#when everyone you liked talking to about a show got that shocker of a lore drop or plot twist months or years ago and you can't even imagin

[syn-odics]

i dont have time to consume any of the media i love anymore i hope the world blows up and takes me with it

[knut-rocketman]

Pleasantview Ancestors Hunger Games : Introduction

Welcome to a little project of mine that's been brewing for a while, the Pleasantview Ancestors Hunger Games! I got this idea after watching etceterasim's Teens Battle Royale (which was held 2 years ago and I only discovered it last week), and also because I just really like the dead ancestors (If you know me, then that's not a surprise.)

Click Keep Reading to learn what it consists of, the rules of the game, and the lot the game will be held in. It's a long post so be prepared.

So what does this game consist of? Well, as you've probably guessed, it's the Hunger Games but with the Pleasantview Ancestors! (shocker, I know.) And by the Pleasantview Ancestors, I mean everyone who is related by blood to a playable in some way and cannot be played in the base game (so that includes Bella Goth, fun!) So that brings the total number of contestants up to... 60 people. (God, this was a bad idea. My poor computer.)

Now, onto the rules. I'll be honest here and say that I just straight up took etcetera's rules and made a few arrangements. So, the rules :

Rule 1 : When two sims fight, the loser of the fight is executed. The sims may not have a reason to fight at first, but that's why I downloaded Autonomous Casual Romance to spice things up. After all, most of the participants are couples. Rule 2 : At the end of every day (00:00), the person with the lowest amount of skill points will be executed. If there's more than 1 person who has the lowest amount of skill points (which, let's be honest, is gonna happen a lot), then a random person among them will be executed. (Also, I will be executing 2 people per night, up until there are 20 people left, which is when I'll only be executing 1 person.) Rule 3 : Deaths of non-natural causes like starvation, fire, drowning, disease, hail, satellite, etc... are allowed and expected. These are sims we're talking about, they wouldn't even be able to take care of themselves in a fully-furnished mansion. Rule 4 : I can add rules as I go. What? This is my game. An example of a rule I can add is "The contestants get a reward when there are 30 people left", which will most likely happen anyway.

Moving on to the place where these Hunger Games will be held : let me bring you to a place far away from Pleasantview, or even from the SimPlanet itself...

Welcome to the Forgotten Realm where all deceased sims (and Bella for some reason) spend the rest of eternity in. (Yes, this is the Magic subhood terrain in the Dirt style. Yes, this is a sin. No, I didn't change the skybox : I'm lazy.)

But you might be asking, "What's that lot right there?" Well, let me introduce you to :

...I didn't actually give it a name. Hmm. Just call it the Lot, I guess. Anyway, welcome to the Lot! As you can see, it's a pretty big lot with all sorts of activities for the sims to enjoy themselves while brutally murdering each other. (Also it's fenced in so no one can get in or out, but that's just a minor detail.) There are stairs so the sims can access the roof, and there are arches so they can access the insides. Speaking of the insides, let me show you...

...the left side, with the bed room (literally!) and the kitchen/dining room. Also, notice the hammock and the bowling alley hidden in between the buildings. Now, onto...

...the right side, with the bathroom (public showers of course), and the recreation room along with two saunas, just because. Notice the axe throwing game or whatever.

Alright, in the next post we will be Learning the Lore and Presenting the Participants, so stay tuned!

[silverthetheorist]

Wilbur returning as a writer is good (and why it will be an uphill battle)

I am back I guess. I disappeared for a while, which I tend to do. Anyways, my point today is explaining why Wilbur returning as the writer of the SMP is the best possible thing for the server. I’ve seen a lot of hate towards Wilbur and his writing, people say it was too focused on his own character and leaving everyone else out except for Tommy, to which I say.... Have you seen Season 2? They could have renamed the SMP the “Tommy, Techno, and no one else SMP”

Before showing proof to how Wilbur can improve the storyline let me talk about the Final Disk War Arc for a bit:

- It was very good!.... Until you start thinking about it for a little bit. When everyone showed up to say goodbye to Tommy and Tubbo and the Endgame moment were good, but then you remember half of those character either hate Tommy, barely interacted with him or have nothing to do with the plot of Season 2 (Because everyone who was not called Tommy, Techno and Dream were left out). So yeah, those moments are good on their own

- When Tommy starts listing all the horrible things Dream has done to everyone in the server and can’t think of any besides a joke about Quackity not wearing clothes... Even they know no one had any stake in the plot jesus

-Dream ending up in the prison was the perfect ending. Anyone else ending in that prison would not have made sense from a story perspective. Glad they dodged that narrative bullet. 

Really, the Final Disk War made me realise the biggest problem with season 2. The exile arc is very good... on its own. Doomsday was very g- hahahahaah... I’m kidding Doomsday is the only bad bad event on the SMP. And the Final Disk War is also very good. But when you put it all together.... it just doesn’t fit. This is a classic example of something being worse than the sum of its parts (Not sure if I am using that phrase correctly but you get the point... hopefully). Each arc on its own is fairly competent but how did Techno’s execution affect the rest of the arcs? How was the Final Disk War affected by prior arcs? It lacks cohesiveness and consistent themes.  

