#michael baron

[episodicnostalgia]

Star Trek: The Next Generation, 103 (Oct. 10, 1987) - "Code of Honor"

Written by: Katharyn Powers & Michael Baron Directed by: Russ Mayberry

The Breakdown

YIKES. Well that was uncomfortable to watch.

So basically there’s this alien race, the Ligonians, cast as all-black-noble-savages, adorned with what feels like a stereotypical depiction of a middle eastern/Asian aesthetic, if it had been designed in the 1930's by someone who had only read about “the mysteries of the orient” in pulp magazines.  the Ligonians all live by a code of honor so bafflingly convoluted that the Klingons seem downright reasonable by way of comparison. This code also promotes kidnapping because it's so risky that it can be deemed honourable... somehow.

So the King (Lutan) kindaps Tasha because he’s horny and wants to make her his number one babe, which obviously his wife takes issue with.  Naturally, the Queen demands a fight to the death with Tasha, because that’s the contrived way their society works.  I wish I could say that’s as ridiculous as things get, but somehow the episode continues to get weirder as it goes right up until the end.

The Verdict

I’m not going to waste time explaining why so much of this episode is in poor taste, since it’s shittiness is both obvious, and fully acknowledged by the cast and crew. Honestly, it’s hard to imagine this wouldn’t have raised some eyebrows even in 1987, but then I guess it must have since the director was fired by Gene Roddenberry himself. Even disregarding the in-your-face racism, this episode is filled with lazy writing and contrivances that would make it difficult to enjoy on any level. I’d read about this episode years ago, but had forgotten the specifics. Needless to say ‘code of honor’ is indeed dog shit, and also a valuable reminder why representation matters in front of AND behind the camera.

0 stars

Additional Observations

Oh yeah! At one point Troi essentially resorts to victim blaming when she more-than-implies that Tasha “totally loved the attention”.  Holy shit.

Data tries to learn about jokes: Laforge is the last person who should be teaching anyone about humour. His example of “what IS funny” is somehow even dumber than Data’s attempt. Also, Data has slip of the tongue? Shouldn’t he be incapable of that type of error?

Picard’s an asshole: “Is the whole ship deaf!?” Well EXCUSE ME captain, it’s just that every time Wesley even looks at the bridge you nearly bite his head off, so yeah, inviting him to hang out at Ops is kind of a shock. Jesus Christ dude, get laid or something.

[ozkar-krapo]

V/A

"Tellus #4"

(cassette. Tellus. 1984) [US]

[strikenine]

i think about the fact riz carried around baron in his breifcase for an entire year a lot. btw.

like yeah you defeated him in the nightmare forest and he isn't a threat now or whatever but. he's there. you know he is. and you carry that invisible weight of the fear that one day all your friends will move on and you will die alone for a year. for more than a year.

and you see it coming true. your plan to keep all your friends together crumbles between your fingers and you don't know what to do.

then it comes back in a massive moment, there is no shoving the monster under the bed anymore. you cannot shy away from mirrors and cover your ears and act like it was never there to begin with. it is too large and you have ignored it for far too long. you must face it.

[an-artistic-failure]

More out of context villain Mikey content yay!

I saw the draft of this comic when looking through old stuff and was like… sure whatever, this is vague and ominous enough to post.

Btw this AU could have just been called the “Draxum gets in WAY over his head” AU.

Anyway, I’m working on a longer Villain Mikey comic rn so there’s more coming dw it just might take a bit.

Just tryna to keep the villain mikey enjoyers fed :)

[psychotic-nonsense]

"I'm sorry."

It's the first thing Steve says after everything.

After getting Vecna Cursed. After nearly dying. After a hallucination of Eddie saved him. After running through a looped forest. After finding sanctuary in Steve's memory of that Starcourt bathroom. After Eddie reveals himself as Eddie.

It's the only thing he can think of. It's not big enough to fit everything, but it's the only thing that fits in his mouth.

"Don't be."

Maybe that's the only thing Eddie can think of too. The only thing Eddie can bear to say.

