And for even MORE throwbacks...some of my animation ref from season 1 episode "Prison Break". This scene was originally boarded by Aaron Austin. I think this was one of the very last things I worked on from season 1!

David and Michael interview with Vanessa Armstrong and Valerie Ettenhofer for SlashFilm, 10.7.2023

Film's Vanessa Armstrong got the answers in an interview with Sheen and Tennant, which it should be noted took place before the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike began. When asked about how and when Gaiman, who created and showruns the series, pitched the second season, Tennant revealed that "it gradually came into focus over a couple of years, probably." The actor notes that "the initial idea that there might be more story to tell" might have actually "had its genesis way, way back as a sort of fantasy idea, really, where we were shooting [season] 1." Like many a TV show these days, the show was initially marketed as a limited series, but that didn't last; it was officially renewed in 2021, two years after it aired.

While it sounds like Gaiman and the cast perhaps daydreamed about keeping the fun going with another season during production on the first, Tennant says the pieces still didn't come together until after it aired. "Then [season] 1 came out, and I think from that point, there was a slow realization that actually there might be more to come," he told /Film. "Neil was clearly excited at the idea, and I think Amazon were keen to do it." Some limited series clearly have aspirations for a sophomore season, but Tennant insists that he and Sheen "always thought it was a one-off," having signed contracts for one season and only been pitched on one season. When they got the go-ahead for another, though, he explained, "Michael and I were thrilled that we would get to return to [these] characters."

"When we started off on that journey, there was never a sense to go further, but what a treat that it was going to," Tennant explained. It took a long time for the full season 2 picture to come into focus: "I think Neil would drop us little nuggets down the months and years, really," he told /Film. Sheen, meanwhile, says he has "no memory whatsoever' of how Gaiman told him about the plans for Aziraphale in season 2. He did, however, have an inkling based on conversations Gaiman had described having with Pratchett about a continuation of the story before the author's death in 2015. "I know what we wanted to explore," Sheen said, "and I always remember what he was aiming to get to by the end of the second series, because of ideas that he and Terry had talked about with where the story might go."

Sheen says he thinks the first thing Gaiman told him about season 2 involved "the idea of Gabriel coming into their lives again in a very unexpected way, and then that eventually building to the point that they get to at the end of this series." Tennant, meanwhile, remembers being in Romania on a shoot for "Around The World in 80 Days" when Gaiman shared the first scene of season 2 with him and Sheen over Zoom. "Neil read us the first scene, the opening scene, which is, if you've seen it, you'll know we meet a very youthful Crowley and Aziraphale, very much way back at the beginning of time." (fygo: NGK FUCKING NGK!!!) Tennant says Gaiman "then gave us a quick sketch of what the rest of the series was going to be." Though both actors are understandably trying to keep mum about the ending of season 2, they note that Gaiman told them what it would be early on.

"That was all worked out, and it just felt delicious, really," Tennant says after recalling the Zoom meeting. "I mean from that moment on, it just felt like it was always meant to be. It felt like it was such a perfectly formed idea. I think it's fair to say that Michael and I didn't need much persuading." That's great to hear, because we certainly didn't need persuading to sign up for a season 2, either. The new "Good Omens" adventure begins on Prime Video on July 28, 2023.

Let's Talk about TLOK book 3 finale

An analysis on its writing and narrative choices.

We all know that is the best season but what make the final episodes so epic? As I like to say, is when words became art.

1. The script.

The Narrative of the season is the best alongside with season 1. The choices they make, the pacing, the development but most importantly: The Stakes. They were all there.

Sure, we saw Tarrlok murder/suicide in season 1 and Korra being sad in front of a cliff (as I interpreted as she being suicidal but nothing about that is canon so) but we didn't saw the air being sucked outta someone's body.

And the death of the earth Queen is the exact point where everything changed. Everything could happen at that point. Right after, Tenzin was almost beaten to death and I remember the fandom panicking about it. He didn't but P'Li blew her own head and Korra's torture was really hard to watch.

We got happy when Korra fought back and almost was able to kill Zaheer but then we remembered that she was highly poisoned. And after all we saw the last 3 episodes... everything could happen

Also, at that time, a lot of people didn't know we would have a next season. Honestly I don't remember if Korra was renewed before, during of after season 3 but I remember a lot of fans freaking out thinking that was the end. And if the fans simply forgot we would have a next season so Korra, obviously wouldn't die, it shows how good was the writing of the season since we were all so sunken on what was about to happen that we couldn't think on the future.

2. The masterpiece on animation and soundtrack.

It's been almost 10 years and the show didn't age a day. The choreography of the battles also helped to raise the takes and also tell us a story: How the Krew learn how to fight against the Red Lotus. From the most obvious of Bolin lavabending ex machina, Mako aiming in Ming Hua water arms before she could be able to use them against him and Jinora showing Zaheer the power in number, what exactly means being united as one.

And the soundtrack omg I listen and still get emotional to this day. When Korra is suffocating and the music goes from dark to soft, the airbenders theme (a version more emocional and sweet of the Avatar Aang's theme) . This is cinema! This is art!

The Legend of Korra is such a underrated masterpiece

"Worried about the Nicki/TVL content" here for clarification. I apologize, that came off like I didn't want to see TVL/Nicki. I'm excited to see Louis' journey through Europe and very excited for the theatre des vampires. I'm also very excited to see Lestat's backstory, including Nicki's part in it. What I meant is I'm worried that the showrunner might have been worried they weren't getting a season 3 so they packed in TVL and Nicki into season 2 so audiences got the backstory for Louis, Armand, and the theatre and how that ties to Lestat because they didn't want to leave questions because they may not get a season 3.

I want them to take their time with each major plot point and i wondered if cramming so much in was a hint that there was not going to be a renewal. But your response to my first ask was reassuring. I just really need to see the entire story play out before they end the show and I panicked so much advertisement of TVL in season 2 was an indication that this would be the only time we see it. Does that make sense?

Also, what plot points or storylines do you think we will see in season 3 in addition to TVL because the show always has more than one book or storyline going?

Ah ok :) It does make sense, but I honestly wouldn't worry too much.

For example Rolin talked about Lestat and Gabrielle at the SDCC '22 panel and so far there is no hint of Gabrielle - which makes sense, because Armand does not particularly like her... he probably omits her in his retelling of what happened.

But I don't think Rolin is going to omit her :) ... pass on the possibility to ... dip into that mess, too^^

And Rolin has already talked about Lestat's turning (and it being the literal worst of all the vampires' turnings) in the podcast back then, too. TVL is why Rolin wanted to do the show.

So. I wouldn't worry too much. AMC is financially out of the woods, the modus operandi seems to be the same as last season, and they are ramping up promotion, they are still developing the other shows, too. They said they are in for the long run, and there was once talk of 10 seasons... now I am not optimistic enough to hope for that much *laughs*, but... I'd love it :)) Definitely. Supposedly Sam was signed for 5 seasons though (off the bat). We'll see.

