#would be the final nail in the “see! he's redeeming himself! he CAN be likable!” coffin (pathetic)

[jasontoddenthusiastt]

The compelling thing about Jason as a character is that I never doubted that he cared about the world just because there weren’t panels of him being overly zealous about “restorative community care”

I’m not coming after anyone who wants to see that kind of stuff, but I do think seeking | that | as confirmation that Jason cares about the world is pretty narrow

[ultrahpfan5blog]

Reflecting on Superman and Lois season 1

Now that the season is over, its interesting to look back at a very stop start season. Its very difficult for a show to hold your interest with the type of scheduling problems this show had, and in its very first season. When the show was announced, I wasn't terribly surprised but I was also not overly excited. There has been a lot of Superman and Superman adjacent material that has come out before and after the announcement so I did wonder about what they could do new. In addition, while I certainly liked Tyler in his guest appearances in Supergirl, in Elseworlds, and in Crisis, he did feel like the inferior Superman in Crisis when he was opposite Brandon Routh's Superman who really looked and felt like Superman, even better than he did in Superman Returns. However, once the trailer dropped, I was sold. It was clear that the show was going for something a lot more cinematic and a lot more grounded than the previous Arrowverse shows. I did have some apprehensiveness over the teenage boys angle because teenagers can become very stereotypically irritating in shows and given that a good chunk of time was going to be dedicated to them, it was going to be vital for them not be so.

Having finished the season, I have to say that the execs and the writers have pulled off an excellent first season. I don't think I would call it the best season 1 in the Arrowverse. I still love The Flash season 1 over any other Arrowverse season and while I haven't seen it in a while, I love Arrow season 1 as well. This may come at 2nd or 3rd place based on further reflection. I do think its has some issues when it comes to the villain storyline and with the big action set pieces, but the film's heart is set at the right place and the characters are all very likable and you want to see conversations between the characters. That's when you know that the writers are doing a good job when you almost feel that the show should go back to the character moments.

Firstly, the idea of a matured Superman is what works wonderfully well. There is something wonderful about seeing Clark and Lois as a couple who have known and loved each other for over a decade. Closer to two decades I guess. Characters don't quite look their age tbh. Lois would have to be in her early 40's at least. But I can honestly overlook that. Bitsie and Tyler were already a very likable couple in Elseworlds and the show has just used that natural chemistry to brilliant effect. But the big relief was that Jordan Elsass and Alex Garfin are excellent as Jonathan and Jordan. I was initially a little worried that Jordan could be a little much, but both of them were excellent and one of the highlights of the season was the bond between the two brothers. Jordan and Jonathan have conflicts but they are brothers and they love and support each other unconditionally.

Jonathan could have so easily been the douchey, jealous brother but Elsass is honestly one of the mvp's of the season. You really care for Jonathan, even though he arguably has a slightly less meaty role in the story. I think Bitsie Tulloch is outstanding all season. She has shot up very high among all my favorite Lois Lanes. She's very different from the other versions and that makes her stand out. One of my favorite episodes was episode 8, which deals with Lois dealing with memories of her miscarriage along with almost losing Jonathan. She is excellent in that episode as is Elsass. Tyler is wonderful throughout. He's a strong Superman but his Clark is even more endearing. Little things like him being so psyched for the Harvest Festival, how he plays young Clark in flashbacks as someone distinctly different, him meeting Lois and working with her for the first time, the adorable "my mom made it" moment when Superman first saves a kid etc... He just embodies everything you know and love from the character. Wole Parks is another terrific addition. Initially you think he's an alternate version of Lex Luthor but it was genius idea to have him actually be John Henry Irons. There was something innately likable about him even when he was fighting Superman and we thought he was Lex. I loved how they handled the dynamic of being Lois' husband in another world and having a daughter. It makes for an interesting dynamic but it never gets into problematic territory because he is mature enough to know that this Lois isn't his Lois, but they also show his difficulty in dealing with that. I liked the bond he seemed to be forming with Jonathan. And I liked how he came along to be an ally with Superman.

The Cushings are ok. They play an important part in the season with Sarah Cushing being Jordan's love interest and Kyle being a big part of the how the villain story begins, with Lana also being a major character in the story. All three actors are excellent but Kyle does have the stereotypical doucheyness which was a little annoying for the first 10 episodes, however he does redeem himself in the final arc. I hope Lana gets to be a bit more active in the show because she does feel like a bit passive as a character. However, I did find that Sarah and Jordan romance actually pretty cute. Both actors did a nice job making them feel like awkward teenagers, dancing around their feelings for each other. Sam Lane is another character who starts out pretty unlikable but I warmed up to him by the end.

