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TT meme in parts; Part 5

my favorite ship:

romance-wise: Amber/Jay and Tai-San/Pride.

A/J are an otp primarily because I love their chemistry and what their story could have been like, rather than what it was like. I do love some aspects of it as it was, but have zero interest in and tolerance for the Ebony/Jay/Amber and Trudy/Jay/Amber triangles*. Jay’s douchey behavior towards his partners in general and towards Amber in particular grated my nerves. He was pretty awesome once they got together, but I’ll never get over him hooking up with her best friend not long after she rejected him. Could have at least chosen someone she is not friends with (and preferably - for the sake of my digestive tract - also someone not Trudy-esque in personality) for a rebound, if he had to rebound (he didn't have to). I would have much preferred if the writers had stuck to exploring the difficulty of their relationship and ambivalence of their feelings for each other in light of who they were (foreign invading general/local resistance member), how they saw things (humanistic ends justify highly inhumane means vs they don't) and the circumstances they were at (he was complicit with kidnapping and enslaving her people [including her friends and previous boyfriend] and indirectly/unwittingly connected with her being kidnapped and experimented on).

*Btw, part of me wonders if the choice to hook both Bray and Jay up with Ebony and Trudy before hooking them up with Amber stems from writers' conscious or unconscious urge to put their hero through some variant of Madonna/whore (extra eww when you also consider the race factor) distorted view(/perverted fantasy) of women, before having him form a healthier relationship with a woman.

On a somewhat related note, I also roll my eyes at Slade when he implies he prefers Ebony to Ruby because he sees Ruby as nice-and(therefore?)-boring and Ebony as nasty-and-(therefore?)-interesting. But I could live with that in a Slade-and-I-don't-see-things-similarly way. (In fact, letting Ebony become a cocky, look-at-me-I'm-so-interesting, anti-heroine-ish type and thus be the perfect match for the cocky, look-at-me-I'm-so-interesting, anti-hero-ish Slade would have been more than fine by me. I liked their chemistry well enough and kindred spirit type of relationships are my cup of tea [obviously]. They could have carried on mystifying and exoticizing themselves and each other to cover up their inferiority complexes, fears of being hurt and whatnot, while somewhat reducing each other's complexes and fears.) But then the narrative has him go back to Ruby after realizing Ebony is too hypocritical and unethical for him (geez, how did you miss that in the first place, Slade? there I was thinking it was part of the appeal for you). Again, I feel like I'm watching some obnoxious "Good" Girl/"Bad" Girl fantasies play out. (Why couldn't I just have Siva survive, her and Ruby realize they are not that into their respective boyfriends and that they prefer each other? That would have been perfect in my books.)

T-S/P are, as far as I’m concerned, soul mates and the ultimate power couple. (Sorry, Amber and Bray. I do like you too and don’t mind you as the central soul-matey power couple [even if I’m more captivated by A/J, as mentioned above]. But nothing fascinates and entertains me more than various types of “nutty,” lefty radicals and their relationships with each other. In TT T-S/P fit the bill the most. A/B are moderate in comparison.) Not to mention, the way Tai-San looks at him. She's flirty with plenty of people, but she isn't happy-at-the-sight-of, visibly-impressed-by and trusting-and-advice-seeking with many, if any, people. (Understandably, given not many people are on her wavelength. She is usually compelled to explain/defend herself and/or explain [preach, if you will] something to those around her. I think only Pride and Guardian [and possibly/probably Sasha] truly got/clicked with some aspects of her.) Actually, I just flat out refuse to accept a universe in which they are not together:P.

I also like Ellie/Jack (I love the egalitarian dynamic they have going on. and the cute bickering. and the general cuteness) and Ellie/Luke (more intense chemistry imo [or just different type. that maybe appeals to me a bit more? dunno.] with equally compelling [but also different] dynamic).

friendship-wise Tai-San/Jack.

Character tensions that are most captivating (for me) and (imo) most constructive (for the [fictional, obviously] community characters are part of) are the ones in which I respect the ethics and intelligence of both/all characters involved (but, mind you, I don’t necessarily need to completely share ethics with either/any of them) and therefore really root for them to find a way to work together because I think they both/all have very important things to contribute and teach each other. Tai-San/Jack with their Faith(and Fate)/Science clashes and shared basic human decency definitely qualify as this type in my books. Though I do find interactions like Tai-San/Guardian (constructive/destructive approaches to spirituality) and Jack/Mega (constructive/destructive approaches to science and technology) very interesting to watch for somewhat different reasons. And of course this logic is applicable to numerous other relationships. Most prominently Bray/Zoot (the central relationship of this sort for Ray, I would say], but also Amber/Ebony etc. Btw, I don’t think of constructive/destructive as polarized and mutually exclusive, but that’s the best way I can think of phrasing it. And of course dichotomies and how a text (and our reading of it, for that matter) might reinforce or transgress them is always an inexhaustible topic.

