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tinysaurus-rex · 4 years

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Oops.

I wasn’t very careful between being busy and good ol’ winter depression, and had a surprise from the aviary last month.

Four baby squabs hatched December 16th 2019...two big white babies from Al and Yuki, two little blues from local lesbians Danny and Carrie. Er, well, I guess Danny and Carrie aren’t actually lesbians, they’re bi pigeons. This is what I get for making assumptions, four children. LUCKILY I don’t have six, since Danny lays two eggs and Carrie lays two eggs, only one of each hens’ eggs hatched!

Uh, my excuses are as followed: last time Carrie and Danny had a clutch, their eggs didn’t develop at all because they are both hens and hadn’t gotten down with any of the cocks in the aviary. I assumed this would be the case again and just left their four eggs in the nest, checked them about a week in and didn’t see any development so I didn’t bother replacing them. As for Yuki and Al, I didn’t even know they were nesting since they decided to nest BEHIND the nestbox instead of in it, I just noticed after I discovered Carrie and Danny’s babs, huh, where’s Yuki? Spent 5 minutes looking for her, panick growing- did she escape??? How??? then found her in the forbidden nest.

TLDR; pigeon rescuer is dumbass, outsmarted by pigeons.

Bad news is I don’t have room in the aviary for more pidgies, good news is-

they’re wonderful pidgies! Parents raised them up until they were 3 weeks, then I took them inside to finish the job with Rex. I love these babies, they’re absolutely lovely little gremlins, I would LOVE to keep them, especially the dark one in that upper left pic with the spotted chest. But no space, and can only have 1 adult pidge in the house due to brother’s allergies. Weirdly enough, all four babies ended up being hens. What are the odds, right? Well, usually the odds are 50/50. All other clutches I’ve had have been 1 cock and 1 hen.

Two of the four babies already have lovely homes lined up, so that means two still need a home. The splotchy white one (Magpie) is going to a very dear friend, the tiniest blue bar (Squeaks) is going to a wonderful friend of a friend. So that leaves the solid white and the darkest one. Here’s a little bit about them:

On the left, this little baby is HUGE! She’s very sweet, but also kind of a dumb baby. It took her forever to learn to self feed, she still has a hard time with it and I have to help her. Oddly enough she’s the most physically developed, little-to-no down left and just gorgeous, solid white feathers which she keeps very clean. She’s the boss, despite being the least mentally developed, and very pushy. Her cloaca “smiled” indicated a cock for 3 weeks of her life, but has changed to a frown consistently the last week, indicating a hen. She’s very cuddly and eager to interact with humans and pigeons alike, Rex is kinda a dick to her but that doesn’t stop her from tryinf to be friends with Rex. Her favorite thing is to have her head covered by your hand and be gently compressed like the marshmallow she is. She would make a good companion pidge or a good pair with the other baby available, who she gets along with quite well.

Like I said, this one is my favorite. The daughter of Danny (clearly, you can tell by that striking dark color) and I think the dad is Jon since even though Danny is mean to baby boy Jon, she presented to him the other day but then got agitated and chased him before he get it done...they probably did is siccessfully at one point to produce this angel. So I been calling her “Rook,” but you can of course name her whatever you want (my brother named the big white one “Moby” but these guys don’t know their names yet). She was SO much like her mom was, just a ball of anxiety and fear. It didn’t take too much extra work to turn that anxiety into a gentle, calm demeanor. She’s still really quiet, kinda spooked by new things easily. Gets this real worried look in her eye when something she’s not familiar with happens. She is extremely intelligent, learned how to eat first, come out of the baby cage on her own first, hop onto my hand first, drink first...basically anything that I’ve taught them she’s learned first. I can’t see her doing well as a companion pidge, she needs to have another pigeon as her mate. She is sweet and friendly, but would much rather be with her own kind. I ask that either she goes with the big white hen as a pair, or that you already have pigeons she can live with.

They’re $20 each and I can ship anywhere in the continental United States. They’re $30 together if you take both of them as a pair. Shipping is dependent on your address.

They’ll be ready to go to you January 25th, and I can hold them for a month after that before they start producing dust that could put my brother in danger, so of you aren’t ready for them by February 25th then I’ll have to find someone else (I’d refund your money if you paid ahead).

It’s really not urgent as I can find a home for these guys really easily, but thought I’d see if any of Rex’s followers were interested first! They’re very cute babies, I wanna keep ‘em so bad. Rex only likes the blue ones this time for whatever reason, idk she’s weird.

One more thing, please keep in mind that while the parents are healthy, and they themselves are healthy, they come from rescue pigeons. Idk what those genes got in ‘em. Yuki is an ex-racer who was a japanese import, Al is a dog training survivior, Danny is a tiny feral from Syracuse, Carrie’s mom (Piper) is a feral from NYC and her dad (Oliver) was a feral from near Canada. These babies are extremely genetically diverse if anything, but I can’t guarantee longterm health because of that, and I apologize. They’re super healthy right now, and while I don’t foresee any issues please keep that in mind. If you want predictability please find a good breeder. These guys are just lil genetic gachapons.

Post made 01/09/20

#pigeons #pigeon #12/16/19

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tinydooms · 3 years

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3, 29, 40 and 46 for The O'Connells

40: Singing Christmas Carols Loudly

(this is the idea I had while driving today; I hope you all like it as much as I do!)

Homecoming

Carnahan House, Christmas Eve 1944

Evie stood in the parlour, gazing unseeing out the window. It was snowing and the gardens and grounds around her English home were transformed into a picture postcard of loveliness, but today it did not inspire the usual joy in her. In her hand, Evie held a gold Christmas angel cut from thick paper; in her pocket was the last letter she had from Rick, dated early November.

Things are coming together and I hope it’ll all be over soon, but in case I can’t write for a while, here’s an angel for your Christmas tree. Call me a sentimental fool, but I’ve got its twin right here. I love you, Madame Librarian.

The letter had arrived six weeks ago, bearing Egyptian stamps. And then, nothing. Nothing until a few days ago, when a girl on a bicycle brought a telegram to the door and Evie had learned that her husband and brother were missing in action. She had sat down hard and wailed until a couple of the Land Girls had helped her up and forced a little brandy into her. Missing was better than dead, they pointed out, but Evie was old enough to remember the Great War, and knew that missing in action and dead were often one and the same. And so here she stood, looking out at the snow and trying not to fall apart.

“Mum?”

Alex leaned into the room, looking smart in his brand-new Home Guard uniform. Evie put her paper angel into her pocket and tried to smooth the worry out of her face.

“What is it, love?”

“Mrs. Bythell wondered if you’d like some tea before the party.”

“No, thanks. That’s kind, but I’m not…”

She trailed off. Alex was looking at her with badly disguised worry, and God, when did he get so big? Only yesterday he had been a baby in her arms.

