#this ep took me an absurd amount of time to complete

[thevalencianroyals]

The Valencian Royals AU

Volume 2 Episode One - MATRIMONY

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.” - Paulo Coelho

Song Inspo: Morning Noon & Night

Five years after the coronation, the royal marriage has turned ice cold, Philip repeats the mistakes of his youth, and Sophie makes a request. Also, introducing Joséphine Beaufort.

Read Episode One Coming This Week !

[swan-orpheus]

finale:

noun

noun: finale; plural noun: finales

the last part of a piece of music, a performance, or a public event, especially when particularly dramatic or exciting."the festival ends with a grand finale"

Did it feel like that to anyone? Because I feel like they were unclear on the concept. It was not devoid of excitement, but it was far from being "particularly dramatic or exciting". It took a rather safe course with a bit of lackluster window dressing and one or two gut punches that end abruptly before we can properly process them or respond emotionally, to get the characters to the confrontation with the villain which winds down in much the way that you'd expect, and all of that after swiftly and perfunctorily solving various problems/tying up some loose ends that were pieces of story to be told rather than distractions to be sorted and discarded without pause or a second thought.

Hemlock doesn't even try to prolong things by talking or justifying his attitudes and behavior in a way that might have made him more compelling. He just tosses out the empty-ish threat of taking Omega down with him (as desperate villains often do in this situation) and Omega , who at all times need to be in control in this ep, cheekily retorts. They make the shot, they go home. And there is some perfunctory dialogue in there about making amends or finding one's path etc. I would even go so far as to say that a bit of the dialogue in the finale felt akin to small talk-underwhelming and space filling. I was waiting for someone to Say The Thing or to Go There and it rarely winds up happening, that moment where you punch the air and go, "Yes!".

There is not very much emotional payoff and when we did get any, I felt kind of numb, usure how to react. We don't get to see Crosshair react to having his hand amputated, we don't get to see Emerie get angry because she's been a victim, or Hemlock lose his all pervasive cool as he's about to die. Jax doesn't start to freak out as they are climbing or seize up because one motivational sentence is enough to allow him to climb an absurd amount of rungs up a vertiginous shaft.

As somone who is terrified of heights, I can tell you, that is not what happens. I tried walking across the Golden Gate Bridge as a child and I started to panic. I still cannot do it as an adult. I feel weird all over and "bad" and my legs stop working.

I would have liked it if Omega and company had had to help him there and they all had had a chance to acknowledge being afraid rather than tossing in a joke about the baby sleeping through the Zillo. It would have made the danger feel more immediate. As it was, I did not for one moment feel afraid for the kids. In fact, I rarely felt afraid for anyone in the finale. It felt rather devoid of stakes for the issue that I think I've outlined of the tone being off. I ought to have been afraid for Wrecker but he keeps getting hit over and over again and gets up every time which signaled to me that they were not serious about making good on their threat to kill him. The same thing occurs with Crosshair when Hemlock threatens to recondition him for good. We pan away and then it is never even brought up again which felt like part of the scene was missing. (Not that I would have wanted the cliché scene of Crosshair fighting his brothers and struggling against it after he's already completed an entire arc where he defeats his demons so to speak...) Was this supposed to be the followup to Rampart's remark doubting that Crosshair has changed? Do not even get me going on that dropped thread.

We speed past logistical issues in a way that is incongruous in order to arrive at the happy ending, and then once we get back to Pabu, it feels like a relief but also oddly underwhelming. Echo looks over at Omega but they do not exchange words after their mutual ordeal or so much as hug. He's been stabbed in the back/shoulder but barely flinches.

I was so caught up in what never got explained or addressed or commented on that I was having a hard time connecting with Omega and Hunter in the epilogue, which also had my brain going, "Okay, but where is everyone else? And what about this thing and that thing and...."

If something resonates emotionally and you get recognition of and closure on the urgent bits, then you are not left in a muddle by the conclusion or wondering how certain things were apparently magically solved or why they are glossed over.

The happy ending actually feels earned in that case.

[mego42]

OK but!!! Come over here and randomly sink the 8 ball???? Can we talk about this???? Does rio not understand how the game of pool works??? Was he just hanging out playing against himself prior to this??? Is it a metaphor??? Is 8 the only number he knows???? THOUGHTS????

the fact that we open the scene with a center shot of beth, all bambi-eyes and openly???? letting him see???? her vulnerable????????

the fact that she still sees him as a lifeline and turns to him for help in spite of him being demonstrably useless literally every time she’s asked

the fact that he’s open to it and asks what she needs

aaaaaand then shuts her down when she says it’s for dean

but also is still giving her some p solid, if, you know, a touch sociopathic advice

and then the fact that said advice more or less amounts to please let your ~technical husband rot in jail crime wife

and yes, the fact that he is, apparently just hanging out! in his own bar! after hours! alone! playing pool with himself!

which sounds like it should be a euphemism tbh but no! it is entirely literal!

everyone involved in this show is a lunatic including all of us!

i love it!

literally wtf are you doing rio

i would like to point out he is losing to himself which is fucking hysterical

and also extremely apt, tbh

he climbs up the pool cue when he stands. why. to what purpose.

he told her to be smart before he murdered her co-worker and beth’s like, not even phased at all by that reference

i am teLlinG y’alL murder is their foreplay, the hitman thing’s gonna be fine

if anything he’s gonna be hurt she outsourced it

which, valid!!!!!!

why are his fingers so long why why WHY

every time he lines up and takes a shot i make this sort of garbled hairpin in a vacuum cleaner noise

i didn’t ask to be like this

and when he sees that the please let him rot please please please pitch is not helping beth’s stress level he pivots and like, actually tries to be comforting????????

but is also incredibly bad at it

remember when beth was like my husband took my children and rio was like that sucks, here’s an open tab byyyyyyeeeeee

he is not the best shoulder, is what i’m saying

and yet!! she keeps going to him anyway!!!!

he’s like SIVER LINING MAYBE YOU’LL WANT TO FUCK YOUR HUSBAND AGAIN AND BETH JUST STEAMROLLS RIGHT PAST THAT

it like doesn’t even register

fuck that guy? don’t be absurd crime husband

also like

who exactly might want to hit what again hmmmmmmm HMMMMMMMMMMM

i am just saying it feels like there are some layErs here

he is so satisfied when she points out nothing sticks to him i want to slap him i want to slap myself i want to slap everyone

i gOt lucK oN my siDe / mayBe yoU do tOo

smells like foreshadowing in here

also jumping back the way his smile s o f t e n s when he says maybe you do too

the urge to slap remains strong but now with a side of leave mE here tO diE

(bringing back @pynkhues​ tag meanderings bc it lives in my head now, is this rio’s way of saying he can protect her class please discuss)

and now we arrive at sink the eight ball

i know it’s ridiculous i know but i can’t help it they’re standing there with a the pool cue and the pool table and it’s all weird tangled intimacy that’s about to flip over into intense sexual tension and i am not coping well with this at all

i’m not okay

THE WAY HE PULLS THE CUE AWAY

AND THE WAY SHE’S LIKE THIS MOTHERFUCKER I STG

let beth boland unhinge her jaw and devour the world 2k21 she deserves it

idk what to tell you beth you like it

like let’s pause for a sec and examine the situation shall we? this ep provides some really interesting contrast between beth’s extremely different relationships with the men in her life.