As per story lines... well, I mean, they will need to keep Dubai fresh, so that will develop further, and then, of course, in Lestat's past there is a lot they can hook into as well.

Magnus shows up as a ghost in the later books, too, so who knows, they might explore that aspect already (and there maybe the origins of the Talamasca???) in some kind of fashion. It would serve to introduce Benedict and Rhoshamandes here, too, given the later arcs. Marius' arc, of course, though if the rumor re Justin Kirk holds then they are going towards Marius' story and TWMBK (and possibly QotD) in s4 and s5. Gabrielle could be introduced in Dubai, and maybe bring in Sevraine, I mean Fareed is already there, the ancient vampires are there already, somewhere, out of sight, but there is a lot of possibility :)

And, of course, if they actually bring in Fareed again (which might be needed, given Daniel's health status), then Seth cannot be that far, and through Seth we could get an introduction to Gregory and Mekare, and Maharet, and Khayman, and... whoever else.

The Dubai TL is mixed up already, and I for one love it, because it allows for so much.

For example the piano music in the show... I would have loved it if that had been a live stream, of Sybille playing (for example). You know? Little things.

Sam said that there would be (more/other) cameo's coming in s2, so... I fully expect there to be more vampires, probably only apparent to those who know^^. (Just like last time^^)

Also: by now I do think we will get yet another revisit of episode 5 in s3. From Lestat's POV.

Because there is something there that I have touched on, that @cbrownjc has touched on... namely that we will now get to that the fight was more an actual "fight" downstairs, but even more interestingly, we will in all likelihood see why the fight rekindled upstairs. And... here comes something Lestat says in episode 6 into play, namely: "I don't know what possessed me that night."

Now, anyone who has read the last books (which Rolin as stated takes from) knows that Amel's awakening is bloody, drawn to violence, and that he takes over sometimes. He also likes to be in Lestat.

If the basic structure of the fight stays as it is there has to be a reason why that fight rekindled upstairs, and why it continued then with such a drastic power-imbalance, and why Lestat went on about his "nature", something which I have always found weird.

However, if they are already setting up Amel... I have theorized before that they might combine Akasha and Amel, since the actual threats (the burnings) are quite similar and it would be too repetitive for the show.

IF they are, indeed, already setting up Amel, then we will see the "reason" why it all went shit in Louis' POV next season, and then get the personal account of what happened there in s3. Louis won't be able to make much sense of it yet, neither will Armand, nor Daniel, and not even Marius (in all likelihood). But as these lines have not been come into play yet (and this show does not waste lines) I fully expect them to come back.

And then, if Lestat recounts the possession that story line can segue into s4 and s5 of Akasha/Amel rising, they'll probably skip the "core" going to Mekare first, I think Lestat will take it directly, maybe with the threat of Rhoshamandes thrown in or after, depending.

As I said before, I think they know how they want to do the first 5 or so seasons, and this... this is how I think it might come together :))

Obviously this is the "rough cut" - the details will be the most interesting thing.

What did Louis say in the trailer?

"We should get every detail right."

Indeed.

just rewatched s2 in its entirety back to back tonight (of course I've been rewatching each week's episodes every single day lmao) and just a few thoughts:

while I think the episodes do split out well by tone into the groupings they gave us weekly, they also definitely flow very well into each other and the pacing between and within the episodes seems much more normal upon review

I still think eps 1-3 are the best of the whole season and the entire series, they are like a mini-season unto themselves, and they're imo some of the best television I've watched in recent years

I can definitively say Red Flags is my favorite episode, followed by Fun and Games, then The Innkeeper

yeah Red Flags literally gives me chills, that episode has me on the edge of my seat the entire time. also taika's committing crimes looking that good in that ep

"ALL LOVE DIES, I'M JUST HASTENING THE PROCESS" is still one of the most badass lines i s2g

Izzy's death comes across as totally fine and not anything overly surprising when all the eps are put together, it made sense and flowed well

Similarly what I initially felt was too long an absence of Ricky and Zheng didn't feel like nearly as long when the eps are watched together

I do see where a couple more episodes would have given them breathing room to explore Ed and Stede's dynamic post ep5, I think maybe one between eps 5 and 6, and then between 7 and 8. but it's not a big deal. like I said everything flows well, I just wish there was more of it

Same with Zheng, I would have liked to see more plot with her, instead of just her relationship with Olu; I think they set up something really cool in ep 2 with her fleet heading over land, would have been neat to have her in a subplot where she does more pirating. But we'll probably get that in s3 as well so it's fine

I really love how many kiwi comedian cameos we got, it's really one big acting family over there for Taika and Rhys, and I know if they get season 3 (WHEN they get it) they'll film there again and it will be awesome

Next I plan to start over on season 1 and segue right into s2. I do so miss the lighthouse symbolism, but I wonder if Stede left behind the lighthouse imagery when he left his old life, same as Ed leaving behind the kraken when Izzy died. still thinking through some of that. Can't wait to hear folks' thoughts once things settle down. now time to campaign for renewal!!

To be honest, I would not fully trust Ola Kallenius either despite his words backing George. Why? Because he's a part of this big multinational corporation and this multinational corporation is FAR from the word 'good'.

But what we're talking about is taking advantage of George being favorable in their eyes for now. Read that 'for now' again. To manipulate the long terms, you need to take advantage of what is happening in short terms first. You can't be thinking too far ahead, overthinking and speculating about things, and making rash decisions over some speculations. That'd be a self-fulfilling prophecy. You can't play the short game when you're in a position like George. You have to play the long game.

If I were to be REAL honest here, I do want George to take Red Bull's offer back in 2021 because they're great, they're fast, they're amazing. But looking at the other aspects here, you wouldn't want him to be there. You should stop seeing things from just a two dimensional perspective. Moving teams solves nothing and i think we learnt enough from several drivers who made the wrong choice due to greed and being impatient.

In every part of an organization, there is something called homeowners. Just like Max's home is RB and Charles' home (might be) is Ferrari, George's home is Mercedes. And that is a solid thing for 2-3 upcoming years unless something happened. Why do i say so? Because these teams aren't the backmarkers where everyone is replaceable, they are the frontrunners with big brands behind them that not only values winning and racing but also values loyalty, brand image, and more. What they're also trying to find is someone who could be the face of the team for a long time not just 2-3 seasons and dip.

And let's take things real here. If Mercedes did NOT value George, they wouldn't pressure him to make a decision between choosing BMW or Mercedes very early in his formula series career. Why is it important? Because if George is not important to them, the moment George rejects Toto for Carlin Volkswagen is the moment they back out and move on. But they didn't. That is exhibit one.

