#togetheragain

[goodblacknews]

#otd 25 years ago, #janetjackson released her 6th and one of her best albums, 1997's "The Velvet Rope." Rereleased today with two extra tracks and a collection of stellar remixes that will make u want to go deep all weekend long #tvr25 #classicjanet #togetheragain https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjap6VDLj5I/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[gunterfan1992]

Episode Review: ‘Together Again’ (Distant Lands, Ep. 3)

Airdate: May 20, 2021

Story by: Jack Pendarvis, Kate Tsang, Hanna K. Nyström, Christina Catucci, Jesse Moynihan, Adam Muto

Storyboarded by: Hanna K. Nyström, Anna Syvertsson, Iggy Craig, Maya Petersen, Serena Wu

Directed by: Miki Brewster (supervising), Sandra Lee (art)

Across Adventure Time’s ten season run, the show explored a bevy of “mature” themes and story ideas—topics, like love, sexuality, depression, and grieving. The show also touched upon death, but the emphasis was usually placed on the emotional toll of a loved one dying, not really what happens when you die. We knew there were Dead Worlds and Death. We knew that there was reincarnation. But how does it all fit together? What does it mean? How does it work?

With “Together Again,” we finally have many of the answers.

This special opens with a marvelous fake-out episode simply called “Finn & Jake,” that sees the two steal a magical cartoon of 50-flavor ice cream before rescuing Turtle Princess and LSP from the clutches of the villainous Ice King. This is all deliberately anachronistic and over the top. Ice King is back to his season one ways, Finn has both arms, and he is still wielding his golden sword that he lost in season two’s “The Real You.” There’s lolrandom dialogue and silly monsters; it’s like a parody of seasons 1-2. But then, this adventure starts to get all wonky, and in time Finn realizes that he is in a some sort of trance or illusion: one that ends with Jake being buried in the ground. Suddenly, Finn awakens from his reverie. He’s an old man. And he’s dead. We’re then presented with a new title card that lets us know the episode is actually called “Finn & Jake Are Dead.”

Holy Glob! They actually went there.

Turns out Jake died years before Finn, so naturally Finn is super excited to see his best bud. But something’s wrong—he cannot find Jake!! They planned to spend eternity together. But all that Finn can find is his very own psychopomp, Mr. Fox (voiced by Tom Herpich, whose purposefully stilted line readings are the epitome of delightful). Finn rightfully assumes that Jake is in a different Dead World, and so, being the ball of spunk and energy that he is, he demands to meet with Death, only to discover that there’s a New Death in town (voiced by Chris Fleming). The episode eventually explains that New Death was the son of Death and Life, and after New Death killed his father, he became the sovereign of the afterlife. New Death hates his job and decides to just blow up all the Dead Worlds so he doesn’t have to deal with it all. (I won’t get too much into the details here, because there would be a lot of story to parse out.)

Finn soon learns that Jake has reached nirvana in the 50th Dead World, where there is nothing but peace and serenity. Finn nevertheless tracks down Jake, pulls him from paradise, but in doing so, accidentally lets New Death in, who promptly obliterates Elysium, sending all the enlightened souls—including those from different levels of the afterlife—to the 1st Dead World. This gronks up the afterlife, temporarily halting the reincarnation process.

Well, Finn and Jake are rightfully ticked, and so they haunt the material plane looking for Princess Bubblegum. She’s not home (more on that later), but Peppermint Butler is! After Ghost Finn and Ghost Jake explain the situation, Peppermint Butler tells them what to do: They need to find Life and explain the situation. The duo manage just that, and Life is rightfully angry that her kid has stopped the transmigration of souls. After Life gives Finn a McGuffin sword that can hurt Death, Finn and Jake return to his abode. A brawl ensues wherein we learn that New Death has been possessed… by none other than that spirit of the Lich.

That’s right, it’s the Lich! He’s back, and boy is he evil.

The Lich explains that by possessing Death, he can destroy the afterlife, thereby destroying a key aspect of reality. Naturally, Finn and Jake are not cool with this, and they engage in combat. After Mr. Fox grabs the McGuffin sword and uses it to annihilate the Lich and New Death, he is proclaimed the New New Death and sets everything right. Finn is slated to be reincarnated, and Jake is slated to return to the 50th Dead World where he and Finn will one day be reunited. As Finn is pulled into the wheel of souls, Jake suddenly decides to go back with Finn, too, “Just for fun.” The episode ends with a card letting us know that the episode is neither called “Finn & Jake” nor “Finn & Jake Are Dead.” Instead, it is “Finn and Jake Are Together Again.”

