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borisbubbles · 6 years ago

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Eurovision 2010s: 30 - 26

30. Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz - “Midnight Gold” Georgia 2016

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When rating Eurovision entrants, it’s important to also take note of the journey, and Nika Kocharov had one of the best ever? Similarly to The Shin, everyone was just about:blank towards “Midnight gold”, not understanding the concept and ranking it last in unison. Like Shin & Mariko, I was mostly intrigued and willing to give it a chance. Unlike the Shin though, I thought “Midnight Gold” was a good song for its genre, just not one I was that entheused by. The revamp, which provided the setting of a mad scientist’s laboratory, was a step in the right direction, providing a hint of entropy, a dash of absurdity, a spark of insanity. And then, at long last, the dénouement:

STAINS OF MUD

ON UR SKIN

THE NIGHT WILL COME

AND SO WILL SIN

Winning LIFE *and* everyone over with that <3 I don’t think ANYONE could have anticipated that “Midnight gold” would deliver a non-stop absynthe-minded ACID TRIP in Stockholm. 😍 The visuals were so ICONIC they are still setting the special effects bar in the present day. This is Sacha Jean-Baptiste’s best staging. Period. Not “Euphoria”. Not “Alter ego”. Not “Fuego”. "Midnight gold”. BY FAR. Would it be even considered a stretch to go as far as saying that “Midnight Gold” has the best staging of any Eurovision entrant to date? I don’t think it does, but it is definitely a contender.

Who would have thought that THIS song would become one of the more memorable, epic entries of a great year such as 2016? Of course the flawless staging also made me retroactively appreciate “Midnight gold” as a song as well and I regularly give it play time whenever I can. 😍 STAINS OF MUD.

ps: I don’t care about fashion much, but I want his hat.

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29. Naviband - “Story of my life” Belarus 2017

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[2017 Review here]

HEY HEY! HAYAYAYA HO!

What superlatives can I still use for describe the pure, unshattering LIGHT that is “Historija majho zyccia”? It leaks mirth from every pore, infecting everyone around it with the irresistable urge to tap their feet along to the HEY HEY HA JA JA HO’s!

At the center of this wonderful hovercraftian masterpiece lie Artiom and Ksenia, two of the most adorable humans ever to exist, who are also a couple irl and it shows. The two have chemistry and charisma in spades, especially Ksenia who is the living embodiment of the “^__^” emoji. I am ALWAYS happy when I listen to this song and I am thrilled we got to hear it twice.

Eurosnob contempt for happiness is a well-documented feature in this ranking, but it reached its nadir with Naviband: You see, in addition to being ‘A Happy Song’ (a term used with contempt, imagine that O_O), Naviband are also folk singers from Belarus, who -shocker- sing in Belarusian. However, don’t be harsh on the Eurosnobs because the area of the dopamine receptors in the brain of a Naviband hater are always attached to a person who isn’t living happily ever after. Naviband is life at its best. EMBRACE IT. Like this Lithuanian frump did:

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28. Måns Zelmerlöw - “Heroes” Sweden 2015

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lol I JUST spoke about “Midnight gold” having one of the best, but not the best staging. Well, that’s because “Heroes” is, in my opinion, the most visually impressive Eurovision entry of all times. 🤗 I don’t think it’s even a stretch to call it that? “Heroes” as a song is widely regarded as pretty whatever, winning due to its act. However, while I don’t necessarily disagree this is why Måns won, I feel this take very much undersells Måns. Using it at an excuse to dismiss his goodness is ridiculous.

First of all; “Heroes” IS a really, really good song. Infectuous, upbeat, irresistably positive with highly quotable lyrics (”now go sing it like a hummingbird the greatest anthem ever heard” 😍) and an earnest anti-bullying message (<3). It may not be *as* original as some of the entries ranked around it on this list, but it definitely handles its own, with and without an act.

Another defining factor in making “Heroes” a great entry is Måns himself. Måns Zelmerlöw is arguably the most attractive human to ever set a foot on a Eurovision stage. The man is irresistable even on a platonic level. He puts every other charismatic performer to shame and does it effortlessly.

However, even with these two trump cards, the staging is indeed the best part of “Heroes”. It bears repeating that I think this is the best Eurovision act to date. Impressive visual effects, flawless choreography and impeccable camerawork elevate “Heroes” to a much higher level. It tells it story with more clarity and efficacity than any other entry I can think of.

