Spontaneous Musings

1. Everything We Learned at the Star Wars Celebration 2025

Takeaways?

I really want to see Andor S2.

( excerpt )

Also, apparently the new Star Wars movie starring Ryan Gosling, and directed by Shawn Levy, entitled Star Wars: Star Fighter - takes place post Rise of Skywalker, and with all new characters. (Smart move. The better films pull away from the Skywalker story arcs.)

Also, I may try Ashoska again.

2. Not a fandom bit - but R.I.P Pope Francis. I'm saddened by this news.
Also he accomplished a lot in short period of time - shifting the course of the Catholic Church, promoting kindness and humility. (I also hope he talked some sense into devout Catholic and wannabee Fascist, Vance, who saw Francis before he died.)

3. Buffy Redux

So, I've been rewatching Buffy episodes intermittently. Picked up on a few things that I hadn't previously picked up on? ( Read more... )

4. Daredevil Born Again

I liked the season finale, and for the most part the series. It's similar yet different than Netflix's Daredevil, which had defter writing. However both are fairly uneven.

Fisk is clearly Marvel's commentary on the Fascist asshole in the White House or the Hitler Wannabee. Fisk even kind of looks like him, without hair. And that makes watching this - an odd experience.

The message at the end is Daredevil can't take on Fisk alone, which sets up S2 to be more of a group effort. People are speculating already on who will be joining the cast. Already slotted are Karen and Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) aka The Punisher. Also Lily Taylor, and Mathew Lillard in a recurring role.

1. Your main fandom this year?

Books: Illona Andrews novels - been reading all of them on audio or e-books or graphic audio dramatization. (I get her blog). Television: General Hospital (soap) and the X-men. Also, to a lesser degree Bridgerton, Doctor Who, and Lord of the Rings.

2. Your favorite film watched this year?

Thelma. Thelma would be my favorite, considering it's the only one I really remember. Thelma is streaming on Hulu and is about an old woman who takes out the people who scammed her - not at all what you'd think.
( Read more... )

[On the COVID front? I think I'm getting better? Last night ran a slight fever - at 100.11 or thereabouts. But headache meds (acetametphine/Asprin (NASAI)/Caffeine) and water reduced it quickly enough. I also think the fact that I had the latest COVID Booster in January, along with the Flu Shot is why it's milder than some folks cases have been.

I'll probably call in sick Monday, take another test, and if it is negative, see how I'm feeling on Tuesday and/or Wed - to determine whether I go in to work.]

So, I've become a little fascinated with the topic of worshipping writers and the negative impact that has on well everyone concerned. Former Minister had a sermon on the topic once - in which she stated "you are going to worship something, just be careful what it is." (She was talking about money, politics, etc. But it applies to humans as well.)

Although I do think there is a difference between being obsessed/fannish about something, and worshiping someone. Picking apart a writer's work, being fannish about their work - isn't quite the same thing as idolizing. Or defending a writer - who may or may not have done something terrible isn't idolizing, depending on why? I question allegations, because I have a criminal defense background and was taught to question everything. And let's face it? The internet isn't reliable.

There's an excellent thread on Reddit about it.

Someone states that's why they only idolize fictional characters because they will never let them down. To which someone responds: "Didn't read Go
Set the Watchman, I take it?" (OR the Watchmen, I thought.)

And then in regards to Gaiman** - there's a thread that compares him to another famous and beloved British writer, Charles Dickens, who was also a bit of a mess. (I'm hesitant to call either terrible people, because I know people are more than one thing, and our actions don't necessarily define who we are. And never have. Our actions vary from day to day, one situation to the next, and we have different choices to make each time. That said, I admittedly am uncomfortable watching a couple of actors, and it may be a while before I read a few writers works.)

"This bit "I don’t think anyone should idolize anyone, ever. It’s not great for them, and it’s not great for you, they probably didn’t ask to be idolized (and if they did, holy shit, fucking run)". I've read a lot of Neil Gaiman and I particularly loved American Gods and the graveyard book. So when Neil Gaiman did an event at the Barbican with the BBC symphony orchestra in 2019, I got tickets. I came away disturbed. I didn't see any predatory behaviour or anything like that, but there was such an unhealthy atmosphere of basking in adoration."
( Read more... )

Two statements to highlight:

* I don’t think anyone should idolize anyone, ever. It’s not great for them, and it’s not great for you, they probably didn’t ask to be idolized (and if they did, holy shit, fucking run)

*I'm certain that idolization is one of the most reliable ways to bring out the absolute worst in somebody

I agree with both. From everything I've read about famous folks - who do horrible things - it's usually the result of "idolization". They all fall into that trap. And idolization or adoration can be mistaken for love, it's not love. It's a false or empty kind of love that often destroys the object of it. There's parables, fables, fairy tells, and Greek Myths/stories that describe why this is a bad thing.

