#not really spoilers cause the trailer revealed they have history
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𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒. all sentences have been taken from the hunger games: the ballad of songbirds and snakes book and some from the movie trailers. might include spoilers for the movie and book. change pronouns and locations and names as you see fit.
“Nothing you can take from me was ever worth keeping.”
“Being from the Capitol doesn’t give you that right. Nothing does.”
“Well, as they said, it's not over until the mockingjay sings.”
“People aren’t so bad, really, It’s what the world does to them.”
“That is the thing with giving your heart. You never wait for someone to ask. You hold it out and hope they want it.”
“Snow lands on top.”
“I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.”
“Before need, before love, came trust.”
“And try not to look down on people who had to choose between death and disgrace.”
“What are lies but attempts to conceal some sort of weakness?”
“The strain of being a full-fledged adult every day had grown tiresome.”
“You can blame it on the circumstances, the environment, but you made the choices you made, no one else.”
“Wars are won by heads not hearts.”
“There is a point to everything or nothing at all, depending on your worldview.”
“You're mine and I'm yours. It's written in the stars.”
“But better off sad than dead.”
“What young brains lack in experience they sometimes make up for in idealism. Nothing seems impossible to them.”
“I think it’s more important than love. I mean, I love all kinds of things I don’t trust.”
“I’m planning to build a whole new beautiful life here. One where, in my own small way, I can make the world a better place.”
“If the war’s impossible to end, then we have to control it indefinitely. Just as we do now.”
“What was there to aspire to once wealth, fame, and power had been eliminated? Was the goal of survival further survival and nothing more?”
“They were both after all, still children whose lives were dictated by powers above them.”
“Star-crossed lovers meeting their fate.”
“I’m bad news, all right.”
“The ability to control things. Yes, that was what he’d loved best of all.”
“What happened in the arena? That’s humanity undressed. The tributes. And you, too.”
How quickly civilization disappears. All your fine manners, education, family background, everything you pride yourself on, stripped away in the blink of an eye, revealing everything you actually are.”
“A boy with a club who beats another boy to death. That’s mankind in its natural state”
“Please, Coriolanus, I would never forget the favor.”
“Who are human beings? Because who we are determines the type of governing we need.”
“What sort of agreement is necessary if we’re to live in peace? What sort of social contract is required for survival?”
“It’s just the kind of story that catches fire.”
“And last but least, District Twelve girl . . . she belongs to Coriolanus Snow.”
“Man is born free; and everywhere he is in chains.”
“If history teaches you anything, it’s how to make the unwilling comply.”
“You know what I won’t miss? People. Except for a handful. They’re mostly awful, if you think about it.”
“And to erase me, they must erase the Games.”
“Why did these people think that all they needed to start a rebellion was anger?”
“And if even the most innocent among us turn into killers in the Hunger Games, what does that say? That our essential nature is violent.”
“It's the things we love most, that destroy us.”
“We all did things we’re not proud of.”
“What are the Hunger Games for?”
"If you want to protect people, then it's essential to accept what human beings are and what it takes to control them."
“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear."
“If the cause wasn’t honorable, how could it be an honor to participate in it?”
“He’s a Capitol boy and clearly I got the cake with the cream, ’cause nobody else’s mentor even bothered to show up to welcome them.”
“To dine with her suggests that you consider her your equal. But she isn’t.”
“The endless dance with hunger had defined his life.”
"In nature, things that are prey, that are weak, are marked"
"The world is not kind to those who don't fit in"
"We all wear masquerades in this Capitol"
, "There's a price for everything, Lucy. Sometimes you pay it willingly, sometimes it's taken from you,"
"Freedom is not given, it is taken"
“I’m not convinced that we are all as inherently violent as you say, but it takes very little to bring the beast to the surface, at least under the cover of darkness.”
#rp meme#sentences memes#rp resources#meme call#roleplay memes#sentence meme#( cali meme. )#rp memes#rp prompt#rp musings#roleplay prompt
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Okay so here’s some thoughts about last night’s Doctor Who, and the Chibnall era in general now I can see it as a whole.
Spoilers ahead.
I was pleasantly surprised by The Power of the Doctor. The Master as Rasputin? Dancing to Boney M? Gloriously silly. The Master becoming the Doctor and adding McCoy’s pullover, Davison’s celery and Troughton’s recorder to Whittaker’s ensemble? Delightful. The return of Ace? Ace! (Still calling the Doctor ‘Professor’!) The return of Tegan? I was never a big fan of hers (or the Davison era in general) but she was good here and it worked. The return of Kate Stewart? I mean she was in Flux so not as big a deal to see her again, but she was good as usual. The ex-companion’s support group? Lovely, especially Ian, whose appearance made me choke up. The appearance of David Bradley (at the place I will refer to as The Metaphor) made me go awww, then even bigger awwws as he morphed into Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, and Peter Davison. McCoy and Davison getting to have a little moment with Ace and Tegan respectively, albeit in hologram form, was really lovely. (“We’re more than good. We’re ace!” 🥹) A lot of this was playing on my affection for Classic Who, I’m not sure how it plays to a newer viewer, but I really enjoyed all of that stuff. (A friend who hasn’t seen Classic Who also enjoyed it — but he did ask me in advance for a quick summary of Ace and Tegan, which helped him.)
So as a single episode, in the context of wider Who history, it was lovely. But as a finale for Jodie Whittaker and the Chibnall era specifically… that aspect of it was overshadowed by the Classic Who cameos and references, but when my mind focuses on it, I find it very unsatisfying. Chibnall set up so many things that were potentially interesting, and then stubbornly refused to be interesting. He belatedly had Yaz reveal her feelings for the Doctor in Eve of the Daleks — after three seasons of subtext so subtle I think a lot of it was unintentional at the time and only retroactively made into subtext by big interest from Thasmin shippers — then gave them one quiet scene to discuss their feelings in the middle of the absolute clusterfuck that was Legend of the Sea Devils. Their romance conspicuously didn’t progress any further in Power of the Doctor, and its ending was an absolute damp squib. If Rose and Clara stuck with the Doctor through regenerations, I refuse to believe Yaz would just agree to leave like that, and say goodbye with only a nod. I’m not saying I wanted Yaz to die, but it felt like they were building up to her being so devoted to the Doctor that that was the only way she would leave. Maybe the lack of angst is a blessing, but there was a lack of really anything else, for a companion who has been with the Doctor for three seasons plus specials, the most consistent run for any companion of the modern era.
And Whittaker herself was somewhat overshadowed by a) all the cameos, and b) turning into Sacha Dhawan for a while. (He was brilliant though, loved those scenes.) She did get to triumphantly save the day, so that was nice, and getting killed by the Master as his dying act, lashing out desperately, worked well enough. And her final regeneration speech was quite sweet, I liked that a lot. “Doctor whoever I’m gonna be next — tag, you’re it.”
Which brings us to that regeneration. What? What?! WHAT?!!
Okay so I’m excited to see David Tennant return, he’s always welcome. I saw fan theories that Whittaker would regenerate into him, and I was sceptical… but that is actually what happened. Or at least what we saw. The fact that his suit regenerated too, combined with Ncuti Gatwa’s appearance in the trailer (wearing what appears to be Tennant’s unbuttoned shirt and undone tie and exclaiming “I don’t know who I am anymore!”), suggests that some sci-fi fuckery is afoot. Looking like Tennant is either an illusion caused by whatever baddie Neil Patrick Harris will be playing and it’ll turn out to be Gatwa underneath, or it’s some quirk of regeneration unlocked by knowledge of the Timeless Child (which honestly I doubt, since I expect Russell T Davies will have his own ideas he wants to run with). Either way, we know Tennant is only in the 2023 specials, and Gatwa was announced by the BBC specifically as the Fourteenth Doctor, so there’s gonna be some wibbly-wobbly reason why Tennant isn’t actually a permanent new incarnation with the same face as a previous one.
Oh yes, and speaking of the Timeless Child… assuming that’s a plot thread future showrunners won’t bother to touch, that all came to nothing, didn’t it! That was Chibnall’s master plan? The story he was eager to tell over his three season run? A story with no definitive answers or satisfying conclusions, a story with nothing to say. We still don’t even know for certain where in the Doctor’s timeline the Fugitive Doctor fits, which is supremely irritating to me. (The Master made an enigmatic reference to Troughton’s forced regeneration and it maybe not being the only time it had happened, so I take that as an oblique clue for the nerdy-enough that the Fugitive Doctor slots in between the un-filmed regeneration of Troughton and Pertwee. Presumably the Time Lords punished the Doctor not only with forced regeneration, but with using a secret extra incarnation to do their dirty work before erasing the memories and dumping Pertwee in a broken Tardis.)
So, in conclusion… fun episode on its own merits, lovely tribute to ‘80s Who, but very unsatisfying conclusion to the era it’s actually from and a weak send-off for Thirteen and Yaz.
But RTD2 is coming!
#Doctor Who#Doctor Who spoilers#The Power of the Doctor#Thirteenth Doctor#Jodie Whittaker#Chris Chibnall
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Loki Series Theories (this number is not accurate) 6/?, aka My Brain Hates Me
My brain at 1am: Let's go to sleep by mentally writing Loki season two, episode 1 but make it way more lokius than it's canonically going to be.
Me, finally settling in for a Loki bedtime story after a month of Good Omens nonsense: Okay.
My brain: *Dumps this theory on me*
Theory: Loki is time-slipping because he's not supposed to be back.
No one who was pruned has ever come back to the TVA or the main timeline before. It's causing shit. Similar to how in other media having two versions of a character existing at the same time or in the same universe would cause a paradox that fucks shit up and in some cases (I can't think of specific examples at this time) the universe would make one of the versions cease to exist to correct the paradox, pruning is meant to be permanent. It sends you to the Void, where (and I'm making some assumptions here; I'm not sure if these are the exact intentions) Alioth is meant to devour your existence sooner or later. (Loki is right on Lamentis; Lokis survive. But that doesn't mean they escape the Void. Once you're in the Void I don't think the TVA gives much of a shit what happens to you after that.) Whatever pruning is really meant to accomplish, you're not supposed to come back from it; the sparky version of the Melt Stick is a one-way ticket.
Except Loki comes back. Sylvie sends him back. (My alternative theory to this is that Loki is time-slipping because Sylvie sent him to a parallel universe and he's causing a paradox, but for the purposes of this theory, I'm saying she sent him to the correct TVA but in entering the Citadel and stabbing He Who Remains the timeline is already so fucked even the legit TVA is getting weird.) He's supposed to remain in the Void. This is causing some wonky shit to go down, manifesting in Loki's time-slipping, even in the TVA, which OB says in the trailer is not supposed to be possible.
Now, of course there are some holes you can start poking in this theory. I have counterarguments (which, I'll remind you, I came up with at 1 am, so are varying degrees of flimsy at this point).
But Sylvie also came back from the Void. We see her in the trailer (and commercials) at McDonald's and various other locations both alone and with Loki. She doesn't just stay in the Citadel. Well, she's time-slipping, too. Marvel has a history of being very careful with revealing spoilers and plot twists during trailers or sneak peeks, to the point of going to some controversial lengths in the past. If they showed her also time-slipping we'd be able to work out the connection that they're slipping because they came back from the Void, and for the moment at least, they seem to want to keep the reason why Loki's slipping a mystery. So either they're carefully editing scenes with Sylvie around her own time-slipping moments, or only showing us the parts after Loki and Mobius manage to fix her time-slipping, since in the beginning of the trailer, we see Loki slipping seemingly every few seconds or minutes, and then later on (especially around Sylvie) he seems to be going much longer without slipping or not slipping at all (at least in how much of the scene they show). This seems to imply that the problem either gets fixed somewhat quickly so that it's not ongoing throughout the season, or that at first he's time-slipping very frequently but eventually they are able to delay it longer.
But Mobius also came back from the Void. He gets back before the other two. We see him in the finale in two separate places in the TVA (or two versions of him in two TVAs), and both times, he seems free of glitching. Well, they wiped his memory (again) when he got back. Maybe this either fixed the time-slipping or they also fixed that at the same time they wiped his memory. Alternatively, this is an alternate version of him. He's not time-slipping because this version was never pruned. Alternatively, he's also time-slipping, like Sylvie, and like Sylvie, the trailer has been carefully edited to cut out this information.
Canon Likelihood: Likely
I genuinely think both Loki and Sylvie are time-slipping because they came back from pruning. I don't think at the time we reunite with Mobius in the finale, whether this is an alternate Mobius or a memory-wiped Mobius, he's time-slipping. I'm about 50% hopeful they will explain why he's the only one of the trio who isn't and won't just leave another gaping Grand-Canyon-sized plot hole.
#loki#loki tv show#loki theories#loki season 1 spoilers#loki season 2#loki season 2 trailer spoilers#loki season 2 trailer
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KNY Season 2 News Thoughts
OK, now that I've spent the whole day squealing about this news, I might actually be able to coherently give my thoughts on it. OK, let's go chronologically in series timeline:
Mugen Train TV Anime Edition:
I actually did not see this coming. Of course I'd heard the rumors that the beginning of Season 2 would be 'Mugen Train', but I brushed those rumors aside with the logic of: "Well, the movie didn't cover the entire arc, we still have some aftermath to go over, so that's probably what this is talking about." Well, I was completely wrong. Not only are we getting what I'm affectionately dubbing "Mugen Train Extended Edition", we also get an entirely anime original episode starring Kyojuro in the days leading up to the fateful mission aboard the Mugen Train. Words cannot convey how excited I am for this re-adaptation.
I've seen some press complain that it's simply milking the Mugen Train cash cow for all it's worth. While I do feel that, in regards to things like this, the financial side of things must be taken into account when determining causes of decisions; I feel there is more to this. It's a television re-adaptation of the singular most successful film in the entire history of the Japanese box office. Much like the Television specials that have been broadcast in the past, I feel that this is more a publicity move than a financial one. Instead of compiling many episodes into a few specials to air over the course of a couple of months, we instead are treated to an extended cut of the film split up into seven episodes, including a special episode starring the film's most popular character: Rengoku-san! That way, with each new episode airing weekly, hype and publicity builds to a climax for the premiere of the Entertainment District Arc. (We also get 2 new LiSA songs serving as a full OP and ED for the mini-cour, which my KNY playlist will gladly accept). Only time will tell which version of the arc will be my preferred version for viewing, but I am ready for this arc to hurt me again- in a serialized weekly format (maybe with Taisho secrets pls).
Entertainment District Arc:
So the Entertainment District Arc will start airing early December, which to be fair, is not unexpected for me. Aniplex and Ufotable had basically nothing final to show us regarding the arc back at the Aniplex Online Fest in July, so it was always iffy in my mind that we would actually get this arc in October like many people thought. A few of my main takeaways from the trailer will follow. (Manga Spoilers after the break)
I am excited by the prospect of an hour long premiere, although it makes me wonder whether the Mugen Train re-adaptation will include the aftermath scenes with Tanjiro's visit to House Rengoku. It seems odd to me to have an hour long premiere if we're just gonna jump right into the heat of this arc, especially if you consider the fact that there are plenty more episodes in this season to follow.
Daki's voice sounds perfect! Miyuki Sawashiro definitely captured the 'sultry and intimidating' air that Daki puts on when she's confident, but I wonder how she'll fare during Daki's tantrum, or during the flashbacks to Ume. I'm sure she'll do great, though it will be interesting to see the direction they take.
On a related note, I'm quite happy they seem to be keeping Gyutaro under wraps. Hopefully we can keep it that way until December! (On a vaguely Upper Moon 6 related tangent, I'm so hyped for Doma reveal during the flashbacks, purely for the eyes, and to finally get some semblance of a canon hair color for the guy).
I was initially a little sad to hear that LiSA would not be lending her vocal talents to the OP and ED for this arc, since the vocal consistency between seasons 1 and the movie was very appealing to me; but having heard that tiny snippet of it during the promotional reel, I think it fits. It's not at all what I envisioned though. I had initially envisioned a LiSA song, that was kind of tight, focusing on the suspenseful atmosphere of the arc, and the mystery. But wow, what we got is so flamboyant, and sure to be an earworm (it's already stuck in my head). I think it works, despite having taken the opposite vibe of what I expected, and Aimer seems to be an excellent choice for this song (I've loved pretty much every song of hers' I've heard).