1. we have dean who is, i would argue, shown throughout the ep to be a complete albatross of guilt and long expired, turned toxic gratitude dangling from a rapidly fraying thread called parenting. he’s furious with beth to the point of not wanting to see her while in prison, choosing to stay in prison to avoid coping with how thoroughly their house of cards is tumbling down and the reality of who beth is and who they are to each other that collapse is exposing. 2. we have fitzpatrick who repeatedly tramples her boundaries in a tunnel vision pursuit of the person he thinks she is and his fantasy of the relationship he could have with this person who doesn’t actually exist and we’ve seen how uncomfortable it makes beth to the point that she finally blows up at him, reasserting who she is and it, idk if i would say scares him, but it definitely turns him off. 3. and then we have rio who she is locked in a nightmare game of cat and mouse with, who she has convinced herself is the source of all of her problems and yet when push comes to shove is still the person that she turns to for guidance and support, who she has no objection to sharing physical space with (i hear rumors the pool scene reads wildly divide and yeah i can see how but i am firmly camp they are both experiencing some stupidly complicated emotional upheaval and that’s what that face is, y’all take it how you will), who is also the only person this ep to witness the single, genuine, uncomplicatedly happy glimpse of one elizabeth boland née marks (who can’t help but grin in response to her joy and honestly who wouldn’t she is so gd cUte before he rips the rug out from underneath her)

i got worked up and forgot where i was going with this

something about contrast

but also the like, comfort and familiarity and ease even when Extremely Annoyed

idk i just think it’s neat

let’s see what else happens

oh right they play """"""""""pool"""""""""""

wait no, we’re not there yet

first rio’s gotta do that big-eyed disney princess look he shoots beth’s way from time to time, 209 being the notable example that comes to mind

h E Lp

so now we’re at sinking the eight ball

yeah, no, he does not know how pool works

i’d say it’s embarrassing but what isn’t with them

SPEAKING OF EMBARRASSING

or maybe i mean inexplicable

i tried to be v hardcore on not letting myself speculate about the pool scene and how it would come to be so sexy bc speculation has only ever led to either disappointment or me getting really, really over the top competitive about it to the point where it isn’t even fun for me anymore (which is saying something) but i couldn’t help spinning out potential scenarios bc like why???? how????? the man is draped over her like a blanket and smELliNg heR haiR surely that doesn’t just happen??????

WHAT A FOOL I WAS

LITERALLY FOR NO REASON AT ALL RIO’S LIKE FUCK YOUR PERSONAL SPACE CRIME WIFE IT’S OUR PERSONAL SPACE

AND BETH’S JUST LIKE YEAH SURE CRIME HUSBAND THIS IS FINE AND NORMAL I HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTARY

LIKE?????????????????????????????????????????

h An dS

hAn D S

H a nD s

anD theN hE smelLs heR hAir like a fuckiN lunAtic

i just

TO WHAT PURPOSE

SCIENCE P L E A S E E X P L A I N

i know we all like to argue until the cows come home over what specific flavor of sloppy the show is and then we argue with the cows but like

this didn’t happen out of nowhere

they’re setting something up

(they fuckin’)

(do not argue with me or my cows)

thE shoUldeR roLl

no thoughts just that

AND THEN SHE MAKES IT

(and everything b o u n c e s)

AND SHE’S SO CUTE????? MY WIFE???????? I LOVE HER????????????

no but literally when was the last time beth was that happy

it’s so pure

and it makes him lauGh toO

s Of t

and then rio’s like no but seriously fuck your husband let him rot in jail and beth’s facce falls and my heart breaks and everyone remembers everything is terrible bc they are absolutely inFURIATING nigHTMARE PEOPLE who caNNOT USE THEIR WORDs

what was the actual question here i don’t even remember

oh right why the eight ball

probs bc it color coordinated with both his and beth’s outfits bc he is A Heaux Like That

[monstersqueen]

CAiL to TMA, episodes ... 17 to 40, apparently.

Yeah, i really should have done this as i listened, because i can't remember much of what my reactions where. besides THE FUCK HOW DARE THEY when the first time we're told a recorder is running is BY BREAKON AND HOPE who just FUCKING DELIVERED THAT FREAKING LIGHTER. next episode : tim comes by, mentions little mistakes, TALKS ABOUT THE DELIVERY AND JON HAS ALREADY FORGOTTEN THE LIGHTER. he says he's going to get opinions about it but eh! you know what happens! he's distracted by the table AND STOPS THINKING ABOUT THAT LIGHTER and i'm very angry.

anyway. What else? Still hilarious that we cut from Jon's 'you didn't....die here?' to Elias 'Jon put up a good front, but i swear he's worse than martin' SHUT UP 'ELIAS' I STILL WANT TO PUNCH YOU

(he spent his whole statement saying things like 'how gertrude's body ended up in the tunnels is as much a mystery to me as it is to you' STOP LYING and 'i'm sorry i took so long to start the fire response sytem' NO YOU DIDN'T YOU WERE HOLDING ON TIL THE LAST FREAKING MICRO SECOND YOU ASSHOLE.

Also not!sasha is. barely pretending to have human feelings? urgh. AND IT4S SAID IN TEH CREDITS TOO! LIKE; YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THE POST ATTACHED TO THE EPISODE, IT4S SAID RIGHT THERE??? (sorry i'm still surprised at the amount of liveblogers who don't catch that...)

