#really i have rewatched season 1 multiple times i love it so much!!!!

[kaybreezy3000]

I was rewatching the seasons of my favorite dysfunctional family and I don't know if it's me or Five has a certain interest in blondes. I mean, Delores is blonde, Autumn (the one Five flirts with when she goes to pick up Luther) is blonde, and I think the dancer she was watching is also blonde. I don't know, I'm just saying that I find it curious… what do you think?

I think you are on to something. 😊

The show gave us many reasons to think that Five has a 'certain interest in blondes,' and the photographic evidence doesn't lie, especially when we are talking about how he specifically envisions Dolores after he gets magically goobered on by Jamie in season 3.

-see exhibit A:

(FYI-we are getting really serious with this one. Imagine a big nerd-aka-me, nervously doing a PowerPoint for the class. My pointer just smacked the white board with this image blown up on it, waking up most of the back row😂):

Here, Five clearly imagines or 'sees' Dolores as a blonde.

When it comes to that, we should probably assume when he found his partially intact mannequin while wandering the apocalypse, it's unlikely her wig would have been intact due to the extreme heat the tiny plastic fibers would have been exposed to. So, he's not basing it off that, or he probably isn't. Either way, thankfully Five's beloved mannequin wasn't completely destroyed in the blast or who knows what our poor guy would have done to maintain hope, and more importantly, cling to his sanity.

Five could have seen Dolores as anything, that being the version we saw in this scene didn't look exactly like the 70's store mannequin with her sharp Mona Lisa's like features, but he chooses to see in her as a very soft and loving person whose expression is beautifully full of life and youthfully round. He could have even aged her up with him as he got older but he apparently didn't.

So....

I say it's pretty evident Five wanted to see Dolores this way, and that says something about what his tastes are when it comes to romantic attraction.

Interestingly, when you think about that and the idea of who he could potentially see himself with romantically in the real world, maybe that also means Five would not oppose to being with someone younger. Many people do not like the idea of that, or him being with anyone at all, and I totally understand all of those takes, but based on what we saw multiple times, Five seems very much the type to want this type of intimacy we see above, and as we saw in season 1 with him and Dolores, he's for sure not against physically romantic gestures both openly and privately with his more plastic version of Dolores. He was always so protective and loving with her. Just the way he holds her is proof that this troubled man has so much love left in him. 😭

Also, on that track, it's not that far out there to think that Five might go for a someone far outside his mental age. I don't think he'd be horribly in the wrong for it either as long as he wasn't going for someone super young, like a minor. That would be a big no for me, and I can't see him doing that.

Many people in real life are with other's that have big age gaps, and many people are old souls at a young age, and I could see Five starting over with someone younger that challenges him in all the right ways. Maturity hits us all at different paces, and in some ways, I feel Five isn't really grown up yet even though he thinks he is. It's been said that all the Hargreeves have an emotional IQ that's somewhat laughable but that is why we love them and it's also very relatable. We all have our issues, and sadly, Five Hargreeves is a man that has many that aren't his fault. 🙃

When we are talking about Jack's club and Five's visit there, well, yes, again, Five shows a strong interest in what he's seeing going on around him.

-see exhibit B-'Autumn':

Another blonde! Five picked her out of the other girls working the floor, and then he hit on her!

It makes me laugh every time I think about her telling Luther about it. To me, it seemed Autumn was equal parts flustered and smitten by what he did, and I can't blame her for that considering the adorably smug confidence Five can throw down when he means business.

But the point is, you are right, Five intentionally picked another blonde.

Then...

-see exhibit C 'The Dancer':

Not a great picture to prove it, but the woman on stage was a blonde, and...

Five does seem to be enjoying himself. Just look at that contented face. Brilliantly hilarious how well Aiden Gallagher plays this off.

Needless to say, Five is very comfortable, and he appears to be particularly distracted by what is in front of him despite the real reason why he is at that club and how important it is that he find his siblings and gets them all out of there.

Add all this together and all signs from the show's source material point to Five having an appreciation for the female form, or maybe better put, for him desiring something a little curvier and softer to hold on to than his big bro Luther when he is lugging his exceptionally drunk ass home.

Long before we saw how Five envisioned Dolores; this scene at the club was why I wrote most of my fanfics with him ending up in some kind of romantic relationship with a person that fills these more 'feminine-ish' characteristics that he seems so drawn to.

That said, and the show's repeated evidence aside, I have written Five with a red-head that was very much his equal, and I have also paired him with a trans female-one who happened to be blonde and was a professionally trained dancer, so for that one I stayed true to what the show was pushing for the most part. 😉 To me, who Five is with doesn't have to be someone that fits in any one box. The more interpretations we have out there of how to love, or even who we can love, the better.

All that said, this reply is in no way meant to hurt or judge anyone who doesn't see things this way. I have read so many other stories by so many great fanfic writers that pair Five with all kinds of amazing people. He could fall in love with his Fudge Nutter for all I care. 😂

To me, it doesn't matter if Five is even in a romantic thing or not, and I know that's not what your question was about or what it was suggesting, but I wanted to clarify that for anyone who is possibly not grooving with what I am trying to say.

I like good writing that shows us something broken but beautiful inside the characters. That is why I do some of my stuff with the reader insert/or 'you' character being someone that can be anyone and I leave out the physical characteristics. I want to have something out there with Five that we can all imagine ourselves being a part of if that's your thing.

But, that said, when answering your real question, and when you look at what the show heavily gave us to go on, most of the time I have followed along with the idea that Five has a thing for the lovely blondes. And when I write him, I try to base my thoughts on him, as well as all the other characters, mostly on cannon ideas from the show, though sometimes I do so loosely or by expanding them drastically because I am attempting to create new and exciting storylines that we haven't had the joy of reading before or seeing on screen.

There you go, my fellow Five/TUA fan. Another book length answer coming from me over some super important stuff. 😁

Thank you for asking such a fun question that lets us revisit some very fun scenes from our favorite show.

☮️&❤️ Breezy

[lyxchen]

Before season 2 comes out please I NEED everyone to watch Heartbreak High (the new one) because this show is so good and in my opinion it's a show that the tumblr queers will go feral over!! Like it has a nonbinary character, an asexual (sex averse) character, great autism repesentation, in general a bunch of queer characters and it also talks about some really important issues. Also I adore the main character, I Looove her, and she and her friends are so cute besties!!!! Also it's visually really pretty and fun and colorful. And y'all don't even have to worry about the cliffhanger because season 2 comes out in two weeks!!!! Please I see nobody on Tumblr talk about it and it's so good!!!!! You can watch it on Netflix pleasee somebody watch it it's really good!!!

[windowsandfeelings]

Tonight I was like, “well, I should watch ‘The Girl in the Locket.’” (Which is usually my go-to Nancy Drew episode when I just want to watch one.) (I love the Nancy and Ryan stuff in that episode so much it makes me !!!!! The ritual scene??? I could watch it a million times. And I have.) And then from there I went to “The Ransom of the Forsaken Soul.” ‘Cause I love pain. And then I just...started season 4 over from the beginning? Again? 

Anyway. 

“The Danger of the Hopeful Sigil” makes me feel INSANE. ABSOLUTELY FERAL I CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S REAL. It’s been weeks and I’m still just. wow. WOW.

(I also cannot believe the CW still hasn’t fixed the fucked up act breaks in the streaming version yet. They’re not just wrong, they are truly as poorly placed as you could possibly manage to misplace them.)

I’m just enjoying this season so much, and I’m so excited for where it’s going and so dreading that it’s going to end in a mere 6 weeks and so unsure of what I will do with myself after it’s over. What will my next hyperfixation be?? How long will it take for it to find me???

[maxwellatoms]

Good day sir. Hope I'm not bothering you My brother and I are rewatching The grim adventures and it's been fun. Miss cartoons that were just plain random fun. I'm curious about 3 things if I may ask - Jeff the Spider's design changed a few times, his first appearance was more simple, his second appearance was more detailed and gross looking, then after that he went back to a simple design. Was it because the "gross" design was too hard to animate? - I've noticed in some episodes a few characters with glasses would have green eyes, similar to Nergal Junior. Was there a miscommunication with the animation team? - Lastly, is there anything you wish you could've done differently in Billy and Mandy? Like doing certain episodes or characters different? Just retrospective sorta stuff I know this is probably asking a lot, but I just want you to know you're a great source of inspiration and one of the many reasons why I love spooky supernatural content. Keep up the good fight

Hey!

#1:

The reason that most of the characters changed over time was because I updated the models to help the overseas studios (and our own internal artists) get things on-model. I'll go deeper into Billy & Mandy's history with designs in "Billy & Mandy vs. The Entertainment Industry", but I went from wanting to allow artists to have complete freedom to tightening things down as time went on. The smart play would've to develop solid models first and then explain how, when, and why you can break the rules. That's the opposite of what we did.

Jeff was a more complicated character than most, with his double-mandible, multiple eyes, and eight limbs. I suspect that what happened in this case was that the overseas studio either didn't keep or didn't share the original Jeff model with their teams, and instead only used the "special pose" model of Jeff looking gross. Like a lot of the model stuff, it was a quality control issue. Back then when everything was analog (we still had to deliver on film up through the turn of the century) it was pretty hard to change anything once it had been done. So I'd always say, "next time" and then do a clarity pass over the designs.

#2.

Same deal. In the first few seasons, we had analog color correction, where you'd go to a big suite and some guy would run picture and you'd call out anything big that was bugging you. Chances are that we either didn't notice the error, or did and just couldn't do anything about it.

All of those early Mandy smiles were put in overseas, and I wasn't allowed to fix them. It bugged me so much that I vowed to find a way to fix stuff like that myself. I eventually figured out that I could export individual frames to Photoshop, tweak them, and then give them back to the editor. That way I could actually reanimate things that really bugged me but we didn't have the budget to fix.

#3.

Nah. It's fine.

Thanks and good luck!

