#how does a show go from being an 11/10 in its first season to a 3/10 in its second?
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so is it just me or did season 2 of ofmd feel like twenty episodes worth of story beats squeezed into eight?
#how does a show go from being an 11/10 in its first season to a 3/10 in its second?#how did it go from something so rich and thoughtful to something so flat and careless?#the finale was the worst offender but my god the entire season was a fucking mess#sorry this blog is usually my happy place but sometimes a girl has feelings she needs to get off her chest#our flag means death#l
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Let's go down the line of fuckassary: LONG ASS POST AHEAD.
1: Gaia looked and acted like everyone else. She should've been WAY angrier, she should be pissed at Persephone for bringing about winter first of all. Should be pissed that she was a sleep and NOTHING got better over the centuries. But sure, she's giggling and happy.
(I liked that she shoved her hand in Ouranos' chest tho.)
2: It's soo funny that people keep SAYING that Persephone and Hades have true love but the comic hasn't showed us that ever 🤨, like if anything those two losers are obsessed with each other. Be so fr.
3: Once again..this should be Persephones story/POV but its in Hades' always. Fascinating.
4: "You have to spend 3 months away from your sugar daddy" OH NOOOO BUT WEVE BEEN APART FOR SO LONGB 🥺. God. At this point does she even NEED to be in the Mortal Realm fr?? Like..Demeter, Metis and Rhea are back now so..what's her purpose there.
5: The way Gaia just isn't. Gaia is baffling. Anyways. Demeter FINALLY found out what happened to Persephone but she's not..having a moment with her daughter?? Not talking to her about it?? Okay.
6: As usual. They're eager to have sex cuz that's the only thing they do. "I can't wait to see that ass--" ..how very Zeus and Posedion of you quote on quote romantic 🤨
7: She gets her coronation but..didn't she already have that when she married Hades?? Ig not then. Also..Apollo just got a slap on the wrist, not surprising.
DEMETER GOT PUNISHED MORE THAN HIM??? Hell the Titans got punished more than that bitch what the fuck??? God.
8: The disrespect to Zeus is so. 😶 Zeus would literally not sit back quietly for this shit the fuck??? Also..Hera didn't divorce Zeus all those years and now she did ?? And she's what..gonna get with Echo now??? Fascinating. Zeus needs to start tossing rocks. Rachel did Zeus and Heras relationship so fucking DIRTY!!!! GOD!! FUCKING DAMMIT. I hate how she wrote them. Anyways.
9: The Mortal Realm is a lot easier cuz Hades is there?? YOU WERE BORN THERE!!! ITS YOUR HOME!! You ungrateful ass spawn. It wasn't that fun cuz you didn't have a man there?? Insane.
10: The way Persephone clearly doesn't love her own mother is sickening actually. Like..we can't even have them talking to each other?? Dancing?? Even the comment about her doesn't have that much emotion. Also..Dionysus' hair looks goofy, and I guess Hades is all for bringing back mortals now despite making a big stink about it in season 1 but whatever. Yay Semele.
11: "hera just gives him busy work" ..He's literally the king. Literally-- oh my god. "His powers having been the same" which..MEANS WHAT?? And the way Zeus would literally not be happy about this shit is so-- UGH. God it's infuriating. Hades and Posedion clearly don't give a shit about their brother if they aren't concerned about his fucking powers 'not being same'??? Die.
12: Echo needs to stand SEVERAL feet away from Hera. That ship is so god damn tasteless and unnecessary. If you're gonna give hera a new love interest. Maybe give them actual moments?? Make it make sense!!
13: "Ares is still a dog!" *cue laugh track sound*, god this is so..why ?? Ares, baby I'm so sorry people keep disrespecting you in every iteration 🤦♀️
14: ignoring the Artemis bit cuz she wasn't relevant for any of the major plots and she still isn't. Anyways. Hades stay the FUCK away from Thanatos. "They can have conversations" oh?? How fascinating. Hades just NOW deciding to care about Thanatos doesn't make up for years of his neglect.
15: Persephone, Ares and Aphrodite should beat Eros' ass for being useless about Apollo. I still think that. Eros is an ass of a friend.
16: 'new powers' ..Girl your powers are basically your old powers with one extra step. Shut UP!!! anyways. (No one cares about kassandra, sorry not sorry. Who was worried about that )
17: Hades and Persephones millionth drabble of nonsense fluff. They're not saying anything new, nor are they doing anything new. I do like the art tho. It's just..baffling how..they're relationship started soo much nonsense and we're suppose to see it as a good thing??
THIS is a good ending??
Nevermind the fact Persephone didn't spend time with her friends or her MOTHER, nevermind the fact Zeus and Posedion don't even get to speak to their mother either.
Hera, Hestia and Demeter don't have a moment with Metis either.
Like..what was the point of bringing them back if you weren't gonna bring it to a satisfying conclusion?? Absolutely insane
Also..Eileithyias design is ass. It's sooo boring. It's literally just pilot Hebe but darker. Oh wow she's yellow with purple eyes??? Insidious. Also she just looks boring and bland to be the daughter of the literal king and queen but sure. Give us nothing.
And..again with making the children boring copies of one specific parent! Macaria is so..boring to look at just like Melinoe. Also...hades can..have kids now?? 🤨 okay.
So basically..this was insane from start to finish.
This wasn't a good conclusion. It was absolutely a wreck.
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100 Episodes and Beyond: The Legacy of ‘Station 19’
What we’ll always take away from the landmark series even after it fades to black.
BY MALCOLM VENABLEPUBLISHED: APR 10, 2024
Station 19 is ending, sadly, but when it does make its final farewell this year, Shondaland’s ABC series will leave behind more than teary eyes and a legion of loyal fans not ready to say goodbye. Though on the surface Station 19 functions as a standard emergency services/rescue drama, it has so much more going on underneath its fireproof exterior. For seven seasons now, the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off has become a landmark TV show in its own right, leaving behind a lasting legacy.
On a recent visit to the Station 19 set, where Shondaland was on hand to celebrate the momentous achievement of Station 19 finishing its 100th episode, which airs Thursday, April 11, we caught up with its beloved stars to probe what the show means — and talk about some of the ways the show will live on forever.
First-responder life
Perhaps the biggest and most important legacy of Station 19 is the way it reveals the struggles, sacrifices, and everyday heroism of first responders. Statistics show that Americans make roughly 240 million 911 calls a year — that’s more than 600,000 emergency calls per day. If we’re lucky, we’ll never have to make such a call, making it easy to forget that on the other end of that line are real people who get up every day and put their own needs and lives aside to help us when we’re having the worst day ever.
Through all kinds of calamities, disasters, and unthinkable emergencies — gas leaks and bombs, medical scares and car crashes, and of course, fires — we’ve seen these fictional characters mirror the courage and heroism real first responders exhibit every day. “I think Station,” executive producer and co-showrunner Peter Paige says, “has this magical formula of great action, incredible characters, incredible human stories that model a better way to be in the world.” Amen to that!
Mental health
The flip side of those incredible acts of service on Station 19 is the toll such a job takes. Sure, fires and rescue scenes make really good TV, but what has made Station 19 so impactful is the way it shows the human cost of such work. The death of Rigo (played by Rigo Sanchez) in season three is a good example: The subsequent group therapy sessions, where Andy Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz) and the team confront their grief and loss, illustrated how the job doesn’t exist in a vacuum and even the world’s toughest people feel emotional pain. “The relationships and circumstances really resonate with the audience,” Ortiz says. “They cry with us and grieve with us.”
Representation
“I feel like we have a lot of good representation,” says Zoanne Clack, co-showrunner and executive producer. “A lot of people who don’t see themselves represented usually on network television see themselves on our show.” She couldn’t be more correct. Station 19 has been trailblazing for the way it depicts a number of underrepresented groups — most notably Latinos, who are vastly underrepresented on television — in lead roles, with Pruitt Herrera (Miguel Sandoval) and Andy Herrera (Jaina Lee Ortiz) in particular as standout examples. Showing them as captains has been quietly revolutionary, helping to undo persistent stereotypes that have Latinx people in service jobs or as criminals. LGBTQ characters get a lot of shine on Station 19 too; we see characters like Carina (Stefania Spampinato) and Maya (Danielle Savre) living out their lives, and not being held up as perfect aspirational models but as everyday people dealing with work, relationships, parenting, and the like — just like so many LGBTQ people the world over.
Family
“I think everybody sees the family they grew up in and the family they created — good, bad, and ugly,” says Jason George, otherwise known as Dr. Ben Warren. Indeed, Station 19’s 100 powerful episodes give us unflinching glimpses into what it looks like to be a pea in a pod, so to speak, and navigate the dynamics of being in a forced cluster — particularly accepting and supporting other people even if, in the moment, you’d really rather not. From courtships to breakups, baby making, and confronting the finality to death, the Station 19 family have endured it all together, and viewers have gone through it all alongside them. And that’s just one of the many reasons why its impact will stick inside the hearts of viewers for years to come.
For more on the legacy of Station 19, watch the video above from the series’ 100th episode celebration. And catch the final season of Station 19 on Thursdays on ABC, or stream episodes on Hulu.
Link: 100 Episodes and Beyond: The Legacy of ‘Station 19’ (shondaland.com)
#i was expecting to see them interviewing danielle and/or stefania#😑😔#at least they shared the link for the petition 🥹#save station 19#station 19#station19edit#station19#s19 cast#danielle savre#stefania spampinato#barrett doss#merle dandridge#jason george#boris kodjoe#jay hayden#grey damon#jaina lee ortiz#josh randall#tv: s19#mine
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times they call/insinuate angel is gay/“too feminine for a man”/is attractive to men, in ats - Season 1
ep 1 A manager says to Angel he is a very beautiful man, and he wants to represent him. "Call me, this isn't a come-on"
ep 2 In the club, Angel has to "search for someone that's in trouble" and everyone thinks he is just flirting, including a man, Angel tells him "seriously I wasn't hitting on you"
ep 3 Spike, while watching him from afar, makes a LONG hilarious joke about him being gay, and caring too much about his hair and using “nancy boy hair gel”.
Later while fighting, Spike says to Angel "What’s next ? Vampire cowboy ? Vampire fireman ? Oh, vampire ballerina?" to which Angel responds "I do like to work with my legs" and kicks him
ep 4 Doyle legit admits he is attracted to him
ep 5 Cordy: "do you have (hair)mousse?... of course you do"
ep 6 Mafia boss calls him “nancy boy”. Angel hits him with a chair.
Also, there's a joke where Cordy nags Angel for not noticing her new shoes, Angel is about to say that "men don't notice that staff" when Doyle enters and says to her "Nice shoes!". This is a 'Doyle =gay' joke but it also shows Angel has funny ideas of what makes you a man, and it's funny that the entire plot of the ep is about repressing emotions, and unwinding when you touch a magic stick.
ep 7 Angel and Doyle going to fight a vamp nest is paralleled with Cordy going on a romantic date. Doyle: “everyone has dinner plans”.
The first thing the new husband of Doyle’s ex does when he comes in, is insist on how handsome Angel is. (Doyle’s ex had also just met him, didn’t say a thing, neither did other women this ep)
ep 8, 9, 10 and 11 I didn’t catch any
ep 12 friends of Cordelia meet Wesley and Angel for the first time, the way they act and respond to their flirting and invitations to a party makes them think they are gay “the good ones are always gay” one says. Angel is not bothered about it, Wesley a little. Later they have this conversation in which Angel seems to have noticed that insecurity, and he says to Wesley that the girls liked him, that his clumsiness was charming, and that the fact they think they are gay adds mystery
(also why does angel quickly bit his lip, looks him up and down, and smiles to him like that??? asdfasdfasd)
ep 13 (refer to this post bc it needs context) in short yeah a guy is definitely attracted to him
ep 14 nothing again I guess
ep15 Kate’s dad asks her if Angel is gay, she laughs and says "no, he is just not my type, or I'm not his type".
Also, it felt like the dialogs were specially 'supernatural=queer' this episode, and he WAS getting homophobia by Kate lmao
"you don't get to kill a demon in front of me and then act like we are going to have a cappuccino together"
"No offense, I know you are probably a decent guy for, you know, what you are..."
"If you insist on talking about this, can you pls not call it that? It makes me uncomfortable.(don't say demon) say evil thing"
"What? they are evil things that are not evil? - well yeah(me) - OH right, sorry"
Then the scenes of his father calling him a disappointment make it even more uuughhh, and then he says "It was a son I wished for, a man! Instead, god gave me you".
All scenes from his past as human point to him being a fuck boy, meaning that, even if not queer, in a way, he also didn't follow the conventional norms of romance or sexuality. But it's also funny to point out the first thing he does as a vampire is feed from a man, to which Darla says "now you can have anyone you want"
ep 16 Cordelia ends up saying “if anyone is wearing a push-up bra here its-- Angel!” when Angel surprises her entering the room, (Also, Wesley describes a type of demon that howls when they are preparing to fight or mate, next scene angel is fighting them while they howl(they appear male), I know this one is a reach, but I’m putting it here bc it made me laugh).
ep 17 so he reads girl-celebs magazines and remembers this rumor about an actor? sure
also this ep Cordy(known fashion lover) compliment's Angelus fashion sense "Angelus would never wear those pants".
In the buffyverse they say everything is the same without the soul except there's no guilt, meaning no repression about what he would like to wear. So if it hadn't been obvious from before, Angel is also a fashion lover, except repressed about it.
ep 18 there was nothing much here except if you count that Darla asks him "have you met someone else?" no gender-specific.
And/or this interaction with Linsdey cuz come on the tension, the banter, the 'was it necessary getting this close?'
ep 19 Again nothing textual unless you count that Wesley risks his life and goes against the Watchers council for him, even if it means helping someone he hates(Faith), and his loyalty to Angel is called a perversion(also how does angel look so small here??asdfsas)
ep 20 two little things, first, does this joke "you show me yours, I'll show you mine" Angel says to intimidate a guy count? lol
Second, in this ep they get paid to search for blackmail pictures of a guy who went to a demon script club, after Angel takes them back Wesley looks at them, and he seems weirded out. Angel is besides him and only with a quick look he is able to tell the pictures are upside down, Wesley turns them and looks at them again, he says "oh, I can't imagine it was pleasant" to which angel makes this face like uhm???
In any case I put it here cuz even if its not an "angel=gay" moment it certainly shows he has experience with Unconventional sex staff
eps 21 and 22 I didn't catch anything, but in the last ep the "supernatural= other(queer/disabled/etc)" thing is easier to see. Because there's Kate again with the irrational hate like "I'll rid the city of your kind" etc just after Angel saves someone.
And the last scene shows the way your friends don't mind the "weird" parts of you even if you or most people do
a super endearing moment that happens just before the show promises Angel that he will "as a reward" be normal eventually, which weird, cuz then, Is the message of the story that you can find peace by finding a mission and loved ones who accept you as you are? or is it you can find peace only as long as you are useful to the normal 'innocent' people around you, and you work toward being normal? idk
#I think I started this after I saw a lot of comments on yt in a random vid calling angel straight#like how dare you insult him like that#sadfasdfsadfsdf#but I kept the bit going cuz it was funny#ats#angel ats#angel btvs#btvs#also disclaimer cuz I've seen lot of rotten staff out there#I'm not including things like: this character acts like a mother this character is saved by others a lot#or this character likes pink or cooks or is shirtless a lot#cuz those are just gender stereotypes that actually are just human things not femenine or masculine#not inherent in men or women#so I don't believe a male character having or doing staff society considers feminine means they ARE gay or feminine#lol thats so backwards#those staff only get in the list if another character or the show somehow explicitly classifies them#as a sign of being 'too feminine for a man' or gay#this attempts to be from the show's perspective
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Hi! I have a few questions I hope you don't mind me asking. Would you say that you like Lovely Writer more than I Feel You Linger In The Air considering the LW is a 9.5 in your book but IFYLITA is only a 9. And even though IFYLITA is only a 9, do you think you would include it within your Queer Cinema for BL Syllabus considering other notable aspects about it
Hello! I don’t mind questions at all.
Ratings are Recommendations for Me
Before we get into why each show got a different score, I think it’s important to explain my ratings system again. I come from the land of media criticism, and the primary question for me is “How easy is this to recommend to people?” I secretly use a five-stars system (5 Great, 1 Terrible) that I simple double for the 10 stars of MDL that basically works as such:
No one should watch this. It is incoherent, poorly made, and offensive.
Only genre fans could appreciate anything happening here, but it’s still offensive and/or poorly made.
Genre fans can appreciate this show, but it has major flaws in execution, narrative, or themes.
Genre fans will love this. Strong execution overall but requires some familiarity to truly appreciate.
Everyone will love this and is a fine entry point for the genre. Excellent execution and strong storytelling.
Bad Buddy is a 9.5 for me because, while it is an excellent project, the episode 12 first half sucks so hard
So why does IFYLITA get a lower score than Lovely Writer?
IFYLITA is a beautiful show with strong performances across the entire cast. However, it is a time travel show in which I don’t exactly know what the point of the time travel is, other than to enable a historical romance and enable the storyteller to play with that setting from the modern perspective. I don’t know why Jom is being dragged around the time stream or why he’s doomed to fall in love with and be torn from Yai repeatedly.
Additionally, this is a slavery romance. I am a Black gay man born and raised in the South. Solomon Northup’s autobiography is required reading, as are other first person accounts of chattel slavery in the US and the way the North surrendered Reconstruction to the South. I also watched Kindred this year after having not read Octavia Butler’s work in a long time. I am not a person who typically enjoys the power dynamics of historical romance, and I really don’t like slavery romances. I was talking with @lurkingshan yesterday about how much I didn’t like Jom and Maey sitting on the floor as Eaeang Phueng says goodbye to her family.
