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pastelcheckereddreams · 5 months

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Four Seasons Manor (四季山庄): Set Layout, Part Three!

This is the third and final post detailing my set sleuthing adventure, looking for the sets that make up Word of Honor's Siji Manor. If you're stumbling over this post in the wild - hi! I draw architectural drafts of cdrama sets, as accurately to the show as I can. A huge amount of research goes into creating my art, and so far no set location has been as elusive as this one.

Split across two sets - one located in Hengdian World Studio's Spring and Autumn Tang Park, and the other in Hengdian's Huaxia film studio - this post is the final part uncovering the layout of Siji Manor. (And nothing will make sense if you read this post first, go back to part one and part two!!)

A reminder, before we dive right back into the breakdown of my completed birdseye view, that this last part will cover the main courtyard of what I have dubbed the "interior" Siji set, highlighted in red below:

Let's dive in!

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The Main Courtyard

The main hall (6), the largest building in this set, is what I and @minnarr, who shares my brainrot 🙏 and has been a great help in this process, have been calling "Everlasting."

This is because sign over the entrance reads, "萬古長青" (wàn gǔ cháng qīng), which to my layman's knowledge translates as "Everlasting and Evergreen," an idiom that can be extrapolated to mean "forever green throughout the ages," which describes a noble spirit or deep friendship that will last forever, like an eternal Springtime:

In the above screenshots, you can see that Chengling's training area (9) is set up in front of this main hall, and over his head in the third picture, you can just about see the moon window that is a feature of WKX's room.

Importantly, the pavilion (10) just about seen behind Chengling's training area, marks a de facto boundary for this set as it appears in WOH, as the camera angles of these episodes never never stray past it. For a long time - until I began to watch Mysterious Lotus Casebook and Heroes, which handed me the final puzzle pieces to rule out this set as part of the film parks - I thought the entire set must finish just to the right of the pavilion.

That is not so. If I pull up some screenshots from MLC and reintroduce the scant few photographs I've found of the "Mansion Scene" Huaxia set itself from part two, you can see this main courtyard in full:

In these photos and screenshots, we can now see the main courtyard almost in full: the main building with its projecting entrance (I'm unsure if the term portico applies to Asian architecture); the pavillion to its left, standing opposite Building 8 which we will come to in a moment; and Building 11 at the end of what, in MLC, is a central pathway - but that I have interpreted in my own drawing to be a path of scattered stepping stones like the rest of the set, considering the smaller courtyard (5) - as discussed in part two - appears to be taking on the role of a more formal courtyard.

'Everlasting' and 'Gentle Winds'

For a moment, though, I need to draw us back to the main building. This building - Everlasting - is very important as, by vehicle of drama magic, this is where the two Siji sets conflate.

In episode 24 we cut from a shot of the main building in the exterior Siji set, whose sign reads "風輕雲淡" (fēng qīng yún dàn), or "Gentle Winds and Light Clouds," to this interior shot of Everlasting:

And to confirm that this interior shot is Everlasting, or building 6, we return to MLC, where we are treated to an outside-to-inside shot of the build, whose inset floor matches that of WOH's Everlasting building, seen clearest in episode 24, above, and episode 28:

(I do have more screenshots that I may add in later, but right now I'm running out of steam, please just take my word for it. 😂)

Cold River Room

Now, unfortunately I've been unable to place the medicine room, in which ZZS grinds herbs, in what photo resources I have of this film studio. Likewise for the room I've taken to calling the "infirmary" (where WKX takes a healing bath after his confrontation with YBY). Equally as unhelpful, there's simply no discernible exterior details seen from inside these two rooms that I can dig my research claws into and try to identify a placement or orientation for them:

The room they spend their first night at Siji Manor in, however, is a different story. That room - dubbed as the "Cold River Room" by Minna - is Building 8.

This was quite easy to place, thanks to this screenshot of a behind the scenes video (that I've since long lost the link to, unfortunately - if you have a link, I'd be very grateful if you share it with me so that I may add the source). Here, we can see the column inscriptions on Everlasting through the window:

So I can confirm this building to be the room they spend their first night as Siji in, seen here behind Chengling as well as in a MLC screenshot - showing its place across from the pavilion clearly:

The Pond

The last part of the main courtyard - and of this set breakdown overall - is the pond and Building 11:

I had suspected their was some kind of water trough or strip of pond between the seating area (4) and the pavilion (10) for a while, but never had the resources to confirm it. I still can't. However, a film studio's entire purpose is to shapeshift from one design brief to another. Sometimes, there is a pond and sometimes there isn't, as these two images show:

The left image is a photograph from the article about Hengdian's film studios linked above, taken from the seating area (4), while the right image is a screenshot from Heroes episode 13, the camera positioned in front of Building 11. I simply decided that I liked the pond there, so I included it in my Siji layout.

As an aside, in this scene in Heroes, with the camera panning just a bit further right, we get a lovely clear shot of the archway from the formal courtyard (5) to this one:

Finally, we come to Building 11. You'll notice that I called the courtyard of the QHZ snow scene in WOH a "formal" courtyard (5), on account of the clearly defined, linear paving.

However, it doesn't have the large gate of a main courtyard:

This courtyard, the one with Everlasting, does. The winding steppingstones used as paving in the Siji set dressing of this location takes away from the formality of this courtyard that, once you see it in its entirety in shows such as MLC or Heroes, it certainly has. To that point, Building 11 - or rather, structure 11, as may be more appropriate to call it now - is actually a large gateway. This is easiest seen in Heroes, episode 13:

Of course, that doesn't mean we have to designate it as a gateway in the Siji layout. I don't think it's meant to have that identity, based on the above - well, it's not meant to have an identity at all. It's never seen in the show. But, given the Siji set dressing and the resemblance it bears to Building 8, the Cold River Room, I might consider giving it the identity of one of the rooms I've been unable to locate - the infirmary, or the medicine room.

Let me hear your thoughts!

I'd like to hear your suggestions and thoughts on that. On all of it! Because despite all of this research, I am still left with the gargantuan task of drafting it all into a finished piece. And as such, I am still faced with the dilemma I began to outline months ago in part one:

How could I merge these two very different sets together? Should I merge them together?

I have rambled ideas at friends about presenting an architecture draft that is simply reportage - showing both sets, and summarizing the information I've given you all here before making suggestions on how they could combine into "one true set".

But on the other hand, do I draft the Siji I see emerging in the crossover of these two sets - the one I can feel starting to take shape in my brain? And then simply offer this research up as the facts.

There's still a long way to go, but thank you for being here! As always, if you'd like to support my research madness and help fuel my many artistic endeavors, please consider donating to my kofi or checking out my print shop:

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And happy new year! I hope 2024 brings you happiness and opportunity in all that you wish ✨

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

#nikkidraws #四季山庄 #山河令 #four seasons manor #word of honor #shan he ling #shl meta #woh meta #word of honor meta #woh set design #shl set design #set design #yeeting this from me now it's taken two days to do both of these posts at the same time 😭#i hope this last post makes sense i'm so tiiiiired

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wilderebellion · 8 months

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You can already see how well-knit this Circle is before they even hit the break, but you can tell their bonds go so much deeper by the end of the first episode.

Presumably Nathaniel Trapp's the newest official inductee to Candela, right? Allison saved him a couple months back. But he also served in the war with Sean Finnerty and Marion Collodi.

Sean and Marion seem to have known each other prior to the war, possibly childhood friends.

Beatrix Monroe is a widow. She's been with Candela the longest, and presumably her husband's death led her to the organization.

Sean enlisted illegally around age 16 or 17 to serve in the war.

All the members experienced eldritch weirdness over the course of the war.

Dr. Jinnah "Jean" Basar began as a field medic and her father may also have been a doctor.

At least two of Sean's brothers died during the war but he did not know until later. He was part of the NOMAD Ghost Patrol unit and is haunted by the work he did. He hadn't seen Marion in over a year around this time.

Bea visited VA hospitals - volunteer work seems likely but there might be more. Details of husband are scant.

Marion and Sean were part of Echo Company during the war. Marion's abilities as a medium activated to save Sean's life.

In the Red Lamp district, Bea and Jean examined a woman under anaesthesia whose body had been affected in an unnatural manner.

Auntie Bea made a promise to Sean's mother that she would protect him. Unclear if pre- or post-war.

Nathaniel investigated his family's transit line because of his job, not because of family responsibility. He might be estranged from his family because 1) blames himself for the death of his older brother who was the golden child and the heir and 2) he didn't fill his late brother's shoes by assuming an heir role. It remains to be seen whether this was a decision he made early on or if his experience in the war determined this.

Jean has been doing work for both Candela and EONS, though it seems that the EONS work may not have been fully of her own will, given their propensity for hostages (evident at both the start and end of the episode).