Ultimately, Måns staging is a testament of his goodness, and an acceptable reason for winning Eurovision. Because of “Heroes”, many countries have upped their staging game, resulting in more visually impressive entries (specifically the Sabotage Baptiste ones in 2016, and Sergey I guess), which is a positive development. Live music isn’t so much about which song you perform, but about how you perform it, and “Heroes” is the best example of that.

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27. ZiBBZ - “Stones” Switzerland 2018

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[2018 Review Here]

WILD JOKAH ON A GOLD THRONE

Here we are again, our annual appointment with everyone’s favourite sibling alliance. 😍 “Stones” is powerful kick-ass diamond of indie-rock and a serious contender for my favourite Swiss entry of all time.

The song is a masterclass in mental health awareness and self-empowerment, dismantling bullying and depression with perfectly timed percussion and AHUMs, truth-bombing lyrics and an insanely charismatic lead who sounds like Joss Stone on five packs a day. 😍 It’s catchier than ebola, more addictive than sugar and soars higher than a kite.

In addition to all of that jazz, “Stones” is also responsible for some of the most iconic visuals in 2018:

God the shot of Coco with the flare still sends shivers down my spine. WHAT A CRUSADER OF THE DOWNTRODDEN. 😍 Whenever I’m feeling down, this is the song that lifts me back up again.

Really, the only thing not good about ZiBBZ was the camerawork and that wasn’t their fault. FY Hans Pancake. 🙄 If ever there were a robbed NQ who deserves a Genovaesque return, it’s the Zibblings. BRING THEM BACK!!!

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26. Paula Seling & Ovi - “Playing with fire” Romania 2010

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Speaking of highly addictive songs, holy cow Ovi I need rehab for that beat alone because I CANNOT get it out of my head.

Anyway, who else would be the #1 for Romania if not for Paula Seling and Ovi? “Miracle” was a beautiful example of tacky taste, but “Playing with fire”, man, :takes a sip of gin:, now that is the real stuff.

I’ll start, I guess, where I’ve begun my write-up which is the composition: “Playing with fire” has one of the best underlying beats in this decade, which gives it infinite replayability. Layered on top of that is some delightfully aggressive piano (😍), on top of THAT some amazingly playful lyrics (”BOY BOY BOY If we’re mean, i would start a fight tonight” songs about playfighting <3) and on top of THAT, Paula Seling. Paula is the STAR of this performance, stealing the show every time she’s shown with deliciously flirtatious facial expressions

and some vocal masturbation in the guise of a dolphin impersonation.

She and Ovi and ignite the place with both insane pyrotechnics and spontaneous chemistry. So fun, SO GOOD, so dynamic especially for an act where the main singers sit down in front of a double-headed plexiglass piano (😍). Duncan Laurence DEAD in a motherfucking DITCH.

And with this update we have eliminated FIVE countries. Check their reviews below:

GEORGIA

Georgia is such a bizarre Eurovision country, often churning out absolutely BONKERS entries that leave Europe stunned in silence. <3 It may not be reflected in their vital statistics but I always look forward for what they have on offer because even in the rare case of them being boring, they are always interesting.

BELARUS

Belarus was one of the worst countries in the 00s, but in the 2010s they’ve evolved into a bargain bin Moldova, which makes them solidly good. It’s really astounding that a country SO GOOD at being entertaining gets dismissed so easily because of their flag (and dictatorship (and gay rights)). They’re mostly good and 100% worthy of our time, tyvm!!

SWEDEN

The worst part of Sweden’s success streak is that it made them conceited and lazy. They no longer need to be innovative, creative or entertaining in order to get a top five position and worse, they are fully aware of it. This resulted in a marked drop in quality and if they don’t curb their hubris quickly, I predict it will soon come back to bite them. (ie: another NQ)

SWITZERLAND

B A S I C. Zibbz and Luca did a lot of the heavy lifting here, which caused Switz to mathematically outrank Sweden, and while that’s hilarious it also feels absurd and wrong. Don’t be fooled by all that green though. Switzerland are basic bitches and have no idea what to do in order to be cool.

ROMANIA

Romania are one of the better hit-or-miss countries in Eurovision, imo even if the chart doesn’t fully reflect it. The problem I have with them is that their entries don’t have a long shelf life. Like, the Cezars and Ilincae of this world grow stale very quickly because they’re exhausting and shallow. Having said that, this is by far preferable over being consistently boring (UK) or violently oscillating between great and demonic entries (Germany, Demark).

