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2024.06.08 21:48 DiRty_BiRd_77 New trailer — will these tear up the bottom of my raft?
 | submitted by DiRty_BiRd_77 to rafting [link] [comments] |
2024.06.08 05:44 beef966 Advice on a low budget way to get on the river and lake for float trips and fishing. Two adults and a large dog. Something I can float rivers and occasionally get through a Class III, but also something I can put an outboard on the back of and cruise out to the middle of a lake to put a line out.
submitted by beef966 to boats [link] [comments]
2024.06.08 04:05 Ukrainer_UA 4:47 EEST; The Sun is Rising Over Kyiv on the 836th Day of the Full-Scale Invasion. Escaping from occupied Oleshky after the attack on Kakhovka dam.
 | We are Ukraïner, a non-profit media aimed at advocating for the authentic Ukraine - and unexpected geographical discoveries and multiculturalism. submitted by Ukrainer_UA to ukraine [link] [comments] This is an article that was published on June 6th, 2024, the one-year anniversary of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam. It has been condensed for Reddit. https://preview.redd.it/diw56v3kk85d1.png?width=1000&format=png&auto=webp&s=eebae73e029e05cf308341e9b1a121ed32b87073 This is a report about two people who managed to flee the occupied town of Oleshky amidst the chaos following the Russian explosion of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant. They got lucky, if one could even call it that. Residents of the flooded left bank of the Dnipro River were trapped — the occupiers were blocking the evacuation, shooting at those who wanted to get out on their own, and, of course, lying that “everything is fine, there is no need to panic.” We met Andrii, 56, and Yulia, 53, in Kherson the day after they arrived in the Ukraine-controlled area from occupied Oleshky. We brought them clean clothes. The couple planned to go to the west of Ukraine to visit their daughter and grandchildren. Andrii and Yulia showed me a video of them eating ice cream in Kherson for the first time in a year and a half. Then, they recalled the horrors they had experienced and started crying. Oleshky is a town on the left bank of the Dnipro River, which has been under occupation since the beginning of the full-scale war. After Russian troops retreated from Kherson in November 2022 and blew up the Antonivskyi Bridge, communication between the town and the right bank of the Dnipro River became impossible. As a result of a large-scale Russian terrorist attack on 6 June, 2023, which blew up the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam, dozens of settlements in the lower Dnipro River area were flooded or completely covered with water. Learning about the terrorist attack on the occupied Kakhovka hydroelectric power station“The dam has been blown up,” a friend told Andrii by phone. It was seven o’clock on a Tuesday morning. It’s about 50 kilometres from Oleshky to the Kakhovka power plant, so the sound of the explosion did not reach the town. The locals learned about the impending big water from friends who called, from Ukrainian television, or the Internet. The occupation administration didn’t inform the locals about the coming flood.Andrii, without disturbing Yulia, got out of bed and, for the first time since the beginning of the occupation, took three guns from his hiding place. The situation could portend anything. The man felt a weight on his shoulders, contemplating the disaster he and his wife would soon face. But at the same time, hope arose inside him that all this, their life under the occupation of the Russian Federation, would finally come to an end. They had not dared to evacuate their hometown before as they believed they were too old. They did not want to leave their beautiful two-story house with a magnificent garden, and believed that the Ukrainian military was to arrive soon. Andrii took his boat out to the yard, lowered it from the carriage (a trailer for transportation of cars or special equipment) and put two oars and a tarpaulin inside. He tied one end of the cable to the boat, then threw the rope into his room through an open second-floor window and secured the other end to prevent the boat from being swept away by the water. He told Yulia about the blown-up dam. They then began taking out canned food, vegetables, and firewood from the basement, as they had a fireplace on the second floor. To stay updated on the latest news about the flood, they relied on Ukrainian television broadcasts accessed via a satellite dish. They were trying to understand whether their house would be completely flooded. In the afternoon, Andrii hopped on his bike and went to investigate the situation. It was important to find a hill to escape to. While passing through Oleshky, he came across an elderly couple standing in the middle of the street. The woman was crying and the man was trying to calm her down. Andrii intervened. “Son, we’re going to be flooded!” the woman cried out. Their children and relatives were abroad. There was nowhere to run. “When you hear the water, come here quickly,” Andrii said, gave his address and rode on. He never saw them again. Then Andrii and Yulia watched the news on the TV again: “…the explosion of the dam and the machine room…”, “…the disaster occurred at around three in the morning…”, “…a particular threat to the lower-lying left bank…” Information about the expected flooding level varied. Around six in the evening, the power went out in Oleshky. So the couple stayed at home for the rest of the day. How the water kept coming into OleshkyAt one o’clock in the morning, Andrii heard the sound of rushing water. He opened the window and could hear dogs barking and people shouting in the distance. He and his wife went outside and saw the road was flooding. On the other side of the water, a woman with a flashlight stood watching the waves wash over the street. The couple decided to return to their house while they could still walk on dry ground — the water was rising too fast.It was Wednesday morning, and the water in Andrii and Yulia’s yard was already a metre high. The door to the house was firmly closed, so the water was barely seeping in. Andrii went down to the basement to save a few more cans of preserves and retrieve the pumping station. Just then, the sewer pipe running through the room burst, causing sewage to gush into the basement. The two went up to the second floor. Outside, the wind was whistling, and there was a noise coming from below — water and all the contents of the sewer were washing away the first floor. Furniture, the refrigerator, and other appliances were being swept away. Andrii made notches on the wall of the house with a knife to mark the water level. From the first night, the water had been rising by five centimetres every five minutes, but by morning, the rate of flooding had slowed. The water was overcoming the fence, and the boat tied to the house was already drifting. Andrii untied the boat and wanted to swim to rescue his neighbours, but he could not get out of his own yard as the gate was locked with two bolts submerged under water, one at the top and one at the bottom. The man returned to the house, took a hoe and, swimming to the gate, opened the bolts with the tip of the tool. Andrii took his neighbours to his house, where the second floor was still dry. Then he went on a scouting mission. The water continued to rise, and while he could already turn on the motor, he continued to paddle instead: the Russian military was looking for motor boats and would confiscate either the engine or the entire boat. Watercraft without motors was not suitable, due to the swift current in many places, and inflatable boats could be easily punctured. Along the flooded streets, there was chaos: cows were mooing, dogs and cats were swimming by, and the current was carrying beehives, firewood, and garbage. Cries of “Help!” were heard everywhere. Andrii was busy transporting people from smaller houses to houses with two or more floors. It was a sunny and hot day, and many people were sitting on their roofs without any shade. During all this time, the shelling continued: Russian artillery on the outskirts of Oleshky was firing on Kherson. Struggling to maintain his course, Andrii accidentally collided with the side of the boat with the trunk of an apricot tree, causing a swarm of bees to descend upon him. Swiftly, he grabbed a tarpaulin, wrapping himself tightly within it as he sensed the bees attempting to breach his makeshift shield. After a tense moment, the bees relented, allowing Andrii to continue on his journey.There were many more bees flying around from the flooded hives, many of them also became homeless. In the morning and afternoon, there were almost no boats on the water. While swimming down the street, Andrii heard a hoarse cry. He looked around. Then he heard a woman’s voice come from an old house. The man saw a grandmother looking out from the attic from the triangular cut-out of the mansard. He began to call her to the boat, and the woman jumped out of the door on the other side of the attic. “Take me to Lyuba,” she said. Andrii started rowing to the neighbouring house. Lyuba, the friend of the grandmother, was sitting on the roof. However, the house was too high for Andrii to transfer the grandmother there safely. Instead, he suggested placing her on another nearby tall building where the ascent would be easier. “No need! If I die, then it’ll be in my house,” she said and agreed with Lyuba that some man would come by boat and take her from the attic. So Andrii took his grandmother back, having neither the strength nor the time to argue. Many people asked for transport, but most men refused. Andrii primarily saved women with children or the elderly. Navigating obstacles, persuading people to get into the boat, waiting for them to gather their belongings, and finding a way to safely disembark all took up precious time. Unfortunately, there was no time to discuss rescuing animals, even though many people pleaded to save their cats and dogs. Andrii swam past the tall rose hedge that lined the road. Two-thirds of the bush was submerged, with rose petals floating on the water. Nearby, on a raft nailed to a wall, a brown dog sat helplessly. Andrii had to keep swimming. It was then Andrii saw two boats with Russian soldiers sailing past the drowning people in Oleshka. One approached him. “Do you have a working engine?” he asked. “No. As you can see, I’m rowing with oars,” answered Andrii. The invaders swam away. By the evening, rescuers among the locals increased. The Russian military, though, did not help the people. One guy made a raft by tying empty plastic bottles to a pallet. The man was rescuing animals, he even managed to pull a hedgehog out of the water. Residents of the city called their relatives, friends and acquaintances directly from the rooftops and begged to be rescued. It stopped, damn it!In the evening, Andrii sat at home with Yulia and the neighbours again, illuminating the front wall with a flashlight. He was looking at the last mark he had placed a few hours ago, now slightly covered by water. He looked again and at half past one in the morning he shouted:“It stopped, damn it!” The water really stopped rising, and in the morning it fell by 50-60 centimetres. There was no thought that dry areas could still remain in Oleshky, because it seemed as if water had flooded the entire city. However, in the morning, Andrii swam in the direction opposite the Dnipro River and discovered that there was still land near the hospital. He began taking people there, starting with the neighbours who had been in his house, and then rescuing others. By Thursday, he had helped evacuate about 12 people. In some places, the depth had reached four metres, only the crowns of trees and the roofs of houses protruded above the surface. Andrii swam at the height of power poles, occasionally getting tangled in the wires. On Thursday, the street became much quieter. “Is there anyone alive?” Andrii shouted, swimming through the blocks.Only dogs barked back. Many were still around: some floating, others clinging to bits of land or any objects that had accumulated, forming tiny islands of salvation.On Thursday, pallets, concrete mixers, refrigerators, wooden decks, etc. floated with the current. One of the neighbouring houses was torn loose and drifted out to the open sea. The water was swirling violently. In the evening, Andrii noticed that the current had carved out a wide corridor leading to the river, about 50 metres wide, opening a path to Kherson. However, due to the one-metre difference in water level, it was dangerous to sail there. Nevertheless, hope was growing inside him. He returned home. Yulia was terribly afraid of water and even before the war hardly ever got into a boat, so she didn’t want to entertain her husband’s suggestion of getting out of Oleshky using the newly emerged path. But Andrii insisted, saying they just needed to cross the riffle (a shallow section of a river), and then rescuers would be waiting beyond. “It’s like we’re in Venice!” he joked. After looking at the faeces floating among the children’s toys, and then at her flooded luxurious garden, grown with painstaking work, Yulia agreed. Sailing from occupied Oleshky to freedomThe final decision was made on Friday morning. Andrii launched the backup inflatable boat into the water and tied it behind the motorboat with a sturdy television cable. At this time, there were still two neighbours left in the house. Andrii offered them to join. Two people could fit into the inflatable boat. But they categorically refused — it was too dangerous. They asked to be dropped off near the hospital, and Andrii agreed.When he returned, he and Yulia hastily gathered their belongings, packing their wedding suits, two favourite photo albums, an acupuncture mat, plush bunny, and toy dog that their grandchildren used to play with into the rubber boat. Andrii grabbed the branded box from his phone — in the chaos, it was difficult to rationalise the decision. https://preview.redd.it/322nuxmhl85d1.png?width=3000&format=png&auto=webp&s=b1b6f682cd74a891c7ad7a56cd77ea33360ecaff They took two bright flashlights. “If we get carried out into the open sea, we’ll use them as beacons,” joked Andrii. Or maybe he wasn’t joking. Their drinking water wasn’t in bottles, but in jars, so Yulia wrapped them in white towels and handed them down to Andrii from the window. The towels could serve as white flags if needed. From their food supplies, they only took a bag of walnuts. They also took three guns with ammunition as a “gift” for a Russian patrol. Yulia sat in the boat wearing a pink t-shirt adorned with plastic pearls and jeggings. Instead of a lifebuoy, they had a car tire. Andrii wore a t-shirt, shorts, and rubber boots. Both of them wore wide-brimmed beach hats on their heads. They set sail around half-past seven in the morning. On the roof of one of the buildings they were passing by, a woman shouted: “Just don’t forget about us!”Yulia looked at her and silently pointed towards the Dnipro River.“I understand,” the woman’s expression shifted between understanding and despair. Overnight, the water level dropped even further, the rapids diminished, and the channel itself widened by 20 metres. However, the current remained strong, pulling the boats into a whirlpool. Andrii grabbed onto an electric wire stretched between two poles and, holding onto it, slowly descended downstream — away from the whirlpool, but towards an acacia tree. This caused the inflatable boat to collide with its thorny top. The items inside were lightweight, so it continued to float, albeit slightly tilted. But Andrii couldn’t help but think that if they had taken two more people with them, the inflatable boat might have sunk. Having aligned both vessels, Andrii swam into the forest and moved further between the trees so that Russian patrols or snipers would not see them. Further, behind the submerged islands, a view of Kherson opened up, rising far, far away on the other shore. Now Yulia realised that no one was waiting for them near the riffle — Andrii reassured her to convince her to get into the boat. Then they had to paddle to the other side on their own. But Yulia no longer cared about that. And the fear of water completely disappeared. To make it more difficult for the Russian military to shoot them, they decided to swim diagonally, against the current. Suddenly the rope snapped, and the second boat began to drift downstream. Yulia grabbed the television cable to hold the boat with the belongings. For the rest of the journey, she kept it afloat. Between the banks of the Dnipro, there were islands with summer cottage communities, including two-story houses visible from the water. The couple feared that Russian military personnel might be lurking there, so Andrii nudged the rifle closer. As they approached the first island, the boats began to drift away. While Andrii attempted to hold onto the motorboat, his wife firmly grasped his hand. “The land is floating!” Both of them watched as the entire island began to drift with the current. Their hair stood on end. Andrii tried to steer away from the whirlpool that swept the entire island away. Meanwhile, the land continued to float along with trees and rocks – straight into the sea. But in a minute it turned out that it was not the island floating, but the boats being carried in the opposite direction. Andrii tried to swim against the current, but the current turned out to be so strong that it still carried them downstream. From the direction of Olehky, a drone appeared in the sky. They looked to see if it was armed with a grenade, but they could not see clearly — the “iron bird” hovered against the sun. Andrii steered the boats further towards Kherson, and just before reaching the city, they encountered a swift current that began to carry them away along with the rapids. They had to turn back and anchor near a concrete pillar with a blue and yellow flag. They anchored and waited for rescuers to notice them. Drones continued to fly in the sky. One of them hovered over the two boats. Andrii untied the ship and began to slowly drift between the trees, hiding in the bushes: if the drone came with a grenade, it would be more difficult to drop it. A snake fell from one tree directly into the boat. Yulia began to scream, while Andrii threw it overboard with a light swing. Finally, they spotted a military boat heading toward a concrete pillar with a flagpole. There are two soldiers on the ship. Identification marks were not visible from afar. Andrii and Yulia hid behind a bush, so the boat sailed past. Another “bird” flew up from the Kherson side and hovered over the pole with the flag. Yulia started to wave at it. The military boat returned. It turned out to be a Ukrainian military boat. The guys from the boat transferred Yulia, attached two other boats, and towed them to the shore. Andrii took out his phone to film a video. “This is what freedom looks like,” he said, looking at the green slope of the port city.https://preview.redd.it/1k7tallpl85d1.png?width=1500&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ab511388c05b7045fc539af05f5874afbce3bfb_______________________________ The 836th day of a nine year invasion that has been going on for centuries. One day closer to victory. 🇺🇦 HEROYAM SLAVA! 🇺🇦 |
2024.06.07 02:42 graywolt Total Flipped Revenge of the Island - Bigger! Badder! Brutal-er!
 | submitted by graywolt to Totaldrama [link] [comments] https://preview.redd.it/ddxnnv32q15d1.png?width=1297&format=png&auto=webp&s=613287d657062be4e7d3e87ee8e7e78890b29019 Anne Maria is our winner in a 10-1 vote! Because of his fall, Scott tosses his dummy weirdly, but it gets to the edge of the volcano, where it wobbles precariously, and ultimately stays put. Anne Maria reaches the volcano, which she tosses her dummy of Scott in, making her the winner of Total Drama World Tour. She screams and jumps in joy, with everyone (besides Sierra, Sugar and Alejandro) cheering alongside her. Scott is on the ground, and he is saying “NO, NO, NO! THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING!” Scott claims that this was rigged, and we then see some local Hawaiians show up, asking if any pineapples were thrown in the volcano. Chris admits that he saw the signs, but told everyone to stand in front of them, as they ruined the view. Owen then admits that the signs look kind of vague, and while everyone is worried about the volcano, Scott gets into a tug-of-war with Chris over the million dollars. Scott is getting close to overpowering Chris, but Clone Max steps in in the final seconds, jumping Scott. Max is tearing up at this, saying “That’s my killer clone!” Scott finally gets up, but he gets splashed with lava before being trampled by everyone, and he barely can get up, but it’s enough to not be engulfed in lava. Everyone makes it to the Pacific Ocean, being mostly safe from the lava. Chris is ready to sign off and teases a new cast, but a flaming Clone Max punctures a hole in Chris’s boat, making him sink. Everyone laughs at this, and at that moment, a giant rock capsizes the vessel that Sugar, Topher, and Scott are on, plunging them into the ocean. The rest of the cast laughs at this, and Topher asks if it can get any worse. A hungry shark shows up right next to them, and Scott is babbling as they try to swim away. The rest of the cast then swims away, as more rocks are descending from the sky. Total Flipped World Tour Statistics Eliminated - Staci Eliminated – Cameron 18th - Ella 17th - Sadie 16th - Brick 15th - Izzy 14th - Harold 13th - Sierra 12th - Owen 11th - Alejandro 10th - Jasmine 9th - Zoey 8th/7th - SugaStaci 7th/8th - Staci/Sugar 6th - Cameron 5th - Max 4th - Dawn 3rd - Topher 2nd - Scott 1st - Anne Maria Highest Ranking Male on Team Chris - Topher (3/18) Lowest Ranking Male on Team Chris - Topher (3/18) Highest Ranking Female on Team Chris - Izzy (15/18) Lowest Ranking Female on Team Chris - Izzy (15/18) Highest Ranking Male on Team Amazon - Cameron (6/18) Highest Ranking Male on Team Amazon - Cameron (6/18) Highest Ranking Female on Team Amazon - Dawn (4/18) Lowest Ranking Female on Team Amazon - Ella (18/18) Highest Ranking Male on Team Sugar Silo - Scott (2/18) Lowest Ranking Male on Team Amazon - Harold (14/18) Highest Ranking Female on Team Sugar Silo - Anne Maria (1/18) Lowest Ranking Female on Team Sugar Silo - Sadie (17/18) Bigger! Badder! Brutal-er! The episode begins in outer space, with Chris doing a voiceover about how they’ve been to the movies (Action) and even around the world (World Tour), but that this time (The camera zooms into Wawanakwa) they’re going back to Camp Wawanakwa. Chris then points out how dangerous the island is now, and an intern standing right by Chris gets taken out by a giant tentacle. Chris then goes over what we already know about the game, and then proceeds to introduce the cast. A cruise in red is sailing by, and it contains all the Gen 1 contestants besides Scarlett. In the center deck, we see Zoey, Jasmine, Ella, Harold, Dawn, Cameron, and Anne Maria dancing to some music that is being played by Beardo. On the top deck, Staci and Sadie are dancing, Trent and Sky are cuddling, and Brick is doing push-ups, waving at the camera. The far-left deck has Geoff and Katie making out on the rail, Alejandro looking annoyed, Owen dancing to the music, and Max glancing at Izzy, who is hanging off the boat with life preservers on her head and arm. On the bow of the ship, we see Topher and Sierra glaring at each other, and Sugar practicing her craptry in front of an annoyed Scott, who is in a wheelchair with a cast on most of his lower body. The cruise ship passes Wawanakwa, making Owen yell out “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”. Chris then says it’s time to introduce the real contestants, who are brand new. A blue and white cruise ship shows up, and we see the new contestants. We first see Jo, who tells everyone to stay out of her way if they value their kiwis, to which Duncan replies with “right back atcha”. Heather then pushes Duncan out of her way, saying that no one should even try her, as this million is hers. Leshawna then pipes up, saying that will only happen in her dreams, calling her a stereotypical white girl. Heather is about ready to come to blows, but Tyler holds her back, while DJ does the same to LeShawna. Duncan comes up to DJ, telling him that they can’t have catfights this early, fist-bumping the burly Jamaican. Chris then moves to Courtney and Gwen, and the former is complaining about the dismal state of the island. A slightly annoyed Gwen asks if Courtney really thought that Wawanakwa wouldn’t be a death trap, asking her if she even watched World Tour. Courtney says that she’s watched all the seasons ten times over in the past two weeks just to prepare for this season. Gwen compliments this, saying that she doesn’t know if she could stand seeing Chris’s ugly mug that many times over, to which Courtney laughs at. On the center of the cruise, we see Dakota, Lindsay, and Leonard. Dakota tries to introduce herself, but Lindsay chimes in, telling Dakota that she’s one of her biggest fans, and that her helping Anne Maria in World Tour was crazy, which Dakota thanks her for, but states that Lindsay interrupted her, for which she apologizes. Dakota then asks if this cruise can get to Wawanakwa faster, and Leonard says that he may have a spell for that. Leonard recants a spell, but nothing seems to happen to the ship. He then says that he put the feather falling potion on the ship, and files through a spell book, looking for the “right” spell. In the top right part of the ship, we see B, who points a finger gun, smirking. Finally, we see Sam on the bottom right part of the ship, who exclaims that he upgraded his grenade launcher in the game he was playing. Chris then says that this will be the toughest season yet and proceeds to blow up the cruise ship, sending everyone on it into the air. Everyone is sent into the lake, and with varying difficulty, they all get to shore. Dakota is in an inflatable raft, getting her picture taken, and Chris tells Chef to put an end to it, so Chef puts a mine on the paparazzi boat. Jo, Duncan, DJ, Leshawna, and Courtney are having no problems getting to shore, while Heather is falling behind. Lindsay and Sam are barely staying above water, so Tyler goes to help them get to shore. When they do so, Lindsay thanks him, but she accidentally pushes him back into the lake, where the clumsy jock gives a thumbs-up, and Sam says, “Friendly Fire!” Duncan sees this, saying that they always go for the jocks. Leonard is barely above water as well, waving his wand, looking for a water striding spell. He then seems to move above the water, and this is revealed to be because of B, who has Leonard on his shoulders. Gwen is on the shore, calling Chris a psycho. Everyone is dried off now, and Chris starts to speak over the loudspeakers, telling everyone to race to the end of the trail, and to be careful of the wildlife. Duncan mocks this, nudging DJ in mock fright. Something in the trail makes a loud roar, causing everyone to start running. Jo and Courtney make it back first, with Jo joining Team A, while Courtney joins Team B, which she says is optimal, as she will make a good team leader. DJ and Leshawna get there soon after, putting DJ on Team A, and Leshawna on Team B. Duncan and Gwen leisurely jog through the finish, and Duncan is assigned Team A, and Gwen Team B. We see Tyler and Lindsay emerge out of the forest, and B accidentally knocks him over as he makes it across the finish, with Lindsay being assigned to Team A, B to team B, and Tyler to team A. Heather and Dakota make it across the finish, arguing the whole way. Chris ends up putting Heather on Team A, and Dakota on Team B. In the confessional, Leshawna says that while Dakota is an annoying spoiled white girl, she’s at least marginally better than Heather. Sam and Leonard are the last ones to make it across, and Leonard is telling him about a time that he defeated a red dragon in D&D, which Sam is excited about. Chris then puts Leonard on Team A, with Sam on Team B. Sam says farewell to Leonard, and moves to Team B. After Lindsay and Leshawna despair about the being in the forest, Chris maniacally laughs about this, until detailing some important information. He first says that there will be an elimination in every episode, to the shock of most. Chris then announces the Chris McLean Statue of Invincibility, giving you the power to stay in the game, even when you’re voted out. Chris then asks if his chin is truly that big, and Duncan adds that it looks like a butt. In the confessional, Heather says that while Duncan has a point, she will be getting one of those statues. Chris finally announces the team names, naming Team A the Toxic Rats, and Team B the Mutant Maggots. Teams! Gwen asks what the radiation references are for, and the roar is heard again, striking more fear into the contestants. Chris explains that Wawanakwa was rented out to a hazardous waste company, which severely affected the wildlife on the island. The creature is heard rumbling over, knocking down some trees in its path. A squirrel shows up, with Duncan mocking it and Dakota wanting one. It closes its eyes sideways, weirding out Dakota. A butterfly shows up, and the mutated squirrel not only eats it, but starts to shoot lightning, making everyone back off, and in the confessional, Dakota is sobbing about how mad this is, before doing it again with a touch more makeup. Chris then gives both teams rewards, with the Rats getting a trampoline, and the Maggots a hacksaw. The challenge starts, and with the Rats, Jo takes a crack at the trampoline, bouncing herself into the lake. Tyler then tells the Rats to stand back, before trying to climb onto the tree. Lindsay encourages him, but Tyler painfully falls back down to the ground. Tyler tries this twice more, and Leonard offers an idea. With the Mutant Maggots, they’re all stumped. Leshawna asks how they’re supposed to do this with nothing to scale a tree, and B hatches an idea. He finds a boulder and large log, and motions Leshawna close to the tree. She shrugs at this, saying that B at least has an idea. B then motions Sam onto one side of his seesaw catapult, and B then proceeds to flip and jump onto the other side, launching Sam onto Leshawna’s shoulders. He does this once more with Gwen, and Courtney compliments B’s plan. Leonard’s plan was to cast a levitation spell, which has not been working at all. Jo tells Leonard to knock it off, and Tyler asks if he can try to climb the tree again. An annoyed Duncan tells everyone to stand back, and after he pulls out his lighter, he starts to gain air on the trampoline. When he gets enough air, he burns the rope that holds their totem, which painfully lands on Tyler. On Gwen’s shoulders, Courtney asks if that’s against the rules. Chris says that you can use anything you bring if it doesn’t break any laws, and Duncan tells Courtney that she’s simply jealous that she didn’t think of that. In the confessional, Courtney says that being a convict was the last thing that crossed her mind. Back with the Maggots, Dakota is on top, having trouble with positioning the hacksaw. Leshawna then tells her to treat it like her Daddy’s steak knife, and Dakota finally cuts the totem, letting them start. The teams reach the water at similar times, with the Rats slightly ahead. Jo complains about the Maggots being close behind, but DJ tells her that they might have bigger problems, gesturing to the waterfall. Leonard attempts a flying spell, but he loses his wand in the water. Heather, Lindsay, and DJ scream, while Tyler cheers as they go down the waterfall. When they hit the bottom, they bounce onto solid ground, with Tyler cheering about how awesome that was. Lindsay is hanging off the back of the totem, screaming for help, which Tyler gives her, telling her to hold on to him. When she is safe, they embrace each other in happiness. The Maggots have just done the same thing, hitting solid ground just behind the Rats. B makes a forward motion, making Courtney infer that they must lean forward, which she relays to the team. Chris and Chef are at the cabins, with one cabin looking much nicer than the other. Chris says that it feels good to be back, and soon after, Owen runs into view, exclaiming that the boat wouldn’t stop. Chris introduces Owen and tells him that he and the rest of the Gen 1 cast aren’t competing, which shocks Owen. He asks why, and Chris says that he’s outlived his usefulness, before blowing him off the island with a Chris McLean brand explosive. Soon after that, the Rats make it to the campsite, and Duncan tells them to heave the totem on the pedestal to keep it from exploding. They just barely do this, and soon after, the Mutant Maggots haphazardly crash into the nice cabin, which explodes into a million pieces. Chris says that it had an 8-person hot tub and air conditioning, and Leonard tells everyone not to fear, as he has a spell for this. He exclaims “Buildus Rebuildus!” and nothing happens. He tries a time reversal spell, but once again, nothing happens. Leonard says more things like “fireball”, and "lightning bolt”, and we see most of everyone’s unamused and pissed off faces. Chris then announces that since their cabin is intact, the Mutant Maggots win, eliciting six pained groans. Chris then says that he’ll see the Toxic Rats at the elimination ceremony, before walking away to his personal trailer. Vote a Toxic Rat off, and feel free to come up with any plot points for future episodes! |
2024.06.01 06:07 kksavannah Raft-friendly trailer mods?
