15 April 2015-21 April 2015 Part 1
Notices
If you have meta to submit or rec, please comment to this post or to the screened Submissions Post. If you'd like to give us blanket permission to link your meta please comment to the Blanket Permissions Post. If you have feedback or questions, check out our FAQ, Contact the Mods, or PM/email. If you'd like to volunteer to link-find or mod, please comment to the Volunteers Post.
General Fandom
Me and Science Fiction: What Are We, Chopped Liver?: Eleanor Arnason (blog) - "The English paper The Guardian has a columnist who covers science fiction and fantasy. It’s good, I guess, to get that kind of attention from a major newspaper. But the columnist, Damien Walter, has a limited knowledge of the field. Recently, he did a column with a headline that said, "2014: The Year that Science Fiction Woke Up to Diversity." The column goes on to argue that last year was when SF finally discovered women and people of color (PoC) and produced books about gender issues."
topic:sciencefiction, topic:diversity
Episode 34: Swan or Sydney Opera House?: The Three Patch Podcast (podcast) - "In this episode, we celebrate the world of fanworks beyond the traditional fic and art. Join us for discussions of beta reading and fandom statistics, interviews with Sodelightfully and Ariane Devere, recs, news, and more."
topic:fanworks, topic:betareading
Episode 35: The Bitter Brother: The Three Patch Podcast (podcast) - "In this episode, we start by tackling the topics of drugs in BBC’s Sherlock, then lighten things up with discussions of crossovers, expansion pack fanworks, some "investigative" journalism, and a very special Sorting."
topic:crossovers, topic:drugs, fandom:bbcsherlock
Why Is TV’s ‘90s Reboot Boom Ignoring All the Great Black Comedies of That Era?: Dee Lockett (blog) - "The programs confirmed to come back - or close to getting a remake, as is the case with Fuller House - are visibly vanilla in both casting and style."
topic:television, topic:race
Untitled: Diane Duane (Tumblr) - "Since you mentioned having to keep on top of illegal-upload sites, I was wondering how one does it? I mean, I tried googling my pseudonym, but ebook-tree didn't come up at all, and they'd snarfled nine of my stories"
topic:copyright
Are Things Changing for Portrayals of Gay Characters in Korean Dramas?: Raizel (blog) - "Are things changing for portrayals of gay characters in Korean dramas? Possibly - at least according to several recent instances of positive and well-rounded portrayals of non-heterosexual (or perceived to be by others) characters."
topic:lgbt, topic:television, topic:k-drama
Can a Genre Be Racist?: Nate Atkinson (blog) - "Conceived in an era of scientific racism and honed through nationalist propaganda, the superhero genre seems to contain a worldview that pulls creators toward narratives that are, if not exactly white supremacist, unable to comment thoughtfully on issues that concern African Americans."
topic:racism, topic:superheroes
Netflix Announces Audio Description for the Blind Starting with Daredevil TODAY: Dan Van Winkle (blog) - "Yesterday, we wrote about how Marvel’s Daredevil was an uncomfortably ironic display of Netflix’s lack of accessibility for the blind, and like one of life’s little gifts, today we get to happily report that they’re rolling out an audio description option-starting with Daredevil!"
topic:disability
Empowering Versus Objectification: How Power Matters: Janelle Asselin (blog) - " There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to what makes something empowering rather than objectifying, because there’s an eternally shifting dynamic in each situation: who has the power."
topic:objectification
Outrage and Complacency: Frank Cho’s Spider-Gwen Cover: Janelle Asselin (blog) - "You may have missed it, but last week Frank Cho posted an image he’d drawn on a sketch cover of Spider-Gwen in a pose reminiscent of the Milo Manara Spider-Woman cover that drew a lot of negative attention."
fandom:comics, topic:art, topic:objectification
The Best AUs are Pacific Rim AUs: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "You can see why Pacific Rim is one of the best universes to dump your favorite characters into; it allows your favorite heroes to still kick some collective butt (in GIANT MECHA SUITS) with the added benefit of drift compatibility."
topic:fanworks, topic:au
Popular Qidian authors see entire novels deleted by due to Chinese censors: Patrick Howell O’Neill (blog) - "Creeping self-censorship of Chinese websites, particularly popular Internet fiction websites, has meant that some of the country's most widely-read writers have seen their works deleted after, in some cases, years of labor."
topic:censorship, topic:fiction
In Brightest Day: Batman, Winnie the Pooh, OCD, and a Lack of Representation: MadameAce (blog) - "I’ve wanted to write a post about how OCD is portrayed in pop culture for quite some time now-but to be honest, there really aren’t that many obsessive-compulsive characters out there."
topic:disability, topic:mentalhealth, topic:representation
The "Lovable Asshole" Trope and Sexism: Lady Geek Girl (blog) - "I tend to fall in love most with a certain type of character, and those characters are usually assholes. Oh yes, sometimes there are exceptions like Scott McCall in Teen Wolf, who is practically a literal Disney prince, but most of the time I love the asshole characters. Usually this is because I find them hilarious and I love that they don’t seem to give a fuck about what anyone thinks of them."
topic:tropes
Why Is It So Hard To Talk About Fanfiction?: Undie Girl (blog) - "There has been yet another disastrous attempt to capitalize on fanfiction’s increasing visibility because apparently it’s hilarious to make fun of someone’s hobby."
topic:fanfic
NC-17 Podfic Advice: many different people (Google doc) - Compilation of advice from many different people about how to podfic explicit sex scenes. It’s not clear when the document was started, but it’s still being updated.
topic:podfic, topic:sex
A MFU pondering: spikesgirl58 (LJ) - "What's the craziest thing you've done in the name of MFU? What about another fandom?"
topic:fandom
7 Worst Things That Can Happen When Reading Fanfiction: Uve (blog) - "However, as good as it is, not everything is perfect in the journey of reading fanfic. There are many things that can go wrong."
topic:fanfic
The TV shows that lived on after their finales: Juliette Harrisson (blog) - "Here, we celebrate five episodes that would have been excellent series finales, but for the minor point that they aren’t, in fact, the series finale."
topic:television
The Light Bulb: Now This Is A Story: The Light Bulb (podcast) - "This week on the show, we talk about title sequences: how they work, when they stand on their own, and why we usually skip them.
