#sandman ep 5

[clowndensation]

i do like sandman a lot, but episode 5 is so. the little will-they-won't-they flirty dance the show does with having a homophobic subplot is so cowardly alkdjalkdja.

like having bette tell marsh "judy's so pretty, she could have any man in town. some people are just afraid to be happy" because she disapproves of her gf, and then having her try to set judy up with mark, is very clear lesbophobia. it's not subtle, and judy's character is heavily impacted by that, as evidenced by her "everyone here judges me, you all think i'd be so much happier if i just fucked a dude" conversation with john.

which just makes the #plottwist that actually bette's just saying that because she wants to get with judy... ineffective writing?

1. it undercuts a major part of judy's character, in the same way that the classic "i wouldn't do that if i were you" "why, because i'm a woman?" "no, because (enter plausible reason here)" gotcha that people use to show that their male character is a #feminist (and thus making the female character look like a paranoid and judgemental bitch), undercuts their female characters. it renders her genuine frustration at the bigotry she faces harmless, because the bigotry she faces doesn't actually stem from people hating her for being a lesbian. and

2. Literally What Is The Point Of That Twist. like if they wanted to cut out the homophobia subplot from the comics, they could have cut it entirely? just not included any lesbophobia, and had bette be critical of donna without adding the boyfriend comments. but instead they like... half included it, in a way that cuts all the meaning and impact away from it. so the homophobia just ends up... a fun callback for comic fans to pick up? without digging any deeper into why those homophobic comments are present in the story, because the writers were afraid that portraying genuine homophobia might alienate their queer audience. bit silly.

[scrumptiouswordsthings]

Rosemary in The Sandman

We meet Rosemary in Ep. 4 of The Sandman, A Hope in Hell, and she is one of the characters who had some big changes from the comics (WARNING: spoilers for comics and Ep. 4 ahead).

For anyone unfamiliar or in need of a refresher, in the comics, she appears in Passengers (Preludes and Nocturnes #5), and she is a nurse driving past Arkham Asylum when John Dee (naked) accosts her and demands she drive him to Mayhew. During the drive, and while being held and gunpoint, she attempts to offer him some kindness - she offers him a sandwich, her husband's coat, and listens to him expound on his life story. She mentions her two daughters, and when she drops Dee off at Mayhew they seem to have a decent rapport. Dee thanks her for the ride before promptly shooting her.

Now to The Sandman show, which dramatically changes Rosemary's story. She does still pick up Dee in her car to take him to Mayhew, albeit with much less threatening as she offers it out of kindness and with no threats on Dee's part. Their conversation on the drive reveals that Dee is not of sound mind and has been kept away from regular society for awhile although they do discuss her children and philosophize a bit together. She does the sensible thing and attempts to have a gas station clerk call 911 when they stop. Dee, however, has a magical protection amulet that puts a quick stop to that. Rosemary continues to drive him to Mayhew although she is terrified of him now. When she drops Dee off in Mayhew she simply asks that he does not hurt her dog, Susie, who is in the car with her. She also, while admitting that she will regret this *out loud*, offers to drive him elsewhere even after she is sure that he plans to kill her. Dee, in a reversal from the comics, takes off his protection amulet and gives it to Rosemary before sending her on her way home physically unharmed.

So, we have our two Rosemary's. I, personally, adored the changes made for the most part in the show and this change was one of my favorites. She still relies on empathy, but in the show it feels less of a manipulation and just is an element of her core personality. Part of my interest in specifically the change to her character's fate in the show is because Dee's actions directly following Rosemary driving Dee to Mayhew send the world into chaos due to his misuse of Dream's ruby. There are fires, rioting, and the kind of events that can be summed up as the world gone mad.

Comics Rosemary is deceased, and hence does not care, but TV Rosemary not only is experiencing this chaos but is also in possession of a potent protection amulet that likely ensures she is near untouchable by violence of any sort. There is no sudden and violent ending of her story in the TV show which leaves so much open potential for the character's experiences. What will the rest of this character's life look like after this brush with the supernatural and likely death? How much of what happens immediately after she drops Dee off impact her and her place in the Sandman universe? Or does it have any impact outside of what Dee's presence in her life already caused? There is so much potential in this open end!

[everyones-least-favorite-bard]

waugh! @solcarow got my ass 10 fandoms/10 characters/10 tags

ty for the tag beloved <3333

1) orv - gotta be han sooyoung my evil terrible wife with her big horrible evil heart

2) dc - hiiiii minhkhoa khan helloooo horrible awful emotionally repressed man get his as in therapy stat!!!! i want to put him in a microwave

3) star wars - anakin skywalker <3 little tragic figure babygirl i would like to make him commit more crimes actually i think he didnt do enough

4) ace attorney - PENIS WRITE!!! FREAKZOID OF A MAN

5) jjba - basic bitch answer but kujo jotaro!!! marine biology loser boy he is my princess i put him through incalculable horrors

6) fmab - edward elric my darling boy. my son. i miss him i need to watch fmab again (<-watched fmab not three months ago)

7) gekkan shoujo nozaki kun - its gotta be hori masayuki man. believes hes the most hinged but is in fact perhaps the most freak of them all. but tbh you could say that about any of the main cast, ,,

8) great pretender - LAURENT THIERRY HORRIBLE HORRIBLE TRASH MAN I HATE HIM HE SUCKS HE OCCUPIES INCALCULABLE TIME IN MY THOUGHTS

9) sandman - (i am aware this overlaps w dc shhhhh it counts i swear) death. i rewatch ep 6 of the show like once a week minimum.

