and now the only one standing in the way of that is herself. Hard pill to swallow. So it was an important moment, and it’s a best for me because this is a very honest moment, and those while rare are also something they only manage to be with each other.

6x03 & 6x08

Putting them back to back because they’re two sides of the same coin: being there for each other, being a team to achieve what they want all the while showing how well they knew each other by being and doing exactly what each other needs them to be in that moment, and also being a source of conformt when things don’t go exactly the way they wish. In 6x03 we have Blair saying “you read me like tea leafs Chuck Bass” and he’s their for her when things go wrong, building on her confidence and celebrating her regardless, and in 6x08 we have Blair getting Chuck back to the fight, giving him strength and we end this episode with them toasting to going to war to get what they want and their happy ending. This is them at their literal best, their relationship is finally what it was always meant to be.

2x13 & 2x14

These episodes are a gem, sure he leaves at one point and also mocks her feelings for a bit and as such these should probably be in their worst moments, but I mean she says I love you, and also this magical words “the worst thing you ever done, the darkest thought you ever had I will stand by you through anything” like wow. It also allows for two very emotional moments between the: when he cries in her arms and when she gets him down of that ledge. The love they had for each other allows him to be vulnerable if only for a moment, and it also saves his life. Even when he leaves her he does it because he loves her and doesn’t want to drag her down with him. It’s the first time that we really see the depth of their love, this is the real deal, ain’t that beautiful?

2x25

I couldn not include the time when Chuck finally tells her that he loves her, is such a happy a moment, I’ve said before that this is my favorite scene in the show, it has a lot to do with the actual details of the scene but mostly their happiness is contagious, it feels earned and yet so young and naive. Is such a romantic moment and the first time in their lives they get to be this happy. What’s not to love.

Worst moments:

4x20

No explanation needed. Is Chuck reaching rock bottom and in turn taking the remains of their relation with him. Is such an awful moment because it’s obvious Chuck doesn’t really want to hurt he, he’s not the type to get physical and we all know had he actually hurt her by his own hands he wouldn’t have forgiven himself, probably would have done something drastic, and yet lost in a hazel of alcohol, drugs and the biggest loss he can imagine he completely loses it. And Blair rightfully leaves him there and runs, because she can’t really reach him like this and it would make things even worrse if she stays for both of them. This is to me their darkest moment and I like to imagine one topic that came up when Chuck did therapy. I think is also weights heavily in Chuck’s mind after and part of the reason he is so covinced the best thing he can do for her is let her go.

3x17 (also 3x22)

The Indicent proposal. This is probably the most exhausted topic in the history of Gossip Girl. It was done mostly for shock value and yet it magnifies everything about their relationship, their trust issues, the games between them (briefly explored in 3x06) and ironically the amount of love they had for each other. It also made them face some truths about themselves. Weirdly I actually don’t hate this plot sure it has Chuck doing something that should be unforgivable, and yet Blair says at one point she forgives him for something no one else in the planet would. And that’s the thing really, this is a plot that allow us to gain a lot of insight into the characters and the way they love each other. It becomes the underlying issue in their relationship for the rest of the show, Blair brings it up as late as the second half of S5, and this is because more than the actual hotel deal it put front and center something they really needed to do learn: unconditional love is not a a carte blanche to act however you want and that love is not a weakness. The failed proposal and their brie reunion are just fallout from the hotel incident. So I feel i should mention it here. Blair makes a big deal of him sleeping with Jenny but while I get that her complicated dynamic with Jenny is why that was such an offense to her and why she lashes out at Chuck, to me rather than being a really bad moment in their relationship is more like a really low point for everyone involed and it’s more telling of their issues as individuals than about the relationship between Chuck and Blair. It also allows Blair to bury her real fears under the rug.

4x22

Now I love this scene in the scene that is heartbreakingly beautiful to watch, but is such a weak moment for them because basically they just give up. It’s also a regress for them because this is basically Chuck saying I love you but I can make you happy so please be happy with someone else (the same as S2b) and Blair going after the fairytale again (which is something she said she was done with in S2b) sure she puts a little fight but still agrees to let each other go, and they try to see it as sign of strength, because it takes all their power to leave each other, when is just a show of weakness of not being willing to fight for each other. To do what needed to be done to fix it.

5x03

I hate this scene, beyond the fact that is a sad moment I just hate the fact that it has Blair pointing out to Chuck that she doesn’t have it in him to be a dad and all he can do is be like well you must be happy it isn’t mine then, and it’s obvious they’re both suffering, and then she realizes she’s missjudging him and tells him that part of her wanted him to be the dad, which is something that only manages to make them feel even worst. The longing between each other is so strong here, and yet they do nothing about it and it’s such a low point of their relationship because but look so defeated.

5x19

There’s not an specific moment per se, just that this episode has Blair pretty much dissmising their history and acting like she didn’t knew Chuck, she’s doubtful of him the whole episode, as if she actually thinks the worst of him, and it’s very jarring to watch, first when she doesn’t want to talk to him about his mom (which is a very hard topic for him) and then she also says she’s not used to Chuck doing something selfless and I’m like is this even happening? I know Blair’s pretty much in denial about everything at this point in the series, she’s depressed, so that’s why she’s acting this way, the only silver lining being Chuck, who while hurt, he doesn’t act like he’s done with her or trying to sabotage her, he just gives her space which is something he had trouble with before,but nevertheless is a really low point in their relationship because before they were ther for each other even if they were not together.

