“Now, can we move on?” ↳ requested by @sympathyfrthedevil

Nothing is Real Podcast Episodes Ordered Historically

I did something a little weird. NIR is probably my favorite Beatles podcast I’ve listened to, and I love how meticulous they are about laying out the history. So I got curious about listening to the show in the order it happened, not the order Jason and Steven are creating it--I totally understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, mind, it’s just that they’ve got enough episodes now that touch on specific incidents or dates I thought it might be interesting to reorder the episodes. So I have done that. 

If anyone sees a mistake, or cares enough about this to point out an organizational strategy that would make more sense, please let me know!

Under the cut, Nothing is Real podcast episodes in the order of the date covered by the subject matter. Episodes which cover topics rather than dates are grouped at the end; subjects that cover a range of time may overlap with other entries. I have not included subscriber bonus content but it may be added later as the site gets updated.

1.0 Introduction 1963 March: 1.13 Please Please Me [LP] April: 4.3 From Me To You November: 1.9 I Want To Hold Your Hand 1964 February: 4.1  The Ed Sullivan Shows - Part One;  4.2 The Ed Sullivan Shows - Part Two  July: 4.11 A Hard Day’s Night: The Album - Part One; 4.12  A Hard Day’s Night: The Album - Part Two December: 2.12 Beatles For Sale 1965 August: 1.1 Help! - The Album December: 5.13 Rubber Soul • Part One; 5.14 Rubber Soul • Part Two; 5.15 Rubber Soul • Part Three 1967 6.2 The Last Year of Brian Epstein - Part One; 6.3 The Last Year of Brian Epstein - Part Two  May: 2.6 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - Part One; 2.7 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - Part Two August 1967 - Feb 1968: 6.4 The Beatles & The Maharishi - Part One; 6.5 The Beatles & The Maharishi - Part Two December: 1.2 Magical Mystery Tour - The Album 1968 Early 1968: 2.2 Early 1968 August: 3.2 Revolution - Part One; 3.3 Revolution - Part Two; 6.6 Hey Jude - Part One; 6.7 Hey Jude - Part Two; 6.8 Hey Jude - Part Three November: 5.1 Side Two of the White Album: Part One; 5.2 Side Two of the White Album: Part Two 1969 [Basically the Breakup Series] 6.9 Allen Klein - Part One; 6.10 Allen Klein - Part Two; 6.11 Allen Klein - Part Three; 6.12 Allen Klein - Part Four; 6.13 Let it Be - Part One; 6.14 Let it Be - Part Two   May: 4.4 The Ballad of The Ballad of John & Yoko, Part One; 4.5 The Ballad of The Ballad of John & Yoko, Part Two October: 5.8 You Can’t Catch Me: Come Together • Part One; 5.9 You Can’t Catch Me: Come Together • Part Two 1970 1.3 Early 1970 March: 5.12 You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) April: 3.6 McCartney [LP] November: 3.8 All Things Must Pass at 50 Part 1 : The Road to ATMP; 3.9 All Things Must Pass at 50 Part 2 : My Sweet Lord; 3.10 All Things Must Pass at 50 Part 3 : The Album December: 3.1 John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band; 3.B.1 Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band  1971 May: 4.9 Paul & Linda McCartney’s RAM - Part One; 4.10 Paul & Linda McCartney’s RAM - Part Two  August: 5.3 The Concert For Bangladesh Part One; 5.4 The Concert For Bangladesh Part  Two December: 1.7 Wings 71-73 - Part One [Wild Life] 1973 April: 1.8 Wings 71-73 - Part Two [Red Rose Speedway] November: 2.5 Ringo: The Album 1974 2.9 1974 - Part One  2.10 1974 - Part Two 1978 July: 5.7 Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - THE MOVIE 1980 1.16 1980 - Part One 1.17 1980 - Part Two  1988 4.7 The Traveling Wilburys - Part One; 4.8 The Traveling Wilburys - Part Three* (*Two) 2020 December: 3.B.2 McCartney III 2022 June 6.B.2 Paul Is Live

Compilations and Retrospective Categories

1.5 Songs The Beatles Wrote About Each Other - Part One 1.6 Songs The Beatles Wrote About Each Other - Part Two  1.11 Beatle Compilations 1.20 The Beatles at Christmas - Part One [1960-64] 1.21 The Beatles at Christmas - Part Two [1965-1969] 1.19 The Double A-Sides  3.11 The Beatles at Christmas: The 1970s - Part One 3.12 The Beatles at Christmas: The 1970s - Part Two

Historiography and Other Takes 1.4 Paperback Writers - Books About The Beatles 2.3 Paperback Writers 2: More Beatle Books 1.12 Other People’s Songs About The Beatles 2.1 The Road To Anthology [1968-1992] 2.11 The Beatles Anthology at 25 - The Making Of, 1992-1995 3.4 The Anthology at 25 - Part 3 - The Aftermath 5.B.1 The Beatles Get Back [The Night Before] 5.10 The Beatles Get Back

Interviews 1.14 The Mark Lewisohn Interview - Part One 1.15 The Mark Lewisohn Interview - Part Two 2.4 The Robyn Hitchcock Interview  3.5 The Kevin Godley Interview 4.B.1 Ram On Interview with Fernando Perdomo & Denny Seiwell 5.5 The Laurence Juber Interview • Part One; 5.6 The Laurence Juber Interview • Part Two

