They look so much alike. And they have the same turned-up, holier-than-thou expression, lol.
It's serendipitous that she named her daughter Angela. 😅
Off-topic, but Dwight (late seasons Dwight when he's more orderly) and Angela would have thrived in Gilead. 😭
I’m watching the show for the first time and just finished Season 4. God, I love how things ended for Fred. It was gorgeous.
Also, I fucking love Nick. I really do. They should’ve run away to Hawaii together when they had the chance.
I'm watching the show for the first time, and I'm only a few episodes into Season 3. I just watched the scene where Emily tried to read a bedtime story to her son—and, of course, I cried—Emily’s facial expressions and those stifled tears—wow. 😭
Like many of you, I grew up with Gilmore Girls. Even after seeing Alexis Bledel in other shows, like Mad Men, or movies like Sin City, she always brought the same familiar signature to almost every role I saw her in.
I always felt like I was watching another version of Rory Gilmore. Lol.
But as Emily?
God almighty.
Who is this person?! 😭
She tears me the fuck up in almost every episode I've seen her in. Most of the tears I’ve shed since starting the show have been because of her. She's so fucking incredible.
Part of me wishes she’d been cast as June.
Alexis Bledel is the perfect example of why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover—or typecast someone based on their earlier work. We know studio executives typecast, but we everyday viewers do it, too. We say things like, “I could never imagine so-and-so in this role,” based on something they did in their early twenties. Robert Pattinson comes to mind. He’s been trying to run away from his Twilight shadow for years, and if you’ve seen him in his latest movies…phenomenal. The same goes for Alexis.
She gives me chills.
Dude, I'm not even a cryer. But every ep, I'm in tears. I just finished season 2, and of course I cried again. I'm just one big emotional wreck. 😭
Sorry, this message isn't substantial. I had to share and see if anyone relates.
I hate that I was so blinded by the main romance that I overlooked the emotional toll Mellie went through. I know you might say she could have left, but once you're in the public eye at that level, leaving would have caused even more damage than staying. And Fitz treated her so poorly — it’s unbelievable.
And yes, I know they were terrible to each other. But I think a lot of Mellie’s actions were due to a lack of affection from her damn husband.
I must have blacked out when I watched this back years ago. But the episode where Clark and Lois were at that Banshee Inn. Tess and Zod met at the farm (the location is weird enough without Clark there) to flirt and threaten each other. You know. Foreplay stuff. Clark should have really considered getting a key.
And then they had sex. On whose bed? Clark’s or Mama Kent's? Either way. That's so creepy and hilarious. They are so obsessed with my boy. They had to do it where he has his wet dreams. 😩
I wonder what Clark thought that smell was when he got back 😭
In all seriousness. How could I have missed that? And it's wild that it was never addressed in the show 😭😂
Based on how Deacon was introduced, I'm 95% confident he's the one Viv ends up with at the end of the series.
Especially since Reid is clearly protecting his brother for something, and lied to Viv about facts from his past.
And Reid is the perfect example of the first love interest tha matches your trauma, and Deacon literally feels like the final guy who makes you embrace who you are.
And embracing who you are is the key. And Reid can't do that. He's lovely. I was fully content with him being the guy until his brother showed up.
But he's also too soft for Viv. Viv needs someone to match her freak, and Reid is too scared for that.
But I bet Deacon isn't. 😭
Other than that... if you listened to the audiobook, the Deacon thing also makes sense. The audiobook has two narrators. But I didn't know until Deacon showed up. For about 70% of the audiobook, the girl who plays Viv narrated everything, even Reid. But then, when Deacon showed up, it finally switched to a male Narrator for his scenes.
And the male narrator, Teddy Hamilton, is one of the biggest and most in-demand audiobook narrators. No one in their right mind would dish out so much money for a name like that for only a few minutes for an insignificant character. Lol
That clearly sets him up as something significant. Just look at the money, purely from an economic standpoint. Why bring in a male narrator for a few lines when he could have done Reid’s lines throughout the book?
And if you want final-boss proof. Take a look at the cover of book 2. That isn't Reid in the background.…
Anyway. I'm at the part where Reid tells Viv he loves her, and Viv can't say it back, even though she feels it.
I've read dozens and dozens of love triangles in the last 20 years.
This is how you set up the final guy!
Yes, I know Deacon is giving me nothing right now to believe he's the final guy. But...I don't need him to do that in the first book. He's already following the script of his previous predecessor in similar books.
Let's name-drop a few Rhys from ACOTAR, Aaron from Shatter Me, Cyrus from This Woven Kingdom. That's just a few. I can name more. The setup almost writes itself, especially in a series with three or more books.
And no. Not every love triangle is like this. It needs very specific ingredients. The first love interest despises the boogeyman, but he may very well have been involved in the past with the boogeyman that paints him negatively that we don't know yet; the first guy has to keep half-truths from the main girl to protect her, hold her back without realizing it, and fully lie about some sort of involvement or misrepresentation of it to contort the boogeyman's narrative.
Now the last part isn't done out of malice, but out of fear and guilt.