Finally, I think Lovely Writer is more coherent. It’s a single-season story about a potential romance between a BL actor and a BL writer. The show goes on to unpack all of the complexities surrounding these two as they are forced to collaborate and cohabitate during the filming of a show. IFYTLITA muddles its ending, and we have been reliant on spoilers from book readers to make sense of what the hell happened at the end of the episode. I don’t like that. I hate when we’re reliant on commentary from the source media to understand what the hell happened in an adaptation.
So, because of these particular issues, Lovely Writer is slightly easier for me to recommend to people over I Feel You Linger in the Air. Despite how Nonkul and Bright delivered on what may be the most accessible romantic chemistry of the year, and how much I loved the way this show tastefully approached m/m intimacy and sex, the show has some stumbles that I think diminish it slightly. I think episode 11 is incredible. I think Episode 10 is too pat. I think Episode 12 is hedging too much on a potential second season and doesn’t close off season 1 in a way that’s satisfying for me.
These are all bigger or smaller issues than others. I also very, very rarely go back and change my ratings for shows based on modern circumstances. Lovely Writer was special when it released. We don’t get IFYLITA without Lovely Writer. When I finished Lovely Writer, I thought it was one of the best shows of the year and I thought every BL fan needed to watch it. It doesn’t get a 10 because so much of the drama is about BL itself, and so there is some explaining that’s needed for people who aren’t in genre.
So, to be clear:
For me, Lovely Writer is easier to recommend to people than I Feel You Linger in the Air. That’s the .5 difference between them.
I hope that all made sense. Thanks for the question!
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So… about that Miraculous rewrite, what do you have in mind?
Okay, thank you for asking, I appreciate it. I’ll try and make this as concise as possible, because there’s a lot and I tend to ramble, so I’ve made it in the form of a numbered list:
1. I don’t plan on redeeming Chloé. I feel like despite actually knowing why Chloé didn’t get redeemed, there’s a pretty decent lesson about how entitlement doesn’t mean you get what you want that they definitely also could’ve gone with of if they were a bit smarter with it.
2. No zodiac kwami. They’re the bane of my existence. Why are two of them time travel based in power?
3. Adrienette is the endgame couple.
4. As of right now I’m sitting at three seasons, each one being 16 episodes plus three specials but I might either add a season four or make season three longer. One of the specials is the alternate dimension one. I love the concept of it.
5. I also gave the show an actual timeline. Because the Christmas specials says it’s Adrien’s first Christmas without his mother, but then season one has the Valentine’s Day episode which means it’s February and then the school year in France starts in September so if we look at season one as somewhat chronological, it means the Christmas special is wrong and that drove me crazy so I just redid the whole timeline. Because it would be his second Christmas without his mom.
6. Nathalie doesn’t have an unrequited crush on Gabriel. I never quite got that.
7. Any rich kid that was a sentimonster isn’t one anymore. The peacock miraculous doesn’t create sentimonsters but rather charms enemies as its main skill.
8. Adrien has more of a backbone than he does is canon and Marinette’s crush on. Adrian is a bit more healthy.
9. Rather than using potions to unlock new skills, the kwamis can manifest them themselves. They just need to expend extra energy and there are just some situations where that’s more difficult. I just feel like the book and the potions and the rennlings from the Shanghai special make the kwamis feel less like something ancient powerful and more like a tool. And also because Frozer takes place in January/February and Syren takes place in March/April (both are season two episodes though).
10. Up until the collector, Natalie didn’t know that Gabriel was Hawkmoth and agrees to wear the butterfly miraculous in order to get Gabriel to let Adrien go back to school and not be able to pull them out for a stupid reason anymore otherwise she’ll just go to the cops and be like “my boss is the supervillain.” She does this again in Simon Says but with Adrien’s love life as a preemptive caution.
11. Adrien is in the finale battle. I don’t get why they didn’t include him in season 5.
12. Emilie Agreste is a famous actress so her disappearance (aka I haven’t quite settled on what I want to do with her) is a lot more well-known to the public.
13. I am planning on renaming both of Felix‘s parents. I just haven’t quite settled on names yet.
I think that’s all I got right now. I’ve mainly been focussing on the timeline and the episode list and any changes to episodes rather than the characters themselves which feels counterproductive, but it’s just the way that my brain works, especially since I find it really difficult to think out Marinette and Adrien as individuals. My brain kinda just weaves them together.

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His Dark Materials Season 3 - Full Season Thoughts
When I say that I’ve been waiting for this not just for two years since S2 but also for 15-ish years since I read the book, I truly am not exaggerated, I just know that I’m going to be a MESS and bawling at the end of it.
Warning: not only for spoilers under the cut but also because I’m fangirling AND screaming a lot about this series so… yep! Be prepared!
Episode 1: The Enchanted Sleeper
I HAVE MISSED THIS SHOW SO FUCKING MUCH
AMBER SPYGLASS ADAPTATION HERE WE GO 10 YEAR OLD ME IS CRYING SCREAMING SHAKING THROWING UP
Will looking for Lyra 😭❤️
The fact that in her dream-state, the first thing Lyra asked for was Pan, and me knowing what’s coming??? Oh, this season will truly break my damn heart-
ROGER ROGER ROGER 😭😭😭😭
THE TITLE CREDITS CHANGED AND I SAW THE LAND OF THE DEAD AND HARPIES AND ALSO THE MULEFA ASDFGHJKL
DADDY ASRIEL BELACQUA IS BACK ASDFGHJKL
Stelmaria is so bloody beautiful, oh my god, Asriel truly has such a beautiful dæmon
THE GALLIVESPIANS ASDFGHJKL HOLY FUCK EVERYONE ITS ALL COMING TOGETHER
Am admittedly a little disappointed they’re not riding dragonflies or anything
ASRIEL IS WAGING HIS WAR IT’S HAPPENING
I’m so ridiculous, I fangirled seeing Ama because I was like “I REMEMBER HER FROM THE BOOK”
The BSL between Mrs Coulter and Ama omg I was not expecting that but I was literally captivated the entire time they were on-screen, 11/10 choice
Pan weakly asking Mrs Coulter to let them go 😭 also hi Kit Connor, I keep forgetting you’re the voice of Pan in this series
Why is Father Gomez… hot tho 💀
THE GAY ANGELS KISSED THIS IS GOD TIER FUCKING CONTENT GOD FUCKING BLEEEESSSSS
Baruch and Balthamos, yet another reason my heart is going to fucking shatter tonight
Ogunwe’s eldest daughter being “soulless” and Asriel explaining it by explaining his and Stelmaria’s bond and saying what happened to the girl is the same as cutting his dæmon/soul away 😭
Lyra managing to escape but she’s so weak that she didn’t get far and Marisa caught her 😔
The mother-daughter dynamic is so interesting in such a messed up way, like Marisa truly thinks what she’s doing is right and will protect Lyra but also her method of keeping her daughter safe is to drug her and keep her asleep in a cave/hideaway somewhere, truly unstable and unhealthy parenting techniques here
Ama saw her chloroforming Lyra oh my god 😦
IOREK LOOKING FOR LYRA OH MY GOD 😭 HE LOVES HER SO MUCH I LOVE ONE BEAR DAD AND HIS HUMAN DAUGHTER
Will really sliced Iorek’s helmet like it was butter, no wonder Iorek was like “nope I’m not fighting I can’t fight a knife that does that to my armour”
Not Father Gomez sniffing Mrs Coulter’s (?) dress 💀
Oh no no no not the spy fly things being sent after Mrs Coulter, Jesus H-
Marisa telling the monkey to leave her alone and he just doesn’t??? Like he wants to try and comfort her but doesn’t know how, and he doesn’t say anything but she knows what he’s thinking??? Their dynamic is so messed up, I love it
“Welcome to the Republic of Heaven, Commander” CHILLS LITERAL CHILLS
They ended the episode with an “in memory of” for Helen McCrory (the voice of Stelmaria in S1&2) and I nearly started bawling oh my god
Episode 2: The Break
“Nearly 400 years with Baruch must have mellowed me” - OH MY GOD T H E M
“We feel as one, though we are two” - THEY ARE SO…?!? THIS IS BEAUTIFUL ASDFGHJKL
“And you’ll find a way to protect the one you love” - 😭😭😭
SPYFLY?!
I know it’s been three years since the end of S1 aired and obviously the young actors grow fast, but damn is Roger’s voice deeper than when he died
“They’re hurting me” - NOOOOOOOOOO
“Just tell me where you are and I’ll find you!” “... The Land of the Dead” - FUCK ME
Lyra screaming for Roger like that, I feel so sick
Pan’s little ermine noises are so cute omg
“Where did you go? I... I couldn’t follow you there.” (Pan to Lyra) - NOT THE FORESHADOWING, JUST RUN ME THROUGH WITH A KNIFE AT THIS POINT, IT WOULD FUCKING HURT LESS JESUS FUCKING CHRIST
QUEEN RUTA SKADI AAAAAAHHHHH
“It would take more than a little crash to put an end to the pair of us” - I swear to fucking god, if this is more foreshadowing-
(it’s been a few years since I read TAS, okay, give me a break if I’ve forgotten anything)
AAAHHHH MARY MALONE I MISSED YOU
Wait did she just walk into Ogunwe’s camp???
“Something happened here a few days ago and now they’re everywhere” - WHAT ARE??? IS IT THE BUZZING???
The way I tensed up seeing Marisa approach Ama jesus christ i do NOT trust that woman
Also Ama’s outfit reminded me of Lyra’s Jordan College outfit from the film, like the red pinafore and blue dress underneath I mean
ROKE??? AND HE MENTIONED LADY SALMAKIA AAAAHHHHHHH
“When is Lyra not in danger?” - LMFAO true though
“You dismiss Lyra too easily” - Exactly, thank you Stelmaria! Was not expecting her to come through for Lyra but I’m pleased!
“Eve was the Mother of Creation, Lyra is simply the creation of Marisa and I. She is not Eve, she’s a little girl” - OOF
“She must have some information they need or some skill we’ve overlooked.” “Other than being able to read the Alethiometer, she has very little, I’m afraid... other than a nose for trouble” - DAMN ALRIGHT CHILL ASRIEL
The way that Stelmaria snarled so angrily at him talking about Lyra like that oh my GOD
“What??? What would you like me to say?” “The truth.” - FUCK YEAH, Stelmaria, call out your human like that!
“There are angels above the camp” - OOH SHIT
“What are they doing?” “They’re fighting” - OH FUCK WAIT I THINK I REMEMBER THIS NO-
I AM NOT READY TO LOSE BARUCH YET NO NO NO NO FU-
“He’s leaving us” — NO FUCK OFF FUCK OFF I FUCKING CANT DO THIS TODAY-
“My Balthamos” - IM NEVER GOING TO RECOVER FROM THIS, NEVER, THIS IS TOO PAINFUL
HIS LAST WORD WAS “BALTHAMOS” I AM GOING TO SCREAM
Yes we got gay angels kissing but at what cOST 😭😭😭😭😭😭
BALTHAMOS FEELING IT WHEN BARUCH DIES ASDFGHJKL NO I CANNOT COPE, IM GONNA BE SICK, THIS IS SICK, PHILIP PULLMAN IM HIDING UNDER YOUR BED
“This is your fault… you forced me to come here! I wanted us to stay together, I wanted to go with him! They’ve killed him!” - literally STAB ME, it would hurt FAR less 😭
Father Gomez is so hot but he has a spider dæmon so it’s a hard no from me 🙈
“I once killed an innocent young boy in order to harness it (Dust)” - yeah, and we still haven’t FUCKIN forgiven you
Not Asriel straight up torturing Alarbus in his Dust experimenting chamber :l though he DID kill Baruch so...
“You think you’re significant - He does not even know your name” - DAMN, what a sick burn
“We have a life in the resistance; we can read, write, learn... all those things are forbidden by the temple, especially for-” “Girls.” - oh damn. It’s obvious that this is a commentary on teachings by the church or whatever, especially how it used to be in the past. (My brain is tired so I can’t do full analysis, but I’m sure other people out there will do it better than me)
The girls wanting Mary to stay “to rest” and then asking her about why she’s looking for the girl while pouring her a drink... feels very ominous to me and I hope I’m wrong
(Spoiler alert: I was wrong)
The Magisterium straight up sending out a death squad to kill Lyra, Jesus Christ it’s almost hilarious how far gone they are that they can’t see why killing a teenage girl is wrong, like mother of sin or not, that is still a teenage girl
Will to Iorek: You attract too much attention - YOU DON’T SAY LMAO HE’S LITERALLY AN ARMOURED BEAR
Of course Balthamos knows sign language, that literally makes so much sense because he’s an angel so of course he’d know literally every language in history - and so of course he appears and translates because she can’t hear Will and he doesn’t sign. I love it
I know only a small amount of BSL but I felt so happy when I was able to read Balthamos signing “W-I-L-L” and Ama finger-signing her own name
“But no mother could possibly be this cruel.” “This mother would.” - DAAAAAAAMN
She’s growing sunroot, which is a waking medicine oh my gOD I love Ama, she is truly an icon in her own right even though she’s only in two episodes
Will smiling a little when he sees Lyra sleeping :’)
THE WAY I JUMPED AT MARISA’S VOICE OMG
“I always suspected that you were coming, but I didn’t think you’d be the first” - oh my god, she KNEW Will would come sooner or later, she knows how much he cares for Lyra
Her offering him tea and my first thought being “do NOT drink anything she gives you, do NOT do it”
“I’m keeping her here because I’m her mother, and I love her” - BITCH, you’re straight up drugging her, mother or not you are NOT showing your love in a healthy way
See, I get that she says she’s trying to keep Lyra safe because she knows the Magisterium want her dead, but like... drugging her? Keeping her there against her will? Ma’am, please-
“Because she hates me, Will, and if I woke her she’d run” - damn I’m not surprised, you’ve not exactly been the most loving of mothers at this point
“Wouldn’t your mother do the same for you? A child needs their mother. You understand that, Will. You need your mother” - oh NO, no, no, do NOT bring up Mrs Perry!!!
“And here’s the trick they never tell you: your mother needs you” - oh she’s a goddamn SNAKE
“You promise that you’re keeping her safe? That you’ll carry on keeping her safe?” - Will, nOOO do NOT leave her there
Oh, she nearly CRAPPED herself when he mentioned going to Asriel
“I have seen them together; where one goes, the other follows” - literally everyone else notices it, they’re really not subtle
“You would use your own daughter as a trap?” - yeah, no, that really doesn’t shock me at this point, the man has no fuckin morals anymore
Oh okay PHEW, Will actually has a plan and isn’t just blindly trusting Marisa, I’m resting a little easier now
“I’m counting my steps - we’ll return by them in another world” - OH SHIT HERE WE GO
Nah, that monkey is STILL giving me the chills, fucking hate that monkey so bad
“Your mind is muddled” - this episode has featured so much Stelmaria calling Asriel out, and that’s content I’m honestly living for
Marisa giving the monkey a massive rock and going “do your worst”... AND THEN SHE LOWERED HER HEAD AND HE SMACKED HER OVER THE HEAD WITH IT WHAT IN THE FUCK IS GOING ON I LITERALLY GASPED, like she clearly was telling him to do it but WHYYYYY???
Ama was so ready to go with Will and help him, we have to stan
So now Marisa looks battered and bruised...? I’m guessing she’s got some kind of plan here???
Ohhhh okay, I get her plan now: she looks all beaten up, she tells Gomez that Will has come and taken Lyra, it looks like Will has hurt her when he stole Lyra, Gomez will then hopefully leave thinking that she doesn’t still have Lyra... got it. Bit extreme to have your dæmon beat the shit out of you though
“You know, he had several hundred miles and the boundaries between worlds to cross, and yet... he still managed to get here before you. Bravo.” - LMFAO the shade
“... I am going to take Lyra now, Mrs Coulter” - Oh he didn’t fall for it in the slightest lmao he was like “well, at least you tried”
“you gave her the terrible punishment of her existence” is such a cruel line, jesus christ my dude
He’s not even trying to hide the fact that they want to murder her daughter omg
THE WINDOW IS FORMING ASDFGHJKL WILL IS COMING
Is she trying to distract Gomez so he doesn’t see Will and the knife?!? Is she actually doing something good???