Now I have two more things to say before I give Wilbur his credit: 

- I’ve mentioned Eret, Fundy and Nicki a lot because I think they were great characters with a lot of potential. But, as we know, the story completely ignored them in favor of Dream, Techno and Tommy (Even Tubbo was sidelined for most of the Story). I am not insinuating anything, but something about one of the few LGBT CC of the server, one of the two women of the server and the only (I think) canonically trans characters being left out of the story they have been a part of since the beginning just... doesn’t feel right to me. 

- I LOVE Ranboo. You can see the passion and dedication he puts in his story and I love it. But, has he really done anything? Like... that affects the plot. He grieffed George’s house with Tommy but you can cut him out of it and nothing changes? Same with blowing up the community house, you can just say it was Dream and cut Ranboo’s character all together. If you can remove a character and the plot does not change then that is a bad character. And this is not Ranboo’s fault, you can tell how passionate he is and he is definitely the best actor of the SMP (Low bar there but whatever), but the Storyline says: No, your character cannot actually do anything. This also fits together with the Eret, Fundy and Nicki situation: A character giving his opinion and feeling over an event is not a character being involved in the plot. That is a reactionary character that never affects anything but is delegated to just reacting to the plot other characters move. Sad.

Now. How can Wilbur fix all of this? The evidence can be seen on his failed resurrection. He went directly to Eret to ask for help. That is the key to everything. 

Tommy is the main character. There is no changing that this far into the story. But by writing stories that involve other characters you include them. Big shocker there, I know. Season 2 was more character centric (Although not in a good way), the problem is that character centric stories cannot handle that many characters. Wilbur has said that he prefers geopolitical plots and why is that? A country has many people, not only one. if you built and open narrative, it allows for anyone who want to be included in the story to... well, be included. And a story being more geopolitical does not mean it is not character centric, but a character-centric story cannot be geopolitical. 

Why did I mention him asking Eret for help before Philza joining in? Because it is simple thing like that the way to go to include other characters. If you invite another CC into your lore event, then that CC can develop how his character interacts and grows from that event. You see this with Eret, he shows regret over the betray, he shows his love for Fundy and his respect for Wilbur. It really is not that hard to do, which makes everything season 2 has done way more infuriating. The ONE thing Wilbur decides in season 2 showed more skill that anything in season 1 (Kind of an exaggeration but you get the point). 

So to summarize, Wilbur will improve season 3 in two ways: Writing a bigger narrative that sustains more character and inviting said left-out characters to help out on events that they may not really have a lot of stake in. 

Why it will be an uphill battle you ask? Because they got rid of L’manberg. The geopolitical stuff is barely present anymore. And season 2 negative’s will still affect the future of the SMP forever just as the strength’s of season 1 impacted the mix reception season 2 had.

PS: English. Me make mistakes sometimes. Me sorry. Also sorry if I rambled a bit too much. Head full. 

PS2: The egg plot is cool and new and refreshing. But I cannot say it is very good until I see what the emotional core of the story is. It is still fairly new so I will give it the benefit of the doubt. 

PS3: Sorry if I was too negative again, but there are already so many people pointing out the good things about the SMP. This fandom forgets that they are allowed to not like things, and disagree with the CC. I see many post per day saying things like: If CC does this (Insert stupid idea) then we (Their viewers who they have to appease in some way or another) we CANNOT COMPLAIN EVER. Like, no. Have some critical thinking and point out bad when you see it, I know this fandom is capable of it but many suppress critical thinking in this fandom in favor of very weird hive-mind ideas. 

PS4: Dream’s song is not it. I am sorry. 

[flightfoot]

Miraculous Ladybug Season 4 Episode rankings (As of Optygami’s release)

ML season 4 has knocked it out of the park so far! It’s been absolutely amazing, and I’ve greatly enjoyed every episode.

That being said, some episodes have still been better than others (or have contained elements I find more appealing at least), so what better way to show that than with a ranking?

9. Queen Banana

We got a new hero this episode, and she is awesome! Vesperia and Chat have a nice little interaction, and while Vesperia gets taken out, it’s for a good reason - distracting Queen Banana so Ladybug can put glue in her pocket, disarming her. It was a really nice way of showing Zoe’s humility and ability for teamwork, even when it meant giving up the starring role, in order to complete the group’s overall goal.

The mini-movie felt like foreshadowing, what with the “Superheroine of Creation” being an obvious Ladybug expy, while the “Supervillain of Destruction” was a Chat Noir expy, though with fewer connections. Interestingly, it’s also used to parallel Zoe’s and Chloe’s relationship, with Zoe even quoting from the movie at the end.

And Andre’s character development was top-notch! Bully him around to do material things as much as you like, but hurting Zoe is off-limits. She’s Andre’s daughter too.

