#seriously underrated duo

[adam-lallana]

[ckygetsjobs]

I’m in love with the guy who likes kmart a little too much and his friend who always answers his outlandish joke questions seriously. I don’t think I’m okay…

[w0lfyfl00f]

Eret: Okay, truth or dare?

Karl: Truth

Eret: How many hours have you slept this week?

Karl:

Karl: …Dare

Eret: Go to bed.

Karl: I don't like this game.

[mymp3]

i lOVE PRIMEBOYS SOOOO MUCH!!!!

[liulith]

Sir Pentious & Alastor: an underrated dynamic

"Show yourself, Alastor! Come and face--! Oh, there you are. FACE MY WRATH!"

Sir Pentious has been in Hell for much longer than Alastor. That means he was there when the Radio Demon appeared, and he's been trying to overthrow Alastor for decades! We know what Alastor is capable of, and what he could do if he truly wanted Sir Pentious to stop. He obviously doesn't register Sir Pentious as a threat, but that doesn't mean he's not annoying (like when he interrupts his song in the pilot and destroys a wall in ep2). Yet in all those decades, Alastor always let him go with the equivalent of a slap on the wrist, considering what he's done to other sinners in his broadcasts.

And why is that? Why, he must find Sir Pentious very entertaining, of course! Even though he calls Sir Pentious forgettable (to rile him up), there's no way a narcissist like him doesn't LOVE being the main focus of Pentious' "evil plans", as pathetic as they are. Not only does he give him the attention he deserves (like Vox), he's a true "architect of evil" who constantly reinvents himself to try and get the upper hand on Alastor. To Alastor, Pentious is like a sillier, weaker, more immature version of Vox with close to ZERO survival instincts but twice the creativity. Even Vox, who made a whole diss track about Al, wouldn't dare speak to him the way Sir Pentious does if they were face to face.

"SILENCE! Now cower! For when I've ssslain you, the almighty Vees will finally acknowledge me as their equal."

He does have some "oh shit" moments when he sees he crossed a line/is about to get Team Rocket-ed, but he still gets back up and attacks him again with all the unearned confidence of a man who has no idea how easy Alastor goes on him.

Just like Alastor, Pentious is attached to the aesthetics and technology of the time period he knew when he was alive, and still manages to innovate with those limitations. I think Alastor could respect that.

"You whores have no class! In war, the side remembered is the side with the most style!"

It's also funny that to Pentious, Alastor is the young, modern one. Some phrases Alastor uses are "young people slang" to him!

Pentious asking Alastor questions on his "modern" radio technology...

Alastor is one sarcastic bastard, and Sir Pent is one of the most naive characters in the show. He takes a lot of things way too literally (#autism?). That's just PERFECT for comedic misunderstandings between these two!

Before s1 was released there were quite a lot of ace!Pentious headcanons. I think we could still make a case for closeted ace-adjacent!Pentious in canon! Possibility even aroace!Pentious, if we interpret his crush on Cherri as compulsive heteronormativity (he loves her creative genius and is fascinated by her explosive contraptions; surely that means she's the one, right?)

Ace4Ace Alastor & Pentious would be a fun duo in my opinion. They could bond over their shared experience

On the topic of bonding... ("I have feelings for you" (Narrator voice: the feeling was friendship, but he had ever experienced it before)

Seriously, imagine Sir Pentious spending more and more time around Alastor because of the hotel, taking his sarcastic and mocking remarks literally and thinking they're becoming closer... And then being like. WAIT. Do I have feelings for him?? and trying to seduce him like he does with Cherri Bomb. The absolute shenanigans... Rizzlord Pentious strikes again.

Accidental fake dating scenario that only exists in Vox's head, where Vox, being the stalker that he is, spies in the two of them bonding and reaches all the wrong conclusions

Once Sir Pentious dies for the second time and ascends to Heaven, he could meet Alastor's mom 👀

EDIT: OH and How could I forget the Egg Boiz?? Egg Boiz babysitter!Alastor is canon and he definitely babysat them multiple times in the few months Sir Pentious spent at the hotel. Joint custody :3

AND let's not forget the important information that Frank the Egg Boy reported to Sir Pentious lol. The one Charlie made a deal with Alastor for. I can imagine Alastor considering killing the Egg Boiz/ Sir Pentious after learning Frank didn't keep quiet (Imagine Sir Pentious trying to engage in a conversation w/ Alastor and telling him what Frank told him as a joke akfkkd), spending a whole afternoon trailing after them and making plans, only to realise that the Egg Boiz say insane shit all the time and Sir Pentious was in fact NOT playing 4D chess by telling him he knew (and probably already forgot all about it)

[moowithmidnight]

Watching criminal minds for the first time- I’m still only halfway through S7 but I have some thoughts on both the characters and the fandom-

1. This fandom infantilizes the shit out of Reid and it’s wildly ironic considering how much he canonically hates that. Also, I am so sorry, but that man is not as hot as y’all insist he is-

2. I fully believe the only reason there’s like no Rossi love is because y’all don’t want to fuck him. As a resident lesbian, let me say that I love Hotch so much, but Rossi is so funny and his relationships with the team are severely underrated.