Even better if the other guy (aka the bad guy aka Boogeyman) is from another nation, another group, another identity that the main character has been trained to hate.
Because let's be real. While Reid and everyone else in the book are saying all Deviants are bad.
We all know that can't be true. When a book uses absolutes, if it's written well, it will eventually dismantle that idea. It's creative writing 101. Viv already sees that with Reid, but she needs to see it on a bigger scale. And Reid won't get her there. He hates himself too much. Love him, but let's be real 😘
Then you have the perfect recipe for the bad guy or other guy to be the one.
And I'm excited. 'Cause I love the devil that embraces wickedness but also has standards. Aka Deacon doesn't fuck with the High Thane.
Also, I heard the author say Half City does not feature a love triangle. But look at her wording. She said Half City, not the series. 😉
What do you guys think? Want to put any bets on it?
I mean, I like his drama, don't get me wrong. But I do like how tame he's been in the last few episodes... he seems almost normal now.
The producers probably told him to chill. 😭
Yeah, he was already cocky when he came in. But the judges were completely wild for choosing that curtain for Heidi to wear last week. I mean, are they drunk?
Now, Bryan thinks he's God or something.
Last season had much better clothes and talent. At least the twins, who were so loudly cocky, could actually sew and design.
Also, why does Bryan dress like he's supposed to be in a moldy basement somewhere, sitting on an old couch with crusted Cheetos dust and smoking a bong with days of unwashed hair? He just looks messy and smelly. 🤢
And does he wear the same thing every day? Ugh. 🤦🏾♀️
Antonio’s dress was a whole mess and a hazard, but it was “safe”. I was stunned that the judges didn't like Jeffery’s outfit. Yeah, it was mostly naked, but compared to the other mostly naked stuff, this was good.
Like, they are there for like at least 2 months. And the challenges last one or two days during the week, with the runway being on day two. Usually.
What on earth do they do with the rest of the week? Just so curious.
I'm all for the drama, baby. But coming after my baby Jude over Bobby’s scraps was a violation! Like, I don't know if he was just going out of his way to be contrary, cuz there is NO WAY he thinks her drab uneven mess is better than Jude’s outfit. It makes no sense. 😭 Like what Hedi says: “People are gonna think you're crazy.” And babes, I love Law, but I just think he's being a troll at this point.
I haven't seen another contentastant quite like him, who has his level of talent and arrogance, while still coming off as charming, in a long time. People have been one or the other, but never all three.
Dimitry has it all. 😍
And he should have definitely won All-Star 7. (ok, maybe not, Michelle deserved it).
I like when someone is so confident in what they do, and it's not all talk. I respect earned arrogance. Not just arrogance without merit like so many other contestants...Bryan, for example, this season, is a perfect example of arrogant without merit.
Let's bring back folks like Dimitry. Bring back all-stars. Let him get his third win. 🤣
Or, better yet, bring him as a judge. Omg…him and Law on the panel would be crazy business.
Replace Tyra with Dimitry! 😭😅
I know production is probably telling them to play on it more than it actually is, but I LOVE it. Especially the fact that when it comes down to it, they always protect each other even if they shit-talk. Like Bryan saving Bi and Bryan choosing Joseph instead of Bryan.
I think they respect each other a lot.
I think they actually be secretly in love with each other. 😭
I think the BookTok community needs to tap into this as inspiration and turn it into an enemies-to-lovers second-chance rom-com book. I'd eat that shit up.
Zendaya isn't a bad actor. It's just that when she plays different roles, she tends to perform them in a very similar way. For example, she plays Rue in Euphoria, a sober version of Rue in the Spider-Man movies, a wealthy and entitled Rue in Challengers, and a space version of Rue in Dune. I enjoy her performances, don't get me wrong, but they all feel quite the same. Every movie I watch her in, I am keenly aware Zendeya is acting on my screen. Most of the time, it feels like a variation of Rue… not all the time, but most of the time. Does that make sense?
Like, I adore her. I'm always rallying behind her. She's a young black woman who's taking Hollywood by storm. But I've got to say, sometimes I agree with the haters that say her acting is overrated. I don't admit it out loud, but I think it. You know, loyalty and all. 😅
However, the Drama made me think she's finally living up to her own hype. And Thank God for that.
The Drama was the first time she portrayed a character that didn't feel like the rest. For a moment, I forgot she was Zendaya and just saw Emma. Emma is such a strange, lonely, depressed, and unusual character, and I think Zendaya did a fantastic job bringing her to life. She made me feel things—frustration, sadness, and utter confusion.
Rob also did an amazing job. He keeps getting better and better with each film. He's almost like a chameleon. I'm sad for those who wrote him off due to his earlier work. Acting is a craft that sharpens over time with practice and commitment, and Rob really exemplifies that with his recent body of work.
As for the film itself, I don't know… it could have been better. I enjoyed it, but I felt the characters over-exaggerated a lot of things. I wish I knew more about what was going on inside their heads.
