deerstalker

https://blackgirlnerds.com/house-of-the-dragon-recap-s2-episode-1-a-son-for-a-son/

Written by Angelica Monk and Jamie Broadnax

The ominous title for this episode for readers familiar with Fire and Blood informs us of the impending doom soon to come for the civil war between these families.  But for those not familiar, brace yourself, because this episode delivers a gut punch that you didn’t see coming.  Before we dive into the recap, there is a significant change from last season of House of the Dragon – the opening credits.  We shift from the stone model of old Valyria to a fabric tapestry that illustrates the events of the Targaryen era.  Once again, book readers will be familiar with the embroidery as the events stitch out characters depicted in blood, but those who have not read the book, will at least be learn to appreciate new nuggets of information each episode as they see these events play out and move forward that were previously shown in the opening credits.

We open in the North and get a nice little history lesson from Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), who is the Lord of Winterfell. For those yearning for a dose of Game of Thrones nostalgia this was certainly a fan service moment for many of us, even with phrases harkening back to the series like “Winter Is Coming”. Summoned on behalf of Princess Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) is her son Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett).  Who is now playing the role of a political player.  Seeing actor Harry Collett in his natural curly tendrils and out of that wig was certainly refreshing to see. We learn a bit of information about the ancestors of the Starks including Torrhen Stark, the King Who Knelt and the ancient duty of his people to defend the Seven Kingdoms from the dangers beyond the Wall. While  Jace doubts Torrhen Stark would ever bend the knee to Aegon the Conqueror unless he knew he could bring unity to the Seven Kingdoms, Jace seeks that same alliance with Cregan. As Cregan walks Jace over to the battlements and notes there’s a reason why his ancestors erected a 700-foot-high wall when King Jaehaerys visited, his dragons refused to go beyond the Wall. The Wall is meant to keep out Death. This shot is intentionally ominous which is a key to tell the viewer that this is a significant detail we need to remember.

Meanwhile at Dragonstone, Princess Rhaenys (Eve Best) returns on the back of Melys after patrolling over 100 miles of open sea to hold the blockade of the Gullet. King Consort Daemon (Matt Smith) appears demanding she mounts Melys and flies with him to King’s Landing. Daemon intends to kill Vhagar and Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell) and knows he cannot face them alone but is certain Melys and Caraxes can take them down. 

Over at Driftmark, Lord Corlys Velaryon (Steve Toussaint) has now fully recovered from his near-death experience at sea. He surveys the repairs of his ship, which was nearly destroyed at the Stepstones. He is greeted by Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) a sailor in the Velaryon fleet who served in the Stepstones. Alyn reports to Corlys that repairs are going well on Sea Snake and seven more ships have been sent to fortify the blockade. Corlys wants his ship to be seaworthy ASAP and Alyn promises to speak to his brother about what reinforcements the shipwrights can muster. We learn that Alyn was the man that rescued him at sea and Corlys tell him that he is “in his debt”.

The next scene takes us to Kings Landing as Ser Arryk Cargyll of the Kingsguard (Luke Tittensor) climbs the battlements instructing his men to remain at their posts.He spots a dragon overhead and as  they prepare to arm the scorpion, Arryk orders them to hold as the dragon is Vhagar. Queen Helaena Targaryen (Phia Saban) is knitting an image of a dragon while her daughter, Princess Jaehaera plays with their maids in the Queen’s quarters. King Aegon Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) bursts in looking for his son, Prince Jaehaerys, he wants to bring him to the Small Council since he will be king one day. Helaena whispers, “What if he doesn’t want to be King?” Aegon demands to know where he is and  Helaena reluctantly tells him Aegon he’s in the library as is his custom. As Aegon walks to get his son, Helaena says she’s not afraid of the dragons but the rats. Aegon quips to the staff, “The Queen is an enduring mystery. Is she not?” 

As you recall from season one, Helaena has the gift of foresight and she sees things that others don’t.  So when the queen speaks, people should in fact listen.

