A Case of Mistaken Identity: The Wicked Witch

As we come to St. Patrick’s Day, it’s good to remember that it’s not easy being green. Especially when you’re constantly compared to one of the most heinous villains of witch-kind: the Wicked Witch of the West. So let’s start with the OG witch. The big baddy of Oz. 

The Wicked Witch of the West

The infamous witch of the original Wizard of Oz, specifically the 1939 movie adaptation, is one of the most devious and evil villains. The movie was released only two years after the Evil Queen appeared in Snow White. 

While the Evil Queen was fueled by vanity, I think it’s safe to say that the Wicked Witch wasn’t concerned with vanity, simply power. She’s known for being petty, vile, and volatile. At least as far as the movie is concerned, her identity is based in the obsessive need to have Dorothy’s slippers. That's what makes her such an iconic villain, even decades later. And that has impacted our view of this green-skinned woman ever since. 

Zelena (Once Upon a Time)

This iteration of the Wicked Witch came onto the scene as the residents of Storybrooke returned to the Enchanted Forest. With their cursed memories available, Snow, Regina, and everyone else immediately equated Zelena with the Witch from the movie. 

And that’s kind of how Zelena was raised in Oz. Because of her magic, her adopted father considered her some wicked curse. When she learned about her half sister and turned green with envy, her appearance only reinforced that belief to the people of Oz. You call someone wicked long enough and they’ll believe that’s all she is. In fact, she began to equate herself with wickedness. “Wicked always wins” may have been her mantra, but that line is filled with shame. It wasn’t until she was treated with love from her mother and her sister that she began to see herself as something other than “wicked”.

Elfaba (Wicked)

Going into the Broadway play, we're meant to compare Elfaba to the original Wicked Witch. Like Zelena, she was treated as a villain because of her magical abilities. Unlike Zelena, Elfaba kept to her values and her priorities in a version of Oz that was full of discriminatory propaganda. Because she wouldn't play the Wizard's game, Elfaba was villainized.

It would have been easy for Elfaba to take on that baggage, like Zelena, and believe she was "wicked". Instead, she was sure enough of herself to be able to recognize the darkness of the world she lived in and rise above it. There are a lot of possible interpretations of "Defying Gravity" and this is one of them. We live in a fallen world and it can be easy to take on who the world says we are. It takes a lot of internal strength to remain a person of integrity when everyone around says to conform. Elfaba literally rose above her haters. She may not have changed Oz, but her influence changed Glinda and Fiyero "for good".

LDS Geeks Podcast #61: Animorphs Re-Read (9)

I wasn't fooled by this batch of books, even though it included three "filler" books. They may have been filler to whatever extent, but I knew going into this recording that they were dark filler. Four heavy books with plenty of ramifications. Let's do it!

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 61 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent blog posts: click here

Check out Russell's recent blog posts: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
01:03 - Spencer's Recommendation: "Warrior" by Michael Sarver
        Listen on Spotify
02:50 - Russell's Recommendation: "Jump" by Van Halen
        Listen on Spotify
04:51 - #30 - The Reunion
10:59 - #31 - The Conspiracy
18:13 - #32 - The Separation
        "6 Weird Morphing Glitches" by Spencer
        "Captain Kirk's Enemy Within" by Spencer
30:22 - #33 - The Illusion
43:33 - Conclusion

Fifth Doctor Revisited: "Castrovalva"

I'm finally moving my way into Fifth Doctor era. Though I love Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, a new Doctor was a breath of fresh air. I want to say that Peter Davison is among my favorite Doctors, but I'll leave that discussion for when TJ and I discuss his era on the podcast. In the meantime, I'll just share some of my musings/ramblings from watching the Fifth Doctor's first story: Castrovalva.

It's rare to get a Doctor Who story that's a direct sequel to the story prior. The closest I can think of is the Fourth Doctor's season with Sarah Jane and Harry. But I couldn't think of another regeneration episode that's a direct follow up/sequel to the previous Doctor's finale. This story leads right off the heels from Logopolis, still dealing with the effects of the Master and his plot. Sure, the Fifth Doctor was incapacitated most of the time, but the plot went almost seamlessly from one episode to the next.

