Mockingjay Pt 2 Countdown: EPILOGUE

Epilogue

And here we are, this is the bittersweet ending to not only the movie series, but also our Mockingjay Countdown posts! To celebrate that, check out some of our favorite countdown post artwork!

Chapter 15


mmmmmm whatcha sayyyyy // video by Denise featuring Denise and Courtney

Chapter 16

the Odair-Cresta wedding was GREAT but we didn't get to see the cake! Luckily, we know what it would have looked like. // graphic by me (Janine)
Chapter 22

:( // video by Denise

Chapter 23

we LOVE Tigris and her shop (and Eugenie Bondurat who is gorgeous and super nice in person) and this commercial is probably our favorite video! Tigris, if/when your shop opens up again, call us! // video by Denise

Chapter 25



We didn't get to see Katniss' parachute-induced dream, but you can't help but imagine this exact thing when you read it! // Art by Courtney

Chapter 27http://www.welcometodistrict12.com/2015/11/chapter-25-creature-as-unquenchable-as.html



Katniss' book. Ending the countdown with all the feels! // Graphic by Tiffany

And now let's talk about the Epilogue!

We’re sure the epilogue presented a slight challenge for the movie adaptation, since there is no voiceover from Katniss. The overall message of the epilogue was there, but instead of Katniss telling the readers, she’s speaking sweetly to her baby.

In the book, Katniss has an older girl with dark hair and a younger boy with blond hair, but since the movie used Jennifer Lawrence’s nephews, this is different. Katniss mentions the Hunger Games more directly in the book’s epilogue, saying that they’re taught about in school and that their daughter knows that Peeta and Katniss played a role. Despite these changes, the epilogue for the movie definitely fit the tone of the book’s epilogue without making it longer than it had to be.

Both epilogues end with the same line, and the movie’s credits roll to Jennifer singing Deep in the Meadow, whose lyrics are in the epilogue. My favorite thing in the epilogue though, which felt like a nod to book fans, is Peeta and their son playing with a dandelion. Overall, we feel that the movie epilogue was well adapted. Kudos to Francis!

- Tiffany

So there you have it! Do you have a favorite countdown post! Let us know here or tweet us @WtoD12

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

We're almost to the end of Mockingjay and our countdown, and as the movie draws nearer, we're at a chapter that we're anxious to see on film.

After Katniss kills Coin, she's taken to her old room in the Training Center as her trial goes on without her. Will we see Katniss's trial? Will she be there or will they hold her in the room like in the book? So many questions about how this part of the book has translated to the movie, and we haven't had any indication either way. Since the books are limited to Katniss's POV and the movies aren't, we could very well see the discussion about what to do with her.

Eventually, Haymitch takes her home to District 12. He's charged with looking after her since her mother will not be coming home. Katniss struggles to look after herself, only eating when Greasy Sae comes over to cook for her. She comes across Peeta when he finally arrives back in District 12. He's planting evening primrose in her yard in memory of Prim. Katniss finds out Gale won't be coming back. For the sake of pacing in film, this might not be as dragged out in the book. It's likely Peeta may come back with Katniss and Katniss finds out that Gale won't be coming back sooner.

Katniss tries to go hunting, but she's too weak. Buttercup shows up when she comes back, and Katniss yells at the cat that Prim isn't coming back. We're praying this scene makes it to the movie as it resonates with a lot of fans. This triggers the beginnings of Katniss's recovery. Afterwards, she speaks with her mother and Dr. Aurelius on the phone. Katniss decides to fill a book with memories of the people she's lost and does so with help from Peeta and Haymitch. It would be a nice touch to see it in the movie.

At the end of the chapter, she reveals that she and Peeta fall in love:

So after, when he whispers, “You love me. Real or not real?” 

I tell him, “Real.”

Cue intense crying and sobbing from everyone in the audience. Probably.

Next up on our Countdown, we'll have the infamous Epilogue to lead us into the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.

Chapter 26: The Mockingjay Deal

We are almost at the end! Today we will be discussing Chapter 26: The Mockingjay Deal. In the aftermath of Katniss' confusion about who was really behind the bomb, she reverts heavily to her District 13 habits. She is far worse now than ever, and the notion that the rebels are behind the worst act of all is likely sending Katniss into insanity. It'll be interesting to see if they include Haymitch's MEGA HARSH quip when Katniss tries to confide in him. “More boy trouble?”

To me, the aftermath of everything is the most interesting and important part of Mockingjay. Suzanne Collins' whole point of writing this series was to illustrate the destruction and reality of war. The aftermath of war is lack of closure, consequences, war tribunals, and finally-- recovery. There's a ton happening all at once at this point in the story: Katniss grieving and trying hold on to sanity, finding out the rebels were probably the guilty party, slipping further into insanity, prepping for Snow's execution, and all of a sudden having to make a what will be an earth-shattering decision. A final Hunger Games.

