#the casting director deserves prison time

[purvlereign]

When you buy Michael Jackson from Wish:

[justforbooks]

Alain Delon

One of the most popular male stars of French cinema who often played tough guys and calculated killers

The actor Alain Delon, with his finely chiselled features and glacial gaze, was known as the “ice cold angel”. As a young man, his handsome, impassive face was a blank page on which apparently any emotion could be written. This served to cover the passion or perversity beneath, a trait used effectively by such directors as Luchino Visconti, Louis Malle, Joseph Losey, Jean-Pierre Melville and Michelangelo Antonioni.

Delon’s best work was done in the 1960s and 70s, the first two decades of a career spanning half a century. After this exciting initial period, he settled down, with occasional exceptions, to consolidating his tough-guy persona, becoming one of the most popular male stars in French cinema.

In the light of his unpromising background, Delon, who has died aged 88, deserved the success he achieved. Born in Sceaux, a large suburb in the south of Paris, he was the son of Edith (nee Arnold) and Fabien Delon. They divorced when Alain was four, and he was brought up by foster parents until they died in a car accident. He then moved back to live with his mother and her new husband, Paul Boulogne, a butcher, to whom Delon was unhappily apprenticed when he was 14.

This was soon after he completed his sporadic education, having been expelled from several schools for bad behaviour. At 17, he joined the French navy, serving in Indochina as a parachutist during the siege of Dien Bien Phu.

Out of his four years in the military, Delon spent 11 months in prison for being “undisciplined”. In 1956, after being dishonourably discharged, he returned to civilian life, working as a porter, a waiter and a salesman. During this time he became friends with the actors Brigitte Auber and Jean-Claude Brialy, and went with them to the 1957 Cannes film festival.

There, his looks attracted attention, especially from a talent scout for the producer David O Selznick, who offered him a Hollywood contract, provided that he learned English. But after Auber persuaded the director Yves Allégret to cast the young would-be actor in Quand la Femme s’en Mêle (When a Woman Meddles, 1957), Delon decided to start acting in France.

Surrounded by such veterans as Edwige Feuillère, Jean Servais and Bernard Blier, Delon, looking much younger than 22, made an impression as a hitman, the sort of role he perfected in later films. Despite being touted as France’s answer to James Dean, Delon was closer to the young Alan Ladd.

In Sois Belle Et Tais-Toi (Be Beautiful But Shut Up, 1958), directed by Marc Allégret, Yves’s older brother, Delon was cast as a petty crook, partnered by Jean-Paul Belmondo, who was to equal Delon in popularity in the 60s and 70s. They were later to appear together again in Borsalino (1970), Borsalino and Co (1974) and as sexagenarian action heroes in Une Chance sur Deux (Half a Chance, 1998).

Christine (1958), a love story set in Vienna at the turn of the century, gave Delon his first major role as a romantic lead, opposite Romy Schneider. During the shooting of the film – a remake of Max Ophüls’ Liebelei (1932) – the couple fell in love and became engaged soon afterwards. The romance lasted four years, and Delon and Schneider remained close until her death in 1982. They appeared together on stage in 1961 in a Parisian production of ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore, directed by Visconti, as well as in the films La Piscine (The Swimming Pool, 1969) and Losey’s The Assassination of Trotsky (1972).

It was in 1960 that Delon became an international star with his portrayal of Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley in René Clément’s Plein Soleil (Purple Noon). With his pretty-boy looks, Delon perfectly reflected the calculated charm, indolence and coldness of the ambiguous character, who schemes to take his friend’s clothes, yacht, girlfriend and life.

In contrast, in the same year, Visconti cast him as a “wise fool” in Rocco and His Brothers, an epic three-hour neorealist drama. To save his poverty-stricken family, who have immigrated to Milan from southern Italy, Rocco (Delon) takes up boxing, a sport he detests. Dubbed into Italian, Delon does his best to convince as a saintly character, though it is doubtful whether any boxer could be so gentle and yet so successful.

Dubbed again into Italian, Delon was superb as an arrogant and materialistic stockbroker who has an affair with a translator (Monica Vitti) in L’Eclisse (Eclipse, 1962), the third in Antonioni’s trilogy of alienation. Delon’s third notable Italian film was Visconti’s The Leopard (1963), in which he played the dashing and cynical young revolutionary Tancredi. As a hotheaded opportunist who represents the future of Italy, Delon’s performance is in sharp contrast to Burt Lancaster’s contemplative one as his aristocratic uncle, who represents the past.

Back in France, Delon began to take on less challenging roles, mostly in swashbucklers and thrillers. The main interest of the conventional heist movie, Mélodie en Sous-Sol (Any Number Can Win, 1963), was the coming together of the biggest French star of the 30s, Jean Gabin, and the rising star of the 60s. As interesting was his pairing with Simone Signoret, 14 years his senior, in The Widow Couderc (1971).

Delon also appeared in several English-language films at the time, including The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), in which he was an Italian photographer cum gigolo making a play for a gangster’s moll (Shirley MacLaine), and a Spanish aristocrat in the comedy-western Texas Across the River (1966). At the time, Delon could claim to be an equal in fame to any movie star in large-budget films such as Once a Thief (1965), opposite Ann-Margret and Jack Palance; Lost Command (1966), a war film with Anthony Quinn and George Segal; and Red Sun (1971) with Charles Bronson and Toshiro Mifune, cashing in on Delon’s huge popularity in Japan.

In the artily erotic The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968), directed and photographed by Jack Cardiff, Delon played Marianne Faithfull’s lover, unzipping her leather gear with his teeth and murmuring: “Your toes are like tombstones.”

In 1964 Delon married Nathalie Barthélémy, who made her screen acting debut opposite him in Melville’s Le Samouraï (1967), the first of three ritualistic and atmospheric crime thrillers directed by Melville and starring Delon. In Le Samouraï, he was an expressionless hired killer; in Le Cercle Rouge (1970), he was a cool ex-con; and in Un Flic (Dirty Money, 1972), Melville’s final film, he was equally effective as a bitter cop.

Delon’s standing as a screen tough guy was enhanced when, in 1968, he and his wife, whom he was about to divorce, were implicated in a sensational political scandal. The discovery of the corpse of his bodyguard Stevan Marković in a rubbish dump – he had been shot in the head – led to revelations of drug and sex orgies involving a host of personalities from the world of politics and show business, including the wife of the president, Georges Pompidou.

Delon’s friend, the Corsican gangster François Marcantoni, was charged as an accessory to murder but was later released due to lack of evidence. Both Alain and Nathalie were held for questioning, but were not accused. What had alerted police was a letter Marković sent to his brother in which he wrote: “If I get killed, it’s 100% the fault of Alain Delon and his godfather François Marcantoni.”

In the same year, Delon began a 15-year relationship with the actor Mireille Darc, with whom he co-starred in Jeff (1969), the first film made by his own company, Adel, and a few other pictures.

During the same period, under Malle’s direction, he portrayed William Wilson, an Austrian officer and gambler, who murders his doppelganger, in one of three segments based on Edgar Allan Poe stories in Spirits of the Dead (1968).

Another of his outstanding performances was the title role of Losey’s Mr Klein (1976), as a French-Catholic art dealer who is mistaken for a Jew of the same name during the occupation in 1942. Unable to convince the Gestapo of the mistaken identity, he is deported.

Many years later, Delon claimed to be a supporter of the far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen. “He is dangerous for the political set because he’s the only one who’s sincere,” Delon declared. “He says out loud what many people think, and what the politicians refrain from saying because they are either too demagogic or too chicken. Le Pen, with all his faults and qualities, is probably the only one who thinks about the interests of France before his own.”

In the 80s, Delon, already a producer of a dozen movies, tried his hand at directing. His two films, Pour la Peau d’un Flic (For a Cop’s Hide, 1981) and Le Battant (The Fighter, 1983), were pale imitations of Melville. But, in 1984, Delon was given two of his last chances to display his acting talents. In Bertrand Blier’s Notre Histoire (Our Story), he was a morose alcoholic, and, in one of the most surprising casting decisions, he played the decadent gay dandy Baron de Charlus in Volker Schlöndorff’s Swann in Love, based on the first volume of Marcel Proust’s novel.

Following his dual role in Jean-Luc Godard’s Nouvelle Vague (1990), and a number of poorly received films, Delon announced his decision to retire from acting in 1997, although he did star in a television cop series, Frank Riva (2003-04), and made an unexpected appearance as Julius Caesar in Asterix at the Olympic Games (2008). A final TV role came in the drama Une Journée Ordinaire (2011), and he appeared as himself in S Novym Godom, Mamy! (2012), the story of a Russian New Year’s Eve, and Disclaimer (2019), as a talkshow guest.

An honorary Palme d’Or in 2019 provoked complaints against Delon’s history of misogynistic comments and support for the far right. The Cannes festival responded that its concern lay with achievement in cinema: “We’re not going to give (him) the Nobel peace prize.” Also that year came the video release of the song, Paroles, Paroles, that had given the singer Dalida and him a hit in 1973.

Delon, who became a Swiss citizen after many years’ residence in Geneva, with a second home in Douchy, south of Paris, spent most of his later years as president of a company that produced a variety of products such as perfume, wristwatches, clothing and sunglasses, all with the label AD.

The Velvet Underground singer Nico said that Delon was the father of her son Ari, though he denied it – the boy was adopted by Delon’s mother and stepfather, and took their surname, Boulogne; he died in 2023. Delon is survived by his son, Anthony, from his first marriage, and his children, Anouchka and Alain-Fabien, from his second marriage, to Rosalie van Breemen, which ended in divorce in 2002.

🔔 Alain Fabien Maurice Marcel Delon, actor and producer, born 8 November 1935; died 18 August 2024

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[overpoweredcacti]

CME 17x10 thoughts (and prayers)

Jesus Christ I’m finally home after accidentally sabotaging my own morning (okay sabotage may be harsh. I have a job now that I signed all the necessarily paperwork lol but I had to go around the city for hours. This Pacific time Midnight airtime is ridiculous, that’s 9 am for me. By then I usually have to pretend to be a functioning adult human being).

I don’t really do this usually, but it is the finale, so. I will try my hand and liveblogging. This will be long.

Some preliminary thoughts though:

I think Church and Jade both survive and it’s Mila who dies

I just don’t see any of the main cast dying. Maybe Rossi, but this show is attached to its actors so much that this would only happen if Joe wanted out, and I’m not sure I can see that happening?

the last Gold Star Peter B. is most probably Peter Bailey

I don’t trust Phil Coulson the Director

Voit has to die. I think. Narratively he just can’t live. So my guess is that he will be killed (maybe on FBI higher up orders) and it will be framed as a suicide. But the BAU would obvious know that doesn’t match his profile cue S18

Well then.

55 minutes hmm, okay. I thought we would get at least an hour, there’s so much going on.

Connection Lost. For all of them??

20 minutes Rebecca and Garcia has been sitting in that office, waiting. That does wonders for someone’s nerves I bet

needs to reboot the system (“have you tried turning it off and on again?” xd)

I’M sorry they didn’t know the building just fucking exploded? xdxd

also still Minimal Loss vibes

okay but everyone seemed fine on the promo pics (minus Emily) so how if they all exploded

I don’t buy it lol

halluciVoit is back

the team is okay

okay see. how lucky do you have to be though to survive an explosion without a scratch

unless they pull a Dallas and the next 30 minutes is just Dave dying and dreaming shit lol that would be iconic

okay Mila surrendered maybe she’s not dying. But how does Rossi get rid of the head wound?

oooh okay so it is a kidnapping situation. Because Jade still thinks the BAU is in cahoots with Church

“you’ve been charged with pedophilia” love that we are not sugarcoating it lol

OKAY so I didn’t think it would be so abrupt. But okay dude deserved it.

Ooh the shot of the dripping blood as he’s carted away? Brilliant.

are we about to see Emily get yeeted

that was a very mild blast without the sound effects lol

are you taking some of the voltage? that’s..a choice. I’m also unsure if that would even work

again with the camera, literally shaking off the memory how cool

listen I know we are supposed to be scared for Emily but it’s Emily. Not even she looks phased lol

holy shit the writing remembers past events. Unbelievable

okay I was recently talking about Person of Interest so that’s probably why the scene is in my mind, but whoever knows about it: This is straight up Vigilance and Control in the mock trial in S3

okay so since Peter B. is most definitely Bailey I’m guessing that’s how Emily will eventually get through to them? By the fact the she knew Doug?

criminal mastermind Brian Garrity reveal when

are you serious? that’s a prison? That’s a vacation home. I've slept in worse places that I paid for

HE HAS A MICROWAVE?

is this actually a thing in America? Okay not my business but damn

“the only thing I miss is you” VoitxRossi is sailing

yes it’s definitely Doug’s brother

yeeah

see that’s a problem because I’m pretty sure Emily holds herself responsible too xd

“does this body language tell you anything” yeah that you’re a fucker

lil bro kinda low key looks like a young Jonathan Groff

so where were you at the funeral? flashback to Emily meeting the parents but not him I’m guessing?

okay flashback but not about that

“really?” “No,” xdxdxdxdx pls. yes. thank you. OG moment. God. Love that

“You scream only child.” Emily. You’re an only child.

"I have a sister" No you don’t. Where did that come from.

Okay was she manipulating him or did they just drop this out of nowhere breaking 17 seasons of previous lore because both are a legitimate possibility.

“why weren’t you at Doug’s funeral” thank you

yeah see I like that this is coming back. Because the DOJ really dropped the ball on Benjamin Reeves

all that said Clark Gregg is still suspicious

so the teenager who is rebellious and anti-government gets into juvie where the government paid private military company trains him to be an assassin through abuse. Nice job there xd

“I’m not threatening your career” love the energy

you literally didn’t have to keep any of that from the BAU though.