Exhibit two is that in 2018, Mercedes is torn on who to give an F1 seat. Ocon or Russell? We all know the answer in 2019. Exhibit three, in 2020 when George's 2021 seat is threatened with Williams, Red Bull allegedly offered Mercedes to 'lend' George out to them for a year but Mercedes REFUSED because they do not want George outside of their institution even for a year (even if that 'lend out' move benefits Mercedes because from there Mercedes can see how George performs in better car). They'd rather George go jobless and drive in DTM for a year rather than lending him out to Red Bull. If Mercedes does not care about him, they would let him leave just like they let Ocon leave to go to Alpine.

And fourth, we have Kallenius basically on Toto's neck about how he wants George on that seat and not Max or Valtteri or whoever Toto wants. Then we also have Mercedes literally going feral on the mention of George going somewhere else (read: RBR). This happened on the same day as the British GP

My point here is if they do not give a shit, if they do not at the very least back George up, they would have let George go in 2021. And if you're saying "but that's 2021, Ari. We're talking about now", then look at his previous contract renewal. We're supposed to have George's silly season THIS YEAR because his original contract with Merc is supposed to end this year but we DIDN'T! Why? Because the contract is already renewed somewhere in December 2022 or Spring 2023! Again if they're planning to replace him, they would not make him sign a contract just for several months to his Merc career. And to add on top of that, George literally talks about how his contract is so EASILY signed and Mercedes and him were giggling over it like a married couple while LH and Mercedes (read: Kallenius) were in trenches, fighting endless war for a contract negotiation.

We cannot be 100% sure on the long run on who backs who even with Max in Red Bull. There is NOTHING certain in F1. Things change drastically. This is a very dynamic sport. But to manipulate the longer term, you need to take a hold of shorter terms first. If Kallenius, for now, sees George in a favorable place, that's good. But if in the future, he doesn't then it is what it is. It's business. You can't be idealistic about it. Moving teams is NEVER the solution unless you want George to make a decision blunder like other drivers who weren't patient enough.

It is painful but we have to play the long game.

please. what the fuck is happening with good Omens why are people being even crazier than usual

i have never read the book or watched the show and i have had the tag blacklisted literally since s1 was announced. but i DID skim the 16k essay when i was provided with a link so here's my completely objective and comprehensive summary of events. we all know what good omens is and about the 'leak' (frame from an official trailer) debacle, of course.

so. season 2 of good omens is released. people have been highly anticipating this season both as a continuation to a story they're invested in, as well as because an official trailer revealed one frame of two coconuts getting smacked together. however, season 2 of good omens is an instance of an adaptation of a book extending its storyline past that of the book's. which i think it is safe to say rarely goes well.

it is also meant as a bridge between the events of the original book/season one and the events of the planned-but-never-written sequel/season three, which doesn't make it sound like it's going to be a good season of television. and it isn't a good season of television apparently. none of the human characters from s1 show up again and there's no real plot just some fanfiction-esque shit about trying to get two new characters together, blatantly paralleling david tennant in a bad wig and his boy non-human non-gendered entity bestie.

at the end of this mediocre season of television. david tennant mashes his face into michael sheen's. it's not a very good tv kiss i will be honest. i know they can do better than that. But the real point of drama is that they cannot be together because the cinammon roll bookworm landlord angel has decided to accept a new job at the Homophobia Factory instead of going on a yaoi break. this is the end of the season.

it's pretty normal cliffhanger setup for the next season stuff honestly. although i don't believe good omens has been renewed for a third season yet which would be really funny if that didn't happen. however the experience of almost but not quite seeing two british men have nasty gay sex at the end of a kind of mid season of TV is enough to make a particular subset of people behave the way i did when i was on wellbutrin.

i do believe it's a combination of the Kind of people who are hardcore fans of good omens (superwholock expats) + the season being mid + yaoi kiss but not getting together that is leading to insanity. without all three this wouldn't happen. but because all three factors are present, all it takes is one person writing a 16k conspiracy theory manifesto about how the season is Meant To Be Badly Written Actually to start a mass hysteria event. too many strongly held beliefs with deep emotional investment are caught up in this tv show for something not to go wrong. time is a flat circle there is one step and it is tjlc

Pick-a-Pile Reading: What message does spirit want you to know for this scorpio/eclipse season coming up. 

🕯️Take a deep breathe, use intention to be guided to the picture that holds a message for you.

Pile 1:You are being asked to have faith in the universe, if things have been hard or you are just dealing with bad, troubling times you are being told that its not going to last forever, Better days are coming in. Spirit is asking you to be assertive and take charge. Be assertive in whatever it is you want. Stand firm in your goals and who you are. The universe wants you to take charge of your life and own it. Stand your ground. Spirit also wants you to go with the flow, you may be stressing yourself out with having too much focus on the end goal or when things are going to manifest into a reality. During this scorpio season, the eclipse energy will make you feel more creative. You can be very logical or think too much with your mind rather than your heart. Have faith that everything is going to work out in divine timing. Whatever goals or dreams you have, they have potential to become a reality for you. You are also being asked to let go of the past, let go of past hurts or anything that is no longer benefiting you. Let go of any resentments you hold and forgive, you don't have to keep people who hurt you in your life any longer, or even if they are not in your life any longer it may be beneficial to yourself to forgive them in your own way and let that pain/resentment you hold go. You can try writing a letter of anything you would say to this person and then burn it to release any resentment or forgive yourself for past mistakes by writing a letter to yourself and then burning it. Some of you I sense that you could have had a friend who you found out didn't have good intentions towards you or was being two-faced and ended up hurting you. A change is coming in your life, things will change for the better but in order for things to not seem as hard you need to be open to change and let things flow on their own. Focus on what you have control over. Don't be tempted to lower your standards, sometimes when we choose to listen to God and change our lives for the better we get sent tests and temptation to test us so don't fall for any temptation while you are trying to better yourself or make improvements in your life. Stand your ground and be confident in yourself, be confident that you could accomplish your goals, or dreams don't let others tempt you into lowering your standards or go against what it is you want. I sense that some money will be coming your way, you will be rewarded for your hard work & dedication. This will be a cleansing time for you but faith is needed. You will feel a sense of renewed purpose in life. 

