#scene breakdowns

[l0fifilms]

Cats and filmmaking :D

[ordinaryschmuck]

What I Thought About the Climax of "Reunion" from Amphibia

Salutations, random people on the internet who are already scrolling right past this. I am an Ordinary Schmuck. I write stories and reviews and draw comics and cartoons.

So, Season Three of Amphibia is coming pretty soon. And I am...excited, but not as much as most people.

If you've seen my reviews, you'll know that while I do like Amphibia, I wouldn't go so far as to say it grabbed me as well as a series like The Owl House. With a show like that, it took me until Episode Five before I realized The Owl House was something special that was worth remembering. For Amphibia? It took me until the Season One finale before I had a similar reaction. But, to be fair, that's because this series is really good at making an ending. "Reunion," for example, takes a lot of the small things the first season has been building up, taking plots from episodes I considered filler and tying it all together in a pretty satisfying ending. I know people are still reeling over the epicness of "True Colors," and all for a good reason, but I want to start the new season on the right foot by discussing a moment that made me consider giving the series a chance.

But it also contains spoilers, so if you haven't seen Amphibia yet, now might be a good time to check it out. It may not have grabbed me and might not even grab you, but trust me when I say that it's worth it just to get to that final scene.

Now, let's review, shall we?

Grime Explaining Flipwart and Bogjump: One thing I will always defend about this series is its humor. More often than not, it succeeds in getting a chuckle out of me with perfect timing and solid comedic delivery. And stuff like this? Where Grime takes a break from his evilness to explain how two board games work to two teenagers? Only to then give up and stick with a simple answer? Yeah, I'm sorry, but that's funny to me. A good thing, too, given how this show relies more on humor than anything else. It may have an overarching plot and its fair share of grim moments (I give you Marcy's maybe death), but Amphibia knows when to keep things light amongst the darkness, which I always appreciate.

Anne Pleading with Sasha: Here, the scene showcases Anne's own personal struggle with Sasha. We know Sasha's a bad friend, primarily because we have eyes. But Anne still needs convincing. Because while she speaks up, she still doesn't assert herself. Anne doesn't yell at Sasha or tell her she's going too far. Instead, she just begs and pleads, hoping to seek the bit of humanity of this girl that Anne sees as a friend. Only for Grime to cut things short in demanding Hop Pop.

Anne Grabbing a Sword to Defend Hop Pop: This, on the other hand, was a defining moment for Anne. She spent so much time with the Plantars, risking life and limb for their own personal health and safety in multiple episodes before this one. So in desperation and due to being backed into a corner, she yanks out one of the guards' swords and orders people to back up, including her "best friend." This moment is when Anne is right on the edge of standing up against Sasha, ready to do all she can to help a person, er, frog that treats her right.

Sasha Talking Anne Down: But she isn't fully ready to fight back yet. Sasha sees the panic and desperation and uses that to her advantage and takes control. She speaks calmly, attracting Anne with talks of going home and pointing out the ridiculousness of standing up for Hop Pop. And my blood boils with how easily she does it. It was like a light switch, turning off her intensity just so Sasha appears to be empathetic. Even though she isn't. You can tell just how cold hearted she can be with the way she says the line "End of discussion." Does the way she say that really sound like a person who has Anne's best interests at heart. I wouldn't think so.

Sprig’s Reaction to Anne Lowering the Sword: And neither does Sprig. I mean, look at Sprig's expressions when he sees Anne lower the sword:

First, there's shock and empathy in seeing Anne crumble to Sasha's will. And unlike the fake empathy Sasha offered, you can see that it's real.

Almost as real as the look of pure disgust he gives Sasha afterward. Personally, I can't blame him. Sprig cares deeply for Anne, as the two of them have the most real friendship out of everyone else in the main cast, one built on mutual trust, respect, and willingness to have the other's best interests at heart.

Sprig Standing Up for Anne: This only proves my point. By slingshotting mud (was that mud?) into Sasha's face and praising how incredible Anne is, Sprig proved he really is the true friend that Sasha can only wish to be. And it's just the boost Anne needed to snap out of her stupor and do, in her words, "something that [she] should have done a long time ago."

