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afraschatz · 4 years

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Leverage: The 12 Steps Job

It‘s been a while since I‘ve done one of these, but I‘m rewatching Leverage yet again (SHOW, I MISSED YOU) and here are plenty of things I love about ‚The 12 Step Job‘: I love…

… The montage of Hurley in the car and how he walks into his office. Man, that is one NEAT character introduction because when you first watch this, of course he could pass as an absolute jerk and the baddie of the week – despite the client‘s description of him as enthusiastic and sweet. But at the same time this is just how he is later on in this ep and when he returns in The Boys‘ Night Out Job: An absolute slob and a complete mess but also very congenial (how much he knows about all his co-workers? Sweet) and with his heart in the right place.

… Nate being a complete dick and so fucking in denial about his alcohol problem here. I haven‘t watched season one in a while and it‘s so interesting how his and Sophie‘s relationship is so different here (the biggest shift of course being between s2 and s3 where Nate decides to take a vacation in prison and Sophie runs the crew in the meantime – this changes things forever). But it‘s so cool how Gina‘s acting walks the thin line between being the one who is absolutely in the right here and being just that bit annoying that allows Nate to justify implying that she‘s overly dramatic

… Eliot‘s hair is ON FIRE in that episode, wow and that blue shirt *chef‘s kiss*

… how the team works together in figuring out where Hurley might be. Yes, it‘s season one and Nate is very much calling the shots – and he is the one narrowing it down here – but Eliot and Hardison specifically absolutely pitch in.

… Sophie‘s and Eliot‘s little eyeroll at Hardison‘s dropping strip club knowledge

… ‘if Billy was a drunken sex fiend’ – hahaha, Parker, spot on as always – and Eliot‘s and Hardison‘s responding expressions. Come on, boys, don‘t deny it, you‘re in love with her already.

… that look on Nate‘s face when he figures out how to find Hurley. His whole expression changes, his gaze focusses, he leans forward and that drunken haze is gone for the moment

… how Eliot and Hardison constantly share the same frame <3

… Eliot‘s little DELIGHTED smile. Okay, his and Hardison‘s delight in strip joints doesn‘t quite fit later seasons, so we all can just agree that Hardison asking for change for 100 in singles is just because they really want to tip generously for the chicken wings there or something :)

… Eliot‘s and Hardison‘s synchronized walk off

… ‘Don‘t get mad, Eliot, I may have spilled slushie in your car’ and his badly acted expression of contrition hahaha, no one is buying that, Hardison

… Eliot and Hardison being extremely sexy in sitting in Eliot’s car (and as so often, look at the perfect way that shot is lit! Hardison’s and Eliot’s faces both fricking glow)

… very smartly dressed random thugs

… the messy way the fight scene is shot – close ups and very wobbly camera moves, and how you can still tell how efficiently Eliot fights and how… well not all that efficiently Hardison is. And yes, again, it’s season one, so Hardison grabs the gun and shoots it, too, instead of just sitting back and chilling while he watches Eliot beat people up (which is way better than the strip joint idea anyway)

… Eliot being annoyed with Hardison

… ‘Is he sleeping?’ LOL, yes, Sophie, that’s why Hurley is using the air bag as a pillow

… Nate looking progressively more like the absolute mess he is as the episode progresses

… - how confusing is it that Sterling’s Theme is used and Sterling isn’t immediately around the next corner? That is SO cool because yes, he shows up later, or rather: withdrawal!Nate hallucinates him; and so his theme music this early in the episode is almost like foreshadowing

… everyone in group therapy apparently understanding Sam perfectly well aside from Nate

… Parker having to read from the cheat sheet she wrote onto her lower arm to get her three-sentence-character-intro right

… Hurley’s massive list of addiction, with the climax of “Tacos”

… “Uh-huh” - and Sophie and Nate having another fight while everyone else in the group is already tired of it. Especially Parker, if one were to judge by her VERY subtle expressions.

… Parker aggressively chewing on the meds the doctor gave her. I absolutely LOVE the way she constantly gives other people this uncensored WTF-look in season one

… Eliot being smart in the parking lot. I have so much love and respect for how that’s played here again – Eliot is the one who has to have 360 vision, it’s his job to anticipate problems in all forms and sizes

… Hardison’s bricks-on-the-seat plan. That’s so great because he might be the smartest guy Eliot knows TM, but he is fucking afraid here and panicking and that’s not conducive to coming up with super clever plans, is it?

… Hardison and Eliot working together while bitching at one another - “Yes, there are a lot of wires! It’s a Com-Pu-Ter!!”

… Hardison’s brain rebooting as he figures out that it’s a computer bomb and the system needs to be re-booted

… Eliot trusting Hardison’s knowledge, and Christian’s acting here – knowing Hardison is right, being low key annoyed by it, being just a bit unsettled (that lip quiver!) “Run that sack of bricks by me again...” - “Are you ready?” - “NO!” and his trembling hand - he is so good at rapidly changing expressions and tones

… “I’m gonna go and freshen up a little bit. Maybe cry a little”

… Hardison thinking on his feet and that sweet Jamaican accent – Eliot thinking that is sexy, and backing him up with a bomb

… and again, Kane’s acting – that beat and that look before he says “Sure” when Hardison asks whether he’d have saved him as well

… Nate’s withdrawal. So well done. Over all, the show is SO good at showing that alcoholism is a sickness and a serious problem, even if (especially if!) Nate doesn’t acknowledge it

… HARDISON AND ELIOT’S DATE AT THE RECEPTION DESK. - So, while in the scene before, Hardison takes the lead in acting their way out of the situation, here it’s Eliot by shamelessly flirting with the receptionist. And Hardison’s FACE throughout this. Like, bro, do we have time for this? DO WE? - And then “I’m with him”. And Eliot trying so hard not to burst into laughter, especially when Hardison is doing that thing he is famous for which is shamelessly over-acting just to piss Eliot off. - The ringing of the reception bell and “Bring yo ass”. And none of that even being mentioned in the next scene. - So much quality content in this episode.

… Sophie taking over for Nate when Nate very obviously can’t, and her tone of voice changing to what we’ll get to know from season three Sophie

… Parker coming up with a believable story and selling it. Up to the point where her make believe parents found gold under their trailer…

… Nate’s withdrawal getting worse, Tim’s acting is brilliant here.

… Sophie talking differently to Nate than before. Yes, she still seems to focus on Nate and how Nate is being a dick to them and particularly her, but her voice is different and she uses the real emotion between her and Nate’s exchange to get what they need from Hurley; the list of people he wronged. Brilliant little twist here, because of course Sophie is focused on the con and on helping their client, especially now that Nate is threatening to lose his focus entirely

… that Genesis? Veeeeery subtle product placement, Leverage hahaha

… “I checked your notes - he seems like a deeply troubled man” - Thank you, doctor, yeah. Nate IS a deeply troubled man. And again: Nate’s withdrawal getting much worse, and the con threatening to get out of hand. I said it before, and I’ll say it again: It’s really great how they used this episode to focus so much on Nate’s alcoholism. It’s something so important not only for later seasons but also for the upcoming s1 finale, and we’ve watched enough episodes at this point that we understand WHY this happened to him. And this episode doesn’t offer an easy fix, nor do the following seasons. “Just give me something to do” is what Nate says here, and Sophie has to decide whether or not this is really the right thing to do

… “He is an addict, he knows how to manipulate people, my father was an addict, my grandfather was an addict, I know how these people operate” - yes, Nate, we know who you’re talking about. And so does Sophie

… Sterling as the one Nate hallucinates. Because Sterling knows him, because they used to be friends, because Sterling is as ruthless as Nate is (well, nearly), because Nate is still projecting and in denial that he is in fact talking about himself. So what does he do? He imagines his former friend who is now on the other side, chasing him. - I’m not too big a fan of Sterling in later seasons but this is such a STELLAR use of his character, and Mark’s acting is brilliant here, and so is, of course, Tim’s.