 | I purchased this trailer last year to use as a trailer for my raft. It was originally a SXS/ATV trailer but I took off the rear gate, sanded down the wood, and sealed it. It’s worked great but the wood is not perfect and I was wondering what you guys would recommend or use to make this more raft-friendly. I just worry about potentially dealing with splinters or wood shards when loading or unloading my boat. Suggestions welcomed! submitted by kksavannah to whitewater [link] [comments] |
2024.05.31 09:16 xtremexavier15 TMA 10
Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Jasmine, Justin, Millie
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, Izzy, MK, Ripper, Scott
Episode 10: Masters of Disasters
"Last time, on Total Drama Action! The world's toughest Chef used spoons to bring out Brick's killer instinct!"
“It was no thanks to Brick that Justin and Millie had the bejeebies scared out of them. Victory seemed within reach, as Brick won the scream-off. MK won the challenge for the Screaming Gaffers by not falling for any of the Grips’ feeble attempts to scare them.”
“Just as the Killer Grips casted their votes, Brick's conscience, along with a planned push from Justin, finally got the best of him. Brick called himself out as a cheater, hopped into the Lame-o-Sine, and rode off into the sunset.”
The scene flashed to Chris walking through the lot, eventually reaching the cast trailers. "How will the contestants survive without Brick's gourmet cooking? Was it coriander or tarragon he used in that casserole? Discover all that and more in another thrilling and filling episode of Total! Drama! Action!"
(Theme Song)
The episode opened with a shot of the blue and partly-cloudy sky before quickly panning down to the craft services tent. The scene zoomed in and cut inside, showing a close-up of a bowl of roach-infested gruel. Scott took a trembling scoop of the food, pausing with wide eyes as Ripper took a bite of his own.
He immediately gagged and spat the food back out. "I never thought I'd say this, but I really miss Brick," he said. "His cooking was a massive improvement over Chef's."
On the other side of the table, Anne Maria poked her food with a spoon. "Topher cooked spaghetti and meatballs for us once, and despite it being a bit soggy, I'd eat his cooking over Chef's," she said.
“Not that I care, but why did Topher of all people make something for you and how did this all happen?” Scott spoke up from his table.
“Well, if you must know, me and Topher are currently datin’ right now,” Anne Maria revealed happily, shocking the others. “What?”
“How did you two even hook up with each other that quickly?” Scott asked in astonishment.
“Remember when we were out looking for the briefcase? Me and Topher were partners, and we had a good time being together,” Anne Maria detailed. “We also managed to have some conversations with each other at the Playa thanks to you guys votin’ us out first,” the Jersey woman added, saying the last part grumpily. “And even though we started off as friends, we developed feelings for each other and eventually became an item between TV seasons.”
“But wait. Wasn't our break from competing two weeks?” Millie asked her teammate.
“I know what you're all thinking. Two weeks is too fast for a relationship to get on board, but since we'd be separated with him not competing alongside me, we decided to get together and confess our feelings before it was too late,” Anne Maria told the contestants.
Confessional: Izzy
“I'd like to call Anne Maria's bluff to her face, but I don't think she's the type to lie about juicy stuff like relationships,” Izzy explained. “And I'd likely receive a humongous blow to the face if I straight up accused her.”
Confessional: Justin
“Well there goes my plan of having Anne Maria as an alliance buddy somewhat,” Justin moaned. “With how much she's been ignoring my affections, it's obvious that she won't commit infidelity just for me.”
Confessionals End
“So yeah. That's about it when it comes to me and Topher,” Anne Maria concluded.
“I can totally see why you two would be joined at the hip, given that you're both equally self-absorbed,” MK commented snidely.
“Watch your mouth, MK,” Anne Maria warned her and then turned to Jasmine staring down at her food. “What's got you so slumped?”
“She's still upset about the alliance Brick had with Chef before he got eliminated,” Millie mentioned.
“Oh yeah. I really could care less,” Anne Maria shrugged.
“I'm not mad about the alliance,” Jasmine corrected. “I'm mad about the fact that he kept it a secret until he quit. And this came from a guy who claimed that honor was key. How can I trust Brick after that?”
“I feel you,” Justin said. “I wouldn't be impressed if someone was keeping something very important from me.”
“Exactly my point, Justin,” Jasmine said.
“Brick did do something wrong, but he felt bad enough for it,” Millie told Jasmine. “And given how Chef is, he was likely threatened into the alliance.”
“That may be true, but I don't want to focus on this subject anymore than I do,” Jasmine said authoritatively. “I'm moving on from this.”
Confessional: Jasmine
“I don't know how Canadian boys flirt or socialize with girls normally, but if telling lies is part of it, then I may call romance flawed and superficial,” Jasmine grumbled stubbornly. “But enough after that. I have to focus on opening my dream school with the money I'll likely win.”
Confessional: Justin
“To those of you that weren't already aware, I knew that Brick and Chef were in cahoots together ever since I saw Chef hold Brick back before the beach episode,” Justin said. “I started picking up the clues more and more, and now that I've turned Jasmine against Brick, I can gain her trust for the future challenges.”
Confessionals End
Ripper then spots a cup of bendy straws next to him. “Hey, does anybody know why these bendy straws are even here?”
“Nope, but if you're planning to shoot spitballs with them, don't target me, Ripstick,” MK advised.
“You never know who I'm gonna target, Brain Girl,” Ripper said, stuffing the straws into his pocket. “I'm keeping the straws, only because they seem useful.”
“More than you,” MK snorted quietly.
"Howdy folks!" Chris said as he walked into the tent with his usual smile. "Hope you enjoyed your lunch, ‘cause you won't be hanging on to it any longer," he told them with a laugh.
"And what torture do you have for us?" Scott asked with a deadpan expression.
"Oh, nothing," Chris answered mockingly. "Just that your day will be a total disaster. Get it?" he asked the room. "It's a disaster movie theme! Y'know? Like in disaster flicks?"
A dangerous and hectic tune began as the scene flashed to Chef Hatchet running against a featureless white background. "People running for their lives from volcanoes," a magma-oozing volcano dropped down onto the scenery just barely missing Chef, "earthquakes, asteroids," a fissure formed in the ground just past the volcano, expanding towards the running man before a small asteroid just missed striking him, "tidal waves," Chef ran headlong into a large wave which crashed over him and washed him away.
The scene flashed back to a close-up of Scott and Izzy gaping in their seats, followed by a similar shot of Justin and Jasmine. "The more disastrous, the better."
Confessional: Millie
"Like we haven't gone through enough disaster already," Millie groaned. "If this keeps up, I'll have to write about how being on Total Drama is more than, if not as, dangerous than bungee jumping into a volcano without a cord!"
Confessional Ends
The footage cut back to Chris standing in front of some sort of machine console as a few deep and ominous notes were struck in the background. "Your first challenge is," he said, "the Earthquake of Inevitable Pain!" The camera moved left and out, revealing the giant playing field that had been set up outside. It consisted of a platform resting at an angle on scaffolding and several pistons with a ladder set up at the high end. On top of it were a series of obstacles arranged in two identical rows: tires, traffic cones, monkey bars over a pool of water, a large metal tube, a balance beam over a pit, and a wooden wall to the far left near the top.
"Each team has to run the course," the host explained as the camera panned across the stunned faces of the cast, "challenging your dexterity," a close-up of the tires was shown, "maneuverability," a shot of the cones was added in a horizontal split-screen, "and other mad monkey skills," he finished as the monkey bars were added to the split screen.
A flash took the scene to Chef standing on top of the ladder at the end of the course. He picked a brick up out of a sack by his side and tossed it around with a vicious grin on his face, and the camera cut back to the host. "First team to the top wins! Best out of two earns today's reward."
The camera focused on the Screaming Gaffers. "Cool!" Chase said with a sudden smile. "This'll be just like the boot camp obstacle course from the first season, only this time, I get to actually compete in it."
"The course does have earthquakes though," Izzy brought up.
"An obstacle course is still an obstacle course," Chase shook it off.
"Enough with the chitty-chat," Chris interrupted with a brief frown of his own. "Take your marks!"
Both teams were shown assembled along the bottom edge of the platform. "This is gonna be easy," Scott boasted as Chase jogged in place.
"I can't wait to swing on the monkey bars!" Millie declared happily while Jasmine limbered up.
"Aaaaaannnnd," Chris said as a few deep notes heralded the beginning of fast-paced challenge music, "Action!"
He sounded a small air horn, and the shot cut to the four Grips as they ran up the platform and immediately into the tires – Jasmine in the lead, then Justin, Millie, and Anne Maria at the end. Panning over to the Grips, Izzy and Chase were out first, followed by Scott, Ripper, and MK.
"How easy is this?" Izzy asked enthusiastically after a close-up of her easily stepping through the tires.
"Are you READY to ROCK?!" Chris exclaimed with an excited cackle before pulling one of the levers on his machine console. The pistons immediately began to extend and contract, shaking the platform and causing Izzy and Chase to stumble and fall into one another.
“If you break it, you buy it!” Izzy said playfully and laughed.
Jasmine and Justin had gotten to the beginning of the cones, but lost their balance too and Justin had to yank one of the cones off his head. Millie and Anne Maria jumped up onto the Grips' monkey bars, and the scene cut over to Chef on the ladder.
"Perfect time to get rid of some old junk," he said with a vicious grin and a dark cackle, reaching into his sack and taking out a football. He tossed it from hand to hand, then reared back and threw it at the girls on the monkey bars. It hit Millie in the face with enough force to knock her back into Anne Maria and both off the obstacle.
"My face!" Millie cried out as she fell out of sight.
Chef was shown casually throwing out several objects from his bag without looking – a kitchen sink, a bowling ball, a hammer, a rotary telephone, each with appropriate sound effects when they inevitably hit something. He paused when he took out a tiny rubber ducky, squeezing it a few times and smiling at its squeak before looking at the camera sheepishly and throwing it away.
"Are you kidding me?" MK said after the duck hit her on the nose while she was on the monkey bars.
The camera briefly cut back to Chris as he smirked and pulled the lever again, putting an end to the shaking. Izzy, Chase, and Scott were shown regaining their balance at the start of the monkey bars, and Izzy groaned in relief. "Finally, a break!"
"AFTERSHOCK!" Chris exclaimed with a happy laugh, pulling the lever again. The platform resumed shaking, causing Scott to stumble to his knees behind him.
The dirt boy threw up, and looked at the puddle of vomit with a disgusted grimace. "Why was that lunch even worse coming back up?"
"Oh yeah," Chris said with a sly look, "that reminds me. It's lava time!" he announced dramatically, slamming his fist down on a button that caused more shaking and some ominous mechanical whirs that made Chase and Izzy look around nervously.
A pair of slots opened up just past the walls at the top of the course, and a steaming red liquid poured out of them. Chef bent down and touched the liquid with his fingers, taking a quick taste. "Tomato soup?" he said with a surprised look below, where the soup was being siphoned out of a large metal drum with a tomato on the side. "That was supposed to be for supper."
With the soup already closing in on the monkey bars, Anne Maria and Justin were forced to quickly jump back up to them, while nearby Millie quickly grabbed the top of the metal tube. MK and Izzy were also shown clinging to the top of the bars for safety.
"Pheeewww, wee!" Chris exclaimed as the camera cut back to him fanning himself with one hand. "Is it getting hot in here? How 'bout a cool, refreshing, hailstorm!" The shot pulled back to show him standing on the seat of a cart-mounted gun platform which was attached to a golf cart being driven by Chef, who honked the horn with a dark grin. "Golf ball-sized hail is bad," the host said matter-of-factly as he sat down and grabbed the handles of the gun, "but, hail-sized golf balls are even worse!" He laughed and opened fire, a clear canister on the top of the large weapon feeding golf balls into it. Izzy, back on the ground, tried to dodge the balls as they dashed towards the metal tube, but the sheer number knocked her into it.
"I got one!" Chris cheered happily.
"Don't get cocky, kid," Chef told him with a smile. The host continued to fire with a vicious grin on his face, and cries of pain from nearly every castmate were heard off-screen.
"Hey, watch the face!" Anne Maria cried out before several golf balls struck her in the face, and Chris continued to shoot.
Confessional: Anne Maria
The tanned woman was now shown to be bruised from her face all the way down. "That schuck is really askin’ for a beatdown if he thinks he can bruise my body, but I still got it." Anne Maria attempted to pose for the camera, but quickly winced in pain.
Confessional Ends
The host shot off a few more golf balls, then held up a button on a cord. "After-aftershock!" he exclaimed as he pressed it, starting up the shaking once again. Izzy lost her own footing and slipped backwards into the metal tunnel. The camera panned back to the tube's beginning, where the other Gaffers were standing. To their shock, the platform began to crack and split perilously close to them.
"We have to get a move on," Ripper said.
MK ducked into the tunnel but was forced out moments later when a screaming Izzy tumbled back through it, knocking into the small woman and sending both over the edge of the crack in the platform. Chase managed to dive and grab onto Izzy's flailing arm, and the camera panned down to show that MK had managed to cling onto her teammate's legs.
"Man, did Chris go all-out with these disasters," Ripper said with worry.
"Pull us up or else I may see the afterlife!" MK cried angrily as Chase struggled to heave his teammates out of the crevice.
"Coming," Scott said before he and Ripper bent down to grab Izzy's other arm.
The scene cut to the Grips as Jasmine made her way across the balance beam, with Millie and Justin coming out of the tube and following her. Chris fired another volley of golf balls which knocked Justin off his balance, and the camera moved back to the Gaffers still at the entrance to the tunnel and also coming under heavy fire.
"We have to keep moving!" Ripper shouted while he sheltered his team. Once his teammates were in relative safety, he began to shield the entrance with his girth. “I believe someone should be yelling “fore!”,” he shot an annoyed glare at the host.
"Fore!" Chris shouted gleefully, pulling the trigger but getting nothing but clicks – he was out of ammunition. The shot cut back to Ripper, who raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and jumped into the tube.
"Chef," Chris said in annoyance, "do something!" A few beeps from the golf cart signaled the hulking man's compliance as he rapidly reversed all the way to the ladder, crashing the gun platform and Chris along with it before quickly climbing up.
He resumed throwing objects at the castmates, starting with a flower pot that knocked Millie off the balance beam just as Jasmine made it to the finish line and Anne Maria made it to the top of her team's wall.
"Hurry up. We're almost there!" Chase called to the rest of the Grips as Scott gave MK a boost over the wall. Izzy climbed down the other side, and Ripper emerged from the tunnel and narrowly dodged a blender. The rough man rushed across the balance beam to the scheming farmer on the other side.
"C'mon. I'll give you a lift," Scott told him.
“Have you seen me?” Ripper raised an eyebrow. “I'm much heavier. I'll lift you up.” He then kneeled down and held out his hands as a foothold.
“Okay, fine,” Scott accepted the boost as bricks and pliers and even a cat in a football uniform were thrown at them.
Chef viciously tossed what appeared to be some sort of bomb, though the lack of an explosion when it landed off-screen suggested it was a dud at best. Regardless, the man smiled when he pulled out the next object: a very large hardcover book. "Ahh, my unpublished manifesto," he said happily.
The dramatically fast-paced challenge music faded into something more deep, tense, and threateningly monotonous as Scott was shown hauling himself up to the top of the wall with Ripper supporting him.
"I've lived a lot of years!" Chef declared before tossing his tremendous manifesto with two hands. The music sped back up as Scott spotted the heavy book flying at him with a gasp.
The shot closed in on the manifesto, and the footage slowed down as it slammed into Scott's right arm, knocking him clear off the wall and onto his back across the balance beam. “Ugh! That hurts!” Scott groaned and clutched his right arm.
"Oh shoot!" Ripper exclaimed in shock and ran over to his groaning teammate. "Your arm is not looking fine right now."
"My editor was right!" Chef told the camera on him proudly. "My life really is dangerous."
Scott began to sit up and used his right arm for support, but then winced in pain and flopped back down with a moan.
Confessional: Millie
"Did Scott actually break his arm?" Millie asked in disbelief. "That is so unfair, even if it is Scott of all people!" She sighed and looked up. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to Chase."
Confessional: Chase
"I can't believe Scott just wiped out his arm!" Chase told the confessional camera. "And because of a manifesto of all things!" He sighed and looked down. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to Millie."
Confessionals End
As Scott continued to groan in pain on the balance beam, one of the camera men was shown approaching him for a close-up.
"Chris!" Jasmine exclaimed angrily as the shot cut back to the Grips, Chef, and Chris, the host now on the ladder and framing a shot with his hands. "Aren't you going to send the crew over to help him?"
"Yeah yeah," the host said dismissively as another cameraman walked by in front of him, "as soon as we're done getting every shot. The good news is, it looks like Scott won the challenge for the Screaming Gaffers!" He looked over to MK, Izzy, and Chase as they gave a few celebratory cheers, joined in another shot by a smile from Ripper and even a thumbs up from Scott.
"Oh no he did not!" Anne Maria exclaimed.
"Yeah," Millie added sternly. "We got our entire team across the finish line first!"
"Serious injury trumps all," Chris told them with an impish shrug.
"You're just making up the rules as you go along," Jasmine said in frustration.
Chris gave a smug look, then smiled at the camera. "I love my job!"
A close-up of a flashing red siren took over the scene, and Scott was wheeled into an ambulance on a stretcher. "The wounded Scott," Chris said dramatically as the ambulance doors shut and it drove off, leaving the four Gaffers to watch with varying levels of concern. "What will become of him?" The shot zoomed out, showing the Grips standing nearby as well looking worried. "Stay tuned to find out!" Chris said, popping up in the foreground with a grin on his face, earning a glare from the remaining castmates.
(Commercial Break)
The deep and dramatic music continued as soon as the footage cut back to a shot of a water tower, the camera slowing panning down to the film lot's waterfront area. A submarine had been suspended from the arm of a crane, which ran along the top of the screen and was supported on the right by a structure built adjacent to a dock where the cast and host stood. Two sections of the submarine's outer wall had been made transparent, allowing full view of a pair of rooms within; there appeared to be hatches on the top and bottom leading into and out of each compartment. In the water below the submarine were two inflated rafts, roughly aligned with the 'windows'.
"How's Scott doing?" Izzy asked with concern as the camera focused on her.
"Oh, Scott's fine," Chris reassured the group. "A broken bone, but it's all wired shut now. Shouldn't take more than six to eight weeks to heal!"
