#so was this theme only used in the us? or was it new for s6 and the others didnt use it bc they were held over? but that doesnt really make

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

EVEN MORE SPOILERS FOR SEASON 6

I figured since I already read it, I'd give my thoughts on the recent interview Astruc and Thibaudeau took part in.

Due to incompatibility with the new animation engine, SAMG will not be working on the next seasons of ‘Miraculous’. The series is now being developed entirely in France, with the integration of Dwarf Animation.

Okay, props for no more outsourcing, even if I'm not sure what this means for the other ZAG shows.

Season 6 is considered to be “a new beginning”, aside from being a new story arc. It is sometimes referred to by the writers as Season 1.

I'm sure that isn't confusing to the executives at all. Also, maybe don't imply you're starting from scratch when you're already reusing the plot of the main villain using the Butterfly Miraculous.

The writing team already has concrete ideas for how Seasons 7, 8 and 9 will begin and end. They also have ambitions to make it to a Season 12, only if the support of viewers and executives allows them to do so. With this, they emphasize the fact that they would not continue with the show if it were no longer needed or interesting.

So basically, they're planning to keep this up for as long as they can until someone pulls the plug.

The opening of the sixth season is still undecided. They are still discussing whether they will change the musical arrangement or not. Thomas also considers the possibility of making a brand-new theme song. A song has been confirmed for S6. They have the music, the arrangement and a female singer. The character remains unknown.

Imagine how funny it would be if they brought back the woman who sang for Marinette in the movie instead of having Cristina Vee sing again.

Despite leaving Paris at the end of ‘Revolution’ (5x23), Chloé Bourgeois will return in Season 6.

Putting aside all the things I've said about her "damnation arc", what is even the point of bringing her back at this point? She has no powers, no influence, no allies, and isn't a threat of any kind. This makes her not being the next Hawkmoth make even less sense, becuse she has more of a reason to hate Ladybug than Lila does.

Also, with the news that Chloe is coming back, this means that she essentially escaped punishment or at least found a way to rebound like Lila did. So that's a grand total of ZERO villains who actually got punished for their actions after five seasons. I'm starting to think Ladybug and Cat Noir really suck at their jobs.

Sebastien Thibadeau: “[Cerise] (IOTA: I'm still calling her Lila for simplicity's sake) is a villain without costume. She is a villain all the time. There is a reason why, but this reason, neither I nor Astruc will reveal to you yet.” Interviewer: “You mean you already intend to tell it?” Thomas Astruc: “Yes. And you know what, we have already told it, but you haven’t noticed.”

Translation: Ladies and gentlemen, LET'S GET READY FOR RETCOOOOOONNNNS!

Seriously, we are approaching the sixth season of this show. It has been eight years since Lila first appeared all the way back in "Volpina", and we still know nothing about her other than the fact that she has some three moms for some reason. You can't pull the whole "This is something you need to rewatch to understand!" excuse because the last two seasons hinged on breaking the rules about Sentimonsters.

Speaking of, I love how this comment about Lila accidentally implies that Gabriel never did anything evil when he wasn't Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth/Monarch. All that emotional abuse and isolation Adrien suffered was all out of love!

Thomas Astruc on Chloe redemption arc: “We put the characters in situations, and then we say to ourselves: “what would be the logic?” How would the character logically react in “such and such” a situation? And we tried, we tried everything. But every time, we say to ourselves: “if we write this, it’ll be wrong”. There’ll be no reason, it’ll come out of nowhere, the fact that she’ll face something nice and say: “Oh, I’ve been horrible, Marinette what have I done! From now on, I’ll be...” No, nonsense. I understand people’s desire for Chloe to be nice. I’d like that too. But I’d like it if in real life, people with a lot of power suddenly started doing nice things. But Chloé has no interest in changing. She has no reason to change, unfortunately.”

Ah, yes because Gabriel (Global terrorist and abusive parent), Felix (Betrayed Ladybug and temporarily wiped out all of humanity on a whim), Nathalie (Willing accomplice to Gabriel) Andre (corrupt politician and Chloe's primary enabler), Sabrina (Willing accomplice to Chloe) all had compelling reasons to change their ways.

Also, "I've been horrible, what have I done?"

MY BROTHER IN CHRIST, THAT'S HOW VIRTUALLY EVERY REDEMPTION ON THIS SHOW IS EXECUTED.

The fact that he's seriously acting like he actually wanted to write a redemption arc is insulting. Not only does it ignore all the things he's said to fans who were upset at the turn of events, but it makes no sense for him to take this stance because he's a writer. If Chloe turning a new leaf is too strange of an idea, then write an actual character arc allowing her to progress to a state where she recognizes what she's done is wrong. You control the character for God's sake! It's not like you're training a dog to stop humping the couch. You can change things to make a redemption arc possible.

In other words, Astruc is either lying to save his ass, or THIS IS WHAT THOMAS ASTRUC ACTUALLY BELIEVES about writing characters.

Sebastien Thibadeau talks about Andre's character development: In contrast to Chloe, “Andre Bourgeois evolved as a character because we had already imagined a back story. He had the potential to change, and that’s where the beautiful scene comes from — I think it’s magnificent — between Gabriel and himself on the roof of the Grand Palace, where he says: “But Gabriel, what’s become of us? We’ve forgotten the kids we used to be”. But we [writers] know what kids they used to be, and we’d like to tell the story one day, to show what young kids they were, when they were struggling through Paris and weren’t yet what you’ve come to know in the series. He’s sad about what’s happening to his daughter [Chloe], and he’s trying to change it, but he can’t. He is proof that a character can change.”

This. This right here is what cinched it for me. I've tried for years not to say it because it's a word that has been flung around a lot over these last few years, but I feel like this little snippet is enough of a reason for me to say it.

These writers are sexist.

They may not believe it, but whether they intended for it or not, they wrote a story arc where a grown man was shown to have more sympathetic qualities than his daughter. How the hell can you defend it in a way that doesn't highlight the misogyny that this show runs on?

The fact that they gush over how much "potential" Andre had right after saying how that same kind of potential wasn't enough of a reason to attempt a redemption arc with Chloe really shows how confusing their priorities are. I'm sorry to keep saying this, but for a show that takes a heavy anti-capitalist philosophy, it seems like the members of the 1% are the characters who get the most depth and sympathy... unless you're under 18 and lack a Y chromosome, that is.

A meeting will be set up in the coming weeks to decide on whether or not to make a live-action for ‘Miraculous’, Thomas Astruc reveals.

As a former Arrowverse fan, I'm willing to see this out. Not only did the Netflix One Piece series prove you can make an animated property work in live-action, Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie managed to do really well even without the usual writers behind it.

Thomas when asked about Gabriel’s wish in ‘Re-Creation’ (5x26) and whether he brought Emilie back to life: “All the answers are in the episode.”

For the love of--STOP SAYING THAT!

You keep claiming that we just need to rewatch the episode to understand things, but between the continuity errors and abandoned subplots, it's hard to tell what's important and what isn't. Either say "No comment" or give us an honest answer.

If people are still confused about how the season ended after almost a year, and you keep giving answers like this:

Maybe you need to change the way you tell the story.

Astruc when asked about ‘The Supreme’: “Oh, if only you knew... Nothing we do is meaningless.”

Sebastien Thibadeau on Season 7: “Once you’ve seen the start of season 7, I can swear you’ll watch season 6 a second time. That’s all I can say.”

Because it'll make Season 6 look like a masterpiece by comparison?

Thomas Astruc on the worldbuilding: There are Kwamis and Renlings, what makes you think there aren’t others [creatures]?

I swear, by the time we get to Season 10, we're going to get stuff like aliens, demons and talking mushrooms, or at least something ludicrous like that.

Zoe had a love at first sight when she met Marinette in ‘Sole Crusher’ (4x07), they confirm.

Of course! That's why it wasn't framed any differently from something like the umbrella scene and Zoe showed absolutely no signs of attraction to Marinette! It's genius!

Executives had Thomas write several alternative concepts for ‘Miraculous’, very different from what we know today or even the early PV. Among them, “a concept where Ladybug is the head of a group of superheroines, like Sailor Moon. There was no love story.”

Can you imagine a world without the Love Square?

The script writers’ favorite episode is ‘Simpleman’ (4x19) as it represents a personal, work and family attachment. Marinette’s grandfather, Roland Dupain, is inspired by Thomas Astruc’s grandfather.

Okay, either Astruc had a complicated relationship with his grandpa or he's been dead for years. While I understand that older generations have outdated views (for example, my great-grandmother yelled at me for saying I wanted to learn Japanese because "They tried to kill us!"), the fact that a caricture of a grumpy old man was based on his grandpa is a little concerning.

Also, between this and Sabine being based off an old flame of his, this only makes the theory that Chloe is based off a real person Astruc knew more plausible.

Astruc: “This is why our work is so difficult. We have to manage to bring in this generation of younger ones, and at the same time, we have to satisfy the generation that was here before and that grows with the series.”

First, if you're trying to please older fans, maybe don't get into fights with them on Twitter.

Second, you made a thread after "Simpleman" aired where you insulted fans for not getting the "meta" element to the episode and compared them to the character you just said was based on your grandfather.

You've also been burning away a lot of the older fans' goodwill over the years. Trust me, I have a few examples.

Despite sharing a similar appearance, the symbol on Nino’s T-shirt is not related to Hack-San.

Okay, is this a fan theory I missed back when Season 4 was airing? Why would anyone draw that conclusion?

Thomas Astruc talks about Season 6: “I’ll say it sincerely, I was very doubtful at the end of Season 5. I said to myself: “if we were to continue, how would we exceed?” Well, we did. It’s been a great season. The new writers have brought us a lot of great stuff. All the episodes we’ve written in Season 6 are fabulous. Each episode is on point, there is no unnecessary lines. All the scenes are really interesting, really well-crafted.”

Translation: Tons of filler, bad comedy, reused Akumas, and more Love Square drama that we're trying to claim hasn't been done before.

Thomas when asked if Marinette will get akumatized: “We never give any information about what may or may not happen.”

JUST. SAY. NO. COMMENT.

There are many important details throughout the series that no one has noticed. Thomas says that when we see the next seasons, we’ll think, “Oh, the writers had it all planned.”

You know, like how Season 3 established that Sentimonsters can be sent out of control by Cataclysm a few episodes before Adrien, a Sentimonster, gets hit by a Cataclysm and is affected in a different way. It was all planned from the beginning.

The Ladybug PV was an animation test and was not intended to be public. Jeremy Zag decided to leak it himself.

Honestly? Dick move on Zag's part. You have to wonder how pissed off Astruc was.

According to Thomas Astruc, what the ‘Miraculous’ series is today represents only 5% of what he wrote in the original bible he presented to Jeremy Zag. “The universe has evolved a lot since. I don’t know if the ideas I put there will be reused someday. It was very extensive.”

Thomas Astruc and Sebastien Thibadeau discuss the parallels between Marinette and Gabriel: Astruc: “Gabriel’s personal back story is the cause of his misery, not his will. And above all, it creates a beautiful mirror with Marinette, which is what’s interesting. They both have a lot of love for Adrien, they’re both designers, they both have a Miraculous, but it’s other choices.” Thibadeau: “That’s what makes it a great hero-villain contrast. Even if they don’t know it from the start, they have a real point in common. As we see at the end of Season 5, they both love Adrien. Except there’s one who does it by doing the right thing, and then there’s another who does it by doing the wrong thing, hurting people, to get there.”

And the one who did the wrong thing by hurting people ended up winning. What does that say about the contrast?

------------------------------------------------------------------

And that's it for the interview. I have to say Season 6 does not look pretty so far.

[sorinethemastermind]

"And I would say the third arc involves some new characters, some of the characters from the first seven, you know, the ones who survived season seven, but it's an evolution it's a next part of the story." - Aaron Ehasz on TDP Arc Three

Even before this quote I knew S7 would be heartbreaking. He already said that theme is "sacrifice" but I thought we would probably lose someone not someones. So let's break this down. Who is in the most danger?