… “Knocking on heaven’s door” - ouch

… Nate’s aggression towards Hurley, first in a physical form and that is scary but also less dangerous because it’s unfocused; and then when his mind has something to focus on, that sharp sharp focus – fuck, he’s one scary dude indeed, it’s rather disconcerting that one is looking at Hurley for emotional reassurance in this scene…

… Parker’s strange walk because of her meds and the return on her focus when her thief-self kicks back in

… “If you’re doing it to help someone, doesn’t that make it okay?” Good question, Hurley. Your answer, Nate?

… Nate shoving Hurley in the hallway rather than explaining what’s going on. Funny, and sliiiightly sloppy, Mr Ford

...Tacos :)

… Eliot and Hardison sharing the same level of annoyance and then acceptance. So in tune in this episode, these two

… re-using that bomb. Everyone does their part in sustainability and careful usage of resources ;)

… the thugs thinking the bomb thing was done by the Jamaicans, aka Hardison and Eliot

… Eliot’s and Hardison’s reservations in the flashback. “Uh---why?” from Hardison and Eliot’s emphatic headshake

… the cash in the tire. Very practical choice, Hurley

… HURLEY JUST WANTS A HUG

… Hardison going the extra mile with Hurley’s new identity by getting him a gym membership

… Parker’s brilliant drawing!!!

… Parker smelling the Sharpie

… Parker running, PARKER HUGGING ELIOT AND HARDISON!!!! OT3!!!

… and that song, that is a variation of “What shall we do with the drunken sailor”, right?

Seriously, this is such a dark episode for Leverage standards because of that focus on Nate’s addiction, and yet, it’s counterbalanced by so much Hardison/Eliot fun and competence porn, by Sophie’s strength and by the fact that the villain of the week has a redemption arc. I love this show so much and this mix shows why again; such a delicate balance, so beautifully handled

#leverage #nate ford #sophie deveraux #eliot spencer #alec hardison #parker #Things I Love About #The Twelve Steps Job

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snickerdoodlles · 5 years

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One of the things I was super meh on when watching Leverage for the first time was Nate’s reoccurring “let’s go steal a [thing]” line. Like it was cute the first time, but it got old so fast? I remember making the loudest groan when the actual words “lets go steal the future” came out of his mouth

But now on my sixth rewatch, it just occurred to me that it’s Peak Dad Humor and fucking amazing

please imagine Hardison rolling his eyes so hard he fucking sways whenever Nate says this line. like the first time he did it, nobody cared—Eliot’s too business driven to give a shit. Parker thinks it’s weird, but everyone’s weird so it doesn’t register. But Hardison. Hardison. He’s over here rolling his eyes and biting his tongue because he will not be the first to speak about this against the only boss he can stand, but give god him strength to deal with this stupid joke

Meanwhile Nate, poor Nate who’s desperately trying not to go Full Dad Mode, keeps sneaking glances to the side because he’s missed this. He wasn’t really expecting a reaction by that point, hell the first time wasn’t even intentional. But it stuck in his mind and gdi he’s being clever, honestly no reaction is just insulting, or at least that’s what he tells himself as he keeps at it and keeps sneaking glances at everyone whenever he says it

So he ramps it up

Then he says “let’s go steal us a mountain” and Hardison breaks. Big hissing sigh, eyes rolled back to the skull, biting sarcasm begging to be unleashed, the works. He opens his mouth to give Nate a piece of his mind because sure, Nate’s the coolest (only) boss Hardison’s ever had but he has an image to maintain, he can’t deal with this any longer—

Then he sees it

The smile

It’s a secret smile. The edges of Nate’s lips are only barely quirked up. But his eyes are dancing, simple pure happiness sparkling, and Hardison’s words catch on the tip of his tongue. The stories of how and why Nate Ford left the streets, all those times Nate’s thought of Sam and shut down, flash across Hardison’s mind

the words die on his lips. instead, he gives Nate his best threatening don’t-fuck-with-me look and tries not to be offended when Nate’s amusement only grows

(He’s not offended. Can’t be, not in the face of Nate’s delight.)

(He tries not to think of how he’s already so attached.)

It morphs into a game soon after that. Nate tries for the most ridiculous line he can think of, Hardison tries not to react. The others join in, in their own simple ways. Sophie always suppresses a smile, soft as some of the darkness eases off Nate for even a fraction of a moment. Eliot’s some times caught rolling his eyes or snifling a snort. Parker eventually catches on that it’s not just general people weirdness, but Nate weirdness, and often offers a quick little grin because this weirdness is theirs

#leverage #alec hardison #nate ford #me: i hate this line so fucking much #me now: this line is the best thing in the world #time for another rewatch so i can properly appreciate it yes #yes #theres a whole meta in here about how obviously tara doesnt fully fit in the group but thats for another time #actually theres a second meta in here about how the joke didnt truly get going until s2 👀#...maybe tomorrow #someone remind me lmao

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dailyarturia · 6 years

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Instead of just rating servants, what about a rating of the different Fate storylines?

oh now THIS I can do

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. often called the most boring route which, I guess yeah because it’s the first route of the first game so it ends up being exposition central. it has its moments and it’s not bad per se but it hasn’t aged that well and the rest of the series has caught up with it since it’s not the entry point for new fans anymore so like half the route’s content and plot twists end up being stuff that is already known from other installments. I still think it’d be nice if ufotable made an ova or something just to complete the set, and also because heaven’s feel actually mirrors fate route on a lot of points so I feel the hf movies aren’t going to be at their best if you haven’t gone over fate route beforehand. if you skip over the outdated exposition you can easily fit all of it in ~10 episodes cause it’s pretty short. 6.5/10 if looked at on its own, but its importance as the base on which later routes build can’t be underestimated

my personal favourite route even tho its heroine is the worst part of it. with fate route getting the exposition out of the way ubw can go at a faster pace and is more action oriented. the shirou-archer and related archer-lancer conflict is one of my favourites in all of fate and “here I come, king of heroes- do you have enough weapons in stock?” is ICONIC. rin got massively gimped as heroine cause nasu didn’t seem to dare actually letting her be flawed and shirou ended up too focused on his own conflict to form like a real bond with her but that’s a horse I beat to death long ago. the examination of what makes a hero is in general one of my fav themes in fate and ubw obviously delivers there but what I especially love in ubw is the theme of “don’t ‘welcome to the real world’ me asshole, the real world shouldn’t be like this”. 9/10 would be a 10 if rin had like, any character development

this one is... so stressful to read, which is GOOD cause that’s the point but that also means my reread is going at a pace of 3 scenes per 4 months. heaven’s feel throws every convention that fate and ubw set up out the goddamn window by immediately killing off like half the cast including powerhouses like gilgamesh and turning an ideological conflict into a really viscerally personal one. the final conflict isn’t a hero versus a world ending calamity, it’s a bunch of traumatised kids with bad blood between them and the rest of the world caught in the crossfire. “the embodiment of all the world’s evils was a victim” is a really powerful statement to make and where fate and ubw only really asked “what makes a hero” hf hammers in the corresponding question of “what makes a villain”. 8.5/10 it’s an incredibly strong thematic ending to the game as a whole but it’s just, not my favourite

jesus christ look what you did, you got me started. here’s a readmore to save your dashboard and rip mobile users cause I got some opinions on fate alright

this one fucking sucks if you look at it on its own it only works if you know fsn follows it otherwise its just DEATH DESPAIR PAIN SUFFERING yeah yeah we get it urobuchi. apparently he was going through a real bad depressive episode when he was asked to write zero and it was really cathartic to him to be able to write it as dark as he wants knowing that he can’t possibly ruin the happy ending of fsn so, I’ll give him that I guess. I thought it was the greatest shit when I first watched it cause uro’s really good at leveraging shock value but the flaws become more obvious with every rewatch. not really my favourite it’s mostly just asshole central and people who stan zero are usually insufferable but it’s got some good shit among the usual uro stuff. 7/10 PROVIDED you look at it in the context of fsn otherwise it’s like, a 5

