Sans titre

[queats]

Mcog characters as animals

What the title says. These are the animals I associate with each character

Esteban: Colias croceus butterflies. Innocence, joy, childlike wonder and hope. It fits him I think. They also go through a metamorphosis (caterpillar to butterfly) and I think that represents him well. He lived his whole life confined to the monastery, and his journey to the new world allowed him to explore and spread his wings. I also chose a flying animal because he is the pilot of the golden condor.

Zia: Andean condor. This one might be a little basic but hear me out. Condors symbolize freedom, which is what Zia got after leaving Barcelona. They’re very social, like her. They mate for life, showing how they’re very caring. They take good care of young, like how Zia is attentive to her friends’ feelings. They’re native to Peru and also very misunderstood. They can represent power and health, the sun, stuff we could associate with Zia.

Tao: An African grey parrot. This might seem like a boring or obvious choice, given that he has a pet parrot. But I think it fits him really well. Parrots are very smart and playful. They’re problems solvers. They get very attached to their partners/friends. Theyre also a little mischievous. Parrots come from tropical regions, just like Tao.

Mendoza: flying fish. This might seem pretty random but I can explain. I knew I needed to choose an animal that lived in the water, because Mendoza is a sailor and he’s great at swimming, so a fish fits perfectly. I specifically chose flying fish because they’re not your stereotypical fish: they can fly, for one. That’s pretty rare and weird. I think it fits Mendoza because it represents his ambiguity perfectly. Flying fish are both in the air and in the sea, which might also be two opposites. It also creates a special link with the children: the kids are all associated with celestial bodies (sun, moon, stars) which are in the sky.

Pedro: a raccoon. Raccoons are great with their hands and love to grab things, which is like Pedro always being on the lookout for anything worth money. Raccoons are also known to be nuisances cause they go through our trash in search for food, and who do we know that loves to eat? They also look like bandits or thieves, which would fit with Pedro.

Sancho: a hamster. Hamsters are cute and get scared easily. They also get into dangerous situations (to be fair that’s usually the owners fault). They also sleep a lot in winter. They fill up their cheeks with food. I think these stuff lowkey fit with Sancho.

Isabella: A eurasian goshawk. They’re predatory birds, which fit a little with her initial role in the story. They’re found all over the world, similarly to how she’s can to a lot of places for her missions, or in adventures with her father. Humans train raptors to hunt, and that can symbolize her relationship with Ambrosius, for example. Also, when birds like each other they do a dance together that looks like a fight, and that reminds me of that scene in season 4 where Mendoza and Isabella fight each other and Zia says it looks like they’re dancing.

Gaspard: A bull. Well firstly, they’re found in Spain, which fits well with Gaspard. Theyre known for their strength and their tendency to charge head first into everything, which lowkey fits him very well.

Gomez: mako shark. They’re often seen as cold and calculating, or just plain evil (they’re not, but that’s what they symbolize). I think it fits Gomez because we know he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants

Ambrosius: Eurasian eagle-owl. Owls are sometimes associated with magic, which could correspond to Ambrosius’ alchemy carer. They also symbolize wisdom, which is true for Ambrosius. They can also be fierce hunters (if you’re a rodent I guess), so that can symbolize his role as the villain acting from the shadows. In some cultures they’re seen as a bad omen, which was also said about Ambrosius’ ginger hair in season 1. Finally, I think owls give off fatherly vibes as well (like the owl in Winnie the Pooh) and that can represent his relationship with Tao.

Athanaos: eurasian crane. Cranes are good fathers, just like how Athanaos aspires to be. They can also fly long distances, which represents his “travelling prophet” title. They’re important in Asian mythology, and we know Athanaos did spend a lot of time there (in China especially). Finally, cranes mate for life and they reminds me of his relationship with Esteban’s mother.

Nostradamus: A newt. They represent resilience, transformation and renewal. Since Michel’s whole deal is making prophecies about the future, I think it fits well. Newts seem to symbolize change in ourselves, which relates to alchemy. Finally, they’re also associated with magic which is related to alchemy and astrology.

Marinche: a crocodile. They’re often seen as “evil” or bad (they’re not but we’re talking about symbolism). They’re also found in South America, like Marinche. They’re strong and powerful. I feel like if they were introduced to the concept of money, they’d be greedy

[srungpot]

The Black Pearl.

[queats]

Do we include this in the CV?

I am once again back with a slightly confusing Mendoza post. And when I say “confusing” I mean I’m confused about something.

It’s understandable to be confused about Mcog related things given that almost nothing is explained about it. Mendoza is an even better example. We know absolutely nothing about him.

In a previous post, I speculated about his social or economic class. This time, I’m gonna talk about something that kinda follows the same idea: What is his job?

This might seem like a trivial question, because we already know the answer quite well: He’s a sailor slash navigator, duh. But he acts like he’s much more than that.

I’ve said this before, but Mendoza is incapable of being just one thing or another. He’s selfish but he’s also not. He’s kind but he’s also not. In the same vein, I think it’s safe to say that he’s not just a sailor slash navigator.

So in this post, I’m gonna try to explain what I think we could or could not put on his hypothetical CV.