Five years ago, we started on tumblr (we were fuckyeahdistrict12 haha) and The Hunger Games community was pretty small. All we really had to go on was fan art and book discussion. The topic we talked about the most by far was The Mockingjay Deal. It's quite a shocker to see that Katniss voted yes... for Prim, and although most everyone has a similar theory, many young readers often asked why she said yes. Katniss knows for sure at that moment who was behind the parachutes, what kind of leader Coin is, and that “nothing has changed.” It's the last thing Katniss needs to hear to make her final decision. Besides, Katniss isn't planning on being around much longer anyway. Gotta admit, this whole section is what I'm most anxious to see. Will we get to see a trial? How will the Mockingjay Deal scene happen? We're almost a week away from finding out!

Chapter 25: A Creature as Unquenchable as the Sun

“A creature as unquenchable as the sun.

A fire mutt knows only a single sensation: agony. No sight, no sound, no feeling except the unrelenting burning of flesh. Perhaps there are periods of unconsciousness, but what can it matter if I can't find refuge in them? I am Cinna's bird, ignited, flying frantically to escape something inescapable. The feathers of flame that grow from my body. Beating my wings only fans the blaze. I consume myself, but to no end.”

We continue our Mockingjay Part 2 Countdown with Chapter 25 in which Katniss has a dream in her unconscious and damaged state after the parachutes go off in the City Circle.

I can't even begin to make a decision on whether or not Francis chose to adapt Katniss' dream post parachutes, but I have always gravitated towards the imagery Suzanne created during this dream sequence. It's not exactly a necessary scene, but it is good representation of Katniss letting go of Prim using all the symbolism we've come to be familiar with this far in to the story. As for this showing up in the film, I wouldn't hold my breath but at the same time I would never doubt Francis to make it happen.

Although I chose to spotlight Katniss' dream, this is by no means the most important event in this chapter. Hoooo not by a long shot! When Katniss awakes, she becomes aware of the situation and the precious thing she has lost. She doesn't talk, and relapses back to her old habits of climbing in small spaces, mentally reminding herself of who she is. Then Katniss walks into Snow's rose garden and they proceed to have THAT conversation.

I for one am extremely interested to see how the film will handle this scene and the overall perception of Coin's character given the almost friendly characterization of her in Mockingjay Part 1. There is so much aftermath after the parachutes, the whole event surrounding Coin and her actions is just one of a few important events I hope are dealt with very accurately. I'm not too worried though, Francis Lawrence always has a great handle on what makes these books important and adapting them appropriately.

Mockingjay Part 2 Countdown: The Girl in the Lemon Coat (Chapter 24)

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Chapter 24

*Spoilers! Well, I don't say it outright but just to be safe...

If there is any chapter that defines what this series is truly about, it is Chapter 24 of Mockingjay. In it you will find some of the most gruesome and horrifying scenes ever to grace the pages of a young adult series. When I started getting into The Hunger Games, I read somewhere that Suzanne Collins doesn't write kids books, she writes about war for kids. War and PTSD was something she dealt with as a child, and wanted to give kids an idea of what war is truly like especially for those in need of understanding it. Not just the horrible unimaginable stuff, but aftermath, closure, PTSD, grief, guilt, and frankly, reality. This is what these books are about, and it is this chapter that fully encompasses what a battlefield is truly like.

Before shots are fired, Katniss and Gale are disguised and walking with displaced refugees towards Snow's mansion. Funny how five years after Mockingjay was published the current relevancy of this scene. Katniss then slows down because she catches the eye of a little girl in a lemon coat. This little girl repeatedly sticks in Katniss' mind, which is something I too always remember most about this scene. I've always thought the girl in the lemon coat was a nod to the little red coat girl in Schindler's List. Seemed oddly appropriate given the themes of war and oppression in The Hunger Games. It's this reference (which I'm not even sure was done on purpose) that inspired my above graphite drawing. The lemon coat girl is an omen for Katniss. She is scared that this little girl knows who she is and their cover will be blown. Actually, it is this precise moment that the rebels break through and cause the gun fire and panic. They're not shooting people on purpose, they are aiming for the peacekeepers. But the casualties are tremendous. The battlefield has begun and the innocent civilians are caught in the middle. The lemon coat girl bends over her companion who has been shot. As Katniss sees this, the girl is gunned down and the image of her little lemon coat covered in her own blood is a horrifying image that Katniss has trouble shaking repeatedly. The constant implication that the rebels are not the good guys, that this little girl probably reminds her of Prim, and the societal truth that Panem is covered in the blood of its children are all things that run through Katniss' mind in this moment. Unfortunately, it's just the beginning.

