#reaction'd

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The Witcher S2: [A Grain of Truth] Yen's dead.

The Witcher S1: It took 5 minutes for the lies to start. Why did I expect anything else from a place held together by bull****?

[mantra4ia]

I just watched Handmaid's Tale "The Crossing" 4x03 (Reaction'd - Spoiler free).

You could feel it like a low rumble. Janine hums about the railroad.

Six handmaids and one aunt.

I can't get out of bed. Big ugly tears.

Not during what happened, that was pure shock.

It was the red center afterward. The daisy chain. Sarah, Elie, Brianna, Alma, Janine, Moira, June.

June couldn't get to where she is without everyone. Their choices. Their failures. Their sacrifices. That's her power, marshalling those choices to a purpose in motion that remains in motion (like a mirror to Joseph and Gilead). Bigger than her, evolving around her, crashing in front of her.

We learned to whisper. In the semi darkness, we learned to lipread.

I can't get out of bed.

Big ugly tears.

[mantra4ia]

Lucifer 6x04 “Pin The Tail On The Daddy” Reaction’d

“You abandoned me.” They’re really going to beat this horse.

So one minute angel-baby wants to kill him and the next minute she flies away? That tracks. Wot?

I bet Dan feels guilty for abandoning Trixie…just if we’re running with the father-daughter guilt theme we should definitely go and examine that. Hm? Crickets? Okay.

Oh look at Lucifer’s face…he can’t lie, so he’s definitely not telling Dan something about why he left Dan in purgatory. Gotta be better than something worse.

“Why does everyone think that beam me up is a thing?” Because you’re a self-proclaimed cheesy Penelope Decker sci-fi nerd, Lucifer. It’s not that big of a stretch.

“Need I remind you of your nephew?"PS: where’s Charlie?

"Who wants to visit the 90s? Frosted tips, dial up, Creed?” Now that’s truth in a one-liner, as someone who's formative youth was the 90s in a love-hate way. Also, what a hell of a long intro.

Why have we turned Dan into the butt of every joke except calling him a d-bag? I appreciate the Kevin's comedic chops, but I feel like this writing is derivative.

Okay, this trip down sexscapades memory lane and old relationship insecurities is getting stale AF.

Amenadiel and Lucifer clearly inherited share as much artistic skill as Chloe inherited a singing voice.

Hahaha, Maze can absolutely see Dan. She’s torturing him.

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT…WE CAN’T REVISIT A PRIEST IN A BAR BUT WE CAN GET A RABBI IN AN ORGY IN MIAMI. I’M O-V-E-R IT.

Dan-diel-ion is BACK, thank the celestials, one redeeming thing in this sh*tshow.

I’m telling you, make Dan an angel because this non-corporeal ghost thing ain’t cutting it.

Two secrets in one episode, devil needs to get back on the couple’s therapy couch.

First-lady-to-all-things tag-team fight against backwater bad guys? Okay, two redeeming things about this episode.

“I plan to be a boots-on-the-ground type of god” Yes, I dig it!

“We” will figure it out. Huge props to a blended, atypical celestial family with all my love.

That Trixie breakdown scene with Dan watching at the window feels so out of place in the editing. Is that all we get?!

“I can’t carry you back even if I wanted to.” there’s that omitted truth.

“She’s my daughter.” Look, not to diminish the whole angel-daughter storyline… But Lucifer already has a daughter that he shares with his blended angel-mortal Deckerstar-Espinoza hella-hyphenated family. Her name is Trixie, he would do anything to protect that little urchin, and I feel like this whole storyline is a substitution for the fact that we’ve only seen her for 30 seconds so far this season and I don’t like it one bit.

Trixie’s asleep for the familial angelic reveal?! Supreme, utter, nonsensical b*******!

2.5/10 DETECTIVES!

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Debris 1x11: Continued questions and observations at random

I wanted to clear the air before ep 12.

How many different kinds/magnitudes of vector suits does Orbital have? We've seen the plain orange, the Vector Twos, the ones that actually look like space suits...do they have the equivalent to an explosive ordinance suit?

Also, was is maxed out on the Laghari spectrum (past 1000, are we going super Saiyan at some point?), and is it akin to radiation where above a certain level, prolonged exposure has a negative effect on physiology?

Anyone else find it suspicious that Garcia would just give George his phone and van for a cross country trip, and that George the savant says "I can't concentrate" just to get his daughter off the phone to stop questioning him? Did he knock Garcia out with a shovel and stick him in the back or something? Is that even George or Sebastian Roche in disguise?