Marisha mentions a joke returning "a decade later" when the peeing and squid dogs thing comes up. That passage of time is similarly backed up when Brennan talks about Sean's age.

Marion admires Dr. Jean Basar. She shares (to some extent) an ability to sense the supernatural, but not in the same manner.

#candela obscura #candela spoilers

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chryblossomjjk · 1 year

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bts fic recommendations | 01.25.23

→ hi friends! this is a little segment i do every tuesday (reviewsday get it, aren’t i funny, pls tell me how funny i am) where i read and review two-three fics. as a content creator, i know how big of a role other creators play in your growth, therefore, i want to do my part in making sure everyone gets the recognition they deserve! so with that being said, please check out the amazing fics listed below. make sure to like, reblog, and leave feedback! ♡ #reviewsday #kikirecs

scent of eager suds - @rkivian (knj x reader | smut, angst, pwp, fluff)

summary: you missed each other, too fucking much. but your head had stayed down in futile hopes of remaining stubborn, forgetting that there is a wedding ring on that tricksy little finger of his for a reason.

so..... genuinely convinced you are the reincarnate of shakespeare babe bc like:

"He would spend a considerably scant amount of time on such a task, yet fulfil it so thoroughly that the constant aching between your legs seemed more equitable than you would like it to be."

LOOK WHAT YOU DO WITH WORDS!!! like everything is so precise. i can tell there's so much thought put into every single word of this piece and woah.. the writing is fucking stellar, seriously. like just the words you use throughout this displays how the reader feels about being vulnerable with joonie: cruel, vengeful, venomous. u put pwp but like you characterized the fuck out of this reader and it's so good...

also... this is thee kim namjoon. like as someone who is v much similar to the reader and self sabotages relationships, ppl who love you enough to recognize that trait and do their best to prove u wrong

AND YOU DID THAT ALL THROUGHOUT THE FLITHIEST NASTIEST SEXIEST SMUT EVER PLS HE'S SO HOT LIKE HE TRULY JUST WANTS TO MAKE HER FEEL GOOD INSIDE AND OUT AND IM GATEKEEPING HIM!!!! this was so so so beautiful and thank you for sharing with plebeians like me :') <3

the one where jin is drunk off his face and you get friend-zoned - @indgio (ksj x reader | fluff, crack)

saf everything you write just comforts my soul. it's missing jin hours around these parts and this is exactly want i needed. i don't know how to explain it but this gives me run episode vibes? like... this is legit kim seokjin. I COULD TOTALLY PICTURE HIM DOING SOME SHIT LIKE THIS LMAO WHAT A SWEET BABY!

also love this oc fr. like from the opening paragraph i could already tell she's the most adorable, most precious being, and you proved it throughout the rest :') <3 taking care of ur drunk partner trope will never not get me and you did it so splendidly ugh will definitely be coming back to this when im sad and 3am and missing my seokjin :'( thanks for this ily <3

"tell me more about this girlfriend of yours."

but jin looks at you with a frown, as he downs the water. "no. get your own."

^also for whatever reason this took me tf out lmao

the one where jungkook will always protect you, even from the fictional - @indgio (jjk x reader | fluff, humor)

bby istg your writing is so... refreshing? like i always think i need these super crazy, convoluted, heavy plots for my fics to be good, but your writing is proof that doesn't have to be the case. your writing is so effortless, yet so beautiful. like once again, genuine comfort content that i don't see too much of anymore. going through your masterlist has really inspired me to take a new avenue, because your fics are just so fucking addicting. i just love the slice of life vibes so much uGh okay enough nutting over u and onto the fic sehfbjsehbdhwb

pov ur saf in my brain BC THE AMOUNT OF TIMES IVE DAYDREAMED ABOUT THIS EXACT SCENARIO IS MENTAL ILLNESS (was just picturing binge watching AOT w him :'))

this jungkook is such a golden retriever ass boyfriend my heart can't take it. the banter ?? the protectiveness ?? THE BITING THE EAR ??? naur im in love it's settled. adding him to the list of fav jungkook portrayals on tumby. will be thinking about him when im bored in the back of my lecture tomorrow. thank you for daydream fuel <3

stfu yes it's wednesday get off my back >:'( i posted this early last week and was just trying to even the timing out that's all... im lying. anyways, love u lmao

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elderflowergin · 28 days

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blood free v secret forest, a quick and dirty comparison:-

As someone who fell for Kdrama through Stranger, i loved it because it appeared seamless, grounded and weaved several systems and levels of privilege very elegantly. Most of all it seemed morally urgent, even if it was at its core a detective mystery. (Which, to be fair, Blood Free is as well.)

Secret Forest’s first success was that it held nuance for everyone in the middle of the road; LSY afforded so much thoughtful shading to those men. I often think they will never look as beautiful as they do on SF, and that’s only partly because of whoever did the lighting etc, but they’re not Kdrama glossy perfect; they’re real people trying to reckon with themselves and the moral calculus they have agreed to, and their dignity comes from the reckoning. Lee Chang-joon, Kang Won-chul, Lee Yeon-jae, even Seo Dong-jae for that matter, all have that advantage. LSY managed this for Jung Sung-il in the scant few minutes of screen time he had.

The second success was Cho Seung-woo and Bae Doona. If Secret Forest was a universe they were its gravitational field; it was their fierce sense of honour and morality that drives both seasons. And their moral decency is hard-won; it is tested constantly, and it’s burnished at each opportunity, which is why they are respected. It is a dream that people like that can influence or impact those around them, but you don’t question that they do, by the end of each season, and that’s the victory of writing, casting and the charisma of both leads.

That’s why that funeral scene in season 1 is so important (to me); it shows the gravity shifting. The prosecutors rely on their forest of secrets to keep the centre together, but Hwang Si-mok demonstrates how untenable this has become, how the roots must be pulled out so the weeds die; so new healthy things can grow. The chaebols are at the periphery, and they continue to be there because, most audaciously of all, they don’t matter if enough people shift their moral calculus. I think this gravitational pull happens to Lee Chang-joon in season 1 thanks to Hwang Si-mok and it happens to Choi Bit in season 2 thanks to Han Yeo-jin. They are easily some of the most powerful parts of the show.

On the other hand, we have Blood Free. I’m not sure who the moral gravitational field of this show is meant to be. Maybe it’s Yun Ja-yu and/or Woo Chae-woon. Maybe it’s Lee Mu-saeng. Maybe it’s about the ethical dilemma of experimentation and whether that’s a worthwhile price to pay for the scientific advancements in cultured meat and seafood. Perhaps we need more time to really see the middle of the road characters, but four episodes in there’s not much to go on: there’s Lee Mu-saeng, there’s Queen Dowager as a VP, here’s Jeon Seok-ho. There are three chaebols, all of whom seem like one-note characters to me. (Why ask a talented sketch artist to produce cartoons like these? Unless they’re not, but nothing seems to suggest otherwise.)

The most interesting insight from episode 4 was about Yun Jayu - when offered 72 trillion won for her company, she actually considers it because it means she doesn’t have to face investors and can focus on research. She has influence and money but these are means to an end, for her. I wish we could see more of that, and not necessarily through exposition alone.

When she gives deft, cool answers to reporters, did that come naturally to her or did she work at it? Is she the face of the company because she hated it a little less than Lee Mu-saeng did? If so, why? What comparative advantage did they determine she had? When she wears Chanel tweed skirts and smiles her way through presentations, is that a natural extension of her work or is that a mask she wears? Give me process, guys! Give us the backstory, the way the markets work, the environment for cutting-edge bio research in Korea, the reaction of Big Meat, the interplay of new rich and old rich, some indication of her actual influence (which must be considerably more than what we see on the show, although what little we see, while uncomfortable, is frankly not that inconceivable in a world where you’re constantly connected.) I am so interested in her, and yet I feel I am made to watch the story of her reacting to chaebols and to the mystery of corporate sabotage rather than her being the fulcrum of her own universe. And at no point does the mystery seem morally urgent to me, and it’s because 1) why does it matter if all this is is a giant M&A negotiation 2) why should we care if it doesn’t feel real to us? So what if there’s sabotage? Why on earth isn’t this company guarded like fucking Fort Knox? Why is this company ostensibly so influential, so powerful and yet capable of unusually amateurish errors that are the centre of the show so far and not on the periphery of it? Where is the moral quandary that is meant to grab us by the throat?