“They’ll be okay,” he said. “Dad laid down Imhotep and the Scorpion King, and those mummies in Peru, too, remember? He can survive the War, and so can Uncle Jon. They’ll be fine.”

Evie took a deep breath. “I know. I know. And we’ll have a nice Christmas. They’d want that.”

Alex nodded, encouraged. “The party’ll be nice. Everything’s ready.”

Ah yes, the party, their yearly Christmas Eve carol party for the evacuated children and Land Girls who had lived in their home the past few years. Evie repressed a sigh. There was nothing she wanted to do less than attend that evening. But the War was affecting everyone and it wouldn’t do to let down the side by going to pieces. Evie put on her brave face and went to change into her party dress.

Darkness had long since fallen when an army truck stopped outside of Calnford, two miles away from Carnahan House. A pair of men scrambled out of the back, calling their thanks to the driver, who saluted before driving off. Both were well-muffled against the cold in army-issue boots and scarves and greatcoats, each loaded down with a duffel bag.

“They could’ve dropped us a little closer to the house,” Jonathan remarked. “And don’t tell me it’s because of the gas ration. Two miles wouldn’t have emptied the tank.”

Rick grinned. “Come on, it’s not that bad. It could be worse.”

“Yes,” Jonathan mused as they set off across the snowy fields. “We could still be with the thrice-damned Jones. And you thought I had magpie fingers.”

Rick laughed. He was so happy. They had prevented the end of the world (again) and prevented a Priceless But Dangerous Artefact from falling into the wrong hands (again), and they were almost home. Another hour, tops, and he would see Evie and Alex, would hold them close and kiss them both and never leave them again. The Home Guard: that was their new assignment, now that that mess in Egypt was finally sorted. And they were home on Christmas Eve. Tramping through the fresh snow, Rick felt like singing.

It had snowed all day, but now the night was clear, moonlight reflecting off the snow and turning the whole world silver. They could see Carnahan House clearly as they approached, despite the blackout. As they got nearer, Rick could hear music leaking out through the windows. Christmas carols.

“Sounds like a party,” he said, feeling his grin widen.

“Brilliant.” Jonathan was grinning, too.

The front door was unlocked. They let themselves into the hall, kicking the snow from their boots and slinging their overcoats onto the overflowing coat rack, dumping their bags nearby. From the parlor came the sound of young voices raised in song, accompanied by someone on the piano. They were singing The First Noel. Rick and Jonathan glanced at each other and, as one, joined the singing as they walked into the room.

Evie stood near the back of the parlor in her pretty green evening dress, empty glass in hand, silently watching the revelers. The party was a roaring success, the children and Land Girls filled with treats and entertained with silly party games. There had been hot chocolate for the children and mulled wine for the adults, and now they were all gathered around Mrs. Bythell at the piano, singing their hearts out. Evie could only listen; her throat was far too tight to sing. Christmas carols always touched her, even when she wasn’t sad and beside herself with worry. First there was “Angels from the Realms of Glory”, then “Jingle Bells”, then “Deck the Halls”, and now “The First Noel”, which had always been one of her favorites. Evie twirled her empty glass in her hand as the group sang, their sweet voices bright and jolly. After a few verses, men’s voices joined them, a baritone and a tenor, singing loudly.

And by the light of that same star

Three wise men came from country far

To seek a King was their intent

And to follow the star wherever it went

Evie turned, the empty glass falling out of her hand. Rick and Jonathan stood in the doorway, grinning broadly as they sang the chorus. Disbelief rooted Evie to the spot; she couldn’t believe her own eyes. Rick here, Jonathan here, singing Christmas carols in their uniforms.

Then, “Dad! Uncle Jon!” yelled Alex, and the spell was broken, and Evie stumbled across the room and flung herself into her husband’s arms, burying her face in his neck. The wool of his uniform jacket was scratchy under her cheek, shifting as Rick wrapped his arms around her. Evie breathed in his familiar scent and burst into tears.

“Sweetheart,” Rick whispered, rocking her. “Honey love. Don’t cry.”

He pressed his lips to the top of her head, to her temple. Evie lifted her head, caught his face between her hands, and kissed him. Rick was warm and solid in her arms, his lips lovely against hers, and for a few moments they were oblivious to the assorted groans and cheers from the company. Then Rick broke the kiss and rubbed her nose with his, and Evie almost cried again.

“You’re here!” she whispered, brushing her hands over his face, tracing his familiar features. He looked tired, and there was a little more grey in his hair than there had been the last time she saw him, but he was still her Rick. Still her own darling. “You’re alive!”

“‘Course I’m alive,” Rick said, surprised. “What, did you think--”

“I got a telegram! It said you were missing in action--” Evie broke off, looking from her husband to her brother, standing nearby with Alex. She reached out and pulled Jonathan to them, hugging him tight. “It said you were both missing--”

“Missing in action?” Jonathan said, wrapping his arms around both Evie and Rick. “Nonsense. We both knew exactly where we were, the whole time.”

Evie laughed and burst into tears again. Rick held her tight, then reached to pull Alex in, and the four of them clung to each other as Mrs. Bythell struck up a new carol in order to give them the illusion of privacy.

Eventually Alex and Jonathan rejoined the chorus, but Evie stood safe in the circle of Rick’s arms, holding him close. Rick rested his cheek on her hair, occasionally brushing kisses across her face.

“Merry Christmas, Evie,” he whispered. “Merry Christmas, my darling girl.”

#prompts #my fanfics #Rick and Evie #Christmas #Christmas prompts

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tozierpunks · 5 years

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re: the losers having kids who become friends

Stan and Patty planned for kids; they were definitely trying before that call came. So when IT is defeated and Stan is a-okay, they finally get the babies they want. Jennifer comes first; she’s a firecracker of a kid. She’s loud and she’s uninhibited and she’s everything that would’ve exhausted Stan as a child. He adores her. He combs her hair at night before bed, and ties ribbons in her pigtails before school, and he’s so incredibly proud to be her father.

After deciding to have their two (and absolutely NO MORE) kids close together, Patty gives birth to little Andrew. He’s very much a follower, and hangs on to his sisters’ every word. She gets them into all sorts of shenanigans, and Andy is a dutiful baby brother. He’s constantly got his thumb in his mouth; which is CUTE.

Stan brags to the other losers that his kids never fight.

Bill and Mike take their time getting together; Billy has a divorce to get through after all. As soon as it’s all said and done though, they start looking to adopt. It doesn’t take long at all -- in fact, it seems like... fate. Whether it is or isn’t, Mike is awed when their little Lucy stumbles through the door.

She has a fairly large burn on the left side of her face, which will become a permanent scar. Her parents died in a car crash, which gave her the mark in the first place. Mike says she looks like an angel, which rapidly gets her out of her shell.