[tevanbegins]

Well, I wanted to ramble a bit about how I totally love everything about the way Buck's bisexuality arc has been handled so far on 9-1-1. 💗💜💙 The sheer positivity and euphoria on display about it within the show makes me so profoundly happy! There has been no shame spiral, no element of exclusively targeted biphobia, only pure queer joy and acceptance thus far. 🌈 Buck accepted his newfound identity with ease, and his friends and loved ones also accepted him easily (his parents' hilariously weird reaction is a different story, but let's not get into decoding that right now.)

But it is Tommy's acceptance of Buck's bisexuality I really love the most. I especially adore how Tommy respects the fact that though Buck has only recently discovered he liked kissing men, it won't change that Buck has been attracted to women and will continue to be (Their exchange during the first date in 7x05 — I'm not lying about who I am / I didn't say you were, I was talking about me.) Tommy is a gay man but he is not at all insecure about Buck's attraction to multiple genders, and is not the least bit doubtful of Buck's same-sex attraction towards himself. And I think that is absolutely wonderful to see!

Moreover, this is kind of a contrast to the Hen and Eva backstory wherein Eva is shown to get pregnant from Denny's bio-dad (I don't exactly recall if Eva cheated on Hen with the man, but I think she did, correct me if I am wrong though, may have to rewatch.) Eva was a dark character regardless of her sexual identity but whatever this storyline was, it still emphasised the harmful "bisexuals get around" narrative, which shouldn't be condoned.

That's why I love this easy acceptance of Buck's bisexuality, specifically from Tommy's end so much, because bisexuals are often not only discriminated against by queer-phobes in general, but also face discrimination from within the LGBTQ+ community too. I hope Tim Minear and the writers stick to this positive approach towards Buck's bi-acceptance (self as well as from fellow queers and non-queers), because this is a rarity to see on screen. I'm sure there are more examples but I think the only other time I've seen this kind of all-round positive bisexual acceptance is for Alex Claremont-Diaz in Red, White & Royal Blue. And similarly, David Rose's pansexuality on Schitt's Creek. Whereas on shows like Grey's Anatomy, Station 19, How to Get Away With Murder, etc. I've also seen a bit of biphobia on display in the same space they attempt to showcase bisexual pride and queer representation.

So considering everything, I really want to see Buck and Tommy's relationship grow moving forward and see them be happy and madly in love, but I also want to watch them navigate different challenges couples encounter in their romantic journey and stay committed to each other through the highs and lows of it all. But while the writers are at it, I really hope they never reinforce any unfair bisexual prejudices through the narrative. Because the way it's been positively dealt with in season 7 by Tim & Co. is truly precious, and I wouldn't want anything about it to change! ✨🏳‍🌈

[deeplyridiculouslyinlove]

I just rewatched 02 x 07 for the first time since finishing all the books and I can't stop thinking about it. I feel like everyone is either on the side of (1) it was all a big ploy, or (2) that's it for Moiraine and Siuan they can never come back from this--but I really don't think either of those are true.

I think the most in character thing Moiraine could possibly do is forgive Siuan, for the following reasons:

Moiraine knows that she would do the exact same thing that Siuan did here--namely, sacrifice anything (even their relationship and their trust in one another)--for the sake of the world and their mission. And this shared goal, these compatible values, and this mutual understanding is literally what has kept them together despite 20 years of distance and secrecy from the world.

[MINOR BOOK SPOILERS] We see in one of the books that Moiraine believes she and Siuan have made their beds and will lie in them one day by becoming involved in the quest to find the Dragon -- I believe the way she phrases it is about payment coming due for all the rules they've broken and the secrecy etc. that they needed for their quest. If this is her attitude, she is not only willing to give up everything, but expects to give up everything. And she expects it of Siuan as well.

Siuan has already proven how much she would give up for their quest. She became Amyrlin despite, as we learn this same episode, how much she did not want to be trapped in the tower and could not see her future there. She gave up any semblance of a happy life (how she would picture it both with and without Moiraine!) for this quest.

In some ways, if Siuan had just let Moiraine take Rand through a waygate to Falme, it would have actually been a betrayal of their mission. Their mission wasn’t “get Rand to Falme.” It was “protect and train the dragon reborn.” Siuan feels the need to do that as acutely as Moiraine does--and critically, Moiraine knows this about Siuan.

This goes quadruple if Siuan actually did think Moiraine could be a dark friend. Siuan thinks Moiraine lied to her!! And Moiraine knows this too, since Siuan does at least have the chance to say "You lied to me!" Moiraine would understand that if there was any chance Moiraine had been turned or was compelled, Siuan had to try and stop her from taking Rand off to god knows where.

Literally just a few days earlier Moiraine had threatened to have Alanna take Lan’s bond by force if he stood in her way--aka, the way of her mission. At this very moment, Moiraine herself has spent days (weeks?) contemplating what it would mean to betray the autonomy and trust of those she loves most if it means saving the world. And she knows what side she's on.

When Moiraine says, “if you have ever loved me don’t do this” my heart shatters into a million pieces. But that line is not just ,“it will be a betrayal of our love and trust if you compel me." It is that, but it's also a call for Siuan to see Moiraine for MOIRAINE. She’s saying “you know me.” She’s trying to get her (Siuan) to see that what she (Moiraine) is doing is not about her shame and pride but about the mission. Because it is ALWAYS about the mission, Moiraine IS the mission, and Siuan loves her because of that, and Moiraine knows Siuan loves her because of that 

Moiraine clearly hesitates before going through the waygate. Her character isn't one to linger out of shock and betrayal. She lashes out and she puts up distance--we've seen this all season. Moiraine moves forward. So I read her looking at Siuan here as far more "I love you and I'm sorry [I can't help you? it's come to this? we can't reconcile?]" than "How could you?" or "You're a different person to me now." I’m not trying to minimize the violation Moiraine is also feeling in this moment, I just think that if the violation was her primary emotion she would likely behave differently. And if she can have this messy a set of emotions even in the heart of the moment, I have faith she can similarly hold multiple emotions later when reconciling.

The flashback scenes are so heartbreaking but they don’t have to mean that Moiraine and Siuan feel so betrayed and far from those versions of themselves that they will never be together again. Those flashbacks can also be saying “remember when we were those people?” Holding onto those versions of themselves is how they hold onto their love despite this scene.

Those flashbacks also remind us that their relationship in the show is like 50 years old. It is deep. People don't throw away 50 years of relationship without a conversation, even if there is a deep betrayal involved. And that's normal people--not even people who have given up absolutely everything for a cause that the relationship has now gotten wrapped up in. In the books, they are together for a few years and then seemingly go their separate ways when the Dragon is reborn. I don't think the show would have gone out of its way to deepen and lengthen this relationship just to end it so quickly and unceremoniously.

[carefulfears]

so i really love whenever you call mulder & scully best friends. wanna talk about your top 5 favorite moments of their friendship?

DO I EVER

1/ little green men

they have a secret code. they have their own language.

when mulder gets to his desk that morning, the photo of samantha is tipped over, and he knows that this means to meet scully at the watergate. which, first of all, is unbelievably dorky. these two work in the same building. these two have cell phones.

but they have been split up and reassigned and it is not a phase you guys it is the end of the world!!!!

when he arrives in the parking garage, he asks what she wants, and she responds, "to know that you're alright."

they have a secret code and their own language and for nothing more than to check in.

(shoutout to the depression hair era, they are so funny for both getting bangs the moment they were separated. that's how you know things are really bad for the girlies.)

when he sinks down to the floor and tells her the george hale story, she crouches down next to him, listens, tells him not to give up.

you can tell that it makes her uneasy to see him defeated, to see him doubting himself and what he believes in. she's almost trying to convince him of aliens in that moment, telling him that he's seen so much and reminding him of samantha. trying to spark something in him.

they have a secret code, they have their own language, and when he leaves town, he buys the plane ticket under a name that only she will recognize. she cracks his computer password in three tries.

earlier, after skinner questions scully, he tells CSM that she's telling the truth, she really doesn't know where mulder is. "because if she knew, she wouldn't be so worried about him."

they aren't as hard to decipher as they want to believe.

PAUSE!!!!! this is the cuntiest thing he's ever done. the sunglasses, the denim, the boots, the dangerous lack of exit strategy...anyway

she interprets his clues, she follows without obligation, they go back together. hand in his hair, not giving up, just like she started the episode.

in the end, they have nothing. the hail mary trip resulted in empty tables and silent tape recordings.

one thing i didn't notice until i rewatched this one the other day is that it's not when he says "i still have you" that she takes his hand.

it's when he switches the tape from the record of his failed excursion to his actual assignment, hours of listening to slimy men talk about strippers.

she listens with him for a moment before shaking her head, and squeezing his hand. she does understand that this isn't what he wants to be doing, and that it's disheartening.

2/ tooms

i could list every season one episode here. i could do a whole other post just about season one. i could do a whole other post just about season one, and include every episode. but i guess i will settle for this one.

this is my favorite season, and this is my favorite MSR.

him waving the pine tree air freshener in her face when she said he smells 😭😭😭

squeeze was all about the choice between climbing the ladder and the "out there" but "good" work of the basement, with all of the ridicule and consequence that come with it.

its sequel episode is about the aftermath of that decision, what it means to choose the side of the victim, to stop reaching for personal success.

(this shot is so beautiful, her face through CSM's smoke)

tooms opens with scully in a negative performance review, skinner (in his very first scene!! we love you skinman) going over her reports, CSM lurking in the corner.

the two share a look, then warn scully against having too much of an open mind, telling her that it is her "responsibility to see that these cases are by the book"

"by the book" becomes the theme of the episode, with the phrase repeating multiple times throughout.

this isn't the first time that the show has explored this topic, with young at heart also centering a debate of “by the book” protocol, what it really means, and who it really serves. ending with this final dialogue:

SCULLY: Mulder, I know what you did wasn't by the book.

MULDER: Tells you a lot about the book, doesn't it?