Is it a question of the writing? Have her interests shifted and did she want to do a show without having to do too much character work? If anyone has earned a vibes-only moment it’s Lee Soo-yeon, and I respect that for her. I hope the direction isn’t stifling the writing, because that means there is an arresting, politically trenchant drama underneath this dry procedural, and that’s upsetting to consider. We still have a ways to go and I think there is potential, but I have to remind myself not to expect something like SF, that maybe you can’t bottle that formula. That it’s the gold standard for a reason. But honestly, Disney, in the words of TikTok star imo_unusual, you’ve made this show like God was dozing off when the angels were working, now RELEASE US (and LSY writernim)

#sorry i didn’t finish life #and I didn’t include grid in the analysis #although that’s a good comparison to make too #but kudos to whoever costumed hhj #and gave her that expensive overcoat #that looks exactly like a doctor’s coat but in rich black #costuming is the only dept that has not been interfered with #blood free #tvn stranger

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veryextraincorrectfegbaquotes · 5 months

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As promised, here is an in-depth brief overview of the circumstances surrounding Melady becoming Lalum's legal guardian

Got it out technically before the year end, and it goes under a read more so I don't fill your dash with a whole lotta words (1240 words to be precise) because I have some sense of courtesy. Hope you enjoy it!

It had, at least initially, been purely a matter of logistics. A child required housing, of those with space and time available, one said the other was the much better option. Echidna made very clear that her house full of weapons was not suitable for a kid, so said kid became Melady’s problem. The situation was even more awkward than is typical, due to its atypical circumstances. The child in question was, in one way or another, related to Sigune. So of course, information about her was impossible to find or never existed. They knew her name was Lalum, that her parents were dead, and that she was related to Sigune. They couldn’t even be certain she was a child. They were considering her as one, and Sigune said she was ‘underage’.

And Sigune never lies.

The child was both inoffensive and offensive. She took up little space, made little noise, occupied little time. She kept to the basement that had been made her room, emerged to eat, barely spoke and when she did it was quietly. Except when she started fires. And broke windows. And made graffiti. And started more fires. And ruined things. And threw knives. Every time, Melady would either reign her in mid-crime or haul her back home post-crime. Every time, Melady would ask the child why she had done this, and be told she didn’t know why, and she was sorry, and she wouldn’t do it again. Every time, she sounded honest, regretful, sad and scared and weak. Every time, she would do it again. What frustrated Melady wasn’t the behavior in and of itself, it was how inexplicable it was, how it came from nothing and vanished before it could be seen. Melady was told that the child was loud, insulting, dismissive, chaotic and insufferable. She only saw a quiet, fragile, empty person. A child seemingly too afraid of the consequences to ever make a noise or express a want.

It bothered Melady, that the child she was in charge of, that she cared for, was lying to her. Not by saying she wouldn’t do this again, but by trying to hide whatever part of her it was that longed for chaos and relished in humor derived from starting fires and annoying people. That hiding, that refusal to show the wholeness of herself, was a lie, as offensive as any. And it wasn’t one she could make the child stop telling. She couldn’t force her to expose that side of her. Her only option was to make the child willing to be honest with herself and with Melady. She had to make herself into someone who could accept that honesty. And she set herself to that goal.

It was not an easy thing to do, offering acceptance to someone who offers nothing to accept. She did all in her power to be kind and understanding every time she had to question the child after one of her outbursts, despite Melady’s longstanding opinions on the value of militarily instilled discipline. But she valued honesty more. She mentally noted every bit of information about the child she could get from their brief conversations during meals, and followed those scant leads as best she could. Regardless of if it involved watching over 200 episodes of Dragon Ball Z or playing through Earthbound.

It was a delicate thing though. She couldn’t treat this like she was pursuing a quarry. She was researching an artwork, reading information about the artist to derive more from the work. She couldn’t just open conversation at dinner with “I watched DBZ so I could know you better”, that was an incredibly bizarre thing to do. She mirrored the child, making the occasional remark regarding the works.

She could see the results, as the remarks became more frequent, blossomed into brief discussions. She saw life and energy in the child that she never saw elsewhere, passion and opinions and humanity. It was often fleeting, something the child reigned in. But it was there, she was drawing it out. It took over a year for the approach to truly work, for it to create a real relationship that was not purely a matter of logistics. Melady saw that it took great effort, great courage on the part of the child to make her move, to acknowledge the bridge Melady had been building between them. To be honest with herself and her guardian.

“I’m going to play Radiant Silvergun. You can come watch if you want.”, said quickly, dismissively, by someone who left before she could receive the no she expected. Melady waited a minute before walking down to the basement. The child was visibly surprised, having already accepted that connection with her wasn’t wanted.

“So, tell me about Radiant Silvergun.” stated simply. It made the child pause, stunned. Then, for a brief moment, Lalum showed an incredibly earnest, honest smile. It was then quickly replaced by an expression of dismissive confidence.

“So it’s an old shmup that’s mad weird in a fascinating way. The gameplay kicks ass of course, but what really keeps me coming back is the way the story works. The stages are numbered chronologically but not played chronologically, so you start on stage 3 and then go to 2, then 4. It rules. Then there’s the story itself, which was sort of added in the saturn port, since the game didn’t have cutscenes in the original arcade version. So a bunch of kids took home a copy of their favourite shmup and then like 3 minutes after booting it up on their saturn they’re told all life on earth got killed by a tetrahedron.”

Lalum continued rambling, going on about weapon types and The Stone-Like and BE ATTITUDE FOR GAINS. It was, at best, mildly interesting to a layperson, which Melady was. But the happiness and confidence expressed by someone she’d barely heard speak, let alone emote, was truly engaging. It had been worth the effort, she decided. It was worth further effort, she decided. She asked about what scenarios the ‘thunder beam’ was useful in just to hear Lalum keep speaking.

After that event, Lalum became significantly worse as far as most were concerned. She had been quiet before now, but suddenly she was overconfident, more annoying and her crimes increased in severity. As far as Melady was concerned, Lalum was finally alive and it was as beautiful as it was infuriating. Disagreements between child and legal guardian increased in frequency, but now it wasn’t a series of questions answered with quiet platitudes. Lalum would push back, would explain what vague whims and arbitrary standards drove her to act, and would make a very obviously false apology. This was a marked improvement in Melady’s eyes.

As far as Lalum was concerned, this adult that had been forced to take care of her had met her emotionless, people-pleasing facade head on, and as such now had to deal with the ‘real’ Lalum. If pressed, she’d admit Melady could be fun to talk to and the way she expressed actual interest in whatever weird garbage Lalum rambled about made her feel weird and vulnerable and something better than tolerated. But she figured Melady would crack eventually and get sick of her, like everyone else did. It was just taking a REALLY long time. Hopefully it’d take forever and things could stay like this, just don’t quote her on that because it sounds lame.

#Melady #Lalum #Written stuff

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saints-who-never-existed · 6 months

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What are your thoughts on the relationship between Terror's lieutenants? Both in canon (book and show) and whatever ideas you yourself might have.

I'm wanna know what you think their reactions to Jopson's promotion or to John's death were. But I'm especially interested in what was going on before the walk out, just how they interacted in your mind onboard the ship.

I got curious because of the music fragment from the book where Little and Hodgson argue, and because of Kajganich's comments about Hodgson probably being Little's closest friend on board.

Thanks and cheers!

So this got real long real fast! Not even sure I fully answered your question, friendo. I just thought too long about The Lads, got emotional, and produced this deeply-passionate word vomit. Enjoy!

On the one hand, it’s frustrating that we see so little of the relationship between the three of them, either on-screen or in the book. But on the other, it’s fantastic in that it leaves so much room for interpretation!

I think no one will be surprised that I have absolutely made the most of those few scant snippets and references, and interpreted a deep, abiding, loving friendship from them… :')

I see their relationship in the book as the more straightforward and positive of the two.

The Hodgson and Little Musical Disagreement is an excellent example and I’m glad you mentioned it. Not only does it show a softer side to Little, who in the book is a much simpler, stoic kinda guy, it also gives us the pleasure of guessing at his reasoning. Does he just like to see Hodgson happy and is willing to compromise to make that happen, or does he know that his garrulous friend just won’t shut the fuck up until he gets his way? Who knows? Take your pick! Either way, it shows they’re buddies who care enough about one another’s happiness not to sweat small stuff like that. (My own personal headcanon is that Little secretly quite likes Hodgson's shite music. He’s definitely got a sense of humour in the book, even if quite a sarcastic one, so it's not hard for me to imagine book-Little as the Roy Kent of the Expedition with a lighter side he's at pains to keep hidden.) We also have, for example, Irving doing Hodgson a solid and pulling a double-watch when the latter is ill which again shows a willingness to be there and make sacrifices for one another. And one of my favourite little snippets comes early on, during Tuunbaq's attack on Strong and Private Heather. By the time Crozier even makes it out of his cabin to investigate, the three lieutenants are already there, arms full of weapons and 100% ready to rock so not only are they friends in my mind but they’re a tight and efficient unit on a practical level too, a well-oiled machine.