The shots that we were treated to in this reel seemed up to par with what I've come to expect from this adaptation of KNY, and served a really good purpose as a trailer of things to come. It showed things and characters people should keep an eye on (I'm looking at you, shot of angry Nezuko).
While we've still been shown very little footage from the arc, I'm quite excited by it, as much like Mugen Train, it's a favorite of mine, and I'm ready to see what flashy magic tricks Ufotable has in store for us with this arc. I'm just hoping and praying that Daki VS. Nezuko gets the episode 19 treatment.
Well yeah, that's the end of my hopefully coherent ramblings about this news. This has maybe been the biggest day in this fandom since I joined a little over a year ago, and I'm glad I get to be a part of this with all of you. Here's to season 2!
#demon slayer season 2#kimetsu no yaiba#Mugen Train arc#entertainment district arc#set your heart ablaze#flamboyant#my playlist is ready but my heart might not be#not just one but two anime adaptations of mugen train!
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Episode 2-Play by Play Reactions (Spoilers)
Ooooooh mysterious...
Oh so this variant can (at least briefly) cont people with a simple touch? No need for a scepter?
I NEED A HEROOO!
Oh this variant is taking that lady away? I wonder why
Miss Minutes is gonna move me to violence
Loki is me studying
Hahahahaha get her Loki!
Loki, leave Mobius’ magazines alone
Wow he got into the work force rather fast huh? Bit of a whiplash type scenario considering the end of episode one
No, YOU’RE a cosmic mistake! 😤 my boy looks hot regardless
Sooooo Loki is the most common variant? Why does this not surprise me?
Is... is he a football cup champion??? Omg 😂
Smart boy. Illusion projecting is different than duplication casting. Neato. LISTEN TO MY SMART BOY. RESPECT HIM.
Dude loves wheeling
Yea Loki. Work on getting to the time keepers. Overthrow the government.
Dude is smart with these questions.
Propaganda is INDEED exhausting so that’s fair
Fist hostage... maybe he’s (or she?) gonna use her as a body transfer like Loki in the comics with Sif?
Oh please let this be a genuine smart Loki moment and not just setting him up as a joke and embarrassment...
“Where there are wolf’s ears, wolf’s teeth are near.” Good to know basic mammalian anatomy is still applicable to Asgardian wolves...
Cmon Loki do something cool. Please. Please Loki. Please.
Preach my man, but please, do something cool. My anxiety that you’ll be turned into a joke is spiking.
Is he actually waiting outside or is Loki really just trying to mess with them and throw them off? Or is he just being too cocky for his own good and it’s gonna mess him up? Please please please don’t disappoint me. I have merch for this show already that I can’t return
Bargain baby, bar again. Do it.
Is he actually concerned for the time keepers orrrrrr
Dangit Mobius
Does... being reset... hurt?
Bye C-20 I guess... for now? We’ll see
Of course it’s a friggin theremin that’s playing
Mobius x Judge Renslayer? Oooooooh. Tsundere Renslayer.
Use a coaster my man
Oh her first name is Ravonna
Controversy is the best thing though
You can never understand this Loki. As soon as you begin to understand, he changes. He’s unpredictable.
“I know you have a soft spot for broken things.” Ah, so this entire fandom then?
“But Loki is an evil, lying scourge.” YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU WENCH!
“That is the part he plays in the sacred timeline.” Well you clearly haven’t been paying enough attention to the files then, hm? Here, let me redirect you to one of the many character analyses I’ve written. Now if you read here........
He doesn’t need to change. He’s already not evil
I don’t trust Renslayer or the time keepers... or Renslayer WITH the time keepers... I think she plays a bigger, antagonistic role than I thought.
You just TRY and delete him Mobius... just... TRY... I will find a way to break the fourth wall and no time keepers can keep you safe from the rage of a million fan girls. Nothing... we don’t need magic...
Omg Loki just sitting there in a chair outside the office like a kid while their parent is talking with the teacher about their “recent behavior”.
Cmon Loki, you don’t need to make excuses or impress him.
My poor boy is SOOO out of his zone.
Tbf mobius, you ASKED. You asked what makes him tick.
Hey hey hey, let’s not gaslight my boy...
The Loki is... uhhh something... gotta keep my hopes up. Trust in Tom Hiddleston...
Mobius showing his true colors...
Please Loki... be badass... not just a joke... please please please... PLEASE!
Mobius, play nice.
I hope this “superior” Loki thing, if it is a female, isn’t a desperate attempt at feminism pandering, chocking up her “superiority” to being female. Please give the characters real stories. Flesh them out.
Juice box time?
No?
More homework?
Bugger...
The sass is off the charts
Librarian lady gonna get killed
Oh boy
Pffffft—
I miss Casey.
Hey don’t ignore Loki. That’s rude.
Bell is the answer?
Poor Loki. Stop trying to fit in. You are best when you are genuinely yourself.
What’s to stop Loki from grabbing the other files?
Homework... I thought I escaped this when I graduated...
Whatcha seeing there?
Oh...
Bye bye Asgard...
Cmon... not more feels.
AGGHHHHHHHH
Please allow him confirmation of Thor’s survival and beating of Thanos!!! He needs that confirmation! He needs that reassurance.
Hear him out Mobius.
“He’s hiding in apocalypses.” Sooooo is that why they go to presumably Mount Vesuvius? I assume?
Mobius, let Loki have your salad.
Rip salad
CASEY
Casey’s juice box
Poor Casey and mobius salad...
Loki, your logic astounds me.
Well, pushing Hulk off of the bridge WOULD have an effect...
VESUVIUS HERE WE COME
He hasn’t really stabbed anyone in the back... except Thor... but not 50 times
Pompeii, here we come!
Ooooooh we gonna see Loki dance with a lady? 😏 get ittttt
Well, if you do cause a branch, can’t you just reset the timeline?
CAUSE SOME CHAOS MY LOVELY MAN
OMG IM HEARING THE LOVE OF MY LIFE SPEAK ITALIAN
I can die happy now
Loki... you look insane.
Uhhh run
Okay you’re good
Sleepy Loki
Let him sleep!
Soooo, I mean, technically, Loki’s actions would still cause the timeline to change, but said change wouldn’t have an impact on the future, just the current moment... so shouldn’t it still be detected by the TVA? At least as a little fleck?
Jet skis?
Omg I just snorted at Loki begrudgingly agreeing with Mobius that jet skis are awesome
Mobius offending my History Teachers for 50 minutes straight... that’s it. That’s the episode.
Mobius really in love with jet skis for some reason
We better get to see Mobius on a jet ski
Fighting for jet skis?
Lol mobius has a point about the magical Asgardians and Jötunns
Glorious purpose
Cmon Loki, destroy this man’s beliefs.
OVERTHROW THE GOVERNMENT
DO IT
TEAM UP AND THROW THE TIMELINE INTO CHAOS
How would you know what the time keepers are doing when you’ve never met them?
How can you meet in peace at the end of time with no chaos?
“You see, I know something children don’t. That no one bad is ever truly bad. And no one good is ever truly good.”
Mobius, don’t patronize my boy. Go jet skiing.
“I know.” Oh good, that point in the trailer was edited.
No candy on Asgard? Poor Loki.
May the best man win? Well that automatically means Loki.
Getting National Treasure vibes
Love you
Alabama will still exist in 2050? That’s disappointing.
Roxxcart.
Loki is very smart. Thank you show.
Renslayer, if you claim Mobius is your friend, trust him.
Kachow!
“For all time.” “Always.” TVA is definitely a cult.
Weapon?
WEAPON!
...weapon???
no weapon...
Meanie...
Are we gonna see what this Loki variant looks like?
I have a feeling this variant is gonna be the female, blonde (I’m so sorry, at the moment I forget her name) in those pictures we saw. Guessing because 1) she was wearing a Loki outfit. 2) her and tom Hiddleston were wet in that picture as if rained on 3) the scene when they enter Roxxcart occurs when it starts to rain due to the upcoming massive storm. So I’m placing all of my money on the table the Loki variant is Lady Loki. Blonde, for some reason. (Or maybe she just didn’t have a wig on in the picture of her we saw?)
Yea please don’t prune this Loki.
Storms a brewing
Good to know Alabama, at some point, does get destroyed. That’s comforting. (Btw this is a joke. I have nothing against Alabama lol. Idk why my brain thought this was funny lol.)
All wet and rainy.
HAHAHAHA USE THAT MAGIC BABY
LET MOBIUS STICK WITH LOKI
Ooh ooh! Is Loki gonna use powers to yoink the roomba here?
Uh oh. Forgot to take into consideration that most big businesses, especially stores, have security cameras, huh?
Times ticking...
Wait was that a reset charge?
Awkward silence
Spookyyyy
Poor dude lol
Or not
Hmmm
Oh???
I RECOGNIZE THAT MAGIC!!! ITS HER!!!
HUNTER (forget her number) IS THE LOKI VARIANT!!! When was she replaced? Or was she always the variant?
That or the other Loki is projecting herself into the hunter? Maybe used the shopping dude as a conduit?
Moment of realization
Smiling contest
No no, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is superior. I don’t care who else tries to play Loki, Tom IS Loki.
Oh no
Baby crying?
These poor people...
No need to be rough
Is Mobius genuinely caring
Oh... poor C-20
Team up please? Please?
Ah so they really can just send themself into any body they wish, huh? Just by touch?
Loki, learn that trick please.
Sooo, is the other variant Loki’s body tangible? Do they project their conscience into other bodies via touch, or do they not have a corporeal body and rely on others to exist?
Doctor Who vibes
TEAM UP PLEASE
YES
Please
Please?
Offended by Loki name?
Haha sympathy for Thor
Go randy.
Soooo what are you interested in if not ruling the TVA?
Who’s that planting charges? The real body of the other variant Loki?
You okay C-20? (Off topic her actress reminds me of the actress who played Ava Star aka Ghost in Ant-Man and the Wasp) what is real and what about it is so mind capturing for you?
Oh no
Poor girl
Cmon B-15
Hello?
Reset charge
Oh? Bye bye?
HEY!
That’s rude
I miss Randy too
Cmon Loki fight like the badass I know you are
Please
HAHA! TELEKINESIS
Cartwheel WEEEEE
Oooh he swore
Lokis have a pattern of swearing only while taking other peoples forms
Cmon Loki. Go back to mobius. Help them. Prove your goodness. Please.
Poor trucker man
Hello?
Hello!
Fave reveal?
I KNEW IT
Oh????
Flashlights?
RUN!
Is this actually a Loki variant or just sylvie? Or Amora?
Uh oh...
What’s happening
Is she absolutely destroying the timeline?
Poor Doctor Strange. I wonder if he knows about the TVA?
Loki is all alone? Why is he standing still?
Where is she going?
Cmon Loki... help them please...
Loki...
CLIFF HANGER
NOOOOO I CANT WAIT ANOTHER WEEK AGHHHHHHHH
Are they gonna be okay?
How is the variant traveling?
What is her goal?
Why is Loki going after her?
Why is Loki leaning towards the apparent evil side?
Is this actually lady Loki or sylvie or amora since her hair is blonde?
WHAT IS HAPPENING???
So much just happened in so little time. It’s like Marvel wants to slowly spoon feed us with the first 3/4 of the episode and then in the last 1/4, they waterboard us.
Why is this female Loki variant so much more powerful?
So Loki DID know what was going on at the Renaissance fair and was intentionally stalling for her... why?
Her horned helmet is similar to the one kid(?) Loki wears in the comics. One horn broken. How did that happen? Why does she still wear it, especially if she doesn’t want to be called Loki?
No end credit scene yet.
#loki#loki laufeyson#loki odinson#marvel#marvel cinematic universe#mcu#disney#loki on disney+#Loki show#Loki series#disney plus#disney+#disney+ loki#loki disney#tom hiddleston#Loki episode 2#loki spoilers#loki reaction
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Godzilla Singular Point
I came into Singular Point with some trepidation because Godzilla’s history in anime is both very recent and extremely bad. The three anime movies released between 2017 and 2019 are easily the worst work of famed writer Gen Urobuchi and honestly contain more bullshit than I can even get into here. Those movies and this series were both Godzilla anime properties commissioned by Netflix, which didn’t get my hopes up very much. Thankfully, Singular Point is a very different beast from the anime trilogy. One could argue it’s very different from most Godzilla media, actually — at least from my perspective. And I’m still a pretty entry-level fan of Toho’s Big G, all things considered.
Let me just warn you right up front: This smartphone-based virtual assistant is basically the breakout star of the series.
When you think “Godzilla,” you probably don’t think “incredibly dense sci-fi concepts,” but with the big G’s first-ever anime series, the writers clearly set out to change that perception. Before the first kaiju even appears, the lead characters are plucked from obscurity and dropped into a mystery that involves fourth-dimensional time travel, physical objects that look different from all sides, theoretical math concepts, self-propagating A.I., and a whole lot more. And it’s NEVER made clear how all of it connects to the rampaging kaiju! Although we spend a lot of time investigating a red dust or sand that is very obviously tied to the monsters in SOME way, no one ever makes a connection that explains the relationship. Maybe we’re supposed to wait for a later season to connect the threads... but let’s get into the idea of “another season” later.
I like to think of myself as someone who typically enjoys hard sci-fi, but even with the characters spending loads of time trying to explain the high concepts driving the story, I was never able to fully wrap my head around what was going on in the mystery at the center of GSP. I rewound and rewatched a few explanations, but I still walked away feeling lost. I eventually settled on some vague, loose understandings of most of the ideas mentioned, but those understandings were subject to being ripped apart in subsequent scenes when I was shown or told something completely at odds with what I thought I knew. I can’t say I was ever bored with the thick, dense scientific concepts on offer — trying to find purchase with these far-out ideas kept me glued to the screen — but damn, I sure wish I was able to comprehend them.
What do we want?! DENSE SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION AND DEBATE! When do we want it?! AFTER THOROUGH RESEARCH, TESTING, AND PEER REVIEW!
Another weird thing about this show is that the lead characters remain in separate locations and on separate tracks for the entire duration. We have Yun — a mechanical engineer and programmer who has an amazing grasp on physics and human behavior. And we have Mei — a grad student who is deeply invested in theoretical science, UMAs, cryptids and other far-flung concepts. Both of them are basically geniuses in their fields, and even though they take opposing views of just how flexible reality is, their shared ability to think “outside the box” becomes the crucial component in solving the mystery at the core of the series. Because they don’t even know one another (despite being separated by like, ONE degree), they only ever interact via text messages and behind screen names, which feels pretty damn weird. At least I immediately liked both of them, with Yun being the standout to me because of how his lowkey reactions to crazy shit generates a lot of humor.
This soundtrack cover LIES; you will never see these characters in a room together like this.
Alas, we don’t get to know the characters a whole lot beyond what we learned of them in the first two episodes. It’s not long before they’re trapped in a series of complicated exposition dumps, endlessly attempting to explain the high concepts of the show to other characters as well as my dumb ass in the audience. The fact that I liked them in the first couple of episodes carried me through more than half of the show, but I was always hoping to see them share more of themselves or just display more emotion. Anime as a medium excels at emotional storytelling. But despite the major, world-altering events the characters are constantly warning us about, none of them seem to have many emotions about said events.
Further complicating matters is how, when major events finally occur in this show, they are often kept off-screen. One character shockingly dies, but the portrayal of that death is so piss-poor that I didn’t even realize it’d happened until someone mentioned their death in the next episode. After that vague death, I was particularly sensitive to anything that looked like it might possibly be lethal. Yet a later event that is played up as a tragic, fatal occurrence ends up... fine, somehow? It’s not clear how the character survives, because — even after one of our heroes is left screaming their name in despair as they seemingly die — nobody ever talks about or explains how he’s just fine a couple of scenes later. And near the end of the series, there’s a major transformation that occurs for one of the characters, and we never see it happen nor do we understand HOW it happened. It’s just that suddenly, this character is extremely different due to off-screen reasons that are only vaguely verbalized.
