#rewatched big murder on campus

[wheresurboytonighthelookslikeenj]

Murdoch: i just ended a five year relationship George: are you okay? *brackenreid dragging robert perry and james gillies to the station house* Murdoch: it's okay, it wasn't mine

[skullsandwineglasses]

Arsenal Military Academy (2019) Full Review

My first impressions of episodes 1-13 can be found here. I think I was a little dubious at first, but now that I’ve finished the drama, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. This is going to be a short(ish) review because I just don’t have much to complain about. [SPOILERS AHEAD]

The Leads

Xu Kai shines as Gu Yanzhen. Much more than he did as Mo Qing in The Legends. Gu Yanzhen is just such a fun character. While yes, he is an overgrown and spoiled rich kid, he has a great character arc. He learns how to be responsible, caring, devoted, and considerate. Whether it’s love or serving his country, once he’s devoted to something, he’ll put his whole heart into it, which makes him a great friend and leader. And despite his maturation and all that he’s been through, he still stays cheeky and playful until the end. 

That’s what I really like about this drama. It’s consistent. Both in terms of plot and character. And for cdramas, consistency is something that’s often butchered. This drama is 48 episodes long, which was perfect for developing all the plot points in the story. At first I was worried about the length. But the plot is so well-paced. There was no filler, and if there was, then I didn’t even noticed because I enjoyed all of the scenes and interactions between the characters. 

Bai Lu was great at switching between cross-dressing as her brother, and being her “true” self. She carried off being both masculine and feminine, and I enjoyed seeing these two sides of her character. What I also appreciated about this drama is how even when she is revealed to be a girl, nothing really changes in terms of how she acts or how she’s treated by others. Her classmates still call her by her brother’s name. She wears the same clothes, talks the same, walks the same. Of course, by that point, most people have already found out, but for the characters who haven’t found out yet, they don’t dwell on this revelation. They don’t say sexist things about her appearance or mannerisms. They treat her the same as they always have. At first, I was worried that the drama would have a dramatic plot shift after her identity is officially revealed, but there wasn’t a shift. Her reveal was actually not that big of a plot point. (Yes, she was put in prison and accused of killing the chief, but this was resolved in like 2-3 episodes). It blended in seamless with the rest of the plot, and there were bigger issues in the story to address. 

In my First Impressions review, I complained that Xie Xiang was a bit of a flat character. I still think she’s a little underwhelming in comparison to some of the other characters in the drama, but she was watchable and relatable, and she definitely grew on me more as the drama went on. I also applaud her for recognizing her feelings for Gu Yanzhen (I was worried that the drama would make her be conflicted between them), but she did frustrate me a little with how she couldn’t be upfront with Shen Junshan and just strung him along. 

Again, I liked seeing the different sides of her character. Xie Xiang was never a tomboy growing up. She likes theatre and the arts. She likes acting, dancing, and singing. She likes dressing up and accessorizing (when appropriate). Her best friend, Tan Xiao Jun, acts as a foil and shows us what Xie Xiang is really like (or used to be before joining the academy). But her brother was a huge influence and inspiration for her. She learned how to fight from him. She learned what is means to be righteous and fight for justice from him. But she doesn’t want to become him; she just wants to fulfill his dreams. In the academy, she isn’t the best student, nor does she want to be. She doesn’t want to compete with the others, but she just wants to best the best cadet that she can be. It’s all about challenging herself and pushing her own limits, not comparing herself to everyone else in the class.  

Supporting Characters

All of the secondary characters are great. Side characters and villains all served a unique purpose. Villains, such as Jin Xin Rong and the bully in the academy, were sympathetic characters. They all had their own backstories and development arcs, but they didn’t detract from the focus on the leads. In fact, the drama never strayed from the leads, unlike some cdramas were sometimes the focus would move away from the protagonists as the drama dragged on. Importantly, all the subplots were interwoven, and each mission that they completed progressed the plot and developed character relationships. I had a lot of praise for Qu Manting in my First Impressions review, so I won’t go into it again here, but she was a great second female lead (even though I did wish that she had less scenes with Gu Yanzhen). I was also surprised that she’s my age (and also Xu Kai’s age). She’s such a mature and steady actor. 

Edit: Just found out that Toby Lee who played Shen Junshan was the guy in Soulmate?? Didn’t recognize him at all. 

Plot

I loved the humour in this drama. It was quick, witty, and smart. But the drama did take a serious turn in the last arc where there were deaths of 3 prominent supporting characters, which was really surprising. I thought the drama would be a light-hearted comedy all the way through. So when I saw that it was possible for a prominent supporting character to die, I realized that there could be some real and serious consequences for characters in the drama. 

Speaking of deaths, I was also surprised by the amount of violence and liberal killing in the drama. The cadets at the academy never hesitated to kill, and murdering people never affected them. The writers justified the deaths by dismissing the victims as being traitors to the country, whether they were just a driver or security guard for the Japanese or a Japanese nurse or doctor. If they were affiliated with the Japanese and got in the way of a mission, then the leads would kill them. At times it felt like a video game because the cadets would use so much gunpowder to just plow through anyone who was an inconvenience to the mission. The drama also really advocates revenge, which was also really shocking. Revenge can be engaging to watch when it’s fictional, but I don’t morally agree with revenge, so I was surprised that a drama with so much killing and a revenge fetish was allowed to get past censorship. 

Overall, the plot was really good. The drama rarely ever dragged, except for maybe episodes 22-26 where it felt like Gu Yanzhen didn’t really have anything to do with the main plot, but the drama recovers quickly after that. Episodes 16 and 31 are probably my favourite in terms of interactions between the ML and FL. 17-22 are when they’re separated and bond with the supporting leads instead. That was clearly a purposeful move by the writers. They gave us peak sweetness between the leads and then separated them immediately afterwards. Those episodes made me worry that they would be angst, but there wasn’t. Those episodes showed that even when the leads were separated and went through hardships with someone else, they still thought about each other. Again, another example of how every mission progresses the plot and develops character. 

In terms of the romantic plot, I would say that about three quarters of the drama is about characters liking people who don’t like them back, and what you get is a convoluted love rectangle that expands to a pentagon. What I like about Gu Yanzhen is that while he can be childish and obnoxious, he gives Xie Xiang a lot of space. There were some scenes when either Huang Song or Shen Junshan was trying to pursue her and I was like, why isn’t Gu Yanzhen here to intervene? But then I realize that it’s actually good that he isn’t constantly stalking her. Gu Yanzhen may seem possessive at the academy, but he doesn’t prevent her from doing things either on or off campus. On the other hand, when Shen Junshan figures out Xie Xiang’s true identity, he acts entitled to her to the point where it feels manipulative. He would tell Xie Liang Chen that he’s meeting Xie Xiang for lunch, knowing that this would prompt Xie Xiang to dress up and rush off campus to meet him. He changed her room without asking her first, saying it was for her own good. I might have to rewatch the earlier episodes, but I don’t think Gu Yanzhen ever used her secret to underhandedly leverage power against her like that. I don’t think he ever tried to “test” her. It was only after she found out that he knew when he started to teasingly blackmail her with her secret in order to get her to wash his clothes or be nice to him, but this was done upfront to her face, so she knows what she’s dealing with. And also despite being constantly annoyed by him, Xie Xiang feels very comfortable with him. She trusts him. She knows that no matter what, he would never share her secret, so she was able to be herself with him from the beginning. In contrast, there was always a distance and formality between Xie Xiang and Shen Junshan, even though they went through a lot together.

The bigger question is why Gu Yanzhen fell for Xie Xiang instead of Qu Manting. I think it has to do with how Gu Yanzhen likes who he is whenever he’s with Xie Xiang. Manting is too much like his playboy self, so it always feels like he’s putting on an act or playing a game when he’s with her. They clash too much and both have huge egos, even though Manting has done so much for him and has seen him at his most vulnerable. But Xie Xiang is someone whom he wants to unconditionally protect and support. He teases and flirts with her, knowing that he’ll get a scolding and a beating. He wants to expend energy with Xie Xiang, but is fatigued with Manting. Xie Xiang is simple, down-to-earth, and has a purpose. She’s everything he isn’t. She anchors him, while he gets her to open and loosen up in what is otherwise a threatening and uptight environment. A classic example of how opposites attract. 

The Ending

The main character of this drama is the academy. Go figure since that’s the drama’s name. So it made sense that the final shot would be of the academy. Gu Yanzhen and Xie Xiang are shown walking off into the sunset just before that. And while I was really curious to see what their life would be like beyond the academy (I mean, what skills do they even have besides military prowess? What are they even going to do in terms of careers?), it made sense that the last shot we see of them is them leaving the academy. Their future is left to the imagination, almost like a fairy tale. That’s because their story is only one of many that comes out the academy. Their future is uncertain, but the future of the academy is certain. The academy is like a beacon, and it will continue to be here even long after the leads are gone. 

The deaths of Huang Song and Instructor Guo were just tragic. Huang Song never got to find out Xie Xiang’s true identity despite being her closest friend, and he had such a bright future and so many goals. Instructor Guo, who spent the last 2 decades in depression, never got to have his happily ever after. Li Wen Zhong finally redeemed himself, and yet the writers had him sacrifice himself. I thought their deaths were needless, but I did see how their deaths had narrative purpose. It still really, really sucks though.

I think I’ll give this drama an 8.5/10 if not a 9/10. It’s been a while since I last watched a drama with consistent pacing. Wish I could watch this drama for the first time again. 

Going to end the review with some pictures. 

The worldbuilding was really immersive thanks to the costumes, colour grading, OST, and set designs. 

Look at the power stances of this ensemble cast. They’re unstoppable. 

I can’t get over these two. Such a different dynamic from The Legends, but still so much chemistry. 

And deleted scenes though!! I don’t remember this sit-up scene in the drama. 

[siriuslyarrogant]

Unnecessary thoughts: Big Murderer on Campus

So I just watched big murder on campus as a break from rewatching season 9 and woah despite the fact I've very recently watched the early seasons I forgot how different they are. Like the camera zooms, Julia and William not even being together, Brackenreid being a dick, Murdoch being very neurodivergent. So my random thoughts on this episode.

• "why are you shooting arrows in your office?"

"Because I thought bullets would be too disruptive."

• "get to the university quick."

"Quick..ly. Quickly."

• the noose loop with Robert Perry in it. Love Laurie Lynd's directing.

• honestly the whole lecture at the end

• "shut up James"

• George's two mothers and the fact he genuinely didn't think anything bad would come about by placing a newspaper advertisement

• I forgot how much Murdoch would just dissapear from a conversation if he got an idea

• Professor Godfrey looking down on Murdoch

• "I would give it a A-"

"A minus?"

• anytime the university is a used as a location is just great. Because I find the setting rather beautiful

• "mr perry for whatever reason went along with it". - dude took being in love with the bad boy to extreme levels

• Murdoch asks Julia out on a date.. to a lecture about batteries

• Gillies trying to get his hat back from Branckenreid

• the fact that if I didn't know until the letter and handwriting is revealed you don't really suspect Gilles and Perry

• I'm rementioning the ending lecture scene cause I love it

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed Episode 06 (first part)

(Masterpost)(Episode 05)

Warning: This contains spoilers for All 50 Episodes

Bad Boys Bad Boys What You Gonna Do

Nie Huasang’s brought his nuts, and someone’s brought wine, so the boys are drinking in Wei Wuxian’s guest house. Finally he gets to drink some of the Emperor’s Smile wine that he’s been doing all those product placements for.

Boys, get a bowl or something for your shells, were you raised in a barn?

Wei Wuxian hits on waxes poetic about the wine, and Jiang Cheng tells him to shut up. 

Wang Zhuocheng’s raw-fish-eating face may have failed him, but his drunk faces do not disappoint.

Wei Wuxian teases Jiang Cheng about his list of standards for a chick: She should have natural beauty, be virtuous and caring, from a good family, not too talkative, with a gentle voice, and not too capable. Also she should not spend too much money. Drunken running ensues.