I also like: Tai-San/Alice, Amber/Dal, Amber/Salene, Cloe/Dee, Amber/Ellie, Tai-San/Ellie and Siva/Salene.

Then there is also my (br)otp category (i.e. characters I ship both as couples and friends), which includes the following: Amber/Tai-San (whom I love for similar reasons as Tai-San/Jack), Tai-San/Bray,Siva/Ruby, Pride/Jay (whom I also kinda love for similarish reasons as Tai-San/Jack. though saying I respect Jay’s ethics and intelligence is a bit of a stretch. I do think he’s genuinely driven by admirable-ish/understandable-ish ethics and some types of intelligent, but he’s also so damn humanitarian-imperialism-friendly and... ugh, I just can’t), Ellie/Dal, Cloe/Jack, Cloe/Paul and Dal/Jack.

Last but not least, those relationship I don’t know how to classify except as… family(-like)/family-by-choice/circumstances? Dunno, maybe that’s not the best way of phrasing it. But I’m primarily talking about the relationships between older and younger tribe members. Here I have way too many combos I love to be able to list them all. Some that come to mind: Amber/Cloe, Tai-San/Cloe(& Patsy), Pride/Cloe, Bray/Cloe, Salene/Cloe(&Patsy&Paul), Salene/Mouse&Charlie, Pride/Mouse&Charlie, Ellie/Mouse&Charlie, Jack/Mouse, Amber/Mouse, Siva/Mouse, Siva/Lottie, Ruby/Lottie, Tai-San/Tally&Andy, Alice&Tally&Andy, Ryan/every kid he ever met etc. (I even like things like Lex/KC, Ebony/KC, Lex/Andy&Tally, Java/Ved and Ram/Ved ‘cuz… sociopaths should stick together :P. Also, I suggest giving Java&Moz a shot as Ved’s co-parental figures [Siva&Ruby can jump in to prevent them from beating him to death]. Either that or gulag for setting him straight; I see no other options :P). Oh and not to forget my favorite family-by-blood relationship - Ellie/Alice.

#The Tribe #ktda #TT meme #tribal musings #Amber x Jay #Tai San x Pride #Ellie x Jack #Ellie x Luke #Tai San x Jack #and i'm too lazy to tag every relationship i mentioned

TT meme in parts; Part 4

my favorite book/season/etc: I love or at least appreciate all seasons for various reasons, so I really can’t decide.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show): It’s 52 episodes per every of the 5 seasons, so I really can’t choose just one. I might be able to choose one episode per season, so let’s try that.

s1 – 1.16. Because it’s full of Amber,Tai-San and their… antagonistic friendship? (Haven’t found the perfect, or at least satisfactory, word/phrase to describe their relationship in this period of the show yet.) Also love how their interactions tie in with show’s general themes of course. (In this episode, it’s primarily their different concepts of knowledge/education and somewhat different approaches to justice [i.e. generally, they both lean towards transformative justice - as will become more apparent later - but in this particular stage/case, it’s Tai-San who insists on it, while Amber objects]. The justice part gets to me at the gut level more because I'm not sure where I stand on rehabilitation of rapists.)

s2 – 2.04. Because it’s a Tai-San lovefest for me, with the added bonus of awesome Tai-San/Jack scenes (another one of my favorite antagonistic friendships on this show), a bit of Tai-San/Jack/Dal (dynamics I would love to have seen more of) and Bray telling Danni how Tai-San can handle power better than most people (Tai-San/Bray is another relationship I love). She indeed does successfully wield the power (that Lex and Ebony so desperately want to grab and abuse, but can’t… which makes me happy :D), being charismatically arrogant about it as only she can. While also being both irresponsible (as will be indisputably confirmed when the lab explodes and they are almost left without the formula because she wouldn't share it with anyone) and responsible (she may have been indulging herself a bit [or a lot, lol] in bossing everyone around, but she did not allow the Mall Rats to use the antidote to profit at the expense of others; she was also almost always vehemently against what she saw as the MRs abusing the power that the antidote gave them over others) about it.

