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Murderbot characters x the adjective I think fits them the most

My life has been completely taken over by this universe and I am not complaining one bit. Currently on my fifth rewatch of the show in about four weeks so it's clear I have a problem. Only now do I feel confident enough to speak on the characters so distinctly though. Of course this is all subjective, and not based on the books as a majority of the characters are very different in the books (which I also love, currently on network effect and I'm having a blast). Anyhow, without further ado let's jump in.

Oddly enough I struggled the most with Bharadwaj (even though she's one of my faves). It felt hard to place just one adjective because she's so layered and interesting despite the fact that she arguably got the least amount of screen time. I chose sincere because there is a genuineness to her that never vanishes. She is the one that's hurt right away, and she doesn't shy away from how much that effects her. In ep seven when Gurathin asks her how she is doing, she gives him the honest answer; that she's not ok. She tries to form a sincere connection with Leebeebee, and encourages her despite the fact that she herself isn't doing well either. When Leebeebee reveals herself to be a traitor, Bharadwaj still puts herself in danger to try and reason with her. Not because she's trying to be a hero, but because she genuinely believes she can help her in this moment of crisis. She always corrects Ratthi about Leebeebee's name, because even if she was evil, those details matter to her. When they played sweet/bitter in ep seven's flashback, she was completely authentic in her emotions with Pin-Lee. She consistently defended Murderbot even when everyone else was against it, because it did save her life. She felt conflicted and scared about Murderbot in terms of Leebeebee, and yet still chose to trust it completely in ep nine even when moments early she was the one that declared it was betraying them. Even back in ep five when Gurathin was digging into Murderbot she argued against him when no one else would. And on the flip side, in ep seven when she was still unsure of Murderbot she didn't pretend to be eager to join their "talk about this circle", but rather just kept going through the motions until she decided what she believed. She was the one to take care of Gurathin the most when he was hurt, because that's what he did for her, but also because that's just clearly who she is. She's sincere, she is always displaying the most truthful version of herself. Even when her emotions conflict, she finds a way to be true to herself.

Despite the fact that Murderbot itself would disagree that Pin-Lee is a protector, I think that is their strongest quality, they simply present it in a less literal way than Murderbot. We can see right away that Pin-Lee is comfortable with doing things that could make others uncomfortable when they provoke the workers on port free commerce. They don't just protect their friends, but the ideals of Preservation Alliance as a whole. Then as a more literal example, when Ratthi runs towards the equipment in ep one, they yell at him that the equipment doesn't matter. They engage in a throuple, not because they necessarily want to, but because it's clear Arada really wants to. They're one of the only people who's fine going toe to toe with Mensah because they want to make sure she's ok. Like in ep four when Mensah was torn about going to Murderbot or not, and Pin-Lee did everything to rationalize what they were doing because they knew it would be easier on her that way. They're suspicious of Murderbot with Gurathin in the beginning because they are scared that it could hurt one of their friends. When anything potential dangerous is happening they always grab Arada and hug her close. Even if that wouldn't do anything, it's the thought and comfort that comes with it that I think matters. Not to mention when Arada runs after the attacking advanced secunits in ep seven, Pin-Lee runs right after her. They're not pretending to be brave all the time, as seen when they get mad at Gurathin in ep nine for being so pessimistic, but rather choosing to put their life on the line anyway. I think that distinction is important. They defuse Arada when Leebeebee was threatening all of them in ep six to keep her safe. They insist on going down to GrayCris' hubs in ep nine rather than Gurathin even when it didn't make sense. They were relentless about filling a junction in port freecommerce to get Murderbot back even when everyone else was losing hope. That urge to be a shield for the others pain never subsides.

I love how defined Arada is by her trust. From the very first moment we meet her, we see her put her complete faith and trust in Murderbot (who was simultaneously having a big moment). She chooses to follow it to safety and from then on is practically the only person to never wave on that trust. She believes in her team deeply and trusts that they have that same faith in her. When Leebeebee is introduced she does all she can to make her feel welcome, and believes her story without a second thought. Even in ep six when Leebeebee is revealed to be a traitor, the thought that she wasn't even of Deltfall doesn't cross Arada's mind. Every betrayal has to be almost spelled out for her because she trusts so completely. She also advocates for the animals of the planet a lot, and trusts that they aren't malicious and intending to hurt the crew on purpose, but rather doing so because they have to survive. Her belief in them stems from her knowledge and trust in the natural world. She's also shown to be a firm believer in the normal process of things. In ep four when Pin-Lee is frustrated with Mensah, they say that the Preservation Alliance rules that everyone must participate in these surveys are stupid. Arada counters by saying the opposite, and it displays how she trusts the leaders of the alliance and their judgement. Sometimes a downfall of her belief is that she takes everyone at face value, but I also see that as a strength. In ep five when Arada is still freaked out by Murderbot shooting itself, Mensah tells her to back off and grab a weapon instead. She doesn't fight with Mensah at all and instantly complies. Most people tend to push back on things, even if it's whats best for them, but Arada is so open to help and opinions that it's never been a problem for her. When that trust is broken though, her naturally caring disposition melts away entirely. She's got quite a bite when she wants to, which is why Pin-Lee being a protector and always trying to get Arada out of bad situations works so well. They balance each other out.

It's so obvious how seeing the others in pain gets to Ratthi, and how he tries to combat their negative (even if valid) energy with his comedy. He is consistently the one to check in on everyone the most, which is how he ends up speaking one on one with Murderbot the most. He has the astute ability to sense someone's energy is off, though he doesn't have the best follow through about dealing with the said emotions. The first spoken piece of dialogue we ever get from him is him telling Gurathin to get in their group huddle. Even if from the outside it appears that Gurathin hates it, Ratthi values their unity and knows deep down Gurathin does too. He is the one to never let go of Murderbot's treatment being unjust. In ep three he argues that it's no more a machine than Gurathin, and the rest of them have to settle him down. He, along with Mensah, can clearly tell it's going through something, and he continuously tries to do his best to help (even if it doesn't really help). He's the one to go after Mensah in ep four and even though it is clear he is afraid under all the bravado, he goes after them because he knows Mensah is also afraid. He proposes the idea of naming something after Murderbot, and although Pin-Lee shoots the idea down, the sentiment that he cared enough about Murderbot to think that remains. He defends Murderbot in ep five, and even plants the biggest seed of doubt in Gurathin's argument by proving that Murderbot really does spend all its time watching media. To him Murderbot was always a person, after all he is the one to greet it with total friendliness in ep one. For everyone else it was almost like they had to learn that, but Ratthi was so empathetic he could never not see it as a person. He went to Arada and Pin-Lee when their arrangement wasn't working because he felt it was unfair to Arada and wanted to keep her feelings in mind. His execution isn't always perfect, or even good for that matter, but his intentions never waver. He was the one most angry about Murderbot going off on its own in ep nine, he's the one to adjust to his team's emotions to the best of his abilities. He's the one to call Murderbot a part of their crew. His care for the group practically oozes out of him.

I think a character being selfless doesn't absolve them from also being selfish, and that is perhaps the most interesting thing about Gurathin. He is selfish numerous amounts of times throughout the season, and yet no matter what, every action is always solved by him being selfless or apologizing. The first real example of this comes in ep two. He is deeply distrustful of Murderbot, and encourages Mensah and Bharadwaj to go to their survey alone. This is something he comes to regret and he apologizes but it's clear how much he still feels awful about it. Before that though he himself offered to go on the mission instead which he does a number of times, even if he is never taken up on it, he would rather put himself in danger in place of the others. We see him at his most brash most of the show, but it's only in the latter half that I think his truthfully selfness nature shines through. In ep six when Leebeebee threatens them, he doesn't give in when she literally shoots him in the knee. The thing that makes him comply is her threatening the rest of them. He doesn't cry at his own injury, but rather when Leebeebee insinuates that Mensah is dead. In ep seven he brushes off his own pain because he wants to make sure the rest of the group is safe. When Bharadwaj asks how he's doing he tells her that he's fine when he clearly isn't, because he knows that'll make her feel more at ease. Throughout ep seven he just looks worse and worse but he never asks them to go back. Even after he passes out he tells them it's not worth it to go back. It's not just that he values his life at so little, but that he holds their lives so much higher. In ep nine when the drone connection is lost, he declares he has to go down to GrayCris's operation to reconnect. It's a dangerous mission considering their agent was the cause of his injury, but he doesn't hesitate because he knows Murderbot's life depends on it. I think his greatest acts comes in ep ten. He's the one to sit down and meet the corporation rim at their level when he offers to buy Murderbot. He despises them, and yet is the first to try and play by their rules because he wants Murderbot back just like the rest of them. He goes and meets up with his former dealer, an act that puts himself at risk for numerous things, just so he could get back Murderbot's memories. Then he downloads all of Murderbot's memories which could've seriously hurt him from the sheer magnitude of the flies, but he doesn't even hesitate. He's the one who declared he was going to personally see to it's demise in ep two, but he's the reason it has it's itself again. And in the end, when he finally wants Murderbot to stay, he understands that it has to forge its own path. Just because being with the group is what Gurathin needed, doesn't mean that's what Murderbot needs (at that moment at least). His urge to put others before himself is sometimes hard to see, but once you notice it, you realize how much of a drive it is to all his actions.

