#like imane's season is the same amount of bad from beginning to end

[inmyarmswrappedin]

who do you think had the worst season imane or amira n ?😞

Hi anon! 🌾 Link to the same ask from a few months ago.

[flying-elliska]

S5 Review pt.1 : the Good

Arthur season is over, time to analyze it as a finished story ! This meta in 3 parts will go over the good, the bad and the mindboggling. My general impression of the season : excellent beginning, very meh middle, interesting ending. In short :  flawed but I feel people calling it a total disaster really are not making any effort to see it objectively. So ; let's dig into the why and how.

What I liked about this season :

A story made with and for Deaf people : It’s pretty evident when watching the interviews that Winona and Lucas really really enjoyed making the season and that it offered them an unprecedented level of representation. The creators obviously did their research, working with the people of the IVT. Personally I feel like I learned so much and the clips showing aspects of Deaf culture were among my favorites. It felt like a nuanced, rich, in-depth perspective, with details like choosing to get a cochlear implant or not, the testimony evening, the sign language class, Noee’s sign dance, the different ways to enjoy music, how to speak to someone who is Deaf, etc...showing that not everyone within that community has the same story or opinion, that they’re just people with their unique challenges but shared needs, as well as the really awesome culture that is part of being Deaf. It felt really respectful and a thousand miles away from the usual miserabilistic clichés - it brought up some concern about how difficult it is to be rejected/invisible in today’s society, but it was balanced with emotions like curiosity, admiration, and awe. I came to SKAM for the representation but I absolutely love getting educated about groups I’m not part of and I feel this is truly where the season shines. Learning from Deaf fans was also hella interesting. 

A complex discussion about disability : A central plot point, and one of my favorites, was Arthur learning to overcome his (now internalized) ableism. We see that Arthur is an overachiever and this change in his life upsets this idea of the perfect life he has in mind. He repeadedly lashes out at the other Deaf people he meets, makes fun of sign language, underlines how he is ‘not like them’ at the beginning because he is still clinging to his own self image. We can understand where this comes from when we see how condescending towards any sort of weakness, and focused on performance over empathy his father is. But as he learns to meet actual Deaf people and see the diversity and beauty of the community, he learns there is no shame in that sort of difference and learns to stand up for himself and that was amazing to see. Another important part was Laura and Melchior’s inclusion and beyond being very funny, they highlighted the idea that although disabled people have different, sometimes competing needs, they also have things in common, and that deep wish of not being discounted/othered/excluded. All the disabled characters this season were complex, real people, not there just to teach others a lesson or inspire them or be pitied or the butt of a joke, and that is so sadly rare nowadays. Even though some bits did feel a bit like a PSA, I feel like overall it was very well done. 

The politics of desirability : A theme running through the season is the idea that who we are attracted to is socially constructed and can really be biased by our prejudices. Alexia expressed this idea (albeit clumsily) in the bar scene early on, and this came back when she talked about her insecurities. This was also present in Laura’s insistence that disabled people have certain needs like everybody else. And finally, it’s present in Arthur’s own struggles - his fear of not being able to sleep with his girlfriend with his hearing aids, and his own difficulties in seeing what is happening with Noee and him saying ‘she’s deaf’ to the question ‘is she beautiful’ even as he is obviously into her. Our society gives us this incredibly narrow set of criteria for who is considered attractive - thin, white, able bodied, etc - but people’s actual real patterns of attraction and finding beauty are, when you set those prejudices aside, and see the beauty of people for who they are and not how well they fit a box, so much more broad and generous and diverse and I loved how this season highlighted that. 

Technical excellence : God, the cinematography this season was absolutely off the charts, it makes me wish they could redo previous seasons with this amount of style. Shots like Arthur under the shower, or that party at the Asso with the blurry dancing, the shots in the pool, or the ones from the farm episode...INCREDIBLE. The sound editing was used sooooo well to put us in Arthur’s shoes, it was a wonder and I really felt how intense the change must have been for him because of that. And the acting is impeccable. You can really feel how well these actors know their characters by now, they have total mastery of their portrayal. Robin did an awesome job with tough scenes, but just...everyone was on their best game really. 

