#yes. as suspected. this ep broke me again

[dribs-and-drabbles]

#BADBUDDYREWATCH

Ep 5

You know how Pran asked if Pat was Pran's boyfriend in ep 2 as a joke despite actually wanting that...well, after Pran's heart gets broken by learning that Pat likes Ink and any hope for him and Pat to be together has been shattered, Pran somehow is able to take it to the next level and ask Pat if he's Pran's wife. I mean, go big or go home right? What's that saying that there's always an element of truth in a joke. Pran is so brave. (This also applies to the "Who on earth told you this was cute?")

I love that there's so much of that condensed milk stuff in that sandwich that it flies out when Pat picks it up and drips over himself and the worktop.

Also...@telomeke-bbs pointed out that when Pran's making his own breakfast at the beginning of ep 2 he only makes a sandwich but here there's also eggs, sausages, and salad...which might mean he made all that for Pat.

Oh and then Pat seeing Pran eating the sausage might be why he made Pran sausages when he cooked breakfast in bed in ep 8...because he thought that's what Pran liked/ate.

Pat's "I hope you're not as cruel as to make me wait outside" has always interested me because you can hear the teasing/whining tone and also because he uses the polite form of 'pronouns' of P'Pran and P'Pat instead of the informal/rude 'guu/meung' which they mainly use (not sure what it means when P' is being used for both people but brushing over that...)...BUT I think Pat ends with a 'ja' instead of the polite 'krap', which according to @absolutebl is "used with very close friends/family and by the queer community". I think Pat uses it here because they've been joking about the 'wife' status...but I wouldn't be surprised if this had an effect on Pran even before the pleading 'na'.

LAKYIM my beloved!

If you haven't read @telomeke-bbs analysis of this first scene you should - there's a fantastic bit about how a water splash is a substitute for saying 'asshole'. Love it!

"If I see any stain on them, I'll barge into your room and yell at you" -> Pat must have had a huge dilemma with this...I mean, does he clean the dishes well to impress Pran and get his praise? Or does he do them poorly in the hope that Pran will barge into his room and scold him? I mean...that's a difficult choice!

(omg I've only just got to the credits and I've written all this already...sorry it's going to be a long one...I mean, I guess it's to be expected since it's ep 5...)

Oh the embarrassment! We've all been there Pran.

I've never really understood the "Don't butt in next time" line... Anyone got any thoughts?

Ooof Cloaked Emotions by Lama House...another piece of music that stabs me in the heart...and the title fitting the scene -> Pran hiding his feelings at seeing Ink and Pat together.

Pat eating properly because of Pran 😭

Because of the order of filming, it looks like Pat gets a haircut before his date with Ink.

😂 I can't with the horse sound effect 🤣

The mental gymnastics Pa must have done without realising to justify why she should tag along to the date that she told Pat to go on with Ink.

"I don't have to tell you I love you. I fed you pancake". AFTER INK ASKED PA TO FEED HER THE PANCAKE AND THEN INK FEEDS PA THE PANCAKE.

I'm irrationally disturbed by the continuity error with the hands on the guitar.

But that gets erased because the choreography of Pat turning his head away unblinking when Pran looks at him on that bit of music (6:06 in part 2) is DIVINE.

Also, I love Pran's hair and I know it must just be because the instrument shop scenes were filmed early on and therefore Nanon's hair was shorter/tidier (like Ohm's) but still, I love that they both look so good during Pat's Oh moment.

When I first watched this I didn't need Pa's repeated voiceover of the four signs because I got it just from Pat's expression...but now I don't mind it.

But also back to the music again because the way they edited the recap of the four signs (actually the whole instrument shop scene) with Pat and Pran's head turns, their actions, or the camera angle/frame changes hitting either the piano chords or the 'silent' suspensions in the music is actual choreography and adds to why this scene is SO GOOD. They are dancing to the music...and the irony of them being in shop surrounded by instruments...

I've just noticed that during the bread-eating scene, the pink and purple of the condensed milk tube is amplified by the painting on the wall behind, the sticky tape and post-it notes behind, and the selection of pens in front...

This has already been pointed out, but the lyrics of the song Pat suggests they sing in the flashback, Never by 25 hours, basically reflects Pat's loneliness when Pran went away. brb crying.

When We Were Younger instrumental over the flashback scene 💖

That flashback is Pat wondering if Pran liked him, no? I mean, I know Pat is realising his feelings for Pran and remembering back to high school is part of that...but that particular memory is Pran telling Pat he wants to write something that reflects the idea of 'born to be together' and two people growing up together falling in love as well as them writing the 'are we friends or are we something more?' song...so Pat must be wondering how Pran felt and still feels now.

Pat's freshy day outfit!

I must have known this already but can't remember if I've written about it before when I've talked about this shirt, but the word 'pineapple' is written in both red and blue on Pat's shirt.

Oh the hurt in Pran's eyes when Pat says the song is lousy.

'silly' ... 😭

PRAN THE WARRIOOOOOOR!

And we're back to Cloaked Emotions. This time Pran is forcing Pat to stay quiet.

You know how the production team created the condensed milk tube...well I wonder if they put a rose on it because that's the usual flower people give as gifts to those they like...and Pat bought it as a gift for Pran...effectively buying him a rose. But maybe this has already been pointed out.

"IT WAS DEPRESSINGLY LONELY FOR ME" 😭😭😭

Pat's tear...😭 Then Pran's tear...😭 (and mine of course)

Oh god, the way they both move towards each other...

THE MUSIC when their lips touched...

It's the way we all thought the ep, the show, had reach its peak at that short first kiss because the music hit a crescendo and BECAUSE THEY HAD KISSED already in ep 5...but then not 10 seconds after their lips had parted the show absolutely DECIMATED us with that epic second kiss. Pran pulling Pat in, the hand on the neck, Pat's first hand gripping the back of Pran's head, the gasped inhales as they shifted their heads, Pat's second hand joining his first, the increase in speed, Pran's second hand also going to Pat's neck, the symmetry of it, the MUSIC, the way Pat hunched into his shoulders to devour Pran's mouth, and the slow pull away as the music tailed off...

Pat's smile and breath of relief

Pran's devastation

The rain

Pat's tear-filled eyes

Baseball mom

The prolonged black screen at the end as the music ended...

The way I was never the same again.

This ep has such special memories for me, not only because of the show and what it did to me but because of where I was when I watched it. I've since sold and moved from the apartment I was living in at the time and I treasure the memory of settling into my sofa with a blanket over my legs, a warm cup of tea and something sweet to eat, the light slowly dimming to black outside even though it was only 15:30 (it was end of november and I lived in Sweden), and then the euphoria when I realised this silly little Thai romcom bl was doing something different. Ep 5 part 4 not only changed me in many ways but it changed the way we watch bls now. We have higher expectations - a bar has been raised - and I'm seeing where shows are reaching for it. Last December, I watched the GMMTV Live for the first time because I caught some people talking about it on tumblr (I didn't know anything about it before even though I'd been watching Thai bl for a year). Now, I'm ridiculously excited about seeing it this year, to see what we may be in store for next year. Hopefully they will build on Bad Buddy, Vice Versa, The Eclipse, and others. And I know there are other production companies and I'm also excited to see what they do too...and for all the gl coming out... But back to Bad Buddy ep 5 and it was this ep that finally brought me to make this blog because I needed a way to process what I was watching - and to scream about it with others. I had never analysed a piece of media in this way before this show and I've since continued with many others. This is who I am now. This is part of what I mean by Bad Buddy changing me. And I'm thankful for it, and for Aof, Nanon, and Ohm, and for all the people who I've interacted with on here about it. There is something exceedingly special about this show and I wish I could adequately express it to the whole world but I also want to keep it for me, and for us, to treasure always.

[karmathenightowl]

What I'm about to say is out there of an idea but since the finale is just in two days, I'm calling it now: What if Sticky Fingers Paul Pantry was Devon Denton?

Devon Denton is next in line after Evelyn for taking ownership of Steeplechase, and Kenchall is frustrated because of this.

Later on, we find out Kenchall was behind his murder and the framing of Gravel as the prime suspect. But why Sticky Fingers Paul Pantry specifically?

Well, Justin has stated that Sticky Fingers Paul Pantry NEVER broke character. Maybe Devon created this character as a disguise from guests at the park, and the only one who knew about this was the other members of the Denton family since he's a well known mascot to Ustaben.

In Ep. 31, Kenchall states to Poppy's Angels that he took care of Sticky Fingers Paul Pantry due to "cleaning up loose ends." He follows up with this:

"I mean, this is not…let’s see, Paul Pantry, yes, killed. But if it makes you feel any better, he was blackmailing you. And that is— I just think that there’s nothing worse than a blackmailer. You know? So, that he kind of had coming to him."

I find it funny how Kenchall tries to justify his action of killing Sticky Fingers Paul Pantry by saying he was a blackmailer, meanwhile HE is over here in Steeplechase being a backstabber, replacing human employees with hardlight constructs of themselves, tossing people who refuse to help him by placing them in Kiddiedelphia, and has no remorse with pointing a gun at Poppy's Angels in Glensville. What a guy.

Anyway, he also says the following:

"What I’m saying is that I’m not sabotaging you. I am cleaning up after you."

"But you have to understand that this is what I do. I look for inefficiencies. I look for— pardon me, and I don’t mean to be offensive, but sloppiness. And I try to correct that, to make the loose ends go away."

This term "sloppiness" is interesting. And we know about Kenchall's disdain towards Devon, calling him a "dipshit." So it would make sense that in order to get to the top of the line for ownership of the park, Kenchall took care of getting Devon out of the picture, or in this case, Sticky Fingers Paul Pantry.

Again, this is only just a random theory I'm tossing out there before the series is over...

[bengiyo]

Dangerous Romance Ep 8 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Sailom told Kanghan that if he wants to be his lover he has to get with his friends. Sailom told him he couldn’t just use his money for that, so Kanghan tagged along with them to buy supplies. Kanghan tried to be tough, but he’s a rich boy who passed out in the heat. Then the show decided to have Sailom be unsteady on a bus he uses everyday so Kanghan could catch him. Auto suggested Kanghan actually use his money for them since they’re broke, and so Kanghan took them to a club. The police showed up and caught Auto. Kanghan stepped up to help rescue Auto, leading to problems for Kanghan’s dad. Kanghan missed the final point of their football match, but Guy told Sailom to go take care of Kanghan because he and Auto already knew. These two are now official in a moment that was supposed to be cute, but irked me because they made Sailom look dumb again. Meanwhile, Saifah has wormed his way into becoming the grandmother’s caretaker, so he’s definitely going to fuck this up for everyone.

Visually I think Papang and Chimon were a good choice to play brothers.

I need someone who grew up in Asian school systems to explain how the grading system works. In the US, 65 is still a failing grade.

I think I’ll have to ask one of the Thai speakers later if Kanghan did a cute thing with pronouns when they translated “faen-ja” as “boyfie”

Perth and Chimon are cute together. I really hope we get a better show from them next year.

Aren’t their rooms connected by a bathroom? Why would Kanghan hide behind a curtain? This boy is so dumb it’s painful.

Okay, he’s not as dumb as I thought and got out on his own. I’m glad Saifah didn’t find out about them within a day of being around here.

Guy and Nawa want to fuck each other so bad it makes them look stupid. Now they’re feeding each other and excited about their scheduled fight. Oh, boys.

I’m not even sure how I want to read Sailom being frustrated with Kanghan about not showing up for tutoring. This show seemingly wants it to be about Kanghan’s ability to change and the impact on the romance, but for me I’m still focused on the debt looming over Sailom and Name’s willingness to inflict violence on them for that.

Curious about the grandmother buying the expensive medicine for Saifah. I half-expected him to consider stealing the medicine and selling it to use a generic instead, but now he’s faced with someone choosing to be kind to him.

Yes, let’s check in with Pimfah to reassure the audience that Sailom is misunderstanding Kanghan and he should maybe not be mad.

The cinematography of this apology scene is good, even if I feel like the stakes are constantly shifting in this show.

Oh, right, the windmill analogy.

I do enjoy a training montage.

Glad they didn’t make Perth shave his legs.

The scene work between Ging and Saifah is actually really good.

Is Nawa about to go fight this man in crocs? He’s about to be like ole boy on that Birmingham dock.

Where is my GMMTV variety content of JJ and Euro hanging out and trying restaurants?

Another boy who wants his clothes to smell like his boyfriend. I’m okay with this.

Why is Sailom being precious about intimacy?

I do feel for Kanghan crying in happiness that he achieved something he worked hard for and having someone be proud of him for it.

Why the hell is he paying Saifah in the watch he accused him of stealing? This feels suspect as fuck.

Goddamn. There goes the dad undercutting Kanghan again.

Perth is good whenever the direction is clear.

It’s very weird having the rich boy and poor guy pairing going with the same shit going down in Only Friends with Sand and Ray.

I wonder where these two will run away to. I still don’t think I get Sailom.

Next week: We’re surprised when a card gets canceled while trying to him ‘em up style. Sigh.

It’s really worrisome for me when the best parts of a BL are happening in the side character drama. The best moments this episode were mostly around Saifah, because I just don’t get what’s going on with Sailom.

