Reflecting on 2021, truly marked the zenith of my young career. The pandemic was coming to an end, I was fresh from the hallowed halls of a prestigious but unheralded college, thrust into the corporate labyrinth where, as a mere sidekick to the big shots, I contributed to a deal of record-breaking magnitude. My modest corporate minion life was exaggerated into legend by my professors during an alumni reunion, leading to a rather embarrassing episode where I was paraded around as the poster child of their education career’s success. My parents, not ones to shy away from a bit of pomp, lauded my achievements to anyone within earshot.
But as 2022 unfurled its chaos with the epidemic, my professional life spiralled downwards as swiftly as it had risen. I was laid off, and replaced by a nepotistic hire—my boss's new mistress's nephew. During my dismal final days, my colleagues, once comrades became corporate sharks, whispers of them scheming to claim my last efforts as their own filled the empty office spaces.
Compelled by financial duress to abandon my central city dwelling, I relocated to the outskirts with two college mates, Jaz and Kath, who had similarly found themselves victims of the economic downturn. We settled into apartment 606, a unit with dubious charm, suspiciously affordable on the 13th floor of a dreary building, its corridor haunted by a flickering sensor light that was only designed to function on rare occasions. Yet, the apartment itself was surprisingly very well furnished, almost like something that jumped out from a design mag, out beating sample rooms in Ikea, boasting a spacious balcony, a living room ready for an impromptu soirée, a dining table that’s good enough to hold a banquet(became our co-working space) and a kitchen isle that became our sanctuary and curse.
When we first settled into our new abode, we discovered a trove of fine kitchen utensils, perfect for whipping up sophisticated cuisine and crafting cocktails worthy of a swanky soirée. Tucked away in the fridge, among the remnants of the previous tenants' life, was a quaint note: “The three of us really enjoyed our stay here, especially our meals and nights spent by the kitchen island. We hope you find as much joy in it as we did. Use it well.” With a casual flick of my wrist, I dismissed the note into the garbage can, oblivious to the depth of its seemingly innocuous message. Little did I know, that piece of paper was more a passing of the torch than a simple goodbye.
Our initial days in apartment 606 brimmed with camaraderie and impromptu celebrations: movie nights sprawled on the living room sofas, barbeque dinners under the stars on our balcony, and co-working sessions at the dining table, peppered with resume tweaks and contemplative conversations over cocktails. We even scored a second-hand karaoke machine, allowing me to channel my inner diva—a throwback to my musical theatre days in college and my stint as the voice of corporate presentations and negotiations at my previous job, where I was known for my resonant yet finely tuned voice.
Yet, as the months wore on and the job market remained unyielding, our early merriment slowly surrendered to a creeping anxiety. The kitchen island, once the heart of our home where laughter and shared meals flowed freely, gradually morphed into the epicenter of our collective unease, bearing silent witness to the quiet desperation settling over us.
One evening, in the suspiciously affordable yet stylish apartment, I sank into the sofa, my spirits dampened by my favorite team's disheartening loss. The mood was grim, mirroring my fears of my beloved player's potential retirement at season's end. Later, as we congregated around the kitchen island for dinner, I transformed into an impromptu sports commentator, passionately preaching about the game’s disappointing details that led to failure and my favorite player’s fine qualities. Meanwhile, Jaz updated us on a friend's melodramatic breakup, with guesses that something ugly must have happened behind the scenes. Kath, ever the culinary enthusiast, not only served up her delicious pasta but also dished out the latest celebrity gossip, each tidbit as spicy as her sauce.
The next day, during a late breakfast at the same kitchen island—our unwitting oracle—we were hit by a triple whammy of reality checks. The news of my favorite player's retirement broke, echoing my gloomy predictions from the night before. Jaz chimed in with an update that our friend had uncovered a cheating scandal worthy of its own reality TV special. And Kath, never one to be left out of the drama: her favorite celebrity was now the star of a scandal.
By the third morning, as we sipped our coffee, the newspaper slapped me with another bizarre twist. I was going through the devastating economics and politics sections, then I saw the sports section——featured an irate coach, hell-bent on convincing my favorite player to dismiss retirement plans and keep his jersey on a little longer. Meanwhile, Jaz had good news for a change: it turned out our friend's love story might have a second act after all, as misunderstandings were being cleared up. Amidst these revelations, Kath, who had been grumbling about the nearby supermarket’s inability to stock anything remotely gourmet, and hadn’t had a taste of her favorite Blue Mountain coffee since the beginning of that year, triumphantly found a can of Blue Mountain coffee, and it was on sale and therefore affordable—proof that miracles happen, and sometimes they even go on discount.
As I sat there, absorbing the serendipity of our discussions manifesting into real-world events, I couldn't help but marvel at the mysterious knack of our kitchen island. Was it merely a coincidence, or had this stylish piece of decor become the unlikely conductor of our lives symphony? One thing was certain: life in apartment 606 was never dull, and our kitchen island seemed to be more than just a place to eat—it was a place where, apparently, you could stir the pot of fate.
I decided to conduct a whimsical experiment with our now seemingly magical kitchen island. Clearing my throat theatrically, I declared, "I should be interviewed for a director position." To my sheer astonishment, the next day a headhunter rang me up, claiming I was the ideal candidate for a directorial role at a prestigious corporation in my field. Despite the other candidates possessing decades more experience which defeated me with no effort, and my own lingering self-doubt from months of unemployment, I sailed to the final interview round with the company's executives.
Upon returning to our apartment, I found Kath flaunting a chic dress from a designer brand brand she’d snagged on clearance—a little luxury courtesy of our wish-granting island. Inspired, I approached the island and cheekily requested, "Get us jobs. Something fun." Lo and behold, the following day was spent lounging and binge-watching Netflix, only to be interrupted by a call from a former bigwig at my old job. He was venturing into a more illustrious company and wanted me onboard. The informal chat that followed was a breeze, and just like that, I was back in the game with a fancier title and a fatter paycheck.
The subsequent week was a flurry of celebrations. Jaz secured a senior-level position, and Kath landed her dream job at an influencer management agency. Feeling triumphant, we decided to indulge in a night of fine dining—our first in months. That Friday evening when I went from office to restaurant, on a whim, stopped at a convenience store to grab snacks and cigarettes for our post-dinner revelry. Outside, I encountered a homeless person. After offering him a sandwich (which he traded for a cigarette instead), he took a drag, peered into my eyes, and ominously muttered, “Look, young lady, this isn’t my business, but be wary of what you wish for; everything comes with a price. Good luck and god bless you.”
His words barely registered until later that evening when a mishap occurred that seemed to underline his warning. As we enjoyed syphon coffee post-dinner, a barista accidentally tripped over Kath’s flowing dress. The resulting spill left her with first-degree burns, abruptly ending our night as we rushed to the emergency room. Though it was "just" a first-degree burn, the pain was significant enough to require several days off for Kath’s recovery. Amid the drama, I couldn't help but wonder about the cryptic caution from the man outside the store—had our fortunate streak come with a hidden cost?
We chalked up the coffee calamity to bad luck. The next month flowed smoothly: Kath's fingers healed, she returned to work, and I quickly found my groove at the new job. With all of us gainfully employed, our communal meals at the kitchen island became rare. My mornings were a whirlwind of grabbing breakfast and coffee on the go, followed by an hour's commute to a job that had me scarfing down instant noodles by nightfall, just in time for a quick shower.
As the busy season kicked in, my workload ballooned—not just from the seasonal uptick, but because I was hell-bent on proving my mettle. I quickly outshone most of my peers, and my employer, recognizing a budding overachiever, piled on major tasks, which I eagerly accepted. What started as the occasional hour of overtime soon devoured my weekends. Unpaid overtime, as the fine print in my contract gleefully noted, became my new norm. Driven by a mix of ambition and expectation, I had become the go-to young hotshot, the erstwhile record-breaker now expected to continually outdo myself.
Mentally, I was too swamped to entertain thoughts of anything beyond work, which, in a twisted way, felt like a break. Physically, however, the strain began to show. A bout of flu caught on a business trip escalated into a fever. Sick as I was, deadlines waited for no one, and I soldiered on medicated and miserable. By the time I made it home, my voice had abandoned me. Unable to utter a word the next morning, I resorted to emailing my manager about my sorry state.
That week, robbed of my voice, I mused that it was perhaps a well-deserved hiatus for my overworked vocal cords—a silent retreat if you will. But when my voice did return, it was as a raspy whisper, a shadow of its former crisp and melodious timbre. My doctor offered a grim prognosis: slight improvement might come, but the golden tones were gone for good—scarred by the relentless grind. Ah, the price of ambition—a scratchy throat as a permanent reminder of my corporate conquests.
It seemed I had unwittingly exchanged the clarity of my voice for the tumult of career success. In the midst of our domestic enchantment with the possibly mystical kitchen island, Kath unearthed the contact of a reputed psychic, hailed as the finest in the land. However, the consultation fee was nothing short of princely, and with Jaz vehemently dismissing anything that couldn't be explained by cold, hard science, she promptly opted out of splitting the bill. Kath and I, unwilling to drain our wallets on what could be mere phantasmagoria, reluctantly let the opportunity pass.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but notice a curious change in Jaz’s routine. She had ceased dining at the kitchen island, avoiding it as if it were cursed—or perhaps, in her view, simply out of style. The Saturday morning brought a particularly harsh twist: a murder of crows took to spiralling above our balcony, their cries as sharp as the plot of a Poe novel. We found ourselves drawn to the infamous kitchen island, lined up like the cast of a macabre play, silently praying for the birds to disperse. Kath, ever trying to restore some semblance of normalcy, offered up cups of Blue Mountain coffee. She absentmindedly inquired if I wanted cream or sugar in mine—a blunder that made me realize just how long it had been since our last coffee klatch at this very spot. My inner monologue couldn't resist a dark wish for the crows to scatter, perhaps too dark, for they began to dive bomb our balcony in a feathery kamikaze. The spectacle was enough to knock Jaz off her feet—literally—as her mug met its end on the floor. Kath, meanwhile, made a hasty retreat to worship the porcelain god, and I sat frozen, my brain offline, pondering the twisted power of our kitchen island's apparent wish-granting.
After the unnerving spectacle of crows turning our balcony into a scene straight out of a Hitchcock film, our first rational step—post-collective fainting, of course—was to summon cleaners to manage the feathery carnage. Then, still rattled but increasingly curious, we visited a psychic, who, contrary to the crystal-ball-gazer image, operated out of a posh boutique in a high-end mall and dressed more like she was headed to a fashion show than a séance. We laid bare our saga of the seemingly cursed kitchen island, complete with photographic evidence of where domestic bliss meets eerie phenomena.
The psychic introduced a term that chilled the air around us: “limbo,” the threshold between our world and the otherworldly, and she dubbed our kitchen island the "Devil’s Bargain Counter." According to her, our wishes came with a heavy and unpredictable price, because we have accidentally started trades with beings from the netherworld. Her advice was disarmingly simple: cease all trades on the island. To address the repercussions of past wishes, she advised us the first line of defence, which was an eclectic mix of offerings laid out on our cursed countertop: raw meat(rooster works the best), a cocktail of spices(coca and cinnamon preferably), liberal splashes of spirits(whiskey and rum ideally), and an eerie bouquet of black flowers(luckily I found some black roses at a flower shop of the mall). In a grander gesture of appeasement, Kath relinquished her shiny new diamond bracelet, Jaz her absurdly expensive headphones, and I parted with cash—— a hefty slice of my bonus in hopes of placating whatever capricious spirits we'd angered.
Our return to normalcy was brief but sweet, prompting us to plan a getaway, eager to forget about our nefarious kitchen island. Yet, the respite was merely a tease. Jaz, in a stroke of spectacular misfortune, narrowly dodged disaster twice in one day—first nearly becoming subway track fodder on her way back after work, and then almost getting knocked out by a rogue plant at our apartment building’s doorstep. Clearly, our previous offerings were mere appetizers to whatever forces we'd stirred. The psychic, summoned once again to our now-dubious sanctuary, decreed that the spirits had developed rather expensive tastes, unsatisfied by our initial gestures.
In a desperate bid for closure, we had the psychic over for a nighttime ritual, timed perfectly with Earth's closest approach to the netherworld, according to her. Our living room turned into a ritual chamber, with windows blacked out for days, to keep the otherworldly dealings strictly nocturnal. That night, we arranged ourselves around the island, now less a kitchen fixture and more an altar of last resort.
The psychic, amidst a chorus of Latin incantations, directed us through a chilling séance that included a mirror that reflected nothing but darkness and a burning black candle, the three of us sat in a row, joined hands, eyes closed. When the black candle was flickering at its last, the first eerie scratches heard prompted our eyes to open prematurely, we saw a command appear on the island, written by invisible hand and pen, in blood-red script, urging us to find the next "succeeder" before our lease on otherworldly disturbances could be terminated.
With bated breath, we agreed, and as if by magic, our signatures materialized on the countertop, then faded as the candle sputtered out. We tore off the black cardboard taped on the windows at dawn, the sunrise revealed a final message etched into the surface: "Debt cleared." As the daylight grew, the ominous inscription dissolved into nothingness, signalling the end of our spectral saga.
The ordeal, now officially behind us, left us enjoying a semblance of normalcy: life in 606 returned to its mundane rhythm, with dinners and movie nights back on our social calendar. Though not without its scars—literal and figurative.
It’s been two years since then, Jaz, in the throes of romantic bliss, is now gearing up for a new chapter waiting to be written alongside her soon-to-be spouse; Kath, her career finally taking a lucrative turn, was poised to upgrade her living situation, she secured a lease on a lavish serviced apartment in the city center—a place that matched her newfound financial swagger.
I’m not without my own leaps forward. With a modest boost from my parents, I took the plunge into homeownership, snagging a property within the city’s vibrant confines. The process was a whirlwind of paperwork and decorating decisions, culminating in a space I could truly call my own.
As we are packing up now, my last act is to type out our story, at the infamous island, and of course, I left a note in the fridge for the next tenants:
"Welcome to 606. We had a wonderful time here, especially at the kitchen island, filled with joy and unforgettable moments. We hope you find as much happiness as we did. Use the isle well. Warm wishes, the previous tenants."

