#the plot is Okay. the premise is Okay. but the execution is just so fucking bad that i couldnt ignore it

[samarecharm]

Waiting to see the ACTUAL end of the game later today (watching my friend stream it), but i have Thots about so//ul hack//ers 2 and its very very mixed. I think more good than bad, but only marginally so…

[showtoonzfan]

HELLUVA BOSS: S2E4 REVIEW

Ganna be honest, this episode wasn’t AS bad as I thought it would be, like I’m lowkey shocked. It’s certainly not the worst out of what we’ve seen, and it didn’t piss be off to high heaven, especially since the runtime is short and Blitz and Stolas are away from one another here, but….it still wasn’t….good, so let’s get into it.

So everyone already knows this episode was….so fast paced. Andrealphus doesn’t even get a proper introduction, and like I said before, in the span of one fucking minute, we have Stolas and Stella petty banter, Andrealphus, and Striker coming back to kidnap him. For starters, Yayy….glad to see Stolas and Stella acting like petty middle schoolers towards eachother. I was right when I said that the writers can’t figure out what they want their dynamic to be. Like….this is supposed to be the same couple that’s in an abusive serious situation, and it kinda doesn’t make me take them seriously if they’re just swearing at each other and bickering Viv. Also, glad to know the writers are outright saying “cheating is okay”- simply because Stella never liked him, so again….way to take the flaws Stolas had in season 1 and completely erase them and excuse them, just because you want Stolas to be in the right. It’s so distracting how fucking retconned they are, they might as well just have said “Stolas did nothing wrong” in Loo Loo Land if these were the writer’s true colors all along, but since Viv wrote this episode, I’m not surprised.

They hyped Andrealphus up but he gets like….two scenes and doesn’t do much like…lmao. In The Circus, again…they try to make it clear that divorce in the Goetia family is uwu serious, and Stella mentions Andrealphus, implying that he would be upset, or is a threat. When we actually meet him tho, he isn’t even….upset about the divorce? Why did Stella mention him then? What was the point of foreshadowing him and having Stolas say he doesn’t care what he thinks if Andrealphus was just going to be all like “oh you’re getting divorced? Okay, give us money then”- like it’s so fucking underwhelming but we’ll get back to him and Stella later. Also we see that Stolas has a scheduled meeting with Ozzie, implying that he may be trying to get that crystal after all. But…can this show just fucking….stop teasing us with future shit and just do it already? I’m so tired of the show dangling plot threads to come later in our face but they either NEVER come or the execution is underwhelming.

Blitz continues to be the most annoying and unfunny character in the entire show. His jokes and dialogue are a fucking pain to sit through and the scene where he’s trying to announce his appointment and fights with the lady in the waiting room drags and is unneeded. In fact, this whole side plot was unneeded. Viv doesn’t know how to fucking balance this show, she wants episodes to be serious and story driven but have a slice of life filler side plot at the same time and guess what? It doesn’t work or blend well. The constant cut aways are distracting from the main plot and you could have used this premise for a different episode. Loona doesn’t even have any dialogue, you could have at least improved the relationship between her and Blitz or had a moment of her being thankful that he was here and comforting her, appreciating him more….ya know….character development……..something that would have made this side plot actually useful since this is supposed to be a fucking “character driven” show about the relationships between the characters, but no. This side plot existed to pat out the run time and give Blitz and Loona something to do so they’re not just sitting there. As usual Loona does nothing, is useless and only there for the furry porn. The shot of her butt with the needle was 100% on purpose, I can tell.

(Also we’re on season 2 and only now finally get to see an upfront interaction of Imps being treated as the lower class, but it doesn’t do anything. This show tells us instead of showing us, they constantly remind you that imps are at the bottom but Blitz still literally has a good job that pays well and aside from the wrath imps providing food too feed hell, there’s no exploration of how imps having it lower than any other demon species. If anything it seems like Imps and the rest of the Hellborn species are all on the same ranking because Viv can’t storytell.) Also what is with the bleeping? I really don’t get it, it’s not funny and it’s distracting, making scenes awkward.

Predicted it, but Moxxie and Millie were…unneeded in this episode and were only included to fight Striker. These two really are useless when they’re not the focus and you can tell Viv has no idea what to do with them when they’re not. Also…..Viv…..Viv……is Moxxie strong, or not? Make up your fucking mind. In this episode he’s able to get the upper hand against a bigger imp, make him bleed and tie him to the car without an issue, and yet he’s been characterized as weak and not the muscle of the group. Is he strong or not? YAYY MORE CHARACTER INCONSISTENCIES! And glad to know Millie did nothing….as usual. Besides fight.

So Stolas has officially become Angel Dust, and Moxxie is slowly turning into Blitz so that’s great. It’s amazing how there’s barley a difference between the Stolas and Angel tho, he’s just Angel Dust. And Chaz. And Blitz. And every other fucking gay male character Viv writes. The constant cursing, the quick sassy witty banter, the sex jokes of him being tied up, you can tell Viv wrote this with those “harder” jokes between Moxxie and Stolas like…wow, it’s amazing how her gay characters have recycled personalities, aka the Sassy gay twink. Anyway, to me, Stolas before was horny and rabid don’t get me wrong, but something about the way he is in this episode just irks me more. I get that he hates Stella and Striker, but now he just seems like a petty sassy royal bird who acts like a child 24/7…..and it’s unfunny…..and annoying. All these characters are written like fucking children I can’t.

Apparently Striker has a reputation, is wanted around Hell and is well known for being an assassin now??? I thought he was just some Imp who was hired to kill someone? Lmao yet another retcon because if this was the case before, you’d think IMP would have heard of him in Harvest Moon. What’s also retconned is Striker saying he was asked to give Stolas the “full royal treatment”, to torture him I guess but….no? He was hired to shoot Stolas with an angelic gun. Why didn’t he just fucking shoot him. Speaking of that, where is the fucking angelic gun? The IMP gang had it last, and now they don’t have it. Also I already pointed this out but…Stolas can’t recognize Striker despite meeting him in episode 5 upfront. Let’s actually talk about Striker tho. He wasn’t perfect but he certainly was the best part of the episode. I actually applaud Bosco for his voice acting, and the scene with him snapping at the band to leave him alone was the only joke that made me laugh. I didn’t care about Striker that much before but this episode honestly made me did now, ignoring the fact that he’s characterized as egotistical. Problem is tho, like the rest of the antagonists, Stikers kinda just a tool. So he….may or may not be dead, I legit have no idea. If he is dead however….boy oh boy, that would piss me off, because IF he IS dead……then way to go guys, you killed off the only interesting and cool character. 🫠

I expected it, but it’s amazing how everything beforehand regarding him was for nothing if he does turn out dead. The tension he had between him and Moxxie? Would be gone. The fact that he appeared in Blitz’s hallucination, being someone who was similar to Blitz but they used their skills differently yet were the same regarding being mistreated by the upper class? Would be gone. Striker wanting to rebel against the higher class? Gone. Blitz doesn’t even get to interact with him before he dies, for a character that clearly had an impact on him. I was going to applaud this episode for actually being consistent and keeping Striker the same person who despises the upper class for what they do to the lower class, they even imply that he had someone he cares about taken away, but it’s all fucking gone if they KILLED HIM OFF. It all would go nowhere in the end and it pisses me off now because you HAD an interesting character, a villain who contrasted the main character, who had a point and could be humanized, and who rightfully calls out Stolas and his people being the scum of the earth, and now he might be dead because once again, Vivzie is an impatient writer who pushes the story forward too fast before we can even get to know these important characters, and also doesn’t want Stolas to be in a position where he’s in the wrong. Bro was literally eating at a rich place where imps serve you, treats his butler like a stress toy, talks down to Blitz and other imps…he’s not innocent Viv.

(It’s also obvious but this episode suffers from pacing issues, the constant cut aways, and scenes moving by so fast we can’t digest any of it. The FIGHT scene tho? Good god that was a mess, it’s literally faster than Millie’s fight scene from last episode, and the annoying songs playing as we kept cutting to Blitz at the appointment REALLY doesn’t help. I really feel like this studio can’t handle fight scenes….at all, or knows how they work. The video literally gets fucking blurry at one point like what the FUCK LMAO…..either hire someone who knows how to animate action scenes or don’t do action scenes at all.)

I knew Stella was still going to be one note, so I wasn’t surprised, but honestly what did piss me off is how stupid they make her. She was inconsistent before but now she’s just an idiot, because apparently she needed to be TOLD that once Stolas dies, everything goes to Octavia. Like are you kidding me? She’s so dumb that she needed to be told that?? She doesn’t even respond when Andre mentions Via, lmao her whole character really is “me hate Stolas and me want him dead” and nothing else. I’ll give the episode this, even though we barley got to see Andre, he wasn’t insufferable like I thought he would be, in fact, he’s more tolerable than Stella and Stolas combined since he’s the one who’s annoyed at their bickering and calls Stella out for being dumb, but that’s not a writing flex. Andre clearly seems to be the smart mastermind leading Stella now, I have no idea wether if they’ll later make her sympathetic and paint Andre out to be the baddie leading her, or not, it would be bad writing either way tho. Speaking of that….the way Andre treats Stella is off, and I don’t mean in the way that he could be evil. Like other critic blogs have been saying, he calls her attractive, a minx, and a vixen, all words you….wouldn’t really call your sister. It’s really gross and I’m starting to think the information we’ve been given of these two secretly screwing might be true. Like…if we’re doing straight up incest, I’m ganna hurl.

Andre also is all like “if we keep him alive, we’ll have more opportunities, let’s wait till we can get the upper hand”- and I’m…..what? You HAD the upper hand, that’s number one, and number two, this dialogue is VERY vague and makes me feel like Viv had no idea what exactly Andre’s end goal is here, so she used this dialogue as an excuse to figure it out later since she doesn’t plan shit ahead. Because what is Andre’s end goal? It’s confusing. Stella wants him dead, but then they’re talking about money and possessions. Andre seems to want to help Stella have Stolas’s estate, but she just wanted him dead because she hates him. Now you’re telling me she wants his estate too? YAY MORE RETCONS AND CONFUSING PLOT HOLES. Guess we’ll have to wait for Viv to figure out their motivations later lol.

Yada yada another retcon, Blitz cares for Uwu Stolas and is a dumbass for acting like he never knew Stolas could get hurt despite having a fucking angelic weapon on him and learning royals could be in danger in the last season, moving on-

So we’re finally at the end, the most important scene, the text scene. For starters, just like the other critic blogs have been saying……Ozzie’s finally……FINALLY gets brought up again and acknowledged, and it’s over a fucking blink and you’ll miss it half- assed text message. Like….WOW Viv, way to scrape the bottom of the barrel and confront this in the most underwhelming way possible. Would have been actually impactful and better if we saw this go down on fucking screen and have Blitz and Stolas address this in person, but nah let’s just have it happen off screen because storytelling and Viv? They don’t know each other!

