None Of This Makes Sense

Currently obsessing over something

[eliza1911o1]

I’m curious why most people think the body parts hanging in the OST image must correspond to Mizi, Sua, Ivan, and Till?

It makes sense that the arm would correspond to Sua and the eyes to Mizi. At the end of R1, Sua loses we see the stage facilitators lining up her arm to be cut off. Mizi’s face is almost entirely mutilated and in ‘Candy Scar,’ her eyes are literally presented as merchandise, the “Perfect gift.”

However, there are still three (technically, four) other characters in this story and only two body parts left.

Additionally, this AU is revealed in the teaser to have, three ‘rounds’:

Paralleling ALNST, ZOMST will be told over subsequent rounds of performances. At minimum, there will be three: the first consisting of Mizi and Sua, the second featuring Till and Ivan, and a finale featuring Luka.

In the Patreon comic and after R1 ends, it is illustrated that losing doesn’t equate to death, the loser does suffer a consequence (the loss of a body part). This the only rule. Mizi’s loss was not caused by and is not necessarily associated with this round. Round 2 is likely a similar format to Round 1, with Ivan competing against Till and one winner, but that does not necessarily mean it will unfold the same. R2 might only result in a body part from Ivan OR Till.

Luka’s round makes this all the more unclear, as he has no one to compete against; does this mean he is exempt from a loser’s fate? Or imply his fate is something worse? Unclear… though Hyuna will likely be featured with Luka due to her strong connection towards him as well as her involvement with destroying the underground, a suitable ‘finale.’

We don’t know what how things will be used narratively, but if we assume one round also means one sacrifice, this indicates one of the organs is likely Ivan or Till and the other is Luka’s. What’s more, white and bows, while primarily associated with Sua, hold ties to Luka. In R5 of ALNST, Luka’s “Little Prince” inspired outfit, as he is meant to mirror Sua, evokes this clearly.

Otherwise, if, due to Luka’s stage being only meant for him, there is no loser, then this would mean there is no loss.

Furthermore, all of this might just be overthinking on our parts… it’s just the cover for a song…

[eliza1911o1]

Maybe I’m missing the posts, but why am I seeing nothing about Till being a Mizi stan (in ZOMST)?

‘Candy Scar’ is driving me insane and I love the emphasis on MiziSua as it brings the story back to its foundation, ‘My Clematis’ being the core of ALNST even though its popularity blew up in part due to R6. But I already need more… because now, ALNST is more than just them; the world building and diverse stories and complex themes are what make this series so amazing.

A huge indication for Till in ZOMST, and therefore in Round 2, is the fact Mizi not only debuts, but becomes a huge idol! She’s everywhere! Like in ALNST, Mizi is (tragically) sexualized and adored for her bubbly, feminine image. Though Till does fall in love with the more innocent, cheerful version of her we see preparing for her dream of being an idol (similar to Sua, who also reinforces this stagnant impression of Mizi and refuses to acknowledge her progression), he is the epitome of a hard-core fan. A person inspired by someone bright and holds on to that image for support, even when that someone is no longer the sam.

Assuming ALNST translates to ZOMST pretty directly, at least regarding Till, his story writes itself easily: growing up in an abusive household, Till, who dreams of being a singer-songwriter, sees up-and-coming idol, Mizi, for the first time. At the beginning, Mizi is finally fulfilling her dream and encouraged by Sua, so I expect her charisma would be unmatched; if Till saw her on TV or witnessed her perform during her rookie days, he would undoubtedly be enchanted. Between Till’s desperation and Mizi’s reassurance-seeking, this would create the perfect circumstance for Till’s worship of her, following every comeback and lamenting the changes she undergoes as that initial image of her deteriorates. Till’s worship of Mizi is so perfect as a critique of the parasocial and unrealistic nature of the idol industry. While he is less overt than the more lustful fans, Till’s love is not towards Mizi, but for the constructed female image she conveys and, when that perfect image is shattered, there is upset. Even Sua, who had a (assuredly) more intimate relationship with her, reacts angrily when Mizi’s image of her does not align (referencing how Sua dismisses Mizi’s association with the adult and distasteful, slapping a cigarette out of her hand in ‘Candy Scar’).