"Oh," Ripper said, "it's that bad?!"
"I mean," Chris quickly corrected, "he's doing fine!" None of the cast looked like they believed him.
Confessional: Chris
"That's what release forms are for," Chris whined in the confessional trailer, holding up one of the forms. "Correctamundo?" he asked the camera.
Confessional Ends
"Alright!" Chris said as the camera began to zoom out. "Now it's time for the second disaster-themed challenge." The two teams were shown to have boarded the life rafts, the Gaffers on the left and the Grips on the right. "Who's excited?"
Neither the Grips nor the Gaffers gave him any response other than an annoyed glare, and cricket chirps were heard as the camera panned from one to the other.
"Because of Scott's win," Chris continued with a smile, "the Gaffers have the advantage of getting this handy-dandy piece of paper for the second disaster challenge." He took a seemingly blank piece of paper out from behind his back, rapidly folded it into a paper airplane, and threw it over to the team who'd won it. The camera followed it as it flew through the air, passed over the heads of the four Grips, made a loop-the-loop, and eventually got snatched out of the air by Chase.
He unfolded it, showing a small string of roman numerals, and quickly furrowed his brow. "Hey, it's just a bunch of numbers! How's this supposed to help us?"
"Perhaps it's some sort of code," MK suggested after a bit of thought.
"Okay, time to get inside!" Chris announced.
"You do know that I have claustrophobia," Jasmine refused.
"Would you do it for a million bucks?" Chris asked with a sly look.
Jasmine sighed. "I hope there's enough air to last a lifetime."
The footage flashed forward, showing each team in one of the submarine's two visible compartments. "Does anybody else have a bad feeling about this?" Jasmine asked her team as her eyes darted around the room. The sound of sonar pinging in the background was quickly joined by the wailing of a klaxon as lights around the submarine began to flash red. Various shot of hatch wheels, pipes, each team's feet, and the startled faces of Millie, Ripper, and Izzy were shown.
"What's going on?" Justin asked with a hint of panic in his voice.
"It's too dark to see," Chase said. "This isn't good."
"For this challenge," Chris announced over intercoms in each room, "you've gotta get out before it's too late."
"Too late for what?" Millie asked as the footage changed to a monitor feed of the Grips, the camera pulling back a few other monitors next to it showing close-ups of Ripper, Chase, and MK. Chef was sitting in front of them inches away from the camera, looking back at the monitoring console out of the corner of his eyes.
"Oh, you'll find out," Chris told them with a laugh as Chef nodded.
The viewpoint shifted to show the host and his assistant sitting at a table playing cards in the control room. "Pick up two," Chef said, placing a card on the table himself as the handsome host drew another pair.
"You mind cranking that lever?" Chris asked, and his hulking associate quickly complied.
As soon as the lever was pulled, water began to flow heavily through a network of pipes, causing them to drip at various joints. More ominously, water started pouring into the submarine's compartments via a grate in the floor. It quickly began to pool around Justin's feet, and he looked down with shock and unease.
"What is that?" he asked worriedly.
“This is just great," Anne Maria said. "The one person who would've been able to break us out of here had to quit!"
"Well, Brick's not here," Jasmine panicked as she began trying to look around the poorly-lit room. "If we start to drown, not only will we be trapped in here, but we'll die!"
The scene flashed to Ripper trying to turn a hatch wheel on the wall to no avail while Chase stood nearby. "We're stuck in the dark, the water is filling up the place, and one of our teammates is stuck in the infirmary," Chase recapped. “How much worse can this get?”
"The water is freezing?" Ripper replied. "How are we supposed to bust out of this sub?"
"No worries," MK told him. "I've got great night vision. Side note, the things I do sometimes occur at night." She noticed a cardboard box sitting on a nearby table, and opened it up with a grin. "This should help!" she said, taking several flashlights out of the box and turning them on.
"Let's get to work everybody!" Izzy whooped as she caught the light that was tossed to her.
The scene cut to Jasmine and Millie attempting to open two of the wall hatches without success.
Jasmine was focused on as she tried to force her hatch wheel to turn. She gave another grunt of exertion and slipped, falling forward into the Grips' cardboard box. "Brilliant!" she exclaimed in delight, holding up the flashlights she'd accidentally discovered. "Okay cobbers, let's get our heads in the game!" she declared, tossing each of her teammates a flashlight.
"Hey, I think I found something!" Anne Maria said as she shined her light on the ceiling hatch.
"Same here!" Millie added as she illuminated the floor hatch. "This could be the exit!"
The camera cut to a close-up of Chase turning the dial on the floor hatch while Izzy stood behind him shining her light down on it. "Bad news," he said as he finally let go, "it's a combination lock!"
"The numbers on the paper!" Izzy said immediately. "That must be the combination!"
"Oh yeah," Chase said blankly, taking out the crumpled-up note for MK to snatch it and shine her light on it.
Ripper walked up to the AV girl. "Go on, techmaster. Tell us the numbers," he told her expectantly.
"Give me a second," MK replied in annoyance as she flipped the note upside-down and back again.
"We don't have a second!" Chase said in rising panic, the water already up his legs and nearly covering the floor hatch.
"It's either...," MK squinted, "3-1-11-3-6-2," she rattled off before flipping the paper again, "or 2-6-3-9-1-3. It's hard to tell with this bad handwriting."
"Well, get cracking already!" Ripper demanded.
“Guys, now's not the time to fight right now,” Chase reminded them.
MK crouched down by the dial and groaned after looking over it for a second. "These numbers are tiny! Somebody give me a light."
"I'm on it," Izzy told her, shining an extra light down on the dial. "Now which number are we going for first?"
"Let me double check," MK told her, taking the note back out of her pocket only to accidentally lose her grip on the note. MK groaned and picked up the now soggy and unreadable note out of the water.
Confessional: Izzy
“If today's my last day in this world, I'm thankful that I'm not surrounded by loons,” Izzy told the viewers. “Well except for Ripper, but he's not risking all of our lives.”
Confessional Ends
The scene flashed over to a close-up of the Grips' dial as Anne Maria turned it back and forth and her teammates watched in silence. The water rose above her head and she came up. "This ain't working!" she said in frustration. "I can't figure out the combination with the water rising up!"
"How about we boost each other up there?" Millie suggested, her light shining on the ceiling hatch.
"Worth a shot," Jasmine shrugged. The Outback girl held out her hands to give Justin a foothold, boosting him up onto her shoulders before Millie climbed up them to the top.
She strained to reach for the hatch, but it was still too high up. "Almost…there!" As Millie spoke, she made another attempt at reaching out, but only managed to cause the three to lose their balance and collapse into the water.
"Now what?" Justin asked in annoyance just before Anne Maria emerged from the water.
"What are you all doing?" she asked them.
"We were trying to open the door on the ceiling," Millie said. "And how are you able to stay underwater for that long?"
“My lungs are waterproof, duh,” Anne Maria answered. “And if we're gonna use the hatch up there, let's just wait for the water to reach us to that point.”
"Does anybody else have a plan to get us out?" Chase asked his teammates, all four floating idly in the water.
"Of course!" Izzy exclaimed. "We forgot about that hatch!" She pointed to the ceiling hatch with a grin, and with the current water level was able to grab onto it along with Ripper.
"Open sesame!" Ripper bellowed out as he and Izzy pried the hatch cover open.
A shark stuck its head out of the opening with a roar, and the two Gaffers who had opened it quickly closed it again, eyes wide with shock.
"No good. Any other ideas?" Izzy said, backing away from the hatch slowly.
"I got it!" Jasmine grunted as she forced the wheel of the ceiling hatch to turn, and when it finally opened, she immediately shrieked and slammed it shut when a jet of fire came forth from the opening. "That wasn't safe at all!"
The scene cut to the control room, with footage of the Grips continuing what they'd been doing on the monitors.
"Fire, huh?" Chris said with a hint of nervousness. "Don't you think that's a bit much?"
Chef shrugged.
Confessional: Chef Hatchet
"Seriously, I'm just not in the mood!" Chef told the confessional camera angrily. "Busting my hump for a bunch of snot nosed…" He slammed a fist onto the table, scattering a few make-up brushes. "Don't I deserve a little me time?"
Confessional Ends
Close-ups of Jasmine, Izzy, Justin, and Anne Maria were now being shown on the monitors, each one looking with dread at the water that was now up to their necks or shoulders.
"Really, it might be time to end the challenge," Chris said with rising concern. "The water's getting pretty high, and, uh, those kids are terrible swimmers!"
"Focus!" Chef shouted. "I want my chips back," he said calmly, pointing to a tall canister on the table, "I'm starvin'." He casually tossed a single chip into his mouth.
"This is getting serious," Chris told him. "Tur-turn off the water!"
Chef reached for the lever, but it quickly snapped off in his hand, and Chris gasped. "We've gotta get the cast out of there!" he said, standing up in panic. "Simple formula! No more contestants equals no more episodes equals no paycheck, and the end of my luxurious lifestyle!"
"I don't want them to die anymore than you do," Chef said after dropping the broken lever and shuffling their deck of cards, “but the lever is broken, so it's up to them to rescue themselves.”
A shot from just below the surface of the water showed the Gaffers treading it.
"If we make it out of here, the first thing I'm gonna do is break Chris for endangering our lives," Ripper told the team and pulled out the bendy straws from breakfast, “and that's gonna happen thanks to these straws!”
“Why didn't you whip those out earlier?!” MK reprimanded.
“I obviously forgot about them, but I still remember the numbers,” Ripper rolled his eyes and stuck one straw to another. “Now do you want to complain or survive?”
“Alright! I'll help you make a snorkel,” MK took hold of the straws. She watched Ripper put a straw into his mouth and sink underwater, prompting her to stack one straw after another as he sank.
The footage cut back to the control room where Chris was watching the Gaffers with tense worry. "Brilliant!" he said with relief. "Ripper's gonna save the day! Once the hatch is open, it'll drain the water out of both the rooms, and I'll still have a paycheck!" He quickly hugged Chef, who'd been playing cards by himself and looked annoyed at the sudden contact.
An action song began to play in the background as Ripper got to work turning the handle with a serious look on his face. Chris was shown watching nervously from the safety of his control room.
The clip moved to shots of the Grips submerged in water with only their heads surfacing, and Chris was shown covering his eyes in fear and anxiety, peeking out just long enough to gape.
MK kept putting more straws onto the snorkel as the water rose up. "Come on, Ripper!" Chase cried out as his head began to sink. "There's not much time left!"
A shot of the top half of Izzy’s head staying afloat was presented, and as Ripper turned the handle in opposite directions, he adjusted his snorkel before resuming his progress.
Chris was tensely biting his nails while Chef was calmly playing solitaire. However, Ripper got to the last number of the combination, and after yanking at the hatch, it flew open. A large cloud of bubbles briefly covered the screen, and when they dissipated, Ripper signaled his team to get out, and he took off the snorkel and swam out the gap with Izzy, MK, and Chase following after.
Back in the control room, the background music came to an end as Chris started to celebrate. "Wooo-hoo-hoo! Yeah, mmm, mmm!" He cheered, doing a joyous dance around the room while Chef watched in annoyance and ate his chips.
The scene cut to the Grips as their compartment's water drained out and they were left soaking wet.
“Does this mean…” Justin began to wonder.
“Yes. We lost,” Anne Maria looked down in disappointment.
A flash took the scene to a close-up of a roaring fire outside the cast trailers. It was now dark out, and all eight who had competed in the second challenge were furiously sitting around it in bathrobes, the Grips on the left and the Gaffers on the right.
"Well, that was a pretty exciting day, huh?" Chris told them as he walked past the glaring Grips. "Looks like another reward win for the Gaffers. Seems like the Grips are a tad overdue. But," he paused to laugh, "I wouldn't hold my breath!" Jasmine and Millie glared at him and his pun.
"And now let's see what the Gaffers have won!" Chris said once he stopped laughing, pulling a card out of his shirt. "Ohhh!"
The shot flashed to Chef in his sparkly pink dress standing in front of a curtain that was quickly pulled back to reveal a scene of a city on the water, with mountains in the background and a totem pole in the fore. "An all-expenses paid trip to beautiful British Columbia!" The shot flashed again, now showing a close-up of a small cabin bathed in red light and steam, an odd and low bubbling noise in the background. "That's right, you'll be staying at the luxurious inn, 'On the Volcano'!" The camera pulled back, revealing that the cabin was indeed located so far over the mouth of an active volcano that it looked like it would fall in at the slightest provocation. "A charming lodge, teetering on the edge of a little-known active volcano, on Vancouver Island."
The Gaffers looked at him with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "To get you there," the host continued as the scene flashed to Chef, dressed in a traditional German costume and accompanied by an unseen yodeler, hiking up the side of a mountain. "You'll be enjoying an exhilarating eight-day hike up the craggy, treacherous-"
Both the host and the various background sounds were interrupted by a record scratch and an angry outburst from Chase. "No way!"
Confessional: Chase
"We were actually going to drown back there!" Chase said in the confessional. "These producers are insane if they want us to stay at a volcano."
Confessional: Ripper
"I was going to give Chris a thrashing, but after some careful consideration, I realized that it could get me kicked off the show,” Ripper explained and smiled arrogantly. “And there's no way I'm leaving without lording over the fact that I saved everybody's lives over their heads.”
Confessionals End
"We'll just take some snacks and drinks for our reward," MK told the host. "And make it a stash."
"Suit yourselves," Chris replied, putting the card back in his shirt pocket. "More money for my end-of-the-year bonus!"
Confessional: Izzy
"Okay, I'm not above covering myself with poison ivy, but there's no way I'm gonna go on a vacation after I almost died," Izzy confessed with rare fury. "That's just extremely messed up."
Confessional Ends
MK and Ripper clinked soda bottles together as they, Izzy, and Chase enjoyed their reward at the picnic table outside the rebuilt craft services tent. The camera quickly panned to the left past the sulking Grips, and stopped on Chris walking alongside Scott. The redheaded boy's right arm had a sling, and he was looking rather miffed.
“Remember when I said I'd sue you in the first season? That was just an empty threat,” Scott angrily whispered, frightening Chris a bit. “If this was an elimination episode and I got the boot, I would do so as soon as I got home. I have an uncle who's a lawyer.”
"Umm…" Chris whispered to him timidly, "please don't. I promise to get you compensated for your broken arm as soon as possible."
“Okay,” Scott looked at Chris suspiciously. “I'll go celebrate with my team, but you guys better provide me with benefits or you and Chef are getting a lawsuit.”
“Enjoy!” Chris regained his happy demeanor after watching Scott walk off. "And with that, we are at the end of another awesome episode. What disaster lies in store for our teams next time?" he asked the camera with a smile. "I'm your host, Chris McLean, asking you to tune in, turn on, and find out right here on Total! Drama! Action!"
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
“Look at all the food we won,” Scott demonstrated what was on the table - soda, chips, chocolate bars, marshmallows, gumballs, and crackers. “Why offer us a disaster themed vacay when we can just stuff our faces in?” He took a gumball with his left arm and swallowed it in his mouth. “But that doesn't mean I'm letting my injured arm go. Those guys were the ones who broke it, not me. And if I'm not treated at all, charges will be pressed on them.” He then blew a bubble, and after it got too big, the bubble exploded and the embarrassed teen had his entire face covered in gum.
Eva - 14th
Geoff - 14th
Izzy - RETURNED
Trent - 12th
Sky - 11th
Brick - 10th
Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Jasmine, Justin, Millie
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, Izzy, MK, Ripper, Scott
submitted by xtremexavier15 to u/xtremexavier15 [link] [comments]
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, Izzy, MK, Ripper, Scott
Episode 10: Masters of Disasters
"Last time, on Total Drama Action! The world's toughest Chef used spoons to bring out Brick's killer instinct!"
“It was no thanks to Brick that Justin and Millie had the bejeebies scared out of them. Victory seemed within reach, as Brick won the scream-off. MK won the challenge for the Screaming Gaffers by not falling for any of the Grips’ feeble attempts to scare them.”
“Just as the Killer Grips casted their votes, Brick's conscience, along with a planned push from Justin, finally got the best of him. Brick called himself out as a cheater, hopped into the Lame-o-Sine, and rode off into the sunset.”
The scene flashed to Chris walking through the lot, eventually reaching the cast trailers. "How will the contestants survive without Brick's gourmet cooking? Was it coriander or tarragon he used in that casserole? Discover all that and more in another thrilling and filling episode of Total! Drama! Action!"
(Theme Song)
The episode opened with a shot of the blue and partly-cloudy sky before quickly panning down to the craft services tent. The scene zoomed in and cut inside, showing a close-up of a bowl of roach-infested gruel. Scott took a trembling scoop of the food, pausing with wide eyes as Ripper took a bite of his own.
He immediately gagged and spat the food back out. "I never thought I'd say this, but I really miss Brick," he said. "His cooking was a massive improvement over Chef's."
On the other side of the table, Anne Maria poked her food with a spoon. "Topher cooked spaghetti and meatballs for us once, and despite it being a bit soggy, I'd eat his cooking over Chef's," she said.
“Not that I care, but why did Topher of all people make something for you and how did this all happen?” Scott spoke up from his table.
“Well, if you must know, me and Topher are currently datin’ right now,” Anne Maria revealed happily, shocking the others. “What?”
“How did you two even hook up with each other that quickly?” Scott asked in astonishment.
“Remember when we were out looking for the briefcase? Me and Topher were partners, and we had a good time being together,” Anne Maria detailed. “We also managed to have some conversations with each other at the Playa thanks to you guys votin’ us out first,” the Jersey woman added, saying the last part grumpily. “And even though we started off as friends, we developed feelings for each other and eventually became an item between TV seasons.”
“But wait. Wasn't our break from competing two weeks?” Millie asked her teammate.
“I know what you're all thinking. Two weeks is too fast for a relationship to get on board, but since we'd be separated with him not competing alongside me, we decided to get together and confess our feelings before it was too late,” Anne Maria told the contestants.
Confessional: Izzy
“I'd like to call Anne Maria's bluff to her face, but I don't think she's the type to lie about juicy stuff like relationships,” Izzy explained. “And I'd likely receive a humongous blow to the face if I straight up accused her.”
Confessional: Justin
“Well there goes my plan of having Anne Maria as an alliance buddy somewhat,” Justin moaned. “With how much she's been ignoring my affections, it's obvious that she won't commit infidelity just for me.”
Confessionals End
“So yeah. That's about it when it comes to me and Topher,” Anne Maria concluded.
“I can totally see why you two would be joined at the hip, given that you're both equally self-absorbed,” MK commented snidely.
“Watch your mouth, MK,” Anne Maria warned her and then turned to Jasmine staring down at her food. “What's got you so slumped?”
“She's still upset about the alliance Brick had with Chef before he got eliminated,” Millie mentioned.
“Oh yeah. I really could care less,” Anne Maria shrugged.
“I'm not mad about the alliance,” Jasmine corrected. “I'm mad about the fact that he kept it a secret until he quit. And this came from a guy who claimed that honor was key. How can I trust Brick after that?”
“I feel you,” Justin said. “I wouldn't be impressed if someone was keeping something very important from me.”
“Exactly my point, Justin,” Jasmine said.
“Brick did do something wrong, but he felt bad enough for it,” Millie told Jasmine. “And given how Chef is, he was likely threatened into the alliance.”
“That may be true, but I don't want to focus on this subject anymore than I do,” Jasmine said authoritatively. “I'm moving on from this.”
Confessional: Jasmine
“I don't know how Canadian boys flirt or socialize with girls normally, but if telling lies is part of it, then I may call romance flawed and superficial,” Jasmine grumbled stubbornly. “But enough after that. I have to focus on opening my dream school with the money I'll likely win.”
Confessional: Justin
“To those of you that weren't already aware, I knew that Brick and Chef were in cahoots together ever since I saw Chef hold Brick back before the beach episode,” Justin said. “I started picking up the clues more and more, and now that I've turned Jasmine against Brick, I can gain her trust for the future challenges.”
Confessionals End
Ripper then spots a cup of bendy straws next to him. “Hey, does anybody know why these bendy straws are even here?”
“Nope, but if you're planning to shoot spitballs with them, don't target me, Ripstick,” MK advised.
“You never know who I'm gonna target, Brain Girl,” Ripper said, stuffing the straws into his pocket. “I'm keeping the straws, only because they seem useful.”
“More than you,” MK snorted quietly.
"Howdy folks!" Chris said as he walked into the tent with his usual smile. "Hope you enjoyed your lunch, ‘cause you won't be hanging on to it any longer," he told them with a laugh.
"And what torture do you have for us?" Scott asked with a deadpan expression.
"Oh, nothing," Chris answered mockingly. "Just that your day will be a total disaster. Get it?" he asked the room. "It's a disaster movie theme! Y'know? Like in disaster flicks?"
A dangerous and hectic tune began as the scene flashed to Chef Hatchet running against a featureless white background. "People running for their lives from volcanoes," a magma-oozing volcano dropped down onto the scenery just barely missing Chef, "earthquakes, asteroids," a fissure formed in the ground just past the volcano, expanding towards the running man before a small asteroid just missed striking him, "tidal waves," Chef ran headlong into a large wave which crashed over him and washed him away.
The scene flashed back to a close-up of Scott and Izzy gaping in their seats, followed by a similar shot of Justin and Jasmine. "The more disastrous, the better."
Confessional: Millie
"Like we haven't gone through enough disaster already," Millie groaned. "If this keeps up, I'll have to write about how being on Total Drama is more than, if not as, dangerous than bungee jumping into a volcano without a cord!"
Confessional Ends
The footage cut back to Chris standing in front of some sort of machine console as a few deep and ominous notes were struck in the background. "Your first challenge is," he said, "the Earthquake of Inevitable Pain!" The camera moved left and out, revealing the giant playing field that had been set up outside. It consisted of a platform resting at an angle on scaffolding and several pistons with a ladder set up at the high end. On top of it were a series of obstacles arranged in two identical rows: tires, traffic cones, monkey bars over a pool of water, a large metal tube, a balance beam over a pit, and a wooden wall to the far left near the top.
"Each team has to run the course," the host explained as the camera panned across the stunned faces of the cast, "challenging your dexterity," a close-up of the tires was shown, "maneuverability," a shot of the cones was added in a horizontal split-screen, "and other mad monkey skills," he finished as the monkey bars were added to the split screen.
A flash took the scene to Chef standing on top of the ladder at the end of the course. He picked a brick up out of a sack by his side and tossed it around with a vicious grin on his face, and the camera cut back to the host. "First team to the top wins! Best out of two earns today's reward."
The camera focused on the Screaming Gaffers. "Cool!" Chase said with a sudden smile. "This'll be just like the boot camp obstacle course from the first season, only this time, I get to actually compete in it."
"The course does have earthquakes though," Izzy brought up.
"An obstacle course is still an obstacle course," Chase shook it off.
"Enough with the chitty-chat," Chris interrupted with a brief frown of his own. "Take your marks!"
Both teams were shown assembled along the bottom edge of the platform. "This is gonna be easy," Scott boasted as Chase jogged in place.
"I can't wait to swing on the monkey bars!" Millie declared happily while Jasmine limbered up.
"Aaaaaannnnd," Chris said as a few deep notes heralded the beginning of fast-paced challenge music, "Action!"
He sounded a small air horn, and the shot cut to the four Grips as they ran up the platform and immediately into the tires – Jasmine in the lead, then Justin, Millie, and Anne Maria at the end. Panning over to the Grips, Izzy and Chase were out first, followed by Scott, Ripper, and MK.