So why is it so low down? Simply put, it didn’t feel like it changed things as much as Sole Crusher did, nor did it showcase Marinette’s and Adrien’s relationship as much. It was good, but there was less to talk about concerning it than I thought there’d be.

8. Furious Fu

The first episode of Season 4 aired (even though it was episode 6 in production order), we got some lore drop this episode! Su Han gave us a better idea of what to expect from the Guardians and what their relationship with the kwamis had been like overall. Poor Plagg especially, he’s just treated like a bomb that could go off at any moment.

I especially liked seeing Ladybug and Chat Noir’s relationship this episode, and their differing reactions to Su Han and his proposals. Ladybug was insecure about not having defeated Hawkmoth yet and thought Su Han might have a point about the Miraculous being better in other hands, and for this to be something for the Guardians to handle.

Chat Noir meanwhile didn’t give a crap about Su Han’s authority, about this random guy who just showed up and tried to boss them around; but he DOES respect Ladybug’s, and made that known. That he’d give up his Miraculous, his ticket to freedom and also the vessel for one of his closest friends, Plagg, but only at LADYBUG’S request, not this dude.

But it also showed the limits of that, with him refusing to go along with even that when it’d mean that Ladybug would get amnesia. That he’d not only lose his Miraculous, but his closest, dearest friend as well.

The episode was well done, but just didn’t feel like it either changed things as much or showcased character development as much as the other entries on this list, which is why it’s lower.

7. Sole Crusher

This was our first look at a new character, Zoe, and she did not disappoint! She was absolutely adorable and I really felt for her, with needing to pretend to be nasty in order to not be practically disowned from her family. 

It showcased how much Marinette had grown as well, with having Marinette see through Zoe’s Mean Girl act when they reunite and not jump to hasty negative conclusions, like she did with Adrien, instead considering that there may have been other factors involved with making Zoe act differently while with Chloe.

Also character exploration and growth for Andre, of all characters! Very unexpected. I really wanted him to succeed in his original dream, and I was thrilled at him comforting Zoe, with him empathizing with her, with acting as a parent towards her, even with her being his stepdaughter and presumedly not knowing her very well before this.

Zoe’s ability to anticipate how she’d need to act in order to conform with her family’s expectations while still getting to do what she wanted (for the most part), like with her pretending to be all prissy and stuck up when interacting with Audrey, or pretending that her messaging with Marinette was a setup to betray and humiliate her, showed a great understanding of the people around her as well as some great acting ability. And her realization of how she’d been putting on acts like this for so long before this, of her people-pleasing and afterwards attempting to just be herself, felt like foreshadowing for Adrien’s own arc.

 And we got a few seconds of Marichat. Yay for crumbs!

6. Mr. Pigeon 72

This episode was PACKED. We got to see the followup to Gang of Secrets, with Ladybug freaking out and Alya trying to center her, as well as some followup to Lies, with Marinette trying to “help” Kagami get back together with Adrien. And on top of the stuff that forms the premise of the episode, we got to see Rena Rouge be badass again, Plagg and Ladybug team up, and even Umbrella scene 2, which I don’t think ANYONE saw coming!

Marinette was a lot of fun and we got to see some good stuff from Kagami and Alya here. It felt a little disjointed with how much was crammed into it and I missed Chat Noir, but overall it was really good!

5. Guiltrip

What an amazing episode! Rose is one of the least developed members of the class, mostly being known for being really sweet and being Juleka’s girlfriend, and not much else. Here, we got an inner look at her, at WHY she’s so positive, and how powerful that positivity can be. That she’s not innately positive just because, but that it’s a choice she makes.

Plus the class is AMAZING here. They care about their friends SO MUCH, even if they go about it the wrong way. We got to see Juleka and Rose caring about each other, and even though it went wrong, Rose understands why Juleka ended up spilling her secret and doesn’t blame her for it.

It also really showcased Marinette and Adrien, there different ways of dealing with serious issues, with Marinette jumping ahead and trying to do whatever she thinks will help immediately (help now, ask questions later) while Adrien tried to do the opposite, asking Juleka what she wanted first and trying to stick with that (ask questions first, then help). Both can be useful, depending on the circumstances.

Also got to see a bit more about Adrien’s turmoil, with him being borderline suicidal, and Nino feeling guilty that he wasn’t able to help Adrien with his father, hinting that something bad went down with Gabriel before this. 

There was just a LOT to unpack with this episode, but it all fit together neatly!

4. Lies

All of the “Truth” related episodes were amazing! Lies being no exception. Also our first (and so far only) Adrien-centric episode this season.

Lies catapulted discussion of Adrien’s looming identity crisis, as well as his deflections and near-suicidal behavior, stuff that becomes even more apparent in Guiltrip. The breakup was handled well, with it not being Adrien’s fault (he had to leave and lie for the same reasons Marinette did), but with Kagami’s reaction being totally understandable and valid. She was a very active participant in it, even testing to see whether Adrien had lied. And she was ALLOWED to be pissed afterwards, to not trust him, even though she could tell that he wasn’t just doing this for no reason. 