BIG favourite and origin of my wife for life bazett fraga mcremitz. I read this one at the exact right time in my life to be absolutely destroyed by it. the whole game is based on the premise of ‘a second chance’ so it goes out if its way to go into the characters who got kinda shafted in fsn while also being the canon ‘everyone lives’ au. fsn has always underlined how valuable an ordinary life is that’s why we call it family dinner simulator 2004 but fha really hammers that one in. less outright action than fsn but a really strong and tense atmosphere. 9/10 would be a 10 if it weren’t for the fucking caren scene

basically revisits the themes from zero and stay night from a different angle but the cast is too large to really go into it so its clunky and a lot of characters end up sidelined. still it’s home to a lot of my favs and some of the coolest action in the whole series. I have a lot of apocrypha opinions but most of them boil down to who i want to hold hands with each other and how much I love sieg(fried) so I’ll spare you those. 7/10 thanks to shaky execution but if you take a shovel and make it that deep yourself it easily jumps up to 8 or even 9. don’t watch the anime I’m begging you.

the storyline actually suffers a lot from how linear and rigid the game structure is so its main selling point is hakuno and their bond with each of the 3 playable servants but by god does it deliver there. hakuno is one of my favourite protagonists of all time and it’s all in how they’re not going to take this shit lying down. it’s a game about forging bonds in a system designed to drive people apart and holding stubborn hope for the future. 9.5/10 the half point is as much acknowledgement of the game’s flaws as I am willing to give because we have decided to stan forever

lol what was that about linear structure? its like, super horny on main so it’s a hard sell but it basically turns everything I liked about extra up to 14. fate/extra CCC is a game about reaching out to others, how people are stronger together, how the future can be changed for the better as long as you are alive to see it, forming your own identity in the wake of trauma and learning who you are in relation to others as well as to your own past, healthy love and unhealthy love and recognising the difference between the two, and big fat anime titties. 10/10 i am not fucking kidding you if you can handle the horny CCC will be the best ride of your goddamn life.

look. i don’t want to get started on extella so just take the ratings. 8/10 concept 4/10 execution.

it’s incomprehensible garbage but it’s MY incomprehensible garbage 9/10 and 3/10 simultaneously

now we got some real mixed feelings on this bad boy here so I’ll try to keep it short. basically all the chapters up to and including london were mediocre at best with septem as the absolute peak of garbage. they actually said in interviews that they didn’t make a shift towards heavier story content until between london and america so that makes sense but it painfully shows. america camelot babylon salomon then exponentially increased in quality and were the fucking bomb. epic of remnant was a massively mixed bag thanks to all the guest writers with minimal supervision to buy nasu time to write lostbelt. lostbelt is fun again. the main story nowadays is really good quality because nasu is just doing what he does best and writing incomprehensible lore with a story around it but because of the game’s nature as mobile game that wants to make everyone appealing somehow it misses a lot of the visceral emotion that fsn had. events are often too silly even if they do end on a serious note and there’s not enough actual serious story content to balance it out so everyone kinda suffers from character erosion and I’m not sure if there’s an easy way to fix that, cause sure you can say ‘make nasu supervise it more’ but nasu’s always writing like 5 different things at once and he can’t really Do That. I think ultimately fgo has been good for fate as a whole in the story department and I also think a different direction/feel from earlier stuff isn’t bad in itself but the scale at which fgo works does seem like it’s beyond what nasu and co really expected to ever have to handle and so while the amount of successes has increased, the amount of failures has also become more glaring. 5/10 on the first few chapters, 8/10 on the later half of arc one and onwards, ???/10 overall, oh fate how I wish I could quit you (i don’t wish that i’m having a good time)

#bluelikeviolets #mod post

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sometimesrosy · 5 years

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The 100 S5 rewatch: Sleeping Giants

All right going in. Everyone is coming home. This is when Bellamy finds out Clarke is alive. And when Clarke is captured. These are all long. I’m recapping the damn things and giving my commentary. Look under the cut. this is like 1500 words. If y’all want a tag drop a line. I need to start doing these more regularly so I don’t run out of time before the new season OMG ITS ALMOST SEASON 6!!

McCreary Shaw and Diyoza, handsome trio of incorrigibles. Oooh. One of those prisoners is impaled. Madi doesn’t think it’s the right thing to do to kill the prisoners. Clarke says it’s their home and they are taking it. The prisoners aren’t listening to Diyoza when she says hold. McCreary is like ‘this is not your damn army I’m not gonna—“

KAPOW Clarke shoots dude. McCreary rolls for cover. You shoulda listened to your ex girlfriend dude. She’s smarter than you. Bringing the earthmover in. Diyoza sends McCreary in to hunt down somebody to interrogate. Shaw doesn’t want to fight. “Why does it have to be war.” Diyoza’s mad because he gave up jets for spaceships.

Hey Spacekru. I love them. Emori’s flying them to elegius 4. “Commencing operation uninvited guests.” Ha ha. Raven is funny. Oh Raven had to take over. The ship was spinning and Emori couldn’t align it. Murphy is an ass to Emori. Echo takes out her sword on the ship and Bellamy eyes her. The past is already coming back. Raven sends Emori back to the ship to run diagnostics and Murphy offers to stay and help. But they snipe at each other so Harper stays instead.

Prisoners. Mining missions were dangerous. They sent people they thought were disposable. Sounds familiar.

Monty finds the com. They hear that the Eligius is hunting their people. Clarke puts Madi into the hole and tells her she loves her to lead them off.Bellamy is listening to them tracking her, and they don’t know that it’s Clarke. A feisty one, pretty, too, and Raven looks at Bellamy. They think it’s Octavia.

McCreary shoves Clarke to the ground, he’s such an ass. “You only caught one?” “We only saw one.”

“Her people will come for her, be ready.” They don’t even know. Shaw is playing good cop.

McCreary starts hitting Clarke and Shaw stops him. And then McCreary goes after Shaw because he’s not one of them. They are not a unified people.

Shaw sees the night blood. ‘Blood alteration like they had on Eligius 3. Two suns. No sunscreen.” Foreshadowing.

Clarke and Diyoza. Two peas in a pod.

Murphy Monty and Echo wheeling the fuel to the ship. Echo missed Murphy’s stupid little joke and Monty and Murphy are sniping at each other. Useless. Coward. Brats both of them.

Echo finds the cryo sleepers.

Kodiak protocol coming. Harper’s trying to make Emori feel better. Wants her to give him a second chance. Murphy, “you were talking about me, weren’t you?” She says “don’t flatter yourself.” But they WERE talking about him.

Bellamy was looking at the ship manifest and they are all murderers. Raven tries to make him feel better because his grandpappy Blake was a 4 time phd and astronaut and he’s not at all like that. They’re still thinking that these people are descendants. They see the video when Diyoza takes over the ship. There’s the best dad in the universe mug.

In comes Kodiak. Hush I need to watch Bellamy fight. God I love watching him fight. He’s gotten so much better at it.

MAN. Kodiak is TOUGH. Echo slashes him across the back and then runs his gut through and he just kicks her off. Bellamy has to choke him with a wire while Raven has been gut punched like three times.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic,” This is a quote from Arthur C Clarke. He is mentioned. Clarke’s name sake.

Murphy wants to kill all the sleepers. Bellamy doesn’t want to start a war and escalate. Echo also agrees that they should be killed. “I know how you feel but it took three of us to take out one of them. Giving them reinforcements when we can stop it is a strategic mistake,” Echo says.

“We’ve been off the ring for less than a day and we’re already talking about murdering hundreds of people.” Bellamy is not happy.

“This is not murder. It’s survival. They die now or we die later. If Clarke were here this wouldn’t even be a question.” Murphy. Clarke is very much still a part of their lives. She’s dead but not forgotten. AND NOT DEAD.

“WELL CLARKE’S NOT HERE!” Bellamy yells.