What’s more, Till is an artist and wants to be an artist. Till might even have become an idol to get closer to Mizi, although his talents would always be the foremost impetus. Within the entertainment industry (especially the Korean industry), it is highly likely Till would be recruited as an idol. Giving up his individuality and losing his initial reason for becoming one, it’s likely we’ll see Till as an artist whom the industry eventually breaks down, scraping away originality for commercial-appeal until they have their perfectly-selling doll. His general story from ALNST aligns remarkably well in portraying a more realistic depiction of abuse, from how his “manager” (Segyein) uses violence to keep him from speaking up or how he is forced into selling his services (such as when he’s prompted to sing ‘My Clematis’ for a sponsor in R6).

As for how this relates to Ivan… or Till’s actions post Mizi’s infection (I don’t have any evidence, but I’m assuming Mizi is infected before Till and Ivan)… that is another post

[eliza1911o1]

“There was a princess, trapped in a tall, tall tower, and locked away by complicated machines that ran on blood and fear…”

After watching the pilot, it occurred to me that while the “princess” is obviously Guinevere, this might not be so obvious, after all… between the trailer, teaser, and pilot, it is ambiguous who exactly the princess that needs saving really is…

Olivia is a princess, too

Though the kingdom belongs to Olivia, it was technically made for her, passed down to her by her father, making Olivia a princess during our initial introduction to her character. Olivia is also locked in that tall tower (her father opens the door to let her leave) and, unlike Guinevere, we never see her anywhere else. In her old age, she is physically unable to leave, bound by medical wires and barely moving.

In the trailer and pilot, it is not Guinevere who is shown when the narrator references being locked away or needing saving or hoping to find her knights, but Olivia. The narrator tells us (while showing Olivia) that the princess, “… spent her days playing games, pretending she wasn’t scared…” We weren’t shown much backstory, but Guinevere seems to have been built as an adult. In contrast, Olivia acts selfishly and is confined to an oddly childish room, surrounded by toys, seeming much more like someone who would “play games.” Olivia’s portrait, then face, is shown as the narrator continues “… she was in dire need of rescuing.”

When the narrator says, “there was a princess, trapped in a tall, tall tower,” in the Pilot, we see Olivia, and in the trailer, when it says “Will she ever escape? Will she find her knights?” we, again, see her, not Guinevere.

It’s of note that, similar to how Guinevere has her “knights,” Andi and Frankie, who are represented by a sword and shield, Olivia also has two “knights,” both presumably male, one of which who holds a shield (Sir Arthur) and another who holds only a sword (currently unnamed).

“complicated machines that ran on blood and fear”

The androids/robots of this universe seem to run on some (toxic) form of blue “blood”, but there is no mention of them running on “fear”. Guinevere stands out because of how human she seems, with a range of emotions (including desperation and anger) and the literal guts and blood that spill out of her, but Andi and Frankie make it clear this isn’t normal (as shown by their shock in response to her scream). More so, although we are shown many forms of Guinevere, humanoid robots don’t appear to be all that common.

The distinction between person and machine is unclear, especially since the body is also a machine, a complex network of veins and mechanical nerves. Though instinct may assume the “complicated machines” are just that, machines, this likely refers to people. Humans are really the ones keeping the princess, whether that be Olivia or Guinevere, locked away.

What is real?

This disorientation extends to what reality really exists, as well; it is difficult to say what is true, as Park Planet is a place “where fantasies became reality… where tall-tales became indisputable truths…” Confusion of reality and uncertain truths seems to be a theme underlying the show.