[nolabballgirl]

OKAY so i was on skamfr wiki and episode 5 has three clips.

BUT what shockes me is the title of clip 3 (takotsubo)

in case you don't know what it is, it's basically known as "the broken heart syndrome"

https://www.svhhearthealth.com.au/conditions/takotsubo-cardiomyopathy#:~:text=Takotsubo%20cardiomyopathy%20or%20%22Broken%20Heart,people%20recover%20within%20two%20months.

here's a little more about it.

i am excited to heae your thoughts, you always articulate them so well!

hi, Anon! thanks for your ask! so yes, when maya first had her panic attack and max/tiff rushed her to the hospital a few eps back, there was a lot of speculation on the tumblr tag about takotsubo. (i figured that shirley would not go so far to give maya a life threatening heart condition on top of the breakup drama!)

and even though the audience knew what was going on and probably started to suspect takotsubo, i actually like how the cardiologist didn’t even mention it specifically and spoke about stress and other factors. it was a smoother way to force maya to confront her family history under the guise of this health scare early on and have her reconnect with her grandmother. again, part of the slow burn, peeling of the onion layers of maya’s backstory.

finally we have the nurse immediately calling out takotsubo when maya mentions her symptoms post breakup in ep 5. it’s a recurring theme in skam france for the nurse to basically always create these lightbulb moments for the main (in addition to providing much needed comedic relief!) and it’s no different here. and it may go towards maya examining what did not work in her relationship with lola despite the fact that there is so much love there. it’s not about a misplaced or lack of love or desire for lola (and why the tinder dates weren’t the quick fix that perhaps maya was looking for.) but it’s about maya effectively communicating to lola how she feels (using her words vs. heart eyes and longing looks.) because i don’t think maya has really internalized why lola broke things off, but i do think she’s a lot closer than she was in ep 1 to figuring it out and working on those parts of her self in the meantime.

[spelviin]

basically i have a lot of Thoughts™ about the whole “other people getting to play as glenn at this point in the story” thing and i need to inflict them on other ppl sry

ok so like. basically i’m kinda of two minds about the whole thing. like, on the one hand, i totally get “glenn fatigue” setting in, we’re like six months or something into his arc and tbh we don’t have an awful lot of clear-cut development or growth to show for it (some, absolutely, but not a whole lot). so a part of me is totally feeling the “just get on with it!” impulse, and in that regard i am glad we finally got him to break. 

on the other hand though, in the actual moment on my first listen-through of the ep, my honest impression was that i felt a little bit disappointed. not because it was jimmy getting to act out the moment, but because the reaction to the call from morgan itself felt just a teensy bit out of character to me? 

because like, we’ve seen this scene before. we’ve seen glenn take a call from morgan for the first time, back at castle ravenloft, and it did not go then the way it did in this ep. glenn was shaken, yes, absolutely, but it was a very quiet, heavy, restrained devastation. and it might have evolved from there and turned into something bigger, but he never had a chance to process the sudden reopening of that deep emotional wound in the moment because the o-dad reveal happened literally immediately afterward. 

that being said though, at least in my opinion, freddie did not let that moment or its implications on glenn slide, and was playing the emotional aftermath of that call for several episodes afterwards. and yeah, sure, that post might have been me reaching, but i do think that that shit indicates that freddie does have a plan for this character.

and it’s weird to say, but i don’t know how much of the rest of the podcast jimmy has listened to, whether or not he heard the ep with the phone call to morgan, and whether or not that factored in to the way he played that moment when glenn was in his hands. to me tbh i felt like it probably didn’t, but that’s just me.  

now, to be fair, the absolute last thing i want to do here is sell jimmy short. he did a fantastic job playing as glenn in this episode, his acting in that moment was perfectly devastating (”don’t get in the car” fucking BROKE me fr) and in his defence in terms of characterization, the glenn in this episode is in a very different emotional state than the glenn who answered the phone at castle ravenloft. he has been though hell, he has had his soul thrown from his body, he’s been put on trial, he’s been held in solitary confinement and been periodically tortured for nearly a decade, he’s had his entire life usurped by a fucking cop of all people, he has had his son, the only family he has left, the person he loves in this world more than anything, look him in the eye and tell him that he hates him. like, it is very very reasonable to assume that glenn is in a much more fragile state, and that being confronted with morgan’s voice now absolutely would push him over the edge and make him finally break. like that is an extremely reasonable and valid read on the character. i just don’t know if it feels 100% right to me. 

i don’t know how that scene would have gone if freddie had been playing it, but i do lowkey suspect it would have been a bit different. not better or worse, not even necessarily more or less satisfying, just different. 

BUT that does lead to the silver lining in all this. the thing we have going for us in terms of glenn’s characterization moving forward is that the players all know who they - and more importantly in this case, each other - will be playing in the next episode. which means that if there is anything freddie wants or doesnt want in terms of glenn’s characterization, he can discuss it all with will in between recordings. and yeah “spirit of improv” blah blah blah, the point is that if he does have a secret master plan of the nuances of glenn’s emotional state and how to deal with the current situation, he has a method of making that known to the guy who’s been handed the reins. 

and honestly i think this might actually be a bit of a win-win, because (and this is just my own baseless impression of a complete stranger who i do not and will never actually know, so take it with a massive grain of salt) i kind of lowkey get the impression that freddie might not be entirely comfortable with performing really intense emotional scenes? and lord knows that is absolutely will’s wheelhouse, like, dude has made me cry so many times over the course of this podcast, he is a goddamn powerhouse when it comes to emotional performances. so like, there is an opportunity here, if it is in fact what the players actually want (which, again, this is complete speculation), for everyone involved to kind of have their cake and eat it too. we as the audience get the emotional payoff for glenn, freddie doesn’t have to fake-cry on the podcast if he doesn’t feel comfortable doing so, but he still gets the opportunity for input as to his vision for how this would all play out. 

anyways, i’m likely wrong about all of this. i used to think i had an idea of where this arc was gonna go, but everything’s been so buckwild (in the best possible way for the most part) that i’ve accepted the only thing i’m usually right about is doodler shit and am now just settled in and enjoying the ride lmao. 

[lizacstuff]

Can’t wait to read you thoughts on this episode. Eda and Serkan are getting engaged! ngl seeing the rings did something to me, I haven’t recovered yet.

I KNOW!!!!! I missed the rings so much. When folks were upset during the filming of 20 when it became apparent he wasn't wearing the ring anymore, I remember saying that they have to take them off so they can put them back on for real, and it will be oh so sweet when they do. Flashforward six weeks and YES!!!! Just seeing those rings again is sweet we're going to die when they actually slip them on during the next episode. I'm not attached to any of my own jewelry the way I'm attached to their rings, lmao.

As a whole this episode was very enjoyable for me.  The new writers clearly realized they needed a mood change after episode 25, and I was thrilled to see the show return to its roots. The tone felt more like the first batch of episodes than any in recent memory. What a relief. Also I've said prior to this that I suspected that where we would feel Ayse's absence was in the humor and lack of sparkle.  Well I thought this episode had plenty of both, so I stand corrected. The first Edser scene with Serkan gliding by Eda without saying a word and then having his trusty sidekick Leyla keep an eye on what they were doing outside set the light comedic tone and put everything on the right footing from the get go. 

More later on Edser, let's start with all the nonsense they use to fill the rest of the 2+ hours. 

(continue under the read more)

What in the frack is Babaanne's endgame?  Does she have one?  Is it to take revenge on Serkan? To get Eda back in her orbit? Or just to cause chaos? Or is she testing them? Not sure. 

I enjoyed the scene between mom and son, Aydan and Serkan's relationship has really become one of the best on the show, certainly better than recent Eda/Ayfer.  Which is interesting, because in the pilot they established that while Serkan may be rich with material things, he was lacking in love and emotional familial support, while Eda was poor in regards to material things, but was surrounded by love in the form of her family/friends. Though perhaps one of the greatest gifts Eda's given Serkan is an improved relationship with his mother, and the impetus to distance himself from his unloving father. While Serkan has inspired her growing independence from her aunt. 

Speaking of them, let's move on to Aydan and Ayfer. PLEASE MADE THIS CHEF NONSENSE END! Good grief. I really don't enjoy watching these two ladies making total asses of themselves over this douche. Both of them trying to catch him on his jog and then going along with his aikido nonsense. It feels like he's just playing with them for his own amusement. Both deserve better and I don't even like Ayfer. Also if my boss gave me a single red rose for being employee of the month, I'd find that both creepy and hella disappointing (crash prizes please.) 

Meanwhile Ayfer is still testing my last nerve. When Aydan and Seyfi show up and inform her that they've found out that Serkan and Eda broke up and she responds with, "Were they even together to break up?" I wanted to slap her upside the head. Whatever official relationship status Eda and Serkan have, they have been connected and in a romantic relationship this entire time. The bit of time jump at the start of 15 before she goes back to work for Efe, is really the only section of time since they've met where they weren't in a relationship. And while Eda isn't all that forthcoming with Ayfer when it comes to Serkan, she hasn't really hidden it well. It was at Ayfer's birthday when they were on the ice together being very romantic, Ayfer was at Aydan's 70s party and could very well see Eda and Serkan attached at the hip all night and wound around one another intimately slow dancing, Ayfer knows Eda spent the night at Serkan's when she left because of Babaanne, Ayfer was at the NY party and saw them together there. Not to mention Ayfer knows Serkan saved her business and why, she knows Serkan was still wearing his ring, and she knows Eda looked completely shattered over leaving Serkan as Ayfer heartlessly reacted with glee in the last episode. 

So asking "were they even together" just completely diminishes what Eda is currently going through, as if parting with him is no big deal because there was nothing there to begin with, when she knows better. When she's seen it with her own two eyes. Seriously.. fuck her. Every other character who is a friend of Eda and Serkan all know that they're a unit. I don't even feel bad that she came to ArtLife to beg for Eda's company, but Eda ended up blowing her off. Surprising Serkan with a proposal was a much better use of her time.

Engin and Piril, yeeesh, I feel for Piril, trying to put off this meeting. I'm sure she's thinking it's for Engin's own good, but her flipping into total bitch mode when they're newlyweds... not great. Not an auspicious start to the marriage. Even if she wants to keep Engin away from her father, she ought to confide in Engin and tell him why she's freaked. I'm assuming we'll get more of that in the next episode since Engin is looking rough in those promo stills. 

My favorite side plot was probably Grandog's henchman's (what is his name?) crush on Melo. Melo deserves to be crushed on, and I love that she is so uninterested that she doesn't see it.  Much more fun to have him chasing her, and her being oblivious. Poor Leyla, trying in vain to get his attention when he only has eyes for Melo. Enjoyed that Melo and Leyla made the agreement that Melo would help Leyla get the dude and Leyla would help get rid of Erdem. I'm looking forward to see where this goes. 

Ceren and Ferit... were there too. 

Now onto the A story (and let's be real the only one that matters) Eda and Serkan. Obviously 25 left us off in a very sad, heartbroken place. I'm not sure what decisions were made, when or why, but at some point TPTB decided they needed to get back to their roots and thank goodness. Episode 25 was just so dark, Eda was miserable the entire episode, as was Serkan, and that's not fun to watch for 2 hours. The way they handled them here is much better. 

I know some feel the tone shift was too much. To that I would say, it was so dark in ep 25, I'm happy to do a 180, no matter the reason, to get back to a place where watching is fun, and also I think of the breakup as Eda throwing the breaks on a runaway train and once she did, and she was sure the train was stopped at least for the time being, then she could take a moment, reassess the situation and potentially decide it wasn’t as dire as she thought. In the last episode, every moment Eda delayed giving that old bitty what she wanted, something catastrophic befell Serkan, his business, or his family. The pressure mounted, the stakes were high and in the end she had to do whatever was necessary to stop Babaanne's assault on Serkan. 

This episode we saw her catch her breath and then formulate a plan. I think a tone shift fits with that. Of course she feels lighter knowing that even though she hurt Serkan, he's protected for the moment. Now that that's taken care of, she's ready for next steps. So it works that the next morning we see her telling Melo and Ceren that she's not going to give up Serkan, and outlining her plan around getting close to Babaanne in order to get something on her. Good girl!  

As I said above, I just adored that first scene outside ArtLife. The girls gathered around, trying to warn Eda that Serkan was coming, and then his walk by where he KNEW EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING when he got right up in Eda's business without even looking at her.  He knows what makes her weak in the knees. And I love that Serkan decided to play it like this. HE KNOWS. He knows she loves him, he knows there's more to the breakup, and he knows how to deal with it. Drive her crazy until she cracks and tells him everything. OR drive her crazy until they end in a passionate, possessive sex explosion. One or the other.  

Quick poll, who didn't love watching Serkan take back the reigns of his company? This gal did. YAAAAAAAAAAASSSSS. Alpha Serkan is back. Kick the old bag's throne to the curb. Kick the old bag's creepy client to the curb. Now we just have to kick the old bag and her deranged, obsessed sidekick to the curb as well.  But for now, I loved seeing him at the end of the table, making decisions, not brooking opposition. The team squabbling over his decision, but he just sits back, unbothered. Total power move. I appreciate Ferit questioning the decision, questioning it is the right thing to do in his position, but he may have gotten a little too pissy about it. Dude, this entire company IS Serkan. The success of the company is due to his talent, his vision, his business acumen. I get they're all worried he's making a decision because of Eda, but he's got a proven track record of, you know, being right, so there's no reason to get shirty. If Serkan doesn't want to work with someone, his instinct is probably on target.

