"Hello John. Goodbye John."

[resnullius_bells]

I re-watched The Handmaiden with some friends today. The sex scenes remain awkward as hell LOL, but I love the rest. It really works for me as an adaptation of Fingersmith -it’s a really good book, and one I’d like to re-read one of these days (as well as picking up other Sarah Waters novels), but I’ve always thought the last part was super convoluted and The Handmaiden does away with that (and I like that here both women are in on it, instead of shutting up and willing to let the other get committed). It’s an incredibly beautiful film, too. And Min-hee Kim does an amazing job as Hideko, I should check out the rest of her filmography.

We watched Portrait of a Lady on Fire next, because I guess this is what happens when you’re on a group made out of only queer women LOL. I can see why parallels gifsets of the two films have crossed my dash, because there’s a lot to choose from (it constantly reminded me of Titanic too). It’s a terribly slow film, so be warned if that’s not your thing. It’s not really mine, so even if it’s a well-made and well-acted film, I definitely prefer The Handmaiden. I enjoyed the Eurydice and Orpheus references the most, because I’m a nerd.

I finished the Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy mini-series along the week (six issues total). Neither the writing nor the art is anything out of the ordinary, but the final twist gives me a few plot bunnies. BTW, there's an entire page for a FOREHEAD KISS and I can't shake the feeling it was supposed to be a kiss-kiss that got thwarted in the last stages. A full page for just a forehead kiss seems like an overkill. 

Aaaaand yesterday I finished the first season of The Vampire Diaries!

-I really dig how the juxtaposed the flashbacks of Stefan and Damon’s deaths, of Stefan watching Katherine get pulled in the cage, with Stefan and Elena in the present day (Elena watching him through the cell’s bars). Basically hammering home Katherine’s presence in their relationships. That episode’s flashbacks were top notch overall, from Stefan’s first kill being his own father (he kinda had it coming, IMO xD), to the reveal that he pushed Damon towards vampirism (because OFC he didn’t want to transition without Katherine. Seriously, how am I supposed to believe he ever gets over her?).

-I guess Stefan’s addiction plot is over for now. Given there are seven seasons left I assume it’ll be revisited, so no worries there. Between Emily’s comment about him being “pure of heart”, Jade in Legacies wanting to become a doctor too, and MG supposedly being the “sensitive kid” (he gets too close to “but I’m a nice guy!” behavior for my taste, but he’s a delight compared to Matt and the actor is charming), I’m guessing they’re going with ripper = hyper-empathy? I don’t know how I feel about that.

-I loved how Elena acted during the ordeal. Going into Stefan’s cell, giving him the ring by the lake and walking away… Her quote about how “our actions are what set things in motion, but we have to leave with that” it’s one of those that seem straightforward at first glance but then feel as if there’s a lot to unpack there LOL. And she and Stefan have a push-and-pull dynamic I find more and more interesting.

-Fuck. Poor Anna. She and Pearl just wanted to be left alone, dammit John! And I could’ve watched her for more seasons; I found her really, really likeable :(. Poor Jeremy too. He clearly was just starting to feel better, with Anna, kidding around with Tyler, even confronting Elena… Anyway, in his appearance in Legacies he seemed pretty much human so I guess his attempt to become a vampire will be thwarted some way?

-OFC Isobel returned to Alaric’s life the moment he said he was going to move on xDD (I had to laugh when I saw that Alaric & Damon’s bonding moment was about their obsessions with women that just weren’t that into them LOL). I don’t know how I feel about the “evil is casually bi” thing going on with her (I mean, it’s time a vampire was shown having vampire-like fun, but it feels like the typical emotionless/twisted=bisexual trope. I got tired of it before Superior Iron Man did it). I loved her scenes with Elena, especially when Elena thanked her for keeping her memories of her real mother intact.

-Sometimes Damon is fun. Other times he says shit like “have fun with the Mystic Queen, I know I did”, and I want to punch him. I saw you laughing at that joke too, Elena. At least he proved he has more than two brain cells by deducing all the references Isobel made to her past with John meant he’s the father; I get everyone else was a bit distracted but C’MON xD. Congrats to John and Isobel because apparently their wish for Elena to have a human life panned out? Albeit with Damon, which I’m pretty sure wasn’t their preferred choice xDD

-D’aw at Caroline wanting to organize everything, including by fixing the problems in everyone’s lives. It reminds me of BOTH twins; they really are her daughters xD. One of my favorite moments was when she told Matt (who remains a jerk!) to hide the cast for the pictures because it wasn’t “era appropriate” LOL. I laughed a lot at the Scarlett O’Hara/Gone With the Wind comparisons, which actually… match the show (and Caroline) really well -certainly better than the Call of the Wild reference matches Damon IMO. Though I feel you in the eye-roll, Bonnie; I think Scarlett’s an amazing protagonist and the book has a lot of good parts, but it is one hell of a racist fest and the town’s confederacy hard-on doesn’t help (I know they said Damon defected for ideology reasons but that feels more like a line than anything of significance TBH).

-Speaking of Bonnie, I want to say good for her for not taking the spell off and helping the vampires, and for her threats to Damon (&Stefan), but they’ll probably amount to nothing. And thank god they’ve given her a better hairstyle in the finale. The actress is gorgeous and it was getting ridiculous. Oh, and the reveal that Jonathan Gilbert didn’t invent anything, but actually Emily spelled a bunch of stuff for him behind his back seems on point with how witches are written in this show (specially in contrast to Legacies).

-Damon and Stefan’s relationship reminds me so much to the twins. I really don’t want to be comparing this show to Legacies every two sentences, but it’s just so easy LMAO. Both twins are a lot like Caroline, Lizzie has some of Elena and even Damon in her too, Josie with Bonnie and Stefan… The parallels are just THERE.

-I guess we’ll see more about the Lockwood’s werewolf legacy soon? It’s clear the Mayor had no idea about it, but frankly I don’t feel sorry for the guy. I liked Tyler’s scenes with Caroline in the last episode, especially the one where she rushes to intervene in the fight between him and his father (I’m guessing she either on some level that’s not A Good Relationship). I know they were a couple for a while and I’m curious -I think I could genuinely multiship Caroline and that’s so rare with me. Sometimes I manage two ships with the same character, but often because I’m looking at it from the POVs of the OTHER characters in the pairing. Other times I don’t really have an OTP for my fave so I’m game for any ship. But I could ship Caroline with a lot more people. Except Matt, because fuck that guy xD

-“Elena is not Katherine” *Elena appears wearing a period dress* *Katherine succeeds in impersonating Elena* LOL. This canon’s humor can be on point sometimes (BTW: if wearing a corset hurts you, you’re not doing it right. I hate how extended that cliché is). “Hello John. Goodbye John.” was one hell of an entrance, too. Not that I expected less from Katherine. I look forward to seeing her fuck shit up in s2 hehe.

However, I decided I’m going to wait for at least a week before I get started with s2. In the meantime I’ll watch or read something shorter and less time consuming -if I binge-watch something for a long time I get tired of it. I’ve also encountered this TVD meme and I thought I’ll write some meta (and maybe make some graphics) following it, or at least an abridged version of it; ten characters seems a lot so I’ll cap it at only five, for example. I found this other one for favorite characters too, and when Legacies’ season is over I’ll do the same, but for the twins (both, because I can’t choose between them).