'...whisper you mean it, say you'll stay, hold my heart til brighter days...'
I never really listen much to the news, especially when it's about the war in Afghanistan and Iraq and wherever, because it's so far removed from everyday life that I can't really understand what it's like there and because there's so much conflicting information about governments' agendas and conspiracies and all that.
But then I got an email from an online friend that freaked me out, saying, 'the Turks bombed very near where I live here in Northern Iraq, as this is the area where Kurdish rebels are...'
I hadn't known anything about the Turkey/Iraq incident- unless it involves Australian soldiers, the media doesn't really go into that kind of thing, and even if they did, I probably wouldn't be paying attention...but it's just really sobering to realize that I do know someone there who is living under that stress and could be hurt or killed if things go wrong. At least she's leaving in a few weeks, so I won't be wringing my hands with worry for too long.
---
Boy, Kristen Stewart's Australian visit is so not going well. She was the darling of the press all this time, and suddenly they’ve gone sour on her. Or maybe it’s just a new brand of promotion, advertising the awesome, talented star of the hit Twilight franchise only goes so far, picking on her will draw a whole new audience, right? It's just a shame that she made this unfortunate comment about how media attention was like being raped...*winces* Oh, yeah, that's not going to win any fans...
The Herald Sun this week invited people to go to the website and check out ‘sulky snaps’ of Kristen socking it to the Sydney media:
‘She came, pouted, sulked and swore- yes, Twilight’s Kristen Stewart continues to insult Aussies while here for a so-called promotional tour Down Under. Stewart did little to dispel her reputation as a moody misery guts after giving fans the finger and swearing at photographers while in Sydney to promote Eclipse…’
The funny thing is that they're blowing it up out of proportion- you get the impression from the article that she's flipping her finger at people at publicity events and hurting her fans' feelings, but she's actually just on her balcony and it seems more like she's dissing the photographers than any innocent fans.
I laugh that they're more focused on her sticking them the finger instead of her smoking. You'd think they'd jump down her throat about being a bad role model and all that crap. *eyeroll* Unless it's just a lollipop, I can't tell...
But then that ill-advised comment, 'I feel like I'm looking at someone being raped', in reference to paparazzi taking photos of her. So un-PC. *shakes head* Now she's got all the victim support groups criticizing her and saying how insensitve she is about rape victims by likening her situation to theirs...oh, yeah, this Australia trip is not going to be one of her favorite memories...
Still, the fans are defending her, pointing out how gracious she was, posing for photos with them and staying to sign autographs long after her minders were trying to usher her off.
I know she comes off like a brat, and tbh, I'm a little miffed at how unhappy she appears because I would love to be gorgeous and talented and rich like her. *sighs enviously* It'd be a dream come true for so many people, and she gets so negative about it. [Whereas Taylor Lautner is perfectly content and chipper in front of the cameras, lol, he comes off as a guy that's always happy for the attention]
But I do feel the media's being really hard on her. So, yes, she gets pissy and flips off the press, yes, she makes thoughtless remarks about media rape [they want her to use the term 'violation', it's more PC].
But at the end of the day, what I'm looking at is how she treats her fans.
Jorge Garcia quoted the actor who plays Locke, 'Terry O'Quinn put it best when he said it really feels good when you can make someone's day just by showing up.'
So true. All the conventions I’ve been to, we get only the most fleeting contact with our favorite actors and yet that split-second is completely worth all the countless hours of faithful fangirling.
By the same token, getting the brush-off could be really devastating. KStew seems to loathe all the trappings of fame and she could easily crush people by letting her disdain for having to deal with being a huge star affect the way she handles fan events, but for someone so camera-shy and publicity-hating, from what I've heard, she's really considerate with the fans. The fact that she deals so well with them and is patient with their fervent desire to talk to her and get her photo is a huge mark in her favor. *shrugs*
[Of course, I came across an article saying she called her fans 'retarded', so...hmm. I have to laugh at how her and Rob just keep mocking Twilight and the fanbase, it's incredibly funny]
I really like this photo for some reason. The way she contorts her arm is so weird and yet fascinating. It's uncomfortable when I do it, but looks natural on her. Though it does scream 'omg, do not want' pretty effectively, lol. Damn it, girl, if I were as pretty as you, I'd be a camera whore! Hell, I'm not half as pretty and I still monopolize all the cameras in the family when we have get-togethers!
Some more Sydney photos.
---
*facepalm* Why am I so weak? I used to be the hugest anti when it came to Twilight, and then while I was youtube’ing for Florence and the Machine’s Cosmic Love, I came across a ton of Twilight vids to this song. Curiosity got the better of me, and as I watched them, I slowly came to find Edward and Bella less irritating. Ridiculous and OTT and still uber-lame, but also kinda cute all the same. *headdeskwallfloor*
I blame those vid-makers, argh! They crafted such gorgeous vids with beautifully edited scenes that matched the lyrics perfectly and I love this song so much that I couldn’t keep sneering in disdain at the characters.
I couldn’t be happy and squeeful over Florence’s awesome and also mocking and contemptuous of Twilight!fail at the same time. It’s like the Law of Reciprocal Inhibition. *nodnod* Okay, so that apparently relates more to not being able to be both relaxed and anxious at the same time, and took considerable surveying and experimentation to prove, but I’m willing to bet reason and common sense on my variation of the theory being correct.
And now…now, Cosmic Love has struck again! It’s like my kryptonite, capable of the horrific power of making me like, or at least tolerate, people I swore to hate!
-
TYLER AND LISA- NOOOOO! He doesn’t deserve her! Why the frak is a douchebag like him getting lucky with a girl like her?! *brain!splodes*
I hate Ty. His mother’s been there for him and provided love and support his whole life and at one accusation from his father, he’s willing to cut ties with her completely. She swears there was no one else, but he’ll take his father’s word that some test showed he wasn’t his biological father over hers. *stabs him*
I mean, how old was this test? Could’ve been a false negative or someone screwed up the labwork or something, it’s ancient technology, maybe they didn’t account for some variable or whatever, but no, none of that matters to him. He just wants to break his mother’s heart and be done with it. Ungrateful brat. I wish she would disown him, he brings her nothing but misery and heartache, ugh.
I like that Erica is tough enough to put her son aside when it’s necessary and concentrate on the mission at hand, rescuing a comrade, taking down a shuttle, tracking a mysterious scientist with answers behind the V agenda or whatever. He’s safe enough for the moment, the Visitors have no reason to harm him, so fretting about the boy wasn’t going to serve any purpose.
Still, she loves him- I don’t get why all these awesome women give a damn about him, argh!- and I’m used to characters letting their emotions get in the way of the job. First off, she was hurting because he ran off on her after dishing all these vile accusations, and then she finds out that his new girlfriend’s a V and her mom is none other than the insidious alien invader Erica’s sworn to defeat. BUH BOW. But the way she’s able to keep that maternal part compartmentalized and put on her game face and tackle whatever current crisis comes their way…impressive. She is so cool!
I love Joshua. I don’t know why I do, but he just- *flails* For some indefinable reason, I love this guy. I’m so glad that he didn’t spill his guts to Anna’s daughter about joining the resistance, he played it perfectly- keep her alive and owing him a debt, that’s better than either killing a possible future recruit or jeopardizing his position by initiating her straightaway when there are doubts as to her loyalty. Very clever! He gave her nothing to strike at him with, and yet she’s aware that she owes her continued existence to his goodwill. Niiice.
And then his gently-gently approach paid off! He didn’t push her, he sensed she was having a crisis of conscience and developing the desire to rebel against her mother’s rule and now she’s on his side! That scene where the two of them stood side by side and resisted Bliss while they (eyefucked) smiled in a show of solidarity… *sighs happily*
I wish she wasn’t hooking up with Tyler, I could so ship her with Joshua. Yes, I like my girls with older, more mature and emotionally repressed men, what of it? You don’t seriously think she’s better off with that failtastic, insensitive jackass of a human reprobate, do you?
The one and ONLY good thing about her being with Tyler- apart from the Florence and the Machine soundtrack- was her interaction with Erica. I really love these two together, there’s a real maternal vibe, heck, they look more like mother-and-daughter, and I thought it was funny how Anna got tips on mothering by watching Erica with her daughter and then busting out the same move when she visited, lol.