I've been watching "The Magicians" adapted from Lev Grossman's books. It's a story about a bunch of magic users who find a gateway into a world that was fictionalized in a bunch of beloved children's books. Halfway through the first season - it's revealed that the writer of the books is in reality a pedophile, with his sister's help, drugged, and molested the children in his charge. When he discovers that they can escape him into a fictional world, a world where he can do whatever he wants - he practices black magic to change himself in order to enter that world. The Writer is portrayed as a charming British writer, with graying hair, and tweed. Looks a bit like Neil Gaiman by way of CS Lewis.
( Read more... )
Coincidentally this morning, the lay-worship sermon at my church, via FB, was on how humans, writers or AI creators, create things and then wish to assert control over them. And at what point does the creation become its own entity, with it's own free will, and desires? No longer an extension of the creator? And how do we interact with these creations? As separate from the creator of part of them.

The sermon argues that while all things are ecologically connected and we are indefinably a part of each other, at the same time we are separate entities and once the creation is released into the world - it becomes its own entity.

This furthers the view that yes, you can love Harry Potter and it's world, without supporting JK Rowling's views, or you can love A Tale of Two Cities or a Christmas Carol without supporting or loving Dickens (he's long dead anyhow and I think he's works are in the public domain), or you can adore the works of folks like Gaiman or Whedon without condoning their actions or worshiping them. The creation can survive outside of the creator, and in some cases expand and become more - based on every interaction others have with it.

In short? It is safer (well for the most part - not to the extent you get lost inside of it) to love the fictional work than the creator of the work. Or? Ignore the person behind the curtain, they are but a shyster and a conman, hardly a wizard worth worshiping. But their creation can be loved and adores separately.

** A side note about Gaiman? Unlike Whedon and Munroe, the allegations aren't being reported by any reliable news sources. Doesn't mean they are false, but doesn't mean they are true either. ( Read more... ) So at this point, I really don't know if Gaiman did anything.

What unnerves me about social media is how many people assume that if XYZ publication reports it is true. Or if someone says it in a publication - than it is true without any fact checking whatsoever. A reputable source fact checks. [I had a massage therapist who fully believed that vaccines were tainted and caused autism because...wait for it...she read it on an internet discussion board???] This is why people died of COVID. How do you know if something is true? There has to be reliable and primary sources, preponderance of the evidence, and a level of accountability. And even then, we don't necessarily know for certain. My father was on the jury of a child molestation case, he and the jury found the defendant guilty, only for the judge to throw out the case because it was determined that the therapists had manipulated the child's testimony to support the ends of whomever wanted custody. And this is easy to do.

That Reddit thread is weirdly disturbing - in how many people misread Scalzi's piece, and how many are quick to judgement based solely on something they read on the internet. And are insanely self-righteous about it.

1. Something your favorite character would like

Male fav:



And another favorite character?

Female fav:




2. Something that makes you laugh




Watch on YouTube


3. A fandom place you would like to visit

This is hard, because most of the shows, books, etc that I'm fannish about - have worlds that I do not want to be in.

But I'd like to visit, Star Trek's Earth.

4. A fandom creator (pro or not) you'd like to meet

Neil Gaiman, who I have seen from a distance.

( The rest )

For Buffy and Angel fans...or rather Tara, Anya, Spike, Cordelia, Dru and Giles fans, and fans of the actors who portrayed them?

Buffy Cast Reunion on Audible - Slayers by Amber Bensen and Christopher Golden

It's basically an interview with Golden, Benson, Marsters, and Chase.