10) hxh - gon! love that lil guy im putting him in a petri dish and studying him with a microscope

gyeaugh 10 tags. uh. @buqbite @controlaltdelete-my-existence @toast-of-eden @kuroko99 @harpieisthecarpie @rusquared @clockwards @noparg @not-a-kelpie @macaronijail06 dont feel obligated to participate it is merely A Game beloveds

[ericdeggans]

My Best TV of 2022: A (Unexpectedly) Long List

This is not a problem I expected to have, early in 2022.

Back then, the quality of TV shows was so disappointing, I considered writing one of those cranky, old-school critic’s columns complaining about how the glut of shows in our modern, streaming-fueled media environment was ruining everything.

I should have just waited around a bit. Because, even though I was mightily disappointed by some of the biggest TV projects on the docket – everything from CNN+ to Lords of the Rings: Rings of Power (the repetition in the title should have been warning enough) – lots more TV shows surprised and delighted me this year. Too many to fit on a top ten or top 12 list.

In fact, there were too many to fit on this excellent roundup prepared by me and five other critics at NPR.org (we each got about eight choices). And I will fess up now – I didn’t vibe with FX’s Reservations Dogs in its first season, so I didn’t keep up with the second and it’s not on my list. Many apologies to devoted fans of a show I’m very glad exists and so many love. But I’m not among you devotees (at least not yet).

Here's my list of fave shows from 2022, in no particular order. It’s by design very subjective, so I welcome debate, but it’s about what touched ME on TV this year:

Andor (Disney+) – Started slow, but turned into a masterful reinvention of the Star Wars universe, focused on the gritty, merciless beginnings of the Rebel Alliance. Who knew a Star Wars show with no lightsabers, no Jedi Knights and no Force could be just what the franchise needed? REVIEW

Atlanta (FX/Hulu) – The last two seasons, both released this year, weren’t nearly as impactful as its first two. But this show remains an excellent showcase for creativity and ambitious storytelling in portraying the lives of a quartet of Black millennials.

Here’s a Q&A I moderated w/Atlanta cast and producers at SXSW

Better Call Saul (AMC) – This Breaking Bad spinoff stuck the landing in series finale that capped both the origin AND ending stories of criminal lawyer Saul Goodman. REVIEW

Abbott Elementary (ABC) – Sidesplitting mockumentary-style comedy about teaching in a Philadelphia school that is so good, because it’s absurd humor is so close to the actual truth. PROFILE of star Quinta Brunson.

The Patient (Hulu) – Steve Carrell delivers his most impressive dramatic role as a therapist interrogating his own messy personal history while kidnapped and forced to help a serial killer. REVIEW.

The U.S. and the Holocaust (PBS) -- Star documentarian Ken Burns reveals how antisemitism in America busted the myth that the U.S. was always on the side of the angels as Adolf Hitler took power in Germany and began implementing his Final Solution.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+) – Focused on the Starship Enterprise 10 years before James T. Kirk would take command, it’s a welcome return to a rollicking, adventure-a-week series that recalls the spirit of the original Trek series better than any other modern reboot/revival. REVIEW

Severance (Apple TV+) - for review, click here

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) - REVIEW

Euphoria (HBO) - for review, click here 

A League of Their Own (Prime Video) -REVIEW

This is Us (NBC) - interview w/creator Dan Fogelman here

Sidney (Apple TV +) - REVIEW here

Under the Banner of Heaven (FX/Hulu) - for review, click here

We Own This City (HBO) - for interview w/EP David Simon, click here

Barry, season three (HBO) - for review, click here

Stranger Things (Netflix) - REVIEW

We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime) - PCHH discussion here

Harley Quinn (HBO Max) - 

The Sandman (Netflix)

As We See It (Prime Video) - REVIEW

The Good Fight (Paramount+)

The Dropout (Hulu) - 

The Crown (Netflix) - DISCUSSION here

The Handmaid’s Tale, season 5 (Hulu)

Ozark, season 4 (Netflix) - REVIEW here

Ms. Marvel (Disney+)

[peachviz]

Weekly TV wrap up:

Palm Royale - Apple TV +, 1 Season & 10 episodes, averages about 40-50 mins per episode

Takeaway: charming, super camp, amazing cinematography, i want everybody’s wardrobe, Allison Janney can do no wrong, whodunnit, would watch a season 2, give it a try

Ready, Set, Love - Netflix, 1 season 6 episodes, avg about 1+ hr per episode

Takeaway - also camp, underdog in the way that i was pleasantly surprised, beautiful cinematography, intentional production design down to the costumes, funny, kinda corny but cute, dystopian (?), hunger games and squid games but nobody dies, give it a watch

Conan O’Brien Must Go - Max, 1 season 4 episodes, avg about 44 minutes per episode

Takeaway- super quick watch, hilarious, super chaotic, they could never make me hate you Conan, a great thing to have on in the background, give it a watch (BONUS WATCH: watch his hot ones interview)