We cut to the queen-who-once-was Queen Alicent Hightower (Olivia Cooke) getting cunnilingus from Ser Criston Cole, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard (Fabian Frankel).  As they get dressed to meet with the Small Council, Alicent tells Criston their coupling cannot happen again, Criston agrees and then asks Alicent to help him don his white cloak.   In the Small Council chambers, we see a rat catcher exit as Alicent and Criston enter. They are greeted by Ser Otto Hightower, Hand of the King (Rhys Ifans). The remaining Small Council now consists of Grand Maester Orwylle (Kurt Egyiawan), Ser Tyland Lannister the Master of Coin (Jefferson Hall) and Lord Jasper Wylde the Master of Laws (Paul Kennedy). Otto states the blockade has put a strain on King’s Landing and Aegon regrets they didn’t kill the Greens. Otto states they must deal with their cards they have been dealt and the Small Council agrees they must bolster their Navy.

Aemond, with a noticeable pimp walk, enters unannounced, Alicent insists he has no place, but Aegon insists his brother belongs with the Small Council. Aemond notes they must take hold of the Riverlands, Aegon thinks using the dragons to intimidate the Riverlands’ forces is best and if they do not bend the knee, they will simply burn them.

Outside the Small Council chambers, Alicent is met by Ser Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) who confirms he rooted out the potential spies of Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) in Alicent’s staff. He assures her that they no longer breathe the same air, and he has personally picked new attendants for her. That evening, as her maids attend to Alicent during her bath, she dismisses them, insisting on bathing herself.

On a shoreline near the Storm’s End, Rhaenyra pulls what’s left of Luke’s remains. She weeps and its a gut wrenching scene to watch the loss of a son in such a tragic way.

 Back in King’s Landing, Aegon enters the throne room, heralded by his friends as “Aegon the Magnanimous”. He sits the Iron Throne to hear his first petition as King. A sheep herder pleads for the return of the tenth of his sheep which were taken by the crown, Aegon eagerly agrees to return his sheep. However, Otto advises him that if provides this way for one man he will have to do this for all and Aegon reneges on his promise.Larys, who was watching Aegon earlier approaches him in the castle halls, flattering the King in his handling of the smallfolk. He takes Aegon to the side and suggests in an incredibly subtle way to consider a new Hand of the King. 

  Otto meets Alicent in her chambers, wishing to be allied with her father. She complains to him that he’s undercut her authority before the Small Council and her sons. She fears that Otto will undermine her voice and Aegon and Aemond will no longer look to her for council.  She has completely lost her power at this point as the now Dowager Queen.

 Near Dragonstone, a ship is stopped attempting to circumvent the blockade. Ser Erryk Cargyll of the Queensguard (Elliott Tittensor) finds a stowaway onboard, Mysaria, notes the last time they crossed paths, there were two of him.  Erryk vouches for Mysaria, he confirms she was not an agent of Hightowers. Erryk is confronted by Daemon, he admits he’s ashamed about abandoning the Kingsguard, and that his brother joined the Queensguard. Daemon counters why he didn’t kill Aegon and Erryk says he and his brother swore an oath to protect the royal family, what were they to do when they turned against each other?

 Daemon visits Mysaria in her cells and strikes a bargain. If she provides him with her knowledge of servants who have spied for her in the Red Keep, she will win her freedom.    Lady Baela Targaryen (Bethany Antonia) escorts Jace to his mother’s chambers. He bravely yet tearfully reports of his progress in the North and the Vale, when Rhaenyra stands and wraps her in his arms. They both grieve the loss of Luke. A funeral service begins for Luke and Lady Rhaena Targaryen (Phoebe Campbell), Luke’s betrothed, watches the flames as tears stream down her face.

Daemon is smuggled into King’s Landing where he meets Blood (Sam C. Wilson), a member of the Gold Cloaks who hates the Hightowers. Daemon shakes a large bag of coins enticing him.  Blood escorts Daemon through the city and meets Cheese (Mark Stobart) a rat catcher who worked for Mysaria and is revealed to have large gambling debts.  Daemon describes Aemond’s appearance and offers to pay Cheese half now and half later once the deed is done. Cheese asks what they should do if they don’t find Aemond, Daemon doesn’t say anything.

