#the Federation can bring back the eggs in a way. it’s not perfect but to someone like Charlie it’s better than nothing

[caesurah-tblr]

AHHHHHHH WHAT THE FUCK!!!

FUCK THE FEDERATION!!!!

[bloodychazorite]

Q!Slime Rant :DDD

I think Q!Slime deserves to snap, or–at the very least–be bitter.

It is insane how the other members of the other members have been treating him, ever since he lost his daughter. Mocking him, ridiculing him, bringing him back over and over again to that moment. Gods forbid, however, he does the same for a second, asking the–perfectly rational, by the way–question of whether or not the eggs are actually okay. Everyone knows JuanaFlippa is different from the other eggs, being brought back a few times now. And even Slime doesn’t know this but the other residents of the island suspect that Juana is code and trying to infect him. They know she’s different as well, so the question isn't insane.

Wilbur openly poked him, calling him a Misclicker but as soon as he brings up that valid point of Tallulah maybe not being okay, he snaps. (Also this hypocrite was yelling at Phil for not doing anything? Oh my gods.) Bad brought up Flippa’s death and Charlie’s mistakes and failures every chance he got and gave him an egg named after his dead daughter during his fucking breakdown. I’m aware that he’s a demon and maybe that contributes to the fact that he has harshly different standards of what’s okay, but that is an insane action to jump to. When your egg is alive, it’s a lot easier to mock those with dead children, isn’t it?

No one is even remotely attempting to help him with the Code Virus.

They are laughing, and they are pointing it out, but no one is doing anything. Each and every one of them knows that Charlie will be stubborn if they tell him it’s Flippa. Denial is his favorite stage of grief and he’s hardly left it since he first got on this island. But that doesn’t change the fact that people know something is wrong and no one has tried to help other than a brief, “Are you okay?” Or an “Are you feeling alright?”

Clearly not!!

I’m not saying he was a perfect saint, and I’m not saying he’s never done anything wrong. For a while, he was a terrible parent. But he was trying to change, and even succeeding in a few aspects. He loved his girl and was trying to change for her, even before she died for the first time. 

Each time he had something taken from him, he got worse. 

Every time his daughter died, Mariana left, Tilín’s death, everything makes him worse. 

No one tried to help him then, and no one is trying to help him now. 

He is far from perfect, but he hardly deserves the endless amounts of suffering he’s been subjected to, not many people do.

A person is deteriorating, decaying, being eaten alive from the inside out in front of each of the island’s residents. People are watching decomposition happen in real time, mentally and physically. In the mental aspect, they’ve been watching it happen for months.

I hope Charlie goes full corrupt and eats all their asses.

Y'know what? Not even that!

I hope he goes full corrupt and they have to lock him up or contain him somehow because he becomes a danger to others or a contamination issue. 

Maybe he drags himself around the island, voice hollow and teeming with glitch after tic after error.

Perhaps the Federation could step in and drag him away kicking and screaming desperately for his daughter, wailing and sobbing for anyone to listen and save him, forgive him.

He could lose all concept of his humanity, entirely a shell of his former self, and every person he speaks to can hardly find his soul behind his eyes until he sees Flippa. Not even José cheers him up anymore. The only light in his eyes is the unnatural green gleam against his now dull blue eyes when his gaze meets Flippa’s.

And I hope that–no matter what–every member of Quesadilla Island has to come to terms with the fact that they did nothing to help a suffering, mentally tortured friend, and now there’s a chance that they’ll never get him back.

Anyway I’m insane how's your day going :p

[kiwioala]

all (or most) of the books cellbit got from the strange guard today! they're definitely not all in the correct order but i did the best i could

Hello Cellbit. You don't know me but I know you.

Exactly. And you've been an amazing asset to our organization. Every single task we've assigned you was completed in a perfect state.

I know. I've been the one writing those tasks. From the beginning.

(there was a book in between here that said something along the lines of "but i never mentioned an invitation to presentation A0")

Ha, ha, ha! I see! You're right, Max was there, but because I told him to go. And he made a mistake, he died. Thus, leading you to get the invitation.

Don't you hate it? When no matter what you do, everything just falls apart?

Cucurucho is the perfect employee. The ultimate tool of the federation. Nothing he ever does is wrong.

I need you to do something tomorrow. Of course, I don't expect you to do it for free. I'll give you something in exchange. Information, of course!

What do you know about project A0? [...] It's a bit vague, but yes. You're on the correct path.

We used to be a small team, you know? Ah yes, everything was so much better back then. But something went wrong and we all paid the consequences. [...] A0 was our way to make it right.

Tomorrow everything will make sense. It's an important day for Cucurucho. But I say, it won't.

We will sabotage it. You already know where the conference will be, every password is different, and there will be multiple entrances to the hall. No one will notice you're there.

But we can't do it alone. You'll need to bring multiple people with you.

They'll present something and you all will need to steal it.

They'll also talk about something interesting, I invite you to listen to every single word. Once the presentation is over, move and don't stop.

That doesn't matter. You probably won't see me around that much. I prefer my office, you know? But I've seen and lived too much not to take this perfect opportunity. Cucurucho shall fail tomorrow.

Cucurucho asking all of the questions from the beginning, and all these people disappearing. You need to be a fool to believe it was all a coincidence.

We don't know. That's why you need more people with you. There's multiple people working for the federation, it could be anyone.

Unfortunately, no. The top ranks never leave anything to chance. Everything is changed, removed or put in pace for a reason. Nobody knows what the place looks like.

You seem to know about our ranks, huh? There is an even more secret circle who have access to that information. They all talk about it within the system, I don't know more.

This system only allows not only allows us to send messages, but it has many secrets.

I'm not sure, but the system is old. We've been using it for years. There should be a way in.

You're looking for some eggs, right? Their whereabouts are still a mystery, but they might have some clues.

The main channel is restricted. You need a user and a password. But to get one is difficult.

You do? Mh, that's interesting. I want to ask where did you get it, but I won't. If someone shares their information, it's almost suicide. But let me see what I can do to get you in. (second page: "i'll send you more information in the following days")

Just like the federation, I change the location of my office everyday. It should be no issue.

Tomorrow, in the afternoon. Be ready. I will see you but you must not see me. Stay hidden.

Hahaha, if you want to open, it just open it.

It was. I told you. I've been keeping most of it. They are all copies, though.

Sounds like a plan. But you shall remember, the moment you signed it, you chose to live with the burden of working for the federation. So make sure no one sees you.

[cat-mentality]

Not, like, to passar o pano to everything like a fool or to sound too delusional but like.................... the Federation coming up on the last moments to save the day makes sense.

Okay, hear me out.

The whole point of the Federation is to make the Islanders happy, to make sure they enjoy the Island and shut the fuck up about anything else that may be going one.

They have them the eggs. So that they could go around and play house and to make the Island feel like a home so that they didn't try to leave.

They made them fragile, so that they could be used as bait, as they could subtly keep people in line by making it clear that they could take the eggs away as easily as they gave them. I like to think the nightmares are actually real, but that the Federation just decided to act and restore the egg's life and make everything feel like a bad dream (Since we KNOW they can bring the kids back, as seen with Flippa, and also mess up with people's memories).

But even so the Islanders start to hate them. They hate the Federation and they rebel against them, they are neither enjoying the Island or playing nice like the Federation wants them to and that is not acceptable something has to be done.

They try, but they fucking fail every single time, in fact they basically make it worse.

And then the eggs run away and the Islanders go missing.

Of course the Federation will jump ship to save the kids the moment they discover where they may be.

What better way to make the Islanders happy? They were out of control when the kids are missing and blaming the Federation the one time they are actually innocent, the only way to fix it would be to push themselves into the savior role and bring them back

Present the kids with a smile and a subtle "Look at us. Look at us doing what you failed to. You tried to bring them back and you failed, you almost lost them, but we brought them back, we rescued and took care of them, we gave them a extra life, aren't we nice? Aren't we great?", putting themselves as the saviors, as the heroes, as more powerful than the Islanders, as able to take care of them better than they can take care of themselves. (Breaking serious analysis to say: Mother knows best vibes. Literally the Federation is fucking Gothel)

Everything is perfect now! The kids are back, there are new kids for them to love, the Island is as good as new again!

No one has to pay attention to those who are still missing. They are gone! Don't you see, we went to the Island and we didn't find them, they are gone (how fucking tragic that those missing are the loose lines, the worker who they know they can't trust, the experiments who knew too much, the infected islander, the man who couldn't keep himself out of their bussiness), what a tragedy. But focus on the children! They are so weak and fragile now, they need all your attention, you wouldn't want them to be sad would you?

And now this.

Now there is this entity wrecking havoc, putting the children at risk, destroying everything when things are still trying to be fixed.

And the Islanders can't do a fucking thing against him.

But the Federation can. They know they can. But they wait, they wait until the last seconds, they let them try, they let them plot, they let them die.

And when they are desperate, when they are begging for their help, when they have no other choice, that's the moment the Federation comes.

They come and they fix the issue easily.

The heroes, yet again, taking a away the danger, saving the children. Another message "You can't do this without us. You are weak, helpless, what would you do without us? Don't you see? You need us."

Of course the Federation will come and save the day over and over again, they want to make sure the Islanders feel they depend on them.

[clueingforbeggs]

I think one of the things which really draws me to DS9 is its presentation of the Federation. In TOS and TNG, the Federation is this utopian society where everything's good, and you only get a few bad eggs within the Federation, all the conflict, all the 'evil', comes from outside.

That was actually a stipulation in (early, I think) TNG, that the characters couldn't have conflicts between them. Conflict is a part of life, and no matter how much society progresses, there are still going to be individual conflicts. Someone won't know something's offensive, the new ensign was singing a song which triggers the commander who lost their wife who loved that song, someone stims vocally and overstimulates another crewmember. Something would come up.

DS9 comes straight in with 'This is Sisko, he hates Picard.' Interpersonal conflict. DS9 introduces Section 31, which I think was great because it's like... The Federation is much better than today's world but it's still flawed, and the way it was handled then? Perfect.

But that energy kinda got lost. Voyager makes its way back home from far beyond the Federations reach. America is the victim of a terrorist attack, forever influencing American media like Star Trek. Enterprise is released, where there's no Federation, but there's lots of 'We're good, it's Them who are bad.' ('Them' being aliens. Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, especially the 'Nooo series 3 isn't a war on terror metaphor!' Xindi.) in that, still. Humanity 'civilises' the species that become part of the Federation. The Vulcans might be an advanced civilisation but come on, look at them! They're at war with the Andorians, and they're at war with themselves in the background. They withhold medical care from people who had mind melds gone wrong. Humanity re-introduces them to their own culture and then brings them and the Andorians together.

And then it all... Stopped. Enterprise was cancelled, and the next Star Trek to be released would release years later.

DS9 was the only classic Trek which, IMO, made the Federation a nuanced, not-just-good-but-still-better, society. Humanity and friends may have 'moved past' things, but they still come up. The utopian Federation is held up by the immoral Section 31. Which there are some notes of in S4 of Enterprise. Man, they cancelled that show just as it was getting good.

And then, Discovery S2 happened and made Section 31 an open part of the Federation, which everyone reported to, and which was only bad because of an AI. Us vs them. 'Them' being technology.

Much as I like most of that series of DSC, that wasn't a good move.

You can resolve it, I think. Have S31 go underground, mutate into what it was in DS9. That's what I'm doing in my fanfic, at least. But outside of DS9 and its portrayal of S31, if you want your Federation to be, to use the description I've just written for it in said fanfic, 'A utopian facade over a flawed society', you really need to look for beta canon.

[ejzah]

A/N: Here’s the annual Thanksgiving fic. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who is celebrating!

As always, whatever weirdness may be going on with Callen and Anna, does not exist in these kinds of fics.

***

One Big Happy Family

“Ok, do not bring up engagement with your mom,” Kensi reminded Deeks, waiting for him to turn his eyes from the road.

She’d consented to let him drive since she was currently holding a painstakingly made baking dish of tiramisu on her lap. It was her sole contribution to Thanksgiving dinner-Roberta was providing the rest-and she didn’t want to chance anything happening to it. Plus, though she’d never admit it to Deeks, she didn’t love driving his truck.

“Got it,” Deeks said easily. “No talk about work, Arkady’s drinking habits, or engagements. Although it doesn’t really seem after all the grief my mom gave us about getting married when we were dating.”

“I know, but she’s really on edge about it.”

“Yeah, mom mentioned she’d thought he bought a ring last time we talk.” Raising an eyebrow, Deeks shook his head. “I can only imagine what Arkady Kolcheck thinks is an appropriate engagement ring.”

“You’re taking this remarkably well,” Kensi observed, resettling the tiramisu on her lap. “What happened to the guy who was prepared to shoot Arkady for even thinking about dating his mom?”

Deeks shrugged, one hand resting on his thigh while he loosely held the steering wheel with the other. He looked completely at ease, significantly more than she remembered in at least a couple years. And more so than their last dinner with his mom and Arkady.

“I guess I just realized that my mom is going to date whoever she wants, regardless of what I think. The other way is just going to end up pushing her away.”

