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schleierkauz · 3 years

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Q&A Highlights

Ok so bad news first: My questions were ignored. Cornelia did not clarify any of our death-related theories. Maybe next time.

There was A Lot of other stuff, though so... Enjoy!

- The stream starts with everyone wishing us a happy women’s day! Usually women in Erfurt (where the bookstore people are) get flowers but not today because... you know. Cornelia says America is starting to go back to normal, meanwhile Germany... :| Anyway. Don’t look over here.

- Cornelia says she probably won’t get the vaccine anytime soon because she’s just chilling on her farm anyway and people who have to be out in public/are vulnerable should get it first

- Question: When will Cornelia visit Germany again? In response to this, she gives us some exclusive news, not official yet, heard it here first: She’s gonna move to Italy! Apparently she bought an olive farm there which is cheaper, better for the environment (her current farm will be sold to some people who want to turn it into an organic farm) and obviously closer to Germany so she’ll be here more often. :)

- The 4th Reckless book will be released in English at some point this autumn

- There’s no definite release date for TCoR because she’s busy with Dragonrider but she hopes she’ll have finished writing it by the end of this year

- If she’s still alive after all that to work on Reckless 5, it’ll be the last book of the series... probably. She’s also working on a bunch of smaller projects with her artists in residence

- Question: What are Cornelia’s favorite stories by Jane Austen, the Brontë sister and Shakespeare? She’s not a huge fan of Austen or Brontë because she finds all those repressed emotions too exhausting to read about. With Shakespeare on the other hand she struggles to name a favorite because there’s so much greatness to choose from (she does name MacBeth and Romeo and Juliet though)

- The Black Prince’s legacy in the Reckless timeline may play a role in the next Reckless book or it might evolve into a whole other story. Either way, she’s thinking about it 👀

- Someone asks about Reckless characters and Cornelia says that Kami’en and the Dark Fairy felt very familiar to her from the start in that she always knew who they were as people. She’s not sure why that is. She thinks the Dark Fairy represents many aspects of womanhood, like the ancient forgotten Goddess. Same with Fox, who embodies different sides of that.

- If Cornelia had to date a man from the Mirrorworld, Kami’en would interest her

- Rainer Strecker randomly joins the chat to say hi and everyone is delighted

- Cornelia’s favorite book series is still Lord of the Rings

- Question: Why has the Black Prince never found his true love? Cornelia says she’s not sure that’s true - maybe he did found true love at some point and then lost it again? ‘...and they lived happily ever after’ isn’t a guaranteed outcome after all. Since he’s such a passionate man, she’s pretty sure he’s had at least one big lovestory at this point. She hasn’t asked him about that yet but hopes she’ll find out when she continues writing his story.

- Jumping off that question, Cornelia says she respects her characters’ privacy and lets them keep their secrets until the time comes to ask about them, just as she would with real people.

- Someone asks if Cornelia has ever written herself into a story and she says a part of her is in all her characters. Except the villains because she hates them. She feels closest to Fox because she also always wished she could shapeshift

- The bookstore lady jumps in and asks about Meggie, is she similar to how Cornelia was as a child? Cornelia says yes, especially because she also had a very close relationship with her father and they would bond over books. However, she always envisioned Meggie with dark hair and as a different kind of girl than she was. (Ok sidenote from me on that, I wonder what she means by ‘dark hair’? Because Meggie is explicitly blond, so like... dark blond? Or did we just unlock brunette Meggie in 2021? Cornelia-)

- Continuing the conversation, Cornelia says she doesn’t consider herself the creator of any of the characters in her stories, she feels like she met them and wrote about him but she would never say something like ‘I invented Dustfinger’ because that’s absurd. How would that even work. That’s disrespectful. No.

- Some characters pretty much demand to be written about and are very impatient (like Jacob), others are more shy and elusive and take effort to understand (like Will or Dustfinger)

- There probably won’t be another book like The Labyrinth of the Faun because it was created under such unbelievable circumstances. Cornelia does enjoy writing film scripts, though, like she did for the Wild Chicks recently

- Question: How does Cornelia come up with character names? She has a bunch of encyclopedias and when she knows where a story takes place she checks if there are any artists from there whose names she can steal. She always wants names to have meaning and to paint a picture of whatever character it belongs to. However, she says that sometimes the vibe of a name is a tricky thing: When she wrote The Thief Lord (which takes place in Italy), she thought ‘Mosca’ was the perfect name for a big strong boy. However when the time came to translate the story into Italian, the Italians told her that ‘Mosca’ sounds like the name of a tiny little fly. Oh well.

- Cornelia says a lot of readers have written to her about The Thief Lord because at one point Victor (the detective) calls Mosca (who is black) a “Mohrenkopf”. Context: ‘Mohrenkopf’ is a German slur towards black people and also an outdated name for this goddamn marshmallow cookie:

Fuck this cookie.

- Cornelia says yeah, Victor is being racist in that moment but that doesn’t mean that she, the author, is racist. Similarly, she used the term ‘Indians’ in Reckless and a lot of readers were upset which she did not anticipate. To her it’s a positive word since she admires ‘Indians’ so deeply and finds terms like ‘Native/Indigenous Americans’ very complicated. She wonders how much longer she’ll be allowed to say ‘Black Prince’

- She thinks it’s right to be vigilant about bigotry but simply searching for problematic words is dangerous because context matters

- Bookstore lady brings up Pippi Longstocking and how the N-word has been removed from modern copies (think Pippi’s father). She think’s it’s wrong because the original text is part of the cultural heritage and shouldn’t be hidden from children but instead explained.

- Cornelia says that in America she sees the hurt that’s connected to that word but she doesn’t think it’s right to simply remove the slur and expect everything to be fine. After all, the text in which it was used is still the same so any harmful ideas would still be in there and that needs to be discussed. Simply whitewashing things doesn’t make them any less racist.

- Cornelia brings up a visual example: The Asterix comics. She always liked them but the fact that the only black character is drawn as a racist caricature is harmful and wrong. It’s time to listen when black people express how hurtful depictions like that can be. Many white people never noticed racism growing up because it never affected them and that’s why it’s important to learn

- The ‘from rags to riches’ American dream was usually reserved for white people and Cornelia thinks a lot of (white) people are waking up to that fact. The way black people are still being criminalized and the way prisons use inmates for cheap labor is horrible and like a modern kind of slavery

- The bookstore people try to say something but Cornelia is not done: We Europeans are not off the hook either because the sins and wounds of colonialism are still felt around the world, not to mention the way other countries are still exploited today. Our wealth rests on the shoulders of poorer nations. Many doors are opening and it’s difficult to step through but we have to do it and admit to the things we may have been blind to due to privilege.

- The three of them agree on that and go back to reading questions

- Question: What are Cornelia’s tips for young authors? She advises to never start writing a story on a computer, always get a notebook and collect ideas & pictures for your story. Don’t rush things. If you have more than one story, give each story its own book and feed whichever one is hungry. It’s important to follow the idea where it leads, if you use cliches your readers will recognize them. And then it just takes time and passion. And trust in your own unique voice. She paraphrases a quote by Robert Louis Stevenson who once said no one cares about stories or characters or whatever, people read books to see the world through the goggles the author puts on them. I’m sure he said it prettier, I’m paraphrasing the paraphrase.