Pile 2: focus is on money, security, foundation, physical, material life. You are doing well in the financial department. I sense a relationship ending and a relationship beginning so take what resonates for you. You will be entering a new way of thinking, communicating, and receiving new ideas. You can become more intuitive at this time but I sense you are someone who thinks more logical, so this new way of thinking can have you be more intune with your intuition rather than being so logical. For those in a relationship there could be conflicts within your relationship. The energy of the eclipse + scorpio season can cause you to be more emotional or have a change to your emotions and how you show your love, and affection. (this may also impact your relationship, or your relationship will impact/trigger you to change your ways) like I said before you are having a new way of thinking, communication or just a new way of being its like you are going through a renewal. You are entering a new cycle in life. The way your love, affections, emotions manifest may be different. Some of you will be outgrowing people and wanting a change in your life. Sometimes we think we will be with someone forever but we as humans grow and evolve and sometimes outgrow people, places,ideas, things. For some the relationship is not giving you what you seek any more its not providing the security or safety you one time felt. One of you is not giving the other the same attention or love that you used to give or receive. For some I sense that there is too much focus on sexual matters so one of you in the relationship may be too focused on sex while the other isnt very interested. Im hearing “don’t be tempted to lower your standards” so be careful to not be tempted by sexual desires which cause yo to lower your standards or fall into things that dont benefit you any longer. You can become more creative and intuitive, but I don't see it lasting that long so be sure to take advantage of this time and plant a seed for it to keep growing. This is a perfect opportunity for growth, emotional and spiritual growth. Finding out the truth. More decisive. This reading is giving me a lot of earth energy so you could have earth placements, but I sense that you are someone that worries about security,safety or your financial security and wanting to make sure you are stable & secure enough in all aspects of your life specially the physical/material aspects of life. This scorpio + eclipse energy is going to show you that you cannot prepare for everything and that sometimes life throws us obstacles we cannot see coming to show us we do not have control over everything.You cannot plan everything out or have things go your way all the time. You may be someone who is very organized and has things planned out so be prepared for any obstacles or unexpected events coming your way that could disturb your plans, structure, or foundation you have worked on. This is only to teach you a lesson that you cannot have everything under control and that it's okay to go with the flow of the universe and let things happen as they should.You could only do so much and control certain aspects of life. This will teach you to think in a new way or you will be faced with the truth that it's okay to take some time off and go with the flow. You are a hard worker + you love to help others but you may be putting too much on your plate which is draining you. You first have to take care of yourself before you can help others so take some time to cater to yourself and enjoy life for a moment. Moving into a new place literally or new place mentally. Be careful of overworking yourself as you may become ill. This is the universe's way of forcing you to rest. Spirit wants you to enjoy life, celebrate, and have some fun. Persevere and you will overcome your problems and you will succeed. This scorpio season will shake up any old structures you had and help you create a new stronger structure in life.

Pile 3: You are wanting to grow your own garden, create more abundance in your life but this is somehow stressing you out and causing you to become anxious. You may be filled with ideas, or projects you want to achieve but it becomes too overpowering for you because you don’t know how to start them or manifest them into the physical life. You may be filled with lots of creative energy and ideas but you may start projects and not finish them and begin something new, your energy is very scattered. The reason you are not able to bring these ideas to life is because you don’t have any structure or discipline. You are being asked to create a routine, plan things out and organize your ideas & projects. It may help to create deadlines for you in order to work on a project and get it done. This will help you become more disciplined with your work. You are overwhelmed with your own ideas so it's important to create a routine and plan out a schedule and become more organized. You may be working towards a goal and have many ideas on how to get there but it won't help if you don't create an organized plan to get there. If you work on becoming more organized and working on one thing at a time you will slowly but surely begin to see your work pay off. You will start to see progress towards your goal but you have to remain patient. I do sense you may become restless due to not seeing any progress but remember Rome wasn't built in a day. Some days you will have to get through the boring routine day but eventually you will see the rewards of your effort and hard work. There is a risk you are being asked to take, you may lack trust or confidence in yourself but you are being asked to take this risk, or take a chance to go after something. Spirit is saying a lot of things can change in  a year from now, so keep up the work and a year from now you will see the rewards of your work and see how much progress you have made in a year if you stick to your goals and work everyday towards them even when it may seem boring or tiresome. You will be very proud of yourself. You are being asked to take things more lighthearted and have a carefree time, so spend a day for yourself don't overwork yourself. Happiness is a big theme for you for this reading so brighten up if you've been feeling down. This eclipse + scorpio energy is showing a period of frustration or a journey will be teaching you lots of lessons . Someone new is entering your life and you can build a strong friendship with them or they will be gifting you with wisdom and knowledge. 

⚠️Disclaimer: Pictures used are publicly source & don’t belong to me.

This reading is for entertainment purposes only.

i just finished binging the dead boy detectives show, and i need to get my thoughts out, warning for spoilers

no spoilers tldr: its rlly good please go watch it i need a season 2.

now, onto the review(??):

it is very VERY different from the comics. this isn't *necessarily* bad, in fact i have no problems with pretty much any changes the show made, i just get antsy about cbms/tv shows changing the source material, bcs that happens all the time (i love the blue beetle movie but i will never forgive it for victoria kord). so here are some changes i liked: i liked the explicit queerness, i liked niko, i liked the fact that there were people in the afterlife actually looking for them, i liked how they wrote tragic mick (i love him so much), and i liked the setting change; some i didn't mind but would hate in the comics: edwin's magic, the whole brains/brawn thing?? (istg if a single one of you decides to portray charles as stupid, i will kill you), crystals personality & dynamic with the boys (she was fine but so drastically different from her comic self i would've preferred her to be an oc tbh), the removal of squooshing, the fact that the dead boys don't take cases from the living, edwin's hell being so much more violent, and the fact that they actually call themselves the dead boy detectives (i could be wrong but i've read all of their solos and i don't think they've ever done this??). the only change i really outright dislike is charles' death. i loved the part where edwin took care of him and read to him, but him being killed by the same bullies who killed edwin in the same place is just so much better than the lake. also, once again, crystal was a fine character, but that is just *not* the crystal palace surname-von hoverkraft i know!! where is her obsession with video games? where is her tech savvy? where are her insane parents?? i hope that one day we get an accurate cartoon adaptation of the toby litt run.

now moving on to the show itself!! i really liked the plot, the fact that it was semi-episodic, the cast of characters and actors was incredible. i just really liked it lol. tbh the literal only part of the show i didn't like is the fact that edwin and charles didn't kiss by the end. like... not even once. i wouldn't mind this if this wasn't a netflix show that wasn't getting much buzz, because i'm 99% sure this show isn't going to be renewed. also it felt kind of... idk, queerbait-y?? like there's obviously queer characters and content, but it feels like i watched this *for* edwin and charles' relationship and then they never got together. i feel like shows do this a lot, where, yes, there's a queer character, but they just aren't allowed to be in a happy relationship and get with the person they love. like idk it just makes me kind of angry, especially since we're probably not getting a season 2. i liked literally everything other than that, but it's just such a big scar on my enjoyment of the show that i can't help but mention it.

i don't really have much else to say other than: i really liked it, go watch it.

Will and the Maps

I lost some of this post due to a computer reset but I suddenly gained the will to write it again! (no pun intended)

Was watching a blind reaction of season 2 the other day and something interesting occurred to me. This isn't a full thought or theory, just a connection to previous theories I hadn't really considered before.