Callum and Rayla

I think these two are in the most danger, honestly. It pains me to say it, but I think it's true. Not only did Season Six feature heavily around Callum asking Rayla to kill him and, on the other hand, Rayla asking him to sacrifice her if it came to it; we also now know that if Callum uses dark magic again he'll lose himself completely.

All of this leads me to think that either A. Rayla and Callum will be forced to keep their promises or B. they will be forced to break them. Either way, tragedy befalls our beloved Rayllum.

Soren

I have mixed feelings about how much danger Soren is in. On the one hand, he's the kind of person to use himself as a human shield, he's in charge of Ezran's protection, and I don't doubt that he would die for any of our characters or a stranger on the street. He's a true Crownguard. This makes me EXTREMELY worried.

On the other hand, we already had a moment in S6 where he had a chance to sacrifice himself, and they even made us think that he had for a moment. Which makes me think that maybe, because Viren died for his son and his kingdom, Soren will be allowed to live.

Amaya and Janai

I am so worried about our queens, because I think that if we lose one, we're going to lose both. I feel like there's a chance that the pair of them die for the future of Elves and Humanity. Alternatively, they could barely feature in the final season, offering shelter in the background of the story to the people of Katolis so that the Dragang can go off on their adventure without worry for their people back home. But I think that if it's a season where they feature heavily, we stand a good chance of losing them.

Claudia and Terry

Oh there are so many options for these two! I think there are two main possibilities, each with varying chances of survivability.

Option A. is Terry helping Claudia redeem herself. In this version of events, I think that Terry survives, but that there's an equal chance of Claudia sacrificing herself in her redemption and of her surviving.

Option B. is that while Aaravos is defeated in this final season, Claudia is not, and ends up being the final villain in Arc 3. In this universe, I think Terry dies in S7.

Either way, I think that both of them, but especially Claudia, is in grave danger in the coming season.

Ezran

The only character that I truly feel is safe is Ezran. I don't think he will escape this season unscathed, I don't think anyone will. But I think that Ezran represents a bright future and breaking the cycle, and I think for that reason he has to survive to champion that future.

[raayllum]

Knowledge as a Burden / Subjective & Objective Truth :: A S5 Meta

Now, the concept of Knowledge being a burden is nothing new. It's quite literally baked into cultural consciousness (at least in the West; I don't know enough to speak for East cultural mythos) through both the story of Adam and Eve within the three Abrahamic religions, and its close sister story of Pandora's pithos (more commonly known as a box). We also see it in stories such as Bluebeard, in which a new wife is forbidden to inspect her husband's private chambers and deeply regrets her choice to do so, as well as phrases such as "the grass is always greener on the other side," "ignorance is a bliss," and "what you don't know can't hurt you" (all of which are debatable as phrases, of course).

However, it is one of the rare themes in TDP, I think, that wasn't really present in arc 1 and is introduced as an arc 2 (as compared to most that were already in arc 1, and have just been strengthened/matured) particularly as of S5, hence why I wanted to talk about it.

So let's talk about it (specifically Kpp'Ar, Akiyu, Viren, Rayla, Callum Ezran, Soren, and the Jailer, not at all in that order).

Thematic Origins

Like most things in terms of season four thematically, "Knowledge as a Burden" actually starts in Through The Moon, in a lot of ways. There's the other side of it as well - not knowing what happened to her family or Viren is causing Rayla to be increasingly irate and worried - but TTM closes out on Rayla at least being able to face the fact her family is gone. If that was the only big piece of information she'd learned by going through the portal, she probably wouldn't have left.

R: Right before you found me, he opened his eyes, and I knew... He may be caught between life and death somehow, but Viren is on this side of things. He's alive, Callum! C: I don't know, Rayla. I didn't understand half of what I saw in there. [...] I let you jump into the Nexus alone and I knew right away I'd made the biggest mistake of my life. I could have lost you.

However, she Knew - in her bones - that Viren was alive, and so she had to go after him. Even if it wasn't what she wanted (to leave or to hurt Callum) the knowledge itself felt like it was pressing down on her, that this was what she had to do. That she had no other choice.

That being said, TTM is at its core supplementary material. While it initiates the theme in this way (as does Callum's devotion), it may be worth turning to how S4 originates the theme and pursuit of Knowledge, which is not through Rayla directly, but is through Callum, instead.

(If you're interested in Amaya and Callum's parallels in 4x01 concerning partners and knowledge, you'll want to check out this meta here.)

In the beginning of S4, Callum is where Rayla used to be, left in limbo about the well-being and what's happened to his loved ones. And there is, of course, his frustration and quest to properly decipher the mirror, and anger at Soren, when he believes the man is keeping something from him.

This anchoring in Callum's plot line and curiosity indeed informs the true thematic basis of knowledge in Arc 2 in comparison in Arc 1. In the first three seasons, we always knew where we were going — to the Dragon Queen to notify her of Zym's safety/existence, with Viren's initial Aaravos plotline in S2 being a divergence from this level of certainty — but in arc 2, we're purposefully floundering a bit more. Because in a lot of ways

Arc 2 is About the Pursuit of Knowledge

This isn't particularly a surprise, given the seasons have the official title of "The Mystery of Aaravos," and mysteries involve clues that are in the inherent pursuit of trying to gain answers (i.e. knowledge), but it does mark a structural departure from Arc 1, as mentioned earlier, and informs S4-S5 (and most likely S6) more than we might've initially realized.

A perfect example is that, from 4x05 onwards, the main characters (including Claudia and co. until the of 4x09) up until approximately the end of 5x05 (a full 10 episodes) are simply travelling around trying to find the pieces to Aaravos' prison. To decipher its location, its material, and its very nature. But put a pin in it for later, cause I want to draw attention to another quest for knowledge that runs concurrently in season 5 in particular, AKA:

Knowledge as Power

I've talked before about Finnegrin's parallels to Aaravos, but thus far haven't touched too much on Callum's parallels to Finnegrin, even though they're uh

There, for sure. And of course, both Finnegrin and Callum (and Rayla, with her "We're going to need to know one thing: how do we kill a Startouch elf" + Finnegrin's "I just want one thing") have their own similar reasonings, ultimately, for wanting to kill their chosen targets: to maintain their own control and freedom.

(This isn't to say this is Callum's exclusive motivation regarding Aaravos — it isn't — but I do think we're meant to see the blatant parallels as well.)

Control, freedom, and power are all undeniably, understandably linked, then. But knowledge is the undercurrent (pun intended) of all of it. Finnegrin's awareness of his confines is what's driving him mad; Callum knowing that Aaravos can possess him and what the mirror entailed, things he lived in ignorant bliss of for 2+ years, are what worries him in S4. Knowledge and power are inextricably linked, as Viren's character makes particular apparent, which in the case of Kpp'Ar demonstrates a strong Knowledge of his student (with caveats) as well as Aaravos' assessment of Viren. If you have knowledge, you have power — and if you have power, you have agency and/or worth.

Which I think is the subtextual cue to Viren only having clarity ("This is nonsense!") once he casts down his crown (power) in the dream sequences, as well as his end of season "I finally see the truth" epiphany that also comes with relinquishing power and agency over his own life, while ironically exerting it more than ever. But more on Viren and all that later, so pin in it for now.

We also see this element of Knowledge as power come into play with other characters, most notably Claudia in her utilization of dark magic and the creativity she expresses with it, Callum's knowledge of spells, and even Ezran in S5:

However, knowledge in the 'traditional' sense in show isn't solely about magic or spells or prisons, or even overtly negative. There are far more positive sides as well (even if, like most things, it's a double edged sword). So let's talk about

Knowledge as Self Actualization

Have talked about self actualization in regards to Callum and Rayla's individual development in Arc 1 a few times in overlapping ways, so not going to repeat too much here (each of them examining themselves but also one another's worldview - of the cycle and magic/the war - in order to reach the people they were meant to be in many ways, etc), although I am going to touch on them later as per S4 and S5 again.

For a fresher example, I want to talk about Soren.

Dictionaries define self actualization as the process of becoming your fullest self — often times conflated with the best version of yourself — where you become more You than you ever were before. This is especially true for both Soren and Rayla in arc 1, where although they have dips and bends, they are both ultimately selfless protectors secure in the duties they've finally been able to fully choose (and to make up, to themselves, for prior failures). For Callum and Ezran, their self actualization is more transformative into someone entirely new — more confident, more assertive, more compassionate and with the power to express it — than restorative, but again: put a pin in Callum's arc for a bit, cause we're getting to it.

For now, let's talk about self actualization through recognition of yourself through the other (aka in this case, how Callum and Rayla view themselves through the other's eyes in S4 and S5) as well as love being both a subjective and objective truth (with some moon arcanum stuff for spice).

So objective truth is things that are undeniably real — magic exists in Xadia, Aaravos has been imprisoned. Subjective truth is whether Aaravos was imprisoned for a good reason, or that humans can't access primal magic; these can change depending on viewpoint or access to new/old information. For example, while Aaravos likely isn't lying about what he believes will happen ("The sun will rise and you will not") that doesn't make it objective reality; just because someone is telling their truth and perception of events does not make it unilaterally The truth.

But for a more interpersonal view...

In season four, just like Callum doesn't know if Rayla is alive, he doesn't know how to feel about her coming back. Rayla hopes that they can reconcile, but she also knows that her leaving hurt him — even if Callum won't admit it. She had her reasons for leaving and he has his reasons for being hurt, and although somewhat opposed, they can both exist. This follows what Lujanne and Ezran cite, i.e.:

Lujanne: Sometimes real trust is accepting even the dark parts we will never know. [..] Was it wrong? Or was it just differently true?

with notions of subjective truth, and Ezran's assertion of his truth that

But I think I left something out. I ignored something that was true. I denied something that is undeniable. We are angry! I am angry. I have been hurt. [...] But… It’s not that easy or simple. Because people are still hurting and they are still angry. We can’t ignore that, or pretend it will go away. Somehow, we have to hold it all in our hearts at the same time. We have to acknowledge the weight of the pain and loss, but open up our eyes and allow ourselves to hope and maybe forgive and love again.

Whether one has hope or not that the world can be different often times indicates whether they will be breaking the cycle or perpetuating it. We see these conflicting realities once again with Soren and his inability to get through to Claudia ("You're on the wrong side. I know because... I was too")

versus being able to successfully get through to Elmer:

When you can empathize and relate to others — which is a cornerstone of Amaya's growth as well across season three through to season five — you can lend understanding and self-actualization not only to yourself, but also to them: "You know who you sound like?" "Who?" "Me" much in the same way Soren is able to offer it to Elmer, and Elmer reasserts his own identity — his understanding and knowledge of himself, down to his name — accordingly in addition to becoming an ally.

Knowledge is also the foundation of consistency; how well we know someone is predicated on how well we can predict their behaviour and subsequently rely on them, not only in action but also in reaction and responses. There's few things more disconcerting than someone reacting poorly to something you thought they would take rather well. Moreover, if knowledge of ourselves can lead to self-actualization, then our knowledge of each other can also lead to mutual self-actualization. We see this first hand in Rayla and Callum's Arc 2 dynamic thus far, so let's talk about it:

Mutual Love as Self Actualization: Part 1 — Uncertainty to Certainty (S4)

As previously noted, Callum starts out S4 at both a loss with the mirror, and still coping with the uncertainty and stagnation of his loss of Rayla. When Ezran reaffirms that Callum still loves her, all Callum can helplessly rely that he doesn't "even know if she's alive." Things don't really improve once Rayla shows up, either, even if we see the persistent thread of not knowing vs knowing being knit throughout their arc with one another.

We see this knit through, lightly, in Janai's arc regarding her people and place as queen ("Elves and humans [moving too fast]? ... I don't know" "At least Karim would lead with some kind of certainty") as though uncertainty is nothing but doubt, rather than a journey involving doubt as well as the opportunity for growth just as much as any venture (as Callum and Rayla will soon find out).

After all, Callum soon finds a shred of comfort in said uncertainty, and offers it to Rayla accordingly in an attempt to comfort her:

Rayla: This is all my fault [that Soren is dead/missing]. I left him alone! I shouldn't have— Callum: Rayla. Don't. We can't know what happened for sure. I mean, this is the path to Rex Igneous, right? So maybe he couldn’t climb out of the pit, so he had to keep going. You know him. He’s brave. He’s gotta be down there looking for Rex.