Eda getting Babaanne to stand down warmed me from the inside out. I find it interesting that she used the argument that they were pushing him too hard and he didn't deserve it, and Babaanne bought it. For one I think Eda was worried Serkan was going to snap and do something that might start Babs' Bolat revenge cycle again. For two, she just wants the love of her life to win and be calm. However, if anyone in that room didn't catch onto what happened there, that Eda and BigB leave and then come back a minute later and BigB has done a 180, I question their competence. *cough* Ferit *cough* He's just not the sharpest tool in the shed. However, obviously, Serkan knew. 

On another note, they've gotten pretty murky with the line between ArtLife and the holding.  Babaanne has 45% of the Holding, not ArtLife. Ferit has 5% of the holding, not ArtLife. So which company was working with the Prince?  Since it was a project to design a house, seems like that should be ArtLife? But Babs and Ferit seemed to think they had a vote which they shouldn't if it's ArtLife.  Who knows... whatever. 

Have you ever seen anything cuter than Eda in her coat and boots and protective helmet, leaning over, clutching her chest, exhausted after climbing all those stairs?  I mean she's an adorable bean just bent over and huffing and puffing, but the fact that she just climbed up goodness knows how many flights of stairs (judging by that view, an impossible number, but we'll allow it) just to see Serkan?  We giggle at her excuse that she did that because he gave her too much work. Eda, he's not going to buy that, luckily none of us want him to buy it. These two, they can't stay away from each other. Ever. She was also probably worried after the foreman told her he'd been up there for hours. Again, I think she's concerned that she's pushed him too far. So now she's in Serkan's shoes after the first breakup. Navigating that push pull of wanting to be with him, but sticking to the decision to end it for his sake. 

It's nice to see that her claustrophobia was not "cured" after going up in the elevator with Serkan one-time. On her own, she's still not able to face it. I'm sure she could do it again with him, but there's more work to be done before she can face it without him. 

Serkan was surprisingly vulnerable in both his conversation with Engin and with Eda on the top of that skyscraper. Even just telling Engin he was too out of sorts to join him for lunch, tells us that while he knows what he's doing, he knows there's more to the story, but he's still hurting and unsettled after the breakup. Then, "I create to make people happy, but I myself can't be happy. It's strange." Oh Serkan. I think you ripped my heart out with that... Eda's too. 

Eda was so discombobulated by Serkan's attitude. Whatever she expected from him, his acceptance of the break up, wasn't it. His proposal that they be "friends" threw her and she looked so distressed when he said, "Everyone will live their own life." Alarm bells started going off for her, much as they did for him at the top of ep 19 when Eda said she was going to start living her life. She did NOT like the idea of Serkan Bolat out there living a life that didn't include her, lmao. 

It's crazy to me that Eda has a friend like Fifi, who probably breaks and enters for a living, and yet she chooses Melo for a clandestine operation. Come on, Eda, you got to choose the right person for the job, lmao. I also question Eda's choice of cat burglar wardrobe. Seemed a bit... restricting and flashy. Though her skin-tight, snakeskin breaking-and-entering dress and fashionable trespassing boots did make it easier to transition to fine dining and driving your man towards rambunctious breakup/makeup/jealousy sex.  Not much to say about the restaurant scenes. The prince is creepy af, and was that the most awkward dance.... ever? The looks back and forth between Edser were excellent, so much tension and longing and jealousy. But boy is it hard to watch a scene with Balca in it, ugh she makes my skin crawl and I don’t even like looking at her. Also the deliberate way the actress has chosen to speak is irritating. Anyway, we now know Balca is pretty much capable of anything, if she’s capable of essentially poisoning the man she thinks she loves. Yikes. Did Nana realize that Balca poisoned him? I have to believe she did, because him being sick seemed part of the plan. THEY'RE ALL FULL EVIL!!! .

One thing I don't believe is that Eda Yildiz would ever walk out of that restaurant with Serkan looking that bad. No way she leaves him to Balca's care, or anyone else's for that matter. Nope, regardless of who was watching she would have insisted on taking him to the doctor herself.  But I get they were setting up the plot, so they sacrificed that bit. 

These villains are really bad at driving a wedge between two people who love each other. AngryGran is all like, "I know a foolproof plan, let's put them in the same room and get 'em all riled up with jealousy, then make Serkan sick so Eda's worried, then I'll convince her to go check on him and let's see what happens!" LMAO. Cheers to you, dumbasses, you brought us a whole heaping plate full of S.E.X. They were really banking that Eda was going to fly off the handle and think that Serkan went from an allergic reaction to sexing up the new obsessed employee very quickly. It's great that they all underestimate Eda and Serkan's relationship and connection, that should continue to help Edser as long as these fools continue to meddle. 

Eda was, wait for it, LEGENDARY, in her smackdown of Balca. QUEEEEEEEN. I'll never be over the, "You can only be with a statue of Serkan, darling." BWAHAHAHAHA. Yes! Throw her creepy, inappropriate present back in her face. And Balca's gall asking Eda to leave and then continually lecture Eda that they'd broken up. That takes either big cajones or huge helpings of delusion, because Balca has very little information when it comes to their relationship, yet she's playing her hand like she knows it all and like she doesn't care what gets back to Serkan. However, got to hand it to Balca for keeping her composure once Eda saw through her little staged production, because her story was painfully weak. Let's say for real that you're at your boss's house, the boss is sick so you're hanging around downstairs by yourself just to make sure everything is okay. What's the problem with just... you know... wearing your outfit with a coffee stain?  Unless you had a massive big gulp sized coffee and poured it over your head, why even change? Don't you just... live with the stain? It's not like you're making a presentation to the board of directors in 5 minutes.  For the love of god you're sitting there and no one else is around. Weak alibi.  

Poor Serkan, he's just there trying to sleep off having his allergies maliciously triggered, and he completely misses out on the love of his life fighting for him downstairs. Oh how he would have loved to see that. But oh what a way to wake up, with Eda Yildiz standing over him, looking magnificent, and rousing him with a scolding tone. I've already talked about how HOT the jealousy and possessiveness was here, so I'll focus on the scene itself. 

Let’s talk about the fragman first. Due to the short production timeline of this show, when they create a trailer they're doing it from the dailies, not from the show itself. That part of the show usually hasn't even been edited yet so the fragman exists before the episode. That means often there are scenes or angles that appear in the fragman, but not in the episode. It happened bigtime with the shower scene in 19, it happened randomly with the fragman for 20, they showed that really great shot of heartbroken Serkan in red, but didn't show the full thing in the episode, (when giffing it I had to use the fragman) and here, several of the best shots of Eda and Serkan ripping each other's clothes off were in the fragman and didn't make the episode. We can live with it for a lonely Serkan shot, but it's quite a bait and switch in this instance. Especially when pretty much every member of the cast (except Hande, Kerem didn't post anything either, but he did appear in that IGlive where the cast mercilessly teased him about it) promoted the scene. Not cool. I realize that they're dealing with sensors and may have had to cut things in order to avoid fines and such, but then they probably should have found a way to release the uncut scene on the internet as I've read other Turkish shows have done and like they did with episode 13. If you're gonna put something like this in the fragman to entice viewers, and have the cast promote it, you need to be willing to deliver. Badly done on the part of both Fox and MF Yapim.

That being said, one of the great things about the tighter restrictions this show has to adhere to, is they really show the intimacy instead. On an American show, these characters would have started eating each other's faces off and then tumbled into bed. There is something very hot, though, about them just invading each other's space, breathing each other's scent, nose to nose, nose to neck, nose to cheek... without breaching. Plus we got to see him carry her to the bed... even if they darkened it to the point you can barely see. I saw enough. HOT. The scene was short, but more tantalizing than lots of love scenes I've seen.

I was sad she left while he still slept in the morning. For him not to feel her get out of bed, she must have worn him out! It really would have been nice to see them wake up together, but I'm sure that will come. Plus it gave us the tension filled scene in the office. The knocked over lamp in the background was a delicious detail. Things got rambunctious! I'm glad Eda got to return the sentiment that only she can touch him, if only Serkan had heard it! Another thing that would have made him so happy if only he knew about it.

Melo is all of us upon learning about their night of passion. She's a whole cheerleader for them, and I love it. 

The post-sex scenes at the office were amazing. For several seconds I thought that he really did think it was a dream. Panic started to set in until she admitted she'd had it too. Phew. No hiding for Eda. I'm glad he flirted, instead of getting offended, and that she was at least honest about there being something she needed to do before they could really be together. Eda also handled the office conversation with Balca well. Love that she didn't show any reaction to her claim about Paris, just wished her a good trip. I felt that deep breath she took before going into his office. Yes, girl, calm down before you march in and accuse him of something, good thing he immediately invited her. I just about melted at, "I don't want to argue... you're precious to me." Serkan is gradually learning how to head off her fits of pique. 

The proposal... I... just... okay... my heart... I need a minute... still not over it. 

It was perfect. She made a surprise for him!!!!  After he asked her for a surprise a few episodes ago she did it and surpassed even his wildest dreams. It was quite a surprise for us too! Thank you for not spoiling it, show!  Serkan has told Eda he loves her about 3 dozen different ways, he's made it clear how he feels and what he wants ("Eda Bolat, sounds nice."). There is no doubt that he was ready to propose the moment he felt she'd be receptive, so it was wonderful that she threw caution to the wind and did it. Both Serkan and the audience needed to see exactly how much she loves him, and this was a wonderful way to do that. It's pretty much the biggest thing she could have done.  Also for those of us in other parts of the world (I'm in the US) it might not be too out of the ordinary for a woman to propose, but from what I understand it's rare and possibly non-existent on Turkish shows. That's pretty cool.

Did you see his face!?!? He was so happy at first when he registered that she was actually standing in front of him and then just totally gobsmacked when he saw the rings and realized what was happening. As for Eda, she was just glowing. GLOWING. And don't even get me started on the plane. That trip on the day after they met is such an important part of their love story and the call back here is wonderful. The first time around he thought she was there for him, this time he can't believe that she's there for him.  

Can't wait to see the way the full conversation/proposal plays out, do ya'll think he'll say yes? (hee)

[tarithenurse]

Nightingale - 1

Pairing: Hatake Kakashi &/x Fem!OC Contents: Mystery, probably incorrect ninja schooling. A/N: Yes. I’m throwing myself into Naruto fanfic writing. I HAVE NOT watched everything yet (am at ep.170), and while I do try to research and stick to canon-lore etc. I also try to avoid spoilers which means that there WILL be some irregularities and even mistakes. I’ll be correcting each coming chapter as I learn more from the series, but please bear with me <3 The series will contain all 3 warnings: violence/gore (incl. mentions of non-con), smut, psychological messes. As usual ASK or REBLOG for tag!

Ch. 1

The sour smoke still reached him up on the branch, making Kakashi wave it away with an annoyed wrinkle on the nose. Not that anyone could see it, of course, with the collar pulled up to cover most of his face. Below on the ground, some of his friends and fellow leaders of the younglings were discussing the latest of their wards’ accomplishments.

“Hey, Kakashi!” Asuma followed the call with a pebble bouncing off Kakashi’s boot harmlessly. “What’s your trio up to?”

Being obnoxious, probably. “Training balance.” A thin beam of sun found a way between the foliage above meaning two hours had passed. “I better see if they’ve killed each other yet.”

“The boys still not getting along?” Kurenai guffaws.

Nope. But the two jōnin didn’t get that answer because the silver-haired man was already leaping from branch to branch towards the river. Only two weeks had passed since Iruka handed over the training of Team 7 and the new sensei started to learn what the friend’s bickering had been about.

As suspected, they were not cooperating, guaranteeing instead that they were still stuck on the tiny platform he had left them on in the middle of the raging stream – too wide to leap across without a running start and too strong to swim. At least, they have found the ropes.

Watching from the shadow of the forest, Kakashi saw them argue and take turns to tie the rope around their waists and attempt to jump or swim...only to need being hauled back up by the other two. He almost thought they might succeed when Sasuke tied one of his shuriken to an end and launched it, the blade slamming into the trunk of the very tree the team leader was sitting in. A new argument broke out over the option to repeat the trick with the second rope or to use it as a life line, but eventually they chose the latter. Fortunately. All of three steps...not bad.

“Cleanliness is a virtue,” Kakashi cheered them on, receiving little more than glares as he settled down at the brink with his book.

He made them try everything they could before tossing small hints at them. Not surprisingly, itwas Naruto who accidentally came up with the answer when he jokingly protested they would get further by tossing each other off the platform.

“And again, what is the lesson here?” Kakashi didn’t expect them to be happy about the answer.

They weren’t: “Teamwork.”

...

If only they would stop competing among themselves. But as the exasperated jōnin settles onto his bed, he knows there must be a lesson to learn for himself on that matter because a good leader can unite the members of his team. Somehow.