3. Whyyyy do they make Morgan so chill 90% of the time and then he just comes swinging out of the gate with wildly misogynistic shit?? It actually makes me angry. Like his whole thing with Elle, and the way he basically slut-shamed Emily when he was pissed at her about Doyle? Wild.

4. Y’all will call the female characters stuck-up/bitchy/entitled for doing the exact same things you praise the male characters for, and it’s so obvious it’s wild,,,

5. Actively disliking Garcia is such a red flag, end of discussion.

6. Elle lashing out at Hotch is not a valid reason to dislike her unless you also dislike literally every other main character. Seriously. They’ve pretty much all unfairly lashed out at other members of the team when under extreme stress (Dilaudid, Prince of Darkness, Doyle, etc.) and never apologized on-screen for it.

7. Hotch is genuinely a really good unit chief- mans is pretty much constantly killing it

8. Penelope & Hotch are such an underrated duo, every time they interact Hotch is so sweet to her, and it’s obvious how much they respect each other. 20/10 relationship

9. There’s no ship that I actually LOVE between the BAU members. Spencer/Elle and Emily/JJ are probably the two I like the most, but nothing I love

10. I really wish they had tried to give Seaver a personality beyond “replacement J.J.” but straight up hating her is wild to me.

[luigra]

Seriously guys, y'all are SLEEPING on just how much Scar and Joe interact on streams and how comedic those interactions are. It's such an underrated dynamic.

Where's my textpost hermits memes about Scar putting Joe on an island to hunt him down in the deadliest game. Where's the people drawing them together. They're an ICONIC duo. Do I have to do everything in this house myself

[comradekatara]

sokka's real character development was him going from wanting to eat momo for dinner to being willing to jump into appa's mouth to save momo

but seriously, you have the best takes in the atla fandom. so many ppl don't take into account the effect of a hundred years of colonialism, attempted genocide and imperialism on characters, beliefs, cultures etc.

haha yes sokka is totally that grumpy dad (although in his case, more like a teenage grandpa) who’s like “if you’re gonna keep this pet you have to be the one to take care of him he’s your responsibility so you won’t see me taking care of him for you okay” and then almost immediately bonding with momo on a deep spiritual level. like seriously, sokka and momo are such an underrated duo. i know it’s easy to think of momo as aang’s pet bc aang finds him, names him, and he’s from aang’s temple, and like, to that extent, momo is obviously aang’s, but i do think that momo is equally sokka’s. they co-parent him.

although i will say i’ve always felt like the “get out of the bisons mouth” moment isn’t really sokka genuinely fearing for momo, he just has a lot of pent up stress in that moment and misplaces his manic energy. when he’s stressed about something not in his control he tends to get really frenetic and loud and dramatic for a short burst, just as a way of releasing all that energy i guess. i suppose this habit makes for funny moments, but if you trace the pattern it’s not just a comedic device (although it is of course that), it’s actually a consistent trait of his character as he responds to overwhelming stress. which is pretty cool i think.

and thank you! i think everyone comes to this show with a different perspective and different analytical lenses, and at the end of the day, it is a cartoon that most of us watched as children (although i do have a sizable number of friends who watched it for the first time as adults and absolutely loved it), so i can’t really fault people for being reductive in their interpretations, although as someone who has spent so long dissecting the show, i do think i have earned the right to find it annoying. i will say that i think the baseline framing one needs to understand atla is an understanding of us imperialism, and specifically the war on terror/iraq invasion. i think that distance from that time has allowed newer audiences to forget crucial context in which this show is situated.

obviously reading some postcolonial theory and feminist theory (and im certainly not going to claim i’m an expert in either) would probably also help a lot of people better contextualize their readings, but i have also seen analyses from people who clearly are familiar with the cultural contexts informing atla, and who nonetheless produce rancid takes. criticism is obviously subjective. and while it’s always nice to hear that someone likes my perspective, i am well-aware that many people hate what i have to say on atla for whatever reason. for some reason, this show breeds many divisive arguments, but i think that’s just a testament to how deeply it has touched people’s lives, that they care enough to send each other death threats over which boy katara should kiss or whatever. lol

[raguerel]

Fit and philza duo is so underrated like how much phil trusted fit they both have secret they don’t share with each other and aware of it but they trusted each other enough that the things they keep from other is not gonna harm them at least not directly

Phil is willing to put his trust to fit despite being known for not trusting easily and the ways they leans on each other when in needs

like for today phil clearly show to fit how that dream messed him and fit being voices of reason for phil saying that he trusted what phil say

they’ve known each other for a long time a canonical warcrime buddy

despite what going on they have a chance to betrayal each other but that are unlikely of them

Fit know how seriously Phil take betrayed

You broke his trust you don’t gain it back you never gained it back

and them being friends for a long time and still are speak volumes more than any actions

though with fit ‘secret’ of wanting something from the island and saying that everybody will hate him if they know what it is

We’ll just have to see what it actually is first for now

[northstarco]

─── INTO YOUR WARM EMBRACE

⟡﹐ꊞ niko's relationships with NCT DREAM !