And this is also built upon a foundation Ezran has set earlier with his friends. When he is trying to get Callum and Rayla to work together, he doesn't tell them to set everything aside, or even harkens back to their good old days. He asserts their identities and says, "Don't you remember who you are?" because to him — and evidently to Callum and Rayla, because it works — working together and helping each other has become a fundamental, core part of who they are as individuals. They are that interwoven with each other, and Rayla reflects that in 4x07 with, "Callum, you're the 'destiny is a book you write yourself' guy. No one can control you or make your choices for you" as well as what Callum offers up to her in 4x09 where we see the turning point in their prior uncertainty. Although they've both changed, they are fundamentally still the same people they were when they fell in love, and there is both comfort, sadness, and acceptance in that realization, where Callum says:

Which is the tipping point into season 5, and where they stay for the bulk of season five, so let's talk about that next stage.

Mutual Love as Self Actualization: Part 2 — Certainty and Discovery (S5)

Upon reconciling once Callum has said what we knew all along — "I'm so glad you come back" — Callum and Rayla return to the castle, and their searches for knowledge become arguably more explicitly stated by the text. Their first scene together in 5x01 establishes that Callum wants to know the Ocean arcanum ("I thought it would be about controlling the tides or fighting the currents" thereby exerting control, which he desperately wants over himself post-S4) as well as Aaravos, whereas Rayla is seeking answers about her family: "If I can figure out how he put you into the cursed coins, maybe I can find a way to get you out."

This is, of course, something we know she doesn't trust Callum with yet, not wanting to burden him with her problems especially before she's reached her own conclusion of what to do about it (to delay it for the good of the world) and we see that the certainty and forgiveness Callum found in 4x09 has more than carried over.

Opeli: Don't you want to know what she was up to? Why she did all this? Callum: If she didn't tell me, she has a good reason. I know this: the tides are true as the ocean is deep. [...] It means I trust her. Unconditionally. Let her go. Now.

This scene harkens back not only to the love poetry he quoted and then paraphrases ("To love is simply to know this") where loving and knowing someone is deemed synonyms, but also by his reassertion of Rayla's identity in the wake of her transgressions and her silence: "She's not the elf. She's Rayla" because Callum's love for (and trust in) her has always been rooted in the essence of who she is: "That's what makes her a hero. That's what makes her Rayla."

And we see Rayla's own knowledge of certainty challenged and reformed by Amaya in 5x04:

When I was growing up, my big sister Sarai was the smartest, strongest, bravest person I knew. When she died, I felt lost and weak without her. I hated feeling that way, so I learned to be strong alone. Stoic, strong, and lonely. [That does sound like me sometimes.] But the last two years have changed everything. Meeting Janai, falling in love, I am stronger than I ever was — because we are stronger together. And I realized that was the real truth of me and Sarai too. Love and trust grow a kind of strength that is much bigger than we each possess. To have that kind of strength, it is not enough to love someone. You have to trust them to share the burdens you carry.

And although very uncertain about opening up, Rayla still expresses certainty that she knows Callum could and can be there for her, if he wants to be — if he's ready to be.

Rayla: But I think — I know that I trust you to help me carry this. If you're okay with that?

This is, after all, with both Amaya's encouragement and Callum's reassurance that 1) "You can tell me when you're ready" and that 2) he does want to know from 5x01. Then, we see both their arcs in this way largely — or at least they would, in a perfect world — be resolved in many ways by their interaction later in 5x04:

But that's not where their season 5 arc ends, because 5x08 happens. To talk about that, though, we have to talk about a few other things, namely

Oedipus Rex

Bear with me, because I promise this relates. "Oedipus Rex" is a 5th century BCE Greek tragedy written by Sophocles, detailing the life of a man who's name is mostly (ironically) known for lending itself to Sigmund Freud's Oedipus complex theory. The play and myth itself, however, indicate very much the opposite. Prophesied to murder his father and marry his mother, both Oedipus and his parents are accordingly horrified by his apparent fate, and do everything they can to remove it as a possibility, including abandoning their baby to die on a mountainside, as well as Oedipus leaving the home of the family who saved and subsequently raised him, never realizing he was adopted.

He then goes on to discover the truth of the prophesy when a plague wracks his city that the seers say will not leave until the murderer of their king is found, and Oedipus unknowingly pushes until the point of revelation that it was himself, and that his wife for many years is actually his mother. Even when other characters, such as his mother turned wife, Jocasta, begin to suspect the truth and urge him to stop chasing down the mystery so they can have plausible deniability, Oedipus remains oblivious until the horrifying truth is staring him in the face. Jocasta hangs herself, and he gouges his eyes out and runs off into the woods to die.

The reason I bring this all up is because, in the Western literary canon at least, "Oedipus Rex" is considered the "ur-text," otherwise known as the text that all others are modelled after. Not necessarily in the incest or the tragedy, but the fact that most if not many Western stories (TDP included) are continually propelled towards the point of Revelation or epiphany, and that this revelation is inevitable, whether it is positive or negative.

While Viren and Harrow give an excellent display of a relationship that breaks down due to a lack of understanding and compassion, as well as self-doubt on both sides...

Harrow: Call it what it is. Dark magic [...] I've spent years going along with these creative solutions, and where has it gotten me? Viren: I don't understand. Harrow: I know you don't. Leave me. Viren: They will find you and they will kill you. Harrow: I know this. Viren: But know this: anyone of these men and women would gladly trade their lives to save yours.

Likewise, we see Viren through his dreams seek the form of acceptance ("I hope you know--" "I know") that Rayla has offered Callum, except from Harrow, as well as going further into what Viren has deeply wanted for most of his life and from Harrow in particular; to be listened to, to be valued. (How pure that is in practice is debatable given their dynamic outside of Viren's dreams, i.e. Harrow listening to you does not always mean agreeing with you, but I digress.)

Harrow: You are a brother. You're my family. Viren: I've always thought of you as my family, and you know, I would do anything for my family. However dangerous. However vile. Harrow: [Still hugging him] I know. Viren: It is everything to me, to know that I mean something to you, to know that I matter. It's all I ever wanted.

But what should be a scene of comfort and reassurance turns into a literal nightmare. Into entrapment. Into imprisonment.

Knowledge as a Burden / How Knowledge Can Imprison You

I've said before that Arc 2 is about the pursuit of knowledge, specifically because more than the mystery of Aaravos himself, the bulk of the main characters are trying to unravel the mystery of his prison. Season five, by virtue of offering more clues (the nature of the prison, its appearance, and its location) also reveals more of the layers in both the construction of the prison and the dispersion of the clues. Even the mighty Domina Profundis states, "I do not know where it is," but that "I do know what it is."

Previously, we've mostly talked about knowledge, especially within the text of the show, as a positive thing. It is the foundational rock of a strong relationship, it can lead to positive self actualization, and it helps the heroes keep Aaravos from being unleashed. When you do not have enough knowledge or perceived understanding of someone (Claudia assumes Soren could never understand her, and Viren and Harrow's relationship breakdown), your relationship accordingly deteriorates. When you share knowledge, and share experiences (Rayla to Callum about the coins, Soren to Elmer about abusive cycles), you can become stronger together.

But knowledge is not exclusively a good thing. It can also be harmful, or unwanted, or unwanted precisely because it's harmful. It can bind you to deals or bonds you don't really want, and once you know something, you cannot un-know it, whether about yourself or about others. And we see this most plainly in the story Archmage Akiyu shares about the prison.

Because Aaravos was a master manipulator, the Jailer knew all knowledge of the prison had to be protected... its location, its material, its very nature. She carefully divided information about the prison so that not even the Archdragons had the complete picture. Each knew only a piece. "The puzzle is the real prison," she told me with a proud smile. But I made a fatal mistake.

Akiyu didn't mean to look. She didn't mean to discover, to know. What should've been a noteworthy accomplishment of being trusted to keep the world safe, so it would be a better place for her and others to live in, nearly spelled her doom.

I begged her to let me live. I swore to keep the secret safe, but she said it was too important. "The archdragons will have to kill you," she told me, "to protect the puzzle, to secure the prison."

There's a few interesting things here. We can see, from the severity that Akiyu holds regarding her oath, that the Jailer was genuinely concerned about making sure the prison would hold Aaravos, in addition to the fact that Jailer would be condemning Akiyu to death without having to bloody her hands herself. But the intensity here does make sense; as she just said, "the prison is the real puzzle," and now that's been potentially compromised.

We even get a bit of bonus foreshadowing, as Callum turns to look at Rayla, indicating he hasn't forgotten what he asked her to do in 4x07, and that him gaining more knowledge about Aaravos (or the key?) may not necessarily be a Good thing.

Rayla: [About the cube] It's a toy. A piece from a children's game. I hope it was worth it to you, putting everyone's lives in danger (1x04).

If you have knowledge, you have the capacity to share knowledge, either for a common good with people you trust, or to potentially have it twisted out of you under duress, both of which could've posed a danger if Akiyu had trusted the wrong person...

or if someone (much the same way Ezran put it together) went after her to get information but with less favourable intentions...

And we see that Akiyu was likely aware of this as well:

So I proposed a pact. I made a solemn promise I would die before revealing the location of the prison to anyone. And she spared me.

She ends her history lesson by reaffirming a sentiment she already expressed earlier, citing, "I didn't want to kill you, but you left me no choice. I swore an oath, and I intend to keep it" and reaffirming it here with, "So you see, when you came looking for information about Aaravos, I had no choice. If I didn't deter you, I had to kill you." At best, Akiyu's acquisition of knowledge made her prepared to put blood on her hands (if it isn't there already from previous knowledge seekers) and provides her justification in doing so.

If she could just un-know something, her life and the information would've been much safer for everyone involved, and yet that wasn't really possible. Once you know something, you cannot un-know it. (What is done cannot be undone.) Although what happened was a genuine accident, and Akiyu wanted to live, she still understood the importance of what was transpiring and why the Jailer reluctantly wanted to remove her from the equation ("The archdragons will have to kill you" / "You have to kill me. I need you to promise") to be safe rather than sorry.

And then on the flipside we have Finnegrin, who is punished for 'genuine' crimes (we can assume based on his actions that his prior ones weren't much better, but we also don't totally know for sure), spared without begging for it, and is deeply resentful of the restrictions placed upon him.

So while to get out of her predicament, Akiyu is an Tidebound elf who holds onto knowledge, Finnegrin is a Tidebound elf who wants to get out of his predicament by gaining knowledge — by any means necessary. Because knowledge is power, knowledge is agency, and knowledge is imprisonment. Which means it's finally time to talk about:

Knowledge and the Ocean Arcanum

So if S4 is about beginning to navigate both in spite of and within uncertainty, S5 is about having the safety of that uncertainty stripped away, both in creating more of it, and in removing some of it. Namely, the Ocean arcanum:

Finnegrin: What did you think you could do, boy? I control everyone on this ship. Everyone.

Callum: [Internally] Do not ask how the ocean's blue... or why their time the tides do keep. To love is simply to know this. The tides are true as the Ocean is deep.

Now I've talked more about the specific symbolism embedded in the scene where Callum internally unlocks the Ocean arcanum — the closing of his hand mimicking what he must've done to crush the slug (as well as the importance of hands and consistent gestures throughout the episode), the sea and storm and darkness receding because the arcanum is, ultimately, enlightenment, etc.

And in some ways, Callum unlocking the Ocean arcanum should be outright enlightenment with all the positive connotations that comes with. It's him achieving the goal he wanted from his first scene this season ("I'm trying to get into a place where I can connect with the Ocean arcanum"), it has all the positive light and lack of storm associations, and it allows Callum to triumphantly break free from Finnegrin's blood ice grip, for lack of a better term.

Callum: But then, you already knew that, didn't you? Because it's the secret of the Ocean itself. The arcanum. Finnegrin: Impossible. Callum: You helped me figure it out. I thought it would be about controlling the tides, or fighting the currents. But it's the opposite. The Ocean arcanum is about accepting there are depths you can't see, parts of yourself you can't understand, and things you can't control. You know what I'm saying is true because you were born knowing it. No matter how much you try, you'll never control everything. And that terrifies you.