As they say, “And there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”

If you were to tell me several years ago that the last episode to star Finn and Jake would revolve around them dying, I think I would’ve been upset. Not simply sad, but rather frustrated because “they all died” can feel like a cheap ending. But with “Together Again,” it all works. And a large reason that it works is because the show goes all in with their ideas. Finn and Jake don’t magically leap back into their old life (no, no, they very much do bite the dust). Instead, the special emphasizes the cyclical nature of life through the transmigration of souls. The episode ends with a beautiful scene of Finn and Jake, bound together as soul-brothers, being reborn into a new, mysterious (possibly Ooo 1000+?) world. It’s both aesthetically and emotionally pleasing; it doesn’t feel off the way over finales might. This is right. This is the way life works. “Round and round as nature goes,” and all that jazz.

I loved the series explanation of how death works. It seems that souls land in a specific Dead World, where they ‘marinate’ for a bit, presumably being rewarded or punished based on their life in our meat reality. After a time, they are then reborn. This process repeats, with each soul reaching higher and higher levels of enlightenment until they hit nirvana, which is the 50th Dead World. So in a sense, Adventure Time has a roughly Buddhist cosmology with a dash of Greco-Roman mythos thrown in for flavor. (As to what happens after a soul stays in the 50th Dead World for a long period is anyone’s guess, but I’d speculate that when all the souls in the multiverse have been purified and land in the 50th Dead World, they will all collapse into one another and form one perfect Monad. Perhaps this is the sphere of perfection that the beings who merged into Matthew thought they were connecting to? Who knows! It’s anyone’s guess!) I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see who Death, Prismo, Life, etc.’s boss was, but perhaps that’s a mystery better left up to the imagination!

One minor thing that I loved about this special was the number of characters who made cameos as well as all the callbacks that were made to previous episodes. Regarding the former: Finn and Jake’s canine family show up (including the oft-forgotten Jermaine!), as do Tree Trunks and her myriad husbands. Tiffany plays a major role in all these shenanigans as a “death cop” of all things. There is a delightful rogues gallery stuck in the 1st Dead World (including, among others, Maja, Sharon from “The Gut Grinder,” and Wyatt). In the 50th we find Ghost Princess and Clarence happily at peace next to Booshy, the weird spirit mentioned in the Pen Ward classic “High Strangeness.” As far as callbacks go, perhaps my favorite is the clap (from “James Baxter the Horse”) that Jake taught to Finn in case they ever do get separated in the afterlife. And of course, there are myriad references made to “Death in Bloom,” the episode that planted the seed for what this would grow into.

Going into the special suspecting that it would involve Death, I was curious how they were going to handle Miguel Ferrer’s character. (In case a reader is not aware, Ferrer played Death in episodes like “Death in Bloom” and “Betty,” but he sadly passed away a few years ago). The producers’ choice to feature him in a non-speaking cameo—despite playing a relatively significant role in the story—was wise; I’m not sure if I can articulate the exact reasons, but something about his role felt appropriate and not gross, as some post-mortem memorials can be. Speaking of which, the wonderful, lovely Polly Lou Livingston was featured for the last time in this episode as Tree Trunks, happily in heaven with her literal harem of husbands. It was funny, it really was, and I’m sure that Polly Lou would’ve gotten a kick out of seeing it on screen. (Also, this is a pro-Tree Trunks safe space. Any Tree Trunks haters will be chucked into the 1st Dead World with Wyatt.)

The biggest mystery in this whole thing, for me at least, is the question of Princess Bubblegum and Marceline. Several years ago, I wrote an essay about what could’ve happened to them in the Ooo 1000+ universe. I speculated that they peaced out and left Ooo behind. In this special, neither Bubblegum nor Marceline are to be found in the Candy Kingdom—Peppermint Butler seems to be the one in charge, given that he is now wearing Bubblegum’s crown. Likewise, the duo aren’t anywhere in the Dead Worlds either. Maybe the two of them skipped town and got a duplex in the Nightosphere? Who knows… I just want my favorite gals to be OK!

All things considered, “Together Again” was a marvel: An episode that managed to feel like a series finale even more than “Come Along with Me” already did without taking away from the series itself. An episode that managed to make the idea of dying funny. An episode that brought back the Lich in a way that wasn’t forced. An episode that made Mr. Fox the New New Death. An episode that gave us a beautiful ending to Finn and Jake’s story… as well as the beautiful beginning to a new one. I said it on Twitter, and I’ll say it again here: “Together Again” was the end of a sentence in a book with infinite pages. Truly, the fun will never end.

