#please don't come at me

[pinecone-gremlin]

Am I funny yet?

[follows-the-bees]

Clearly, the best antagonist of OFMD is Stede's haunted ghost Nigel.

[the-doctor-needs-a-river]

So, going into this tentatively because there are a lot of strong feelings going around.

People are so traumatised (and validly so) about queer/disabled character deaths from shows with horrible representation and queerbaiting that this has become almost the automatic response to the death of any queer/disabled character. In a lot of situations (cough cough spn etc.) this is absolutely the case.

HOWEVER.

What people are missing is that this doesn't apply to a show in the context where multiple characters are (respectfully) represented as disabled (Lucius, Ed, Jackie, Wee John, Prince Ricky) and nearly every single character is queer. The beauty of the intention here is that a queer/disabled character gets to just be a character. There's no tokenisation there. So when a character like this in this kind of context dies, it's just a character death.

Because of good representation, there is no malice in the death.

Add into this the fact that the death makes perfect narrative sense when viewed through the larger narrative lense of the main point of this season being Ed's emotional arc, it's actually very good story telling (can go deeper into this if requested). That's not saying that it doesn't hurt or that it doesn't feel unfair: that's what good story telling is supposed to do.

I think it's easy to, especially after the first 2 episodes of s2, try and villainise Ed, but I think that's a narrow understanding of what was going on. Yes, Ed was physically abusive to Izzy and the crew, but people overlook the fact that Izzy was emotionally abusive to Ed when he was in an incredibly vulnerable state, which was ultimately the catalyst for the events of S2ep1-2. They both did wrong and both deserved/needed to give apologies; there was no innocent party between them, a fact that Izzy acknowledges multiple times. That's why the parallel to S1ep10 ("there he is") was so beautiful and devastating because it was an understanding of wrongdoing on both parts and an acceptance that they no longer fit together.

Like Izzy said, THEY were Blackbeard, and Blackbeard needed to die for Ed to be able to move on and truly be himself - think the shift from ep 2 to 3 where Ed didn't want to die, he just didn't want to live being Blackbeard but had been convinced there wasn't any alternative. That was the overarching theme of Ed's arc and what Izzy was acknowledging in his final moments.

When you think about it this way, Izzy's death has been foreshadowed as a narrative necessity from the very beginning of the series. With this in mind, the journey that he goes on in the meantime goes above and beyond the acceptance of Ed's vulnerability that we needed to see for them to get to this point; we also see Izzy find his own vulnerability and strength within his found family and identity. THEY DIDN'T NEED TO DO THIS. They gave us this because they also love Izzy and wanted to give his character as much love as possible in the time up until his purpose as a device for Ed's character arc came.

And ultimately, this is what separates Izzy from Ed and Stede - his primary purpose has always been as a character based narrative device to challenge Ed. The fact that so many people love him in his own right is amazing but this has always been his main purpose. Of course he has intervals of brilliant character ingenuity and growth of his own, especially in this new series, but this is exactly what I'm talking about when I say we've been gifted this when we didn't need to be. Does that make the loss sting even more now that we've had it? Of course it does but that's the point. They went so above and beyond with him this series because they saw the potential in his character and Con's fantastic performances, and because they love him as much as we do. But the point still stands that he served the purpose of the character and device that he was always set out to be from the very beginning.

We know from dj that this was all very intentional and, although the analogy used can potentially be questioned, he stuck to his intended trope and executed it with dignity and beautiful parallels.

I guess I'm just saying that it makes me sad to see good writing be misinterpreted, but I completely get where the trauma response is coming from. I would hate to see us get into a situation where we lose this kind of amazing representation because writers are too scared of potential backlash to take the chance of including it when what has been interpreted wasn't narratively intended.

As always, this is written with respect, love and no ill intentions and everyone is entitled to their own thoughts ❤️

[inwhichitumbl]

Really struggling to just enjoy being in my new shiny fandom right now because it all feels so toxic. I can't form an opinion about LFj because I don't dare look anything about him up with the way things are, and I don't have enough from the show to really form an attachment to Tommy as a character. I find him incredibly difficult to read on screen, which is on me. I just can't get a fix on who Tommy is.

I so want to enjoy Buck's story in canon, and be happy about bi Buck (and I am!). But I can't go into the tags because there's so much vitriol being thrown around. I would really like to just find a little corner where Buck/Tommy and Buck/Eddie fans are just getting along and speculating about next season and having a fun hiatus thinking how broken Eddie Diaz is and how much he loves his son. And Buck going out on dates with Tommy, or the firefam all hanging out. Is there a secret tag where everyone is just getting along?