Where I think the show doesn't really work at full strength is the superheroic aspect of the show. The character drama in the show is great. I think it works gangbusters. The superhero plot of it all is a little meh. While Adam Rayner is perfectly fine as Edge/Tal-Rho, as a character he's just not that interesting. There is an interesting perspective there that he's sort of a mirror image to Clark where he got mistreated by people when he landed on Earth and that is how his worldview shaped that way, and he longed for family, but there isn't enough done on a character level with him. As a result, the last third of the season was a little iffy. The whole, build Krypton on Earth felt like a variation of Zod's plot in Man of Steel. The method is different but the eventual outcome is the same. I also don't know why all Kryptonians, apart from Lara, are homicidal maniacs, when they are said to be a peaceful race. The arc also becomes repetitive because there are like three climaxes. And I feel the finale was the weakest climax of the lot. Episode 10 or 12 would have served as better finales with a little tweaking. If I remember correctly, the original order was for 13 episodes and it got extended to 15, so this might be an explanation to why it feels this way. The action is fairly by the numbers. While it looks like there is clearly more money on display here than say for Supergirl or The Flash, the action scenes aren't particularly exciting or inventive.

While I am not super high on the finale, I am mostly happy with how things wrapped up. I think they should have had Tal-Rho die tragically because I really don't think he's interesting enough to be brought back again. The arrival of Natalie Irons will surely be a source of some emotionally charged scenes. i hope there is some character bonding between the her and the brothers. Jonathan seemed pretty interested in meeting her when he saw videos of her. I do wonder how the show will continue to incorporate Smallville as a setting. Season 1 obviously had a very specific plot based reason to be in Smallville, given Edge's plot was based in Smallville. But I can't imagine every big bad will have Smallville based plot. But the characters are all settled in Smallville, with the Cushings and Lois buy half the Gazette and running it with Christy. So that's going to be an interesting balancing act that they have to do. I hope they can bring in some traditional superheroics as well because Superman rogues gallery is rich enough. Out of the episodes, I think 6-8 were my favorites, and the flashbacks in episode 11 were incredibly charming. While the season is not flawless I don't think it completely nailed the superheroic heights that it was aiming for, it was a really entertaining season of tv. An 8/10 for me.

[in-class-daydreams]

Parlay (Kuroo x Reader) | Chapter 5

-Pairing: Kuroo Tetsurou x Reader (ft. Roommate Kenma)

Word Count: ~2,300

Genres: Fluff, angst if you squint, general buffoonery

CW: Some more swearing, secondhand embarrassment lol

Summary: (Y/N), a first-year student attending Tokyo U, is living with her best friend, Kozume Kenma. Little did she know, her life would be turned upside down after being exposed to Kenma’s volleyball teammate and close friend, Kuroo Tetsurou. One wrong move, and the parlay’s stakes only get higher each time.

Chapters: First | Previous | Next 

Grandmother had nearly given herself a stroke from agreeing so fast to (Y/N)’s request for a half shift that day.

“Is it for school? Is it for friends? Oh, (Y/N)-chan, is it for a man or a woman?” the old woman bombarded the girl she treated like a grandchild with questions. It was rare for (Y/N) to take a day off, much less request one. She shook her head.

“Nothing like that, Gran. My friends invited me to watch their volleyball game. Our school is very highly ranked.”

“Ah, your Tooru-kun plays on that team, doesn’t he?” (Y/N) watched as Grandmother cut a mango into slices and presented them on a bed of sticky rice. The young girl served the dish to a table by the window: a young father and his young daughter.

“The usual, for my favorite father-daughter duo!” she smiled sweetly at the pair. The father looked up from his computer.

“Thank you, (Y/N)-san. Look, Miki! What’s this?” he asked his 2-year-old. The little brown-haired girl looked away from the window to meet her father’s gaze. She had plump little rosy cheeks streaked with dried milk.

“Mangey!” she chirped. Before her father could react, the child had taken a fistful of mango and shoved it mostly into her mouth, though, the majority ended up on those round cheeks of hers. The man sighed, but not without a nonetheless adoring look at his daughter.

“I’m glad she likes it, “ (Y/N) giggled, “I’ll be back to check on you two in a few minutes, Suzuki-san.”

Making her way back to the kitchen, leaning against a side table covered in clean glass cups, (Y/N) took a moment to bask in the warm embrace of the place that felt like her true home. The kitchen was smaller than most tea houses of that size and of that popularity than the average place would normally have. Grandmother, however, made sure the place was immaculate. (Y/N) looked over the small plastic bins of ingredients, each one placed based first on health code requirements, then by frequency. Filling for songpyeon took up the largest bin. Continuing her conversation with Grandmother, she said, “Yes, Tooru is on that team,” she chuckled, “They practically begged him to play for them.” Grandmother dried her hands on a dish towel.

