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The moves being made by Warner Bros. Discovery are being felt throughout the entire entertainment industry. Victoria and Keith are here to break down what’s happening and why.
Hear about that and more on This Week in Nerd News.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher.
Check out other episodes of TWINN here.
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The post TWINN: The Disasters at Warner Bros, Discovery, and DC appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
The moves being made by Warner Bros. Discovery are being felt throughout the entire entertainment industry. Victoria and Keith are here to break down what’s happening and why.
Hear about that and more on This Week in Nerd News.
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher.
Check out other episodes of TWINN here.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and Instagram!
The post TWINN: The Disasters at Warner Bros, Discovery, and DC appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Legolas and Gimli developed a mutual respect and deep fondness for one another during The Lord of the Rings. Their relationship was especially meaningful in a story rife with great friendships because elves and dwarves so rarely made for loyal companions. But despite the two races’ history, The Rings of Power has already introduced another unexpected fellowship: Elrond and Durin IV. But their close relationship is not totally unexpected. It happened during the one time in Middle-earth’s history when elves and dwarves truly got along. However, whether that was good or not is another matter entirely.
Elrond and Durin’s Friendship on The Rings of Power
The Rings of Power‘s first two episodes didn’t reveal exactly when the show takes place during the Second Age. But we know Elrond and Durin IV—son of King Durin III of Khazad-dum—had not seen each other for 20 years. That’s not a big deal for an ageless elf like Elrond. But it is for “Durin’s Folk.” During that era dwarves of that line had a life expectancy of roughly 300 years.
While we don’t know when the two first met, either, we can make an informed estimation. Dwarves are considered ready for battle at 30. They’re not considered adults, though, until at least 65. And they reach “old age” at 240. King Durin, at minimum, looks close to old age, while his son does not.
Durin IV’s wife and kids also tells us something important. “Dwarves seldom wedded before the age of ninety or more.” The means Durin IV is probably at least 100 years old. Combining everything we know about a dwarf’s lifecycle, it’s therefore reasonable to imagine him and Elrond became friends after Durin was old enough to fight. Or when Durin became an adult. So they must have known each other for 40 to 50 years, minimum. However, that number might easily exceed a century or more if Durin is older.
How and why did they become friends, though? Elrond’s travels almost certainly led him to Durin’s kingdom.
The Elf Realm of Eregion and the Dwarf Kingdom of Khazad-dum
Gil-galad, the High King of the Ñoldor, tasked Elrond with working with Celebrimbor. That master elf smith rules over Eregion, a realm of the Ñoldor Elrond already knows well. Galadriel, Elrond’s close friend, once ruled that land. And as a herald of Gil-Galad, Elrond would have visited Eregion often for centuries.
Eregion is also very close to Khazad-dum, where King Durin reigns in Moria. Eregion sits at Moria’s west gate. Whether on official business or for pleasure, Elrond likely visited Khazad-dum sometimes, where he’d be welcomed. Elrond had fought alongside dwarves during the War of Wrath that dominated the First Age.
The more time Elrond spent in and near Khazad-dum the more he would have encountered Durin IV. Whatever their interactions, it resulted in a rich friendship. It had to have been for Elrond to give Durin the seed of a Lindon elf tree and for Durin to treasure that gift like a third child.
Of course, proximity doesn’t entirely explain their friendship. The two had millennia of strained relations between their races to overcome.
Animosity Between Elves and Dwarves in The Lord of the Rings‘ World
Legolas and Gimli had to conquer mutual feelings of animosity dating back thousands and thousands of years between their races. And yet, there’s no real good reason for why that ill-will existed. Even the most infamous moment of conflict between elves and dwarves doesn’t explain their long-held dislike. Especially since they often worked together during the earliest days of Middle-earth.
The real tension is less about any specific incidents and more about the their respective status in the world.
Elves are the eldest “children” of Ilúvatar, the supreme being of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy world. (Men were meant to be second.) But before elves even awoke in Middle-earth, Aulë, one of the Valar—powerful beings just below Ilúvatar—created elves deep in the mountains of Middle-earth. Ilúvatar had not permitted Aulë to generate life. But he took pity on dwarves and let them sleep until the birth of elves. Dwarves awoke a century after the elves.
Dwarves and elves are inherently different. The wise and beautiful elves are tall noble beings of grace and skill. They barely tread on land and do not age. They can live forever, as elves are the closest of Middle-earth’s race to the Valar, whom they were meant to live with in Valinor (where Galadriel refused to go.)