“That is incredibly mature and generous of you.”

“And, we’re all highly skilled federal employees who could have the training and knowledge to make Arkady disappear permanently if he treats her wrong,” Deeks added nonchalantly.

Kensi gave him a sharp look and he grinned.

“Kidding.” He pulled into Roberta’s driveway before Kensi could delve into the seriousness of his comment. The last thing they needed on Thanksgiving was Arkady tied up in the hall closet.

Roberta greeted them at the door with hugs and the distinct smell of turkey and cooking sherry. She wore a knee length burgundy dress and tiny earrings shaped like turkeys. It was perfectly Roberta.

“Come on in,” she said, ushering them through the door. “Callen and Anna are already in the den with Ary. So grab yourself a drink and relax.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Deeks said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.

“Oh, and here’s the tiramisu.” Kensi held out the dish with a nervous smile. “I hope it’s alright.”

“I’m sure it will be perfect.” Roberta took the dessert and shooed them away, wanting them far away from the kitchen as usual.

They Callen and Anna standing in front of an electric fire in the den. Arkady sat in a lagre arm chair, legs spread wide as he regaled them with what sounded like a tall tale from his glory days as a Russian criminal.

Anna spotted them first and immediately walked over, reaching for Kensi’s hands.

“Kensi, Deeks, it’s so good to see you,” she said, sounding relieved. Slanting a perturbed look in her dad’s direction, she rolled her eyes. “He has been talking non-stop for the last hour.”

Seeing that he lost half his audience, Arkady mumbled to himself, and took a healthy swig of what looked like egg nog. Callen wandered over more leisurely and clapped Deeks on the back. He seemed fairly relaxed, maybe in part to the beer in his hand.

“Happy Thanksgiving. Glad you two made it.”

“Because I would kill someone for sure if it was just the four of us,” Anna added, stealing his beer and taking a long drink. “I need at least two more of those,” she informed Callen, who grinned and excused himself to retrieve drinks.

“How’s the house hunting going?” Kensi asked. “Callen said you had a couple of prospective places.”

“Well, I liked the last one we looked at, but Callen thought the neighbors seemed shady.”

“Yeah, you gotta watch out for those soccer moms and dads,” Deeks joked.

“Hey, with our luck they’ll turn out to be more sleeper agents,” Callen said, returning with several beers, which he passed around.

Arkady finally heaved himself out of his chair with a groan and joined them.

“Kensi and Martin, good to see you as always. I was just telling your mother that we should have dinner sometime soon,” he said grandly.

“That would be nice,” Kensi told him.

“Are you back to liking me?” Deeks asked. “Cause last time we had dinner, you I believe you called me uncultured and a tyrant.”

“That was joke. I have always liked you,” Arkady scoffed. “Well, not always, but ever since I started dating Roberta, my feelings have changed. You are like son to me. Or maybe a distant nephew.”

“Well, that’s love if I ever heard it,” Callen commented. “You’ve never told me you loved me like a nephew.”

“It is implied.” He gave Callen an unimpressed look, glancing at his mostly empty glass. “Would anyone like some egg nog?”

“Who made it?” Kensi asked suspiciously.

“I did,” Arkady answered, puffing out his chest.

“Yes, with a whole bottle of vodka,” Anna shared wryly. “He was very excited.

“Isn’t egg nog usually made with rum or brandy?” Callen asked.

“It’s an old Russian recipe. Passed down for generations.”

“Yeah, I think I’ll pass,” Deeks said. Arkady sighed in disappointment and tossed back the last bit of the thick drink.

“Alright, the turkey is almost done, the potatoes are boiling, and the poe is cooling,” Roberta announced loudly as she walked in. She’d slipped on a pair of low heels and a string of pearls, which oddly enough worked with the swaying turkey earrings.

“Ah, Roberta, my dear,” Arkady said, lighting up. “You look beautiful.” She wrapped her arms around his middle, tipping her head up for a kiss.

“Ok…that’s happening,” Deeks muttered, hastily looking down with a grimace.

“Alright, Dad,” Anna interrupted after a minute. “That’s enough.” They pulled back, looking completely unbothered. Arkady whispered something in Roberta’s ear that made her giggled and smack his chest with an admonishing “Ary”.

“Oh god, this is going to be us in 20 years,” Deeks realized with quiet horror. Kensi patted his shoulder soothingly.

“Now that we are all together, I would like to say how happy to have you all together here. Anna, my lovely daughter, Callen who has always been like a son to me, and my new children Kensi and Marty,” Arkady announced grandly, lifting his nearly empty glass. “To family.”

“To family,” the all echoed. Kensi thought it was a surprisingly appropriate and touching toast for Arkady.

“Though,” Callen said after a moment. “Since you and Mrs. Deeks aren’t married, you’re not related to Kensi and Deeks.”

“It is mere technicality.” Arkady waved his hand dismissively while Roberta nodded in apparent agreement.

“Yeah, why do things always have to be official?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “Back in the 70’s, no one cared if you were married or not.”

“Um, this isn’t the 70’s mom,” Deeks pointed out and Kensi sighed, turning to Callen.

“Did you really have to say that? Now Deeks is going to be threatening Arkady for the rest of the day.” They all stopped to listen as Deeks mentioned something about rings.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Callen offered cheerfully, raising his beer again.

***

A/N: Here’s to all the wonderful awkwardness that can come with Thanksgiving!

I chose tiramisu for Kensi’s dessert because that’s what I happen to be making tomorrow.

[wordsoflittlewisdom]

Watching bop again

I kinda forgot Cass was at the roller derby game. Love how all the characters are connected

Why does Roman’s voice...sound like that

Boss Bitch is weirdly nostalgic now

I like that the whole roller derby team is wearing like. team jackets. and harleys got her whole fringe sleeves thing going on

YES LOVE WHEN SHE THROWS THE NECKLACE AWAY

The chemical plant blowing up as fireworks was a very Harley choice

“So I’ll start where I fucking want” four minutes ago

huntress huntress huntress huntress huntress

I read somewhere that this huntress and Montoya scene was one take and they just changed the lighting to show the change

romans middle name being beauvais is probably the clearest clue they could have given that he was from a rich family

Love that Renee finds the necklace and knows Harley and the joker broke up. I like this idea that superheroes/villains are kinda like celebrities in this world

The egg sandwich scene is great what more can I say

Love that there’re cars and people just living their lives in this city

It’s a crime that we never see Harley wear this glittery fanny pack

The music is really good in this

It’s neat how the line between her narration and her dialogue is blurred, like how she’ll say the first part of something in narration and the second part in dialogue

Huntress’s little flute theme

And Montoya knows Cass; c o n n e c t i o n s

Montoya’s been going after Roman, too

And now we’re flipping back to the bertinelli massacre and diamond

Even if the whole missing diamond plot isn’t that unique, everything’s woven together so neatly

And now Dinah and Renee are on the phone about Cass and the diamond

It’s all connected

Harleys whole “I’m here to report a terrible crime”—she could have just run in there but she wanted to be Dramatic

I do wish the vocals were a little louder here maybe?

Big fan of this fight choreography

Harley pausing on a frame where she’s making a weird face before rewinding to explain about the diamond—it’s so rare to ever get to see women like. making weird faces in movies. All the women in his this are gorgeous but they don’t always have to be; they look beat up after fights and get dirty and make weird faces and it’s great

Dinah singing? Exceptional

“Loans, liquidity, laundering” ah yes the three L’s of illegal business

I unironically listen to Black Canary’s man’s world.

I like that everyone just calls Dinah “Canary”

“I’m all on my lonesome. It’s great” Harleys even an unreliable narrator when she’s just talking

I’ve really never seen a movie that feel like it’s from the female gaze visually as much as this one—all the rings and earrings, the hair, the makeup, it feels like what women might fantasize about dressing like

Dinah yelling “you motherfucker!” While beating some creeps up is quality

What time of day is it? Dinah would probably be leaving early in the morning, but I Refuse to believe that Roman would be awake particularly early any morning

She either canary is leaving her nightclub singing gig in the late morning/early afternoon or roman is still awake from the night before and is going to go to sleep soon

Cass and Dinah in the same building. (Bernie voice): I am once again talking about the connections

I’ve riffed on this before but i refuse to believe that Roman can drive

This Dinah and Renee scene establishes character, backstories, and moves the plot along all at once

Jesus some of ewan mcgregor’s acting in this is painfully bad

I love that Cass has a big bomber jacket and longer, looser shorts

Jurnee’s abs wow

The lights from behind the hands with the eyes behind Harley, who’s surrounded by people and then Roman and Victor emerge from the back, whispering to each other? Beautiful

One of the grievances roman has against Harley is “constantly interrupting him, like I’m doing right now”

Harleys “you’re really not as complicated as you think” bit is almost satirical of this cult we’ve created of “complicated” white male movie villains who have massive fan followings (cough cough joker)

Interesting that Roman holds the knife to Harleys face but hands it off to Victor to do that actual cutting

Someone handed Roman a bowl of popcorn

Harleys pocket tampon

It’s diamonds are a girls best friend yeah babey!

The male backup dancers are wearing muzzles/masks (Roman has one too for a split second) is an interesting flip on the way women are typically the ones being silenced, as well as Harleys desire to silence the men around her and be the one telling and controlling her own narrative

“Hey! you’re that singer no one listens to!” “Hey! You’re the asshole no one likes!”

Harley with her glitter gun

Harleys reaction when the sprinklers go off is perfect—Margot makes her feel like a living cartoon

This cell block fight scene is a showstopper

I like that cass doesn’t immediately want to stay with Harley. It gives her some agency in a story where she’s mostly just following the curveballs life throws her

Harleys little stare straight into the camera when cass admits to eating the diamond

Harley at the grocery store really emphasizes that she’s a total weirdo

I think I heard somewhere that the pic of child Harley with the nuns is a pic of young Margot??? Not totally sure though

Cass not knowing who the joker is goes with the whole supers are like celebrities thing—cass probably follows a whole different group of them (like how most kids follow different celebrities than their parents)

Huntress huntress huntresssss

“Give me number 32. Mild”

This kid in helenas flashback doesn’t really look like she’s grow up to look like Mary Elizabeth Winstead

This filming in this flashback has so much style

Helena practicing in the bathroom mirror with her drawing and her multiple bottles of travel mouthwash

We’re in the scene where Roman makes the girl dance on the table and oh god it’s so uncomfortable

No no no no no not this hate this

Alright that nightmare’s done

“and that’s why you should never pay federal income taxes”

Harley offering to bring cass to Roman after hearing doc say “business is business is interesting

OH ITS HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT TIME

Dinahs car is yellow because it’s...canary yellow

Roman putting on the mask is cool and all but he’s just gonna have to take it back off to get changed

This Harley vs Renee fight is fun because they keep mirroring each other—they’re fighting each other, but they’re really on the same side

The way the women all kind of circle each other at first and don’t immediately get along

Cass popping up with the gun also gives her some agency—she’s at the end of her rope with the diamond and being betrayed by Harley

“I am nOT THE CROSSBOW KILLER”

The way Huntress sounds so uncertain when she says “...and now I’m done” Mary’s acting really popped off

Roman’s a bitch but I like his outfits

Helenas little smile when Harley says “you just killed his BFF”

I love how excited Harley is when they all agree to work together

Roman’s giving his little speech in the back of a pickup truck?

When all the guys turned around with masks on I got chills

“I love this chick she’s got rage issues.” “I DONT HAVE RAGE ISSUES”

Huntress stabbing the guy while going down the slide is peak cinema

This set lights up as the scene progresses and reveals more

I love love love that Helena is genuinely caring towards Cass and recognizing that children shouldn’t have to go through trauma like her

“When the fuck did she have time to do a shoe change?”

THE HAIR TIE YEAH

Forgot to mention this but it’s a stroke of genius for this place to be called the booby trap

Love me some canary cry

“Told ya she had a killer voice”

Harleys chase was a real group hurrah—the canary cry cleared the way and pushed her forward, Huntress towed her, Renee gave her the gun with one bullet

Cass and Roman are just sitting in the back seat. That must have been an awkward car ride

Cass pulling the gun away from Roman when he tries to shoot up at Harley when Harleys on top of the car is elite

Damn this is one foggy pier

When Harley starts with “your protection is based on the fact that people are scared of you” you expect her to say that it’s wrong or something but she says “I’m the one they should be scared of” this movie messed with tropes so much

That also includes the whole “one bullet” thing—Harley misses with her one bullet, and you don’t really know what’s gonna happen next

“I took your ring”

You can pinpoint exactly when Harley and Roman realize what Cass did

I’d put the entire taco scene here if I could

Renee moving the drink away from cass shows her caring side—she doesn’t want a kid to get into alcohol and make the mistakes she did

“Does she always talk like the cop in a bad eighties movie?”

Harley and Cass stealing the car is a fun way to show that she may be on the side of the good guys sometimes, but that doesn’t necessarily make her one

“Woman” by Kesha

Wow the outfits in this scene are iconic

I mean they are in the whole movie but I especially like these

Cass riding around with Harley and a hyena, wearing cute outfits and learning the ways of chaos

Harley got her sandwich!

