29 April 2015-5 May 2015
Notices
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General Fandom
The Age Before Ultron: A Brief History of Super Hero Movies, Agony to Avengers: fenzel (blog) - "When I was a youngling, back in the 80s and early 90s, the world was a cold, terrible place. Video games were brutal and taxing, saying hi to a friend meant calling their house and talking to their mom, and there were no good superhero movies."
topic:superheroes, topic:history, topic:movies
Do Not Read In Public: Let’s Talk About Sex (In Comics): Lex Fields (blog) - "It’s hard enough to find comics that are both well-executed and sexy. It’s even harder to find comics that are well-executed while featuring straight-up sex. Most end up being exploitative or badly written. Sometimes the sex scenes are immature, like fodder for the pre-pubescent male gaze-and I think most people who aren’t looking for p0rn0graphy comics know that showing sex for sex’s sake can be a bad thing."
fandom:comics, topic:sex, warning:nsfw
"We Are Who We Choose To Be" : Sadistic Choices, Forking Paths, and the Rejection of Social and Narrative Progress in Superhero Comics and Films: Eric Berlatsky (blog) - "Rather than shouldering the ethical burden of social, political, and temporal "progress," Marvel and DC more often attempt to have things "both ways," retaining a troubling embrace of white male hegemony, while simultaneously introducing more diverse characters and storylines, without ever admitting that these two ends may be mutually exclusive."
topic:superheroes, topic:diversity
Looking At Female Characters in Anime and Manga Through a Western Feminist Lens: Alvina Lai (blog) - "The portrayal of female characters in anime and manga is a complex discussion, not only because of the various tropes that exist but also because of the cultural perspectives through which they must be filtered and digested."
fandom:anime, fandom:manga, topic:femalecharacter
Femme Fatales and Tough Guys: Exploiting and Subverting Noir Tropes in Contemporary YA: Ash Parsons (blog) - "More than that, I wanted to use noir tropes to full effect. Few genres are as rewarding in their exploration of desperation and moral-ambiguity. I wanted to employ that to examine dark subjects."
topic:tropes, fandom:literature, topic:noir
Storytelling one chapter at a time: msunyata (blog) - "The friendly little exchange really hits the issue on the head in a remarkably succinct way: are these sample chapters spoilers or just another, perhaps long-dead way of enjoying content? Is it painful or pleasurable to partake in them? Are there any more philosophical corollaries just bubbling under the surface?"
topic:serials, topic:spoilers
Where’s the Penis?: Sparky (blog) - "One thing we don’t show very much is a penis. Breasts jiggle from every angle, buttocks clench with regularity and even vaginas are a not uncommon sight to such an extent that such displays are barely worth mentioning- but penises? No those are still a very rare beast worthy of comment and shock when they actually appear on screen"
topic:sex, topic:malegaze
PSA: Whitewashing A Character Is Different From Michael B. Jordan Being Cast As Johnny Storm: Anjali Patel (blog) - "There is a stark difference between racebending and whitewashing."
topic:racebending, topic:whitewashing, topic:representation
Why We Switched From Trigger Warnings to Content Warnings: Megan Purdy (blog) - "Content warnings have the appearance of neutrality, while trigger warnings carry specific meaning that, these days, sounds a klaxon in rebel hearts."
topic:warnings
The Importance of Writing Sex Scenes: Foz Meadows (blog) - "I fell into the trap of thinking that graphic sex would be easy to write. I mean, how hard could it be?"
topic:writing, topic:sex, topic:fanfic
Dear Supervillains: Aim Lower: Bilge Ebiri (blog) - "But these plans, along with the villains who concoct them, never feel too threatening anymore."
topic:villains, topic:superheroes
In Age of Ultron, The Avengers Do the Thing That Superman Didn’t: Evan Narcisse (blog) - "Specifically, I got stuck on the idea that Age of Ultron felt like a much more heroic superhero movie than Superman’s last cinematic outing, Man Of Steel. "
fandom:dccu, fandom:dccomics, fandom:mcu, fandom:marvelcomics
What makes it worth writing fic?: naraht (DW) - "My mantra recently has been that I write solely to please myself, and that if anyone else enjoys my writing it's an added bonus. (Obviously the equation is a little different for exchanges, but probably not as different as it ought to be...)"
topic:fanfic, topic:writing
Meta Monday: Myth and narrative: dhampyresa (DW) - "I think the biggest mistake people can make when trying to turn myths into stories is to forget that gods aren't just humans writ large. They are that, yes, but they're not just that."
topic:myth, topic:religion, topic:writing
(the kids aren’t alright) self-care and the right to care of self: dirty_diana (DW) - "This is fabulous to me every time I see it, because fanfiction's woobie characters are so regularly denied their right to self-care."
topic:disability, topic:fanfic
'phonetic' grumble: beccaelizabeth (DW) - "The things you think sound weird are perfectly normal ways of speaking, round their way, and your idea of 'phonetic' transcription says more about your way of speaking than theirs."
topic:writing
Specific Fandoms
Agents of SHIELD
Mega Marvel Rewatch: Agents of SHIELD, Part 1 (Eps 1-16): owlmoose (DW) - "Like most any TV show with episodes mostly meant to stand alone while also telling a season-long arc, this season of AoS plays much better as whole than it did as individual episodes separated by at least a week."
fandom:agentsofshield
The Almighty Johnsons
The Almighty Johnsons: Norse Gods Redux: aelarsen (blog) - "Today’s show is the dramedy The Almighty Johnsons, which has one of the oddest premises of any TV show I can think of. The Norse gods have been reborn. In New Zealand, of all places."
fandom:thealmightyjohnsons, topic:myth
The Aristocats
The Aristocats: Geek Out Loud (podcast) - "Steve and Teresa welcome Tricia Barr from Fangirls Going Rogue and The Fangirl Blog to talk about Disney’s The Aristocats. The final film that Walt Disney had a hand in making, and a film that Steve deems a mash up of Lady and The Tramp and 101 Dalmatians. It’s fun, jazz, and a whole lot of cats on this episode of Disney Vault Talk!"
fandom:disney
Avengers
Mega Marvel Rewatch: The Avengers: owlmoose (DW) - "And now we get to the entire reason I'm even here. Iron Man might have been the instigator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I'd been watching from pretty much the beginning, but my first viewing of The Avengers was the event that took me from "person who enjoys a series of movies" to full-blown fangirl."
fandom:mcu
Babylon 5
Okay, last pre-rewatch piece: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "The revised order of episodes has some places where I definitely agree with it, some where I’m neutral, and some where I very much disagree with their choices. Let’s tackle it in order, it’s just easiest that way."
fandom:babylon5
B5rewatch: The Gathering: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "So I’ve reviewed The Gathering a few times in the last five years of so, so this may cover some of the same points, but I find some new things to say…"
fandom:babylon5
B5rewatch: Midnight on the Firing Line: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "Now on with the episode itself, and right off the bat I have to say; for a show that will barely leave the station the rest of season 1, maybe starting off away from it wasn’t the best move."