#Eurovision #Eurovision Song Contest #Georgia #Belarus #Sweden #Switzerland #Romania #Nika Kocharov & Young Georgian Lolitaz #Midnight Gold #navimumbai #Story of my life #Historija majho zyccia #Måns Zelmerlöw #Heroes #ZiBBZ #stones #Paula Seling #Ovi #playing with fire

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girlbookwrm · 6 years ago

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AVENGERS: CIVIL WAR

THE MIGHTY PRE ENDGAME REWATCH

it took us two entire days to watch this, back in whenever we were watching this. I’ve got a Bundle of Papers here in front of me, and the CW Bundle is by far the thickest, and that’s with minimal salt content.

Speaking of Salt: The Roommate and I had to approach this as an Avengers movie. Because otherwise the salt levels in this would be toxic, possibly fatal. Even so, ppl with high cholesterol be warned

LET’S DO THIS

1991!

Winter Soldier:

what is this

what is this please

dat beef tho

what is this op sec

honestly

NO mask

SHINY FUCKOFF ARM just HANGING OUT

CCTV???

~ooooooo he’s a ghooooooooooooost~

he’s got an extremely dedicated and very harried cleanup crew is what he’s got

OH! OLD LOGO ILU!!!

LAGOS!!

The Roommate: That’s a lot of sugar

i ain’t judging

what, you think her powers run on optimism?

is there an accent? is there not? Shroedinger’s accent.

droney the drone

sam’s lil sky roomba

i love him

guhhhh this scene every line shows character and growth and i just *clenches fist*

did

did falcon just throw steve

just yeeted him at the enemy?

god i love that

also: has steve bulked up since TWS?

that’s also on Sam, yeah?

CUT THE CHEEEEECCCCK

is this fucking NEUROTOXIN? STEVE WHERE’S UR MASK?

Steve, throwing himself into a room full of an unknown poison gas without a mask: I bet i can survive this

Bucky, in Bucharest: *breaks whatever he’s holding without knowing why*

god i love sam

“I don’t work like that no more” Means ?????????????

PARKOUR NAT

is also BRUNCH MOM NAT

“both grunting” is always one of my favorite subtitles

2 white boys fighting in the middle of the street like it’s a video game

god someone took the murder strut to heart wow that is some. that is some something that’s for sure.

give me even one (1) heterosexual explanation for "your pal your buddy your bucky"

there’s no way that bucky ever said this, right? this is just Rumlow fucking with steve, and the screenwriters fucking with us

because IN CASE YOU WERE NOT IN THIS FANDOM IN 2016, WE ALL THOUGHT CAP WOULD DIE IN THIS MOVIE

WE WERE SO SURE

wow i wonder if that will be relevant to anyone’s emotions here in the year of our lordt 2019

anyway, what bucky actually said was:

“please tell rogers... that he’s a big dumb dildo and he should wear a gas mask and also a parachute.”

listen i love this opening scene but also wanda is not at all responsible for this explosion and the fact that they act like she is undermines my ability to suspend my disbelief.

DIGITAL ENYOUTHENMENT ALERT

also, tony the fact that you are using your literal dead mom as an actual therapist is

wow

BARF feels right to me

too real, tony

it’s too real

how ARE you getting around the strings and taxes tho

Also can i say that i actually love that Pepper’s absence is this profoundly important to the story. The hole where pepper should be is a huge part of this story and i like that. i like that a lot.

WOW THAT EXTRA IS LIKE A MASHUP OF NAT AND WANDA. SHE IS THE GENERIC MARVEL WHITE LADY

more a+ visual storytelling with the elevator

I’m just so mad that they blame wanda and play that straight?

all they had to do was outright acknowledge one (1) time that the media is picking on her because she’s a woman/a foreigner

imagine that speech coming from nat instead of steve

though i do love Steve’s pep talk

again. give me one (1) heterosexual explanation

though why not have Steve say “they’re just bullies, you did the right thing” and hearken back to smolsteeb

The Roommate: Remember how i was mad at his Oscars Velvet Blazer? I am also mad at this sweater.... it looks... so soft... i don’t know if i want it on him or off him... just wanna tuch....... and wear..........?”

Vision’s Ascot is. Something else man.

The Roommate: Why is ross secretary of state?