Anne Standing Up to Sasha: If standing up for Hop Pop was a defining moment for Anne, defending Sprig from Sasha was a moment Anne could never go back on. It was one thing to fight for her found family against soldiers she's never met before. It's something else to do that against Sasha, Anne's best friend, who she pleaded with earlier and was so close to falling into submission for. But not anymore. At this moment, Anne decided to think for herself and do what needed to be done. Rather than let a bully tell her what to do instead.

Grime’s Words of Warning for Sasha: Grime’s little warning is similar to how a commander gives tips to a fellow commander in leading the troops. Because that's what Sasha really seems like. Not a friend, but someone who takes charge and orders what Anne and Marcy should do rather than listen to the opinions of the group. You see it more in "Battle of the Bands," and that's why I think she follows his advice to "stamp this out." Especially with how he finishes his warning: "Fail, and nothing will ever be the same."

There are two things to take away from that.

The fact that Grime was right. Sasha failed, and nothing was the same because of it. Anne now stood up to her and won't take her orders anymore. The thing is, that would have happened if Anne failed or not. Sasha winning may have stamped Anne's spirit a bit, but it still shows a dark side to her that wouldn't have been forgotten for long.

The fact that Sasha vocally admits that she won't let things change. It proves how twisted her mindset on friendship is that Sasha would willingly partake in a sword fight with her "best friend" because she refuses to have Anne standing up for herself. She likes being in charge and refuses to lose her power no matter what needs to be done to keep it.

If Anne defending Sprig is a moment where she crosses the line for the better, Sasha listening to Grime is a moment where she crosses the line for the worst.

“Anne, you don’t have to do this”: I love how Hop Pop tries to talk Anne out of the challenge. It's his life that's on the line, but he cares just as deeply for Anne as she does for him, that letting her duel Sasha, her supposed "best friend," is a choice he doesn't want her to make.

“Yes, I do.”: But Anne isn't about that. She now knows the type of person Sasha is, and letting her get away with more control is something no one should allow. And Anne won't. Not anymore.

The Fight: The fight isn't all that special compared to other action animation, and even to a certain fight scene we see in "True Colors." But as is, it is still pretty tense. I mean, for f**k's sake, it's two thirteen-year-olds fighting each other with swords! It's a miracle that only Sasha got a small scar at the end of it. Plus, while not the show's highest standard yet, there is a lot of effort and attention put into this battle. Anne is a lot more inexperienced and frantic with her attacks, where Sasha shows she was trained well in her time with the toads and is rotten given that she cheated by blinding Anne to force a victory. In a way, it illustrates the desperation the two of them have for winning, making Sasha's actions, in particular, easier to root for Anne.

Anne Wins: So when Anne is victorious, it's all the more satisfying. Primarily thanks to the look on Sasha's face. Look at it:

That is the definition of shock and anger, mostly shock. Sure, Sasha might be ticked that she lost, but it's Anne's words that I think really hit a specific soft spot: "You're not going to push me around anymore." That's probably the first time that Anne called Sasha out on her awful behavior. Saying that she's standing up to her huts, but pointing out how Sasha basically controlled Anne and how that's something she won't allow anymore, could be an eye-opening moment that Sasha needed.

Grime Goes Against the Deal: Ok, full disclosure, while this post is meant to shine a light on how great a scene is, there is one complaint I've got to get out of the way. You see, Grime going against his deal to let Hop Pop go free if Anne wins was way too predictable. Because why the f**k would he?!

I mean, does this seriously look like the face of a man you can trust? This scene may excel at everything else, but this one predictable moment is just a little off to forgive.

The Tower Blowing Up: This predictable moment, however, is done flawlessly. Because there's a difference between a twist and a payoff. Where a twist is meant to shock the audience, a payoff has to, well, pay off a setup brought up earlier in the story. And Wally's boom-shrooms going off at just the right time, transitioning to the most iconic moment of the series? Yeah, that's a payoff done right.