- That said, Cornelia thinks authors who say things like “I’m writing to express my innermost turbulences” are kinda dumb. She thinks it’s important to write about the things that happen everywhere else and around yourself and to try to find voices for others, not just yourself. Just like how carpenters build furniture for everyone else, a writer should use words to build things for others, whether it’s a window or door or a hiding place.

- Speaking of notebooks, as most of us probably know Cornelia has a lot of those and occasionally publishes them on her website. She says she’d love to let people look through them in person, maybe at the new farm in Germany (Cornelia sure does love farms)

- Speaking of writing things on paper, all three of them stress that everyone should write more letters because one day they’ll be old letters and curious people will want to read them, just as we like to read old documents now.

- Last question: How come both the Inkworld and the Mirrorworld feature a character called Bastard? Cornelia thinks that’s a good question and she should probably think about that. (Am I stupid? Are they talking about Basta? I’m confused)

...And with that, the livestream ends. They’ll get back together to do this again two months from now, until then: I’m going tf to sleep

#its 4am fuck me this took SO LONG-#cornelia funke #info #reckless #inkheart #man this was a long one #a lot to unpack here #thanks cornelia i have more questions now hdfhkjghd #i googled way more slurs than i had planned for today ngl #i really really hope i managed to accurately translate especially that part of the conversation #honestly i cringed a bit hearing them talk about it #but it is an important discussion i suppose #also @ the people who actually read my tags:#thank you for the good luck wishes for my interview today!! it went really well!#i was vibrating the entire time bc its been so long since i talked to a stranger #but i got the job :) so all is well

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bywordofaphrodite · 3 years

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Book Reviews 7&8: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen & Anne of Green Gables by L.M Montgomery

This review’s theme is female-led romantic classics ! Audience age: roughly age 10+

This review is about two of my all-time favourite female-led classics! Pride and Prejudice is one of the only classics I can truthfully say I enjoy, sorry to lovers of classics I just cannot bring myself to love many of them. Elizabeth Bennet is a timeless heroine, and her story is an easy, comfortable read. Anne of Green Gables, likewise, echoes the same sentiments, albeit with considerably more hijinks added into the mix- and with the heroines’ age gaps and very different circumstances, this is to be expected!

Nostalgic review

Rating: ★★★★★

These novels are, if I didn’t already make clear, comfort stories in the best sense of the word. It’s been several years since I last read either of them in full, but there is a special ease about them at all times; even in the midst of disaster, you know there is hope just around the corner.

In the case of Pride and Prejudice, I’ll admit that as much as I love Lizzy, it is the entirety of the story that draws me in more than just her character. I love the general vibe of the novel, the drama and gossip in the town and all the fuss that comes about with each new ball the Bennet sisters must attend for social reasons. The surprising scandals are all very alluring, and really, Jane Austen’s stories walked so Gossip Girl could run!

On the flip side, Anne as a character- she is one of my absolute most favourite characters ever written. I’m no orphan and I’ve never had to struggle in the way she did, but I grew up the odd one out in a small town, with a hot temper and a huge imagination that always managed to get me into trouble. Everything about Anne is relatable to me- right down to the infamous scene where she attempts to dye the red hair she hates and it goes green instead (I tried to bleach mine and it went orange, so I didn’t fare much better).

While it has been a long time since I last read these books, I am expecting more positive surprises than negative ones, now that I’m older with a bit more perspective!

Pride and Prejudice Review

Post-read: ★★★★★

Synopsis: Elizabeth Bennet, the second daughter of a middle-class family desperate to marry off their five daughters, navigates her way through matters of marriage, estate, love and temperament in an attempt to make a match that ensures her own happiness in a time where love was not always a priority.

Set in Regency England, the middle-class family the Bennets begin to fear their ruin as Mr Bennet grows older. See, Mr Bennet’s estate and fortune detailed in his will can only go to a male heir upon his death, thus ruling out his five daughters without their marriages taking place. As luck would have it, two eligible rich men arrive in town, and Mrs Bennet becomes obsessed with setting up her daughters with them. Amidst numerous balls and trips to the rich families’ residence of Netherfield, Jane Bennet catches the eye of sweet Charles Bingley, while Elizabeth begins a cold war with Bingley’s best friend Fitzwilliam Darcy, after he slights her upon their first meeting, to Mrs Bennet’s fury.

Over time, Mr Darcy becomes increasingly attracted to intelligent and witty Elizabeth, but so do other, less appealing characters to the likes of Elizabeth’s pretentious and stupid cousin, the clergyman Mr Collins, and the handsome militia officer Wickham, who tells Elizabeth that he has lost his fortune because Darcy stole it from him. When Elizabeth’s fifteen year-old sister runs away with Wickham in the middle of the night, Elizabeth is forced to hear our Mr Darcy’s side of the story and put aside her prejudice toward him. He, in turn, overcomes his pride, and by the end of the novel the two are able to freely admit their love without pride or prejudice standing in the way.

For such an old book, it really does stand the test of time. The lessons Austen teaches in this story are forever applicable to relationships in any timeline, though we have to make do without the fancy dresses and balls (and the gender norms and sexism, so it’s still a win for us, I suppose). I enjoy her writing and love how humorous it is; Austen perfected the art of polite mockery. Elizabeth is a good role model, and her character development over the course of the novel is wonderful.

Characters who aged well: first and foremost, Elizabeth Bennet of course. She’s headstrong and real, and satisfyingly selfish when necessary (nobody should be selfless when presented with a proposal from Mr Collins, and I will not hear otherwise). Mr Darcy remains an eternal heartthrob- I do sometimes wonder how someone less determined to see the bad side in Darcy would have viewed him from the get-go (my guess that had Jane been the perspective offered, Darcy might have been cut a bit of slack earlier. But where would be the fun in that?). I won’t comment on all the characters, but I will mention that I appreciated Jane much more as an adult. As often happened with sweeter female characters, internalised misogyny used to get the best of me on occasion and I would resent them for being ‘boring’. Now I just think she’s lovely.

For a villain, Mr Wickham aged so well. I once saw a Tumblr post declaring him the 1800s equivalent of a modern-day fuckboy and it’s stuck in my mind ever since because yes, that’s exactly what he is.

Characters who aged badly: Everybody hates Mr Collins, but I don’t know if I’m entirely correct in listing him here, given he wasn’t well liked back in 1813 either. As an antagonist, he technically aged well, but I’m going to keep him here anyway because I felt like ranting about him. The same goes for nauseating Mrs Bennet and Mary… they aged as intended, but I will remain frustrated with them anyway.

Favourite scene/quote: ‘An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr Collins… And I will never see you again if you do.’

This line never fails to make me laugh, whether on paper or onscreen. He does delight in vexing his over-excitable and irritating wife, and in this case it was all the more pleasing: he saw his wife trying to force his favourite daughter into marrying perhaps his least favourite person on the planet and supported Elizabeth’s decision to reject the man wholeheartedly, as well as reinforces the bond between father and daughter in a humorous way.