Anyway! Before that. we got. The BoneTurner's Tale - jon mentions that there are a lot of known name in that one NO REALLY; The Man Upstairs - I. actually had a car accident while listening to that one. no injuries. ; Confession and Desecrated Host - hmm. There are spirals statement i straight up adore, like insomnia and man on the stair but. those episodes? *shrugs* mention for hiltop road i guess? ; Freefall - SIMON FAIRCHILD AND THEN MARTIN!!!!!; COLONY!!!!! Martin is just. so surprised jon believes him and immediately offers to help! by making live at work, sure, but still. Plus 'i wanted proof /for you/'; not 'to convince you' but 'for you' which is. such a way to phrase it WHEN HE DEFINETELY WANTED PROOF TO RUB HIS FACE IN THE FACT THAT NO A MAN DOESN'T DIE NATURALLY *ENCASED IN WEB* (excuse me i have the conversation in ep 39 fresh in my mind + martin's small 'sorry' over losing tim and jon in the tunnels. i'm having jonmartin feelinsg ok); SCHWARTZWALD !!! here have the start of jonah's harem!! (we do not have really talked about his (ex)husband at that point....); Strange Music - yeha that's. creepy; Growing Dark; gertrude starts appearing as a VERY MYUSTERIOUS FIGURE. well. very little right now it' s more her date of death BUT I'M STILL LAUGHING OVER MANUELA UP NORTH WONDERING WHAT GERTRUDE DID TO STOP THEM, when she just. slept on that one. :D:D -

A Distortion - i said as much first time i listened, but it's still as true, JON YOUR SKEPTICISM IS PUSHING YOUR ASSITANTS TOWARDS UNNECESSARY RISKS!!! (and also i'm having feelinsg about 'because i'm scared Martin!' and also over martin pushing and calling jon out on COMPLETELY ABSURD SKEPTICISM this is a great ship and also i still have three-four seasons of it :D:D). A sturdy lock - well this is still just as disturbing, and not be listened to when YOU LIVE ALONE. Cheating Death and Killing Floor - u absolutely adored those tow first time around, kinda only half listened this time. shame.

Hive - ah the whole 'you can't help. you wouldn't help anyway'. Plus 'the itch doesn't like you. maybe it means you can help? ah no i get why it hates you. You try to put into words what can't, shouldn't be put into words. you can't help. you can't even understand' THE SHADE THROWN AT THE EYE MY GOD (this said she tried a ritual in the tunnels and it was thwarted NOT EVEN ON PURPOSE by tim WHILE HE WAS HIGH like. beholdling might be lsoer but corruption isn't any better) Boatswain's Call - ah here have jonahlias ex husband. also. the time when he was actually intimidating....

Anatomy class - the sound cut off while teh title was read so it was a complete surprise! Yeha those are still good students and doctor linel is an idiot. Also: the appel. it's not even tat it's not proof, jon just. wants nothing to do with that thing. lvoe it. OLD PASSAGES!!!! more gerry! and jon going 'yes this is probably gerard keay. we can't get anyone tot alk about this as gerard keay is as unjoinable as ever' DON'T WORRY JON YOU WILL HAVE YOUR INTERVIEW WITH HIM *_* so fun to see jontalking about gerry :)

Taken Ill :((; Burnt Offering -ah, gertrude. I should really try to catch those dates between her death and everythign....(also, the way the desolation attacks what he loves. but i think the best episode for that is in season 5) Lost and Found - ok after desecrated host i remembered that was this spiral episode too, and i didn't care much but. yeah. very good. not exactly in the vibe of spiral statement i love, but so, so very effective.

And then, well.

...honestly the convo sasha, jon and martin have is so good? Jon going 'we are actually, somewhat safe' and martin 'Hah!' gods i love their reaction. sasha getting out of jon 'i won't be another mystery' OH NO :(((((, and of course, martin going 'you can't possibly not believe when we're literaly assieged by jane prentiss!!'' i love martin so much (and then jon opens up, and 'why are you still are? ''are you giving me my review? now???' there's nothing much like the first moments of ship, really)

[idontneednofuckinhug]

My 25 favourite albums of the 2010′s

When it came down to making a list of my favourite projects through the 2010's, it really became clear to me how difficult of a task this was - I've listened to hundreds and hundreds of albums, EP's and Mixtapes during this time frame with artists from different genres, during different times of my life, where I needed different types of music to soothe my soul. When I started writing down the albums I want to put in my decade list, the first thing I set as a rule to myself was that I'd have only one album per artist, just to avoid repetitiveness and so I can actually think about which artists really did leave a mark on me during this time frame and not just have a list of 10 artists with my favourite 2-3 albums from each. Even then, I originally had more than 35 albums written down as standouts for me during this time and I wanted to originally make a top 20 - I quickly realized that wouldn't be possible, but a top 35 or top 30 would be way too big, so I decided to settle on a top 25 and even then I realized I'd leave out some generational artists like Gambino, JID, 6LACK and more. After that I just decided I wouldn't rank them, it would just be 25 albums that were my favourite during the decade - no rankings, because really, how can I compare a hip-hop album to an Indie album for instance? I couldn't. I hope this list raises a discussion and we can talk about your favourite albums during this period as well or you can tell me I'm braindead for leaving out someone from the list. So in no particular order, I'll list the albums and leave some thoughts on each:

A$AP Rocky - AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP (2015) Althogh this album was released in 2015, it took me till about two years later to really appreciate it as a project - it was my coming of age album, where I realized that I need to love myself and focus on my own well-being, to have that self-confidence that reflects the reality of who you are as a person and that attracts others to be interested in what's going on with you. The album was and still is very relevant to the environment I didn't want to be in and to push myself to achieve what I've been dreaming of, as well as reflect on the existential topics I've always raised within myself regarding love, violence and pain.

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (2018) I was a bit late to the party with this one, as I only started listening to it in 2019, a year after its release, but I have to admit, Twin Fantasy really reflects all of the impulsive emotions I have within myself regarding loneliness, being insecure and counting on the people you love so that you help each other out, outgrowing your childish opinions and understanding of relationships and realizing your partner struggles just as much as you do. This might be my favourite indie-rock project right now.

Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap (2013) This album was a big part of me during my teenage years - I remember it reflecting the issues I was facing when I was 16-18 and it really made me vibe with it, due to the appreciation I had for my friends and my free time during that time, at the same time addressing the inner feelings of whether you're doing the right thing with your life. Listening to it now, years later gives me an alternative view of it as well, as an adult who looks with nostalgia at his younger self and realizes how much emotions I've missed from this project.

Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Pinata (2014) Arguably the album with the best production of all time - the free-flowing jazzy and soulful beats from Madlib, underlined with Gibbs's absurd flow, the story-telling of him having to sell drugs and rob people to make a living, the absurd amount of genius features and the disgusting verses Gibbs had on songs like Harold's, Real and Robes just puts this project in a bracket of its own - I was wondering whether I prefer Pinata or Bandana, but as Bandana is a very fresh project still, this one has aged like a fine wine for me.

Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE (2012) Oddly enough, I'm one of those people who doesn't like Blonde as much as channel ORANGE. This album really hit home when it came down to my break-ups and realization I'd have to start all over again, both with myself and with someone else in the future - it really made me miss some people in my life time and time again and has brought me to tears more than you'd think. Frank's commentary on the album on different aspects of love and society really puts you in a frame of mind where you'll relate to almost everything he's experienced.

Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron (2014) This was the best story-telling album of the decade for me. The production which had a very modern take on old-school Gangsta rap really sticks to you with every song, the themes which Q explores with growing up in his ghetto neighbourhood, being part of the Crips, selling drugs and being part of gang-related crime really hits hard, combined with the realization he wants something better from life after growing up in poverty. Looking at Q grow up as a person after the release of this album and achieving all of his dreams really adds to this project as a modern day classic.

Flying Lotus - You're Dead (2014) Honestly, this one isn't for everyone - when making this list FlyLo had completely slipped my mind, even though I absolutely destroyed Flamagra with replays this year and had destroyed You're Dead in 2018 and 2017 due to the amazing production and vibe the album had. This project has an absolutely one of a kind take on combining modern jazz with psychedelic beats and hip-hop features, showcasing exactly why Flying Lotus is one of the best producers of modern times.

Danny Brown - Atrocity Excibition (2016) The culmination of Danny Brown's career for me, Danny addresses what it's like to completely hit rock bottom in this project, being a crackhead, who'd party, have sex with groupies and strangers and have no control over his life - there's a very neurotic and dark production on this album, combined with Danny's hilarious, but unsettling one-liners and verses which really could have been interpreted as a cry for helf, especially on songs such as "Ain't it Funny".`

Anderson. Paak - Malibu (2016) I recently wrote about Paak in a blogpost, discussing how he brought soul music back into the mainstream through a fantastic combination of rapping and singing with soul-inspired production and keeping a very funky vibe alive. This album was his best work for me and really showcased how much he's loving life, living to his best and enjoying every day of it, whilst at the same time addressing how difficult, but worth it love can be.

Mac Miller - Watching Movies With The Sound Off (2012) Mac was one of the first artists I wrote about, as I basically grew up with him, although he was a bit older than me (he's 92 and I'm 97). Every album of his was a part of my life and something I could relate to and live through, sometimes a bit later than its release, but no album has had such an eternal feel to it as Watching Movies. Both at 19 and at 22, I could find life lessons in this album and songs that could really describe what I'm going through, both on the end where my ego is taking over and I don't feel in control (Red Dot Music), to the downpoints of my life and addictions (Objects in the Mirror).

Earl Sweatshirt - I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside (2015) I love Earl. Realistically, I couldn't keep him out of this list, although none of his albums really are crazy standouts, as he has an extremely consistent body of work, but I decided to settle with this one. With its melancholic production, dark and slow beats and topics of depression, suicide and self-isolation, this album has been one of my main therapists every time life has absolutely killed me and had kept me afloat, thanks to having someone to relate to in those difficult, dark edgy times.

Denzel Curry - TA13OO (2018) Probably one of most inovative albums in the end of the 2010's, Denzel split the album up into three parts, all reflecting the emotions he felt during the proccess of creating it: Light, embracing his success and feelings of positivity; Grey, being introspective about his life and looking at the people trying to use him and hate him objectively; Dark, channeling all his anger and darkest emotions.

Vince Staples - Summertime '06 (2015) Vince really is one of the most complex artists of modern times for me personally, as his music is always very difficult to gauge and he always strives for innovation, rather than mainstream appeal. Summertime in reality is probably his most mainstream album, being an excellent storytelling project of his origins from Long Beach, California, the gang culture and harsh reality around him, his friends being shot down or turning into coke fiends and the way his environment has shaped him as a person of distrust and scepticism.

Sons of Kemet - Your Queen's a Reptile (2018) I really wanted to have a jazz project in this list and I was torn between this one, Everything's Beatiful and Drunk, but I always go back to this one the most. The avant-garde jazz-funk sound of this album, combined with traditionally african melodies and beats and progression each song goes through really makes this a multi-layered album which you will need to listen to again and again, as it also had a very political message in itself.

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) If anyone asks me what's the greatest pure hip-hop album of all time, I always answer and have answered "To Pimp a Butterfly". This album was and in my opinion still is very much before its time - the jazz-rap production, social and political messages and discussion, the absurd beats and flows, the rhyme-schemes, everything about this album absolutely shines and whatever I say, will not do it justice, you need to listen to this start to back.

Jpegmafia - Veteran (2018) Being one of the most experimental and non-fuck giving rappers in the game right now, this album was really a step in the right direction for hip-hop, as it had production that you'd probably hear nowhere else, DYI samples, political comments and messages in a very unfiltered manner, showcasing Peggy's no-fucks-given attitude to everything in music, something he has continued to prove to this day.

Tame Impala - Currents (2015) I originally listened to this project for the first time in late 2016, but I really wasn't too much into Indie back then, so I gave it little thought. 3 years later, after listening to it again I realized what a genius piece of art Kevin Parker had created with its topics of self-discovery, introspection on life and it's psychedelic indie-rock production, really creating something that no one else had heard before.

Joey Bada$$ - 1999 (2012) What really makes me not believe this project exists is that Joey released it when he was 17. Having some of the best old-school inspired production and beats, with a jazzy, soulful sound, this album showcases a very young man challenge the political climate of its time, as well as have very matures takes and opinions on gang-culture, smoking weed and needing to grow up, realizing he can't live a life of parties and drugs if he wants to leave something that's worth it in the world.

Kanye West and Kid Cudi - Kids See Ghosts (2018) I was really wondering if I should put this album in my list, as I'm not the biggest Kanye fan and I haven't really liked much of Cudi's work past 2010, but in the end, this album is one of a kind. It tells the tale of two people struggling with their mental illnesses, but in the end conquering them, loving themselves and realizing that they have so much to give in life. The album shares a very heavy inspiration from Tame Impala's production as it has a fantastic psychedelic rock production, combined with samples and yells from Cudi and Kanye which you'd never hear in another project, which people take seriously.

Death Grips - No Love Deep Web (2012) Disgusting. Raw. Overpowering. Back in 2012 when this project was released, Death Grips completely took the internet by storm, as nothing like this had ever been released even in the underground hip-hop scene. Glitchy production, combined with guitar riffs, sudden breaks, yelling and completely unrelated gibberish in most of the songs, topped off with an album cover of Zach Hill's dick, this album inspired a decade of experimentation in rap music, leading to albums such as Kanye's Yeezy and Tyler's Cherry Bomb.

Ab-Soul - Control System (2012) Lyrically one of the most complex projects I've ever heard, Ab-soul's rhyme schemes and punchlines deserve a place in a literature course in University, as you'd need multiple listens on his songs to catch every little reference the rapper makes. The album has a fantastic jazz-inspired production, songs with a very disjointed beat, showcasing his emotional instability during making it, as he references his past and the personal issues he had to go through during life, the suicide of his beloved Alori Joh, which has caused him to contemplate suicide himself and the references to his co-stars in TDE's projects makes for a project you'll spend hours on end to try and figure out.