A nuanced portrayal of abuse : Arthur’s relationship with his father was thouroughly heartbreaking, and it felt very real. I am very grateful that they didn’t try to redeem him - it’s important to show that even if you are trying your best, some people are toxic abusers and the best thing you can do is take your distance. I felt it right away, in the subtle way he was dismissing and belittling his wife and son, in the ways he was asserting his control over them, and I wasn’t surprised at all when more came out. It surprised me in the beginning that so many people were arguing that the father was caring, just strict - I feel like the signs were so obvious but I guess that’s the point. Abuse is a pattern that becomes visible over time and abusers can be perfectly charming and reasonable to people who don’t know what it’s like. Growing up with that is isolating and terrifying and it does awful things to your self esteem and your capacity to be in tune with your feelings. We can see that when Arthur basically defends his father’s actions because he is still so eager to have his love and placate him. Arthur’s behavior did not come from nowhere and it was inspiring to see him grow past that and realize he did not have to perpetuate the pattern and make his own choices. Also, his relationship with his mom was very sweet, supportive (her smoking weed with him was awesome) but complex - the way he was mean to her sometimes, condescending bc of her lack of studies ; the way she blamed herself for not seeing sooner - she must have been subjected to Patrick’s more emotional abuse, and so she will probably feel like she should have reacted sooner or known and that’s like...painful ugh. This whole thing was so raw and real. And it was incredibly important to see the nurse and her Jerome - adults, with medical knowledge - see Arthur’s situation and tell him that sometimes you just have to leave. 

Highs and lows of friendship : Basile !!!! I was not a fan in s3 but the great aspect of POV shift is allowing us to see some characters through a different angle - even though I think Basile went through a lot of growth too. In Lucas’s season he was meant to be the annoying gross overly straight guy as a contrast - but for Arthur he is this devoted friend that is so open and sincere in his affection that his awkwardness comes off as endearing instead. You really understand why those two are friends : Arthur is smart, sarcastic, he can help Basile with social awareness and hype him up, but he’s also so painfully guarded and finds it hard to express emotion, I think, and it makes sense he loves Basile’s spontaneity and big heart. Meeting his grandfather was also so funny and endearing, as were all the marks of more physical affection he wasn’t afraid to show Arthur. I think having a friend like that is part of what allows Arthur to finally stand up on his own - whether against his father or deciding he needs to be single to figure himself out. As for the Gang in general, I loved the moments where they were all happy together (the early graffiti clip is truly one of the shining moments of the season for me) but their later spat is also quite understandable to me. I find it very realistic that although they are trying their best to accomodate their new friend’s disability, they’re going to mess up, that’s part of the process. The most important thing, I think, when faced with someone who is different from you, is to engage with it (respectfully) - ask questions, not assume. And communicate ffs.  I also really liked those moments where the Crew and Gang came together, it gave this big end of high school vibe where all the squads merge and there is this feeling of having gone through an ordeal together that makes everyone closer.  There were also so many funny moments  that were absolute gold (the wheelbarrow ! the dinosaur balloons ! Imane getting attacked by chickens ! Emma and her horse! ).

Arthur on his own : I liked the more introspective moments we got this season. The successive alarms while he was angsting about his hearing coming back were such a clever way to put us in his perspective - there is already a lot of stress linked to a morning alarm, isn’t there ? We all know that moment in the morning where we don’t want to get out of bed and face the world, and taking that emotion and adding Arthur’s absolute stress at realizing that this change is lasting, it was really effective. Arthur’s link to water, as a symbol of another world where sound is much more diffuse, is quite interesting too. And the moment in last episode where he puts his glasses back on, too, as a more obvious sign of a disability that is very socially accepted and that is just part of who he is, just as his hearing loss is. We also got a moment with the bench of loneliness that was an interesting parallel with s3. (I love how the Buttes-Chaumont parc has become this double symbol in Skam France of both loneliness/alienation/putting on a mask and growth/return to authenticity.) And I like that he ended up the season single and deciding to figure himself out. It’s a big aspect of his character that he has spent too much time trying to conform to expectations and that he was super walled off as a result, that he hurt others without realizing, that he found himself boring, that he didn’t seem to open up to his friends, etc...and in the end he is a lot more open but he also knows there is a part of growth that being in a relationship cannot bring him. He can’t use women the way his father did. I respect that a lot, honestly, it’s what saved the end of the season for me, that they didn’t end up putting one girl above the other and made it about Arthur being lost and needing to find his way on his own. 