“by the book” isn’t an easy order to follow when you have a partner who doesn’t believe in it, and you aren’t sure you do either.

it’s not an easy order to follow, for the navy captain’s daughter who worships authority.

she does try though, and she's initially frustrated with mulder's behavior in the case. she tells him that he "sounded so....." at the trial, and she's reluctant to pursue his methods without approval from the bureau.

ultimately, when she comes to bring mulder something to eat on his unauthorized stakeout, she tells him that what he's doing is not proper surveillance protocol, and he good-naturedly accuses her of peddling "the book."

she responds, "this is not about doing it by the book, this is about you not having slept for three days." and tells him that he is inevitably going to get hurt.

to her, it's not about following the rules or pressure from the bureau or respecting authority, it's about making sure he's okay.

when she tells him to go home, that she'll take over the stakeout, he smiles and shakes his head (it's almost the same look that he gives her years later in redux ii, when she tells him to lay it all on her. just less tears.)

and i know that we tend to focus on the next part of this scene, but this line stands out to me too, as he declines because he doesn't want her to get "in trouble."

he doesn't want her to break the rules or disobey authority, and he still believes she'll be head of the bureau someday.

it kinda makes me teary, this stupefied look on his face at her response. when she looks at him unflinching and says, "mulder, i wouldn't put myself on the line for anybody but you."

they are so kind to each other. they really don't care about official reprimands in files or welfare protocols; they each just want the other to get some rest, to have a bright future.

he relents, allows her to take over, on the condition that she calls "if anything happens. immediately. i'll be here." and suggests she catch the sports talk radio show

she bends down to give him one last smile and eye roll as she exits the car

and makes a joke to herself while walking back to her own. best best best friends.

3/ tempus fugit

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SPECIALAGENTDANAKATHERINESCULLYYYYY

what better way to celebrate life than annoying the hell out of your best friend on her birthday?

the way he clearly gave the waiters her name and this snowball and sparkler and sang "special agent dana katherine scully" while they all sang "happy birthday dana" is one of his most embarrassingly extra moments and it never fails to make me laugh

she rolls her eyes at him, but the way she stares when he's not looking says so much. they both know why this year gets sparklers and song when last year didn't. they both know there might not be a next year.

he's literally never been more irritatingly overjoyed lmao. and he brought presents! ("oh, you've got to be kidding me" "just something that reminded me of you")

he said "i didn't know it was your birthday, scully!" with a wrapped gift in his pocket, always prepared with a smile and a cover story

he does this same thing in memento mori, after getting the call to come to the hospital, when his first words of the episode are "i stole these from some guy with a broken leg down the hall. he won't be able to catch me." about the flowers we watched him come through the front doors holding

he clearly puts thought into these gestures, but everything is so fragile. neither of them are comfortable with what too much sincerity would mean, how limited it all is.

but they find little ways to give to each other anyway, they hang out in bars and roll their eyes and discuss the meaning behind a keychain.

if this is the last birthday, maybe it's worth a little vulnerability (and annoying song and dance), that he did it up right.

4/ one breath

another Mulder Gift™️ entry. god, the sweetness here is just overwhelming. he is so strange and tries so hard.

this whole scene is one of my favorites of the series, but i love this little moment so much.

it's so inadequate, in the end. to see someone that you thought you'd lost, your most important person, who was gone for so long, and have nothing more to give them than a shitty VHS sports tape.

but what else can you do? he's so quiet and self-conscious in this moment. he raced to the top of mountains and stood on broken cable cars and choked a man and wore her necklace around his neck for months and wept on the floor. he had the strength of her beliefs, and he prayed. he held her hand by her bedside after they pulled the plug.

so much goes unsaid between them, because how can you say it in words? how can you do anything but smile and buy something stupid at the gift shop?

she makes a joke while he smiles at the floor, but it's not a joke, not really. he's there and he's giving her whatever he can and he's cracking jokes, and she knew there was a reason to live. that's it right there.

5/ detour

GO, GIRL!

this is a best friends episode. this is a "we survived that hospital and we refuse to spend our one wild and precious life at the annual FBI teamwork seminar, if you need us, we'll be lost in the forest" episode.

look at her trying not to laugh while he's making sarcastic comments at her in the backseat. can you imagine carpooling with these two? they are forever passing notes and whispering behind backs.

she is not making it to the teamwork seminar. she is not getting her wine and cheese, either. she is looking for mothmen in western florida.

they think they're so much better than that communication exercise, just to make vague innuendo in a motel room.

they tell each other all about native species and how ticks can halt their metabolism and the livestock that was killed in a town 30 years ago. she teases him about his filing system.

neither of them tire of bashing the hell out of that teamwork seminar.

they talk about death. about searching for meaning in life. about which flintstones character they relate to the most. they swap dirty jokes.

she fusses over his grave injury (a dislocated shoulder) and holds him. sings to him so that he'll know she's still there.

a few years down the road, she'll sing that same song to their baby, on one of her last days with him. she'll sing to him about this night, about his dad, about her favorite memories.

sitting there together in that forest in florida, they have already started to carry the weight of near-misses. of lost time, of almosts, of purposeful disease.

they have come a long way and taken on a lot, in the years since the parked car outside tooms' house and the garage at the watergate.

but they have yet to be separated longer than 90 days. they have yet to lose a child. they have yet to plan funerals and prison breaks.

there's something about that time, that ability to just sit in the woods and talk about everything, looking for mothmen, that is so precious and so special.

and when she tells him that night that she had struggled to find meaning, that's where it is.

[kerubimcrepin]

Liveblog: Wakfu Season 1 (episode 19, The Sadida Kingdom)

NOTE: This is the thing I've been looking forward to the entire rewatch. I'm not sorry for my insanity. This entire blog has been built on my insanity.

This translation error in the fansub is the source of the mistaken belief that Amalia's father's name is Oakheart btw. Though it is a nice name.

Two days prior is when The Horror started...

Sadida also have their own Boufbowl tournaments... Big day for Joris hobby lore.

I'M INSANE. I have waited for ages to get here, and I will not be leaving until I have multiple paragraphs of insane things to say:

They have been arguing for a bit of time at this point. Joris does not sound happy about this conversation. Armand also doesn't sound happy about this conversation.

Armand is probably high on his "I am acting in the stead of my father, so you will tell me everything that you need to tell him" supply. Joris is so fucking desperate for Armand to act normal. He doesn't want to be here either. He doesn't need to be arguing with a 17ish year old prince with daddy issues on a weekday.

All of this to say: This level of politeness from Joris always screams to me "I'm so fucking mad right now."

The way he uses the same words, "allow me", almost reads a bit ironic, or like a thinly veiled show of disregard.

Him repeating the information that we as the audience already knew to Joris — which Joris probably also knows, judging from the fact that they have been talking for at least a little bit, — seems less like exposition, and more like Armand treating Joris like an idiot who just won't get it. A power struggle is happening here.

And while it isn't a part of the subs, I can hear him say "my father, the king" which is, in my opinion, yet another little element of psychological warfare going on here.

Basically, he uses a lot of thinly veiled little jabs to establish himself as The Leader.

...He really is high on his own supply.

The mention of the Master of Bonta is interesting. Joris is not just under the King's direct command, — he is also a messenger for other people in the Bontarian government. Perhaps the master in question is connected to the Huppermages?

His exasperated tone here is so customer service-core. Which wouldn't be that funny if we didn't know he also works customer service.

Also, the dramatic "Alas!"... That he definitely added just to seem less rude. While cutting off Armand's last word, as if he was waiting for him to shut the fuck up. Before looking up at him at the end.

The way he's so fucking rude is just so jaw dropping.

"I have an important secret message", "come back later. FUCKASS."

Joris's first instinct whenever things go bad is to go political incident mode and political incident all over the place.

But to be more serious: I think after 600 years of witnessing wars and murder, Joris's mind would go in that direction after seeing Armand's behaviour.

Joris just doesn't know Armand well enough to know that he would not do that, and that he loves his father. It's quite prudent of Joris to get sneaky.

And even if he didn't think of this — you have seen my headcanon for what I think Joris wanted to tell the king (soft oak and that weird xelor that keeps ravaging places). It concerns the safety of the country. And just like Amalia and Eva, I doubt Joris would want Armand to be the one taking care of this.

[guy who made an entire blog thats 33% literally just talking about doomed siblings] I don't know why I like Armand and Amalia's relationship so much. I think I hauve covid. It's just that imagine you were a kid, and your father — who is so, so very powerful, who is the leader of your people, liked your sibling more. And your sibling had this fortunate life, and you were always in the shadow, and people thought you're mean and furless and bal— [I am electrecuted]

Joris behind the columns, trying to stop himself from screaming or trying to actually kill Armand:

I hope he dies. <- I said, before remembering.

If I was forced to work in Joris's sphere, I would literally just end my life instead. The things he subjects himself to...

On the topic of subjecting himself to things, I really think that Joris came so late because:

He was sneaking around like a silly little gumshoe (he was spying on a foreign government),

He needed a break after talking to Armand. <3 Who doesn't

He hoped that this situation wouldn't end so disastrously. Like maybe Armand would get hit a little bit... Just a tinyyy bit. But no. It's worse. Multiple people are down.

He looks so fucking unimpressed with Armand's words here. I can't do this anymore. He hates this shitty teenager.

Magical powers activate! [hits you with a tree stump 16 times until you lose consciousness]

I don't even know what to say besides the fact that the things he subjects himself to (having to defend and talk to royalty who don't even take him seriously and insult him the whole time) are literally unspeakably insane. Could never be me.

He has a lot of anger within him, and for legal reasons, it cannot be expressed.

[copiouscouples]

Bridgerton - A Dissertation

Chemistry is subjective and that's why I love Bridgerton. If one couple isn't your bag, then there are others to choose from.

Personally, I've enjoyed all the seasons. I just love to see love unfold.

Season 1 was such a new animal. It was the novelty of it all. Nothing had been done like this before. You either had the adulterous, explicit, and/or violent sex scenes of Outlander or Game of Thrones or you had chaste Austen (which j'adore but still). There is no other show (even though there have been attempts) that combines the sweet romantic side of love with sexy times. And on top of that you have the costumes and the humor and the diversity.

