#they're married couple energy is higher than ever

[f1-stuff]

Beat the Challenge // Ep. 2

Carlos: "We are teammates. 🥰✨"

+ Bonus:

[the-firebird69]

The Santa today but a couple things and one thing is they're scared and horny and the other thing is that something worked and they like it and there's a motif that's working and they like that too and it is that the foreigners are going to parallel after Time cuz we'll have to and what's interesting is the thing that worked is something that our son is put a lot of energy into and the reason was that he and bja was discussing the effects of The shield and he kind of turns into this mean person because he gets really small and that's the fact and it is amazing that the ship itself works very well and it goes very fast and then altitude and in the ocean it reaches approximately yeah about 500 miles an hour and it gets lift from the hull itself and it goes up about two to three miles and the winds up with the masks are are at about 8000 1,000 miles an hour and that's cruising speed, oddly enough it more or less stays level but you want to trim it a little so it stays going forwards instead of downwards it will plummet fast it's not a hot air balloon and they found it to be the most amazing thing they've ever seen in their lives. Required very little engineering except the Bayliner Hall and that's what that particular his name is kidd and he's a famous pirate and he's wanted all of the world but he used a specific s*** and it was a Spanish galleon. And it is an awesome vessel it doesn't work on small power buttons but certainly works on larger ships and fishing vessels tugboats and things like that a sale trailers that believe it or not and it's kind of what they are and you can make them modified version it does both out of steel or really metals better cuz it's lighter and the metal is armor and it's much more powerful than titanium at a certain thickness half thickness and we experimented and we're making some and this is what and they said I don't want to do that and they said with the metal though so they need something that works and they made it the same thickness and it's lighter in titanium alloy too it has much better resistance to ordinance so they have that stuff there and they think they can do well but he says it's not really what it looks like and it's treacherous and Billy z doesn't want it either but they're offering it's been a fight like that all around sort of but not not really. The ships they use for fives and ones and 110 and the 10 went up much higher and went about 4,000 miles an hour in the atmosphere on wind so everybody is amazed and wants to know who he is he has to have a name he knows who Tommy Allen is and he says it and Tommy Allen knows who he is Tom Jodd and it spells it like that or j o a d depending and it is his name as a pirate and his Blackbeard's grandson and his dad had a different name too it was Tom Jones and he's an expert at building ships and so is William Bill and you know he needs some kind of compensation I would think just because they're cool Star Trek the saucers the ships and it seem to think about that so we say Jew is what does that mean and he's saying for years and all sudden he's going oh oh really everybody's kind of turned on and it's a little bit much for him trouble they're married to famous pirates as well and really the girls with the social security is married to the Haitian that's his name and we have names too. And he says that Ajax Earth and that's his lounge seat out there that is how big it is he's about 12 ft and he says it and he's a giant but he's not there's a certain name for them and it's his race and it is but he's not nephilim Earth..

Boy is this fun. And having a lot of fun he says I probably trim the ones that are higher up jeez I don't know all the same time that's what they end up doing. But wow what a day it's amazing the attitudes are changing and the metal hell is starting to be built in the metal car can be built then and metal that they had was pretty strong the cars get better is somebody found out how to make it cheaper and they using aluminum that's why

Thor Freya

We use a lot of aluminum in some things but it's for a certain application it's very strange metal because it comes to like electricity it conducts it very well discharges it well you see it on an EMP devices on the vehicles. We have a lot of news the morlock took a bow today and they lost huge numbers of people but they also evacuated huge numbers the evacuation today totaled probably 5 million octillion and the number was like we said around 15% and it's dropped to 10% off Island which is pretty bad throughout the night it's going to continue 15 to 20% until probably a couple days from now that they're going to be all petered out from evacuating and the rest will figure out that they should have left and we'll have to seek other avenues but there's going to be a lot of rogue stuff going on in foreigners are using them for and they're here too and it's very nasty okay you wouldn't want to stay behind a lot of them are sitting their ways and don't get it I think it's their power in there really sadly mistaken bja actually Captain Kidd was very happy with it and impressed.