“Well, if you ever manage to pull him off the court, feel free to bring him around. That boy’s always neglected to eat,” the old woman griped.

Opening her mouth to reply, the ringing of the front door bell interrupted (Y/N)’s reply. With a quick swipe her hands over her apron, she swung out of the kitchen and greeted their new guests.

“Welcome in-- Oh! Hi, you two! Welcome in.” Before her stood her best friend and roommate and his tall, stressfully attractive childhood friend. Kenma’s dyed-blonde hair was mostly grown out - he’d been too busy (and too lazy) to get it redone. Kuroo’s catlike eyes crinkled as he smiled at her.

“Good morning, (Y/N)-san.”

“Hi, (Y/N).”

The female led the two boys over to a booth across from the kitchen entrance. Away from the volleyball players’ line of sight, the other three servers working today poked their heads out from the kitchen doorway. Chisato, Grandmother’s actual granddaughter, was fanning herself dramatically, while Shusei and Tamaki were busy ogling Tokyo U’s handsome spiker. (Y/N) rolled her eyes at them. The boys took the menus she handed them.

“Can I start you two off with anything to drink?”

“Water, please.”

“Just a water,” because they were in college, and broke ass college students can’t afford not-water.

Kenma didn’t even open his menu before handing it back to her.

“Something with pork,” he said, after which he pulled out his phone and started scrolling through his emails.

Without batting an eye, the server girl replied, “You got it!” Then, she turned to Kuroo.

“Would you like something specific or if you want, you can give me a general preference like Kenma did, and I’ll give you something you’d like.”

The menu was somewhat thick for a tea house, which Kuroo noticed was because they didn’t just have one country’s dishes, as Chisai’s selection contained an incredible variety.

Now, Kuroo wanted to say either, ‘I trust your judgement’, or ‘I’ll enjoy whatever you put on the table in front of me.’ Sadly, the poor mess of a boy was so preoccupied with thinking about how the girl in front of him was definitely not super adorable in her white collared-shirt and her totally not endearing plaid apron, much less how absolutely unlovable it was that she had flour in her hair from tucking it behind her ear so often. He ended up making a strangled choking sound and saying, “I table.”

Everyone blinked. Forget being a cat, Kuroo fought to repel his inner badger that wanted to dig a hole, crawl inside, and never come out. Kenma was turning red keeping his laughter contained, and as if the universe hadn’t decided it wanted to be a complete dick to the wild-haired boy, he accidentally glanced up at (Y/N)’s cute expression with her brows furrowed, and her lips puckered in confusion.

‘Ahhhhhhhh,’ he thought as his brain short-circuited. Finally, finally, (Y/N) smiled at him gently.

“It’s alright, I do that a lot. Try again?” Oh sweet Karasuno’s resident Jesus, what a sweetheart. Desperate to redeem himself, Kuroo cleared his throat.

“Ahem, I-- Uh-- What’s your favorite dish here?”

‘Amazing job, Tetsurou. You fucking nailed that, Tetsurou. You, sir, are a smooth criminal,’ he told himself. (Y/N)’s bright expression from his question was almost worth making a fool of himself. Almost.

“Ah! Well, I love everything here, and I promise I really do, I’m not contractually obligated to say that, hehe, and it really depends what you prefer personally - everything is delicious.” Kuroo’s soul left his body when she shuffled to his side and leaned over him slightly to point at specific dishes on the menu. She smelled of fresh linen and of fresh baked goodies.

‘Hngggghhhhh, smell good, good smell,’ the poor boy’s brain cells were failing him at the moment, and had been for the past couple of minutes.

“So, if you like shrimp, the har gao comes in orders of 4 and they’re more filling than they look--” (Y/N)’s voice faded away as Kuroo’s brain kept trying to figure itself out like a computer with too many open tabs and had a software virus called, ‘(Y/N) Smells Divine And It’s Not Fair.exe.’ Kuroo knew he was better than this. He knew he was charming and likable. There was no reason for him to totally crumble like he was. From knowing Kuroo so long, Kenma could tell he was struggling, and, out of pity, he lightly kicked his ankle so the girl above him wouldn’t notice. Luckily, that little jolt woke him up enough to catch the tail end of her explanation.

“--you can get it with egg noodles, which I love personally, and Gran gets the duck from a nearby vendor, so you know it’s fresh. It’s especially popular around this time since it’s getting a bit cold,” she finished. It looked like he hadn’t been zoned out for too long. Steeling himself, Kuroo shifted in the cracked burgundy seat.

