#maybe we can make this a thing? so other people can promo themselves more? I would like that

[nightgoodomens]

Can you elaborate your opinion on the coincidence of that BI with DT being in CA, Michael's PR explanation and miserable pics? The fact that Enty picked this very specific Disney story out of all the sus recent accidents sounds like a choice. Or jumping on MS's answer in less than 24h. AFAIK, Enty also gets info from reliable sources, could someone in CA participate in an "act of self-sabotage" to catalyze things? It sounds unlikely cause on the other hand it wouldn't be a good look to coincide coming out with breack ups and I think they know that. It's obvious whatever unhappiness there is between 2 couples( which is being put out, deliberately by themselves) has nothing to do with DT/MS, being poly and happy is a common thing. However, there seem to be separate conflicts between couples which we're not pervy to their nature but they're out there. (G admitted in a written press that she found an identity via social media and now she complains... says something.) As for media picking things up, I'm not sure what it'll take. If it was a hetero situation with 1/10 of the material we have from those two, surely it was the #1 hot gossip everywhere, years ago. I just hope whatever solution they come up with, doesn't smear a beautiful love with unrelated breakups.

Okay so what exactly is going on nobody can say apart from them but let’s just look at the timeline

(This is loooooong)

Since the beginning of GO there has been clear hints that something happened between Michael and David. Then it was made clear that they have gotten much closer during Staged. And then we saw them going a little insane over each other after lockdown all thorough GO2 promo including Michael not stopping on Twitter.

Then GT posts about the child being a drunk accident and MS goes a little nuts on Twitter telling people he sets David on fire fairly regularly, tells one of the major accounts to ask David face to face which part of him is 2% WELSH, and likes half naked GO fanart.

Then he goes dead quiet which was sudden and clearly related.

Then comes back only the moment David is on stage in New York. Quite obviously.

Goes quiet again, we start getting a lot less Good Omens and David content until the unfortunate moment where trolls made him basically quit Twitter for a while.

The answer to his 2% was that David is still thinking about it and he will let him know…

Then this timeline begins:

The infamous Macbeth look of love between the two of them in a room full of people

David arranging Lapland and takes a couple picture with Michael

David arranging BAFTAs to be about him and Michael, making a point of wearing a kilt that’s the main point of focus during the sketch and uses Gaiman’s infamous “wait and see”, from Good Omens, that brought him and Michael together.

Michael making this face after BAFTAs and later stating during his interview “He did good, the boy did good! And he looks good in a kilt doesn’t he?!”

Happy sincere smiles from both.

David promotes Michael’s NYE twice. Shows he’s been there on the opening night - during the day before the show - as he takes a selfie in front of the theatre.

Can you see how much “content” started coming from David for Michael? Now think back to the way Michael snapped at the end of the year and asked him how much of him is his… oh wait sorry what part of him is 2% Welsh. Maybe he wanted more than 2%… maybe the snap was that he didn’t want to be so hidden anymore hence his outburst of basically telling people they’re together. Whatever it was - funny how suddenly David started controlling the narrative.

Anyway

Another selfie on the press night, this time with the “real” Michael. Over the years is a nice hint. Also it starts to become clear that these two do not have an unhappy selfie together, yet Michael makes a point to look miserable with just AL, and David is not only looking more and more miserable with GT, but GT begins post breakup songs. She’s also known for humiliating David to the point of her own kids calling her a creep on video, and we hear him saying “this will never stop” as she videos him without his knowledge again. Or later “Oh god” “no they don’t need to see that”. What a happy chap.

The kilt keeps on getting mentioned by David, after Michael made a point of stating what he thinks about it.

Michael and David keep on bringing up each other in their interviews or media asks them about each other. They’re indeed seem the happiest when it’s about the other one.

GT and AL called them husbands and boyfriends.

Meanwhile:

Now the elephant in the room - the wives.

The wives began the second AL posted her modelling pics which she automatically assured everyone of not being paid for. Darling when you scream before anyone even had a chance to say anything… but this is something about AL - she is so insecure she keeps on snapping at fans and acting defensive regarding herself and her relationship. Which makes no sense considering she’s apparently in a happy happy happy arrangement.

GT was clearly asked to do the PR for her. So what did they do? After years of showing that they’re not even close friends, they called each other wives to mirror the husbands. It was so blatant it made me cringe how quickly their fans jumped on the bullshit that even GT laughed in their faces when she sarcastically replied to the fan “sooo linked.” Fair play, GT, I’d roll my eyes too seeing people eating it up so easily.

Just them on its own wasn’t enough so obviously they based their promotion on their men. Mirroring was awkward because the reason their men are popular is because their chemistry is real which AL/GT obviously don’t have. They knew they won’t stand on their own, hence the “family” (sooo close that David nearly fell off the bench to not touch AL accidentally) and they can be called husbands and boyfriends if they can be called wives, and they can have pics together… but mostly group shops so the women get promoted with them.

Hey, if you ignored them, at least we had lovely MS/DT moments who became a little more public.

It was clear the arrangement was only until BAFTAs - because this was the end.

David did three interesting things that day.

He did massive PR for GT - both magazines and red carpet and a kiss on front of the camera, which I said then will result in a job for her - soon after she announced a new agent - his agent - ding dong.

Then the rest was all Michael and him. Go figure.

And he completely excluded AL.

Next day we learned that Michael excluded AL from The Way. A show that included GT watching an intimate scene between two men who were neighbours. Which Michael and David are confirmed to be.

AL had a bit of a mental breakdown looking for validation on Twitter and Instagram. Obsessively reposting BAFTAs, whining about The Way.

Another blow came when GT cut her out. AL tried to keep the charade going but GT was done.

When GT announced her agent, AL ignored it.

There’s no more “family” things either.

My take is that AL perhaps was meant to have something sorted out for her by BAFTAs, unfortunately her totally not paid for photoshoot that she was totally picked up for… didn’t do the trick. GT got an agent out of David’s PR though.

AL’s heart grows fonder as she realises shit is going down and she starts hardcore convincing everyone that her and MS are happy because no modelling career is happening.

Meanwhile MS stays every night with fans or at the bar to not go home as he contradicts her.

GT meanwhile gets colder regarding David, showing she basically doesn’t give a shit about his accomplishments or tries to put her attention on herself instead. It’s a cold and harsh difference compared to what he did for her at BAFTAs.

Break up songs continue.

Both GT and AL go very quiet on social media. AL posts depressing things, GT is just being an ass about DT.

Both go to separate Disneylands.

Then a few things happen at once:

Neil posts that Michael and David are still very much in love.

David looks depressed as GT posts that picture with “Breakdown” in the background, song about a break up.

Michael struggles through a question about AL - talks about them not looking for it, but -the kids- so it was worth it - refuses to say he loves AL, refuses to say anything about her personally - it’s spoken like a rehearsed statement about an arrangement that at least they both have something out of.

Michael automatically switches to David unprompted - he turns into a sunshine, goes personal about him calling him lovely and very nice, and this is when asked about the rudest actor so also an awkward Q - which he made the most affectionate thing in the world.

Michael also keeps on bringing David up. Constantly.

David still in California.

Enty releases a blind about two men who went to Disneyland separately and one wife and one girlfriend are pushing a narrative of happy families while the men only look happy with each other or while talking about each other.

AL milks Assembly to her advantage for a whole day desperately while Michael stops performing because he’s too sick.

Neil reblogs all the moments Michael spoke about David.

Michael suddenly interacts with fans avoiding thousands of tweets of people totally seeing the love between him and AL (he didn’t use that word).

So what I think… - I don’t think the family unit was ever true. That was just PR to get the women out there. Because when they didn’t need it, it abruptly stopped. Perhaps men thought if these two get work, things will get easier. Unfortunately they’re not most employable.