Mushroom War evidence: Everything takes place in the Dead Worlds, so not really. Perhaps a more eagle-eyed viewer can inform us...

Final Grade: That’s right, I’m gonna do it...

Post-script, I actually messaged Jesse Moynihan to ask about his writing credit. He told me that it was for an unused story idea that he had developed. I’m not certain, but I’ll bet it was a part of the cancelled TV movie they were trying to make during season 5, since that would’ve seen Finn and Orgalorg journey to the various Dead Worlds.

[katisfania]

[drmotte]

So big is 1 banner for our @ravetheplanet #ravetheplanet #float on Saturday in #berlin #togetheragain #loveparade #drmotte #technolove (hier: Berlin – the place to be) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfteIaiMAId/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bsides-n-rarities-n-dope-music]

Janet Jackson - Together Again

The Velvet Rope  |  ‘97

[l12girlypop]

Together Again (Bucky Barnes x Reader) 2/8

A/N: Hi everyone, here’s the second chapter! 

Word Count: 1976

Warnings: Mentions of sex but NO SMUT, please read responsibly!! Major fluff, angst for reader and you’ll see why 👀 be prepared for tears

Summary: Bucky finds himself in the town of WestView where not everything is as it seems. But does that really matter if you find yourself reunited with the one you love?

Masterlist

Chapter 1

Chapter Summary:  Y/N and Wanda meet a new friend at a tea party for the town fundraiser while something strange happens to Bucky and Vision.

Chapter 2: THAT DARLING WIFE OF YOURS

The planning committee and Y/N follow Dottie out of her house with all the food they’ve prepared for the tea party to discuss the town fundraiser.

“Everybody, hurry up please,” Dottie calls out.

Y/N sees Wanda outside, waiting with Agnes and sends her an excited wave.

“Hiya Dottie! Your roses are divine,” Agnes says.

“Why thank you.”

They arrive at the country club and set up on the patio right next to the swimming pool.

Beverly makes announcements on the arrangement of the stage and audience for the talent show event later.

Dottie makes a punny, slight condescending joke and they all laugh about it.

“Devil’s in the details, Bev.”

“That’s not the only place he is,” Agnes snidely remarks to Wanda and Y/N.

“Oh Agnes,” they roll their eyes.

Some jam cookies are being passed around and Y/N takes the tray from someone she has never met here before…

“Thank you, I don’t believe we’ve met.” She reaches out the hand not holding cookies. “I’m Y/N.”

“Oh, um… Geraldine,” she smiles. “I just moved down the block.”

“Oh how lovely! Wanda moved in just yesterday!”

Y/N gestures to Wanda who smiles at Geraldine.

“Say, those pants are peachy keen!” she compliments her best friend.

“Thank you! The other ladies are wearing skirts, I was worried!”

She waves her off, “you look fabulous.”

“Says the one.”

“We only have a few hours until showtime, so a little less cross chatter and a little more focus,” Dottie calls them out.

The women quiet down in the shame, feeling like scolded children.

“Those little girls and boys are counting on us. All of this is for the children.”

“For the children.” They all repeat after her.

Wanda clears her throat after she takes a drink. “For the children,” she says belatedly causing Y/N to giggle.

“Now I want you to give yourselves a big hand-“

Wanda begins clapping.

“At the appropriate time, of course.”

Wanda meets my eyes and the two best friends try not to burst into laughter.

“The only reason I didn’t clap is because I’m afraid to move,” Geraldine states as she leans in.

“Dottie is terrifying. I wouldn’t want to get on her bad side,” Y/N agrees.

“I actually don’t know what I’m doing here,” Geraldine adds.

“I’m starting to feel that way myself,” Wanda confesses.

“And I’m irritated!” They smile awkwardly at Dottie. “Tickets for tonight are completely sold out!” There’s a pause. “Now you can clap!” That’s their cue. “and stop.”

“Really, how is anyone doing this sober?” Agnes mumbles as she sips her drink.

The announcements are over and it’s time for socializing. Dottie manages to ruin this time by having them arrange a seating chart while eating the mini sandwiches and cookies.

“I need volunteers to help clean up,” she says entitled as she sits on her throne.

“We’ll do it!” Wanda says, volunteering Geraldine and Y/N, knowing full well Agnes is too tipsy to lift a tray.

“Well, gee you are quite the whizz at this committee stuff, Dottie. We feel so lucky to have you!”

“You are.”

Wanda sticks out her tongue mockingly which Y/N catch from far away as I fix up another table and giggle with Geraldine.

