#was not in the cards for s4 but maybe s5 <3

[rayneing-on-your-parade]

@a-mag-a-day Day 2: Episode 2: do not open

Joshua Giuseppe our hero and savior.

The amount of things introduced in this episode is astronomical

We’ve got two major plot points introduced so early on and we didn’t even notice!

Breekon and Hope and John introducing the stranger. And the role Breekon and Hope play later!

And the coffin! Like THE COFFIN! The whole reason Daisy doesn’t kill Jon in s4. It’s just wild how much foreplanning Jonny did, even if it wasn’t all ultra planned out.

The buried is one of my least favorite entities, just due to the fact that I am claustrophobic and money issues are one of my biggest stressors.

But like the foreshadowing of the Buried,

1: We’ve got the mention of singing sounding like it was coming through 20 feet of hard packed dirt and the scratching like something wanted out

2: Josh didn’t need money but the coffin showed up AFTER he spent the money?? Coincidence? With Jonny? I think not

3: Freezing the key?? A common thing people with gambling or shopping addictions do with the credit and debit cards???????

4: Josh constantly talks about how he feels trapped in place, he makes tea after the coffin gets delivered and he just stands at the kettle, after he made the deal with john he wanted to chase after and return the money but “something weighed me down, kept me locked into my seat”

Also also Jonny really was just like, “here’s hope that people will be smart in this show” and then like never gave us more than maybe 3 other smart people ™️ (imo those are Adelaide “bury him in concrete” Dekker, Sebastian “It’s not my business” Skinner, and Robin “I’m late for dinner” Lennox)

I love this episode so damn much yall. Josh is our hero. Our savior. He would have ended the eyepocalypse immediately.

As per usual the first link is the version with just notes that would have been made around the time Jon recorded the statement and the second has notes all the way through s5.

Key and Masterpost here!

Previous Episode | Next Episode

[alitgblog]

"live" blogging s7, vol 1 (some analysis, some jokes lol)

first off, I totally forgot there were other casa amor girls so opening the app to see them on the banner I was like oooo

the S7 MC isn't too bad art wise, like it's definitely better than I thought with the preview, but

I do think the skinnier size MC is super skinny and the bigger one is not that much bigger, which is a little disappointing (always appreciate more size inclusion). ideally I think there would be one more size up i think but I do understand that means they'd have to fix all the clothes 3 times.

speaking of clothes they've always been bad at the beginning of the season since like s4 and this is no exception. I wish we got more options in the beginning and then the others they tack on later

the skin tones really are only three shades with each having one warmer variation, which is kind of nice to have people get that option in tone, but I do still wish there were more shades variation in between (and darker ones in general)

for absolutely no reason I have decided that my MC is also gonna be the S5 MC from my first playthrough getting a second chance after a second failed relationship with Suresh (let's just pretend she didn't win her season lol) and she's cute in this style (but again i wish we had the right skin tone for her). I guess if fusebox is backing out of bringing back Eddie then I'm bringing my MC

Her name is Junie and she's doing a lot better now mentally and has gained a little bit of healthy weight and finally loves herself now so fusebox better not make an embarrassment out of her again.

this actually works out pretty well bc usually the casa amor girls on the show arrive at the same time unless something is special about one of them who can show up separately like MC does here (ok fine I've only seen that happen in LI USA S5 and I guess s6 of the game)

Ep 1

Bonnie being an LI feels solely like penance for me thinking Iona was hot but sad she wasn't even a friend really let alone an LI in s3 so thank you but for narrative purposes I'm making Junie straight

Uma is gorgeous

also fusebox is not beating the reused assets allegations even those poses are just too eerily familiar

"I wanna try the slow burn" *has war flashbacks to the Ozzy route I never finished*

short king raf

ok Alex picking MC when Summer was flirting so hard is actually very funny to me

I understand bc it's a gem choice i didn't pick that we didn't get the last card but very funny that they were like we're just not gonna give Summer a chance at all actually

Let's goooo confirmed Joyo is Indonesian (I'm filipino so i was hoping filipino so I could draw him singing karaoke but I am here for any southeast Asian representation at all 🥳)

however I am upset with the use of "rizz" again. maybe once or twice but if they do it again I'm rioting

Alex nerding out is so cute. also who wouldn't want a bob the builder boyfriend for home improvement projects lol

am i too old to understand what normcore is?? like I barely understand e-girl aesthetic but there's more??

Bryson and his sister Jess have the most realistic sibling relationship from the last two seasons bc I also would mess with my brother's partners. and I once again am mourning the idea of a protective brother slow burn storyline in s6 instead of whatever Amelia was doing

"I won't bore you with the details" no pls do it I wanna know and I don't wanna pay the gems

all the guys have great personalities so far and idk if it's because I'm paying attention more this time or it's just better but oh no I'm falling for all of them

the drama set up with the guys and their partners is promising writing (namely the triangle with Geri, Bryson, and Joyo but maybe just because im torn between those two anyway) I'm shocked but cautious it's episode 1 lol

ep 2

early doors?

the gem party outfit is so 2013 disney channel, I actually will be taking the free outfit

wait why is it not night time for truth or dare why did they change clothes lol

joyo, get out of here with the graphic tee and blazer combo. Maybe this is why Bryson doesn't like you, and it'd be justified (tbf him being a bad dresser has been established already though)

oh God I didn't see his pants too jfc let him borrow some clothes

I'm into the frenemy relationship with Summer, like there's always a female villain in the game and they're almost always entertaining to me at the beginning (minus maybe Kat and Ivy)

I'm warming up to the all the guys like how can you pick

I'm starting to realize I personally have a problem because I always go, at least initially, for the chefs/foodies (Jake, Bobby, Camilo, Roberto) and I like Bryson rn and I think my MC would go for Bryson based on how I played her in s5 but I'm slowly inching over to Joyo and honestly i see the vision for Bobby clone I mean Raf and it is absolutely bc they've mentioned cooking

stop talking about feet pls not again

I expect this from Summer but Uma coming over to try to steal my man?? I appreciate her boldness though and at least she's not going behind anyone's back

ep 3

as someone who doesn't have the modded app and will not pay real money for gems, I feel very happy with choosing to eavesdrop on the guys' conversation. I feel like usually a lot of the gem scenes aren't worth it but this one is fun

Joyo does skincare but can't dress and Bryson is a fashion expert but makes fun of skincare. If they joined forces they'd be unstoppable, thank God they hate each other

hey what the fuck happened to cassius

so in summary im pleasantly surprised and hyped for this season at the moment. and lastly, pls don't drop the ball on stick or twist again please please pleaseeee

[catharusustulatus]

Possible plot points for Stranger Things have been bouncing around my head like the DVD logo screensaver, so here's some of what I think is going to happen in season 5. Cue the bingo cards!

Multiple time jumps; one between S4 and S5, one mid-season

Max wakes up with a connection to Vecna and/or the Upside Down

The gang has a tactical montage set in Hopper's cabin

Sinkholes open up all over Hawkins, one swallows Family Video

Mrs. Wheeler gets involved in the action somehow

Jancy breaks up, Stancy is either endgame or Steve dies

Dustin has nightmares about Eddie the way Max did about Billy

Steve and Dustin brotherly moment post-nightmare/panic attack

Eddie comes back but not as Kas, more like Billy did in S4 if at all

Robin and Vickie flirt, maybe even kiss, Vickie leaves for safety

Murray dies, either sacrificing himself or killed by gov agents

Suzie assists the gang against gov agents using Cerebro

Big fight/shootout with evil government guys is B plot

Argyle is the comic relief until he has a heroic scene

Dustin forms a plan to use time travel in Upside Down for final fight

Will comes out to Jonathan and Joyce and is accepted

Will comes out to Mike, is supported but rejected romantically

Will's feelings for Mike and possible rejection will awaken powers

Will is trained by El and/or 008 to use his powers

Badass moment of Steve w/ the nail bat set to music goes viral

Steve dies in penultimate episode or act 2 of the finale in a final sacrifice for Nancy/Robin/Dustin/everyone

Final fight against Vecna is over 2/3 through finale

Emotional high school graduation scene post final fight

Lumax, Mileven, and Jopper endgame

Finale montage to emotional 80's song ties up lose ends

Jopper wedding is final scene

Heroes cover by Peter Gabriel is used at least once

[th3-third-duffel-bag]

ANALYZING EVIL DEAD RISE VS STRANGER THINGS 5 PREDICTIONS BC THE WRITERS SAID SO.

im sorry.

*****ok do NOT read any further if you haven't seen evil dead rise yet. you have been warned.*****

ok this is gonna be a long one I think.

my friend @3leven1 and I came up with 4 main predictions about what the fuck this means. here we go class.

UNO: POSSESION.

obviously in evil dead rise (I'm just gonna abbreviate it to edr) there is an ongoing theme of possession. this could mean multiple things. when people got Vecna'd it was often refereed to as "possession". vecna might be back to Vecna more people in the gang to break them up and do a great number of damage in their attempts to defeat him. in season two (which was also confirmed to be related to s5) will was possessed. could this mean will will -haha will will- get possessed again?? or will someone else...? this brings me to my next theory.

DOS: THE WHEELERS.

by now I bet a ton of you have seen that in the posters for season four, we had one for Karen wheeler. now why the hell would she have one?? its not like she's a main character, she never has been. but maybe its implying that she will be. Ellie (the mother) in edr was possessed and went rogue killing her children and others. in s4 Vecna picked random teens to kill. or.... not so random. every one of his four victims had some sort of trauma or conflict eating away at them. its been implied that Karen is unhappy in her marriage with ted. I mean come on, in seasons 2 and 3 she was getting ready to go fuck billy like twice. so is vecna gonna go after Karen??

hold up in not done the the wheeler fam just yet. in edr, Ellies sister, lily, pulled that badass card out of the deck and killed Ellie. a good deal of that situation, she had a gun. now, class, who knows how to handle a gun in the wheeler fam? Nancy. Nancy is going to kill her possessed mother, defending her family. hey! y'all remember towns the end of edr when the bodies of them possessed people formed one big monster??? sort or reminds me of something...

TRES: THESSALHYDRA AND SEASON THREE.

first in line: season three. the mall monster was made up of melted down people.... and rats. if the people and rats could turn into a monster, then I have no doubt that other monsters themselves can. but. could this abomination of other melted monsters be the thessalhydra????