fandom:babylon5
Blood Blockade Battlefront
Why You Should Be Watching Blood Blockade Battlefront: Rachael Verret (blog) - "Ok, yes; that synopsis was totally disjointed, info-dumpy, and difficult to parse; but that’s appropriate for the show’s narrative, which is so fast pasted and information-heavy, you’ll find yourself having to rewind the stream once or twice, or even give the episode a second viewing on occasion just to digest what’s been flying across the screen."
fandom:anime
Buffy
Untitled: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "Why in the last ep when Buffy says to spike that she loves him he says that's not true?"
fandom:btvs
Untitled: buffythecomicslayer (Tumblr) - Speculations about Anya.
fandom:btvs
Untitled: drusillathekiller (Tumblr) - "I’ve noticed there’s a pronounced (and perhaps pointed) difference in how the Buffyverse writers portrayed Drusilla’s mental illness and how they portrayed every other instance of mental illness."
fandom:btvs
Untitled: mejomonster (Tumblr) - "I’m still hung up on the difference between how soulless angel and soulless spike behave on my rewatch."
fandom:btvs
Untitled: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "There is a fairly big theme of children growing into their parents in the Buffyverse. But I find Buffy to be the most interesting example by far."
fandom:btvs
Captain America
Hail America, Captain Hydra: Noah Berlatsky (blog) - "In Winter Solider, though, the spooks are the foe, as well as the heroes; America (and its security force) is its own worst enemy."
fandom:mcu
Mega Marvel Rewatch: The Winter Soldier: owlmoose (DW) - "Marvel might have been able to make a more perfect follow up to Cap 1 and The Avengers in terms of what I wanted as a Steve Rogers fangirl, but I have a hard time imagining what it might have been."
fandom:mcu
Cosmere
Words of Radiance Reread: Chapter 36: Alice Arneson (blog) - "This week, Shallan begins a new stage of her journey, reaching the warcamps and taking the first steps toward establishing herself there."
fandom:cosmere
Daredevil
Black Mask, Yellow Peril: Anti-Asianism in Netflix’s Otherwise Brilliant Daredevil: Takeo Rivera (blog) - "It’s such a problem that every time I recommend this frickin show to fellow Asian Americans - usually emphatically, with liberal repetition of "omfg" - the response is pretty much a unanimous "Well, that was great, except for the RACISM.""
fandom:daredevil, topic:racism
Daredevil and Disability Politics: Elsa S. Henry (blog) - "With each episode, Matt Murdock’s blindness becomes less of an issue, and his eyesight becomes something placed in the background rather than an integral character trait."
fandom:daredevil, topic:disability
DC Comics
Who Created Caitlin Snow on #TheFlash? According to @DCComics, nobody: gerryconway (Tumblr) - "That’s right. Caitlin Snow, the brilliant scientist working for Harrison Wells, fiancée of Ronnie Raymond and friend of Barry Allen, aka The Flash, sprang fully formed into existence without a creator or creators."
fandom:dccomics, fandom:dccu
Digimon Adventure
Throwback Thursdays: Digimon Adventure: porluciernagas (blog) - "The 1999 cartoon was the first anime I ever watched, and to this day, it remains a nostalgic favorite. With a sequel/reboot, Digimon Adventure Tri, coming out soon, I wanted to share what I liked so much about the show’s first season, Digimon Adventure."
fandom:digimon
Doctor Who
A Journey Through Doctor Who: Episode 50p2: The War Games (episodes 6-10): Wanderers in the 4th Dimension (podcast) - "This week we cover the second half of the sixth season finale, story #50, Patrick Troughton's swan song, "The War Games", in which the TARDIS crew find themselves in right mess until the Doctor call upon the Time Lords to help sort it out -- and then they're in an even worse mess!"
fandom:doctorwho
With Extra Seasoning 4: Season 23 vs New Series 6: Zeus Pod (podcast) - "In each episode, two random seasons of Doctor Who are thrown into the arena, to be prodded & picked over by our panel of experts. No sides, no defence or prosecution - just the thoughts of three people, however wrong they may be. One thing that is for sure - one season will not leave alive."
fandom:doctorwho
The Randomiser: Full Circle: louisedennis (LJ) - "Full Circle is probably the best story in season 18 of Doctor Who."
fandom:doctorwho
Dragon Prince
Rereading Melanie Rawn: Sunrunner’s Fire, Chapters 12 and 13: Judith Tarr (blog) - "This week the family mourns one of its own, Rohan and Pol demonstrate how their relationship works, and the book ups the ante on several important plots and some potentially devastating conflicts. With bonus operetta-style action."
fandom:dragonprince
Dragonlance
The Dragonlance Chronicles Reread: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Chapters 13 and 14: Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin (blog) - "But now we’re back with our intrepid party, and their quest to find the lost-ish city of Xak Tsaroth."
fandom:dragonlance
Empire Trilogy
Rereading the Empire Trilogy: Mistress of the Empire, Part 8: Tansy Rayner Roberts (blog) - "Welcome back to the reread of Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts! CSI: Tsuranuanni takes a darker turn this week, with some unexpectedly grim torture performed by one of our heroes."
fandom:empiretrilogy, warning:torture
Ex Machina/Gone Girl
"Ex Machina," "Gone Girl," and The Myth Of The Perfect Girl: Ariane Lange (blog) - "But Ex Machina - more than being a horror film about the scary possibilities of artificial intelligence - is a flawed story about men losing control of women and the bankruptcy of gender roles. Basically, Ex Machina is the Gone Girl of 2015."
fandom:exmachina, fandom:gonegirl, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones
"Game of Thrones" politics: When the faithful become militant, the crown can lose control: Steven Attewell (blog) - "What comes to the fore instead is the theme of the power of faith, in conflict or collaboration with the state. And this theme reflected in two opposing models: the relationship between the Iron Throne and the recently-emerged High Sparrow, and the relationship between Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre, Red Priestess of R’hllor."
fandom:gameofthrones, topic:religion, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones: Season 5, Episode 4 - "Sons of the Harpy": Lawyers, Guns & Money (podcast) - Fifty minute long discussion of the episode.
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Deconstructed: Sons of the Harpy: Stefan (blog) - "Game of Thrones has, so far, delivered three great episodes in a row."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Sons of the Harpy Open Thread: Johnny (blog) - Open discussion of the latest episode both in general and as it relates to the books.