“So, you’re married?” Geraldine nods to the gorgeous ring on Y/N’s left finger.

She smiles affectionately at it. “Yes, to the love of my life. Bucky Barnes. He works with Wanda’s husband.”

“Bucky Barnes…” Geraldine says in a strange, almost knowing tone.

“You aren’t hitched, I see?” Y/N observes.

“Oh, oh no,” the woman chuckles. “I’m not interested in anyone like that. Just work.”

“Oo, what do you work in?”

She acts slightly suspicious, as if she had slipped up somehow. “Communications,” she answers vaguely.

Y/N raises her brows but accept the answer, blissfully ignorant. Or choosing to be.

“How long have you lived here?” Geraldine asks.

“Oh, um…” She’s not sure. “It feels like… forever.”

A strange noise comes from behind them, interrupting her thoughts. It seems Dottie broke a glass and her hand was bleeding.

“Dottie! Are you alright?” Y/N asks.

“Just fine. Get back to cleaning.” The intimidating blonde responds as she holds a napkin that Wanda had given her to her wound and walks away.

“That was so very strange,” Wanda comments as she nears them, broken glass wrapped in another napkin to prevent further accidents.

“What happened?” Geraldine asks.

“There was something coming from the radio, the next thing I know it malfunctions and Dottie’s glass breaks!” Wanda exclaims theatrically.

“How odd. I tell you, all this modern technology… it’s spying on us,” Y/N says, suspiciously looking around them.

“Don’t be silly!” Geraldine chuckles.

“Well, we should probably head back and prepare for the talent show! Vision and I have a set to organize!” Wanda discards of the broken glass then loops her arm through mine.

“See you there!” Geraldine says, waving goodbye to her two new friends.

Bucky finds himself at a gathering in the public library with the men of the neighbourhood who, coincidentally, are people he works with too. Though, if you were to ask him what his job is, he couldn’t give a straight answer…

“Vision!” Bucky calls out, recognizing an ally… no, a friend, he corrects himself.

“Hello there, Mr. Barnes.” He approaches shyly. “Is this the neighbourhood watch meeting?” For some reason, to Bucky, the title doesn’t sound right but he doesn’t exactly remember why. Is there something he’s missing? Something he has forgotten?

“Hiya Vision, we didn’t expect to see you here,” Norm says. “this is sort of a members only type deal.”

“Ah, certainly,” Vision nods. “I’ll just be here… quiet as a church mouse… until you open up the floor for new business.”

“Oh, we were just getting there!” Bucky announces. Were we? He doesn’t know why he said that. He doesn’t even remember what they were talking about before Vision got here.

“Splendid!” he sits down and follows up with a flurry of questions regarding safety patrols, threat protocols and responses to rather alarming matters. Matters that would never be a problem in the peaceful suburb of WestView.

“Actually Vision, that’s code for getting a round of Danish,” Bucky informs him.

“Raspberry or cheese-filled?” Phil asks as he places the box in the centre.

“Oh no thank you, I don’t eat food?” Bucky and the others frown in confusion. “I mean… outside of meal times! My wife keeps me on a strict meal schedule. No snacking but I am a regular eating machine!”

They all begin to exchange top secret information about the other men in the neighbourhood, gossiping really. And Bucky feels out of place, strange to reveal secrets outside of a mission… Mission? The vocabulary confuses him, where did that come from? There’s something that’s not quite right.

“How is the dear Y/N?” Norm asks Bucky before he falls into a rabbit hole of thoughts and questions.

“She’s good! We’re good. You know, we’re thinking about expanding the family,” Bucky smiles. He always knew he wanted a family with her. The call of duty just got in the way. He gets flashes of war and espionage, being on the run. Running from what?

“Wow, congrats, my friend!” Herb says.

“Yeah, always wanted a big family. Come from one myself, the oldest of four. Now, I don’t know how many we’ll have but as long as Y/N’s happy then I’m happy. She was the love of my life,” Bucky says, lost in blissful memories.

“Was?” Vision asks.

“What?” Bucky frowns.

“You- you said she was the love of your life.” Vision looks to the others on the table but they seem to have missed the Freudian slip as they look blankly, nodding but Vision knows it’s not in acknowledgement of what he had just said. “Didn’t he?”

Bucky looks down at his wedding ring on his left arm. His left arm. Something is different about it. Wrong. He closes it into a fist and frowns at it.

He looks up at Vision. “She’s dead.” Saying it out loud felt like a heavy weight lifting off his chest.