I'm a lot more to say but wow this is much better and I know it bring it back to me now it's coming back and I think they're going to do well and we're going to do well and they're not

Thor Freya

He needs it too he's bringing it back on purpose to defeat us when we're doing our best stuff is what we call it that's ridiculous we never did that people are saying we did people like will and Bill and the kid says it should call him at Jodd says it too they're saying oh yeah we did a couple times. They got big miles now it taught by all these idiots. Yes my chair no someone made it big but I can sit in it someday be a good time it's a little rough they say. So I might not want to do that right now but that's amazing I've never seen anything like that it says it's the particular Hall of the Bayliner it's more suited for the air and re-entry is nice too and he had them put on this special epoxy it didn't burn and he made sure he got the right one I'll be damned but I have never seen someone design something and get it built faster than him it's cuz he designs and build stuff they build it and it works some recommending a paint says it's probably that stupid s*** they put on every pain out there every boat out there I started to laugh it's not flammable and it's true you have to put on like a coating but seriously that's amazing and I know it's for and they want to design stuff like that they end up in trouble but okay that's good that's how they speak tooth and allowed who's doing all this

Ajax Earth so I've got one request to come down there and he's thinking maybe Christmas would be good you can demand stuff ... So friend here is making jokes I guess I have to tell him and the lady has the pool but who says the kid would come sit on the lap of Santa it'll be me I'll be huge and I don't want this and I want that and if you don't give it to me it said pee in his pants I throw it off into the sand face first. No but seriously it's it's a joke but still it's probably something to be fun to do it's stage it with BGA to see if his butt is shaped correctly for flight

This is amazing I've never heard my name so many times in my life kid this kid that this is great used to call it to him but he's saying he's a boy probably shouldn't know if he's not really but holy s*** that's weird it seems BG or saved BG and Philadelphia that's true and he told him the Ghost of Tom joad actually he used the name is he recognized to feel not the name it wasn't told to him was what he just said it's amazing this boat is amazing I've never heard anything like this I'm selling so many bayliners it's not even funny unfortunately when they fight something else happens he says it's not too hard you can put wings on the top of the boat and you can make it so water would not go into the boat using the wings and it would wash over and then when the wings come back in I can go back out you can actually control the flight so I'm going to try it on smaller some idiocy ok. It is right in half cabin you can have weaponry it comes up and it could be missiles and such and they're protected by the wings is insane that's insane they can fly around with it damn thing. Going to pull up on Don Johnson

Captain Kidd

Anthony writing up on me yeah there goes your daughter again put a shirt on backwards it's supposed to be that way it's a pirate shirt looks like one it's like really formal British military where I'm going to get a bunch of that thankfully this is great I supposed to get a little dirty doing this it says it would be the paint and the blade of and it goes all over you it's just like so back then had a lot of fires and stuff this is ridiculous it's going to be the weirdest looking battle oh here comes an ancient sales yet it says it's also shooting star a bad company and what you do is you disable the shield and you drop down onto the ship. This is going to be intense it says also the field might not work with the metal hole you understand that the shield will work device or razor something rings I'm kind of curious how he knows this it's just current and he's seen it and understands it and he's gotten it through his body and can make electrical bolts come out of his fingers see you in a few times was zapping his brother and Brian he's actually Captain kidd. Running is sick of it and told him to stop it you hear loud popping on the video said I could see it. Will and Bill so you can see it when you play with the contrast and stuff starting to try that couple times you'll say ouch the saying that some serious voltage about 3,000 volts it says it's not much but it's enough it knocks someone out if you did it right. I'm building my shifts I'm getting metal ships too I know how to make it this stuff works great and we didn't listen and we behind but we they're not doing it either but wow we need these Tommy f this is going to be serious it's going up another notch or two and then the Giants are talked about and his Giants might be running around still it's huge ones below says those might be old and we agree but the Giants been around for a long time

Black Beard

You don't have my beard so sometimes a lot of times the store but really it is it is him she says can't stand me sometimes oh God she's saying

[i-am-a-whimsy-boy]

Ranking George’s Sweethearts

Edna Brooks: If she was a spice, she’d be dust. I never found her interesting. I have no idea what George saw in her. George was willing to hang for her and she didn’t return the favour. I know George told her to run away and she thought he had killed her husband, but George thought she had killed him and he went to prison for her all the same (because he’s a GENTLEMAN like that). She definitely could have said something in his defense. She gets maybe one star for being a good mom to her son and for liking dogs. I dislike her with a burning passion. 1/10.