Simon and Daphne's love story for me was so beautiful watching it simply because it was like they'd turned the historical romances I love reading so much into a tv show.

Season 2 I was so pumped for. The first 4 episodes were delicious. The looks, the stares, the verbal sparring, the passionate declarations, and almost kisses. Be still my heart. The wedding episode was a giant buzzkill. It ground all that momentum to a halt. Edwina deciding not to marry Anthony should've been a 5 minute scene max. That episode took up time when we could've seen them make progress on their relationship. After that, the plot did bounce back. Then, we got their love scene in the garden. I think the most apt description I've seen of that is that it was like a hot music video. It was fine and all, but I was wanting more. It wasn't rewatchable like the Simon and Daphne scenes.

Then Queen Charlotte came along and wowzers did I love that show on so many levels. It was gorgeously done, funny, sweet, heartbreaking, and sexy. George and Charlotte were a good couple but knowing their ending wasn't so happy definitely put an asterisk next to it.

Season 3 came along and at first I was a little indifferent about it for multiple reasons.

1) I hadn't been fully sold on Luke and Nicola's chemistry. It seemed too friend-like (which I know is the point but still). On top of that, there's their real life age gap. Luke N. is super attractive but I was envisioning someone older and more mature (because I know the books have Pen and Colin as older).

2) Friends to lovers isn't a favorite trope of mine.

3) I really wanted Eloise or Benedict's season to be next.

But oh my word, guys, I am really digging this season. Probably more so than even Queen Charlotte.

Things I Love:

Colin being the pursuer and driver of the relationship instead of Daphne in season 1 or Daphne/Edwina/circumstances in season 2. It's delicious to see Colin chasing Penelope. And yeah, she did ask him to kiss her but home skillet didn't ask him to show up at her house for a late night rendezvous. That was all him.

A less angry/bitter male lead. Colin likely has daddy issues too, but he is just more emotionally in-tune (when he allows himself to be) and doesn't take it out on others. He's sweet and lovable and a perfect cinnamon roll when he's not posing.

The Sexy times are back! That carriage scene was 10/10 - no notes. And it was sexy because of the feelings component. And we're getting more! I'm gonna pass out!

Even though I wish they'd hurry a bit and get them back to being friends, I do enjoy seeing the Eloise and Penelope friendship aftermath. I love seeing how much they care about each other despite being angry/hurt by one another.

That height difference, tho!

I feel like we can all take enjoyment from different couples and different seasons. We're all different and different tropes resonate with us. There is something to be enjoyed by all with Bridgerton.

[whateverurmomwants]

No cuz do you ever just realize how powerful lucy is?

She was able to conjure ALL of her celestial spirits, 3 or 4 of them being fricking ZODIACS, all at once and being powerful enough to be recognized by the celestial spirit king? And all in the first season? Where she hasn’t even had her star dresses and other abilities she has learned?

Not to mention this theory about her being a descendent of the goddess Anna, the best Celestial Spirit user.

And im rewatching it rn, and ive already encountered a moment where if she didnt interfere, natsu would have died. The arc with phantom lord where natsu is battling gajeel? Gajeel had eaten iron but there was no fire for natsu to eat, and so Lucy gave him that fire by using Sagittarius. Without that fire, natsu definitely wouldnt have finished that fight.

People are always saying ‘oh well that may be so, but if she hadn’t joined the guild-‘ Phantom lord would have most definitely attacked them for another reason. They wanted to remain the best guild in Fiore. Fairytail challenged that, so it was just a matter of time before they fought.

“Well, she always gets in their way-“ Yeah, considering the fact that she grew up in a household where her fathers only concern was the family line, she wouldn’t exactly have time to practice her magic. The only spirit she really had was Aquarius, and we can infer that she only brought her out on very few occasions. And she also wouldn’t have been able to build up any target practice or any muscle building, since Jude would say, in the stupid old fashioned way, ‘women don’t need muscles. All you need to do is make yourself look presentable to find a husband.’ He definitely wouldn’t have wanted her practicing her magic.

Meanwhile, all the others grew up in an environment where they could practice their magic freely with other wizards. They had teachers and activities that enhanced their magic and physical builds, she didn’t. So of course she wouldn’t be able to be on their level so soon.

Also, the amount of magic it takes to summon a silver spirit is a lot, but even MORE so for a Zodiac. Mashima explained that it pretty much is on a scale from 1-100. Plu being the easiest to summon at one, and her highest silver key being Lyra at 18. Her golden keys on the other hand, has Aquarius at 100 and the lowest being Cancer at 52. Others talk about the spirits only being able to use as much magical power as Lucy uses to summon them, but i doubt that theory/statement.

And its also amazing even then because she can keep those gates open for a tremendous amount of time, and multiple on some occasions. I don’t know if this part is true, but i believe that the mage has to have at-least some level of concentration on the gate for it to keep open, so if that’s correct, then it makes it even more astounding that she is able to focus on the bond at all times while fighting. And i only say this because her spirits go back to the spirit realm when she is knocked out.

Also during the E.N.D arc, (haven’t gotten there yet, seen bits and pieces) she literally REWRITES the E.N.D book that Zeref HIMSELF wrote. She literally rewrote his fate. And yes, i know that Gray was there to help her out, but at the same time, most people would have still not have been able to handle the mental and physical strain that causes.

And im just guessing on this part, but didnt she learn an entirely new part of her magic by someone in blue pegasus and learned how to preform the spell in like a week? Month? Some other very short time span?

Anyways i just love lucy and i would litterally rather show everyone my ao3 library before letting her get hurt/bashed. Lmao

[aihoshiino]

Episode 3 Rewatch: "Manga Based TV Drama"

YEAH WE'RE BACK ON THESE AGAIN!!! As much fun as the liveblog format was, I found it was actually getting in the way of me *doing* the liveblog (it could take multiple hours for me to watch and queue up One Single Episode) so I've decided to return to a format a bit more like my chapter reviews just in the desperate hopes of getting these actually done before season 2 airs. In the immortal words of Brian H oobh i got plany off time. But let's get to it real quick anyway!!!

I have a really soft spot in my heart for episode 3 in particular because it was the first episode I actually anticipated watching after I got into the show - episodes 1 & 2 were already out when I fully contracted brainworms so episode 3 was the first one I had to actually wait for. A lot of the cuts from it are like carved into my brain because I watched that episode preview so many times while waiting for it to air lol…

I've said this before but the anime's take on her really is what turned me into an active Kana Enjoyer. Megumi Han's delightful performance and her character acting an animation all combine to make it really hard not to be endeared to her. Her excitement at being reunited with Aqua is really cute, too - I remember Han saying that she was specifically told not to play Kana as a girl meeting an old crush but as someone excitedly reuniting with an old friend and I think that's particularly sweet. The AQKN dynamic at its heart is kind of just two lonely kids who don't have a lot of other connections that aren't couched in transactional utility creating a space together where they can just exist without any ulterior motives.

gotanda's words being visualized as literally skewering kana is so fucking funny too. bro killed her. you really can't blame her for biting back during dinner later lol

Kana's putting on a pretty positive face about it, but knowing how deeply alone and abanoned she feels by her parents, it's hard to not feel really sad about this scene. She's chipper about it but this is the first hint towards Kana's current honestly kind of dire circumstances we'll see get expanded on all the way to the end of the anime.

Aqua's refusal to let Kana see his old acting is also really interesting to me. Intentionally or not, it feels like it's sewing the seeds for some stuff in Tokyo Blade; Aqua respects Kana's acting and Kana herself as a professional to the degree that he doesn't want to 'lose' to her in that sense. Or rather, he'd be embarrassed to have someone he respects seeing him stumble like that - a little like Ruby's freakout in episode 1 over the idea of Ai, specifically, seeing her be bad at dancing.

Aqua trying to play it cool and then immediately nerding out when Kana mentions Sweet Today is so so so so soooooooo cute. I love it when that side of his personality pokes out…

KABURAGI NAMEDROP JUMPSCARE!!!!! i made the same face, aqua... I won't go into my Kaburagi Villain Propaganda here, but it really is so deeply suspicious that Kaburashi was on her oldest, most private phone…

KANA'S LITTLE 'I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE' MOMENT………. AQUMELT REAL AFTER ALL…. (NOT CLICKBAIT)

ruby's lain brand milk vexes and haunts me

Aqua's quietly pained, guilty expression when Ruby misreads his intentions for becoming an actor is so good, as is his cold internal dismissal of Ai's wish… it's funny to see him insisting he's not doing this for Ai's sake when really, everything Aqua does comes back to his mom.

Man, though. What even is there to say about the Sweet Today bits lmao. Holy shit. Particular shout out to Melt's seiyuu, Seiji Maeda, for making his in-character acting so authentically awkward and clunky without it coming off as overwrought or like he himself was giving a bad performance. That's suuuuuch a delicate thread to weave but he does it exceptionally well.

This scene also has one of my all time favourite punch ups from the manga - in the original, Ruby just kind of gets the manga from nowhere and makes the comparisons that way but the anime makes Aqua the one to go get his copy and start silently flipping through it to compare until Ruby snatches it… it really is the perfect teeing up for him to run off and tattle to Kana even though he was pretending he didn't give a shit lol. Dork ass boy.

This talk at the karaoke bar is really good, too. The directing is pretty simply but I feel like the anime producton really shows off just how strong its expression and character acting work is here which does a lot to help along what's otherwise a very static conversation. The contrast in Aqua and Kana's energy is also very fun - Aqua's really still while Kana's very animated.

The manga hasn't really touched on this in a while but the content of the conversation here also starts a thread that I really liked in the early parts of Oshi no Ko about how hard it is to create good art in an environment like the entertainment industry. Tokyo Blade centers this more and is almost explicitly a follow up to Sweet Today's exploration of this idea but the seeds are sewn here, of the necessary compromises that need to be made just to get something out the door and how that can ultimately destroy the final product no matter how many well-meaning and passionate people are doing their absolute best to make something worth engaging with.

i'm also pretty sure this talk is the first time we see aqua smile after episode 1… cute.