But it’s so cool that Erica was able to reach Lisa- okay, so getting her to turn on her mother so soon and so publicly was a wild dream, it was never going to happen, Lisa has too much instinct for self-preservation for that. But Erica totally got to Lisa, you saw that she at least wanted to confide the truth in her, even if she couldn’t change her story and thank goodness Anna interrupted before it got too far- damn it, doesn’t Erica know the Vs have better than human hearing? Talking to Lisa within earshot could’ve gotten her killed if they’d said anything incriminating!
I really like the dynamic between Erica and Lisa- I’m sad that it started off mainly as Erica’s attempt to use Anna’s daughter the way she was using her son, but I’m sure she wasn’t faking that compassion, she really did feel for Lisa at the same time she was emotionally manipulating her to do her job. That woman is hard-core!
Good thing the priest wasn’t around, he probably would’ve opened his stupid mouth and blabbed all their secrets right away. *eyeroll* Loose lips sink ships, you jackass! Why the hell is he in the Resistance again? Apart from his sci-fi credentials and appealing good guy looks? *stabs him* I won’t lie, I love Hobbes so much, he’s all about being efficient and striking against the enemy instead of soul-searching and hand-wringing, ugh. Erica/Hobbes FTW! ;P
---
I know as this is the series finale of LotS, I should be awash with gentle sentimentality and nostalgia, but seriously- as much as I’ve loved this show, it’s always been fun to spork the hell out of it.
Firstly, was anyone else majorly disappointed at the way the writers once against led us to believe that Cara was going to deliver Kahlan the Breath of Life and then failed to deliver? This was the last episode in which we could see Kahlan revived by Cara’s luscious lips, and they just couldn’t give C/K shippers that satisfaction!
R/C shippers, otoh, got lucky. AGAIN. *envies*
Secondly, I call BS on Nicci confessing Kahlan.
Yes, I know Sisters of the Dark/Light [there seems to be little distinction between them] can steal other people’s han, aka magical power, but the power of confession is supposed to be special and different and more awesome than any other power ever.
I mean, when Dennee was brought back in a different body, she still had the power of a Confessor because that is inseparable from the soul of a Confessor. And if Kahlan were killed and someone else’s soul brought back in her body, they wouldn’t be a Confessor unless they had already been one themselves in life.
So the idea of Nicci being able to confess Kahlan by absorbing her han is frakking unbelievable. She’s not a Mord’Sith so it’s not like she turned that magic back on its user, she had to somehow wield it herself, which is just not supposed to be possible.
And since Nicci was brought back from the dead at the end of the ep, does that mean she’s still got some of Kahlan’s han and that Kahlan is now a weaker Confessor?
And I have to ask...was it just me or did anyone else think the actress playing Nicci wasn't as gorgeous as usual?
She just wasn't as fresh-faced as usual. Was that a deliberate make-up choice or was she really more haggard in RL?
Also not that impressed by her costume change. Yes, the black outfit suits her Dark Mistress image more than the generic red, but the latter looked really pretty on her! And why a woman would choose to wear something as constricting and cliche as the first outfit is beyond me. The boob-shaped armor over the black turtleneck dress was just too obvious and would be kinda daggy if she weren't as hot as she is.
And I have to say, while I am totally invested in Cara/Kahlan, I am so pissed with Zedd for so casually removing someone from the timeline. *headdesk* Firstly, there was no moral dilemma there, he didn't even seem to think twice about what he was doing, and nobody goes, 'Oh, gosh, this could be a huge misuse of your power, think about the implications here!' If it had to be done for the greater good, I wish we'd had some inkling that he realized how signficant and morally ambiguous his actions were but we're just supposed to cheer at his uber-heroic actions or something. That's the thing with fandom, sometimes we get behind characters the writers probably want us to hate and then question their treatment of them.
Also, you know how time-travel stories always have someone going 'be careful, you might crush a beetle that turns out to be super important to evolution and somehow erase the rise of mankind as the dominant species on Earth' or something? And here's Zedd wiping out a Mord'Sith with such a huge connection to a member of the quartet without thinking twice! I'm okay with Cara being the same as ever, despite losing such an important relationship, because I adore Cara just the way she is and if they'd frakked up her characterization, I'd've been way more outraged, but the point is- she shouldn't have been just the same as usual. It doesn't make sense in light of erasing all that history!
I just wish they'd cured Cara with the healing power of their ~*love*~ instead of that craptastic spell that rendered a great character and couple of eps completely irrelevant. UGH. How is eradicating someone from the timeline a better theme than saving her with their powerful emotional connection? Would've been so much more on-theme considering her emotional journey this season, too. SO DISAPPOINTED. They had to know the show was winding up as well, so why waste time on a character that wasn't going to exist an episode later? It's just a waste of time that could've been spent on other plotlines and relationships.
But back to the happymaking scenes...the best part of this episode? CARA COULDN’T KILL KAHLAN BECAUSE SHE LOVES HER! *flailyflailflail* OMFG, THE WIN!
First of all, Kahlan’s charging towards her with the order to kill- and Cara freezes! She doesn’t even make a move toward her agiels! She had no problem kicking Kahlan’s ass in Desecrated, when she wanted to kill herself so that Kahlan would have more air [even though the Breath of Life would’ve been able to bring her back multiple times til Richard arrived, but Cara wasn’t willing to take that chance!] and now she won’t even raise an agiel in her defense?
And then later on, she wouldn’t shoot Kahlan- again, she hesitated out of a fear that she wouldn’t be able to revive her! Richard's died and been brought back often enough, but it's Kahlan that she gets irrational over!
These caps are an excuse to stare at Cara's boobs...ooh, check out the cute freckle on her right boob!
I never cease to be amazed how the fate of the world can hang in the balance while someone delivers a morality tale.
Zedd: She was moving too fast.
Cara: No! I hesitated because for one stupid moment, I was worried I couldn’t revive her.
Zedd: She’s your friend.
Cara: This is what traveling with you people has done to me, made me weak.
Zedd: No, Cara. Your hesitation wasn’t weakness. It was a strength, an instinct to preserve life, rather than snuff it out. Without that instinct, what are we fighting for?
Nicci and confessed!Kahlan are out there, wreaking who knows what havoc, and instead of hastening after them, Zedd decides now is the time to trumpet the cause of emotion over cold logic and reason? WHEN IT IS CLEARLY IN THE WRONG?! No, love is not an excuse not to shoot someone in the back when it’s for their own good, damn it!
But I am still utterly squeeful that it is the calm, composed Cara who kills without conscience that is hampered by misplaced concern here. *bounces*
And look how eager she was to return to her bb!
Zedd: She’s already dead.
Cara: Then Kahlan is released from confession.
*races outside*
Only to be confronted by...
Con Dar!Kahlan bafflingly still running the show. Wait for how they fanwank it- oh, wait, this is canon, what's the term there?
Did anyone else find it utterly cute the way Cara went ‘ahhh’ and retreated a step behind Zedd? Hee!
She has experience with this primal, rage-driven side of Kahlan, although thankfully Kahlan was only driven by the rage born of mere sisterly love and so she wasn’t powerful enough to do that neat ‘confession without touch’ move as demonstrated here on four Mord’Sith a good distance away.
[Doesn't the blonde one look kinda like a chipmunk? Too childishly cute for a Mord'Sith!]
If she’d thought Cara had killed Richard, well, Cara would’ve been a goner in Broken.
Also, how the hell was Zedd able to deflect Con Dar!Kahlan’s wave of confessing power? Nothing’s supposed to be able to resist confession unless you’ve been inoculated against it through evil, painful experiments or through the power of an amazing, overwhelming love never before known in the history of man.
As much as I'm enjoying woobie!Cara being all angsty over Kahlan, let's get back to BAMF!Cara- what about that epic setdown while establishing Mord’Sith hierarchy?
Cara: So. Who’s in charge here?
M’S: I am.
Cara: *bitch slaps*
BA-BOW. Wrong answer!
Cara: So who’s in charge here?
M’S: You are.
Cara: That’s right.
MADE OF EPIC WIN!
Verna! Awesomeness!
And once again, a chick in this show makes the hard call for the greater good…
Verna: They must kill the child
Brother Joseph: The brothers of this Order have devoted themselves to protecting all life.
Verna: Prophecies are seldom as clear as this one…the Seeker is being deceived by the Keeper in the form of a child. As soon as your brothers find him, they must act without hesitation.
Brother Joseph: If you are wrong, they will be killing an innocent child.
Verna: And if I am right, they will be putting an end to the Keeper forever.