NEEEXT!!!: the thessalhydra. if you are in any way acquainted with dnd, you know the thessalhydra. if you aren't its okay! that was the monster the gang was fighting in wills painting. in season four, when robin, Steve, Eddie, and Nancy were walking through the woods in the upside down, there was another earthquake. during that earthquake, in the subtitles, it said something along the lines of "creature bellows in distance". I don't thing any of the monsters we've already been acquainted with 'bellow'. could this be the second big bad of s5 and the "creature with a gaping mouth' (possibly melted down monsters????) Nancy saw in her visions? probably.

CUATRO: ELEVEN GETS VECNA'D

hold on don't freak out!! its just a theory. but I do have some solid goddamn evidence so maybe you should freak out just a little bit.

around the middle of edr, lily finds Bridget eating glass to "kill the buggies in her tummy" creepy ass bitch. but before that, she is appalled to find that blood is literally POURING out of her nose. I really don't think I should have to explain that one. that's not all though. seconds after, she finds blood running out of her eyes too. Vecna kills him victims by sucking there eyes into their heads. when this happens, blood runs out their eyes too. so, class, lets put together these puzzle pieces regarding eleven.

nosebleed (el) + blood running out eyes = eleven gets vecnad.

but maybe she'll be ok. before we figured out one was Vecna, he tried to Vecna eleven when she was young. but she did get out of it by exploding him into the upside down.

uhm. yeah im sorry for that last one. if you read this before watching edr, I did warn you, back off. ANYWAY. yeah that's all I got. tell me what you think!

[mmacleanfilm]

Film Form: Shoot Days

Here are my sound reports from the day of shooting:

Sound report:

001 - 4.3 s1 t1 - G - might have peaked in the shouting - lavs fine. Could take levels down slightly - but was nice. 002 - 4.3 s1 t2 - G truck in background 003 - 4.3 - G 3 armed now not before 004 - X 005 - 4.2 s1 t5 - G probably best 006 - 4.5 s1 t1 - G but pillow stepping sound 007 - 4.5 s1 t2 - G - might need to get the shouting again. 008 - 4.5 s1 t3 - G 009 - 4.5 s1 t4 - G 010 - 4.4a s1 t1 - G 011 - 4.4a s1 t2 - G 012 - 4.4a s1 t3 - G - peaking on shout for all. 013 - 4.4b s1 t1 - G (nice gulp picked up) 014 - 4.4b s1 t2 - G 015 - 4.2 s1 t1 - G 016 - 4.2 s1 t2 - G crisp dialogue 🤌 017 - 4.2 s1 t3 - G G G 018 - 4.2 s2 t1 - VNice - big space before action - setting focus - 4 minute take 019 - 4.2 s2 t2 - Noice 020 - 4.1 s1 t1 - X 021 - 4.1 s1 t2 - X 022 - 4.1 s1 t3 - X 023 - 4.1 s1 t4 - G 024 - 4.1 s1 t5 - G 025 - 4.1 s1 t6 - G 026 - 4.1 s1 t7 - G 027 - room tone - living room 028 - s1.3 s1 t1 - too loud 029 1.3 - t2 better 030 - 1.3 s1 t3- G 031 - 1.3 s1 t4 - best for levels - toned down shouting - use lav 2 or boom not Alan’s lav. 032 - 1.5 s1 t1 - G 033 - 1.5 s1 t2 - G 034 1.5 s1 t3 - G 035 - 1.5 s1 t4 - G maybe a slight but loud - gonna take boom gain down to 35/30 036 - 1.5 s1 t5 - G 037 - 1.5 s1 t6 - Very nice 038 - 1.5 s1 t7 - two takes but slate the same. 039 - 1.4 s1 t1 - G but loud 040 - 1.4 s1 t2 - G but loud shout 041 - 1.4 s1 t3 - G 042 - 6.1 s1 t1 - G 043/42 ? 044 - 6.1 s1 t2 -G 045 - 6.1 s1 t3 - lot of background noise 046 - 6.1 s1 t4 - G 047 - 6.1 s1 t5 - behind the door not in room - different perspective. For flooding in sound. 048 -? 049 - ? 050 - 1.6 s1 t1 - G no lav on Alan 051 - 1.6 s1 t2 - G 052 - 1.6 s1 t3 - G 053 - 1.2 s1 t1 - G 054 - 1.2 s1 t2 - quiet 055 - 1.2 s1 t3 - G 056 - 3.2 s1 t1 - G levels slightly low 057 - 3.2 s1 t2 - G 058 - 3.2 s1 t3 - G 059 - 3.2 s1 t4 - G 060 - close up of alarm ringing 061 - 3.2 s1 t5 - G siren :) 062 - 3.1 s1 t1 - Good but light starting to tick 063 - 3.1 s1 t2 - G 064 - 1.1 s1 t1 - G 065 - 1.1 s1 t2 - G ball sounds 066 - X 067 - 5.1 s1 t1 - G 068 - 5.1 s1 t2 - G 069 - 5.1 s1 t3 - G 070 - 5.1 s1 t4 - G 071 - 5.1 s1 t5 - G 072 - room tone Lucas bedroom

Second day:

001 - 2.2 s1 t1 - G bring William up 002 - 2.2 s2 t2 - Better maybe bring Oscar down (to 30 - lav 3) 003 - 2.2 s3 t3 - G 004 - 2.2 s4 t4 - G 005 - 2.6 s5 t1 - G maybe take Williams up again? 006 - 2.3 s6 t1 - G 007 - 2.3 s7 t2 - G 008 - 2.3 s8 t3 - G 009 - 2.4 s9 t1 - G 010 - 2.4 s10 t2 - G 011 - 2.4 s11 t3 - G 012 - 2.4 s12 t4 - G 014 - 2.5 s13 t1 - G 015 - 2.5 s14 t2 - G 016 - 2.5 s15 t3 - X card changed 017 - 2.5 s15 t3 - G maybe take Oscar’s lav down 018 - 2.5 s16 t4 - X 019 - 2.5 s17 t5 - VG - peaked at the end - big shout 020 - 2.7 s18 t1 - G 021 - 2.7 s19 t2 - G but stomach rumble 022 - 2.7 s20 t4? - G nice pigeon flying 023 - 2.8 s21 t1 - noice 024 - 2.8 s22 t2 - X bus 025 - 2.8 s23 t3 - X 026 - 2.8 s24 t4 - X 027 - 2.8 s26 t6 - G 028 - 2.9 s27 t1 - G 029 - 2.9 s28 t2 - VG 030 - 2.1 s29 t1 - G but giggling 031 - 2.1 s30 t2 - G 032 - 2.1 s31 t3 - G but didn’t record skate being read - clap in though 033 - master s31 t1 - G 034 - master s32 t2 - G 035 - 14 s33 t1 - headphones off 036 - 85 master s34 t1 - X 037 - 85 master s35 t2 - G 038 - 85 master s36 t3 - G 039 - 85 master s37 t4 - G 040 - room tone

Here are some BTS photographs from on set:

It was a great shoot!

[raayllum]

initial spoiler theories:

note: i don’t have ideas for every spoiler, but here’s a few theories that would group some together, or some for a partial idea.

theory #1: ezran’s birthday

I think early season four may include an episode that touches upon Ezran’s birthday. This would be an easy way to catch us up timeskip wise and includes the Opeli, Barius, and 2 cakes card.

It would be a sweet way to show how Ezran’s support system has changed and grown, possibly solidifying season three. Beyond a big influx of jelly tarts, I can’t think of what else could be mysterious other than some sort of birthday treat. Ezran is the most obvious to me, but I could see it being Callum - maybe because Rayla was supposed to be there if it’s a sort of flashback? But I am currently leaning towards Ezran because the idea of his council secretly throwing him a birthday party is too sweet to pass up.

Could also have:

be Soren and Ava together, if Ellis (and Ava) are invited to Ezran’s party.

theory #2: Xadian & Pentarchy politics

The Gathering of the Six Horns is likely a gathering of elves or dragons from each of the Six Primal Sources / main Xadian groupings. Could refer to the decision to exile humans, lock Aaravos away, or even a post-s3 gathering to discuss the logistics of peace with humans and the Pentarchy.

Janai and Karim, who’s almost certainly her brother, to have juxtaposed ideals concerning who and how Lux Aurea is ruled. Janai likely being for peace, and Karim being against humans due to the death of their sister, Khessa. Possibly each of them rallying their armies or respective factions? 

I’m placing this tentatively as a s6 or s7 spoiler, rather than a s4 one like the previous theories, since I think it’ll be a little longer past arc 2 (s4-s5) before Zym starts speaking. That being said, Zym and Zubeia having a heart to heart sounds super sweet, possibly about Zym taking his mother’s place on the throne, and the giant hat (?) being about the logistics of Zym having some kind of crown to wear? (Taking a human tradition, I see?)

Bonus: No idea how or where this fits in, but presumably with the Janai&Karim arc. And if Corvus is there, Amaya (and Ezran) are likely there too!

theory #3: flashbacks and worldbuilding

The crystal / gem lecture to me, makes sense to go to Callum, whether as him just learning about Earth magic while roaming Xadia in s4 or him starting to learn the Earth arcanum itself in a later season. It could also possibly refer to a Moon crystal (trying to track Rayla, maybe?) since we know that moon opals and the like can have special properties.

For the Guardians of the Great Gates, I assume this is the Star Nexus and possibly some other Startouch elves at long last. I could also see the Gates being metaphorical, and the Great Ones (which we already know Aaravos is a part of, thanks to Ziard in 3x01 and the Book One: Moon novelization) - who are the First Elves - knowing how elves first connected to Primal sources. One thing that makes me lean this way is that Pyrda, a Skywing elf from Tales of Xadia, studies more than her own primal, so we know it’s not taboo, and she hopes to retire some day as a Guardian of (magical) Knowledge.

theory #4: where are claudia and rayla?

I think this card could be in regards to Claudia in s4 in terms of digging up Moonshadow elf graves for spell parts while in Xadia. Meanwhile, for Rayla, I would love to see the card featuring “Nyx: I’m back” to refer to her. Nyx could only have that sort of vibe with Callum or Rayla adjacently because she’s met them, and I think Rayla running into Nyx while on her own could be surprisingly funny, emotional, and sweet.

theory #5: coin theory

That the Ezran card is from season five and relates to the coin theory plotline. I think this card may be a reference to a ritual relating to getting Runaan, Lain, and Tiadrin out of the coins. The reason I say this is because the “Take my hand” card from Ezran - and others, which implies a group - is similar to two key instances of ritual and forgiveness with Moonshadow elves.