Sailor/Navigator

Whenever we make an Mcog post (especially when it’s about a character), we need to start with the things we know with certainty. We know Mendoza is a sailor. He’s travelled around the world and participated in Magellan’s circumnavigation mission. As the years went on, he specialized and became a navigator. His time at sea helped him a lot. He’s great at calculating angles with shadows, and the positions of stars and the sun. At the time, that was one of the main ways we had to travel around the earth without getting lost. Even without a map, he’s able to find his way due to knowledge of terrain and bodies of water.

Pilot

This is linked to the previous part. As the Esperanza’s navigator, he’s also the designated pilot, as in he literally steers the ship himself. He was hired for this very difficult job because he had gone through the straits twice already. This would fit nicely under the “experience” section of the CV.

Not only can he drive ships, he can also pilot ancient Muan submarines, like the Thallios. How on earth can a regular, non Muan or Atlantean guy do that? He’s just built different i guess. But still, this would impress any employer.

Captain (?)

This might be a controversial thing to add, but I think I still need to include it regardless. In season 2,3,4, he’s called “captain” by others and refers to himself as such. Although this is inconsistent with season 1, I made a post explaining how calling him captain could be true, without disrupting canon. But it doesn’t matter if he actually has that title or not, it’s still something we can include on our list. Indeed, he’s got great leadership skills, to the point where he could make a great captain.

Pirate (?)

This is something a lot of people have speculated on, so it’s only fair if it gets its own section here. Throughout the show, we get tiny hints to Mendoza’s life before season 1, and he’s done a lot of strange things to which we have no context. To name a few, he has:

Attacked ships: The Santa Maria is the only one we know of. Who owned the ship? What was the point of the mission? We’ll never know. All we know is that Mendoza, Sancho and Pedro have plundered ships (most likely Spanish ones, given the name) in their past and have enjoyed doing so.

used tactics to escape prison: Him, Pedro and Sancho hid under the floorboards of their Japanese prison to ultimately escape it. This implies Mendoza has needed to escape jail before, and has used these tactics. Meaning, he’s most likely a criminal (that assumption is pretty obvious even without this scene)

Used “pirate tricks” to deal with enemies. In kilwa, Mendoza comes up with a plan to save people from slavery. It involved mixing gunpowder with rum and feeding it to Portuguese soldiers. Pedro says it’s an “old pirate trick”. This implies they have drugged people before, because they seem pretty used to doing stuff like that

All in all, it seems like he’s been involved in a lot of shady stuff (again, not a surprise). Unfortunately, we don’t know exactly what reasons he had for doing them. It would’ve most likely been for money or selfish reasons, since this is before season 1.

The problem i have with this section is that the golden age of piracy (the classic image of pirates that we all have) occurred way later (in the 1650’s). So your typical pirates weren’t really a thing during the time the story is set. I think, if they were, the creators would have made Mendoza a pirate since it would fit him really well and it would just be a lot cooler.

Engineer (?)

Another strange thing but this wouldn’t be a complete CV if i didn’t add it! Just like tao, Mendoza has built things to help the team on their adventures. There’s only 2 instances of this, which are:

War towers: in the end of season 1, he directs the construction of 2 War towers to help in the battle against the olmecs. Sure, War towers were a pretty common way to fight wars in Europe in the Middle Ages, so it might not be that strange of him to make them. But I still think it’s impressive that he knows how to build them. Isn’t he supposed to be a sailor / navigator ?

The “pull-me-up-in-the-trees”: alright the name sucks, but the invention is still interesting. He cooked up a basic set of pulleys and ropes to hoist the children of Patala in the trees to hide them from Ambrosius’. Is it impressive? Probably not for a sailor who regularly works with ropes and pulleys. But it still deserves to be on the list.

Mercenary (?)

I don’t think I’ve seen people talk about this one and it’s an idea I had for a while so I’m including it. Just so we’re all on the same page, here’s the definition of a mercenary cause I think its important:

A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather than for political interests.

Now here’s why I think it fits Mendoza:

Mendoza has a lot of military skills without actually being part of it. If he were, they would say it, like how Gomez and Gaspard are commander and captain of the army, respectively. But we know Mendoza is just a sailor... but as I’ve been explaining, he can’t just be a sailor and here’s why:

He’s very skilled at fighting: we know that, back then, being able to sword fight was pretty important. However, if we look at Pedro and Sancho, I don’t think they’ve ever held a sword in their life. The sailors on the Esperanza don’t carry swords or weapons, but Mendoza does! Gaspard practices his sword fighting, only with the other people in the army. He also invites Mendoza for a fencing match. Furthermore, it’s not just that Mendoza has a sword; he’s also very (and I mean VERY) good at fighting. He must have learned that somewhere, right? Could it be military related?

I’ve said this before, but he knows how to build war towers, which are only used during combat! This means he must have been in some battle or war where these were necessary. I doubt he learned how to make war towers just cause he thought it might be useful one day.

This third point is very important and makes the distinction between pirate, military and mercenary (the last one being the one I’m most convinced of). Mendoza is hired by Perez (who was hired by Gomez, who was hired by governor Pizarro) to kidnap Zia. This is not something that falls under a navigator’s regular duties. Breaking and entering the king’s palace is a big job, it involves the government. The only reason Mendoza did it, according to Perez, is because “he will do anything for gold”. We know Mendoza only cares about money. He doesn’t have any attachment to his country (or any country) and will switch sides depending on what suits him.