Verna: The Creator has put a sword in our hands, Joseph. Are we going to lay it down, or raise it in battle?
….and once again, her will is thwarted by that damnable do-gooder, Richard Rahl.
The Keeper: I knew you would protect me.
Yeah, right, who was helplessly cowering from the monk looking all terrified?
Still, how adorable is he? I know he's the epitome of evil, but aww...
I’m so glad that Zedd said, ‘We’ve done it’, instead of ‘You did it.’ ‘coz that would’ve totally ruined that moment of overwhelming relief and satisfaction that they succeeded in their quest. Richard was fairly useless throughout this ep, and in fact, this whole season. The only thing I can truly praise him for is his devotion to Cara. If he hadn’t stuck up for her at every turn, she wouldn’t be alive, so I thank him for that at least.
But as a hero? He fails miserably. Heck, Nicci was a greater (accidental) hero than he was!
If she hadn’t confessed Kahlan [!], then Kahlan wouldn’t have killed Richard and then been so devastated by it that she cried and formed the new Stone of Tears.
I know, I know, it’s a major cop-out, but I buy that more easily than a whole slew of other weak-ass plot-points.
The Keeper’s been a great villain this season, he’s so ridiculously powerful, sent hordes of creatures out to do his bidding and terrorize the whole nation and do a fairly good job of pretty much taking over.
The Creator? Turned up for one ep, persecuted Richard and wasted time trying to kill him instead of dealing with the minions of the Keeper, sealed one bloody crack between the Underworld and the living world, and then faded back into obscurity, weak and powerless again.
I mean, FFS, she had to be born into a mortal body and spend years growing up and then be given all the han of the Sisters of the Light in order to accomplish so little, whereas the Keeper just up and decided to become a human boy with the snap of his fingers in order to successfully lead Richard astray and gain the Stone of Tears, that’s how much game he’s got!
So it’s actually quite easy for me to believe that at the last moment, the Creator finally decided to make herself useful and somehow transformed Kahlan’s tears into the Stone of Tears to make a loop-hole so they could win the day after all. Because otherwise, she’s been spectacularly useless.
Like Richard. I know I'm flogging a dead horse here, but I would like my predestined heroes to actually be worth all the hype instead of being granted the title and glory for no reason.
It's just like with Harry being the one tasked with destroying the Horcruxes- what was the point, he didn't have a special ability to eradicate them that nobody else could match, each Horcrux was destroyed by a different person, so this whole 'Harry is the Chosen One' is complete bull. Just like any random person could get rid of Horcruxes, anyone could've stood there and died and been brought back to life through the stupidest most nonsensical deus ex machina ever, then cast a first year spell that somehow eliminated the most powerful Dark wizard ever. *snorts* Harry does nothing worthy of being a hero, and Richard...he's handy in a fight, but considering all the enemies he drew to them just by being him, well, was it worth it? Also, his ability in a fight isn't hard-won from years of training, it's a gift from the Sword of Truth! Kahlan and Cara learned their fighting skills through hard-work, he just got a hand-out, it's so lazy and stupid!
The second season could've just been Kahlan and Cara going after the Stone of Tears, with Zedd lending a hand here and there with that nifty wizard's fire and all the complicated spells that conveniently get made up for every predicament they get into, because Richard did nothing but hand over the item they fought so hard for to the enemy, and then died in order to engender the requisite grief in Kahlan for her to cry a new Stone of Tears.
Ugh.
Okay, I'm done. I know I came off harsh on LotS, I really do love this show, but Richard just makes me so angry. I'm going to miss Kahlan and Cara's epicness, though. *sadface*
What the story was really about for me. *wuvs them*
---
So, woodchoc_magnum and I are doing a Survivor: Tocantins rewatch! We had such a blast pulling Survivor: Heroes vs Villains apart and examining every last angle together that it was inevitable we’d have to continue the fun by going on to another season together. Neither of us has done a rewatch before, and already I’ve broken a rule- I haven’t actually seen Tocantins before, so it’s a first-watch on my part, lol. But who cares, we make our own rules! *nodnod*
‘Their adventure will play out in one of the most deserted and unforgiving sections of Brazil, Tocantins. The temperatures in this desert are brutal, it can top 120 degrees [48 degrees Celsius] and sudden storms can ignite dangerous wildfires in an instant.’
Watch Survivor, you might be treated to the spectacle of our contestants being burned alive! This time, when we say the situation is life-and-death, we’re not just speaking metaphorically!
‘The rivers, if you can find them, provide the only source of water, but you’ll have to share it with every other wild animal trying to survive.’
Alligators, huge toothy felines, and whatever that cute but undoubtedly ferocious animal is…definitely don’t want to face those dangerous predators, including…
OMFG, AN OWL! THOSE SOFT DOWNY FEATHERS MIGHT FLAY ME ALIVE! LOOK AT ITS RAVENOUS GAZE, DON’T LET THAT VICIOUS MENACE EAT ME!
Sorry, woodchoc_magnum. You’re my best bud, but if we encounter a wild owl, I’m tripping you and sprinting to safety. [Hopefully your will’s been amended to leave everything to meee? :P If not, you should get right on that]
Seriously, though, TPTB are not going to let the contestants get eaten by wild animals, come on! They probably go there just before watering breaks and make lots of noise, maybe set off some firecrackers to scare off the wildlife so that it's safe for the tribe members to sate their thirst or frolic naked in the waters.
The idea of snakes is scary, though. You can spot a lion or bear or whatever from a good distance away and steer clear, but snakes... *shudders* They could slither up to you in the water or drop from a tree and there's nothing you can do to safeguard yourself from them! *twitches*
The first impressions they had of each other were hilarious- Erinn immediately crushes on Tyson, who then labels her ‘The Bitch’, lol.
Stephen [!] makes a good first impression on me by snarking in the most pleasant manner imaginable, ‘We have the strung-out old lady, and it is sort of encouraging to have her because you know you’re not going to be the first one to go.’ I admire the way he a) finds the silver lining in that cloud, and b) makes her imminent elimination sound like such a positive, reasonable thing.
He’s the kind of guy that is so nice and endearing that he could pull off lines that would sound callous from others, ‘We’re out here in 120-degree weather, and it is kind of convenient because when the older and less physically fit people collapse of heat exhaustion and dehydration, it puts you in a stronger position.’
Sandy makes a negative impression on me by dismissing Stephen as a geek- I take offense at your tone, Sandy! I'd be PROUD to be a geek- and bragging that she’d be able to lead him around. Pfft. At least the geek would have a clue what a PACE means, you dimwitted old bat!
This season has one of the best opening credits of the entire series, I think. Bright vivid colors and instead of fixating on clichéd images of tribal people playing war, they focus on nature and the wildlife. Gorgeous!
What are these creatures? They're so cute, I want them as pets!
I have to say, I was going to cheer for the red team- RED, what more reason do I need?- but black is also my favorite color, and I have to say, much as I dislike Coach and think he’s the hugest douchebag ever to play Survivor, the fact that his tribe used their heads and snagged all the water and the beans makes me respect their game already. I like intelligence and strategy in my tribe, y’know? So, sorry, woodchoc_magnum, but it looks like we’re on opposing teams again!
Jeff was a little harsh on Sandy- I mean, let the woman be overjoyed that she’s not out of the game. Sure, she needs to work on getting her tribe to accept her, but at least she has the chance to win them over instead of being sent home right away without any shot at all.
Now that I’m done being fair, Sandy is an idiot for not doing anything at camp. Sure, finding the idol would be a feather in her cap but given that she has no clue what a pace is- a PACE, it’s not a highly technical term, FFS!- you think that half an hour into the four-hour trek they’re making, she might’ve made some time to go work on making a better second impression by making camp!
Not helping your cause with those crazy eyes!
It is interesting to speculate how being voted out might’ve helped save her bacon- she was spared the exhausting trek to camp and was in good shape for the challenge, where she performed better than she might’ve, had she been hiking to camp with the others. And that is what kept her from being first on the chopping block.
‘People might think this is a really stupid idea but I’m going to continue to build my camp.’
