#giskies

::laughs bc i have been through it and i anticipate watching your steady decline into crying over dane dehaan::

nah not quite fireworks more like that squiggly warm feeling you get when you cuddle up in bed after a long day??

i was exactly the same until i made out with someone i was in love with tbh. i'd hated it in my previous relationships~~

ah see maybe all that when u find the right person its fireworks stuff is right?

burrburrito replied to your post “ok so everyone thinks making out is super great sure but i just ?????...”

OMG SAME I made out with someone one time and now I'm like NEVER AGAIN bc there was like saliva all over my chin and tongue everywhere and I so do not see the appeal. Next time I kiss someone I'll be like please keep your tongue to yourself thanks.

Before we get started, take a moment to watch one of these short lil trailers ( 1 2 3 4 ). Or all of them. Whatever you’re in the mood for, really — because here we go.

So highly do I respect and admire BBC’s episodic drama In the Flesh that I’d probably recommend it to a stranger on the street. Not even gonna lie. But as luck would have it, the show itself is horrendously underappreciated— not sure why, but it is — and in the interest of giving it some more love, here’s a few brief reasons why you should watch it.

It won a BAFTA.

That’s … literally all I need to say. BAFTAs, man.

It's about so much more than zombies.

In fact, it’s hardly about zombies at all. All the so-called “zombies” in this show, including the protagonist, actually suffer from Partially Deceased Syndrome (PDS). Their function in this show is to help address issues of prejudice, depression, assimilation, guilt, morality, ethics, self-image, self-esteem, mental illness, oppression, suicide, drug use/abuse, sexuality, complex family relationships…whew. Yeah. You get the point. If you’re looking for a discussion on any mental or social topic, In the Flesh will probably throw it at you. Much of the content here is highly reminiscent of historical movements such as Black Power, MLK’s non-violence movement, the LGBT movement, stuff like that. My favorite bit is that it uses zombies to tastefully discuss inter-racial relationships. It may hinge on the undead, but the entire show adds up to be a striking analysis of several political and social issues. It’s not a show that lets you off easy — it expects you to think, to analyze, and to question. The human capacity for understanding is put to the test both within the show and within the viewer. Morality plays a huge role, but I’ll discuss that in a moment.

The protagonist, Kieren, is the vessel for social and political discussions you never knew you wanted..

The best bit of all this is that his sexuality does not in any way define his character. It’s not even an issue and remains undefined as he navigates a post-apocalyptic world crumbling under clashing minorities and majorities. My best guess, he’s bisexual, but there’s no need to touch on it when not a single character in the entire show seems to care. He’s written in a way that allows him to function as a complex asset in discussions of race, sexuality, and mental illness, as well as (to a lesser degree) politics. He’s re-learning what it means to suffer from suicidal depression after he’s already committed suicide. That’s pretty incredible. If this show is anything, this show is redemptive. It’s about accepting circumstances and moving on from the past. Although I wouldn’t usually describe zombies as beautiful, Kieren is an absolutely beautiful character. 

Each character plays a role in the liberal agenda, and it has well-written women.

I didn’t say strong women because a female character does not necessarily have to be strong to be well-written. In the Flesh presents conniving women, innocent women, lovable women, badass women, broken women, hateful women, self-righteous women, psychologically tormented women. Every character has to deal with the same thing, yes — and that one thing is PDS. Whether the character suffers from PDS or is confronted with the presence of PDS sufferers, their uniqueness comes from the way they deal with it. To name a few examples, we’ve got Kieren’s father, who falls into the textbook definition of psychological denial when he discovers his son has PDS. We’ve got Simon, who utilizes religious fanaticism and cult-like unity to deal with his haunting past. And we’ve got Amy, who unashamedly embraces her undead state and does everything she can to make the most of the new life she’s been given. And that’s just naming a few. But what really makes a character? It’s how the character changes. And believe me, when every character is already vastly unique, their developmental progressions are like a surge of fresh air. Every character in the entire show is, in some way, highly dynamic. (I want to scream about Philip but I also don’t want to spoil anything holy shit).

It causes viewers & characters alike to question their personal morals.

You know you’re watching a quality film or television show when you’re allowed to view problems from both sides. Here, we see the struggle of the PDS sufferers as well as the struggle of the living. And truly, they all struggle. They struggle with each and every issue mentioned in the second bullet point. Kieren provides a unique perspective because for much of the series, he is suffocating himself under a shroud of self-denial (literally — he nearly damages his eyesight by refusing to remove his colored contact lenses, simply because he’s scared of his milky, fractured, dead eyes). It hits on many touchy subjects, for instance, whether mass murder is appropriate in extreme situations, whether PDS sufferers are innocent of crimes they committed while in an “untreated state,” and how far the government can go to control and/or segregate a minority. Touchy subjects make for intriguing and enlightening viewing, because you as a viewer are asked to make tough decisions about who you agree with and who you don’t. It’s kind of exciting, the morality split. Even as you begin watching In the Flesh, you’re squirming in your seat -- aren’t zombies obviously evil? From the very first episode this show grabs you by your collar and says, “Well, no.” Slaughtering people and eating their brains is presented as a stereotype, a form of prejudice, a stigma. And that’s where it begins -- this show will tear you apart both ethically and emotionally, and it’s up to you to piece together the facts and come to your own conclusion. 

oh okay good i just thought i would warn you in case you didn’t realise :)

(oops no i meant in my novel im writing but now you mention it i’m 100% behind biromantic ace kieren too y e s)