Mensah has so many defining features, and I find it so intriguing the way most of them contradict each other. She's the fearless leader that always has a plan, and yet she can be terrified and indecisive. She's caring and compassionate, but that doesn't stop her from telling off any member of the team. What sticks with me the most though is her perceptiveness. It's the reason she's a few steps ahead of everyone else, and it's why she can adapt so well to all of them. She's the one to say she trusts Murderbot (only somewhat at first but still). She does this with no proof or action shown directly to her, but simply because she felt it. She's the one to recognize that Murderbot is "going through something" and wouldn't let up on it in ep four even when it directly told her not to. She's talks Murderbot down in ep five and works to bargin with it. Murderbot claims it was strictly tactical, but something tells me Mensah really believed what she told it. When her and it go on the mission at the end of five, she strives to keep everyone busy so they won't panic. She pulls Gurathin aside for extra comfort because she know he needs that. I will never get over the look she gives Murderbot in ep six when it shows her an episode of sanctuary moon. It's like in that moment she understood how much the show meant to it, and furthermore how rich of a person it actually was, which really proved her working theory. In ep seven she tries to reason with Murderbot about leaving the helmet down because she know it'll make the rest of the group feel better. I also really love how evident her perceptiveness is even in smaller moment. In the same episode when the creature attacks and she is with Gurathin, she never screams. The other four do, but Gurathin doesn't and so she stays quiet with him no matter how scared she also was. In eight when she yells at Ratthi that Murderbot isn't their pet, she doesn't apologize, but she goes over and touches Ratthi's arm afterwards. It's the smallest exchange, but it's further proof that she notices everything, and she didn't mean to hurt Ratthi in that moment. In ep two when Gurathin says he doesn't trust anything that comes from the company, she is the first to say he has every right to since she knows his history. I also love the way her insights into how Murderbot behaves cause her not to back down from it the way everyone else does. Like in ep seven when they are all having the exchange outside of the hopper, it jabs at her by bringing up how she killed the other secunit. It expects her to pull away like the rest of them, but instead she continues on. It's a step towards them being on the same page, and they only ever reach this level of understanding because of the way nothing Murderbot does gets past Mensah. She is many things, but I think the way she not only observes things, but knows how to apply them, is her biggest strength. She's more than just a chameleon because she is authentic with her desire to help.

Murderbot would hate this answer, which is honestly why I think it fits so well. When it comes to describing it, I feel like it's tempting to say all the physical and brash things that it is. Its mean, its protective, its apathetic. And sure while all that's true, there is an undeniable sensitively to Murderbot that is so crucial to who it truly is. There's only so many "I don't cares" a person can say before it starts becoming less and less believable. I think the first true example of this comes in ep one. When Arada goes into shock it could've just carried her or dragged her without any regard for her mental state, but instead it lowered its helmet and tried to distract her. When the hopper is landing to pick them up, there's a few frames we see where Murderbot has its arm wrapped around her, which is the only time in the whole show it ever initiated physical contact. It cared enough to want to help her in that moment, and that small amount of empathy set the stage for everything that came next. In the same ep Murderbot is forced to be with the group with no armor, and to call it slightly traumatizing is a bit of an understatement. Mensah goes back and checks on it later as well and although it's aversion to eye contact is noted, it's sensitively to any human interaction is the real big picture. It has so many emotions, but attempts to conceal them for fear of being caught. Yet this is difficult based on how much any little thing affects it. In ep four when it has the combat module override and Mensah is attempting to protect it, we see how much that means to Murderbot. One act of kindness and it was calling her an "intrepid galactic explorer". In ep five when its hacked government module was exposed, we see the way it closes up and puts a wall up all over again. Perhaps the most straight forward examples are how its performance reliability goes down any time its around someone who is equally as stressed. Like in ep six when Mensah was having a panic attack its own score drops four percent before it decides it has to step in and help her. Its mood is so dependent on those around it, and I think that's only so funny because of how much it doesn't think that's true.

Anytime Gurathin was bothered with it, it was equally as bothered back. In ep seven when they are all outside talking, it makes jabs at everyone to try and get them to back off, but they don't relent. At the end of the same ep when it tells them they will all die if they go back, its mildly hurt when they proclaim it's what they do for each other. As if it would also do the same for the others if it weren't so dangerous for them. In ep eight we really see the cracks begin to show. When its name is exposed and the incident at RaviHyral is called into question, we see so plainly how much these unanswered questions are eating it inside. And furthermore we see the way it wants the others to trust it, but their hesitance just makes it retreat even more. I love the moment in ep nine when its in the cargo bay with the other secunits and it says "sorry". It even remarks that its been infected by the empathy virus, but to me it's proof of the way the others really are getting to it. Its so sensitive that one batch of nice clients completely rocked its world. In ep ten when it wakes up at Port FreeCommerce it asks about the group first. And when its memories are wiped you can literally hear the way its trying to hold on to them. When it finally gets its memories back it proceeds to spend the rest of the time in shock, like it genuinely cannot believe the lengths the group went to to get it back. The entire series it had spent protecting them, and here they were finally protecting it. Its so overwhelmed by these emotions that is decides it has to figure out who it is without all of them. Even when it says bye to Gurathin at the end, it can't fully articulate what it needs and yet from the few words he still understands. The ending, where it sits down and has a whisper of a smile on its face is what really does it for me. It has embraced all those emotions it claims to loathe. It's sensitively finally becoming a strength, not a weakness. And even if sometimes Murderbot complains about it and says it is a weakness, it's still who it truly is.

#murderbot #murderbot diaries #murderbot tv #tmbd #secunit #I think I've lost it #only have three books left #and I genuinely don't know what I'm gonna do when it's over #It's part of my daily routine #how am I ever gonna reach this high again #guess I'll just have to start over

dropletmiel

voilà

#the way I'm not even a jesstra shipper #but like #this is so amazing #it's just beautiful and I can't stop looking at it #made it my lock screen idc #the power of yuri

Once in four years mcsm hyperfixation is back baby, and on this most recent rewatch some interesting patterns popped up for me. Honestly this might not be a new conversation, but I had no idea the fandom was still so lively. I've loved this game since it first came out and I really love that so many people still talk about it. Anyways, disregarding S2 for a moment (my opp), I think it's so intriguing the way the writers set up S1 and the art of history repeating itself.

The Order of the Stone were (supposedly) the greatest group of heroes that every lived, but they started out as something so much simpler. They were just friends who wanted to go on adventures and maybe make a difference in the world. Of course their trajectory and outcomes were much different from the modern crew, but in many ways they're still similar. I'll get to the in a sec, but I wanna talk about the originals first.

The original Order kinda breaks my heart, because frankly I think their intentions were good, they just lost their way and got caught up in the glory, not the adventure. They all make it seem like they've known each other for a lifetime, so it's easy to assume that even if they hadn't seen each other in like a decade, they had still known one another for practically twenty years. Soren describes their first adventure like a shot in the dark, and how they were so young. So my guess is they met in their late teens/early twenties, the same age I assume the modern crew is when their story starts. Yes they're all bitter in the main story, but their history seeps into every interaction. Magnus called Ellegaard, Ellie, and it might feel malicious at first, but he still uses it after she dies, which leads me to believe it started out with affection. Then there's Soren and Ivor, who were constantly fighting and at each other's throat. This makes me feel like there might've been a point when they were the closest. Magnus and Ellegaard seem almost relieved to see Ivor, even after they know what he'd done. The command block had led them to great success, but it also ruined the one real thing they had, their friendship with each other. Honestly I think the most heartbreaking thing is they were so close to reuniting again, but Magnus or Ellegaard dies, and Gabriel doesn’t have his memory. Then when the dust finally settles, Soren is gone. Ugh just tragic friend group save me, they are the ones that made me realize how much I love the niche trope of a friend group "haunting the narrative". Their friendship and fallout is what causes the events of the entire story, and thus thrusts Jesse into action. If they had never been friends there would've been no Wither storm, their actions led the modern crew to where they are now. Anyway mini rant over my fault, but how does that effect the crew? Well honestly it felt like they were doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

There's Jesse, the fearless leader who always has the answers and a plan for that matter. Caring, direct, and motivated, she begins the story feeling like she is destined for more. She would do anything for her friends and she's a quick learner in a life she doesn't fully understand yet. Soren was likely the same, he was trying to herd three maniacs and a genius together, and something tells me the leader role wasn't his original goal. He thought the command block was helping, when he was really just fighting his friends battles for them. Soren's life became one of solitude and guilt, one I think Jesse was perhaps destined to as well. The courageous leader doomed to isolation and doubt, unable to comprehend the road that led to their downfall.