The problem is that it looks like Michael and David are not happy with their women anymore and it’s bad enough that they’re showing it. The women know - perhaps AL is aware things are ending hence milking it until it gets public that they’re over. GT is hinting hardcore that things are falling apart - but are they going to sort it out or not? What stage these two couples are actually at - I don’t know.

Is David so unhappy he’d tip off Enty? I wouldn’t be shocked. Especially since his and Michael’s best friend told everyone David and Michael are in love right before the assembly. Which makes me wonder whether Enty and Neil dropping a 💣 was very much planned by Michael and David. Did they lose GT/AL support and looked for it in Neil, did the women only were happy to “help” when they were getting something out of it, or is this actually following a plan since the very beginning - Hard to tell. I’m not 100% sure because with GT promoting her and him being unhappy, maybe she is on it in some way. But… it is hard to tell at this stage. Maybe DT got her his agent so the agent would make sure GT doesn’t post shit about him when/if things are over. Maybe the agent is controlling the narrative now and helping to make the breakup least damaging for both.

We will see. This can still go so many different ways… the only stable thing is Michael and David and their love for each other.

[rainbowsky]

Review: Born to Fly

I saw DD's new film, so here are my thoughts on it. I'm going to have a spoiler-free section and then a more spoilery section. Please pay attention to that if you haven't seen it yet!

Spoiler Free Section

I have to be honest: I had pretty low expectations going into this film. These kind of militaristic, nationalistic, 'heroes and glory' films aren't really my thing. I like the action and excitement, but that tends to get eclipsed by cliches, macho posturing and manipulative melodrama.

These kinds of films tend to take themselves too seriously, and the audience is supposed to go along with that and take it all equally seriously. A lot of the promo for the film showed officials and military figures crying in the audience, which could have gone a few different ways depending on what was happening onscreen.

Given the political situation in that region right now, with China escalating their military aggression against Taiwan, I was also worried this film might push a narrative that I'd find offensive.

Thankfully this film wasn't quite what I feared it might be. Yeah, it had some eye-roll worthy cliche moments and some unintentional humor, but for the most part it was just an engaging, suspenseful and surprisingly funny film. The political angle wasn't great but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

For the most part the special effects were pretty good. Definitely strong enough to give a sense of immersion, and all the actors gave good performances.

Of course DD was the star of the show, and he really stepped up to the task. His performance was convincing, his character was sympathetic, and of course he looked amazing in every frame. I was so proud of him.

Overall I think it's a film most fans will enjoy immensely, and any family or friends who get dragged along for the ride will not have much to complain about.

If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you stop reading now and maybe come back once you have.

Spoilery Section

I'm not going to go into too much depth, here, because if I get too ambitious this post will run the risk of languishing in my drafts folder, never to see the light of day.

What I Liked

I loved Lei Yu. DD was well cast - he had a lot of DD-ish traits. I enjoyed his plucky, often conflicted personality. He was smart, talented and very human.

While we didn't get much depth from him or the other characters (typical of the genre), the relationships he had with his crew mates were at least convincing enough to drive the story forward and make me feel invested in what was happening to them all.

I loved the action. The aerial scenes were so exciting, and mostly well produced. I had been a bit worried that we'd spend most of the film watching the guys work out and do all these endurance tests (which might make good eye candy but isn't a story), so when those things just ended up being quick montages I was relieved.

I mean, that's what's most exciting about a film like this, right? The planes, the action, the suspense, the crashes.

I also really loved the humor in this film. There were some genuinely funny moments, and it helped relax me into the story more and become more invested in the characters. We all know a film like this is going to play with our emotions a bit, but too many writers forget that just like pain, laughter can be a gateway into people's hearts.

The story was pretty good. I wasn't expecting much, but I think they did a good job of making the mission seem important, of making the struggles seem real, and taking the viewer on a journey.

The film was over 2 hours long, but never at any point did I look at my phone or wonder how much time was left. I was engaged and excited throughout the story. That alone is a pretty big accomplishment. My attention span isn't stellar.

I was grateful that there wasn't much of a romantic storyline. I guess we can thank the censors for that, because they recently put stronger limitations on romantic storylines in nationalistic media. 😐

It was fine for there to be a spark of interest between characters - it makes the stakes higher when things get tense - but I showed up for an action flick, not a romance.

I can't really comment on the technology or anything to do with the planes, training, etc. I have no clue about any of that. It all seemed plausible enough to me that I wasn't being pulled out of the story every time that stuff was being discussed.

I especially enjoyed the parachute packing scene. I had never before put much thought into how parachutes are put together, but the way the guy was talking about it lent gravity to the story while also just being really interesting both topically and visually.

While I felt that the 'background-building' scene with his parents was a bit too rushed to give us a strong sense of their relationship, I wasn't too upset about it because I was more interested in the action.

The relationship between Lei Yu and Zhang Ting (his commander) was very satisfying, and I loved the chief engineer guy who he packed parachutes with. What a great character. Both Hu Jun and Tian Zhuang Zhuang gave strong performances.

I loved that Lei Yu was something of an engineer himself. I don't know much about military aviation, but I know astronauts are serious engineers and scientists, so why can't top tier pilots be too?

This whole aspect of participating in the design of the aircraft was so interesting, and gave us another angle on Lei Yu. Brains, beauty and brawn rather than just a hot macho soldier.

The commander's child was also a smart choice for the story. He was cute and relatable, and gave us another angle through which to view all of this. The enthusiasm for planes. The connection with his dad. It added some fun and human interest to the story (and some pathos).

Little Bai Ze Ze was so cute and he gave a good performance!

I like that I can look back on a movie that was over two hours long and feel that some things were rushed. They packed a lot into those two hours, and the pacing was such that I never got bored or lost interest, and always felt like something interesting was happening.

That might sound like a small thing, but to me it's huge. It's so rare for me to watch a film where I feel engaged all the way through. Especially not a movie in this genre. They did a good job with the story and pacing.

There were some good emotional moments. Going to the tomb to pay respects to the fallen comrades, of course was so emotional, and it helped give a sense of the stakes of what they were doing and the magnitude of the mission.

The death of the commander was also so powerful and heartbreaking. I liked that they weren't afraid to show all these guys bawling their eyes out. It made it all more believable.

Like the success of the mission, the redemption of the relationship between Lei Yu and his rival Deng Fang was totally predictable. The salute at the end "I owe you" could have come off as cheesy but was played well and felt sincere and meaningful. Overall I liked Yu Shi in this film, he did well.

What I Didn't Like

There were some things that I found weak, cringey or even offensive.

The number one thing that bothered me was the glorification of tragedy, and the characterization of terrible accidents as a noble and heroic self-sacrifice, as though it was a price worth paying for the competitive mission of building a frickin' plane to outdo the other guys' technology.

There is never a time when that kind of thing is not offensive to me. The 'noble, self-sacrificing heroism' of soldiers is not an accidental sociocultural perception. It's something people are taught to believe so that the state has enough people who are willing to come forward as cannon fodder, and so the loved ones left behind don't mutiny against those who put them in harm's way.

Yes, there are some dangerous jobs out there and people put themselves on the line to do some important things, but the way this film framed loss of life as an acceptable - even valiant - price for getting a jet built (that is itself just a killing machine)... ugh.

If the value of their lives was put above the value of the technology being built - and above the value of the mission - their goals would still be achievable, but with less loss of life. This isn't about getting the planes built, it's about expediency.

As I was watching a lot of the action scenes I couldn't help but think of DD and everything he went through to make it all happen. I don't like how much danger and injury he ended up with during this film shoot. Seeing the car crash where I knew it was REALLY HIM in the driver's seat was stressful.

And that goes alongside the overall message of 'necessary, noble sacrifice'. The film promo glorified DD's accident and the danger he was put in, his willingness to keep filming even when he was injured or in pain (such as the way the shoulder straps tore up his shoulders when he was in the spinning machine), as heroic and noble rather than irresponsible and unnecessary. It's just so offensive to me. Actors shouldn't be expected to risk life and limb for the sake of creating entertainment. Such things shouldn't be glorified.