Extensive Interview with Marsters about Spike for the 20th Anniversary with Radio Times

( excerpt )

And..
Inside Joss Whedon’s ‘Cutting’ and ‘Toxic’ World of ‘Buffy’ and ‘Angel’ (EXCLUSIVE)


"Interviews that Variety conducted with 11 individuals who worked directly on “Buffy” or “Angel,” or were closely familiar with the productions during their runs on The WB and UPN, painted a portrait of Whedon as a talented, collaborative writer-producer with a pattern of inappropriate, imperious and disparaging behavior toward those who worked for him. Whedon created a “cult of personality” around himself, according to these sources. Those on the inside of Whedon’s circle basked in his attention, praise and friendship; those on the outside got the opposite: scorn, derision and callousness. (Everyone Variety spoke with did so on condition of anonymity, either so they could speak freely or out of concern for their careers.)

Variety also reached out to 40 other actors, writers, producers and directors from “Buffy” and “Angel” — including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Michelle Trachtenberg, Amber Benson, Eliza Dushku, David Boreanaz and Alyson Hannigan — all of whom declined to participate in this story."

Which is interesting - the actors declined to participate, but the crew and writers did on the condition of anonymity. Making it difficult to know how much of what they state is true? Except this happens a lot - most of Burn it Down - about similar allegations on various television and film sets in Hollywood - were all done with anonymity. However - if you listened to any of the Q&A's at the cons - the actors did verify most of it over the years.

***

I've only been an obsessed or huge fan of a few things in my lifetime, and not in the same way. And it's often fleeting.

We all have something that just jives with us. Don't we? But it also at some point disappoints - when we find out a touch too much about it. Which is too often the case in this day and age.

I find it interesting how fans and folks who worked on Buffy have reclaimed it as their own. They did it by writing their own fanfic.

#12: In your own space, set yourself some goals for the coming year. They can be fannish or not, public or private.

Not really fannish, since I'm not truly fannish about anything at the moment. Well, maybe Cillian Murphy and Peaky Blinders. (I've given up on Soap Twitter - they got holier than thou on me, and as you may well know, that pisses me off. I don't handle self-righteous fans well. Particularly when they are wrong and threatening to cancel me on social media. But that's another post. Assuming I bother to explain it. Assuming anyone wants to know.)

I miss the Buffy fandom sometimes. I do not miss the kerfuffles.

Anyhow, goals..

1. To start painting again. I need the outlet. Also considering doing other arty projects. But baby steps.

2. Frame and hang on my wall some of the photographs I took. (Saw an add on FB about Picture Tiles, that you can do as a group, and hang up easily without a hammer and nails.)

3. Finish the novel that I've revising, and start working on revising and finishing the other two, so I can start on two more. I've three novels in the works, and two on the back burner. Plus an old novel idea that I'm considering reworking.

Lots of stories to tell and complete, and no time to do it in. These are all original works of fiction. (I'm not good at playing in other people's sandboxes with their rules, I like to play in my own sandbox and make my own rules. Need some semblance of control over the world, and no one telling me that I'm doing it wrong or questioning my take on the characters. Also, as a former copyright specialist - I don't want anyone telling me that I don't have the right to play with my characters as I see fit. ) That's not to say I don't like fanfic - I do. And I have written it. But it's not what I tend to want to write, if that makes sense? (Although I am tempted to write a fanfic about Peaky Blinders...)

4. Make it through the sizable movie, comic book, novel, audible, and television queue. I really shouldn't add any more books to my kindle or digital comic collection - until I read the ones that I already have. Same with the audible collection.

Once, I finish Peaky Blinders - I may jump to The Last Of Us, or
finish the White Lotus (which is incredibly boring and I do not understand the appeal of it at all. It's put me to sleep twice, and my attention always wanders during it.) I also want to re-watch S1 of the Witcher, and see S2 - but am kind of waiting for S3 to drop first. There's also the rest of Interview with the Vampire, New Amsterdam, Nancy Drew, Rosewell, Mayfair Witches, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Vienna Blood, and All Creatures Great and Small to get through. (Have watched the last two episodes of All Creatures Great and Small, just one episode behind.)

I also need to go back to Kaldeiscope, try Wolf Pack (Paramount +), The Originals,

And, there's the Pale Eye, and various other things. The list is seemingly endless.

I'm dragging out Peaky Blinders - because I'm loving it and don't want it to end. It's harder than it should be to find a television show, book, or movie that captivates me. Considering how many there are now - you'd think it would be easier to find them, but no.

***

Eh, what the hell? Brief Kerfuffle on Soap Twitter - brief in that it lasted no more than five tweets. And most were mine, because I got pissed off. Twitter kerfuffle's don't go on for very long. Well not unless it goes viral or you are popular, I'm not - thank god. Been there, done that, and only on Voy forums, Whedonesque, and live journal, do not want to be popular on Twitter. Twitter is scary.