The first is with Ethari saying to Rayla “Take my hand” in 3x03 for forgiveness and reconciliation with Rayla, which would match a similar scene with Ezran working to bring back someone who would’ve killed him / did kill his father, as far as he knows. It would also parallel the rebirth ritual that Lujanne conducted for Phoe-Phoe at the Moon Nexus in “Through the Moon.”

bonus: soren and zubeia

I was super confused when first seeing a scene with Zubeia and Soren were on one of the cards, given that I’d never expected them to seriously interact. However on a bit of further reflection, I realized that the two have quite a lot in common. Soren couldn’t protect his king, Harrow, and failed Ezran at first by agreeing to his father’s plans; Zubeia was absent from the Spire the day her king, her mate, was felled and her child was killed / stolen. Now with Ezran as the new king and Zym having returned to her, both of these two have a second chance to protect their royal families and loved ones - especially given that Ez and Zym’s efforts towards peace are unlikely to be popular with everyone, and some people would love to take them out. So that’s my two cents for this card / scene theory, for now.

Conclusion

I have some brief other theories, like the scary ice hand relating to Rayla and her binding, and Soren’s “super rich” sketchy crimes being him joking around with Ezran about the things they can do now that Ez is king, but these are the big ones I wanted to get out now. 

[antigonewinchester]

reactions & thoughts abt the first 3 eps of the Boys! major spoilers & some personal speculation as to how things will play out later this season, so all the rest under the cut.

I was impressed by s1 & the parts of s2 that I rewatched in the last few weeks, and am particularly enjoying s3. after watching so much later seasons SPN it’s so nice to watch a show that’s actually good, I can just enjoy what’s happening instead of getting distracted by bad writing or my own ideas about rewrites. was also thinking of how Kripke’s shows are very good at growing as they move through the seasons and layering on top of each other, with the themes & ideas & esp character relationships. like how in SPN, s1 is the foundation and then s2 builds on top it, then s3, s4, s5, both plot-wise and character-wise. creates a show with such a great density, and that’s very true for the Boys in s3. it builds on s1 and s2 in a very satisfying, very entertaining way.

on rewatch I found Butcher more brutal & less sympathetic than I remember him, while I enjoyed Hughie more in contrast, but as of s3 I’m really liking the balance of both of them: Butcher showing his softer side with Ryan, trying to treat him in a kind way even if it’s not his first habit, while also going brutal on the supes; and then Hughie who is still softer but making some darker, more intense decisions, both for himself (let’s take on the supes since the system is rigged; Kimiko, break my arm so I can get out of work!) but also for others (telling Annie she had to stay with Homeland, but I do not think he predicted that would lead to the Homelander / Annie fake relationship, while Annie viscerally knows the depths that entitled men will go to).

speaking of Annie, I love her so much!! hadn’t realized how much I needed the “here’s how women are harmed by toxic masculinity” thread but tbh after SPN, it’s a breath of fresh air. Annie really illustrates how the patriarchal system forces women to internalize their anger and engage in self harm to move through the world, in contrast to how men will take out their anger on others – as a child, clenching her fist to get through the pain & then an adult, being the one to kiss Homelander after he pulls the “we’re in love!” card. also given that they used the same tinny static-y sound effect for when Annie had her dissociative moment at the end of ep 3, similar to what they’ve used with Homelander’s freak out moments, I cannot wait for Annie’s eventual breakdown. it’s just such a horrible and realistic situation, her trying to get power and respect but Homelander still being able to manipulate and abuse her, because that is what powerful men will do! plus, I love when my favorite characters are put through the ringer, and it doesn’t always happen as much with female characters, so that’s satisfying to see.

while on my first watch my fav of the Boys was Frenchie, on rewatch I was quite taken by MM and he continues to be a standout for me in s3. his OCD and trying to deal with it, how sweet he is with Janine, the hints about his backstory, all so good. MM wrestles with questions of closure / catharsis vs revenge but he’s not as far gone as Butcher, he’s got a softer side to him that makes him really appealing and a good foil for the darker, more driven characters. him and Hughie in ep 3 were just great, joking around and then MM making Hughie sit down to get his arm broken the ‘right’ way. and then what happened to his brother? and Soldier Boy killing his family?? you know the showdown between him and Soldier Boy is gonna be brutal later this season.

also with Soldier Boy, they really set the stage with him being an entitled misogynistic homophobic horrible man in his first scene, huh! and obvs he’s gonna be racist, and physically abusive, given how he treated Gunpowder. (I’m also guessing that Crimson Countess helped in getting him ‘killed’ back in ‘84; maybe he was violent towards her too?) which really fits the focus on how powerful & toxic men, and the patriarchal system generally, mistreat kids this season – Butcher trying to be a good father figure to Ryan but hurting him to push him away for Ryan’s ‘safety’ at the end of ep 3, MM and his compulsions making it hard to be a good dad, Vought not dealing with Soldier Boy’s abuse of Gunpowder because he was their golden boy. also very much reminds me of the Boys animated series and the last ep about Homelander, where he was physically abused by his handlers to toughen him up / make him into a powerful fighter and how that absolutely messed him up. as Grace describes Butcher, but equally fitting for Homelander, they’re violent because of “the hate inside that you want to let lose on the world.” the abuse Homelander suffered as a kid is horrible but cannot excuse or absolve him in taking out his rage on others as adult, but certainly shows how violence begets violence...

(finally, I accidentally stumbled on a spoiler that I won’t mention, but will say it makes me think there’s going to be something with Soldier Boy going after Ryan later in the season, and it’ll possibly tie into how / when / why Ryan and Butcher reconcile after Butcher pushed him away at the end of ep 3.)

[aurelion-cerulean]

We all know that S5 is going to be going back to its roots. It's supposed to emulate S1 from what we have been told.

But what does that actually look like?

I think three big things:

Run Times and Episode Count

There has been debate on the number being either 8 or 9 (1&3 were 8, 2&4 were 9). I considered 10 as a new rounded number to finish it off, but then I realized that 8+9+8+9+8=42.

If you’re new here, 42 is the secret to the universe in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe. It’s big sci-fi nerd stuff. So I can’t pass up this opportunity. Also the first season is 8 episodes, and since they are trying to return to that Season 1 vibe, this would make sense to me.

Also. 42 is divisible by 7, and 7 is tied to Will. If Will is the MC for season 5, then this just helps strengthen the choice.

Averaging at 86 min per ep, S4 was a monster. If we take out eps 7,8,&9 (1.5 roughly, 1.5hr, 2.5hr), the average is a beautiful 73min per episode. S1 was 50min on average. Better yet, S2 and S3 were also about 55min on average. If we look at run times alone. S4 says that it's 9 episodes but if we compare the average times... S4 when compared to S1 has (roughly) 6 episodes worth of content. So S4 is like 15 episodes in a trench coat trying to pass itself off as 9.

Goodness.

We know that they, the creators, want the episodes to be shorter (possible if everything is in Hawkins and no new information really has to be established). We also know that the last episode is going to be 2hrs, or so they say, as the grand finale. I really don’t think that they will be able to drop down to 50 min again. Regardless of the information they need to include. After the spectacle of S4, they need to GO BIG. And I don't just mean the two hour finale.

I suspect that this season is going to be brilliant in cinematography, horror, and effects. It's going to make you sit on the edge of your seat in awe. AND it has to be a good story ending.

I think that the average episode time will be 60min + the 2hr finale. It lets them drop down in time, and gives them the room for the spectacle. It also doesn't highlight just how much of a monster S4 was in terms of time. IDK but having that season as this big outlier in time per ep, feels strange. IDK if they care, but I wouldn't want one of my seasons to stick out like a sore thumb like that.

2. Return to the Small Town Horror

Now, this show has been scary the entire way through. We've had monsters and unknowns, but in some way it hasn't felt the same as S1. Maybe I'm the only one who thinks this, but I knew, going into S4, that El would save the day. The question was about how. Not so much if or who. I also knew that the main cast would live.

Both of these things need to be established early on as NOPEs in order to really make S5 scary. We need to really feel that the characters can die (not just us panicking out here on social media thinking it, because they said no new characters). We also need to see that El can't just simply power up and we'll be good. She tried and failed. But she wasn't ready. So she powers up again. She still needs to fail. Why? Because we expect her to win and this time that's not how it works. (I have a whole thing on Defeating Vecna specifically, and the thematics of the Upside Down, that explain that I think this will be more of a rejection of ideologies.)

This season is going to need to feel close, crawl-up-your-skin-breath-on-the-back-of-your-neck scary. It's going to need to replicate the S1, "what the heck is going on?" And the, "No! The Monster! It's right there," scary. Now, how do we do that when we already have all the cards on the table? I have a few ideas of how they can achieve that (but I need to double check S1 first).

3. Single Narrative Focus

Note that this ties into point 2.

In S1 it was "find Will." Well, Nancy was off doing her Nancy thing, but for the others it was Find Will. By S4 we had: get Hopper, Find El, Figure out Vecna (and that's simplifying it). And really, in S2 and S3 we slowly turned this way from the single narrative to this complex narrative. It was an evolution outwards as the world expanded, and it's not bad, but we did get a lot.

However, now everyone is back in Hawkins. The return to the single narrative is EASY. They're all in Hawkins. The villain is Vecna. There are no if-ands-or-buts about it. We know who he is, why he is, how he is, and where he is. All the questions? Answered.

The issue is this: now what?

Everyone is together. How do we split them up when they know that's the wrong choice? Reasonably speaking, there is no reason for them to do this. They don't need to investigate (they know the villain). They don't need to figure out where he is (there is a whole cloud over Hawkins). They are already unified as a group, physically.

Note that I say physically. I've said this before. I will say it again. They are not unified mentally. Will? Used El as a proxy for his feelings. Mike and El? On the rocks. Νancy and Jonathan? Haven't spoken to each other about their issues. Dustin just saw Eddie die. Max is in a coma. Lucas watched that happen. Joyce and Hopper just arrived but they don't really know what's going on. Murray is Murray. Steve just dropped that infobomb in Nancy's hands and was like "deal with this as you will." Robin is probably the only one chill.

They are the furthest from unified as a group, mentally, as they could be. It's for this reason that I actually think that the focus of this season will not be "destroy Vecna" but rather "unify." With Vecna being the embodiment of rejection, isolation, and fear (see my Upside Down write up), the only way to combat that is to face their demons and come together as a group mentally too. Fighting separately for the same goal is not good enough. Not for this fight.

It's really funny because in most of the seasons I'll yell at the screen like "JUST TALK." Because if they just shared information lol. So many issues would be solved. Guess what? S4 Vecna squad does that. Nancy still does go off on her own to follow up on a lead, but ultimately, they do talk about everything. From the beginning, they are unified front in that regard. Things are working right, but they still fail because it's not the whole group.