Guinevere we see literally switch between an artificial world and reality in the teaser (which probably occurs right after the pilot ends). This dissonance appears physically, too, exemplified by Guinevere’s glitch-like behavior. Unlike “Space Princess Guinevere”, the real Guinevere is flawed (her finger twitching even in Princess-mode), but Guinevere isn’t an individual. Throughout the park, Guinevere has been repackaged and commodified, she represents the park and the concept of it.

Frankie also lives out of touch with reality, experiencing some form of schizophrenia (i.e. the talking animals that weren’t really talking, as we gleam from Andi’s point of view) and/or psychosis. She is clearly detached from her reality, ultimately hoping to arrive at Park Planet and have all her dreams fulfilled, and wants to be detached, able to dismiss her harsh reality in working that wish. We spend a significant portion of the episode following Frankie, but she is an unreliable narrator, so we aren’t necessarily seeing the whole situation.

Frankie, who naively sees Park Planet as the “world of possibilities” it was branded as, feeds into the concept of Guinevere. She represents comfort and care, both of which Frankie likely didn’t have much of growing up (assuming she was raised by Sparky). She represents dreams and a better life, thinking that becoming a park engineer will finally make her good enough and provide everything she needs.

To Frankie, Guinevere is someone who needs saving, fixing, and sees herself as the one to do it; the first time she meets the “princess,” Frankie adjusts her finger, returning her to a perfect state. Frankie is committed to bringing Guinevere back to the park and disregards the dangers of the situation. When confronted by Sir Arthur at the end of the Pilot, Frankie initially wants to help Guinevere fight, ignoring the fact that meant almost certain death and disregarding Guinevere assurances that she would take of things.

Much like Frankie, Olivia views things from a skewed perspective and they share a particular sense of childishness in their characterization (albeit vastly different in their characters). To Olivia, Guinevere has not escaped, her “poor, dear Guinevere” is confused, lost, and needs to be saved, brought back to the park.

Is Guinevere really a damsel in distress?

In the beginning of the Pilot, when introduced to “the Princess,” we first see Olivia. Then, our frame of reference (including a literally picture frame with Olivia) turns on its side when Guinevere is finally shown for the first time. As of now, it’s hard to say what exactly this means — maybe our perspective is changed from that point on; maybe the story’s traditional path has begun to go awry; or maybe something else entirely.

Guinevere is obviously the princess; she is directly addressed as such by various forms of media and characters. Space Princess Guinevere is perfect and beautiful and kind and polite and cute animals follow her; she can take any form required of her and obediently performs. Additionally, her name is a reference to Lady Guinevere of Arthurian legend, the original damsel in distress, who is characterized by romance and abductions that always required saving by a knight.

However, Guinevere (the real Guinevere we’ve caught glimpses of) doesn’t seem to fit that perfect stereotype. When the attendants alert (older) Olivia, they imply Guinevere has escaped multiple times, and we see in the first minutes of the Pilot as she jumps off the balcony. During the balcony scene, while Olivia acknowledges the beauty of the park (though this might not have been her true feelings) Guinevere is unable to respond in affirmation (“it’s so very, very, -“). Unlike a stereotypical heroine, she chooses death (if she was human) over imprisonment; she has no suitor or savior waiting for her at the bottom (like in Rapunzel or Romeo and Juliet); she mimics tragic figures of feminism, such as Bertha form Jane Eyre. Then, as Andi and Frankie are cornered by Sir Arthur, one of the giant, disturbingly organic knight bots, Guinevere seemingly cuts him down with ease. Furthermore, he is likely named after King Arthur, Guinevere’s betrothed and main suitor from the stories.

She is programmed to exist in a fairytale world, but some part of her is clearly at odds with this perspective and there is a graphic difference between the visual representations of the utopic setting of “Space Princess Guinevere” and the violent Guinevere android Andi and Frankie pick up. Guinevere continuously confronts the barrier of fantasy and reality, actively trying to escape the dreamland of the park. Guinevere screams and feels pain, and it doesn’t appear that she needs all that much saving, so who is the real damsel in distress?

[eliza1911o1]

“You will see the world again, and the world will see you.”

“So, I’ll see Mark?”