So...there's this crazy soap that I've been watching with Mother (well, not together - she's in SC and I'm in NYC, but we discuss it every day on the phone - it gives us something to talk about). I discovered I could get spoilers on Twitter, and FB. However - they are vague (dammit) and the people doing it - eh.

The current storyline is a woman dying of leukemia (Willow) needs to find her biological birth mother (Nina), who turns out to be her nemesis, or worst enemy. The woman who has systematically bullied her for years. And even exposed the child she thought was hers to a cult leader. Her adoptive mother was not exactly a saint either, Harmony (but crazily enough? More likable than Nina (combination of acting and writing, I suspect)). Nina's diabolical mother gave Willow to Harmony, because she didn't want the kid taking the money that her husband put in a trust for Nina. Nina was in a coma at the time and Madelyn was executor of the trust. (Madelyn put Nina in the coma.) Nina has done some horrible things herself. Anyhow, Harmony persuaded Willow on her 21st Birthday to do the ritual of getting stoned and sleeping with cult leader. Everyone did this. Including Harmony. The cult was loosely based on NXIUM (a real life one in NY), but Disney pulled the plug on the storyline before it got too far into what NXIUM was doing (*cough*humansextrafficking*cough*). So really just nasty cult hijinks.

On Soap Twitter, I tweeted:
( Read more... )
I swear people give me a headache sometimes.

****

In other news...I found this tid-bit amusing at work.

Apparently they are offering courses in "Managing Up" - learn how to manage above yourself and work with your leaders effectively. I kid you not, they are actually offering course entitled "Managing Up".

I was tempted to respond: "okay, aren't you already doing that - you are actually good at that. What you really need is a course in learning how to "manage down" or "supervise" effectively, and resolve conflicts with your subordinates." But I decided I didn't have the bandwidth to get into that battle, so just ignored it. I probably should take the course - I suck at managing up. But it would have been more useful ten-fifteen years ago. Now? I don't care.

1. First - found on Twitter:

Maria Alberto (✍🏻 diss & other things!!😅)
mariakalberto
📊CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS!! 📊

I'm investigating how people see/hear/use "canon" re: pop culture as part of my PhD research. What does this term mean? Does it matter to you?

Info & survey HERE

Please feel free to share - I'd love to hear from you!.


2. Feeling crappy today - possibly due to weather, digestive issues, stress, frustration, and struggling with my dietary restrictions.

At any rate, cranky. So best not to post.

And got zip done, outside of torturing myself with the very bad television series "The Thing About Pam".

3. Checked out the internet, and apparently there's a lot of places I can retire to that do not require a car now...than previously. So the trend is going against owning a car post 60.

Good to know.

What instigated it?
( Read more... )

I got cold this afternoon, and the heat thankfully flared back on again - I'd begun to worry about it. (Yet, another thing that I've no control over, so most of the time I don't worry. But I know the boiler needed fixing a while back and they need to replace it. I'm just hoping they wait until the Spring or Summer to do so. Preferably the summer. And give me forewarning, so I can plan a vacation elsewhere.)

Me: My crazy work place...
Mother: Oh? Now what?
Me: They sent an email reminding us that we were "returning to the regular office schedule next week" and "were off the telecommute hybrid schedule" and if reasonable accommodation was possible to get our forms into the proper authorities. Then right after that email - about ten-fifteen minutes after it, came a notification - that we should disregard the last email since they'd changed their minds and were extending the Telecommute, WFH hybrid schedule to February 15, with a memo pending.
Mother: They've been doing that all along haven't they?
ME: They can't make up their mind. It's ridiculous. And it's so political.

In March 2020, up until roughly the 16th, I was convinced I was doomed. There was no way I was going to avoid getting sick. I had no access to a mask, couldn't get hand sanitizer to save my life, and I was being forced to come in and out of a crowded transportation hub to go to work each day in a cubicle with lots of folks socializing. Plus I had to take public transportation - and no one had access to any masks at that point, we were making our own.

Then, all of sudden we were yanked out.

My anxiety was through the roof, and so was my blood pressure. It took me three weeks to calm down - basically when I figured out that we were going to stay remote, and how to work remotely off my laptop without having to go back into the office.

The problem with my work and well everything really - is it is all politicized.

