#Anyways. Yeah. YEAH. Yeah....... whew. This episode was a Lot | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

waitmyturtles · 6 months

Text

BLUBBERING SPOILERS BELOW FOR I FEEL YOU LINGER IN THE AIR, EPISODE 12/FINALE:

YEAH. SO. YEAH. SO!

This can't be meta. I don't think I can conjure it. Just blather. I'll try to be sensible. First, a little housekeeping before we start the meeting:

We know there will be a special episode (the preview looks..... LIKE A GODDAMN HOLIDAY GIFT, GAAAAHHH).

Peeps are going back and forth on a second season, and while it seems that Nonkul Chanon blurted it out during the final episode fan meeting (lol you cute, Nonkul), Tee Bundit is rolling back a bit, *likely* due to funding. But seeing social media going absolutely INSANE over this ending, I can't imagine that Dee Hup will have any issue with finding the moolah for a second season -- especially after that after-credits scene, WITH HORSES, WITH MUSTACHES, WITH TATTOOS, WITH ARMOR, the whole thang. Tee let that shit hang all out like that. Warrior-era Thailand, let's m'fing go. That was a hell of a lead into a second season that may not happen, come awn.

Alright, with that out of the way:

I didn't think a show would top Moonlight Chicken for me this year, but IFYLITA is my top new drama of the year (with the HEAVY CAVEAT that I have not seen La Pluie yet -- that's for either after my Old GMMTV Challenge, or just making sure I watch it before year's end).

Part of the reason why I lost my gatdamn mind last week on episode 11 is that Tee Bundit did not interfere with any damn nonsense last week -- he let the episode's story unwind without any noise. He let the emotion roll.

The same light touch (or rather, a lack of interference) happened here, BUT: there was a LOT more happening firstly by way of closing some loops that were open, moving to new loops, and shedding more depth into Jom and Yai's final moments together

We got closure on Yai's dad, who was grumpily like, uhhh, I dunno what happened in my life, but yeah, daughter Eaung Peang, you go have a good life with Maey, crotchety crotch. I think that's the best we could get from politically involved dads of 1928 Chiang Mai. (EP AND MAEY SWINGING THEIR HANDS WHILE WALKING AWAY -- SAAAHHSHAY FROM ALL THAT, LADIES, SASHAY.) It looks like EP's herbal abortion left her safe -- thank goodness. We didn't see James or Ming this episode.

For loops that weren't closed, I'm not complaining, because we got an explanation for how Jom's beloved ones will repeat in his reincarnated futures and pasts, through the explanation of the northern Thai ceremony of having 32 blessings reinstated to you after illness or misfortune (THREE CHEERS for @blmpff for capturing screenshots of this explanation!). (AND THE WHITE THREAD, PEEPS, THE WHITE THREAD, I'm coming back to this in a second.) If we do get a season 2, then I will not be colored surprised if we see Ming and James in different roles. (And, yes. Your bitch here has relaxed on Pat's shooter, finally. My nose was trained on James being a colonialist interferer, but he did good last episode.)

But this episode belonged, of course, to Yai and Jom, their final moments together in 1928 Chiang Mai, saying the slow farewell as Jom slowly disappeared in front of Yai's eyes.

LORD. WHEWWWWWWWWWWWWW. The lacy fabric with which Yai used to cover the mirrors so that Jom wouldn't see himself fade away. The empathy of that. The scene where we heard their lovemaking over the flashbacks montage. WHEW. WHOA. (I did say, to my friend @shortpplfedup, something something Jom started really fading away after that intimate scene and something something had the ontology cough cough outta him, ANYWAY.)

The way that Yai pitched forward when Jom finally disappeared.

AND I MOTHERFUCKING SCREAMED WHEN JOM AND MUSTACHIOED YAI WERE ABOUT TO TOUCH INTO THE WATER AGAIN, AND THEN THE DIVER EMT WAS LIKE, BLOOP I'M HERE AND OH, JOM, YOU'RE ALIVE IN 2023. I yelped in the deli, shit. The way Jom was silently screaming in the water for Yai.

And, so. In the "present" day (present dimension, really), Jom survived that CRAAAAZY car accident (LIKE! WHAT?! He flew out of the car into the water, bros! The magic of fiction, anyway.)

He.......he holds space for Ohm?! Looking BACK on that scene, AFTER we get the explanation of the 32 blessings, we realize: despite Ohm's infidelity and his promise to a new woman, Ohm is still important in Jom's life -- he's still a beloved presence, as he did mean something, for a long time, to Jom. Of course, modern Jom did NOT let a moment to shade Ohm pass him by, oh no. But wasn't that interesting to note? That Jom's dimensions would allow Ohm to be in those dimensions -- that Ohm would be reincarnated through Jom's 32 blessings (at least in the past direction).

You know what I also loved about seeing Jom in his present-day apartment, with the present-day Jeed, Ohm, and Khaimuk (aka Fong Kaew). I LOVED WHAT THAT CASTING, THE SHIFTING OF THE CHARACTERS AND CHARACTERIZATIONS, SAID ABOUT JOM'S PERSPECTIVE OF EQUITY IN 1928 AND 2023.

Jeed is NOT Khun Eaung Peang. Jeed is ALL SASS. But Jeed is YOUNGER than Jom. Jom, in 2023, is P'Jom, with the honorific. Present-day Jom can smack his little sister's head in jest. Jeed can be OUT and SAFE and have a crush on her girl friend, safely, and can ask for her brother's support, OPENLY.

Jom never stopped being Jom, whether it was 2023 pre-accident, 1928, or 2023 post-accident. Jom is comfortable in his own skin, and wants happiness AND EQUITY for the people he loves around him. I love that the casting and characterizations of the incarnations of the characters reflect Jom's state of mind that all people are equal and the same, no matter a fancy honorific or a royally appointed residence.

I screamed at @shortpplfedup when I saw Jom wearing the white thread in bed during the thunderstorm. I stopped, rewound, and saw he was wearing the white thread in the water scene with Warrior Yai. The white thread never left his wrist -- he still has his blessings intact.

And, and, and, back to the house of Palanthip in 2023. Who's the lady of the house? This lady knows Jom's the only one who can open that chest. The chest opens, the drawings are there, THE PICTURE OF THEIR PARTY, AND THE LETTER FROM YAI TO JOM, THE LETTER, THE TEARS, AKSLKDF, AND, AND, AND --

Oh my god, I was crying, y'all. Shit. Just our confident dude, striding in, asking Jom, sweetheart, why are you crying. And Jom jumping into Yai's arms.

I was shaking my head. I mean. I love that we learned that Yai actually HAD HIS OWN BLESSINGS CEREMONY because he was so lost after Jom's departure. WE LEARNED ABOUT THE REST OF YAI'S LIFE. We know, now, that the Yai of 1928 yearned for Jom for the rest of his life. So much so that, at the twilight of the life of 20th-century Yai, that he had the good mind to leave Jom a letter, to let Jom know that his life was a good life, because Jom had been in it. To let Jom know that Yai's love had never faded away.

AND THEN THAT YAI CAME BACK TO JOM.

Jom, dude, you're a good dude, for these good people to be coming back to you, in dimension after dimension. That monk was right.

I told you this was just blathering; I can try to put some sensible thoughts together in a few days, but the structure of this story, the empathy of this story, the way this story was leveraged by drama and romance and HOPE. I mean. This series was utterly fantastic.

I know there's the lifelong debate of whether or not BLs "count" as queer media, and in many, many instances, they do. But since I've had the disappointment of Only Friends and GMMTV on my mind lately, I had to note, mentally, particularly during the lovemaking scene, and during the closure of this episode, that Tee really fucking handed it to anyone who criticizes BL as a not-as-sophisticated drama genre.

And you know what? I also wanna say that Tee fucking handed it to GMMTV as well. I am so DAMN glad this series was airing when Only Friends was airing. While Only Friends sat on the opportunity to present progressive ideas on queer love and queer community, IFYLITA ROLLED right into it.

(I'll ask @lurkingshan to fact-check me on the following:) Because this series was a historical drama with a queer romance centering it, I think Tee Bundit could feel free from the chains of BL tropes and expectations to do something truly singular. I felt that what I was watching was cinematic, it was moving, it was strikingly emotional, particularly because I felt that this show was showing me something that transcended any viewer's expectations of what we should be watching, as opposed to, say, a BL set in an office like Tee's Step By Step. Where that show fumbled was in the show itself not knowing if it was a workplace drama or a BL-centric romance.

IFYLITA knew what it was: a historical drama, certainly centering romance, but also balancing conversations about equity and wealth disparities across eras. With that uncomplicated centering, I think Tee Bundit made an absolutely BRILLIANT show, and it fucking WORKED.

I will scream to anyone who'll hear me. If you haven't watched I Feel You Linger In The Air yet, do it, PLEASE PLEASE. Y'all know I am an Aof Noppharnach girlie for life, and I LIVE FOR MOONLIGHT CHICKEN, I DO, I DO, all of my Asian references in MLC and the food and everything, god I loved that show, but --

IFYLITA was a cinematic masterpiece. Full stop. All hail @neuroticbookworm and @lurkingshan for telling me to keep with it after my Step By Step-PTSD. This show was worth every last minute I spent watching and writing on it.

Season 2, Warrior Yai, let's get him a better mustache -- let's FUCKING GO, BABIES.

P.S. BRIGHT AND NONKUL FOR LIFE, FOR LIFE!!!!!!! THE ACTING!!!!!! MY GOD!!!!!

#i feel you linger in the air #ifylita #best show of the year #tee bundit #bright rapheephong #nonkul chanon #i feel you linger in the air meta #ifylita meta

95 notes · View notes

bronx-bomber87 · 8 months

Text

Happy Holiday weekend everyone. We only have 3 left in this season. Hard to believe. Not a ton of Chenford content in this one but just enough ha It has some important stuff in it though. But definitely shorter than the last one let’s get started :)

2x18 Under The Gun

We start our episode off with some very welcomed shirtless Tim. I’m here all damn day for this. *puddle* He then changes into a black shirt. Trying to kill me even further whew lord. God he's so tall too. Look at him tall drink of yummy water. Making me feral per usual ha I want to add I would LOVE a scene like this for Chenford in S6. Tim getting ready for the day, Lucy hanging out with Kojo on the bed while he does. Her gawking at him a bit as he gets ready. A girl can dream eh?

But lets get back on track before I go further down that rabbit hole. heh. Tim tells Rachel she should start leaving stuff at his place. Look at him ready to make that move. She makes a face and he cracks a joke that it’s illegal to lie to a cop. Rachel breaks and tells him she got her dream job. Tim is all smiles and cuteness until she says it’s in New York…

Tim looks so sad but tells her she’s gotta take it. Dream jobs only come around once. He asks when does she start? It’s in one month. Quick turnaround and his head is spinning. She mentions New York has cops. Heh they do but you are not the one he will shift for honey sorry to say. Sorta. Not really. Tim just replies ‘Yeah…’ not the confident reply Rachel was looking for…

We catch our fav duo meeting up with Rachel for a case. Lucy immediately brings up New York. Seeing if Tim is ready to talk about it. Also Tim the king of plans she expects him to have one for this. He is straight forward with Lucy when she asks what they’re gonna do? For Tim it’s already over in his mind. There is no end date to this job of hers. She is leaving LA and isn't coming back. To Tim that is game over. (I mean unless it's the one which we all know she is not)

Tells her long distance never works and he seems dead set on that. Defeated but definitely definitive about the whole situation. Lucy’s face kills me when he says this. She’s so sad for him. Probably sadder for Tim than she is for Rachel. When she set them up it was to help Tim. Show him he could be happy post-Isabel. Shake him out of his routine. Now he’s going to lose all that and she’s devastated. Looks like she wants to give him a hug honestly. She hates it when he is all defeatist and you can tell she just wants to fix it. Sadly this is one thing she can not intervene in and fix.

