Bassim El-Wakil
@basswakil.bsky.social
97% gif. Assigned to House Mollari’s sub-basement by JMS. Inventor of the Scawarene. Massive traitor. Twat of Rimmerian proportions. Creator of Action: The Art of Excitement, The Story Toolkit, and The Writer’s Jihad. Writer. Muslim.
Pinned
Frodo: I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened
Ted Lasso the Blue: You play poker, Frodo? I taught y’all that back a couple a centuries ago? You ever get a hand so bad you go “yeesh! I am gonna fold harder than Enron.” But then-
Ted Lasso the Blue: You play poker, Frodo? I taught y’all that back a couple a centuries ago? You ever get a hand so bad you go “yeesh! I am gonna fold harder than Enron.” But then-
Watched this clip probably about 15 years ago and now whenever I watch that scene - even as a gif - I see that moment Shatner gave. Every time. It’s beautiful and it makes me want to cry. It’s a shame it didn’t land on camera because you can see Shatner absolutely delivered
youtu.be/EViKw_nU8ko?...
youtu.be/EViKw_nU8ko?...
William Shatner - The Death of Captain Kirk (Paley Center, 2004)
YouTube video by The Paley Center for Media
youtu.be
December 6, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Watched this clip probably about 15 years ago and now whenever I watch that scene - even as a gif - I see that moment Shatner gave. Every time. It’s beautiful and it makes me want to cry. It’s a shame it didn’t land on camera because you can see Shatner absolutely delivered
youtu.be/EViKw_nU8ko?...
youtu.be/EViKw_nU8ko?...
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
The Nobel Prize committee should announce the World Cup winner tomorrow
December 6, 2025 at 4:29 AM
The Nobel Prize committee should announce the World Cup winner tomorrow
Latest TFT set is really very good
December 6, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Latest TFT set is really very good
December 5, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Just finished Second Shift by @igotkittypryde.bsky.social, a terrific corporate sci-fi dystopia graphic novel expanding on a short from her (also terrific) anthology Safer Places.
Well worth a read. Beautiful storytelling, quiet, muted and intimate.
Well worth a read. Beautiful storytelling, quiet, muted and intimate.
December 4, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Just finished Second Shift by @igotkittypryde.bsky.social, a terrific corporate sci-fi dystopia graphic novel expanding on a short from her (also terrific) anthology Safer Places.
Well worth a read. Beautiful storytelling, quiet, muted and intimate.
Well worth a read. Beautiful storytelling, quiet, muted and intimate.
why doesn’t this card give all creatures that enter this turn riot
December 3, 2025 at 2:42 PM
why doesn’t this card give all creatures that enter this turn riot
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
New post up: I wrote about why Hollywood Con Queen / Chameleon is one of the smartest, best-told true crime stories ever made.
Wild scam. Perfect protagonist. Top-tier narrative craft.
A reminder of how good podcasting can be when it’s done with real care.
open.substack.com/pub/soundsco...
Wild scam. Perfect protagonist. Top-tier narrative craft.
A reminder of how good podcasting can be when it’s done with real care.
open.substack.com/pub/soundsco...
Why I Love the Hollywood Con Queen
A great story brilliantly told
open.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:38 AM
New post up: I wrote about why Hollywood Con Queen / Chameleon is one of the smartest, best-told true crime stories ever made.
Wild scam. Perfect protagonist. Top-tier narrative craft.
A reminder of how good podcasting can be when it’s done with real care.
open.substack.com/pub/soundsco...
Wild scam. Perfect protagonist. Top-tier narrative craft.
A reminder of how good podcasting can be when it’s done with real care.
open.substack.com/pub/soundsco...
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
This is the funniest piece imaginable in the dull world of the otherwise sickly sycophantic tech review.
For real. Read it, even if you don’t give a rat’s ass about printers.
For real. Read it, even if you don’t give a rat’s ass about printers.
November 23, 2025 at 1:59 AM
This is the funniest piece imaginable in the dull world of the otherwise sickly sycophantic tech review.
For real. Read it, even if you don’t give a rat’s ass about printers.
For real. Read it, even if you don’t give a rat’s ass about printers.
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
Rewatching Curb Your Enthusiasm (never saw past season 8 before) and I’m just into season 7 and my two notes are: Leon Black is the best thing to happen to the show, and, the way they write off Loretta Black, particularly after the season 6 finale’s promise of a new life for Larry, is disappointing.
November 23, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Rewatching Curb Your Enthusiasm (never saw past season 8 before) and I’m just into season 7 and my two notes are: Leon Black is the best thing to happen to the show, and, the way they write off Loretta Black, particularly after the season 6 finale’s promise of a new life for Larry, is disappointing.
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
Riot’s league client is so shit on Mac I’ve had to resort to using a PC and holy shit balls its updates are automatic and freeze the entire system and even when it’s on pause and I disable the auto updater it still secretly updates and I can’t run anything it’s like I’m sharing the PC on a timeshare
November 20, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Riot’s league client is so shit on Mac I’ve had to resort to using a PC and holy shit balls its updates are automatic and freeze the entire system and even when it’s on pause and I disable the auto updater it still secretly updates and I can’t run anything it’s like I’m sharing the PC on a timeshare
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
i figured i should make a post about this since its kind of important and i wanted to get the word out
November 20, 2025 at 1:43 AM
i figured i should make a post about this since its kind of important and i wanted to get the word out
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
In some moments, I am tied to the idea that transition is about making me love myself more. But as I've progressed, I've realized the true point of it is to allow you to relax enough to love others more effectively.