First, I'll give a quick review of the theories this new one is related to.

#1. Will "created" the Upside Down. I don't believe he literally hand crafted and shape the Upside Down on purpose with full knowledge of what he was doing. My theory here is that when Will was pulled into/fell into the Upside Down, he completely unintentionally shaped the meta physical space around him into what we know as the Upside Down.

#2. When El opened the gate in 1983, she created a bubble which we now refer to as the Upside Down. These two theories may seem contradictory but it's kinda how I view the whole situation. I believe the world El sent Henry to in 1979, Dimension X, is a plane that has always existed and has nothing to do with El. Then, in 1979 when she tore open space and time, creating the mother gate, the two planes of existence overlapped or touched for a moment, creating a bubble we refer to as the "Upside Down"

Below is a timeline of events I think happened.

In image 1, you have the Rightside Up and Dimension X as two entirely separate planes.

In image 2, you have the aftermath of El opening the mothergate and essentially creating a bridge between Dimension X and the Rightside Up. At this point in time, I theorize the "Upside Down" wasn't the Upside Down just yet.

Lastly, in image 3 is when I believe the Upside Down truly becomes the Upside Down IF Will really did "paint" over the empty space with his presence.

Of course, it's entirely possible that the Upside Down became the Upside Down in step 2 merely by touching two planes together, but we shall see!

Onto the new thoughts I had,

I was watching S2E4 when Will was trying to explain the tunnels he was seeing in his vision. Then, later drawing them out in a big winding puzzle followed by Will telling Mike the more he "spreads" through Hawkins the more connected he feels to the "Shadow Monster".

That bit about spreading through Hawkins making him feel more connected to the Mind Flayer is what partially spawned my theory about Will (unintentionally) making the Upside Down look like it currently does. Why would the Mind Flayer spreading around like that make him feel more connected? In fact, just the presence of the Mind Flayer approaching town caused him great mental and arguably physical distress before he was possessed.

The imagery of Will drawing the tunnels spread across the town in a dazed hypnotic state reminded me of this theory in the first place. Will didn't know he was drawing. None of them realized what it was (except Hopper who ran off on his own without telling anyone) until Bob came by and recognized it as Hawkins itself.

Like I said, this isn't exactly a new full thought out theory here but something about this moment compounded with everything new we've learned, ESPECIALLY at the end of S4 when Will reveals the moment he stepped back into Hawkins he could feel everything again....

I just feel like Will is not just deeply tied to Henry, the Mind Flayer, and the Upside Down, but Hawkins itself.

Like, whatever happened to him the moment he was taken from the shed created some unbreakable chain to Hawkins that he can't escape.

It brings up other thoughts like, "Why was there a renewed sense of urgency for Henry/the Mind Flayer to open giant gates and destroy the barrier between worlds? I feel as though it was because El AND Will left. If Will plays an important part in all this, it must've been frustrating that he left the area and couldn't easily be reached.

It also made me think, "If there's a timeskip, what's taking him so long to start his plans? I would think Vecna would want to start attacking and escaping immediately since he seemed like he was in such a hurry." Well, what if he isn't in as much of a hurry anymore because Will is back in town?? I mean, there's no reason to rush and escape to a far off place if one of your puzzle pieces of chilling in the danger zone right? If Will can sense him, surely the opposite is true?

And you may be asking, "But why is Will such a target anyway?" Well I dunno. Way back it was stated that Will was taken for a reason. I don't know what that reason could be, but if Will holds the key to the Upside Down and how it looks.... I dunno. I feel like that could be a valuable pawn to have?

Think of it this way. El created the bubble and Will shaped what that bubble looks like. It stands to reason both of them can probably shift and change what the Upside Down looks like. Maybe Henry could too.

But... if you think of the Upside Down as a bridge from the Rightside Up to the Upside Down.... and let's say, one of those people in particular can make it a stronger bridge or cause it to crumble.....?

Ah I'm just rambling now. Pfff. But I feel like I'm onto something....

When Our Flag Means Death first premiered, the pirate comedy series — a novel genre mashup in and of itself — didn't necessarily make a big splash in the streaming landscape. It didn't take long, however, for positive word of mouth and a slowly growing fanbase to lead to impressive viewing numbers, with the first season becoming the biggest new series in the U.S. across all platforms — and its popularity has only grown since. Now, on the precipice of the series' return, over a year after it was finally renewed for a second season, viewers are eagerly preparing to tune in to find out what will happen to Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby), Edward Teach/Blackbeard (Taika Waititi), and the rest of the Revenge's crew now that everyone has been divided into two separated groups.

Ahead of the Season 2 premiere, Collider had the opportunity to speak to creator David Jenkins for a spoiler-free conversation (if you've checked out some of those trailers already, that is!) about what fans can expect. Over the course of the interview, which you can read below, Jenkins discusses when he found out the show would be renewed, the unprecedented response to Season 1, and why he enjoys engaging with the OFMD fandom online. He also digs into discussing why Season 2 takes a somewhat darker tone, the importance of adding more female characters to the cast, his envisioned story for the show's planned three seasons, and more.

COLLIDER: You made a whole season between now and the last time we spoke!

DAVID JENKINS: It was a long time ago. Here we are!

And I know it was a bit before we even knew that Season 2 was going to be a possibility. How long was that wait on your end?

JENKINS: Yeah, I blocked it out, if I'm honest. [Laughs] It was a minute. We're really lucky that they picked us up, and they've been really wonderful to us at Max. They're just very fun to make this show with. There was a minute where I would call it kind of a slow-burn fandom, and the show just seemed to grow and grow and grow. I think we became more and more viable as the weeks went by after the finale, and thank god we got to do it again.

With the response to Season 1, it felt like week after week, even once the whole season was out, there was just this exponential growth. What was your reaction to that? Has that ever happened to you before, in your experience?

JENKINS: Oh, it’s never happened to me. I don't know if it's happened to other shows. Somehow, I feel like the streaming of it makes this unusual, and then the fact that it is actually a romantic relationship between these two characters. Audiences didn't want to get burned again, and then saw that they weren't going to be, and celebrated it. It just really moved me, actually. I thought that they'd kiss, and people would be like, “Oh, cool, cool!” I kind of thought people would know a little bit more [about] where we were going, but then in hindsight, no, people have been hurt and burned on so many other shows and then made to feel silly. So it was very gratifying to see the show embraced — to see every element of the creative embraced, every element of the production design, every department get their due in attention, was just overwhelming. It's the honor of my professional life. I don't think this happens very often, so I'm just savoring it.

You don't always see creators who are willing to engage with the fandom online, or they try to keep a distance, but it feels like you're getting in there occasionally and interacting with fans. How do you feel about that particular response, the fandom and their passion?