1x13

A moment so far in their history that it pales to the others. I’m including it though because at the time is was a pretty awful moment between them and even if Blair had been stepping over his feelings since Cotillion and called him a mistake, he retaliated not only by publicly humiliating her he aslo slut shamed her and he deserves to be called out for that. It was also a preview of what happens when they play against each other. He hurts her pretty badly, just look how sad she is when she leaves that bart and his words and the knowledge that she doesn’t have him in some way or another that gets her to the point of wanting to run away to France. (My personal headcanon is that how much his words hurt her clued her into what she really felt for him, too late).

2x15

Blair’s done. Compared to others it may not stand out as much but it brings and end to the amzing display of love the previous episodes. As such this list would feel incomplete without it. What makes this moment a really bad one is how hopeless it feels at the time. He barely makes an effort to makes things right. It’s also a pretty low blow how he uses the word wife as an insult, and he knows it because when she mentions it (when he does the lamest attempt in history to apologize) he cringes because he knows what that means to her, the cherry on top being that during this whole period against her nature she has been patient and understanding, never bringing up that he really hasn’t return her feelings and by the end you can tell how exhausted she is by giving so much of her, and for what? He’s not ready to see it or really appreciate it until it’s too late.

A special mention to this scene:

This scene is the worst and the best at the same time. It’s the best because it speaks of loss, of a ring that was the promise of what could have been, it’s also an admission of the fact they can’t never not be part of each other’s live and even if she says words to the contrary, the truth is they love each other to pieces and that love is the undercurrent of the whole interaction, and why he stays. Is the worst because well they still leave each other and their relationship is in ruins and right at that moment not even the love they felt for each other can fix it.

[springsteenicious]

carouselunique said:  I think it would be strong up until S2, then they sort of start becoming more strained and have a real bad falling out over Jackie in S5 until Kelso remembers their pact but instead of competing for Jackie he steps back because he actually legit misses Hyde and even if he wants Jackie it’s not as much as he wants his best friend back and helps them get back together so he can start being friends with Hyde again is what’s in my mind

carouselunique said:  No misunderstanding in S7 because by then he assigns a sort of brotherly role for himself onto Jackie (pretty one sided but it’s his way of making her off limits since, y’know Hyde dating her wasn’t quite enough)

That would be so sweet of Kelso! The idea of him just wanting his best friend back is so nice! 

Once Kelso steps back from Jackie, he would realize he didn’t actually want to be with Jackie, he just wanted her because Hyde had her. Hyde would appreciate Kelso’s effort to renew their friendship, so he would do his part and fix their past issues. 

Kelso assigning himself a brotherly role to Jackie sounds a little creepy considering they used to be in a relationship, but I’m doing a similar thing with an ex of mine so I won’t be hypocritical, lol. Plus, it really is the only way Kelso could make her off-limits. 

That could lead into a personal favorite friendship of mine, Kelso and Jackie’s. If they have a peaceful, friendly relationship with each other (familial on Kelso’s end) they could have a great dynamic and, as you said, prevent the S7 misunderstanding. 

[cassiopeiasara]

For the tv ask game - The Worst Witch!

Favorite episode and why

It will probably forever be Miss Cackle’s Birthday. I just love the girls trying SO HARD at making the performance the best ever. I love Hecate showing how much she will literally drop anything for Ada always. I love the insight into how concerned Ada is about teaching and the school. I’LL NEVER BE OVER THE BENCH! Dimity being the best bro ever. The trio imitating Hecate, Ada and Dimity. Enid’s whistle and timing still gets to me. Hecate telling Mildred she did well!  Funniest/crackiest/it’s-terrible-but-I-still-love-it episode/scene

I’m not sure. The scene in Hollow Wood when Ada asks about sending the girls into mortal danger and Hecate is like I’m sure it’s safe? I giggle every time. 

It’s-terrible-and-I-hate it episode/scene

I know this is an unpopular opinion but I don’t much care for Miss Softbroom (the secondhand embarrassment is too real for me and Ada is SO SAD). I think the Love At First Sight ep was not my fave either.  Best episode/scene for my favorite character

You know I actually REALLY love the scene with Hecate and Indigo in the s3 finale where she explains they can’t be friends but Hecate can be her teacher and asks Indigo to trust her. I know s3 has a lot everyone hates (myself included) but the insight into Hecate that moment offers. The true depiction of what it is to acknowledge pain you’ve caused and offer a way into the future, I just like it a lot. Also the thank you to Julie right before it happens. It’s a small moment but I think it’s a nice compliment to how shitty Hecate treated Julie at the beginning of the season. I do also love Hecate telling Mildred she’s proud of her in the s4 finale too. 