The Internet - Ego Death (2015) One of the best contemporary R&B projects, the Internet combines a very blues and soul inspired production for this one, giving face to their fantastic members ability to create a vibe and atmosphere in their music - the most impressive part for me with them is that this album really was the start of multiple fantastic artists solo careers: Syd, Steve Lacy, Matt Martians.

Little Simz - GREY Area (2019) This and Tame Impala were my only projects by non-american artists and for a reason. Little Simz crafted a fantastic hip-hop album filled with a mixture of aggressive, eerie production and classical jazz and blues samples, showcasing her talent to both sing and rap in every single song, exploring the difficulties of being a female MC in the modern era, the pressure and negative emotions she experiences having to work much harder in the industry than men and the pain she's felt during the years of her coming of age.

SZA - Ctrl (2017) My favourite R&B album of the past decade, SZA created one of the rawest, most emotional albums I've ever heard, reflecting on modern romance from a very personal and subjective point of view, gives this project a very aunthetic and deep feel you'd have to dig deep to find elsewhere. The album also underlines SZA's struggles as a modern woman, jealousy and the anxiety of being in your 20's. The project's classic R&B production combined with its features from artists like Travis Scott and Kendrick Lamar, really adds to an experience which could leave you heartbroken.

Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia Demo (2014) Although during the past year The Sun's Tirade has been my favourite and main album, it really is more of a vibe album and not as much as a personal abum as Cilvia. In Cilvia I found myself, Isaiah talks about his addiction issues, wanting to make it in a world full of hate, the horrible relationship with his father, thoughts of suicide, the lack of commitment he has in love and has received in his relationships and the social climate which makes him feel like he's less of a person. This isn't an album for everyone, but the people who can relate to what he's feeling will likely fall in love with this project.

[drunklander]

Drunj!Der Yells About Outlander

Thoughts on Ep. 411

This week, on Outlander: Claire carries all of the water for Jamie! Lord John can’t decide if he’s dumb and creepy or a cool dude! Roger is still my designated tea refill break! Bree is back to being the worst! Murgsali remains the best!

It’s week two of my drunk recaps being done while not drunk *shakes fist at the concept of Dry January* and my willpower is being aggressively tested.

I hate this fake-out with Roger as much as I hate the fake-out in ep. 1x03 with Claire and Mrs. Fitz.

Are we going to get Roger back at the stones and his decision to stay and him being recaptured and stuff next week? Or are we just going to pick back up at the village and we just need to fill all that in ourselves? Tbh, I almost would have preferred Roger just not being in this episode...

Oh the title card... Bree is suddenly now a great artist! (Seriously, how the fuck did she never draw Roger at any point before Rogergate happened?! Like, cool if you don’t want to share who raped you, literally this whole thing could have been avoided without sharing that tidbit if Jamie KNEW WHAT ROGER LOOKED LIKE. Oh, thanks for the heads up, Lizzie, but it turns out that the guy you saw is Bree’s boyfiend. I punched him for leaving her, but it turns out he’s just a dick, not a rapist.) (Second week in a row that I’ve made that typo. It’s like even my subconscious doesn’t like Roger.)

And Bree loves drawing the enslaved people on her great-aunt’s plantation! Which she apparently is totally cool with!

Also, Bree says Aunt wrong. It’s a minor thing but one that is driving me up a fucking wall every time she says it. (People in Massachusetts say it like Ahnt, not Ant.)

Geez, Lizzie, Bree doesn’t need to easily forgive Jamie. Jamie doesn’t deserve to be easily forgiven. Honestly, Lizzie is the least to blame for this whole fiasco. She saw a dude being rough with Bree and then the next time she saw Bree was post-rape. Jamie was a complete prick to Bree, beat the shit out of a random guy without letting him get a word in edgewise and had his nephew get rid of him. And then didn’t fucking tell Claire, who probably would have put two and two together, about it. Fuck that guy.

I simultaneously can’t believe and 1000% can believe they read this shit heap of a story line and were like “Yep, this is great stuff! Let’s definitely spend half a season on it!”

ROLLO! THE GOODEST BOY!

Ugh. Young Ian being like “Oh hey, Auntie Claire, how about you go do the emotional labor of making Jamie feel better about being a fucking dumbass!” Hard pass, Ian. Hard fucking pass.

So here for Claire’s “what you *both* thought.” Like yep, Ian, you’re at fault too. I know you love your uncle, but you gave that whole big speech at River Run about being your own man and yada yada, so maybe fucking own your part in this. You didn’t fucking have to sell a guy into fucking slavery. BUT YOU’RE STILL NOT AS MUCH TO BLAME AS JAMIE. FUUUUCK THAT GUY.

Also, Jamie, you dumb fuck. You should have been fucking groveling by now. You get no points for keeping your distance. Nut up and mea culpa the shit out of this situation.

Honestly, if they wanted to make the show just about Fersali and Murtz, at this point I’d be totally on board.

Wait, so Fergus has been unemployed this whole time? How the fuck have they been living for the past year then? What happened to his job at the printer? I have so many questions...

So Bree, who grew up in civil rights era Boston and had a Black roommate, is totally just chill about living on a plantation and being waited on by enslaved people? Like, we’re not going to mention this at all? Cool. Cool cool cool.

Also like fucking mother like daughter. She’s like “Oh hey, Phaedre, I’m going to draw you. Sit there. No, I’m not going to ask if you want to be drawn. Or take into account what Jocasta might do to you because of my decision to make you not be doing what you’re expected to be doing. Like my Mom did with asking you to call her by her first name, I’m just gonna disregard what the consequences might be for you because treating you like this will make me feel better about myself.”

Maria Doyle Kennedy continues to be awesome.

"Sorry! Did I wake ye?” I love Marsali so fucking much.

I really like them giving what was a convo with Jenny and Jamie about Ian in the books to Marsali and Murtagh about Fergus. But man, women do so much of the emotional labor in this fucking episode. Marsali is running a house, caring for a baby and risking having a wanted man sleeping in her kitchen but she also has to like fluff the pillows for Fergus’ feelings.

Yes, I know that spouses should support each other and be there when the other one needs something. But since we see so little of Fersali now, we’re not seeing this as a two way relationship. Just Marsali doing it for Fergus.

That being said, I do think it’s very sweet of Marsali.

“If I wanted him shot, I’d do it myself. And it wouldna be Fergus I’d take aim at first. He doesna put his boots on my blankets.” I just fucking love her so much, y’all.

Does Murtagh know who Marsali is yet though? Does he know about Jamie marrying Laoghaire? Were we robbed of the glorious Murtz reaction we could have had? Le sigh. If I had a drink, I’d pour one out...

Oh hey, Gerald. Is your name going to stay Gerald? Or are you randomly going to start being Neil in a couple seasons?