Very Special Episodes! 1.10 The Abbey Roadtrip 1.18 Paul Vs George - LIVE At Dublin Beatles Fest 1.22 The Review of 2019 2.8 Fifth Beatles 3.7 The Films of Ringo Starr, or, Ringo Movie Starr 3.13 The Nothing Is Real Review of 2020 4.6 Harry Nilsson & The Beatles  5.11 Nothing Is Real LIVE: The Beatles in Ireland 5.16 The Nothing Is Real Review of 2021 6.1 The Unmade Third Movies 6.B.1 The 1958 Echo Lake Home Tapes

I really have to work on my thesis so here's a list of all the dramas I've watched this year and a summary of my most beloved blorbos

• 오징어 게임 - Squid Game: watched once in January. Loved it a lot but couldn't rewatch because it was too heavy for me at the time.

• 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神-도깨비 - Goblin/Guardian the Lonely and Great God: watched once in February/March, cried every episode, need to rewatch soon

• 괴물 - Beyond Evil: You may not have noticed but i have developed some sort of unhealthy obsession with it. Watched it 5 times in total within the span of eight months. 3 times in April, once in July/August once in November. Nothing will ever compare. It changed my brain chemistry. Got the script books despite probably only knowing like 15% of the vocabulary in there but can read them effortlessly because i know the entire show by heart.

• 무브 투 헤븐: 나는 유품정리사입니다 - Move to Heaven: watched it completely once in April. My nose got sore from crying too much. Sometimes i rewatch an episode just to feel something. Beautiful.

• 악마판사 - The Devil Judge: watched 4.5 times so far. 3 times in May/June, once in September/October and got halfway through my fourth rewatch in December (and will continue that eventually). I am obsessed. Absolutely, utterly Obsessed. Second drama i got the script books because i love it so much.

• 나의 해방일지 - My Liberation Notes: watched once in June and fell in love. Very high on my to rewatch list and if they release a script book I'd absolutely try to get that as well!

• 해피니스 - Happiness: Watched twice. First time within the span of 3 days in June/July. I had Corona and was isolating and dreamed about it every. goddamm. night. The whole "what do we do with the infected? Should we throw them out or kill them?" really seemed to resonate with me there lol. Rewatched in September and definitely will rewatch again.

• 내일 - Tomorrow: watched once in August. Idk why i expected something light hearted (i really don't know why) but i loved it very much despite the dark and heavy topics.

• 타인은 지옥이다 - Strangers From Hell: watched once. Was a wild ride.

• 배드 앤 크레이지 - Bad and Crazy: watched twice in August. I absolutely hadn't expected to love it so much. It touched my heart and I'll rewatch it regularly.

• 인간실격 - Lost: Watched once in September. Loved it a lot.

• 나의 아저씨 - My Mister: Watched once in October. No words. Will rewatch. People really weren't lying when they said it's a master piece.

• 악의 꽃 - Flower of Evil: Watched within the span of 3 days in December and am currently on my 1st rewatch. Easily gets to share first place of my favorite dramas with Beyond Evil and The Devil Judge. SO EMOTIONAL. (Also love how it shows how psychiatry and psych diagnoses are used to dehumanize and criminalize people and how it can shape a person's sense of self. Classic example of character assassination. But we don't talk about this on here.)

Now, to summarize my faves:

There's no hierarchy but if I had to say what's my favorite drama, the first place would go to Beyond Evil, which has the first first place, meaning it is untouchable, so it would be unfair to say it's my only number one. Therefore the ranking of my faves goes like this:

1.1 Beyond Evil.

1.2. The Devil Judge, Bad and Crazy, and Flower of Evil

My favorite special little guys are:

• Han Juwon: Very Blorbo. Pathetic wet dog of a man, annoying little bitch (affectionate), I wanted to slap him sometimes as much as I wanted to hug him. He's very dear to me)

• Kang Yohan: Poor little meow meow! Also pathetic wet dog of a man. Very much enjoyed going from hating him to loving him more than my life.

• Ryu Soo Yeol: Classic Blorbo. Also pathetic wet dog of a man (arguably the most pathetic). I love him very much.

• Do Hyun Soo: HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG IN HIS LIFE EVER! He doesn't even give me pathetic wet dog of a man vibes witch is shocking since this is apparently my type! Nothing was more heartbreaking than seeing him sobbing and apologizing and breaking down after so many years of hiding his identity. Deserves the best dad award. I love him so much you don't even understand. (I guess the reason i trusted him from the beginning on was the fact they labeled him with a certain diagnose. You tell me that guy is evil because a psychiatrist said so? So he must be a good person! (Sorry my hatered for psychiatry and psychiatrists/therapists shines through a bit much when I talk about this show/character)).

This, unfortunately, shows very clearly that my type™️ is men with childhood trauma (: Dongsik is very dear to me as well, but since all the horrors started for him after 20 years of having a loving childhood and teenage years, I guess i got imprinted on Juwon instead.