I guess these two really bonded at some point for some reason? And what you are seeing here is literally the height of emotion shown in the entire show.
Even though the overarching story of the series so far pretty clearly wraps up in episode 13, we then get a post-credits tease for a potential second season. So the question becomes: Would I watch that?
Well... Godzilla Singular Point is a series with a lot of issues that kept me at arms’ length from it — tons of extremely confusing dialogue, highly frustrating choices in direction that lead to baffling storytelling, characters who are mostly exposition-dumping — and yet there’s still some foundational work here that I appreciated a lot. When the action occurs, it’s pretty cool/fun. And when urban destruction occurs, it can be awe-inspiring. The human characters, though little-explored, have likable and interesting foundations to them that could be expanded upon. And I didn’t even mention the soundtrack, which features a variety of musical styles combined with the classic Ifukube theme music and an OP that is an absolute banger. (I have a weakness when it comes to music; a good soundtrack can carry me through even the blandest series sometimes.) Even the core idea of centering a Godzilla series around hard science and mathematical concepts is a compelling one, I think! I just hated the execution of it; they went waaaaay too far on poorly explaining incredibly complex, mind-bending concepts for my pea brain to handle it. They spend so much time trying to explain things, yet somehow they never succeeded for me.
Ultimately, I’d probably give the show another chance. But if I do give another season a chance, it’ll be on probation. I wouldn’t watch the entire season unless I could see within four episodes that they’d definitely improved things.
Would I recommend that anyone watch the series as it currently stands? I mean... not really? I guess if you really dig complex math, hard theoretical science, and/or Toho’s stable of monsters, then maaaaaaaaaaybe give it a shot. But otherwise? Naaaahh. It’s not good enough at anything to make it stand out from the anime crowd. I didn’t hate it like I hated the Godzilla anime films, but Singular Point is still something that both casual viewers and most fans can comfortably ignore for the time being. It’s not a complete disaster, and it’s not without its highlights... but it’s definitely disappointing in my opinion.
OKAYOKAYOKAY, so let’s talk about the kaiju for a bit!
Below will be SPOILERS revealing all of the kaiju that appear in Godzilla Singular Point and giving my feelings on them.
Godzilla — It’s interesting to see a version of Godzilla that borrows some ideas from Shin Godzilla. Shin G has been incredibly unique until now, but this Godzilla manages to fold some of Shin’s distinctive aspects in with the more classic/typical versions to build a fun new depiction. Be forewarned that Godzilla doesn’t show up until the series is halfway over, and he doesn’t get a ton of screen time, either. He’s used quite sparingly and kept in hazy settings, often framed from the neck-up when they show him. It’s a little frustrating that they felt the need to shroud him so much, but I respect the fact that whenever Godzilla is shown, the destruction he causes is on a scale far beyond anything that the rest of the kaiju ever do. He is pure devastation.
Rodan — He’s easily the biological kaiju with the most screen time in Singular Point. Rodan is first introduced as one gigantic pterosaur, but if you’ve seen ANY trailers for this show then you already know that his depiction transitions into an asston of smaller pterosaurs, all of whom are also called “Rodan.” (Apparently the word Rodan is both singular and plural, like the word “buffalo.”) Although he looks kind of cool at first, pretty soon Rodan showing up isn’t special or threatening anymore. Rodan appearances go from “a big goddamn deal” to “some bland background noise” before the series is even 1/3 finished. The design might be a little too far removed from the original for my own taste, but even if I didn’t think that, I wouldn’t be able to care for this Rodan simply because he’s rendered so unimportant and unimpressive.
If you go out in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise...
Anguirus — Now check this guy out! Anguirus gets one of the coolest fights in the show and also demonstrates some powers that are well beyond anything we’ve seen him do before. Because he sticks to unpopulated areas, we never see him do much damage to Japan, but he is definitely holding all the attention when he’s on-screen. He’s a highlight for me — a total badass who is very unique in his abilities. And the stated origin for his name is goddamn adorable.
Manda — Yup, Manda is in this series... but I don’t have much to say for him. It seems like the creators of the anime didn’t have much to say about him either. His role amounts to little more than a repeated cameo, and in most of those cameos you only ever see his tail. When we finally see his full body, it’s done so briefly and kept at a distance, leaving me with no real impression. I had to look up his design online and... yup, that sure looks like Manda. Final score: MEEEEHH.
Kumonga — I definitely did not see this appearance coming! Kumonga is much smaller here than you may be used to, but she gets to star in the most suspenseful sequence in the series and easily earns the most exciting cliffhanger moment at the end of an episode. I was utterly glued to the show during her screen time, which comes with a lot of icky twists. Good ones! I honestly like Kumonga here more than I ever have previously.
NEW PHONE WHO DIS
Salunga — Uh, who? This is the one monster that isn’t based on a classic Toho kaiju but instead is a brand-new creation. I suppose that everybody who touches the Toho Kaiju franchise wants to make their own mark on it in some regard. But a big part of the fun of this series for me personally was the anticipation of seeing new interpretations and designs of classic Toho monsters. And so, given that he kind of resembles both Baragon and Gabara, I never stopped wishing they’d just used one of those guys as the basis and namesake. Taken on his own, however? He’s... pretty neat. Not unique or exciting, but solidly above par. He resembles a cross between a lizard/dinosaur and an ape, plus his head has some nifty coloration.
Our Jaguar!
Jet Jaguar — I guess Jet Jaguar isn’t exactly a kaiju in the traditional sense because he’s a Giant Robot. However, if you want to consider him one, then I wager he probably gets even more screen time than Rodan! We meet him almost immediately when the series begins. Initially an odd pilot-driven robot that was constructed at the whim of a quirky old factory-owner with too much disposable income, Jet Jaguar grows and changes over the course of the show, ultimately undergoing a transition in episode 7 that makes him pretty damn impossible to dislike. In fact, I utterly adored him by then. This is definitely the best Jet Jaguar I’ve ever seen. His design is recognizably similar to the original yet utterly distinct, too. Like many of the other kaiju here, he’s not nearly as big as he was when he was first introduced to the movies, but his size is ideal for battling the smaller-scale monsters that we spend most of the series on.
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Eternals thoughts, speculations, guesses, wants wtv
I am so excited for the Eternals!!! I mean, I was since they announced it cause I love superheroes teams, marvel, space, gods on earth and the cast was amazing but the more I see the more I get excited, the better it looks but also the less I know what the movie is actually about and I wanna keep it that way, I wanna go in knowing the bare minimum. I have these early premieres so much spoilers are already out everywhere (did they use to do these so earlier? Cause i think ive always avoided spoilers fine but this year ive been fighting for my life ugh). It’s gonna be the longest mcu movie after endgame and I have high hopes it’s gonna make my top10 mcu movies (doesn’t look like a high position but ws, cw, iw and eg have a grip too tight on me and I’m hoping nwh joins them in the top5).
I just ugh I’m so excited. This whole post is a mess but i just wanna ramble about the eternals before i see it.
From the get go my fave has been thena cause 1) warrior princess; 2) can manifest weapons like erza scarlet my anime goddess!!!!!!!; 3) Angelina Jolie; 4) Angelina Jolie with the exact opposite aesthetic as her maleficent but i love both aesthetics so much.
But the more footage i see the more i fall for sersi and ikaris, which good cause i bet they’ll have the most screentime and plot relevancy. I don’t know much about Gemma but shes really pretty and i like namaari so I’m rooting for her. I love what I’m seeing of sersi’s powers, her green nature loving vibe. Aaaaaaaaaand she will have the identity reveal trope attached cause i bet her human boyfriend doesnt know shes an alien. Ikaris is just ugh so handsome. What if Prince Charming was a superhero on the side. It’s not even cause of cinderella, i just think the way Richard is playing ikaris gives hero prince vibes and I’m in love 😍 that man is gonna be a fave mcu man of mine i just know it
Really excited about all the female characters overall. I was really intrigued by Ajak but it looks like she wont be doing much, at least from the trailers and cause shes a healer, but I’m still looking forward to her, shes still my 4th place
There was a tweet that said 40% of the movie takes place in the past, and other tweet that said which historical events and places we’ll be seeing, and honestly that’s the thing I’m most excited about. I can’t reação a single movie that takes place in such a large amount of time. When I heard that it occurs during a span of 7000 years I was shocked but so so ready. Seeing the Eternals ship arrive in from of those primitive people in the first trailer gave me goosebumps. I usually don’t like when movies kinda rewrite history (Hercules breaking the statue’s arms and aladdin and jasmine making that man break the Sphinx nose this has NOTHING to do with you, but those are examples of what I mean), but since the Eternals can’t exactly interfere it will be super cool to watch them watch these important events and places of human history. They’ll probably interfere a bit but it’s ok. But 40% of past it’s so much movie time and we haven’t seen all locations mentioned in the tweet in the trailers so there’s big things still to see.
I haven’t seen nomadland but I trust Chloe anyway. Everything I’ve seen visually so far is incredible. The woman really has a sense for these things. I’m expecting a slow character driven movie different from the usual mcu but still very much an mcu movie. Ive been seeing such bad faith criticisms on this movie on Twitter and it’s cause it’s marvel and an easy target, cause diversity pisses some people off but I genuinely believe the biggest reason is cause this is the first marvel movie that might break the mold and be regarded as a genre defining movie and maybe even win some awards. Even if this turns out to be the best movie of all time, I highly doubt it will win or even be nominated for anything in a major category but I think this movie is getting some haters so insecure that they just started shitting on it all over and can’t stop.
The costumes is something I’m in love with. They look so good, so fine. I specially like those that have gold in them but I am super biased by thena’s elegant pearl kinda suit and sersi’s cute green short dress. The texture looks incredible. Such intricate designs, each one gets a different shape and color palette, ugh I’m in love.
I wonder what happened to make them go their separate ways. Probably interference with humans that couldn’t have happened. But why didn’t they stay together or at least in touch? Why did sersi and ikaris go their separate ways after getting married? Why are some of them living lives as humans with human partners and family when they are immortals? How are the thinkers gonna help in a fight? Will they just stay absent? There’s so many interesting questions to be explained and revealed but people only care why they didn’t help with thanos 💀
I didn’t even consider any of them dying until I saw some people mention that yeh some might. I don’t want that. I want this wholesome family to live together after all this. I don’t know how a sequel would work, (they are looking at this like a standalone but lets be honest, it’s marvel) so I hope they haven’t killed anyone whose actor’s contract only included 1 movie or something. If a sequel does happen how will they explain sprite growing older in 4 years but not 7000? 😟 Just speculation here, nothing serious
But ugh I’m so excited so excited so excited
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Oxenfree II: Lost Signals will launch for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 alongside its previously announced Switch and PC (Steam) versions in 2022, publisher MWM Interactive and developer Night School Studio announced.
“Launching Oxenfree II on PlayStation is a perfect fit,” said Night School Studio co-founder and studio director Sean Krankel in a press release. “Now even more players can explore the beautifully weird and eerie world our team is creating. With Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, we want players to carve out their own story in a frightening new location. We are crafting an adventure that builds on the mind-bending, choice-based storytelling of the original while introducing a new cast and series of dangerous mysteries for players to unravel.”
Get the latest details below, via Night School Studio co-founder and lead writer Adam Hines on PlayStation Blog.
[Possible spoilers for Oxenfree below]
Previously On Oxenfree
In Oxenfree (2016), a high schooler named Alex, her stepbrother Jonas and a few of their friends unwittingly discover that Camena’s town legend is actually real. Planning to celebrate the school year’s end with an overnight stay on Edwards Island — once a military base, now a tourist hot spot—they accidentally “tune” into a ghostly signal, opening a dimensional rift between time. The rift allows a horde of vengeful ghosts to come into our reality, who hope to take the teenagers’ lives as their own. Stuck offshore with no ability to contact anyone for help, Alex is forced to fend off the ghosts, reveal the true history of the mysterious island, and come to terms with her own guilt over the death of her brother, Michael, a year earlier. Happy ending, right?
BUT! It turns out, there’s more to the story…
Who is Riley?
In Oxenfree II: Lost Signals, you play as Riley Poverly. If you’ve watched our teaser trailer, she’s the one with the flashlight, running around in that snazzy yellow vest.
In Oxenfree, our characters were just finishing high school, and entering that period of time in their lives when they get to decide who they really want to be. Riley had that moment long ago, and is now grappling with the repercussions of post-adolescence. Were the choices she made the right ones for her? Is she who she really wants to be?
Born and raised in Camena to a veteran father and an absent mother, Riley moved away at the first opportunity, bouncing around between cities and jobs in an attempt to conjure up some direction in her life. Now, a recent change has pushed her to return to her old hometown, to take an entry-level job as an environmental researcher.
Mysteries of Camena
You see, the last couple of months have been odd ones for Camena. Unnaturally occurring electromagnetic waves have been interfering with the electrical and radio equipment around the small coastal town. TVs have been turning on and off. Planes have lost radar. Stations can’t transmit their signals through static. A research group from a nearby college has been contracted to study the phenomena and to trace the source of whatever’s causing the interference. Riley’s job, as a new, freshly hired research assistant — is to do the grunt work: plant radio transmitters in prescribed areas and report back the data those transmitters collect. Easy!
Until… well… things start going��� weird.
Stay Tuned
In Oxenfree II, you’ll use much of the same tools as the original Oxenfree, a narrative game revolving around a robust conversation system and a radio that tunes into supernatural signals.
I wish I could get into more of the game’s story, characters and villains and what happens if you go into the old mining town, Garland, and I want to show you all the weird time travel stuff and what Time Tears are but the rest of the team is dragging me away from the keyboard now.
Watch the teaser trailer below.
youtube
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WandaVision Review
BEWARE: SPOILERS FOR ALL WANDAVISION EPISODES AHEAD
Didn't WandaVision end over a month ago now? Yes. Wasn't The Falcon and Winter Soldier finale yesterday? Yes. Is that going to stop me from talking about this incredible show? No, it won't.
Hi everyone! I started writing this review while WandaVision was still airing, but got so swamped with life that I did not have time to finish it. But here we are, finally! I adore this show, it is a fresh and different take on the MCU and I personally loved every second of it. The concept should not have made sense, like Paul Bettany kept saying, it is bonkers! However, somehow, they just made it work and I just enjoyed it so much! The sitcom aspect, the different songs and score, the attention to detail, the new characters, and spending time with Wanda and Vision was just fantastic! Because at the end of the day, that was what this was all about, Wanda and Vision and their relationship! For a more in-depth and spoiler review of every episode, keep on reading!
Episode 1 - Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience
Many people expressed their annoyance with the fact that the first two episodes that aired were very slow, and yes they are. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. This is not a movie, it is a show, they are building the story, just enjoy the ride and the mystery because even the first episode left so many questions! I loved seeing Wanda and Vision as the stars of the show for once and I enjoy spending all this time with them. The production value of the whole show is amazing but the black and white episodes are something special. I have never watched the old school sitcoms they are referencing here in episode 1 (and 2) but I found it so charming and cute. The square aspect ratio, the black and white, the old school VFX, the laughing track from the audience. I thought it was really cool to see. One of my favorite moments in this episode was the dinner scene with the Harts. When Mr. Hart chocked and Mrs. Hart just kept saying stop it, and Wanda and Vision just kind of looked at each other like what is happening, was so tense. When Wanda looked at Vision and said to help him was so well done by both Elizabeth and Paul! So, I really loved this first episode.