Seriously what is with the aluminum foil at this point?!? Are you worried about microwaves or Laghari waves and/or debris' potential influence on thoughts and memory? Tangential question: if Influx revived George using debris, does that interaction means that a part of George's consciousness is backed up to the hive mind, or only those who the debris reciprocates a connection with get their consciousness accessed?

Which piece of debris did Maddox take out of inventory through paperless back channel so that it couldn’t be traced back to him? Is it for personal use, or is he sharing research with foreign powers?

So the more I hear this Laghari fellow's name dropped in this series, the more I get suspicious that he didn't have an ordinary "stroke." I feel like some very human foul play occured before he could expand on the theory that the debris pieces are connected, and they are attempting to use people in fragmented ways to find the "ball of light" — potentially a power source(?) or maybe a star meant as a navigational point of reference (?) for the debris while it was still a fully functional spacecraft.

Let’s talk about Mariel reciting Bryan’s memories of conversations — some of it’s kosher and some of it seems a little odd. Like when she references  “A01 highway, (mgrs) coordinates, Operation Falcon target Al-Malik, movie night after DFac (dining hall)... Jensen, Frenchie, I'm going to miss you when you're gone (send off words with his mom),” all that tracks. But there’s a few bits that are less clear: a) brown paper folder, b) moon dust everywhere, and c) Beneventi stand back, if you do that then we'll get along very well, very, very, very, well. I don’t think the folder or moondust is ever explained, and the last part is just weird syntax compared to the previous conversations. Seems like either the collective consciousness of the debris is communicating directly with Bryan OR someone with a powerful fragment (Influx?) is taking advantage of the collective communication attributes to reach out and perhaps manipulate Bryan.

In his memories of the tour, is Maddox bleeding through from another memory as Bryan gets shocked and that was really someone else watching Bryan in the bunker, or is that the debris communicating with him directly? aka "I've been watching you for a while Bryan."

There’s also a big of monologue that I didn’t catch when Bryan first goes unconscious. Mariel says something like “guess you've got a new goal/ guy with all the answers,” or maybe “I need answers”? Unclear if significant.

"I think the debris experiencing us in the same way we're experiencing it." THIS IS A GREAT QUOTE to ruminate on. If we as people are experiencing debris in fragments and collect it for what Maddox described early on as an ‘arms race,’ then the debris is experiencing humanity in fragments and doesn’t know what to make of us yet. AND, if a true mirror to us, this implies that Finola had an accurate point: debris is here for a reason. But if Influx is making it into an arms race like in Earthshine, and Orbital is experimenting on it as their reasoning, then what purpose is it using us for / doing to us? Example 1x04 - Was terraforming a conscious effort at experimentation with us?

[mantra4ia]

Oh Poldark season 5, what have you done? (Poldark Reaction'd)

I'm sorry that I've just gotten around to season 5, but the story pacing is wretched. Debbie Horsfield breaks my heart.

On the bright side:

Jack Farthing as George Warleggan has a stellar season.

Valentine, Caroline, and Morwena steal the show.

Elizabeth's cameo, though strange, was a nice touch of nostalgia.

The **** slavery and **** racism energy make me feel delightful.

Demelza 5x08 interrupting Ross' spy game and his face: amazing.

"Do you think I might try to poison you / I wouldn't rule it out," was on the nose, but even still, I can appreciate a good one-liner between George and Ross.

Robin Ellis and Aidan Turner on screen together in the last episode Poldark to Poldark, how incredibly brilliant! "I wonder you are so ill acquainted with the law as to hold it in contempt. Your servant sir - And yours." It almost makes up for the frantic trying of ends in the season. Almost.

Personal moments of petty anger:

It was a sore, SORE mistake not to base the season on Winston Graham source material. It's audible in the writing.

Tess can stumble all the way off. How in the world did they spend that much time on her!

I need more Prudie dammit. She's one of the characters who has been steadfast since season 1, she deserved far more screen time. They did her dirty. Verity too.

That saber duel was theatrically terrible. It seemed like they only put it in as a reprise to Ned and Ross fencing, and that was just as bad. It would be comical if it was not depressing.

Demelza's heartbreak and subsequent renewal of faith in Ross in 22 minutes (19:00-41:00) on 5x08. "I should never have kept things from you." Ross Poldark character regression from four seasons ago, coupled with the Demelza's fond narration of the dog fight in season 1. It's all just too much telegraphing, a forced tool of PACING! God 5x08 was a scramble.

What was the point of Geoffrey Charles and Cecily? Again pacing. What is the literal bloody point? I like Geoffrey Charles, I hate the purpose he serves in season 5.

The stakes are so convoluted among all the spy intrigue. The dynamic between George and Ross for example that is central to Poldark and where a lot of story fondness is invested, got shoved to the back burner unceremoniously. So very diluted.