Me: Why is Trump President

Me: I bet Ross is vegan

the roommate, who has vegan-related trauma: UUUUGGGHHHHHHHH

Nat's reaction to vigilantes: Bitch please. she is Unbothered.

you don’t have to show us footage we’ve got the ptsd nightmares

400 pages in 3 days

[tired american sighing]

we honestly can’t even criticize this plot point anymore just

[my longest and most american sigh]

CLEVELAND!!!

hail hydra continues to be the Most Terrible last words

but WHY does ross have the congressional medal of honor

do you know how HARD it is to get one of those????

yeesh

sassy black friends sassing at each other

is definitely a

thing that is happening rn

Vision: Well Actually

no one cares, vis

ok like

a kid is dead but

3.6 is an okay GPA

maybe all my friends are overachievers

maybe it’s just because most of them are women but like

it’s an okay GPA

i’d have 8000% more respect for Tony if he was more upfront like “look this is on me” especially here

are we supposed to be picking all this up as subtext, actually?

because i know that this movie ALSO had a Troubled Youth ala ant man

and i really do appreciate the Russos for relying on a smart audience but there’s a lot going on

and it’s very obvious to me that they had to shift gears 18,000 times in the script writing phase

so like, you’ve got old man vet steve

but it’s painfully obvious that he missed vietnam right?

it’s painfully obvious

and he’s v egotistical and self righteous too

it IS a battle of the egos

and no one is right

except natasha

Steve: i have to go

me: mood

LONDON!!!!

oh god

oh god no

steve god no steve oh god

gfhskfdjjjksjdjjhrrrrhrhhrhfhh [wailing and rending of garments]

Re Peggy’s age:

SURPRISE IT’S ACTUALLY PLAUSIBLE

so the True Hallmark of a Cap Movie is Peggy telling steve what to do.

so weird to have that in an avengers movie

i do love this. GOOD BRO NAT CONTENT

Um. is vision a minor? is wanda?

again, nat is the only Correct one here

stay together guys

it might be

reeeeeeaaaaally important in

*checks watch*

two years’ time.

~hug~

VIENNA!!!!!

CHAD WICK! CHAD! WICK! CHAD! WICK!

god i love the xhosa in this

There is a level of worldbuilding in this that we p much only get from the russos/markus&mcfeely. i mean -- internal consistency worldbuilding? if that makes sense? we get a lot of visual worldbuilding in black panther, but this is distinctly different and hard to articulate and it has to do with the way they approach things and how they assume audience intelligence

it just works for me

oh no chadwick boseman don’t be cry

Sharon deserves better

than being cockblocked by her own aunt

and also sam wilson (who also deserves better)

cryptid!bucky

Nat did you get that suit from jenny agutter?

LA Brunch Mom Nat

mah girl

she’s just so tired

steve (bless him) is just so exhausting

couples date sam and steve dressed to match

“at the gym”??? really? the arm is... a bit of a giveaway

i do feel bad for zemo in this one specific case

russian IS hard

how. did he get that in there?

Soft Plumboy Bucky

BEEF

Captain’s Log: Buck’s place is a shithole

Sergeant’s Log: Steve’s face is pretty

surprise bitch

“That’s Smart, Good Strategy” is an excellent phrase to use in everyday conversation in order to weed out who Knows and who Doesn’t.

What i have learned from civil war:

Captain America is a projectile weapon

further query:

did bucky ever hurl small steve at assailants?

Bucky: *punts steve down an alley*

Steve, 90 lbs of rage at 90 mph: GET WRECKED

Bucky’s got big tommy wiseau cryptid energy here

And now there’s a cat

bucky:

I love this vampire running and also bucky’s thighs

Steve Rogers: Excuse me sir I need to commandeer this vehicle. YEET.

Bucky Barnes: Excuse me sir I need to commandeer this vehicle. YOINK.

Bucky and Steve: Wrecking your morning commute since 2014

WAR MACHINE!!!

god vis has the biggest dorkiest crush

so vis are you a child prodigy? or? what?

The Roommate, a cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure: vis have you eaten anything between CW and IW?

Me, sinnamon roll, not to be trusted: *dying* *thinking about how Vision’s got schroedinger’s dick. does it exist? does it not exist? who knows.*

Me: Y. Yes. I th. think he has. eaten something. between now and. and IW. something.

The Roommate: *betrayed look*

Me: DEEP FRIED KEBAB MAYBE? I DON’T KNOW.

The Roommate: *is so disappointed*

BERLIN!!!!!!

Bucky is. So tired. Let him rest.

fucking up the morning commute again i see

u like cats??

I love the ratio of overkill:ineffectiveness with this glass box they put him in.

why did tony bring these fancy pens

the time spent explaining them could’ve been spent doing literally anything else

*i still don’t understand the accords*

GOD STEVE WANTS TO BE AN UNCLE SO BAD

“my fault”

there it is

“truth is i don’t want to stop”

THERE it is

“i thought the accords could split the difference”

THERE IT IS

"no, i don’t.”

THERE IT IS

“IT’S INTERNMENT.”