Because don't be can't stop Steve's eyes from watering when he sees the vest in his closet. Don't be can't stop Steve's feet from dragging him to the cemetery every evening to clean Eddie's graffiti-covered tombstone. Don't be can't stop Steve from sitting beside Wayne and listening to him talk about the Eddie he remembers. Don't be can't stop Eddie's body from showing up in Steve's dreams, nor Eddie's corpse from his nightmares. Don't be couldn't keep the pain away enough, didn't stop Vecna from latching onto it while Steve was walking alone in the woods.

Don't be isn't enough for what Steve wants to hear. But even stuck here waiting, hoping, for someone to get Steve out, there just isn't enough time.

"I miss you."

"...Why?"

Eddie says it back so quickly, so quietly, like it's just unfathomable to him. Maybe it is, considering their last memories. But their eyes meet and he looks just as sad, just as longing, as Steve.

"You were my friend."

Steve can't help but say it like that. Like they were friends for years instead of days. Like Eddie was that important to him in their final moments. Like his heart really aches for Eddie every second of the apocalypse.

Can't help but say it like he means it.

"I wish we could've had more time..."

Steve's voice cracks a little there as he turns away, hiding. It's all he wants. It's all Vecna used to entice him with. It's all that's keeping him going, to finally fulfill the last request Eddie made. It's all he has left to feel close to Eddie.

The Eddie that's sitting right next to him, silent, his sight weighing on Steve's skin. Conscious and aware and the real Eddie. Trapped in Vecna's head as a backup power source, yet who still risked everything to come save Steve. Who Steve will never see again because killing Vecna means killing Eddie for good, and his heart doesn't want it, is begging for another solution...

But for once, his broken head overpowers his shattered heart.

"Maybe we did."

Eddie takes Steve's hand. Meets Steve's surprised look with his own small smile of hope. They're both suddenly tearing up, eyes glistening with life in this gray stall.

"Maybe in another world, we got a second first chance. A first second chance. Maybe even a third, or fourth. Maybe in a different life, we had everything we wanted. Because you, Steve Harrington, are too good for me to be doomed to meet just once."

And for a moment, Steve sees it. Feels it. Versions of them connected through the universe.

Little kids playing in the lake. One with bruised skin and shaved hair, loud but unfathomably lonely. One with a bruised heart and soft eyes, timid but stubbornly hopeful.

A rockstar with glittering chains, center stage in the spotlight. A set of eyes in the crowd or behind the curtain, watching only him.

A werewolf and a vampire, two cryptids of horror, meeting in the dead of a full moon night to feel safe with the only other one who understands.

A future where they won, where the only death was the one that mattered. A process of healing and learning, coming home to a family every single day.

A world without pain, without their hell, where two high schoolers found freedom from their shackles and company in each other. Hiding away together in the dark corners of the town.

Steve even sees other versions of them. Versions that he knows were originally never supposed to meet, yet forces so much greater than them pulled them together.

A metalhead drug dealer, constantly getting into trouble with one nail-bat-weilding cop.

A criminal's fugitive nature leading him to a rugged trailer park, and the dangerous owner within one such home.

An eccentric king in an old coliseum, always choosing one particular warrior as his champion.

A young programmer being pulled away from his work by sobs above his apartment, running upstairs to check on the law student that recently moved in.

Two actors, finding an easy friendship in the months of filming one season of a show that would change their lives.

In that moment, Steve's overwhelmed by the closeness he suddenly feels with the soul beside him. Falling into tears, he pulls Eddie into a tight hug, holding him so so close to convey everything he can't say. Feeling Eddie hold him back, hearing everything Eddie can't say in return.

Familiar music comes on outside the stall. Robin's voice calls out to him, telling him to come home.

And when he does leave, Steve hopes that someone out there will understand that he never can. Because here in Eddie's arms is the only place that will ever truly feel like home.

"Thank you... for everything, Eddie."

Thank you, Steve. For everything and more..."