⟡﹐ꊞ when it comes to the members of nct dream, niko still sees them as the children they debuted as. when twenty year old niko found himself face to face with the freshly 14–16 year olds of nct dream, he felt the sudden urge to to hug all of them and never let them go. it's never been a secret that niko has a soft spot for the dreamies, the same dreamies who, though they are all adults now, he can't help but still see as babies. in the beginning, it was definitely difficult to interact with the members, considering they were children and he was at least four years their senior. admittedly, it was awkward in the beginning, but after a couple months, it seemed like he'd known them for years, like he'd given birth to each of the members himself. niko is basically the unofficial parent of everyone in nct dream (except for mark, he disowned him).

NIKO & RENJUN ( RENKO ) !

they are very much a rare pair, two members nctzens can't fathom ever being in the same room. every interaction between them on camera is minuscule at best, and if you do wanna find renko content, you're probably gonna have more luck finding it on the dark web then on any official nct pages 😭. seriously, the few interactions these two had at the nct nation concert sent nctzens into a frenzy, just them holding hands for seven seconds is enough for them. on camera, and to their fandom, the two of them have probably never met each other in their lives. off camera, though, they're much more different.

in the beginning, there were two things that made their interactions awkward. one: the language barrier, niko knew no mandarin, renjun knew no thai, and the two were equally as confident in their korean skills as a non-native speaker could be (which means they weren't confident at all). two: the two of them didn't want to be the first to start a conversation. while renjun would cast him looks from across the practice room but would be much too afraid to even get up and talk to him. despite the constant encouragement from donghyuck, the younger wouldn't budge, so the two didn't talk at all during their trainee days, just muttered a few greetings and goodbyes when coming across each other in the hallway.

it was only after the debut of nct dream that the two would actually be able to have a full on conversation. it was often that niko would wait backstage of their performances just to praise them endlessly, giving the sweetest of compliments to his month-younger juniors, compliments that would often lead to renjun being more flustered more than anything. niko to renjun was this calm, cool, collected older boy who seemed to be good at everything, a sentiment in his head which lead to the older becoming a staple of admiration for him. though the two could never spend a lot of time with each other, having schedules which made it practically impossible for them to ever make plans, renjun always made sure to make his admiration for the older clear, through short red faced mutters, and even clearer letters and late night texts.

now, are they friends? absolutely. are they still awkward? a little but not as much as they were before. renjun often finds himself snickering at niko's several shenanigans, especially when it comes to watching him argue with mark about the stupidest things imaginable.

NIKO & JENO ( NINO ) !

such an underrated duo that it's sad, they have such great chemistry, and whenever they're in content together it's absolutely hilarious, but sm seems to be gatekeeping all of the nino content. when seventeen year old niko met thirteen year old jeno on a random night in the practice room while he was searching for mark, the older became attached to him in almost an instant, smothering him at whatever chance he got. to the surprise of quite literally everyone, niko and jeno got much closer than it would've seemed. jeno was very much set on impressing the older, doing extra well in practice just to be able to see niko's proud smile whenever he showcased his newfound skills to him.

the pair would often find themselves talking about the strangest of things at two am in the practice room. idol groups, fancams, ice cream flavors, anything they could find entertaining. it wasn't often that he would say it, but niko would always showcase his appreciation for jeno through little gestures like allowing for the younger to randomly hold his hand throughout the day, accepting all of his gestures of affection, and covering for him whenever he snuck out to the convenience store in the late hours of the night. pre-debut nino represented more of cousins than brothers, niko was the cool older cousin who visited once every few years and jeno was the awkward younger cousin who wanted to be like him every way, admiring the older for even the smallest things.

niko and jeno still have their cousin like dynamic, but these days, jeno surprises niko more than anything. the older has been with him since he was thirteen, and he will never admit it out loud, but thinking about how he watched him grow up sort of chokes him up at times. the other things that surprises him is how jeno has gotten huger than him, at one point the two of them weren't even head to head, but now jeno can throw him around like he's nothing. niko is afraid that one day he's gonna wake up and jeno will be a giant, because to him, he's still a baby.