CURRENTLY WATCHING

Star Trek: Voyager - Paramount+, 7 seasons, currently on season 3

Thoughts: should have watched this before ds9 bc my brain is ds9 poisoned, really hasn’t gotten my interest until the end of season 2 and maybe some of 3, having a real hard time connecting to anyone, Tuvok slays and that’s about it, Janeway is cool but see previous voyager post to get my temperature on her as a whole,

Slay episode so far of Season 3: Future’s End (Tuvok🤤)

Not slay episode: The Q and the Grey

Dead Boy Detectives - 1 season 8 episodes, avg 50+ minutes per episode, currently on episode 4

Thoughts: Loved sandman, having a tougher time with this one idk why, don’t hate it, don’t know if i love it yet, hopefully will change my mind

Delicious in Dungeon (At risk of me dropping) - Netflix, 1 season 24 episodes, average 20 minutes per episode, currently on episode 3

Thoughts: did it for Laios 🤭, i watched my hero all the way up until season 5 and then got content burnout bc they don’t know when to end it and i have a feeling this is about to be the same way, also do not care about the food show me the man. Someone convince me to stay and that it gets better

Hilda Hurricane (furacão) - 1 season 35 episodes, avg 55-45 minutes per episode, currently on ep 24

Thoughts: slowburn, slooooowwwwburrrnnnn, if it ain’t Hilda and Malthus i start skipping, been watching this for 3 months kinda over it, was easily influenced and i regret it

[gaywatch]

Can I watch dead boy detectives without having finished watching sandman? bc i only saw the first few eps of sandman and all these asks is making me want to watch dead boy detectives now

I've only seen the first episode of DBD, but I'd say if you've seen 1x06 of Sandman, you're safe to start Dead Boy Detectives. (And if you haven't seen through ep 6 of Sandman, you absolutely should. Eps 5 and 6 should not be missed.)

[kenneth-the-mudmander]

For bonus points: Explain in the tags why its your favorite. (Also, does anyone else sit through the credits each watch through, or just me? Lol)

[boydholbrookfanpage]

BHFP Masterlist / Mobile Links

PERMANENT HIATUS.

If you want to keep track of the gifs that I've made, I will be making a new "Gif Packs by Dax" profile that will be a sideblog to my new main page. My old blog @thepnwvarmints will be deactivated along with all of it's side blogs over time, this bein' one of those. Sorry, Boyd fans. Someone targeted my profile and Tumblr stopped approving my appeals, even though it wasn't explicit. Not much I can do other than move profiles. Take care and stay safe!

Much love...

-Dax

BHFP Gif Sets

BHFP Gif Packs

BHFP Edits

BHFP Pics

BHFP Icons / Avatars

BHFP Gif Icons

David Armstrong

Young Boyd Pics

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Edits by Others

Boyd Interview Gifs

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Candid Boyd Pics

Boyd Holbrook Pics

Boyd Holbrook Vids/Clips

Gifs by Year of Boyd’s Career:

2007 ; 2008 ; 2009 ; 2010 ; 2011 ; 2012 ; 2013 ; 2014 ; 2015 ; 2016 ; 2017 ; 2018 ; 2019 ; 2020 ; 2021 ; 2022 ; 2023

Photoshoots/Stills by Year:

2002 ; 2003 ; 2004 ; 2005 ; 2008 ; 2009 ; 2010 ; 2011 ; 2012 ; 2013 ; 2014 ; 2015 ; 2016 ; 2017 ; 2018 ; 2019 ; 2020 ; 2021 ; 2022 ; 2023 … Unknown Year

Gifs by Character:

The Corinthian ; Steve Murphy ; Quinn McKenna ; Donald Pierce ; John McBride; Ty Shaw ; JJ Mackay ( Jack Jr ) ; Miracle Guy ; Kaden ; Mike Ferro ; Mohamed Lundy ; Skip Vronsky ; Billy ; Danny Maguire ; Amos Jenkins ; David ; Jeff ; Aaron ; Craig ; Peter Kristo ; Douglas Carey ; Tynan ; Mykail ; Young Donald Pierce ; Clement Mansell ; Luke Ford ...

Gifs by Episodes: [ Under Construction ]

The Sandman: Ep 1 ; Ep 2 ; Ep 3 ; Ep 7 ; Ep 8 ; Ep 9 ; Ep 10

Justified: City Primeval - Ep 1 ; Ep 2 ; Ep 3 ; Ep 4 ; Ep 5 ; Ep 6 ; Ep 7 ; Ep 8

Narcos: Season 1 - Ep 1 ; Ep 2 ; Ep 3 ; Ep 4 ; Ep 5 ; Ep 6 ; Ep 7 ; Ep 8 ; Ep 9 ; Ep 10

Narcos: Season 2 - Ep 1 ; Ep 2 ; Ep 3 ; Ep 4 ; Ep 5 ; Ep 6 ; Ep 7 ; Ep 8 ; Ep 9 ; Ep 10

The Big C: Season 2 - Ep 6 ; Ep 7 ; Ep 8 ; Ep 9 ; Ep 10 ; Ep 11

[moorishflower]

Oh there's another one of these @iprefertheterminsane tagged me to list 8 shows to get to know me

Heroes - This was the first fandom I was super active in! Heroes was smart, sleek, sexy, the characters were compelling and the concept was really cool, it launched Zachary Quinto's career, and if you pretend there was never more than one season it still holds up AMAZING.