Mark is Gemma’s world and Gemma is Mark’s

[eliza1911o1]

**CW alnst spoilers for r7, mentions of death**

TILL CHOOSING MIZI KILLED HIM

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Before I dump my feelings thoughts: These are my assumptions!! Conjectures!! Opinions!! I just like posting meta, so discussion is welcome, but I’m not picking any fights 🥲 pls be kind this series has already hurt us all so much

What makes Till’s (alleged) conclusion tragic is the way it parallels the others. Focusing on Ivan and Mizi, simplified, Mizi was raised previously and views the world naively and optimistically, seeing no reason for change; Ivan was raised previously, but views the world objectively, wanting to change his situation (though only in response to Till); Till was raised with cruelty but, similar to Mizi, refuses to change his station in response to Mizi’s decision, similar to Ivan. While I don’t think it was an entirely conscious decision, Till’s choices have been a result of Mizi’s existence (not because of her, since she’s more than simply a human to Till).

In the past, Till always looked to Mizi, always envisioning her at his lowest as a source of hope. Many other characters (Ivan and Sua) have confirmed Mizi to be a ‘light,’ a person untouched by the darkness of the human experience in ALNST, albeit a condition predisposed by naivety. So it’s no wonder that someone like Till, who had a particularly rough life, beaten and oppressed by his alien sponsor as well as the other children, would find comfort in her. It has now been confirmed that Till truly saw Mizi as a goddess of hope, a being inspiring him on, but untouchable. Nevertheless, hope exists for the hopeless to save themselves, not to act as a savior.

To Till, Mizi existed as more of a concept than an actual human. They were friends and had a close relationship, but whether conscious, accidental, or subconscious, Till also created distance between them, a suspension of the person Mizi was and who Till wanted her to be. What started as nerves because of a crush, a warm and kind existence that made him too nervous to approach or maybe even sully, became the foundation for idolization. Though Till loved Mizi, he was not fully able to accept her as a person because that conflicted with his conception of her. This appears as much a protection for him (and his comfort) as well as Mizi.

Till, much like characters such as Ivan and Luka, was not taught love. He additionally struggled to find it intuitively, as his environment was constantly punishing. This might mean that, after Till found love through Mizi, he came to the realization he was not deserving of it. It is difficult for children to reason that their parents (their father, their universe) is wrong and a guardian not showing love is an act of cruelty instead of the consequence of child’s misbehavior. Till might have felt that he did not receive love because he did not deserve it and he was definitely not worthy of receiving Mizi’s love; though this was a form of love and kept Till moving forward, it also inherently destroyed Till, proving comfort while reinforcing the idea he did not deserve it and preventing him from taking any steps to change his situation. Mizi taught Till love, but never challenged his reality and never forced the realization that Till can love and be loved. In a way, Mizi existed much like Sua to Till, a reason to live as well as the reason they continue to never change the way they’re living, counting to suffer.

Ivan, on the other hand, showed Till very different feelings than Mizi. Throughout the years, Ivan appeared selfish or sadistic or obsessive or irritating, yet never truly harmed Till. What began as a fascination with Till’s pain became a desire to see the pain disappear; what began as interest to observe Till’s existence became the desire to see him, be with him, be seen by him. In the end, though Ivan wanted to exist beside Till, he wanted more to see Till exist as himself in his best state, which (in Ivan’s eyes) was when Till was passionate, fighting back to creating music. Neither realized it, but Till and Ivan taught each other what it meant to notice and care about another being, though this manifested itself in complicated ways.