Characters I wanna marry so badly:

• Yoon Saebom

• Yoo Jaeyi

• wouldn't say no to Do Hyun Soo tbh. Has proven to be the perfect husband-

If i stop writing this post I'll have to deal with my thesis so uhhh what can i ramble about.. Oh i know:

BEST OST:

• The Devil Judge! Sexiest OST I've come across so far. Tempest and What You Gonna Do are definitely two of the best songs in the history of songs

• Strangers From Hell! This show might not be my favorite but nothing comes close to this soundtrack.

• Beyond Evil! Empty and 향해 reduce me to tears and Timeless is just unmatched

• Happiness! Pain really hit hard with the line "please i just want everything to stop". Also most of the songs featured aren't even on the official OST but they are SO good!

Shazam Cyberpunk

For all those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than to Google it for themselves. A poster on /v/ called out cyberpunk 2077 for being likely to turn out to be garbage weeks in advance using shazam as a avatar of sorts. Meme usually goes: it doesn't (needed or promised part of a game here) over and over, showing how retarded the cyberchuds were for clammering for a game that wasn't even out. May not be the first movie to jump to mind during Christmas, but it's actually perfect for the holiday season. Cyberpunk 2077 PC Users Reporting Worse Performance After 1.2 Update. For all those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than to Google it for themselves. Listen to Hole In The Sun From Cyberpunk 2077 by Point Break Candy & Raney Shockne Feat. COS & Conway, 21,769 Shazams. Discovered using Shazam, the music discovery app.

It's the time of year when people like to reach for some of their favorite Christmas movies. Maybe they like to go old-school and revisit sentimental stories like It's A Wonderful Life or the original Miracle on 34th Street. Perhaps they prefer something more comedic like Christmas Vacation or A Christmas Story. Then again, maybe they like to buck tradition and choose something that's not seen as a traditional Christmas movie like Die Hard or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. However, there's one recent movie that hits all three beats perfectly. As it turns out, Shazam! may just be the perfect movie to watch during the holiday season.

Released in early 2019, Shazam! just managed to miss a 2018 holiday release (that honor went, instead, to Aquaman). Like Wonder Woman before it, the film appeared to buck the trend of DC movies being dark and almost nihilistic to a fault. Instead, it offered a bright, comedic, and touching story about a boy who is granted power beyond his wildest dreams and must learn how to properly wield it. It also happens to take place during the Christmas season, lending everything an extra-cheerful feeling, which can sometimes juxtapose its more sinister imagery.

RELATED: Will Harley Quinn Die In The Suicide Squad?

That brings to mind another unconventional Christmas movie: Gremlins. The fun and frightening holiday movie utilizes Christmas lights, snow, carols, and Santa to perfectly contrast the terror that the Gremlins bring to Kingston Falls. In Shazam!, this same idea is present in the final battle, which pits Billy and the rest of the Shazam family against the seven deadly sins. These frightening creatures are lent an extra-menacing and haunting appearance by director David F. Sandberg, whose eye for horror is apparent in movies like Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation.

The Christmastime setting also lends a bit of extra flavor throughout the movie, giving moments that might be flat in other superhero films just a bit of a seasonal touch. Another unconventional Christmas movie did this as well: Die Hard. While that film is ostensibly about a lone cop taking down a group of criminals, the fact that it takes place during Christmas lends everything more character. Would the 'now I have a machine gun ho ho ho' scene be the same if it wasn't taking place during December? The same can be said of the shopping mall encounter with Dr. Sivana in Shazam!. Having the hero and villain face off in a crowded mall would be fine enough, but the fact that the chaos is happening around Christmas decorations and holiday shoppers just helps it stand out a bit more.

Shazam! is also not a film that skimps on sentimentality. While it may appear to be a typical superhero tale, at its heart, Shazam! is a movie about family, a theme that can be found in countless Christmas movies (as well as Christmas episodes of popular TV shows). Specifically, it's about the idea that the people who are considered to be 'family' don't necessarily have to be related by blood. This theme is front and center, as young Billy Batson, who spends his time running from foster homes and attempting to find his birth mother, is taken in by Victor and Rosa Vasquez, who seem to have nothing but good intentions for him.

When Billy finally locates his actual mother, her admission that she intentionally abandoned him is totally crushing. It also supports the idea that sometimes family is something to be found, not be born into. It's a heartwarming lesson, one that is made more effective by the fact that Billy's foster siblings are great kids who really care about him (plus, has there ever been a more adorable character in a superhero film than Darla?). Dr. Sivana serves as a smart contrast to this, with the film's opening showing how both his father and brother belittle him. Later in the story, Sivana returns to kill both of them.

Cyberpunk Neon

Max Brhon Cyberpunk Lyrics

Despite the unconventional feel and the story that tugs at the heartstrings, Shazam! also delivers on one element that makes any Christmas movie a million times better: humor. The movie never falls short on playing up how bizarre the situation is, or how a kid would actually act if they were given superpowers. Billy Batson's early days playing around with his various abilities are kind of like Peter Parker discovering his spider-powers, only without the tragedy of a loved one being murdered.

Zachary Levi does an incredible job embodying the enthusiasm and attitude of a 14-year-old kid, but he wouldn't be nearly as good if he didn't have someone as funny as Jack Dylan Grazer to play off of. The comedic chemistry these two have together make many of the early scenes (which are usually a drag in an origin movie) so much more enjoyable to watch.