So. That was pretty long. But I hope that now we all have a better understanding of mendoza’s hypothetical past. I’ve seen a lot of people say he could’ve been a pirate, but I don’t really see it. He’s not really a team player (not until after season 1, anyway). I think he is the type of guy that would get himself hired to do… shady things if it brought him a lot of money. What exactly has he done? We’ll never know, but I’m sure a lot of people already have ideas.

[love-me-some-mcog]

Mysterious Cities of Gold S04E14

Searchers

[explosive-flame]

Zia is TOO perfect/Zia est TROP parfaite

Zia is TOO perfect/Zia est TROP parfaite

This is essentially a repost of a post from I made here/En gros, c'est un repost d'un post que j'ai fait ici: https://www.lescitesdor.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3206

🇬🇧Hello, everyone! While watching Season 4, I wondered if Zia wasn't a shallow character.

First of all, I want to add I like Zia, she is still way more pleasant than her beloved…

But my issue with her is that I think she lacks flaws compared to Tao and Esteban. Esteban is impulsive while Tao is a bit overconfident. You could argue that her distrust of Mendoza can somewhat count but I'd say it's more of a change caused by Mendoza's own evolution. This lack of "faults" seems especially obvious to me in Season 4.

During Season 4, Tao and Esteban have their own developments: Tao must regain confidence in himself after the Lalibela incident while Esteban has to let go of his obsession over defeating Ambro-Zarès to stop driving his loved ones away.

Zia? She obtains telekinesis and is apparently chosen by the Bako. I wouldn't call it a development because, personality-wise, she has nothing to "overcome": no flaws or fears. Instead, she gets this gain of power without earning it, this gratuitous "deification". It mainly comes down to the fact that her arc is external, unlike Esteban and Tao's, which are internal. But if you ask me, this magicalish-mysticalish-mythic destiny is not satisfying, she has no evolution, nothing to "learn".

And there is one moment during which she showed a flaw: her departure from the Lenje village for the Bako quest (during Episode 10 of Season 4).

Reminder, she goes looking for the Bako after her fight with Esteban. We're not gonna talk about how he acted like an idiotic and arrogant douche… I want to focus on Zia's reaction. First, she puts Esteban in his place, which we needed since 10 episodes. Then, she takes the Condor and goes search for the Bako. And that's when it it turns into a problem for me.

Esteban suffers consequences for his chickpea-sized brain behavior? Ok. But Zia's departure doesn't only affect Esteban. Zia strands Esteban as well as Mendoza, Sancho and Pedro in the Lenje Village by taking the Condor. She acted selfishly and impulsively, she only thought about herself (even if she didn't mean to cause harm. Therefore, it’s a flaw!

But this moment of selfishness doesn't work for me because:

1) Zia isn't selfish usually. Therefore, this moment of selfishness isn't like her.

2) The selfishness of this action is NEVER called out. Instead, we have the Lenje Village's matriarch telling ys that Zia is "strong". Miss, please, can it… Having a flaw but never having it pointed out is useless. And above all, it adds to the feeling that Zia is flawless since when she is in the wrong, the series IGNORES it.

Here, it's the end of my post. I'd like to hear what you think. I'd like a little positivity for my opinion on this series. 🇬🇧

🇫🇷 Bonjour, tout le monde ! En regardant la Saison 4, je me suis demandé si Zia n'était pas un perso creux.

Avant toute chose, je précise que j'apprécie Zia; elle est quand même plus agréable que son cher et tendre …

Mais mon problème avec elle, c’est que je trouve qu'elle manque de défauts par rapport à Esteban et Tao. Esteban est impulsif et Tao a un peu trop confiance en lui … On pourrait se dire que sa méfiance de Mendoza peut à la limite compter mais je dirais plus que c'est un changement entraîné par la propre évolution de Mendoza. Ce manque de " failles " me saute surtout aux yeux dans les Saisons 2 à 4, particulièrement la 4.

En Saison 4, Tao et Esteban ont leur propres développements : Tao doit regagner confiance en lui après l'incident de Lalibela et Esteban doit arrêter son obsession de vaincre Ambro-Zarès pour ne plus éloigner ses proches.

Zia ? Elle … Obtient la télékinésie et est apparemment choisie par le Bako. Je trouve pas que ce soit un développement car, au niveau de son caractère, elle n'a rien à " dépasser " : pas de défauts ou de peurs. Au lieu de ça, elle a un gain de puissance sans rien faire, une " divinisation " gratuite. Ça tient surtout au fait que son arche est externe, contrairement à ceux d'Esteban et Tao qui sont internes. Mais pour moi, cette destinée magico-mystico-mythique est pas très satisfaisante, elle n'a pas d'évolution, n'a rien à " apprendre ".

Et il y a bien un moment où elle montre un défaut : son départ du village Lenje pour la quête du Bako (dans l'épisode 10 de la Saison 4).

Pour rappel, elle part à la recherche du Bako après sa dispute avec Esteban. On va pas parler du fait qu'Esteban ait agit en odieux et arrogant crétin … Je veux me pencher sur la réaction de Zia. D'abord, elle remet Esteban en place, ce d'on avait besoin depuis 10 épisodes. Ensuite, elle prend le Condor pour chercher le Bako. Et là, ça coince pour moi.