 Cheese leads Blood through the watery tunnels beneath the Red Keep, ordering Blood to climb a ladder and bring his dog as they ascend. They pass the Throne Room as Aegon, and his friends drunkenly discuss his reign with his friends.

 Blood hears a noise and finds Cheese holding a knife to Helaena’s throat. Blood says the Queen isn’t a son, but Cheese tells him they can kill one of the children who are sleeping in their beds. One of them is the Prince and heir to the throne, they simply need to look for boy parts. Blood says the mother will know and they ask Helaena to point out her son. She offers her necklace of great value, but they snatch and threaten to kill all three of them if she doesn’t choose Helaena points to Jaehaerys and Blood doubts that she gave him up so easily, but Cheese insists she is telling the truth.

Cheese holds down Jaehaerys while Blood kills him. Helaena quickly grabs Jaehaera from her bed while the men are distracted and flees the room. The sick sound of blood and sawing can be heard as they decapitate the child’s body.

Helaena runs down the steps and bursts into her mother’s chambers, Queen Alicent, who is fornicating with Ser Criston Cole. Helaena tells Alicent what happened and the episode title confirms the worst of the worst has now happened.

Tune in next Sunday night at 9pm ET on Twitter and Threads as we use the hashtag #DragonsYall and check out our YouTube show as we breakdown each of these episodes! 

https://www.essence.com/beauty/fathers-day-beauty-confidence-lessons/

By India Espy-Jones ·Updated June 16, 2024

Father’s Day can stir up a reminder of all the lessons we’ve learned from our dads. While we might teach them skincare routines, they raise us with lessons about beauty, confidence, and how to achieve our heart’s desires whether we realize it or not. After all, growing up, what we learned from our father figures– from fathers to step fathers, grandfathers and uncles– guides us throughout adulthood.

Today, in honor of Father’s Day, we look back and acknowledge all the lessons we don’t want to unlearn. Below, 8 ESSENCE editors share the important self-confidence guidance they’ve received from their fathers.

Akili King, Senior Beauty Editor

“Growing up, I remember my dad would brush my hair before school, putting it into a slicked-back puff. I didn’t realize it at the time, but now I see how important those bonding moments were. I’m grateful to have a father that would take time out of his busy mornings to make sure I felt my best before heading into the school day. 

Additionally, he would often affirm me and my hair, telling me how much he loved the ‘fro, which went a long way for me. Even in more recent years, I remember tweeting something about how I was struggling to find a good foundation that wouldn’t break me out. He commented and said, ‘well, it’s a good thing you don’t need any makeup anyway.’ I thought it was the sweetest thing. Although I do minimal makeup in general, it definitely encouraged me to further embrace my skin in any phase.

Aside from this, my dad has always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and do what makes me happy. I’m super thankful for that.”

Dominique Fluker, Contributing Life src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXdMgfKbau7Hj-HZF7WDPV0F3JW8ASSY63ispgv6P67vghel1k-xXdTDICe4HjKy64lLoB1T6IWNCQF2EXJ2NeU2tKIaITQsvXJqCF27pFsADdI1IB3ZopOAaenfdO0BpbAL-URZH4jKEiBvyi_0nlWwsqR4?key=t5DgE28jpPmwjl_w-nm8ew" alt=""/>

“My father passed when I was 20 years old. Throughout my life, he encouraged me to have unwavering confidence. He showed me that beauty is confidence.”

Kenyatta Victoria, Contributing GU Editor

“My dad always taught me to be fearless when pursuing what I wanted. He instilled in me from a young age that I’m capable of anything no matter how quiet I was growing up. Through those lessons, I could feel and look my best because I was already in a confident headspace thanks to my dad.”