THAT’s when you knew you had a crisis? Bruh

“a pilates instructor” xdxd Rebecca’s wit is underappreciated tbh

“he may or may not have information” “fuck you” 💀

are we having a discussion about the real life confines of four dimensional chess. My guy that’s a meme.

Aww JJ basically admitting they are going to get fucked over but hey it’s Emily, they gotta

“he wanted to wear comfy clothes” this bitch.

“back at it like a crack addict” you know what I retroactively would like to witness the birth of lines like this in the writer’s room

 I mean yeah sure but child trafficking does exist tho xd

okay they are cute…

“god forbid you end up on that wall” uff.

aaah you were taking the photos. But who were the guys working for you? I was absolutely sure it was Church. He had the resources, you don’t

see this is where the conspiracy theory conversations become a bit funny, because Emily is completely right, they are about amplification of fear, doubt etc. Also they help reconcile with events that we can’t make logical sense of. It’s honestly an incredibly human thing to do and they have always been around, they are not new.

That said when you introduce shit like the FBI or the CIA a lot of things that used to be “conspiracy theories” have since been reveled to have been true 💀 so people being distrustful towards these organizations are not that unreasonable when you think about it. And even in-universe the BAU has done shady shit? So.

“babe” xdxd okay so maybe Jade is dying. They have built her up to be sympathetic but they are slowly losing that angle narratively? Slowly tho

oh? is that how we’ll get to the bottom of BAUgate?

“Jenny”. can JJ slap him, just once?

the way everyone is so done with him

sometimes I do like Tyler

bit of a CGI house there lol

not Garcia psyching him out

chocolate thunder

oh, Oh?

“I put you in” I?. I??

oh my god. no. that’s vile. even within an already vile context. people have been pointing out the similarities but jesus christ

okay Emily is doing talk no jutsu about Doug

told you she does feel responsible

oooh. oh.

where do people buy so much C4

(hypothetically of course)

yeah I mean obviously not going to happen. But I get the plan there

also the team either knows that’s the endgame of they are just being very optimistic about Emily still being alive lol

of course it’s a trap. Was that really such a big revelation Dave xd

“who think we are the enemy” Tara. Babe. You kind of are to them xd

okay maybe they will survive this. Or Pete might. Jade could still kill herself. Or each other.

yeah she knows 😭

Radiohead?

passive aggressive action report

thank you for calling him out on this

no I still don’t trust Clark Gregg

is Emily going to low key blackmail the Director xd that would be very stupid. And also incredibly in character

yeah they have pretty much said it before that Tyler would be the “next generation”

“Hooray you’re alive” xd

Rebecca just got a haircut? She looks nice. But how much time had passed then.  

“the shoes” 💀 that’s so fair

oh his “ghost” just standing in the bg

okay so he either escapes, in which case the showrunners completely lied about leaving him behind in S18 lol or he dies. Maybe he gets shanked. A girl can dream

I was joking xdxdxdx 💀

uff not the bleach

oh my god he really got shanked. holy shit

I mean yes thank you

but holy shit

so we have zero idea on what happens in S18. Zero. that’s nice.

Okay, closing thoughts. It was a good episode, but a bit underwhelming on the conspiracy side of things? And as a finale? I mean they kept saying how it’s “bigger than we thought” but it really wasn’t? Also it kind of takes away from the suspense that we know none of these characters are ever dying lol But ultimately it did close off loose ends. But I really would have appreciated some implication that Voit was killed on someone’s orders to continue some kind of a plot thread? Realistically the writers probably haven’t decided on that yet lol Did like that we acknowledged that the Gold Star kids were victims but…at the end of the day who was the perpetrator?

No, I still don’t trust Clark Gregg. Also can we get back to Emily having a sister what is that about

[adamwatchesmovies]

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

We’ve come a long way from 2000’s Dungeons & Dragons. Not only in terms of special effects but also in terms of performances, storytelling and most importantly, fun. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a blast. There’s humor, memorable characters brought to life by a great cast and an energy that makes you feel like the people on-screen are part of your circle of friends. It truly captures the feeling of a session played with your buddies.

After escaping from prison, bard Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) and barbarian Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) set out to find Edgin’s daughter, Kira (Chloe Coleman). She’s been deceived into believing her father has abandoned her. To prove he was imprisoned for “the right reasons”, Edgin has to retrieve a Tablet of Reawakening - trying and failing to steal one is what landed him in prison. With the tablet, he can bring his late wife back to life and his family will truly be whole. The nearest tablet is in a vault in Neverwinter. To get it, Edgin and Holga need to assemble a team.

This film’s got a great cast. Some names, you’ll recognize. Some, you won’t. Hugh Grant plays Forge Fitzwilliam, an ambitious con artist/rogue, Bradley Cooper has a small role as Holga’s ex-husband and Justice Smith is Simon Aumar, a half-elf sorcerer whose magical skills… are hit-and-miss. You probably won't be familiar with Sophia Lillis, who plays Doric, a tiefling shapeshifter, but she'll have your attention after this. It’s a pretty steep competition for who wears this campaign the best but I’m going to hand the award not to the ever charismatic Chris Pine or to Hugh Grant (equally charming) but to Michelle Rodriguez. Most recently, we've been seeing her in the “Fast & Furious” films, where the theme of "family" is emphasized endlessly. What that franchise built over 10 films, “Honor Among Thieves” manages to do in one. Holga and Edgin are not romantically involved but she’s basically Kira’s surrogate mother. Although she never says how much the little girl means to her (that would be very un-barbarian-like), you feel it, particularly during the film’s conclusion. This movie makes you care about its characters effortlessly. Think about that. This movie has all sorts of races and half-races, wild monsters, crazy locations, spells and other things that make it as different from our world as possible. Yet, the characters feel like real people, the kind you’d be delighted to follow on another adventure once this one wraps up.

The screenplay by Jonathan Goldstein, John Francis Daley and Michael Gilio (the first two also serve as the picture’s directors) has an episodic feel. I mean that in a good way. For our heroes to accomplish their main quest, they have to complete a bunch of smaller side quests, each leading into the next while revealing a conspiracy brewing in Neverwinter. The stakes build atop each other as the team learns to work as a unit and their tactics become increasingly inventive. There are plenty of jokes along the way but the film still takes itself seriously. By this, I mean that “Dungeons & Dragons” doesn’t make fun of itself or its audience. The humor comes from the world and its citizens. To them, all of this is normal. A magical spell allowing you to talk to the dead is neat but not mind-blowing, so it’s easy to take for granted. If you or I got a hand on that spell, we’d be super careful not to waste it. Them? Nah.

We’ve seen many movies over the years that have felt like a long campaign someone played and thought was so great it deserved to be turned into a movie. Rarely have any of them felt like an adventure you wanted to be involved with. This quest? by the time it’s over, you’ll feel like you were part of the ride all along. As a heist movie, it’s great. As a comedy, it has laughs to spare. As a fantasy film, it's got cool creatures, engaging lore and a smart take on its mythology. At the box office, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" didn’t make nearly enough money to earn itself a sequel, which is a real shame. For now, I guess I’ll settle for the after-credit scene. (August 19, 2023)

[ketho484]

Part 8! Finally! Yaaassss!!!

I'll let you know now, it isn't going to get as intense as part 7 was for the rest of the story, I promise

Au belongs to @frillsand

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Chapter 8: Spark

Months went by since that day. August, which is the start of autumn, quickly rushed by, along with September, October, and November. During that time, PlayFellow made an announcement to the public that production would have to stop until Wally recovered. Many fans, the stage hands, the director, even the cast all sent presents to Wally’s hospital room as he rested, unable to wake up. Every moment she could, of each and every day, Willow would come by and visit Wally while he was recovering. She would talk to him as he slept, pick up hobbies like origami, story writing, and even drawing. She took after him in that way. The cast members did what they could to help her, but she refused to budge. They tried to tell her that the longer he sleeps, the less likely he might wake up, but Willow never listened, She still came and stayed with him, falling asleep next to him in the late hours of the day until someone came to take her back to Eddie’s house, where she was staying until Wally could take her to his home. Thankfully the doctors all said he wasn’t going brain dead through Wally’s months of comatose, so the cast all hoped and prayed and wished for Wally to recover soon. On December 5th, the day of Winter’s first snow, those prayers were finally answered. Willow was writing a story in a journal Frank had given her when it happened.

Wally’s face contorted into a look of mild discomfort, his fingers twitching as his hearing came back to him and he heard the heart monitor. His eyes cracked open only for his hand to rush up to his face as he cried out in pain due to the bright hospital room lights. He felt something sit beside him and gently grab his hand, slowly moving it over  so the light came in slower increments and, as such, didn’t blind him. Sitting next to him, her face looking down at him…was Willow. Her hair was a bit longer, her clothes clearly newer, and she had a look of both worry and relief in her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. She had no bruises on her, no more bandages. She had been healing. Wally’s eyes widened and he immediately sat up, pulling his baby sister into a tight hug as they both started to cry. Willow was relieved that Wally was finally awake, and Wally was relieved that Willow was safe from that monster of a man. A doctor called Eddie, telling him that Wally was awake. With that news, Eddie grabbed the cast and they all came to the hospital, seeing Willow trying to catch Wally up on what’s happened. Wally saw them come in and smiled brightly.

“Hey, fellas” He greeted them as both Julie and Sally almost tackled him off the bed with a hug

“Good to finally see you awake” Barnaby smiled as the cast all got situated “You really gave us a scare”

“You especially scared Willow” Poppy said with a frown “She came in to visit you every day just to see if you’d wake up”

“Wait, really?” Wally asked, looking at his sister as she gave him a solemn nod and leaned against him

“She’s been staying with me since you were brought here” Eddie explained “And PlayFellow had to shut down production so you could recover”

“They still paid us, though” Sally piped up, which got everyone in the room to laugh

“Well…Is Eric gone?” Wally asked through somewhat gritted teeth

“He’s in prison as of now” Frank explained “We all went to his trial, Willow and Eddie both testified, and he was given a death sentence, specifically the electric chair. However, Willow asked if his sentence could wait until you woke up”

“I figured you’d wanna see him go” Willow shrugged

“Well, you guessed right” Wally said as he hugged her “That monster deserves what’s coming to him, and I wanna watch him get some retribution”

“Excuse me, mister Darling?” A nurse came in, making Wally tighten his grip on Willow “I’m so sorry to interrupt, but you can be free to leave today”

“Really?” Willow smiled brightly

“Yep. We just need to make sure he can walk properly. He’s been in bed for a long time, so we need to be careful” The nurse said as he came and undid the IV drip from Wally’s wrist, wrapping it up

With that, Wally went with the nurse for a quick walk, Willow going with simply because she didn’t want to be away from Wally. He could move around just fine, likely thanks to the sturdy nature of the puppets as a species. Wally was discharged from the hospital and Eddie drove the two siblings home, mostly to drop off all the gifts Wally had acquired from his fans and friends. Once they were ready, they all met at the execution hall downtown for Eric’s execution. It wasn’t pretty. Nobody said a word as the switch was flipped and the electric chair was activated, electrocuting Eric and frying his brain to a crisp. Wally made sure Willow didn’t have to see it, letting her hide her face in his neck as he carried her. When they left, Sally noticed that Willow forgot her journal. Against her better judgment, Sally read a few pages and was astonished by what she saw. She ran out with the book in hand and gave it to Willow, keeping her mouth shut, but giving the child a note. Willow, on the way back to Wally’s house, read the note and smiled.

‘You should pitch this to the director. It could be a good movie’

Willow took that to heart. When they got home, Wally gave her an official tour of the manor, showing her where everything was and even giving her her own, real bedroom just across the hall from his room. Needless to say, the kid was excited. She’d gone from being dirt poor and living with her kidnappers to living in luxury with a big brother she never knew she had. It was like a dream come true for this kid. She knew it would be a big adjustment, but she could do it, right?

That night, to celebrate Wally waking up and Willow getting to live with her brother, the entire cast went to eat at Bobolli’s Pizza for dinner. It was a blast, to say the least, from the pizza to the talking and catching up. It felt like Willow had finally found a real family. Soon enough, she gave her journal to Wally.

“What’s this?” Her big brother asked curiously as he opened it up. His jaw dropped as he started reading it, making Willow blush a shade of red brighter than Poppy’s feathers “You guys need to read this”

Wally passed the journal around and showed the cast the story Willow had written. It was about all of them saving a rainbow that had turned gray along with the angel that painted it across the sky. It was a true work of creativity.

“Goodness me” Frank spoke up with a smile as he and Eddie skimmed the pages “This is stunning work”

“Yeah, kiddo!” Eddie piped up “It’s original, it’s got a good theme, it could probably be good for a musical”

“I read it earlier” Sally said with a smile “I figured that she could let the director see it, get it made into a real film”

“That’s a great idea, Sally” Julie beamed a smile

“That’s only if Willow wants to present it” Wally stated as the book was soon passed back to his sister “Well? What do you say, sis?”

Everyone looked at Willow for her answer. With her cheeks still red as a cherry tomato, she smiled brightly at the cast.

“When is he available?”

[usergreenpixel]

JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 31: DANGEROUS EXILE (1957)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Citizens! Here I am, ready to commence our brand new meeting with a brand new review for everyone to (hopefully) enjoy!

So, “Dangerous Exile” is a swashbuckling Frev movie that is based on the alternative history premise: What if Louis 16th’s son (Louis 17th) survived Frev instead of meeting an untimely end in prison?

To be honest, I discovered the movie while scrolling through IMDb and got hooked on the premise since I have a soft spot for adventure stories. However, I ran into two problems.

Firstly, the movie was hard as fuck to find so I had to settle for a rather shitty Russian dub. Apparently the original English version does pop up on YouTube from time to time, but it’s mostly available on DVDs that have to be purchased. So yeah, not readily available at all and I couldn’t find the English version even on Russian sites…

Secondly, I know that the real Louis 17th was treated horribly in prison and, just to avoid royal family fans and anti Frev neighbors coming for my Montagnard ass, let me make something clear: While I’m not a fan of Louis 16th or Marie Antoinette as monarchs, I don’t think their children deserved to suffer and my admiration for Frev in general doesn’t automatically mean that I condone everything that was done by revolutionaries. Hopefully that’s out of the way now.