I'm afraid, Rayla. What if I'm on a path of darkness?

Callum does not frame him unlocking the Ocean arcanum, nor the arcana itself, as a victory. Not to say that either of those things are bad, but that they have layers, and complications, that largely were not present (at least at the time) with the Sky arcanum. While Callum learned in S4 the dark side of potential and how consequences can catch up to you, in many ways, S5 is about deepening that understanding to the fact that no matter how much power you have, you can still not control everything. There will always be moments you feel powerless. There will always be moments you are found desperate.

He chased the Ocean arcanum because he thought, if Sky granted him potential and freedom, then Ocean would grant him control, but the truth was more complicated than that. While it did grant him control (the ability to break free from Finnegrin's spell), it also granted him a rather hard truth he'd rather not know.

The first time he cites his poem about true tides and untold deaths, he is talking about his faith and trust in Rayla — the way he views her: "If she didn't tell me, she has a good reason. [...] I trust her. Unconditionally."

The second time he recites the poem, it is about himself. The untold depths are within himself, are parts he is still trying to understand in full because they are uncomfortable truths. In many ways, Callum unlocking the Ocean arcanum is his version of Ezran's 4x03 speech (see how we looped all the way back? 'Totally' intentional I swear), that multiple things can be, and sort of have to be, true in order to gain new ground, even if there's a part of you that wishes it could be simple.

I had a speech planned for today. It was about peace and love and hope. But I think I left something out. I ignored something that was true. I denied something that is undeniable.  [I'm not a dark mage. I will never help you. -> That's the dark magic you want. Just... just let her go.]

And just like his brother, Callum can no longer deny the truth.

Callum had to accept parts of himself that he was previously denying — where they could lead and what they could do, and how he could be manipulated/coerced/controlled — in order to access the Ocean arcanum. Love both makes him stronger, by his own assessment, and weaker, per Finnegrin's. Losing control made him realize what he'll do in order to have control again, even if it's temporary, even if it might not work, even if it might have disastrous consequences, because what he gains in the process — in this case, Rayla's life and safety - is worth it to him, even if all that knowledge is also scary to him and something he's going to continue to learn how to cope with.

Callum's knowledge of himself then becomes a burden, both a metaphorical and literal chain (undoing his chains so that he can free Rayla, while knowing he's chaining himself further to Aaravos in the process).

With this in mind, the ocean arcanum thereby embodies all the facets of Knowledge we've largely been looking at across S4 and S5 in particular. It is Love ("To love is simply to know this") and self actualization/discovery ("parts of yourself you can't understand"). It is power ("The secret of the Ocean itself - the arcanum" "Impossible!") and it is a burden ("there are depths you can't see" with his hands clasped like chains not for the first or last time this episode). It is freedom, yes, but the Knowledge Callum now holds is also imprisonment.

Conclusion

If you made it all this way, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed. While there were other elements this season (Viren's atonement and self actualization arc which begins and ends with him becoming aware of the Truth, or knowledge, of his actions, for example) I felt they were better suited to other core themes or motifs — a general theme of self actualization or the way TDP discusses truth and sight, for example, than being tethered directly to Knowledge in this way.

I expect we'll see this be continued further as the cast chases more knowledge about Aaravos and his past / power in future seasons, in addition to the potential knowledge he and other Startouch elves such as Leola passed down to humanity that had a variety of consequences.

For now, I will see you in the next meta.

—Dragons out

[upslapmeal]

Boom

So I had vaguely seen things about Moffat coming back, but I'd always interpreted the 'next' series as being... the NEXT series. after the upcoming one. anyway BIG ol' surprise in the opening titles lol

are these those anglican marines back from what?? s5? s6?

....is this a flashback? I think those guys had the same name

we're finding out he swapped a duty and now he's injured

oh wait it’s not a flashback lmao

this is where being bad at faces fails me

is this an american ambulance situation where they cost too much and ruin your life?

ah

they ruin your life in another significant way

‘villengard’ assuming this is pre-bananas lol

*dramatically throws open tardis doors* 'someone needs me!!!'

Fifteen’s theme is so good

Moffat??????? well that explains the anglican marines

Fifteen is excellent at answering questions. shame they're not the questions Ruby is asking

‘one wrong move and boom’ eyy title drop

when can Twelve and Fifteen bond over capitalism and being scottish

‘i’m not even screaming. yet.’ yeah

‘it’s going to be tricky’ ‘it’s going to be a MOMENT YEAH’

gotta think of health and safety at war what can I say! only the finest ventilated air before our ambulances murder you

Ruby on her first planet <3 (though only now after 6 months?? Fifteen you've been slacking clearly!)

‘he was being sMELTED??’ ‘it’s a good word smelted’ 'NOT AT THE MOMENT???’ obviously Fifteen's not having the best time but poor Ruby lmao

‘ooooh I am. havin’ a day 🙃🙃’ never has a Doctor been so me. minus the landmine.

Ruby don’t make the Doctor laugh when he’s balancing on one leg!!

oh man the Doctor really IS having a day

ok those soldiers are definitely not the same guy lol but I could have sworn they had the same name!

‘everything is possible. everywhere is a beach eventually’ RIP Mundy left out of that lil callback to earlier

Ruby grabbing the gun, shooting it and yelling is v much banging the pipes in Space Babies lol

love that her instinct is make noise and yell, think later

meanwhile Splice is chilling with her lil photo album

…did I mishear shoot me little bitch??

oh lol ‘shoot me a little bit'

nooo Ruby!!

‘I can’t think unless I’m talking and I can only talk to you’ oh that is VERY Twelve Clara

and also a lot to put on someone you’ve known for so little time that they’re only just seeing their first planet RIP

Fifteen: do you get it do you get it!! Ruby: 😴

'there are no Kastarions’ big Doctor’s Daughter vibes

Thirteen: have faith!!! <3 Fifteen: >:(

love fifteen giving his big speech with snot running down his lip. giving Nine in Dalek

‘how much of the countdown left’ ‘3 minutes maybe’ I mean you said 5 minutes 4 minutes ago

speaking of which what is the point of assessing for life and having a countdown if it just blows anyway

(to give it flashy lights and features I know)

bud I appreciate the romance going on here but now is maybe not the time

oh yeah very much not the time

…..delighted that Ruby hasn’t been smelted. yet.

(.....also 3 minutes have now passed. where is the boom the title promised!!)

the deaths are stacking up and Splice is just having the best chill time lol

oh the ambulance is the twist lady!

just for the record it took that failsafe 8 minutes to trigger

lol poor confused Ruby. honestly rude to die and miss the action

there’s the closeup from the trailer!!

who knew that serene deep breath came shortly after prolonged near death by landmine

‘he’s not gone. he’s just dead’ <3

‘you keep the faith Splice’ there we go

‘snow isn’t snow until it falls’ maybe it’s just my love for Twelve’s era but I’ve been endeared to these nonsense Moffatisms lol

ok looking at the credits those characters have different names but they're still similar! you can’t have two characters with similar names played by incredibly similar-looking people and expect us to tell them apart??

WAIT HANG ON

varada sethu????? as in new companion???????

is Mundy coming back?????? or is this a Karen Gillan situation?

Really enjoyed this one!! Easily my fave of the first three, very tense and WHAT a showcase for Ncuti!!! Absolute powerhouse. However. On rewatch I really did notice how much Ruby was written like Clara lol. Ah Moff you've got your strengths and weaknesses like us all

[the-martyrfication-of-the-matron]

Alright, I’m gonna ask because I’m lost.

First of all good morning/day/night

How do I approach Aphmau(MCD and Mystreet) again? Used to watch it as a child and now I basically forgot about it, any pointers?

(I’m mostly asking because I want to write a fanfic on it, so there’s that.)

i'm assuming you're asking about where to start with watching them. which is fair. if i'm wrong, correct me, irdm.

I'll be honest, i did make a whole list of everything in chronological order, but this is my personal watch order.

MCD S1 -> MCD S2 -> PDH S1 -> PDH S2 -> MyS S1 -> MyS S2 -> MyS S3 -> MyS S4 -> Aphmau's Year -> MyS S5 -> MyS S6 -> Her Wish it's the entire MCD/MyS universe (barring most Side Stories), in chronological order.

you don't need to watch it in chronological order, but i would personally, just since.... it's easier. also means you'll get all the MCD references in MyS. because there are a lot of those.

Optionally, you could also cram MCD S3 in there somewhere... but don't,

here's the fat list, incuding the side stories i knew about.

-- Minecraft Diaries / MCD timeline

MCD: Origins (optional)

MCD: Rebirth (incomplete, optional): a remake of MCD:S1, was never finished.

MCD: Season One -- OR, MCD: S1 Lore: A video summary of the entire season.

Void Paradox (optional): maybe watch Mod Mod World first...

MCD: Season Two

DO NOT WATCH MCD: SEASON THREE...

jk, you can, but... do consider, most people hate it, it isn't considered canon by most fans, and it is incomplete... and shit... so... yay. no shame if you do end up enjoying it, though.

-- My Street / MyS timeline

Phoenix Drop High: Season 1

Phoenix Drop High: Season 2:

PDH Side Stories: Upsidedown Stories (optional)

Phoenix Drop High: Graduation Days (optional)

Falcon Claw University (optional)

Minecraft (Roleplay) Side Stories (optional): Technically MCD side stories, but like... modern aus... so... MyS timeline. Only important one is The Big Move

MyStreet

Love Love Paradise

Detours! (optional): haven't personally watched, the side stories of LLP.

The Bigger Move (optional): A side stories set between LLP and LV.

Lovers' Lane

Holiday Side Stories (optional): some of LV's side stories are holiday themed: Fall Festival, Holiday Special and New Years Party.

non-holiday Side Stories (optional): LV has a lot of side stories, man.... i think the most important are the 'Aaron's Ticket' episodes...

Emerald Secret

Aphmau's Year: i may have swapped the colour order just to have ES be green shhh.

Starlight Wonderland

When Angel's Fall

Her Wish: Another Side Stories, the closest we'll probably get to season 7.

Side Stories (optional): Why the fuck are there so many. There's more. I liked the D&D ones tho.

[saphushia]

do you have any more head cannons for Phantom Etho? I just am enamored with your ethos stuff-

hmmm i can probably think of a few-

he's not that good at flying. his wings disappear whenever he gets too far from someone sleep deprived, so to practice someone has to keep up with him on elytra. he's had enough practice to be a passable flyer, but even so it tires him out and he really only does it on occasion when he's bothering someone for not sleeping and swooping at them for fun. the rest of the time he uses elytra and rockets like normal

i originally drew his wings with inspiration from albatross- long slender wings that are best for soaring great lengths with very little energy use, but after some thought i think i'm gonna start drawing them more in the shape of an osprey's- the way it swoops for fish is far more reminiscent to phantoms to me than the albatross is.

i'm still tossing the idea back and forth, but i'm thinking etho hasn't always been a phantom hybrid. the phantom hasn't always existed, after all, and etho has existed in the universe quite a long time. quite longer than phantoms have. it's normal when worlds change, when a world is updated, that things in the world act in ways they never would have had the update either been there from the start, or never happened at all (who hasn't had a world break a little by loading it into a new version? more so if that world has seen many changes before it). it makes sense then, that when the universe changes, being given new rules, new qualities, new code, that players may sometimes change similar to how worlds do. that something in them becomes something it didn't used to be.

in reference to the previous, phantoms were added in 1.13, which released in 2018, one day before the start of hc s6. however, etho wasn't there for s6, and thus likely discovered his change while on his singleplayer world. or, well, he would have, except. there's no one other than him there, and he changes in reaction to other people. now, it's possible that he can constantly see himself in his phantom form. it makes sense, even! it's simply that he appears normal to well-rested onlookers. however, the MUCH funnier option, is that that's not true and he looks normal, so he just didn't fucking notice. as best i can tell from some cursory searching, the first time he's with other people after the 1.13 update is playing diversity 3 with the rest of team canada (which is 1.14, nearly a YEAR after phantoms are added). meaning he probably realized then, likely scaring all 3 of them to death because, while it's not unheard of for players to change during updates when new mobs appear, it is surprising to call up your buddy to go on a new adventure and then realize partway through that he's been a whole ass creature for a YEAR and he didn't notice. beef and pause laugh at him for a while over that

(for future reference, i'd appreciate if you didn't use colored text to send me asks. i understand it's likely a signature thing, but it's hard to read on dark theme with the screen filters i use, and while it's not the end of the world because i can read it, i'd prefer to not have to highlight or copy it somewhere else just to read a message in my inbox)

[extasiswings]

it’s wildly apparent to me that they fully pivoted and went in a whole new direction from what they originally planned for a slower, more drawn out 6B and I’m not mad about it but I do think it’s hilarious. <- how so? I'm curious about the direction change and from what to what? 🤔

Sure! So, we all complained about the pacing of 6A, right? And how weird it felt to have such strong Vibes right out the gate in the premiere setting forth the couch metaphor and the theme of "missing what is right in front of you" only to then shift away from that completely to the sperm donor arc, which itself felt oddly paced? By the end of 6A, I was still fully on the train of "S6 is the season of some sort of Buddie canon, I'm just not 100% sure what that looks like," but couldn't tell if the pacing issues were a matter of working out the kinks with a new showrunner, or if there was something more at play behind the scenes that was leading to creative tension (and to be clear when I say that I mean something above Kristen's level because the haters don't give her enough credit for everything she's done for the development of this ship).