Goodbye, iconic scarf

Speaking of the Doctor being incapacitated, the Third Doctor could have really used the Zero Room. Instead he was in UNIT's sick bay. It's too bad the Fifth Doctor jettisoned the Zero Room. A few future Doctors could have really used it... Specifically the Seventh, Eighth, Tenth and Twelfth Doctors didn’t have it. Could have helped. That's all.

I'm sad to say that I was tricked by Castrovalva; I thought the Master was the good guy. And I definitely didn't see the flaws in the fake paradise. And that's with having watched it before (granted, it's been like ten years). You'd think I'd see it coming even just with all my experience with the different Masters over the years. Well played, Master. Well played.

Do the costumes on Castrovalva remind anyone else of Monty Python?

Though many people complain about Adric (and occasionally I'm one of them) I loved how the TARDIS team worked together in this story. Each had a purpose in the Doctor's plans, even when the Master had Adric trapped. This is why I like a good well-rounded TARDIS team. The last time we had a true TARDIS team was Sarah Jane and Harry. After this team, we wouldn't get another until Rose and Captain Jack (unless you count Turlough... but he was a double agent part of the time).

I'm excited to see where we go from here. A fresh face. A new Doctor. And a decorative vegetable. Even having watched all these stories before, there are so many that it feels like a new experience each time.

Friday Creature Feature - Fledge

I debated for a while about which spotlight to do for Year of the Horse. I haven’t been consistent at featuring each year of the Chinese zodiac—mostly citing Disney dragons, dogs, tigers in the years I remembered to do it. Instead of Disney horses, I’m going with a creature feature from one of my favorite fandoms: Narnia. I could have easily gone with Narnian horses as a whole (Phillip, Bree, Hwin, Jewel, etc) but I wanted to look at the first powerful steed in Narnia’s history. 

Born to a cavalry horse, Fledge was called Strawberry by Frank, the cabby who owned him. Neither felt at home in the city and longed for the country life. So when Jadis commandeered the horse, it was providence that the pair was pulled into Narnia with Diggory, Polly, Uncle Andrew, and the Witch. 

As the creation of Narnia proceeded, Strawberry was turned into a talking horse by Aslan. He held vague memories of his life as a dumb animal. At least enough to trust Frank and carry the kids to the Lion, his final task as “Strawberry”.

When Diggory was tasked with protecting the new land of Narnia from Jadis, Aslan turned Strawberry in the winged horse named Fledge. And as the newly christened steed, he bonded with Polly and Diggory as they retrieved the fruit that would help protect Narnia for hundreds of years. 

I think it’s safe to assume that Fledge remained loyal to King Frank and Queen Helen as they reigned over Narnia. A majestic steed that was transformed by grandeur personified—or lion-ified. 

Unlike my “Mistaken Identity” posts, Fledge is a story of transformation. Though born a dumb horse, Strawberry became the majestic Fledge. Aslan’s power changed him into something that Strawberry couldn’t have imagined on his own. Taken in a gospel light, it’s not unlike how Jesus Christ transforms us through the power and grace of His atoning sacrifice. 

President Ezra Taft Benson said, “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can.” Just as Aslan turned Strawberry into the powerful and magical Fledge, Jesus Christ will turn each of us into miraculous and eternal beings as we turn our lives to Him. 

LDS Geeks Podcast #60: Fourth Doctor Villains

Over the course of the Fourth Doctor era, we saw some incredible villains. Some were more notable than others (I'm rather fond of the captain in "The Pirate Planet"). TJ and I had a great discussion of about five of our favorites.