I wish we’d gotten more time with her as an akuma, but I can see why we didn’t. There just wasn’t that much time in the episode, and the emotional crux of the episode occurred between her and Adrien - there just wasn’t much she could do as an akuma that was gonna add much impact to the episode.

3. Optygami

Oh WOW did this episode make an impact. Major Wham episode in a season chockful of major revelations, status quo changes, and character progression.

 Nathalie and Gabriel actually had a pretty clever plan, spying on the revealed wielders this whole time using the “one sentimonster per wielder, but there can be multiple sentimonsters from different wielders out at the same time” loophole. It meant that Nathalie was actually doing something while she was benched, and I’m willing to bet that she’s the one who came up with the plan in the first place. Say what you will about her morality or her taste in men, but she is an effective supervillain who may be an assistant (and totally fine with that role, which isn’t so common), but one with a lot of agency. And using impostors and try to force a situation where Ladybug would have to give a Miraculous to one of them, and using that opportunity to plant a spy sentimonster in a Miraculous in order to discover Ladybug’s identity and the location of the other Miraculous? Was inspired!

We were baited on there being a Reveal, but that wasn’t exactly a shocker. In any case, we did have a bunch of OTHER cool, impactful stuff. 

Hawkmoth stepped up his game with his sentimonsters, making a couple of impostors to control the situation, with Senti Alec and Senti Nino. Seems like foreshadowing about there potentially being more sentimonsters in disguise...

The major developments everyone’s screaming about though, are:

1. Alya getting her Miraculous permanently, being the first “temporary” wielder to get that honor, and putting her in a greater position to help with any akuma that’s causing more trouble than usual.

2. And the one that’s gotten everyone theorizing, screaming, and writing fics: Chat Noir and Ladybug’s seemingly deteriorating relationship, with a special emphasis on how left out Chat is and just how much he’s being kept in the dark, and how he’s beginning to realize this, feeling unneeded. How much Chat’s hiding his hurt, and how that’s going to lead to some sort of emotional confrontation or breakdown down the line.

My ranking of Optygami may go up or down depending on whether future episodes follow through on what it sets up, especially with the foreshadowed Ladynoir confict.

Looks like we’re gonna have a hiatus after Optygami, considering that we don’t currently have airdates for any more episodes, but what a note to leave off on!

2. Truth

This episode was AMAZING. We got to see Luka and Marinette just hanging out casually, having fun together, like with the little trivia game they played on the way to the theater. Luka even showed a bit of a playful side, with setting up the last question so that the answer would end with “kiss me”. 

Luka was also allowed to feel negative emotions for reasons aside from protecting Marinette, with him feeling down and a little abandoned because of Marinette constantly ditching - something that was given more context, with how we learned that he never knew his father, and how much it bothers him that his mom won’t tell him who it was.

The revelation of Jagged Stone being Luka’s father was one that’d already been leaked way back in January, though few people believed it at the time and it got little attention. It gave Luka a plotline that had nothing to do with Marinette, something that was sorely needed and one that I’m hoping gets expanded on later.

Also had some great Ladynoir, with Chat Noir and Ladybug discussing their relationship during the akuma fight, when they were forced to be truthful to boot! Ladybug really does like Chat’s sense of humor, and Chat doesn’t have a problem with Ladybug’s status as Guardian, so long as it doesn’t interfere with their relationship.

1. Gang Of Secrets

Gang of Secrets was a great followup to Truth, showing Marinette attempting to cope with with breakup, and the subsequent realization that she has to lie to everyone always, and how little time and trust that leaves for her regular relationships.

Meanwhile, the people around Marinette worry and try to help and comfort her as best they can, even when they don’t really know what’s wrong or what to do. From the Girl Squad to Chat Noir to... kind of the kwamis (though with them it’s more lack of understanding of romantic relationships rather than lack of knowledge that holds them back), everyone attempts to help her, but it’s just not feasible under the circumstances for her to be helped the way she needs to be while keeping her secrets.

And in order to keep those secrets, she snaps, forcing all her friends away.

But they don’t take that easily. They want to be there for Marinette, they want to be friends, and become akumatized specifically in order to find out what was wrong, comfort her, fix whatever it was, and become friends again. They really care for her a lot.

And then- AND THEN-!

ALYA DEAKUMATIZES HERSELF

BECOMES RENA ROUGE AGAIN

AND MARINETTE EVEN CONFESSES THAT SHE’S LADYBUG TO HER.

It’s one of the biggest changes to the status quo we’ve had. Like, Master Fu being introduced changed what Marinette was doing, meaning that they could call on new heroes and she had someone to discuss Miraculous stuff with besides Tikki, and Master Fu renouncing his Guardianship and passing it on to Marinette changed what Marinette was doing on a day-to-day basis more, but... well, it didn’t represent as big of a change in themes, of things that had been built up for seasons. Breaking the Secret Identity Rule? DOES.

