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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 17, 2017 8:56:58 GMT -5
I was surprised by how quickly and easily Pol fell into bed with Efre. I think we should consider the possibility that he is gay. If you look at the progression of his attitude towards gay sex over the three seasons, he went from major homophobic reaction to his first encounter with Bruno (which he initiated) to being casually seductive towards Bruno to now having spontaneous, passionate sex with a guy whom he's just met. Where does he go from here? If he is also in love with Bruno, which seems very possible - if not likely, well, that's an awful lot of gayness from a guy who is supposedly obsessed with women. I think it's possible his hyper-heterosexual persona is just a front and he is deeply in denial about his true self. He wouldn't be the first closeted homosexual to try to overcompensate with women. And by Pol's own admission, he never develops feelings for the women he gets involved with. Interesting that the theme of the episode in which he slept with Efre was finding your true inner self.
I think they will pair Pol up with Bruno at the end. When people look back at the story of Pol and Bruno, they may think of it as a story of two very different types of gay men finding each other.
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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 16, 2017 14:56:59 GMT -5
Trailer for Chandler's most recent movie, Aquarians. It is just now making the festival rounds. I believe this is his first staring role in a feature film. It looks pretty good.
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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 16, 2017 1:42:16 GMT -5
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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 15, 2017 13:21:03 GMT -5
Apart from that one episode where he had a story line, I'm not noticing much difference this season with Kevin's screen time. In fact, if anything he's a more marginal character than before. And I didn't like how quickly and easily he crawled back to Betty after she betrayed him.
The show on the whole is a lot sharper and more engaging than its first season, but I do think they are making it a bit too dark. Betty getting manipulated/pressured by the killer to name who gets killed next is a bit too heavy, I think. These are teenagers in high school, after all. Leave some room for teenage issues. Also, there seem to be MAJOR plot holes. Maybe I missed something, but didn't Jughead's father win in court? Why is he still absent making it necessary for Jughead to live on the Southside?
I think that the killer and the person calling Betty might be different people. Sheriff Keller said the note she got was made differently from the first note the killer left. I suspect the person calling Betty is actually her mother. Notice that the people the caller demanded Betty cut out of her life are the people her mother has always disapproved of - Jughead and Veronica. She may have had Betty publish that embarrassing article about her Southside years as a way of insuring Betty never suspects her. Such a twisted town.
I did like that Kevin had some killer funny lines recently. "Betty's ponytail is iconic and beyond reproach." That was the best line he's had yet in the show.
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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 14, 2017 14:56:17 GMT -5
Judging from the scenes in the Merli Twitter feed, things sour badly between Pol and Tania. There is also a mention of how they both terribly miss Bruno. I suspect that in the end Tania will play a role in getting Pol to come out - to himself and others - about his love for Bruno. Perhaps she learns of his encounter with Efre and puts 2 and 2 together. I can imagine a scene where Pol tearfully comes out to the gang about everything that he's been hiding. They seem to be setting up a climatic moment of truth for him.
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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 14, 2017 3:25:41 GMT -5
Holy crap! I did not expect Pol to continue with guys after Bruno left. This changes everything. Either he's a lot less straight than we've been led to believe and is really into guys generally or, more likely I think, he misses Bruno terribly and is trying to recapture the magic he had with him. I don't know anything about this Efre character, but I suspect Pol is going to find him a poor substitute for Bruno. Anyway, I think they are obviously laying the groundwork for a reunion matchup with Bruno.
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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 11, 2017 1:57:26 GMT -5
There appears to be confirmation that Bruno will indeed make an appearance before the end of season 3. www.formulatv.com/noticias/73292/david-solans-si-finalmente-tercera-temporada-merli/"A couple of publications on social networks showed the actor in the location of the shooting of the current season. It could be a visit to his former colleagues, but as confirmed by FormulaTV, the actor will appear before the end of the series to say goodbye to the rest of the characters and to satisfy the desire of the audience to see him again. It will be necessary to know how it will end. Will he live with Merlí again? Will he stay in Barcelona sharing a flat with Tania? Will a relationship with Pol begin?" Whether he will just pop in for the final all-cast scenes or be involved in a story arc in the final episodes is the big mystery. I do think there's a good chance the show will pair Bruno and Pol up at the end - just for the simple reason that so many fans want to see that. Lots of fans are invested in Pol-Bruno. Not many fans are invested in Pol-Tanja. And Tanja's true love is Marc, not Pol. For those able to watch season 3, keep a lookout for these things: - Any sign that Marc has feelings for Tanja - Any sign that Tanja still longs for Marc If you see either of those, then it is likely that Marc and Tanja will find each other by the end of the season. Which leaves Pol available for someone...
