Emily Thrace

The way Dawes spoke about his sister reminded me of Shin Dong-hyuk (He escaped from a North Korean prison camp) or even Elie Weisel's Night. It shows how cruel hunger and deprivation can make people. Something people of privilege rarely understand it not that desperate people want to do terrible things its that so often they have never known kindness or gentleness. When you only treat people with cruelty and neglect sooner or later they start to mirror it back. In the Belters case it looks like they might be ready to direct it right back at their oppressors. Its was also a very effective way to show how desperate the Belters are. I also love Dawes accent its such a weird mix. Which s course is exactly what you would get considering the history of the Belters. Sadly though his character is the only one who made a real impression on me so far. Although the Rocinate crew shows promise they haven't grabbed me yet. Miller is such a type I still haven't seen what makes him unique yet. The actor is a little light on charisma say what you want about Defiance Nolan had a lot of charm even in the pilot. Maybe that's what Miller needs a real partner not just a one dimensional nag. Its hard to care for someone who doesn't seem to care about anyone else.

Saffron from Firefly was an antagonist and is one of the most popular characters and is frequently shipped with Mal. Garak is one a total Star Trek fan favorite (He has beaten several main character from other series in polls) and definitely not a nice guy. Gul Dukat was fascist dictator but also one of DS9's favorite characters. The writers even wanted to redeem him and set him up with KIra at one point. Both The Expanse and Defiance from Skiffy have characters have characters who committed atrocities and earned the nickname "The Butcher" in the past but are presented as antagonists in the shows present. People like a good redemption story it doesn't matter what the person did it just matters how well the redemption is sold. Of course I also feel the need to point out the Han Solo is perhaps one of the best known examples of All Girl Want Bad Boys around. Luke was probably supposed to get the girl in the end but Han became more popular. Largely because Han was such Bad Boy himself. I think there definitely an argument to be made that Rylo fans are just taking their cue from the original trilogy. As to why Girls want bad boys some have suggested its actually instinctive behavior. A lot of typical bad boy traits like aggression. defiance and impulsiveness also made for a dominant male in caveman times and girls respond to that without realizing why their doing so. That's also probably why domination plays such big role in some examples of this type of relationships.

I think it more that Bill and Jen also try to avoid direct confrontation and simply try to reason and cajole rather than just correct . Some of that might have to do with size particularly with Will. For most parents when a child really throws a fit they can still pick them up and physically remove them from a situation Bill and Jen don't have that option. Not to mention at his size Will could probably actually hurt Jen without meaning too if he really threw a fit. So I think trying to keep the situation calm and cool and not escalating the situation are probably fairly important goals to them. I also think Will is a sensitive eager to please kid who is probably more likely to respond to "That's not nice" then "Stop that right now" anyway. Zoe is a little more wilfull but again directly confronting her is just more likely to cause her to dig in so she may respond better to that as well. Parenting styles are mostly a mix of the parents personalities mixed with their kids. Bill and Jen have a lot of go with the flow and really aren't confrontational generally and their parenting style reflect that. They've also only been parent's for two very rocky years and I think they will figure out discipline better as they go along.

Except their is a chicken and the egg there since the Gallaghers are all products of a broken system. No shit they react and don't really plan ahead but that how they've made it this far. Of course they have no future planning skills they've all spent so much of their lives just trying to get though the day. If they thought further ahead they were just disappointed so they didn't. Lip is just barely starting to get it and Fiona has had some major knockbacks when she's tried. Yes some of that was Fiona's fault but not all of it. What your asking for is for the Gallaghers to be idealized poor but proud types and I don't feel that's realistic. Sure the characters have grown (Lip most noticeably) but its by inches not miles. If you ever seen Christopher Titus (whose a comedian who grew in very Gallagher like circumstances) you might notice how the voice in his head still says "You're a screw-up" even though he's been successful for decades now. I don't think Gallagher's voices that say their a screw-up will ever really go away either. As I've said before none of these kids are normal functional people asking to act like they are is unfair. That's why all I've asked of this is it portray it character realistically I could give a fuck about timelines. Last season bugged a bit because I felt some of it was too over the top but it looks like we're getting closer to normal again. Besides there's no real way for them to keep to a logical timeline with the child actors still growing like normal kids. Its just not really possible either they fudge the kids ages or they fudge the timeline. I actually like that they thrown out the timeline instead. That way we won't have Carl being a 30 year old high school senior. Also have to echo the love for Svetlana I loved her interacting with the hipsters in the bar. Although the thought occurs to me that if the neighborhood want to rid itself of hipsters they could just shoot or rob a few of them. Not like the Milkovitch boys haven't done before. Nothing like a spike in violent crime to drive house prices right back down again. I wonder if that's not what Kev's convo with the neighbor is actually setting up. The psycho neighbor actually acts on his rants and the fallout drives out some of the new people.