Anyway, this review is dedicated to @pobodleru , @lanterne , @anarchist-mariner and @revolutionfairies . Okay, now that I explained myself, we can officially proceed.

2. The Summary

Louis 17th gets rescued by a group of royalists and accidentally lands on an English island on a hot air balloon. There, in England, the boy is taken in by a woman called Virginia and her family.

However, royalists and jacobins alike are still looking for the boy to further their own agendas and will stop at nothing to find him.

To me this sounds like a cool premise, but let’s see if the execution is good.

3. The Story

It’s a pretty classic and formulaic swashbuckling movie and I happen to like those so I liked the story and was completely hooked. However, it’s definitely not for everyone and I wouldn’t recommend to look for something very original in the storyline.

While the premise spoils the twist on who the boy from the hot air balloon is, I did enjoy the way that mystery unfolded in the movie itself. It also has hints of my beloved “found family” trope as Virginia and Louis bond and he develops a precocious crush on her (innocent childlike crush) and they become close friends.

As usual, I didn’t care for the romantic subplot and I personally would prefer to cut out flashbacks and the nightmare sequences - “show, don’t tell” is a good thing, but it just doesn’t work this time and a bit of dialogue would replace it just fine. Who knows though, maybe the director needed to stretch out screen time. Maybe romance was there to stretch out screen time too…

Here’s something that surprised me though. The movie has nuanced characters on BOTH sides so we have sympathetic jacobins and asshole royalists AND vice versa. We even have an asshole IN THE ROYAL FAMILY itself! And FINALLY Robespierre isn’t the villain! Yay!

(Think what you want about the man, but having him as a villain is just fucking boring at this point.)

As a matter of fact, historical figures (except for the boy) don’t actually appear in the movie and the cast aside from the dauphin consists out of original characters only. A welcome break from the usual stuff we see, if you ask me!

4. The Characters

Louis is a sweetheart here. He’s understandably traumatized by his ordeal but he bonds with his found family (especially Virginia and her aunt) and, in spite of the wishes of the royalists, doesn’t want to be a king and take revenge. Honestly, I can’t blame him for not wanting to return to France.

Virginia is, surprisingly, not a flat character. She’s one of the few people who actually cares about what LOUIS wants and needs but she’s also in a difficult situation because the royalists and the jacobins are searching for the dauphin. Still, Virginia does her best to protect the boy from harm and stands up for him when royalists try to pressure him into becoming the next king of France.

Duke de Beauvais is… not an asshole, but I didn’t like him at all.

He will stop at nothing to help Louis become king and sacrifices HIS OWN SON for that cause (placing his son into the dauphin’s cell). He also seems to be really fanatical at times and doesn’t seem to actually consider what LOUIS wants.

I do understand that de Beauvais himself is in a difficult situation and he IS concerned about his kid, but I still have a feeling that sometimes he just goes a bit too far.

As for secondary characters, unfortunately most are flat but I liked Virginia’s aunt. She’s that one cool caring aunt who makes jokes and loves her family fiercely.

5. The Setting

It seems to me that the settings are more or less accurate, but accuracy isn’t the strongest point here. Not just because the movie is an AU, but also because of this:

Please, for the love of the Supreme Being, get your damn dates right! The monarchy got overthrown BEFORE the time you show!

(Editing Citizen Green Pixel (ECGP) here: Apparently this movie is an adaptation of a novel but I’ve no idea if this mistake is in the novel too or just in movie. The novel is called “A King Reluctant”.)

Other than that, though, the settings and the costumes are done quite well!

6. The Acting

Unfortunately, the absolutely atrocious dub prevented me from fully enjoying the acting but I think it was quite good.

7. The Music

Pretty good, but nothing outstanding, if I’m being honest.

8. The Conclusion

Honestly, this movie was packing quite a few pleasant surprises for me and I actually enjoyed it. Not my favorite and still doesn’t beat “The Black Tulip” when it comes to swashbuckling Frev movies, but still pretty good.

Please check out this movie if you like swashbuckling stories. It’s cheesy, somewhat predictable and cliché at times but it does have nuanced main characters, decent twists and an interesting premise.

On that note, I declare today’s meeting of Jacobin Fiction Convention to be over. Stay tuned for more updates, everyone!

Love,

- Citizen Green Pixel

[chillingcinemachronicles]

Top 5 Must-Watch Sci-Fi Movies Booming on Netflix Right Now

where every frame is a portal to limitless possibilities and extraordinary adventures. Discover the magic of the future, today!

In the Shadow of the Moon (2007) EW grade: A (read the review) Director: David Sington One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" was the phrase that echoed around the galaxy in July of 1969, when American astronauts emerged from Apollo 11 and took their first steps on the surface of the moon. In 2007, In the Shadow of the Moon, a British documentary premiered at Sundance, chronicling this history-making achievement and digging into the story behind the Apollo program through interviews with 10 astronauts from across the program's many missions. Featuring never before released footage, archival news reports, and the perspectives of some of the only people to see Earth from this remarkable vantage point, In the Shadow of the Moon is stranger than science fiction because it's completely true.

2, Oxygen (2021) EW grade: B (read the review) Director: Alexandre Aja Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Mathieu Amalric, Malik Zidi A nightmare come to life for claustrophobics everywhere, Oxygen is a French language sci-fi film that thinks outside the box in terms of action. At the genesis, an unidentified woman (Mélanie Laurent) awakens in an airtight medical unit, unsure of who or where she is. Interactions with the system's AI - dubbed M.I.L.O. (Medical Interface Liaison Officer) - provide some clarity as to her identity, but no matter what she tries, she cannot escape her prison. As she seeks to understand who placed her in the box and why, truths about her personal life and the current state of the world come into focus - but her search for context is actually a race to outwit the slowly depleting oxygen levels.

3. Project Power (2020) EW grade: B+ (read the review) Director: Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jamie Foxx, Dominique Fishback, Machine Gun Kelly, Rodrigo Santoro, Courtney B. Vance, Amy Landecker What do a New Orleans police officer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a soldier in search of his daughter (Jamie Foxx), and a rapping drug dealer (Dominique Fishback, The Deuce) have in common? They're all working to rid the streets of Power, a new drug that gives users five minutes of superhero abilities, at the risk of killing them with one hit. A science fiction action film produced by Netflix, Project Power invites audiences into a city still suffering the after-effects of Katrina, even decades after the hurricane hit. Populated by morally murky characters - like Gordon-Levitt's Detective Frank Shaver, a cop who uses the drug to level the playing field against the city's criminals, or Fishback's teenage Robin Reilly, who knows she needs to deal to get ahead in this world, but is too smart to partake of her own product - the film finds room for cultural context amidst the action sequences.

4. See You Yesterday (2019) Director: Stefon Bristol Talent: Eden Duncan-Smith, Danté Crichlow, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brian "Stro" Bradley The best way to live life with no regrets is to build a time machine - which is exactly what happens in Netflix's Spike Lee-produced sci-fi adventure film, See You Yesterday. After best friends and high school science prodigies C.J. and Sebastian unlock the secrets to time travel, they're forced to use their newfound invention in an attempt to save C.J.'s brother Calvin from a fatal encounter with the police. A modern take on Back to the Future - also featuring an appearance by the original time traveler, Michael J. Fox - the film grapples with highly relevant cultural issues like police brutality while still having fun with high school tropes and time loops. See You Yesterday might not have gotten the attention it deserved when it first premiered on the platform back in 2019.

5. Starship Troopers (1997) EW grade: B+ (read the review) Director: Paul Verhoeven Cast: Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Denise Richards, Jake Busey, Neil Patrick Harris, Patrick Muldoon, Michael Ironside Fascist imagery and thudding allusions to World War II-era propaganda films permeate Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers, but because the provocative Dutch filmmaker didn't explicitly spell out his satire, it went over the heads of many upon its release. But time has been kind to the action-comedy, perhaps because its gleefully cynical portrait of nationalism and a war-hungry populace would resonate that much more in the years following 9/11 and the Iraq War. That said, those interested in the simpler pleasures of watching bugs go splat will also find plenty to like, from its gnarly, goo-slinging action set pieces to CGI effects that stand up to today's technology.

[cyarsk52-20]

12 Celebrities Who Actually Faced Lasting Consequences For Their Bad Behavior, And 12 Who Got Backlash They Either Didn't Deserve Or Grew From

BuzzFeed Staff

Backlash against a celebrity who gets called out for bad behavior doesn't always have a lasting impact on their career, but sometimes, they actually face lasting consequences. On the other hand, however, some celebs are treated horribly by the public and the media, only for those same people to later realize the backlash was unfair.

Here are 12 celebrities who rightfully had their careers ended for bad and criminal behavior:

Warning: mentions of sexual assault.

1. Following multiple allegations of sexual assault and the leaking of several alleged DMs where he said he was "100% a cannibal," Armie Hammer was dropped by his publicist, dropped by his agent, and dropped out of multiple projects. As of 2022, he was reportedly working as a timeshare salesperson in the Cayman Islands.

Discovery+ made a documentary about Hammer and his family called House of Hammer.

2. Throughout his YouTube career, Shane Dawson has apologized for jokes he made about animal abuse, pedophilia, and race. However, after he released an apology video for several resurfaced videos in 2020, YouTube demonetized all three of his channels.

3. After Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former presidential adviser Valerie Jarrett, ABC canceled the successful Roseanne reboot, killed off her character, then retooled the show into a spin-off so the rest of the cast and crew could keep their jobs.

4. Director David O. Russell has a history of alleged verbally and physically abusive behavior toward actors on set and admitted to sexually harassing his own niece. The star-studded cast of Amsterdam — his first film in several years — drew online backlash for their involvement, and the movie absolutely tanked at the box office, losing nearly $100 million.

5. In response to the many allegations of sexual abuse women have made against R. Kelly, Time's Up called for a boycott of his music in 2018. Soon after, Spotify, Apple Music, and Pandora all stopped promoting his music, and his record label reportedly dropped him within a year. In 2022, he was convicted of federal sex crimes and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

6. Following many allegations of sexual assault, Bill Cosby was stripped of his honorary Navy title, had an endowed professorship he funded at Spelman College suspended, and resigned from the Temple University Board of Trustees.

Though his criminal conviction was overturned due to an agreement he made with a previous prosecutor to prevent them from filing charges, he was found guilty and sued in his first civil trial. 

7. After Chris Noth was accused of sexual assault, his Peloton ad was taken down, his cameo was cut from the And Just Like That... finale, and he was fired from The Equalizer.

8. After Jussie Smollett was accused of staging a hate crime against himself, he was written off of Empire. He was later found guilty and sentenced to five months in jail, but he was released pending his appeal.

9. Following reports that her "be kind" mantra was a facade to cover a toxic workplace (including allegations of sexual assault and harassment made against executive producers), Ellen DeGeneres's talk show ratings declined. Within a year, she announced her decision to end the show.

10. In 2017, Kevin Spacey was accused of sexually assaulting actor Anthony Rapp when he was 14. More allegations followed, and Netflix suspended production on House of Cards , then later filmed the final season without Spacey.

Rapp lost his civil suit against Spacey, but Spacey is still set to be tried in London on five other counts.

11. Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and several of his teammates alleged they were robbed at gunpoint during the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, after Brazilian police proved their story to be false, Lochte received a 10-month suspension from national and international swimming competitions, which included a withholding of his monthly stipend from USA Swimming. He was also dropped by all four of his sponsors.

12. And finally, cyclist Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France every year from 1999 to 2005, but in 2012, he was stripped of all seven titles and banned for life after the US Anti-Doping Agency found evidence that he'd used performance-enhancing drugs.

And now, here are 12 celebrities who faced backlash they either didn't deserve or actually changed from:

13. In 2018, Brendan Fraser faced backlash (and believes he was blacklisted) within the entertainment industry after alleging that Philip Berk, the former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, sexually assaulted him in 2003. However, his fans stayed by his side, getting his name trending on Twitter in 2021 simply by praising him for being wonderful. At the 2022 Venice Film Festival, he received a standing ovation for The Whale , which brought him to tears.

14. In 2017, Terry Crews alleged that he'd been sexually assaulted by Hollywood agent Adam Venit a year prior. He was mocked by rapper 50 Cent. A producer from The Expendables franchise pressured him to drop the allegations, but he refused and dropped out of the films instead. TIME named Crews one of its Silence Breakers, the group that became the 2017 Person of the Year.

15. In 1983, Vanessa Williams became the first Black woman to be crowned Miss America, but she was forced to resign after Penthouse magazine published nude photos of her without her permission. However, she pivoted to music and acting, earning multiple nominations from prestigious awards shows, including the Grammys, the Emmys, and the Tonys. In 2015, the Miss America organization officially apologized to her.

16. In 2003, The Chicks faced intense backlash after addressing the Iraq War onstage. Natalie Maines told a London audience, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." The band was banned from many country music radio stations, and the members received death threats. In response, they posed nude for an Entertainment Weekly cover with the cruel messages people had sent them written on their skin. They continued to stand their ground, helping open the door for other women in music to speak up about what they believe in.

17. In 2016, Taylor Swift faced intense backlash after Kim Kardashian leaked an edited version of a recorded phone call as "proof" that the singer had given Kanye West permission to use an offensive lyric about her, which she denied. Taylor took a break from public life before returning with her album Reputation , then, the full version of the call leaked in 2020, revealing she'd been telling the truth all along.

Taylor used the attention from the leak to direct her followers toward "what really matters," encouraging them to donate to the World Health Organization and Feeding America.