Sierra has the right idea! Elimination isn’t happening yet, may not happen if they win [which they did] so she has time to look for the idol later. Sure, having people around may make it more difficult- though having the luxury of an unpopulated camp wasn’t doing Sandy any favors- but isn’t it better to win their approval and keep off the elimination radar, then sneakily slip off and do some idol-hunting? She’s using her head. *nodnod*
Good on her for pointing out that she hadn't exactly been resting on her laurels at camp. Strep throat, 120-degree weather and she still assembles a shelter for the tribe. *squishes her*
Y’know, I noticed Jalapao made it to camp while it was still daylight and Timbira only reached camp at nightfall. I wonder if that was deliberate or accidental- did one tribe push themselves to go faster and the other take their time to conserve energy? The latter won, so if that was strategic or coincidence, it was a good move.
Coach pompously observes, ‘You can’t change what we did together as a tribe, it bonded all of us, and unfortunately, Sierra was not there.’
I think this group-walking is overrated.
First of all, my psych teacher said on the first day of uni that bonds can be formed by doing things as a team- for instance, this girl Lauren and I getting lost and having to work together to find our classroom.
Did we form a friendship? Yes.
Did it last beyond that unit? No.
Bonds are formed all the time, it takes constant care and nourishment to grow strong and reliable. Missing out on the first opportunity doesn’t mean there won’t be a later opportunity, alternatively, striking lucky first time round doesn’t guarantee it’ll last.
Also, tribes compete in grueling challenges in every episode- does that form a tight bond between a cohesive group that will not turn on each other, no matter what? Hell no. So for him to think Sierra not shuffling along makes a real difference in her chances is ridiculous. All she has to do is overhaul her image- she already changed some of their minds by being a diligent worker and putting up camp, so perform well in challenges and she’s set. The challenges are what really count, imho. *kicks him*
Can you tell I’m rooting for Sierra? I hope she doesn’t go next ep. *tugs hair anxiously*
My three favorite people!
[That is Stephen, isn't it? I find it hard to recognize him without his glasses, lol- but it's only the first ep, give me time!]
Oh, yay, Sierra did well at the challenge! I like this Erin[n?] chick she worked with, they were both quiet, calm and confident, didn’t get flustered but worked smoothly and efficiently together…
Just as Erin and Brendan did. I’m surprised I like so many people atm! I’m sure that’ll change, I usually watch Survivor hoping for a few people NOT to win, and the rest I just put up with, lol.
Anyway, I make up for my unusual tolerance by hating on Coach with all my being. Look at that jerk, standing there, judging Erin and Brendan. Thinks he could do better, no doubt, the douche.
I hope Erin lasts as well. Is it obvious I’m in favor of the pretty people? Lol, she has this pixie-like elegance to her features, I like looking at her, what’s wrong with wanting to keep her around?
[It’s just funny that Erin voted for Sierra, and I think Brendan voted for Erin- I wonder who Sierra voted for?]
Aww, no love for Sierra. *sadface*
Still, she gets to join in the tribe victory cheer as they celebrate their first win- does this count as a bonding experience, Coach? *glares*
Odd how often the tribe with the huge lead ends up not winning. I mean, Jalapao should have won, they were ahead by a massive amount and still lost to Timbira. *shakes head* Yay for my tribe! No, I’m not just cheering for the winners, shush! How fickle do you think I am?
Huh, so Spencer single-handedly saved Sandy’s ass. It’s not guaranteeing she’ll stick around longer than Jalapao’s second elimination, but Survivor is all about maximizing the potential and making the most of the chances you’re given, so he did her a huge favor.
Of course, it helped that Carolina contributed to her own elimination. First she sucked at challenge, and then she whines and expects others to go start working on projects to make camp life more luxurious? What’s wrong with her? I agree with her point that they should be productive and not abandon things halfway through, but there is a time and place to point out these things, and just as they’re recovering from defeat, which she partly contributed to? Not the time or the place. Idiot!
And it’s funny how she apologizes to Sandy for eliminating her the first time and assuming it’ll be her again, never realizing for one moment that she was in jeopardy! Lol. At least we don’t have to put up with her helium balloon voice anymore. *eyeroll* I swear, that is what got her voted off, lol.
---
Meme.
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
The Lost World. Definitely. It has the most awesome ship ever, and the writers treated it with respect and handled its development superbly. I've never seen another show where the relationship was so carefully and thoughtfully written. Yes, the plotlines were cracktastic and amazingly illogical, but they were fun- vampires, werewolves and fairies; dinosaurs, aliens and ninja!skeletons; Jack the Ripper, Winston Churchill and more!- and the banter was hilarious. I love everything about this show, and I just wish it had lasted longer than three seasons. *sighs wistfully*
If you want to see a little of how amazing it is, the 'Bitch' fanvid I made in tribute to Marguerite says it all.
-
Comment with ‘The truth is out there’ and I’ll nominate three fandoms for you to answer the following questions about.
Nominated by halfabubble.
Criminal Minds:
01. The first character I fell in love with: Elle
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Emily!
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Reid
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Hayley
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Elle
06. The character I would shag anytime: Hotch
07. The character I'd want to be like: Emily
08. The character I'd slap: Morgan for being such a whiny hypocritical bitch
09. A pairing that I love: Emily/Hotch
10. A pairing that I hate: Reid/anyone
11. Favorite character: Emily
12. My five favorite characters: Emily, Hotch, Garcia, JJ, Gideon
13. My five least favorite characters: I outright hate Strauss, Jordan and Tamora from Hopeless. And I get irritated by Reid, for over-exposure by the obsessed writers, and Rossi for being Captain Obvious.
14. Which character I am most like: None.
15. My deep, dark fandom secret: I used to ship Elle/Hotch, even though he was married. I won’t lie, I cheered when he and Hayley split, though of course it was too late for these two by then.
Harry Potter:
01. The first character I fell in love with: Hermione
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Snape!
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Harry Potter
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Snape
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Harry.
I was fond of him for the first three books. Then I got sick of his continual whingeing and inability to listen to wiser people and good advice, not to mention his habit of heedlessly running into danger and never using his brain to rescue himself, always needing other people to save his butt and get killed for no reason on his behalf.
He became unrecognizable from the shy, sensitive kid he used to be later on- nearly killing Draco and hexing Filch in the corridors, for instance. What a hero- assaulting a defenseless old man behind his back, isn’t he a great role model?
06. The character I would shag anytime: Snape
07. The character I'd want to be like: Hermione
08. The character I'd slap: Ron Weasley for being such a lazy, thoughtless, insensitive asshat.
09. A pairing that I love: Hermione/Snape
10. A pairing that I hate: Hermione/Ron
11. Favorite character: Hermione
12. My five favorite characters: Hermione, Snape, Luna…to be honest, I don’t really like anyone else in the series. In fandom, I like redeemed!Draco and not-lame!Ginny.
13. My five least favorite characters: Dumbledore, Ron, Harry, Hagrid, nearly everyone in the Ministry of Magic
14. Which character I am most like: in high school, I was Hermione
15. My deep, dark fandom secret: I used to ship Snape/Minerva til they made the movies and she was old and wrinkly. *pouts* In the books, we’re told she’s ‘a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes’ with a ‘stern face’, someone not to be crossed. Sounds like Snape’s match, doesn’t she? I liked the idea of the two Heads of Houses being rivals, always clashing with each other and underneath it all, there’s this simmering yet strictly suppressed attraction.
Legend of the Seeker:
01. The first character I fell in love with: Kahlan
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Sister Verna
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Richard
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Darken Rahl [I say him, but I’m fairly certain that this villain has a hefty fangirl following]. I have to say, I also have a soft spot for the Keeper. He's just such a great villain, I respect that, y'know?
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Nicci [not after what she did in the finale!]
06. The character I would shag anytime: Cara
07. The character I'd want to be like: Kahlan
08. The character I'd slap: Richard, for being an arrogant, impulsive, thoughtless idiot.
09. A pairing that I love: Cara/Kahlan
10. A pairing that I hate: Cara/Darken Rahl [too twisted and wibble-inducing for me]
11. Favorite character: Cara
12. My five favorite characters: Cara, Kahlan, Verna, Jennsen, Darken Rahl
13. My five least favorite characters: Richard, Dahlia, the Creator, most of the Sisters of the Light and the Dark
14. Which character I am most like: Er…Jennsen, probably. I wonder if there’s any good fanfic around her, I could easily see myself as her.
15. My deep, dark fandom secret: I totally wanted to ship Jennsen and Darken Rahl…til I figured out that they were brother and sister…and kinda still wished for it, even afterwards. *pouts* Any AU!fic with this ship, minus the incest?
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Vidspam.