It's also always incredibly fun to watch Tai-San turn down Lex, especially when he has ulterior motives for approaching her. I don't exactly enjoy watching his predatory, invasive ways anywhere near her (or anyone else), but I am fascinated by the way she handles him (not that it should be her/anyone's responsibility to handle him; he should stop being creepy and rapey). While I'm on this topic, I'll also add that Tai-San/Lex used to be my otp but - while I still like them to an extent, sometimes - my preferred ships now are Tai-San/Pride (and/or Bray. and/or Amber), Lex/No Woman, and Me/Not Being Subjected to Lex's Romances.

s3 – Uh… a tie between 3.22 and 3.50. The former was great for various characters, character relationships and general themes of the show (especially the merits of violent/armed [what is the proper term even] resistance vs. passive resistance). The latter had so many of my favorite characters present and interacting with each other that it couldn't but be a favorite.

s4 – 4.48. This one is an Amber lovefest for me, with the added bonus of awesome Amber/Jay scenes. There she is in one of her down phases, where she’s decided she’s lost too much to continue fighting. And this time it’s not just herself she has to think about. There is her baby too. (Baby who won't exactly benefit from an absentee or dead mother. Btw, effects of Amber's politically active lifestyle on the future relationship with her kid are something I would love to read about. But I'm not sure if I trust TT writers to write that particular story without rubbing me the wrong way [by reinforcing traditional motherhood, first and foremost]. I mean I love/respect TT writers [especially Ray], but I don't know... They are just humanistic, liberal lefty tv writers? And/or I'm used to being repulsed by people's positions on this issue? In case this needs mentioning, I certainly don't trust fandom['s fanfictions] to handle this story. Or any other story. I don't love/respect the fandom; I'm bored and annoyed by mindsets predominant in the fandom.) But she eventually decides to continue fighting - no matter the past and no matter the cost - though she has no way of knowing if she'll eventually regret this decision.

Then there is Amber's budding romance with Jay. She doesn't exactly want a new romance. Especially not with an invading general, directly responsible for wreaking havoc on her community and complicit with kidnapping and enslaving her friends and boyfriend. And there is the fact he's currently dating her arch enemy, whom she also has conflicted feelings about (desire to bury the hatchet and entertain/encourage the possibility Ebony is changing thanks to Jay [the latter assessment I don’t agree with, btw; it was the same unrepentant, self-centered, self-delusional Ebony. not to mention, the E/J romance had no appeal to me whatsoever and I couldn't wait for it to get off my screen] vs. resentment and covert hostility), which further complicates the situation. But there is also that instant chemistry they had from the moment they met and the fact he's now inspiring her to take action again (like she inspired him when they first met).

s5 – 5. 51. This could be a… my-favorite-villains-being-their-sociopathic-selves thing, I guess. There is AI Zoot, wanting to wipe out human species because it’s (self-)destructive. (Urge I can relate to, btw.) There is Mega, demonstrating he’d rather let everyone - including himself - die than allow people to ruin his utopia. (Another urge I can relate to.) And there is the Guardian being even more megalomaniacal than usual. (No relateability factor. But I do rotfl at his “For I am the light, I am the essence, an eternal flame; I am the present, I am the past, I am the future; I am all things in the darkness and in the light.” speech. Can you get more megalomaniacal than that?)

#The Tribe #TT meme #tribal musings #ktda #Amber #Tai San #Mega #AI Zoot #The Guardian #Amber x Jay #Tai San x Lex

TT meme in parts; Part 3

a character I’d die defending: Amber and Tai-San. Always got their backs.

a character I grew to love: Siva. I was initially a bit hostile to her because she “replaced” Tai-San (yes, yes. my younger self was one of those people) and vaguely reminded me of Zandra (who, as I previously mentioned, has never been my cup of tea). But in the recent years she’s become one of my favorite characters.

First of all, there is the thing I appreciate in all of my favorite characters - inclination and courage to stand up to various forms of Human Toxic Waste, especially when she stands to loose something for doing it and/or has nothing to gain from doing it. For example, it's awesome how she eventually deifed Mega and Java, despite potential consequences to her own life. And her team up with Ruby to teach Lex a lesson (not that he ever learns not to be a self-serving piece of trash, but let's not got there for a moment) about ripping off the refugees in Liberty is one of my favorite SLs on the show.

Then there is the fact that she's imo extremely empathetic. I can't even imagine the amount of empathy needed not to cut off family members like Java and Ebony from your life. (Not that I'd blame her or anybody who does cut off toxic people like that. In face, I probably would in her place.) And it's not even just the two of them. She grows to feel a sense of responsibility (or just starts showing that she does feel it) for those younger and/or weaker than herself (think her relationships with Mouse and Lottie). She even finds it in her to defend Ram's life from Jay, even though he's shown zero remorse for what he's done to her or anybody else (the idiot is even amusing himself further verbally antagonizing people he's already harmed) and she's (justifiably) very wary of him.

And it's primarily the above-mentioned qualities that make it easy for me to forgive her/not dislike her for the fair share of self-serving and/or ethically questionable choices (primarily being part of Locos, Technos and Zootists) she's made. Even moreso than with Luke and Jay, because... she's less self-apologetic about her actions (e.g. 4.37 when Siva insists on assuming the responsibility for leaving a weapon in her room where kids can find it, though, as Sal points out, they shouldn't have been rummaging through her room in the first place and she did her best to defuse the situation vs. anytime Luke and Jay look deeply hurt when someone mentions their involvement with Chosen and Technos)? Or maybe I simply employ a double standard because I like her more? Dunno. Either way, she's never managed to enrage me as much as they have in certain situations.