Actually Stormtrooper is even older than that the Germans actually used it to refer to Canadian troops in WW1. It was also a name given to German infiltration units. Triumph of the Will used it a a propaganda move.

Actually I think if Kylo looks like anyone its Amidala. If you compare to movies where Nataile Portman's hair is a lot less highlighted than prequels the two actors could pass as related (she looks more like him than any of his siblings in that other movie I saw him in actually). In terms of hair and eye color Adam Driver isn't a bad match for Eddie Fisher (Carries Fishers father) either. In any case its not at all improbable for Kylo to look the way he does and still be Han and Lea kid, If anything it indicates Han and Leia's background is more diverse than just white since that kind of variation is more common in people with mixed heritage. I do think some highlights and blue contacts might have helped but that was probably about wanting the character to appear "dark" as much as anything.

Yeah it wasn't even the whitewashing it was the way he reacted to blowback that left a bad taste in my mouth. He came across as clueless at best and arrogant at worst. The fact that Tom Hiddleston got popular around the same time really didn't help his cause with me either. The comparison between those just shows how little excuse Cumbatch has for being ignorant (considering his recent role as a trans person it seems he has yet to learn anything from his experiences), Tom has always worked so hard to prove just because your a posh Eton old money type doesn't mean you have to be a prick. Although all this talk about "mysticism" has me skeptical about Dr Strange anyway, that's something that will either really work or just be really funny. You should watch Kings you don't even have to watch the a whole episode just watch the scene with Stan and Ian McShane on the stairs. That should reassure you about Sebastian Stan at least. I haven't even watched the show in years and I still remember that scene. Although I have to wonder exactly what he's done that's so unimpressive he only had eight lines last movie and only about five minutes where he actually talking in the first one.

I don't think we can say that for sure based on what we know. Han himself said he often walked away from Leia just because it made her miss him. It would certainly go a long way to explaining why their relationship was so fucked up if Han was in and out when Kylo was a kid. I doubt Han was ever an absentee dad that would be out of character but I could see him signing up for a six month tour to chase Empire remnants and Kylo not really understanding why. Especially if Han was taking off to avoid fighting with Leia that can really do a number on a kid. Kids tend to think its their fault when parents do things like that even if it not true.. I can definitely see why growing in the middle of Han and Leia's volatile relationship might not be easy. I also think Han did feel culpable, his "there too much Vadar in him" comment was really evasive. I think deep down he did blame himself more than anyone else. That's why he was so insistent that Leia not blame herself. Not to mention I've never seen a relationship where everything was only one persons fault especially a parent/child one. I think Chewie wouldn't actually try to kill Kylo after all he is Han's son. Chewie would know better than just about anybody that the last thing Han would want is for Chewie to hurt Kylo. Even back on the Starkiller planet his shot was was no where near center of mass. Considering Chewie hits everything else he aims at in the movie I think it was deliberate. In my head that was Chewie's way of saying he was trully pissed off but not really seeking revenge. Hell "from a certain point of view" Han gave his life to try to save his son. One theory I always liked is the the fabled person who will bring balance to the force is someone who can master both the light side and the dark side and achieve balance. For that reason I wouldn't eliminate Kylo becoming Ben and walks of into the sunset with Rey Kenobi as a possibility. Although I think him having a last minute turn where he saves Leia or Rey at the cost of his own life seems more likely at this point. In any case I don't think Kylo is permanently on the dark side. People simply wouldn't be satisfied with that ending for Han and Leia's story if nothing else.