“That last one sounds great, thank you,” he croaked. Taking the menu from him, (Y/N) told them their order would be out “in a jiffy,” and Kenma’s wheezing stopped him from short-circuiting again.

“What-- Hah-- What was that?” he cackled. Kenma didn’t laugh very hard. Even when he watched Plant compilations or looked at memes, he mostly just blew air through his nose, at best, but here, Kuroo was starting to worry about the shade of blue his friend was turning.

“I--uh” Kuroo started, ‘got distracted by the way she was being adorable and the way her perfume--NO! Tetsurou! BRO-CODE!’. “I’m just a little out of it today I guess.”

“Clearly. You stumbled your words in front of (Y/N) like a panini-head.”

Kuroo couldn’t deny that statement one bit. How had he managed to look like such a panini-head? Why now of all times? Was he nervous? God forbid if he thought he might have a slight crush on this girl because for heaven’s sake he wasn’t about to break the sacred Bro-Code. Before he could go off on his own tangent, (Y/N) walked over to their table carrying a couple of plates in her hands.

“Alrighty, so I’ve got the house cha siu bao for Kenma, and the egg noodle soup with roast duck for Kuroo-san. Is there anything else I can get for you guys?”

“I’m good for now thanks, (Y/N)” Kenma replied as he quickly began eating the fresh, hot pork buns.

“It looks great!” Kuroo responded, his face gleaming with excitement and anticipation of how the food will taste. His expression suddenly changed to a sly smirk, “but you know (Y/N)-san, this meal would be much better if you join us~”

‘Nice, I’ve redeemed myself. Ten points to gryffindor.’

“I’m sorry Kuroo-san, but my shift doesn’t end for another couple of hours. If I end early, I might not be able to make it to the game like I promised.” (Y/N) smiled back innocently.

Before Kuroo was able to say anything, he heard Kenma let out a small, “Pft, rejected”, from beside her.

‘Aaaand, just kidding’

Kuroo miraculously recovered, somehow, and managed to say, “Ah I see. Well thanks for the food, I’m really looking forward to it!”

“Of course! Please enjoy, and let me know if you guys need anything else.” And with that, (Y/N) went back to the kitchen to get more food to serve to customers.

Kenma was deep into his second pork bun when Kuroo dug into his own meal. The duck was perfectly moist with a savory skin. The egg noodles were boiled to a perfect texture. He could’ve wept. The exquisite flavor of the egg noodle soup distracted him from his horrific failure as a human being just a moment ago. Once he’d sated his appetite, he leaned back in his chair. The setter across from him looked totally boneless, a satisfied smile on his face. Kuroo rolled his head over towards the window.

There, the young lady that had been messing with his mind all day was squatting in front of an adorable little girl while the girl’s father laughed heartily across from them. The little girl clapped in delight at the funny faces the waitress was making for her. Kuroo’s heart beat a little faster.

“You’re staring.” Kuroo jumped. Kenma’s intelligent eyes were boring into his soul. Suddenly feeling even guiltier than he already was, Kuroo looked away.

“Kenma, I swear I—“

“Relax. She’s cute. Flirt, stare, call yourself a table, I don’t care.”

Kuroo spluttered at the reminder of his royal screw up. Then, he was puzzled at how Kenma could be so nonchalant about anyone looking at his girlfriend like that, especially his own best friend. He knew for a fact that if Kenma truly didn’t like his ogling at his super cute girlfriend, he would have said something. Maybe they were one of those open relationship-type things? Sounded pretty odd for Kenma, but Kuroo supposed that people change in college. If he were in Kenma’s place, though, he doubted he’d be so willing to share (Y/N)’s affection. Not that he wanted it, of course. Nuh uh, no ma’am.

When (Y/N) gave them their check, they tried to politely decline taking her generous discount, but once she threatened to bring Grandmother from the kitchen, they ended up just tipping her a little extra to make up the difference and exiting the tea house.

~~

“HEY, HEY, HEY.” The ace spiker with the interesting hair crowed as he landed after a vicious spike that went untouched by the other team. Tokyo U’s other team members came together and gave a quick cheer before quickly resuming their positions.

“Damnnnn, how the hell is this entire team so fine?” Shusei moaned.

“Mm, especially that number 6. He’s so pretty,” Tamaki nibbled on her thumb nail.

“Ooh, the handsome guy from this morning is up!”

(Y/N) blushed as Kuroo rotated into the front row. Gone was the stuttering, flustered mess from earlier, and he was replaced by Nekoma High’s scheming captain, all fire in his eyes ,and supported by skill and years of experience. (Y/N) leaned against the rail. Something about that focused look in his eyes captivated her completely.

