closed starter for @wastelnds

"yeah that's a great idea. we should definitely completely fuck up everything and do that."

iirc the shihoin receiving room was in the tbtp arc. i remember yoruichi teasing baby soifon abt having a crush on urahara

(I'm not quite sure what the context of this is--is there something additional you wanted us to say about the room? Were we supposed to comment on Soi Fon's vs. Yoruichi's usage? I know someone mentioned that in the tags. Apologies if there was some other conversation thread that was meant to serve as context here and we missed it!)

But yes! Here is Sosi Fon using the receiving room:

[Bleach 312[

And here is Yoruichi using it, 110 years prior:

[Bleach 206]

One interesting thing about this is that the Shihouin decided to repaint their bird art (and their crest). It's almost the same design, but not quite. The colors in the Soi Fon version read older than Yoruichi's, so it makes me hesitant to say that it got old and they repainted it, since Yoruichi's was looking pretty fresh 100 years ago. Like, what happened in this room that they needed to redo the bird scroll. Given that we're on the subject of TBTP, what additional incredible travesty of Soul Society life did everyone CONVENIENTLY neglect to mention to us (and to everyone who wasn't a Captain/VC more than five months ago)?

But then, if they keep those doors open and the poor birds are being blasted with full sunlight, maybe they DO need to be repainted multiple times over the course of a century.

@unladielike​ said:  [ tbh, i can see vivian and sonia actually meeting online at some point, especially since she’s very active on twitter and the anime subreddit. she, like sonia, also talks A LOT, so their conversations would be very lively and long. but she’ll go by the pseudonym, viiviitan, and her display icon would be a white haired anime girl, so sonia wouldn’t know what she looks like irl. she will, however, mention her name is vivian, use a lot of kaomojis, and nickname her ‘Sosie’ at some point ]

I thought it was easier to reply here, as the character count won’t matter.

But yes, I could definitely see this! Sonia is very much the type to provide detailed analyses and descriptions of various things in her conversations. And lucky for her, she has translation software on all of her devices: in her younger years, or during her first year or so in Japan, she often misplaced some words and phrases or simply used outdated terms. But spending more time speaking mostly, if not only, Japanese helped her phrase sentences better and use more accurate, or up to date, terminology. But where her digital writing was concerned? She had the help of translation software for that, something likely programmed for her and her family’s use, so she sounds much more fluent online than she initially does when speaking languages.

Of course, if Vivian and Sonia are corresponding in English online, she likely makes fewer mistakes. Some, but not many. This was always one of my quibbles with Sonia in the game: or at least, how she’s portrayed beyond what you see in canon. Because she’s a very bright and wise person (not ‘common sense,’ but book smart), I definitely believe she’d learn quickly from her language mistakes and not carry on with them in her older years. By the time she graduates Hope’s Peak, she’s making far fewer, if any, language errors. 

But back to online correspondence:

Sonia would have nothing royal, princessy, or even blonde haired anime girls in her profile. She’d probably have a creepy-cute icon, or some sort of horror anime icon or username, that she goes by online and, if we’re going by current anime trends, is probably thrilled by the debut of the Chainsaw Man anime and is recapping episodes weekly in Twitter discussions and Reddit threads. 

So it may be a bit jarring that the online user who’s so passionate about Junji Ito works, Chainsaw Man, and other similar creepy titles turns out to be this elegant, sweet, practically glowing European princess. I wonder if there would ever be a formal meetup of users from a particular forum, or Sonia’s first venture to an anime convention, or just asking casually in chat “Hi, I’m going to be in this city for work, what should I do there?” and then Vivian (or any muse really) starts volunteering ideas and meetups. 

Poor Sonia trying to navigate a convention though. She’d have to wear a disguise and not even cosplay necessarily (she wouldn’t want to appear in too many photos and get potentially found out!). She’d need a full mask to cover her face, or at least a wig, some contacts, and some casual and possibly shapeless clothing to hide her true identity.

All for the sake of raiding the vendor’s hall to get some exclusive merch. She’s nothing if not dedicated to her hobbies.