Scrunching the covers comfortably behind his back, he reaches into the pocket to retrieve the book – only a few pages left of this volume of Icha Icha and nothing will interrupt him now. He flips the book open with one hand and pulls the collar down with the other only to freeze mid-movement as something slips out from between the pages.

Hmm? The thin object lies suspiciously still on the creases of his uniform. Round, not unlike a coin but with tapered edges still too blunt to cut. Trap? But he can’t see how: the item is unmarked, and too thin to be an explosive or house any sort of trigger unless it’s the surface itself, so he angles the book, catching the disc-shaped surprise between the pages to get to lift it into the light. Not glass. But it’s smooth and thin like it, tinted black without losing the translucent quality. Stone. Scrutinizing it yields no information on neither its origin nor purpose, and Kakashi reluctantly presumes it could have been in the book when he bought it.

Speaking of book...Setting aside the oddity on the windowsill, he refocuses on the more important task.

...

The night is paling when Kakashi wakes up with a start only to find the small room perfectly empty. Looking through the gloom, everything is as it should be: his clothes neatly folded on the chair to the left while the desk and the shelves above hold the paperwork he needs to complete and his pass time literature; the yukata hanging on a hook on the door, boots in the corner next to the narrow cabinet housing some of the bigger weapons.

Then what woke me?

Getting up, the cool night air hugs his body. There’s no reason to dress, checking the door and window (both still locked) takes little time and he can tug himself under the cover again.

That’s when he sees it – or rather: doesn’t see it. When he fell asleep, there had been an odd disc next on the windowsill. Now it’s gone.

[nastasyafilippovnas]

The exchange between Siena and Simon is very interesting to me. He seemed like he suspected something since Anthony, not being subtle at all, stormed out as soon as he saw her, and if I remember correctly this scene happened after he was already starting to get involved with Daphne . Yet not only did he not try to stop her from flirting he actually entertained the conversation and while he was probably only being polite, there was a sudden change in his expression when she directly invited him to her performance. He could have easily declined and said he was too busy with his duties as a duke and she wouldn't have insisted. But he didn't even answer and left the possibility open to the point that she expected him to come.

Also there was a woman in his bed when he was getting ready to meet Daphne, so it's not like he immediately stopped his rakish ways because of her.

I definitely think he was tempted but didn't do it to avoid another conflict with Anthony since he already broke the bro code.

Simon and santhony is the source of endless fascination to me, because he is the character who interacted with them the most and, possibly, the only one who figured out Anthony was in love with Siena.

Their first scene on the club in ep. 01, when Simon and Anthony are catching up, Simon already asks Anthony about his mistress and if he is planning to fuck her forever, so Simon knows who Siena is. And then, in ep. 03, both of them are, like, "yay, girls!" when the women come in the club, but Anthony's whole demeanor changes once he sees Siena and of course Simon notices it. I think he figured the two of them were in the outs and wondered what Siena had to say to him, if she would try flirting with him. I don't think he takes Anthony and Siena's relationship too seriously at that point, so he doesn't mind talking to her. But talking is different from actually sleeping with her. 

And when she asks if he wants to see one of her performances, it's clear to both of them she is not inviting him to the opera. I think there's a part of Simon that wanted to go, or wanted to still be the rake who would go see a beautiful singer in her dressing room. And I think he would have done it. But then, in the next scene, you have Simon and Daphne at the gallery, and that was the turning point for him, with his hands brushing and him realizing he actually liked her. And yes, his relationship with Anthony also factored in because they are always arguing and Simon probably didn't want another problem. It was like, "If I sleep with her, then Anthony is coming after me again and I so do not want to deal with him". 

He should've gone, though. We were robbed of the best ship imo, lol.

[aspiestvmusings]

ZEP SPOILER PREDICTION?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD, SO BEWARE...

BASED ON EPISODE 1x01 - 1x10 + MY PREDICTIONS FOR 1x11 - 1x12

LONG & RANTY POST. NOT SO “POSITIVE” THOUGHTS, SO BEWARE: 

So... I’ve had this “feeling” since the Pilot & I kinda got confirmation for my theory in this weeks episode. And if I combine it with the s1 finale (1x12) episode summary, then it could fit, because “Zoey tries to stop something bad from happening” according to the description. 

Everyone thinks that that’s related to her dad, but... ever since that spoiler came out, I’ve suspected it’s related to someone & something else (even though it is pretty certain her dad will be gone at the end of ep 1x11 or early 1x12). I think that’s a reference to something Simon related instead. 

Zoey’s first “real” interaction with Simon was in the Pilot episode, when she heard him sing “Mad World”. In the latest episode, 1x10 he sang the same song again. And I am predicting that the song MIGHT even be heard the third time during the season...in the finale. (or maybe she’ll just come to realize why she heard him sing that again.. in 1x10)

We’ve seen how Simon has been unable to deal with his grief, to move on, to let go. We’ve seen how it has destroyed him, his relationships... everything. And if we listen to the lyrics (original song by “Tears for Fears”, the extra sad newer version by Gary Jules), and think of Simon’s behaviour (he really is the great pretender”!...as demonstated well in many little scenes in 1x02 & 1x03...for example), I think it’s possible he’s gonna try to go down the same path his dad did. And that’s the “bad thing” Zoey is trying to stop in the s1 finale. 

On this note: I can’t believe that Zoey still hasn’t figured out why Simon was put in her path..at this time. She’s not just supposed to help him, he’s supposed to help her. She’s supposed to learn from him and not make the same mistakes (since she’s not figured that out yet, she’s going down the same path as he is). Simon has been avoiding his grief, and it has made him a mess. He’s not talked with anyone about it..really, he’s not talked about it with his loved ones, and it lead to destroying himself, and his relationships. 

And guess what Zoey has been doing...ever since we met her? She’s avoiding dealing with “her daddy issues”, and it has made her a mess, and ruined many of her relationships (best friends, relatives...). Until she realizes that she’s not supposed to make the same mistakes, and she’s supposed to learn from him, it’s not good. She’s ignored or forgotten (by the next day) all good advice from her friends and family...on this.. and she can’t take it all on her own..she needs to share the grief with people who care about her... to be able to deal...with it all... 

Yet...

                      *************************************************

This weeks episode (1x10) did what I expected, and I know that the show is trying to claim everything Zoey is doing is affected by her grief...and that’s why she’s a mess, and that’s why... all... but I still can’t believe that (even if it’s the “anger” phase of her grief) she still hasn’t figured out that the lyrics of the songs that people sing tell her how she must help them. And she still, to this day, has not helped Simon with his grief. And according to the rules Mo wrote down...that’s “no good” - she must help the person singing...with the “problem” they have. She might’ve not wanted the power & it might not be fair to have to help people...especially at a time when she’s losing her dad... but they established that she must... in order to make all good. 

She can “hear” (thanks to her power) how Simon feels, and yet she hasn’t actively helped him with his grief. And I know the writers are trying to say that it’s because of her own grief (and going through the stages herself), but it has just surprised me how she focuses all her energy on pursuing the engaged (until recently) man...romantically... (obsessively, so), instead of helping him (and instead of focusing on the #1 man in her life..her dad... and I still can’t believe she’s avoided that til now... cause she’s wasted so much precious time... til the very last minute... and she now has so little time left with him...cause she’s been focusing all her energy on trying to repeat her past relationship mistakes... -- and go for the complicated, exhausting for everyone... option,-- ). She’s spent so much energy on obsessing over the engaged (til 4 days ago) man, while claiming she has no time for any romance... (her words & actions don’t match!). 

Her heart song to him in 1x08  also said “didn’t I see you crying?”, so she is (deep down) aware that that’s the emotional state she was him in, and yet they have not had a real, proper, discussion on how to deal with the grief! And hearing him sing the same song again in 1x10 should’ve told her that the man is still “stuck”...still... and that means she didn’t really help him...yet. Which means she must try to help him...again...til it works. (and in helping him she’ll help herself... and learn from his mistakes..and not repeat them..)

Also looking forward to the day when Zoey realizes that the thing that bothers her about Simon is what bothers Max about her: She doesn’t like that Max is pursuing her & yet she is pursuing Simon the same way....at a time when she claims she needs to focus on her dad. She doesn’t like that Simon has no clarity (doesn’t return her feelings... doesn’t want to start anything), but she doesn’t understand that she’s doing the same thing herself...to Max - she has no clarity herself. And if she’s allowed to not like how Simon doesn’t give her an answer & be upset that he doesn’t like her back...then it should be OK for Max to not like how she doesn’t give him/her BFF an answer & be upset that she doesn’t seem to like him back. 

The moment when she realizes tha parallels..is what I'm looking forward to. For her (and some of the viewers) to realize how the things that bother her about Max’s behaviour are parallel how she herself has behaved. (fans claim “Max is pushing Zoey to love him back & going after her...strong”, but what has she done all season? “Zoey has been pushing Simon to love her back & going after him...strong”) The two storylines are exactly the same. And that’s done on purpose on the show. 

She claims she has no time to focus on romance, cause she’s so caught up with her dad & grief, so it’s not the right time to pursue romance, yet she spends much of her screentime actively wishing for & pursuing a romace with Simon. She has the time to go to dinner with him (at a time when I expected her to practically move in with her parents...for the last few weeks), yet she doesn’t take time to actually get her BFF a “congrats on the promotion” gift...when in contrast she gets the “just-broke-up-his-engagement” man a housewarming gift... (she had 4 days to buy that pen/mouse... but she didn’t, but she got the plant for the same night. Same with telling Mo how she’s upset about the Simon news...while not even a mention of Max’s news - move to 6th floor. It’s like they really never were friends...cause she voices no concerns about losing a good programmer & friend...only “worrying” about her office crush...). #WhyAreTheyWritingHerLikeThat  #SheCanGoThroghTheAngerPhaseWithoutBeingExtraRude

To me..that shows just how much she really “cares”. And she might be grieving & a mess..but right now...she does not “deserve” Max...as her BFF (even though she needs her BFF...at this time) Until she’s done processing her grief & done some therapy, and focused on herself... she should do as she says, and focus on her dad, her family, herself. Make her words match her actions. (and yes, this latest ep provided that “turn” ..for her...and all the characters... as the sun will shine again...after the storm... but not before another “storm cloud” passes)

Or...in other news: I LOVED!!! how everyone told their truths to Zoey in this episode. She might be grieving & going through the stages of grief (but so are a lot of people around her....and they don’t create conflicts over this), but that doesn’t make it OK how she sometimes behaves. (Just like Simon grieving does not excuse any of his behaviour...where he was emotionally cheating on his fiancee, and kissing other women while still enaged... etc) So... the scenes where everyone told her the harsh truth...were some of my faves in this episode: Mo, her mom, (even Joan...through looks), Simon, and especially Max!) IMO she really needed to hear all of it! (and more) 

And this makes me sad that I am saying this, but... I wish Max/Zoey wasn’t the endgame...after all this. But it’s a fact that they are. But Max is a much better person than I am. And unlike me (I see the world in black & white only...and while I know it’s very human & all.. I am not a fan of “messy human feelings” -  it’s all just too irrational for my taste), he sees all the colours. And mostly...he loves her..unconditionally, so he’ll “forgive her”. But for me her indecisivness, “1 step forward, 2 steps back” w. Simon (”we’re done, this is over, no more” claims... which she takes back/forgets the very next moment/episode... because... -- she won’t be doing this no more.. but then she finds out his engagement ended...so she’s back obsessing over pursuing him...even though she just made a promise to herself to not do just that --) behaviour, and all that.. cannot be “excused” or “explained” with grief. It hasn’t worked...on screen...for me. But it has allowed some TOP acting from Jane, and Skylar, and John, and Alex...and everyone else. This  cast just keeps being amazing!

But no matter how much I’ll “fangirl” over the S1 finale M/Z moments and possible future M/Z endgame... for me it’s not the payoff... anymore (due to how S1 was written) ..it’s gonna be the unfortunate end result. Some people love TV drama, I just aren’t a fan of such messy drama... I’m simply too rational to get irrational behaviour (what writers & people call “very human” & “this is what grief & hurt does to a person”). I get the intent & get the reasons behind it, but it’s too irrational for me to like it. (cheating is cheating, you can’t take back what you’ve said/done...especially if you make the same mistake again...) #hurtpeoplehurtpeople

I’ve expressed some of these every thoughts in my previous tags and online comments... and now I just have confirmation from the ep that they did really take the exact route I did not ever want the show to take (once is a mistake, twice/three times is a pattern...). But nonetheless... M&Z is endgame. So...my only hope & wish is that there will be a S2, so we would see REALLY work on earning back her BFF (Max’s) trust and friendship. She has to work for it IMO. And she must be compleely honest with him...as she promised...and this now includes telling himall about her grief, “the triangle”, her moments with the engaged/just broken up man... That is the one thing that is a must. 

(And no, Max isn’t that much hurt because she didn’t ask him to stay or petty cause she doesn’t return the feelings, he’s upset cause no-one even came to say “good luck”, and his best friend didn’t even bother to get him the “good luck gift” - to him it’s like confirmation that they don’t care or appreciate him as a co-worker. It’s like his peer reviews... He’s said why he’s upset. And he’s not upset cause she doesn’t return his feelings, cause through her heart song he knows for a fact that she has romantic feelings for him + he noticed how she checked his body out (Mo’s makeover)...and that “she’s his”. He’s upset that even though she has feelings for him, she avoids them & him. And that she’s pursuing the engaged man, making him her second choice & no one wants to be the “other/second (wo)man””. She claims she can’t do more than friendship right now...cause of everything related to her dad & yet... she is pursuing more than friendship with the other guy... so once again she wasn’t honest with him... and that’s gotta hurt cause they’ve been BFFs forever...)