So there's that whole tone to the film of people's lives and welfare being an accepted - even natural - price of doing business, which really bothered me.

Another thing I didn't like - and which I knew going into the film would be a problem for me - was the way the whole thing was framed politically. The whole "East vs West" thing was cringey and at times unintentionally hilarious. The American pilots were totally slapstick funny in their characterization, to a degree that came across as childish and embarrassingly propagandistic.

"We can come and go whenever we want and you can't stop us! Hahaha!"

Said the evil stick men with curly moustaches.

This is where nationalistic films often cross the line into creepy or ultra cringey. I think the goal of creating a powerful stealth fighter jet is exciting enough on its own. The audience would have been there for it without the villainizing and the 'us vs them' narrative.

Painting China as an underdog was also so laughable and totally offensive. They are one of the top military powers on the planet. They are leading in technology on many fronts. This had no believability whatsoever, and came across as blatant propagandizing. Which of course I knew to expect, but that didn't make it any more palatable.

And of course, the scenes where they were patrolling the seas were exciting, but when you think about what's actually happening in the region right now it all takes on a totally different tone.

So while the propagandizing wasn't as overbearing as I thought it would be, it still had a pretty strong presence in the film, and that detracted from my enjoyment. I knew that going in, though. It's inevitable with a film like this.

There were a few other moments in the film where I rolled my eyes at the heavy-handed melodrama - the totally predictable and cheesy tombstone fly-by after the big save toward the end of the film, for example - but none of it was unexpected. It's all par for the course with these kinds of films.

Some of the crisis points in the film were a bit much, too. Like that bird strike, which felt sudden and unintentionally comical. The people sobbing in the control room when you know damn well the pilots are fine. That kind of thing. But again - typical fare for this type of film.

Final Thoughts

This film is admittedly a bit shallow, but that's something one can expect from this genre. Films like this tend to put a few hooks into viewers - pull a few emotional strings - and then deliver a bunch of high impact moments to give a sense of payoff. It's all very predictable and formulaic, but that can be part of the appeal. Sometimes I just want to see a cheesy action film.

As far as these types of films go, Born to Fly really wasn't too bad. It was watchable and enjoyable, and the things that bothered me didn't bother me enough to pull me out of the story. My fear was that DD would be associated with a really trashy, awful film and I am hugely relieved to say that didn't end up happening.

This film was a totally respectable effort for what it was, and I enjoyed it, although it doesn't hold up as well internationally as it probably would in China.

That might sound like a tepid summation, but all things considered it's practically a glowing review. 😅

Most importantly, DD gave a really solid performance, and I think that's going to bode well for his career moving forward. There really wasn't a moment in the entire film where I felt he fell short. I am so proud of him. He's doing so well!

[mimikoolover]

I actually heve a crazy theory...

But I think Jikook by this point also didn't know they were enlisting together.

I think they obviously knew about buddy system but didn't actually think they would need to use it. Because it's not really done by idols, and also they both could've gone to safer and easier stations. BUT THEN Jimin started working intensely on his album and JK started acting out (like you said), and it became VERY CLEAR that they would not be able to do 18 months apart. I mean do you remember, that at this time JK said himself that he was not working on anything. And I think the plan was for Jimin to go first (just like a lot of us thought he would) and for JK to have more time for promo alone, when others are gone. But then like I said the drunken lives happened and realisation hit, that they have to apply for buddy system, that 18 months apart would be BAD for both of them. And that's when HYBE (or whoever) made specific demands from JK. Like he HAS TO do the album, and because there was no time to wright it from scratch they got all the english songs. Also his schedule was extremely packed and difficult.

So I think that the show was something Jikook specifically done for themselves because JK's schedule was so insane that if not for that excuse they would not be able to hang out freely before the enlistment. But again it's just my theory, mostly because HYBE doesn't feel (to me) like the compay who would try to cheer someone up. To me they are waaay more pragmatic than that, and if they decided to allow their stars to enlist together (something that's isn't really done in idol culture), than they would make sure to get something in return. They worked JK very hard, and I think he took it because he had a specific goal (more like a person) in mind that he was wiling to work for.

that is quite interesting! I always love to read what everyone thinks.

I'd love to know from them when they decided to enlist together. I mean I can see what you said but also them wanting to enlist together for years too but maybe cause it wasn't certain yet jungkook was still feeling down. I think it's likely that the maknae line + joon planned to enlist at the same time and jikook thought that they may as well enlist together. because of how things aligned for the others too I think they were all fairly certain of the timing of their enlistment for some time before the actual enlistment. but it's also possible that vmin + joon could have enlisted on the same date and jungkook later on (I read jungkook is the second youngest idol ever to enlist, if that's true) but then jikook decided they want to do it together. cause then they would have been apart for longer if they're not enlisting at the same time. I think if we go with your theory even then hybe in general (apart from bang pd and a couple of other people) would not have known about jikook enlisting together; they could have known that they would enlist on the same day tho but I think with all the internal drama, someone would've leaked 'news' as big as this if more people knew.

[alittlefrenchtree]

Oh, what do you mean by Taylor being a little (or very much) green? I feel like he gets excited and he rambles, which happens in lots of his interviews and bit just for RWRB, but it is so endearing and wholesome! I don't know if you were referring to that though 😂

His excited rambles are part of it, yes! They're also part of his natural personality so I hope he'll keep some of that in the long run. But you can hear that he often sounds like a kid on Christmas morning (which is really good and refreshing and why it's so precious to witness first times in an actor's journey).

I can mention a few other points that feel green for me :

-how he didn't paraphrase the part when he's talking about people who wanted to kill themselves and found relief or solace in the movie/book. Dark words like these and a couple of other I think he has used and dark things in general, aren't really media-friendly, especially when you're promoting something that is mostly light and fun. I'm not saying it's bad that he used them and maybe that's something he will want to purposely keep doing because sometimes we also need to hear reality as it is and it's obviously something that deeply touched him. But, I think a media-trained version of the same idea would have sounded a bit differently, something like "people telling me how the movie has helped them gone through a rough patch of their lives or a dark period of time" or something similar.

-how he sometimes loses the thread of what he's saying, or what the question was exactly and doesn't quite know how to wrap the answer or circle back to the initial topic. Promo is usually tiring and they have to answer to the same question 5938503 different times in a very short period of time and most people doing them end up using the same kind of outlines/patterns to answer questions. If you don't know how to answer a question, you rely on stuff that can work with everything. The director's vision, staying true to the script, etc. What I mean, is in recorded audio/video interview, they rarely come up with a brand new answer each time for each question (except Rebecca Ferguson, who has probably never actually answered to a question in her whole career and seems to come up with something new every time 😂). They rely on tools to help them. Taylor uses a few of them and sometimes... He doesn't. He starts talking and you hear him go with a flow and think at the same time as he's talking, not exactly knowing where he will end up. Hence some rambles 😁

-he walks right into the traps he sets himself... for himself 💀 He did mix up question between good kisser/who has your heart and I think it initially brought up for talking about how they handled intimacy on set and all but his way of talking about the choreographic aspect of it was... So chaotic 💀 good kisser/heart question are fun question on micro-interviews because you're not supposed to actually answer to them but joke around it to make a fun 15-second video out of it. To bring them up in a different context can feel a bit out of tune and he's like *i didn't know how to answer to them back then and I still don't know hahhaha so i'm not sure why I did mention them again in front of one of the good kisser contestant* and there was kind of the same feeling for the famous to wax or not to wax body hair anecdote. He understands where the interviewer is referring to and h'es kind enough to go there with him but at the same time, he's not really comfortable to entirely go there in a more "serious" setting (vs light joke on a red carpet) so I feel like we can hear a bit of a "hahaha fuck me" in his voice.