At this time of year, there's no shortage of Christmas movies to choose from, and while there are so many classics that still make an impression, it's never too late to add a new favorite to the holiday playlist. Shazam! could be just that movie, one that hits every beat that a good Christmas flick should.

MORE: Marvel's She-Hulk Series Will Be A Half-Hour Legal Comedy

Shazam Cyberpunk Movie

Alien: Isolation Will Be Free on Epic Games Store This Week

SpongeGuy Reviews Every Disney Cartoon Ever!: Big City Greens (1.1 and 1.2): “Space Chicken” and “Steak Night”

This is easily one of the most underrated cartoons ever because it focuses on comedy. Jesus Christ. That, and Cricket has an arc, and I’m gonna prove it here.

Big City Greens is a comedy oriented show that is sort of a sleeper hit for the network, at least, in ratings. Fan reception has been mostly positive, but not the best, and the reason seems to be a lack of story, because the 2010′s have been dominated by this, and apparently only Loud House and maybe We Bare Bears can truly succeed with such a formula (maybe Clarence? I don’t think it succeeded as well).

The show is about the green family moving to the big city, each Green slowly improving each episode while retaining their core characteristics so that jokes can still be told at rapid fire succession. And I’m gonna show you how (specifically with MC Cricket, who gets too much hate imo. Yes, this is a slightly personal review because I really like this show and I hope to work on it one day).

SUMMERIES:  Cricket enlists the help of Tilly and new friend Remy when he comes up with a plan to impress his new neighbors by launching a chicken into space.

The Green's traditional Steak Night is threatened when Cricket accidentally leaves the steaks behind on the subway.

COMEDY: 3 Out of 5 (”Space Chicken” and “Steak Night”)

While not the first chronological episode, this is very much a pilot of sorts, so you can see that just like the voices are still getting fitted for the characters, so are the jokes. The fact that they are still good jokes is pretty impressive to say the least!

As the trend of character focused jokes is at its height here, most of the jokes derive from characters being themselves and how they interact with each other and their enviorment. This leads to Cricket causing shenanigans (we’ll get to that), Bill stressing over everything, Tilly being herself (always a good thing) and Alice mostly complaining and being paranoid.

And like all comedy, execution is key; These are good character types, one just has to make them click.

And again, while the comedy isn’t yet at full strength, it’s still really funny! There are lots of great incorrect quote fodder material, lots of great voice acting, lots of exaggeration, and it makes it feel like a cartoony jumble of fun! And this is BEFORE it gets really sharp and crazy!

But, tbh, comedy isn’t the best thing in these episodes. Arguably the show’s greatest strength is that even when the episodes aren’t the show’s best, the characters shine.

CHARACTERS: 4 Out of 5 (”Space Chicken”) and 5 Out of 5 (”Steak Night”)

Again, as I said, these are the first episodes, they’re not gonna be perfect, but the characters are already almost fully realized and likable, that is an ACHIEVEMENT.

To prove this, I’m gonna go through each one and show you how the show knows with what quantity and in what role each one should inhabit in every episode!

Let’s start with the least important character for now: Alice, the grandma. Alice is right now serving only as a comedy tool, and most of the time she is just a comedy tool, as it’s rare for an episode to show other, more fragile and lonely sides to her (but since this show rules, we do get those). The show knows that right now Alice can’t impose since she isn’t important to the main story, so unlike a lot of shows who basically mandate a character must have a big role in every episode regardless of importance to the actual plot, Alice features just as much as she should, quickly showing us who she is (a crabby but deep down loving old woman) and supplying some laughs with her core personality, endearing us to her while she serves no real role.

Then there’s Bill, here really to serve as Cricket’s Superego. If Cricket is the flawed MC with leanings towards good and bad, and Tilly is his soul, Bill is his nagging concious, always worrying, stressing and disappointed. Bill is an understandably nervous man, post divorce, two wild kids, a mother who is very tough on him, things just don’t go well for him. Like Cricket he also wants to be loved, but he has a different way of doing things. In fact, one could argue that Bill is what Cricket could become if he lost his core, and Nancy, the mom (who we WILL GET TO) is what Cricket could become if he never learned a lesson (not that Nancy is a bad person, but she too is a mess). Bill is a great character since his role is the least fun, but he still gets to tell jokes and be an entertaining presence (but trust me we get to see that later in a way better way).

Tilly is the cutest character in the show and an absolute treat. But unlike other “cute” characters, Tilly has a personality, an edge, and flaws. She is a fully realized character, and she serves a special role. Tilly is Cricket’s big sister, but only in name, as she operates more as a younger sister. This is due to her childlike innocence, which culminates in amazing lines and ideas like saying “I have seen danger... And I love it” and wanting to be the queen of rats.

But Tilly’s real role is as Cricket’s soul. Nearly every character in the show reflects or contrasts with Cricket in one way or another (as said before, Bill is Cricket without his fun core, Nancy is Cricket if he never changed, and to add to that, Alice is Cricket if he was only selfish, and Remy is Cricket’s fanboy, almost enabling him and proving his good and bad sides by still showing that Cricket cares). But it is Tilly that serves as Crickey’s soul. She both appreciates his wilder, more troublesome nature, and his risk taking caring side, but she knows that balance must be maintained. She is not perfect: She screws up a lot, and can get selfish and lost. But when it comes to Cricket, she knows what he needs. The world keeps wanting to change him or to love him, but Cricket’s problem is that he needs balance most of all.

