Recs 3/?

[shallowness]

I'd normally post about The West Wing today, but the rugby interrupted my viewing schedule (thank you, Scotland). I've written a first draft of my thoughts about the last two eps I watched, but I want to listen to the podcast before I edit and post them. I suppose I should also note that the news about the release of Black Widow doesn't make much difference to me - hopefully, I'll get to see it on DVD at some juncture, like Mulan and WW1984. I was sad to hear that Jessica Walters, who gave us Lucille Bluth, has passed away.


Anyway, here are some fanfiction recs.

MCU

half a yellow sun: philthestone (Gamora, Michelle Jones, Peter Quill, Gamora/Peter, teen)

Really enjoyed this as a character piece, but the contrast between the scale of her just waiting on a bench and what they were facing unfurled wonderfully (it's set at the start of Inifinty War and is based on the trailer, I believe, and maybe a few of the details are a litte too handwavey, though it lso points out that canon had enough of a job in bringing characters from a shared universe together, but it's worth it for the character work and Gamora and Michelle interacting.

Possession

Marra Tivvit: mayhap (Randolph/Christobel)

This missing scene sickfic is rich and authentic to the book.

The Secret Garden

The Witch of the Moor: vialethe (Mary + Selfishness + her people)

Fierce ficlet!

Star Trek - The Next Generation

The Queen of Air and Darkness: raspberryhunter (post 'First Contact', Troi, the Borg Queen, Guinan)

This story just grew and grew in force for me. So interesting, so much going on, and expressed so aptly. (And I know this feels like a generic note, but if I started talking specifics, I'd get rambly/spoilery.)

Tam Lin (Pamela Dean)

Youth’s a stuff will not endure: sinkauli (Robin introspection, background canonical relationships)

I greatly appreciated seeing things from Robin's perspective, from his past to the future. The tone of the piece and the register of the witing were spot on.

Comments

[vialethe]

Aww thank you! I absolutely loved that "Mary as a Discworld witch with weaponized selfishness" prompt and I'm glad you liked the resulting ficlet.

Eagerly awaiting your WW thoughts as always! Will you keep going into season 2?

[shallowness]

You're welcome!

And yes, I plan to carry on. I saw an advert for the show on All4 last night and remember hoping that they'll continue streaming it until I've watched all the seasons, including the 9/11 episode, which I never saw the first time around to satisf my curiosity.

[vialethe]

Ah yes, Isaac and Ishmael. It's...interesting. Very much a relic of its time and odd because it doesn't fit into the show's continuity at all - and is much more play-like than most episodes - but it isn't awful. I always let it play through in my re-watches. That said, there's a lot about S3 & S4 that is very 2001/2002 in an ugly way that makes me cringe nowadays, and it starts in that ep.

S2 is my favorite, so I'm excited to get there! So much good stuff.

[shallowness]

Your reaction to Isaac and Ishmael and that you let it play are interesting, because I've heard a lot more negativity about it, but the fact that it didn't fit into the continuity almost made my completist self okay with not having een it because they didn't air it here.

I am looking forward to season 2 - I've been pleasanly surprised by some developments happening earlier than I remembered. As the end of s2 and start of s3 will, of course, be from twenty years ago now!!!, I'll be watching that knowing what comes next in RL and with a better grasp of what had gone on before in American politics than I did when I first saw it. And less high-mindedly, gawking at the technoloy or whatever.

[vialethe]

I&I is a two part story; one part is fine, if a little trite, and the other part is bad. But the good part does contain one of my favorite lines about the declaration of independence, and well, I'm very lazy and it's easier to just let the eps keep playing. The only one I skip in the first 4 seasons is The Long Goodbye from S4.

Twenty years ago! God, I'm old. I like to gawk at the fashion - the men's suits are SO baggy! And their ties so wide. It makes me giggle. Sam's hair gets to be a lot to take at some point too, but I think that's later on.

[shallowness]

I think I've settled into thinking of myself as middle aged, and hope to think 'oh I was so young' of myself now in 10, 20 years' time.

Will wait and see what I make of those future episodes and Sam's hair!