@halfabubble- this is the blonde/brunette mud-fight scene I was telling you about...
But then I got an email from an online friend that freaked me out, saying, 'the Turks bombed very near where I live here in Northern Iraq, as this is the area where Kurdish rebels are...'
I hadn't known anything about the Turkey/Iraq incident- unless it involves Australian soldiers, the media doesn't really go into that kind of thing, and even if they did, I probably wouldn't be paying attention...but it's just really sobering to realize that I do know someone there who is living under that stress and could be hurt or killed if things go wrong. At least she's leaving in a few weeks, so I won't be wringing my hands with worry for too long.
---
Boy, Kristen Stewart's Australian visit is so not going well. She was the darling of the press all this time, and suddenly they’ve gone sour on her. Or maybe it’s just a new brand of promotion, advertising the awesome, talented star of the hit Twilight franchise only goes so far, picking on her will draw a whole new audience, right? It's just a shame that she made this unfortunate comment about how media attention was like being raped...*winces* Oh, yeah, that's not going to win any fans...
The Herald Sun this week invited people to go to the website and check out ‘sulky snaps’ of Kristen socking it to the Sydney media:
‘She came, pouted, sulked and swore- yes, Twilight’s Kristen Stewart continues to insult Aussies while here for a so-called promotional tour Down Under. Stewart did little to dispel her reputation as a moody misery guts after giving fans the finger and swearing at photographers while in Sydney to promote Eclipse…’
The funny thing is that they're blowing it up out of proportion- you get the impression from the article that she's flipping her finger at people at publicity events and hurting her fans' feelings, but she's actually just on her balcony and it seems more like she's dissing the photographers than any innocent fans.
I laugh that they're more focused on her sticking them the finger instead of her smoking. You'd think they'd jump down her throat about being a bad role model and all that crap. *eyeroll* Unless it's just a lollipop, I can't tell...
But then that ill-advised comment, 'I feel like I'm looking at someone being raped', in reference to paparazzi taking photos of her. So un-PC. *shakes head* Now she's got all the victim support groups criticizing her and saying how insensitve she is about rape victims by likening her situation to theirs...oh, yeah, this Australia trip is not going to be one of her favorite memories...
Still, the fans are defending her, pointing out how gracious she was, posing for photos with them and staying to sign autographs long after her minders were trying to usher her off.
I know she comes off like a brat, and tbh, I'm a little miffed at how unhappy she appears because I would love to be gorgeous and talented and rich like her. *sighs enviously* It'd be a dream come true for so many people, and she gets so negative about it. [Whereas Taylor Lautner is perfectly content and chipper in front of the cameras, lol, he comes off as a guy that's always happy for the attention]
But I do feel the media's being really hard on her. So, yes, she gets pissy and flips off the press, yes, she makes thoughtless remarks about media rape [they want her to use the term 'violation', it's more PC].
But at the end of the day, what I'm looking at is how she treats her fans.
Jorge Garcia quoted the actor who plays Locke, 'Terry O'Quinn put it best when he said it really feels good when you can make someone's day just by showing up.'
So true. All the conventions I’ve been to, we get only the most fleeting contact with our favorite actors and yet that split-second is completely worth all the countless hours of faithful fangirling.
By the same token, getting the brush-off could be really devastating. KStew seems to loathe all the trappings of fame and she could easily crush people by letting her disdain for having to deal with being a huge star affect the way she handles fan events, but for someone so camera-shy and publicity-hating, from what I've heard, she's really considerate with the fans. The fact that she deals so well with them and is patient with their fervent desire to talk to her and get her photo is a huge mark in her favor. *shrugs*
[Of course, I came across an article saying she called her fans 'retarded', so...hmm. I have to laugh at how her and Rob just keep mocking Twilight and the fanbase, it's incredibly funny]
I really like this photo for some reason. The way she contorts her arm is so weird and yet fascinating. It's uncomfortable when I do it, but looks natural on her. Though it does scream 'omg, do not want' pretty effectively, lol. Damn it, girl, if I were as pretty as you, I'd be a camera whore! Hell, I'm not half as pretty and I still monopolize all the cameras in the family when we have get-togethers!
Some more Sydney photos.
---
*facepalm* Why am I so weak? I used to be the hugest anti when it came to Twilight, and then while I was youtube’ing for Florence and the Machine’s Cosmic Love, I came across a ton of Twilight vids to this song. Curiosity got the better of me, and as I watched them, I slowly came to find Edward and Bella less irritating. Ridiculous and OTT and still uber-lame, but also kinda cute all the same. *headdeskwallfloor*
I blame those vid-makers, argh! They crafted such gorgeous vids with beautifully edited scenes that matched the lyrics perfectly and I love this song so much that I couldn’t keep sneering in disdain at the characters.
I couldn’t be happy and squeeful over Florence’s awesome and also mocking and contemptuous of Twilight!fail at the same time. It’s like the Law of Reciprocal Inhibition. *nodnod* Okay, so that apparently relates more to not being able to be both relaxed and anxious at the same time, and took considerable surveying and experimentation to prove, but I’m willing to bet reason and common sense on my variation of the theory being correct.
And now…now, Cosmic Love has struck again! It’s like my kryptonite, capable of the horrific power of making me like, or at least tolerate, people I swore to hate!
-
TYLER AND LISA- NOOOOO! He doesn’t deserve her! Why the frak is a douchebag like him getting lucky with a girl like her?! *brain!splodes*
I hate Ty. His mother’s been there for him and provided love and support his whole life and at one accusation from his father, he’s willing to cut ties with her completely. She swears there was no one else, but he’ll take his father’s word that some test showed he wasn’t his biological father over hers. *stabs him*
I mean, how old was this test? Could’ve been a false negative or someone screwed up the labwork or something, it’s ancient technology, maybe they didn’t account for some variable or whatever, but no, none of that matters to him. He just wants to break his mother’s heart and be done with it. Ungrateful brat. I wish she would disown him, he brings her nothing but misery and heartache, ugh.
I like that Erica is tough enough to put her son aside when it’s necessary and concentrate on the mission at hand, rescuing a comrade, taking down a shuttle, tracking a mysterious scientist with answers behind the V agenda or whatever. He’s safe enough for the moment, the Visitors have no reason to harm him, so fretting about the boy wasn’t going to serve any purpose.
Still, she loves him- I don’t get why all these awesome women give a damn about him, argh!- and I’m used to characters letting their emotions get in the way of the job. First off, she was hurting because he ran off on her after dishing all these vile accusations, and then she finds out that his new girlfriend’s a V and her mom is none other than the insidious alien invader Erica’s sworn to defeat. BUH BOW. But the way she’s able to keep that maternal part compartmentalized and put on her game face and tackle whatever current crisis comes their way…impressive. She is so cool!
I love Joshua. I don’t know why I do, but he just- *flails* For some indefinable reason, I love this guy. I’m so glad that he didn’t spill his guts to Anna’s daughter about joining the resistance, he played it perfectly- keep her alive and owing him a debt, that’s better than either killing a possible future recruit or jeopardizing his position by initiating her straightaway when there are doubts as to her loyalty. Very clever! He gave her nothing to strike at him with, and yet she’s aware that she owes her continued existence to his goodwill. Niiice.
And then his gently-gently approach paid off! He didn’t push her, he sensed she was having a crisis of conscience and developing the desire to rebel against her mother’s rule and now she’s on his side! That scene where the two of them stood side by side and resisted Bliss while they (eyefucked) smiled in a show of solidarity… *sighs happily*
I wish she wasn’t hooking up with Tyler, I could so ship her with Joshua. Yes, I like my girls with older, more mature and emotionally repressed men, what of it? You don’t seriously think she’s better off with that failtastic, insensitive jackass of a human reprobate, do you?
The one and ONLY good thing about her being with Tyler- apart from the Florence and the Machine soundtrack- was her interaction with Erica. I really love these two together, there’s a real maternal vibe, heck, they look more like mother-and-daughter, and I thought it was funny how Anna got tips on mothering by watching Erica with her daughter and then busting out the same move when she visited, lol.
But it’s so cool that Erica was able to reach Lisa- okay, so getting her to turn on her mother so soon and so publicly was a wild dream, it was never going to happen, Lisa has too much instinct for self-preservation for that. But Erica totally got to Lisa, you saw that she at least wanted to confide the truth in her, even if she couldn’t change her story and thank goodness Anna interrupted before it got too far- damn it, doesn’t Erica know the Vs have better than human hearing? Talking to Lisa within earshot could’ve gotten her killed if they’d said anything incriminating!