Episode 2 - Don’t Touch That Dial
Episode 2 is where you really start to see that nothing is at it seems in this ‘perfect’ world. So, there is a talent show that day and our favorite unusual couple is preparing for their magic act. Wanda also tells Vision that is their home and she wants to fit in. Later, Vision goes to the Neighborhood Watch because of a strange sound he heard the night before, where we meet some more people from Westview and Vision’s co-workers. Vision mentions he does not eat food. However, when Herb offers him gum, he takes it but accidentally swallows it. This leads to a really cool animation that Vision might not be doing so well after eating that piece of gum. Meanwhile, Wanda hears a strange noise so she goes to check it out, and it is this little red and gold-colored drone with a logo on it... Which was later revealed to be the SWORD logo. But then who comes to visit... Agnes. She was suspicious since the beginning and we were right about that... So Wanda joins Agnes for a meeting with the Planning Committee. Here we meet, Geraldine aka Monica Rambeau, Dottie, and some more people from Westview. So, Wanda is trying really hard to fit in but is not really successful. They say the talent show is for the children but are not any children in Westview... Fishy! Then Wanda has to clean everything up after the meeting and has a really weird moment with Dottie. Someone is trying to contact Wanda through the radio which freaks Dottie out completely, the glass breaks and Dottie’s blood is red, while the rest is still black and white just like that little drone... So, when it’s time for the magic show, Vision shows up at the nick of time and appears to be acting a little weird or ‘drunk’ so to speak. So of course, everything goes wrong during the show and Wanda tries to cover it up. But everyone thought they were being funny so they won! And they go back home, and Wanda turns out to be pregnant! I thought it was a really cute reveal but it did not last long because there is some strange dude outside in a beekeeper costume coming out of the sewer and Wanda is like ‘oh hell no’ and rewinds time like it never happened. Badass.
Episode 3 - Now in Color
In this episode, Wanda and Vision prepare for the arrival of the baby, which of course causes some trouble not just in the house but in the neighborhood of Westview too. I loved how Vision was making Dad jokes and was quite nervous about becoming a dad. Yet, Wanda was just like chill, we got this, so cute. The pregnancy goes very fast, which confuses Vision. He also starts questioning the situation they are in and how weird the citizens of Westview act sometimes. He even looks straight into the camera! So, Wanda looks a bit scared and rewinds again!! So, it was becoming very clear that Wanda is pulling the strings here and can alter what happens. Afterward, Vision runs to get the doctor and Geraldine (aka Monica) shows up. At some point, Geraldine realizes what’s up and she helps Wanda deliver her baby, or babies as we later find out. Twins! What a twist, as Darcy says in the next episode (although it was in the trailer that there were 2 babies, I just wanted to make that joke). So, everyone is very happy and as Vision lets the doctor out, Monica stays with Wanda. Now, this is where this episode gets super weird. So, Vision sees Agnes and Herb talking and they are discussing how Geraldine is an outsider since she just showed up in Westview with no home and family. Then, Herb wants to say something important, but of course, Agnes stops him. Meanwhile, Wanda and Monica are inside and Wanda mentions Pietro for the first time in a long time!!! I think since Age of Ultron. Speaking of Ultron, Monica then mentions that Pietro was killed by him. We do not see what happens next (just yet hehe) but the aspect ratio changes and we go outside of Westview where SWORD is monitoring the hex very closely... This episode brought up a lot of questions, which is one of the things I loved about it. A scene I liked was when Wanda’s water broke and the house got all wet. So, Wanda used her powers to create some wind to dry off. She was standing there very gracefully and Vision was in the background struggling to keep his balance. I just thought that was funny.
Episode 4 - We Interrupt This Program
Did I mention how much I love the titles for every episode, I think they are so clever. In this episode, we see the last 3 episodes but from outside the hex! So, we get a couple more answers to our questions. For example, that it is ALL WANDA! Wanda is creating a reality where she can live in a perfect world with Vision. We get re-introduced to some characters we have not seen in a while! Jimmy Woo, who has mastered close-up magic like he was practicing in Ant-Man and The Wasp! We love to see it. And Dr. Darcy Lewis, who is now an astrophysicist, just like Jane! I think it was really good to pair these two together because they had a great dynamic and quickly became such a fun duo! We also get introduced to one of the worst people in MCU history, the new director of SWORD... Tyler Hayward. The literal definition of a bastard. I mean this man is a liar and is sitting in Monica’s chair (who should obviously be the new director). This brings me to the beginning of the episode, which in my opinion is the best perspective on the Blip we have gotten so far. The VFX when Monica blipped back was incredible. I also thought that whole sequence in the hospital showed how chaotic it must have been for some places after Hulk snapped everyone back. For example, when this one guy said “Everyone is coming back, we don’t the capacity!” I think that is a really interesting angle to explore the ramifications of The Blip. But the most heartbreaking thing about that scene was Monica finding out her mother, Maria, passed away while she was blipped. That was just awful. A fun thing about this episode was that everyone at SWORD was kind of like us, trying to piece together what was going on! But the best part about the episode was, of course, seeing how Wanda took Monica out of the hex. She really looked and sounded like a villain. It was amazing, but the most creepy thing I have ever seen in the MCU was talking zombie Vision. Really good jump scare and very unexpected and dark!
Episode 5 - On a Very Special Episode...
And we are back with Wanda and Vision living their ‘perfect’ life, trying to get the twins to sleep, which is not really working out for them. And of course, Agnes shows up to help them. Vision is kind of apprehensive and prefers if Agnes does not get too close. However, Agnes starts acting weird and asks Wanda: "Do you want me to begin from the top?" WHAT...?! I thought this sounded like she knew Wanda was in control. Wanda tries to talk some sense into her and lets Agnes do her thing. Vision starts getting really suspicious of the situation in this episode and I loved seeing that and how Wanda dealt with it as well. We catch up with SWORD and our favorite duo has become a trio!! Jimmy Woo, Darcy, and Monica! Hayward is briefing everyone about Wanda’s history, tells more lies, Monica actually sticks up for her (yas), and Jimmy & Darcy agree with the whole world that Hayward is a bastard. Back in the hex, we are introduced to Sparky the dog, and the twins age up to ten. Later, our favorite trio is on a mission to figure out what is going on. What I found most interesting about this scene was when Jimmy mentioned Captain Marvel, Monica was super dismissive... I smell some drama between those two. They then figure out if they can send something in the Hex to contact Wanda. While Vision is at work, they get a mysterious e-mail from SWORD trying to make contact inside the hex, which results in Vision waking up Norm from someone’s control!!! Such a cool scene, very well acted as well. Back at the Vision residence, Wanda has a little heart to heart with the twins about family, which I thought was very heartwarming. But then, a SWORD drone has come into the hex and Hayward actually weaponized it. And we get one of Wanda’s most badass scenes ever! She comes out of the hex and throws the drone right back at them and tells them to leave her alone since she has everything she wants. Then, she amplifies the hex with her powers and now it has this red glow around it. What I found really interesting about this was her Sakovian accent, which was so present here. The commercial for ‘Lagos’ paper towels this episode was very clever: ‘when you make a mess you did not mean to.’, which is obviously a reference to what Wanda did to that hospital in Civil War. So, Sparky is missing and they find him dead in Agnes’ hands. RIP :(. The ending of the episode where Wanda and Vision fight was amazing and SO WELL ACTED by both of them. Super tense! And of course, in the end, Evan Peters shows up as Pietro. I have never seen the X-Men movies (I know, I am sorry.), so I had no clue that he actually played Quicksilver in the FOX movies.
Episode 6 - All-New Halloween Spooktacular!
This was one of my favorite episodes and it may or may not be because of the Halloween elements. I thought the twins talking to the audience in this episode was really cute and a great way for us to get to know their personalities as well. Wanda comes downstairs looking fabulous in her classic Scarlet Witch costume from the comics!! The kids and Pietro kind of think the costume is a bit meh, but they obviously do not know what they are talking about... Pietro then talks about trick or treating with Wanda in Sakovia and Wanda says she does not remember... Clue #1 that this Pietro is being kind of weird. Later, Vision shows up in his classic comics costume, which was funny to see him in that. So Vision tells Wanda he cannot go trick or treating with them because he is doing some stuff with the Neighborhood Watch tonight, while in fact, he is going to be doing some investigating in Westview. So Pietro joins the fam instead with his classic Quicksilver costume and Tommy has the same outfit on because it is later revealed that he also has super speed. I really enjoyed the trick-or-treating bit. So, Vision is nearing the edge of the Hex and seems as though people are either stuck in a loop but still conscious or just standing completely still. Back at SWORD, our favorite trio is taking matters into their own hands and are trying to figure out a way to go back into the hex and they find out that Hayward is tracking Vision and the decay of Vibranium. Which raised a bunch of questions for me, like is Hayward just after Vision? Darcy mentions that going in and out of the hex is changing Monica’s cells. Interesting and scary. When Vision found Agnes at the edge of the hex and got her out of the spell, she knew about the Avengers but Vision did not since he has no memory. She was acting really weird though... AS ALWAYS! The town square with all the Halloween decorations looked so cute and gave me serious Halloweentown vibes! Pietro is fishing for answers with Wanda and we get another jump scare with zombie Pietro... This was even worse than Vision. Then, we get this heartbreaking scene, where he is trying to get out of the hex and tries to tell SWORD the people need help and he is slowly falling apart and nobody tries to help him but Darcy. I really thought he was going to die again and I was not ready for that. Luckily, Billy senses his dad is in trouble and goes to Wanda. She then freezes the whole town and EXPANDS THE ENTIRE HEX. That was just crazy and what a cliffhanger.
Episode 7 - Breaking The Fourth Wall
This is the Modern Family style episode and as a huge fan of that, this was sooooo well done! The humor, the confessionals to the camera, the camera work even. It was perfect. So, it’s not going so well in the hex. A lot of furniture and things in the house are switching between decades, like the twins’ game consoles and the milk. Wanda kept saying she was fine, while we can all see she obviously is not. Agnes suggests taking the twins so Wanda can have a little self-care time. Speaking of which, her confessionals to the camera were so funny! Vision seeks out Darcy and Darcy just thinks he wants to go on a date with her. All I kept thinking was: Vision, just take her out of the spell. Which of course he does later and Darcy says how she thought it would be fun to be on WandaVision but in reality, it was not, that was great. They then escape the circus by getting in a funnel cake truck. Meanwhile, Monica and Jimmy meet up with the engineer who turned out to be no one we knew. But she did bring a vehicle that Monica could use to get back in the hex. Which eventually did not work, so Monica literally runs in there without any protection really. But we got this beautiful sequence where Monica gets her powers and it was just stunning. She hears all these voices of her past and she is also ripped apart somehow with different versions of herself but she pulls them all together and she goes comes out on the other side in a superhero landing and GLOWING eyes, wow. Vision and Darcy are stuck somewhere in Westview like someone really does not want them to get to Wanda. Darcy basically tells Vision his whole story and he finally learns what Wanda had to endure concerning his death as well. Vision’s confessionals in front of that funnel truck were hilarious as well! Another thing I loved about that was that Darcy mentioned how she had been watching WandaVision (just like us hehe) and the love Wanda and Vision share is real, which I thought was really cute. Monica visits Wanda at home and she is NOT happy. Elizabeth Olsen is really selling the more villainous moments and Teyonnah Parris killed this scene as well, the emotion in her voice was on point. Agnes sees what happens and goes to stop it and takes Wanda to her house. Wanda sits in the living room and the twins are nowhere to be found, so Agnes says they are in the basement. Which has these really weird branches coming out of it, Wanda goes down and there are all these weird artifacts and this book, very WITCHY... And it is revealed that Agnes is Agatha Harkness, a witch!!! This leads to the instantly iconic smash hit, Agatha All Along!!! (which I am still very much obsessed with) So we see her messing with events like the talent show and it was also revealed that she was the one that killed Sparky... I had been following theories throughout the show, so some already suspected Agnes was Agatha but the way it was revealed was just iconic.
Episode 8 - Previously On...
I loved this one too. This episode gives us some answers to our questions and a glimpse into Wanda's past. Hosted by none other than Agatha Harkness! (I love how she was giving commentary on everything this episode, Katherine Hahn is amazing!) In the beginning, we also see some of Agatha's past and I thought it was really cool, I love the magic section of the MCU and I feel like they are starting to explore it more and more. It was also a very dark scene, really great stuff. After that, Agatha is explaining to Wanda why she came to Westview, why is she is seeking her out specifically, and showcases her magic. She also explains how she brought FIETRO in the picture (cannot stop calling him that now lol). We then take a trip down memory lane. First up, Sokovia. I thought this was cute and gave us an answer to why they are referencing sitcoms. I did not expect to see the bombing that Wanda and Pietro talked about in Age of Ultron and as it turns out the bomb did not go off because Wanda put a spell on it! Then we move to the Hydra facility where Wanda and Pietro volunteered. So when Wanda was alone with the scepter, the mind stone went to her by itself, almost like it chose her or something. I thought it was really cool that it was showing her true self or her future self for that matter. Next up, the Avengers compound. I loved how when Vision entered he came through the wall, just like he did in Civil War and he is kind of confused about the sitcom she is watching. They have a little heart-to-heart about how Wanda is feeling after Pietro's death. I have to say the writing and lines here are great but Vision says this gorgeous one: "But what is grief, if not love persevering?" That is one of the best lines in the show and MCU, so beautiful. I mean even Agatha had to wipe away a tear. The last scene was incredible. So we find out that Wanda never took Vision's body from SWORD and that Hayward is a lying bastard (tells us something we do not know). I was on the verge of tears when Wanda went to Vision's body and said she could not feel him anymore. Gosh, that was sad and made me think of Infinity War. She then leaves the SWORD HQ and drives to Westview and she stops at this empty plot of land... Because Vision bought that for them to live there :( That is just so sad and Wanda her grief was so great that SHE created the hex out of nothing. On top of that, she even created a new Vision. That whole scene was so visually striking, it was incredible. So back to 'reality'. Agatha leads Wanda outside and she is wearing her costume (which looks great btw!) and her hair is blowing in the wind and she is holding the twins hostage and she tells Wanda she used chaos magic to create the hex, which makes her THE SCARLET WITCH!!!!!! SHE SAID IT! The way I screamed omg, it was amazing!
Episode 9 - The Series Finale
We've made it!! Congrats if you have made it this far, cause this a long post. Let me start off by saying that even though some people hated this finale because of all the theories that had been spread on the internet, I really enjoyed it! Yes, even I was convinced that some of them were true, particularly Mephisto and Doctor Strange showing up. It did not happen and at the end of the day, I was fine with it because they were just theories, it was not confirmed. Now, the whole Evan Peters thing... It was a bit weird that he was just a nobody, but I was honestly not that invested in that storyline, so yeah, I get why other people were disappointed. But to say it ruined the whole show, no way, it was never about him in the first place. With the mystery of WandaVision, I think we all looked too much into every single detail. WandaVision is about Wanda dealing with her grief and the love she shares with VIsion, which they delivered on in spades and I loved seeing that. Plus, it is not to say that Mephisto will never show up, there were a lot of clues here that he might in the future with all those devil references... The finale wrapped up this story and gave some teases for what is to come. It delivered some great action at the beginning of the episode with Wanda vs. Agatha and Vision vs. White Vision. I thought the little philosophy session with the Visions was so in character, it was great. Speaking of White Vision, now that he has all of Vision's memory... WHERE DID HE GO?! I am sure we will see him again. I thought the scene where the people from Westview surrounded Wanda and were blaming her for all their trauma these past weeks, which is totally within their right, was so intense and Elizabeth really sold it!! All the Wanda vs. Agatha scenes were awesome and loved seeing them use their magic in different ways. Now, my two favorite moments of this finale. I did not realize what Wanda was doing while fighting Agatha in the air, not until Agatha could not use her powers anymore... Wanda literally used Agatha's own tricks against her by casting those ruins inside the hex! Wanda accepting her destiny as the Scarlet Witch was such a beautiful moment, I had legit chills! AND HER NEW COSTUME LOOKS STUNNING! With her hair and the headpiece, omg yes queen. Also, I think we will be seeing Agatha again, they really established that her path will cross with Wanda in a future MCU project! Now, my other favorite moment. Wanda saying goodbye to her family. Some of the lines were just beautiful and the score was emotional. I thought it was chilling how you could just see the hex closing in on them, it felt very cinematic. I genuinely think it is among some of my favorite moments in the MCU. It was a beautiful ending to this story. So, what's next?! One post-credit scene was Monica being recruited by a SKRULL!! I love it when the Skrulls just pop up out of nowhere, it's great. So the Skrull tells her there is someone who wants to see her up there... That has to be Nick Fury right?! The last time we saw him he was on some sort of space station with Skrulls in Far From Home. Maybe Monica will also play a part in Secret Invasion?! I am excited about that reunion nonetheless! The other scene was Wanda settled in a secluded area in the mountains. Wanda has been confirmed for Multiverse of Madness with Doctor Strange and I am SO excited for that. This scene confirmed it too! If u listen closely you can hear a different version of Doctor Strange's theme!! I thought it was really cool and a little scary that Wanda could be awake and have her astral projection reading the dark hold at the same time! That was powerful!