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Sons of the Harpy: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "It is difficult not to think of the first four episodes of Season Five as something of a unit, given their simultaneous release."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 4: "Sons of the Harpy": Theresa Delucci (blog) - "Damn you, leaked episodes, for having no leaked previews to go with you after that evil cliffhanger ending."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Return to Westeros: "Sons of the Harpy" Review: mikelywhiplash (blog) - "Game of Thrones is about power, but it’s equally about government. It’s hard to translate medieval politics to the present, but the show has consistently sided with order over chaos, even if the order was flawed."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 4: Sons of the Harpy: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Review: Sons of the Harpy: ghostlovesinger (blog) - "In fact, I would go so far as to say it was among the worst Game of Thrones episodes, period."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Gotham
Hope Is For Losers: Gotham, "All Happy Families Are Alike": Thom Dunn (blog) - "Gotham showed up for its season finale with some fancy new haircuts, a few genuinely surprising moments, and a whole bunch of plot contrivances."
fandom:gotham, warning:spoilers
I Can’t Believe I Watched a Whole Season of Gotham: Jill Pantozzi (blog) - "I, Jill Pantozzi, am going to tell you why I did not like the first season of Gotham. You’ve been warned."
fandom:gotham, warning:spoilers
Grimm
Grimm, Season Four, Episode Twenty: You Don’t Know Jack: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:grimm, warning:spoilers
H.P. Lovecraft
The World’s Worst (or Maybe Best) Museum Exhibit: "Out of the Aeons": Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth (blog) - "Today we’re looking at "Out of the Aeons," a collaboration between Lovecraft and Hazel Heald, first published in the April 1935 issue of Weird Tales."
fandom:lovecraft
Harry Potter
The Harry Potter Reread: The Order of the Phoenix, Chapters 5 and 6: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "We’re going to pal around at Grimmauld Place this week, and learn about wizard cleaning! It’s Chapters 5 and 6 of The Order of the Phoenix: The Order of the Phoenix and The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."
fandom:harrypotter
ESSAY: How Old Is Bellatrix?: rastavan (LJ) - "J.K. Rowling's Black Family Tree provides Bellatrix with a 1951 birth date, which implies that she had graduated from Hogwarts two years before the Marauders and Snape entered into their First Year. This directly contradicts a statement by Sirius Black in GoF when he describes Severus Snape's 'gang of Slytherins' with whom he spent his time with at Hogwarts."
fandom:harrypotter
House
Episode Discussion Post - 7x9 "Larger Than Life" house_rewind (LJ) - Discussion of the episode in question in the comments.
fandom:house
Hugo Awards
We haven’t been seeing links to things about the Hugo Awards nearly so much lately. For those interested in continuing to follow the controversy, we suggest going to File 770, Mike Glyer’s blog, and looking for the posts with the word ‘puppies’ in the titles. There seem to be updates daily, and people from all sides of the dispute comment there.
topic:hugoawards
Iron Man
Mega Marvel Rewatch: Iron Man 3: owlmoose (DW) - "And so, as with the Avengers, I feel like I've already seen everything there is to say about this film, a film I enjoyed a lot but with some very conflicting feelings."
fandom:mcu
iZombie
iZombie, Season 1, Episode 7: Maternity Liv: Sparky (blog) - Recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:izombie, warning:spoilers
James Bond
Bond Girl: Re-Watching and Re-Evaluating Casino Royale (1967): Zina Hutton (blog) - "I talked up the 1967 version of Casino Royale so much. I was so darn happy to be away from the official James Bond’s casual misogyny that the idea of a comedy seemed like the best thing in the universe."
fandom:jamesbond
Goldfinger: Bond’s First Blockbuster: Phil Nobile Jr (blog) - "We usually point to Goldfinger, the box office champion of 1964, and say it's where the "Bond formula" finally coalesced."
fandom:jamesbond
Joss Whedon
Tumblr, moral absolutism, and Joss Whedon: I’m aware this is a very loaded topic. But it’s a very important topic to address.: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "Joss Whedon gets a lot of hate on tumblr, and mostly the hate is aimed correctly. But something that happens so easily with moral absolutism is misdirected hate."
fandom:josswhedon
The Last Herald Mage
The Last Herald Mage: Sorrows: Ellen Cheeseman-Meyer (blog) - Summary, analysis and discussion of chapters 15-18 of Magic’s Price.
fandom:valdemar
The Last Man on Earth
The Last Man on Earth, Season One, Episode Twelve: The Tandyman Can: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:lastmanonearth, warning:spoilers
The Last Man on Earth, Season One, Episode 12: Screw The Moon: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:lastmanonearth, warning:spoilers
Malazan
Malazan Reread of the Fallen: Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter Eighteen: Amanda Rutter and Bill Capossere (blog) - "Every post will start off with a summary of events, followed by reaction and commentary by your hosts Bill and Amanda (with Amanda, new to the series, going first), and finally comments from Tor.com readers. In this article, we’ll cover chapter eighteen of Ian Cameron Esslemont’s Orb Sceptre Throne."
fandom:malazan
Malazan Reread of the Fallen: Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter Nineteen: Amanda Rutter and Bill Capossere (blog) - "In this article, we’ll cover chapter nineteen of Ian Cameron Esslemont’s Orb Sceptre Throne."
fandom:malazan
Maleficent
Disney, Maleficent, and Shifting Paradigms: Tia (blog) - "Either they are taking responsibility for the influence they have over the world’s youth, or they see a market for the ‘strong female character’ and are capitalizing on it. Unfortunately its probably the latter, but nonetheless."
fandom:maleficent, fandom:disney
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Thor is Just a Codename, Right?: What Humanity Knows About Superheroes in the MCU: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "And while it’s been made clear that the public within the movie universe is aware of the Avengers’ presence in the grand scheme of things, you have to wonder… how much do they actually know?"
fandom:mcu
The Folklore Origins of The Avengers: Caitlyn Paxson (blog) - "As we careen towards the premier of Avengers: Age of Ultron, I’ve started thinking about the old stories that are living on in the form of superheroes. Some have made the argument that in our culture, the popularity of superheroes has risen so that we might sate our longing for fallible and diverse gods."
fandom:mcu, topic:myth
5 Sad Truths You Learn Watching All The Marvel Films At Once: David Christopher Bell (blog) - "Not because of the length and quality of the films, but rather because when watched sequentially as the part of a larger "universe," you begin to see a bigger picture, like one of those Bob Marley mosaic posters. But instead of America's favorite soul rebel, these films turn into a terrifying world in which every living being becomes an illogical turd-cluster of insanity."
fandom:mcu
Untitled: linzeestylish (Tumblr) - "The biggest thing I don’t buy, though, is that the decision to do Civil War is a sudden shake-up as a result of RDJ."
fandom:mcu
This is Why Black Widow Got Slut-Shamed: Noah Berlatsky (journal) - "She is treated with scorn not because of anything she does, but because of her gender - and because, in the films, her gender is notable, unusual, and marked."
fandom:mcu, topic:femalecharacter, topic:sexism
The Black Widow Conundrum: Darren Franich (blog) - "Marvel accidentally made a great female superhero, and now they have no clue what to do with her."
fandom:mcu, topic:femalecharacter
The Messengers
The Messengers, Season One, Episode Three: Path to Paradise: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta commentary.
fandom:themessengers, warning:spoilers
Modesty Blaise
Her Name is Modesty...Modesty Blaise: Wendy Browne (blog) - "Already I am stabbed in the heart a thousand times over, but Claire swears that this film starring Monica Vitti and Terence Stamp is great and that I really should watch it."
fandom:modestyblaise, topic:adaptations
Mr Selfridge
Mr. Selfridge thoughts: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "So the B5 rewatch has gotten delayed, because I kind of fell over into a Mr. Selfridge hole for the last couple weeks. I have very quickly marathoned the whole series and I have a few things to say."