Well the movie actually does mention that pods are a built in security system for the city and that Plutarch stole the map before he left. In the book they mention the pods were created after the first rebellion. This exactly also Peeta survived to hunger games and was taking down Mutts with his bare hands in those sewers he was not weak or passive by any measure. Peeta gift was more about words than anything else and this movie showed that. When everyone wants to give up and spend the rest of the war hiding in a cellar Peata gets them moving again. Which is one of the bigger points of the whole series that words and ideas are more powerful than anything else. That's why we don't see much of the battles because the war is not the point of the story. The reasons for the fight and the way everyone's words fuel the fire are thereal point of the story. Its also what make it stand out from so many other David and Goliath stories in the Hungers Games its words that speak louder than actions. . That's why its so important even thematically that Katniss winds up with Peeta because like her he uses words as weapons. In a way Gale and Peeta represented different aspects of Katniss herself. In the end Gale just represented part of Katniss she didn't like anymore. Even before the first games Gale helped Katniss survive but he never really made her feel hopeful or want more. Peeta was the one who did that. Gale is a man of action and black and white he simply doesn't see the shades of grey. I'm not saying Gale is stupid or slow in fact he's truly cunning in his own way hes just rigid. He's done so much surviving he literally doesn't know how to be another way. That's why I've always thought even without the Games Katniss would have chosen Peeta in the end. Frankly I also feel there's a lot of sexism in a lot of the pro-Gale argument. Gale is better because he more aggressive and angry and masculine while Peeta's strength and gentleness are not valued. its subtle but Annie and Finnick are like a gender flipped version of Katniss and Peeta but I rarely see it argued that Annie is weak or that Finnick should have been with Joanna. Its such a cliche that the action hero gets the girl I've always liked that Katniss chose the more passive man this time. Having seen the movie I have to give credit to the actor playing Pollux. He really drew me in and made me like the character and feel for him living in the dark for five years without ever uttering a line. Natalie Dormer was great too. Josh Hutcherson and JLaw were really great in this as well. I always knew Josh would do well with this part but it was almost better than I expected. I also think the chemistry between these to was better because it was simply more honest. This is the first movie where Katniss and Peeta weren't pretending to be something else. I also think the connection between Josh and Jennifer lent itself more to the place Katniss and Peeta are in this movie. Where the focus is on the deep connection not so much romance.

I think what Tony and Steve have always had is a connection because of Howard Stark. Even when they were taking chunks out of each other in the first Avengers Howard was the unspoken part of the conversation. They might call each other friend now but what they've always felt like to me is family Whether either of them admit it our not they are probably connected to each other more deeply than just about any other member of the team. Steve went to war with Tony's father too and he has always had a soft spot for Tony because of it. Just like Tony will always look up to Steve because of all the stories his father told him. Even with them fighting in the trailer I don't think Cap would go to the point of truly hurting Tony because he's "Howie's Boy". Tony has a long list of people who have disappointed of left him, I think more than anything he's disappointed to add Cap to the list. Sure there a fair amount of Tony's usual I'm the center of the universe narcissism in there but there probably more child of alcoholic daddy trust issues in there more than anything else. That's not to say Steve isn't doing the right thing choosing Bucky I can just see Tony's point here as well. Also this is pure speculation at this point but based on the current storyline on Agent of SHIELD I'm thinking that they end up being the compromise in the end. Since their apolitical there not held to public opinion the way the UN is and they have better resources to handle empowered people better than the military. I can't see any of the parties involved objecting to SHIELD and I don't see Coulson locking up Bucky Barnes. Plus it brings Steve's story full circle. With him burning down SHIELD in the last movie he gets to bring it back in this one. Some of that is history Steve\Bucky is one of oldest slash pairings around.and even the non slash fans they are a big draw. Sebastian Stan himself is fangirl catnip I also think in terms of story Bucky ties together Steve story better than anyone else.

The scene reminded me of an Irish wake actually. Given we're talking about the O'Brien family I'm guessing that's what the writers were going for. Although it needed some music and booze not to mention the actual corpse (One of the traditions around a wake is keeping the body company until its in the ground) . Sitting around telling stories of the deceased is an essential part of any wake.

Fuck this show that's the hardest I've cried over tv since McDreamy died. Walter's fear was palpable no one is ever going to give this show any credit for acting but that was a really great performance. A lesser actor would have been throwing the computers across the room in that last scene. Sylvester is awesome and I'm glad Walter's Dad recognized that. I know there more I'm just processing right now and I'll post back later.