Pan hopping into Will’s coat pocket omg that’s so cute I love it
THAT MONKEY IS FERAL
SHE WHACKED HIM OVER THE HEAD OH MY GOD
“Oh dear… perhaps you were right about that strength” - LMAO she’s so iconic
Not Marisa thinking she’s coming with him and Lyra 💀 I don’t know whether I feel sorry for her or not at this point
“Do you think it’s that easy to dispose of me? Is that what you do, Will? Was your mother as easily disposed of? Where did you leave her?” - ACTUALLY NAH YOU KNOW WHAT, I don’t feel sorry for her at all
His mind isn’t empty enough, she’s distracting him, he’s gonna break the knife 😭😭😭
THE KNIFE BROKE I KNEW IT WAS COMING BUT DAMN
NOT HER THREATENING WILL WITH A GUN AND LYRA STANDING IN FRONT OF HIM TO PROTECT HIM
AH THE GALLIVESPIAN STINGING HER YESSSSS
The airships shooting at them and Iorek immediately jumping to defend them I’m-
“Iorek’s here?” - YES, HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH 😭
Ama jumping on that soldier and Will killing him before he can kill her I’m-
Asriel really arrived super late to the party, literally all the fighting is over and done with 💀
Ohhhh he’s seen Marisa 👀
Lyra taking Will’s hand as they lie together under the stars 😭❤️
Episode 3: The Intention Craft
I’m gonna try to keep my notes a little bit briefer because it took me two hours to watch a 57 minute episode on episode 2 :’( this is 8 hours worth of tv, it’s currently 00:20 am and we’ve only done two episodes so... yeah
NOT THE SHOT OF THE DÆMON (presumably Pan) ALONE ON A DOCK ASDFGHJKL; YALL THIS IS SICK
“Whatever happens... we’ll be together” - having read the book is both a blessing and a curse because on the one hand I’m somewhat able to prepare myself beforehand but on the other I KNOW how painful this is about to be and I can’t stand it
Oooh Marisa is Asriel’s prisoner :O
I think Asriel is enjoying having her as his prisoner a bit TOO much
The way he was right behind her, so close he was literally breathing on her neck as he tied her up... asdfghjkl;
“You could be standing here beside me, you know” - NOT THE MARISA/ASRIEL FEELS asdfghjkl
*taking her necklace in hand* “still wear this?” - ASDFGHJKL did he give that to her?? Or is it just one of those “oh you still wear this?” things???
“How could you and I have produced another Eve?” - no but same, I’m still wondering that lmfao
Not him calling Lyra a “wretched girl” and acting like it’s her fault Marisa turned up to whisk her away?!
Did they collar and chain up her monkey dæmon too??? Damn, he knows her well lmao
“You seem different.” “So do you.” “...you’re staring.” - oh my gOD
Not Salmakia spying on them :’) “I haven’t been hiding, you just haven’t been looking” LMAO
“How do I know you won’t cut into another world?” - umm because the knife’s broken??? It ain’t cutting shit right now
Ahhh she’s got her Alethiometer back! All is right with the world :3
“Since he’s died, I’ve done none of the things he’s asked me to do” - awww Will :(
Are we gonna meet the Mulefa this episode? The next one? :O
“Because Roger’s dead body was in a cage! In a cage that he made, he killed him!” - when she puts it like that, I’m not shocked she wants nothing to do with Asriel anymore, damn
“to work alongside a murderer?!” - 1) Will is a murderer? 2) The reason she trusted Will was because the Alethiometer told her he was a murderer?? But I get what she means
I don’t like when Will and Lyra argue :(
“Lyra is pushing him to do things he doesn’t want to do.” “Oh, she is her mother’s daughter!” “You don’t trust her?” “She’s also mine.” - LMFAO TRUE ENOUGH
The device Asriel is using to communicate with Salmakia with is so cool omg
Father MacPhail really just sitting there in the dark all like “where have you gone??” I think he’s losing it a little
RED PANDA PAN AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH
“You’re not always right, you know that?” - LMAO I love Lyra and Pan so much
“Your father was right about you - you are insufferable” - OOF DAMN
NOT THEM LEADING THE MONKEY ON A CHAIN LIKE A DOG
At least they gave her new clothes I guess?
“I have been the worst mother in the world” - NO SHIT
“I didn’t think of her for years - and if I did, it was only to regret the embarrassment of her birth, the humiliation-” “Ridiculous! I have never understood why a child born of our love should be a humiliation!” “An illegitimate child and a murdered husband! That is quite something to carry on my back” -- Damn, this trial literally just became a couple’s counselling session for Marisa and Asriel??? And Asriel straight up admitting he loved her??? That they loved each other???
I will not ship them, I will NOT ship them, I WILL NOT-
“What if Iorek’s not there?” “He wouldn’t leave without me” - AND WE ALL KNOW IT ASDFGHJKL
“I know it wasn’t real, but once or twice I woke up and she was holding me... never been held before” - I’M NOT CRYING YOU ARE-
IOREK AND LYRA REUNITING, HER HUGGING HIM IM SOBBING ACTUALLY I LOVE ONE GIRL AND ONE BEAR-
There’s something very special to me about Lyra sitting against Iorek’s flank, I can’t explain how soft it is
“Huh, still a Silvertongue” - asdfghjkl; he’s the one who gave her that name, it’s literally a title he bestowed on her, I love it :’)
Oh no, is Dr Cooper the one from Bolvanger??? Am I remembering correctly???
“Ah yes... you always were easily impressed by what he made” - DAMN I should NOT have cackled like I did
I can’t get over how charged the scenes between Asriel and Marisa are, my goodness-
“The inventor of hideous machines, capable of tearing children apart” - you’re one to talk, remember what you did to Roger????
“But along comes some foul mouthed arrogant little brat with dirt under her fingernails, and ohhh you can love her! You cluck and you settle your feathers over her like a mother hen-” - JESUS I’M-...?!?
The way he slammed her up against the intention craft after she spat at him, his hand on her face... I thought they were gonna kiss, holy SHIT
“Every hideous thing that you’ve done in his name... and it was all a lie” - DAMN, this episode is cutting so deep in all the best ways
It’s the way I know what’s going to happen, I know the knife is fixed, and yet I’m still nervous
“Find what matters!” *glances to Lyra* - oh they are NOT slick, they’re so obvious about this and I’m all for it
Imagine being Will and waking up to see a massive looming bear standing over you, omfg
YAY, the knife is fixed! (I knew it would be but still) I love that it looks more twisted, at least in my opinion
“You will always be a welcome visitor to Svalbard, and the same is true to you, Will. You are worthy of each other. Goodbye, Lyra Silvertongue - I hope we do meet again one day.” - NOT ME CRYING OVER AN ARMOURED BEAR’S RELATIONSHIP WITH A GIRL
Now why is Asriel showing the prisoner angel to Marisa, no good will come of this-?
“He’s beautiful.” “Everyone’s beautiful.” - this plus the way he keeps leaning and shit around her... at this point, everything Asriel has done this episode just straight up seems like him flirting with Marisa lmao
Eyyyy Balthamos is back!!!
Balthamos: so, you ready to go to Asriel yet? // Will: LOL sorry nope
And just as soon as he was back, he went away again :O
“my mum’s always said if a friend needs help, you should give it” - Will Parry is his mother’s son through and through :’)
“That no doubt depends.” “On what?” “What Asriel does to him.” - oh god he’s gonna fucking kill that angel and cause more chaos, I can feel it
NOT ASRIEL AND MARISA TEAMING UP TO TORTURE THE ANGEL AND DESTROY HIM
Damn even Marisa looks kinda freaked out by Asriel torturing the fucking angel oh my god
LMAO SHE RAN SO FAST TO THE INTENTION CRAFT
“Goodbye Asriel” should NOT have hit me so hard, oh my goodness
Yeah, no, I don’t think the knife can cut through to the land of the dead? Which makes sense all things considered
OH, the last world he could cut to before the land of the dead is the desert wasteland one from Lyra’s dreams! :O
Pan like “wait, this doesn’t feel safe” and backing away whimpering :’(
IS THE SAD THING GONNA HAPPEN NEXT EPISODE NO NO NO I CANT HANDLE IT
I thought we’d have until like episode 6 or something :’(
Episode 4: Lyra and Her Death
Judging from the title of this episode... FUCK I AM NOT READY WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE’RE AT THIS POINT ALREADY
(If it’s not this episode then it’ll probably be the next one, either way I’m not READY)
Pan: *whimpering* // Lyra: Pan, stop that - :’(
“Then where are everyone’s dæmons?” “We’ve been in plenty of worlds without dæmons before, just get in my pocket and we’ll be fine.” “There are people here who should have dæmons but don’t.” - PAN IS GONNA MAKE ME SOB THIS EPISODE ASDFGHJKL
Not Marisa running straight back to the Magisterium jesus christ girl why
“Good. This is good.” - NO IT FUCKING ISN’T LYRA
“How long do we wait?” “Until you die, of course!” - well, I mean, it IS the land of the dead so...
I genuinely cannot tell what is going on in Gomez’s head at this point O_o he’s so creepy
“Somewhere out there is a tempter, a serpent, and I had to keep them from meeting” - but here’s the thing: the angel told Mary that she was to play the role of serpent, and she and Lyra have already met. But also, Marisa maybe thinks the serpent is Will, which adds a whole new layer to this whole situation???
“And the way he (Asriel) is fighting, Hugh... it’s is terrifying” - oh look, me and Marisa agree on something for once!
“Sometimes your devotion is hard to read” - lmao true
“You have my mind, my body, and my soul (...) He could never resist temptation, whereas you... your abstinence is magnificent” - exCUSE ME WHAT MARISA????
I deadass thought he was about to try and force himself on her then
“Remember what we did together... our lives are entwined” - UMMMM??? I’m not the only one reading into that in a slightly sexual way, right??
Who knew that the waiting area in the land of the dead was like your everyday doctor’s waiting room, complete with grating elevator music??
I both want to know what’s in the chest Gomez gave Marisa and I also do not want to know O_o “it’s how we found you, a kind gift”?
Is there some generational mother-daughter trauma theme going on here or...? Because she said “mother” and he said “she was only too happy to help”, and her response was “of course she was”?
Is Mary in the Mulefa world right now???
“Feels like we’re in a horror film.” “... Why would you want to watch a film that makes you feel horrible?” “...You make a good point.” “I like the film with the bear.” - ASDFGHJKL, THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION XD Also the reference back to S2 where they were watching Paddington omg
“Everyone has a Death. Goes everywhere with them, all their life long.” (Lyra: Isn’t that scary?) (Larissa(?): Not at all, dear. It’s natural) “From the moment you’re born... your Death comes into the world with you. And it’s your Death that takes you out. There’s love in that.” - Pan’s little face :’(
“When you’re ready, they say it’s beautiful. Your Death says, ‘easy now, easy child, you come along with me’. And you go with them, to the boat and the boatman.” - not me getting emotional over the talk of death, fuck me-
Pan retreating back into Lyra’s pocket sadly, like he KNOWS he won’t be allowed to go with them, I hate it here-
DAMN, Marisa slaying in that purple dress with heels, holy shit-
“If you won’t stop...” “You’ll do what, exactly?” *dramatic music stops* “... I’ll fetch support.” “Good. We all need support.” - BAHAHAHAAHAHA This show is a fucking comedy at times oh my god
The fact that any part of the dæmon guillotine design is being reused is horrendous, let alone as a fuckin BOMB
“*casually* Oh. They’re here for me.” - LMAO
“Wait: can we talk about this?” - Will asking the REAL questions here omg let’s not do this please
Lyra: You were on my side. // Pan:... I thought I was by your side.” - STOP RIGHT NOW FUCK YOU
Lyra’s Death is there?!?! And she’s just leaving Will?!
Pan running after Lyra as she walks with her Death, I’m about to sob
Not them taking a lock of Lyra’s hair from Marisa while she sleeps??? And her sending Roke after Gomez, she was pretending to be asleep asdfghjkl
They’re using the lock of Lyra’s hair that Marisa has kept to aim the bomb at Lyra?!? Jesus fucking Christ, and they still think they’re the good guys here???
“I’m always here. I’ve followed you your entire life. I am a special devoted friend who’s been beside you every moment of your life. Who knows you better than anyone. Who knows you better than even you know yourself.” - oh shit
Also Pan being like “that’s not true!”, like he’s so offended by her Death saying that when he’s right there
If I remember correctly, wasn’t Lyra’s Death male in the book? Or...?
“I don’t want to be exceptional. Maybe once I did. My parents... that’s all they care about. I just want to be good. I just want to help someone, and Roger needs me... and I wasn’t there the last time he needed me.” - oh my heart is hurting so bad right now because in S1E02 I’m pretty sure she said to Pan that no one ever thought they’d be exceptional etc, and also the fact she still feels guilt for Roger’s death :’(
I’ve spent 15 years trying to imagine what a mulefa looks like... and now finally I know! Oh my goodness?!?! And it brought Mary food?!?
“You take me into the BEST places, you know that?” - LMAO Will’s so funny when he wants to be
“What else is there left to do?” Oh, I don’t know, Doctor Cooper, maybe NOT make a fricking bomb??? Also eyyyy Roke stung her!
“Arrogance. Sheer arrogance. I underestimated them” - yeah, no kidding, Marisa
Oof Marisa’s on a damn warpath, she’s gonna destroy the Magisterium and I’m so here for it
“What if we don’t come back?” “Then we’ll have died doing something important” - I’m way too emotional for this episode, I’m already losing my mind and emotions and I know it’s just going to get worse and worse :’(
Marisa calling out MacPhail as a sinner oh this is delicious the tea is so delicious today
“You have no right here; you are a wanton woman who has always wanted what she didn’t have. Your husband was killed by your lover, the heretic Asriel, and your illegitimate child was abandoned until she became sin itself.” - OH DAMN
“You will address me as Father President or Your Grace” - damn, man is on a freaking power trip?!?!
“I’m sorry? This is where your loyalty lies? Not with that above? Not with truth but with power?” - Marisa is spilling ALL the truth today oh my lord she did not come to play around
“This is all you really are: an incoherent, emotional woman. Why should anyone trust you? You can barely string a sentence together” - OH YOU LIL BITCH I’M ABOUT TO THROW THESE HANDS
He took her locket?!?
“And when we sever your dæmon, you will be the bullet to kill Lyra Belacqua and to save us all from sin” - on the one hand, isn’t it ironic that her own dæmon severing technology is about to be used on her? But on the other, this man is one cruel motherfucker and I’m raging right now, FUCK this dude
“Take her to the cells... and bring her dæmon to me” - nah man, I’m about to be sick, fuck these motherfuckers. Fucking MEN, AM I RIGHT
Oh no. Oh no no no we’re at the docks and Pan is whimpering already I’m not strong enough today for this-
“I’m sorry, one of your party is unsuitable for travel at this time” - NO NO NO NO NO NO NO-
“We have to follow the rules. A pain, but necessary. No passage. Not for him.” “But he is me.” “If you come, he must stay.” “I don’t think you understand, if we separate we die.” “But isn’t that what you want?” - I’m really about to be crying at 2:30am over Lyra and Pan again aren’t I????
Pan running away because he knows Lyra will follow and he thinks it will stop it from happening, my HEART
“No, that’s not right, I don’t leave part of myself behind, why should she?” “Yes, you do, absolutely, you do. It’s her misfortune - or luck - to be able to see and talk to the part she must leave. You will not know until you are in the water, and by that time fortunately - or unfortunately - it will be too late for you to do anything about it. But you must all leave that part of yourselves here.” - NO NO NO NO NO I’m just going to keep chanting it until it stops fUCK
“We’re gonna get on the boat. Don’t worry.” “Lyra, you’re not listening to him, he won’t let us.” - AND LYRA BRINGING PAN ON THE BOAT TRYING TO CONVINCE HIM :’(((( she even tries to pull the thing herself but she can’t, I’m siCK-
“We can’t separate... we can’t...” :( :(
“I’ve taken millions across... none have come back.” “We will. You don’t know Lyra and you don’t know me, but we’ll find a way. Another way. So since we’re doing that, be kind, boatman. Let her take her dæmon.” - Will trying so hard to get them to take Pan, even brandishing the knife, but it’s not happening asdfghjkl
“How many ages do you think I’ve been ferrying people? Do you think if anything could hurt me, it wouldn’t have happened already? You think the people I carry come with me gladly?! No, they struggle, they cry, they bribe, they threaten, they fight! Nothing works!” - :(
The entirety of the Lyra and Pan exchange had me outloud sobbing, clutching my chest in pain, I’ve got to share it all with you...
Lyra: I don’t want you leave you here.
Pan: We can still turn around.
Lyra: But I can’t not do this.
Pan: You can, Lyra.
Lyra: What about Roger? And Sal? They never got a chance to grow up.
Pan: But it’s not Roger and Sal, is it? Roger’s dead, and Sal is gone! And it won’t be Lyra and Pan, you’re leave me here, alone! What will I do?
Lyra: But our dreams…
Pan: I didn’t have those dreams! They were your dreams, I didn’t even want to come here! This is your choice!
Lyra: But we’re together…
Pan: Not if you do this.
Lyra: Please… I can’t betray Roger. It’s my fault he’s dead and now he needs me.
Pan: I need you too! Why can’t you see that? … Where will I go?
Lyra: I’ll find you… okay? I will go to the Land of the Dead and I’ll come back, and I’ll find you. I’m not leaving you… ‘Kay? I’m not leaving you, not forever. Will and me will find a way out of here, and we’ll go to Asriel’s, somehow you’ve got to get there too, but I have to do this.
Pan:… Then you’ve made up your mind. You’ve chosen Roger over me.
Lyra: No, Pan… please don’t, don’t… please… there’s no other way. I’ve got to… I love you.
Pan:… Just… go.
The way Lyra turned her head to watch him, the way Pan came up to the very edge of the dock and started crying, the two of them watching each other as they drifted further and further apart, the soundtrack... I am a fucking MESS
“My heart...” 😭💔
Lyra’s pained screams oh my GOD and Will holding her I’m not OKAY
Episode 5: No Way Out
My heart is already broken from last episode, I don’t know how much worse I can feel at this point 😭
Oh good, we’re starting with mulefa hijinks! (Sort of)
Mary stopping and having a moment of “what am I doing?… following a talking elephant” 🤣
IT SKATING AROUND ON PODS ASDFGHJKL
Lyra and Will: *having literally the worst times of their lives* // Mary: *playing with the Mulefa and living her best life*
The Mulefa having their own language oh my god and the orange subtitles fading to the white English ones omg because she’s learning their language
Baby Mulefa 😭❤️
Oof we’re right back to pain 🤡
“What does it feel like, being this far away from him? From Pan?” “It’s like an iron hand is gripped around my heart and is yanking it out between my ribs.” “And it’s mental too, right? As if some private secret thing’s been dragged out into the open?” “…yeah.” — 😭
“You know, you always said I must have a dæmon and I never believed you… and now it feels like I’ve known her my whole life. Maybe she’s with Pan now.” - ASDFGHJKL KIRJAVA IS COMING IM-
“Wait. If my dæmon’s still at the jetty, can you give him a message?” “I can tell you now, he won’t be.” 😭😭😭😭
Oooh Land of the Dead here we go!