fandom:mrselfridge
Nancy Drew
Celebrating 85 Years of Nancy Drew, The Girl Who Started It All: Theodore Jefferson (blog) - "It is that which forms the foundation for any hero’s ability to save the day. In America, agency for teenage girls in literature made its debut in 1930 in the person of Nancy Drew."
fandom:nancydrew, topic:history
Olympus
Olympus, Season 1, Episode 5: Blood Brothers: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:olympus, warning:spoilers
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time, Season 4, Episode 21: Mother: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:onceuponatime, warning:spoilers
The Originals
The Originals Season 2, Episode Twenty: City Beneath the Sea: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:theoriginals, warning:spoilers
Orphan Black
Orphan Black: "Formalized, Comples, and Costly" Review: porluciernagas (blog) - "Was it just me, or was this episode of Orphan Black… a little bit predictable? For a show that’s been plotty and suspenseful from the very beginning of the very first episode, an episode like "Formalized, Complex, and Costly" was an unwelcome change of pace."
fandom:orphanblack, warning:spoilers
Orphan Black, Season Three, Episode Three: Formalized, Complex, and Costly: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:orphanblack, warning:spoilers
Outlander
Outlander Episode 12: Lallybroch: Redheadedgirl (blog) - Recap and discussion of the episode.
fandom:outlander, warning:spoilers
Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful, Season Two, Episode One: Fresh Hell: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:pennydreadful, warning:spoilers
The Posthuman Project
Review: Sterling Gates’ The Posthuman Project Provides An All-Ages Alternative to Age of Ultron: Teresa Jusino (blog) - "The film offers a really interesting take on the superhero genre. For one, the superpowers aren’t the point. Yes, a group of kids end up with super abilities, but only around the middle, and they’re not really a focus."
fandom:theposthumanproject, topic:superheroes
The Returned
The Returned, Season 1, Episode 8: Claire: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:thereturned, warning:spoilers
Salem
Salem, Season 2, Episode 4: Book of Shadows: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:salem, warning:spoilers
Sherlock Holmes
The Man of Many Parts - Moriarty Documentary: Alistair Duncan (video) - Ten minute documentary on Moriarty.
fandom:acdsherlock, topic:villains
Canon Discussion: Silver Blaze: sherlock60 (LJ) - "This week we’re having a look at Silver Blaze."
fandom:acdsherlock
A Song of Ice and Fire
Untitled: nobodysuspectsthebutterfly (Tumblr) - "Do you think Benjen Stark is in the know about R+J=L?"
fandom:asoiaf
Untitled: warsofasoiaf (Tumblr) - "I have a question about the Night's Watch. We know some criminals chose to join, instead of other punishment. But what about the likes of Rorge and Biter? I can't imagine they volunteered, and realistically, what use could they be at the Wall? They are dangerous and aggressive, they have to be caged just to bring them. Could they ever obey orders and be trained?"
fandom:asoiaf
Untitled: warsofasoiaf (Tumblr) - "Just for the sake of argument, let's say Aegon Blackfyre finds himself smitten with Elia Sand, not Arianne; and we have the Princess, annoyed and embarrassed and disbelieving that such could be the case, looking at Aegon with a new found skepticism. What happens to the story if she doesn't give the go ahead for war? Will the GC have to ally itself more closely the faith, for instance? What are the consequences here?"
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #15 Oberyn Martell: mrgrooch (blog) - "n this "reintroduction," I want to examine Oberyn in terms of his fans' (or at least my) relationship with him as a character. Fierce individualism, libertine self-indulgence, compassion and fury, a mythology that ignores or even glorifies questionable qualities - all of these are wrapped up in one extremely entertaining contradiction of a character."
fandom:asoiaf
A Read of Ice and Fire: A Dance with Dragons, Part 18: Leigh Butler (blog) - "Please join me as I read and react, for the very first time, to George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire."
fandom:asoiaf
Tailgate, Honeymoon Cocktail: Johnny (blog) - Collection of links to articles relating to the show in general and to High Sparrow in particular.
fandom:asoiaf
Star Wars
Is the Force A Religion?: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "Can the Jedi Code be counted as a religious doctrine? What does it mean if it can?"
fandom:starwars, topic:religion
Han Solo Has Always Been the Lead of Star Wars: Ryan Britt (blog) - "These components are certainly part of what make Star Wars the Star Wars we know today, but really-and this truth might hurt-no one would like Star Wars without Han Solo, and I don’t even need to use the prequels as proof."
fandom:starwars
This is Why Obi-Wan Lied to Luke Skywalker About His Father: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "But how do you topple a galactic Empire, really? How do you get a boy who’s never known a life outside the sticks to become a galactic savior in the same amount of time that it usually takes to earn a bachelor’s degree?"
fandom:starwars
Sucker Punch
In Defense of Sucker Punch: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "I will admit that I am not entirely sure how to go about constructing a defense of Sucker Punch. It seems to me a film that is its own defense . It’s intelligent, well-made, and has a clear and savage point to make - one that was important in 2011, and remains important today."
fandom:suckerpunch
Supernatural
Supernatural, Season 10, Episode 20: Angel Heart: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:supernatural, warning:spoilers
SPN 10.19 The Werther Project: blackcat333-99 (LJ) - Discussion and analysis of the episode.
fandom:supernatural, warning:spoilers
SPN 10.20 Angel Heart: blackcat333-99 (LJ) - Discussion and analysis of the episode in question.
fandom:supernatural, warning:spoilers
Thor
Mega Marvel Rewatch: Thor: owlmoose (DW) - "Basically, this movie is possibly the most underrated of the MCU films, and I will defend it to my dying breath."
fandom:mcu
Mega Marvel Rewatch: The Dark World: owlmoose (DW) - "The first and only other time that I'd seen this movie was in the theater, and I never got around to buying it on disc."
fandom:mcu
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries, Season 6, Episode 20: I’d Leave My Happy Home for You: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:thevampirediaries, warning:spoilers
Vikings
The History Channels Vikings Ain’t Half Bad: Lindsey Loree (blog) - "I was initially prejudiced against this show based on the promotional material and the fact that the History Channel isn’t exactly a bastion of entertainment. Given the other types of "historically accurate" shows I’ve steered away from in the past, I was certain that Vikings would offend me."
fandom:vikings
Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time Reread Redux: The Eye of the World, Part 28: Leigh Butler (blog) - "Today’s Redux post will cover Chapter 52 to the end of The Eye of the World"
fandom:wheeloftime
X-Files
How Horny X-Files Lovers Created a New Type of Online Fandom: Kate Knibbs (blog) - "When The X-Files debuted, nobody knew the small, weird show would be a success. But it had something better than a marketing blitz: It had the internet as a way to connect people who wanted to believe."
fandom:x-files, topic:fandom, topic:history
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General Fandom
The Age Before Ultron: A Brief History of Super Hero Movies, Agony to Avengers: fenzel (blog) - "When I was a youngling, back in the 80s and early 90s, the world was a cold, terrible place. Video games were brutal and taxing, saying hi to a friend meant calling their house and talking to their mom, and there were no good superhero movies."