And this isn't even about shipping buddie. The existence of Buck/Tommy does nothing to lessen the connection between Buck and Eddie for me. Their relationship is so strong, even just as friends. Like, I'll happily read super intense Buck+Eddie fics just about how much they love each other without it being romantic or about sex (hi, have you met me, I'm ace). They're each other's person whatever that looks like.

And whether Buck stays with Tommy or not for however long in S8, I just hope that it gets to be the story Buck deserves. Because that boy deserves someone who loves him but also will let him be his ridiculous golden retriever self without suppressing that urge and will lift him up but also be there to support him when he needs it.

And I hope that Eddie manages to properly process his grief and maybe spends some time single and healing rather than diving in to relationships too quickly searching for that nuclear family he thinks he needs. I just have a lot of emotions about Eddie Diaz ok.

[zeherili-ankhein]

Kolkata biriyani wins 💜

P.S. NO I AM NOT HATING ON ANY KIND OF BIRIYANI

[heretherebedork]

*4Minute spoilers if you haven't watched*

I think I'm just going to have to accept that the Sammon X BOC shows just aren't working for me. I really liked MOD, and I really appreciate what Sammon brings to BL. We're still really lacking in genre variety and adult centered shows, and I like how she's committed to bringing something more medical/mysterious.

But the BOC shows have really just drifted too far from what I'm looking for in a BL I guess. I like darker shows, but the ending of DFF (which was that even BL?) and 4minute are just too heavy on themes and mystery for me. I guess actually it just feels too artsy for me - like it's purposely being ambiguous. And that's fine, it's just that it feels out of place in what I think of and want in a BL.

The ending of 4minute just isn't what I wanted. Any plot issues aside, I am just not enjoying the couples dying together all the time trope. Even if it was unrealistic, I just want Tonkla to run away with one of these men (or by himself I guess if we must).

Yay, spoilers! (I haven't watched but I also don't care.)

Anyway, yeah.

I admit it. BOC? Not my vibes. Like, at all.

I have not yet enjoyed a BOC show. Just... genuinely? Have not. I've enjoyed some small parts but never the entire thing and never most of them.

And that's okay!

Everyone has their taste and if people can stop jiving with GMMTV or not find themselves enjoying Mandee or not wanting to see another Dee Hup or whatever then some of us can just not vibes with BOC.

Frankly, BOC isn't making BL. They're making Artsy Queer Shows.

Which, sure, go for it! Why not? We need them, no denials, we always need artsy queer shows and that's great. Please, make more! Go for it!

But BL? Ehhhh, I'd argue that BL is a romance driven genre and that they way they lean into the shows doesn't lean into BL itself and that's okay! Honest, it is! Queer shows like this are important.

They're just not my taste. And I hope that's okay.

(Sorry, BOC fans scare me. Seriously.)

But anyway yeah dying together is not my idea of an ending I want. Can't wait to watch it. Hmmm. I should 1.25 speed it, probably.

I am especially sad that Tonkla didn't get away with everything. That man deserved all his gay wrongs in the world!

And, just in case people wanna say this is a bad take because Great obviously regretted it and wanted to make up for his mistakes. That's not it at all. Great did regret the shitty things he did and that's fine but Tonkla deserved to murder people. He did. And he still does. He deserved to murder and run away and live freely and build a new life. He was the only one I even remotely cared about.

But anyway! There's nothing wrong with dislike a production company or style of show. That's okay! It's always okay to dislike or like something differently.

[rainy19days]

@19daysmanhua clearly mistranslated one panel so I decided to fix it.

You're welcome

[imissthefire]

you know, if I had a nickel for every time a buff blue haired himbo had extremely homoerotic subtext with his genius mage tactician, I'd have two nickels—which isn't a lot but it's weird that it's happened twice.

[lauranalanthalasa]

Look, I love Doctor Who like the next person, but I just realised something that is handled so much better in Good Omens. (This got rather long, TLDR at the end)

The Doctor isn't technically immortal like Crowley and Aziraphale, but their age is far beyond the human lifespan and regeneration is a bit like getting a new body after being inconveniently discorporated only without the paperwork. Either way, both the Doctor and the ineffable idiots lovers are non-humans (although looking completely human) that have lived/existed for a large multitude of human lifespans, have magical powers/technology so advanced it's indistinguishable from magic and an intellect far beyond human capabilities, are somewhat socially awkward and love the Earth / humanity.

What Good Omens does so much better is that, while Aziraphale and Crowley both care deeply for humans (You can't kill kids!) they are also well aware of the fact that they themselves are tremendously different from humans and are reluctant to get overly involved and attached. I don't mind the multitude of fanfics depicting Aziraphale having an affair with Oscar Wilde or Crowley with Leonardo da Vinci or whatever, but the show clearly stirrs away from this and imho that's a very good thing. Because on what ground would someone with the experiences of thousands of years, with literal devine power, who has witnessed the beginning of the universe fall in love with a human? Could there ever be real love? Affection, yes. Empathy, understanding, maybe even something like a (sadly probably rather shallow) friendship. But deep romantic love? I don't think so, sorry. Please remember, this is my opinion. I don't want to offend anyone. Please don't come at me, I'm soft. 😩

Of course the Ineffables could just fancy getting to know people the biblical way from time to time, but that's just not who they are. And wouldn't it even be a bit weird? Using these unaware ephemeral creatures as playthings?