Petra's pessimistic and sarcastic nature defines her a first, but it's clear that she's so much more than meets the eye. She's determined, chivalrous, and sometimes (overly) reckless too. Above all she strives to be a protector, of people, of her friends, and of her ideals. That's what keeps her from laying down her sword even though she longs for a life without battle. History says Gabriel was the same protector, even if we truly know him to be different, but this isn't about reality right now. Regardless of this they were seen as the fighters, with the only enemy too strong to beat lying in their imagination. The brave warrior doomed to die and lose their self in battle, interpreting life as nothing more than a fight to be won or forever lost.

It's hard to say what else describes Axel but bluntness. He's an out of the box thinker who can perhaps be slow at times, but he makes up for it when it really counts. He holds his friends close, and views others in a hostile matter (for better or for worse), and at the end of the day his hard exterior is easy to see right through to those who matter. Magnus is spunky and edgy, and rolls his eyes at the mere mention of the others, yet like Axel, it's simple to see right through him. His love for the others is something he shields, and it's clear he does this by pretending his life is perfect the way it is. The maverick doomed to surround themselves with a false sense of community and leadership, forever unaware of all that lies out of their reach

Olivia is intelligent, innovative, and practical. She usually prefers a simple solution but that's not to say she can't also have fun. She's compassionate and curious, and enjoys going through hypotheticals just to be extra prepared (or simply for a easy pass time). She's amiable and while her skills aren't exactly adept, it's clear she has a desire to learn. Ellegaard is a similar, and although she's jaded and has far more of an attitude, it's not hard to believe she used to be similar in her youth. It's also very likely they would have the same coping methods, focusing on red stone is far easier than focusing on others. The brilliant engineer doomed to surround themselves with their machines and inventions, who instead distance themselves from any real connections.

And finally there's Lukas. Selfless, kind, and impeccably loyal, in some ways he's the glue that held them all together. His intense desire to meditate got them out of a few fights, even if his presence initially caused them. He's the resident worrier of the group, and his only goal is to make sure his friends are safe and sound. Glory and adventure are the furthest thing from his mind, they're just a welcome bonus. Ivor clearly cared very deeply for the group, because he was the most hurt by Soren's secret. Even after his anger at them, it's evident they were never far from his mind. He tried so much to get them to see reason, but it was all for nothing. The permanent outcast, doomed to try the best they can to save the group, but who will inevitably be the one to ruin them all.

Of course those fates didn't really fall on the old order, that was just what people expected of them. Soren understood very well what he did wrong, Gabriel lived on, Magnus or Ellegaard died, and Ivor didn't ruin them, he just exposed them (even if his wither storm did kill one of them, but that wasn't really the point). Yet what truly happens in history, versus what we've been told or come to expect are quite different. I just think it could've been interesting for the writers to play into this predetermined fate the group already had, perhaps they would accept it, or maybe they would run from it so fiercely that they end up right where they feared. Or maybe their friendship was enough, and they never got wrapped up in the greed or the glory. Obviously that's not where S2 went at all, but it's was just something interesting to think about.

#mcsm #minecraft #minecraft story mode #generally don't ask where this came from #cause frankly idk #every once in a while this game resurfaces in my brain #it's like a sleeper agent #still obsessed with them after all this time #s2 is bad fanfic to me idc #s1 writers I could see the vision yall had #IF NO ONE HAD YOU I DID TRUST!!#anyway might make more posts about mcsm we'll see #I just wanna yap about little details you know me

I've taken a bit to try and assemble my thoughts of jwct, and frankly I still don't know how to feel. Not in a "oh that was bad" kinda way, but in a "that was life changing how can I move on" kinda way. So I'm gonna do what I do best and just ramble on here, you know me. Spoilers of course.

Overall thoughts:

Holy cow the animation!! Not to say jwcc was ugly, but you can instantly see the budget differences. The lighting was gorgeous and the sequences were great. It was just so clear how much love was poured into every scene, the thought behind every move was so clear.

The story was so engaging and good. I thought I was gonna get tired of the "picking everyone up" trope, but it worked so well. I think the difference is this show knew how to take it's time. Ben and Darius had a few episodes to themselves, then Sammy and Kenji were given time to express their grievances. Hell we didn't even get to Yaz till ep 6 and I loved that. The dinosaurs were great too, and the overall plot was just amazing. I loved how it all slowly enfolded and how it was clear they had only scratched the surface with what they found out.

The voice acting was great as always, but it did kinda make me emotional at first to hear how much Paul had grown up. Getting used to Kenji and Brooklynn's new VA's was kinda odd, especially for Kenji, but by the end I was mostly cool with them.

The characters (and trust I'm gonna talk about all of them individually in a sec) were just superb. Their overall maturity and growth was outstanding, especially seeing how their trauma really effected them all differently. All of their arcs before and throughout the season were simply breathtaking. I think this season might be the best in terms of balance, it handled it's action, humor, and emotional moments so well.

This kinda relates back to the animation, I can't explain it, but they all just felt so much more human this season. Everyone's body language was so fluid and lifelike. They would talk over each other and mumble, they would hunch and roll their eyes and all of this sounds normal, but it really stood out. I think it's safe to say the animators really popped off this season, the direction was so clear this is truly a masterpiece. Also I felt like all of them were so touchy and I loved that so much. Like yes hug, hold hands, grab shoulders, pat on the back, I LOVE.

Characters:

Darius, my god Darius. Of course I've always loved him, he's an amazing mc and he is just so lovable. That being said I generally couldn't get over how much I loved him this season. He blew me away in ways I couldn't have imagined. His grief is so understandable and the way he shifted his ideology on dinosaurs because of Brooklynn was just heartbreaking. The way his character was handled was amazing, and it was wonderful to see that the writers do know how to let the others shine while still showcasing that he is the mc. I was also so in love with how sassy and witty he was, like when did he become so funny? His vulnerable moments were just as good and I loved how they showed his anger and frustration as well. His arc about learning to accept his grief and his regret was so poignant and beautiful. It's clear he needs a shoulder to cry on and yet he still puts everyone first, god I didn't think I could love him this much. He was easily the best character this season, I feel like they FINALLY showcased how amazing he is, just 10/10 no notes they ate.

I was kinda shocked by how goofy Ben was, but man I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it. Still can't get over how tall he is, and while I hated his design at first, it's really grown on me now. I really don't get how a lot of people are saying he felt like a shell of himself, cause frankly this season just cemented him as one of my favorite characters ever. He was kind, caring, understanding, humorous, he cracked jokes and messed around, but also got emotional and real. Him being a conspiracy theorist and living out of a van just makes sense, and the way he's the opposite of his germaphobe self now is hilarious. It was also interesting to see him as the meditator since he was the only one that got along with everyone else. He tried to help Darius with Kenji, he tried to give advice to Yaz about Sammy. It was just so lovely to see him so content and yet still himself? His scenes with Bumpy were so sweet and sad I can't stand them. Also I'm kinda obsessed with the fact that he's so big yet sucks at fighting and defending himself...king. I loved his mini arc about almost regressing on his fear, and how he grew from that. Ben ily light of my life, still the goat I fear.

Sammy's whole story just felt so heartbreaking. When they found her on the farm all alone it hurt me so bad. The way her family was her whole world and now they aren't on speaking terms? I hope the writers explain a bit cause I just can't fathom why? And Yaz moved away and she was really all alone. The way she approached her grief and her whole life in denial, and how she refused to accept anything was so heartbreaking. It hurt even worse because despite all of that pain she was still her. She was headstrong, kind, and passionate, for people and for dinosaurs. I did love how they still showcased her flaws and weaknesses. She had a hard time treating Yaz differently, but she also just wanted someone to actually be there for her. It's so clear she's tired and wants to be the one taken care of for once. Sammy stories feels heart wrenching in perhaps a more subtle way than the others. I really loved the direction the writers took her in this season. They showcased so much good and left us wanted more and ugh someone just give her another hug please.