Cue Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin

(more behind the cut)

Much of the fandom has decided this list is a good fit for Nie Huaisang himself, and it sorta is. But he is both talkative and unvirtuous, what with all the current sneakiness, and all the eventual murders. 

This also definitely doesn't fit Wen Qing because she's capable as hell.  

This list is, however, a 100% a match for Jiang Yanli. Not in a weird, Jin Guangyao way--a lot of men want to marry a woman like their sister.  In a gender-divided and generation-divided society, a man’s sister might be the only woman he’s ever known well. Jiang Cheng adores Yanli and she’s his ideal model of a woman, as opposed to his mother, who...isnt.  

All these robes and talismans over the door do nothing to stop Lan Wangji from strolling in.  

Okay so - Lan Wangji is the senior disciple of the Lan Clan, yea? There is no way that patrolling the guest area is in any way his job. He is just walking around here at night specifically to see what Wei Wuxian is doing.

I already did a gifpost of the boys and their totally nonsexual horseplay, over here. I’ll just add, for sad factor, that Jiang Cheng is play-choking Wei Wuxian when they’re all on the bed, and later in the running-and-crying episode he is gonna for-real choke him. Foreshadowing! or maybe just coincidence!

One fun thread running through the young-cultivators episodes is that Nie Huaisang is legit terrified of Lan Wangji while also having a major aesthetic crush on him. Look at how flustered he is here, trying to act sober while also checking him out. 

Lan Wangji is shocked and visibly upset - what are you guys doing? This is not his busting face, this is, for a moment, his vulnerable and disillusioned face. He is super not used to what normal people are like. 

Wei Wuxian doesn't lie or otherwise try to get off the hook, which has got to have Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang grinding their teeth in frustration. He invites Lan Wangji to join them for a drink. LWJ cites a the “no drinking on campus” rule and WWX tries to convince him to chill. 

Then we have this lovely coordinated faint by the boys, to get out of going to get punished. Nie Huaisang has been practicing fainting in front of a mirror just in case he ever needs a skill like that in the future. 

Wei Wuxian keeps trying to turn this into a date. Eventually Lan Wangji is so upset he admits he can’t take all three of them by himself. 

Then the boys run away fake-barfing and Wei Wuxian hits Lan Wangji with a talisman. 

Steal His Agency That’s What You’re Gonna Do

What Wei Wuxian does to Lan Wanji here is definitely wrong. But it's not entirely a disaster.  It allows some crucial information to be shared between them, and it results in Wei Wuxian getting the utter shit beat out of him and never doing this again. I mean, he continues to mind-control his enemies and their eventual corpses, but he doesn't intentionally violate a friend or ally's autonomy in the future. Uhh not counting that whole golden core surgery-without-consent situation. And probably some other situations I’ve forgotten. He improves slightly, okay? 

It’s important to note, incidentally, that the Lan rules about drinking and other “vices” should not be viewed through a Christian lens. The Lans are neither puritans nor ascetics (look at their clothes, furniture, and jewelry, for starters). Being drunk is forbidden probably because it’s a loss of self-control. 

Speaking of self-control, mad props to Wang Yibo for being able to have zero physical reaction to fingers snapping in his face.

Drunk Lan Wangji

Under duress, Lan Wangji knocks back a cup of wine and promptly passes most of the way out. 

Wei Wuxian puts Lan Wangji into bed not unkindly, but pretty much like a sack of potatoes. Compare this to how tenderly he handles Lan Wangji the next time he’s drunk. 

WWX tells LWJ to call him Wei Gege, and giggles. Is this a term of endearment in this context? So far the various boys are calling each other -xiong, not -ge or gege.  In Western media, men calling each other “bro” is basically saying “no homo,” but brotherhood and sisterhood in C-Drama is often a way of indicating stronger love than friendship, without saying whether it's sexual or not. 

They finally start to have a conversation, and when Lan Wangji explains that no-one can touch his headband except, etc etc, Wei Wuxian stops trying to touch it. So at least he's not a handsy bastard in addition to all his other faults. 

Wei Wuxian tells Lan Wangji that his clan is boring and women won't want to marry him. Lan Wangji says that's fine. On one level this is the show acknowledging that he's gay, but I think he's responding in a gender-neutral way; he doesn't want to marry anyone. Marriage, from his perspective, is the literal worst. 

We don't know how he felt about his father, but he definitely loved his mother deeply, and she had a profoundly unhappy marriage, in which her husband did not provide companionship and her children were taken from her.

A note about all that: The dynamics of heterosexual marriages in The Untamed are not based on contemporary companionate marriage. Sex and reproduction is a wife's job in this world, and giving a gentry woman the option to choose her husband is radical. Wei Wuxian is the only one who dares say that Jiang Yanli should have a choice when Jin Guangshan casually tries to give her to his son in front of everyone.  

OP made this today but will totally reuse it when episode 23 rolls around

So Lan Wangji’s parents' marriage was extremely problematic but not necessarily for the reasons it would be in contemporary terms. Having signed on to marry Lan Dad, Mom would have expected to live together and get laid regularly (important for health, in some traditional views, regardless of love/no love) and to have the company of her children. Instead, she was isolated. Lan Dad wanted to have it both ways and so even though he loved her and apparently hooked up with her sometimes, he didn't do his duty by her. She didn't love him but she did her duty. 

Wei Wuxian continues to not get it, calling Lan Wangji dull and babbling about Lan Wangji’s parents until he realizes that LWJ is an orphan like him. 

A nice shift happens here. Once the penny drops, Wei Wuxian doesn't ask a single additional question - he just sees - by reading Lan Wangji’s face - what the deal is, and shares his own story to show he understands. 

This is the first time Wei Wuxian mentions being chased by dogs, which is kind of a big deal, because why was he left all alone when his parents died? 

Why didn't anyone take him in before Jiang Fengmian found him? How isolated are independent cultivators in this world? 

Tea Time

Lan Qiren and Lan Xichen are having tea, and the Lan Clan is so uptight they don't touch each other's teacups. I don't know what this thing is called so I'm going to call it a tea speculum. 

Lan Qiren is back from the cultivation conference and says the red crack plague is happening over in Qinghe where the Nie clan lives.  Lan Xichen fills him in on the water demon, specifically saying Wei Wuxian figured out the connection to the red crack dudes, and explaining who WWX is, as if Lan QIren hadn't already thrown stuff at him and threatened to eventually kill him. 

Fun fact that I just noticed this week so didn't make it into earlier posts: In Episode 46, when Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are in the Jiang ancestral hall, WWX says he was often punished to kneel there, and LWJ said that they heard about this in Gusu.  

So when WWX came to Gusu he already had a reputation as a troublemaker, and the Lan brothers were aware of it.   

Busted and Beaten

A Lan snitch comes in to say that Wei Wuxian has successfully corrupted Lan Wangji, which really shouldn’t cause as much surprise as it does.

“Wei Wuxian got drunk”

“Lan Wangji got drunk”

Lan Xichen takes a moment to consider carefully whether Wei Wuxian is a good friend for his little brother and whether perhaps he was too hasty in throwing them together. Ha ha ha no he doesn’t. 

On the punishment porch, Lan Xichen tries to lecture Lan Wangji in a calm way, but Lan Qiren wants to beat him and Lan Wangji wants to get beat. Wei Wuxian can’t understand why Lan Wangji doesn’t let him take the blame for the drinking. 

Lan Qiren goes way the fuck overboard with this punishment because he's angry--losing control and losing his sense of proportion--and Lan Xichen is shocked. The drone camera watching from above is also shocked.  

Lan Qiren has a few (very few) redeeming qualities, but his extreme rigidity and chronic resentment of anyone he perceives as bad are serious problems. His nephews are both struggling with complex moral quandaries as they get older, and he is absolutely no help to them in resolving their conflicts.

This is definitely...a style of parenting & teaching, but you can see how poorly it works, with Lan Wangji straight up saying “fuck it” after many years of conformity.  Lan Xichen is devoted to the middle path and tries to be obedient. But he is actually not walking anywhere near the middle path, as he gets pulled into colluding with a murderer at the same time as getting dragged onto his brother’s carnival ride. These men need parenting that isn’t so, uh, fucking stupid. (Yes, grown adults still need good parenting; watch Go Ahead if you doubt me) 

Wei Wuxian initially yells and falls down when he gets hit, but then he sees Lan Wangji is taking the beating without any reaction and he tries to do the same. 

Aftermath

Jiang Yanli gently lectures the boys, blaming Jiang Cheng for Wei Wuxian's drinking.  Jesus Christ, he's the younger sibling, could you just NOT, Yanli?  

Both boys ask Yanli not to tell their parents. The boys bicker about who's at fault and then Wei Wuxian shifts to baby voice and starts whining to Yanli about the pain. 

Yanli tells him to suck it up, and says after school she'll -- ok and I know this will be a surprise for everyone -- make soup for them. The boys immediately get back on the same team, which is team Please Put Meat In the Soup.

There's a nice character building moment for Wei Wuxian here. When he sees Lan Xichen he initially turns away to avoid running into him, but then he adults-up and goes to face him and greet him, giving him a half of a bow because of the pain, the pain. Rather than complaining about his punishment he meekly asks if he's broken another rule. 

Lan Xichen tells him that he did wrong but that Lan Qiren’s punishment was too harsh, and then in what is one of my favorite Lan Xichen moments, invites Wei Wuxian to use the cold spring to heal, but doesn't invite Jiang Cheng to go with him even though Jiang Cheng also was beaten. Lan Xichen, Matchmaker Auntie Extraordinaire. 

Then he answers Wei Wuxian’s question about his mom by saying she was just like Wei Wuxian and drove Lan Qiran up the wall. Jiang Cheng's reaction to that is really sweet. He does enjoy Wei Wuxian at the same time as being constantly irritated by him. 

Lan Xichen does his patented “breaking off in the middle of saying something and leaving out a chunk of the story” maneuver, although this time he doesn't include a flute solo. 

OP is mildly obsessed with Xuan Lu’s shoulders in this outfit. Also Yanli has an interesting sword, that's got some wood carving similar to Subian, but without the organic look, which OP only noticed because of screen capping Xuan Lu’s shoulders.  

Club Ruohan

Wen Qing continues to be pretty and slightly evil at this stage, sending magic fire notes to her boss using this talisman that is definitely floating in the air and not just hanging from a string. 

Wen Ruohan is in the mosh pit with his zombie groupies while he reads Wen Qing’s extremely vague status update and says "it all makes sense." 

Reach out and touch faith

Soundtrack

Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin Personal Jesus by Depeche Mode

Writing Prompt

How did Wei Wuxian’s parents die?

Admin Notes

I’m going to start spacing out my “first part” and “second part” posts by a few days.  I’ll update this post to link up the second part once I post it, and my masterpost is always up to date. 

Also: if you want more of my original content but don’t want to follow my whole blog (not following is fine!), I keep a pinboard of fun stuff at the top of my blog. I try to post original content at least once a week.

Continued in the second part later this week!

[illmaticreid]

We Fell in Love in October

DESCRIPTION: Noah is in college studying film and has been a very boring freshman thus far. Her roommate demands that she goes to a party with her and this is where she meets an extremely bold Matthew. 

A/N: I just started rewatching Criminal Minds & have slowly become obsessed with mgg again so I needed to make a fanfic. please be kind I am extremely rusty lol!! if you have any requests or ideas for me please don’t be afraid to message me. thank you for reading <3

Warnings: smut, alcohol, drugs, very light degradation 

Word Count: 3,065

PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR |

"Are you going out with us tonight?" My roommate, Ellie, asked me. It had been 3 weeks since school had started and I have realized that Ellie is one of those girls who went to college just to party. She asked me every weekend if I wanted to go out with her and her friends, I always said no.