Nina Bloom: I like her personality. She’s got that sassy, risque kind of air around her and I think she contrasts well with George’s more innocent nature. I’d place her higher than Effie, but I'm not a fan of how she kept dating George while knowing that he wanted to get married while she definitely didn’t. I feel like if you’re dating someone, you should both be on the same page on that front, and it doesn't seem like she ever really treated their relationship as a serious matter. She isn’t bad by any means, but my opinions to her are mostly neutral. 6/10.

Effie Newsome: I liked her a lot more in her debut episodes. Her manipulative and bitter energy was so refreshing compared to George’s other love interests, and watching them slowly realize that the other isn’t so bad was very fun. Effie doesn’t really take no for an answer and she just does things without asking permission, but I wish they kept at that in later episodes. Once she started courting George, she mellowed out a lot, and I wish she didn’t. I’d like her a lot more if she kept some of her sarcastic, passive aggressive energy from her earlier episodes. 7/10.

Emily Grace: I like these two. They’re both energetic, bubbly and empathetic. People might complain that George and Emily are too much like Murdoch and Julia, but I disagree. They're different enough that their dynamic was fresh and fun, though I do think they worked better as friends. My only complaint about Emily is that she seems to have an aversion to commitment, and she falls for Leslie Garland while she’s still actively courting George, which is, in my opinion, a bad look. They’re a lot of fun together, but I will say that I like them better as besties. 8/10.

Louise Cherry: Unpopular opinion, but I love Louise Cherry. She’s tenacious and clever and I love every interaction she has with George. They bounce off of each other really well, and even though they kind of hate each other now, their interactions in “One Minute to Murder” were really natural. Her chemistry levels with George are off the charts. I also really like the fact that she and George are both writers. She’s George’s foil in every way, and I think they have the best dynamic of any of his sweethearts. 8/10.

Nuniq: These two are soulmates, I don't make the rules. They're perfect for each other. They have one episode together and the chemistry between them is off the charts. The best couple, hands down. 100,000,000/10.

[jezy]

My Ben 10 Reboot/Grim Dawn OC-- Libra Renov! :D

Warning! Some of these parts have uncomfortable stuff, so if you don't like it. Might wanna either scroll down faster or endure it if you still wanna read it.

Libra has a lot of expertise with being a Sage of Illusions but she's also a healer and wild card in case missions go south. Which is about 50/50 percent most of the time.

She's also one of the smartest sages there is. But she sometimes focuses on the puzzles way too much so she doesn't notices anything going on around her.

Libra has a few friends but they're just a bunch of royal jerks. Except Hex, she liked him when they've met. Disa and Libra are friends too, but she trusts Hex more than anyone.

Before Libra died, she was a human with wavy chocolate brown hair with deep blue eyes and fair skin. Now, she's an aetherial with messy black charcoal hair with glowing green eyes and her skin's pale white.

She is an adopted royal, let me elaborate : Her real parents' kingdom got dethroned by another kingdom in ledgerdomain. The king and queen who has a tomboy daughter which they don't like, and resulting for said daughter to left them with no heir. So when they dethroned Libra's parents, they took toddler!Libra under their wings and taught her how to be a girly-girl princess.

At first, Libra loved it but when she grew older she became a rebellious child (in secret) and would often read her adopted father's books about magic without permission.

When she met Hex (when she first sneaked out for the first time), she realized she can be so much more than just be a useless princess in her kingdom. She could help people on the front instead of doing it behind the walls of the castle.

So ever since then, whenever she gets the chance to do something rebellious, she would do it using illusions as distraction then she helps the people in need with a disguise. (Like Robin Hood).

Her adopted parents didn't liked it obviously and were trying to figure out who would do such a thing. They still haven't found out it was her.

Libra & Hex are the "friends to lovers" couple. They're glue you can't easily separate and will hurt you if you hurt one of them.

When she found out that she's getting arranged marriage to Hex's younger brother, she didn't liked it. Yes, she knew about Hex's younger brother, Spellbinder, but she didn't liked him like that.

So when Libra & Hex became 18 years old, they eloped to Cairn and became Sages since then. They're not exactly married in legal standards, but they don't mind it one bit.

When Hex gets pissed at someone, its Libra's job to calm him down.

Since she's the only thing that stands between Hex and his anger to the whole multiverses. That is, when she died in the first cataclysmic war.

