Butless

This series got so much praise, and the only thing good about it was the set design. It was laughingly horrible. Did a fan fiction writer write the screenplay? Because it was like watching a marysue come to life. A boring, emo marysue. I loved this actress in The VVitch, but the acting in this was so one note, and the actual progression of the plot so unbearably, excessively boring. This poor, put upon orphan who has a crazy mother, a la every southern emo story of a girl, is put in an orphanage, has a black bf (but not for life, since she forgets about her after she's adopted), who surprises her later when she's an adult with an afro and who says, "Im gonna be a radical!," as if anyone in the history of ever has uttered those words. But it's the 60s, so that obviously has to be her only role to portray...oh jesus, how trite... In fact, all the people around our marysue are one note, too. I lost count of all the times a character told her she was extraordinary, as if that would need to be said over and over for people not to get that, even though the whole thing is about her being a chess champion. Such bad writing throughout the whole thing,I'm kind of surprised. If at the end, it was revealed that everyone else in this movie was a figment of her mind, like in A Beautiful Mind, it would have made more sense that the other characters were so cardboard. And maybe explained those grotesque chess bunny twins who followed her around. And frankly, that's another beef of mine. You can all but expect that in any of these 'serious dramas' like this, that the female lead will be model worthy in looks, but the male romantic interests will be gross. To a one! All ugly af! And not just ugly, but aggressively ugly. That harry potter guy was in Devil All the Time on Netflix too, and he is horrible looking in every way. The first man she sleeps with who is in her Russian language class looks like Dane Cook does, now. I mean who casts these movies? And why is it always like this? Even Thomas Brody Sangster, who was so good in Netflix's Godless, was badly miscast in this. First he looks like he could be Ana's brother. They both has a weirdly peculiar look to them. Whoever cast this, didn't notice that? And casting him as 'cool guy' love machine was hilariously off. When Ana's sighs and says, 'So that's how its supposed to be,' after sleeping with him, I actually lol; it was just too much to accept. I don't know who they thought they were selling that to. The fact that they shot his scrawny chest deep in shadow, says it all. Also, again, who would says to themselves, "So that's how its supposed to feel," after sex? Not only is that absurdly fake, it also couldn't hit the audience over the head any harder to make its point. So let me amend that. Not just bad writing, horrendous writing. But we need to understand and empathize with this sad, horny, emo marysue ... that everyone praises as wonderful, but no one wants to sleep with...except french models of course. At first, I thought they cast Anya, a beautiful model-worthy looking woman, to be perceived by the audience as homely, because this is what Hollywood loves to do. Portray homely women by model standards. But nope. True to form of the marysue this actually is, they want the audience to think the character is beautiful. And even more to Hollywood standards, they want us first to think she is plain, but that when she puts on a more flattering dress and makeup, THEN she turns into the swan. You know, this absurdity was parodied in Not Another Teen Movie --nearly 20 years ago. And yet here we are. They made a character actually say it to her, too. A cardboard, cliched french model, of all people. Who she has sex with. Because this whole thing could have been written on Tumblr, for all it seems. If this particular Tumblr author also had a momentary lapse in wokeness, and so made the 'french model' also say such offensive things as, "models are all vapid," "empty vessels for other to fill up," etc...they really did not stint on giving this character some misogynist crap to say. But I am sure that they thought it would get a pass because, hey, the heroine showed how cool and empowered she was by sleeping with her. I'm going in on the ridiculous characterizations in this series because they were so appalling. If you bungle this as badly as they did, then the plot holds scant interest. And unfortunately, chess is boring. And they did not succeed in making it even the tiniest bit more exciting. At all. This entire series should probably not have run past 3hrs. It was hellishly repetitive, tedious and a mess.