(Also, Wally cursing his one eye is hilarious)

“Lean On Me”: By the way, NOT joking when I say what follows is the most iconic moment of the series. All of which is aided by the inclusion of "Lean On Me" by Bill Withers. I'm not a music theory major and have no idea if the song itself is actually mildly appropriate to the scene, much like how "All Star" and "I Need a Hero" work perfectly for Shrek and Shrek 2, respectively. With that said, "Lean On Me" really does add an extra Umph! power to what follows. And as Matt Braley, series creator, describes, it is the coolest thing, but it will never happen again.

(Apparently, the song was too expensive).

Anne Goes to Save Sasha: Believe it or not, I actually do love this decision. Sasha may be a bad friend...Actually, no. Sasha is definitely a bad friend, but that doesn't mean Anne wants her to die. Not after all the good times that they had with each other. Anne might refuse to let Sasha push her around, but she's not ready to cut Sasha out of her life. Not yet.

Anne Holds Onto Sasha, the Plantars Hold Onto Anne: ...I mean...just f**king that! Through this moment, we get a perfect idea of how Anne's relationships work.

To put it simply, the Plantars raise Anne up and keep her safe, where Sasha just weighs her down and risks her safety. And the saddest part is that Sasha knows this.

“Anne. Maybe you’re better off without me…”: Some say that this could be Sasha trying to get in one last manipulation, using her own sacrifice to stick to Anne for choosing talking frogs over her. While I could see that perspective as a possibility, I personally take this moment as Sasha finally realizing the damage she causes for Anne and admits her faults. Sure, Sasha might have backpedaled in later episodes. What with refusing to change and even directing her anger towards Anne instead of towards herself. But that's because she had time to process these events and unfairly aim her negative feelings at Anne for wanting something better. So it doesn't seem implausible to me that Sasha admitting that Anne's better off without her is something she believed deep down and, for just a moment, allowed herself to accept this heavy truth. I won't deny the possibility that she's still trying to manipulate Anne, but to me, with the tone and expression Sasha has with her admission, you can't fake that. And you can't fake what she does next.

Sasha Lets Go: This...shocked me right down to my core.

I knew Grime would go back on his word, and I assumed the boom-shrooms would pay off somehow. But Sasha, willingly and unhesitantly, letting go of Anne's grip and falling to an expected demise? I...I couldn't have ever predicted that. Not with what we've seen from her before. When I hear how people see this as one last manipulation tactic, I just can't see it. Yes, there are monsters on this planet who would go this far, but I don't think Sasha is one of them. Later episodes like "Battle of the Bands" (despite a rough start) show signs of a person who could be better, and the Season Three trailer hints that she might actually learn from her mistakes. So her letting go, with no way of knowing her survival, could be the first sign that Sasha would one day make that first step. She might not be able to become Anne’s friend again, thanks to burning that bridge in "True Colors," but she'll at least try to become a better person. She just needs to do one good thing in her life first.

Plus, whenever I see this image:

I’m reminded why I could never say that I didn’t like this show.

Grime Saving Sasha: A lesser viewer would say this cheapens Sasha's sacrifice, but not to me. She had no way of knowing Grime would save her, so to her, so this is still a bid decision to go through with, even if she couldn't have gone all the way. In no way does it take away from the sacrifice, just as much as it doesn't strike a chord deep in Anne's heart.

Anne Breaks Down: Because what else would she do?

It's true, Sasha isn't a good friend, and Anne would likely be better off without her. But that's not what Anne's thinking at this moment.

She's thinking about the good fun she had with her best friend.

She was thinking about the person she could lean on.

And she was thinking about how she almost lost this person forever.

So when it all comes crashing down on Anne at once, there's nothing left to do but cry. It is such a real moment that proves one thing: There was effort put into this finale.

IN CONCLUSION

Would I say Amphibia draws me in as much as The Owl House does? No. But it still has my respect. A finale like this proves how hard the writers try to give a good experience. Even if a Schmuck like me thinks that all the pieces don't come together, they still do all they can to make a beloved series.

Season Three is on the way, and while I'm not as hyped as others, I still can't wait to see how it ends. Because if "Reunion" taught me anything, this series really nails an ending.

(And if you want me to do a scene breakdown of the finale in "True Colors," I'll tell you now: I won't...alright, maybe I'll do something for the mid-season premiere. But no promises!)