There’s definite friendship and a strong working dynamic in the show too, though I do think you have to search even harder for it in many instances. And I definitely see a more complex, bittersweet edge to their relationship in general.

They still care about and make sacrifices for each other – think of wee Irving, for example, taking one for the team and breaking the bad news to Crozier about all the men abandoning him for the flagship. (He says that Little asked him to but I choose to believe he's a good, caring, Christian boy at heart and did it himself to relieve his friend after a tough night). There’s definite trust there too. There's a teeny wee fleeting moment I like where the booze-hunting party returns to Terror with Silna and the late Mr Hornby. Little briefs Hodgson, asks him to deal with the former, and specifically expresses trust in him ("She'll be fine with Lieutenant Hodgson") which is well warranted - Hodgson sees that the job is done right away and with minimal fuss. Another little example that springs to mind from that same episode is a deleted line from the script. After the hatch is smashed, Crozier asks who's on deck and Little answers immediately, painfully aware that Hodgson is up there, painfully aware of all that’s at stake.

I think the biggest factor in the stymieing of their in-show friendship is The Horrors in general, but also Crozier specifically. Not to turn this into one of my patented anti-Crozier rants but I think he affects the men under him in two ways.

Firstly, at his worst, he’s an extra enemy for them to deal with, an extra problem. In many ways I think it brings them closer – Us vs. The World, Us vs. Our Boss’s Bullshit – but it’s almost for the wrong reasons, if that makes sense? If nothing else, it doesn’t leave much room for tenderness or levity or relaxation or any of the other things that make up friendship. Secondly, I think he infects them with his secretive, insular nature. That’s the most heart-breaking thing of all to me – all three of them are suffering so much in their own ways but we see no real indication that they're getting sufficient chance to confide in one another about it. They just keep it all bottled up inside with no outlet for it.

That's another difference, I think, between book and show, and it's what I'll end this absolute diatribe on in specific relation to Irving's death - that fatal lack of catharsis.

I've just reread the chapter that includes Irving's funeral and genuinely had tear in my eyes at the end. Hodgson is distraught, having witnessed the grisly aftermath of Irving's murder and while we don't directly see a reaction from Little, the chapter ends with he, Hodgson, and a variety of other officers dismissing the men so they can take on the responsibility of burying Irving themselves. They couldn't protect him in life but they find value and seek a practical outlet for their grief by doing what they can to honour their friend in death.

Whereas in the show, they get no such luxury. They don't get a real chance to stop or process anything. They don't really get a chance to do anything productive with their grief. They do try - I think both attacking the Netsilik and arming the men in camp stem from a deep and frustrated need to feel like they're doing something, anything. But it's just not enough - that kind of reciprocal violence isn't a worthy substitute in the first place for the simple act of love that is burying one's friend.

When it comes to the show, I still think the love was there. It didn't change anything. There was nowhere for it to go. There were too many forces against it, bottling it all up. But when it comes to the show and when it comes to those three, the love was absolutely there.

#The Terror #The Terror AMC #Ask #Ask game #Friendos #Long Post #Very Long Post #You simply will not believe how long and convoluted this post is #Yet here we are #No coherence only vibes #Terror Lieutenants #George Hodgson #John Irving #Edward Little #I should stress that I haven't gotten far enough in my reread to remember what happens when Hodgson joins the mutiny #I may need to revise my thoughts after that #But still

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coridallasmultipass · 4 months

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Has Dirk ever actually eaten steak?

(TW casual animal death I guess, sorry)

Okay, so this is a total shitpost idea I had last night on Tweeter and I said I'd make it a post here, so I'm following through. Bear with me, because if I jump past my thought process, I'll probably sound like a total maniac for even imagining this.

Let me back up.

I was thinking about Dirk (a normal occurrence). Then I start thinking about Nepeta, since they have the same Aspect. And then I start thinking about Tavros' cat allergies. So then I circle back to Dirk, since Dirk has obviously never seen a cat in person before, and therefore has no built-up immunity to cat dander, and would definitely be hella allergic. (Also, it's been my headcanon since, like, the dawn of time, that Dirk would have a shit immune system when it comes to humans, on account of never being around another person in his life, and he probably gets super sick upon meeting up with people in person for the first time.)

Back to the steak quote. Dirk has obviously never eaten like, actual steak from a cow before. Cows probably don't even exist anymore, outside of maybe a scant few super high elevation places on the other side of the globe. He probably wouldn't be able to digest it well regardless, since he's never had red meat. Dirk says he fishes, and he's obviously got seagulls around, so that's probably also on the menu (besides the super expired canned and dry ration shit left behind), and it's as natural as eating chicken is for everyone else (cough chicken of the sea joke cough), and he assumes that's what chicken is supposed to taste like, which leads to a hilarious spit-take for his first time trying actual chicken.

Moving forward to post-game. We're gonna set this scenario inside a neat little anime beach episode setting where everyone is happy and alive, because that makes it hilarious. Everyone's having a chill day at the beach. The seagulls presumably pester everyone who has a shiny bag of chips in their hands. People are playing volleyball. It's lunch time.

Dirk is looking at the seagulls eyeballing his bag of chips like, "Man, these guys are so dumb, watch this." And he calls a seagull over because he knows how to call them in a way they immediately trust him, and just... kills it quickly, and goes, "Alright, that was easy, let's start the barbecue, guys."

But there's a pall that's fallen over everyone. The beach ball blows past like a tumbleweed. Everyone's* mouth is agape in pure horror.

Dirk looks at the seagull in his hands. And back at the group. And he's like, "This is another one of those things I needed to deprogram, isn't it."

Everyone is whispering like, "What the fuck..." But to make things worse, Jade declares that there needs to be a funeral for the seagull, because literally no one else there is okay with eating it (and no one told Dirk beforehand, but someone already brought store-bought and pre-seasoned chicken for the barbecue, which doesn't make sense to him because it's not even fresh, aren't you supposed to have like a 'catch of the day' type of thing? Someone has to tell him that that only applies to fish, however arbitrary that seems). And Dirk has to stand there, living the most embarrassing moment of his life, keeping his cool, while perfectly good seagull meat is being lowered into the ground. People build a fucking sand castle memorial.

Jade like, gives him a hug like, "It's okay, Dirk, you didn't mean to do it." And Dirk has to bite back a 'Yeah, I kinda did mean it. This is stupid, and if anything, even worse to waste its life for nothing.' But he has enough self-awareness to know when to at least keep his mouth shut to prevent further damage.

He never could get over how weird chicken actually tastes, it's like fluffy and weird and doesn't even fit the theme of a beach party.

*everyone, except Jake and Nepeta/Davepeta, is completely scandalized at the image of Dirk just snapping a seagull's neck like it's nothing. They still wouldn't eat it, but they at least don't think he's a murderer for doing it.

#im sorry okay i just thought of it and laughed and had to share it #rest in peace gullie #wait also include feferi and eridan in dirk sympathizers but it feels weird to think of them having an interaction with him #homestuck #dirk #dirk strider #dirk homestuck #homestuck headcanon #homestuck headcanons #headcanon #ShitPost.exe #Cori.exe #Post.exe #*obligatory 'pls dont talk to me about anything that happens after Homestuck bc i didnt read it and dont plan to'*#animal death #watch this post gets blacklisted after tagging that and ill never be able to find it on my blog again #i have never tried seagull its illegal here bc theyre protected but i did look up what they taste like for this post and #apparently they taste fishy which is fucking wild like... does that mean that chicken tastes bug-gy?#is that why people always go 'hm it tastes like chicken' when eating something weird?#bc thats the taste of the bugs they spend their life eating?#idk its just weird to think that seagulls taste fishy for eating fish thats so fucking wild but i guess makes sense #also i know fish produce 'steaks' too but i kind of doubt that dirk is out there catching full size tunas #im at the point of typing where im having second thoughts like is this an okay thing to post or are ppl gonna think im a nutcase #i cant do that to animals i promise lol i was a vegetarian for a long fuckin time bc i felt bad about it like i still rarely eat meat

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uselesssomebody · 2 years

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reader that didn’t have a lot of emotions before she turned (to whatever you want) but now the bite made her feel things she never felt so she just asks everyone “why is my heart tingling 😠” HAHA

complete masterlist | teen wolf masterlist

words || 𝟙.𝟟𝕜

summary || in which the reader feels - maybe a bit too much

a/n || yo anon i love this request, and i'm sorry i haven't gotten to it in a hot minute. not gonna lie, i did make this a bit more romance-y and a bit more stiles-y than originally intended because: surprise! i'm a whore!

➵ alright the rest of the requests will be out within the next two weeks so stay tuned!