Libra deeply cares about Hex and is deeply hurt whenever Hex does something he regrets. Like, cursing his brother when Spellbinder forcefully kissed her lips.

Of course, Hex hid away from her for a few years because of the fear he'll hurt her too.

This made her depressed and longed for him, even to the point on not eating or sleeping because she misses him too much. Till Disa slaps her from her depression and yells at her to get a grip.

Libra was slightly thankful for her, even though it hurts like hell. She now learned a lesson that Hex would come back. Which he did, and Libra basically sprung out to crush him with her hug.

Libra cried rivers when Hex came back, as well as him.

After that, they now have more love to each other. Which is a blessing for the other sages since they now feared/despised Hex because of what he did.

They were peaceful, until the cataclysmic war....

Now, the cataclysmic war isn't just some war, it was a war between The Gods of Cairn and The Aetherial. (I'll probably make a post about the Aetherials and Gods of Cairn, since I can't explain everything in here)

It affected everyone even The Sages, half of the faction died including Libra. Who got trapped inside the spell of the Handmaiden Shield and burned alive by the aetherfire the aetherials had caused.

When she died, her soul got flung down deep into where the aetherials (now just spirits) had now reside. When they noticed her and found out she wasn't one of them, they tortured her for eons till they came back to take over the world. But she held it together for as long as she can take.

That was until... Theodin Marcell, The Master of Flesh, had began experimenting & reanimating the bodies of humans. He searched for test subjects (alive and/or dead) and found Libra's corpse in an ancient graveyard, and decided they will make her their most perfect masterpiece.

And so he did, first they forced Libra's soul to go into an aether crystal (a sort of physical form of aetherials). Then, he sliced open Libra's body's chest and planted the crystal inside her heart. Then he started reanimating her.

When she first came back to life, she was strapped naked in an electric chair. She tried to get out obviously until she saw Theodin Marcell coming down.

"Ah, so you're awake..."

"What do you want with me?!"

"The higher ups of the Aetherhold has accepted my request to test on you, Miss Libra Renov..."

"That still doesn't my question bastard!"

"The higher ups also want you to join our army. A special soldier, if you will."

"I'll never join you! Not after what your kind has done many eons ago!"

"Of course, I know you won't accept, so we'll do it the hard way instead..."

"Wha--" Then she screamed. Theodin had activated a switch that activated the electric chair. There were iron nails, nailed through her hands, and seemingly connected to the wires up to the switch. Making her feel the pain through her nerves system.

It hurts like hell, it felt like she was on fire. Her organs felt on fire, her brain-- Everything felt like on fire.

Theodin kept doing this to her till she threw up bile onto herself. Coughing up the remaining bile in her throat.

"Hmm, interesting, a human body can take so much of electricity before they perish. But you however, since you were blessed by the gods, you can take so much more..."

"What the hell does that mean?!"

"That means, I have to do more experiments on you. But since you just woke up, I'll let you rest. Tomorrow, we will continue, and by then... You will sooner or later become a masterpiece....."

She only glared daggers at the possessed man as she was dragged away to a cell. They threw her and pinned her down, then they chained her up against the wall to make sure she doesn't escape.

Her hands felt numb from the electrocution, her body was shivering from the cold and shaking from the electricity. Her brain felt dizzy, if she focuses too much on an area, she would throw up.

Whatever the hell Theodin has in store for her, she'll endure it. She won't break from him. She'll get out and escape as soon as she finds a way how.

Besides, how worse can it get?....

Surely it won't be too much for her? Right? She's seen disturbing things, she has the confidence that she won't break.

Oh how wrong she was...

How very wrong she was...

The next day, when she was being escorted to the experimentation room. She tried to escape.

There were many aetherial possessed soldiers and once they saw her, they started shooting at her. Unfortunately, she was hit multiple times and died.

But that wasn't the worse part, the worse part was when she started to wake up. What she saw was scarring.

Her body's opened up like some frog in a science class, she could see her organs and everything from her perspective. Bloody equipment on a table, her beating heart, and Theodin poking and putting something inside her. It was enough to make her nauseous.

"Oh? Awake already?"

She was freaking out and started to squirm a lot.

"I suggest you don't squirm, unless you want an important organ to get cut from your recklessness."

She immediately froze from his words.

"Good pet." She growled at that nickname, she was very disgusted by him.

She tried to look around for any places where she can run, or anything nearby that she can use to break out of her confinement.