The credit art for this movie is cool

Especially how they represent each character

In conclusion this is still my favorite movie

I know I’ve been kinda absent recently, but watching this again has really reminded me how much I love it. I got really busy but I’m going to Make An Effort to be a contributing member of the bop fandom again.

[cleanwaterchronicles]

Together, we can give bees a chance

From half-inch honeybees to the endangered rusty patched bumblebee, no matter their size or status, these little pollinators are facing a triple threat of bee-killing pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change. Let’s meet some of the bees we're working to save:

Our country's more than 4,000 native bee species are "specialists" in their field — they're perfectly suited to pollinate only a few specific plants or flowers. The Southeastern blueberry bee, for example, is one hard-working pollinator — visiting as many as 50,000 blueberry flowers in its short life and helping to produce up to 6,000 blueberries. Most native bees are also highly independent. After a long day of flying solo from flower to flower, these busy bees retire to the nests that they dug or built themselves.

Honeybees are some of our sweetest, most social pollinators. Sharing one big hive, honeybee colonies are also filled with hard workers: In just one year, a colony can make up to 100 pounds of honey. When they're on duty, half-inch honeybees can fly to 100 flowers in a single trip — adding up to thousands of flower visits each day. After its eight-hour workday, the honeybee finds its way home where it can rest with as many as 60,000 of its family members.

Throughout the country, there's only one type of native bee that is truly social: the bumblebee. And under the bumblebee umbrella is the rusty patched bumblebee. Known for the rust-colored marks on their backs, these bubbly bees made headlines three years ago when they became the first bee species in the continental United States to make the endangered species list. Their populations have plummeted down to just an estimated 471 rusty patched bumblebees.

While rusty patched bumblebees were the bees first to make the endangered species list, they won't be the last if we don't act. The worst threats facing bees today?

Climate change: A warmer climate reduces the areas where bee populations can migrate and survive. As temperatures rise, flowers bloom earlier and create a mismatch in timing between when flowers produce pollen and when bees can feed on that pollen.

Habitat loss: As climate change and human development make bees' habitat unlivable, bees are left with nowhere to go, fewer flowers to forage, and nowhere to lay eggs and build the next generation of bees.

Bee-killing pesticides: A pervasive, dangerous class of bee-killing pesticides called neonicotinoids poisons baby bees' brains, keeps bees from sleeping, alters their feeding habits, and diminishes their ability to reproduce.

Here at Environment Michigan, we know that the situation for bees is dire. And with native bees pollinating 80 percent of our Earth's flowering plants, losing bees could be the first domino in a chain of extinctions.

To save them, our organizers are building support for bans on the worst bee-killing pesticides, standing up for bees' habitat, and calling on companies to do their part to protect our best pollinators.

Three ways to help save the bees

Scientists point to several causes for bee die-offs, including bee-killing pesticides, the loss of good habitat, disease and our changing climate. While we’re working to address each of these problems, the three things we can do right now to save the bees are to plant more pollinator-friendly plants; stop the use of bee-killing pesticides in parks, wildlife refuges and other places bees should be safe; and promote sustainable, less pesticide-reliant agricultural practices.

1. Planting pollinator-friendly plants: The great thing about habitat is that small spaces can do wonders. Parks, roadsides, and government lawns are all perfect for wildflowers and pollinator-friendly plants. We’re calling on cities, counties, states, and the federal government to commit to planting wildflowers and other plants that benefit bees. We helped convince Congress to call upon the military to manage its 11 million acres of land to better protect habitat for pollinators.

2. Protecting safe havens for bees: There are some places where bees should be safe. Parks, wildlife refuges, national parks, and more should be free of bee-killing pesticides. Further, bee-killing pesticides have no place in our urban landscapes and backyards, as our urban environs have increasingly become important for bees. Already, Connecticut, Maryland, and Vermont have banned the sale of bee-killing pesticides to consumers. America should do the same.

3. Reducing the sale and use of pesticides: Major retailers such as Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Walmart, Ace Hardware, and many others have made commitments to move the market away from selling bee-killing neonicotinoid pesticides, aka neonics. We’re calling on the online giant Amazon to do the same. Additionally, we’re working to support a food system that is far less pesticide-intensive. Sustainable farming practices are available, and we’re working to bring them to scale and make them commonplace.

Source: Environment America & Environment Michigan

[phantom-le6]

Episode Reviews - Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 (3 of 6)

Having taken longer than planned on the earlier reviews for season 4 of Stark Trek: The Next Generation, I am now going to make more effort to stick to my weekly schedule and get the reviews done more frequently, beginning with those I am posting now.

Episode 11: Data’s Day

Plot (as given by me):

Data, in corresponding with Bruce Maddox, outlines a typical day aboard the Enterprise, making particular emphasis on the aspect of friendship.

 At the start of the day, Data is relieved early from his command of the night shift so he has more time to participate in the wedding rehearsal for Chief Miles O’Brien’s wedding to Keiko Ishikara, a civilian botanist assigned to the Enterprise.  Data is acting as ‘father of the bride’, but when he visits Keiko, he learns she is calling off the wedding as she believes it will make her happy, and asks Data to relay the news to Miles.  Data presumes this will make the chief happy if it is what Keiko wants, but Miles is inevitably upset.  Later, Data talks to Lt. Commander George La Forge, who explains Keiko just has pre-wedding anxiety and the real wedding will still take place as usual.

 As a Vulcan ambassador arrives on board with a secretive mission that takes the Enterprise into the Neutral Zone, Data proceeds on Geordi’s advice to act as if the wedding will still take place; he discusses the concept of wedding gifts and customs with Worf and enlists Dr Crusher’s assistance in learning to dance.  At Chief O’Brien’s request, Data then attempts to convince Keiko to go through with the wedding, but she reacts angrily to his efforts, prompting him to seek advice from Counsellor Troi.  She advises Data that Miles and Keiko need to be left alone to resolve the matter themselves. When their conversation brings up the idea that growing old together is a key component of marriage, Data reveals that despite his lack of emotion, he has never ruled out the idea that one day he might marry someone.  However, given Data’s inability to age, he would never be able to ‘grow old’ with a spouse.

 Data is then summoned by Ambassador T’Pel, who enquires about the Enterprise’s defence systems, but she drops the query when Data mentions he has the same safeguards as the ship’s computers and would be required to notify the Captain.  The ambassador claims she was only testing his safeguards, so Data accepts this on the premise that Vulcans do not lie, though on some level he remains suspicious.

 Later, Data is taught to dance by Dr Crusher; this initially does not go quite to plan as the doctor teaches Data tap-dancing before he explains that his intent was to learn dances appropriate for the wedding. She then begins to teach Data a slow dance, but this is complicated by Data needing to see Dr Crusher’s feet to emulate her steps, and the lesson is interrupted by a crew member going into labour, requiring Data to finish his lesson with a holographic partner.  Data eventually returns to the bridge just before the Enterprise reaches its rendezvous with a Romulan warbird, and the ambassador prepares to beam over to discuss a treaty that would formalise relations between Vulcan and Romulus.  However, an accident occurs mid-transport and the ambassador is seemingly killed.

 After Captain Picard explains the situation to the Romulans, he orders Data to head up the investigation into the accident. Applying the Holmesian method of deductive reasoning, Data discovers that the Romulans actually beamed the ambassador over to their ship while leaving artificial organic matter in her place; in effect, faking her death to conceal an abduction.  Picard orders the Enterprise to intercept the Romulan warbird to try and rescue the ambassador, but when they arrive, they learn the ambassador was actually a Romulan spy in disguise, now returned to her own people.  As more warbirds arrive, Picard reluctantly orders the Enterprise to withdraw back to Federation space.

 With the crisis over, Data seeks out Keiko to apologise for his interference, only to learn the wedding will take place shortly and he needs to get dressed for it.  Keiko and Miles are wed in Ten-Forward with Captain Picard officiating a ceremony based on the Japanese culture.  Later, Data seeks out Dr Crusher to thank her for his dance lessons, but instead finds the captain looking in on the baby Dr Crusher delivered while the ship was confronting the Romulans.  Finally, Data begins command of the next night watch.

Review:

This episode is the start of the one successful long-term romance in Trek history; from the marriage of Miles and Keiko we get a relationship that runs strong not only for all its remaining appearances in TNG, but also throughout the length of Deep Space Nine when O’Brien was made part of that spin-off’s regular cast.  It’s great to see it begin the way it does, because the kind of less-than-perfect romance we see is not only more realistic than if we were seeing two people not fighting or arguing at all, it’s also vital to make a lot of later stories for these characters work.  DS9, as I noted when I review that series years ago on Facebook, often did episodes that were known as ‘make O’Brien suffer’ episodes.  For that to work, O’Brien had to be every inch an everyman with everyday issues, so his marriage had to be equally down-to-Earth. Otherwise, where’s the shock value in whatever’s traumatising him next?

 Of course, the main focus of the episode is Data, and how he deals with the issue of friendship and understanding human behaviour.  In his reasoning and actions, the idea of Data as a metaphor for the autistic mind-set comes across brilliantly.  I can easily someone on the autistic spectrum like myself making similar social errors to Data in trying to navigate the sudden flare-up in the Miles-Keiko relationship.  I say similar because autistic people are not emotionless as Data is, and for those of us “high functioning” (or masking to the nth degree as I think of it) and experienced enough to understand something of tact and diplomacy, we would probably avoid making at least some of these errors.

 I’m also very touched by Data revealing his aspiration to one day marry despite his lack of apparent emotion; for autistic people, any form of relationship that goes beyond friendship and into the romantic can be anything from difficult to impossible.  The social skills required and time commitments necessary are almost the inter-personal communication equivalent of tackling the tallest mountains in the world, and anyone on the spectrum who gets anywhere in this line has my undying respect and admiration.  To see an autistic analogue like Data suggest a desire to one day get as far as marriage, and be treated with acceptance in that regard, is yet another example of Trek at its best.

 My only niggle with this episode is that at one point when noting various events occurring aboard the Enterprise, Data mentions the ‘Hindu festival of lights’.  Given that humans are supposed to now be an entirely secularist society in the world of Trek, why is any religious occasion of significance on real-life Earth being mentioned as if it’s still an on-going concept?  Last I checked, the children on board the Enterprise aren’t going round the crew-quarters trick-or-treating, having Easter egg hunts on the holodecks or hoping for Santa to come down the Jefferies tubes once a year.  That being the case, Diwali shouldn’t be getting a mention in that sort of context either.  As such, the episode just misses out on top marks and ends up raking in 9 out of 10.

Episode 12: The Wounded

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

While patrolling near Cardassian space, the Enterprise is suddenly attacked by a Cardassian vessel. Captain Picard is able to convince its commander, Gul Macet, to stand down, and learns that Macet's attack was in retaliation for a Federation ship attacking a Cardassian science station two days prior. Picard confirms this with Starfleet; he is told that the starship Phoenix, commanded by Captain Benjamin Maxwell, was responsible and ordered to locate the vessel. Picard invites Gul Macet and two of his officers to come aboard as observers to maintain the fragile peace between the Federation and Cardassia. As the Enterprise looks for signs of the Phoenix, Picard is informed that transporter chief Miles O'Brien was a former crewmember under Maxwell on the Rutledge during the Cardassian war, and invites him to join a briefing with Gul Macet. There, O'Brien reveals he still harbors some resentment for the Cardassians, revealing that Maxwell's family was killed by Cardassians. Gul Macet infers that Maxwell must be out for revenge, but O'Brien denies this.

 The Enterprise locates the Phoenix on an intercept course for a Cardassian freighter, but they will not be able to reach it in time. Picard lets Gul Macet relay the position of the Phoenix to a closer Cardassian cruiser, but Maxwell outmaneuvers and destroys both the warship and the freighter, killing over 650 Cardassians across the two vessels.

 Shortly thereafter, the Enterprise rendezvouses with the Phoenix, and Maxwell transports aboard, greeting O'Brien as an old friend. Alone, Maxwell asserts to Picard that the Cardassians are re-arming themselves; the science station was a cover for a military base, and the freighters are carrying weapons. Picard admonishes Maxwell for his behaviour unbecoming a Starfleet captain, and gains his assurance that he will pilot the Phoenix directly back to Federation space. However, en route, the Phoenix breaks course towards another freighter. Maxwell is poised to destroy the freighter, demanding that the Federation officers be allowed aboard to see proof of the Cardassians' deception. The Enterprise crew notes that the freighter is equipped with a field that blocks their scans. Picard prepares to fire on the Phoenix to maintain the peace, but O'Brien requests permission to beam over to the Phoenix, using a transporter trick to sneak past its shield, and talk to Maxwell. Aboard the Phoenix, O'Brien and Maxwell reminisce about their time aboard the Rutledge and sing a song from their past. O'Brien is able to convince Maxwell to stand down. Maxwell transfers his command to his first officer and the Phoenix starts its return to Federation space, while Maxwell returns to the Enterprise with O'Brien, confined to quarters pending return to Starfleet.