If there's one thing the writers can be consistent on is making me despise Kenji. He was annoying me at first because of how he was approaching things, but he really grew on me by the end. He was this season’s punching bag and it was so heartbreaking. Brooklynn died and he blamed Darius and it's like he couldn’t escape his anger. It's interesting to see how him and Darius secluded themselves in different ways, and the way he still calls their mom? Oh I'm gonna cry. Yes Kenji is mad and he has every right to be, but it's clear his anger is misplaced. The whole scene with his father was so sad for so many reasons. Yes Kenji didn't like his father, but he literally watched him die. His breakdown was so painful to watch. I like how we can see Kenji kinda mature again over the season. It's as if he's relearning that not everything is in his control, and he shouldn't dwell on that. Sometimes his VA sounded too uninterested or nonchalant, which is a shame because the thing about Kenji is he pretends not to care but it's really the opposite. I am intrigued to see where this show will take his journey.

We took a while to get to Yaz, but I'd say it was worth the wait. I liked how this series didn't shy away from talking about her ptsd, and it took it even a step further by exploring peoples ways of coping. It's also interesting to see how fear has driven Yaz and how that has effected her relationships with all of them, but particularly Sammy. She's trying so hard to do better, but healing isn't linear and building a glass house around yourself can only do so much. I really hope they'll let us see how all of this is effecting her next season, because for someone is deathly afraid of dinosaurs this season put her through the ringer. That being said, I think there's no denying the bravery she showed. No matter how terrified she was she was always there for her friends. When Sammy needed her she knew how to calm her down, when her friends needed her help she let her instincts drive her. She even learned to let herself enjoy the moment, adding humor to trying to make the best of things. I feel for Yaz and I want to see her find comfort in her friends again, because she also just needs a hug.

Character: five stage of grief

While writing this I stopped and realized that in a way all of them really represented the five stages of grief regarding Brooklynn and just their life in general. So I wanted to take an interlude to talk about that for a moment.

Denial: Sammy - It's clear that Sammy has been trying to deny anything and everything, if only to pretend all of her problems are nonexistent. She doesn't want to believe that her family won't talk to her, and that Yaz won't either, and that her friend is just gone. Denying makes it all of it easier and so she makes herself busy so she won't even have a second to think about it all because then maybe she'd have to accept it.

Anger: Kenji - He's blaming everyone, especially Darius for Brooklynn's death. He blames the Allosaurus and he blames his father and through it all his anger never dwindles. Eventually it's all too much and he lets his anger become sadness, but it's clear his frustration and aggravation are not exactly gone. He can forgive but still feel mad at his situation and I think that's ok.

Bargaining: Yaz - Her's almost borderlines on denial like Sammy, but I think it's a little different. Because unlike Sammy she thinks everything is ok. She's convinced herself that this dino free island is fool proof and if she hides away like this nothing bad could ever happen. Obviously she comes to find out this isn't true and she has to accept the fact that her reassuring herself can only do so much. She has to face her fears, and boy does she.

Depression: Darius - From the get go we knew Darius wasn't doing too good. He's locked himself away in his bunker, cut off everyone, and had just become obsessed with catching the Allosaurus. Loosing Brooklynn was hard on all of them, but it's clear he took it the worst. It also didn't help that Kenji blamed him so much, so he fell into this hole. It's not the typical signs of depression, but his behavior is so different than before. Old Darius would have never cut everyone off and reduced dinosaurs to simple killers.

Acceptance: Ben - He's perhaps the only one that can speak so plainly about Brooklynns death. He constantly reassures Darius that it wasn't his fault and he's the one that rallies all of them together. His acceptance of her death is what allows him to put the pieces together that someone is after them. Of course he still mourns her, but the difference is he wants to get her justice and make sure all of them are safe as well.

Relationships:

To get the elephant out of the room THANK GOD brookenji broke up. I know they have a lot of shooters but I have and will never support or understand them. They just didn't work and had like zero chemistry. I really hope they stay broken up please writers I can't take it anymore. That being said I was pleasantly surprised Kenji's whole character wasn't just about Brooklynn. Yes she was a big factor, but without her there it's like he could be his own character again. That was always my biggest gripe with s4-s5 brookenji. I couple should not be reduced to their partners, they need to be their own person too.

Yasammy you will always be famous. The two of them were absolutely wonderful this season. Their fight was so warranted and valid and I loved that both of them were right in some ways. It's never black and white and it's up to communication to resolve those issues. The two of them are just so in love, they are actual soulmates like I can't. No notes, I think their relationship is proof that you can balance a couple and the individual. Sammy has her problems, Yaz has her problems, and together they can be a mess, but that's what so wonderful about it. The scene with them after they got out of the van was generally so beautiful I LOVE THEM.

Darius "I was in love with Brooklynn" Bowman....I USED TO PRAY FOR TIME LIKE THESE?? When I tell you I screamed I mean it so bad, I almost fell out of my chair. I know a lot of people aren't a fan, and they think it reduces their friendship, but I disagree. I think Darius still would've been heartbroken, but this just adds a layer. I also love it cause it's just so messy, and I think that makes it feel more real. What do you do if you love your brothers ex? I have been a dinostar defender for years, and I think there's no deny how much they mean to each other. I know he said Brooklynn didn't replicate his feelings but until we see the scene I'm gonna deny that. I think she rejected him because she didn't want him to get hurt in her investigation, that or she doesn't want to hurt Kenji. Let me just say writers you have a chance to get this all back on track PLEASEEEEE do not mess it up I can't take the heartbreak again.

Ben and Darius' friendship was kinda the best thing ever and I wasn't expecting it at all? I know they've had a rocky relationship before but this was so playful and I loved it so much. The way they goofed around and got into trouble, the show couldn't handle them together all season I guess. I also love how tender it was. Ben was so patient with Darius and it was clear he only wanted the best for him. Darius was just as patient with Ben and he helped him through his little paranoia relapse. They were such a good time and a blast to watch like the amount of times the two of them had me busting out laughing was insane.

Sammy and Ben duo oh how I've missed you. Another one I really didn't expect but they were so lovely. I loved how much they messed around yet they also dropped everything to commit a few crimes. Ep five was full of them and I loved it so much. Also the way Sammy constantly defended Ben was so special to me, that girl knew how to throw a punch lmao. Nothing too crazy, but so welcome and sweet. Also the way Ben was terrorizing Sammy on the phone with Yaz, peak cinema.

MIGHT AS WELL KILL ME NOW KENJI AND DARIUS. WHY are they always fighting Kenji don't make me mad. I loved their relationship so much. The way Kenji was so angry at Darius and yet Darius held him so close while he had a breakdown? Might just kms. They friendship is so rocky and real and I love that. I also love how Kenji wasn't angry when Darius said he had feelings for Brooklynn. He just listened and the maturity they both have is insane. I'm terrified of Brooklynn coming back and causing a love triangle, but honestly I'd be fine if they all just stayed friends if that means these two end up alright. When the brothers brother >>>

Ben and Yaz bestfriendism back everyone cheered. The way they still call each other by their last names actually kinda tears me to pieces. I love how Ben offers advice to Yaz even if it's in his own silly way. They're both so gentle and yet so playful with each other I love. I love that Yaz just let's Ben go on his side quests like yeah he's got it. They didn't get that many scenes but I still love them so dearly anyways.

The return of the king, Sammy and Darius. I know they didn't get that much but they were always one of my fav limited screen time duos. The way they constantly comfort each other just pulls on the heartstrings. Like when they just hugged in the back of the van? And when Sammy raced to hug him again in the warehouse? Ohh I love them. And despite it all Darius trying his best to defend Sammy? Save me older sister-younger brother duo save me.

Kenji got very limited time with Sammy and Yaz and I can't wait to see more cause those just iconic duos, I also would love to see more of Darius and Yaz since they also didn't meet till the very end. I really hope S2 (I'm pretending like it's already confirmed) let's us see more of this, especially Kenji and Yaz please I've missed them so much.

Ohhhhh Ben and Kenji. Benji nation we're kinda so back, living off crumbs is better than living off nothing. Ok but in all seriousness their relationship is so sweet. Ben trying to make Kenji see reason in the beginning, then letting Kenji hold Bumpy's egg cause it was clear that's what he needed at the moment. Then Kenji helping Ben when he got hurt. It's clear they speak in actions, not words. I need more of them like actually I've missed my pookies so bad.