And so we get to Cricket. The fandom is quite split on him at times, seeing him either as a lovable scamp or a troublesome jerk. The fact of the matter is: That’s the POINT. He’s not perfect, or horrible, he’s both. Cricket is a boy learning how to balance childhood and adulthood, how to be fun and serious, caring and selfish in a good way, risky and cautious. He tries to launch a chicken into space because he wants attention and love, but also because his dad wants to make a good first impression and Cricket truly cares. He wants to hold the steaks to get praise for being responsible and to perserve family tradition, but he tries his best to save the steaks because again, he cares. He both thinks of himself and of others. He can be malicious and self serving at one point and genrous and loving at the other.

We as viewers love to criticize characters for being callous the moment they make a mistake. But when said character is like, 10, we need to be more forgiving. And slowly slowly, episode after episode, one can see that Cricket is learning (Season 2 will be a prime example for that, can’t wait to show you).

So yeah, Big City Greens is a show about growing up, disguised as a funny hillbilly show. Pretty impressive ;)

STORY AND HEART: 3 Out of 5 (”Space Chicken”) and 4 Out of 5 (”Steak Night”)

DAMN IT I always sum up in characters! God, what do I say now, outside of these being slow but still fun pilots with good story ideas on how to introduce the characters that manage to show contrast, fun dynamics and a loving but edgy family despite everything without sacrificing humor or fun, and that these are only the first ones and we get way better episodes after this and Big City Greens will have a way higher ranking soon?

..Oh, that might do it.

Thank you @chrishoughton​ i hope this review satisfies you! :D

FINAL SCORES: 10 Out of 15 (”Space Chicken”) and 12 Out of 5 (”Steak Night”)

Bingo bango.

Next time we have Sofia The First? OOHHH! CRAIG GERBER IS A GOD THIS SHOULD BE FUN!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/194d3gsPrhlOsFPYsXU-lJirY4sWncrBl/edit#

Hi, khaleesirin! I’ve read your “Daenerys Targaryen is the Great Other” analysis, I thought it was particularly amazing (because the standard is high as it is), it gave me a new lens to look at and analyze Daenerys’ story and it propelled me to reflect further about her arc and themes in relation to the other characters’. I’d like to know your opinion about my musings.

So, I think it’s obvious that the show - at least in its final episodes - had double standards when it came to Daenerys in order to paint her in a bad light. However, I wonder if that won’t also be the case in the books, to a lesser extent.

One of the major themes permeating FeastDance as a whole is false peace, which you can see with the Lannisters and the Tyrells squabbling over Tommen; the several factions in the Night’s Watch; the Freys in the Riverlands; the Boltons and the former Stark vassals (especially the Manderlys); Dorne’s supposed allegiance to the Iron Throne (and also Arianne’s years-long resentment); the situation in the Vale with Littlefinger as Lord Protector; Team Aegon out of public sight (for the most part); and, of course, Daenerys’ campaign in Slaver’s Bay. In all of these plots, people are trying to resolve their disagreements in vain: sometimes war is inevitable.

What makes me uncomfortable is that, as far as I’m aware, Daenerys is the only character whose choice of war (or, more precisely, Fire and Blood) is possibly being framed negatively. I say “possibly” because we don’t have TWOW in our hands to be sure, but you can see that’s a possibility considering how a significant part of the fandom has come to the conclusion that she just can’t be a peacetime queen, she has shown her “true colors”. This opinion never sat well with me because, as I said, lots of characters are heading towards this direction, and Daenerys herself only arrived at that place after having made many efforts to make amends, but they weren’t meant to last because some wars need to be fought on. It is a specific situation that will likely bring out her more violent impulses, yet it doesn’t define her character as a whole. I’ve read arguments about how the peace was worth it in Meereen and how Daenerys is now going backwards, but I simply disagree with them and, considering the pattern in the narrative and the anti-slavery ideas in Fevre Dream, I lean towards GRRM disagreeing as well (I’d really like to know if his main inspiration for Daenerys’ storyline was the American Civil War or the Iraq war, because knowing that would really clarify what he is trying to convey with her storyline). In any case, again, why is she the only character whose decision to fight the just (and inevitable) war is being framed as a step too far, a turn to the darkness?

a) In this case, I think it’s worth considering the Doylist viewpoint. ASOIAF was supposed to be a trilogy of books about Westeros first and foremost. Daenerys was supposed to live among the Dothraki, birth her dragons, get an army and get to Westeros in the beginning of the third book. As we know, GRRM is a “gardener”, so, as he had more ideas for the characters in Westeros, he had to create more stories for Daenerys as well, and one of them was her ruling in Meereen. This brings me back to your essay about her: being the fire of the song of ice and fire, why isn’t her anti-slavery war in Essos given as much importance as the War for the Dawn? Why should it be a mid-point for the character to realize that her endgame is Westeros? If Jon’s struggles against the Others represent the battle against the supernatural form of slavery and the ice part of the story, why shouldn’t Daenerys’ narrative be the battle against the human form of slavery and the fire part of the story? I’d argue both are just wars, though the WftD is an easier, more black-and-white, standard fantasy conflict, while the war in Slaver’s Bay has more nuance (one may argue that the characters revolving Daenerys are not fleshed out enough or dumbed down military speaking or one may point out the racist aspects of Daenerys’ story, but the socioeconomic situation is indeed complex) and is more controversial, which only reinforces the need to continue developing this story and, most importantly, Daenerys’ political career (which I’ll get to later).