NIKO & JAEMIN ( MINKO ) !

if there is anything the members of nct dream can agree on, it's that na jaemin will never let nikolas rest. the younger has been buzzing around in his ear like an annoying mosquito for a good almost 11 years now, and there's nothing nikolas can do but give empty threats about how he's gonna punch the younger, knowing damn well he isn't going to do anything. upon entering sm entertainment in 2013, jaemin was met with an overwhelming new routine and unfamiliar faces, he felt just a little bit out-of-place, all of it was getting to his head, and he would often find himself up at night with these anxious circulating in his mind.

whenever jaemin felt like everything was getting to an increasingly overwhelming height, and whenever his thoughts would begin screaming at him, niko would be around to help knock them out of the way. the older became a person of comfort for jaemin, who, prior to even meeting him, felt like he couldn't properly talk about his worries to anyone. niko would listen to jaemin vent his anxieties, his frustrations, and their occasional late night talks became something jaemin would look forward to, niko basically became the sibling jaemin never had.

these two have a bond like no other, with niko acting as a sort of "guide" for jaemin. the two would often find themselves giggling at three am in the practice room, or sneaking out of practice to go to the convenience store whenever they were extra hungry in the middle of the night. jaemin busting into the little trainee dorms to make himself comfortable in niko's bed was never a rare sight, the two seemed attached at the hip, a brotherly relationship that could never be replaced.

and yeah— jaemin is always sure to nag niko about stupid things, and tease him whenever he can, but they both love each other, so so much.

NIKO & KIHYUN ( KIKO ) !

that's his son, and none of you are allowed to disagree with that statement, because that is literally his son. the moment seventeen year old saw twelve year old kihyun walk into the sm entertainment building, he got attached to him, and he can't exactly explain why he felt such an unusual surge of love whenever kihyun was in the room, but he did, and he wanted to make sure he didn't make the younger uncomfortable with the way he seemed to parade around him. kihyun felt similarly drawn to niko, often being able to find comfort in the older boy whenever practice or his homework questions became too much.

the two eventually became a usual pair to see around the practice room, whether it was kihyun skipping around the older and telling him silly puns he made out of his name, or it was niko teaching kihyun random australian phrases that the younger would begin to echo around the halls to annoy his other trainees. kihyun made it a habit to follow niko around, copying little things he watched the older do. despite being the eldest sibling himself, kihyun often found himself being taken care of by niko, showered with several compliments from the older boy who, (in his opinion) was probably one of the coolest people he'd ever met, being complimented by him was like music to his ears.

niko and kihyun have always been close, if you took one glance at them, you'd think that they've known each other they're whole lives. whenever things get horrible, and his thoughts become too overwhelming to bear, kihyun can immediately go to niko. the older has become a safe place for him, a person who he can talk to about anything, as the younger is to the older as well. it's become normal for kihyun to spend a lot of time at niko's place, whether it's to talk the older's ear off or to eat all of his cereal, the im can usually be found there if he's not at the dorms, chenle's place, or wandering around looking for new street foods to try.

one of the best things about these two is their duo lives, because you can always count on kihyun to suddenly bust down niko's door and crash his instagram live. the two are such an entertaining pair, and once you click on one of their lives, even if it's by accident, you will not be able to stop watching. sometimes, people think that niko and kihyun might actually be related, and the two do nothing but fuel those rumors.

NIKO & CHENLE ( NILE ) !

if you thought it was hard to find niko and renjun content, you have not seen the turmoil nile fans have to go through. the two had a lot of golden moments during nct 2020, but prior to that, it seemed like the two of them had no idea of each other's existence. yeah they were in the same group, but the only thing the two of them had in common were the members of nct they were close with. the only nile moments anyone could find were tiny little clips, or little stories told by the members where the two of them were menaces together.

it was difficult for niko and chenle to get to know each other, because the younger had joined only three months before the debut of nct dream, and niko had already debuted by then, so it wasn't easy to catch him around. chenle felt awkward around the older, because everything about him seemed to flawless, the younger was pretty intimidated by him, even with the smiles they shared in the halls when the younger would catch him.

chenle only found the confidence to talk to him a good few weeks after 127's debut, where he walked up to the older and muttered a few tiny compliments with his broken korean as niko sat there and listened to each and every word. it's easy to see why chenle was so nervous, because when your intimidated by someone, it's often that you trip over your words around them. niko thought chenle was the cutest person ever in that moment, and made sure to return the favor when he congratulated dream on their debut and gave extra compliments to chenle on his vocals, resulting in a very red faced chenle to form.

the younger's admiration for niko is something he would never say with his own mouth, he's much too stubborn to admit it to the other's face, but even after their awkward beginnings, the two did eventually find time they could spend with each other. niko often pampers chenle, and the younger pretends to be annoyed by it (but he loves it). so why is there so little nile content? that probably has to do with the fact that the two usually commit their crimes of evil after hours, often surrounded by their fellow members more, leaving them unable to interact in most nct content. still, any interaction between them is considered a win between niko and chenle truthers.