“Exactly. She died so we can live. Bellamy This is how we do that.”

“Maybe not,” Raven says. She’s got the plans.

Echo says to rig it so they can trigger it from the ground. “Leverage,” Bellamy says. Murphy huffs off and Bellamy calls him back because he wants his opinion. He says it’s a risk.

“But Clarke didn’t die for us to live just for us to go back to the ground and make. The same. Mistakes.”

“What the hell. Let’s be good guys.” Murphy gets a little thrill.

Okay. I think that’s as important a conversations as Clarke’s voice over about there being no good guys. Remember season 1? Bellamy as the rebel king selfish ass and Murphy as the murdering psychopath? And Clarke is now the one with no mercy, impaling strangers.

Now Clarke with Shaw. I expect to see some good interaction with them in s6. Playing good cop. “Believe it or not, this is the best conversation I’ve had in a hundred years.” He’s from Saginaw MI. (JR is from Detroit.) And he was an altar boy, who rode a motorcycle. McCreary has found Madi, And Clarke speaks. “Please she’s just a child.” She tells about the trap that Madi is leading them into. “IF you let her go, I’ll tell you everything.” McCreary doesn’t want to listen but he’s standing down.

Let’s begin. Start with how the world ended.

“Which time.” Lol. Classic.

Wow. I can’t believe they’re still on the ship. So much happens in this episode. Raven tells Bellamy that she has to stay up there. Bellamy is like no no way.

He’s really affected by the thought of leaving her behind. He wants to stay. She tries to make jokes about him screwing it up. It has to be me. ‘I am not leaving you here.” She says he needs to go find his sister. But Bellamy doesn’t want her staying behind to kill 300 people.

“No no, I left Clarke behind to die and I can’t—“ like he breaks “—I’m not doing that again.” Foreshadowing there. And also showing how much that hurt him. It really did. You can see it in everything he does.

Raven flat out lies. Oh yeah there’s an escape pod. Calls him an idiot. He still doesn’t like it.

“Six years ago I promised myself I would find us a way to get us back down. Bellamy this is it. Please. Let me get you all home.”

Emori is like where is she? She offers Murphy to stay. “I said it’s technical.” Monty offers.

Murphy heads off, and Bellamy is like “NOW Murphy.”

He’s like nope. Raven might need backup. “Hey with Emori flying, this is the survivor’s move.” Making jokes. Why do they always make jokes when they’re doing something self sacrificing and don’t want the other to feel bad, “See ya on the other side.” Ugh that’s Jasper’s line. Emori smiles and then she’s like. Wait I don’t like this.

Raven is like… What the hell are you doing here? “Why is everyone so surprised? It’s not like there’s no escape pod—“

“There’s no escape pod.” She lied so Bellamy would let her stay. “You know what you were right. Dying alone would have sucked.” An actual reference to that time she tried to kill him after the ring of fire. And he was like, “I woulda shot me too.”

Emori putting the pod down. It makes me so happy when she sets that puppy down light as a feather. And then the big smile when Bellamy tells her they didn’t die.

OH they’re out. And Eligius finds them.

Clarke is telling her story and they tell her they’ve found new people. And she is FLABBERGASTED. They are about to kill FOUR or our people NOPE. Madi to the rescue. She is a BAD ASS. Thwack. Bam. Bam. All dead.

Bellamy staggers back. “She’s just a kid,”

“Bellamy? She says. Clarke knew you would come.”

“Clarke’s alive?” And he’s just stunned.

“She’s in trouble, we have to go.”

Monty steps forward and asks about the bunker and she’s just like yeah no let’s do that later, she grabs Bellamy’s hand and drags him off. THAT IS THE BEST SCENE.

Ugh McCreary, you are such an ass. Shocking her. OH DON’T WORRY YOU’LL GET YOURS AND CLARKE WILL GIVE IT TO YOU. Poor Clarke. She’s REALLY being shocked hard. DIYOZA STOP SHOCKING HER.

THE ROVER. I will not stop yelling. You can’t make me.

Clarke is like, “Madi… no,” and inside the rover…

Bellamy is like, ‘Madi… no,” when she tries to take out a gun and go with him. And he promises he won’t let anything happen to Clarke. Parenting alike. Exact same dialog. “Take the rover back. I won’t let anything happen to Clarke, I promise.”

Clarke is watching him through the headlights. She has no idea who he is. But she jumps when she hears his voice.

Bellamy negotiates with his Captain Daddy mug and tells Madi to leave with a fist in the air, at which Clarke can take a breath finally. He walks towards her, watching her.

“283 lives? She must be pretty important to you.”

“She is.”

BOOM OUT.

WHAT A FUCKING MASTERPIECE!!

#the 100 #rewatch #liveblog #the 100 liveblog

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deepdisireslonging · 6 years

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Family Found Part 26: Missing

Survivor Series creeps closer, but Y/N is trying her best to keep the peace until the night of the PPV. Several parties are focused on making her job miserable and unexpected.

Warnings/Promises: wrestling violence

Word Count: 4060

Note: It’s a fun week! Super short match descriptions because there’s a lot of them and a lot more to get through. Requests and tag lists open as always. Feedback super appreciated when given. Enjoy!

Part 1: Welcome to the Team

Part 25: Trick or Treat (Evolution)

Monday Night Raw – November 5, 2018

You didn’t retaliate on Smackdown for their attempted invasion of Raw. Instead, a week later you were watching the recap of last Tuesday’s show in your office. Carmella and Asuka were to be part of the women’s team, and then Rusev on the men’s. You were just finishing watching Andrade Cien Almas beat the Miz for a team spot when Baron Corbin walked it.

“What, you didn’t watch it live last week?” he mocked. “Startin’ out as a model GM, Y/N.”

With a chuckle, you turned off the video. “I did actually. Then wanted to rewatch it while I set up the matches for tonight. By the end of Raw, both teams will have all their members and then we can start work finding the captain among them.” You sighed as Baron smugly shifted the Intercontinental title on his shoulder. “Did you want something, Baron?”

“Yeah. I know I’ve got a spot against the US Champ, Shinsuke Nakamura at Survivor Series, but I want to be that fightin’ champion everybody kept harping on. Do I have your permission to host an open challenge, oh great general manager of Raw?” He gave you a mock bow.

“Permission granted. Is right now alright with his majesty?”

He growled but nodded. “Now is great. Thanks.”

Baron Corbin leaving your office was turning into your favorite thing.

***

The open challenge was answered faster than Baron could offer it. He smirked at the stage as Seth Rollins answered the call and rushed down to the ring. They were locked in a close assault before the bell rang.

Seth was the first to lose ground. He found himself backed into a corner where Baron could attack his ribs several times before the ref’s five-count. Once they were separated, he was able to gain enough of a momentum and upper hand to have Baron scrambling to stay away from him in the ring. And out of it, though never for long as the champ played ‘keep-away’ with his own body.

It was a mistake to toss Baron towards the floor so close to a ring post. He swung back in and started punching at Seth from behind, taking back his own upper hand. He was the first to try for a series of pins, each one jumping closer to a three-count than the last. He was about to spin Seth in a Deep Six when the ref was pulled out of the ring. For several seconds, Baron waited for him to start the count before he noticed he was missing.

On the floor, Elias was debating with the ref about some trivial rule. The ref continuously tried to send him away and get back into the ring, but Elias was persistent. He was persistent long enough for Seth to catch his breath and wobble to his feet. When he noticed, he let the ref go with a thank you and stepped away from the ring.

Baron turned just in time to take a kick to the stomach, and then the canvas raced towards his face as a boot caught the back of his neck in a curb stomp. He was too addled and curled up to hear or see the count, and kicked out a second too late.

Once again, Seth was the Intercontinental Champion, and he was conflicted about the fact that Elias had helped him win. He escaped the ring before Baron could retaliate, and left for the locker room to think it over.