They meet up with Rachel and it already seems awkward. She thanks them for coming. They are there in case her visit with the mom goes sideways. She’s there for a truancy call. The kid in question has missed a lot of school due to mystery illness. Rachel thinks it might be a scam especially since the mom started a go-fund me page for his medical bills.

Rachel seems suspect as hell with this lady. He goes to the hospital gets better then comes back home and is sick again. She thinks she is poisoning her own kid for attention. Lucy seems sick to her stomach about the whole thing. They both do. Can see it on their faces. Tim asks her what she wants to do?

We cut to them outside. Tim looking fine as hell leaning against their shop. How can someone be that attractive just filling out paper work? Anyways...Rachel asks Lucy if Tim would ever leave LA ? Lucy is honest with her and lets her know she’s not sure. Lucy knows how much he loves LA. He is proud af to be be born and bred. Which really means no if we're being honest. The man bleeds LAPD. Lucy can tell how sad Rachel looks with her answer. So she follows it up with how crazy Tim is about her. (Not crazy enough to follow her though….)

Lucy tries to make it better and says the man is a mystery. To Rachel yes. Not to her though....She has the book of Tim right in her pocket. Their convo gets interrupted by Paul’s mom coming out. Asking what they’re doing? Rachel says they’re taking him back to the hospital. It’s a sad scene to watch. Rachel basically removes her own child from her care. Saying she is a danger to him pending a full investigation. Tim and Lucy have to hold her back while they take him.

Tim comes to see Grey in his office. Asking him how hard it would be to make a lateral move? Wade lets him know it would be seamless. Tim ask what about the NYPD? Grey sighs and tells him that’s a whole other beast. That he would have to start from square one. Go through the FTO program before he could go back out on the streets. That he would be the John Nolan of the NYPD LOL Tim looks mortified about this. Like that is an instant no for him. There was no way he can do that.

Grey continues on saying it would be a big sacrifice. But if Rachel is the one it would be worth it. That’s the thing though she’s not. What proves Lucy being his person over and over is moments like this. In S5 Tim doesn’t blink before taking a desk job for her. If that’s the path that keeps him with her that’s the one he’s going to take. Grey even says it's not a great job and he replies ' Doesn't matter.' If Rachel was the one it wouldn't matter he would have to do all this for her.

His hesitancy is written all over this scene. The more Grey tells him the more we see him withdraw. With Lucy his decisions were always decisive and quick. In his mind when it came to her there was no choice. She was his choice. Every time. I’ve said this all this season Rachel had her place in his life for a reason. I am grateful for her I truly am. Her reason was meant to show him he could date again. Not only that but have a functioning healthy relationship as well. That saying people are in your life for a reason or a season is accurate.

Rachel was both. She served her purpose in the best way for him. Helped him heal post divorce. It was never meant to last. She was a stepping stone to Lucy. Which sounds cruel but also true. Wade gives him some dating advice. Tells him to be sure. Because moving in together is hard enough. Let alone a new city, jobs and no social network to lean on. Tim doesn’t linger after that just says 'Thanks' curtly and goes. Grey takes one last shot says ‘Anytime Boot!’ Haha He is getting a major kick out of giving Tim a hard time.

Tim runs into Rachel shortly after. She’s in an absolute panic. Tim tries to get her to calm down and tell him what’s going on. She discovered her co-workers have kids in the same neighborhood with similar issues. That they switched to well water 4 months ago due to construction. Paul got sick 3 months ago. Rachel is in a panic because there was a lawsuit with a company about dumping heavy metals in the water 5 years ago and they said it was cleaned up. Clearly not… Since the well water is making these kids sick.

Now Rachel may have taken a child away from his mother for no reason. I do love seeing how soft Tim is in this moment. It’s not Lucy Level soft but soft none the less. At this point in the series it’s so nice to see this side of him. Like I’ve said before their relationship was insight to Tim in a relationship and how he operates. It was a nice window into it since all we had before her was Isabel. Also a future look into how he would be with Lucy.

What does Tim do right after this? Go right to his girl. Little telling things that showed the entire time Lucy was his better half. She is the first person he runs to and vice versa. He asks if she’s heard from Rachel at all? Lucy says no…why? Tim lets her know the situation with Iris and her son. That Rachel blames herself. That she’s ignoring his calls and texts right now. He is very worried and needs Lucy's help.

I love that when he’s in a panic about Rachel his first thought is to go right to his safe space. Needs her calming sunshine ways to ease him. Hoping her POV is going to calm his anxiety. Tim wanting her to reassure him she won't do anything stupid. The concern and empathy in her eyes she has for him. My heart. That innate need to want to comfort and make it better for him. Lucy’s face says it all tbh when Tim asks if she is going to do anything stupid? I think she knows Rachel could very well do something stupid about this…

We find out shortly after Rachel did something she shouldn't have. She stalked owner of the company and pretended the water she threw on him was contaminated. Tim is able to get her cited out fairly quickly. Then we get another glimpse into the amazing heart of this man. How deeply he cares for those around him. What he is willing to do for them. He pulled some personal favors for her. Got them to reverse Rachel’s order to pull Paul from his home.

He’s so sweet and earnest about it. Rachel is in shock he even did this for her. Especially since she’s leaving. It’s like she doesn’t know this man at all. Of course he was going to help even if she was leaving. It’s who he is. A deeply loyal and loving person. Who will do anything for those who’ve earned his love and trust. Why he replies 'Duh.' Shocked she would expect any less of him. His love and loyalty doesn't just evaporate because she is leaving. Adore this man so much.