For Ada, I really love that scene with Sybil in A New Dawn. It reminds me of the scene in the pilot where she gives Mildred a lemon drop. The school and its pupils are Ada’s heart above all else and it’s just precious to witness. I also love her battle with Agatha in the pilot that gives us her kindness catchphrase. I enjoy her being cute with her plants in s4. I appreciate her teasing in Tabby and all of her supportive glances in s3.  Best episode/scene for my favorite ship

See above fave episode. Gah every time they’re standing close. I love the scene in s4 when we find out Hecate reanimates Ada’s plants. I love s2 finale when they hold hands, I love the s1 finale when Hecate says the all that we are spell. I love all of the s2 second half arc. I love Ada being an anchor for Hecate in s3 and reading that scroll when Hecate asks in s4 ep 3 and how her heart breaks for Hecate. I love Hecate’s determination after Ada shatters in s4. I JUST LOVE EVERY TIME THEY’RE TOGETHER.  Best episode/scene for a particular supporting character

I really enjoyed Dimity’s arc in s4. I mean I know her dynamic with Arabella feels like a recycled Hecate and Pippa story but I actually really like that Arabella turned out to be just as much an ass as she appeared and how it was a lesson for Enid but it didn’t change Dimity’s feelings about Enid. I also love Dimity’s s2 Sports Day ep. 

I love any time Julie Hubble appears. Best episode/scene for a character I don’t usually like

Hmm there’s only one person I don’t like but I can’t really find anything I like them in.  Most visually beautiful or interesting episode/scene

All of s1 but I particularly love the coven initiation in The First Witch.  Most emotionally affecting episode/scene

You know for how much I hated that whole confinement bs, it did tug at my heart strings but the wrapup in s4ep3 legit made me cry.  Most powerful use of music in an episode/scene

I like the music in the bench scene during Miss Cackle’s Birthday. It’s just a recycled theme they use for emotional moments but I still adore how it adds to the scene.  Episode/scene that changed my perspective on the show

Nothing really. I keep my expectations super low. (Now my perspective on fandom is a diff story).   Episode/scene where the acting stands out

Hecate in the majority of s3 and Mildred. Ada all the time.  Overall best-written episode

Honestly? The pilot stands out as a fave in writing and Miss Cackle’s Birthday. 

[motheatenscarf]

On a lighter note amidst all the... anti-capitalist pandemic shit I’ve been reblogging, here’s my favorite shit about Critical Role so far (keep in mind, I started with S2)

Nott and Caleb. Just.. everything about their relationship and dynamic.

Mostly Nott

Nott is the best character, Sam is my favorite player so far

Like, in all regards, just, in terms of sheer “getting shit DONE”, always being hilarious and super in character with it, and having interesting flaws that  actually add so much to the group and the story even if they are played for laughs

Seriously, her little thieving hands are played for laughs most of the time but that she calls it an “itch” and seems to be genuinely remorseful at how her getting caught makes Caleb’s life harder and how she’s always stealing things FOR him to make his life easier is just!!!

Again, just, everything about her and Caleb, her bodily shielding him whenever he falls unconscious, I’m fucking dying

Her getting flowers for Yasha because she was scared of her and wanted her to like her, then Laura/Jester getting flowers for Nott to thank her for being her friend and just!!! That’s good player interaction and character development

I know I won’t shut up about Nott and I probably only care about Caleb because Nott so earnestly cares about him and I am only human and care about characters who care about things, but SPEAKING OF characters who just aggressively care about things

Jester is also great and Laura’s great at being that player who turns the group from a collective of individuals into a GROUP with how sincerely friendly she plays Jester, and finding out a bit of her backstory and how profoundly lonely it must have been makes Jester my new 2nd favorite

2nd only to the goblin because of course the goblin is my favorite, you all fucking know me by now

I’m only like, 8 episodes in so the others haven’t had much of a chance to make an impression on me but I do like that Molly is the only one who seems to interact with NPCs and treat them as though they aren’t just NPCs to facilitate the story but actual, y’know, characters with their own internal lives. Like, I know that’s the fun of adventuring, but Taliesen seems to actually understand that this is a living world. I do know that Molly dies so I’m trying hard not to get super attached to him. So far that hasn’t been difficult, but we’ll see if he develops more or gets a little more interesting. 

The sheer amount of dumb fucking jokes going on at all times, GOD. It’s so affirming to see even when these people have a pretty tight time frame of like 3-4 hours and this is kind of a source of income for them and they should probably get as much actual narrative packed in as possible, D&D is still just like 60% the peanut gallery going apeshit and uttering every stray thought that passes through their hellbrain and making their own in-jokes and party memes. 

I remember being really out of the loop and people being like, legit upset that they chose “The Mighty Nein” as their group name because it was a dumb joke and I think the people who were upset must have just never played a D&D game before. Or taken their D&D games waaay the hell too seriously. That’s literally 60% of the experience is the absolute dumbshit shenanigans and why WOULDN’T you name yourself after having fun with your friends???

Anyway, it’s really cute and a lot of fun and it’s entertaining so far. If you’re BORED OUT OF YOUR MIND like I was during this fucking quarantine (guess whose state just put out a decree from the governor saying everybody needs to stay their ass at home?) this is a really good way to spend that time.