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Post by Hawthorne on Nov 8, 2017 2:29:44 GMT -5
If nobody is going to do translations, then I think this show should be moved off the main page and one of the more popular ones from the Other Shows list brought forward. Maybe Unter Uns?
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Post by Hawthorne on Oct 29, 2017 16:37:04 GMT -5
That's a pretty insightful editorial. Kevin's verbal takedown of Betty was right on target. It's great that they're exploring what it's like to be Kevin in Riverdale. That scene with his dad was really nice. The show in general is a lot more focused and compelling than it was in season 1. The sad state of Riverdale reflects the sad state of the country. Sometimes it's almost like watching a dramatized version of the news. I think the show should be careful not to overdo the darkness, though. Like with Kevin. We need to see the loneliness and isolation he struggles with, but at the same time Kevin has a great sense of humor and his witty comments where a high point of season 1. They need to find a good balance with him because I would hate to completely lose all the humor he brings to the show. I'm not sure where they're going with Moose and Kevin. Moose seems pretty into Midge at the moment. He was prepared to die to protect her, so she's obviously more than a beard to him. On the other hand, it was Kevin and Moose who got the hospital bedside scene together. That's telling. And Moose's "people like us" comment did pretty much confirm that he self-identifies as something other than straight. I suspect they are end game, but it's likely going to play out slowly over the entire length of the series.
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Post by Hawthorne on Oct 25, 2017 17:43:32 GMT -5
So, the show came back. Any news about Pol, Bruno or Oliver??? Bruno's barely been mentioned so far this season and for some reason, Pol and Tanía are now best friends and they're doing the whole good girl/bad boy fall in love with each other storyline between them. I have a feeling that Bruno will come back toward the end of the season and give them his blessing. 🙄 I hope I'm wrong though. The storyline doesn't really make sense. They built Bruno/Pol and Marc/Tanía for 2 seasons. I understand that David left the show, but abandoning Marc/Tanía just to put her together with Pol seems unnecessary. But Marc doesn't love Tania. Or so it seems. That was one of the revelations of season 2. The writers had that happen knowing that Bruno was leaving. So it seems they were clearing the path for Tania/Pol. Yet perhaps they will circle back to Marc/Tania at the end. What I would like to happen is this: Bruno returns for a holiday visit and things get hot between him and Pol again. Pol is confused and finally realizes that it's Bruno he wants to be with. Maybe Merli gives Pol some philosophical guidance in reaching this conclusion. So Pol decides to run off to Rome to be with Bruno (Or Bruno announces he'll return if Pol makes a commitment, which Pol does.) It looks like Tania is going to end up a big romantic loser, but then Marc steps in to be with her. Turns out seeing Tania get close to Pol made him jealous and he realized he really does love Tania. Happy ending for everyone.
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Post by Hawthorne on Oct 22, 2017 17:21:03 GMT -5
It seems like Kevin is going to start having anonymous hook-ups, which might make him a target of the killer.
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Post by Hawthorne on Oct 22, 2017 17:10:21 GMT -5
Bringing Will back from the dead is more "realistic" if he was never actually dead, so I guess the double scenario is the most likely. Real Will was abducted and his double took over, which does mean they'll get to do the wedding all over again. Probably when real Will is discovered alive, he'll have amnesia.
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Post by Hawthorne on Oct 17, 2017 18:20:43 GMT -5
What was the stated reason for Valentin leaving? And did they leave open a possible return?
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Post by Hawthorne on Oct 14, 2017 21:12:35 GMT -5
I checked out GTST's website to try to get an idea what's going on with it lately. I can't quite make out the dialog, but apparently there's some kind of drama happening in all the characters' lives. Ha-ha! Noud and Lucas are still on the show. Ruud gets more handsome with age. I'm not crazy about Lucas's facial hair, but I could probably get used to it. It's a little bit strange that there is no more interest in this show because Lucas is still on it and he does have a love interest. I guess Mark moving on has made it too difficult to follow.
One thing I just learned is that the show killed off Maxime. I really liked that character. Such a shame.
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Post by Hawthorne on Oct 14, 2017 7:27:36 GMT -5
Yeah, the first episode was very good. They've finally got Archie at the center of the story where he belongs. Last season was a bit of a mess. One of the Serpents in the episode is especially good-looking and they made sure to give him a couple quick close-ups. He is probably going to become somebody's love interest. Maybe Kevin's.
