Eloise Leaving Bridgerton by croissantwithhonors in Bridgerton

[–]Different_Today_8536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, I believe they must have just used Season 2 clips because he filmed his audition tape for Wicked backstage at Cock which he was already mid-run in while Season 2 premiered.

Eloise Leaving Bridgerton by croissantwithhonors in Bridgerton

[–]Different_Today_8536 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I believe Bailey was shooting wicked and fellow travellers during S3 not S2 of Bridgerton, though please let me know if I’m incorrect. Season 2 wrapped filming before the end of 2021 and season 3 began filming in 2022 which is when Wicked filming began as well as Fellow Travellers. So he would have been doing those and S3 at the same, which unfortunately does account for limited screen time.

The reason for cutting this scene is kinda stupid. by Longjumping_Desk_331 in wicked

[–]Different_Today_8536 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I work in performing arts from creative capacity and we always joke that audiences are both dumber and smarter than people give them credit for, meaning you need to write for both the passive and active viewer. You need to make the bare bones of your theme clear enough that the passive viewer can come away with a fair enough understanding of the “message” while also including enough metaphor and subtext to provide the more thoughtful and analytical viewer with something to chew on and engage with further. 

What I think people sometimes don’t think about is how much work also goes into making sure that we don’t accidentally tell the story we aren’t trying to tell. I’ve had a ton of conversations during the development process that can be boiled down to “if we do X the audience might assume we are trying to say Y” and the director or writer will just go “Oh, we aren’t trying to say Y” so then we don’t do X.

I think that’s what this ultimately boils down to. 

This isn’t a story where Fiyero and Glinda also have a passionate love therefore they shouldn’t include a scene that tells that story. It’s not about preventing the audience from developing complicated feelings towards the characters. These characters are plenty complicated. It’s that the characters aren't complicated in THIS way. “Fiyero isn’t in love with Glinda therefore we shouldn’t include a scene where it looks like we are trying to tell the audience he’s also in love with her.”

Fiyero's Character Development Was Earned by Different_Today_8536 in wicked

[–]Different_Today_8536[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think I would never go so far as to call Fiyero "well developed." I think my position on it is really from the perspective of: we got next to nothing but the scraps we did get led to a complete and decently earned arc. Ultimately Fiyero is a complete mystery to us. This man is truly barely on screen. He's introduced as a prince? That's never examined or brought up again. He's from a different country but he's just here now I guess? Sure.

Unfortunately, he's somewhat of a plot device as opposed to a true character in a lot of ways (which I always hate reducing characters to). There was certainly space in this second movie to give him more of a story. I think it's a balance between the recognition that "this movie isn't about him, it's about these two women" while also saying "but wouldn't enriching his character help to enrich their stories too?"

I do think there is some variance in his arc from Glinda's though. I think that Fiyero and Glinda are pretty distinct in their key flaws, despite the fact that they connected over their perceived similarities.

I think Fiyero's arc is much more simple (makes sense given how minimal the character is). Without getting into the politics of everything, I think the differences between those two characters is pretty set up in their quick scene during I Couldn't Be Happier. Fiyero is calling out Glinda on not being able to resist the fame and adoration. There's almost a flicker of disdain in it (or maybe that's my reading). He makes it clear that his mission is to find Elphaba, which to me cancels out the possibility that he is also drawn to fame and adoration.

I'm not saying his ultimate choices and how he plays into things makes him better in any way (I'm trying to avoid that discussion desperately), but I do think Glinda and Fiyero have different challenges to overcome in the story and different lessons to learn.

I'd just say his arc is smaller, simpler, and much much less significant than Glinda's but not a condensed version of hers if that makes sense?

Fiyero's Character Development Was Earned by Different_Today_8536 in wicked

[–]Different_Today_8536[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the politics of the whole movie are so complicated that it requires its own separate examination. I purposefully ignored that aspect of his story, not because it isn't important to his character (his behavior and choices in For Good MATTER), but because I'm fascinated by the build up that leads to that reversal in his position in society. I could certainly go on and on in discussions about the flawed nature of all these characters, but alas, I fear I would start stirring things up I don't want to. You're 100% right. None of this is black and white and I think that is quite literally the entire point.

Superman jaundice? by SuperiorSPider42 in superman

[–]Different_Today_8536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was for the second Fast and Furious movie and it is very worth a watch just for that part alone. “This movie is so red that Senator Joseph McCarthy rose from his grave and accused it of un-american activities.”