Big horror trope? Person who goes off alone dies? Good thing our main cast hasn't done that before and almost died... very strange that it is a theme of this show too. Almost like, they shouldn't be operating solo, or running off on their own. Almost like they need to be unified every single season for things to work in the end. And just maybe. Maybe. This season, they need to see eye to eye and face their demons and support each other as they do that. IDK. Maybe that's a reach.

Sarcasm aside, I think that S5 will be about them coming together and solving the problem as a full team, but that also means that people are going to have to face themselves and their personal internal struggles. And with Vecna's reach pretty much everywhere, I wouldn't be surprised that we get more visions by the others, seeing things and then having to face their emotions regarding those things. AND then getting the support of the group, as they do so. They don't have to get over the feelings, but they will see that they're not alone and that they don't have to face it alone. That they don't have to be scared alone. (How many times do I need to repeat alone? Vecna is the embodiment of acting solo. In order to defeat his ideology, they can't do what he does.)

I think they'll be split up again, but not by their own choice. Something will happen, probably due to miscommunication, and then the party is split and has to come back together. They will do so, and whatever things they were hiding will be said, because they can't risk not saying it. They can't risk not facing it. Not when the big bad is on the horizon and there might not be another chance.

But at the end of the day, the monster is no longer in the dark and no longer hiding in the scary place. It is where everyone can see and they have to face it openly. (If that's not the biggest symbolism HERE I AM neon light. IDK what is.)

Now this, in my mind, can be done through the horror tropes (see point 2) and fear. Visions, monsters, etc. Getting them to talk and understand each other. I need to think about this a lot more to really see how I think it could be done, but there is a good possibility of this with pacing, tension, lighting, and music.

These are the three things I think we can expect from that return to S1 comment by the creators. I'll be back later with a better idea of the horror tropes and how they might be used to make things scary this season when we already know what lurks in the dark. Or, if someone else wants to... Tag me! I want to see!

[melis-ash]

have you watched elite's season 4 finale already? what are your takes on caye and phillipe? no judgements here tho, just want to know your opinion on them

 Hello, nonny! Yes, I did. My opinion about Caye and Philippe has several different aspects (which a litle bit conflict with each other).

Lets write long post.)) Sorry for mistakes and typos, English is not my first language and I`m not really good with grammar.

1) Caye and Philippe story is feminist retelling-reverse of the Beauty and the Beast, where main characters didn`t became couple and The Beauty left her Beast not for Gaston other romance, but for her own path. And their relationship helped the Beast to realize his past mistakes and make to want to fix it, even if it`s too late . Comparing with many other things in that season that storyline was not bad. Really. There MANY problems with s4, I think the best stolyline had Rebe and Mencia, it was really good, and in my personal opinion, despite many flaws, Caye and Philippe storyline is second one for me. Kinda it was not really good, but it had plot, idea, composition and message. Writers knew very clear, what they tried to say, and despite obvious lack of screen time, they handle it, and this story, despite it doesn`t connect with main plot, resonate with main storyline on the level of their ideas. (About it later.) I know, Georgina is feminist, so I wonder, could she give some advice writers? Kinda “it can work better if...” something like it.

2) Personally I`m very disappointed how OOC was Caye in that season and how few screen time she had. For me Caye from s4 feels like too much different person than in s2-3. I wanted character development for her, but something more slow and realistic. S4 Cayetana feels like all her character development happened between s3 and s4 (and partly in special, which really was very good), and I don`t believe in it. Caye from s4 is good character, but there is no real connection with Caye from s2-3.

I knew, she was very upopular character in s2-3, so maybe creators afraid to gave her too much screen time. But also they still wanted she was part of story and write redemption arc for her. And honestly, anon, these two thing can`t work together well. When you write redemption arc for well written nuanced character that Cayetana was in s2-3, you need give character enough screen time and nuances. But it seems, s4 writers don`t care enough about writing S1-3 characters in character. In s2-3 Caye was bad girl, but also she was comedy relief (but s4 has very few comedy moments), she had family (where the fuck her mother and granddad now? We know only that her mother cannot work in Las Ensinas, but don`t know, why), we saw, that she did`t sleep almost, because she learn in Las Ensinas, worked as janitor and still hung out with rich kids. (I think I began feel compassion for her, when realized it). It that seson she almost has not other scenes than with Philippe. OK, she was pariah in school during previous year, but if writers began that things with Caye and Rebe friendship, can they continue it. Rebe and Caye both had problem with their love interests and they never discussed it. Only time they speak about Philippe was in 402. Also Benjamin fired Azucena, and wanted to expel Samu and Omar, but Caye still works there? And Benjamin still protects her even? Why? I mean, after whole thing with scam in s2. Maybe it because protection of Polo`s mothers, but it never was said in s4 even. It seems, Benjamin knows things about her story with Polo (like he knows about Philippe`s past), and it could be really interesting possiblity to bring on scene that aspect of situation and Benjamin`s character and him and Caye interaction. 

Also there is something with Georgina`s acting in s4, in most of scenes she acts as different character, so maybe it was and her (as actress) decision too. I wrote before, she is feminist, and maybe she wanted to bring more feminists vibes in s4 Caye, because it makes storyline works better? Given how few connection with previous seasons on script level her s4 story had, it make sense even, it`s just feel OOC for me, because Caye is not feminist at all. She is strong and ambitious, but she is not type of women what call themselves feminists, and when she said “I became my own Fairy Godmother” in s2, she meant that she was forced to do it. Caye was girl who wanted to be princess from old school Disney animation. In s3 she wanted to live and study on Polo mother money in London and was fully OK with it. When she refused their proposition, it was because thoughts, that Polo could be alive and even more or lesser happy in other school without those her messages, haunted her. Plus when Polo died, he thought Caye was with him more because his money than because Polo himself. I remember, in her first scene Caye read  The Second Sex, but it was spectacle for her schoolmates. And when she spoke with them about her fake rich life, it always was “look how rich and glamour I am”. Partly she spoke in this way because she knew very few about rich people`s life, but also there were some of her dreams. She wanted to be rich and and be part of this glamour life. In s3 she became in some way, and she had a lot of possiblities to understand how many shit, pain and tragedies can hide for glamour facade. Theoretically she knew it before. But she was exctremely poor, so it was a little bit difficult for her to think about it too much.

3) So I think more mention of Caye`s story from s2-3 could make her and Philippe story better. Philippe himself have same problem as Polo in some way: he is rich guy, and his mother indulged him too much. Caye saw how Polo`s mother indulged him and saw where it ended. Not good for Polo and many other people. Marina and Polo could be alive and Samu`s family could live with him in Spain, if Polo`s mothers raised their son better. Even if Caye don`t care much about Guzman or Samu and she never knew Marina, she had enough time between seasons to reflect of situation. So with more s2-3 reference that “matter of education thing” Caye says to Philippe`s mother could sound not only as sort of feminist  slogan, but as something very personal and painful for Caye. She was in love with boy, who was spoiled too much by his parents (like Philippe), and it brought a lof pain him, his friends, Caye. I don`t say there are not at all attempts include previous Caye experience in s4. For example, when Caye does google research about Philippe and finds nothings, she is still suspicious because she know, how easy money could erase some thing.  Also that thing with Pilippe`s mother. I think after conversation with her,Caye realized that Philippe`s and Polo`s promblems had very much same roots. But such moments really have not enough space. Guzman had at least one scene, where he speak about his reflection on s1 evens (where he compares Mencia and Marina). I would like to see something like it with Caye.

4) Many things in Caye and Philippe storyline feel offscreen. We know they regularly talk in school, but see very few of it etc. Actors have good chemistry, and since they both like fashion design, it feels enough for beginning of communication, plus Caye had crush on Philippe long before they met, plus she was first who was really friendly with him in new school (in some way it`s repeat of Caye and Polo story, but with more positive vibes). But I want to see more illustration, why Philippe fell in love with Caye so much.

5) Now about Philippe himself. I saw many hateposts and hatecomments about him, and it`s really funny, because I constantly see how many people in this fandom love Polo and think he deserved better, despite Polo is murderer. Yes, he killed Marina out of emotion, but she is fucking dead. She will never resurrect. Guzman will remember till grave that his best friend killed his sister and then was killed by Guzman`s ex-girlfriend, because policy failed to handle their job well. Samu`s brother was forced to left Spain because it. But it took 2 seasons for Polo to understand he needs go to policy and confess he killed Marina. Caye didn`t understood how wrong her actions were till Polo`s death. I don`t know how long was Elodie`s rape, but at least Philippe didn`t need someone`s corpse to realize his mistakes. Inside standart of this show that guy isn`t hopeless. “Everybody deserve second chance” was important point in Caye`s story in s2-3, so now I wonder how writers will play this card in s5 in relationship between Philippe and Caye. 

Also I want to say I was wrong, when doubted in Pol Granch acting, he`s good additon to Elite cast.

6) Caye x Philippe storyline and main storyline. In that seson Elite brings of scene, in additon of another murder and drug traid, sex crimes. Prostitution, rapes. It`s interesting, that connection here takes place through Ari, girl, who has serious problem with sexual behavior, when she`s drunk. She`s know it`s perfectly, but also she knows, that when woman says “no”, it`s means “no” and end of story. I really like her role in Caye and Philippe story and I hope in s5 there will be at least some scenes with her and Caye. Also interesting point were Ari`s word that she never report to the police without prove. It feels ambigous. She knows, Phillippe is not angel at all. But also there is other side of coin. I think, she also knows, reputation can be ruined very easy. During s4 there was subplot with discussion club. And Samu speak that ex-criminals cannot become somebody else, even if they wants. Their reputation in society was ruined. In final of Philippe story he sent Elodie his confession. So maybe writers tried to write about theme “can criminal, who admitted his mistakes, to became somebody else?” through season and I think they will continue it in s5.

Sorry if this all sounds muddled and too long. Maybe later I will make some additon into reblogs to this post, I don`t know.