Lastly I wanna talk about Yaz, Sammy, and Ben with Brooklynn. Their flashbacks broke my heart, and it also showcased how different their love and grief for her was. THE FACT THAT WE FINALLY GOT B DUO AND IT'S AFTER SHE'S GONE...my heart shattered. I love how funny and chill they were, we were so robbed of this in jwcc I swear. It's also kinda sad because the implication that Ben introduced Brooklynn to dark jurassic which subsequently lead her down the path that got her "killed"...I'm done. Also the fact that they were so casual implies that Brooklynn would constantly visit him at college which is just so sweet? I can't stand them bye. Sammy casually having Brooklynns old jacket tells me Brooklynn used to come over a lot, perhaps more when they were younger. Also Sammy seemed shocked to go in that room so I might be reading into this too much, but I see it as maybe that was Brooklynns guest room at one point? I am also a firm believer that Sammy dyed her hair pink for Brooklynn. Like Ben, everything just felt so casual and therefore more heart aching. Sammy wants to pretend like she could open that door and Brooklynn would just be there, researching and chilling. I think Yaz's flashback with Brooklynn is the saddest. All these years later and Yaz still confides and trusts Brooklynn to help her through her struggles. It's hard to believe they used to fight so much. Brooklynn is so understanding and kind, and I also find it interesting that it appears that Brooklynn was the one that really kept up with all of them. She wanted to be there for them, and it makes her supposed death that much sadder.

Random things of note:

I have always been a Benjamin denier AND NOW THEY'RE JUST DROPPING THAT OUT OF NO WHERE?? I can't have anything fr. Whatever, I'm still on my Sammy is short for Samantha box sue me.

Bumpy being a mother is so silly goofy but I'm hear for it, just glad she's ok cause if they actually tried to kill her I would've had to intervene.

I really loved the way they let everyone show emotions this season. Like yes of course they showed emotions before, but this felt so much rawer and realer if that makes any sense. Literally all of them cried once throughout the season and I loved that. But not just that, they let them be frustrated, and angry, and happy, and everything in between. KEEP IT UP.

All of the dinosaurs looked amazing, but man the Allosaurus stole the show. Also I loved the white eye, it made us want to view the dinosaur as evil in a way, and I think that was good for putting us in Darius' shoes.

The flashback sequence with Darius and the Allosaurus was so wicked. The team knew how to kill a dramatic moment oh my lord. This is kinda related to the animation too but so many shots were so cinematic. LIKE LIGHTING AND BLOCKING IS BACK PEOPLE. Brooklynn's apartment was gorgeous, Sammy's ranch during the sunset was beautiful. The scene of the explosion behind the T. Rex was iconic. We're so back

I'm so in love with how this show handled grief and not only that, but grief in a group setting. I think this might one of the only pieces of media I've ever seen that really shows how messy found family can be, and that's ok. It's not supposed to perfect, it's only as good as they make it.

Kenji saying dad in Japanese after having that conversation with his father about not being able to speak it, and the implication that he might've learned that word to try and talk with his father? Someone kill me like actually.

Darius wearing yellow agai- [GUNSHOT]

I could go into the color theory with all of their outfits but I won't cause I'm trying to not go that insane (it's not going well)

Ben's fanny back going across his torso, Yaz's iconic bangs.

The fact that Sammy found the map implies that A. Brooklynn came over right before she died and after Darius' confession, and B. That despite everything she still wanted and needed to talk to him about something.

Microbangs lady was actually scary as hell. I really liked her though, she was menacing and interesting. And she clearly valued her relationship with the raptors, I hope we see more of her.

I'm kinda sus of Mateo but I think that's just the trauma of every adult always betraying them. Hope he was chill and we won't see him again pls.

Sammy being such a great fighter is so random but I love it so much?? Like yes let her kick ass in cowboy boots that's my girl.

Where is Darius' necklace? When did he stop wearing it? It is important to the plot or did the animators just find it unnecessary?

Closing thoughts:

Overall WHAT A SHOW!! I had kinda fallen out of love with this show because s4 and s5 were kinda eh. I've never stopped loving the characters though, so this show was like a dream come true. Finally an amazing story to support these amazing characters again.

The character relationships felt at an all time high and I'm so grateful. These characters literally feel like my family too it's kinda bad how much I'm attached. I just love how much they love each other.

The only thing that kinda confused me was the ending. Why did they have to get on the boat right then and there? Why did no one stop the boat before it left? I'm not sure but I'm very excited to find out.

And lastly surprise surprise Brooklynn is alive. Of course I'm happy to know, but I kinda don't like the circumstances. I thought she was gonna be kidnapped or something so there would be a valid reason why she wasn't reaching out. But she's free and is just choosing to hide from the crew, with a good reason I assume. I think this will make her reunion with them more bitter than sweet, but I did just say I love messy so I'm excited anyway.

Y'all my fault I know I have a habit of rambling and making essays but this is just too much fr. Whatever I LOVE TALKING ABOUT WHAT I LOVE LMAO.

Lockwood & Co characters as Taylor Swift albums, an unnecessarily long post.

Foreword: Let me just preface by saying I have been working on this for a long time. I think it's super fun to personify characters as ts albums cause they're all so different. While I know basically all of her songs are love songs, I always find a way to make them platonic as well, just an fyi. The format I'm using is I have two songs that are "honorable mentions", which are songs that I think fit, but not enough to crack the top list, also they don't have any specific lyric on why I chose them. "Honorable honorable mention" is the song that was just outside of the top 5, and they include a short lyric on why I picked them. The top 5 are in reverse order of how important I think they are, and how much they represent their characters. They have a long lyric on why I chose them. Of course this is all opinion based so no one get mad in my notes cause idc. Lots of spoilers from the books duh, so without further ado let's get into it.

#lockwood and co #l&co #lockwood netflix #lockwood & co #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #holly munro #quill kipps #taylor swift #3 weeks of writing later #and over 8k words later #I'm insane...but I'm free #they are my pookies forever and always

Honestly I think jwcc is gonna be roman empire forever, more specifically S4 and 5, because of how much the writers ruined all of their characters arcs and growths.

I think S1-3 were just perfect. Ok maybe they weren't actually perfect, but for they were setting out to do it was superb. The writers were establishing dynamics and relationships and conflicts, external and internal, so well. It's almost hard to believe that such a grounded brilliant story fell apart in the last two seasons. I generally cannot fathom how they were the same writers. For example, in S3 Ben and Darius have this long arc about forgiving each other and coming to understand each other after the monorail. It was beautiful and slow paced and just a great character study. So when the end of S3 happened, and Darius and Kenji were clearly fighting, I figured they would kinda do the same thing for them. Instead the two forgave each other in less then five minutes and then they just never speak on it again. I can't be only one that just finds that so odd?

Another thing I think really ruined the show was the forced romance between Brooklynn and Kenji. It was out of left field, it didn't make sense, and it completely undermined their characters. To me, the show always presented their bond as brother and sister, but honestly if the writers had done it better maybe (MAYBE) I could've gotten behind it. They just made it so hard to route for them. First of all because of the romance, the two of them weren't really allowed to interact with the others. Like yes they did, but not in meaningful ways like they had before. Also something that irks me to no end is them playing off Kenji so vigorously trying to save Brooklynn at the end of S3 only because he had a crush on her. That's such a misinterpretation of his character, because S3 Kenji would've acted like that if ANY of the crew were in that situation. They became the only family he ever had, and to say that all of that was just because of a crush? Oh don't get be started. Also it just made Brooklynn a shell of the character she once was. I was so upset in S5 when the only thing she got to do was mope about Kenji's betrayal. She deserved more development and screen time, and just everything really. Their romance did a huge disservice to them both.

Third point, I really hate how they played off everyone not having PTSD, especially Darius. I was very happy that Yaz had that arc in S5 and how they showed how it really got to her. But when the rest of the group said everyone was fine, especially Darius? The same Darius that felt endlessly burdened with leading? The same Darius that had nightmares about his father and Ben after he lost them? The same Darius that let everything get to him even when he knew it shouldn't? THE SAME CHARACTER THAT WAS ALONE ALL OF S4 AND THE WRITERS DID NOTHING WITH??? Ohhhh one day these writers will pay for the way they sidelined THEIR MAIN CHARACTER. Darius deserved that arc, and he deserved an arc that allowed him to step out of the leadership role. Like yes that was technically S4, but it was handled in such a bad way and it really didn't present any growth for him or the crew. Just a wasted opportunity.

I think at their core, the problems with S4 and S5 lie with the direction the writers wanted to take it. As soon as the group ended up at this highly technological island I knew it was over. Not to say advanced stuff is bad, the hybrids were always sick, and I even thought the mind controlling was a good moral dilemma, but everything else? It was so tiring and frustrating, like damn I don't care about the brads or this island, or these random ass characters you introduced. I think the writers just really lost sight of what made the show so great in the first place, the main characters. Yes the plot was amazing, but the brilliant cast of characters and their ever changing dynamics and lives was what really brought it home. When you erase all of the development you've been building up for three seasons in favor of a incredulously complicated and over done plot that side lined your main cast what can you expect? It seems voltron was in fact a harbinger for this show. One day dreamworks will learn how to not fall off mid show, but it appears that's not any time soon.