Ellie was a really sweet girl and I felt bad when I had to tell her, "No, I have some studying to do. Sorry." She laughed in my face, knowing I was lying to her because I used the same excuse every weekend.

"You go to class and immediately come back to our dorm or you go to the library. I am sure you studied enough this week. It's okay to have fun for one night!" Ellie told me as she was putting on her makeup for the night. She always wore winged eyeliner and long fake eyelashes without ever looking ridiculous or overdone somehow. I stared at her for a couple of seconds before telling her that I would go with her.

She got up from her seat insisting that she could do my makeup and hair. I agreed and let her have fun because I knew she would do a good job and it would be fun to actually look good for once. She offered to let me borrow one of her outfits but I declined because I already had an idea of what I wanted to wear. I put on black ripped jeans with a lace bodysuit for a shirt and some heels that I was probably going to regret wearing within the hour.

I grabbed a leather jacket because it can get pretty chilly in New York at night. I looked in the mirror one more time and I felt confident. I felt excited for the first time in a long time. I felt like myself.

 Ellie squealed when she saw my outfit, which I'm assuming means she approved. "You look so amazing! This is a nice change of scenery from your cardigans that you're always wearing."

"Hey! I love my cardigans," I said to her jokingly. We both laughed before she told me the uber would be here in a minute. We walked out of our dorm room and outside the building right as our ride arrived.

The drive was only about 10 minutes, as we were only going to one of a friends house that lived a couple of blocks away. I was praying that it wasn't a frat party, and I was relieved when we pulled up to some apartments made for upperclassmen that didn't live in dorms.

As soon as we walked in Ellie made me greet a bunch of her friends that I had never seen before. NYU was a big campus, I would never know any of these people even if they were in my classes.

This is what I get for waiting three weeks to go to a college party. Everyone here has already started to bond and make relationships with others. I was a little angry at myself for trying to be this innocent good girl and stay in and just study.

That is not me what so ever, and I am surprised I even lasted that long. In high school, I went to as many parties as possible and I always had a boy wrapped around my finger.

I tried to just focus on my studies and my number one goal was supposed to be school. It was honestly getting exhausting because I needed to let loose.

Ellie pulled me out of my thoughts as she introduced me to someone named Elio that somehow recognized me from our Foreign Film class.

"You look very familiar but I don't remember seeing you in class every. I'm sorry!" I told him, feeling bad because I genuinely don't know if I have ever seen him.

Ellie told me she was going to grab herself a drink while I 'mingled' with Elio. Her words, not mine. She walked away and I almost panicked at the thought of being alone at a party where I know nobody.

"That's okay, I'll just have to sit next to you on Tuesday." He said while smiling at me which made me blush. If I had seen him before, I don't know why I never tried to talk to him sooner because he was very attractive. I was suddenly not worried about Ellie at all and figured I could be perfectly alone with him. I was just about to tell him that I would love it if he sat next to me when one of his friends interrupted our conversation.

"Hey, Matthew! This is Noah, she is Ellie's friend. She is in our Foreign Film class." Elio said as I put out my hand to shake Matthew's hand. My stomach felt like it just dropped to my feet. How have I never seen this person in my class?

He was beautiful.. his dark brown eyes stared at me and neither of us said anything. I know the class that we are all supposedly in is huge, but how could I miss both of these extremely good looking men. I guess this is what happens when all you do is keep your head down and sit in the front row every single class.

"Hi, Noah, nice to meet you." He said, not taking his eyes off of me. All of me. He looked me up down very slowly and if it was anyone else, I probably would have been offended. Embarrassingly enough, I let it slide because I was doing the same thing to him.

"Um... N-Nice to meet you, too" I stuttered out embarrassingly. God, I  could barely form a coherent sentence around him. We all just kind of stared at each other for a couple of seconds. Good Job Noah! You made everyone uncomfortable with your stupid plain reply.

He broke the silence again by saying, "I was just about to ask Elio if he wanted to go smoke. Would you like to join us?" He pulled a little bag of green out his pocket and a smile formed on my face. I told him yes very easily because I was not much of a drinker and I definitely preferred to smoke. I don't know if I would be able to make it through the night without being at least a little high.

The three of us walked outside and passed a joint around for a little bit. At first, we all just talked about remedial stuff that no one actually cared about. I stayed quiet for the most part, only speaking when I was spoken to.

After about fifteen minutes, Elio walked back inside because it was getting cold. I didn't know whether to be happy or nervous being alone with Matthew. I was a confident person, and almost no one made me nervous. Matthew made me extremely nervous though, in more ways than one. When I looked him in the eyes, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

"Are you studying film, as well?" I asked him, trying to make things a little less awkward. "I don't think that's what you wanna talk about, Noah" He replied. He moved his chair closer to mine and put his hand on my knee giving it a soft squeeze. My mouth fell open and I felt a heartbeat between my legs.

"What do you want me to talk about then?" I asked him, trying to play his game. He turned towards me and smiled, "I am very attracted to you." The butterflies in my stomach were very strong and were almost making me sick.

Oh, God. I have never met someone so bold before. No one ever talks to me like this, and if they do it takes them months to finally say something worth my while. I've known Matthew for maybe 20 minutes, and somehow he is already the most honest person I've ever met.

"What?" I replied, trying to understand what just came out of his mouth.

"I can tell you feel the same way. Why don't we just cut to the chase? Do you want to go to my apartment?" He asked, and I had to squeeze my legs shut because of how turned on I was.

How do I respond to that? I usually am not the type of girl to let someone fuck on the first date but we weren't even on a date and I was seriously considering it.

He was right, I was very attracted to him.  How did he know that though? I was barely speaking to him. My eyes had been all over him from the second I met him, and usually that is a telltale sign that someone is into you. I guess I was not as slick as I thought.

My thoughts came to an end as I realized I had just been staring at him again, not answering his question.

I took the last hit of the joint before putting it out in the ashtray. "Yes," I told him. I wanted nothing more than to go back to his apartment. Sober me would probably not have done this, but high me definitely would.

He got up and took my hand as I followed behind him. Ellie looked at me confused as she saw me leaving. I just waved bye to her and gave her a wink. She gave me a thumbs up and smiled as we walked out of the door.

He told me he lived in this building, we just had to take an elevator up to another floor. The elevator ride made me slightly anxious, wondering if I made the wrong decision. He could take me back to his apartment and murder me for all I know. For some reason, I trusted him. I wasn't afraid of him at all. It felt like I had known him for years and things just came naturally around him.

As soon as we got into his apartment he pushed me against the wall roughly and I barely got a gasp out before his mouth was on mine. He grabbed my hips and pulled them towards him as we continued to kiss. I put my hands on his chest and threw his jacket off.

I tried to start unbuttoning his shirt but he bent down to grab the back of my legs and lift me up. He started walking back to his room and threw me on his bed. He took my jacket off of me and threw it on the floor while his tongue attacked my neck. We were both undressing each other much slower than I would have liked. I was left in just my bodysuit that was practically lingerie.

"Fuck," he said as he stared me down. He was taking too long to do anything with me so I took off the rest of my clothing by myself and I took off his boxers as well.

"Let me know if I am being too rough," he told me sweetly as he started kissing my boobs. I laughed before telling him, "the rougher the better." He looked up at me and I swear his dick got 10x harder. His hand traveled down my body and started massing my clit as another finger slipped into me.

I moaned loudly and I knew I wasn't going to last long. "Just fuck me already please," I begged him.

"Someone's eager," he said as he kept pumping his fingers into me and I let out another loud moan. He took his fingers out of me and I let out a small cry, wanting more. Seconds later, I felt his tongue on me and I could have died right there. I looked down at him and made eye contact with him and I felt things I've never felt before. He was intoxicating.

"Fuck, Matthew. You're gonna make me come," I told him and that just fueled him even more. He licked up my slit and started sucking on my clit. I felt my stomach being wound up, completely embarrassed that someone I just met could make me come in less than ten minutes.

"Come for me, baby," He said and put a finger back in me, stroking my g-spot all while his tongue was still flicking against me. His words sent me over the edge and I came. Hard. I moaned so loudly, his name falling from my lips.

He kept going and I had to push his head away from me because I was so overstimulated. He lifted his head up, his chin soaking wet and I felt my cheeks get even more red than they already were.

He came up to me and stuck his fingers in my mouth, letting me taste myself. My eyes opened wide, shocked at how dirty this man was. He reached into his nightstand and grabbed a condom and quickly rolled it down himself.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked me. I was a little doubtful that he actually cared about my feelings on whether we should be having sex or not, but he seemed genuine. The look in his eyes told me he was being serious and wanted to make sure that I was okay with everything.

"Yes, I am sure," I told him but I don't think he believed me, he stared at me for a minute. I reached my head up to his so I could kiss him and reassure him that I wanted nothing more than for him to just completely wreck me. He gave me a toothy grin before slamming into me.

He stretched me out completely and I was not ready at all, but I can only blame myself considering I was the one that told him the rougher the better. He was slow at first, aggravatingly slow. He picked up his pace very quickly. Sweat dripping down his forehead and landing right between my boobs. He lifted his hand up to my neck and took hold of it. I smiled as he choked me and let out a little moan.

He gave me this possessive look that just turned me on even more. My back arched off of the back, trying to get as close to him as I possibly could. His headboard was slamming against the wall with every thrust. That combined with the loud moans surely pissed his neighbors off. He pulled out of me completely, and I almost complained but I didn't get the chance to because his next words completely threw me for a loop.

"Get on your hands and knees," He told me very aggressively. I complied quickly with a smile on my face. I put my ass in the air and my face was basically buried in his bed. He grabbed onto my hips so tightly that there would be marks in the morning and started thrusting back into me.

"Spank me," I said, full of confidence. I knew he wasn't going to without me telling him to, so I made a move that benefited both of us. I felt a hand come down harshly onto my ass and it stung in the best way possible. We both moaned at the same time.

"Harder," I said to him, surprising myself. Where was this coming from? I never talk like this during sex. Matthew just brought something out of me.

"Is that a challenge, Noah?" He said and I could hear the smirk in his tone.

"Of course it is, Matthew," I responded. Another loud smack came down onto my ass that was so much harder than the first and took my breath away. He grabbed onto my hair and twirled it around his fist before lifting me up to him.

"Are you being a brat?" he whispered into my ear. Fuck, he was so hot. Of course, I was being a brat, I wanted him to ruin me.

"Always," I said to him, sweetly with a tinge of sarcasm in my voice. He let my hair go and continued to fuck me very hard while spanking me even harder.

The light banter made the sex that much better. I would definitely not be able to sit down tomorrow. My stomach was being wound up again and I was on the brink of another orgasm. His heavy breathing and quiet moans were music to my ears.

I've had sex plenty of times but no one had ever made me come. Let alone twice in one night. It's like he could read my mind because right then, he reached around to rub my clit and I felt my self come undone again.

I let out loud moans, chanting his name. He came quickly after me and emptied himself into the condom. Matthew sat there for a second and I felt him softly twitching inside of me. He pulled the condom off of him and threw it in his trash bin before collapsing next to me.

"Who would have known you were such a dirty girl." Matthew teased before giving me another kiss. I laid down onto my back and he walked over to his bathroom and grabbed a warm rag. He gently wiped me down and I winced a little from the heat.

"Are you okay? I didn't hurt you or anything, right?" He asked with a look of concern on his face. How cute. He thinks he could hurt me.

"No, I am okay," I told him honestly. He gave me a pair of underwear and a big t-shirt. I gave him a confused look because I planned on going home.

"I want you to stay, Noah. It's almost 2 am, there's no sense in leaving this late. Please." Matthew said, unknowingly giving me puppy dog eyes. I could never say no to those beautiful chocolate eyes. I took the clothes he gave me and went to the bathroom to change. When I walked out, he was laying in his bed in just his underwear. I laid down next to him and cuddled his chest.

He kissed the top of my head and whispered, "Goodnight." I fell asleep in his arms and I swear it was the best sleep I've had in years.