Also sets up for some potential LadyNoir conflict down the line, with her not having told Chat that she told her identity to someone else yet. I’m sure they’ll be okay in the end, but it could test their relationship and the rules they’ve lived by since they started being superheroes.

------------

So that’s my ranking with the episodes we’ve had released so far. We’re a third of the way through the season and I gotta say, I’m really happy with it so far! Can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for us.

[sparda3g]

One Piece Chapter 908 Review

The time for Reverie is finally here. This arc has been nothing but exciting and it’s done without any action. It goes without saying: this series’ lore is rich. It is filled with emotions and mysteries. This chapter has made me feeling pleasant, furious (intentional), and awed by the end that had me unnerving with many questions that need answers.

I wasn’t aware that Manshelly is with everyone, but she is a princess, so that’s given I suppose. It’s quite charming that practically all princesses are in one setting, helping each other in need. They already formed a delightful friendship, as if they know each other already. Wreck-It Ralph 2, you have been outclassed in princess crossover.

I’m so glad that there’s an actual good Celestial Dragon out there and his name is Mjosgard. It’s almost too surreal to be honest. It’s good that Neptune no longer thinks unkindly of human. The balance has been restored. It’s kind of Mjosgard to place a protection on Shirahoshi, so no one can take her for their selfish need. It’s worth noting that he can order anyone, so it makes me curious what Oda has in mind with that use.

I know everyone comes from somewhere, but I can’t fathom to see Charlos’ father, Saint Rosward, being around. It’s like meet the asshole of an asshole. Before he enters “the land of the gods,” there is an old lady named Conney, Queen Mother of Solbay Kingdom, who seems to be typical as elder goes. However, she sneaks in through the gate while Rosward is bickering nonsense. I didn’t get why she look so angry. That is until the next panel.

I was blood-boiling hot when I saw Kuma being used and abused by those fu—creatures. He is deemed as an invisible slave, because if he’s not good for fighting anymore, why not slavery. Odd that I didn’t think Conney is actually Bonney. Her ability is really helpful. It does beg the question, is she Conney for the World Government, and Bonney is her true self as a pirate? Like is there a real Conney or she is her? Whatever it is, it’s nice to see her again. She really is a prominent character; very curious her reason to be there.

Sabo and other commanders, excluding Betty, are in the underground, preparing to declare war. He is livid to see Kuma in that condition; basically, channeling me and perhaps everyone. Each commander is reasoning with him as well as delivering a final warning that they cannot afford to mess up. Sabo is all in for this grand movement. I am so ready for them to bring hell to the table.

There’s a brief history lesson about the World Government. It’s building up the moment before the grand stage and it works. I was getting hype the more it explores its lore. It was at this point you know that time is here. The narrative and the pacing flow evaluates the anticipation. Everyone is gathering and taking their seat. So many characters to count, familiar or new faces. Throw in a small hype boost for Wano Country, because that time is coming soon. Also throw in a few gossip about Kaido and Luffy. Then finally, at long last, it’s time for the grand conference:

Reverie!!!

I never thought I would be incredibly hype for a discussion board, but here we are. If Oda can make people cry over a ship, he can do anything with his fans at the palm of his hand. There is one missing piece that haven’t been addressed throughout the chapter. Whatever happened to the whole Shanks and the Five Elders having a talk? I am reminded when we see the Five Elders heading towards to somewhere, but Shanks wasn’t there. It’s interesting to note that Nefeltari, Vivi’s bloodline, was once chosen to be part of the higher-ups, but turned it down. I wonder how that will play later on. Oda is cruel to leave his fans very curious. But it gets worse with the way how the chapter ends.

That shadowy figure from two chapters, the one that was at some chamber with a giant straw hat. He reappears here; however, the real shocker is he’s actually a prominent character to the World Government. I believe he’s called Im. You know he’s terrifying when he’s playing at a garden with butterflies. I’m being serious here. Don’t you know playing at a garden deems you as a God in anime/manga? I didn’t know his status until the end that got me thinking a whole lot of stuff.

The Empty Throne was mentioned previously and how significant it is to the world. It’s expected for the Five Elders to be there, but what really happened is very stunning. Im isn’t part of the World Government; he is it. Well, figuratively speaking, but he’s the king. What’s mind-blowing is he is sitting on the chair like the king of everything. Balance? What’s that?

You may be thinking, “Aren’t you exaggerating about it?” Maybe so, but the lore and its exploitation has been phenomenal, so this took me by surprise. The build-up to Im’s arrival to the throne was bone-chilling. We just got back from the explanation that no one has sat on the Empty Throne. It’s a complete lie and those Elders are hiding it. This whole imagery speaks so much volume on how unfair the world is; as if we have seen enough proof.

