![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatWoke up, thought all was fine and dandy, made it to work - and dizziness hit. So contacted primary care - nurse advised that I go to urgent care and see somebody. Art History Major walked me over there around 10. At 11 - I saw the doctor. Doctor told me - it sound like "Vertigo" and maybe I aggravated by taking Afrin (which after three days, causes rebound congestion, making it worse and harder to heal). I honestly wasn't sure. (Turns out it was really "Nasal spray (brand name Nasacort®): Used to treat allergic rhinitis (hay fever)." So, whew?)
He proscribed the antihistamine "Meclizine, also known by brand names such as Antivert and Bonine, is an over-the-counter and prescription first-generation antihistamine used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness caused by motion sickness and vertigo". It's in Draminine as well. This is what they proscribe in emergency rooms - when folks come in with vertigo.
And a Nasal Spray.
Plus told me to take the Migraine meds, and Sinus Headache. And referred me to an ENT, a better one than the previous one (or so I'm told). It was City MD.
Also told me to take today, tomorrow, and Wednesday off. I have Friday as a Personnel Day. So I think I can wing that. He said, I need some rest. (Didn't get much over the weekend.) I'm hoping it just goes away like it has in the past. I also think it might be weather related.
***
Television and books
1. Watched more of Newman/Woodward doc last night - it does go into their political activities (both were liberal political activists), and into their films - and family dynamics. I'm loving the documentary - because it's not just about Newman/Woodward, but about filmmaking, and how to put a documentary together. The process geek in me - is in heaven.
Takeaway quote: When Camus read the story of Sisphysus, he said, Ah, this is a happy man, he knows his job and is satisfied in it.
Which never really occurred to me, or Ethan Hawk for that matter.
2. "The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins" - is a historical rom-com/mystery hybrid, which I think is the Victorian period?
Checks - yes, 1865 (I honestly can't remember when the Victorian Period started, and well, Vertigo issues - so if you know, feel free to fact check.)
The teaser is below. But right now, it appears to be female friendship? We have a newspaper columnist/publisher hooking up with a cookbook author to co-author a column about murders - currently the Commandment Murders. And they decide to investigate murders through their column. Apparently the Inspector investigating the murders in none too pleased (seriously, why would he be?). Much chaos ensues.
" England, 1865: Newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb finds herself the subject of speculation when her latest article leads to an arrest in the murders plaguing London. The English believe women ought not to write about such vulgar things as crime, and a particularly attractive detective inspector is incensed that she's interfered with his investigation. To escape her sudden notoriety, Katherine heads to the country-only to witness a murder upon her arrival.
Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham is appalled when Lady Katherine entangles herself in one of his cases-again. Her sensationalist reporting already nearly got him kicked off the police force, and he'll be damned if he permits her to meddle a second time. Yet, her questions are awfully insightful, and he can't deny his attraction to both her beauty and brains. As the clues point to a dangerous criminal, the two soon realize their best option is working together. But with their focus on the killer lurking in the shadows, neither is prepared for the other risk the case poses-to their hearts."
So far it's easier to read than Spinning Silver or Remarkably Bright Creatures - mainly because it is in third person and the point of view is rather clear. And there's, voila, dialogue.
3. Buffy S4 Rewatch - Superstar - sigh, there's a trope in sci-fantasy, where a Marty Stu or Mary Sue secondary character gets center stage. It's targeted towards a certain portion of the audience, which is NOT me. But, it is admittedly very popular - as evidenced by how often its done. I've never enjoyed it - I feel like it takes me away from the action, characters and story, to spend time with the author's stand-in or the author's idea of an audience stand-in (which isn't me). To give Espenson, who wrote the episode, credit - she kind of parodies/satirizes the trope? And makes fun of it. (Not my sense of humor - but I give her marks for detail, even if it's a touch too on the nose.) And she does manage to further each characters arc and relationship along the way.
Anya/Xander is basically all about sex. They don't really communicate so much as have a lot of sex. That's doomed to failure. It looks like it would work - since Anya seems to get Xander and focuses on his main interest - satisfying his sexual urges. It makes it hard for me to care about their relationship? Also, Anya is more into Xander than Xander is into Anya, and she worships him - he's not used to that. And it goes to his head a bit?