But regardless! We got 6A, it was what it was, including Tomorrow which was not only a gorgeous love story for Henren but was loud as HELL with Buddie parallels, and then what we saw on our screens with the sperm donor arc was that Buck 100% had not thought through the "donor-not-dad" situation, he literally announced he was going to be a father, we got to see Eddie react but not really respond at all...and after all that when they started teasing 6B is was all about how Eddie was suddenly going to start thinking about dating again (which was framed as much more thoughtful and a major 6B arc), and how Buck was going to be "struggling with boundaries" over the sperm donor situation right off the bat because he hadn't thought things through, etc etc (which FULLY tracked what we saw with the onesie etc at the end of 6x09). So I started thinking, okay, if that's the game, it seems like despite the heavy-handedness in the beginning, they're taking a much slower path to Buddie canon where the season ends with Buck using the sperm donor arc to accept what he is to Christopher/what he already has there but leaving the question of his love life couch unresolved, and if Eddie is dating then it's probably at least partly a reaction to the sperm donor situation and feeling like that flicker of hope about how maybe some of the things you think are only "fantasies" can actually come true was dashed.

Except...then 6x10 happened. And suddenly Buck had done a complete 180 and was totally fine with the fact that he was only a donor. There was no struggling with boundaries, there was no scene with Bobby unpacking that struggle (which iirc Oliver had specifically teased), and suddenly both Oliver and Kristen in interviews were basically like "if you ever heard us say Buck was going to have an issue with this or saw anything in canon to suggest that, no you didn't actually" which...okay? And Eddie fully lost it over Buck getting struck by lightning? And was then framed as a grieving spouse all through 6x11? And then 6x12 came out of nowhere with Buck on Eddie's damn COUCH (after Oliver confirmed that the couch metaphor is real and Buck absolutely equates couches with romantic relationships etc etc) and another kitchen scene + shooting conversation that I'm still in shock over? And then there were other, little things that I probably wouldn't have thought anything of under normal circumstances, but that felt relevant once 6B actually hit and everything seemed so different.

Like how they seemed to have done pretty extensive reshoots for 6x10. Like how the first mention we had that the Buckleys were coming back was in reference to 6x11 (which itself seemed to me at least to be framed as sort of comic?), but oh hey, actually they're in 6x10, sike. Like how it took ages to get episode titles and other 6B info (writers, etc). Like how 6x12 feels like it could have easily just been exclusively a Bobby episode (and frankly with the way they talked about it, I expected more flashbacks with Wendell and Bobby) and while the Buck (and Buddie) subplot works, it also feels like almost a totally separate episode. Like how Ryan is apparently in every episode of 6B despite traditionally being gone for two episodes per season. Like how there has been zero mention of Eddie's love life in canon yet despite the fact that Eddie dating was originally framed as if it was supposed to be a major part of 6B. Like how Marisol's actress posted about not knowing if whatever she filmed (I'm assuming related to Eddie) had aired yet despite the fact that this is a major network tv show (which at least to me reads as if things were moved around). Like how Eddie dating no longer appears to be the deep, thoughtful, potentially angsty arc about him choosing to explore himself that it was originally framed as, but looks like instead it's mostly comic and the result of his aunt?

Anyway, to me at least all of that is super sus and feels like whatever issue there was behind the scenes was resolved somewhere around the time of the midseason finale, they totally flipped directions on whatever slow, drawn out plan they had, and now they've slammed on the gas and are hightailing it towards full out Buddie canon in the finale. Idk if it's because they're worried about renewal or if they just don't want to fuck around anymore, but whatever the case, I am extremely curious about the next six episodes (and really really really want to know if I'm right about Buddie trapped dads in the finale).

[cowlovely]

best nuwho episodes to show to someone who has never seen doctor who, but wants to get into it*

*i’m working off of very specific criteria here. this can’t just be another “best episodes” list, because an episode being good doesn’t necessarily mean it would make a good introduction to a series. for this reason, there will probably be very few episodes past s6 or so on here, as i feel like that’s around the time that many doctor who episodes become too steeped in the show’s own history/overarching plotlines to make the most effective starting points (definitely at least partially moffat’s fault lol)

1x01 rose — maybe too obvious a choice, but this episode is the pilot for a reason.

—pros: does a very good job establishing nuwho’s version of the doctor, as well as thoroughly and effectively introducing us to rose and her life; the autons are a good and fun choice for the first threat.

—cons: is definitely not AS good as some other episodes of the show, so maybe not the best if you only have one episode to show someone and you want to make the most of it

1x06 dalek

—pros: establishes one of Thee enemies of the series, demonstrates 9 and rose’s values, sets up/explains a bit of the time war in an easy to understand way, has a great emotional core

—cons: i genuinely can’t think of any

1x09/1x10 the empty child/the doctor dances

—pros: fabulous storytelling all around with plot, themes, and pacing, emotional but with a happy ending, great blending of tone throughout, and a complete standalone story

—cons: it’s always a bit of a risk to start with a two parter

2x04 the girl in the fireplace

—pros: great creature design, fun storytelling devices, pretty self contained as far as references/lore go, fantastic performances from everyone but especially from sophia myles

—cons: has some of steven moffat’s worst writing attributes, including 10 feeling out of character in several spots, and reinette being very clearly a Moffat Woman in many ways (though this is in my opinion somewhat saved by myles’ great acting)

2x08/2x09 the impossible planet/the satan pit — i really debated putting these ones on here, but this story was MY introduction to the series so. clearly it’s very effective

—pros: really immersive story and setting, great cast of guest characters/actors, another self contained story (as far as i remember), introduces the ood

—cons: another two parter, might be a bit intense as a first story for some people, 10 and rose’s dynamic/significant moments in this might not hit the same way for someone who hasn’t seen other episodes

3x01 smith and jones

—pros: new companion episode, so the audience gets things explained to them at the same time as martha, fun little mystery at the center, interesting conflict/non-antagonist antagonists, good chemistry between tennant and agyeman, the hole rose left emotionally can be felt but doesn’t cut into the story as much as it does in the runaway bride

—cons: is again maybe not one of the standout episodes of the whole series (but is still very solid)

3x03 gridlock — might be a bit controversial since i didn’t include new earth, but i’ll explain

—pros: really interesting setting and plot, and while i think seeing new earth first gives interesting context, i don’t think it’s necessary to enjoy or understand what’s happening in this episode, and it’s kind of cool to come at this one from martha’s pov. showcases a lot of different kind of creatures/people, has a really satisfying and emotional conclusion, has the doctor reintroduce the concept of gallifrey and what happened to it

—cons: could definitely have some confusing elements if you haven’t seen new earth, in particular novice hame and the face of boe, and the effect of the city being the way it is in gridlock could be a bit diminished without the context of 2x01

3x10 blink

—pros: considered to be one of if not the best episode of the series, and with good reason. carey mulligan KILLS it, the mystery is incredibly compelling from start to finish, and the weeping angels are undoubtedly one of the best additions to the series. this episode is crafted damn near perfectly

—cons: while this episode is incredible, i don’t think it’s actually the best possible intro to the show that many people think it is; it’s not a good microcosm of the show as a whole in terms of structure and tone, and the doctor is really hardly in this episode at all. it makes the episode really gripping and intriguing if you’re already familiar with the show, but i actually think that effect is slightly dulled if you’re somebody who isn’t. this doesn’t mean that it would necessarily be the WORST introduction to the show (i’m still including it on the list after all), but i also don’t think it’s the best

4x08/4x09 silence in the library/forest of the dead

—pros: do i have to keep mentioning the episodes are really good? anyway these are really good. really highlights donna’s complexities, story is tense and emotional and intellectually engaging all at once, introduces river/touches on relationship dynamics with a time traveler, great and genuinely scary monster

—cons: another two parter, river’s introduction and the emotional weight of her and 10’s dynamic might not hit the same if you don’t know the doctor as a character either, and the same goes for donna’s plotline in these episodes (it was really difficult in general to pick ANY donna episodes because so many of the ones that feature her are really tied up in series lore of some kind 😭)

4x10 midnight

—pros: genuinely SO brilliantly written, acted, and edited it is ACTUALLY crazy. i’m biased because this is my favorite episode of the series, but i really think it’s such an all around tight story, and definitely one of the more self-contained ones of the show (especially considering this is a one-off monster we don’t even really hear about afterwards, let alone see again). and really i cannot hype up the writing and acting in this episode enough—if you’re really into sociology as a focal point in your sci-fi this episode will be for you

—cons: kind of similar to blink in that this episode isn’t very emblematic of what the show normally is—both in its bottle setting and the fact that the doctor is totally solo for the majority of the runtime, which is not the norm. i love it, and i think it works really well for the episode, but it’s still an outlier (the tone is also more serious than most eps). and also as minor as they are, there are still a few lore moments/references that might be confusing if this were someone’s first episode (rose’s face coming through on the bus screen, for example)

5x01 the eleventh hour

—pros: new doctor, and similar to smith and jones in the new companion factor. great story, episode is filled with lots of great energy, and this really showcases some of moffat’s better attributes as a writer/showrunner, particularly the kind of fairytale vibe he brings to doctor who; first episode of nuwho with a new showrunner, so it kind of intentionally comes off as a bit of a soft reboot

—cons: while it IS a bit like a soft reboot, this is one that kind of rolls with the assumption that you sort of know the deal at this point when it comes to the doctor as a character. i wouldn’t say it’s necessarily confusing, but i could see it potentially being a bit annoying for a new viewer, or just not as effective as an episode. also this was made in 2010 by moffat, and it shows (the sherlock editing, in particular)

5x02 the beast below

—pros: continuing the fairytale vibe, engaging setting and mystery, absolutely heartbreaking in the best way possible, self-contained story

—cons: viewer might feel a bit lost if they don’t know anything about the doctor and amy or how they met. kind of pro british monarchy :/

5x08/5x09 the hungry earth/cold blood

—pros: introduces the silurians (to nuwho at least), has really good guest characters/dynamics, conflict is compelling and very nuanced (feels closer to a classic who episode if that’s something that compels you), and this is something i’ve refrained from mentioning so far, but these episodes in particular have absolutely fantaaaaaastic makeup/SFX, costuming, and production design

—cons: two parter (take a shot every time i say this), the dramatic conclusion of this one might be confusing and/or fall flat if you aren’t familiar with amy and rory or the overarching plot of the season, and i could definitely see some people finding these episodes boring with all the political talk (i definitely did as a kid)

6x09 night terrors

—pros: very self-contained (as far as i can remember), perfectly straddles the line of horror and sci-fi, has a good emotional core, and 11 with kids is almost always an a+ for me

—cons: honestly can’t really think of any? again maybe not like. an AMAZING episode, and it may have references to past episodes/events in it that i can’t remember that might be confusing to a new viewer

6x11 the god complex

—pros: GREAAATTTT episode hook that really quickly and effectively drops you into the setting and overall vibe of the episode, some great one off characters, encompasses a lot of doctor who’s themes and different blends of genre

—cons: the second half of the episode pretty significantly focuses on amy and her fears/insecurities related to the doctor, so much so that it almost made me not include this episode

7x07 the rings of akhaten

—pros: this episode is so good. great intro to clara’s character (despite it not being her first one), great setting, great alien designs + worldbuilding, great music, and oh my GOD the monologues…the damn monologues…chef’s kiss

—cons: the doctor’s monologue probably won’t have the same effect for a new viewer that it does for people who are already fans, but honestly it’s so good that i don’t think this is that big a deal

9x03/9x04 under the lake/before the flood

—pros: very similar vibes to the impossible planet/the satan pit, but honestly i think i’m even more compelled by this story than i was by that one. i LOVE all the moving parts in this, i love the characters, i love that we’re underwater, and i love that it’s GHOSTS!!