Exactly what is the story with him and the straw hat? Could he be the one that killed the original user? Is he even powerful? If so, the discussion of who will be the final boss could end now. I thought it was a brilliant idea to incorporate many traits to make the setting all the more mysterious and horrifying, such as the eerie atmosphere of his whereabouts (which we will get to very soon), and the shadowy figure that has an odd shape, especially the crown if that is one. It added more with how the paneling leave intimidation.

What got me shivering and aching is Im and the posters of various characters. Luffy, Blackbeard, and Shirahoshi’s posters were stabbed, and knowing that he’s king, that is pure bad news. I can understand Luffy and Blackbeard, but Shirahoshi? Well, she is a weapon, but that means he knows and is willing to kill her. Damn, all those precious moments earlier are now hitting me with fear. Damn you, Oda.

My main fear however is he didn’t stab Vivi’s poster, rather taking it with him for something. He hasn’t even show himself and yet, I’m here shivering for the worst outcome. Actually, how do I even know his gender? I don’t know what it means, but it’s a really bad timing, especially that King Cobra was discussing earlier with Fujitora and Riku. This Im person scares me. I can only hope it pulls a- Oh wait, it’s coming back. Avoid spoilers for anime fans. Ahem. Anyway, the series is on a break next week. Oda…never mind.

This was a critically hype chapter. The foundation of its world building is incredible that everything that happened here can leave you feeling tensed. Whether it’s because what happened to Kuma and the distasteful use from those bastards or the king or the higher-up of them all is present to give an order, there’s something to get you invested. The highly anticipated time is here. We have two weeks. It’s going to be a bombastic event.

[spnreactionblogging]

our father, who aren't in heaven

SPOILERS BELOW BUT I'M REALLY LATE TO THE PARTY THIS TIME

[I actually watched this like a month ago but didn’t remember to post it, oops]

I got so backed up with real life shit that I'm delayed watching this but I stayed off tumblr and twitter almost entirely for the last few weeks to avoid spoilers but god DAMN it it's a fucking buckleming episode

why do they keep being put in charge of the return of characters who we're all very invested in? you ruin kevin tran, you are likely to ruin adam, god fucking damn it.

at least RSJ is directing

you can tell they always think their episode titles are really goddamn clever too and it pisses me off

is john winchester not in heaven anymore? I thought that was a big fucking todo, that he and mary are up there and they don't want to ruin it for them. or are you referring to chuck? or both? who cares.

poor adam.

chuck what fun is it if you just automatically win every time, huh? what's the point?

I do love rob benedict though. I don't like being frustrated with his character.

buckleming's gotta get in as many "terrified women in exploitative situations" as they can before the end huh

I like eileen a lot and I probably ought to get around to watching her actual original episodes at some point

"guest starring jake abel" has got me choked up

HEY TOO BAD THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN READ THE TABLET IS FUCKING DEAD HUH, HOPE YOU KEPT ALL THOSE NOTES OF HIS THAT YOU OCCASIONALLY DRAG OUT AND DECLARE WORTHLESS

poor kevin, god fucking damn it all

SAM: so he has an achilles heel DEAN: well i'm saying he has a weak spot

YEAH BECAUSE DEAN IS STUPID RIGHT? THANKS BUCKLEMING

I hope misha's hip is okay

I do like donatello, I hope nothing awful happens to him :(

sorry though guys the only prophet i acknowledge is kevin tran

okay so obviously as we've known since day one they're gonna team up with the darkness to subdue chuck but things will probably work out in the end to maintain universal harmony or some shit so whatever

sam really does have queer flannel, i like that black and white and red all over shirt

I hate buckleming episodes for so many reasons but not least of all because everyone behaves like a petulant kindergartener

is sam just reading the bible? it's got that golf leaf edge

okay seriously though don't they already have kevin's notes? why is donatello translating this fresh? kevin did all this work and fucking died for it. at least honor his legacy. jesus fuck.

really though, 14.08 establishes this:

http://www.supernaturalwiki.com/14.08_Byzantium_(transcript)

[Dean awakes where he passed out on the kitchen table, and hears voices in the other room. He gets up and follows the voices to the library] SAM: Man, haven't seen this stuff in years. WOMAN: And what language is this technically in? CAS: We're not sure, but it's-- it's written in cuneiform. Kevin was very thorough. SAM: Yeah. We kept it all-- the translations, his notes on his translations, annotations. You name it. [...] SAM: That's not-- Dean, listen, last night, after about whiskey number five, it hit me. I mean, we've torn through all the lore looking for a way to cure Jack, right? But we've never looked through Kevin's angel tablet translations. DEAN: Yeah, 'cause they're worthless. I mean, Kevin translated them into-- to crazy scribble only a prophet can read. And last I checked, we can't exactly ask Donatello. LILY: Maybe I can read them.

did he not take demon tablet notes? he sure seemed to have a bunch of those in seasons 8 and 9! also why do demons not care about this anymore