After the gunfire, three pods go off in succession as Katniss and Gale are traversing through the streets as fast as possible. The first is a boiling hot substance that basically liquefies everyone in its path, and the second occurs right when Katniss and Gale turn a corner, which they narrowly miss. It's a purple light that causes people's blood to explode out of their orifices. Actually, it's not too far off from chemical warfare. Lastly, right before Katniss reaches the City Circle the ground gives way. Katniss describes the smell as many corpses on a hot summer day, and anyone not smart and/or strong enough to hold onto doorknobs fall helplessly into the abyss. As Katniss finds refuge on a light post, that's when she sees the shield made of Capitol children. The hovercraft, the parachutes, the “undersized body parts”, the medics, HER, and then the snare trap. And it's over.

How will Francis Lawrence deal with all this gruesome violence and war? As accurately as a PG-13 film in 2015 will allow is my guess. Francis is a big believer in honoring the text Suzanne wrote and he understands the importance of the story of war being told. This chapter is understandably upsetting, but it is sadly the reality of war and these kinds of things have happened. The scores of rotting corpses, chemical warfare, refugees, civilian casualties, these are all real. Francis will honor the books without being too gratuitous, but I think the horror and violence portrayed will be enough to serve its purpose.

Next week..... The aftermath....

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 23

Chapter 23

video by Denise

After the tragedy that happened in the previous chapter, Cressida leads the remaining members of the Star Squad into a fur underwear store (if you couldn't tell from the commercial above) run by a woman named Tigris, a rebel ally. Based on what we've seen of Tigris from the final trailer and Nina Jacobson's tweet about the set for Tigris' shop, the set is going to be AMAZING.

Tigris is revealed to be Plutarch's contact. She doesn't have a chance to contact him in the books, but it's possible she does in the movie to give us a chance to see what Plutarch and Coin are up to, specially since Tigris tells Katniss that no one knows what to do with her.

After a particularly heavy round of Real or Not Real with Peeta, Katniss falls asleep and has a weird dream involving Effie. Since Effie has been written into the movie, it's possible she might have a different dream or for the dream sequence be cut in favor of other things, but I feel like Effie will be involved in some way since Tigris used to be a stylist for the Hunger Games.

The next day, Katniss comes clean about the fact that she made up the secret mission Coin gave her and surprise, surprise, no one is surprised. This also includes another one of my favorite Peeta lines from the book, “I think…you still have no idea. The effect you can have.” I hope they keep that!

At comic-con Liam Hemsworth said one of the things he was excited about was the conversation Gale and Peeta have. They talk about who Katniss loves more. The Peeta-Gale-Katniss "love triangle" is something the press likes to talk about a lot so I'm sure this'll be a pretty weighty scene. The love triangle is obviously not what the movies or the books are about, but it's still a thing that we cannot get away from because drama. The movies have always handled this pretty well, though, so I'm curious to see what it'll be like.

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

***SPOILER ALERT***

AKA the chapter which we don't like to speak of. I don't know what evil I did to end up writing about this chapter, but here I am. The first time I read it I didn't even realize what happened until it was too late and I had to go back and experience the horror that is Finnick's death.

I've been terrified by the mutts since the first book, these ones by far freaked me out the worst. The whole Star Squad is startled by the echoing of the mutts hissing "Katniss" and even more discouraged by Peeta joining in. They're flee for their lives through the tunnels when Katniss is overwhelmed by the smell the mutts are giving off.
One of my favorite things about the horror of President Snow is his collection of roses. The films have even added to this terror by constantly assaulting the viewer with images of the rose gardens and making sure that we associate roses with Snow. I hope that they could bring this scent association to life even though we won't (thankfully!) be subjected to it during the film. Unless some jerk decides to bring some roses in the theater.

The mutts that follow Katniss and crew are reptilian and reeking of roses. The mutts surround them and Katniss and friends have no way out except to go to street level. Two of the Star Squad stay back to cover them, thus sacrificing themselves for Katniss' safety. As they climb to safety, the mutts catch Finnick and start to tear at him. Katniss uses her Holo for one last time as she says the passcode to make it explode and offers Finnick a quick death.

I am excited and anxious to see this scene play out. I hope that like with most of the deaths in the movies, we will not get a glorified show, but instead a fast paced realistic death. On the other hand I really want them to say "Screw Canon!" and let Finnick live out the rest of his days with Annie and now I'm starting to cry... WHY SUZANNE, WHY???