THERE! IT! IS!

gah.

wanda’s accent et al -- MAKE IT EXPLICIT MARVEL YOU COWARDS

no but really what are the accords

here followed a 20-30 minute convo about the accords

basically the summing up was:

Nat is 100% Right Ross is 100% Wrong Everyone Else is In A Grey Area

look this is actually a really good avengers movie

but

this is a moment when the back catalogue works against them because this conversation is so -- it implies a lot of friendly interactions between these two. they seem to have a relationship

but i keep looking at all the other movies they’ve interacted in like

BITCH WHERE? WHERE IS THE TONYSTEVE FRIENDSHIP? WHERE???

i am anticipating this will cause me A Grief later

The Roommate, looking at Steve in his Grey Shirt and Jacket: Damn, sir. Stop wearing clothes.

“BIRD COSTUME???”

“j a m e s”

big holt talking to rosa vibes there

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

A VAST AND MIGHTY MOOD

Zemo’s plan is so ridiculous i genuinely don’t have time to get into it i still have two pages of notes to get through holy shit.

this fight scene. does things. for me.

hhhHNNNNHGH BEEFSTEAK

(oh tony left with no suit? growth dot gif)

THIGHS

T H I G H S ! ! ! !

CHADWICK!

Sam out here, serving looks, casually modeling

B I C E P S ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

TOO SEXY! *crashes helicopter*

I need twelve more scenes of steve and bucky faffing about in the water.

A more effective restraint than the custom made bucky bottle

(BRIEF 1991)

haaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAa biceps u stop that

Is Tony having a heart attack???

he has no concept of how to treat children because he never was one oh no i gave myself a sad feeling

QUEENS!!!!!!!

“I’m having a big fight in a parking lot with my superhero friends better go pick up a child as backup.” - tony stark

tony he doesn’t have a passport and if he understood what was happening he would not be on your side

Now That’s What I Call Vigilantism.

Why are you bringing a CHILD to a gun fight

Tony’s face, to me, suggests that he knows EXACTLY what he’s doing

also? it’s painfully obvious to me that these scenes were copypasted in late stage when they finally found out that yes they would have the rights to spiderman lol

for some reason they don’t feel the need to tell is that this is avengers compound in 400 point font

i’m so lost

where are we?

without the 400 point font i can only assume we are on mars

THAT’s a fine way to greet YOUR FATHER, WANDA

hawkeye is in fact the team lynchpin

is it

ugh

is it because they listen to him but he listens to natasha

ugh

i bet it is

UUUUUUGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH

Vision: I have been FALLING! for THIRTY MINUTES!

“i know someone who does”

i’m confused by the cut here, because it seems to imply that Sharon, deliberately or inadvertently, rats them out to natasha?

Birds and raccoons do not get along

steve

steve no

steve

ur timing is shit steve

Scott Lang might be the best thing in this movie

well except for Dat Bone Structure

CUT THE CHEEEEEECK

*costume change in a parking lot to the yakkety sax soundtrack*

Thinking about the coming battle i am forced to concede that Iron Man Has A Point?

“do you really want to punch your way out of this?”

Steve: I ALWAYS wanna punch my way out

god scott’s such a fukkin nerd

tiny quibble but Scott “got punched by hope van dyne” lang would never say that to the black heckin widow

“gimmick”

people in falcon houses shouldn’t throw spider stones, samuel

wanda

those cars belong to people

oh god iron man has a point

LET’S GO LESBIANS! COME ON LESBIANS LET’S GO

*catfight sounds*

“then why did you run?”

dude you attacked me in a catsuit

Tony’s true superpower is that he knows steve, that’s how spiderbabby gets the upper hand

althought god

Tony was pre-gaslighting peter

he was pilotlighting peter

*my longest UGH yet*

“Queens?” “Brooklyn”

MAXIMUM NEW YORK ACHIEVED

ant man is the MVP

hmmmmmm “we don’t trade lives” HMMMMMMMMM

why did that truck explode

also *omg iron man has a point*

tony tedward stark how did you not know how old this child was

also peter stop pretending you don’t know what Empire Strikes Back, AT-ATs and Hoth are.

why doesn’t Vis get more flack for this

hey. hey tony. you know what sam is? A MEDIC. maybe let him LOOK AT YER FRIEND THERE instead of SHOOTING HIM IN THE FACE.

zemo’s plan is noooooonseeeeennnnnnsssse

guh these two beautiful men emoting in different directions KILL ME

this doctor is just like “yup there’s a giant purple robot here seems legit”

natasha is the only one who’s 100% right

did... did the russos kill themselves in this movie? did they cast themselves as dead extras? was this a statement of some kind?