 As the Cardassian observers are returned to their ship, Picard cautions them that while Maxwell's actions may have been improper, his suspicions are not without merit; the so-called "science station" is located in a strategic military position with little scientific value, and the shields on the freighters were specifically designed to block Federation scanning. He cautions Gul Macet that the Federation will be watching the Cardassians very closely in the future.

Review:

For the second time in as many episodes, we get more development of future DS9 fodder.  In this case, however, it’s not just about developing Miles O’Brien and his new wife Keiko, though this is a significant part of the episode in terms of Miles.  This time, we get the first appearance of the Cardassians, which substantially improves in time for their inclusion in Deep Space Nine, and Marc Alaimo makes a guest appearance as Gul Macet, setting up for his later long-time role in DS9 as the Cardassian arch-villain Gul Dukat.  Throw in Bob Gunton of Shawshank Redemption fame and this episode really has some great guest actors in alongside the regular cast.

 However, aside from great performances, great guest-cast stars and a lot of fodder being developed for the eventual Deep Space Nine spin-off series, this episode also takes an interesting look at how people react when a war ends and they have to act peacefully with people who they’ve had to view as the enemy for a long time.  It’s another of those brilliant moves Trek started to make around this time as Roddenberry became less involved in producing the show due to his failing health.  There’s only so far humanity will ever improve, and I think if we’re still having to get into wars in the future, albeit with alien species, we’re going to have the same kind of issues that come up here.

 Between the various guest characters, the subject matter gets some interesting exploration; Captain Maxwell is someone so traumatised by the war that he can’t just leave it behind, Gul Macet plays someone feigning a desire to remain at peace while secretly preparing for the next scrap, and then you’ve got O’Brien, who still hates the enemy but for a totally different reason to what you’d expect.  While most shows might have put O’Brien’s hatred down to something the Cardassians did, this show did something truly inspired and made O’Brien hate them for what they forced him to do.  Nowhere else have I come across someone saying they only hate an enemy because that enemy forced them into committing acts of violence alien to their personal identity.  In fact, I think this might even be Trek’s first stab at doing a ‘make O’Brien suffer’ episode even before creating DS9.  After all, what could be greater suffering to a gentle man like O’Brien than to be faced by those who forced him to act against that gentle nature?

 Honestly, I can’t find a single flaw in this episode, and so for the first time in a while I offer up top marks; 10 out of 10.

Episode 13: Devil’s Due

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise receives a distress call from Dr. Howard Clarke, the leader of a Federation scientific delegation on Ventax II, where the population is in a state of panic, because they are convinced that their world will soon end. After the Enterprise arrives, they rescue Dr. Clarke who brings them up to date. A thousand years ago, according to Ventaxian history, the population entered a Faustian deal with Ardra, their mythology's devil. In exchange for ending wars and restoring the ecological balance, and improving their heavily polluted planet, the population would become the personal slaves of Ardra a thousand years later. As the millennium is about to come to a close, the planet has recently begun experiencing mild earthquakes, as well as seeing images of Ardra. These were said to be signs of her arrival.

 As Captain Picard and Lt. Commander Data discuss the matter with the Ventaxian leader, a woman appears in the chamber, announcing herself as Ardra. She demonstrates her identity by starting an earthquake at will, and transforming into the Klingon devil-equivalent Fek'lhr of Gre'Thor. Ardra states that she has come to claim the planet. Picard is instantly suspicious and orders Data to examine the contract that supposedly was signed by Ardra and the leaders of the planet a thousand years earlier. Picard returns to the Enterprise afterwards, and Ardra appears on the bridge, sitting in the Captain's chair. Lt. Worf fails to remove her. Data returns just then and confirms the language of the contract as well as Ardra's claim to the planet and anything in its orbit, including the Enterprise.

 Later, in a meeting with the senior staff, Picard expresses his belief that she is a confidence trickster and points out that all of her alleged powers can be recreated with theatrically delivered technology. After the meeting, Picard goes to bed for the evening. As Picard sleeps, Ardra appears and tries to seduce him, but he rejects her. She transports him to the planet dressed in his pyjamas. Data comes to collect Picard by shuttle after Worf is unable to transport him back the normal way. When Picard and Data attempt to return to the Enterprise, the ship disappears. In light of this, they return to the planet.

 Citing old legal precedent, Picard calls for a Ventaxian arbitration hearing, to which Ardra agrees, provided Data acts as the arbitrator, as he will act with impartiality. Picard explains to the leader of the planet that the people had actually improved their planet by themselves, through their own gradual hard work, ingenuity, and dedication. However, continued demonstrations of powers further the claim that Ardra is indeed whom she says she is. During the course of the hearing, Chief Engineer La Forge and Clarke discover that Ardra has a cloaked ship nearby, that she is indeed using technology to simulate magic, and that she is a known criminal. Picard sends an away team, led by Commander Riker, to take control of Ardra's ship, giving Picard control of her powers. He demonstrates the technology-based fraud and she is taken into custody by local authorities.

Review:

This is an episode I find fun because among its various plot elements is a bit of a dig at buying too readily into certain aspects of organised religion.  Here, we see someone is basically a criminal try to exploit and enslave the population of an entire planet by twisting its beliefs to her own ends.  This is not unlike many real-life followers of many, many religions that will twist those religions to excuse and fuel bigoted and divisive viewpoints, often leading many to assume they are a true reflection of that faith when they are not.  Frankly, I think many people ‘of faith’ could learn a valuable lesson about taking care to really learn their religion to avoid just this sort of deception by watching this episode.

 However, the episode is really meant to be more about how technology can appear to be magic if it is sufficiently advanced, and to be fair it’s a fun exploration of that idea.  However, the same thing was done the season before with ‘Who Watches The Watchers’, and it’s also been used with greater theatricality by the Marvel Cinematic Universe to explain the likes of Thor and Doctor Strange in an otherwise science-based superhero action universe.  By and large, the idea of ‘believer beware’ seems to hold the greater weight than the intended focus, and it’s got some decent comic relief-type moments in places.

 However, I disagree with the assessment some others have made that the episode is somehow ‘Picard trying to act like Kirk’. Kirk, being the degenerate woman-of-the-week phaser-happy space cowboy that he was, would more likely have given into Ardra and then stunned her with a phaser when proving her deception. Picard acts like Picard from his resistance to Ardra right up to the court-room scene.  There’s nothing all that Kirkian about this episode, even though it originated as an unproduced story from that era, and to believe otherwise is to be as gullible as the Ventaxians.  Overall, I give this episode about 8 out of 10.

Episode 14: Clues

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The Enterprise investigates a T Tauri class star system with a single Class M planet that was picked up on a long-range sensor scan near the Ngame Nebula. As they approach the planet, the ship encounters a wormhole and everyone except Lt. Commander Data briefly loses consciousness. When the crew regains consciousness, some of the ship's sensors suggest it has been nearly a day since the wormhole encounter, but Data states they were only out for moments and the ship's instruments were affected by the wormhole. Following Data's suggestion, Captain Picard decides to send a probe into the system to avoid further harm to the ship. The probe reports only the presence of a frozen gas giant instead of the Class M planet from before; again, Data attributes this to the effects of the wormhole.

 As the ship moves away from the system, the crew begin to find evidence that does not support Data's claims that they were unconscious for only 30 seconds. For example, Dr Crusher has found moss samples that show a full day of growth, and has found that Worf, complaining of a sore wrist, actually had his wrist broken and reset by a medical professional. Picard begins to suspect Data's claims, and believes the rest of the crew is suffering from missing time syndrome. Picard confronts Data on the issue, but Data cannot provide a rational answer. Further studies of the crew by Dr Crusher show that Data's explanations are impossible; they have lost a day from the wormhole encounter, and there is evidence that Data tampered with the probe's readings to mask the Class M planet. Picard recognizes that Data's actions may be for the protection of the Enterprise, but orders the ship to return to the system.

 When they near the Class M planet, ounsellor Troi is taken over by a mysterious energy pulse from the system, and starts to speak to the crew with a different voice. The entity that has taken over Troi informs Data that the plan has failed, and that their people will prepare to destroy the Enterprise. Picard learns from Data and the entity that they are in the space of the Paxans, a highly advanced but very xenophobic race who have kept themselves hidden by firing a stun beam at any ship that nears their system and then moving it away; crews of such ships normally associate it with the effects of a wormhole. However, in the case of the Enterprise, the stun beam did not affect Data; Data had revived the crew as the Paxans were attempting to move the ship, and forcing a physical encounter that led to Worf's wrist being broken. Picard was able to offer the Paxans a deal as to attempt to conceal their previous meeting, using memory-wiping technology from the Paxans to forget their encounters with them, and ordered Data to behave as he did to protect the ship.

 Picard is able to convince the Paxan in control of Troi that the previous plan failed because they left too many clues on the Enterprise that piqued human curiosity to solve the mystery and that if the Enterprise vanishes, it will cause others to come investigate. The crew of the Enterprise, with the help of the Paxans, work together to completely eradicate any possible clues; once completed, the crew is stunned again, and the ship moves away from Paxan space. When the crew revives this time, they accept Data's explanations without question and continue on their mission.

Review:

In addition to this episode having a lot of similarity to ‘Thanks for the Memory’, an episode from the second series of British sit-com Red Dwarf, it’s also notable for bringing us a little more Picard-as-Dixon-Hill.  However, in this case only in the opening teaser segment is Picard doing this as a fantasy on the holodeck.  The rest of the episode has Picard, and indeed most of the crew, playing detective in the ‘real world’, making the episode a kind of exploration of the human fascination with mysteries and puzzle-solving.  It’s not a bad episode, by any means, but it’s fairly shallow in its issue exploration, and the whole alien possession thing near the end is kind of a needless bit of weirdness.  This was a bottle episode, granted, but would one guest actor in a bit of prosthetics really have killed the budget compared with the visual effect they used? Overall, I’d give this 7 out of 10.

Episode 15: First Contact

Plot (as adapted from Wikipedia):

The humanoid race of Malcor III is preparing to develop warp drive technology. Captain Picard and Counsellor Troi suddenly visit Science Minister Mirasta Yale, lead researcher on their warp experiments. They calm her and explain that they come in peace. It is normal Federation policy to make first contact with a world when it reaches this level of technology. However, they have had to move ahead of schedule because Commander Riker, disguised as a Malcorian, has gone missing. After touring the Enterprise, Mirasta agrees to help and arranges a private meeting with Chancellor Durken. After the meeting, Picard returns with Durken to the Enterprise and explains the benefits of a relationship with the Federation. Durken expresses some concerns, most notably with the Federation's unwillingness to share their technology, as well as how their arrival will change his society. Picard assures him that how contact proceeds will be up to him, and if asked to leave, the Federation will do so.

 Meanwhile, Riker has been detained by security forces in a hospital, where he is barely conscious following an accident. Differences in Riker's physiology make the hospital administrator believe that he is an extra-terrestrial. Riker is aided in his escape by a nurse who expresses her wish to "make love with an alien". Riker accepts her offer, but the escape attempt fails: he is spotted, and the guards catch and beat him, worsening his condition. Riker's presence at the hospital is reported to Security Minister Krola, who accuses Durken of hiding the truth about the "alien" presence. The Chancellor expresses his concerns to Picard about the Federation's covert intrusions, but accepts Picard's explanation of why the Federation does this. Krola, fearing a hostile invasion by the Federation, endangers Riker's health by reviving him prematurely so he may be interrogated. He tries to frame Riker as a murderer by shooting himself with Riker's phaser. Meanwhile, Durken is made aware that Riker is in danger of dying and tells Picard where he is. The Enterprise crew bring both Riker and Krola back to the ship. They are able to save Riker's life, and discover that his phaser was only set to stun, so Krola was in no real danger.

 After Krola is returned to the planet, Durken regretfully tells Picard that he feels Malcor is not ready for first contact. He fears his people are not mature enough to handle the startling announcement that they are not alone in the universe. He requests that the Enterprise leave the planet, in hopes that they may be able to return at a later time. He agrees to delay Malcor's development of warp drive technology until its people are ready. With Mirasta's project postponed, she asks Picard if she can join his crew, and Picard agrees.

Review:

Apparently, this episode was only possible by breaking one of the ‘rules’ of Star Trek established by Roddenberry, namely that episodes always take place primarily from the point-of-view of the main cast. This time, however, the episode takes the point-of-view of the alien race who is being approached by the Federation as they reach the point of warp travel.  It’s a great episode, and not only because of the superb guest actors (including George Coe, who had a notable guest presence in The West Wing as Senator Howard Stackhouse, and Bebe Neuwirth who played Lilith in Cheers and Fraiser).  It’s also great because it’s the first look at not only how first contact missions actually happen, but the point-of-view of the aliens is probably not too dissimilar to how humanity would act right now if we were ever in that situation.

 The episode runs the gamut of possible reactions; the positive reaction of the forward-thinking scientist, the negative and regressive attitude of the xenophobic and paranoid security minister, the even-handed and considered approach of the head of state, and everything from general panic to alien kink among the general population.  Right down to the whole thing ending up being dismissed as a conspiracy theory while social reforms are brought in to try and enlighten the population, it all says ‘yes, this is just how humanity would react in that same situation’.