—cons: two parter (shot!), and specifically a two parter that—while i love it to bits—drags a bit more than other two parters that i’ve included on this list. a new viewer may also not totally get (or maybe even be put off by?) 12 and clara’s dynamic

10x01 the pilot

—pros: i’ll be honest i wouldn’t say this is one of my FAVORITE episodes or anything, but it’s still very solid, and i DO think it could make a good introduction into the series for someone

—cons: has multiple allusions to other characters/arcs that will probably feel kind of weird to a new viewer

eve of the daleks special

—pros: time loop lovers come get your juice!!! this episode fucks, it’s probably my favorite from chibnall’s era? top three at least for sure. features the daleks without being too steeped in the Lore/having them overshadow everything in the episode

—cons: this episode is an atypical structure flr the show, and is kind of like. is About 13 and yaz’s relationship, which will probably be kind of odd if you haven’t seen any of the show before

honorable mentions, aka episodes i really wanted to include, but which had one too many cons to justify: 1x02 the end of the world, 1x08 father’s day, 2x01 new earth, s3 xmas special the runaway bride, 3x08/3x09 human nature/the family of blood, s4 special the waters of mars, 5x07 amy’s choice, 5x10 vincent and the doctor, 5x11 the lodger, 6x04 the doctor’s wife, 6x05/6x06 the rebel flesh/the almost people, 6x10 the girl who waited, 10x10 the eaters of light, 11x06 demons of the punjab, 12x08 the haunting of villa diodati, 60th special wild blue yonder)

that’s it so far!! i may add onto this when we get more episodes with 15, we’ll see!

(also i promise i’m not as biased towards early seasons nuwho as this list implies, i was just trying to be as objective as i could possibly be with the criteria that i set 😭 (while obviously still being subjective to my opinions) a lot of the later seasons just don’t have very many easy entry points 😔 (which is i’m sure at least partly why the show is being soft rebooted with 15))

[bloomfish]

My controversial and long-winded Willow/Tara thoughts

I honestly don't mind, narratively speaking, that Tara was killed. Obviously I love Tara with all my heart and was devastated when she died but I keep trying to see another way forward for Willow's arc and... I can't? Honestly I think this would have been Oz's fate had he not been written off because Seth Green had to leave.

I also think that nowadays we're very conscious of the "bury your gays" trope and there's obviously a lot to criticise about this when it's gratuitous. But especially given what Willow and Tara represented at the time... It was a different world in terms of LGBT representation. It's common knowledge that they had to fight for the onscreen kiss in The Body, the fact that a main character was even portrayed in a lesbian relationship at all on a show like Buffy was groundbreaking. All that being said, I personally don't think Tara's death was gratuitous.

The only other permadeath of a Scooby love interest until the finale is Jenny Calendar, and you can definitely make a case here for the "killing off a female love interest for manpain" trope but where would S2 be without Jenny's death? Like it just doesn't make sense without it. Passions is the moment where the stakes of the series as a whole suddenly explode into astronomical new levels. Sure, Giles could have been a woman and Jenny a man, but that also undercuts many of the themes and ideas behind the Giles+Buffy relationship and the Watchers in general.

Similarly, from the moment Willow's use of magic was introduced, EVERYTHING in her arc was leading up to Dark Willow. We got a taste of it in S5 but if the show had ended there it would never have actually reached a true conclusion. She's not punished for her Dark Moment, she's rewarded. It would have gone unresolved, and the looming threat of Willow turning to the dark side would have been hanging over the heads of the surviving Scoobies forever. Tara being mind sucked by Glory feels like a sort of... idk hasty first attempt at killing her thematically (an idea that was obviously in the works) except that her death in S5 would undercut those of Joyce and Buffy. So it's natural to resolve this in S6.

The reason I think Tara had to die for Dark Willow to emerge is that we're shown that Willow needs a grounding presence to keep her from losing control. Her 'darkest moments' almost all occur when she feels abandoned. When Oz cheats on her in S4 she tries to curse him and Veronica, when he leaves Something Blue ensues. When Tara is mind-sucked she goes apeshit on Glory. When Buffy dies she does the resurrection spell. When she and Tara fight in S6 she uses magic to make her forget, the subsequent breakup causes her to spiral. Like this is a HUGE pattern for Willow.

Oz and Tara function fairly similarly in that they are stabilising presences that pull Willow back from the brink, and so nothing short of the complete, permanent removal of Tara could force her to completely go over the edge. She couldn't have "just left" because that leaves the glimmer of hope that, like Oz, she will return. She had to die and Willow had to try and fail to bring her back.

Obviously it's not a pleasant thing. But it's just... Idk, it's narratively cohesive for me. It's so far from being even close to the worst moral failing of the writers in that single episode, let alone the series as a whole. The reason it stings so much is because Tara's death wasn't just shock value, she was a character that made a lasting impact on the show and had visible effects on characters outside of Willow (mostly Dawn and Buffy but still) so even though she was doomed from the start I don't think it's a case of a lesbian character being gratuitously killed off for angst. I get that it's a touchy subject but I also don't think it's accurate to paint every single instance of a gay character dying as 'bury your gays' when it's not necessarily so.

Anyway. There's a lot to criticise about Buffy but this isn't a personal gripe of mine- even as someone for whom Tara and her relationship with Willow was deeply and personally important at the time.

[saiilorstars]

For the summertime writer's ask! ^_^ 🦋, 🍉, 🌸, 🌷, 🍬, 🌤, 🍀 annnddd 👒. Enjoy!

Thanks for asking!

🦋 tell us about your current wip

I've started working on a new tvd oc, Rosalie Hendrix. I'm trying to make her fit for the beginning of s5. She's somewhat of a witch, but I want to add a bit of mythology in the mix. For the moment, I have her planned to help the gang defeat Silas and Qetsiyah but she’ll have some trouble with the Travelers due to her past. 

It’s really until season 6 where she kind of starts to open up about herself and her past. This is also where she actually starts trying to live in the modern world — she’ll be rooming with Caroline near the border of Mystic Falls, trying to help bring down the barrier. But like I said, s6 is where Rosalie starts to learn who is her friend, who isn’t, and maybe who could be more than a friend to her. Still deciding between 2 love interests though whoops

🍉 favourite wip

I love all my favorites but I think my favorite is between Seren Soul & Maleny Rowan. To me, Seren radiates “comfort character” so I always end up going back to her to keep writing?? And for Mal, I love the lore I’ve built for her throughout her fics and I even went and recreated her story with a long AU. 

🌸 wip you've been working on the longest

Technicalities would say it’s Minerva (she’s got 7 long fics under her name + an unpublished one for dw s10) but I haven’t really gone back to her fic in such a long time. I love her — she’s my first ever wip and oc (from like 10 years ago) so she’s got a special place in my heart <3. She's gone through 6 incarnations in a span of her 7 fics. She's all grown up <3

🌷 writing achievement you want to brag about

I’m not entirely sure…maybe that I have a lot of ocs? Not sure if that’s a brag-worthy thing or just chaos xD

🍬 a song for your favorite character

Hmm, I’ve always liked Enchanted for my doctor who oc Avalon Reynolds. Her whole theme is fairy tales and I always thought that song embodied her <3

🌤 name the hardest thing you've had to do for writing

Research. You don’t understand, I love to write but I hate the research part. The only thing I ever like doing is researching names. I have an obsession with that~

🍀 character you would kill off if they were not vital to the plot

Tricky. I love all my ocs ,,,,, side characters maybe? If I had to choose one. Avalon’s sister kind of outlived her role in the fics and doesn’t really do much anymore lmao (i feel terrible about it because I love Lena).

👒 nicest thing you've done to your characters

I give them love and besties <3

Send over some summertime writers' asks if you'd like!

[sagethegremlin]

since leitmotifs is your thing, I would love to see your personal analysis on the evolution of the ringtone "over the horizon" by Samsung. quite frankly, I think it is a very important thing to analyze, as something so trivial as a ringtone has shaped our view of a phone.

/hj and /lh looool

Ok so ringtones are something that most people never really think about in their day-to-day lives. It's a noise we hear all the time, and something that we most often will take for granted with how much it is "overplayed" to us. Personally, I've only ever had an iphone so I am not at all used to Samsung's ringtone, which I feel gives me a unique perspective on the matter.

So without further ado, I'll take this year by year and then analyze my results at the end

2011 (Galaxy S2): This is off to a great start. We have a good theme, and the percussion behind it is perfect. This is the kind of ringtone you want to have in your pocket. The kind that says "we're in a disney summer movie montage and we're living our best life!" Overall, a great start.

2012 (Galaxy S3): This one feels like it's trying to do too much. It still has the core leitmotif from the first ringtone, but gone are the feel good vibes of the percussion. Every note that is rung in here feels like it's trying to personally attack you, and that's not even to mention the drums! Everything here is too sharp, and the violins come completely out of nowhere. This definitely feels more like what you would expect a ringtone to be, rather then something that makes you smile when you hear it.

2013 (Galaxy S4): OH WE'RE SO BACK. This is definitely more aligned to the feel of the first one, but it also did so much more without seeming like it was trying to! This is the first one that really uses the core theme more like a leitmotif, and treats it as "this is the melody that you're used to, as a little treat, but check out this too!" and that's exactly what it should be! All in all, this one's just lovely.

2014 (Galaxy S5): This is pretty much just like the 2013 one but I definitely noticed that the parts where the orchestra crescendoed were much stronger, giving it a much more prideful feel.

2015 (Galaxy S6): Ok I'm not saying this one is bad, but it kinda comes out of nowhere and has this vibe to it like you're either about to get a news report or witness a major moment in a coming of age edited in imovie. It also just kind of abruptly cuts off? There's no musical resolution here and that makes me sad. :(

2016 (Galaxy S7): This one starts off so good. It's got a good beat to it and we're vibing so hard dude. But then, it uh, uh, it kinda struggles? I get that was how it composed but it honestly feels like someone on a marimba is struggling to keep time and it makes me nervous like girl we do not need these eighth and sixteenth rests in here we are perfectly fine without them thank you (still better than 2015 tho).

2017 (Galaxy S8): HELLO??? GIRLIE WHERE DID YOU COME FROM THIS IS THE BEST ONE YET! THE BUM BUM BAAS??? Anyway this one is genuinely so incredibly incredible. It starts off with a good beat that it continues to keep up throughout, it makes good use of the leitmotif, and there's a bunch of guys vocalizing in the background like who's idea was that that's incredible!!! :D

2018 (Galaxy S9): This is literally just the emotional climax of a coming of age story it isn't even a ringtone anymore.

2019 (Galaxy S10): Oh she wants to be the sims 4 character creator theme so bad. Anyway this one also doesn't really feel like a ringtone but not in a bad way! Girlie is going off in the string instrument department and it is paying off this just feels great. And the way they do the original leitmotif in the chimes at the end? Oh I love her.