The board games she pulled out for them to play are also old games. The age gap isn't outrageous, but frankly I'm sick of seeing it onscreen. This has been a longstanding thing in the entertainment industry, pairing up older actors with much younger women, and I'm looking at it from that angle. I'm not even sure how old Bucky is supposed to be at this point. But the actor playing him actually looks at least around 40yo. It's pretty funny that everyone is whining about having 'representation' of themselves onscreen, but they still have trouble presenting women closer to 40yo as worth any male character's time. Not Marvel, from what I saw of the movies, but in general. Giving flowers, to a date or anyone, has always been -and still is- a token of appreciation or gratitude. I have no idea why a woman would feel "pressured" to do anything, other than finding a vase to put them in. They seemed to at least be familiar with each other, he was picking her up at the restaurant, and I thought they were in NYC, or some bustling town, so I assumed there would be flowers you could pick up on the way there. I though it was also mentioned that they would be going dancing; Bucky mentions something to Yori that he felt like he hadn't danced since '43. Anyway, that was mentioned because the character was badly written. After looking back and seeing that the 3 main female characters were caricatures (strong black single mother, harpy therapist and sassy young woman), I'm a little worried about how Sharon was written. I guess we'll find out, soon. The scene where Winter Soldier kills the innocent bystander just took me by surprise. It could be that it was just directed badly. They kept cutting back to WS's face, which made you think he was being deliberately mean to the man by dragging out the execution. Or maybe that was just meant to spook us, the audience. It worked. Also, who dreams of themselves from another person's POV? Like you wouldn't be looking into your face in your dreams; that would be freaky. Paul Bettany was cast because he resembled a synthetic person, basically, who is ageless since he is not human. Yes it is obvious that they were trying to highlight all of that about Bucky. My point was, I wish they wouldn't write caricatures of women or have middle-aged male actors dating much younger women and not someone their own age. I don't find that an unreasonable request. Both Steve and Bucky were aging in the movies, because the actors who played them were, too. Everybody's got their own idea of what they saw. To me, your head cannon doesn't match to the performance, or maybe the directing/editing, because I saw no proof of WS resisting the brainwashing; none showing on his face, at least. The WS had been killing a lot of people, for 70 years. You don't think that, or the abuse and neglect that he experienced, could change a person? Now add to that, that killing people might have been his one way to release tension in 70 years, and Bam!, you just made a sadist. But you'd only think that if you thought that was a flashback he had, and not a dream. Exactly. Why was he known as a "ghost" when he 1) crashed through a wall sized painting to get his target (when he could have hid out in plenty of places to ambush him, in a museum); and 2) fired off shots from a noisy gun (as opposed to a silencer) in a museum filled with people (and security) ? But again, you would have to believe this was a flashback of something that happened in reality, and not something made up by Buckys unconscious mind, to come to that conclusion. Natasha says he killed about 2 dozen people in 70 years, but this suggests a ton more were "collateral damage." I never gave much thought to the idea of whether or not WS had any degree of free will, because when he first pops up on that highway in CA:WS, he gets pissed off that Nastasha clipped his goggles and instead of seeking out his mission (Steve), he goes after her. That's an example where you can actually see that he's not a machine, that he has emotions, and that they can prompt him to change his course, temporarily. You can see it in the character's behavior, the actor's performance, and in how it was edited (and presumably directed). No therapist would tell anyone, let alone an ex-assassin, to make amends with his victim's family. That list was of his own making. The list of 'amends' that the therapist mentions (and that we see Zemo is on) is for Hydra operatives that he knew of or worked with; turning them in, seems to be part of the deal with him getting pardoned.

Thats also true. Because writers write these scenes as flashbacks, and not dreams. When they do write them as dreams, there is usually something surreal in them, to let us know. In this case, it could have been him taking his time and making the man squirm, to accentuate and exaggerate the guilt he feels. Except... him bursting through a wall sized painting. That totally could have not happened, and it was just some surreal bit of his dream. But I don't buy that. I think it was too cool to be a dream, and written as what actually happened. And if thats real, then I'm taking him making an innocent bystander squirm as real, too. If they follow this thing up with a redemption arc on him, I hope they don't do it on a false note. I actually hope that they don't give him a solid redemption, actually. Most of these superheroes are tortured about some things. Sam's an open book, but Bucky's more murky. He gives his therapist the pat answer that he's looking for "peace." Is he? Does he think that he'll find it by intruding into the lives of the survivors of his victims? Or is it to wallow in his guilt? As a selfpunishment? If he readily teams up with Sam, it's probably the latter 😜 I'm not sure what you mean? A younger woman could have easily been "attached," too. Age has nothing to do with it.

I forgot it was a dream sequence, because it had a lead in where the guy walks in and tells his coworkers he can't meet up with them... presumably this is something that WS did not witness, in reality, but dreamed. He could have french kissed him; anything goes in a dream. I guess I was taken aback at how nasty it was to make the guy squirm, but he was probably just processing him, because he had befriended his father and was feeling all the guilt.

I hope every time he remembers this, that he thinks it was just a hallucination. I must have missed her saying ' you sound like my dad,' but you just reminded me how annoying this character really was. No; it's not 'old fashioned' to bring flowers. She was just rude, and that was insulting, not cute. Bratty, sassy, sarcastic, whatever you're calling it, in the words of Rocket, "it's not cool (you little gargoyle)." She goes from negging him, into emo talk about dead kids. I don't blame him for walking out.