"How easy is this?" Izzy asked enthusiastically after a close-up of her easily stepping through the tires.
"Are you READY to ROCK?!" Chris exclaimed with an excited cackle before pulling one of the levers on his machine console. The pistons immediately began to extend and contract, shaking the platform and causing Izzy and Chase to stumble and fall into one another.
“If you break it, you buy it!” Izzy said playfully and laughed.
Jasmine and Justin had gotten to the beginning of the cones, but lost their balance too and Justin had to yank one of the cones off his head. Millie and Anne Maria jumped up onto the Grips' monkey bars, and the scene cut over to Chef on the ladder.
"Perfect time to get rid of some old junk," he said with a vicious grin and a dark cackle, reaching into his sack and taking out a football. He tossed it from hand to hand, then reared back and threw it at the girls on the monkey bars. It hit Millie in the face with enough force to knock her back into Anne Maria and both off the obstacle.
"My face!" Millie cried out as she fell out of sight.
Chef was shown casually throwing out several objects from his bag without looking – a kitchen sink, a bowling ball, a hammer, a rotary telephone, each with appropriate sound effects when they inevitably hit something. He paused when he took out a tiny rubber ducky, squeezing it a few times and smiling at its squeak before looking at the camera sheepishly and throwing it away.
"Are you kidding me?" MK said after the duck hit her on the nose while she was on the monkey bars.
The camera briefly cut back to Chris as he smirked and pulled the lever again, putting an end to the shaking. Izzy, Chase, and Scott were shown regaining their balance at the start of the monkey bars, and Izzy groaned in relief. "Finally, a break!"
"AFTERSHOCK!" Chris exclaimed with a happy laugh, pulling the lever again. The platform resumed shaking, causing Scott to stumble to his knees behind him.
The dirt boy threw up, and looked at the puddle of vomit with a disgusted grimace. "Why was that lunch even worse coming back up?"
"Oh yeah," Chris said with a sly look, "that reminds me. It's lava time!" he announced dramatically, slamming his fist down on a button that caused more shaking and some ominous mechanical whirs that made Chase and Izzy look around nervously.
A pair of slots opened up just past the walls at the top of the course, and a steaming red liquid poured out of them. Chef bent down and touched the liquid with his fingers, taking a quick taste. "Tomato soup?" he said with a surprised look below, where the soup was being siphoned out of a large metal drum with a tomato on the side. "That was supposed to be for supper."
With the soup already closing in on the monkey bars, Anne Maria and Justin were forced to quickly jump back up to them, while nearby Millie quickly grabbed the top of the metal tube. MK and Izzy were also shown clinging to the top of the bars for safety.
"Pheeewww, wee!" Chris exclaimed as the camera cut back to him fanning himself with one hand. "Is it getting hot in here? How 'bout a cool, refreshing, hailstorm!" The shot pulled back to show him standing on the seat of a cart-mounted gun platform which was attached to a golf cart being driven by Chef, who honked the horn with a dark grin. "Golf ball-sized hail is bad," the host said matter-of-factly as he sat down and grabbed the handles of the gun, "but, hail-sized golf balls are even worse!" He laughed and opened fire, a clear canister on the top of the large weapon feeding golf balls into it. Izzy, back on the ground, tried to dodge the balls as they dashed towards the metal tube, but the sheer number knocked her into it.
"I got one!" Chris cheered happily.
"Don't get cocky, kid," Chef told him with a smile. The host continued to fire with a vicious grin on his face, and cries of pain from nearly every castmate were heard off-screen.
"Hey, watch the face!" Anne Maria cried out before several golf balls struck her in the face, and Chris continued to shoot.
Confessional: Anne Maria
The tanned woman was now shown to be bruised from her face all the way down. "That schuck is really askin’ for a beatdown if he thinks he can bruise my body, but I still got it." Anne Maria attempted to pose for the camera, but quickly winced in pain.
Confessional Ends
The host shot off a few more golf balls, then held up a button on a cord. "After-aftershock!" he exclaimed as he pressed it, starting up the shaking once again. Izzy lost her own footing and slipped backwards into the metal tunnel. The camera panned back to the tube's beginning, where the other Gaffers were standing. To their shock, the platform began to crack and split perilously close to them.
"We have to get a move on," Ripper said.
MK ducked into the tunnel but was forced out moments later when a screaming Izzy tumbled back through it, knocking into the small woman and sending both over the edge of the crack in the platform. Chase managed to dive and grab onto Izzy's flailing arm, and the camera panned down to show that MK had managed to cling onto her teammate's legs.
"Man, did Chris go all-out with these disasters," Ripper said with worry.
"Pull us up or else I may see the afterlife!" MK cried angrily as Chase struggled to heave his teammates out of the crevice.
"Coming," Scott said before he and Ripper bent down to grab Izzy's other arm.
The scene cut to the Grips as Jasmine made her way across the balance beam, with Millie and Justin coming out of the tube and following her. Chris fired another volley of golf balls which knocked Justin off his balance, and the camera moved back to the Gaffers still at the entrance to the tunnel and also coming under heavy fire.
"We have to keep moving!" Ripper shouted while he sheltered his team. Once his teammates were in relative safety, he began to shield the entrance with his girth. “I believe someone should be yelling “fore!”,” he shot an annoyed glare at the host.
"Fore!" Chris shouted gleefully, pulling the trigger but getting nothing but clicks – he was out of ammunition. The shot cut back to Ripper, who raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and jumped into the tube.
"Chef," Chris said in annoyance, "do something!" A few beeps from the golf cart signaled the hulking man's compliance as he rapidly reversed all the way to the ladder, crashing the gun platform and Chris along with it before quickly climbing up.
He resumed throwing objects at the castmates, starting with a flower pot that knocked Millie off the balance beam just as Jasmine made it to the finish line and Anne Maria made it to the top of her team's wall.
"Hurry up. We're almost there!" Chase called to the rest of the Grips as Scott gave MK a boost over the wall. Izzy climbed down the other side, and Ripper emerged from the tunnel and narrowly dodged a blender. The rough man rushed across the balance beam to the scheming farmer on the other side.
"C'mon. I'll give you a lift," Scott told him.
“Have you seen me?” Ripper raised an eyebrow. “I'm much heavier. I'll lift you up.” He then kneeled down and held out his hands as a foothold.
“Okay, fine,” Scott accepted the boost as bricks and pliers and even a cat in a football uniform were thrown at them.
Chef viciously tossed what appeared to be some sort of bomb, though the lack of an explosion when it landed off-screen suggested it was a dud at best. Regardless, the man smiled when he pulled out the next object: a very large hardcover book. "Ahh, my unpublished manifesto," he said happily.
The dramatically fast-paced challenge music faded into something more deep, tense, and threateningly monotonous as Scott was shown hauling himself up to the top of the wall with Ripper supporting him.
"I've lived a lot of years!" Chef declared before tossing his tremendous manifesto with two hands. The music sped back up as Scott spotted the heavy book flying at him with a gasp.
The shot closed in on the manifesto, and the footage slowed down as it slammed into Scott's right arm, knocking him clear off the wall and onto his back across the balance beam. “Ugh! That hurts!” Scott groaned and clutched his right arm.
"Oh shoot!" Ripper exclaimed in shock and ran over to his groaning teammate. "Your arm is not looking fine right now."
"My editor was right!" Chef told the camera on him proudly. "My life really is dangerous."
Scott began to sit up and used his right arm for support, but then winced in pain and flopped back down with a moan.
Confessional: Millie
"Did Scott actually break his arm?" Millie asked in disbelief. "That is so unfair, even if it is Scott of all people!" She sighed and looked up. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to Chase."
Confessional: Chase
"I can't believe Scott just wiped out his arm!" Chase told the confessional camera. "And because of a manifesto of all things!" He sighed and looked down. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to Millie."
Confessionals End
As Scott continued to groan in pain on the balance beam, one of the camera men was shown approaching him for a close-up.
"Chris!" Jasmine exclaimed angrily as the shot cut back to the Grips, Chef, and Chris, the host now on the ladder and framing a shot with his hands. "Aren't you going to send the crew over to help him?"
"Yeah yeah," the host said dismissively as another cameraman walked by in front of him, "as soon as we're done getting every shot. The good news is, it looks like Scott won the challenge for the Screaming Gaffers!" He looked over to MK, Izzy, and Chase as they gave a few celebratory cheers, joined in another shot by a smile from Ripper and even a thumbs up from Scott.
"Oh no he did not!" Anne Maria exclaimed.
"Yeah," Millie added sternly. "We got our entire team across the finish line first!"
"Serious injury trumps all," Chris told them with an impish shrug.
"You're just making up the rules as you go along," Jasmine said in frustration.
Chris gave a smug look, then smiled at the camera. "I love my job!"
A close-up of a flashing red siren took over the scene, and Scott was wheeled into an ambulance on a stretcher. "The wounded Scott," Chris said dramatically as the ambulance doors shut and it drove off, leaving the four Gaffers to watch with varying levels of concern. "What will become of him?" The shot zoomed out, showing the Grips standing nearby as well looking worried. "Stay tuned to find out!" Chris said, popping up in the foreground with a grin on his face, earning a glare from the remaining castmates.
(Commercial Break)
The deep and dramatic music continued as soon as the footage cut back to a shot of a water tower, the camera slowing panning down to the film lot's waterfront area. A submarine had been suspended from the arm of a crane, which ran along the top of the screen and was supported on the right by a structure built adjacent to a dock where the cast and host stood. Two sections of the submarine's outer wall had been made transparent, allowing full view of a pair of rooms within; there appeared to be hatches on the top and bottom leading into and out of each compartment. In the water below the submarine were two inflated rafts, roughly aligned with the 'windows'.
"How's Scott doing?" Izzy asked with concern as the camera focused on her.
"Oh, Scott's fine," Chris reassured the group. "A broken bone, but it's all wired shut now. Shouldn't take more than six to eight weeks to heal!"
"Oh," Ripper said, "it's that bad?!"
"I mean," Chris quickly corrected, "he's doing fine!" None of the cast looked like they believed him.
Confessional: Chris
"That's what release forms are for," Chris whined in the confessional trailer, holding up one of the forms. "Correctamundo?" he asked the camera.
Confessional Ends
"Alright!" Chris said as the camera began to zoom out. "Now it's time for the second disaster-themed challenge." The two teams were shown to have boarded the life rafts, the Gaffers on the left and the Grips on the right. "Who's excited?"
Neither the Grips nor the Gaffers gave him any response other than an annoyed glare, and cricket chirps were heard as the camera panned from one to the other.
"Because of Scott's win," Chris continued with a smile, "the Gaffers have the advantage of getting this handy-dandy piece of paper for the second disaster challenge." He took a seemingly blank piece of paper out from behind his back, rapidly folded it into a paper airplane, and threw it over to the team who'd won it. The camera followed it as it flew through the air, passed over the heads of the four Grips, made a loop-the-loop, and eventually got snatched out of the air by Chase.
He unfolded it, showing a small string of roman numerals, and quickly furrowed his brow. "Hey, it's just a bunch of numbers! How's this supposed to help us?"
"Perhaps it's some sort of code," MK suggested after a bit of thought.
"Okay, time to get inside!" Chris announced.
"You do know that I have claustrophobia," Jasmine refused.
"Would you do it for a million bucks?" Chris asked with a sly look.
Jasmine sighed. "I hope there's enough air to last a lifetime."
The footage flashed forward, showing each team in one of the submarine's two visible compartments. "Does anybody else have a bad feeling about this?" Jasmine asked her team as her eyes darted around the room. The sound of sonar pinging in the background was quickly joined by the wailing of a klaxon as lights around the submarine began to flash red. Various shot of hatch wheels, pipes, each team's feet, and the startled faces of Millie, Ripper, and Izzy were shown.
"What's going on?" Justin asked with a hint of panic in his voice.
"It's too dark to see," Chase said. "This isn't good."
"For this challenge," Chris announced over intercoms in each room, "you've gotta get out before it's too late."
"Too late for what?" Millie asked as the footage changed to a monitor feed of the Grips, the camera pulling back a few other monitors next to it showing close-ups of Ripper, Chase, and MK. Chef was sitting in front of them inches away from the camera, looking back at the monitoring console out of the corner of his eyes.
"Oh, you'll find out," Chris told them with a laugh as Chef nodded.
The viewpoint shifted to show the host and his assistant sitting at a table playing cards in the control room. "Pick up two," Chef said, placing a card on the table himself as the handsome host drew another pair.
"You mind cranking that lever?" Chris asked, and his hulking associate quickly complied.
As soon as the lever was pulled, water began to flow heavily through a network of pipes, causing them to drip at various joints. More ominously, water started pouring into the submarine's compartments via a grate in the floor. It quickly began to pool around Justin's feet, and he looked down with shock and unease.
"What is that?" he asked worriedly.
“This is just great," Anne Maria said. "The one person who would've been able to break us out of here had to quit!"
"Well, Brick's not here," Jasmine panicked as she began trying to look around the poorly-lit room. "If we start to drown, not only will we be trapped in here, but we'll die!"
The scene flashed to Ripper trying to turn a hatch wheel on the wall to no avail while Chase stood nearby. "We're stuck in the dark, the water is filling up the place, and one of our teammates is stuck in the infirmary," Chase recapped. “How much worse can this get?”
"The water is freezing?" Ripper replied. "How are we supposed to bust out of this sub?"
"No worries," MK told him. "I've got great night vision. Side note, the things I do sometimes occur at night." She noticed a cardboard box sitting on a nearby table, and opened it up with a grin. "This should help!" she said, taking several flashlights out of the box and turning them on.
"Let's get to work everybody!" Izzy whooped as she caught the light that was tossed to her.
The scene cut to Jasmine and Millie attempting to open two of the wall hatches without success.
Jasmine was focused on as she tried to force her hatch wheel to turn. She gave another grunt of exertion and slipped, falling forward into the Grips' cardboard box. "Brilliant!" she exclaimed in delight, holding up the flashlights she'd accidentally discovered. "Okay cobbers, let's get our heads in the game!" she declared, tossing each of her teammates a flashlight.
"Hey, I think I found something!" Anne Maria said as she shined her light on the ceiling hatch.
"Same here!" Millie added as she illuminated the floor hatch. "This could be the exit!"
The camera cut to a close-up of Chase turning the dial on the floor hatch while Izzy stood behind him shining her light down on it. "Bad news," he said as he finally let go, "it's a combination lock!"
"The numbers on the paper!" Izzy said immediately. "That must be the combination!"
"Oh yeah," Chase said blankly, taking out the crumpled-up note for MK to snatch it and shine her light on it.
Ripper walked up to the AV girl. "Go on, techmaster. Tell us the numbers," he told her expectantly.
"Give me a second," MK replied in annoyance as she flipped the note upside-down and back again.
"We don't have a second!" Chase said in rising panic, the water already up his legs and nearly covering the floor hatch.
"It's either...," MK squinted, "3-1-11-3-6-2," she rattled off before flipping the paper again, "or 2-6-3-9-1-3. It's hard to tell with this bad handwriting."
"Well, get cracking already!" Ripper demanded.
“Guys, now's not the time to fight right now,” Chase reminded them.
MK crouched down by the dial and groaned after looking over it for a second. "These numbers are tiny! Somebody give me a light."
"I'm on it," Izzy told her, shining an extra light down on the dial. "Now which number are we going for first?"
"Let me double check," MK told her, taking the note back out of her pocket only to accidentally lose her grip on the note. MK groaned and picked up the now soggy and unreadable note out of the water.
Confessional: Izzy
“If today's my last day in this world, I'm thankful that I'm not surrounded by loons,” Izzy told the viewers. “Well except for Ripper, but he's not risking all of our lives.”
Confessional Ends
The scene flashed over to a close-up of the Grips' dial as Anne Maria turned it back and forth and her teammates watched in silence. The water rose above her head and she came up. "This ain't working!" she said in frustration. "I can't figure out the combination with the water rising up!"
"How about we boost each other up there?" Millie suggested, her light shining on the ceiling hatch.
"Worth a shot," Jasmine shrugged. The Outback girl held out her hands to give Justin a foothold, boosting him up onto her shoulders before Millie climbed up them to the top.
She strained to reach for the hatch, but it was still too high up. "Almost…there!" As Millie spoke, she made another attempt at reaching out, but only managed to cause the three to lose their balance and collapse into the water.
"Now what?" Justin asked in annoyance just before Anne Maria emerged from the water.
"What are you all doing?" she asked them.
"We were trying to open the door on the ceiling," Millie said. "And how are you able to stay underwater for that long?"
“My lungs are waterproof, duh,” Anne Maria answered. “And if we're gonna use the hatch up there, let's just wait for the water to reach us to that point.”
"Does anybody else have a plan to get us out?" Chase asked his teammates, all four floating idly in the water.
"Of course!" Izzy exclaimed. "We forgot about that hatch!" She pointed to the ceiling hatch with a grin, and with the current water level was able to grab onto it along with Ripper.
"Open sesame!" Ripper bellowed out as he and Izzy pried the hatch cover open.
A shark stuck its head out of the opening with a roar, and the two Gaffers who had opened it quickly closed it again, eyes wide with shock.
"No good. Any other ideas?" Izzy said, backing away from the hatch slowly.
"I got it!" Jasmine grunted as she forced the wheel of the ceiling hatch to turn, and when it finally opened, she immediately shrieked and slammed it shut when a jet of fire came forth from the opening. "That wasn't safe at all!"
The scene cut to the control room, with footage of the Grips continuing what they'd been doing on the monitors.
"Fire, huh?" Chris said with a hint of nervousness. "Don't you think that's a bit much?"
Chef shrugged.
Confessional: Chef Hatchet
"Seriously, I'm just not in the mood!" Chef told the confessional camera angrily. "Busting my hump for a bunch of snot nosed…" He slammed a fist onto the table, scattering a few make-up brushes. "Don't I deserve a little me time?"
Confessional Ends
Close-ups of Jasmine, Izzy, Justin, and Anne Maria were now being shown on the monitors, each one looking with dread at the water that was now up to their necks or shoulders.
"Really, it might be time to end the challenge," Chris said with rising concern. "The water's getting pretty high, and, uh, those kids are terrible swimmers!"
"Focus!" Chef shouted. "I want my chips back," he said calmly, pointing to a tall canister on the table, "I'm starvin'." He casually tossed a single chip into his mouth.
"This is getting serious," Chris told him. "Tur-turn off the water!"
Chef reached for the lever, but it quickly snapped off in his hand, and Chris gasped. "We've gotta get the cast out of there!" he said, standing up in panic. "Simple formula! No more contestants equals no more episodes equals no paycheck, and the end of my luxurious lifestyle!"
"I don't want them to die anymore than you do," Chef said after dropping the broken lever and shuffling their deck of cards, “but the lever is broken, so it's up to them to rescue themselves.”
A shot from just below the surface of the water showed the Gaffers treading it.
"If we make it out of here, the first thing I'm gonna do is break Chris for endangering our lives," Ripper told the team and pulled out the bendy straws from breakfast, “and that's gonna happen thanks to these straws!”
“Why didn't you whip those out earlier?!” MK reprimanded.
“I obviously forgot about them, but I still remember the numbers,” Ripper rolled his eyes and stuck one straw to another. “Now do you want to complain or survive?”
“Alright! I'll help you make a snorkel,” MK took hold of the straws. She watched Ripper put a straw into his mouth and sink underwater, prompting her to stack one straw after another as he sank.
The footage cut back to the control room where Chris was watching the Gaffers with tense worry. "Brilliant!" he said with relief. "Ripper's gonna save the day! Once the hatch is open, it'll drain the water out of both the rooms, and I'll still have a paycheck!" He quickly hugged Chef, who'd been playing cards by himself and looked annoyed at the sudden contact.
An action song began to play in the background as Ripper got to work turning the handle with a serious look on his face. Chris was shown watching nervously from the safety of his control room.
The clip moved to shots of the Grips submerged in water with only their heads surfacing, and Chris was shown covering his eyes in fear and anxiety, peeking out just long enough to gape.
MK kept putting more straws onto the snorkel as the water rose up. "Come on, Ripper!" Chase cried out as his head began to sink. "There's not much time left!"
A shot of the top half of Izzy’s head staying afloat was presented, and as Ripper turned the handle in opposite directions, he adjusted his snorkel before resuming his progress.
Chris was tensely biting his nails while Chef was calmly playing solitaire. However, Ripper got to the last number of the combination, and after yanking at the hatch, it flew open. A large cloud of bubbles briefly covered the screen, and when they dissipated, Ripper signaled his team to get out, and he took off the snorkel and swam out the gap with Izzy, MK, and Chase following after.
Back in the control room, the background music came to an end as Chris started to celebrate. "Wooo-hoo-hoo! Yeah, mmm, mmm!" He cheered, doing a joyous dance around the room while Chef watched in annoyance and ate his chips.
The scene cut to the Grips as their compartment's water drained out and they were left soaking wet.
“Does this mean…” Justin began to wonder.
“Yes. We lost,” Anne Maria looked down in disappointment.
A flash took the scene to a close-up of a roaring fire outside the cast trailers. It was now dark out, and all eight who had competed in the second challenge were furiously sitting around it in bathrobes, the Grips on the left and the Gaffers on the right.
"Well, that was a pretty exciting day, huh?" Chris told them as he walked past the glaring Grips. "Looks like another reward win for the Gaffers. Seems like the Grips are a tad overdue. But," he paused to laugh, "I wouldn't hold my breath!" Jasmine and Millie glared at him and his pun.
"And now let's see what the Gaffers have won!" Chris said once he stopped laughing, pulling a card out of his shirt. "Ohhh!"
The shot flashed to Chef in his sparkly pink dress standing in front of a curtain that was quickly pulled back to reveal a scene of a city on the water, with mountains in the background and a totem pole in the fore. "An all-expenses paid trip to beautiful British Columbia!" The shot flashed again, now showing a close-up of a small cabin bathed in red light and steam, an odd and low bubbling noise in the background. "That's right, you'll be staying at the luxurious inn, 'On the Volcano'!" The camera pulled back, revealing that the cabin was indeed located so far over the mouth of an active volcano that it looked like it would fall in at the slightest provocation. "A charming lodge, teetering on the edge of a little-known active volcano, on Vancouver Island."
The Gaffers looked at him with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "To get you there," the host continued as the scene flashed to Chef, dressed in a traditional German costume and accompanied by an unseen yodeler, hiking up the side of a mountain. "You'll be enjoying an exhilarating eight-day hike up the craggy, treacherous-"
Both the host and the various background sounds were interrupted by a record scratch and an angry outburst from Chase. "No way!"
Confessional: Chase
"We were actually going to drown back there!" Chase said in the confessional. "These producers are insane if they want us to stay at a volcano."
Confessional: Ripper
"I was going to give Chris a thrashing, but after some careful consideration, I realized that it could get me kicked off the show,” Ripper explained and smiled arrogantly. “And there's no way I'm leaving without lording over the fact that I saved everybody's lives over their heads.”
Confessionals End
"We'll just take some snacks and drinks for our reward," MK told the host. "And make it a stash."
"Suit yourselves," Chris replied, putting the card back in his shirt pocket. "More money for my end-of-the-year bonus!"
Confessional: Izzy
"Okay, I'm not above covering myself with poison ivy, but there's no way I'm gonna go on a vacation after I almost died," Izzy confessed with rare fury. "That's just extremely messed up."