Scenes I particularly enjoyed are the ones surrounding Wickham’s secrets and shocking fake elopement with Lydia, partially because Lizzy and Darcy become close, but mostly because all the detective work unravelling the drama is so entertaining. It’s pleasing to see Darcy come out the undisputed hero after all Wickham’s deceit and attempts to ruin many girls’ reputations in attempts to get their fortunes.

Anne of Green Gables Review

Post-read: ★★★★★

Synopsis: red-headed orphan Anne Shirley is adopted by unmarried siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert by accident. After a trial period, they agree to keep Anne, and the misunderstanding brings the greatest joy to their small farmhouse in the town of Avonlea.

This book! Everything about it!

As I anticipated, time did not change any of my love nor expectations for this book, but rather made me fall in love with it all over again.

Starting at the beginning, Anne’s introduction to the Cuthberts starts off with her first asking him to call her by a name she chose herself, and then settling with keeping her own name as long as they remember to spell it with an ‘e’. This alone is already something I relate strongly to- I can’t bear when people forget the second ‘e’ in my name… it looks so empty.

Moving on from the names!

Anne is enrolled in school, a place she is successful in due to her intelligence, yet many adults in the town, including her teacher, refuse to treat her very well. Anne’s temper gets her into trouble of numerous occasions with adults and classmates alike, the most memorable instance being when the handsome popular boy Gilbert Blythe calls her ‘carrots’ and tugs her plaits to get Anne to notice him- and she does, but likely not in the way he hoped: she smashes her writing slate over his head. Utterly iconic move.

The friendship between Anne and her neighbour Diana is a high point of the book, too. Anne is always on the lookout for ‘kindred spirits’ or ‘bosom friends’, terms she applies not only to Diana, but also to Matthew and her second teacher, the amazing Miss Stacy who represents that one literature teacher every writer child connects with.

Navigating dozens of scrapes and accidents, Anne manages to graduate school and attend an academy where- with Miss Stacy’s encouragement- she obtains her teaching license in one year instead of two, and ties first place with Gilbert Blythe, whom she has ignored to the best of her ability since the ‘carrots’ incident, though he has tried many times to obtain her forgiveness. Toward the end of the novel, Matthew has a heart attack that shatters both Anne and Marilla, and she gives up the scholarship she won in favour of teaching close to home in order to stop Green Gables from being sold. Gilbert Blythe passes on his teaching position at Avonlea school to Anne so she won’t have to struggle, and Anne finally accepts that she has lot more love for Gilbert than anything else.

Though they do not get together in this book, the following sequels end with their marriage, and their developing romance is a special part of this first novel too.

Characters who aged well: Anne Shirley, best girl! I think I’ve already listed enough examples to showcase what I think of her, but I also think she has aged very well as an interesting character and feminist role model, all the way back in 1908. Gilbert, too, is a wonderful example of how a man should be, and his character growth is every bit as good as Anne’s. The supporting characters are wonderful too.

Characters who aged badly: Mr Phillips, Anne’s first teacher who treated her terribly and tried to marry a student in the same classroom. Predator teachers exist now too, of course, but this man simply did not cop the jail time he deserved (yes, times were different then, I don’t care).

Favourite scene/quote: ‘I’m not a bit changed- not really. I’m only just pruned down and branched out. The real ME- back here—is just the same.’

This is the essence of Anne’s story, and I like to think for many people. Most people like to think they’ve changed while growing up, but the truth is that most people remain the same, they just grow into their ideas and find new dreams to follow; change doesn’t have to signify loss, just growth.

There are many great scenes in Anne of Green Gables, and narrowing down favourites is quite hard. As a romantic, I loved any scene with Gilbert, even though Anne herself was desperately trying to ignore him. All of Anne’s scrapes are hilarious, too, but if I had to choose, it’s when Matthew picks Anne up from the station the day they meet, and the quiet man- whose only interactions are with his sister- immediately takes a liking to the poor orphan girl no other adult has ever been kind to. Their ride home together signifies a beautiful change in both their lives, and their instant bond is heart-warming.

Overall verdict: I’ve read both of these novels more times than I care to count, so there was never really any strong doubt that I wouldn’t continue to love them a fair amount. It may seem a ridiculous thing to say that I still find them both to be well-written, but as someone who finds many ‘classics’ incredibly boring and too wordy to properly enjoy (looking at Charles Dickens, by the way), I’m making a note of my contentment with Austen and Montgomery’s writing styles. I do generally prefer female authors in the first place (and not just because most men can’t seem to write good female characters to save their lives) so I’m not entirely surprised by this, though I think it necessary to mention after my shock over the stunted sentences in Enid Blyton’s works and Nancy Drew and the Mystery at Lilac Inn.

While rereading these books I also felt compelled to re-watch the televised versions and show them to my younger sister too (she loves them!). I do have personal favourite versions, and this is due not only to the actors in the cast, but to which I deem the most accurate and faithful in comparison to the original written source material. For Pride and Prejudice, contrary to the popular version amongst most people who reference it, my favourite is not the Kiera Knightley movie. I greatly prefer the BBC show, finding the casting, setting and costuming far more accurately detailed. I don’t hate the movie, just to be clear! But if you want accuracy watch the television show, especially because the episodes had a chance to explore more of the script than the movie did, so there was no need to cut things out or rush certain developments.

As for Anne of Green Gables, there are a few different movies and series. My forever-favourite is the Megan Follows and Jonathon Crombie led film series, with the first movie released in 1985. The casting was perfect, I adored the settings and costuming, and Megan as Anne captured everything about the character in the most perfect way imaginable. As for the newer Netflix series Anne with an E, I have only seen a few episodes but I think that was really well done too; the casting of the leads was also very faithful to Montgomery’s novels. It’s a shame that Netflix chose to cancel a show that so many young people really enjoyed, but I hope maybe some of them will watch the movies or pick up the books!

The true importance of these books for me as a child was my connection to the characters, which hasn’t changed at all. Though I do identify in part with Elizabeth, it is Anne who is so much like me, and while I haven’t reviewed past the first book here, I can confirm that my personality has evolved in the same way hers does in the sequels. Something interesting I noticed when mentioning either of these series to people unfamiliar with them is that they are surprised I like these books. The reason? Owing to how old the novels are, people expect the characters to be boring and grounded in sexist tropes. While I cannot deny there are plenty of books out there that are full of these issues, the characters of Elizabeth and Anne are very much feminist in the best way possible. They fight against the expectations for their gender and forge their own paths. Their relationships with the male leads take a long time to develop- Anne and Gilbert do not get together until proper adulthood- because they want everything to be done on their terms, within their own certainty. Neither lead suffers from ‘not like other girls’ syndrome, both cherishing their friendships with the women around them, and Anne especially is a celebration of the best parts of femininity.

Ultimately I find both Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables to be comfort novels. There is conflict and angst, humour and love, and the reassuring knowledge that by the end of it everyone will get their happy ending.

#Pride and Prejudice #anne of green gables #anne with an e #feminism #feminist literature #university project #romance #classics #female leads #character development #book review #book rating

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someoneoffthestreet · 4 years

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Fruits Basket 2x08

“Kagura, when will you stop playing pretend love?” oooooohhhHOOHOO

Kagura’s mom has the good sense not to want her daughter anywhere near Akito. In this house, we stan good and loving Sohma parents. Kagura’s mom officially makes the list.