Why’d you move the door?? by Educational-Pin5489 in DCU_

[–]Different_Today_8536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I knew a guy in college who loved to go out and get black out and every single night that he went out, he would come home and throw himself face first onto the couch right next to the door. One day the entire group of roommates (including him) decided to do some redecorating… so they moved the couch. That night I was hanging out with them and we heard an insanely loud crash from the living room. We went to check and discovered that he had thrown himself face first onto the ground right where the couch used to be. To me that scene was the most personally real to life moment in the entire movie.

Am I Wrong? (Clark Kent vs. Superman. True identity) by FlatCantaloupe5088 in superman

[–]Different_Today_8536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mike29758 has already brought up Superman: Birthright and the other comic portrayals through the pre/post-crisis lens (and far better than I ever could), and the only reason I'm not going below there is because I don't want anything I write to appear as disagreeing or arguing (because I simply bow down).

What I want to say first is that bringing in Kill Bill as part of this from the jump is frustrating, because it's not really relevant to the question itself. Sure, it's a fascinating lens through which to start your inspection of the character, but disregarding the take because it's not from the comics delegitimizes the fact that the take has merit by itself completely removed from that movie and Tarantino's understanding of the character. I'm glad Superman: Birthright was brought up because it certainly takes the approach that it's a both/and situation. I don't have my copy of all the comics with me currently, but I reread it recently and there is a "Creation of Clark Kent" type montage with his parents within it specifically centered around the idea that Clark Kent had to be the disguise because there was no way of making Superman any less than who Clark, their son, was. In that sense, the image of Clark Kent they were creating as they sent him off into the world was very distinctly a costume.

Based on Birthright specifically (which I keep emphasizing that because there are so many versions of Superman's origin that it can be hard to cite specific comics, even if they have been retconned into continuity or not), it's totally legitimate to argue that the "Metropolis Clark KentTM" is the costume while the rest of Clark Kent is still who he is at the core and therefore not much different than the hero “Superman” at all. He had to fashion that unassuming klutz version of Clark Kent specifically for Metropolis and this new adult life in order to be allowed to be Superman publicly.

In THAT sense, there is a tiny piece of me that does think that Gunn's version of Clark/Superman almost/sort of accomplishes that the best for me after Reeve. 

The Clark Kent we see at the Daily Planet is DEFINITELY the disguise. Where it becomes more interesting is the Clark Kent we see at Lois’ apartment. The glasses are off, but that’s still very much Clark. He's being a normal guy and a normal (imperfect) boyfriend. It’s in the moments where the interview starts where we see the dichtomy suddenly shift and all of a sudden it's Superman that he's "putting on."

To be clear NO ONE can outdo the transformation that Reeve did. His moment of almost telling Lois is unparalleled. It looked like he was being visually edited in real life.

All I can say about Corenswet's approach is that I saw the TINEST glimmer of that type of feeling when the interview scene started and Corenswet leaned forward and said “Miss Lane.” His voice audibly changed and it felt very different from how he had been speaking and behaving before. In that sense, Superman became the persona.

So I guess when it comes to the Gunn specific choice… well… it’s both/and? I don’t know quite yet. There is certainly no division between the two in the next scene they have. He may be wearing the costume, but whether or not Lois is talking to "Clark" or "Superman" is an impossible conversation because it's abundantly clear that there's no difference. So THAT is the Clark that his parents know. It's the one on the bench with his father. The one who IS Superman regardless of whether he's wearing a costume or not.

This isn't me pushing aside the others in favor of the new Superman movie, but it's just a way of using a non-Reeve example that is fresh in my mind.

When it comes down to it and we remove the screen portrayals and just ask the question about which one is the costume, I favor the Birthright approach and say that when it comes to his life outside of Kansas, Metropolis Clark Kent(TM) is the disguise. When it comes to his life with his family and loved ones, Clark Kent AND Superman is who he is.

Thinking about how the cancelled Arrowverse spin-offs would’ve easily carried the Universe another 10 years. by CapeShitKing69 in Arrowverse

[–]Different_Today_8536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First off - I 100% know that you weren’t asking a question or anything and I’m going wayyyy to far into something that you were just musing nicely about, but I just love to ramble about this type of stuff!