These questions show that GRRM also has his architect side. Daenerys’ endgame is Westeros because he’s already said his story is about Westeros. Therefore, he needs to transition her to a mindset that’ll propel her to finally leave, but I don’t think he’s considered (or cared enough about) certain negative implications that I laid out above (and it’s not exhaustive, other writers have talked a lot more about it).

b) We also need to consider how the show factors into those speculations and how we look at the story, because, like it or not, GRRM still told the ending to D&D, even if in a very simplified manner. Before season eight aired, I was fine with the idea that all of the six main characters were going through the darkest phases of their journeys, but that Daenerys’ in particular would cause more collateral damage as a natural consequence of the power she wields. After season eight, however, I started to reflect if GRRM may have double standards against Daenerys as well. In any case, the show has made it very likely that her fire and blood phase will culminate with her burning of King’s Landing. On the one hand, this could be dramatically interesting, but on the other hand, it could amplify those very double standards against her. I’ll explain:

b1) As of ADWD, Daenerys hasn’t yet been exposed to the atrocities her father has committed (in part because she refuses to do so). What better (if deeply tragic) way to do so than have her directly confronting the legacy he’s left behind - namely, the wildfire caches all over the city? It would shatter her sense of purpose in life and lead her to question herself and her sanity. It would lead her to be critical of the Targaryen legacy and how she wants to engage with it and how she uses it to define herself. It would make her feel more lonely and isolated than ever, especially since one of her core wishes is to belong somewhere, to have a place to call home… And no one would embrace her if they think she did it on purpose. I can see this being dramatically really interesting.

b2) But I have my reservations about this: 1) If this happens, Daenerys will be in need for redemption and this doesn’t feel right to me (similar to how I feel about Arya). 1.1) She is not and has never been morally flawed as characters like Jaime or Theon or even Tyrion and Sandor. As of ADWD, she’s only committed two morally ambiguous acts (ie crucifying the 163 masters and torturing the wineseller’s daughters). She’s always had her heart in the right place and, if this tragedy happened, it wouldn’t necessarily turn her darker, she’d be a victim of circumstance (and I say so because I don’t see how her actions are any different than the other leaders fighting in the Wot5K, again the double standards…). I dislike how this would frame her outcome in such a moralistic way, especially considering how her character and arc have been paralleled with Jon’s and I’ve yet to see any theories of his character taking a dark turn. 1.2) She’s one of the characters who better embody the books’ idea that you have to do the right thing even if you don’t get anything in return. And yet, not only her war in Essos will be given less narrative importance compared to the WftD (because it will be treated as a middle stage to her fire and blood phase), but when she arrives in the protagonist-centered Westeros, she will be committing war crimes (even if accidentally in the case of the burning of KL)? I’m not a fan of this scenario because it strengthens the idea that she can’t be a peacetime queen because her choice in her final ADWD chapter was fire and blood (which as I’ve said ignores all the time she spent trying to make peace). 2) Also, I’ve noticed a tendency of fandom also demonizing the Targaryen dynasty as a whole, the dragons and the Iron Throne (which to them serves the same thematic purpose as the Ring of LoTR) and I don’t buy their interpretation either because we’ve already seen previous kings who did right by Westeros sitting on the Iron Throne and using their dragons. Having Daenerys fail so spectacularly to restore her family’s dynasty and destroy its most important symbol (the Iron Throne) does not say much about the dynasty’s nature or even the corrupting nature of power as they’d like to believe, it mainly creates sexist implications (that I’ll discuss below). Of course, this depends on how it’s framed: if the dynasty’s end is meant to be a tragedy because of Aerys II’s actions, then I’d buy it; if the dynasty’s end is meant to be a better course of action for Westeros, then it does not work. I wonder why the Targaryens are so vilified when every other house is also working under the parameters of feudalism. Feudalism as a whole should be criticized. Why are the North or Dorne in any better conditions under the governments of House Stark and House Martell? And if GRRM wanted to make an statement about how it’s bad for one individual to accumulate so much power under a centralized government, he really failed, because the Targaryen dynasty is made of successes as much as failures. 3) I’d still expect Daenerys to choose a diplomatic course of action before ultimately deciding to use her dragons on Team Aegon. Heck, it’s still mind-blowing to me to know how the Yunkish masters have burned a lot more things in ADWD than Daenerys and then envision a scenario where she decides to go fire and blood and then accidentally burns everything. GRRM will have to be careful with how he executes this plot if this happens, precisely because it doesn’t gel that well with her previous characterization.