Movie Review Roundup – Horror for the Holidays: Smile / Nope / Fang

All ho-ho-hoed out? December brings award-bait movies, cinematic Christmas carols, and of course, a whole slate of feel-good Hallmark-style holiday romance flicks. But if you’re in the mood for spinechilling horror, I’ve got just the trio for you. Two are big screen hits that are new on disc this month, and the last one is an indie just now getting started on its festival run.

Smile (Blu-ray)

After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) starts experiencing odd occurrences that she can't explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality. Trigger warning: dead cat.

I really enjoyed this movie; it’s well-acted, nicely shot, and the dread and suspense maintain throughout. And those wicked smiles… so creepy! The Blu-ray has director commentary from Parker Finn, deleted scenes, and more. Get Smile on Amazon.

Nope (Blu-ray)

OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer) discover something sinister in the skies above their California horse ranch, while the owner of a nearby theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon. Trigger warning: dead horses.

Nope is a smorgasbord of half-baked ideas; mind you, they are cool, fun, and spooky ideas, but they’re not fully developed and the threads don’t quite come together. Despite the head-scratchers, Nope is an entertaining spectacle that I’ll watch again. The 50-minute behind-the-scenes featurette on the Blu-ray is sure to answer some questions, and the 4K image is beautiful. Get Nope on Amazon.

Fang (Festivals)

Aspiring comic book artist Billy (Dylan LaRay) struggles to care for his ailing mother Gina (Lynn Lowry) as his job at a meat packing plant barely pays the bills… and haunts his nightmares. One night, Billy gets an unexpected visitor: a rat that springs out of his bathroom and bites him. A Cronenbergian body-horror story unfolds as the young man fights the rodent within him, comes to grips with his mom’s dementia, and to maintain what’s left of his shattered soul. Trigger warning: dead rat.

Fang is an indie from a first-time writer director (Richard Burgin) but you’d never know it—the acting is aces (particularly from LaRay and Lowry, whose chemistry as family is wholly believable), plus the saturated cinematography, jangly score, and disconcerting jump-cut editing style are perfect for this surreal story. In fact, the look and feel reminded me of gritty, unadorned 70s and 80s indies like Shivers (starring Lynn Lowry) and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (but this is not nearly as brutal). Follow Fang’s festival run via Burgin’s Facebook.

Reviewed by S.L. Wilson

 Thread with all the 35 selected girls imagined by the artist @olhosdtinta

C.C Lands from St. George, Four (4).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Mia Blue from Ottaro, Three (3).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Hannah Carver from Bonita, Five (5).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Ashley Brouillette from Allens, Three (3).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Lyssa Bow from Whites, Five (5).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Sosie Keeper from Yukon, Four (4).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Reeli Tanner from Denbeigh, Four (4).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Clarissa Kelley from Belcourt, Two (2).

<eliminated at the beggining of the competition>

-----------------------------------------------

Anna Farmer from Hondurágua, Four (4). <eliminated for assaulting another selected>

-----------------------------------------------

Janelle Stanton from Likely, Three (3).

<eliminated for assaulting another selected>

-----------------------------------------------

Laila Toil from Panamá, Four (4).

<eliminated for not being compatible with the prince>

-----------------------------------------------

Camille Astor from Baffin, Two (2).

<eliminated for not being compatible with the prince>

-----------------------------------------------

Mikaela Coveny from Calgary, Three (3).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Amy Everheart from Atlin, Three (3).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Fiona Castley from Paloma, Three (3).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Tallulah Bell from Hudson, Two (2).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Zoe Peddler from Lakedon, Four (4).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Tuesday Keeper from Waverly, Four (4).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Tiny Lee from Dakota, Three (3).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Olivia Witts from Zuni, Three (3).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Emily Arnold from Labrador, Thtree (3).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Emmica Brass from Tammins, Four (4).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Samantha Lowell from Sonage, Three (3)

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Elayna Stoles from Hansport, Three (3).

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Bariel Pratt from Sota, Two (2)

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Leah Sacks from Dominica, Four (4)

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Kayleigh Poulin from Sumner, Three (3)

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Jenna Banks from Midston, Three (3)

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Elizabeth O'Brien from Fennley, Three (3)

<eliminated>

-----------------------------------------------

Marlee Tames from Kent, Four (4).