JENKINS: It's an honor. If it were a different circumstance or a different property or something else that maybe had a different tone that brought in a more dyspeptic, less gracious [fandom]... Everyone's been lovely. When people are being nice and normal, easy to be around, yeah, I wanna be at that party. Are you kidding me? And then you're gonna celebrate all the work that we did when we didn't know if the show would be good? Because when you're making these things, you're like, “Well, I know this is just my weird thing. Maybe people like it, maybe they won't.” When people are this gracious and effusive and not weird about it, it's like, “Yeah, let's talk. This is great. You're a fan of the stuff that we were a fan of. We're not different.” So that's really rare.

In terms of the overall tone of Season 2, there's definitely a darkness that it starts with. Was it more of a conscious decision to embrace that side, or did it really inherently come from picking up with these characters after where we left off with them in Season 1?

JENKINS: It's picking up with where the arc is in the story. We're post-breakup, and they're trying to fix it. One of these characters is very, very damaged and has never made himself vulnerable in this way before, and I don't think [he] would react very well to having his heart broken in this way. I don't think it would be cute, and I don't think it would be funny. I think it would be scary as hell to watch a very damaged guy that we've established in Ed, who killed his dad and thinks he's not capable of being loved, deal with rejection and see that Stede really hurt him. It's important to do that, to give him stakes because Rhys [Darby] is adorable, and Taika [Waititi] can be adorable, and sometimes when they're being adorable, they become invulnerable. I want to see a love story between two people who are very vulnerable, for better and for worse. So you have to pick up in a place where there's been damage done and there's a price to pay, and then it's like, “Can they come back from it?”

That's not to say that there aren't moments of levity and comedy. Stede, from his perspective, is this more pining figure writing letters, but he's definitely not in the same mental or emotional space as Ed is at this point because he doesn't realize how hurt Ed is.

JENKINS: The lovely thing about Rhys and about Stede is Stede’s cluelessness. He eventually does the right thing, but he doesn't know his own strength, and that's his problem. Then he does damage, and then he has to repair that damage, and that's the growth of that character. Ed is a guy where you're like, “Wait a minute, you're invulnerable. You’re Blackbeard,” but then you see he's hurt, he's not getting up. To me, those are the natural journeys for those two characters. Then you see Ed come back, and he has to wear a bell around his neck, and he's gonna fix a lock on this door, and he's gonna learn to fish and just be a three-dimensional human as opposed to just a scary drawing. Those are the tensions of those guys, and that's why Rhys has dog energy, and Taika has cat, and that seems to go along with both of those arcs.

I wanted to ask you about one of the things that feels like a really nice addition to Season 2, which is just the number of female characters that we get for the crew to bounce off of.

JENKINS: Good, I’m glad you feel that way.

Leslie [Jones] is back, we get Minnie Driver, and there's a new female pirate captain who shifts the power dynamic, among others. Did that feel like a natural way to expand the cast, or was that a change that you really wanted to make after Season 1?

JENKINS: It felt like both. Watching Season 1 is like, “Oof, there’s a lot of dudes.” We do go into Jim's experience as a non-binary crew member and Jim's relationship with their mentor and mother figure. In Season 2, it felt important and also the most logical way to build the world out. So it was fun to add these characters, even one-offs like Hell-Cat Maggie, and be like, “There are so many different perspectives to bring into this show.” It just felt natural to do that.

What's your favorite needle drop that the show has used so far in Season 1, and which one are you excited for fans to get to in Season 2?

JENKINS: Season 2 is built around [Kate Bush's] “This Woman's Work,” and that was very early on. That was a little bit like [Fleetwood Mac's] “The Chain.” I knew I wanted to use that, clear it, script where it should go in the season. There's a couple of those where it takes a minute to get that song, and there's a lot of back and forth, and if you don't get it, there's not a real good replacement for it. In that first season, “The Chain” really worked. We could have found a different song, but “The Chain,” that really works there. Also, [Cat Stevens'] “Miles from Nowhere” at the end of the first season felt like the Stede Bonnet song with that version of “Miles from Nowhere.”

Season 2, Nina Simone makes a couple of appearances, and I just love the size and grandeur of what she's doing. She seems to fit with a really large fantasy show — obviously, she's Nina Simone — and what she's talking about and how she's expressing it up against this world is really exciting to me. I don't know why it works for me as much as it does, but it really moves me. She comes back at the end of the season with a different track, and I just love having her music up against these pictures.

I've seen quotes from you recently where you talked about how—fingers crossed—if there's a renewal, Season 3 would be the planned final ending for this show. Was that something that you always envisioned, that it would be three-and-done?

JENKINS: I think so. When Taika expressed interest in doing it, I was surprised. “Are you sure?” He was like, “Yeah, man. Yeah, I wanna do it.” I was like, “Okay, but it’s not limited. Can you do it for three seasons?” “Yeah.” “Really? Really, you'll do it for three seasons?” “Yeah, man. Yeah.” So my expectation was we're only gonna get Taika for three seasons. But beyond that, three is good for this show. The first season is about two emotionally underdeveloped men who are at about 14, 15, 16, emotionally. Season 2 is about them getting older and maybe, in terms of the relationship, being around 25 to maybe 30 by the end of the season. And then I think there's one more story to tell, and it's how does a relationship evolve? Where do we find them again in the third season? What are they dealing with? That's very interesting to me, and there is a big story that I'd like to tell there.

Our Flag Means Death Season 2 premieres with its first three episodes October 5 on Max, with two episodes dropping weekly thereafter leading up to the season finale on October 26.

Ways you can help get Shadow and Bone S3 + Six Of Crows Spinoff

Stream Shadow and Bone S2 on Netflix:

this is the most obvious and yet time consuming way that you can help. it is rumored that Netflix values completion rate, hours watched, rewatch rate, and number of new viewers. This means it would be best if you could get friends and family who might not have seen the show before to watch it all the way through.

If that isn't possible, the next best thing we can do is stream! This means to watch the second season all the way through, start to finish. You don't have to physically be watching of course, you can have it playing on a device in the background as you work, clean, cook, ect.

Ideally, the volume on your device should be more than half. You can use headphones if you don't want to hear the sound, or place it in a different room. Just remember to check up on the device every 2-3 hours to make sure it is still playing the show.

From my experience, Netflix will stop the season at the beginning of episode 4 if you haven't been jiggling the mouse or adjusting the volume, brightness, ect. So, I just change the subtitles or brightness every now and then to make sure Netflix believe I am actively watching the show.

How to stream on PC/computer:

Go to Netflix.com (you can use the Netflix app but you won't be able to mute the tab if you do it that way)

Choose Shadow and Bone S2 Ep 1 and let your device play through it. You want the sound on the Netflix tab itself to be higher than 50%.

Now that you have it playing, you can mute the tab on your device (I use Google Chrome but, I'm sure other browsers allow you to mute as well!)