Discussed: Buffy, Angel, Gilmore Girls, Game Of Thrones, Outlander, Northern Exposure, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Fringe, The X-Files, Doctor Who."
topic:television
Her Kind: ladybusiness (DW) - "Bad women disobey. This is the crux, the core truth, of our historically gendered ideas about villainy"
topic:villains, topic:femalecharacter
Writing Meta:beccaelizabeth (DW) - "Do you ever read a story and just feel like the whole thing would work better if the writer had realised their point of view character wasn't the protagonist? Like, there clearly is a story happening, but it isn't happening to them, or indeed where we can see it?"
topic:writing
Guest Post Roundup: Jim C. Hines (blog) - Collection of links to guest posts on Hines’ blog about representation in fantasy and SF. Also links to essay on the subject posted elsewhere.
topic:diversity, topic:representation
an ongoing journey: hesychasm (DW) - "But mostly I want to talk about how we talk to each other."
topic:socialjustice, topic:race
Specific Fandom
The 100
The 100 meta: marina (DW) - "The topic of the post is: why was Clarke's forgiveness of Bellamy enough to get to come back to camp and rejoin his people, while Bellamy's forgiveness of Clarke's choice to kill everyone at Mount Weather doesn't do the same for Clarke?"
fandom:the100
TV Diversity, Part 1: Suzette Chan (blog) - "The 100 doesn't just pass the Bechdel Test, it does so several times an episode because half the major characters are women, including the protagonist."
topic:diversity, topic:television, fandom:the100
Agents of SHIELD
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Recap: I Wanna Hold Your Hand: Scott Meslow (blog) - "Long after laying the skeleton of May's dark past, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finally gives us the whole story in this week's "Melinda.""
fandom:agentsofshield
The Americans
A Long-Anticipated Revelation Reinvigorates ‘The Americans’: Spencer Kornhaber (journal) - "The sharing of a family secret has given the FX show a host of new ways for its characters to interact."
fandom:theamericans
Martha Is the Embodiment of Everything We Dread on The Americans: Margaret Lyons (blog) - "In season three, though, the show has become richer and more affecting because now the driving force isn't deceit: The overwhelming sensation of The Americans is dread. And Martha is at the center of that dread."
fandom:theamericans
Angel
Untitled: apprenticebard (Tumblr) - "Yeah, I really think that the vast majority of Angel’s problems come from his problems relating to and respecting other people, and he often reacts to that part of himself in the worst possible way."
fandom:angel
Arrow
NOC Recaps Arrow: Pulling Out The Arsenal: Connie (blog) - "I am glad to be proven both right and wrong: I knew he was leaving the show, but I really thought he would die."
fandom:arrow
Avengers: Age of Ultron
The Screencrush "Avengers: Age of Ultron" Review: Joss Whedon Assembles an Inspiring Blockbuster: Matt Singer (blog) - "There’s a lot to like about Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the coolest thing about it is the way it reclaims the comic book part of the phrase "comic-book movie.""
fandom:mcu, warning:spoilers
Barakamon
Barakamon: A Slice of Japanese Island Life: Amanda Vail (blog) - "Take one hotshot young calligrapher from Tokyo and put him in a fishing village with a bunch of quirky locals and what do you get? It’s called Barakamon, and it’s great."
fandom:manga
Buffy
Untitled: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "The Buffybot made it’s first appearance in the episode Intervention as Spike’s sexbot. But ended up representing something more important, and playing a larger part than anticipated."
fandom:btvs
Dawn and the Paradox of Reality: theseniorpartners (Tumblr) - "What’s even more incredible than the monks’ rewriting of reality is the characters’ acceptance of it. Aside from Buffy’s initial anger before she learns Dawn is innocent, the characters never once object to the fact that their entire reality is fabricated."
fandom:btvs
Labor of Love: perpetual (LJ) - "Throughout the past three seasons of the comics, there's been criticism that it reads like fanfiction."
fandom:btvs, topic:comics
’Buffy’ nostalgia recap: The dawn of Spuffy: Kayleigh Roberts (blog) - "Second, and perhaps more importantly, "Out of My Mind" marks the official beginning of Spuffy."
fandom:btvs
Untitled: demandingbillydolls (Tumblr) - "Just some more thoughts on Spuffy and Bangel and fan/media perceptions of them."
fandom:btvs
Dusted 27: Consequences: Dusted (podcast) - "This week, we look back on the first two seasons, compile our list of the essential episodes, and answer a flurry of listener questions!"
fandom:btvs
Whedonverse Podcast Episode 13 - What’s My Line?: Whedonverse Podcast (podcast) - "Join Mr. Universe and The Clairvoyant as they power through episodes 9 and 10 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's second season, with special guest host Meg Griffin from Mindian's Minute and Outlandish Conversations!"
fandom:btvs
Buffy Season 10: buffythecomicslayer (Tumblr) - "I really don’t know how I feel about Buffy season 10 so far. Like I enjoy certain parts of it, but I feel like there is so much potential they’re not using. Also it absolutely sucks how little screentime Willow has gotten this season."
fandom:btvs
Anya and the robots: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "But something that I think the show might have done unintentionally is create them as a mirror for Anya as well."
fandom:btvs
Why did the Potentials want to be lead by Faith?: areanna123 (Tumblr) - "I was thinking about season seven again, and something that I was wondering about, is why were the Potentials so onboard with Faith being the leader? Sure, she was nice to them, and she hits hard, but they didn’t even blink when Buffy was talking about the fact that well, Faith is a murderer. She never denies that, we all saw it, and the Potentials are aware, but unfazed. I love Faith, but with her history, I would be a bit hesitant to hand over all the power to her. Why weren’t they?"