In which Kagura says what we’re all thinking deep down, and her mother has been having to deal with this Kagura’s whole life.

Tohru keeps trying to internally monologue but Hatori and Kyo ain’t having it.

Shigure and the audience want to know what Akito said to Yuki last episode. Shigure and the audience are going to have to hold their horses.

(I just made myself laugh. I’m tired, don’t look at me.)

Also Akito is denied further Haru privileges I have decreed it.

Tohru and Kyo’s first attempt at a sand castle is just as successful as every attempt I’ve ever made in my entire life.

“Does this make me your sempai?” “Sempai, you suck at this.”

Momiji: SCREW IT THIS IS A PRIVATE BEACH AND I’VE BEEN SPENDING THE TIME I SET ASIDE TO BE WITH TOHRU VERY MUCH NOT BEING WITH TOHRU THIS VACATION SUCKS AND I’LL HUG HER IF I WANT TO.

I love this moment between for many reasons, such as Yuki genuinely laughing like that, that was wholesome oh my heck. But especially because- Haru just spent his day locked in a room with Akito, who was sitting there telling Haru how “funny” Haru was and how he’s the laughingstock of the Zodiac. But here, Haru gets a genuine laugh out of someone he actually cares about, and it’s- worlds away from his time with Akito.

Yuki has Changed. It’s palpable. Everybody can see it. Everybody can feel it. He’s growing too powerful. Who will stop him.

RIN DARLING MY LOVE PLEASE DON’T WALK ALL NIGHT YOU ARE INJURED THAT’S BAD FOR YOU.

Villain Explains Evil Plot to Loyal Underling, Loyal Underling Innocently Pokes Glaring Hole In Evil Plot, the scene.

(But yes, please guess at how delighted I am that it’s repeated through the episode that Tohru isn’t alone because Kyo is by her side.)

“Is it fun to be with a monster?” .......Well, Kureno? Is it? (Sorry that was an easy one I’ll stop.)

Tohru to Kyo, not one minute later: “It’s more fun when we’re together!”

Cat Lore, Cat Lore! Every new piece we get about the Cat and its place within the Zodiac just informs us more about who Kyo is and why he’s the way he is. The story goes to great pains to show us that no Zodiac’s life is a picnic by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s something especially dire about the Cat’s situation, what with the second, monstrous form held at bay by a rosary supposedly made from human bone and the looming, ever-present promise that you’ll be locked up and thrown away at some point in your life. Yikes.

...Look, I don’t have very much to say about Kyo and Tohru’s time on the beach together, they’re ADORABLE and I LOVE THEM and these scenes hold a very soft and special place in my heart, ok?

Yuki spies on Akito and Kureno spying on Tohru and Kyo having a good time. Spy-ception.

Even nature wants Tohru to stop internal monologuing. LET HER SELF-REFLECT.

Rin: *transforms in front of Tohru* Tohru: uh-oh I’m reconsidering my sexuality.

I love this moment when Rin goes too far with Yuki. Like, in the manga I initially thought it was Rin kind of realizing that she crossed a line? But I’ve been finding lately that the anime has a way of making things hit me harder than they did in the manga, and there’s something about Yuki’s non-reaction- like Rin hit Yuki somewhere that should’ve hurt, and I’m not saying it didn’t, but Yuki doesn’t give Rin the reaction she was probably looking for and it clearly startles her? Idk, idk...

SHIGURE, I’M WITH HATORI ON THIS ONE, YOU’RE ENJOYING THIS TOO MUCH.

Spoilers under the cut.

Of course Rin has such a big problem with Kagura’s behavior towards Kyo. Rin knows better than most the damage love in pantomime can do.

"So Kureno, you’d better act as a proper Zodiac member. You’re substandard, so I’m worried.” Two things: First, obvious one being referenced to Kureno not really being a Zodiac member anymore, kill me. Second, how she talks about him is painful enough, but throw in the Tohru parallels and how at her dad’s funeral his relatives called her “plain” and how she was “no consolation” and now I’m FURTHER SAD.

I have so many thoughts and feeling about Kyo, I am that Jane Austen quote “If I loved you less, I could talk about it more.” Just, um! The careful construction of Kyo as a character! How he talks about the nature of sacrifice and how Kyo HIMSELF is kind of the sacrificial lamb of the Zodiac! Kyo sees the unfairness of him living his day-to-day because of the sacrifice of a human life long ago, but on the flip side of that is his own self-loathing and the thought of why HE deserves to live at the expense of others, even though others live at the expense of HIM, and round and round it goes. And add in that flashback to the aftermath of Kyoko’s death and Kyo’s failure to save her and AAAAAUUUUUUUUGHHHHH.

Rin’s rage after meeting Tohru! She tried so hard to avoid this meeting! She tried so hard and it happened anyway and she’s compromised! Just from that meeting she’s compromised! RIN DARLING DON’T DO THIS ALONE YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THIS ALONE.

Once again, I am not ready. I’m not ready. I think of that piece of the flashback we got this episode and that we’re going to get the FULL THING NEXT EPISODE AND “MY PRECIOUS...” AND I’M- I’M!!! GOODBYE FRIENDS I’LL SEE YOU ALL IN THERAPY.

#in which I ramble #Fruits Basket #fb manga spoilers

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alydiarackham · 4 years

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(cover by me)

How to Be a Hero Like a Villain by Alydia Rackham

Introduction

I’m Basically a Geek

Hi. Yeah, so, it’s true. I’m a geek. Have been forever. I really had no shot at being otherwise. My mom raised my brother and I on musicals and Star Wars and Star Trek and Disney. Growing up, I read loads of YA sci-fi novels—again, lots of Star Wars—and then when Marvel started making movies, I got into X-Men and then Iron Man, Thor (my major crush on Loki still remains alive), Captain America, then Batman; all that jazz. I’m also a Disney fanatic and a theatre nerd.

I was an English major in college, am in love with Tolkien and Austen and Dickens and Doyle, and adore all things Victorian. My friend Jaicee introduced me to Vampire Diaries and Originals (which are both compelling studies in heroics and villainy, let me tell you). I’ve written tons of fanfiction, in addition to loads of original novels. I write in all genres, mostly because I get hooked on a good story, good characters, no matter the setting—though I do have a weakness for an epic story arc, flawed heroes and of course, powerful villains. Right now, I’m on the 5th book in my fairy tale retellings series. So far, I’ve retold “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Snow Queen,” “The Little Mermaid,”—and then I did a totally-original one about a Curse-Maker, from the POV of…yep, the villain! At the moment, I’m working on a retelling of the legend of King Arthur, called “Excalibor.” It’s a blast.

As you might imagine, I am intrigued most of all by character. I enjoy reading about the great ones, and inhabiting the interesting ones in my own writing. Flat romantic interests and motivation-less villains drive me nuts. I’m fascinated by a character’s inner workings, his history, his motivation, his mannerisms, his relationships, his skills, his style, the way he presents himself to the world. My brother and I love analyzing plot holes and devices and flaws and symbolism and insights. (Our after-movie discussions can get very animated, and last for hours.)