b3) If Daenerys burning KL comes to pass (and the show made it seem very likely that it will), then Daenerys is most likely another queen who failed, which is another tired plot point as well. Anyone who’s read F&B knows that Aerea and Rhaella Targaryen, Rhaena Targaryen, Rhaenys Targaryen, Rhaenyra Targaryen and Daena Targaryen were all considered as queens but were ultimately passed over for their male relatives. It’s a shame that GRRM had so many opportunities to let women rule and chose not to, so why can’t Daenerys be the ultimate change for the dynasty? Related to that point, why can’t she succeed in re-establishing her dynasty when Aegon the Conqueror could? You can’t escape the gender aspect of her potential failure, and having Sansa end as QITN doesn’t fix that, it only makes one question the double standard that plagues House Targaryen and not the others. Finally, in hindsight of the historical (and GRRM’s) pattern of setting female rulers aside and of everything that might happen to Daenerys in the books, having Aegon take the throne and get the love from the smallfolk Daenerys craves for only adds salt to the wounds.

b4) Of course, all I’m supposing that happened in the show and will also happen in the books is that Daenerys will burn King’s Landing. Will she be made a villain and implied mad as well after a lot of stupid foreshadowing in which male characters only told us what the writers wanted the viewers to see, rather than the writers actually showing signs of madness? Will she willingly burn a city full of innocents? Will she be robbed of her perspective by waving away all her actions as “Targaryen madness” (another way of the fandom demonizing the Targaryens, which the text doesn’t really support if you look closely)? Will GRRM not pay attention to how those actions could undermine the book series’ main themes (not that the fucking show has conveyed any themes in a consistent manner, but that’s a bigger issue)? Will he have it happen at a point that’ll leave Daenerys with no chance to redeem herself and end her story with her legacy forever tarnished in-universe, general awareness and pop culture? Will he make Jon Snow look good even after killing her (if that’s how she dies)? Will he make her work within a system that never gave her a chance and have her last appearance be drenched in Nazi symbolism? Because of the double standard that’s also present in the books affecting how Daenerys is perceived, I’m no longer a fan of the theory of her burning King’s Landing. But, if it happens (and it won’t happen without its share of issues), please, GRRM, let her voice be heard, pay attention to her previous characterization, reflect on how those actions will be tied to the book series’ themes and give her a chance to redeem herself and ultimately end on the side of the heroes (because that’s what she is, and that’s important to acknowledge because of her previous acts, the series’ themes and how she compares - or doesn’t - to the actual villains of the story).

Anyway, I agree with you that it was great to see Daenerys rule in Meereen and that it’d a shame if GRRM doesn’t recognize that in the future books. I’m not sure the original Daenerys as he envisioned was going to be as revolutionary as Daenerys is, but, considering the OTL as it is, if their trajectories have changed, then naturally their endgames must be different as well (fitting with GRRM’s gardener identity).

I’d argue that Daenerys’ ending should emphasize her as a political force. Therefore, if one must have her have her dark phase and then burn King’s Landing (and not allow her to continue the Targaryen dynasty, which I would have liked to see), then have Daenerys decide to turn back east with her three dragons to continue the good fight after concluding that Essos has never felt like home, but it was where she did put the effort to build trees, while Westeros was the dream and home of her ancestors, who do not need to wholly define her. It is the end of the Targaryen dynasty, but not with her death. Why I’d choose an ending like this: 1) The circular ending matches show!Jon’s, whose ending I thought would be fitting for book!Jon’s as well; 2) She ends her journey being more critical of external influences and more aware of her needs and actual experiences instead of simply taking on Viserys’ and her ancestors’ dreams to find an ultimately failed sense of belonging. She’s the one in charge of her journey from now on, which is an existential victory of sorts. The continent where she made and can still make a difference is Essos, and she’ll return aware of that, and with a more realistic and resilient sense of purpose; 3) It emphasizes her role as a queen and a revolutionary, not only as a savior (to people who have been in the abstract for her for most of her life); 4) It won’t be a totally happy ending. She’ll be left scarred from the events she witnessed in Westeros, from the burning of King’s Landing to the fight against the Others to the rejection she experiences from the lords and smallfolk alike. She’ll always feel like she needs to atone for her mistakes and she’ll be another Targaryen queen who failed. She still won’t have found a place and people to call her “home”. 5) That being said, she’s alive, in a position of power, more aware of herself and her place in the world and with the possibility of continuing to do good. And she’s also mentally stable and a hero, far from a villain.

So, what did you think? Do you think there are double standards against Daenerys in the books as well, especially in regards to how the inevitability of the wars is framed? What did you think of my observations about the (likely) upcoming burning of King’s Landing? Would you rather have her sit on the Iron Throne, go back to Essos or something else entirely? Please tell me what you think! I really enjoy your posts and they are the reason why I felt the need to gather my thoughts.

so i feel like ranking the 10 released Star Wars movies, just for funsies.

Note: this is purely 1000000% subjective.

ETA: OH MY GOD i forgot the Ewoks movies. Five year old me is so disappointed. Problem fixed. xD

10: The Force Awakens - I found this a lackluster wannabe ANH lacking the heart of ANH, way too much of a bone thrown to the Prequel Hater crowd (up to and including Simon “I don’t respect prequels fans as people” Pegg as the consultant) with the constant BtS harping on “real effects” and the wholesale lifting of so much of ANH. Absolutely magical cast, zero Star Wars magic in that movie for me. I have no desire to ever watch it again. I will probably rewatch the parts of the Holiday Special that amuse me before I’ll watch this again. Shockingly mediocre; it’s like JJ didn’t even try, he just wanted to make the Whiny Fanboys happy.  (Needless to say, I have my reservations about Episode 9, as you might imagine.)