Willow/Tara - is basically all about magic, and Tara kind of worships Willow? I didn't realize how similar Tara and Anya are in the beginning. Both worship Xander and Willow, and put them first. It's kind of a reflection of Buffy's romantic relationships in the later seasons. Tara is also a little grating - she's too wimpy. I'm missing OZ at the moment, who was more assertive. But this is clearly deliberate - because Tara changes by S6, and is assertive and repeatedly stands up to Willow. Willow isn't used to being worshipped and adored, and gets a bit...well.
It's interesting - I didn't pick up on this until now? But the romantic relationships in S1-3, Willow, Xander, and Buffy are worshipping their romantic interests, and see them as cooler than they are and well, the romantic interests (Oz, Cordy, and Angel feel the same - it's the popular kids or cool kids). While in the later seasons, it's the opposite, the romantic interests don't see themselves as cooler, nor do Xander, Willow and Buffy - if anything they feel sorry for their romantic interests, who are if anything more devoted to them.
Nice role reversal. The writers do explore the pitfalls of both situations.
Buffy/Riley - it's clear the writers are trying to make them work but alas, they don't. Part of the problem - was Riley was following Angel (there was conflict with Angel - more so than with Riley). But the other part of why they don't - is Riley is all about Buffy, to the exclusion of almost anything else - to the point he does become Mission's boyfriend. He has no rudder, his purpose was Walsh, the Initiative, and the Military - now what?
He also doesn't have much in common with Buffy - outside of the Mission. Her friends aren't truly his? And he doesn't really understand what she is or what she's about. He worships her - but they seem to have no shared history. And at the end of the day? What does she know about him? In a way its the same issue she had with Angel? Who worshiped her, but she doesn't know him? Faith, Wes, and Cordelia knew him better. And Riley? She doesn't really know him. It's not her fault - he tells her little about himself, he doesn't invite her home, and their relationship is mainly physical in character.
The other relationship that is built on...is less visible, and more subtle. And that is Spike/Buffy, with a nice corollary, in Giles relationship with Buffy. Post Who are You, when Faith came on to Spike in Buffy's body, and teased him - Spike begins to do the same with Buffy every time he sees her.
He comes on to her, while insulting her, as she insults him, in Superstar.
And they sizzle, in a way that no one else quite does. Espenson plays with what Whedon starts in Who Are You. Spike doesn't come on to Buffy sexually or romantically really until Superstar. Prior to that he just wants to kill her. (With the exclusion of the spell in Something Blue - which is largely played for laughs, and at the end of - both characters feel violated and want nothing to do with each other.) But what Faith did in Who Are You (which Buffy doesn't know about) - sparked something in Spike, and made him realize he was turned on by Buffy in more ways than one, and he thinks (true or not) that she could possibly be into him? And the writers got off on playing with this - it was far more interesting to play with than just the lame - Spike as a male Cordelia aspect, or Spike wants to kill Buffy but can't figure out how without biting her angle - which doesn't go very far.
Giles - is worth mentioning - in that he really doesn't appear to respect Buffy's judgement, and has no clue what to do with himself. He's also still lounging about in sweaters. (Head doesn't look good in those sweaters - he looks kind of skeevy actually.) Buffy relies on Giles - but she's mostly figuring things out on her own, or with Willow and Xander's help.
Superstar does have a good line in there - "Xander, don't speak latin in front of the books".
Espenson is a good writer - even if her material often makes me cringe. Espenson also did the Storyteller episode in S7, which is another take on Superstar - both Andrew and Jonathan are the heroes in their own stories, but the stories they are telling themselves aren't real. It's an on-going theme in both series - how we're all the heroes in our stories, whether we actually are or not is another question. The writers wrote the villains, as if they saw themselves as the heroes.
This is yet another Adam episode, he's in the background. Like I said previously? The best episodes in this season really are the ones without Adam in them. Although Adam does emphasize a theme - "these are all lies. I see the truth, because I know who I am, and am comfortable with that." The writer is stating, tongue heavy in cheek, we see what we want to see. Even Adam, for that matter.
4. Buffy Sequel - Chloe Zhao - the director, and executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale - has officially stated it is a sequel, and she fully plans on bringing back the original characters.
Go HERE
And.. HERE
There is something to be said for fans writing and directing the sequel? [Because often the fans of a show - watch it closer than the creator does, and notice things the creator doesn't.] But isn't it still just published fanfic, and the only reason it got this far is the fan in question has some clout and knows the right people? Also, at the end of the day - we're getting this group of fans take on the series or perspective, which may vary significantly from our own? Since we all see things so differently?