We get one last glimpse of our couple decompressing with Jackson and Angela. It's kind of nice to see actually. Jackson tells them he has a funny story for them. That the tech guy who flagged Angela as the most likely to get sued was wrong. He rode around with them all day trying to study her and had the wrong person. He picked the wrong Lopez. Jackson is legit tickled pink this has happened. Sadly he seems to be the one one haha Lucy has been around Tim too long cause she doesn’t even crack a smile about this LOL More like a pity smirk for her friend. Tim and Angela just judge poor Jackson baha Funny way to end the ep. Very low content Chenford so but important none the less with Rachel’s impending departure and all that.

~~~~

Side notes- Non Chenford

Prison SL with Harper and Nolan was good. always enjoy watching Oscar haha that’s pretty much it LOL

Only 2 episodes left in the season after this one and it’s an adrenaline fest. Thank you all who continually like/comment (how I love comments), reblog you’re all amazing thank you so much. Shall see you in 2x19 :)

#Caitlin Rewatches The Rookie #chenford #chenford hiatus #summer rewatch #s2 #2x18 Under The Gun #the rookie 2x18 #waiting on s6 #tim x lucy #lucy x tim #otp: doing my job #otp: you know me so well. too well #otp: some things matter more #tim bradford #lucy chen #the rookie #eric winter #melissa o’neil #tim bradford x lucy chen

47 notes · View notes

chuckwon · 1 year

Text

Here's Why I Want A Chuck Won Plot For The Sequel

Not to go the off about this on a random Saturday night or anything, but I have not stopped internally vibrating since the SPNWIN finale because the potential for a Chuck Won sequel plot line feels so implied and therefore so close I can taste it. I know that there are several people who don't like it as an explanation for the ending of season 15, and/or several people who don't like the idea of it being used as a sequel plot in the future. So I would just like to talk about why I, personally, am passionate about wanting them to use this particular avenue to move forward.

I'll likely unavoidably repeat some of the things I've said before elsewhere but... fuck it, I'm in my feelings, I want to get this out. Rambling on or whatever.

For the sake of clarity, here's a reminder of the POV I'm writing from: A) that Chuck's victory is canonically what was deliberately written as the plot of season 15, B) that it's meant to be noticeable and pointed out as tragic, and C) that even if you argue about the semantics of the literal order of events in the plot that add up to that result, Chuck's victory in some fashion is still the byproduct of the story's final execution.

The thing that I feel can and does get lost in a lot of fandom discussions about this concept is... D) the fact that Chuck winning is an allegory for and commentary on censorship.

I will go back to that. Follow me here.

With SPNWIN as a whole and especially the season one finale, we have already gotten step one of something incredibly subversive: it culminated very loudly in making it clearly canonical that Dean is some semblance of trapped. He is not happy, he is not at peace, he is not done. These are things that many of us in fandom who have brains all already kind of knew and took for granted, because we understand this story and this character and so we understand that 15x20 was not a good ending. But when you step back, what SPNWIN just established is actually a Big Deal in comparison to the fake veneer of happiness that 15x20 was (supposedly) trying to sell to us–and that it did indeed effectively sell to a large number of casual viewers.

Now, here we have canon openly demonstrating that Dean's ending was not okay, in general or to him. Objectively that wasn’t necessarily the case previously with 15x20 alone, but now it is the case.

That is a how-the-turntables level of redefinition of 15x20 in canon. Those crazy bastards fucking did it. They gave Dean Winchester back his agency and had him tell us for 13 episodes that the finale was inarguably Bad, and then they showed his sad grieving self still pining for his happy ending and his angel. That's fucking wild!!! Oh my God!!!

Whew. Okay, anyway:

So SPNWIN has made it clear that The Finale Was Bad, that Dean still needs and wants his happy ending, and that he knows what that happy ending should look like–as demonstrated in this whole hall of mirrors show, through the healing/romance/hope/future we witness the cast of The Winchesters getting to have.

If they stick with that vibe moving forward (which they may not. Continuity could get tossed), to me it then wouldn't make sense if they tried to move forward with any kind of sequel plot or angle that tries to say "okay, now Dean really will Find Peace And Be Done In Heaven." Because they seem to have made it clear that Dean doesn't want that. He wants out! He is fucking around and finding out!

To me, the next logical question to tackle in the plot as part of getting Dean back in the game would be this:

Why did those bad things happen to Dean in the finale?

Look, they don't have to answer that question with a plot-driven reason, obviously. They can go with the (boring) angle of nihilism that's basically like "Yeah Dean died and it sucked, but shit happens and that’s part of free will. It was an unlucky situation :/ he should get another chance at life though!" Or they can absolutely do something totally wacky and out of left field to explain lmfao. (I mean, hell, the Akrida were out of left field and that was only lessened when they tied them back to Chuck.)

Orrrrr.

They could go with a plot that's SOMETHING along the lines of explaining how Dean’s death and the fracturing of their family feels like an injustice to him because it is, and that shit did not just Happen, and that it wasn’t just arbitrary bad luck but rather he didn’t get his happy ending because Something Else was going on pulling the strings at least a little bit.

In that sense, Chuck- / Jack-related fuckery feels like the next natural through-line to me. I'm aware I'm heavily biased, but I want them to go all in on that angle so badly, and the point of this post (yes, there is a point!) is that I want to tell you why I want that.

The strength in the potential of an explicit Chuck won storyline in a continuation–other than the fact that it would be damn good television–is that, if done correctly, it would explain why the ending of season 15 sucked in the first place. And it would explain it not only in-narrative but also out-of-narrative.

Chuck exists to act as allegory, and that's what has always made this concept so significant, subversive, and compelling. Chuck's function and purpose is to be an allegory for producers and/or network executives, and thus the function and purpose behind a Chuck won storyline is to reveal the controlling forces of those figures. And because Chuck is the personification of the Original Creator's intentions that the characters are trying to supersede and defy, the fact that at the end of season 15 they do not get to grow beyond those intentions–aka the fact that Chuck wins and they don't get their full freedom–is indicative of the fact that the characters were not "free" or allowed to defy the Original Creator's real-world intentions either.

The idea that Chuck won is not simply a fun view on why the finale sucks or a fun plot idea for the future. It's because Supernatural is a censored queer text and higher forces won largely because Destiel was not allowed to be explicitly reciprocal. A pillar of the argument is that there could be no happy ending without Destiel; reciprocal Destiel was not allowed, and so the characters had to lose.

That is still the state of canon right now. Chuck's victory is amongst the many threads season 15 left dangling to potentially pick up and play with moving forward, and they don't HAVE to pick that thread up and make it into a central plot for a continuation. But if they do... Man. If they do, it would open the ending of season 15 to further examination for anyone who cares enough to pay attention to it, and that would also open up commentary on the censorship that caused it in the first place.

Here's what I mean:

SPNWIN has left us in a place consistent with 15x19, seemingly further highlighting that something is wrong with Jack. That's huge. Whether that "something" is Chuck possessing him or–potentially more likely–that the God power Jack absorbed has corrupted him, the point is that Jack needs to be freed because Chuck's influence endures.

Making the Akrida into a Chuck fail safe has already leaned into that idea, in a way. Even if Chuck is "gone," his influence wasn't gone entirely. The characters were not fully and entirely free from Chuck's lasting effects on the universe that they inhabit.

But now with the destruction of the Akrida, those effects are supposedly gone. But what if they actually aren't gone completely? What if something is wrong with Jack? What could that mean for Dean's story specifically and the happy ending he still wants and needs?

Apply that to the allegory: if Chuck's power has possessed or corrupted Jack, then Chuck's enduring influence that the characters still have to wrestle with becomes about the enduring influence of industry censorship.

It's then about the insidiousness of the forces that make it difficult for writers to let their stories and characters grow out of what was originally meant for them, especially when those stories are not meant to be queer narratives and yet are molded to have queerness centralized. It's about saying... you (the writers + characters) thought you'd be able to get free but you couldn't; you thought you could write the happy ending but you still haven't gotten to. How have higher forces twisted and shaped things into something unrecognizable? How do you make it back from that and rid the story of that negative influence once and for all?

Hypothetically, examining what Chuck's enduring influence fucked up in the story would then have to examine what censorship fucked up in real life. If they have to break out and return to reality, what does that look like? What is revealed? Dean and Cas could not reunite because their love was real and threatened Chuck's enforced unreality. Dean died and Sam got an apple pie life because that was always part of the ending Chuck wanted to see. Jack was taken over and/or corrupted by God power as part of Chuck's plan because he was powerful enough to help unite them all as a family, which threatened the classic "brothers only" focus of Chuck's story. Chuck's power was still personified in Jack and influencing the outcomes and that's why all of this tragedy occurred. They have to reunite, break the cycle, heal their family, and save Jack while getting rid of that personified God power once and for all, releasing it back into their universe so that power is now in everyone/everything rather than concentrated in overseeing forces threatening their freedom.

And when Chuck is an allegory for the censoring forces in real life... for anyone who cares to engage their brain cells, this could then make it abundantly clear(er) that the end of season 15 was not simply ~bad writing~ or ~cowardice~. It would retroactively redeem, explain, and redefine Supernatural's original "ending" as a backed-into-a-corner narrative gamble embedded with the ability to shine light on the source of its problems, the hope that in the future the story could be continued, and the keys to give the characters justice especially in regards to the queer narrative.

You can look me in the eyes and tell me you don't think that would absolutely rock, but then I will have to simply agree to disagree with you.

Because I would very much like to fucking see it.

It is literally ALL RIGHT THERE. It's THERE, it's so close, and this story could reach its highest potential and make several lasting, impressive points in the cultural realm for anyone who gets their heads out of their ass and stops ridiculing it or stops layering their interest in it under 1000 levels of irony long enough to look at how special it is!!!

[shakes the table with my hands]

AAAAAAAA

Okay, sorry, I'm devolving. But in conclusion: I want this. And though the prequel seems to be hinting towards it (QUITE LOUDLY), there is of course absolutely zero guarantee that any mysterious future sequel would go in that direction for several reasons, let alone the fact that it's objectively a ballsy as hell approach to take.

I still want to write a very long meta about The Winchesters' overall themes and its Chuck won propaganda (lol), so uhhh I reserve the right to plagiarize myself in the future from this post for that purpose. But I had to get this specific thought out sooner rather than later because, to be honest, I am simply going bananas.

JENSEN ACKLES, GIVE ME ONE PHONE CALL WITH YOU LOCKED UNDER AN NDA. PLEASE. PERCEIVE THE VISION.

#chuck won meta #the winchesters #spnwin meta #chuck won theory #the winchesters meta #I'm insane but it's fine. it's 12:46am and we lose an hour because of the time change tonight. things are fine.#my meta #I shouldn't post this tonight but fuck it I'll self-reblog tomorrow

94 notes · View notes

sassycordy · 2 years

Note

What is the sga debacle?? Did he do something specific?? I only know that he also made the shows Dark Matter and Utopia Falls which both have diversity and representation so that makes me hopeful for the same treatment in a new stargate series.

hi! whew im so sorry im just getting to this lmfao. truthfully ive been rly busy and this is such a serious topic that i wanted to make sure i chose my words carefully and laid everything out in the best way possible.

disclaimer section! im not the best person to speak on this topic ahha. I just got into the fandom last year and it was only a few months ago that i started to hear some of these issues that existed previously (so if any veteran stargate fans wanna hop in on this and explain things in greater detail, please do)! also this is not a call out post or canceling thing. this is simply a hey-these-things-happened-and-maybe-we-should-be-careful-with-who-we-interact-with-and-trust type thing. anyways without further ado, here’s some of the sketchy shit that went down behind the scenes of stargate atlantis! (all sources are posted in the comment/replies btw)

> let’s start with the decision to kill off carson beckett because thats where the first weird comment pops up. now a lot of people claim that this was a move made by writers & producers to shake up the show and “make the actors feel less secure.” i’ve never been able to find that direct quote although ive heard people say that someone openly admitted it on the audio commentary/bonus features on the atlantis dvds soo take that however you like aha.