This latest episode, once again, used parallels...lots of them. 

Z: “You should know...what you did yesterday was really rough.”

M: “I was just..taking care of me. It wasnt personal.” 

Z: “When I told you aboout my powers, I also told you I was gonna be 100% honest with you, do you remember that? OK, so here’s the truth: I think it is personal. I think youre mad at me. Youre mad at me for not saying what you wanted to hear. And now youre trying to teach me some kind of a lesson.” 

M: “Oh, is that what you’re think?” 

Z: “That’s what I think. Why else would you take the 6th floor side? You’ve been there wor whoppin 2 days.”

M: “I dont know. Maybe because people actually like me on the 6th Floor. Do you know that Ava has said to me mor ein those 2 days than Joan  has in the last 5 years? Oh and it’s also a huge opportunity for me and my career. have you ever thought about that?” 

Z: “So you’re just gonna leave behind everybody that helped you get there? Is that the idea?” 

M: “See it how you wanna see it.” 

Z: “Nobody down here understands why Ava wanted you in the first place. Just FYI.” #ThisWasLowAndTotallyCruelThingsToSay

M: “Maybe it’s becase I’m a good person.” 

Z: “...or a very selfish one.” 

M: “YOU are calling ME selfish? Look... I have spent far too much time worrying about other peoples happiness more than my own. Especially yours. And I think that its finally time I focus on my own happiness for a change.” 

Once again the use dialogue about one relationship to parallel another relationship. If we change the words a bit & apply it in reverse, we get: 

M: “You should know...what you did yesterday was really rough.” [their 1x07/1x08 conforntation - her revealing she has feelings for him...but then taking back the words & running to another man... while claiming your focus has to be only on your dad]

Z: “I was just..taking care of me. It wasn’t personal.”

M: “When you told me about your powers, you also told me you were gonna be 100% honest with me do you remember that (Think back... have you really been that?)? OK, so here’s the truth: I think it is personal. I think you’re mad at Simon. You’re mad at Simon for not saying what you wanted to hear. And now youre trying to teach me/him some kind of a lesson.”

Z: “Oh, is that what you’re think?”

M: “That’s what I think. Why else would you avoid your best friend & obsess over an engaged man...while claiming you can’t deal with romance at this time when you should focus all your energy on your dad? You’ve known the new guy for a whopping 2+ months...compared to your best friend of 5 years.”

Z: “I dont know...:” 

M: “So you’re just gonna leave behind everybody that helped you get here (ditch your best friend, end your traditional movie nights together, dive into yet another overly complicated-exhausting for everyone-not good relationship with an engaged & grieving man...? You’re avoiding the most important man in our life = your dad, & dealing with your grief, you’re pushing away your best friend, whose always been there for you. And you’re opening up to a stranger instead of your best friend...and saying that’s a positive behaviour. Is that the idea?”

Z: “See it how you wanna see it.”

And Max’s decision in 1x09 & 1x10 was explained by Zoey's speech in 1x09..once again the two storylines are parallels as I already mentioned after last ep: 

Z: “I will never be “the other woman”. Nonetheless..I care about you. A lot. We have a chemistry & a bond that’s undeniable. And I guess I was hoping that after the kiss you’d have some clarity... about all of it. Clarity ... you still don’t have. And maybe never will. So... I have to make a change.... instead of just sitting around, and waiting...and hoping for something to happen...So..this is me...saying to you...officially... I can’t, and I won’t do this anymore. 

If we change the words a bit & apply that to M/Z, we get  why Max made his decision & what he’s really saying to her: 

M: “I will never be “the second choice (when youre my first...but clearly I am only 2nd choice for you)”. Nonetheless..I care about you. A lot. We have a chemistry & a bond that’s undeniable. And I guess I was hoping that after the heart song you’d have some clarity... about all of it. Clarity ... you still don’t have. And maybe never will. So... I have to make a change [move to 6th floor, putting distance between us].... instead of just sitting around, and waiting...and hoping for something to happen...that might never happen. So..this is me...saying to you...officially... I can’t, and I won’t do this anymore.”    

She is a complete mess & she still doesn’t realize the parallels. How what bothers her about Max’s behaviour (towards her) is exactly what bothers Max about her behaviour. If she feels she “has the right” to be upset with Simon over these things (no clarity, not telling her he likes her back), then she has to realize that her BFF also “has the right” to be upset with her...over the same things. And she keep projecting...her own fears and denial..into others. And I get what the writers wanted to say, but for me personally... it’s made me dislike the character, and the writing, and all, because I don’t really “understand” why she/writers would “excuse” it all with her grief making her “act crazy”. She keeps avoiding her best friend & her dad’s situation.

We know that it’s because with Max she’s got a lot to lose (the connection is deeper, there’s more to lose), while with Simon it feels “easy” and theres nothing to lose, cause they don’t have that deep connection. Just grief bond....which she keeps mixing with something other. And she doesn’t listen to reason from her friends: Mo, Max... and they can’t help her get through this all if she won’t let them in... 

And in the next eps...when THE DAY she’s been most scared of..arrives (her dad), shes gonna need her best friend, Max. And he’ll need her, cause he was close to Mitch, too. So they’re both gonna acively grieve. But before that they needed/need to “have hard conversations” and be completely honest with each other. The 1x10 “fight” was the turning point, now they just need time to figure things out...separately (as individuals, not as a duo) and realize...things. 

[littlehollyleaf]

(I had a really long, detailed version of this....... but Tumblr ate it D’: so this is... heavily abridged, sorry!)

Tagged by the ever lovely @castiel-saved-me-from-myself​ <3

pick 10 ships without reading the questions

Interesting... ok!

1. Dean/Cas (obviously)

2. Aziraphale/Crowley

3. Nygmobblepot

4. Foxma

5. Babitha

6. Amy/Rory

7. Nomi/Amanita

8. Eve/Flynn

9. Catradora

10. Cosima/Delphine

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

I think I started shipping Amy/Rory during the Venice fish monster ep - cos that was when I felt Amy really did love him back and they had a future together. Before I suspected that her running away with the Doctor was a sign she and Rory weren’t right for each other.

2. Have you ever read a FanFiction about 2?

Only read a handful of Ineffable fic. Overall I’m perfectly happy with the canon alone.

3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr?

Yes I’ve had Foxma themed phone backgrounds and a tumblr header :)

4. If 7 were to suddenly break-up today, what would your reaction be?

Disbelief and disapproval. Nomi and Amanita were one of the great constants of Sense8 for me. I think a break up would be out of character for them tbh. Plus it would be denying the black and trans characters a rare example of a happy ending, which would suck.

5. Why is 1 so important?

I wrote such a detailed thing about how DeanCas is not only important to me personally but also how I feel it’s been important for TV/media in general... ugh, tumblr!

In a nutshell - this ship helped me better myself in various ways. It introduced me to fandom,  which boosted my confidence and independence via increased socialisation; it encouraged me to write more, which improved my writing skills; meta discussions educated me on lots of issues, inc. but not limited to abuse, sexuality, gender identit, autism and racism.

I also genuinely believe that the loud and open fandom support of the ship has been a significant help in the ongoing battle for more and better queer rep in media.

6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship?

Serious! Catra and Adora’s relationship is a core part of the whole show, relating to lots of the wider themes of abuse, toxic behaviour, growth and forgiveness. Plus the significance of a same sex romance involving the lead character in a CHILDREN’S CARTOON really cannot be overstated.

(but it is also cute and funny sometimes :p)

7. Out of all of the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry?

I’ve spoken before about having issues with the concept of ‘chemistry.’ If I ship characters it’s usually because I find the combination of their characterisation and story arcs interesting/compelling. I often don’t notice (or I guess care about?) chemistry.

So I think I’m not qualified to answer this one.

8. Out of all of your ships listed, which ship has the strongest bond?

Agreeing with @castiel-saved-me-from-myself​ here - you can’t really beat the Ineffables millenia long romance :)

9. How many times have you read/watched 8’s fandom?

I’ve rewatched The Librarians 2 or 3 times now. It’s DAFT. But it’s fun. And Eve and Flynn make me feel warm and fuzzy.

10. Which ship has lasted the longest?

Again, as @castiel-saved-me-from-myself​ said - it’s gotta be the Ineffables, both within AND outside of the story, since Good Omens was originally published over 30 years ago and the Zira/Crowley shippers have been going strong all that time. Otherwise it’s DeanCas.

(though idk if Catradora was a ship back when the original She Ra cartoon was airing, or when the original cartoon was made, so it’s possible that is also a contender!)

11. How many times, if ever, has 2 broken up?

Lol at @castiel-saved-me-from-myself​ for getting Nygmob for this one, as their relationship is, like, 90% break up :P

For the Ineffables though it’s basically just the once - when Zira chooses Heaven over Crowley. Not made such a Big Deal in the book IIRC, but in the show it’s the infamous Bandstand Break Up scene.

All other separations are only minor, temporary squabbles imo. Which is what makes the Bandstand scene so PAINFULLY, BEAUTIFULLY, ANGSTY AND EMOTIONAL and why I love it so! 

12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8?

I figure angels and demons probably can’t be killed by zombies, so the Ineffables are the most likely.

But Eve and Flynn did actually face off against zombie-ghost things in an alt universe during a whole Loom of Fate plot and survived, so I think they’d probably also make it.

13. Did 5 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

No, Babs and Tabs were always open about being together, even when Tabs was also in a relationship with Butch.

I might argue they hid the depth of their feelings for each other though, even from themselves, and instead made out what they had together was just a casual ‘friends with benefits’ type thing.

Though Tabs did hide things a little when she sent assassins after Jim cos she blamed him for putting Babs in a coma. She clearly knew her brother would disappprove, which is why she didn’t tell him what she was doing. I guess that kinda counts as hiding her relationship with Babs? She was trying to conceal how much Babs mattered to her?

14. Is 4 still together?

Lol, Foxma were never together (ALAS!). But the show did end with their lingering fondness for each other intact I think.

15. Is 3 canon?

Is Nygmobblepot canon? Rather a touchy question for the fandom tbh.

If we are talking EXPLICIT canon - then no. 

They never got a kiss or a MUTUAL love declaration (and they had a controversial ‘we’re brothers’ exchange in the penultimate episode) - ergo there is not enough, imo, to say they ended the show officially romantically involved.

However, Ozzie DID EXPLICITLY DECLARE HIS ROMANTIC LOVE for Ed, and that was never rescinded. There is also LOTS OF SUBTEXT floating around Ed to imply he reciprocates. Plus they did end the show together as clear Partners in Crime.

So is Nygmob subtextual canon?

I would say yes.

But explicit, CANON canon?

A frustrating no that fandom remains, understandably, critical about.

16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

I think a toss up between Nygmob and Babitha - because everyone else has too many morals that would hold them back from killing :p

(and since Ed and Oz have both bested Babs and Tabs in the past I lean towards them... but it would depend on when in Gotham canon the games were happening!)

17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 10’s ship?

Breaking up Cosima and Delphine was a LITERAL PLOT POINT of Orphan Black at one point, so very much yes! I forget the details (the show got very twisty, with lots of different organisations working on different agendas in the shadows), but I’m pretty sure Delphine was shot because she was protecting Cosima. I remember it BROKE MY HEART and I thought it was a casebook example of Bury Your Gays. But, spoiler: it wasn��t ;)

18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond?

Going with DeanCas, because I think that, historically, it’s the one that’s been in most need of defending.

19. Do you spend hours a day going through 1’s tumblr page?

Not anymore I’m afraid. Though 3 or so years ago I used to spend most of my free time on DeanCas and spn meta. Ah, nostalgia.

20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she´d break them all forever, which ship would you sink?

Foxma. Because while I adore the idea of a messy, confused ~something between them, in my heart I know that Foxy deserves better :P

I was too tired to bother with tagging the first time I completed this - DEF not gonna bother now!

Play if you want - it’s fun :D

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

HGPC 15 - 16 | Muhyo and Roji’s s2 2 (14) | God of High School 2 | Deca-Dence 2 - 3 | Fugou Keiji 3 | Appare 4

HGPC 15

Is this Element of Water? Or Element of Plants?

HGPC 16

I sort of suspected the three broke up because it would have been like someone stole Fumi from Tetsuya…and I was right. You know that myth about how guys and gals can’t be friends ever? It seems to be in service of that.

It’s Nodoka Hanadera.

…I wonder if this vow will become relevant later?

There was a poster for the Ojamajo Doremi project, Looking for Witch Apprentices (Majo Minarai wo Sagashite). Makes sense though – they’re by the same studio.

Fest = festival, although not in the matsuri sense of the word. It’s more like a smaller, non-seasonal matsuri.

I wonder if the tree will be attacked?

I’m still wondering…how does a penguin have paws?

Is there a tiny tree?...Yep. Just a small sprout, but it is a new tree.