Often, we find ourselves yelling things at the Hero on the screen like “For crying out loud, don’t do that! Don’t go in there! Stop wasting your time! Watch out—don’t you know what’s in there?” We easily see the choices that the Hero makes that are flawed, impulsive, or just plain stupid.

But very rarely do we notice such things about the Villain. A good one, anyway.

The Villain takes us by surprise. He startles us. He’s two steps ahead. He already has the device, he’s laid the trap, he’s captured the girlfriend, he’s destroyed the evidence. (Cancer Man in X-Files makes me absolutely want to scream because of this stuff.)

Why is that? How did he know? How is he doing this?? It drives us crazy—and yet, we reluctantly have to admire the greats for being such awesome masterminds.

So…how are the Villains so successful? Sure, we could shrug it off and say, “Well, he’s a super-genius, what do you expect?” But that’s too easy, and frankly, it’s doing a great disservice to our Evil Neighborhood Menace. In fact, with everything we see, and with the Hero making such rash and stupid decisions, oftentimes it’s a wonder that the Hero even lives, let alone triumphs in the end.

And actually, in real life, that’s often true. The Hero does die or fail, and the Villain lives and prospers. Why?

What is it that the Villain is doing that the Hero is not doing, which makes him successful? Again, the easy and lazy answer is “He kills people to get what he wants, he lies, he steals.” Okay, sure. What you’re describing is a garden-variety thug. Somebody who gets caught in Spiderman’s webs every weekend.

You are not describing a Super-Villain.

There’s something about a Super-Villain—a really great one—that keeps him in the game, that makes him a serious threat to the Hero, even after being beaten over and over again. What is it about Lex Luthor—who has no powers—that keeps him alive, and makes him a continuous, serious threat against Superman, the most powerful being on the planet?

How is it that a Villain keeps coming back, when similar failures and losses would crush a Hero and send him home forever, never again to don the super suit?

Could it be that a Villain’s methods, his mindset, his approach, are vastly different from a Hero’s?

And, if a Hero could learn to take these qualities and mesh them with his own already-existing awesomeness, could he perhaps avoid a devastating loss, a crushing defeat?

Is that…in fact…what does make the Hero succeed in the end??

That’s what this book is about. Examining what truly is awesome about a great Villain, and showing YOU how you can put those qualities to use in your own life to do a great deal of good, instead of great evil.

Be a great Hero. Take a few tips from the Villains.

-Alydia Rackham

P.S. I’m going to refer to both the Hero and Villain in this book as “he.” I’m doing that because it’s waaay easier than saying “he or she” all the time. Not because I don’t believe that women can be awesome Heroes, or terribly wicked Villains.

Because I totally do.

Chapter One

What Makes A Hero or a Villain?

So, what is it that makes a person a Hero, instead of a Villain? We’re talking the foundation, here. What are the qualities he or she possesses deep down inside that distinguish, that draw the line, that clearly state to the world: “Nope, this is a good guy, this is a bad guy”? This can be confusing. Especially when we look at two characters, say Loki and Bucky Barnes. Both of them have been all over the map with both good and evil deeds. Both have been called Villains, and both could be Heroes.

What is it that makes us decide where someone stands?

I would say that it all comes down to one thing: CHOICES.

It can’t be anything else. You can’t say it’s kindness, or love, gentleness, trust, honesty, bravery, self-sacrifice, or self-respect. Many Heroes and Villains alike struggle with self-respect. Many Villains sacrifice themselves for a person, or a cause. Villains are almost always exceptionally brave. Villains probably are honest with at least one person, or have been in the past. They also have trusted someone, been gentle with someone or something. Most certainly, the best Villains have loved very, very deeply, and tried their best to be kind to that person or animal.

However, something went wrong. Very wrong. And with every Villain, it can be traced back to Choice.

Sometimes, it’s a single choice. Many times, it’s several choices in a row. And eventually, they all decide that “the ends justify the means.” They opt for self-preservation, for the removal of liberty for other people, for the arrogant assertion of their own will. Over and over again, until it poisons them.

A Hero is someone who does not do this. Who chooses, even if it is wrenchingly difficult, to stand by what is right, no matter the consequences. No matter if he loses everything. He will not betray his honor. Even if no one else would see or know—he would know. And he will not do it.

In the end, this is what makes the Hero stronger than a Villain. The climax, and the defeat of the Villain, comes when the Villain’s weaknesses are exposed, and the Hero takes all his own strengths, combines them with the strengths of the Villain, and declares victory.

A Hero guards his or her good conscience fiercely. It’s pretty well summed up in this quote from Captain America:

“Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are: not a perfect soldier, but a good man.”

Chapter Two

Good Guys Can Be Stupid

We all know it’s true. When we’re in the movie theatre, we mutter under our breath, shake our heads.

When we’re at home, we scream at the TV.

“Nooooo! What are you thinking? Don’t go that way, go the other way!”

“You moron, don’t go off by yourself! Never leave the group! Especially in the dark!”

“What, you jumped in there but you had no way of getting out?”

“Don’t ignore her calls, she’s trying to save your life!”

Yep, we’ve all been there. So what are some bad traits that Heroes tend to display that we ought to try to avoid ourselves?

Stupid Impulsiveness

Sure, impulsiveness can be good on a date, or at a restaurant trying some new dish.

It’s not good when you’re, I dunno, jumping off a ten story building. Following a noise into a dark forest. Or deciding to stop a bank robbery two days after you discovered your powers. Bad planning, or none at all. Not even thinking about what could happen in the next five minutes, let alone preparing for it.

For us regular folks, this can be translated into deciding to go for a drive in the snow with no 4-wheel drive, jumping off something that’s too high, going on a trip without enough money, walking down a dark alley in New York City…

Yeah, you get the idea.

Not Keeping Family and Friends in the Loop

We’ve seen it a lot: Heroes thinking they need to conquer alone—deal with all their problems, and protect their family members. However, all that ends up causing is major trouble. Sometimes life-threatening, sometimes not, but it’s never good. One that comes to mind is Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. If she had told her sisters about what was going on with Darcy, and especially the drama with Mr. Wickham, she might have saved her sister Lydia from being entrapped by the Villain. Pretty much every single story about a superhero contains this type of lament: “If I had only just told them the truth!”

Heroes fall into the trap of thinking that they’re protecting their loved ones by keeping secrets. By not trusting their friends or their family with what’s going on in their lives. When in fact, this only puts their loved ones in danger, and puts serious stress and pressure on the Hero, which can lead to exhaustion, panic, stretched resources, missed opportunities, and giving the loved ones the feeling that they’re being neglected and forgotten.

Discouragement

So many times, the Hero just doesn’t have the tools to do what he needs to do. He’s isolated himself, he’s gone without sleep, he’s fighting an uphill battle every day. And then, one major thing goes the wrong way, and he’s broken. He collapses, he throws things, he cries, he’s in despair. He thinks there’s no possible way for him to do this, to keep going.

He dwells on the failure. It almost swallows him. He loses all confidence, all belief in himself. He might even lose faith in the cause itself, in the people and things he’s been fighting so hard for. And if someone doesn’t come along and convince him otherwise, he’ll never put on that Hero cape again, or pick up that shield, or that sword.