--Spencer

Pokemon Nicknames: Marvel

A few weeks ago, my daughters were watching Spidey and His Amazing Friends (a great cheesy way to introduce kids to classic superheroes). I’m minding my own business and sn adorable and unfamiliar character appeared: Jeff the Shark. I had to look up the character and see if there was a comic book basis for the cute land fish. The resemblance to Gible is uncanny so immediately went into Pokemon Go and nicknamed my Garchomp “Jeff”. Naturally that led me to more Marvel-inspired nicknames—lots of them based off heroic pets. So here are some of my first favorites:

Trevenant as Groot

Ariados as Man-Spider

Golduck as Howard

Obstagoon as Rocket

(Shiny) Growlithe as Lucky

Gallade as Dr. Strange

Tyrunt as Old Lace

Granbull as Lockjaw

Gible as Jeff

Rhyperior as Rhino

Love is All You Need (in Tartarus)

As you may have noticed, I’ve developed a love for Rick Riordan’s universe of gods and heroes. After finishing the last short stories and audiobooks of the series, I’m taking a break from it before re-reading (currently re-reading Harry Potter, in addition to our ongoing Animorphs podcast project). But for Valentine’s Day I decided to revisit a portion of Heroes of Olympus. Just some thoughts I had about love while reading “The House of Hades” last summer. 

A little refresher for those who haven’t read Heroes of Olympus lately: At the end of “The Mark of Athena” our power couple Percy and Annabeth fell into the pit and spent the subsequent book walking through literal hell. They made a couple friends while trying to escape, while even the air of Tartarus tried to kill them both body and soul. 

Nico had recently escaped the pit after it nearly destroyed him. When Percy and Annabeth crash landed, things weren’t exactly hopeful. After all, even the son of Hades barely survived. The air itself was poisonous and only drinking from a fiery river kept them alive. 

One trial that particularly struck me early on their journey was the influence of the River Cocytus. Its powers fed them despair, regrets, and grief. Even being near the river was depressing. What struck me was how their physical contact with each other kept them anchored. 

I know not everyone’s love language is touch, but it’s high on my list. There’s something comforting for me about a hug when my anxiety or depression flare up. A physical anchor. Heck, I remember one night that my anxiety flared up after my wife and I went to bed. Not wanting to wake her, I gently let my hand rest against her back. That little connection helped me calm down even before she had the chance to roll over and check in. 

Whether it’s physical contact or something else, there’s something powerful about knowing you’re not alone. It was this journey that impressed me about anchoring myself in connection (not too different from anchoring myself in a positive memory when producing a Patronus). Everyone need someone who can be a safe place. Something like that can’t be manufactured; that trust must be developed and earned. 

This kind of safety is not limited to romantic relationships. Everyone needs a friend (or a few) with whom they can share their heart. I’m blessed to have friends who have helped me through Tartarus in the past. And definitely thankful for my wife who helps to ground me in reality when the Cocytus wants to drown me in despair. 

LDS Geeks Podcast #59: Animorphs Re-Read (8)

Every time I think our "filler" books won't give us much to talk about, I'm proven wrong. But along with those fillers, we had some heavy hitters like "The Attack" and "The Sickness". So go listen to this podcast episode and I'll be back after "these messages".

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 59 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent blog posts: click here

Check out Russell's recent blog posts: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
01:02 - Spencer's Recommendation: Hawkeye
        Available for streaming on Disney Plus
03:30 - Russell's Recommendation: Sing and Sing 2
06:01 - #26 - The Attack
15:30 - #27 - The Exposed
20:37 - #28 - The Experiment
29:07 - #29 - The Sickness
40:04 - Megamorphs 3: Elfangor's Secret
        "Preachings from 'Pollyanna'" by Russell
52:50 - Conclusion

Geek Tech 101: Digivice

Every Digimon fan fantasized at least once about having a digivice as a kid (and maybe still as an adult). Especially with the release of The Beginning in 2023, the history and lore of the digivices has evolved since that day that seven digivices fell to the Digi-Destined at summer camp.

The original digivices were designed to assist in the bond and digivolution of the partner Digimon. They also assisted the Digi-Destined in reaching the Digital World through various portals. The digivice enabled the Digi-Destined partners to reach as far as champion level. In conjunction with the child's crest power, the Digimon could reach ultimate and sometimes even mega. But even from the beginning, it was explicitly stated that the digivices were only a tool to assist in digivolution, not the means itself.

Compared to some later digivices, the original was very basic in function. Their power was nullified by the Control Spires and were unable to open a Digi-Port on their own. And without the crest power, the children's partners could only reach so far. Though limited in range in the real world, the digivices were able to track each other, which was especially important when tracking down the eighth digivice.