So yeah, there a lot of little things that feel green. Which, in case it isn't clear, isn't me saying he's unprofessional or that he's bad at doing promo or anything. Promo can be the most dull thing ever when people who do them don't know how to keep it entertaining. Having someone.. not "standardized" by years and years of promo is really refreshing. I love it to be honest. Both because it's always nice to see genuine and because they are media study candies and there are only a few things in life I like better than these. I hope he'll find a way to keep little bit of everything without draining himself too much 🙏

[bandzboy]

this made my heart break beyond belief... and i wanna talk about this not just focusing on enhypen but also generally speaking because i've seen this happening with other groups too but... i can't imagine what is being said to them behind the scenes for them to think this in the first place because this doesn't come from the air even tho, yes, there's this great amount of pressure from the industry anyways so i suppose it's something they think about. at the end of the day, it's the companies' fault ALWAYS for making idols feel like they are not doing enough and probably feeling like they have to overwork themselves to achieve their unrealistic goals and feeling like they are falling behind when they are doing more than enough already! i feel like they blame these idols for things beyond their control that it's them, companies, that should be doing like how they always want to promote groups in the usa and not in korea and how they always make them tour and think that's proper promo when it's redundant since they are "promoting" groups to people that already love them so it's this constant cycle of overworking and blaming idols for not pulling results. and you know what is crazy? is seeing people in the quote retweets of this tweet being like "as fans maybe we should be doing more" WELL NO!!! you already do enough by supporting them and listening to their music and talking about them on social media what else is there to do?? it makes me go crazy how kpop stans (on twt mostly) blame themselves for a group not performing well on charts and wtv not it's not your fault it's the company's fault for being incompetent and not caring enough about promoting them properly so they can succeed more! they want you to think that so you don't call them out let's just blame them for everything because it's the only logical thing to do and i'm so tired of this mentality! let's just end it once and for all

[bm-blog01]

What can the stills from Tudum tell us about Bridgerton S3?

In March when I was speculating if there might be stills from S3 on the anniversary of S2 I noted that the promo team needed to be conscious of how fans may react if only Polin stills were released. I suggested that the most sensible course of acton would be to release on of the Viscount and Viscountess, Polin, Francesca, the Bridgerton family, and maybe the Featherington family. The rationale for this was partly because it was the S2 premiere, but also to help correct the perception problem the production have of the Season 2 promotion. No stills were released, moving on three months and four stills have been released, one of Colin (with a blurry Violet and Hyacinth, and partial Kate in the background), one of Penelope, one of Colin and Penelope, and one from behind Colin with Penelope (Colin is obscured so the image is predominantly Penelope).

Marketing and Promotion is about selling an image of a brand to both potential and current customers, the marketing tells us what the product is and what the brand personality is. Taking Bridgerton as the brand, S3 as the product, and current & potential viewers as the customers, what do the first stills say to the viewers (and potential viewers) about the brand and the product?

I think the first thing to note is that it tells us that Season 3 is not an ensemble show, at least not for promotional purposes, unlike the first stills released for S2 there are no stills that have any members of either family front and centre. Also, with Penelope being prominent in three out of four of the images it clearly sets her up as the main protagonist, this is Penelope's story they will be telling us, possibly giving the message that for Season 3 the Bridgertons - whom the show is named for - are not important, they appear to have been sidelined in favour of Penelope.

Bridgerton as a brand gained a reputation for being a show that included diversity in their casting, as a show in its first year one of the main selling points was that they were not wanting to be like other historical dramas that had no people of colour in main roles. In the season with a white couple taking centre stage, for absolutely none of the first stills released to include the only person of colour from the titular family, who is returning, sends a message that perhaps the Bridgerton production no longer considers themselves a diverse show anymore.

My main concern with the images released however, is not that we see no people of colour, but rather that we see no family members at all. Both S1 and S2 included an image with either all, or some, of the Bridgerton family as the focus with the Bridgerton lead, in these we see blurry background Bridgertons, and nothing of the Featheringtons. Now, I am not advocating for more Featheringtons by a long shot, but I do think in the photos released there should have been at least one of Penelope with her family, as there should have been one of Colin with his family. That there were no family photos sends the message that this show is no longer about family, and potentially those viewers who are interested in the family aspect (and not Penelope) may decide that S3 is not for them.

Some viewers who are not in the fandom will make their mind up about S3 based on the first images they see and the reasons they watch the show. I don't see enough variety in the images to entice a wide ranging audience to the show, and I think this is a misstep with the Bridgerton promotion.

[lollytea]

Love how Dana showed us Hunter at Grom then Zeno replied to someone who was asking who Hunter was going with and Zeno just begun to name some (Skara. Edric. Emira) then the last one he's said "Or maybe Willow?" and this was before their episode aired. At the time I thought it was weird he pick Willow and he even said "Or maybe Willow?" it made me begin to think "Wait are Hunter and Willow going to meet?"and then I thought maybe it was just his headcanon. Then Hunter meets Willow and then I became a shipper

This was an iconic moment. He went fucking nuts with this one.

What makes me lose it is not the things themselves that Zeno Robinson says (or doesn't say) It's that I know that he knows just how much power his words have. Like with so very little effort, he can stir everyone up into a frenzy and I find that very funny. Like he deliberately chooses to give away things that end up with everyone bursting into speculation and then he just revels in the chaos he causes. It makes me giggle. He's a very funny man.

His grom answers were the fucking PINNACLE of "I'm gonna say some shit and drive everyone insane." He completely snapped. Because like. This was before ASIAS aired so like there were definitely some very popular Hunter ships at the time. But they weren't as talked about as Huntlow is now, due to no canon support whatsoever.

So Zeno acknowledging that he not only knew about the Hunter ships, but seemed to support them, was obviously going to push everybody over the edge.

Ed and Em were probably the biggest ones at the time. I think he and Skara were pretty much a rarepair, as I never saw content for them before this. Back when this happened, I found it odd that she was the first person he mentioned and because of this I actually believed that if Zeno himself personally liked any Hunter ships, it was Hunter/Skara. Pretty sure he retweeted art of them not long after this. So like. I wasn't wrong. Just overestimated a bit.

It was a fucking stroke of chaotic genius how he ended it with "Or maybe Willow?" Like he phrased it like it was an afterthought. During this time the episode summary of ASIAS was floating around, as was a promo clip of Hunter in the Hexside uniform being tied up in vines. So like. Most people had already guessed that Hunter and Willow were probably going to interact. They just didn't know the extent of it. So in this case it seemed like Zeno was saying "Hm. Oh yeah. I guess Hunter/Willow is a ship that exists too. Almost forgot about that one. Might become a bigger thing after this upcoming ep drops. Idk tho."

And a week or two later ASIAS drops and he tweets "Or maybe Willow?" with no context whatsoever, trusting that everybody is obsessive enough to know what he's referencing. And we were :)

I kinda thought for a while that he was getting sick of people asking him about huntlow and was deliberately avoiding talking about it because he didn't want to get anyone riled up.

WELL APPARENTLY I WAS WRONG. After the other day I clearly could not be more wrong. The man is absolutely under an NDA and I cannot legally say a lot of things but he's doing everything that he can to get around it. Now I'm just lookin at him like

[munsons-maiden]

all of this has probably been pointed out answered before somewhere and I simply must have missed it but still;

there’s one thing that’s been bugging ever since I watched s4 for the first time: at the end of s2 we get a glimpse of the Hawkins Middle during the ‘84 Snow Ball in the Upside Down, and judging by the fact that decorations are up one would assume that the timeline is the same. Or?

If so; why is Hawkins frozen in time in s4? Or is it just the Wheeler house that is frozen in time?