But putting that aside, I want to talk about two important problems I had with this scene, because nobody is talking about how these messages make no goddamn sense. So if you actually read the messages between Blitz and Stolas, I hate how Stolas is characterized here, and I don’t mean how he’s suddenly acting like he always cared about Blitz because that’s been a problem since Ozzie’s, I’m talking about how oblivious and emotionally clingy he is. Like…seriously these text messages are a fucking mess. He suddenly acts clueless to how Blitz feels, wondering if he was upset or not, as if Blitz didn’t fucking tell him exactly why afterwards. Fuck you mean by “you just took off?”- I’m sorry Viv, did you forget the scene where Blitz drove Stolas home that night and called him out on his bullshit, saying all he did was treat him like a plaything? Because yeah, Ozzie’s may have finally been fucking mentioned in this show, but now it’s retconned AGAIN because apparently Stolas is a dumbass and can’t remember why Blitz was mad at him in the first place when he had spelled it out loud and clear. Stolas’s text messages make it out to be like they left the restaurant after Ozzie’s taunting and the scene with them at Stolas’s house never happened. Then Stolas is saying shit like “okay well phew glad you’re not upset then Ozzie is a kidder lol I didn’t mind the jabs he makes at me”- I…..WHAT??? What the fuck is going on? Why is Stolas written differently here? Why is the events of Ozzie’s written differently now? Stolas was literally embarrassed by Ozzie calling him out and hid in his menu, much to Blitz’s dismay. They then leave, Stolas can obviously tell Blitz is upset, and when he tries to reach to him gently, Blitz shuts him out, causing Stolas to cry alone. This episode is apparently now acting like their quarrel never happened because the dialogue is written as if they’re referring to Ozzie’s torment, not Blitz calling him out. This legit pisses me off because the show is once again telling us what we saw didn’t happen and rewriting it to fool us. Making Stolas out to be some vulnerable softie who cares about Blitz’s well being too—

And finally, Viv does what she does best by wanting to make you ship Blitz and Stolas together SO badly, but accidentally contradict herself by showing even MORE proof on why these two aren’t good for each other. Putting all the retconning aside, in this case it’s that…surprise surprise, Blitz is constantly miserable and unhappy around Stolas, or whenever they interact. And it’s not even that Blitz can’t communicate, or sucks at emotions, he just doesn’t fucking LIKE Stolas, and I don’t understand how many times the show is going pin that nail on the head until something actually happens, because this scene would have been more impactful if we weren’t already HERE before. Remember The Circus Viv? Stolas going through his Instagram and noticing Blitz was miserable all the time, and reflecting on how their relationship was a figment of his imagination? This scene is the same, it’s just done through text messages now. Why are we doing this again. And I don’t get what Viv’s end goal is here. Is she trying to make Stolas realize that Blitz never gave a shit about him (because we’re on season two and this bird brain can’t take a hint) or is she trying to make Stolas go “I thought he didn’t care but omg he texted me “get well soon” he DOES love me!” Yeah…probably the last option. This ship sucks. If anything…..why can’t Blitz and Stolas just be fucking friends? You wanna say they care about each other? Fine. But romantically, it just doesn’t work. They aren’t good for each other, and function better as friends, but GOD forbid, we can’t have that because they do the dirty in bed SO IT CAN’T BE PLATONIC, it must be romantic! I was literally right, this ship gets worse and worse every passing episode and Viv wants you to ship it so hard despite the fact that she STILL hasn’t given me ONE good reason why they should be a couple. End of story.

So that pretty much it. This episode was nowhere near has bad as the previous three, it’s the most tolerable, but still heavily flawed in the writing department. The dialogue still lacks nuance and sounds like an edgy 12 year old wrote it, the world is still empty, pacing was off, the animation was off too at times, the constant sex jokes during serious scenes are distracting and take away from what’s going on, the side plot didn’t need to happen, there’s also SCENES that didn’t need to happen, there are multiple retcons and empty plot holes/threads, and Viv once again can’t write a complex serious gay couple. She just doesn’t have the writing chops for it, especially since she keeps rewriting aspects and flip flopping between who is the worse lover and who isn’t. I’ll talk more about this episode later, you know how I rant a lot lol. Tomorrow I’ll be finally answering inbox questions too! If you managed to read my endless rant essay, I thank you! See you soon!

[zorlok-if]

How did you like Burrows End on Dropout?

I'm a few episodes behind (just checked and I think I'm on episode six or seven? hard to tell cause I share my account with quite a few people lol) but I've really enjoyed it so far. Definitely more than I expected to which seems to be a theme with Aabria seasons for me (not that I ever doubt her prowess as a GM/storyteller, I adore her and think her work is incredible, but the premises she comes to the dome with are typically ones where I'm like, "huh, okay, I'll watch it but I'm not sure if this is my thing" but then it's my fucking everything—hello ACoFaF).

I'd say that my favorite thing is the interpersonal familial relationships. The acting and chemistry between the cast members is truly off the charts this season. I love Rashawn and Jasper, think they're incredible additions to the cast. The concept is unexpected but so interesting. I think the worldbuilding is really cool, the idea and themes/politics are well executed, and the dome effects and production design are (as always) top notch.

The one thing that I can think of, as of now, is that there are certain moments that can be hard for me to watch just from an anxiety perspective, partially because the acting is so good and the cast are so committed to these characters. Like, [light spoiler alert] there are moments with Ava and the kids where I just have to pause and walk away for a minute because they are stressing me out so much with their... (how to say this?) stubborness/forthrightness? It can be a lot sometimes.

But, overall, I've really liked it. Awesome idea, wonderful cast, great production. Only thing for me is that some of the characters have moments that are a little hard to watch (but even then, it makes sense for who they are and it's just for a bit; certainly worth watching cause it often drives the plot in different, more complicated directions).

Very curious about what others think about this season because, in many ways, it feels very unique to me. So, I invite you to share your thoughts (on this season and others if you're so inclined).

[batmanisagatewaydrug]

reading updates: october 2023

hi everybody!!! things (by which I mean everything) have been a little bit hectic lately (by which I mean it feels like everything is one fire 100% of the time), which I guess explains why I'm late posting this AND why I only finished four books in all of October.

I would be very sad about this if the number of books I read had any correlation to my value as a person, but luckily it doesn't! so I don't give a shit, I am literally just vibing and trying to have a good time reading my silly little stories. here's a book report about it.

what I've been reading:

The Goblin Emperor (Katherine Addison, 2014) - okay, so picture this: you're the fucking elf king's least favorite son. you're not a bastard, but he didn't love your mom and after she died he basically banished you to a miserable little estate in bumfuck nowhere with no one but your abusive older cousin for company. probably he was going to leave you out there forever and hope that you would die quietly so no one would ever have to remember you existed. (un)fortunately, your shitty dad and all of his male heirs just died in a blimp accident and now you're the emperor. GOOD LUCK. this book is political fantasy of the highest order, with loads of machinations and intrigue and chewy worldbuilding interspersed with genuinely sweet moments between characters as one very good boy befriends his way to power. blah blah empires are inherently evil, obviously yes but this is a made up empire with 0 real consequences and Maia is my little dude. the only way I could love him more would be if he'd just nutted up and kissed his boy secretary on the mouth.

Happy Hour (Marlowe Granados, 2020) - I kept seeing this book enthusiastically as kind of a light fizzy funtime celebrating being young and free and running around New York City with no plans, and man... that was not my experience! Isa and Gala are maybe the most stressful girls I've ever encountered in fiction: perpetually broke and hungry, absolutely lacking in direction or ambition, always ricocheting listlessly from one situation to another in search of a good time and mostly only discovering disappointment, I need these girlies to get their lives together for my sake as a reader. there's one scene in particular where Isa is crashing with some disgustingly wealthy friends at the beach and keeps getting callously dismissed while sweating profusely and trying to figure out how she's going to convince them to keep paying for her food and it was so visceral that I developed a second, worse anxiety disorder because of it. Granados' writing is stylish, to be sure, but drama was not worth it for me.

The Magpie Lord (KJ Charles, 2013) - this historical fantasy romance is quick, dynamic, and horny. I can't actually say that I'm particularly charmed by the quality of the writing, which is there to hurtle you at warp speed between scenes of homoeroticism and bald exposition about magic, but I do admire Charles' panache. the book opens on a rather gruesome scene of our protagonist, Lord Crane, attempting to slit his own wrist; it quickly becomes clear that this isn't because he's genuinely suicidal, but because he's been cursed by persons unknown in an attempt to drive him to ruin. enter Stephen Day, a magic practitioner who hated Crane's deceased father and brother but is determined to help him all the same. some plot happens, but also a lot of flirting and (spoilers) sex that comes with an actual power-up for Stephen due to the wonders of blood magic. a pulpy good-time all around, and short enough that it doesn't overstay its welcome.

The Fervor (Alma Katsu, 2022) - The Fervor is a historical horror with a tantalizing premise: in the 1940s, Japanese demons begin to manifest inside of an Idaho internment camp for Japanese-Americans, adding a swirl of the supernatural to a situation that's already rife with mundane horrors. the actual execution is... lacking. Katsu's prose is blunt at best; when I call it "unsubtle" I don't mean the way some racist might mean when they inevitably go on a ramble about how Katsu beats her readers over the head with how racism is bad. racism is bad, duh, and it's hardly unrealistic to emphasize the fear and hatred that dogged the lives of Japanese-Americans during WW2. when I say this book is unsubtle I mean Katsu approaches each chapter like her readers have maybe forgotten everything they read leading up to that moment; you will be reminded frequently of characters' names, relationships, and straightforward motivations. and yet, somehow, the actual plot is still pretty murky. much is hinted at in the protagonist's past in Japan, then never actually elucidated, a main POV character falls clean out of the plot without resolution just before the climax, I still don't know what was up with those goddamn demon spiders. disappointing!

there was also one very specific, GLARING thing in the ending of The Fervor that I did not care for in the slightest, but that's tucked away on my Patreon in the monthly hater post. pay me if you want to hear about some CRAZY copaganda!

[servantserah]

Tbf and this is an unpopular opinion in the fandom and I get why, I've thought since my second watch (I always focus more on the main plot or characters the first go, then do a second watch for the details, side characters, etc) that if anyone was decently set up for a redemption arc it was Gabriel.

Okay let me explain that lol.

Gabriel is kinda different from the other archangels. Sure, he's still distanced, still mocks Aziraphale's hobbies... But he's also the only one who also has not one but two earthly hobbies. I think he doesn't eat because he's kinda scared it's Gluttony since he doesn't need it. But he also doesn't need jogging or clothes, and to me that looks like the Well Actually excuses of a very very early Aziraphale. He's not a hypocrite and a liar like Michael, who wants to kill Aziraphale for a crime she's guilty of. Not sadistic like Sandalphon. And he can be cruel, but more in an oblivious way than deliberately like Uriel does. Beelzebub did way more harm than him -both were pissed at the airbase but Bee told Satan about it while Gabriel just huffed and puffed.

During the execution he just wants to get it over with and more importantly, I think, when Crowley spits hellfire at them, Gabriel yanks Uriel and Sandalphon behind him and shields them with his body even though it's just as lethal to him. His first instinct is to protect his siblings.

Besides the fact that he can be obnoxious and rude, I think the real problem is that he's way too convinced that he's doing the right thing. He's genuinely flabbergasted when Crowley suggests that She may have different plans and I think the 'God doesn't play games with the universe' 'Where have you been??' exchange is very revealing. (God Herself admits She does lol). God hasn't talked to the angels for ages, and Gabriel is the Messenger. He's still operating on a very old plan because he thinks if it had changed he would be the first to know. But nobody is because God has fucked off the premises and only left the equivalent of a voicemail machine. Gabriel didn't have a Crowley to help him shake off Heaven's programming, and I think a lot of people forget Gabriel is programmed too. He's higher on the hierarchy but he's been taught the same rote and he believes it wholeheartedly (Michael doesn't, see back channels).

So even though I enjoy villain! Gabriel stories because there's a great setup for them, precisely because aside from a few details he's a blank sheet, I love redemption arc stories because that setup is there too. What if he gets to discover and enjoy more of Earth, rediscover himself outside of his role, rebuild his life now that the plan he followed blindly is moot? What if he feels lost, unmoored, and trying to recover he becomes better? Idk I just feel like out of all the others, he has the most potential for that kind of thing. So even though he did worse things in Myosotis than in canon, I'm like 👀 at his pain and where this goes.