[phoebehalliwell]

i don't know if i'm the only one but i've often wondered exactly how hard it was to convince julian mcmahon to stick around for season five. they took his character, a feared powerful half demon and made him into the butt of the joke and the whole joke was basically ha ha look at this lovestruck fool obsessing and suicidal because he's got nothing to live with but can't die. ain't that funny? like how the fuck did the writers sell that to julian is my question

i find the entirety of season five just so goddamn insulting to cole's character. hell the fact that he got possessed by the source and this was treated as him turning evil instead of a shitty situation that got out of hand. like it wasn't bad enough he was villified for something that he wasn't even in control of half the time they couldn't even just vanquish the dude, they dragged it on and ridiculed him. i hate it here

lol. i mean. yeah. i really. like. it's like. like okay we all know cole was a fan favorite right and he & phoebe were really meant to like. be the sex appeal to the show no one else was really filling that role they were charmed's Sexy Couple tm. so like. in a sense i get the notion ab wanting to keep him around. because everyone loves him! he's bad boy! he adds this dangerous edge love balancing on a knife's point stuff like that. so like. that being said. u wanna keep him around. i just like Do Not Get how you opt to keep him around Like That. tbh. as w all things. i am blaming brad kern. i think it all really started to tank s4 (well, with mortal cole, but like) with source cole. that was bad, but i know it was part of the push to have like long form season drama character driven plots conflict between the sisters themselves it just like. sucked ass and balls imo. like i mean the fact they had to do the source as a possession just so they could get demon cole and lover cole,,, i mean it speaks to how stupid it was. the fact that u wanted cole to be a villain So Bad but the only way to do it was like. possession? sign that u should not do that like. like. like. i don't know how we're supposed to feel ab that.

and then. the vanquish. not sticking. i think like. i think they probably had the vague idea that cole having a mortal soul would not be able to be vanquished properly right? like. demons get destroyed into nothingness, but the human part of him lives, so i think they probably knew that was what they were going to do, that's what they sold to jmm and like. we sowed those seeds in the s4 finale w his ghost whispers and materialization. so i think like. they knew they wanted to Not Kill Him because he was such a fan favorite. maybe there was an intention to do a will they won't they variant of phole? and then. of course. there was the whole idea of paige cole, which, as the rumor goes, was meant to kick of in the s5 pilot, but both julian and rose shut it down. but i feel like. assuming that's true (which i 100% do assume that's true absolutely and i'm not endorsing it i don't think it would have been good or well written or whatever but like. 👀. you know?) but yeah. assuming that's true, i feel like that piece really speaks to what their designs for cole were: man meat. he was meant to be their male sex appeal and they weren't going to be picky about the narrative itself as long as he was still kicking.

but like honestly? i mean i shouldn't have to say this it's a given: it's not enough to just put your sexy man in front of a camera and call it a day like imo even a man who is not sexy can be made appealing through the power of the narrative. like, to level with you, i never really ever shipped phole nor found cole attractive at all like ever, but i can see like the fucking support beams you know i can see the infrastructure on which this whole thing can you know take on a life of its own in the earlier seasons because they very consciously put it there!! people shipped it for a reason n not just because they were two people standing next to each other on a tv screen i mean hello almost sinking a dagger in her heart but can't do it sends her away back to her sisters because he can't act out on his evil plan!! that's something!!!! that's so very something and they gave us Nothing they gave us nothing in the later seasons. and still expected it to fly. like. tbh julian was probably just like unwittingly duped like dragged along for the ride s5 which is likely why he was vanquished halfway through because i'd imagine roughly three episode in he went okay! um. what's this? guys? what's this? and then they said cole<3 you know he like knew he had to get the hell outta dodge.

anyways. if i were to resuscitate phole in s5. which like. to level w u. i wouldn’t. because they would need a lot of one-on-one screentime and we already spent so much of s4 splitting up the sisterhood in the name of phole i wouldn’t really want to continue with that per se But. if i were. this ask is getting long it’s under a cut 

something something demon of the week something something realms the point is cole is there when he very much shouldn’t be and like. he and phoebe get knocked into a different plane. so their bodies are fine and at the manor, but their minds are elsewhere and they need to solve whatever it is in order to get back. and we’ll say there’s a fuckin deadline because the girls need the power of three and right now they are sealed off from accessing it. and you know phoebe’s pretty fuckin pissed with cole because you know. he dragged her down to hell and she almost gave birth to the antichrist. actually source’s heir might be fun to keep around in this au idk. the point is phoebe’s pissed at cole and cole’s pissed at phoebe because phoebe’s pissed at him but he literally didn’t have control over himself in that era and he’s not getting the space he needs to justify himself because phoebe keeps stepping over him. but they gotta work together to get out of here. and were kinda doing enemies to lover 2.0 but like now they have History. of course we’ve gotta do a moment where cole has idk done something normal and phoebe’s so riled up that she does something rash and almost dies cole saves her like catches her bridal style or something faces inches apart breathing heavy and there’s a moment. like a we’re back in early s4 moment. which phoebe immediately breaks from and like walls going flying up but just for a moment there we see it it’s obvious: she’s still in love with cole. which then segues into an argument because like. cole wasn’t sure. right? he wasn’t sure if phoebe now just genuinely hated him. but now he knows right he knows better now so why are you acting like this? why are you taking every opportunity to shut me down to shut me out? why are you acting like you hate me when you know that’s not true right that whole thing to phoebe who gets the Classic because i do hate you. i hate you for what you did to me for what you did to my family and i hate you because i loved you so much and you destroyed me and i hate you because no matter how hard i try that love is still there and i know that for a second if i stop hating you i’m going to love you just like before and you can destroy me again and i hate myself because i’d let you because i love you. you know? big speech. big reveal. i have No Idea what piper and paige are up to right now. the point is. after this big confession we get the lull the cards are on the table what the fuck do we do now which is when cole Finally gets to opportunity to say he was actually possessed by the source and manipulated by the seer and the only thing that kept him holding on was his love for her and after she became queen of hell after he saw what the source had done to her he knew it had to end he doesn’t hold it against her for vanquishing him right this is where we exonerate all wrongs we’re just saying anything bad that has happened ever? scrub it. it’s the source’s fault. cole has no resentment against phoebe. he loves her a healthy, normal, non-possessive amount, so much so He Loves Her So Much he let her kill him and like honestly would probably do it again. idk and then they make out or something. and then they’re out of whatever plane they were in by the end of the episode. And Then we get a buddy cop episode with paige and cole where they bond and also sort through everything that happened there. slowly but surely. and then we do a real phole wedding a super small affair in the manor lowkey bc i hated their wedding episode it blowed we give them a good one. wallah <3

[forever-animated]

Rayllum Reunion in S4

Ever since Through the Moon came out, there’s been a lot of discussion in the TDP fandom about when Callum and Rayla will reunite and what that will look like. Even before the AMA (where Ehasz, likely trolling, cast some doubt as to whether or not the two would see each other again), many fans were speculating that a Rayllum reunion may not happen until S5. They’ve been theorizing that the two may be apart and have their own separate journeys in S4, which could lead to Rayla finding and/or getting captured by Viren, Claudia, and Aaravos.

I don’t really think this will happen for several reasons.

1. TDP is good at making things happen and moving the plot forward quickly.

Think about past TDP seasons. Despite having only nine episodes, there’s so much that usually happens in the course of each season. There’s usually several conflicts that are set up near the beginning, and many of them end up being resolved by the season’s end.

Here’s just a few:

Season One

Conflict: The gang begins the trek to return the egg, only to have it fall in icy water. They find out it’s dying. Resolution: They save the egg by hatching it.

Conflict: Rayla’s binding won’t come off and keeps tightening. Resolution: Zym pulls the binding off and saves Rayla’s hand.

Season Two

Conflict: Callum wants to learn primal magic, but is told humans can’t. Resolution: Callum connects to the sky arcanum.

Conflict: Callum learns Harrow has died and has to find a way to tell Ezran, and deal with his own grief. Resolution: Callums reads Harrow’s note and comes to terms with his grief. Ezran finds out about his father and returns to Katolis.

Conflict: Ezran is trying to teach Zym to fly. Resolution: Ezran uses their mental connection, and Zym learns how to fly.

Season Three:

Conflict: Callum and Rayla are now in Xadia and need to return Zym to his mother. We find out that the Dragon Queen is dying and has fallen into a deep sleep. Resolution: They succeed in returning Zym and the Dragon Queen awakens. Conflict: Ezran is struggling with the burden of the crown. He’s usurped by Viren and thrown in prison. Resolution: Ezran is freed from prison and reunites with Callum and Rayla, becoming integral in the fight against Viren and returning Zym. He regains the crown after Viren’s supposed death. Conflict: Soren is questioning his loyalty to his father. Resolution: Soren decides to free Ezran from prison, leave his father, and assist the gang in their fight against Viren’s troops.

If season 4 follows this model, and Callum and Rayla’s separation is one of the major conflicts they open with - which it likely will be - then it’s also likely to be one of the conflicts that is resolved (at least in some way) by the season’s end, if not sooner.

I don’t really see the creator’s dragging out their reunion for yet another season, given their track record with previous seasons and how a lot of the conflicts tend to be resolved within nine episodes.

2. There’s going to be a timeskip after Through the Moon.

We already knew there was going to be a timeskip between S3 and S4, but the creators have also confirmed that there will be a timeskip between TTM and S4 as well. Given how the comic ends with Rayla leaving to Callum to find Viren, this means that the show will pick up some time after she’s set out to do that.

Now, if the creators had planned to keep Rayla and Callum apart for all of S4, what would be the point of this timeskip? They could’ve very easily turned the events of TTM (or at least the ending) into the first S4 episode, which would set up the direction of the season with Callum and Rayla going on separate journeys. But they didn’t do that. They tell us why Rayla left in the comic and THEN they give us a timeskip going into S4.

What’s the point of that? To give the characters time to be apart (offscreen) and then bring the audience up to speed on what has happened during that time. Setting the stage for a reunion, perhaps? It seems very likely that this is the case.

3. There’s potential S4 hints in Callum’s Spellbook.

Many fans have speculated about the importance of the information found in Callum’s Spellbook. In it, he mentions wanting to spend a year traveling through Xadia. Could this be what he’s been up to during the timeskip - looking for Rayla in Xadia? 

Beyond this, I have an interesting theory relating to the descriptive words used for each of the primal sources, which I may decide to elaborate on further in the future. Here’s the gist of it though.

The book has a page for each of the six primal sources. They’re in the following order: Moon, Sky, Sun, Earth, Ocean, and Stars. This also appears to be order of each of the “books” of the series. S1 is Moon, S2 is Sky, S3 is Sun, and we know S4 is Earth. I don’t believe this is on accident.

Following this logic, I believe there’s a direct correlation between the words used to describe each of the sources and the major themes and events of each season. For example, the words associated with Moon are illusion, death, deception, etc. All of these are major themes of S1 - Lujanne’s illusions, Harrow’s’ death, Viren’s deception, etc. This association seems to hold true for the other seasons as well. (It’s not perfect, of course. Some of the words for Sky magic don’t seem to correlate to what happens in the season and are more descriptive of the magic itself. But on the whole it seems to hold true.)