--------------------

- List of AUs, in order, after, "Versions of them connected through the universe": Childhood Friends / Rockstar!Eddie / Werewolf!Steve & Vampire!Eddie / Eddie Survives / No Upside Down & High School

- List of Multiverse Steddie AUs, in order, after, "...yet forces so much greater than them pulled them together": Eddie x Gator / Baron x Michael / Geta x Sean / Keys x Eric / Quinn and Keery

[2jihiir0]

“‘morning puppet ..”

Baron x Michael sketch because there’s never enough of them ➿🍯🐀

[icecream4starscream]

[ Starscream (The Movie) fic ]

After seeing the "Bumblebee" movie, I'm toying with the idea of writing an Ao3 "Starscream: the Movie" fic where Starscream gets awoken early (and alone) in 1942 WWII Germany and disguises himself as an Messerschmitt Me 262 (one of the first jet engine planes. Used for combat in 1944, but test flights were happening in 1941). He spends nights scrambling for half-decent fuel while trying to maintain a low profile as he tries figuring out where the rest of the Deceptions are.

Luftwaffe dog-fighters start seeing him as an omen of good luck since he always attacks the RAF bombers, some believing the ghost of the Red Baron is flying (the main body of the plane is red), and begin referring to the empty plane as "Geist" [Ghost in German]. In truth Starscream's stripping RAF bombers fuel tanks mid-air under cover of darkness because it's the easiest way to get a ton of fuel while leaving behind little to no trace of what he actually is. He picks a German plane because at the time the [$-Villains of WWII-$] were winning so he just picks the winning side, he doesn't know or care about the details (i mean, it ain't HIS war).

That would be the initial setup anyway...

I mean, just imagine this plane in Starscream colors. TELL ME that wouldn't be a cool concept.

EDIT: I just found this epic recording of the plane in action along with the recording of the guy being stunned. Just thought I'd add it here.

And here's a clip from the movie "Red Tails" (2012) that shows just how their superior speed made these things a nightmare.

Just imagine Starscream pullin' up on a fleet of bombers in this form and doing his thing.

2ND EDIT:

So apparently there exists a Bay-verse Starscream figure that transforms into the Red Baron plane from WWI and I'm just scratching my head wondering how Micheal Bay managed to bungle a premise THIS good.

(Tbf, I can't really see Starscream as a propeller aircraft, he's supposed to be the fastest flyer so he should naturally have jets).

3rd EDIT:

Welp...guess it was only a matter of time before my pathetic aft posted this brainrot of mine:

Starscream (The Movie)

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

[illustratus]

King John reluctantly signing the Magna Carta by Arthur C. Michael

[kassy-djomunson]

⚡️they match each other’s freak = they should be together⚡️

[belzyboops]

New poster :p

[yashmael]

Imagine them in the same club

[skybrushus]

Out of the corner of her eye Octavia spied in the darkness a fedora adorned shadow slowly rise up from behind the Pierce-Arrow. As the threatening silhouette brought a shotgun shaped shadow to its shoulder the mare swung her submachine gun around and fired a quick burst.

     Rat-tat-tat!

     The shadow convulsed several times and then tumbled back behind the car.

      This was the final drawing I started during my recent Noir/Hard-Boiled Picarto stream. A few years ago there was a surge of fan art piece portraying Octavia Melody as a gangster. Heck at the time I drew that way as well. But I've never drawn her with a Thompson/Tommy Gun. So I decided to fix that. Now I only had an hour to work to get the basic line work done, but at least I had some references of a Thompson with me. So overall I am happy with the results. Of course I finished the shading after the stream.

      And yes if you're wondering her outfit is very much inspired by certain Michael Jackson video. Link

Edit. This piece will be for sale at BABSCon 2025. Come see me at Table H-12!

[fandomcentralsposts]

my favourite thing is steddie shippers connecting Joe² characters and shipping them in every universe.

[2jihiir0]

I did a thing 🖤🦇 cause I really needed to get these ships in order 😵‍💫

Feel free to use the blank template down below to do whatever you want! ( rankings, comments, ship names, etc )

[aechalmt]

Hi hi!! I want to start writing a Mick Schumacher fanfic, but I'm not sure if it's coming out very well, can you help me? I'll let you know that English is not my first language.