I won't say I'm a big fan of tokusatsu. I don't know all the workings, idk who writes the script and so on. I enjoy supersentai series to this day as a young adult but at the same time the amount of supersentais I've watched can only be counted by one or two hands(because I only repeat series that I'm familiar with and have always been the type to struggle trying something new) But the sentai team I want to talk about with you guys in this post is Ohsama Sentai.
What do you all think of it? Did you guys enjoy it? Personally I did. Though I'm not sure if it's actually well received since reactions/videos on them are scarce on youtube, and even google. Maybe it's not popular with western audience? (It's such a struggle for a newbie tokusatsu fan like me to find videos where you can watch them. Particularly this series. Took me three hours to find!)
I just finished binge watching the whole thing, it's 6am in the morning but I HAVE to talk about it. Let's talk about the thing I dislike for the series and then move on to what I like about it.
The most obvious thing I should point out is probably the HORRIBLE HORRIBLE CGI and greenscreens. Ohsama Sentai could've been like the TOP amongst the TOP if they could've just increase the budget for better quality editing. Especially since the setting takes place in various kingdoms with regal, powerful decorations and ornaments. I cringe everytime I see through the bad CGIs. It's the only thing I truly hate about the series. It's such a shame.
The rest of them are between a mix of lovehate type of relationship. Which we'll be moving on to the next most obvious thing, the childish arcs that takes place sometimes in between serious fights. I can't figure out if Ohsama Sentai wants this series to be targeted by adult audience or kids. Because some of the funny scenes feel so out of place and random. I'm not saying it's not funny, in fact I'm the type to still enjoy kiddish shows. I devoured every single of those scenes delectably. But some of them are sooo cut off from the episode, it feels discontinuous.
At the same time, they have this play around with politics and war, which felt like such a breath of fresh air. One thing I like about ohsama sentais are that they're not by-the-book goody two shoes sentai heroes like in the past. Himeno Ran acts 'selfishly', Kaburagi 'betrays' easily, Rita Kaniska 'serves' justice accordingly, Yanma acts 'callous' freely. They fight against each other constantly. It's not like there's just one big arc that instantly makes them the best of friends for the rest of episodes. To me it felt realistic in accordance to how fickle the nature of humans truly are. They also expressed views that are refreshing that I've never found in other sentai series. The ones that I've watched are always talking about the power of friendship but not other values/morals in life which felt repetitive. Ohsama Sentai got me thinking on the views I previously had in life and some of them might've even changed. I truly appreciate this part of the story, even though it feels like it may lack depth.
The lore of Ohsama to me wasn't touched too deeply considering they have 2000 years of history. But it was still a plot that interests me immensely compared to others (super cars, ninja, dinasours, animals... I was really intrigued with the prospect of 'king' sentais). Like I said, it was another breath of fresh air for a newbie tokusatsu fan like me.
Oh, and I also quite enjoyed the linking of history with Kyoryuger. I might be bias but Kyoruger was actually my very first sentai series that I watched in DVD lol. But damn was it nostalgic for me seeing the Kyoryuger cast again, so I liked that little piece of lore despite seeing others hate it.
I might wait a bit to watch the Ohsama vs Donbrothers and Kyoryugers movie. I haven't watched Donbrothers because the style didn't interest me. But I've seen people say it was amazing story-wise. Still feeling muddy on it though. A bit scared since the ratings on the movies are so low on movie reviews. But I think I have 'trashy' taste so I'd probably enjoy it anyway.
What about you guys? Any more interesting points about Ohsama Sentai that you might want to bring up and I might've missed? Please entertain this newbie fan lol.

The Legend of Korra" has sparked considerable debate among fans of the "Avatar: The Last Airbender" franchise. While some appreciate its ambition and expansion of the Avatar universe, others argue it falls short of the high standards set by its predecessor. This essay explores the various criticisms that have been levied against "The Legend of Korra," highlighting the aspects that many fans believe detract from its overall quality.
Firstly, a significant criticism is the show's inconsistent storytelling. Unlike "Avatar: The Last Airbender," which followed a clear, cohesive narrative arc over three seasons, "The Legend of Korra" is divided into four separate books, each with its own distinct storyline. This episodic structure leads to a lack of continuity and makes it difficult for viewers to form a deep connection with the overarching narrative. The disjointed storytelling often leaves plotlines underdeveloped and characters' arcs feeling incomplete.
Secondly, Korra's character development is often seen as problematic. While Aang's journey in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" showcased his growth from a reluctant hero into a mature Avatar, Korra's development is less linear and more erratic. Korra starts off as a headstrong and brash character, which is not inherently negative, but her growth often feels forced and inconsistent. This erratic progression can make it challenging for audiences to empathize with her struggles and triumphs.
The villains in "The Legend of Korra" also suffer from inconsistency. While each season introduces a new antagonist, they often lack the depth and nuance that made characters like Zuko and Azula memorable in "Avatar: The Last Airbender." For example, Amon, the antagonist of the first season, starts as a compelling character with a unique perspective on bending, but his backstory and motivations are revealed in a rushed manner that undermines his initial intrigue.
Moreover, the show's handling of political themes has been criticized for being overly simplistic. "The Legend of Korra" attempts to tackle complex issues such as equality, anarchy, and totalitarianism, but often does so in a way that feels superficial. The show's treatment of these themes lacks the subtlety and depth that characterized the moral and ethical dilemmas in "Avatar: The Last Airbender," leading to a less impactful exploration of these important topics.
Another point of contention is the pacing of the series. "The Legend of Korra" often rushes through important plot points, leaving little time for character development and world-building. This hurried pacing is especially evident in the transitions between seasons, where significant changes occur off-screen, leaving viewers feeling disoriented. The rushed storytelling detracts from the emotional weight of the narrative and diminishes the impact of key moments.
The supporting characters in "The Legend of Korra" also receive mixed reviews. While characters like Tenzin and Lin Beifong are well-developed and interesting, others, such as Mako and Bolin, often feel one-dimensional and underutilized. The show struggles to balance its large ensemble cast, leading to uneven character development and sidelining potentially compelling storylines.
Additionally, the romantic subplots in "The Legend of Korra" have been criticized for their lack of depth and coherence. The love triangle between Korra, Mako, and Asami feels contrived and distracts from the main narrative. The abrupt resolution of these romantic tensions often leaves viewers unsatisfied and detracts from the characters' individual growth.
The series also faces criticism for its world-building. While "Avatar: The Last Airbender" meticulously crafted a rich, immersive world, "The Legend of Korra" struggles to expand on this foundation. The introduction of Republic City is intriguing, but the exploration of other parts of the world feels superficial. The show misses opportunities to delve deeper into the cultures and histories of different nations, which could have added richness and complexity to the narrative.
Furthermore, the show's animation, while generally high-quality, has been inconsistent at times. Some episodes showcase stunning visuals and fluid action sequences, while others suffer from noticeable dips in quality. This inconsistency can be jarring and detracts from the overall viewing experience.
Another major critique is the show's reliance on deus ex machina solutions. Key conflicts are often resolved through sudden, convenient plot devices rather than through the characters' ingenuity and growth. This reliance on quick fixes undermines the stakes and tension, making the resolutions feel unearned and unsatisfying.
The show’s tone is another area where it falters. "The Legend of Korra" oscillates between light-hearted moments and dark, mature themes, often without smooth transitions. This tonal inconsistency can make it difficult for viewers to fully engage with the story and characters, as the abrupt shifts can feel disorienting and diminish the emotional impact of key scenes.
Moreover, the series’ depiction of the spirit world and its relationship with the human world lacks the depth and mystery that was present in "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The spirit world in "The Legend of Korra" feels more like a plot device than a mystical realm with its own rules and logic. This diminishes the sense of wonder and awe that the spirit world should evoke.
The handling of the Avatar's mythology also draws criticism. "The Legend of Korra" makes significant changes to the lore established in "Avatar: The Last Airbender," such as the introduction of Raava and Vaatu. While these additions could have enriched the story, they are often explained in a rushed and confusing manner, leading to a fragmented understanding of the Avatar's origins and purpose.
Additionally, the show’s attempts to modernize the Avatar world with technology and urban settings have received mixed reactions. While some appreciate the blend of traditional and modern elements, others feel that it detracts from the unique, fantastical charm of the original series. The industrialization of the world sometimes feels at odds with the spiritual and elemental themes that define the Avatar universe.
The treatment of legacy characters from "Avatar: The Last Airbender" has also been a point of contention. While it's understandable that the focus needs to shift to new characters, the limited and sometimes unsatisfactory portrayal of beloved characters like Katara, Zuko, and Toph has disappointed many fans. Their appearances often feel more like fan service than meaningful contributions to the story.
Moreover, the show's attempts to address themes of identity and self-discovery through Korra's journey sometimes fall flat. While the intention to depict Korra’s struggle with her role as the Avatar is commendable, the execution often lacks the emotional depth and resonance needed to make these themes truly impactful.
The series finale of "The Legend of Korra" has also been divisive. While some praise the ending for its bold and progressive representation, others feel that it leaves too many plot threads unresolved and relies too heavily on last-minute revelations. The finale’s attempt to wrap up multiple storylines in a short span feels rushed and undermines the potential for a more satisfying conclusion.
Furthermore, the show’s approach to diversity and representation, while progressive in some aspects, has also faced criticism. The portrayal of certain cultural elements and characters can sometimes feel superficial or tokenistic, lacking the nuanced and respectful treatment seen in "Avatar: The Last Airbender."
Another criticism is the show’s soundtrack. While the music in "The Legend of Korra" is generally well-composed, it often lacks the memorable and emotive quality of the score in "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The music in "Avatar" played a crucial role in enhancing the emotional depth of the story, a quality that is less pronounced in "Korra."
The handling of bending and its evolution is another contentious issue. While the idea of advancing bending techniques is interesting, the execution sometimes feels inconsistent and poorly explained. The introduction of metalbending and other advanced techniques is not always integrated smoothly into the narrative, leading to confusion and a lack of cohesion.
Finally, the marketing and production decisions surrounding "The Legend of Korra" have also been criticized. The show faced numerous scheduling changes and network issues, which contributed to its inconsistent pacing and development. These external factors undoubtedly impacted the final product, leading to a series that, while ambitious, often feels disjointed and uneven.
In conclusion, "The Legend of Korra" has its strengths, such as its bold themes and complex characters, but it is also plagued by numerous issues that detract from its overall quality. Inconsistent storytelling, underdeveloped characters, and rushed pacing are among the key criticisms that many fans have voiced. While the series deserves credit for its ambition and willingness to tackle mature themes, it ultimately falls short of the high standards set by "Avatar: The Last Airbender," leaving many viewers feeling disappointed and underwhelmed.
​

Here's a post of mine from 2017

I'm in.
Hard mode
Indefinitely
My goal is to regain, no find myself. PMO'ing since the age of 12. I'm 27 now. Porn fucked up my life. No more!
Today is one year after my attempted OD. The catalyst was my girlfriend of five years leaving me and me screwing up my career as a firefighter. I was broken then and I'm still broken now. I blame PMO and porn in general. Insanity is repeating the same cycle and expecting a different result. Time to break this cycle.
Post end
^{How naive I was}

Back story with context

I now know my addiction started with MO at the age of 5. I used to do that on a daily basis to self soothe and it didn't help that I discovered what can be done with an electric massager. See my parents got divorced the first time around about then, they remarried each other, only to get divorced again. Mom remarried a abusive alcoholic, moved to my absent father and verbally abusive stepmother, all this before turning 14. Looking back I can see I was neglected and found my own coping mechanisms. Smoking cigarettes, weed and alcohol since 13, other drugs soon followed at 16, whatever I could get my hands on.
Note all my compulsive and addictive behaviours were actively being pursued in some form or another throughout my story, I merely set the stage with the background.
At 19 I lost my virginity to a broken and hurt girl that was on average banging 4 guys a week, she literally had to take off her clothes and ask me whilst naked 'What are you waiting for?' I was so inept and socially awkward. After two hours of furiously boning because I couldn't finish, I snuck back to my room only to jerk off. I recall thinking to myself was that it? Was all the hype about that? Needles to say this girl went and 'cheated' on me after a week, left me a tad embittered.
At 21 I somehow got my first girlfriend, she had been raised by her grandparents because both her parents had tragically died in two separate freak accidents, she had proper traditional values, real wivey material. Wanted to wait until marriage. None of it mattered much to me, I knew what I wanted and at 21 it certainly wasn't a wife. She was studying nursing and I was a firefighter, we were both renting, me with friends, her in a student commune. We started occasionally sleeping over at each other, very innocently at first just making out, cuddling and talking.
post deleted
She took the sheets with to wash and made a hasty retreat, I went to work in a cold sweat, post clarity had never been so fucking surreal nor had it ever garnered so much self loathing.
What had I done.
Later that day she messaged and asked me over where she gave me a hand written letter, front and back, tear stains and little hearts. In it written how beautiful it was, how much she loves me and how no-one can ever find out.
I felt physically sick.
What had I done.
We secretly moved in together and what followed was five years of a co-dependant relationship where she grew to hate me and I went progressively deeper into the abyss of porn.
In the interim my father passed away from cancer, I DUI'd and totalled into a young married couple, got arrested, went to a 'Stress clinic' and broke up with my girlfriend out of guilt. Quickly got back together and a few months later she mercifully broke up with me. I was just so weak. Maybe she just woke from being disillusioned, maybe she grew out of her naivety, maybe my addictions just followed their natural conclusion, maybe PTSD and tragedy got the better of me. She got a new boyfriend, I almost got a restraining order. (She withdrew the case in the judges chamber's on condition I NEVER contact her again) In short succession I slept with multiple partners, a few times while blackout drunk, a few one night stands and I left a wake of pain, regret, broken hearts and shame. All consensual.
Finally I tried to OD on sleeping pills, went back to the 'Stress clinic' and whilst there someone dear called and told me that to gain my life I had to give it away. Found religion or it found me, resigned from the Fire brigade.
Footnote~ The ex got married and became a mother sometime during, heard it through the grapevine.
She'll never have to see me again as per her wishes.
Learnt about NoFap {insert original post}
I moved a couple of states over, away from everything I had broken and everyone I'd hurt. Went on a journey, forgave myself, hated myself, loathed myself, forgave myself again, went on another journey. The whole time PMO and MO came and went.
Streaks came and went. Depression stayed and dark thoughts came back like a long lost friend but I kept on crawling towards the light, towards freedom.
FFW to now
I'm cold turkey from substances and on a 18 day streak. I've come to realise you can't run from this demon and this fight is worth fighting head on. PAWS or Post-accute Withdrawal Syndrome is real and even with my longer streaks I've only been kicking the can further and further down the road by occasionally binge relapsing.
I haven't been in a relationship nor have I had sex since the fallout. Real intimacy absolutely terrifies me and I suffer from anxiety and depressive episodes.
But there's hope!
I've been seeing a life coach, exercising and spending more time with friends and family, joined a men's prayer and accountability group. To go fast go alone, to go far go with others and I'm in it for the long haul.
The penny's dropped.
I can tell something has changed.
I'm coming back to life.
3 months ago I met a girl on a online dating platform, absolutely way out of my league, someone who's beautiful inside and out. I'll be meeting her for the first time this Friday and we'll be spending the weekend together, in a social setting.
I'm excited yet apprehensive. I don't want to place her on a pedestal but I want to treat her like a queen. We're only meeting and nothing intimate will happen, both of us want to wait until we're married be it with one another or someone else. But darn I'm excited. I want to hope again. I want to love and be loved.
I want to live again.
tl:dr

1. Porn can mess you up and the abyss is deeper than you can imagine.
   
2. Addiction is not about the substance but rather underlying behaviours and coping mechanisms.
   
3. Circumstances nor your past should determine your future.
   
4. There's alway's hope!
   

New here, so apologies if this is something that's already been discussed a lot and resolved.
I've been rewatching the series ahead of S03 and this time round the difference between the two seasons became even more aparent to me. Here's how I see it:
S01 is a self-contained, perfectly paced, tightly coherent season of TV. It's probably one of the best TV seasons of any show I've ever seen and it doesn't leave any questions or loose ends, which is why the show could have ended there. The theme is primarily grief + anxiety, navigating life changes and complex relationship dynamics. Of course the food, the cooking, the recipes, the kitchen / small business dynamics are also central, but they are the added spice to the main recipe, which is primarily existential angst.
S02, which is also excellent don't get me wrong, is almost like a different show I find. First of all it's a multi-perspective one, so we get to follow multiple characters' POV (as opposed to mostly Carmy's POV in S01), which makes each episode have a different vibe depending on the character that it's centered on. Then the overall theme is primarily the race against time for opening the new restaurant and everyone's journey towards self-improvement/self-actualisation or whatever. This last bit in particular is what I find *so* different to S01. S01 has a level of cynicism and darkness, which S02 replaces with an "onwards and upwards" attitude that matches those rags-to-riches / American dream / pursuit of happiness stories that are so common in American media.
I do love how S02 goes deeper into each character's psyche and explores their motives, flaws and softer sides, but it's just so different to what S01 does! Come to think of it, it would have been impossible to repeat the vibe of S01, since it's so perfectly self-contained, but I was still rather surprised with how different - even in overall philosophy - the two seasons are. I'm excluding the "Fishes" episode, which almost feels like a "leftover" of S01, or maybe an epilogue to S01 (in the "and by the way here's where it all started" way).
Do other people get this sense/interpretation too? Is it just me?