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Post by Hawthorne on Aug 8, 2017 18:54:55 GMT -5
I think the fact Aaron has no work and is apparently looking for some suggests that it wasn't his plan to leave UU. Not offering him a contract renewal is the same thing as firing him.
Until I see evidence to the contrary, I will always believe that the original plan was to have Ringo succeed at turning Valentin and all the conflict that created with ultra-homophobe Benedikt. Would have been a VERY good story and a lot of time was spent laying the groundwork for it. What we got instead was a muddled, head-scratcher of a story that went nowhere, disappointed a lot of people, and wasn't very interesting. Easy's abrupt and accelerated transition to being gay almost feels like a consolation prize the writers cooked up at the last minute to spare the show from being accused of being adverse to gay romance. After months of Valentin drifting ever closer to a bi man, it feels weird and manufactured that it is Easy who - out of nowhere - transitions to gay.
Has there been any announcement of Aaron's departure? I went looking for news about it and there was nothing. Seems like a very newsworthy thing.
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Post by Hawthorne on Aug 5, 2017 17:27:25 GMT -5
I'm devastated that Aaron is leaving. :{ I was more than a little smitten with Valentin.
Aaron leaving might explain why the story was a train to nowhere. I don't see why they would have started the story in the first place if they knew Aaron was going to leave, so it's possible they really did plan to pair them up, but veered off when it was learned Aaron was leaving.
It's possible Aaron got fired since he doesn't appear to have anything else going on and it seems like he is looking for work. Maybe he didn't like that the writers were turning Valentin gay. Maybe he complained too often and so he got himself canned. Wouldn't be the first time this has happened.
I wonder if they will kill Valentin off, recast him, or just write him out.
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 20, 2017 6:26:24 GMT -5
I think it's possible Ringo recorded Benedikt firing him for being gay. He wasn't happy about getting fired, but he also didn't look that surprised. He surely anticipated that it was a possibility. He could be one chess move ahead of Benedikt. That would be very in-character for Ringo.
If Ringo threatens legal action, Benedikt could pressure Valentin to claim Ringo did something inappropriate or illegal to him. The story could then be how long it takes Valentin to stand up to his father's homophobia and tell the truth. That would be a lot more conventional and cliched story, but I suppose it is a possibility.
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 19, 2017 22:49:22 GMT -5
Question: Is it legal in Germany to fire someone for being gay?
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 19, 2017 18:18:26 GMT -5
Thanks Mimi!
I wouldn't compare that to Ringo physically beating Yannick up. This situation can be recovered from. And also, neither character is leaving the show. They both live in the same house.
Valentin looked far from happy. I don't think he ever actually wanted to hurt Ringo and now he has lost his job.
"If you ever try to turn my son into a f*g, you'll regret it."
IMO, that sentence almost guarantees there's going to be more to this story. I can't imagine the show's writers are going to let Benedikt's severe hatred of gays go unchallenged. All Ringo is guilty of is falling in love. One way or another, Valentin will eventually see that. Does Benedikt's sentence guarantee that Valentin will eventually turn "into a f*g?" Maybe not, but in Benedikt's eyes, I think, it will seem like that is what's happening if Valentin starts hanging out with Ringo again. In the end, this may turn into a story about Valentin standing up for what he believes in and becoming his own man.
Of course, the ultimate way for Valentin to stand up to his father would be to get involved with Ringo. I'm not so sure that will happen, but I can imagine a future scene where Valentin defiantly kisses Ringo in front of Benedikt to make a point. Lots of potential good stuff is possible. If the story does go down this route, it could be very satisfying, even if it doesn't lead to romance for Ringo and Valentin.
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 19, 2017 1:28:51 GMT -5
Thanks you, Mimi!
While it's true they are at war with each other, Ringo's and Valentin's stories are still centered on each other. We'll see if that continues into the Fall.
The scene with Valentin avoiding Ringo by talking with Easy was interesting to me because of what's coming with Easy. It's going to be a real shock to Valentin. And it's interesting timing - the straight guy Valentin favors to get away from Ringo discovers he's not so straight after all.
Valentin is being a jerk. That scene where he rudely asserted that that other girl was jealous caused everyone to be repelled by Valentin. He's clearly in a foul mood. Ringo is clearly weighing on his mind. I'm trying to decide if Valentin's attitude towards Ringo indicates he's running away from possible feelings for Ringo. A bit of gay panic perhaps? Maybe. Maybe not. But I do think his anger flows from the fact that he really does like Ringo a lot and feels disappointed. What he doesn't understand is that Ringo loves him. It wasn't about trying to get into his pants. (Well, not just that.)
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 16, 2017 15:55:39 GMT -5
Valentin being sent to a camp is probably just to provide a reason why he won't be on screen for a few weeks.