***

Got into two debates, somewhat heated on WSA FB Group, making me wonder about folks.

1. Journalistic standards and practices, along with scholarly ones. When reporting on events that are more than 20 years old, isn't it required that you obtain "primary sources" and do not rely on secondary anonymous sources? ( Read more... )

2. Authorial Intent. I remember having long and rather interesting discussions about this on the ATPOBTVS fan discussion board in 2002-2005.
The consensus was pretty much that it was almost impossible to determine authorial intent in a collaborative work of art, with multiple players who kept changing and jumping in and out of it. You can try, but it's most likely just bringing your own subtext to the proceedings. (And we did try.)

I'm seeing it again now on WSA Board on FB. They are discussing how they can reinterpret Angel, Buffy, Firefly, etc - based on what they now know about Whedon or in light of the recent interview. ( Read more... )

***

COVID

( It's time for the NY Governor's Email Update on the Pandemic, Again )

There, that gives you information on the number of cases in NY, the positivity rate, the hospitalizations, what they are doing about it, how to get test kits, etc. (The only thing they've stopped reporting is the death toll, which is interesting.)

Aunt K told mother she was relieved that she had retired fully before COVID hit. She was a school nurse for the district, and therefore in charge of coordinating the vaccination effort for the H1N1 vaccine. COVID would have been a nightmare. She said the new school nurse, who took over, isn't trained for that sort of thing and doesn't have the higher education my Aunt had, she's just a school nurse - so can't do the checkups and checkins, apparently, the principal has to do them. (I didn't understand it either, not sure mother did.)

***

Mother also told me that niece's grades at the London School of Economics will have no effect on her GPA in the States - because they have a completely different grading system. ( grading system in UK vs. the States )

Speaking of father, today they discussed the people he worked with in the past. Then towards the end, he wanted to travel - and leave the resort he was apparently in, and go somewhere else, and asked mother where they were going out to dinner. And reminded her that they had to leave early the next morning to get to whatever destination he thought they were heading too.

When he's in his right mind - he doesn't ask these questions. It's always painful. And it feels like it is almost every day. I'm not there to witness it, but I listen. That's all I can do really. My mother stays in contact with everyone in our family - she's not angry at anyone, and seemingly gets along with them all - or is oblivious to any grudges, she hand waves them, much as her own mother did.

***

Random Photo of the Evening...

Well, I got laundry done today, after being thwarted on Monday. Feel rather accomplished actually. I managed to do the equivalent of seven loads between 6am - 8:30 am. I clocked into work at 7:55 am. (Working remotely today). I was able to finally wash my duvet, duvet cover, throw blanket, pillows, sheets, towels, and assorted clothing. It was actually kind of peaceful and easy doing it at 6 am on a Wednesday morning, no one was done there. This most likely would not have been the case on a Saturday or Sunday. Evenings are often good as well. The trick to doing laundry in an apartment complex is to pick a time no one else wants to do it.

Also went grocery shopping at the health food store after work, and scored gluten free ravoli via Cappelli's made with almond flour. I wanted the Beecher's World's Best gluten-free mac and cheese - but this was by far the healthier option. Apparently they can't have both in at the same time.

My entire immediate family, that isn't in Britain, ordered free At Home COVID Tests from the Federal Government. The one in Britain doesn't need them - the British are ahead of us on this one, and she's well stocked.
She apparently had her first in-person class last week. I wish I was studying Critical Race Theory and Global Economics in London. Well, okay, maybe not - I hated school. But I loved London. Theater in London is far better than theater in NY, granted they are different, but London theater is more affordable and accessible, also there's a greater emphasis on the classics. Helped by the fact that Britain has various State sponsored theaters - such as the National Theater, and the Royal Shakespeare Theater. And a greater wealth of talent. The best theater actors often pop up from Britain. I miss London Theater. Not that I'd be partaking, I'm not exactly partaking in NY. But I've gone a very long time without seeing live theater - the longest I've ever gone. Up until 2020, I was seeing at least one to two shows a year. I was even scheduled to see Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf with a friend when Broadway shut down.

I miss live theater. I truly love it more than any other brand of cultural entertainment.

COVID took my theater away from me. Let's hope it's temporary.

**

Anyhow, worked from home today and will work from home tomorrow, then back in the office. Work was somewhat productive. We'll see if it becomes more so tomorrow. I sometimes feel as if I'm pushing a piece of paper up a cliff at work. They keep adding layers of bureaucracy. It's ironic, but the bureaucracy was added by the private company consultants, not the folks in government.