Muhyo and Roji’s s2 ep 2 (14)

…and they continue to misgender Goryo…the manga’s finished translation, so I don’t see why the translator couldn’t go and get a copy to check. (Unless I remembered wrong and misgendering him was actually something they did up until a point? Looks are deceiving, especially in anime…) It’s even on the Shonen Jump website.

I realised that I’m the only Muhyo and Roji’s fan, possibly in existence, in the English world right now…if I were to leave this show alone, it would die alone…and that would be far too sad.

The Showa era was a time of great Japanese prosperity, so it makes sense that there would be lots of building projects too.

“Working from home” – Makes more sense in this day and age.

Oh, I didn’t expect them to put in a really close reference! This probably refers to Minky Momo, except that seems to be an 80s series.

…if this were any other series, this girl would get isekaid.

Japanese doesn’t have a lot of gender-specific words, like I know Italian does. When Ebisu says “Ma’am”, he’s going “yes?” in the Japanese and Nana goes “kono hito…” (This person…) rather than “This woman…”…If they’re going to dub it with all these references to Goryo being a woman intact, then I suggest they not dub it at all.

I think this is the first time Muhyo’s thrown the orb he generates…

I know all this misgendering is going to bug me, but…this is one of the first series I finished. I can’t get in touch with the translators to tell them they misgendered a character, because I have no authority – if I, a rookie translator, went up against pros, based only on what I know of the Japanese language and my memory of the manga…I’d be toast!...However, I shall try, for the sake of the manga I still cherish the memories of.

God of High School 2

Apparently this dude *gestures at this bespectacled man in the first few seconds of the episode* is Iron Man (well, Robert Downey Jnr.)…but also the POTUS. Yeah, that’s confusing, but I’m just parroting what I’ve heard.

Okay, someone explain to me what “charyeok” i-Oh. It’s a concept endemic to God of High School. You could’ve translated the Korean term, people.

Mujin…that sounds familiar…ah! The organiser of the GOH tournament! That’s why.

LOL, there’s a “Yes Man” in the brackets, paired off with Daewi.

Mori is eating a banana, huh? Way to play up the monkey imagery.

Slipper jerk…? (I admit it’s been a few weeks and several anime since I saw the last episode, because I was working on the boss battle for the AniList watching club, so remind me whio that is…?) Update: That would be Manseok.

I would assume the flashbacks are actually the characters’ introductions in the webcomic, if Mori’s was any indication.

LOL, I forgot how much advertising they put all over this thing…

So Mori uses taekwondo, but what’s Daewi’s style again…?

I would assume this refers to the Korean War if it’s referring to anything real. I’ve never heard of a properly-named style of anything which was an “anything goes” style, unless you count the various wacky martial arts in Ranma ½.

Geesh, Elfen Lied with its gore was a breeze to get through, but seeing scenes like Nozomi getting tortured (in Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka) and Gamdo getting his arm twisted here…that’s nasty…

Uhh…I swear this is just Hisoka (from Hunter x Hunter)…or Chrollo (from the same series). (LOL…?)

Deca-Dence 2

W-Wuh? You mean, Deca-Dence is a game of sorts?! VR or something?!

This aesthetic is very much like neurons…and cartoons…

(Spoilers for Kado!) If you’re wondering what’s going through my head right now, I feel similar to when Kado became a a fighting show and zaShunina the villain.

Ah, giant ball trackpads (trackballs). I miss those…

I think “The Power” is “ka no chikara”, but I might be wrong. Update: Yup, that’s what the site says.

This ED is interesting, visually speaking.

Deca-Dence 3

I get the feeling the girl – the friend - was programmed to say things to dissuade people from joining the Power.

A lesser show would discard Fennel, I think. See, he popped up in conversation the other time and now here he is in the…uh, digital (?)…flesh.

Sounds like AI, doesn’t it?

This guy reminds me of Kamina from Gurren Lagann…then again, so do the Inferno Cop sunglasses on Hugin.

Those rings on the white-haired guy’s hands remind me of Hifumi’s…for some reason, the host has them.

Pipe is a Gadoll, but he (?) reacts terrified to the yell of “Gadoll!”, hmm?

Fugou Keiji 3

It’s backkkkkkkkkk!

Ooh, mooncake! Also, Daisuke…okay, calling Kambe by his first name is weird, so Kambe…only has one stud in his left [ear]. That’s interesting.

Notably, there is no age listed for Kambe on the official website. We only know he’s < 30.

…LOL, Kambe is such a petulant child.

Ah? Rounin? (That’s what you call someone who failed to get into uni and tries again.)

Atsuta Jingu. It’s in Nagoya.

LOL, got in trouble for a barrel roll. (partially joking)

Ah, so that’s what Onuki and Miyano (voices of Kambe and Kato) were talking about at the con – the fact the director says a lot with a little.

Huh? Is this like that one killer who was streaming their stuff online to garner fans for the YouTuber PewdiePie? (I forget which prolific case that is, though.) Update: I think that’s the Christchurch bombings.

The stud seems to be Kambe’s connection with HEUSC.

The group’s name is read “Yokoitsu”.

Those missiles were just for producing smoke, it seems.

I just realised the finger gun from Kato in the ED looks a lot like Spike Spiegel’s (Cowboy Bebop).

Appare 4

I missed this anime as well! AMQ makes you miss shows even more than usual, it seems.

I love how they made a Red Stapler incident (see TV Tropes on an explanation for that) out of this one boat-car.

Not even tea can convince the great Appare…(partially sarcastic)

You need a big imagination to do a test run of a car in your head…

The song “I got it!” seems very appropriate for a moment like this (Xialian’s racing debut).

I’m worried David will ram Xialian’s car…

…I predicted it. What’s going to happen now…?

[wheremytwinwatches]

[Where My Twin Watches]: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Episode 39

Last time: The Blondes finally met back up with the Brunettes, Yoki was an idiot who tried to burgle the Leto-damned ARMSTRONGS, and Scar either kidnapped or “kidnapped” Winry. Onwards!

New Intro! We’ve got the two young brothers separated by wind, then the title drawn in sand before it’s white text with a glowing red TC and the brothers running in opposite directions. Are we going to have a Party Split? Nevermind, they just slowed down to the middle of the screen. Bright light, Ed should have brought a hat to this sunny bunch of rocks. Then he looks off all dramatic like as camera goes to Al trudging through a desert before he too does the Dramatic Protagonist Stare. Both brothers back to back against the Xerxes mural ok seriously betting on a Party Split here with all the opposite directions going on. Now the Elric Brothers are running at each other and yep just phased through to become Red (Ed) and Blue (Al). Looking around for each other? Whatever happens I guess Al is with May since he has Shao on his shoulder and her gripping his hand, Ed’s got Winry in unzippered gear on his side. Camera pans out to show Al with May, Scar, and Marcoh to the left, Al, Winry, and Granny Rockbell to the right. Then a bunch more people start popping up? Can’t tell who is on which team anymore. Short image of Al’s Body in the whitespace, becomes a Stone which shatters to show a smug-looking Pride. Now Ed’s running about striking shadow blades in a forest (Ed vs Pride fight?), Al’s in the rocky desert fighting more toothy Pride blades. Wrath in what looks like a basic longsleeve shirt and vest (no uniform?) fighting LING YES TURN AGAINST THE GOTHS MY GREEDY LITTLE PRINCE Envy’s in Titan form getting sliced up by YES BRING BACK BADASS NINJA BODYGUARDS. Now it’s Armstrong The Great looking serious, Sloth burst out from snow to be used as target practice by Sideburns and a bunch of tanks but Kimblee swoops in and blows the shells up. Beard’s walking along with his briefcase frowning towards Central in the distance. Ed and Al stand back to back in a TC in the desert (not as rocky as the one Ed was in, but not as sandy as the one Al was in), shot of the Door of Truth opening and shattering, ends on the Alchemist Watch covered by the title and silhouettes of the Elric Brothers. Back where we left off: It’s a cloudy and windy day in Baschool, where Scar is carrying Winry’s limp form and glaring down at Kimblee. The Ishvalan comments on how they’ve changed positions from the last time they met, the Alchemist says he shouldn’t be so confident. Episode 39 - “Daydream” Oh no Winry’s in trouble so Ed is grabbing Kimblee’s coat and yelling at him for letting his mechanic get captured, Kimblee tells him to move aside while pulling off his gloves (hey, he’s kinda Roy’s opposite in that regard), Ed blocks his arms so that he won’t hurt Winry by attacking Scar. The Ishvalan then shatters the building, creating a nice big dust cloud to walk away in. Kimblee’s about to chase after him but a mustached soldier says that it’s too dangerous to go close to the damaged building, they need to fall back. Oh, and there’s a snowstorm incoming so they have to find shelter! Man, it has just not been Kimblee’s day, has it? Ed, Sideburns, Al and some soldiers are walking along, Miles compliments Ed on his performance aha, called it! Ross Deception! Ed’s not happy about having to play along with the “stupid charade”, though. Flashback! Scar isn’t apologizing for the death of Winry’s parents. She has every right to pass judgement on him. Winry… walks away, reaches into a box, and pulls out some cloth. Oh, wow. It it wasn’t already clear, Winry is Best Girl. Bandaging an injury on her parent’s killer? Ed and Scar are equally shocked at her compassion and what. What is that face. I’m sorry, this is a sweet and touching moment and all, but Scar? What is going on with your face here?

That is quite possibly the best Does Not Compute face I’ve ever seen. Just, Scar has no idea how to process this. Winry’s saying that if her parents saved his life before, then there must have been a reason. But like Leto does this mean that she’s forgiven him for his murders. She’s not gonna cry though, she promised… wait, I thought it was Ed who promised that the next time she cried it would be tears of joy? Ah whatever. Ok, you’ve got Scar bound up. Angry boyfriend proclamations aside, time to make him decipher the book NO DON’T CALL HEADQUARTERS YOU IDIOTS. Aaaargh. Wait Scar’s asking Sideburns what he meant by “one of your people”, can’t understand how an Ishvalan could stomach being part of the Amestrian military. Sideburns responds that he’s working on the inside to change Amestrian views of Ishvalans, Scar is shocked at such an idea, and that it was an Amestrian that set Sideburns on the path. Scar can only look down. [Scar]: “Look at me. I am a festering wound of hatred born of the Ishvalan War. I am thankful that there is someone like you out there.” Aaargh but just as Scar is realizing that maybe wanton murder isn’t the way to go about things the call goes through, and Kimblee is on his way to “deal” with Scar. This drives Marcoh and May to reveal themselves. Finally! Oh, and now May can patch up Scar’s arm! Outside the Mustached Mook is noting the stormy clouds, Kimblee tells them to hurry up (gee, I wonder if he’ll get there in time?). Marcoh and May are yes thank you for Leto’s sake it took long enough they’re saying that they’ve got groundbreaking Alchemy/Alkahestry research but the only one who can read it is Scar. Sideburns notes that May is the Alkahestry girl they’ve been searching for as well, says that she needs to come back with them to Fort Briggs. Add in that Scar’s needed to read the notes and it’d be just as bad for Marcoh to be recaptured, looks like all three need to go back to the Fort. Ed’s just a mite unhappy with needing Scar’s help, Sideburns knocks him upside the head with the fact that the Goths are pulling some sort of giant TC shenanigans, they need all the info and help they can get right now. Ed stands down after the suggestion that with Scar’s help they can disgrace Kimblee and get Winry away from his clutches. One Ishvalan Oath later Scar’s judgement is postponed… and the Chimeras are waking up, uh oh. The kids balk at Sideburns’ orders to kill them, the Chimeras sadly agree with Sideburns, saying that they can never go back to their old lives. Al tries reasoning with them, appealing to their families but they’ve been told they’re dead. And it’s not like they can go back like this, we’d just be imitating the 2005 Fantastic Four, and nobody wants that.

