meta narratives

An Apocalypse in Asgard

Friend of the blog, Jeremy Caesar, has worked with the Collective before, but never like this. As a contributing podcaster, photographer and now, writer for the Collective, Jeremy is a renaissance man who has talent and opinion on geek culture to spare. Below is a thoughtful, insightful look into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Norse mythology and the history of Ragnarök.   

xoxo

Diva

Ragnarok by Johannes Gehrts
Ragnarok by Johannes Gehrts

We’re two years away from Ragnarök, Thor’s next big screen adventure, but if Age of Ultron’s got you impatient, then the comics have got you covered.  published Thor #80-85 in 2004 during Avengers Disassembled, a crossover event that put our band of heroes through the ringer. These Avengers weren’t so dissimilar from their cinematic counterparts. Iron Man, Captain America, and Hawkeye were present, along with Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Ant-Man, whom we’re just now getting to know. I want to talk about the Norse god though, but I should warn you that to discuss Ragnarök is to discuss spoilers. Beyond this point there is only doom.

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Agent Carter (S01xE04): Carter, Sousa and Equality in the Workplace

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S01xE04: “The Blitzkrieg Button”

So far in Agent Carter, we have explored expectations of women in 1950s society, especially how Peggy navigates through the stereotypes placed on her because of gender. While some reviewers seem to have gotten tired of being reminded of Peggy’s feminism, I find it refreshing that Marvel has taken the realities of discrimination and brought them to the forefront of this hero’s tale. Peggy cannot escape her female-ness, nor should she want to. In addition to sexism, the show also addresses disability discrimination within the character of Daniel Sousa. Regardless of the acts of valor he committed to earn his war wounds, Sousa cannot reverse his disability and the stigma that it holds. Although these two agents (as viewers can note) are closest to solving the mysteries of Stark and Leviathan, they are both berated, disregarded and disrespected in the workplace. This treatment of Peggy and Sousa within the “normal” masculine sphere allows viewers a glimpse into the misogynistic value system that allows for acceptable societal discrimination and harassment.

Spoilers Ahead, Sweetie…

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Agent Carter(S01xE03): Peggy Carter Working For and Against the Patriarchy

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S01xE03: “Time and Tide”

Agent Carter premiered its third episode to lower-than-usual second week ratings, but the heroic journey of Peggy Carter continues to grow in terms of intricacies, revealing new characters and relationships of interest. With the mysterious “Leviathan” organization pushing the narrative forward, Peggy continues to navigate between life as an under-appreciated superspy and neighbor/friend to those who do not know her secret. While helping Howard Stark find his missing weapons and giving all the credit to the boys at the SSR is a disappointing circumstance for the woman who helped Captain America “defeat” Hydra, Peggy’s journey is less about recognition and more focused on breaking stereotypes placed upon her by the patriarchy.

Spoilers Ahead, Sweetie…

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Agent Carter(S01xE01&02): Marvel’s Female Hero and the Importance of Peggy Carter

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S01xE01: “Pilot” & S01xE02: “Bridge and Tunnel”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has proven expansive both on the big screen and small, with no signs of stopping (until 2019, at least). With Phase 2 in progress and audiences eagerly awaiting Phase 3, Agent Carter comes to the small screen as an 8-part mini-series to help unify the stories of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, with Peggy Carter, Howard Stark, the Howling Commandos and other familiar faces (I hope) to bring the narrative to life. In terms of discussion, I’ve decided to go meta and look at what this show brings to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe and the importance of Peggy Carter. I am going to start with Peggy’s place in the MCU as a female hero, and move out from there as  the show continues. I don’t claim to be a Marvel expert or the end-all-be-all of MCU knowledge, so please, cut me some slack. The Universe is so large and covers so much information, there are bound to be readers who know much, MUCH more about it than I do. I’m just a fan, writing about something I love, trying to wrap my head around this amazing franchise.

Spoilers Ahead, Sweetie…

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“Game of Thrones” Character Sketch: Jon Snow

 

image property of HBO
image property of HBO

Jon Snow

House: Bastard son of Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell

Title: Steward of the Night’s Watch

Direwolf: Ghost

Allegiance: Night’s Watch, House Stark

Love interest: Fire-haired Wildling, Ygritte

Actor Portrayal: Kit Harrington

Main Character in Books 1-5 and Seasons 1-4

Jon Snow is a hero, he just doesn’t know it yet. I know readers aren’t supposed to have a favorite character whilst trudging through George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, but Jon Snow tugs on my heart strings as, I’m a sucker for an outsider and rebel with a heart of gold. Jon is the bastard son of Eddard Stark and his mother is unknown. Nobility do not give house names to bastards, instead, northerners give them all the same last name: Snow. In the text, we see Ned Stark bring Jon to Winterfell after Robert Baratheon takes the throne, to be raised with and loved by the Stark children as a half-brother. Unfortunately, Catelyn Stark is not as welcoming, and when he is nearing adulthood, Jon joins the Night’s Watch at the urging of his uncle Benjen, a Night’s Watch raider.