HOW did ross get the congressional medal of honor. H O W.

“you read it”

NO ONE READ IT, IT’S 400 PAGES

tony this is Some Nonsense

ffflslkds he’s taking one of Nat’s guns KILL ME

one (1) heterosexual explanation.

rode back in a freezer truck

got pneumonia

already had pneumonia

and you blew three whole dollars on some slut

(seriously. gimme one. i’m waiting.)

srsly tho, whether you ship it or not, these two are old marrieds

the red star looks weird on his beefcake arm. did they forget to scale it up?

KITTY

listen zemo is just really turned on by cam and he didn’t mean to say that and that’s the most relateable thing he’s done so far.

It’s not just that bucky killed his mom. it’s that bucky killed his mom AND STEVE KEPT IT FROM HIM.

life alert a senior citizen has fallen

T'Challa, observing this White Nonsense™: I truly should... check myself. Before! I wreck myself.

agism is what it is

god this bit

steve dropping the shield

look at him

he is Stick A Fork In Him D O N E

Rhodey really deserves better than this? He deserves development showing the evolution of his opinion between here and IW

i wish we could get more of him grappling with this

that said

gosh wouldn’t it fucking suck if Cap and Bucky got relegated to End Credit scenes in their own got damn movie to make room for Iron Man to emote at his buddy his pal his rhodey?

*looks directly into the camera like i’m on the office.*

Anyway.

Steve rogers: getting the last word in every argument since 1918.

“from the bottom of my heart: My Bad.”

#The Mighty Pre Endgame Rewatch #cacw

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awed-frog · 7 years ago

Note

I have asked myself why – while I like the ideas and themes – the pacing of the show doesn’t seem to work for me? I think Dabbs style, which makes his episodes so great, doesn’t translate well into showrunning. Dabb often leaves one part or scene open which becomes relevant later. During a season, however I feel this gets very confusing, because nothing seems to happen, e.g. the Mary/Dean conflict in s12. (1/2)

The conflicts in the show also seem to be everywhere and so many, while on the other hand everything is missing depth? It feels like the show is leaving loose ends all over the place? What also doesn’t help is that he seems to favor a grand finale (dragging out the conflict until the very end). I’m just wondering if I’m the only person who feels like this? I hope this doesn’t come off as wank, it’s really not my intention. Thank you for answering! (2/2)

Well, the thing is - I don’t see this as wank at all, but I’m definitely the wrong person to discuss this kind of stuff. I studied mostly books and art - stuff that generally has one mind behind it, not several - and I don’t keep up with bts stuff, which means I’m missing too many crucial bits of information about the screenwriters and their personal interests to write an informed meta about that. So, you know - since you asked me, I’m going to tell you what I think, but please keep in mind that it’s just my random-ass opinion.

Also, I generally don’t rewatch episodes - back when I really liked the show, I used to watch the same episode twice before writing my meta, but it’s been a very long time since I sat down and rewatched the entire thing from the very beginning, so I never remember who wrote what. Looking at the list of Dabb episodes, I know there are some I really liked, but others that left me quite meh. I think that so far, the only screenwriter I’ve been consistently in love with is Yockey, and that’s not only because his writing is phenomenal and his characterization spot-on, but also because what he finds interesting about Supernatural and the people in it mostly resonates with what I like. With Dabb, on the other hand, that has been very hit and miss - which, of course, it’s not about fault or quality, but simply about a difference in sensibilities.

What I don’t like, on the other hand, and think is objectively bad, are his choices as a showrunner. I don’t know where he’s going if we’re talking ‘final act’ of Supernatural, and that’s okay, since we don’t even know how many seasons we have left, but S12 was a disaster. As you say, there are too many subplots, most of them go nowhere, the tension peaks and disappears whenever, and the resolution just didn’t work for me - like, at all. It felt so, so rushed. In fact, the whole thing felt so outlandishly incoherent I’m not even sure they knew what S12 would be about when they were filming the S11 finale.

Because, in theory, we had two main conflicts heading into S12: the fact that Mary was back, and the BMoL as new players on the board. That, in my opinion, should have been plenty enough to build a convincing season - with Mary alone, there was a lot of potential for angst and feels and unsettling stuff - instead, the choice was made to bring Lucifer back to life and include that weird-ass subplot about him becoming president and having a kid who brainwashed and killed people from the womb but now is good (?), and uhm.

(And, again, I don’t know how any of this works - it’s likely Samantha Smith could only be in a limited number of episodes, hence the now infamous ‘let’s find an excuse to make this crucial character disappear’, but still - it’s beyond ridiculous the fact she’s back from the dead was resolved so quickly.)