At the end, they are down to just five. Pollux, Cressida, Gale, Peeta and Katniss. They climb into someone's house right as the owner opens the door to investigate the noise. The owner is about to cry for help when Katniss guns her down. I WANT THIS SCENE TO HAPPEN SO BADLY. I think it's by far one of the most interesting scenes, that even though that person is just a random citizen, Katniss does not hesitate to be the soldier that she has become and keep her friends safe. I feel like this is a far cry from the Katniss of the first book, who would have never killed anyone in cold blood like this.

And now I'm going to cry over Finnick some more and pretend it never happened.

BTW- Have you bought your ticket for Mockingjay yet????? I did!!! Can't wait for the final chapter!

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

And we're back counting down to the release of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. This week we pick up right where Chapter 20 left off.

To recap, Peeta had pushed Mitchell off him and into a trap that killed him, and he declared that the next step for them was to kill him. Chapter 21 continues right after he says that, and the entire Star Squad refuses. The  conversation reminds Katniss of a verse of The Hanging Tree, which further emphasizes the symbolism in the song. While it's unlikely this connection will be made so explicitly in the movie, it would be great hear a couple of notes from The Hanging Tree somewhere in this scene.

The squad finds some canned goods, and when they're rifling through them, Peeta hands Katniss a can of lamb stew. Cue: feels overload.

Not that we have to remind you, but lamb stew is Katniss's favorite Capitol food throughout the books, and this triggers in Katniss a realization that Peeta must remember that. Because lamb stew isn't really a thing in the movies, it's highly unlikely this will be in the movie, but it's such an emotional moment of the books that I must mention it.

You can make your own lamb stew with this recipe from FictionalFood.net
Doesn't it look delicious?

As they eat, Snow comes on the viewing screen to announce that Katniss and her squad are dead. The rebels interrupt the broadcast and Coin comes on to eulogize Katniss and rally the rebellion around her supposed death. It would be great to see this in the movie, since it would keep Coin and Snow in the story.

After the broadcast, they decide to move through the city underground. Peeta again wishes to be left behind or killed, insisting that it would be dangerous for him to be with them. When he eventually resigns himself to going with them, he refuses to have them uncuff him, and Katniss asks for the key. In the trailers, it appears that Peeta is still handcuffed when they go through the sewers, so it's very likely this will make it some form or another into the movie.

Castor explains that his brother Pollux worked underground for five years, and Peeta makes a comment about Pollux being their most valuable asset. Aside from him being completely right, Katniss also reflects on how she's seeing bits of the old Peeta in that comment. The movie will need to keep and maybe add in more moments like this to show Peeta's recovery, especially since Katniss won't be vocalizing these thoughts.

With Pollux's help, he leads them through the underground tunnels, and eventually they choose to rest. When Katniss is on watch, she notices Peeta is awake. After giving him a can of food to eat, she talks to him about him being able to tell which memories are real. She tells him to go to sleep, and she comfortingly touches Peeta's forehead. It's the first time she's touched him since his hijacking. This prompts Peeta to ask a "real or not real":

“You’re still trying to protect me. Real or not real,” he whispers. “Real,” I answer. It seems to require more explanation. “Because that’s what you and I do. Protect each other.”

Cue a million tears. Also, I'll be very surprised if this moment doesn't make it in the movie. It's a huge fan favorite.

Finally, the chapter ends with the scariest, most ominous moment possibly of the entire book. As she wakes the rest of the squad so they can get moving, she hears her name being hissed in the tunnels. It isn't clear from the trailers whether or not the lizard mutts will hiss Katniss's name, but it would make for a really creepy movie moment.

Join us again next week for Chapter 22!

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

If you read Chapter 19 of our countdown, you would know that that chapter ends with Boggs losing his legs. This chapter (obviously) starts immediately after that. Boggs knows this is it for him, so he transfers control of his Holo to Katniss so she can continue her own mission. "Don't trust them. Don't go back. Kill Peeta. Do what you came to do." We're gonna miss Boggs.

Boggs stepping on a pod started a chain reaction of, well, more pods. Horrifying, of course, but it's probably going to look really cool on-screen. What appears to be black tar spews out from the street and threatens to engulf everything, the barbed wires that kill Mitchell (RIP Mitchell) after Peeta throws him off for trying to restrain him after he attempts to kill Katniss in the midst of all the chaos, fumes and a bunch of other things. There's just so much going on and it'skind of hard to keep track of everyone (personally, I almost missed Mitchell. Sorry Mitchell!) so it'll definitely be a high-action sequence that'll keep everyone at the edge of their seats, maybe similar to the scene in the previous movie when they rescued the tributes from the Capitol while Katniss was talking to Snow.