I just binged watched the series. Gotta say the first 6 episodes were great. However it really lost its momentum after that. I give it 7/10
I would've changed a few things that i think would've been better.
Ps this is just my opinion. This is more of a rant but i hope u enjoy.
These are the problems/potential solutions with the show in my opinion.
SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS
With the first episode and the first scene. I think showing the quick fight scene with one of the exiled Ninjas was kind of a waste of action that could've been used somewhere else. I also think they should've shown the face hologram reveal here. I think the face hologram kinda ruined it in a way since the best action was from Higan with that hologram on his face. We don't see his real face til the best action of the show is done. I think it would be cool if the audience sees his true face while the world he is in sees the hologram face. Maybe a scene at the grocery store while he looks in the window sees his reflection and its the hologram face while the audience sees his real face. My second gripe with Episode 1 is the best episode of the whole series. It is the episode that pulls you in and makes you watch the whole series. But as much as i loved the episode i feel like they should have stretched it out into 2 episodes. Like I said at the beginning with the unknown exiles ninja getting his very own fight scene yet Mari (Higan's wife) she barely showed any action throughout the whole show. I wish they just showed the ending of the exiled ninja where he is executed. Then shifts to Higan and his family living their best life while 1 by 1 exiled ninjas are killed. Then the night of the family's demise we see Mari show her skills as a ninja. Maybe a side by side shot of both of them fighting/killing. Maybe showing that just by the sheer numbers and the fact that she was protecting her son then going all out would lead to her downfall. I think stretching out that sequence with Mari showing her skills would've been better than showing a random exile showing off only to be killed off in a min. I think by the time Higan is in the hospital clutching his fist as he is in the hospital bed would be a great way to end episode 1. Then the hospital scene would be extended. Showing the fight scene where the fbi guy discovered the bodies. Then the whole scene for when Higan burns down his home and puts on the mask would be episode 2. I think extending episode 1 into 2 episodes would have been better.
For the side characters none of them really stuck out for me. Except for Emma and maybe Dilly. As for Morris he really wasn't necessary in the plot. I feel like Emma should have played a more prominent role over Morris given the backstory she has and her relationship with Mari (Higan's wife). She like many others had potential that was wasted. I think if she was the main side character the story would flow better. It felt like to me that Morris was just thrown in there for nothing. As well as the former chief of the ninja clan that Higan was apart of. He is portrayed as a healer that use to be with the clan but turns out he is the dead former head. He used some ninjutsu technique that kept his head alive. I feel like his presence should have played either a bigger role than it did or shouldn't have existed to begin with.
As for the villains i can say all of them were unfortunately disappointing. Especially Zai and Yamari who had the biggest potential. As for the other villains (afro guy, little pervert, Joseph, etc.) they felt like they were just added to the story to fill in the episodes. Joseph had too much screen time. I believe he should've been more of a subordinate than a "partner" with Yamari. Following his orders instead being a whiny annoying little shit. Yamari fell flat as well had a kool ninjutsu technique that he only used once. I was expecting a big show down between him and Higan but it didn't live up to the hype. Zai had the most upside former friend of Higan and Mari who was left behind when they fled to be a normal married couple while he stayed in the clan. Out of all the characters Zai had the most development. Solid backstory but his transition from big bad to anti hero/villain was sloppy.
For the mech and Ninjutsu stuff. This was could've been so good ninjutsu mixed with Mech could have been cool but how it was executed turned into mech beating the shit out of ninjutsu. I would have had the mech be used as like a booster to the ninja and his techniques making his/her ninjutsu techniques even more destructive/powerful. But instead we got ninjutsu getting demoralized by the new tech mech. I wished they explored the techniques more and if and how the mechs could boost the effects of said techniques.Which ultimately started the downfall of Ninja Kamui.
Now the main character Higan
I liked his true design not the hologram face. Especially his mask. I was disappointed that the mask was destroyed so soon. His character for the first couple episodes was good. But he went from this rage filled demon out for vengeance into a moody middle age man. His development was weird and not satisfying. His ending was disappointing as well.
What i would change with Higan would be that he didn't survive his death at the hands of the assassins. He used some ninjutsu technique that has allowed him to live a little longer. I think this would go well with the fast pace that we had the first few episodes. With each passing episode Higan gets more reckless and ruthless knowing his time is limited and running out. I think Higan should've died after completing his vengeance. I think he wouldn't want to live anymore especially without his wife and son. I also think a few episodes seeing his upbringing with Mari and Zai would have been better than the fights with the little pervert and Afro guy. I think it would have been cool for Zai to get redemption and live on for Higan and Mari.
Episode 1 would be stretched into 2 episodes
Episode 2-5 wouldn't change that much while episode 6-9 would be the backstory of Higan and the other seeing what drove them away in more detail. Episode 10-13 would be the Higan facing Zai, Emma death, final showdown between Higan and Yamari. With NO CGI FIGHTS
Again this is just my opinion i really did like the show but it definitely wasted a ton of potential everywhere

Here's a post of mine from 2017

I'm in.
Hard mode
Indefinitely
My goal is to regain, no find myself. PMO'ing since the age of 12. I'm 27 now. Fucked up my life. No more!
Today is one year after my attempted suicide. The catalyst was my girlfriend of five years leaving me and me screwing up my career as a firefighter. I was broken then and I'm still broken now. I blame PMO and porn in general. Insanity is repeating the same cycle and expecting a different result. Time to break this cycle.
^{How naiive I was}

Back story with context

I now know my addiction started with MO at the age of 5. I used to do that on a daily basis to self soothe and it didn't help that I discovered what can be done with an electric massager. See my parents got divorced the first time around about then, they remarried each other, only to get divorced again. Mom remarried a abusive alcoholic, moved to my absent father and verbally abusive stepmother, all this before turning 14. Looking back I can see I was neglected and found my own coping mechanisms. Smoking cigarettes, weed and alcohol since 13, other drugs soon followed at 16, whatever I could get my hands on. Opiates, hallucinogens, psychoactives, stimulants, depressants, inhalants if it could be abused chances are I would and have, fortunately not crack or needles, it blessedly somehow never crossed my path but the rest was fair game when it did and I was always on the prowl for something new or a quick fix.
Note all my compulsive and addictive behaviours were actively being pursued in some form or another throughout my story, I set the stage with the background but nothing I've done is justifiable.
At 19 I lost my virginity to a broken girl that was on average banging 4 guys a week, she literally had to take off her clothes and ask me whilst naked 'what am I waiting for?' I was so inept and socially awkward. After two hours of furiously boning because I couldn't finish, I snuck back to my room only to jerk off. I recall thinking to myself was that it? Was all the hype about that? Needles to say this girl went and 'cheated' on me after a week, left me a tad embittered.
At 21 I somehow got my first girlfriend, 18 straight out of school she had been raised by her grandparents because both her parents had tragically died in two separate freak accidents, she had proper traditional values, real wivey material. Wanted to wait for her big day. None of it mattered much to me as I started the process to groom her over the course of 3 months. I knew what I wanted and at 21 it certainly wasn't a wife. She was studying nursing and I was a firefighter, we were both renting, me with friends, her in a student commune. We started occasionally sleeping over at each other, very innocently at first just making out, cuddling and talking.(explicit)>! Progressively I moved towards groping and heavy petting. Until one morning after a house party at my place. I woke up with a boner and her snuggling up against me. I had had enough of waiting. I won't try to sugarcoat it or gloss over it or paint it pretty.!<
She said no.
More than once.
My mind went into that blank primal space of no return, the same space it would go with porn. I forced myself on-top of her and I raped her.
She took the sheets with to wash and made a hasty retreat, I went to work in a cold sweat, post clarity had never been so fucking surreal nor had it ever garnered so much self loathing.
What had I done.
Later that day she messaged and asked me over where she gave me a hand written letter, front and back, tear stains and hearts. In it written how beautiful it was, how much she loves me and how no-one can ever find out. I felt physically sick.
We moved in together and what followed was five years of a co-dependant relationship where she grew to hate me and I went progressively deeper into the abyss of porn. Maybe she just woke from being disillusioned, maybe she grew out of her naiivety and maybe my addictions just followed their natural conclusion, maybe PTSD and tragedy got the better of me.
In the interim my father passed away from cancer, I DUI'd and totalled into a young married couple, got arrested, went to a mental institute and broke up with my girlfriend. Got back together and she mercifully broke up with me. I was just so weak. She got a new boyfriend, I almost got a restraining order. (She withdrew the case in the judges chamber's on condition I NEVER contact her again) In short succession I slept with multiple partners, a few times while blackout drunk, a few one night stands and I left a wake of pain, regret, broken hearts and shame. All consensual.
Finally I tried to OD on sleeping pills, went back to the mental institute and whilst there someone dear called and told me that to gain my life I had to give it away. Found religion, resigned from the Fire brigade.
Footnote~ The ex got married and became a mother sometime during, heard it through the grapevine. She'll never have to see me again, that was her wish and one I will gladly grant.
Learn about NoFap {insert above post}
I fled a couple of states over, away from everything I had broken and everyone I'd hurt. Went on a journey, forgave myself, hated myself, loathed myself, forgave myself again, went on another journey. The whole time PMO and MO come and go.
Streaks came and went. Depression stayed and suicidal thoughts came back like a long lost friend.
FFW to now
I'm cold turkey from substances and on a 18 day streak. I've come to realise you can't run from this demon. PAWS or Post-accute Withdrawal Syndrome is real and even with my longer streaks I've only been kicking the can further and further down the road by occasionally binge relapsing.
I haven't been in a relationship nor have I had sex since the fallout. Real intimacy absolutely terrifies me and I suffer from anxiety and depressive episodes.
But there's hope, I hope
I've been seeing a life coach, exercising and spending more time with friends and family and I've joined a men's prayer and accountability group.
The penny's dropped.
I can tell something has changed.
I'm coming back to life.
3 months ago I met a girl on a online dating platform, absolutely way out of my league, someone who's beautiful inside and out. I'll be meeting her for the first time this Friday and we'll be spending the weekend together, in a social setting.
I'm excited yet apprehensive. I don't want to place her on a pedestal but I want to treat her like a queen. We're only meeting and nothing intimate will happen, both of us want to wait until we're married be it with one another or someone else. But darn I'm excited. I want to hope again. I want to love and be loved.
I want to live again.
tl:dr

1. Porn can mess you up and the abyss is deeper than you can imagine.
2. Addiction is not about the substance but rather underlying behaviours and coping mechanisms.
3. Circumstances nor your past should determine your future.
4. There's alway's hope!

i dont want to make it sound like im romaticizing anything or im that im trying to accurately describe symtoms as what they should be called, i probably am gonna be innacurate in my describing but its the only ways i know how, to me its hard to see symtoms, to me its just my experience, this is me trying me best to just describe what it *looks* like based off knowing the descriptions of the symtoms i have and have been diagnosed to have and stuff and the only terms i know.
for me im like always manic it feels and ive noticed when im manic, every month or so give or take, it feels like i get depressed but also while manic? except not? and definitely some psychotic symtoms.
with my pychosis or whatever. what my experience with reality is vs what the experience is *supposed* to be and what ive been taught, i can tell when i feel myself going back and forth or having more true to "the" reality experiences vs true to *my* reality experiences, just when im more in a reality that is not supposed to be its harder to agree that its not supposed to be being its my own reality, its true to me, when im not experiencing "false" reality so much its way easier to agree with whats being said, but i still have never felt 100% in or agree with the reality im supposed to, ever.
it feels like when im manic, my reality almost starts becoming this manic reality, it reminds me of when i do mushrooms almost. its like "magic wonderland" along with everyones keeping a giant secret from me and wants to hurt me, and theres like this spacey excited feeling over top everything like my mind is so loudly empty, like im looking at everything and its blurry but so clear underneath at the same time, which can get scary *or* fun. but every month or so give or take it feels like my whole body and anything having to do with my ego just gives up and gets so tired and unmotivated but im still in this reality where anything is possible and i have a body that can do anything and i start forgetting my body feels like it wants to fall into bed forever and enever get back up and is empty, i force through and get back to making me do everything but its not "me" like the ego this exists in me, its just like the thoughts i have and my feelings are whats doing it all and honestly i dont mind at all but it feels like my body minds a lot? idk, why my body keep trying to get tired i been getting a good few hours of sleep every day normally this is enough and now i need to take a nap too everyday.
but i can also *not* push through, i can let my body rest how it wants to for some reason, i can let myself feel the emptiness and drain and isolate a little and reality starts becoming "normalized" (based off whats supposed to be) and i feel less in lala land but then it goes too far (very quickly) and reality becomes scary and the hunters try to get me and the man creature tries to get me and im all alone and the world is just so shadowy and dark and exactly the opposite experience its like everything is clear on top of this blurry world. opposed to when im more manic. nothing is spacey anymore, everything feels almost too real plus a lot that shouldnt be real. and then im like in a full on depressive episode, just sometimes its easier to fight than other times, like if i had a break up or something big i likely wouldnt be able to fight it, it would basically imediatly trigger a distint episode, but if its just life then its easier to avoid the episode that woulda been.
its like the ego in me and my body, get manic and depressed, and then im just here in my reality like a floating little spirit watching them make my reality and world change everytime or at least if i give into them and what they want? (as much as i have control over)
and there are times where i do feel just pretty freakin normal and like reality is pretty freakin close to what its "supposed" to be. its not always so black and white, theres a LOT of grey.
like i said idk exactly all the words and stuff this is just my best attempt at describing my experience in a way that can be comprehended into something relatable is my hope, using the only terms i know.