> after the sudden exit of paul mcgillion, tori higginson left the show a few episodes later anddddd ok this is where things escalate. this is an interview she gave where she openly talks about everything that went on behind the scenes. but to summarize, the writers ignored all of her input and refused to grow the character further when she had clearly outgrown the “Hammond” role. joseph mallozzi states in his blog post that brad wright himself was very fond and loved the weir character and he claims that the decision to write her out was because of “just simple logic.”(1) however, torri tells a different story. (2)

“Honestly? I found that quite shitty, to be honest (laughs).Oops. But I found out, because I kept going to them, I kept going up to them saying ‘I have a feeling my character, you’re not doing anything with me, and you guys have me for six years and I don’t want to, you know, be here not doing anything. Let me know what’s going on.’ And they kept saying “no, no, no, it’s great. We love you. We love you. Things can be great.’ And I said ‘well, if that’s the case, can we do something with her’ and they kept reassuring me that nothing - and the very last day of filming season three, as I finished filming the last scene on the last day I was called up to the office and was told that my character was going to become recurring if I chose to be. So, I thought that was not very, um, dignified, way to deal with it, and I was a bit surprised. So I was—so my reaction was one of yeah, I was a little bit surprised. I was a little bit upset by how it was dealt with. But I wasn’t upset at the decision because I understood it. I kept going to them saying ‘I get, I get what’s going to happen, just give me some notice so I can pack my apartment and move back to L.A. Really. So I wasn’t upset with the decision. I was upset with how it was handled.”

she was led on and told her role would be reduced after the filming of season three which is uh. absolutely insane to think about considering she’s the main female lead of the show. And this is just my personal opinion but i think its interesting timing that as soon as brad stepped down, joseph mallozzi and his writing partner, paul mullie got rid of her. It’s also pretty telling that there was some bad blood behind the scenes because she didn’t even reprise her character in season five for the ghost in the machine aka the episode where they “kill elizabeth” off. although i do wanna mention that since then, jm has posted that he believes elizabeth would actually still be alive today and is just in stasis somewhere waiting to be found …which is nice. i guess. maybe they shouldn’t have fired her in the first place but hey whatever.

and to end the torri section, here’s another quote that i think is the real reason she was let go from atlantis.

Question: And now Amanda Tapping seems to be doing exactly the same… just filing an episode. Torri said “Well, no. I understand that it’s a club, and you know, some people.. .you know. I think they didn’t like me constantly rapping on the doors saying ‘excuse me, why aren’t there any women writers or any women producers on the show?’ I think it bothered them. And so, Amanda, bless her, just had a kid so... bless her, man, she needs that gig more than [me]… you know what I mean? So I have no issues with any of them. I understand how it works. It is a bit of a political game and… I’m not very good at politics (laughs). I’m like Weir. I just want to act.”

> now this is where the joe flanigan of it all starts to come in. he’s been vocal about defending torri higginson and openly saying how bad of a decision it was to kill her off. (3) and his interview with dial the gate was enlightening on a few topics. (4)

his character didn’t get a backstory until season 3. tptb literally told him, “john likes ferris wheels” and called it a day. which is actually mind boggling. they gave him nothing to work with and somehow he turned it into gold.

he’s also said many times and in different interviews how terrible it was that the writers carried over from sg1. the cast would pitch ideas but would be shut down because they would sound “too much like an sg1 ep” which is ridiculous considering how many atlantis scripts are just a rip off of sg1 eps anyways.

> and finally the whole whispers debacle. now i don’t really know a lot about this, so I'll just link the tumblr post that first brought this to my attention! (5) there’s also the whole “the writers stopped taking notes from the cast after season 3 and specifically started to shun joe out” thing (which is very obvious in seasons 4 and 5) so i’ll also link another great tumblr post because they explain it so much better than i can. (6)

> there’s also the fact that once it became clear that universe was not doing well, both bw and jm turned and blamed it on atlantis and even sg1 fans.

“I don’t think if we, for any reason, go away, it is an issue necessarily of the quality of the product that we’ve been making. I think getting moved on the schedule has hurt us. And the fact that some of the fans that liked SG-1 and Atlantis were so angry that they have deliberately hurt us, which is unfortunate.” (7) Brad Wright.

Jaso967060 writes: “Heck I think alot of people from “that other site” could be won back if some changes are made. (Finding out the Destinys Mission and the crew working together more instead of tearing each other down…and having more action…changes like that.)”

Answer: Disagree. Given that their deluded mission statement is to see SGU cancelled in order to pave the way for an SGA return, I doubt that very much. (8) Joseph Mallozzi

this post is getting too long so i won’t go into the whole “stargate atlantis viewers were not the right demographic the writers wanted” thing. because yes this may have been said by one of the writers (i don’t have a source but so many people bring it up and it makes sense considering the type of show universe is). also joe flanigan talked about how the writers and producers disrespected atlantis fans and he sorta mentions this quote too so im gonna link it. (9) also i would just like to say huge shoutout to joe for not caring to be diplomatic lol.

but yea. please take this post however you would like. all of this happened years and years ago so one can only hope people have learned from their mistakes. and if a fourth stargate show is ever made, I just pray they'll finally have women and poc writers/producers/directors as main contributors. also joseph mallozzi has done so many interviews with dial of the gate in recent years, so i would check those out if anyone would like to hear his current thoughts on stargate. (if you do, please message me because i would love to know if he acknowledges any of these topics ahah).

and to end this lovely post, let's reminisce on that one time joe flanigan called the writers of atlantis “rodney mckays” <3

“Because the writers are all McKays – they are the collective Rodney McKay. It’s a whole load of little McKays running round up there in the offices.” (10)

so sorry this took a million years to respond to ahha. and i may have gotten a bit sidetracked but i hope i answered your question !!

#sassy cordy responds #this is a literal essay kdnkds #also I cant speak on his other shows bc I don't remember anything about dark matter and I haven't seen the other one sorry about that >.<#also the mistreatment of every character that isn't a man or white is a huge problem in atlantis and frankly every fucking stargate show #but thats for another day me thinks #also rodney baby I love you so much #but an entire room of rodney mckays in real life would scare the crap out of me #NO WONDER HE ENDED UP WITH KELLER LMFAO??? they were all collectively living their weird younger blonde girl fantasy through him ... ew #stargate atlantis #stargate sg1 #stargate universe #Joseph Mallozzi #brad wright #stargate franchise #torri higginson #joe flanigan #behind the scenes #my posts have been so serious recently pls

584 notes · View notes

chocolatehouse · 1 year

Text

i’m rewatching the witchfinder because of course i am and i have thoughts

-- arthur knows about merlin’s magic. period. done deal. did you see him when the woman confessed? (for one he was standing BEHIND his throne in shadows like batman which is hilarious) he IMMEDIATELY says how it might’ve been a truck of light, arthur would’ve known merlin’s with whatever group he was with and knew and wanted to stop the whole deal before it begun (also even if he didn’t know of it he definitely doesn’t agree with uther’s laws and isn’t afraid of magic)

— also uther??? that man is biased against magic(and grudgingly likes merlin). when aredian said it was merlin and he would need to search his room, if that were ANYONE else uther would’ve just killed them. no room searching necessary and uther trusts aredian (“he’s a trusted ally”) so why would he need any more than his word? yet he asks MERLIN, or at least looks towards him, and doesn’t say anything to aredian until merlin gives his consent to his rooms being SEARCHED NOT FUCKING RANSACKED (i’m still mad about that) then tells aredian to do so

— aredian walks into the room “i smell it, uther, the magic, i smell” 👃🏻🪄🪄 arthur “that’s definitely NOT because i fuck magic in my spare time” like seriously WHY did they make that scene so weird i mean yes aredian’s trying to be intimating but magic having a smell is a bit suspicious (of what i don’t know it just is)

— arthur was WATCHING merlin and saw THE moment when merlin snapped and i love that like yes pay attention to your boyfriend then him bringing him to see gaius? yes arthur break the law for your boyfriend (but seriously arthur wouldn’t have left merlin and gaius alone so was he just standing right outside listening to their whole conversation about magic?? if he didn’t know about the magic he certainly does now)

— gwen KNOWS morgana has magic. when aredian goes to question morgana then gwen goes to merlin saying “i’m worried, merlin, she’s close to breaking point” that’s vague enough to make merlin think she’s talking in general but ummm that’s sounds an awful lot like gwen knows because THEY ARE GIRLFRIENDS

— we deserved more gwen and merlin being badass besties and solving crime and breaking laws

— like father like son, apologies are like toads in their throats. remember way back when when merlin arthur’s like “i’m umm sorry that wasn’t fair of me to sack you” then uther trying to apologize to gaius whew it was hard to watch like you are the KING you are FEARED and your stuttering over an apology?? and gaius did NOT hold back

— this episode was super interesting because it’s the first time we see uther falter with magic. i know he’s not a good person by a long shot but he’s always just ruthlessly and without hesitation condemned people with magic but now it’s worse. because now we know that uther knows what he’s doing is wrong but he still condemned gaius to death. he’s too stubborn to change and when the laws become biased to people close are when they become so much more dangerous and yeah uther could’ve tried to change like he told gaius that something would change

— gaius and merlin making fun of aredians face when he puked up the road was amazing and i love them so much

anyway if you read this whole thing, why? and here’s a picture of our favorite gays because look at their smug little faces

last thing THE TENSION in the photo below whew damn how the entirety of Camelot didn't know they were fucking is beyond me

#bbc merlin #merthur #morgwen #gaius #uther pendragon #arthur pendragon #merlin #merlin bbc #ramblings #headcanons #merlin headcanons

60 notes · View notes

spinnysocks · 4 months

Text

young tlg crocodiles aus

i didn't realise i couldn't save ask answers as drafts! :( but anyway, @devilsrecreation asked: So what exactly are your ideas for the baby crocs in The Lion Guard I’m really curious 👀 so here's my response!!

as she already established in her hcs, pua is basically everyone's adoptive dad! in this context to makuu, kiburi, tamka, nduli and neema! he has different relationships with all of them but he's closest to makuu and kiburi for sure

i like to think that makuu is older than the other four; i was going to say don't question me on ages but i just found out it takes ~12-15 years for nile crocodiles to reach full adulthood! so it checks out that makuu could be a year older and still hang out with them. there's probably so many non-mature members of the float that they have younger groups within it

speaking of that, i actually think makuu didn't get along very well with the other crocodiles his age. but, one day, he briefly interacts with the younger kiburi's group and gets to know them really well. he kind of becomes their secondary charge behind pua. no danger was gonna get close to those four lmao

i think crocs are pretty wholesome & innocent when they're babies but get more into the crocodile way as they mature. it's just really cute to think of baby kiburi, tamka, nduli and neema innocently interacting

there's this song i fell in love with while coming up with the mjuzi nduli au called little fang by avey tare! for me personally it fits my ideas for that au, i think it's also sweet as a lullaby/poem that pua sings to the five kiddos. i really recommend it it's an adorable song

i'm a sucker for crack/uncommon ships, i saw pua x basi once and it kinda stuck with me. i'd just enjoy seeing their dynamic as two leaders who work together when it's the time of year for the crocs to share with the hippos. because of their bond (platonic or romantic idrk), i imagine one of the reasons beshte is so friendly is bc he grew up around and got to know the crocs when they'd share big springs with the hippos. he says "I know it's crowded, Kiburi. But it really is a good spot" because he remembers the crocs' younger years and knows they can be reasonable, but things changed that weren't under his control and he couldn't do anything about it.

he feels kinda dissapointed about how things changed, cuz to him the crocs were like the neighbour's family you get to know really well. to stir up some more sadness, it's almost always beshte who's kicking out kiburi's float. beshte sends them back to the outlands himself so they don't hurt his friends, even though he remembers when they were 'good' or more understanding/just before makuu and kiburi's rift in general

since it takes so many years for crocs to mature, i imagine the younguns would spend ALL THE TIME playing. pua has a soft spot for the five of them so their playtimes and adventures become kind of like a bluey episode where they learn something valuable. kiburi listens to him more than anyone, while makuu's a bit more like "Yeah, yeah" bc he thinks being older means he doesn't need to learn anything new

one of pua's lessons would be not to judge or underestimate someone for being different, such as neema for being mute or nduli for not being born in the float (my own hc is that he's from an outsider float that was really struggling which is why he's so small. he was found by pua really young and his parents agreed he'd have a better life in the pridelands)