[rae0fsunsh1ne]

The Order S2E02

I’m rewatching The Order for the 4th time and basically just gonna live blog it so if you don’t want to see my blabbering posts about each episode you can block the tag #Rachel obsesses about The Order

2.02

‘there better be some Mr Miyagi-style lesson behind all of this” “There’s not, it’s just cleaning.”

Midnight is an angry mother fucker

‘we’ve lost our greatest asset’ ‘our youthful optimism?”

personally i would not take a free kombucha, or any kombucha

mummified…. now, how do you explain that one away?

war-wolves or were-locks, which is your fave? I say were-locks sounds cooler

Jack just fucking tossing the mop makes me laugh so much

The other chapters and the adepti would be so cool to learn more about!! especially the adepti!

“Ham Sandwich”

I appreciate that everybody is totally chill about the gay, nobody makes a big deal about Lilith being into another girl

‘could be worse’ ‘could be Gabrielle’ **visual disgust** **gags** **shudders**

Jack just grabs Randall by the hair drags him away

still nobody gets ID’d at this bar, ever

Prof. Foley is already suspicious and weird “i’m sure as hell not inciting anyone. if any of you go to the chancellor and say otherwise i will bury your academic standing so fast you’ll need a dowsing rod to find it“ a teacher should not be saying shit like that to students???

‘what i did was save your life’ hmmmmmm no not exactly, you wiped their memory and stole their stuff

okay but the actress playing Lilith would be a dope Velma in Scooby Doo

“Totally cliched. i think that’s the plot of a Katherine Hiegel film”

Jack is like a kid in a magic candy store

“i wish i knew my major” college problems am i right?

“don’t touch anything” **Jack touches everything immediately** “i said don’t touch anything!” “i didn’t!”

Alyssa calling Jack a hypocrite is a goddamn joke

Jack is so totally nonchalant “i know, i have been here before” as if it’s not super cool being in the collective unconscious

Prof Clarke was a pretty cool dude, too bad he died but he makes a good spiritual guide

“Amir and i have a bet going that you’ll never figure it out”

“ooh, shiny!” adorable Randall is adorable

he puts the cauldron on his head

“dude you totally have to transform! what if you become some kind of kick ass two headed war-wolf!”

DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT DO IT

“Oh yeah i totally forgot to tell you, don’t transform it’ll only accelerate your death”

“so are all of our conversations going to be annoyingly elliptical riddles?”

i think that might be one of the books my friend designed!!!

‘the wrong hands’ would be anyone who murders people just for kicks???????

“some people become dentists. others become magic cops” I WANNA BE A MAGIC COP

“oh my god, i am so glad that i killed you”

“what kind of idiot leaves flowers at an unmarked grave”

“WEREWOLF ON CAMPUS, I’d totally watch that show” is that a reference to BIG WOLF ON CAMPUS!?!??!?!?!

i really hope it was actually a reference because i love Big Wolf on Campus so much.

The Knights getting every single memory back in all those crazy flashes is one of the best things to ever happen on this show

PRIME BEEF

this poor guy stuck in the wall :( Jack just slits his throat

“Alyssa, it’s Jack. No I’m not calling to argue.”

Gabrielle being a psychology major so she can ‘learn how to identify her opponents weaknesses’ makes a lot of sense. she’s kind of an evil bitch, but she’s smart

the strength of a wolf and the mercy of a human

“look me up when you’re back, we’ll go check out the dinosaurs” the collective unconscious must be So. Cool.

This whole moment is Perfect.

“how Jack got his Silver-back. Silver-back by popular demand.” “I bet you’d live because I believe in you. Johann Sebastian Silver-bach” “I bet against you because I’m a cynic” “Silver-Back to the Future”

The way that Jack says “Thank you thank you, I’m sorry.” sweet soft boi

[andavs]

What are your thoughts on the werewolves in Teen Wolf? I feel like Jeff Davis may have butchered them a lot, completly throwing out how wolfs actually act, and like a lot of parts it was like he forgot they were werewolves or didn't know how to use their powers. Also the beta shift looks sooo ridiculous

Full disclosure: I don’t have a lot of exposure to werewolves outside of Teen Wolf. Prior to this show, my main source of wolfy entertainment was the 1999-2002 timeless classic, Big Wolf on Campus. 

If you don’t know this masterpiece, the entire reason I started watching Teen Wolf was because it reminded me of BWOC.

On the right, you have the Big Wolf himself, Tommy Dawkins. Jock, not the smartest, has never seen a horror movie, but a very sweet and lovable, all around good guy.

The left: the brains of the operation, Merton J. Dingle: loyal best friend, local werewolf expert, president of the Gothic Fantasy Guild.

They’re a little married.

Want to see their werewolf makeup?

It’s sideburns and eyebrows. And fangs, obviously, but the point is, my werewolf standards aren’t that high. 

But jumping back to Teen Wolf, I think I jived more with the werewolf lore they started to set up in the first two seasons. Control didn’t come easy, it was a constant struggle, and it felt like the pack hierarchy was firmly set. Derek may have made some really dumb choices along the way, but when he was alpha, it felt like he was really in charge (until Boyd and Erica dipped). It was a little darker, alphas could actually force betas to do stuff through “pack bonds”, for lack of a better term, and it would’ve been really cool to see how they navigated that, especially since despite that, the show had a much lighter tone.

Like I would’ve loved to see Scott constantly fighting against that control over his betas. He’s not a controlling kind of person, he hates authority figures telling him what to do, and after having Peter fuck with him, it seems like he would be really strongly against doing that to anyone else. But does the alpha status and power come with the impulse to use them? Was Peter acting on instinct while he healed? Could Scott have used that control to help Liam with his anger issues, and if he could, would that even be ethical?

As the show went on, it seemed like the werewolf part of it got really watered down and like you said, they seemed to forget they were werewolves. Control wasn’t really an issue, being alpha seemed more like a rank than a…physiological status? It was like Scott got promoted and he was the new commander of his troops. Except instead of a commander, it was more like a group of friends standing around saying, “I don’t know, what do you want to do?” There were no impulses, no wolfy instincts…Liam went streaking once, but that was about it.

Pack territories are always interesting in fics, the scope of power of an alpha beyond being a little stronger… At the end of the show it seemed like a human alpha was totally possible; it was more about character, whereas at the beginning that would’ve been impossible. A little more of the pack structure would’ve been nice, more of the politics, actually showing more of the werewolf culture that must’ve developed…

Though honestly, I’m kind of glad they drew a pretty firm line between their werewolves and how wolves actually act. The few times Scott and Derek run on all fours make me cringe so hard I have to look away. It’s just so bad.

I also wish TW had more jokey kind of aspects of werewolfdom that are based on wolves/dogs. Like in BWOC, when they were about to part for college, Merton packed Tommy’s heartworm medication for him. He eats insane amounts of chicken on the full moon. I’d have to rewatch, but I’m pretty sure there’s a lot of shedding jokes. All of these things are totally in character for Scott and Stiles of the first two seasons. Maybe less so later when the show got all serious and dumb and people got murdered everywhere.

Anyway. 

I know like nothing about werewolf lore outside of ridiculous shows, so I’m the worst person to ask, and also I really love this show from 1999.

[purplesurveys]

800

.·゜゜·. Holy Cow A Survey .·゜゜·.  (and holy cow, it’s my 800th on here) by junkie_dreams

1. What made you pick up the last book you started reading? I started reading it for a while, then thesis made me too busy to read it for a few weeks, then when I was finished with that I realized I’ve left the book alone so I continued it and proceeded to finish the whole thing.

2. Have you received any bad or troubling news lately? All things revolving around Covid19, George Floyd, & Trump < Pretty much, though replace Trump with Duterte. He’s being such a cranky ass about hastily passing this new bill that will essentially allow warrantless arrests to anyone complaining about him on the internet, so everyone’s kinda stressing out about that right now. 

3. When was the last time you were relieved about something? Since Tuesday, every day that I’ve woken up without a fever is a relief. Another thing is that it’s Gabie’s birthday today and I was relieved to find out that she loved the surprise I made for her :) I pooled all her friends together and made them do video birthday greetings and submit photos that they have with her and I compiled it in a simple short film. It turned out super cute!

4. What about your life concerns you the most? Anything job-wise. They say 2020 graduates are heading into the worst job market in a very long time, and I think that’s pretty straightforward information.

5. Is there a common thing most people seem to do without trouble, but it scares you (talking on the phone, driving, interviews, etc)? When was the last time you had to do one of these kinds of things? Talking on the phone, ordering in a restaurant, and asking for help in any kind of store. I had to talk to a Grab delivery driver the other day to help him with directions going to my house; andddd I don’t usually have to recite my order or ask for help at a store myself because my girlfriend will often be the one to speak for me HAHAHAH.

6. Is a pen pal something you would enjoy? If so, what kinds of little things would you send your pen friends? No, only because writing exhausts me these days. I only enjoy writing for people I already know very well and love, and I wouldn’t feel invested enough to write to people I don’t know all that much yet.

7. Describe a time when you were there for a friend? Angela was sad the other day so I dropped her short messages to let her know I was there for her. She never replied, but it’s okay; it was just important to me that she knew I wasn’t going to leave her alone.

8. When was the last time you went somewhere for the first time? I dunno, I obviously haven’t gone around the city in months...though I’m thinking it’s the milk tea place we have at campus, called Nomu. I was there to pick up a drink a week before lockdown.

9. What is a situation that makes you feel especially confident? If it’s a situation that I know I can handle, like a test I studied a lot for; or if it’s a situation where I have a lot of support.

10. What was the subject of your most recent conversation? My dad was asking if he can have one of my soju bottles (my mom recently bought me five) and was also asking what flavor is really good. That prompted me to walk over and hesitatingly point out the good flavors, until he said, “Just kidding, I was just checking to see if this will make you stand up. You’re so predictableeeeeeeee” hahahaha

11. Hypothetically and generally speaking, how would you go about breaking up with someone? Is there anything you would make sure to say, or perhaps not say? I’d do it personally, say everything there is to say, and let’s face it, I see myself crying a lot too because I can never have serious conversations without tearing up lol.

12. Are you more of a night person or a day person? What is it about the night/day that you favor? I like the nightlife more. I hate the sun and when it’s bright out, so I’m most active when it’s evening and the lights and stars are pretty.

13. What do you find particularly offensive? Would you say you’re easy or difficult to offend? Mostly anything racist, misogynist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, biphobic, acephobic, and anti-poor. I’m very alert about these things and will call out anyone making insensitive sentiments about any of them.

14. Is there a belief you have that most others around you don’t have? Do you share this belief with others, or do you tend to keep it to yourself? Have you ever offended anyone with this belief? Ok so it’s technically the opposite of belief but I am atheist in a predominantly Catholic country. I’m very vocal about it except with my family. I probably have offended some people by stuff I’ve said or shared, but I don’t care. If they choose to ignore the myriad of issues surrounding their religion, they’re part of the problem and the reason why I’m so wholly against it.

15. Do you consider internet friendships as important as offline friendships, or do you view them differently? I value offline friendships more.

16. When was the last time you visited relatives or friends of the family? Is visiting family something you enjoy? I visited my lola, aunt, and cousins last Sunday when I was sick, since the doctor we were heading to lives in the same village. I hadn’t seen them since December I think? so my lola cried when she saw us walk through the front gate :’) I love visiting family, whoever it may be. It’s always fun to catch up, as long as conversations don’t turn into politics lol.

17. What did you do for the last holiday or event you celebrated? For my birthday we were stuck in lockdown so I couldn’t really do anything, but we had lots of food which is the easiest way to make me happy anyway. My parents and sister bought a blueberry cheesecake but had the blueberry part scraped off and then they crushed a whole pack of Oreos to turn it into an Oreo cheesecake lol; and Angela sent me a box of sushi.

18. If you’ve moved out from home, what was the scariest thing about it? What was/is your favorite thing about it? I haven’t yet.