I’m still curious as to why exactly Marisa and the monkey can separate so far? Have they already been intercised or something? Like they can REALLY go far from each other 🤔
“They intend to sever you from your dæmon!” “… Good.” — EXCUSE ME MARISA???? She really hates the little thing doesn’t she, damn
“It’s not made of rock… it’s made of people’s things” - oh damn
Oh my gosh the dead 😭
“They don’t like it if we talk to each other.” “Who don’t?” - OH SHIT THE HARPIES
The little dead children talking about their dæmons 😭 “Mine was called Sandling. He used to think he’d be a bird, but I hoped he wouldn’t because I liked him all furry.” “My Kasta used to curl up in my hand and go to sleep.” “Mine was called Matapan” 😭😭
Not MacPhail going to touch the monkey but being interrupted by Father Gomez schooling him on how it’s forbidden 💀
HE JUST SLAPPED GOMEZ OMG
Nooo not her losing Will
NOT HER THINKING SHE SEES PAN NOOO ITS NOT REAL
“You left me on the jetty to die (…) I’ve always known deep down how selfish you are. You really believe you’re here for Roger - you already killed him. You came here for you, to assuage your guilt, to play the hero” - 😭😭😭😭 I know it’s not really Pan but still my heART
ROGER 😭💔
“I missed you. I’m so sorry, about everything. I should have let you go with the Gyptians and the kids… I shouldn’t have taken you to Asriel. If I’d have let you go, you wouldn’t be here, would you? You’d be…” “It wasn’t your fault. I wanted to go with you.” — 😭 my heart is a literal mess I’m blubbering
“Stop it! You think I want to go back to the real world? Like this?” - oh Roger…
Will not being able to cut a window out and it sounding like the knife is being grated over rock 😳
NOT THE HARPIES THIS IS NIGHTMARE FUEL IM-
“What kind of son abandons his own mother?” - SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP-
“You have destroyed the lives of everyone you’ve ever cared for… you’ve come here for you, to feel special… if only Will had never met you” - I would very much like to go back to Jordan College and rooftop adventures now thanks-
“I thought about us, and everything we’ve been through… I didn’t let them get into my head” 😭❤️💔
Not Fra Pavel deducing that Mary is the serpent and she’s in another world, and now Gomez is going to go after her 💀
Oh damn, the imagery of the snake and Eve painting(?) in the background as Gomez prepares himself
I SAW A GLIMPSE OF AMBER IS IT- IS IT TIME FOR THE SPYGLASS
MARY IS MAKING THE SPYGLASS THIS IS MY CHILDHOOD COMING TOGETHER
Oh. My. God. The view through the lens of Dust… ‘Sraf’ is Dust… oh my god. This is beautiful. The colours are beautiful.
“The trees are dying.” “And so are we.” 😭
“What do you remember about Jordan? You remember it, don’t you?” “… Jordan’s gone.” - stop that right nOW
Not the flashback to the very first episode of them in the cellar drinking Tokay 😭
The light appearing as they remember Jordan College together, talking about the roof and the rook with the broken leg 😭❤️ and all the dead people coming to listen, I’m gonna start bawling all over again
Lyra and Will speaking to the crowd and promising to try to get them out of this horrible world, rallying them 😭
“What will happen to us if we leave?” “I don’t know.” “You don’t know? If I will or won’t be able to see my son again?” “We can’t know until it happens - I’m not gonna lie or pretend. But in here, it’s just thoughts; out there, real things matter.”
“When we were alive, they told us that when we died, we’d go to Heaven. That’s why so many of us gave our lives, and spent years in prayer and silence, and all the joy of life went to waste around us. I don’t care what happens to us when we leave - anything is better than this.” - damn, this series really said fuck religion and fuck the church making people spend their lives in servitude/repenting for sins they haven’t even done
Damn, the harpies are NOT happy
“Will you tell us some stories? So we can remember too? Real things.” Ohh no, no, I will not cry over this, I will not cry over Lyra and Roger talking about Jordan College-
“I won every time.” “No she didn’t, she cheated every time” - yep, sounds like Lyra to me
Lyra recounting how she made the omelette with the shells in for Will 🤣
Lyra talking about Iorek 😭❤️
I have absolutely no love for that blasted monkey but seeing him all sad in the cage as they’re about to be severed… definitely made me feel sad, can’t believe I feel sorry for him
It looks like Marisa’s been strapped to an electric chair, like she’s about to be executed, and the imagery of that is 👌🏻
“When we created this technology together, you believed you were doing the right thing - we all did. But we were wrong. It has to stop.” - Damn, you don’t say! Of course it was wrong to sever children, glad you see that finally-
“Do not explain my own technology to me.” - OOF
“You still have time to repent - let me give you your final blessing” - MAN DO NOT FUCKIN TOUCH HER YOU FREAK
“Keep your hands off me… there’s too much blood on them for that.” - DAMN, MARISA
Everyone listening to Lyra’s stories 😭❤️
“… But you felt safe with Mr Scoresby. He was the first grown up I ever trusted.” - STOP THAT RIGHT NOW IM ALREADY CRYING I DONT NEED TO CRY AGAIN
“I will come with you. We… We will come with you.” - YESSSS
HOLY FUCK THE HARPY DESIGN IS SICKENINGLY HORRIFYING DEAR GOD AND THE WAY IT WENT RIGHT UP TO LYRA’S FACE
“What’s your name? You must have one.” “… No-Name.” - Oh gosh I think I remember more of the book now hang on
LEE SCORESBY AHHHHHHHH
LEE AND LYRA HUGGING 😭❤️ MY HEART I CANNOT BEAR THIS
LYRA DIDNT KNOW LEE DIED 😭 and he thought she was dead but he was so relieved she wasn’t 😭
“You found the Knife Bearer - you beat the shaman to it. Lyra Silvertongue, just when I thought you couldn’t blow my little mind enough times” - 😭❤️ I missed Lee so much ASDFGHJKL
IS THAT METATRON??? ENOCH??? OH MY GODDDDD
“If she had only stayed with us, and given her life to the Authority as she once intended, she would now be on the path to the kingdom” - oh my god MacPhail shut the fuck UP
Come on rOKE HURRY UP AND SAVE HER
NOT THE INTERCISION MACHINE V2 AND THE MONKEY LOOKING SCARED
Dr Cooper having second thoughts omg
SHE STOPPED IT LAST MINUTE OH GOD THE GASP I LET OUT
“… I will not be a part of this (…) I will not hurt her.” - YES DOCTOR DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR ONCE IN YOUR MISERABLE LIFE
FATHER MACPHAIL STRAIGHT UP MURDERED DR COOPER HOLY SHIT-
The Church REALLY are not coming across well here
NO NOT ROKE LEAVE HIM ALONE
KILL HIM MARISA KILL THAT BASTARD RELIGIOUS MAN
OKAY BUT YES ALSO TURN OFF THE MACHINE PLEASE DESTROY IT IF YOU CAN I CANT BREATHE THIS IS TOO TENSE
FATHER MACPHAIL COMMITTING SUICIDE AND SACRIFICING HIMSELF HES FUCKING INSANE IM SORRY THE HATRED HE HAS FOR LYRA IS THAT STRONG???
Thank FUCK she stopped the machine last minute although I kinda wish MacPhail had died lmao
THE LIGHT HOLY CRAP-
“You think Dust can make you Gods… let use see how you fare without it.” - OH SHIT OH SHIT
THE MACHINE SEVERED MACPHAIL AND HIS DAEMON AND SHE DISAPPEARED
NOOOOO NOT THE BOMB NOT THE BOMB TELL ME THAT AINT THE BOMB-
I know she’s not dead, I’ve read the book, plus there’s still 3 episodes left, I’m still freaking out though
Episode 6: The Abyss
Three more episodes and then it’s all over 😭 I don’t know if I’m ready for it to be honest
“In the beginning, Man was given the gift of Dust. It ignited his mind and freed his will. But that free will has corrupted mankind. Dust shall be drawn into eternal darkness once more… That which was given shall be taken away.” - oh my gOD what a narration to start an episode Jesus Christ (pardon the pun)
Marisa dragging herself across the floor to get to Lyra’s hair???
Please tell me Roke isn’t dead 😭 (spoiler: he is)
Marisa going to Fra Pavel with the hair and asking him to consult the Alethiometer on whether or not Lyra survived 😭
I still get chills at the opening theme, ngl, like we’re three whole series in and I’m STILL feeling chills seeing the opening credits
Eyyyy Serafina Pekkala!!!
The earth is literally crumbling apart and Asriel’s laughing 🫢
MARISA AND THE MONKEY ARE BACK AT ASRIEL’S
Stelmaria just being like “… It’s her”, as if there’s only one “her”
“She’s dead, Asriel. Lyra is dead.” - NOOOOOO OH NO NO NO
Nahh Asriel is so unbothered about Lyra being dead???
“Would you like me to tell you how your daughter died, or would you prefer to keep tinkering with your toys?” “If what you’re saying is true, I’m very sorry. But what I’m doing here is of the utmost importance - it’s going to change everything.” - DUDE YOUR DAUGHTER IS DEAD (or so it’s thought at the moment) HOW ARE YOU SO UNBOTHERED
Like we knew he was a shit father but YIKES
Marisa straight up telling Asriel it’s his fault their daughter is dead because he pissed off Metatron with his war crime, she disabled the bomb but the light triggered it… DAMN. Just… damn.
“You’ve taken my daughter from me… and I will never forgive you.” - ☹️😔
Roger trying to wake Lyra up 😭 thankfully she does wake but still-
Stelmaria telling Asriel he shouldn’t go down there, it’s reckless… Mate, listen to your fucking dæmon once in a while please, she got all the sense the two of you possess and you’ve got none I fear-
WHAT’S HAPPENING TO RUTA’S DÆMON HE DROPPED LIKE A STONE INTO THE ABYSS (the one where Asriel is)
“He can’t hear me…” “Stay with him” “I can’t stop him, the darkness is drawing him in…” - NO NO NO NO
Noooo SERGEI (her dæmon) DIED AND SO DID RUTA FUCK SAKE MAN
Lyra and Lee hugging again because they’re so happy to see each other okay 😭❤️ truly a better father to her than her own one ever was
Is there an abyss in each of the worlds? 🤔 because there’s one in the land of the dead too as well as where Asriel is
Will panicking because he’s scared he won’t be able to get these people out, and Lyra taking his face in her hands, “Look at me, look at me, look at me… it’s fine. We’re going to get out of here. It’s just… this chasm. I can feel it too. Look at me.” 😭
Lee whooping when Lyra jumped that chasm, we love a proud father!
Roger and Will disagreeing over who should go next and Lee just doing it instead 😂
“I am Serafina Pekkala, Queen of the Lake Enara clan, and I demand to know what happened to my sister” - YES WITCH QUEEN 👑
“It pains me to tell you both that what happened to Ruta was not death, but worse again. That abyss out there is a rupture in the multiverse, sucking all Dust deep down inside the void between the worlds. I bore witness to her dæmon Sergei falling inside… and it is my belief, that no being, flesh or Dust, will ever emerge from its darkness.” “… so there will be no peace for her? Part of her soul, forever falling… forever in limbo…” — NOPE, NO, NOOO 😭💔 poor Ruta I hate it here
(Turning to Asriel) “… You did this.” “No.” “Your arrogance, PLAYING WITH FORCES YOU HAVE NO CONCEPT OF!” - SHIT SHES RIGHT THOUGH
Sorry, what the FUCK are those things beneath them with the glowing eyes???
“We’ve seen worse. Do you remember when we freed the kids from Bolvanger? And then the three of us and Iorek squashed into Lee’s balloon and just flew away?” - lmao bless
“Iorek’s this armoured bear-.” “I know who he is, I’ve met him.” - damn, there’s some tension here between Roger and Will? Or is it just me?
“Can’t imagine him (Iorek) in a balloon though” - LMFAO
“It wasn’t just any balloon… it was a real beauty” - DAMN RIGHT IT WAS LEE
Is Will a little jealous of Lyra and Roger walking together and reminiscing or…???
“Hey, did I ever tell you about the crazy shaman who made me a bacon sandwich?” - OH MY GOD LEE 😂 (also it’s been a while since S2, but I think he’s talking about John Parry???)
Marisa really thinks she’s allowed to just leave 💀
Marisa telling Ogunwe that Lyra is dead, and him saying “Asriel didn’t tell me”, it hits hard because he has daughters of his own and I just know he’s probably confused because surely Asriel would have mentioned his own child dying but nOPE
Marisa yelling at the monkey to come and he just… doesn’t? He just walks away? Their dynamic is so interesting but in a messed up way
Will is looking for his father and he wants to be sure that his father will find his way out 😭
Lee realising that Will is the shaman’s son oh my GOD?!? And he thinks he has a way to summon him??? Oh I love Lee so much
“Are you sure about this?” - Stelmaria asking the only real questions
IOREK!!! 🐻❄️
IOREK STRAIGHT UP SMACKING ASRIEL DOWN WHEN HE APPROACHED LMFAO I LOVE HIM
Wait this is SVALBARD??? All the ice and snow has disappeared?!? And it’s all Asriel’s fault?!?
“My bears starve because you blew a hole in the sky!” - oh shit!
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t KILL YOU!” “LYRA SILVERTONGUE!” “Why do you speak to me of her?” “You renamed her. You loved her. Tell me of her.” “She is everything you are not.” “Perhaps I should have known her better. But she is gone, and if you kill me now she will never be avenged.” — this whole exchange 😭 Iorek loves Lyra so much, Asriel saying he should have known her better (no shit, sir)…
“You do not understand. Lyra went to the Land of the Dead.” “The Land of the…?” “Yes. But she walked in the line.” “How did she enter that place?” “With the knife.” “The knife is broken.” “I fixed it. She went after her friend, Roger.” “… the kitchen boy.” “Another reason why I should kill you!” - IOREK GETS IT ASDFGHJKL HE’S A BETTER FATHER THAN ASRIEL EVER WAS FUCK ASRIEL WE ONLY LOVE IOREK AND LEE AS FATHER FIGURES NOW
Asriel laughing because “my daughter is staging a prison break” 💀
NOOO NOT LYRA FALLING INTO THE ENDLESS ABYSS
THE HARPY SAVING LYRA FROM FALLING INTO THE ABYSS HOLY SHIT
Marisa telling Serafina about torturing that witch in detail, Jesus CHRIST, she literally wants Serafina to kill her at this point :( but Serafina sees right through it of course
“If you won’t do it out of anger… then please just do it out of mercy.” - 😭 now why am I sympathising with Marisa
“Love… makes us fragile in ways we cannot fathom.” “I didn’t love Lyra. I wasn’t able to” - SURE you didn’t love her, Marisa 🙄
“Even my own dæmon rejects me” - yeah no can’t say I blame him honestly
Serafina talking about how she lost her son that she had with Farder Coram 😭 and how Lyra gave her hope
“When I first heard that prophecy, it terrified me. (…) Because I was always taught to believe that Eve was guilty of something shameful.” - yep, religion will do that to you!
“All Eve did was dare to experience - it’s an act of bravery. Of great beauty. You were a monster, but look what experience did to you… what love did. It changed you.” - oh my god the religion criticism is on point today holy crap
Will hugging Lyra and asking if she’s okay 😭❤️
Lyra wanting to give the harpy a name to thank it 😭
“Names can’t just be given!” “Mine was… by a friend.” - exactly, Lyra!
“Gracious-Wings.” — … Interesting name, Lyra but okay
“You can’t take it back now!” - I have NO intention to and neither does Lyra 😳
The harpies kinda do make me sad because like… they don’t have names. They’re frightening to look at. They live in the land of the dead. They’re trapped just as much as the ghosts are, and feared for how they look which probably contributes to their behaviour. So Lyra showing some kindness must be a brand new experience for them.
“You cannot tell the story of my name if you do not get out.” “… You like stories, don’t you? True ones.” - ohhhhhhhhh I get it! Awww, so Gracious-Wings wants Lyra to escape, not only because she’s been listening to her stories but also because Lyra can then tell the living about Gracious-Wings and the truth that she’s not so scary/completely evil, so maybe people when they die will be less afraid to meet her? Idk
“True stories are nourishing. They feed us, we had no idea there was anything but lies and wickedness.” “If those who follow behind tell you everything they saw in the world, everything true… could you guide them here so they could be set free?” - god I forgot how deep and clever this whole section was in the book
“Do not lie to me.” “I won’t.” - for once, I actually do believe she’s telling the truth
“Do we have a deal? The prisoners’ safe passage in exchange for their stories?” - YESSS OMG
“It’s alright, they’re going to help us! Just tell them your stories - stories from your lives, and they’ll guide you up. Tell them stories.” - nahhh I’m not crying you are 😭
Asriel telling Marisa Lyra is still alive but she doesn’t believe him at first 😭
“It makes sense: the Authority cows us with the threat of heaven or hell but even that was a lie, it’s all purgatory.”