With this in mind, let’s look at some of the words for Earth:

Strength Stubbornness Patience Growth Healing If my theory is correct, these will likely be major themes for S4. I can see all of these playing into a potential Rayllum reunion / reconciliation. Rayla thinks she’s being strong by going after Viren herself, but Callum sees it as stubbornness. He’ll need to have patience with her as she learns that she cannot do this on her own. She’ll experience character growth, and their relationship will begin healing.

At least that’s how I see it through my Rayllum shipper goggles. But this makes a lot of sense, and if true, seems to point to a S4 Rayllum reunion and reconciliation as a distinct possibility.

4. Viren / Aaravos may not be the main antagonists of S4.

So far, we’ve only seen Viren as the main antagonist of TDP (with Aaravos pulling the strings, of course.) But this is just for the first three seasons. The first of the three overarching stories that will make up TDP. The creators have confirmed that S4 and S5 will be its own arc, and S6 and S7 will be its own.

So what if there’s another antagonist for S4 and S5?

We know that Sol Regem will be reappearing. Many are speculating that there might be potential conflict between Janai and her unnamed brother that we’ve been told exists. (The creators have declined giving any information on him, so we can assume he’ll play a role in upcoming seasons.) We also know that Rex Igneous (the Earth dragon from Callum’s Spellbook) will likely make an appearance this season. And Zym will still very much be a part of the show.

So what if a separate antagonist rears their head for S4 and S5? Resolving this new threat may be what brings Callum and Rayla together again. I could see her putting her search for Viren on hold to deal with a bigger, more tangible threat, especially if it involves Zym or the peace that they fought so hard to achieve. It’s possible that she won’t find any leads on Viren. And maybe Aaravos has decided to stay in the shadows, waiting for the right time to strike. This could set him up as the main antagonist we know he’ll likely be for S6 and S7.

We’ll likely still see him, Viren and Claudia, but they may not be as integral to the central conflict as we assume they’ll be. If that’s the case, then a Rayllum reunion makes logical sense from a story perspective, as it gives Rayla the opportunity to pause her quest in a way that makes sense for her character.

5. Rayla being captured / coined may not happen, or may not happen so early in the show.

Many fans have speculated that Rayla will find Viren, attempt to fight him, and get captured and/or coined as a result. They imagine that this could be how S4 ends, and Callum either discovers this or is left unaware until their reunion in S5. 

This is an interesting theory, but it assumes that Rayla will be successful in finding Viren. What if she isn’t? What leads does she really have? Viren, Aaravos and Claudia will likely need to regroup after their defeat at the Storm Spire. They’ll be staying in hiding for awhile, which will make them hard to track. Who’s to say she’ll even know where to look, outside of wandering aimlessly through Xadia?

Everyone is also assuming that Rayla being coined is inevitable. But this predictability is not what the writers are known for. What if she doesn’t get coined? What if no one gets coined? What if Callum does?

Even if she does eventually get captured and coined, why would this happen so early in the show? That seems more like a S6 or S7 event, as it’s a very emotional, high-stakes conflict that would likely lead into the reveal of Runaan and Rayla’s parents being alive. I doubt the writers would want to play those cards so early.

If S4 Rayla doesn’t find Viren and isn’t captured, then what does that leave? Her wandering Xadia aimlessly? Not likely. A reunion with Callum is the only other plotline that makes sense here. 

There’s probably more reasons, but that’s all I have for now. If I write any more, I’ll link a part 2 to this post.

[nick-nellson]

I know that they said that Brian and Justin ended up together but do you think it's just something they feel now? The way they set it up seemed sort of final. Why I say that is because if they wanted us to have tid bit of hope surely they would have added in something to show a connection in the last scene. They made it seem like he dropped Pittsburgh. No appearance or phone call or card to congrat Brian for reopening babylon as if it isn't a big part of his character development too and not

i've put the rest and my answer under the cut 🥰

2/5: They could have chose to add in something to make his presence felt and if they wanted hope for their future then at the least they could have had Brian looking at a card from him and maybe saying that he can't wait to see him when he's in new york. Just open ended but hopeful. It seemed like they were going for the track of that the story starting with Justin appearing in their lives and ending with him leaving and things continuing on and this just being a short stop on his long journey and

3/5: and the lessons he taught. Idk it seemed like that was the takeaway from it. That sometimes people come into your lives not to stay but teach you. Idk it just bugged me that Justin who was such a huge part of the show was like an outsider and not even in the last scene even though it made no sense for caring boy we knew. It was like he was reduced to a plot device to further what others needed to learn.

4/5: Do you think it would have made more sense for it to be Brian that planned to go to New York in s5? Like it was always his dream to be bigger than Pittsburgh so I can't imagine him being ok with that life especially after Justin is gone. Like imagine if instead of setting up kinnetik in s4 they had him do it in s5 in new york and the season being about Brian planning to leave but not knowing if he could and then the bombing happening and him choosing to stay and marry Justin and get a house

5/5: because he thought if he left for new york for his company he'd regret it but Justin realising that marriage and that isn't Brian but following his agency in new york dream is so letting him go. Only Justin's career path leads him to new york too with the painting. Like that'd be them I think and would make more sense and include the sacrifice and angst. It'd be their unique path because it wouldn't be just about love but their ambitions being bigger than Pittsburgh it lining up to each other to

firstly thank you for the ask, i never get anything! secondly, it's been aaaaages since i watched the whole series through so my answer might not be great!

now i know most people take the ending as they didn't end up together but i really never did. i never thought there was any way they didn't see each other again but i think they wanted it open ended so you can interpret it how you want and i really do think they found their way back to each other. i think you're right that it's annoying they just kind of booted justin out at the end like he was the character we were seeing everything through and i would've loved if he turned up at babylon at the end and danced with brian but maybe they felt that wasn't realistic for someone his age to make such huge life commitments? i definitely think it would've made sense for brian to dream to be in new york but i can't quite remember how he was in the last few seasons - i was thinking maybe he wanted to stay for gus but now i think mel and linds moved??

oh man your idea about how it was brian planning to go and the bombing changing his plans that would've been soooo good! god why couldn't you have written the ending?! i really would've loved a reboot of sorts to answer some of these questions but i guess we'll have to dream!

what's for certain now though is i goddamn need a rewatch!

[gooferdusted]

hypothetically, if I were to write a fix-it/rewrite au fic, (thinking of starting at s5 but debating starting earlier) what are some storylines you’d take out/change, characters you’d save/kill, and specifically changes to sam’s character/arcs you’d like bc i need ideas

ok. ok. I'm gonna try to not go completely off the fucking rails while I write this up but I gotchu (also these r all just my own hot n spicy takes so like. pick what u like, it's all goodie goodie)

• no time passing differently in hell. literally four months is ~Enough!~ a year is enougghh!!!!!! like I get that they wanted to make hell this horrible unreachable thing but u can still like... get that across without having it be this unfathomable chunk of time out of a persons life. like sam was down there with TWO very pissed off angel's for 180 years??? how can he still speak english??? how does dean remember ANYTHING about his old life when mentally more than half of it was spent being endlessly tortured until he finally cracked??? its just.... Too Much...

• ON that note, I feel like later on they never rlly had sam and dean bond over the fact that like... they are genuinely the ONLY two people on earth who have survived actual hell. I mean we got that one off line from dean at some point but??

• no chuck as god. just a greasy greasy rat man getting insane stories projected into his brain. and on the topic of that.... I dont like the reflection of the real life fanbase in the spn universe??? they're pulp fiction novels, it should be all like 50 year old + ladies who picked them up at the local bargain bin, not b*cky r*sen

• I like... WANNA say smth abt s4..... bc I think the way that they handled things were a little out of character BUT I also think that was lind of the point??? like the angels and demons were manipulating them to say/do things they would normally never say/do to eachother to drive a big enough wedge between then that they would eventually say yes to being the vessels. like it hurts to watch sooo much but it did drive the plot forward in a very particular way that probably couldnt have happened otherwise. that being said, when the levee breaks makes me sad, and I dont want to see sam crying for his dead mother alone in a basement! cest la vie.

• sam and dean.... are Friends...,, why did we all forget that..... watch hell house and maybe I'll calm down.....

• PSYCHIC SAM!!!!!! you all know me. you know how I feel about psychic sam... robbed. s4 finale rlly had sam like "drinking that much demon blood has truly changed me forever..... theres no going back now...... 😔😔" like ok. ok. where are your superpowers. where are they.

• I wish some of the other special children had made it out :(( I really liked andy and ava (also sam finding other friend who are like him??? queer allegory??? spare queer allegory?????)

• I also dont think the roadhouse shouldve burned down!!! that shouldve been a Staple Location like Bobby's house. same w Missouri's, literally why did we only visit her once.

• ur sending an ask to my blog so I assume this is just a given for u but!!! we're takin away the misogyny. we're takin away the fetishization! anything that would be given the greenlight by joss whedon we are putting straight in the trash. <3

• this is mostly a thing in later seasons like. idk 9-15, but no ppl knowing who the winchesters are. they are NOBODIES. they pop up like little meerkats and fuck everything up beyond repair.

• also no fancy tech. no iphone 76z or whatever the fuck. sam has an ipod 1. the wheel is so stuck he can barely press play anymore. remember when he literally just tore off the top casing off his laptop and threw it away? more of that.

• no nice clothes. NO nice clothes we fuckin hate that. everything sam and dean own was purchased pre 1995 and dean is an expert at removing blood stains and sewing up jackets. dean will walk into a laundromat with a tide pen and just start goin for it like that scene in deadpool.

• tbh.... I feel like the issues in later seasons are really this massive horrible domino effect. like I could say heres how to fix s7-10 but the fact is if shit hadnt gone down lile it had in s7 s10 would be a different story entirely.

• I am gonna do it tho bc I suck <3

• s6: soulless sam was funney but did that really go anywhere? no. tbh I dont remember what happened w cas and I'm just not going to look it up. it's just not in the cards for tonight. dean w lisa.... ehh.... I've discussed this at wayy too much length w mushroom and we both agreed that dean would probably keep hunting to keep his mind off things and to try and honor sams sacrifice. I guess theres an argument to be made for the fact that it kind of was Sam's dying wish that dean just go fin her and live a normal life but... idk. purgatory was. . indeed a Concept..... that could have maybe gone somewhere if it didnt rapidly spiral into....