Confessional Ends
MK and Ripper clinked soda bottles together as they, Izzy, and Chase enjoyed their reward at the picnic table outside the rebuilt craft services tent. The camera quickly panned to the left past the sulking Grips, and stopped on Chris walking alongside Scott. The redheaded boy's right arm had a sling, and he was looking rather miffed.
“Remember when I said I'd sue you in the first season? That was just an empty threat,” Scott angrily whispered, frightening Chris a bit. “If this was an elimination episode and I got the boot, I would do so as soon as I got home. I have an uncle who's a lawyer.”
"Umm…" Chris whispered to him timidly, "please don't. I promise to get you compensated for your broken arm as soon as possible."
“Okay,” Scott looked at Chris suspiciously. “I'll go celebrate with my team, but you guys better provide me with benefits or you and Chef are getting a lawsuit.”
“Enjoy!” Chris regained his happy demeanor after watching Scott walk off. "And with that, we are at the end of another awesome episode. What disaster lies in store for our teams next time?" he asked the camera with a smile. "I'm your host, Chris McLean, asking you to tune in, turn on, and find out right here on Total! Drama! Action!"
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
“Look at all the food we won,” Scott demonstrated what was on the table - soda, chips, chocolate bars, marshmallows, gumballs, and crackers. “Why offer us a disaster themed vacay when we can just stuff our faces in?” He took a gumball with his left arm and swallowed it in his mouth. “But that doesn't mean I'm letting my injured arm go. Those guys were the ones who broke it, not me. And if I'm not treated at all, charges will be pressed on them.” He then blew a bubble, and after it got too big, the bubble exploded and the embarrassed teen had his entire face covered in gum.
Eva - 14th
Geoff - 14th
Izzy - RETURNED
Trent - 12th
Sky - 11th
Brick - 10th
Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Jasmine, Justin, Millie
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, Izzy, MK, Ripper, Scott
2024.05.30 21:34 Think-Engine-4900 OEM tow hitch a Class I or II?
Anyone know the specifications for OEM Part 0000-8ER06A? 2021 CX5 tow hitch.
I ordered a trailer hitch through the Mazda dealership when I bought the car last month, after I was told an after market install could void my warranties. I let the dealership know the hitch needed to pull a small raft/trailer. I should’ve double checked the order, but assumed that the dealership would know what they were doing. Hitch was installed a couple weeks ago, and frankly it looks like its only purpose would be for a bike rack. From what I can tell from online research, the part number is for a Class I hitch. Called the parts department at the dealership and they don’t actually know the specifications. Looking for some insight!
submitted by Think-Engine-4900 to CX5 [link] [comments]
I ordered a trailer hitch through the Mazda dealership when I bought the car last month, after I was told an after market install could void my warranties. I let the dealership know the hitch needed to pull a small raft/trailer. I should’ve double checked the order, but assumed that the dealership would know what they were doing. Hitch was installed a couple weeks ago, and frankly it looks like its only purpose would be for a bike rack. From what I can tell from online research, the part number is for a Class I hitch. Called the parts department at the dealership and they don’t actually know the specifications. Looking for some insight!
2024.05.30 05:46 tintinabulum Thinking of buying 2011 3.6R - advice ?
We do a decent amount of towing (boats that are not very heavy - white water rafts) and have been towing with my 2005 Subaru 2.5i that I’ve had for over a decade. It’s not fast but it’s ok at towing the trailer and boats.
I’m looking for an upgrade and have been researching the 3.6R and I’m very interested based on what I’ve learned for its extra hp and reliability.
I found a 2011 limited 3.6 that is at a nearby dealer. Yes I’ve scheduled a pre purchase inspection. But the thing that sold me is they just completely replaced the transmission - took out the cvt and put in an automatic 5 (not sure which? I could ask). They also did a bunch of other smaller stuff like water pump, thermostat, radiator, drive belt, valve cover gasket, etc.
They are asking $12,900 and the CARFAX does not show much in the way of maintenance so I have no way of knowing how much its original two owners maintained it but they were both in Washington state.
It “only” has 104,000 miles on it.
I like what I’ve read about the 2011 3.6 but should I be concerned that it was at auction with only oil changes listed as maintenance (I know not all maintenance ends up on carfax)- but the new transmission is really appealing. I wasn’t planning on buying one this old but I do like the idea of not paying $20k for a used car that has only slightly less mileage and - realistically - is not any less of a gamble to buy (like a 72,000 mile 2019 2.5 I looked at for $19,900)
So - thanks for reading this far and super thanks if you respond with reassurance or to say run away. Even with a ppi I’m nervous. I haven’t bought a car since 2012 and I hate going through this process (hence why I’m still driving my 05 outback)
submitted by tintinabulum to subaru [link] [comments]
I’m looking for an upgrade and have been researching the 3.6R and I’m very interested based on what I’ve learned for its extra hp and reliability.
I found a 2011 limited 3.6 that is at a nearby dealer. Yes I’ve scheduled a pre purchase inspection. But the thing that sold me is they just completely replaced the transmission - took out the cvt and put in an automatic 5 (not sure which? I could ask). They also did a bunch of other smaller stuff like water pump, thermostat, radiator, drive belt, valve cover gasket, etc.
They are asking $12,900 and the CARFAX does not show much in the way of maintenance so I have no way of knowing how much its original two owners maintained it but they were both in Washington state.
It “only” has 104,000 miles on it.
I like what I’ve read about the 2011 3.6 but should I be concerned that it was at auction with only oil changes listed as maintenance (I know not all maintenance ends up on carfax)- but the new transmission is really appealing. I wasn’t planning on buying one this old but I do like the idea of not paying $20k for a used car that has only slightly less mileage and - realistically - is not any less of a gamble to buy (like a 72,000 mile 2019 2.5 I looked at for $19,900)
So - thanks for reading this far and super thanks if you respond with reassurance or to say run away. Even with a ppi I’m nervous. I haven’t bought a car since 2012 and I hate going through this process (hence why I’m still driving my 05 outback)
2024.05.29 05:03 Old-Status5680 Nice camp ground with Showers
Hi everyone. We will be passing through SLC in July from our Salmon river trip on our way back to Denver. Somewhere around SLC will be the stopping point for the night. We will be a week into the trip since we left the house and I am.sure the wife.and kids will want to shower and change into clean clothes.
We will have our raft on a trailer with all the gear so a hotel is not an option because of easy theft. Are there any camp grounds or facilities in the area that are safe for an over night stop, warm shower and good night sleep?
submitted by Old-Status5680 to SaltLakeCity [link] [comments]
We will have our raft on a trailer with all the gear so a hotel is not an option because of easy theft. Are there any camp grounds or facilities in the area that are safe for an over night stop, warm shower and good night sleep?
2024.05.28 04:21 Dog_hair_in_my_beer 2023 RMR SB120 or 8-10 year old Aire Super Duper Puma
Added pictures of both boats. I need help deciding on the best course of action. Here are the options. Both are the same price, which is why this is such a conundrum for me. $3500 for either.
The 13' super duper Puma, which just had a floor bladder replaced last year. No leaks in the rest of the boat. Comes with a fly fishing frame and a trailer, but the trailer is pretty sketchy, probably limited to 60mph. So not a huge selling point. Comes with oars, the frame and the sketchy trailer. No thwarts so Id have to purchase those if I wanted to take the frame off and send it with my buds. The boat ID number to determine the age is MIA. Which is also a bit of a red flag but it seems to be in decent shape. Owner said he just missed the warranty on the floor and before him it was used as a fishing guide boat.
The other option is a RMR SB-120 12' raft. Includes a a 3 bay frame, oars, pumps, polydeck, oarlocks. This raft is essentially brand new. Comes with thwarts. No trailer.
my intent with the raft is pretty much class 3 and below. Just chill floats mostly with some fishing and camping. occasionally taking the frame off and going out with the boys for a day trip. 2-3 day trips are also in my future. Ive heard the rumbling about whether or not RMRs are worth it. Both come with enough gear to get me into rafting, which ive been wanting to get into for years. Currently in the southeast (USA) but moving back to Colorado in a couple years, so id be bringing whichever back with me. Eventually Id like to be comfortable enough to take it down browns canyon when Ive got the experience, but until then, chill floats class 2-3 and taking it easy getting my feet wet in a new sport.
Any feedback welcome, your experiences with either boat or the companies as a whole. is the price decent for what theyre asking for? Any feedback you got will be helpful! Thanks everyone
submitted by Dog_hair_in_my_beer to whitewater [link] [comments]
The 13' super duper Puma, which just had a floor bladder replaced last year. No leaks in the rest of the boat. Comes with a fly fishing frame and a trailer, but the trailer is pretty sketchy, probably limited to 60mph. So not a huge selling point. Comes with oars, the frame and the sketchy trailer. No thwarts so Id have to purchase those if I wanted to take the frame off and send it with my buds. The boat ID number to determine the age is MIA. Which is also a bit of a red flag but it seems to be in decent shape. Owner said he just missed the warranty on the floor and before him it was used as a fishing guide boat.
The other option is a RMR SB-120 12' raft. Includes a a 3 bay frame, oars, pumps, polydeck, oarlocks. This raft is essentially brand new. Comes with thwarts. No trailer.
my intent with the raft is pretty much class 3 and below. Just chill floats mostly with some fishing and camping. occasionally taking the frame off and going out with the boys for a day trip. 2-3 day trips are also in my future. Ive heard the rumbling about whether or not RMRs are worth it. Both come with enough gear to get me into rafting, which ive been wanting to get into for years. Currently in the southeast (USA) but moving back to Colorado in a couple years, so id be bringing whichever back with me. Eventually Id like to be comfortable enough to take it down browns canyon when Ive got the experience, but until then, chill floats class 2-3 and taking it easy getting my feet wet in a new sport.
Any feedback welcome, your experiences with either boat or the companies as a whole. is the price decent for what theyre asking for? Any feedback you got will be helpful! Thanks everyone
2024.05.26 19:08 boomjackgame Boomerang Jack - Recall Interactive - Piratey Adventure with over-the-top Boomerang Combat
Steam - Demo & Trailer Twitter Discord Demo Playthrough
Hey Games! We're a team of 3 from Texas, excited to show you our over-the-top action game, Boomerang Jack. Boomerang Jack is a pirate action-adventure with a heavy emphasis on combat.
Fights present combat puzzles involving prioritizing enemies, parkour platforming to them, managing your health and surroundings, using the right abilities against the right foes, and expressing your own unique style.
submitted by boomjackgame to Games [link] [comments]
Hey Games! We're a team of 3 from Texas, excited to show you our over-the-top action game, Boomerang Jack. Boomerang Jack is a pirate action-adventure with a heavy emphasis on combat.
Fights present combat puzzles involving prioritizing enemies, parkour platforming to them, managing your health and surroundings, using the right abilities against the right foes, and expressing your own unique style.
- 26 distinct enemy types: Each enemy has a role in combat like a 'chess piece' and enemies come together in larger arena-style fights to present unique 'combat puzzles' for you to master.
- Time-Bending: Kick projectiles at enemies, dash away from enemies, and combine a kick and dash to slide across the arena kicking projectiles in bullet-time.
- Telekinetic Tornadoes: Pull enemies and explosives to you using a tornado powerup, halting time until you fire them back out. Use specific boomerang attacks to spawn up to 7 tornadoes at at time.
- 8 multi-phase boss fights: Testing precise movement, tight timing, and boomerang combos.
- Grappling and Parkour Platforming: Swing between grappling hooks, get shot out of a cannon, ride rafts, dash around lasers and spikes, and combine moves to create seamless platforming sequences. Combat arenas are designed to challenge movement skills mid-battle.
- Style Meter: Ranging from D to SSS, the style meter allows players of any skill level to have fun, but achieving an SSS requires a strong command of all of Jack's abilities and an aggressive playstyle.
- Boomerang Battles: Combine light and heavy attacks to create combos with unique purposes. Some cover a wide area, others a narrow area but do massive damage, and some pull enemies in or push them away.
- An Island-Hopping Adventure: Guide Jack through seas, ships, swamps, snow, caverns, mountains, volcanoes and ruins to uncover a dark impending reality that will shake the world.
2024.05.24 00:40 Snowfinz Truck Bed Rafts?
Hey y’all, starting to look at potentially getting a raft setup! Unfortunately trailer storage around where I live in Colorado is non-exist at so I would prefer to do something I can transport in my truck bed which is a 2016 GMC Canyon short bed. Anything y’all have been out there using that would fit this that you like? Open to all thoughts!
submitted by Snowfinz to flyfishing [link] [comments]
2024.05.23 17:49 ItsFoolishPride Greetings from East Lake
Hi Westfly fishers, I have been up here at East Lake for a little over a week now at a job. The fishing has been pretty good. Mostly fishing in late afternoon and evening as mornings have been very cold. I’ve only had my raft on the water once. Used the belly boat a few times also. Honestly, the best fishing has been walk & wading in knee to waist deep water. I’ve been finding fish long the shoreline facing the resort. Picked up a few on hares ears but most fish have come on stripping buggers. They’ve been in the shallow water, mostly. Wish I had a stripping basket. They haven’t been too picky on bugger color but I’d say Thin Mints have gotten the most attention. Been a nice mix of browns and rainbows and even 3 brook trout. The weather was gnarly and snowy here yesterday but today looks a bit calmer and already warmer. The resort opens tomorrow, including the restaurant. I’ll ck the road to Cinder Hill campground & ramp again today. There was still some snow on the road yesterday. If you make it up this way, stop into the store at the resort and say hello!
Edited to say that the road to Cinder Hill Campground & ramp is accessible and I saw a couple trailers there.
submitted by ItsFoolishPride to Westfly [link] [comments]
Edited to say that the road to Cinder Hill Campground & ramp is accessible and I saw a couple trailers there.
2024.05.19 00:57 RepulsiveShmeat 25/PC/CST anyone out there enjoy automation and base/city building games!
hello! I've been on an automation and factory/base/city building kick recently and would love to team up with someone else (or a few ppl) to build up a bustling, long-term world. some games I enjoy are satisfactory, modded minecraft (create mod especially. I enjoy expert modpacks the most), hydroneer, no man's sky, raft, ark, astroneer, stardew valley (with the automate mod + other mods). I'd most interested in satisfactory, modded mc, and hydroneer. I'd be down to get a new game too if it's up my alley. thinking about buying kingdoms reborn, but would like someone to play it with. some single player games I enjoy are dyson sphere program, shapez, per aspera, transport fever 2, cities skylines, and surviving mars. DSP and shapez especially. other than gaming, I'd be down to watch some movies/videos/streams and listen to music too. or stream our games to each other!
a bit about me: I study/work in cybersecurity (digital forensics), into achievement hunting, enjoy watching streamers, rap and heavy metal are my favorite music genres. outside of gaming, I enjoy hiking, reading non-fiction, Lego, really any kind of live music, coffee, and anything horror and sci-fi related. the most recent shows I've watched are Shogun and Beef and both were great. I enjoyed Beef more. the most recent movie I've seen was Challengers and it was.. interesting lol didn't watch the trailer going into it, so didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed it, just didn't expect the ending or where it ended up going! my favorite movie rn is everything everywhere all at once. if you're interested in playing some games together, shoot me a message with your favorite TV show/movie and a small intro about you :)
I've got quite a bit of free time and am mainly free during the evenings/late nights, execpt for on the weekends. please be 21+, LGBT, and 420 friendly if you're gonna reach out to me.
submitted by RepulsiveShmeat to gamingfriends [link] [comments]
a bit about me: I study/work in cybersecurity (digital forensics), into achievement hunting, enjoy watching streamers, rap and heavy metal are my favorite music genres. outside of gaming, I enjoy hiking, reading non-fiction, Lego, really any kind of live music, coffee, and anything horror and sci-fi related. the most recent shows I've watched are Shogun and Beef and both were great. I enjoyed Beef more. the most recent movie I've seen was Challengers and it was.. interesting lol didn't watch the trailer going into it, so didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed it, just didn't expect the ending or where it ended up going! my favorite movie rn is everything everywhere all at once. if you're interested in playing some games together, shoot me a message with your favorite TV show/movie and a small intro about you :)
I've got quite a bit of free time and am mainly free during the evenings/late nights, execpt for on the weekends. please be 21+, LGBT, and 420 friendly if you're gonna reach out to me.
2024.05.18 15:27 RepulsiveShmeat 25/PC/CST anyone out there enjoy automation and base/city building games!
hello! I've been on an automation and factory/base/city building kick recently and would love to team up with someone else (or a few ppl) to build up a bustling, long-term world. some games I enjoy are satisfactory, modded minecraft (create mod especially. I enjoy expert modpacks the most), hydroneer, no man's sky, raft, ark, astroneer, stardew valley (with the automate mod + other mods). I'd most interested in satisfactory, modded mc, and hydroneer. I'd be down to get a new game too if it's up my alley. thinking about buying kingdoms reborn, but would like someone to play it with. some single player games I enjoy are dyson sphere program, shapez, per aspera, transport fever 2, cities skylines, and surviving mars. DSP and shapez especially. other than gaming, I'd be down to watch some movies/videos/streams and listen to music too. or stream our games to each other!
a bit about me: I study/work in cybersecurity (digital forensics), into achievement hunting, enjoy watching streamers, rap and heavy metal are my favorite music genres. outside of gaming, I enjoy hiking, reading non-fiction, Lego, really any kind of live music, coffee, and anything horror and sci-fi related. the most recent shows I've watched are Shogun and Beef and both were great. I enjoyed Beef more. the most recent movie I've seen was Challengers and it was.. interesting lol didn't watch the trailer going into it, so didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed it, just didn't expect the ending or where it ended up going! my favorite movie rn is everything everywhere all at once. if you're interested in playing some games together, shoot me a message with your favorite TV show/movie and a small intro about you :)
I've got quite a bit of free time and am mainly free during the evenings/late nights, execpt for on the weekends. please be 21+, LGBT, and 420 friendly if you're gonna reach out to me.
submitted by RepulsiveShmeat to GamerPals [link] [comments]
a bit about me: I study/work in cybersecurity (digital forensics), into achievement hunting, enjoy watching streamers, rap and heavy metal are my favorite music genres. outside of gaming, I enjoy hiking, reading non-fiction, Lego, really any kind of live music, coffee, and anything horror and sci-fi related. the most recent shows I've watched are Shogun and Beef and both were great. I enjoyed Beef more. the most recent movie I've seen was Challengers and it was.. interesting lol didn't watch the trailer going into it, so didn't know what to expect. I enjoyed it, just didn't expect the ending or where it ended up going! my favorite movie rn is everything everywhere all at once. if you're interested in playing some games together, shoot me a message with your favorite TV show/movie and a small intro about you :)
I've got quite a bit of free time and am mainly free during the evenings/late nights, execpt for on the weekends. please be 21+, LGBT, and 420 friendly if you're gonna reach out to me.
2024.05.17 14:02 ThrowAway7s2 "Even the Natives Admired Door County Last Weekend" from the June 5, 1956 Door County Advocate
 | Even the Natives Admired Door County Last WeekendBeautiful Door county was never beautifuller than she was Sunday, when even hard boiled natives were prompted to get out and count their scenic blessings. In fact there were more natives than outsiders, probably due to unfortunate, conflicting publicity regarding the cherry blossoms.The volume of traffic was far lower than it usually is on a "Blossom Sunday." Ordinarily the Cherry road has cars bumper to bumper to bumper. Not this year, and it's too bad because the blossoms were at their peak. But there was much more than cherry blossoms. We took the grand tour, up the bay side to Sister Bay and down the lake side again. Along Poverty Row (Cottage Row to the uninitiated) there was activity of opening for the summer season. In the woods white trilliums poked their heads out of the soft forest soil. CARRIED AWAY by the beauty of the cherry blossoms, twirler Sherron Pape was prompted to a bit of ballet. This photo, incidentally, will appear on the cover of a national magazine for baton twirlers. —Reynolds photo Tempts a Photographer The bluffs in the Horseshoe Bay Farms area are almost as colorful as in fall, with greens, yellows and reds to tempt a color photographer. The camping season at Peninsula park is well under way. Weborg point has dozens of early-birds in their trailers and Nicolet beach, where may Improvements in facilities have been made, also has a good start toward full activity. A couple boys on a raft were poling Huck Finn style on Nicolet bay as we went by. We hope they stayed on the raft. The water is still a bit cool. A CYO picnic group from Green Bay climbed the park tower and we assumed our familiar role of information bureau. You could see a freighter going down the lake on the other side of the peninsula. The water was very calm, the air clear. A good day for a leisurely sail. There were ball games under way at Baileys Harbor, Sister Bay and Institute, all with good crowds, especially the first mentioned. The minors may have attendance trouble, but the Door county league always seems to draw well. The Complete Sundae At Ephraim we downed an Ephraim Centennial Special (a sundae with everything but the waitresses on it) at Wilson's and looked over the village's new tourist information booth that'll be a busy place very soon. Between Ephraim and Sister Bay we noted the new barn in the Red Barn area. Whoever thought of the original Red Barn knew what he was doing. We took the tour down the attractive main street of Sister Bay. Then headed back along the lake. A grey fog bank gave Lake Michigan an opposite shore. Between Baileys Harbor and Jacksonport we admired, as always, the beautiful stretch of wooded shoreline through which the highway winds. This writer would like to have a home there, with solid glass facing the ever-changing lake. A day like Sunday makes you realize what Mitch is always bragging about. We've got a right to brag! https://archive.co.door.wi.us/jsp/RcWebImageViewer.jsp?doc_id=1e8fc801-90a4-4104-8e86-19a1ea0947dc/wsbd0000/20141103/00001157&pg_seq=1 [Author not stated Obituary for Sherron Schroeder (née Pape): https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kenoshanews/name/sherron-schroeder-obituary?id=12329892 Genealogy entry for Earl Mitchel LaPlant: https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/L2T4-JCB/earl-mitchel-laplant-1882-1965 ] Articles relating to spring: https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/spring |
2024.05.17 02:06 asmyladysuffolksaith Looking back on S1, and looking a bit ahead (and why there's no use being clever about it)
(EDIT) TL;DR: Sauron genuinely wanted to repent, but he wanted his apology to be a grand gesture to the Valar and ME. So, he sought to 'heal' the world, meddling in the Unseen world. But it backfires catastrophically, corrupting and poisoning the land, including the tree in Lindon. There was no deception, no grand strategy. But he's a clever opportunist and will use the 'corruption' to impel the dwarves to supply more mithril and the elves to craft more rings.
RoP Sauron is no grand strategist scheming behind the scenes in S1. As much as I would have loved to see that version of the character (we probably will this season) I don't think he manipulated the elves by 'poisoning' the tree in Lindon, nor did he had a hand in the roots of Hithaeglir. I love all the clever theories, retcons, and workarounds we've been crafting, but I feel most of them got a bit too knotty for the casual audience. And I feel like relying too much on flashbacks to S1 is several steps backward when the writers could instead move forward with the story.
I still think we're going to see some flashbacks on what Sauron had been up to, based on the recent trailer, but I don't think they'll reveal that he's some shadowy figure manipulating things in the background all along.
After being disembodied and weakened by Adar, and possibly fearing the judgement of the Valar, Sauron went incognito with no plans or prospects at all but ready to grab the next opportunity. He saw one when he set foot in Numenor by chance: why risk the Valar's punishment when he could live a simple but comfortable life in Numenor? Then, there's the matter of the Southlands and Galadriel's encouragement: why live a simple life when he could rule a kingdom? Then, Eregion next: why rule over a ruined kingdom when he could do what he's always good at? And Eregion has it all: infrastructure and resources -- he could restart his failed experiments in the north. See what I mean? Opportunistic parasite, and a very dangerous one at that.