fandom:btvs
Hers is the Glory: ladybusiness (DW) - "Glory, the antagonist of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s stellar fifth season, is the exception. She is an unequivocal villain, and I love her to death."
fandom:btvs
Chronicles of Narnia
But Soft, a Padding Wooly Tread: Ana Mardoll (blog) - Deconstruction of chapter 11 of The Silver Chair. Contains discussion of sexism, racism, religion and other topics. Not necessarily recommended for those who love the book.
fandom:chroniclesofnarnia, topic:deconstruction
Daredevil
How Daredevil Became Marvel’s Biggest Triumph Yet: Joanna Robinson (journal) - "But, after watching the 13 episodes that debuted over the weekend, it’s genuinely impressive how well they committed to that promise, and genuinely exciting how that "something different" might herald a whole new era of comic-book appreciation."
fandom:daredevil
Giving the Devil His Do-Rag: Why Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ Is the Least Marvel-y Marvel Property Yet: Alex Pappademas (blog) - "The first season of Daredevil went up on Netflix this past Friday, just after midnight, which is also the time of day when 80 percent of the first season of Daredevil appears to have been filmed."
fandom:daredevil
Should You Be Watching Marvel’s Daredevil?: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "Should you watch Daredevil? You likely will (our already have) if you’re a Marvel Cinematic Universe completist, or you have a love for the character. But if you’re unsure, here are some thoughts on the first three episodes to help you make up your mind."
fandom:daredevil
Daredevil and the Real City in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: veejane (DW) - "So the first question that occurred to me, watching Daredevil, was "What is the real city of this show?""
fandom:daredevil, topic:setting
A Fridge Grows In Hell’s Kitchen: On Daredevil’s Major Misstep: Arturo (blog) - "But, like a hurdler tripping and landing chin-first near the finish line, Daredevil’s 12th episode closes on a note that is less "shocking" than it is disappointing. And par for the course with the comics industry in all the wrong ways."
fandom:daredevil
But everyone knows sorrow is incurable: musesfool (DW) - "I don't really have anything deep to say, so this is just me rambling about what I liked/didn't like."
fandom:daredevil
NOC Recaps Daredevil: I’m Bleeding, Save Me Rosario!: Eric S.B. (blog) - "Okay, I think we can break it down into three acts: Matt and Claire, Battlin’ Jack, and the beat down at the end. I guess there’s also the Karen and Foggy bender that’s cute and light. Enough on that? Okay, good. Ding, ding, there’s the bell. Let’s get in to episode two of Daredevil, "Cut Man.""
fandom:daredevil
After Daredevil, I Will Never Watch Arrow Again: Jordan M. Calhoun (blog) - "Daredevil is - and I don’t say this lightly - the best superhero show ever made."
fandom:daredevil
Daredevil: Putting the Hell Back in Hell’s Kitchen: aelarsen (blog) - "So I watched the first season of Netflix’ new Daredevil, and there was something history-related that I kept thinking about as the season went on."
fandom:daredevil, fandom:marvelcomics, topic:history
Daredevil’s Corridor Fight: A Breakdown of the Smackdown: Alex Spencer (blog) - "And so, at the end of the second episode of Netflix’s Daredevil show, the scene is set for the most memorable action set piece in the entire series - and arguably one of the best in TV history. Thousands of words have been spilled over this fight scene online already. Let’s apply our heightened senses to work out why, and whether the show lifted any tricks from its paper-and-ink brethren."
fandom:daredevil
Doctor Who
Why Doctor Who Can Go Way Beyond 5 More Years On TV: Todd Black (blog) - "Doctor Who is a show that embraces change, regardless of how fans will react to it. Every major change affects the show, from its stories, to the interactions with characters, all of it. And it is because of these changes and more that I truly believe Doctor Who can last for a very long time."
fandom:doctorwho
Who’s He Podcast #201 Dig that heavy metal underneath your hood: Who’s He Podcast (podcast) - "After what seems like years, Phil and Paul return to their series 2 retrospective with a look at Rise Of The Cybermen."
fandom:doctorwho
Episode #263: The 20mb Podcast (podcast) - "Adam, Debbie, Mary, Andy and Kirby continue 'The Journey' with a review of The Romans."
fandom:doctorwho
Know Your Cybermen No.5: GerryD (blog) - Description of the Cybermen from 1968’s The Invasion, including details about the production and speculation about canonical details.
fandom:doctorwho
Earth Station Who Episode 98 - The Daemons: Earth Station Who (podcast) - "As the end of April approaches, ESW celebrates Beltane by visiting Devil’s End with the Third Doctor. Mike, Mike, and Mary Ogle are joined by Louis Robinson who assisted with editing The Daemons and insists that no actual dark spirits were harmed during the making of this serial."
fandom:doctorwho
Episode 49: The Space Pirates: Wanderers in the 4th Dimension (podcast) - "This week we cover the story #49, "The Space Pirates", in which the TARDIS crew get tangled up with deep space argonite pirates!"
fandom:doctorwho
Doctor Who: is it time for a new companion in the TARDIS?: Mark Harrison (blog) - "Is there an itch to bring a third member into the current TARDIS team and either way, is it about time that they did?"
fandom:doctorwho
Elementary
Elementary "A Stitch in Time" Review (Season 3 Episode 20): (blog) - "On the latest episode of "Elementary," the show took aim at a host of targets, including a Scientology-like religious cult, a paranormal debunker, a "Wolf of Wall Street" type and a "Homeland"-esque terrorist scenario, to varying effects in "A Stitch in Time.""
fandom:elementary
Is ‘Elementary’s’ Reichenbach Coming in Season 3: Brittany Lovely (blog) - "We feel confident enough to say that Elementary‘s Reichenbach already happened. In fact it was the fall that served as the catalyst for Elementary‘s beginning. However, while nods to Reichenbach exist already in the show’s narrative, an explicit reference to the Reichenbach is still available for the taking."