Meanwhile, dwarves are not graceful. Aulë had no idea what elves looked like and tried to guess at Ilúvatar’s design. They’re stout, strong, and sturdy with incredible endurance. Unlike elves, they can also grow beards, even most of their women, who male dwarves outnumber 2-1. They keep them long and bushy. Dwarves also excel as miners and smiths, crafting items even elves envy. For all those reasons and more, dwarves are notoriously stubborn, proud, and secretive. (They don’t even tell other races their real names.) They’re also intensely loyal to one another. But as rough around the edges as dwarves might be, they’ll still help a stranger in need.
So why the animosity if both races are inherently good? Because elves who stayed in Middle-earth believed themselves to be above all other races. That’s a big reason why they didn’t return to Valinor, where they’d always be below the Valar. Meanwhile, the proud dwarves had a chip on their shoulder dating back to their very creation as imitations of Ilúvatar’s favored children. It’s as though elves, akin to angels, and dwarves, like stone made flesh, were designed not to like one another. Shared animosity was part of their very natures.
We saw how Legolas and Gimli overcame that. But how did it happen thousands of years earlier with Elrond and Durin? Timing is everything.
The Friendship of Elves and Dwarves During Middle-Earth’s Second Age
The subtext of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work reveals why elves and dwarves didn’t like one another. But a letter the author wrote in 1951 to Milton Waldman explicitly states the one instance when the two races were real friends. And it’s during the exact time Elrond and Durin would have crossed paths. Here’s what Tolkien wrote:
“…at Eregion at the Western feet of the Misty Mountains, adjacent to the Mines of Moria, the major realm of the Dwarves in the Second Age. There arose a friendship between the usually hostile folk (of Elves and Dwarves) for the first and only time, and smithcraft reached its highest development.”
The Lord of the Rings showed us how a dwarf and elf became friends, but The Rings of Power already introduced a duo like that. What it has yet to reveal is how Elrond and Durin became friends and if their personal relationship led to unity between all dwarves and elves, even for a brief moment.
Of course, like all things in Middle-earth, there cannot be good without bad, even friendship. And we all know what the highest development of smithcraft in Middle-earth led to—the forging of the rings of power.
The post Elrond and Durin’s Friendship on THE RINGS OF POWER, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.
Do thine eyes deceive thee? Is that a black Targaryen in the midst?! Did I just see Khaleesi hop off the back of a yellow dragon?! Death to the patriarchy?! Mannnn, we got a lot of House of Dragon details to unpack and explain, in only the way BNP can, so pull your fitted down low, buckle up, and get ready to enjoy the ride.
But Before We Begin…
I need to salute Black Nerd Problems EIC, William Evans, for putting in work while reviewing and recapping this fantasy epic that we all learned to love and critique for so many years. Just as Jordan and Kobe passed the baton, I’ll be doing my best Ja Morant impersonation. Just know that I’m coming live from the Thrones gutter aka a hardcore Game of Thrones /Song of Ice and Fire, fan perspective. I was in the season 6, 7, and 8 trenches appreciating every great moment despite the sus writing and Flash level pacing.
Dedicated Thrones fans were going through it, but I found solace digging into the lore, the history and all of the incredible characters that came with new stories like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms aka The Hedge Knight aka Dunk and Egg. You’ll find some great little tidbits of info related to this show in The World of Ice and Fire coffee table book, which has conveniently been dusted off and made its home in my living room all week. House of the Dragon is largely based on the new book Fire and Blood… or The Princess and the Queen, or, The Blacks and The Greens (if you nasty), which was a PDF I downloaded back in 2016 and have passed along to my friends who were feeling content starved. Now, I’m ready to enjoy this show’s adaptation and expansion of that story, while also being critical of its shortcomings. Alright fam, now that that’s out the way, let’s get it (G. Dep voice)!
Off the rip, they’re setting the tone of disrespect and brewing vengeance. The Great Council at Harrenhal was needed to decide if the patriarchy would persist, or if they’d pass the rock crown to Rhaenys which was hers by birthright, being the eldest born grandchild of King Jaehaerys (his sons died or abdicated the throne). While that decision was being passed down, I’m looking around Harrenhal with *teary anime eyes* of joy because the castle is finally given the outrageous size dimensions it deserves. Anddd as expected, the misogyny runs deep, and Viserys is chosen to become the 5th Targaryen king of the Seven Kingdoms. Rhaenys, her husband Lord Corlys Valaryon, and their would’ve-been-heirs are left to wonder what could’ve been. What’s worse is this little WoIaF excerpt below…
From the History of Archmaester Gyldayn: In the eyes of many, the Great Council of 101 AC thereby established an iron precedent on matters of succession: regardless of seniority, the Iron Throne of Westeros could not pass to a woman, nor through a woman to her male descendants.