Star Trek TOS - There's not a ton of shows where rampant optimism and hope are the core values of the program, but Star Trek is the OG for that, and that's why it still resonates so strongly with so many people. I remember watching this with my dad as a child.

The X-Files - In a similar vein, I remember watching this with my mom. When I was young I didn't know if I wanted to BE Dana Scully or if I wanted to date her (the answer actually WAS both). X-Files did monster of the week episodes RIGHT. Squeeze and Tooms are still some of the best motw eps from any show ever made. The mythos arcs almost always kept me on the edge of my seat, and when they made a character for you to hate, you HATED that character. No way to poor little meow meow the Cigarette Smoking Man.

Supernatural - Look. We were all there. or a lot of us were. In the trenches. SPN Started out SUPER super good. The Destiel years...immaculate. I watched intermittently after season 5, but I took it to heart when the writers said 5 was where it was meant to end. And they were right! It was a satisfying ending. It wasn't a HAPPY one. But it was satisfying.

Sense8 - This show had EVERYTHING. Multisexual polycule. Martial arts. Trans power. Psychic links. Empathy. Big orgy scene. It was SO good and so smart and that it was cancelled is STILL gut-wrenching.

NBC Hannibal - Heather can have a lil cannibalism as a treat

The Sandman - I mean, obviously my current obsession. I read a good amount of the comics when I was in high school and thought of them as appropriately dark and edgy and goth for me at the time, but the tv show really has brought it all slamming back home again, and I'm much more able to appreciate more nuanced themes like depression and personhood and grief now.

House MD - Combines several things I'm fascinated by: medical procedurals, Sherlock Holmes AUs, weird diseases, and Hugh Laurie. Shows like House are what I tend to gravitate back to when I want to watch something that I KNOW I don't need to think too hard about, but I want to see cool medical or forensic stuff. Bones and Criminal Minds also fill this itch, but House has a special place because, y'know, Hugh Laurie.

I am tired n nauseous so tag to ANYONE who sees this and wants to, I would love to know what you watch and if you'd recommend it <3

[slow-burn-sally]

Season 1 Ep 5 of The Sandman, 24/7 is nothing short of an epic masterpiece emotionally. From beginning to end, it is filled to the brim with perfectly tuned tension. Tension just permeates the air in almost every single moment of that episode. The acting was phenomenal, and the characters portrayed a wide range of subtle emotion, simmering rage, fear, social discomfort, envy, lust. There’s this pervasive, sustained, violin note of tension in the form of a constant when is the other shoe going to drop feeling about the whole thing. I’m not sure I’ve seen a better example of that since Alien in 1979. 

[its-all-ineffable]

The Witcher Season 3, Vol 1 - thoughts

Hi! Me! I just have to make a post because I binged all 5 eps yesterday and I am having thoughts and feelings and I need to get them out somehwere!

Long post ahead!

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR S3 VOL 1 BELOW!!!

So...JASKIER IS BISEXUAL!!!!

AND HAS A BOYFRIEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just...I have so many feelings about this. Like, as a bi person, it means so much to see one of my fave characters be blatantly bisexual on screen! Also, Jaskier has had so much shit recently, and he deserves someone who loves and appreciates him properly, and I am very happy he got that.

I admit, I was worried about Radovid at first, I thought he'd be manipulative and scheming, especially being with Philippa and Dijkstra, but no, he seems like a sweet, kind man. Also, he instantly fell in love with Jaskier and is so fucking whipped for him - he performed his song to him cause he loved it, MY HEART!! Like...they are just the best, and I'm worried the relationship or one of THEM won't survive the season...but for now, HELL YEAH FOR JASKIER X RADOVID!😍🥰

Right - the plot has actually been pretty solid so far, and I'm enjoying it!

Ciri and Jaskier's dynamic is to DIE FOR and I am so happy they seem to be getting along. Would've loved to see the development of the uncle Jaskier and niece Ciri, but that's what fanfic is for I guess! Also, Yen, Ciri and Geralt as a family was fucking adorable.

Hell yeah for Yarpen being back, and for his arc of finally calling Jaskier by his name when Jaskier helped save his people! Also I screeched when Jaskier got shot with that arrow - I genuinely fear he might be killed, though I'm not sure why...🥺😬

GERALT AND JASKIER TRAVELLING TOGETHER, BESTIES HELL YEAH!!!!!🎉 Like, I would like a PROPER apology Geralt (I sigh, and turn to fanfiction, knowing canon will never give that to me), but I am so happy to see them back together. Also, the friendly banter and teasing, the casual affection, the fact that Geralt is actually asking Jaskier to help him and they seem to be super close again, like that is PRECIOUS TO ME!

I would've liked more Yennefer and Jaskier interaction though, I missed them, but hopefully we'll get that in Vol 2, cause we see a Yenskier hug in the teaser!