➵ next non-request fic is one i'm so excited for: a bucky fic inspired by a halsey song and a buzzfeed unsolved episode. if anyone can guess it, i will dedicate the whole fic to you hahaha

➵ me to myself while writing this: you didn't expand on the romance enough

➵ also myself to me: whore it is two in the morning go to bed

warnings || fluff, i suppose

➵ a wee bit raunchy, esp. near the end, but deffo not smutty so that is why i am not putting an 18+ warning

➵ if you still think you will be uncomfortable/are not suited for that type of content: hey! come back later or check out my other fics!

it’d been weeks since they’d had an occurrence. while everyone else was happy to finally focus of school, work, or each other - stiles seemed like he was gasping for another wild, supernatural goose chase.

y/n could see it in his eyes, everytime he overheard one of his father’s radio transmissions, and the light in his eyes fades when he has to hear about a regular violent assualt, as opposed to one where a ‘strange, furry, four-legged creature’ was the perpetrator. similarly, stiles had been careful to monitor his best friend’s - he’d never admit it to scott - condition over the coming weeks.

she’d been bitten no more than a mere week and a half ago, and she’d taken it surprisingly well. he knew he shouldn’t, but stiles couldn’t help comparing her reaction to scott’s - during a time that seemed so long ago now. he’d noticed both the big things - the noticeable flinches and disgust at the school bell or when a loud motorcycle revved along the road. he’d abused the fact that her hearing was uber-sensitive; scott had been trying to wean stiles away from the sheer invasion of privacy the power granted. but stiles wasn’t having it, happy that y/n shared in his somewhat-immoral curiosity. he also noticed the small things: the twitching of her eyes when listening out for small noises during their otherwise quiet study sessions. the cold weather of the growing winter meant she would wear gloves often, but he’d seen the small, crescent-shaped scars littered on her palms.

he didn’t know if he could attribute it to the bite, but he also seemed to notice that she was much more emotive than usual. before it, shows of insecurity or joy were both scant; a tear being shed was almost unheard of. because of it, stiles was almost bombarded by the sheer giddyness and depression that seemed to follow her around for the past few days. she laughed more - it was akin to a cackle now, but stiles thought it was cute - and it had done wonders to stiles’ self-esteem, happy that at least someone was appreciating his jokes. and he could have sworn that, as lydia convinced the lot of them to go to the movies, tears had dripped on to his sweater - the one she’d been leaning her head against - as one of the main characters in the film died a rather upsetting death. and he could have also sworn he hear her quiet sniffles as he drove her home.

he was at a stalemate - unsure as to how to approach her about it. would it be insensitive? was he in the right to say anything? was anything even actually different going on? he was pondering the questions as he walked out of class - and walked into someone. shaking his head in shock, he’s happy to see scott.

“hey, man. you doing okay?” scott must’ve noticed his penseive state, and stiles was quick to brush him off.

“yeah, yeah, i’m good.” they walked to their lockers in silence, before stiles realizes that the answer to all of his questions in standing right in front of him, “hey, scott?”

“hmm?”

“uh - when you first turned, did you - well, was there any difference in your emotions?” he stumbles the question out, somewhat unsure of exactly how to phrase it. scott looks confused, implying stiles probably hadn’t done a good enough job.

“emotions? uh, you remember that i’d get angry and that would lead to me changing, but-”

“no, no, not like that. i meant - were you more, like, expressive? did you just feel happier or sadder or whatever?” scott pauses to think about it.

“uhm, i - i guess, i mean - yeah, i guess i was.” stiles wasn’t fully convinced by his answer, but thanked him anyways, bidding him goodbye before heading out. the only way he’d get an answer was by going to the source - y/n.

he’d let himself into her place - the spare key in its familiar place in the potted plant by the patio. he had immediately noticed the silence on the lower floor - evidently, her parents weren’t home. however, he could hear light music from upstairs, so he hollered a greeting to her as he walked up the stairs.

she didn’t even glance up at him as he walked in, instead offering a quiet greeting as her eyes stayed trained on the work in front of her. she seemed… stressed. god, stiles had never even seen her stressed - how on earth does she consider him her best friend? realizing that now wasn’t the best time to bombard her with questions, he instead found a comfortable place on a cushioned chair by the wall, swinging his legs over the armrest as he pulled out his own textbook.

there was silence between them for a moment, with just the soft melody of the song she had playing.

“your book’s upside down, ya know?” she broke the silence by pointing at his book, still refusing to take her eyes off her paper. it was true, he really han’t been paying attention to his book - focusing instead on if she was okay. he was quick to correct it, muttering a small story, “you should be,” she responded in her usual humor, but her voice quivered a bit as she made the light-hearted joke. stiles didn’t know whether or not to press her, but decided that making sure she was okay outweighed the potential awkwardness of the following situation. he cleared his throat.

“y/n, are you okay?” he was looking at her in earnest, and he saw her eys flit up to hers, before quickly fixating back on her paper. even in the dim light of the room, he noticed that she wasn’t actually focusing on the text, instead sporting a gaze that was unfocused and distant.

“why-” she cleared her thoat, her voice-crack obvious, “why do you ask?” stiles gulped.

“i - i dunno, you just seem a bit stressed. you need help with something?”

“no, of course not, it’s just this stupid lit paper and-” her voice broke off before she could continue, and stiles could see small drops glisten as they fall onto her lap. was she crying? he rushed to her side, quick to take the paper that had been causing her such misery away from her.

“hey, hey - it’s okay, it’s okay - you’re fine - i…” stiles trailed off, unsure of what to say to his best friend - the person who never cried, the person who walked around with such a confidence that it almost came off as arrogant, the person who barely showed her emotions. he opted instead to wrap her in a hug, allowing her to shake against his shoulder.

he listened as her little gasps and hiccups dwindled down, and she slowly, begrudgingly, untangled from him. she was quick to wipe her wet face with her sleeve, and stiles waited patiently as she calmed down.

“i’m so - so sorry, that was so dramatic, i didn’t mean to spring that on you, i-” in an attempt to justify herself, she had begun rambling, but stiles was quick to reassure her.

“no - no, it wasn’t. you okay now?” she smiled - it was small, but it was there.

“yeah, much better.” she grows silent, and that small smile fades. she bites her lip, as if she’s unsure if she wants to say something or not. obviously deciding she should, she takes a final deep breath to calm herself, “it’s just - ever since the bite, i’ve been feeling like everything’s hitting me all at once. i mean, i got used to the lights, noises and smells, but - shit - i can’t deal with all this fucking stuff. i’m swinging from happy to sad so quickly, and over the dumbest things, and it just feels like my heart’s always tingling! and i can’t get it to stop and i hate it - god, i hate it so much.” stiles’ theory had been correct, but now he was wondering as to why exactly she hated it so much. she had started fiddling with her sleeve, her confession leaving her in a state of vulnerability.

“i - why exactly is that so bad?” he said it in an earnest tone, hoping not to come off as confrontational. she looks like she’s not going to answer him, and he’s about to gently press her further, when she exhales deeply, and throws her head back a little.

“you wanna know why it’s bad?” it’s rhetorical, but stiles nods nonetheless. instead of a verbal answer, she grabs his hand - bringing it slowly up to her chest. finally placing it on the dip between her breasts, he lets out a soft exhale at the rapid beating of it, “that’s why.” her voice isn’t above a whisper, and stiles’ mouth is dry as a bone, “i can’t even look at you anymore without my brain going into overdrive, and-” she laughs, a breathy laugh laced in uncertainty, “i don’t know if it’s one of those ‘primal urges’ or whatever but…”

“i-” stiles had regained his voice, and had dropped his hand in shock, “i - you-” instead of allowing him to continue an incoherent ramble, y/n inches closer, and starts closing the gap between the two. she could hear his heart, already beating inconsistently, somehow still manage to pick up the pace - as she lowered her lips to his. she can feel the sweetness of his breath.

“i need you stiles. god - i need you so bad it hurts.” she can see the small movement of a nod as she presses down on him, the meshing of their bodies perfect in an almost indescribable way. the heat from his body enhanced the inferno of emotions she could feel in her own, and every graze of his fingers over her hips, his hair on her forehead, and the press of his lips felt amplified to a unignorable extent. as much as she’d hated the sensitivity to everything over the past few days, she was relishing in every sensation provided by the man - her best friend - in front of her.

when they broke away, they were both a bit breathless. she had his head in her hands, and ran her fingers lightly through his hair.

“still worried about that lit paper?” she laughs, even at such a serious moment, she loved that he could still make a joke.

“should i be? i thought i’d have all night to work on it.” similarly, he laughs.

“not anymore.”