Qu'Esteban subisse des conséquences pour son comportement de cerveau de pois chiche ? OK. Mais y a pas qu'Esteban qui est affecté par le départ de Zia : Zia coince Esteban ainsi que Mendoza, Sancho et Pedro au village Lenje en prenant le Condor. Elle a agi de manière égoïste et impulsive, elle n'a pensé qu'à elle-même (même si elle ne voulait pas nuire). C'est donc un défaut !

Mais … Ce moment d'égoïsme ne marche pas pour moi car

1) Zia n'est PAS égoïste de base. Ce moment d'égoïsme ne lui ressemble donc pas.

2) L'égoïsme de cet acte n'est JAMAIS interpellé. Au lieu de ça, on a la matriarche du village Lenje qui nous dit que Zia est " forte ". Madame, taisez-vous, s’il vous plaît … Avoir un défaut sans qu'il ne soit jamais interpellé, c'est inutile. Et surtout, ça renforce cette impression que Zia n'a pas de défaut vu que quand elle agit mal, la série l'IGNORE.

Voilà, c'est la fin de mon poste. J'aimerais bien entendre vos avis. Je souhaiterais un peu de positivité dans mon opinion sur la série. 🇫🇷

[queats]

I feel like your claim is defended easier if we ignore season 1. Of course, when you make an argument we normally look at the entirety of the show unless the argument itself is about a specific season. Not sure if that’s what you’re going for but I will talk about season 1 anyway.

Firstly, you correctly identified the kids’ flaws: Esteban is impulsive and Tao is overconfident. Both have to overcome these challenges at some point during the show. But for Zia, it’s less clear. In season 1, it seems like her biggest issue is distrust (not only towards Mendoza). She only sees things in black or white: people are either only good or only bad, no in between. In the same vein, for her, white people are only bad. However, she learns this isn’t the case as the episodes go on. I think it’s a personal belief she gets over and not something based on Mendoza’s evolution, because it stems from the trauma she faced as a child. It’s only once she sees more of the world that she (and the other kids) realize people are more complicated then they initially thought (and not just Europeans).

You seem to only talk about season 4 but I think that would be unfair for Zia, since it’s the season where she develops the least (that could still be seen as a problem though). But let’s look into season 4 anyway. I think Zia has to learn how to trust in herself. That might be why she gets powers. Remember how she was like in season 1. Although she was always brave, she often needed to be saved (by Mendoza or Esteban). It’s like she had the damsel in distress role and didn’t contribute much. Thanks to her relationship with the kids, she could feel more confident in the world (her existence is no longer a fight for survival in an alien culture). Her powers might symbolize that even better. She can use them to fight and protect her friends, who have been protecting her since this whole time. The scene with the invisible bridge is a perfect example where Zia says just that, almost word for word. It’s her time to look out for everyone, thanks to the love and sense of security they gave her. These might not be your typical “personal flaws” but I still think these events changed her in some ways (hard to tell exactly how cause she’s still very young) and still lead into her own personal arc.

More about her powers. I don’t think she just “gets them”. We know she can speak to animals, that has been hinted at way back since season 1. Like the scene where Esteban says that animals seem to understand what Zia is saying. Or when Zia reveals she has a connection with animals since she raised a condor. Furthermore, her powers aren’t just a clutch to get them out of situations. Sometimes they don’t work. The best example I can think of is the gorilla scene. Despite Zia talking to them, they still wanted to murder the team. Next, there’s her telekinesis powers, which again, didn’t appear out of the blue. She needed to use the sundagatt crowns first, then practice on her own for a while until she got the hang of it. Esteban never really needed to practice calling to the sun.

Next, you talked about her leaving the village for the Bako as a moment of selfishness or a flaw and I don’t think it’s right word for that at all.

First, the person in the wrong here is Esteban. We know this because the show makes it obvious. Mendoza gently discusses the issue with Esteban to make him realize he treated Zia badly. Next, we need to realize that Zia going for the Bako was not selfish, they NEEDED to do that! They needed the Bako! They were going to go for it anyway! The problem here is that no one in the team (not just Esteban, but the others too) were all caught up in the fight between Esteban and temba. The 5 of them ought to have gone together, but they weren’t in a rush. So Zia goes by herself, which is valid because of how angry she was. She felt ignored so of course she won’t wait for them to come.

The problem the gang has with this is that she went alone. And why are they upset she went alone? Because they’re afraid she’ll be in danger (Mendoza’s main concern is that she went to kilwa alone). But Zia successfully completed her mission, proving she is not that girl that needs to be protected all the time (like in season 1). It’s good to be reminded that she can do stuff on her own.

Zia was not thinking about herself in this scene. In fact she was the ONLY one thinking about the others! She didn’t get the Bako for herself to use. They needed to bring it to all the African villages (something Esteban didn’t really want to do).

You also said that by taking the condor, she stranded the others in the village (for like a day, by the way). But where else did they have to go??? What would they need the condor for??? They weren’t trapped in a harsh wasteland. They were among friends in a nice, kind village. They were chilling.

Finally, you say the selfishness of her action is never called out. I’ve already explained how her action was not selfish, but let’s assume for a moment it is. If it was, you would be right to say she never gets called out for it. But we need to remember that very often, most characters don’t get called out for their bad behaviour anyway.