• s7!!! I mean. jesus christ. I know some people like this one but jesus christ. the way they literally couldnt commit to having sam have genuine mental health problems after centuries in hell or to just magically wipe them away..... bobby dying halfway thru.... charlie was a bright spot I suppose, but her intro is not my fave episode w her.... idk what the fuck happened w cas, I guess he was god. the leviathan designs were kinda neat but like oh my fucking god it wasnt worth it.

• s8: uh. rough start. idk why the turn tables so suddenly and dean's like "why didnt u look for me >:((" bc??? yall agreed not to???? at the VERY least they couldve had sam been like "I legitimately had no reason to think u werent dead and in heaven and tha wouldve been a little rude of me to pull u out of that." but we went for ~drama~ to make it spicy I guess. ouygh. bunkers there!!! that was cool!!! MoL is a cool concept!!! altho... it doesn kinda contradict the whole sam and dean are nobodies thing... idk. trials of hell was like... cool in theory but bad in practice unless they were planning on ending the show for realskies. and they did not.

• s9: uhh... hated gadreel! hated that shit! wish they had spun that whole storyline to be more "hey sam I noticed u were s*icidal should we maybe address that??" or even like.... I mean dean probably couldve just TOLD sam abt his plan, he had already convinced him to stay alive by that point??? there was no reason to lie!!! plus the betrayal of gadreel not being who he said he was wouldve been like. literally enough drama, we didnt need to fracture the team again. and cas was??? where exactly??? be was human for at least half of that season but hey didnt know what to do w him so they chucked him in a convenience store??? good lord.

• s10: got no suggestions for that one, just toss it

• s11: ok... shes cute.... we can forgive her.... the lore is shaky at best but the episodes SLAP and the characterization is *chefs kiss*. it's been a hot minute since I've seen it so if smth sucked I dont remember and I plan to keep it that way!!!!

• s12: n.. no. no mary. no mary unless we're doing it right. and I promise u doing it right was not poorly ripping off kingsman. couldve brought back bobby!!! if they desperately wanted some drama couldve brought back john!!! actually fuck that, no way

• s13-15: no thoughts, only jack kline <3

[newnewyorker93]

newnewyorker93’s Master Post for TSB Mark IV (card 4042)

+ 🌟🌟🌟🌟 adopted prompts!

Another round of Tony Stark Bingo done and I managed another blackout! Lots of variety this time - I did some crafts and moodboards, got a bit of drawing in, and wrote some fun fics (vampires! Passover shenanigans! Gerald origin story! and as always plenty of fluff!)

Here are links to everything I wrote or created this year for @tonystarkbingo​​:

(everything is rated gen)

Fics:

Something Sweet (Tony livens up Pepper's day with some sweet treats) • Pepperony • R4 - happily ever after

From the Heart (Literally) (Tony gives Pepper the shrapnel necklace) • Pepperony • K1 - strawberries

The Physics of Snowball Fights (Tony and Rhodey engage in some snow day shenanigans. For science.) • Iron Husbands • R5 - nerf/water gun war

Raiders of the Lost Arc Reactor (Tony is being difficult after an Iron Man test flight gone wrong; luckily Pepper has a few tricks up her sleeve. Or, Tony and Pepper reenact a scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark) • Pepperony • R1 - occupational hazard

The Four Question Problem (It's Passover at Avengers Tower and Tony and Steve are bickering. Because why should this night be different than any other night?) • Tony & Steve, Pepperony • S3 - pseudo-villain

The Chametz Removal Squad (The Stark family prepares for Passover) • Tony & Pepper & Morgan, Pepperony • K2 - humor

and introducing a new special subsection to my collection of fic fills...collabs with the wonderful @rebelmeg​​!

I Went to the County Fair and All I Got Was This Alpaca (Pepper has been doing her best to help Tony manage his depression after the Snap. A surprise encounter at the county fair gives her an idea for one more thing she can try...) • Pepperony • T1 - animal

Kiss for a Kiss (After a full day of Halloween festivities at SI, Pepper heads home for some much more personal tricks and treats) • Pepperony • A4 - mission gone wrong

What We Do in the Tower (Peter Parker has been having an awkward time as a brand new vampire. But now he's got Tony Stark whisking him off to meet a whole group of weird and hilarious vampires that live in Stark Tower and maybe this won't be so bad after all?) • Tony & Peter, Pepperony • S4 - forcibly adopted

Moodboards:

Rock Star(k)s (when it comes to music, Morgan Stark takes after her father) • Tony & Morgan • S5 - next generation

Bowling for Platypuses (moodboard for rebelmeg’s and my yet-to-be-actually-written fic in which Rhodey out-pranks Tony at a glow-in-the-dark bowling alley using an intriguing fact of platypus biology) • Tony & Rhodey • A5 - dark alleys

I Went to The County Fair and All I Got Was This Alpaca (moodboard for the fic of the same name (listed above) about how Gerald the Alpaca joined the Stark family) • Pepperony, Tony & Gerald • adopted square - new team

Iron Man Noir (moodboard for a noir au version of Iron Man 1) • Pepperony • T5 - noir Tony

Art:

“Road Rash” (pencil drawing of Tony with the palladium poisoning “high-tech crossword puzzle” on his neck) • K3 trapped in the armor

Computer, Define “Dancing” (pencil drawing of Dum-E watching the fire extinguisher “dancing” scene from WALL-E) • Dum-E & his fire extinguisher • T2 - dancing

Mer-Pepperony (pencil drawings of Tony & Pepper as merpeople) • S1 - merpeople

Crafts:

Costume Swap (cross-stitch of Bruce wearing Tony’s clothes from Thor: Ragnarok and Tony wearing Bruce’s outfit from Avengers) • Science Bros • adopted square - partner look

Howard Potts (cross-stitch of Tony as Howard Potts) • R2 - time heist

“I got you.”/“I got you first.” (cross-stitch of Tony and Pepper from Iron Man 3, with Pepper wearing the Mark 42 armor) • Pepperony • A3 - accidental marriage

Intruder Alert! (cross-stitch of Dum-E warding off Gerald, who is chewing on some wires, with a fire extinguisher) • Dum-E & Gerald the Alpaca • A2 - reluctant pet parents

Loki, God of Mischief Sewing (felt needle book decorated with a cross-stitched Loki wielding a threaded needle) • adopted square - stay still

P is for Pepper (cross-stitch of Pepper in the Rescue armor, styled like a page in a children’s alphabet book) • T3 - bedtime stories

Tech Support (cross-stitch of Tony and Clint from a scene in the Fraction/Aja Hawkeye comics) • Tony & Clint • K4 - comics panel of Tony & Clint

Captain America Shield Sachet (Captain America’s shield, made out of felt and filled with rice & a vanilla scent) • adopted square - vibranium

Strange Sachet (Doctor Strange-themed felt sachet) • T4 - magic

[makeyourownmyth]

best seen in 2020.

My usual caveats from previous years are still applicable here: I don’t watch most of the major nominations the years they come out, and I’m usually not much for theaters and/or current TV. However, due to the pandemic, we watched a loooooooot of content. Here’s just a list of movies that I watched or rewatched this year, that were neither terrible, nor great, but I want to make note of:

Toy Story 4, The Brothers Bloom, Happiest Season, The Peanut Butter Falcon, Moana, Mr. Right, Moulin Rouge, Ocean’s Eleven, Spring Breakers, X-Men: Dark Phoenix (this might have been the worst movie I watched this year?), Widows, Gattaca, Black Klansman, Primer, It 2, Shazam (this maybe should have gone on the Honorable Mentions - it was fun), Training Day, Parasite (OK, now I have to update my Honorable Mentions), The Green Book, Strange Days, Elf, Love & Basketball, Above the Rim, Coach Carter.

That being said, there was some bad stuff, and I try not to shit on any artist’s creations too much, because I know no one sets out to make something bad, but these didn’t work for me. 

Anti

Uncut Gems - It’s not that it was BAD, it was just too stressful for me to enjoy.

Brick - It wasn’t even close to enjoyable on a rewatch that I encouraged my partner to take on for the first time. I felt bad. 

Hereditary - Neither a scary movie, nor a good movie.  

The Witch - Same, but maybe better made?

Under The Skin - Jesus, this was terrible. Maybe I’m not artsy enough to get it?

Now, however, let’s get to the good stuff. 

Honorable Mention TV

Avatar - I can’t legitimately put it on the Best Of list, because I’m not done yet, but I’m on Book 3, after finally actually getting started. I think I tried to start this in 2016, and i know all my nerd friends have been yelling at me for a long time because I haven’t gotten to it yet, and as someone who’s almost done, I can say: they were right! It’s great. 

Ozark - S1 was great. It fell off a fucking CLIFF after that. Ignore people who tell you that you HAVE to watch this. They’re wrong. It’s fine. 

The Last Dance - I know the world is obsessed with Michael Jordan, and I’m glad it came out when it did, but really, all it did for me was confirm that he’s an asshole who was very fortunate to play when he did. And also that the Bulls were fucking phenomenal. 

His Dark Materials - Neither as bad as some of my friends think, nor nearly as good as the books (obviously) but also not good enough that I’ve even started S2 yet, so....I guess it’s fine? 

The Mandalorian S2 - I think they know what they’re doing, and it’s super enjoyable, and I loved the ending, but I’m also curious as to where they’re going now. 

Fargo S3 - Given how good the rest of the series is (other than my distaste for S2, dealt with below, and out of step with pop culture) I thought this one was a misstep, 

Orphan Black - I cannot believe how late I was to this, and how good it still was. It really fell apart toward the end, but the acting was incredible, and the fact that they got to tell the story they wanted to was amazing. 

Best TV

7. All the Smoke with Kobe (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R3KIyEgCgc) - Maybe it was just his death, but it hits hard, and I miss him. Does this even count as TV? 

6. Looking for Alaska - It felt like gratuitous masochism to watch this and enjoy it, being 20 years older than when I fell for it, and feeling ashamed of the young person I was, but even knowing what was coming, I was weeping when it happened. Even knowing that they were ultimately going on a fruitless search and yelling at the TV while the Colonel and Pudge were searching for “signs” and hating them for it, I remember feeling like everything HAD to happen for a reason when I was this young... So yeah. It’s pure nostalgia for me. I’d be super interesting in hearing how kids responded to it. 

5. Locke and Key - I get that some people feel like they don’t need old shit in a new medium, but for me, I’m always up to try it out. If it’s fun, I’ll stick with it. And this is. It’s fun, it’s got some of the old shit, it’s got some new shit, and it’s a treat to see my favorite comic of the last decade in a new medium. Haters need a new bit. 