18. In 2008, then-15-year-old Miley Cyrus faced backlash from the public and Disney for posing backless for Vanity Fair. At the time, she released an apology statement, but 10 years later, she took it back, tweeting, "I'M NOT SORRY. Fuck YOU."

19. After Justin Timberlake ripped fabric from Janet Jackson's outfit and exposed her breast during their 2004 Super Bowl performance, his career remained virtually unscathed while hers suffered greatly due to the scandal. She was banned from the Grammys, MTV stopped promoting her music, and she was forced to apologize publicly. However, the situation was widely reexamined following the release of a New York Times documentary in 2021 and Jackson's own documentary in 2022.

Her fans rallied around her in support.

20. After Laura Dern played a lesbian character who helped Ellen come out on Ellen , she wasn't able to get any work for a year. She also had to have a full security detail for the first time in her life. However, the following year, she made her return with a Golden Globe-nominated performance in The Baby Dance.

21. In 2009, Megan Fox was fired from the Transformers franchise after a Wonderland interview in which she called director Michael Bay "a nightmare to work for." She was also heavily criticized for speaking out against him. Discussing the way her career was reexamined by the public in 2020, she told Refinery29, "Of course, I look back and think — it would have been nice if any of you had seen this at that time that there was a bandwagon of absolute toxicity being spewed at me for years. But, I appreciate the reversal of it."

22. In 2008, Britney Spears faced intense media scrutiny while she was experiencing a mental health crisis in the public eye. She was placed under a conservatorship with her father as guardian until 2021, when the court granted her freedom to make her own decisions about work, money, and communication. Fans who were part of the #FreeBritney movement celebrated with her.

23. In 2001, Winona Ryder was caught shoplifting from the Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue. In the aftermath, she lost out on a role because the director couldn't get insurance on her for the film. She took a hiatus from acting before returning to independent films in 2006.

In 2007, she revealed that, at the time of her arrest, she'd been in a bad place and had been taking painkillers that left her in a state of "confusion."

24. And finally, following a series of arrests on drug-related charges in the late '90s and early '00s, Robert Downey Jr. lost several roles. After he completed rehab, some studios were still hesitant to cast him, including Marvel Studios — but director Jon Favreau fought to cast him in Iron Man. After Downey's screen test, the studio relented, and the movie launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In 2015, the California governor granted him a full pardon. On the governor's website, it said, "He has lived an honest and upright life, exhibited good moral character, and conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen."

[latestflix]

Creed III

Release Date: March 3, 2023

SYNOPSIS:

Still dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed is thriving in his career and family life. When Damian, a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy resurfaces after serving time in prison, he’s eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face-off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian — a fighter who has nothing to lose.

REVIEW:

It’s been seven years since we last saw Creed at the theaters. In a special conversation that included members of the National Association of Black Journalists, Michael B. Jordan talked a bit about the film, which is also his directoral debut.

“I finally got to this place in my career where I wanted to tell a story and not just be in front of the camera, not just execute somebody else’s vision,” Jordan said. “And having a character that I’ve played twice before, it’s been seven, eight years living with this guy. So to be able to tell a story of where I believe Adonis is at, and also at 35 years old, I had a lot to say as a young man, as a young Black man, just my life experiences and how I could actually share that, share a piece of myself with the world – through these characters and through this story. So I just felt like it was the right time. You know, I was talking to Ryan Coogler back when we were doing CREED I, and he was just like, It’s never the right time. You just gotta jump in the deep end and go for it, you know?”

The trailer for “Creed III” showcases Michael B. Jordan’s character Adonis Creed and Jonathan Majors’ character Damian Anderson. Adonis ends up getting drawn into a fight with his childhood friend Damian. The movie’s poster shares the message “You can’t run from your past”, reflecting the theme of jealousy and the consequences of one’s past actions. This new installment of the spin-off from the Rocky Balboa film classics is without Sylvester Stallone’s direct involvement (He’s still a Producer) and is expected to be a hit among fans of the franchise, with it set to release on March 3, 2023.

CAST: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Jonathon Majors, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad

[truestarshine]

I saw the Harry Potter reunion and it was so nice to see the cast together again like no time has passed! I feel like the last movie was like I don't know 5 years ago? not 10!

I loved Helena's energy and personality, the funniest parts were with her, now I need another 1 hour special with Helena being her chaotic self with all the cast.

It was so cool that the directors from all movies participated on this, Alfonso Cuaron definitely did the best job of all, Prisoner of Azkaban is hands down the best hp movie, the movies after him were underwhelming at best. I will forever be mad at all the changes they did to the characters and to important parts of the books.

I had a laugh when I saw that they used old footage of Jkr instead of her being there, I'm glad they keep it nice and short, it's what her bigot ass deserves.

The part with Emma talking about the time she wanted to quit was so sad when you remember that the real reason was not just "fame" that she couldn't handle, it was the amount of gross men, stalkers and paparazzi that were following her around day and night, oversexualizing her since she was a young teen, asking her and sending her all kind of inappropriate things, trying to take upskirt pictures, etc., no other male cast was suffering that nightmare like she was.

The in loving memory part broke me, but it was so respectfully done it was beautiful.

aand Emma and Rupert moment was beautiful too, so sweet how the whole cast treat each other like family.

I wish other members of the cast had showed, but I know we are still in a pandemic so it's understandable why many were not able to be there, so I'm just grateful that they could make this reunion at all.

[prince-septimus]

the rescue

pairing : captain boomerang x FBI agent!reader

summary : the enchantress had been defeated, but now you have more important things to worry about -- like making sure you get your happily ever after for once in your life.

word count : 1.1k 

static hearts series

“You’re joking, right?”

“I’m not the joking type, Agent.”

“Amanda—”

“Don’t call me Amanda.”

“Director Waller.” You suck in a deep breath, casting a glance back at Digger and the rest of the team, who now stand to get almost nothing in return for everything they had done. “Don’t you think they deserve a little more than 10 years off?”

“I’ve given them more than they deserve.” You know the smile she offers you is a strained one. “I don’t see why that is of any importance to you.”

You still remember what you had done to Digger before you too had been pulled into the mess of Task Force X. You’re quickly beginning to regret the first time you met Amanda Waller.

“Now, if we’re done here.” Amanda goes to walk around you, but you stop her.

“I quit.”

Amanda pauses, turning to you. “Excuse me?”

You hear Digger say your name from behind you and it occurs to you how silent everyone had been during this interaction. “I quit.”

You think about what had happened to the other FBI agents in your unit. You remember what happened to Murphy. You never wanted to be a part of this – any of this. You were beginning to realize it had only given you one good thing.

“Are you sure, Agent?”

You nod, but you can hear the weariness of Amanda’s voice. She has never known what to expect out of you; she had only known you as the FBI agent who had history with Captain Boomerang.

Maybe she was beginning to learn how dangerous that history could be.

“I have requests.”

“Requests?” Amanda questions, and you don’t miss her glance at Colonel Flag. “You’re not a criminal here, Agent. You don’t need to make requests to do as you please.”

“Then you swear I will not be punished for what I choose to do next?”

There is a confused look on her face, but she masks it quickly. “As long as it isn’t something that will deem you as a criminal. You’re free to go.”

She would regret saying that. You knew that the moment you turned around, walked up to Digger, grabbed his face, and kissed him within an inch of his life.

You didn’t let it last long, though you were tempted when Digger reached for you as you pulled away. You tried not to let the look on his face get to you, especially since you knew something he didn’t.

As you walked away, you didn’t bother giving a response to the surprised look on Amanda’s face.

You had a plan to set in motion.

-

You were so happy you had managed to keep your FBI badge after you quit the Task Force, though there was no doubt now that this would be the last time you would be using it.

You suck in a deep breath, trying to get your head straight before you reach for the lock on the door and pull it open

Digger stands there, clearly not expecting you. He’s shirtless, as he has been most days in the cell, and you try not to let those sort of thoughts fill your head just yet. “How’re you here, love?”

You hold up your badge. “Being in the FBI taught me a few things.”

“The FBI taught y’ how to break into a prison?”

“No.” You smiled. “I learned that by watching you.”

Digger breaks out into a grin.

An alarm goes off, sounding through the entire building.

You grab for Digger’s hand, yanking on it. “We’ve got to go.”

“She gonna be okay?”

You look down at the guard you had knocked out in front of the cell. “She’ll be fine. Just knocked out.”

The halls of Belle Reve are surprisingly easy to navigate, but maybe that could be from the years of experience you had from coming here. It made it that much easier to plan this escape and make the impossible seem possible.

The first thing Digger does once the two of you are out of the prison and hidden by the darkness is grab you by the waist and pull you close, kissing you hard enough that it almost knocks you off your feet. You only let it last a few moments before you remind him you still have to finish your getaway.

-

“When did y’know that you loved me?”

You look up from the book you had been reading. Digger stands there, his hair still wet from the shower he had just taken as he tries to dry it with a towel. There’s a domesticity to the scene that makes your stomach do a little flip. Him standing here in the apartment you now lived in together; it had cost you a pretty penny, but what you had paid had also bought you secrecy and silence.

You realize Digger’s still waiting for your response. “What?”

“After everything we’ve been through. Darlin’, it ain’t a hard question.” Digger shrugs. “When did you know you loved me?”

You set the book down in your lap and try to think. “I don’t know for sure.”

Digger sighs.

You let out a small laugh. “You want the honest answer or the meaningful answer?”

“There’s two?”

“The meaningful one – when you almost kissed me while we were with the Task Force.”

Digger smiles a little. “And the honest one?”

“When I spent years trying to get your words out of my head and couldn’t stop dreaming about you.”

Digger looks proud at the mention of your first interaction. It seemed so long ago, but you could never forget the things he had said to you. You don’t think he could forget either.

But then a frown appears on his face. “If y’knew you loved me that early on, why’d you give me up?”

You toss the book to the side, standing and walking over to him. You take the towel, rolling it before putting it around his head and using it to pull him down close enough to where you could kiss him if you so wished. “I was afraid. All my training told me I shouldn’t have been feeling what I did, but I still felt it.”

“So, you didn’t hate having to put up with me all those times you brought me in?”

You shake your head.

“And all those times on the team?”

You smile. “No, but I also didn’t know how to express my feelings for a world-class criminal when I was in a superior position. I wanted to wait until everything was over.”

“And then Waller came back.”

“And then Waller came back. That’s why I hatched an insane plan that included me breaking you out of the most secure prisons in the world.” You shrug. “I figured if I was going to be with a criminal, I had to become one.”

Digger’s smile slowly appears, and it makes your heart beat just a little quicker. “I knew I loved you from the moment I saw ya.”

You press your forehead against his. “And look at how far we’ve come.”

[gunterfan1992]

Season One of “Adventure Time”: Short Episode Reviews

At the start of 2021, I had this idea to write up a book wherein I reviewed every episode of Adventure Time, condensing my thoughts down into a few paragraphs. It seemed easy enough at the time —I could knock a season out in a week, no prob, I thought — but it turns out it was quite the challenge. Part of this was the difficulty of boiling everything down into a few coherent paragraphs that didn’t just repeat the ideas that “This episode is wacky. This episode is bad.” (I was also dealing with untreated ADHD, so that probably didn’t help.) Even though it was a hurdle, I still got through seasons 1-4, and I thought I’d post my reviews here. Maybe one day I’ll do something with ‘em, but for now, enjoy!

Season 1, Episode 1. “Slumber Party Panic” (692-009)

Airdate: April 5, 2010

Production Information: Elizabeth Ito and Adam Muto (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Synopsis: Princess Bubblegum accidentally resurrects a violent mob of candy zombies, which leads to Finn doing the unthinkable: He breaks a royal promise to Bubblegum.

Commentary: It is always a delight to remind people that Adventure Time—a show that would go on to win a slew of prestigious awards and be lauded by critics as one of the smartest kids show that has ever been made—begins with Princess Bubblegum “add[ing] three more drops of explosive diarrhea” to a scientific mixture with which she hopes to bring the dead back to life. This elision of a macabre topic like the resurrection of the dead with a poop joke is in many ways emblematic of the sort of humor upon which Adventure Time was built, and while “Slumber Party Panic” might not be the season’s best episode, it does a solid job introducing the odd, madcap energy that would allow the show to flourish in its youth.

The plot to “Slumber Party Panic”—storyboarded by future series director Elizabeth Ito as well as eventual showrunner Adam Muto—was hammered out well before the show’s mythology was set in stone, and so some of the more hyperbolic plot points from this episode (e.g., the dramatic revelation that candy citizens explode when scared, or the fact that the Gumball Guardians are also the nigh-omnipotent Guardians of the Royal Promise, who can stop and reverse time itself) had to be ignored in later seasons. Nevertheless, the main characters’ personalities are all firmly established, allowing them to play off one another in a way that does not feel forced or misguided; Jeremy Shada and John DiMaggio, in particular, have excellent chemistry, breathing whimsical life into Finn and Jake right off the bat. All things considered, “Slumber Party Panic” is a fun entry and a solid preview of the silliness that was to come. (3.5 stars)

Season 1, Episode 2. “Trouble in Lumpy Space” (692-015)

Airdate: April 5, 2010

Production Information: Elizabeth Ito and Adam Muto (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Trouble in Lumpy Space” is a Ito-Muto production that introduces us to Lumpy Space Princess, the loquacious and dramatic drama queen who was destined to become one of the show’s breakout stars. A sentient blob of “irradiated stardust,” Lumpy Space Princess is an alien valley girl parody voiced by none other than series creator Pendleton Ward himself, and this episode does a commendable job illustrating the character’s immaturity and her ridiculously inflated sense of self-importance. This makes for good entertainment in and of it itself, but what really bumps this episode up a peg is the vocal delivery of the cast. Adventure Time always excelled when it came to its voice acting, but in this episode it is obvious that in this episode Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio, and Pendleton Ward had extra fun playing around with their ridiculous “lumpy space” accents.