#teen wolf #teen wolf x reader #fluff #stiles stilinski #stiles stilinski x reader #stiles stilinski imagine #stiles stilinski oneshot #stiles stilinski fluff #dylan o'brien #stiles stilinski request #teen wolf request #uselesssomebody

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dorianbluee · 2 years

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AMC Daniel Thoughts

Ever since the changes to Daniel’s character in the AMC show have been revealed, there have been many mixed feelings about it. Personally, when I learned about the casting, I was pretty surprised and dismayed. However, I am very intrigued by what we’ve seen of AMC’s Daniel so far. Bogosian is a talented actor and him and Anderson have worked together to create an interesting new dynamic between their characters. The line “I’m not your fucking boy” really drew me in, for example. Daniel’s anger and resentment were palpable. It’s a different facet of his character and a hard-baked cynicism that we’ve only seen in canon before during Devil’s Minion.

While a brunt of the criticism towards the character has been about aging him up, since the release of the first episode, accusations of “straight-washing” have been thrown around. While I can see why people would think that, there’s clearly a lot more going on underneath the surface. It’s rash to assume so much from the first episode. I believe the showrunners are turning the tables, so to speak, with Louis being confident in his sexuality, but Daniel being in denial or closeted. He’s purposely acting dismissive and cagey, perhaps seeing his queer feelings a part of his life he doesn’t want to revisit, much like his addiction. Louis purposefully baited him with his remark about the gay bar and will probably continue to do so. Much as Daniel is still fascinated with Louis, Louis is incredibly curious about him too. There’s unresolved tension between them in many forms, which may include romantic/sexual.

Automatically assuming Daniel is straight based on what he said is careless. Even if he did have relationships with women, he very well could be bisexual. After all, in canon, we know that he sleeps with men and women. While I respect peoples’ headcanons of him being gay, because that is a compelling reading, that has never been made explicitly canon.

In essence, Daniel’s character is largely a blank slate. In the books we never learn his backstory, which leaves the showrunners a veritable sandbox to play in. Based on the interesting story they’ve created for Louis, I’m excited for what they have in store for Daniel. This is an opportunity for fans as well, because Anne Rice basically abandoned his character after the Queen of the Damned. She treated him as barely an afterthought, infamously not even remembering the right spelling of his name. It is a shame that “the boy” who started it all was left almost completely obscured, besides a few scant mentions.

I’m confident that there will continue to be things about his new character that I don’t like or will find jarring. At the same time, seeing him expanded upon will be interesting and I don’t think they’re going to let his remarks from the first episode stand.

I’d love to discuss this further and feel free to disagree (respectfully).

#interview with the vampire #amc iwtv #daniel molloy #eric bogosian #long post #meta ish #kind of shouting into the void but enjoy

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unnamedelement · 2 years

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Rings of Power ‘Review,’ featuring wood-elves and gender

I’m writing this for two reasons. Firstly, processing things in writing sometimes lets me stop obsessively thinking about them and actually get on with my life, which has been a major issue for me this past week. Second, people keep asking me what I think of the show and who I think The Stranger is (which I won’t actually be talking about here, but short answer is one of the Istari, probably Gandalf, which doesn’t make canonical/historical sense but does make narrative sense, though the Blue Wizards make historical/timeline sense, based on drafts/notes – phew!). Anyway, it is exhausting and anxiety-provoking to give the same thoughts to people across different parts of my life repeatedly, so I am putting it all in one place, though I would not count on this every week. So. Transitioning to the essay, which will be heavily footnoted, just like the Professor himself. I am not sorry.

Thoughts on Rings of Power: Episodes 1 and 2

Rings of Power (RoP) has proved to be a different story than most of us could have guessed, given the scant scaffolding provided on the First and Second Ages in the The Hobbit (TH), The Lord of the Rings (LotR), and the LotR Appendices, those sources show-creators actually have access to directly use. (Admittedly, info on the Second Age anywhere is sparse, per not only Tolkien’s own admission in Letters but fans’ own scouring of the texts and drafts for scraps of lore.) In this post, I want to talk about some of the things I loved and did not love about the first two episodes of this particular adaptation. I will try not to get super into the weeds with lore here, because most people who follow me in these spaces already understand how this adaptation changed major plot, character history, and historical points. Instead, I want to talk about (a) my personal experiences with RoP, including (i) pre-watching anxieties and beliefs and (ii) watching- and fandom-related joys; and (b) my ongoing and developing thoughts about (i) Silvan and Nandorin representation in the context of intra-elven relations in the larger legendarium and (ii) concepts of gender reflected in RoP design choices.

Personal Experience

First, I want to talk about how I prepared for this adaptation, which is that I acknowledged it, ignored it, and then went feral with excitement (and debilitating anxiety) about it, all within the course of a one-year period. Anyone who knows me in fandom probably knows that–when I have enough energy to consistently engage–I try very hard to make the Tolkien world a welcoming place for people. As someone who was a child/teen in online Tolkien fandom as Peter Jackson’s adaptations were coming out (yes, I discovered fanfiction perhaps way too early), I was quite traumatized by some older, lore-heavy fans who vehemently corrected–and sometimes even subtly mocked–me as I was working my way through the appendices, the Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales. I am therefore very passionate about civility (within reason–I draw the line at supremacist nonsense) in fandom spaces. Ultimately, I never want rejection or belittling–subtle or outright–to be how people experience Tolkien fandom, or even scholarship: gatekeeping helps no one. (Insert boost for the new blog @tolkienfandomagainstgatekeeping!).

Still, while I did preach kindness and encouraged welcoming behavior in the year preceding the release, I nevertheless experienced a lot of change-related anxiety as a neurodivergent person preparing for the potential fandom-related change bound to happen in online Tolkien communities as we processed the new show; dealt with some people’s real (and, admittedly, sometimes scary) rage regarding–and therefore their disingenuous attempts to derail the success of the show due to–race and white supremacy; and, finally, prepared for the influx of fans to the open system of online fandom. I had to take a break from actively engaging with fandom because I could not handle the constant RoP-related emotional stimulus from all sides. However, when I saw the final RoP trailer, their sweeping vision of Middle-earth blew me away–my anxiety morphed into excitement by the end of those three minutes. I did not sleep the night before it came out, and I had to take off work the days after to emotionally recover from it.[1] (I unfortunately do not make the rules for how, when, and why my brain is overstimulated.)

Appreciated Moments

At this point, I will transition to a few things that I absolutely loved. This section is less critical and lore-heavy than the following ones, but we will start with a pseudo-lore moment I loved: the symbolism of the opening scene with Galadriel and the other children. While the show cannot talk about the Kinslayings–which is hugely problematic to me from an elven relations and politics perspective (more on that later)–this scene is very clearly an allusion to the Kinslaying at Alqualondë and the burning of the Telerin swan boats.[2] Whether these children who are harassing Galadriel are actually her Feanorian cousins or not, we cannot guess for certain, as we don’t have a clear birthdate for most of the younger Finweans.[3] (Further, if we think about it too hard, things get complicated and confusing very quickly.)[4] Still, it was a nice little homage to the parts of history the show is not allowed to talk about–I teared up due to the beauty of the setting combined with the lore it evoked, which is a very near and dear part of the legendarium to me. That being said, I think that opening scene made some of the lore choices that followed hurt all the more for those of us who did immediately understand the reference, as it alluded to an imminent complexity and nuance that, for me, the show ultimately did not–and, frankly, cannot–deliver. Still, I liked it. Mostly.

Next, I appreciated moments of the dwarven representation, and every single moment of the dwarven design. Having been introduced to LotR prior to Peter Jackson’s (PJ’s) adaptation, I latched onto a few characters at a young age and, for me–for some reason–that was Legolas and Gimli. Gimli in the books is rational yet passionate but, more than anything, he is silvertongued and poetic. As much as I love John Rhys-Davies’ performance in the PJ films, the writers made some mistakes in their choices regarding his role as, almost entirely, comic relief. The representation in the dwarves of Khazad-dum/Moria in this adaptation goes some way in repairing the lasting image of dwarves that took hold in fan communities following the PJ films. I found the opening scene–in which the dwarves challenged Elrond to a…show of strength?–a little hard to follow and a bit strange and othering given the show is told almost entirely from an elven point of view thus far, but I was overall pleased. I found Durin III and Disa likable, and the scene at the kitchen table went a long way to endearing Elrond’s character in this adaptation to me, while cementing Disa as an excellent original character in her own right. Overall, the design team blew me away with their conception of Khazad-dum. The ferns hanging off the side of the cliff inside the entrance illogically moved me to tears, and the dwarven ingenuity represented by the pulley-based elevator system felt very true to how I have always imagined dwarves. My only hope is that Celebrimbor and Narvi have some screentime. Elrond can't have everything.