The group reconvenes in an abandoned house and Peeta is cuffed and locked in a closet for now. Jackson tries to assume her (rightful) place as squad leader, but Katniss has access of the holo now, and she tries to convince Jackson that Boggs left her in charge because Coin gave her a special mission. Jackson doesn't really believe Katniss until Cressida backs her up. Cressida is obviously a better on-the-fly liar than Katniss, because Jackson acquiesces and then they're off. They walk through the destruction left by the pods that tried to kill them, and also other pods that have been triggered by the black tar, and they go into another house where they find out from an emergency broadcast that they're presumed dead. The initial explosion of course caught the Capitol's attention, and Peacekeepers were sent to gun their old hideout down. Katniss, Finnick, Boggs, Peeta, Cressida and Gale were specifically identified.

This is great for their mission, but not only does the Capitol think they're dead, but also the people back in District 13. We will probably get to see their families react to the heartbreaking news. Maybe even Plutarch and Coin discussing new strategies now that the Mockingjay and the other tributes are dead. Or Coin addressing the rebels and using Katniss' death to motivate them to push harder. Or maybe she's just in her office smirking because her plan to kill Katniss has worked as far as she knows.

While Katniss and her team are discussing what to do next, Peeta, who seems to be back in his right mind suggests that they kill him.

Spoiler alert: they don't kill Peeta BUT there is another painful death next chapter. See you next week!

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

So in this chapter we finally get to see President Coin's real plan for Katniss (thanks to Boggs): She does not 100% support Coin who wants to make sure she keeps her position after the war, so the only thing left for Katniss to do is die in the war because it'll look good and motivate the rebels. Which is where Peeta comes in. It's a great sort of evil mastermind plan, actually. Showing Peeta fighting with the rebels after being captured and tortured by the Capitol does make for great propos, so no one can really question Coin's decision to send him to the Capitol as the newest member of Squad 451. More importantly, Peeta has been hijacked by Snow to, essentially, kill Katniss. He was doing well enough to do Finnick and Annie's wedding cake, and to go through basic training with the rest of the soldiers, but he's still unstable. Thankfully, the Squad actually cares about Katniss, so they take shifts watching Peeta.

Katniss is not the only one they care about, either. They care about Peeta, whether it's because they knew him from before or because he helped save District 13 from the Capitol's attacks. Peeta is having trouble distinguishing between his real memories and those that were hijacked and corrupted. So Jackson starts the game that brings us all the feels:

You guessed it, it's Real or Not Real. Peeta tells them about a memory, whether or not it's him getting District 12 set on fire (Not Real) or watching an Avox getting tortured to punish him (Real). They all take shifts watching Peeta and helping him figure out who he really was before he was taken.

The chapter ends with the them filming Propos which gets cut off when a blast literally takes out Bogg's legs. Ouch. Josh Hutcherson did a great job portraying hijacked Peeta at the end of the last movie (and by great I mean terrifying) and I'm sure he'll do this version of Peeta justice as well. Part of me is looking forward to it while another part is already crying at the thought of seeing Katniss and Peeta's stunted but super emotional discussions over what seem to be mundane things like their favorite colors. I honestly don't think I can ever be emotionally prepared enough for these scenes, but I'm excited for them nonetheless!

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"Squad Four-Five-One, you have been selected for a special mission..."
Patch design by WtoD12's Tiffany

It's another week for our Mockingjay Part 2 Countdown, and we dive right into Chapter 18. 

The beginning of the chapter starts continues Katniss's training, and she notices that Peeta is also training. Plutarch explains that it's for the cameras. It's possible some glimpse of this may make it in the movie so that Peeta's joining the squad later on does not come completely out of left field.

Eventually, Katniss and Johanna are recommended for the exam to see if they are ready to be deployed, and Katniss is told that the exam is designed to test each person's weaknesses. While in the test, Katniss realizes her perceived weakness is an inability to follow orders, and she passes when she goes against her instinct to ignore her squadron leader's order to hit the ground. This whole sequence would be great to see in the movie since seeing Katniss in the test would be entertaining for the movie, however I'm not sure how her internalized realization of her weakness would translate to the screen. Also, later in the chapter, Haymitch explains that Johanna didn't pass her exam. They flooded the street, triggering traumatic flashbacks from when Johanna was tortured in the Capitol. This conversation happens a few scenes later, but if the exam is in the movie then they will most likely just show what happened to Johanna prior to Katniss's exam.

Katniss finds herself in Squad 451 with Finnick, Gale, and several others under Boggs's command. In the chapter, Squad 451 is being briefed by Plutarch in Command about pods of unpredictable dangers set as weapons through out the Capitol. However, from what we've seen in trailers for the movie, it appears that it will be Commander Paylor who briefs the soldiers on a larger scale than what is described in the book. Finnick and Katniss together figure out that it's another Hunger Games, and also shown in the trailers, it seems fairly true to the book, though Finnick says the complete line.