The Doctor (granted, it's mostly 10 and 11) on the other hand seems to fall in love with humans all the fucking time! Or condones humans falling in love with them and letting them stick around anyways. And even when there are no romantic feelings involved, the Doctor often leaves their companions hurt, traumatized or with their memories wiped after the inevitable end of their joint travels. And unless the Ineffables it is quite strongly hinted that the Doctor does enjoy a good biblical introduction to a non-equal from time to time (Reinette, Queen Elizabeth I).

TLDR: imho Good Omens handels the relationship between (virtually) immortal, nearly omnipotent beings and humans better than Doctor Who, by not incorporating romantic love / lust between these and humans.

[katslitterbox]

do you ever just

Have a ship in the fandom that you don't really ship but like it's not bad or anything, in fact it's great, you just don't personally ship it?

Like, the fanart and fics and stuff with it in there are BANGERS but like

You just don't personally ship it all that much?

Idk it might just be a me problem since I don't really ship characters, like, ever.

[confessions-of-a-bookworm]

Narnia Incorrect Quotes 681/?

White Witch: How the hell are you still alive?

Aslan: Honesty, I'm just as confused as you are

[faerishv]

I HAVe a confession to do

i don't personally like the ship aoi x akane 😦

hear me out tho ; i know they are canon and all but i just think the ship is forced , they're both mentally unstable and i don't like them togheter like this. The problems of them both could stop them from having a nice relationship ; also when they were about to kiss it felt kinda uncomfortable , i think aoi wanted to stop akane from doing anything

overall teruakane >> aoixakane

[mushroomsie224]

I watched Kiki's Delivery service yesterday and, cute movie and all but the plot...is...uh? I mean, the first half was cute, it was nice, but it got confusing after the part with the dirigible, with Kiki losing her magic and then the whole thing with the artist and then her suddenly having to save the boy from the dirigible...I'm...just left confused. It was fun to watch, but I'm not sure how one would describe the story??? Stuff just happens.

[project-stars]

what is your dream set of best dancer winners this year?

ugh I'm so bad at this because I haven't followed a lot of the front runners/big studios because of my own dance studies right now. So please don't judge haha, also this is heavily based on personal bias, whoever will win absolutely deserves it. Also, for the club dancers, I'm not sure which location everyone is going to, so this might not even be realistic at all.

mini: lucia p. and sylvie win s. (both club)

junior: kelsie j. (larkin) and helena o. (mather), although I would love to see isabella k. (westside) get a title

teen: savannah m. (larkin) and gracyn f. (p21), although I'm also kinda rooting for alexis a. (club)

senior: Hailey b. (cspas) and dyllan b. (mather)

[northrn-lights]

just watched Despicable Me 2 and while I really enjoyed the first one, I really didn't like what felt like amatonormativity to me in the second movie.

Like I knew it would involve a (romantic) love story, I'm not against them, I even like them when I think they're well written; but the fact Gru stated again and again he wasn't interested in romance and this woman kept pushing him to date women left me with a bad taste in my mouth. the fact that it was reinforced by his own daughters made it even worse.

I understand, having growing up with only one parent, the want to be raised by a second one but still

the fact the narrative pushed this as being the only good outcome was really unnerving.

I like that Gru found another person to love, but he didn't miss anything before he fell in love. at least it didn't feel like it to me. his life was filled with joy. familial and platonic love.

though it's true his friend Dr Nefario left at some point and he doesn't seem to have any other friends (while he loves his minions as well, they don't seem to have exactly what you could call a friendship), and he may have been lonely. I do think your children's love isn't enough to feel fulfilled.

(yeah I may be projecting a bit on some of the points I enounced)

[lummyzzz]

It's midnight and I can't get the thought of Eduan being the baby-girl friend in the Great Warrior friend group while being Zahard's pretty but whiny bf out of my head

Like, imagine him with his long ass, healthy and shiny hair sitting on every single version of Dyson ever invented because he whined too much about the cheap shit until each of them got him one with the 60+ dollars tiny bottles of hair care every other month because everything else in the market either A. didn't help his hair or B. doesn't smell good.

Then there's Zahard who basically has to get Eduan the other shits in his hair routine so now our king debating whether this relationship is worth the extra three hundred but still bought it and even got Starbucks for his spoilt ass bf on the way home 😭😭