#jwcc #jurassic world camp cretaceous #jurassic world #jurassic world chaos theory #darius bowman #ben pincus #kenji kon #sammy gutierrez #yasmina fadoula #brooklynn jwcc #THEY ARE NEVER FAR FROM MY MIND #Not to be cringe #but I generally think I know these characters better than the writers #like they just didn't get them like me idk #s4 and s5 are barely canon to me #I just take the tiny pieces I like and forget the rest lmaooo

I recently finished reading all the Lockwood & Co books, and my god they were good, but it got me thinking. If the show continued, like it deserved too, would Holly and Kipps have gotten a signature color the same way the trio did? If so what would they be? Well I was looking at twitter and I saw that most people agree that Holly's color would be yellow, and Kipps' would be white, and I'll be honest I disagree so badly I'm about to write an essay. It's funny because I distinctly remember finishing the books and thinking, "ah watch everyone put their colors as yellow and white cause it's easy". LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER. Y'all just don't get color theory OR the characters the way I do so listen up.

Holly is many things. She's positive, and compassionate, and kind, but she is so much more than that. She's not just a "yellow", yes maybe she is the sunshine of the group, but honestly? Not really, and that's ok. She's fierce and sometimes she has a short temper, she pretends to let everything slide off her shoulder, when really she's just keeping it inside. That's why her and Lucy are constantly budding heads in the beginning of their friendship, they are so similar. I think her color should be red. She's constantly described as wearing it, and I think it really fits her. Red represents passion, energy, confidence, and excitement to name a few. Holly is always described as having a presence, and her energy and enthusiasm comes off her in waves. Red is usually described as the color of love, and I still think that fits. She has such love for the entire crew, and it's so clear she would go to the ends of the earth for them. I also think this would blend in with the others very well. Despite it not actually being blue's real opposite, blue and red are often seen as polar opposites, which really fits for Lucy and Holly's dynamic. It also works because red and orange are both warm colors and George and Holly have always gotten along. They are similar in their methodical and sometimes odd ways of life. I also think it's fun cause Skully's color is green, and green are red are direct color wheel opposites. I'm pretty sure he hates her the most, but Kipps is also competing hard for that title. And lastly black is kinda the color in between, now more on that in a second.

I see what twitter was going for, Lucy and George are blue and orange, direct color wheel opposites, because they are quite literally direct opposites. So it makes sense for Kipps to be white since he's the direct opposite of Lockwood? LOUD INCORRECT BUZZER AGAIN. Tell me y'all didn't understand their dynamic without telling me. Lockwood and Kipps didn't get along cause they were so different, they butted heads so hard because of how similar they are. It's exactly what happened with Lucy and Holly. Plus white represents a lot of things that are definitely not Kipps. My proposed color for him is purple, I know that's a little odd, but walk with me. Although it's never explicitly stated, one can assume that Kipps was an absolute prodigy when he had his talents. I only bring this up, because purple often represents royalty and luxury, and he practically became a fallen king when he lost the only thing he was ever good at it. But purple is much more than that, it also represents bravery, uniqueness. ambition, and justice. I think Kipps' original color is grey, and not just because of the uniform. Grey represents seriousness, sadness, and boredom. That's how Kipps was before, but when he remeets the crew during book 3 and 4, we begin to see the shift. The group helps him gain his ambition back, and with all of their love and support we even begin to see how brave he really is. He has a unique way of going through life, and even when all the odds are stacked against them, he still seeks justice. Purple fits with the general color scheme as well. It's very close to black, which represents how similar him and Lockwood are, and it's also a cooler color like blue. Kipps and Lucy certainly got along the easiest out of the crew.

Overall it just makes sense. George and Holly are the warmer colors, Lucy and Kipps the cooler, and Lockwood as the mediator between them. I feel like red might be a little hard to incorporate without being overpowering, and I know that purple isn't a super masculine color, but hell if those costume designer made full orange outfits look good they can literally do anything. Anyways I know this isn't that important, but ugh I love color theory so much, and I love how much thought the costume designers put in the first time. I feel like having Holly and Kipps color being yellow and white is just a cheap easy shot, and doesn't take into account the characters and their growth enough. I rest my case.

#lockwood and co #lockwood netflix #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim #holly munro #quill kipps #SAVE ME COLOR THEORY SAVE ME #God I want another season of this show more than anything #THIS COSTUME DEPARTMENT DESERVED TO BE ABLE TO EAT LIKE THIS AGAIN SMH #it keeps me up that we'll never see holly and kipps' development

My favorite details/moments from Trolls Band Together because I have a problem.

Lemme just get this out of the way and say the soundtrack is a certified banger oh my god.

When brozone tries and hits the perfect family harmony the first time the colors that they get outlined in are all separate, the three colors don't blend at all.

Just Floyd comforting Branch....😭 😭

Branch's little hops when him and Floyd were talking about the bunker WAHHHH.

The real emotions of Branch missing his brothers while simultaneously not wanting to see them like???

"There goes my back" when JD was throwing Branch LMAOO.

The entire design of Mount Rageous is so whimsical and gorgeous I'm in love.

When the whole screen shakes when JD hits the counter eh oh el.

"If there was a brother I'd do this for...I'd be Floyd" WAHHHH.

The old MTV style music video Watch Me Work has.

Floyd singing with the posters of brozone floating around 😭

"Tiny, Poppy, Branch, and this random dude" I SPIT OUT MY DRINK LMAO.

"Are you a narc?" OH I LOST IT IM SO DEAD.

All of Branch's old hairstyles being references to Justin Timberlake's real hairstyles.

"Poppy seed" awwwww.

Branch's little "yay" is so cute.

The ongoing ring pop joke is actually so funny I'm sorry.

The way Bruce and JD just throw Branch on command.

Bruce still being considered the heart throb even though he's got a dad bod, a wife, and children 😭

THE BLEEPED OUT CURSE WORD I WAS IN TEARS.

The amount of songs they fit into Brozone's back is actually impressive, and the way they mesh so well together??? Legitness.

"That's not an idea, those are shoulder pads" I just can't...

When Floyd's hair started turning white and he was going transparent....WAHHH 😭 😭 WHEN I GET YOU VELVET AND VEENER WHEN I GET YOU......(But also the details to show how fast his health was declining? Someone cooked)

Branch's iconic clue board.

Bruce holding tiny diamond since he's also a dad.

Branch trying to be brave and talk to the clown but as soon as Viva came at him he backed up. That's such a real response I love is so much??

Clay's hair being green? Which kinda hints that JD or someone made him dye his hair yellow when he was younger.

Viva calling Clay "Mr. Clay" is actually the cutest thing everrr

Clay and Bruce's handshake, I also kinda like that it implies that they were really close, kinda like how Branch and Floyd were close. I think it really separates JD from them.

Also everyone's reaction to JD being super cold while everyone fawns over Branch.

Clay's so smart 😭 (and autistic) I love him so much.

All the brothers cute dancing in It Takes Two ❤️

The very real response of Viva not wanting to talk about her trauma and also not wanting Poppy to leave.

"I don't wanna lose my brother either" I feel like no one talks about how brave Clay is. He's in the same boat as Viva, he thinks Bergens still attack trolls, and he's going out into the world for the first time in who knows how's long. Just because he wants to help save Floyd, like that's so sweet???

Floyd's dead face was way funnier than it should've been.

"I thought ghosts just floated away" the delivery on this line is unmatched.

Floyd speaking one younger brother to Veener was so 😭, especially cause you know he felt like Veener did when Brozone was still active (on a lesser degree ofc) I can't.

We don't talk enough about how fire all of the choreos are, like they got professional dancers to make these dances, AND YOU CAN TELL OML.

JD's need for perfection constantly getting in the way of the greatness they all could achieve.

Branch being the voice for all younger siblings out there who will never be respected by their families hit me. But I also think there's something to say about the JD's of the world. The older siblings they took charge because they felt they had to. All parties end up getting hurt.

Also Branch actually wanting them to be a family so sweet. It really embodies the naive hope of wanting to stay together that youngest children have, but it's not unattainable. You can still be close with your siblings into adulthood, no matter how much time has passed, and that's what this movie represents as it's core.

"I didn't think we'd both find ourselves tied up on this honeymoon" WHATTTTT.

BRANCH AND FLOYD HUGGING THROUGH THE GLASS WAHHHHHHHH. Also Floyd being the only brother to respect that's he's grown....I just love them so much 😭

The whole interaction of all the brothers reuniting while in the diamonds is so funny for no reason lol.