They adopt her as quickly as they can. Then it occurs to them, one CRUCIAL fact they didn’t quite consider: the world............. is horrifically dangerous.

Most of their time is spent keeping Lucy’s curious behind out of trouble. She’s the Tommy Pickles of the kids; danger is her middle name and she also laughs in the face of it. She’s got courage but also... no offense to Bill, but she’s got his Big Stupid. She finds a feral cat and - despite it scratching her to ribbons - she wants to take him home and give him a bath. Mike has to quickly yeet her out of the bathroom and trap the cat inside before calling animal control.

Ben and Bev? They have five (5) kids, which... is on brand. Two sets of twins; Milo and Miles, followed by Olivia and Owen, and then finally their baby, Archie.

Milo Hanscom is a sweet lil poundcake; he’s very much like his dad. If a conversation isn’t going EXACTLY how he mapped it out in his brain, he will turn and walk away with no added explanation. On the other hand, Miles is a lot like his mom. He’ll sneak cigarettes and he’s incredibly smart; he’ll swipe a bag of candy from Keene’s store and sell each piece for a quarter on the schoolyard. Bev has no idea where he gets his income, but she is SUS.

Miles and Jenny are actually best friends; as toddlers, they would go up to each other (sneak up, really), and smack each other on the heads as a greeting.

Olivia and Owen are as close as sisters can be; they have their own language, and both of them are brilliant, scholarly girls. Owen will absolutely stab anyone in the way of her GPA. They’re the masterminds when they’re babies: all those shenanigans the Rugrats get into? Owen or Olivia hatches the plan, and they have their older brothers wrapped around their fingers! So they have the muscle to back up their ideas.

Archie is the super sweet baby child. He is SCARED. Of EVERYTHING. He cried during his first haircut. Animals terrify him. As a baby, he’d sob when the sun disappeared behind clouds. Ben tried playing peekaboo with him once, and Archie was inconsolable bc “WHERE IS MY DADDY?!?” Those kawaii stress balls - the squishy things with cute faces? THOSE are harder than Archie Hanscom.

Finally, we have Richie and Eddie’s kids: Julian and Deana. Biologically (because yes, they chose surrogates), Julian is Eddie’s, whereas Deana is Richie’s. And... it kinda shows through their behavior.

Julian is the first of the Losers 2.0 to say no to his parents. His first word: No his second word: Nah-uh his third word: Nope his fourth word is stinky, but that’s neither here nor there.

HE KEEPS BREAKING SHIT. Ofc it’s an “accident.” How far can this lamp tilt? How much water is too much for the doggie bowl? How much of this lotion and toilet paper can he fit in the toilet? (He counts to twelve, but to be fair, he skips numbers 3-11 cause he doesn’t know those. “1, 2, 12.”) How much Julian can fit through the doggie door? (the answer is half)

Now Deana-- they panicked in the hospital. Eddie grabbed Richie by the shoulders and said, “Every gay couple our age has a pet or daughter named Diana. We can’t name her after the princess.” and Richie goes, “Psh, of course.” and haphazardly scrawls and “e” over the “i” on her birth certificate.

Julian is one and a half years old when he meets his baby sister, and Eddie carried him in to see the newborn infant. Her weird beady eyes terrify him, and his immediate response is to smack her lil face. This instigates their childhood long fight, because they don’t stop for the next thirteen years.

On Julian’s third birthday he asks for them to take Deana back to the hospital bc, “she’s stinky, and I hate her,” and he smiles like :D when he proposes the idea. He’s convinced Deana is broken because she refuses to eat; she’ll suck the salt off fries, and eat a lil piece of pepperoni off the pizza, but other than that, no thanks!

Now when you get all the kids together? Ultimate chaos! Jenny and Olivia lead all the others on their bikes to ride around Derry, and when Miles finds the Barrens, those girls have the brilliant idea to build a clubhouse. Ofc neither of them wanna get dirt under their nails, so they enlist Miles, Milo, Lucy, and Julian. Deana keeps trying to eat the dirt, and Julian is huffy bc he has to stop her.

Archie screams every time a bug flies by, and Lucy gives him her sweater (she knows he likes it, because it’s a pastel green and v. soft), telling him, “My daddy made this for me, and it protects you from monsters, if you believe it does.”

Throughout digging, each of the kids rotate who brings snacks and games. The Hanscom kids always have a great haul (mostly because there’s more grabby hands to raid their pantry), and everyone is so-so when it’s Julian and Deana’s turn, bc the only sugary thing in their cupboards are cereal.

While everyone’s digging (they’re about two feet into the project at this point), Andy and Owen are playing a game of scrabble. Neither of them wanted to get their hands dirty! Much to Owen’s surprise, Andy wins. She’s not a good loser, and she very huffily throws the board a couple feet away. Andy, a patient and good sport, goes to get it, when he falls through the large mound of leaves.

All the Losers 2.0 panic (Jenny “strangles” Miles as she shouts that her parents will be SO PISSED if she let the earth eat her brother), and are relieved when he pokes his little head out from the leaves. He looks excited, and he shouts, “GUYS LOOK WHAT I FOUND!”

Julian puts Deana in her wagon (which all the other babykids ride in too, so Deana, Archie, Lucy, and usually Andy) and pulls them over - with Milo’s help ofc, and Olivia is the first to venture down. She turns on a flashlight and echoes Andy’s excitement, “GUYS, LOOK!”

Climbing down the ladder, one by one, the kids marvel in complete awe at their discovery. There’s a swing, a dusty old hammock, and even a super old-looking stereo. With a little elbow grease, this hole could be turned into EXACTLY the clubhouse they wanted. Their entire summer goes to making the clubhouse a perfect hangout spot.

One night, while the original Losers Club is having a barbecue, Patty asks, “Where do you think those kids run off to all day?”

Ben fondly thinks back on the clubhouse he and his friends created together, and he can only hope his kids find something half as great. “Probably somewhere fun,” he says.

“It’s probably how it was when we were kids,” Richie says, looking at each of his friends. “The best.”

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Perma Tag List: @s-s-georgie, @xandertheundead, @reddie-for-anything, @tinyarmedtrex, @richietoizer, @appojoos, @thundercatseddie, @eddiekabsprak, @eduardoandale, @that-weird-girls-blog, @lifesucksheres20bucks, @twoidiotsinl0ve, @mars-14, @jon-is-my-lord, @marsisaplanetyall, @reddieforlove, @adhdtrashmouth.

#the losers club #it (2019)#my fic #I'M EMOTIONAL ABOUT KIDS

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lady-griffin · 5 years

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My initial thoughts, while watching “Whatever the fuck this episode is called”(S8E02)

Update: “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” If that’s not title, than they are wrong. That should be the title.

Spoilers Below

So, they’re starting up right at the beginning, no lead up. Just straight to the trial of Jaime. Interesting.