But Al does get them to yell that “of course they want their old bodies back”, when they quite reasonably say that it can never happen Al does the helmet remove to show his Soul Armor state. [Al]: “Well I’m going back. No matter how long it takes. I’m not giving up.” Ooh, is Al getting some followers? Watch him form an army out of Chimeras tossed aside by the Goths, take them down with their own creations. Unfortunately the snowstorm’s coming in, meaning that they can’t reach the Fort until it passes. And Kimblee’s on his way, so they need a plan- [Yoki]: “This is a mining town, isn’t it? Why don’t we just go into the underground tunnels?” [Everyone]: *turns in surprise to the secret tactical genius in their midst* [Yoki]: “W-what’s wrong? I mean, this is a pretty large mine, right? So surely there’s a tunnel that can take us beyond the mountains, uh… I think?” [Everyone]: “That’s it!” [Yoki, Tactical Genius]: “H-hey, give me some credit; this is what I did for a living!” Ha! Way to finally pull your weight, you C-tier flashback antagonist! Confirming that the tunnels go past the mountains- wait. Wait wait wait. Isn’t the whole point of the mountains that they are between Amestris and Drachma? Ooh, do we finally get to see another country?! Please let my dream of missionary Drachma’s with Leto pamphlets be a reality! Sideburns gives Marcoh notes for any Briggs soldiers the meet after the tunnel (watch them run into Drachmans first and cause all sorts of problems: “These people have notes written in Amestrian! They must be spies from Fort Briggs!”). But what about Winry? If she just up and vanishes with them then Kimblee will suspect the Elrics of foul play! [Winry]: “Um, I hate to be the one to suggest this, but, uh… What do you think Kimblee would do if I was suddenly taken hostage by Scar?” Whoa, so kidnapped!Winry was Winry’s idea? Props to you, mechanic! Mid-ep pictures of Winry Rockbell and human Jerso/Toad and Zampano/Boar. Ed and Al are understandably uneasy with the plan, but Winry shouts them down about being able to at least choose her captor if she’s a hostage either way. Come on Protagonists, learn that you don’t have to or can do everything by yourselves! Scar again promises to protect Winry before Ed lets him loose, when the Chimeras as to be taken along as well. They’ve failed which means Kimblee’s going to kill them either way… [Boar]: “Besides, we don’t want to give up either.” Look at you go Alphonse, already with your two inhuman followers! Also, they’re just a little confused and upset about all this talk of this band of misfits trying to stop some catastrophe that threatens their families along with all of Amestris. Y’know, just a minor detail. Kimblee’s inbound, better hurry. Sideburns asks wait what they’re back to human? Uh ok, with all the talk about being monsters I was kinda assuming that their beast forms were permanent, not something that they could consciously deactivate. Kinda undercuts the whole “we want our human bodies back” if they can shapeshift back like this. The groups are splitting up (to my surprise it’s not the Elric Brothers who are going different ways, at least for now), a soldier remarks that Winry needs to remove her earrings ok what. Seriously, what? This just totally broke my immersion, you cannot tell me that now is the moment when having metal earrings in the frozen north would cause discomfort and haven’t been an issue yet, especially when she came up north specifically because her boyfriend’s metal arm was seizing up. But whatever, she gives them to Ed for safekeeping before promising to see him back at the Fort. Ed gazes up after her, clenching his fist and probably crushing those precious earrings that he was just trusted with. Nice going, kiddo. Explosion! Acting! Snowstorm! Those left in Baschool are sheltering in a building, alternately looking at girlfriend’s jewelry, wondering where their fellow Chimeras have gone, and arguing for planning the next leg of the search. Then Sideburns gets a call from the Fort? Ooooooooh, right. There was that whole “forces from Central showing up to look for Raven” thing going on last time. And our guys are walking right into that mess. Whoops. Down in the tunnel Marcoh’s going on and on about how the Rockbell Doctors were widely respected during the Ishvalan War, how they helped all without regard for themselves. Meanwhile Scar’s walking in the back having flashbacks to Winry’s “I don’t forgive your wanton murdering”, an Ishvalan Elder telling Scar that while he should never forgive the Military’s “wanton murder” that he must abide it-

-to break the chain of hatred, and his brother saying he studies Alchemy to replace hatred with understanding. And here is Scar, following the orders of an Ishvalan who willingly works in the Military to change it, representing the ideals of Scar’s brother and Elders. So what does that make him? Yoki’s having the group stop in an underground office, to pick up a more detailed map of the tunnels. Man, who’d have thought that freaking Yoki would be the most useful party member at this point. Or ever? Inspired by Al, Toad and Boar are pestering Marcoh about any clues in the journal (that he can’t read), they banter with each other about their families. Aw, they’re actually friends! Nice to show that even the Central forces have loved ones, hopefully for real this time after that infuriating Bradley & Selim fakeout. May? What’s wrong? Oh. Oh yeah. Her whole mission was to learn the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone, only to find out it’s based on suffering and the obtaining of immortality for one at the expense of so, so many others. And His Imperial Highness, aka her father, apparently would make one without a moment’s hesitation using any number of his people. So apparently he leans more towards Wrath’s philosophy of leadership than Ling’s. But if she doesn’t bring back the secret of immortality, her clan is in danger from all the others. Marcoh says that the notes might have the humane secret to immortality, they just need to hurry up get to the Fort so Scar can get a-translating. [Ed]: “What do you mean, ‘the Fort is no longer safe’?!” Welp. Just when we get Armstrong The Great as an ally, she’s been summoned back to Central and a Military Officer’s getting put in her place, along with a bunch of other Central forces. So now the Tunnel Team is walking into a hostile environment without knowing. They have to be warned, but how? Ed wants to go but he’ll freeze before he gets anywhere close… [Al]: “There is a way! Listen: send someone who doesn’t have a body. That storm won’t freeze me to death!” Uh, Al? Sure I guess you wouldn’t catch hypothermia, but you’re still a giant suit of steel armor. Remember how there was that whole “Ed’s arm freezing up” problem that was fixed by replacing his entire arm? You don’t have body heat like a living person, your limbs are just gonna ice up. Actually, how the Leto hasn’t that happened yet? Huh. I guess Souls act as armor heaters too, Al’s having more trouble just seeing where he’s walking in the blizzard than actually moving. He sees the path but the winds picks up and the screen whites out from the snow GAH ZOMBIE AL! Oh shit how did Al end up in the Whitespace? Uh, well you’ve found your body? Quick, grab it and let’s get wait no it was an illusion. What, you getting snow madness buddy? Oh. Oh shit. We’ve got a flashback to Barry musing that foreign bodies can’t hold souls for too long, Al’s freaking out about his body trapped in Whitespace, pulling on his soul as it’s rejected by his armor… he can’t think about that right now, he has to hurry. Without the map now, since he dropped it after that vision. Oh hell it’s this asshole. [Uncle]: “Alphonse Elric. Edward Elric. And also… there’s… Van Hohenheim. Izumi Curtis, she’s a possibility-” Aside from all the awfulness of listing off Potential Sacrifices, which is looking a lot more like ‘killing all of these people, not just one or the other’, did you just purposefully knock over Izumi’s piece? Rude, and I can’t wait to see her punch you. “That leaves one more.” New end credits! Rapid guitar music as we race through a 3D hallway/tunnel, outside looks like Ed’s standing in the ruins of the Elric house, Al’s somewhere else standing among some tall square rocks. Flashes of red-eyed Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, Pride, and Uncle (what, no Lust, Greed or Sloth?) A look at Riza’s scarred back with that strange symbol before she turns and I am very sorry for walking in while you were changing ma’am, I’ll be going now. Roy’s still in his eveningwear outfit probably trying to get someone to take all those flowers off his hands, Beard is oh Leto what is happening with your face, are you actually smiling. That looks so weird, stoppit. Oh hey it’s Mama Elric, so sad that we lost you before we could fully appreciate your snark. Ah there’s the scowling Beard that we know, go kick Uncle’s ass. We’ve got Ed jumping and Al and LING YES BRING HIM BACK and a lion and monkey oh my Leto is Al actually going to build a Chimera Army this is the best thing of all time yeah there’s Toad and Boar we are totally getting Rebel General Al. Also there’s Alchemist-Slayer Scar on their side now but who cares CHIMERA ARMY ok fine we also get May and oh Marcoh’s getting in on the action looks like he lost a few teeth wait Yoki no we need you as the secret tactical genius get off the front lines. Selim’s there looking all cute and innocent in his little schoolkid guise until his shadow gets teethy and attacks Ed. Winry’s power walking through a hallway (can’t see if she got her earrings back). Then a bunch of hands reaching up, one larger one grasping a smaller one (which ship will sail?!) before we’re back in the tunnel, shots of Ed and Al and Beard before a final map of the country-sized TC.

[bengiyo]

Never Let Me Go Ep 5 Stray Thoughts

Last time all hell broke loose with no adults around. Nuengdiao spent much of the episode yearning, and flirting with Palm. Despite that, he entertained Ben's advances and shared a kiss with him. Meanwhile, both Chopper and Palm sustained severe heartache over this notp. Maggie continues to do nothing wrong. We left off with Nuengdiao struggling to breathe and Palm getting his ass handed to him.

Well at least Nuengdiao doesn't look worse for wear, so I guess Palm did his job?

Palm is literally beat to shit and getting chewed out? WTF he slapped Palm???

Noticable that Nuengdiao doesn't flinch at all when Palm gets slapped.

At least we're finally getting some context for Chanon's devotion. Curious how Mr. Pop saved Palm's life.

Will at least give Chanon credit for asking about Palm's arm, even if I'm still disconcerted.

Ah, this episode is called "Mother." We know Palm's mom left, Ben has only mentioned his dad, and Chopper's mom also doesn't seem to be around.

Interesting that, despite his retreat from Nuengdiao, Palm continues to use "Mr. Nueng" as his address. Also, loving Pond's choice to keep giving "fuck me" eyes any time Nuengdiao gets too close.

Ben, don't run in to spoil the moment.

Okay, Pond, I felt that restrained glare. That was good.

Oh, we rarely get this kind of classic framing from Thai BL. Nuengdiao and Ben are in the foreground having their moment, but Palm is out of focus in the background yet clearly placed between them. Excellent choice, Jojo, and good job hitting your marks to the cast.

Everyone is doing a great job with their face acting in this scene. Props to the editors not overdoing it.

Even if I'm not on Ben's team, I totally get his frustration at this being turned into a non-date and being chaperoned.

Maggie is doing our beauty product placement? Good for her!

Palm is fucking up this Swiss roll.

Maggie continues to do absolutely nothing wrong. She is so correct that Palm needs to value himself more and not make excuses for Nuengdiao's bad behavior. Being his bodyguard shouldn't include that.

What an aggressive sound cue. We definitely fighting about these shoes.

"You said that I should know my place." Jot that down, Nuengdiao.

"May I be excused?" and immediately walking away? Loving this version of Palm.

The production values on this bullying getting higher is not what I signed up for.

Homophobia? How trite.

Glad Nuengdiao isn't ashamed of himself. He does need to apologize for his rude behavior last episode, but he doesn't need to apologize for responding to Ben's advances. He's also correct that he is a victim of a bullying campaign.

Hey, so Chimon and Phuwin are pretty good. Ben, clearly upset, looks to Nuengdiao first before responding. Nueng gives him a small nod of encouragement, and only then does Ben lie for his father. Curious to see if Ben misread that signal.

Oh, hm. Chopper got here awfully quick. Don't make me suspect you, baby boy.

Ah, yes, let's return to this rooftop and reassess our fractured relationship.

Phuwin is so good at playing up overwhelming feelings. Nuengdiao visibly trembling with pent up frustration is such a nice touch.

So Ben clearly misread the signal, but this was a great emotional breakdown.

I like the way the music is used in this sit down on the roof. I like that they paused it when Nuengdiao dismissed the idea that he loved Ben.

The era of the episode 5 kiss continues, again with consent. Love this for us.

Of course Nuengdiao wants to cuddle after making out. He's so lonely. Again, good job Pond and Phuwin. I like the choice to lean into each other but to keep their arms still for this first kiss.

Again with the audio cues. I audibly laughed when we cut from the cheesy afterglow of their first kiss joking to a sharp sound with Tanya sitting on a couch.

I am sobbing and vibrating out of my skin because of Tanya. Preventing Nuengdiao from forcing himself out and making him sit down for dinner to reveal that she's always known he hates vegetables, and only eats them to please her, as a gentle way of easing into the conversation is so powerful. Then again stopping him from saying anything and letting him know that she will wait for him to be ready. Finally, assuring Nuengdiao that the only disappointment she feels is in herself for not being emotionally available to her son when she learns that he was clearly struggling. The era of great GMMTV parents of queer kids continues. Fantastic scene. Organ and Phuwin, applause for you.

Chanon may not know his son personally very well, but he knows what romantic glee looks like on a teenage boy.

You see that smile on Tanya's face and that determination on Nueng's? That's what it looks like when a queer kid is loved and supported at home. Shame is not taught in schools; it's taught in the home. A kid can face so much if they know their families and loved ones have their backs.

Was that Ben's dad dead on the ground?

Damn, has Nuengdiao watched both of his parents be gunned down now? FFS, I should have called the death flags on Tanya being a good parent.

Next week, we meet Palm's mom and get a beach episode.

[lovecanbesostrange]

What in the world is happening to Grey's :( I can't believe Alex actually left like that

Yep, that happened. :(

But this whole thing shows that overall people don’t understand how tv shows are produced. There is some information we’re missing, but the thing is, that Justin Chambers just left. If it’s because of (mental) health problems like some suspect or if there was a denied request for producer status or just burn out… we don’t know. And I totally understand why an actor would want to leave after over 15 years.

Still, whenever an actor wanted out, the writers at least saw it coming. Sandra Oh’s departure was perfect. Clearly communicated and all. Dempsey’s exit likewise. When Capshaw and Drew were suddenly let go, the writers could at least give them something. (As stupid and hemfisted as it may have been, especially with April. Don’t mind her ending up with Matthew, he is a better fit for her anyway, but it was too sudden.)

Well, and here we are. Personally I like to think that it started as some time-off. Chambers asked for a time-out and got it, with this one line that Alex had to look after his mom. And that everybody thought he’d be back. He could skip 4-6 eps with no real questions asked. But then he didn’t come back. Not a single extra scene could be filmed. And the romantic storyline with Jo could not be followed up. They just got finally officially married, everything was perfect for them. So, now what?