Wow sorry for the rant haha

Interesting 👀 Did he really pull Sandalphon and Uriel behind him? Neat little detail.

It’s not impossible that Gabriel will receive his redemption arc in canon (or maybe an arc where he gets kinda redeemed but he’s still kind of an asshole and no one rly wants to spend much time with him lol), based on the stuff we know about him so far. I agree with some of your points!

But my opinion for canon may not necessarily reflect within this Myosotis: Falter, I keep these two separated!

(The Gabriel in my GoodGardenerAU actually does get sorta redeemed (in the way I mentioned above) but I've barely shown him so far so I won’t open that box for now,,,,)

[eliasyourlocalcryptid]

Chucky/Child’s Play info dump :D

tiny little disclaimer :]

*these were compiled from a bunch of old separate/individual Chucky rants of mine *

a majority of this is just be gushing about behind the scene details and character quirks with SOME synopses about some of the movies (mostly focusing on my favorites,curse and cult)also i learned a lot of this info from dead meats yt channel,they do kill counts and go in depth about horror movie productions n stuff!!if you like my little ramble and wanna hear a more concise in depth summary of the story with added behind the scenes info I’d suggest checking out their Chucky franchise recounts !! I do paraphrase some cool parts that I noticed only after watching dead meats kill count so again,highly recommend checking out their video if you want a better in depth look at the Chucky/childs play series!!!

(also fyi not beta read ,pretty much word vomiting about my favorite horror franchise)

Chucky ramble ⬇️ : D

(Spoiler warning and tw for canon typical violence/violent scene mentions)

Offshooting from a Scream tangent discussing favorite horror movies,Chucky (for me atleast) just handles the characters much better. the way that they never stray away from the main antagonists and also manage to introduce new protagonists in a way that they relate the the ever growing franchise lore/plot just amazes me not even to mention the way that Don Mancini directs the franchise and continues to integrate the same actors in a way that i havent seen a lot of horror franchises do. EX: using Jennifer Tilly to play the non doll Tiffany Valentine,using her voice after her character's normal human self dies,and using her as a full actor again to play herself in the later Chucky movies i just adore how Don finds as many ways as possible to give the actors that have been loyal to him and his franchise new roles/work also it really helps out with the franchises actual story too Also i just think it’s cool that Nica Pierce is played by Fiona Dourif,daughter of Brad Dourif (Charles lee ray's actor + Chucky's voice actor) I can go on for hours about Cult and Curse of Chucky :v

When Nica Pierce,a traditionally fem presenting person,gets possessed by Charles lee ray/Chucky,a visceral traditionally masculine serial killer,the way her mannerisms change to reflect that change in mindset and personality makes me go fucking wild genuinely most of my favorite parts of the franchise is when she's possessed by Chucky Also Devon Sawa has appeared so much in the Chucky franchise and he plays different characters almost every time(since the characters he plays keeps on dying) and when he appeared in the 2nd season of the Chucky franchise he makes a reference to his earlier horror comedy work (Idle Hands) and i hshdjajdnkkajs makes me so happy cause i love that movie so much Also the way that all the movies vary tonally makes me so happy.its like sampling a little bit from each horror genre. from horror comedy,to the traditional slasher esc moments,to the utter suspense of the cult and curse movies,then not even to mention how it (in my opinion) works so well when being integrated to the tv it just works so well for me also just i love the gore effects so much Dr.Foley's death was genuinely one of my favorite parts of the franchise like the way his head gets bashed in with Nica's stiletto heel was really well executed,I love the practical effects used !!!

okay actually getting to each movie (and a little bit of the TV series)

The 1st movie was just a cult classic and it deserves all its recognition and it's premise and plot has still held up pretty well to present day the 2nd movie does so well letting the audience see how the events of the 1st film plauged the young Andy Barclay into his late childhood,it's also excellent when introducing his new foster sister Kyle (best character in the first 3 movies ong) can't say too much on the 3rd movie,it's not bad by any means,it still excels at practical gore effects and the characters and pretty solid but it's nothing compared to the movies that follow it Bride of Chucky. LORD

Don Mancini's turn in directors chair after overseeing the franchise since the first movie, and he does not disappoint I've seen a lot of people claim that Bride is the worst in the franchise because of its overly silly tone but that's one of my favorite parts about this era of the franchise The way that Don isn't afraid to play around with the characters and plot makes way for so many outlandish moments in the franchise that help it out so much overall Anyways god i adore Jennifer Tilly Bride being the first film that i had ever seen her act in,it was like a whole experience the way she played Tiffany Valentine just stuck with me,then her voice acting as Tiff in doll form is so well performed,and Bride has some of the most iconic/best lines and line deliveries i have ever seen!! Btw im trying to speed run talking about the earlier films because i really want to talk about Curse and Cult but i think that Bride is such an interesting movie when you step back and compare it to the ones the come and the ones that came before it

Anyways any film with Jennifer Tilly is a win and im so glad that she remained a mainstay in the Chucky franchise because her acting skills and her character are so much of the reason that im infatuated with this series Okay but anyways Seed of Chucky! Putting aside the lovely queer representation (something that will become a running theme in Mancini's work with the franchise) I lovelovelove Glen/Glenda's character(s) so much as a juxtaposition to Tiff and Chucky's.Their strange family-esc dynamic allow for so many comedic moments that let me just relax and genuinely enjoy the movie so much. Also the fact that Glen/Glenda's voice actor is the same one that played a hobbit in lord of the rings/hobbit (i forget which) just adds a bit of silliness to them OOO And the scene when Tiff calls a help hotline is a masterpiece on its own The concept of a killer doll calling a help hotline because she feels like shes goiing to relapse on killing already has such a comedic premise to it but the way the movie plays it dead serious always amuses me,it adds a layer to her character that's so entertainingly nuanced

OKAY NOW ONTO CURSE + CULT Okay so Curse of Chucky is one of my favorite movies of all time (no surprise) starting out with the mere fact that Fiona Dourif is in it AND she plays Nica Pierce.Fiona Dourif being the daughter of Brad Dourif,the actor and voice actor for Chucky/Charles lee ray,is already fantastic but Nica's character by herself serves as an astoundingly well written and complex figure in the Chucky franchise She's strong,witty,kind,resourceful,and downright badass at times and i adore her to bits The way her character is portrayed in Curse and Cult makes for such an interesting viewing She's a woman whos been looked down on/pitied for all of he life,on account of the fact that she's handicapped and wheelchair bound,despite that she still manages to carry herself with a sense of self confidence that doesn't make her come off as arrogant but headstrong When shit hits the fan she's downright distraught when her sister dies at the hands of Chucky,showing that although she has a sarcastic attitude she's still very much a well fleshed out character

Throughout the movie she's shown to be compassionate but still not taking anyone's shit and she makes for a really interesting character to nitpick Despite her horrid situation she still manages to (almost) best Chucky at his own gritty game,she's shown to be able to both take and throw punches,even against someone/thing that's killed the rest of her family (except for alice,niece,but well get to her later) The end of the movie is bittersweet in the sense that while Nica does manage to survive Chucky,she's left to take the blame for the massacre he left behind. Her screaming "i'm still alive" to an unmoving chucky while in court at her own sentencing is a scene that never gets old to me Also i cant talk about curse without mentioning the Andy Barclay cameo end credit scene because when i say i went absolutely feral to see his character come back into the franchise,still played my a now grown Alex Vincent anyways CULT OF CHUCKY!!!

This movie take so many stylistic liberties which i dont mind,heavily reminds me of experimental artistic late 70s-early 90s european films It also fully brings back Andy Barclay as a mainstay character + a cameo from Kyle!!!

This film taking place a few years (i believe) from the last movie,still following Nica Pierce The whole premise is that she's thrown into a mental/psyche ward and after a while accepted the false truth that she was insane and hallucinated the whole Chucky is alive thing.Eventually Dr.Foley,the main doctor at the ward overlooking Nica brings in a Chucky doll as a sort of exposure therapy and Chucky shenanigans ensue All while Andy Barclay is trying to kill all the Chuckys (because theres more then one because of voodoo soul splitting across multiple vessles) and Nica is just trying to survive The movie ends with Chucky shoving part of his soul in Nica Pierce,possessing her and the possesed Nica runs away from the asylum with Tiff I could go on and on for hours about the practical gore/sfx/effects,and the great stylistic choices in the movie but i'd just be rambling more at that point than i already have But like lord The one scene when Dr Foley's head gets bashed beneath Nica's heel is one of my favorite parts of the franchise,both because of Fiona Dourifs and the awesome practical effects !!! anyways

Can you tell i really like the chucky franchise- I just realize i didnt even mention the practical Chucky animatronic effects Throughout the whole Curse and especially Cult movie the amazing work of the puppeteers really shines through in the scenes with multiple chucky dolls! Also how Brad Dourif decides to voice the different chucky dolls makes me so happy,like he makes the newer created Chucky's have voice cracks and a slightly pitched voice to indicate the new life brought to it and its just so well done in the movie(noticed this after it was pointed out in the Chucky recount/kill count on yt :D) also also the multiple chucky shenanigans makes me so happy lord I could go on about the practical effects in the franchise,i havent mentioned it a lot but the puppeteering and animatronics and effects have been spectacular since the beginning,and the way that the animatronics evolve with the innovation with technology and also the bigger budgets with the movies

Rahh also also if anyone ever wants me to go into the filmography and special effects of the Chucky franchise just tell me because i will go crazzyyyyy i really need to find a clip of the scene when Nica bashes Foleys head in underneath her heel because it will never get old for me trust i could write a whole essay on the complexities and nuances of dynamics and the strained relationship between so many of the characters 🙏 Tiff (especially in Bride) really encapsulates a lot of what I love about the series,I just adore how she’s written Omg and don’t get me started on Brad Dourif. He plays Chucky so well and his character both as the human Charles lee ray and in doll form as Chucky is so amusing More on the actual franchise,i have so much to say about the tv show but i still havent finished it yet (on season 2) Mini ramble abt Nica and Tiff,their dynamic in the show and plot wise has always interested me The strained dynamic between Nica and Charles/Chucky in Curse ultimately culminating in Nica being possessed by Chucky in Cult,the on and off relation between Chucky and Tiff,and the absolute infatuation between Nica and Tiffs (or well at least Tiff’s infatuation with Nica)carries so much of the character driven plot in a way i wouldn't have expected initially,in something i thought was going to be a silly slasher series

Wooooo okay mini mini rant on the tv series because its so good even though i havent finished it yet As mentioned prior i adore how the franchise handles introducing new characters to the ever growing plot and lore or the series,one amazing example of this is how they bring a new generation of protagonists into the show while not throwing aside Andy Barclay's character Jake serves as a great stand in for Don Mancini himself (admitted as much in interview) and the striking conflict that he has with his sexuality mirrors Don's own personal experiences with his own life.While Jakes sexuality is a part of his character it isnt the only thing about him (which i adore,i dont like when a characters whole personality is just being queer) but his sexuality creates great context and depth to his character and his struggles anyways the way that the characters keep on evolving as the series progresses is highlighted in Nica and Tiff's relationship compared to them at the end of cult to them in the ending of season 1

Oml and not even mentioning the sapphic twist on the traditional killer couple,the interactions between Chucknica (Chucky possessed Nica) + Tiff and Tiff + normal Nica make for some of my personal favorite scenes in the series,having the characters written and interacting in such a way allows for so much more comedic and sometimes downright suspenseful scenes !! i.e. the scene when Nica overcomes the possession for a bit,gaining control of her body,but she's still in a room with Tiff,Chucky's girlfriend,being forced to play cards with her to make sure Tiff doesn't notice its Nica in control Tiff’s giddy psychotic personality really creates the sense that Nica is in genuine danger when around her,like when she giggles about her murders with a smile while nica has to act like she's still possessed by chucky WHILE playing cards with her.