Jamie doesn’t look scared of Daenerys. Interesting.

Damn, that glare to Tyrion. Damn.

Sansa agrees with Daenerys, not what I was expecting.

“The things we do for love” (ice ice baby)

Brienne standing up for Jamey and Brienne convincing Sansa. This just shows me how much Sansa loves and appreciates Brienne and all she has done for her.

Jon is just trying not to give away how freaked out he is.

Jon followed Sansa? Maybe?

I don’t think so, but maybe? It certainly looked like it.

Everyone follows their leader, I quite like that (or at least that appearance)

Daenerys angry at Tyrion, again…

Tyrion just seems like a hollow version of himself. It’s honestly depressing I was hoping Tyrion had been constructing some plot with Cersei, at least he be more Tyrion-like.

Gendry just giving the vaguest of answers.

It’s like darts at your local college bar.

Gendry is both impressed and horny.

Bran and Jaime!!

Is ghost there? I want Ghost

No Ghost ☹

I did not like that answer Bran, I did not like it at all.

I mean logically there’s going to be an after, but they actually did such a splendid job of building up that unease, of “will there be a tomorrow?”

It’s really well done. I have to say. I know there’s 3 episodes after the final battle. But still that uneasiness and I’m so worried everyone is going to die. It’s really well done. I’ll give them that.

Tyrion & Jaime (Jaime getting all the reunions)

How do they like their new queen? (Jaime asking the questions)

She is different. Are you sure about it? (Jaime is not convinced)

I do wonder, if the pregnancy is real. Or at least was once real. Or ever was.

Ha! Jaime just walks away from Tyrion…why? What did he see? Oh, it’s Brienne.

Seriously, Jaime getting all the reunions

Jaime and Bienne are a romcom couple, but with their own warrior twist

Jorah & Dany, interesting. Daenerys goes from harsh and fiery to soft and gentle in seconds.

Did he send her to make nice with Sansa?

I love these scenes with Royce. Him waiting for Sansa to give the go ahead (the second time too).

I like you Royce. And Sansa earning that respect.

Do you ever think Royce is like, I wish you were the Lady of The Vale and Robin wasn’t the Lord. I want it so bad. Damn you winterfell.

Who manipulated whom?

That is such an interesting question.

It’s so interesting to me that this is all framed as Jon’s war. Even though everyone’s life is at stake, even though there is not going to be a 7k if they fail. Humanity itself is at stake and yet Daenerys despite still being there, is blind to that fact. She views this as Jon’s war and her doing him this favor

Daenerys can be quite charming. See it’s these scenes with her that I quite like, you can see why people followed her. But that anger.

Emilia Clarke is fantastic at that angry face. Just truly amazing. The people who say she can’t act, I just have to disagree.

That quick shift to anger, is just perfection.

And I like that sudden shift and this new (old) dynamic between Sansa and Daenerys.

The anger in Daenerys’ eyes, Sansa fighting for the North

Daenerys taking her hand back, once she didn’t get what she wanted. Just lovely (I mean that seriously).

I really like that scene

Theon!!!

I love how he asks Sansa to fight for Winterfell, not Dany

I’m so happy these two are reunited

Me: *Watching Daenerys watching Theon and Sansa* Clearly she thinks these those two are in love

Me: *watches Theon and Sansa* wait…. are they in love?

Huh? I am not opposed to that as much as I thought I would be.

Gilly looks very nice

Baby girl. Oh no, she looks like Shireen, oh poor Davos

Sweet precious baby, “I’ll defend the crypt then”

Oh, please don’t die, oh please don’t die

TORMUND

He just slammed into Jon.

“My little crow”

I love the dynamic between Edd and Tormund now.

And Tormund and Jon

Tormund, I love him

“is the big woman still here?

See! I love the humor with Tormund, forget the talk of balls and dicks, just give me Tormund

War Council Meeting

Sam: Why?

Out of everyone who’s reacted to Bran, Sam has some of the best reactions. Hands down.

Also keep the Bran humor coming.

I think the plan might just be to have Brans stare at the Night King until he goes away…

That discussion of death…it’s all about the stories you become in then end (if you even do become one)

See that’s what interests me so much, what will be the final stories of these characters within this world? From a hundred years from now how will people remember Sansa? Arya? Brienne? Jon? Tyrion?

Will the be accurate or exaggerated fiction and simplified versions?

Jon avoiding Dany

Strange Journey, indeed. A vey nice way to describe Bran’s tale.

I really liked the scene with Tyrion and Bran

It oddly really humanized Bran and made me feel like we have Old Tyrion Back. Which is quite impressive, seeing as a few moments ago I was saying he was a hollow version of himself.

Aww Messandei ☹☹☹

Can the people of the North just be nice to Messandei? Just her okay. You can hate Daenerys, but just be nice to her. She’s so precious.

Greyworm & Messandei, my heart

GHOST!!!!!

GHOST!!!

GHOST!!!!

It’s my boy Ghost. GHOST!!!!

Night’s Watch Boys, singing their greatest hit

And now my watch begins

I am starting to get worried about those Crypts

“I wish father was here”

Jaime’s expression, omg I had to pause, I was laughing so hard.

Tormund, no

What? What? What? What? What?

What kind of story is that?

What?

Such an interesting group – Jaime, Tyrion, Podrick, Brienne, Davos and Tormund

Now Arya, Hound and Beric and hopefully Gendry will join too

Oh, I guess Ghost, Jon, Sam and Edd were the night’s watch group

I like this grouping theme

Is Sansa going to get a group? I hope so

Awww, Gendry and Arya got their own little group (as a pair)

Arya’s reaction to learning Gendry is a Baratheon – just amazing!!

Please don’t die, please don’t die

Now a sexy pair

A bit awkward, but get some Arya!

My baby has scars ☹

I mean it makes sense that she has scars, but no, not my baby Arya

But she’s finally getting that Stag

Ser Brienne of Tarth

Fuck Tradition (Tormund is just an angel)

Is Jaime going to knight Brienne?

HE IS!!! YAY!!!

All of you are going to die and I’m so sad, please don’t die

I really love this episode, for these character interactions and these moments

Its just nice, having these characters talk and just be together

See now I hope Brienne lives, the first Lady Knight

Aww Tormund, my heart - his standing ovation

Ser Brienne Tarth, my heart is yours. Please don’t tear up or you’ll make me cry

That smile. It’s not tears, just allergies.

This was such a great scene.

Old Bear and Little Bear, fighting.

That’s very fitting for the first we see them interact. Fighting. That seems very Mormont.

Right they are cousins…I guess since the age difference; I was thinking Uncle and Niece.

But then again, we have Jon and Daenerys, so age doesn’t really matter when it comes to these relationships.

All those big men following Little Lady Mormont. Perfection. And her suit of armor. Perfection.