As we are getting a trailer for... let's say a much changed version of the Second Age today, I decided I would share what a first season in a series might look like for the story of Tolkien’s Second Age, while staying very close to the timeline and characters. This is a very stretched out timeline, and might actually work better over 2 seasons, but in this case we would get the "War with the Elves and Sauron" in Season 2. I’ve taken some ideas I’ve seen from other creators who have made similar attempts at this, namely Council of Rings and Tolkien Untangled, but most are my own. As of now I’m not aware of a complete outline that exists for the first season of this sort of adaptation. In any case, this outline is essentially a summary of a complete text with 10 chapters that exists but is still in progress.
I’ve split the season into 10 episodes, as I think that’s ideal, and into pairs of 3-episode arcs I call Sagas, which will cover certain time periods. But each of these sagas will more or less function like a contained story, following certain characters during periods of their lives. And each is about 3 episodes between 50-60 minutes, meaning each is the length of a long film.
I started with a compressed timeline where season 1 would take place between 1200-1600, starting with the year Annatar arrives in Ost-in-Edhil. In this timeline Tar-Aldarion would essentially switch places with Tar-Surion. I think that the actual canon timeline allows for a very interesting look at the differences in passage of time between elves, Númenoreans, and Middle Men. It's more challenging but also more rewarding. The drawbacks of the canon timeline are that Aldarion dies close to mid-season, whereas in the compressed timeline we could follow Aldarion as he ages throughout the season. Therefore the whole season takes place between SA 725 and SA 1600.
That being said, there are still a few alterations and non-canon additions. The big alteration is that Annatar steals the nine when he leaves Eregion around SA 1500, instead of when he destroys Ost-in-Edhil around SA 1695. The other non-canon additions are Middle Men characters, which there are few examples during this time period, that Annatar can begin to seduce with the Rings of Power.
This was just a bunch of fun for me, but I hope this effort will demonstrate that we can have a great story that stays faithful to Tolkien’s timeline and characters.

Sagas of the Second Age: Season 1
Saga 1 (Episodes 1-3): The Mariner (covering events from SA 725-750)
Elrond. In the first prologue scene around SA 440, Elros as an old man arrives in Mithlond to visit his brother Elrond. Elros is fulfilling a promise to Elrond to visit him when he senses death is near. The two brothers spend time together before Elros departs back for Númenor.
Aldarion. Three hundred years later around SA 725 in Númenor, Aldarion and Erendis witness the corination of his father Tar-Meneldur in Armenelos. The next day, Aldarion sets out from Númenor with his grandfather to spend a year at the court of High King Gil-galad, but he is told by Meneldur not to go beyond Mithlond. Eventually, Aldarion decides to travel outside Mithlond, against his father’s wishes. Elrond offers to join him, seeing an opportunity to spend time with his brother’s descendant. Together they discover the dwarf cities of Ered Luin, and then the future site of Vinyalondë at the mouth of the Gwathló. Aldarion discovers the that the Men of Middle-earth are not as evil as he was told by his family in Númenor, and that some even speak the same language of the Edain that he does. Elrond and Aldarion then travel to Amroth’s kingdom in Belfalas. While Amroth is showing Aldarion the black lands of Mordor in the distance, they are ambushed by orcs, and narrowly escape with their lives. Before departing back for Númenor, Aldarion says goodbye to his new friend Elrond and the High King Gil-galad. Back in Númenor, Aldarion meets Erendis again and proposes to her. She asks if he is done with his travels, he says he is, and she accepts.
High King Gil-galad. Gil-galad endeavors to heal the trauma of Middle-earth. While Aldarion is travelling the lands of Middle-earth, he goes to settle a conflict between kingdoms of Gwaithirum and Breeland. A battle ensues between these kingdoms of Men and Gil-galad is unable to stop it. Before Aldarion departs back for Númenor, Gil-galad tells him that he would very much welcome his help in mediating the conflicts of the tribes of Middle-earth, as Aldarion speaks their language. Gil-galad perceives the return of the shadow of Morgoth, and departs to discover the source.
Galadriel. By lake Evendim, Galadriel admits Celebrimbor into her company. Despite the history of their families and some initial distrust between them, they realize they have a shared vision for continuing the great works of Gondolin. Together they discover the dwarf kingdom of Kazad-dûm. Galadriel is able to convince the dwarves of the mutual benefit of their cooperation in crafting. Durin III is eventually convinced, he agrees to allow and to help with the establishment of the future capital of Eregion: Ost-in-Edhil. There the works of the Noldor and dwarves will benefit each other for many centuries.

Saga 2 (Episodes 4-6): The Stirring of Númenor (Covering events from SA 1075-1350)
Elrond. About three hundred years later in SA 1075, Elrond arrives in Númenor to see his friend, now king, Tar-Aldarion. He is also tasked to ask the Númenoreans to prepare for war, as Gil-galad is now certain of the return of the shadow of Morgoth. Tar-Aldarion, now an old man, has reached an age where he must yeild the sceptre, in the tradition of the Kings of Númenor. He decides to leave Númenor’s official response to Elrond as a decision to his sucessor. Aldarion has only had one daughter Ancalimë with Erendis, and it is clear that there has been much friction in the marriage. His sister’s son Soronto is the nearest male heir. This situation causes a conflict in Armenelos between supporters of Soronto and supporters of Ancalimë, also between those who want to heed Gil-galad's call and those who don't. Ancalimë is seen as the elf-friend, while Soronto is staunchly against the armament of Númenor. Aldarion decides to change the law succession in Númenor in favor of Ancalimë. When Ancalimë is crowned, she reverses her initial position to heed Gil-galad, and decides to preserve Númenor as a land of peace.
Galadriel. Ost-in-Edhil is a great city now, and both elves and dwarves are seen thriving. A visitor from Aman arrives who calls himself Annatar. He demonstrates himself to be akin to the Noldor in his love and expertise with crafts, and says he was a student of Aüle. He wins the favor of Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, the crafter's guild, and soon becomes the favored partner of Celebrimbor. As the friction between Galadriel and Annatar increases, Annatar moves the Gwaith-i-Mírdain turn on Galadriel. She decides to depart to Lórinand by route of Kazad-dûm with her daughter Celebrían, while Celeborn stays behid in Eregion. Galadriel is graciously welcomed in Kazad-dûm, and her relationship with the dwarves grows greater. At last, she arrives in Lórinand and meets the King Amdír.

Saga 3 (Episodes 7-9): The Rings of Power (covering events from SA 1500-1590)
Celebrimbor. More than a hundred years later, sixteen Rings of Power are forged in Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain agree that seven of the rings should be gifted to the dwarven kings, as a token of thanks for their help in building Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor, however, decides that the rings are too dangerous for Men. Annatar and Celebrimbor have a heated disagreement on this point, and Annatar accuses Celebrimbor of withholding the bliss of Aman from Middle-earth. Annatar absconds with the remaining nine rings. Sensing that he has been deceived, Celebrimbor crafts the Three in secret. He gives two to Gil-galad, and the remaining to Galadriel, and admits that he was wrong to doubt her.
Gil-galad. Minastir, the heir of Númenor, stays in the halls of Gil-galad as Aldarion once did. Minastir meets with the descendants of the Middle Men Adlarion befriended, though many more generations have passed for them than for Minastir. Aldarion’s travels are a tale that some believe to be myth. Gil-galad and Minastir travel the lands of Eriador and mediate the conflicts of Middle Men.
Elrond. Elrond travels to Númenor for the first time in several hundred years on order of High King Gil-galad to implore once more that the Númenóreans to prepare for war. Tar-Teleprian, the second Queen of Númenor, rules in Númenor now. When Elrond arrives and presents the request of Gil-galad, there is a conflict between supporters of Ancalimë’s policy of isolation and those who believe that they should heed Gil-galad, the latter being lead by the Lord of Andunië – Silmariën’s heir. When Elrond presents further evidence that the shadow of Morgoth has returned, Tar-Teleprian ultimately decides that Númenor must prepare for war.
Annatar. Annatar begins seducing the Kings of Men and gifting rings. Annatar arrives in the halls of a Gwaithirum king called Halmir, a descendant of one of the generals of the battle in the first saga. Annatar tells Halmir that the Noldor are withholding the power of prolonged life from mortals, and gifts him a ring. As Halmir is an elf-friend, his ancestors all being loyal to High King Gil-galad, he refuses Annatar’s suggestion. Eventually, Halmir succumbs to his curiosity and doubt and puts the ring on, entering the Realm of Shadows. He perceives immediately that his decay has been slowed, and indeed that the Noldor may have deceived him.

Saga 4 (Episode 10): Orodruin (1600)
Sauron crafts the One Ring in Orodruin, and Barad-dûr, the largest fortress ever built, has been completed. We Annatar standing on at the height of Barad-dûr wearing the One, below his vast legions of orcs.
As soon as the One Ring has been crafted, Galadriel, Celebrimbor, and the others realize they have been deceived and that Annatar was in fact Sauron, and they remove their rings.
The Men who received Rings of Power from Sauron realize too late they are deceived, as they are completely subservient now to the will of Sauron.

I (29F NT) am extremely neurotypical and emotionally/mentally/financially stable. I’ve been struggling with my fiancé (31M dx rx) for a long time, and could really use some tailored words of wisdom. Lurking this subreddit/community has been so incredibly validating and helpful as I navigate this overwhelming journey… 2 years into our relationship and I feel like I’m at my breaking point. I doubt whether he’s capable of changing fast enough, I’m not sure I want this for my life anymore. Things will only get harder as we age and kids are thrown in the mix…
The past year has been soul-crushing, I’m a shell of the person I used to be. I’ve self-isolated from friends, had depressive episodes (never had that before), gained an excessive amount of weight, am frequently paranoid and anxious (never had anxiety before). I just never have long-lasting peace, it has destroyed my mental health. Before all this, I was eager to get engaged/married while he was nervous and wanted to take it slow. Now things have flip-flopped: he proposed far earlier than I thought he would, and I’m hitting the breaks uncertain of our future when I’m supposed to be planning a wedding (I refuse to until I see long-term/consistent improvement from him).
I can say that thankfully, my fiancé is not on the extreme end of ADHD. He doesn’t struggle holding a job, he isn’t a slob, he doesn’t shut down sexually, etc. He was diagnosed with ADD (so inattentive ADHD) when he was 18, and has been taking Adderall since. He does not take as much as he is prescribed, which I’ve questioned and he brushed off. We have gotten into heated, and ridiculous, arguments since early-on in our relationship.
Fall last year I unintentionally stumbled upon the emotional dysregulation aspect of ADHD. I was watching reels on Facebook, and in one a woman started by saying “If your partner has ADHD, watch this.” I continued watching, and 5-10 seconds later she mentioned in passing how they have problems with emotional regulation. I was immediately floored and replayed the video to make sure I heard it correctly. I Googled it and, low and behold: there was article after article about this. I read bullet point after bullet point of the manifestations of ADHD, and I couldn’t believe how it described exactly what I had been dealing with for nearly a year and a half.
My entire life I thought ADHD just meant someone had more difficulty focusing or they were hyperactive. This is what most of [uninformed] society thinks, and also what my fiancé himself thought. Over a 12+ year period since being diagnosed, not a single doctor or psychiatrist ever once mentioned the emotional dysregulation aspect of ADHD to my fiancé. He had no idea! Previously, I had chalked up our problems to political differences and that for his entire 20s he was always around (and dated) people very different from me. So I thought he just had trouble adjusting away from judgmental worldviews he had adopted while being surrounded by like-minded people for so long.
The discovery of emotional dysregulation and RSD was ground-breaking for us. He had been starting to think I was the problem since he “didn’t have these problems in my previous relationships.” Well that’s because he always dated less-mentally-stable people (his most recent girlfriend was diagnosed bipolar), so by comparison he was always the more stable one in the relationship and the magnifying glass was pointed away from him. Making the link between our problems and his ADHD made it tangible in a way that he could understand, which provided a foundation for his growth and improvements to begin (alongside therapy). But it’s very difficult for a 30+ year old man with a brain disorder to unlearn bad habits he was fully unaware of & learn how to retrain his brain to process information in a healthy way…
My fiancé has externalized RSD - he becomes highly reactive and verbally aggressive. He is hypersensitive, his brain distorts reality and interprets innocuous questions/statements like “did you put water in the soap dispenser” or “that’s a lot of cereal” as personal attacks. He also has a very big problem not respecting certain differences in opinion we have, or not respecting my choice to not eat/do certain things - he will push and push and push and push, will not stop pushing even after I calmly & nicely asked him to stop dozens of times after dozens of arguments, will not stop even after I’m sobbing begging him to please stop with tears streaming down my face. What are these explosive arguments about? The most mundane, inconsequential things. I wish this was made-up: HOV lanes, me not wanting to eat salad, me not wanting to eat warm guac, me not wanting to eat mustard, me not wanting to try Adderall or coke, me having a different view/opinion on how we should heat up a frozen pizza, me not wanting to eat mushrooms because they make me sick, etc etc.
Every single time we have an explosive argument, he pushes and pushes and pushes. When I reiterate, for the 100th time, that I have autonomy over my own body and don’t need to do anything I don’t want to do, he tries to manipulate me by flipping the script and parroting words/phrases I’ve used in previous discussions (like saying I’m being “disrespectful” and “dismissive” of his feelings/opinions because I won’t do what he wants me to do). Only once he calms down does he realize how badly he effed-up, profusely apologizes, and promises to never do it again and that he’s capable of being better… But then he just does it again and again and again and again and again and AGAIN.
He tries to play the victim and come off as reasonable by saying that he’s just “trying to understand” me by asking questions. I told him that is a cop-out because after I’ve explained how I feel, he ignores it since it doesn’t make sense to him & doesn’t line up with what he thinks/believes, and instead he continues pushing/pressuring me.
More recently he also claims that he isn’t trying to pressure me to do anything TO MYSELF, he’s just sharing his own experiences and thoughts with me so I can understand him better. When you repetitively “share your experiences/thoughts” on XYZ after I made it clear dozens of times that I don’t want to do XYZ and to please stop pressuring me to, even if you don’t explicitly state “You should try XYZ,” you are still INDIRECTLY pushing/pressuring me.
I. am. SO TIRED. Resentment has been growing, I’m paranoid and anxious, I don’t trust him (because he has repeatedly lied to me), his substance use (alcohol and weed) has become less and less attractive. He claimed a long time ago that I’m obsessed with being right, but he’s just projecting - he’s the one obsessed with “being right.” While he loves how I do all the paperwork-related “adult” part of life, he gets really annoyed that I’m almost always ‘right’ about things while he is not - so he takes it out on me.
Things have gotten to the point of reactive abuse, which I warned him about a few months into our relationship (at the time I didn’t know the term, just the concept). I’m having such a hard time making my mind up on where to go from here. When things are good, they are so good. He is a genuine person and a good man, we have SO much love for each other. We share many laughs and have built a life together. But… his brain is plagued with a disorder (that he was not fully informed on & did not begin attempting to manage until 6 months ago) that breaks me down.
While he has improved since the ADHD link was discovered and he started therapy, he continues slipping up and defaulting back to his regular BS. I don’t think I can take it anymore. I don’t want to waste more years of my life, or end up trapped in a marriage because of kids… I’m afraid that’s what it will come to, and I’ll be forever mad at myself for sticking around despite the red flags and what I knew about his condition.
BUT… What if it’s possible for him to improve and stop hurting me? Maybe he needs different medication? Maybe there are other communication approaches we can try? Maybe there’s a better kind of ADHD-specific therapy out there (I don’t think his/our current therapist is helping much)?
I know that he has a long way to go, and that I need to focus on healing. What are methods that have worked for you? Is there a better way I can go about looking for a therapist that specializes in adult ADHD & who truly understands it and can help? My fiancé acknowledges and understands that he has a problem, I can see that he is genuinely trying to improve - he wants to be a better person for himself and also be the partner I deserve. He is struggling to make it happen, he wants it SO badly - he doesn’t want to lose me or the life we have together. I just don’t know how much more of this I can take… Please, any advice & support would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read.