***

Backstage, Charly Caruso caught up with Elias. “Can you tell us why you helped Seth Rollins win the title match?”

He stopped. And smiled. “I’ve beaten Seth before. And I can do it again. I know what my strengths are, and I know when to give up on ever wanting a fair match with Baron.”

“You don’t think it’s a little… hypocritical to cost Baron the match and the title this way?”

Elias scrunched his brow. “Why, yes.” He waved away the obvious statement and continued with more truths. “I’ll have my title back soon. Because for all of Seth’s talk, he’s not willing to risk absolutely everything for the gold. He’s done too much of that already.”

***

The two following matches were for the next positions on Team Raw. The first was Ember Moon versus Mickie James. Ember was still running on her high from Evolution and was using it well except for one thing. Mickie was still running hot from her loss at Evolution.

They fought hard, but quick. Neither wanted a long, drawn-out fight for something each woman assumed was her right. Mickie for her time in the WWE, and Ember for winning the royal last week. The ref had to do his best to stay out of their way as they rushed around the ring, cornering each other and springing off the ropes. You would have been pleased to have either woman on the team. When it came down to the end, the high of an Evolution win outweighed the loss, and Ember claimed her spot with a Total Eclipse.

The second was between Mojo Rawley and Bobby Roode. They too wanted a quick match. Mojo had been fingertips away from several title opportunities and hoped that helping the men’s team win at Survivor Series would give him another one. Bobby, on the other hand, wanted the team spot for its own prestige. He’d been part of the team last year for Smackdown and wanted a double set.

It was power at full throttle down to the last seconds. Mojo had Bobby in his sights and smiled as his opponent straggled around. But it was a ruse. Bobby twisted at the last second and used a deep angle of leverage to keep Mojo’s shoulders against the canvas. He tried to show some sportsmanship by offering to help Mojo to his feet. Mojo refused in favor of rolling out of the ring and walking away on his own two feet.

***

Dr. M and Braun took their position by the backstage screen to watch the next match. It was the second and final triple-threat to determine who they would face next week for the tag team titles. At another screen, Drake Maverick and the Authors of Pain, last week’s winners, also watched the Ascension, then Titus World Wide, and finally the Revival make their way to the ring.

It was a different dichotomy of teams. All three teams had strong power tactics that worked best with quick tag exchanges. This backfired when everybody was doing the same thing as it was difficult to tire one another out. Titus thought he noticed first. He sent Apollo to trip up Konnor but missed seeing both members of the Revival entering the ring.

They quickly took control of the ring. Titus’s plan helped them by making sure Viktor had no one to tag, and also kept Apollo on the wrong side of the ring. They each pinned a man, even if only Dash Wilder was legal. Scott Dawson rushed the ref to lift their arms in victory, then rushed his partner out of the ring before the other two angry teams could recover.

***

When the show came back from commercial, Elias was awaiting his opponent for the Raw elimination team spot having given the crowd a quick private concert. Going by the surge in the arena’s Wi-Fi usage, it was going to be a viral hit. He cocked his head with a confused smile as Curt Hawkins’s music hit.

“I know what all of you are thinking,” he stated. “Curt Hawkins hasn’t won a match in forever, why should we trust him to be on the team? I’m glad you asked. I’ll tell you why. I’m going to be on the Raw Survivor Series team because the streak ends tonight when I pin Elias. And luckily for you, he was so nervous about our match that he cut his concert short. You’re welcome.”

Elias growled. If he had his way, this was going to be a short match.

Unfortunately for Curt, he did. That last little jab had irritated Elias enough that he did every debilitating move he knew. Before long, Curt was gasping for breath and crawling back into the ropes for a reprieve. He tumbled out an apology, but Elias ignored him and pulled him back into the ring. A halo powerbomb later, Elias had the team spot and Curt had another tally for his lost matches.

Jinder entered immediately afterward, flanked by Sunil and Samir Singh. He congratulated Elias on his way out of the ring. The Singhs helped Curt roll out of the other side of the ring so that it would be clear for Jinder’s entrance. Elias watched, bemused, then started to leave as Chad Gable’s music it. He eagerly went through his opening moves but was sent crashing forward.

Behind him, Baron stood to his full height and stared Elias down. They gave each other a wide birth, then went their opposite ways, which included Baron to the ring to take Chad’s place in the match.

Despite already having a match earlier in the night, Baron had Jinder on the offensive for most of the match. If he wasn’t going to be a manager, and wasn’t going to Survivor Series as a champion, then he was going to do everything he could to get into the PPV. Beating Jinder was his best chance. But Jinder had the Singhs, and they wanted to back up the man they thought deserved the spot more. For every advance he made, the brothers were there at the ropes to distract him. But it was always in view of the ref. They weren’t going to hit him. That would give Baron the spot. Their distractions almost cost Baron the match several times as Jinder used them to his advantage.

Still, despite the exhaustion and the handicap, Baron won. He smirked as he left the arena having successfully stolen his position at Survivor Series.

***

“Come in,” you said to the knocking at your door. You instantly regretted it. “What do you want, Dolph?”

He strutted into the room. “I have a proposition for you. I’ve already run it by Finn Balor, and he was agreed. I want a match with him tonight. It’s not a title match, but if I win, I get to be in the match against AJ Styles at Survivor Series.” He smiled brightly and shrugged with the self-brilliance of his plan.

You were not convinced. “What do you gain by being in that match? You can’t win both titles because the heavy-weight title belongs to Smackdown. Being in the match is going to change that-“

“I know, I know-“

“And it would be uneven. Paige and Shane would want to find someone from their roster to make it even.”

“That’s fine. Hey,” he nudged at you, “maybe Sheamus will take up that challenge.”

It took considerable effort not to react. “Do you have a point to being in this match, or is it just your usual ego?”

He held his hands up in defense and took a step back. “Here’s the thing, if I win tonight and help Finn at Survivor Series, he’s agreed to give me a title opportunity. A pre-selected open challenge. Call him, if you don’t believe me.”

You squinted at him. “Why would he need help with Styles? I have full confidence that Finn could beat him as he is.”

“You might have that confidence, but does Finn? He is going as a human after all.” He waited on bated breath.

Despite your better judgment, you agreed to the match and hoped it wasn’t a great con. “Fine. But I still don’t think you need to get involved. I’ll let Finn know about this match. You… do whatever it is you do before a match.”

***

Before the main event, there were still two matches to find out the last two women members of the Raw team. Up first was Alicia Fox versus Alexa Bliss. They started by smiling at each other good-naturedly. It was an opportunity like any other. No need to lose their heads.

Then the bell rang.

Alicia had been the captain last year, but Alexa wanted that spot this year. They expressed that vehemently by tossing each other around the ring. Out of the ring. Back into the ring. Rinse and repeat. A Twisted Bliss sealed the deal. She twisted the knife by asking if she could borrow Alicia’s captain’s gear once she had that too. Alicia screamed her out of the ring.

Nia Jax was up next against the returned Tamina. They’d had a moment at Evolution and wanted to continue it here. The ref was wise to stay out their way. Neither was used to being tossed around like a rag doll, but they enjoyed doing the same to the other woman.

Again and again, they took turns throwing the other to the canvas, desperately trying for a pin. When even that didn’t work, they took to the ropes, used one level, then two, to give them a height advantage and an extra boost from gravity. It was one such drop from Nia that caught Tamina in the chest. She was too busy fighting to breathe to kick out. Nia had the last spot on the women’s team.

All of Raw’s elimination tag teams were set.

***

True to your assumptions, Finn had no plans on actually letting Dolph into his match with Styles. He didn’t let up, didn’t let Dolph have enough room to breathe, much less fight back. To him, this was just another practice round for Survivor Series, but convincing Dolph to accept the match had been surprisingly easy once he had a good enough prize. A prize he was never going to give.

Dolph’s ego took as many hits as his body did. The coup de gras probably hurt his pride more than his chest, though his chest hurt too. He rolled to the end of the ring, trying to catch Finn’s boots before he left. He was unsuccessful and had to watch Finn’s smug face as he walked up the ramp.