 For me, all that spoils this episode is that bit where the alien nurse seduces Riker and he agrees.  I mean come on Will; I know you’re the one member of the TNG crew who is frequently obligated to act like Kirk and have a woman-of-the-week moment every chance you get, but frankly I think it would have been more appropriate to go for a low phaser stun burst on her and the guard, then hop in the guard’s uniform and slip out.  Overall score here is about 8 out of 10.

[beanzybrandon]

ABSOLUTE CHAOS WITH PRETTYMUCH (PRETTYBRUNCH Ver.)

A/N: this very quickly became nothing more than a glorified food fight. enjoy, i guess pfft

• there's just something about being with your best friend(s) that can turn the quietest, most shy individuals into the most extroverted people to walk the earth • ‎video chatting with friends has a similar effect, especially when you haven't seen the other party for an extended amount of time • ‎what happens when you combine these two events is nothing short of absolute c h a o s • ‎in this case, the convening pals are you and the prettymuch boys. you had been out of town for a few weeks and wanted to meet up with them when you returned home. they were quick to agree and arranged for you to come over the day following your return (that way you'd have a little bit of time to yourself to relax and unpack your bags) • ‎the friends that the boys are video chatting with?? why it's none other than the beanz • ‎well, I suppose instagram lives don't really count as video chatting but you know what I meAn. it's still a viable form of communication and the absolutely adore interacting with the fandom. life's just been kind of hectic lately and they haven't had the chance to do much of anything with the beanz • ‎now that things have slowed down a bit and one of their closest friends is finally back home, why not do a live?? they all agreed it would be fun and you truly felt as if it would be a nice change of pace, too; interacting with people you love and who love you after weeks upon weeks of nothing but hecticness and disarray sounded like the perfect way to unwind • ‎ after a brief discussion, it was decided that you were to come over later in the morning (not everyone woke up at the same time and having you come over a bit later in the day ensured everyone was awake while also being well-rested) and would help them make brunch • ‎it would give you plenty of time to talk and catch up • ‎,,,, plus, they needed extra help cooking. edwin and brandon had unofficially been placed in charge of handling meals when everyone decided to sit down and eat together and sometimes it got just the teensiest bit tiring • ‎the moment you walked in the front door, though, you could see that things weren't going to be quite as laid back as you had assumed • ‎things were already lively and loud, all of the boys (except for caleb, who had answered the door when you rung the bell) having congregated in the kitchen. • ‎austin and edwin we're talking animatedly amongst each other, trying to set up the live. they were experiencing a series of technical difficulties (that really boiled down to some simple changes in the settings of the former male's phone. brandon and nick had begun to poke through the fridge, mulling over what they wanted to eat for breakfast • ‎it very quickly grew from a peaceful conversation to a loud (albeit friendly) argument over what kinds of breakfast foods were better • ‎you figured it would be best to help settle things between brandon and nick before things escalated further and became a full-blown food fight before you could even start cooking so you scurried over to them first, kicking off your sandals and dropping your bag by the door • ‎when they couldn't come to a decision after another solid minute and a half of conversation, you chose for them • ‎you had been dying for one french toast waffles. pair it with some bacon, fresh fruit, and hash rows and bAm, a whole meal • ‎pleased with your judgment, their bickering quelled • ‎at least for the time being • ‎it wasn't long before austin and edwin began the live and the six of you settled into everything • ‎you, Edwin, and brandon had moved behind the counter to start cooking, caleb was currently tending to music, and austin and nick were reading and responding to the growing stream of comments that trickled in • ‎it was pleasant enough at first. all of you were talking merrily amongst each other and answering whatever questions and comments happened to catch your eye • ‎and then caleb changed the song • ‎the action in and of itself isn't one that would bring about any unpleasant consequences • ‎it was the song itself that was the issue • ‎everyone has a hype song. this one just so happened to be a m u t u a l hype song • ‎meaning the moment everyone recognized what was playing, all hell broke loose • ‎caleb was the first to succumb to the excitement of the song. he had been pretty quiet this far, but the vibrations of the bass sank their talons into his being. he began to mouth the words, then sing along, then scream along as he gradually shifted out of his seat and began to dance • ‎nick followed suit shortly thereafter • ‎hip roll nation™ • catch half the boys jumping around and yelling 'Aye AYe aYe aYE ayE!" at the top of their lungs • it's like a frat party without the booze and loud freshmen • ‎brandon swayed along to the beat, eyes fluttering shut as he raised the whisk in his hand up to his mouth so that he could use it as a makeshift microphone • ‎which is fun, sure, but probably not the brightest thing to do when said whisk was just in a bowl of waffle batter • ‎needless to say, the front of his shirt was now caked in the liquid • ‎did he notice, though?? of course not • ‎because now he's got a whole performance going on and he's putting everything he's got into it • ‎which means he's really bustin down now. he's singing at the top of his lungs, he's hitting those runs, he's whipping around and throwing it back • ‎this also means that he has flung copious amounts of batter all over?? everyone?? • ‎this goes unnoticed by most but lordy lordy, he managed to get some in caleb's hair and that is a federal offense • ‎you k n o w the moment he feels a glob of sticky flour land in his hair he's gonna throw whatever he gets his hands-on • ‎given that there's an open container of eggs laying nearby and they fit so perfectly in the palm of his hand, it only makes sense that one is going to be airborne • he's huffin' and puffin', eyes firey as he lets out an exasperated "I know you didn't just-" and yeets the egg • ‎nothing ever works out the way they're intended, though, so it doesn't hit his initial target • ‎no, no, of course, it didn't • ‎you know who it d i d hit, though? • ‎y o u • ‎and you know what you're wearing?? • ‎a brand new shirt that is hands down the most comfortable article of clothing you own • ‎and now its sticky and wet and smells absolutely horrid • ‎and you know what you feel now?? • ‎nothing but pure, unadulterated rage. the fire of one thousand suns is blazing through your veins and you want nothing more than r e v e n g e • ‎aight, it isn't that intense but you reacted before you had the opportunity to process what had happened and develop a proper plan of action • ‎so, yeah, you started throwing food back • ‎you didn't settle for an egg or a spoonful of waffle batter • ‎you peeled open the lid of the whipped cream container that rested on the counter and sunk your hand in, scooping out as much of the sticky substance as you possibly could • ‎and, unlike some people, y o u d i d n t m i s s • ‎meaning that caleb is getting a face full of that sugary goodness • ‎by this point, no one is really paying attention to the comments on the live anymore (which were going insane, by the way. if everyone who viewed the live got a dollar every time someone said "hit edwin with the banana," they'd be rich) • ‎it wasn't long before all six of you were engaged in a battle of sustenance • ‎in layman's terms, a food fight • ‎it was?? horrible?? • ‎for a solid ten minutes, there was nothing in the air but choked cries and mushy food • ‎austin had managed to crawl onto the bar and was raining food down on everyone (quite the feat, actually, given how tall he is. if the ceiling were much lower, you were sure his head would have scraped the top of it). brandon and edwin had abandoned their positions beside you in favor of hiding behind the cabinets • ‎when their wooden shields didn't offer up enough protection, they sought out the lids of pots and pans for extra assistance • ‎caleb had armed himself in the hopes of deterring anyone from coming at him with more food • ‎his weapon of choice?? the kitchen towel, which he had wound tightly and was flicking at people whenever they got too close or looked like they were taking aim at him • ‎nick had taken up residence under the sink, hoping to wait out the fight • ‎which took an exceptional amount of time • ‎it wasn't until you had gone through about half of the food in the refrigerator that most of you came to your senses and called a truce • ‎it took a bit longer for the others to follow suit (cough cough, caleb and brandon cough cough) but they sooner calmed down as well • ‎the six of you could do nothing more than part for a while, faces flushed and hearts thumping erratically • when you cast your gaze across the room to the five men that were still strewn about like forgotten socks, you couldn't do much more than laugh • it reverberated off the walls, making everyone's bones rattle as warm grins split across their faces • it wasn't long before they, too, began to laugh • everyone but nick, that is • when the loud cries that tore themselves from everyone's throats had subsided into joyous laughter and lighthearted banter, he quietly crawled out from under the sink and stood, brushing as much food off of his clothing as possible • "hey, guys?" he'd chime, brows furrowing and lips drawing themselves into a thin line • "what are we gonna do about breakfast?" • all of you shared a look before moving toward the front door • you could shower and change later, you decided. none of you had been given the chance to eat and food was a lot more important than a few stains • no one noticed that austin's phone had been left on the counter, nor that the live stream hadn't ended.

[mattzerella-sticks]

i’d like to teach the world to sing - 2: bad rap sheet, man

Mar del Vista, California - 1972

The groovy counterculture that dominated conversation in the past few years still clings to the landscape, floating around like smoke off a burning joint. Changed by the fires of war, Manson, and life into something new. Less trusting, optimistic, and innocent.

Cas is just one of many disillusioned hippies, saddled with a general distrust even before the movement self-imploded. Wary of about everything. Perfect for his line of work, where what’s on the surface might not match the truth underneath. It’s not an easy life, but he’s comfortable with how it goes. Coasting until he hears a case he has no business accepting. For one, it’s about a missing teen. And another, it’s personal.

Except Jack’s disappearance, like every other case he’s worked, isn’t so cut and dry. Like a rock skipping across a then-placid lake, the ripples stretch far and wide. Those waves slamming at Cas; of cops, federal agents, hippie cultists, and a certain green-eyed detective who’s a little too interested in Cas’s investigation.

Will Cas find Jack? Or will he drown in the tides.

           Smoke curled up from the joint dangling between Cas’s fingers, rising in puffs that flatten when they hit the roof of his car’s cabin. Lightning flashed in the distance, followed by a riotous boom that thundered alongside a sickening power chord. He chuckled, “Mother Nature must really be digging this groove.”

           “Of course she would. Only dull plastics can resist Hendrix’s power…” Jack coughed, gesturing for the joint. “You gonna hand that over?”

           “I don’t know, did you roll it?” Cas surrendered it, snickering. “Kids these days… all this talk about sharing the wealth, but not when it comes to their grass…”

           Jack brought the joint to his lips and sucked deep, its cherry bright red amidst the manmade fog. Highlighted further by the currents pouring across the windows and curtaining the outside streetlamps. “Yeah, it’s my grass,” he said on an exhale, “it’s been my grass the last three times. When are you bringing your own?”

           “Not my fault I somehow smoke my stash before we hang.” Cas grinned, leaning over and rustling Jack’s shaggy hair. “Like the universe knows or some other philosophical shit…”

           “Or you could buy more?”

           “Or I could buy more.” Jack and he laughed as another thunderclap echoed across the sky, overpowering Cas’s speaker system. Cas sighed and looked out the window, “Great night for a stakeout, huh?”

           When Cas first told Jack about his plans, he thought it would be perfect for field learning. The case was low risk – a husband suspecting his wife of having an affair with her coworker. He sat three tables away while they shared lunch and overheard pointless gossip between her and another woman through grocery aisles. No hint of any adultery. Tonight, he intended on hammering the final nail in by taking pictures of her enjoying a dinner with overseas client. Present them and then school his client on how being a working woman and a cheater were two ducks that didn’t swim in the same pond.

           But then Mother Nature’s heart won out, and she let loose fierce tears over the city. He heard the first rain drops hit when he showed Jack how to operate his camera. By the time Cas finished explaining, their golden hour was up.

           Now they sat hoping for a lull that seems farther and farther away.

           “Hey Cas,” Jack started, “Can I ask you something?”

           “Free country, man, no matter what Nixon thinks. What’s weighing on you?”

           Jack paused, taking another hit from the joint. “How would you go about…” He shifted, pulling a knee up and resting his arms on it. “If you were asked to find someone, how would you go about it?”

           Cas raised a skeptical brow and snatched back the joint. “I would tell them to hit up another idiot who’d be willing to take the bait.”

           “Well, what if you were that idiot. What would you do?”

           He mulled over his options. Deflection could work if he tried it until Jack gave up. But Cas knew Jack’s patience ran longer than his. With how he chewed on the love beads dangling around his neck, Jack waited eagerly for an answer. Jack would not budge no matter how many times Cas pushed. Useful if he ever fully committed to Cas’s life, but right now all it gets him is his way.

           Plus, Cas has a nasty habit of rolling over easier than a dog with a treat for the kid.

           “I guess I’d begin with where the client tells me to go,” Cas said, shrugging, staring at the joint instead of Jack. “Usually they have their own ideas, and while it’s never right… it’s a jumping off point. There’s probably a clue there that will lead me where I need to go next. Like breadcrumbs in a forest.”

           “What if the client didn’t have any idea?” Jack asked.

           “Then at least they’d have a name – I’d hope. You get a name, you can get anything,” he explained, “County records, newspapers… hell, if they’re shady I can hit up a few seedier parts of town and see if anyone knows them. We all leave a trail, and the harder we go about trying to cover that up the more intricate the web gets, and the easier it is for you to make a mistake. If there’s one there’ll be a whole lot more.”

           Jack hummed, Cas using the brief respite for a quick hit. He barely has the smoke in his lungs when the younger man continued. “Is it hard? Finding people? Is that why you wouldn’t want to take it?”

