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theflyindutchwoman · 1 year

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I'm not sure if Tim and Lopez are "besties". I believe they are good friends and co-workes, but not the super best friends like the fandom thinks they are.

A recent exemple is in ep. 5x07 when Lopez and Grey got served on roll call about the Elijah Stone case. At no point we see Tim support Lopez through that. The one who supported her was Harper and that's the friendship I see being set up.

And Lopez teasing Tim about Lucy in episodes 5x01 and 5x02 seemed just that, teasing for a comedic bit. We never saw Lopez actually helping Tim navigate his situation with Lucy post Vegas.

Of course it all can change in the next episodes, but so far Tim and Lopez don't seem super close, and seem to interact only when convenient for the story.

Hi Anon,

Well, technically, since they are all characters, they will interact only when the writer thinks it's convenient ;)

Seriously though, since it has never been made canon, that is up to your interpretation. I personally just love their friendship and see them as best friends, who will tease and call lovingly the other dumb but will fight for each other. But that's just that, an opinion. Or a headcanon.

You underlined the problem with TV shows that have a huge ensemble cast. You have so many characters to fit in 42 minutes/episode. And at least 1/3 is going to be focused on the main character, Nolan. That means that as a writer, you have to streamline and pair up the characters in a way that makes sense for your story. Right now, the writers need Angela with either Wesley (her husband) or Nyla (partner at work). Hence them having more scenes together.

Now that's just season 05. The idea of Tim and Angela being besties far predates that. We did have important moments that highlighted their friendship throughout the serie. Admittedly, not as much recently. But that doesn't diminish the previous moments. Angela was there during the whole Isabel ordeal, to pick him up at the hospital after his gunshot injury, to be with him when Isabel was a CI… He was the one who always defended her when her career was in jeopardy after Jackson froze during a shooting or after he barely passed his 6 months exam. She was the first person he consulted on whether he should try to take the sergeant's exam. Or the first person he called for help when Lucy was missing. He's also the only one who picked on the fact Wesley was not fully OK when he showed up to help. He was there for her when everybody was trying to hijack her wedding and nobody was listening to her. He made sure she got the wedding she wanted and so she made him her man of honor. He didn't hesitate to go to Guatemala to rescue her (along with Nyla). Now all these elements were made possible because they were still working directly together (both being TOs). Once he got promoted to sergeant and she came back from maternity leave, their storylines diverged and that made any potential scenes harder to include. But she was still the one he confided after kissing Lucy. And she made sure to tease him for it. As best friends tend to do.

The reason we haven't seen Tim in the Elijah Stone case is because he was never involved in it to begin with : when Angela was made aware of the threat he posed to her family, Tim was on his day-off dealing with his own family drama. Since the 5x07 plot is a direct result of that, there was no reason to add him. On the other hand, Harper was part of the surveillance team and she had made a promise to Angela to make sure nothing happened to Wesley. So that made more sense to have her present and have Tim focused on the other plot. Now, yes, the show could have included a scene at the beginning / end with Tim comforting Angela (and not gonna lie, I wish they had)… But we're back at the original issue : too many stories for too little time.

Do I wish we'd see more of them? Yes! 100%. And hopefully we will. I also agree that they have started developing the Angela x Nyla friendship since mid-season 04. They are both working together, their husbands worked together for a while, they're both mothers… They just have more in common, but that doesn't necessarily make them besties either. Unless you see it that way.

I can't speak for the whole fandom. Like I said, I love Tim and Angela's friendship. And I'm sure a lot of people just started developing their own headcanons to fill the (many) gaps. However you can absolutely see them as just friends or co-workers. At the end of the day, those are just interpretations, there's no right or wrong answer.

I hope that helps.

#ask me things #The rookie #Tim Bradford #Angela Lopez

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professorsparklepants · 4 years

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Ever since discovering there was going to be a Winx Club live action remake (BTW there's gonna be a Winx club live action remake) I have been haunted by it so here are all my thoughts presented as an "if I were the showrunner" list because I know better than to have expectations for this sort of thing:

Starting out with an unpopular opinion: Techna and Layla as a composite character. Like, looking at Layla's power set you can tell she was only added in season 2. It's much less streamlined and the concept doesn't seem to fit with her actual powers. On the other side of the equation, Techna has no backstory or character arc to speak of. 5 is also a more typical ensemble cast number, and is easier to position for merch. So: name her Aisha (bc the other Obvious theme names in the group are normal to unusual tier, whereas Techna is just bizarre) make her the fairy of Technology (well defined power set) have her a black hijabi girl (bc Techna's modest fairy form lends itself well to representation) and make her shy and autistic coded but slowly come out of her shell as her new friends try to understand her and make her feel comfortable (BLACK&/FEMALE AUTISTIC RIGHTS). Optional: her hair is still pink.

Stella needs to be biracial because her powers as Fairy of the Sun and Moon canonly come from her dad being the sun and her mom being the moon.

Colorblind casting for all the white characters, INCLUDING Bloom. Her red hair is #iconic but you know what's more iconic? Casting a woman of color as an adoptee rediscovering her culture & identity after her homeland was destroyed by people who wanted to exploit it's biggest resource for their own gains :/

Fix your goddamn timeline! How are the Trix descended from the ANCIENT witches who attacked Domino & yet Bloom is like.... sixteen. If you're pulling a "time passes differently" thing you need to actually establish that.

Bloom & Sky do NOT get back together because idgaf if it was an arranged marriage, once you find out you're the other woman you don't FORGIVE HIM for it. They can be friends again after he admits he's fucked up but there's a line in the sand now.

Related: after the "I know you're in there!" fight in season 2, Stella confesses to Bloom and they kiss and date and fall in love!!!!!!!!!!

Musa dresses like an Asian pop star. I'm talking those red Bad Boy Seulgi pants... I'm talking fishnet under thigh high socks... I'm talking diy crop tops... instead of a skirt her fairy form has those high waisted short shorts that are cut so high they're practically swimsuit bottoms.

Related, trans Musa who grows her hair out as part of her transition....

Flora as a dark skinned & dark haired Latina those are my only notes. Also put her in a blouse with floral folk embroidery because I'm a huge slut for that stuff.

Farigonda gets a cool old lady enchantix form because it's what I deserve

Give the witches hats! They can be tiny fascinators if you want it's just bullshit that fairies have wings but witches don't have ANY of their traditional iconography other than like, being goth. And hats are easier to accessorize than broomsticks.

Thigh high boots. That's all I have to say on the matter.

If you're gonna make this shit live action the wardrobe better be OUT OF THIS WORLD. Your costume budget needs to rival your special effects. I'm talking Gucci, Versace, D&G, GCDS, McQueen. I want FRAN FINE levels of iconic costumes.

Lean more into Bloom's art as a hobby! All the other girls have personality defining hobbies and I actually forgot Bloom liked to draw until I was literally making this post and about to assign her softball or photography as her main interest. Lmao.

Anyway, rant ended sorry for making you think about Winx Club again

#lectures #Winx club #fyi these all apply for a cartoon reboot too #except add in ''it's 2020 our cast doesn't have same face syndrome and cookie cutter body types''

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gone-series-orchid · 3 years

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If there ever does happen to be a Gone TV shows, is there anything that you would want them to do/ change?? I've been thinking about it a lot recently and I think it has the potential to be good but at the same time I feel like (and this is such a rare line of thought from me) if they strictly stick to canon it could be...uncomfortable??

that’s an interesting thought! i think i get what you’re saying. there's a lot of distinctly uncomfortable moments in the series that i think mg didn’t really think through the implications of (like caine’s veiled rape threat to diana that i guess isn’t supposed to affect our feelings toward him to such a degree that we don’t want him to get redeemed, lots of caine being evil for the sake of it, sam being horrible to astrid because she wouldn’t have sex with him, everyone being racist to edilio in the first book and then it...never really comes up again except for the human crew’s cartoonishly evil bigotry which also doesn’t have lasting impact on the fayz after zil and lance die). oof, and that isn’t even touching all the ableism informing little pete and the misogyny you detailed in your post!