The scene comes to a somewhat sudden shift in conversation when Tiff reveals that she's known Nica was there since she first regained control of her body.She knew it was her since she stabbed Nica in the thigh and Nica didn't feel a thing (paralysed by the waist down) then comes the shocking notion announced to Nica from tiff,being that Tiff actually likes her more that she likes Chucky.All of Nica's cunning acting,trying to seem like Chucky in front of Tiff was for nothing because Tiff was just playing with her all along the dynamic between the 3 is so interesting to analyze and it gets even stranger in the 2nd season

Since Tiff is still a psycho and a killer at heart,she can't handle the idea of letting Nica go,but, since Chucky's soul is still in Nica's body Tiff had to find a way to "disarm" Chucky The most heart wrenching scenes in the tv show,to me at least,is the one at the ending of season 1.It reveals that Tiff drugged Nica and cut off her limbs,making it so that Chucky cant harm Tiff in Nica's body Nica is one of my favorite characters and to see her headstrong resolve shatter when she realized what had happen to her is so unnerving Her character doesn't disappear from the show though,she's kept alive in Tiffany's house,captive the beggining of season 2 reveals that tiff had been keeping Nica and taking care of her for the better part of a year Nica still keeping with her character of sarcastically witty even in the face of insanity,she suprisingly still has the energy to keep her bitterness towards Tiff despite the horrid things she'd been put through Thankfully Nica gets back on her feet (pun intended) when Tiff's kid,Glen (in human form since should transfer to human body + Glenda's there too) breaks Nica out of Tiffs house and gives her her wheel chair back with the addition of prosthetic arms to help her use her wheelchair

[the-one-where-casey-watches-tv]

Ted Lasso episode 3.09 "La Locker Room Aux Folles"

Still from "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

I was trying to wait for the series to end before I covered Ted, but this episode really stood out to me. There was so much in it that I found perfect and meticulously executed, and those parts are all the more impressive to me given the problems I have with its central premise.

There are multiple ways to read this episode, and ways that I can make it make sense for myself, but I still just have to say: what the fuck, Isaac? I give the episode some credit because literally everyone immediately said the same thing, and if this is what they were going to do with the episode they handled it as best they could, but something about it just didn’t quite sit right with me.

The episode picks up where the last one left off, with Isaac icing Colin out after grabbing his phone and seeing some gay stuff on there. Just like Trent earlier this season, I never came close to suspecting the worst in Isaac, so I don’t really appreciate this show continuing to play the “is he a homophobe” game with Colin and me. And without really entertaining the question they want me to be asking, it’s just a little weird. What’s his deal?

It all comes to a head at halftime when Isaac’s inexplicable pent up anger leaves Richmond down 0-1 at the half. As they shuffle into the locker room, a belligerent fan shouts down that the team is playing like f**s, and that’s the straw that breaks the mysterious camel’s back. Colin and Sam both hear it too and avoid engaging, but Isaac leaps into the stands and starts pummeling the guy, with Roy of all people being the one to break it up.

Again, the thing that makes a character’s bizarre behavior work is when the show acknowledges that it is indeed bizarre. Isaac is rightfully red carded and Richmond is down a player for the rest of the game, and the dude comes in shaking. Everyone just looks at him, and finally Ted breaks the silence with “okay, no one’s gonna say anything? I’ll say somethin’. What just happened?” This just sends Isaac hurling his captain band across the room and storming off into a closet with an aggressive shout of “what if one of us was gay?!” But when Ted tries to go after him, Roy says he’s got it.

Kola Bokinni in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

While Roy ambiguously talks him down, with little Will’s help, we’re not given much more insight into what’s really bothering him. Roy’s utter respect for people and willingness to mind his own business is a really great perspective to add to this episode’s conversation, and I really appreciate him here. Later, at the post-game press conference, I’ll appreciate him even more.

While he tells Isaac to handle whatever he’s “really mad about”, the rest of the team speculates on what in the world has gotten into him. Colin stays quiet, but Sam mentions that he heard what the fan said that got that reaction. The pacing in this locker room sequence is perfect. The comedic beats keep this from getting more serious than it needs to be (coming out is a big deal, but this isn’t a melodrama, nor does it need to be when it’s all love, as we know it will be). So Sam tells the team that the fan said the F-word, which is met with choruses of:

“Fuck?”

“No, the other F-word”

“ohh fuck…”

The team reaches the inevitable conclusion that Isaac must be gay. Finally, Colin admits that Isaac isn’t gay. He is. We don’t actually see him come out, though, which is an interesting choice that I actually think is really classy. I know Colin isn’t a real guy, but a big theme in this episode is giving people their privacy, and I like that the episode itself found a way to let him have this moment with the team in private without us feeling like we’re missing any plot points.

There’s a really nice moment after this that we do get to see, that adds to the impressive, thoughtful storytelling here. The team of course is quick to douse Colin in love, with Jamie saying, “you got us, we got you”, among some other choruses of “yeah bruv, we don’t care”. But something about that last part doesn’t sit right with Ted. He tells a little story about a friend of his who was a Denver Broncos’ fan in a place where that was not a popular team. He didn’t write off his friend the way everyone else in his town did, because he ‘didn’t care’, but he found out later that his friend spent two consecutive super bowls alone because Ted ‘didn’t care’, which also meant that he didn’t think that friend might need some special attention.

Jason Sudeikis in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

During this really sweet monologue, Sam and Jamie have a silent conversation over who should wear Isaac’s captain band for the rest of the game. Sam caught it when Isaac flung it off, and Jamie is gesturing for Sam to give it to him. Sam instead flips him off and puts it on. It breaks up the moment without detracting from it, and it was perfectly on brand for the two of them.

When Ted’s story ends, Colin asks if he just compared being gay to being a Denver Broncos’ fan, and Jamie asks what the fuck a Denver Bronco is. Ted’s anecdote here is such a great choice for this episode in a few ways. First, as a viewer, I found that to be a powerful comparison, and the point Ted is trying to make is well taken. But that story is for us, the viewers, not the team. It reached us, but not his intended audience right in front of him, and his tripping over himself within the story continues to serve the scene. It’s another comedic break, and I appreciate the show’s acknowledgement that straight people don’t always nail it when people come out, despite their best intentions. But Ted sums it up for everyone: “the point is, Colin, we don’t ‘not care’. We care very much. We care about who you are and what you must’ve been going through”.

So ultimately, Ted did nail it. Colin flies back onto the field, weightless, telling Trent jokingly that the only way it could’ve gone better is if the entire team came out too. This was all so sweet, but there was nothing like Colin’s guttural, euphoric “YEESS!!!” on the field after carrying the team to victory. I’m tearing up a little just thinking about it.

Billy Harris in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

That night, Isaac knocks on Colin’s door, wanting to know what about him made Colin feel like he needed to keep his sexuality a secret from him. To be honest, I’m getting a little tired of this being normalized as an ‘acceptable’ reason to react badly to people coming out. Isaac apologized, and Colin made the good point that he kept the secret his whole life and only lasted a month after Isaac knew. But the show had the option to have not made this a plot point at all. Everything else in this episode was so perfect, that I feel like I can tell that Isaac’s reaction was an unfortunately necessary vehicle to bring the story to this point.

Nonetheless, the two make up and play video games together and it’s all very nice, so I’m willing to let it go, especially with the rest of the episode’s events and themes in mind. I couldn’t help but think throughout this episode that Keeley’s coming out was not at all this belabored and serious, which I thought was normal and great. But now Jack is moving to Argentina for several months because Keeley was hacked and had her nudes leaked…? That revelation was a footnote of this episode at best, but combined with Isaac’s behavior, perhaps the takeaway to all this is just that sometimes people don’t always do the right thing.

I guess we’ll find out what to make of Jack later, but the culmination of everything this episode is trying to say has me leaving my heart open for her to redeem herself. Roy tells a great anecdote of his own at a press conference after the game that really sums up this takeaway- Rebecca had asked him to attend a press conference in Ted’s place earlier in the episode and he had sent Beard instead. Rebecca then laid into Roy, telling him to stop “ordering shit sandwiches and complaining about the portions”. This was a perfectly timed criticism because, especially with Brett Goldstein’s recent appearances on Sesame Street, Roy was starting to become a bit of a caricature of himself. It was very appropriate and self-aware of the show to show him being challenged and in the vulnerable position of having a boss.

So, Roy heeded her advice (or orders, depending on how you look at it) and went to the post-match press conference, despite Ted being available to do it himself. His commanding presence was the right choice, given that the press room was frothing at the mouth to ask what the hell had gotten into Isaac. The first question Roy takes is if Richmond condones Isaac’s behavior, to which Roy grunts “what a stupid fucking question. Course we don’t. What Isaac did was awful. He was lucky he only got a red card.” The natural follow up question is “then why’d he do it?”

Instead of answering, Roy tells an uncharacteristically vulnerable story from his past. When he was a young player, he had a teammate whose wife was expecting their first baby. One day at training, Roy made a joke that statistically, he was just as likely to be the father as his teammate. Not a great joke, but it didn’t warrant the guy breaking three of his ribs. The teammate was expelled from the team, and no other team wanted him after that. Roy ran into him at a pub months later, and took the opportunity to apologize for his joke. The teammate then told him that his wife had lost the baby a month before the incident, and never told anyone. “So for Isaac to do what he did today, even though it was wrong, I give him love. And as for why he did what he did, that’s none of my fucking business. Next question.”

Brett Goldstein in "La Locker Room Aux Folles". Image courtesy of AppleTV+.

If Isaac’s poor behavior was just a plot device to bring out the best in both Roy and Ted- and have them convince me to forgive Isaac in the process- I’ll allow it. Ted Lasso is love, and acceptance, and respect, even in moments that we don’t relate to or understand. I could watch Sam’s hands-in chant of “I love you guys so very much!” every day.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention Nate. I hate to see him on the dark side, but I think he’s doing something uniquely challenging by choosing goodness in a space where it’s met with so much opposition. The last few episodes have convinced me that he really is cute and charming and I want so bad for him to reach his own potential. He said himself that he owes a lot to Rupert, so taking the initiative to leave the “guy’s night” that turned out to involve Rupert setting him up with hookers took courage (a guy’s night that Rupert never tried to initiate before finding out that Nate had a girlfriend). His showing up at Jade’s door and wrapping her in a big hug made me so proud. I know Richmond will be waiting for him with open arms when he’s ready to come back, and even though we all know it’s coming, I will love seeing it happen.

How do you guys think Ted Lasso is going to wrap up its final episodes? What’s going on with the now promiscuous and mysteriously absent Doc Shannon? Is Rebecca going to have babies or what (with Sam…?)? Do you really want to eat at Ola’s or is that just me? What do you make of this being a British show built for an American audience?