Out of boredom more than anything else, okay, curiosity, I checked to see the responses to the Whedon article on Twitter - which was vocal but not quite as expected. Also FB on it - far more active, since they made it into the article.

Re-sharing this insightful interview with Claudia Black:

Claudia Black on the Nevers and Breaking Cycles of Trauma

There's also an interesting thread on Twitter...that pointed out things that had never occurred to me or not in that way, before...regarding Buffy:
It's by a young woman who imprinted on Buffy as a teen and is dissecting how she related to the series.

Constance Grady
constancegrady
·
Jan 17
I often think of Buffy in relation to the Atwood quote, "You are a woman with a man inside watching a woman. You are your own voyeur.” Part of the reason it worked extraordinarily well for me as a kid was that it seemed as though the show understood that … and that, for instance, Angel's morning-after speech to Buffy was so painful because it was exactly what the enemy in her mind was going to say.

Anyway. It's interesting to see these blindspots play out in real life.



This never really occurred to me, but it makes sense. The ingrained misogyny in women is that male voice inside our heads. Whedon doesn't appear to realize the guy inside his head is inside the women's heads too, the poster notes. I find that fascinating.
( more of the thread )

Sorry for all of the Whedon crap. I'm just fascinated by it for some reason or other.

***

It's late, must go to bed. Another early wakeup call tomorrow.

It is supposed to snow tomorrow. It's quiet now, and warmer today. So we shall see.

Random Photo of the Night..

I've read through the NY Magazine aka Vulture Whedon article now, and ..I find I don't come to the same conclusions as the author does.

( conclusion of the article )

Perhaps because I've met people like Whedon in my life time, too many to count, across industries. Narcissists are very charming, and more than one thing. But I don't see Whedon as a victim here - but as someone who is well-off and invested in playing the victim.

He reminds me a great deal of Steve Carroll's character in The Morning Show. Is he mentally ill? Yes, most likely. And as Claudia Black previously stated - I do hope he gets help for it. But the mental illness doesn't excuse his behavior, it doesn't remove culpability or accountability.

Also, I watched Snyder and Whedon's Justice League's back to back, and well, you know there's a problem when the least offensive version and most entertaining was Snyder's. I'm not necessarily a huge fan of Snyder (actually I'm rather ambivalent and I don't tend to seek out his work for the most part, it's very stylistic, with not much emphasis on script, he has a painting background and is into video games), but Snyder's Justice League was not only the better film it was the least offensive.

There's changes Whedon made that underscore an offensive frat boy sexist humor, that I kind of handwaved in the Buffy and Angel series, but was blatantly obvious here.

I also read the Wonder Woman script, and the original Buffy script. So...there you go.

The writer of the article spends more time critiquing Whedon's fandom or the fans of his work - as if they are somehow complicit in his downfall or worse in enabling his actions. I don't agree with that assessment. They were and are fans of the art, they don't know him. They fell in love with their perceptions of his work and the performance he provided. My friend embers_log certainly did not endorse any of these actions, she didn't know about them. She loved the performance or what she perceived.
**

Why does this intrigue me, right now?

I'm discussing this because it fits with a theme of works that I gravitated to this weekend for reasons I'm not quite certain I understand. Except that I've always been fascinated by why we do what we do, the dark underbelly of humanity or those dark impulses.

From Frankenstein to Dexter. In each, the individuals involved are putting on delicate performances. They are brilliant men, some may say genius. And yet, they are also incredibly good liars. I told a friend once, that humans are good liars, particularly at lying to ourselves.
( meta narrative on Dexter, Frankenstein, Whedon, Buffy, and Yellowjackets - with major spoilers for Frankenstein and Dexter, vaguer ones for Buffy and Yellowjackets )

**

On Twitter, Michael E Knight's comment at fan event was posted, and I thought it telling in a way...

Last night on the JPS/MEK zoom, MEK said about these times we’re in:

“I don’t know anyone who’s thriving right now. In 10 yrs, we’re gonna look back at now & be like ‘that was really some shit’. You don’t know you’re living through something biblical until it’s over.”

I think this is true. Trauma can take many forms. And affects people differently. But, there's a caveat here, it does not excuse or justify hurting others to benefit one's self. The actor who I quoted, to my knowledge, has always been kind and never hurt a soul.