I think this characterization fits in with the throughline of the entire show: that all it takes is a little push. Give a recovering Dark Lord wannabe a little taste of power, and he'll likely relapse. Give a vengeful elf a small army and she might bring more ruin instead of justice. Gift Men a tiny island, let them build a mighty kingdom in it and they'll soon think they're better than the Valar. Give an ambitious dwarf a tiny glimpse of treasure and he might abandon caution altogether. Scare the prideful elves, but give them a bit of hope and they might achieve something really great...but also something that would cause them misery in the future. After all hope is never mere, not even when it's meager.
But what about the tree, the fading? How does Sauron factor into that equation? My best guess at the moment is that the 'rot' was an unintended result of his experiments with the Unseen world in the North.
He said he wanted to 'heal' the world after Morgoth fell (ep 6, 8), but what if Sauron's meddling resulted in the opposite? What if it poisoned and corrupted the land somehow, extending far beyond the borders of his northern fortress? And we've seen this in S1, I believe. Besides the Lindon tree remember the cattle and the grass in ep 1? The strange wolves the Harfoots encountered are also a manifestation of this corruption, I think. Then there are rumors of giant spiders and Shelob appearing in S2 which could also be another manifestation (not to mention that black ichor we saw in the new trailer). Heck, I think this 'rot' has spread as far as Rhun, and that probably tipped off the Mystics on Sauron's whereabouts.
This corruption is probably also the reason why the Stranger was sent to ME: to heal the land, and we've seen him doing something like that in the Harfoot grove.
Given all this, I could understand why Sauron was looking a bit down on that raft out at sea. He's having an existential crisis of sorts: he tried to be good and do good but he can't seem to do anything right. On top of that, he was betrayed by his own (Adar and the orcs). I think he just swore off ME for good, but his pride never allowed him to surrender to the Valar for judgement. He's feeling lost but not, I think, utterly lost to ignore any lifeline thrown at him. That's why he's so eager to stay in Numenor when the chance came.
Just to clarify I don't think his meddling resulted in the fading of the Elves. That's an entirely different matter altogether, but one, I think, the elves conflated with the corruption of the land. I think it was just a simple case of misdiagnosis: they have correctly identified the symptom (the tree rotting) but not the disease (it's not them fading but Sauron's meddling)
What about all that stuff with the mithril then? Well, I think there's a kernel of the truth in that story, somewhere. Maybe mithril was really borne out of a lost Silmaril -- stranger things have happened in ME. But I think the rest -- the tree, the elf, and the balrog -- are embellisments. That's just the nature of stories, even in our world. Things get co-opted, added, removed, or remixed to suit our tastes, sensibilities. Zeus became Jupiter in the Roman pantheon; pagan Yule becomes Christmas, and Odin, Santa Claus. I think that's the simpler explanation than Sauron twisting the tale to manipulate the elves.
So, how do we move forward then? If the elves already have the means to stave off the corruption what would impel Celebrimbor to craft more rings? My guess is two-fold. Remember when I said that the fading was a 'misdiagnosis'? Well, the three rings worked, at least in Lindon. The symptom is cured, the rot is gone, and the elven kingdom is preserved. But the disease itself is untreated, and it's getting worse everywhere else. I think we'll see Galadriel and the elves travelling far and wide to deal with this corruption. I think their encounter with the wights in the recent trailer could be another sign of Sauron's previous meddling with Unseen world that they have to deal with.
And while everyone is off doing their own thing Celebrimbor is left in Eregion, trying to figure the problem his own way. With no Galadriel around this leaves Celebrimbor open to Sauron's influence. Would Sauron brazenly assume the face of Halbrand among the elves? I think so, especially if he has the means to dress it up. If he claims to be a heavenly messenger -- complete with the attire and the light show -- whoever hears him might not immediately resort to open hostility. And I could see him taking a gambit: he could say the low man Halbrand was indeed Sauron and that he can assume any face, including his fair one. I am the orginal, and I glow and am pretty; trust me lol -- that's in jest but basically the oversimplified gist of that gambit. I think that might just work. Besides, I doubt a lot of the elves have a first-hand experience with a shapeshifter.
He could also play mind tricks with his victims too -- we've seen him do it in S1 (and maybe in a few shots in the new trailer). But I doubt they went to all that trouble giving Charlie Vickers a glow up and making him front and center of the marketing if someone else is taking his place. I mean, I could still see a depiction of this Sauron briefly assuming other faces through different POVs. But for most of the screentime I think it'll be Charlie's face we see.
What I think we'll also see this season is Sauron prodding cooperation between Elves and Dwarves, possibly by influencing Disa or either Durins through the palantir(?) (we see the latter in the bts video). So, instead of the opportunist we see in S1 we'll get more of the Machiavellian side of Sauron.
Cooperation would mean more mithril for Celebrimbor, which means more material for rings. Also, that means the dwarves are slowly digging their own grave (balrog), and Sauron probably knows this.
Setting the rings aside, I think Sauron's immediate concern after S1 is manpower more than anything. Either he wrests control of the orcs from Adar by force, or Sauron prods the orcs and Adar to sack Eregion with him throwing the gates wide open. If the latter happens I could see him finally taking back control of the orcs when the 16 RoP are finally gathered and he wields the One by season's end. I realize this is a lot different than depicted in Tolkien's extended materials but we're not exactly following those to a tee.
Anyway, this is where I end this piece. I'm very much open to changing my mind if an alternative or refutation is proposed. The limit of my knowledge with Tolkien is confined to LotR, Hobbit, and very little bits and pieces of Silmarillion and the history of ME (I haven't read the latter books front to back unlike the two former). Also, I only get news here every now and then -- there might be pieces I'm missing so I'd be happy to discuss those as well! :)
submitted by asmyladysuffolksaith to LOTR_on_Prime [link] [comments]
RoP Sauron is no grand strategist scheming behind the scenes in S1. As much as I would have loved to see that version of the character (we probably will this season) I don't think he manipulated the elves by 'poisoning' the tree in Lindon, nor did he had a hand in the roots of Hithaeglir. I love all the clever theories, retcons, and workarounds we've been crafting, but I feel most of them got a bit too knotty for the casual audience. And I feel like relying too much on flashbacks to S1 is several steps backward when the writers could instead move forward with the story.
I still think we're going to see some flashbacks on what Sauron had been up to, based on the recent trailer, but I don't think they'll reveal that he's some shadowy figure manipulating things in the background all along.
"He worms his way inside your mind, and the rest of him slithers in."
So, how do I think Sauron figure into the story so far? Well, this version of the character in S1 is an opportunist; a parasite, if you will. An insidious opportunist you wouldn't want to give means, position, and power. Unfortunately, Eregion, Numenor, Celebrimbor, and Galadriel unwittingly hosted this parasite.After being disembodied and weakened by Adar, and possibly fearing the judgement of the Valar, Sauron went incognito with no plans or prospects at all but ready to grab the next opportunity. He saw one when he set foot in Numenor by chance: why risk the Valar's punishment when he could live a simple but comfortable life in Numenor? Then, there's the matter of the Southlands and Galadriel's encouragement: why live a simple life when he could rule a kingdom? Then, Eregion next: why rule over a ruined kingdom when he could do what he's always good at? And Eregion has it all: infrastructure and resources -- he could restart his failed experiments in the north. See what I mean? Opportunistic parasite, and a very dangerous one at that.
I think this characterization fits in with the throughline of the entire show: that all it takes is a little push. Give a recovering Dark Lord wannabe a little taste of power, and he'll likely relapse. Give a vengeful elf a small army and she might bring more ruin instead of justice. Gift Men a tiny island, let them build a mighty kingdom in it and they'll soon think they're better than the Valar. Give an ambitious dwarf a tiny glimpse of treasure and he might abandon caution altogether. Scare the prideful elves, but give them a bit of hope and they might achieve something really great...but also something that would cause them misery in the future. After all hope is never mere, not even when it's meager.
But what about the tree, the fading? How does Sauron factor into that equation? My best guess at the moment is that the 'rot' was an unintended result of his experiments with the Unseen world in the North.
He said he wanted to 'heal' the world after Morgoth fell (ep 6, 8), but what if Sauron's meddling resulted in the opposite? What if it poisoned and corrupted the land somehow, extending far beyond the borders of his northern fortress? And we've seen this in S1, I believe. Besides the Lindon tree remember the cattle and the grass in ep 1? The strange wolves the Harfoots encountered are also a manifestation of this corruption, I think. Then there are rumors of giant spiders and Shelob appearing in S2 which could also be another manifestation (not to mention that black ichor we saw in the new trailer). Heck, I think this 'rot' has spread as far as Rhun, and that probably tipped off the Mystics on Sauron's whereabouts.
This corruption is probably also the reason why the Stranger was sent to ME: to heal the land, and we've seen him doing something like that in the Harfoot grove.
Given all this, I could understand why Sauron was looking a bit down on that raft out at sea. He's having an existential crisis of sorts: he tried to be good and do good but he can't seem to do anything right. On top of that, he was betrayed by his own (Adar and the orcs). I think he just swore off ME for good, but his pride never allowed him to surrender to the Valar for judgement. He's feeling lost but not, I think, utterly lost to ignore any lifeline thrown at him. That's why he's so eager to stay in Numenor when the chance came.
Just to clarify I don't think his meddling resulted in the fading of the Elves. That's an entirely different matter altogether, but one, I think, the elves conflated with the corruption of the land. I think it was just a simple case of misdiagnosis: they have correctly identified the symptom (the tree rotting) but not the disease (it's not them fading but Sauron's meddling)
What about all that stuff with the mithril then? Well, I think there's a kernel of the truth in that story, somewhere. Maybe mithril was really borne out of a lost Silmaril -- stranger things have happened in ME. But I think the rest -- the tree, the elf, and the balrog -- are embellisments. That's just the nature of stories, even in our world. Things get co-opted, added, removed, or remixed to suit our tastes, sensibilities. Zeus became Jupiter in the Roman pantheon; pagan Yule becomes Christmas, and Odin, Santa Claus. I think that's the simpler explanation than Sauron twisting the tale to manipulate the elves.
So, how do we move forward then? If the elves already have the means to stave off the corruption what would impel Celebrimbor to craft more rings? My guess is two-fold. Remember when I said that the fading was a 'misdiagnosis'? Well, the three rings worked, at least in Lindon. The symptom is cured, the rot is gone, and the elven kingdom is preserved. But the disease itself is untreated, and it's getting worse everywhere else. I think we'll see Galadriel and the elves travelling far and wide to deal with this corruption. I think their encounter with the wights in the recent trailer could be another sign of Sauron's previous meddling with Unseen world that they have to deal with.
And while everyone is off doing their own thing Celebrimbor is left in Eregion, trying to figure the problem his own way. With no Galadriel around this leaves Celebrimbor open to Sauron's influence. Would Sauron brazenly assume the face of Halbrand among the elves? I think so, especially if he has the means to dress it up. If he claims to be a heavenly messenger -- complete with the attire and the light show -- whoever hears him might not immediately resort to open hostility. And I could see him taking a gambit: he could say the low man Halbrand was indeed Sauron and that he can assume any face, including his fair one. I am the orginal, and I glow and am pretty; trust me lol -- that's in jest but basically the oversimplified gist of that gambit. I think that might just work. Besides, I doubt a lot of the elves have a first-hand experience with a shapeshifter.
He could also play mind tricks with his victims too -- we've seen him do it in S1 (and maybe in a few shots in the new trailer). But I doubt they went to all that trouble giving Charlie Vickers a glow up and making him front and center of the marketing if someone else is taking his place. I mean, I could still see a depiction of this Sauron briefly assuming other faces through different POVs. But for most of the screentime I think it'll be Charlie's face we see.
What I think we'll also see this season is Sauron prodding cooperation between Elves and Dwarves, possibly by influencing Disa or either Durins through the palantir(?) (we see the latter in the bts video). So, instead of the opportunist we see in S1 we'll get more of the Machiavellian side of Sauron.
Cooperation would mean more mithril for Celebrimbor, which means more material for rings. Also, that means the dwarves are slowly digging their own grave (balrog), and Sauron probably knows this.
Setting the rings aside, I think Sauron's immediate concern after S1 is manpower more than anything. Either he wrests control of the orcs from Adar by force, or Sauron prods the orcs and Adar to sack Eregion with him throwing the gates wide open. If the latter happens I could see him finally taking back control of the orcs when the 16 RoP are finally gathered and he wields the One by season's end. I realize this is a lot different than depicted in Tolkien's extended materials but we're not exactly following those to a tee.
Anyway, this is where I end this piece. I'm very much open to changing my mind if an alternative or refutation is proposed. The limit of my knowledge with Tolkien is confined to LotR, Hobbit, and very little bits and pieces of Silmarillion and the history of ME (I haven't read the latter books front to back unlike the two former). Also, I only get news here every now and then -- there might be pieces I'm missing so I'd be happy to discuss those as well! :)
2024.05.17 01:42 cobaeby Updated UI is not friendly for phones with non- standard aspect ratios
 | The thumbnails, channel names, and video titles have been shifted in such a way that I can no longer read the full titles of a video. I'm using a galaxy fold 3. So frustrating. Especially since i feel like this is a problem for basically only galaxy fold users bc of the phone's aspect ratio so it'll never be changed back submitted by cobaeby to youtube [link] [comments] |
2024.05.16 13:24 LivingAnarchy "Possible prologoue for Season 2" video
While reading another thread here, I came across this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AspNZv0B9Z4
It describes the potential shape of the prologue in the S2, which shows how Sauron/Annatar inflitrated Lindon from the beginning and controlled all events. I think everyone is roughly familiar with this idea because there has been a lot of discussion about it due to unexplained issues so far (like how Halbrand ended up on the raft).
I encourage you nevertheless to take a peek at this video because even though it was published almost a year ago, it fits very well with the new trailer. I'm curious what you guys think of it!
submitted by LivingAnarchy to LOTR_on_Prime [link] [comments]
It describes the potential shape of the prologue in the S2, which shows how Sauron/Annatar inflitrated Lindon from the beginning and controlled all events. I think everyone is roughly familiar with this idea because there has been a lot of discussion about it due to unexplained issues so far (like how Halbrand ended up on the raft).
I encourage you nevertheless to take a peek at this video because even though it was published almost a year ago, it fits very well with the new trailer. I'm curious what you guys think of it!
2024.05.13 20:33 genZcommentary I watched NATLA before watching the cartoon and now I'm watching the cartoon. Here are my thoughts on Book 2, Episodes 12-13
Hello! Here we are again, back for another ATLA commentary.
Before we get started I do want to point out that I’m numbering and labeling episodes according to how they appear on Netflix. Episode 12, as I understand it, is actually two episodes. However, since they’re presented as one thing here, that’s how I’m watching it.
Brief update on other projects: I thought I’d try watching the first Harry Potter movie, but realized it’s two and a half hours long. That’s, at the bare minimum, five hours of commentary writing. So… yeah, we’re gonna hold off on that lol I’m also considering watching a superhero/comic book show called The Boys, because I accidentally caught part of a trailer for it that my girlfriend was watching and it looks very interesting. I’ll be doing the new Game of Thrones commentary next, not sure when exactly.
Okay, let’s go!
Episode 12- The Secret of the Fire Nation
Yeah… I’m kind of surprised Aang is taking Appa’s loss as well as he is, considering how he reacted last episode. Since Sokka is talking about walking to Ba Sing Se, I take it they’re not going to be spending time looking for him? But then, didn’t the sandbenders say they sold him to a merchant from Ba Sing Se? Maybe he’s there, and Aang’s banking on that hope.
The cabbage merchant! Always a delight to see him and his cabbages! Also hilarious that a bunch of people are impersonating Aang (thought it probably would be less hilarious if any of them met Azula). If passports are necessary, how did Zuko and Iroh get tickets? Also, good on Toph for taking advantage of her privilege lol
Hey! I think that’s Suki! Her eyes are drawn really distinctively and her voice sounds familiar! Two seconds after pressing play: it is Suki! Don’t you just love my long winning streak of figuring things out right before they let us know? Lol
Well damn, Suki got her armor and makeup on real quick, didn’t she? Hm… Sokka’s worried about her. I think Suki’s going to interpret that as him being sexist again but he’s probably traumatized from losing Yue. He’s been through way too much to still be sexist. If he still had a misogynistic bone in his body, Toph would have beaten it out of him by now.
Holy shit! Nope, I would not be walking along a cliff path that narrow! I will build a rowboat and paddle my way to Ba Sing Se.
Toph is really carrying the team (and some refugees too) this episode.
Ow! Geez, that rejected hug hurt me lol Katara’s right though. Bottling up emotions just makes them worse in the long run. You have to allow yourself to feel bad sometimes. Granted, you can’t fly off the handle like he did last episode, but that’s a reaction. You can control your reactions, but you can’t control your feelings.
“It’s a beautiful moon.” “Yeah, it really is.” Okay, I know Sokka said last episode that Yue is the moon, but he was tripping on peyote. Does he actually believe that Yue is the moon now? Is Yue the moon now? I interpreted her death as he sacrificing herself to bring the moon spirit back to life, not to become the new moon spirit.
“Who is this guy? Is he taller than me?” Dude, we were having a moment. Damn it, just kiss her! Well actually, the moon’s right there so if Yue really did turn into the new moon spirit, it might be a tad awkward to kiss in front of her. But what’s he gonna do, only ever show intimacy during the day?
Of course Iroh believes in second chances. He’s the best. And also, he’s living proof that some people deserve a second chance.
Is that the unagi?! I think that’s what it’s called/spelled but I haven’t seen that episode in a while. It would be fitting if Suki and the sea serpent both share the same episodes lol No that’s not the unagi. It’s a different color. Um… what exactly was Sokka planning to do if the sea serpent actually accepted his offer and ate Momo? Considering how he reacted to losing Appa, I don’t think Aang would be too happy with him.
Oh, now she’s making an ice bridge. Not as much of a flex as maintaining an air bubble so they plumb the depths but it is faster. Oh, Toph can’t see on ice. And she can’t swim? An earthbender not being able to swim feels like a stereotype for some reason, even though I have absolutely no reason to think that lol
“You can go ahead and let me drown now.” That’s gonna be a favorite joke of mine, I just know it lol And I’m pretty sure this is probably a jumping point for a Sokka/Toph ship. What does the community call that? Soph? Tokka? (How old is Toph, anyway? Probably Aang’s age, right? That’s… probably not an appropriate ship then)
Baby Hope, eh? Probably not a super common name in this world.
Oh? Was that Aang’s way of telling Katara he loves her without actually saying it? Aww. And hey, he’s heading off on his own to search for Appa. Which… honestly kind of feels like he should have been doing that this whole time lol
Yes! Get some, Sokka! Wait, nevermind. I fucking hate that line. Ugh No! I’m not gonna be a bitter old lady on this watch-through! They’re kissing and it’s very sweet and I love that for them!
Um… there’s a giant metal dildo on the way to penetrate Ba Sing Se! Lol but seriously, how technologically advanced is the Fire Nation? A giant mobile drill of that scale would be a marvel of engineering even by our modern standards.
And this is why we love Azula. She’s not just a scary villain, she’s a competent villain.
Yes! I love that they acknowledge Sokka as the “Idea Guy”!
Iroh has got rizz for days lol I’m kind of surprised he only ever had one son. Jet wants to recruit Zuko. I’m totally down for that! They’re such an interesting pair!
Okay, engineer Sokka figured it out. It’s all a little too easy, isn’t it?
Oh yeah, I guess this is a pretty high stakes battle for them, huh? If they lose Ba Sing Se, they basically lose the entire Earth Kingdom, right? Omashu’s already fallen, the smaller villages and whatnot have no real defense. Ba Sing Se is the last big puzzle piece to world domination (aside from the water tribes, but they’re so isolated they’re not really a threat).
I love that Toph’s nickname for Aang is Twinkle Toes. Also I laughed at the War Minister’s face when he was side-eyeing Azula just then. +That’s the face of a man who’s about to be punished!
Ty Lee dives into the slurry after Katara and Sokka while Mai refuses. Yeah, Mai is the weak link here in Ozai’s Angels (I love that name, by the way).
She beat him! He’s unconscious! Okay, well not anymore lol See… that right there was hubris (actually, it was kid’s show writing but whatever)! He was out for like fifteen seconds. She should have roasted him where he lay instead of picking him up and gloating.
Another fight with Azula ends in a draw with neither one beating the other! I’m starting to get a little peeved with all this edging lol but that was great! Azula is an absolute beast!
So Hope’s probably going to grow up in pretty interesting times!
Um… is Ba Sing Se a city or is it a little walled country? Cuz all I see are farms and plains!
Katara, I love you, but you’re wrong. Team Avatar is going to catch on because it’s awesome, and that’s that.
Episode 13- City of Walls and Secrets
Walls inside that help maintain order? You mean walls that protect the rich and elite from the dirty poors? Lol Oh, Katara just confirmed it. They pen up all the poor people into a walled ghetto.
Toph knows what’s up. Joo Dee is purposefully brushing Sokka off and distracting the group. I’m not sure why at the moment, but something is clearly up.
Someone important is trying to keep them under constant surveillance and prevent them from seeing the Earth King. In NATLA, there were spies in Omashu. Since Ba Sing Se is much bigger and more important, I imagine it’s riddled with Fire Nation spies as well, and somebody high ranking might be a traitor.
It’s lucky that Iroh borrowed his neighbor’s spark rocks, but why would he refrain from firebending in what he assumes is privacy? Unless he knows he’s being watched.
The lost boys- I mean, freedom fighters are turning on Peter Pa- I mean, Jet. The weird thing is… he’s right! They are firebenders! But his behavior still isn’t healthy!
This Long Feng guy is cultural minister to the king, which means he’s probably the bad guy! And also we haven’t met any other high ranking government officials with names, so he’s currently the only option lol
Yeah… can’t blame them for arresting Jet. He did look like a crazy person.
The Dai Li’s specific brand of earthbending is very cool! It almost doesn’t seem like bending at all, if that makes sense. The stones they use are like a part of their own body. And of course Long Feng is their leader.
Okay I get the king is just a puppet and Long Feng is the real rule of the country, but I still don’t understand why he doesn’t allow mention of the war in the city. I mean, it’s common knowledge! A significant portion of their population are literally refugees fleeing war! Who doesn’t know
Oh… is it the king? Does the king just not know there’s a war happening and Long Feng keeps it from him so he can stay in charge? I mean, that’s still a stretch but it would explain why he doesn’t want Team Avatar talking to the king.
I didn’t think Joo Dee could be any scarier but here we are! This episode almost has horror movie vibes.
Concluding thoughts: This was a fantastic couple/throuple of episodes! I loved seeing Suki again, and I really enjoyed how the refugee subplot ties so perfectly in with Iroh and Zuko. The whole drill sequence was probably the best “action” the show has had thus far and that’s saying something. It’s also nice to have my suspicions that the Earth Kingdom has its own corruption problems and bad guys confirmed.
I have a new theory to replace my “Iroh’s going to die theory”. They’ve been showing us all season how Zuko isn’t really cut out for life on the run, whereas Iroh embraces it. I think they’re driving to a separation between Zuko and Iroh. He may not have died, but narratively speaking Zuko and Iroh have to part ways permanently or semi-permanently for his character to grow. Iroh has been propping him up and supporting him this whole time, now it’s time for Zuko to leave the nest and become his own person.