I really like the dynamic between Erica and Lisa- I’m sad that it started off mainly as Erica’s attempt to use Anna’s daughter the way she was using her son, but I’m sure she wasn’t faking that compassion, she really did feel for Lisa at the same time she was emotionally manipulating her to do her job. That woman is hard-core!
Good thing the priest wasn’t around, he probably would’ve opened his stupid mouth and blabbed all their secrets right away. *eyeroll* Loose lips sink ships, you jackass! Why the hell is he in the Resistance again? Apart from his sci-fi credentials and appealing good guy looks? *stabs him* I won’t lie, I love Hobbes so much, he’s all about being efficient and striking against the enemy instead of soul-searching and hand-wringing, ugh. Erica/Hobbes FTW! ;P
---
I know as this is the series finale of LotS, I should be awash with gentle sentimentality and nostalgia, but seriously- as much as I’ve loved this show, it’s always been fun to spork the hell out of it.
Firstly, was anyone else majorly disappointed at the way the writers once against led us to believe that Cara was going to deliver Kahlan the Breath of Life and then failed to deliver? This was the last episode in which we could see Kahlan revived by Cara’s luscious lips, and they just couldn’t give C/K shippers that satisfaction!
R/C shippers, otoh, got lucky. AGAIN. *envies*
Secondly, I call BS on Nicci confessing Kahlan.
Yes, I know Sisters of the Dark/Light [there seems to be little distinction between them] can steal other people’s han, aka magical power, but the power of confession is supposed to be special and different and more awesome than any other power ever.
I mean, when Dennee was brought back in a different body, she still had the power of a Confessor because that is inseparable from the soul of a Confessor. And if Kahlan were killed and someone else’s soul brought back in her body, they wouldn’t be a Confessor unless they had already been one themselves in life.
So the idea of Nicci being able to confess Kahlan by absorbing her han is frakking unbelievable. She’s not a Mord’Sith so it’s not like she turned that magic back on its user, she had to somehow wield it herself, which is just not supposed to be possible.
And since Nicci was brought back from the dead at the end of the ep, does that mean she’s still got some of Kahlan’s han and that Kahlan is now a weaker Confessor?
And I have to ask...was it just me or did anyone else think the actress playing Nicci wasn't as gorgeous as usual?
She just wasn't as fresh-faced as usual. Was that a deliberate make-up choice or was she really more haggard in RL?
Also not that impressed by her costume change. Yes, the black outfit suits her Dark Mistress image more than the generic red, but the latter looked really pretty on her! And why a woman would choose to wear something as constricting and cliche as the first outfit is beyond me. The boob-shaped armor over the black turtleneck dress was just too obvious and would be kinda daggy if she weren't as hot as she is.
And I have to say, while I am totally invested in Cara/Kahlan, I am so pissed with Zedd for so casually removing someone from the timeline. *headdesk* Firstly, there was no moral dilemma there, he didn't even seem to think twice about what he was doing, and nobody goes, 'Oh, gosh, this could be a huge misuse of your power, think about the implications here!' If it had to be done for the greater good, I wish we'd had some inkling that he realized how signficant and morally ambiguous his actions were but we're just supposed to cheer at his uber-heroic actions or something. That's the thing with fandom, sometimes we get behind characters the writers probably want us to hate and then question their treatment of them.
Also, you know how time-travel stories always have someone going 'be careful, you might crush a beetle that turns out to be super important to evolution and somehow erase the rise of mankind as the dominant species on Earth' or something? And here's Zedd wiping out a Mord'Sith with such a huge connection to a member of the quartet without thinking twice! I'm okay with Cara being the same as ever, despite losing such an important relationship, because I adore Cara just the way she is and if they'd frakked up her characterization, I'd've been way more outraged, but the point is- she shouldn't have been just the same as usual. It doesn't make sense in light of erasing all that history!
I just wish they'd cured Cara with the healing power of their ~*love*~ instead of that craptastic spell that rendered a great character and couple of eps completely irrelevant. UGH. How is eradicating someone from the timeline a better theme than saving her with their powerful emotional connection? Would've been so much more on-theme considering her emotional journey this season, too. SO DISAPPOINTED. They had to know the show was winding up as well, so why waste time on a character that wasn't going to exist an episode later? It's just a waste of time that could've been spent on other plotlines and relationships.
But back to the happymaking scenes...the best part of this episode? CARA COULDN’T KILL KAHLAN BECAUSE SHE LOVES HER! *flailyflailflail* OMFG, THE WIN!
First of all, Kahlan’s charging towards her with the order to kill- and Cara freezes! She doesn’t even make a move toward her agiels! She had no problem kicking Kahlan’s ass in Desecrated, when she wanted to kill herself so that Kahlan would have more air [even though the Breath of Life would’ve been able to bring her back multiple times til Richard arrived, but Cara wasn’t willing to take that chance!] and now she won’t even raise an agiel in her defense?
And then later on, she wouldn’t shoot Kahlan- again, she hesitated out of a fear that she wouldn’t be able to revive her! Richard's died and been brought back often enough, but it's Kahlan that she gets irrational over!
These caps are an excuse to stare at Cara's boobs...ooh, check out the cute freckle on her right boob!
I never cease to be amazed how the fate of the world can hang in the balance while someone delivers a morality tale.
Zedd: She was moving too fast.
Cara: No! I hesitated because for one stupid moment, I was worried I couldn’t revive her.
Zedd: She’s your friend.
Cara: This is what traveling with you people has done to me, made me weak.
Zedd: No, Cara. Your hesitation wasn’t weakness. It was a strength, an instinct to preserve life, rather than snuff it out. Without that instinct, what are we fighting for?
Nicci and confessed!Kahlan are out there, wreaking who knows what havoc, and instead of hastening after them, Zedd decides now is the time to trumpet the cause of emotion over cold logic and reason? WHEN IT IS CLEARLY IN THE WRONG?! No, love is not an excuse not to shoot someone in the back when it’s for their own good, damn it!
But I am still utterly squeeful that it is the calm, composed Cara who kills without conscience that is hampered by misplaced concern here. *bounces*
And look how eager she was to return to her bb!
Zedd: She’s already dead.
Cara: Then Kahlan is released from confession.
*races outside*
Only to be confronted by...
Con Dar!Kahlan bafflingly still running the show. Wait for how they fanwank it- oh, wait, this is canon, what's the term there?
Did anyone else find it utterly cute the way Cara went ‘ahhh’ and retreated a step behind Zedd? Hee!
She has experience with this primal, rage-driven side of Kahlan, although thankfully Kahlan was only driven by the rage born of mere sisterly love and so she wasn’t powerful enough to do that neat ‘confession without touch’ move as demonstrated here on four Mord’Sith a good distance away.
[Doesn't the blonde one look kinda like a chipmunk? Too childishly cute for a Mord'Sith!]
If she’d thought Cara had killed Richard, well, Cara would’ve been a goner in Broken.
Also, how the hell was Zedd able to deflect Con Dar!Kahlan’s wave of confessing power? Nothing’s supposed to be able to resist confession unless you’ve been inoculated against it through evil, painful experiments or through the power of an amazing, overwhelming love never before known in the history of man.
As much as I'm enjoying woobie!Cara being all angsty over Kahlan, let's get back to BAMF!Cara- what about that epic setdown while establishing Mord’Sith hierarchy?
Cara: So. Who’s in charge here?
M’S: I am.
Cara: *bitch slaps*
BA-BOW. Wrong answer!
Cara: So who’s in charge here?
M’S: You are.
Cara: That’s right.
MADE OF EPIC WIN!
Verna! Awesomeness!
And once again, a chick in this show makes the hard call for the greater good…
Verna: They must kill the child
Brother Joseph: The brothers of this Order have devoted themselves to protecting all life.
Verna: Prophecies are seldom as clear as this one…the Seeker is being deceived by the Keeper in the form of a child. As soon as your brothers find him, they must act without hesitation.
Brother Joseph: If you are wrong, they will be killing an innocent child.
Verna: And if I am right, they will be putting an end to the Keeper forever.
Verna: The Creator has put a sword in our hands, Joseph. Are we going to lay it down, or raise it in battle?
….and once again, her will is thwarted by that damnable do-gooder, Richard Rahl.