2020 (Galaxy S20): This one is kinda sweet and chill. It definitely feels like it's being played on either a sitar or a mandolin, and it uses that to create a very chill vibe. There are no background instruments or percussion at all, so that really just further proves that these are straying more and more away from the sound of a typical ringtone (for better or for worse). I will say, this definitely feels like something I would try to fall asleep to, not like something I would use to remind me to pick up the phone.

2021 (Galaxy S21): She's so pretty??? I would say that this also has a similar vibe to the last one but I like it a lot more. The piano is absolutely beautiful and I really really enjoy it. And even though this also doesn't really feel like a ringtone, I'd argue that it's better at being one than the 2020 one.

(We're gonna stop there cuz I feel like it.)

If I were to rank all of these, I would say from best to worst: 2017, 2014, 2021, 2013, 2019, 2011, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2012

Ultimately, I feel like something like this is very interesting to look at. We can see overtime Samsung trying different strategies with this and how that reflects on their future models for it. For example, we ended up with most of these reflecting what I've been calling the "coming of age story" vibe, and we notice how they strive to create much more of a beautiful song to listen to than something trying to alert you of calls. All in all, an interesting look at such a mundane part of life.

[dianessunflower]

Art in The Good Fight (2017-2022) - Part 2

part 1 here:

this part 2 is mostly about s6, because i think you can really track what the art is doing for story and character. so, let's get into it!!

still mad the new partner Ri'Chard took away this beauty, but they're forgiven for 603's art history references.

in the scene with the Dr, Diane mentions Landscape with the Fall of Icarus, originally attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Elder (oil on canvas, c. 1560). it's in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels.

this is absolutely fascinating, because the composition of the painting is original—to give prominence to the 'low' subject matter, being the agricultural figure, rather than Icarus, to whom Diane is drawn. this is called 'Mannerist inversion' (yes i screamed, i'm a nerd).

this piece is brilliantly used this ep. Icarus, small, drowns unnoticed by everyone else. death happens all the time, and we move on. i'm reminded of Diane's sane little corner. the world is oblivious to the tragedy of hubris, concerned only with themselves. seems apocalyptic...

which leads me to my next point. behind the Dr is a Jean Andran engraving of a painting called Winter, part of a Seasons series now in the Louvre by Nicolas Poussin from the 1660s. and what does it depict? the flood. 100% premonition of impending death.

i love that *someone* has done their NY homework and seen that Guggenheim Hilma af Klint exhibit (i am not jealous at all), because also in the Dr's office is af Klint's Tree of Knowledge, No. 5 (Kunskapens träd, nr 5), from the 1915 W Series.

for various reasons, af Klint was for a long time ignored in favour of Kandinsky, Mondrian, Kupka etc in modern Western nonrepresentational art (also her queerness 🍵). her work has two overlapping levels, one biographical and one relating to the history of humanity.

the Tree of Knowledge series is part of her series of 193 Paintings for the Temple, which was af Klint's vision for the future as given to her by a spiritual medium, to depict 'the immortal aspects of man'. hence, she uses iconography from Christianity and Hinduism.

each piece in the Tree of Knowledge series is a variation on a theme, a tree with a heart-shaped crown. and there's a progression to the biblical allusion to Genesis symbolising innocence to fall from Grace, but there are also organic forms and ornate details.

the Tree of Knowledge (of Good and Evil) is usually paired with the

symbol of the Tree of Life, and in af Klint's work, signals binaries melding into unity. but the tree also signals Buddhism (the fig tree), the Tau/life force, the Arasa Maram in Hinduism.

the colours have meaning, yellow for female and blue for male. put them together and it becomes green, and the colours have become purer. this is No. 5, so the white radiations that were pale rose-coloured in No. 4 are now inverted.

af Klint probably knew Rudolf Steiner's colour meanings—yellow as spirit, blue as soul. green as the lifeless image of the living, peach-blossom the living image of the soul. white as the soul's image of the spirit, black as the spiritual image of the lifeless (cf swans).

the 12 sections in the top lotus leaf crown seem to represent the zodiac, months. also, there's a multi-coloured, lobed 'cross' in the small box middle-right, which maybe suggests the first awakening of the higher self?? compare this to the unity of colourful two birds in the bottom circle. there's a lot to be said about how this art represents how humans navigate their smallness in the world.

as seen on 604 in Diane's office, this is Street Musicians, by the American artist Norman Lewis (oil on canvas, 1948). part of the post-war movement.

from 605, i have identified some of the pieces Ri'Chard chose for the office, and they were clearly chosen for reasons. (unfortunately i couldn't find Liz's but i love the home decor and don't doubt this was also carefully chosen.)

this is by Kara Walker, known for room-size tableaux of black cut-paper silhouettes. her work illustrates the origins & legacy of slavery in the American South. i suspect there's a Civil War reference too. the 1994 piece riffs on Gone With The Wind (MOMA).

i really love this one. this is Holy Mountain II by Horace Pippin, a self-taught artist post WW1. he was influenced by Edward Hicks, a Quaker minister who painted interpretations of Isaiah’s biblical prophecy of world peace and harmony in nature (Peaceable Kingdom, c 1830-32).

though the gatherings seem tranquil, the Holy Mountain series is very dark. poppies, soldiers, grave markers, a limp body hanging from a tree... Holy Mountain I refers to D-Day, Holy Mountain II to Pearl Harbor Day, & Holy Mountain III (Smithsonian) to Nagasaki.

so there are parallels between WW1/Civil War, but it is also very Eden-esque. i rather like that the pastoral figure in a white dress with the yellow cheetah is the centre focus. all very biblical, which fits right in with Ri'Chard's style. Pippin himself stated that,

"'Holy Mountain' came to my mind because the whole world is in such trouble, and in reading the Bible (Isaiah 11:6) it says that there will be peace in the land. If a man knows nothing but hard times he will paint them, for he must be true to himself, but even that man may have a dream, an ideal and 'Holy Mountain' is my answer to such dreaming."

i was thinking about how much gold Ri'Chard brought into the office in the context of his Brand™ (1 & 2 old decor, 3 & 4 new, but none identified yet oop)

there are other etchings in the Dr's office: top: 'Rotherhithe' by James McNeill Whistler from the Thames Set (1860, V&A) bottom: 'Clearing a wreck on the north coast of Cornwall' by Thomas Rowlandson (c 1809-1822, British Museum).

Dr Dude likes ships that's all i can say 🤷‍♀️ but actually i think there's something interesting about all the Flood references in the Dr's office, like Diane is drowning. possibly, there's a subtle allusion to a very famous painting, Le Radeau de la Méduse, by Théodore Géricault (1818-19, oil on canvas, Louvre).

this is an icon of French Romanticism, depicting the aftermath of the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse, which ran aground off the coast of what is now Mauritania on 2 July 1816. what's so interesting about this painting is that it presents ordinary people, rather than heroes, reacting to the unfolding drama. as Christine Riding says, the painting represents,

"the fallacy of hope and pointless suffering, and at worst, the basic human instinct to survive, which had superseded all moral considerations and plunged civilised man into barbarism."

by 607, Diane's office art has changed to a piece called Three Tumblers by Daniel Clarke (2018), perhaps a reference to her revolving office bar. also did we notice her flower obsession has dulled a little? but there are still orchids all around the office. i'll leave you to google the meaning of the original Greek word 👀

elsewhere in the office, FIRES abound on the digital screen in the conference room. flood, fire…and?

where there's a mansion, there's sure to be art (609): Asher Brown Durand, Landscape��Scene from "Thanatopsis" (1850, Met); Max Ferdinand Bredt, In the Courtyard of the Harem; John Frederick Lewis, Intercepted Correspondence (1869).

in 609 when same sex marriage is overturned (and Christine Baranski's acting chops is on full show with her shocked face), the image on the tv screen is Witch burning in Regenstein, Saxony-Anhalt, 1555. It's a wood engraving after an original printed on flyleaf (Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg).

frankly there's a lot of misinformation about witch trials, not least of which is that they happened a lot later than most people think (ie. not the medieval period). the early modern period 16-17th centuries were the height of the European witchcraft trials.

and it was an ongoing, systematic persecution that resulted from the targetting of Christian heretics and Jews throughout the 14th century, and gradually both the church and scholars became more and more obsessed with demonology. it was really about the 'other', the concern about the loss of a certain way of life.

Diane, of course, calls herself a wench, so i think it's interesting that her s6 arc eventuates with her heading up a female-only law firm in DC working on women's rights and Roe v Wade. i dislike the way that the word 'witchhunt' is misappropriated like other historical terms in modern contexts, but it's probably fair to call the current backsliding on women's rights a witchhunt. so i love this double meaning.

finally, i wanted to return to how Diane's office art tracks her journey. the Surrealist art was the tone of the show throughout. but the violence seeped into the everyday and everyone just got used to it. hence the second painting is war (contrast the flowers).

but then Diane chooses to stop PT108. almost immediately, a bullet lands on the realist painting of a woman (where does she end up? in Washington DC fighting the good fight for women).

the violence doesn't end there. and then the office literally explodes & you can see a painting is off-centre. which seems like a good metaphor for where the world is at.

so yeah, the progression in Diane's office from Peony Girl to Post-War to a painted version of Chris is just chef's kiss. the way it tracks her psyche in s6? i'm obsessed.

[nonchalantee]

hm i see a lot of commentary on buck's story being retreads/going nowhere, which is technically true, but i think is kind of a disservice. he doesn't have linear trauma, is the issue. he has traumatic events that he habitually revists with new contexts.

by this i mean - there's trauma of cause/effect, and we see that play out a lot with eddie, bobby, & athena's storylines. something happens & they respond to it happening, then heal from it happening, then grow. like for example bobby: he discovers in s1 that his suicide plans are no longer available to him because he has golden blood, he rages about it but is reminded of the good, he refocuses on living & the future, he gets together with athena. its all cause/effect chain. his initial addiction issues are caused by a broken back. his addiction issues cause his family's death. his family's death causes his suicidal ideation. etc.

buck's initial trauma is his brother died and it hurt their family, but it happened before buck could form memories - to him it's not a cause/effect chain. its an effect/explanation chain. he is exposed to the effect of trauma, and has to figure out afterwards why the trauma happened. abby leaving - he's exposed to the trauma of her abandoning him, then meditates on it for p much all of season 2 and even into s3. he only gets closure when he understands why she left directly from her - when he gets her context.

buck's always seeking the why of things, and looking at the nuance, and approaching trauma in different contexts in order to get that why, get that nuance. once he finally knows that he had a brother who died, he recontextualizes his entire family life in that light and gets closure for never being good enough/never being unconditionally loved, because now he knows the 'why'. sperm donor arc - he gets nuance from connor's pov, then from hen's pov, before giving his own pov and deciding to donate.

buck & eddie's romantic arcs this season are a similar vein. eddie has a linear storyline laid out: christopher is growing up, eddie starts feeling lonely, his aunt intervenes, eddie initially resists, then opens himself up to possibilities and admits to himself he wants love in his life again, he starts looking for it, he finds marisol. linear.

buck's romantic life is initially about gaining new context on his death experience. his date with natalia at the bar literally has him saying something along the lines of giving her the full experience in order to understand him - giving her contextual knowledge of him. we see lucy and taylor in that episode too, to bring in context of past failed relationships. buck is not linear; his story isn't linear. his story is meditations/explorations on a theme. it's giving new context to old information to gain different emotional knowledge & resolutions. and i'd say the focus with buck's relationship with natalia so far is also more about him understanding himself - we know basically nothing about natalia, after all, and the majority of their shared screen time is devoted to buck talking about himself or showing her something about his life. he's meditating on his identity and using his new relationship with her to do it; using the context of a new relationship to reflect on himself.

chimney is the same! we see it most with the tatiana/maddie parallels, but we also saw a bit of it with his dad, when his step-mom approaches him and recontextualizes his childhood. i mean yea we all hated that moment and felt it was too easy on chimney's dad, but it's also consistent with how chimney typically develops. his frustration at how his rebar head incident didn't change his life the way he thought it should - because he's not a cause/effect trauma guy. he's a meditation on a theme, different contexts guy. he struggles with kevin dying, and gets new context from the lees that gives him peace. a lot of his arc with maddie, esp in late s5 and early s6, is about revisiting their past relationship traumas and giving them a new, positive context - writing over them, but not rewriting them, if that makes sense. adding to them. making them more complex - not straightforward. like a palimpsest.

cause/effect character development is rly narratively satisfying to watch, whereas recontextualization character development can feel rly frustrating and like nothing is actually happening. but i mean, something IS happening. s1 chimney is not the same as s6 chimney, and the same is true of buck.