(TFA lags so far behind the other 9 that I’m straight up numbering them 1.9 and onward. These are sorted honestly by the smallest things.)

1.9: The Clone Wars - Kinda eh plot, but the lead in to see way more from Anakin, plus the introduction of Ashoka, love it. Had the most “eh” plot though, hence it coming in at 1.9.

1.8: A New Hope - At this point in the series, Han, Luke, and Leia are more ... archetypes than characters. This is good, because it serves as introduction, and still hearkens back to the serials that were Star Wars’ inspiration, but it still drops ANH down to the bottom of the crowded #1 field.  xD

1.7: Attack of the Clones - The weakest of the prequels, though I one million percent believe this is because they cut so many of Padme’s scenes. Almost all the relationship scenes were cut, almost all the Naboo scenes were cut, and it infuriates me. I love that Anakin is an awkward dork. I love that Padme likes him and doesn’t know what to do about it. I love that when she says “no, we can’t” he 100% backs off and doesn’t mention it again. The rendition of the Imperial March with the clones at the end is still my favorite rendition of the Imperial March, and the rendition of Across the Stars with first Anakin’s Theme, and then just the barest, barest hint of the Imperial March at the end of the credits is in my top three favorite pieces of Star Wars music ever. I love it. (Like I said, these are all 1.whatever for a resaon. I don’t dislike this movie at all. I’m rating on incredibly minute things.)

1.6: The Empire Strikes Back - I love this one, I do. The confrontation between Luke and Vader! Especially after the prequels, feeling that Vader just wants out from under someone’s control, and here’s a connection to Padme (and how like Padme Luke is! With her heart, her caring, her softness, her optimism; you have to wonder what kind of feelings this stirred up, after decades of trying to bury them). And Luke himself, so determined to save his friends, not controlled by the Order, I just love him. The first hints of Leia being Force sensitive! I only knock it down this far because the fandom has made me exceedingly tired of Boba Fett and frankly I fucking hate Yoda. (I told you it was subjective.)

1.5: The Phantom Menace - Anakin’s story, ultimately, can be summed up as “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” and to see that well, you have to see where he starts - a nine year old slave boy willing to risk his life to help total strangers. Asserting his personhood even at that age, in those circumstances. Worried about these strangers, and his mom, more than himself. Even here, you see that the Jedi have reduced people to mere numbers, you see them callous and uncaring of a scared child. Even here, you can see that as close as Anakin and Obi-Wan got, their relationship would be doomed. You wonder what would have happened if Qui-Gon hadn’t died. You see new places, new ships, new creatures. You know what happens to the Republic, you’ve seen it dirty and dingy and run-down ... and here, you see it bright and beautiful and gorgeous. It’s the necessary beginning to a fall that will encompass the galaxy. 

1.4: The Last Jedi - This movie felt like Star Wars. New places, new people. Themes that have been ignored in Star Wars, nuance that we’ve been talking about for years. How do heroes deal with failure? How do you step into shoes you don’t think you can fill? How do you find where you belong? How do you become a leader? So few small quibbles with this movie, I could probably move this and 1.3 interchangeably, to be honest. Here the excellent cast gets to shine in a way I don’t feel they did in TFA, and I love them all the more for it. Cried like a baby all over this one, too. (Still should have been Anakin talking to Luke, though.)

1.3: Revenge of the Sith - The corruption rotting the heart of the bright, shining Republic finally bursts forth. The road to hell has been laid with good intentions, brick by brick by brick, and you’re helpless to do anything but watch Anakin begin his journey on it, like a slow motion collision. (It hurts even more after the Mortis arc in TCW, because you know this isn’t what Anakin wanted. God, TCW was so good for the prequels.)  You see how Anakin’s fear of failing, how the Jedi Order’s complacency, how politics can destroy that which is light and good. And yet ... and yet.  “The dark is generous and it is patient and it always wins – but in the heart of its strength lies its weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back. Love is more than a candle. Love can ignite the stars.”

1.2: Rogue One - God this movie just punched me in the heart. The cast was amazing, I love that they gave us this whole phenomenal movie to answer one plot hole, I love/hate the ending, and goddamn Vader was awesome (even if they should have had Hayden come back). I’ve rewatched this one a lot. I don’t even have anything more to say about it, I just love it.  

1.1: Return of the Jedi - The happy ending! Vader is finally (fiiiiiiiiiiiiinally my god that man has suffered) redeemed. Ewoks! Yub Nub! this is the first Star Wars movie I remember seeing (I technically went to ESB but I was in utero, so I was a little preoccupied at the time lmao), and I will always love it. It will always be number one for me. I have zero opinion on the Sebastian Shaw/Hayden Christensen fight, I like both endings. I liked older Vader, but I could see the reasoning for the new, I don’t think it utterly destroyed the movie. /shrug  Anyway, RotJ has always been my favorite and will always be my favorite. (And you know what, I’m adding the two Ewoks movies here because I goddamn love ewoks and yes give me more of them.)

ONE CORDY AND ANGEL MOMENT PER EPISODE ➺ 1.02, Lonely Hearts "I’m kidding. Come in."