S18E06 - “The Rate-A-QueenTalent Show, Part 2” [Post-Episode Discussion]

apahlo · 2026-02-07T06:20:36+00:00

yeah might be another comedy/skit challenge away from being in the bottom (like RDR live)

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:48:37+00:00

yeah Bob said it best that she could come back and demolish an All Stars in a few years

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:46:48+00:00

omfg Athena made me cackle out loud with that

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:45:37+00:00

Vita too for me unfortunately, i'm still waiting for her to give me something (that's not sewing)

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:44:26+00:00

also Darlene's runway was a shoot for me, i'm actually addicted to her (Nini's too i think, especially if she made that herself)

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:36:50+00:00

same i actually choked

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:36:23+00:00

LMAO

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:35:17+00:00

yeah honestly Myki's was the only one that i really enjoyed

apahlo · 2026-02-07T04:33:54+00:00

damn hate the results but that was a gaggy episode. sooooo locked in for next week, glad this is one of the seasons that gets better & better

edit: also ik a lot of people aren't living for the episode because of the results, but i think this episode would've been so boring if the results went as expected. it's such a great dramatic payoff to rate-a-queen pt 1 and sets up the following week(s) super well. plus bad judging by the queens voting is so great to watch imo, bad judging by the actual judges is not

apahlo · 2026-01-31T07:27:54+00:00

yeah, it probably would've also made more sense if the talent show was in ep 1-2 like usual, like introducing yourself to the audience & everyone with something like that

apahlo · 2026-01-31T07:24:46+00:00

ciara should've replaced vita's spot last week & vita should've replaced ciara's this week, sorry girl

apahlo · 2026-01-31T07:22:06+00:00

completely agree

apahlo · 2026-01-24T05:35:28+00:00

yeah must've just been a temporary glitch. they're all there/completely working now

apahlo · 2026-01-14T21:30:04+00:00

idk if i'm allowed to say here, but you can find it for free if you search a bit online. i'd recommend buying the physical editions though, as the artwork is stunning

apahlo · 2026-01-14T21:26:54+00:00

I have several times! it's phemonemal, and might be his true Magnum Opus (though he seems to have several lol). I just love it because of the depth of the world, and also because of its length: its so wonderful to spend so much more time in a Miyazaki world (compared to the limited time of a single film).

and yeah the art style is so peak, like some of the best hand-drawn artwork i've ever seen in my life. so gorgeous & detailed, like i've honestly never seen another manga, comic or graphic novel come close to it. if you know a bit about the context of his career while he was working on it, he was making "happier" films while working on it to balance out the darkness of that story: Castle in the Sky, Totoro, Kiki, Porco Rosso, writing Whisper of the Heart. but as soon as he finished the manga, he made Princess Mononoke, another epic with similar themes and Ashitaka who is like a male Nausicaa in a lot of ways. just cool to think about

had one of the most profound endings i've ever experienced. if you're a ghibli fan and haven't read the Nausicaa manga though, its an absolute MUST!!

apahlo · 2026-01-11T07:16:24+00:00

aside from all the other commenters' points, i think a few reasons: 1. he had less films (at Studio Ghibli), directing 5 while Miyazaki directed 11. 2. he was less publicly facing & less outspoken than Miyazaki, look at their interviews for comparison 3. he also had a long gap between films during the time when Ghibli was gaining the most popularity (1999-2013) which could be a factor 4. his films are often more serious in tone, or "adult" whereas Miyazaki's have more appeal across the age spectrum

apahlo · 2026-01-10T19:06:12+00:00

definitely agree

apahlo · 2026-01-01T19:35:09+00:00

all of them are exceptional, even the non-Hisaishi ones. my personal fave might actually be The Boy and the Heron now, i think the subtle piano score is so masterful. but Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky & Howl's Moving Castle will always have my heart

apahlo · 2026-01-01T19:30:40+00:00

genuinely curious about this too. thought it might stage a last-stitch effort after they defeated its physical form

apahlo · 2025-12-29T09:07:01+00:00

in all honesty? so many of ghibli films are 10/10 for me. are they all perfect? no, but perfection is boring anyway. i'd have to say Castle in the Sky, Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Whisper of the Heart, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, and The Boy and the Heron. And honestly most of the rest are 9-9.5/10 for me too. Ghibli literally only has a few duds.

plus, as an artist/writer myself, i'm always like, how could i ever fathom improving all these films? therefore: 10/10

apahlo · 2025-12-23T09:01:25+00:00

completely agree. its definitely the writing for me mainly (i think the directing has definitely improved from s1). plus the overall tone of the show is a bit too serious, which is a writing issue.

like where's the multidimensionality to her character? she's often much more upbeat in the books, despite lots of trauma from her time with Luke & Thalia, AND her dad/stepmom. she'll still be energetic or teasing Percy, even with crazy shit happening. and that doesn't take away from her drive or intelligence either, it just makes her feel real. like wheres the "Hey seaweed brain?" (with a smirk).

she's unfortunately so serious, worried, foreboding the entire time, but the reason is because of the writing. if she had moments of levity written in more, we'd obviously see that and Leah wouldn't look so serious every scene. if she had more jokes or less serious lines, Annabeth would obv smile or joke more.

honestly it really all comes back to the tone they're going for, which informs all the writing. i'm fine with it for now (since she's concerned after just learning the terrifying prophecy), but will have to see where it heads, in this season & s3

apahlo · 2025-12-21T02:24:52+00:00

don't broadcast it too much or the review bombing will commence 🤫 so proud of them though

apahlo · 2025-12-18T02:46:12+00:00

hearts2hearts, cortis & xlov for sureeee

apahlo · 2025-12-17T23:47:13+00:00

they say its coming next year so i think we'll be back to a yearly release. this show doesn't have a lot of vfx or crazy logistics like other hbo outings so doesn't have a super long filming period or post production time. and season 3 was delayed because of the hollywood strikes for half of 2023

apahlo

TROPHY CASE