Mary’s return and the BMoL means that Dabb’s goal was probably to ‘go back to the basics’ and explore who Sam and Dean actually are, after all this time, and why they do what they do, and whether they’re the heroes or the villains in their own story. The problem with this is that the answers were self-evident from the start, because this show is about them and by now we know them fairly well. So what happened instead is that the BMoL became a cartoonishly bad organization - what was interesting and worth discussing (ie, how they’d managed to eradicate the supernatural in the UK, thus saving countless lives, and how they’d done that by using very questionable means) was swept aside in favour of a narrative that was 100% in black and white. And the same thing, for different reasons (namely, that you can’t unfridge a woman and then turn her into any kind of Stepford mother) happened with Mary, whose storyline consistently evolved only through her relatonship with men and about whom, after two years, we still know next to nothing. Not to mention everything else: for instance, how both she and Sam made very uh-uh choices last year, but that was never delved into at all. How the same thing happened with Crowley’s characterization, which would have deserved more time in the spotlight if he was going to get his Heyward moment so soon, and with Cas, whose seemingly momentous pronouncement in 12x12 - that he’d chosen his human family once and for all! that he had human feelings! - was never mentioned again.

As for this season, so far the problems are exactly the same: about 25 villains, all of them childishly and uncomplicatedly evil, plot points all over the place, conflicts that go nowhere, characters who appear and disappear without having accomplished anything - it’s a mess.

Something else that’s been a problem in the Dabb era is that ethically grey choices are increasingly presented as good ones - from Kelly’s immediate attachment to a demon baby that was going to kill her and potentially the rest of the universe as well, to Mary working with Ketch, to the boys ripping holes in space-time to get their relatives from one place to the next without even considering the possible damage to everyone else.

So, look - I don’t know. I won’t say being a showrunner is an easy job, because I’m sure it’s not, and it must be hard to manage content in any rational way when a) you can’t tweak the format of a show even when that format has been woefully outgrown and b) you don’t even know when the story will finish, but they should still find a way to do better than this. Last season basically amounted to nothing at all, and this year I feel like I’m watching a bunch of disjointed and disconnected stories that have no definite purpose. Even the way Sam and Dean keep seesawing between faith and despair rings hollow - mechanic and out of touch with any kind of reality - not to mention, those feelings are never explored in any way. Dean suddenly got better because *subtext*, of course, but what is Sam even up to? Does anyone know? And what about Cas? He went from abject misery to PTSD to a raw desperation to prove himself, and then he was brainwashed by Jack (or was he?), and now he’s - back to what he was in S4? The ‘war needs trump morality, Dean’ commander? Really - it’s rushed and weird and uncomfortable to watch.

Anyway - sorry this got so bitter and thanks for sharing your opinion with me. Here’s to hoping to a satisfying ending for S13!

#ask #spn season 13 #spn season 12 #andrew dabb #spn negativity #spn criticism #the dabb era #i'm glad i'm not the only one tbh

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mammothstrengthx · 7 years ago

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Passion Trumps Everything

While I know that I have already written The Truth About Internet Judges, just consider this it’s epilogue. While writing the That’s One Strong Mother... article, I included the above video. It shows Marisa Inda deadlifting 335lb @114lb. Obviously, it’s a lift as awesome as Marisa is herself.

However, as previously stated, when you do something awesome people are going to be critical. Apparently that is just the world that we live in these days. And true to form, a beautiful mother of 2 deadlfiting almost 3X bodyweight qualified for unsolicited criticism.

Now normally I try to avoid these discussions since they generally go nowhere. Whoever is criticizing is only doing so because they are projecting their own issues. And let’s be honest here, this is a beautifully intimidating feat of strength to some.

So here is the reply that caught my attention…

Jason Fyda - eeeeek! I don't think a strength coach or a judge in a weightlifting competition would count either of these as a rep with that rounded back. If you are inspired by this as a weightlifter, that is great, but please refer to someone with better technique to follow and learn from.

If you actually read what he said, I hope your head doesn’t explode. I think mine almost did, which is why I chose to reply. My reply…

1st. This is NOT a Deadlift Tutorial it is a successful PR Attempt

2nd Weightlifters do Olympic Lifting. Powerlifters Deadlift.

3rd. On a Max Effort attempt form breaks down, you cannot have 100% Effort and Perfect Form.

4th. In a Powerlifting meet this attempt would pass with 3 white lights, they don't judge form they judge locking the weight out which she did.