I continue to believe this is just the end of phase I of the story. Phase II may not involve Ringo and Valentin becoming romantic, but it could be a rekindling of their friendship. I suspect that Easy is going to work to undo the damage he's done to their friendship. The story in phase II, I suspect, will be centered on Benedikt's homophobia and his efforts to block Valentin from being friends with Ringo. Valentin may not be interested in having sex with Ringo, but he otherwise likes Ringo very, very much. And he is not a fan of homophobia. So the story will be - I think - a confrontation of Benedikt's homophobia and Valentin's assertion of his adulthood. Benedikt won't understand why Valentin is again spending so much time with Ringo and will think Ringo is succeeding in his efforts to turn Valentin.
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 13, 2017 1:27:38 GMT -5
What happened between Ringo and Valentin happens all the time in the real world, but in soaps and other forms of entertainment, true love tends to succeed in the end. Nobody wants to watch a TV show to see the mundane things that happen in real life. That's what makes the Ringo and Valentin story so frustrating. It's all too real.
Of course, on a soap the only barrier to something happening is the writers deciding to write it. That's why lobbying the show on social media could actually work. It's potentially a really great pairing and a really great story. Benedikt's hyper-homophobia would kick the story into overdrive.
Benedikt's homophobia is actually one of the small shreds of hope that a pairing will still happen at some point. The way they keep showing it suggests that it is could to be a factor in the story at some point. It's easy to imagine how the writers would enjoy doing a story where Benedikt's homophobia gets confronted.
Another shred of hope is what Ringo's roommate said about how Valentin's reaction to a first kiss from a man is not too different from Ringo's own reaction to Yannick's first kiss. Give it time, she said. I'm not so confident the two kisses are that similar, but the fact that the writers had her say that is interesting.
Another source of hope is simply how impressive and capable Ringo is in many ways. Valentin is much more ordinary in comparison and so he might not be able to escape the gravitational pull of Ringo. Valentin has already seen that much more is possible in his life with Ringo's help. As a team with Ringo, his horizons are broad. On his own, they may be narrow. Valentin might decide that Ringo being into him isn't such a bad thing after all. He could be on a long, winding road towards becoming a Ringo-sexual. There are a few small clues that me might have started down that road. Why did he want to do another foursome with Ringo? When Bambi pointed out that he didn't need Ringo in the picture if he could pull two women, Valentin was confused about why he was interested in having a sexual experience that included Ringo. It could be that some of the clues Ringo thought he saw in Valentin really were there.
Easy's role in all of this might be less than it seems right now. After a period of experimenting with men, he could go back to dating women. One purpose of Easy's experiment with men might be so that he can tell Valentin about it. Valentin won't expect it from Easy and it could show him that sexuality is a lot more fluid that he realized.
There are still puzzle pieces that could fit together to tell a story of Ringo and Valentin coming together. The only question is if the writers are willing to fit those pieces together.
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 11, 2017 11:23:40 GMT -5
Ringo and Valentin's story line continuing doesn't necessarily mean they are headed for a relationship. It just means that the writers somehow build on what has developed so far. For example, it could become an interesting dynamic if Valentin becomes dependent on Ringo's help when/if he is working for his father. Or, if Ringo and Easy do become a couple, maybe Ringo's love for Valentin is always a complicating factor for them.
It's a small cast, so there is going to continue to be interaction between Ringo and Valentin, I think.
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Post by Hawthorne on Jul 10, 2017 21:50:14 GMT -5
That you, Mimi. You're a goddess!
I was impressed by how violently Ringo went after Easy. His passion for Valentin runs very deep.
Valentin is so angry. Dear, Valentin, there are worse things people can do than try to get into your pants.
I'm not so convinced that the writers are finished with this Valentin-Ringo thing. The thing to look for is not what is transpiring between them, but whether or not they continue to have scenes together. If they continue to have scenes together, even if they are doing nasty things to each other, then the story is ongoing.
Another thing to look for is how long Valentin stays furious at Ringo and how extreme his anger becomes. Anger = passion. As in Ringo's attack on Easy.
I believe that Valentin is heavily into girls, but I also think that a part of him might have fallen for Ringo. Right now he thinks Ringo was just after his d*ck, but if he discovers later on that Ringo actually has a very deep love for him, his perspective on the matter might change.
So look for scenes down the road where Ringo has an opportunity to prove his love. I was thinking recently that maybe Ringo would be better off without immature Valentin, but the scenes in this episode really showed how deeply he loves Valentin. I really feel for him and hope he someday gets his love returned.
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