Haymitch suggests to Finnick and Katniss to visit Johanna in the hospital. Katniss notes that Johanna doesn't have anything personal with her so she goes to the woods and gathers a bundle of pine tree needles. She gives it to Johanna as something to remind her of her home in District 7. Johanna makes Katniss promise to kill Snow. I hope this does make it into the movie as it is an important moment between the two characters. Also afterwards Johanna is fairly absent from the rest of the story so keeping most of her scenes is essential.

Katniss introduces the remaining members of Squad 451: Jackson, Leeg 1, Leeg 2, Mitchell, and Homes. All these characters have been cast in the movie so we know Katniss will have a full squad. Plutarch explains to them that they are the Star Squad, and their main objective is to be filmed for propaganda purposes. Katniss says goodbye to her family, and while this takes up about two paragraphs in the book, it's more likely that this will be a bigger scene in the movie considering it's the last time Katniss and Prim speak to each other (I'm sorry, is this a spoiler? Read the book).

Squad 451 is finally deployed, taken to the Capitol via hovercraft. Katniss explains how bored everyone is and how little they actually get to do. While I see this part of the movie being slightly more exciting than in the book for visual reasons (sweeping shots of a battle-torn Capitol, for example) I do hope they keep this moment in, if only for the humor:

Once in a while it seems a real sharpshooter’s services are needed. Eight hands go up, but Gale, Finnick, and I are never chosen. “It’s your own fault for being so camera-ready,” I tell Gale. If looks could kill.

The Holo makes its first appearance, and we've seen it briefly in trailers. Katniss plans to steal the squad's Holo before she leaves. I'm not entirely sure if Katniss will need to have a plan to go off on her own in the movie since it all becomes somewhat irrelevant anyway and just ends up happening. It's quite possible that they will skip Katniss's secret plan to leave for easier storytelling purposes.

Finally, Leeg 2 dies after stepping on a pod that shoots metal darts, and Peeta is sent to Squad 451 to take her place. He explains it was Coin's decision, and Katniss realizes that she is of more use to the rebellion dead than alive. I'm not entirely sure how this will be articulated in the movie, but it is essential that this point comes across to show Coin's duplicity and to fill the audience with doubts about Coin's motives.

Well that's it for Chapter 18. See you again next week!

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

GOLLUM GOLLUM...*ahem* I mean PEETA. Poor Peeta is so confused by his memories he's started arguing with himself like Smeagol from Lord Of The Rings. 

Chapter 17 opens up to Katniss finding out that according to District 13, her part in the fight against The Capitol is over. She is furious that she will not be able to join Gale and the other soldiers in the fight on the front lines. In order to be able to join the soldiers, Katniss is given the opportunity to join them in training to get into fighting form in time to attack. Katniss gets Johanna to join her in training so they will both be able to go. 

I don't necessarily think that this will make it in the movie as more than a tiny part but if the movies were a little more silly this would be a perfect place for a montage. Katniss and Johanna working out. Johanna freaking out over the rain. Throwing up their stew whilst doing jumping jacks. You know, normal training footage, showing us a passage of time. Lots of things happening at once, reminding everyone of what's going on, with every shot show a little improvement because to show it all would take too long. THAT'S CALLED A MONTAAAAGE. EVEN ROCKY HAD A MONTAGE. And of course you gotta fade out in a montage. 

At some point during this training montage, Johanna and Katniss have decided to bunk together. They go to get dinner with their friends and low and behold who shows up but crazy himself, Peeta. He proceeds to make some off color remarks about Annie and Katniss and Katniss decides to leave. Johanna later tells her that when she left Peeta starts to argue with himself as if he was two people. They quiz each other on military tactics and as they go to sleep, Katniss gathers the courage to ask Johanna about being tortured in The Capitol with Peeta. Johanna confirms that they were very familiar with each other's screams. Neither girl has a peaceful night. 

I really hope that this conversation between Johanna and Katniss happens. We get a glimpse of what was done to Peeta and Johanna and we see how truly broken Peeta's memory is. 

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 begins with Katniss waking up in the hospital in Distirct 13 from a Morphling-induced nightmare after she's been shot in District 2. She is wakes up when dream Peeta says, "Always." If this dream sounds familiar to you, it's because it already happened in Mockingjay Part 1. Since it seems like they borrowed that scene from this chapter, it's highly unlikely it'll be repeated in this movie, but then again you never know.