Kuroo was an excellent blocker. He was smart and had the technique to support it. But despite this, the other team had powerful spikers and was starting to close the gap just enough to make the crowd uneasy. The coach leaned over and whispered something to one of the managers, who scurried off through the door to a side gym.

(Y/N) had already been a little (a lot) thirsty since Kuroo stepped on the court, but Akaashi tossed the ball into the air, Kuroo jumped up, and hit a straight right by the blockers. Suddenly, the gym air felt too stale, her cardigan too hot.

“Ohhhh my goddddd.” (Y/N) shushed Shusei and Tamaki’s moaning.

“Jealous much?” Shusei sassed.

“Wha—? Just— Just stop being weirdos!” she said louder than expected.

Tamaki wiggled her eyebrows, “Oh, so you admit you were jealous?”

(Y/N)‘s face felt hot. Her retort was interrupted by squealing all around them.

“Kyaaaaaa!”

“Omg he’s here!”

“I want his babies!”

…yeah, people get weird when they’re thirsty.

Shusei cheered and clutched Tamaki’s shoulders, “Whooo! What are we screaming about?”

“Some things never change,” Tamaki mused.

“Bitch, what?”

They stopped their bickering when their friend chuckled. She had a fond look in her eyes, but they also held something else they couldn’t quite place. (Y/N) smiled softly. She turned to them, “The Grand King loves making a grand entrance.”

~~

(A/N): You know who’s coming soon, and I’m really excited about this next chapter! Thank you all for the support you’ve shown us so far in the series, and please look forward to the next few chapters as well! Chapter 6 is planned to be released in about two days or so. See you guys soon!

- Admin Kiwi-Chan

Kuroo, honey, I’m so sorry to do this to you lol. I make this boy do stupid stuff in this series, but it’s fiiiine.

- Admin Mango-Chan

~~

Taglist: @joyful-jimin @nekomas-kuroo

[unexpectedreylo]

Stranger Things 3 and TROS

Let me just preface by saying as with Game Of Thrones or Avengers Endgame, what happens in one movie or t.v. show does not affect another.  Screenwriters aren’t sitting around following trends.  So don’t assume anything about TROS because of who got killed off in another story or how certain ships were handled.

If anything, I’m going to distinguish TROS and Star Wars in general from what happened in ST3 as well as compare with how they are similar.

Spoilers ahoy, so if you haven’t seen all of ST3, go no further!

Billy & Bendemption

Now I saw a redemption arc in the cards for Billy by the end of S2.  For most of S2, Billy was a despicable bully and a jerk.  But the show took the time to reveal that Billy was the victim of an even crueler abusive father.  I wasn’t sure if he’d turn “good” per se like Steve, but I saw that as an “in.”  And this mind you was before I’d even seen TLJ and started writing about redemption arcs.  S3 starts off with Billy as pretty much the same bully as before and about to get into an adulterous affair with Karen Wheeler when fate intervenes and he becomes the tool of the Mind Flayer.  Billy does many villainous things but it’s not out of his own wickedness.  And in spite of everything, his “sister” Max still cared for him.  These were further indications that Billy could possibly be redeemed.  Sure enough when Eleven is able to remind him of his goodness and the happiness he once had as a child, Billy is able to resist the Mind Flayer.  I think it was the first time, in a lifetime full of abuse and abandonment, anyone had believed in it.  And it meant so much to Billy he was willing to sacrifice his own life to save Eleven and by extension Max and the rest of the crew.

Now this is a sacrifice arc.  I think for Billy his turn came too late in the story, the eighth episode, so death was the most likely outcome.  In case you’re biting your nails, I warned you all before that it’s entirely possible we will get a fake sacrifice arc from Kylo/Ben.  They will try to make you believe that’s what is going to happen because it happened before with Darth Vader.  There are certainly a few similarities between Billy and Kylo, particularly being “bad guys” who suffered at the hands of others.  I’m sure that if Rey starts going on about how much his mother loved him and how he’d once been happy as a child when it’s a real high stakes moment (which would require Rey to see his past; so far she’d only seen his possible future), we’re going to be a little nervous.

However I believe the timing will be different.  I doubt Kylo’s “turn” will happen with five minutes left in the film and he’s evil the rest of the time.  Kylo/Ben is a protagonist in the story and he is the last scion of the saga’s central family.  I think what we are getting instead is either a temptation arc or a forgiveness arc, both of which allow for the redeemed character to survive.  Stranger Things can chug along without Billy, whose main purpose was to torment the other characters and cause chaos, then “body snatch” victims for the Mind Flayer.  Ending TROS with the last Skywalker’s death would make the entire saga a tragedy.  Bear in mind ST is at its heart a horror/sf hybrid like The X-Files, Alien, or The Thing, while Star Wars is a hopeful fairy tale/myth.