NIKO & JISUNG ( JINI ) !

that is also his son. no seriously, niko can't look at jisung these days without getting whiplash, because when did he get so tall? he's going to begin towering over niko in a few years time, and the thought alone is enough to make niko shiver. when niko met eleven year old, 4 ft 10 jisung in the sm entertainment practice room, the younger was basically a baby, and niko would do everything to make sure everyone knew that jisung was his new favorite dongsaeng (much to the dismay of donghyuck and kihyun). all the younger could do was stand there and take the older dancers constant praises, red faced and giggling as he did so.

though niko could never see jisung regularly after both of their debuts, the older always found time to give him compliments about everything. whether it be his dancing, his rapping, or his occasional singing, niko always found something to compliment jisung on, and the younger could always just stutter back responses as his cheeks grew a red color. whenever niko gets to spend time with the dreamies, if he doesn't immediately make a beeline towards kihyun, it's always jisung. jisung doesn't even have to do anything to get affection from niko, he could just stand there and niko would crumble immediately (nobody will ever know how he does it, and neither does jisung). if you want to get an unsolicited hug from nikolas, the easiest thing you could do is just be park jisung.

jisung usually never knows what to say around niko, not only because he's as introverted as the older, but because the compliments he receives often leave him so speechless that he doesn't know how to keep up. when jisung does get to talk to niko, it's often short and awkward because he can never really get his words in order, but niko always gives him time, never interrupting him in the middle of his speech or correcting him on his words. jisung, though he never really says it, really appreciates the older, his compliments, all his gestures, and his acts of affection. he often makes it known to him through quiet mutters, secret messages sent to him, and small smiles shared between them.

mentioned @kiiyunz

[celaenaeiln]

dick and kaldur (YJ) are an underrated duo imo. what do you think abt them?

I LOVE Kaldur!!!

I was instantly attached to Kaldur when I watched the show. Their relationship is cozy and interesting.

What most attracted me to Aqualad was his maturity.

"I will lead this team until you are ready to lift this burden from my shoulders."

For me Kaldur is like a gentle parent. He understands Dick's frustrations and shares his burdens and this ties in to Dick's conversation with Black Canary comes in here where he says he doesn't want to be Batman. He doesn't want to lead the team like Batman does because the failsafe proved disastrous. So he waited it out and mellowed down until it was time. But during this time he could rely on Kaldur to take over and keep things going.

Dick's relationship with Kaldur reminds me of the song "Cost of the Crown"

The dearest are my Heralds, swift to spring to my command. Who give me aid and fellowship, who always understand That land and people first have needs that I may not deny— So I must send my dearest friends to danger—and to die.

Kaldur is Dick's herald.

Whatever Dick asks, Kaldur is always there to support him and help him. His presence and quiet strength is a soothing balm to Dick's stress and it's because of their relationship that Dick was able to ask Kaldur to become a double agent.

After Dick had matured and grown, he took on the role as leader through which Kaldur supported him.

This scene is important to their relationship. They take a moment to pay their respects, acknowledge their faults, and give companionship. What's interesting here is that the roles have reversed. Previously, Kaldur was the one who was a trying to be a rock to Dick. Trying to be stable enough to lead the team. But now Dick is the one doing that Kaldur. He learned from kaldur's example and incorporated into his own version of leadership.

Their growth is beautiful. Their relationship is really calming and mature. I agree, they're seriously underrated. Their bond is also stronger than people give credit for.

[adam-lallana]

[almond-sw1rl]

Hewwoooo! May I request art of Lee!Ranboo with Ler!Philza?? <3 (No rush! Please take all the time you need! And do not do it if you don't want too!)

A seriously underrated duo!

This is the concept of Phil telling Ranboo a story and having one of his wings flap against Ranboos face :}

Please give me more suggestions‼️

[maddywillow]

In all seriousness I think Crosshair and Wrecker are the most underrated duo. They balance each other perfectly. One being the giddy overly happy and exciting brother. The other being a petulant and dark brother. I could see them being the perfect balance as brothers to Omega and themselves. Wrecker was the first one to say he missed Crosshair even after getting shot by him. Crosshair even knew where to shoot Wrecker in a spot that wouldn't kill him. They have always defended one another while also bickering in the way siblings do. They have always treated each other more like family compared to the rest of the batchers. Sure Hunter takes the role as dad, but I feel like his dad moments will ways take on a more Sargent or older brother role and acts in charge. He also is someone that Omega looks up to as more of a father figure. Someone she aspires to be but is often too overprotective of Omega. Tech's love language is acts. He shows his love for his family through his actions. Not his emotions. Echo is a weird one for me. I'd like to think he takes on an older military mom/brother role, but the only thing he really cares about is Omega's studies and his clone brothers as far as I can see. Omega just loves him a lot because he isn't always around. He has other desires to save his other clone brothers throughout the galaxy and play his part as a soldier. He still cares for Omega's safety but he trusts Hunter to do that as his brother. So I feel like Wrecker and Crosshair are the best balance for Omega.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “Siege of Lothal”

In which Vader is an absolute beast and we shift off-base from Lothal for (semi-permanent) good.