topic:superheroes, topic:history, topic:movies
Do Not Read In Public: Let’s Talk About Sex (In Comics): Lex Fields (blog) - "It’s hard enough to find comics that are both well-executed and sexy. It’s even harder to find comics that are well-executed while featuring straight-up sex. Most end up being exploitative or badly written. Sometimes the sex scenes are immature, like fodder for the pre-pubescent male gaze-and I think most people who aren’t looking for p0rn0graphy comics know that showing sex for sex’s sake can be a bad thing."
fandom:comics, topic:sex, warning:nsfw
"We Are Who We Choose To Be" : Sadistic Choices, Forking Paths, and the Rejection of Social and Narrative Progress in Superhero Comics and Films: Eric Berlatsky (blog) - "Rather than shouldering the ethical burden of social, political, and temporal "progress," Marvel and DC more often attempt to have things "both ways," retaining a troubling embrace of white male hegemony, while simultaneously introducing more diverse characters and storylines, without ever admitting that these two ends may be mutually exclusive."
topic:superheroes, topic:diversity
Looking At Female Characters in Anime and Manga Through a Western Feminist Lens: Alvina Lai (blog) - "The portrayal of female characters in anime and manga is a complex discussion, not only because of the various tropes that exist but also because of the cultural perspectives through which they must be filtered and digested."
fandom:anime, fandom:manga, topic:femalecharacter
Femme Fatales and Tough Guys: Exploiting and Subverting Noir Tropes in Contemporary YA: Ash Parsons (blog) - "More than that, I wanted to use noir tropes to full effect. Few genres are as rewarding in their exploration of desperation and moral-ambiguity. I wanted to employ that to examine dark subjects."
topic:tropes, fandom:literature, topic:noir
Storytelling one chapter at a time: msunyata (blog) - "The friendly little exchange really hits the issue on the head in a remarkably succinct way: are these sample chapters spoilers or just another, perhaps long-dead way of enjoying content? Is it painful or pleasurable to partake in them? Are there any more philosophical corollaries just bubbling under the surface?"
topic:serials, topic:spoilers
Where’s the Penis?: Sparky (blog) - "One thing we don’t show very much is a penis. Breasts jiggle from every angle, buttocks clench with regularity and even vaginas are a not uncommon sight to such an extent that such displays are barely worth mentioning- but penises? No those are still a very rare beast worthy of comment and shock when they actually appear on screen"
topic:sex, topic:malegaze
PSA: Whitewashing A Character Is Different From Michael B. Jordan Being Cast As Johnny Storm: Anjali Patel (blog) - "There is a stark difference between racebending and whitewashing."
topic:racebending, topic:whitewashing, topic:representation
Why We Switched From Trigger Warnings to Content Warnings: Megan Purdy (blog) - "Content warnings have the appearance of neutrality, while trigger warnings carry specific meaning that, these days, sounds a klaxon in rebel hearts."
topic:warnings
The Importance of Writing Sex Scenes: Foz Meadows (blog) - "I fell into the trap of thinking that graphic sex would be easy to write. I mean, how hard could it be?"
topic:writing, topic:sex, topic:fanfic
Dear Supervillains: Aim Lower: Bilge Ebiri (blog) - "But these plans, along with the villains who concoct them, never feel too threatening anymore."
topic:villains, topic:superheroes
In Age of Ultron, The Avengers Do the Thing That Superman Didn’t: Evan Narcisse (blog) - "Specifically, I got stuck on the idea that Age of Ultron felt like a much more heroic superhero movie than Superman’s last cinematic outing, Man Of Steel. "
fandom:dccu, fandom:dccomics, fandom:mcu, fandom:marvelcomics
What makes it worth writing fic?: naraht (DW) - "My mantra recently has been that I write solely to please myself, and that if anyone else enjoys my writing it's an added bonus. (Obviously the equation is a little different for exchanges, but probably not as different as it ought to be...)"
topic:fanfic, topic:writing
Meta Monday: Myth and narrative: dhampyresa (DW) - "I think the biggest mistake people can make when trying to turn myths into stories is to forget that gods aren't just humans writ large. They are that, yes, but they're not just that."
topic:myth, topic:religion, topic:writing
(the kids aren’t alright) self-care and the right to care of self: dirty_diana (DW) - "This is fabulous to me every time I see it, because fanfiction's woobie characters are so regularly denied their right to self-care."
topic:disability, topic:fanfic
'phonetic' grumble: beccaelizabeth (DW) - "The things you think sound weird are perfectly normal ways of speaking, round their way, and your idea of 'phonetic' transcription says more about your way of speaking than theirs."
topic:writing
Specific Fandoms
Agents of SHIELD
Mega Marvel Rewatch: Agents of SHIELD, Part 1 (Eps 1-16): owlmoose (DW) - "Like most any TV show with episodes mostly meant to stand alone while also telling a season-long arc, this season of AoS plays much better as whole than it did as individual episodes separated by at least a week."
fandom:agentsofshield
The Almighty Johnsons
The Almighty Johnsons: Norse Gods Redux: aelarsen (blog) - "Today’s show is the dramedy The Almighty Johnsons, which has one of the oddest premises of any TV show I can think of. The Norse gods have been reborn. In New Zealand, of all places."
fandom:thealmightyjohnsons, topic:myth
The Aristocats
The Aristocats: Geek Out Loud (podcast) - "Steve and Teresa welcome Tricia Barr from Fangirls Going Rogue and The Fangirl Blog to talk about Disney’s The Aristocats. The final film that Walt Disney had a hand in making, and a film that Steve deems a mash up of Lady and The Tramp and 101 Dalmatians. It’s fun, jazz, and a whole lot of cats on this episode of Disney Vault Talk!"
fandom:disney
Avengers
Mega Marvel Rewatch: The Avengers: owlmoose (DW) - "And now we get to the entire reason I'm even here. Iron Man might have been the instigator of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I'd been watching from pretty much the beginning, but my first viewing of The Avengers was the event that took me from "person who enjoys a series of movies" to full-blown fangirl."
fandom:mcu
Babylon 5
Okay, last pre-rewatch piece: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "The revised order of episodes has some places where I definitely agree with it, some where I’m neutral, and some where I very much disagree with their choices. Let’s tackle it in order, it’s just easiest that way."
fandom:babylon5
B5rewatch: The Gathering: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "So I’ve reviewed The Gathering a few times in the last five years of so, so this may cover some of the same points, but I find some new things to say…"
fandom:babylon5
B5rewatch: Midnight on the Firing Line: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "Now on with the episode itself, and right off the bat I have to say; for a show that will barely leave the station the rest of season 1, maybe starting off away from it wasn’t the best move."
fandom:babylon5
Blood Blockade Battlefront
Why You Should Be Watching Blood Blockade Battlefront: Rachael Verret (blog) - "Ok, yes; that synopsis was totally disjointed, info-dumpy, and difficult to parse; but that’s appropriate for the show’s narrative, which is so fast pasted and information-heavy, you’ll find yourself having to rewind the stream once or twice, or even give the episode a second viewing on occasion just to digest what’s been flying across the screen."