Viva understanding she was wrong and striving to do better for her sister >>>

BRO THE ENTIRE CLIMAX IS SO GOOD??? THE TENSION?? THE MUSIC??? IT'S JUST PERFECTION. THE SONGS CHOICES WERE SO GOOD, AND THE WAY THEY REARRANGED WATCH ME WORK TO BE SO INTENSE IS BRILLIANT. THE SONG JUST KEEPS BUILDING AND THE STAKES GET HIGHER, IT'S WAY TO GOOD.

"Actually I've got two really brave sisters" When the message of this movie is that found family and blood family are just as important as each other, and that no matter what you get to pick who your family is >>> 😭

When Clay falls hard while in the diamond, Bruce and JD immediately check on him, meanwhile he's just focused on Floyd. The older brotherism... 😭

The message of this movie also being that perfection isn't important, but rather balance, harmony, and communication are key. ❤️

The acapella opening of Better Place....just.....wow.....

Clay's adlibs eating everyone up??? Kid Cudi I was not familiar with your game hold on.....

When they hit the perfect family harmony all their colors start mixing, showing their respect for individualism and also for the group.

The way Floyd eyes light up when they're all singing is just 😭

Branch building the bunker for all of them 💔, Floyd remembering the waterslide, all of them hugging?? Just peak filmmaking idk.

"Jail it is" also apparently someone did the math and in our world the twins would get over 6 life sentences for their crimes hello???

All of the boyband references are so funny idc.

Clay being excited to get to know Branch 😭 also JD reading a book in the back that presumably Clay recommended him?? That's so cute? He's really trying y'all, they're all trying, and that just warms my heart 😭

*NSYNC making their first song in over 20 years for this movie is actually the craziest thing ever I'm obsessed. Also they all designed their little trolls which I think is so cute.

The last songs....just bangers....I can't even, I sound like a broken record, why is every song in this movie so good.

Fav adlibs speedrun (from the last two songs): Floyd little "yeah yeah", Clay's "dohhh, ohhh," one of the nsync members "show the wayyy", Bruce's "so excited", Branch's "ohh" & "ayeee"

The layering when they all sing together is too good. It sounds so gorgeous and if you listen closely you can hear each persons vocals.

Also I just need to talk about the music production and mixing for a second. This movie has three version of Better Place, all of which are unique. The main one is the NSYNC version, which is notable for it's little rap section. The Family Harmony version use's the intro/pre-chorus as the main part of the song. It also lets the song slowly built, and adds instrumentals as the song progresses. The Reunion version doesn't use the intro/pre-chorus, but rather mainly focuses on the chorus. It also uses the bridge from the main song as the post-chorus/refrain. Just a very creative use of the song tbh. Also the instrumental differences between Watch Me Work and Mount Rageous? Like it's the same song, but the way they add more classical elements and more layers to build the tension and the song as a whole?? I have no words. Perfection.

Obsessed with this movie. If you haven't seen it pls go watch it.

#trolls #dreamworks trolls #trolls 3 #trolls band together #trolls movie #brozone #this movie had no right to go so hard #I definitely feel normal about this movie and don't spend every waking moment thinking about it 😀#can't stop listening to the soundtrack tbh #so glad spotify wrapped is over lmao

Spider man 2 is such a fantastic game, in many ways I think it's superior to its predecessor. For me though, my absolute favorite aspect of it lied in one of it's story elements. Kraven is the primary antagonist for most of the story, and his whole arc revolves around finding someone strong enough to kill him. Because of this he cycles through much of SM's main rogues, killing some of them. I barely would've really dwelled on that if the story itself didn't hammer in on the fact that villains can change, and they deserve the chance.

They start if off at Coney Island in the forms of Tombstone and Mysterio. Two former villains doing their best to try and fit in and have a normal life. Kraven's minions try to throw a wrench in this, but eventually Peter saves them both. Then there's Black Cat and Prowler, who's redemption was driven more by an important person in their life. For Black Cat it was her girlfriend, and for Prowler it was Miles. They both changed because they wanted to be a better person for that someone, and Peter and Miles also kept Kraven away from them so they would be safe. I also thought it was interesting what they did with Connors, with the fact that he wanted nothing to do with Lizard, but Kraven forced him into it. Peter was being taken over by Venom by then, but even with his extra anger, he still fought so hard to get Connors out of it. Miles did too, because they knew what Kraven was trying to do.

The real emotional climax of this arc of villains redeeming themselves lies with Martin Li. Much of Miles' story revolved around him, and Miles journey of letting his anger go was breathtaking, but I think Li's journey of taking accountability for his actions was equally as amazing. Here is the primary antagonist of the last game trying to change, and understanding the consequences of his actions. He wanted so desperately to make Norman feel his pain, that he never stopped to think about all the pain he was now causing. Miles taught him that, and they way they learned from each other was so insightful. Li ended up saving Peter in the end, but he never could've gotten there if A. he was never given the chance, and B. if Miles didn't learn that redemption can come in all forms, even if it isn't forgiveness. I know I keep talking about Miles, but the way they tied his story so close to Li's was just incredible.

Overall I think the side story insomanic did with the villains was just spectacular, not only was it fantastic, but it also almost made them sympathetic. This in turn caused us to actively root against Kraven even more so I think. Of course not all villains can or will change, but both Peter and Miles learned how valuable that chance can be. Not to mention the fact that this adds even more weight to them never killing villains, even when they really want too. Because by doing so, like Kraven did, they would be robbing them of the opportunity to change.

#spider man #spider-man #spider man 2 #spider man ps5 #spider man 2 ps5 #spider man 2 spoilers #peter parker #miles morales #WAHHHHH #I LOVE REDEMPTION ARCS SO MUCH #AND THIS GAME JUST HANDLED IT SO WELL #WITHOUT IGNORING THE WEIGHT OF THEIR ACTIONS??#AND ACKNOWLEDGING THEIR PAST WRONG DOINGS??#Also Miles' arc with Li was actually life changing for me #Y'all don't get it idc

All my favorite moments in blue beetle: a very long and silly list because this is my new fav movie ever (latinos on top fr)

The fact that the entire movie is low key a representation of how lost people can feel after they finish college and don't know what to do with their life.

How celebrated it is that Jaime is a first gen college student

As much as I loved him being from el paso, I love that he now gets his own city that it still deeply rooted in latino culture

How despite the fact that everything is going bad for the family, Jaime still tries to keep moral up and be positive

Jaime stands up for Jenny without thinking

How his persistence is what ends him landing up with the scarab, and subsequently keeping it out of victorias hands

Am I allowed to say his entire family? The scene where they're all pushing him to open to the box was so funny. Their dynamic felt so real, and it makes even more sense because apparently any time they were bickering it was improv.

How well the movie handled micro-aggressions against latinos. Like the receptionist didn't even attempt Jaime name, and how Victoria would never get her scientist's name right. They are subtle, but very real problems.

Maybe this was just me, but from the trailers I thought Jenny and Jaime already new each other, but I liked that they just met. It made their story more interesting.

The body horror route they decided to take with the suit was so cool.

The suit in general. I missed practical suits so much, and it just looked so amazing.

Another thing, that has already been talked about a lot but idc, is that I still am so in love that his family knows from the get go. Of course it wasn't really his choice, but I love how there is never any big secret, and they are constantly in the picture.

I know the Khaji-Da doesn't have as much personality compared to the comics, but the whole sequence where Jaime first gets the suit was so funny.

Notoriously in the comics the beetles were sent out to worlds to be the harbingers for their creator species to invade said world. I loved the small detail in the intro of the blue beetle crashing into the green beetle and then having a flash of electricity. I wonder if that was to hint at a malfunction, since the Khaji-Da never goes to evil with Jaime.

I love Rudy's truck. It's stupid but that's why it's so good.

The whole family debrief was was funnier than it should've been, and the beetle on Jaime spine looked wicked as well.

I thought it was interesting how much of a presence Ted Kord had on the movie, mainly because. of Jenny, but it was still there.

Every. Single. Latino. Reference. I could barely keep up there were so many good ones omg, the details were amazing.

For Jenny being an original character I thought she was done very well

I love how Rudy was useful and basically got them into kord industries.

I love the way we only see Jaime eyes in the suit. It's a different approach to what we've seen with masked heroes so far and I love it

How much they talked about the first two blue beetles, I thought adding that context made it better

They made it very evident how lonely Jenny feels, and I think her small emotional moments really paid off in the end.

I love how Jaime was so openly affectionate with both Rudy and his father, it's something uncommon with men in latino cultures and I loved seeing it.