The best example I have is Mendoza. He did horrible things in season 1. He robbed Esteban of his medallion, kidnapped Zia, flooded a village for money, betrayed the gang (many times), just to name a few. Not once does he apologize. Not once is he reminded of what he did. Not once does he seem to regret anything! It’s like everyone forgot what happened! So as long as Mendoza doesn’t have to pay retribution for all that stuff he did, I think we can ignore Zia attempting to drive the plot forward by herself for once.

To conclude, I don’t think Zia is “flawless”. Her issues are just different and less obvious. Your complaint is valid though, but too often I’ve seen people judge female characters for small misdemeanours when male characters get off Scot free after doing even worse things.

[thunderbirds-tracy-island]

[abbykmtr-13]

"Spider-Man New York Stories: The Fashion Consultant" ✨️ A funny and lighthearted Spider-Man and The Nanny crossover story, by yours truly✨️

A story for the 90's people! In case you don't know, The Nanny was a 90s TV show, starring Fran Drescher, which took place in New York! So... of course I had to write this.

I started this story almost a year ago 😭✨️ I need to be faster when making comics HAHAHAAHHS

You can read it here or in my zine!

[sabastet13]

Episode 11 - Esteban and Tao's friendship

I’ve said before that the two boys have come closer to each other, and that Tao has already become a close friend of Esteban by episodes 8/9, but I’d like to come back to that point.

(best accidental screenshot I've taken in a long time)

From episode 6, when they first meet, to episode 14, when they finally seem to reconcile and work things out, their relationship is complicated. Their first encounter was already quite tense: between Zia’s kidnapping and the moment Tao accidentally shot Esteban with Mendoza’s gun, it took some effort to bring the two boys together. As we can see in episode 6, it’s Esteban’s friendliness and bravery that manages to break Tao’s initial distrust towards him and the Spaniards. Even if they didn’t get along at the start, Esteban defended Tao against Mendoza and went to help him when he was stuck under the rock in the temple. Episode 7 shows how the voyage aboard the Solaris brought them closer together, with Esteban pranking Tao and chatting with him, but also helping him to discover the ship’s secrets.

Their relationship is kinda put to the test in episode 8, when Esteban drags Tao along to free Zia. They end up lost in the underground passage and this leads to a brief argument between them. They manage to escape and return to the ship in the end, but this first confrontation shows us how different they are and how it can impact their friendship. They are once again bickering in episode 9 when the Solaris is attacked by the San Miguel, but their opposition culminates with episode 11. Tao seems to already be in a bad mood at the start of the episode, complaining constantly about their trip. Once again, Esteban’s “idea” of hurtling down a hill leads to a quick argument, and they quarrel with each other when they get close to the river. Finally, when Zia seems to lose hope of finding her village again, Tao’s bad mood comes back up, and Esteban cuts him off to defend Zia. All this bickering underlines well that their friendship is still new and that they’re not used to each other yet.

Episodes 12, 13 and 14 are where their friendship truly solidifies. Episode 12 is the first one in which we can see the three kids cooperate together to put Tao’s plan into action and save the Incans. This feels like a big step forward, as their teamwork indeed helps the Incans to repel Gomez's attack. Episode 13 also highlights Esteban and Tao’s bond, with both boys bathing and playing in the water (one of the few times when they really get to act like kids in the first season). Tao and Zia also encourage and help Esteban to learn more about his past, going as far as climbing the mountain with him to meet Mayucca. Even though Tao is reluctant at first, he tags along and quickly becomes more invested in Esteban’s quest. This finally culminates in episode 14, where Esteban tries to leave the Machu Picchu without his friends and ends up stuck in the middle of the rope bridge. Tao is the first one to think about this obstacle, and even if he makes fun of him at the start, he comes to help him cross it. Tao tries to convince Esteban to come back, but as Esteban insists he gives up and accepts to help him retrieve the missing half of his medallion. This little quest really strengthens their friendship, and from here the two boys don't argue nearly as much as they did at the beginning (I think that they bicker once or twice in the second half of the show, but it’s more playful and anecdotal than it is in the episode 8 or 11).

The dynamic between Esteban and Tao is nice to follow because they don’t magically become friends right after their first meeting. As I’ve mentioned, they didn’t start well and they often argue with each other. However, they manage to gradually get along thanks to all the adventures they share, and their bond grows stronger with every trial they face.

Their dynamic was also explored in an interesting way in season 2: Esteban’s Atlantean origin was a nice addition to the original material and was enough to threaten his relationship with Tao. It was well executed and well resolved: in the same spirit as season one, it’s nice to see the two boys get along again through the challenges they face together (in that case, Zares’ attack against the three sailors, if I remember correctly).

One word about Tao and Zia: they obviously grow closer more quickly than Esteban and Tao do. Thanks to the prophecy, Tao trusts her from the beginning, and Zia quickly befriends him. Their near-death experience in episode 9, with the destruction of the Solaris, probably helped as well. It was also a good idea to give Zia a Muan heritage, which strengthened her bond with Tao (However, I’ve never really been fan of the semi-romantic subplot that they tried to introduce at the start of season 3, and I’m glad they didn’t try to push it for too long. Tao and Zia are very much like siblings, just like Esteban and Tao end up being over the course of their adventure).

And because I can't resist, some good moments between them:

[love-me-some-mcog]

Mysterious Cities of Gold S04E13

Laffin'

[thunderbirds-tracy-island]

"Thanks, Brains!"