[alesbiancowboy]

It’s time for the Easter Episode!!!!!

1. let us all say a big thank you to the costume and hair departments for giving us some very very quality Patsy Mount looks this episode. Delia even looks great, and that’s saying something because they normally have her looking like an adorable cabbage patch doll (I say this with the utmost love for the girl). 

2. I love how relieved Patsy looked after she saw Delia. There’s something just so soft about it. I have a feeling she was worried and checking her watch because she was ready for Delia to be late with bad news. The one thing they truly needed to justify to Delia’s family that she could move back was Delia’s job, and now that they have Delia hired back on at the London, they can actually be together again — for real this time.

Patsy and her cheeky looks are just too good. that’s all I have to say. We see her doing this little flirty look to Delia a lot, but this was the one that was really really there and not hidden from others or happening in the background of something and I love it. 

(Also Delia calling Patsy out on a lie is perfect. I love them and their relationship. show me another relationship out of the Nurses that is this natural and charged...I dare you) 

If you know me and my breakdowns you know what’s coming. THIS IS SUCH A BIG FUCKING DEAL Y’ALL. Last time we saw them together was in the Christmas episode where they did hold hands, but it was under the table and honestly more of a comforting gesture. this is IN BROAD DAYLIGHT, ON TOP OF THE TABLE, AND ISN’T COMFORTING. These women are in love, are comfortable and are happy and I am crying in the club. 

OKAY BACK ON TOPIC

Mama Busby coming in like the tornado of a person she is. God, it’s hard because you know she cares so much about her daughter, but Delia’s also a full-grown adult who went to medical school and has an entire posh ginger fiancée (I will stand by that ring she had on the necklace until the day I die). But we see Patsy shutting down as her mother keeps being very anti-London and Delia’s freedom, but she perks up and we see her give a small smile to Patsy who is trying to stick up for the love of her life, and it’s just perfect. 

But also, Patsy knows how much Delia’s family means to her, so she ends up staying quiet as Mama Busby puts her foot down. She doesn’t want to make things worse for Delia, and she’s trying hard to respect the love that Delia has for her mother. 

We do see the moment where she rolls her eyes at waits for Delia to stand up for herself — Patsy knows this isn’t her fight, but she was expecting Delia to be strong and assertive like her Deels always is, but when Delia stays quiet and deflates under her mother’s disapproval, it’s shocking for Patsy. 

I think this is the same phone booth that they had their moment in during the Christmas episode and oof it hurts. Last time in this booth Delia was saying she was going to fight so that they could be together again, and now that fight is lost for Delia. She loves her mother and she’s put her family through so so so much with her accident that I honestly think she owes them to do what they ask, even if it makes her miserable. 

The fact that we can see tears in Patsy’s eyes as she’s hearing this is just heartbreaking. She lost Delia once before, now she’s going to lose her again and she can’t stop it. I think this is her going through the beginning stages of grief here. Trying to see Delia one last time is her bargaining, she’s trying desperately to find a way to see her and hopefully manage to convince her to stay — even if the last time she gets to see Delia is in front of everyone. (Remember when Delia came back in the Xmas Episode and said she didn’t want her first time to see Patsy again be surrounded by everyone at Nonnatus? this is Patsy saying she’d rather be able to see the love of her life one last time, even if it’s surrounded by nuns and her colleagues.)

Also, having the little animal ears on Patsy is just such a great visual reminder. She has to go back out there and get these ears fixed and help with the Easter Bonnets and pretend like everything’s okay. She doesn’t have the luxury of being upset in front of her friends because they could 1. figure out exactly why she’s torn up about Delia not being able to come back or 2. downplay her feelings which isn’t fun for anyone. 

Delia’s shaky “I can’t leave Mum” is oof. The way she says Mum with such disdain and hurt is painful. After all, her mother is being this way to protect her, but she still doesn’t like it and now has to see Patsy for what could be the last time ever with her helicopter of a mother there the entire time. 

Whoever did Patsy’s hair and makeup for this scene deserves a raise. LOOK AT THAT CUT CREASE! THOSE LASHES! Iconic. 