To mute the tab:

right-click the tab, and then you will see "mute site". go ahead and click on that.

Tablet/Phone:

Go to the Netflix App

Click on Shadow and Bone season 2 and start from episode 1 at the beginning.

Because there is no way to mute the tab, just use headphones or put the device somewhere if the sound bothers you.

You might also want to keep your device connected to a charger as it can drain the battery a little.

please continue to stream shadow and bone! and start if you haven't already.

TV:

Go to Netflix on your remote/application

Play Shadow and Bone s2 all the way through

This is best if you are cooking or something where you can hear the show from the other room and can click "continue watching" when need be.

Other ways to help:

Say you are unable to stream, that's ok! There are other ways you can help Netflix know that we want Shadow and Bone renewed for a third season and a Six Of Crows Spin Off.

Use hashtags! Rumor has it that Netflix cares most about Twitter, so please use that platform the most if you can. (I know that is a tall ask haha) Here are some super important ones:

#Shadow and Bone

#Six Of Crows Spin Off

#SOC Spin Off

Talk about it on Social Media:

Whatever platform you use, please share Shadow and Bone content, like, comment, put the posts on your stories, make edits, talk about the plot, what you liked, what you didn't, just talk about the show!

Join the watchparty:

This is more like a blend of the two ways to help. Kanej Breakdown on Twitter hosted a watch party on April 1st and 2nd and it went super well! The idea was we all watch using a Google Chrome Extension called Teleparty (you can also just watch the episodes listed for that day at that time if you don't have PC/ Google Chrome) and tweet using the hashtags listed above. This allows so many tweets to be sent under those hashtags, and gets it trending. They are hosting another watchparty today as well as this weekend.

We want to stay as high as possible to finish out these 28 days (important for Netflix's renewal system) so, please, please if you are able STREAM!!

Fic authors, self-rec! When you get this ask, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written; then pass this ask on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love! 🩷

Thank you for the ask @those70scomics! It's an honor to get asked this by one of my favorite That '70s Show fanfic authors!

(Since this is my That '70s Show blog, I'll specifically share my 5 favorite T7S fics that I've written.)

1.) Let's Grow Up Together (FF.net/AO3)

Summary: When one day Jackie receives a certain letter in the mail, she finds her life quickly beginning to change. Suddenly she is a grown-up navigating life on her own, drifting away from the sleepy little town of Point Place...and from her friends who can't seem to find the courage to discover life outside the Forman basement. Will her friends catch up, or will Jackie be all on her own? (Rated: T)

Comments: This is my season 7 'fix-it fic' and is my favorite T7S fic that I've ever written. Spoiler alert - everyone gets a happy and fulfilling ending, rich in growth and possibility (you know, unlike s8)!

2.) It Takes Time to Fall in Love (FF.net/AO3)

Summary: Jackie can't wait to meet her soulmate, but a dire mistake on her part leads her to mistakenly identify him as Michael, while Hyde watches his soulmate clock hit zero and immediately knows that it's Jackie. Years pass, Jackie with Michael, Hyde saying nothing as he knowingly watches from the side. Will this dynamic be permanent or will destiny bring the true soulmates together? (Rated: T)

Comments: This is the fic that I wrote for the 2017 Zenmasters Anthology project! That was the very first year of ZMA, and I was so honored to be a part of it. This was such a fun fic to write, and I really enjoyed weaving the soulmate clock concept into the timeline of the show. Plus, as part of ZMA, (I believe now former) tumblr user @/hydejackies made some gorgeous artwork for my story: Part 1 and Part 2.

3.) Between the Scenes (FF.net/AO3)

Summary: Little missing moments/one-shots from the show that serve to further develop the characters and/or plot. These scenes take place between the scenes of certain episodes. (Rated: T)

Comments: This is an open-ended project that I add stand-alone one-shots to whenever I watch an episode of T7S and feel like there was a missing moment that we didn't get to see. Stories that fit within the show (and into canon, to a degree) are my favorite to write, especially if I get to add context to a concept or plot point from the show that maybe wasn't fully realized. I love finding a seed of something from the show and growing a garden with it, which is what I try to do here.

4.) The Speech (FF.net/AO3)

Summary: When Jackie's friends all blow off her graduation party, she decides that maybe they're not her real friends after all. So when a week passes with no sign of Jackie, they all begin to wonder if they've lost her for good this time. Can amends be made? (One-shot.) (Rated: T)

Comments: I hate the way the episode "Gimme Shelter" (7.20) ends with Jackie just shrugging off the way her friends treated her, and this fic is my way of making up for it. Plus, @those70scomics adapted this one-shot into a comic back in 2015 which is the coolest thing ever!

5.) The Renewal (FF.net/AO3)

Summary: Kelso and Donna are away in California. Eric spends his days sleeping in a stupor of self-loathing and depression. Fez meets a new foe, named Fenton. This leaves Steven Hyde and Jackie Burkhart together all summer in the Forman basement. One of many things Jackie and Hyde fans have never gotten is a story for what led up to that fateful kiss on that seemingly normal day. Well... (Rated: T)

Comments: I debated whether I wanted to include this fic here, because it sometimes makes me cringe when I read what I wrote 10+ years ago as a teenager. Plus, it was my first attempt at fanfic writing and there is sooo much I would change about it if I were to write it now. (I've toyed with the idea of re-writing it, but I just don't have the time these days.) But all that being said...it was the first piece of fanfiction I ever wrote, so in that respect, I'm proud of it. I discovered my passion for fanfic writing with this fic and discovered the wonderful community of T7S fanfic writers, so it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I believe all the fanfic writers that I know here on tumblr have already answered this ask. However, if you haven't, consider yourself now tagged! :)

Something dawned on me just now. This shit always permeates my brain at night when i'm trying to go to bed lol