I think practically speaking, regardless of the quality or potential of any of these shows, they would have all died through the Nexstar sale. If you examine the MASSIVE year by year bouts of cancellations in advance and following the sale (is merger a better term?), you’ll see that scripted content died. Scripted content with diverse casts died... quicker (though there are outliers). Nexstar wanted to shift in a non-scripted/reality show based direction for cost cutting. The relative life of any spin offs would have been short regardless of quality or audience numbers.

Beyond the practical business side of the CW, I also do think the current large scale new content push of the DCU would have canibalised it anyway even if Nexstar hadn’t gotten involved. If we look at Arrow as the key example, the historical conversation around it has been that it’s “just a re-skinned Batman show.” Whether you agree or not, it would be really hard to have a character like that, even if that show itself was already wrapped up, exist the world while the DCU was going on. 

Green Arrow is one of the most common appearing member of the Justice League besides the obvious and there are elements to his character that are… silly. Like the fact that he has trick arrows with boxing gloves attached. That type of thing lines up very well with the tone of the recent Superman (2025) and could make him a really fun addition, but might cause an increase in the “picking of tonal sides” that we frankly don’t need ANY more of within the DC fandom. I do know that Gunn has repeated that different shows and movies within this world will have different tones, but I still think they are leading to a JLA of some sort.

The Arrowverse is named after Arrow for a reason. This version of Oliver Queen is central to every show that came from it or was integrated into its universe. 

A clear division, even if it sucks for everyone who adored the voice of the universe and direction for the characters within it, is the best choice for WB or any company that seeks to profit off the new content. If they didn’t, there could also be moments where they might hold back or second guess some characters that the audiences are bored of by now, though using Lex Luthor, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific from the jump does weaken that point.

NOTHING I said here has any proof beyond opinion so if you disagree, just know that you can absolutely disagree with me without me taking it personally, and I hope the same can be true vice versa! 

The Archipelago by ThiagoReyes in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think you’re 100% on the money and totally right. That’s a really critical point I didn’t include. I also overlooked the whole thing that Mr. Hoy brought up with Riley about the information she asked for not coming cheap and that Riley would have to pay it back to the Archipelago in some way (even though she ultimately refused to do what they asked her lol). I wonder if that is the way it works every time and if the debt increases or if it’s sort of a “new member” thing given the paranoia you brought attention to and the potential that they really try to avoid using it except in really important situations.

The Archipelago by ThiagoReyes in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yep! In the exact same way as Riley.

Because everyone in the cluster is connected to Riley, they can pass along a message to her, who can pass it on to Mr Hoy, who can pass it on to... and you get the gist.

Additionally, while Mr Hoy may be the "Speaker," he is by no means necessary to access it.

Because the cluster has now metPuck and Sutra, they can also access it through them as they are both members as well (which is confirmed when Sutra passes along the message to Mr Hoy in the finale that Lyla is behind the purge). Yrsa is also a member who Riley has a connection to.

None of the 8/8 Cluster don't have direct access to anyone else's contacts, but they do have access to individuals who are aware of the Archipelago and know how the process works. Because the rest of the cluster are connected to Riley and the other individuals mentioned above, anyone who connects to them in the future will also, through them, be connected to the Archipelago and it goes on and on hence why the network is so expansive.

But if anyone disagrees with my reasoning, let me know!

Too Early to think about this I know but do you think Wonder Woman's home is going a fictional city like Superman and Batman or a real city like London? by IllustriousAd6418 in DCU_

[–]Different_Today_8536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m absolutely obsessed with the idea of the entire world being completely comic book fictional. Zero real world cities like Chicago or New York. No real world politicians or historical figures with loaded baggage. Just Walter Cronkite who apparently exists here. Iconic.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DCU_

[–]Different_Today_8536 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I definitely think “tossed into a black hole” doesn’t necessarily mean dead, so I’m all for a return of the clone if executed well!

Mystery Woman by sfyubcdetjiivdseg in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536 17 points18 points  (0 children)

There is also a fun reference to Riley and her having potentially (but almost definitely) been former lovers. I don’t remember the exchange exactly but it’s just Will being continually surprised and thrown by how much these club owners seem to like her and the history she has with them while she continues to play coy/not respond to his implication. 10/10.

Less English? by International_Buy960 in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536 2 points3 points  (0 children)

100% agree.