if there was anything i’d like the show to do, it’d probably be to streamline the plot a little. like, i love the series, but it gets super messy. the events that happen in individual books seem to rarely carry over aside from major character beats. i love the books’ individual contained subplots, like those that center the perspectives of duck zhang and hunter and zil, and i really hope the tv show maintains them without minimizing them. i think they do a lot to flesh out the fayz’s general population and the scale of morality mg is dealing with. and of course i really hope they adapt orc’s subplot, which is my favorite. but i think some other stuff could be minimized--i liked orsay, but what was the point of giving her a pov? she lessened in importance almost right off the bat once she entered the fayz; she was just a tool for nerezza. and nerezza herself seems like an odd character. i really enjoyed lies for astrid’s arc and the general focus on the fayz’s politics/morality, but honestly i think the tv show should cut back on nerezza and focus on the human villains, meaning zil and the human crew...honestly i think most of my suggestions would be on the structure of the show throughout its seasons (i’m thinking idealistically, of course), because tv shows are so different from books. i guess i worry about the focus being all over the place because there’s so many different povs throughout the books! speaking of...

this may completely contradict my prior point but i literally love the rotating povs of the books and i kind of wish that would be amped up a little in the show? like, instead of being mostly focused on sam with subplots focusing on other characters scattered throughout, i’d love if it was a little more of an ensemble show. in the first season (which i imagine would adapt the first book), i’d really love maybe a few scenes showing off howard and orc’s characters in more detail. we get that scene in gone where orc reveals his father’s abusive nature, and that’s definitely essential if they want to give him some pathos and set up his arc, but i’d love to have little moments where the audience just sees the kids of bully row just vandalizing stuff and messing around. like, establishing that as dumb and bullying as they are, they’re still just kids, and they’re nothing compared to the outright villainy of caine and drake. we get that vibe in the first book, definitely, but i think we’d need more scenes establishing that. i’d love it if we saw that there are certain lines that howard and orc as bullies wouldn’t cross. that would make us feel even more shocked when orc accidentally murders bette. also, i hope we’re shown that scene in the show instead of just being told about it like in the book.

i also hope that the first season gives astrid, like, an actual job/role to fill? there’s like a line in gone where sam calls her his assistant, but i kind of wish she’d be deemed the fayz’s resident researcher or something, preferably before she gets together with sam (which i’ll talk about later) so that the only job description the audience has of her isn’t “sam’s girlfriend.” i also really want the show to give us a couple scenes establishing astrid and edilio as potential leaders of the fayz as well, not just automatically discounting them because they’re not the protagonist. sam can still eventually come out on top, i guess, because it happens in canon, but at least let the characters discuss it in more detail.

also, i want little pete to have an actual relationship with astrid! show how much they care for each other in their own way. astrid can still have her negative feelings toward the responsibility she has in taking care of him, but alongside that should be love. astrid should also keep working with him on his therapy as a means of communicating with him more effectively, which is something i’m super frustrated no one thought to do in canon!

as for character relationships...i sort of wish astrid and sam don’t get together in the first season. focus on building up their friendship first. sam can still have his crush, but there should maybe be some tension whether astrid reciprocates or not. remember that weird plot point where it’s revealed in the later books that astrid was manipulating sam in order to get his protection? even though there’s like...no indication of that in the first book? bring that in from astrid’s pov, with her realizing how dangerous the fayz is (maybe after bette dies). make it ambiguous whether she’s really romantically interested in him. give her sympathy; show her fear for herself and her little brother’s safety. and show sam and her friendship! but also there’s ambiguity there. that maybe could be a cliffhanger for season 1--is astrid tricking sam, or does she really like him? bonus: it’s her that initiates their first kiss, preferably at the very end of the season instead of happening midway through, just before sam goes off to battle. though sam has a crush on astrid, she’s not his reason for not poofing; instead, he thinks of his friends and the innocent kids he’d be leaving behind to the mercy of caine and realizes that he has a responsibility he can’t shirk.

also...flashbacks!! i’d love it if we got flashbacks through each episode (with the focus being on one individual character per episode) of the characters’ family dynamics. would give the characters more depth and pathos right off the bat. maybe leave off on that for antagonists like drake and caine though. speaking of--show diana’s better qualities!!! show her fear of the rapidly escalating events happening at coates, show her tenuous grasp on caine, show the vulnerability behind the mask of glib snark. maybe she reveals this vulnerability when she’s alone. maybe show her trying to persuade caine not to string up andrew in order to observe the proof. show her looking on in horror at the kids’ cemented hands. little things like that can go a long way to humanize her. also, show the casual sexualization she’s subjected to by her peers at coates--maybe that could be part of the reason why she doesn’t leave immediately after caine does evil stuff. maybe she feels like she wants revenge for the things she suffered in the past from her classmates. it’s a misplaced sense for vengeance, but it’s still sympathetic. and diana can realize “oh, this was a huge mistake” the minute things get real. make her desire to be caine’s queen an extension of her trauma over her past powerlessness, subjected to the abuse of her mom’s boyfriends. don’t necessarily make her a wilting flower, keep her pettiness and meanness, but give her a little more humanity!

also--okay this is more of a self-indulgent thing but--i’d like more scenes between orc and astrid! just a few, just to flesh out their relationship a tiny bit in the first season so the coates scene* comes off as powerfully as possible. remember when orc was okay with drake potentially torturing astrid because he didn’t want to lose face in front of sam in the first book? because he was too prideful to admit he cared for her? show astrid reacting to that! show astrid using that to attempt to sway him to her and sam’s side! maybe there’s a moment where, in the scene where the kids see orc’s growing mutation, orc catches a glimpse of the bruise on astrid’s cheek from drake’s slap and feels visible regret. maybe astrid notices that and tries to subtly manipulate him over to the side of good, while still having genuine compassion for what’s happening to him mutation-wise. i just think their dynamic is so good and i’d love for astrid to utilize one of the few personal connections she had pre-fayz.

anyway, this is getting way too long, so i’ll cut it off here. sorry for the length! thank you very much for the ask! :)

*the coates scene in plague is one of those few scenes in the series that comes off as exactly as uncomfortable as mg intended, imo. like the implications probably should have carried over to orc’s arc a little more but still! i want it to be preserved in the tv show. it could be so good! the writers would have to tread lightly, but if they get it right, it could be phenomenal (in my obviously biased opinion lol).

#gone series #michael grant #fayz

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lonelypond · 3 years

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A Coffeeshop Christmas Carol, Ch. 3

Love Live, NicoMaki, 2.6K, 3/?

Summary: We check in with our cast for a breakfast update.

Maki refused to schedule anything before 11 a.m. And now that she wasn't taking pre med cattle call chem and bio classes and was instead the resident composer people had to make an appointment to work with, that was usually fine. Her mother, however, had always been a morning person. Which is why Maki's phone was buzzing, interrupting a weird dream about Muppets and Nico and turnips. And roast beef. Maki needed breakfast and coffee before dealing with her mother, but ignoring calls always made things worse. Maki grabbed her phone, refusing to raise her face off her pillow.

"Good morning." Irritatingly brisk.

Maki grunted.

"Did I wake you?"

"What do you need Mama?"

"Your father wants to send the plane to pick you up for Thanksgiving."

Maki sat up, panicking. She was not ready to go home and…"No."

"We always have holidays together, Maki. And last year, you…"

"That doesn't matter.." Maki didn't want to talk about last year. Or this year. Last year, she'd disappeared into New York City for the entirety of the holiday season, spending every night at a concert or a play, refusing all of her parent's invitations, not wanting to discuss her decision to drop out of med school. She still didn't want to discuss it. There had been no signal yet that her father would talk about anything else.

Tudor didn't shut down on Thanksgiving. Most of the students actually stayed, many prepping for the Christmas pageant that Nico….Nico! Maki remembered a detail from her conversations with Nico that might save her.

"I have to stay. They need me to prep for the annual Christmas pageant. And the director hosts a Friendsgiving for students who don't go home…" Maki inhaled, feeling her chest fill with a mostly air, minor confidence mix, "I'm going to help."

Her mother didn't hide the disappointment even as she tried to be encouraging about Maki voluntarily taking part in a social activity. "That sounds...kind. Can we help?"

"No, Mama. I'm sure Nico has everything planned. She's been doing this for years."

"Nico?"

"The Christmas Pageant director. She teaches drama."

"Ah." Another pause, "How are Rin and Hanayo. We miss them too."

"They're fine. I saw them last night. My boss had a jam session. Rin loves a chance to play her maracas."

Maki's mother laughed, "I was always surprised when she didn't shatter them. An energetic performer."

"I'm always surprised that she has so much energy after coaching."

"She's at a different school, right? And Hanayo works with you."

"She heads the IT department so I don't see her."

And then her mom went into closing the deal mode. "When you come back for the holidays, bring Rin and Hanayo with you. The jet has enough seats. And i"m sure their families miss them."

And Rin would love flying in the Nishikino jet. But Maki had no plans to make a holiday stopover in Chicago. As she yawned, she decided that that was not an argument she would have with her mother today. So she punted.

"Okay."

"Good. Text me the details when you know them."