But she couldn't do anything, she knows that. She can't escape and she'll just bleed out if she somehow miraculously did. She was trapped.

She had no choice but to stare at what Theodin's doing to her for hours, mortified. And when he finished stitching up the slices he made, he did one more thing.

"Oh, and since you tried to escape. A little torture will be necessary."

And so he did, by stabbing her leg unexpectedly, in which she screamed. He kept doing this to different parts of her body until she began crying and whimpering.

Her face was covered in cuts and limbs that have stabs all over them. There were a few close calls to her neck making it look like scratches.

"Oh, you're crying? That's pathetic."

"...."

"Still not answering?"

"....."

"Whatever, because of your recklessness you got shot down by our troops. So I suggest you stop being stubborn and just accept it. You can't escape. And if you do, we'll be coming after you."

Those words slowly drilled down into her brain, she tried to ignore it but couldn't. In the next few days of those horrible electrocutions and mortifying tests that include getting her shoulders dislocated in the process, she was beginning to starve.

Theodin doesn't cares though so he just ignores Libra's whimpers of starvation and continued on the experiment. Even if it means Libra gets slammed like a bruised ragdoll.

There's more, more worse than that. When Theodin realized he couldn't do more experiments on Libra due to her lack of energy. He feeds her near-expired food, by literally shoving it down her throat till she chokes on it.

She absolutely doesn't likes it and tried to escape once after that. But she got stabbed from behind her and died once more.

Everytime she tried to escape, she keeps dying. And everytime she was brought back to life, she was punished. Either it was electrocution, beating her up, stabbing her randomly, or really painful whips in the back.

Her brown hair became darker until it was charcoal black due to getting electrocuted many times, her skin was so pale that you would barely see the cuts in her face. She has spots of burns on her skin when aetherfire was shot at her, body that has stitches everywhere, and her hands was beginning to glow bright green due to prolonged exposure to electricity.

Her head hurts, a lot and her chest feels funny every time she exhausts herself.

She cries in her sleep everytime, she can't take it anymore. She is in so much pain, so much stress. That she didn't even saw the worst part that happened to her.

"Fuck you..."

"Oh my, how dirty your mouth is."

"Screw. You. I can tell whatever I want to say."

"Oh my... Don't tell me you've forgotten one of the rules of your faction... That would be very disrespectful of you."

"Wait, the rules??"

"Yes, don't you remember the faction you joined and its rules?"

"My faction? Yes, my faction!... The err... S..So...The Sorcerers!"

"You meant 'The Sages'?"

"Wait, 'Sages'??? I thought--"

"Oh don't tell me you don't remember, The Sages of Cairn? The faction you dedicated your whole life into."

"Of course I remember! Its just err..."

"You seem to have forgotten your faction."

"N-No I don't! I do remember them!"

"Oh then please, tell me all about it."

"Its..erm, ugh! Why can't I remember?!"

"So you don't remember anything? Anything in particular. Your friends, your family, even your lover?"

"I...I don't remember....." Then laughter erupted from the man, as she tried to remember.

That was the worst part, she couldn't remember anything. Her memories full of holes, fuzzy dreams with no meaning to her, and sometimes nightmares would crawl into her mind. The only thing that she held onto was her name and the name of her lover, Hex, but memories of them being together was long gone.

And soon, Theodin had managed to succumb Libra in her weakest point. Where she was easily manipulated by the aetherial....

After a couple more years of experiments, torturing, etc. She was empty both inside and out. Her eyes were dull of life, her vision (sometimes) was such a haze but she didn't really cared.

Theodin had turned the once stubborn Sage into one of his mindless (very scarred soldier) soldiers for battle.

She couldn't feel pain no longer. After what she went through, she slowly became numb to pain. Which was good for Theodin Marcell, as they now have a perfect masterpiece, ready to go and do their bidding.

But the downside is that she became a masochist so every wounds inflicted to her, was a pleasure for her instead of pain. So she had to wear a mask, so people won't find out she loved the pain on herself.

She became a Mage Hunter, a mixture of an Inquisitor and an Arcanist. She disguised herself using illusions (that she vaguely remembers) and infiltrated the barracks of The Black Legion.

She then proceeded what Theodin tells her to do, smuggle the aetherial spirits to people who are the weakess mentally and with most negative emotions.