This is kinda the whole Meredith/Derek situation all over again. And ever since january when news broke, the only logical explanation to me seemed to kill Alex. To do the Derek thing again. (Except Chambers was clearly more liked than Dempsey, so they did want to leave the door open.) Let’s be real. A lot of people are now saying “should’ve killed him off”. But there would’ve been a huge outcry anyway, because it’s also the laziest/easiest thing to do. Big plus: Alex’ character would be frozen in time. Jo would habe to mourn him (double widow), with nobody’s fault.

I don’t see any explanation that could satisfy me, why on earth Alex would leave Jo. They are too good together. Perfect. In a way most Grey’s couples actually aren’t (Bailey/Warren are the only truly good one left now imo). And again, for the record, I hate everything about Alex being with Izzie again. They were not a good couple (like most). Her cancer brought them together and they were build on crisis mode, but there was no deeper friendship as a foundation. Alex wasn’t the guy he is now and Izzie never got over Denny. Fear held them together.

BUT for the little time they had, for the impossible task to go from happy-spontaneous-marriage to leaving, to give me something I could angrily say “okay” to - Alex leaving because he has biological children he didn’t know about? Yes. I don’t think that contradicts his character development. Of course if Chambers had been there and this had been any kind of plan, the build up would have been different. (With him around and everybody accepting that he would leave a lot of things would have been different.) There would have been face to face moments. I even could imagine a tearful Alex telling Jo all this when he found out, being torn, because CHILDREN! HIS CHILDREN!! And Jo being as tearful telling him to go. But those scenes were never an option.

I have read a few upset fans coming up with other non-death ways to write him out. But those either ignore that there were no more scenes to shoot or are at least as terrible as what we got. (No, fandom really should not write any shows.)

I think what I hate most is that the letter to Jo felt... less. Less emotional than the one for Meredith. I think it was really good getting four letters. Three for the other three people who had been there for his whole journey and of course one for his fucking wife, who had stood by him for over six years (I think, Grey’s sometimes forget to count the 9 months that Meredith took of, but S15 was shorter than a pregnancy and nobody knows how to count time. Some people keep forgetting that S1-3 were all one year. Alex and Izzie knew each other for less than three years.........)

Jo said it best. “I am angry. And I’m hurt.” Buuuuuuuuuuuu~t it is so obvious that this was scrambled together and the actual ideas thrown out the window. There is nothing that the writers could do, that would have saved this mess. But this way at least Alex gets a chance to be happy. Which is nice. I guess. A bit. (So from now on, I will be very anxious everytime Jo is near any dude. Keep the romance away from her. And omg I pray to Grilled Cheesus that Krista isn’t thinking about pairing her up with anybody from Station 19... it’s all so forced... I’d rather see Amelia finally getting her threesome.........)

Personally for the me the insult to injury is Bailey’s storyline with foster kid Joey. Which is everything I wanted for Alex and Jo. (Somebody needs to stop Krista Vernoff from throwing in more pregnancies and babies.)

[official-ladyblog]

If you haven’t heard yet, Swiss channel RTS Deux has released the episode names and synopses for the entire season 3! Translations below the cut! (And in the above images, for easy sharing lol)

Edit 1: Got the gender wrong for “baker,” whoops. But more importantly, I got the translation for Feast completely wrong. The other translation you’ve seen going around was more accurate.

Edit 2: Thanks to an anon for informing me that “sentimonsters” are Mayura’s power!

Edit 3: As I suspected, I misunderstood an expression in Stormy 2, it is just about Stormy returning. Thanks @kisilinramblings!

English episode names are derived from this list (which I don’t remember ever actually seeing a source for, but uh... it was real!). 

Keep in mind that the numbers are not chronological order, they are in production order, which just means the order they were made in. Sometimes that helps with plot points, but for the most part it isn’t airtight. I highly recommend waiting until you’ve seen the whole season to make an approximate timeline.

Chameleon: Ladybug and Chat Noir battle Lila. Now Chameleon, she can take the appearance of anyone and hopes to use that to destroy Ladybug. 

Animaestro: Ladybug and Chat Noir battle a director. Now Animaestro, he wants to show the world what an animated movie director can do. 

This screencap from LatAm actor Jesus Barreda was thought to depict Marinette dressed as a maid at a pop culture convention, which... looks pretty likely considering the premise.

Bakerix (Boulangerix): Ladybug battles her own grandfather. Become Bakerix, he wants to destroy everything he thinks too modern to bring back Paris to his era. 

I broke it down in this ask, but it looks like my call was right about Bakerix being both Mari’s grandpa (perhaps still named Roland) and Gaul-inspired. “Boulanger” is literally French for “baker.”

Backwarder (Rebrousse-temps): Ladybug and Chat Noir battle a friend of Master Fu. Now Backwarder, she wants to reclaim her time and steals others’!

Heh. So glad this was technically an accurate translation. I’m also glad we got that official English ep list because trying to concisely convey “retracing-time” was gonna be a challenge.

Reflekdoll (Poupeflekta): Ladybug and Chat Noir battle Juleka, back as Reflekta. But this time, the supervillain isn’t alone...

“Poupée” is French for “doll.”

Weredad: Ladybug faces her father, akumatized as Weredad. This monstrous guard dog-man wants to shut away Marinette to protect her from the outside world!

Silencer (Silence): Ladybug and Chat Noir fight Luka, akumatized into Silencer. Ready to raise your voice?

Oni-Chan: Ladybug and Chat Noir battle Kagami, now Oni-Chan. Jealous of Lila, she wants to prevent her from getting near Adrien... forever!

@kisilinramblings I eat my entire foot. “Oni” is a Japanese demon, “chan” is a feminine honorific. Anyway, boy is Kagami vs. Lila a face-off I’m dying to see.

Miraculer (Miraculeur): Ladybug and her team fight Sabrina, who’s now Miraculer.

I can’t even comprehend what this episode will contain with this vague of a description. “Team” tho???

Oblivio: A villain appears in Paris and Ladybug and Chat Noir lost their memory! Can they defeat Oblivio so he’s nothing more than a bad memory?

Desperada: Ladybug and her team face Desperada, an akumatized guitarist. A rock-and-roll day in store for our heroes!

The adjectives mean that she’s female, fyi. With music and the episode code 311, I wonder if there’s a certain miraculous we might see...?

Chris Master (Maître Noël): Nino’s little brother is akumatized into Chris Master. Ladybug and Chat Noir can’t get wrapped up if they want to stop him!

I was wondering why it sounded like a pun on “Christmas.” Literally the synopsis said they’d “be given as gifts,” as though Chris can turn them into presents or something.

Startrain: Ladybug and Chat Noir face Max’s mom, who becomes Startrain. Our heroes will need help to stop her! 

Another big team-up? We’ve also seen art of Startrain before. Makes sense that Max’s mom is the one in charge, seeing the cool robots on the train. Max had to get it from somewhere!

Kwami Buster (Chasseuse de Kwamis): Ladybug and Chat Noir face Mrs. Mendeleiev, now Kwami Buster.

Does this remind anyone else of fairy hunter Mr. Crocker?

Feast (Festin): When Master Fu’s past comes back to haunt him, he removes the Miraculouses from Marinette and Adrien to protect them...

Gamer 2.0: Ladybug and Chat Noir face Max, now Gamer 2.0. Let the game begin!

Yep, the original title had 2.0, and it looks like they’re sticking with “2” for the sequel names. Oh well.

Stormy Weather 2 (Climatika 2): Ladybug and Chat Noir face Aurore Boréale again, now Stormy Weather 2. To stop her, the heroes need to keep their cool!

Ikari Gozen: Kagami’s mother is akumatized into Ikari Gozen and wants to punish Kagami, who disobeyed her. Will Ladybug save her best frenemy?

From what I can tell, the name means “Lady Fury.” It just says “best enemy” but I wanted to make the pun clearer. Glad we get to see her in an ep!

Timetagger: Ladybug and Chat Noir fight Timetagger, a supervillain that came from the future to seize their miraculous. The future of Paris is in their hands!

A mysterious male supervillain, maybe even from the future? W-what

Party Crasher (Trouble-Fête): Ladybug and her team face Wayem, now Party Crasher. Will our heroes get him to smile?

The Puppeteer 2 (La Marionnettiste 2): Ladybug and Chat Noir face the Puppeteer at the Musée Grévin! Our heroes can’t wax off if they want to stop her!

...there was originally a pun on “staying marble” which means “to be impassive/emotionless.” I’m sure there’s a better idiom I can’t think of at the moment. Anyway, the lucky duo are in the famous wax museum in real life, so it was about time that we got it in an episode. 

Chat Blanc: Ladybug faces the last person she could believe to be capable of getting akumatized... Chat Noir!

Yes, this is real. No, they didn’t steal your fanfics. It was a pretty obvious/intuitive concept. That’s why it’s so ubiquitous. 

Félix: Ladybug and Chat Noir face Alya, Rose and Juleka, akumatized into the Trio of Punishers, and Felix, Adrien’s cousin.

Wow! A blast from the past! You can read my old summary of who he is here, if you didn’t know. After years, he’s finally canon. Also, this is one of the first episodes since Sapotis where we see multiple people get akumatized with the same akuma. This will be a fun ep for sure!

Ladybug: Marinette gets expelled, but an even greater problem awaits: she must face a sentimonster in the shape of... Ladybug!

Edit: Sentimonsters are the things that Mayura makes!

Loveater (Mangeamour)(The Battle of the Miraculous: Part 1): Ladybug and Chat Noir face the Bourgeois couple, now Loveater, a guard dog with two heads that eats all the love in Paris.

Another season finale two-parter! That akuma concept is... genuinely horrifying to imagine. 

Miracle Queen (The Battle of the Miraculous: Part 2): Hawk Moth akumatizes Chloe into Miracle Queen to set a fatal plan into motion. Will Ladybug and Chat Noir escape him?

Francophones: if you see anything I missed or that could be better represented, please let me know. Thankfully I didn’t have to interpret akuma names myself, so most of this should be pretty close to what we see in the episodes.

Get ready to see 7 of these real soon!

[comeallyelost]

The Handmaid's Tale 3x10 Thoughts

A few days late, but here it is:

So objectively, despite the shit storm that has been happening this season, this was the kind of THT episode we’ve been thirsting for all season. I’d even argue last week’s plus this week’s finally worked its way back up to the series I first fell in love with.

(Although the huge lack of forward movement this season probably diluted this episode’s impact.)

Anywho:

1. June/ The Lawrences

The relationship between these three really shined this episode. The Ceremony scene in the bedroom was really touching and heartbreaking. June powering through that and guiding Lawrence through it was exceptional acting. Although part of me is bothered that we’re going back to June getting raped. I really did think that whole ordeal would have been left back in season 2.

Joseph and Eleanor’s relationship is something super precious. And it’s an element I’ve enjoyed this entire season. Eleanor knows what’s up with her husband and decided to stay in Gilead in order to be with him. Joseph’s realization that he needed to get Eleanor out after all this was really moving too. Up until that point he was a stubborn fuck who thought he knew best for his wife. And even though he was acting out of love and concern for her, he never really considered a better life for her without him being there.

Also June’s comment to Fred that the Lawrences treat her with respect, I thought, was honest and quite bold of her to say. Because she implied exactly what Fred was suspecting.

2. The Waterfords and Winslow

I have to begrudgingly accept that Fred and now Winslow’s roles as commanders in Gilead will never be fully explained to the audience. For a while there I assumed Lawrence was one of the higher ups and relatively untouchable. But now Fred is implementing these new rules for the homes and is able to supervise ceremonies? And Winslow is along for the ride? 

Also Fred being creepy as fuck and just trying to mess with June is getting to be a bit much. Unless it’s leading up to something, he’s just been wasting time now trying to get June’s attention in whatever bizarre and twisted way he can think of. 

Serena this episode was alright imo. She clearly was not comfortable with what was going on. And her concern for June and Eleanor seemed sincere. I’m still skeptical about her role in all of this. Like, she is the absolute worst, but it’s not like she’s happy with where she’s at right now. Her marriage is still super fragile and she’s still mourning the baby. I don’t want to believe she’s gonna change (again) because I know she only works on the right side when it suits her needs, but I did sense some sort of shift this ep. So I’ll keep an open mind.

3. June’s save-the-children crusade

I really loved the little snippets of info revealed while she was reading though the files of the Handmaids. And the muffins from the Marthas at the end was great too. 

Now, I know June is our protagonist and its her story we follow, but is she really the only one who--after like 5 years of Gilead--has hatched a plan to save children? Like, yes, all the Marthas have said yes and are agreeing to this plan. But who is June to them? How are they falling behind her? We haven’t seen her lead or make any real strides in working with the resistance. Idk, it just seemed a little farfetched/ not fully executed.

Other Thoughts:

- Give me more Alma backstory dammit

- June telling Janine her son was happy and alive in California broke me a little. I was debating whether or not it was the right thing to do. But I can concede it was the most humane choice. Poor Janine

- Did anyone else notice the lack of continuity in how the Lawrence household calls June? In 3x07 Eleanor calls her June. Beth has also to my knowledge called her June. But both of them refer to her as OfJoseph in this episode and idk why I found it odd. 

- Serena brought out the phone! I hope this means we’re finally getting more Canada time. And that Tuello fellow really intrigues me.

- I miss Nick where tf is he (sob)