19. Are there any fictional characters you like even though they’re “bad” or “evil?” What qualities draw you to a character? Yeah. Many antagonists speak the truth, and that makes it so easy to root for them. It’s this case very often in pro wrestling.

20. What are your thoughts on “forgiving” murderers, rapists, attackers, etc? Do you think it’s even possible to forgive these people? I don’t even forgive friends who betray me, so much less would I forgive assholes like the ones you listed. It’s definitely possible; I just choose not to do it because that’s my way of being in peace.

21. What was the last series you finished watching? Do you have any plans to begin another? I’m awwwwwwwful at finishing series man. I’m still on Descendants of the Sun but I also started a rewatch of The Big Bang Theory lmao. I want to finish DOTS first though and then maybe move on to Crash Landing On You, another Korean drama. Big Bang’s not really a priority for me and just something I wanna watch when I don’t want anything too heavy.

22. What is one way in which you are different from a year ago? What is one way in which you are still the same? I’m a lot less afraid of dealing with people (and been better with it) thanks to the stuff I’ve had to do in the last year, like my internship and heading external relations for my org. I’m still the same in the sense that I’m still deathly terrified in the last few moments before I do the aforementioned dealing with people lol. Once I jump into the conversation I’m perfect, but I take f o r e v e r to get prepared.

23. When was the last time you had to walk somewhere in the rain? How about the snow? I don’t like walking in the rain and we don’t get snow.

24. Are there any types of survey questions you dread or don’t like answering for whatever reason? What kinds of questions do you like best? Questions that make me think too much or are too deep. I also don’t like basic surveys. Random is where it’s at. Ask me what I got at the last restaurant I was at, places I plan to visit soon, the last time I got mad, stuff like that.

25. If you could learn about anything without the stress of grades or cost, what kind of classes would you take? Law.

26. What was the last item of clothing you purchased? Do you wear it often? Two identical tops in different colors. I haven’t gotten the chance to wear either a lot because lockdown happened shortly after I bought them.

27. Has anything made you feel nostalgic lately? Sure. When I was compiling stuff for Gab’s surprise video, I came across some very old photos of us and of her and Angela.

28. What was the last chore you completed? Wash my plate from breakfast.

29. Name a song you’ve listened to today? 7/11 by Beyoncé, heh.

30. Is there anything you’ve promised yourself you’ll never do again? Drink buko juice. I had to drink it for the first few days of my UTI treatment and it’s so disgustinggggggg.

[ettadunham]

A Buffy rewatch 4x01 The Freshman

aka high school is hell but college is purgatory

Welcome to this dailyish text post series where I will rewatch an episode of Buffy and go on an impromptu rant about it for an hour. Is it about one hyperspecific thing or twenty observations? 10 or 3k words? You don’t know! I don’t know!!! In this house we don’t know things.

And today I’m finally starting season 4, and you know what, I’m excited! And overwhelmed! I am both Buffy and Willow!

I think when it comes to ranking Buffy seasons, for many people s4 tends to be pretty low on their lists. I for one definitely had a bone to pick with it as well as season 6 on my first run through back in the days.

But... I came to appreciate both by now for some of the same reasons I disliked them. Which is the show’s ability to go with the flow, and adapt its core themes as the characters continue to grow and age.

Buffy was originally a high school horror show. Which in itself went through many changes and development over the course of the first three seasons, but that main setting and the core concept of high school being hell remained. The demons and problems the characters were facing were centered around things like their anxieties about the future, growing up, and how their relationships shaped who they’d become.

But these were always dynamic characters and stories... so of course at some point we had to leave high school behind. And that meant uprooting almost everything familiar about the show up until this point.

Hell, we even blew up the damn high school in 3x22 to signify that abrupt and drastic turn the show was about to take.

Of course, in many ways, it’s not actually all that extreme and new. This is still the same show with the same characters, and Buffy is still doing vampire murder acrobatics in her spare time. But the change of scenery brings the necessity of adjustment on so many different aspects of the show, down to its themes, and I came to love that about season 4.

Sure, I’ll miss the Scoobies hanging around together in high school all the time, but relationships change for most of us at that age. Everyone has their own stuff to deal with, whether it’s their studies, job, new friends, significant others, etc. It’s a whole new world of possibilities as well as anxieties.

So I could definitely relate to both Buffy and Willow’s frershman experience. The idea of a fresh start and what appears to be endless opportunities is intoxicating... but it’s also disorienting with a healthy dose of disillusionment. College is weird you guys.

This is also going to be the only season where college will be the main backdrop of the show, even though Buffy will only drop out in s6, I think? I don’t know, I’m fuzzy on the details, so I guess we’ll see.

Let’s do a lightning round of some random things from this episode:

- I really love what we see of Xander and Buffy’s relationship in this episode. As Xander didn’t go to college, he’ll be feeling isolated from the group even more so as a result... but here, he managed to turn up at just the right moment to interrupt Buffy’s own isolation. I love that and I love that scene. “You’re my hero” - my heart just grows each and every time a bit.

(Although I’m not sure how I feel about the whole part where Xander implies that he’s masturbating to images of Buffy??? Just... why. Why is Joss Whedon like that.)

- Pedro Pascal is in this! I barely recognized him but it’s he! The scene between him and Buffy with them trying to find their way on campus is also super nice and cute and real. Sure, he gets eaten immediately after that, but it’s still a nice moment.

- Riley not remembering Buffy’s name after their first encounter and identifying her as “Willow’s friend” is kinda funny? Also another implication of the difference between how quickly Buffy and Willow are fitting into their new environment.

- Sunday is a fun villain. Like, she’s an asshole, but she’s also a vampire so that makes sense. I kinda love that she’s picking on Buffy because she’s a freshman and they’re preying on those, and less interested in the whole Slayer deal. It adds to the theme of Buffy feeling small and unlike herself for most of the episode.

- The asshole prof is honestly not far off from reality. That’s why you gotta ask around before signing up for a course, kids.

- Dad!Giles is out, Cool Unemployed Giles all your friends have a crush on is in. Oh, and this is Olivia’s first appearance! Too bad we’re never gonna actually develop her character, but oh well.

- Willow’s panic about how they missed the ‘circumstances’ that might’ve led to Buffy dropping out and taking off when they find the fake note is kinda cute? It’s a nice reminder that as much as they are and will be all sorts of wrapped up in their own lives, they still want to be there for each other. It’s just getting harder and more complicated each day.

Anywho, I’m excited! I’m still gonna agree with 19-year-old me that s4 has probably the least interesting season arc (especially when it comes to the big bad), but I can’t wait to rediscover everything else that’s going on here.

Not to mention the fact that we’ll be getting some of the best episodes of the show this season. (Like Beer Bad... Well, okay, I’m kidding, but also watch me defend that episode’s right to be just an overall dumb ride!!!)

I got this!

[siriuslyarrogant]

I posted 1,154 times in 2021

29 posts created (3%)

1125 posts reblogged (97%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 38.8 posts.

I added 45 tags in 2021

#murdoch mysteries - 11 posts

#text - 7 posts

#william murdoch - 6 posts

#mm unnecessay thoughts - 4 posts

#omgcp - 3 posts

#dead poets society - 3 posts

#thomas brackenreid - 3 posts

#george crabtree - 3 posts

#james gillies - 3 posts

#got george - 2 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#this is about something im writing rn its one of theose fics that follow the eps of a show but dur to storyline im hoing for the charcatwrs

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Unnecessary thoughts: Gillies

Okay so I've now seen all of the James Gillies episodes and I'm gonna rank them because I like ranking things and he's my favourite MM villain.

1. Big Murderer On Campus (2x07)

- so the whole lecture confession trick is wonderful. The fact that Murdoch sports Robert Perry as the weaker one and uses it.

- honestly the whole episode being like we know Gillies did most of the work but we can't prove it so next best thing

- George finding his mother as the subplot

2. Midnight Trian to Kingston (7x09)

- so I think this might of been the first episode I watched with Gillies in (this would've been years ago though).

- the fact it's all on a train, great

- the fact that much of the tension is created by Gillies' taunting people when all he does is sit there. He's just sitting there, driving people insane.

3. The Murdoch Trap (6x13) & Crime and Punishment (6x12)

- so I mostly like this episode due to the trap aspect (which also explains why I like the s14 episode that does something similar, more advanced though). It's like this mastermind criminal is going to act like a cat does will it catches mice, they flaut themselves until they cause themselves to lose.

- did Darcy deserve to die? Does this relate to this post? No and no, I just want to say it.

- mirrors, I don't know what to say about them but I enjoy the overdramatics

- Giles coming around to finally help Murdoch and Co was also nice to watch. It's like I have rules and morals but okay, maybe and just maybe, I was wrong.

4. Murdoch in Toyland (5x11)

- creepy dolls for the win, right?

- if someone gets buried alive it's going to be a dramatic episode and yeah

- the interrogation scene with Brackenreid being all I hate your guts and I will make you bleed

- honestly do prefer this episode due to others characters like George and Henry's fingermarks debate but the whole sawing off the head of someone who betrayed is something.

5. The Devil Inside (10x10)

- so aside from the s14 finale (which puts them in overuse) I actually like the flashbacks used in the show, including this episode.

- the whole being possessed by the devil and going insane was actually interesting

See the full post

16 notes • Posted 2021-07-11 16:22:09 GMT

#4

You can't have my toy *pushes it into Niagara Falls*

21 notes • Posted 2021-07-05 21:47:06 GMT

#3

Unnecessary thoughts: Big Murderer on Campus

So I just watched big murder on campus as a break from rewatching season 9 and woah despite the fact I've very recently watched the early seasons I forgot how different they are. Like the camera zooms, Julia and William not even being together, Brackenreid being a dick, Murdoch being very neurodivergent. So my random thoughts on this episode.

• "why are you shooting arrows in your office?"

"Because I thought bullets would be too disruptive."

• "get to the university quick."

"Quick..ly. Quickly."

• the noose loop with Robert Perry in it. Love Laurie Lynd's directing.

• honestly the whole lecture at the end

• "shut up James"

• George's two mothers and the fact he genuinely didn't think anything bad would come about by placing a newspaper advertisement

• I forgot how much Murdoch would just dissapear from a conversation if he got an idea

• Professor Godfrey looking down on Murdoch

• "I would give it a A-"

"A minus?"

• anytime the university is a used as a location is just great. Because I find the setting rather beautiful

• "mr perry for whatever reason went along with it". - dude took being in love with the bad boy to extreme levels

• Murdoch asks Julia out on a date.. to a lecture about batteries

• Gillies trying to get his hat back from Branckenreid

• the fact that if I didn't know until the letter and handwriting is revealed you don't really suspect Gilles and Perry

• I'm rementioning the ending lecture scene cause I love it

30 notes • Posted 2021-07-20 01:55:43 GMT

#2

So I watched the Murdoch Effect

• for starters the modern theme song is excellent

• just George and Murdoch being on two completely different ends of the spectrum

• the ridiculousness of it all

• Murdoch being confused and amazed by everything while thinking he's being normal

• JULIA AS A DETECTIVE , also George as a detective BUT JULIA!

• brackenreid being some weird criminal in love with Emily just yeah

• I laughed a lot more than I should've

• henrys 'detective crabtree' sneer

- then Murdochs 'you alright Henry?"

• murdochs reaction to aunt daisy

• "You were raised by monks in Tibet"

"Jesuit priests in Nova Scotia"

"Explains a lot actually

• hit me *gets hit in shoulder not head*

• flip phones since it's 2012 and yep

• the whole scene in the interrogation room

• Murdoch trying to make up a story about how he knows about the flat iron building

• "doctor grace?" "No she just needs some air"

• "doctor grace?" "You just need some ice"

36 notes • Posted 2021-06-22 00:23:36 GMT

#1

Brackenreid has a weakness for talented, attractive women (usually actresses) while Murdoch has a weakness for attractive, talented men (usually inventors) when it comes to murder investigations.