[chaltimbanque]

Nouveau petit fanart de Mendoza et Bébésteban lors du voyage de Magellan, après le sauvetage du petit garçon et avant qu'il ne soit confié aux moines de la cathédrale de Barcelone. Un moment de tendresse et de complicité entre ces deux personnages, qui profitent d'une mer paisible dans le nid de pie du navire. Esteban n'était pas encore sujet au vertige ! ^^

« Aucun ennemi, aucune femme ne nous donne autant que lui la sensation du combat, ne nous force à tant de prévoyance, car il est le maître de la mer, celui qu’on peut éviter, utiliser ou fuir, mais qu’on ne dompte jamais. Et dans l’âme du marin règne, comme chez les croyants, l’idée d’un Dieu irascible et formidable, la crainte mystérieuse, religieuse, infinie du vent, et le respect de sa puissance.»

Guy de Maupassant Sur l’eau, Paul Ollendorff éditeur, 1888

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New fanart of Mendoza and baby Esteban (or Bébésteban, as I like to nickname him in French) during Magellan's voyage, after the baby was rescued and before Mendoza entrusted the monks in Barcelona with the little boy's life and education. A moment of tenderness and complicity between these two characters, as they enjoy a peaceful sea in the crow's nest of the ship. Esteban was not yet subject to vertigo. ^^

[sabastet13]

Episode 9 - The destruction of the Solaris

Episode 9 is probably one of my favourite episodes (if not my favourite, judging by the fact that I know at least 80% of its dialogue by heart). From the chase between the Solaris and the San Miguel to the destruction of both ships to save the Incans, it encapsulates all the qualities of the show. I’ll try to only focus on the last scene of the episode, when the Solaris explodes.

It’s funny that Esteban is the one left behind for once: on any other occasion, he’s the first to get into trouble or rush to the rescue. Here, he’s forced to watch Zia surrender to the Spaniards and then he’s totally broken when it seems that they’ve disappeared. We can assume that Zia and Tao have already become very close to him: he’s spent more than five months at Zia’s side, and he’s growing closer to Tao (from gaining his trust in episode 6 to helping him / seeking trouble with him in both episode 8/9). They’re probably the first friends of his own age he's ever had and they may have become inseparable already. Esteban would’ve preferred to be on the ship with them rather than staying on the beach.

When it seems that all is lost, he finds refuge in Mendoza’s arms. For once, even the navigator is affected by the situation. He genuinely seems upset for Zia and Tao and tries to comfort Esteban (look how Sancho is also looking after him!). Mendoza’s also the first one to notice the pyramid coming out of the water and to rejoice at the sight of the two children alive. It’s heartwarming to see everyone light up when Zia and Tao appear, especially Esteban’s reaction.

As for the two of them, this scene also sets their character. Zia’s determination and fierceness is shown once more when she decides to surrender to Gomez to save her friends. She’s willing to suffer – or even die – into the hands of Pizarro if it means they’re safe. Once in the “cockpit” of the Solaris, she faces the same choice: pull the red lever and destroy both ships to save the village, even if she’s not sure they’ll both survive it, or stay safely inside but let everyone die. She shows her quick-thinking and it’s nice to see her take the initiative for once. It’s funny to see her come up with a plan while Tao is totally petrified. It would have been nice to see then act together more often in the show (the only other time I can recall is when Esteban is paralyzed by the Olmecs, but they don’t do much).

Tao is facing his own dilemma. While Zia makes her choice quickly and would rather die saving everyone than do nothing, he’s stuck between saving everyone and protecting the Solaris, his legacy. From the beginning, we know how proud Tao is of Mu’s legacy and how important this ship is to him. In his mind, the Solaris was more than a ship: we can assume that he grew up knowing its legend, and that he’s been waiting a long time to find it and use it to leave the Galapagos. The Solaris is also the first big real proof of his ancestors’ genius as well as his ticket towards the Cities of Gold. His objection to Zia’s plan might seem childish regarding the situation, but it’s understandable. On another note, it’s also funny to see him face a problem he’ll have to confront several times throughout the show. While here he’s reluctant to destroy the ship, his better understanding of his ancestors’ legacy and of the threat it might pose make him evolve into someone who would rather bury the Cities or the knowledge of Mu than see it used by bad people (from the Olmecs to Ambrosius in the next seasons).

Finally, let’s talk again about Mendoza. While episode 8 reminded us how sly and clever he can be, this scene underlines his attachment to the children and his role as a father figure for Esteban. Of course, his character development is just beginning, and he comes back to his old habits in episode 10 (becoming cold and pressing Zia to show them the road to the Cities of Gold). But it’s still nice to see his evolution step-by-step.

Since I don’t really have a conclusion this time, I just wanna list the awesome things that can be seen in this episode:

Zia holding on to Mendoza when the Solaris is first attacked by the San Miguel

Pedro trying to row slowly and pretending he doesn’t know how to do it. Also, Sancho and Pedro making fun of Alvarez.

The general incompetence of the Spaniards (with a special mention for Alvarez) and Gomez losing his mind aboard the San Miguel

The cute goodbye scene between Esteban and Zia, which is the closest hint of romance we get in the first season.

The destruction of the Solaris, while heartbreaking, is freaking cool.

Am I using this as an excuse to post more pictures of the episode ? Maybe...

[poetryofapollo]

Now I very much agree that Odysseus and Telemachus do indeed have a very interesting dynamic in their own right, however I also feel like the larger fandom is sleeping heavily on Telemachus and Penelope's relationship.