The tornado and the sunshine : The new characters were awesome. Her role in the plot set aside, I really liked Noée as a character concept. I think Winona was awesome, and I liked Noée’s mix of warmth and feistiness. I like that they let her be angry at the way the world treated her, and compassionate at the same time. Also her headbutting that guy in the club that didn’t want to listen to her was !!! iconic. I loved her style, too, and that dance was so beautiful. Camille was a great addition to the team too, Arthur was lucky to find someone that patient and his dry humor but sunny disposition were great too. It was cute to see him with Mika as a couple of gurus - that we did get a Deaf/hearing couple was a good addition to the season, I think - and I hope we’ll see both of those new characters next season, too. 

Queen Alexia : She was definitely one of the characters I had the most emotions for this season. She’s just so cool and her perspective on life is just so mature and interesting, her acceptance of herself and others so inspiring - a lot of the early clips with her were adorable. I loved how supportive she was in such a creative, playful way - that game she made for Arthur, the boards she brought, etc. The moments she talked about her insecurities, if bittersweet because of what happened later, remains one of my faves from the season. She was so beautiful framed by rainbows (also apparently that’s her sign name ? Amazing.) And the moment where she sings was just...oof. She was really brave and strong to be able to do that, to express her emotions and hurt in such a public, dignified and creative way. It was a moment of reckoning for Arthur, putting him on the spot and recognizing how much he hurt her, but it was done in such a graceful way - the way she signed to signal her acceptance of his Deafness, the reminder that she loves him and won’t be able to forget that immediately, and a rejoinder to recognize his feelings towards Noee, etc. She wasn’t perfect (organizing that meeting without asking really pushed it a bit too far - you can’t rush someone else’s self acceptance) but she was just ...really good. 

Elu as an established couple : One of my biggest reproaches to s3 is that they didn’t give us enough fluff after all the drama (time constraints, I know, etc.) But this season they really delivered. And listen I know some fans love to blather about fanservice but fuck it, I just love seeing a healthy domestic queer couple on screen !!!! It’s just so bloody healing, because they feel real and in love like nothing I have ever seen on screen before. Maybe because so often straight actors are so awkward at playing queer intimacy and they’re really not. Seeing them in their new appartment was like a pure shot of serotonin - morning croissants ! fairylights everywhere ! but I also liked that it wasn’t too fluffy one note. We can still see that Eliott struggles with MI, that Lucas has some insecurities, but yet their devotion to each other is still as strong, as in “he’s my boyfriend and I love him.” It was a hopeful note throughout the season, Lucas being persistent and devoted all through the challenges of being with someone who is mentally ill. Also, I really liked Eliott’s role this season, as a sort of...provider for the Gang ? Getting them a van, bringing them to the cool graffiti place, making this fresque for them...you can feel he’s not 100% part of the gang because he’s older, already in college, etc, but at the same time he has sort of an observer role that can give them things no one else can. I feel like Lucas confided in him about the troubles they were going through and Eliott can empathize with being treated different, the fear of losing your friends...so Eliott helped them in his unique way, through art. And him having this new secret place he can bring more people to, and so full of color and sharing his art with people and !!!! God I’m emo he’s just my fave character ever really. 

The pressure of the future : Listen the last year of high school in France is horrible, there is the pressure from the BAC + half the people are passing entrance exams and doing interviews for the stuff you want to do later and it’s so stressful and I’m glad they touched on that at least a little. Emma really embodied this theme this season, of the pressure of not wanting to know what you want to do later. It’s really when you realize that they’re all so young and being asked to make such big decisions for their entire lives is really sort of fucked up, and I think her being there is a way to dedramatize not knowing, and gives Arthur the freedom to see he doesn’t want to be a doctor ; I liked the apt comparison with Imane’s passion for medecine. I wish we’d seen more of Arthur figuring out his real passion (did he make that painting or what ?) but I appreciated this storyline. 