<made to the elite>

-----------------------------------------------

Natalie Luca from Bankston, Four (4).

<made to the elite>

-----------------------------------------------

Elise Whisks from Angeles, Four (4).

<made to the elite>

-----------------------------------------------

Celeste Newsome from Clermont, Two (2)

<made to the elite>

-----------------------------------------------

Kriss Ambers from Columbia, Three (3)

<made to the final>

-----------------------------------------------

America Singer from Carolina, Five (5)

<the one>

BLOG UPDATE

I’ve brushed up my rules a little. I’ve been adding small things over time, nothing super important. I did update it once more today with a bigger rule though so if you like, it’d mean a lot to give them a look.

I’ve also updated my interest tracker to include links to character bios just to make it easier. Again, it’s very much appreciated when it is filled out. It helps me send memes and approach for plot ideas. There’s just so many that I often don’t know who people are here for.

I’ve updated my primary muses. Ellie Langford and Soseki Yamamoto are now secondary while Kratos Aurion and Molly Amano are primary. I’d just like to see more threads for them and expand on them more. ofc, I’m always still up for Ellie and Sosi threads as I love them a lot.

So you wanna be a manbun

re: a list of existing male mods to play as a male Viera because SE just pulled A Dumb™ 

male Miqo’te → male Viera

imo the neatest conversion with the most room for modded customization, though it does have the downside of a very small character even at max height without other 3rd party tools

Viera Ears: 

“Patch 5.1″ by Foxeatr

Face:

“Male Clanless” by Seylum

“Beebo’s Anime Boyfriends” by Beebo

“Make Me Cute” by Cemiapajarhov

Tail: 

“Stubby Kitten Tail” by Snowfox120

“Tail Removal for Male Miqo’tes” by Myopicat

male Au Ra → male Viera

there are some visible seamlines and the compatible face options are pretty limited, but this can work for those who’d want a more imposing character

Viera Ears:

“Patch 5.1″ by Foxeatr

(optional) Face:

“Au Ra Ken Doll Faces” by phy’s neko

Body:

“Scaleless Au Ra Men” by Sapphire  + “True Scaleless Male Au ra” by Sosi

((You will need both mods AND this combo will ONLY work for face 1, jaw 1, mouth 1 male Au Ra))

male Midlander → male Viera

requires least amount of mods and offers a ton of facial options + a decent height range with the tradeoff of being limited to hairstyles that covers your character’s human ears

Viera Ears:

“Patch 5.1″ by Foxeatr

(optional) Face:

“Ikemen Paradise Male Face Retextures” by Blackjaque

►►How do I use mods?

get this and read the tutorials

►►Only one ear option?

Theres probably going to be more once folks can rip the player character ones

►►Can the other males be modded into Viera? 

Yep, I just found these 3 to be the best bases while building my bun

►►I can’t/don’t want to mod!

In a perfect world SE wouldn’t have gone back to 1.0′s bullshit and I wouldn’t have to make a list of ways to frankenstein a bunny together... but here we are. 

If you are unhappy with the omission of male Viera let SE know!!! Twitter threads & tumblr rants don’t mean shit. If you speak english, post/complain/rant on the EN official forums in the big megathread, have your EU/JP friends to post about them on their forums, and ask for male Viera at live Q&As/FATEs/other fan events. 

It’s Fashion, Darling || Evelyn & Soseki

@arigatosmiles

“Hmm...”

Something was missing from this dress.

Evelyn rose an eyebrow, looking herself over again and again in the mirror, occasionally picking off a stray thread she saw. Today, Evelyn was working from home. Doing some designs in her work room in the house, drawing up new ideas when she needed a break, and trying on anything she finished up. But for some reason, there was something missing from this one. And she couldn’t exactly figure out why.

Finally, she sighed, walking over to the door. She walked out of her work room in her newest incomplete creation, soon finding her husband, Soseki.

“Hey Sosi,” Evelyn spoke, gesturing to what she was wearing, “Do you think anything’s missing from this? I think I’m missing something and I’m completely stuck on what it is.”