Read this book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Hero-Like-Villain-Villainous-ebook/dp/B07NMVGCHP/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=how+to+be+a+hero+like+a+villain+alydia+rackham&qid=1572901986&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Supergirl - ‘The Quest for Peace’ Review

Red Daughter: You betrayed me. You betrayed Kaznia! Lex Luthor: What can I say? I’m proud to be an American.

Lex Luthor is back to steal the powers of aliens. And the show.

The season finale had a lot to do. It did most of it, with most characters ending up where we wanted them to be.

Last week I complained about a few things that were missing. How we never saw the invasion by Kaznia, nor Lex Luthor’s “rescue” of America. Well, they put that in, all set to Jon Cryer singing along with Frank Sinatra’s “I did it my way.” In fact, it went on a little too long, especially as acting within one of those space helmets, where all the directors can do is to show the head, is pretty limited. Singing, at least, was a different choice.

Last week I also hoped Red Daughter wasn’t dead. And she wasn’t! (Not yet. She dies during this episode, after apologizing to Kara, and her death seems to be real, as she turned into a mist.) Of course, the only reason Lex Luthor could even pretend to kill her (and announce to the world that he had killed Supergirl) was because he thought Red Daughter had killed the real Supergirl. Unlike my relief at Red Daughter being still among the breathing (but my relief was short-lived, as was Red Daughter), Lex Luthor was not at all pleased to discover that the original Supergirl is still alive. Actually, I was surprised that Lex’s discovery took as long in the episode as it did, given that Kara Danvers had written the story connecting Lex Luthor (and Lex knows that Kara=Supergirl). Everyone else was reading the expose, but not Lex Luthor? Doesn’t he have alerts for important stories with his name in it? Given how he is always so many steps ahead, how could he miss that? Later in the episode he castigates Red Daughter for being stupid/naïve/both when she didn’t do any research on him to realize that he hates all Kryptonians, yet he is as guilty himself.

We learn that Lex Luthor has been behind President Boxleitner Baker’s rise all along, explaining why President Baker has been such a jerk. Lex Luthor “invites” his mother and his half-sister to the Oval Office, and they had some interesting exchanges. Like Lex pointing out that he has finally cleared the family name by getting puppet Baker to pardon him (after the dead-once-more Otis left a note confessing to all the crimes that we know were committed by Lex). And Lex also pointing out that his family means a lot to him. This psychologically makes sense, as even if he hates his mother and his half-sister, they are his audience. The people to whom he wants to prove things. He couldn’t do that if they were dead, could they? Lena is hostile towards her half-brother, but Lillian is more accommodating, insisting that they share some polonium tea.

Lex Luthor is behind the rounding up of the aliens, where he has been siphoning off their extra powers for actual power. Like in turning-on-the-lights power, or using that power for weapons (it seems bizarre to me that you could use the same technology on all aliens, but it's a one-size-fits-all power siphoning device). Oddly enough they leave a few aliens out of the power-siphoning pods, for work, relying on the superpower dampeners surrounding Shelley Island to keep the aliens from creating trouble. The fact that they’re not trapped in pods gives some of our heroes (J'onn and Dreamer and some random aliens) the time and space in which to create a diversion. Which they do, first by fighting with each other, then with the guards, and then getting out so they can turn off the superpower dampeners and get an astral projection message to Brainy. So our unlocked-up heroes – James, Brainy, Supergirl and Alex – go to Shelley Island to rescue their friends and the rest of the aliens.

Before our heroes can enter the complex to rescue the aliens, they find themselves in a fight with Ben Lockwood and the Children of Liberty. Even though Ben Lockwood has learned that Lex Luthor, whom he despises, has been behind his own meteoric unbelievable rise to success, Lockwood still hates aliens and now that he’s souped-up with superpowers, is eager to take on Supergirl. It makes sense that Lockwood would not have a complete change of heart, and is satisfying, too, because we get to watch him go to prison when he’s defeated.

Brainy gets into the complex (our other heroes have other tasks) and the first priority is to turn off the machine that is about to annihilate Argo (which is where Superman and the rest of Supergirl’s family are). I loved the scene where Brainy realigns, and goes from telling them that the odds are poor, to being terrified for his friends (and the woman he loves) to encouraging them and telling them that they can indeed, do this. That is, use their psychic energy to overload the weapon that is being sent to destroy Argo.

Supergirl does some necessary fighting, and she gets to watch her clone die, but not before her clone apologizes for being wrong about, you know, everything. I don't really like it when a character is so (as Lex put it) stupid and/or naive. Supergirl thinks Lex is dead when he refuses to let her save him but drops to the ground. This is another logical problem with the episode: there’s no reason that Supergirl couldn’t have zipped down and gotten a better grip on him and stopped him from hitting the ground. He may have said he'd rather die, but you should never trust Lex Luthor.

Lena figures out that Lex didn’t die when he plummeted from the sky (how did he escape? teleportation?), so she comes to his lair to remedy the matter. She shoots Lex, at which point Lex (who doesn’t seem to be showing much pain or coughing up blood despite being shot) tells his half-sister that Kara is Supergirl. We have been waiting for Lena to learn the truth for several seasons now, and of course she learns it in the most uncomfortable way possible.

The writers put in many bits that can make us viewers content while we wait for Season 5. Kara declares that she can do anything with her sister at her side – this didn’t quite have the resonance that I wanted but I still appreciated it. Colonel Haley announces that Supergirl is welcome; Ben Lockwood in prison while his son George Lockwood is on TV, asking everyone, humans and aliens, to just get along. Alex and Kelly share their first kiss (saying that they’ve been through so much together, but I think this is the first time to see them share the screen in this episode), while Brainy and Nia walk by, hand-in-hand, which is especially sweet.

And we have some lovely teases for the next season. Lex Luthor may have not died (you don’t waste a good villain). Lena knows Kara=Supergirl, but Kara hasn’t told her yet. There’s some excitement for J’onn. And, the most delightful of all – Eve Tessmacher is being tracked by some group of beings, which explains why this brilliant blonde was such a fool for Lex. She was being compelled to for some other reason.

Title musings: “The Quest for Peace” is also the title of Superman IV, from the series with Christopher Reeve. As this is the end of the fourth season I guess it was why the writers chose that title. It seems strange to pay homage to Superman IV, as it was such a lousy movie. I suppose you can always say that Supergirl wants peace, she didn’t seem to really be on a quest for peace in this episode, but mostly in the mode of stopping the bad guys. I understand why the writers chose it, but the title’s not inspired or inspiring.

Bits and pieces

Very satisfying to see the traitorous President Boxleitner being thrown out by the application of the 25th amendment. We all know why it was satisfying.

So both Lillian (polonium in the tea) and Lena (gun) have tried to kill Lex. Maybe he won’t be so accommodating next time?

Quotes

President Baker: Not that I don’t trust the plan, but shouldn’t I be in a bunker somewhere?

Lex Luthor: From zero to President with a snap of my fingers. Are you seriously asking me if I’m sure about something?

Kara/Supergirl: I will not let fear win. And with my sister by my side, anything is possible.