After Malmouth had fallen she continues hunting down humans for Theodin to "make a masterpiece" out of them. That was until Hex arrived.

One day, she received a mission to protect Warden Krieg in his home. So she used a rift to get there quickly, and when she did...

She saw none other than Hex who's fighting aetherials at the moment.

She stood there staring at him, thinking about how familiar Hex is to her. Though, she didn't know it was him. Until she decided to call out for him when he was finished with killing the aetherials.

"...Hex?"

That immediately caught Hex's attention and saw Libra standing there, shock mixed with confusion.

"How do you know my name?"

"I..I don't know, but I remember someone named Hex.... I'm not sure.... I just called out to you..."

"Well people don't know my name unless--"

"I'm Libra..."

That made Hex shut up quickly and come up to her with widened eyes before hugging Libra. Her mask was quickly swept to the side as Hex kissed her.

The hug and kiss really made her feel nice and warm. Like, they've been doing this for who knows how long.

But soon, the warm feeling disappeared when he let go, "How can I know you're Libra??? She died eons ago..." He said with sadness in his voice. That was a good choice, being skeptical was a good choice.

"I don't know either.... I can't remember anything, my memories are filled with holes..."

"Can you remember maybe a little bit?"

"Well, I've been getting nightmares more recently... My dreams were always different but I think I remember burning in one of them..."

"So it really is you... What happened?"

"I'll tell you, but first, we need to go somewhere and then we can talk."

Hex only nodded and followed her to a hidden place. That was when she told him everything she remembers so far, after the end of her talking Hex looked like he was going to rip Theodin Marcell into two. Which makes her scared.

She doesn't want to lose the only warmth that she has now, she needs to protect him. That was how she betrayed the aetherials and helped Hex with his missions.

This doesn't please Theodin though....

But she doesn't care, she's obsessed with Hex's warm feeling and she doesn't want to lose it.

Even though her memories is filled with holes, Libra felt like she belongs to Hex.

And since Hex is now together with Libra again, he can help her with those hole-filled memories.

And maybe now she can slowly remember what they used to be...

Here's the current gacha design for Reboot!Hex and Libra (Since I can't draw, lel)

Hope you enjoyed it!

[movie-magic]

How Superman & Lois Is Avoiding Falcon & Winter Soldier's Fatal Mistake

Superman & Lois is avoiding the storytelling and pacing issues that hurt The Falcon and the Winter Soldier by focusing on the characters.

Despite Superman & Lois featuring the Man of Steel as a lead, the Arrowverse show is keeping its story grounded, thus avoiding the biggest mistake the MCU made with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The CW's series focuses on Clark Kent and Lois Lane as a married couple raising two sons. Despite Clark being Superman — arguably the most powerful being on the planet, and likely Earth's most important hero — Superman & Lois uses conflict within the Kent household as its primary narrative conflict. In the Arrowverse, Clark already knows how to be a hero — but he's still learning how to be a dad.

So far, Superman & Lois has successfully distinguished itself from the rest of the DC titles — particularly other Superman-focused series like Smallville — by focusing on a different period in the hero's life. Superman & Lois season 1 centers on Jordan Kent developing powers, and the family moving from Metropolis back to the Kent farm in Smallville, giving the troubled teen a chance at a new start in a quieter environment. This comes at great personal cost to twin-brother Jonathan, who loses both his star quarterback status and his girlfriend. Still, the predominant theme of the series is family bonds, and although there is tension between the Kents, every person is incredibly supportive of their loved ones.

Superman & Lois is leaning into the CW's strengths: relationships. Rather than having each episode feature a "villain of the week," the Arrowverse show wisely reserves its action for small scenes — saving on the effects budget while still satisfying Superman fans — and lets the conflict between characters be the main narrative thrust. The Marvel show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did the opposite: instead of focusing the short 6-episode series on the relationship of its two leads, the Disney+ show overcomplicated its story with the Flag-Smashers plot. That fatal mistake prevented Falcon and Winter Soldier from living up to its potential.

Falcon and Winter Soldier had a strong premise: Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes coming together, coping with the unexpected loss of Steve Rogers and grappling with Captain America's future. The show's initial marketing presented the series as something like Marvel's version of a buddy-cop story. However, just like so many of the MCU movies, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier introduced a global crisis for its heroes to solve: the increasingly violent terrorist group, the Flag-Smashers, and the resurgence of the Super Soldier serum. The stakes became much higher than the reluctant partnership of Sam and Bucky — and as a result, their interpersonal drama took a backseat in the story.