Also this is probably just me hearing things but there are certain sound effects™️ throughout s2 which (could easily) resemble ticking of a clock (clock chimes) — especially the ones at the lab, when Owens is talking to Hopper and Joyce in the hallway (2x06)😅

oh and another thing — in all promo wallpapers/ pictures, no matter from which season they are (accept s3 one), Will is always wearing a shirt with a similar pattern. They all resemble the shirt he is wearing throughout s4… it could be just a coincidence, maybe not 🤷🏻‍♀️ Just an observation. 🙈😅

I never thought about that but I just re-watched the final scene of season 2 and you're right! You can see the fairy lights inside. I guess it makes sense for that to be a continuity error because as you pointed out as well, time in the UD is frozen on the day Will vanished in 1983 - or it really is just the Wheeler house which is frozen in time but that wouldn't make any sense.

About the clock chimes, I heard them too and I remember some posts pointing them out after ST2 AND after ST3, one of them in this scene and I found a compilation of scenes in which we hear clock chimes in the other three seasons here. That's some amazing foreshadowing.

As for Will's outfits, I don't know. I think it's simply his style, or at least I don't see how it could be important, if it is. Though clothing in ST in general can be important (like the whole blue-meets-yellow-in-the-west thing the Byers and Mike got going on) - I mean, Wayne Munson wearing the exact same jacket like Jonathan was wearing while pinning up Will's missing poster, while pinning up Eddie's missing poster, is 100% not a coincidence but a very carefully chosen parallel and most probably foreshadowing (I talked about that in another post which you can find on the masterlist with theories and meta if you're interested) so there could be more going on.

What I still find weird, while we're at it, are three things: The unanswered phone calls in season 2, the fact that I'm absolutely certain the Duffers didn't forget Will's birthday and yet they're painting themselves as absolute idiots who forgot it (I don't believe a single word from them) so there MUST be something big about that for them to willingly make themselves look stupid and incompetent for the next two years, and - most importantly - Eddie's missing poster. It says he's 17, which we canonically know isn't true because he repeated senior year two times meaning he'd be twenty. But you know when he was 17? In 1983. The year the Upside Down was frozen in, the place where Eddie died. I keep seeing people say that the props department was messing up Chrissy and Eddie's data but that's not true. If you zoom in on Chrissy's file Mrs. Kelly kept, you clearly see that she's 18. And I Eddie's missing poster can't be a mistake either because him having repeated senior year two times and finally wanting to graduate is a HUGE thing in ST4, huge and important enough for him to use his final breaths to tell Dustin he was finally going to graduate. The whole set and props and everything on ST are always immaculate, there's no way the missing poster wasn't cross-checked beforehand. And yeah, since we know he's 19/20 already...the missing poster is sketchy af. Especially since they showed it to us for long enough to read it. Had they only wanted to show it being vandalized, they could've done it much shorter.

And I won't even start with the time skip and the fact that nobody was mourning Eddie because then I'd never shut up again and I'll start sobbing uncontrollably again, too, but there's so so so much that doesn't add up and doesn't match with how planned and immaculate the foreshadowing and set and easter eggs etc in ST are. Something doesn't add up.

The problem here is that ST4 isn't a season on its own; it's already the first part of the final season (every ending has a beginning and so on) which means for the next two years, the Duffers are either absolute geniuses who'll blow our minds and bring Eddie back in the most show-stopping, mind-blowing final season of a show...or they are two dudes who got lucky with an idea they never actually planned out and just going with the flow.

I believe with all my heart that it'll be the first one.

[finndoesntwantthis]

Something I'm realizing about Inner Circle and JAS. This might be a little bit long and I apologize in advance for that, but I hope you'll still read, because I'd like to get your take and find your opinions interesting and good.

Here goes. Though I'm not fans of Jericho and Hager, the reason Inner Circle worked when they started out as a heel faction is because they had chemistry and got heel heat for the right reasons. Even with Jericho being the leader and world champion, the focus wasn't just on him. The others got their moments to shine, each guy had qualities to them that made them stand out. They had something in them that was likable and would have people root for them, even though they were heels. When Jericho cut that promo introducing them as a group, he put each guy over and they looked like a credible threat as a group. Sammy in particular still came across as a likable character, despite being the cocky, annoying heel type. He didn't have the go away heat he has now. And Santana and Ortiz were the main reason I was here for Inner Circle.

Also Inner Circle would frequently get their comeuppance and take losses and their feuds didn't drag out for so long. MJF and Wardlow's involvement led to them becoming babyface fan favorites and serving as the perfect foil to The Pinnacle. They did so great with making Sammy a breakout star and everything leading up to his babyface turn. I feel like that will always be his best run. This is what they should be doing for Daniel right now, but sadly, that doesn't seem likely. So, at least Inner Circle had some character development and redeeming qualities to them.

JAS on the other hand has no redeeming qualities or character development at all, there's no salvaging it at this point. To be honest, I feel like this group was doomed from the start. Especially when Jericho cut the promo introducing them, which he didn't even make any effort to put the other guys over, he just made it about himself. Even now when BCC should be focusing on Regal, they still find a way to have JAS involved and they don't even have anything to do with it. At this rate, I'll be on my death bed and BCC and JAS will still be at it.

Hiiiiiii yes hello I love this entire message!!!

Okay so yes I agree completely with how you feel about Inner Circle at the beginning. To me it always seemed like it was made to create stars out of indie guys and Jericho was a VERY easy segue into that. It was more fun because they lost more evenly, and Inner Circle felt more about how the group felt about each other, rather than just being Jericho and his lackeys. They took their time with building any kind of break up heat and it didn’t come until everyone was an actual equal star.

JAS very much feels like it’s an ego thing for Jericho. On top of that, there’s no reason for Sammy to still be with him, or for Tay or Anna to be there. Not just cause I love Dark Order (RIP) but Anna was becoming a huge star on her own, as a focal point of that group, and Tay was so more liked as Anna’s bff/tag team partner. Being in this group is doing nothing for them.

And then there’s 2.0!!! THEYRE SO FUNNY ON THEIR OWN!!!! They could have gone the acclaimed way and built themselves into huge stars because they’re so Fucking funny in a way that literally no other duo is. Right now they’re the only people I wanna hear from in JAS because I just love hearing them talk.

Daniel should have been allowed to turn already, he’s ready to be a star and we should be watching a series of him against Jericho, or even trials to join Bryan and BCC cause he can hold his own if they would just let him.

JAS is just expired. Jericho is in over exposed territory and he needs to take a break. Like absence makes the heart grow fonder, and while I no longer like jericho for other non-wrestling reasons (trumper ugh) if he took a break for a couple months, and then maybe came back as some kind of lone wolf, it would be better. Or he could just retire!!! Idk!!! Not likely but!!!!!!! Preferred over the same old crap he keeps giving, that’s not helping anyone young.

[mysmorgasbordoffantabulosa]

"He hasn't made said anything about member's brand deals or even variety shows. That's the distinction."

This....

He talked about Yoongi's Suchwita they even used him in a promo. Made sense since yoongi didn't release any new song. Tae also didn't but he is in Jinny's kitchen. So I guess not too far fetched if people are expecting him to say something about Tae.

As a taekooker it might not be a big deal people can always stick to perspectives they prefer to satisfy themselves. This actually increases the gap between their solos. I been in many fandoms so I understand truce between solos of couples are quite difficult but why make it big if you are really in a relationship.

All I am saying I don't think Jungkook is obligated to dance on fandom whims. He can very well promote/support whoever he wishes. I am just looking it from the perspective of potential fans and relationship support. People are aware of their outings, they know we are aware so not talking about a partners work openly isn't hiding anything really. I don't think Jungkook will promote/support Taehyung's album to this level. Reason is I have observed a pattern with Jungkook and how he deals his relationship with Tae. When he starts interacting with him more onscreen he deliberately interacts with HWSNBN. Maybe it's his way of balancing things. Its a mere observation and not a matter of right and wrong.