A brief note on the nature of serial escalation.

Oftentimes in a series, especially one based around extrapersonal conflict with multiple arcs, what will happen is that your initial antagonist will be something or someone relatively small or simple to handle, and as your characters grow and get stronger the threats will get bigger and bigger.

Now, there is a point at which the villain can grow to be TOO big, and there’s no way for the heroes to defeat them or nowhere bigger for them to go from there.

You also don’t want to throw your strongest antagonist at the heroes at the very beginning, or risk everything else looking anticlimactic by comparison.  This could have been a risk in Season Two, as Vader is quite a significant step up from Imperial officers, Agent Kallus, and the Grand Inquisitor.  Fortunately Rebels makes the wise decision to keep Vader in reserve most of the season, only really bringing him out for the two most significant narrative points in the story (the opener and the finale), and relegating mundane antagonist duties to our new Inquisitor duo.  In this way, the narrative keeps our heroes busy but not overwhelmed, leaving more breathing room in the story for individual characters to get plenty of focus and development.

And on that note, let’s dive in.

We open In Media Res with an action prologue that quickly informs us of the new Status Quo and allows us a moment to settle into it.  The Ghost is no longer flying alone, but alongside a half-dozen other Rebel ships, who work in perfect coordination and tandem with our team.

The dialogue is comfortably casual.  The music is generically exhilarating.  Kanan and Hera tease each other.  Zeb topples off a railing.  Ezra gets heart eyes about Sabine being amazing.

The Spectres are now a part of the wider Rebellion and things are looking up.  They’re looking good.

Which of course means it’s time to ruin things for them. XD

In the Imperial Dome, Kallus and Tua snipe at each other about the problems they’re facing and even in the frustrated dialogue she gives, it’s obvious Tua isn’t entirely enthusiastic about punishing her own people for the actions of the Spectres, only listing out things like patrols and checkpoints and curfews.  While definitely authoritarian given the Empire, these are relatively light restrictions.

Which Vader points out as he enters.

It’s obvious in hindsight that Vader’s immediately sussed her out as more sympathetic to the Rebels than she lets on.  (Consider how she claimed there was nothing more she could do yet the minute her life was in danger immediately knew to beeline for Jho because he had contact with the Spectres and has a ready list of Rebel sympathizers to barter with who she hasn’t had arrested.)

It’s insidiously clever, how Vader uses her to set a trap.  But poor Tua.

:(

She was just a frightened normie in the end.

Hi Sato!  You are criminally underrated as a character and I love you.

I love how you can already tell Kanan isn’t comfortable with this from his sulking posture back there.

Catch me sobbing about how Ezra’s so intimately empathic and connected to Lothal that he can sense Tua’s genuine intentions from a holotransmission.

Tua dropping hints that she knows about the “true reason” the Empire came to Lothal and once again I’m marveling and wondering at just how far back the whole World Between Worlds reveal might have been planned.

This whole scene between Kanan and Hera is fraught with tension.  (And not just the romantic kind.)

Seriously, show me a more intimate setup and blocking.

Kanan’s dialogue and agitated tone and body language betrays his apprehensions.  He’s afraid to join another military organization, to be around reminders of the Clone Wars, to be drawn back into that environment.  It’s one of the first hints we get about his PTSD regarding the Clone Wars, and I love that Ezra overhears.

I think it’s hilarious how the Spectres take a Star Commuter 2000 shuttle like it’s just a day trip to Lothal from Garel like last time, lol.

Aaaaah Ezra showing off his character development and how selfless he’s grown!  I’m so proud of him.

Also he can sense Vader from atmosphere.

I haven’t commented about the music much but I like the way the strings drag across the notes here to create some quality tension.

Kallus is such a smug snake here, it’s amazing that I like him.

I think I hear a very brief snippet of the “Shenanigans” leitmotif in very serious trumpet.

Man.  What a way to go.  RIP Tua.  :(

Vader overwatching lets us know this exactly according to plan.  He is scarily competent in these episodes.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The way the blaster bolts spark as they pop off the side of the shuttle.

A snippet of Ezra’s theme here, as we find our heroes hiding in his old house.