           “Listen, Jack,” Cas sighed, pinching the space between his brow. “Missing person’s cases they’re… it’s a tricky thing. Sometimes people disappear because they played the wrong game and ended up losing more than they bargained for, other times it’s random and can’t be pinned down with a good enough reason. But then there are… there are the people who follow the wind on their own call. Make the choice and disappear because they know where they were, who they were then, it wasn’t working. And I get that. Sometimes you just wanna not exist…” Cas sucks on the dwindling embers of Jack’s grass and stabs it into the dashboard, dropping the nub at his feet. His shoulders hurt from how low they hang. “Who am I to get in the way of freedom?”

           “Is that what you think about me?”

           “What?”

           “Do you think that’s why I left?” Jack asked, voice hollower than earlier, “Because I wanted the freedom? To get away?”

           Cas turned and faced Jack, gasping. Instead of red-rimmed hazel eyes, gaping black holes stared at him. Jack looked deathly pale. He jumped back, slamming into his car door. Broke the window and let the rain in. Torrents of it stabbed him, soaked through his jacket and rushed past him and into his car. He felt the water rise up to his ankles. “Jack?”

           Jack leaned forward, smiling. “Do you think you can find me?” Faster than he could blink, he reached out and struck. Squeezed his neck and dragged him until their foreheads touched. Jack’s breath smelt like rotten eggs. Water kept pouring in and now sat at his chest. “Or do you think I don’t want to be found?”

(continue reading on ao3)

(read chapter 1)

[ifijust-layhere-blog]

Things Reid has said to the BAU team that aren't statistics

Hotch:

"I don't have abandonment issues, I just like knowing when people are coming back and leaving at all times, okay? Anyway, I'll have the Kung Pao Chicken and egg rolls. Thank you and be back in a hour or call please."

"You always give me perfect coffee. How do you know my coffee down to the last drop? I'm your expert in everthing and I don't know that about myself."

Derek:

"I want you to drive. Not because I can't but because I am a big enough person to admit that my driving is dangerous and quite possibly a federal offense."

*on the phone* "No I will not tell Rossi that you almost died so you can get away with being late again. We almost got fired last time!"

"Not to insult your skills as a profiler but I did beat you at CLUE six times last week."

Prentiss:

"Why is your apartment filled with cat toys, wine, and books about sexual contact with leather?"

"Please stop making, 'I died jokes'. They're not funny and we are all still sensitive about your fucking death."

"I know I spent a few months being a drugged bitch to you but that doesn't give you a pass for taking my garlic bread."

JJ:

*Whining* "Your wife keeps taking my garlic bread!"

"Jennifer I love your son. You to, but mainly your son."

"Your like a sister to me. But in a way that it was acceptable for us to go out on a date so I could realize that I didn't like you romantically."

Penelope:

"I don't have a obsession with Dr. Who but if you scratch my limited edition CD I will never go to a convention with you again."

*akwardly hugs Garcia* "Can you please stop crying. You are making me uncomfortable."

Rossi:

"I don't know how to cook but, if I bring wine will you make me lasagna."

"I really don't want to eat anymore pasta. ThaT DoESn'T MEan ThAT i'M coNSeNTinG TO ANotHeR serVInG!!"

"How am I suppose to get you a gift when you have a mansion and alot of money? I know I'll get you a book to strengthen our bond, you know how to read Russian right?"

[wwwps4]

Far Cry 5

No one must have had high hopes for Far Cry 5 since the very first announcement of the game. Fans of the series, of course, understood that in any case they would play the next part of the popular open-world shooter from Ubisoft, while ordinary users and skeptics crossed their fingers and seemed to be waiting for "another Far Cry", but at the same time did not rule out the evolution of the franchise.

After all, the setting went to a more civilized path. In place of the tropical wilderness and forgotten mountain ranges came the real state of Montana, the one that is on the border with Canada, and after a very ambiguous Far Cry Primal, it became obvious that the series just needs to change something or even change at all. Far Cry 5 was supposed to be just such a game and it did become it.

The tie of the fifth part of "Far cry" clings from the first minutes of the game to the non-existent series of gloom and excellent direction! We, in the person of a green rookie from the hope County Police station, together with the Sheriff and Federal Marshal, go on a mission that aims to capture a certain Father — the leader of a suspicious religious cult. The plan, of course, is not quite according to plan, word for word, and now the Father is already indicative of himself surrendering to our hands, thereby provoking the cultists to respond with aggression, as a result, our role of the hunter in all the action is replaced by the role of the victim, and all over Montana begins a real "Harvest". And here we are, all alone, running through the woods, hoping not to get a bullet in the back...

From an unpleasant situation, we are soon rescued by a local resident, who carefully hid us from the eyes of enemies in his bunker. We don't know where the Sheriff is, or where the Marshal and other members of our team are. We have little idea what is going on, and we learn about everything from messages left on answering machines, notes, and other sources. Fortunately, at least remember who we are: Far Cry 5 is the first game in the series, where we create our own character, choose his gender, appearance and clothing. Unfortunately, we can't choose a name, but we don't need it, because for everyone else we are just an "Assistant".

And all of the above is no accident, because the developers are pushing us to a new concept of the series: more free research and interaction with the living open world and less linearity and "wires by the handle". You are free to choose where you want to go. After a little training, the locals will bring you up to speed and tell you that after the uprising, the sect divided the state into three sectors of influence, subject to members of the Sid family. well, the head of the family, Father Joseph, manages all this mess. How to proceed is up to you. Local, anti-fanatics, of course, are ready to ask you for help and give all sorts of advice, but to help them and in what order to solve problems — you decide on your own.

And then it connects a simulation of a really live open world, which Ubisoft has been trying to achieve for a very long time. The whole world lives by its own laws and is full of a huge number of events, quests, Easter eggs and other pleasant gameplay elements. The world map itself has become somewhat smaller than in the same Far Cry 4, but this is more than compensated by what is happening around. No more monotonous races through the jungle and boring shootings of enemy groups of enemies. In the game, something is constantly happening: from banal showdowns of sectarians with residents to grandiose skirmishes of several elements in one place.

For example, a situation that occurred to me in the first hour of the game: you go hunting, there you track down a wild animal that attacks a local hunter, at the same time the sounds of fighting and shots attract the attention of a passing patrol. After I'd shot one of the two patrolmen in the head, the other would start running and calling for backup. Tied a hell of a fight and by passing the rebels stop to get involved in the fight. At this point, a passing plane scout notices the enemies and drops a bomb on you and the others. Only you and one of the resisters can survive. The latter hits you with the butt, gets in your car, and drives away.

And these situations and their combinations happen all the time. Almost every randomly encountered NPC wants to share something with you: for example, tell the coordinates of an Outpost or a survivalist cache. By the way, Ubisoft approached caches with due ingenuity: they are completely different, from banal simple closed doors with a key hidden nearby, to multi-level caves-puzzles or even installations of original references to works of popular culture. The developers creatively approached the self-irony of both American culture and the personal "merits" of the franchise and the Studio as a whole. In the game you will find a lot of Easter eggs, gags and other fanservice.

Due to this kind of world exploration mechanics, the game takes on a completely new look and becomes a cut above the previous games in the series. Far Cry 5 has become very thoughtful and plays on the fact that the user feels like a part of this world and he did not catch the eye of the obviously orchestrated parts of the game, opening from check point to check point, as it was in Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4. The consequences of your actions are reflected in the state of the world, in the mindset of its inhabitants, and after spending a dozen hours in the game, you will notice that in the regions where you were active, the enemy will act much more carefully and strengthen some borders, while the locals will get new equipment and equipment.

There is a place for story tasks, of course, in all this saturated world, only now they overtake you completely suddenly. As I have already mentioned, it is not enough to just go through the chain of quests and arrive at point A to start the cut scene. Now you can attract the attention of the cult by doing absolutely any activity aimed at fighting, filling in the scale of influence. Gradually, the enemy will overtake you at the most inopportune time and even then will be created story inserts and specially made for this case locations and quests.

And they are made at the proper level. In addition to the fact that Far Cry 5 managed to surpass its own level of staging and directing in commercials (they are great), some of the developers clearly took seriously the creation of locations, boss fights and all sorts of little things related to our personal history of relationships with the Sid family. The story is not perfect, but it is good and smoothly revealed throughout the passage.

Important changes have also affected the system of pumping and loot extraction. Now you do not get experience points at all and do not track down animals for hours in order to sew a pouch from the skins. All extensions and skill improvements are made by spending tokens that you earn by completing challenges and tasks, as well as finding instructions for survival in the world. The new mechanics feel good: on the one hand, it does not allow you to "pump over", on the other hand, and does not leave you defenseless in certain situations. The exception is that there may be an imbalance in the hunter's skills, which allow almost close approach to animals and hunts in the most sophisticated ways.

The cooperative mode deserves special mention. In it, the game appears in a very good way. You can see that Ubisoft was very concerned about the cooperative and made a big bet on it. Together, you can go through all the tasks in the game and watch all the cut scenes together, in addition, the number of your opponents and their "strength" increases somewhat, and with the friendly-fire enabled, it becomes even more fun to play! In co-op, you can use and try out those gameplay elements that you almost won't use when playing alone.

[sage-nebula]

14, 17, 27 for Voltron 8)

14.) Unpopular opinion about your fandom?

Honestly, this is me with the Voltron fandom*:

And I think that’s all that needs to be said about that.

(*Except for those that genuinely love Keitor as a legitimate ship and not just as a crackship, who ship them in earnest and sincerity. Genuine Keitor shippers are the real MVPs.)

17.) Instead of XYZ happening, I would have made ABC happen …

I mean, would it be possible to just throw the entire thing out and make Paradigm Shift an animated series instead? No? Okay … then if I absolutely had to keep the same characters as in the actual Legendary Defender show (ugh at most of them), then off the top of my head:

Shiro would still have a huge presence in the show, but he would not come back to Earth at the start and would instead have died before the show even started. Before anyone gets up in arms, in my version of the show all of our representation eggs would not rest solely in Shiro’s basket (meaning that there would be plenty of queer, PoC, and disabled characters front and center), so no, we wouldn’t lose any representation points this way. 

Shiro would be presumed dead in the Kerberos mission, just like in canon, and Keith’s reasoning for wanting to get to space By Any Means Necessary would be to go find him, because Shiro was the only family Keith had after losing his parents (having taken him in as a surrogate younger brother through the Garrison mentor-mentee program), and if there’s one thing Keith Kogane does not do, it’s Give Up. Ever. However, his grief spiral at the Garrison after losing Shiro led to him getting booted out, which left him to roam the desert chasing energy signals. Keith would steadfastly believe that Shiro was alive and Out There Somewhere until probably around season three, when he’d receive irrefutable evidence (perhaps even a spiritual, astral projection of Shiro himself, because how else would Keith believe it?) that Shiro had died. At that point cue griefstricken breakdown #2, only this time when Keith yells at Shiro was the only one who ever believed in him and the only family he ever had, the rest of the team—having actually been able to bond with Keith on-screen this time around—gets to have a “then what the hell are we?” moment, and actually be there for him as Keith comes to realize that he’d been bonding with a new family all this time. (Which in no way diminishes his relationship with Shiro, of course, but still gives him others to rely on and love and bond with.)Also, he’s confirmed half-Japanese (half-galra) on-screen, and he’s in the Black Lion from the start. (And Allura is in Red while doubling as commander of the castle, Pidge in Green, Hunk in Yellow, Lance in Blue.) No Lion swap nonsense to cause discourse and drama this time around.

As mentioned, Allura doubles as the paladin of the Red Lion and commander of the Castle. Having the fastest Lion enables her to jet back to the Castle to open wormholes when necessary. Her character arc is focused on learning that she can create her own legacy rather than just walking in her father’s footsteps, because Alfor wasn’t always perfect like she believed he was, and it’s not a disrespect to his memory to want and actually be better. This ties in with her learning to be comfortable taking the crown and title of queen, because as crown princess she is technically queen at the start of the show, but her insecurities make her feel as if she’s not yet earned that title. Btw, she survives all the way through the end of the show.

Since Keith has the “finding family” subplot on lock, Pidge’s would be different. Instead of being a family of genius scientists, in this version the Holts (or at least her father and brother; not sure Pidge would have a mother in this one) would be a family of pilots. They know enough to fly their ships, but they’re not much into science otherwise, and at least not the theoretical kind that Pidge is. Pidge’s father always favored her older brother, Matt, pretty blatantly, and while Matt himself loved Pidge, he was also a bit patronizing whenever he tried to comfort her over not taking to flying like him or their father. As such, Pidge figured the way to prove herself was to be As Much Like Them As Possible, hence doing everything in her power to look and act like her older brother. But once she gets to space, she slowly comes to realize that her area of expertise is actually needed on the team, she’s valued more as herself rather than her brother’s shadow, and she comes to realize she never needed to prove anything to anyone.