Geralt is such a dad, and he's been so good with Ciri (mostly) and it warms my heart seeing him be so tender to her. Like, they are just the best! That bit when she jumped on him, and they wrestled playfully?! MY HEART!😍 (Also, RIP original Roach, gone but not forgotten)

Yen and Geralt as a (romantic) relationship have grown on me, I admit, and they had amazing chemistry, especially those last 2 eps, but I am a firm Geraskfer lover (and I love Yenskier and Geraskier seperately too; I started a Geraskier girl though and always will be). Having them at that Ball, and being a power couple was the best though!

Speaking of the Ball, FUCKING STREGOBOR GOT FUCKED UP HELL YEAH FUCK THAT DUDE!!!! I HAVE HATED HIM SINCE S1, SO GLAD HE'S GETTING WRECKED!!!🎉😎 Also, that fucking Vilgefortz twist...I KNEW I DISLIKED HIM FOR A REASON! But that whole thing was so well done, and also, Istredd and Geralt dancing together... I died laughing!!!🤣

Philippa is actaully super interesting and I'd love to know more about her! Seeing Cassie Clare acting more is making me love her though, and I hope she gets to shine again as Mazikeen in Sandman as well. She's so talented.

Ngl, hate Francesca now. She lost her baby yeah, but then she KILLED INNOCENT BABIES AS HER REVENGE? LIKE NO. THAT'S NOT OKAY. That turned me against her, and she's just generally pissing me off, which is a shame cause I really liked her in S2. Glad Fringilla escaped though, wondering when we'll see her again!

Also, is it bad that I kind of shipped Cahir and that elf, Gallatin?🤷‍♂️ Idk, I thought they were cute. Ffs Cahir, killing him?! Also, detour, but, Dara's hair though?! Phenomonal!

Also, so happy to see Jaskier already in four episodes, and we're deffo getting more of him! So glad my boy is getting to do more this season!

Anyway, that's it, for now. I needed to scream about S3!

I'd love to hear other people's thoughts too, through replies to this post and reblogs of it with your thoughts on the reblog or in the tags! Or even in asks or DMs!

[theguiltinessisyours]

okay I was a bit sceptic about the sandman because it had a bit of a slow start but then ep 5 came around and it was actually intriguing! AND THEN episode 6 happens and it has all of my favourite tropes 😭 Humans "cheating" Death and grappling with immortality, having a learning curve about it, immortal/inhuman beings being curious about humans, SHAKESPEARE MENTION (what in the Great Britain Good Omens Doctor Who is this why is he everywhere) and of course the best one: two fixed characters meeting throughout time and growing attached to each other ough I'm gonna be sick

[daydream-cement]

Hey are you planning on watching the sandman (or just ep 4 like some other writers lmao)?

I'd love to see you write some Lucifer fics since there is a severe lack especially on ao3 it currently has 5 (they are amazingly written though) and I'm dying out here-

I love your writing so much you're one of my favourite authors here on Tumblr and thank you for feeding the Larissa weems fandom!!!

i tried watching and i can't get into it. i will definitely watch some episodes to see if i can get a feel for the character.

im worried that i wont understand the character the way i do larissa

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, January 21st

REAL-ESTATE MANAGER: And we'll be asking for first, last, security, and a small cleaning deposit.

~~The Replacement~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Stirring Trouble by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Клин клином by B_E_S (Buffy/Angel, T, in Russian)

Inner Sanctum by MadeInGold (Willow/Giles/Angel, T)

The Bunny Issue by cmk418 (Xander/Anya, G)

Words by sparrow2000 (Oz, G)

A Hopeful World by Pinkperson (Buffy/Angel, T)

Stirring Trouble by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13, anthology rated R)

[Chaptered Fiction]

The Fox's Cry Chapter 6 by madimpossibledreamer (Persona 4/Angel Crossover AU, Gunn, Cordelia, Teen)

Who are You in Twenty Years? - Chapter 8 (COMPLETE!) by StrangeBint (Sandman and American Gods crossover, Faith, M)

Marry Me on Monday - Chapter 2 (COMPLETE!) by Jess_Ann_Perreault (Giles/Jenny, G)

but I’m bending the light connecting you to me - Chapter 12 (COMPLETE!) by winterlovesong (Buffy/Spike, T)

Let me rest in peace - Chapter 9 (COMPLETE!) cauliflower666 (Spike/OC, Explicit)

The Master and her Court - Chapter 1 by TheClowniestLivInExistence (Buffy/Angel/Darla/Drusilla/Spike, Explicit)

The End of Destiny - Chapter 1 by ConstantCommentTea (Angel, Cordelia, Connor, brief Doctor Who crossover, T)

It's Easy Time, Until It's Not, Ch. 31 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Wayward Girl, Ch. 3 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

To Boldly Go, Ch. 3 by Lady Emma (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Cherry On Top, Ch. 25 by Maxineeden (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Pack My Box with Five Dozen Liquor Jugs, Ch. 21 by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Afterburn, Ch. 7 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Surviving Together, Ch. 13-14 by ionlylikebadboys (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

The Yellowstone: A Safe Harbor, Ch. 3 by Buffyworldbuilder (Yellowstone crossover, Buffy, FR7)

To Boldly Go, Ch. 3 by Lady Emma (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Rules of Engagement, Ch. 7 by all choseny (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Pack My Box with Five Dozen Liquor Jugs, Ch. 21 by honeygirl51885 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