Credit to MultiverSusie on Twitter for pointing this cross-promo out initially!
On May 28th and 29th, Boomerang will be airing specific programming for the launch of MultiVersus. Breaking down the Adventure Time episodes alone clued me into the fact that these episodes seem HIGHLY relevant for future speculation. Let's call this "Boomerang Theory."
The Rules for Boomerang Theory
Even though clues may be present for properties like Looney Tunes, Popeye, and Scooby-Doo, I personally consider it to be unlikely to come to any informed speculation regarding shows that air on Boomerang daily. There are some exceptions,, but for right now I am only focusing in on the shows specifically coming to Boomerang for the event.
Shows #1-2: Taz-Mania and Duck Dodgers

• These shows are part of Boomerang's regular rotation... BUT they air rather infrequently. To specifically air them on MVS Day makes sense for Taz, but Duck Dodgers is one I want to call MAJOR attention to. I don't want to jump the gun but this may be soft confirmation of Daffy. Taz could maybe get something?

Movie #1: Aloha, Scooby-Doo!

• Daphne is a MAJOR player in this one.

Movie #2: Scooby-Doo! & Batman: The Brave and the Bold

• I honestly don't think we can point out specific characters in this one- probably just a convenient crossover. Maybe Scooby will have a skin from this film?

Show #3: Teen Titans Go!

• Anything Titans is an immediate flag, as no members of the team are currently in the game. My bets are on Raven, since she's been heavily rumored for quite a while. Plus we already have Tara Strong as Harley and (presumably) now Bubbles.
  • However: this is also the closest thing to a Batman show currently airing on CN. If they took the brand synergy route, this might just be a stand-in for DC itself. I'd even see TTG being used as the base for any and all Warner Bros crossovers, so I'm not taking it super seriously atm.
• "Warner Bros. 100th Anniversary" (S8E24) is apt for this game, as it features the Titans meeting several WB icons from TONS of different Hanna-Barbera, Cartoon Network, and WB Animation properties, plus The Wizard of Oz, Elf, and Gremlins.
• "The Cruel Giggling Ghoul" (S3E23) is pretty easy. It's a Scooby-Doo parody starring the Teen Titans, featuring LeBron.
• "TV Knight" (S4E5) is the first in a long-running subplot where we tune into the Titans' television to see what's on. I honestly think this is being aired in reference to Rick and Morty's similar bit, "Interdimensional Cable," but it's worth mentioning that Batman watching TV is the framing device, plus Robin's segment specifically revolves around his relationship with Batman.
  • Another point in favor of Raven: Trigon makes an appearance. Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Starfire also have their own segments, but only Raven's has to do with her actual lore.
• "Jam" (S7E23) is intriguing to me. Not only is it the first time Harley appears as a speaking role in the show, but Poison Ivy and Catwoman are with her. Ivy is another one of those heavily rumored characters, and Catwoman makes a lot of sense for a slot. Additionally, their plot revolves around recruiting Raven and Starfire. I could see any/all of this being relevant info.
• "DC" (S7E24) is, much like the first two, an easy target. The Titans get invited to DC HQ to celebrate Wonder Woman's birthday, it's filled with DC cameos, and off-topic but it ends with a giant robot battle between DC Comics and Marvel Comics which is super fun.

Show #4: Adventure Time - SPOILERS!

• "Jake the Dog" (S5E2) heavily features Farmworld Finn. We could see him showing up as a skin, we could see a Farmworld map, I could even link this episode to the fact that a grown-up Farmworld Finn later appears in Fionna and Cake. Lots to go off of here, but definitely the least specific of the four.
• "Simon and Marcy" (S5E14) is a FASCINATING one. Marceline has been heavily rumored for quite a long time, is one of the most requested characters for the game, and this episode is her origin story. ADDITIONALLY, because this game focuses heavily on duos, I could easily see Ice King showing up as well- after all, this episode and "I Remember You" are the finale of his origin story as well.
  • A possible deviation would be for the post-Mushroom War wasteland to become a stage? Maybe both?
• "Escape from the Citadel" (S6E2) is the episode where Finn loses his arm. If the NHL promos were any indication, Finn should reflect this change in-game, or at least have it as a skin.
• "The Hall of Egress" (S7E24) has a very specific Finn look that might make sense as a skin.

Show #5: Steven Universe - SPOILERS!

• I very honestly think the following episodes are all supposed to focus in on Garnet's arc: the mystery of her character, her reveal as a Fusion, the horrific experimentation of Fusion by the Kindergarten, and Garnet's origin story. However, I will still break them down here.
  • Another easy choice, "Garnet's Universe" (S1E33) is simply an episode where Steven recounts a made-up narrative where he tries to guess what Garnet does with her day. Steven and Garnet, easy.
  • "Jail Break" (S1E52) holds quite a bit of significance:
    • This is another big episode for Garnet, featuring her song "Stronger Than You" as well as her two halves, Ruby and Sapphire.
    • Lapis, Peridot, and Jasper are also here- this is actually the episode where Lapis betrays Jasper while in their combined Malachite form, as well as the episode where Peridot makes her way to Earth via escape pod.
    • Another big candidate for inclusion: the final shot of this episode is an incoming call from Connie.
  • "Keeping It Together" (S2E8) is ANOTHER big episode for Garnet, specifically centered on the practice of Gem Fusion, but ALSO takes place in the Kindergarten, which is Amethyst's origin.
    • Another argument for Peridot, as this episode revolves around the gems searching for her in the Kindergarten.
  • "The Answer" (S2E22) is ANOTHER GARNET EPISODE but some minor notes:
    • This is a direct follow-up to the events of "Jail Break"
    • The Cloud Arena makes an appearance
    • As this is a flashback, the only Gems present on the team prior to Garnet are Pearl and Rose. Might as well mention them? But they haven't been a huge part of these episodes thus far.

Hi all,
Want to preface this by saying I do not have a diagnosis of OCD, but this is literally ruining my life.
I have an irrational fear of accidentally leaving my dog in the car, or forgetting I took my dog with me somewhere. This has never happened IRL, and the fear is so strong that I will cry hysterically, even if my dog is at home with my mom. The same fears and worries come up in regard to his leash coming undone, someone unclipping his leash and taking him, something happening to him while I am at school, him starving to death if I miss his feeding time by like 20 minutes, the fear that I am secretly abusing him, fear of losing control and hurting him or killing him.... lots of terrible thoughts that disturb me for hours on end. They're like visions, almost. I can see it happen in my mind when the thoughts come up. It makes my loved ones uncomfortable when I just burst out crying randomly, as I have been trying to avoid talking about it to them because I know that is a compulsion and I'm trying not to make things worse.
Basically all the fears and thoughts that a mother has about her baby post-partum, but it's my dog.
I live with my parents and I feel unable to ever move out at this point, because when I have a full time job, he will be home alone. I need to get this under control. I try to ignore the thoughts but it doesn't help very much. I previously would ask my mom to send me photos of him, or I would go downstairs and hold him while I cried, but even if he is not present in a 20 mile radius of me I still have these thoughts (I understand these are also all behaviors to not indulge in, and I have had success in limiting them unless it is absolutely overwhelming). They started around this time last year, or maybe a little earlier, and have gone through phases where they aren't as bad, but the episodes happen every other day at least.
Has anyone experienced something like this, and if so, were you able to get it taken care of? Is there any specific methods of therapy I should pursue, or coping skills that are NOT COMPULSIONS? I currently have a therapist but her advice is just "change meds." I don't know what to do. It's ruining my life.

TLDR; My kids don't like their dad, even so far as resent him because he is always working.
I (f30) have been with my husband (m30) for 12 years. Together we have a ten year old daughter and a five year old son. Both special needs. Husband is suspected to be on the spectrum.
My husband and I grew up in vastly different childhoods. He is an immigrant from the Philippines and had a family that showed no affection or love. I, however, grew up with a Mom who never let us forget how much she loved us. This has played a big role in our parenting styles.
My husband and my daughter have never had the best relationship. To my perspective it seem that he just doesn't know how to act with kids. They are also so alike that they can butt heads. When my son was born, my husband had a much easier time bonding with him. Up until 1.5 years old, they were two peas in a pod. My daughter was 6 when I had my son, and she saw the difference In how they were treated.
Side note: my daughter has been in therapy since 5 due to catastrophic anxiety and has even had to be medicated.
My daughter started to think her dad didn''t like her, which was understandable to me. And it was something she worked on in therapy. Then the dialoged changed from thinking her dad doesn't like her, to now she doesn't like her dad.
My husband has always worked hard to provide for us, making sure bills are always paid, there's always food, etc. I always worked full time as well, until 2020. In 2020 my husband got a job as an executive chef, since the kids had to be home due to covid, we decided I would quit my job and stay with the kids. It was cheaper than child care.
If you look up "what it's actually like being a chef's wife" you instantly see it's very lonely. My husband works 16-18 hour days, he has two scheduled days off, but sometimes he has to go in on those days as well. When he is home he does his best to help out and spend time with us. However, he is understandably exhausted.
Once my son started pre-k, he no longer gets to see my husband very much at all. His bus arrives before his dad is up, and his dad gets home after my son is asleep. He see's him sundays, and Monday evenings. That's it. My husband missed him growing into childhood. My daughter only see's him every day because her school starts later and he often takes her to school. She's asleep before he gets home as well. I feel like a single parent most of the time.
On my own I got my daughter's mental health stable and got her off meds by age 8.
My daughter kept consistent with saying she doesn't like her dad, only it changed to hate. She started saying she hates when he is home. Even though in my eyes, their relationship looks (on the surface,) to be much better now that she is older. My son, four at the time, started to say he didn't like daddy, only mommy.
I talked to my husband about spending more time with them, try to bond a little more, maybe take an occasional day off (he hasn't taken one off in four years). He felt really guilty and spiraled into a deep depression. In his head, there is NO room for adjusting his schedule, or taking extra time off.
Another side note: In the middle of all this my husband was offered a different exec chef job, which would of paid about the same, but we would of had benefits, PTO, Bonuses, and a family friendly schedule. But it's corporate, which he hates. He loves where he cooks at now.
Both kids have been keeping up with the negative feelings toward their dad (it's very obvious he loves them). Everytime I tried to talk to my daughter about it, go deeper, as in WHY she feels this way, I was met with "I don't know" and she would shut down.
Yesterday I pick up my daughter from school and when we get home she sees her dad is home. Instantly her attitude changes and she starts saying how she hates her dad, she wishes he wasn't home and that he would just leave forever. However this time she told me a little more. She's depressed, she wanted to go back on meds, and she's just having a hard time all together. She told me she resented her dad for never being there. That he isn't her father and she would be happy if she never saw him again.
I validated her feelings, I mean, I totally get where she is coming from, and I let her know we would get through this together.
It hurts my heart to hear these things. I don't know how to handle the situation.
Should I tell my husband and hope it gets through to him enough for him to make a change? Or do I just spare my husband feelings because most likely nothing is going to change and this way we'd avoid another depression episode, and just be there for my daughter, handle it on my own?
HELP!

There is no sex in this episode, and it is more of a filler episode as to what is to be seen. Next week's episode is definitely going to be worth the wait! All characters are 18+
There was no way for me to take my mind off what Alexa and I had talked about before I went and slept with Luca. Sure, in the moment, it was enough to fog my thoughts and fill them with lustful desire, but it didn’t erase the fact that I was going to be dad, and somehow, I had to tell Luca and Travis. We are not all exclusive to one another, but I hope they will say to me if we are in the same shoes. I’m going to be telling them tonight.
I didn’t know how to go about it. Hey, so you know how I was straight before, like a month ago? Yeah? My ex-girlfriend just told me I’m going to be a dad, I thought to myself, but it sounded stupid in my head, and more than likely would sound stupid aloud.
“They’re going to kill me,” I sighed, tossing on my shirt and slumped down on my bed.
“Who’s going to kill you?” my roommate asked. I had forgotten that he was here; he never really said anything. “Your boyfriends?”
“They are not my boyfriends,” I scoffed. “But yes, Luca and Travis.”
“For what?”
“My ex is pregnant and is claiming I’m her baby daddy,” I exclaimed.
“They are so going to kill you,” he laughed at me. “Those boys are like lowkey obsessed with you, you must fuck them real good if they keep coming back.”
My face reddened at his comment, and I didn’t want to admit the truth, so I just went with it. “Not helpful, and I know,” a slight smirk spread across my cheeks. “I just have to sit them down and tell them it doesn’t change anything, I don’t even know if I’m the father, it has been nearly a month since I last slept with Alexa, and the idea now seems even grosser than it was in those moments before Luca and Travis.
“I’ll start planning your funeral,” he said, giving me side-eye and pulling out his notebook. So, who do you want to speak about? Travis and Luca are clearly off the board now.”
“Bro, just stop,” I huffed. “They’re just going to need to understand.” For a long time I was that straight boy, the one that craved the touch of women, to feel their delicate skin, and no inclination of doing anything with my butt. Alexa is the one that changed me, which I think is for the better, but it was her fault; she was the one that left, and she was the one that did this to me. “Any tips?”
“Just rip it off like a bandaid, and then offer them your cock,” he shrugged. “Bro, you must be so lucky; I’d kill to have two chicks go down on me.” I wanted to laugh and tell him the truth because he was stereotyping my position based on the fact that I’m a jock and Luca and Travis are nerds. But I also didn’t want to make it weird. I know he would have if he had known that I was the one getting filled by both of them regularly.
“It’s nice to be able to get some whenever I want, and threesomes are easy to arrange,” I chuckled. “Well, when you’re not here.”
“Fuck, bro my room sees more action than I do,” he groaned. “If they care about you, it won’t matter, man, but I do recommend getting a paternity test done as soon as you can.”
“I was thinking about that,” I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “Do you think I might not be the dad?”
“Dude, you’ve been fucking with Luca and Travis for what? Like a month now? And she left you high and dry like six weeks ago. Don’t you think it’s possible she was screwing with someone else?” He spelled out for me his doubts and created even more doubts within me. Alexa wouldn’t do that . . . I also told her not to touch my butt. . . and she did it anyways . . . maybe to expose me to anal bliss . . . to justify her leaving me for her side piece, I wondered, did she even have a side piece? None of it made sense to me. “If I were you, I’d be demanding that paternity test and bounce when you find out it’s not yours. Don’t let that bitch ruin what you have.”
“How did you become so wise, Camden?” I asked, feeling as if some weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
“To be honest, I’ve been jealous of you with those boys. They remind me of the boy I was once more than just friends with,” Camden divulged, “my father is also a lawyer–”
“Wait, a damn minute,” I interjected. “You’ve had a boyfriend before, I thought you said you were not into that gay shit.”
“Maybe I was just trying to hide it; I haven’t thought about him in a long time. Two summers ago, I started to secretly see my best friend's younger brother after he got outed by my best friend,” Camden told me. “High school romance is not bound to last. College is where you make those friendships that never end.”
“It sounds like you have a wonderful best friend,” I laughed. “Are they just not compatible? Or too complicated?”
“Dating your parent's best friend's son is always complicated, especially when you spend nearly every summer together,” Camden chuckled. “It was just too complicated, and we ended things before anyone found out.”
“Dude, I want to know more. But I really need–”
“To go tell that bitch, you want a paternity test, and tell Luca and Travis you might be a Dad in nine months?” he furrowed his brow. “Text them, text them now.”
Nathan: Alexa, I've been thinking, and I want a paternity test.
Alexa: Wow didn't sleep with anyone besides you, you're the slut, but whatever.
Group Chat Travis 🎮🍆 & Luca 📓🍆
Nathan: Guys, we need to talk ASAP, in person.
Luca: I didn't have Travis's #, everything good Nate?
Travis: He probably wants some dick, Luca gonna get mine too, I wanna run a train.
Luca: I'm not a bottom Trav, you won't fit . . .
Nathan: I mean, I'm down, but we need to talk first.
“Do you mind giving me the room for a bit, they’re on their way over,” I told him, “and Alexa is being a cunt about it, but said fine.”
“Dude, I just admitted so much shit to you, it’s the least I could do,” Camden smiled. “Unless you wouldn’t be opposed to sharing those boys with me.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.