Unlike Mizi, whose love helped him live but never more, Ivan (and his version of love) was able to affect Till, alter his perceptions, his situation, and present the possibility of simply more than managing to live. Ivan nearly brought Till out of Anakt Garden and Ivan losing did allow Till to live, the opportunity to choose what to do next. Ivan was not a grand concept, only a person, and a very flawed one at that. This was not because Ivan was a better, stronger person or held a superior form of love, diverging from Mizi most distinctly in how he made Till respond. Mizi and Till existed on separate planes and though Till wished a lot of Mizi, he could never ask her. Till had crafted such a one-sided relationship; they never expected a response and didn’t really account for one since, in a way, the idea of Mizi was utilized by Till to force himself to accept his circumstances. As long as this was true, his decision would always be decided for him, justified by the idea he was doing it for her sake. Conversely, though Till never wished anything of him, Ivan consistently gave what he thought Till was asking for. The problem was, Ivan was acting on Till’s perceptions, limited by what Till thought he wanted for himself. This doing what he felt Till wanted and never beyond might have been thoughtful, but Till had never been allowed choices, so how was he to know how to make them?

The definition of ‘care’ and ‘love’ had long been warped by the segyein, if defined at all, so it’s no wonder that ‘hate’ was confused with them. In Till’s world, love (moments with Mizi) was fleeting, but hatred (at his abusers) was a constant. Till probably did not trust something as foreign as kindness; when Ivan offered his hand to run away with Till, how could he take it? Running away with Ivan meant leaving Mizi, his only solace, as well as buying into an uncertain ideal that merely tricked him leaving himself vulnerable, tricked him into making the pain worse. I believe this was a very decision very complicated for Till. No matter whether because of her influence of her being itself, it can be reliably assumed that Till rejected Ivan’s plan to run away partially because of Mizi. There is no confirmation that running was the better choice or truly how much of Till’s decision was due to Mizi, but is notable that Mizi’s existence (presumably) impacted Till enough to choose to stay in Anakt’s Garden, no matter the hardship, rather than escape and take his chances. All the same, the result was inevitably that Till chose what was familiar and consistent and that happened to all be represented as Mizi.

In Unknown(Till the End…), “Don't even think this times enough/Cause you baby still it's not enough” seemed to imply that Till was looking for more from Mizi, that he needed something more from her. Maybe, instead of wanting her affection or reciprocation, he was implying that the concept of her alone wasn’t enough? That, although Mizi kept him going, this wasn’t enough to save him? Mizi was not willing to give all of herself and Till was not willing to take all of her to survive, but Ivan was willing to. Ivan and Till’s song is literally called Cure. At first glance, Cure leans more into Ivan; Till provided him solace, gave meaning to Ivan’s life and his eventual end, no matter how selfish his sacrifice was. Till existing beyond Ivan was enough, but Ivan also wanted to continue being seen. What better way than for Till to make use of Ivan to survive? Ivan literally begs him, saying “네게 물들게” // “I’ll drown in you” and after they both sing, “마셔줘 날” // “consume me,” Ivan concludes solo with “그래 난 오오-“ // “yes, me.”

In the Final, Luka, repeating his strategy from round 5, relies on the memory of Ivan to incapacitate Till. Till loved Ivan (in his own way), except, unlike with Mizi, Ivan was more than a concept. Mizi could possibly exist after she was gone because, to Till, the concept of her was comforting. Ivan was more than a concept to Till; to Till, the living being of Ivan was special and him passing meant all of Ivan would never again be able to comfort Till. The thought of Ivan crippled Till because his entire being was important. More so, Ivan showed him a different life, a reality that was impossible. In Alien Stage, humans aren’t afforded happiness and any love has no way of surviving; this is no happy ending for love. Mizi loved and believed in Sua, but all that resulted was despair and grief, a constant reminder that love, even if exists, will be taken away. Love is a reminder of loss, not an existence of hope. In the last round, Till has lost both Mizi AND Ivan, all forms of love and comfort present in his harsh life, now gone.