fandom:elementary, topic:adaptations
Ex Machina
6 questions ‘Ex Machina’ doesn’t answer about artificial intelligence: Cece Lederer (blog) - "What these and films like these fail to do is analyze how artificial intelligence would differ from biological. The assumption is that when code achieves consciousness it achieves human consciousness, a notion that is demolished in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, which opened last week."
fandom:exmachina
Fauda
Fauda (1x01-1x09): marina (DW) - "So, Fauda is a recent Israeli TV show."
fandom:fauda
The Flash
NOC Recaps The Flash: Bee-ing Truthful or Why Lies Sting: Christelle G. (blog) - "Are we sure that bees are the only bug problem? Surely, there have gotta be spiders, too, because everyone is tangled in a GOTDAMB WEB OF LIES."
fandom:theflash
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 1 "The Wars to Come": Theresa Delucci (blog) - "All in all, tonight was more of an epilogue to last season than coming out of the gate in a new direction."
fandom:gameofthrones
Political Analysis of HBO Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 1: Steven Attewell (blog) - "The first episode of any season of Game of Thrones can be a difficult endeavor, with so much to set out so that the audience understands where everyone is, what they’re up to, and what issues they’ll be dealing with this season."
fandom:gameofthrones
"Game of Thrones" politics: Is a fair and just ruler possible for Westeros?: Steven Attewell (blog) - "If the overriding theme of the premiere of Season 5 was regime change, and how different polities handle a sudden transformation of the power structure, the overarching theme of last night’s episode was the question of a just ruler: what does one look like? How do they handle questions of war and peace, justice and punishment? How would they handle the crisis of the day?"
fandom:gameofthrones
"Video" Podcast of HBO’s Game of Thrones, Season 5 Episode 2, "The House of Black and White": Steven Attewell (podcast) - What the title says.
fandom:gameofthrones
Tailgate, Black and White: Johnny (blog) - Large collection of links to articles about Game of Thrones, mostly focused on season 5 episode 1.
fandom:gameofthrones
The House of Black and White Open Thread: Johnny (blog) - "As we've done in previous seasons, Tower of the Hand offers two discussion threads per episode as soon as the episode begins."
fandom:gameofthrones
Deconstructed: The House of Black and White: Stefan (blog) - "Did anyone else have the feeling during this episode that they accidentally hit the "forward" button on their remote? Boy, the plot moved along fast."
fandom:gameofthrones
Game of Thrones Chat S5E1: The Sun Sets in the Westeros: Cheryl (blog) - Discussion of the first episode of season 5 of Game of Thrones.
fandom:gameofthrones
Review: The House of Black and White: ghostlovesinger (blog) - "The cinematography may have breathtaking and the acting formidable, but in the absence of story structure, proper pacing and an adherence to internal logic, we were left, in the end, with merely a collection of fine scenes, ultimately engendering little in this reviewer but apathy."
fandom:gameofthrones
Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 2: The House of Black and White: Sparky (blog) - "Game of Thrones can occasionally bring some interesting insight on the way the unequal society affects people"
fandom:gameofthrones
Return to Westeros: "The House of Black and White" Review: Tsunderin (blog) - "Unlike the other two reviewers this season, I haven’t actually read the books. As such, if events are diverging from Martin’s novels, I wouldn’t be able to point them out. While losing the ability to compare and contrast is somewhat aggravating, being able to experience everything for the first time offers an interesting perspective."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
The Wars to Come: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "There is a tendency, with prestige cable television, towards a sort of ostentatious decompression of the first episode of a season, as if writers are compelled to demonstrate just how free they are to write For Their Art instead of for mass audience appeal by crafting opening acts as alienating as possible."
fandom:gameofthrones
The House of Black and White: Philip Sandifer (blog) - ""The House of Black and White" is an episode of setup, and being the second of these in a row, is by its nature slightly more frustrating."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
A Brief Treatise on the Rules of Thrones 1.10: Fire and Blood: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "Perhaps the most striking thing about "Fire and Blood" is the strangely relaxed tone it takes throughout."
fandom:gameofthrones
Green Lantern
Why Warner Bros Should Make John Stewart The Next Green Lantern: Kate Tanski (blog) - "I’m not generally the type of person to get riled up about casting rumors, but the buzz dropped on Friday’s Popcorn Talk that Warner Bros is currently casting for John Stewart as Green Lantern and not Hal Jordan gets me going in all the good ways. Let me tell you why."
fandom:dccu
Grimm
Grimm, Season Four Episode Seventeen: Hibernaculum: Renee (blog) - "Okay, this was essentially a Wesen of the week episode. Grimm has been doing that a lot, throwing in bits of Meta as sort of a side diversion."
fandom:grimm
Grimm Season Four, Episode Eighteen: Mishipeshu: Renee (blog) - "Grimm has nasty habit of raiding cultures of colour for woo woo."
fandom:grimm, warning:spoilers
Harry Potter
I finally understand Dumbledore. Well! That took me ages!: drinkingcocoa (LJ) - "I finally understood what the heck Dumbledore was thinking to abandon Harry to his abusive relatives at the age of one."
fandom:harrypotter
After all this time? Another meaning of "Look...at...me"!: drinkingcocoa (LJ) - "I've long thought of the HP series as really the Severus Snape series -- you know, Severus Snape and the Goblet of Fire, Severus Snape and the Order of the Phoenix and so on. But I hadn't thought of it before as the Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort series until today. Hmm. What was he going through during each volume?"
fandom:harrypotter
Untitled: gyzym (Tumblr) - "HAVING SAID THAT, let us discuss Albus Dumbledore, Professional Puppetmaster."
fandom:harrypotter
Home
Home is Nothing to Write Home About: porluciernagas (blog) - "As an adaptation, Home fails on almost every conceivable level."
fandom:home, topic:adaptations
If you have meta to submit or rec, please comment to this post or to the screened Submissions Post. If you'd like to give us blanket permission to link your meta please comment to the Blanket Permissions Post. If you have feedback or questions, check out our FAQ, Contact the Mods, or PM/email. If you'd like to volunteer to link-find or mod, please comment to the Volunteers Post.