As we are getting a trailer for a much changed version of the Second Age today, I decided I would share what a first season in a series might look like for the story of Tolkien’s Second Age, while staying very close to the timeline and characters. I’ve taken some ideas I’ve seen from other creators who have made similar attempts at this, namely Council of Rings and Tolkien Untangled, but most are my own. As of now I’m not aware of a complete outline that exists for the first season of this sort of adaptation. In any case, this outline is essentially a summary of a complete text with 10 chapters that exists but is still in progress.
I’ve split the season into 10 episodes, as I think that’s ideal, and into pairs of 3-episode arcs I call Sagas, which will cover certain time periods. But each of these sagas will more or less function like a contained story, following certain characters during periods of their lives. And each is about 3 episodes between 50-60 minutes, meaning each is the length of a long film.
I started with a compressed timeline where season 1 would take place between 1200-1600, starting with the year Annatar arrives in Ost-in-Edhil. In this timeline Tar-Aldarion would essentially switch places with Tar-Surion. I think that the actual canon timeline allows for a very interesting look at the differences in passage of time between elves, Númenoreans, and Middle Men. It's more challenging but also more rewarding. The drawbacks of the canon timeline are that Aldarion dies close to mid-season, whereas in the compressed timeline we could follow Aldarion as he ages throughout the season. Therefore the whole season takes place between SA 725 and SA 1600.
That being said, there are still a few alterations and non-canon additions. The big alteration is that Annatar steals the nine when he leaves Eregion around SA 1500, instead of when he destroys Ost-in-Edhil around SA 1695. The other non-canon additions are Middle Men characters, which there are few examples during this time period, that Annatar can begin to seduce with the Rings of Power.
This was just a bunch of fun for me, but I hope this effort will demonstrate that we can have a great story that stays faithful to Tolkien’s timeline and characters.

Sagas of the Second Age: Season 1
Saga 1 (Episodes 1-3): The Mariner (covering events from SA 725-750)
Elrond. In the first prologue scene around SA 440, Elros as an old man arrives in Mithlond to visit his brother Elrond. Elros is fulfilling a promise to Elrond to visit him when he senses death is near. The two brothers spend time together before Elros departs back for Númenor.
Aldarion. Three hundred years later around SA 725 in Númenor, Aldarion and Erendis witness the corination of his father Tar-Meneldur in Armenelos. The next day, Aldarion sets out from Númenor with his grandfather to spend a year at the court of High King Gil-galad, but he is told by Meneldur not to go beyond Mithlond. Eventually, Aldarion decides to travel outside Mithlond, against his father’s wishes. Elrond offers to join him, seeing an opportunity to spend time with his brother’s descendant. Together they discover the dwarf cities of Ered Luin, and then the future site of Vinyalondë at the mouth of the Gwathló. Aldarion discovers the that the Men of Middle-earth are not as evil as he was told by his family in Númenor, and that some even speak the same language of the Edain that he does. Elrond and Aldarion then travel to Amroth’s kingdom in Belfalas. While Amroth is showing Aldarion the black lands of Mordor in the distance, they are ambushed by orcs, and narrowly escape with their lives. Before departing back for Númenor, Aldarion says goodbye to his new friend Elrond and the High King Gil-galad. Back in Númenor, Aldarion meets Erendis again and proposes to her. She asks if he is done with his travels, he says he is, and she accepts.
High King Gil-galad. Gil-galad endeavors to heal the trauma of Middle-earth. While Aldarion is travelling the lands of Middle-earth, he goes to settle a conflict between kingdoms of Gwaithirum and Breeland. A battle ensues between these kingdoms of Men and Gil-galad is unable to stop it. Before Aldarion departs back for Númenor, Gil-galad tells him that he would very much welcome his help in mediating the conflicts of the tribes of Middle-earth, as Aldarion speaks their language. Gil-galad perceives the return of the shadow of Morgoth, and departs to discover the source.
Galadriel. By lake Evendim, Galadriel admits Celebrimbor into her company. Despite the history of their families and some initial distrust between them, they realize they have a shared vision for continuing the great works of Gondolin. Together they discover the dwarf kingdom of Kazad-dûm. Galadriel is able to convince the dwarves of the mutual benefit of their cooperation in crafting. Durin III is eventually convinced, he agrees to allow and to help with the establishment of the future capital of Eregion: Ost-in-Edhil. There the works of the Noldor and dwarves will benefit each other for many centuries.

Saga 2 (Episodes 4-6): The Stirring of Númenor (Covering events from SA 1075-1350)
Elrond. About three hundred years later in SA 1075, Elrond arrives in Númenor to see his friend, now king, Tar-Aldarion. He is also tasked to ask the Númenoreans to prepare for war, as Gil-galad is now certain of the return of the shadow of Morgoth. Tar-Aldarion, now an old man, has reached an age where he must yeild the sceptre, in the tradition of the Kings of Númenor. He decides to leave Númenor’s official response to Elrond as a decision to his sucessor. Aldarion has only had one daughter Ancalimë with Erendis, and it is clear that there has been much friction in the marriage. His sister’s son Soronto is the nearest male heir. This situation causes a conflict in Armenelos between supporters of Soronto and supporters of Ancalimë, also between those who want to heed Gil-galad's call and those who don't. Ancalimë is seen as the elf-friend, while Soronto is staunchly against the armament of Númenor. Aldarion decides to change the law succession in Númenor in favor of Ancalimë. When Ancalimë is crowned, she reverses her initial position to heed Gil-galad, and decides to preserve Númenor as a land of peace.
Galadriel. Ost-in-Edhil is a great city now, and both elves and dwarves are seen thriving. A visitor from Aman arrives who calls himself Annatar. He demonstrates himself to be akin to the Noldor in his love and expertise with crafts, and says he was a student of Aüle. He wins the favor of Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, the crafter's guild, and soon becomes the favored partner of Celebrimbor. As the friction between Galadriel and Annatar increases, Annatar moves the Gwaith-i-Mírdain turn on Galadriel. She decides to depart to Lórinand by route of Kazad-dûm with her daughter Celebrían, while Celeborn stays behid in Eregion. Galadriel is graciously welcomed in Kazad-dûm, and her relationship with the dwarves grows greater. At last, she arrives in Lórinand and meets the King Amdír.

Saga 3 (Episodes 7-9): The Rings of Power (covering events from SA 1500-1590)
Celebrimbor. More than a hundred years later, sixteen Rings of Power are forged in Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain agree that seven of the rings should be gifted to the dwarven kings, as a token of thanks for their help in building Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor, however, decides that the rings are too dangerous for Men. Annatar and Celebrimbor have a heated disagreement on this point, and Annatar accuses Celebrimbor of withholding the bliss of Aman from Middle-earth. Annatar absconds with the remaining nine rings. Sensing that he has been deceived, Celebrimbor crafts the Three in secret. He gives two to Gil-galad, and the remaining to Galadriel, and admits that he was wrong to doubt her.
Gil-galad. Minastir, the heir of Númenor, stays in the halls of Gil-galad as Aldarion once did. Minastir meets with the descendants of the Middle Men Adlarion befriended, though many more generations have passed for them than for Minastir. Aldarion’s travels are a tale that some believe to be myth. Gil-galad and Minastir travel the lands of Eriador and mediate the conflicts of Middle Men.
Elrond. Elrond travels to Númenor for the first time in several hundred years on order of High King Gil-galad to implore once more that the Númenóreans to prepare for war. Tar-Teleprian, the second Queen of Númenor, rules in Númenor now. When Elrond arrives and presents the request of Gil-galad, there is a conflict between supporters of Ancalimë’s policy of isolation and those who believe that they should heed Gil-galad, the latter being lead by the Lord of Andunië – Silmariën’s heir. When Elrond presents further evidence that the shadow of Morgoth has returned, Tar-Teleprian ultimately decides that Númenor must prepare for war.
Annatar. Annatar begins seducing the Kings of Men and gifting rings. Annatar arrives in the halls of a Gwaithirum king called Halmir, a descendant of one of the generals of the battle in the first saga. Annatar tells Halmir that the Noldor are withholding the power of prolonged life from mortals, and gifts him a ring. As Halmir is an elf-friend, his ancestors all being loyal to High King Gil-galad, he refuses Annatar’s suggestion. Eventually, Halmir succumbs to his curiosity and doubt and puts the ring on, entering the Realm of Shadows. He perceives immediately that his decay has been slowed, and indeed that the Noldor may have deceived him.

Saga 4 (Episode 10): Orodruin (1600)
Sauron crafts the One Ring in Orodruin, and Barad-dûr, the largest fortress ever built, has been completed. We Annatar standing on at the height of Barad-dûr wearing the One, below his vast legions of orcs.
As soon as the One Ring has been crafted, Galadriel, Celebrimbor, and the others realize they have been deceived and that Annatar was in fact Sauron, and they remove their rings.
The Men who received Rings of Power from Sauron realize too late they are deceived, as they are completely subservient now to the will of Sauron.

Just putting this out for conversation. I just did some basic searching and it seems Indonesia and Tunisia are the closest things to democracies in the Islamic world. There are almost 50 Muslim-majority countries and all are bad places to live for the most part. I guess there are benefits to places like Saudi Arabia or Quatar if you like low taxes, crime, and opulence, but they arent necessarily places you would raise a daughter IMO.
I know many people have pointed this out, and Sam’s last episode is the first place I’ve heard him literally describe the fact that so many of these Uber-left pro Palestinian protesters would be handily thrown off of roofs had they the opportunity- a point I’ve been making for a while.
I hate having to “agree” with the harder right here, which I feel is still generally the dumbest faction in America - stolen election, climate change hoax, back to Bronze Age logic, evolution is fake, weed is a good reason to go to prison, women’s reproductive rights, the list goes on- but the irony of seeing the farthest left people in America advocating for what they seem to be advocating for is mind blowing.
I am literally surrounded by people who think this and generally can’t even push back for fear of being labeled a genocidal maniac, when in reality they are advocating for that exact thing.
It’s truly apparent that it’s not just Fox News that has audience capture issues. I’m happy to be corrected where incorrect. How to address this? Perhaps we let Palestine into the UN, give them even more aid and freedom, and then watch the next Oct 7 happen and see if that wakes anyone up??

As we are getting a trailer for a much changed version of the Second Age today, I decided I would share what a first season in a series might look like for the story of Tolkien’s Second Age, while staying very close to the timeline and characters. I’ve taken some ideas I’ve seen from other creators who have made similar attempts at this, namely Council of Rings and Tolkien Untangled, but most are my own. As of now I’m not aware of a complete outline that exists for the first season of this sort of adaptation. In any case, this outline is essentially a summary of a complete text with 10 chapters that exists but is still in progress.
I’ve split the season into 10 episodes, as I think that’s ideal, and into pairs of 3-episode arcs I call Sagas, which will cover certain time periods. But each of these sagas will more or less function like a contained story, following certain characters during periods of their lives. And each is about 3 episodes between 50-60 minutes, meaning each is the length of a long film.
I started with a compressed timeline where season 1 would take place between 1200-1600, starting with the year Annatar arrives in Ost-in-Edhil. In this timeline Tar-Aldarion would essentially switch places with Tar-Surion. I think that the actual canon timeline allows for a very interesting look at the differences in passage of time between elves, Númenoreans, and Middle Men. It's more challenging but also more rewarding. The drawbacks of the canon timeline are that Aldarion dies close to mid-season, whereas in the compressed timeline we could follow Aldarion as he ages throughout the season. Therefore the whole season takes place between SA 725 and SA 1600.
That being said, there are still a few alterations and non-canon additions. The big alteration is that Annatar steals the nine when he leaves Eregion around SA 1500, instead of when he destroys Ost-in-Edhil around SA 1695. The other non-canon additions are Middle Men characters, which there are few examples during this time period, that Annatar can begin to seduce with the Rings of Power.
This was just a bunch of fun for me, but I hope this effort will demonstrate that we can have a great story that stays faithful to Tolkien’s timeline and characters.

Sagas of the Second Age: Season 1
Saga 1 (Episodes 1-3): The Mariner (covering events from SA 725-750)
Elrond. In the first prologue scene around SA 440, Elros as an old man arrives in Mithlond to visit his brother Elrond. Elros is fulfilling a promise to Elrond to visit him when he senses death is near. The two brothers spend time together before Elros departs back for Númenor.
Aldarion. Three hundred years later around SA 725 in Númenor, Aldarion and Erendis witness the corination of his father Tar-Meneldur in Armenelos. The next day, Aldarion sets out from Númenor with his grandfather to spend a year at the court of High King Gil-galad, but he is told by Meneldur not to go beyond Mithlond. Eventually, Aldarion decides to travel outside Mithlond, against his father’s wishes. Elrond offers to join him, seeing an opportunity to spend time with his brother’s descendant. Together they discover the dwarf cities of Ered Luin, and then the future site of Vinyalondë at the mouth of the Gwathló. Aldarion discovers the that the Men of Middle-earth are not as evil as he was told by his family in Númenor, and that some even speak the same language of the Edain that he does. Elrond and Aldarion then travel to Amroth’s kingdom in Belfalas. While Amroth is showing Aldarion the black lands of Mordor in the distance, they are ambushed by orcs, and narrowly escape with their lives. Before departing back for Númenor, Aldarion says goodbye to his new friend Elrond and the High King Gil-galad. Back in Númenor, Aldarion meets Erendis again and proposes to her. She asks if he is done with his travels, he says he is, and she accepts.
High King Gil-galad. Gil-galad endeavors to heal the trauma of Middle-earth. While Aldarion is travelling the lands of Middle-earth, he goes to settle a conflict between kingdoms of Gwaithirum and Breeland. A battle ensues between these kingdoms of Men and Gil-galad is unable to stop it. Before Aldarion departs back for Númenor, Gil-galad tells him that he would very much welcome his help in mediating the conflicts of the tribes of Middle-earth, as Aldarion speaks their language. Gil-galad perceives the return of the shadow of Morgoth, and departs to discover the source.
Galadriel. By lake Evendim, Galadriel admits Celebrimbor into her company. Despite the history of their families and some initial distrust between them, they realize they have a shared vision for continuing the great works of Gondolin. Together they discover the dwarf kingdom of Kazad-dûm. Galadriel is able to convince the dwarves of the mutual benefit of their cooperation in crafting. Durin III is eventually convinced, he agrees to allow and to help with the establishment of the future capital of Eregion: Ost-in-Edhil. There the works of the Noldor and dwarves will benefit each other for many centuries.