The Keeper: I knew you would protect me.
Yeah, right, who was helplessly cowering from the monk looking all terrified?
Still, how adorable is he? I know he's the epitome of evil, but aww...
I’m so glad that Zedd said, ‘We’ve done it’, instead of ‘You did it.’ ‘coz that would’ve totally ruined that moment of overwhelming relief and satisfaction that they succeeded in their quest. Richard was fairly useless throughout this ep, and in fact, this whole season. The only thing I can truly praise him for is his devotion to Cara. If he hadn’t stuck up for her at every turn, she wouldn’t be alive, so I thank him for that at least.
But as a hero? He fails miserably. Heck, Nicci was a greater (accidental) hero than he was!
If she hadn’t confessed Kahlan [!], then Kahlan wouldn’t have killed Richard and then been so devastated by it that she cried and formed the new Stone of Tears.
I know, I know, it’s a major cop-out, but I buy that more easily than a whole slew of other weak-ass plot-points.
The Keeper’s been a great villain this season, he’s so ridiculously powerful, sent hordes of creatures out to do his bidding and terrorize the whole nation and do a fairly good job of pretty much taking over.
The Creator? Turned up for one ep, persecuted Richard and wasted time trying to kill him instead of dealing with the minions of the Keeper, sealed one bloody crack between the Underworld and the living world, and then faded back into obscurity, weak and powerless again.
I mean, FFS, she had to be born into a mortal body and spend years growing up and then be given all the han of the Sisters of the Light in order to accomplish so little, whereas the Keeper just up and decided to become a human boy with the snap of his fingers in order to successfully lead Richard astray and gain the Stone of Tears, that’s how much game he’s got!
So it’s actually quite easy for me to believe that at the last moment, the Creator finally decided to make herself useful and somehow transformed Kahlan’s tears into the Stone of Tears to make a loop-hole so they could win the day after all. Because otherwise, she’s been spectacularly useless.
Like Richard. I know I'm flogging a dead horse here, but I would like my predestined heroes to actually be worth all the hype instead of being granted the title and glory for no reason.
It's just like with Harry being the one tasked with destroying the Horcruxes- what was the point, he didn't have a special ability to eradicate them that nobody else could match, each Horcrux was destroyed by a different person, so this whole 'Harry is the Chosen One' is complete bull. Just like any random person could get rid of Horcruxes, anyone could've stood there and died and been brought back to life through the stupidest most nonsensical deus ex machina ever, then cast a first year spell that somehow eliminated the most powerful Dark wizard ever. *snorts* Harry does nothing worthy of being a hero, and Richard...he's handy in a fight, but considering all the enemies he drew to them just by being him, well, was it worth it? Also, his ability in a fight isn't hard-won from years of training, it's a gift from the Sword of Truth! Kahlan and Cara learned their fighting skills through hard-work, he just got a hand-out, it's so lazy and stupid!
The second season could've just been Kahlan and Cara going after the Stone of Tears, with Zedd lending a hand here and there with that nifty wizard's fire and all the complicated spells that conveniently get made up for every predicament they get into, because Richard did nothing but hand over the item they fought so hard for to the enemy, and then died in order to engender the requisite grief in Kahlan for her to cry a new Stone of Tears.
Ugh.
Okay, I'm done. I know I came off harsh on LotS, I really do love this show, but Richard just makes me so angry. I'm going to miss Kahlan and Cara's epicness, though. *sadface*
What the story was really about for me. *wuvs them*
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So, woodchoc_magnum and I are doing a Survivor: Tocantins rewatch! We had such a blast pulling Survivor: Heroes vs Villains apart and examining every last angle together that it was inevitable we’d have to continue the fun by going on to another season together. Neither of us has done a rewatch before, and already I’ve broken a rule- I haven’t actually seen Tocantins before, so it’s a first-watch on my part, lol. But who cares, we make our own rules! *nodnod*
‘Their adventure will play out in one of the most deserted and unforgiving sections of Brazil, Tocantins. The temperatures in this desert are brutal, it can top 120 degrees [48 degrees Celsius] and sudden storms can ignite dangerous wildfires in an instant.’
Watch Survivor, you might be treated to the spectacle of our contestants being burned alive! This time, when we say the situation is life-and-death, we’re not just speaking metaphorically!
‘The rivers, if you can find them, provide the only source of water, but you’ll have to share it with every other wild animal trying to survive.’
Alligators, huge toothy felines, and whatever that cute but undoubtedly ferocious animal is…definitely don’t want to face those dangerous predators, including…
OMFG, AN OWL! THOSE SOFT DOWNY FEATHERS MIGHT FLAY ME ALIVE! LOOK AT ITS RAVENOUS GAZE, DON’T LET THAT VICIOUS MENACE EAT ME!
Sorry, woodchoc_magnum. You’re my best bud, but if we encounter a wild owl, I’m tripping you and sprinting to safety. [Hopefully your will’s been amended to leave everything to meee? :P If not, you should get right on that]
Seriously, though, TPTB are not going to let the contestants get eaten by wild animals, come on! They probably go there just before watering breaks and make lots of noise, maybe set off some firecrackers to scare off the wildlife so that it's safe for the tribe members to sate their thirst or frolic naked in the waters.
The idea of snakes is scary, though. You can spot a lion or bear or whatever from a good distance away and steer clear, but snakes... *shudders* They could slither up to you in the water or drop from a tree and there's nothing you can do to safeguard yourself from them! *twitches*
The first impressions they had of each other were hilarious- Erinn immediately crushes on Tyson, who then labels her ‘The Bitch’, lol.
Stephen [!] makes a good first impression on me by snarking in the most pleasant manner imaginable, ‘We have the strung-out old lady, and it is sort of encouraging to have her because you know you’re not going to be the first one to go.’ I admire the way he a) finds the silver lining in that cloud, and b) makes her imminent elimination sound like such a positive, reasonable thing.
He’s the kind of guy that is so nice and endearing that he could pull off lines that would sound callous from others, ‘We’re out here in 120-degree weather, and it is kind of convenient because when the older and less physically fit people collapse of heat exhaustion and dehydration, it puts you in a stronger position.’
Sandy makes a negative impression on me by dismissing Stephen as a geek- I take offense at your tone, Sandy! I'd be PROUD to be a geek- and bragging that she’d be able to lead him around. Pfft. At least the geek would have a clue what a PACE means, you dimwitted old bat!
This season has one of the best opening credits of the entire series, I think. Bright vivid colors and instead of fixating on clichéd images of tribal people playing war, they focus on nature and the wildlife. Gorgeous!
What are these creatures? They're so cute, I want them as pets!
I have to say, I was going to cheer for the red team- RED, what more reason do I need?- but black is also my favorite color, and I have to say, much as I dislike Coach and think he’s the hugest douchebag ever to play Survivor, the fact that his tribe used their heads and snagged all the water and the beans makes me respect their game already. I like intelligence and strategy in my tribe, y’know? So, sorry, woodchoc_magnum, but it looks like we’re on opposing teams again!
Jeff was a little harsh on Sandy- I mean, let the woman be overjoyed that she’s not out of the game. Sure, she needs to work on getting her tribe to accept her, but at least she has the chance to win them over instead of being sent home right away without any shot at all.
Now that I’m done being fair, Sandy is an idiot for not doing anything at camp. Sure, finding the idol would be a feather in her cap but given that she has no clue what a pace is- a PACE, it’s not a highly technical term, FFS!- you think that half an hour into the four-hour trek they’re making, she might’ve made some time to go work on making a better second impression by making camp!
Not helping your cause with those crazy eyes!
It is interesting to speculate how being voted out might’ve helped save her bacon- she was spared the exhausting trek to camp and was in good shape for the challenge, where she performed better than she might’ve, had she been hiking to camp with the others. And that is what kept her from being first on the chopping block.
‘People might think this is a really stupid idea but I’m going to continue to build my camp.’
Sierra has the right idea! Elimination isn’t happening yet, may not happen if they win [which they did] so she has time to look for the idol later. Sure, having people around may make it more difficult- though having the luxury of an unpopulated camp wasn’t doing Sandy any favors- but isn’t it better to win their approval and keep off the elimination radar, then sneakily slip off and do some idol-hunting? She’s using her head. *nodnod*
Good on her for pointing out that she hadn't exactly been resting on her laurels at camp. Strep throat, 120-degree weather and she still assembles a shelter for the tribe. *squishes her*
Y’know, I noticed Jalapao made it to camp while it was still daylight and Timbira only reached camp at nightfall. I wonder if that was deliberate or accidental- did one tribe push themselves to go faster and the other take their time to conserve energy? The latter won, so if that was strategic or coincidence, it was a good move.