Brainy: That is a rather strong emotional reaction for such an insignificant detail.

Lena: Your murderous son has duped the world into thinking he’s Earth’s hero. This is hardly Thanksgiving dinner.

Overall Rating

There was a lot in this episode to like, which is why this review goes on and on. But the episode also has spots where the logic was faulty, or where they are telling instead of showing. Three out of four cups of polonium-spiked tea.

Victoria Grossack loves math, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.

#Supergirl #Kara Danvers #Kara Zor-El #Lena Luthor #Alex Danvers #Lex Luthor #DC Comics #Supergirl Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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birdwithfrenchfry · 7 years

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My forever OTPs Masterpost

Okay so I am a classic fan-girl. I can love a lot of tv-shows, but what gets me addicted are the shows with amazing characters and relationships. You know those ships that steals your soul and you daydream about then instead of your own life? The ships where they are imperfect, but they make eachother better. Yup, those ships.

(These are in no special order, because all my forever OTPs are my babies.)

1. Buffy & Spike (Spuffy) - BtvS

She is the vampire slayer. He is a vampire. They started of trying to kill each other. But somehow they never did.. Long story short he fell in love with her. Helped her save her sister. Helped save the world. He was there for her when she felt broken and lost. Sure, these characters had one of the roughest stories I’ve ever been invested in, but I never stopped loving these two characters. He hurt her, but then he fought to get his soul back. For her, to be the kind of man she deserves,

Favourite quote:

Spike: You listen to me. I've been a live a bit longer than you, and dead a lot longer than that. I've seen things you couldn't imagine, and done things I prefer you didn't. Don't exactly have a reputation for being a thinker. I've only my blood, which doesn't exactly rush in the direction of my brain, so I make a lot of mistakes, a lot of wrong, bloody calls. A hundred plus years, and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of -- you. Hey, look at me. I'm not asking you for anything. When I say I love you, it's not because I want you, or because I can't have you, and it has nothing to do with me. I love what you are. What you do. How you try. I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you, and I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You are a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy.

2. Rory Gilmore & Jess Mariano (Literati) - Gilmore Girls

Okay so who was Rorys best boyfriend has always been a BIG part of the Gilmore Girls universe. Imo no one even compares to Jess! Bad boy moves to small town. Boy meets girl. They fall in love. Their connection was real and they challenged each other on so many levels. Their relationship was pretty brief, which sucked. But Jess came back for a visit on several occations and he was always the one to get Rory back on track when she felt lost. He understood her better than anyone. No one will ever convince me these two didn’t get together in the end, even if we never got to see it happen.

Favourite quote:

Rory: We're studying. Jess: You're studying. I'm prying into your personal life.

3. Kate Austen & James “Sawyer” Ford (Skate) - LOST

Okay so I have no words to tell you how much this ship meant to me. It was my first ship where I actually were a part of a online-fandom and these are friends I still have now, 10 years later. But THESE characters.. her sass, his nicknames.. they break my heart. Lost gir & lost boy. Together they were perfect, with a chemistry that still to this day can make my heart skip a beat.

Favourite quote:

Sawyer: You taste like strawberries. Kate: You taste like fish biscuits.

4. Emma Swan & Killian Jones / Hook (Captain Swan) - OUaT

So I’m a Disney addict. Like, I moved to the other side of the world twice to work for The Mouse. Fairytales has always been my thing, so me being addicted to Once Upon a Time was a given from the start. I was a casual viewer for the first season, but then this man (Captain Hook!) showed up, and my life has been all about Captain Swan since that moment. He was a villain (but not really, he wanted revenge for his first love) and then he met Emma who is sunshine and everything good. She has been alone most of her life and her walls are so high no-one can get close. Together they make each other better. He works hard to be a good man for her, and she finally finds someone who will never leave her and treats her like the princess she is. They are so good together, true love.

Favourite quote:

Killian: With all this talk of authors and the book, we've never discussed one fact: I was a villain. Emma: But you're not anymore. Killian: Neither is Regina, but she still lost her happy ending. If we're to believe the rules of the book, then it's only a matter of time before I lose mine. Emma: Wait. If you're afraid of losing your happy ending, that means you found it. What is it? Killian: Don't you know, Emma? It's you.

5. Clarke Griffin & Bellamy Blake (Bellarke) - The 100

Aka. my sun and moon, king and queen of the ground, and all-around adorable hurt puppies. Started out not liking each other very much, but found themselves working better as a team and as leaders of their people. They have a deep connection, and work together perfectly. She’s the brain, he’s the heart. They have tried doing things on their own, but turns out they work better together. Clarke and Bellamy trust each other completely and they would die to protect each other. Plso their chemistry is insane, been shipping these since like..the second episode. We are now on season 4 and they STILL haven’t kissed. I feel the Bellarke strong this season, so I think it will happen soon. But as long as I get to see these two working together I will go down with this ship with a smile on my face.

Favourite quote:

Clarke: Thank you. For keeping me alive. Bellamy: You don't make it easy.

6. Katara & Zuko (Zutara) - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Prince Zuko, firebender. Katara, waterbender. Opposittes, night and day, yin and yang. So this ship never happened, but that doesn’t stop me from still daydreaming about them and reading tons of fan fiction. They were enemies turned friends and together they were amazing. This is the kind of ship where I feel so blessed that we have internet. There’s just so many fics and fanart out there about these two silly babies.

Favourite quote:

Katara: What are you doing? Zuko: Keeping the rocks from crushing you. Katara: Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now. Zuko: I'll take that as a "thank you."

7. Zoe Hart & Wade Kinsella (Zade) - Hart of Dixie

Big-city doctor moved to small adorable town. Meets bad-boy Wade. They argue. They have a LOT of chemistry. There’s a lot of on and off all through this series, but it was wonderful to watch. This show just makes me feel good, and these two love-birds made it perfect. Wade grew up, Zoe learned that she didn’t have to follow her big plan and let her heart decide where and who her home was. Perfection.

Favourite quote:

Wade: Maybe I'm not 100 percent sure that you wouldn't hurt me if we started things, but I know that I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. And I guess that I realized it's worth the risk.

8. Robin & Barney (Swarkles) - How I Met Your Mother

Okay, but do I really have to explain this one to anyone? Everyone knew these two were perfect together. Barney & Robin were funny as hell, they loved each other even with all their little quirks. Perfect pairing and I will ship them until the end of time. (and I will never ever forgive the writers for that ending). Rude.

Favourite quote:

Barney: I love everything about her, and I’m not a guy who says that lightly. I’m a guy who has faked love his entire life. I thought love was just something idiots thought they felt, but this woman has a hold on my heart that I could not break if I wanted to. And there have been times that I wanted to. It has been overwhelming and humbling and and even painful at times. But I could not stop loving her any more than I could stop breathing. I am hopelessly, irretrievably in love with her. More than she knows.

9. Veronica & Logan (LoVe) - Veronica Mars

Yup, that’s LoVe. Silly puppies who are just great together even when they don’t want to admit it to themselves. The original series ended so suddenly that I never got closure when it came to Logan and Veronica, so I was SO happy that they made a revival movie and it was PERFECT! These kids have been through so much, they just need to be happy!