Finally, like almost everyone, I enjoyed the Harfoots. [5] While I have heard a lot of commentary about how “hobbits weren’t supposed to be involved in the major events of the Second Age!!”, I also think it’s worth reminding the world that (a) hobbit-like folk were living in the Vales of Anduin by the Third Age, and it would be absolutely bonkers to think they never interacted with or minorly influenced characters who do have a “documented” role if they had been out and about earlier; (b) almost everything Tolkien wrote about history is written “within” his Secondary World, i.e., by one of the characters he imagined kept historical records and, thus, there is likely inherent narrative bias to what we do “know” about the Second Age; and (c) wood-elves were mostly only mentioned in the context of the Second Age in relation to Sindarin and Noldorin migration and expansion, but no one is complaining about Arondir. (Okay, they are, but they’re complaining about him for racist reasons, not simply because wood-elves exist in this telling.)

Oh, and the music! I am not the right person to talk about the music, but that–combined with the gorgeous design and setting–will keep me coming back for the rest of the season, regardless of what happens.

Nandorin-Silvan Elves, Intra-elven Relations, and the Related Significance of Omitted Elven History

Now, on to the critique. Let me start by saying: this section is heavily influenced by the utter bewilderment I have felt over the past year trying to understand how a show can be set in the Second Age without rights to most of the material of the First. What is the point in making a show when you cannot actually adapt the material realistically? While that is not the point of this section, it is hard for me to disentangle, so it feels only right to mention it.

Since I started writing this review, I came across @itariilles own excellent review on elves in the first two episodes of RoP. I recommend reading her piece as I will not be rehashing the points she made here regarding Galadriel’s character and motivation(s) or the complexity of casting an actor of color as a Silvan elf, with particular attention to her sections “Galadriel’s Motivations” and “Fantasy Racism Against Elves.” To understand more where some of the frustrations expressed by Itariiles, myself, and many other fans come from, I would further, and selfishly perhaps, recommend reading the section Consequences of Resettlement: The “Sindarizing” of the “Wild,” “Lesser” Elves by the Sindarin Princes and Noldorin Exiles of Beleriand in my linked paper here. Because I cannot write this section without at least mentioning elven ethnicity and lore, I do suggest refreshing your brain if you are not familiar with elven cultural groups across the Ages; and then proceed while keeping in mind the following: “Within Tolkien’s elven worlds, these [elven] hierarchies are governed by (a) proximity to Aman and the Valar and, within Middle-earth, (b) proximity to the Noldor, with the Nandor and then the Avari being most distant. Characteristic phrases used to describe the Silvan and Avari are ‘lesser Elves,’ ‘lesser Silvan race,’ ‘wild,’ ‘savage,’ ‘rude and rustic,’ and ‘more dangerous, less wise’” (...me, 2021). [6]

Itariiiles’ does an excellent job outlining why it is odd Silvan elves would be reporting to the High King Gil-galad at this point in Second Age history. She additionally reviews the complexity of the showrunners placing the Tirharad (the human people we see in the Southlands parts of the episode) under Elven dominion. She notes, “A line said by a Silvan soldier reasoning their station over the men of Tirharad as ‘descendants of those who served Morgoth' is uncomfortable as it plays into the established trope of South/Eastern men being inherently evil which links into Orientalist ideas of the East being perceived as fundamentally Other.” This is something I want to take a step further. In this adapted world in which, presumably, Silvan elves answer to the “higher” Noldor, what does it mean that the Silvan folk are being used to carry out what essentially amounts to Noldorin occupation of Mannish lands?

I have a few issues with this, and it has taken me a while to really pinpoint why, and I’m still not quite there on expressing it and do not expect to be until I have more data from the show. Still, the first thing that bothers me about this setup is that–in this adapted universe–the Silvans reporting to the High Noldor creates unique issues across multiple contexts:

If we are fans of the traditional legendarium, this choice in the adaptation puts the Silvan in an even more more subservient context that Tolkien’s explicit and implicit language originally placed them (which is highly impressive); and

It tells us that within the adapted universe, the Noldor use another ethnic group–one traditionally ranked less highly–to carry out suppression and oversight of a third ethnic group.

This approach has not been uncommon in colonial and neocolonial history and, certainly, utilizing another group of people to establish and maintain strategic governmental and military control is part and parcel of imperialism. While all elves–in the ethnic hierarchy of Middle-earth–may be ranked higher than Men (due to being valued as firstborn by Illuvatar) and, thus, this oppression is not exactly lateral, it is still using one group of people to manage another, while the person in charge essentially handles war, decisions, and paperwork elsewhere.

Of course, all of this whining and speculating could be blown out of the water by something I could never have expected in this RoP universe as the episodes progress–in that they go “on record” changing the history of these ethnic and racial groups, or they reveal that the Noldor are already integrated with the Silvan at this point–but my hopes are not high. Itariiiles’ point–one also made by a speaker on the RoP reaction panel at Oxonmoot, as well (@fernstrike)–still is not insignificant: What does it mean that the only actor of color cast as an elf thus far is a Silvan reporting to the Noldor, while all the Noldor we have seen–in the first two episodes, at least–are white? We cannot escape the potential impact, as choices in the Secondary World/in-universe are inherently consumed by those of us in this Primary World we share.

My next issue with the flattening of elven history and culture centers on the Sindar, part of the Teleri group to which the Silvan also belong. As @skyeventide asked in her reaction thread (featuring my highly articulate response):

So then: where are the Sindar at this time? And the “Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves”? Given the fact that Durin III is alive and Eregion and Celebrimbor aren’t wasted or strung up, respectively, we can guess a timeframe of a few hundred years for the show, during which the Sindar are certainly out and about, depending on the draft/source (Celeborn in Lindon, Oropher & co. already settling with the Silvan across the mountains). And it is not as if the Sindar are forbidden by copyright to be discussed: Though Doriath is destroyed by the Second Age, it and Thingol are still discussed in the LotR appendices; there is a paragraph exclusively dedicated to how the Sindar migrated and integrated with Silvans in the woods during the time Gil-galad is High King [7]; and Nimrodel’s story and associated Sindarin and Noldorin woes are mentioned in LotR. Certainly it is not unreasonable that this is a storyline that will emerge throughout the season (or the next four, which could ostensibly cover thousands of years), but considering the placement of Silvans beneath Gil-galad at this time, I am wary. Should Thranduil emerge (as Oropher is not mentioned in LotR or the Appendices)–or Amroth or Celeborn (who all also have messy histories across various versions and drafts)–what shall happen? Will the Sindar be placed under the High King’s jurisdiction? Will the Silvans who are not already, apparently, ruled by Gil-galad be lumped in with them, under the High elves, as well?[8]

I can only hope there will be some thoughtful delineation of groups and meaningful and realistic group dynamics based on Elven history and–gasp–even informed by modern political science, social psychology, sociology, or migration studies. Even if the “why” is not immediately apparent in the show, interested viewers can easily look up the backstory and, thus, the show avoids unintentionally rewriting cultural histories (which, real history or not, is tiresome), a constant risk in stories with colonial and neocolonial settings/actors. Ultimately, my biggest concern as a person who thinks way too much about Elven ethnic hierarchy and social stratification is that instead of using the actual history of elven migration, conflict, and the long-lasting effects of the Kinslayings to explain the creation of differing elven realms, the very same effect will be attempted in another manner, i.e., by pinning a split from the Noldor as a personal flaw or choice of some yet unknown Telerin leader, or by having Silvans rebel against Gil-galad’s leadership and thereafter align themselves with certain Noldorin-type leaders (e.g., Galadriel and Celeborn) or Sindarin leaders with skeptical attitudes toward all things High Elven (e.g., Oropher Thranduil).[9] I can see these approaches making narrative sense based on some things that have already been set up in the first two episodes. However, I am still giving myself permission to be skeptical about it and to also just… not particularly like it.

Now, of course, all of this relates to that omitted Elven history, one genre of omission more glaring than all the rest: the flight of the Noldor, the Oath of Fëanor, and the three Kinslayings that followed. The inability of showrunners to incorporate, or even really reference, these events surrounding the Silmarils is disappointing. War is complicated and, to most sides, generally unjust for one reason or another, which is certainly something viewers can relate to. Furthermore, flawed characters are interesting, even if they are flawed because they participated in or failed to actively oppose actions most would now consider unthinkable. Still, the political intrigue and narrative arcs that facilitate this kind of in-universe justification of atrocity in fictional worlds has long been a compelling storyline in myth, religion, and fiction alike. Even Galadriel’s character could be complicated by acknowledging this complex history, or–given copyright limitations–at least creating some alternative scenario that evokes the same historical complexity that the entirety of the First Age embodies, pitting elf against elf against man against elf, all of which barely pales in comparison to The War of Wrath. Galadriel’s behavior in “The Noldor in Beleriand” chapter of the Silmarillion during her conversation with Melian of Doriath (about why the Noldor returned from Aman) lays the groundwork for the type of high political drama this show could evoke, regardless of copyright.[10]

Ultimately, while Tolkien is well-loved by many due to his skill–intentional or not–in creating morally ambiguous characters, perhaps the showrunners are not prepared to address such complexity on screen. As those of us in the Silmarillion fandom know, discussing the human–elf?–rights violations at Alqualondë, Doriath, and Sirion can be tetchy [11], and inviting such tension to a show in the midst of the political uproar surrounding its very existence may have been too much to expect. However, because so much of elven history and hierarchy is situated within splits and migrations directly associated with the story of the Silmarils, it does feel that we are being cheated–especially fans of the Telerin Sindar and Silvan–of the complex story the elves deserve.