Devine Blacksher, Senior Fashion Editor

“I’ve learned so many lessons about confidence from my dad. Since I was a kid, he has always encouraged me to be the boldest version of myself. I was definitely a shy child, which might surprise people, but he always told me to ‘start strong, stay strong.’ These words still resonate with me when I feel uncertain. He also showed me how to be accepting and honest with myself. 

I remember going through a bad breakup a few years ago. I would call him, crying and being so hard on myself, and he would say, ‘Devine, look in the mirror. Do you like what you see?’ This helped me tap into self-love and taught me to pause and give myself grace. It was a truly beautiful lesson that changed my life. He’s also always pushed me to express myself and not care about what others think. I’m so blessed to have him as my dad—the coolest person I know!”

India Espy-Jones, Beauty Writer

“My dad used to say he had kids (two daughters) just to spoil them, so I grew up knowing I could have and be whatever I wanted. At the time, I wanted to be a red Power Ranger; but looking back, I realized how important it is to know you can ask for and receive your every intention. Growing up knowing the power I held has allowed me to achieve my biggest dreams before the age of 25, and I feel like my life has never felt more beautiful.”  

Jasmine Browley, Contributing Business Editor

“One of the many ways he instilled confidence/self esteem in us is by always offering the space to reach for our dreams, just as long as we actually tried. ‘If it don’t work out, just go to the next thing. Ain’t nothing wrong with trying.’”

Rayna Reid Rayford, Contributing Editor

“My Dad always told me ‘pretty is as pretty does,’ and to me, that has always meant that beauty starts from within.”

Robyn Mowatt, Contributing Fashion Editor

“My father surprisingly was the one who taught me how to take care of my skin. From a young age, he taught me and my twin sister how to exfoliate, how to properly wash our faces and also shared how important it is to take care of our skin as it’s a first impression you leave on people you meet. I reckon with this often largely because it’s true and it also instills self-confidence. Of the many lessons he’s taught me resilience, grit and confidence are a few of the strongest.”

TOPICS:  beauty lessons Black Fathers Day

The post These Are The Lessons We’ve Learned From Our Dads appeared first on Essence.

https://nerdist.com/article/doctor-who-season-one-susan-triad-sutekh-explained/

The first season of the Ncuti Gatwa era of Doctor Who has felt incredibly short. There’s a reason for that; it is incredibly short. Even so, the season-long mystery has been right at the forefront of every episode. Who is the lady played by Susan Twist who keeps appearing briefly? Why is she in so many times, places, and circumstances? And why did it take the Doctor and Ruby so long to realize it? Well, the penultimate episode, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday,” finally answered at least a few of these enigmas. We now know who the villain is! And it may require a bit of explanation.

There’s Always a Twist at the End

It may have taken you a little bit to notice, but Susan Twist played a small character in each of the previous episodes. She’s the old hippie who requests a song from Ruby’s band at Christmas. She played a nurse in “Space Babies” and a dinner lady in “The Devil’s Chord.” Infamously she was the face of the ambulance in “Boom!” and the hiker in Wales in “73 Yards.” Susan Twist even played Lindy Pepper-Bean’s mom in “Dot and Bubble” and was the portrait of the duchess in “Rogue.” As the song at the end of “The Devil’s Chord” proclaimed, “there’s always a twist at the end.”

This is Russell T Davies’ most shrewd season arc, because it gave the audience double and even triple bluffs. The actress is Susan Twist, and for decades fans have speculated that we’d eventually see the Doctor’s granddaughter Susan return. Could Susan Twist be the “Susan twist?” This episode tackles it head on.

S. Triad

While the Doctor, Ruby, and UNIT discuss who the mystery lady could be, the UNIT folks know right away. It’s Susan Triad, the famous tech developer who at that moment prepares to announce her biggest public offering yet. So there it is: Susan. The Susan twist must be that Susan Twist is Susan…TWIST! In addition, her name is Susan Triad. S. Triad is an anagram of TARDIS, which the crew rightly points out. This is too much! Susan Triad must have knowledge of the TARDIS and in fact is Susan, the Doctor’s granddaughter.