“Please… my heart won’t take it.” - this woman has gone through so much, she’s not a good person but damn she’s gone through a lot
“You said yourself, she’s extraordinary… to free a soul from the Land of the Dead” - well you’ve changed your fucking tune
“The witches prophecy… they believe two things about Lyra: that she is Eve, and she will defeat Death. (Smiling/Laughing) That’s what she’s doing. The prophecy is right. We must help her, Asriel.” - ASRIEL AND MARISA ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER FOR REAL THIS TIME?!? Like actual parents?!? Who’d have thought 😭
“There’s someone here to see you.” - LEE BROUGHT JOHN PARRY TO WILL IM CRYING ALL OVER AGAIN ARE YOU SERIOUS
“I hate fighting. I’m not who you want me to be.” “No… no, you’re so much more.” - AND THEN THE HUG 🥹😭
“All this time, I thought that when we eventually found each other… we could go back to Oxford together.” “I did too.” - 😭😭😭 they deserve so much better, I can’t-
“If we get out of this awful place…” “We won’t be going the same way.” 😭
I’m sorry, okay, this whole episode is just one big CRYFEST AT THIS POINT
Lyra saying she thought Roger was braver than her 😭
“I don’t even know if I can do anything. I’m just so tired, and my chest…” “Because you’re away from your dæmon. Separation across worlds weakens your bond, Will. She’s pining for you.” “How do you know?” “I guided her to Asriel’s republic. As soon as you release these ghosts, you must cut through and find her, Will.” - KIRJAVA IS COMING WE’RE GOING TO MEET KIRJAVA ASDFGHJKL
“Don’t try to live in a world that’s not your own. No matter how tempting it may seem. You and your dæmon… you won’t survive it.” “But you did.” “No. I felt it, like an ache, every day. Don’t make the same mistake that I did. You deserve a full life with your mother.” 😭❤️ but also foreshadowing what will happen at the end of the series I feel unwell-
“What will happen to you?” “The same that will happen to every soul trapped down here: I’ll be free. I’ll be connected again to every living thing, thanks to you.” - Damn, right in the feels 😭
John telling Will he’s so proud of him and them hugging 😭❤️💔
Serafina saying she’s gonna send Kaisa to search for Pan because she knows that Pan can’t enter the Land of the Dead and so he’ll still be there, I’m so ready!!
“If it is true, and Lyra is going to free the dead, she and Will will have achieved something remarkable… far beyond your rebellion. Lyra is your focus now. Do not fail her.” — YESSSSSSS come on Asriel and Marisa, be good parents for once
WILL DID IT HE CUT A WINDOW OUT OF THE LAND OF THE DEAD AHHHH, and it’s opened out onto a beautiful paradise ❤️
“My dad said you’ll be free. You’ll drift apart, but you’ll be out in the open - connected with everything to love.” - 😭❤️
ROGER SAYING HE’LL GO FIRST ASDFGHJKL AND LYRA SAYING SHE’LL MISS HIM SO MUCH
“You’ll be okay. I know you will. You’ve saved your best friend. When you go back to Jordan, go to the roof for me.” - AND THE FOREHEAD TOUCH 😭❤️
“I’m ready” 😭😭😭 GOODBYE ROGER
AND THEN LEE SCORESBY HUGGING HER, “No need for that, it’s okay” because she’s crying, “thank you”, tipping his hat to Will
“I’m gonna be with my Hester” - SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW 😭❤️
I’m literally just full on sobbing at this point like my heart can’t take anymore at this point and there’s still TWO episodes left 😭
Marisa asking her monkey if she can sit with him?!? They’re so disconnected despite being the same person, I can’t-
“It hurts when we’re apart. I pretend that it doesn’t. That first time I sent you away… it was awful. I don’t know why I do it. At first I think it was curiosity… But now it’s become something else. A way to not feel what I can’t bear. I used to think that I was the strong one… but I was wrong. It was you. All along. I am so very sorry. Please… come back to me.” - NOOO WHY AM I HAVING EMOTIONS OVER MARISA AND THE DAMN DEMON GOLDEN MONKEY?!? AND THEM HOLDING HANDS?!?
Asriel and Marisa standing with their dæmons together… damn. Shit must be serious if the two of them are together on something
“The final rebellion has begun.” - OH SHIT HERE WE GOOOO
Episode 7: The Clouded Mountain
Two episodes left… 😬
Before we get into the episode, quick prediction: I feel like this episode is going to largely focus more on Asriel/Marisa and maybe bring that story to a close, and then the last one will be more Lyra/Will centric? Idk, we’ll see!
“We just have to keep Metatron’s forces away from the girl and the boy long enough for them to be reunited with their dæmons, to get to a safe world and… fall.” - oooooohhh
“How can you possibly know the nature of Metatron’s attack?” - LMFAO arguing like a married couple I see-
Okay, I was wrong, we are seeing Lyra and Will in this episode!
Will planning to get their dæmons himself and Lyra can wait in the nice world and he’ll meet her there 💀
“We’ve come this far and you still don’t understand: we’re in this together.” - 👏🏻
Every scene with Marisa and Asriel just seems like they’re flirting lmao
“I’ve given the girl nothing but at the very least I can buy her time” - 😭
“You’d do that for her?” “Not just her.” - THE WAY HE MOVED EVEN CLOSER TO HER ASDFGHJKL THEY ABOUT TO KISS OR SOMETHING
“Even if you get him to the abyss, you do understand it’s not just death down there? It’s eternal oblivia.” - DAMN, he’s committed I’ll give him that
“Your love for Lyra is your salvation and your downfall. When you think of her, I can read you as easily as a reflection in still water.” 😮
“Right, so we are doomed.” - Basically, yeah.
“Some of us will die today” - NOT A GREAT WAY TO OPEN AN INSPIRATIONAL SPEECH, ASRIEL 💀
Asriel is really on a mission to kill God in this series, that’s it summed up
“But thanks to my daughter, thanks to Lyra, we need no longer fear that fate! From today death is no longer an ending but a journey back into life!” - okay I take it back, his speech is pretty good
“Our children shall experience paradise but they will know it down here on the earth… today, we are free!” - YESSSSS 🙌🏻
OH SHIT is that Metatron’s soldiers/forces?!?
“I’m glad I said we didn’t have to win this fight” - LMAO
THE ANGEL KNEW LYRA AND WILL WERE CUTTING THROUGH AHHHH AND NOW ASRIEL’S ATTACKING LET’S GOOOO
It’s the way Lyra knew Pan and Will’s dæmon will be looking after each other 😭
“Metatron is releasing the dæmon eaters - he is turning all creatures against us” - AH HELL FUCKING NO
Are they the same as Spectres?!?
OH MY GOD OH MY GOD NO THIS IS MORE NIGHTMARE FUEL
YES MARISA DOING HER PART AND TRYING TO GET RID OF THEM BECAUSE SHE HAS CONTROL OVER THEM
“I’ve found Pantalaimon” - Oh my god YES give Pan back to me please
To be fair I don’t blame Will and Lyra for not immediately blindly trusting Ogunwe at this point, barely anyone is trustworthy in this series at this point
RED PANDA PAN
“They left us.” “I know. But they’ve come back for you.” - 😭❤️
AHHH KIRJAVA AND SHES A BEAUTIFUL CAT WHEN WE FIRST SEE HER AHHHHH
They can both still change but still AHHHHH SOON
“All I know is Asriel’s proud of you” - yeah, he just has a shit way of showing it
These noises are straight out a horror movie oh my GOD THE FUCK ARE THOSE THINGS THOSE GHAST-Y THINGS
Not Metatron (?) whispering into all of their heads asdfghjkl
Metatron telling Marisa she should join him and her and the monkey having this moment, “you know what to do” 😭 and he looks like he’s gonna follow her because he puts his paw on the bridge but he doesn’t 😭 can’t believe I’m having emotions have that goddamn demon monkey
ASRIEL CALLING FOR STELMARIA AND THEN MARISA INSIDE METATRON’S PALACE(?)/FORTRESS 😭
Can I just say that the visuals are STUNNING, oh my goodness I’m literally in awe of this imagery and the visuals it’s far better than 10 year old me imagined
Marisa saying that she loves Lyra and hates that she does 😭
Metatron taking on Asriel’s form so now we’ve got James McAvoy vs James McAvoy, truly Multiverse of Madness 💀
“No one cares for you.” “Marisa does.” - the way my jaw dropped, oh my
Not Asriel calling for Marisa 😭 no I will NOT ship them, I refuse-
“You care for her still? If only you knew the disdain in which she holds you. She’s giving you up.” “No… never… I love her.” - oh my god?!?!?
“She would never betray me…” “I can give you Asriel. He’s trying to protect her.” - NOOO DO NOT DO IT
HE KNEW SHE WAS CLOSE BY HE KNEW IT IM-
“Marisa, no…” - GIRL DO NOT DO IT I SWEAR
“Your dæmons are in the tower - cut them through to a safe world. I’ll find you wherever you are.” - I’m starting to remember how the book ends and my heart is hurting, it’s coming so soon…
“So… you did come.” - YES SHE DID PAN 😭 please forgive her
WILL SEEING KIRJAVA FOR THE FIRST TIME 😭❤️ and her going “… Will.” 🥹
“How could you bear it? Leaving me behind?” 😭
“We should be together. Please.” But the damage is done… if you’ve read TSC, you know 😭
What is that monkey doing? Is he helping them escape? HE PULLED THE LEVER ASDFGHJKL
“For Lyra.” 😭❤️
MARISA HELPING ASRIEL UP, ASRIEL AND MARISA GRAPPLING WITH METATRON TOGETHER, and then STELMARIA RUNNING AND JUMPING AND THEM ALL TUMBLING INTO THE ABYSS 😭😭😭💔💔💔 IT HAPPENED IT HAPPENED IVE BEEN WAITING YEARS-
The monkey and Lyra looking at each other 😭 and she knows, she knows her mother has helped them-
NOT STELMARIA FADING TO DUST 😭
LYRA AND THE MONKEY REACHING OUT FOR EACH OTHER AND HE STARTS FADING AWAY NO NO NO
NOT ME GETTING UPSET AND CRYING OVER THAT DAMN BASTARD GOBLIN POS MONKEY 😭😭😭
Lyra having to wipe her eyes 😭 same, me too-
I knew this episode would end the Asriel/Marisa/Metatron storyline, I just knew it
“Cloud’s gone. It’s all gone. The war’s over.” 🥺😭
I know we’ve still got an episode left but I’m already weeping because I’ve waited 15 years for this adaptation to come, to see this whole trilogy adapted right, and now it’s happened
Ogunwe seeing his daughters 🥹
“Can we go now? I wanna see Pan.” - YES 😭👏🏻
DAMN ONE EPISODE LEFT
Episode 8: The Botanic Garden
Just from the title alone I know this is going to cause me pain but let’s DO IT
Damn, they didn’t even do a recap on this episode (or at least my iPlayer didn’t?)
LAST TIME LETS GO WE DIE LIKE (WO)MEN
Lyra waking up and the first thing she asks for is Pan 🥺
Also Lyra going for a swim because she’s all dirty, don’t blame her quite frankly
“After everything we’ve been through and now we’re here… doesn’t seem real” - same
Lyra knows her mother is dead :(
“I should be relieved… there’s so many things I don’t understand about my parents (…) like why they weren’t honest with me. Why they did such horrible things. Why wasn’t she interested in me for 13 years and then suddenly she was… why did they abandon me?” 😭😭😭
Lyra saying she doesn’t hate Asriel but can’t forgive him, and “I have the strangest feeling he’s gone… which means I’m alone” 😭 and Will saying no she’s not ❤️
Will splashing her and then jumping in 😂
“What?” “Nothing… I’m just glad you washed” LMFAO
“She doesn’t look like she misses me. She seems fine.” - oh Pan :(
“Think how good it will be to be with them again. To be close.” - Kirjava ❤️
“What if it doesn’t feel the same? What if it never does?” “Lyra loves you. We’re finally in the same world, we’re safe here.” - 1) I’m sad because of TSC all over again and 2) I’m sad because I know how this ends
NOT FATHER GOMEZ I FORGOT ABOUT HIM ASDFGHJKL
No but where did the clean clothes come from???
“But there’s someone else we need to meet.” - IS IT MARY??
“I don’t feel torn apart, and I know he’s safe.” - 😭🥹
AHHH LYRA AND WILL SEEING THE MULEFA HERD AND BEING LIKE “they’re riding on wheels!”
I like that Will’s reaction to this new creature speaking a different language is just “… Hello :D”, I love him
MARY AND LYRA REUNION 😭❤️
Mary going “oh god look at you” because Lyra is so grown up 😭
Oh my gOD FATHER GOMEZ FUCK OFF ALREADY
I wanna squash his dæmon, I don’t care, I wanna squish it and murder it
Not him shooting and killing the local wildlife, fuck you dude
“They have less Sraf than you” - ahhh because they’re still teenagers and Mary is an adult, and Dust is what causes dæmons to settle/kids to become adults, I get it
“No pods, poor things” - XD
“I’ve been all over the place but I think this is my favourite world” - same, Lyra, same, it’s so peaceful
“How do you treat a tree with respect?” - quite easily I think, Will???
“We have the stupid idea as humans that we’re the pinnacle of evolution, but we’ve got so much wrong” — 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
“It’s the answer to the question to the question you asked me in Oxford - whether Dust is sin (…) it’s the spark that means we’re alive, it’s consciousness.” “So Dust isn’t sin… it’s just as good or bad as we are.” 👏🏻🥹
The trees dying is truly heartbreaking omg 😭💔
“It’s the Dust disappearing. It’s just flooding out of the world: thought, imagination, feeling all blowing away” 😭💔
There’s got to be a way of saving it, surely…? Like this world can’t just disappear??
“… So when Pan’s a wolverine, you know you’ve pissed her off” OMFG 💀🤣
“Like a nun-nun from our world?” Will omg 😅
“Mary, tell them stories” - YES PLEASE DO
Mary’s story oh my god
“And then I met someone… she wasn’t like the other academics” - LESBIAN MARY MALONE I REPEAT LESBIAN MARY MALONE
“Years ago when I was at school, those butterflies in the pit of my stomach, that ache to be close to someone… I think I had just been too afraid to recognise it before, but I didn’t want to forget it this time.” - AND THE SHOTS OF WILL AND LYRA AHHHHH
“I knew I couldn’t go back to the convent after that, I just couldn’t bear the idea of living without ever feeling that alive. And I thought… will anyone be better off if I just go back to the hotel and say my prayers, and promise to never fall into temptation again? And the answer came back… no. No one will. And I realised, there was no one there to reward me for being a good girl or no one there to punish me for being wicked. There was no one. And it was… it was liberating.” — the fact that Mary is Irish adds a whole other layer to it because of the whole “Irish Catholic guilt” thing, but also just in general… wow. Just wow.
“I wanted to experience love. (L: And did you?)… yeah. (W: Were you scared?) Oh my god, I was terrified. I was risking everything and I was sure I’d be rejected, but… it was worth it. It’s rare when it happens, when you feel that way you have to grab it. It’s funny, isn’t it? One little moment… all she did was offer me a sweet and it changed my life forever. For the first time I was doing something with all of my nature, not just a part of it.” — I CANNOT TAKE IT, THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL
I can’t get over the looks between Lyra and Will, I knew it was happening obviously because of the books but stILL to actually see it onscreen???
“Where are you, Pan? There’s so many things I want to talk to you about.” 😭
Dear GOD DUDE FATHER GOMEZ GO AWAY IM SO DONE WITH YOU
Oh Mary totally knows something is going on between them even if they don’t yet
“What if she settles as something really bad, like… a mosquito or a slug or a fish?” “I heard of a man whose dæmon was a dolphin, but he’s a sailor so it’s fine” - I REMEMBER THAT STORY ABOUT THAT MAN FJDKDKDKD
Nooo not Gomez seeing them together I wanna punch him so bad-
“I don’t think anyone can understand… apart from you.” - oh my god Will 😭
“I think she’s… right… about a lot of things” - oh Will is NOT subtle in the slightest is he-
Lyra stepping closer, “yeah? What things?” ASDFGHJKL
“Dust… trees!” - smooth, Will, real fuckin smooth 🤣
Gomez was about to shoot Lyra while she was frolicking in the water but an Angel stopped him oh my god
ITS BALTHAMOS
“Desire is not sin. Love takes a million forms, each of them beautiful, each of them worthy. You who judge, just afraid.” 👏🏻
BALTHAMOS SQUASHED GOMEZ’S DÆMON, KILLED GOMEZ, AND THEN HE DIED TOO AND HIS LAST WORD WAS “BARUCH” 😭❤️
There’s something very innocent about these two teenagers clearly falling in love and sitting by the water in their underclothes and not realising why that would be seen as wrong because it’s so innocent and sweet and new 😭
WILL AND LYRA KISS I REPEAT WILL AND LYRA KISS I SCREAMED SO LOUD OH MY GOD
AND THE DUST SETTLING OVER THEM AND THE DUST RETURNING TO THE WORLD ASDFGHJKL THIS IS BEAUTIFUL
“The prophecy has been fulfilled. The love of Eve shall heal the earth and all the world shall feel it. Nature will be restored, hope will spark in darkness as innocence turns to experience, all will be in harmony once more.” - OH MY GOD AND THE SHOTS OF THE DIFFERENT WORLDS AND PLACES ASDFGHJKL
Those shy little smiles after they finished kissing omg
“Do you think Pan knows? I think he guessed” - he probably did let’s be real here lmfao
“I want to show you Jordan… proper Oxford. We can go to yours too… go to the cinema again.” - oh these kids are so hopeful 😭🥺
Pan and Kirjava!!!