The directing also really shines in that little moment at the end where Kana grabs Aqua's hand. In prior cuts, the two are visually separated in that they're both sat apart and there are multiple lines running between them in the background to section them off from each other.

But then just as Kana breeches Aqua's defenses and disarms him, she physically reaches past all these little barriers to finally get into his space. It's subtle but well done.

His wide-eyed slightly stunned face is also really sweet. We see this look on Aqua a lot when it comes to Kana and it always makes me smile a bit. She's excellent at getting under his skin whether she means to or not.

"now my body has caught up with my mental age" says aqua, confirming his mental age is that of a teenager, and mfs are still out here acting like he's a 30 year old man.

Oof, oof and oof. Kana's little speech here already makes me so soft and knowing how it's going to be utterly spat upon in just a moment by Kaburagi's callousness towards her just makes it hurt even more. We continually see reference to this supposed good relationship between Kana and Kaburagi during this episode and so knowing that he's ultimately just another shitty adult taking advantage of her clear desperation… masaya kaburagi when i see you it's on sight

This is also a really fantastic character moment for Aqua, I think. He himself says he's done everything he needed to do on set, so there's no need for him to start shit like he does. It's purely out of respect and fondness for Kana as a person and anger on her behalf as a fellow actor. For as much as Aqua likes to convince himself he's a coldhearted bastard, he really just cannot help himself when it comes to leaping in and helping people. He's a lot like Ai in that once somebody has his heart, he's theirs for good.

i also just have to fucking Scream at this cut of him. it hit me like a fucking TRUCK when this episode dropped. because it doesn't quite look like the equivalent panel of the manga, does it?

But doesn't it feel super familiar, even so? Doesn't it remind you of something? I wonder wh-

OSHI NO KO ANIME STAFF, WHEN I GET YOU!!!!!! (ENRAGED) (POSITIVE)

[pastafossa]

How do you get past writer's block? I have a fic that I'm working on that is updating on a schedule, and I made the mistake of giving myself a month off in between parts and now I can't really get back into writing it. I don't want to leave it abandoned because I have a few people who I know are really invested and I don't want to leave them hanging, but I'm having a hard time getting as excited to write it as I did before.

Ok so I'm in a weird place for this, hilariously. Because The Answer That Usually Works For Me (TM) and that carried me through a regular weekly update schedule for almost two and a half years is, in fact, not at present working for me apparently my brain can write through a pandemic but not through recovery from the shit that went down in December/Jan so we found my writing kryptonite. However, I'm going to assume you're closer to 2021 Pasta than 2024 Pasta. SO LET'S GO WITH THE METHOD I NORMALLY USE SINCE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR YEARS. Cause that's the thing: sure, I've written almost a million words, and pumped out chapters for years (ignoring the past few months) but I promise, I hit the same walls as everyone else even when nailing weekly uploads. But over those years, I came up with a fairly solid list of steps that I'd go through one by one.

Fun one first: when I'm in a block, I almost always try re-engaging with canon first. I'd rewatch my favorite episodes, binge a whole season, or even the whole series depending on how much of a boost I needed. For me at least that was often like Pavlov's bell, my favorite story triggering a flood of affection. I'd remember why I loved this fandom and the characters so much, and it could often kickstart my brain and excitement back into gear. If you really want to dangle a carrot and your fic touches on canon, focus on watching parts you're excited to get to in your story. A big one for me in TRT for example was the post-Nobu, Nelson v. Murdock episode, since I'd had that planned for TRT almost since the start, and I was very excited to reach the hurt/comfort I had planned. Even if your fic isn't following canon though, see if it'll give you a creative rush again!

So let's say step 1 doesn't work, either because the canon just isn't hitting the spot or because your fic is dealing with something else. In this case, my next step was usually to jump ahead to write a scene I was really eager to get to. It was often a short blurb, but it was always something I REALLY wanted to explore, and because I'm also a reader who likes exactly the tropes and plots I'm writing, I want to read what fucking happens. Except, fuck, I'm not there yet, am I? And I can't see how that scene finishes until I write my way up to it and finish it. This is my own carrot. Multiple scenes in TRT were written months or even years in advance, simply as a way to bribe myself. This is also an option!

But maybe this doesn't work. Sometimes it didn't. This is when it got a bit more serious. For anyone who was reading at the time, you'd have noticed that I'd sometimes drop side fics, either Matt POVs or one-shots. This was me, in essence, working on the shower principle (basically, ideas/solutions will come if you stop thinking about it and do something else, like take a shower). I figured if I went and wrote something else - either with less stress, or something fun and dopamine-inducing - the part of my brain focused on my Big Fic would wander around the writer's block beneath my notice. And it almost always worked, all while I still kept my brain trained that, hey, even if we're not writing This Thing, we're still writing.

But let's say this doesn't work either. You're well, and truly, stuck. Been there now and then. And, you're going to hate this one. I hate it but it works 9 times of 10. And it is: Write anyway. Half of it was spite. I was not going to give up my schedule, I liked my schedule. The other half was that I knew myself. I knew if I could just get past the chapter/plot/dialogue I was struggling with, I'd be able to roll along again. And so I made a rule: whatever I wrote didn't have to be pretty. It just had to exist. If that meant I wrote, "Jane chased the cat in circles and caught it. She was happy." then that's what I wrote. Because everything, EVERYTHING, can be fixed in editing. But you can't fix what doesn't exist. And so there were those nights when I would scowl and groan and snarl and bash my head against that writer's block until 5 in the morning, but in the end Jane chased that fucking cat adn caught it, it was written. Hilariously, sometimes those chapters have wound up amazing (likely because I spent so much time hammering at them) and reader favorites. There are absolutely, I believe, moments where you can, and should, see if you can push through.

But that brings me to *waves* now. A lesson I've only recently recently and with encouragement. Namely... sometimes brain no go and that's ok. My steps work for me 99.9% of the time, but I've done the above during the past few months, and it just... hasn't dragged me out entirely out of it yet. Sometimes, our brains demand that break, especially when things just aren't going great. There's a reason TRT had a break of roughly 2 years between chapter 4 and chapter 5 (feel free to check the chapter index with dates on AO3!). I had some life things happening and I just was not in a place to write, even if I was still busily plotting and planning and thinking about TRT behind the scenes. And that was ok. We're not machines. I came back like a bulldozer in Jan 2021, yes, and bulldozed through weekly updates, but that break was needed. And now I'm obviously taking a short one again while I recover from everything. It's ok if you're not in a place for it. So the last step is one I've been told a lot by dear friends recently as they helped me through this: be kind to yourself, and try not to stress if none of the above works. The story will always be there, and if TRT is any indication through all its highs and lows, your readers will be there when you start up again.

[fandomwe1rd0]

Morty is a really tragic character

I'm rewatching the series for like the 10th time, and I'm feeling really bad for Morty, the poor boy went through so much, here's what he goes through in season 1 alone.

Episode 1 ~ Pilot

Suffers from extreme panic from Rick saying he will blow up the world, and is tired due to it also being late at night

Is manhandled by Rick for this entire episode, and Rick is very harsh toward him

Is dragged out of school by Rick

Breaks both of his legs

Stuffs Mega-seeds up his rectum and it is apparently painful due to them being pointy

Is immobilized for hours due to them dissolving in his rectum

Episode 2 ~ Lawnmower Dog

Was about to get punished for something Rick did

Rick snaps at him all because Morty suggested Rick helps him with his homework

Is terrified due to having to avoid getting shot so he doesn't die in real life

Is slapped by Rick while screaming

Is traumatized due to seeing his sister in a...suggestive way

Is terrified due to Scary Terry

Rick embarrasses him in front of girls (Those girls weren't real but still)

His kidneys shut down

His dog leaves

Rick insults him "What do you know Morty? What do you know?"

Episode 3 ~ Anatomy Park

Gets hastily told by Rick to hold his breath until a certain process is over or his lungs will collapse

Is nearly choked by Poncho for no real reason

Is nearly attacked by monsters (multiple times throughout the episode)

Sees mutiple people die (Throughout episode)

Alice taken away from him for Rick's own selfish reasons, Rick doesn't apologize and brushes it off saying he did Morty a favor

Episode 4 ~ M-Night Sha-aliens!

He isn't exactly in this episode, but in an aftercredits scene, Rick holds a knife to Morty's neck while angerily asking him "ARE YOU A SIMULATION!?"

Episode 5 ~ Meeseeks and Destroy

Got traumatized from having to kill people who looked exactly like his family

Rick is very harsh towards him for the majority of the episode

Got assaulted by Mr. Jellybean, narrowly escaped him

Panicked when he saw Mr. Jellybean again

Episode 6 ~ Rick Potion #9

Multiple people fell in love with him and charged at him

Rick is very harsh towards him throughout this episode

A bunch of praying mantis/ vole/ human hybrids talked about how they would like to have sex with him then eat him afterwards

Got traumatized from being forced to bury himself

Episode 7 ~ Raising Gazapazorp

Tried his best to raise a very aggressive, violent son named Morty Jr. then Morty Jr. made a book talking about what a terrible father he was

Episode 8 ~ Rixty Minutes

Actually, not a lot of bad stuff happens to him in this episode, but we see the impact of him burying himself

Episode 9 ~ Something Ricked this Way Comes

Jerry snapped at him 2 times in this episode for no real reason

Jerry embarrassed him in front of a lot of Plutonions

Episode 10 ~ Close Rick Counters with Rick Kind

Got dragged away from his family just because our Rick's Morty (Ik he's technically Rick Prime's Morty but eh)

Got angry at Rick when he found out he was just a human cloaking device

Saw himself in agony

Cried when Rick said "You are a perfect impenetrable suit of human amor Morty because you're as dumb as I am smart. So that's why when I say shut up, it's really good advice."