pua taught the five a lot of good lessons but obviously not all of them stuck. i haven't come up with what caused the rift between makuu and kiburi exactly, but i think kiburi's float would still want to be friends with makuu, and even more so after he redeems himself. despite being fully grown now they still kinda see him as a cool older brother that they can learn from but they'll always stick with kiburi because, at the end of the day, it's them four against the world lol

whew. that's it for now! i could write for days about these guys. and i probably will make a follow-up post at some point

#the lion guard #tlg #tlg outlanders #tlg crocodiles #pua #makuu #kiburi

16 notes · View notes

justablah56 · 3 months

Note

sososososo uhhh the episode was all goofs and sillies but then willy started talking about cassandra i was ready to THROW HANDS. But besids that,Lark trying to encourage normal- he’s trying he’s trying ajshdkhdkd also is it just me or did this epsiode have s1 energy/pos? like even anthony had s1 anthony vibes? i could just be lying to myself but yeah yeah (also i have an art/au idea for this off the fact that you could call larry the science kid a drag king persona for scary is giving all the teens drag persona’s to recover from this ep) what are you thoughts!! :D

ahehcjjend yeah ,.,. the episode was a lot of whew I'm so glad nothing bad happened AND THEN WILLY TOLD CASS TO GO MAKE HIM A SANDWICH AND IM GOING TO FUCKING G E T HIM ACUSJVNWJDND EXPLODES HIM WITH MY MIND 💥💥💥 ANYWAYS . you're so right tho , it was very s1 energy of just were just uhhh doin whatever and what happens happens but it's gonna be a fun time <3 but I just love every time Matt gives one of his "good luck getting through all this metal" type jokes where he just . decides something is what he wants it to be . and I don't actually remember anything specific but I remember thinking that he did that a couple times but alas . no memory ,,, anyways , ougjhcsnjx Larry being Scarys drag persona !!!!! I love that so much !!!!!!!!! scary helping the boys do drag !!!!!! them having a little drag party after the adventure to just be anyone but themselves and have fun !!!!!!!!!! beloved !!

#just blahs #hi laurie !!#dndads spoilers

7 notes · View notes

mooncalfe-art · 11 months

Note

i wanted to say that, as a huge venus fan and also a next mutation enjoyer, im really glad u were the writer to introduce her characther to the comics, bc based on some tweets i have seen from u is easly to assume u have actually watched the next mutation, and its very clear that u actually know and understand the characther instead of just having a vague notion of who she is based on wikis or articles like so many people do, even with the fact that u werent legally allowed to use some things from the characther, i still think she does justice to the original nm venus and its a incredible take on the charachter !!! (i hope this doesnt sound weird, like im not bashing any other comic writer and saying that they would make venus bad, its mostly about how some fans seen to not exactly know who she is and just add her into their projects without actually caring about her, and im happy that in idw this doesnt happen and she is actually being written by someone that cares abt her as a characther, anyways just wanted to thank u for how good ur version of her is)

Glad you like what I've done with Venus, thanks! I'd been trying for quite a while to get her into the comic but kept running into legal obstacles and false starts, her introduction almost didn't happen but we got clearance at the last minute. Whew! And yeah I've watched Next Mutation, it gets a bad rap in my opinion, it has a lot of cool ideas (Mikey's show in the IDW comic is based off his pirate radio station in Next Mutation for example, I always thought that was such a great idea). I haven't seen every episode but I have the DVD set of it, I really need to finish the last several episodes.

Anyway, I really wanted IDW Venus to treat the original version with respect as much as I could, like you said there are aspects of the Next Mutation version that we're not allowed to use, it's all very complicated, but I tried to at least homage the things I'm not allowed to use. I'm still trying to have Venus join the Turtles/Splinter Clan but it keeps getting pushed back!

Thanks for reaching out and letting me know your thoughts! I hope I continue to do Venus justice. :)

21 notes · View notes

mlobsters · 4 months

Text

supernatural s13e6 tombstone (w. davy perez)

SAM No. You're – you're dead. CASTIEL Yeah, I was. But then I… annoyed an ancient cosmic being so much that he sent me back.

i mean. that's how i described it too. but laughing that we're seriously gonna say that in this moment without the boys reacting, lol okay!

please not this music, it's making me laugh. papa castiel is home! cue the cheesiest fucking emotional music. you know what it reminds me of? the zelda breath of the wild like... those flashback cut scenes, the memories? mushy ones with zelda haha (plinky piano bits around 19:19 if you're curious)

cas hitting the hug jackpot, 3 unsolicted ones! and the one with jack was sweet

whew and now we get cheesy old west music too.

DEAN Yeah, we've done more on less. Besides Dodge City's kind of, uh, kind of awesome. All right, well… two salty hunters, one half-angel kid, and a dude who just came back from the dead. Again. Team Free Will 2.0. Here we go.

no more suicidal dean apparently, get an unexpected resurrection and cowboy shenanigans and he's happy and fired up

one thing i find endlessly amusing/fascinating is how like, all these years we're gonna have silly little logistical questions like. how they clean their suits, are they doing dry cleaning, are they rolling up their suits in their duffels with everything else, etc etc. but we got to see some ironing not long back and now, dry cleaning bags!

cas's face is cracking me up

JACK He really likes cowboys. CASTIEL Yes. Yes, he does.

also my face at the creative team that decided this was part of dean's schtick. i want to let dean enjoy silly things. but they just push so hard

also they're gonna get one room (albeit a suite) for all 4 of them. jack doesn't sleep much, cas doesn't sleep at all. what are those two gonna do while the humans are sleeping? awkward

SAM You're in a good mood, huh? DEAN Yeah. And? SAM Nothing. No, no, I-I-I just, uh… you've been having a rough go, so it's… it's good to see you smile. DEAN Well, I said I needed a big win. We got Cas back. That's a pretty damn big win. SAM Yeah. Fair enough.

what's up with your attitude there, sam. you don't actually seem very happy. worried he's gonna crash and burn? jealous that it's cas? jealous that cas is taking jack from him? (lol)

little bonding for cas and jack while the humans were sleeping talking about his mom was nice

untitled 1 and 2 our old friends!! last seen i think in one episode in 10x10 and not quite some time before that. if my blog search/index wasn't so fucked i could find more details. song remains the same

set designers let the kitsch explode. those silhouettes

CASTIEL I told you. He's an angry sleeper. Like a bear.

cheesy but i laughed. i, too, wake up in a foul mood and should not be talked to

oh sure dean, you're cringing over cas's line but we've all been very generous in accepting your goofy ass shit like that bolo tie and need to cosplay tombstone to begin with

can truly appreciate the sheer awfulness of that hat cas is wearing out in the sunlight. it's so small, it's so translucent. cheapest of straw hats. (not knockin straw hats! my dad was an avid cowboy hat wearer and had a couple nice straw ones for the summer)

i don't pay too much attention to how time flows on this show, i do know sometimes it can be weeks between episodes, sometimes it's the next day (another thing that irked me on teen wolf was how they spent like... 2+ full seasons in one year to keep the kids in high school). but anyway, i just wonder how much show universe time cas was not off on some whatever, and around to do this stuff hanging out with them. them crammed in sam's room on his uncomfortable bed to watch a movie, like they did with charlie? lol. based on the number of times i've seen it in fic, i gather a bunker room with a tv does become a thing at some point, so maybe it was in there?

.... a shootout in the parking lot of the knockoff wells fargo in broad daylight. what planet are we on right now. so jack can accidentally kill a civilian with his powers, great

CASTIEL Jack, I've killed people who didn't deserve it… my friends– I've killed people I loved. I wish I could tell you that it– that it gets easier, that with time, it hurts less, but that would be a lie because it– it never gets easier. And those moments, they never stop hurting. But that doesn't mean that you should stop fighting. Doesn't mean that just because you made a mistake – and that's what this is, Jack. It's a mistake. That doesn't mean that you can't– can't be better, do better. I believe that. I have to believe that.

so the people he killed that he loved, would that be like. angelic siblings? wonder if the wiki keeps track of who killed whom. he killed a bunch of fake deans in that one episode lol

SAM And we still believe in you, Jack. We, uh– JACK Stop. Just… Please stop.

anyway, point being, wasn't this just an accident?? like when eileen accidentally killed the bmol dude? eileen got a hug and commiseration, they're talking about who they murdered and WE STILL BELIEVE YOU'RE NOT EVIL i would tell them to stop too!

why do they do this with him

JACK No, maybe you're right. Maybe I'm just another monster. DEAN No, you're not. I thought you were. I did. But… Like Sam said, we've all done bad. We all have blood on our hands. So if you're a monster, we're all monsters.

dean gets to have his little personal growth acknowledgement

really added dimension to the terror of thinking he's a monster like sam did, with a bunch of unintended injury and now death wrapped up in it. kind of hard to... care about anything except vaguely because we sitll barely know him but if i sit and think about it, sure

and a whole other thing dealing with kid having a meltdown when they can just teleport away.

oh god just considered now dean might feel extra guilty for telling jack he was a monster and he was gonna kill him, now that jack ran away. that could be the crash and burn :p

#supernatural #spnwatch #spn clip #spn musical score #spn desktop background update #davy perez #jay gruska #spn 13x06 #spn zelda music

4 notes · View notes

metagalacticx · 1 year

Note

🏳️‍🌈👻🧸

Liam, Theo, and Scott

a sexuality headcanon

oooh i have never revealed my sexuality headcanons for any characters before whew here goes:

liam: i hc liam as aspec and i’m probably the only person in the universe and also yes i’m correct sorry but i’m right shh just trust me

theo: theo is pansexual aromantic

scott: bi bi bi

a headcanon about what scares them

you know the way nolan is usually characterised? that’s kind of how liam is to me; he’s a ball of nervous energy. (this isn’t about nolan but sometimes people forget what a bitch that guy can be like yeah he’s jittery and nervous but he’s also a bitch and he can be rude and hold his own sometimes he stabs and punches people). anyway, liam. so scared of so many things, always worried about outcomes and possibilities. he’s scared of ants. they’re tiny and they don’t bother you if you don’t bother them but he’s scared of them anyway. he sees a line of ants and his skin crawls.

theo is scared he’ll never be good enough; for a pack, for anyone else, for himself. he’s not sure what he really wants (though he might think he knows) but deep down he’s terrified he’ll never be good enough for any of it. he’ll probably never realise that being himself is enough, and will probably always think he isn’t enough because he is who he is. inferiority complex on steroids.

scott is scared he’ll never die. he doesn’t want to die, but he’s scared that he never will, that he’ll be stuck facing demons for eternity. that this curse is eternal and he’ll never escape. also he’s scared of guns. and the sounds of guns being cocked, fired etc. that’s not a hc actually

a headcanon about their childhood

liam: his mom was never home a lot and they didn’t spend a lot of time together when he was younger. they have a good relationship, but he’s closer with his stepdad. i think his mom probably avoided him a lot when he had episodes and didn’t realise it affected him. his tendency to isolate when things get rough (avoiding mason, avoiding scott) may indicate that he dealt with a lot on his own growing up. or that he felt he had to.

theo: he started skateboarding because some older kids on his street did and he wanted to be able to do cool tricks and flips, just like them. he was not naturally good at sports and it took a lot of effort.

scott: his very first pet was a stray cat that would come to his back door a lot and he would feed it and try to pet it even though melissa cautioned him not to; and it would always scratch him and he hated it a little bit but he always fed it no matter what. then he got roxie who was a literal angel compared to the demon cat. roxie loved cuddles and walks and would run into his tiny arms. but he kept feeding the cat anyway. eventually it stopped coming around but he’ll never forget the evil, perpetually hungry cat.

#asks #thank you sm for sending!#liam dunbar #theo raeken #scott mccall #teen wolf headcanons

17 notes · View notes

daltoneering · 2 years

Note

god your answer has me giggling and shit, these two are so in love and it's been beautiful to see! there's two moments that also stood up for me as important in their story idk what you think, the first one is kimm cleaning porsche's arm wound and that moment when they lock eyes for 2 seconds (i feel like so much is happening there, they are both realizing something, the way porsche looks at kinn GOD truly breathtaking) and the second one is kinn going to see porsche when he gives him the gun and that mood change from horny bastards to "i'm-so-deeply-in-love-with-you the mere thought of losing you makes me wanna kill everyone in this room and then myself" there's like an even deeper realization there right?

you have such a beautiful way with words and such clever perspectives i wanted to know what do you think about those moments

GOSH yeah whew. the first one you're talking about, the wound-tending and associated Significant Eye Contact, is a key moment in the kinn taking care of porsche agenda. porsche is prodding at him to try and confess that he wants him back, and kinn is saying that everything belongs to him anyway (implying that porsche does too), and then they get this long, heavy eye contact, and see each other. porsche can see that kinn cares about him, can see right through him, and kinn notices that ah! he has been spotted!, and immediately withdraws. he is not ready to be perceived at this time. i think it's an important moment in porsche's understanding of kinn and the fact that kinn is treating him very differently to how he treats all his other bodyguards.