“One who has given the world such a gift deserves a name… Kirjava.” — AHHHHH
Pan: Kirjava… suits you — 😭👏🏻❤️
“Why aren’t you with Will and Lyra? Are you still punishing them for their betrayal? But you love them still, don’t you? And you are not severed.” “No… we’re still one. But it was so painful.” - 🥺🥺🥺
“They will need you for what is to come” - OH BOY HERE WE GO
Pan and Kirjava coming back to their humans 😭❤️
“Pan…” “You left me. I’ve had to travel so far to find you again.” “I’m so sorry. I’m so grateful. I didn’t want to. I’m sorry. Please, I’m sorry. I missed you. I love you.” “Lyra…” AND THEN HE RUNS AND HUGS HER 😭
“I hoped you’d settle as a pine marten… suits you.” “I like it too.” 😭❤️
ALSO PAN SETTLED?!?!
“I’m… Kirjava.” WILL MEETING KIRJAVA PROPERLY
WILL AND LYRA TOUCHING EACH OTHER’S DÆMONS, THE MOST INTIMATE OF ACTS WHEN DONE CONSENSUALLY, I CANNOT COPE WITH THIS-
“Thanks to you, the multiverse is healing.” “I barely did anything.” “You showed two innocents what it was to dare, and by discovering their love, they have drawn Dust back into our worlds.” “Is that really all it took? Something so small and ordinary?” “Love is never small to those who discover it for the first time.” — brb, crying yet AGAIN over this series
“For centuries, Dust has been flowing out of the universe… what Lyra and Will have done has turned that tide. But their love alone is not enough to sustain it forever.” - oh no, no no no, it’s about to happen
“Every window that exists must be closed” - 😭😭😭 I know what’s coming and I hate it
“Each time the knife makes a cut, the flow of Dust increases and from the tear in the space between worlds some darkness is released, bring destruction across all of the worlds. It can take the form of many things: a plague, a spectre…” - 😭
But also does this mean that Covid was a result of the subtle knife??? 💀😳👀
“But if Will can’t use the knife, and if we can’t leave the windows open, then how will we…? We have to choose worlds, Will’s or mine?” “You can’t live in someone else’s world for long. Our dæmons wouldn’t survive. It means we can’t stay in the same world together.” - THERE IT IS 😭💔
“No! You can’t come here and just say that! After everything we’ve been through, it’s not fair! … it’s not fair…” 😭😭😭 they’ve literally just fallen in love and they have to separate already
Them walking away holding hands 😭
Oh nooo she’s already lost the ability to read the Alethiometer 😭😭😭
“It’s not broken, Lyra… you’ve changed. You’ve grown up.” “So… that’s it? I will never be able to read it again?” “The knowledge still exists but you’ll have to learn it, like those before you. You read it by Grace, and you can regain it by work.” “What’s the point? Why did we get here? Why did we go through everything we went through just to be forced apart?” — 😭
“I didn’t know it was possible to feel this bad.” “It won’t always feel like this.” “I don’t want to not feel like this about Lyra… I only want her.” - NOT WILL AND MARY’S COVERSATION IM TRYING TO HOLD IT TOGETHER SO BAD
“You know all those stories that say the greatest love is the one you can’t live without? The one that you’re prepared to die for? That’s not right. That’s not what love is. I know it seems romantic to die for love but it’s much more romantic to live for it.” — 😭💔
“You will never lose what you have with Will, you have shaped each other forever. And I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but you will have a future, Lyra” - and Lyra is just sitting there crying 😢 I hate it here-
“If humanity set their minds to discovery and their hearts to compassion, they may create enough Dust for a single opening to remain. But you already know where that window must be.” “The Land of the Dead.” “We can’t close that window, it’s the most important one.” — 😭💔
Will has to break the knife once they’re back in their own worlds 😭😭😭 and the angels will help close the windows
“There are fates even the most powerful have to submit to.” - 💔
“I love you. I’m not gonna stop loving you until the day I die.” “I love you.” - KILL ME. It would hurt FAR LESS
“We will come back here, when we’ve lived our lives, we’ll go through the Land of the Dead and we’ll tell Gracious-Wings everything we’ve done. We’ll find each other here. I’ll be drifting about until I find you.” “And I’ll be searching for you every moment. Every single moment.” “When we do find each other again… no one will be able to tear us apart. We’ll be joined so tightly… Every atom of me and every atom of you. When they use our atoms to make new lives, they’ll have to take two; one for you and one for me. We’ll be in the flowers and in the sunbeams… we’ll be joined so tight.” — okay no I’m full on sobbing and crying and shaking, I can’t cope with this, I can’t do anything but cry now
Lyra and Will embracing and holding each other, just clinging to each other on the floor as they cry 😭💔
“Don’t forget us, Mary. Keep telling stories.” - 😭💔 this whole episode is just a massive HEARTBREAK I CANNOT-
We’re back to Lyra’s Oxford 😭
NOT THE BENCH, NOT THE FUCKING BENCH NO I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THE BENCH FUCK YOU PHILIP PULLMAN
“You know you could see your dæmon too, if you wanted” - oh my god yes?!?! I KNEW she met her dæmon at some point, I knew I didn’t imagine it!
“There you are.” - AHHH HER DÆMON IS A BIRD
“We can come back here every year. You in your world and me in mine. Midsummer’s Day. Midday.” “And I’ll be there. I’ll be there every year, my whole life.” “And if we do meet someone we like, we must be kind to them - we won’t compare them. We’ll come here, just for an hour… we can be together.” “Every year. I promise.” - ASDFGHJKL THIS HURTS MY HEART IT HURTS
“Just do it!” 😭😭😭 she wants him to just do it because she knows it’s going to happen and hanging around prolonging it is just so much more painful
Lyra and Mary hugging goodbye 😭 “I’ll never forget you” - STOP
“I’ll break the knife as soon as I’m through because I’ll know I’ll just want to come back to you.” - THIS POST IS JUST ME SOBBING NOW EXCUSE ME-
“What is it?” “I’m just trying to imagine what you’ll look like when you’re older.” “Handsome of course.” “Very.” - EXCUSE ME
Will stepping through the window and going to close it, stopping and them then kissing 😭 “Lyra.” “Will.” AND THEN THEY KISS AND HE CLOSES THE WINDOW FUUUUUCK-
Lyra: *crying* // Me: BITCH ME TOO
“Just think of her” (to break the knife) - and it’s a series of flashbacks of her and him throughout the whole series I feel SICK-
The snow falling on Svalbard and Iorek 😭
Lyra’s back at Jordan College 😭❤️ but so much has changed
Will going back to his mum 😭💔 and then them hugging as Kirjava watches with a little smile I’m-
ONE YEAR LATER?!?! ONE YEAR LATER I’M-
She’s dressed like a student I’m-
ARE THEY GOING TO THE GARDEN?!?
“We can come back here every year. You in your world, me in mine. We can be together. I’ll be there every year. My whole life. I promise.”
THE FADES AS THEY GET OLDER AND WITH EACH YEAR, THE SPLIT SCREEN OF THEM AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE BENCH, THEM REACHING OUT TO HOLD EACH OTHER’S HANDS, WILL’S MISSING FINGERS
“Lyra.” Being the last line of this show, oh my GOD.
THE ENDING TITLE CARDS
“Will and Lyra continued to return to their bench at the same time, every year. They kept their promise to each other, going on to live full lives in their own worlds. Will became a medical student and later, a successful surgeon. Lyra went on to be educated at St Sophia’s College in Oxford, where she was taught how to once again read the Alethiometer… Which would come in useful one day, when Lyra and Pan would go on to have a further great adventure. But that’s another story…”
THE BOOK OF DUST/THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH ADAPTATION CONFIRMED?!? IS THAT WHATS GOING ON?!?
Okay… wow… okay.
I’ll admit that in S1, I had issues with the show as a longtime fan of the books; perhaps I was too busy comparing it to the movie or whatever else, but also I had complaints about the lack of dæmons on-screen and how that really hurt the first series as a result (eg. The Billy Costa scene). Thankfully in S2 and S3, that issue was resolved and not a problem in the slightest, which I’m so glad for. I feel like for me personally, Subtle Knife (S2) and Amber Spyglass (S3) had the benefit of not having been adapted for the screen before (unlike Northern Lights/S1), so it was able to stand up as it’s own adaptation easier and not necessarily have the movie looming over it (if that makes sense). Because while I agree the movie was not great and didn’t do justice to the books, it was still an expensive blockbuster with hype and big names attached.
Right now I really want to reread TAS - I reread TSK when S2 was airing so it feels right to reread TAS now, but I’m reading Outlander still so I’ll have to put it off a few days 😭 - and also I want to take the trip to the Botanical Garden in Oxford where Lyra and Will meet every year. I don’t know if other fans do that but it’s something I’ve wanted to do a while, and now I want to do it more than ever. I’ll have to remind myself closer to the Midsummer’s Day to do it!
Honestly, I’m so emotional over this whole series. Was it a perfect adaptation? No, no adaptation is 100% accurate or perfect, things get changed or cut for whatever reason. But it was beautifully done, and I’m so unbelievably happy that it was finally done justice. I truly don’t think I could have asked for a better adaptation of a series that has meant so much to me for fifteen whole years. I’m so grateful that I live in a time where this series has been given the love and attention it deserves, and I can only hope that people viewing the show first have gone on to read Philip Pullman’s books, that it’s inspired them to read those too.
The cast have been spectacular throughout, especially the main cast members: Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy, Amir Wilson… gosh, all of them. And then of course the voice cast have been amazing too, especially Kit Connor as Pantalaimon since that’s literally the main voice role throughout this whole series. I’m just so blown away at this point, I can barely type it.
#his dark materials#hdm#hdm season 3#his dark materials season 3#lyra belacqua#lyra silvertongue#will parry#pantalaimon#iorek byrnison#lord asriel#asriel belacqua#marisa coulter#serafina pekkala#mary malone#dafne keen#amir wilson#ruth wilson#james mcavoy#lyra x will#philip pullman#simone kirby#baruch x balthamos
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10 MEDIA DIARY: MLP:FiM & YAKYAKISTAN.
Hello! Hi! This post may be a bit of a ramble.
I have watched all 9 seasons of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It’s a comfort show, and has been very dear to me since I was a kid. While I love it to death, I want to point out its portrayal of race.
From the "Buffalo tribe" being analogous to Indigenous Americans (S1), to Rarity gentrifying an Indian Pony restaurant (S6), one could probably write an entire thesis about it. However, for everyone's sake, I'll focus on the episode "She's all Yak." (Season 9 Episode 7). Spoilers ahead, of course.
Introducing MLP:FiM
A quick summary of the show thus far- Twilight Sparkle was a unicorn who earned the title of Princess of Friendship (and also wings). She couldn't have done it without her friends Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and last but not least, Rarity! The Mane 6 (that's a pun) have a reputation for saving the world (too many times to keep track).
At the premiere of season 8, Twilight starts the very first School of Friendship! The point: to invite everypony everycreature to come and learn friendship. (There are implications here- but that's another discussion in and of itself.) The school's credibility is questionable, but they get through the trials and tribulations of the education system with the power of friendship!
Yakyakistan
Let's just say things can go a bit off the rails when you invite different species into the My Little Pony cinematic universe. It didn't have to be bad. It really didn't.
Alas, the Yaks.
They're from Yakyakistan.
Speak "broken" English when no other species does.
Being destructive is "crucial to their culture".
Need I say more?
It is not necessary to create this association to real-world regions using the suffix "-stan", for them to have "caveman-like” speech, for their "traditions" to be destructive tendencies.
They are prideful and nationalistic to an unrational extent as well. Refusing cooperation with others, instead choosing to eat and sleep on snow comes to mind.
"However, despite Pinkie and the yaks' efforts, there is too much snow for them to dig through, and their forceful digging only causes more snow to fall from the mountain.
Pinkie Pie offers to return to Ponyville and get help from her friends, but the proud Rutherford and his subjects refuse to accept help from ponies. Rutherford suggests simply waiting for the snow to melt, and he and his subjects resort to eating and sleeping on snow to survive. " (S7 Ep 11, MLP:FiM Wiki)
YONA: SHE'S ALL YAK
As much as the Yaks were in poor taste (AT BEST), it was easy to avoid; they typically only existed in their own standalone episodes.
Unfortunately, they keep appearing; Yona is chosen by Yakyakistan's Prince Rutherford to attend the School of Friendship. The main thing with the Yaks as characters is that their main "problems" in their episodes are the clash of their “savage” cultural norms vs. the “civilised” ponies.
Considering once again a clear association to real-life ethnic groups and these "cultural norms" enforcing real-world prejudice… Yeah, I do flinch every time a Yak plot is introduced.
"She's All Yak" is an episode that I watched all the way through. I have things to say.
Yona is asked by her (pony) friend Sandbar to join the Amity Ball and partake in the Pony Pals contest with him. Since the dance is traditionally pony-centric, she responds "But Yona yak. Yona not pony." Sandbar assures her that that doesn't matter and she accepts.
Now filled with a want to be the best Pony Pal, Yona sees Rarity stressing about Ball dresses and feels she has a lot to learn before the event. She turns to Rarity for guidance on what to wear, and how to act.
Rarity teaches Yona how to talk - shoving Brussels sprouts in her mouth to help annunciation.
Rarity: [elocuting] The weather is quite agreeable today.
Yona: [muffled] The weather is quite agreeable today. [chews, gulps, belches loudly] Yona like Brussels sprouts!
Rarity: Let's move on.
While Rarity looks through different dress options, Yona tells her she likes brown. Rarity expresses disgust at "earth tones," sticking her tongue out and calling them "earthy." She says not to worry; she'll find a dress to make Yona stand out! Yona says she doesn't want to stand out, but rather to fit in… Cue the musical number.
"Once you learn the pony way you'll start to fit right in." Rarity sings while Yona gets transformation montage.
Yona's struggle in integrating into pony norms is turned comedic. It's exaggerated to the point of being downright unflattering. She's highlighted as dirty, clumsy, unfashionable, and, of course, destructive.
After a long while of Yona getting everything wrong, she manages to get things right! (She dances without causing earthquakes and speaks like a posh pony now.)
Yona’s ready to rumble.
THE AMITY BALL
Gallus: I'm just glad I'm here with you guys. Least I'm not the only non-pony in the crowd.
Sandbar: You're not still worried about that, are you? Like Headmare Twilight said, this is a dance for everycreature. There's no pony pressure.
Yona's friends giggle at the contrast between Sandbars' statement and the sight of ridiculously-overponified-Yona.
They are all taken aback, and Sandbar looks concerned. He plays along with it; she did all this for him after all. The dances begin! Yona is excited, inviting Sandbar to dance. She dances well until she trips on her dress and takes a tumble. Regaining her composure, they move on to the Pony Prance.
Yona’s wig temporarily obscures her vision and she freaks out. Stampeding through the Ball, she ends up hurting everyone and destroying everything in her path.
Inconsolable, Yona runs off in tears.
"Yona disappoint Sandbar. Yona not make very good pony."
Sandbar finds Yona and they have a heart to heart.
Yona: Yona just want to do all the right pony things and fit in at dance! Then maybe Sandbar and Yona win best pony pals contest. Instead, Yona win worst pony ever.[crunch]
Sandbar: That's not true.
(...)
Sandbar: Yona, it doesn't really matter if you're a great pony or a horrible pony. You're the best Yona I know. That's why I asked you to the dance.
I don't have an issue with the message this episode is trying to convey. It's an obvious trajectory towards being yourself; you don't have to change for anyone - I appreciate the representation of this in Sandbar and Yona's relationship.
We get a sincere apology from the Mane 6, admitting that it was no fault of Yona's but rather their fault for unknowingly forcing her to be something she was not. Yona and Sandbar are given the winning trophy for the Pony Pal competition!
Spike then exclaims that "everypony wants to learn that crazy dance [Yona] did." She teaches them all the "Yakyakistan Stomp." They all start to dance as the camera shakes and the credits roll.
How do you feel about the use of the word “crazy”?
CONCLUSIONS
As much as I understand the intent, I can't ignore the root of Yona's character. From her personality traits to her place of origin... There are too many implications.
I've scavenged for online articles, forums, etc. for opinions on My Little Pony’s Yaks, but it's proving to be a bit of a niche topic. Only in conversation have I heard of people who share my concerns or even acknowledge them. A friend of my girlfriend's posted about this on Reddit once, as I have come to learn, but was shot down by negative responses and disagreements. I suspect the difference in the main fanbases for MLP are a factor.
(I might go into this more in a future blog post - let’s just say that humanified fanart now is more diverse compared to a decade ago.)
These comments I found while scrolling through the MLP:FiM wiki piqued my interest. While a fine assessment of the episode at large - the descriptions of Yak culture further prove my point. Just choosing to describe Yakyakistan culture with the word "simple" says a lot.
User Angel Emfrbl's "not that bad" feels like we're settling for "it could be worse. It all makes sense with the current characterizations." I want more people to want to dig deeper into what it all represents. There is a lack of acknowledgment of the root of the Yaks’ existence - their designs, plots, and worldviews.