In the digivices history, we know they existed as far back as Daigo and Hime's team in the 1980s. Though we never saw their crests, we know their Digimon partners were able to reach ultimate and mega levels. The tricky thing (as far as the timeline) is that by all accounts these digivices predated Lui's bond with Ukkomon (who claimed he was the first digi-destined).

After these flashback events, the digivices were seen with our first season team of Digi-Destined, paired with their eight crests. Even without the physical crests, the children were able to use their digivices to reach ultimate and mega levels against Apocalymon. Though, in the interim between seasons, the kids gave up that crest power to strengthen the Digital World’s defenses. 

As I mentioned earlier, the digivices had their limitations in season two, forcing the evolution of the D3 (which I’ll spotlight another time) but that was only for six of the kids. The regular digivice still became the standard digivice for all children worldwide (until Oikawa’s children received their D3s). 

Year later the digivices were paired with smart phones that were able to tap into that power of digivolution. Presumably this was the work of Izzy (who else would come up with that?). The digivices and their associated smart phones eventually displayed the ring of light that served as the indicator or countdown to the Digimon’s disappearance. At the time that their bonds supposedly ended and the partner disappeared, the digivices cracked and presumably lost their power. 

A couple years later their purpose and history was called into question by Lui. Through the reconciliation of Lui and Ukkomon, the digivices and D3s disappeared. Their purpose fulfilled I suppose. But the bonds still existed.

I’d wager the digivolution was still possible (just like Tai and Kari with the original Koromon). And I’m still holding out for more of the Digimon Adventure story, connecting to the season two epilogue (which takes place next year). Here’s hoping. *fingers crossed*

My Favorite Purple Pokemon

Purple Pokemon might seem like a random topic (and it is) but it's my birthday weekend and purple is my color (along with Hufflepuff yellow), so I thought I'd just do something fun today. By no means is this exhaustive list of awesome purple Pokemon pals, but just a few of my favorites.

Nidoking

For whatever reason, I’ve never played through a Pokemon reason with Nidoking on my main team—maybe because I usually have the three starter Pokemon clogging my party on Yellow. But Nidoking is a tank! I feel like I need one with Surf and Earthquake to make my current play through of Yellow worth it  

Gengar

A friend got into Pokemon (finally) last year and one of his favorites immediately was Gengar. Who could blame him? Those Gen I ghost-types are iconic. Unfortunately Gengar has never been prominent on my team… because that would involve the hassle of trading with someone. 

Ditto

Ever since the Ditto-centric episode of Pokemon, it has been pretty iconic. And after Gen II came out, it became the unofficial breeding Pokemon. What would the Pokemon Daycare be without Ditto? Also, there’s that theory that it’s a failed clone of Mew.

Mewtwo

The antagonist of the first movie and supposedly the most powerful Pokemon (at least while psychic type was broken). Unfortunately this power house has been outdone plenty of times since by other legendary Pokemon. At least Mewtwo got a place in the world of Super Smash Bros Melee.  

Crobat

For whatever reason, as much as I like Crobat and how plentiful Zubat are, I haven’t played through with Crobat. Unlike Gengar, Golbat doesn’t need trading to evolve. Just patience. With the speed of Crobat, I really would be using this one more frequently.

Espeon

I’ve had an affinity for psychic-type Pokemon pretty much since day one. So when Gen II gave us a psychic Eeveelution (that happens to be my favorite color) it’s perfect. It’s a frequent addition to my Johto team.

Palkia

When Gen IV came out, I had Diamond, so my experience with Palkia is somewhat limited. That being said, I love the combination of water and dragon. It's a powerful type combination. Plus, I landed a combo on Pokemon TCG Pocket with Palkia Ex and Misty that won me a match on the first turn--The computer didn't even get a turn. 

I know there are plenty of other purple Pokemon past Gen II, but these are a few of my favorites. I definitely need to give a shoutout to Poipole, since its English name is literally meant to sound like "purple". Some other honorable mentions are Sabeleye, Grumpig, and Genesect. Also, there's shiny Swampert. That one's pretty cool.