“I am enough just as I am,” Finn called back. “Man or demon, this,” he held the Universal title up, “is mine. And it’s gonna be for a long time. You should do best to remember t’at.”

Dolph could do nothing but glower at him.

***

Backstage, there was pandemonium. Dean followed the commotion to several refs and trainers helping Braun out from under a pile of steel supports and chairs. The fallen monster was ignoring everybody’s questions but looked him dead in the eye.

“They got her. Shane McMahon and a bunch of Smackdown. They took Y/N.”

Dean ran his hands through his hair, fighting to take deep breaths. Everybody stilled and looked at him. He swallowed hard. “Stick to the plan. We know where she’ll be.”

***

Smackdown Live – November 6, 2018

Considering you didn’t really want to be there, you were happy to receive a warm applause. Paige and Shane walked you down to the ring for your official ‘welcome to Smackdown Live.’

“Thanks for that,” you asked once they were done. “And thanks for the shirt, though I would have preferred something a bit more…” you looked down at the blue t-shirt, “something red. But, no harm, no foul. I do have to ask, though. What exactly is the plan? Do I hang out with you guys until Survivor Series, or…?”

Shane patted your shoulder. “Don’t worry about the plan. All you have to do tonight is watch the show.”

“I do that anyway. But usually from home.”

“Well, this week you’ll be watching it here. Not here,” he rushed to add, motioning at the ring, “not in the arena. We don’t want you interfering in anything.”

You pseudo-gasped. “I would never.”

Paige sniggered and jumped in before Shane could say anything more. “Baby Girl, You’re also going to be watching the show with me. Maybe grab some coffee, have a little discussion about our shows. Manager to manager.”

This was going to be fun. “Okay then. I look forward to watching the show with such a guide. When do we start?”

She directed you to the ropes. “Right now if you’ll come this way.” Shane sat on the rope so you both could leave.

***

Her office was probably more comfortable than yours ever had been. A leather couch, her own coffee machine, and a large flat screen to watch the show on. Which you did. Together you watched as Jeff Hardy and Kofi Kingston fought for a spot on the Smackdown elimination team. Kofi won, but by then your discussion had digressed more into the wrestlers themselves than their matches.

“Right? Like, seriously, how can anyone have that much luggage?”

You huffed in agreement and fell back into the couch. “Can I ask how you guys have built up your tag teams so well? They seem very established and everybody looks super strong. How did you-“

“Easy, miss-former-journalist.” Paige laughed. “Can’t give away all our secrets.”

There was a knock at the door. Tye Dillinger entered, wearing his usual expression when R-Truth was a little confused about matches. The said man was right behind him. “Paige, Miss Y/N, I want to face Breezango at Survivor Series with my buddy… Tye Dillinger.” He slapped a hand onto Tye’s shoulder, who didn’t even flinch.

The two of you shared a look. You shrugged. “Why not?” You bit back a giggle as Tye’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “But I do have to tell you, Officer Fandango hasn’t been cleared to fight yet. Do you think you could fight Officer Breeze alone, but with Mr. Dillinger in your corner. I’m sure we could convince Fandango to be in Breeze’s.”

He nodded and held out his hand for you to shake. “That will be sufficient. Thank you. Tye?” He turned to face his friend. “Time to find Carmella, and to begin training.”

The two of you giggled as they left. Paige nodded. “That’s going to be a great match. Kinda wish I’d thought of it first.”

You tapped your bottom lip. “If I give you the credit, can you set up a match tonight for a coed tag team. I’ll set up a match with my group… assuming I’m there to do it. Something Like what we’ve been doing with the Mixed Match Challenge, but at Survivor Series.”

Again, Paige nodded. “I can arrange that right now.” She stood to leave and you moved to follow. “Oh, no. You can stay here. I’ll just be a minute, but in the meantime…” she poked her head out the door and waved somebody over, “you are not going to be left unattended. Sheamus.” The Irishman towered into view. “Don’t let her out of your sight. I’ll send someone to swap with you before your match.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, looking at you. As Paige left, he joined you on the couch to watch the next match.

***

Jey Uso was just finishing pinning Aiden English, but Sheamus was getting antsy. “Where are they?” He checked his phone again.

You laughed. “Roll a crate in front of the door if you have to but don’t be late for your match on my account.”

“I can’t-“

“We’re here!” Xavier Woods ran in. He bent over, panting. “We… whew, we made it. You’re good… to go to your match. E is… was right behind me.” He gave Sheamus a thumbs up as the man left for his match.

With a sigh, you started to drag Xavier to the door. “Come on. This fridge is out of water, and I’m not going to let you pass out.”

“But Paige said-“

“We’ll pass E in the hallway and then there’ll be two of you. Come on.”

He let himself be led along.

***

Sheamus made it to Gorilla in time for his entrance. He and Cesaro met Sanity in the ring or one last fight to see who would be taking the tag titles to Survivor Series. As champions, The Bar had to advantage that if either of them was hit by the third Sanity teammate, they would win through disqualification. They were trying their best to rile up Alexander Wolfe when they should have been more focused on Killian Dain tagging in from Eric Young.

The Swiss Cyborg turned a second to late and was taken to the mat. Wolfe played his part by keeping Sheamus on the floor and far away from preventing the count. Young was grabbing the belts while the bell was still ringing, ensuring they could make a quick escape as the new champions.

***

Paige flattened her palms against one another and placed them over her lips. Beside her, Shane took a deep breath. “Let’s try this again. Where is Y/N?”

The members of the New Day frantically looked between themselves. E shrugged. “She’s not missing, exactly. She’s probably in the building…”

“Probably?” Shane burst. He caught himself and turned to face anywhere but the trio.

Paige took over, calm for the most part. “You know who else might ‘probably’ be in the building by now? All of Raw’s roster! We have to find her.”

Xavier nodded. “Yep. Agreed. Getting right on that.” They left hurriedly, leaving their managers to silently panic.

***

You weren’t lost. You knew exactly where you were.

In the ring. Wearing a bright red shirt and holding a large flag with Raw’s logo on it. And you had a mic.

“How’s your guy’s night been so far?” You couldn’t hold back a laugh. “I have to say, it’s been pretty boring on my end. It was almost like being a human token in some version of capture the flag. But once they had me, Paige and Shane didn’t know what to do with me. If their plan was to throw Raw into chaos, I didn’t hear any news reports about anything burning down. Which is exactly why I didn’t leave Seth Rollins in charge.”

Paige and Shane came running out to the ring. He was too out of breath, so Paige had to talk. “You keep talking like you’ve escaped already. Maybe the plan is to strand you here.”

“I’m not too bothered,” you said twirling the flag.

“And why…” Shane puffed, recovering, “why is that? You’ve got nowhere to run, and no one to help you.”

“Oh really?” You bit your lip to hide a giggle. “Then how did I get the flag?” Your grin bubbled over as Braun’s music sounded. The managers backed down the ramp as he came on stage. Eventually, they joined you in the ring, while he stayed on the floor. You patted Shane’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. He’s only my exit strategy. Did you really think I wouldn’t have a contingency plan for this?”

He sputtered. “No. How-”

“Did you really think a few guys were going to be enough to take out Braun? Sweeties, he let them win that little tiff.”

Paige sputtered too.

“And you guys didn’t check to see if I had my phone with me? Amateurs. Really, I’d call it stupid, but it was stupid of you guys to have the idea in the first place.” You mouthed ‘now, now’ when Paige pointed at Shane. “I’m the person you know the least about. I have no wrestling history, and I’m only been in the company for not even six months.”

“But you’re a journalist.” Shane shook his head.

He wasn’t wrong; not entirely. “I was, yeah. A journalist who had delusions of grandeur and traveling the dangerous world. And, as it turns out… I’m very good at chess.”

You distanced yourself from them and walked to the side where Braun was. Gently, you arranged the flag in the ropes as if claiming the ring.