“Have you been enjoying your time at River Run?” “Yes, I love River Run. I love living with a bunch of racists, benefiting from the enslavement of Black people. I never once bring up how uncomfortable I am, or even look like I’m uncomfortable about the situation. I am not at all morally conflicted about my current situation. Everything is totally cool.”

I raged a lot during ep. 4x02, and honestly that rage all still stands.

Oh hey! John Grey, Lord of Convenient Appearances is back!

Fergus talking to Germain is my everything. “It seems there are some here who do not appreciate your contribution to the cause.” *swoon* I can’t wait for him to teach his lil dude the fine art of pickpocketing...

I LOVE THE FERGUS AND MURTAGH RELATIONSHIP A LOT AND I’M VERY GLAD THEY’RE GETTING SCREEN TIME TOGETHER.

BASICALLY I LOVE MURTAGH’S RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYONE.

I JUST LOVE MURGSALI OK.

Bree’s like that obnoxious college freshman who comes home on break and is like all insufferable because they took like one intro to psych class and now want to like diagnose everyone they know with random shit.

“Must I close my eyes when you are before me?” “Yes.” Well played, Bree, but I still do not like you at all in this episode.

Man, 18th century tinder fucking sucks.

I know this show isn’t subtle at all, but jfc, they’re like punching us in the face with the judge being gay. 

Bree, Claire and Betty fucking Draper should start a club for women who drink like fish while preggo.

Ok so I’m on board with the convo with LJG and Bree about his vision or whatever, but then it crosses over into creepy later on in the episode.

Can Lizzie please fuck off already? She’s annoying af.

Also, she blurts out that Bree’s pregnant but managed to keep it a secret that Jamie kicked the shit out of a guy for weeks? I’m calling shenanigans on that.

I get that the convo with John and Bree about Jocasta trying to marry off Bree to some rando is supposed to like be clearing up the handfasting is marriage vs. not marriage thing that the show can’t make up its mind about, but it still bugs me, tbh. A lot.

I still am lowkey annoyed that they expect us to be so invested in Roger and Bree when they did like nothing to build up their relationship before it went to shit (both times). Like, you’re lazy when it comes to your characters, show. You’re doing a bad job. If no one is invested in the characters then all the plot in the world won’t make the show good.

The amount this show relies on book readers backfilling shit is absurd.

Jocasta, as a woman and figure in society, is a far more understandable giver of this speech about Bree needing to be married than Jamie, a dude who can have her live with him in his and Claire’s house in fucking bumblenowhere backwoods. But still, WHY DON’T THESE FUCKERS JUST TREAT HER LIKE SHE’S MARRIED. SHE TECHNICALLY IS. SHE’S HANDFAST. WHO GIVES A FUCK IF THERE WEREN’T WITNESSES. NO ONE IN CROSS CREEK KNOWS THAT. PEOPLE WILL JUST ACCEPT WHAT YOU TELL THEM. I HATE THAT ALL THESE FUCKERS WON’T PUT THAT TOGETHER.

Ok, cool that Lord John is getting some action, I’m am 10000% here for him to be happy with a man who actually wants him back instead of creepily pining over Jamie forever. But FFS YOU ARE NOT STUPID. WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU BANGING THIS DUDE IN THE GODDAMN HALLWAY?! YOU ARE A VERY CAREFUL PERSON. YOU KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF PEOPLE KNOW YOU’RE GAY. YOU FUCKING GOT SHIPPED OFF TO ARDSMUIR BECAUSE OF RUMORS ABOUT YOU AND HECTOR. YOU ARE SMARTER THAN THIS YOU STUPID FUCKING FUCK.

All that aside, I totally ship John and the judge and they should totally be boyfriends and bang a lot, but FUCKING NOT IN THE GODDAMN HALLWAY OF SOMEONE ELSE’S HOUSE WHEN THEY KNOW THEY LIVE IN A HOMOPHOBIC AF SOCIETY.

Ok, fuck Brianna for this blackmail bullshit. Fuck her so fucking much. She is the literal worst right now. Like are you fucking kidding me, Bree?! You’re garbage. I know this shit is in the book, but fucking christ. It’s bad. Fucking have Bree talk to John like “Look, my aunt is trying to marry me off. That fucking hobbit is going to propose as soon as I go back inside. I don’t want to marry him, you know I’m waiting to see if my parents can find my quasi-husband. Can you please do me a solid and say we’re engaged so people leave me the fuck alone until my parents get back?” We *know* John would say yes to that, because he eventually fucking goes along with it for THAT EXACT FUCKING REASON. SO WHY ARE THEY HAVING FROM-THE-POST-STONEWALL-FUTURE BREE THREATEN A GUY WITH THIS SHIT. SHE KNOWS HOW QUEER FOLKS ARE TREATED IN HER OWN FUCKING TIME, AND THIS IS THE PAST AND THE PAST IS THE FUCKING WORST. FUUUUUUCK HER.

“That sounds like a threat.” BREE, YOU DON’T GET TO BE BUTTHURT ABOUT BEING THREATENED WHEN YOU LITERALLY JUST TOLD A GUY YOU WERE GOING TO RUIN HIS LIFE, YOU ABSOLUTE ASSHOLE.

“I wouldn’t have said a word to anyone. I’d just threaten you with your worst fear. Because I’m a raging asshat.”

It’s creepy af that they’re like talking around John being in love with Jamie. I honestly hate that part of John so fucking much. Like he could be such a great character if they could fucking lay off the him pining over and being weirdly possessive of Jamie shit.

Ok, so with Bree now just telling everyone that it was Bonnet who raped her it’s really coming off that Jamie’s manpain was the *only* reason she didn’t tell anyone but Claire before. Which is so fucked up! She was raped! Fuck Jamie’s manpain! If she wants to tell people, she should fucking tell people! Sorry not sorry, but if you were brutally raped and possibly impregnated by some fucker and you want to let people know who it was because it turns out he’s a fucking sociopath, that fucking trumps “oh, my bio dad might feel icky about it.”

“The union of our families is a blessing to us all. Except for the second someone better comes along. Because omg he’s a *lord*! Bye, Neil. Go have yourself some second breakfast.”

Oh fuck you, Jamie. You don’t get to be butthurt at Claire. Claire didn’t beat the everloving fuck out of some rando at the word of a maid, send him into slavery and then keep it a fucking secret. Also like, why the fuck did he even keep it a secret from Claire?! Why not do what Bree did and tell Claire but have her not tell Bree? And he’s still keeping him asking Murtagh to track Bonnet down from Claire. Seriously, fuck Jamie.

Oh Rollo, this isn’t Terminus. We don’t eat people in this show.

I literalol’ed at them pulling an Everest and using a dead body as a wayfinding tool. Probs not the reaction they were going for.

“He is... very much like his father.” DON’T MAKE IT WEIRD, JOHN.