56 notes • Posted 2021-07-08 03:35:23 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[junker-town]

Every Marvel Cinematic Universe villain, ranked from forgettable to iconic

Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for ReedPOP

From Malekith to Loki, we covered them all.

All week, we’re having a little fun and diving into the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The MCU exists thanks to endless battles between our heroes and the villains that torment them. Some of the villains — hello, Vulture — are fantastic. They’re well-rounded, they have depth, and there seems to be a method to their madness.

Then there are the other villains. Their backgrounds aren’t particularly explained, you’re not entirely sure what they’re doing — looking intently at you, Malekith — and motivations seem weak at best.

As part of our Marvel Week, we took the 26 primary villains from the 23 MCU films and ranked them from 1-to-26. Warning: THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW, so act accordingly. Let’s get to it.

26. Ivan Vanko (Iron Man 2)

Be honest. The only thing you really remember about Ivan Vanko is when he said “I want my bird.”

25. Aldrich Killian/Maya Hansen (Iron Man 3)

This movie had far too many plots, and therefore far too many villains. There’s one point in the movie where it’s revealed that the Vice President is in on Killian’s plans, and then it’s not mentioned again. Surprise! Maya Hansen is actually bad. Surprise! The Mandarin is an actor! Surprise! The VP is in on it! I need this movie and its collection of villains to do a little less.

24. Zemo (Captain America: Civil War)

Zemo’s motivations are clear — he is driven by his rage and sadness over losing his family in Sokovia — but he’s little more than an accelerant to get the real conflict of the movie going between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers.

23. Emil Blonsky/Abominable (The Incredible Hulk)

The only really nice thing that you can say about The Incredible Hulk is that the fight scene between Abominable and Hulk is pretty cool. Tim Roth is high key the best part of this movie.

22. Kaecilius (Doctor Strange)

Dormammu didn’t have enough screen time for him to be ranked here, but we do get Mads Mikkelsen’s Kaecilius. The fight scenes are awesome, but I spent a lot of time wondering if he was going to start weeping blood.

21. Malekith (Thor: The Dark World)

Malekith? More like Male-kiss-my-ass, amirite? Sorry, trying to delete.

20. Johann Schmidt/Red Skull (Captain America: The First Avenger)

Red Skull is the most cartoon-like villain of the movies, but there’s still something about the first time he rips that Hugo Weaving face off. Also, being a Nazi gets you an automatic top-20 spot. This dude was evil.

19. Ava/Ghost (Ant-Man and the Wasp)

You could make the argument that “The Feds” are actually the villain in Ant-Man and The Wasp, but for our purposes we’re just going to go with Ghost. Ghost is visually a stunning villain as she phases in-and-out while simultaneously kicking serious ass. She’s not higher up on this list because she’s actually ... not a bad person and is instead trying to find a way to end her crippling pain.

18. Yon Rogg (Captain Marvel)

Wow, they really cast the MCU well. Jude Law is the perfect smarmy guy that you think is on your side til you realize that actually he’s a psycho and is trying to kill an entire group of people. Captain Marvel is more about the origin story for Carol Danvers and less about the villains, so not much to write home about with Yon Rogg.

17. Justin Hammer (Iron Man 2)

What a jerk. This guy just stinks. It doesn’t make him much more of a compelling villain, but he’s the perfect insecure guy that isn’t as smart or creative as his competitors. He brings on Ivan Vanko, gets him his bird, and basically lets a murderous mad man easily take over his whole fleet of replica Iron Man robots. His ambition coupled with the “I will literally do whatever to get that government contract” vibes moves him up this list a little.

16. Ultron (Avengers: Age of Ultron)

I might be alone in this, but I found Ultron far too boring to be a super compelling villain. He goes from zero to murderous in a matter of seemingly seconds, and he is really only saved by James Spader delivering a stellar performance with voice work. The movie actually gets better upon rewatch (especially after watching Infinity War and Endgame), but Ultron just doesn’t do it for me villain-wise. His motives felt rushed and under-explained, and there are far too many monologues.

15. Lieutenant General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (The Incredible Hulk)

Don’t be fooled. Lieutenant General “Thunderbolt” Ross is 100% the villain in The Incredible Hulk. On the annoying-but-not-that-bad end of the spectrum, he’s an overbearing dad trying to interfere with his adult daughter’s dating life. On the other end, he directs soldiers to open fire TWICE in areas infested with civilians. First, they have an open-field battle ON THE CAMPUS OF A COLLEGE. In the third act, when trying to track down Abomination (a creature he helped create, mind you), Ross has a helicopter — with his daughter on board — shoot at what appears to be an apartment building in Harlem. This man would not only NOT be the Secretary of State later (he makes a reappearance in Captain America: Civil War among other films), he would be in prison for war crimes.

And this dude tries to arrest the Captain America side for not signing the Sokovia Accords. This guy sucks.

14. Mandarin (Iron Man 3)

They really could have done so much more with The Mandarin, especially considering they got Sir Ben Kingsley to play the role. Kingsley is really the only thing that saves this performance, going from a cruel, murderous terrorist to gassy, beer swilling fool in a moment.

13. Supreme Intelligence (Captain Marvel)

ANNETTE BENING IN A BOMBER JACKET!!! Bening plays both Dr. Wendy Lawson and the artificial intelligence being that rules the Kree, but it’s her turn as the latter that gives us some pretty intense evil. Let Annette Bening play more sinister characters, imo.

12. Ronan (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Maybe it’s because I remember Lee Pace as Ned from the quaint 2007 TV drama Pushing Daisies, but I loved this performance of Ronan. He’s shadowy enough that you still get that air of mystery about him, but he’s also just straight-up a mad man.

11. Darren Cross/Yellow Jacket (Ant-Man)

This guy literally goes into the bathroom at work, melts Frank into a small glob of former human, then WIPES HIM UP WITH A TISSUE AND FLUSHES IT DOWN THE TOILET. The biggest of yikes.

10. Obadiah Stane (Iron Man)

Obadiah Stane wanted to run Stark Industries so badly he helped orchestrate a kidnapping of Tony. Some good came from that — namely the creation of Iron Man and all the tech that went with it — but Stane also did some super dastardly stuff. The betrayal of a guy that looked up to you after his father’s death is one thing, but all the war profiteering is just too much.

Oh, and him yelling at and firing William Riva (AKA Ralphie from A Christmas Story) for not being able replicate Stark’s arc reactor leads to Riva joining forces with Quentin Beck in Spider-Man: Far From Home. It’s like a coaching tree of villains.

9. HYDRA/Alexander Pierce/Dr. Zola/Rumlow (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

Those backslashes are doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and honestly this collection (HYDRA) could have been a little bit higher as they have a lot of tentacles (pun intended) in a lot of places. Robert Redford as Alexander Pierce is one of the best castings, and the “elevator scene” is perfection that somehow gets even better in Endgame.

8. Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes (Captain America: The Winter Soldier)

IT WASN’T BUCKY’S FAULT. Cap’s best friend in the whole wide world, Bucky Barnes, was somehow rescued after plummeting from a moving train, frozen, un-frozen, and brainwashed to become a brutal assassin. While Bucky is a hero, Winter Soldier is a war machine (no, not THAT War Machine) that even murdered Tony Stark’s parents. Big yikes.

7. Ego (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2)

The mystery around Peter Quill’s father spanned both Guardians of the Galaxy movies before we got Kurt Russell dramatically riding around on the top of a spaceship as Ego in Vol. 2. It doesn’t take long to realize something is super fishy, and that that something is Ego spreading his seed — literally — on multiple planets in the hopes of creating a part-god child to help him take over the universe. Quill turns out to be that offspring, but he is able to break Ego’s spell when Ego TELLS PETER HE GAVE HIS MOM CANCER. That’s messed up, man.

T5. Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Spider-Man: Far From Home)

T5. Adrian Toomes/Vulture (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

I don’t know what it is, but the solo Spider-Man stories have gotten two of the best single-movie villains so far. Michael Keaton’s Toomes is perfection as the arms dealing, jet-pack wearing Vulture, but the added depth of him being the father of Peter Parker’s crush is fantastic. They manage to establish him as a guy with a somewhat relatable story (he’s just trying to make things work!), and the car scene between Keaton and Tom Holland is one of the best moments of the whole movie (and top-10 in the MCU).

Beck is low-key horrible. Anyone who tricks poor, sweet, grieving Peter Parker is on my shit list automatically, but Jake Gyllenhaal plays it so well. All Peter wants to do is tell MJ he has a crush on her, and he gets duped into fighting battles and handing over Tony Stark’s glasses. If that wasn’t enough, Beck literally shoves him in front of an oncoming train and leads to Spider-Man’s identity being leaked.

He does give us J.K. Simmons’s J. Jonah Jameson back, though. That’s a point in his favor.

4. Killmonger (Black Panther)

It was really difficult to rank these top eight or so villains. All of them have intense back stories or more character development than we got in the early movies of the series. Michael B. Jordan’s portrayal of Eric Killmonger in Black Panther was fantastic, and delivered some of the most meme-able moments of a villain (IS THIS YOUR KING?!).

While the rage and hurt felt by Killmonger over his father’s death is understandable, his actions as the movie’s antagonist are brutal.

This scene is so powerful:

3. Hela (Thor: Ragnarok)

The long-lost sister of Thor has some serious family issues. She’s absolutely ruthless, crushes Mjolnir (and therefore Thor’s spirits for a bit), and has an admittedly very cool wolf pet. Cate Blanchett knocks it out of the park with her portrayal. Hela is horrible and evil and also kind of badass, which shoots her up these rankings.

2. Loki (Thor/The Avengers)

Ah, the anti-hero. Loki is a pretty terrible dude most of the time, but he has his moments of actually doing the right thing. He’s petty, jealous, and the most untrustworthy person in the MCU. In Thor, he tries to kill his brother several times. In The Avengers, there’s the whole opening a portal in the sky to let the Chitauri in to kill a bunch of people and destroy half of New York thing. Oh, and don’t forget about when he faked his death, pretended to be Odin, and was content to hang out on Sakkar with the Grandmaster without helping Thor escape the gladiator-esque games.

1. Thanos (Avengers: Infinity War/Endgame)

We get glimpses of Thanos’s lilac tinge in a handful of the MCU movies, but he’s clearly the pièce de résistance of the culmination of Phase Three with Infinity War and Endgame. Josh Brolin plays the genocidal maniac perfectly, even leaving some viewers after Infinity War saying, “you know, Thanos might have a point about how we’re destroying the planet.” He’s willing to kill billions of people on countless planets to get a little peace and quiet, and is the reason we lose a lot of characters we really care about.

Thanos gets the benefit of a multi-movie arc to explain the full extent of his cruelty, ambition, and willingness to do anything (including kill his own daughter) to achieve his goals.

[mysilverylining]

The Case for Vivian Stoll Being the Big Bad...

*Disclaimer:  I’m a forever Jason Dohring stan, who’s afraid if he goes back up in those fruit trees we’ll never coax him back down again.  So when it comes to Chase Graves?  There’s a bit of confirmation bias here.  I’m pulling for him to survive the next episode, preferably outside of a cell or a freezer.  I can’t believe I spent almost 3 days rewatching and writing this up.  I like to tell myself I’m being Veronica Mars, but I’m probably closer to Bo John.  

Personally, I LOVE Vivian Stoll.  There aren’t enough ruthless female villains in fiction, by far.  I was really looking forward to what lying liar, RT was planning to do with her this season, and was really disappointed when she was “killed” off.  

Her motive?:  Zombie Island won’t be ready for another 1.5 years, and she is  beyond ready for D-Day.  For somebody who could rattle-off the time span between the July 4th retreat and Wally’s murder (21 months and 21 days), I can’t see her sitting around waiting for disaster.  She peddles worst-case scenarios, and would want to take the fight to the humans before they had the opportunity to gather in numbers or call in the National Guard.   As a secondary motive, I think she was staging a coup with Fillmore Graves, a company she married into.  