So, here we are, we made it! I loved this show and I am so happy Wanda is becoming a very big part of the MCU and her future shines brighter than ever!! Thank you so much for reading this! I hope you enjoyed it :) Next up, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier! (spoiler alert: it was amazing!!!!) Hopefully, my review will be up before Loki has started ;)
PS. I loved all the songs and scores from the show so much, I put all my faves in a Spotify playlist! Check it out here
#entertainment#tv#marvel#mcu#mcu shows#wandavision#wandavision spoilers#wandavision review#disney plus#wanda maximoff#scarlet witch#elizabeth olsen#monica rambeau#teyonah parris#agatha harkness#agatha all along#kathryn hahn#paul bettany#vision#sitcoms#marvel cinematic universe#multiverse of madness#pietro wandavision#sword#doctor strange#servinglemonade#billy and tommy#darcy lewis#jimmy woo
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TUA: Season 2 and the comics
***spoilers sort of I guess. It’s been a while since I last saw season 1 and even longer since I’ve last read the comics so I probably don’t remember all the details, but I remember the important bits. ***
First, lets talk about how season one ended in the comics. In the comics they just sort of... succeeded? Vanya was still going to be the cause of it and they had to hurt her to stop her (she’s confined to a bed/wheel chair iand has memory problems but she was on the mend) but they actually did it, not time travel to escape impending death necessary like in the show. Now, the problem with this is that the commission very much still has a bone to pick with five either way, it’s just for a different issue.In the comics and the show Five figures out while working for the commission the ‘correct’ formula, abandons his mission, and heads home. In the comics, after the stopping of the apocalypse, the head of the commission (the fishbowl head guy???) blackmails five into going back in time and completing the mission to kill the president to stop the destruction of the world. He does so by threatening to kill the women who eventually gives birth to five. Five then drags Allison into everything because he needs her help. Comic book Allison is much more bitter, angry, and abrasive than show Allison so she adamantly refuses at first. It’s only after five explains how the commission is blackmailing him, then reveals that he and Luther are straight up twins (meaning if five fails and the commission kills his mom it’ll be killing Luther too) does she agree. I don’t really remember all the details, but basically they go back in time, have Allison one as JFK’s wife to get close to him, then says “I heard a rumor you were assassinated” (in the comics Allison can alter/create reality around her, such as “I heard a rumor you have an advanced copy of a book tats not written yet” and then it would be true. I think this if their take on the impossible bullet thing), and meet fives past self who abandons the mission and said encounter is followed by young body but older ind five and older body but younger mind five hurling insults at each other for a while. After completing the mission five is so furious to having been dragged back into this he just, no hesitation, straight up murders the head of the commission and goes about his life as ‘normal.’ Based on the trailer its pretty clear that this is the inspiration for season two, so why is it that JFK being alive results in another apocalypse? according to the head of the commission it’s because he gives his nuclear codes to some...interested parties that fast track an all out nuclear war, so five(s) have to kill him before he gets the chance to give up the codes.
Thats the general gist of what to expect going forward, however there are a few other things from the comics I’m hoping to see or that could be brought up:
1. Five and the prolific serial killer DNA - when five was first ‘hired’ but the commission (in the comics it’s a bit more like kidnapping from the middle of a time stream jump but whatever) they altered his DNA by infusing it with the most prolific serial killers throughout history. They. did this mostly to help him become an assassin and it very clearly fucked with his mind - and we know that the commission in the show is capable of similar things - the handler said they were building him a new body, which implies they have cloning and DNA alteration down, as well as a way to transfer either someone's consciousness or actual physical brain from one body to another, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they experimented on five in some way. And if they did then we know those alterations would still apply to his younger body because even the tracking chip was still in his arm after reverting to a younger physical form, so it’s unlikely other alterations have been undone.
2. Five and his puppy - Five gets a tiny dog. Where is this dog. Please give this (not a) young boy his emotional support animal.
3. Klauses powers - the show has taken some liberties with the interpretations of the characters powers, such as changing Diegos power to controlling knives when in the comics those were just his preferred weapons and his actual power was that he didn’t need to breath. Klaus however got cheated out of levitation. Give me some flying cult-deity Klaus, I need it.
4. in the comics Allison and Luther were never a thing. Allison did have a small crush on Luther on and off, and had a terrible and fucked up time after her divorce and she did at one point say to author ‘I had a rumor you’ve always wanted to kiss me’ and then they kissed, and they they went back to normal. I would really like to know if she did something similar in the series and if that's why Luther is so one track mind about her. My point being is that there could be a major fallout between their characters depending on if this aspect of the story is pursued
5. Five is seconds away from a full on mental break down. Can his siblings please just love and support him for one second my god.
6. in the comics Hargreeves monocle was actually like a weird magical item? when looking through it you could see someone for what they truly were. For example, at one point in the comics five looks at pogo while wearing it and sees him as a young normal chimp, then a series of excruciating, nauseating, horrific experiments Hargreaves conducted in order to make him into the pogo we know from season 1. We never got to see anyone use it in season 1 cause Diego dropped it in the river, but It might come up now that Hargreaves is alive in the past.
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Resident Evil Village Ending and Post-Credits Scene Explained
https://ift.tt/3h6PzKj
This article contains Resident Evil Village spoilers.
While there’s been no shortage of Lady Dimitrescu memes in the months leading up to Resident Evil Village‘s release, it’s funny to think that all of the game’s trailers, previews, and demos barely told us anything about the sequel’s actual plot. We knew it would star Ethan Winters, we knew it involved a creepy village filled with retro horror threats, and we knew the internet was desperate for the attention of tall vampire ladies everywhere, but many of the most important questions about the game’s lore remained unanswered.
Why does Chris appear to shoot Mia in one of the first Village trailers? Why is this town full of vampires and werewolves? Who is Mother Miranda? How does all of this relate to Resident Evil 7? Is Resident Evil Village actually a remake of Resident Evil 4? Despite a host of compelling theories, the answers to those questions (and many more) remained frustratingly unanswered.
The good news is that Resident Evil Village eventually does answer a lot of those questions. You may not like all those answers (and you’ll have to wait a little while longer to wrap up a few of the plot threads it leaves hanging), but if you’re ready to discover the truth, then join us as we take a look at the true meaning of Resident Evil Village‘s ending and post-credits scene.
Chris Tells Ethan the Truth About Mia’s Death
After being knocked down into the underground area of Heisenberg’s factory, Ethan runs into Chris just as he’s building some kind of giant tank (*checks notes*yes, that’s right). Ethan finally asks Chris why he killed Mia, and Chris informs him that the person they killed wasn’t Mia: it was Mother Miranda.
Yes, Mother Miranda can assume different forms, and Chris and his team were well aware of her abilities when they shot “Mia.” What they didn’t know is that Miranda can also assume the form of a corpse, which is how she convinced the assault team they had completed their assignment. After the team left Ethan and Mia’s house, Miranda came back to life, attacked the vehicle Ethan and Rose were being escorted in, kidnapped Rose, and took her to the village.
Armed with the truth (or at least some of it) and a brand new tank, Ethan leaves the underground area to confront Heisenberg.
Ethan Winters Dies (Kind of)
Shortly after defeating Heisenberg (with a homemade tank, mind you), Ethan receives a call from Chris who tells him to not confront Miranda by himself. That plan fails spectacularly as Miranda (in the form of Mia) confronts Ethan shortly thereafter.
Miranda shapeshifts throughout the conversation (and even takes the shape of the crone we’ve seen throughout the game), but we finally see Miranda in what appears to be her true form (or a close approximation of it). She then confirms what has been hinted at all along by saying that Rose is an extraordinarily powerful being and that Miranda wants to claim her as her own daughter. As we’ve seen in the case of the villagers and the four noble bosses, Miranda is obsessed with finding some kind of family. She believes that Rose is powerful enough to survive a ritual that will effectively bond the two and awaken Rose’s true power.
While processing this information, Ethan Winters is seemingly killed by Mother Miranda when Miranda rips his heart out of his chest and drinks his blood. It seems to be the clear end of the line for Ethan, but as we’ll soon learn, the situation is not quite as simple as all that.
Chris and Blue Umbrella Assault the Village During Mother Miranda’s Ritual
After reviewing the circumstances that led to Ethan’s death, Chris leads an assault against the village just as Miranda is beginning her ritual with Rose. The team informs Chris that he should have told Ethan about his plan, but Chris says there was no time.
During this assault, Chris notices that another team of soldiers is invading the area via helicopters. He identifies the invaders as “BSAA,” and seems to believe they may be after the source of power that fuels Mother Miranda and the village.
Before we go any further, let’s talk about the BSAA a bit as they’re a pretty important part of the RE franchise and play a role in some of what happens next.
What is the BSAA?
BSAA stands for “Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance.” They’re a security response group created after the fall of Umbrella as part of a global effort to combat the rise in bioterrorism.
Chris previously worked for the BSAA (he was employed by them during the events of Resident Evil 5), and they’ve long been presented as a force for good. However, concerns regarding their funding, techniques, motivations, and apparent fascination with bioweapons themselves have long led some fans to believe that there may be more to the group than meets the eye.
Chris left the BSAA some time ago in favor of a role with Blue Umbrella, but he has seemingly stayed in some kind of contact with the orginization and has perhaps formed a working relationshiop with them. He seems surprised by their presence in the village, though, and we’re about to learn why.
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Chris Discovers The Connection Between Umbrella and Mother Miranda
While working his way through the village, Chris eventually goes underground (literally) and discovers a very old laboratory filled with photos of a young woman and a few companions. He also finds a letter written by Oswell E. Spencer: the founder of Umbrella.
In fact, this letter (which is addressed to Mother Miranda), reveals that Spencer met Miranda years ago and spent quite a bit of time with her discussing the logistics and implications of resurrection. In that note, Spencer says he believed that resurrection could (and perhaps should) be performed in large numbers whereas Miranda seemed more focused on the resurrection of select individuals.
Due partially to their differing views, Spencer eventually left Miranda and took what he learned (as well as a few samples of the material that Miranda drew power from) to help him form Umbrella. In fact, Spencer confirms that he got the idea for the company’s name and logo from the shape of the symbol that we’ve seen multiple times throughout the village. That symbol seems to correspond to the area’s four noble houses, though the exact meaning and history of its design are somewhat ambiguous.
It’s a pretty shocking revelation that Chris doesn’t have time to dwell on as he soon runs into a surprisingly very much alive Mia (the real one). Chris tells Mia that Ethan is dead and that Miranda has Rose. Mia then surprises Chris by saying that Ethan can’t be dead as there’s something about him that nobody really knows.
How is Ethan Alive? Is Eveline Still Alive?
After Mia tells Chris that she thinks Ethan is alive, we cut to Ethan as he rises from his grave (so to speak) and starts crawling through what appears to be a frozen wasteland. Ethan then runs into Eveline who suggests to him that the reason he’s able to survive so much punishment is that he’s technically been dead for years.
Based on Evelin’s story and a few context clues, it seems that Ethan was killed by Jack Baker at the beginning of Resident Evil 7. From there, he was infected by the mold and became something between human and monster. This would certainly help explain Ethan’s incredible regenerative abilities as well as some of his apparent hallucinations. It doesn’t really answer a lot of questions regarding why Ethan has been able to retain so many elements of his humanity (and how he had a child that seems to have inherited some of his abilities), but it seems that these are all questions that weren’t meant to be answered (or are just old fashioned plot holes).
What about Eve, though? So far as I can tell, she’s just a figment of Ethan’s imagination. She’s something buried in his subconscious to help him understand this thing that he’s been ignoring for a long time. It does not appear that she’s actually still alive.
In any case, Ethan is properly resurrected shortly thereafter and soon finds himself in the back of The Duke’s carriage. The Duke is already taking him to Mother Miranda (who is trying to complete her ceremony with Rose). Ethan asks The Duke who, or what, he is. The Duke doesn’t give a clear answer and even suggests that he isn’t entirely sure he can answer questions about his origins. The debate between missing plot point and intention ambiguity rages on.
Soon, Ethan arrives at the village where he is finally able to confront Mother Miranda just as she’s performing the ritual on Rose.
Miranda’s Ritual and Ethan’s Final Sacrifice
Miranda’s ritual takes a strange turn when she completes at least a part of it and suggests that the ceremony is somehow draining her powers from her. Is Rose absorbing that power? Ethan gets the drop on her soon thereafter and distracts Miranda long enough for someone (presumably Chris) to shoot Miranda from a distance. Miranda then morphs into a grotesque creature that certainly seems to be closer to her final form than anything we’ve seen before.
Her banter with Ethan confirms that she’s been desperately seeking a family that shares her corruption and perhaps could even stay alive as long as she’s able to. She also refers to Rose as her daughter at several points, but that reference seems to be based on how Ethan’s abilities (and Rose’s birth/powers) can be traced back to Ethan’s “mold” infection (which in turn can be traced back to Miranda) and how Miranda disguised herself as Mia for a time. It doesn’t seem the game is suggesting that Miranda was Mia at the time that Rose was conceived and born, but the timeline of that ordeal isn’t entirely clear.
In any case, Miranda is soon defeated by whatever magic causes the most powerful being imaginable to be beaten by Ethan’s bullets. Ethan finally rescues Rose, meets up with Chris, and starts walking away from the village. It’s then that a giant creature (another of Miranda’s many forms) emerges from under the village. Chris informs Ethan that they have to run away as the entire area is rigged to explode as soon as Chris activates the detonator he’s carrying.
Ethan soon gives Rose to Chris and steals the detonator from Chris’ hand. He asks Chris to guard Rose for him and indicates that he’ll destroy himself in order to ensure the bombs go off. Chris reluctantly agrees, runs away, gives Rose to Mia, and the three of them fly away as a massive explosion seemingly confirms both Miranda and Ethan’s actual deaths.
The BSAA Bioweapons and a “Storybook” Ending
Chris, Mia, Rose, and one of the Blue Umbrella soldiers are escaping via a helicopter when the soldier informs Chris that the troops that the BSAA was sending into the village were actually advanced bioweapons. Sure enough, we soon see the hollowed-out body of a soldier in a BSAA uniform. It appears to be “zombie-like” and certainly something other than human.
Chris is shocked by this information and informs the soldier to take them to the BSAA HQ in England so that someone can answer for this. The game then cuts to credits shortly thereafter.
There are a couple of ways to read this whole thing. It’s possible that BSAA could have been partially responsible for this situation, but based on what we know about Mother Miranda’s story, it seems more likely that she’s the one responsible for all of the village’s woes over the years. Maybe the BSAA played a small role in certain events, but it doesn’t seem like they’re “responsible” for the events in either Resident Evil 7 or Village in any meaningful way that would make them the ones pulling the strings.
The more likely explanation here is that Chris is upset that the BSAA are using bioweapons and may have invaded the village in the hopes of securing Mother Miranda’s power source (or possibly Rose) as Umbrella’s founder once did years ago. Chris certainly seems like he’s still looking for someone to fight, and the idea that the BSAA may be morphing into a kind of reborn Umbrella would certainly give him the enemy that he’s been looking for.
It’s also worth noting that Resident Evil Village’s credits feature a retelling of the fairy tale from the game’s opening (in the form of a song), but this time, we get an extra scene in which the fairy tale girl’s father fights off the demons while her mother carries her to safety. That storybook was always meant to tease the events of Village, and this ending either suggests that the end of that story (which we didn’t hear when it was told at the beginning of the game) always echoed what would eventually happen in the story. It could also just be a stylish way to conclude the adventure. I’d vote for the latter.
Then again, that scene isn’t the “real” ending to Resident Evil Village…
Resident Evil Village’s Post-Credits Scene Sets Up Rose’s Adventure and Resident Evil 9
Stick around until the end of Resident Evil Village’s credits, and you’ll see a short scene starring a young girl on a bus. She’s alternating between watching a mother read a book to her child and staring out the window on a sunny day.