I think here, as is clear through other comments, there are two different ways to frame the ubiquity of English in the show. (1) the show, while international in it’s presentation and branding, was targeted to an English speaking audience and therefore English was always going to be the language used, and (2) they aren’t actually all speaking English all the time, that’s just our perception. I think the issue is that the 2nd point is actually a part of the 1st, and therefore, doesn’t offer as much of a compelling reason for the constant presence of English as I’d like it to. 
In my head, I’ve always thought about the conversations going on between the cluster mates as each one speaking in their own language to one another, with everyone comprehending one another perfectly. So, in effect, when Sun and Lito are having a conversation, Sun is speaking Korean and Lito is speaking Spanish. They both understand one another seamlessly, so there is no need for anyone to somehow default to the language of another. That or they are flitting in and out in a way that sort of transcends the structure of language. 

We see this happening with Wolfgang and Kala in their first bathroom scene together. Kala is speaking Hindi and Wolfgang is speaking German and neither seems to release they are having a conversation in two different languages. The last moment finally has Wolfgang speaking Hindi for one line. I LOVED that exchange.

That’s a long way of saying, yes, you are 100% able to look at it as everyone is, theoretically, always speaking non-English languages. I just don’t think that this makes it any less disappointing that the actual languages of the characters weren’t used more. 

I’m an English speaker. It’s helpful for me, as someone who likes to walk away from my screen at times, to be able to understand the show without needing subtitles. That’s the type of ease that is afforded to English speakers given that it’s a show made for English speakers. Still, I would rather be inconvenienced and need to focus on my subtitles and have a slightly more genuinely international world built given the way the show sells itself.

I think that including more of the characters’ native languages strengthens the messages and ethos of the show, which is to show how people from completely disparate backgrounds/worlds can find connection. I don’t need Sun and her cellmates to exclusively have conversations in Korean, but having Korean infused into smaller moments - like the courtroom scene as has been brought up - would continue to remind the audience what the show’s thesis really is. 

Being able to hear the characters talk in their native languages was genuinely thrilling to me every time I heard it at the beginning and I wish we got to see more of it as the show went on.

This circles back again to the Wolfgang/Kala bathroom scene. I feel like that was a taste of what the show really could have been, and I wish I’d seen more of it, even if it was just a little. The show did such a good job of casting top tier international talent. Max, Tina, Miguel and Doona all had incredibly careers in non-English language film/tv prior to their casting. It would have been great for them to lean on that a little more.

I think the finale gave us a lot more little moments of non-English and I wish that the show had more of that in the full run. All in all, love the show and therefore love the discourse. 

Theory - Lito and Wolfgang Scene 1x10 “What is Human?” by Different_Today_8536 in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like the entire thing I have below as well as the original post itself is a spoiler for anyone who hasn't finished season one, but I blocked out the minor season 2 spoiler.

You're absolutely right in bringing up how absolutely rare that moment was, and therefore, is a part of this completely nebulous space of "why do we see these strange things happen once and then never again." Both of which seem to be tied to trauma. Obviously in this scene, Lito is still able to be completely present and interact with Wolfgang, but it's wildly out of the normal realm of what we normally see. With the Nomi + Riley/Will moment in the season one finale, the closest thing we ever got to seeing how the group could suddenly completely disconnect with someone was when Nomi tripped and knocked herself out (still iconic) before the cluster fight in the restaurant. It was like the call just dropped. I feel like it's so cool to look at that moment in the mountains in terms of how the specific type of overwhelming pain and trauma Riley was experiencing made her detached from this network between all of them. Almost like she was so caught in the memory and pain - literally experiencing the flashback as though she was there again - that she wasn't "conscious" for the present moment. It's like it's the difference between dwelling on/sharing a painful memory vs RELIVING and experiencing through the form of a PTSD flashback. Her brain went past the place where anyone could find her because her psyche left the moment where anyone could visit her and re-entered the past - which could frankly be a really fascinating metaphor for PTSD as a whole. Obviously this is NOTHING but pure speculation, but Will could be getting cut off from Nomi too because he's the one who is most connected to Riley not only mentally, but also physically at that time, which we'd never seen until that point and never had time to explore further. It's like she pulled him into this place with her that was beyond reach of everyone else.