Psychiatrie : dans la tête des juges qui décident d'interner sous contrainte Mc Murphy (Jack Nicholson) nous ouvre les portes d'un hôpital psychiatrique au milieu des années 1970, dans Vol au-dessus d'un nid de coucou. Dans "12 jours", Raymond Depardon filme le face-à-face entre le patient hospitalisé contre sa volonté et le juge qui décidera de son avenir - Chloé Pilorget-Rezzouk D'un côté, un homme ou une femme interné(e) en psychiatrie sans son consentement. De l'autre, un juge des libertés et de la détention (JLD). Un rendez-vous incontournable, devant avoir lieu dans les douze premiers jours, et pendant lequel le magistrat décide de la poursuite ou non de l'hospitalisation. "C'est l'une de nos trois attributions depuis la loi du 5 juillet 2011", explique Laurent Fekkar, membre de l'Union syndicale des magistrats(USM). A la croisée du pénal et du civil, le rôle du juge des libertés et de la détention consiste en effet aussi bien à statuer sur le placement en rétention d’un étranger, la détention provisoire d'un prévenu ou d'un accusé, que l'hospitalisation sous contrainte d’un patient. Avant de se retrouver sous la caméra de Raymond Depardon, dans la lumière crue et grise des murs de l'hôpital Le Vinatier, en banlieue lyonnaise, cette fonction de la profession était plutôt méconnue. Après avoir vu les dix face-à-face du documentaire "12 jours", on a eu envie de donner la parole aux magistrats. "On n'est pas à l'abri que ça nous arrive un jour" "Ce sont des audiences délicates, il est parfois humainement difficile de les tenir", indique d’emblée la magistrate Nathalie Leclerc-Garret, trésorière de l'USM. "Je crois que peu de choses dans ma vie professionnelle m'ont autant marquée que ces audiences", confiait de son côté "Juge Grise" dans un tweet du 8 octobre dernier. Au téléphone, cette magistrate ayant été JLD deux ans, jusqu'en août dernier, nous explique : "L'empathie que l'on ressent est différente. Au pénal, les personnes ont, a priori, commis des actes qu'on ne va pas commettre : je ne me vois pas tuer quelqu'un ou braquer une banque. La psychiatrie, c'est autre chose.  On a tous connu des difficultés, on se dit qu'on n'est pas tout à fait à l'abri que cela nous arrive un jour. C'est ce qui rend modeste, lors de ces audiences." Dans l'un de ses threads sur le sujet, Juge Grise rapporte d'ailleurs cette parole d'un des psychiatres travaillant à l'unité pour malades difficiles de l'hôpital psychiatrique Cadillac (Gironde), qu'elle avait visitée durant sa formation initiale : "N'oubliez pas que le plus grand hôpital psychiatrique de France, c'est le métro de Paris." Lunettes noires et politique En 2015, 92.000 personnes ont été suivies contre leur gré en psychiatrie (dont 80.000 ont été hospitalisées à temps plein, au moins une fois dans l'année), selon une étude publiée en février dernier par l'Institut de recherche et de documentation en économie de la santé (IRDES).  Un cœur brisé ayant fait une tentative de suicide après une rupture ; un étudiant, poussé à bout par la pression, victime d'une bouffée délirante ou d'une crise suicidaire ; un employé dégoupillant face à des conditions de travail intenables... Mais aussi des cas plus sévères. L'un des magistrats se remémore un homme, portant tout le temps des lunettes de soleil : "Il répétait que des gens voulaient lui voler ses yeux et ses pensées." "Je me souviens d'un patient qui me racontait avoir combattu Daech tout seul ou d'un autre qui soutenait avoir été l'avocat de Jacques Chirac", confie un autre, qui précise que les "délires" sur les hommes politiques – "le Premier ministre a été remplacé par un sosie" – sont un "classique". Parmi ces personnes soignées en psychiatrie sans leur consentement  – dont une majorité d'hommes (60%) –, près de la moitié souffrent de troubles schizophréniques ou psychotiques (contre 11% en psychiatrie générale) et celles atteintes de troubles bipolaires ou de troubles de la personnalité sont fréquentes, d'après l'IRDES. "Parfois, on ne sait pas comment les aborder" Depuis 2011, l'Ecole nationale de la magistrature (ENM) propose des sessions de formation continue pour aborder le texte de loi et "sensibiliser aux différentes pathologies, au contexte de l'environnement hospitalier et des soins sous contrainte", indiquait à Europe 1 la magistrate Marion Primevert, à la genèse du documentaire "12 jours" avec la psychiatre Nathalie Giloux.  Mais, "nous ne sommes pas spécifiquement formés à mener des entretiens avec des personnes ayant des troubles psychiques", admet Laurent Fekkar, qui voit en moyenne quatre à cinq patients par après-midi, trois fois par mois. Pendant sa formation initiale à l'ENM, celui-ci a toutefois passé trois jours d'observation dans un hôpital psychiatrique.  Comment instaurer un dialogue avec ces hommes et femmes vulnérables et en souffrance ? "Certains vont être sédatés, prostrés ou mutiques quand d'autres, à l'inverse, vont être excités ou sujets à une logorrhée", décrit Laurent Fekkar, JLD depuis un an à Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais). "Parfois, on ne sait pas comment les aborder", poursuit Juge Grise. Si le discours commence à s'égarer durant le court temps imparti à l'audience, cette magistrate a une astuce : "Je dis au patient : 'On est là pour parler de vous ici, et maintenant. Ce qui m'intéresse, c'est votre état de santé.'" Car il faut en effet pouvoir traiter tous les dossiers au programme du jour.  Parmi les autres précautions des juges, on note aussi : "Parler lentement, avoir du tact, éviter de fixer le regard… et faire preuve d'humanité. Beaucoup d'humanité", résume Laurent Fekkar, magistrat depuis huit ans.  Eviter aussi d'employer un vocabulaire trop jargonneux pour annoncer sa décision (lorsqu'elle est prononcée sur-le-champ, comme dans le film) ou dire par exemple "vous n'étiez pas d’accord" plutôt que "vous avez fait appel".   "Je suis juge des libertés. Point" Au départ, la loi prévoyait que ces audiences se déroulent à l’hôpital, au tribunal ou par visioconférence… "Les malades étaient conduits jusque dans les palais de justice, encadrés d'infirmiers. Ils croisaient parfois dans la salle des pas perdus une personne avec les menottes. Cela pouvait créer un stress supplémentaire", rappelle Nathalie Garret-Leclerc, qui a mené ces audiences en tant que conseillère à la cour d'appel. Depuis septembre 2013, celles-ci doivent en principe se tenir au sein même de l'établissement où est interné le patient, dans une salle dédiée. La magistrate précise : "En faisant se déplacer le juge des libertés et de la détention, l'idée est d'être au plus près des malades pour mieux prendre en compte la difficulté de ces audiences." Mais en appel, les patients et l'avocat dont ils peuvent bénéficier doivent se rendre au tribunal. Et tous les hôpitaux psychiatriques ne mettent pas à disposition une salle pouvant accueillir ces audiences publiques. A Boulogne-sur-Mer, par exemple, les entretiens ont lieu dans un petit bureau du palais de justice, rapporte Laurent Fekkar. Lui trouve cette configuration "plus pratique" pour les magistrats.  