Somebody mentioned they need to hide their relationship so he doesn't talk about Tae exclusively. Well enough but why go extra with HWSNBN. He could have done this with any member. Just because if they have to hide their relationship forever he can't use same person as a distraction. Again I am not claiming motive of live was to exclusively support HIM. It could be a coincidence or pre-planned as you hinted. I am just putting out a point while it's not ok to be insecure any fan heavily biased again Tae may feel cheated, solo or shipper. Again artist is not obligated to entertain shippers but smart manoeuvring can be excercised.

Another anon pointed out Asians are critical to their loved ones in private and may not choose to talk about them in public. Its a very stereotypical statement in a cultural context. I am also an Asian, I can assure you this is not a cultural phenomenon but more of an indivualistic approach. Some Asians tends to be critical of their loved ones in private but some at the same time love to brag about them. I think Jungkook is both. While he like to keep things private he never shies from bragging about Taehyung's handsomeness. So bragging about their work is also not extreme. Also, I would like to add we have seen various BTS moments of Jungkook being critical of Tae's performance and artistry when he knows cameras are rolling and members are present.

The way I look this situation is I feel both of them needs public support about their relationship specifically in the future even if they want to come out of not. While hiding things are okay but would create dissonance between their solo fandoms, particularly when other mentions yoo time and time again. I am a pro Jungkook fan but I admire Tae's quality of mentioning/hiding about Jungkook. It feels like everything is in open yet hidden. Jungkook, I feel, takes extreme measures to either hide or he becomes plane obvious in his admiration. I think he is learning to balance and improved from his past self.

At the end what they have decided between themselves, if they are cool with everything is sorted. From a market's perspective I think they need to come out on a plane where their fans can be mollified and don't hate other artist. It will be beneficial for their hidden relation support.

I think this has become too big, apologies. My intention is to bring forth discussion and not offend anyone.

You know I'll admit I'm a bit of a SIZE queen, but you're right that was TOO BIG...

Some key things you say I think most of us can agree with...

"All I am saying I don't think Jungkook is obligated to dance on fandom whims."

"At the end what they have decided between themselves, if they are cool with everything is sorted."

As for some of the rest...

"When he starts interacting with him (Tae) more onscreen he deliberately interacts with HWSNBN."

I'm not sure this is actually the case. In the last 3 years I've never really seen JK interact with any member online the way he has recently. JK just wasn't very active and rarely posted or commented on anything. Yet since being exclusive on Weverse, he's interacted with RM, Hobi, HWSNBN and Tae.

Also, bear in mind that since going exclusive on Weverse only one member has released music so far. We'll find out if it's an isolated incident when Suga releases D-Day. Will JK go all out for him to? Only time will tell.

[nightgoodomens]

I am answering a lot of asks RE: GT and AL below so please don’t click *keep reading* if you don’t want to read them.

It’s sad because you know how difficult it is to accomplish anything as an actor so to get everything just because you know the right guy is simply unfair on people who work hard and have talent but don’t have the privilege. Even in the most basic job it fucks you off when promotion goes to boss’ family member or bestie even though they don’t know anything while competent people get overlooked. This is what happens every time AL and GT get jobs that could have went to someone better.

However I also think that it says a lot that with such backup they’re still not becoming famous on their own - sometimes someone just needs a little help and then they do all the work themselves but the fact that the only roles they get is through nepotism says everything really.

I was pretty sure that they both would be with MS on red carpet so to see them within the audience not even acknowledged said to me that their roles have to be very insignificant. We will see I guess.

I honestly wouldn’t worry about them. Think of the fact that there’s still years to go and so many things can happen within that time. The nepotism would frustrate me a lot too but what would surprise me more is if they both jumped at the opportunity to act in GO3 knowing it’s pure nepotism. Well, maybe I wouldn’t be surprised, I guess.

I don’t have trust in NG that he won’t try to insert them for their fans sake but I hope everyone around him will remind him that this is suppose to be a quality show. Not a spot a family member show.

No point stressing when there’s nothing we can do about it to be fair…

I honestly doubt they’re actually friends. I mean… we all have friends. We know what kind of selfies we post, how we talk about each other, how it looks. Their whole thing only began when the photoshoot happened and suddenly they were wives and totally loved each other. Come on 😂

GT didn’t last long before going a little sarcastic on a fan saying they’re linked (😂) which makes me think it’s far from the warmth they’re trying to portray. Also I think she doesn’t like AL copying her. Which she does quite a lot actually. Pretending they’re wives is a huge reach when I doubt they are even more than acquaintances.

They went together to prepare for BAFTAs so it’s not exactly personal either tbf. Whether someone thinks they’re promoting everything about DT/MS out of love or to get attention themselves - either way they’re getting attention which AL needs desperately at the moment.

I wonder if she will be working overtime at the BAFTAs.

There are two ways to get a tick on insta, she either went through the whole verification process or paid them. I’m hardly surprised to be fair, she’s been begging to *be famous* for years now. Nothing has worked, so now they paid for the photoshoot and involved GT in her promo, she increased her visibility a lot, linked herself to Tennant’s, damn she was even allowed to post about David, but nobody is calling so she got a check to *be verified* now too which she hopes will help too. Honestly, as much as I doubt in her modeling career, let her try, I don’t know how many more miserable Michael selfies I can take!

Priorities eh 😂 Girl wants her fame, maybe she wants to escape too so she desperately keeps on reposting, using famous surnames, and now even grabbed her tick on insta to appear more established and trust worthy hoping for that job offer. It all started with her photoshoot and her PR was very obvious. I wish her luck but I think she’s looking in wrong departments.

There is a huge difference between her and MS and DT/GT in many ways - it is quite surprising how people who have two kids together can feel like such strangers five years later.

Well we don’t know who spent Valentines with who because both ladies posted their men without their women…

Maybe she is slowly checking out too?

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that AL is fighting very hard for a career suddenly and her PR is very obvious, and MS is making a point to show he is not happy when they’re together, and MS/DT rumours are increasing. All done by the four people in question.

Nothing that’s been happening since before end of 2023 happened for no reason.

Well there was a card, but I don’t know whether it was from DT to GT, from GT to DT, or from MS to DT 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Phewww! That’s all folks.

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

hey how much are you enjoying the bts solo era so far?

At some point during last year I kept thinking that hybe wasn't launching solo careers, but they were just doing solo releases. That's the way I felt about Hoseok and Namjoon's albums rollouts. Hoseok's album release was such a downgrade from everything BTS ever did, from everything BTS is supposed to be -superstars. Let's not forget that while this was going on, and while army was talking about hybe's huge heart and compassion for the planet and the sea turtles and wanting to minimize their CO2, TXT was releasing ten different physical versions for a single. His Lolla stage also came too suddenly, right after the album. If all of it was Hoseok's choice, okay; but I don't know why people act like BTS can't make bad choices just as everyone else. If Jimin were to come out out with a paper QR for an album.... ADIEUUUUU.... hasta la vista baby.

Jin, there wasn't much he could do with the time he had. It's a particular case that I don't think deserves any analysis because the circumstances were clear for everyone.

Namjoon did feel more like a solo album, and I thought that albeit short, his promo activities were good and very personal. Everything made sense with the type of guy he's shown to be. A rolling stones cover was great too, even more sharing it with Pharell. I thought Namjoon's promo was more adequate than Hoseok's because, as I've mentioned before, I really believe that all of them need to branch out from what BTS was. They said it themselves at the festa dinner, that people know what BTS is, but people don't know who they are individually, and exploring their individual and unique selves should be a huge part of all of their solo career. Namjoon in case, it's hard to think of a more explicit way of showing yourself individually than doing a home tour lol. That was really a lot, if you think about it.

However, all three releases just came and went like nothing. There was no longetivity to any of them; just something that needed to be done and get over with.