"Goodbye, Mama. I have things to do."

"Keep in touch…"

And Maki ended the call before her mother said anything else and flopped back into her pillows. If she slipped back into sleep, the conversation might fade, like a dream.

###

A bright morning, an amazing night last night with new friends, and now, enough time to stop for coffee and casual conversation on a bright, crisp, sunny morning, warm for November but still chilly enough for Nico's cashmere stole over sweater, beret, skirt, tights, and kicky shearling cuffed boots.

The coffeeshop was bustling with students and faculties, Nozomi off in the back somewhere getting the morning bread delivery from the Bread and Brew. Now, thanks to a chat with Honoka last night, Nico had a better appreciation for the foundational component of her favorite lunch sandwiches. So still a little high on her public performance, Nico ordered her usual morning coffee and half a French Toast order. While the barista poured her coffee, Nico looked for a seat. She spotted a bright blonde ponytail and recognized another new friend, Eli Ayase, the choreographer. As Nico approached the table, the dancer groaned, and dropped her head into her hands.

"Tell Nico what's worrying you." Nico slid into the seat next to Eli, "Nico has solutions."

Eli turned her head, blinking, "Get Nishikino to let me use Tchaikovsky."

"Eil, Eli, Nico talked about this. Maki has a point. And Nico's A Christmas Carol adaptation is modernized so it makes sense to have an updated Nutcracker as well."

Eli flipped the pages in an appointment book. Nico was surprised by the pencil on paper approach to something that could be digitally streamlined. "I don't have the time to supervise my student's choreography and ensure it's at an appropriate level for a public performance."

"These are senior students, right? Your best students."

Eli's nod was reluctant.

"Have some faith in them."

"But this is my first year, what if…"

Nico shook her head, "This is a learning environment. People will see them at whatever level they are and assess accordingly." Nico closed Eli's planner, "Nico has seen dance performances in the past. Tudor has a high quality bar for students."

"That's why I took the job." Eli admitted, grudgingly, "But I'm responsible…"

"No. You're responsible for grading their efforts, not making their efforts for them."

Eli was surprised by Nico's fierceness.

"Are your actors' performances not reflections of you?"

"Of course. Casting is a Nico strength, but then, then…" Nico hummed, "you have to step back and let them grow themselves. Give them too much advice, or put too much of your own experience on to them," Nico hesitated, slumping, "and you could discourage them without even knowing it."

"How's my favorite customer today? Do you need more hot water?" Nozomi's voice boomed. "And here's your breakfast, Nico. Usually you just get coffee."

Nico was chewing a bite before the plate had settled on the table. "Nico had a busy night."

"Ooohh." Nozomi slid into a seat, "With the hot redhead you stole from me?"

"Nico didn't steal anyone. And no. Nico was talking about performing. A jam session with Umi and Maki."

"Oh, at the Bread and Brew. Honoka was talking about that this morning...sounds like a gay old time."

Eli was glancing back and forth between Nico and Nozomi, a slight blush on her face while her brows were lowered in confusion.

"You explain." Nico scarfed down her breakfast.

"Professor Sonoda runs a jazz speakeasy in the basement of the local bakery we buy bread from."

"That seems…" Eli frowned, remembering the never a hem out of place, always seven minutes early Umi Sonoda she'd see around campus. "Out of character."

Nico nearly snorted out a chunk of French Toast. "You should hear her sing "Corcovado". It could convince anyone to sweep her off to Brazil."

"Really." Nozomi sat forward, staring into space, a dreamy smile on her face, "I'm gonna have to twist Honoka's arm for an invitation."

"Tell her Nico sent you." Nico finished her coffee, chest puffed out proudly. "My song got me on the guest list. Nozomi, I'll see you later. And Eli, if you want to talk about your students, Nico's door is always open."

Eli shrugged, still watching Nozomi stare into space. After a few moments, Nozomi shook herself out of a daydream, "Let me get you that hot water."

Lips tight in a frown, Eli gathered up her planner, repacking her bag, "I have to get back to campus."

"Stop by after classes."

"Too much to do." Eli said matter-of-factly, "I really don't have time for new habits."

And with a brief wave, Eli left.

###

Umi appreciated her morning routine. Honoka would be coming back from a night at the bakery, her morning deliveries done. There would be fresh bread, fruit, a protein, and tea waiting for Umi after her wake up workout. If Honoka weren't too tired, she'd tell Umi about her night. But when Kotori was back home, everything was in a disarray. Honoka would turn the driving over to an employee, there would be quicker breakfasts because getting up and getting moving was harder with Kotori there, smiling, and nuzzling closer. Umi had managed to get them all around the breakfast table before 9 a.m. She was due at the college for a meeting at 10. Which left Kotori only 15 minutes to attempt to upend her winter plans.

"Umi, you need to come to New York. It's so pretty, decorated, all the lights, all the music, you'll love it." Lashes fluttered irresistibly over deep honey eyes.

"I have responsibilities."

"You said Maki was going to conduct the Pageant Ensemble." Honoka brought over a tray of chocolate croissants. "Try these. One of my new work-study students made them."

"Ooohh…" Kotori bit into the fluffy, buttery crust. "Nozomi would probably like to add these to the coffeeshop menu."

"Excellent suggestion, Kotori. Now if you'll excuse me..." Umi put a croissant neatly in her snack bento.

"No." Umi giggled, poking her croissant at Umi's mouth until Umi took a bite. Then Kotori leaned in closer, "Umi…" Kotori dragged out her name and Umi groaned, "pleeeeeaaaaasse, pretty please come to New York for the holidays. I want to show you off. I made you this blue and gold wrap, you'll look like a present."

Umi shifted, uncomfortable at the knowing gleam in Kotori's eye. She put another croissant in her bento, to have something to do.

Honoka closed the bento, adding it to Umi's bag, along with the morning coffee thermos, "It'll be fun, Umi. Kotori has a friend with a cabaret. We can have a Christmas show."

"I have a Christmas show right here."

"Which you're not really involved with this year…" Honoka kept pushing.

"And you said Nico's an amazing director."

"But Maki's never done anything like this. And there's already been some trouble with Ms. Ayase." Umi wondered how Nico was going to balance those personalities. But she'd always been very successful with the young actors she'd taught. Obviously, Nico had a touch for diplomacy.

"Which you said Nico handled." Honoka echoed her thought. Honoka paid too much attention to inconvenient things.

Umi was five minutes past her must leave the house by to be 35 minutes early time. She slid her bag over her shoulder as sh stood. "I will consider it, Kotori."

"We're going to New York!" Honoka cheered, then bit into another croissant, "I'm going to give Kasumi more hours."

"Do not overwork students, Honoka."

"Do not overwork Umi, Umi." Honoka wagged a finger, face contorted into Honoka's version of serious, blue eyes teasing.

Umi giggled. "Meet me for lunch in the cafeteria, Kotori?"

"Of course." Kotori stood, to kiss Umi on the cheek, "I wouldn't miss it."

###

Kasumi was awfully cute when she yawned, Shizuku thought, taking a momentary pause from drilling screws into two by fours. But should she look that tired?

Kasumi saw her and waved, vaulting up onto the stage with more energy than Shizuku expected, "Hey, Shizuko, Kasumin brought you a fresh from the oven breakfast treat."

"Oh, did you have to work?"

Kasumi nodded, handing Shizuku a croissant and biting into one of her own.

"You're late, Kasumi!" Professor Yazawa called from where she was looking over a blueprint, "And did you bring treats for everyone?"

"Of course, Kasumin did," Kasumi twirled over to where Nico had set up a table.

"Take it to the coffeepot." Nico pointed offstage, where a temporary food services table had been set up.

"Yea, ma'am." Kasumi saluted, Nico smiled.

"Five minute break. Everybody's slow this morning."

Mumbles of "sorry Professor" accompanied the rush for sugar and caffeine. Kasumi returned to sit down next to Shizuku.

"Tasty." Shizuku petted Kasumi on the head, "Good job."

"Hey, crumbs!" Kasumi scrambled fingers through her hair.

"Sorry."

Kasumi yawned again, "'s'okay."

"Did you get any sleep?"

"I'll sleep after this. No other classes today."

"Do you want to meet for dinner? Maybe prepare for the Christmas Carol auditions?"

"Kasumin could sing...stop by after your class, you have one this afternoon, right?"

"French drama. We're studying Moliere."

"Sounds trez dull."

"It's actually fascinating to see how working in the theatre affected both Moliere's and William Shakespeare's writing. They were both extremely influential playwrights and cultural touchstones."