Then again, who am I to complain? I watch a daytime soap and read comic books - also watch Doctor Who off and on, not to mention Star Wars sequels and Star Trek - and that's, well, also fanfic in a way? With varying perspectives on the same thing? At the end of the day aren't all continuations by new writers a kind of fanfic? They are in a way playing with someone else's toys but in their sandbox?
Ponders. Is it fanfic or isn't it? And what exactly is fanfic? [See? This is what happens when Vertigo eats my brain? I ponder existential questions about Fanfic.]
He proscribed the antihistamine "Meclizine, also known by brand names such as Antivert and Bonine, is an over-the-counter and prescription first-generation antihistamine used to prevent and treat nausea, vomiting, and dizziness caused by motion sickness and vertigo". It's in Draminine as well. This is what they proscribe in emergency rooms - when folks come in with vertigo.
And a Nasal Spray.
Plus told me to take the Migraine meds, and Sinus Headache. And referred me to an ENT, a better one than the previous one (or so I'm told). It was City MD.
Also told me to take today, tomorrow, and Wednesday off. I have Friday as a Personnel Day. So I think I can wing that. He said, I need some rest. (Didn't get much over the weekend.) I'm hoping it just goes away like it has in the past. I also think it might be weather related.
***
Television and books
1. Watched more of Newman/Woodward doc last night - it does go into their political activities (both were liberal political activists), and into their films - and family dynamics. I'm loving the documentary - because it's not just about Newman/Woodward, but about filmmaking, and how to put a documentary together. The process geek in me - is in heaven.
Takeaway quote: When Camus read the story of Sisphysus, he said, Ah, this is a happy man, he knows his job and is satisfied in it.
Which never really occurred to me, or Ethan Hawk for that matter.
2. "The Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins" - is a historical rom-com/mystery hybrid, which I think is the Victorian period?
Checks - yes, 1865 (I honestly can't remember when the Victorian Period started, and well, Vertigo issues - so if you know, feel free to fact check.)
The teaser is below. But right now, it appears to be female friendship? We have a newspaper columnist/publisher hooking up with a cookbook author to co-author a column about murders - currently the Commandment Murders. And they decide to investigate murders through their column. Apparently the Inspector investigating the murders in none too pleased (seriously, why would he be?). Much chaos ensues.
" England, 1865: Newspaper columnist Lady Katherine Bascomb finds herself the subject of speculation when her latest article leads to an arrest in the murders plaguing London. The English believe women ought not to write about such vulgar things as crime, and a particularly attractive detective inspector is incensed that she's interfered with his investigation. To escape her sudden notoriety, Katherine heads to the country-only to witness a murder upon her arrival.
Detective Inspector Andrew Eversham is appalled when Lady Katherine entangles herself in one of his cases-again. Her sensationalist reporting already nearly got him kicked off the police force, and he'll be damned if he permits her to meddle a second time. Yet, her questions are awfully insightful, and he can't deny his attraction to both her beauty and brains. As the clues point to a dangerous criminal, the two soon realize their best option is working together. But with their focus on the killer lurking in the shadows, neither is prepared for the other risk the case poses-to their hearts."
So far it's easier to read than Spinning Silver or Remarkably Bright Creatures - mainly because it is in third person and the point of view is rather clear. And there's, voila, dialogue.
3. Buffy S4 Rewatch - Superstar - sigh, there's a trope in sci-fantasy, where a Marty Stu or Mary Sue secondary character gets center stage. It's targeted towards a certain portion of the audience, which is NOT me. But, it is admittedly very popular - as evidenced by how often its done. I've never enjoyed it - I feel like it takes me away from the action, characters and story, to spend time with the author's stand-in or the author's idea of an audience stand-in (which isn't me). To give Espenson, who wrote the episode, credit - she kind of parodies/satirizes the trope? And makes fun of it. (Not my sense of humor - but I give her marks for detail, even if it's a touch too on the nose.) And she does manage to further each characters arc and relationship along the way.