Aesthetically, this episode is quite the sensory experience. Lumpy Space itself is a hauntingly beautiful alien dimension of dark magenta skies and purple, pillowy clouds; it is a right shame that the show very rarely made use of this unique environment, considering how pleasant it is to look at. The episode’s soundtrack is also deserving of recognition, with much of the background music—especially the vapid pop tune that plays while Finn, Jake, and Lumpy Space Princess hitch a ride in Melissa’s car—recalling the elastic hyperpop that electro-wizzes from PC Music produce. The tunes add an extra dimension to the whole experience, helping to sell the idea that Lumpy Space is a silly but alien otherworld. (3 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 3. “Prisoners of Love” (692-005)

Airdate: April 12, 2010

Production Information: Adam Muto and Pendleton Ward (storyboard artists); Craig Lewis and Adam Muto (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Ice King! Beginning the series as a cartoonishly incompetent antagonist, Ice King would grow into one of the show’s most well-developed characters. While “Prisoners of Love,” being the character’s debut episode, sees the Ice King still in his one-dimensional “wicked wizard” stage, there are hints even at this early juncture—like the character’s dramatic insistence to pluck out a yogurt chip from his trail mix, or his spasmodic attempts to play the drums—that the Ice King is more than just a textbook baddie. Is he evil? Judging by his actions, it often looks that way, but there is also a deep sadness to him that makes even his worst behavior somewhat pitiful.

But as pathetic as he may be, Ice King’s lecherous habit of kidnapping princesses is completely unacceptable (Princesses, Adventure Time would like to remind us, should never be married against their will), and by episode’s end, Ice King receives his just desserts—a feminist-fueled kick to the face, courtesy of Finn the Human. The moral of the story is clear: Poor old Ice King might just be lonely, but that does not excuse him for acting like a frost-bitten incel. (‰3.5 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 4. “Tree Trunks” (692-016)

Airdate: April 12, 2010

Production Information: Sean Jimenez and Bert Youn (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Tree Trunks” introduces the audience to the eponymous character, voiced by Polly Lou Livingston, an eccentric octogenarian with a pronounced southern drawl whom Pendleton Ward knew growing up in Texas. Despite Tree Trunks appearing as a sweet old pachyderm, much of her dialog is riddled with double entendres and subtle sex jokes that go over the heads of children, and as such, she is something of a divisive character in the Adventure Time fandom: While some viewers find her hilarious, others find her decidedly off-putting. In this episode, however, storyboard artists Sean Jimenez and Bert Youn strike a decent balance between the character’s funny and creepy sides (case in point: The scene wherein Tree Trunks, in the gawdiest of makeup, tries to seduce an evil monster with her “womanly charms and elephant prowess”). The major exception to this overall balance is the episode’s decidedly morbid conclusion, which features Tree Trunks exploding after tasting the crystal apple. This was perhaps the show’s first non sequitur ending, and almost certainly left an indelible imprint on the minds of viewers young and old alike. (3 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 5. “The Enchiridion!” (692-001)

Airdate: April 19, 2010

Production Information: Patrick McHale, Adam Muto, and Pendleton Ward (storyboard artists and story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: According to the annals of cartoon history, the initial storyboard for “The Enchiridion” was whipped up by Ward and his crew members to prove to Cartoon Network that Adventure Time could be developed into a full-fledged series. This was almost certainly a stressful task, which necessitated that Ward et al. dissect the pilot, determine what elements worked, and then infuse those elements into a new storyboard. As a result of this “open art transplant,” there are quite a few analogs between the pilot and “The Enchiridion!”—e.g., the wacky dancing, the dream sequences, the ridiculous language—but this episode does a solid job of emulating the style of the pilot without wholesale duplicating it.

In terms of plot, “The Enchiridion!” is a fairly predictable adventure story, but it is one with enough clever variations that prevent the whole affair from dragging or being too boring; standout scenes include Finn and Jake having to deal with granny-zapping gnomes, and the D&D-inspired reverie in which Finn is tempted to slay an “unaligned” ant. The episode is further buoyed by several fun guest stars (including Mark Hamill, Fred Tatasciore, and even Black Flag’s Henry Rollins) that sprinkle a little additional energy on top of the whole thing. Given the exuberant fun of the episode and the way it easily introduces us to supporting characters like Princess Bubblegum, it is intriguing why the producers did not choose “The Enchiridion!” as the series premiere. That question aside, “The Enchiridion!” is one of the season’s stronger episode and an excellent place to start if you want a crash course in what made early Adventure Time so unique. (4 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 6. “The Jiggler” (692-011)

Airdate: April 19, 2010

Production Information: Luther McLaurin and Armen Mirzaian (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “The Jiggler” opens on a fun, hyperactive note, with Finn singing “Baby,” a catchy song coated in layer upon layer of sweet, crisp autotune. But soon after Finn and Jake discover and “adopt” the titular creature, the affair quickly devolves into a cartoonish snuff film of two dullards accidentally torturing a wild animal; the whole thing is made worse by the high volume of bodily fluids excreted by the Jiggler. Thankfully, Finn and Jake are able to return the Jiggler to its mother before it keels over, but this victory is undermined given that the whole situation was Finn and Jake’s fault to begin with. Perhaps it is best to view all of this as a cautionary tale: No matter how cute a wild animal may look, you probably should not take it home and make it dance for you. (2 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 7. “Ricardio the Heart Guy” (692-007)

Airdate: April 26, 2010

Production Information: Sean Jimenez and Bert Youn (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon, Adam Muto, and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Ricardio the Heart Guy” introduces the titular villain, the brainy-but-sleazy heart of the Ice King voiced to perfection by the sonorous George Takei. Given how arrogant the character acts even before his true intentions are revealed, it is not much of a shock that Ricardio is a rotten egg, and this lack of mystery drags the whole episode down to some degree. Nevertheless, Takei’s histronic performance injects into the episode a funny sort of melodrama, with is further reinforced by Casey James Basichis’s sparklingly dark score, which mixes in elements of opera alongside the usual chiptune blips and bloops to emphasize Ricardio’s pretentiousness. (3 stars‰)

  Season 1, Episode 8. “Business Time” (692-014)

Airdate: April 26, 2010

Production Information: Luther McLaurin and Armen Mirzaian (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: On the surface, “Business Time” is but a silly parody of corporate culture that sees Finn and Jake become the veritable CEOs of an adventuring firm. It is a silly little set up, and the show has good fun poking fun at business-speak and the deleterious effects of rampant corporatization. At the same time, by relegating Finn and Jake to the sidelines near the middle of the episode, “Business Time” does itself a disservice by focusing not on the wacky shenanigans of the business men, but rather on the mundanity of Finn and Jake’s “managerial life.” It all comes together in the end, when Finn and Jake are forced to jump into the fray and destroy the Business Men’s vacuum robot, but the noticeable lag there in the middle of everything throws the pacing of the episode off.

But while “Business Time” might not be the strongest first-season entry, it has gained respect in the fandom for being the first episode to underline that the Land of Ooo exists in the far future after some sort of nuclear holocaust. In an interview with USA Today, Ward explained that this was a natural development that he had never planned: “[When] we did [the] episode about businessmen rising up from an iceberg at the bottom of a lake … that made the world post-apocalyptic, and we just ran with it” (X). Considering how major the post-apocalyptic trappings would become to the show’s mythology, it is a bit startling to learn that it was added in on a whim. Regardless, it was an inspired choice that added a tinge of sadness to the story of Finn and Jake. They were not just frolicking in some fantasy world; they were frolicking in the ruins of our world, long after nuclear war had devasted the planet. Is it bleak? Absolutely! But this bleakness contrasts nicely with Adventure Time’s colorful surface, resulting in a deeply rich ambivalence. Not many shows—let alone children’s shows!—have managed to fuse such extremes into a workable whole. (3.5 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 9. “My Two Favorite People” (692-004)

Airdate: May 3, 2010

Production Information: Kent Osborne and Pendleton Ward (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: Almost all the first-season episodes that we have considered so far have placed a heavy emphasis on comedy. The point of these episodes is to make you laugh, and anything beyond that is gravy. “My Two Favorite People,” in contrast, may be the first that is grounded on a solidly emotional foundation, and while the episode is very funny, it is primarily interested in telling the poignant story of two brothers and a gal they both like. If anyone has ever found themselves caught up in a love triangle—whether real or, as in the case of this episode, imagined—Jake’s actions, although immature, will likely feel relatable. It is a cheesy cliché, but the story’s strength is that it all feels so real (which I recognize is a funny thing to say about a cartoon dog and his unicorn-rainbow beau).

“My Two Favorite People” is the first episode that really features Lady Rainicorn as a mover of the plot rather than just a fun side character, and it is a wonderful showcase for her. While a handful of later installments—namely season four’s “Lady & Peebles” and season eighth’s “Lady Raincorn of the Crystal Dimension”—would try to highlight Lady, “My Two Favorite People” is arguably the character’s funniest episodes, thanks in large part to her use of a universal translator, which allows the other characters to understand her. To some, a device such as this may seem like a cop-out, but storyboard artists Kent Osborne and Pendleton Ward cleverly preempt this criticism by making the device’s only useable setting one that gives Lady the voice of a great-great grandfather. Lady’s “old-man voice” is an episode highlight, and it makes many of the character’s lines (e.g., “Come on my darling! Wrap your legs around me!”) both hilarious and unsettling. (4 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 10. “Memories of Boom Boom Mountain” (692-010)

Airdate: May 3, 2010

Production Information: Sean Jimenez and Bert Youn (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: During the production of season one Ward exerted considerable effort trying to shepherd the show’s crew in a coherent direction, all the while responding to critiques levelled by dozens of Cartoon Network executives. Many of these critiques were contradictory, and in the process of creating something that he was proud of while also appeasing everyone around him, Ward very nearly went bananas. The experience provided the bedrock for “Memories of Boom Boom Mountain,” and to anyone who has been given the arduous task of pleasing a whole slew of prickly critics, the episode will be immediately relatable.

In terms of the show’s budding mythology, “Memories of Boom Boom Mountain” is notable because it firmly establishes that Finn was adopted as a baby by Jake’s canine parents, Joshua and Margaret. This plot point was likely guided less by worldbuilding and more by humor (perhaps playing on the whole “raised by wolves” idiom). Nevertheless, this decision would have major ramifications for the show’s overarching narrative. Finn’s nature as the only human in Ooo was no longer a silly afterthought—it was now a mystery. Just who is Finn the Human, and where did he come from? These questions would linger for seasons, finally culminating in season eight’s touching miniseries Islands. (4 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 11. “Wizard” (692-020)

Airdate: May 10, 2010

Production Information: Pete Browngardt, Adam Muto, and Bert Youn (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Wizard”—co-storyboarded by Pete Browngardt, an artist who storyboarded on Chowder and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack before creating the divisive Uncle Grandpa for Cartoon Network—is an absolute bonkers installment that throws logic out the window by giving Finn and Jake magical powers. It is a plot setup almost guaranteed to be fun, and you can tell that the writers likely a good time coming up with increasingly asinine magical powers (e.g., “endless mayonnaise”).

But underneath all the distraught dust motes and captivating new hairstyles, “Wizard” also has a degree of depth, reading like a biting commentary on higher education-industrial complex in the United States. It does not seem coincidental that the strategies employ by Bufo’s scam wizard school are strikingly similar to those used by predatory colleges, which offer students a worthless degree alongside thousands of dollars of debt. The parallels are made stronger when it is revealed that all those whom Bufo has tricked are reluctant to upset the oppressive status quo, because they believe “newfangled thinking will get [everyone] killed”; this eerily mirrors those who downplay the student loan crisis, arguing that “that’s just the system works.” Finn will have none of this, however, and by episode’s end, he—channeling his myriad wizard powers and the vigor of “youth culture”—proves that if a system is broke, it has got to go. Maybe we could learn a thing or two from that. (4 stars‰)

  Season 1, Episode 12. “Evicted!” (692-003)

Airdate: May 17, 2010

Production Information: Sean Jimenez and Bert Youn (storyboard artists); Adam Muto (story writer); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Evicted!” is considered a classic by most Adventure Time fans for one simple reason: It introduces the audience to Marceline the Vampire Queen. This iconic undead rocker chick managed to steal the spotlight whenever she appeared in an episode, and eventually she became one of the show’s more well-regarded characters. Given all this, there is some irony to the fact that in her debut, Marceline is the antagonist who steals our heroic duo’s beloved Tree Fort. Marceline is therefore similar to other season one baddies in that she tests Finn and Jake’s patience before engaging them in direct combat. But Marceline is set apart from other foes in how Finn and Jake defeat her—namely, that they do not. In fact, she pounds them into the ground almost effortlessly! Besting Finn and Jake is no easy task, meaning that while “Evicted!” might showcase Marceline’s nastier side, it nevertheless does an excellent job emphasizing how much of a badass she is; this goes a long way in explaining the character’s huge popularity.