"Very Shizuko." Kasumi yawned, stretched, and stood, "If I don't keep moving, I'll fall asleep. What are we working on?"

"Platforms."

Kasumi sighed, "Hand me a drill."

Shizuku did as requested, only letting herself enjoy a minor thrill when the sides of their hands brushed. Yes, it was ridiculous, these tiny...crumbs of moments, but Kasumi was too cute to ignore and too oblivious to confess to. So Shizuku continued to challenge and compliment, hoping for a breakthrough as they worked together.

###

At the piano, empty score sheet ready for pencil and notes, Maki rifled through Nico's A Christmas Carol script. She really wasn't in the mood to read it through. At least A Christmas Carol was mostly about ghosts and greed. She could save working on the touchy feely Christmasy merry muck of the Fred scenes until she absolutely had to. Nico had tagged the songs so Maki pulled out a page of lyrics near the beginning. The Marley-Scrooge duet. She could work with that. Maybe make it a little gay, Maki chuckled to herself, remembering her conversation with Nico yesterday. Maki glanced at the cast of characters for basic descriptions. In modernizing, Nico had made Scrooge and Marley partners in a music label. So any music could be worked into the plot naturally. Nico's scribbled note said both Scrooge and Marley had individual gifts they'd put aside for differing personal reasons.

Maki kept thinking about last night, and playing for Nico. She couldn't help wondering what Nico's performance had been like from the audience. The audience had been caught up in Nico's charm while Maki had been so occupied trying to keep up on a song she wasn't that familiar with, she hadn't been able to spare any focus for watching Nico's performance. But still, she'd been hearing Nico's voice in her head all night. It was bright and shrill and yet somehow soft, a series of flirty confident demands that had had the audience oohing, a nicely turned twist of wry humor with some of the lyrics...Maki was sorry not to have been in some other seat, fully absorbed in the performance. Instead, she'd been laying down a basic 101 rhythm, not even able to showcase her own potential mastery of the selection. But Maki had thrown Nico into an impromptu situation instead of a collaborative one and now almost regretted the impulse that had made her break into Nico's conversation with Kotori and Umi. They could have planned something together if Maki had put any thought into it, a true duet instead of a Nico solo spotlight that Hanayo had spent an hour swooning over. Maki hadn't had anything to contribute to the conversation except, yes, Nico had been pretty easy to play for.

Back to this duet. How would Nico sing this? Maki closed her eyes and let her vague memories of Nico's performance be replaced by imagining Nico mouthing the words in front of her, letting a new theme take over from the Ellington. There could be, should be give and take, Maki hummed something in a lower register, closer to her own, a Scrooge for Marley to bounce warnings of suffering off of. Her fingers found the piano keys and she added the textures to the simple melody that had started this. What would Nico think?

A/N: Lunar New Year upcoming. I'm taking a break from theatre to do some writing so if there's an AU you want an update for, let me know.

#NicoMaki #Nishikino Maki #Yazawa Nico #ShizuKasu #Nakasu Kasumi #osaka shizuku #NozoEli #Tojo Nozomi #Ayase Eli #A Coffeeshop Christmas Carol #Holiday #A Christmas Carol #kotohonoumi #Minami Kotori #Kosaka Honoka #sonoda umi #fluff #holiday fluff #etc

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wazafam · 3 years

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With Rick And Morty being one of the highest-rated shows on IMDb, with a massively dedicated fanbase, few other current animated shows can compete with it. The show is best known for its too-clever-for-its-own-good narratives, time travel and alternate universes, and a mad scientist that just wants to watch the world burn, which makes it strikingly similar to another animated sci-fi show.

RELATED: 10 Fox Franchises That Seem Right At Home On Disney+

Though it’s much more streamlined and less nihilistic, Futurama has a lot in common with the Adult Swim comedy. Professor Farnsworth and Rick are both lab coat-wearing madmen who invent devices that could end the world in an instant, and each episode sees the characters visit strange new worlds. Though the comparisons don’t end there, both shows are great in different ways.

10 Rick & Morty: Alternate Universes

Futurama has actually been known to delve into alternate universes quite frequently, most notably in “The Farnsworth Parabox,” which is one of the most memorable episodes of the whole series. But the alternate universes in Futurama don’t hold a candle to the inventiveness of Rick And Morty’s multiverse.

Whether it’s Dimension C-137, which is filled with Cronenbergs, Blips And Chitz, which is one giant arcade, or even a world where chairs sit on humans, the worlds in Rick And Morty are a perfect mix of random for random’s sake and completely fascinating.

9 Futurama: Set In The Future

Though Rick has a box labeled “Time travel stuff” on a shelf in the garage and there have been episodes based in alternate dimensions in the future, the show has never delved as deep into the future like Futurama.

As Futurama is set in the year 3000, the whole world is filled to the brim with fascinating and creative futuristic inventions, whether it’s robots or travel tubes, which has even inspired Elon Musk. The futuristic setting in Matt Groening’s passion project makes way for tons of thought-provoking concepts, and though Rick And Morty is thought-provoking too, it’s significantly lacking when it comes to how it portrays the future.

8 Rick & Morty: Tackles Philosophical Issues

While Futurama has had buckets of fun playing with time travel and messing around with the Grandfather Paradox in ingenious ways, it rarely goes deep into the rabbit hole of philosophical questions, at least not to the same depths that Rick And Morty does.

Whether it’s the sanctity of marriage or the insignificance of man, no other show animated or otherwise has so bluntly and tellingly conveyed existential dread and the dark truths of life like Rick and Morty has.

7 Futurama: More Optimistic

Sci-fi shows are great for creating allegories for real-life situations, whether it’s discrimination or the economy, as the genre has been the vessel to deliver serious issues in an entertaining way ever since Star Trek: The Original Series. The two shows are similar in many ways, as they tackle the same subjects, but the approach they have to the same issues is where they differ the most.

RELATED: 10 Biggest (& Best) Romantic Gestures In Futurama

One thing about Rick And Morty is that it’s so nihilistic and depressive, and though that’s part of the show’s charm, there’s barely ever a moment that depicts any of the characters in a good light. On the other hand, Futurama is so heartfelt that it has even made fans cry on several occasions, and it tackles serious issues, just like Rick And Morty does, but in a more optimistic way.

6 Rick & Morty: Gets Disturbing

While Futurama is generally a family-friendly show, Rick and Morty gets brutal, disgusting, and outright filthy. The animators aren’t afraid to get creative with the ways in which aliens are mercilessly killed, and the writers aren’t afraid to conjure up the most outlandish lines of dialogue for Rick’s many tirades.

And it seems as if there aren’t many studio notes coming Dan Harmon’s way either, as it’s only getting dirtier with each season.

5 Futurama: The Ensemble Cast And Recurring Characters

Though Rick and Morty always run into bizarre creatures on all of their adventures, from Mr. Poopybutthole to the Slut Dragons, there are very few recurring characters, and outside of the titular characters, there are few others that are particularly noteworthy.

However, Futurama has a resounding amount of recurring characters that are so interesting and have their own backstory, whether it's the Captain Kirk parody Zap Brannigan or Calculon, a robot soap-opera actor. Even the main characters are a wild range of depressive robots, one-eyed mutants, and 1000-year-old humans.

4 Rick & Morty: More Movie References

Unlike its big brother, The Simpsons, which is littered with movie references in almost every episode, Futurama looks forward not backward and it’s surprisingly lacking when it comes to movie references.

RELATED: 10 Most Questionable Parenting Choices In Rick & Morty

With the exception of The Slurm Factory and Slurms McKenzie, who should get his own spin-off, there are few memorable movie references in the show. Conversely, Rick and Morty’s very foundation is the satirization of sci-fi movies. The show has parodied Inception, Mad Max, and many others, and the very character design of Rick is even modeled after Doc Brown from Back to the Future.

3 Futurama: Different Types Of Inventions

Rick Sanchez is a great scientist and an incredible inventor, and the portal gun is the key to many of the mind-bending universes fans love, but there are few other inventions under Rick’s belt compared to Professor Farnsworth.

Farnsworth has a vast array of inventions, and though he has a morbid streak that runs through his head just like Rick, as he has a penchant for creating doomsday devices, there are some bewilderingly brilliant inventions in Futurama. From the smell-o-scope to the electronics hat, which turns monkeys into geniuses, Farnsworth is by far the best inventor of the two scientists.

2 Rick & Morty: More Memorable Adventures

There’s a reason why Rick And Morty is the greatest animated show according to IMDb. Each and every episode follows the grandfather and grandson not just travel to memorable alternate dimensions, but go there in order to retrieve some random MacGuffin or hunt down an evil rick.