General Fandom
Me and Science Fiction: What Are We, Chopped Liver?: Eleanor Arnason (blog) - "The English paper The Guardian has a columnist who covers science fiction and fantasy. It’s good, I guess, to get that kind of attention from a major newspaper. But the columnist, Damien Walter, has a limited knowledge of the field. Recently, he did a column with a headline that said, "2014: The Year that Science Fiction Woke Up to Diversity." The column goes on to argue that last year was when SF finally discovered women and people of color (PoC) and produced books about gender issues."
topic:sciencefiction, topic:diversity
Episode 34: Swan or Sydney Opera House?: The Three Patch Podcast (podcast) - "In this episode, we celebrate the world of fanworks beyond the traditional fic and art. Join us for discussions of beta reading and fandom statistics, interviews with Sodelightfully and Ariane Devere, recs, news, and more."
topic:fanworks, topic:betareading
Episode 35: The Bitter Brother: The Three Patch Podcast (podcast) - "In this episode, we start by tackling the topics of drugs in BBC’s Sherlock, then lighten things up with discussions of crossovers, expansion pack fanworks, some "investigative" journalism, and a very special Sorting."
topic:crossovers, topic:drugs, fandom:bbcsherlock
Why Is TV’s ‘90s Reboot Boom Ignoring All the Great Black Comedies of That Era?: Dee Lockett (blog) - "The programs confirmed to come back - or close to getting a remake, as is the case with Fuller House - are visibly vanilla in both casting and style."
topic:television, topic:race
Untitled: Diane Duane (Tumblr) - "Since you mentioned having to keep on top of illegal-upload sites, I was wondering how one does it? I mean, I tried googling my pseudonym, but ebook-tree didn't come up at all, and they'd snarfled nine of my stories"
topic:copyright
Are Things Changing for Portrayals of Gay Characters in Korean Dramas?: Raizel (blog) - "Are things changing for portrayals of gay characters in Korean dramas? Possibly - at least according to several recent instances of positive and well-rounded portrayals of non-heterosexual (or perceived to be by others) characters."
topic:lgbt, topic:television, topic:k-drama
Can a Genre Be Racist?: Nate Atkinson (blog) - "Conceived in an era of scientific racism and honed through nationalist propaganda, the superhero genre seems to contain a worldview that pulls creators toward narratives that are, if not exactly white supremacist, unable to comment thoughtfully on issues that concern African Americans."
topic:racism, topic:superheroes
Netflix Announces Audio Description for the Blind Starting with Daredevil TODAY: Dan Van Winkle (blog) - "Yesterday, we wrote about how Marvel’s Daredevil was an uncomfortably ironic display of Netflix’s lack of accessibility for the blind, and like one of life’s little gifts, today we get to happily report that they’re rolling out an audio description option-starting with Daredevil!"
topic:disability
Empowering Versus Objectification: How Power Matters: Janelle Asselin (blog) - " There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to what makes something empowering rather than objectifying, because there’s an eternally shifting dynamic in each situation: who has the power."
topic:objectification
Outrage and Complacency: Frank Cho’s Spider-Gwen Cover: Janelle Asselin (blog) - "You may have missed it, but last week Frank Cho posted an image he’d drawn on a sketch cover of Spider-Gwen in a pose reminiscent of the Milo Manara Spider-Woman cover that drew a lot of negative attention."
fandom:comics, topic:art, topic:objectification
The Best AUs are Pacific Rim AUs: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "You can see why Pacific Rim is one of the best universes to dump your favorite characters into; it allows your favorite heroes to still kick some collective butt (in GIANT MECHA SUITS) with the added benefit of drift compatibility."
topic:fanworks, topic:au
Popular Qidian authors see entire novels deleted by due to Chinese censors: Patrick Howell O’Neill (blog) - "Creeping self-censorship of Chinese websites, particularly popular Internet fiction websites, has meant that some of the country's most widely-read writers have seen their works deleted after, in some cases, years of labor."
topic:censorship, topic:fiction
In Brightest Day: Batman, Winnie the Pooh, OCD, and a Lack of Representation: MadameAce (blog) - "I’ve wanted to write a post about how OCD is portrayed in pop culture for quite some time now-but to be honest, there really aren’t that many obsessive-compulsive characters out there."
topic:disability, topic:mentalhealth, topic:representation
The "Lovable Asshole" Trope and Sexism: Lady Geek Girl (blog) - "I tend to fall in love most with a certain type of character, and those characters are usually assholes. Oh yes, sometimes there are exceptions like Scott McCall in Teen Wolf, who is practically a literal Disney prince, but most of the time I love the asshole characters. Usually this is because I find them hilarious and I love that they don’t seem to give a fuck about what anyone thinks of them."
topic:tropes
Why Is It So Hard To Talk About Fanfiction?: Undie Girl (blog) - "There has been yet another disastrous attempt to capitalize on fanfiction’s increasing visibility because apparently it’s hilarious to make fun of someone’s hobby."
topic:fanfic
NC-17 Podfic Advice: many different people (Google doc) - Compilation of advice from many different people about how to podfic explicit sex scenes. It’s not clear when the document was started, but it’s still being updated.
topic:podfic, topic:sex
A MFU pondering: spikesgirl58 (LJ) - "What's the craziest thing you've done in the name of MFU? What about another fandom?"
topic:fandom
7 Worst Things That Can Happen When Reading Fanfiction: Uve (blog) - "However, as good as it is, not everything is perfect in the journey of reading fanfic. There are many things that can go wrong."
topic:fanfic
The TV shows that lived on after their finales: Juliette Harrisson (blog) - "Here, we celebrate five episodes that would have been excellent series finales, but for the minor point that they aren’t, in fact, the series finale."
topic:television
The Light Bulb: Now This Is A Story: The Light Bulb (podcast) - "This week on the show, we talk about title sequences: how they work, when they stand on their own, and why we usually skip them.