fandom:anime
Buffy
Untitled: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "Why in the last ep when Buffy says to spike that she loves him he says that's not true?"
fandom:btvs
Untitled: buffythecomicslayer (Tumblr) - Speculations about Anya.
fandom:btvs
Untitled: drusillathekiller (Tumblr) - "I’ve noticed there’s a pronounced (and perhaps pointed) difference in how the Buffyverse writers portrayed Drusilla’s mental illness and how they portrayed every other instance of mental illness."
fandom:btvs
Untitled: mejomonster (Tumblr) - "I’m still hung up on the difference between how soulless angel and soulless spike behave on my rewatch."
fandom:btvs
Untitled: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "There is a fairly big theme of children growing into their parents in the Buffyverse. But I find Buffy to be the most interesting example by far."
fandom:btvs
Captain America
Hail America, Captain Hydra: Noah Berlatsky (blog) - "In Winter Solider, though, the spooks are the foe, as well as the heroes; America (and its security force) is its own worst enemy."
fandom:mcu
Mega Marvel Rewatch: The Winter Soldier: owlmoose (DW) - "Marvel might have been able to make a more perfect follow up to Cap 1 and The Avengers in terms of what I wanted as a Steve Rogers fangirl, but I have a hard time imagining what it might have been."
fandom:mcu
Cosmere
Words of Radiance Reread: Chapter 36: Alice Arneson (blog) - "This week, Shallan begins a new stage of her journey, reaching the warcamps and taking the first steps toward establishing herself there."
fandom:cosmere
Daredevil
Black Mask, Yellow Peril: Anti-Asianism in Netflix’s Otherwise Brilliant Daredevil: Takeo Rivera (blog) - "It’s such a problem that every time I recommend this frickin show to fellow Asian Americans - usually emphatically, with liberal repetition of "omfg" - the response is pretty much a unanimous "Well, that was great, except for the RACISM.""
fandom:daredevil, topic:racism
Daredevil and Disability Politics: Elsa S. Henry (blog) - "With each episode, Matt Murdock’s blindness becomes less of an issue, and his eyesight becomes something placed in the background rather than an integral character trait."
fandom:daredevil, topic:disability
DC Comics
Who Created Caitlin Snow on #TheFlash? According to @DCComics, nobody: gerryconway (Tumblr) - "That’s right. Caitlin Snow, the brilliant scientist working for Harrison Wells, fiancée of Ronnie Raymond and friend of Barry Allen, aka The Flash, sprang fully formed into existence without a creator or creators."
fandom:dccomics, fandom:dccu
Digimon Adventure
Throwback Thursdays: Digimon Adventure: porluciernagas (blog) - "The 1999 cartoon was the first anime I ever watched, and to this day, it remains a nostalgic favorite. With a sequel/reboot, Digimon Adventure Tri, coming out soon, I wanted to share what I liked so much about the show’s first season, Digimon Adventure."
fandom:digimon
Doctor Who
A Journey Through Doctor Who: Episode 50p2: The War Games (episodes 6-10): Wanderers in the 4th Dimension (podcast) - "This week we cover the second half of the sixth season finale, story #50, Patrick Troughton's swan song, "The War Games", in which the TARDIS crew find themselves in right mess until the Doctor call upon the Time Lords to help sort it out -- and then they're in an even worse mess!"
fandom:doctorwho
With Extra Seasoning 4: Season 23 vs New Series 6: Zeus Pod (podcast) - "In each episode, two random seasons of Doctor Who are thrown into the arena, to be prodded & picked over by our panel of experts. No sides, no defence or prosecution - just the thoughts of three people, however wrong they may be. One thing that is for sure - one season will not leave alive."
fandom:doctorwho
The Randomiser: Full Circle: louisedennis (LJ) - "Full Circle is probably the best story in season 18 of Doctor Who."
fandom:doctorwho
Dragon Prince
Rereading Melanie Rawn: Sunrunner’s Fire, Chapters 12 and 13: Judith Tarr (blog) - "This week the family mourns one of its own, Rohan and Pol demonstrate how their relationship works, and the book ups the ante on several important plots and some potentially devastating conflicts. With bonus operetta-style action."
fandom:dragonprince
Dragonlance
The Dragonlance Chronicles Reread: Dragons of Autumn Twilight, Chapters 13 and 14: Mahvesh Murad and Jared Shurin (blog) - "But now we’re back with our intrepid party, and their quest to find the lost-ish city of Xak Tsaroth."
fandom:dragonlance
Empire Trilogy
Rereading the Empire Trilogy: Mistress of the Empire, Part 8: Tansy Rayner Roberts (blog) - "Welcome back to the reread of Mistress of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts! CSI: Tsuranuanni takes a darker turn this week, with some unexpectedly grim torture performed by one of our heroes."
fandom:empiretrilogy, warning:torture
Ex Machina/Gone Girl
"Ex Machina," "Gone Girl," and The Myth Of The Perfect Girl: Ariane Lange (blog) - "But Ex Machina - more than being a horror film about the scary possibilities of artificial intelligence - is a flawed story about men losing control of women and the bankruptcy of gender roles. Basically, Ex Machina is the Gone Girl of 2015."
fandom:exmachina, fandom:gonegirl, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones
"Game of Thrones" politics: When the faithful become militant, the crown can lose control: Steven Attewell (blog) - "What comes to the fore instead is the theme of the power of faith, in conflict or collaboration with the state. And this theme reflected in two opposing models: the relationship between the Iron Throne and the recently-emerged High Sparrow, and the relationship between Stannis Baratheon and Melisandre, Red Priestess of R’hllor."
fandom:gameofthrones, topic:religion, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones: Season 5, Episode 4 - "Sons of the Harpy": Lawyers, Guns & Money (podcast) - Fifty minute long discussion of the episode.
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Deconstructed: Sons of the Harpy: Stefan (blog) - "Game of Thrones has, so far, delivered three great episodes in a row."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Sons of the Harpy Open Thread: Johnny (blog) - Open discussion of the latest episode both in general and as it relates to the books.