A Waxy Gent Chuckled Over My Fab Jazzy Quips, Ch. 21 by violettathepiratequeen (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Ready for it? Ch. 2 by Lilacsandorangeblossoms (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

To All We Guard, Ch. 1 by simmony (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

I Do! Ch. 19 by Dusty (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Clean Slate, Ch. 6 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Wayward Girl, Ch. 3 by ClowniestLivEver (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Coming Through, Ch. 2 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Drawing: they're going to in n out by genericaces (Angel, Cordelia, Fred, Wesley, Lorne, Gunn, worksafe)

Playlist: Dean and Buffy's car radio by waywardfallenone (Supernatural crossover)

a few quick doodles of some of my favorite early-season willow fits by cheerio-fujisnacki (worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Season 7 was my least favorite, but I just started appreciating it by Usernamelesses

Grave S6 E22 (Buffy and the Art of Story Podcast) - Lisa Lilly

[Recs & In Search Of]

Spotlight Saturday: Sparla (Spike/Darla fic recs and vid recs) by februaryfangfest

"Weight of the World" Score? - question by Big-Restaurant-2766

OhHeckBois is selling a season 8 and 9 comic collection

DarshDarker is looking for a song from "Get it Done"

[Fandom Discussions]

What kind of shower do you think Spike really has in his crypt? by am-i-the-one

[this is how I think Buffy characters would feel about Taytos] by xandersrailcrash

The methods of dealing with the big bads in Buffy are so funny by aingeal98

One thing I love about Willow is how aware she is in a meta sense by aingeal98

S2 EP 5 - Bangel and Buffy's Depression by olliedollie1204

Would Angel and Cordelia have sided with Buffy in "Empty Places"? by Agent Z and others

Xander calling [Riley] "teutonic" in the Initiative? by NowMindYou

Amy's mom is hot (Name your hottest 1 off villain) by Jwyldeboomboom

You get Jeff Pruit and Sophia Crawford back for three episodes... by Brodes87

Confused about the whole Ben/Glory thing [not a joke post] by Suspicious-Thing5215

Was there a different plan originally for Angel's S2 finale? by Nostromo87

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

Buffy Revamped is back on tour in the UK in February

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[shit-people-probably-didnt-say]

I finally watched The Sandman without being distracted and (Im going to be murdered for this) I don’t think it was very good…

The story bounced around between plots to almost complete incomprehension. With multiple side quests that didnt connect to what we think is the main story.

It had a whole confrontation with Desire that amounted to nothing other than they will try again? Try again to do what? For why?

Dreams theme tune was forgotten after like ep 4 or 5 so consistency of media was lost

Dream completed his objectives without any real fight, he just sanded them away with not much effort. Then he became a dickhead in ep 8 without warming

It started strong, but once he regained his items the show lost any idea of focus or direction in storytelling

The concept had a lot potential, but they fucked it

[deng-yi-deng]

CDramas I watched 2022 edition

I thought this would be my shortest cdrama list ever (+ 1 kdrama) because the year started out so slow, but it picked up dramatically towards the end. Still, this year was more about excellent English language shows (OFMD, WWDITS, Sandman) and dropping dramas when they did not spark joy, which was often.

Surprise shoutout to NRTA for doing one (and only one) thing I agree with - trying to cut down on the overall number of episodes per drama. I do think this is improving overall quality, forcing dramas to tighten up writing and pacing.

I had zero interest in watching this year's hits (Love like the Galaxy or Love Between Fairy and Devil) because of petty personal preferences so here's my 'best of the rest'. Fave of the year goes to Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty, the surprisingly well-done costume-buddy cop-mystery-dramedy that I didn't know I needed. Honorable mention to New Life Begins (adorable) and Side Story of Fox Volant for favorite wuxia.

If you want to read a very thorough review of Strange Tales, check out the top review on my drama list (for once I agree with mdl ?!).

*Indicates that the drama was dropped - not an indication of lack of quality, just that I didn't finish

Luoyang

Bad and Crazy (kdrama)

Sword Snow Stride*

The Wind Blows from Longxi*

Heroes*

A Dream of Splendor*

The Side Story of Fox Volant

Light Chaser Rescue

Strange Tales of the Tang Dynasty

New Life Begins

see below the cut for my insightful complaining biased reviews

Luoyang (风起洛阳 ) (2021) 2.5/5🌶

I finished this in 2022 so it's on the 2022 list :)

Fun fact: WYB's character is not the main character despite the 217,876 gifs you may have seen. I had high hopes for this one as the novel it was adapted from was written by the same author of Longest Day in Chang'an which I liked. TL;DR version: it does not come even close to Chang'an in terms of the level of screenwriting, directing, art direction, or production. Acting is also weaker on average, but some actors weren't given much to work with.

Huang Xuan is very good, as are many of the actors in minor roles (Old Carrot!!) - I may try to check out some of his other dramas, and would LOVE to see him work with LYX but alas probably never gonna happen. (they're both dancers! and can act! and are handsome! haha, that makes me sound so shallow.) WYB looks like a block of wood through the majority of the drama. Even if (like me) you interpret him as being autistic, it doesn't work. Song Yi's character might win for worst writing for a female character ever! Which is really saying something in cdrama world. Literally the most epic fail of the Bechdel test - she can't even mourn her father for a minute before refocusing all her attention on Erlang-bae. The romance - for either couple - was completely unnecessary to the thriller plot. Erlang and Liu Ran are on my NOTP list for sheer gag-inducing pointlessness. Huang Xuan and Song Qian tried to have a little chemistry but the sparks failed to ignite (see plot) and...sorry Victoria, after seeing you in Broker and then this...not impressed.