I wanted Sansa to have a group of her own ☹

Podrick singing

Sansa and Theon

Gendry and Arya

Messandei and Greyworm

This episode had some serious hints of Theonsa

Lyanna Stark

I really thought Jon was going to answer, “my mother”

Your brother and best friend – she doesn’t believe it. The second Jon started talking you can see the anger build up.

“Dany” – that’s interesting. He hasn’t called that her since the boat.

THE LAST MALE HEIR - that’s where her mind went to first! That’s where her mind went!

Not that she slept with her nephew. Or that she isn’t that last of her family and she’s no longer “alone”. No, her mind went to the fact that he has more right to the Iron Throne. Wow…wow

I mean I’m not shocked, but still… wow. Not even confusion, but Anger. Just Anger.

Dark Dany isn’t coming. She’s already here.

Also going back to the Podrick Singing

I don’t know if Sophie Turner can sing, but I would have loved if Sansa had walked into the room and sang. Or they heard her singing outside. Or that scene led to Sansa singing to Theon. Singing and songs are such a big part of Sansa in the books, it’s so disappointing to me that the show doesn’t go that way with her.

Particularly since it’s about Jenny of Oldstones who married the Dragonfly Prince. Who gave up his throne for her

Anyone else think Jon might be willing to give up his claim for a certain Jenny?

No longer be a Dragon Prince but a Dragonfly Prince, instead. And who wore several dragonflies in the earlier days?

ALSO, FLORENCE + THE MACHINE

I am going to be listening nonstop to that song.

Back to the Library Sansa & Dany Scene

When I was watching the episode, I thought it was pulling a bit away from Dark Dany. At least until the crypt scene.

But rereading my notes, I have to say I don’t think they were pulling away at all.

For one thing I think those nice, gentle and charming scenes now that I’m thinking about them – remind me of what Maester Pycelle had said about her father. How great and kind, and charming he was. And madness being the worst plague from the gods.

It’s not about Daenerys being good or bad, she is quite capable of both. It’s what she chooses in the end.

But let’s get down to that one line, in particular.

Who is manipulating whom?

Great foreshadowing and such omnious subtext, to a seemingly “friendly joke”

Not a lot of evidence for Political Jon, overall in this episode. Except for that line.

It’s interesting though, that Sansa even states, “you know he loves you”

Which brings me to three conclusions

1. Jon told Sansa the truth and she manipulating Daenerys (Sansa went from ice cold to reminding me a bit of Margaery in that scene)

2. Jon told Sansa that he bent the knee because he loved Daenerys and she believes him and now being friendly for a few seconds and then back to ice ice baby, because of reasons... I guess

3. Or Jon is really in love with Daenerys and that is how he acts when he’s in love now…. which if that’s the case, I’m okay with Theon and Sansa. Stay away from Sansa, jonathan, if that’s how you are when you’re in love. My girl deserves better.

But the real interesting thing about Political Jon, is whether or not it’s really true

Dany is starting to believe in Political Jon and she’s going to start seriously asking, who is manipulating whom?

I greatly enjoyed this episode. It was such a highlight. Taking those moments and time to sit with characters and see them talk and see how they handle their last night or what might be their last night.

#Game of thrones #GOT #got spoilers #Got s8 spoilers #Got characters #Sansa Stark #Daenerys Targaryen #Jaime Lannister #Tyrion Lannister #Jon Snow #Arya Stark #Gendry #Gendrya #Brienne of Tarth #SER BRIENNE #Tormund Giantsbane #Davos Seaworth #Jenny of Oldstones

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theculturalevolution · 6 years

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SHE DON’T CARE ABOUT TIME The Byrds: An Appreciation

by David

For the past several months I have been listening to The Byrds obsessively, which is, I believe, the best way to listen to them. Though they have produced a number of amazing songs – “Mr. Tambourine Man,” ” Eight Miles High,” “So You Want to be a Rock and Roll Star” – they are much more about a sound than a song. Their greatest hits package does not do them justice and allows only a vague approximation of their true greatness.

They were the first major US Rock and Roll band to emerge post British Invasion (you know – Beatles, Stones, Dave Clark 5, Zombies, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Animals, etc..) I am, of course, excluding the soul and Motown stuff which was also dominant on US charts before, during and after all those English hits. And, no, Gary Lewis and the Playboys don’t count as “major,” though they beat The Byrds on to the pop charts with their own teeny-bopper sound. Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs also conquered the charts earlier with their superbly frenetic, “Wooly Bully.” Other American bands, like The Beau Brummels and The Sir Douglas Quintet, had hits prior to The Byrds. They were really good bands who tried to cash in on the British Invasion, with deceptively British names despite their distinctly American sounds. They did not sustain their pop successes but each had noteworthy careers as cult acts in the years following. Also remember that those contemporary charting behemoths The Beach Boys with their sunny West Coast sound, and The Four Seasons with their East Coast doo-wop predated all that cross-the-ocean stuff. All in all, the top 40 charts of 1965 were a wild and wonderful place to be.

And so went the Byrds with their name alluding to The Beatles, and their sound reminiscent of The Searchers – sweet, high harmony over jangly guitar. Play “Needles and Pins” after a listen to “Feel a Whole Lot Better” for convincing. Listening to both terrific songs, you will also hear that The Byrds did a fuller, more rocking version of that sound.

Released on April 12, 1965, “Mr. Tambourine Man” was a revelation. Anyone who heard it on the radio was challenged to stop, look and listen. That opening is still magic: a few seconds of ringing 12 string, followed by a sonorous, melodic bass, and then the wispy, barely heard harmonies emerge. You are hooked whether you hear it on a tinny car radio or a state of the art hi-fi set . It was a huge hit, and announced the beginning of Folk-Rock, paving the way for Bob Dylan’s own entrée to top 40 radio. For a few blessed weeks, starting July 3, 1965 the best selling singles in the US were “Can’t Help Myself,” “Satisfaction,” “Mr. Tambourine Man,” eventually joined over the weeks by “Like a Rolling Stone,” “I Got You Babe,” “ Do You Believe in Magic,” “ Help” and “California Girls” -- The Greatest Summer of the Greatest Year in Rock Music! That summer, pop music had expanded its reach, both musically and lyrically, and grew up (or, at least, reached later adolescence.)

Starting with their first album, The Byrds begot hypen rock, moving from folk-rock on to pioneer psychedelic-rock (“Eight Miles High”), electronic-rock (“2-4-2 Foxtrot” with its sole lyric of “Come ride a Learjet baby”) and country-rock (“Time Between,” etc.) Their harmony laden, folky strum sound laid the foundation (for better or worse) for Buffalo Springfield, CSNY, The Eagles and the whole LA mellow sound. Their guitar sound was crucial to REM who spawned College-Rock, and in their Sweetheart of the Rodeo phase they were a cornerstone of the Americana and Alt-Country genres. Though their shape-shifting, and their willingness to incorporate diverse sounds in their music was emblematic of the time and represented a generally held restlessness and exploratory impetus, they were, I have to say, frequently first. The Byrds were, in short, an astonishingly important and influential band with myriad pleasures to be gotten beyond their singles.