As Futurama sees the Planet Express employees deliver a package to a different planet each episode, there’s very little room for creativity. However, whether Morty hides giant seeds up his butt when going through an alien customs or Morty escapes prison with a mysterious blue cat-like creature called Chachi, there are so many hilariously dark adventures Rick has forced Morty on.

1 Futurama: Better World-Building

The world-building in Rick and Morty is one of the major flaws that fans choose to ignore, as the Citadel of Ricks ultimately makes no sense whatsoever, and other series-long arcs, such as Rick’s depression and Evil Morty, don’t seem to be going anywhere.

But Matt Groening created one of the most lived-in worlds from the very first episode, and built on it exquisitely with each episode, whether it was the economics of New New York or the inner working of the space federation. And unlike Rick and Morty, it all made perfect sense.

NEXT: Futurama: 10 Things That Make No Sense About Fry & Leela’s Relationship

5 Ways Rick And Morty Is The Best Sci-Fi Animated Comedy (& 5 Ways It’s Futurama) from https://ift.tt/3sZbPso

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Into The Badlands: The 10 Best Episodes, According To IMDb

Into the Badlands is one of a short list of TV shows offering martial arts entertainment. It is truly an awful shame that the story (which ended on a cliffhanger) was abruptly cancelled. Of course, it’s a niche genre, even on film. Aside from movies like The Raid and Ip Man, it’s hard to find large success with that style. Many of these films are made overseas, often resulting in substandard dubbing. Into the Badlands may have sometimes suffered from lackluster acting too, but not from its major players. And it had an incredible sense of style, with loads of appealing martial arts wizardry.

RELATED: 10 Best Fights From The Raid Movies, Ranked

Here’s how fans rated the ten best episode of the series, which will be missed. Spoiler warning!

10 Chamber of the Scorpion

This was the mid-season premiere of the series’ final run, and we had to wait an entire year for it. In this episode, we were given some false hope about Lydia’s survival, as Moon returns her in time. And Widow finally resolves her defiant posture against The Master. It was a brilliant fight scene, and surprisingly, there’s more packed into this episode than usual.

This show often found an organic way to incorporate martial arts. But this time, everything simply comes to a head. Bajie survives an execution, MK stops Sunny from destroying the chamber, and Sunny finally battles Pilgrim. It’s non-stop action, but it’s well-earned, even if the cliffhanger is a tad uninspired.

9 The Boar and the Butterfly

It didn’t take long for MK to become a frustrating, misguided antagonist. However, his motivation regarding his mother is hard to ignore. Nix’s change of heart, to help Sunny, feels pretty natural. She was already leaning that way, but fending off MK in the cold open basically seals the deal. But the most fun in this episode is the relationship between Bajie and the Widow, who have some great chemistry. Nick Frost carries surprising range for dramatic sequences, and his comedy is perpetually charming.

RELATED: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Also, the scene with Gaius’ mother is truly striking, and surprisingly bloody. The climactic fight between Sunny and the Widow is neat, sure. But we know beforehand that the former is injured, and the latter has been improving.

8 Cobra Fang, Panther Claw

This episode finally pitted The Master against Pilgrim, a rewarding test of power, given the reputations of either. The slaughter of the monastery is pretty brutal, and tragic. Pilgrim, as a religious extremist, always felt like a somewhat rote villain. However, the actor quickly developed an unexpected level of gravitas. And the writing gave Pilgrim some compelling drama. Here, he actually points out some of the ethical shortcomings of The Master.

It’s hard to disagree when one of her coma victims explains his painful experience. Meanwhile, Tilda and Gaius were captured, and Baron Chau’s torture is realistic and tough to watch. It creates a great ticking clock for the Widow to swoop in.

7 Curse of the Red Rain

This was the first indication that Cressida wielded more power than expected. The red rain is a visually arresting concept, and it certainly proved to be a bad omen. Despite all of Lydia’s newfound plans, she dies by Cressida’s hands. It was foolish to send one person to execute someone who is known to be powerful. It’s tough to see such a longtime, sympathetic character meet an undue end.

Another highlight of the show is definitely Pilgrim’s assault. The plan of defense against his army is truly innovative, thrilling, and escalates without succumbing to redundancy. Also, the Widow discovers she is pregnant, which becomes crucial to her decisions.

6 Palm of the Iron Fox

Here, the seeds of The Master’s undoing are planted. MK disagrees with some of her controlling methods, and that ultimately leads to his decisions to help Pilgrim later on. Meanwhile, Veil does everything she can to escape Quinn’s clutches. She’s actually very intelligent about the whole ordeal, and doesn’t make the mistakes one usually expects for plot contrivances. But the most striking scene is certainly the end.

RELATED: The 5 Best And Worst Episodes Of Ash Vs Evil Dead (According To IMDb)

Quinn surprises his son, and proceeds to kill him. Granted, they had their differences before, but it’s still shocking in a Shakespearean way.

5 Leopard Catches Cloud

We’re right back to season three, which pulled all the stops for the show’s final outing. This episode was the mid-season finale, preceding a nine-month wait. But it absolutely delivers, as Sunny’s life proves extraordinarily haphazard. First, Sunny fends off a vengeful MK, and later discovers that he probably killed MK’s mother. Then, still blinded in trying to help his son, he rashly fuels Pilgrim with more power than ever.

This episode was very streamlined, rather than focusing on an ensemble like usual. And yet, it remains absolutely packed with story. The third season did a great job of accelerating the pace, where previous seasons sometimes ambled along.

4 Seven Strike as One

This is the unfortunate series finale, as of yet. Hopefully, there can be some form of resolution on another channel, or in another medium. But for now, the episode couldn’t possibly rank at the top. It’s very clear that the show had the rug pulled from under its feet, and so did the audience. Sure, many of the loose ends are tied up. Pilgrim is finally defeated, after a fierce and entertaining battle. MK accidentally stabs Tilda, which incites the Widow’s gift and allows her to take revenge.

RELATED: Warrior: 10 Most Intense Fights, Ranked

It’s pretty satisfying that she basically ends up with The Force, using telekinesis. But too much is left unsaid, by the episode’s end. That’s because it spends an equal amount of time resolving old storylines and setting up new ones.

3 Hand of Five Poisons

This was the season one finale, and it meticulously juggles a handful of storylines. It was a time when MK almost seemed to be the primary protagonist, more so than Sunny. Quinn is a character that you love to hate, but when Sunny stabs him, you wouldn’t expect his return. And yet, he subsequently ends up with far more interesting material. Besides apparently subduing its main villain, the show establishes the Abbots, who share MK’s gift. Cung Le, a legitimate martial artist, is a fun cameo for the show.

The battle against the Abbots is a great payoff, after the episode spent more time packing in story than action. Fortunately, the former was equally gripping, and the cliffhanger had terrific promise.

2 Nightingale Sings No More

Even in just small doses, Stephen Lang is a profoundly fun character actor to watch. So, it was great to hear him advise Sunny against siding with the Widow. Ultimately, he was right, as Sunny rightfully ends up holding her responsible for Veil’s eventual death. But in this episode, the Widow helps lead Sunny to Quinn, to rescue his family.

That has been Sunny’s driving force throughout the majority of the show, and why the series never fizzled out. Also, Tilda’s battle with her mother was really entertaining, and tragic all the while. This series frequently found a great way to infuse its fight sequences with clear, intriguing motivations.

1 Black Lotus, White Rose

This episode begins with a serious copout, bringing Bajie back to life. But he’s just too fun a character to be upset about it—despite the convincing, moving death scene he had. Kannin was an interesting addition to this show, and she fills the mythology without the exposition getting needlessly out of hand. Her change of heart seems prompt, especially given her suicidal commitment. Still, if anyone could spur her memories and motivations, it would be Sunny. The escape is very satisfying, after learning how Magnus treated her. But it was definitely a mistake to leave him alive.

RELATED: 10 Things From Goonies That Haven’t Aged Well

This episode is all about the Black Lotus, and Sunny’s sister, both of which are innately fascinating. It’s surprising how late in the game this show was able to smoothly, successfully introduce new characters and elements. This selection has a great balance of family drama, answers, and story progression. It even included the monumental shift of MK personally killing The Master, rescuing Pilgrim.

NEXT: Into The Badlands: The 10 Most Brutal Fight Scenes, Ranked

source https://screenrant.com/into-badlands-tv-show-best-episodes-according-imdb/

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micaramel · 5 years

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"Glee" ran from 2009 to 2015 and the musical dramedy oftentimes used clothes to help characterize the cast's distinct personalities

Some characters, like Rachel and Tina, change their style significantly as they grow from teenage outcasts to ambitious and confident young adults.