[tremorsmackenzie]

okay, so ive gotten back into reading books in the past week, after like 8 years where i read pretty much nothing except for like one series. back when i last read, i still thought i was a guy. the reason i bring this up is because boy are there few books about women. im pretty much no longer interested in male protagonists, and its really, really frustrating how few books there are that focus on adult women in a non-romantic context. or, god forbid, in similar roles to main characters like your run-of-the-mill fantasy protagonist. and thats just single issues, goodbye to the idea of finding large, epic fantasy series the likes of the stormlight archive or something similar. or, something written by a female author. i love you derek landy, but come on.

so, please send me asks if you know something good, because ive been browsing bookstores online and offline like crazy for like a year and my findings so far are not great. ill also give my own recommendations if anyone asks, but theyre mostly german books, and i dont know if there are translations.

rant over.

edit: like seriously, what ive found on my own, ignoring skulduggery pleasant, doesnt fill a shelf. please help me.

on that note though, the one series i found is about a squad of mercenaries in a reasonably gritty setting, who used to be princesses and who just fuck shit up. it doesnt really have an epic main plot either, but its good for what it is and just innovative in what it does. and remarkable for the simple fact that its about mostly women, and includes tons of queerness along with campy fantasy/dnd tropes. its not currently available in english, but i really hope it will be, because its great as a premise and enjoyable to read, and if the execution improves somewhat in future volumes, will be an absolute banger. the mercenaries are all really likeable and you learn a ton about them, all its lacking is really a good main storyline. the name of the series is, helpfully, the princesses. by christian endres.

[queerticulate]

Don’t Worry Darling Spoilers

ShSo after lapping up all of the recent drama about Don’t Worry Darling, I went to see the actual movie.

Because everything about the promotion of the film and everything that has been surfacing about how it was made was so unprofessional, I expected a terrible movie. When I checked out the trailer I was actually intrigued - it was giving me a mix between Black Swan and Strange Angel. Still went to see it with the expectation of laughing at a train wreck... but I actually enjoyed it!

Here’s some of my thoughts (i’m trying to keep it spoiler light):

It’s promoted wrong: it’s a mindfuck movie. In fact, it could have been released under the name of Christopher Nolan and it might have gotten a lot of praise (if there hadn’t been so much bad press). Central to it the plot is gendered abuse. Why on earth the director - Olivia Wilde - is promoting it as a feminist movie and making ‘female pleasure’ such a strong talking point baffles me. See: gendered abuse. By the end of the story, I would qualify the sex that takes place as rape. If Olivia really believes what she says, that’s creepy as fuck.

There is some really disturbing imagery in the movie. Main themes are losing your mind, abuse, self-harm and gaslighting. Some of the scenes are graphic. Don’t go in unprepared just because you want to see a cute movie with Harry Styles (which it won’t be anyway).

Casting & Harry Styles: I think recasting Shia LaBeouf was a good choice, considering his real life and what’s been in the press about that. I think that would have left a viewer who knows that very uncomfortable at the end of the movie. Considering what the reviews have been saying about Harry’s acting, I expected him to be completely cringe all the time. He was actually okay in my opinion.

Chris Pine: This was the first time I’ve seen Chris Pine play a bad guy. It was an experience. I’ve followed this guy since Star Trek and I have a soft spot for him. Seeing him, successfully, play the sort of person that freaks me out was an experience.

Themes & Similar media: My original instinct that it would have somewhat similar vibes as Black Swan and Strange Angel were right. It also seems to take some elements from Hannibal, Upload, and The Truman Show. The way that the neighborhood is set up, in part stylistically, reminded me of the start of Fall Out III (the videogame) and say Tim Burton’s movies such as Edward Scissorhands. I liked these aspects. It might also have found some inspiration in the Handmaid’s Tale, but it can’t even hold a candle to that in a million years (which sometimes is also good, bc the Handmaid’s Tale is traumatizing AF in how hardcore it showcases certain premises).

Directorial criticisms: I tried to look really critically and there is some negative stuff to be said about Olivia Wilde as a director, but I don’t think it goes beyond flaws that can be pointed out in most movies. Several times the music felt a bit off for the scene. I didn’t like the camera angles often. Some scenes felt like there was a specific point to them, but the execution wasn’t quite it yet and sometimes thus came across a bit awkward. When I mentioned Hannibal, I specifically think they tried to recreate the flashing scary dream-like cutscenes and haunting music as part of the journey of a character losing their mind, but it was a poor copy (which is sad). 

Plot & directorial criticisms: The final plot is, in my opinion, really really cool. And it had a plottwist I didn’t see coming. I was intrigued enough with how it unfolded to really want to follow the movie closely. But the above-point does show up here too in the sense that the ideas where there, but sometimes I needed to make some stuff up in my head to make it work. Some of the stuff that bugged me sort of seemed to be explained in the end, sort of. The weak spot for me was that Alice’s reactions seemed overstated for what we as the viewer saw as the cause of them. The things that were odd that she found out about, did not support the questions she consequently raised and the distress she had about it. The speed and intensity with which she lost her mind also didn‘t feel justified. Maybe the point was that she knew more than she thought the whole time and we as the viewers knew, and maybe we were supposed to notice this as odd as a clue. Maybe some of what happened can be chalked up to a sort of glitches in the matrix. It didn’t ruin the movie either way, and I don’t hate extending upon what we see onscreen in my head, but I do think the movie might have been stronger with a bit more exposition/build-up on some things on screen.

I am very mad that they got Dita von Teese to star in this, doing her signature performance, and we barely got to see it because it was intercut with so much of Alice’s trauma memories/nightmarescape scenes. Full offense!

Ending: I am sad the movie ended right at the moment where Alice fully grasped what was going on. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of her dealing with the aftermath. I think that would have made a stronger emotional journey for the viewer.

World-building: I must admit I am really fascinated with the premise/world-building of the movie, and there are so many aspects of it that I would have enjoyed knowing more about. I’m sort of sad it wasn’t told in a TV format so there would have been room. I’m very curious about the creation of the Victory Project and Frank’s character motivations. I am also very curious about Shelley’s position in all of it. I am curious about the struggles that would come with maintaining the situation around Alice (which also raises the question about how time works for the Victory Project). I also would have loved to know more about the stories of the other residents - it could have some very powerful tales about gendered violence (e.g. think of the implications of the character who was referred to as ‘always pregnant’). I am also interested in beyond the domestic aspect, how much of the world-building is set up in such a way as to fulfill specific power fantasies for the men. Does Jack get a big promotion and the opportunity to dance in front of everyone, because that is what he desires? Also, to how much beyond the domestic trad!wife fantasy is the Victory Project intended to cater? What would happen if a guy applied who doesn’t want to bring a wife, maybe someone who just thinks the aesthetic is really neat? What happens if a gay man applied who wants to bring a husband?

Overall, I liked the movie. The premise / plot was great, the execution okay. I do think that if it hadn’t been tanked so hard by a bad rep created by all the negative things that have surfaced about its production and the horrible promotion of it, it might have done well. I think most of the flaws it displays tie to lack of experience or talent from the director. But I also do think that there is a chance it wouldn’t have been judged as harshly if it had been directed by a man.

[bogkeep]

ideas are cheap and execution is everything (actually im gonna talk about deltora quest just give me a second)

on one of the podcasts i listen to (leighton night with brian wecht)((oh god when did i become a podcast person)), one that often has creatives and creators as guests and thus often discuss the Creative Process, has brought up the notion of Ideas Are Cheap, Execution Is Everything. which, honestly, VERY refreshing to talk about in the age of "oh no you guessed the twist better change the ending" and "AVOID SPOILERS AT ALL COSTS". like, you know those guys who are like "I HAVE A GREAT COMIC IDEA AND I NEED AN ILLUSTRATOR TO DRAW ALL OF IT FOR ME, I CAN'T PAY YOU BUT IT'LL BE GREAT EXPOSURE"? like - a great illustrator/clever comics person/good writer can make any idea work, they don't need your brain crumbs and your exposure. likewise, all the stories out there that cause people to go "they have such a good concept BUT THEY'RE NOT UTILIZING THE POTENTIAL!!!!! AAAAAAAAARGH" just proves that it doesn't matter how good the idea is if it doesn't get pulled off right. (or maybe not just right for You, there's so many ways one idea could go! but that's a different topic.) ANYWAY so the other day i listened to all four hours of this review of lightlark (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH LARKLIGHT BY PHILIP REEVE. i keep mixing up the titles constantly) which is why i was having a discussion about Ideas And Execution to begin with. i liked the review because it actually took the book seriously on its own merits rather than just going THE IDEA IS STUPID WHO WOULD WANT TO READ THAT - like, that's not fair. you don't have to like Every Idea, but pretty much every story you love can be broken down into a stupid-sounding idea if that's your attitude! a decent story just needs some commitment and care, is all. SO I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT DELTORA QUEST i haven't read deltora quest in a hot second, but i read the first eigth book series many times as a kid (in czech, so apologies if i don't know the translations for things). it came up a lot in the discussion of lightlark's plot beats with my friend, because apparently a large part of the book is a very boring macguffin collection quest. it's very easy to write a boring macguffin quest. but you know what has a GREAT macguffin quest collection plotline? DELTORA QUEST. like, okay, the premise for deltora is actually fairly basic. the main antagonist is literally a shadow lord who's super mega evil just because he hates everything that's good in the world, so he's been working to create a world that's horrible and unpleasant and everything is twists and turns and lies. BUT IT WORKS SO FUCKING WELL!!!! because emily rodda is not a coward about it!!!!! like the whole series was written to be like a video game, which is why it has such a standard video-game like plot of "to defeat the shadow lord you have to overcome these puzzles and challenges and collect these macguffins and find the chosen one to wield it". it's not high literature but everyone i know who's read deltora go FUCK YEAH DELTORA when i bring it up, so. it made an impact okay!!! and part of that is because the shadow lord is Literally Actually Terrifying. not only do you have all the horrifying monsters and minibosses and the terror of the land of deltora itself. not only do you have all the horrifying contingency plans to destroy deltora even in the case of his defeat. but the way he's played the long game to divide the country and poison the monarchy itself and turn its people against themselves with broken alliances? THERE'S LAYERS. i get CHILLS every time i think about the beginning of the first book, the slow realization of Something's Horribly Wrong, uncovering the erosion of traditions meant to keep deltora safe? under all the riddles you've got a story about how any monarchy that loses touch with its people is doomed to fail.

OH YEAH also the whole series is videogame-like in that you can Follow Along At Home - you're invited to try to solve all the puzzles and riddles and twists along with our heroes! you're given all the clues you could need - along with a hefty dose of red herrings (IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW). actually you know what? i think all those "if someone guesses the ending we have to rewrite it" shows should invest in some quality red herrings rather than rewriting shit. it worked for gravity falls! increases rewatch value, too.

im not saying deltora quest seems to have all the worldbuilding and plot beats and twists lightlark tried to have......... but i'm also not NOT saying that. i mean, it's a bit of a different genre, and i haven't read lightlark (i did read larklight though), and the presentation of what they offer is also different. i know there's been a lot of back and forth discussion whether or not "tropes first" promotion of books is good, and i don't think we'll ever reach a consensus on that, and i don't think there's anything worth moralizing about that. being told something is an MLM Enemies To Lovers story is going to work for some - hell, it's worked on me when i've had the very specific cravings for it - but it won't be my preferred way of recommendations most of the time. but like!! all stories contain tropes!!!! all of them!!!! and all of the tropes have the potential to be done well or badly! and we read stories with the tropes we love because we love them!! (DON'T TALK TO ME AND MY FIFTEEN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT COVERS OF SIÚIL A RÚN.) like, the controversy around lightlark doesn't really come from the plot or the clumsy writing, and it's honestly unfair to make that the target of your malice. the more you pick something apart for the sake of tearing it apart, the more likely you are to rip holes in stories and writers that did nothing to earn your ire.

[zaenaris]

Ch.278: what a weird feeling and weird finale... it’s so happy that it is almost sad.

Reflection on it and and the overall manga

Premise: I still love what this manga gave to me, I know I’ll sound harsh in some… many moments, but I still love the characters I had the chance to know, so I’m just kind of disappointed in how the ending was done but not surprised (for the real salt, you should have seen me when Game of Thrones and How I Met Your Mother ended lol).