One interesting wrinkle the show offers is that, while the Doctor has a granddaughter, he doesn’t have a son or daughter…at least not yet. The series has never discussed the Doctor’s children, or even really alluded to them existing, but he still has a grandchild. Ergo, through time and wime, he can raise a granddaughter before he has children…or whatever.

Sue Technologies

Ah, names. As Mel (Bonnie Langford) learns while undercover working for Susan Triad, she prefers to be called “Sue.” This was our first clue Susan Triad maybe wasn’t Susan TARDIS after all. As the rest of the episode explores Ruby’s past and whatever evil entity emanates through time and space, using the TARDIS as an entry point, we maybe forget what Susan Triad could directly be involved.

Alas, she is. And, for whatever reason, Susan Triad has been a sleeper agent the whole time. In fact, the real words we ought to have paid attention to were “Sue” and “Tech,” because in actuality, she is the reborn embodiment of Sutekh, the ancient evil that begat the ancient Egyptian god Set. Set, traditionally, is the god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners. (Foreigners?! The hell, Ancient Egypt?)

The episode closes with the entity of Sutekh, as embodied by a giant dog-headed cloud, and the skeletal face of Susan Triad, claiming victory. Also Harriett Arbinger, a member of UNIT, was annoying the “harbinger” of doom. H. Arbinger. Dumb.

Who Is Doctor Who‘s Sutekh?

Sutekh only appeared in a single televised Doctor Who serial. That was “Pyramids of Mars,” a Fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith story from 1975. In it, the Doctor and Sarah end up in 1911 where English archaeologists (some might save tomb raiders, but po-tay-to, po-tah-to) unearth the burial chamber of Sutekh, the alien Osiran, whose race came to Earth and formed the basis for the pantheon of Ancient Egyptian deities.

Sutekh waged war against his kind, and 740 Osirans under the leadership of Horus managed to defeat and imprison Sutekh on Earth. Keeping him at bay is a beam emanating from a pyramid on Mars. Damn Edwardians and their obsession with digging up shit. The excavator, Professor Marcus Scarman, falls under Sutekh’s thrall and, using Sutekh’s robot mummies as muscle, attempts to fire a missile at Mars to destroy the pyramid. Naturally, the Doctor has to stop this, but not before he and Sarah have to beat the many obstacles and traps in the pyramid.

Actor Gabriel Woolf who voiced Sutekh in “Pyramids of Mars” reprises his role in “The Legend of Ruby Sunday.”

Has Sutekh Ever Shown Up Again?

As with just about every villain in the classic era of Doctor Who, Sutekh appeared in several novels and audio dramas as part of the show’s spinoff media. The series does namedrop Sutekh a fair amount, usually in relation to powerful, Lovecraftian gods who may or may not be the basis for the devil.

So Wait, Is Nobody Susan?

So here is where I think RTD is pulling yet another Susan twist. Given we’ve seen her a couple of times, and she has a very weird—possibly unearthly—quality to her, I think it’s much more likely Mrs. Flood (Anita Dobson) is actually Susan. She knows what a TARDIS is, and she definitely behaved incredibly strangely when Cherry Sunday (Angela Winter) asked for some tea.

I’m not saying she definitely is, but if anyone we’ve seen thus far seems like they could be the Doctor’s granddaughter in disguise, it’d be Mrs. Flood.

We’ll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out when “Empire of Death,” the finale of season one, premieres June 22 on Disney+.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

.youtube-embed{padding-bottom:56.25%!important;position:relative;overflow:hidden}.youtube-embed a,.youtube-embed iframe{display:block;width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute}.youtube-embed iframe{border:0}.youtube-embed img.youtube-cover{-o-object-fit:cover;object-fit:cover;height:100%;width:100%;cursor:pointer}.youtube-embed img.play-button{width:66px;position:absolute;left:46%;top:0;bottom:0;margin:auto;cursor:pointer}@media only screen and (max-width:499px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:45%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:425px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:44%;width:60px}}@media only screen and (max-width:375px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:43%;width:56px}}@media only screen and (max-width:345px){.youtube-embed img.play-button{left:42%;width:50px}}.youtube-embed .progressive-img{-webkit-filter:blur(10px);filter:blur(10px)}.youtube-embed .progressive-img.loaded{-webkit-filter:none;filter:none;-webkit-transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;transition:-webkit-filter 1s ease-out;-o-transition:filter 1s ease-out;-moz-transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out;transition:filter 1s ease-out,-webkit-filter 1s ease-out}.youtube-embed .kskdDiv{display:none!important}