Apart from Elizabeth's cameo, the throwbacks to previous seasons, the fawning, the service, was too heavy-handed. The best service you could do for these characters is move the story forward over an adequate length of time.

The Caroline, Kitty, Dwight tensions. Again, problems with pace. Catherine Despard was a cool character, but I feel like she was rushed along after her husband's death. I detest when they turn a character who is interesting, and could be developed, into an auxiliary. Quite frankly she was far more interesting to watch then Ned Despard.

"Ross, you will come back." Except that's a cruel, cruel joke because he won't. Ross and Demelza's dialogue is too neatly packaged for a final season and signal an ongoing journey that won't come to pass and screen. "The past is gone," could have fooled me "and tomorrow doesn't exist" well there you have it right. Despite whatever articles tease, I cannot wait 10 years for the possibility of a 6th season that may never be.

I wish they had planned this conclusion out over the course of two seasons, or extended season 5 to accommodate all the ambitions of added character storylines.

All in all, despite the fact that I don't think season 5 was a proper end for what was condensed into eight episodes, I will desperately miss this Poldark cast.

"All that matters is now."

Why, Poldark, why?!

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Yen: I can not only guess the age and breed of your horse but also it's color by the smell. (1x05)

Elapsed time (that scent, the moment I dread most every time you leave is when it fades)

Yen: if the choice had been yours, what would you have done instead? A farmer, a stableman? (1x06)

Colorful words:

I find it interesting how Yennifer's curiosity has changed, evolved off-screen between two episodes. She and Geralt are still getting to know each other based on the questions she's asking him (ie: do you hurt), though it's clear that they've had a series of fleeting nights/on-and-off-again stays together, each time learning a little more of each other. But she seems not to have told him of her past before Aretuza. She brushed off his question, "What was your ailment before?" and "Judging by your wrists and your wits, your childhood was very happy." However within that same episode, Bottled Appetites, Geralt seems to call back unpleasant experiences of chores on the farm and being forced to sleep in the barn, likely by her stepfather. Hence why she makes a pointedly expert, colorful remark on the smell of Roach; a remark colored by her childhood memories.

However when we get to Rare Species, Yen questions Geralt in good spirits, cajolingly, and again she does not bring up her past on the farm. But by her change in demeanor she's softened to Geralt's lifestyle almost as though reflective hindsight has warmed her memories because of him.

Conversely, when Geralt confronts Yen about fertility cures and wanting a baby in Rare Species, that dialogue is also colored by his past — regarding Vissena and abandonment— a tone seeping into his words. "You, a mother? A child, what could you possibly want? This lifestyle isn't suited to a child. You were going to summon chaos between feeding and naps?" When Geralt says I thought about this a lot, he's not just referring to the Child Surprise that he's been skirting via djinn, but also about his own mother and how he thinks her life as a sorceress was ill-suited to him. Though he doesn't share this memory with Yen outright. Later, when Yen begins to question him more openly and amorously, Geralt responds in kind, "Did you dream of being a mage...did you always want to become a mother?" Colored by his own childhood memories, questioning the woman he can ask because of the mother he cannot.

I wonder if / when Geralt will learn more about Yen's past in season 2, and coincidentally how much he'll admit to Yen about his own.

[mantra4ia]

The Witcher "Rare Species" rewatch Reaction'd

In a previous post I touched on Geralt and Yennefer's childhood backstory, and parallel trauma.

So on today's rewatch, it really hit me how damaging Yen and Geralt's fight in front of Borch is to both of their weakest facets: "it's not real, you made a wish, it's magic" speaks to one of Yennefer's deepest insecurities, that despite power and beauty no one would truly love her. It really takes her back to her most vulnerable points with Istredd and her family, especially after Geralt called out her "fragile ego" for everyone on the mountain to hear, which was a private conversation between the two of them when they were both being they're most honest about hopes and dreams (that declaration is like a betrayal).

One of Geralt's concerns and weaknesses, as portrayed in the tv series, is being left behind as a youth, so every time he has to watch Yen leave, it nudges at that insecurity. But this fight is a doozy. They really know how to dig at each other.

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I just want some peace.

- Geralt, 1x05 Bottled Appetites

Rewatch: At first when Jaskier's monologue was silenced by the djinn as his throat swelled, I thought that was the manifestation of Geralt's first wish (peace from his talking) as the screenplay interprets the story. But after watching it again, when Geralt falls asleep next to Yennefer, it seems a more thoughtful line of reason that Geralt wished for peace and the djinn brought him to Yen, with Jaskier as collateral.

Peace: Yennefer.