My new theory is that Iroh will enjoy his new life in Ba Sing Se so much that he elects to stay there permanently, whereas Zuko is too restless to do so. He can’t go back to the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom will not accept him, so his only choice is to join Team Avatar, where he will likely end up teaching Aang firebending.
And to expand further on a previous theory of mine, which was: Azula will kill or depose Ozai. I’ve accepted at this point that death is off the table. Kid’s show and all that. But I noticed something… lots of people were quick to say that Azula would never kill Ozai. But not one person has said she wouldn’t depose him in those refutations (unless I’m misremembering but I don’t think I am). Since you all know not to hint at things or spoil them, I think your eagerness to point out that she won’t kill Ozai is an attempt to mislead me into thinking the whole theory is wrong so I’ll be surprised when she ends up deposing (not killing) him. I mean, I could be wrong but I have a strong feeling that the final villain is going to be Fire Lord Azula, with Ozai in exile somewhere (that would be fitting! The man who banishes his own son ends up being banished himself!).
Maybe that will even be the conclusion of Zuko’s arc! While Aang goes off to save the world from Azula, Zuko splits up to confront Ozai himself! Where we are in the show right now, it really does feel like Azula is Aang’s primary antagonist whereas Ozai is Zuko’s primary antagonist.
By the way, from here on out, no confirming or denying my theories either way, okay? Let it unfold naturally, and let me figure things out on my own. I mean, where’s the fun in just giving me the answers?
And also, some of you could be a little nicer with your criticisms. I had to block someone last time I posted and I don’t want to do that anymore. It’s fine to disagree with me, it’s fine to explain why you disagree with me. Hell, most of you do! I don’t mind that, I like that we all have different views of things even if I don’t agree. It makes things interesting! But don’t talk down to me, don’t use belittling language, don’t be disrespectful. Whenever I don’t like something about ATLA (or like something about NATLA) some of you seem to take it as a personal insult or something.
Just be polite, that’s all I ask.
Okay, I’ll see you same time next week probably!
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Before we get started I do want to point out that I’m numbering and labeling episodes according to how they appear on Netflix. Episode 12, as I understand it, is actually two episodes. However, since they’re presented as one thing here, that’s how I’m watching it.
Brief update on other projects: I thought I’d try watching the first Harry Potter movie, but realized it’s two and a half hours long. That’s, at the bare minimum, five hours of commentary writing. So… yeah, we’re gonna hold off on that lol I’m also considering watching a superhero/comic book show called The Boys, because I accidentally caught part of a trailer for it that my girlfriend was watching and it looks very interesting. I’ll be doing the new Game of Thrones commentary next, not sure when exactly.
Okay, let’s go!
Episode 12- The Secret of the Fire Nation
- Well that’s a heck of a title! I hope we learn something juicy!
Yeah… I’m kind of surprised Aang is taking Appa’s loss as well as he is, considering how he reacted last episode. Since Sokka is talking about walking to Ba Sing Se, I take it they’re not going to be spending time looking for him? But then, didn’t the sandbenders say they sold him to a merchant from Ba Sing Se? Maybe he’s there, and Aang’s banking on that hope.
- I know I keep applying real-world logic to a cartoon show, but wouldn’t Ba Sing Se get awfully crowded if they’re constantly taking in refugees from the rest of the Earth Kingdom? Iroh put the city under siege for almost two years. What if the Fire Nation does that again? More mouths to feed makes starvation quicker!
The cabbage merchant! Always a delight to see him and his cabbages! Also hilarious that a bunch of people are impersonating Aang (thought it probably would be less hilarious if any of them met Azula). If passports are necessary, how did Zuko and Iroh get tickets? Also, good on Toph for taking advantage of her privilege lol
Hey! I think that’s Suki! Her eyes are drawn really distinctively and her voice sounds familiar! Two seconds after pressing play: it is Suki! Don’t you just love my long winning streak of figuring things out right before they let us know? Lol
- Glad to see ATLA Suki appreciates Sokka’s muscles just as much as NATLA Suki lol
Well damn, Suki got her armor and makeup on real quick, didn’t she? Hm… Sokka’s worried about her. I think Suki’s going to interpret that as him being sexist again but he’s probably traumatized from losing Yue. He’s been through way too much to still be sexist. If he still had a misogynistic bone in his body, Toph would have beaten it out of him by now.
- Well the Serpent’s Pass looks terrifying. Also, this pregnant lady took one look at some scratched graffiti saying “Abandon Hope” and immediately started crying, saying “How can we abandon hope? It’s all we have!” Like… come on, lady lol Just because you see graffiti telling you to do something doesn’t mean you have to, otherwise I would have called quite a few people for a good time by now.
Holy shit! Nope, I would not be walking along a cliff path that narrow! I will build a rowboat and paddle my way to Ba Sing Se.
Toph is really carrying the team (and some refugees too) this episode.
- There’s a fine line between being protective and being smothering and Sokka has hopped, jumped, and skipped right over it.
Ow! Geez, that rejected hug hurt me lol Katara’s right though. Bottling up emotions just makes them worse in the long run. You have to allow yourself to feel bad sometimes. Granted, you can’t fly off the handle like he did last episode, but that’s a reaction. You can control your reactions, but you can’t control your feelings.
“It’s a beautiful moon.” “Yeah, it really is.” Okay, I know Sokka said last episode that Yue is the moon, but he was tripping on peyote. Does he actually believe that Yue is the moon now? Is Yue the moon now? I interpreted her death as he sacrificing herself to bring the moon spirit back to life, not to become the new moon spirit.
“Who is this guy? Is he taller than me?” Dude, we were having a moment. Damn it, just kiss her! Well actually, the moon’s right there so if Yue really did turn into the new moon spirit, it might be a tad awkward to kiss in front of her. But what’s he gonna do, only ever show intimacy during the day?
- Um… I’m probably reading too much into this Smellerbee scene with Iroh and Longshot and I’m almost hesitant to say what I’m thinking because I can just imagine the backlash I could get for voicing it. And it’s not like ATLA has had great LGBTQ representation up to this point, so… Yeah, I’m probably just seeing things that aren’t there.
Of course Iroh believes in second chances. He’s the best. And also, he’s living proof that some people deserve a second chance.
- Uh… Katara parting the sea while leading refugees to safety invokes a certain comparison, doesn’t it? But can I just say that I love how her solution to crossing the gap is to literally walk through the ocean instead of making a raft out of ice and floating across. She just never misses an opportunity to flex on everyone, does she? Lol
Is that the unagi?! I think that’s what it’s called/spelled but I haven’t seen that episode in a while. It would be fitting if Suki and the sea serpent both share the same episodes lol No that’s not the unagi. It’s a different color. Um… what exactly was Sokka planning to do if the sea serpent actually accepted his offer and ate Momo? Considering how he reacted to losing Appa, I don’t think Aang would be too happy with him.
Oh, now she’s making an ice bridge. Not as much of a flex as maintaining an air bubble so they plumb the depths but it is faster. Oh, Toph can’t see on ice. And she can’t swim? An earthbender not being able to swim feels like a stereotype for some reason, even though I have absolutely no reason to think that lol
“You can go ahead and let me drown now.” That’s gonna be a favorite joke of mine, I just know it lol And I’m pretty sure this is probably a jumping point for a Sokka/Toph ship. What does the community call that? Soph? Tokka? (How old is Toph, anyway? Probably Aang’s age, right? That’s… probably not an appropriate ship then)
- Why does Ba Sing Se’s wall remind me of The Wall from Game of Thrones? Obviously not made of ice though lol
- Like I said earlier, ATLA isn’t heavy on the LGBTQ representation, but I swear I’m picking up on some tension and chemistry between Jet and Zuko (Juko? Jeko? Zet?). And now half of Jet’s little group is an LGBTQ allegory for me lol Even the dialogue between Jet and Zuko in this scene is slightly suggestive.
Baby Hope, eh? Probably not a super common name in this world.
Oh? Was that Aang’s way of telling Katara he loves her without actually saying it? Aww. And hey, he’s heading off on his own to search for Appa. Which… honestly kind of feels like he should have been doing that this whole time lol
Yes! Get some, Sokka! Wait, nevermind. I fucking hate that line. Ugh No! I’m not gonna be a bitter old lady on this watch-through! They’re kissing and it’s very sweet and I love that for them!
Um… there’s a giant metal dildo on the way to penetrate Ba Sing Se! Lol but seriously, how technologically advanced is the Fire Nation? A giant mobile drill of that scale would be a marvel of engineering even by our modern standards.
- Well hey, there’s the title card letting me know when the next episode starts.
And this is why we love Azula. She’s not just a scary villain, she’s a competent villain.
- And the Earth Kingdom general shares the War Minister’s hubris. Why are the people in charge always the worst people to be in charge? Also, I love that Toph is the one to point out that Iroh broke through the wall.
Yes! I love that they acknowledge Sokka as the “Idea Guy”!
Iroh has got rizz for days lol I’m kind of surprised he only ever had one son. Jet wants to recruit Zuko. I’m totally down for that! They’re such an interesting pair!
- I really love that Katara, whose probably the best waterbender in the world at this point, respects Ty Lee enough to recognize how dangerous she is. And Sokka had an idea! They’re going to take down the drill from the inside. Because how the hell else are they going to stop something that big?
Okay, engineer Sokka figured it out. It’s all a little too easy, isn’t it?
- Ah shit, Jet just realized the truth, because Iroh used firebending to heat up his tea lol I think he’s getting a little too relaxed.
Oh yeah, I guess this is a pretty high stakes battle for them, huh? If they lose Ba Sing Se, they basically lose the entire Earth Kingdom, right? Omashu’s already fallen, the smaller villages and whatnot have no real defense. Ba Sing Se is the last big puzzle piece to world domination (aside from the water tribes, but they’re so isolated they’re not really a threat).
I love that Toph’s nickname for Aang is Twinkle Toes. Also I laughed at the War Minister’s face when he was side-eyeing Azula just then. +That’s the face of a man who’s about to be punished!
- lol Sokka’s the only one with more rizz than Iroh! Maybe a legitimate battle strategy here would be to woo Ty Lee into switching sides? Aside from Azula she seems to be the most dangerous one. No offense to Mai, but she is kind of the odd woman out here.
Ty Lee dives into the slurry after Katara and Sokka while Mai refuses. Yeah, Mai is the weak link here in Ozai’s Angels (I love that name, by the way).
- Did Aang seriously think the general was going to hear him from that high up? Lol Toph’s helping Katara bend the slurry (how convenient that it’s both water and earth!). Ty Lee’s still trapped in it and the drill is about to blow. If I hadn’t learned my lesson on the last post, I’d probably be worried she might die in the explosion. But this is a kid’s show, she’ll be fine.
She beat him! He’s unconscious! Okay, well not anymore lol See… that right there was hubris (actually, it was kid’s show writing but whatever)! He was out for like fifteen seconds. She should have roasted him where he lay instead of picking him up and gloating.
Another fight with Azula ends in a draw with neither one beating the other! I’m starting to get a little peeved with all this edging lol but that was great! Azula is an absolute beast!
- Okay, the way Aang hammered that rock spike into the drill was pretty epic. Mai’s “We lost” (and thank you for your contribution to the fight, Mai lol) is interesting. It’s true, they did lose. Not in the combat sense, Aang couldn’t beat Azula, but he didn’t have to. He just had to hold her off. Maybe that’s kind of a metaphor for the Fire Nation military in general. It’s very powerful, but it’s also marred by incompetence and weaknesses. Many of its generals are prideful and blind to their own weaknesses, or just outright incompetent. Look at this fight: even Mai just kind of gave up halfway through. If Ty Lee wasn’t trapped in the slurry, she might very well have been able to beat Katara, Sokka, and Toph, especially since they don’t Appa this time to bail them out. And if Mai had been with her, she might have been to break Katara’s concentration with a thrown weapon, thus freeing Ty Lee from the slurry.
- Looks like Jet’s going to be causing a problem for Iroh and Zuko. I wonder if his relationship with them is what’s going to finally let him realize that not all Fire Nation people are inherently evil?
So Hope’s probably going to grow up in pretty interesting times!
Um… is Ba Sing Se a city or is it a little walled country? Cuz all I see are farms and plains!
Katara, I love you, but you’re wrong. Team Avatar is going to catch on because it’s awesome, and that’s that.
Episode 13- City of Walls and Secrets
- Oh, there’s an inner wall. So Ba Sing Se is kind of like the country in Attack on Titan! Oh yeah, in all of the excitement I almost forgot about Appa. Seriously, how many episodes has he been missing now? Damn, now that’s a city!
Walls inside that help maintain order? You mean walls that protect the rich and elite from the dirty poors? Lol Oh, Katara just confirmed it. They pen up all the poor people into a walled ghetto.
- lol when Iroh’s talking about someone bringing home a lady friend, does he mean himself? Or Zuko? It is really interesting how their views of Ba Sing Se differ though. Iroh’s talking about getting a home, socializing, building a life, and he’s even found them jobs! Zuko sees the same situation as a prison.
Toph knows what’s up. Joo Dee is purposefully brushing Sokka off and distracting the group. I’m not sure why at the moment, but something is clearly up.
- Of course they’re going to work in a tea shop! Lol Zuko’s right btw, all tea is hot leaf juice. Well, except for the teas that are hot root juice.
Someone important is trying to keep them under constant surveillance and prevent them from seeing the Earth King. In NATLA, there were spies in Omashu. Since Ba Sing Se is much bigger and more important, I imagine it’s riddled with Fire Nation spies as well, and somebody high ranking might be a traitor.
- Joo Dee is kind of scary lol and clearly the citizens are terrified of her. But what’s interesting to me is that she’s preventing them from giving information about Appa, which suggests that whoever is stopping them from seeing the Earth King also has Appa. But why? What would be the point of keeping Aang away from Appa? Is it to restrict his mobility and make him easier to capture?
It’s lucky that Iroh borrowed his neighbor’s spark rocks, but why would he refrain from firebending in what he assumes is privacy? Unless he knows he’s being watched.
- Huh, is the king’s pet bear the first normal animal on the show? Lol I am digging this undercover plan though.
The lost boys- I mean, freedom fighters are turning on Peter Pa- I mean, Jet. The weird thing is… he’s right! They are firebenders! But his behavior still isn’t healthy!
- Okay, let’s go! Jet’s hurling accusations and attacking them in public! And now Zuko’s fighting back with swords. It’s the duel of the dual-wielders! Honestly, this is probably good for Zuko. He needs to blow off some steam after everything he’s been through.
This Long Feng guy is cultural minister to the king, which means he’s probably the bad guy! And also we haven’t met any other high ranking government officials with names, so he’s currently the only option lol
- Geez, Zuko straight up intended to decapitate Jet right there. If Jet were a little slower, he would have! Man, I hope they do this fight scene in NATLA.
Yeah… can’t blame them for arresting Jet. He did look like a crazy person.
The Dai Li’s specific brand of earthbending is very cool! It almost doesn’t seem like bending at all, if that makes sense. The stones they use are like a part of their own body. And of course Long Feng is their leader.
Okay I get the king is just a puppet and Long Feng is the real rule of the country, but I still don’t understand why he doesn’t allow mention of the war in the city. I mean, it’s common knowledge! A significant portion of their population are literally refugees fleeing war! Who doesn’t know
Oh… is it the king? Does the king just not know there’s a war happening and Long Feng keeps it from him so he can stay in charge? I mean, that’s still a stretch but it would explain why he doesn’t want Team Avatar talking to the king.
- Jet is being hypnotized. Also, I do want to point out that I have seen “There is no (whatever) in Ba Sing Se” many times in the wild lol it’s nice to see where it comes from!
I didn’t think Joo Dee could be any scarier but here we are! This episode almost has horror movie vibes.
Concluding thoughts: This was a fantastic couple/throuple of episodes! I loved seeing Suki again, and I really enjoyed how the refugee subplot ties so perfectly in with Iroh and Zuko. The whole drill sequence was probably the best “action” the show has had thus far and that’s saying something. It’s also nice to have my suspicions that the Earth Kingdom has its own corruption problems and bad guys confirmed.
I have a new theory to replace my “Iroh’s going to die theory”. They’ve been showing us all season how Zuko isn’t really cut out for life on the run, whereas Iroh embraces it. I think they’re driving to a separation between Zuko and Iroh. He may not have died, but narratively speaking Zuko and Iroh have to part ways permanently or semi-permanently for his character to grow. Iroh has been propping him up and supporting him this whole time, now it’s time for Zuko to leave the nest and become his own person.
My new theory is that Iroh will enjoy his new life in Ba Sing Se so much that he elects to stay there permanently, whereas Zuko is too restless to do so. He can’t go back to the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom will not accept him, so his only choice is to join Team Avatar, where he will likely end up teaching Aang firebending.
And to expand further on a previous theory of mine, which was: Azula will kill or depose Ozai. I’ve accepted at this point that death is off the table. Kid’s show and all that. But I noticed something… lots of people were quick to say that Azula would never kill Ozai. But not one person has said she wouldn’t depose him in those refutations (unless I’m misremembering but I don’t think I am). Since you all know not to hint at things or spoil them, I think your eagerness to point out that she won’t kill Ozai is an attempt to mislead me into thinking the whole theory is wrong so I’ll be surprised when she ends up deposing (not killing) him. I mean, I could be wrong but I have a strong feeling that the final villain is going to be Fire Lord Azula, with Ozai in exile somewhere (that would be fitting! The man who banishes his own son ends up being banished himself!).
Maybe that will even be the conclusion of Zuko’s arc! While Aang goes off to save the world from Azula, Zuko splits up to confront Ozai himself! Where we are in the show right now, it really does feel like Azula is Aang’s primary antagonist whereas Ozai is Zuko’s primary antagonist.
By the way, from here on out, no confirming or denying my theories either way, okay? Let it unfold naturally, and let me figure things out on my own. I mean, where’s the fun in just giving me the answers?
And also, some of you could be a little nicer with your criticisms. I had to block someone last time I posted and I don’t want to do that anymore. It’s fine to disagree with me, it’s fine to explain why you disagree with me. Hell, most of you do! I don’t mind that, I like that we all have different views of things even if I don’t agree. It makes things interesting! But don’t talk down to me, don’t use belittling language, don’t be disrespectful. Whenever I don’t like something about ATLA (or like something about NATLA) some of you seem to take it as a personal insult or something.
Just be polite, that’s all I ask.
Okay, I’ll see you same time next week probably!
2024.05.13 20:32 genZcommentary I watched NATLA before the cartoon and now I'm watching the cartoon. Here are my thoughts on Book 2 Episodes 12-13
Hello! Here we are again, back for another ATLA commentary.
Before we get started I do want to point out that I’m numbering and labeling episodes according to how they appear on Netflix. Episode 12, as I understand it, is actually two episodes. However, since they’re presented as one thing here, that’s how I’m watching it.
Brief update on other projects: I thought I’d try watching the first Harry Potter movie, but realized it’s two and a half hours long. That’s, at the bare minimum, five hours of commentary writing. So… yeah, we’re gonna hold off on that lol I’m also considering watching a superhero/comic book show called The Boys, because I accidentally caught part of a trailer for it that my girlfriend was watching and it looks very interesting. I’ll be doing the new Game of Thrones commentary next, not sure when exactly.
Okay, let’s go!
Episode 12- The Secret of the Fire Nation
Yeah… I’m kind of surprised Aang is taking Appa’s loss as well as he is, considering how he reacted last episode. Since Sokka is talking about walking to Ba Sing Se, I take it they’re not going to be spending time looking for him? But then, didn’t the sandbenders say they sold him to a merchant from Ba Sing Se? Maybe he’s there, and Aang’s banking on that hope.
The cabbage merchant! Always a delight to see him and his cabbages! Also hilarious that a bunch of people are impersonating Aang (thought it probably would be less hilarious if any of them met Azula). If passports are necessary, how did Zuko and Iroh get tickets? Also, good on Toph for taking advantage of her privilege lol
Hey! I think that’s Suki! Her eyes are drawn really distinctively and her voice sounds familiar! Two seconds after pressing play: it is Suki! Don’t you just love my long winning streak of figuring things out right before they let us know? Lol
Well damn, Suki got her armor and makeup on real quick, didn’t she? Hm… Sokka’s worried about her. I think Suki’s going to interpret that as him being sexist again but he’s probably traumatized from losing Yue. He’s been through way too much to still be sexist. If he still had a misogynistic bone in his body, Toph would have beaten it out of him by now.
Holy shit! Nope, I would not be walking along a cliff path that narrow! I will build a rowboat and paddle my way to Ba Sing Se.
Toph is really carrying the team (and some refugees too) this episode.
Ow! Geez, that rejected hug hurt me lol Katara’s right though. Bottling up emotions just makes them worse in the long run. You have to allow yourself to feel bad sometimes. Granted, you can’t fly off the handle like he did last episode, but that’s a reaction. You can control your reactions, but you can’t control your feelings.
“It’s a beautiful moon.” “Yeah, it really is.” Okay, I know Sokka said last episode that Yue is the moon, but he was tripping on peyote. Does he actually believe that Yue is the moon now? Is Yue the moon now? I interpreted her death as he sacrificing herself to bring the moon spirit back to life, not to become the new moon spirit.
“Who is this guy? Is he taller than me?” Dude, we were having a moment. Damn it, just kiss her! Well actually, the moon’s right there so if Yue really did turn into the new moon spirit, it might be a tad awkward to kiss in front of her. But what’s he gonna do, only ever show intimacy during the day?
Of course Iroh believes in second chances. He’s the best. And also, he’s living proof that some people deserve a second chance.
Is that the unagi?! I think that’s what it’s called/spelled but I haven’t seen that episode in a while. It would be fitting if Suki and the sea serpent both share the same episodes lol No that’s not the unagi. It’s a different color. Um… what exactly was Sokka planning to do if the sea serpent actually accepted his offer and ate Momo? Considering how he reacted to losing Appa, I don’t think Aang would be too happy with him.
Oh, now she’s making an ice bridge. Not as much of a flex as maintaining an air bubble so they plumb the depths but it is faster. Oh, Toph can’t see on ice. And she can’t swim? An earthbender not being able to swim feels like a stereotype for some reason, even though I have absolutely no reason to think that lol
“You can go ahead and let me drown now.” That’s gonna be a favorite joke of mine, I just know it lol And I’m pretty sure this is probably a jumping point for a Sokka/Toph ship. What does the community call that? Soph? Tokka? (How old is Toph, anyway? Probably Aang’s age, right? That’s… probably not an appropriate ship then)
Baby Hope, eh? Probably not a super common name in this world.
Oh? Was that Aang’s way of telling Katara he loves her without actually saying it? Aww. And hey, he’s heading off on his own to search for Appa. Which… honestly kind of feels like he should have been doing that this whole time lol
Yes! Get some, Sokka! Wait, nevermind. I fucking hate that line. Ugh No! I’m not gonna be a bitter old lady on this watch-through! They’re kissing and it’s very sweet and I love that for them!
Um… there’s a giant metal dildo on the way to penetrate Ba Sing Se! Lol but seriously, how technologically advanced is the Fire Nation? A giant mobile drill of that scale would be a marvel of engineering even by our modern standards.
And this is why we love Azula. She’s not just a scary villain, she’s a competent villain.
Yes! I love that they acknowledge Sokka as the “Idea Guy”!