Ezra holding his old cadet helmet. :(((((

There’s a somber kind of finality when the troopers set fire to the house.  This whole season premiere has an overall sense of, “You can’t go home anymore.” and nothing emphasizes it more than the Empire torching places we know and have been (Ezra’s home, Tarkintown, etc.).

His face. :((((

Rebels bucks the Status Quo so hard it’s painful.

“I wish that worked for me.”  “I wish it worked on you.”  Lol.

"Have you smelled me?” Love this subtle joking callback to Ezra complaining about how Zeb smells. <3

All these typical light-hearted bits and moments only contrast harder against Vader’s later deadly serious entrance.  It’s quite effective, actually.

This sequence is one of my personal No Context Signature Scenes, I love it so much.

This slow small pan away from Kanan et. all as they exit frame, hinting that something’s behind.  How Kanan stops in his tracks, eyes widening with fear and alarm.

How Ezra stops too and you can practically see the goosebumps raising on his arms, feel the deadly cold they’re feeling.

CUE THE MOST ICONIC BREATHING IN CINEMA HISTORY.

Yeah, I’d be terrified too.

The Imperial March cuts out right before the TO BE CONTINUED titlecard and if you weren’t screaming before, you certainly were now, lol.

Ezra looks so terrified, look at the way he’s shrinking into his shoulders here.

Vader barely expends any effort in this fight, blocking one-handed, effortlessly flinging Kanan and Ezra across the landing pad, which reinforces how seriously outclassed they and the Spectres are.

You do not win a fight against Vader.  You do not even survive a fight against Vader.  If you survive an encounter with Vader it’s because he let you.

This moment where Vader almost forces Ezra to cut off his own head with his own lightsaber is particularly dark and terrifying ggkjghdsk.

Twice in this fight the importance of armor is proven.  Kanan catches a glance of Vader’s saber on his shoulder pauldron and Sabine gets a blaster bolt reflected into her freaking breastplate AND helmet.

WELL THAT ISN’T THE MOST HELLISH THING I’VE EVER SEEN.

The Imperial March is a constant in this scene, not surprising, given that it’s technically Vader’s leitmotif.  It fades out as we check up on our heroes and this is such an effective scene.

Everyone is visibly rattled by the encounter, and the voice acting perfectly conveys how shaken and frightened they are.  Something I do have to give the Disney era of Lucasfilm props for is remembering that Vader is a freaking terrifying villain, practically a walking Eldritch Abomination in the eyes of normal denizens of the galaxy.  So this scene helps convey that.

Lol Kanan and Ezra immediately objecting to calling Lando for help.

“The compassion of the Rebels is a weakness.  One we will exploit.”

*sobs in Rebellion Era Jedi feels*

“Jedi cannot help what they are.  Their compassion leaves a trail.”

No I’m never going to be over that line, sue me.

Proof that even “filler” episodes on this show come back and have relevance, the crew make a deal with Lando for help to get them offworld. :)

We even visit his farm again. :)

Also I love this southern-accented droid, he’s so polite.

There’s a unique flute cue here that I really like.  Also, the “Shenanigans” theme has been slowed down, tempo-altered, minor keyed and just put through the gamut of musical variation this episode, wrung out until it’s almost unrecognizable.

This smoke effect is gorgeous, almost painted in texture.

This conversation between Kanan and Ezra about the cost of their actions is fascinating in what it reveals, especially towards the end.  Kanan sees reflections of his battle-eager younger self in Ezra, still fired up and passionate about the fight, not yet truly damaged by his experiences.

That wouldn’t truly cement in Ezra until the finale, but we’ll get to that later.

RIGHT, ANYONE STILL COMPLAINING ABOUT REBELS’ ANIMATION OWES ME MONEY FOR HOW PRETTY THE CLOUDS ALWAYS LOOKS.

There are in fact a lot more Star Destroyers guarding Lothal this time, we see three up in orbit and I know we saw at least three others in airspace above Capitol City.

I... think they reused Sato’s voice actor for one of these Imperial technicians here.

I love this quiet scene right here.  Kanan’s still got massive misgivings about being involved with the wider Rebellion, but he’s overruled by the others, by Ezra’s sense of obligation to get stronger for the sake of his people.  (This would later play into his Dark Side temptations in Season Three, Ezra has always viewed power as a means to protect, to preserve, to cling to.)

The shuttle seems to have been tracked with a more mundane method this time, a transmitter that activates upon reentry from hyperspace.

Another brilliant ploy from Vader.  Told you, he’s scarily competent in this.

A modified Endor space battle cue plays in the background here.  The notes are ever-so-slightly soured, off-tune.

Would like to point out, just to emphasize, Vader nearly takes out the entire Phoenix cell on his own here.

Ahsoka’s presence has been mostly downplayed until now but the narrative subtly brings her into prominence by having her board the Ghost for the fight.