She gets off when the bus stops and makes her way to a headstone with the name “Ethan Winters” etched into it. It’s clear that this is a grown-up version of Rose, who appears to be a teenager, though it’s possible her abilities make her true age hard to determine. She apologizes to her dad for visiting so late and mentions that she’s been busy with “tests.”
Rose soon walks away from the grave and towards a black truck guarded by a man in a suit. The man seems to indicate that Rose has escaped them, and even calls Rose “Eve” in a mocking way. Rose pins him against the vehicle and tells him to be careful as she has powers that even “Chris doesn’t know about.” Someone on the man’s radio mentions they have a shot on the target, but the man says not to worry about it as Rose is “only a child.”
As the man drives away, he mentions to Rose that she’s a lot like her father. Rose says she’s more like her father than even he knows. They fade into the distance shortly before a screen appears that reads “The Father’s Story is Done.”
It’s unclear how much time has passed since the scene in the helicopter and this sequence, but Rose is certainly much older than she was before. Chris is clearly watching out for her (as Ethan requested), though it seems that he’s worried about her powers and whether or not they will be able to control them. There’s no mention of where Mia is (if she’s still alive).
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As for the final screen, it certainly seems to suggest that the next Resident Evil game will focus on Rose. That could be quite interesting as she not only has the same regenerative abilities her father possessed but may have additional abilities similar to the ones we saw Eve utilize in Resident Evil 7. If I had to guess, I’d say that BSAA’s use of bioweapons in the field inspired Chris to use Rose as a weapon of sorts, despite the fact that Ethan indicated he was against the idea of using Rose in that capacity whatsoever.
Will Rose actually be the star of Resident Evil 9? Where is Mia? What happened between Chris and the BSAA? Are Mother Miranda and Ethan truly dead? Who is The Duke? While we wait for the answers to those questions, be sure to let us know what you think about Resident Evil Village‘s ending in the comments below.
The post Resident Evil Village Ending and Post-Credits Scene Explained appeared first on Den of Geek.
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Let’s Make it That Deep: Thinking about the Surveillance State, Racial Politics, and Humanity in Terminator: Dark Fate
This week I watched Terminator: Dark Fate, which carries forward from the second Terminator film, Terminator: Judgement Day (1991), wisely ignoring everything that happened in movies 3-5. Dark Fate is set in the year 2020 and follows Dani Ramos, humanity’s new hope to survive the future robot apocalypse, as she, Grace (an augmented human from the future), Sarah Connor, and Carl (a T-800 model terminator) fight against a Rev-9 sent back in time to kill Dani. Overall, to quote my sibling, the movie “isn’t a literary masterpiece,” but it is fairly enjoyable--especially if you’re thirsting over the main leads. However, because I have a feral academic-garbage brain I also wanted to spend some time unpacking what I saw as the film’s three major discourses: surveillance/technological inevitability, race politics, and human exceptionalism. These are fraught discourses, often represented in contradictory and confusing ways over the course of the film, but I think it is generative to sit with them and to try to work out what messages are intentionally and/or unintentionally being conveyed through the movie, as well as what the potentials and limitations of these messages might be.
Spoilers ahead.
i. Surveillance & Technological Inevitability
Before getting into the content of the film, one thing which may be useful to consider is how the movie previews shown in the theater before the start of the movie contextualize reception and engagement with the actual story Terminator: Dark Fate tells. There were quite a few trailers before the movie--enough so that one patron a few seats down in my row loudly commented “is the movie going to start now or what??” as yet another trailer started playing, the majority of which were either for war or horror movies. The two in particular I am interested in discussing are The King’s Man (2020) and Midway (2019), and the way that they both glorify and justify the imperialist/security state. The King’s Man trailer, for example, positions the titular agency as being an “independent intelligence agency” which essentially is able to actively “protect” people while governments fall short. In between clips from the film, title cards read "witness the rise...of the civilized," a shockingly open and yet seemingly unconscious connection between the King’s Man narrative and British colonialism/imperialism. Immediately following this trailer is one for Midway, a WWII moving centering on the aircraft carrier USS Midway immediately after the events of Pearl Harbor, which a character in the trailer calls “the greatest intelligence failure in the history of the US”. The reason why these trailers are important to keep in mind is because they implicitly respond to some of the anxieties articulated in Terminator; if Terminator films speak to fears of technology and surveillance, these trailers argue that really technology, surveillance, and military power are all important aspects of “civilized” nations, necessary for security and safety.
This actually ties in immediately to the opening of Terminator: Dark Fate, and the death of John Connor which can be interpreted, in one sense, as a failure of surveillance. This actually specifically made me think of Inderpal Grewal’s article “Security Moms,” and the rise of the neoliberal female citizen subject as an agent of security through motherhood in the post 9/11 U.S. The “security mom, essentially, is a “conceptualization of women as mothers seeking to protect their innocent children - a figure that is not so new in the history of modern nationalisms, or even American nationalisms and racism” (Grewal 27). Much like the King’s Man trailer suggestion that private intelligence is better suited to save lives than governmentalized intelligence, “neoliberalism suggests that the state is unable to provide security and thus it disavows its ability to protect all citizens”--only in here, it is the figure of the mother rather than a private agency which becomes the new and better fitted agent of surveillance, always watching for enemies in order to protect their children (Grewal 28). In a voice over, Sarah Connor tells us that she “saved three billion people but [she] couldn’t save [her] son”; a T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) model Terminator which had been sent back before Skynet was destroyed and continued carrying out orders “from a future that never happened” walks right past Sarah and shoots John. While Sarah leaps in to action after she recognizes the threat, she is unable to stop the T-800 from killing her son in seconds. This might actually be a key difference between Sarah Connor and Grewal’s “security mom”: while security moms are a largely a post-9/11 construction of neoliberal/nationalist motherhood, Sarah Connor was a successful security mom in 1991, constantly vigilant and constantly surveilling her surroundings for concealed enemies who could kill her son. In the post-9/11 era, Sarah Connor’s belief that the apocalypse has been averted causes her to believe that she and her son are safe, resulting in inadequate surveillance/vigilance and her son’s death. Much like the framing of Pearl Harbor in the Midway trailer and 9/11 in real life, disasters happen because of failures to appropriately surveil.
Technological state surveillance itself is reflected in strange ways in the film, which seems to be at once critiquing and accepting constant surveillance. Sarah Connor keeps her cell phone in a chip bag to avoid being tracked and tells Grace and Dani that they will not last without her help because they are not aware of the constant surveillance occurring at every traffic light, every store, every gas station, etc--information the Rev-9 terminator chasing Dani will certainly have access to. Terminator: Dark Fate expresses fears of technological abuse/control and surveillance, but constantly frames these fears as the failure of the government to control these technologies--the threat isn’t what the government will do or is doing with these technologies, but rather that these technologies are uncontrollable or might be used by enemy agents. While one could argue that the fear being expressed here is actually a critique of the existence of surveillance technologies--that technologies exist for a reason and will do what they are programmed to do--this framing overwhelmingly still imagines a kind of governmental neutrality, where the threat is the located exclusively in the technology itself, not in those creating and using it. Here I also want to emphasize that while in Judgement Day there’s a deeper critique of the military industrial complex and the role of private corporations, in Dark Fate it appears to be the government alone engaged in constant surveillance and the technologies which result in the robot apocalypse, with the role of capitalism largely obscured from the connection between the new evil AI, Legion. In this same vein, while it seems that Legion is built as a weapon by the government, but we do not even explicitly know which government--again, the threat isn’t government construction of Legion (although Sarah does comment “they never learn”) but rather the technology itself.
In the original movies, Skynet was a defensive surveillance software--but this is no longer science fiction; as Edward Snowden revealed/confirmed in 2013, constant mass surveillance is a real thing, and there are real ways people can avoid it (using VPNs, encryption, covering webcams, anti-facial recognition makeup (called CV dazzle), wearing disguises, etc). Despite this, and despite Sarah Connor’s awareness of constant surveillance, the characters don’t do much to avoid surveillance and just as Sarah originally predicted, the Rev-9 easily tracks them through governmental surveillance apparatuses. In the same way, surveillance and the technological abuse/carelessness which bring about the robot apocalypse are largely imagined inevitable. While there is a constant argument for agency and the idea that people can and must make choices in the present moment that determine the future, nothing is done to disrupt surveillance in the present moment, and the future seems to be unstoppable. While we can certainly think about the switch from Skynet to Legion, and the way this articulates a different set of social concerns and anxieties in 2019 than in the late 80s/early 90s, stopping Skynet delays but does not prevent what seems to be, from a material standpoint, the same future. In this same vein, when Grace dies so that Dani can use her power source to destroy the Rev-9, Grace tells Dani “we both knew I wasn’t coming back”; this frames her death as predetermined and fixed. Similarly, at the end of the film Sarah tells Dani she will help her to “prepare”, implicitly suggesting that the future cannot be prevented--further legitimizing the reading of the Skynet to Legion switch as an inability to meaningfully change the future. This brings us to the line used both in Judgement Day and Dark Fate: “there is no fate but what we make for ourselves”. While this line seems to suggest that we have agency and can make choices that change the future, the inability to actually enact change might instead lead to a counter reading of the line: is it that we make fate, or that the fate we get is the one we “deserve”?
ii. Race (& Gender) Politics
There’s actually quite a bit to think about in terms of the racial politics of Terminator: Dark Fate. One the one hand, we can certainly think about the underlying savior discourse and the transition of this role from a white man to a Mexican woman. There is some fairly heavy handed Christian symbolism involved in John Connor as the white male hero—John’s initials parallel him to Jesus Christ, and Sarah comments “let her play Mother Mary for a while” when she thinks Dani has become the new target because a son Dani will someday give birth to will be the new savior of humanity. Sarah also comments that Dani isn’t the threat, it’s her womb. I want to go two directions on this comment: first, while it of course turns out that Dani is the hero herself, the idea of Latinx wombs as a threat is intricately tied to U.S. immigration policies and histories of eugenics, with the imagined threat being to the preservation of the (white) nation, so to here articulate the idea of Latinx reproduction as a kind of weapon to protect humanity is to offer something very different from a discourse of salvation through white reproduction/motherhood. Second, this line offers a kind of meta commentary on the way the previous movies claimed John as the savior (despite Sarah’s own heroism) to convince viewers that Dark Fate is more politically aware than previous Terminator movies, since Dani is the one destined to save the world (which of course ties back into my previous discussion of the unresolved tension between fate and agency), not her son and not a white man.
Moving beyond the switch in hero, one of the main things I want us to consider in thinking about the racial politics of Dark Fate is the question of collateral damage: while it’s nothing unusual to see large amounts of collateral damage in the background of an action movie, here this damage seems to be located exclusively in the Global South (specifically Mexico). Most (but not all) of the destruction is disassociated from individual people--for example, in one scene the Rev-9 drives a bulldozer down the wrong side of a freeway, crushing or crashing into numerous cars which obviously have people inside, even though we do not see most of them. Scenes of damage or interactions between populations and the Rev-9 in the U.S. do not result in death the same way that they do in Mexico/along the border. When the Rev-9 is knocked off of a plane after take off and crashes into a backyard in Texas, for example, he picks himself up and apologizes to the white people barbecuing in the yard for destroying their shed before continuing on his way. Similarly, when he flies over a military base which is actively attacking him, he ignores them and continues his pursuit of Dani without fighting back. While in both of these cases, one might argue that this is connected to the Rev-9’s obsession with fulfilling his mission without needing to kill anyone who is not actually preventing him from reaching Dani, a) this is a work of fiction so someone decided that the Rev-9 could fulfill his mission with minimal collateral damage in some spaces but not others, and b) in the final fight at the dam, the workers simply disappear when the fighting begins, removing them from any risk of becoming collateral damage.
Although there are action scenes throughout the movie, the last scene to involve mass violence against background characters is in the detention center. Before I get into the discussion of collateral damage/background character death at the detention center, I want to start by discussing border crossing and the representation of the detention center more broadly. There are some ways in which Dark Fate does attempt to address the violence involved in detention centers and U.S. immigration policy, but overwhelmingly it falls short. One of the ways we see this is in the actual crossing of the border and the way that it’s not particularly difficult or dangerous for Dani, Grace, and Sarah to cross. Certain popularized images of border crossing are deployed in ways which might suggest this is an authentic look at what it means to cross borders without documents (Dani, Grace, and Sarah ride on the top of a train with other migrants, which I suspect draws from the documentary Which Way Home, and Dani’s uncle, a Coyote, helps them cross the desert and enter the U.S. through a tunnel under the border wall), however the way these images are used as a shorthand undermines the danger undertaken/violence experienced by real undocumented migrants as the result of U.S. border policy. Riding the freight trains, called El tren de la muerte or La Bestia (the Death Train or The Beast) in real life, is highly dangerous and many people are killed or suffer serious and long term injuries as a result, and although we are told that Dani’s uncle is a good Coyote who gets people across safely (and he is of course helping his own niece), crossing the desert is extremely dangerous and many people die. Representing this crossing in maybe 10 minutes of screen time makes it seem easy and safe, obscuring the very real dangers faced by migrants in real life. Similarly, in the detention center border patrol agents are represented as apathetic but not particularly violent/dangerous, and the depictions of the cages migrants are kept in do not come close to reflecting the overcrowding experienced by the people who are being imprisoned in detention centers in real life. Furthermore, the imprisoned migrants do not have speaking roles and become non-agentive; the real suffering of undocumented migrants becomes nothing more than a setting, offering no significant or useful critique of U.S. border policies/politics. This brings us back to that question of collateral damage in the detention center. After Grace breaks out of the medical room she was being held in, she unlocks all of the cages and detained migrants begin to flee; although I have seen this described in some places online as her “freeing” them, escaping migrants become a distraction which aids in Dani, Sarah, and Grace’s actual escape from the detention center and the Rev-9 which has caught up with them. While most of the violence is enacted on border patrol agents rather than migrants (which is good), the Rev-9 does kill/harm some of the migrants who block his path as they attempt to escape, and the only border patrol agent we can identify as a speaking character to be killed is the Black woman who was pointedly apathetic to Dani’s pleas for help during the intake process. Most, if not all, of the other border patrol agents with speaking lines at the detention center are white, and seem to be framed as almost more sympathetic; the medical personnel fixing Grace’s wounds, for example, notices the metal interlaid in her body and are horrified by “what’s been done to her,” viewing her as a victim to be sympathized with. While one of the guards insists “we call them detainees” when Grace escapes from her handcuffs and demands to know where the prisoners are being kept, which offers an attempted commentary on the linguistic obscuration of violence and white apathy, we again must come back to the fact that the white medical guard is left unharmed while the Black guard is very pointedly killed.
We might push back on this overall interpretation by thinking about the ways that in real life people of color can become complicit in systems of white supremacy which will ultimately harm them while continuing to overwhelmingly protect white citizens, as well as the way that the Global South so frequently is a site of collateral damage, and experiences the displaced violence of the Global North. However, what I want us to think about is that this kind of intervention is useless when it is left latent, and overall only feeds into the constant racialized violence which plays out in movies and television programming. Furthermore, I want us to think about James Cameron’s comment about Judgement Day when he said that the T-1000 looked like an LAPD officer because “the Terminator films are...about us losing touch with our own humanity and becoming machines, which allows us to kill and brutalize each other. Cops think of all non-cops as less than they are”. While some have argued that Dark Fate picks up this legacy by making border patrol the villains, and the Rev-9 does clearly represent a military/border patrol kind of threat, the Rev-9 is also always a person of color. The base appearance, played by Gabriel Luna, is a man of color, and every single person it transforms itself to look like (which we are told kills the person being copied) is also a person of color. Because of this, there is a way in which the critique of border patrol is divorced from white supremacy and people of color become part of what is imagined as the threat.
iii. Thinking About Humanity
Finally, this ties into the discussion of humanity and the idea of human exceptionalism and purity articulated throughout Dark Fate. As with much of what I have previously talked about, this is a frequently contradictory kind of discourse which simultaneously broadens and constrains the idea of what “humanity” is/means. One example of this is the way in which augments and terminators that grow a conscious queer the boundary between “human” and “machine.” When Sarah demands they shoot Carl in the face to see what he “really is,” Dani insists “I don’t really care what he is”; through this there seems to be, on some level, an articulation that there’s more to being “human” than literally being a human being. Furthermore, these characters are queer in multiple dimensions--Grace is a very butch, very queer feeling character, and while I don’t want to say that the reformed murderous robot said Ace Rights, Carl’s character does push back against the heteronormative coital imperative by through his relationship to Elisa and his adopted son Mateo, which offers a model of meaningful romantic partnership and family commitment which does not involve biological reproduction or sexual intimacy. However, despite these queer potentials, we are constantly pushed back towards a privileging of “human” through frequent assertions that Grace is human (not a machine, just augmented), that augmentation is unstable (Grace’s frequent metabolic crashes and dependence on a cocktail of medication to keep herself going), and Carl only has the approximation of a conscious and cannot love the way humans do. Furthermore, Carl and Grace both die, suggesting that this queering of the human/machine boundary is untenable.