Got locked in with a bunch of other Mortys

Rick insulted him after Morty saved his life "Ok Morty, don't break an arm jerking yourself off."

Episode 11 ~ Ricksy Business

Tried to convince Rick not to have a party since he'd prefer to keep going on adventures with Rick, but Rick just brushed him off

Worked tirelessly to attempt to keep the house in good shape

Rick dumped people who were annoying him onto Morty

Saw Squancy uh...pleasuring himself in the closet

Saw Abrodolf Lincoler die

Rick got a bunch of people to boo him.

This all happened in season one. This poor dude got constantly insulted and had horrible things happen to him. It's easy to forget that he's only 14 due to all of the stuff that happened to him. A lot of this stuff could be difficult for an adult to handle, I can't image how much mental damage it must do to someone who is only 14. Poor Morty is traumatized, the poor kid deserves all the hugs and kindness in the world and a good family, man.

[primroserising]

Giving the Pretty Little Liars characters a Big Three... Pt. 1

"Friends share secrets. That's what keeps us close."

MATURITY RATING: 18+

SPOILER WARNING: If you haven't watched most of the show then this post may not be for you!

Hi all, this is my first post on Tumblr and I wanted to do something silly. I'm an astrology enthusiast but by no means a professional. Yes, some of my opinions or observations may be wrong or some people might not like them at all, but that won't stop me from making the fun posts I want to make.

Pretty Little Liars has always been my go-to comfort show when I want to watch a drama. I'm always happy to dive back into the PLL universe any time of the year, and I usually watch it during the fall/winter season when it's cold and I can bundle up and binge-watch many episodes at a time.

I will be including the less popular characters in part two as well, not just the main characters because I've rewatched the show over five times now and I've come to have an opinion on everyone. I'll also include some little tidbits in some character sections that don't pertain to astrology, so if you're here just for the big three, kindly disregard them!

WARNING: Really long post, with lots of gifs and pictures - read at your own risk!

Dividers by: cafekitsune

And now, without further ado, the first little Liar we will be analyzing is...

Aria Montgomery

“When you love someone, it's worth fighting for. No matter what the odds are.”

In my opinion, Aria is the quietest personality of the Liars and understandably also the most controversial of the bunch because of Ezra being a thing (oh brother…), and I have observed that many fans of the show generally don't like her for a multitude of reasons. That aside, I think every character on the show had their personal charm even if they were all problematic. The only time I really liked Aria was when she was with anyone but Ezra. And after the time jump, her character was less annoying (until she got with Ezra) and I thought it was neat that she had worked in publishing. I also liked her moments with Spencer (team Sparia!) and I always thought she was much better when she was with her friends.

I remember when I thought Aria was A at some point because she would do the "SHH" in the intro and it had sent me and my mom into a frenzy trying to come up with a believable theory that she was betraying the girls the whole time! Aria is my least favorite, but I still appreciate her because I can see a lot of myself in her, she and I share the same hobbies and some personality traits as well. I think Aria might either be a Venus or Neptune dominant because of the artistic and dreamy persona she has. Her appearance also reminds me of the moon.

Cancer Sun

Much like a Cancer, Aria cares a whole lot about her family and I think she's particularly close with her mother. Throughout the show, she displays lots of Cancerian traits and acts very maternal around her loved ones especially with Ezra (ugh), for example: bringing them food, making sure they're taken care of emotionally, giving them a safe space to talk about their feelings (I noticed she's usually the one that the rest of the Liars go to when they need to have an emotional conversation). She's also very bright and has many creative hobbies that act like a protective blanket for her when she's feeling emotional, e.g. reading, writing, drawing, and photography. I also noted that she's very protective of her friends and family and she acts like an angry mama bear when her loved ones are threatened.

Libra Moon

From what I've read, Libra moons thrive in partnerships, whether romantic or platonic, and they always try to keep everything balanced/harmonious. And for Aria, that sometimes means keeping secrets or telling little white lies (or even big ones) to keep the peace between her and her loved ones. There've been multiple times when Aria has lied for her friends and for herself to keep everything balanced between the group. She's also very intelligent and open-minded, made evident by her consistent interest in learning.

Libra moons also have trouble making decisions or making up their mind about things, and they often need a little nudge or push from their loved ones to make a decision and I think that matches up with attributes of Aria's personality as well. She's also very warm, friendly, and sociable and really just wants the best for her loved ones. And if I remember correctly Aria has had a looooot of relationships/flings throughout the show and I read somewhere that Libra moons are almost always in a partnership. And sometimes (this isn't every Libra moon, don't come for me) might start a new romance in the middle of their current one!

Okay, moving on to her Ascendant, I will go with...

Gemini Rising

I put Gemini rising for Aria because I read somewhere that mercurial risings or mercury contacting the ascendant can make someone look very youthful and bright. Also because she is a very mercurial coded person imo. She is very intellectual and has very quick wits about her. She's also very curious and excitable when speaking to others, and is actually very talkative when you get her going. Sometimes Gemini risings also get overwhelmed with the feeling of wanting or needing to do everything at once, and often have two personalities much like I observed with Aria. They also tend to like traveling and are usually very active and thrive on change, fast pace, and variety.

Okay, we're done with Aria, I hope the placements I gave her also make sense for you guys too - now the next little Liar we're moving on to is... *drumroll*

Spencer Hastings “Why enjoy today when you could be worrying about tomorrow?”

Spencer is one of my favorite characters on the show because every time I watch the show she constantly inspires me to be brave and more confident in my opinions. I also appreciate the actress, Troian Bellisario because she's so underrated, I think she and Ashley Benson (Hanna) carried the show with their comedic timing and great acting and should be more recognized. Spencer's character also really satisfies the wannabe detective in me and I looove that she's like a mini Sherlock Holmes. I like that she wasn't just a preppy rich girl and was actually very smart and investigative; she would've made a great detective if she went into the line of policework like Toby did. She's also very headstrong and sometimes a bit hardheaded.

Spencer is such a caffeine addict and I love it lmao but I don't see how some people drink just straight black coffee, I hate how bitter it is. I love Spoby (Spencer and Toby) with all my heart but I feel like she would've been a better match with Caleb or Alex (if they kept him on the show). She was also very cute with Wren (rip...) even though he was a little older than her. Toby is a great guy but I just never saw the chemistry with those two like I did with her other romances. Spencer being Mars and Mercury dominant makes a ton of sense to me. I think her having a fire grand trine in her fictional birth chart would explain how restless she is. From what I've read the keywords for fire grand trines are vital, bursting with energy, restless, enthusiastic, and prideful.

Aries Sun

Spencer being an Aries sun makes a lot of sense to me partially because of how hard she works to be the very best and is always charging headfirst into everything that she does whether it be schoolwork, playing detective, or protecting her friends. She's also very impulsive from what I've noticed and it often gets her into trouble or sometimes accidents. Aries placements are prone to accidents or injuries due to their impulsiveness. She never really thinks much before she does something and that's gotten her into some very embarrassing situations on the show (but we love her for it). She's very competitive and witty and also loves debating and is usually the one starting confrontations with people alongside Hanna. I also think it's cute that she is very energetic and an adrenaline junkie, I think she loves the thrill of dangerous situations, and that screams Aries to me. Overall a very chaotic and smart cookie, it's very easy to see why Toby fell in love with her.

For her moon sign, it was a tough decision to make but I'm going to have to go with...

Scorpio Moon

Scorpio Moons are so alluring, mysterious, and unbelievably smart. Spencer can be very intense. On multiple occasions, she's gotten called out for being a control freak by the other Liars in the group. As a fixed moon sign she can be very stubborn and assertive (I almost gave her Taurus for this one). She has an insatiable need to know everything at all times and often presses for more information any chance she can get. She also displayed exceptional intuition and was almost a little psychic at times which is why she was so good at being the detective of the group and also figured Mona out. She's a suspicious girlie and finds it hard to trust anyone that she doesn't already know. As a Scorpio moon and just a water moon in general, Spencer often experiences intense emotions and is prone to having breakdowns or self-destructing when things get hard. To people outside of her close circle of friends and family, she can seem very intimidating and hard to approach and even sometimes a bit snappy.

For her rising sign, we're giving her a...

Sagittarius Rising

I was going to give Spencer a Capricorn or Virgo Rising, but I decided that her being perceived as a Sagittarius would make more sense. She has a love for new adventures and exploration (prob why she snoops into places where she doesn't belong smh), and is quite curious. She also has a love for languages and I think it was pretty cute that she offered to tutor Toby in French, it reminded me of someone saying that Sagittarius loves learning different languages and teaching as well. Spencer is also very honest and direct in her communication though she has been known to be very humorous and sarcastic when it's called for. She speaks her mind freely and doesn't care what other people think about her opinions and she loves taking risks like they're a piece of candy or something. Also isn't afraid to call someone out on their bullshit or correct them if she feels the need to do so. She is skilled in verbal combat and isn't afraid to whip out some badass comebacks!

With Spencer out of the way, we have three more main characters to go, so let's get into...

Emily Fields

“Ruin one of us, ruin all of us.”

Emily is such a sweetheart omg. I loved how soft she was compared to the other girls even though she saw it as a weakness. I see a lot of myself in her character and she helped me become a little more confident in who I was. She was always in my top three for favorite characters for this show because I could see myself being really close friends with her. She didn't deserve all the trauma she got from Alison constantly toying around with her but I do think it made her somewhat stronger in the end. I am however still a little salty that despite all that, she and Alison still ended up being together but it looks like they might've been in a rocky situation if we go off with what The Perfectionists (what even was that show anyway) told us about the original couples of PLL.

I was so sad when Wayne died. RIP. He was such a great father figure for her and I liked that he was accepting of her. Her mom on the other hand was a mess for a while but I think she became better as the seasons went on too.

Emily and Maya were the sweetest couple and I was so sad when we got the news that Maya died. I feel like they were truly soulmates and even though Emily found other girls, I don't think she ever loved anyone as much as she loved Maya. Except maybe Alison.

