Euphony

Oof... things are getting polarizing... I don't think Randall is correct in his approach, but I really sympathize with his feelings. He feels like he found something that could be a game changer, and it must be terribly frustrating that he is so powerless to make it happen. His approach does suck, though. He is not explaining the virtue of this particular trial at all. He needs to realize that he is not the de facto decision maker for Rebecca. That would be Rebecca. He is not pitching it to her beyond "I really think this is what is best for you. Trust me." I still feel for him, though, and think people are being a little hard on him. I also fear that they are over correcting Kevin a little too much this season. I don't think we can be entirely uncritical of his motivation here either. He is basking in his mother's love and favour for the first time in his life and probably doesn't want to give that up. (This is also very understandable, in my opinion.) The conversation I would want to see is Kevin asking Randall for information on the clinical trial rather than dismissing it out of hand, and Randall providing it rather than just telling everyone to trust his judgment uncritically. Also: I really don't think kid Randall is an ass at all, so it surprises me that people say that. If he digs in to Kevin a bit, it is because Kevin has been shown to be pretty merciless in the past. It was really on Jack and Rebecca to step in for both of them. Kev and Randall have a pretty complicated relationship. Probably my favourite of the series. I recently went back and watched the season one episode where, after a public fight in which Kevin states that he felt replaced, Randall points out to Kevin that is was the first time he acknowledged him as a brother. There is a lot of pain on both sides.

I think Randall's failing is that he thinks one person can hold a family together. Rebecca held that family together just as much as Jack. Randall was a big support to Rebecca, but Kevin was (somewhat counter-intuitively) a big support to him. And we have seen Kate supporting Kevin's career, Randall and Kate supporting each other through Jack's death...etc. Randall just has a really skewed perspective.

Raising a child with special needs isn't something that you grasp the full scope of right away, though. He is going to be coming to terms with new realizations and new challenges as the child develops. He needs to deal with his feelings, but I don't know if 10 months is really as much time as some feel it is when you are dealing with a young child with disabilities. In many ways the blindness is becoming more real to him as Jack becomes less of a lump (as all newborns are) and more of an actual person.

It's really interesting how people pick up different moments as signs and metaphors and draw quite different conclusions about the shows direction. I, personally, thought the conversation with M Night was a really on the nose pro-Sophie metaphor. Kevin argued that the original end felt like resolution but M. Night told him that it was not what the audience really wanted. Anyway, I think Madison is a rebound fling (for both). I do not think she is right for Kevin at all and they have a long way to go if they want to sell me otherwise. She does not have a developed enough sense of self at the moment. Kevin struggles to much with his own sense of self, it would fall apart quickly if he had to prop her up long term.

Whilst I am a huge Logan fan, I don't think I mind him dying on the happiest day of his life. Maybe because I thought he and Veronica had no chance of staying married. She refuses perfectly reasonable requests for couples counseling, kinda mocks his therapy and actively encourages the behaviour he is working hard to modify. Best case scenario was him realizing it wasn't going to work, and leaving of his own volition. Otherwise, I think Veronica's shitty attitude derails his progress. It was never going to be a happy ending. Him saying he wanted his kids to be like her really brought it home for me that what he wanted for himself (happy, stable family life) was really not what Veronica was after. If anything, she seemed a bit repelled by his tenderness with children. So he dies at a good spot in his life with a job that gives him purpose and a woman he loves as his wife. He dies as the man he wants to be. Teenage Logan probably would look at his life's trajectory and count it as a major win.

So, my son just got diagnosed less than two months ago with a developmental disorder. When testing was first suggested, my first reaction was definitely "I don't think he has that." My second reaction was to read more about. My third was to book an appointment. Raf's reaction is the rule, not the exception. I have been consistently told by the professionals I have been working with how quickly I acted on the suggestion, and it sure as hell wasn't instantaneous. Jane should have given him a beat and approached it again in a couple of days. It can be hard to realize what you thought was a temporary issue is actually going to be a permanent one.

The show needs to stop repeating the piggies/old boar line. It was a great line (thanks historic Ragnar!), but enough. I don't like this Bjorn at all. His speech to his brother's defitinely caused me second hand embarrassment. Your father didn't give speeches because when you have to tell people you are in charge, you have already lost the war.

I've been rewatching earlier seasons, and Ragnar is very loving with all his young children. He only became standoffish with them when they became adults, probably because the seerer told him they would eclipse him. But he clearly loved all his young children. He also tried to love Aslaug, he just couldn't and it became very toxic from there. But I think Bjorn's dickishness is all his own. He definitely has more gravitas then his brothers when he walks in the room, but he is also very cold and is kind of... charmless... I think I only like Ivar, the charismatic ball of rage. He needs a little more of Fimmel's restraint with dialogue, but he continues to be magnetic. Ubbe is way too soft, and he always has a bit of a dopey look to him. Bjorn is too cold and flat. Sigur is too petty and weasely. Hvitsek is ...not memorable at all. Though I did kind of like his reaction to his mother's death, and Sigur being like "that's what I'm sayin'!"

I agree that I have no problem with Floki being moved by Islam . The Christians are shown as blustery and austentatious, surrounding themselves with riches. The Muslims surround themselves in beautiful craftmenship, sure, (part of their appeal to Floki no doubt) but they are shown to be quietly and unshakeably devout. I think Floki has always, in part, been put off by the preachy nature of Christians. And yes, while people got raped in earlier raids, Ragnar's attitude towards the rapes was more a disinterested acceptance that this was a part of his culture. I got the impression that he considered it a pretty base pursuit in the face of so many interesting things to explore and learn. That is probably his devotion to Lagertha showing, as we know that she hated that part of raiding. Bjorn's "I guess this is where I get my rape on" demeanor was hard to watch.

While I was watching I kept thinking how much more off putting this raid seemed then any of Ragnar's. I was confused that people thought it was toned down from earlier seasons, because I felt the violence much more. Ragnar's detached fascination with the cultures he was raiding was always a grounding perspective for me. Bjorn doesn't have the same curiosity. And he seems more motivated to rape and pillage and fame, whereas Ragnar seemed mainly interested in learning what made the people and places he raided tick.

I got $20 that says Jon's targ name is Aemon.

I prefer the middle pieces of baked goods as well. What a strange and baffling product....