Instead of that scene, it would be interesting to see something that Katniss wasn't present for: the discussion that the commanding officers in District 13 had about the incident and how they can take advantage of it (they shoot propos of Katniss in her hospital bed showing off her scars later on in the chapter). This would be a great opportunity for the movie to introduce President Coin's more conniving side. It's possible she doesn't see what happened to Katniss as a bad thing, and that maybe gives her ideas later on that affect some of her more drastic choices involving Katniss and what she's willing to do to secure her position of power once the rebels gain control of the Capitol.

We see Johanna Mason for the first time in a while after Katniss wakes up and after a conversation with her and another one with Gale afterwards, the next scene in the book is Katniss talking to Plutarch Heavensbee. He explains to her that since the rebels have taken District 2, the Capitol is now cut off from the rest of the country and because they were more focused on their overly luxurious lifestyles (Panem et Circenses - Bread and Circuses), they cannot afford to sustain themselves from much longer. In the meantime, the rebellion is taking time to regroup and film a pretty big propo - Finnick and Annie's wedding. We don't know if Philip Seymour Hoffman was around for this scene. Hopefully he was but if he isn't, Katniss will most likely have the conversation with Haymitch (or Finnick or Boggs). It's also possible that Effie will be present for the latter part of the conversation for the wedding and to maybe explain the Capitol lifestyle since she's one of the few people in District 13 who is originally from the Capitol.

Speaking of the wedding and Effie, I'm really excited to see her there for the prep and the wedding itself. The wedding is the happiest thing that happens in the book and as we've seen, Effie certainly brings a certain degree of levity to the scenes she's in. I hope she says one of my favorite lines from the book- "It's been so long since I've seen anything pretty" - originally said by Octavia.

In case you couldn't tell above, I'm really excited to see Annie and Finnick's wedding cake that Peeta had decorated. I'm also hoping we get to see him work on it. Katniss has not seen Peeta since he was very unstable and by the time she sees him again later on in the chapter, he seems calmer and more well-adjusted. At least well-adjusted enough to intricately frost a wedding cake "under heavy guard," as Haymitch put it in the book, so it would be interesting to see how he got to that point, maybe working with Delly Cartwright or whoever is filling her role.

Of course since the happiest thing in the book happens in this chapter, it is immediately followed by one of the more heartbreaking scenes in my opinion. Katniss realizes that any illusions Peeta had about her before he was captured and tortured by the Capitol has been destroyed. He's done putting her on a pedestal and that upsets her. Even more upsetting to me personally is Peeta remembering the story about the bread on his own, even the dandelion. Then he says another one of my favorite lines from the book that 98% of me is sure is going to make it into the movie (the other 2% is hoping and praying tbh)- "I must have loved you a lot." FEELS.

Previous Mockingjay PT 2 Countdown posts

Introduction/Chapter 13

Chapter 14
Chapter 15

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

MMM what you saaaaayyyyy.... our extremely accurate account of the end of Chapter 15 will for sure be shown EXACTLY like this. Complete with Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek". (Thank you, The OC for the most melodramatic shooting scene in the world and SNL for parodying that scene in their skit "Dear Sister" years later.)

The beginning of the end of Katniss and Gale's relationship, where Gale's suggestion to trap the citizens of District 2 in the Nut and force them to either die or surrender. Katniss is reminded of her father's death and this moment heavily foreshadows Prim's untimely end.

I'm hoping that this is the turning point in Gale's destructive arc. So far he's been a very sympathetic character and his bloodthirsty attitude towards the Capitol has been downplayed. Katniss' horror at his suggestion is shared with others, though his suggestion is agreed upon.

I'm excited to see the avalanche and destruction shown onscreen. We've had glimpses of huge destruction in the trailer which will look amazing! I also hope we will have some sort of flashback to Katniss' fathers death and how similar it is to the people who will die in the Nut.

While they are executing the destruction, Haymitch relays to Katniss the effort to break Peeta out of his hijacked brain by playing "The Hanging Tree". It is the first time he responds to a video of Katniss without anger, because it had not been played for him. Peeta is reminded of Katniss' father singing the song, which is the second time we are reminded of her father, so fingers crossed.

This then leads to a huge moment in the book which will most definitely show up in the movie as they ask Katniss to make a speech to the injured folk who have escaped the Nut to join her against The Capitol. When she asks them to join her, Katniss ends up watching herself get shot by an unknown assailant in the crowd as we so beautifully reenacted.

Love,
The Shooter

Previous Mockingjay PT 2 Countdown posts

Introduction/Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Mockingjay Pt2 Countdown - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

“The next person who suggests we take the entrances better have a brilliant way to do it because you’re going to be the one leading that mission!” - Commander Lyme

And we’re back with another chapter of Mockingjay in our countdown.