Favourite quote:

Logan: I thought our story was epic, you know, you and me. Veronica: Epic how? Logan: Spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, bloodshed. EPIC. Veronica: Come on. Ruined lives? Bloodshed? You really think a relationship should be that hard? Logan: No one writes songs about the ones that come easy.

10. Isak & Even (Evak) - SKAM

Okay so for those of you who don’t know this show: SKAM is a Norwegian show that follows a group of teenagers through High School. And in season 3 Evak stole all of our hearts. It’s all about falling in love, coming out and a bit of mental health, all done perfectly. They are so cute and amazing, even when they were breaking my heart. What makes this show so great is how realistic it feels, and you smile and hurt with them.

Favourite quote:

Isak: Du er ikke alene. (You are not alone).

Honorable mentions

Jackie & Hyde - That 70′s Show

Luke & Lorelai - Gilmore Girls

Fiona & Steve - Shameless (US)

Jeff & Annie - Community

Willow & Tara - BtVS

“You don’t love because: you love despite; not for the virtues, but despite the faults.”

- William Faulkner

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douxreviews · 5 years

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - ‘Indiscretion’ Review

Sisko: I know this isn’t what you had in mind, but Bajor and Cardassia must learn to work together, and that means cooperating on missions like these.

This is one of the stories made possible by the rich back story to DS9, which has two groups that were at war, now in an uneasy peace, reluctantly working together as they attempt to discover the Ravinok, a ship that contained both Cardassians and Bajorans. Kira doesn’t want to work with any Cardassians but Sisko insists. And so of course we get the Cardassian we love to hate, Gul Dukat.

Kira is not pleased by her traveling companion, but Dukat tries to be agreeable. And in this episode, Dukat is not quite the two-dimensional villain of the Occupation. Although his arguing that the Occupation was good for Bajor goes far too far, it is true that the Bajorans are stronger than they were in the past. They have to be. And even Razka Karn, the fellow who brings them the clue, misses the excitement of smuggling for the resistance. Now he’s just making a living selling scrap metal.

Of course, Dukat’s reason for coming is not so simple. He is looking for particular people, starting with a Bajoran woman who had been his mistress. When Dukat and Kira arrive at the Ravinok’s wreckage they find graves – which means that some people died, but that others lived long enough to bury the others. Dukat insists on searching them without Kira’s presence, for religious reasons. She doesn’t object, but we suspect that it may have been just an excuse. In the meantime she takes a look at the manifest, and discovers that the Bajoran woman seems to have had a daughter – a daughter with a Bajoran family name but a Cardassian (I want to say first, but it comes second in these languages) other name. Dukat admits that the young woman, Tora Ziyal, is his daughter.

For a while this fact warms Dukat to Kira. She understands his haste to find the prisoners; he wants to find his daughter! But things become tense again as he says he plans to kill Ziyal in order to protect his career and his wife and his seven legitimate children. At first this seems outrageous (and Kira is outraged). But Dukat’s attitude is borne out by the other Cardassians who are in the prison camp. Yet Gul Dukat does not kill his daughter (of course, Kira threatens to kill him if he does). Dukat even hugs Ziyal and plans to take her home with him.

The B story concerns the fact that Captain Sisko’s love interest, Kasidy Yates, has been offered a freighter job by the Bajoran government and can expect to be around more. She even wants to get quarters on the station (a suggestion made by Jadzia). First, this gives the chance for Sisko and Yates to grow closer. Second, this move – especially because Captain Sisko is so uncomfortable with it – gives the actors who have nothing to do with the Ravinok story something to do. (Only Chief O’Brien doesn’t weigh in; Colm Meany does not appear in the episode.) Sisko finally gives his blessing on Yates’s new job, only to discover she hadn’t waited for his permission.

Viewers may wonder why Sisko was so reluctant to have Yates on the station with him. Most of the other characters think that Sisko is a commitment-phobe, while Jake believes that his father doesn’t want the responsibility for Yates’s situation if the relationship doesn’t work out. Sisko himself expresses a reason: he watched his wife Jennifer die in circumstances that would not have existed had it not been for his position. None of these reasons feel completely convincing to me, though, but a much more satisfactory answer will be given in “The Sound of Her Voice,” the penultimate episode of season six.

Title musings: “Indiscretion” is the title of the episode, and mostly refers to the fact that Gul Dukat has an illegitimate daughter by a Bajoran mistress, something so frowned upon in Cardassian society that he plans to murder his daughter once he finds her. The Sisko-Yates storyline works with this title too. Sisko’s reaction to Yates’s idea of getting quarters on the station – “It’s a big step” – is a really indiscreet thing to say.

Bits and pieces

One of the best scenes is between Odo and Kira, when they are in his office reviewing criminal activity reports. Their friendship is very deep. And although there is advice he would like to give her, he does not, because he knows she would not take it. Instead he wishes her luck.

Several times later in the series people say that no one knows what the Breen look like under their refrigeration suits. But Kira has to know, and probably Gul Dukat as well.

This not the first time Kira has gone to rescue people who went missing due to the occupation.

Dukat’s sitting on a sand spine is played for slapstick, dragged out literally and figuratively. Not the best part of the episode.

This is the first DS9 episode to be directed by LeVar Burton.

Over the next few seasons, several different actors will play the role of Dukat’s half-Bajoran daughter. I am not sure why the casting changed, but it may have been due to the extensive make-up, which could be uncomfortable.

Quotes

Odo: Which means it doesn’t matter if I think there are any survivors. You are going to go looking for that ship, and all I can say is “good luck” – and I hope you find them.

Dukat: I’ve found that one has a difficult job to do, personal reasons can be quite an incentive.

Dukat: I know you find this hard to accept, but I believe, that in some ways, the occupation actually helped Bajor. Kira: Which parts? The massacres or the strip mining?

Sisko: It’s a big step. Kasidy Yates: A good big step or a bad big step?

Bashir: It could have been worse. He could have said, it’s a very big step.

Kira: Listen to yourself! It’s not your wife and seven children you’re protecting, it’s you!

Kira: There’s always a choice.

Ziyal: If I can’t be with you, I’d rather die.

Kasidy Yates: Do you think I’d give up a great opportunity just because you got cold feet?

Overall Rating

I think this was at the point in the series when the writers were still considering a romance between Major Kira and Gul Dukat. Nana Visitor, thank goodness, put her foot down. It’s a good episode, working with the uneasy truce between two currently not-at-war people, introducing Ziyal, who will be important later, and enabling the relationship between Sisko and Yates to move to the next level. Some of it, however, feels forced. The idea that Dukat is planning to murder his daughter; Sisko’s reluctance to have Yates on the station – they are crises that were necessary for the episode to have adequate conflict, but they both felt manufactured. Two and a half out of four sandy spines. (And note that for DS9, which is one of my all-time favorite shows, I tend to grade a little harder.)

Victoria Grossack loves math, Greek mythology, Jane Austen and great storytelling in many forms.

#Star Trek #Star Trek Deep Space Nine #DS9 #Kira Nerys #Gul Dukat #Benjamin Sisko #Kasidy Yates #Deep Space 9 #Star Trek Reviews #Doux Reviews #TV Reviews

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