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Sons of the Harpy: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "It is difficult not to think of the first four episodes of Season Five as something of a unit, given their simultaneous release."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones Season 5, Episode 4: "Sons of the Harpy": Theresa Delucci (blog) - "Damn you, leaked episodes, for having no leaked previews to go with you after that evil cliffhanger ending."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Return to Westeros: "Sons of the Harpy" Review: mikelywhiplash (blog) - "Game of Thrones is about power, but it’s equally about government. It’s hard to translate medieval politics to the present, but the show has consistently sided with order over chaos, even if the order was flawed."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Game of Thrones, Season 5, Episode 4: Sons of the Harpy: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Review: Sons of the Harpy: ghostlovesinger (blog) - "In fact, I would go so far as to say it was among the worst Game of Thrones episodes, period."
fandom:gameofthrones, warning:spoilers
Gotham
Hope Is For Losers: Gotham, "All Happy Families Are Alike": Thom Dunn (blog) - "Gotham showed up for its season finale with some fancy new haircuts, a few genuinely surprising moments, and a whole bunch of plot contrivances."
fandom:gotham, warning:spoilers
I Can’t Believe I Watched a Whole Season of Gotham: Jill Pantozzi (blog) - "I, Jill Pantozzi, am going to tell you why I did not like the first season of Gotham. You’ve been warned."
fandom:gotham, warning:spoilers
Grimm
Grimm, Season Four, Episode Twenty: You Don’t Know Jack: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:grimm, warning:spoilers
H.P. Lovecraft
The World’s Worst (or Maybe Best) Museum Exhibit: "Out of the Aeons": Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M. Pillsworth (blog) - "Today we’re looking at "Out of the Aeons," a collaboration between Lovecraft and Hazel Heald, first published in the April 1935 issue of Weird Tales."
fandom:lovecraft
Harry Potter
The Harry Potter Reread: The Order of the Phoenix, Chapters 5 and 6: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "We’re going to pal around at Grimmauld Place this week, and learn about wizard cleaning! It’s Chapters 5 and 6 of The Order of the Phoenix: The Order of the Phoenix and The Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."
fandom:harrypotter
ESSAY: How Old Is Bellatrix?: rastavan (LJ) - "J.K. Rowling's Black Family Tree provides Bellatrix with a 1951 birth date, which implies that she had graduated from Hogwarts two years before the Marauders and Snape entered into their First Year. This directly contradicts a statement by Sirius Black in GoF when he describes Severus Snape's 'gang of Slytherins' with whom he spent his time with at Hogwarts."
fandom:harrypotter
House
Episode Discussion Post - 7x9 "Larger Than Life" house_rewind (LJ) - Discussion of the episode in question in the comments.
fandom:house
Hugo Awards
We haven’t been seeing links to things about the Hugo Awards nearly so much lately. For those interested in continuing to follow the controversy, we suggest going to File 770, Mike Glyer’s blog, and looking for the posts with the word ‘puppies’ in the titles. There seem to be updates daily, and people from all sides of the dispute comment there.
topic:hugoawards
Iron Man
Mega Marvel Rewatch: Iron Man 3: owlmoose (DW) - "And so, as with the Avengers, I feel like I've already seen everything there is to say about this film, a film I enjoyed a lot but with some very conflicting feelings."
fandom:mcu
iZombie
iZombie, Season 1, Episode 7: Maternity Liv: Sparky (blog) - Recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:izombie, warning:spoilers
James Bond
Bond Girl: Re-Watching and Re-Evaluating Casino Royale (1967): Zina Hutton (blog) - "I talked up the 1967 version of Casino Royale so much. I was so darn happy to be away from the official James Bond’s casual misogyny that the idea of a comedy seemed like the best thing in the universe."
fandom:jamesbond
Goldfinger: Bond’s First Blockbuster: Phil Nobile Jr (blog) - "We usually point to Goldfinger, the box office champion of 1964, and say it's where the "Bond formula" finally coalesced."
fandom:jamesbond
Joss Whedon
Tumblr, moral absolutism, and Joss Whedon: I’m aware this is a very loaded topic. But it’s a very important topic to address.: muchbuffy (Tumblr) - "Joss Whedon gets a lot of hate on tumblr, and mostly the hate is aimed correctly. But something that happens so easily with moral absolutism is misdirected hate."
fandom:josswhedon
The Last Herald Mage
The Last Herald Mage: Sorrows: Ellen Cheeseman-Meyer (blog) - Summary, analysis and discussion of chapters 15-18 of Magic’s Price.
fandom:valdemar
The Last Man on Earth
The Last Man on Earth, Season One, Episode Twelve: The Tandyman Can: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:lastmanonearth, warning:spoilers
The Last Man on Earth, Season One, Episode 12: Screw The Moon: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:lastmanonearth, warning:spoilers
Malazan
Malazan Reread of the Fallen: Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter Eighteen: Amanda Rutter and Bill Capossere (blog) - "Every post will start off with a summary of events, followed by reaction and commentary by your hosts Bill and Amanda (with Amanda, new to the series, going first), and finally comments from Tor.com readers. In this article, we’ll cover chapter eighteen of Ian Cameron Esslemont’s Orb Sceptre Throne."
fandom:malazan
Malazan Reread of the Fallen: Orb Sceptre Throne, Chapter Nineteen: Amanda Rutter and Bill Capossere (blog) - "In this article, we’ll cover chapter nineteen of Ian Cameron Esslemont’s Orb Sceptre Throne."
fandom:malazan
Maleficent
Disney, Maleficent, and Shifting Paradigms: Tia (blog) - "Either they are taking responsibility for the influence they have over the world’s youth, or they see a market for the ‘strong female character’ and are capitalizing on it. Unfortunately its probably the latter, but nonetheless."
fandom:maleficent, fandom:disney
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Thor is Just a Codename, Right?: What Humanity Knows About Superheroes in the MCU: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "And while it’s been made clear that the public within the movie universe is aware of the Avengers’ presence in the grand scheme of things, you have to wonder… how much do they actually know?"
fandom:mcu
The Folklore Origins of The Avengers: Caitlyn Paxson (blog) - "As we careen towards the premier of Avengers: Age of Ultron, I’ve started thinking about the old stories that are living on in the form of superheroes. Some have made the argument that in our culture, the popularity of superheroes has risen so that we might sate our longing for fallible and diverse gods."
fandom:mcu, topic:myth
5 Sad Truths You Learn Watching All The Marvel Films At Once: David Christopher Bell (blog) - "Not because of the length and quality of the films, but rather because when watched sequentially as the part of a larger "universe," you begin to see a bigger picture, like one of those Bob Marley mosaic posters. But instead of America's favorite soul rebel, these films turn into a terrifying world in which every living being becomes an illogical turd-cluster of insanity."
fandom:mcu
Untitled: linzeestylish (Tumblr) - "The biggest thing I don’t buy, though, is that the decision to do Civil War is a sudden shake-up as a result of RDJ."
fandom:mcu
This is Why Black Widow Got Slut-Shamed: Noah Berlatsky (journal) - "She is treated with scorn not because of anything she does, but because of her gender - and because, in the films, her gender is notable, unusual, and marked."
fandom:mcu, topic:femalecharacter, topic:sexism
The Black Widow Conundrum: Darren Franich (blog) - "Marvel accidentally made a great female superhero, and now they have no clue what to do with her."
fandom:mcu, topic:femalecharacter
The Messengers
The Messengers, Season One, Episode Three: Path to Paradise: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta commentary.
fandom:themessengers, warning:spoilers
Modesty Blaise
Her Name is Modesty...Modesty Blaise: Wendy Browne (blog) - "Already I am stabbed in the heart a thousand times over, but Claire swears that this film starring Monica Vitti and Terence Stamp is great and that I really should watch it."
fandom:modestyblaise, topic:adaptations
Mr Selfridge
Mr. Selfridge thoughts: jedi_of_urth (LJ) - "So the B5 rewatch has gotten delayed, because I kind of fell over into a Mr. Selfridge hole for the last couple weeks. I have very quickly marathoned the whole series and I have a few things to say."