November 20, 2025 at 1:54 PM
In some moments, I am tied to the idea that transition is about making me love myself more. But as I've progressed, I've realized the true point of it is to allow you to relax enough to love others more effectively.
I love “the issue is either you kill lots of muppets or you have Blanc without a whodunnit” that is so insightful BUT I think the solution may be to do it like Columbo; muppets aren’t victims or suspects but help Blanc annoy an arrogant criminal until they break
Poker Face + muppets could work too
Poker Face + muppets could work too
My justification ya filthy animals 🥰 theplaylist.net/rian-johnson...
Rian Johnson Says A ‘Knives Out’/Muppets Mash-Up Would “Break The Reality,” But He’d Still Love To Make A Straight-Up Muppet Movie
Rian Johnson playfully breaks down why a “Knives Out”/Muppets crossover wouldn’t work, but admits he would love to make a proper Muppet film
theplaylist.net
November 20, 2025 at 3:13 PM
I love “the issue is either you kill lots of muppets or you have Blanc without a whodunnit” that is so insightful BUT I think the solution may be to do it like Columbo; muppets aren’t victims or suspects but help Blanc annoy an arrogant criminal until they break
Poker Face + muppets could work too
Poker Face + muppets could work too
Really enjoying Bon Appetite Your Majesty, a Korean rom-dram about a 3-star Michelin chef who is thrust back 500 years in time and forced to cook for a tyrant. I’m on episode 5 and it’s really quite a cosy, whimsical thing. 😇
November 18, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Really enjoying Bon Appetite Your Majesty, a Korean rom-dram about a 3-star Michelin chef who is thrust back 500 years in time and forced to cook for a tyrant. I’m on episode 5 and it’s really quite a cosy, whimsical thing. 😇
The only reason none of these AI companies are called Skynet is because that’s what the UK already named their network of *military satellites*
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_...
November 17, 2025 at 2:56 PM
The only reason none of these AI companies are called Skynet is because that’s what the UK already named their network of *military satellites*
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skynet_...
Literally I am so happy that I actively don’t want to watch the trailer. I want to go in as cold as possible. I love these movies so much ♥️
Final trailer! Wake Up Dead Man is in theaters 11/26 and on Netflix 12/12. Can’t WAIT for you all to see it. #wakeupdeadman
November 17, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Literally I am so happy that I actively don’t want to watch the trailer. I want to go in as cold as possible. I love these movies so much ♥️
It’s amazing how the biggest complaint of the cinema in yesteryear was bad audiences ruining it with talking and snarky comments yet those people now have YouTube channels and because the price of cinema has gone up, people would rather hear the bad audience takes than watch the movie.
November 17, 2025 at 1:42 PM
It’s amazing how the biggest complaint of the cinema in yesteryear was bad audiences ruining it with talking and snarky comments yet those people now have YouTube channels and because the price of cinema has gone up, people would rather hear the bad audience takes than watch the movie.
For the audio lovers
New Sounds Complete Radio post is up:
• why one of my best story-finding tricks is breaking;
• three banger pieces from Alex Sujong Laughlin on why podcasting is a tire fire;
• AND a rare ray of light: we’ve got a new season of The Girlfriends out
soundscompleteradio.substack.com/p/links-i-wo...
• why one of my best story-finding tricks is breaking;
• three banger pieces from Alex Sujong Laughlin on why podcasting is a tire fire;
• AND a rare ray of light: we’ve got a new season of The Girlfriends out
soundscompleteradio.substack.com/p/links-i-wo...
Links I would slack you if we were colleagues...
Exciting things to listen or read about why society is broken
soundscompleteradio.substack.com
November 17, 2025 at 12:27 PM
For the audio lovers
Reposted by Bassim El-Wakil
My power of knowing obscure marvel characters may not have been valued when I was lecturing on action writing or by wizards when they made a marvel set but marveldle respects me
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟨🟩⬆️
🟩🟩🟨🟨🟩⬇️
🟥🟩🟨🟨🟩⬆️
marveldle.com/character/co...
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟨🟩⬆️
🟩🟩🟨🟨🟩⬇️
🟥🟩🟨🟨🟩⬆️
marveldle.com/character/co...
Marveldle
Daily guess Marvel comics and MCU characters
marveldle.com
November 15, 2025 at 8:32 PM
My power of knowing obscure marvel characters may not have been valued when I was lecturing on action writing or by wizards when they made a marvel set but marveldle respects me
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟨🟩⬆️
🟩🟩🟨🟨🟩⬇️
🟥🟩🟨🟨🟩⬆️
marveldle.com/character/co...
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟨🟩⬆️
🟩🟩🟨🟨🟩⬇️
🟥🟩🟨🟨🟩⬆️
marveldle.com/character/co...
I can't wait for when our long dead AI grandparents, who have now replaced all memory of our *actual* grandparents, give secret advice to our kids, on just exactly how to commit suicide.
And they roped my beloved Ma Kent into this.
And they roped my beloved Ma Kent into this.
November 15, 2025 at 5:32 PM
I can't wait for when our long dead AI grandparents, who have now replaced all memory of our *actual* grandparents, give secret advice to our kids, on just exactly how to commit suicide.
And they roped my beloved Ma Kent into this.
And they roped my beloved Ma Kent into this.
I saw this video short of a guy trying to buy just the case at GameStop and it seems to be... a thing? Why? I did a search but no real answer, just more questions on if you can do this. Why would anyone want to pay just for the case?
November 15, 2025 at 1:37 AM
I saw this video short of a guy trying to buy just the case at GameStop and it seems to be... a thing? Why? I did a search but no real answer, just more questions on if you can do this. Why would anyone want to pay just for the case?