Meet the New Players in this Game of Thrones
Rhaenyra Targaryen
In the present day, it’s King Viserys’ daughter Rhaenyra, who’s giving us life through her ferocious little attitude and overall composure alongside men that have 40 years on her. She comes flying on the back of her yellow Power Ranger pterodactyl golden dragon Syrax looking poised and magnificent. Then, through Rhaenyra’s eyes we get a look at how the game done changed. Dragon handlers shouting High Valyrian commands like Dominicans talking at 2am in the Heights. Dragon skulls, statues, and banners are plastered all over King’s Landing worse than teenagers wearing cheap cologne at the mall on Friday night. You will be reminded over and over that Targaryen kings and dragon power are all this land has known since Aegon’s conquest, and they will do whatever is needed to keep that power intact. Unless, the Targaryon’s burn their own house down, that is…
Then, we get a sense of what Rhaenyra’s vibe is as she kicks it with her day-1 homie, Alicent Hightower, all around the castle. They pull up on her mom dukes lookin bout 39 weeks pregnant and with shades of Arya Stark in her voice, says she’d rather ride into battle as a knight than serve the realm by giving birth to some heir. Momma Aemma clapped back at that potent 1 liner with venom of her own when she said, “childbed is our battlefield,” and I had to let out a Rick Flair WOOOO after that one! Rhaenyra and Alicent’s time together reveals their genuine companionship despite their glaring differences. Alicent, is the dutiful lord’s daughter and Rhaenyra, the lively Dragonrider. I can’t wait to see how juicy this gets.
Viserys Targaryen
By most accounts King Viserys is a good king, a just ruler, and worthy choice for the Iron Throne. By the realest accounts, he’s a weak, insecure, pushover who’s only in power because he was born with a phallic member and Rhaenys did not. His insecurities are on full display, albeit for good reason, as he clings to the idea that the baby in the Queen’s belly is a boy. Ya boy was lookin shaky like a rookie corner lined up against DeVante Adams on the first snap of the season.
What’s a mob to a king? Viserys don’t care that the tournament is gonna happen before the child’s born, he up in the club making guarantees like Joe Namath! Later in the episode, did you peep the way Otto Hightower, Hand of the King, interrupts and belittles him by answering Daemon? I mean, I get it because that dog has been given wayyyy too long of a leash, but at least Viserys is able to recover slightly by handing down the final warning and sending him to the place he hates most. At least he’s not getting sonned by his brother right? RIGHT?
Daemon Targaryen
This man’s introduction is as foreboding as it is badass! To sit your nary ass on the throne and mock the sibling that has served the realm well for nearly a decade? You know how sticky it get…
Sidebar: The throne itself tho!! HBO, pleaseee keep it coming with the as-close-as-possible-book-description visuals because the throne room is straight flames with the hundreds of swords melted into the ground and each other. Somehow, they found a way to get the vertical aspect of the thrones dam near right!
Daemon and Rhaenyra’s relationship is perfectly captured in this moment. They speak Valyrian to each other, flexing the blood of the dragon, then showcasing the love they have for each other when he presents her a gift in an almost sensual way. And well… We all know about the Targaryen comfortability with clappin cheeks with cousins and siblings, but I’ll leave that stone unturned for now.
Daemon’s next scenes leave the somewhat likeable side of Daemon behind and goes in on his savage characteristics. Leading the Gold Cloaks through the city, dismembering goons like black market body part suppliers and establishing “order” in the process. That’s our glimpse at the leader he styles himself as, and in the tournament his actions are met with shock and horror as we get introduced to the warrior man coward who would resort to any tactic possible to win. Except, he eventually gets humbled by Mr. Panty Dropper, the talented young upstart Criston Cole with the good joust and the thick mace!
Cole unseated the prince and had him Tony Hawk grinding his ribs into the rail. Cole world, no blanket for Daemon tonight!