“If you’re smart,” you continued, “you’ll take my advice and wait until Survivor Series before doing anything else. And I might, might, not retaliate more than this conversation we just had.”

Braun helped you off the apron and waved with you towards the managers. Then, as your music played, you left Smackdown Live.

Part 27: Powerhouses

Series Masterlist

Masterlist

Forever Tags: @blondekel77 @hallemichelles @laochbaineann @lavitabella87 @ramblingsofabourbondrinker @savmontreal @southsidebucky @tinyelfperson @zuni21798

WWE/Series Tags: @a-home-for-stray-stories @amballins-priestess @top-1-percent @mother-forker @neversatisfiedgirl @racheo91 @roman-reigns-princess @secretagentfangirl @thetherianthropydaily @wwe-smutfics @scuzmunkie @likeisaidwhatever @cait-kae @ramsaypants @sony-undead18 @brianaraydean @st4yingstrong @dopeybubbles @crystallizeme @jessica91073 @denise8691 @stalelight @kenyadakblalock @1dluver13xx @lauren-novak @lunatic-desert-child @littledeadrottinghood

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theonceoverthinker · 6 years

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OUAT 1X17 - Hat Trick

Is this episode a cut above the rest or is it just a one trick rabbit? Find out what I think below the cut.

Press Release While searching for a missing Mary Margaret, Emma is kidnapped by a man whose affinity for hats has him teetering on the edge of madness. Meanwhile, viewers will be transported outside of the fairytale land that was for the first time when the Evil Queen persuades a skillful man of magic to come work for her one last time and travel to Wonderland in order to help steal something from the Queen of Hearts. General Thoughts Past I love this flashback. I think the dynamic between Grace and Jefferson was really set up, and the conflict was tighter than the father-daughter bond. Additionally, Jefferson and Regina have quite the rapport, one that only becomes better as we see them interact in future episodes. Here, we get our first glimpse of Wonderland, or at least Wonderland 1.0. While yeah, it’s definitely so covered in CGI that a stage that was literally painted black served as a better and more believable set, it’s also distinct and has this mood that just screams Wonderland. I especially love the maze. In one shot, we see that part of it is slanted at an angle. That and the Queen of Hearts’ court. The madness of this land is perfectly on display here as everyone wears these creepy masks and the queen herself talks through one of her underlings through a device.

Present Oh, man! I love when OUaT handles horror, and it blends so well with the drama here! The events of the present are like watching a Saw movie where Jigsaw is confident enough to ditch the mask and he’s all the more horrifying for it. There’s a great bubbling tension in this episode that comes in two forms. First, will Emma and Mary Margaret escape and get back to the station in time? Second, will Jefferson push just the right buttons to make Emma believe? It might just be the cynic in me, but a lot of Jefferson’s lines post-reveal are just making me roll my eyes. I’m not sure if that’s just an aspect of the character or just a flaw, but even though I’m fully aware that Jefferson’s right about the curse, the way he tries (verbally) to convince Emma that the curse is real is just idiotic. With Henry, this works because he’s just a child. He doesn’t know how to talk around something like a magical curse. However, Jefferson is an adult, and a clever one at that! He knew just what steps it would take to get Emma in his clutches, but he can’t pick up on how crazy he must sound to her as he’s relating history to one’s imagination. I mean, Emma already thinks you’re crazy, Jeffie boy! You’re not helping. If he was just crazy, it would be one thing, but again, he’s able to be persuasive! It just makes the moment where Emma hits him and reveals that she believed fuck all of what he said both badass and cathartic.

So, I don’t know how much of a problem I consider this, but I feel the need to point out that the kidnapping story doesn’t do anything to further either Emma or Mary Margaret’s development regarding their present conflicts. It feels like the episode was paused when Emma was poisoned, played for a few seconds when Emma was freeing Mary Margaret before being paused again, and finally played after they were both freed. I wish that instead of speaking about random nonsense, Jefferson and his situation could’ve played a part in Mary Margaret’s decision to come back. As it stands, it feels like I’m watching two different episodes - two good episodes, mind you, but two episodes regardless. Both All of the props in the world here to Sebastian Stan. His acting is beyond versatile, going from charming and kind to desperate (On multiple levels of desperation, too, ranging from a subtle desperation when he tries to get Grace her toy to manic in the end of the flashback to a level that pumps like a heartbeat as Emma tries and fails to make a magic hat!) to sinister. Insights -Past!Jefferson’s robe has so much freakin’ CGI! Why does it have so much freakin’ CGI?! XD -Damn, hearing Jefferson talk about Grace’s mother hits so much harder with the comics in mind! -”You must have a huge family!” I wonder if a younger Emma ever pictured living in a big house with a big family. Maybe part of that carried over to her adult life and that’s why she kept looking for her parents. -I am getting so many Knight Rook feels from this flashback! Anyone want to write a ficlet about Killian and Jefferson sitting down over a cup of tea and talking about their girls? -Emma is just the freakin’ coolest person! She spends about one second panicking after being taken hostage before immediately coming up with an escape plan! I compared her to The Terminator in my review of the pilot, and I don’t think I was too far off. -That telescope is so fucking powerful! How close is this mansion to town? -Those neighbors are bizarrely so nonchalant about taking in Grace right on the spot, and I love it! -Jefferson is talking so much nonsense and Emma is just refusing to buy any of it. -Did the writers know that Cora would be Regina’s mother when they wrote this episode? Also, like mother, like daughter when it comes to those guards! -Last I checked, Henry Sr. wasn’t taken for leverage as much as he was taken as a form of punishment. Correct me if I’m wrong. -Okay, so Jefferson’s promise really touched a nerve with Regina, but I’m not fully sure I understand why. And speaking of nerves touched, Cora’s was certainly when Jefferson called Regina “The Queen.” -”Holding conflicting realities in your head.” If you remember, then what conflicting realities do you have? Jeffy, you have no alternate memories, and you’re about eight episodes early to touch upon it for everyone else! -”Crazy son of a bitch.” You’re damn right he is, Emma. -Present!Jefferson has a scar around his neck! What the hoo ha?! -Okay, so we all know that Jefferson comes back soon enough, so where the fuck did he go at the end of the episode? -”Absolutely.” How do these guys make such a cute Swan Believer moment with just a single word? Arcs Emma’s journey of belief - Okay, Emma’s journey of faith with Jefferson was total BS (At least until the end of the episode when she saw Grace and Jefferson in the book), and I loved the hell out of that fake out, but her journey really reaches a new high thanks to Mary Margaret. Here, we get to see a show of vulnerability from Emma that we haven’t seen since the pilot where she takes a huge step forward bringing down her walls as she not only gives Mary Margaret insight into her life, but also declares her family. Favorite Dynamic Jefferson and Grace. Every bit of Jefferson’s character owes itself to how well his relationship with Grace was portrayed. Thankfully, it was done superbly. We not only get the explicit scenes of them together, but we see how much Grace means to Jefferson just by how he talks about her and how much of Regina’s snark he’s willing to put up with. Their scenes together really sell their bond. Every bit of dialogue shows familiarity, kindness, and a desire to protect and be with the other. My favorite of the scenes is the tea party for all the reasons above! Writer We’ve got two writers today - one old and one new! Vladimir Kvetko and David Goodman are here. I don’t really have much to comment on, but I can’t help but feel like Goodman was responsible for the more heavy-handed bits of Jefferson’s dialogue in the present. Rating 9/10. This episode held up really well. It played our familiar characters in an unfamiliar setting and still let them retain the “lead” alongside their new focal character. Jefferson was a well-crafted character that had an equally compelling story. Additionally, though the moments of development were smaller than usual, what we got out of Emma and Mary Margaret’s story was incredibly effective. I’m keeping that point off for Jefferson’s speech in the present because it contributes to absolutely nothing and was apart from Sebastian’s acting was just uninteresting to watch.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Thanks for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales for putting this together!