What’s significant about the Byrds is not their musical diversity but their core sound which remained essentially identifiable through all the innovations. Jon Landau wrote that “what makes their eclecticism so interesting is that the style they have concocted out of all these musical sources is very uneclectic and is, in fact, a style of incredible consistency.” Jim (Roger) McGuinn’s distinctive voice was a constant, but other better singers contributed – Gene Clark, David Crosby, Gram Parsons. The harmonies remained largely singular, their instrumental sound, anchored by McGuinn’s 12 string and Chris Hillman’s bass, was easily identifiable, and the way their voices were mixed under the instruments remained constant. Their music seems to have a consistent density. The liner notes for their first album quotes Jim McGuinn reflecting that they wanted to create a modern sound which mimicked the whoosh of a jet plane. And that sound is what makes immersion both necessary and pleasurable.

They couldn’t do funk or hard rock – compare their “Hey Joe” to Hendrix’ for a laugh – and they vie with The Beach Boys for the whitest sound of all time. They really could not jam. I once heard a live version of “ Jesus is Alright With Me” that went on for an entire album side that was a monstrous snore. But they were all about lyricism and beauty and enveloping sonic transcendence. Their signature and central irony is that they took songs important for their lyrics – Dylan and Pete Seeger for example – and drained them of their meaning and emotions to create pure loveliness. I’m not sure how many listens it took me to realize that the mining disaster ballad “The Bells of Rhymney” was supposed to be sad and accusatory. You sure could not tell it from the sound. In the Byrds’ version it is a startlingly lovely song, angelic and shimmering. Andrea debated a high school teacher about this very idea. This approach worked perfectly most of the time -- “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “My Back Pages,” “ Turn, Turn, Turn,” etc – and sometimes it failed – the jolly sounding “The Times They are A’ Changing.” The best way to listen to them is to submerge yourself in their sound, preferably alone, at length and at high volumes. Yes, The Byrds can be background music, but that’s not them.

When I talk about the Byrds, I am talking about their first six albums, and the song, “The Ballad of Easy Rider” which I love. And I’ll recognize The Notorious Byrd Brothers here, one of the most gorgeous, unheralded albums of all time, a gem of psychedelia. Even their sixth album, Sweetheart of the Rodeo, seemed to signal a decisive change in aesthetics: beautiful, yes, but more country then rock, and more Parsons then McGuinn. They were hi-jacked by the immensely talented Gram Parsons, who left the group after four months and went on to make the brilliant, first Flying Burrito Brothers album, The Gilded Palace of Sin with Byrd’s bass player Gene Hillman. During and after this transition, The Byrds as we know them were no more.

Though they wore those goofy Beatle bowl cuts, The Byrds had a rough hewn quality in photos. They seemed like men rather than teenagers, and though I can’t prove it, I think they were the first act to pose in blue jeans and denim jackets, like brawny cowboys rather than fey Brits. Just look at the beautiful cover of “Turn, Turn, Turn.”

McGuinn was the group’s leader, but the real most valuable player of the first two albums is Gene Clark, their first songwriter. He was thrown out/left the group after their second album. (I heard fear of flying, I suspect alcoholism.) His songs were knotty little minor key ditties about love’s complexity that took a while to sink in and when they did, attached themselves to your brain for days. His songs are the exception to the disjuncture between lyrics and sound.

Which brings me to “She Don’t Care About Time,” a B-side (to Turn Turn Turn) non-album obscurity that I discovered for myself a few years ago. With cryptic, mysterious lyrics and joyous music (“Ticket to Ride” riff) this song is about an idealized romantic space where time is of no consequence: “time stands still” is the cliché. But this song extends that stale sentiment in unusual ways. The female in this song is beyond extending judgment (cf Dylan “she knows too much to argue or to judge”) and time stands still not only when she is with him, but when she is not there because she stands outside of rationality and temporality. Because of this the narrator is able to psychologically incorporate her into his being (introject a psychoanalyst might say) and keep her with him continually. This song alludes to religious space, to mindfulness, to cosmic consciousness, and to the psychoanalytic unconscious.

She Don't Care About Time

The Byrds

Hallways and staircases everyday to climb To go up to my white walled room out on the end of time Where I can be with my love for she is all that is mine And she'll always be there, my love don't care about time

I laugh with her, cry with her, hold her close she is mine The way she tells me of her love and never is she trying She don't have to be assured of many good things to find And she'll always be there, my love don't care about time

Her eyes are dark and deep with love, her hair hangs long and fine She walks with ease and all she sees is never wrong or right And with her arms around me tight I see her all in my mind And she'll always be there my love don't care about time

Songwriters: Gene Clark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTlS2JhaBJM

2/4/18

#mrtambourineman #geneclark #byrds #jimmcguinn #shedon’tcareabouttime

#byrds Mr.tambourineman jimmcguinn turnturnturn geneclark shedon'tcareabouttime

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gameofbrodon-blog · 5 years

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S8E1: Winterfell AKA The Beginning of the End AKA Bran is a vegan

Ooooooooh Brodes. What. An. Episode.

Like dayum. I gotta say, it was too lovely. Like we’re gonna get totally forked this season. They gave us happiness in ep 1, cos they’re going to emotionally destroy us for the rest of the season. Just you wait. Battle of Winterfell in ep 3 is gonna be so traumatic I may need to call in sick at work the next day. Legit.

Let’s do this recap then... I’m writing this on my flight to Melbourne so I have no distractions and can dedicate a whole hour to it for you. Let’s go!

I’m OBSESSED with all the s1 throwbacks in this ep. The little kid running through the crowd and climbing the tree to see the royals (Jon/Dany) arriving in Winterfell is such a cute throwback to Arya and Bran doing the same in S1 when the royals (King Robert & co) arrived.

Dany has the most smug look on her face when all the northerners were scared of Drogon and Rhaegal. She’s really feeling herself since she banged Jon. Girl got laid so now she’s feeling like the top bench. Can’t blame her really ;)

Then Arya sees Jon and has the cutest smile on her face, which transforms to a scowl when she see’s The Hound (I think she legit thought he was dead. She’s probably annoyed that that she has to put him back on her list now!). And then she smiles again when she see’s her lover boy Gendry. Can’t wait for them to get married and have little warrior babies.

Reunion 1 happens; Jon sees Bran and he’s so shocked and happy. So cute how he rushes off the horse and gives him a big kiss. Major LOL at Jon being all “you’re a man now” and Bran being like “almost” COS HES THE THREE EYED RAVEN WE GET IT BRAN. Bran is like a vegan - he has to announce his status at every opportunity.