So what does “humanity” mean in Dark Fate? Ultimately, it seems to mean protecting the vulnerable and being willing to sacrifice yourself to do it. During the final confrontation between Dani, Sarah, Grace, and Carl, the Rev-9 says “I know she’s a stranger, why not let me have her”; Sarah responds: “Because we’re not machines you metal motherfucker”. While I obviously think the film offers a confused message on agency and that we need to be critical of the racial politics of the film, this ties into what I think (or what I would like to think) the movie hoped to say about border patrol and detention centers: we need to do better by refugees and undocumented migrants. It doesn’t matter whether we know someone, whether we imagine they are deserving or undeserving, what it might or might not cost us to do the right thing; we can choose, in this moment, whether or not we step up and fight against the detention of undocumented migrants, whether we resist ICE, whether we advocate for refugees. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves.
#terminator dark fate#terminator#dark fate#critical race theory#neoliberalism#essay#review#spoilers#i am white#as always i wrote this in one mad go & will fix any errors as i find them#also as always pls feel free to respond & engage
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HIStory3: Trapped: Review (& General Info)
About the Series:
Summary: A police officer and a gang leader were killed in a gunshot attack four years ago. What's the secret behind this case? The only survivor, Tang Yi, is now the gang leader. Shao Fei is a police officer, who’s been following Tang Yi around for the past four years, trying to figure out what’s really happened during the attack. Will he be able to get to the bottom of the case? And can something unexpected come out of their rivalry? (Trailer)
Couples: Main gay couple, as well as two side couples - one gay, one straight.
Running Time: 10 episodes - around 45 minutes each - 8 hours in total
Cast (& their Instagram pages): Jake Hsu (Shao Fei), Chris Wu (Tang Yi), Andy Bian (Jack), Kenny Chen (Zhao Zi), Diane Lin (Hong Ye), Sphinx Ding (Dao Yi), Zhang Guang Chen (Andy), Stanley Mei (Li Zhi De), [more].
Where to watch? VIKI (if you watch on mobile, you’ll have to download the app).
Related Shows: HIStory is a recurring Taiwanese BL series, however, each season is separate from the others and none of them are connected in any way, so there’s no other Trapped content out there.
My Review:
Rating: 9.5/10
Short review: Trapped is my favorite BL of all time. It has a good plot, fantastic acting, the most wonderful couple ever (whose intimacy is handled incredibly well), amazing characters, awesome friendships and a whole list of other great things. Despite having one controversial character, a slightly questionable background couple and a not-so-satisfying (though still not bad) ending, I don’t think there’s anything that could stop you from enjoying it. And though, as usual, it’s obviously your own decision to make, it’s definitely a must-watch in my book.
Extended review (under the cut):
I consider Trapped the best BL that exists to date – without a shadow of a doubt. Not everyone agrees with me and that’s entirely understandable, however, I assure you that even though someone might prefer one or a couple of other BLs to this one, everyone considers Trapped one of the best ones for sure.
The plot of Trapped is thought-out and actually good. It obviously isn’t a masterpiece of modern cinema, however, unlike so many other BLs, the plot actually matters. It’s interesting, gripping, well-thought-out, with a nice mystery and some unexpected reveals that might actually surprise you. Everything gang-related isn’t just there for show – it’s done tastefully and doesn’t seem cheap at all, you truly believe it. So many moments are hilarious, especially in the beginning. And the show is very meticulous and careful with all its little details, so there are no annoying minor plot or aesthetic inconsistencies that could take you out of immersing into it. The pacing of the plot is a tiny bit slow in the first couple of episodes, but it needs that to build itself up properly, and it quickly picks up as soon as it can.
The characters in this show are amazing. You will not only fall in love with the mains, but also adore most of the background characters and hate the rest of them, which just goes to show how much each of them can impact you emotionally because they’re that fucking great. All the details about the characters are well thought-out and awesome too. Tang Yi is not just a gang leader in name – Chris, the actor who plays him, does a fantastic job of showing just how intimidating Tang Yi can be and generally convinces us of him being the Big-Bad-Gang-Boss through so many brilliant subtle acting choices. The villain is actually threatening and terrifying too. Shao Fei can be rather embarrassing and cringy, however, Trapped certainly manages to show that this is truly just his personality, and they’re not just doing this for laughs. Besides, I’ve heard many people who usually get second-hand embarrassment all the time say they didn’t feel awkward for Shao Fei at all – he isn’t embarrassed since this is his true, authentic self, so no one else is embarrassed for him either. Finally, two background queer characters are fantastic. Usually, in other BLs background queer characters, who aren’t there for a romantic plotline, are never anything beyond a stereotype and are always there for laughs. That’s not the case in Trapped. Both of the characters are absolutely incredible, authentic and beautiful – most certainly one of the best background characters I’ve seen in any BLs.
I must note that one character definitely caused some controversy in the fandom, and I can’t say much else beyond this without giving you a gigantic spoiler. However, even though I do think they could’ve handled the topic better overall, I don’t find there’s anything wrong with having one of the many queer characters in the show be a bad person. I’ve talked about it many times and, considering the fact that we still have at least six positively-portrayed queer characters, the seventh being a piece of shit does not affect the representation in any way and doesn’t suddenly give all queer people a bad name. There are shitheads among us too, you know. And it’s important to talk about it.
Moving on, let’s talk about relationships. For starters, the main couple is hands down the best enemies-to-friends-to-lovers you’ll ever see – that I personally guarantee. Their romance is developed well and treated with the care it deserves, and they end up being the most adorable, wholesome couple ever. I also want to especially point out how well Trapped handles their intimacy. A lot of other BLs have their couple treat each other like friends half the time, be dating another half and kissing/having sex on rare occasions. In reality, though, a couple is always intimate with each other. And I don’t mean that everyone fucks like bunnies – no. I mean couples have intimate conversations, hold hands, kiss each other in a million different ways (and on a million different spots), cuddle for no reason, hug, express emotions and, of course, sometimes have sex. Not every couple does absolutely everything I’ve just listed, of course, but you get the overall point. Couples are intimate. And Trapped gets that. It shows that. And that’s wonderful. As for others, the straight background couple takes up just enough screen time to not annoy you and it’s actually kind of cute, which is super rare for me to say. Now, the gay background couple is rather questionable. One of the guys is kind of oblivious and juvenile, while the other pushes him too hard. It’s not so critical that I’d tell you to skip their moments, however, it is definitely food for thought and I’d say pretty problematic.
The friendships in Trapped are sort of a double-edged sword. On one hand, we have Shao Fei and Zhao Zi, who were proclaimed to be best friends, but don’t end up having any meaningful moments together and are really out of the loop with each other’s lives by the end of the show. This can be explained and justified, but I still feel like it’s a little unrealistic. On the other hand, though, we have Tang Yi and his friends – mainly, Andy, The Doctor (whose name I, apologies, don’t remember), as well as Hong Ye and Tang Guo Dong. Despite only seeing a couple of moments with each of them, we get attached to every character and their relationships with Tang Yi very easily. His friendships with Andy and The Doctor are familiar and realistic. His relationship with Hong Ye is deep and authentic – you can truly see they are like siblings to each other. And his relationship with Tang Guo Dong is so beautiful and raw that you end up falling in love with the “found father” trope and wish you had the same relationship with your parents or any mentor figure, really. Despite Tang Yi and Tang Guo Dong only having four small scenes with each other – all of which are flashbacks, their dynamic is my second favorite in the show and their relationship is one of the best father/son relationships I’ve ever seen.
Finally, the show is shot beautifully and the acting in it is on a completely different level. Seriously, you will say, “Holy shit, this actor is so good!” like every other second. I literally grabbed my pen to write some version of “the acting is so good” in my notes, while rewatching the show for this review at least twenty times, and the only thing that stopped me is already having it written down thrice.
The very last note I have is about the ending. Now I will say immediately that this show does not have a bad ending – I could not have it as one of my favorites, if it did, I’m strictly a happy-ending kind of person. However, the ending is still a little too vague for my taste and I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied with it. It’s not the end of the world and overall it’s an alright ending you can live with – nothing bad happens. However, I wouldn’t call it the best ending this show could have – and that’s all I can say without giving any spoilers.
Finally-finally, should you watch this show? Fuck yes! Absolutely, my guy! Have you heard all I’ve just said? It’s brilliant. An absolute fucking masterpiece, I’m telling you. So yes, I recommend it to literally everyone. There is legitimately no other series I want to show everyone as much as this one – this is fucking mandatory in my book. Regardless of however I feel about it though, at the end of the day, it’s obviously your own decision to make.
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All It Takes Is One Bad Day
Have you ever really wondered who is the joker? I mean actually who he really is, or what made him into the clown prince of crime. Join me on a trip descending into the psychological observation of the deep dive of the subconscious of the comic-book villain. The only origin we have recorded of the Joker is in the novel “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore. Moore paints and illustrates a period piece of the underbelly of Gotham City. The timeline is a little fuzzy. However, the artwork of Brian Bolland and the tone and direction of writing from Moore brings the graphic novel to life.
The clown was just a normal person trying to get by, struggling to pay bills, and living in a run-down apartment. Interesting enough, he was never given a name in the novel. Joker had a wife pregnant with his child. The emotion was painted on the panels, and he was terrified internally. So to alleviate the pain dragging down his well being. He soon made a choice that would affect his life by turning to the mob. The man was tasked with being the fall guy, he was also given a new code name or alias “Red Hood”.
Then you know the history that follows. Batman chases him and Joker falls into the vat of acid at ace chemicals. The chemical bath changes his mind and personality. Peeling away back at the persona that was once present. Now all that is left of the poor tortured soul. Being plagued by society is a man with pale white skin and the affinity to bring laughter in horrific fashion. The question to bring forth into context. Does he truly have any sliver of memory before undergoing his cosmetic change?
The answer is a tricky one to understand the mindset of the Joker, you have to understand the other incarnations of the character. In the animated series where the clown is brought to life by Mark Hamil. He seduces the mind of Dr. Harleen Quinzel. He makes us a fabricated backstory of him and his father going to the circus. However, he also brings to the forefront that he grew up in an abusive household. The new foreground truth is quickly dismissed as false facts. When Batman tells Harley that Joker has a million stories. Just furthering exploring the identity crisis hiding beneath the pale skin of a clown clad in a purple tuxedo with a top hat to match.
In addition to the critically acclaimed BTAS. The Arkham-verse from rocksteady stands on its own feet. However, being told time and time again that it’s a separate canon from the cartoon. Many would coin it as a continuation of the animated series due to the inclusion of the original remaining cast voicing the iconic roles that put them on the map. Kevin Conroy as the caped crusader, and Hamil as the Joker even bringing back the talented Arleen Sorkin as Harley Quinn. In the darker, grittier version of Gotham City. Being a world that is woven together by the seeds of Arkham spanning a timeline of Arkham origins all the way to the night the batman died on Arkham Knight. The games touch on certain Joker heavy moments and thematic events leading the clown down the path to where he’s meant to be. While also committing roles of unspeakable action such as showcasing the events of Killing Joke and crippling batgirl or referencing the comic “the death in the family leading to the execution of Jason Todd. It just goes to show that the Joker is just a person who wants to see the world burn. A great point made by buddy Joe is that “The Joker represents many things and it is the filmmaker/comic writer's responsibility to depict the character in a way that never idolizes what he stands for”.(Joseph Torres).
It boils down to the justification that every incarnation or vision of the Joker is different in almost every aspect. It could change from the tone or sense of realistic nature or being a social commentary brought to the light in the comics being allegory’s into the mind of the writer stepping into the shoes of the Clown Prince Of Crime.
However, a name would complete the tragedy and give something the audience to sympathize with. Something that the Todd Philips darker realistic take of the Joker actually does. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck. A man drove to insanity by the corrupt and evil society around him. The film is a blend of color tones and wonderfully crafted shots that incorporate no CGI. Weighing down the background and giving it a fake or faux sense of the movie.
Witnessing The joker trailer. I found it seems intriguing in many ways. I love the laugh. Phoenix is terrifying, um the just stunning visuals with an interesting concept two trailers in and still no idea or concept or even major spoilers have been shown. The only sense of context I can piece together is that it’s a period piece like the killing joke. Also, the mention of social commentary on those affected and plagued by mental illness could be brought to the forefront. The director Todd Philips has a really neat quote that follows “I don’t believe that in the real world if you fell into a vat of acid you would turn white and have a smile and your hair would be green. So you start backward-engineering these things and it becomes really interesting”(Todd Philips). The acting is phenomenal and oscar level. Another thing I like about this film is that Phoenix feels like a combination of major versions of the character. For example, his laugh has hints and moments of Mark Hamil. Or the color scheme of his outfit feels reminiscent of Cesar Romero from Batman 66, and the outfit along with the makeup pays homage to Heath Ledger in the Dark Knight. Also, the story is taking elements from the killing joke.
Just one gripe, how can you make a joker movie work without his moral juxtaposition of the dark knight. The Joker needs Batman to thrive it’s like Heath ledger said: “anarchy needs order.” Essentially meaning Batman needs Joker and vice versa. We will see how Phoenix does when the film opens up worldwide Oct 4th.
In conclusion, The Joker is the most important villain in all of the literature. Just something about him resonates with the reader and fans alike. Every version of the character will be different because it just depends on the vision and direction of the narrative. Which is the director or writer’s job to cement themselves into the mindset of The Clown Prince of Crime or better known as the Joker? Thus explaining the perfect reason why the Joker’s real name should never be revealed.
Due to the role of human psychology. How anybody could be Spider-Man and wear the mask. Well anyone could be the Joker cause all it takes is one bad day to descend into the madness that awaits.
#batman#joker#DC comics#joaquin phoenix#joker movie#DC Universe#dceu#dcau#arkhamverse#arkham#batman arkham series#arkham city#assault on arkham#harley quinn#robert deniro#the killing joke
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Top of 2019
With 56 films watched and 27 favorited in 2019, I composed a list of my top. By pure happenstance, the list is almost an exact third (18) of the total films watched. Be aware that I don’t have as much to say about some of these because I took no notes after.
Because I’d be biased towards them, I don’t count the National Theatre Live plays.
Since the list is likely to be altered between now and the end of February (to accommodate for films missed), check the Lettboxd list later on to see an up to date listing, but be aware that it intentionally lacks the details provided here.
EDIT (01/04/20):
Woke up this morning religiously re-reading this and caught some grammar errors. It’s almost like staying consistently well-rested is actually beneficial.
While I’m at it, Blind Rating (BR) is how worthwhile the film is watching “blind” (or knowing nothing). The scale is 1 (worth it) to 5 (you must). ‘Eh is essentially a 0.5.
1. Midsommar (USA)
Saw the original and Director's Cut in theatres and discussed them with a group immediately after both times. I’m somewhere between really liking it and loving it. Still unsure. Hell of an experience with a lot to notice, debate over, and pick up on during the second viewing. Don’t even get me started on the Christian/Dani matter. Dat tension, tho.
Blind Rating: 4/5
2. Us (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with a group immediately after. I’m digging the allegories and the way (I think) it reflects on society. Dem reveals, tho.