There were many aspects of the Falcon and the Winter Soldier that worked really well, and largely, these are tied to strong characterization. Bucky's at his best when he's being introspective and flawed: the show hints that he is still drawn to violence, but is deeply ashamed of the Winter Soldier's violent actions. With Steve Rogers' Captain America gone, Bucky is more alone now than ever, being a relic of the past. All of the people he grew up with are dead or much older than he appears to be — and while he's grown accustomed to this new world, he acts perpetually uncomfortable. It's a theme the show sets up in the premiere but doesn't adequately address.

Falcon and Winter Soldier was poised to give Sam and Bucky a relatable, complicated, and resonant relationship — but this never came to fruition. Instead of genuine conflict between the two, the show relied on forced quips and odd-couple banter. Sam Wilson's past as a PTSD counselor made him the perfect figure to help Bucky cope with Steve Rogers going back to the past: something Bucky no doubt wished for himself, and — given his history with Steve in the MCU and how close they were — may have felt resentful of. At the same time, Bucky could have helped Sam on his journey to becoming the new Captain America. Bucky, as a white man, is ill-equipped to help Sam grapple with issues like systemic racism in America — but as a friend, he could have offered quiet support.

There are hints at the show that could have been in Falcon and Winter Soldier: in the ending, for example, when Bucky helps Sam fix up the boat and joins in on the family celebration, or the scenes of Sam and Bucky training with the shield together. The action in the series is often exciting and is executed well — but any antagonist would have worked for those scenes. Sam feeling such an affinity with Karli Morgenthau never made sense — he literally held her in his arms after she shot Sharon Carter, his friend. In general, the character motivations in the show were underdeveloped, all because not enough screentime was spent on exploring the relationships that mattered. This was the fatal mistake Marvel made with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: not using the characters' relationships as the focus of the narrative.

How Superman & Lois Avoids Making The MCU's Biggest Mistake:

The CW was wise to make Superman & Lois largely about the Kent family adjusting to major changes: the death of Martha Kent, the children learning the truth about their father, the family moving from Metropolis to Smallville, and the realization that boys could have inherited their father's Kryptonian powers. While there is a larger conspiracy at the heart of Superman & Lois season 1, the Morgan Edge plot is secondary to the story of Jordan discovering his powers and Clark trying to balance being a hero with being a father. The show isn't about super-powered beings donning costumes to beat up bad guys. While other Arrowverse shows have dealt with similar themes, Superman & Lois is the first to do so without focusing on being a superhero. For example, Black Lightning dealt with similar family themes, but is still primarily about Jefferson Pierce fighting The 100, and his daughter begins crimefighting almost immediately after discovering her powers.

Superman does appear in Superman & Lois and is presumably still averting Nuclear disaster and catching criminals, but much of this happens either offscreen or in brief subplots. The best moments in the show are scenes with Clark trying to coach Jordan, like the moment when he quietly tells his son to let out the built-up eye energy on the football field. These moments work because they're so earnest. While the circumstance is fantastic, the parent-child dynamic and the coming-of-age allegory are incredibly relatable. Clark doesn't know what to do, but he's trying his best. Jordan, as a typical teenager, lacks the maturity to make smart choices. He struggles to understand and control his powers, and he reacts to situations impulsively. He has the concerns of a typical teenage boy: his interest in a potential romance with Sarah, his newfound popularity thanks to football, and his emerging sense of self as he navigates puberty. Instead of scenes with Clark and Jordan stopping bank robbers or flying, audiences get glimpses of their family life; it's a story where the character motivations always feel genuine.

The relationships in Superman & Lois are realistically complicated and nuanced. Jordan and Jonathan Kent break the CW's warring brothers trope by being supporting and caring about each other, even when they disagree. Clark and Lois clearly love each other while having their own separate lives, and the show wisely avoids using Lois as a damsel in distress figure for Superman to save. None of the characters are perfect, with Clark in particular struggling with parental choices and the twin boys making the kind of dumb decisions teenagers make. Unlike The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which overcomplicated its first season with unnecessary global stakes, Superman & Lois keeps the story grounded on its family dynamic, which is a refreshing new standard for superhero stories.

- Screen Rant