Sacrifices

It seems like two things happen with regularity on Stranger Things:  nice, likable characters die terrible deaths (Barb, Benny, Bob, and now Alexei) and older characters sacrifice themselves to save others (Bob, Billy, and Hopper).  Even if they don’t die in the process, many adult characters put themselves at risk or give up something to protect the young characters (Joyce and Hopper).   In any case, sacrifice comes out of selflessness.  So I do think that Kylo/Ben and possibly other characters will have to commit these selfless acts of sacrifice (it does not mean I think he’s toast).  In fact, I think a great selfless act is the key to Ben finally finding himself again.  

Ships

Do not judge the fate of Reylo on what happens with the ships on this show.  Joppers (people who ship Joyce and Hopper) are frustrated the couple got thwarted again, just as they were making their feelings known.  But I’m on Team Hopper Lives so don’t give up just yet.  I think there will be HEA with them when the show wraps.  They’re not going to just keep giving Joyce love interests and killing them off.   Jopper has been set up from the get-go, fans just have to be patient.

As for Mileven, I’m not even remotely invested in a ship involving 14-year-olds.  But I will say that Mike and Kylo can certainly kvetch about how hard it is to say the right thing to girls, especially if they are mad at you.  Rey closing the door on Kylo in TLJ was definitely the SW equivalent of “I dump your @ss.”

And I can just imagine Robin putting another strike under “you suck” after Kylo’s botched proposal.

But the biggest Reylo-esque moment was Hopper barging in like Luke on Mike and Eleven’s make out session.  LOL!  

[man-i-dont-know]

BNHA Chapter 186- 187: Thoughts and Spoilers

Alright, so it is time to break down the last couple chapters. A lot of what has been happening has revolved around Endeavor, which is potentially very interesting. So with that, lets get right into it.

We start with a guy about to destroy the company he works for (he has a shame quirk which is horrifying to think about honestly) but is stopped short by a super casual Hawks. Hawks is walking with Endeavor and Endeavor seems genuinely impressed with how swiftly Hawks is handling everything around him and how casually he does all of it. Endeavor even has a couple of panels that reminds me of the art style in One Punch Man, which is an interesting decision to make. Making Endeavor look simple, straight forward, and likable despite everything we know about him. This simple art style really drives home the fact that we are getting a redemption arc now. Hawks draws a crowd of fans and some excited onlookers want to approach Endeavor but are too nervous, which is ruined by Endeavor trying to be approachable.

While they are eating, Hawks explains why “approachable” won’t work for him. I find this dynamic really interesting because it could develop into something where Hawks is kinda schooling Endeavor on behavior and attitude, which Hawks has nailed of course, but it would be an interesting challenge because what works for Hawks certainly won’t work for Endeavor. I am not totally sure how his personality will have to change so that the public approves of him, but I feel that the change has to be subtle, like going from unapproachable to... something more like how I imagine Todoroki with his friends? Like that one scene where Sero imagined Todoroki’s extra training as a dance party, Todoroki didn’t really react or deny or anything. Endeavor would have a distinctly different feeling than Todoroki’s lack of social skill, like the one fan in this chapter said, it would be a lone wolf type vibe. Now I say this, but I don’t like comparing the two, but since the are related, they are going to have some commonalities, how they deal with social settings could be similar. I only half believe this could happen, if the public approves of Endeavor it will most likely happen because he handles a big villain plus acting very out of character, I suppose I just prefer subtlety.

They finally get to the core of their meeting, saying that there are rumors about Nomus all over the country and how they could be no real backing to these rumors, they also talk about how the villain that was going to destroy his work place may be influenced by a villain’s autobiography, and all of this seems to go back to one thing. Hawks sees these rumors as the mental state of the country, fear, paranoia, and the adaption of villainous ideals all comes from the retirement of All Might, and Hawks wants Endeavor to become a reliable number one hero so that these rumors subside and people turn away from villainy and paranoia. Hawks wants a world where there is no need for heroes to do their work, since everyone and everything is already peaceful and peachy. Also Hawks straight up admits that his ideal day is going for a walk then smoking a joint and sitting at home, truly someone the hip cool kids can relate too.

Then the worst case scenario occurs, High End Nomu appears out of the sky. It seems to be able to modify its own body to the point that it can grow wings. Endeavor socks it hard in the gut and Hawks leads the evacuation.