Anya/Xander is basically all about sex. They don't really communicate so much as have a lot of sex. That's doomed to failure. It looks like it would work - since Anya seems to get Xander and focuses on his main interest - satisfying his sexual urges. It makes it hard for me to care about their relationship? Also, Anya is more into Xander than Xander is into Anya, and she worships him - he's not used to that. And it goes to his head a bit?
Willow/Tara - is basically all about magic, and Tara kind of worships Willow? I didn't realize how similar Tara and Anya are in the beginning. Both worship Xander and Willow, and put them first. It's kind of a reflection of Buffy's romantic relationships in the later seasons. Tara is also a little grating - she's too wimpy. I'm missing OZ at the moment, who was more assertive. But this is clearly deliberate - because Tara changes by S6, and is assertive and repeatedly stands up to Willow. Willow isn't used to being worshipped and adored, and gets a bit...well.
It's interesting - I didn't pick up on this until now? But the romantic relationships in S1-3, Willow, Xander, and Buffy are worshipping their romantic interests, and see them as cooler than they are and well, the romantic interests (Oz, Cordy, and Angel feel the same - it's the popular kids or cool kids). While in the later seasons, it's the opposite, the romantic interests don't see themselves as cooler, nor do Xander, Willow and Buffy - if anything they feel sorry for their romantic interests, who are if anything more devoted to them.
Nice role reversal. The writers do explore the pitfalls of both situations.
Buffy/Riley - it's clear the writers are trying to make them work but alas, they don't. Part of the problem - was Riley was following Angel (there was conflict with Angel - more so than with Riley). But the other part of why they don't - is Riley is all about Buffy, to the exclusion of almost anything else - to the point he does become Mission's boyfriend. He has no rudder, his purpose was Walsh, the Initiative, and the Military - now what?
He also doesn't have much in common with Buffy - outside of the Mission. Her friends aren't truly his? And he doesn't really understand what she is or what she's about. He worships her - but they seem to have no shared history. And at the end of the day? What does she know about him? In a way its the same issue she had with Angel? Who worshiped her, but she doesn't know him? Faith, Wes, and Cordelia knew him better. And Riley? She doesn't really know him. It's not her fault - he tells her little about himself, he doesn't invite her home, and their relationship is mainly physical in character.
The other relationship that is built on...is less visible, and more subtle. And that is Spike/Buffy, with a nice corollary, in Giles relationship with Buffy. Post Who are You, when Faith came on to Spike in Buffy's body, and teased him - Spike begins to do the same with Buffy every time he sees her.
He comes on to her, while insulting her, as she insults him, in Superstar.
And they sizzle, in a way that no one else quite does. Espenson plays with what Whedon starts in Who Are You. Spike doesn't come on to Buffy sexually or romantically really until Superstar. Prior to that he just wants to kill her. (With the exclusion of the spell in Something Blue - which is largely played for laughs, and at the end of - both characters feel violated and want nothing to do with each other.) But what Faith did in Who Are You (which Buffy doesn't know about) - sparked something in Spike, and made him realize he was turned on by Buffy in more ways than one, and he thinks (true or not) that she could possibly be into him? And the writers got off on playing with this - it was far more interesting to play with than just the lame - Spike as a male Cordelia aspect, or Spike wants to kill Buffy but can't figure out how without biting her angle - which doesn't go very far.
Giles - is worth mentioning - in that he really doesn't appear to respect Buffy's judgement, and has no clue what to do with himself. He's also still lounging about in sweaters. (Head doesn't look good in those sweaters - he looks kind of skeevy actually.) Buffy relies on Giles - but she's mostly figuring things out on her own, or with Willow and Xander's help.
Superstar does have a good line in there - "Xander, don't speak latin in front of the books".
Espenson is a good writer - even if her material often makes me cringe. Espenson also did the Storyteller episode in S7, which is another take on Superstar - both Andrew and Jonathan are the heroes in their own stories, but the stories they are telling themselves aren't real. It's an on-going theme in both series - how we're all the heroes in our stories, whether we actually are or not is another question. The writers wrote the villains, as if they saw themselves as the heroes.
This is yet another Adam episode, he's in the background. Like I said previously? The best episodes in this season really are the ones without Adam in them. Although Adam does emphasize a theme - "these are all lies. I see the truth, because I know who I am, and am comfortable with that." The writer is stating, tongue heavy in cheek, we see what we want to see. Even Adam, for that matter.