Lance is the spoiled only child he always acted like on the show who, at first, thinks everything should be about him and if it’s not, then others are wrong. He’s innocently insensitive in that he doesn’t always realize when his behavior bothers someone (namely, Hunk), and decides that Keith is his rival without Keith’s consent or genuine acknowledgement. Lance’s arc in the show would be about noticing and paying attention to others more, rather than always making everything about Lance, Lance, Lance. He becomes a much better friend to everyone in the process.

Hunk has something of the opposite problem to Lance: He’s always putting others before himself and rarely, if ever, speaks up when something they do bothers him, preferring instead to mutter passive-aggressively about it under his breath if he says anything at all. This allows some (like Lance) to walk all over him, and also means that he enlisted in the Garrison even though he didn’t really want to because his family badgered him into it. His arc would be about learning more self-confidence and self-assertion, realizing that it is okay to do things for himself, to assert boundaries, to say no and have that no be heard, and that while it’s good that he cares so much for others, he can’t care for them if he doesn’t care for himself first. Hunk deserves to aim some of the love he gives everyone else at himself, too.

Squad ends up in space because Spoiled Only Child Lance decides he want to take one of the land fighter jets out on a late night joyride and drags Pidge and Hunk with him. (Pidge goes because she has a crush on Lance and also doesn’t want to see him die or get expelled and knows at least one of those things will happen if she’s not along to prevent it, and Hunk goes because this is the first episode and he can’t say “no” to Lance and have it be respected yet.) The three of them follow Keith in to where the Blue Lion is, and a fight almost occurs before Lance awakens the Blue Lion and they all end up in space by accident. 

Season one is spent mostly on building the bonds between the core team. Every single team member has at least one bonding episode (in the A Plot or B Plot or even C Plot) with every other member. So Keith gets one with Allura, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk; Allura gets one with Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk; Lance gets one with Allura, Keith, Pidge, and Hunk, and so on and so forth, you get the idea. That said, we’d start hearing names of important organizations and people later on. Lotor would get name-dropped multiple times and we’d see evidence of him and his team even if we didn’t know it was them at the time, the Blade of Marmora’s sigil would be sighted and would get name dropped, et cetera.

We still get team up episodes in season two, but also name drops start paying off. Blade of Marmora is introduced (as is Keith’s heritage), Keith still rescues Acxa in the Weblum, and we see Lotor on-screen for the first time at the end of the season when Keith’s infiltration mission goes awry and Lotor is the one to save him, in person, having heard from Acxa that Team Voltron had a half-galra on their crew and wanting to investigate that little fact for himself. Their first face-to-face meeting would probably go something like:Keith: “Who are you?”Lotor: “Haven’t you heard it’s rude to demand another’s name before introducing yourself?”Keith: “Yep.”[beat]Lotor: [chuckles] “Very well. My name is Lotor.”Keith: [recognizes the name, but tries not to give that away; nods] “I’m Keith.”Lotor then goes off and also saves Thace because the more agents the Blade of Marmora has alive, the better the chances of toppling Zarkon’s regime.

After all is said and done Keith asks Kolivan if he’s heard of a group of half-galra rebels (because presumably that came up during his little meeting with Lotor), and Kolivan just heaves a long suffering sigh because he knows exactly who Keith is talking about and had hoped to keep Keith far, far away from Lotor. 

Team Lotor is never broken apart, and Narti—who is still blind and mute—never dies. Instead, at some point (probably starting in season three, maybe in season four) they meet with and join forces with Team Voltron—not out of desperation, but because to battle an empire one needs an army to match, and an army united is much better than one divided. Additionally, Team Voltron has zero (0) plans of what to do with the planets they’ve freed, whereas Team Lotor has been working on training part-galra rebels to help defend freed planets and eventually establish a galactic federation, so they bring these plans with them with the agreement that once the federation is formed, Voltron won’t be needed anymore. (They’re also secretly making the Sincline ships to make sure Voltron has a check if needed, but shhhh.)

With Team Lotor now joined with Team Voltron, each Lion now has two pilots who can swap around at will, but also learn to work together.Black: Keith and LotorRed: Allura and AcxaGreen: Pidge and NartiYellow: Hunk and ZethridBlue: Lance and EzorObviously each of these pairs get episodes and development together (especially since Keith/Lotor and Allura/Acxa are endgame, and the fact that Zethrid oozes self-confidence helps inspire Hunk), but they mix and match around, too. Zethrid absolutely sweeps Allura into her arms to take her off to a spa day in one episode, while also laughing about how she could snap Lance in half without breaking a sweat in another, and Keith and Acxa quickly find that they’re kindred spirits and bond a lot, too.

Endgame ships (that would be inarguable, half on-screen kiss confirmation, and would not have either member of the pair die) would be:Keith/Lotor, Acxa/Allura, Ezor/Narti, Kolivan/Antok (I just want Kolivan to be happy), Zethrid/Romelle (maybe; Zethrid has a lot of options), Hunk/Shay or Hunk/Regris, and I guess Lance/Pidge.

And that’s enough for now.

27.) Least shippable character?

Probably Slav, but also Throk, because as my bff @severalbakuras knows I will never, ever take Throk seriously, and that includes ever giving him a serious romantic partner lmao.

[weerd1]

Star Trek DS9 Rewatch Log, Stardate 1909.09: Missions Reviewed, “Waltz,” “Who Mourns for Morn?” and “Far Beyond the Stars.”

Benjamin Sisko is on a ship transporting Gul Dukat from a mental institution to his war crimes trial. The ship is attacked by Cardassians and Sisko and Dukat end up with a wounded Sisko in a cave on a small world. 

The Defiant is out helping search, but they have to leave the search in just over two days to escort a Federation troop convoy. Sisko is at Dukat’s mercy, but the Cardassian has set up the emergency beacon and has gathered supplies from their shuttle, setting it to an open distress call so whomever catches the signal first will come to get them. Meanwhile, Dukat is seeing visions of Weyoun, Damar, and Kira, all telling him his inner thoughts.  Sisko realizes the beacon was not activated and manages to get it running while Dukat is out. Dukat’s mania becomes stronger though, and he is beginning to actively debate Sisko and the voices in his head all at once.

 When he discovers that Sisko has activated the distress call, he beats him, and desperately tries to get Sisko to admit that he admires Dukat, and that Dukat had no CHOICE but to be the tyrant he was to the Bajorans. Sisko knocks him out, and makes it back out to the shuttle, but Dukat follows him there, then abandons him on the surface before leaving with his “voices” on the shuttle. Dukat has decided he will have his vengeance on Bajor and will need Sisko in place to do it.  Dukat contacts the Defiant just before they break off their search to rescue Sisko. Sisko indeed vows that he will be there to counter Dukat wherever he turns up.

Pulling Dukat out of his madness (kinda) is no mean feat, and indeed every performance here is great.  Marc Alaimo showing us the public, smarmy Dukat, now tempered by the loss of Ziyal, then swinging into raving Dukat is really worth watching, as of course is Avery Brooks. My issue here is a larger one.  We know they are setting up Dukat to be Sisko’s foil in the last two seasons, in particular with the upcoming Pah-Wraith storyline, but it seems to me this robs Kira of her dynamic with Dukat.  I love the show, but I think it might have been even greater to allow Dukat to believe he was the equal to Sisko, when it turns out to be Kira who takes him down after all.  (Note: The Author may be biased by his complete and utter infatuation with Kira Nerys.) SHUT UP PARENTHETICAL VOICE!

“Who Mourns for Morn” begins when our favorite barfly dies in an ion storm, and bequeaths all of his possessions to Quark.  First Quark finds that there is no money, then that cargo-wise Morn only had several crates of rotting beets.  Then, when inspecting the deceased’s quarters he finds only the black velvet painting Morn got at auction last season (In the Cards) and a tub full of mud. In the mud however is a naked redhead who claims to be Morns ex-wife. She says Morn has 100 bricks of gold-pressed latinum somewhere, and she wants her proper cut as an ex, but would be very…grateful.  Soon, two rather criminal brothers show up to say that they loaned Morn money they want back, in the sum of 100 bricks of gold-pressed latinum. As Quark is now dodging three of Morn’s old friends, he is approached by a fourth, who is a member of Laurian security saying that Morn is the crown prince of the royal family, and that money belongs back in the treasury. Quark finally figures out that ALL of these people are lying, and helped Morn with a huge robbery years before…of 100 bricks of gold-pressed latinum. 

The statute of limitations has run out and they want their cut. Since Quark has now found it in a Bolian bank, he has it delivered to the station, and it is not long before the four turn on each other, allowing Odo to capture them all. Quark checks the loot to find the latinum has been extracted, and the bricks are now just worthless gold. Despondent, Quark goes back to his bar and finds Morn! Morn had faked his death to draw out his old rivals, and now can access the latinum freely.  He has in fact pulled the mercury like fluid out of the bricks, and has kept it in his second stomach all these years.  He regurgitates enough to be the equivalent of about 100 bricks into a glass for Quark to thank him for his troubles as Quark proposes a business arrangement.

For a joke character whose name was just an anagram of “Norm” to be the barfly back in the pilot, Morn without a single word of dialogue has become a fixture on the show, getting a whole episode devoted to him, and an entertaining one at that.  There’s a very noir feel to this as the various criminals come looking to collect, and Quark is the perfect character to drop in the middle.  Keep an eye out in the memorial service scene. As Quark talks about making sure someone always keeps “Morn’s chair warm,” he guides a Bajoran man to sit there. That man is Mark Allen Shepard, the actor who plays Morn. (Mustard colored shirt sitting on the right in this pic:)

“Far Beyond the Stars” begins with Sisko getting the news that a dear friend has died in the war while Joseph Sisko visits the station from Earth. Ben’s father tries to comfort him, but the younger Sisko begins to think maybe he can’t fight the good fight anymore and it is time to leave Starfleet. Soon after, he begins seeing people in 1950’s Earth clothes, including a baseball player. He follows the man and finds him self on a street in the 50s where he is hit by a car.  He wakes up in the infirmary and Bashir tells him that it would appear the part of his brain that gave him visions in the episode “Rapture” is active again. Soon Sisko finds himself as Benny Russell, a Black man in the 50s working for a small science fiction magazine.

 Each person with whom he works seems to be someone form the station, though Benny seems oblivious to this until the magazines artist presents him with a picture of a station, and Benny begins to write the adventures of a Captain Sisko,  a Black officer commanding the station 400 years in the future. The editor, a more human Odo, declines to publish the story, but Benny keeps seeing an old preacher (Joseph Sisko) telling him to “walk with the prophets” and to “write the words that set us free.” He persists and writes more Sisko adventures and his colleagues suggest that the story could be framed as a dream, and the editor moves forward with publishing. Benny is out celebrating with “Kassie” (Kassidy Yates) when his young friend Jimmy (Jake) is shot down by two racist cops (Weyoun and Dukat). When he protests, they beat him nearly to death.  He spends weeks recovering and finally returns to his office the day his story will appear in the publication.  The editor returns however to reveal that the owner has pulped the entire run for not “meeting the usual standards.” 

Benny is livid, talking about how real and important it is to tell this story, and they can’t wait; a good man must do what he can, and the idea is important. He breaks down however, and again awakens in the infirmary on DS9 surrounded by family.  Bashir reveals that whatever happened has stopped, but Ben has taken Benny’s lesson about standing up to the unjust to heart and will stay on the station in Starfleet. He wonders to Joseph though if their lives might be the dream, and Benny Russell is still out there dreaming, far beyond the stars.

Let me not prevaricate: holy shit. This episode manages to deal directly with racism, and still frame it within the show with the Prophets providing insight to The Emissary with episodes from his own world’s past. Everyone’s simply amazing in the 1950s versions of their characters, and the world comes off as believable. It is an added joy to hear them talk about “Heinlein” and “Bradbury” in context, and a great way to sneak in some easter eggs as the cover of one of the SF magazines Benny samples is a matte painting from The Original Series, and Nana Vistor’s 50’s character is “K.C. Eaton,” a woman writer who has to use her initials to cover up her gender so people will read her. This harkens to the story editor and arguably the best writer on TOS, Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana, who went on to write and edit for TNG as well. Avery Brooks manages to star in this episode while giving one of his most riveting performances and also direct this tale that is obviously a story close to his heart. This is a tour de force, and belongs right there on the level with “The Visitor” and the upcoming “In the Pale Moonlight” as great DS9, great Star Trek, and great Science Fiction. See the world you want, and tell others. It’s how you bring that world to fruition. Don’t wait until it is safer. Do it now. You are the dreamer, and the dream.

NEXT VOYAGE: A strange anomaly shrinks a Runabout and its crew down to the size of something that would fit on my shelf in “One Little Ship.”

[makerof150papermasks]

The Three Governments of Spyro the Dragon

 Today, I have something really interesting that I feel would be worth talking about. Now I remember recently reading a post titled “’Kirby Super Star’ is a Marxist critique of the Soviet Union,” which delves into the titular 1996 SNES video game so deeply and somehow matches it up with certain pieces of USSR history (Reddit). After viewing this, I began to think, “I know a few other games that I could analyze like this guy did with Kirby.” Yes, I was motivated so much by this blog that I had a hunch to work on my own research chat.