Then Mizi appears right before Till, in his darkest hour and, once more, Till is able to forget the darkness he lives in. But Till is only able to forget, only able to exist in the moment without worry, because Mizi, the hope she brings, it doesn’t actually change anything the situation. No, Mizi did not kill Till. In Alien Stage, what power do any of these humans actually have over their fate? He would have been shot at the end of the round regardless of whether he specifically reached out, but this can be taken as exemplifying their relationship and its tragedy. Mizi was only a person and Till was never able to acknowledge that. In her own way, Mizi saved Till; amongst his horrible life, her acts of kindness and cheerfulness gave him reason to keep living. However, that is the extent a human, especially a young child, can give. Mizi was a girl but Till expected a goddess, relinquishing any frustrations over a lack of autonomy to place an extreme faith in the visage he had crafted of her. Till wanted —needed— someone to rescue him (remember around 6, Till hallucinating Ivan as Mizi, taking him away and releasing his collar), but Mizi was simply a girl (one kept unaware of the horrors transpiring, allowing her to shine brightly at the cost of the power and awareness to help others.) Till’s blind faith seems especially level with the themes of religion and faith that dominate the narrative.

At the end of it all, Till let go of Ivan’s hand and reached for Mizi’s. Till let go of Ivan’s hand, turned away from him, and never reached for him again. Till accepted all of Ivan, fought back again and again but never against Ivan, accepting everything he hid (even being choked at his hands), almost expecting him, but never reached for him. Then Till, reaching for Mizi, (assumedly) is shot dead. Till reaches for a savior (his savior, his brightness) who could not save him (or anyone). Till persisted in his suffering at the ignorance of opportunities for change. This continuous, helpless choice sealed his fate, chooses made because of Mizi, because of Ivan, because of the Segyein, but made by him all the same

[eliza1911o1]

MAPPA WHEN I SAY WE’RE COMING FOR YOU

[eliza1911o1]

Resident Alien S3E3 reminding me why I loved this show

Not going to get into the issues, functional or superficial, I have with the show (post-s1, especially); that’s another post. Just wanted to note how 141 Seconds finally utilized some of the best parts of the show that have being going under appreciated

Obviously, one of those is focusing more on Harry himself. Subsequent seasons have really allowed supporting cast to grow, but this has come at the cost of Harry’s depth, at-times. It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve seen him truly wonder what he’s doing on Earth past chalking it up to affection for Asta or flippant interests such as his love for certain foods

The addition of the subplots wasn’t unwelcome, too. Rather than merely putting them through funny scenarios or highlighting some random meditation on humanity, the scenes truly added to the characters. For Dep. Liv, we gain insight to her lacking confidence as her grandmother bullies her for meaningless reasons; Sheriff Mike shows again his tactlessness for relationships, but is there to support Liv; Judy surprisingly gains context and is supported by D’arcy; Asta is guided to focusing on herself rather than keeping busy by others; and most focused on is the position of Ben and Kate, who is haunted by the ghost of a baby she supposedly never had. Though this plot feels more redundant than foreshadowed due to feeling too close to the scenes involving the Alien Tracker and his wife from last season, they are expanded this episode and strike an emotional chord that finally makes it feel worthwhile

It also highlighted that, even though he’s always saying it, Harry is an intelligent being with knowledge far beyond Earth’s limits. Though Harry has been expanding his repertoire of expression, most scenes have him coming off as immature and, at times irritatingly selfish. He’s typically the butt of a joke and substantially simpleminded, not bothering to understand the complexities behind his own emotions. I think the show has been struggling with the “show don’t tell,” so even though it was kind of a weak example, there was satisfaction in seeing Harry finally display his skills

Season 3 hasn’t felt as tight as it should for the shortened episode count (now at eight from twelve), but this episode managed to make the sitcom shift into more the drama it was during season 1. The anxious thought/hallucination Harry has of lava pouring out in the lobby was an especially nice touch, reminiscent of the zombie figures he saw when he was struggling with the guilt of killing his newfound human friends. The introduction of the Blue Avian at the end (who supposedly is Harry’s love interest, whose role I am skeptical about) is also nice as Harry’s trouble with the galactic laws reminds us (and him) he is, in fact, still an alien. No matter how human he is becoming or how much he wants to stay in this small town, that is not his full position. It’ll be interesting to see how this season pares out since the writing/plot has really been a hit or miss. However, if you’re just watching for laughs, there’s nothing to complain about