It wouldn't be the first time a book was altered though when it was made in to a movie though. Traditionally adding a love interest for Wattney would be something the studio would feel would "bring in a female audience". (Like how Hunger Games added a love triangle to mimic twilight) Which is probably a reflection of how little studio types understand women as much as anything. I would like to think the fact that they didn't change the story means things are getting better but I'm optimistic like that. I can see the whole survival strategy being cut because its a lot darker than anything in the movie. Cannaballism is something studios avoid outside of horror in any case. I also wonder if NASA would actually resort to that even in an extreme situation. Its seems unlikely that even if someone survived it physically that they would ever recover mentally. I would actually think decoupling part of the ship (it was assembled in pieces it would probably come apart that way too) and floating back to earth while still in range seems more plausible IMO. The ISS was actually built with a life raft situation in mind (or it was the last time I checked which was at least 10 years ago) I would think the Hermes would be too. That whole story is one aspect of the book that seems far fetched to me. That plan only really works if the survivor is a robot not a real person. Although Mark's psychology is pretty optimistic as well all things considered. I would rather see "and Beck can sleep with Johansen" personally. Not just because that whole romantic subplot could have used some development but because it would mean seeing Lewis and the others interacting. Everyone's reaction would be worth seeing IMO. It would be a nice addition to the scene at the beginning where the crew is interacting and give them a little more life. Particularly Beck who has more personality in the viral promo's then he gets in the movie itself unfortunately. "I thought you liked Mexican" doesn't really show anything we don't already know about the characters.

I think this could an actually interesting place to take Ward. Especially since the closest hes come to remorse is when he hurt Fitz. It might allow some nuance in Ward for once. I'm not expecting Ward to make a complete turn at this point but some new layers would be nice I am still laughing at Hunter's typing. He is really good at the undercover schtick and improvising on the fly. I also loved that he and Bobby still managed to bicker even when in major trouble. Also if these too get their spinoff can Mack go with them? Because he's basically wasted here and his reaction to Hunters antics is part of what makes it so funny. (I think Mack pretty much thinks of Hunter as the most annoying brother in-law who ever lived) Plus that probably the only way he going to get an actual storyline of his own. Also judging by how much Gideon knows about what happened to Gemma I'm thinking he has someone inside the secret base.

There a whole spectrum of behavior between knowing what Lash does and condoning it though. Just because Andrew is aware of Lash doesn't mean he likes it. A lot of case of DID(the technical name of Multiple personality disorder) one of the alters dominates the others and the other don't really have any control over them (Like Smeagol and Gollum). Its partly why people will create these alternate personas in the first place to create something to protect them. Lash may be the manifestation of Andrews anger and fear about what happening to him.

I don't Wards ego would have let him not take credit for it either. If Ward had actually gotten to May's dad he would have sent her a video, text message and a freaking airplane banner. Also while Andrew may not be going full on Hulk when he becomes Lash where he has no control he may not really be fully culpable for his actions either. Its possible becoming Lash created some kind of mental disorder or aggravated an issue to the point that Andrew really isn't sane. Especially since this is such a huge difference from his old personality. In fact the most likely explanation is that gaining powers triggered some kind of personality disorder. Since gaining powers made Andrew would evil be way to simplistic even for this show.