Is it too much to ask that people KNOW what they are talking about before they attempt to criticize people?

Honestly, I was not trying to attack the guy. I was just trying to calmly point out the errors in his observations. And if my head almost exploded after his first reply, his second reply literally blew my mind…and made me very sad for the state of affairs in the Strength and Conditioning Community.

Jason Fyda - Form breaks down, lift doesn't count, unless it is in a crossfit class, then I guess you just do whatever you want. Your second point makes no sense. Third point, then you just aren't strong enough, go back to training. I guess I am not a 'powerlifting' judge, But I am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a USAW weightifting coach, exercise physiologist and I have been training as an athlete for more than half of my life (I am 30). I'd say I have a pretty good idea of how to DL!

I am sure you can tell why I almost had an aneurysm. This was NOT some 18 year old keyboard warrior. This was someone that invested in their education. This was someone that is certified by the NSCA to train people, and also a qualified USAW Weightlifting Coach. As it turns out he even played D-1 football for a prominent program. So the fact that he got this so wrong saddens me about the return he got on his investment in education.

I will leave you to go and read the remainder of the discussion if you like. Who knows where it will go from here. I just think it is a sad commentary on the Strength and Conditioning Community. If this is the level of understanding that this higher education is turning out then we are in trouble. A coach like Jason is trying to be a legitimate Strength and Conditioning Coach. He has paid the money, and spent the time to get certified at the highest level. Yet after training athletes for years, these are still things that are embedded in his way of thinking. It's more than likely not even his fault, it's what he has been taught. Unfortunately it's wrong, and more unfortunately he paid for that knowledge.

As far as the video goes, yes Marisa's back rounds a bit on these pulls. That is one of the points of Max Effort work. First you test yourself to see where you are at. Second, you look for where form breaks down so you know what the weak link is for you to work on. To Jason's point, is lifting with less than perfect form dangerous? I can only answer that by saying that it's NOT the safest thing ever. However, whether or not it's worth it is up to you. Let's face it, whenever you want to be Elite at something you are going to make sacrifices. If you think about it, most sports can be dangerous. Even Jason may have been effected by this. He was an Offensive Lineman, and weighed 275lbs. That is pretty much a requirement of the position. Is it the healthiest or safest thing? Not at all. Does he more than likely have some nagging injuries from his football years? Hopefully not, but probably. Jason did and Marisa is doing what needs to be done to excel at the sport they are passionate about.

There are two things that I hope you take from this article. Sadly, just because someone has a legitimate certification and a solid background does not guarantee that they know everything about Strength and Conditioning. If you are looking to hire a coach, choose carefully. More importantly, ignore the critics and do what you are passionate about. We don't choose our passions because they are safe. We choose them because they are necessary to make life worthwhile. Truth be told our passions usually choose us. You have to realize that it is going to cost you something. You cannot have laser like focus on multiple things. So whatever you are focused on will cause you to have to ignore other things. Whether or not it is worth it is up to you. At the end of the day, luckily YOU are the only one YOU have to answer to.

Find more information on: https://mammothstrength.com

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mammothstrengthx · 7 years ago

Text

Passion Trumps Everything

So here is the reply that caught my attention…

If you actually read what he said, I hope your head doesn’t explode. I think mine almost did, which is why I chose to reply. My reply…

1st. This is NOT a Deadlift Tutorial it is a successful PR Attempt

2nd Weightlifters do Olympic Lifting. Powerlifters Deadlift.

3rd. On a Max Effort attempt form breaks down, you cannot have 100% Effort and Perfect Form.

4th. In a Powerlifting meet this attempt would pass with 3 white lights, they don't judge form they judge locking the weight out which she did.

Is it too much to ask that people KNOW what they are talking about before they attempt to criticize people?

See additional info on: Mammoth Strength & Conditioning Blog

0 notes

mammothstrengthx · 7 years ago

Text

Passion Trumps Everything

So here is the reply that caught my attention…

If you actually read what he said, I hope your head doesn’t explode. I think mine almost did, which is why I chose to reply. My reply…

1st. This is NOT a Deadlift Tutorial it is a successful PR Attempt

2nd Weightlifters do Olympic Lifting. Powerlifters Deadlift.

3rd. On a Max Effort attempt form breaks down, you cannot have 100% Effort and Perfect Form.

4th. In a Powerlifting meet this attempt would pass with 3 white lights, they don't judge form they judge locking the weight out which she did.

Is it too much to ask that people KNOW what they are talking about before they attempt to criticize people?

Read more information on: http://www.mammothstrength.com

0 notes