Because imagine this — Telemachus is an infant, barely five months old, perhaps six, and he is crying. He is crying, and his father is gone and he cannot sense him and his Mother does not hold him either; she has the nurses rock him to sleep, but they are unfamiliar and he keeps crying and his Mother too sobs behind another door, both of them longing for a man who is not there.

Then he is five, he is five years old and one of his earliest memories is seeing his Mother obsess over a tapestry, spending days weaving and weaving and refusing to either sleep nor eat. Sometimes he finds that she has torn whole sections of it away, several times even. She murmurs to herself that his eyes are not right, that his visage is not properly captured. He does not understand anything. He is only five, but his Mother has started forgetting his Father's face and her obsession goes on for weeks.

Then he is eight, he is eight and he wakes up one morning to find that his Mother had locked herself in her bedchambers again. She had been fine yesterday, she had been happy yesterday —and she had promised to go play with him in the beach but her door is shut and Eurynome gently implores him to leave her alone. He does not want to. He does so anyway. He knew how these days played out by now — he just needed to wait for a day or three. Sometimes a week. But she always returned eventually.

Telemachus is nine. Everyone calls him his father's son. Everyone says he has his father's visage. He spends hours at the mirror, amazed by their compliments yes, but also looking for something — anything — that was part of his Mother within him. He is disappointed when he realizes he can scarcely find anything.

Then Telemachus is ten, Telemachus is ten and the war is over at last and his grandfather almost collapses when he hears the news and his grandmother cries and his mother smiles and they wait and wait and wait —

And the celebrations slow. Diminish into nothing at all. They continue to wait. Two months. Six. A year. Two years —

Then in the mere blink of an eye, Telemachus is twelve. Telemachus is twelve, and they have waited for two years now and his father still has yet to return. His Mother insists she waits still, though her sorrowful cycles return and his grandparents stay away in their secluded estate in the countryside and one morning, they find his grandmother beneath Ithaca's cliffs.

Telemachus is still twelve, his grandmother is dead, and the grief suffocates him like a noose. They say she must have fallen, but Telemachus is twelve and Telemachus was young but he was not a fool. How could he be? He was the son of Penelope. He is the son of Penelope, and he wakes after a nightmare one night and wanders the halls in search of his Mother. He hears her confess then, to one of the handmaidens, that she could understand why his grandmother had done what she did.

He clings to her harder the next morning. The next day. The next few weeks. When she finally asks why, he simply cannot answer.

Then, in another blink, Telemachus is fourteen. He is fourteen, and suitors have started invading their palace, calling for his Mother's hand. When the first of them arrive she wounds herself by shattering a mirror. The sight had nearly terrified him to the arms of Thanatos. There are bandages on her hands the next morning. Mother does not say a word about it. Neither does Telemachus.

Then he is sixteen, he is sixteen and his home, his beloved island, is being ravaged by wolves and he hates it and he hates it and he hates that his Mother still waits and waits and allows this to happen to their kingdom, his kingdom —

He brings up the idea of him taking the throne one night during dinner. His Mother, who had scarcely taken even a bite by that point, suddenly stops eating and tells him no. He insists. She leaves. She does not speak to him for a week and he too is furious.

He is nineteen now, nineteen and older and the suitors are getting more violent and he cannot bear to leave the palace because his Mother is no longer safe, she has not been safe for years. All he wishes to do is protect her. She refuses, say upon her throne, as stubborn as ever. It is for Odysseus. It has always been for Odysseus. He still spends most nights hating the knowledge that if she would have to choose between him and Odysseus, it would always be the latter.

Telemachus is twenty. He and Penelope argue most days, she spends others weeping. A goddess comes to him and insists that he go find his father. The only reason he is able to leave is because surely a goddess, this goddess who his Mother revered and who guided him now, would keep her safe.

Then Telemachus is twenty still, and Lady Athena was right and his father is home and it has been a week and they are partaking in the morning meal together. It is a peaceful day. He has not had a peaceful day in years.

Then suddenly — his father makes a jest, one that slips past him in truth, though it is not the jest that makes him still, it is that Penelope starts laughing, and he has not heard her laugh in years and even on the rare occasions she used to do so, he does not think he has ever heard her laugh so genuinely, so brightly.

Telemachus is twenty. His mother is laughing, and when he looks at her he feels as if he is looking at a stranger.

[comicaurora]

Do you have any advice for coming up with non-main-plot hijinks? In my writing, I find that my long stories tend to have too straightforward plots, without complications and smaller problems to help with characterization and stuff

Complications and smaller problems are a natural consequence of your characters being characters and not just plot-executing automatons. If your characters feel too married to the plot to have non-plot wants and needs, it might be worth going into your mind-palace and asking them a few questions:

What do you do when nothing needs doing? How do you relax? CAN you relax?

How do you handle peace? Do you enjoy it? Do you trust it? Do you look for distractions, or for threats?

What would you be doing if the plot wasn't in the way? Have you ever really thought about it?

Now that things have slowed down a little, how do you feel about the stuff that just happened? Do you need to talk about it?

I'm the writer, so I know what's coming next, but you don't. What uncertainties are currently preying on your mind? Do you want to do anything to resolve them? How do you handle it if you can't?