the second scene you mentioned, the "two guns" scene in episode 7, is one of my faaaaavourite from the episode. the emotional shift! it actually starts out pretty emotional--the last time porsche saw kinn, he was acting very dismissive towards him in front of vegas, and then on the phone he was continuing in the same way--so for him to show up unexpectedly behind enemy lines and tell porsche he has something for him is quite the shift. and then it's something as meaningful as his lucky gun?! yeah. me and porsche are both overwhelmed by this, especially when it becomes clear that the gun is also a metaphor for his heart. this little pre-horny conversation is so important because kinn makes it clear that he wants (needs!) porsche to come back to him after this is over, because he loves him.

that's a lot of emotions for a single mafia man and his bodyguard to process on an evening without even the support of an emotional handy, so naturally kinn has to break the tension and make his gun dick joke--turning it into a different kind of tension altogether. porsche reacts perfectly, joining in with him in the horny teasing, making jokes of his own, and it's just a reminder of how perfect they are for each other. porsche does this adorable little "i'm a naughty brat hehe making jokes and teasing you, what you gonna do about it" face, and instead of escalating the sexual tension further, kinn goes suuuper soft and we get this gorgeous emotional shift.

i think what's happening here is that kinn is deeply in love. like i said in my first ask, he has liked this teasing, bratty aspect of porsche since the very beginning, and seeing it here just serves as a further reminder of why he loves him so much. but he's emotional about having to let porsche do this and he's emotional about having to extend his trust boundaries and he's still so scared!! kinn is still so scared that he is gonna lose porsche so he has to take every moment he can get to show him how much he doesn't want that to happen. hence the emotional shift, and the incredibly tender forehead kiss. he doesn't want to let him go, but he has to; he doesn't want to lose him, but that's the risk he has to take.

#kinnporsche #anon #reply #kp*

67 notes · View notes

marvellousinternethideout · 1 year

Text

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Season 2

Ep 13 - Surprise

Whew, I am back. Let's go. Lol, I kinda forgot what happened in last episode .

OHHHH YESS, Drusilla is back. This should be fun!

What kind of weird dream is buffy having? Drusilla is controlling her dreams?

That angel dying was soooo bad lmao. My guy didn't even tried to act.

Oh hey shirtless angel. The show knew what we wanted.

I hate it so much when no one believes the main lead, can we at least humor them when you know that supernatural exist, like everything is possible.

This bangel kiss while it's hot, it feels like outta nowhere. Or maybe it's the way it happened, she was talking about something serious and he just started make out with me. A little more lead-up would've been nice. Its probably just me.

Oh yeah they can't have sex(don't know why, I just know it cz of spoilers).

What was the cut? It was fucking weird. We cut from buffy and Willow to Buffy and ... Willow? What was the point of that cut.

OH HEY OZZ!!!

"He's nice, i like his hands", lmao Willow , way to go!

Go tell her Buffy!! Tell willow. You're her savior.

WILLOW AND OZ ARE INTERACTING! Their interaction are so fucking top tier!

Yessss!!!!! A date!! Yesssz!

Oz and willow are so awkward and cute, I FUCKING LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!!

"I said date", lmao willow, you're adorable and my favorite.

Xander and Cordelia do nothing for me. They're funny sure but I don't ship them.

Xander and Giles are funny together.

Spike is also back!!!! I am loving this. Oh his face is burned (or something).

Drusilla has lost it but blame angel. He's responsible for everything that has happened to her.

What's in the box?

Yikes, one of her dream scenes came true.

Who's this guy following Jenny? Can we all leave her alone.

BITCH WHAT THE FUCK!!! WHO IS JENNY!!??? SHE IS WITCH!! PART OF A COVEN. YENNA(?) OF SOME PEOPLE.

UNCLE!!????

WHAT IN THE FUCK!!! JENNYYYYYY!

Wait, they(Jenny and her uncle) were talking about Drusilla. She's the one who was part of their coven.

I LOVE THIS EPISODE!!

Poor Giles though. Damn his heart is gonna be broken... Again.

Where is jenny taking Buffy? Don't trust her Buffy.

Damn, did she want her to get killed ?

LMAO, not people inside waiting and hearing her fight. You gotta love the timing.

OZ JUST FOUND OUT!!

Oz found out like immediately. Well, my guy, you're part of this now. Welcome to the madness.

Please don't gaslight Oz. Just tell him the truth.

LMAO OZ JUST ACCEPTED THE TRUTH. He's like, "that explains a lot". Seriously, though, show needs to do better with reactions after finding out that vampires or supernatural exist. Some freak out and denial would be nice.

What was that creature in that box? Was it sent by spike and Drusilla or the witch coven.

Willow: "What was it?", Oz:- "It looked like a arm", oh you my precious babies.

"oh she wouldn't ", oh she would angel, Drusilla would.

The Judge, this body is called the judge.

Damn, Drusilla just assembled a dismembered body and brought him back to life. What an icon. Lmao, this bitch is crazy and I love her.

Let angel go buffy, there's no other choice.

Awwww sad separation but get over it.

Oh so it was sent by Drusilla and jenny and her coven used this to get Angel away from buffy.

I ship angel and buffy but damn I need more of them.

Aww, angel gave her a family heirloom, a family he killed. How romantic😍

Him describing the meaning behind the heirloom was just funny considering what he did. Like damn angel, maybe don't do that.

He was gonna say I love you and the vampires came. Alright, I like this better anyway.

Like, Xander is way too damn right about how angel and buffy will never work. This will never be a thing. I mean it's sad but like, I am not that sad.

Another dream?

Sometimes bangel's scene has no affect on me. Like, there is no feels.

She assembled the fucking body!!!!! Damn, girl. What a good fucking icon.

Spike is gonna start hating Drusilla. Isn't he?

Lmao buffy, the body is assembled, you're too late.

Maybe they shouldn't have come to the party.

Lmao, the spike is too damn funny. I love him.

Ok, so who is gonna save them? Nvm, they did it on their own.

They are gonna have sex, aren't they?

Damn, the sexual tension. This scene is damn. The chemistry 🔥🔥🔥

Damn, the I love you's dropped. Again, damn this scene.

So they did have sex and he's dying now. Damn buffy and her poisonous pussy.

THAT'S WHERE YOU END IT??

Alright, I love this episode. This was freaking Good. This was more on the slow side but it fit perfectly with the plot. Like we knew about everything but we were still invested. You need to know your stuff for that. So great job to the creaters and writers.

Anyway, on the plot, damn that justice guy was so crazy and so fucking good of plot. It was insane and I loved it. I mean I definitely didn't see this coming. Assembling a dismembered body, Damn! I am loving this and can't wait for the next episode (great thing I don't have to).

Now, I don't feel bad for angel whenever drusilla does something to him or plot against him, I am sorry but the angel deserves it. In their case I'll always be team drusilla. Drusilla has suffered way too fucking much. She deserves revenge on him, I don't care what anyone thinks. The only person I feel about is buffy, she is suffering for his actions.

We had oz and willow in this episode and fucking finally. I love them so much and their interactions are just chef's kiss 🤌. What a icons. I love them, I love their innocence, I love their Interactions, I love their chemistry. I love absolutely everything about them.

Also, we had a lot angel and buffy which probably was most we have had them. A lot angst, heartbreak, love, confessions, anger, sadness and they did it perfectly. The crazy in love how I would describe them in this episode. There were some scenes that fell flat for me while there were some that were 🔥🔥🔥. Especially the last scene, what a fucking great scene. Everything about that scene was perfection. The hopeless, madly in love, the love, the tension, the craziness, the angst, the fear, that scene had everything and you can feel it. You can feel all the emotions. It was that great. Damn great job actors.

Also, the cliffhanger, I guess it's time to watch another episode.

That's it for now, see ya in the next one. Cheers🥂

7 notes · View notes

where-theres-smoak-2 · 2 years

Text

HOTD Ep 8 Review/Analysis (Spoilers)

Whew this episode wrecked me, I was not expecting to be so emotionally moved as I was. I say this every week but I really do think this is one of the best episodes of the season, they really do just keep outdoing themselves. I think whilst last episode was the most intense of the season this one was hands down the most emotional. A lot of what brought out such emotional responses from the audience this episode was due to the actors’ performances, I really cannot applaud them all enough. But I do have to praise Paddy in particular, the man deserves an emmy, his performance was just flawless in this episode. Anyway here are my thoughts on the episode as always a spoiler warning applies.

Heir to the Driftwood Throne

We open the episode learning that six years have past and that Rhaenys has not seen Corlys in those six years as he has been once again fighting in the Step Stones. We don’t know much about why Corlys returned to the step stones but I could see it being because of the loss of his children and the tension between him and his wife, that he is using the step stones as a way to escape from that pain and deal with his anger and grief at the whole mess. It is sad though that he is now potentially on his death bed but he has been away from his wife for so long, I hope that he pulls through and that we get to see him reconcile with Rhaenys because I do believe that these two genuinely love each other despite being estranged at the moment. I think you can see that Rhaenys is worried for her husband despite the distance between them she is pained at the thought of him being wounded and she clearly does not want him to die. This scene between Rhaenys and Vaemond perfectly sets up what this episode is going to be about, its once again this question of blood vs name and I saw this scene very much as a continuation of the one between Rhaenys and Corlys from ep 7. Vaemond clearly, like Rhaenys last ep, cares more about ensuring the bloodline as opposed to legacy like Corlys. I do think Vaemond believes he is in the right and that Driftmark should be his but I also think he is seizing an opportunity here, he is taking advantage of the fact that the King is incapacitated and that the Greens are the ones in power and that they will seize any opportunity to weaken Rhaenyra and her claim to the Iron Throne. When Rhaenys warns Vaemond that the King would have his tongue for saying that Rhaenyra’s children are not legitimate he replies that it doesn’t matter because its the Queen that has the power right now.

News update, yeah Otto is still manipulating his daughter, who would have guessed. It does seem like in those six years since we last saw her Alicent has deepened her connection with religion, she has always been all about doing your duty and what not but I do think that after having her darker side come out, when she demanded an eye in payment for Aemond losing his and cutting Rhaenyra, I can understand why she turned even more into her religion and being guided by the gods. She is trying to curb those darker instincts to keep herself on track, I do think she regretted how she behaved and is searching for some redemption there. But she is failing to recognise the snake in her garden of paradise, her father. He is still pulling the strings and we see this in that scene between Otto, Alicent and Vaemond in the small council room. Alicent is clearly uncomfortable with the situation but Otto uses fearmongering to scare Alicent into making a deal with Vaemond, just as he did in episode 5 when he is removed as Hand of the king and he plants the seed in Alicent’s head that Rhaenyra is a threat to her children. Now he is telling her that war is nearing and that if that happens they can’t have a child in charge of the most powerful fleet in the realm. It’s kind of a moot point though because I would assume that just as she ahs sat in his seat during his absence at war Rhaenys would act on Lucerys behalf, or at least guide him, until he came of age. So it wouldn’t be leaving the fleet entirely in the hands of a child. But still Otto uses this as a way to manipulate Alicent to convince her this is what is best for the realm. The pot is sweetened of course by Vaemond pointing out that the as the Lord of the Tides he would be indebted to the Hightowers all but confirming that he would give his support to Aegon’s succession should the King die which would give them a huge advantage over Rhaenyra as they would have the most powerful fleet at their disposal, the seas effectively would be theirs to rule. This lends her son a lot of protection and as that previous seed Otto planted has bloomed into a paranoia over the years, combined with her son losing an eye the last time the Blacks and Greens were together, it makes this deal with Vaemond all the more appealing to Alicent. There was something that irritated me with this scene though and it is something that irritates me alot when it comes to the Greens and that is they put on this show of being by the law, of holding up the values of the seven, of holding up duty, the law, family and yet here they are conniving and plotting behind closed doors. They’ve already decided that Vaemond will be heir to Driftmark in this room which makes the pageant of hearing all the petitions and acting like its all fair and by the book nothing more than a farce. Sometimes I just can’t take how hypocritical they are as they will call Rhaenyra out and try and shame her for not doing her duty or for breaking the law, for being dishonest and yet they flout it all themselves as well.