Sets & costumes were supposedly expensive (though the ghetto/Unwelcome Well set looked as fake as an old Shaw Bros set) I think most of the $ was spent on hiring lots of extras which - good to get people employed but ? Action scenes - well, you may have already read about them. If not, go ahead and do that I won't pile on. Pacing was brisk but the plot holes. Oh lord. The plot holes. Ending has a completely unnecessary twist (of the knife). Like Chang'an it got progressively weaker after the big mid-way shocker and ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.

Bad and Crazy (kdrama) 4/5 🌶

This was one of the more entertaining things I watched this year - actually looked forward to a new ep each week. Good acting, lots of action, satisfying ending. I was a little uncomfortable with how they characterized mental illness, but once I gave up and told myself (10 times before each ep.) that it's just a drama, was able to enjoy it.

*Sword Snow Stride (雪中悍刀行) 2/5 🌶

I wanted to like this SO MUCH. Finally some wuxia! With actors I like! The plot is ok, the characters are fun and interesting. Lots of really good actors, many familiar faces. There was humor! And some original ideas but... it was s o o o o s l o w. I lost interest during each episode (sometimes falling asleep) and had to force myself to watch the next one - there was just no momentum episode to episode. I gave up around ep 20. Fight scenes could've been better, which for wuxia is kinda important ya know? (I won't even comment on the cgi since others have already done that - it's not great). I really can't emphasize enough how much I wanted to like this. It's like all the ingredients were there for an amazingly satisfying dish but it was served lukewarm and watered down? I'm also getting a little tired of Zhang Ruoyun playing an all-knowing smartass.

*The Wind Blows from Longxi (风起陇西) 2/5 🌶

Acting: fine. Music: too loud in spots. Sets/styling: good. I didn't mind the dark palette, it seemed appropriate for 3 Kingdoms spy drama. The problem? I found myself wandering away to get snacks or looking at my phone too often, then having to go back and see if I missed a crucial bit of dialog. There was no momentum, nothing felt like it was at stake - which for a slice of life drama might be ok, but this was a spy/political thriller! Chen Kun and Bai Yu were ok (but just). I've heard the dialog is disconcertingly modern in spots, which is not a problem when you're using eng subs. The big red flag for me was the guy at the end who explains what just happened. Like. No. If you have to do that to your film/drama you have FAILED storytelling 101. I should be able to enjoy the story knowing only the basics of history (which I do) and then you fill in the exciting bits. Dropped this mostly because the ending was spoiled for me around ep 16 by a mutual who reblogged a gifset that gave away the identity of the double agent and had NO TAGS AT ALL much less a 'spoiler' tag. And this was before it wrapped for non-VIPs. Uncool. SO UNCOOL. TAG YOUR POSTS PEOPLE.

*Heroes 说英雄谁是英雄 3.5/5🌶

Another wuxia! Maybe...please...maybe? Pros: Baron Chen doing the most dramatic cape flipping, blood coughing, suffering stoically performance ever. And he wasn't wearing a wig - it was. his. own. hair. Just inject that sh!t directly into my veins. Good pacing, decent acting and characters (at least for the guys). Trope-y but it's the tropes I like, so yay!

Cons: fight scenes were of the comic-book pose/quick-cut type rather than actual fight choreography. Which is what you get when you cast actors and not martial artists so yeah, but man, it really makes me want to just watch some old HK movies. And surprise, surprise: tissue paper thin female characters particularly Wen Rou (and her costumes - ugh just no to the western-style ruffles.)

Though I was eating this with a spoon for the first 24ish episodes, I ended up dropping it (probably not forever) because it turned into a smorgasbord of angst and I wasn't in the mood. So if you are looking for angst with a side of suffering, then that would be a pro, I guess?

*A Dream of Splendor 梦华录 3.5+/5🌶

What? Well written female characters? In a female-centric historical drama? For me? Aw, you shouldn't have - no, actually you should have, and you should do it again!

Dropped this because I had English language shows to watch (hello Sandman) and it sort of lost steam for me - somehow the way it's shot made it a bit more of a slice of life than plot-driven drama? and NGL I was also tired of reading my tv, but I will try to finish someday.

Pros: production, costumes, pacing all pretty good. Aforementioned prettiness. The plot revolves around the women supporting each other, with the romance being sort of second? kind of? which I love, but also the FL & ML have great chemistry.

Cons: both the FL and ML are a little toooo perfect - too pretty, too smart, too accomplished (the ML was the #3 scholar, passing the test when he was young yet also is a master at wushu and swords? ah, ok) but this is a minor quibble since this is a cdrama.

Fun fact: was watching this and Heroes at the same time and Sun Zujun is in both and plays...a rich, hot, sexual predator in both. Um, hope you don't get typecast my dude. (his acting is pretty good so best of luck to him.)