Also Danni. Similar story to that with me and Siva – I primarily hated her because she wasn't Amber. Eventually, I began to appreciate how awesome she is.

And the Guardian. My latest/current re-watch has made him my second favorite villain, when he’s been my least favorite one before. I primarily see him as the personification of the most destructive (and/or ridiculous) aspects of Christianity. I base this on my poor knowledge about Christianity and even worse lack of knowledge about other religions, so I might be wrong about some things. (I.e. I don't know whether dichotomies like the body/spirit [with the degradation of the body], Madonna/whore [for women, obviously], etc. + the notion of a cruel, vengeful god + glorification of punishment and suffering, etc. are exclusively Christian. As far as dichotomies are concerned, I do have vague memories of learning about dichotomous views being characteristic of some pre-Christian patriarchal pagan religions, but it's all pretty blurry at this point.) And I do suppose the Guardian and the whole Chosen SL were more intended as a comment on the destructive potential of religion in general.

#The Tribe #TT meme #tribal musings #Siva #Danni #The Guardian

TT meme in parts; Part 1

a.k.a I got carried away (as usual) and this is very long, even when split up; a.k.a. I spend too much time having feelings for fictional people and trying to put them into words

my favorite female character: Amber and Tai-San. They’re not just my favorite female TT characters; they are probably my favorite tv/pop-culture-in-general characters. My love for them is, I think, primarily rooted in the mixture of identification and admiration. (And the fact I “met” them at a young, formative age.)

The identification part comes from me having been stubborn and self-righteous - much like they are - for as long as I can remember. Plus, like them, I'm torn between taking the high road and indulging my pettiness and egocentrism on daily bases. (And if/when I’m hurt/angry/annoyed/sick/tired/cranky/etc, the latter often prevails. As it does in their case.)

Like them, I often try to act as emotionally-detached as possible in interpersonal relationships. (Amber tries to hide behind the “I don’t need/want love/close relationships with other people. You didn’t, won't and can’t hurt me.” attitude, which she sometimes even explicitly verbalizes. Tai-San tries to hide behind her New Age belief system and goes around telling people to open up to love and express their emotions, while often having difficulty with doing so herself.) And due to this, I get 220% defensive of Amber and Tai-San whenever other characters - especially their close friends or (potential) romantic partners - insinuate they are more emotional or vulnerable than Amber or Tai-San. (E.g. When Trudy throws dehumanizing pseudo-compliments along the lines of "You're just stronger/more brilliant than I am. Therefore, you don't struggle as much as I do." @ Amber; when Lex throws dehumanizing insults along the lines of "You're cold/unfeeling/don't have as deep emotions as I do. Therefore, it's easy for you not to take revenge on people who've harmed you. " @ Tai-San]). I usually do see other characters' point of view too, but it's not their point of view that I share.

The admiration part comes from them investing so much of their time and energy into improving their society and from them almost always being willing to risk their own flash and blood for that cause. (I’m a self-centered coward and don’t/wouldn’t do either. But there is virtually no one in the world - real and fictional - that I admire more than people who aren’t like me in that area.)

I also admire how they both manage to remain so relentlessly optimistic about the possibility of creating a society based on cooperation and transformative justice, regardless of how many times their ideas are rejected or everything they've worked for is brutally crushed (often crushing themselves and/or their loved ones in the process). And regardless of how much (self-)destructiveness, self-serving obnoxiousness, and/or stupidity there always is (and often seems to prevail) around them.

There is plenty more of what I find compelling about them, but I couldn't possibly put it all in one shorter (by my standards:P) piece of writing.

I also love Ellie, Cloe, and Siva.

my favorite male character: Pride and Dal.

Pride because I fall in love with radicals so easily, intensely and almost unconditionally, so long as they are fictional :P. (This is, of course, also one of the reasons why I love Tai-San so much.) Plus, his gradual shift from endorsing pacifism to endorsing violent resistance is one of my favorite stories in this show. (Not that I see this development in linear or absolute terms.) As is his some-strains-of-radical-thought-like and (imo) misguided position on technology. (For Tai-San, this happens with science.)

Dal because he’s so like the type of people I enjoy socializing with (as much as it is possible for a highly-introverted person like myself to enjoy socialization) – kind, compassionate, witty, modest. (He’s also the kind of person I don’t really deserve having in my life because I’m way more egocentric then they are.) Not to mention, he too puts his flesh and blood on the line to help out others. Despite not being the masculine warrior of patriarchal imagination at that.

my favorite cast member: I don’t really have one. I don’t get to attached to actors/actresses in general tbh. Though I suppose I do respect everyone who did a great job (and I do think many of them did) in general and Beth and Michelle in particular for doing a great job with my favorite characters.