"if my dad kept me locked in a cage for ten years" oh yeah? if one month on earth is ten years in hell, then adam's been in the cage with michael for 120 earth months = 1,200 years in hell. OVER A MILLENNIUM IN HELL.

buckleming so completely fail to hold my attention even during the episode that ostensibly the whole fandom's been waiting for for a decade, that writing the word "millennium" got me sidetracked into watching some backstreet boys music videos and an nsync one to boot. what do you even have to say for yourselves, buckleming.

okay I got way distracted about the 8tracks closure

so I can't help but notice that STILL they have nothing to say about adam, they just need michael. like.

wow.

cas is the one to bring it up! I fucking love you castiel

keith szarabajka does a good rob benedict

buckleming writing this: chuck should immediately threaten all the women in their lives

oh so NOW dean doesn't want cas going to hell. cute. after forcing him to do so alongside belphegor. fuck you, dean.

i love sam and eileen doing witchy shit and cas watching

oh rowena's back.

i guess we should've known if she died she'd just like. go to hell.

"so fix it!" says rowena, by way of buckleming, dismissing everything castiel has every right to be angry about, as if this should just be shrugged off. easy for her to say when she's the one who fucked things over for crowley. not cool with sam being out of the room for that either? sam is very much involved with these proceedings.

I'm here for adam's food appreciation

I don't remember what happened to adam's mom? was it with the ghouls?

family does suck, adam.

I don't want to hear dean's commentary about sam's relationships or whether eileen is hot or anything like that, ever. butt out.

I do like the actress playing lilith

I need bourbon too, donnie. fortunately i had some prepared before i clicked play on this episode

I loooove these shots of castiel with the chessboard and the railing/bannister/whatever

I get that cas is being "BAMF" again I GUESS or whatever but I'm irritated with him stooping to this level of like... what dean pressured sam into with jack in S14, with using this intense sincerity to trick people. not a fan. and SHOCKER, "jack in the box" was written by buckleming too so there you go. there's this episode of bob's burgers where linda's running a murder mystery dinner and is like "ha! I was the murderer all along even though I said I wasn't!" you didn't connect shit, you're just lying

I will give buckleming exactly one point, even though it's 99% jensen's delivery, but calling him "mike" so derisively is hilarious

why don't they just tell him his AU self had the same goal last season

they definitely don't let them actually apologize! gee! all this time and they don't actually apologize. fuck off.

you could've written ANYTHING. anything at all, buckleming.

adam knows all about not knowing the secrets your dad is keeping

I'm glad adam doesn't forgive them.

"they believe it's true so it's probably true" is bad reasoning here

I feel like sue is probably fucked? or else this is a trap.

michael's the golden child and doesn't realize he's being abused by god just like the rest. at least he doesn't in this version

who said he had an entire tree up his ass, balthazar? zachariah? dean? bobby?

I think cas was right to show him the truth, just the events as they occurred

ugh i'm so nervous and uncomfortable for cas that there's no one here to intermediate if dean goes after him

literally after I type this I unpause and cas asks "where's sam?"

yeah i knew it was a trap. and here chuck's going to hurt eileen because he can.

I'm glad dean apologized on behalf of both of them I guess? but also not cool with sam not being here to talk to adam himself.

I'm glad michael found out about AU michael

stoked about purgatory honestly. bring back benny. BRING BACK GORDON. bring back dick roman.

cas looks so tired. what a note to end on.

I am also tired.

[nerdylittleshit]

Thoughts about Spn 12x17

SPOILERS! SPOILERS! SPOILERS!

Well, I guess for a Bucklemming episode it wasn’t that bad? Nobody got raped, so that’s a plus. And even though, as usual, the episode was really crowded, I felt like nothing really happened. The mytharc went on, but if anything I feel this episode left more question than answers. Let’s dig into it.

Mick

The man of the hour. This episode was mostly about him, his journey, his life. They could have left out the boring Crowley/Lucifer-stuff and insted given us a bit more about Mick. Still, we have a better understanding now for the character. After last week there was a lot of discussion about whether or not Mick as a character was redeemable. The Winchesters gave him a second chance, but unknowing to them he already wasted it when they decided to kill Magda back in 12x04 (and according to @elizabethrobertajones Dean touched Mick in the wrong place, so there is that). This episode made a great effort to make Mick more likeable, but in the end they took away the chance for the audience as well as the Winchsters to make him one of ours/theirs. He made his choice, the right choice, but he paid with his life for it.

We start the episode at murder Hogwarts and just... what the hell? I can see how Mick ended there: he had nobody until the MoL took him in and for that he owed them. And he was probably not the only one. Brainwashing children who have nothing left outside the MoL is way easier than with the ones who does (and given Mr. Ketch once said the MoL are his family he probably was an orphan as well). But what about Timothy? He had a home and a family to return to. What they they tell his family happened to him? Did they know about those tests? Where his father/mother a MoL before him? And if so, why would you send your child to this school? (And is this what is waiting for Toni’s son as well?) Was there an American version to Kendricks as well? Was this the plan for John? We only saw Henry Winchester two times, but he didn’t seem as radical as the BMoL do.