EDIT: I wrote this the previous days when I knew something about the ending  but I didn’t read the chapter yet. Against all odds, idk if it’s because I’m in a good mood today, but i’m not as salty as i thought i’d be. 

Because, even if these characters are not my beloved one, that I’ve learnt to know and love, it was… nice, seeing them like this, in this version. So while I’m not as mad as I thought I’d be, and I get both sides, the ones that hated this and the ones that loved it, I can’t help to be both sad and… kinda okay, but not really? This is not the ending I wanted, I didn’t want any revival arc since I had accepted the death of all these characters, but this is what we got. For good or worse, it’s over and even if I couldn’t see my beloved characters healing and growing… I still have those emotions that these characters and this story gave me

So bear with me, if you want.

So, as I said in my previous posts, I’ve never been a fan of the reset theory (when it was a theory) and I wasn’t fond of it when it became reality. Why?

Because Wakui’s strength, imho, is not the plot (I’ll talk about it later) but is his characters. They feel real, alive, relatable and you get attached to them. “Erasing” them it’s such a shame (again, later I'll write better what I mean with that).

But again, while I’ve never been a fan of the reset, I understood that, if handled better, could have  been satisfactory. If what happens in ch.278 had been the ending, but in the meanwhile we’d had a whole damn arc that explained us how we arrived there, and who these characters from the new timeline were, I’d probably have been more satisfied.

Because yes, everyone is alive and got their happy ending, but these people, except Mikey Takemichi and Chifuyu, are strangers to me (also, why does Chifuyu remembers? because he’s the second most popular in Japan so the editors knew they couldn’t fuck him up too much?  it’s so random lol. Yes, his narration was emotional and all, I'm glad he’s still Takemichi’s partner since he remembers  but it makes no sense lol). 

I know that, if we assume TR is not a multiverse and all the previous timelines have been erased, these are “genetically” the same people that now had the  chance to live a better life and we’ve seen the potential of these people, but I don’t know who they are. What are their struggles, dreams, insecurities, little quirks and habits?

I grew fond of these characters because they were the underdogs, they failed, but kept fighting. I was rooting for them because we’ve seen they still had a heart and tried their best to go on. I knew them, I cared about them and, as I said before, I was ready for a more mature massage, something along the line of, “life is not fair, but it’s worth living it, you’re allowed to fail, grieve and moving on” but the overall message was more like “never give up”. That it’s okay  for a shonen, but again, it’s the execution that was lacking.

I never wanted a reset because, while I was sad for the death of many characters, I had accepted it, because life is not fair nor perfect, and you have to learn to go on even if not everything went as you would have wanted. I’d prefer to see the characters that survived learning to live with their past and improve, like Kazutora did in the previous timelines.

Again, while this is how I would have probably handled the story, this is not my story and if Wakui wanted a reset, of course he could do it, but like this it felt empty. Because why should I care about people I don’t know and that apparently have perfect and happy lives? Maybe they have their demons, but I don’t know them, these characters are strangers.

It’s like walking in the street, seeing someone that is getting married and you think “Good for them”. You know it is a happy day for those strangers, but you’re not invested. Again, see before, I know maybe it’s not technically the case, but it could have been handled better.

Some people are happy because they can imagine whatever they want, and I mean, good for them, but I don’t want these characters to be my OCs, when I read/watch a story, I want to know the characters, and later, when I have a solid foundation, it is fun to imagine thighs.(I will still make HCs since it’s really the only thing we have left, but still, I’d had preferred to have something canon behind it, you know?)

And I know that the argumentation of people that are super happy with the ending is “you guys are cruel/weird, you want them to suffer!”

Not necessarily? But I mean, I just like some good angst and angst with a  happy ending?

 It’s just the suffering was what the manga was about: suffering, trying to heal and moving on. I wanted my characters to be happy of course, but in a more organic and better written way. Again, reset could have worked if I had time to grow fond of these people again. 

But this is for me, everyone is free to enjoy fiction how they prefer, I mean we’re not talking about the greatest systems.

Until this moment I tried to let many things slide, story-wise, thinking that maybe we would have got  an explanation later,  but now that is over, we have to call things by their names: plot holes.

With all due respect for Wakui, he honestly never did anything revolutionary on the storytelling side. He didn’t invent time travel and he’s not the first that talks about Bōsōzoku and Japanese young criminals. But that’s okay, tropes are not bad per se, you can write what other people have already done, the important thing is that you leave your mark. And while understanding Wakui the writer and Wakui the employee of a big company that must respect some company policies, I knew immediately that I couldn’t expect anything revolutionary from his writing. But I love the story for its characters, and no one will take that away from me. 

Now back  to the plot holes:

the first one I can remember is in the Valhalla arc:  Baji not realizing he and Tora were stealing from Shin’s shop. 

“But it was the consequence of dark impulses (DI)!!!” people could say. 

Maybe? But it seems that everything in this story is the DI’s fault lol. 

I can understand events involving Shin and Mikey, but the fire at the Inupi’s house? Kazutora’s abusive father and his terrible life at home? Mama Shiba’s illness and death? South? I could go on. For what we know, it seems everything bad in this world, from me getting a paper cut to climate change, was the DI’s fault and that Takemichi and Mikey fixed everything. They could have saved princess Diana as well in this TL lol (sorry I just saw a gifset from the new season of The Crown).

While the Black Dragon and Tenjiku arc are probably the best and most loved arcs, we have problems there as well.

Izana: he’s not the problem, it’s how he was introduced in the story. We know Emma talked about Izana, Mikey forgot (... like, really Wakui/editors?) and Shin, that had no legal right over Izana somehow found him but never explained how?

The twin motors that Shin found in Manila? Why was he there? Never explained, I guess Manila is just a cool and “exotic” location for Japanese people.

Sanzu: if he was so important, since he’s literally Shin’s trigger and Shin inadvertently started all this mess, why was he introduced properly so late in the story? It doesn’t make sense he’s not a Toman founder. We can “justify” everything with the dark impulses, but it is a weak as hell justification and it is not even addressed by the author.

I personally don’t care about South and I think his mini arc was useless, but his entire character was a waste of time. It ended nowhere. 

Even the original Black Dragons! Sure, Takeomi and Waka are, in some chapters, the “Mr. Exposition” to let us readers know some things, but Waka, that apparently knew about time travels, did nothing but explain the situation??

Why did Waka and Benkei join Mikey only recently if Waka already knew about DI? (it’s funny cause even Inupi, my beloved, in-universe, asked them wtf they were doing in KMG and they never answered him lol).

I understand the “show, don’t tell”m but this is too extreme. This is not planning a single thing. We has so many chapters in  this last arc that added absolutely nothing to the story and later others that explained too much in too little time (and it’s not a criticism against an arc after Bonten, I stand by my opinion that Bonten couldn’t be the last arc because it felt incomplete, I’m saying that the last part wasn’t handled well). So many characters and sub plot are introduced and never explained, from South to Mikey’s parents, even Senju and the original Black Dragon. I loved seeing them on screen but what was their point lol? There’s so much potential lore/drama and nothing was said

Another thing I let slide until now is the management of the “magic system”. 

Wakui, for the great part of his manga never explained how time leaping works, except at the beginning when Naoto gave us the basic rules that we kept with us for the majority of the time. And that was okay, I didn’t need to have a book with rules like in Death Note for example, it was just a narrative expedient. What happens to the “actual present” characters when the “spirit” of the time leaper comes back to their timeline (basically, for example, does 15 y/o Takemichi remembers what 26 y/o Takemichi did with his body when his soul/spirit whatever traveled to the past? What happens to the actual person while the time leaper takes the wheel? Never cared to explain. Again, I understand they are narratives expedients but again, it should have been handled better.)

Since Wakui never cared to explain to us the rules of time leaping, I feared a reset because nowhere it was explained that you couldn’t leap “twice” like Takemichi and Mikey did in ch.277. It  doesn’t really contradict anything (and that’s why I feared it), but it’s too easy like this since, once again, after the reset we didn’t have time to see how we arrived at the happy ending and to know these characters. 

It’s a happy ending, and I actually felt kind of happy while reading it, I can’t deny it,  but it’s also empty. I love the “get your happy ending” trope precisely because I saw my characters struggling to arrive at their deserved happy ending, I struggled with them, I rooted for them, I suffered with them and in the end we got our prize, the happy ending.

But, since these moments were skipped, it doesn’t have the same emotional impact.

It has an impact, won’t deny it, but maybe because I know it’s over, and overall, this manga gave me a lot and I grew fond of it, regardless its flaws 

I already explained how rushed everything was and how so cliché, “shonen” and “Disney” this finale is here and how weird it is that Takemichi and Mikey are so much older then everyone else right now here. (imho, it’s basically another curse to be adult and living in children’s body)

I’m not saying that people from different generations cannot be friends, but still, how can you be surrounded by 7-8 y/o kids and treating them as friends when you are a young adult and you could be their babysitter, big brother, young uncle? Also, I want to believe in this TL Takemichi met Hina when she was in college or something since he’s mentally 20 years older than her, holy shit. I know the narration doesn’t question their relationship in the slightest and Takemichi is a good man, but still this is weird. (Again, I talk as a mutishipper here, so I’m not trying to invalidate any ship).

As I feared, I’m asking too many questions that clearly will never be addressed because otherwise you realize nothing makes sense lol. 

So many things could have been handled better, but a mix of being a shonen with the main target of teenagers (I agree so much with this post, that if TR were a seinen we probably could have seen so much more but probably wouldn't have been so popular) and rushed ending for whatever reason didn’t allowed it.

I guess that in order to actually enjoy TR in its entirety, you have to switch off your brain and just feel it lol.

Now, I don’t want to say this is all Wakui’s fault. Again, I still love the characters I had the chance to know before the rushed ending and the previous arcs and I’m aware that probably something behind the scenes happened. 

The manga industry is ruthless, mangakas work in terrible conditions and, unfortunately, it’s not unusual for them to have health problems due to the terrible rhythms and the environment. 

Beside that, the author is not always free to do what they want with their story, there are the editors, the publishing company that of course can and will tell the authors what is better for the company  and, ultimately, the publisher only thinks about the money. 

We don’t know the contract Wakui has with Kodansha (public company of Tokyo Revengers), we don’t know Wakui’s actual conditions, we don’t know and will never know what really happened to have such a rushed, poorly handled and written ending.

So I’m not saying that people that 100% enjoyed this are wrong, by all means, good for them, once again, we’re not talking about the greatest system, for us readers this is just a manga and if you’re happy like this, good for you. But since this is a story that, emotionally, gave me a lot, I would have preferred to see it handled better, especially from a purely writing point of view.

What I know is that  this story made me feel alive, made me feel in general, and I’m still grateful for those feelings. The whole, you know “Don't cry because it's ending, smile because it happened” kind of thing. So, be nice with each other, regardless, and remember that behind a story there’s an author and many other people, and we don’t know the actual dynamics of everything. 

So yeah, it’s over but not really because people at Kodansha like money (I guess Wakui like it too lol, I mean who doesn’t?) so now we’ll get other collateral things, so I guess we’ll hear about TR for a while. And of course the second season of the anime will start soon. I don’t know if TR will get an “expanded universe” like many franchises do recently or if it will slowly die. We will see in time I guess, but in the meanwhile, I think we’ll still get some content, in a way or another. 