In this chapter, Katniss describes District 2 as a combination quarry/Capitol military base. Because the Capitol’s Peacekeepers and military resources come from 2, the District is thought to be spoiled relative to the other districts, making them the toughest holdouts to the resistance. However, the rebellion resonated with the stonecutters and miners. The center of the District, nicknamed the “Nut”, is a military base cut into a mountain, and the rebels are challenged with how to take it.

At this point, Katniss has been in District 2 for two weeks. She gets a sense of freedom there, being away from the restrictions of District 13. She explains that she is often moved from place to place to keep her safe, and she provides some of the game she has hunted to her host family as incentive to house her.

She also reflects on Peeta’s situation. Katniss is in communication with Plutarch and Haymitch back in 13 who give her reports on Peeta’s progress. Throughout the chapter, it’s clear she’s lost hope that she’ll ever see the Peeta she knows again. It’s unclear whether or not Haymitch and/or Plutarch will stay behind in the movie, since it’s possible that Prim could be the one to update Katniss on Peeta’s progress.

Beetee and Gale soon join Katniss in District 2, as part of a team to strategize on how the rebels could take the Nut. Gale and Katniss talk and make out for a bit, and Gale explains when he started to have feelings for her. It’s unlikely the movie will have the same conversation since Darius isn’t in the movies, however a similar version may appear, mostly Gale’s comments on how with Peeta’s current state Katniss isn’t free to be with him.

This chapter introduces Lyme, the commander in 2 and former Hunger Games victor, to be played by Gwendoline Christie. Though she’s a background character in the books, restricted to the District 2 chapters, it’s very likely that Lyme will have a bigger role in the movies. Here, Lyme expresses frustration with the failed attempts to take the Nut, but Gale, with Beetee’s support, offers a different perspective. Comparing taking the Nut to a wild dog den, Gale suggests using explosions to cause avalanches to block the entrances. Boggs points out that the plan risks killing everyone inside, and Katniss realizes that Gale doesn’t intend to keep the people inside alive with his plan. It’s very likely this scene will go down in the movie very similarly to in the book, if not expanded on in the movie. The description of Gale’s trap is key foreshadowing for the climax of the movie, so this scene is doubly important to include in the movie.

We’re excited to see District 2 and especially looking forward to see how Lyme’s character will fit into the narrative.

Previous Mockingjay PT 2 Countdown posts

Introduction/Chapter 13

MJ Part 2 Countdown BEGINS!

HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS, TRIBUTES.

The continuation of our Mockingjay Countdown series is finally here for part 2 and..... it's very sad. Here we are, counting down the last Hunger Games movie. Seems like not too long ago, we were having book discussions on Tumblr and the rights had just been bought by Lionsgate. In honor of the last book, we kicked off this series where we examined the book chapter by chapter and created some kind of "art". We did some cool, silly, and weird things last year and we hope this time is no different! If you would like to check out chapters 1-12, please read our series from last year. Every week we will be posting a chapter starting from 13, and by the time we reach the end, the movie's release will be within a week.  We proudly present the Mockingjay Part 2 Countdown.

CHAPTER 13

What do you get when you mix our love of cats, Mockingjay, and morbid humor?  The Catniss Cone of Shame. In the beginning of Ch 13, Katniss is dealing with a cold and obnoxious collar from her injuries that Peeta inflicted, which inspired the above drawing. WE LIKE CATS, OKAY?! So let's examine what else happens in this chapter...

The first few pages pretty much go over what the end of Mockingjay Part 1 explained, and the film did a pretty good job of addressing what a hijacking was. We see Prim becoming a well adjusted adult, followed by a seemingly harmless scene with Beetee and Gale designing war traps. WEE-OOO WEEE-OOO not an innocent scene in the slightest! Book readers are well aware of of how important this scene is, and I trust Francis completely to leave it in. If you're reading along with us, you will notice how painfully specific the human traps are described. It's another one of Suzanne's great discussion points: How far is too far?

The last big event in this chapter is the first interaction with Peeta since the incident. I think most people assume Delly Cartwright will not make an appearance in the film, but when it comes to Francis I always give him the benefit of the doubt. I am interested to see who they will substitute for Delly if she is cut out, or perhaps they will jump right to the Katniss interaction for time reasons. Either way, the scene is going to be unsettling seeing Peeta perceiving Katniss as a creation of The Capitol, not the girl he's grown up loving. Rereading this chapter is all the more intense reliving all of Katniss' emotions in her confused state. We've been with Katniss on her entire journey again and again, and experienced it through film over the last five years. Now that the films are ending, I can't help but feel Katniss' emotion ten times over as she realizes that Peeta has been conditioned to forget he loves her and even more horrifying-- that his true self might never return. Tissues, please.

MOCKINGJAY PART 2 COUNTDOWN

Chapter 13 ---- You're here!
Chapter 14
Chapter 15