Coach pompously observes, ‘You can’t change what we did together as a tribe, it bonded all of us, and unfortunately, Sierra was not there.’
I think this group-walking is overrated.
First of all, my psych teacher said on the first day of uni that bonds can be formed by doing things as a team- for instance, this girl Lauren and I getting lost and having to work together to find our classroom.
Did we form a friendship? Yes.
Did it last beyond that unit? No.
Bonds are formed all the time, it takes constant care and nourishment to grow strong and reliable. Missing out on the first opportunity doesn’t mean there won’t be a later opportunity, alternatively, striking lucky first time round doesn’t guarantee it’ll last.
Also, tribes compete in grueling challenges in every episode- does that form a tight bond between a cohesive group that will not turn on each other, no matter what? Hell no. So for him to think Sierra not shuffling along makes a real difference in her chances is ridiculous. All she has to do is overhaul her image- she already changed some of their minds by being a diligent worker and putting up camp, so perform well in challenges and she’s set. The challenges are what really count, imho. *kicks him*
Can you tell I’m rooting for Sierra? I hope she doesn’t go next ep. *tugs hair anxiously*
My three favorite people!
[That is Stephen, isn't it? I find it hard to recognize him without his glasses, lol- but it's only the first ep, give me time!]
Oh, yay, Sierra did well at the challenge! I like this Erin[n?] chick she worked with, they were both quiet, calm and confident, didn’t get flustered but worked smoothly and efficiently together…
Just as Erin and Brendan did. I’m surprised I like so many people atm! I’m sure that’ll change, I usually watch Survivor hoping for a few people NOT to win, and the rest I just put up with, lol.
Anyway, I make up for my unusual tolerance by hating on Coach with all my being. Look at that jerk, standing there, judging Erin and Brendan. Thinks he could do better, no doubt, the douche.
I hope Erin lasts as well. Is it obvious I’m in favor of the pretty people? Lol, she has this pixie-like elegance to her features, I like looking at her, what’s wrong with wanting to keep her around?
[It’s just funny that Erin voted for Sierra, and I think Brendan voted for Erin- I wonder who Sierra voted for?]
Aww, no love for Sierra. *sadface*
Still, she gets to join in the tribe victory cheer as they celebrate their first win- does this count as a bonding experience, Coach? *glares*
Odd how often the tribe with the huge lead ends up not winning. I mean, Jalapao should have won, they were ahead by a massive amount and still lost to Timbira. *shakes head* Yay for my tribe! No, I’m not just cheering for the winners, shush! How fickle do you think I am?
Huh, so Spencer single-handedly saved Sandy’s ass. It’s not guaranteeing she’ll stick around longer than Jalapao’s second elimination, but Survivor is all about maximizing the potential and making the most of the chances you’re given, so he did her a huge favor.
Of course, it helped that Carolina contributed to her own elimination. First she sucked at challenge, and then she whines and expects others to go start working on projects to make camp life more luxurious? What’s wrong with her? I agree with her point that they should be productive and not abandon things halfway through, but there is a time and place to point out these things, and just as they’re recovering from defeat, which she partly contributed to? Not the time or the place. Idiot!
And it’s funny how she apologizes to Sandy for eliminating her the first time and assuming it’ll be her again, never realizing for one moment that she was in jeopardy! Lol. At least we don’t have to put up with her helium balloon voice anymore. *eyeroll* I swear, that is what got her voted off, lol.
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Meme.
Day 04 - Your favorite show ever
The Lost World. Definitely. It has the most awesome ship ever, and the writers treated it with respect and handled its development superbly. I've never seen another show where the relationship was so carefully and thoughtfully written. Yes, the plotlines were cracktastic and amazingly illogical, but they were fun- vampires, werewolves and fairies; dinosaurs, aliens and ninja!skeletons; Jack the Ripper, Winston Churchill and more!- and the banter was hilarious. I love everything about this show, and I just wish it had lasted longer than three seasons. *sighs wistfully*
If you want to see a little of how amazing it is, the 'Bitch' fanvid I made in tribute to Marguerite says it all.
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Comment with ‘The truth is out there’ and I’ll nominate three fandoms for you to answer the following questions about.
Nominated by halfabubble.
Criminal Minds:
01. The first character I fell in love with: Elle
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Emily!
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Reid
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Hayley
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Elle
06. The character I would shag anytime: Hotch
07. The character I'd want to be like: Emily
08. The character I'd slap: Morgan for being such a whiny hypocritical bitch
09. A pairing that I love: Emily/Hotch
10. A pairing that I hate: Reid/anyone
11. Favorite character: Emily
12. My five favorite characters: Emily, Hotch, Garcia, JJ, Gideon
13. My five least favorite characters: I outright hate Strauss, Jordan and Tamora from Hopeless. And I get irritated by Reid, for over-exposure by the obsessed writers, and Rossi for being Captain Obvious.
14. Which character I am most like: None.
15. My deep, dark fandom secret: I used to ship Elle/Hotch, even though he was married. I won’t lie, I cheered when he and Hayley split, though of course it was too late for these two by then.
Harry Potter:
01. The first character I fell in love with: Hermione
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Snape!
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Harry Potter
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Snape
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Harry.
I was fond of him for the first three books. Then I got sick of his continual whingeing and inability to listen to wiser people and good advice, not to mention his habit of heedlessly running into danger and never using his brain to rescue himself, always needing other people to save his butt and get killed for no reason on his behalf.
He became unrecognizable from the shy, sensitive kid he used to be later on- nearly killing Draco and hexing Filch in the corridors, for instance. What a hero- assaulting a defenseless old man behind his back, isn’t he a great role model?
06. The character I would shag anytime: Snape
07. The character I'd want to be like: Hermione
08. The character I'd slap: Ron Weasley for being such a lazy, thoughtless, insensitive asshat.
09. A pairing that I love: Hermione/Snape
10. A pairing that I hate: Hermione/Ron
11. Favorite character: Hermione
12. My five favorite characters: Hermione, Snape, Luna…to be honest, I don’t really like anyone else in the series. In fandom, I like redeemed!Draco and not-lame!Ginny.
13. My five least favorite characters: Dumbledore, Ron, Harry, Hagrid, nearly everyone in the Ministry of Magic
14. Which character I am most like: in high school, I was Hermione
15. My deep, dark fandom secret: I used to ship Snape/Minerva til they made the movies and she was old and wrinkly. *pouts* In the books, we’re told she’s ‘a tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes’ with a ‘stern face’, someone not to be crossed. Sounds like Snape’s match, doesn’t she? I liked the idea of the two Heads of Houses being rivals, always clashing with each other and underneath it all, there’s this simmering yet strictly suppressed attraction.
Legend of the Seeker:
01. The first character I fell in love with: Kahlan
02. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now: Sister Verna
03. The character everyone else loves that I don't: Richard
04. The character I love that everyone else hates: Darken Rahl [I say him, but I’m fairly certain that this villain has a hefty fangirl following]. I have to say, I also have a soft spot for the Keeper. He's just such a great villain, I respect that, y'know?
05. The character I used to love but don't any longer: Nicci [not after what she did in the finale!]
06. The character I would shag anytime: Cara
07. The character I'd want to be like: Kahlan
08. The character I'd slap: Richard, for being an arrogant, impulsive, thoughtless idiot.
09. A pairing that I love: Cara/Kahlan
10. A pairing that I hate: Cara/Darken Rahl [too twisted and wibble-inducing for me]
11. Favorite character: Cara
12. My five favorite characters: Cara, Kahlan, Verna, Jennsen, Darken Rahl
13. My five least favorite characters: Richard, Dahlia, the Creator, most of the Sisters of the Light and the Dark
14. Which character I am most like: Er…Jennsen, probably. I wonder if there’s any good fanfic around her, I could easily see myself as her.
15. My deep, dark fandom secret: I totally wanted to ship Jennsen and Darken Rahl…til I figured out that they were brother and sister…and kinda still wished for it, even afterwards. *pouts* Any AU!fic with this ship, minus the incest?
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Vidspam.
@halfabubble- this is the blonde/brunette mud-fight scene I was telling you about...
Click to view