Iroh has got rizz for days lol I’m kind of surprised he only ever had one son. Jet wants to recruit Zuko. I’m totally down for that! They’re such an interesting pair!
Okay, engineer Sokka figured it out. It’s all a little too easy, isn’t it?
Oh yeah, I guess this is a pretty high stakes battle for them, huh? If they lose Ba Sing Se, they basically lose the entire Earth Kingdom, right? Omashu’s already fallen, the smaller villages and whatnot have no real defense. Ba Sing Se is the last big puzzle piece to world domination (aside from the water tribes, but they’re so isolated they’re not really a threat).
I love that Toph’s nickname for Aang is Twinkle Toes. Also I laughed at the War Minister’s face when he was side-eyeing Azula just then. +That’s the face of a man who’s about to be punished!
Ty Lee dives into the slurry after Katara and Sokka while Mai refuses. Yeah, Mai is the weak link here in Ozai’s Angels (I love that name, by the way).
She beat him! He’s unconscious! Okay, well not anymore lol See… that right there was hubris (actually, it was kid’s show writing but whatever)! He was out for like fifteen seconds. She should have roasted him where he lay instead of picking him up and gloating.
Another fight with Azula ends in a draw with neither one beating the other! I’m starting to get a little peeved with all this edging lol but that was great! Azula is an absolute beast!
So Hope’s probably going to grow up in pretty interesting times!
Um… is Ba Sing Se a city or is it a little walled country? Cuz all I see are farms and plains!
Katara, I love you, but you’re wrong. Team Avatar is going to catch on because it’s awesome, and that’s that.
Episode 13- City of Walls and Secrets
Walls inside that help maintain order? You mean walls that protect the rich and elite from the dirty poors? Lol Oh, Katara just confirmed it. They pen up all the poor people into a walled ghetto.
Toph knows what’s up. Joo Dee is purposefully brushing Sokka off and distracting the group. I’m not sure why at the moment, but something is clearly up.
Someone important is trying to keep them under constant surveillance and prevent them from seeing the Earth King. In NATLA, there were spies in Omashu. Since Ba Sing Se is much bigger and more important, I imagine it’s riddled with Fire Nation spies as well, and somebody high ranking might be a traitor.
It’s lucky that Iroh borrowed his neighbor’s spark rocks, but why would he refrain from firebending in what he assumes is privacy? Unless he knows he’s being watched.
The lost boys- I mean, freedom fighters are turning on Peter Pa- I mean, Jet. The weird thing is… he’s right! They are firebenders! But his behavior still isn’t healthy!
This Long Feng guy is cultural minister to the king, which means he’s probably the bad guy! And also we haven’t met any other high ranking government officials with names, so he’s currently the only option lol
Yeah… can’t blame them for arresting Jet. He did look like a crazy person.
The Dai Li’s specific brand of earthbending is very cool! It almost doesn’t seem like bending at all, if that makes sense. The stones they use are like a part of their own body. And of course Long Feng is their leader.
Okay I get the king is just a puppet and Long Feng is the real rule of the country, but I still don’t understand why he doesn’t allow mention of the war in the city. I mean, it’s common knowledge! A significant portion of their population are literally refugees fleeing war! Who doesn’t know
Oh… is it the king? Does the king just not know there’s a war happening and Long Feng keeps it from him so he can stay in charge? I mean, that’s still a stretch but it would explain why he doesn’t want Team Avatar talking to the king.
I didn’t think Joo Dee could be any scarier but here we are! This episode almost has horror movie vibes.
Concluding thoughts: This was a fantastic couple/throuple of episodes! I loved seeing Suki again, and I really enjoyed how the refugee subplot ties so perfectly in with Iroh and Zuko. The whole drill sequence was probably the best “action” the show has had thus far and that’s saying something. It’s also nice to have my suspicions that the Earth Kingdom has its own corruption problems and bad guys confirmed.
I have a new theory to replace my “Iroh’s going to die theory”. They’ve been showing us all season how Zuko isn’t really cut out for life on the run, whereas Iroh embraces it. I think they’re driving to a separation between Zuko and Iroh. He may not have died, but narratively speaking Zuko and Iroh have to part ways permanently or semi-permanently for his character to grow. Iroh has been propping him up and supporting him this whole time, now it’s time for Zuko to leave the nest and become his own person.
My new theory is that Iroh will enjoy his new life in Ba Sing Se so much that he elects to stay there permanently, whereas Zuko is too restless to do so. He can’t go back to the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom will not accept him, so his only choice is to join Team Avatar, where he will likely end up teaching Aang firebending.
And to expand further on a previous theory of mine, which was: Azula will kill or depose Ozai. I’ve accepted at this point that death is off the table. Kid’s show and all that. But I noticed something… lots of people were quick to say that Azula would never kill Ozai. But not one person has said she wouldn’t depose him in those refutations (unless I’m misremembering but I don’t think I am). Since you all know not to hint at things or spoil them, I think your eagerness to point out that she won’t kill Ozai is an attempt to mislead me into thinking the whole theory is wrong so I’ll be surprised when she ends up deposing (not killing) him. I mean, I could be wrong but I have a strong feeling that the final villain is going to be Fire Lord Azula, with Ozai in exile somewhere (that would be fitting! The man who banishes his own son ends up being banished himself!).
Maybe that will even be the conclusion of Zuko’s arc! While Aang goes off to save the world from Azula, Zuko splits up to confront Ozai himself! Where we are in the show right now, it really does feel like Azula is Aang’s primary antagonist whereas Ozai is Zuko’s primary antagonist.
By the way, from here on out, no confirming or denying my theories either way, okay? Let it unfold naturally, and let me figure things out on my own. I mean, where’s the fun in just giving me the answers?
And also, some of you could be a little nicer with your criticisms. I had to block someone last time I posted and I don’t want to do that anymore. It’s fine to disagree with me, it’s fine to explain why you disagree with me. Hell, most of you do! I don’t mind that, I like that we all have different views of things even if I don’t agree. It makes things interesting! But don’t talk down to me, don’t use belittling language, don’t be disrespectful. Whenever I don’t like something about ATLA (or like something about NATLA) some of you seem to take it as a personal insult or something.
Just be polite, that’s all I ask.
Okay, I’ll see you same time next week probably!
submitted by genZcommentary to TheLastAirbender [link] [comments]
Before we get started I do want to point out that I’m numbering and labeling episodes according to how they appear on Netflix. Episode 12, as I understand it, is actually two episodes. However, since they’re presented as one thing here, that’s how I’m watching it.
Brief update on other projects: I thought I’d try watching the first Harry Potter movie, but realized it’s two and a half hours long. That’s, at the bare minimum, five hours of commentary writing. So… yeah, we’re gonna hold off on that lol I’m also considering watching a superhero/comic book show called The Boys, because I accidentally caught part of a trailer for it that my girlfriend was watching and it looks very interesting. I’ll be doing the new Game of Thrones commentary next, not sure when exactly.
Okay, let’s go!
Episode 12- The Secret of the Fire Nation
- Well that’s a heck of a title! I hope we learn something juicy!
Yeah… I’m kind of surprised Aang is taking Appa’s loss as well as he is, considering how he reacted last episode. Since Sokka is talking about walking to Ba Sing Se, I take it they’re not going to be spending time looking for him? But then, didn’t the sandbenders say they sold him to a merchant from Ba Sing Se? Maybe he’s there, and Aang’s banking on that hope.
- I know I keep applying real-world logic to a cartoon show, but wouldn’t Ba Sing Se get awfully crowded if they’re constantly taking in refugees from the rest of the Earth Kingdom? Iroh put the city under siege for almost two years. What if the Fire Nation does that again? More mouths to feed makes starvation quicker!
The cabbage merchant! Always a delight to see him and his cabbages! Also hilarious that a bunch of people are impersonating Aang (thought it probably would be less hilarious if any of them met Azula). If passports are necessary, how did Zuko and Iroh get tickets? Also, good on Toph for taking advantage of her privilege lol
Hey! I think that’s Suki! Her eyes are drawn really distinctively and her voice sounds familiar! Two seconds after pressing play: it is Suki! Don’t you just love my long winning streak of figuring things out right before they let us know? Lol
- Glad to see ATLA Suki appreciates Sokka’s muscles just as much as NATLA Suki lol
Well damn, Suki got her armor and makeup on real quick, didn’t she? Hm… Sokka’s worried about her. I think Suki’s going to interpret that as him being sexist again but he’s probably traumatized from losing Yue. He’s been through way too much to still be sexist. If he still had a misogynistic bone in his body, Toph would have beaten it out of him by now.
- Well the Serpent’s Pass looks terrifying. Also, this pregnant lady took one look at some scratched graffiti saying “Abandon Hope” and immediately started crying, saying “How can we abandon hope? It’s all we have!” Like… come on, lady lol Just because you see graffiti telling you to do something doesn’t mean you have to, otherwise I would have called quite a few people for a good time by now.
Holy shit! Nope, I would not be walking along a cliff path that narrow! I will build a rowboat and paddle my way to Ba Sing Se.
Toph is really carrying the team (and some refugees too) this episode.
- There’s a fine line between being protective and being smothering and Sokka has hopped, jumped, and skipped right over it.
Ow! Geez, that rejected hug hurt me lol Katara’s right though. Bottling up emotions just makes them worse in the long run. You have to allow yourself to feel bad sometimes. Granted, you can’t fly off the handle like he did last episode, but that’s a reaction. You can control your reactions, but you can’t control your feelings.
“It’s a beautiful moon.” “Yeah, it really is.” Okay, I know Sokka said last episode that Yue is the moon, but he was tripping on peyote. Does he actually believe that Yue is the moon now? Is Yue the moon now? I interpreted her death as he sacrificing herself to bring the moon spirit back to life, not to become the new moon spirit.
“Who is this guy? Is he taller than me?” Dude, we were having a moment. Damn it, just kiss her! Well actually, the moon’s right there so if Yue really did turn into the new moon spirit, it might be a tad awkward to kiss in front of her. But what’s he gonna do, only ever show intimacy during the day?
- Um… I’m probably reading too much into this Smellerbee scene with Iroh and Longshot and I’m almost hesitant to say what I’m thinking because I can just imagine the backlash I could get for voicing it. And it’s not like ATLA has had great LGBTQ representation up to this point, so… Yeah, I’m probably just seeing things that aren’t there.
Of course Iroh believes in second chances. He’s the best. And also, he’s living proof that some people deserve a second chance.
- Uh… Katara parting the sea while leading refugees to safety invokes a certain comparison, doesn’t it? But can I just say that I love how her solution to crossing the gap is to literally walk through the ocean instead of making a raft out of ice and floating across. She just never misses an opportunity to flex on everyone, does she? Lol
Is that the unagi?! I think that’s what it’s called/spelled but I haven’t seen that episode in a while. It would be fitting if Suki and the sea serpent both share the same episodes lol No that’s not the unagi. It’s a different color. Um… what exactly was Sokka planning to do if the sea serpent actually accepted his offer and ate Momo? Considering how he reacted to losing Appa, I don’t think Aang would be too happy with him.
Oh, now she’s making an ice bridge. Not as much of a flex as maintaining an air bubble so they plumb the depths but it is faster. Oh, Toph can’t see on ice. And she can’t swim? An earthbender not being able to swim feels like a stereotype for some reason, even though I have absolutely no reason to think that lol
“You can go ahead and let me drown now.” That’s gonna be a favorite joke of mine, I just know it lol And I’m pretty sure this is probably a jumping point for a Sokka/Toph ship. What does the community call that? Soph? Tokka? (How old is Toph, anyway? Probably Aang’s age, right? That’s… probably not an appropriate ship then)
- Why does Ba Sing Se’s wall remind me of The Wall from Game of Thrones? Obviously not made of ice though lol
- Like I said earlier, ATLA isn’t heavy on the LGBTQ representation, but I swear I’m picking up on some tension and chemistry between Jet and Zuko (Juko? Jeko? Zet?). And now half of Jet’s little group is an LGBTQ allegory for me lol Even the dialogue between Jet and Zuko in this scene is slightly suggestive.
Baby Hope, eh? Probably not a super common name in this world.
Oh? Was that Aang’s way of telling Katara he loves her without actually saying it? Aww. And hey, he’s heading off on his own to search for Appa. Which… honestly kind of feels like he should have been doing that this whole time lol
Yes! Get some, Sokka! Wait, nevermind. I fucking hate that line. Ugh No! I’m not gonna be a bitter old lady on this watch-through! They’re kissing and it’s very sweet and I love that for them!
Um… there’s a giant metal dildo on the way to penetrate Ba Sing Se! Lol but seriously, how technologically advanced is the Fire Nation? A giant mobile drill of that scale would be a marvel of engineering even by our modern standards.
- Well hey, there’s the title card letting me know when the next episode starts.
And this is why we love Azula. She’s not just a scary villain, she’s a competent villain.
- And the Earth Kingdom general shares the War Minister’s hubris. Why are the people in charge always the worst people to be in charge? Also, I love that Toph is the one to point out that Iroh broke through the wall.
Yes! I love that they acknowledge Sokka as the “Idea Guy”!
Iroh has got rizz for days lol I’m kind of surprised he only ever had one son. Jet wants to recruit Zuko. I’m totally down for that! They’re such an interesting pair!
- I really love that Katara, whose probably the best waterbender in the world at this point, respects Ty Lee enough to recognize how dangerous she is. And Sokka had an idea! They’re going to take down the drill from the inside. Because how the hell else are they going to stop something that big?
Okay, engineer Sokka figured it out. It’s all a little too easy, isn’t it?
- Ah shit, Jet just realized the truth, because Iroh used firebending to heat up his tea lol I think he’s getting a little too relaxed.
Oh yeah, I guess this is a pretty high stakes battle for them, huh? If they lose Ba Sing Se, they basically lose the entire Earth Kingdom, right? Omashu’s already fallen, the smaller villages and whatnot have no real defense. Ba Sing Se is the last big puzzle piece to world domination (aside from the water tribes, but they’re so isolated they’re not really a threat).
I love that Toph’s nickname for Aang is Twinkle Toes. Also I laughed at the War Minister’s face when he was side-eyeing Azula just then. +That’s the face of a man who’s about to be punished!
- lol Sokka’s the only one with more rizz than Iroh! Maybe a legitimate battle strategy here would be to woo Ty Lee into switching sides? Aside from Azula she seems to be the most dangerous one. No offense to Mai, but she is kind of the odd woman out here.
Ty Lee dives into the slurry after Katara and Sokka while Mai refuses. Yeah, Mai is the weak link here in Ozai’s Angels (I love that name, by the way).
- Did Aang seriously think the general was going to hear him from that high up? Lol Toph’s helping Katara bend the slurry (how convenient that it’s both water and earth!). Ty Lee’s still trapped in it and the drill is about to blow. If I hadn’t learned my lesson on the last post, I’d probably be worried she might die in the explosion. But this is a kid’s show, she’ll be fine.
She beat him! He’s unconscious! Okay, well not anymore lol See… that right there was hubris (actually, it was kid’s show writing but whatever)! He was out for like fifteen seconds. She should have roasted him where he lay instead of picking him up and gloating.
Another fight with Azula ends in a draw with neither one beating the other! I’m starting to get a little peeved with all this edging lol but that was great! Azula is an absolute beast!
- Okay, the way Aang hammered that rock spike into the drill was pretty epic. Mai’s “We lost” (and thank you for your contribution to the fight, Mai lol) is interesting. It’s true, they did lose. Not in the combat sense, Aang couldn’t beat Azula, but he didn’t have to. He just had to hold her off. Maybe that’s kind of a metaphor for the Fire Nation military in general. It’s very powerful, but it’s also marred by incompetence and weaknesses. Many of its generals are prideful and blind to their own weaknesses, or just outright incompetent. Look at this fight: even Mai just kind of gave up halfway through. If Ty Lee wasn’t trapped in the slurry, she might very well have been able to beat Katara, Sokka, and Toph, especially since they don’t Appa this time to bail them out. And if Mai had been with her, she might have been to break Katara’s concentration with a thrown weapon, thus freeing Ty Lee from the slurry.
- Looks like Jet’s going to be causing a problem for Iroh and Zuko. I wonder if his relationship with them is what’s going to finally let him realize that not all Fire Nation people are inherently evil?
So Hope’s probably going to grow up in pretty interesting times!
Um… is Ba Sing Se a city or is it a little walled country? Cuz all I see are farms and plains!
Katara, I love you, but you’re wrong. Team Avatar is going to catch on because it’s awesome, and that’s that.
Episode 13- City of Walls and Secrets
- Oh, there’s an inner wall. So Ba Sing Se is kind of like the country in Attack on Titan! Oh yeah, in all of the excitement I almost forgot about Appa. Seriously, how many episodes has he been missing now? Damn, now that’s a city!
Walls inside that help maintain order? You mean walls that protect the rich and elite from the dirty poors? Lol Oh, Katara just confirmed it. They pen up all the poor people into a walled ghetto.
- lol when Iroh’s talking about someone bringing home a lady friend, does he mean himself? Or Zuko? It is really interesting how their views of Ba Sing Se differ though. Iroh’s talking about getting a home, socializing, building a life, and he’s even found them jobs! Zuko sees the same situation as a prison.
Toph knows what’s up. Joo Dee is purposefully brushing Sokka off and distracting the group. I’m not sure why at the moment, but something is clearly up.
- Of course they’re going to work in a tea shop! Lol Zuko’s right btw, all tea is hot leaf juice. Well, except for the teas that are hot root juice.
Someone important is trying to keep them under constant surveillance and prevent them from seeing the Earth King. In NATLA, there were spies in Omashu. Since Ba Sing Se is much bigger and more important, I imagine it’s riddled with Fire Nation spies as well, and somebody high ranking might be a traitor.
- Joo Dee is kind of scary lol and clearly the citizens are terrified of her. But what’s interesting to me is that she’s preventing them from giving information about Appa, which suggests that whoever is stopping them from seeing the Earth King also has Appa. But why? What would be the point of keeping Aang away from Appa? Is it to restrict his mobility and make him easier to capture?
It’s lucky that Iroh borrowed his neighbor’s spark rocks, but why would he refrain from firebending in what he assumes is privacy? Unless he knows he’s being watched.
- Huh, is the king’s pet bear the first normal animal on the show? Lol I am digging this undercover plan though.
The lost boys- I mean, freedom fighters are turning on Peter Pa- I mean, Jet. The weird thing is… he’s right! They are firebenders! But his behavior still isn’t healthy!
- Okay, let’s go! Jet’s hurling accusations and attacking them in public! And now Zuko’s fighting back with swords. It’s the duel of the dual-wielders! Honestly, this is probably good for Zuko. He needs to blow off some steam after everything he’s been through.
This Long Feng guy is cultural minister to the king, which means he’s probably the bad guy! And also we haven’t met any other high ranking government officials with names, so he’s currently the only option lol
- Geez, Zuko straight up intended to decapitate Jet right there. If Jet were a little slower, he would have! Man, I hope they do this fight scene in NATLA.
Yeah… can’t blame them for arresting Jet. He did look like a crazy person.
The Dai Li’s specific brand of earthbending is very cool! It almost doesn’t seem like bending at all, if that makes sense. The stones they use are like a part of their own body. And of course Long Feng is their leader.
Okay I get the king is just a puppet and Long Feng is the real rule of the country, but I still don’t understand why he doesn’t allow mention of the war in the city. I mean, it’s common knowledge! A significant portion of their population are literally refugees fleeing war! Who doesn’t know
Oh… is it the king? Does the king just not know there’s a war happening and Long Feng keeps it from him so he can stay in charge? I mean, that’s still a stretch but it would explain why he doesn’t want Team Avatar talking to the king.
- Jet is being hypnotized. Also, I do want to point out that I have seen “There is no (whatever) in Ba Sing Se” many times in the wild lol it’s nice to see where it comes from!
I didn’t think Joo Dee could be any scarier but here we are! This episode almost has horror movie vibes.
Concluding thoughts: This was a fantastic couple/throuple of episodes! I loved seeing Suki again, and I really enjoyed how the refugee subplot ties so perfectly in with Iroh and Zuko. The whole drill sequence was probably the best “action” the show has had thus far and that’s saying something. It’s also nice to have my suspicions that the Earth Kingdom has its own corruption problems and bad guys confirmed.
I have a new theory to replace my “Iroh’s going to die theory”. They’ve been showing us all season how Zuko isn’t really cut out for life on the run, whereas Iroh embraces it. I think they’re driving to a separation between Zuko and Iroh. He may not have died, but narratively speaking Zuko and Iroh have to part ways permanently or semi-permanently for his character to grow. Iroh has been propping him up and supporting him this whole time, now it’s time for Zuko to leave the nest and become his own person.
My new theory is that Iroh will enjoy his new life in Ba Sing Se so much that he elects to stay there permanently, whereas Zuko is too restless to do so. He can’t go back to the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom will not accept him, so his only choice is to join Team Avatar, where he will likely end up teaching Aang firebending.
And to expand further on a previous theory of mine, which was: Azula will kill or depose Ozai. I’ve accepted at this point that death is off the table. Kid’s show and all that. But I noticed something… lots of people were quick to say that Azula would never kill Ozai. But not one person has said she wouldn’t depose him in those refutations (unless I’m misremembering but I don’t think I am). Since you all know not to hint at things or spoil them, I think your eagerness to point out that she won’t kill Ozai is an attempt to mislead me into thinking the whole theory is wrong so I’ll be surprised when she ends up deposing (not killing) him. I mean, I could be wrong but I have a strong feeling that the final villain is going to be Fire Lord Azula, with Ozai in exile somewhere (that would be fitting! The man who banishes his own son ends up being banished himself!).
Maybe that will even be the conclusion of Zuko’s arc! While Aang goes off to save the world from Azula, Zuko splits up to confront Ozai himself! Where we are in the show right now, it really does feel like Azula is Aang’s primary antagonist whereas Ozai is Zuko’s primary antagonist.
By the way, from here on out, no confirming or denying my theories either way, okay? Let it unfold naturally, and let me figure things out on my own. I mean, where’s the fun in just giving me the answers?
And also, some of you could be a little nicer with your criticisms. I had to block someone last time I posted and I don’t want to do that anymore. It’s fine to disagree with me, it’s fine to explain why you disagree with me. Hell, most of you do! I don’t mind that, I like that we all have different views of things even if I don’t agree. It makes things interesting! But don’t talk down to me, don’t use belittling language, don’t be disrespectful. Whenever I don’t like something about ATLA (or like something about NATLA) some of you seem to take it as a personal insult or something.
Just be polite, that’s all I ask.
Okay, I’ll see you same time next week probably!
2024.05.13 15:49 davo9656 Lost: Giant "Aqua Lily" swim mat in Kanata
In the category of random and strange things to lose: On Friday I was driving to the cottage with an Aqua Lily, one of those giant yellow swimming rafts (aka lily pad) in my trailer. Unfortunately it came loose somewhere on Eagleson between Bridlewood and 417, or on 417 between March onramp and HWY 7 exit and I didn't see it fall off. If anyone located a giant yellow swim raft on the road, that was me and I would appreciate you reaching out. In the 10 minutes it took me to drive back, it was gone. It was a birthday present for my daughter so I would really appreciate tracking it down. And yes, I'll save you the snarky replies, I learned my lesson the hard way, it could have caused an accident, yes I know all of that, been kicking myself all weekend over it. Thanks Ottawa,
submitted by davo9656 to ottawa [link] [comments]