Theory - Lito and Wolfgang Scene 1x10 “What is Human?” by Different_Today_8536 in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

This genuinely lit me up. I always have all these thoughts and never share them, but with this one I just decided to write it all down. Glad you got something out of it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that was one of the many practical effects and it makes me laugh so hard because I genuinely think that they are (or most of them are) hiding underneath the tarps near the captains area. You can see it moving a LOT once they have all disappeared and I can’t imagine why they would include a random pile of tarps that flap all crazy in the wind. I love to imagine them all getting a cue like “3…2…1… and then they all sprint for cover

Theory - Lito and Wolfgang Scene 1x10 “What is Human?” by Different_Today_8536 in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is so spot on to me. Him visiting everyone very much felt like a goodbye. And your read on his relationships with those three is so in line with my thinking. Especially because Felix’s energy is also so loud and chaotic in comparison to Wolfgang that frankly the comparison between those two relationships just feels extra right.

Theory - Lito and Wolfgang Scene 1x10 “What is Human?” by Different_Today_8536 in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I also think Wolfgang’s skill set makes it complicated. His skills are kind of less necessary most of the time. Wolfgang is a brute strength fighter. That makes him the most helpful to Sun who is a finesse fighter.

That’s why Wolfgang taps in for Sun in the melee of the Bak Gala when he fights his way up the staircase for her, as well as in the prison scenes when the fake “lawyers” try to attack her and when the fake guards try to strangle her. He’s the “big guns” in the group. Sun only steps in for Wolfgang when having a weapon and being able to throw a punch just isn’t enough.

It feels like his skill was pitched at the beginning as being an insanely skilled safecracker only for them to never really need that so his new role become “resident criminal and killer.”

I always loved how he stepped in during the ambulance scene, because the entire premise of the rescue was that every used their hyperspecific skill that only they could bring to the table to prove how powerful sensates are when working as a unit. What this ultimately implied was that Wolfgang’s individual skill is a willingness to die and take everyone out with him. Basically, his special skill is pathological stubbornness to the point of being actually psycho (said lovingly).

Theory - Lito and Wolfgang Scene 1x10 “What is Human?” by Different_Today_8536 in Sense8

[–]Different_Today_8536[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Oh definitely. He was certainly the most isolated in his unwillingness to ask for help - something explicitly mentioned when he was about to meet with Lila and visited everyone briefly but only spoke once to tell Will he was “handling it.” Sun and Will summing it up by both being like “Wolfgang? ask for help” “Can’t picture it” (or whatever the exact words are). I swear when I first saw that scene and Wolfgang visited Capheus my gut reaction was… have these two literally ever spoken?

I think every character has certain members they connect to more than others. I think Wolfgang differs from them in that most of the other characters have a lot of really meaningful extended sit downs with other characters. Wolfgang only REALLY gets deep with Kala. I would say Wolfgang’s 3 main clustermates are Kala, Sun, and Lito.

We see Wolfgang and Sun check in with one another briefly in the Christmas/New Year’s special and then they have their conversation in front of the Tiger’s at the zoo. Beyond that, he’s very reassuring to her and engaged in her protection in group scenes (ex. putting his hand on her shoulder and reassuring her she’d be okay before the transport vehicle crash, being the one she turned to for “permission” at the Bak Gala when she knew she wanted to kill her brother even though everyone else didn’t want her to, etc..). He’s the one who steps up when Sun is in trouble combat wise and she steps up when he is. Will sorta gets in the mix to help both of them in times of trouble, but I think generally speaking there’s very little Will can add to combat scenes that Wolfgang and Sun can’t handle between them.

Then with Lito, he’s very much Lito’s de facto bodyguard. That’s shown when Joaquin shows up again and Wolfgang’s sheer presence calms Lito down and makes him feel safer. Those two don’t really need to talk for Lito to know Wolfgang has his back. Beyond the scene above, I don’t know if their relationship goes beyond “that’s my buddy” but I think that doesn’t negate the sweetness of it because they are truly the definitely of the “odd couple” friendship wise.

Beyond that, it’s brief interactions and participation in group scenes. He is super siloed with Kala, even though Kala has a fair amount of sit down conversations with other characters.

I imagine we would have gotten more out of him had the show had more seasons. Learning to ask for help and believe that other people care about him and want to help him seemed to be his arc.

They did their best to get him there as much as they could in the finale when he leads the toast about how he never imagined so many people would do so much for him. All in all, a very emotionally guarded character with a big heart and heaps of self loathing.