4. Buffy Sequel - Chloe Zhao - the director, and executive producer of Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale - has officially stated it is a sequel, and she fully plans on bringing back the original characters.
Go HERE
And.. HERE
"Zhao is offering some additional insights on the project and the importance of bringing in original series and new viewers, while sharing how much the original series meant to her during an interview with Variety's Awards Circuit podcast to discuss her film, Hamnet.
"It is not a reboot. It's a sequel. You can never replace these characters. I would never allow that," Zhao made clear regarding the sequel series. "And Sarah's [Michelle Gellar] back. I love my cast, the new cast. We will bring back OG characters for sure. And it is a show that bridges two generations — it's not just about the kids. I think the fandom is so important to us. We want the fandom to see themselves mirrored in the original fandom. And of course, we want new fans to join, and it's very much about both generations."
In previous interviews, Gellar has shared how Zhao's pitch for the new series and the impact that the original series had on her (and could still have on new generations) was a significant factor in her decision to return to the franchise. During the podcast, Zhao revealed how she reacted to the series finale, "Chosen" (S07E22), which aired on May 20, 2003.
"I watched religiously. I was at Mount Holyoke. We would all gather — I think it was every Thursday or Tuesday — and we would watch, because you only get one episode and you're waiting a week. It's such a ritual. I remember the last episode finishing, and we sat there; everyone was crying, and we were all holding hands. I remember looking at the screen, tears streaming down my eyes, and I said, 'Good luck to you, Buffy Summers, good luck to you.' Seeing Sarah in real life was probably one of the most stressful moments of my life."
There is something to be said for fans writing and directing the sequel? [Because often the fans of a show - watch it closer than the creator does, and notice things the creator doesn't.] But isn't it still just published fanfic, and the only reason it got this far is the fan in question has some clout and knows the right people? Also, at the end of the day - we're getting this group of fans take on the series or perspective, which may vary significantly from our own? Since we all see things so differently?
Then again, who am I to complain? I watch a daytime soap and read comic books - also watch Doctor Who off and on, not to mention Star Wars sequels and Star Trek - and that's, well, also fanfic in a way? With varying perspectives on the same thing? At the end of the day aren't all continuations by new writers a kind of fanfic? They are in a way playing with someone else's toys but in their sandbox?
Ponders. Is it fanfic or isn't it? And what exactly is fanfic? [See? This is what happens when Vertigo eats my brain? I ponder existential questions about Fanfic.]
no subject
Date: 2025-11-20 03:00 pm (UTC)Also, the Faith/Riley sex was in Who Are You not Superstar. And it's no more rape than Faith/Xander's initial sexual encounter was. Riley consented. He knew something was off with Buffy, but he consented.
Now, you could say that Riley raped or had non-consensual sex with Buffy, when she was out of her head (literally) - kind of similar to frat boy having sex with a girl who was ruthied or drugged, but I'm not sure that fits either? I mean yes, Faith violated Buffy when she did it, and to a degree Riley...but was it rape from Riley's perspective and can you blame Riley for it? It's not clear. Whedon clearly found it interesting enough to write an entire series based on the concept (Dollhouse), which yes, I agree, is skeevy and dodgy in the extreme. I had issues with both. But rape? I think it's a gray area honestly? I can argue it either way.
The difficulty with Riley's response to Faith isn't that he's an oversexed jerk or bad boyfriend but that he and Faith actually connected and had a truly intimate moment, which he doesn't have with Buffy. (Also, seriously, why didn't he figure out that something was off with Buffy? That's what is unsettling to Buffy - that he couldn't tell. No one could. But why didn't Riley? They've been intimate?) It's so intense, that he tells Buffy for the first time that he loves her. And that freaks out Faith - and makes her realize she really violated Buffy, in a huge way. She also kind of falls for Riley in that moment - enamored actually not love. And it shifts something in her. But it also causes an understandable rift between Riley and Buffy. The other issue? Sigh. He had more chemistry with Faith as Buffy than Buffy as Buffy, because good solid military guy, and good solid savior girl are duller than dirt on screen to about 90% of the nitch audience. (YMMV of course). But it's not rape.
I admittedly disliked the entire Faith arc in S3 through S4 - because I found the Faith/Mayor relationship dodgy, along with well her relationship with Xander. And how she was shown - also I know Dusku struggled with playing the role, she's the opposite of the character, and that is partly why we never got a Faith series.