At a hospital, several Todoroki’s are meeting up, the mom, the daughter and the second eldest son (who is named Natsu, and since that is the name of that guy from Fairy Tail I wonder if it is related to fire, even though he says he is sensitive to heat). The family dynamic seems very happy and loving, until Natsu bring up the elephant in the room, saying Endeavor is the number one hero but he is still beyond forgiving. Despite this, the mother sees that his redemption arc is occurring, which is solidified with the fact that Endeavor sent flowers to the room, flowers that she only ever told him she liked once, ten years ago. He is making an effort, they have not met face to face yet, but he is trying, and my guess is that he won’t do anything to try to redeem himself until he can meet her in person. Which I find respectable cause apologizing through someone else or through letter or through a phone call feels a bit flimsy when your talking about something as severe as abuse.

Back to the High End vs Endeavor fight, we see that not only is High End capable of speech, but it seems to have a personality as well. It walks off the first strike and is seemingly mocking Endeavor’s strength. The next attack High End manages to dodge through some contortion and counters. With Endeavor’s body, High End cuts the building in half, forcing Hawks to focus up and start the evacuation. Endeavor realizes that he is straight up outmatched. Hawks on the other hand pulls off an amazing feat of skill where he is able to transport everyone in the building and surrounding area to somewhere safe. This is not how I thought his quirk would be used, I just thought they were wings but he can control each feather individually and detach and reattach the feathers to his wings at will. Hawks is so skilled with this that his wings are small only for a very brief period of time and get back to full size almost immediately, which goes to show how skilled he is with the manipulation of the feathers and how successful his evacuation was. With evacuation completed, Endeavor and Hawks team up to nearly cut off High End’s head, to which he only grins. This Nomu is crazy resilient and honestly I am not sure how it is going to be stopped. (I am also really glad that my prediction that High End is way too dangerous for the UA kids to take on was correct, it also sets a really high bar for Endeavor and other heroes about possible villain strengths)

These last couple chapters are super interesting to me, I am curious to see how the author handles a redemption arc for a character so thoroughly hated by the fans. I am also interested to see how the Endeavor-Hawks dynamic develops. On a side note, I think I opened my ask, I don’t really know what that means but I can guess. I don’t really know how to direct you to it either so I apologize if that makes things complicated. Hopefully this will keep me a bit more active by answer questions or just discussing ideas in some way. Alright, and that is about it, thank you for reading and I hope you guys have a good day.

[ramajmedia]

Green Lantern: 5 Actors Who Could Play Hal Jordan (And 5 Who Could Play John Stewart) In The DCEU

There’s every chance that the DCEU’s eventual Green Lantern movie won’t revolve around Hal Jordan, since that’s the version Ryan Reynolds played in his despised 2011 movie and Warner Bros. will likely want to distance themselves from that as much as possible. So, the DCEU’s Green Lantern might be John Stewart instead. Fans have wanted to see Idris Elba play John Stewart pretty much since the Green Lantern Corps movie was announced for the DCEU, but he’s since been cast to star in The Suicide Squad in the same universe, so he’s out of the running (unless, although it is a stretch, his Suicide Squad character is John Stewart). Here are 5 Actors Who Could Play Hal Jordan (And 5 Who Could Play John Stewart) In The DCEU.

RELATED: 10 Ways Green Lantern Could Be Introduced In The DCEU

10 Hal Jordan: Jon Hamm

The role of Hal Jordan requires a standard leading man type with an extra degree of charm and humor. That’s what made Ryan Reynolds the perfect choice to play him in the 2011 movie (it’s just a shame that the movie itself turned out to be dreadful). It would also make Jon Hamm a perfect choice; Don Draper is the quintessential dude. If the Green Lantern Corps movie has an older Hal Jordan working with a younger John Stewart, then Hamm is about the right age – he’s believably older, but not too old that the physical action scenes would be unworkable.

9 John Stewart: Trevante Rhodes

Ever since Idris Elba is off the table due to his casting in another DCEU movie, Trevante Rhodes has become fans’ most popular casting choice for John Stewart. It seems as though the Green Lantern Corps movie will be a buddy cop movie with Hal Jordan as the veteran training up John Stewart as a rookie. Rhodes has both the look and the age to pull of John Stewart, and he proved with his turn in the Oscar-winning masterpiece Moonlight that he has serious talent as an actor. Prior to his acting career, he was a track and field star, proving he also has the physicality to play a superhero.

8 Hal Jordan: Karl Urban

Karl Urban has always deserved to be a bigger star than he is. He’s always brought a likable charm to roles like “Bones” McCoy in the Star Trek reboot series and even the cold-hearted, ultraviolent comic book icon Judge Dredd. He even managed to make Skurge the Executioner redeemable in Thor: Ragnarok.