The Ebony Elephant in the Room
Yes, Lord Corlys Velaryon aka The Sea Snake is Black. He’s not a Targaryen, but he is an actual Black character in the show, although he technically wasn’t Black in the book. But let’s start off with what you probably already know. The head of House Velaryon, Lord Corlys is the richest man in Westeros, with the largest navy. He’s old money that multiplied his fortune by navigating the Seven Kingdoms as a seafarer. He’s old money because House Velaryon is the only other major house to survive the doom of Valyria besides the Targs, obvi. Hence the silvery, white hair like the incestuous dragon riders we all love. But he cocoa butter black and aint nothing a fanboy, racist, or purist can do about it!
Anywaysss, he’s a bag chasing legend (I’m talkin, sail as far as the wind will take you, roll up to a newfound land and leave with riches that double your whole net worth in one epic trip, legend), is married to Rhaenys who caught the crown stiff arm, and he and his family will play major roles in the Dance of the Dragons.
The Dance of the Dragons is the flowery name bestowed upon the savage internecine struggle for the Iron Throne of Westeros fought between two rival branches of House Targaryen. To characterize the dark, turbulent, bloody doings of this period as a “dance” strikes us as grotesquely inappropriate. No doubt the phrase originated with some singer. “The Dying of the Dragons” would be altogether more fitting.
And with King Viserys’s decision to name Rhaenyra his heir and send Daemon home to his wife, the seeds of Civil War were planted. We’re due for a time jump at some point this season, so it should be dope to see how revolution spreads.
7 Noticings Across the Realm
- Rhaenys keeping it a buck and saying “It’s been 70 years since King Maegor’s end. These knights are as green as summer grass. None have known real war.” was beautiful bars! They mentioned that being the case for the young lads in OG Thrones too, so it’s nice to see that show parallel. I don’t know if they’ll reveal what happened with the tradition of passing down The Song of Ice and Fire from King to King/Queen.
- They name drop Daemon as “Prince of the City” as his AEW intro before going up against Criston Cole, which is a name he garnered after not being named heir for so long.
- We need to talk about the beastly performance Siane Brooke turned in as Queen Aemma. From those bars she dropped on her daughter to a marvelous job selling that emergency c section death, round of applause! Such a pleased look was on her face when Viserys said, “They’re going to bring the baby out now,” which quickly turned to fear when they whipped that pumpkin carving knife out, ending in the bloody scream after hearing them announce plans for the first incision. R.I.P Queen Aemma. Gone but not forgotten!
- The funeral scene hit us with a lot to process but most of my takeaways are from the big relationship I’ve already touched on. Being king is cool and all but Rhaenyra and Daemon will clearly be taking center stage in this show, and that exchange between the 2 during the most difficult moment of their relatively pleasant lives was a sign of the intense, important, and dope moments between them that we’ll see in the near future.
- Hightower schemin, but Alicent is no stranger to the game of thrones…
- The Triarchy (the alliance between Myr, Lys and Tyrosh) name drop is alluding to static in the near future. Lord Corlys tries to warn the council about them getting too comfortable in the Stepstones, so we know it’s only a matter of time before somebody gonna bring the smoke. And by somebody, I mean Craghas Drahar aka the Crabfeeder. They’re not keeping any of this eventual beef under wraps, and I for one can’t wait for them to layeth the smacketh down on the Triarchy’s crustacean loving leader.
- The fealty swearing ceremony was all lies and theater. Mark my words.
Ripped from the pages / Book differences / GoT connections
“In the Vale, the men fuck sheep. You cannot fault them. They’re sheep are prettier than their women” – Daemon Targaryen. Lifted right from WoIaF
Syrax: The name of Rhaenyra’s dragon pays homage to a Valaryian Goddess.
In the book it is Corlys’ son Laenor whos vying for votes at the Great Council, but It’s understandable why they’d change the offense to his mother since the boy was only seven and most of his merit was based on his father’s wealth.
Did you notice Rhaenyra and Alicent walking through the same room that Cersei paints the map of Westeros on? The painting of that room always felt powerful and strategic minded to me, so I appreciated seeing it again.