En stage, Juge Grise a visité des pièces aménagées comme des salles d'audience au pénal : avec une estrade pour le juge, une barre pour le malade : "J'ai trouvé ça détestable. Je crois que je me serais arrangée pour faire installer autre chose !" "Pourquoi vous me parlez de procédure ?" La tenue du magistrat, elle non plus, n'a rien d'innocent. Aucun de ceux filmés par Raymond Depardon ne porte sa robe. Lorsqu'elle se rendait en hôpital psychiatrique, Juge Grise choisissait aussi de venir en civil : "Instinctivement, j'y suis toujours allée habillée normalement pour ne pas impressionner les patients. Rien que la présence d'un magistrat peut leur donner le sentiment d'être coupable, d'être jugé." Pour se présenter, cette magistrate dit : "Bonjour, je suis juge des libertés." Et elle s'arrête, "point". "Là, on ne vient pas pour juger d’une détention provisoire, cela n'a rien à voir. Il est important de mettre en confiance", insiste-t-elle. Dans "12 jours", cette incompréhension de la procédure, cette peur de se voir reprocher quelque chose, est criante. Lors d'une audience, un des malades s'offusque : "Pourquoi vous me parlez de procédure ? Procédure, c'est passer au tribunal..." "Rester à sa place" Souvent denses émotionnellement, ces face-à-face requièrent "beaucoup d'expérience dans la conduite de l'audience", estime Juge Grise, magistrate depuis quinze ans. Tel un équilibriste, le juge doit naviguer entre distance et empathie : "Le film retranscrit bien toute cette difficulté", résume Nathalie Leclerc-Garret, même si la magistrate regrette un peu, face à la succession d'audiences, qu'on ait l'impression "que le juge est une simple chambre d'enregistrement, un simple figurant, et que tout est déjà joué." Il faut dire que dans le documentaire on ne voit pas le travail du juge en amont, et surtout : aucun des patients n'obtient la levée de son hospitalisation. Pourtant, tous veulent sortir. Un prisme plutôt fidèle à la réalité, puisque seuls 9% des dossiers, en moyenne, font l'objet d'une mainlevée. Et principalement pour des irrégularités de procédure. Alors, le JLD est-il un simple figurant cantonné à se ranger aux avis des certificats médicaux ? "Il faut rester à sa place de juge : je ne suis ni psychiatre ni soignante", reconnaît Juge Grise. Pas question de porter un diagnostic psychiatrique ou de s'en tenir à la seule impression laissée par le patient lors de l'entretien.... "Contrôler l'hôpital" Mais, en épluchant le dossier de la personne – "parfois trop succinct", regrette Juge Grise – avant l'audience, le magistrat vérifie les conditions dans lesquelles s'est jouée l'hospitalisation.   En somme, en entrant au cœur de l'institution psychiatrique, le JLD veille à ce que les soins sans consentement portés à la personne soient adaptés, nécessaires et proportionnés. Et que sa privation de liberté ne soit pas arbitraire ou abusive. "Certains patients m'ont déjà confié qu'ils étaient rassurés qu'un regard extérieur vienne 'contrôler l'hôpital'. Ça les soulageait de trouver aussi une oreille autre", relate Juge Grise. En une année d'exercice, Laurent Fekkar n'a autorisé qu'une sortie sur des dizaines de cas examinés. Il se souvient de cette femme, prise au piège dans un conflit familial, "particulièrement revendicative parce qu'elle se trouvait là à tort". Dans son dossier, le certificat médical d'un des psychiatres de l'hôpital était rédigé "avec une grande réserve". Comme s'il disait, tout en prenant soin de ne pas mettre en porte-à-faux ses confrères, "elle n’a rien à faire ici, remettez-la dehors". Alors qu'on lui fait remarquer que le nombre de sorties reste extrêmement faible, comme si l'hospitalisation sans consentement était une fatalité pour des milliers de malades, le magistrat conclut : "Si nous prononcions beaucoup de mainlevées, est-ce que cela ne voudrait pas dire, au contraire, qu'il y a d'importants dysfonctionnements ?" https://tempsreel.nouvelobs.com/rue89/la-vie-materielle/20171213.OBS9240/psychiatrie-dans-la-tete-des-juges-qui-decident-d-interner-sous-contrainte.html