[new-lorien-artist]

I really would like to pour myself over the series again one day and read it purely for analysis on what everything means, why it's out there, what biases were at play in the execution of the story (both realized by the writers and not) and for what reason did everything happen the way it happened. Not just looking at everything the characters said and did and judging on that like "wow yeah that's an ass move, if I wrote this that would not happen" but instead like "okay how does this move the story, what does this tell me the reader about the character"

Like okay, the series has plot holes, the series went in a completely different direction that betrayed everything that was set up in the beginning, a lot of foreshadowing went down the drain, the writers having a falling out or switching through ghost writers did a lot of damage to creating a cohesive story. And yet, we still have a working series spanning 7 books and 18 novellas, with a whole spin-off trilogy and novellas that expands on where we left off, all while creating compelling characters of super contrasting personalities and backgrounds that branched off of one cataclysmic event that spiraled their whole lives and led them into the same situation

And each of those personalities is representative of reactions to traumas and livelihoods, and the characters who represent these facets are tools meant to forward the message and themes the writers were putting into the books. What kind of messages and themes are those? Is the series addressing trauma and how it fucks up children in super intense situations? Is it criticizing the hero trope and how heroes are unequivocally expected to be good people by default? Is it a message on the traumas of war and child soldiers? Does the series mean to break down fascism and unfair systems that create bad people who had good(?) intentions? Is the series supposed to be about healing as the end goal, and is this performed through a "the end justifies the means" approach or "self-preservation comes with a moral code?" What is it, I wanna know

And it's undeniable that a lot of choices in the series feel very off to us one way or another, because the writers made that decision in order to push the reader into thinking one way or another about certain characters or events. Some of these choices were made on biases, ultimately harmful ones at that, which should be recognized and analyzed because this series does display a lot of questionable writing choices that have twisted so many moments and character arcs in blatantly antagonizing ways, notably when trying to differentiate characters in their moral standing (which is already a hot topic to debate on when the premise and rating of this series intend to explore a lot of dark topics and heavy nuance)

[desertedhero]

An analytical look at the story for HDtF

Heads up: I’ll be discussing spoilers for Hunt Down the Freeman as well as some minor details from HL2 and HLA. Also, these are all just my own thoughts based on my experiences as a storyteller and player, so it's okay if you disagree with any of it.

Criticisms aside...I love this game. HDtF has delightful concepts at its core. Why, then, is it regarded as a terrible game? Are my standards simply that low to enjoy a bad story? That's up to interpretation. Instead of focusing on fixing the story, I'm focusing on why it feels like it needs fixing in the first place. This won't be about how I'd want the story to be, or what the creators may have intended. It’s about the story as it exists.

There’s a lot to say about gameplay, sound design, and everything else. That's also for another post, because this one is about story development and writing.

I want to talk about this because a lot of my own ideas use basic storytelling concepts about character and theme as a foundation. So, I’m laying that down to build from later. I hope anyone looking to write those fun fix-it fics and story rewrites gets some ideas from this. If you wonder why the plot might’ve disappointed you and you enjoy story analysis, artist or not, this is for you.

Whether the game sucks or not, it has a fun premise. The execution is where it gets messy. It’s because HDtF is plot-driven, rather than character-driven. Let's start with what that means and why it's important.

When I refer to something as plot-driven, I mean that characters follow beats rather than create them. They become passive by acting in whatever way the writer needs them to so they hit each plot point. In character-driven stories, they act on their own instead of how the writer needs them to. When characters don't act according to a core set of beliefs, they can feel inconsistent. They’re full of conflicting ideas.

A story might favor plot over character development if the creators think the plot is that cool. I can't speak for the HDtF creators, but it wouldn't surprise me if that was the case for them because their plot is cool. The premise is incredible!! Hunting down Gordon Freeman and playing an antagonistic character? Man, sign me up. It all just..fell flat. Why? One reason is because Mitchell, as a protagonist, is passive for most of the story. The plot requires him to be a vessel for it to occur. If he were an active protagonist, the story would look different even if the ending remained the same. If you feel like Mitchell isn't that relatable, or his behavior doesn't make sense, that's okay. His role in the story is to follow the plot regardless of his own personality, motives, and goals.

What are Mitchell’s goals? According to what we see at the start of the game, he's looking for vengeance on the guy who fucked up his face. Cool! That's a setup for a revenge story, and those can be a lot of fun. When the opportunity arrives in act three, thou, Mitchell is resistant. Why doesn't he want to kill Freeman, when at the beginning it's established that he's sworn to get his revenge? Mitchell does specify that he sees the power, authority, and time he’s been granted as a curse. He doesn’t want part of that. Despite this apparent change of heart, he surrenders to Gman without too much of a fight. The plot demands he hunt down Freeman, after all.

It’s possible the scenes with Captain Roosevelt are meant to alert players to this change. It’s fresh in our minds that he made a deal with the devil and soon Gman will come for him. When he does, Mitchell says “I just want it to end. Freeman can go to hell.” He sees the power, authority, and time he’s been given as a curse. His original desire, a whim, has become a burden. He's now being manipulated into doing something he doesn't want. But something about the build up to this scene still makes it feels like there’s an inconsistency. Do you agree? Throu act two, did we learn enough about Mitchell’s dilemma to make sense of his response to Gman?

Inconsistencies are also referred to as plot holes or continuity errors. These make up a majority of the problems in this story. You’ve surely already identified a lot of them if you’ve played the game or watched a playthrou. (Another example is Mitchell knowing what the Borealis is.) There's a few ways to resolve inconsistencies. The method I use to generate ideas is super simple. Just keep asking questions. Keep asking "why?" Here's a quick example of what it looks like for me:

Why does Mitchell want revenge on Freeman? Well, he believes it's Freeman who not only beat the shit out of him, but also killed his squad.

Why does it matter if he killed his squad? His military training might have taught him the value of teamwork and fellowship. Maybe he has friends in his squad. Or it's that he's alone now, and being alone means facing himself and his past. (This could make him emotionally dependent upon Nick and Adam later on…)

What would make him change his mind about revenge? Like he tells Gman, the life he's been given is cursed. It could also be that after 20 years it seems that Freeman's vanished off the face of the earth, so Mitchell might feel resigned to never finding him. Or, he started healing and doesn't feel the desire for revenge anymore. Or, he has too much to lose if he started hunting Freeman. It'd be a suicide mission that risks everything he's accomplished–even if he's questioning how much his life is worth. (He found something he cares about more than revenge and so he must choose between the two goals…)

These are just starting points. You could answer the same questions differently, then continue through train of thought. In general, I find asking questions and answering them a few layers deep is effective. Conducting a Q&A helps find what works and what doesn't, or what's interesting and what's not. Ask questions even if they seem obvious or silly.

Storytelling principles like cause-and-effect and Chekhov’s gun remind us that everything matters. One thing causes another. Things shown to the audience must have a payoff later. However, there is at least one big thing that might not meet these principles. The first sequence of the game is a montage of key moments in Mitchell's life. It's how we're intended to connect with him. Is there any point in the game that he references any of these events? If you can't think of anything, don't worry–I can't either. As it stands the backstory montage does nothing to let us know who Mitchell is as a person. Logically, it should, and it does tell us about him. It's an issue because it doesn't seem like these experiences are motivating his actions. The montage could be cut from the game and it wouldn't impact our understanding of who Mitchell is based on what he does any time after it.

How could it become important, then? Well, Mitchell is the brother of Adrian Shephard, and they're shown in the montage. The game brings Adrian in for a cameo at the end, but they're never referenced in any other way. Hell, no one even refers to Mitchell as Shephard, which would make sense to do. The most obvious answer is to make Adrian mean something to Mitchell. Whatever your interpretation of the montage is, ask how it affected Mitchell. What happened, and how did that shape who he is at the start of the game? Whether or not Adrian shows up in the story, there ought to be an emotional relevance on Mitchell's end. He could mention that he understands what it's like having a sibling. Maybe he relates to someone else because of his experiences as a soldier. Any relevant subtext acknowledging that those key backstory moments matter to him would make him more relatable. That would confirm that those moments should matter to us as the players. Everything serves a purpose.

Another concept the plot brings up that has no payoff is the Cremators (I believe that’s what Boris calls the entities that are tended to in the factory). It's another violation of the idea that everything in a story is meant to set something up to or resolve a setup. If the Cremators meant anything, they would have been brought back to perhaps make good on their purpose that Boris claims is to kill humans that the Combine view as trash. Instead the importance of the factory is introducing Boris and giving Mitchell the opportunity to rescue the kids. Mitchell sees this in a negative light, that he's only using them for his own benefit. If this is the only thing the factory scene was meant to accomplish, why do we even know about the Cremators? 

Like Mitchell, other characters also suffer from being puppets of the plot. Adam and Nick serve a purpose of delivering Mitchell to where he needs to be. Adam can even be interpreted as a scapegoat for the writers to get out of actually having Mitchell kill Freeman. I personally don't, but I could see an argument made for it. Meanwhile, Nick is introduced to give exposition, get Mitchell going on his first mission, and to bail him out at the end so he can accomplish his goal of revenge. I’ll discuss that last point more when we get to theme.

I've heard professional writers say that every character in a story needs a reason to be there. I like that idea a lot! The plot needs Adam, Nick, and the others to support Mitchell. A character-driven approach, thou, would ask why they need to be part of the plot. How do they benefit from being part of the story? For example, why does Nick help Mitchell out in the hospital? Why does Adam negotiate to join him? We learn in game that he’s also looking to get out of the city and that he knows something no one else seems to know about the Combine, but that’s the extent of our knowledge. (I’m still curious why exactly he didn’t follow up on his plan to go separate ways once they left the city. That’s an inconsistency created by the plot’s need to have him stick around for the end.) Support characters either help or hinder Mitchell along the way. They all have a reason to collide with his goals. Or, they should.

In some cases, support characters may only exist for one sequence, like say Boston Joe. Boston Joe should be important to Mitchell regardless of how long he’s on screen. Right? Theoretically, his contribution pushes Mitchell forward or changes him somehow. (What was the significance of the powerplant sequence, actually? I’ve watched three different playthrous and none of them have a conclusion to that subplot. Why was it important for Mitchell to do that? I’m assuming there's a missing sequence or cutscene that transitions us to the docks. If this is the case, that’s another inconsistency, another source of confusion or frustration. It’s a missed opportunity to tell us something about Mitchell depending on how it's resolved. It would, ideally, give us insight to how he's changing as a result of his experiences. He sees himself as a bad guy in act three, so the conclusion to the powerplant might be a step towards informing that mindset. Anyway...)

If you compare how engaged support characters are with Mitchell to how engaged they are with Gordon in HL2–or with Alyx in HLA–there’s a big difference. What did those games do right that HDtF did not?

In HL2 and HLA, other characters support the main plot while having their own goals. Alyx has her own agenda throughout the games because she has other priorities. She has a life outside being a companion for Gordon. She’s also given time to express what those goals are and pursue them. We know her goals involve saving Eli, and this runs alongside Gordon’s goals. This makes her feel more like a real person, right? In HLA we have Russell with his own thoughts and ideas. The Vortigaunt cut off from the Vortessence stood out to me, too. They had personality and a goal that clashed with Alyx’s. That goal connected to hers later on despite not seeming relevant to her at first. On the other hand, we don’t know what Nick wants, outside of helping Mitchell. We don’t know why Adam sticks around, after he initially planned to go separate ways when they left Albuquerque. We don't know what Adam's deal with Gman was about. They don’t have a life outside the main plot.

If you feel frustrated that we have these cool characters that we don't get to learn about, that’s understandable. One of the great delights of HL2 and HLA is interacting with the support characters, and HDtF doesn’t allow us to do that.

I will say thou, the way that Boris and Sasha connect to the story is interesting. This says nothing about the quality of the subplot, but Mitchell meeting Boris in act two did matter later on. The deaths of the support characters in act one also matter. Why? Gman promised Mitchell power and authority, so any events that lead to him obtaining those things fulfill that promise. Mitchell even expresses some disdain that they died for him like that. Support characters should always matter to a protagonist in some way, and most of them do matter to Mitchell’s journey.