Anyway, we see Patsy looking sad and sighing when Sister Winnifred brings up Delia taking up her job again. It seems like she and Delia have both come to terms with it, but for once in their relationship, Delia is the one who has this amazing emotional control while Patsy is wearing her heart on her sleeve in public. 

Just the exasperated eye roll that Delia does here is perfect. Also, the casting between the Busby’s is honestly amazing. Bravo casting department.

This little look they give each other before their separate reactions are just so great. The last person they both expected to be their biggest ally was most likely Sister Julienne or one of the nuns (let’s remember that conversation over lunch during the Rose Queen episode). But here they are, the nuns are the ones advocating for them to be under the same roof (without knowing exactly why that is such a big deal for Patsy and Delia) and Mrs. Busby not being able to say no and being peer-pressured is just perfect. 

Delia has spent time with literally everyone at that table in some way and they all like her (because, I mean, who wouldn’t?) so Mrs. Busby was going to be fighting a losing battle no matter what, and if we think back to when Fred brought Violet for their engagement party — it’s a big deal to be invited to lunch with the Nonnatons (Nonnatuns?) and arguing with them over Easter lunch would not be appropriate. So, Huzzah!! We have our little lesbians in the same roof, able to easily lie about why they’re always hanging out so much, able to shut the door at night (I see you “card games”) and able to be together. 

Anywho,

thanks for reading if you made it this far, if not and you just scrolled through, that’s fine too, I still love and appreciate ya. Make sure you drink some water and get some sleep. Let me know what scenes you wanna see next!

[thought-i-to-myself]

Your posts are comedy!! Please talk to me about Gentleman Jack😊

I find humor to be an effective means of assuaging all the FEELS I’m having, second only to large quantities of alcohol which would be inappropriate at the moment considering I’ve got work to do rn…

But in reality my insides look like this:

You wanna know why? Because this ^ scene. This scene broke me. This scene in which Anne - still with bruises on her face from the hired thug and bruises on her ego from Ann’s “I can’t” response to her proposal - tries to have sex with Ann and can’t, because she’s feeling too much. In which Anne “force-to-be-reckoned-with” Lister confesses how isolating and emotionally exhausting it is to have to “rise above” every day. In which Anne, who has spent the better part of 2 episodes now trying to convince herself that “she cares not much” for Ann, in this moment can’t deny how devastated she is that Ann came so close to being able to do this. This scene in which, despite the failed engagement, their impending distance, their utter heartbreak, Ann still holds Anne as she sobs into her face and chest, because this is what relationships between women are like - the one person who can absolutely level you is the only person who can bring you solace.

And honestly if “but you came so close” isn’t the fucking truest phrase in the world when it comes to lesbian relationships. How many of us have had our hearts broken, not because we did something wrong or didn’t try hard enough, but because someone else came so close but couldn’t. 🙋‍♀️. This scene fucking flattened me.

[thought-i-to-myself]

Hi there, first of all thank you for everything you've done for the Ann(e)dom. Second of all upon my 3617th rewatch, I just now realised something that apparently no-one else does either. There's another fourth wall break by Anne after the Ann(e)s are caught by Mrs. Busybody, just right after James comes in and asks if everything's alright. Anne very quickly glances at the camera then right onto James! i just love that so much, it's like she's asking us if we too have any idea what's going on

Yeah, so I actually have noticed this before because actors looking at the camera happens to be a Thing of mine; that is, once I see it I can’t unsee it and while I sort of lowkey love these moments  - as though I’ve found some shared moment with a character or some little chance glance that others either haven’t noticed or don’t care about - they kinda also tend to drive me crazy. IN THIS SHOW, however, it totally works because the actors are MEANT to be looking at the camera for the most part. So yes, I believe the one you are talking about is where Anne looks from Ann to yes-thank-you-James right after Ann has said (you guessed it!!) “Yes, thank you James!” Here it is in real speed:

And slowed down for good measure:

I agree this one was deliberate, although I sort of love that because the shtick of fourth wall breaks is baked right in to Anne’s character on the show, even if it wasn’t deliberate we wouldn’t find it distracting!