The Side Story of Fox Volant 飞狐外传 4/5 🌶

Yay! More wuxia this year! please let this be the one....

The first few episodes are movie-quality: sets, action, art direction, sound, acting are all fabulous. Towards the middle it settles down into more typical cdrama territory. Based on a Jin Yong novel, it's what you would expect, and I think has been adapted before. Since I haven't read the novel or seen other adaptations I can't compare, so perhaps this wasn't as well received because it diverged from the novel?

Unlike the other wuxia this year, did not suffer from bad writing for the female characters! Full of tropes, but everyone was pretty well written - despite immediately loving Miao Renfeng, I also loved the 'bad guy' (who's character name I always forget, so will be referred to only as Peter Ho - he did a great job of making a bad dude sympathetic.) Qin Junjie was giving me Chen Kun vibes all over the place - I may try to watch Listening Snow Tower just for him.

Not really sure why this didn't do better. I assume because it's yet another Jin Yong adaptation, and the competition (LLTG and CJL) were more appealing to a (female) audience.

Pros: good acting, great actors, solid wuxia story with a strong start and well done (if tragic) finish

Cons: weak middle - pacing and overall quality dipped a lot. like they put the B team on all the middle eps for cinematography, editing and direction

Light Chaser Rescue 追光者 3.5/5 🌶

Finally a Luo Yunxi drama I can watch, though I'll admit if he weren't in it, no way I'd be watching. Though some of the marketing makes it look like a cp drama, it is in fact an ensemble cast, with the focus being on the diverse people that make up volunteer rescue squads. It's very politically safe and tbh was not surprised they chose to air it during the party congress.

Surprisingly for the moralistic/didactic theme, all the couples were really cute and well done, so if you want romance, there is some. The effects and sets were realistic, and everyone's tragic backstory was tragic. You may need tissues for this one if you're a crier. It wasn't without some super cringe moments (spoiler: the little orphan would be doubly scarred for life by their attempts to help him 'heal') but in general was ok.

Wu Qian (Janice Wu) was really good - I'd only seen her in two things when she was much younger, and she really is a mature talented actress. I'll say it - even better than Xixi, who did pretty good but still can improve, especially in shouty scenes where his emotion looks a little forced. (see, see, how I can critique my fave?)

Pros: Luo Yunxi and Wu Qian

Cons: not enough of the cute dog, didactic and moralizing, weak plot that is barely credible half of the time, often felt more like a bunch of 'how to survive x disaster' instructional videos strung together rather than a coherent drama due to choppy editing

Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty 4.5/5 唐朝诡事录

Please cdrama gods consider blessing a season 2 of this because it was so much fun! Even though Su Wuming is a disciple of Dectective Di, I think I liked this even more than the Detective Di movies I've seen (!) because as much as I love Su Wuming, the genius detective trope is a little played out for me, and giving him a great foil in Lu Lingfeng made the whole thing more enjoyable.

The writing for and acting of the two leads was so enjoyable to watch. They had great buddy cop chemistry that really elevated the whole drama. Female characters were pretty well written and realized, and some of the villains were downright enjoyable (creepy ghost guy, you looked like you had so much fun!) Production values were fairly high across the board - sets, visuals, costumes, sound, for what could have been a very cheap drama. Everything seems to have been done with care and attention to detail. Though the plots are a little silly sometimes I didn't mind because they were entertaining. Also tw to people like me who are sn*ke phobic - uh there are lots of scenes you will need to skip in the second mystery.

The drama starts at the end (!) which was an interesting way to wrap the whole thing up, but also an odd choice because they ended up basically reusing most of the first ep for the final episode? In between there are several loosely strung together 'supernatural mysteries' that our guys find themselves solving in different places all across the country. Each mystery is only slightly more difficult to solve than your typical Scooby Doo plot, and similarly any supernatural element is soundly debunked by the end.

Pros: writing, acting, chemistry between leads, production values, almost no romance (a pro for me)

Cons: easy 'mysteries', almost no romance (a con for many people it seems)

New Life Begins 卿卿日常 4/5

I hadn't planned on watching this, but I like Bai Jingting ok and needed something to watch after Strange Tales of Tang Dynasty and this looked cute. Spoiler: it is pretty darn cute.

If you're looking for an angsty palace/harem type drama this won't be it. Instead, they use the conceit of 9 vassal states sending a bride for the princes of the Xin kingdom to explore the different ways a society can treat women. It's a very very girl power drama. As such the female characters are pretty well done and acted, but the male characters aren't reduced to being caricatures - all have reasonable personal failings.

Is it realistic, even for a costume drama? I don't care. Sometimes a work of fiction is to show you how things could or should be - in this case the jerks get their comeuppance and the ladies get to succeed. Sure, sometimes the girl power message is a lil' too heavy handed but I'll take it for the overall message and the humor.

Just realized I rated this higher than Dream of Splendor and I should justify myself - Dream of Splendor is overall a better drama, but this was more tightly paced and because it had a larger ensemble there was more going on to keep my interest. That and the fact that this had humor pushed it up a little notch for me.

Pros: cute, mostly light and funny, well paced, decent plot

Cons: I didn't really feel any of the cps (I came closest to shipping Li Wei and Yuan Ying) but YMMV