Discussed: Buffy, Angel, Gilmore Girls, Game Of Thrones, Outlander, Northern Exposure, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Fringe, The X-Files, Doctor Who."
topic:television
Her Kind: ladybusiness (DW) - "Bad women disobey. This is the crux, the core truth, of our historically gendered ideas about villainy"
topic:villains, topic:femalecharacter
Writing Meta:beccaelizabeth (DW) - "Do you ever read a story and just feel like the whole thing would work better if the writer had realised their point of view character wasn't the protagonist? Like, there clearly is a story happening, but it isn't happening to them, or indeed where we can see it?"
topic:writing
Guest Post Roundup: Jim C. Hines (blog) - Collection of links to guest posts on Hines’ blog about representation in fantasy and SF. Also links to essay on the subject posted elsewhere.
topic:diversity, topic:representation
an ongoing journey: hesychasm (DW) - "But mostly I want to talk about how we talk to each other."
topic:socialjustice, topic:race
Specific Fandom
The 100
The 100 meta: marina (DW) - "The topic of the post is: why was Clarke's forgiveness of Bellamy enough to get to come back to camp and rejoin his people, while Bellamy's forgiveness of Clarke's choice to kill everyone at Mount Weather doesn't do the same for Clarke?"
fandom:the100
TV Diversity, Part 1: Suzette Chan (blog) - "The 100 doesn't just pass the Bechdel Test, it does so several times an episode because half the major characters are women, including the protagonist."
topic:diversity, topic:television, fandom:the100
Agents of SHIELD
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Recap: I Wanna Hold Your Hand: Scott Meslow (blog) - "Long after laying the skeleton of May's dark past, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finally gives us the whole story in this week's "Melinda.""
fandom:agentsofshield
The Americans
A Long-Anticipated Revelation Reinvigorates ‘The Americans’: Spencer Kornhaber (journal) - "The sharing of a family secret has given the FX show a host of new ways for its characters to interact."
fandom:theamericans
Martha Is the Embodiment of Everything We Dread on The Americans: Margaret Lyons (blog) - "In season three, though, the show has become richer and more affecting because now the driving force isn't deceit: The overwhelming sensation of The Americans is dread. And Martha is at the center of that dread."
fandom:theamericans
Angel
Untitled: apprenticebard (Tumblr) - "Yeah, I really think that the vast majority of Angel’s problems come from his problems relating to and respecting other people, and he often reacts to that part of himself in the worst possible way."
fandom:angel
Arrow
NOC Recaps Arrow: Pulling Out The Arsenal: Connie (blog) - "I am glad to be proven both right and wrong: I knew he was leaving the show, but I really thought he would die."
fandom:arrow
Avengers: Age of Ultron
The Screencrush "Avengers: Age of Ultron" Review: Joss Whedon Assembles an Inspiring Blockbuster: Matt Singer (blog) - "There’s a lot to like about Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the coolest thing about it is the way it reclaims the comic book part of the phrase "comic-book movie.""
fandom:mcu, warning:spoilers
Barakamon
Barakamon: A Slice of Japanese Island Life: Amanda Vail (blog) - "Take one hotshot young calligrapher from Tokyo and put him in a fishing village with a bunch of quirky locals and what do you get? It’s called Barakamon, and it’s great."
fandom:manga
Buffy
Untitled: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "The Buffybot made it’s first appearance in the episode Intervention as Spike’s sexbot. But ended up representing something more important, and playing a larger part than anticipated."
fandom:btvs
Dawn and the Paradox of Reality: theseniorpartners (Tumblr) - "What’s even more incredible than the monks’ rewriting of reality is the characters’ acceptance of it. Aside from Buffy’s initial anger before she learns Dawn is innocent, the characters never once object to the fact that their entire reality is fabricated."
fandom:btvs
Labor of Love: perpetual (LJ) - "Throughout the past three seasons of the comics, there's been criticism that it reads like fanfiction."
fandom:btvs, topic:comics
’Buffy’ nostalgia recap: The dawn of Spuffy: Kayleigh Roberts (blog) - "Second, and perhaps more importantly, "Out of My Mind" marks the official beginning of Spuffy."
fandom:btvs
Untitled: demandingbillydolls (Tumblr) - "Just some more thoughts on Spuffy and Bangel and fan/media perceptions of them."
fandom:btvs
Dusted 27: Consequences: Dusted (podcast) - "This week, we look back on the first two seasons, compile our list of the essential episodes, and answer a flurry of listener questions!"
fandom:btvs
Whedonverse Podcast Episode 13 - What’s My Line?: Whedonverse Podcast (podcast) - "Join Mr. Universe and The Clairvoyant as they power through episodes 9 and 10 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's second season, with special guest host Meg Griffin from Mindian's Minute and Outlandish Conversations!"
fandom:btvs
Buffy Season 10: buffythecomicslayer (Tumblr) - "I really don’t know how I feel about Buffy season 10 so far. Like I enjoy certain parts of it, but I feel like there is so much potential they’re not using. Also it absolutely sucks how little screentime Willow has gotten this season."
fandom:btvs
Anya and the robots: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "But something that I think the show might have done unintentionally is create them as a mirror for Anya as well."
fandom:btvs
Why did the Potentials want to be lead by Faith?: areanna123 (Tumblr) - "I was thinking about season seven again, and something that I was wondering about, is why were the Potentials so onboard with Faith being the leader? Sure, she was nice to them, and she hits hard, but they didn’t even blink when Buffy was talking about the fact that well, Faith is a murderer. She never denies that, we all saw it, and the Potentials are aware, but unfazed. I love Faith, but with her history, I would be a bit hesitant to hand over all the power to her. Why weren’t they?"