But Marceline alone cannot an episode make. Luckily, “Evicted!” is further bolstered by several excellent design choices, including a bevy of fun background critters whipped up by character designer Tom Herpich, a slew of colorful background designs courtesy of Ghostshrimp and Santino Lascano, and a killer soundtrack. Regarding the latter, the stand-out tune is inarguably “House Hunting Song,” a comically overblown ballad detailing Finn and Jake’s arduous quest to find a new place to live. The song, sung mostly by Ward with a few lines delivered by Olson, is an emotion-laden earworm guaranteed to wiggle its way into your brain. (I mean, how can you not love a song that blames the murderous tendencies of vampires on simply being “burnt out on dealing with mortals”?) It very much is the blood-red cherry on top of everything, which helps to make “Evicted!” one of the season’s strongest episodes. (5 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 13. “City of Thieves” (692-012)

Airdate: May 24, 2010

Production Information: Sean Jimenez and Bert Youn (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “City of Thieves” is a workable if somewhat forgettable mid-season entry. The episode’s main strength is its titular setting, a bizarro municipality where theft is the law of the land. Unfortunately, the city is nothing more than a silly plot device, and the episode itself never really rises above “fine.” (2.5 stars‰)

  Season 1, Episode 14. “The Witch’s Garden” (692-022)

Airdate: June 7, 2010

Production Information: Adam Muto, Kent Osborne, and Niki Yang (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: If you think the idea of Jake sassing Ooo’s cattiest witch is funny in and of itself, wait until you see this episode’s visuals. From Jake’s grotesque but silly “manbaby body” to the abject horror of Gary the Mermaid Queen, “The Witch’s Garden” is replete with several memorable character designs that make it a satisfying entry. (3 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 15. “What Is Life?” (692-017)

Airdate: June 14, 2010

Production Information: Luther McLaurin and Armen Mirzaian (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: Giving Finn and Ice King a son is not a move that I thought Adventure Time would ever make, let alone in the first season, but here we are. The bouncing baby boy in question is actually a clunky robot named NEPTR, voiced to sadsack perfection by comedian and musician Andy Milonakis. If you had told me prior to this episode that Milonakis could give a sentient microwave a sense of pathos, I would have never believed you, but in “What Is Life?” he does a commendable job conveying NEPTR’s pitiful nature. As for the episode itself, “What Is Life?” is a solid entry that introduces viewers to several recurring characters (one of whom being Gunter the penguin) while offering us a peek into the Ice King’s sad, lonely mind. (3 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 16. “Ocean of Fear” (692-025)

Airdate: June 21, 2010

Production Information: J. G. Quintel and Cole Sanchez (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Oceans of Fear”—storyboarded by Cole Sanchez and J. G. Quintel, the latter of whom would go on to create Regular Show for Cartoon Network—is in an interesting installment that establishes Finn’s fear of the ocean, reminding the viewer that even great heroes will be forced to deal with irrational phobias at some point in their life. The character designs in this episode are quite amusing (with the standout being Finn’s grotesque “fear of the Ocean” face), and Mark Hamill, as always, does a wonderful job, using his trademark “Joker voice” to give the Fear Feaster a delightful air of villainy. But as with “Business Time,” many of these elements are upstaged by the episodes’ post-apocalyptic trappings. In fact, when I watched the episode for the first time, I paused it in several places, asking to myself, “Is that a wrecked battleship? Is that a bombed-out tank? Why are there ruins of a city underwater?” It is an understatement to say that this episode is positively littered with rusted debris and centuries-old detritus that testifies to Ooo’s traumatic history. For eagle-eyed fans hoping to piece together Adventure Time’s mysterious mythology, this episode is an absolute hoot. (‰3.5 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 17. “When Wedding Bells Thaw” (692-013)

Airdate: June 28, 2010

Production Information: Kent Osborne and Niki Yang (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: One of the first episodes to team Ice King up with Finn and Jake, “When Wedding Bells Thaw” is a goofy lampooning of bachelor parties and the institution of marriage in general. Although the episode ends on a fairly predictive note (spoiler alert: Ice King tricked his fiancée into marriage), seeing Ice King get along with our heroes is charming, and in many ways it presages the Ice King’s future character growth. The episode’s strongest part is the short dialogue-free montage near the middle depicting Finn, Jake, and Ice King getting into all sorts of “manlorette party” shenanigans; this sequence is made all the stronger by Tim Kiefer’s chiptune score, which enlivens the party with a burst of synthesizers and electro-drums. (3 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 18. “Dungeon” (692-013)

Airdate: June 28, 2010

Production Information: Elizabeth Ito and Adam Muto (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: If there is one episode that feels like the entirety of Adventure Time’s first season distilled down into 11 minutes, then it would be “Dungeon.” An episode replete with outrageous monsters and wacky action, “Dungeon” is a high-energy installment that pays homage to the sprawling world of table-top gaming; indeed, it is not hard to imagine storyboard artists Elizabeth Ito and Adam Muto reaching for a D20 or a well-worn copy of the Monster Manual whenever it came time to block out a new scene. Stand-out moments from this episode include Finn’s encounter with the Demon Cat (famous for having “approximate knowledge of many things”), his visitation by a “guardian angel,” and the deus ex machina ending that see Princess Bubblegum swoop in to save the day. (“Get on my swan!”) And amidst all the silliness, “Dungeon” even manages to sneak in a sweet little message tucked snuggly in between all the wacky monsters about the importance of recognizing your weaknesses. (‰4.5 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 19. “The Duke” (692-023)

Airdate: July 12, 2010

Production Information: Elizabeth Ito and Adam Muto (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: For most of season one, the audience is presented a version of Princess Bubblegum that is bright, effervescent, and totally nonthreatening; the monarch, it seems, is as aggressive as a marshmallow. But in “The Duke,” this all changes, and we finally get to see the princess’s darker, authoritarian side. Unhinged Princess Bubblegum is quite a sight to behold (as is the sight of green-and-bald Bubblegum), but it adds another layer of to the saccharine sovereign, setting her up for substantial character development a few seasons down the road. (3 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 20. “Freak City” (692-008)

Airdate: July 26, 2010

Production Information: Tom Herpich and Pendleton Ward (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Freak City” introduces the audience to Magic Man, a deranged and flamboyant Martian wizard known for meaninglessly harassing the citizens of Ooo. Although the character’s backstory would be fleshed out in later seasons and eventually come to play a major part in the mythology of the series, this episode was storyboarded well before these developments were dreamed up, meaning that here, Magic Man functions as a simple (albeit funny) villain-of-the-week whose nihilistic tendencies clash wonderfully with Finn’s optimistic worldview. Finn is so used to dividing the world up into “good guys” and “evil guys,” but his run-in with Magic Man is proof that morality is far more confusing than he would like to believe. The main problem is that Magic Man is not really evil: He is clinically insane—a violent psychopath—who does not care about his actions impacting others. No climactic fight or eleventh-hour pep talk is enough to fix him.

On top of this rather weighty consideration of morality and mental instability, “Freak City” contains another, more straightforward message about the power of teamwork and how people should work as one to overcome common problems. Storyboard artists Pendleton Ward and Tom Herpich have quite a bit of fun taking the idiom literally by forcing Finn and the other denizens of Freak City pile on top of one another to function as a single, grotesque being that is capable of fighting Magic Man. While “Freak City” loses some points for espousing rhetoric that folks who are depressed can simply will themselves out of their funk, it makes up for these deficits elsewhere with its character designs—ranging from the inside-out bird to the two-headed monster that Finn groin-strikes—which are all bizarre in the best, most creative way possible. (3.5 stars‰)

  Season 1, Episode 21. “Donny” (692-018)

Airdate: August 9, 2010

Production Information: Adam Muto, Kent Osborne, and Niki Yang (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: A rather forgettable protagonist and only a smattering of memorable lines make “Donny” the season’s weakest link. The episode does get points for introducing us to “whywolves” (“Creatures possessed by the spirit of inquiry—and bloodlust!”), but they are not enough to completely save it from mediocrity. (2 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 22. “Henchman” (692-021)

Airdate: August 23, 2010

Production Information: Luther McLaurin and Cole Sanchez (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: While “Evicted!” depicted Marceline as an apathetic asshole, “Henchman” starts to soften the vampire queen by showing that her evil exterior is an elaborate facade, and that deep down she is really just a prank-loving trickster—or, as Finn puts it, “a radical dame who likes to play games.” This might seem nothing more than a subtle tweak, but it does wonders for Marceline’s characterization; by episode’s end, as Finn and his vampiric “master” chat quite cheerfully in a field of strawberries, it is clear that the writers are setting up Marceline to become a legitimate pal to Finn and Jake, rather than just an avatar of chaos who drops in every once in awhile to shake things up. This was a wise decision, as it provided Marceline with the chance to grow into a hero in her own right with whom the audience can happily cheer along.

Since “Henchman” is predicated on Marceline pranking Finn, storyboard artists Luther McLaurin and Cole Sanchez have a great deal of fun mocking up outrageous scenarios that seem evil at first glance, but are revealed to be quite benign. Perhaps the funniest of these situations is Marceline raising an army of undead skeletons only to throw them a concert, and the vampire queen’s demand that Finn kill a little dimple-plant, which looks like a cutie before it turns into an Audrey II-esque abomination from John Carpenter’s darkest nightmares. (4 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 23. “Rainy Day Daydream” (692-002)

Airdate: September 6, 2010

Production Information: Pendleton Ward (storyboard artist); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: “Rainy Day Daydream” is a beautiful representation of creativity in its purest form. Channeling his love of multilevel video games and Dungeons and Dragons, solo storyboard artist and series creator Pendleton Ward uses the pretext of Jake’s imagination affecting reality as an opportunity to bounce from one ridiculous plot point to another to great effect. The whole thing feels like an exercise in jovial spontaneity, and while “writing the story as you go” can sometime result in disjointed or sloppy final products, here Ward makes it work, using the approach to illustrate the almost limitless potential of imagination. Another strength of the episode is the way it throws dozens of ridiculous obstacles at Finn and Jake without the aid of equally ridiculous visuals; in fact, almost every hindrance in the episode is invisible to both Finn and the audience, and we only learn what is going on thanks to Jake’s narration. The fact that this approach works and is not boring is a testament to Ward’s skills as a storyteller and dialogue writer. (‰4.5 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 24. “What Have You Done?” (692-027)

Airdate: September 13, 2010

Production Information: Elizabeth Ito and Adam Muto (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: In addition to providing us with another glimpse of Bubblegum’s dark side, “What Have You Done?” also serves as an interesting meditation on morality and preemptive punishment. As earlier episodes have confirmed, the Ice King is a creepy little deviant, but is it right for Finn and Jake to imprison him without a cause? This is a real legal question, and the show handles it in a surprisingly sophisticated way, concluding more or less that the writ of habeas corpus must be preserved. Of course, this is all undermined to some degree when we learn that the Ice King actually is to blame, but thanks to some quick thinking on the part of Finn, our heroes are able to save the day without having to turn to the carceral powers of the state. (And people say Adventure Time is not sophisticated...) (3 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 25. “His Hero” (692-026)

Airdate: September 20, 2010

Production Information: Adam Muto, Kent Osborne, and Niki Yang (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: Who is the greatest hero ever? If you answered, “Finn!” it is obvious that you have yet to see “His Hero,” for the correct answer is Billy, of course! Lou Ferrigno guest stars in this episode as the aforementioned defender of Ooo, enlivening the character with his distinctive voice. As for the episode itself, storyboard artists Kent Osborne and Niki Yang—with an assist from the ever-dependable Adam Muto—produce some of their best work this season, filling each scene with witty dialogue and zany shenanigans. Arguably, the episode’s pièce de resistance is the short montage of Billy’s past achievements, which plays alongside a song, sung by Muto, extolling the hero’s greatness; energetic and wacky, the song in many ways typifies the “chaotic heroism” that defined the show’s first season.

Like many other first-season episodes, “His Hero” ends with a counterintuitive “anti-moral,” stressing that while a commitment to non-violence might seem subversive on the surface, it is actually an ineffective way to make the world a better place; instead, the episode argues that direct physical action—i.e., beating the snot out of monsters and bad guys—is necessary if heroes want to save people from oppression. This may all come across as contrarian silliness, but I would argue that it is profoundly radical, rejecting “common sense” ideals about peace that really only help those in positions of power. (Side note, if the kids who grew up watching Adventure Time turn into a bunch of revolutionaries, I think we will know the cause.) (4 stars)

  Season 1, Episode 26. “Gut Grinder” (692-024)

Airdate: September 27, 2010

Production Information: Ako Castuera and Bert Youn (storyboard artists); Tim McKeon and Merriwether Williams (story writers); Larry Leichliter (director), Patrick McHale (creative director), Nick Jennings (art director)

Commentary: Much like “Ricardio the Heart Guy,” this episode suffers due to a lack of a solid mystery; from the start, it seems obvious that Jake is not the one responsible for the robberies. Furthermore, the reveal that Sharon is the one behind the robberies comes with almost no dramatical weight, since we have no idea who she is. The whole thing is forgettable, which is a shame given that this is the season finale. (2 stars)

(Huge shout out to @sometipsygnostalgic​ for reading over these a few months ago and offering feedback. Also, I want to thank @j4gm​ for posting his “Slumber Party Panic” review, which made me remember these write-ups!)

[latenightcinephile]

#730: 'His Girl Friday', dir. Howard Hawks, 1940.

One of the pre-eminent screwball comedies, His Girl Friday is a fascinating example of adaptation. It also demonstrates how Howard Hawks was fine-tuning the screwball comedy after his earlier experiences with Bringing Up Baby the year before. What this film shows above all else is the malleability of the original material, but also the significant changes in meaning and subtext that happen when the source is changed to this degree.

On paper, the change is simple: switch the gender of one of the two protagonists. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's play The Front Page revolves around two newspaper reporters, Hildy Johnson and Walter Burns, embroiled in a prison break plot when the escaped convict hides out in the press room where Johnson is saying his farewells to the other reporters. During the casting for the role of Burns, though, Howard Hawks' secretary read Johnson's dialogue to the hopeful actors, and Hawks decided he preferred the sound of the fast banter coming from a woman. Rewrites were undertaken, partly by Ben Hecht, but mostly by Charles Lederer, who had also adapted The Front Page straightforwardly for an earlier film.

I find this one of the most fascinating aspects of any adaptation: a director must usually pick something to adapt because of the overall quality of the work, but the process of adaptation almost always results in vast sections of the work being completely changed. In this case, half of the dialogue from the play which Hawks loved so much was replaced in the film script by Hecht and Lederer's later work, which was then further augmented by the frequent improvisations of the actors (and by a screenwriter that Rosalind Russell hired to provide her with extra material). The film includes a number of scenes outside of the press room as well: now that Hildy Johnson is a woman, the typical screwball comedy plot comes into play. Hildy and Walter are now ex-spouses, and while Hildy getting married is also the impetus of his resignation in The Front Page, in His Girl Friday the impending wedding is Walter's chief reason to prevent Hildy from leaving. Because of this, the character of the fiance has to be brought into greater detail, and on and on it goes. Multiple scenes have to take place, in the newsroom, in the police station, and in the restaurant, to lay this necessary groundwork, and it's quite impressive that Hawks and the writers felt strongly enough about this film to put that work in.