“Who is? Bucky, who’s dead?” Vision asks adamantly, alarmed. He reaches to hold onto Bucky’s arm to get his attention. Suddenly he sees a shift in his demeanor.

“Well I am, if I’m late to help set up the show!” Phil suddenly announces.

“Oo you’re right,” Herb seconds as he looks at his Strücker wristwatch.

His thoughts are broken by an outbreak of laughter.

“Hey, care for a stick of Big Red?” Herb offers.

“Didn’t you hear the man?” Norm asks. “He doesn’t eat food.”

“Is gum food?” Phil wonders aloud.

“Well, it’s my understanding that it’s purely for mastication,” Vision says.

“Oh no, I don’t do that,” Herb says quietly.

“I got no need for that when I have my lovely wife.” Bucky says causing the others to laugh, Herb pats Vision on the back a little too roughly.

“You boys off somewhere?” It’s Agnes, the nosey neighbour, surprising them with her presence. Who knows how long she was really there for. She approaches the men who are gathering their belongings. She rests on the back of Vision’s chair as she focuses her gaze on Bucky.

“Hiya Agnes. Wanna walk with us to the fundraiser?” Bucky offers though this dame freaks him out a little. There’s just something off about her and her nosiness.

“Thought you’d never ask!” she says in a flirty tone.

Vision separates from them as he has to prepare with Wanda though he did walk a little wonky and acted a little funky on his way into his house.

“Don’t you find it… odd?” Agnes asks out of the blue.

“What’s that, Agnes?”

“This town. Wanda and Vision. Even you. What are you doing here, Mr. Barnes?”

He frowns at her. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you have the urge to leave but there’s that feeling that if you do, something bad will happen? Especially to that darling wife of yours?”

“Agnes… I’m not sure what you’re implyin’ but I’m not liking the sound of it.” His Brooklyn accent begins to show through.

“Well, don’t you want to go home, Sergeant Barnes?”

“I-“

“We’re here!” She separates from him before he can ask for elaboration.

“Bucky!” His wife calls out to him and he turns to face her, picking her up and spinning her around. She’s here. She’s safe. She smells just the same. This is real.

“I missed you today, doll.”

“I missed you too, handsome. Come on, Wanda and Vision are up next.” She pulls him by the hand to an empty table. He pulls out the chair for her to sit and he pulls his own closer to her. They hold hands on top of the table and Wanda takes the stage.

“What’s their act?” he asks her.

“Magic!”

After laughs, giggles and a round of applause, Dottie is announcing the award winners.

She calls up Wanda and Vision as they attempt to make their not so subtle escape.

“On behalf of the planning committee, I would like to award you with the inaugural Comedy Performance of the Year.” Dottie gives the couple their award and we give them a standing ovation.

“For the Children,” Norm says.

“For the Children!”

They clear up the chairs, table and stage then Y/N, Bucky, Wanda and Vision walk towards their neighbourhood.

“What a great day!” Y/N says.

“It was indeed eventful,” Wanda smiles at her best friend.

“You know what, we should have a girls day tomorrow! That would be perfect! I need to spend some time with you, Wands.”

“I would love that Y/N.”

“Well, this is us,” Bucky says. “You two have a good night.”

Y/N hugs Wanda goodbye.

“You too!”

“Oh, trust me, we will!” Bucky responds causing Y/N to giggle.

They walk in through their door.

Chapter 3

Thanks for reading! 💖💖

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[wilsoneffects-blog]

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[opustiti-se]

As someone who has watched this series a bunch of times and an OG fan, the "Together Again" EP felt lack luster. New death was an awful Chad type. The reunion seemed very rushed. Tiffany was unnecessary. I came up with an idea of what I thought would have been better. Maybe Jake was watching Finn as he grew up from the dead world. He would see him get into some tough battles and maybe help with some supernatural abilities. When Jake seen that Finn was getting very old he wasn't sure how long it would take to reunite once he died since the dead worlds are so vast and there is so many. He calls Pep like they did in the episode and asks for one more favor. Since death and Pep are besties he asks if he can make one last dead world. The 51 dead world is the tree house where Finn and Jake can finally rest in peace. Old death stays, maybe he can still be corrupted by the Lich, but a more dramatic way the boys can reunite somehow. After they are chilling in 51 dead world for a while they decide to have "one last adventure" and that's when they reincarnated into Shermy and Beth. Obviously Shermy and Beth's saga is 1000 years into the future as we see in "Together Again" the candy kingdom is still like it was, not all futuristic so it's totally plausible. The end scene when they are reincarnating is showing Shermy and Beth again maybe fist bumping.