Overall, I think this season was full of excellent moments - either funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking, or edifying - and it provided some much needed quality representation for the Deaf community. In that, and having educated a lot of people, it is at least somewhat a success. However, as a whole, it did not quite come together for me, which is what I will analyze in my next post. 

[rileyblxu]

On Noora and Season 4

In SKAM there are always those leftover storylines from previous seasons, a small continuation not to end the character’s arch abruptly, and to give the show a nice, believable flow. In S2, we see Eva deal with her breakup (though I have many opinions on this) by looking for a way to heal and get over the fact that Jonas is no longer her boyfriend. In S3, we get Noora’s dealing with William’s departure and being all secretive about what was going on between them. We, however, get no Eva whatsoever. Her season is long over, her storyline done with. We don’t see her drunk and making out with random guys. We understand that she’s all better now and remains on good terms with Jonas. This is Isak’s season.

In S4, in one of the first scenes, we are given an update on Evak: they’re doing great. They love each other and are still together, Isak is smiling and Even appears to be in good mental health. Like Eva in S2 and Nora in S3, this is our sigh-of-relief moment: the characters we fell in love with in the previous season are still there, not gone. 

However, even before the main conflict of the season (Sana’s season) is introduced, our main girl walks inside the apartment and is confronted by something we thought would be long over: Noora’s love problems. The girls start whispering about how William got another girlfriend and wether they should tell Noora or not.

I was appalled. “Really?” Was my first thought, “We’re still on this?” And don’t get me wrong, I loved Noora’s season, I thought it covered some very important matters and the ending had me bawling and wishing for more. I was given more in S3, and though I hated what I got (and understood their way of handling it, what with Thomas’ departure from the show and all), I was content. And when I go into S4, expecting my unapologetic muslim goddess to slay the world, I am yet again confronted by the things from two seasons ago.

As usual, we get some borderline islamophobic comments from Vilde, some uncomfortable silences from everyone else, and the show begins. 

Everything seems to be running smoothly. We meet the Balloon Squad. We get excited over our girl having a crush, loving the fact that he seems the perfect guy for her.

Then shit starts going sideways. Girls hating on other girls, Sana unable to speak about her crush because Noora apparently likes him, the Girl Squad making Sana feel left out, the Balloon Squad (POC guys) being seen as ‘the bad guys’. We get russ bus drama and ignorant white girls unable to grasp the concept of ‘other religions’. We get Noora and her William problems that, let’s be honest, should have been long over by now.

Finally, a silver lining: Yousef doesn’t believe in Allah. Ok, we’re getting somewhere here. This grabs my attention and has me craving for the next update. How will they solve this? Sana’s not giving up her religion for a guy, I’m fairly certain Yousef’s not gonna convert just to be with her, Sana’s family won’t approve. What’s gonna happen next? I’m finally caught up (something the first clip hadn’t achieved.) And then, a reward for our patience: a beautifully shot, performed and even edited clip of Sana and Yousef together for an extended period of time, bonding, getting to know each other, and finally addressing the elephant in the room. We’re rewarded with a scene that seems to be that Isak-goes-to-Even’s-apartment scene, that Noora-and-William’s-first-date scene. A solid, robust, meaningful scene that moves the plot forward.

And then Noora again. Her and Sana have a talk about none other than William Magnusson, a talk that could have been placed in S3 discreetly, giving Noorhelm’s storyline the closure it deserved. By now, the Niko plot should have been figured out. I was curious back in S3 about what had happened to him, but by S4 I’ve forgotten all about it. This scene only adds to the piling amount of Noora screen time.

Then comes a clip and texts that promise that Friday’s clip is going to blow our shipper hearts away. Sana and Yousef are seeing each other again for the first time since The Scene. We’re expecting lovey dovey eyes and goofy smiles. 

But surprise! Everything crumbles down on Sana.

Noora acuses Sana, not giving her a moment to form a coherent answer. Yousef comes up to her and she has to break apart a fight. She has to see her brother (yes, that same brother who a clip ago was the most loving creature in the universe) with a face contorted in anger, and we never get a reason for the fight. Sana goes to clean the blood off her hands and overhears conversation that tears her (and the audience) apart.

