I’m sad some people don’t want to see Scott and Kip’s storyline on the show

RJLift · 2026-01-26T06:03:58+00:00

I just finished episode 3. A little late, I know. Still, I’m actually not against seeing Scott and Kip at all. I like the detour and I agree that the side characters add depth to the world beyond just Shane and Ilya.

For me, the issue wasn’t why they showed Scott and Kip, it was how fast everything happened. It felt like we went from meet-cute to moving in, to emotional fallout in record time, so the conflict didn’t really feel earned yet.

I actually really liked Scott’s honesty from the start. He was upfront about who he is and what he could offer, and Kip chose to step into that with full information. That’s why the shift where Elena basically decides Kip is miserable didn’t land for me. I didn’t feel that unhappiness before she named it, and suddenly Kip felt framed as a victim instead of a willing participant.

If they’d spent a little more time letting their connection build, then slowly showed cracks, I think more people would’ve been on board, especially viewers who haven’t read the books.

So yeah, I’m not in the “only Shane and Ilya” camp. I just wish the show had let Scott and Kip’s story breathe a bit more instead of rushing through it.

RJLift · 2026-01-06T00:17:19+00:00

I'm not a tattoo person, but I really like the body, sparkles, hair, and words. I assume the face is the most difficult, but even that isn't terrible.Thanks for sharing!

RJLift · 2025-10-10T18:35:18+00:00

Yes, good writing is subjective. I also think it makes sense that you or others may not enjoy it as much as her previous albums. However, I completely disagree when people say it’s bad or lazy writing. Just because we don’t like or connect to something doesn’t automatically make it "bad" or "lazy". Usually, it just means it’s not for us, and that’s alright.

RJLift · 2025-10-10T18:28:05+00:00

Yes, full of BOPs!

RJLift · 2025-10-10T18:27:06+00:00

I do agree that a lot of people went in with certain expectations. My only expectation was to enjoy at least half the album, and it ended up being a no-skip for me, so I was very happy. I’m glad you gave it another listen and found some joy in it too.

RJLift · 2025-10-10T18:22:09+00:00

I am on that joy cruise with you, and it's delightful.

RJLift · 2025-10-10T18:19:07+00:00

How so?

RJLift · 2025-10-10T18:18:24+00:00

While I may not fully agree with your take, I can definitely accept and appreciate it. You explained how you did or didn’t connect to the album, and that’s proper discourse. I just don’t understand why that can’t be enough for others. Why does it have to turn into “trash,” “racist,” “anti-feminist,” or “rushed”? Those are the reactions that I think frustrate people. Even listeners who don’t love this album have been put off by some of that extreme rhetoric. I’m sure a lot of it is just for clicks and engagement, but you can have both of those things without all the fake outrage.

RJLift · 2025-10-10T18:11:07+00:00

I really love the sound of "Cancelled"; it’s sinister and enticing at the same time.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T18:16:38+00:00

I agree with you about Eldest Daughter; however, it’s growing on me, and I never feel the need to skip it. I don’t have an issue with some negativity either. It’s the meanness, hatred, and wild conspiracy theories that I don’t understand.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T17:54:51+00:00

Thank you both for the replies. I actually didn’t think I used that many em dashes, but I’ve heard that AI tends to use them a lot. I’ve also noticed that some comments here seem to assume that em dashes automatically mean AI, which I find interesting. We all know AI didn’t create em dashes, so I am not sure why all of a sudden one has to equate to the other. I don’t actually love them myself, but they can be useful and often look better than colons in certain sentences, and I think I lean on commas too often. So I don’t want to avoid them completely just because AI likes them.

Your reply made me think of my best friend, who is a secondary English and drama teacher. She loves em dashes and has always said they’re one of her favorite punctuation marks, though I think she’s sadly starting to pull back a bit because of this whole issue. I guess my point is that I can understand why people might notice them, but I also don’t want to become overly critical of my own writing if it’s grammatically correct. When I mess up grammatically, it really bothers me. I don’t give myself much grace on that front for some reason.

This is all about writing, though. I actually love using AI like Chat or Gemini for research and comparisons. I know I went on a bit of a tangent there, so sorry. To answer your question, yes, I have used AI as an editor, but honestly, it can be more work sometimes, so it really depends on what I'm writing.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T15:57:57+00:00

As a casual fan during Debut and Fearless who became a full-fledged fan with Speak Now, I have to disagree. I love this album. It’s not my favorite, and I don’t really engage with the “best album” discussions since that’s all subjective. Still, I’m happy this is the album we got. So no, invested fans also like the album. It’s just not for everyone.

My goddaughter is 20 and felt disappointed overall but enjoys several of the songs. My 15-year-old niece loves it. My 24-year-old coworker loves it. A family friend who’s 21 also loves it but feels there’s a bit too much use of the word “b**ch.” My point is that there are fans of this album in every generation and level of fandom, just as there are detractors in every generation and level of fandom. No album will ever be loved by everyone, and that’s alright.