This movie would have made a great literary fiction novel—something with a stream-of-consciousness style. Think books by authors like Emma Cline, Ottessa Moshfegh, Mona Awad, Eliza Clark, or Melissa Broder. I would have devoured it.
Anyway, I'm really impressed with Zendaya in this film. I haven't seen The Odyssey yet, but I'm curious to see how she performs in that.
Also, the ending scene in the diner during The Drama was probably the best part of the entire movie.
But anyway, what do you think? About the story? The acting?
$15 Barnes & Noble gift card for $15 PayPal
I'm very broke. I have been unemployed for 10 months, and I started my job last week. I won't get paid until another month.
I know this isn't a deal. But it would be very helpful! Please 😭🙏🏾
My new job gave me this gift card, kinda like an onboarding gift. And while I appreciate the gesture, they know how much I love books. But I’m broke, and I’d rather have the cash.
I'm rereading the series again and am on the second book. I just finished chapter 12. I forgot how hilarious it is, which is good because it was getting quite emo before, which is another reason why the chapter landed so well.
And everything about this chapter is gold, from Darrow jumping on the Bellonas’ table and kicking the wine into Cassius’ lap, to the epic duel, to Fitchner shooting the stuntfist in Augustos and Jackal’s chests. And to the latter, he says, “Hmm… pass! You're creepy.” And then shoot 😭😂🤣
This chapter is what I would most love to see in a movie theater.
I'm rereading Red Rising for a fourth time. So I'm catching the small things now. I know it's probably not a big deal in the scheme of things. So don't come for me. Play along, babes. 😭😅
When Darrow was going to fight Pax, and Pax came out of Mirnverva looking like Goliath, Darrow said: “Pax is built like an Obsidian. He’s over seven feet tall, easily, and he moves like a bloodydamn panther. In this .37grav, he could throw me thirty meters or more. I wonder how high he can jump.”
And yes, I think the point was to show how wide and muscular he is, like an Obsidian, which I get. And that he could crush him with his bare hands. But then he said the height, and I'm like, babe, that doesn't make sense. You, too, are over 7 feet. Now if he said, “he's over 8 feet, easily.” Then that would make sense to me. Comparatively.
Did anyone catch this word choice during a reread? What else did you catch in the first book that doesn't make sense for the rest of the books? I'm curious. 🤔
I KNOW it's not a big deal and I'm just splitting hairs. I clearly love these books, and I love that every time I read, I find something! ❤️
Update:
I'm not arguing the size difference between Darrow and Pax. Since clearly there is one. I'm arguing that the height number “over seven feet, easy” he used to draw that comparison. I'm arguing the word choice, not the established difference in size. We know Pax is humongous compared to Darrow and everyone around him.
Update:
Guys, Darrow knows about heights compared to himself at that point. Before he goes to the institute, he mentions a few times how tall and big he is compared to Dancer and Mickey after he turns into a Gold. How he sometimes sees fear in their eyes because of his size. Darrow used to his height at that point. And Darrow knows his height, quite literally, too. Mickey no doubt measured and weighed him. But he also had a bunch of fitness and physical tests during the institute test. I'm not sure where this is coming from that Darrow is not smart enough to know height differences compared to himself. He would know that he himself is already 7'1". And to be frank, Darrow is keenly aware of his changes, especially since he feels sad that if EO were alive, she would not recognize him.
At this point in the book, he's been in the institute for months. He did rigorous training before he even went to the school. To even pass the institute's test with a near-perfect score, he had to do extensive quantitative work and comparative analysis. Etc. He's been thinking like a Gold for a while now. He had to, in order to get into school. It doesn't make sense for him to see Pax and say he's “over 7 feet easily.” He wouldn't have made that mistake because he knows he, himself, is over seven feet, as are most of the others around him. It's a bit out of character.
And the excuses for why Darrow would think like this (e.g., he doesn't know how to compare himself to others, he is thinking like a Red, etc.) don't line up with the rest of the book before this, and they also make him look dumb. And Darrow is anything but dumb.
Honestly, the only explanation is a writing inconsistency issue, which tends to happen in the first book of a series.
And what happens when things are just not happening fast enough? What does it look like when you're depressed?
For me, I always wanted to be immortal, but since I can't do that (yet), I want to build something unique that outlasts me.
I don't just want to achieve. I want to build something totally one of a kind.
Ever since I was a child, I always thought I was running out of time. Not in a sense of fear of death. More like I wanted to be everything, learn everything, build everything, and it crushed me that I didn't have enough time to do it.
I'm often in a state of suspended potential.
I wrote a book last year. An agent is interested in the full manuscript; I should focus on revising that now. But...I'm very ambitious in my job as a senior marketing leader at my company, and I'm working hard to carve out a path there. Still, I've also applied to grad school for comparative literature. I do envision myself as a professor, but I'd be lying if I didn't also work toward becoming some sort of film producer. Anyways. You get what I mean.
When all of this piles up, I go into the shadow or depressed side of my personality. I isolate myself and don't leave the house for a few weeks. Haha.
So how does ENTP 3w4 show up for you?