#sandman 2x04

[amphetamine-keen]

The Oldest Game sequence is so fascinating to me. Partly just the way the game works, being a duel with no physical movement, but more than that.

I am enamored with the way that Dream wins.

Dream doesn't win because he (or the Endless in general) is stronger than fallen angels. (though I suppose that would be true were Dream at full strength), and he doesn't win because he's more clever than Lucifer either.

No, Dream wins because he is a fundamentally different person, and that reflects in his play choices.

I like to divide the scene into two parts.

The first starts when Lucifer plays? embodies? a Direwolf. And for the first part of the sequence, Dream is just responding to Lucifer's plays. A Direwolf vs a Hunter. A Serpent vs a Bird of Prey.

And maybe it was a mistake on Lucifer's part or the only way the game could continue, but when Lucifer plays the Butcher Bacterium, the first move that isn't a really tangible thing, it changes the game.

This is what I call the second part. You'll notice that, after the Bird of Prey, none of Dream's moves hurt Lucifer. Unlike the Morningstar's moves, Dream's plays aren't weapons. Not one of them. In fact, they're the opposite.

Dream doesn't win by overpowering Lucifer, or even outsmarting him. In fact, the game is most likely rigged in Lucifer's favor. The problem is that the game is rigged on the assumption that there is only one way to play the Oldest Game: To be the biggest, baddest, most destructive thing imaginable.

Lucifer, just by nature of who and what he is, could never have won against someone like Dream.

And that probably makes Lucifer's loss even more humiliating. It's one thing for the ruler of hell to be overpowered by an Endless, to be left bleeding and possibly dying. That would be humiliating too, but it is nothing compared to losing to something as "pathetic" as hope.

(if Dream had been the one to play 'anti-life' then I think that Lucifer also would have lost just because he doesn't understand the power that hope holds, even as someone who was once an angel)

[peggysoussuperiority]

favourite quotes

“what power have dreams in hell?”

“what power would hell have if those imprisoned here were not able to dream of heaven?”

lucifer morningstar & dream of the endless, the sandman #4: a hope in hell; neil gaiman

“in the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless heavy dusk. their hands meet, and light spills in a flood like a hundred golden urns pouring out of the sun.”

the song of achilles; madeleine miller

“it had never occurred to me that our lives, which had been so closely interwoven, could unravel with such speed. if i’d known, maybe i’d have kept tighter hold of them, and not let unseen tides pull us apart”

kathy h., never let me go; kazuo ishiguro

“godspeed, my lonely angel”

madame du pompadour, doctor who 2x04: the girl in the fireplace

[siegelst]

NOS4R2 2X06 SPOILERS BEWARE rating: 4.8/6

Good episode, the only downside was having Vic and Lou try to get everyone to believe that Manx was back and tell them about Vic powers.  Road to CL was long. We do get a lot information and surprises in this episode.

Best Episodes: #1 2x05, #2 2x02,.  the rest of episodes: 2x04, 2x06, 2x03

Beckett in the game and using his powers to kill Vic by having a doctor give a drug that might kill her.  Maggie also finds this out and she is in most of this episode. While I like Maggie, she spends a lot of time going after Sandman/Beckett. I do admit the scenes of sandman Beckett was not enough make a lasting memory, they didn’t seem to give information on his powers and why he’s scary guy.  Beckett has been trying to find immortality similar to Manx and has ask Maggie tiles who replied ‘NO’ thankfully. Beckett powers to kill the people in the end is his choice rather or not if he want his memories. So if he controls a person and doesn’t kill them, he loses his memories.

How one would control with how one work their knife without any downfalls such as seizures by using pain to replace the seizures -so now Maggie had learned a way to get around that obstacle at last by the Hourglass Man. Thanks dude. Maggie Vs. Becket happens. Maggie wins. Agent Hunter also gets kicked out of her job. FU job.

Back to the McQueen family and Vic is going crazy with her lost kid. Mostly throughout the episode of Vic explaining her powers to her parents and filling them in on what happen all those years. Later Vic’s motorbike is taken apart and Lou is here to the rescue.  I got lost on WHY THE MOTORBIKE WAS TAKEN APART? It seem that was unnecessary to do and if the bike was somewhat broke I’ll understand but every single piece was off. it was  suddenly ‘lets build a motorbike show!’.   

Manx and Wayne are taking a long time to get to CL *snow is everywhere* we get a lovely surprise of ghost! Craig or Revenant! Craig. but it seems he is just appearing to Wayne and Manx doesn’t seem to see Craig at all. This is interesting because it could be because Craig died in the Wraith - his soul is trapped in Manx’s Enscape or it because since Craig is wayne’s father, therefore its a family ghost coming back to help out -  but i am guessing it is both - which goes back to Manx’s wife has also died in the car and we did see her too in last episodes. Craig warns Wayne not to believe in Manx lies and later he also tells Wayne when to call Vic.

We back to Manx and Wayne *normal fall weather outside* and Wayne is loosing himself and killing butterflies and they park at the Car junk yard. WHY? He has the kid so why not get to CL as quick as possible? apparently Manx isn’t 100% healed. ugg. They nap and later Manx wake up and I end up being right again! 

Bing is back and confronts Manx outside his car with the gas mask and puts Manx to sleep and he does something to the car. We see the last of Manx being dragged away from the wraith.

I’m both Yeaaass and NOOO about this part cause yes I want Manx to get a taste of his deception/manipulation but at the same time no because Bing is awful and knowing Manx childhood past, I really hope nothing bad happens to him besides get punch in the face. Plus doesn’t Manx have supernatural strength anyway? THE END. 

While this was a good episode,  I still think 2x05 was the best along with 2x02.

*Book spoiler* there was another scene in the book that instead of Craig Wayne sees, it was an aunt or grandmother?, Manx was old and turn Young and then dead corpse-like during this- which i really wanted to see this in action but i understand not wanting to do makeup effect for 6+hrs. end BookSpoiler**

[torturedswiftie]

I’M NOT WEAK BUT I’M NOT LIKE YOU

THE 100 REWATCH COUNTDOWN

2x04 “Many Happy Returns”

Note taker:

Jaha the sandman

Another Ark station!

Sinclair and raven my heart!

Bellamy Blake is a selfless hero so help me

First mention of the city of light

Wick and raven! I actually liked them together

Petition to have Bellamy Blake see Clarke Griffin covered in mud

Raven trying to climb the tower 😭

Murphy got his first hero moment hurray!

Raven needs a realistic motivational speech thanks wick

Oh a hot air ballon

A few take aways: I feel like Clarke has missed some of Bellamy’s true heroic moments and it’s frustrating because I know she sees him as heroic and selfless but being in the middle of a moment like this (saving the girl on the side of the mountain) would only make Clarke love him more. I also think Bell shies away from the truly heroic moments when Clarke’s around because he doesn’t see himself as a hero and probably thinks she would never see him that way either. And Bellamy has SO many heroic moments in s2!