Now the games I am about to talk about are the first three games in the Spyro the Dragon series first released for the PlayStation from 1998 to 2000, titled Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage, and Spyro: Year of The Dragon (Additionally, all three titles recently received a remake collectively titled “Spyro Reignited Trilogy,” which makes this document relevant as of 2019). With a little research, I was able to pair those games with a government that best defined them in a nutshell. Of course, not all real-life elements of these governments may actually match up with how any of the fictional societies depicted operate, but I’ve tried my hardest to make sure the details match up strongly enough that they can be talked about.

 *If you haven’t played the games yet and don’t want to be spoiled, then don’t bother reading!

  Spyro the Dragon: Confederation (Left)

 I want to start this discussion by saying something unique about this first third of the review: unlike the latter two titles, Spyro the Dragon seems to promote the idea of its featured form of government rather than point out the significant flaws and ensure the audience doesn’t sympathize with the concept at hand. First off, I want to give you folks a good look at how the populace of the Dragon Worlds goes about their lives and organizes themselves socially speaking. For those of you don’t already know enough about the game’s context, there are five socially-unique sectors that each owe something important to the well-being of the larger society. The Artisans represent the working class, the Peace Keepers are equivalent to a military system, the Magic Crafters are most likely representative of the business owners and upper class (As noted by the sheer presence of overly-elegant architecture in their specific area), the Beast Makers represent those who work in health, medical, biological, and other science-related fields, while the Dream Weavers can be considered a spiritually-grounded group of dragons who are experts in the field of meditation. Then there’s the extra sixth sector known as Gnasty’s World (Residence of main antagonist Gnasty Gnorc, who holds no true political power under any circumstance; therefore, I will leave him out of the equation), which I’ll just shoehorn into the sanitation sector, even though it would still easily be associated with the working class (Artisans). 

With the exception of Gnasty’s World, these groups all serve an equally vital role in establishing the economic stability and societal foundation of the Dragon Worlds, in the form of a confederation. Now if you folks are wondering what that’s supposed to mean, here’s the definition; “an organization which consists of a number of parties or groups united in an alliance or league.” For a historical example, the United States operated in this manner under the Articles of Confederation of 1777, which was ratified in 1781 and formed a society whose power lay mostly in the hands of the member states. Up until 1789, these states could establish laws without having to worry about a federal government trampling over those laws since the existing equivalent had far less political power than the one present (Reference.com).

Revisiting my view from the previous paragraph, it can be noted that each of the first five sectors can be viewed as separate, autonomous states that, in spite of their different approaches to solving daily situations, hold a common view of some sort that unites them into a larger entity. While it’s not known in canon if the sectors that dragons live in have ever come into conflict with each other at any point, I will bring up some backstory later on that may be worth identifying.

  Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage: Empire (Middle)

 Now looking at the titular villain and his path to wretchedness, picture him as this small, colonial society. From what we’re aware of based on the context provided in-game, Ripto and his cronies have no idea that Avalar (The main setting of this sophomore title) even exists at first. Now keep in mind that since Ripto despises dragons, he’s picky about where he wants to expand his influence. But anyway, once he finds himself in this dragon-free dimension, it becomes the perfect opportunity for Ripto to slowly nibble away at the land until there is no more for him to take over, aka, colonize. Of course, once Spyro shows up, the horned, red midget becomes rather peeved, prompting him and his goons to actually begin setting up the framework for his proposed kingdom. 

Throughout the events of the game, Ripto not only uses his magic to spread his negative influence across the dimension (AKA: Cause various beasts and baddies to run amok and result in calamity), but we are also shown the blue banners of Avalar being rolled back in favor of emblems donning the antagonist’s mug, THRICE. According to my searches, an empire is defined as, “an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress.” In this case, Ripto can easily be seen as emperor because at his highest position, he holds control over not just his two reptilian brutes (Who serve as a metaphor for his “kingdom” at its most basic), but also numerous realms scattered throughout Avalar, each serving as their own formerly independent municipalities until he enters the picture. 

Now here’s another point: even with Spyro around, Ripto still feels the need to settle in Avalar because there are no dragons around other than Spyro himself currently present to scare him away, which thereby gives him access to a shipload of land and resources. When it came to real-life empires, they were strategic regarding which areas to conquer. For example, the Roman Empire wouldn’t go east into modern-day Germany because the cost of conquest in that area was far above the monetary worth earned from the extractable resources available in that region (The Daily Reckoning). 

Moving on, the western half eventually collapsed primarily due to internal conflicts over power that left them exposed to outsiders (The eastern half, dubbed “The Byzantine Empire,” managed to survive until 1453, when it fell to Turkish invaders as a result of their victory in the Byzantine-Ottoman wars). In-game, the biggest reason Ripto is defeated is because he overlooks the possibility of Spyro collecting Avalar’s sacred talismans and orbs, which collectively allow the young dragon to pass through the barriers that separate both parties.

  Spyro: Year of The Dragon: Totalitarian State (Right)

 Jumping ship to the final third of the original Spyro trilogy, we now examine the Forgotten Realms and its central government in the form of the despotic, blue crocodilian-esque Sorceress. Now the previous two games sugarcoated their subject matter immensely (Though the second game still views the concept of an empire as a detrimental idea), but this time the game doesn’t make things look as rosy. First and foremost, The Sorceress displays a position of superiority around anyone in her vicinity, and in an overly aggressive manner most of the time. Already, we’re seeing her being established as a straw tyrant; alas, there is still so much more to discuss regarding the Forgotten Realms operating as a political body that blatantly abides by the guidelines of totalitarianism. Now where do we begin on this topic?

My first point of conversation in this segment is that unlike Gnasty Gnorc or Ripto in the previous two games (Now although the latter does become “ruler” near the end of his respective game, he doesn’t spend nearly enough time to be officially considered a grand-high patriarch by any of the residents of Avalar), The Sorceress is a formally-recognized monarch, is referred to as such by the inhabitants of the Forgotten Realms, and to make matters much worse, has been ruling this same exact dimension, in the same throne for AT LEAST 1000 YEARS. Not only that, but at one point, the dragons currently living dwelling in the Dragon Realms once lived in the Forgotten Realms. But when they left, they took their magic with them and as the centuries passed, magic began to drain and caused their fancy-schmancy portals to stop working. We’re convinced to think that the reason The Sorceress has become so wary of Spyro’s presence is because he will disrupt her plans to gather the eggs they had stolen from the dragons; she is supposedly gathering them in order allow this upcoming generation of winged reptiles to bring magic back to the dimension she rules over.

I will bring up that part about the dragons and the eggs again, but there is an important detail that points further to establishing The Sorceress as an antagonist known for taking full advantage of her position over everyone around her and therefore preventing anyone from reasoning with her other than Spyro and a slew of animal friends she had recently imprisoned. A little more than a quarter way into the game, Spyro finds himself in a realm known as Enchanted Towers; it is here that he discovers that a slew of lavender-skinned counterculture humanoids had been tasked with erecting a statue built in their highness’ likeness.

There’s just so much to talk about regarding what the statue situation represents, but first let me define what this government is. Totalitarianism is described as being, “a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state.” The aforementioned statue in Enchanted Towers is probably one of the biggest pieces of evidence pointing to the Forgotten Realms operating under that kind of system. To start, the Sorceress displays unrivaled power in the world she inhabits and no one dare beg to differ with her on that matter. This is clearly evidenced by the fact that the citizens of Enchanted Towers mention that they certainly did not enjoy creating this tremendous work of art (Though they agree that it looks prettier than the actual character herself, further driving the sense of rebellion in), but they completely understand that going against what The Sorceress is telling them to do is like flirting with death.

You, the reader, have to realize that this is a form of government where there isn’t a legislative or judicial system to limit executive power. Heck, that’s not even getting into the fact that the denizens of the Forgotten Realms have neither a right to free speech nor the freedom to vote in elections, as far I’m aware. It’s certainly no fun living in a society where one person holds all the social and political power and you’re not that one person, nothing delightful about that (And there’s nothing anyone can do to change the fact unless someone successfully uses force to overthrow the one in power so they wouldn’t be able to enforce their laws any longer).

Before getting to the climax of this essay, it’s that time I bring up a real example. Although I’d be talking about a dictatorship along the lines of Nazi Germany, I’ve decided to take a more interesting example from further back in history. The Qin Dynasty, an empire to which China borrows its name from, relied on an authoritarian set of regulations that would become hugely influential to every Chinese-based dynasty that followed. Although it only lasted from 221 to 207 BC, there’s still some valuable information to extract from this chapter of human history. It also makes sense for me to select this example because the game’s title, Year of The Dragon, references a specific birth year on the Chinese Zodiac (Speaking of which, the year the game itself originally released just happened to land on a dragon year, which only happens once every twelve years).

Now allow me to continue with the example. Under the commissioning of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the very first leader of a unified China, came a standardized system of writing and a strictly-guided formula for measuring the width, weight, and length of highways. Huang also oversaw construction of what would become the first section of The Great Wall of China and eventually went on to abolish the feudal system that flourished during the Zhou Dynasty decades earlier (In which landowners owed allegiance to the emperor as a result of kinship rather than fulfilling legal obligations). In addition, he commissioned the burning of almost all of the books currently available in that region at the time, only sparing those that provided information on topics like medicine and issued gigantic tax levies in an effort to pay for his military and construction expenses. This matrix of catastrophes led to a rebellion following Qin Shi Huang’s death in 210 BC, which went on to ultimately knock the Qin Dynasty out of power and make room for the Han Dynasty roughly 3-4 years later (Britannica).

Now what I’ll be explaining next is going to be extremely horrifying in hindsight, so grab your popcorn and hold your breath. While exploring Evening Lake, the third home world of the game, Spyro’s close friend Hunter winds up in a subterranean trap set up by The Sorceress that was meant for Spyro himself to prevent him from collecting any more of the dragon eggs that she desperately wanted to remain untouched. He is then approached by her servant, a magician-in-training named Bianca (To whom he has a developed a liking for over the course of the synopsis), who comes to tell the caged cheetah that the reason the dragons left so many years ago was because it had to do with their wonderful wings. As they began to realize that the obese blue saurian autocrat wanted to clip them off to give her immortality, they had no choice but to find solace in another reality. Linking this information to Spyro 1, we can now go back to viewing the example of confederation as the United States during the era of the Articles of Confederation, trying to recuperate from their religious tension with the monarchy of England and emigrating from there before ultimately deciding to settle in North America and establish a self-governed nation over the course of several decades. In the Spyro continuity, the dragons succeeded in building an autonomous series of societies in the then-vacant Dragon Realms following their disastrous affair with The Sorceress, where they then proceeded to push aside Gnasty Gnorc to the wastelands at some point later in time so they would have enough room to properly establish their footing in this uncharted land.

But sadly, that is not the end of the suspense; when Bianca returns to her master’s throne room, she discovers a dreadful truth she hadn’t been aware of until now. Ever since her henchmen brought the yet-to-hatch eggs back from the Dragon Worlds, The Sorceress hoarded them not because she wanted them to return their magic to the Forgotten Realms once they did hatch, but because she wanted to KILL THEM FOR THEIR WINGS LIKE SHE ATTEMPTED TO DO WITH THE ADULT DRAGONS BEFORE THEY LEFT. What she’s basically telling us is that she plans on committing an act of GENOCIDE ON AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF NEWBORNS in a similar manner to how Hitler promoted the large-scale massacre on an enormous number of Jews during the Holocaust.

With not a pinch of sympathy for anyone but herself by this point, the malevolent indigo monarch has become nothing short of a filthy caricature for the horrors of tyranny and dictatorship. By the way, she didn’t have to kill the newborns at all for that to happen, she just felt the need to do so JUST BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T WANT TO SEE THEM SQUIRMING AROUND IN HER QUARTERS. Prompting a drastic change of heart, Bianca decides to cease working for her master, opting to rescue Hunter from the trap her former supervisor had set up in Evening Lake. Fed up with the treason her lackey recently committed, The Sorceress decides to create an absurdly powerful, bat-winged monster intended to annihilate practically everyone in her opposition (Simply put, that means almost the entire population of the world she governs, plus Spyro and some of the friends he bought along).

Even though Spyro manages to eradicate The Sorceress for good, (Much to the satisfaction of the Forgotten Realms inhabitants) the atrocious myriad of actions she takes during that one game position her as an antagonist who is regarded as a dark villain for a normally light-hearted sugar bowl series like Spyro, thereby leaving an indelible mark on the narrative of that franchise’s continuity. Serving as a harsh critique for the concept of autocracy and its consequences on the people, Spyro: Year of The Dragon uses a surprisingly pathos-inducing series of events that favors a call to action for executive reform, appealing to the wants and needs of the governed rather than the desires and aspirations of the government itself.

  Sources:

 Kirby Super Star: https://www.reddit.com/r/FanTheories/comments/39dbqi/kirby_super_star_is_a_marxist_critique_of_the/

 Confederacy: https://www.reference.com/government-politics/examples-confederate-government-230a5f967d7f24fa

 Empire: https://dailyreckoning.com/how-empires-really-work/

 Totalitarian State: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Qin-dynasty

https://www.reference.com/history/feudalism-ancient-china-8ddd0bf737a29fc5