Well he did nearly blow himself up the first time he tried to make water. That was truly hilarious so I'm kinda surprised you missed that one. Yeah I did find it odd that we never actually saw his parents onscreen. Even Kristen Wigg leading them to conference room at NASA or something would have been appreciated. I do feel like the movie could have packed a harder emotional punch. We really didn't spend much time with the Hermes crew so his reunion with them was great but it could have been so much more if we had been given a better picture of how important finding Mark was to all of them. A better idea of the crew as people and how they each related to Mark would have been great. Instead of just the relief that Mark made it. We also never got to see Mark meet the people like Vincent and Mindy who worked so hard to bring him home. That all feels like a missed opportunity. I think TPTB were probably worried about coming across manipulative or even maudlin but really they just got their asses saved by Matt Damon. Had this movie been in the hands of a lesser actor it might have come across as soulless. I also like that they avoided a romantic relationship between Lewis and Mark. Not just because then it would have been Red Planet (Right down to the EVA rescue) with more science. Women are too often made the emotional center of the story I like that TPTB made Lewis a strong character who is emotional but still clear headed and calm. If TPTB had gone with a romantic subplot for Mark I would rather have seen it with Mindy Park since she was his primary human contact so much of the time. Plus that way it could have all happened off screen and just been wrapped up in the epilogue. Martinez going back was a little surprising because of his family but judging by the size of Vogel's kids and the fact that Beck and Beth had their own kid he was home for a few years between missions. Also the missions are only supposed to be about two- three years long so its not that much more extreme than military parents who have done multiple tours in Afghanistan or Viet Nam (and they wouldn't been home for as long between tours). I was bugged by them making the only POC crew member basically an absentee dad though. I get that he probably see it as his duty but it still feels glaring especially in a movie that was so diverse and respectful in how they treated the female characters.. Its kinda like they made the Hail Mary Pass zig-zagged around the opposing defense and then tripped over the goal line. That's not to say it was a bad movie. It was an amazing movie by any stretch. Matt Damon is sure to get an Oscar nod if not a win for the role. I just think I'll be particularly interested in Ridley Scott's directors cut.

I don't think Hunter is so much immature as he is more amoral then the rest of the team. He is on the team because he likes Coulson and Bobby wants to be there rather than any higher calling. Hunter is basically your typical street rat grown up. He has impulse control issues and doesn't really do long term planning well but he improvises really well, He's a realist and that has its place on the team. I also think while Hunter wouldn't have pulled the trigger if Bobby was the one Ward had captive, May wouldn't have hesitated to pull the trigger. So while I don't blame May for being upset I hope she realizes that soon.

Yeah Happy was very awesome this episode. Even if shes not really "funny" she still faster than a speeding train. I liked the mom giving Paige props she was actually pretty awesome this episode. I like how they have her being more take charge this season its nice growth and realistic for the character. Even if her and Walter were all over the place from bickering like an old married couple to almost making out. I liked the return of Cabe and Doc's interrogation tag team this episode. I actually really like those two working together. They have very different styles but the communicate better than most of the other team members.

Yeah I think I finally really like this show. Its no longer on my DVR because there is nothing else but Nashville on. I even liked the shots of all the blood and gore. It felt like it had purpose and a point on the story and wasn't blatant gross out cam. While I am totally shipping Christa/Neal I like his relationship with Pineda as well it feels very real and natural. Also the rebar sword fight was adorable. I'm glad the guys made up. I liked Mario's no apology. I mean it was very dickish but it felt in character and honest. It also felt less Alex Karev like than most of his other moments which is a good sign. I love Alex but I would like to see Mario be his own character not just a different version of the same character.

Except that wouldn't suit the point of the story which is keeping Fitz and Simmons apart. True it was also about forcing the characters to grow but it was also about the impact on FitzSimmons as a unit. A new best friend wouldn't have the same impact on that relationship a new lover would. A character who grow in isolation(A big part of Daisy's problem is how little she interacts with anyone but Coulson) is just dull as one who doesn't grow at all. Seeing how that growth and change affect other characters is a big part of where the drama is. I also think that some would call the show homophobic for not allowing Simmons to fall in love with a woman. True they would probably be a lot of the hardcore slash types but I also think they would have a point. Personally I do think the BFF scenario is unrealistic as well. Prisoner effect is a real and a fairly well documented phenomenon. I think Simmons might have fallen for whoever was on the other side of the portal due to the situation. Personally the fact that the story doesn't really change if Will is Willamina means the story is actually quite feminist (Or it was Fitz instead of Jemma who got sucked in for that matter). Especially since Jemma will probably be the one ultimately rescuing Will from that place. To me feminist storytelling doesn't always mean showing that female characters "don't need a man" It just means showing women as capable and strong which this episode did. I also think this episode did a good job of showing that Will needed Jemma too. Everyone needs someone sometime whether they're a man or a woman. Also the fire forged friends thing is just as much a trope as space boyfriend. I actually think Star Trek has had more episodes about the first rather than the second actually. The Quark/ Odo stranded one is actually a personal favorite of mine its hysterically funny. .