This Section Was Supposed to Be: Gender in the Primary and Secondary Worlds of the Original Legendarium and the RoP Adaptation

In this section, I meant to define Primary and Secondary Worlds according to Tolkien’s definitions in “On Fairy Stories,” weave a pretty little tale, and then right-left-punch you with the historical, modern, and in-universe implications of the weird decisions the show made about women.[12] While there is a lot to be said about the racial and ethnic implications of costuming decisions, this post was going to specifically focus on gender, clothing, and gender-related roles in those first two episodes.[13] I was also going to discuss gender-related costuming and cultural-cult-religious implications in some of the other imagery here. (Rest assured, I am certain I am not the first person who did a double-take at that boat scene.) However…. I am tired, I have a project for my research supervisor due tomorrow, and I am not going to let something I love (Tolkien) give me a mental breakdown once again, so I am abandoning that original plan. Instead of a well-crafted section, allow me to ramble at you about gender and, canonically, why I think the elven women in Lindon are ridiculously designed.

Now.

Tolkien and his legendarium were never the height of gender equality and progressivism, but they were also not exactly the worst, if we ignore the fact that he didn’t particularly care for short-haired women wearing pants (Letters) and also that he thought–at least at one point–that elven woman would be pregnant (and thus secluded from larger society??) for 100 years (Nature of Middle-earth, 2021). (Yeah, that’s absolutely bonkers, I know.) However, the text most fans have relied on for years–and which is not directly contradicted in NoME–is “Laws and Customs of the Eldar,” or LaCE in fan parlance.[14] LaCE fairly explicitly describes the similarities and differences between elven men (neri in Quenya) and women (nissi in Quenya), as reported by an unknown Mannish loremaster. Tolkien (said loremaster) writes:

In all such things, not concerned with the bringing forth of children, the neri and nissi (that is, the men and women) of the Eldar are equal - unless it be in this (as they themselves say) that for the nissi the making of things new is for the most part shown in the forming of their children, so that invention and change is otherwise mostly brought about by the neri. There are, however, no matters which among the Eldar only a ner can think or do, or others with which only a nis is concerned. There are indeed some differences between the natural inclinations of neri and nissi, and other differences that have been established by custom (varying in place and in time, and in the several races of the Eldar). For instance, the arts of healing, and all that touches on the care of the body, are among all the Eldar most practised by the nissi; whereas it was the elven-men who bore arms at need. And the Eldar deemed that the dealing of death, even when lawful or under necessity, diminished the power of healing, and that the virtue of the nissi in this matter was due rather to their abstaining from hunting or war than to any special power that went with their womanhood. Indeed in dire straits or desperate defence, the nissi fought valiantly, and there was less difference in strength and speed between elven-men and elven-women that had not borne child than is seen among mortals. On the other hand many elven-men were great healers and skilled in the lore of living bodies, though such men abstained from hunting, and went not to war until the last need.

As for other matters, we may speak of the customs of the Noldor (of whom most is known in Middle-earth). Among the Noldor it may be seen that the making of bread is done mostly by women; and the making of the lembas is by ancient law reserved to them. Yet the cooking and preparing of other food is generally a task and pleasure of men. The nissi are more often skilled in the tending of fields and gardens, in playing upon instruments of music, and in the spinning, weaving, fashioning, and adornment of all threads and cloths; and in matters of lore they love most the histories of the Eldar and of the houses of the Noldor; and all matters of kinship and descent are held by them in memory. But the neri are more skilled as smiths and wrights, as carvers of wood and stone, and as jewellers. It is they for the most part who compose musics and make the instruments, or devise new ones; they are the chief poets and students of languages and inventors of words. Many of them delight in forestry and in the lore of the wild, seeking the friendship of all things that grow or live there in freedom. But all these things, and other matters of labour and play, or of deeper knowledge concerning being and the life of the World, may at different times be pursued by any among the Noldor, be they neri or nissi.

(Morgoth’s Ring, HoME 10).

So then, why does elven gender in RoP weird me out a little bit, Galadriel–and her complicated characterization–notwithstanding? (And, yes, it was necessary to include the full quote to only point out how much more ridiculous what follows is.)

This:

Why are all the attendants female? And why are they all dressed like this in the background? Where are the rest of the women? Are they locked away, pregnant? Did we take NoME that seriously?

Bizarre.

Conclusion

In the big scheme of things, I suppose I was mostly pleasantly surprised. It was entertaining to watch for the scenery, settings, and music; and I was moved to tears by some of the beautiful cinematography–I’ll continue to be giddy about the scenery and design whether I want to be or not. I also think it is very important that BIPOC were included in casting. However, I am not going to hold out on feeling the story of the Second Age was done justice. I will–forever and always–always be hung up on Silvan representation.[15] But, unless something truly egregious happens, for now I am okay with a mediocre and mildly frustrating storyline.

FOOTNOTES

I have still not recovered, so this will be a long 1.5 months.

Not to mention the boats she will one day have in her own realm, in Lothlorien.

As Sky Eventide notes in her reaction thread on Twitter, the scene even includes one red-headed child, which may be harkening to Maedhros, though Amrod or Amras might be more realistic given I would expect Maedhros to be the ringleader of the band, were the red-headed child meant to be him.

See Itariilles’ piece and my own linked paper for more on this. It is confusing to think about in the show context because while Galadriel thinks the kinslaying are unfortunate and does not take an oath like Feanor and colleagues, she doesn’t think her Feanorian cousins are crazy for wanting to return to Middle-earth, though her motivations to return are different (yay colonialism). Again, see links.

Though an Irish Times article provides an interesting critique that, as an American many generations removed from Ireland, I would never have noticed. As someone who often complains about fandom’s jokes about wood-elf and Silvan culture/language as a stand-in for less cultured “hick” accents and cultures, the linked article really moved me and put these European-based English choices into perspective for me. And it also spoke to the odd feeling I got as I noticed that while watching, once again, an adaptation used different accents that are cultural- and class-marked in the ‘real world’ to sort of delineate place in Middle-earth.

And yes, some of this quoted language comes from material the show has explicit access to.

Keep in mind, this is only ONE version of Sindarin migration. Tolkien wrote more on this across his lifetime that is not reflected in the Appendices as published. See my linked paper for more on this.

Dare I even ask if the show plans to somehow reference a group of elves like the Avari, given the showrunners’ interest in the Southlands thus far? I don’t know if my poor heart could handle the stress…

Which conveniently echoes Oropher’s choice during part of the Last Alliance that left his people wildly diminished…

A political intrigue which we have seen snippets of, perhaps, with Elrond’s character–it’s just not a tension and positioning I can, yet, easily follow. I don’t ‘get’ this world well enough yet to do so.

I, too, have been guilty of this, as someone who spends way too much time thinking about the Sindar. While I am still very much opposed to atrocity crimes in our real world–obviously, it’s literally my job–I have come to see the issues of the Silmarils as more complex than I once did, taking into account cultural and political motivations for character behavior. (Though that has not stopped me from writing Sindarin accounts of the Kinslaying at Sirion to balance things out, “victors write history” and all that.) I have some patient acquaintances to thank for helping me develop a more complex view on Feanorian behavior in the First Age.

Do not judge me. I know nothing about boxing terms and I made that up.

Again, please read Itariiles’ piece (specifically the section “Neoclassical Aesthetic Given to the Noldor and its Unfortunate Implications”).

And, if you want to get really particular, one of the two drafts of LaCE is titled: “OF THE LAWS AND CUSTOMS AMONG THE ELDAR PERTAINING TO MARRIAGE AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERETO: TOGETHER WITH THE STATUTE OF FINWE AND MIRIEL AND THE DEBATE OF THE VALAR AT ITS MAKING”...

And yes. I have lived through PJ’s TH. I will survive it again.

Acknowledgements: Thanks to my acquaintances from the Silmarillion Writers’ Guild/Dreamwidth for encouraging me to finish writing this after I became discouraged. And thanks to my new acquaintances at Alliance of Arda for being interested in what I have to say. I would have just stewed in my anxiety without outside prompting to write this silly little thing that I actually really wanted to write.

#rings of power #long post #tolkien #lord of the rings #silmarillion #commentary and analysis

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