[raayllum]

What are your biggest predictions for season 5 and onwards? Plus, I love your page and have been a follower from the start!

Aww thank you so much!! It has been a very long, enjoyable journey together then! (5 years and counting <3) I always love seeing you in my notes and ask box, so thank you so much for sending this in!

See what makes TDP tricky is that they love to store things in earlier seasons that may come back like, the next season, or may only come back literally seasons later, and it's hard to tell when that'll happen. Right now I'm hoping that we can some development on the possession plot line and Aaravos' release in S5, and while I do think it's more likely Aaravos will get out in S5 still, I could see the merit in pushing that and the possession stuff into S6 for thematic stuff (destiny and stars and all that).

So I'll break it down into S5 specific plot lines / stuff maybe, versus just general S5-S6 predictions in general? AKA things that have leeway for mileage or impact to carry over for later

S5:

S5 specific episode outline estimates

Janai losing her kingdom either to her brother or to dark forces (monsters, Aaravos, etc). Mostly because of Karim's short story, Kim'Dael entering in S5 and presumably being interwoven

Terry having some doubts and Claudia becoming more desperate

More answers on where and what was happening to Rayla while she was gone, although not everything (like reserving her backstory with Stella for book 6 stars, maybe)

Viren and Claudia splintering off, with Viren and Soren beginning to not like, reconcile, but they'll be working together to try and bring Claudia home

Rayla and Callum patching things up further, with Rayla hopefully making some head way on her self worth / leaving vs staying arc (but I could see that being in S6 too, especially if her parents are getting out this season)

Soren continuing to step into a primary protector position for Ezran

Rayllum getting to have some more big talks

Zym and/or Callum destroying the pirate ship with lightning, as depicted in the 2nd promo picture

Rayla looking into how to free her fam from the coins (and possibly doing so), even if I think it'll take a big sacrifice of some kind (either needing Viren's staff and a dark magic spell, or something else we haven't quite seen before)

Aaravos gets out for his hot girl summer

Theme wise: more light-dark, drowning-water-shame motif(s), Rayla becoming more like Runaan (derogatory) and Claudia and Callum becoming more like Viren (happily & derogatory), Viren continues to parallel Callum and Soren (affectionate)

S5 / S6

Callum's being re-possessed for a second / final time and Rayla breaking him free of it

Callum connecting to the moon arcanum and/or essence of magic

Ezran tying to rally the other human kingdoms to help fight against Aaravos, either as a preventative measure before he's out, or once he is released, bringing in the new rulers of the Pentarchy as well as old ones like Ahling and Aanya

We Finally learn what the freaking cube is used for (and CHET accordingly in some manner, whether it's to free Aaravos or some kind of power-up tradeoff or whatever) so my suffering can end

Proper Leola lore drop / Aaravos (+ Orphan Queen?) backstory

Callum playing into Aaravos' hands regardless of what he does to try and stop it (bc we love a Greek Tragedy king)

Most of the other specific S5 predictions I have (Rayllum going on a solo trip to the Sunfire elves + Callum doing startouch research; Claudia's hair going nearly full white; crimson orchids relating to Janai and Amaya) are either things that have already confirmed or we'll simply just have to flat out wait and see.

Like S5 could do a lot of interesting things if certain stuff is shuffled, i.e. moon fam getting out but not quite Aaravos could work (esp given Runaan's lotus is underwater, etc) leaving more stuff for S6 - or they could all get out, and it'd still work; if the possession plot line doesn't come back in S5 (or at least not to the point of being resolved, it could easily be a cliffhanger type of thing) and we learn Rayla did kill someone during the timeskip (hence her change in attitude) or she kills someone now, thus setting up that she could very well take Callum up on his request in S6? I think it'd all really, really work. Just depends on how much setup and pay off and dread / dramatic irony they wanna do with things before we get resolutions or to next stages, the ordering of stuff, etc.

Either way it's going to be an absolutely wild ride and I cannot wait to cry

[flightfoot]

Tough ask, maybe one that isn't fair but hey you are the ML guru, I apologize if it is.

What makes someone an ML 'Salter'?

I had someone call me a salter before, but then I the 'They would write Marinette as Velma' ask and essh, no.

My concern has always been how the show seemed to deviate from its own one-time core values or treat characters as disposable props for singular points. Is that salty?

I know all shows have slight OOC moments for plot, but degree varies. I think it is also safe two say prople approach these moments differently. Dome people acknowledge them, others weave narrative justification. One camp will accuse the other of being too narrow and looking for any excise at all to bash the characters/writers. The other will say the counterpart will do anything to justify the text, even read it while squinting with one eye covered and standing on their head.

But when I see something like the homework situation- something made ludicrous by existing since kindergarten unchecked, and we have Chloé(yes I know discourse lightning rod) about to be saddled with 9 years of makeup work, that seems for ML to be the perfect blend of comedic commuppanance. Chloé buried under a pile of books and papers is a great image, and perfect kharma for dodging so long (even if enabled by literally everyone)

So when Marinette -the protagonist- jumps up and starts railing about how it isn't enough. It feels... Gross? It doesn't feel like Marinette. Is she having guilt issues about facing zero consequences for losing the miraculous? We get nothing, but it's nails on a chalkboard and very much feels like someone else speaking from Marinette's mouth.

Am I going to go out and write Marinette-as-Velms fic? No. I *like* Marinette. Marinette is not mean spirited. That's the very problem I have with the interaction here.

If I were to write anything it would focus forward. Chloé buried under her extra work, visibly struggling because while the school assigned all the work and tests, they gave no plan or structure for the learning (now that is a good school critique)

Marinette feels for her, because Chloé is in full on Diktator-roof-meltdown. Sure there is satisfaction at first, but Marinette doesn't revel in Misery. She inquires, which leads to a chain of events. Chloé fobbing her off->admitting she needs help->Marinette tries to build her a study plan-> Chloé trying to get Marinette to do some of her work->Marinette realizing and rejecting this->Chloé coming back defeated again, submissive, just asking Marinette to check her work->Marinette realizing quickly that Chloé has been following her plan(though she gets a lot wrong) and studying->Marinette offering to help Chloé study for the subject-aptitude tests only, Chloé has to do all the coursework on her own.->Chloé finally coming to terms with give-and-take, and thanking Marinette. Maybe even apologizing. This would either be in time-crunch or carried over into S6 as a background arc.

This puts Marinette ascendent, demonstrates her core strengths of intelligence,planning, and compassion, has her interact with her former nemesis from a position of power while showing the difference between them (Does not abuse this position or revel in the disparity) shows boundaries being set, and keeps with the overall theming of hope over despair.

So is that 'salty'?

Okay so, as far as "salt" goes, it tends to have two different meanings that stem from the same root: the first being intense criticism of something, being unhappy with it in some way. And then a more specific meaning, referring to the way "salt" and "salter" were being used when the term first started being used a lot in the ML fandom, to describe the group and conceit that Miraculous as a show was being horribly unfair to Marinette, that her friends and family were all awful to her and needed to be punished while Marinette got what she "deserved" in terms of getting a new group of friends and family who would happily hurt anyone she was mad at and follow her orders without question.

For the record, when I rail at how terrible salters are, I'm talking about the latter category. I don't necessarily want to hear people go on too much about Miraculous being bad or the characters being bad, but some criticism is fair and reasonable. It's just the criticism that spawned out of Chameleon and the entire saltdom that formed around it that tended to not be.

Technically, what you're describing, being unhappy with the way the show did something and wanting to change it, would be classified as salt. HOWEVER, it's not the kind that people generally have a problem with - there's a reason there's been discussion of trying to get "critique" to catch on for that instead, when it's a saner form of criticism that isn't just hell-bent on revenge.

Also something to note with what you're laying out - you're looking to make the situation better, to address it and doing more of a fix-it, rather than just trying to burn the characters at the stake. I think that's what got the people who initially joined up with the salt in the early days, when it was billing itself as being "progressive" and "the right thing to do to address the problems of the show" to slowly bow out of the saltdom. Some people joined up with it because it criticized problematic elements of the show and they wanted to join with what appeared to be the more morally, socially conscious side of the fandom. Some ventfics made sense in that context, but once it became clear that was all it was, and that it wasn't actually setting out to fix things, to make things better, a lot of that group left the saltdom.

I don't personally have a problem with Marinette being upset that Chloe didn't get a greater punishment - she's got plenty of reason to be upset with Chloe and to believe that Chloe will wriggle her way out of any punishment she's given anyway - but your points are fair and I like the way you're seeking to address and fix the situation, laying out an alternative scenario, rather than, you know, burning everything to the ground.

That's a key difference - you seem to be aiming for a fix-it scenario rather than a bashing one.

[drops-of-moonlights]

Would you be able to provide an abridged retelling of the most significant years in the Winx fandom? Been interested in just how much of a shitshow this franchise has been as of late.

SO I've been like Actually In The Fandom since 2011 and after 12 years my memory's not the best, but people are free to add or correct anything I missed or got wrong lmao. I'll only be covering what I remember from interacting with others, the TRUE OG shitshow from the first 4 seasons is not something I'm as knowledgeable. I'm also not gonna name anyone in particular, just because that's like, the polite thing to do.

2011 itself was a Moment, as the Specials were coming out and with them a resurgence of the Dub Wars in full, Nick coming in as a new contender. Nick using Aisha's original name caused its own set of issues because people both thought they changed her name for no reason and because people argued that calling her Layla still was Wrong And Bad and they should stop, which like. yeah.

2012 is S5's debut. I feel that's self-explanatory enough. 2013 carried on with that as the season progressed, and it was also the time of the Transformation Wars -or more accurately, the Enchantix vs Everything Else War. If you didn't like Enchantix above all else you were invalid and wrong and other such synonyms, essentially, especially after Sirenix's official release.

2014 came with S6 (which has its own issues), but what I want to touch on is that 2014 came with the Couture artstyle. This marked the first official foray into the whitewashing of the Winx, though few people paid attention to it (that I saw, anyways).

2015 was S7's debut. This is also I feel self-explanatory enough. SURPRISINGLY I remember people PRAISING S7 at the time? which is weird as hell? But anyways, 2015 was the first time people noticed the Couture artstyle significantly whitewashing the Winx. This also was the time of the announcement of WOW.

2016 and 2017 I'll group together as it was the time WOW aired, and the full start of the Whitewashing debacle. It was the height of the whitewashing denial too, with people not seeing the issue with the Winx looking lighter (and some agreeing with them being lighter, even!) and coupled with WOW's mixed reception it was just Not a good time overall.

2018 reached another point in the Whitewashing as we got our first teasers for S8, which not only kept the whitewashing but also drastically changed the artstyle, more than WOW did. 2019 was S8's proper debut and it was, for a bit, a time of uncertainty, as during S8's airing Rainbow had seemed to indicate that the franchise was over (more notably, the renovations of Rainbow Magicland, which was primarily Winx-themed, removing Alfea Castle).

AND THEN ON THE SAME FUCKING DAY S8 AIRS ITS FINAL EPISODE WE GET FATE'S CONFIRMATION AND CASTING. September 17th was a day.

2020, 2021 and 2022 are what I'd call the Fate Era, as that was the primary part of the franchise at the time and I feel we're all familiar with its discourse, but the main points were the further whitewashing of Musa and Flora (as Terra is pretty much Flora), the show itself being bad with its multiple writing and costume choices, and just what it caused was. yeah. THANKFULLY IT'S DEAD NOW.

It was during this time that we got the full confirmation of S9 being a reboot, and now we're all just. waiting to see what comes out of that. AT THE VERY LEAST THEY AREN'T WHITEWASHED ANYMORE small mercies.