Point-by-point analysis under the cut.

Helicopter Crash:  

We never see Vivian get on the helicopter.  Was her body recovered?  Burned beyond recognition?  Scattered in tiny pieces over the countryside?  We’ll never know, because Liv conveniently mutes the television during the news report.  

Harrison Graves

Vivian’s beloved “deceased” husband.  First scratched and extorted (by Blaine?).  He wanted to selflessly leave her so that she wouldn’t have to be celibate, but while he slept, she scratched herself and became a zombie.  He found his own source of brains, and a week later, he never returned home again -- implication, killed by Blaine.  Vivian vows revenge.

Some Possibilities: 

Harrison died at the hands of Blaine or another party.  Vivian died in helicopter crash.

Unsatisfying story-telling.  You shouldn’t tease a vendetta and then kill off the injured party before they can get answers or revenge.

Harrison died at the hands of Vivian.

Infinitely more interesting.  Did Harrison learn of Vivian’s plans to escalate a zombie/human war?  Did he have to be silenced?  Did he inform his thoroughly-ripped, but absent brother of his suspicions?

Who would make a better scapegoat than a formerly criminally-opportunistic amnesiac?  He can’t even defend himself.

Harrison is alive and being held prisoner somewhere.  

Vivian’s prisoner?

On Zombie Island?  

Harrison is alive and pulling the strings from behind the scenes

My #2 theory, if Vivian turns out to be dead after all.  The lack of closure on his death really stands out for me.

Additionally, why does she volunteer the information that Harrison was going to leave her.  “He didn’t want her to lead a sexless life” is valid reasoning, but a bit TMI for complete strangers.  Had Harrison drawn up divorce papers at some point?  Was she trying to get out in front of it  in case those papers surfaced?

Contracting Zombie-ism:

We only have Vivian’s word for how it went down.  A General in Equitorial Kundu (ha!) turned biological weapons on his own people and a dozen Fillmore Graves employees.  Two weeks later, later at the annual 4th of July retreat, every single Fillmore Graves employee contracts the virus.  Vivian, motherly saint that she is, cures them all with a scratch.  

Where else do we hear about biological weapons?  Oh yeah, Ravi tells us in ‘Looking for Mr. Goodbrain’ that ‘Aleutian Flu’ is code for biological weapon. And Katty Cake is doing the investigation.  

Did things go down at the retreat like Vivian said?  Or did she turn a biological weapon on her own employees as an experiment in creating super soldiers?  A pre-Max Rager Super-Max?  She owns the formula for that, by the way.   

Another theory - does she hope to infect Seattle’s humans with the bio-weapon to force a join-us-or-die situation?  

Vivian and Chase 

Vivian volunteers plenty about her husband and her employees.  Just one great, big, happy family, she says.  But she never mentions Chase even once.  

Right after the news report of the helicopter crash, Major tells us that Chase is taking the reins, and is flying back from Tripoli (via Paris, perhaps?).  

Our first glimpse of Chase is at Vivian’s wake, where he has a bit of a temper tantrum, shutting off the music and berating everybody for their revelry.  

Is Chase the enemy of fun?  Does he have a stick up his existent and totally adorable ass?  Only Liv knows the answer to that, but a few episodes later, we see him at Finnegan’s and Coons’ wake, laughing and smiling in the background while Major sings with his crew.  What makes this wake different?  #NotVivian.  

When first introduced to Liv, he sharply cuts her off when she’s attempting to express her condolences for Vivian.  But relaxes enough to give her the Dohring-smolder, once she lets the Vivian subject drop.   While Vivian seems to have a “Bring it on/Come at me” attitude towards D-Day/Chase seems much more cautious and disciplined about about discovery, doing everything possible to maintain zombie secrecy.  He worries exposure will lead to extinction (is he lacking confidence in his army?)

He immediately quizzes Liv on the Tuttle-Reed murders.  His language is specific.  He wants hard evidence to have the culprits “put away”.   

In a later scene, he  worries about the safety of the Chaos Killer victims, but he never says a peep about catching Vivian’s killer.  Which, I suppose, could be an argument that he’s her killer (revenge for killing his brother?)

Some possibilities

Before his death, did Harrison Graves confide in Chase about concerns with Vivian?

Does Chase suspect Vivian of less-than-pure motives for zombifying the Fillmore Graves employees?

Assuming Vivian is the Big Bad, is Chase the fall guy?  Once he’s killed/arrested/neutralized, will she come out of hiding with a sob story about how she tried to stop him from starting a zombie/human war, but he overpowered and imprisoned her?  

Tuttle-Reed Murders

We start the season immediately after the Max Rager massacre.  Vivian learns that Clive Babineaux, a human with connections, knows about zombies.  She has three choices.

Do nothing - Pray that Clive keeps his mouth shut, and doesn’t ruin everything.  Walk on eggshells, hoping not to make him suspicious.   

Kill him.  Make it look like an accident - Too risky when she doesn’t have anybody inside the ME’s office.  If caught, she could make some powerful enemies. 

Turn him into an ally 

We know that Vivian went with option number three.  First, she gave Clive/Liv/Major a tour of the campus.  Humanized the experience with warm stories of her love for her husband, her employees, her family. She’s caring, nurturing, and has all the PowerPoint slides to put a mind at ease.   However, Clive isn’t so easily convinced.  After the tour, while still on campus property, he expressed his uneasiness with the secrecy of a private army, “armed to the gills”.  He needed an incentive.  How sweet was it, the way he peeked through the classroom window to make sure little Wally was getting a proper education.

Of all the zombie families in all the gin joints, it just happens to be the family Clive shares an emotional connection with that wound up dead.  

A visibly sad Vivian hears the news about the Tuttle-Reed murders, but was she sad about the murders themselves, or in the necessity of sacrificing Wally and his fam?  Liv visits, and in dialogue-less montage, allies Team Z to Fillmore Graves.

Vivian fans the flames in the aftermath, selling the “humans want us dead” tale to her employees.  

Zombie Truthers 

Where are they getting all of their information?  

Assuming Vivian wants this war to begin sooner rather than later, are the Truthers her unwitting ace in the hole?

Did she post the Tuttle-Reed address on the zombie message board?  

Did she anonymously give Harley a heads-up about the tracker in his vehicle?  

Baracas 

Is utterly crucial to Fillmore Graves in a post D-Day world.  In 3x1, we learn that the Chaos Killer victims were whisked away from Max Rager to Fillmore Graves, where they’re debriefed and sold a cover story.  

Vivian hand-picks Baracas as her mayoral pawn, and will do anything to get him elected. 

While Chase Graves is understandably invested in helping Baracas win the mayoral race, the writers go to the trouble to show us they have no past association.  

Chase:  “Carey, I should probably meet this candidate we’re bankrolling”. 

Baracas: (when told Chase wants to meet him:  “Who?”  Carey Gold:  “Only the most important zombie on this planet.  Endeavor to impress.”  

Did Chase arrange the shooting of Baracas?  Possibly.  It definitely helped win the election, but I don’t get that impression.  The best response for the mastermind would be to let the shooter get away, but Chase fires WAY too many bullets up into that balcony.  He’s not trying to miss.  

I’m with Peyton when it comes to Roxanne’s murder.  Baracas doesn’t want his predilections getting out, but he doesn’t seem to be complicit.  

Weckler 

We know Vivian put security details on the Chaos Killer’s victims, including her pet politician Baracas.  Presumably, security reported back to her about Baracas’ visits to Roxanne the Dominatrix, and the peeping tom who witnessed everything.  

It’s two birds with one stone - turn Weckler’s daughter into a zombie, and then blackmail him with her safety.  “Keep your mouth shut about Baracas, and while you’re at it, we’re going to need you to steal the memory card evidence.”   Oops.  You weren’t supposed to murder her.

I’m guessing that the second lawyer’s whispered comment to Weckler had been for him to confess and halt the investigation in exchange for Tatum’s safety.  

The prison guard is almost incidental. Anybody could have paid him to kill Weckler, and anybody could have paid the second killer who killed the guard.  

Stolen Cure 

Why did Vivian learn that Major was human again?  She didn’t do anything with the information.  In fact, she was dead ten minutes later?  So why did the writers go to the trouble of showing us that scene?  

Major, right before the crash:  “She wants to talk to Ravi about how I was cured when she gets back.”  

***Sidenote.  Ravi doesn’t share a single scene with Vivian or Chase.  I’m predicting this is on purpose, and he’ll do something undercover in the finale.

Assuming Vivian wants to start a human/zombie war, a cure for zombie-ism is her worst nightmare.  She can’t have her fighters being captured and cured.  

Chase, on the other hand, doesn’t ask about a cure.  He seems to assume Major was human all along, and just really fucking lucky.  

Aleutian Flu

So Aleutian Flu is code for a bio-weapon, and this particular strain has been traced a specific Paris - Seattle flight.  At the time of Katty’s killing, all passengers have been interviewed, with the exception of four first-class passengers.  

Old racist woman, who knows nothing.

Sikh father with a baby, who heard a barking dog nearby

Miserable husband, whose wife ended up in coach due to a mixup.  To appease her, he traded seats with 17D, Patrice Gold.  

???  

Between the barking dog and the napkin with Katty’s name written on it, my boy Chase is looking awfully suspicious here.  

On the other hand, (1) Liv and Clive have a list of the four passengers, and would both recognize his name if he used it.  (2)  is he stupid enough to leave evidence connecting him to a murder on his nightstand?  (3) is he even more stupid to bring the woman investigating the murder back to his bed, knowing the napkin was there?  

Possibilities

If Chase was on the flight, did he also switch seats with another coach passenger?

Or had Katty already interviewed him and cleared him from suspicion.

Is that why he had the napkin with her name on it?

He clearly did not have sex with her.  His scene with Major earlier makes it clear that he knows Zombie/Human sex is off limits.

And Catty wasn’t a zombie at her time of death.

But SHE wouldn’t know the danger of sleeping with him, and there was nothing stopping her from shoving a napkin at him with her room number.

I mean, I WOULD!!!

Or is the napkin there for another reason?  He jotted the info down while listening to a voice mail?  He thinks their luggage got switched?  Vivian manipulated it somehow?  

Assuming Vivian is the Big Bad, she would know the date of her “death” in advance, and would have time to send Patrice to Paris to await further instructions.  

Like “Chase will be on flight xyz at this time.  Make sure you’re on the same flight, and release the toxin then.”  

Vivian Stoll vs. Chase Graves 

Most of this analysis rests on the assumption that Chase remained in Tripolli prior to Vivian’s death.  It’s completely possible that he came back to Seattle weeks or months earlier in order to wreck mayhem everywhere.  

Where Vivian edges Chase out, is that we’ve been shown her connection to the different entities:  the Tuttle-Reed family, Harley John and the tracker in his car, Baracas and the other Chaos Killer victims, the cure, and her admission of infecting all of the FG employees.  If Chase shares any of those connections, we haven’t been shown on screen.  

Where Chase edges Vivian out, is we’ve been shown a connection to Katty and the Aleutian Flu through the napkin and White Fang.  If Vivian shares this connection, we haven’t been shown on screen.  And if Chase was in fact on this flight, that negates the idea of him being in Seattle all along.

Potential Accomplices:

Zack Stoll:  Share’s a last name with Vivian, but seems genuinely decent.  Also, caught in the blast, though it looks as if his upper half makes it out.

Carey Gold:  Maybe?  A little TOO convenient, especially with Clive learning she’s Patrice’s mother.  Has constant access to Chase.  Capable of slipping Katty’s napkin in his pockets while he’s naked tanning (thank you Rob Thomas!).  At least mildly involved, as Tatum is living in her home, and her daughter was on the flight from Paris.  Still, I don’t think she’s the main accomplice.  She seems surprised too often, and only owns one everyday dress.  Pay your employees better, Chase.  