closed starter for @gldnhour

"i'm stone cold sober.... bitch."

'Here and Now' is HBO's Answer to 'This is Us' and a Miss

i wrote about HBO’s new family drama “Here and Now” which is a bit of a fascinating mess.

HBO's new family drama "Here and Now," which bows Sunday night, is... a lot.

On paper, it's got the makings of the perfect prestige TV show for today's political climate, but it plays out as if an algorithm was asked to create the premium cable version of "This is Us." Starring Oscar winners Holly Hunter and Tim Robbins as parents to a diverse and ultra-liberal family in Portland, Oregon, "Here and Now" was created by out screenwriter Alan Ball, who gave HBO hits with "Six Feet Under" and "True Blood." (Ball also won an Oscar for his "American Beauty" screenplay and an Emmy for directing "Six Feet Under.")

It's not often I'm not sure what to make of a new TV series but after watching four episodes of "Here and Now" I'm left a bit perplexed albeit intrigued. It's hard to nail down the show's actual plot; it's more of a springboard for Ball's thoughts on modern politics with characters existing as avatars for ideas about our current culture. The drama follows the Bishop-Black family: lawyer Audrey Black (Hunter) and her husband philosophy professor Greg Bishop (Robbins), who have three adopted adult children: Ashley (Jerrika Hinton) from Somalia, Duc (Raymond Lee) from Vietnam and Ramon (Daniel Zovatto) from Colombia, as well as a biological daughter, high school student Kristen (Sosie Bacon). The members of the family not only deal with the complicated inner workings of their unique family but they also respond to the post-Trump world around them.

In a scene from the first episode, Ashley, the owner of her own fashion site, and Duc, a life coach who calls himself a "motivational architect," have drinks (and later casually do a few lines of coke) with one of Ashley's male models. In an incredibly annoying exposition dump, the siblings bemoan their "progressive" and diverse family and how their parents are well-meaning but are more concerned about appearance, wanting to look Norman Rockwell's version of the perfect liberal family.

They also layout their parents' relationships with their kids, specifically how they treat who they perceive to be the favorite, Ramon, who is gay. This being a Ball show, there's more here than complicated family dynamics. LGBTQ rights play a role on "Here and Now" and Ramon's storyline proves to be the most real - the show starts off with him meeting his new boyfriend Henry (Andy Bean), a barista. Ramon's story is also the show's most interesting - and important - thread to follow. He's going through a crisis of sorts that both divides and brings the family together, giving "Here and Now" an unexpected and necessary edge.

But "Here and Now" is bogged down by too much stuff and it handles the topics it tackles clumsily. Here, the subtext is the text as the show hammers you with its views on gender identity, sexuality, mental health and much, much more. "Here and Now" doesn't delve deep into many of the topics it explores, biting off way more than it can chew. Like in one episode, when Ashley takes Kristen to Planned Parenthood and they encounter pro-life protesters. After assaulting a man who singles out the teen, calling her a baby killer, Kristen and Ashley are booked. The show shifts gears from women's rights to a weak take on Black Lives Matter - "Here and Now" shows the vastly different experiences Kristen, who is white, and Ashley, who is black, face while in the local jail. Thankfully, Hinton carries the scene and it doesn't fly off the rails.

A Muslim family is also featured on the drama. Farid Shokrani (Peter Macdissi), his wife Layla (Necar Zadegan), and their gender fluid teen Navid (Marwan Salama), who goes to school with Kristen and seems to have a crush on her, figure into the main story and they are intertwined with the Bishop-Black family. Farid struggles with his religion and finds it difficult to balance his beliefs with his those of wife's. Their child, who may be transgender, is expressing their gender identity by wearing a hijab and makeup while at home but goes out in public as male presenting; out of fear of being harassed or assaulted for being both Muslim and queer. Farid and Layla are totally accepting of Navid but "Here and Now" doesn't explore the teen's identity further than that - at least in the four episodes provided for review.

The first season of "Here and Now" will be 10 episodes and it's possible the show reveals itself for what it really is in the following six episodes. The acting is solid all around (even when the cast has to sell some really uneven writing), though the characters portrayed here can be detestable at times so prepare to watch unlikeable people hurt each other. As it is now, this is a messy family drama with a blunt message that takes some unexpected turns. "Here and Now" shows us a dark world, messed up world but it's not anything we don't already know.

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Sosie un peu officiel de Snoop Dogg. #VaKBandPeyi 🥁 ||🦁Petit Martiniquais🦁|| #BadGones || #13BloGang

Sosie un peu officiel de Snoop Dogg. #VaKBandPeyi 🥁 ||🦁Petit Martiniquais🦁|| #BadGones || #13BloGang

RT @KarliitoYolo: #Thread Qu’est ce qu’un Sound System ?🎛️🔊 Foota Hype te résume une ambiance sound system Source : https://t.co/wXljAiHpr…

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