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Supernatural: Thoughts on “Stairway to Heaven”

Property of the CW
Property of the CW

Episode 09×22 Or TFW FTW

I have so much to say about this episode that I’m going to do the most succinct synopsis that’s ever synopsized: Your story doesn’t account for [Team] Free Will, Metatron.

Also, Gadreel ain’t so bad after all. Maybe.

What This Episode Reveals About Team Free Will

Bear with me as I deviate from my standard SPN post format. I have things to say that don’t quite fit into my typical method of discussing Supernatural. The end is nigh, my friends, and for this next-to-last post about season 9, I’m gonna talk about Team Free Will. But first, a quick reminder of the themes we’ve seen this season:

  • Humanity/What It Means to Be Human, or, The Monster Grey Area
  • The Power of Family
  • “I Did What I Had To”
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Saying Goodbye to Eleven: A Look at “The Time of the Doctor”

The Time of the Doctor

Written by Steven Moffat

The Collective gals have been dreading this episode ever since the BBC’s announcement that Matt Smith was leaving Doctor Who back in June. For those of us who fell in love with Eleven fairly soon after he and his bumbling TARDIS crashed into Amelia Pond’s garden shed back in April 2010, the Timelord’s regeneration proved to be as emotional and as satisfying as we knew it would be. While I have enjoyed watching many different faces play the time traveling alien, Matt Smith was my Doctor. The Doctor with whom I began the journey through the time vortex and the one who sparked my interest in the wide Who-niverse of this brilliant television show. Matt Smith played Eleven as an ancient god; fierce and fun, sad and sweet, knowledgeable and knowingly forgetful all at the same time. He protected the innocent, never forgot a face and believed that everyone mattered. This is what led him to Trenzalore. (Spoilers ahead, sweetie!)

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S07xE15 (the 2013 Christmas special)

AKA Raggedy Man, Goodnight

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No More: Whovians, the Wait is Over.

50 years running

50 years running

Alright, Whovians, it’s happened. “The Day of the Doctor” has aired, and, boy, it has changed everything. Well, almost. Out of courtesy for those who have not yet watched the episode, I will try to keep the spoilers to a minimum (I’ll leave the spoilers to Collectiva Diva–she’s better at them anyway.)

Armed with jammy dodgers and hot cuppas, the Collectiva Diva and I sat down with some of our Whovian friends to watch the special–which was simulcast world wide (a very special thank to the BBC for making it possible for all Whovians to enjoy it at the same time). I meant to live tweet throughout the special, I really did, but once we heard the “doo we oooooo” I completely forgot anything else and went on another adventure through time and space with the Doctor.

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Although the Zygons have been touted as the villains of “The Day of the Doctor,” the true conflict lies within the Doctor himself. In the final episode of series 7, “The Name of the Doctor,” we met the War Doctor, played by John Hurt–the incarnation of the Doctor that the Time Lord keeps secret, even from himself it seems. We saw in short “The Night of the Doctor” how the War Doctor came to exist. The crux of the plot rests on the War Doctor’s shoulders rather than fan-favorites Ten and Eleven. Will the War Doctor use the weapon to destroy the Time War–and therefore Gallifrey–or will he not?

Well, if you’ve seen all the episodes of New Who, you know he is responsible for ending the Time War.

Or is he? 

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Saved by the Ponds: How Amy and Rory Made Me Love the Eleventh Doctor

I admitted in a previous post that I was a terrible Whovian because I had refused to watch the Eleventh Doctor. I can now proudly say that I have (finally) caught up on the New Who episodes, much to the Collectiva Diva’s delight. I’m also proud to say that I accomplished one New Year’s Resolution this year: watch the Matt Smith episodes of Doctor Who.

So what was it that won me over to the Eleventh Doctor? Was it his bow tie? His bumbling awkwardness? The fez?

No, it was a young girl named Amelia Pond.

Time for another Who-fession: I like the Ponds more than I like the Doctor. 

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