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The post ‘House of the Dragon’ Premiere Review: Remix ‘GoT’ Came Out Swinging! appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is essentially a delightful sitcom with superheroes and villains. The show follows Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk, as she balances her life as a lawyer with being a Hulk. One element of She-Hulk’s comics that carries over into the television series is her penchant for breaking the fourth wall. We see her do this fairly quickly in the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s first episode and it will hopefully continue throughout the series. So, in honor of Jennifer Walters acknowledging our existence as viewers, let’s take a look at every time she breaks the fourth wall in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Jump to: Episode 1 // Episode 2 // Episode 3
Episode One – “A Normal Amount of Rage”
Welcome to “This Fun Lawyer Show”
Jennifer Walters talks directly to the camera after a conversation with her co-workers, which initially looks like she’s talking to us. She runs her closing argument by them for a case she’s working on before her paralegal Nikki casually mentions her being a Hulk. Jennifer then turns directly to viewers to confirm this news, saying that she will get us up to speed so we can properly focus on “this fun lawyer show.” This is where we get her origin story of Bruce’s blood dripping into her open wound following a car accident, causing her to be a Hulk.
He Doesn’t Mean That
After much fighting and arguing during Jennifer’s unwilling “training to be a Hulk session,” Bruce begrudgingly decides that he is okay with letting Jen resume her life. She turns to us once again, saying “he doesn’t mean that” to Bruce’s annoyance and surprise.
She-Hulk’ Origin Storytime Is Over
We come back to Jen once again as she affirms she went back to her life, revealing the truth to Nikki and her family. According to her, Bruce was wrong and she was right about being able to balance being a Hulk and an attorney at law. The lawyer show is back but things quickly go awry in the courtroom when Titania causes Jennifer to reveal her She-Hulk powers.
Episode 2 – “Superhuman Law”
Oh Dear…
Jen is with Nikki at their local watering hole and about to enter a bar/room with dozens of people chanting She-Hulk. As we know, she isn’t thrilled about the name but, as Nikki says, she has to “give the people what they want.” Before entering, Jen gives us a hilarious “sigh” of a look.
Is This Why They Hired Me?
Jen gets the surprise of her life with a job offer to work at GLK&H. But her excitement quickly fades when she realizes that they didn’t hire her, but rather She-Hulk to be the face of their new superhuman law division. She feels like a freak on display (and that’s fair) and gripes about why they brought her on.
A Quick Ha
Jen calls up Bruce to let him know that she’s taking on Abomination’s case. He says he’s fine with it because he too is a different person now. Bruce congratulates her and she looks into the camera for a quick “ha.” This one kind of has a double meaning. First, Jen is probably a bit skeptical that he is totally cool with this idea. But the bigger ha is that Hulk is literally a different person. As we know Edward Nashton was originally in the role before Mark Ruffalo took it over.
That Sucks
But wait, there’s more. Abomination escaped from prison after talking to Jen and was videoed in some sort of fight club. She ends the episode by saying “that sucks.” And yeah, she’s right.
A Subtle Glance
No one is more hype about Jennifer having powers than her dad. She’s outside lifting a vehicle while he directs her cousin on how to fix a tire issue. Jen doesn’t talk to us but instead gives us the briefest glance of exasperation ever.
Episode 3 – “The People vs. Emil Blonsky”
Can’t Wait to See Wong
Yes, Jen knows we cannot wait to see Wong. Again. That’s why she literally takes her hands off the wheel to lean over and chat with us directly. She assures us that this won’t be a cameo every week type of show. But…so far… it is. And that’s totally cool because we know it is She-Hulk’s show.
Connecting the A/B Story
Jen jokes to the camera about how her A story of defending Abomination and the B story with Dennis and him supposedly thinking he was dating Megan Thee Stallion (lollll) comes together perfectly. Pug shows up while she’s having drinks with Nikki and asks how the heck they were able to deal with Dennis being, well, Dennis.
Wait…Did He Give Me an Idea?
After Dennis winning his case (and a delightful appearance from Megan Thee Stallion), Jennifer is shocked that Pug gave her an idea. But shhhh that realization will stay between us.
Will She-Hulk Continue to Break the Fourth Wall?
We can assume that we will see more fourth wall breaking in the future from “regular” Jennifer Walters as well as She-Hulk. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law director Kat Corio said in a recent interview that these fourth wall breaks will not only address the viewer but perhaps even MCU overseer Kevin Feige. And, it seems that She-Hulk’s moments will connect to something deeper on the other side of that broken wall. “…there’s something else out there that she’s connecting to that hopefully we get a chance to see,” affirmed Corio. What does that mean? We will have to wait and see. One thing is for sure, though. We will be back each week to tally up any time Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk fully acknowledges that we are watching this fun lawyer show.
Originally published on August 18, 2022.
The post Every Time SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW Breaks the Fourth Wall appeared first on Nerdist.