But when the film's plot finally comes into alignment with the play, it's nothing short of spectacular, and its roots in stage theatre are much more visible, and admirably so. Hawks wanted this film to replicate the real-life speed of talking, with overlapping dialogue, and I found this so effective that it was hard to look away from the screen even for a few seconds, otherwise I was liable to lose track of where the conversation had moved. There's something in particular about the court-adjacent settings that works brilliantly for stage adaptation, as they're a space that action occupies for a short but intense time. In the case of His Girl Friday, this action is accompanied by a Greek chorus of reporters for other newspapers, who squabble and comment on the events, and provide good counterpoints to the behaviour of our protagonists (when the escaped prisoner is finally captured after handing himself in without a fight, the other reporters start filing articles about a dramatic shootout).

His Girl Friday isn't a perfect film to a modern sensibility, though. I've often said that my feelings on Singin' in the Rain keep cooling as I watch it more, because the treatment of Lina Lamont gets worse but my favourite parts never get better. His Girl Friday has many of the same issues, as a lot of Walter's attempts to get Hildy's fiance, Bruce (Ralph Bellamy, who I'm mentioning because of an excellent throwaway joke about him) rely on making Hildy look neglectful or criminal. It's not about sending Bruce away to do something more important to him (Walter could easily concoct a reason to stall an insurance agent for a while), but about driving a wedge between Bruce and Hildy (having Hildy inadvertently give Bruce counterfeit money, for example, and gaslighting Hildy's potential mother-in-law). The film admittedly does have some insightful things to say about gender - the man's power is not to have it all, in this film, but to be able to devote himself totally to his job while women have to fight with an internal desire to have both a career and a personal life - but the ending does ring on a sour note, much in the same way that Singin' in the Rain does. In many screwball comedies, it seems, love does eventually win out, but it does so in spite of the characters rather than because they change or develop. The end of His Girl Friday leaves us in the same place as we were at the start, and the characters are still the same, more or less, but now they're back in love. It's debatable whether Hildy actually sees how little Walter cares for her, and whether he's read her anxiety over being forced out of her career by marriage as just another sign she actually loves him. If so, this film ends on a decidedly downbeat note, where Hildy gets everything she wants but none of the happiness that's supposed to attend it.

This film also indicates just how rough studio Hollywood actually played when it was in the service of 'comedy'. As well as the treatment of Hildy, this film also includes Mollie Malloy (Helen Mack) jumping from an upstairs window to keep the location of the escaped prisoner safe. The film practically glances off this near-suicide and never mentions Mollie again - water off a duck's back as the plot continues motoring indefatiguably ahead.

This darkness isn't meant as a strong criticism, just as an acknowledgement that the past did things differently and that it frequently didn't treat some issues with the respect they deserved. Knowing that going in means that you can watch for those issues rather than having them destroy your enjoyment of the film. Because if you can step around those little hiccups, then His Girl Friday is the most entertaining and amusing of all Dumpster-fires (and I mean that as the highest possible praise).

[aster-ion]

Sylvie x Loki Might Not Happen and Here’s Why

***SPOILERS FOR LOKI TV SHOW***

1.  They are basically siblings

Even though they have different personalities, backstories, and physical appearances, that doesn't change the fact that they are the genetic equivalent of siblings. No matter what Timeline you're looking at, both Sylvie and Loki are the offspring of Laufey and whoever he had children with. We know this because they are Variants of the exact same person, meaning that if either of them were born to someone other than Laufey, they would have been pruned as a baby. And since they weren't, that means they must be just as genetically similar as siblings are.

Because of this, the idea of Sylvie and Loki engaging in any kind of romantic or sexual relationship is extremely disturbing to a lot of fans. It's too big an oversight to brush past, especially when the show has continued to remind us over and over that they are, in fact, both Lokis. Maybe if them being the same person wasn't such a major plot point, it would be easier to ignore the facts, but it is, and that means that Marvel is basically pushing either an incest or selfcest (depending on how you look at it) type relationship. And that’s extremely risque for a corporation as large as Marvel, especially with a character as beloved by fans as Loki. 

2.  It is terrible LGBTQ+ representation

And before anyone says anything, no, it is not because Sylvie is portrayed as female and Loki as male. I've seen a lot of Sylvie x Loki shippers say that the reason people don't like the couple is due to it being one between a male and female, but that's not true. Loki and Sylvie were both confirmed to be bisexual, meaning that they can engage in a relationship with anyone of any gender. It would be completely valid for either of them to pursue romance with someone of a different sex and still be bisexual. No one is arguing against that, and if they are, I definitely do not agree with them.

However, the problem comes in when you take into account Marvel and Disney's (who owns Marvel) long history of queerbaiting. There have been countless times that Disney advertises their "first gay character!" only for it to be a single line of dialogue or a brief shot. Marvel in particular has used the popularity of certain LGBTQ+ ships and headcanons in their fanbase to generate media popularity that they don't actually follow through with in their movies/shows. So when Loki was confirmed to be both genderfluid and bisexual in Episode Three, lots of people felt like they were finally getting a win for representation. 

But those people, myself included, appear to have been let down again. The first two official queer characters had so much potential to go off and be with anyone they wanted, but instead, the show has set them up to be in a romance with each other. Now, this wouldn't be problematic on it's own, but when you take into consideration the questionable nature of their romance from Point One as well as the fact that the show has explicitly referred to it as "twisted," it raises the question of whether or not this is actually good representation. Because the fact is, in one episode the writers went “look, it’s two queer people!” and in the next, they said “their relationship is disgusting and demented.” Marvel’s first bisexual characters being borderline incestuous/selfcestuous does not sit well with me at all.

All of this is made even more confusing when you take into account the background of the Loki crew, most notably, the director Kate Herron. She also directed the Netflix series Sex Education, which has quite a bit of very well done representation of all kinds. So how is she managing to fail so badly on this project? It makes me wonder whether she truly is just losing her touch or if this is all a misdirection. Personally, I'm hoping for the latter.

3.  It does not send the "self love" message people seem to think it does

The writers, director, and cast of Loki have said multiple times that the relationship between Sylvie and Loki is meant to act as a metaphor for self love. And in a way, that makes a lot of sense. Despite creating different identities for themselves over time, they are still ultimately the same person and therefore share a special bond because of it. And there's a lot of potential that can be done with that concept.

Loki is an extremely complex and intriguing character. He has experienced a lot of trauma in his past that has shaped him into the person he is today. And that person is clearly very broken. He has never given away or received any kind of love, with the exception of his mother and possibly his brother, Thor. Other than that, he's had no healthy friendships, romances, or perception of himself. It makes sense for him to be confused by this pull he feels towards Sylvie, who is both alarmingly alike and vastly different from himself.

Something this series does exceptionally well is breaking Loki out of his comfort zone. He is finally forced to see himself from other people's perspectives. It started with the file Mobius showed him in the first episode. Loki was able to view his actions apart from himself, and was hit with the realisation that he had been hurting people, and he didn't like that. 

Loki is also confronted by the existence of the Time Keepers and the TVA, who describe him as an antagonist and nothing more. To them, his role is to make those around him look better, even if that means he repeatedly gets the short end of the stick. Mobius mentions that he disagrees with this and that Loki "can be whoever and whatever he wants, even someone good," adding another layer of depth as to who Loki could be in the future of the series. 

Another huge moment for Loki's character development is while in the Time Loop Prison with Sif. Though he starts out annoyed with the situation and recalls not feeling apologetic when he cut off Sif's hair, the longer he is in the loop, the more he changes. Loki admits things to himself that we have never seen him say aloud, such as the fact that he is a narcissist that craves attention. Sif telling Loki over and over that he deserves to be alone makes Loki question whether or not he believes that to be true, allowing him an introspective moment where he really has to think about who he is. 

Now with all of that being said, I'd like to tie in why this is important to the writing of Loki and Sylvie. They act as a mirror to one another, representing both the flaws and strengths of "what makes a Loki a Loki." For once, Loki gets an honest, unbiased look at himself without layers of expectations or self doubt. On Lamentis, he calls Sylvie "amazing" and praises her for all her accomplishments. That's a huge moment for him because it shows that despite also finding her irritating, he can look past those traits and see someone worth being a hero underneath. And through that realisation, he begins to understand that he can also grow to love himself. That kind of character development for Loki is incredible to watch, and it's the kind of character development I want to see from this series. Unfortunately, them possibly engaging in a romantic relationship will ruin it.

Whenever I'm feeling insecure about myself and my abilities, the solution has never been to look at who I am through a romantic lens. Self love is an entirely different type of love from romantic love, so if the series tries to push this relationship as a romance, it will fail to truly represent the arc that they are trying to show.

4.  Nobody likes it 

This one's a little on the nose, but it's true. Almost no one likes this ship, and more than that, most people actively hate it. Yes, there is a small minority that like Loki and Sylvie together, but there is an overwhelmingly larger group that is disgusted and angry by the fact that the show paired them up.

After Episode 4 aired, I ranted for about an hour and a half with a friend about how much we didn't want them together. My aunt whom I have never texted reached out to me to say that she hated their relationship. My homophobic neighbour came over and told me that she would prefer any other romance to this. Friends that I haven't talked to much since school let out for summer have all agreed that they collectively dislike Loki x Sylvie. This ship has brought people together purely because everyone hates it more than they hate each other.

There is no denying that the general feedback for Loki and Sylvie being a couple has been negative, even if you support them getting together for some reason. So if there are so many people out there who don't like it, I'm confused as to how it would be approved by a team of professionals.

5.  The contradicting information we have gotten so far

Before the release of Episode Four, Kate Herron said that the relationship between Loki and Sylvie was “not necessarily romantic.” During the interview, she continued to refer to them as friends and people who found solace and trust in each other.

However, after Episode Four, the head writer, Michael Waldron, and other members of the crew spoke up about Sylvie and Loki. They said things like “it just felt right that that would be Loki’s first real love story” and “these are two beings of pure chaos that are the same person falling in love with one another.” These kinds of comments very heavily imply something romantic, directly contradicting what Kate Herron said. Even Tom Hiddleston, the actor for Loki, has assessed the situation, highlighting the differing viewpoints. He’s also said before that the end of Episode Four ultimately has Loki getting in his own way. 

Now, this could all just be a misdirection on either side to build suspense for the show, but as of right now, it is entirely unclear who is telling the truth. Though it is more likely that the statements made by Michael Waldron are more accurate (as he is the writer), there is still a slight possibility that Loki x Sylvie won’t happen. I’ll link the articles I’ve found on this topic below so you can read them and decide for yourself. 

Kate Herron Statement - https://www.cbr.com/loki-sylvie-relationship-not-romantic/ 

Michael Waldron Statement - https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/loki-sylvie-in-love 

Tom Hiddleston Statement - https://thedirect.com/article/loki-tom-hiddleston-sylvie-romance 

6.  It is still salvageable

The odds are not in our favour, I’m afraid. It is highly probable that the show will put Loki and Sylvie in a romantic relationship with each other. Yet there is still a way to salvage it and turn their bond into something incredibly satisfying. Like I mentioned in Point Three, the relationship between Loki and Sylvie has the potential to be incredibly empowering and provide both characters some much-needed growth. And I believe that while unlikely, it can still do that. 

The only mention of them being romantically interested in each other came from Mobius, who at the time was angry, betrayed, and doing anything he could to get Loki to talk. Then, at the end of the episode, right before Loki is about to confess something important to Sylvie, he is pruned. This results in no explicit confirmation from either Loki or Sylvie that they are in love with each other. The audience is left not knowing whether Mobius was correct in his speculations, and honestly, I don’t think Loki knows either.

Loki is no expert on love, as I explained earlier. It is entirely possible that he doesn’t grasp how he feels about Sylvie and defaults to romance because of what Mobius said. There is undoubtedly some sort of deep bond forming between them, and I would love to see that being explored in the next two episodes. I would love to watch Loki’s journey of realising that he doesn’t want anything romantic with Sylvie, and was simply confused by the new things he was feeling towards her. Loki even says “this is new for me” when talking to Sylvie at the end of Episode Four. Him momentarily believing that he wants to be a couple with her then shifting into them becoming friends who help each other grow is still a reality that could happen. And ultimately, I think that would benefit them both as characters as well as strengthen the overall message of the show.

In a show about self love, acceptance of yourself, and figuring out who you want to be, Loki very much needs people who support him. He has that in Mobius already, and now he’s beginning to have it in Sylvie as well. I just hope that it is done in a way that resonates with the audience and subverts expectations, which just cannot be done through some twisted romantic relationship. I’ve spoken to others watching the show and seen people talking online, and everyone seems to agree that Loki and Sylvie work much better as platonic soulmates or found family than a couple. 

Of course, my hopes aren’t that high up. While I’d love for this to happen, I’ve been let down by Marvel before and wouldn’t be surprised if they went for the easy route of pairing characters up rather than dealing with the emotions correctly. Still, I have hope for this series. Everything else about it is wonderful and perfect in every way. It has the potential to become a masterpiece and easily the best thing that Marvel has ever done. However, this romance would ruin it for me and so many others. We already feel incredibly disappointed by Loki x Sylvie being suggested, so I can’t even begin to fathom how people will react if the show makes it canon. I’m begging Marvel to please do better than this. They have a wonderful story to tell and a wonderful team to do it, and I hope from the bottom of my heart that they don’t throw that away. 