The entire sequence where Jaime's house was being raided was so uncomfortable. And it was in moments like this were I thought Soto did a great job of weaving real world problems latinos face within a superhero movie.

The moment when Jaime's father had a heart attack, and Jaime was being dragged away, and his sister was screaming was just so heartbreaking and powerful. All of them were hurting so much.

I loved how active his family was, and how all of them immediately went to go rescue him.

Side note: the bug ship looked so cool and goofy and I loved it so much

How Jose was actually very curious about Jaime's connection to the beetle, but Victoria didn't care

The whole dream scene with Jaime and his father. I thought it perfectly mirrored their conversation from the beginning of the movie, and I thought it was incredibly moving. Not to mention I loved the detail of Jaime wearing the last outfit he saw his father in.

I loved that Jaime saved himself, but that his family greatly aided him. I thought it was a great metaphor for the fact that you can do things on your own, but having support can really make the difference

I thought it was so funny that Jaime absolutely refused to kill, and his family members did it was a smile on their face lmaoo.

I know it's cheesy, but I always love it in superhero movies when the main character finally accepts their destiny and it was a very cool moment for Jaime too. But I will say I think they did it with an interesting approach. For most superhero movies the big moment is the superhero finally deciding to go out of their way and fight the big bad, but in this movie he just finally fights what's right in front of him.

How once Jaime accepted himself as the Blue Beetle, Khaji-Da started speaking to him in spanish and adopted his ideologies, further proving their relationship is a two way street.

I loved that Khaji-Da stopped Jaime from killing Carapax, because he was justifiable angry, but he would've regretted it at some point

The low key plot twist of the locket Carapax had not being his wife and child, but being him and his mother. That was genius tbh.

I loved that Jaime had the iconic 2000s superhero half masked fight. This movie felt so 2000's but in the best way possible.

How the entire final act was circling back to the point of loving his family making him weak, but throughout everything we've seen, it's clearly the opposite.

I liked how once Jaime bonded with Khaji his mask would come on and off on command.

How Jaime started wearing his father's necklace in the ending :(

I loved the entire score so much, the synth wave vibe they decided to take was fantastic. I also love how iconic and recognizable they made blue beetle's main theme. Like the bum bum bummm that kept showing up was so good.

I really loved how they aged Jaime up to 22 as a newly college grad. I feel like superheros are always either 16 or 40 and there's never any in between, so it was nice to see.

And for my last point to a very long list: I loved that in the end Carapax helped Jaime and Jenny. Because the real villain was Victoria making them fight each other, and in my opinion that was such a powerful metaphor for latinos and any pocs

#blue beetle #blue beetle movie #jaime reyes #This movie means way too much to me #Like I have been so hyped every since I heard it was being made #Was literally there every step of the way #And im happy to say it completely surpassed my expectations #FINALLY A MEXICAN SUPERHERO #LATINO HEROS ON TOP

irhinoceri

One of my favorite things about Blue Beetle was that not only does it completely side step the "I have to keep my identity a secret to protect my loved ones" trope but it just blows it out of the water.

Jaime's family is present when he transforms into Blue Beetle the first time.

His uncle has skills and resources that are integral to the early plot where they break into Kord Industrities and then travel to the Kord Estate. He's part of the Squad.

The whole family, lead by the grandmother, mounts a rescue mission when Jaime is captured.

In the end, Jaime is able to refute the recurring statement that his love for his family makes him weak and it's not just a nice sentiment, it's proven true.

"My love for my family is what makes me strong."

His family's love for him is what saves him.

His father saves him from beyond death. That scene with the candles? I was crying in the theatre. It was beautiful.

So yeah. No more loner superheroes who self isolate because they alone can save the world and having a support system is a liability.

Jaime and the Reyes family said "no, you don't have to do that anymore."

Love to see it.

#I think about this a lot #it keeps me up at night #but in a good way #THEY JUST LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH #IM NEVER GONNA BE OVER THIS

I just noticed that in the first scene we ever see George in he’s wearing pink. Pink shirt, and a pinkish-redish flannel, but he’s wearing orange pants. In every scene after that he’s always wearing orange, it’s his color, but tbh I think it’s more than that. To me orange represents his shield, he had like a half a shield with Lockwood, but once Lucy came in it dialed all the way up. Now keeping in mind all of this, the only time we see him with zero orange is the very last scene in the kitchen. He’s wearing a pink shirt, salmon flannel, and blue jeans. I think this signifies how he trusts both of them completely, that and he now truthfully believes he belongs.

When Lucy goes to portland row she is wearing all blue with her signature blue jacket. Throughout the entire series she’s always in blue. Blue to me represents her hesitation to change. She left everything to come to London, and she is holding onto the one thing she still has. Now once again comes the final scene. Here she’s wearing a blue, orange, and black cardigan. It’s the first time she really wore Lockwood or George’s colors, and to me it signifies growth. She knows she still might be out of her element, that everyday could bring new impossible changes, but that now she has her friends, her family to stand by her side and have her back.

Lockwood is a little different. He’s the only one to basically wear one outfit the entire time. He’s always wearing black pants, a white button down, a tie, and a long coat. To me this feels like his desire for consistency and routine shining through. I also can’t help but feel he dresses this way in an attempt to show maturity and command respect. His color is black, and I think it represents all the pain he still carries with him. It’s nagging and always with him. Now cut to the last scene once more. He’s wearing a grey shirt and jeans, but black isn’t absent. He’s arm is in a black sling. I think this shows that his pain will always be there, threatening him with darkness, but now Lucy and George will be there to guide him back to the light.

#I think a perhaps looked into this too much #IDC COSTUME DEPARTMENT ATE #this show is still taking over if that wasn't clear #idc I will never stop talking about it #lockwood and co #lockwood netflix #anthony lockwood #lucy carlyle #george karim

desos-records

The part I appreciate the most in the Lockwood and Co show is how it handles depression and suicidal thoughts in teenagers. As a theme, it’s not often (ever) done well. Lockwood and Co is the only story I can think of that depicts it in a nuanced, realistic, non-romanticized way

but first, before I get into it: [if you’re in crisis or need someone to talk to and don’t want to/can’t use your national hotline, highly recommend Samaritans, genuinely saved my life] okay, let’s go

Lockwood is the most obvious, with his general disregard for his own life and admitted suicidal ideation. Lucy struggles with her self-worth and the intensity of the emotions she’s subjected to. George worries that he doesn’t belong, that there’s something useless or wrong about him. The show depicts these thoughts and feelings in a way that isn’t overblown or dramatized, it’s all but casual. Which is how it happens. Depression or suicidal thoughts don’t crash into you all at once, they creep into your life without you noticing

But more importantly (and again, something I’ve never seen anywhere else), the show also offers counterpoints to those thoughts and feelings. It shows that there is a way out, even though you may feel trapped and hopeless. This is crucial for the show’s target demographic. Bad media depictions of depression or suicide get internalized, contribute to the stigma, and make it harder for people to ask for help. This show doesn’t do that. This show tells its audience that, yes, things are scary and painful and it fucking sucks, but it’s not hopeless. And it says it so well

In the second episode, when Lucy wants to quit, she admits something that I’m almost certain she’s never told anyone

“sometimes I just think I’d be better off dead”

And when I watched this the first time, I expected Lockwood to react the way I’ve seen people react in my own life; with silence or panic or downright dismissal. But he didn’t. He stays calm and he says something that is so so important to hear when you’re struggling under the weight of feelings like this

“I understand that”

Keep reading

#This is literally so beautifully written oh my godd #cries #they actually mean the world to me #they basically all saved each other I'm never gonna recover

Saw spiderverse last night and im not kidding when I say EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE IT. IT WAS LIFE CHANGING AND JUST TOO GOOD WATCH IT RNNN.

#across the spiderverse #spiderman #spider man: across the spider verse #I am not the same person I was 24 hours ago #truly brain chemistry altering I cant make this up

My favorite details/new moments from The Little Mermaid (2023)

Buckle in this is gonna get long cause i’m obsessedddd

#the little mermaid #the little mermaid 2023 #try not to get obsessed with any form of mermaid media #challenge failed #I LOVE THIS MOVIE SM #The original was great ofc #and this one was equally good #made my childhood self very happy #ALSO THE PERFECT CASTING WAHHH

911 lone star writers are never seeing heaven for not acknowledging Carlos’ kidnapping at all....LIKE IM NOT ASKING FOR MUCH BUT WE LITERALLY GOT NOTHING AND THE ANGST COULD’VE BEEN SO GOOD OF HIM RECOVERING LIKE CMONNN

#911 #911 lone star #911 lone star season 4 #they hate me fr #the aftermath is usually the best time for character growth #andddd we got nothing sighs