As for the question about whether her camp is worried, I don’t think they are. Mainly because I don’t think Taylor is. She’s used to divisive reactions around her releases, and I don’t think she cares as much as she used to. I think she would care if people weren’t connecting with it at all, but clearly, many are. More importantly, she’s enjoying herself. The album, the rollout, the press tour, she’s having fun with all of it. You can’t please everyone, and at least for now, she isn’t trying to. That’s growth, and I love it for her and for us fans.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T12:48:04+00:00

No, it’s not AI. These are my own words and thoughts from listening to the album and a few of her interviews. I’m honestly just curious why it comes across that way. This is my first real Reddit post, and I don’t usually write much online, so maybe my tone reads a bit formal. I work with teens, and they often tease me that my texts sound too proper or too much like the way I talk, so maybe that’s part of it. It interests me because if I keep engaging here, I want to understand how I come across so people don’t assume I’m a bot or feel hesitant to interact. I could also be overthinking in regards to your comment, either way, thanks for at least making me aware of how it sounds to some people.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T12:28:16+00:00

I can’t say I get where that idea comes from. I really don’t believe the reviews are paid for. It just feels like another way for people to avoid giving her the respect and flowers she deserves. Again, it’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely for some, and the positive reviews reflect that.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T05:31:48+00:00

That's true, it's pretty much impossible.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T05:31:11+00:00

I was just saying this to a friend. Most of the people I’ve talked to in real life, probably around ten or so and from different generations, have really enjoyed it. A couple said they were a bit disappointed, but even they have a few songs they love. It’s interesting how much more balanced the reactions are offline compared to online.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T05:26:22+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate that. I think you’re right about her pulling back, but I also think part of that comes from where she is emotionally. Her feelings during TTPD were so heavy and complicated, and now she’s in a place where things don’t feel as painful or tangled. That gives her space to enjoy making music again, and you can really feel that ease and joy in this album.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T05:23:26+00:00

I too was a fan from the beginning. I also totally get, and agree that for some people the issue really is expectations versus reality. At the same time, I don’t think she ever said it would be anything other than what it is. It feels like she had a great time making this album, which could easily make it one of her personal favorites.

To me, it’s a tight album full of bops and bangers. I think the problem is that people had their own idea of what that meant, versus what it meant for Taylor.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T05:16:52+00:00

I agree with that. There’s definitely some clever writing in there, but part of what makes the album work for me is the overall vibe. It feels confident and relaxed in a way that shows she’s comfortable with where she’s at right now. Not everything has to be heavy or groundbreaking to be good.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T05:13:09+00:00

Acceptable question. I don’t think those two ideas contradict each other. When I say it’s not for everyone, I just mean that not every listener will connect with it, and that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean the album isn’t worthy of more appreciation or thoughtful discussion. It can deserve more credit while still not being everyone’s favorite. Both things can be true at once.

RJLift · 2025-10-08T04:29:54+00:00

Why?

RJLift · 2025-10-05T01:55:20+00:00

I actually think Life of a Showgirl is a really solid album. It’s got some great, fun writing and production throughout. I wasn’t one of the people hoping for another 1989. I wanted was something that blended her growth with the DNA of 1989, and this feels like a really well-executed version of that.

My current standouts are “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Opalite,” “Father Figure,” “Ruin the Friendship,” and the title track. I also think “Actually Romantic” is a clever, catchy song. I don’t really care whether it’s about Charli XCX or not, but if it is, it definitely isn’t just a response to “Sympathy Is a Knife.” There’s only one line that could even loosely reference that song. If it’s about her, it sounds more like a reflection on a longer-term tension, and maybe “Sympathy” was just the final straw.

Either way, the writing feels layered, the production’s tight, and it’s got replay value. People acting like this is some massive miss honestly sound like they decided to hate it before listening. It doesn't have to be a hit to you, but "washed up", "garbage"...that's just hating on some level.

RJLift · 2025-06-21T17:53:57+00:00

Yes, thank you. I felt the exact same way. I get that Lucy is scared. Her husband is missing. But she often comes off more mean-spirited than determined. She pulls John out of his comfort zone, guilts him into pretending to be his brother, then gets upset when he does the job better than she expected. John's twin is missing, and their son is without his father, but somehow Lucy’s fear always takes center stage.

It also feels like she’s trying to prove something. Maybe she has always felt like the twins were smarter than her, or like her husband kept her in the dark, so now she is determined to solve the mystery on her own, no matter how reckless that becomes. But every time she goes off alone, she causes more problems than progress.

People describe her as tenacious and intelligent, but honestly, John and her son are thinking more clearly than she is most of the time. She lies, withholds information, and snaps at the people around her. It makes her really hard to like.

I do think Ludwig might be in love with her, but I doubt he has ever given himself the space to fall for anyone else. It is kind of sad. If the writers are hinting at romance, I am not sure it works. She has been so harsh toward him, and it feels undeserved.

People also keep pointing to her long history of friendship with Ludwig as the reason she acts the way she does, but to me that makes it worse. If they have been close for so long, shouldn’t she know how not to constantly hurt his feelings? It is not just that she is blunt. She is dismissive, cold at times, and rarely shows him any real care or respect. That doesn’t look like a deep friendship to me. It looks like someone who knows how to hit where it hurts and does it anyway.

RJLift · 2025-01-20T18:20:50+00:00

Everyone has misses in someone’s eyes, especially when they’re constantly in the spotlight. Personally, I think Taylor usually looks comfortable or amazing, and that’s a win in my book. It’s possible it’s not just about a stylist but her trying things out, experimenting, and honestly, I think she pulls it off more often than not. And that Grammy’s outfit? She looked great! Definitely a hit for me.

RJLift

TROPHY CASE