"Good doesn’t come into it. I love him more than life itself.” I love the convo about loving a kid even if you’re not the bio dad, but this “It’s only new because there is hope.” bullshit while they’re sitting on the FUCKING PORCH OF A PLANTATION, LOOKING OUT AT ENSLAVED PEOPLE WHILE THE REST OF THE FAM IS OFF LOOKING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED ON THE LAND FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, IS SO FUCKING TONE DEAF IT HURTS.

“I was upset, but not with you.” Uh, Claire? YOU SHOULD BE UPSET WITH JAMIE. WHAT THE FUCK. YOU SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE UPSET WITH JAMIE.

I get Claire’s reasons for not telling Jamie. I think Bree should have told Claire to tell Jamie since it seems like her only hesitation for doing so was Jamie’s #feelings. And I 100000000% think that it makes *zero* sense that she never told Jamie what Roger looks like. But Claire is doing way fucking more than her share of apologizing here. JAMIE IS THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE DOING THE BIG DRAMATIC APOLOGY. THIS IS LIKE 99.7% HIS FUCKING FAULT.

I HATE ROGERGATE SO FUCKING MUCH.

“Frank made plenty of mistakes.” UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE FUCKING CENTURIES, BEAUCHAMP.

Aaaand then they couch it as an “all parents do” thing. BECAUSE OH NO, CAN’T ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE WAS AN ABUSIVE JACKASS. NOPE. CAN’T DO THAT.

This show is fucking *killing* me with its refusal to make the male characters accountable for their actions. 

And then we get the same sex scene we got in the premiere. Because even though Jamie and Claire get freaky in oh-so-many different ways in the later books, the show has decided that from now on they need to be vanilla and boring. I mean, in the book this bit is described as fierce with blind desperation. I know I always say I want them to deviate from the book, but ffs, I didn’t mean make all the sex the same when the situations and emotional states of the characters when they’re together are very different...

And no, Balfe, I’m not a “horny granny.” (Seriously, fuck her for that comment, tbh. I know what she was probably trying to say, but word choice, Caitriona. It’s fucking important.) I’m not watching this show for the smut. But the core relationship, what’s supposed to be the heart of the show, is now monotonous af. 

Jamie and Claire as characters have always been a couple who express themselves passionately and physically. But now suddenly they’re just like soft af all the time? Where’s the fire? Where’s the spark? You don’t need to have nudity to show passion, show. I’m not asking for a parade of boobs and butts. (If there was contractual stuff involved with that for actors or whatever, more power to them.) But ffs, the show is managing to make me bored with the main fucking ship.

And then Roger gets the shit kicked out of him again and I’m here for it.

Because I still don’t like that guy.

(But seriously, framing the various Native American tribes as the “bad guys” is getting old af.)

[allofmycrushes]

BF ending pt2

Ending it this way is unnecessary the same way Ash's rape in ep 22 was. Max's good message from the previous ep gets undermined while Ash, who has been slowly healing is again getting abused by another completely one dimensional and useless villain. His character is subjected to an absurd amount of trauma and unbelievably set up to get into such situations repeatedly not for the sake of plot but I don't know...pointless sadism. Or as I speculated before to cement what is going to happen to him in the end. Everything is forgotten, Ash wins for a moment but in the next the whole process repeats. Cumulating constant horrifying events just for the sake of it isn't good writing and not just because it's upsetting, sometimes something else happens- the useless agony forced down our throats too much starts to not ring true, it's so excessively extra to the point that it loses the impact it should have. Ending suffers from the exact same flaw. I don't agree the ending is objectively good even if it's unhappy. The worst thing about it is that due to things I wrote about earlier ending becomes not believable, it becomes more like a cliche soap opera than grim real life like tragedy. In the context of the repeating unrealistic patterns of worse torment that nevertheless have Ash pull himself through like a superman each time the ending loses a feeling of finality and realism within the story. That's why I cannot connect with the popular narrative praising the ending for being near perfectly constructed, logical and realistic even though painful. I can't get behind the reception of it as some kind of edgy masterwork in which the huge part of its greatness lays in its overt grimness.

I think people misunderstand that those who don’t like the ending are against it only because it’s not happy, that we could only accept it if it was a ride into the sunset. The way Ash died was tawdry more than clever and it can’t be glossed over. It wasn’t the only right and the best way at all but there’s another missed opportunity here. The whole journey of Ash was about breaking out of the role he’s been given (going against Dino, refused to side with Foxx). The role of the victim and then the one of a monster. He wanted to do it, was cheered on by Eiji along the way. Plagued by doubts if he could but in any case actively working towards freeing himself. When fans often insist Ash can’t be anything but a murderer, can never even try to live normally, live any other way than as a killing machine destined to die it is sadly the same self-defeating thing Ash does, it’s what he’s been told by the villains who want him to be like that and opposite of what Eiji fights to tell him. The ending means crossing out all previous efforts of Ash trying to struggle against it and all support of Eiji’s, it means it was unsuccessful in the end. All that Eiji tried to tell him, how he is a person and deserves to be just that is being finally undermined. He didn’t free himself, he internalized the reductive, negative image and punished himself, didn’t die freed. Remember the time when Yut Lung tried to guilt trip and victim blame Eiji for being Ash’s destruction? He is told he will be the reason for Ash getting hurt and his eventual death and to leave Ash alone or better yet kill himself if he cares for Ash and doesn’t want for it to happen? Eiji calls out this bullshit and doesn’t listen. Eiji rebelled when he was told to distance himself from Ash for Ash’s sake, while Ash (and the audience) totally buys into this narrative that Ash is only an unnecessary danger in regards to Eiji and needs to be separated or die if he cares. Also in the same scene Eiji still doesn’t accept Ash can’t escape and should be who Yut Lung and Dino think he is supposed to be. We all cheered for Eiji during that part of the story so why when Ash listens to what his enemies say about him, what they want from him people just accept this is what he can’t escape? Eiji never bought into the whole “they can never be together anyway because Destiny” either. They are more than a needless trouble to each other and what they are to each other when they’re together is worth more than the risk because they are simultaneously each other’s salvation too. Ash isn’t the only one who needed the other person, Eiji was depressed and purposeless before he came to America and he understands all that. In turn, Eiji isn’t there only to make Ash feel momentarily good, if he actually listened to Eiji it could help Ash to step outside the monster fate others scripted for him and I think it’s a shame that we have an ending that despite all the earlier declarations makes Eiji’s efforts useless, Ash resigns while ending allows the villain’s narrative to triumph.