The post Who Is the Villain of DOCTOR WHO Season 1 appeared first on Nerdist.

https://www.essence.com/beauty/girl-dad-beauty-standards/

By Celeste Polanco ·Updated June 14, 2024

Fathers play an essential role in a daughter’s life. Everything she will learn about men, love, and self-worth will come from her first love – her dad. Dads do their best to protect their little girls and guide them through the challenging realities of the world. That young girl who was once in her father’s arms will eventually blossom into a young woman navigating relationships, careers, and beauty standards. 

Conversely, men play a significant role in beauty standards – Praising particular physical attributes more than others, like hair texture, skin tone, and even body type. As these men become fathers to daughters, their views on beauty as they know it have been changed forever. Their definition of beauty that was once physical has now been >Pastor Leon Scoggins is a passionate father and leader within his community. He is currently raising two daughters, ages two and one week old. Before becoming a father, Scoggins saw beauty standards according to the culture, “As a youngster, I viewed beauty in the eyes of materialistic things and outward appearances instead of on the inside,” says Scoggins. Fatherhood has drastically changed Scoggin’s views on beauty standards. He has now made it a priority to uplift his toddler by praising her internal and natural beauty. Still, particular beauty standards worry Scoggins as a father. “I am concerned for the things we glamorize in our culture like BBLs,” says Scoggins.   

The Brazilian Butt Lift is a cosmetic surgery that enhances a woman’s body shape to create an hourglass figure overnight. While these surgeries are pretty popular, they are also extremely dangerous and have claimed the lives of many women. Jacky Oh, an influencer and mother, lost her life after undergoing a “mommy makeover surgery.” This is just one of many who have lost their lives due to the pressures of body standards. The sad reality is these women are someone’s daughter who once loved them just as they are. Scoggins continues to pour into his daughters, hoping they won’t succumb to the same pressures. Scoggin says, “We must affirm our daughters; it’s our most important job.” 

Mikhail Gittens

“Growing up with a mom and sister gave me an early insight on beauty standards,” Says Mikhail Gittens, a proud girl dad and personal development expert. Gittens explains that his mother and sister were into natural beauty growing up. This helped him have more em>study on Barbie shared that the famous doll can negatively affect the body and physical appearance, causing low self-esteem. Gittens says, “I now ensure she has all different types of dolls to show her diversity is important and beautiful.” Toys with different skin tones and hair textures can positively impact the self-esteem and worth of little girls of color. 

Aaron Ennis 

Natural beauty is a true 90s staple taken over by Gen Z. Beauty looks like the “clean girl aesthetic” and “glass makeup routine” have encouraged enhancing natural beauty features. For Aaron Ennis, natural beauty was once a more straightforward concept. “I grew up with a mom and sister who kept things simple. They washed their face and weren’t into makeup. This helped me embrace people for who they are,” says Ennis. He’s kept the teachings of his mother and sister and is actively pouring them into his daughters. “I want my daughters to know they are beautiful as they are; they don’t need any extra stuff.” 

Ennis’s family page shows him lovingly embracing his role as a girl dad. He can be seen doing skincare and other beauty routines with his daughters. Beauty standards can be challenging for young girls; however, Ennis doesn’t think all standards are harmful. He says, “I love that my 17-year-old is into skincare. Growing up, I struggled with acne. Seeing my daughter care for her skin is a way of embracing her natural beauty.”

TOPICS:  beauty standards girl dad

The post Girl Dads Have Something To Say About Beauty Standards appeared first on Essence.