The unflattering portrayal of Yaks being destructive and completely un-ponylike feels dehumanizing (deponifying?). There ARE ponies that are portrayed as Indian and East Asian. Even the Kirin species closely resemble ponies (just sporting different manes, horns, and tails.) If I'd even go out on a limb and hypothetically say the Dragons are implied to be Europeans (since they based on traditional European dragons), who could be hurt by being compared to a dragon?
It certainly gets complicated to explore not only racial implications between ponies, but entire different species. Nonetheless, there is a heavy responsibility to check in with those who experience real-world discrimination before using it as plot points. At the end of the day - Personal biases must be checked, especially when writing for children's media.
Hm. Thoughts?
Comments? Concerns?
Otherwise, have a good evening!
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Jester I'm interested in Torchwood where do I start...Do I need to watch all other doctor who media...
I GOT U I GOT U !! ok so you dont *need* to watch any doctor who to rly understand it, [objectively you should though. series 1-4 of the 2005 reboot+the specials in that time frame. the 12th doctor is also pretty good.] but some bits of dialogue may be confusing, if youre going to watch aanny doctor who, the last 2 episodes of series 2 [army of ghosts+doomsday], for more context on the origins of torchwood, series 2 episode 2 [tooth and claw], and if you want some more context on jack harkness/his backstory and how he relates to doctor who, series 1 episodes 9-13 [you can skip 11 it doesnt have muuch importance to jacks character other than the fact that hes a fucking NERD about alien technology. do not let torchwood make you forget this. hes not a chad. hes a cringefail little loser and i love him.], series 3 doesnt add much context to torchwood other than like. little easter eggs but the last 3 episodes r fucking bangers and have jack harkness and homoeroticism between lifelong enemies who used to be best friends as children [and also just the typical par for the course homo eroticism that comes with having jack harkness as a character in any episode] also if youre going to watch it, the last two episodes of series four have spoilers for torchwood season 2. also the approximate chronology of doctor who and torchwood if u care ab that stuff is
-doctor who series 1
-jack joins torchwood
-doctor who series 2
-torchwood season 1
-doctor who series 3
-torchwood season 2
-doctor who series 4
-torchwood season 3+4
also a few notes- torchwood is. interesting. and certainly has. some scenes !! the cgis awful, you hate every character at least a little bit, but the writing is. sometimes. really good [emphasis on sometimes. its worth it i promise i swear i swear-], for an example the second episode of the entire series revolves on defeating an alien that uhm. gets energy by turning men into dust after they. uh. eerrrrmmm. birds and the bees yk. the entire show is like this. its also sometimes very 2005 television show with its characterization/treatment of women BUT I SWEAR I SWEAR ITS WORTH IT!!!- also im solely talking about the 2005 reboot in this post, if you go to watch doctor who and see an old man in black and white or rly awful, grainy video thats the originals 1963 version, and unfortunately does *not* have jack harkness kissing men on the lips- episodes of doctor who and torchwood are also around an hour each. heart.
also- the battle of canary wharf refers to the events of the last two episodes of series 2. this confused me for so long.
if you do not want to watch like. 10 hours worth of doctor who ive compiled some pieces of context that may be helpful, spoilers 4 doctor who under the cut smile
series 1-
who the fuck is jack harkness
-jack was introduced to doctor who after having 3 years of his memory wiped by the time agency without explination [he was a time agent from the 51st century], where he attempts to con the doctor in the london blitz, and in doing so accidenrally creates horrors behind human comprehension, him, the doctor, and rose fix it and adopt him as their third and create the worlds most doomed polycule. jack is also the first queer doctor who character🎉 however, rose acidentally becomes an omnipotent being in attempt to rescue her boyfriends, and in bringing a dead jack back to life, acidentally makes it so hes unable to die ever again, and is effectively immortal, silly rose !! the doctor, being a timelord, senses this and abandons jack on an alien planet and fucks off with rose, jack eventually gets back to earth with his shitty time agent watch that allows him to time travel, in attempts to find the doctor who usually hangs around the 21st century, but acidentally gets stuck in the 19th century and joins torchwood in the meantime for funsies. jack also kisses both rose and the doctor on the lips on prime time television in 2005.
-ok cool whats a time agent
-after watching every nuwho and torchwood episode, i still could not tell you❤️❤️ uh. they can time travel, i guess, theyre part of a time travelling agency? idfk.
series 2-
hey jester why the ever loving fuck does jack have an amputated hand in a jar of fluid
-thats the doctors !! :D jack uses it to detect if the doctors present in his timeline
how did torchwood start
-i dont remember, has something to do with the queen of england and werewolves, i think. its made to protect the earth against aliens
battle of canary wharf
-long story, the world almost ends, blah blah blah, theres a lot of stuff to do with dimensions alternate universe that kind of stuff but basically the premise is torchwood one gets infiltrated with cybermen, kind of aliens kind of manmade horrors which take away all emotion from someone and turn them into cyborgs who want to turn all humans into them because having no emotion is what makes them superior, cyberman cannot be turned back to human because the cyberman basically just contain the brain and nervous system of humans, so that kind of sucks for our brave heros. anyways torchwood 1 is gone now and a lot of people died, also had the most tragic separation between the doctor and his companion
series 3-
martha
-martha was a companion of the doctor for a season, absolute girlboss, trained to be a doctor, horribly mistreated by the doctor the entire series. justice for martha🙏
-jack also receives so much trauma during this year
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Twenty Questions for Fic Writers!
Tagged by @binickandros!!!!!
1. How many works do you have on AO3?
26 apparently
2. What's your total AO3 word count?
460,406
3. What fandoms do you write for?
supernatural now mainly, though i've written for house md, spring awakening, and bare: a pop opera
4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?
these are all dean/cas fics:
inevitable homoeroticism in spanish romantic heroes (spanish grad school au)
like real people do (my return from the spn grave, basically a reaction fic to The Confession Scene)
command me to be well (angsty post-canon dean gets cas back; sort of a love letter/spiritual sequel to my first spn fic, which is also on this list)
flying in circles inside a jar (a classic s5 era fic with some deeply awkward dialogue that i don't like now but i mean this was written over 10 years ago)
some boys are sleeping alone (my first spn fic and basically my thesis on dean's bisexuality that would feed....just about every fic to come after)
5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?
i try, though inevitably i get overwhelmed (even by like, one comment) and then time passes and then it's just overwhelming and awkward. but i try! it's hard especially when i just am rephrasing "thanks, i'm glad you liked it!"
6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?
100% something from the house or spring awakening era. (does anyone else remember when apocalypse aus were all the rage for house or was that just me and my friend angie.) a lot of those aren't on ao3 though, so probably the saddest ending over there is hm... "some boys are sleeping alone." or, shout out to my bare: a pop opera fic, still going strong over there: all the stars bend over sideways.
7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?
there are a lot of happy endings to be found now but maybe for the sheer weight of the force behind everything building up to its ending, let me come home. that one or "command me to be well," which i swear i remember someone somewhere saying that it doesn't just relieve the angst at the end, but it luxuriates in the happy ending.
8. Do you get hate on fics?
not really, no, at least not to my face. i've seen some commentary somewhere about people not being into post-canon fic that doesn't involve jack, but i still have barely seen the jack seasons......... oops
9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?
yes, usually i throw something in there. inevitably it winds up dom/sub-y in some way. my favorite manifestation of this was the slow evolution of dom-y cas in "let me come home," especially when writing from his headspace bc that's not the usual for me. but other than that, my favorite is cowboy's sweetheart
10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?
ohhhhh boy. back in the day i loved a challenge for the wildest mashups people could think of. freddie from chess/donuts was the quintessential example of this, written in the wake of strikethrough on lj. one of the few that i still allow to see the light of day: thank you for being a friend, a my little pony/supernatural crossover.
11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?
not that i'm aware of though someone did put "inevitable homoeroticism" and "command me to be well" on goodreads.
12. Have you ever had a fic translated?
i've had someone podfic one of my fics! though the recording isn't up anymore i don't think
13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?
YESSS @marbleflan and i had a great time with:
r/relationships: inspired by an r/relationships post where a guy is sleeping with a woman only for her...husband to walk in on them, oops, and oh no surprise also, he's really hot??????? wait is this gay????? (it is)
perfect match: inspired by the season 8 of are you the one? an mtv reality dating show. the typical premise of this show is to put pairs of people in a house and tell them that they have to find their scientifically, dr. love approved perfect match out of all the people in the house, and if you all guess wrong, you lose money; if you all guess right, then you win money. but in season 8....everybody was bi/pan/queer, so anyone could be your match. it was supremely messy and also great. many key moments were lifted from that season including i think the drunken orgy, the theme dance night, and the intervention. i have a lot of memories of furiously writing/editing my portions of this to and from my in-laws' for thanksgiving while my husband wanted me to, like, participate in conversation in the car.
14. What's your all-time favorite ship?
i mean.................... guess.
15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?
man i started this really great one about dean and cas accidentally arguing about not having sex when they both actually wanted to have sex and i really want to finish it but idk! i refuse to put the dean watches heartstopper fic on here bc i WILL finish that.
16. What are your writing strengths?
i think character voice, through dialogue and narration. i like situating myself in a character's head and feeling things out through their perspective.
17. What are your writing weaknesses?
repetition, and like.... plots.
18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?
been there, done that. wordreference carried me.
19. First fandom you wrote for?
lizzie mcguire, i think, and labyrinth. also if i recall, buffy, and star trek: voyager.
20. Favorite fic you've written?
"let me come home." i think it has to be. it has just about everything in it, every thought or feeling i've ever had about supernatural. i'm really super proud of it, and unlike inevitable homoeroticism, i'm never going to feel like enough people have read that fic. like i just want more people to read it. usually i'm pretty good about just going with the flow, the whims of ao3 and what people seem to respond to, and not really being bothered by how popular a fic is or isn't. but man i want it to crack that top 5 list so badly. (it can replace flying in circles. the others can stay.)
if you write fic, you are tagged, but i scrolled through some pages of my followers to look for mutuals in the fic writing game; if i missed you i was just reading too quickly!!!! you are tagged!!!!: @ltleflrt, @blanketforcas, @hauntedpearl, @goldenraeofsun, @jewishdeanwinchester, @bbcphile, @wanderingcas
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I think, having thought about the episode a lot, What's My Line is fundamentally about Buffy's death.
This sounds like a bold statement, but I would argue that it is true. At the start of the episode, there is a large focus on the job fair. It serves as a reminder to Buffy of something that, up until this point in the show, she has been anxious about: the notion that her Slayer duties will take precedence over her dreams and aspirations (1×05, 2×05, 1×03, and 1×11 especially). Her mystic destiny, she fears, will make it impossible for her to hold a regular job. This generally sets the tone for the themes of the episode.
The Order of Tarokka are also thematically significant. We can see them in many different ways. The fact that they will never stop coming, no matter how many of them die, leads to two distinct readings: The first is to see the order as a mirror to the slayer line. Like the order, no matter how many slayers one kills, there will always be another called. There will always be a slayer somewhere to fight the forces of darkness. The second reading is to see the order as a representation of the inevitability of a slayer dying in the line of duty. There is nothing buffy can do to prevent the order from - eventually - killing her. Slayers don't die of old age and the order is a grim reminder of this.
Most of the episodes of season two are reflections of the larger Bangel tragedy. This is no exception. Angel's life is necessary to revive Drusilla. Angelus's blood opens the gateway to Acathala's demon dimension. Angel himself, like Drusilla, later becomes "a very dark power [that] rise[s] in sunnydale."
Kendra serves as a blending of these themes. Kendra is the slayer who buffy feels she will become. Kendra has nothing but slayer duties to sustain her. Kendra has no real dreams or aspirations. Also, Kendra's calling is a byproduct of Buffy's death. The only reason Kendra is called is that Buffy died.
Also, Angel nearly dies because of Kendra's (future buffy's) actions. Not going to go in depth on that one.
On the note of Kendra only being called because Buffy died, I would like to talk about Insect Reflections. At the end of 5×06 "Family" Tara states that "Your insect reflection represents your insignificance in the Karmic cycle." The show as a whole - up until Chosen - is about Buffy's insect reflection. Vampires and demons never stop coming, people around her repeatedly verbally dress her down and strip her of worth (2×15, 3×02, 3×07, 5×10, etc.). Every good deed Buffy does is not done because it makes a difference but because, as stated on Angel 2×16, "If nothing we do matters, then the only thing that matters is what we do."
Also going to put into your head the phrase "slayer calling as a karmic rebirth" even if I don't have super well formed thoughts on that one.
In many ways a part of the Point of Kendra's inclusion here is that Buffy is given the alternate path. Buffy can choose to retire and let Kendra be the only active slayer. Im doing so she can avoid the source of the dread caused by the career fair. Because Kendra has been so thoroughly groomed by the council, its highly likely that Kendra would accept this. Buffy wants this, because she sees the alternative as "becoming" Kendra. (Season Five, especially Intervention, touches on this sentiment as Buffy feels that being the slayer is turning her to stone (emotionally))
Instead of taking this out from a bleak potential future, Buffy decides to extend kindness to this omen and help Kendra rediscover the sense of self that was taken from her by the council. This, and the Angel quote above, are what we need to consider when looking at Kendra's line near the end of the episode "You talk about slaying like it's a job. It's not. It's who you are."
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March 11, 2024:
This book comes out in June! I requested this ARC from the author via BookSirens so I could review it early! Cause I'm like that!
First, the premise: the last 4 contestants on legally-not-The-Bachelor, their basic-ass bachelor, and a camera crew go to a spooky mansion in the woods to film the season finale, but somebody has ulterior motives and shit gets weird.
Yes please! I love reality TV in horror novels. Weirdly, the characters in this book act more reasonably than I'd expect from characters in a reality show like this one. Also I strongly suspect the behind-the-scenes is not even close to how shows like this are made, BUT if that part was totally accurate none of this would happen and we would have no fun. I suggest we let it slide.
Positive notes:
The Scary Thing is pretty unique! There is eventually a physical being which is cool but I mean more the process and mechanism is pretty out there. It's telegraphed early, but why it's happening is left ambiguous
Interactions between contestants was so much fun. There's alliance, intimidation, attraction, paranoia... very cool watching their feelings toward each other constantly shifting
Great character arc as one overly-dependent woman becomes more powerful & confident but watch out!
Catharsis at having some of the contestants lose interest in the bachelor and start noticing each other. Everyone has always wanted that to happen, right? Not just me, surely
Camera crew polycule
Negative notes:
The writing is pretty unpolished. I understand this ARC is uncorrected, so hopefully most of the typos are cleaned up by time of publication, but there were a LOT of them by the end.
In a few places it was very unclear what the characters were doing/ talking about/ reacting to, which were likely just misedits that took out crucial scene information. At some points the narration seemed uncertain on exactly how many people had died, misplaced details like that.
Neutral notes:
I found it interesting how often the narration referred to the contestants as "women" vs how often the characters referred to them as "ladies." There's something there
There's not the kind of creepy progression I expect from a book like this. The bizarre tree-themed house is a fantastic setting and has some very good secrets, but scary happenings don't escalate in a familiar pattern
This results in a definite "feel" with this book. Like you can just tell it's a little unusual. It tastes like it didn't follow a recipe. Your mileage my vary on this: you could love it for its less-formulaic vibe, or you might prefer a more tried-and-true experience.
Overall, this is a tough one to review because on one hand it's rough around the edges and I can't say it's objectively great... but I feel some pressure to be kind to an author who likely won't get a lot of press. And here's the important thing: I did enjoy this a lot!
How does it stack up to books in the same vein? I like it less than Hide by Kiersten White, but WORLDS better than The Holy Terrors.
7/10
#WhatsKenyaReading
#whatskenyareading#books#reading#horror#Grim Root#the bachelor#reality tv#the groom#competition#competition show#dating show#dating#relationship#lgbtq+#lesbian#gay#it's gay#gay girls#sapphic#bisexual#ARC#marriage#ceremony#tv#television#plants#trees#forest#woods
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Things that don’t matter, yet matter
1. This is his going commondo pants from ep 7 handjob scene
2. Priorities!!.. Change shirt first.. i told you Vegas and Kim are similar (both going from white to black)
3. Not a good brand promotion, specially when Apple is known for security
Also, why do you need to loginto the cctv network to run a pen drive on your laptop?? Which idiot would use a new pendrive on server?
Lol.. and mcbook air as per the annual reports latest quarter earning announcement was one of the highest selling product.. h ehe.. bad promotion
4. The first time he actually utters his name. Just saying! Not that it matters... and its chay, not porschay.. you know chay, as in the guitar pic chay.. because Porschay gave him the right to associate chay with kim
5. Amateur Shot!.. Dear Pond, next time.. the shirt needs to go way way up.. it is all for making better art.. truly :P
6. If you need proof of how well Kim fights ( the guy is still reeling from that ONE punch.. K, V.. take classes)
7. I am very serious about energy conservation.. this is not cool.. Mr. pond.. take notes
8. Liike, all i need to do is pull that ear ring so hard, that the pain will have you on your knees.. How Easy!!.. (kinn needs to go through basics of mafia training, pretty sure daddy paid money to have him pass the exam.. NEPOTISM CARD) .. (chill.. this one really is a joke, nepotism isn’t though)
9. Do you have contact lens to fight in the field..
10. I guess, only lover can call “Chay”
9. 4 moles on this side of the face. it is an exam question. Don’t fight with me on this.
10. Inner monologue “Why am i always stuck with idiots and morons and such stupid beings”
9. Bit of palmistry here.. you see the two prominent lines around the thumb, running as parallel .. a lot of people have these intersect or converge at some point (you can check yours)
Simply means, this person is very strong willed and minded and opinionated.. he/she will do what he/she wants to do.. which includes personal and romantic relationship.. so ya.. not the one you can control..