What goals do you personally have that aren't shared with the rest of your crew? Do you have an opportunity to pursue that right now? Do you think anyone else in the crew might want to help you with that?

The camera mostly focuses on the important plot beats, but what do you do when the camera's off? What's your morning routine? What do you do for dinner? What does a Normal Day look like when the plot's not intruding?

The events of the plot typically put the characters into a reactive state, responding to outside circumstances and problems. What do they do when they're in an active state with nothing to react to? How do they want to steer themselves when they're given the choice?

[chaltimbanque]

Summer is here, and that means stargazing season is upon us. And who better to guide you through nightime observation than an accomplished navigator? ⭐

I might use that piece for a small fanfic, but in the meantime, just enjoy the picture. ^^

[lescitesdorytb]

Aujourd'hui, 29 juin, est une date mythique pour tous les aventuriers ! Il y a tout juste 44 ans, en 1982, Esteban, Zia et Tao sont partis à l'aventure pour la première fois, diffusée au Japon sur la chaîne NHK

Joyeux anniversaire à cette œuvre culte qui continue de faire rêver toutes les générations ! ✨

[sabastet13]

Episode 8 - Introducing Pizarro

Pizarro is the main antagonist of the first arc: he’s been mentioned since episode one and his soldiers remain the main threat for nearly 20 episodes (the Spaniards are then replaced by Marinche and the Doctor during the quest for the manuscripts, and then the show introduces the Olmecs, who are the last villains). Even if the Olmecs are pure evil and the duo Marinche/the Doctor is the most dangerous and cunning of the lot, Pizarro holds a special place in the journey of the children. He’s the one who attacked Puna and kidnapped Zia; he’s also the one who asked Gomez to kidnap her once more and to bring her back to Lima. He only appears physically in three episodes (8,10,19) but his presence is felt throughout the first arc of the show.

Pizarro is first mentioned by Gomez in episode 2, when he informs Gaspard of the orders of the governor and explains why Zia is important to him. In a few lines, we already know what kind of man Pizarro is: greedy, dangerous and short-tempered. Gomez, who appeared as a mysterious and menacing figure until then (he has a few interactions with Perez and Mendoza, which gives us a glimpse of his slyness), is afraid of the reaction of the governor if they don’t bring him Zia. And seeing a man like Gomez being “afraid” of someone else already establishes how threatening Pizarro is. We can already sense the conflict to come: Pizarro yearns for more gold and expects Zia to lead him to the fabulous cities of gold; while she has shown (and will say many times throughout the show) that she won’t tell her people’s secrets, won’t lead the Spaniards to anything, and would rather die than help a man like Pizarro.

Pizarro is mentioned once more in episode 7, when Gaspard and Gomez discuss the loss of Zia and of the Esperanza. Once again, they refer to his greediness and his bad temper, which are also the first things that appear when we meet him in episode 8.

The show does a really good job of introducing every villain, and Pizarro is no exception. We first meet his soldiers, then we discover his fortress and the treatment he reserves for the Incans under his rule. Then, we finally see him, after waiting 8 episodes: we still can’t see his face, but he’s just as menacing as we imagined.

He’s speaking to his gold, enjoying the prize of his conquest. He states once more that gold is everything for him: nothing else matters. When Alvarez interrupts Pizarro, he’s annoyed at first, but the mention of Gomez’s expedition and of a young Incan immediately catches his attention.

This leads to the first confrontation between Pizarro and the children. It’s interesting to see their reaction: Zia would easily be the most scared of the group (which, knowing her past with him, is understandable). Pizarro is terrifying: he's disproportionned, talks loudly and has this mad expression when he asks her to translate the quipu.

Mendoza’s reaction may be the best to observe: he’s the one who asked to meet Pizarro, and yet he’s oddly quiet for a long time. He’s the one who recognizes Pizarro, as he straightens up and formally addresses him by his full titles. You can sense the same “fear” or deference in his tone as in Gomez’s. You can almost tell that Mendoza is intimidated by Pizarro and that he knows he’d better play his cards right if he wants to escape and keep everyone alive. That’s why he’s acting strange, staying silent for once and only talking respectfully to Pizarro. The only other time we had seen him act like that was when he convinced Perez and Gomez to let him keep Esteban and Zia under his protection. Yet, he knew how to play with Perez and which buttons to push to get what he wanted. With Pizarro, he’s forced to "play dumb" and cautiously offer to interrogate Zia. Mendoza’s reaction gives the same impression as the discourse of Gomez from episode 2: it asserts Pizarro as a powerful authority figure which can be a formidable threat if crossed.

I’ll probably make another post about their other encounter with Pizarro in episode 19, because there’s a lot to say about it as well, but I really think episode 8 nailed the introduction of the governor. On the other hand, it also reinforces Mendoza’s character: this episode is the first one where we really see his cunningness in action. At first, he seems to betray the children by asking to see Pizarro and pleading to interrogate Zia for him. Then, when he’s gained a relative trust from the Spaniards, he comes up with an emergency plan to free the boys, the sailors and the Incans, while he is busy freeing Zia from her tower. All of this happens right under Pizarro’s nose, who underestimated him and pays dearly for it. By the way, we see that the governor has learned how to treat Mendoza in episode 19, because this time he doesn’t let him speak or do anything and tries to keep him away from the Condor (of course, Mendoza being Mendoza, Pizarro’s plan fails, but that’s not the point).