Others, like Emma and Kurt, have a signature style throughout the show's run.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

The musical high-school dramedy "Glee" ran on Fox from 2009 to 2015 and along the way, it showcased a lot of memorable fashions.

The singing and dancing cheerleaders, jocks, geeks, and outcasts of the fictional William McKinley High School may have been characterized first and foremost by their place in the social hierarchy, but their personalities came through in their music — and, in some part, their clothes.

Here are the first and last outfits of 20 major characters from "Glee."

SEE ALSO: 34 of the best 'Glee' performances of all time

We only see a glimpse of Rachel Berry's outfit during her first appearance.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Rachel's very first appearance is when she witnesses the former choir teacher inappropriately touching a male student. She looks on, wearing a tortoiseshell headband, a knotted pearl necklace, and what appears to be a black jacket with a flower decal.

Her final look is a simple white dress.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

When we last see Rachel, it's on the series' final scene — a musical number featuring the majority of the show's cast.

She's wearing a simple white shift dress and red heels, looking just as feminine but significantly more grown-up than when she kicked off the series as a high-school sophomore.

Finn Hudson's first look is athletic and casual.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Despite being the quarterback, Finn doesn't kick off the series in a jersey. Instead, he's wearing a slightly preppy layered look in neutral colors, possibly hinting at the fluid social status he'll have at the school as the show progresses.

His final look is a button-down plaid shirt.

Last appearance: 4.19, "Sweet Dreams"

Finn's last physical appearance is as a college student who is helping out the glee club in his spare time. For his final look, he's dressed in a grown-up plaid button-down.

This is the last episode the late Cory Monteith acted in as Finn and is the final episode the character appears in. He later appears a few more times in photos in his memorial episode, "The Quarterback," and in flashbacks from the season-six episode "2009."

Quinn Fabray's first look is, unsurprisingly, a cheer uniform.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

When we first meet Quinn, she's laughing at Rachel's overly eager YouTube channel and wearing her Cheerios uniform with her tiny cross necklace.

Her final look is an elegant red lace dress.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Yale student Quinn returns for the final number in McKinley school colors, red and white, but this time she's in a red lace dress, looking as prim and polished as ever.

Kurt Hummel's first look includes a statement jacket.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

The first time he appears, Kurt is about to be thrown into a dumpster. He's wearing a blue moto jacket and carrying a brown leather bag, which Finn allows him to spare from the trash toss.

His final look is topped off with white ankle boots.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Fashion has always been serious business for Kurt and so it remains. For the final number, he wears a Commes de Garcons shirt, red tie, red pants, a patterned belt, and white booties.

Artie Abrams' first look is mostly white.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

From day one, Artie's look has been "geek chic." He first appears in a white shirt buttoned to his chin, khakis, loafers, glasses — and the little white gloves for performing the tune "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat."

His final look is a simple red polo.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Artie's geek-chic style stays pretty consistent through the series. He's not wearing driving gloves (or any kind of gloves) when we see him last, but he is wearing a red polo with khakis and a brown belt.

Tina Cohen-Chang's first look is dark and adorned with chains.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Tina starts off with a deliberate goth-inspired look, complete with a studded and chained belt, knee-high socks, fingerless gloves, multiple key necklaces, and blue streaks in her hair.

Her final look is much brighter.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Tina's style change may be one of the most pronounced throughout the series. After her goth-girl beginnings during the first couple of seasons, she ends up shedding the accessories and dark colors for more fitted, contemporary outfits.

Her last look is a white blouse with a fun cut and bright-red pants.

Brittany S. Pierce also kicks off the series in a cheer uniform.

First appearance: 1.2, "Showmance"

Brittany first shows up as a quiet Cheerio and celibacy-club member, blending in with her cheer uniform and side-swept bangs.

Her final look is a flowy top with red pants.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

When Brittany shows up during the final performance, she's wearing a swingy white fringe shirt, which, much like her Cheerios skirt, has a lot of movement and pairs well with her energetic dance abilities.

Mercedes Jones first takes the stage in a shiny jacket.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Mercedes first appears at her audition for glee club wearing a gold bomber jacket over layered purple tees with a purple plaid beret and a big, shiny necklace.

Her final look is nearly all red.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Mercedes' look also streamlines by the show's end. For her final appearance, she wears a red peplum top, floral pants, and wedge heels.

Santana Lopez also kicks off the series in a uniform.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Santana is also making fun of Rachel's videos when we first meet her and she's huddled up with other Cheerios in uniform.

Her final outfit is a belted white dress.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Santana is last seen in a stylish and modern white lace dress with a front zipper and a thin red belt.

Will Schuester's first look is polished and cool.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Will lets us know right off the bat that he's a cool teacher, if somewhat downtrodden and oblivious, when he rolls up in his lemon wearing shiny sunglasses and an otherwise straight-laced outfit.

His final look is a red sweater, collard shirt, and jeans.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Schu looks professional and a little more relaxed in his last appearance. He's wearing a shirt and tie layered under a red sweater, paired with jeans and sneakers. His hair also seems to be a little less stiff, which Sue would probably approve of.

Sue Sylvester's first look is perfect for her role.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Coach Sylvester first appears during the show's very first scene in her soon-to-be-signature tracksuit in bright WMHS red, plus a little necklace.

Her final look is ... exactly what you'd expect.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Sue's last appearance isn't so different from her first — she's still making self-aggrandizing cracks and wearing a red tracksuit.

This time, her tracksuit has the seal of the Vice President of the United States and her glasses point to the humbling wisdom she's acquired since her introduction as the glee club's antagonist.

Emma Pillsbury's first look is fitted and preppy.

First appearance: 1.1, "Pilot"

Emma first appears walking into the faculty lunchroom in one of her signature, put-together ensembles, consisting of a purple cardigan, yellow beaded necklace, knotted blouse, and yellow shoes.

Her final look includes a cardigan and hat.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Emma's style is another that doesn't change much, even as her character develops. For the last musical number, she's wearing a white dress, oversized hat, and red cardigan emblazoned with a ribbon.

Blaine Anderson's first look is his most popular one.

First appearance: 2.6, "Never Been Kissed"

Blaine first appears when Kurt visits Dalton Academy to spy on the Warblers. He's polished in his Dalton uniform, which consists of a striped tie and navy blazer with red trim.

His final look is topped off with a bow tie.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Still preppy and dapper, Blaine joins the glee club for the final song wearing a red gingham shirt, red pants, and a bow tie, which has become his signature accessory.

Mike Chang's first look is a uniform.

First appearance: 1.4, "Preggers"

When he first appears, Mike Chang is one of the football players who is forced to practice dance steps with glee club. He shows up ready to groove in his practice uniform.

It's tough to capture his final look, but the fast-moving dancer dons a red collared shirt for the finale.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Mike dances onstage during the last number (with his fellow football player Matt, who's been off-the-grid since the first season). He wears a red-and-white polo and slim-fitting white pants.

Sam Evans' first look purposely shows off his arms.

First appearance: 2.1, "Audition"

Sam is first seen at football practice wearing a gray sleeveless hoodie and red athletic shorts — and, of course, he's sporting his surfer-style blond hair.

His final look includes a major hair change.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Sam is still showing off his physique on the show's finale, albeit in a more subtle way, with a fitted, white pocketed shirt. He's now sporting a hairstyle that's swooped up and out of his eyes.

Kitty Wilde's first look is, of course, a cheer uniform.

First appearance: 4.1, "The New Rachel"

Kitty, or, "New Quinn," first appears as most Cheerios do — in her uniform. Her hair is up in a performance-regulation ponytail and she's only accessorizing with tiny stud earrings.

Her final look is a simple white dress.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Like the rest of the Cheerios, Kitty starts and ends glamorously. Her last outfit is a high-necked white bodycon dress with cutouts on the sides.

Marley Rose's first outfit is green and quirky.

First appearance: 4.1, "The New Rachel"

Shy but talented Marley first appears wearing a green T-shirt, floral skirt, tiny necklace, and a gray newsboy cap.

Her final look is fun and colorful.

Last appearance: 5.13, "New Directions"

For her last appearance, Marley is wearing another quirky and feminine ensemble — a belted lace dress, a circle scarf, and argyle tights.

Ryder Lynn first appears in a football jersey.

First appearance: 4.5, "The Role You Were Born to Play"

Ryder is first seen when Finn is out scouting for talent for the glee production of "Grease." A new member of the football team, he's first seen doing an end-zone dance in his practice uniform.