Yes, its build hand, so build’s psyche.. but you know.. pete ain’t so far off
11. Either you are a bad actor, or Pond has some weird comic taste :P . how am i to buy this “in love with you, obsessed with you, insecured that you might actually like porsche” face
but then you look like a villain with that constant smug look
12. lol.. this relationship.. who is manipulating whom?.. Tawan has his own bodyguards who will willingly go against Vegas
13. inner monologue 2 -> we got tired of pointing guns at each other.. these guys are taking too many takes to get this scene done..
13. Told you, not important yet important.. there is a mole there
14. There was no need to try so hard to prove this point. Even his dad knows it.. everyone does
14. Take lessons Kinn.. take out your ear ring when going to battlefield.. otherwise.. very easy to get you on your knees.. fighting 101
15. Personally, want to see what acting prowess will he show to differentiate this scene from when he kisses pete..
16. The guy on the right, in blue.. lol.. he changed his position after dying. .and i guess watching the show from heaven.. sorry dude.. shooting still going on
17. Bad shooting skills. None of the main characters can kill right by shooting
18. 3 moles on this side of the face. Told you it is an exam question (4 , if you count the one in the ear)
19. Not perked up, he is not excited.. lol..now i need to compare it when he is with pete ( in some alternate universe because BOC ain’t giving more than 2 min of VP in this season for sure)
20. it ain’t gold.. that’s all i am saying
21. And this too
22. This timestamp, i didn’t realize the first time round.. vegas kissed tawan on the neck.. and there is the voice for it...
Dude real trust issues.. when you pull this off with pete.. i am going to second guess
23. ok, fine.. he calls him chay too
24. Allow me to complete the sentence again
“... give him time, just as I gave my little brother time.. we haven’t spoken in eternity, and see we are doing just fine! “
26. 3 brothers but really not similar
26. you lied to me.. my entire timeline is thrown out of the window.. you said you will appear in ep 12
27. Inner monologue:
Chess is a game of finesses. Why am I stuck amongst these goons. Should really just put out a job notice on looking for a heir for an age old mafia corporate
28. half leg waxed, half not.. is that a style?
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Oh boy... some thoughts on Red Vs Blue now that the announcement of the final season is here.
This series was probably one of my favorites. Hell for a bit there one of the more popular posts I had was a starter guide for people getting into it. It's not a long series but I knew that people had a limited amount of time and with every season being a full 90 minutes to 2 hours long, asking someone to catch up on 10 movies worth of stuff to get to the current arcs was an ask.
I was a fan of the series before Rooster Teeth got into making RWBY. Hell, I was a fan of the series before I got into Rooster Teeth in general.
In fact I like to say that RvB set my expectations for RWBY and is part of the reason I was able to enjoy the series as much as I have. So it's got me feeling all sorts of things to watch this come up as the finale announcement while RWBY's ultimate fate is currently up in the air, especially thinking back on how RvB really started without all of the corporate nonsense and way worse that everything surrounding Rooster Teeth is wrapped up in.
Anyways, if you haven't caught on, this is going to be rambling so I'll apologize here and put a readmore so that everyone else can just move past
RvB shows its age. From the fact that the best way to start it is something I'll put plenty of advisory warnings on when I share it with newcomers to the fact that it still rolls with machinima. There's a charm to that though. It's like watching a webcomic that you've fallen into. The start is rough but it finds a footing that no one else can really claim to be anything similar to.
That said, "rough" is a word that I feel eventually haunted the series for me.
Anyone who looks over my tag of it can see I'm a huge fan of the show and weathered almost every change it went through and oh boy does this show go through changes. It's fair to say that one of the biggest exodus of fans was after Season 5 when it looked like it ended for the first time when Season 6 took the series in a more serious route continuing off of the drama from 5 (and the mini series around that time). In fact, almost every transition saw people dip off and it's understandable even if most of them felt great in the long run once the new arcs were allowed to get rolling.
But I'll admit that eventually, I was one of those fans, and I wasn't alone from what I've experienced.
Season 13 had a monumental ending. Actually one of the more emotional pieces of media I've seen and that's not something I say lightly. It had a spectacular examination of storytelling and managed to find a solid endpoint to a character arc that wrecked me. I still tear up whenever I rewatch it.
Season 14 was a great cooldown by going with some more experimental media that disconnected itself from the stakes and acted as a good bonus, and I was willing to see more from the series.
However despite my willingness to meet this show with each of its new arcs in their own ways, the next couple seasons threw me and a lot of fans off. Something was definitely wrong and it wasn't just the change to the status quo or the new framing, it definitely began to spin wheels and to lose direction in a way that other arcs hadn't.
I got midway through season 16 before I just stopped checking in without realizing it. I kept up with the company though I rarely looked into anything other than RWBY or Gen:LOCK as the company began to shift away towards something different.
I've talked with other fans about this at various points whose experiences match my own. Anyone who made it to the Chorus arc of Seasons 11-13 all tend to agree that the show definitely managed to weather every arc change except the last two/three (depending on if you view season 15->16 as its own shift).
I compare this heavily to the fact that most people got through 15 and partway into 16 than the fact that most people who bounced off Season 6, 9, or 11 did so a few episodes in.
And almost everyone has an identical story: We all tried RvB Zero.
A lot has been said about it but this is my rambling post and if you're this far you're probably willing to read my take.
I went in welcoming the change of cast, the animation style, and the fact that it would probably be rougher to start. But I hate to say this: it was extremely poorly written and poorly delivered. Characters and plots were collections of tropes that couldn't hold the action scenes at the core of the show together. "Reveals" were things I assumed would be subversions and the show spent no time getting us invested in the characters because it was given a ridiculously short runtime so the twists landed with no emotional weight.
I know the creator has to deal with constant criticism of the show and is defensive of it so I have no wish to add to that pile but even approaching the season on its own merits I was unable to engage with it and felt like I was burying the series there.
Then came all the Rooster Teeth scandals. Crunch was a rumor but was then confirmed. Everything regarding the animation team (the other two big items were unrelated to RvB and RWBY but did put a damper on me engaging with the company the way it had always presented itself via the personalities it showcased). I drifted away from them until the latest season of RWBY (which itself premiered on a service that continues to deal with union related scandals). Regardless I'd sort of made my peace with RvB.
So then comes the announcement of the final season written by Burnie, whose retirement seems to have been in part one of the big reasons I drifted away from both the series and the company (it's notable that when I was a fan, the podcasts with him tended to be the highlights). I'm not here to put any of the founders on a pedestal after all of the dirty laundry that's come out about some of them, but it's reignited interest in this series at the least.
Added to that the soft retcon of everything after season 13, it seems a sort of acknowledgement that the series did lose its touch.
This post was meant to help me process the feelings I've had since hearing this announcement and record my experience with the show and I can't say for sure that I've sorted things completely as much as it feels like I understand where I stand with this.
I want it to be good. I want it to be a send off the series deserves. It's sad to watch something you've followed for almost 20 years be laid to rest and it's the closing of the chapter of "amateur art" as one of the last big machinima series comes to close.
If RWBY continues, its almost certainly going to be done by a separate studio, and while I've heard people are enjoying the new podcast formats I don't really enjoy general podcasts as much as specific interest ones these days.
All in all, this feels like closing a chapter on not just a series but the studio itself as Rooster Teeth has changed its logo to remove the "cock bite", changed its cast to remove most of the "old guard", and now lays to rest its longest running series. It's been obvious this has been coming for the better half of a decade now, but it's still the moment to me where a book is being closed. And it's bittersweet in its own way.
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My personal top 37 for Eurovision 2023
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
I dont' even know what to say anymore, it has been the most exhausting ESC season ever for me and I just want this Saturday to come and go
11) Italy - song is alright (it actually grew on me in these weeks), Marco is a great singer and a cool guy, but half because I didn't want it to win Sanremo and half because I have actual favourites I'm spending the season worrying to death about, I have exactly zero interest about what happens to Due Vite in Liverpool
10) Moldova - how often does it happen to have two returning artists from the same year? Seeing Pasha and Loreen meet again was so cute! (and the fact that Ivi Adamou was there as well made the whole thing even better asdfghjffg)
Anyway lol the song is awesome, Moldova incredibly managed to find a middle ground between genuine ethnodance and the amateurish country fair performance from last year, and I'm happy about it
Lautar is also one of the few songs I actually love from 2012 btw, just as an add-on :''
He looks hella fine too but shh
9) United Kingdom - purely and simply a bop, it almost makes me forget how much of a tamarrata* it is asdfghjk
As for its chances in Liverpool, if the pre-parties are of any indication, there's no way in hell this will get a top10 like many seem to predict, more like it will be lucky to get out of the bottom 5 :''
(*tamarrata = something camp and cringy and excessive, that sometimes you like exactly because of that lol)
8) Czechia - I usually adore songs with a women-supporting-women narrative, this one is no exception, and it also has a double reading which makes it even cooler
I was a bit afraid that if they kept the aesthetic of the video on stage it could end up looking messy and uncoordinated, but luckily they decided to make it tidier and in fact their performance on Tuesday was amazing
7) Austria - This, this is how you do clever and funny
This could have ended up being an apocalyptic level of trash but, ironically, the nonsense narrative keeps its feet on the ground
Thankfully it seems like it's not a Halo 2.0, though the performance could have used being a lil bit more whimsical and energetic
6) France - I love how this starts tango-ish and then catches rhythm!
I have no idea how it will go, France was my winner last year and I never would have imagined an almost last place for them, so yeah :''
I don't think they can snatch the win but I'd be on board with them trying purely because that would mean a new Sweden vs France death match which, like, AAAAAAAAAAAAA
5) Norway - this is the first song from this year I listened to and I'm still bobbing my head from that first time ahah
This sounds like a song KEiiNO could have sung, which in my book is always a compliment
We'll give her a wagon of points as soon as the commentators let it slip that she's Italian lol
4) Finland - This is me having a drunken dream while also never having been drunk in my whole life :''
Look, I love this song, or it wouldn't be in my top 5, it's a banger, it's fun and it's been stuck in my head since the first time I heard it in the studio version (the live rendition sucks, I know you all know but choose not to acknowledge it c:), I actually like the way it has two very different styles and the moment it leaves the rappish part to basically become the Carameldansen makes me fall from the chair every time
It does deserve to do well.
Does it deserve to win though?
Ehhhh personally no, I don't think this is enough
3) Serbia - This year every time I think I have listened to the most feverdream-ish song of the line-up there comes another right after to prove me wrong lmao
This is so weirdly composed, it pulls my nerves right out of me but like in a good way??
The part where Luke starts ''unplugging'' the dancers and his voice becomes low and rough gives me such a fine tingle in the stomach AHHHHH
Serbia wants a win and it damn well shows, and maybe it won't happen this year but if they keep this up I don't think they will have to wait for much longer
2) Spain - this is genuinely amazing and I think it grew to be the only song that wouldn't make me want to set fire to the universe if it won in Sweden's place lol just because it's so ethnically artsy and well-sung and it has such sad melancholic good lyrics, plus I think Blanca would actually make a good winner
''Ay child, when I die
let them bury me on the moon
so that I'll see you every night,
every night except one''
Best damn lyrics of the year hands down!
This >>>>>>>>>>>>>> booty hypnotic
1) Sweden - The way she claims exactly every bit of the stage that she needs to, the way she shapes sound between her teeth, the desperation in her voice in the final part, the actual tattoo element which is important in her Berber culture, the creativity in the desert environment with both sand and sky, the double reference to the Atlas myth and the Atlas mountains, there's so much cool shit around this even if you don't like the song and so much to be happy about her participating again and so many people are choosing to stay mad for some of the most ridiculous reasons I've ever heard
Unbelievable
Not to mention that ''it's a song contest!!'' only when it fits their narrative
I know she probably won't, it would be way too perfect and eurofans this year have decided that making literal history isn't cool, but IF she does…
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What’s the Craic with...Films To Be Buried With?
I recently started binge listening to Brett Goldstein’s (aka. Roy Kent) new podcast Films to be Buried With and SPOILER ALERT! It’s really good. So good in fact that I decided to answer the questions myself. Please enjoy my controversial and strange opinions on films and do feel free to judge.
1. What was the first film you remember seeing?
Mr Bean’s Holiday. I remember going to see it with my dad and my sister at the cinemas during the school holidays. The scene of him eating oysters in the French restaurant is peak cinema.
2. What was the film that scared you the most?
Wallace and Grommit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. I will not hear any different - this film is a horror film. It is not for children. It should not be shown to children. When I have children I will only show them this film if they have misbehaved so terribly that I need to scare them straight. I personally think my parents should pay for my therapy bills after having inflicted this psychological torment upon me as a child.
3. What was the film that made you cry the most?
Judy. This film DESTROYED me. I absolutely adore Judy Garland. I wish I could have been alive to have seen her perform. There will never be another performer like Judy. The emotion she put into every single song she performed was simply mesmerizing and Renee Zellweger captured perfectly everything that made Judy, Judy.
4. What was the film that made you laugh the most?
Airplane! I know its one of those films where the humour is very much rooted in its time and most likely wouldn’t fly (pun intended) today but I remember being showed this film when I was younger and I thought it was the funniest thing ever produced. Everything about the guitar scene is so simple yet so effectively funny.
5. What is the film that means something special to you?
The Greatest Showman. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say I saw this 5-10 times at the cinema. I bloody love this film. I went to see it with my grandma at one point which is one reason why it’s special to me but the bigger reason is because of how much my dad loves this film. It’s his comfort film. He says it never fails to cheer him up. He even set it as his ringtone at one point just so he had an excuse to listen to it.
6. What is a film that people hate but you love?
Jingle All the Way. People who hate this film deserve jail time. You know who you are. It is up there in the top 5 Christmas films of all time. Arnold Schwarzenegger becoming a superhero? I can and have recited this film from star to finish. The quotability of the film is also top notch. IT’S TURBO-TIME! It’s not Christmas without it.
7. What is the film people love but you hate?
Back to the Future. Quite possibly the most overrated film I have ever seen. How it managed to get it’s own musical I will never know. I will also never understand the amount of people on the podcast who put this as the best film or their favourite film. I really just don’t understand the appeal. Or why they made three.
8. What is the worst film you’ve seen?
Christmas on the Square. Right. It is the worst film in existence. But it makes one hell of a watch party. I spent one of the best nights watching this film and it is both 2 hours of my life I will never get back and 2 hours of my life I want to relive over and over again. One word - CHANGE!
9. What film did you love as a kid but think is shit now?
My friends would want me to say Jingle All The Way but they would be wrong. It is in fact
10. What is the film you relate to the most?
Happiest Season. If you know me then this requires no further explanation. Therefore I shall give none.
11. What is the sexiest film you’ve seen?
Oceans 8. Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Rihanna, Helena Bonham-Carter. Anne Hathaway. Mindy Kaling. Awkwafina. Sarah. Catherine. Paulson. End of discussion. However the film does come with a *MAY CONTAIN JAMES CORDEN* warning so you have to be on guard at all times and armed with the TV remote for immediate fast-forwarding.
12. What is a film you found sexy but wasn’t meant to be?
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness. I’m not proud of it. But they had no right making that Indiana Jones looking anthropomorphized rabbit look as good as he did.
13. What is the film you can watch over and over again?
The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement. A Queen is never late, everyone else is simply...early. Princess Ami HAS to go potty. They’re smitten whilst playing badminton...where’s my kitten? ARE YOU SASSING YOUR GRANDMA?!
14. What is your favourite film?
Mary Poppins. Julie Walters won that Oscar for a reason people. If you don’t think of Mary every time you open an umbrella then you’re not living life properly. The voice of an angel, coupled with Dick van Dyke’s charmingly bad cockney accent (which I as a child thought was spot on and didn’t see any issues with). I will never get bored of this film. It never fails to make me happy. And the best moment of the film? The very first scene. The overture. The minute that first note is played I get goosebumps. The best piece of music ever composed.
15. What is actually the best film ever made?
The Wizard of Oz. I will fight people over this. It is the best, most timeless film ever created. The Wicked Witch of the West is the ultimate baddie. Judy Garland in the performance of a lifetime. It’s a musical which already makes it fantastic. The moment Dorothy arrives in Oz and the picture goes from sepia toned to full over-the-rainbow technicolour is not only one of the most important moments for cinema but without a doubt the most iconic.
16. Which one film would you take to heaven to show everyone?
Right. Now the thing with this question is it tends to be that people pick one of the films already chosen to take with them. But if I were to do that I’d naturally either pick my favourite film - Mary Poppins - or the best film - The Wizard of Oz. But I feel like millions of people would already have taken those two films to heaven and shown everyone. So people might get bored if they have to watch it again (I wouldn’t but that’s because I’m class). So instead I’m going to go with a film that no one in their right mind would have decided to take to heaven. And that it - Diana: The Musical. Now here me out because I’ve thought about this. Not only can I show Princess Diana herself whilst I’m up there in heaven, chilling out with her (because we would be friends. We would.) But I feel like showing everyone this complete and utter piece of garbage would make everyone appreciate musicals like Mary Poppins and The Wizard of Oz SO. MUCH. MORE. And just like that I will have done what was thought to be impossible - I will have improved heaven.
If you reached the end - congratulations! If my taste in films hasn’t completely put you off my opinions on anything, here is my brief list of recommendations of the best episodes of Films to be Buried With:
Hannah Waddingham
Aisling Bea
Rosin Conaty
Tom Allen
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