The next big idea I want to delve into is about theme. Let’s transition from how characters and plot interact to what messages those interactions deliver.

Mitchell serves as a vessel for the plot and is passive, but there is one moment where he makes a choice for himself. When he refuses to die to the Combine, and in doing so gives Gman the biggest "fuck you," what he's doing is actively participating in creating story. This was the most compelling moment for me. It felt like Mitchell, at last, chose to do something the plot didn't force him to. Makes me wonder what consequences could have occurred if he made different decisions. Even if he ends up in the same situation at the end, how could the journey be more engaging?

HDtF establishes a premise for a revenge story, but thematically it appears to be more than that. Which is fine because many stories do explore more than one theme! It also reads as a story about someone who's manipulated into abandoning their own goals and self destructing. What message does it leave us with, then? When Adam is revealed to be a traitor and Mitchell responds to this betrayal, what is that meant to tell us?

Mitchell killing Adam is a cathartic scene (for me, anyway) because a promise has been fulfilled. He achieved the goal he set out for at the beginning. There's more happening in the story that leaves ambiguity about how we're meant to feel about it, thou. How are we meant to take it when Mitchell kills the man he's been on a ship with for 20 years in a moment of reckless rage? The fact is we don’t have any details about Adam to let us understand his own goals and motives, other than he had a deal with Gman. That deal implies he had no choice, much like how it was for both Mitchell and Boris. Is that enough of an explanation?

Typically, revenge stories make it clear who we're supposed to hate and who to support. We know the antagonist's death is justified because we usually see a) what they did and b) why they did it. The reasoning plays into why we’re meant to root for the protagonist instead of the antagonist, right? In some cases they might want the same thing but one is willing to cross lines the other won’t. We even see hints of this in the first time Mitchell and Adam meet. They have similar yet differing ideas about loyalty. HDtF, however, does not give us the full picture by the end. It doesn't tell us if Mitchell is justified or if Adam deserved to be killed based on both what he did and why he did it. It's completely up to interpretation.

Why is it important that there's no clear message? Is it not enough to hand players these ideas and end it by asking “hey how fucked up was that, right?” Based on general responses from players that I've seen so far, what makes this story laughable is likely because it feels like it takes itself seriously without having anything serious to say. It doesn’t carry an emotional truth but acts like it does. Whatever the creators wanted to say seems to have gotten lost somewhere along the way, because clearly at least most of us missed the message.

HDtF has fun and thought provoking concepts, but they haven’t been explored enough to create a story as compelling as the creators likely envisioned. Each character has the potential to be incredible. There is a lot of flexibility in the themes that the story presents. We're given many concepts in an almost frustratingly open-ended way, but the ambiguity leaves room for different yet equally interesting interpretations. Is it a story about getting justified revenge? Maybe it’s unjustified and becomes a tragedy. Is it about escaping the cycle of abuse? Exploring the similarities between heroes and villains? Perhaps it’s about forgiveness and the consequences of betrayal?

The story of Hunt Down the Freeman might look like a first draft, but the opportunities for interpretation and engagement are endless. It’s a fantastic sort of mystery story! There’s even more to say about the writing in terms of plot, pacing, dialogue and character voice, use of exposition..but I’m leaving it here. I hope this sparks some new thoughts! And if you love the story like I do, maybe even some creative connections. Or, maybe you hate the story and this validates your reasoning for it, and that’d be okay, too.

(Thank you so much for reading this far, hot damn!! I had so much fun writing it and it gave me a lot I want to expand upon later.)

[aleng-neng]

Getting to know your BL mutuals - 2022 Edition

Simple, answer the questions. @ some people. Include the tag 'g2ky BL mutuals 2022' on your post so we can find everyone's answers!

Thank you, Megan (@sunf10wer8 ) for the tag!

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What has been the BL that took you by surprise this year?

Love In The Air

If you'd shown me only the plot and pictures I would not be interested. It sounds like something I would watch and then move on but the actors put their everything into this and made it very entertaining. And I think 3 out of the 4 main leads are rookie actors, too! Production value (we don't talk about the sound) is also very high. Frankly, if it's pretty enough to look at I would be entertained.

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What has been the BL that you felt a bit disappointed with this year?

Vice Versa 🤧

If you'd shown me what the plot is about I would have perked up and made sure to watch it. But it dragged so much and the acting felt very wooden to me.

I don't have high standards, I just need my shows to be not boring but this is what it ended up as. I love dimension travel but this is just one giant commercial that while it looks pretty, was so very boring. I think I just kept watching because of the OhmNanon and MilkLove cameos. I am tentatively interested in Last Twilight.

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What has been your favorite BL this year?

Old Fashion Cupcake! 🧁 I don't talk about it much but I listen to blue blur all the time and sobbingly sing Are you ready to love somebody?! WooHoOHo To LovE SoMeBODy~~! I'm in my early 20s and I appreciate it for telling me to chill the heck up, life is not over.

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What favorite BL couples (not just of 2022)?

VegasPete

The codependency, the kidnapping, the torture just hmmmmm chef's kiss. Build is so very pretty and I need to project onto Vegas to express how equally obsessed we both are with his looks. I am just so obsessed with Pete as a character, wallflower types of characters are my weakness, okay?! I am obsessed with how they ended up so domestic and bright. I hope they fight over who does the dishes and spill each other's (and other people's) blood when they fuck and date.

Patpran

Outing myself as tormented by Asian parents. Pran's You made me like this! Had my body shaking with V A L I D A T I O N

Winteam

This dynamic is everything to me. I guess it could be chalked up to cultural differences but Team never came off as whiny or childish to me. Weibo agrees with me. When Win looks at Team and you can see how smitten he is *lies down on the floor and tries not to long*

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If you had to suggest a BL for someone what would it be?

Bad Buddy, it's a people pleaser what can I say? Very beginner friendly.

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What's your non-BL favorite for this year?

Business Proposal! It's so funny, the premise and everything are executed well. I miss you boob implants, Miss Samantha and Miss Rachael.

Tagging @sunflower-lychee @nooowestayandgetcaught @vegas-theera @lelephantsnail only if you guys have the spoons for it of course!

[hirazuki]

So, I finally bothered to look up who the writer/creator of Revenger is (spoilers: it's the criminal mastermind [affectionate] behind Fate/Zero), just as I finished watching the finale of the series, and honestly, if I had done this prior to episode one, I would have been exceptionally better prepared emotionally, mentally, psychologically, etc. for THE DAMAGE what I was signing up for by watching it XD

I already knew it was going to be heavy going in -- original series + historical samurai genre + only 12 episodes; those things, when well-done, are typically brutal -- but damn if I'm not currently experiencing that chest-carved-open-innards-pulled-out-of-you feeling that his writing leaves you with.

A brief glance online has shown me that it's been rated mediocre to bad by most people, which absolutely baffles me. I highly recommend it. Extremely poignant and raw, GORGEOUS animation -- like. I want to put it in a glass and drink it -- and incredible music. And the voice acting, of course, is superb (name dropping Suwabe here, though he only appears in the last couple of eps). The concept, the message, and the execution are all breathtaking.

I feel like anyone who falls into the following categories would enjoy it: doesn't require a "happy" ending; is pleased with an ending that is thematically appropriate; understands that ending a story with a whimper instead of a bang sometimes is the point, hollowness/a sense of futility and pointlessness are the fucking point; is okay with blood/guts/gore/profanity/etc. akin to Fate/Zero or Beserk or Hellsing; is okay with real-life religion handwaving/syncretism for the sake of the narrative; and is okay with the story having no big AHA PLOT TWIST moment and instead being "predictable," i.e. being exactly what it presented itself to be. It sets itself up as an Edo-period samurai drama, dealing with the concepts of justice and revenge revolving around the opium trade, with a small sprinkle of supernatural elements... and that's exactly what it is. I wish that we as a society would move on from the idea that something needs to subvert expectations in order to be good, already. More often than not, it is much better for a story to stick to its premise and see it through, than to attempt poorly conceptualized/executed SuBVErsIoN.

[mejomonster]

Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo is SO good I feel like yall downplayed it to me??? Which is an accomplishment since I feel it got recced a Lot. But it was always a "great time but mess" idk maybe it's the kind of mess I love to pieces???

1. Better palace drama than The Crowned Clown (despite me loving that shows lead). Moon Lovers just does way more to characterize the individual princes, wives, princess, queen, and servants. Just overall way more solid nuanced (to the degree screen time allows) characterization in Moon Lovers (the crowned clown preferred atmosphere and main character only focus - which it did well its just not my preference, I prefer how much I care for All the characters in Moon Lovers versus caring for so few in TCC). And way better than The King's Affection in characterization, pacing, plot (but that drama let me down with a solid great premise, good actors, good comedy/serious balance, but plot that dragged then got lost and pacing issues)

2. GREAT MIX OF THE PEAK ROMANCE TROPES I ACTUALLY LIKE, AND ACTION ANGST SUSPENSE. All wrapped up in like I mentioned, excellent characterization. So like first, it's doing like Jade Palace Lock Heart and letting us get to know all the princes and queen and everyone, but unlike JPLH I feel this show is doing a fairly decent job to present pretty much everyone in a sympathetic light? Like if it were JPLH the princess would be pure evil (she'd be well characterized so we'd understand her, but we would not have any reason to care if she's okay) whereas Moon Lovers tries to give us her pov in that she feels powerless and wants to feel in control, wants to prove herself, has a loving family and that makes her naive almost of what power will cost her/require in sacrifice. In JPLH the husband falling for Soo would be evil af in the portrayal. It's emotionally Worse on me here lol in Moon Lovers, cause I actually FEEL his guilt and Soos guilt (versus JPLH where the villains are interesting but they sure af don't regret their cruel choices). So I really enjoy how this angle let's me connect to even the queen and her sons to a degree, in a way other palace dramas of this structure didn't really allow me. AND THEN LIKE I SAID ITS FULL OF TROPES I LOVE TO BITS

I didn't think I'd like Wook, but damn it he keeps getting genuine intimate scenes (also THIS IS HOW YOU BUILD ROMANCES! BY HAVING THE CHARACTERS GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND SHARE VULNERABLE HONEST MOMENTS AS THEMSELVES. Which makes this wonderful and not the annoying version where tropes show up like a machine to get the romance key scenes, rather than a cherry on top way to execute what would be a good romantic scene Already because it lets the characters connect. I loved So and Soo talking by the rocks, talking on the cliff as he ate, Wook and Soo talking about fears and killing men, even Wook and his wife get these nice intimate moments they chat alone and vulnerably! Heck even Soo and the young playful prince get a scene like this, and i appreciate it so much for character connection building!)

Then there's So. The "she belongs to me" "should I say my person then?" "I'm thinking about how you're not afraid of me" "remember to eat well, and try not to have bad dreams" the fucking meet cute of catching her from falling (that he caused!) Then holding her in his arms on a horse! Now THAT is an action romance trope. My preferred kind of romance lol! Or when the assassin grabs her, and she's scared he doesn't care if she dies, then the assassin dies so HE holds a sword to her, and Wook saves her from him. That's like!!! He's not the villain but because of introductory meetings like THAT he's definitely got the bad boy villain/heroine vibe going on and it is Very Hot

Meanwhile I love playful prince, I think fight prince is interesting, it would be funny as hell to me if one of them makes a serious move on Soo.

Meanwhile I hope the Wook wife gets to marry the younger prince who clearly loves her...

I'm only on ep 4 no spoilers please! I'm enjoying the ride!

Anyway I LOVE this show so far so fucking good best period kdrama ive ever seen