He's nearly unrecognizable in his final look.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Ryder is among the many singing, dancing glee clubbers dressed in McKinley colors for the final number. He wears a red sweater with white pants.

Jake Puckerman shows up in a hoodie and plain T-shirt.

First appearance: 4.1, "The New Rachel"

Jake, the new bad boy and younger Puckerman brother, first appears in a slouchy gray hoodie over a white T-shirt.

His final outfit is a red collared top.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Having come out of his troubled shell, Jake is no longer hiding behind drab colors and a bad attitude. He wears an all-red ensemble to join the glee club for its final number of the series.

Unique Adams first appears in a toned-down preppy look.

First appearance: 3.16, "Saturday Night Glee-ver"

When Unique first comes to McKinley, she's only wearing dresses and wigs while she is performing onstage. The rest of the time, she's going by her dead name and dressing in more masculine clothes, like this plain sweater vest and gingham shirt.

Unique's final look is a belted red number.

Last appearance: 6.13, "Dreams Come True"

Unique has come into her own by the show's end. She performs the final number wearing a red blouse and red skirt with a chunky white belt. She has curled, highlighted hair, and she's accessorized with white jewelry.

from Design http://bit.ly/2KMZ2Wt

#micaramel

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nellie-elizabeth · 7 years

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Grey's Anatomy: It Only Gets Much Worse (13x13)

Well, I watched this episode in public which was a mistake, because it actually made me cry. Yikes.

Cons:

Meredith doing the voice-overs is always awkward when she isn't even in the episode. I've got to say that the voice-over thing is my least favorite element of Grey's Anatomy. I mean I know it's here to stay, but come on. Maybe try not to be so obnoxious with it.

For whatever reason, I'm noticing that in this season the ensemble nature of the cast has been a real burden. There are only so many characters you can focus on at a time, and as such, several plot threads get dropped and it feels very awkward. Is Alex not back to work yet? How is Meredith handling suspension? Even if it makes sense to set those two aside, what about Amelia? It makes no sense to me that Meredith and Maggie aren't more worried about where she's at. And hey, here's a question: why on earth bring Leah back if you're not going to do anything with her?

Pros:

Despite all the things this episode couldn't manage to fit in, we actually covered a lot of ground here. There was something very smart in focusing on one central theme: the battle for control of the residency program. Throughout this, you can tease out lots of different elements and character dynamics. Let's talk about some of them.

April: April is getting hell from everybody else about accepting Meredith's job. She's actually enjoying her promotion, but this doesn't mean she's against Richard, per se. What nobody else in the hospital seems to understand is that she's trying to do right by her hospital. It's kind of heartbreaking, because everybody is being so cruel to her, and nobody is congratulating her on her promotion. Eventually, Catherine does tell her the she deserves the job and is allowed to celebrate. I think the most telling moment here is when Jackson talks about how he's "surprised" by April. We can take that to mean disappointed. It's a cutting blow!

Maggie: Nobody is more harsh to April than Maggie, who is playing up her loyalty to Meredith to an extreme level. April, Maggie, and Jo work together on a patient that used to be Meredith's. Maggie glares daggers the whole time, and when there are complications, she blames April. April fixes the complications and removes the patient's tumor, causing said patient, who had been very distressed by Meredith's absence, to thank April for saving her life. I liked how harsh Maggie was. Sometimes a lot of the drama on this show is done through passive-aggressiveness, but here we had a real blow-out between these two women. It was refreshing to see. I also liked how April stood up for herself. I'm not sure I agree with everything April is doing or saying, especially since Minnick isn't all she seemed to be at first (we'll get there!), but I still like it when April stands her ground.

Catherine: She's still my least favorite character on the show, but I do enjoy the unique position she's in, and how she plays off of the other characters. She wants to keep the peace in her marriage to Richard, but of course she is the one who pushed Bailey into hiring Minnick. She wants to encourage April to take pride in her accomplishments, but by doing so she's taking April's side over Jackson's. Lots of delicious complexity!

Richard: Here we finally see why all the attending surgeons are so loyal to Richard. They were all taught by him, and he knows what he's doing. Stephanie loses a patient on the operating table during her first start-to-finish solo surgery. I'll talk more about that in a minute. When Minnick fails to comfort Stephanie, she goes to Richard, who handles it perfectly, helping Stephanie to grieve for the life of the little boy, and then going with her as she tells the parents what happened. This was the scene that made me cry, and it was all because of Richard Webber. Minnick's new technique might be better in many ways, and I really do believe it has many advantages. But here's where you have the writing on the wall: Richard knows how to be a mentor to these young doctors in a way that Minnick could never hope to compare to. Of course, along with Richard being there for Stephanie, he's also got to contend with the messy situation of his wife turning against him, and his favorite student and good friend Bailey losing her faith in him. This is the most interested I've been in Richard as a character in a long while.

Bailey: She's become something of a villain in all of this, in some ways even more so than Minnick herself. Minnick didn't know any of these people when she showed up, so she didn't really betray them. That was all Bailey. As I think I've mentioned in past reviews, the great thing about this is that I completely understand why Bailey is behaving the way she is, but I don't necessarily agree with her at all. The scene where Bailey and Richard get into a fight during Ben's solo surgery was one of the highlights of the episode. These two old friends are finally letting out some of their frustrations, and as a viewer, it's really hard to pick a side.

Ben: I take that back - I'm on Ben's side. The poor guy is one of two residents chosen by Minnick to implement "phase two" of her program, where a resident gets to be head surgeon from start to finish, with the attending assisting. Ben does a great job on his surgery, but the experience is somewhat ruined because Bailey and Richard won't stop arguing. The tension is delicious. Obviously, asking Richard to scrub in on a surgery that Minnick has arranged is already a tense situation. Add in Bailey, and you've got a full-blown argument. Ben expresses it best to Miranda at the end of the episode: he wants to side with the residents, because Minnick is good for them. But the attendings are his friends, and now they won't even talk to him, since he's married to Bailey. He's stuck in the middle of this thing more so than anybody else.

Stephanie: Stephanie gets the other solo surgery of the night, and as I mentioned above, it does not go well. I love this actress. Her performance was amazing. She runs the gambit from being really excited about her solo surgery to being scared and devastated when everything goes wrong. To see Stephanie, the confident doctor that she is, fall to pieces like that was really emotionally affecting.

Arizona: This whole scenario provided a lot of meaty tension between Arizona and Minnick. Arizona insists on being there for Stephanie's surgery, since the patient is a nine-year-old boy, and that's Arizona's department. After everything goes wrong, Minnick runs off, leaving Stephanie to seek comfort from Richard. Arizona is there for Minnick when she learns that Minnick has never lost a child on the operating table before. She also gives Minnick a hug as she sees her breaking down in her car at the end of the day. Arizona is another one of those character who is situated squarely in the middle of all the drama. Obviously, Richard is her good friend. But on the other hand, she's the only doctor in the whole hospital who has made any kind of a personal connection to Minnick so far, and she can see that this new woman is not a bad person at all.

Minnick: This episode certainly did a lot to humanize Minnick, who was starting to grate on my nerves a little bit. Everything she decides to do goes perfectly for her, so it was cathartic to see her fail in such a big way, and not know how to handle it. This failure doesn't mean her method is wrong. It just means that she's not equipped to handle certain aspects of teaching that she really should be equipped to handle. Nobody's perfect.

Political commentary of the day: everybody sits around and discusses April defecting to the other side. They remark that it's like learning that your friend voted wrong. Owen asks: "can you vote wrong?" and everybody else responds: "Yeah!" I liked the pointed look that Maggie gave during this scene. Especially given recent events, I'd say that there absolutely is a wrong choice sometimes.

I guess that's where I'll stop. This was a meaty episode that managed to keep the plot streamlined, and still explore a lot of different character dynamics. I hope we can keep things moving forward a little quicker now that we're in the back half of the season!

9/10

#review #greys anatomy #greys anatomy review #grey's anatomy #grey's anatomy review #grey's #grey's abc #greys #greys abc

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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Fargo Season 4 Review (Spoiler-Free)

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This Fargo review contains no spoilers.

Time has become an odd thing to track throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but it still seems hard to believe that it’s been over three years since the last season of Noah Hawley’s Fargo wrapped on FX. Fargo season 3 was often ponderous, existential, and meandering. It also routinely gave off a vibe that Hawley was growing tired of the Midwest, Coen-worshipping box that he had placed himself in. Perhaps time away from the anthology series allowed Hawley to return with a bit more energy, but also a narrower focus. Instead of a twisty-turny story fueled by happenstance and bad luck, Fargo season 4 is a ‘50s-set, pulpy tale of two warring Kansas City gangs. Some may call this season’s story timely, but it would be relevant in any era of American history. This is a tale of immigrants, race, and what it means to be an American.