fandom:btvs
Hers is the Glory: ladybusiness (DW) - "Glory, the antagonist of Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s stellar fifth season, is the exception. She is an unequivocal villain, and I love her to death."
fandom:btvs
Chronicles of Narnia
But Soft, a Padding Wooly Tread: Ana Mardoll (blog) - Deconstruction of chapter 11 of The Silver Chair. Contains discussion of sexism, racism, religion and other topics. Not necessarily recommended for those who love the book.
fandom:chroniclesofnarnia, topic:deconstruction
Daredevil
How Daredevil Became Marvel’s Biggest Triumph Yet: Joanna Robinson (journal) - "But, after watching the 13 episodes that debuted over the weekend, it’s genuinely impressive how well they committed to that promise, and genuinely exciting how that "something different" might herald a whole new era of comic-book appreciation."
fandom:daredevil
Giving the Devil His Do-Rag: Why Netflix’s ‘Daredevil’ Is the Least Marvel-y Marvel Property Yet: Alex Pappademas (blog) - "The first season of Daredevil went up on Netflix this past Friday, just after midnight, which is also the time of day when 80 percent of the first season of Daredevil appears to have been filmed."
fandom:daredevil
Should You Be Watching Marvel’s Daredevil?: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "Should you watch Daredevil? You likely will (our already have) if you’re a Marvel Cinematic Universe completist, or you have a love for the character. But if you’re unsure, here are some thoughts on the first three episodes to help you make up your mind."
fandom:daredevil
Daredevil and the Real City in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: veejane (DW) - "So the first question that occurred to me, watching Daredevil, was "What is the real city of this show?""
fandom:daredevil, topic:setting
A Fridge Grows In Hell’s Kitchen: On Daredevil’s Major Misstep: Arturo (blog) - "But, like a hurdler tripping and landing chin-first near the finish line, Daredevil’s 12th episode closes on a note that is less "shocking" than it is disappointing. And par for the course with the comics industry in all the wrong ways."
fandom:daredevil
But everyone knows sorrow is incurable: musesfool (DW) - "I don't really have anything deep to say, so this is just me rambling about what I liked/didn't like."
fandom:daredevil
NOC Recaps Daredevil: I’m Bleeding, Save Me Rosario!: Eric S.B. (blog) - "Okay, I think we can break it down into three acts: Matt and Claire, Battlin’ Jack, and the beat down at the end. I guess there’s also the Karen and Foggy bender that’s cute and light. Enough on that? Okay, good. Ding, ding, there’s the bell. Let’s get in to episode two of Daredevil, "Cut Man.""
fandom:daredevil
After Daredevil, I Will Never Watch Arrow Again: Jordan M. Calhoun (blog) - "Daredevil is - and I don’t say this lightly - the best superhero show ever made."
fandom:daredevil
Daredevil: Putting the Hell Back in Hell’s Kitchen: aelarsen (blog) - "So I watched the first season of Netflix’ new Daredevil, and there was something history-related that I kept thinking about as the season went on."
fandom:daredevil, fandom:marvelcomics, topic:history
Daredevil’s Corridor Fight: A Breakdown of the Smackdown: Alex Spencer (blog) - "And so, at the end of the second episode of Netflix’s Daredevil show, the scene is set for the most memorable action set piece in the entire series - and arguably one of the best in TV history. Thousands of words have been spilled over this fight scene online already. Let’s apply our heightened senses to work out why, and whether the show lifted any tricks from its paper-and-ink brethren."
fandom:daredevil
Doctor Who
Why Doctor Who Can Go Way Beyond 5 More Years On TV: Todd Black (blog) - "Doctor Who is a show that embraces change, regardless of how fans will react to it. Every major change affects the show, from its stories, to the interactions with characters, all of it. And it is because of these changes and more that I truly believe Doctor Who can last for a very long time."
fandom:doctorwho
Who’s He Podcast #201 Dig that heavy metal underneath your hood: Who’s He Podcast (podcast) - "After what seems like years, Phil and Paul return to their series 2 retrospective with a look at Rise Of The Cybermen."
fandom:doctorwho
Episode #263: The 20mb Podcast (podcast) - "Adam, Debbie, Mary, Andy and Kirby continue 'The Journey' with a review of The Romans."
fandom:doctorwho
Know Your Cybermen No.5: GerryD (blog) - Description of the Cybermen from 1968’s The Invasion, including details about the production and speculation about canonical details.
fandom:doctorwho
Earth Station Who Episode 98 - The Daemons: Earth Station Who (podcast) - "As the end of April approaches, ESW celebrates Beltane by visiting Devil’s End with the Third Doctor. Mike, Mike, and Mary Ogle are joined by Louis Robinson who assisted with editing The Daemons and insists that no actual dark spirits were harmed during the making of this serial."
fandom:doctorwho
Episode 49: The Space Pirates: Wanderers in the 4th Dimension (podcast) - "This week we cover the story #49, "The Space Pirates", in which the TARDIS crew get tangled up with deep space argonite pirates!"
fandom:doctorwho
Doctor Who: is it time for a new companion in the TARDIS?: Mark Harrison (blog) - "Is there an itch to bring a third member into the current TARDIS team and either way, is it about time that they did?"
fandom:doctorwho
Elementary
Elementary "A Stitch in Time" Review (Season 3 Episode 20): (blog) - "On the latest episode of "Elementary," the show took aim at a host of targets, including a Scientology-like religious cult, a paranormal debunker, a "Wolf of Wall Street" type and a "Homeland"-esque terrorist scenario, to varying effects in "A Stitch in Time.""
fandom:elementary
Is ‘Elementary’s’ Reichenbach Coming in Season 3: Brittany Lovely (blog) - "We feel confident enough to say that Elementary‘s Reichenbach already happened. In fact it was the fall that served as the catalyst for Elementary‘s beginning. However, while nods to Reichenbach exist already in the show’s narrative, an explicit reference to the Reichenbach is still available for the taking."