Blind Rating: 4/5
3. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with a group immediately after. Two things probably play a huge hand in this not being atleast 3 spots lower: my demographic and the fact that her older self constantly reminded me of my grandma and a certain middle school teacher. Regardless, it’s an entertaining, interesting, and lively documentary with its many personalities on-screen all giving their take on matters along with Ms. Morrison herself. Glad they managed to finish and release this 1.25 months before her death.
Blind Rating: 0/5
4. When They See Us (USA)
Saw on Netflix over the course of a month. Y’all, this one hurt too much to watch again any time soon. Admittedly, part of the reason why it hit me so hard is because I could easily have been one of them. Dat ending, tho. Don’t forget to watch the Oprah followup When They See Us Now after. You’ll ball (again).
Blind Rating: 3/5
5. Parasite (South Korea)
Saw an advance screening in theatres and watched a live post-film Q&A. I really like it. This hit me in such a way that it’s one of three films I’m writing an essay on. Planing on watching it a second time soon so I can finish with a sense of accuracy. This isn’t one that I would recommend looking at images for. There are some that will spoil the experience of the second half. Seriously, block the “Parasite” tag from your feed if you can.
Blind Rating: 3/5
6. Luce (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with a group immediately after. This was is so~ good as a thriller and especially in regards to being Black in America. Wanted to watch it a second time but never managed to squeeze it in before it left theatres. Dem performances, tho. Dat tension, yo. Dat score, bro.
Blind Rating: 1/5
7. Them That Follow (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with someone immediately after. I love it.
Blind Rating: 1/5
A drama influenced thriller about a religious and somewhat self-isolating community that's effectively blanketing a realistic romance. (snip) —Letterboxd review
8. The Souvenir (United Kingdom)
Saw in theatres (partially because so many movie peeps were shitting on it). I love it, but I didn't fucking love it. Was tempted to see it again, but didn’t get the chance. Dat ending, tho. While it was a movie peep telling me the whole plot that caused me to gain so much interest in it [Cabin in the Woods (2011) all over again, amiright?], I must say that the less you know the better. It’ll make for... a more immersive experience.
Blind Rating: 3/5
9. After the Wedding (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with a group immediately after. I thought I really liked it, but I love it. This was a trip down unexpected lane, le'me tell ya. The trailer is a spoilerful lie, but the Landmark's description is very accurate. People's experiences will have a heavy hand in how they react to it and feel about certain characters. The way they made this feel like a constant thriller was excellently done. Dat cinematography, tho. Go in knowing nothing more than what the previous link provides.
Blind Rating: 1/5
10. Joker (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with a group immediately after. I really like it.
Blind Rating: 1/5
(slight spoilers)
This was difficult to watch at times, but hella captivating throughout. Arthur's reasoning is believable, his sanity is questionable, and his life is indeed one hell of a joke. Like watching an extreme example of what happens when people on the lower end lose access to social programs. This can very easily be taken as a commentary on mental illness kept unchecked. More than that, it's a story about a guy who accepts his "crazy" and transcends poverty, circumstance, and societal bullshit... at everyone else's expense. (snip) —Letterboxd review
11. Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with a group immediately after. I really like it. Captivating documentary in a very similar style to Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, but with Mr. Davis never joining the “talking heads” (as people like to call it) and instead being heard as a constant narrator of his own biography. Regardless of how I feel about him on a personal level, this shit was a great watch and the ending hit hard. Still need to get his autobiography, though. There’s a nostalgic factor for me here since I was partially reminded of my grandpa while watching it.
Blind Rating: 'eh
12. Queen & Slim (USA)
Saw in theatres and discussed with someone immediately after. Fuck yeah, I enjoyed this one. Dat soundtrack and cinematography, bruh? 👌🏿 The throwback soundtrack, main characters’ racial group, and fact that they went to New Orleans definitely play a hand in why this one’s not atleast 1 spot lower.
Blind Rating: 1/5
13. Dwelling in the Fuchon Mountains (China)
Saw in theatres during festival and attended discussion days later. I really like it. Was long, but in a good way. Similar to Ash is Purest White (2018) in that I kept thinking "please end here," but would be glad it didn't later. It's beautifully slothy and has absurdly long tracking shots. The cinematography during walking conversations is notable. Dat trick, tho.
Blind Rating: 'eh
14. A Girl Missing (Japan)
Saw in theatres during festival and discussed with a group immediately after. Bruh~, this is a hell of a personal trial. Didn’t expect it to go the places it did.
Blind Rating: 1/5
15. Dutch Angle: Chas Gerretsen & Apocalypse Now (Netherlands)
Saw on MUBI on phone. I love it. This goes over his childhood (for 8 minutes), career paths, photography of 9/11/1973's Chilean coup d'etat, the 6 months he spent on-set photographing Apocalypse Now (1979), and him as a person. What I didn’t expect was how much he would get into the details of things happening during that film’s development. Along with those details are interesting photos presented excellently in a way that’s reminiscent of manga at times. I like the way the photos take center point and are treated like the foreground. It’s like the director and editor forced themselves to remain aware that the documentary was showcasing 15% of the total slides housed in the Nederlands Fotomuseum’s archives in Rotterdam and that most of his Apocalypse Now photos were never seen. Dat score, tho [Ex Machina (2014) vibes].
Blind Rating: 0/5
BTW, it had its official (Dutch national) release by EYE Filmmuseum on 12/19/19 in the Netherlands, so maybe it’ll come to the USA soon. 🤷🏿♂️ Forgot to mention it’s been added as a special feature to the 40th anniversary 4K blu-ray disc of Apocalypse Now: Final Cut (2019).
16. Receiver (Ireland)
Saw on MUBI on phone. I really like it. A very interesting short film in three odd segments. First was disturbing; second was about activism, protests, and politics; third was about the person I assume the film was made for. All compose what I took as a film about the importance of having reliable sound and hearing. Needs to be watched alone with good sound quality (for immersion).
Blind Rating: 'eh
17. Bacurau (Brazil)
Saw in theatres during festival. I really like it. This was some Most Dangerous Game shit with a hell of an ending. The whole game is an allegory of civilized people's obsession with hunting wild animals for "sport". I really like the portrayal of history here and enjoyed the racial matters it lays bare. I can only imagine someone watching this without knowing a thing. Kinda wish I didn’t even read the description beforehand. Digging the soundtrack.
Blind Rating: 1/5
18. Little Women (USA)
Saw on 35mm and discussed with others on separate occasions. I really like it. This was just warming and sad. I felt for the main characters and actually felt satisfied with the way it ended. Considering the type of film, there are handful of typical things for me to complain about. That being said, the movie earned its stars back. I mean, did you not see their attic performances? Shit was dope.
Blind Rating: ‘eh
#2019#top of#favorite films#i love it#i really like it#Ireland#Netherlands#Japan#China#Brazil#United Kingdom#USA
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LONG POST: I AM IRON MAN
A STUDY ON: THE MAN vs THE SUIT.
MY THOUGHTS ON TONY vs IRON MAN.
SPOILERS FOR MCU FILMS, INCLUDING ENDGAME. SO BEWARE.
I am being very vague, and no real spoilers, but some might still find this too spoilery, too.
In “Iron Man 1″ Tony built the Iron Man suit, and declared at the end of IM1, publicly, to everyone that “I am Iron Man”. Then in “Iron Man 2″ he went on record and said that the suit & the man are one (”The suit & I are one”). But then in “Iron Man 3″ (due to the events of “Avengers 1″) the man & the suit started separating.
In IM 1 he got the suit, and became one with the suit. In IM 2 he becomes truly one with the suit. In IM3 he and the suit are, against his will, separated.... “physically”, when both the suit & the connection to the suit (JARVIS) are separated from him.
In the beginning of IM3 he first claims that the suits are part of him. But the he goes on a personal discovery journey. (And that’s AFTER he uses the suit to protect Pepper - putting others first) IM3 shows that while both the suit and the man are broken (suit physically broken, Tony mentally broken), he mostly tries to take care of the suit, not himself. Therefore putting the suit (others) before the man (himself).
Up until now he has seen them as one - the man & the suit (himself & Iron Man), but meeting Harley and the experiences they have together... makes him see things from the boys perspective... through eyes of others (non-superheroes, random people) - who only know the “covers of the book” - the suit & not the man inside...not really. The suit is Iron Man & he is the mechanic, who made the suit (even if, technically, he/the man is Iron Man).
His character development takes (mostly) place in IM3, where he is “broken”. And yet he still tries to take care of the suit first, and not the man -- the man comes second. He has believed that the suit makes him - that his strength comes from the suit, not his character. But as the IM3 end tells us via his voice over - he now sees it differently. He destroys the old suits (and his home has been destroyed, too), and starts off from scratch (The Clean Slate protocol) That was the end of the first chapter of his development.
When in IM1 his declaration “I am Iron Man” said that he & the suit are one and the suit makes him Iron Man, then in IM3 his end declaration says the opposite - he is Iron Man despite it (You can take away all my toys and tricks (his suits) - but you can’t take away one thing - the fact that he, the man, is Iron Man). He now acknowledged that the mere mortal human inside the suit is the Iron Man - that it’s Tony who has the strength & the power... to do all these great things.
His character arc was to get to that point in the IM trilogy. He has accepted that his strength comes from having flaws, too.
Up until this, the suit & him have also been one, because he’s depended on the arc reactor in his chest to power the suit & to keep the man inside it alive. But the end of IM3 changes that. IM3 end separates the man & the suit... as he gets the shrapnel removed from his chest, and is not dependant on the magnetic heart in his chest. After this the suit is not “part” of him, but “around him”. Now the suit lives ON his skin, instead of IN(SIDE) him.
As he says in A3... the arc reactor now is just a device on his skin, an accessory (like a watch or a piece of jewelry worn) that houses the suit, and he is not dependant on it, it’s just an “accessory”, not a device keeping him alive...more literally.
And that “growth” comes after the A1 events, and how it affects him - the anxiety, the PTSD, the.... sleepless nights...that takes us to IM3. And then his attempt to save everyone came to play in A2 - his greatest fear of not being able to save everyone, and losing everyone he loves (he might say that Pepper is the only one/thing he can’t live without, but A2 to SM1 have shown that his family is larger than her, and losing the kid in A3 definitely affected him... strongly. He, like they all, lost a lot - lost someone important to him. He didn’t lose everyone as he had feared (the A2: AoU “vision”), but he did lose someone. His greatest fear did come true. So his “survival guilt” & “not being able to save everyONE” was the theme...kinda after that...)
Tony needs to save everyone - he needs to be the “suit of armour around the earth” that protects everyone. He needs to be the hero. As once again, mentioned in one of the A4 trailers, when Tony says that he can’t help everybody & Pepper replies that it sorta seems that/like he can. His VISION in A2 & his reality after A3 - experience at the end of Infinity War - losing everyone/being the only (human) survivor after the battle (at his location) - is the one thing he can’t live with. He doesn’t want that (Spiderman’s death) on his conscience, cause he feels (like all the heroes) that it’s his fault/on him. But...he is a hero, who needs to save everyone. And this - failure - has always been his greatest fear, and the weight on his shoulders.
And this is why CA was incorrect in “Avengers 1" when he said Tony is “big man in a suit of armour...take that off & what are you?” Because, while Tony answered the way he did, because he hadn’t gone through the IM3 arc yet (and saw himself differently), he was always more than the suit. And Endgame proved that HE (Tony) is Iron Man even without the suit, and that he doesn’t fight for (only) himself. This is why Tony’s & Iron Man’s journey comes full circle with Endgame. He is the guy who (in many ways) is stronger than Thor & Hulk, and more patriotic (and caring about others) than Cap. He is a Hero. He isn’t just pretending to be one. And he’s not looking for an easy way out - saving his own ass, and letting others take the blows. Proving people wrong...once & for all. Too bad some didn’t really see the man in the suit until that moment.
And as he said to Peter in SM1... He wanted Peter to be better than he was/is. He told Peter than if he is nothing without the suit, then he shouldn't have it. He had realized this in IM3 (about himself), so he was “paying it forward”. And he applies this to himself, too. The man inside the suit makes the suit around the man. Or in other words: the man makes the suit, not the other way around.
It’s the same as they’ve done with Thor, for example - it’s not the hammer that has the power, but the man holding it - thunder comes from within him (it’s in his veins), not from the hammer. Interestingly to me... Thor’s character arc seems so much like Tony’s to me... especially after Endgame (which was Thor’s IM3 - learning to accept himself as he is, with flaws and all... which makes SPOILER GOES HERE Thor’s Harley Keener...because THAT CHARACTER helped him see & accept himself with flaws...find himself & start the healing)
In many ways he’s been “hiding” behind the mask... throughout the MCU history... throughout his journey over the past years since 2008. Literally. Every time there is danger, he “puts on the suit” & “closes the helmet around his face”. But... how does his journey end? The man behind the mask is revealed. He wears the suit, but... not the mask. The suit is a protective armour around him... a “mere mortal human”, but we see the man inside, because he doesn't hide behind the mask... he does not wear the helmet (at the end of the battle). Making it Tony that is being the hero, not the suit (Iron Man).
The two are separated now. This is the man...in the suit... that is doing the fighting. And...as it turns out TONY (not Iron Man) is the strongest avenger...in many ways. He is able to “lift as much as Hulk” - he does the same thing Hulk did, and unlike Bruce as Hulk, who needed time to get used to the power when it attacks him, Tony doesn’t even falter... when confronted with so much power coming at him... (he wills himself to do it & succeed)
Tony also has the willpower to save Thanos for last at the end. He makes Thanos witness his whole army/team die before the purple evil finds his own end. Tony does that by simply his willpower. He lets Thanos witness his teams failure/fall (that he/they lost)...letting that sink in...slowly, letting him know that Tony and his team won... This is why Thanos is the last one to die...
This is why in his line ”...and *I* am Iron Man...” in Endgame he was emphasising the “I” part. He, Tony, the man inside the (ironman) suit is Iron Man... the human with all his flaws...not just strengths. But his strength comes from his character, and the choices he’s made (from choosing to become peacekeeper instead of weapons maker...to everything that followed) that tell of his character. The whole story so far has been about how Tony Stark has a heart, and how he is the heart of the story. HE did all that. Tony did all that. He had the suit to help him (though).
Also... we see how everyone finally sees him as the hero, and the heart of the story. This is why Tony doesn’t say anything during THAT scene (besides those few words to Pepper) - it was all about how others felt about him - the hero. And everyone standing to acknowledge Tony... (as) the Iron Man, and the hero. Everyone's reaction to the hero was the focus, because that arc has now also been completed - everyone else now, too, sees Tony as the hero he is. It baffles me that it took until that moment for others to finally see it, too, but... that’s how it is.
Based on the canon there were many characters in this universe who did not see him as the selfless hero he had been...since almost the start of his journey (he redeemed himself in IM1... before he met any of the other heroes) And I am sad to read/see that even the makers of the films (the creators, the writers, the directors) didn’t see him as the selfless hero until his retirement. Maybe it’s the usual publicity talk & not their actual view on the character they helped to create, but yeah... seeing some claim that he finally...only now..did something not selfish...and fought for others, not himself... for me...is strange & means the person & character wasn't understood. But then again...maybe it’s the genius-factor at play - people just not understanding genius and seeing anyone who is smart & all actions by geniuses as arrogant & selfish. Not seeing the real person behind it & the real motives behind their actions? That’s my take on...that.
He is more than the suit. He is everything without the suit. Tony is Iron Man...the hero. That was the end of the second chapter of his development.
And here's an appropriate quote to sum it up: “The measure of a hero is how (well) they succeed at being who they are.” Tony was a hero, a superhero, a friend, a leader, a son, a *****’*; a ******.
Which is why him choosing family over other options...is...so believable. This way he’s had a taste of both of the worlds & he’s saved both - the world & his family.
IRON MAN WILL RETURN? LINK HERE
.
THE END
Congrats if you made it this far. It’s been another super long post from me.
There is, of course, more to this, but this is already too long of a post...even though I can say so much more about this all.
#SPOILER#endgame spoilers#avengers endgame spoilers#Tony Stark#Ironman#Iron Man#MCU#AVENGERS#The Avengers#Avengers 4#Avengers: Endgame#Avengers Endgame#my thoughts#master post#long post
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