[eliza1911o1]

Mild take: ATLA live-action kids are the popular kids who bring the party/jocks/influencers and PJ live-action kids are the student council/nerds/introverts who don’t go to parties all that much but everyone says hi to them

Disclaimer: I don’t know if I really have to explain this, but these are stereotypes pertaining to the vibes the groups give off and one isn’t supposed to be superior over the other or an entirely accurate representation. This also isn’t a reflection of the kids themselves since I’m going off their interactions in/outside the show and the promo strategies employed by Netflix vs. Disney. I had fun watching both series :)

[eliza1911o1]

More Matt & Foggy in s4

I always find it so interesting how distant Foggy is in the TV show after s1. Though he’s definitely not a perfect friend, he shows a familiarity and loyalty to Matt that is undeniable. I love how s3 began to delve further into Karen and Foggy, but it always sticks out to me how, while Matt is involved in much of Karen’s circumstances, Foggy keeps to himself. It is understandable though since, it’s a sad fact Karen doesn’t really have many people while Foggy has Marco and the extended Nelson brood. However, I feel like it’s been a while since Matt has been there for Foggy and vice versa, especially when Matt acts as Daredevil. Foggy has always been more critical of his nightlife, but Foggy also hasn’t really seen him save others or be saved by them. If you think about, compared the amount of times Karen has witnessed Matt fight, Foggy has never truly experienced it (to our knowledge). It’s hard to reconcile how much Foggy cares for Matt with how little we see him actually have moments with him.

Of course, I’m not saying Foggy doesn’t care or hasn’t been there for him; he has always given everything to protect his friend, but there have not been many scenes where the two truly connect on a deeper level and develop their understanding of the other, like we see happen with Matt and Karen. I believe it’s worth noting how much more stoic Foggy becomes as the seasons progress, as well. Unlike in s1, where he’s open and emotive, making jokes and crying for those who are being harmed, there are few times we see Foggy visibly shaken in s3 (though most pertain to Matt, such as his nightmares, aftermath of The Bulletin). There are probably correlations between his attitude, new high-profile lifestyle, and change in relationship with Matt, but as most identify him as the heart of the group, it’s interesting how closed-off he becomes. We witness Matt slowly act more comfortable with him and Karen as well, less polite/careful in his actions (I’m citing his behavior at Fogwell’s when they bring in Nadeem and Towers, which always feels reminiscent of his physicality in the presence of Elektra) and more open with both of him as times goes on, though this is rare in s2 and takes almost all of s3.

Considering how little Foggy knows of the current Matt, including how little he’s wanted to know since he found out about Daredevil, I am desperately hoping they explore this in s4. S3 focused a lot on advancing the relationship between Karen and Matt (which I thought was done pretty well in the way it could be interpreted as romantic or platonic), but Foggy and Matt haven’t really addressed their relationship since their lukewarm conversation in s2 and quick exchange in The Defenders. It would feel right to take this on more, especially in priority over introducing a new love interest… clearly, Matt still has a LOT of issues to address after Midland Circle and the events of s3, so I think having him work through this with people who have been there for him and continue to to do seems much more meaningful. This is Matt’s best friend, one of the few people he has left, and one of the very few people he can fully trust, so although they both have their own lives, it’d be nice to see them making space for each other again

((also, Matt’s best man speech at Foggy’s wedding when))

[eliza1911o1]

Crazy that after years of waiting Matt finally bought another pair of glasses

[eliza1911o1]

Izzy coming to be my favorite and Stede my least favorite (said affectionately; possibly due to his arc and/or poor writing? will need to think on this more) was very unexpected

[eliza1911o1]

So interesting that, when we have gotten communication between Ed and Stede this season (particularly in ep 4), Stede has never once brought up Chauncey. The dude not only stole Stede away from eloping with the love his life, but also died right in front of him in the same way as his brother moments after verbally abusing him