Fargo s1 and s4 (I didn’t love S3) - I know that I’m in the minority here, but I think 1 and 4 are the best and 2 was good, and 3 was fine. I literally watched all of this show this year, though, so I didn’t have the same time to digest as others. But I think that’s a benefit in some regards? 

4. Magicians s5 - One of the saddest conversations of the last year to two was when a nerd friend of mine said he didn’t like The Magicians because all of the characters were whiny and self-indulgent. For me, that was almost literally the point: they shoved Q into the corner and told the story of the others (at least one episode quite self-referentially so) and it was so much better for that. I wish it hadn’t ended, but I’m glad they left it where they did, because it was so good.  

3. Devs esp. The beginning of e5 - Jesus. The show of the year? Except for the fact that Watchmen came out at the tail end of last year, and I didn’t have it on my 2019 list? I mean, honestly, is there a show more tailored to me? I’m not gonna get into any spoilers, but it’s a quick watch, and it’s fucking fantastic. Watch it, have your mind blown by the concept, especially in the beginning sequence of E5, and then stick around for the subpar ending where basically all of the threads are resolved in the least good way. 

2. Watchmen - This deserves multiple re-watches and all the praise that people heaped upon it. 

1. The Good Place - I know, objectively, that Watchmen was a better show than The Good Place. But this is my list, and I’ll be damned if anything overtakes my favorite sitcom (maybe of all time?) for best of the year. I know it barely just ended this year, and there’s plenty of acclaim to go around for this show, but honestly, every time I talk to anyone about it, it feels like they kind of laugh it off. This show is not only worth your time, but should almost be considered must-watch material. If more people watched this show, we wouldn’t need the insult “sophomoric” to describe people who’ve just had their minds blown by Philosophy 101, and we’d be better off as a species. 

Honorable Mention Movies

In this order, and you can take the comedies and make them the only honorable mentions, if you’d like to make a nice, even top 10. (Until I saw Tenet the night before I posted this.( (And then I looked back at the playing cards that we use to randomly choose movies and I found that I needed to modify the Honorable Mentions and the Best Of lists.) 

21 and 22 Jump Street - In general, I’m not a fan of comedies. So I’m happy I watched these, thanks to Nathan Zed, and they’re funny. Good work guys. 

Palm Springs - Apparently there’s now backlash against Groundhog Day? I dunno, man, it was fun, and all the actors seemed like they were having a good time, and I was down for it. 

Parasite - I can’t add anything to this that hasn’t already been shouted from the rooftops, so let me just briefly say that I thought it was great, but it didn’t quite make the list of best. The combo of genres was great, the cast was fantastic, but what I loved the most about it was how quiet it was.

Best Movies

10. Blinded by the Light - Way more resonant than I thought it’d be from the previews, and I already thought it was gonna be stellar. I didn’t take into account TIME along with place, and that made a hell of a difference for this movie. 

9. Shoplifters - Yeesh. What a tough watch, but so good, and so necessary. For me, I think we watched it back to back to back with Parasite and I, Tonya, and this one just stood out so much more. The storyline was softer all the way through, but really had gravitas simultaneously. 

8. Tenet - It was fucking fun! I don’t get the hate! I liked it, I’ll like it more next time I see it, and I wish I’d seen it on the big screen, but I’m super glad I could see it on my TV! 

7. I, Tonya - Geez, what a powerhouse of acting. Not only did they get me to feel good about the villain of my childhood, they got me to feel good about Margot Robbie, who I’d only thought of as a hot lady before. Superb acting from everyone else, too, and what a great pick up to be like, yeah, this is the story we’re gonna tell. 

6. I Am Not Your Negro - I avoided watching it for so long because I was already depressed this year, and I didn’t think I needed any more of that, but it turns out I did, and I always do, from Baldwin. He’s a master for a reason. 

5. Hamilton - I know there was some backlash with the time difference, and I’m sure it was better to see it pre-2016 in the theater, where it’s meant to be seen, but I’m not a billionaire New Yorker, and I was plenty happy to see it when and where I could. 

4. Won’t You Be My Neighbor - I mean...what do you think? It’s so much exactly what you’re thinking it is, but then it’s even better, because it’s the real deal, and he was so good, and it’s so pure. Watch it. 

3. Her Smell - Elizabeth Moss has already gotten all the acclaim, but to play this different of a role, in a movie that felt as stressful as Uncut Gems, but pulled off an actual plot so much more successfully? I can’t believe this one didn’t get more pub, but then again, yes I can: it’s a movie about a girl band that rages against the machine, and she’s got severe issues. Small surprise that the people didn’t react well. Seek this one out! 

2. Arrival - Yes, I am going to totally cheat and put a movie that’s appeared on my list (sooooo long ago) as the #2 entry this year. You know why? Cuz fuck 2020, and this is a great movie, and it’s the movie that made me feel second best this year. It’s incredible, and I know people appreciated it in its time, but I feel like they should appreciate it even more. 

1. Moonlight - It’s not a shock, nor am I trying to appease anyone with anything. It’s just that I finally watched it, and it’s the best movie I saw this year. I don’t think I could possibly add anything to the authentic critics who have already heaped praise upon it, but I do have to say that it’s all due, and so much more. The acting obviously stands out, but the direction, from the color palettes, to the choice of when and where (and how) to break it up, are all masterful choices.  

[27dragons]

Masterpost - @tonystarkbingo​ 2020 (Round 3)

by @27dragons​

S1 - Riri Williams T1 - Cat!Tony A1 - Cliche R1 - Bedtime Stories K1 - Puzzle S2 - Secret Relationship T2 Adopted fill - AU: Dragon Rider A2 - AU: Good Omens R2 - Attacked by a Creature K2 - AU: Hogwarts S3 - Remote Control T3 - Major Injuries A3 - FREE R3 - Zombie K3 - Vulnerability S4 - AU: Alice in Wonderland T4 - Artificial Intelligence A4 Adopted fill - AU: Caveman R4 - Abducted K4 - Learning to Cook S5 - Iron Dad T5 - Fabrication A5 - Wish R5 - Adrenaline Rush K5 - Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier

Check under the break for all the titles and summaries, as well as my card and badges!

Card

Works

(I was going to list rating/ship/squares filled, but all the works are Winteriron or at least pre-relationship Winteriron, because it’s me, so there’s just the rating and squares filled.)

Cherish the Living - E (R3, K4, T3, A5, R1, K3, R2, R4, K5, R5, S1, A3, S5)

Tony grew up on stories of the time before the virus, but that’s a world that’s long ago and far away. He now travels a route between the various walled settlements, trading goods and repairs for bread and board, and carrying news from one villa to the next. It’s a dangerous life, but one he’s used to and well-suited for. That is, until a cluster of zombies gets the drop on him.

Bucky is a Nomad, one of a band of enhanced humans who have sworn to wipe out all zombies and put an end to the zombie plague -- one at a time, if necessary. When he rescues Tony, he’s just doing his job. Agreeing to escort Tony to the next villa is a bit above-and-beyond, but it’s nice to have company after so long on the road alone. He didn’t expect the trip to forge a bond between the two of them that not nothing -- not even death -- could break.

As the Spirits Guide Us - E (A4/Adopted, T1)

The Clan of the Hydra value’s Bucky’s skill as a flintknapper but despises him for being a crippled outsider. The Clanchief, in particular, seems to enjoy watching Bucky suffer. Bucky dreams of escaping, of finding a home with a new Clan, one which will treat him kindly.

A talented maker and only child of the Keeper of the Way, Tony has only to complete this last rite before he can fully assume his place as an adult of the Star Clan. On this journey, the spirit-talker assures him, the spirits will bring him to meet his destined mate. Tony is pretty sure the selection of his mate has less to do with the spirits than with the machinations of his mother and the clan chief.

Little do either of them know what the spirits have in store.

You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Anymore - T (A1)

Sure, Tony felt short of breath whenever he saw Bucky, and his throat tightened whenever he saw Bucky and Steve together, but he was sure he had his little crush on Bucky under control. When he started coughing up flower petals, however, he realized that he did not have it under control even a little bit.

The Perfect Solution - T (K1)

Despite telling Tony that they didn’t need to exchange gifts for their second dating anniversary, Bucky's got something for Tony -- a puzzle to solve. Or rather, several.

Nothing for the Nerves - T (S2)

Tony and Bucky have been dating for three months, and it is high time that Bucky met Tony’s friends. There’s nothing to be nervous about, of course.

...Right?

Leaving the Nest - T (T2/Adopted)

Tony’s spent his whole life training to be a dragon rider. That the dragon who’s chosen him is betrothed is only of minor concern; having to marry his dragon’s mate’s rider is well worth getting to fly. That is, until Tony falls in love with a common soldier and is faced with having to choose between his dream and his love.

After the End - T (A2)

Tony and Bucky have both been on Earth for a little over two thousand years. They’ve been lovers for just a little less than that, hiding it from their superiors Above and Below. But now the Antichrist has been delivered and things are swiftly coming to an End. How can they say goodbye, knowing they’ll never meet again?

Of course, things don’t always turn out the way they assume. God’s plan is ineffable, after all.

An Educational Outing - G (K2)

In which Professor Stark takes his Muggle Studies students on a field trip, with Professor Barnes’ help, and it does not go quite as planned.

One Man’s Trash - G (S3, T4, T5)

Mostly, when the ‘bots went out scavenging, they brought back junk. Circuit boards melted to slag, coils of wire that had fused together, bits of broken glass and charred remnants of furniture. Tony managed to find uses for it all -- in the wake of the War, there was no such thing as trash; everything got repurposed somehow -- but that didn’t change the fact that it was junk.

But once in a while, they happened across something good. A crate of transistors that had been miraculously shielded from damage. A handful of protein bars still sealed in their packages. Lengths of rebar. Tools, sometimes.

This time, they’ve really hit the jackpot.

Six Impossible Things - G (S4) * moodboard

Tony and Bucky have forgiven each other for their various transgressions and moved on with their lives, reconciled if not exactly comfortable with each other. Then, in the midst of a mission, they find themselves sucked into another dimension, one where the normal rules do not apply. One where six impossible things happen each day before breakfast.

Their only hope of getting home again is a journey through Wonderland to petition the mysterious Red Queen, who has the power to send them home – or to destroy them both. In order to escape, they’re going to have to work together to embrace Wonderland’s nonsensical rules. And maybe – just maybe – one of those impossible things will be them.

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