That brings me to glances at the camera that are not deliberate. As in every film/tv show, they do happen, and my experience tells me that they happen most often when the actor in the shot has to scan past the camera with his or her eyes in a sort of sweeping motion. So for instance, if at the beginning of the shot the actor is looking offscreen camera right, and by the end of the shot she needs to be looking offscreen camera left, that actor’s eyes have to travel directly past the camera. And these cameras are BIG. It could be a big setup with black French flags (the shades attached to the front of the camera to shield against unwanted light/lens flares); it could be a camera operator using a steadicam rig where the camera is sort of suspended on the end of a jib arm protruding off of a harness on the camop’s body (see 2nd photo below).

See what I mean?  My point is that they are generally not something you could easily pretend not to notice, and actors have a helluva time trying to nonchalantly gloss right past them without a little eye hiccup for a frame or two.

OK so why does this matter? Well we know 4th wall breaks are utilized in this show, and we also know that it’s not just Anne Lister who gets to have all the fun; Marian’s character also has awesome looks to the audience. So one of the questions going into season 2 will be whether anyone else - AND BY ANYONE ELSE I MEAN ANN MF WALKER - gets to break the 4th wall (please for the love of Anne Lister’s Thermometer). But the other question I have is that in the context of this show - a show where it is not only appropriate for characters to stop and look at the camera, but is in fact one of its most beloved idiosyncrasies - what do we make of those probably-accidental glances at the camera by characters we haven’t seen break the 4th wall before?

For instance, in the same scene from before, Ann has to shift her focus across the screen and I caught Sophie pause ever so slightly at the lens for like 2/3 frames. Here’s real time speed:

And once more slowed down:

OK, there’s probably nothing to make of that one, other than as super persuasive evidence that any ACTUAL 4th wall break by one Miss Ann Walker would make all my bones shatter and my corpse turn to dust.

But what about this one by Hemingway in the kitchen with Eugénie and Cordingley in 1 x 01???

Let’s slow it down:

This is right after she delivers the line, “She’s French” about Eugénie. And so I’m thinking that one we can take as a 4th wall break even though it probably wasn’t scripted. Are the actors just going for it and seeing whether they make it past the cutting room? Or is Sally giving them confirmation that they’re allowed to? Either way, I’m loving that this is a device we’re given in this show because all their glances toward us are SO RELATABLE.

JUST GIVE US ANN WALKER 4th WALL BREAKS IN S2 ALSO OK PLEASE AND THANKS, BYEEEEE

[photo cred]

[thought-i-to-myself]

I love watching gentleman jack, I’m from Leeds in West Yorkshire and have a Yorkshire accent a lot of people I talk to from either other parts of the country or abroad don’t like the accent it’s so nice to see people like it 😂 what’s been your favourite part of the show so far? :D

I don’t really like to pick favorites as I am wayyy too indecisive for that - you’ll never hear me pick just one favorite movie, for instance - but I’ll give you some of the things I really LOVE since you know I can’t resist a good accent 🎩🎩

I’m sure this will come as no great shock to you, Anon, but here goes:

Thirsty Ann Walker™️

Giggly Ann Walker™️

Power Bottom! Ann Walker™️

Do I need chapstick or are these feelings lesbi-love Ann Walker™️

So smol she’s practically a jelly bean Ann Walker™️

Staring at Anne Lister’s lips Ann Walker™️

I’m here to find my soul mate because I haven’t seen her in months and I’m ready to tell her I can do this and I want to marry her and I’m gonna mean it and I love her with every fiber of my being and oh lord, there she is Ann Walker™️

ACTUALLY ANY HILLTOP SCENE ANN WALKER™️

MARRIED ANN WALKER™️

And because I can’t not, Sophie Rundle’s Face™️

And there you have it. All this and more brought to you by Shibden After Dark. Listen on spotify / google play / apple / soundcloud / stitcher

[thought-i-to-myself]

G A Y S T U F F

my favorite thing about doing the podcast so far is that we are getting SO MANY emails and comments from listeners who are catching stuff in this show that @we-are-all-lady-women and I haven’t caught even after rewatching the eps multiple times. THIS SHOW HAS LAYERSSSSSSS ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🎩

[thought-i-to-myself]

Yes-thank-you-James: 0

Closet door: 1