S1 was heavy with Stede’s internal thoughts and feelings, from the Badminton ghost to full childhood flashbacks; in s2, we’ve seen this shift over to Ed, such as with Hornigold and memories of his past. Since the emphasis has been on Ed’s, we have rarely been shown obvious cues to Stede’s anxieties and insecurities, though we’re well aware of them. Then, just as Stede has finally achieved everything he thought he needed to be, it all falls apart and, for the first time in quite a while, scenes of Stede as a child come back

This post reminded me that Stede has actually become more and more unhappy with himself and never reconciled with his emotions of inadequacy, no matter how happy he seemed. This is what makes Chauncey important, or, at least, his lack of mention

The Badmintons represented everything Stede was born into (particularly the insecurities his father imprinted onto him) that persuaded him into piracy. They aligned with norms, they bullied him for acting differently, and they even succeeded due to/within the limitations of norms as officers. Stede has always been told that being kind, liking nice things, enjoying intellectual activities, being adverse to violence — all that made him, him — were the wrong things for a man to be. This doesn’t change when he becomes a pirate; others still continue to point out his failings (Izzy in ep 5, Ned in ep 6, Zheng in ep 7). Stede has long internalized his strengths as his shortcomings, so while his personal methods and, truly, some luck are the real reasons things always manage to work out, he attributes his growing skill in piracy to be the true answer

Both Badminton’s die right at his feet and though Stede still takes on the responsibility and guilt, they really die due to their own carelessness. Killing Ned is done to cement his position, paralleling Nigel’s death in s1, but different in that it is an active choice. When Stede becomes a “real pirate” after killing Ned, for the first time this season (someone can correct me on this but it’s 3AM and I’m not double-checking rn) we see flashbacks, a moments of doubt and anxiety, quickly squandered because everyone likes him now, right?

Just when Stede finally manages to prove himself notorious as a worthy pirate, everything else begins to fall apart; Ed leaves, his crew almost leaves, he almost dies, yet again, and he’s back to feeling as weak as he always has. Everything, literally, blows up

Stede knows he isn’t a capable man (people always keep reminding, so it’s hard to forget), he knows he’s a failure and a mistake, he knows trying hard just brings misfortune to those around him, but he so badly wants to prove everyone otherwise and the only way he knows how to do that is by becoming something in their eyes. however, in doing so, Stede keeps surviving, untouched, while everyone continues to be put in harms way or, when it becomes too much, leaves him. Nigel and Ned dying bought respect, but Chauncey’s death reminded Stede of what he always felt like; a failure who ruins nice things. Now, at the end of the season and at his lowest, Ed has also left, so there’s no one to tell him otherwise

[eliza1911o1]

Same energy

[cloud-based-and-rainpilled]

I’ve seen a lot of takes where “Well the Staged 3 ending is sad but Michael and David know they’ll work together again” and like. No they don’t. because

They filmed Good Omens 2 first; still no confirmation of a third season

Not filming at all with the strike right now going indefinitely

Never cast together

Considering they’re both fathers (David with a wholeass brood) and living in different countries they likely never see each other unless they’re working together

Imagine you just want to be with your best friend but you can’t because of plague, striking, physical distance, work— you’re always kept apart because of forces entirely out of your control— oh, and the last two things you filmed ended with you kept apart because of forces entirely out of your control

I don’t think this was acting.

Credit to @ingravinoveritas (tumblr search, thank you for always having the good stuff 🙏)

[eliza1911o1]

Just scrolling through the GO tags and this pops up and almost genuinely made me almost cry to think about wtf

[eliza1911o1]

Someone else has noticed that an instrumental version of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ is playing in the background when Aziraphale and Crowley are taking in the coffee shop in ep 1 right? (The same part of the song that was playing in s1 after Crowley received the Anti-Christ as well as instructions from Satan)

[eliza1911o1]

Platonic soulmates are real and they’re called David Tennant and Michael Sheen

[eliza1911o1]

I was wondering why Good Omens s2 felt so familiar