RELATED: Star Trek: 5 Kelvin Timeline Actors We Hope Reprise Their Roles In Quentin Tarantino's R-Rated Movie (And 5 We Don't)

He started off as a follower of Hela, but he realized the error of his ways and sacrificed himself to save the surviving Asgardians. Hal Jordan is that guy – he’s the guy who screws up, but will then do whatever it takes to fix the screw-up and do right by people.

7 John Stewart: Michael B. Jordan

Zachary Levi has proved by playing Fandral in the MCU and then Shazam in the DCEU that it’s possible to appear in both studios’ superhero franchises and not get blacklisted in Hollywood by the one you worked for first. Granted, Michael B. Jordan’s MCU role was a lot larger and more memorable than Levi’s, but that was mostly down to Jordan himself working with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler to develop Erik Killmonger into an all-time classic villain. Jordan could play John Stewart as the by-the-books straight man trying to get the job done opposite Hal Jordan’s goofball man-child act.

6 Hal Jordan: Nathan Fillion

It’s about time Nathan Fillion finally got a starring role as a superhero in a comic book movie. He’s been rumored for pretty much every character that has made his way from the pages of comic books onto the big screen, most notably that of Hal Jordan. He has the charm and the warmth to nail Hal’s likable qualities, and he’s proved in antagonistic guest appearances on Modern Family and Brooklyn Nine-Nine that he can also play a jerk with serious personality flaws. Fillion’s acting persona is the definition of “lovable rogue,” and conveniently enough, so is Hal Jordan’s characterization.

5 John Stewart: Jamie Foxx

DC might be looking to make a potential Green Lantern movie their answer to Guardians of the Galaxy, with a lot of heart and humor, and Jamie Foxx has both of these in spades. His heartfelt portrayal of Ray Charles won him an Academy Award, while his background in standup comedy has given him expert comic timing. He’s played a number of action-based roles, like bounty hunter Django Freeman in Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed spaghetti western Django Unchained, but never with a CG-heavy sci-fi bent. John Stewart would make an interesting next chapter in Foxx’s storied career (he’s set to make his directorial debut in the coming months).

4 Hal Jordan: Armie Hammer

The role of Hal Jordan will need a cocky, confident, and ultimately heroic (heroic enough to redeem the cockiness) leading man type. Armie Hammer has played this kind of role in a couple of prospective franchise beginners – The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Lone Ranger – and both failed to take off at the box office. Hammer deserves to finally get a successful franchise with this persona. Lord knows he’s put in his time. Hammer is sort of like Brendan Fraser, but an actually good actor, as shown by his roles in The Social Network and Call Me By Your Name, which would make him an ideal Hal Jordan.

3 John Stewart: Sterling K. Brown

If the plan for the Green Lantern Corps movie doesn’t involve an older Hal Jordan and a younger John Stewart and the roles are switched, Sterling K. Brown would make a fantastic choice to play an older version of John. His star-making turn in American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson proved he could be engaging and memorable, no matter how small the role was, and his subsequent leading role in This is Us has shown that he’s even greater when the spotlight is on him. He’s also a good guy in real life; he’s the only cast member from The Predator who spoke out in support of Olivia Munn after she exposed Shane Black for casting his friend and not telling anyone he was a registered sex offender.

2 Hal Jordan: John Krasinski

Hal Jordan is lovable, charismatic, and goofs off from his responsibilities, which sounds an awful lot like John Krasinski’s beloved character from The Office, Jim Halpert. A Quiet Place proved that he has a strong grasp of filmmaking (Ben Affleck worked so well as Batman because he was putting in time behind the camera as well as in front of it), as well as the capability to shake his sitcom persona and do serious acting.

RELATED: Everything We Know (So Far) About A Quiet Place: Part II

Plus, Amazon’s Jack Ryan series has shown he can pull off action-oriented roles convincingly. Marvel Studios could be eyeing Krasinski to play Reed Richards in their Fantastic Four reboot, so Warner Bros. will have to act fast if they want to get him in the role of Hal Jordan, but he would be perfect.

1 John Stewart: John Boyega

From his starring role in Disney’s Star Wars sequel trilogy to his upcoming sci-fi romance Hold Back the Stars with Letitia Wright, John Boyega is no stranger to space-bound settings. As shown by his trips to a galaxy far, far away, Boyega can flit between goofy and lighthearted fun and grave, serious acting at a moment’s notice, and he has an easy charm. Plus, Attack the Block showed he’s capable of fighting aliens believably. With his Star Wars tenure set to end this year with The Rise of Skywalker, Boyega will have a gap in his schedule that could be filled with a big-screen Green Lantern franchise.

NEXT: 10 Mistakes The DCEU Made That Prevented It From Matching The MCU's Success

source https://screenrant.com/hal-jordan-john-stewart-actors/