[justjessame]

Glorious, Before the Burden - The Mourning ~ 10

My thoughts of Loki weren’t all darkness and sadness.  After I’d had my fill of my garden at night, I’d retire to my bed - too big without him next to me. I’d thought I’d grown accustomed while alone in Asgard after his fall, but here, on Midgard where we first shared a bed it appeared that nostalgia came rushing back.  

Lying beneath a blanket that felt too heavy, on sheets that felt too warm, I’d be overcome with memories of better times - other beds - where I wasn’t alone.  

“Do you know,” Loki’s cool finger danced up my bare spine as my teeth dug into my lip and my eyes fluttered shut at the chill drawing gooseflesh to the surface of my sweat glistening skin, after all he’d just helped me see Valhalla in all its glory - again.  “That I see constellations under your skin,” his tongue replaced his finger tip and I arched up to meet him, sighing at the change, the temptation, the NEED that he was building.  “Shall I tell you the tales of each one, my love?”  

I’d wake each morning twisted in the bedding, sweating and feeling as if I’d had no rest - because I hadn’t rested.  I was reliving every moment of my life with Loki - while he was living on without me, with the belief that I was gone. 

Michael Griffiths had adopted me, much as he’d told Director Nick Fury, he assumed the role of grandfather.  And as such, he took it upon himself to get me acclimated to my new home.  Including, against my better judgement, teaching me the ways around that dreaded beast - the computer.  

“It won’t bite,” he assured me, opening up the portable version he insisted on bringing over.  

A laptop, as it was called - although I’d only seen them set upon tables and desks - the screen flickered awake and as he talked me through the navigation, I found that it was a portal to more information.  That coupled with the internet, it could help me gain knowledge of the points and passages of Midgard that I had missed, even with a few trips that Loki had surprised me with over the course of our marriage - they’d been spontaneous and random - I had much to learn. 

“See,” Michael knew that I loved learning - a ferocious appetite, he called it - and this appealed to my need for it.  “This cottage was already wired for wi-fi, a call was all it took -” he’d done it for me, just as he’d taken care of the cell phone, as he’d handled much of what I would have missed.  I offered to repay him, but he shook me off, refusing every offer.  “I have no family, no close family at least.”  

And so - we became one another’s family.  Taking comfort in each other’s company, I’d listen to his tales of a childhood that sounded simple, yet wonderful - and he understood when I didn’t share as much.  I need to keep myself tucked away, at least for a while longer.  

Not every night was filled with memories - some were filled with images that I couldn’t place.  Images that I felt certain my mind gave me to give me solace, to ease my pain, to make me feel peace - though some were so dark that I had to fear that perhaps Odin was urging Frigga to send me a reminder of my punishment. 

I saw Loki, in chains - shackled and held in place by guards, my pain hit me so low and deep I was startled that I couldn’t wake.  I watched as he asked Frigga if he’d made her proud, as he warned him not to make things worse - as Odin ordered her out.  How could my eyes burn so hot in a dream?  

Loki, my brave, darling, ARROGANT love, standing tall and laughing at his adopted father - mockingly asking what the problem was in what he’d done on Midgard - why there was such a fuss.  And then, as Odin and he had their back and forth, as he truly took notice of his surroundings, it seemed to dawn on him FINALLY that something was TRULY amiss.  

“Where is SHE?”  His tone wasn’t one of fear.  It was anger, the anger I expected when he would first note my absence.  “Where’s MY WIFE?”  

Odin, had he always looked so smug?  Had he always looked so all knowing and condescending?  Or was I simply cynical now? My eyes see him through the filter of pain and being cast out for my honesty.  

“Your WIFE,” he made the word sound like a crime, as if I WERE a crime.  “Is DEAD.”  Loki stared at him, opening his mouth and preparing to argue, but Odin wasn’t through.  “By her own hand,” he nodded at a guard who stepped forward and my heart twisted as I saw just how deeply they’d plotted to keep us apart, to truly destroy our connection.  

The guard held one of the hair picks Loki had commissioned for me, my favorite in fact, coated in blood and I knew - I knew that they really had severed the bond.  It was as if Frigga had taken that pick and shoved it right through my heart, coating it in my actual life’s blood.  

Loki didn’t allow Odin to see him react.  He shut off all comments about me.  Returning to the mocking, arrogant prisoner that Thor had returned from Midgard with - accepting, from an outward appearance, my suicide with a stoic heart.  But I knew my husband, and I saw the red tint in his eyes, I saw the flash that crossed his face, and I understood - he wouldn’t allow Odin to see his pain.  He wouldn’t allow his capture, this person who had taken him as a pathway to peace with one of Asgard’s oldest enemies to see how broken he was by the news that I was dead.  Not after - not with his failure, not after he lost his way and his regret was piling ever higher.  

Hearing that Frigga wouldn’t be allowed to visit was a final blow - life imprisonment without solace or peace.  And for once - since he first started plotting for his throne - he felt he deserved it.  

Gasping awake, I saw that dawn hadn’t yet crested.  A glance at the clock told me I hadn’t slept more than a few moments.  This tortuous dream felt like it had taken YEARS off my life, that it had lasted DAYS to watch, but it was moments.  

Sobbing as I thought of Loki, MY Loki having to hear that I’d taken my life - considering how they’d searched our rooms, taking anything I could have considered doing just that, and wondered - had they WANTED me to?  Had a family I’d been married into, a family I’d thought myself a part of for so very long, wished me to do them this favor?  End my life so once they could find my husband, they would have a built in torture ready made?  

I couldn’t - no, Frigga wouldn’t want me to have done such a monstrous thing.  It was one thing to SAY it, to try to convince him that I had - but to push me to it?  That was beyond anything anyone I knew would ever press for.  These dark thoughts would get me nowhere - no closer to - but would ANY thoughts get me closer to HIM?  

Picking through our past, I fought to find ONE, just ONE that would make it feel like he was near - and I felt as though I might be growing near it - but then just as it came within grasping distance, just as I could ALMOST catch a hint of a whiff of his scent, a glimmer of the blue of his eyes - it was gone - and I was alone once more.  

“Sigyn,” Loki’s eyes were as red rimmed as they’d been in our rooms - the day of destruction that should have warned me of what was to come.  The sob building in his chest.  “My love, is that you?”  It was as if he COULD see me, locked away in what I could easily see was one of Asgard’s prison cells.  “Have you come to haunt me, my darling?”  

I shook my head, reaching for him, my own eyes burning again.  Wanting so badly to touch him, to feel his cool touch.  “No, Loki, no,” my throat burned too, as if I’d swallowed glass.  “Why would I haunt you?”  

He didn’t come closer, regret and fear warring for dominance within him.  “Of all my failures, wife, pushing you to THIS -” he gestured at whatever he was seeing when he looked at me.  “THIS cuts me the deepest.”   

Confusion overtook my longing for him, what - turning slighting, I caught sight of my reflection - rather a reflection of the wraith that my Loki saw when he glanced my way - what else could one call the withered, bloody being that seemed ragged with death and despair, wearing sorrow like a cloak, the wound I’d supposedly given myself with the weapon he’d had created for me blossoming from my chest like a grotesque flower.  

“Oh, Loki,” looking down, unable to meet his gaze, not like this - in this form, this monstrosity that they’ve twisted me into.  “This wasn’t your fault.”  

“Then whose?”  His pain and grief pierced me as deeply as the false wound would have.  “Whose fault if not mine?”  

Waking up with tears streaming, the pain still clenching tight around my heart, I wished that I could have answered him.  That I could have told Loki who was at fault - but would answering him have truly helped? 

[aion-rsa]

The Suicide Squad: Who Lives and Who Dies

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains major The Suicide Squad spoilers. We have a spoiler free review here.

Five years ago, Will Smith uttered the instantly meme-able line, “So that’s it, huh, we’re the patsies, we’re some kind of Suicide Squad.” Yet by the end of that 2016 film, barely anyone in that squad was put six feet under. How times have changed.

For the entire rollout of his pseudo-sequel/reboot, writer-director James Gunn has insisted he had carte blanche to kill off any character in his The Suicide Squad roster. While we may remain skeptical if Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and a few others were really that expendable to Warner Bros., Gunn’s finished film speaks to just how much freedom he was allotted in slaughtering potentially valuable DC IP. Major characters from the first film, and a slew of new ones Gunn personally introduced, were pushing up daisies before the movie’s opening title card. And the bodycount only grew from there.

So if you had trouble keeping up with who died, and in what gnarly and grotesque fashion, we’re here to offer a handy dandy list of which members of the Suicide Squad walked away from Corto Maltese, and which were carried away in bags.

Blackguard

Dies

You can’t help but wonder if Gunn intentionally cast Pete Davidson as the first Squad member to get put down. With the exception of a fakeout (more on that in a bit), the mildly divisive SNL alumni goes out in gruesome fashion when he reveals on a Corto Maltese beachhead that he somehow communicated with the local military that a U.S. operation would be landing there. He thinks this will get him in good with the new government. Instead it gets him obliterated by a hail of bullets. All that time in prison and Blackguard never learned what happens to snitches…

Javelin

Dies

Flula Borg’s Javelin cut an amusing figure, as if he wandered in from some low-rent 1970s superhero television series. Even his accent was absurdly disarming, as Harley quickly noticed. Alas, it was not meant to be since Javelin was blasted fast on the beach, barely having a moment to entrust Dr. Quinzel with his trusty weapon.

Mongal

Dies

Let it not go unsaid that Mayling Ng’s Mongal made an epic introduction and exit when she took down several choppers all by herself. Unfortunately, she didn’t really think about a personal strategy as she rode one helicopter all the way down into its fiery ‘splosion.

Captain Boomerang

Dies

The first really major death of the film came when Captain Boomerang, Jai Courtney’s holdover from the 2016 movie, also bit the big one from the same fiery blast that took Mongal. At least he and Harley got to share a few laughs beforehand. We guess this puts an end to any chance of him  showing up in The Flash movie!

T.D.K.

Dies

Okay, as soon as you realized the secret superpower of Nathan Fillion’s character was something as lame as “detachable” limbs, you also knew he was dead meat, right? This character is so lame that Gunn doesn’t even show the Corto Maltese military putting him out of his misery. They just snicker as he writhes in pain, feeling how his detached arms have been shot to ribbons. Bad day to be a Browncoat.

Savant

Dies

Michael Rooker is the actor James Gunn casts when he wants to give a character an epic death scene. It took two movies for that to prove true in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, but Rooker’s Savant doesn’t even make it to the end of the opening credits here… well not all of him. The blood and brain splatter created by the bomb Amanda Waller detonated in this coward’s skull spells a lovely “The Suicide Squad” lettering across the waves. And hey, at least Rooker got to rock those epic blonde locks!

The Thinker

Dies

Once you heard that Peter Capaldi was playing an evil supervillain who was also in league with the Suicide Squad’s enemies, you knew there was no way Thinker was walking away from this movie, right? Nonetheless, Gunn goes hard with the doc’s death scene when a liberated Starro the Conqueror gets revenge for 30 years of captivity by ripping his captor’s arms off and then turning him into a red smear across glass. Ouch.

Col. Rick Flag

Dies

This one hurt. Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag was one of the better and even underrated elements from 2016’s Suicide Squad, and he got a chance to shine a lot brighter here. From small things like his total war buddies vibe with Harley to showing a backbone when he realizes Waller’s nefarious cover-up game, Flag came out as a real leader this time up to bat. Sadly, he then got Cena’d to death.

Polka-Dot Man

Dies

You did it, Polka-Dot Man, you proved your simultaneously dippy and creepy superpowers could make you a real superhero! Even your Norma Bates-like mama would be proud. Too bad Starro then stepped on you immediately afterward. Yay?

Starro

Dies

The big guy had his giant eye poked out by Harley and then an army of rats swarm into the hole that made and chew up his insides. Honestly, you feel bad for the kaiju in the end. Like King Kong, he didn’t ask to be brought here. Who knew we could get the sniffles for a rampaging monster with mind-control powers?

Harley Quinn

Lives

Come on, did you think they’d kill off Harley? Pfft, Robbie’s performance is way too good for that.

Bloodsport

Lives

Given his world-weary stoicism, I thought going in that Idris Elba’s Bloodsport was too noble for Gunn’s twisted vision. How nice it is to be proven wrong. Elba’s supervillain marksman reveals there’s a heart of gold beneath that gruff exterior, and it’s still beating when the credits come around.

Ratcatcher II

Lives

James Gunn once told us that Daniela Melchior’s Ratcatcher was the heart of the movie with a presence “like somebody from the French New Wave.” And he wasn’t blowing smoke about the actor or the character. Despite being introduced as an easygoing millennial, Ratcatcher turns out to be the most sympathetic Squad member and proves her generation gets the job done by unleashing an armada of rats on Starro.

King Shark

Lives

Thank God. Nobody better hurt our precious man-eating Nanaue. Go ahead, King, have another nom-nom. You earned it!

Sol Soria

Lives

Sol Soria gets to be el presidente in Corto Maltese now. I guess that’s a fair enough trade with the knowledge that the people who put her there also fed her buddies head first to a land shark.

Amanda Waller

Lives

Some characters are too evil to die. Amanda Waller is still stewing back in D.C. by the end of The Suicide Squad, and she’s likely scheming of a way to murder all of her current underlings too.

Weasel

Lives

The first fakeout of the movie is the fate of Weasel. Despite seemingly being the first character to seemingly die off—in a really hilarious fashion when Waller and company realize they didn’t check to see if Weasel could swim—it turns out he didn’t drown. There’s another reason right there for why Savant deserved to have his head go boom. Pity the children of Corto Maltese.

Peacemaker

Lives

Even though Peacemaker got an epic death scene where Bloodsport won a quickdraw showdown, some actors are just too big of a deal to kill. Thus the end credits scene reveals that Peacemaker survived his bullet wound to the neck and is still breathing on a hospital ventilator. Nonetheless, Bloodsport taught him a valuable lesson: It’s not the size of your bullets but how you use them.

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