I wish we got more of Emily dancing or doing more activities besides just swimming. It didn't make sense to me that she was the "jock" character but the only thing she really did was swim and that was about it. I could see Emmy doing soccer or tennis imo.

Pisces Sun

Emily is shy and soft-spoken and she almost reminds me of a mermaid which is really funny since she's known for being the swimmer of the group. She's very romantic, compassionate, friendly, artistic, and intensely empathetic which is why her being a Pisces sun fits the bill perfectly. A kind and gentle soul, I think her soft disposition is very valuable to the Liars and she is often there to provide emotional or moral support when the girls need it. She's also the most likely of them to cry if she saw a cute animal or something that reminded her of her childhood. I know that's sort of specific but still it's true. She also loves to dance and is pretty good at it imo (even though no one knew until that fateful episode with Hanna's pageant training...).

Taurus Moon

Emily's emotions are honestly very stable and fixed; and when she is in partnerships she is able to stick to them (usually). She loves connections and is able to charm anyone she sets her eyes on. Em is very trustworthy and loyal to her loved ones and honestly has very good taste when it comes to style and decoration. She is very persistent and determined with anything she takes on and doesn't appear to have a lot of patience for flaky, or people who create a lot of drama in her life. She is almost always very patient with her friends, family, as well as herself and I think that's a very admirable quality to have. I think the Liars needed her because she can be very dependable and loyal. Taurus moons can also be more responsive than active and that's sometimes why they can come off as passive or immovable.

Emily's ascendant is...

Cancer Rising

I gave her a Cancer rising because Emily's aura is so soft and angelic and she gives the best hugs. If PLL was a supernatural drama, I think Emily would definitely have healing powers or be a literal angel with how sweet she is. Everyone always views Emily as the weakest link or the least likely to do any harm to anyone and I think that's because she has such a soft disposition to the point where people think she's a pushover. As a Cancer rising she sometimes takes things personal and does have a bit of a mean streak but I think her Taurus moon helps keep her grounded most of the time when it comes to her emotions. I see Emily as very supportive and tenacious, the girl's been through a lot and she still shines as brightly as she did in the first few episodes of PLL. Also her skin sometimes appears to be moon-kissed and she looks so good in silvers and blues so that's another reason why I gave her a Cancer ascendant.

Woo, that was a doozy. Stealing the show is...

Hanna Marin

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool my best friend, you're dead freakin' meat."

Hanna Banana is also another character that is very near and dear to my heart. I appreciated her character so much and I'm glad she wasn't just a "dumb blonde" like some characters thought she was. She was actually very smart and if Spencer wasn't the brainiac of the group I think Hanna would've at least been runner-up. I have so much in common with Hanna's character and I appreciate her so much - she's definitely one of the most memorable characters on the show and I also think she had some of the best lines. From saying, "Please, Jenna can't hear us, she's blind," to "Read her boobs, the girl loves Christmas." She's always cracked me up and I think she's so entertaining to watch. I also loved her character development throughout the seasons but got a little disappointed with the Caleb x Hanna x Spencer triangle that happened in the later season and it kind of annoyed me.

Hanna and Caleb are my favorite couple in the series although I really liked Spencer and Caleb too. I was torn apart with that whole love triangle storyline and it broke me. I like that Hanna decided to become a fashion designer. I guess her love for shoes, pretty dresses and fashion really paid off lmao. A part of me kind of wonders what kind of couple Hanna and Lucas would've been although I really loved their friendship, too.

Leo Sun

Hanna is definitely a fire sign through and through, and I almost gave her Sagittarius because her actress, Ashley Benson is one, but I think Hanna's personality and overall character fits a Leo more than anything. She definitely has a very bright and sunny disposition and radiates a confident aura to those she is around. Hanna loves shopping and she loves sparklies; good shoes, pretty dresses, eye-catching jewelry that reflects the bold, charismatic and fierce personality she has. It's no reason why she was known as the popular queen bee of the school after Alison's disappearance. Leo suns love to be admired and they bask in the compliments when they look and feel good. On the negative side they can be very self-absorbed or narcissistic and Hanna's definitely had her moments. While she is usually confident and well put together, Hanna is a soft and sensitive person deep down and can have some insecurity issues. I also believe that past Hanna (when Alison was still around) embodied a undeveloped Leo sun and after Alison she started gradually shifting into a more developed Leo sun and I think that's made more evident when Caleb rolled around.

Hanna's moon sign is...

Cancer Moon

This is so generalized and cliche but since Hanna has a beautiful, unbreakable bond with her mother and I wholeheartedly believe Hanna would do anything for her mother, just as Ashley (her mom) has shown that she'd do anything for her. Hanna cares a lot about her loved ones and seems to turn into this bright ball of sunshine whenever she is around them. I think she's an amazing friend to have and anyone that knows her is very lucky to have her. As a lunar Cancer she can be a little moody and sometimes snaps at people when she feels overwhelmed, but on the other side she can be very empathetic and has a reliable intuition or "gut feeling" which has helped her on multiple occasions. In relationships and friendships she can lean towards being maternal and sometimes unintentionally smothers the people she's closest to. I think Hanna is generally very sweet and her helping Caleb come into his own was a very beautiful story and really spoke to her character. She also has a strong lifeline to her past, like all Cancer placements, and her past often haunted her - but I think talking about it with Dr. Sullivan really helped her get over a lot of things that happened with Alison.

Aries Ascendant

Hanna has always given me Aries vibes. She sometimes acts before she thoroughly thinks things through and that's definitely gotten her into a lot of trouble. Like any other fire placement, her temper can go from zero to one hundred pretty quickly and it can be scary when she's mad. It's often hard for Hanna to sit still or contain her emotions; it's usually written all over her face. She's always moving around and if others get left in the dust, that's their problem. Part of the reason why she worked so well with Caleb was because they balanced each other out. He was more calm and a little more rational and always had to talk her out of being rash or talk her out of doing something completely stupid due to her emotions being high. I think she's also pretty clumsy and her bumping into people (and sometimes impulsively kissing them lmao) or things a lot is an Aries or Mars conjunct ascendant type motif for me. I think her and Spencer sometimes butt heads because of the sun - rising connection and them being a little too similar in that way.

And now for the OG queen bee herself. We'll be analyzing...

Alison DiLaurentis

"It's immortality, my darlings."

Alison, Alison, Alison. She was such a problematic character but I loved her in the flashbacks. I think when she came back her character and charm really started declining and it's kinda sad. But nonetheless, Alison was obviously the big talk of the show for a reason. She was the kind of person you loved to hate or hated that you loved her and I think Sasha Pieterse really slayed her role. Alison had everyone in the town wrapped around her little finger and it took the girls quite a while to get away from her grip. I think Alison would definitely destroy Regina George in a battle and probably some other popular mean girls too. I enjoyed watching PLL because I was so obsessed with finding out what happened to Alison, and when we finally found her and got to know what really happened that night I started sympathizing with her character. I think deep down, she was probably a very sweet person but over time became corrupted and tucked her soft side away where no one would ever find it because all of the trauma and terrible situations she went through. This is probably gonna be a longer analyzation, we'll see.

Alison and Emily were not my favorite couple at all but I appreciated how Emily was a very evident soft spot for her and it showed a bit of her emotional, human side. I think Mona and Alison would've made pretty good friends if they didn't get off to such a rocky start. They're honestly so much alike and I feel like if Alison wasn't such a bitch to Mona in the beginning she would've had no reason to run away from Rosewood in the beginning like girl.

I don't really think Alison had one decent romantic interest besides that one cop that everyone forgot about. And I guess Emily.

Scorpio Sun

Being a water sign, Scorpios can be very intense and have a magnetic aura around them as well. Everyone either wanted to be with Alison or be Alison herself. Despite Alison always being the center of attention and the apple of everyone's eye, no one really knew that much about her, not even her friends. Scorpios are known to be extremely private, or even secretive about what they truly think or feel. A developed Scorpio can be known to be creative, healing, transformational, loyal, determined, intimate, and overall very passionate in everything that they put their mind to. Alison spent most of her teenage years being an underdeveloped Scorpio; constantly manipulating and cruelly criticizing people, even her friends. She also had a very sharp tongue and wasn't afraid to bring out her claws.

She knew everyone's secrets and had no problem using those secrets against them and boy did she do a hell of a lot of blackmailing. Alison was very vindictive and quite destructive as well, and I believe she had what could only be called the opposite of a Midas touch; everything she touched always became cold and she would often suck the life out of the people closest to her so she could feel better about herself. She only became more developed as the seasons went on, and I'm sure in a world where Marlene King didn't write that horrible storyline between Ali and Emi we would've seen more of that character development from Alison.

Capricorn Moon

I've put a lot of thought into this and I think Alison may or may not be a Capricorn moon. With all the trauma and obstacles she had to endure, she always found a way to get right back up and try, try again. She strove to be successful in everything that she tried to do with her life and actually acquired a mass amount of wisdom from all of her experiences which I think would've made her a great counselor if they had went that route with her instead of just making her a teacher. Having the moon in detriment, where Cancer is one of the most sensitive and responsive, Capricorn is usually more controlled, disciplined, and strategic. Sometimes they can even be unemotional, and it often looks like Alison turned her humanity off like the vampires do in The Vampire Diaries. Dry humor and sarcasm are often the go-to deflection mechanism for Capricorn moons when they are dealing with uncomfortable feelings from themselves or other people.

Alison was a bit of a pessimist and often slipped into moods where she was very hard on herself and felt like she was stuck or had to be the person everyone remembered her to be. But I think Emily (and her friends, but especially her) was the light at the end of the tunnel for Alison with how nurturing and patient she was. Emily might've gotten mad at Alison and there were times where she couldn't deal with her anymore but I don't think Emily ever gave up on Alison and that probably meant a lot to her as a Cap moon and I think their relationship was a good example of a Capricorn-Cancer connection. Also put Capricorn moon because of Alison's mother being very strict and not very nurturing at all - often a very karmic connection.