The scene between Rhaenys and Rhaenyra in the God’s Wood was an interesting one. There is clearly alot of tension there due to the fact that Rhaenys believes that Rhaenyra played a hand in her son’s death. The deal that Rhaenyra offers Rhaenys is a good one. I said myself after ep 7 that it would make sense to marry Daemon’s daughters to Rhaenyra’s sons as that would ensure that both the Velaryon name and blood would inherit Driftmark one day, also as the added bonus marrying Jace and Baela means that one day Velaryon blood will also sit on the Iron Throne. I found it had to really work out what Rhaenys’ intentions were in this scene. Rhaenyra says that she believes that Rhaenys plans to advocate for herself but we never hear Rhaenys confirm it or deny it. When Rhaenyra says ‘what does it matter’ after Rhaenys says her offer is either a generous one or a desperate one and Rhaenys replied ‘you are right in this at least. It does not matter.’ I watched that moment over and over trying to get a read on what exactly Rhaenys was thinking there, when she tells Rhaenyra that she can bargain as much as she likes but tomorrow the Hightowers will bring Rhaenyra to her knees I don’t think she was being malicious or mean like I first thought. Rhaenys seem to me to be very tired and alone, her children are dead, her husband is gravely wounded, her brother in law is trying to get Driftmark for himself and cares little for her, her grandsons are not her son’s by blood, she has slowly watched House Velaryon crumble apart. She has watched her husband strive to give his family a legacy and seen how that has led their house to calamity, I think she’s now at the point where she believes the sacrifices made were not worth the outcome, in the end it all came to nothing, it didn’t matter. The cost was disproportionate to the prize. So when Rhaenyra offers her this perfect solution, the perfect deal that could enhance her family’s house, give them more power and ensure the continuation of their line, a deal she knows her husband would take, she just feels numb to it. She reminds me a little in this episode of Viserys in ep 3 where he was just done with all the politicking. I think Rhaenys in this moment is done too, she’s had enough and she just doesn’t care anymore, what does she really have left to fight for? Her granddaughters maybe, I mean she is right when she says Rhaenyra brought Rhaena with her to soften her resolve, but I think whilst Rhaenys cares about her granddaughters she does not want to continue playing this game and risk losing them like she did her children.

But I also think when she looks at Rhaenyra in this moment its like she is looking in a mirror, she is seeing herself. A mother who wanted the best for her children, who is trapped in this political game and who is frightened and desperate. A woman who knows what it is like for a realm to disregard you as an heir and think a male should be Ruler in your place purely because you are a woman. I think it is very telling that Rhaenys says ‘and I must stand alone’ when she says the Greens will bring Rhaenyra to her knees. I think she believes that Rhaenyra has already lost to the Greens, that there is no escaping her fate, that this is the way of things and so now Rhaenys has lost even that last ally she had, now she must stand alone.

As Rhaenys leaves you can see the look of absolute despair and desperation come crashing down on Rhaenyra, Emma just played that moment so well. You can see the fear and utter helplessness she feels as she too must feel like she is standing alone against the world. The scene where she goes to her fathers bedside at night was another moment that just tore at my heart. This was the moment when you realise just how heavy a burden it has been for Rhaenyra to be heir to the throne, to have everyone be against her and to face challenges to her right as heir at every turn, to be used by others for whatever they can gain politically. To bear the pressure of providing heirs whilst she and her husband struggle to have children together, to then out of desperation have children by another man just so that you have those heirs and because at least this other man made you feel desired and you got some joy form it, to then fear for the fate of those children because now others are using them as weapons against you and your claim and then on top of all that to have this secret knowledge of an upcoming apocalypse that you have the responsibility to make sure the realm remains united and that your bloodline continues because you believe the only way to save the literal world is to have a Targaryen on the throne. As she herself says its a burden too heavy to carry on her own. This is why she pleads with her father to defend her. She knows that she is on the brink of potentially losing everything. The whole scene is just so heartbreaking and in that moment she was just a daughter who needed her father. What made it more heartbreaking was that it seems like Viserys is too out of it to understand what she was saying or even that she is really there. It is clear to her that her father is not long for this world and I think that must make her feel alone and lost.

Protector of the Realm

My favourite sequence in this whole episode was when Rhaenyra steps up to make her petition on behalf of her son and then the doors open and Viserys enters. It’s amazing to me how they managed to take something as simple as an old man walking down a hall and turn it into something so majestic and epic. The goosebumps this scene gave me and I feel no shame in saying I got all choked up. I loved the look on Rhaenyra’s face when she realises that her father was there for her, that he had found the strength to pull himself out of bed and walk to that throne one more time so that he can defend her, that her heard her when she pleaded to him for his help. The music in this scene was magnificent too I mean Ramin Djawadi never disappoints and once again he hit it out of the park with the soundtrack for this scene. I also found out that the name of this theme is Protector of the Realm and honestly I nearly cried all over again when I found that out because whatever faults Viserys had as King one thing I was always sure of was that he wanted to protect the realm, he wanted the realm to be united. Also in this moment he really shows up as the protector, not just for the realm but for his heir and daughter, the heir and daughter who he believes will be the protector of the realm herself, its a mantle he intends to pass to her. If you wish for me to bear it then defend me and my children, this is what she asks of him and when he shows up for her he is giving her his answer, that he believes that she has the strength to bear it, that he believes in her. To his very end he stands by his promise to her in episode 3, that he will not see her supplanted.

If Viserys entering the hall had me choked up then I was downright bawling when his crown falls and Daemon comes and picks it up and helps him up to the throne. I spoke about this quite a bit in this post if you want to read my more in depth thoughts on that moment, but I will add to it that what makes this moment so touching is that all Daemon has ever really wanted is to be needed and wanted by his brother. Viserys turns down help from his guard and goes to do the same again after his crown falls until he sees it is Daemon. Here he accepts his brother’s help and he leans on his brother. When that crown falls you can see the utter exhaustion fall over him, he knows he needs to get up those stairs but it is such a struggle for him, I think when he looks over and sees his brother at his side it gives him that remaining strength he needed, as they are walking up the stairs you can see Viserys looking over at his brother now and again as if to draw more strength from him, to remind him to keep climbing these stairs. What makes it so special is that despite everything that has happened between them, all the arguments and the estrangements, when Viserys truly needed him Daemon was there, all that mattered was that they were brothers.

I said above that I thought Rhaenys was done, that she was too tired to continuing playing this game, well maybe I am interpreting it all wrong but I do think that seeing Viserys do this, standing up to defend his daughter, inspires her, gives her some of her strength back, some of that fighting spirit she had back. I think maybe Rhaenys felt helpless and felt like it didn’t matter what she did or said because the men in her life would also have the power to over rule her, they would always have the power, she was passed over for the throne because she was a woman, her husband over ruled her when it came to her wishes with the succession of Driftmark, Vaemond also disregards her and goes over her head to make a deal with the Greens despite her telling him that Corlys wanted Lucerys to inherit. When Viserys asks Rhaenys to speak on behalf of what her husband wanted you can see her surprise for a moment, but then you see her send a triumphant look at Vaemond. In that moment she was given some of her power back, she recognises that she is the one that could be the deciding factor here. She can say anything she wants, that Corlys said he wants her to be his heir, or that he wanted Baela to be, or she could side with Vaemond and say Corlys wanted it to pass to his brother. She is the one with all the cards. It must have been refreshing for her to decide the fate of her house and family for once. What is interesting to me is what she chooses to do with that moment of power that she has, she chooses to accept Rhaenyra’s deal to wed Baela and Rhaena to Jace and Luke. She chooses to back Lucerys’ claim to Driftmark, but I don’t think she really does this for Luke’s sake I think she does it for Rhaenyra and for Baela and for Rhaena. She choses to uplift the other females in her life, to help them raise to positions of power themselves. The fact that it benefits her house as well is a bonus. You can see Rhaenyra looking very surprised that Rhaenys supported her but there is a blink and you miss it moment when Rhaenys turns back to re-join Baela and she looks to Rhaenyra and they share a smile, I loved to see it and I hope these two band together now because I really think they could benefit from each other and they would be a real powerhouse of a pairing.

He Can Keep His Tongue

The Greens knew they were in trouble the moment they saw Viserys enter the throne room. I loved the looks of shock on their faces and seeing them all look around at each other like this wasn’t part of the plan, what do we do now. Vaemond really does not know how to play this game though, like I understand how frustrated he must be because technically he is telling the truth, I could kind of understand where he was coming from but if you are going to play the game you have to play it smart and Vaemond did not get that message. I think the issue is that the Velaryon’s have alot of pride, we have seen it in the part with Corlys and so there are times when they should really hold their tongue but instead their pride and anger takes over and they lash out.

Whilst I do understand where Vaemond was coming from I don’t believe him when he said it was a matter of blood not ambition, as if it was really only about blood and him ensuring that his family’s bloodline did not come to an end then he would have been ok with the marriage deal between Luke and Rhaena as that would allow for the continuation of the Velaryon bloodline, as Rhaena does have Velaryon blood. But even after learning of the marriage deal he still challenges the King, I think for a moment Vaemond thought he was going to get Driftmark, that he was going to be Lord of the Tides and have immense power, I suspect it was something of his brother’s that he coveted and he had it at his fingertips only for it to be torn away. His anger at losing Driftmark causes his tongue to loosen, pun intended. I mean I don’t know what he thought was going to happen when he called the King’s grandsons bastards and his daughter a whore but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it won’t be anything good. I loved how when Vaemond hesitates on the word bastard the first time Daemon whispers ‘say it’ he is challenging Vaemond in this moment, but it is also a threat. Say it and see what happens. Vaemond doesn’t just say it he yells it as loudly as he can, he wants to makes sure that everyone hears. The way Daemon kills him is very Daemon like. I mean the guy deliberately cuts his head off above his mouth just so he can make that quip, ‘he can keep his tongue.’ Daemon really does have some great lines. I also love that Otto yells disarm him, like dude way too late for that damage is done. But then I also love how Daemon just casually says no need and then sheaths his blade, he knows he’s not going to face any consequences for it.

The ones I feel sorry for in all of this though are Jace, Luke and Joffrey, as they are the ones that are constantly called names and told that they don’t deserve to inherit. They are innocent, they did nothing wrong. Now that they are older they can understand where the allegations come from but that doesn’t change the fact that they grew up believing that Laenor Velaryon was their father, he was the father they knew even if they were also close with Harwin. So it must be so hurtful to them to have people disregard that, to them they are the sons of Laenor despite whose blood runs in their veins. They have to suffer through all of this judgement and to see people not just hurling insults at them but at their mother too so it is understandable why they are sensitive at the subject and why it brings out anger in them. As both Corlys and Lyonel said a dark cloud hangs over them and its something they can’t escape. It only makes me love them more though because despite it they are still sweet and good and well mannered boys.

The Last Supper

Viserys wanting one last supper with his family was again bittersweet. It was one more shot at getting his family to unite, to mend the rift between them. I am convinced that Viserys has been bitterly and stubbornly hanging on this long because he knew that if he died there would be an all out war between the two sides of his family and that is not what he wanted. I think this shows when he finally sees them happy together and it looks like it has been mended and that is when he finally passes.

But I want to talk about this meal because it really was such a masterpiece in acting and cinematography, all the dynamics at play. In many ways it was a beautiful and emotional scene but in others it was also a frustrating one. The speech Viserys made really did move me. Up until now when he demanded that they make up and show good will he came to them as their King. But here he takes off his mask and he says he wants them to see him as he is, he comes to them as their father, brother, husband and grandsire. I don’t think he was ever more human and vulnerable than he was in that moment. When he asks them if they can’t do it for the crown then to do it for the old man who loves them all dearly it really got to me. I do think this is what inspires Rhaenyra to make that first move and toast to Alicent. Her father stepped up for her and here Rhaenyra steps up for him in return. But I also think a part of her did miss her friend and longed for the bond she once shared with Alicent. What Rhaenyra says in this moment I think is very important. In the last episode during that dagger scene Alicent in her frustration and anger says ‘I, what have I done but what was expected of me?’ this was a moment where I really did feel Alicent and where she was coming from, she had always done her duty. She was the dutiful daughter and the dutiful wife. She was expected to marry the King and so she did, she was expected to give him heirs and she did, she was expected to take care of him when his health was failing and she did. In this moment Rhaenyra not only recognises that but shows Alicent the gratitude she deserves for that. But I also think it is important that Rhaenyra offers her apology too, it makes me think of back in ep 1 when Alicent says all she wanted was for someone to say they were sorry for what had happened to her, here she gets that too.