Gone are V.M. Varga’s long-winded musings about perception shaping reality and in their place are several characters spouting off dialogue like “You know why America loves a crime story? Because America is a crime story.” If you drank every time a character waxed about America, Americans, or American values, you’d be drunk before the first commercial break. It wouldn’t be helpful to be drunk, because there are a lot of characters to keep track of, each with a gloriously ridiculous name.

The themes may be more simplistic, but the sprawling ensemble cast includes the Italian crime syndicate the Fadda Family, anchored by brothers Josto (Jason Schwartzman) and Gaetano (Salvatore Esposito, from the Italian series Gomorrah) and the Cannon Limited gang headed by Loy Cannon (Chris Rock) and his right-hand man Doctor Senator (character actor Glynn Turman). There’s also the Fadda family’s Irish wildcard Rabbi Milligan (Ben Whishaw) and slightly off nurse Oraetta Mayflower (Jessie Buckley, recently seen in I’m Thinking of Ending Things) sporting the Minnesota accent to remind you which show you’re watching. Oh, and don’t forget twitchy corrupt cop Odis Weff (Jack Huston), arrogant U.S. Marshall Dick “Deafy” Wickware (Timothy Olyphant), fugitive lesbian couple Zelmare Roulette (Karen Aldridge) and Swanee Capp (Kelsey Asbille), and local morticians Dibrell (Anji White) and Thurman (Andrew Bird) Smutney, along with their precocious 16-year-old daughter Ethelrida (Emyri Crutchfield). Keeping up?

The sprawl of the cast feels unwieldy at first, until the conflict between the Fadda and Cannon families heats up. However, promising characters like Ethelrida and Rabbi Milligan then begin to feel underused. That’s the problem with introducing so many compelling characters; someone is going to feel shorted. The season begins with the Fadda and Cannon families swapping their youngest sons to keep the peace, and those boys living in dramatically different households from what they’re used to could have anchored the entire season. Instead, they are little more than props that motivate our other lead characters. At one point in the premiere, Loy introduces the premise of the credit card as a way to further his criminal enterprise and legitimize black buyers, but the season barely revisits the idea. The season feels streamlined at times to its benefit, but at other times to a fault.

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For most audiences, this will be their first time seeing Rock in a predominately dramatic part and he rises to the occasion despite never really exceeding expectations. Schwartzman is dependably funny, as is Olyphant in a familiar, though satisfying role. But the real standouts are Esposito and Buckley. As Gaetano, Esposito fumes and bugs out his eyes like a young Vincent D’Onofrio, let off the leash and fully menacing. Buckley is the chaotic wolf in sheep’s clothing, hiding sinister intentions behind a five-point vocabulary and the Minnesota Nice demeanor. Both actors pop off the screen and grab your attention every time that they appear.

Fans of Fargo’s propulsive, drum-heavy score and use of split-screen will be relieved to see those elements return, and Season 4’s simmering gang war creates more tension than years past. Still, the heavy-handedness of the season’s themes coupled with the density of the plot makes the latest installment of Fargo feel too slight and like too much at the same time. Hawley still can unexpectedly zig where you expect him to zag, and the scope of his story here is impressively ambitious, but season 4 never quite coalesces into something that feels whole, despite remaining fun, stylish, and chock-full of compelling characters. Clearly Hawley needed to get out of Minnesota to recharge his batteries, but maybe it’s time to leave the Coen sandbox for good.

The post Fargo Season 4 Review (Spoiler-Free) appeared first on Den of Geek.

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elementshealth · 6 years

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Purchasing Winter Fashion Ideas

Spring and summer are usually the initial seasons where you're going to observe white shoes around. Before buying purchasing a pair, make sure that you equip yourself with the fundamentals of what things to attempt to find a superior snow or winter boots. You will also track this down year that clothes are obtaining a tad bit larger. The seasons keep changing and with that, the sort of outfits which we can wear comfortably may likewise alter.

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All we will need to do would be To match several types of clothes the most acceptable way and we can walk to the red carpet without any worries! Should you wear these proper fashion, even the greatest and coziest items of clothing can be incredibly fashionable. Our clothing is made from only the utmost quality fabrics and materials to acquire lush comfort and excellent fit. Our newest clothes is the best representation of modern clothes deign, and what's trendy.

For a simple, fashionable appearance, Clearly skinny jeans may become your number one choice. In any event, you truly can't neglect with jeans combined with any form of stripe! Always make sure you look for clothes in the suitable size. The principal reason is you are wearing clothing that conflict to your usual attractiveness. An superb bit of manner is by way of contour wear.

The shoes will need to be In fantastic shape. It is also possible to have heard that black sneakers do not work nicely with pastels this is not precisely accurate. My heels can be found here! Her heels would be an ideal nude color! In case it has to do with styling your nude heels there aren't any rules!

In case the colors are especially Similar, it's a great notion to coating them alongside or besides every single Other so that their differences are more apparent. Anything goes with All These colors, and you want to don't be scared to combine'em however you desire. You Are very likely to be in somewhere to wear many of the Light Summer colors But you should fix them a bit with some of your power colors, such as gems. You can even wear a number of these warmer Light Spring colours, particularly whenever you're tanned.

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superpro11 · 6 years

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Purchasing Winter Fashion Ideas

Spring is the best season for hiking, Thus if you're thinking about hiking be certain to bring your hiking boots. Spring and summer are usually the initial seasons where you are going to observe white shoes around. You will also track down this season that garments are getting a tad bit bigger. The seasons keep changing and therefore, the form of outfits that we can wear comfortably may likewise change.

And you also want to be sure that your little guy isn't very likely to get pinched! It's time to discover some superb fashion tips! When it's your very first time, it may be difficult. It's time to bring in way again for those winter essentials in your child's dresser. It's time to stop thinking of style in respect to the 10 Commandments, and get started believing in relation to the Golden Rule. It blends nicely with the rest of the outfit.

Making certain everybody is familiar with what they are wearing and the match will place them at ease and make the experience much more fun. Whether it's summer, the purpose will be always to wear lighter and more streamlined outfits but if it's to do with winter, the majority of girls feel fashion and style must have a rear seat and they ought to just dress for warmth and adhere to those significant winter skin care advice and hints. During winter, the perfect idea would be to keep being warm and dry. It's bound to appear great however it.

Oversized everything is in vogue in the Present time, meaning integrating an oversized belt can only create the outfit look more attractive to the eyes. You may buy a variety of styles of jackets for your children. My layout is most probably not your character which is fine. As a result of this manual, you will have the ability to make a choice about what designs work best together with the clothing you presently have.

Always be sure your items coordinate And you will get an ensemble which seems put together. Her outfit looks adorable and fashion-forward, demonstrating this rule is really only a dumb fantasy. It will actually bring out the entire outfit. You will make sure to love to test out these beautiful, chic and stylish pencil skirt outfits. If it's to do with winter outfits, then there's actually plenty of selection.

All we will need to do would be To match various kinds of clothing the most suitable way and we can walk on the red carpet with no worries! If you wear these appropriate manner, even the largest and coziest items of clothing can be unbelievably fashionable. Our clothing consists of just the utmost quality fabrics and materials to get lush comfort and excellent fit. Our hottest clothes is the ideal representation of modern clothes deign, and what is trendy.

To get an easy, fashionable appearance, Clearly skinny jeans may become your number one option. In any case, you truly can't neglect with white jeans combined with any form of stripe! Always be certain you look for clothing in the suitable size. The main reason is you are wearing clothes that battle to your usual beauty. An superb piece of manner is by way of contour wear.

The shoes will need to be In fantastic shape. It is also possible to have heard that black sneakers don't work nicely with pastels this isn't exactly precise. My heels can be found here! Her heels would be an ideal nude color! If it comes to styling your naked heels there are not any rules!

In the event the colors are particularly similar, it is a great notion to coat them alongside or besides each Other so their differences are more apparent. Anything goes with These colours, and you want to don't be afraid to mix'em however you desire. You Are very likely to be at a place to wear many of the Light Summer colors But you should fix them a little with a few of your power colors, such as gems. You can even wear several these warmer Light Spring colors, particularly whenever you're tanned.

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ramajmedia · 5 years

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Into The Badlands: The 10 Best Episodes, According To IMDb

RELATED: 10 Best Fights From The Raid Movies, Ranked

Here’s how fans rated the ten best episode of the series, which will be missed. Spoiler warning!

10 Chamber of the Scorpion