Sam's story was boring. It makes it hard to believe that he has no money when he's risking his life, as seen in the first 5mins, ...and he doesnt get compensated highly for it? Strains credulity. He's only one of a very few people on Earth who can be called a 'superhero,' so that is a laugh. So basically he's just torturing his sister, and insisting she waste her life on the family struggle business. They could have come up with a better story. Maybe if they didn't tailor it to Anthony Mackie's home state? And while I understood the sister's plight, her attitude and arguments were annoying. 'While you were out there saving the World...' Come on; they could written something better than that, couldn't they? How trite and it just makes her look like an ass. Yes; while he was out there saving the world. So that you and your cute kids could still be alive or not made into the slaves of some alien overlord. Kinda important stuff, sis. Bucky's story could have been better, too. They chose to start it with the mean therapist trope, which is just so overused. I get that comic books are a bunch of tropes roped together, but as a tv viewer, who has to pay to watch it, they could have done better, gotten better writers, who bothered to write something other than tropes, who actually made it compelling. The Winter Soldier scene was the highlight of the episode. I did think of John Wick when he was holding the gun to his forearm to shoot. This bit of excitement was much better than the opening, with Falcon fighting MMA fighters on a plane (someone keeps hiring that french guy under the mistaken premise that he has any charisma); even if it was a retread. Something new from that scene though, gave an insight into the WS. Namely that he was a mean SOB. He took his time to kill the innocent bystander. There was no recognition in his eyes that this was an innocent bystander; no conflict of emotions, so not taking him out, immediately, like a trained assassin would, only points to his sadism. We keep getting told the WS was a mindless 'tool of Hydra;' and if that were so, he would have been professional and just took the guy out and ran. But he walked over, slowly, held up the gun and watched this man squirm until he shot him. Sadism. I don't begrudge him his grumpiness, being abused by Hydra for decades. But he was just being a dick to that poor man. That scene tempered my feelings for him. That, and also that he was lying to his therapist about following the rule not to hurt anyone. Yes; it's a stupid rule for an action show. But it's a slippery slope for someone who is known as a brutal assassin (for decades), from hurting people to murdering them. So no; I don't feel any heartbreak for Bucky. Also, he is strutting around in a leather jacket and expensive haircut, yet he still has little old man, Yori, pay for his lunches; if the dialogue is to be believed (Bucky says, 'What if I pay for it, this time?'). Just silly writing. I did love that in the bar scene, it looked like the actor playing Yori flubbed his line (mispronounced pinochle) and then giggled about it, after he corrected the pronunciation, and they kept it in. That was cute. I was less enthused with Bucky's date. The actor playing Bucky looks his age (38), actually even older. But he's lusting after someone 10 years younger (who looks younger than her age)? Ok, I thought we were moving away from these kinds of gross portrayals, as if there could be no attractive women his age that could also have worked at a sushi restaurant that he frequented? Everything about that date was weird. Bucky had so many red flags... in the real world, this is how you get murdered. By locking yourself in a small room with a stranger who: lied about his age (only we and he knows he didn't); always wears gloves -like a strangler; has a smile that looks like he's being stabbed and a penetrating stare; and claims to have "poor circulation" (screams erectile dysfunction). She should count herself lucky he just (rudely) split on her. She should not come back, but I bet she does somehow, as part of his redemption arc; possibly along with Yori. I don't even understand wtf Bucky is doing befriending the father of one of his victims. There is no restitution that can be made for taking a life. It also is cruel to tell the old man that his son was murdered, so I hope there's no going there. Bucky's got a list of these victims, so is his plan just to befriend all of their next of kin? That's creepy, voyeuristic and invasive. Boundaries, Bucky; observe them. That should be his Rule #4. Overall I liked it, and hope that the action picks up when Sam and Bucky get together, hopefully in episode #2. Since this show is shortened to only 6 episodes, I wish they had left out a third protagonist (Sharon). I find her so boring. I don't want to sit through filler on her boring story, too. Sam seeing the fake Captain was a gut-punch. I can't wait to see how he handles this. AM is a good actor, and he brings it. SS is also a good actor, but it seems like it he is not bringing it, so far. Somehow I don't see Bucky going from emotionally shut down for 70 years, to over-emoting and pulling faces, like he does. He seems more like Bucky when he tells the waitress not to read his mind. He brought the gravitas to that line, and it was sort of chilling. I hope the Flag Smashers ramp it up next Friday, and we get this show on the road, literally.