The maknae line and Yoongi however are imo actually giving "solo career" from the go. Because they're all easing into it, in a way. Jungkook, Taehyung and to a lesser degree Yoongi have been doing some stuff here and there, even while not releasing an album. Some people might think it's pointless for them to do things that aren't related to music, but I personally don't believe it's all for nothing. I think it's okay, I think it's all building up to a more comprehensive, personal, new brand. It doesn't have to mean that they will do an 180 from who they were in BTS, because that's frankly not going to happen; except for Jimin, I don't really think we'll get surprising new stuff from any member. It just means that they're showing themselves as individuals and actually doing activities alone, carrying their own weight and being responsible for their careers.

Jimin hasn't released or had any schedule in the past 8 months or something??? I was convinced (I think we all were) that Yoongi would release his album first and then it would be Jimin, but apparently it's not going to be like that for some reason. I thought vibe and the Dior deal was the beginning of Jimin "easing" himself into his solo path, and that it would be at least a couple of months of "promo" before the actual release (I was thinking late March/April). I certainly didn't expect an album to be announced so soon. I've seen some confusion about the wording, some people saying that an album wasn't mentioned, just solo activities. If it is his album, maybe he'll do a lot of promo this month. I'm hoping he will. Just to get a sense of JIMIN you know? So he can catch the interest of people that might think he's worthy checking out, so he can build some excitement and anticipation around what he'll release, so people can be intrigued and will wait for it. It's pointless and depressing to release something when nobody is waiting for it.

I said the other day after the Dior deal was announced, that it seemed like a great start and I still think so. I hope he will actually work with Dior, that he will get commercials and campaigns and more magazine covers the way all western artists get when they become ambassadors. I live in a third world country where buying Dior isn't something people do, there are probably two Dior stores in the whole country but I've seen billboards of Natalie Portman promoting Dior perfumes in my city. I'm not really expecting that to happen for Jimin, but it would be ideal.

So far, coming out with vibe, and the fashion deal, and the promise of solo music around the corner, seems like the right order of things; seems like a nice transition. I know there isn't much time before the album's supposedly coming out (next month), but he can still make the most out of it. And hopefully, he will continue with performances and variety shows and music-centered content even after the album is released. At least that's what I always thought his solo career would be like because Jimin's always been so restless -he loves what he does. I also really don't want Jimin's album to feel like Hoseok's, Jin's or Namjoon's, something that's released just to get it out of the way.

[wetheoriginals]

I truly don't understand what bighit is doing because from a business perspective how does this even make sense? Like why not milk face for all that you can before releasing new music. The part of me that wants to think jimin had a say in this is thinking either jimin might be enlisting sooner than we think and just wanted to get his music out there or he, like tae, isn't that interested in being a solo artist and wanted to sneak his out in between other member releases but then why do so much performance promos for it. They're splitting public support by doing this (people are going to choose one or the other to listen to most likely) and relying on army to pick up the slack with their streaming parties and focused playlists. Bighit relies on army to support/promo bts more than they do themselves. No wonder army are so entitled when it comes to bts' success

it's only been an hour since the announcement and the jimin solos are already unbearable, but for the first time ever i think their anger is actually justified. that's a crazy thing to come out of my mouth that's how you know it ain't right 😬

a summer release would've actually made a lot of sense for jimin, and it would've given him time to get some more songs together. but maybe you're right and he wanted to sneak in his release before yoongi's so he didn't have to be in the spotlight for too long. is he that insecure tho? idk if he really did cancel his inkygaiyo appearance because of the criticism then maybe he is.

[gleefullypolin]

Same on the anxiety! Knowing what's coming just gives me better enjoyment, I know some people think it takes away from the story but for me it lets me relax into the story and doesn't ruin it at all for me.

For sure, a lack of context and visuals is going to affect the interpretations we all make but I think there was enough info using the basics and without catastrophizing it that I think we have a good idea of the tone of it all currently.

I really want to see the Eloise bits and see how it goes further into the season but they can easily make us feel less sympathetic towards her if they wanted to. They did say that Peneloise was also a love story for the season so I think we'll see some good growth from both of them over the season. Her trying to keep the LW from him is truly big brain Bridgerton thinking.

Oh Colin. What a faker. 17 cities visited and he comes home with 2 brain cells fighting for 3rd place when it comes to actually finding himself and his friendship with Penelope. We're supposed to believe his anger at LW is about anyone else but himself? I don't remember him threatening to ruin her life until she pricked his ego?🤔 I did see that Anthony mentions that they had no idea where he was and hadn't heard from him so was he only writing to Pen? I don't think he expected anyone to so quickly to see through whatever persona he's trying to wear and it sets it up nicely for the season that he's pretending, gives him a depth of character for growth into himself into adulthood and his relationship with Penelope.

I do love me a good enemies to lovers! What a layered season and relationship this is going to be. Adding in the Kenebling of it all is definitely going to be interesting as he was so kind to her from the spoilers. It looks that timeline wise Colin gets down bad very quick but maybe has to come into his own and feel more confident in himself if he's going to get what he wants. Which I'm looking forward to seeing happen.

I have seen fans of another ship say that Polin is the one who says terrible things, etc, and I have no doubt that people have said something awful, but I haven't seen it and have only seen them say the worst sorts of things so far. I'm not sure what people think is going to happen with each season? I don't expect s4 to be Polin 2.0? Knowing now that they essentially give themselves an out in ep1 to have them out of the show for a little bit just might make people more insufferable I fear. Add in the promo tour? Jealousy makes people be the worst version of themselves at times.

Oh agree, I have seen some pretty bad takes on Polin as well. It's very reactionary in the tags, ha. I do think it's normal to love both but maybe relate to one side more than the other but some people act like if you don't specifically agree with this particular take that's one extreme or the other you're not a fan and never have been.

If I could just get a full breakdown of each episode I would have a lot less stress before May indeed. I know it's hardly more than 3 weeks at this point but still, we're suffering.😄

I’m one of those people who could read the entire synopsis of a story and then watch the season just so I could know which parts to be ready for but also know that the end is glorious and happy. I know others would say, where is the fun there, but WHERE IS THE FUN IN FEELING ALL UPSET AND WONDERING IF IT WILL BE FIXED AND WHEN? No thank you! I just want to know that for X amount of episodes I will be utterly crushed but by the end of 20 mins of a certain episode I will start to feel something warm back in my heart again. That I can live with.

I got enough out of the spoilers yesterday to not feel as nervous about Eloise but also I’m going to stay guarded. Because it could just as easily turn and piss me off again. LOL! They are young and say stupid things and I must remember that. They will hurt each other and I will cry just as badly as I will for the Polin of it all.

And yes, I truly am getting the “I put my big boy pants on” feeling from Colin. 17 cities. Wow good for you Mister. But what did you get out of it but a lonely heart. His family had no idea where he was, and he was off still writing to Pen…Lonely lonely lonely boy. His heart is betraying his mind. That was even in the trailer. Do you believe the heart or the mind. But Pen definitely went after his ego in her LW. He was hurt after the Marina stuff. But he is ANGRY now. He wants to ruin LW because she dare go after his character, his sense of worth. She is basically calling his bluff of who he is as a man. Because she did not dare do it to his face! I cannot wait for these two to drop the mask and let it out at each other because holy hell its going to be hot as hell.

It only feeds even more into this notion that Pen is the only person that truly sees him for who he really his. Not who he tries to be to the ton or to his family or other women, but who he is inside. The boy who has always wanted to have this purpose. And here she is calling him out to EVERYONE in society that he’s a fake who doesn’t even believe this newfound person he is himself. Girl is brave as hell to go at him like that but also…hiding behind LW to do so because she is angry at him and instead of telling him that to his face, she says “Ok bestie, I’ll let you help find me a hubby.”