“All right kids, do Mom and Dad proud.” <33333

The Found Family vibes always get to me.

Underrated awesome Kanan moment: Boosting and assisting Ahsoka’s Force Scan of Vader.

God, that sliiiight turn of Vader’s head as he senses Ahsoka back just gets to me.  This whole sequence, Ezra talking about the cold, about the fear, anger, and hate he senses, Ahsoka’s eyes snapping open in horror, “The apprentice lives.” I HAVEN’T EVEN WATCHED ALL OF CLONE WARS OR PARTICULARLY CARE THAT MUCH ABOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP AND I STILL CATCH THE FEELS.

Vader being single-mindedly focused on the Ghost now that he knows Ahsoka’s aboard... not to Kenobi-show blubber again but, “All he’ll see is me.” Anakin is so obsessed with erasing himself and everyone who knew him it will drive him to obsession uuhhhhggggghh this stupid messy asshole.

Hera outflying motherfreaking Vader because he’s too distracted. <333333

I do like that Rebels kept Ahsoka’s appearances to a minimum too, knowing her mere presence would overshadow the others.  (Same reason the Teen Titans writers never brought in the adult heroes; they had to let their cast stand on their own merits.)

Egads look at the lighting effects in this scene.  Look at those slow-moving patches of light and shadow.

Ahsoka deep in denial about Vader’s identity.

Ezra’s theme ringing out briefly until it dissolves into tense strings.

And the Emperor’s theme comes in along with the first technical appearance of the man in this show, even though we never see him, only hear his voice.

I... kiiiiiiinda prefer Sam Whitwer’s dub of the scene, honestly.  Glad Disney+ still has his version on their site.  (Apparently the Ian McDiarmid redub is only on the Amazon Prime digital downloads, which is kind of asinine, but hey I appreciate not having the retconned version foisted on me.)

Aaaaaand episode end.

This was a rollercoaster of a season premiere, emphasizing that things have definitely changed for our heroes, that what was familiar can no longer be accessed, that we’re now hitched along for the ride with the wider Rebellion and what happens to it.

It’s simple and effective and it lets Vader be absolutely terrifying.  No complaints, really.

Next time, we get even more TCW characters reappearing.

[darcyolsson]

What's the ultimate ranking of all parabatai pairs in your intellectual tmi-spiral opinion

thanks for acknowledging the fact that tmi is making me a bit crazy 💛 without further ado, parabatai pairs from worst to best at being parabatai:

luke & valentine - they get some points for participating in a Parabatai Love Triangle (tm) which we all know by now is an essential part of all parabatai pairs but i think it's literally mentioned once that they were parabatai and then it's never brought up again. clearly this was the parabatai equivalent of an embarassing teenage relationship. 1.5/10

lucie & cordelia - they at least take the whole parabatai connected-souls things quite seriously but they forgot the most important part and thats that you need to actually be friends. 3/10

jace & alec - these two however absolutely did not take it seriously enough lmfaoooooo there's real love between them but they hate communicating, talking and speaking to each other SOOOO MUCH. however i kind of have to respect it? sometimes a joint parabatai slay is that they both dont actually give a fuck ab being parabatai. they were kind of real for that. 5/10

james & matthew - i acknowledge that they tried but they werent very good at it were they. i think they kind of suffer from the same thing as lucie & cordelia in the sense that they interact too little to come off as besties even though they both want to be besties. however they did have quite a few moments of unwavering homoerotic loyalty and i do love that. didnt live up to their potential though. 5.5/10

robert & michael - yeah they ended on bad terms but at least they gave us the drama and the completely insane intensity i'm LOOKING for!!!! like i said earlier, almost 20 years after his death michael was still the person robert loved the most in the entire world and michael literally came back from the dead to attend roberts funeral. perhaps robert failed to notice michael dying but thats iconic in and of itself imo do you know how deep you have to bury your emotions to not notice your parabatai's death?????? complete emotional rollercoaster i love it. 7/10 no wonder jace & alec are Like That

simon & clary - they rlly just became parabatai because they could. overhated and underrated parabatai duo i think they lack a certain je ne sais quoi that other pairs do have but i'm obsessed w their friendship so i love them anyway<3 have we considered that more ppl should just become parabatai with their besties simply because they can? besides at this rate simon will be a werewolf or something in 3 months' time anyway so we can't ever blame them for jumping on the opportunity! 7.5/10

jonathan shadowhunter & david the silent - literally invented the parabatai bond. bestie goals. couldve made it more feminist and included a woman though 🙄 8/10

emma & julian - do i even need to explain. they burned down a church. objectively awful at the whole parabatai deal though but in such an iconic life-changing culturally historically and aesthetically significant way that i dont even care. 9/10

will & jem - our souls are knit. we are one person, james. 10000000000000/10