Sansa is so unimpressed by Dany, but then Bran goes vegan again and interrupts to tell Dany that Viserion is a WW now and she’s devo.

Skimming through now...

Reunion 2; Jon / Arya. I cried Brodes. Oh I cried. It was beautiful. Angelic. Gorgeous. Heavenly. Thank god they’re back together - you can actually see that they love each other it’s so sweet. Also hilarious moment when Jon is like “needle, have you had to use it”. LOL JON IF ONLY YOU KNEW!

Reunion 3; Sansa / Tyrion. Together again for the first time since Joff died. Loved the joke about how Sansa said that it was a highlight of the wedding hahaha Same gal, same!

So much happened in Winterfell. I’m so forgetting something but I’m trying to work chronologically and deffs failing at it.

Euron Greyjoy arrived back at Kings Landing with the Golden Company and new character Harry Strickland. Only 20k men and no elephants. Cersei mad. She should go see Dumbo at the cinema to get her elephant fix! My friend Emily has her name in the credits. Off topic but important to share.

Cersei and Euron bang. She’s not happy about it but I reckon she’s gonna pretend she’s pregnant with his baby to lock in his loyalty. She’s a shady one.

Theon rescues Yara and they split - she’s off to the Iron Islands to win them back as a backup plan for Dany to escape to if she needs it and he’s off to Winterfell to fight with Jon. Ahh siblings. Friends. They won’t see each other again before they die, sorry not sorry.

Back in Winterfell, Reunion #4 and #5. Arya sees The Hound in the blacksmith and have a tense but cute exchange. He’s all “you left me to die” and she claps back with “I robbed you first”. QUEEN.

Then Arya sees her boyfriend/lover Gendry and they flirt. He says “as you wish m’lady” and it’s GoT crossing over with The Princess Bride and like I can’t handle that - it’s both of my fave things! AH! G is making A a new weapon, cute.

Jon and Dany go for a casual dragon ride (JON RODE A DRAGON OMG) then have cute kissy time in front of a waterfall. Drogon though is not impressed at all. I love that they’re giving the dragons a personality now.

Controversial opinion: they gave us Jon on a Dragon too soon. They should have waited until like The Battle of Winterfell cos how cool would it have been for him to ride into the battle on a Dragon!

In Last Hearth, Tormund (yay! Tormund!) is alive! He and Beric are looking through the castle for signs of life, and they come across Edd and the best line of the whole episode happens; “STAY BACK HE’S GOT BLUE EYES” “they’ve always been blue”. HILARIOUS.

Then Lord Umber aka little kid is nailed to the wall but then he turns WW and starts screaming when they set him on fire. I may or may not have screamed in the cinema from fear. Whatever. You can’t prove anything.

Can we also take a moment to say, WHAT THE fork IS WITH CERSEI ASKING BRONN TO KILL HER BROS?! Like, surely Bronn taking the crossbow is just so he can go dob on Cersei to Tyrion. Tyrion promised Bronn that if anyone ever asked him to betray T then T would pay double. Bronn, you better be going after that double money and not legit planning to kill your two best buds T & J!

Back in Winterfell, Sam finds out that Dany killed his dad and bro and he’s heartbroken. Dany could have showed more compassion here tbh. She killed his fam, maybe apologise??

Sam then goes to the crypts and tells Jon the sad news... and then breaks the big big news. Jon finds out that Ned isn’t his real dad and he is heartbroken. He looked up to Ned so much and was proud to be his son. I can’t imagine how he feels now.

I don’t think he’s gonna tell Dany; he said that him being the true king was treason cos he’s sworn fealty to her. He’s gonna keep it a secret but dump her cos he can’t kiss or bang his aunty now that he knows. DRAMAAAAA!

Finally, bran’s “old friend” Jamie rides into Winterfell and when he sees Bran he looks terrified. I can’t wait to see what Bran says to him “I’m a vegan... oh wait I mean I’m the three eyed raven and I know you pushed me out of the window. Dude wtf”

Lots of setup here, but that’s normal for Ep 1 of a season. Let the chaos begin!

Can winter be over yet? Spring is coming? Maybe? I hope????

X Jords

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literateape · 6 years

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Everything You Need To Think After Watching Black Mirror: Season 4

By Keith Gatchel

You put off watching it until now. I did, too. In my case, I make it a point to watch the episodes in order, so I'm not tempted to skip one because I'm afraid of the concept. But, this season of Black Mirror seemed to benefit in that way, like an album, more so than previous ones. So, let's go through each episode, with the calm, cool academic composure fans of speculative fiction are known to keep.

SPOILER ALERT!! EVERYONE DIES. BUT, BY THAT, I MEAN, WE ALL DO. IT'S THE CIRCLE OF LIFE. ALSO, THIS TO KEEP FROM SPOILING WHAT HAPPENS IN THE FOURTH SEASON OF BLACK MIRROR, WHICH I ASSUME YOU CONSIDERED FROM THE TITLE ABOVE. BUT, STILL, IN THE END, DEATH COMES FOR US ALL. SPOILER ALERT.

"USS Callister":

To start off, stand-up comedy, and specifically The Daily Show, helped me call out my own beliefs, with scalding hot comedy, that made me question why I had them in the first place. Having said that, USS Callister burns so damn hot that I love it. To keep it simple, I have enough in common with Robert Daly to relate to him (…to a degree) who’s probably also had him as a friend (but, none of you, of course…). I, too, thought the episode would be the usual "guy gets girl from jock" scenario, perhaps with a Back To The Future-like uppercut, or a riffing on it of some kind. But, instead, Daly turns into Billy Mumy in It's a Good Life and gets called out on his control issues. When it turns out the characters in the game were live-avatars (is that what we're calling them?), I was worried we'd get a retread of the "White Christmas" episode.

But, really, it just used a concept. That seems lazy at first. And, the more episodes Black Mirror has, the more it’ll tend to stretch their concepts. But, seeing as it's already an anthology show, and one that's earned its stripes, let's not ding it when other writers want to play with the toys, too. What sold it and brought out the originality was how lived-in the concept was: gameplaying aside, what else do people do with genetic-memory-scanners? Do people save their deceased souls in the cloud and talk to them? Can you save multiple copies of them to sell or hand out? Can police use this to interview murdered victims from the dead? Haven’t these all already been episodes?

But, specifically, how the episodes rifted on Star Trek until the end. I thought the “cloud of code” was a bit shoehorned in, but it worked. Also, making Cristin Milioti’s real-life counterpart steal the extra DNA needed an ending of some kind, too. The subplot was too good not leave out, but did it really have an end? Did she stay and watch Robert die? Can the live-avatars still contact her, or her them? Did anyone see her leave Robert’s place, seeing as how she’s the last one to see him alive? But, to wrap up, the nihilist in me loved the fact that victory for the little people in the computer was the sweet release of death (“I really hope we die”), and the Star Trek fan in me loved that they flew into a reboot (and finding Aaron Paul).