Why in heaven's name did Deb leave Nathan in S3 and run away? I get that she was scared of Dan and trying to protect herself. But think about it. What was Deb's whole plot (practically) in season 1 and season 2? First she came back determined to be a better and more present mother to Nathan. Then Nathan emancipated himself and she freaked out. Then in S2 she was a bitch to Haley and tried her damndest to break up Nathan and Haley's marriage. When Haley left on tour, she was far to happy at her son's heartbreak in my opinion. But then she went to lengths to try and be a better person. She tried to help Nathan, she went to rehab for her drug addiction. And then she came back with a renewed purpose to be a family again with Nathan, to protect Nathan, and to escape WITH Nathan. She tried to murder Dan and was unsuccessful. She knew that Dan lived and could potentially remember who tried to kill him. She had to know, right? But despite that Deb stayed in a marriage with an abusive man all to protect Nathan and with the purpose that after the election that they would escape together. But suddenly Lucas says "Dan doesn't know who did it but it's only a matter of time" and then suddenly after that she's frightened enough to escape. What changed? Absolutely nothing! She was in the exact same position. Only now she escapes without her son and leaves him with her abusive scary husband! Where is the protection in that? That is a load of shit! The least she could have done was paid for Nathan to move out into his own apartment. Like i'm sure she didn't want to uproot him from his life and by point she was more supportive of him fixing his marriage. But again, move him out of that damn house. Dan just continued to poison his life like he always did. And it's been shown time and again that Nathan's spirit gets vaporized whenever he is around his dad for too long. Hence some of his continued animosity towards Lucas. And even the whole birth control debacle. Nathan was totally in the wrong in that situation but I also think we can't give Dan a pass for his part in it and the way he goaded/pushed/preyed upon Nathan's insecurities. Nathan has had to deal with his dad's shit and we've all seen how that starts weigh on his mind, his spirit and his body. That toxicity that Dan has really has an effect on Nathan over time. It's like he's in that prison again. That mental trap that his dad puts him in. Nathan also hasn't been working so it's not like he can just escape whenever. Nathan got in a car accident and he had to pay a ton of hospital bills. He was in horrible debt when he moved back in with his dad and then subsequently his mom and dad so he's financially at his dad's mercy and Deb once again could have protected him from that but only thought of herself... surprise surprise. Wasn't the first time and certainly won't be the last.

I actually think that feeling of entrapment makes this exchange so much sweeter...

Alone Nathan feels trapped, sad, and powerless. But when he's with Haley, she makes him feel free, happy, and strong. It's them and against the world. They bring out such a strength in each other.

Taika and OFMD

thinking about Taika's new interview where he's said the season 2 ending seems like a natural conclusion to the show.

We know that David wrote the season finale the way he did in case it didn't get renewed for s3. And we know that David does have a season 3 storyline in mind, as he's envisioned Ed and Stede's love story as having three acts. And I know that the fans believe there's more story to tell, too, because they haven't resolved their communication issues, their trauma, or lingering plotlines.

The interview mentions that one of the limits on the show's capacity to keep running is Taika's schedule. To me, that may be the biggest holdup of anything when you get down to it. We're so lucky to have had him for two seasons of this show, given just how many projects he has going concurrently. But it gets more and more difficult to block off months of his time - and when looking for a season 3, David is going to need to produce an exceptionally compelling reason to bring him back in again. If Taika believes the show could end where it is, as much as he's adored being on it, he may prioritize other projects.

To me it felt as much of a risk to end s2 on a 'happy ending' note than to end on a cliffhanger, because it leaves the door open for cancellation on the basis of 'good enough.' I get why he did it, and I do think it was the right choice, but still. It makes the season 3 setup harder, because as Taika even said, he wouldn't want a situation where Ed and Stede have to leave their idyllic life behind. Which would have to happen to some extent - pulled back into the fray at least temporarily when the crew needs their help or the larger conflict of the pirates vs the English comes to a head, otherwise there'd be no drama or excitement. And if the storyline was simply Ed and Stede running an inn and having domestic mornings and working out their feelings, that's just not enough for Taika to clear his schedule and sacrifice other potential projects.

I trust David Jenkins to have something in mind that can convince tptb a third season would bring them great ratings and streaming subscriptions. I honestly don't think that's the part of this process that would hold (is holding?) the execs' decision up. Rather, it's whether the premise for season 3 is deemed compelling and necessary enough for our big name actors to sign on and commit their time to. For all we know, it's taking more time than anything to just figure out if Taika has any time in the next two years to devote to this (have you seen the sheer number and scale of his upcoming films?). They're not going to greenlight a third season if Taika can't commit. And Taika's so busy right now with Next Goal Wins that maybe they haven't even been able to sit down with him to have a lengthy contract discussion.

I'd like to think that Taika and David have discussed the three-act story premise for OFMD thoroughly, since it's something David's been saying since season 1 and if Taika didn't think he could do three seasons then I'd think the show would have been a nonstarter unless it was a 'cross that bridge when we come to it' situation, so the potential difference in opinion here is interesting. But it leads to some possibilities such as a season 3 where Ed and Stede aren't main characters - the focus turns more to the crew, with only half or even a third of the episodes featuring the main duo. Or an even shorter season 3 such as a 3 or 5 episode miniseries to reduce the time commitment for Taika. If the timeline for the show's production has to get pushed out an extra year to fit with his schedule, HBO Max might just decide it's not worthwhile to pursue. So there's a lot of things that can happen, and as much as we want an expanded season 3 with more episodes and a bigger budget, that may very well not be compatible with the reality of Taika's long-term availability.

We have to consider these possibilities. As I've said before, season 3 is in no way guaranteed, even from streaming analytics and critical success - but this is another dimension to this conversation that I haven't heard anyone talking about, and quite possibly the most important one because it's very concrete. No Taika, no OFMD. The fact that he said the show could perhaps go on without him and Rhys shows me this is where his thoughts are as well.

I don't want to make anyone despair here - I want season 3 more than anything. I do believe the show, and the story, deserves the full arc and natural conclusion that David has planned. We absolutely need to keep campaigning for renewal, harder than ever as we move into the one-month-post-finale window. But we should also realize that a big part of the renewal decision is out of our hands, and comes down to the ability of the show's star to actually stay involved. I think Taika will try his best to shuffle things around, but as I said David needs to be able to pitch him a season 3 that convinces him Ed and Stede's story isn't finished yet.

So fingers crossed. We may not hear anything for a while, as negotiations have to involve Taika and he's a busy busy man right now. I am optimistic, but I just wanted to remind folks of this aspect of the process.

Gold Star is the perfect opportunity to get a character expansion of Luke

It's definitely something army and FBI related, so it could explain why he left the Rangers to join the FBI, which is, surprise, something they never told us. It could also explain why he doesn't talk about it, since it's this Top Secret thing. It could explain WHY we don't know anything about him, because he isn't ALLOWED to tell people much. Granted, that would probably be slightly lazy writing on the part of the writers, but it would be better than nothing. It could also explain the 👀👀 between Luke and Rebecca in episode 2, since we know she's involved. I think it's really weird that they would focus on their facial expressions and then do nothing with it (although it wouldn't be the first time they've dropped a storyline,) but like I've said before, since they were hoping for another season but weren't guaranteed, they had to plant things that could be developed into something more if they got renewed but brushed off if they didn't. Joe Mantegna also said something about re-watching and looking for a hint, and that's my best guess for what he's talking about. Luke having past involvement with Gold Star could also lead to some good Garvez and Platonic TarVez development if something were to happen to him because of it, because we'd see worried Tara and Penelope. Also, the writers KNOW we're disappointed about the lack of Luke focus we've been getting, so they might try to make it up to us.

TL;DR: I want Luke to have had past involvement with Gold Star because it would tell us a lot about him