Damn, even though this broke the chain of 10’s and Golden Apples, we still have a pretty good line of wins here. Check back next time to see if things stay as...stable ;)

Season Tally (148/220) Writer Tally for Season 1: A&E (41/70) Liz Tigelaar (17/20)* David Goodman (33/50) Jane Espenson (36/60) Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (29/40) Daniel Thomsen (8/10)* Vladimir Kvetko (9/10* (* = Their work for the season is complete) Operation Rewatch Archives

#ouat #once upon a time #watching fairytales #ouat 1x17 #ouat rewatch #jenna watches ouat

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amandajoyce118 · 3 years

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2020 In Review

I used to end the year with blog posts highlighting 100 things, or 50 things if I wasn’t that ambitious, that I loved about the year. Usually, those things were pop culture things. 2020, however, is a special year, no? I mean, a pandemic, quarantines, political unrest, massive bread lines, natural disasters, refugees seeking better lives, stressful elections, etc. For most people, to make a blanket statement, this year sucked.

Most of the people following me know that I’m a freelance writer, but I have a full time day job as a fresh merchandiser for a food service distributor. That means I never “shut down” or worked from home or any of the other things people have been forced to do. I work a full day pretty much every day with customers who don’t understand why distribution has slowed, why I have “long term outs” of items like cases of hard boiled eggs or fresh ginger, why there are certain days of the week when they just can’t get chicken wings. I have people who refuse to wear masks, employees who forget to disinfect work stations, and a questionnaire I have to fill out before every shift as to whether or not I think I’ve been exposed to covid. And when I’m done there, I escape by writing.

As a result, I haven’t been doing much for fun. Outside of my day job, the media I consume is generally for freelance work, which has made this year really exhausting, no matter how much writing/stories is an escape for me. That’s why, instead of just things I loved this year, I’m going to give you a list of 10 pieces of media I’ve consumed - over and over and over again - that I’ve somehow not gotten sick of when writing listicles about the subjects. I feel like we all need to feel like we’re getting lost in a good story, or with characters we genuinely enjoy, even if, like me, we’re getting lost in those worlds with those characters to be able to write about them.

The Baby-Sitters Club

I was obsessed with the books, the ‘90s show, and the eventual movie as a kid, so it’s no surprise that I was counting down the days until the Netflix adaptation premiered - and I loved it. I’m not going to lie, I’ve watched this show from beginning to end four times this year. It’s such a quick watch and there’s something really great about watching these girls grow up.

Nancy Drew

Again, obsessed with Nancy Drew as a kid. More specifically, obsessed with the ‘80s case files as a kid. I read all of them I could get my hands on. The new television show is a little more Riverdale than the novels are, but it’s an interesting spin on the characters and stories we already know - and the representation of a diverse community on the show is fantastic.

Anne With An E

I’m still holding out hope for a movie to close out this show since there are something like seven books in the original series and the show basically only covered the first one? Where is the justice? But, this is another show I think I’ve watched three times from beginning to end because Anne Shirley Cuthbert is someone you want to be friends with, no matter how old you are. You also want her to come to her senses within about 30 seconds of being introduced to Gilbert Blythe, so you know, it’s a fun and angsty time.

Agents Of SHIELD

One of my favorite Marvel properties ended this year, and… I should probably be more sad about it? Like, I absolutely would have watched more episodes of this show if it had kept going, but I’m also incredibly satisfied with how the show concluded this year, which is rare for me. I’ve gone back and rewatched a handful of episodes for articles, and Agents Of SHIELD feels like a show that I’ll end up rewatching yearly because it’s one of the few shows where I’ve actively engaged in fandom for years and still genuinely love.

Timeless

Yes, I rewatched this gem this year while writing a handful of listicles, and I’m bitter that this didn’t get more seasons. The cast chemistry, the stories of those often overlooked by history, and the twist of a shady organization being closer than you think? It’s pretty perfect. I miss it. It’s a yearly rewatch already.

Pitch Perfect Trilogy

Every so often, I find myself in the mood to hear Anna Kendrick belt out a few songs. Pitch Perfect tends to win out over Into The Woods, and I can’t ever seem to stop at just the first movie. Pitch Perfect is cheesy and not as perfect as its title implies, but it always puts me in a good mood. I want more comedies about a capella groups, please.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

If I had to say where my love of serial storytelling, or my ability to engage in fandom, started, it was with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I had friends who would create their own team of Rangers when I was little, and we’d trade kicks on the playground (which got us in trouble), and yeah, as an adult watching a show made in 1993, this show is ridiculous. Full stop. But it’s also the kind of show that makes you remember that a whole generation was raised on the idea that even if the good guys don’t always win, they keep trying. They never give up. And that’s just as important today as it was then.

Teen Wolf

I recognize that this show is sometimes a mess and that continuity is not always its strong suit. Does that mean I love it any less? Nope. And neither does the rest of the internet since some of my articles still get heavy rotation even though the show has been off the air for years. It’s the kind of show that pulls me in, even when I already know what’s about to happen.

Leverage

Oh, Leverage. How do I possibly explain how excited I am that you’re getting a revival? I don’t think I can. Also, I don’t know why I’m talking to Leverage directly when I haven’t to anything else on this list. Leverage is about a group of criminals who steal from the corrupt to give back to their victims. I mean. It’s Robin Hood for the modern age. It’s a found family. There are love stories. There are redemption arcs. It’s just chock full of greatness. And Aldis Hodge as Alec Hardison.

RWBY

I only really got into RWBY last year, and it’s fast becoming one of my favorite anime, though admittedly, I don’t watch a ton of anime. I love the references to fairy tales, mythology, and history mixed into this crazy fantasy world. I love that the villains are as compelling as the heroes. I love that in such a large cast of characters, I want to know more about everyone. It’s a fascinating show and some of the episodes are only five minutes long.

Sailor Moon

I grew up in the ‘90s era of television, so, of course, I watched Sailor Moon after school. The English dubs because I’m a heathen, what do you want from me? I’ve really enjoyed revisiting the ‘90s series after watching Sailor Moon Crystal because, obviously, the ‘90s anime is not exactly the story that was told in the manga. It has such a rich mythology and fascinating characters not to mention beautiful designs.

Naruto

I’m going to be honest, you guys. I never thought I would be into Naruto. But something about it just hooks you. I got into it because there were always listicle topics that editors created for the show on the sites I write for, and I was curious. Unlike manga purists, I actually really like the filler episodes. I think they add a lot to understanding the characters. Also, there is no anime character I love more than Shikamaru in Naruto Shippuden.

New Girl

Okay. New Girl has really been the saving grace of 2020. I know this show ended a few years ago. I know that people should be ready for other things. But here’s the truth: I’m not really a sitcom person. I was as a teenager, but as an adult, I like my serial storytelling to be completely unrealistic and dramatic, usually. But 2020 has been so heavy that I needed the lightness New Girl provides.

And I love each and every resident of the loft - even the ones I would never be able to stand hanging out with in real life. I love how much they all grow up over the course of the show. I love the one-liners. I love the running jokes. I love the musical numbers. I love the Nick and Jess of it all. In 2020 alone I have watched the first five episodes of this show about ten times. I’ve watched the show from beginning to end twice in just the last three months of the year. I love it so much I’ve even considered writing fanfiction for it (though I really don’t have the time and haven’t even finished old works over the last year). When this pandemic is behind us all, I’d actually consider playing the (arguably dangerous and would likely give everyone alcohol poisoning) game of True American just to see if my friends and I could get through it. 2020 has been rough, but at least New Girl is still on Netflix.

There you have it, a baker’s dozen of the things that got me through this year - mostly in television format. There’s something I just love about serial storytelling, and when it looks like the world is falling apart, it’s nice to have the comfort of happy endings and stories you can plot out yourself. Here’s hoping 2021 is kinder to all of us, and has plenty more stories for us to get lost in.

#year in review #2020 #i wrote a thing

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