One thing I've noticed is that people who like the ending saying they embrace the "necessary tragedy" in the same breath reframe it as positive, packaging it in this cushiony comforting language of liberation and sugary uplifting metaphors. Which ring entirely false if you actually face the reality of his ending. In the end Eiji didn't free Ash, having it this way means Ash bled out because he evidently thought he doesn't deserve anything better, ending means that despite cherishing Eiji's love for him Ash died still believing he's a monster who can't escape his fate. Dies believing he can't even be free. He was comforted by Eiji but it did not change anything because he didn't listen to him. I guess some people avoid confronting themselves with all that choosing instead to sugarcoat in order to reconcile but if you appreciate the harshness and you're vocal that some endings gotta be like that then why frantically reconstructing it as a joyful, epic resolution, making it out to be deep and cathartic event. If you say it's in agreement with story themes/convention then at least be consequential and admit it's bleak instead of repeating how it was actually soooo good for Ash to die. I know the strategically placed letter lends itself to try and dress Ash death in superlatives but the truth is all the happy things it meant happened earlier and have zero to do with Ash death, moreover his bleeding out crosses them out, they serve only to sweeten the morbid and sad thing that is happening. The fact of Ash dying didn't make him happy, free, didn't change his life for the better because it literally finishes it. Death doesn't magically capture all the good things forever while getting rid of the bad. So many can't acknowledge what it means, it's really that simple and awful. It doesn't bring anything good to Ash, it doesn't make him feel good. The letter did but death took everything away, the good along with the bad. So forgive me if I'm not thrilled for him...

It's quite cruel that how everything is purposefully arranged to be so doomed for a long time, then at one moment the whole conflict is resolved to give us false hope just to immediately tear it away and knock it down for good. It is of course done for more drama but it's also what makes the end so unsatisfying and makes us feel cheated out of a resolution. This sort of emotional blackmail and mixed emotions used repeatedly through BF to evoke the biggest possible response has once again unintentionally backfired on itself. BF ending is supposed to be a heartbreaker but only a fraction of that emotion is truly authentic or earned because the entire thing is built only to pain the reader, everything targeted with the eventual tragedy in mind. It’s viciously manipulative almost to an unseemly extent and becoming a shameless morbid tear jerker. I don't think there's a necessary correlation between good affecting fiction and the amount of torture inflicted on the character, I don't think the more it makes you squirm the more effective a work of art is, often on the contrary. And once you go overboard with it things become too artificial, coldly calculated. The story sacrifices consistent plot and character growth for cheap thrills in service of one weepy goal. It uses suffering of the characters and the readers in a very exploitative way, counting on creating an impact in such manner risks the story becoming a torture porn keeping it from having real developed resolution.

[wefuckinghatecartoons]

My thoughts on SVTFOE S3

(For sake of simplicity and so I have some good things to say I’m not gonna really be talking about Battle For Mewni, just the rest of S3. Comments under the cut

Stuff I Liked

The Eclipsa/Meteora Plot

     Eclipsa ended up being a very interesting character, who has an interesting relationship with the others. The concept of Eclipsa, Moon, and Star trying to find out who Meteora is and what happened to her and Meteora’s backstory are very cool ideas and in my opinion should’ve had way more screentime.

The Ludo Episode

     My single favorite episode from Season 3 was “Ludo, Where Art Thou?” and I still think it’s an amazing episode. Since Ludo is my favorite character out of SVTFOE and I wasn’t fond of how he acted/was treated in Battle for Mewni I was expecting to hate this episode but it was so nice to see how great the episode is and Ludo on track to conquer his personal issues himself. I could talk for much longer about that episode and if you want me to let me know and I will.

Stupid Stuff I Didn’t Like

The Jokes

     I can not comprehend why this show feels it has to pad so much time with lame jokes and then rush all the cool parts. Why did we need all that Pony Head arriving at St. O’s stuff that took time away from Meteora’s screen-time? Why did we need that scene where Tad talks to Kelly during the finale?!? These scenes aren’t funny and more importantly they’re filler, taking time away from the good parts and breaking the pace of the more serious moments; they are in almost every episode of S3 and it really frustrates me, because when the show isn’t cracking lame filler jokes every minute it’s pretty good, BUT when it does interrupt the episode by spending time on lame filler jokes it feels like a “fuck you” to anyone who really cares about it. I feel like I constantly need to not care about the events and characters in order to find those jokes funny. My two possible explanations  

1) They wrote a good episode and then realized it needs to be a comedy so jammed in random jokes to still count as a “”“comedy”””.

2) They are short on budget and need to pad time away from the complex/action scenes.

Either way I’m not really satisfied with this and it seriously needs to stop.

Filler Episodes

    Okay, I made a graph for this one. Before we start

Green- Necessary ep

Yellow- Unnecessary or about an Unimportant/Unnecessary plot line

Red- Probably totally unimportant, could’ve almost completely done without it.

Note: Just because an episode is Yellow or Red doesn’t mean it’s bad (just like being green doesn’t make it good) BUT these Yellow and Red episodes are taking screentime away from the Green episodes. Meteora and Eclipsa deserved more screentime and there were too many episodes that took away from that

Important notes

I counted the Tom stuff as filler because it’s not really as important to the story as his amount of screentime wants you to think. Also, wasn’t the point of his episodes in S1 and S2 to be okay with not dating Star and then be okay with being friends with Marco?

The Ludo episode is multi-colored because it’s not very important to S3 but important to the series as a whole, as an established character through S1 and S2 and shown to extend relevance in BfM, it was important we knew he wasn’t dead.

Red and Yellow episodes can still have some importance, but if its just one or two small events to explain something and the rest of the ep doesn’t matter I wouldn’t mark it green.

I counted the Squire-Marco stuff as filler too because it either is underdeveloped or takes too much time. I wouldn’t have minded more Marco squire episodes to really dive into how Marco feels but we didn’t get that but still got multiple episodes about it. 

What is Kelly even doing here? Wait no this one deserves it’s own point.

What is Kelly even doing here?

      I can not come up with a single word to describe Kelly, she seems to defy personality totally. She is so empty and void of defining traits I should be impressed. Everytime she was onscreen I rolled my eyes because the writers would have to make something up to justify her being her. Ultimately she really doesn’t do anything all season but pad time (and she brings Tad who hits you with the surprise filler monologue! Impressive, really).

     Also what does Kelly do? She seems to enjoy sparring with people so she must like fighting, and in the intro she has a giant sword! Okay! She has a giant sword she uses to fight! Got it! But wait, now her defining combat trait in the finale is having an absurd amount of swords that she throws? No giant sword? Whats the point?!?!?!

Final Thoughts

     S3 was a huge drop in quality from S2 in my opinion and if S4 doesn’t improve idk if I’m really gonna stick with it through S4. I really wanna see this show back in its glory but it really needs to cut the filler and lame jokes and let me get emotionally invested in the story. I want to care but it seems like SVTFOE doesn’t want me to care and instead wants me to laugh at the wacky antics that interrupt serious moments. Consider this scene, and how awesome it is, versus how lame the Pony Head part in the middle is.