fandom:elementary, topic:adaptations
Ex Machina
6 questions ‘Ex Machina’ doesn’t answer about artificial intelligence: Cece Lederer (blog) - "What these and films like these fail to do is analyze how artificial intelligence would differ from biological. The assumption is that when code achieves consciousness it achieves human consciousness, a notion that is demolished in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s Ex Machina, which opened last week."
fandom:exmachina
Fauda
Fauda (1x01-1x09): marina (DW) - "So, Fauda is a recent Israeli TV show."
fandom:fauda
The Flash
NOC Recaps The Flash: Bee-ing Truthful or Why Lies Sting: Christelle G. (blog) - "Are we sure that bees are the only bug problem? Surely, there have gotta be spiders, too, because everyone is tangled in a GOTDAMB WEB OF LIES."
fandom:theflash
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 1 "The Wars to Come": Theresa Delucci (blog) - "All in all, tonight was more of an epilogue to last season than coming out of the gate in a new direction."
fandom:gameofthrones
Political Analysis of HBO Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 1: Steven Attewell (blog) - "The first episode of any season of Game of Thrones can be a difficult endeavor, with so much to set out so that the audience understands where everyone is, what they’re up to, and what issues they’ll be dealing with this season."
fandom:gameofthrones
"Game of Thrones" politics: Is a fair and just ruler possible for Westeros?: Steven Attewell (blog) - "If the overriding theme of the premiere of Season 5 was regime change, and how different polities handle a sudden transformation of the power structure, the overarching theme of last night’s episode was the question of a just ruler: what does one look like? How do they handle questions of war and peace, justice and punishment? How would they handle the crisis of the day?"
fandom:gameofthrones
"Video" Podcast of HBO’s Game of Thrones, Season 5 Episode 2, "The House of Black and White": Steven Attewell (podcast) - What the title says.
fandom:gameofthrones
Tailgate, Black and White: Johnny (blog) - Large collection of links to articles about Game of Thrones, mostly focused on season 5 episode 1.
fandom:gameofthrones
The House of Black and White Open Thread: Johnny (blog) - "As we've done in previous seasons, Tower of the Hand offers two discussion threads per episode as soon as the episode begins."
fandom:gameofthrones
Deconstructed: The House of Black and White: Stefan (blog) - "Did anyone else have the feeling during this episode that they accidentally hit the "forward" button on their remote? Boy, the plot moved along fast."
fandom:gameofthrones
Game of Thrones Chat S5E1: The Sun Sets in the Westeros: Cheryl (blog) - Discussion of the first episode of season 5 of Game of Thrones.
fandom:gameofthrones
Review: The House of Black and White: ghostlovesinger (blog) - "The cinematography may have breathtaking and the acting formidable, but in the absence of story structure, proper pacing and an adherence to internal logic, we were left, in the end, with merely a collection of fine scenes, ultimately engendering little in this reviewer but apathy."
fandom:gameofthrones
Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 2: The House of Black and White: Sparky (blog) - "Game of Thrones can occasionally bring some interesting insight on the way the unequal society affects people"
fandom:gameofthrones
Return to Westeros: "The House of Black and White" Review: Tsunderin (blog) - "Unlike the other two reviewers this season, I haven’t actually read the books. As such, if events are diverging from Martin’s novels, I wouldn’t be able to point them out. While losing the ability to compare and contrast is somewhat aggravating, being able to experience everything for the first time offers an interesting perspective."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
The Wars to Come: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "There is a tendency, with prestige cable television, towards a sort of ostentatious decompression of the first episode of a season, as if writers are compelled to demonstrate just how free they are to write For Their Art instead of for mass audience appeal by crafting opening acts as alienating as possible."
fandom:gameofthrones
The House of Black and White: Philip Sandifer (blog) - ""The House of Black and White" is an episode of setup, and being the second of these in a row, is by its nature slightly more frustrating."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
A Brief Treatise on the Rules of Thrones 1.10: Fire and Blood: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "Perhaps the most striking thing about "Fire and Blood" is the strangely relaxed tone it takes throughout."
fandom:gameofthrones
Green Lantern
Why Warner Bros Should Make John Stewart The Next Green Lantern: Kate Tanski (blog) - "I’m not generally the type of person to get riled up about casting rumors, but the buzz dropped on Friday’s Popcorn Talk that Warner Bros is currently casting for John Stewart as Green Lantern and not Hal Jordan gets me going in all the good ways. Let me tell you why."
fandom:dccu
Grimm
Grimm, Season Four Episode Seventeen: Hibernaculum: Renee (blog) - "Okay, this was essentially a Wesen of the week episode. Grimm has been doing that a lot, throwing in bits of Meta as sort of a side diversion."
fandom:grimm
Grimm Season Four, Episode Eighteen: Mishipeshu: Renee (blog) - "Grimm has nasty habit of raiding cultures of colour for woo woo."
fandom:grimm, warning:spoilers
Harry Potter
I finally understand Dumbledore. Well! That took me ages!: drinkingcocoa (LJ) - "I finally understood what the heck Dumbledore was thinking to abandon Harry to his abusive relatives at the age of one."
fandom:harrypotter
After all this time? Another meaning of "Look...at...me"!: drinkingcocoa (LJ) - "I've long thought of the HP series as really the Severus Snape series -- you know, Severus Snape and the Goblet of Fire, Severus Snape and the Order of the Phoenix and so on. But I hadn't thought of it before as the Tom Riddle/Lord Voldemort series until today. Hmm. What was he going through during each volume?"
fandom:harrypotter
Untitled: gyzym (Tumblr) - "HAVING SAID THAT, let us discuss Albus Dumbledore, Professional Puppetmaster."
fandom:harrypotter
Home
Home is Nothing to Write Home About: porluciernagas (blog) - "As an adaptation, Home fails on almost every conceivable level."
fandom:home, topic:adaptations