I answered this already, so I dont know why it was removed: Yes; having a white person live out a white conqueror scenario is racist. If I didnt make it absolutely clear before, I am making it so , now. The problems with race didn't start in the finale of the series.

They certainly can feel the process of some human logic. Dogs, anyway. Eg, They can feel jealousy. If you spend all your time on your cell and ignoring your dog while your dog makes sad eyes at you or puts it's paw over the phone to stop you from typing, and your dog steals your phone from you or hides it, it just used human logic to keep you away from the thing that is occupying your time and making it jealous.

To be fair, he looked like he could be anyone wearing a rubber white mask.

Jaime pretending to not know Dickon's name is the reason I loved Jaime.

Dany coming on to Jon again was the only thing that indicated she was crazy.

I paid so little attention to the whole Max Von Sydow as a tree thing, that Im not sure if this really happened, or I just filled int the blanks of my mind, but I thought Max the tree said to Bran that he is dying out and now Bran will be the tree, and that he or maybe Meera said, 'I dont want (you) to be a tree.' That whole thing was confusing and a bummer.

He is not "special needs." He's a damn tree.

As a high ranking leader in her army, they went into a city and committed genocide. It doesn't matter what he wanted or what he thought, he backed the wrong person and gave er a platform to commit genocide. He is complicit. When you wantonly slaughter that many innocent civilians, your head will roll. Lucky for him, the people left in power after that wholesale slaughter are his family members. Yes; the brown people weren't happy hanging around racist Westros, because it was written to be racist. In the end, these people that we are supposed to be sympathetic to over everyone else, like the Starks, turn out to be lording over a racist population, are zenophobes and think it's their right to subjugate the "smallfolk." In a word, they were shown to be real assholes, in season 8. They were "put on ship, etc" by the people that wrote this to be their fate. Just the fact that the Dothraki fate was never mentioned, at all, says how important the "brown" people were in this epic. There's just no getting over the fact that GOT is problematic wrt women and non-white perople. It doesn't make it all garbage. I love a lot about GOT, and the characters, etc. But GOT has it's serious problems. Dany was sold into the Dorthraki tribe, turned out to be able to walk through fire and hatch dragons, and she just happened to gain followers in that part of the GOT world that was relegated to the "brown" people. Had this taken place in Westros, she'd have done the same with all the white people. Why does eveyone keep glossing over te fact that Day was a magical being? Not even Jesus Christ was immune to fire and hatched dragons. Of course she was going to have followers and worshipers! Only recently, did the aspect of a gleamingly white Dany leading an army of "brown" people become a thing to sneer at because she was deemed a "white conqeuror." That needs to be taken up with GRRM , who wrote this character, years ago. He could have made the Targs "brown," but he didn't. But again, Dany, seems to be more than just white, and more than just 'human', or whatever they call themselvesin that universe. She is extra. She is magical. Words and dialogue are not said in a contextless way. They creators of the show had Sansa raped. And they created the definitive act of having a woman character raped, to further character development. And then they came under a lot of valid criticism for it, because it is lazy, and employed for titilation, and it is wholly misogynist. THEN they had the nerve to have the character say outright that, if it weren't for her rapist raping her, she would have never grown (from being a "little bird"). That's the context. It could only be more blatant and clear if Benioff or Weiss had put on Sansa's wig and dress and played the scene opposite the Hound, themselves, as a fuck -you to anyone who found their schtick to be misogynist crap. I don't knwo what the OG poster was talking about, when they said that they got angry when people rightly criticisze these things. People have a damn right to criticize, and especially women have every right to do so.

I don't know if this was mentioned before, but in the New Yorker article interview with Emilia, she said she was told to study Peter O'Toole from the scene in Lawrence of Arabia,where his blood lust took over, for the one shot where she's deciding if she should hold back or unleash hell on KL. You can literally see her impersonating Peter O'Toole performance, from that moment in the film. I believe I read GRRM mention LoA with regards to Dany, years ago. However, in LoA, Lawrence comes upon a deserting Turkish army that has slaughtered a small village, on their way. It is him seeing the carnage of that village that angers him to spur his men on to kill the Turks, and spare no prisoners. Lawrence doesnt go insane. His blood lust is sated, aand he eventually goes back to being the meek man that he was before his adventures, when the war is over. Dany's story does not play out the same way, so I dont know why they are justifying their ends for her with Lawrence's (film) story.