fandom:mrselfridge
Nancy Drew
Celebrating 85 Years of Nancy Drew, The Girl Who Started It All: Theodore Jefferson (blog) - "It is that which forms the foundation for any hero’s ability to save the day. In America, agency for teenage girls in literature made its debut in 1930 in the person of Nancy Drew."
fandom:nancydrew, topic:history
Olympus
Olympus, Season 1, Episode 5: Blood Brothers: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:olympus, warning:spoilers
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time, Season 4, Episode 21: Mother: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:onceuponatime, warning:spoilers
The Originals
The Originals Season 2, Episode Twenty: City Beneath the Sea: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:theoriginals, warning:spoilers
Orphan Black
Orphan Black: "Formalized, Comples, and Costly" Review: porluciernagas (blog) - "Was it just me, or was this episode of Orphan Black… a little bit predictable? For a show that’s been plotty and suspenseful from the very beginning of the very first episode, an episode like "Formalized, Complex, and Costly" was an unwelcome change of pace."
fandom:orphanblack, warning:spoilers
Orphan Black, Season Three, Episode Three: Formalized, Complex, and Costly: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:orphanblack, warning:spoilers
Outlander
Outlander Episode 12: Lallybroch: Redheadedgirl (blog) - Recap and discussion of the episode.
fandom:outlander, warning:spoilers
Penny Dreadful
Penny Dreadful, Season Two, Episode One: Fresh Hell: Renee (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:pennydreadful, warning:spoilers
The Posthuman Project
Review: Sterling Gates’ The Posthuman Project Provides An All-Ages Alternative to Age of Ultron: Teresa Jusino (blog) - "The film offers a really interesting take on the superhero genre. For one, the superpowers aren’t the point. Yes, a group of kids end up with super abilities, but only around the middle, and they’re not really a focus."
fandom:theposthumanproject, topic:superheroes
The Returned
The Returned, Season 1, Episode 8: Claire: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:thereturned, warning:spoilers
Salem
Salem, Season 2, Episode 4: Book of Shadows: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:salem, warning:spoilers
Sherlock Holmes
The Man of Many Parts - Moriarty Documentary: Alistair Duncan (video) - Ten minute documentary on Moriarty.
fandom:acdsherlock, topic:villains
Canon Discussion: Silver Blaze: sherlock60 (LJ) - "This week we’re having a look at Silver Blaze."
fandom:acdsherlock
A Song of Ice and Fire
Untitled: nobodysuspectsthebutterfly (Tumblr) - "Do you think Benjen Stark is in the know about R+J=L?"
fandom:asoiaf
Untitled: warsofasoiaf (Tumblr) - "I have a question about the Night's Watch. We know some criminals chose to join, instead of other punishment. But what about the likes of Rorge and Biter? I can't imagine they volunteered, and realistically, what use could they be at the Wall? They are dangerous and aggressive, they have to be caged just to bring them. Could they ever obey orders and be trained?"
fandom:asoiaf
Untitled: warsofasoiaf (Tumblr) - "Just for the sake of argument, let's say Aegon Blackfyre finds himself smitten with Elia Sand, not Arianne; and we have the Princess, annoyed and embarrassed and disbelieving that such could be the case, looking at Aegon with a new found skepticism. What happens to the story if she doesn't give the go ahead for war? Will the GC have to ally itself more closely the faith, for instance? What are the consequences here?"
fandom:asoiaf
Top Characters #15 Oberyn Martell: mrgrooch (blog) - "n this "reintroduction," I want to examine Oberyn in terms of his fans' (or at least my) relationship with him as a character. Fierce individualism, libertine self-indulgence, compassion and fury, a mythology that ignores or even glorifies questionable qualities - all of these are wrapped up in one extremely entertaining contradiction of a character."
fandom:asoiaf
A Read of Ice and Fire: A Dance with Dragons, Part 18: Leigh Butler (blog) - "Please join me as I read and react, for the very first time, to George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire."
fandom:asoiaf
Tailgate, Honeymoon Cocktail: Johnny (blog) - Collection of links to articles relating to the show in general and to High Sparrow in particular.
fandom:asoiaf
Star Wars
Is the Force A Religion?: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "Can the Jedi Code be counted as a religious doctrine? What does it mean if it can?"
fandom:starwars, topic:religion
Han Solo Has Always Been the Lead of Star Wars: Ryan Britt (blog) - "These components are certainly part of what make Star Wars the Star Wars we know today, but really-and this truth might hurt-no one would like Star Wars without Han Solo, and I don’t even need to use the prequels as proof."
fandom:starwars
This is Why Obi-Wan Lied to Luke Skywalker About His Father: Emily Asher-Perrin (blog) - "But how do you topple a galactic Empire, really? How do you get a boy who’s never known a life outside the sticks to become a galactic savior in the same amount of time that it usually takes to earn a bachelor’s degree?"
fandom:starwars
Sucker Punch
In Defense of Sucker Punch: Philip Sandifer (blog) - "I will admit that I am not entirely sure how to go about constructing a defense of Sucker Punch. It seems to me a film that is its own defense . It’s intelligent, well-made, and has a clear and savage point to make - one that was important in 2011, and remains important today."
fandom:suckerpunch
Supernatural
Supernatural, Season 10, Episode 20: Angel Heart: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:supernatural, warning:spoilers
SPN 10.19 The Werther Project: blackcat333-99 (LJ) - Discussion and analysis of the episode.
fandom:supernatural, warning:spoilers
SPN 10.20 Angel Heart: blackcat333-99 (LJ) - Discussion and analysis of the episode in question.
fandom:supernatural, warning:spoilers
Thor
Mega Marvel Rewatch: Thor: owlmoose (DW) - "Basically, this movie is possibly the most underrated of the MCU films, and I will defend it to my dying breath."
fandom:mcu
Mega Marvel Rewatch: The Dark World: owlmoose (DW) - "The first and only other time that I'd seen this movie was in the theater, and I never got around to buying it on disc."
fandom:mcu
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries, Season 6, Episode 20: I’d Leave My Happy Home for You: Sparky (blog) - Episode recap followed by some meta comments.
fandom:thevampirediaries, warning:spoilers
Vikings
The History Channels Vikings Ain’t Half Bad: Lindsey Loree (blog) - "I was initially prejudiced against this show based on the promotional material and the fact that the History Channel isn’t exactly a bastion of entertainment. Given the other types of "historically accurate" shows I’ve steered away from in the past, I was certain that Vikings would offend me."
fandom:vikings
Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time Reread Redux: The Eye of the World, Part 28: Leigh Butler (blog) - "Today’s Redux post will cover Chapter 52 to the end of The Eye of the World"
fandom:wheeloftime
X-Files
How Horny X-Files Lovers Created a New Type of Online Fandom: Kate Knibbs (blog) - "When The X-Files debuted, nobody knew the small, weird show would be a success. But it had something better than a marketing blitz: It had the internet as a way to connect people who wanted to believe."
fandom:x-files, topic:fandom, topic:history