“Arkangel”:

Black Mirror has a tendency to ride some of their concepts too long in an episode, spending too much time establishing or reestablishing it. Usually at about the 15 minute to halfway point, you know what the story is and you just want to get it going. In this case, it felt like they kept starting different stories that just introduced new concepts: the girl goes missing, she gets a tracker implanted, she gets violence censored to her, her grandpa has a heart attack, but it’s not fatal, then it flashes forward to when he does pass away, and so on…

They’re all well-written scenes, but the story keeps stopping once a new concept is introduced to start on another. Plus, I’ve always thought Black Mirror’s idea of “blocking” people is weird, where you’d just see a hazy pixilation and muted sounds. Wouldn’t that also be terrifying, especially to a child? Can't they still hurt you? I like that the effects it had on the daughter once the parental blockers were removed, but I couldn’t tell how that really effected her as a teenager (angsty, yes, but not too much more than a normal teenager).

I also really liked the scenes of Rosemarie Dewitt looking through her daughter’s eyes, like Being John Malkovich, and I like everything she did here (and, just her in general). And, slipping contraception into a shake is plenty reason to get your face beaten in. But, much like “Shut Up And Dance”, that other episode where everything turns out to be a game show, and the one where the husband yells at his cheating wife for an hour, this one was well done, but needed to fill in a lot of gaps.

“Crocodile”:

The more I think about this episode, the more I find what I think it was trying to do, and then realize it didn’t do that. What the episode did right was start off on a great murder scene and subsequent disposal. I have a personal affinity to scenes where characters have to get rid of bodies, and it’s shown as realistically as possible. I’m going to assume I’ve just watched too many super-hero and action movies, where thugs and henchmen are thrown about, but I find it hilarious when the time, weight, and reality of cleaning up your own murder is depicted. Make it as boring and inconvenient as possible. I love it. Even once it became clear that the episode was going to be about a series of murders, I got into it.

And, I like a story where our protagonist spirals deeper and deeper into evil, or misfortune, and never gets out in the end. Or, I love stories where the killer gets away. Just the fact that it’s unexpected can be enjoyable. However, this never seemed to achieve it’s goals. It never really became a series of causes and effects, because there were too many coincidences with memory readers and pizza-vans (and a blind baby). It never really became a showcase for technology because it’s too specific (or are you a successful developer who’s 2 murders could be discovered after a car accident 3 stories down and perfect mind-reading?). Even when they tried to show Mia in a dark hood under back-lighting, resembling the Angel of Death, it felt underwhelming.

It never became a story of a killer getting away, because she’s about to get caught at the end. Plus, we never really got to know Mia very well in the first place. And, while the scenes with the investigator are well directed, and the devices are fun to see in action (the investigator carries around beer!), the fact that you only get a weird flash of a person leading out if they’re trying not to think of murder undercuts that technology as well. In fact, aside from being well shot, can anyone think of anything this episode achieved?

“Hang The DJ”:

This was another perfect balance of story-telling and concept, and another example of the show upending that concept halfway instead of riding it. The whole thing starts off with a familiar date, but with armed guards, and then sleeping over in a house neither of you own (did anyone else think those houses looked like the bathrooms you see at parks?). The whole thing felt natural, but raised questions from the beginning. Specifically, were these people on a dating website? Or a part of some social club? Or part of a closed community?

I loved how it became a streamlined romantic comedy, with “The System” playing matchmaker, best friend counsel, and by the end, the controlling parents the kids have to run away from before the arranged wedding. In this case, though, you start to wonder what else these people do, and why they are never talking to their friends. I assume we all realized it was a simulation once Amy noticed the rocks always skipped “no more or less than 4 times”.

But, that didn’t diminish how I identified with the characters (although, I’m going to assume they are also live avatars, because that’s how this show rolls). Their ruminations on love kept things going to the point that by the time Amy wants to get the hell out, I was on board with them pulling a Logan’s Run and booking it.

“Metalhead”:

Probably the most original episode this season, and the one each Black Mirror season seems to have where they throw off the ties to the rest of the episodes (I’ll get to whether it’s an anthology or a shared universe below). This is a pure cat and mouse chase with any semblance of background or world-building getting run over by a either a survivor or a Terminator-Dalek.

First off, anyone who isn’t scared of an unstoppable killer robot has apparently never had a nightmare, ran for their life, or done both. I’ve read/heard some people complain about the black and white, or how that’s just used to make it seem original. But, it makes the light pop and helps with the fact that, yes, the “dog” wasn’t great CGI. And, while I feel like too many times lately we’re expecting our action movies to be more and more streamlined, this episode earned the right to leave out exposition so we can imagine why they’re risking lives to get one, or a box of, teddy bears.

“Black Museum”:

Overall, “White Christmas” was better. But, it also had the advantage of being first (and Jon Hamm). In both cases, it’s great for the show to have place where it can dump a few ideas together that won’t all fill around an hour, even though the narration of Rolo Hanes took away from scenes that could have really stood on their own. But, we all jumped up when we saw the red sucker in that display case (…there’s a sentence).

So, this brings us to the well-suited cigarette-smoking narrator in the room. Black Mirror tends to get referred to as “the new Twilight Zone”, and while it very much holds up to that title, most people tend to just use that as short-hand for “anthology”. However, the Twilight Zone tended to also lean towards the supernatural and science-fantasy, whereas Black Mirror is all about technology’s affect on us. So, is Black Mirror a shared universe like some people are starting to think? Charlie Booker officially said “No” to that… and done.

What Black Museum did was not show us a world where all the other episodes are intertwined, but, I think, showed us a world where those particular events happened. If the universe is part of a multiverse and everything that can happen will happen, this is one where the Black Mirror episodes happened together. Thus, if you’re watching any other episode, that is in it’s own universe. It just so happens something similar ended up in the Black Museum (also, there’s a universe where Hitler got the atomic bomb first, so maybe let’s not jump into multiverse travel when we get to it). The reason I bring up the connections/lack thereof, is because at the end of it, after Charlie Booker is done playing “Night Gallery”, the new kid burns it all down.

I hope this is the show acknowledging where it’s gotten repetitious, making this it’s version of a cliffhanger episode. They know it’s the last one most people will watch. So, even though I do love the live-avatars (really), I hope this is the show promising to shake things up going forward. Or, even if it doesn’t, it’s still an amazing show. I barely even mentioned the music.

Rankings, best to worst:

USS Callister Metalhead Hang The DJ Black Museum Arkangel Crocodile

#Black Mirror Season 4 #Black Mirror Season 4 Review

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