They could have ended the episode there. What she overheard and the fight between the boys promised enough drama to keep us on edge until the end of the break. Instead, they recycle the cliffhanger from last season and have Noora kiss Yousef. And I hated it. Not only because Sana witnesses the guy she likes kissing one of her best friends, or because Iman’s expression broke my heart into a million pieces, but because it gives Noora a permanent spot in the next half of the season. Sana is bound to share the spotlight with her and it pisses me off. Instead of having Sana explore her religion and deal with islamophobia (which is so present in many scenes), we get a love triangle. And I hate to see powerful Sana, smart Sana, unapologetic Sana, beautiful Sana be reduced to that.

[junker-town]

The Cavaliers have lost 4 of their last 6, Lonzo Ball is on fire, and other things from Saturday night

The Cavs are still a dumpster fire, while Ball is finally lighting it up from three.

The Cleveland Cavaliers strung together a series of trade deadline deals that made one declarative statement: We are starting from scratch, mid-season, and we’re going to get it right this time.

But after they traded Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert to recoup Rodney Hood, George Hill, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., many of Cleveland’s problems continue to persist.

The Cavs are still an awful defensive team. They needed 129 points to beat the Nets and gave up 126 points in a loss to the Nuggets on Saturday night. Cleveland’s giving up about 110 points per 100 possessions since the All-Star break, according to data from NBA.com, matching their defensive rating from the first-half of the season.

The Cavaliers are also a team that thrives when the three-point shot is falling. During their recent struggles, they are averaging just 9.5 threes made on 32 percent shooting. Last season, Cleveland made 13 a game, the same amount they make in wins this year.

Maybe Cleveland misses Kevin Love more than we thought?

The Cavaliers aren’t championship contenders without Love. That much is evident. Cleveland is 29-17 in games he’s played substantial minutes. They’re 7-9 in all other games.

It’s hard to replace what Love brings to the floor. He’s one of Cleveland’s best three-point shooters at 40 percent on the season. He’s a reliable post-up option on offense, and despite Love’s shortcomings on the defensive end, he’s a battle-tested veteran who’s helped steer the Cavs to three straight NBA Finals appearances.

Love’s been out with a broken hand since Jan. 29, and even though he’s back working out — though with a glove on his non-shooting hand — he’s expected to continue his injury timeline of eight weeks. That would put him right back onto the court toward the end of March.

Cleveland’s already integrating new players into the rotation. Next they’ll have to reintegrate Love. It won’t be easy, but if they want any shot at returning to the Finals, they’ll need to figure out a way to do it.

Lonzo Ball is finding his range

We made a big deal at the beginning of the season that heralded rookie Lonzo Ball couldn’t make a shot from distance. But in the second half of the season after returning from a sprained MCL, Ball has been automatic from three.

Ball became the first rookie in Lakers history to hit six threes and dish out 11 assists in a game. In his four games since returning from injury, he’s made 16-of-25, or 63.6 percent of his three-point attempts.

: Lonzo Ball became the first Laker in franchise history to hit at least 6 three-pointers with 11 assists in a single game pic.twitter.com/9AFLMU3UKf

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 4, 2018

Larry Nance Jr. caught a body!

If you thought that college basketball poster dunk that’s been circulating recently was bad, what Nance did to Miles Plumlee on Saturday night was a nightmare. Nance tomahawked over the Nuggets’ center, then pointed at him like Shawn Kemp did to Alton Lister decades ago.

It doesn’t get any more savage than that.

LARRY NANCE THROWS IT DOWN ON PLUMLEE. WOW.pic.twitter.com/8N2pfs5F83

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 4, 2018

Celtics vs. Rockets was wild

You can read more about that here.

Saturday’s NBA scores

Magic 107, Grizzlies 100

Nuggets 126, Cavaliers 117

Heat 105, Pistons 96

Rockets 123, Celtics 120

Lakers 116, Spurs 113

Trail Blazers 108, Thunder 100

Jazz 98, Kings 91