Saga 2 (Episodes 4-6): The Stirring of Númenor (Covering events from SA 1075-1350)
Elrond. About three hundred years later in SA 1075, Elrond arrives in Númenor to see his friend, now king, Tar-Aldarion. He is also tasked to ask the Númenoreans to prepare for war, as Gil-galad is now certain of the return of the shadow of Morgoth. Tar-Aldarion, now an old man, has reached an age where he must yeild the sceptre, in the tradition of the Kings of Númenor. He decides to leave Númenor’s official response to Elrond as a decision to his sucessor. Aldarion has only had one daughter Ancalimë with Erendis, and it is clear that there has been much friction in the marriage. His sister’s son Soronto is the nearest male heir. This situation causes a conflict in Armenelos between supporters of Soronto and supporters of Ancalimë, also between those who want to heed Gil-galad's call and those who don't. Ancalimë is seen as the elf-friend, while Soronto is staunchly against the armament of Númenor. Aldarion decides to change the law succession in Númenor in favor of Ancalimë. When Ancalimë is crowned, she reverses her initial position to heed Gil-galad, and decides to preserve Númenor as a land of peace.
Galadriel. Ost-in-Edhil is a great city now, and both elves and dwarves are seen thriving. A visitor from Aman arrives who calls himself Annatar. He demonstrates himself to be akin to the Noldor in his love and expertise with crafts, and says he was a student of Aüle. He wins the favor of Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, the crafter's guild, and soon becomes the favored partner of Celebrimbor. As the friction between Galadriel and Annatar increases, Annatar moves the Gwaith-i-Mírdain turn on Galadriel. She decides to depart to Lórinand by route of Kazad-dûm with her daughter Celebrían, while Celeborn stays behid in Eregion. Galadriel is graciously welcomed in Kazad-dûm, and her relationship with the dwarves grows greater. At last, she arrives in Lórinand and meets the King Amdír.

Saga 3 (Episodes 7-9): The Rings of Power (covering events from SA 1500-1590)
Celebrimbor. More than a hundred years later, sixteen Rings of Power are forged in Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain agree that seven of the rings should be gifted to the dwarven kings, as a token of thanks for their help in building Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor, however, decides that the rings are too dangerous for Men. Annatar and Celebrimbor have a heated disagreement on this point, and Annatar accuses Celebrimbor of withholding the bliss of Aman from Middle-earth. Annatar absconds with the remaining nine rings. Sensing that he has been deceived, Celebrimbor crafts the Three in secret. He gives two to Gil-galad, and the remaining to Galadriel, and admits that he was wrong to doubt her.
Gil-galad. Minastir, the heir of Númenor, stays in the halls of Gil-galad as Aldarion once did. Minastir meets with the descendants of the Middle Men Adlarion befriended, though many more generations have passed for them than for Minastir. Aldarion’s travels are a tale that some believe to be myth. Gil-galad and Minastir travel the lands of Eriador and mediate the conflicts of Middle Men.
Elrond. Elrond travels to Númenor for the first time in several hundred years on order of High King Gil-galad to implore once more that the Númenóreans to prepare for war. Tar-Teleprian, the second Queen of Númenor, rules in Númenor now. When Elrond arrives and presents the request of Gil-galad, there is a conflict between supporters of Ancalimë’s policy of isolation and those who believe that they should heed Gil-galad, the latter being lead by the Lord of Andunië – Silmariën’s heir. When Elrond presents further evidence that the shadow of Morgoth has returned, Tar-Teleprian ultimately decides that Númenor must prepare for war.
Annatar. Annatar begins seducing the Kings of Men and gifting rings. Annatar arrives in the halls of a Gwaithirum king called Halmir, a descendant of one of the generals of the battle in the first saga. Annatar tells Halmir that the Noldor are withholding the power of prolonged life from mortals, and gifts him a ring. As Halmir is an elf-friend, his ancestors all being loyal to High King Gil-galad, he refuses Annatar’s suggestion. Eventually, Halmir succumbs to his curiosity and doubt and puts the ring on, entering the Realm of Shadows. He perceives immediately that his decay has been slowed, and indeed that the Noldor may have deceived him.

Saga 4 (Episode 10): Orodruin (1600)
Sauron crafts the One Ring in Orodruin, and Barad-dûr, the largest fortress ever built, has been completed. We Annatar standing on at the height of Barad-dûr wearing the One, below his vast legions of orcs.
As soon as the One Ring has been crafted, Galadriel, Celebrimbor, and the others realize they have been deceived and that Annatar was in fact Sauron, and they remove their rings.
The Men who received Rings of Power from Sauron realize too late they are deceived, as they are completely subservient now to the will of Sauron.

Subtitle: The New Whoniverse and Quantum vs Classical Mechanics
(A discussion of some ideas that I'm still figuring out.)
Since the Doctor met Newton (also coincidentally the same episode that Susan Twist made her first cameo) we've been in a New Whoniverse (which the production hasn't exactly subtle about indicating!) as signalled by the use of Mavity.
In this Whoniverse we bid goodbye to the grandfather of classical mechanics, Newton, and we are now in the world of quantum mechanics. We enter a world where the science doesn't quite fit with all that we knew before.
How do we know it's quantum? Answer - The Double Slit Experiment.
The act of observation was proved to effect how established science worked. The behaviour changed as a result of the observation. Some of the characters are now acknowledging that they are being observed by talking and winking to camera and wondering if music is diegetic or not. The predictably laws of science have changed now that the particles / actors know they are being observed.
They go further and even the narrative breaks the fourth wall; in RTD's first series Bad Wolf was scattered across all Space and Time and the characters in the story discovered it. In this series Susan Twist has been scattered across Space and Time but only the observers could figure this out. Other examples include the Space Babies having a monster crafted for them by the Spaceship because it was what was needed for them but it was also needed for us watching the story.
There's possible links to Lewis Carroll and going down the rabbit hole (I think the nonsense in it was linked to advances in Science and Math - i think but need to check). And Terry Pratchett's concept of Narrativium. There's sound waves and particle duality and manipulation of the standard notions of time and space. The Pantheon are able to manipulate mass, time and space with ease against our perceived notions of physics.
I think it's incredibly complex and intricate story telling relying not just on the narrative in the story but elements reaching out of the story and only accessible to the observers.
Other ideas so far include: Music as sound which is a wave (so something about wave-particle duality), the non-binary nature of quantum computing or the superposition of all possible states at the same time, quantum entanglement. But there's not quite enough to go on yet.

Hey all, I'm back. Been pretty busy over the last couple of weeks but I'll be back for now. Still working on Grand World Tour, and the release date will be announced shortly.
Ripper, Ripper, Ripper. The alfalfa male. Two sides of the same coin of RealRipper and FakeRipper. He was made so hateable in season one with the fart jokes, with the climax in episode 5, and mellowed out whilst still keeping his charm for the remaining episodes he was in. He had excellent dynamics with Chase and Zee. He contributed in challenges in an unique way, such as when he picked up Priya to go coast to coast for the skull and him and Chase teaming up in the very first challenge. Even during merge, his prowess shows where he was able to be one of the first to bring an egg back to Chris and almost won immunity the very next episode. In season 2, his character mellowed out a lot, and while he still had some of his charm, it was almost like he became a completely different person this season. He had a good first four episodes, with his peak being in the glass tile game where he got two right, but the last three he became Gidgette 2.0 with Axel, to distract Prileb (Notice how they were fixed in the finale.) All in all, still very humoring to watch this season.
Characterization:
Boy oh boy where do I even begin. Back in the Reboot, this man was very mean-spirited and gross to the point he would shamelessly pick on people. He will also use underhanded tactics to achieve victory, such as using Priya as a human shield and having Zee distract a cassowary only to leave him behind.
He shows off a more vulnerable and softer side when he forms a crush on Axel, whom he goes to great lengths to impress yet fails. He eventually succeeds and cares about her immensely, going against his mentality that caring about other people makes you look weak, to the point he chooses to leave with Axel when she's eliminated.
Plot/Story Ideas:
Some ideas that say it better than I could with Ripper, starting with u/Slayquil (Shout out to that one fanfic with Ripper and Axel's pregnancy). "I'd like to see his character arc finish. He already changed a lot from 1 to 2, so maybe 3 could close it out? I'd also want to see more of his friendships with Chase and Zee, and also more of the cute type of relationship he has with Axel later (not whatever the hell s2e7 was...that was uncomfy to watch). I've said it before but with the right writing, I feel like they have the potential to be really fun and certainly less toxic than Prileb." I'd love to see him close out his character for the first three episodes of the new season. It would be nice to see more of his interactions.
One big issue arises, which is how he outlasted Axel, and I really doubt that it'll happen for a third time. It's why, and due to his personality, that I do not see him going far.
Character Rankings:
I'm a really big fan of Ripper's character, and I find him rather underrated as far as the reboot goes. Aside from his fart jokes, his interactions are some of the best of this reboot, namely coming from the Trout Trio and Axel. He was enjoyable to watch with his demeanor showing off a change of pace from what we usually see from the show, and hes portrayed as such. Season 2 has a lot of issues, starting from his interactions being less interesting (which is a Rematch problem), and was flanderized in his final few episodes. His relationship with Axel, while the build-up being interesting, came off rather rushed in the sense that Rippers character kinda became a different person.
Personal Ranking: 10/16; Season 3 placement: Early boot (14th-16th?)
Let me know your thoughts on Ripper as a character and potential plots he can have. Also let me know if I missed anything and leave a comment!

Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is the subject of heated debate. How are mast cell activation syndromes defined? Which diseases are included? What is the diagnosis and treatment of mast cell activation syndrome? Prof. Dr. Knut Brockow, Clinic and Polyclinic for Dermatology and Allergology at the Biederstein, Technical University of Munich answers these questions in an interview with MeinAllergiePortal.
Mast cell activation syndrome: The most important facts!
-The prototype of mast cell activation syndrome is recurrent anaphylaxis
-Other forms of idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome are being sought; however, there are mainly symptom descriptions where the diagnosis cannot be made
-Clinical suspicion of MCAS is based on recurring allergy-like symptoms on the skin, nose, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract and circulation
-The diagnosis of MCAS is made according to recognized international criteria based on three criteria
-MCAS is often suspected even when symptoms are inappropriate and the diagnosis is unclear; the suspicion is then not helpful for patients
-The same medications are used to treat MCAS as are used to treat allergies, in particular antihistamines and cromoglicic acid
Prof. Brockow, what kind of disease is MCAS?
Mast cell activation syndrome is not an established diagnosis, but rather a concept. Historically, this concept arose because an increasing number of patients came to the doctor's office with complaints that gave the impression of having been triggered by mast cells. These patients sometimes showed symptoms similar to those of allergic reactions, anaphylaxis or mastocytosis, but a clear diagnosis for these diseases could not be made. Nevertheless, it was suspected that there could at least be a connection with mast cell diseases. Unfortunately, the term MCAS created more uncertainty than understanding. This is because MCAS is now thrown around as a diagnosis for many patients with many symptoms and an unclear diagnosis. This is not helpful for patients and fuels short-term hope of diagnosis and cure, which cannot be fulfilled later.
Is MCAS an autoimmune disease?
No, in autoimmune diseases mast cells are not primarily involved and not as lead cells, but lymphocytes that attack the body's own structures, in some cases by forming antibodies.
Is there a connection between mast cell activation syndrome and autoimmune diseases?
No, there is no known connection between MCAS and autoimmune diseases. It has also been claimed by specific authors that other diseases, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are related to mast cell activation syndrome. However, there are no good arguments for this. Unfortunately, such claims are easy to make and difficult to refute.
What is the cause of mast cell activation syndrome?
Mast cell activation syndrome is actually more of a symptom description than a diagnosis in its own right. Mast cell activation syndrome is fully applicable to recurrent anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions in several organ systems such as the skin, respiratory tract, digestive tract and circulatory system), for example due to insect bites. All the criteria for mast cell activation syndrome are met here. Severe allergic reactions are the most common cause of MCAS. However, although the term MCAS is correct in this context, it does not provide any additional information, as patients with such events are better described as patients with a diagnosis of anaphylaxis or allergy, and the term MCAS is somewhat confusing.
Is mast cell activation syndrome genetic?
MCAS itself is not genetic, but patients with the genetic disease mastocytosis often suffer from anaphylaxis, particularly to insect venom, and therefore MCAS. In addition, it is currently being investigated whether people with genetically determined hereditary alpha-tryptasemia suffer more frequently from MCAS.
How did the term mast cell activation syndrome come about?
There were many patients without a clear diagnosis, some of whom predominantly showed the symptoms typical of mast cell diseases. Accordingly, the experts dealing with mast cell diseases saw the need to develop a concept that took into account the “undiagnosable” symptoms of the patients. In the course of this, the terms “mast cell activation” and “mast cell activation syndrome” were defined. In addition, an attempt was made to sort all mast cell diseases into a classification with regard to mast cell activation. However, the difficulty in classifying these complaints is that many of the complaints described by patients are subjective, relatively non-specific and can be both organic and psychosomatic.
How have you defined mast cell diseases and which diseases do they include?
Mast cell diseases are defined as recurring chronic symptoms that are compatible with mast cell activation.
Mast cell activation is classified on the basis of three criteria:
Recurrent typical clinical symptoms in at least two organ systems
An increase in mast cell mediators can be detected in the blood, most frequently by determining the serum tryptase level during an acute attack
Good response of symptoms to anti-mast cell mediator-directed therapy, especially H1 antihistamines
What types of mast cell disease are there?
The classification of mast cell diseases associated with mast cell activation syndromes defines three groups:
1. primary mast cell activation syndrome
Primary mast cell activation syndrome is explained by a clonal expansion of mutated overactive mast cells. It manifests as systemic or cutaneous mastocytosis. If these criteria are not completely fulfilled, but clonal mast cells have been detected, it is referred to as monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome.
2 Secondary mast cell activation syndrome
Secondary mast cell activation syndrome is present when clear triggers of mast cell activation are known. There are established terms for secondary mast cell activation syndrome that we are more familiar with, such as “anaphylaxis” to a known trigger. The classification in the second group of mast cell diseases is therefore merely a reclassification. Examples of mast cell activation are physical urticaria or cold urticaria. Allergies such as pollen allergies are also secondary mast cell activations, as hay fever also causes symptoms typical of mast cell diseases. In pollen allergies, mast cell mediators are found in the blood serum and drugs directed against mast cells have a good effect. If the symptoms recur in several organ systems, this is referred to as mast cell activation syndrome.
3. tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome
Tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome refers to mast cell diseases whose triggers are unknown. This group would include, for example, chronic spontaneous urticaria, which has additional symptoms in other organs. Here we know that mast cells are activated, but not by what. This group of idiopathic mast cell activation syndromes would also include patients with as yet undescribed clinical pictures who do not fulfill the diagnostic criteria of known mast cell diseases, e.g. allergy, anaphylaxis, but in whom the disease is triggered by mast cells. In these patients, however, the connection between the symptoms and the activities of the mast cells must be proven.
Does this mean that tertiary or idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion?
Idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome can be described as a diagnosis of exclusion insofar as the prerequisite for the diagnosis is that there is no other disease causing the symptoms. However, the symptoms described are often very, very unspecific and could also be caused by a variety of other diseases. However, there are the three criteria for mast cell activation syndrome already mentioned. If these are not all fulfilled, this diagnosis cannot be made.
How common is mast cell activation syndrome?
Anaphylaxis and severe recurrent allergies are not uncommon and represent the vast majority of appropriate cases for MCAS. In addition, mastocytosis patients often have multiple anaphylaxis and therefore also MCAS. However, our initial idea of finding a new disease, idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome, has not yet been confirmed. There are many patients with many symptoms for whom a clear organic diagnosis cannot yet be made. However, it is almost never possible to prove that a defect in the mast cells is primarily responsible for the symptoms. Many of these patients describe symptoms that could fit, and in some patients anti-allergic drugs also have a positive effect. But in only very few patients can an increase in mast cell mediators be detected during an acute attack. I now believe that somatic stress disorders could play a significant role in many of the patients examined.
Histamine intolerance is also a diagnosis of exclusion, is there a connection with mast cell activation syndrome?
Histamine intolerance can cause similar symptoms, but is not a mast cell disorder and has nothing to do with MCAS. When mast cells are activated, the messenger substance histamine is released, which in turn can cause symptoms. In histamine intolerance, the mast cell is not activated - it is not involved in any way. Rather, histamine intolerance describes patients with an increased sensitivity to histamine, which is supplied, for example, via the diet. This can lead to similar symptoms, but in contrast to mast cell activation syndrome, histamine intolerance has a clear trigger, histamine. As a result, the symptoms occur after eating histamine-rich foods, but disappear again if the patient follows a low-histamine diet. A test is also available to diagnose histamine intolerance.
So there are also patients with suspected mast cell activation syndrome who cannot be assigned to a classification group, even though they have corresponding symptoms?
There are many patients in whom no mast cell activation syndrome can be detected despite suspicion. They do not fit into one of the three groups. However, this also used to include monoclonal mast cell activation syndrome. These patients showed anaphylaxis and a KIT mutation, but not the full criteria for mastocytosis. In the meantime, a separate disease diagnosis has been created for these patients. The independent accepted disease of these patients therefore lies between mastocytosis and normal findings.
We thought that there might be other forms of idiopathic MCAS with clinical pictures that have not yet been described. However, this is not supported by the findings to date. There are patients who show symptoms but do not meet the necessary criteria for idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome. In these patients, the diagnosis remains unclear. In how many of these patients functional physical complaints play a role still needs to be investigated.
Are there risk factors that favor mast cell activation syndrome?
There are hardly any recognized studies on this. In a study conducted by Cem Akin in the USA, patients were examined who met the three criteria for idiopathic mast cell activation syndrome. They had the right symptoms, there was an increase in mediators and their symptoms improved with treatment. It was shown that many of these patients suffered from urticaria factitia, a scratch-induced urticaria, abdominal pain and flushing.
Recently, a genetic trait was discovered, hereditary alpha-tryptasemia with elevated basal serum tryptase levels. In patients with this trait and insect venom allergy, the severity of the allergic reaction appears to be increased. It is also discussed that the frequency of mast cell activation syndrome is increased in patients with this genetic trait. However, the published studies are not yet unanimous in this respect.
What symptoms can occur with MCAS?
The following symptoms could be signs of mast cell activation syndrome:
MCAS symptoms on the skin:
Appearance of sudden intense redness (flushing)
itching
wheal formation
Deep wheal formation (angioedema or Quincke's edema)
MCAS symptoms on the nose:
Nasal congestion
Nasal itching
MCAS symptoms in the airways:
Swelling of the upper airways
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
MCAS symptoms of the digestive tract:
Vomiting
abdominal pain
diarrhea
Systemic MCAS symptoms:
Syncope - where you suddenly lose consciousness, but only for a short time
Sudden drop in blood pressure
Allergic shock
These symptoms can occur together or individually. In principle, symptoms must occur in two or more organ systems for MCAS. These symptoms, together with the typical skin changes and anaphylaxis, are also typical of mastocytosis.
Are muscle pain and hair loss also symptoms of MCAS?
No, why would anyone think that these symptoms are primarily caused by a malfunction of mast cells? Mast cells are not important cells for muscle pain and hair loss.
How is MCAS diagnosed?
MCAS is a diagnosis of exclusion, i.e. there is no mast cell activation syndrome test. However, this does not mean that all other diseases must be ruled out before a diagnosis of MCAS can be made.
When testing directly for mast cell activation syndrome, three criteria would be examined, all of which must be met, not just two:
First, there must be a matching of symptoms to see if the above symptoms are leading, recurrent and occur in at least two organ systems.
Is there a substantial or complete improvement in the clinical symptoms when taking anti-allergic medication, antihistamines or cromoglicic acid? Then this criterion would apply.
The blood levels of tryptase in the serum can now be examined at two different points in time. This would check whether there is an increase in mast cell mediators or tryptase in the blood serum in a highly symptomatic phase or during a seizure compared to a time when there are no symptoms.
What does the tryptase level in the blood mean in the diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome?
If the mast cell mediator tryptase rises by 20 percent of the basal value, i.e. the initial value, + 2 ng/ml during such an episode, the diagnosis of mast cell activation syndrome has been made without the need to rule out other diseases beforehand. However, taking blood samples to determine the tryptase levels is very time-consuming, because a blood sample should be taken in the normal state and then another blood sample should be taken during a seizure or a highly symptomatic episode. This means that the patient must see a doctor in good time for a blood test during the acute phase. If these tests are negative, mast cell activation syndrome cannot be confirmed.
Elevated tryptase levels also play a role in anaphylaxis, is there a connection with mast cell activation syndrome?
Anaphylaxis is an extremely strong mast cell activation, the “prototype” of mast cell activation, so to speak. The tryptase level rises, so that it is considered an indicator of anaphylaxis. Here too, the basal value is measured and compared with the value during an episode. The relevant factor is the resulting increase in the tryptase value. The therapy against mast cells is effective in this case. In this respect, anaphylaxis is the classic form of mast cell activation syndrome.
The tryptase value also plays a role in the diagnosis of mastocytosis, what are the correlations here?
Mastocytosis patients also have an elevated baseline tryptase level. This is therefore an indication of mastocytosis and an indication for a final diagnosis by means of a bone marrow biopsy. However, there is also a mastocytosis-independent correlation between tryptase and anaphylaxis. People who have a higher number of mast cells often develop more severe anaphylaxis than people with fewer mast cells. The tryptase basal value is therefore considered a kind of indicator for the total mast cells in the body. For example, insect venom anaphylactic patients with elevated basal mast cell tryptase levels in the blood are at increased risk of severe anaphylaxis.
What can be done against MCAS and which medications help?
The aim of treatment for mast cell activation syndrome is to slow down the effect of the overactivated mast cells and to calm the mast cells. In particular, the avoidance of allergic triggers is available for this purpose.
Histamine receptor blockers are tried as medication to block the effects of mast cell activation by histamine. Mast cell stabilizers or blockers of mast cell release, cromoglicic acid, can also calm the mast cells. Cromoglicic acid is also used in mastocytosis patients. It is important to know that the use of cromoglicic acid is not advisable if the attack has already run its course. On the other hand, many patients achieve a significant improvement in symptoms if cromoglicic acid is taken continuously as a preventive measure and in a sufficiently high dose. This has also been shown to be the case with antihistamines.
Another option would be leukotriene receptor antagonists and corticosteroids in the short term, but never over a longer period of time.
Unfortunately, many patients with previously unexplained complaints are given a suspected diagnosis of MCAS in the hope that this knowledge will lead to better treatment or perhaps a cure. However, apart from the drugs mentioned, which can also be used on a trial basis in cases of suspected MCAS, there are no other useful drugs available. In this respect, the suspicion of MCAS unfortunately does not offer patients any additional treatment options.
Are there foods that activate or deactivate mast cells?
No such foods are known in humans. Of course, it is possible to bombard mast cells in a test tube with high concentrations of food and measure whether the natural activation of mast cells is increased or reduced. However, such tests are generally not meaningful for humans when consumed.
Can naturopathy help with mast cell activation syndrome?
I don't know how it could help. Naturopathy is the attempt to achieve a positive effect through naturally occurring active substances. Is the avoidance of allergens in our natural environment already naturopathy?
Could certain vitamins, for example vitamin C, be beneficial for MCAS?
This is claimed by a few doctors without any convincing results. Vitamin C is also said to help against seasickness. After all, vitamin C, taken in normal amounts, is not harmful and is beneficial. Sometimes the conviction that a substance is good for you also helps. That's why the experiment doesn't bother me.
Is it possible to prevent mast cell activation syndrome?
Yes, by avoiding MCAS with a known trigger. This is the case with allergies. In the case of allergies and recurrent anaphylaxis as a form of MCAS, omalizumab, an antibody against immunoglobulin E, can also be used in individual patients.
Prof. Brockow, thank you very much for this interview!
https://www.mein-allergie-portal.com/mastozytose-mastzellaktivierungssyndrom-mcas/925-idiopathisches-mastzellenaktivierungssyndrom-ein-neues-krankheitsbild.html

Bear with me, because this question will probably take some brain power to understand, but I really want to get to the bottom of this so I can understand how TAL does reruns.
First, some info on how I listen... I started listening to TAL in college (around 2007) through my local public radio station. This was usually when I just so happened to be driving on a Saturday when it was on. I really fell in love with it, and somewhere around 2014, I started listening in the dedicated app. This made it easy to track which episodes I'd heard.
At some point, I realized the app wasn't doing a great job of tracking what I'd heard. If I'd checked an episode as heard and then it became a rerun, it would unmark it when that episode moved back to it's original place from the top of the list. Because of this, I started a spreadsheet to keep track of which episodes I've heard and just started listening in Overcast with my other shows.
This is what I've been doing for a long time now. I usually just listen when a new episode comes out, but if it's a rerun, I will check my spreadsheet to see if I've heard it before, and if not, I will listen and check it off.
I recently realized I can download episodes from the website and upload them into Overcast very easily. So, I am finally going to try to fill in the gaps and listen to every episode I've missed (which is quite a few).
My question about reruns... This is something I've been trying to wrap my mind around for years but have never understood. When a rerun comes on the show, they will sometimes give it a brand new episode number. When this happens, it seems like they go back to the original episode and put the OG year in parenthesis. For example, they've done this TWICE with "Fiasco!," so now there is "61: Fiasco! (1997)," "510: Fiasco! 2013," and "699: Fiasco!" This is a little messy, but at least it makes sense and it's easy to cross reference to see what sections are new.
I'm sure some of you know where I'm going with this...
OTHER times, they will do a more conventional rerun, where the episode maintains its original number but it seems like certain sections of the rerun have been updated. The intros, for example. I'll start a rerun, listen to Ira do his intro for a while thinking it was from the OG episode, and then he will say something like, "we originally aired this in..." and I'll realize the entire intro is new.
It seems like when these reruns eventually fall back to their original places in the archive, they maintain the new intros. Sometimes I think it's just the introduction while other times they add additional context or updates after certain stories. Is this the case? Will a rerun episode always be updated in the archive? In other words, is there no way to hear the original intros to these episodes? The intros are lengthy sometimes, and I'm curious what Ira recorded back when they originally aired.
And what about the outros? These seem to be updated too. What about his little Torey Malatia jokes? Are those all re-recorded in the updated reruns? Does he actually change the jokes?
This all seems so inconsequential when I write it out like this, but a big appeal of listening to old episodes is hearing them in their original context. I'm in my 30s, and I wasn't even 10 when this show started. There is something cozy about listening to old radio, and now I'm curious if the original versions of the reruns are being preserved in any way.

We see two body swaps in BTVS: in Witch (1x3) and Who Are You? (4x16), which is a two-parter along with This Year's Girl (4x15) in which the (initial) body swap happens as the last scene.
Body swapping is a trope also explored in other media. In all cases I know of, including these two BTVS episodes, there are some common elements:

• One person, let's call them the plaintiff, prefers the status quo after the body swap.
• The other person, let's call the the defendant, prefers the status quo before the body swap.
• These unaligned preferences drive much of the conflict: the defendant (usually the protagonist) tries to get their body back, while the plaintiff (usually the villainous antagonist) tries to keep it.
• Because the preferences are unaligned, the initial body swap is usually performed without the defendant's consent—why would they consent if they prefer to remain in their own body?
• In many cases, most viewers naturally prefer to be in the shoes of the defendant, or at least default to taking the defendant's perspective; people also naturally root for the innocent victim over the perpetrator. [As a side note: this is also common in life-circumstance swaps, such as the movie Trading Places.]
• Other common elements include: getting used to your new body, the plaintiff trying to pretend to be the defendant (and often failing), the defendant trying to prove their true identity with very personal knowledge. [The latter is also a common motif in other mistaken-identity stories, such as twinning/splitting a la The Replacement (5x3).]

We see this clearly with Faith vs. Buffy: Faith is the plaintiff, Buffy is the defendant, Faith gets used to her new body in front of the mirror ("that would be wrong!"), SMG!Faith pretends to be Buffy but her aura is fractured, ED!Buffy asks "what's a stevedore?", ultimately there's the fight in the church where they swap back to SMG!Buffy and ED!Faith. Also, I think most of would prefer to be in Buffy's situation than in Faith's, as being a wanted criminal who's also hunted by the Watchers' council doesn't sound like fun.
Things are different in Witch, where "body swap" is the solution to the mystery: to not spoil the answer, many elements from my last point are absent—it's not until very late that we meet Amy-in-Catherine; we don't see the body swap happening, so we have to infer whether there was a change and when. Still, the antagonistic relationship exists. Other than not being happy being middle-aged, there seems to be nothing particularly undesirable about being in Catherine's shoes; but since BTVS is aimed primarily at younger viewers, and she's closer to Buffy, we naturally identify more with Amy. She's also the innocent victim.
This all got me thinking: is it possible to tell a compelling body swap story in which both persons prefer the status quo after the switch? Then they could agree to swap bodies, so the victimization element goes away. There's no one who wants to revert to the previous status quo, so the obvious conflict goes away; something else would have to drive the plot. Does anyone know of any stories of this kind?
I tried racking my brain for ideas, and I came up with one. The big obstacle is that person A has to prefer to be in person B's body while person B has to simultaneously prefer person A's body. That won't work if one is a wanted criminal and the other isn't, or one is old and fatally sick while the other is young an healthy (not BTVS). The one solution is to depart from a common element I haven't mentioned yet: in all cases I know of, the plaintiff and defendant are of the same gender.
So the one idea I've had for a mutually agreeable body swap that I think would work is a cross-gender one, functioning as a (very thinly layered) transgendereassignment allegory. [Or two such stories, if one were to tell the story of each... swappee?]
Does anyone know if such stories have been told? Can anyone think of other scenarios in which a mutually agreeable body swap could happen?