Because it seems like she didn’t even need him for that! From what I read, she found Lord Obi Wan all on her own without his assistance at all. He seems to be the suitor that found her. And isn’t that just interesting all on its own. It puts the whole reason that Colin needs to be around her to bed right in episode 1. (I was slightly disappointed that Lord Obi Wan was already involved right at episode 1 but oh well band aid ripped off right away I guess)

It’s just so juicy all on it’s own because she’s obviously more angry than she let on due to the LW article about Colin and she needs to work through that obviously but now she is working on her anger while having this man who seems to have gravitated to her of his own volition and was nice to her for just being her and then Colin is over there being Colin (let me help you bestie) who also hates half of her and this sets up sooooo any interesting ways they can go. And I’m just so here for this.

And the fandom….well poo on them for not just enjoying the ride. You don’t want to see Polin, don’t watch. Watch the parts you want and fast forward the rest. No one cares how you watch! Nor do they want to hear about it. I just don’t get the reason to rub it in that you hate something. I know they are angry about the lovely promo tour and it’s unfortunate that last season didn’t get one because of Covid and it would have been lovely. The leads were very sweet last year and seem to be very good friends and Covid ruined a lot of good promos but that is not Luke or Nicola’s fault. But don’t shit on the show! Lol.

I myself am rolling in Polin (I needed to take my Flonase and almost lost conscious thought yesterday while trying to be out doing adult chores yesterday LMAO. At one point my husband said, just go back to staring at your screen dear, I’m sure those Bridgerton people will disappear if you don’t! And I’m sure he was right but I was not going to take that chance!

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

In regards to the performance thing… I honestly think it’s nerves. As much as he is really showing a new side to himself and leading with this image of confidence and bravado, it’s hard to shake the type of self-critical feelings that we know he has had for years about his performances— and that was when he was with a group that’s like family to him, supporting and performing all together. It really is another thing entirely to walk onto a stage alone and ‘fill’ it with your presence, voice, dancing, energy etc.

He is of course most certainly capable of doing it! BUT it’s not easy and a totally different mental game. I think Yoongi mentioned it in their Suchwita episode… this feeling of knowing that you HAVE to go on despite illness, a bad day, stress, nerves, or whatever because you’re the only one and everyone came to watch you.

I think he may be skipping some of those more difficult lines at times because JK (as we know), is the type of person who would much rather only have a perfect version exist… almost like he’d rather pull back slightly than hit a run slightly flat or not 100% perfectly. And let’s be real, he’s amazing but he’s human— you cannot do everything perfectly every time. But when you’re alone on stage and all eyes are on you, it’s really easy to get more worked up in your head than you’d assume even a seasoned performer would get.

He knows we know that he’s capable, so I think sometimes he’s making split second decisions to not risk ‘marring’ (in his head, I don’t think anyone would actually expect the level of perfection from him that he expects of himself) a performance, if he can recognise that the nerves are more prevalent that day.

I also think it comes down to how ‘ready’ he deems himself to be. In his live he said he didn’t really get to monitor the performance well beforehand and he only ran through it once. From all the years of behind the scenes content, we obviously know that as a group and individually when BTS are prepping for shows they rehearse for weeks/months, do multiple tech run throughs, stay late to do extra practice… but when it’s a concert organised by other people, you get your allocated time to tech and that’s it. Nerves are often dampened by how adequate you feel your preparation is, so it could be that for a lot of these overseas schedules he just feels more out of his depth a bit because he doesn’t have as much opportunity to prepare the way he’s used to.

Of course this is something that all the members will have had to navigate, but I think perhaps in trying to push himself to be this new ultra confident version of himself he’s actually unknowingly made it harder for himself to not be ‘perfect’. That, and he’s definitely promoting in a way that’s unfamiliar/outside of the usual schedule for comebacks… the other members seem happy to align their promoting style with their personality or working styles, so maybe they’ve given themselves a better chance at feeling comfortable alone and also comfortable to be human/flawed.

I don’t know, just some thoughts! Sorry this is so long lol

I don't think it's nerves or being a perfectionist. Jungkook performed at the WC so his Seven performances can't be more nerve wrecking than performing in front of random soccer fans. When he's nervous you can tell (maybe his voice is shaky at first) but he gets over it. His performances have been consistent too, from his US and UK promos to performing at home for Army at Inkigayo or Yoongi's concert. He's been enjoying himself, and I don't think nerves have anything to do with it. Even his cold doesn't justify his performance because now that he's seemingly recovered, his performance is the same. I also think Jungkook isn't afraid of taking risks. He's never 100% perfect on stage and he's experienced enough to know that. Sometimes his vocals are a bit flat or pitchy, and that's normal. He's proven that he can sing anything he wants to sing during live Seven performances (he does one high note, so he could do the rest), but I think he's choosing not to, and that's what's disappointing. Surely, bad weather and the cold don't help, but it's more than that. I don't want to make excuses for him. I think the consistency of his performances prove that these are all choices he's making, and I just don't like them and think he can do much better.

[fanofbirdsflying]

sm entertainment is a bad managment company when it comes to exo.

this company has been relying on exo's fandom to carry ALL the promotion since kokobop (technically monster even).

this company releases albums quickly, gives them less then 7 music show apperances, less than a handful of variety (or radio) show appearances and expects fans to do everything.

in recent years it's become popular to show some of the recording bts of how the title tracks/album were recorded... has exo had that for obsession? or don't find the feeling? (hoping for cream soda...). exo and their producers do some actually interesting things with their songs, but we don't get to see that.

killing voice has become a great promo platform in recent years. exo went on there because fans asked for it.

exo is known for being a pretty group (vocals too)...when was the last time exo's faces were together for a magazine photoshoot?

sm doesn't understand that exo isn't as dead as they WANT them to be. they REFUSE to put exo out there and give them proper promotional cycles. they REFUSE to send them to variety shows to promote their music and the members. they give them 1 MAYBE 2 weeks of music shows to make fans shut up. they refuse to introduce exo to new audiences. there is only so much exo's old fandom can do in terms of streaming and buying albums. exols don't have the habits that other fandoms have of manipulating their own faves' numbers. if you don't make the effort to reach out to new audiences through variety shows, radio shows and online content, with barely any music show apperances, OTHER ppl/ppl who are NOT fans won't know about exo, their new song/album or their talent.

you might think it's stupid of me to want exo on music shows for a significant amount of time put it's not. the more you go on, the longer fans have sth to talk about. and maybe ppl who aren't fans will stumble upon their new performance while they were looking for sth else. (this isn't about the music, but there are instances of idols going viral for good styling (e.g. taeyeon lion heart), so even non musical things like this can do a lot.)

what's the point of of spending time on making an album if you don't go out there and promote it?

sm has the habit of releasing exo album's quickly so that they can go on an (asian) tour.

sm didn't really have much hope for exo in 2016 when they came out with their third album ex'act. sm thought (and made exo believe) their best days were over, despite exo outdoing themselves in terms of their personal best. and continued to do so with every following release.

sm actively holds them back by not properly managing them and planning schedules. i am aware that exo has individual schedules, but that's what the COMPANY is there for, to make it work somehow.

they also hold them back by not printing exo's album(s). sm, like many other companies, opens a preorder to roughly determine how much interest exists for an album, so that they have a rough number of how many copies to print. sm and exols tend to not really inflate exo's numbers. when exo released their obsession album, sm CANCELLED people's orders. to this day it is their lowest selling full album, because of sm not wanting to cater to exo (and exo's fandom). there is a DEMAND. people want to spend money on exo, but sm doesn't want that.

now, in case you haven't heard, sm has done the same with the exist album. they cancelled orders and don't want to meet demands of exo fans who want to buy exo's album and spend money on EXO. exo had over 1mio preorders, and refuses to meet demands, yet thus far (20230716) have no issues with nct dream and their 4mio copies of preorders (which have become a somewhat regular thing for bgs in the past few years, inflated numbers, to media-play with).

and you can't say it's because of sm's internal drama at the beginning of the year, because sm has been treating exo and their promotions like a joke for a long time.

sm does not like exo. sm doesn't want exo to be bigger than sm.