Aquarius Rising

Aquarius risings are known for being unique, intellectual, individualistic and having a "freaky" or weird personal quality about them that just makes them stand out. Ali definitely had a thing for books and seemed to be very knowledgeable even though it appeared she never cared that much for school. Aquarius placements are unapologetic for the way that they are and are confident in themselves. Cliché, but where the crowd goes left, Aquarius risings go right - they walk to the beat of their own drum and some of them might even have a god complex. As a fixed air sign ruled by Saturn, they can be aloof like Aquarius moons and self-righteous like some Aquarius suns. Alison had a very hard time admitting when she was wrong and having a predominantly fixed chart she was also very stubborn and controlling as well. On a lighter note, Alison did always constantly show up her friends and Aquarius risings are known for being committed to community and being humanitarians - but only to the people that they choose. Even while she had been on the run from Mona, she came back to Rosewood to see her friends and even save them on multiple occasions. It seemed to everyone that Alison didn't have a heart, but I think her friends eventually brought out the warm and caring person she actually was deep down.

I hope you guys liked this post! A lot of time and effort was put into this and I'm excited for people to read what I've written about these characters. If you guys want a part two with the other characters, let me know!

And if you have any special requests for other shows, my asks are open as well!

If you've made it this far, I hope you have a lovely day and thank you for reading all of this. It means a lot, and I hope you'll stick around for my other posts as well. Leave a like, reblog, and keep being you!

XOXO,

Zara

"We'll be friends forever."

[ducktracy]

Is Bah, Humduck! any good? Is it worth checking out this Holiday season?

Have a nice day!

HI THERE!! happy holidays to you and yours! IMMEDIATELY PREFACING THIS WIIIITH: you should definitely give it a go, regardless of my opinion! i don’t want to be THE GATEKEEPER OF THE TUNES HAHA so i think if you’re curious enough, regardless of what i have to say, you should give it a go!

BUT, with that said! i actually haven’t seen it in… 3 years??? oh geez! the last time i watched it i wasn’t nearly as edjumacated on the ins-and-outs of LT’s history/xharacters/grasp as a whole, so i’m sure if i were to rewatch it now i’d be like “um actually Daffy wouldn’t say that because in this short released Octember 37th, which started production on a Thoisday in the 24 and 1/2th century, he—“ BUT THAT’S NOT A BAD THING EITHER. that’s just how i am. so you’ve actually piqued my curiosity, and i may try to squeeze in time to watch it again myself and come back with any thoughts i have!

NEVERTHELESS, i recall liking it! i know i’ve seen it more than once! as with any modern post-Blanc LT production i have my qualms with it, but i don’t remember them being super big or anything. it’s arguably both guilty AND resistant of “oooooh da Looney Tunes are all one big happy family 🤗”, but i recall it being moreso the latter and that being a big reason as to why i liked it (such as Yosemite Sam punching Daffy in the arm during a heartfelt moment or Porky’s daughter—voiced by Tara Strong which is also a kind of endearingly sarcastic “lol” moment for me since it’s like… yeah this sure was released in 2006, huh!—basically saying that Daffy is in hell)

it’s a sweet special! “Looney Tunes” and “sweet” are not two things i tend to love put together, but i think in this particular special it felt earned. Daffy’s “””””lore”””””” i think was always a bit amusingly trite to me, but, again, ya gotta have a justification for the special somehow! and i do remember finding the ending genuinely endearing, even in spite of my aversions to playing that stuff totally straight in a LT production.

iirc it does a good job of giving multiple characters screen time—some longer than others, but i did respect that they had some pulls like Beaky Buzzard and i think even Hippety Hopper???? maybe???

i like it because it’s a modern production that gives Porky a spotlight and doesn’t beat down on him the ENTIRE time, and so i really enjoy that it gives a little more dimension/prioritization to the Porky and Daffy dynamic, especially something on a slightly less surface level than what they’d usually been made out to be around that time, both before and after. Porky’s always getting the short end of the stick in some way (which is why i’ve made it my sworn duty to spread my porcine propaganda) and i don’t feel that way about this special. he might even have more screen time than Bugs? i think? so i deeply admire that

I’LL HAVE TO GIVE IT A WATCH BECAUSE NOW I’M CURIOUS! the last time i saw it as i said before, i wasn’t as Matured In My Tastes yet. i’ve especially come around to Joe Alaskey’s Daffy much more since then (thanks Duck Dodgers!), so i’d love to give it a rewatch for that alone. i’m sure there’s more i’d have to nitpick now, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because if i’m nitpicking something it means i’m engaged HAHA

LONG ANSWER SHORT: i liked it and i’d say go for it!

i can at least answer with immediacy that it’s certainly better than the ‘70s interpretation they did of A Christmas Carol (which goes against that post-Blanc bias i mentioned)! but, at the same time, that short has this and Bah Humduck doesn’t, soooooooo……

[philsmeatylegss]

Hi, give me a quick second to scream about how deeply important and symbolic and how absolutely feral I am over the “it can be a secret, but no more secrets between us” scene and Wille’s speech because I have so much to say and it is so good.

-In the “no secrets between us” scene, there’s so much symbolism. So much. What sticks out mostly is where the conversation takes place and those who are in the vicinity of the two of them. It looks like a partially lit side hallway where coats are hung. There is more wall covering than wall not covering, but you can easily see them if you are in front or behind the closet. It is overall in the middle. A compromise. Not completely hidden in the back of a closet where it’s pitch black, but not out in the main room where everyone can see. Because neither of those settings would fit what was happening between the two. Simon and Wille are essentially reaching a form of a compromise in multiple ways. A way to meet in the middle so they can be together. And that’s exactly what they are standing in. A partially lit room that is hidden, but light comes from the outside and anyone can see if they pass by. A mixture

-Simon saying “I love you” right before Olaf takes him to give his speech. This is more straightforward and something that’s been obvious, but just a reminder that Wille’s relationship with Simon is way more important to him than his royal duties. It always comes first.

-Also the fact that Olaf 1) let them talk in the hallway thing and 2) Olaf not reacting to seeing them be affectionate. A representation of both how shitty the royal family is and what the right choice for them to do is. It shows that as long as it’s not in public, Olaf couldn’t give less of a shit who Wille is with. Just as long as it isn’t in public. At least for the time being, it has to be a secret from the open public, but very much alive behind closed doors

-Wille says before his speech that he feels like he’s gonna throw up. The reaction? Seemingly annoyed and telling August it’s his turn. “I always put my son first” or whatever she said is pure horseshit. You care about what people see. All you had to to was give him a hug and say it will be okay. Not much here I just really hate her.

-AND THEN THE SHE SMILES AS HE WALKS TO THE PODIUM AFTER TELLING AUGUST TO GO UP! Sorry I’m rewatching it as I write this and I fucking hate her.

-Fixing the microphone. Wille is about to take control back from the camera for the first time since the video was leaked. It is his first time speaking (honestly speaking) since the leak. He wants to make it known you better shut up and listen

-Wille referring to his mother as “your majesty” before calling him his mother. Because he feels (and is) her subject first and son next. She has always been just a queen to her. That’s what he feels.

-The only time I can recall his mother smiling at Wilhem is during this speech. Figures it’s only when he says word for her what she wants that she’s finally proud. Because that’s all she wants.

-The word “tradition” being what stops his rehearsed speech. I’m sure all you fellow homos know the saying that homosexuality goes against “traditional values.” In the first season, Wille’s family seems in complete denial about his sexuality and relationship. It took them till this season to realize it was actually a thing and the few times they address it, they call it things like a “situation” (something like that I can’t remember). A way he was choosing to live. A tradition he was breaking. Monarchy is legit just tradition. That’s why it stays in the family. Breaking tradition is one of the main messages of this show.

-The huge crowd of cameras and how they keep recording even when asked to stop. I literally can talk about these two minutes for hours. What messed up everything for Wilhem and Simon was a camera, a video. The whole speech is so important because it takes place in front of a lot of cameras. And by breaking off into his own speech and confessing that it is him in the video, essentially, Wille is quite literally taking back the power of what destroyed him and what would continue to destroy him. How the camera kept rolling even when asked to stop was just more of a “this thing isn’t going to change so I can either let it break me or make it my bitch” and that he did.

-Going back to the scenery, unlike the “keep it a secret, but no secrets between us,” scene, this scene is quite different because, despite them being right next to each other, this speech scene happens outside on a bright day with all the cameras pointing at Wilhem. Simon is in his shadow and silent. This was their relationship in full light. It showed the contrast of public vs. private. In public, Wille has to stand in front of him and be all mighty, but in private, Simon can give him hugs. However, this is the first time we see them being comfortable in public together. And it’s because the compromise they reached of agreeing to be a secret, but not a secret to each other. Both of them were smiling when they looked at each other during the speech. They didn’t have physically be close or talk to still enjoy the other’s presence. And it sets up what dynamic they need to go forward with.

-Wille saying “But that ends now” and the camera panning to the therapist. Off topic, but Young Royals did a fantastic job at portraying what therapy actually is and as someone who has been in therapy my whole life and has seen it depicted wrong in almost every piece of media, it was nice to see it like this. The therapist is sort of a replacement of Erik. The only adult figure Wille feels comfortable going to and taking advice from. Wilhem decided he was willing to give up the crown for Simon after a session with the therapist. The break of tradition, what allowed Wille and Simon to be happy, is the therapist. And though screen time wise he plays not a huge role, I think he impacts the story line more than any other character.

-When Wille confessed that is was him in the video, he makes sure to add on that it was him and Simon. He wasn’t leaving Simon behind anymore. Even though they couldn’t be a couple in public, Wille is kind of refusing the kingdoms constant attempts to silence Simon and his name. I also think it’s so important that Simon is on the stage with Wille during this. It comes off as just a nervous add on, but in my opinion, “the one with me and Simon” is so important.

As you can tell I enjoyed the show.