Just like Rhaenyra I think Alicent too has felt sorrow and regret over the loss of the friendship between them. Just like Rhaenyra what Alicent says in return is also important. She recognises that they are both mothers who love their children, she recognises that the actions of both sides were wrought out of love for their children and that in that way they are the same. I also think it is significant that Alicent not only raises her cup to Rhaenyra but to her house too. Alicent has spent much time bringing Rhaenyra’s sons’ legitimacy into question, she disapproved of her relationship with Daemon, yet here she recognises them too, she finally lays it to rest. Of course her stating that Rhaenyra will make a fine queen is also a huge moment for her, she is recognising Rhaenyra as the rightful heir and letting go of that fear she has that Rhaenyra will harm her children. It is clear that Otto is not ok with this sudden turn around but I do think that both Rhaenyra and Alicent’s toasts were genuine and for a moment it seems like everything is going to be ok. But there is also that tension in the air as you are waiting for the other shoe to drop because things are just going too well. This is one of those moments where the Dance could have been avoided which just makes the whole thing so tragic. That scene where everyone is laughing around the table and even Otto is smiling and Viserys is just looking around at his family happy and laughing together was so beautiful and I am happy that this is the last memory he has of his family. It makes me think of what Viserys said to Rhaenyra at the end of ep 3, he wished to see her happy and contented, with a family. There is that moment when he looks over to that side of the table at Rhaenyra and Daemon and all their children and I think he gets his wish in that moment, Rhaenyra is happy and she is contented. I think this is something that Viserys wanted for his whole family. Sadly once he is gone things quickly dissolve.

So I want to talk about the kids here. Whilst the toasts from Rhaenyra and Alicent were genuine and were healing the same can not be said of the children. I will admit to finding some humour in how every time one of their kids stood up to make a toast the adults immediately tensed up like oh god what are they about to say and is it going to ruin everything. There are a few times where it almost seems like this will happen. There is line that Daemon says at the beginning of the episode that I think applies here ‘has the vipers venom spread so far?’ The truth is that the poison they have spat at each other in the past has spread down to their children and poisoned them against each other too. With them being so young when this happened those seeds have stuck, I think with children being so impressionable, especially young children as they were, it is difficult to undo that damage. There is so much built up resentment and trauma between these children and the saddest part was it didn’t need to be that way. There was a time when they were friends, it was the adults influence and example that lead to them turning on each other. Jace’s toast was very much to cover his angry outburst at Aegon disrespecting Baela and it is interesting because it was clever of Jace to play the gracious part and you can see that Aegon is annoyed at this because he was hoping to show Jace up by getting him angry. I do very much feel like that was Aemond and Aegon’s goal here to antagonise Jace and Luke into a fight because it would make them look bad. So when this fails the first time and Jace instead toasts them it makes him angry.

Helaena’s toast was so sad, she clearly feels ignored by Aegon but at the same time that is actually probably for the best. But it is also kind of ironic because Aegon was just antagonising Jace by suggesting he would be an unsatisfactory husband and yet in the next moment his own wife is pretty much calling him out for being a lousy husband. What is worrying though is right after Jace’s speech where he says ‘to you and your family’s good health’ Helaena says one of her cryptic prophecy lines, this time it is ‘beware the beast beneath the board.’ To me this line brings to mind rats, we’ve seen alot of them in the episodes and never when something good is going on, rats that hide under the boards of floors and walls. It also makes me think of people doing things in secret, if you do something under the board you are being deceitful or unfair, unlawful. With the term beast it also makes me think of monsters hiding under your bed, needless to say the line didn’t bring about warm happy feelings especially right after the mention of family’s health.

Jace’s response to Aegon’s nettling and Helaena’s toast is to ask Helaena to dance. Whilst I do think some of it comes out of genuine kindness towards Helaena I also think it was obvious that Jace was trying to annoy Aegon back, he was making a point of actually I am the one who will make the better husband. It also says alot that he makes his excuses to his own betrothed first. That dance scene was so adorable too. But I do feel like Jace very cleverly takes the approach of you can lure more flies to the trap with honey, its the kill them with kindness type attitude.

Of course it all comes to a head over a pig. A roasted pig is put down in front of Aemond and you see Lucerys trying to hold back laughter before it eventually overcomes him. Needless to say Aemond who is still wounded from the pig prank when they were kids gets upset at this and decides to make a toast of his own. Saluting the three strong boys. This is what pushes Jace over the edge after Vaemond calling them bastards in the hall and then Aegon’s jabs all dinner and he throws a punch at Aemond. Naturally Luke jumps into defend his brother and Aegon slams him into the table. I also caught on a rewatch that Baela goes to jump in to defend Jace too but Rhaena holds her back. The thing is, despite being the ones to turn the fight physical it is still Aemond who looks bad here as it is clear to everyone that he was deliberately antagonising the boys. I do love how Daemon comes in and takes control of the situation with just one gesture. He then stares down Aemond and it is clear what he is saying, do you really want to do this? Just as Daemon challenged Vaemond to ‘say it’ here he is making the same challenge to Aemond, who is at least smarter than Vaemond and holds his tongue walking away instead. I do think that Daemon allows some leniency towards Aemond because that is his brother’s son and a Targaryen but I also think it would only go so far, his loyalty is ultimately with Rhaenyra and her sons. I also think the Aemond has some degree of respect for Daemon after the incident in the throne room, he did look impressed and I do feel like he and Daemon are similar. But I won’t be surprised if at some point we see these two come to blows.

What is surprising is even after the fight between their children Rhaenyra and Alicent are still on good terms and it still looks like things might work out. Rhaenyra says she’ll take the children back to Dragonstone and then return and I think Alicent is genuine when she says she would like it. Still I can’t help but wonder if that line about how Rhaenyra will return on dragon back is foreshadowing. I do think Rhaenyra will return on dragon back but I don’t think it’ll be as a friend.

He’s Aegon And Made A Mess Of Things

This was probably the most frustrating scene in the whole episode. Though to be fair I don’t really think it is Viserys’ fault he was all drugged up on milk of the poppy and he thought he was talking to Rhaenyra. It doesn’t help that there are a few too many people running around with the name Aegon. Alicent doesn’t know of the prophecy so I can understand why she thought he was talking about their son but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. I also am curious about the legality behind it. Like does a statement a dying King made when clearly not in his right state of mind due to milk of the poppy count as an official naming of an heir. I mean with Rhaenyra he held a whole ass ceremony where he publicly named Rhaenyra as heir and had all the lords swear to her. Here he muttered out some garbled nonsense about a prince who was promised and Aegon’s dream. With Robert he had his wishes written out by Ned on his death bed and then he signed it so in that case at least there was written proof of the King’s wishes (even if Cersei just ripped it up). I just think even if Alicent truly believes, and I think she does, that Viserys was trying to say that Aegon should be heir she hasn’t really got any proof of that other than her own word as she was alone in the room with him. I also would have thought that Alicent herself would have recognised that under the influence of the milk of the poppy you can’t really take anything Viserys says as truth. But who knows maybe Alicent saw this as a sign from the Gods that this was her purpose to put her son on the throne and that they were speaking through Viserys.

Viserys’ death scene was so sad, the way he was whispering no more over and over. Like he really was past his time at this point, he had hung on as long as he could but it was still so sad to see him die alone and confused. The way that he reached out his hand and said my love makes me think that he was seeing Aemma at his end or at least thinking of her. I am sad to see Viserys go and I will miss Paddy’s performances, I do think this episode was the perfect send off for the character though.

Dyana (TW: R*pe)

So this was definitely one of the heavier moments of the episode. I said in both ep 6 and 7 that I didn’t like the reaction the maids had when Aegon stared at them and I did suspect this was where it was leading to and unfortunately it was. It was clear from Alicent’s reaction too that this is not the first time this has happened, Alicent even yells at Aegon how can you keep carrying on like this. I think Alicent is genuinely disgusted with her sons behaviour but it doesn’t change the fact that by covering it up, paying off the maids and giving them the tea, she is only enabling Aegon. I don’t think she means to be but she is. I think she genuinely felt bad and had sympathy for Dyana but she also does not want this to get out which is why she makes sure that no one saw them together and then deals with it and brushes it under the rug. On this occasion I do think Aegon deserved that slap, it is also clear that she regrets marrying Aegon and Helaena to each other. I also however think this is going to come back to bite them in the ass. We learn that Talya the other maid who knew about this is working with Mysaria and is clearly taking her information from within the palace. Also Talya was the one who brought the tea. Here’s the thing in ep 4 the maester says that if the tea isn’t brewed correctly than it can be ineffective or can cause side effects. There had to have been a reason why he said this and I think its because Talya has been deliberately not brewing the tea correctly and we are going to end up with a whole load of Aegon’s illegitimate children popping up everywhere. I also think Mysaria will be involved in this somehow given the connection to Talya.

Family Bonds.

On the surface this episode seemed to be about the succession of the Driftwood Throne, but really what it was about was family and family coming together at the bedside of dying loved one. All throughout the episode we get little moments that really highlight that this is a family. So here are so moments that I thought really highlighted this idea of family love.

Daemon doing extreme sports to find dragon eggs to bring back for his children. He was so giddy and happy when he brought those eggs back, it was straight up adorable.

I was fearful when I saw that Baela was at Driftmark in the promo stills that they were going to make her resentful and estranged from her family but thankfully that wasn’t the case at all and I love that she writes to her father and warns them about Vaemond’s intention to bring Luke’s inheritance into question. Without that warning the Greens could have declared that Vaemond heir to Driftmark and the Blacks might not have even found about it until days or weeks later when it would have been too late to do anything about it. Love that Baela was looking out for her family here.

Daemon and Rhaenyra living in marital bliss and being supportive spouses to each other was nice to see even if I am still a little wierded out that he’s her uncle. Him stroking her belly was cute, him taking her hand when she was fidgeting and getting upset to comfort her, the same when he was clearly upset about the condition of his brother and so she wrapped her arm around his in support.

That scene where they introduce Viserys to their sons Aegon and Viserys ii was too adorable. Viserys was clearly delighted that they had named their son after him and I love how Daemon reached out to stroke his son’s hair.

Daemon helping his brother drink the milk of the poppy but also then smelling the cup to make sure that there wasn’t anything malicious in it, he was clearly very concerned and protective of his brother in this episode. It was also kind of heartbreaking how Daemon struggled to look at his brother, it was clear seeing his brother that way pained him.

Jace, Baela, Luke and Rhaena being genuinely happy to be betrothed to each other. Them still six years later supporting and looking out for each other. The way Baela was able to calm Jace by just saying his name and how Rhaena told Luke he would be great as Lord of the Tides.

Alicent comforting her daughter when Daemon killed Vaemond and this clearly greatly upset Helaena alot as she was visibly distressed and covering her ears.

Otto whispering good to Helaena after her toast, most of the time a severely dislike Otto but at least here he was being genuinely sweet to her at least.

Rhaenys comforting and holding Baela’s hand in the throne and also how warmly she greeted Rhaena in the God’s wood, I also appreciated that she remained polite with Rhaenyra until Rhaena was gone to protect Rhaena from any unpleasantness.

There are probably loads more things to talk about in this episode but for now that is everything I have. I do think emotional wise this was the best episode of the season. I can’t wait to see more I feel like things are going to be really tense next episode. It is also ep 9 which in GOT was always an eventful and big episode of each season so I do wonder if HOTD will follow suit.

#hotd #hotd spoilers #house of the dragon #house of the dragon spoilers

10 notes · View notes