I think Mick’s story paralled both Cas and his relationship to heaven and Dean and his relationship to John. On the one side family/an organisation that represents itself as family, on the other hand someone lost looking for acceptance/a home. But instead of showing love, instead of encouraging one to choose your own path the family expects you to obey. Of course the BMoL are the most extreme example. John never would have killed his sons for disobedience. We don’t know how heven operated with rogue angels. But season 8 suggests they rather brainwashed/resetted them than to kill them. But for the BMoL there is no middle ground. Obey or die. Assimilate or eliminate. Mick did assimilate, but to the wrong crowd, so he died anyway. There is also yet again the dog metaphor. Mrs. Hess called hunters dogs, and just like dogs they need to obey. But given the training the MoL had to went trough there are nothing more than dogs as well. Both Dean and Cas haven been associated with dogs. Dean as the attack-dog. Cas as the Winchester’s pet and the dog who thinks he is people. And of course in this episode we had Lucifer called a dog, though the shoe don’t fit. Mick’s journey was that from a boy to a man. Mrs. Hess stil called him Michael, like the boy he used to be. But he called himself Mick, the man he is now. Someone who learned too late to folow his own code, make his own choices, be his own man. A member of team free will so to say. The hunters I have to say Sam and Eileen are the cutest. I don’t really have an OTP when it comes to Sam, but this episode sealed the deal. They are perfect for each other. Dean likes her. Sam even learned ASL. And Eileen is a real badass (look how she handled the Colt). If they kill her I’m gonna shoot them. There isn’t much to say about Sam and Dean. They guided Mick to make the right choice, but I didn’t excepted less of them. Dean is finally reunited with the Colt, which means he knows the story now? And Mary’s involvement in it? When Sam found out in 12x14 he was devesteated and everyone expected there would be a similar moment for when Dean finds out (maybe even worse because Cas). But now it happened off-screen? Anyway, the shot in the end looked like Dean aimed at Sam. Forshadowing? Speaking of Cas: he was mentioned several times, which was unusual for Bucklemming. To the way that they really draw attention to his absence. I mean of course it is odd he wasn’t around, as he was following Kelly and Dagon. But now even the most casual viewer knows something is off. Does heaven have a bad reception? Is Cas occupied? Or held as captive? *worriedface* As for Mary... her sleeping with Ketch was in my opinion out of character. Not gonna judge her for having sex. And I just assume that Ketch wasn’t as brutal around her as with Dean. But I see her more still grieving for John, so. If anything I think it was there to complicate things. Ketch said he though at first he ends up shooting her, and by now we know he will, given his orders. I don’t think he will get sentimental over her. But maybe mention it again, maybe in front of Sam and Dean as well. There was also Mary talking about the life she had wanted with John. I think she was right when she said that unlike Ketch she was build for relationships and a domestic life, at lest in some ways. She wanted this. But she also enjoys hunting. I think she made the same mistake as her sons in thinking she can only have one thing, the hunting life or the apple pie life. Balance is the key. Just like Dean Mary can’t give up hunting (Sam is a different story). But it doesn’t mean she can’t find love and a home. And Mary is alredy tired of choosing, between hunting and her sons. But it is not hunting, but hunting with the BMoL. And this choice was already made for her, with the decision to kill all American hunters, including herself and her sons. Speaking of... isn’t that a bit radical? Killing all American hunters? And then what? Send a group of BMoL over there to do the job? We saw how well that turned out. Or leave the US to the monsters? Why couldn’t they mind their own business? Oh well, it is Britain, they never do (sorry, not sorry). Dagon & Kelly & Luci I mentioned this before but the Crowley/Lucifer-stuff was us usual very boring. So Lucifer has plans to get his vessel back to work (for him), shocker. What is more interesting is his connection to Dagon. She failed him before, but in which way? And if she knew how depowered he is currently would she still obey him? Kelly is a victim, no matter at which angle you look at it. Lucifer used her, as she said, and now he only sees her as a container, which sounded oddly creepy familar. He no longer sees her as a person, and I doubt he ever did. Mick on the other dehumanizes her child, telling her that she wil mean nothing to her son. The only nephilim we met so far in 8x23 seemed nice enough (until they threated to kill her), so I don’t know if that is true. Nephilims happen so rarely that there isn’t much lore about them or their nature, but to the MoL supernatural equals bad (and hell, Mick wanted to kill Kelly as well). Either way, Kelly will die, by the hands of the MoL or as we know now through birth, which leads to the question: Is she willing to die for her child? (The way Mary died for hers, making this full circle?)Some other things:- The MoL have the keys to the bunker, so it is no longer safe for Sam and Dean there.- Lady Toni was mentioned again, so I expect to see her again.- Michael was mentioned again as well, but I really hope we are done with all things archangels rather soon.Until next week.