Its a gas so its also possible she just in low lying area or an enclosure like a cabana and got a higher dose that way.

I actually think it would be interesting to see Will come back to earth and have them just fall apart because they don't really have much in common besides what they went through. With regards to tptb choosing to have Simmons stranded with a man rather than a woman I think tptb were dammed if they did dammed if they didn't. If they put to women on the other side of the portal instead of Will. Either they keep that relationship platonic and then the show gets accused of being homophobic and unrealistic or Jemma gets involved with a woman and the show gets accused of being homophobic when she inevitably goes back to FItz. (Having been in the Grey's forum when they had Callie date a man briefly last year I'm now convinced the internet does not believe in bisexuality). Also since Simmons has only shown interest in men prior to this and been involved with one on the show previously it would have felt rather forced and more like it was the situation rather than any real feelings on Jemma's part. It may seem cliche but sometimes the obvious solution really is the correct one.

I think given the culprit was someone who was developing biotech I don't think its implausible that he either knew who to build a worm like that or ate least knew someone who did. And the second one too probably. I like that Tom from Desperate housewives wasn't the bad guy I was thinking it was him too . His kid was not completely annoying either. Maybe they could show up again the next time Richard does also. Something that I noticed is that if the air was being sucked out of the room fast enough to crush a water bottle it should have done major damage to Toby as well. That type of rapid pressure change should have burst his lungs, eyeballs and most of his blood vessels.I don't think we're done with the emotional fallout either. Considering we hear about Toby losing his hat for several episodes last year I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of this. Its going to take a while for Toby to trust Walter again and I don't blame him. Sly hanging off the edge of the building was a good edge of your seat moment. Also with regards to the person upthread who asked about not sending another helicopter. Updrafts and the fire creating its own wind meant it probably couldn't get in close to the building. Although I wonder about a bag or even fire or climbing gear. They might not have been able to get to Sly but the chopper could have dropped something that could allow him to get out of there on his own.

Ah but being a single mother is surprisingly well suited to careers in law-enforcement and problem solving. As odd as it sounds some police forces have actively started recruiting single mothers because tend to problem solve well and have good interpersonal skills. Besides Paige is job is basically office manager and liason with normal's which really wouldn't require a lot of special skills other than keeping a cool head no matter what craziness they get into.. Ironically being Ralph's mother makes her able to relate to the team as well. True there might be quite a few people who would have these skills individually but I suspect finding someone with a combination of all these skills is harder than it sounds. Mostly I feel like Paige is is a classic victim of Heart is a lame super power rather than anything else. Which is actually a rather sexist since its almost always a feminine role.. We always tend to devalue characters who have more passive "let everyone get a long" roles. Which isn't really fair since keeping the team mentally together and functional is actually a huge contribution. I know people keep saying Tobey could do this but the sad fact is he can't. Tobey is too dysfunctional and constantly seeking a new challenge to really be an effective long-term counselor. Which is also probably why he's not a practicing clinician. If Tobey was an effective Team Mom Scorpion wouldn't have been scraping by the way they were in the pilot. Just because Paige isn't actively scaling buildings like Happy doesn't mean she's dead weight. I also feel like Paige get scrutinized a lot more because shes Walter's love interest. If she was an older woman who was presented as Cabe's love interest I wonder if reactions would be different. People might actually commend Walter for being open-mnded enough to hire a single mom. Megan saying "last few months" gave me a jolt. If she actually goes I will bawl my eyes out. Which is really why I like this show. For all that they screw up they usually get the emotional beats right. I do think she will go in the end too. Maybe not this season but eventually. So Walter and the team can learn they are not infallible. Also given Walter's mentioning that Megan first got sick when they were kids. I don't think her MS is as far fetched as most of the science on the show. Children who get MS do tend to reach the end stage a lot sooner than adults who get it. Not to mention that MS is always unpredictable and it is possible to completely decompensate within a few years. Of course its also possible she could stabilize and live several more years. I was also wondering in the episode if Walter actually knew what was going on but was pretending for Megan and Sly's benefit It might be fairly easy for Walter to glance at a chart and realize what's going on. Or even simply guess since Megan is the only person Sly cares about outside Scorpion that his "personal matter " is about her..