Patrice Gold:  Probably capable of conspiring without her mother’s knowledge.  Her seat number was written down on Katty’s napkin, and she was obviously the passenger Katty was killed to keep from interviewing.  Also, Tatum seems more frightened of Patrice.  

Justin:  My choice for most likely suspect.  

Becomes Major’s Insta-BFF at a time when he needs one the most.

Convinces Major that he’s a great guy, then targets Liv for romance with Major’s blessing.  

The cans of Super Max.  Liv initiated that request, but from Chase’s reaction to the theft, I’m guessing they were under lock and key.  

Not saying Chase wasn’t an asshole to shoot him, just that I feel like there’s something more to the Super Max angle.  

Who found the guns in Harley John’s truck?  Oh yeah.  This guy.  

Who worked the Baracas party where a shooter fired the same guns?  You guessed it.  Justin.

In Conspiracy Weary, Justin lies and tells Liv that Harley John’s compound wasn’t worth checking out.  It hadn’t been used in months.

Liv questions this statement aloud once she gets a look at it. 

Harley’s been building his underground bunker for all this time.

And the machinery was so loud, even the neighbors could hear it.  

 Justin conveniently pulls Major out of the party mere moments before the explosion.  

Too. Good. To. Be. True.   Nobody’s that sweet and pleasant.  

[rae0fsunsh1ne]

The Order S1E04

I’m rewatching The Order for the 4th time and basically just gonna live blog it so if you don’t want to see my blabbering posts about each episode you can block the tag #Rachel obsesses about The Order

1.04

Randall once again just hanging out in Jack’s too waiting for him

“Woah, as your RA it kind of sounds like you’re depressed.”

Randall is so nonchalant about murder

“Flossing is your friend”

Vera hitting us with her catch phrase again

The sign outside the Blade and Chalace says “Today’s Special But 2 Drinks + DRINK THEM!” and I am dead

Randall may be a werewolf, but he needs better table manners. such a messy boi

“My D&D character!” great cover up

“You’re a bomb, I get it!”

“Do you trust me?” “Not at all.”

The dialogue on this show is impeccable

Sir Richard De Payne

Using an undead corpse as a hiding place is actually pretty brilliant

Lillith is just a lil murder puppy

Of course Jack is gonna read the books in the basement and check out all the magic stuff, y’all locked him down there for hours and didn’t expect him to get bored?

Once again, Edward is being creepy towards Alyssa and it makes me so uncomfy

I remember when I watched this ep for the first time I thought there would be something somehow marriage related or weird about them specifically using the phrase “I do” in the incantation between Edward and Alyssa because of the predatory vibes that Edward gives off

“I’m body positive!” damn, yeah Randall you should be. pheeewwww hot damn

No but seriously………… I’m drooling

And Randall saved a kid from being abducted because he’s a goddamn cinnamon roll

When Randall says that Hamish gave him about responsibility and that “they” took him into the hide locker, does he mean Hamish and Cassie? Or was Cassie already dead by then and it was Hamish and Lillith?

GOddamn Sir Richard De Payne with that jump scare! the first time i watched I had looked away right at that moment and had to rewind to see what happened and I paused it right on his creepy ass face

Lillith my murder puppy is so descriptive when talking about her kills!

“GRANDMA NO!!!”

Hamish is wise, and sassy

And his skills as a mixologist go so very under appreciated

I can’t think of any other werewolf media I’ve seen that uses the phrase “wolf out” except for Big Wolf on Campus

“Thanks for turning me into a murderer”

This interaction between Jack and Alyssa is not exactly the most romantic moment to have a first kiss

“Your lips are so soft……” calm down Alyssa you thirsty bitch

I looove the way the pages of the Vade Maecum pull themselves back together with those spindly little creepy threads, such a cool effect

The hug between Edward and Alyssa makes me feel super uncomfy

What story did Jack give Vera about how Prof. Clarke died because he definitely didn’t tell her about turning into a werewolf but he also wasn’t the one who performed the spell in the first place so………?

“No one is eating my ethics professor!” “Guys, come on!”

I will never get over how much chaotic bisexual energy Randall possesses

[ralphmorgan-blog1]

31 Horror Movies Streaming On Netflix For Every Day Of October

Tiger House

An underrated home invasion gem you may not have heard of about a girl who sneaks into her boyfriend’s house only to be trapped when her his family is under attack.

Dark Signal

A killer movie about a group of women who realize they’re the targets.

Curve

If you liked Julliane Hough in but you kind of wished it was a horror movie instead…

Taking Lives

Technically a thriller, not a horror movie, but there’s a moment in this movie that haunts me every time I turn out the lights and get into bed without checking underneath first.

Come Back to Me

A movie not many have heard of but with a genuinely good twist ending.

Children of the Corn

This franchise gets a lot of grief, the but the original is still scary after all these years. Up the ante by reading the Stephen King short story and then watching.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

The unnerving horror classic. Watch if you have not seen.

The Sixth Sense

If you’re like me, you didn’t think to rewatch this one since it came out almost 20 years ago because you already know the big ending. This suspenseful thriller is worth a rewatch, however, and it’s scares hold up.

Sleepy Hollow

Nothing like a nice murder mystery starring Johnny Depp.

It Follows

One of the best horror films of the last decade.

Hush

If you haven’t seen this yet, you’re missing out. It’s a new twist on a classic serial killer slasher movie.

V/H/S

A fresh feeling horror anthology of scary stories. There are two other movies in the V/H/S series that are streaming, so you could make it a trilogy night!

The Invitation

It was hard to see where this one was going to go, but the twist was upsetting and worth it. A group of old friends meet for a dinner party, but the host has a proposition not everyone will want to get on board with…

13 Cameras

The man in this is terrifying. Don’t watch this alone if you’re a renter.

The Girl in the Photographs

Wes Craven executive produced this slash film about a killer who takes photographs of his victims.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Worth adding to your watch list for when you need a break from horror, or to have something on hand you can watch with your family and still stay in the Halloween spirit.

Intruder

During a weekend storm a young woman isn’t as alone in her apartment as she thinks.

Sharknado

They’ve made five of these films, it’s just good campy fun.

The Astronaut’s Wife

A sci-fi thriller with genuinely scary moments, for a lighter night.

Kristy

A girl at her deserted college campus is terrorized by masked madmen over a holiday weekend.

Honeymoon

A genuinely creepy flick about a couple honeymooning at a remote cabin.

The Rezort

A dystopian future in which people go on “big game” hunting trips to zombie infested reserves.

The Houses October Built

A perfect Halloween movie that follows a camera crew investigating the absolute scariest haunted houses.

Creep

A beloved sleeper hit that’s getting a sequel next year.

The Craft

Has a few scary moments if you’re afraid of snakes, but mostly worth the watch for the wardrobe inspiration.

Preservation

I’ve never heard anyone else talk about this movie, but it genuinely scared me. A small group on a camping trip run into some bad news strangers.

Beyond the Gates

Two brothers clean up their dad’s stuff after he goes missing and find a mysterious VHS that may explain where he went.

Be Afraid

A man’s insomnia coincides with supernatural beings interacting with his son.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning

The beginning of Leatherface.

The Holidays

Only a true horror fan would appreciate an anthology that helps you put a dark spin on holiday.

Perfect Stranger

More of a thriller than a horror film, but dark and unsettling all the same.

More From this publisher : HERE

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31 Horror Movies Streaming On Netflix For Every Day Of October was originally posted by A 18 MOA Top News from around

[cloudtales]

MURDOCH MYSTERIES Rewatch: (S02E07) Big Murderer on Campus

MURDOCH MYSTERIES Rewatch: (S02E07) Big Murderer on Campus

Yannick Bisson and Jonny Harris in Murdoch Mysteries

Murdoch Mysteries opens on a University Quad, where two boys watch a female coed undress. Suddenly, a gunshot cuts through the stillness. A man falls over dead inside a near-by dormitory.

Later, Detective Murdoch (Yannick Bisson) plays with a cross-bow in his office. However, his experiment is cut short by the arrival of Inspector Brackenried…

[rae0fsunsh1ne]

The Order S2E01

I’m rewatching The Order for the 4th time and basically just gonna live blog it so if you don’t want to see my blabbering posts about each episode you can block the tag #Rachel obsesses about The Order

2.01

Waking up next to Gabrielle and she calls him babe and he calls her Gabby, bleeghhgh

Jack doesn’t even remember his father, Coventry is just ‘the missing billionaire’ in his head

is Gabrielle actually into Jack or is she just doing this as some petty stab at Alyssa because she hates her?

Jack’s hair tho

He looks pretty damn hot as a blonde, and I was never really all that attracted to him

WAIT VERA SAYS NORIWCH, THAT”S WHERE ITS SET! Norwich is in Connecticut! Last season she implied that Coventry lived in Manhattan which is like 4 hours away

“I promise to give my life………. TO CHEER SQUAD!!!”

Jack looks so awkward dancing, errrrr…. cheering. he is… not very good……. sorry buddy

Gabrielle the Stage Mom ™

Randall turns into a blubbering mess in front of Jack (a totally heterosexual response)

“you stick……. I’ll bench you..”

Chaotic bisexual puppy

Lilith is also bi af

Because nobody on this show is straight i swear to god

SNAP AND SHINE

Gabrielle is definitely not into Jack and is just being a petty bitch

Randall needs 20 hours of exercise a day because he is a hyperactive puppy

they are all puppies

Oooh, I love a good secret passage way hidden behind a bookcase, that’s the dream

Vera. Is. So. Hot.

A reputation for being too soft, hah. In comparison to other shitty Order members I guess Vera really is a big ol’ softie tho

Professor Foley has the weirdest rules for his office hours, the fuck

Sometimes I forget that Jack is actually smart. probably because it’s only academically and not in any practical way because he makes dumb decisions all the time

‘should your government have the right to assassinate an enemy leader’ ‘some leaders deserve it’ hmmmmm………….. foreshadowing?

The guy burns from the inside out which reminds me of Supernatural

‘every time someone dies from magic on campus, I’m the first one everyone blames’ uhhh, yeah cause your go-to solution to your problems is MURDER

Poor Brandon…..

GENDER NEUTRAL COLLECTIVE

this dumb disciple, they told you NO MAGIC and now look you’re just getting ripped to shreds

‘why am i covered in blood?” “this can’t be blood” *licks* “oh yeah that’s blood”

Kepler was so different last season when she was infatuated with Coventry and kind of pathetic, without him around she’s now a snotty bitch who apparently actually has a backbone

oh Wow it’s just sO WeiRd that there’s clothes in all your exact sizes, in bedrooms perfect decorated to your tastes……. hmmm wow so weird

“i can….. smell them??”

I never noticed that Hamish and Jack smack Selena and Nicole together and knock them out. what a team

“I bet you can’t name even one of your precious victims” *Vera lists every single one, in chronological order* You bet your ass she can!

“Diego should only count as half”

ew his body just smashes apart, body parts everywhere

Alyssa downplaying her ‘romantic’ involvement with Jack ‘there was an attraction’ nah bitch you both were obsessed lovesick idiots who did so many stupid things for each other

“Aliens? Superheros? ALIEN SUPERHEROES?”

Kill-ith, yes my murder puppy

Jack just starts stripping his clothes off in front of everybody, and then they all just do the same and they don’t think that’s weird

‘i need the perfect partner for it’ ‘I’m perfect’ y’know, I kinda like Angus

Big dramatic scene, Jack is standing there just fully naked, hands covering his junk, totally chill and normal, not weird at all

Interesting that Alyssa’s magic didn’t fuck up when she gave their memories back

“yo, magic is real!”

“can you fly? can i fly? DUDE CAN WE FLY?”

Lilith *gay panic*

“That’s what i love about our initiation ceremony, it’s brief and casual and you get to the drinking a hell of a lot quicker”

now BURN IT TO THE GROUND