#episode reactions

[trelkez]

Ah, Ted Lasso. This episode was 90% mess, but that 10% sure does know how to hook me.

I wish I could go back in time to the self who went into Ted Lasso thinking it was tightly plotted, top tier stuff and say, "this is a ridiculous show, but you should watch it anyway. You'll love the characters. You will get so much found family. Just don't get too attached to any plotlines or expect anything to make sense ever, and you'll be fine." That would be a reasonable expectation for this show! Unfortunately for me, we're down to the final three episodes, so it's a bit late for me to recalibrate at this point. I am, alas, still invested in the plotlines. 

So let's get into 3.10, because … wow, is there a lot to get into.

I'm rewatching the episode as I write this (just in case I forget any of the batshit turns it took and/or parts of it turn out to have been a fever dream), so I'm going to tackle it roughly in order. 

1. Richmond's ten game winning streak

Where are we at in the season? Does anyone know?

Remember when this show had season arcs organized around some kind of football-related goal? Avoid relegation, make it back into the Premier League. It seemed logical that the goal of this season would be to win the league, but I guess we're going to get there by putting the team on cheat mode in the background and then shoehorning in some "will they or won't they" football drama at the end, which is actually very in keeping with the overall theme of this episode.

2. Nate quit West Ham off-screen

I'm so glad the guy in the apartment on the other side of my living room wall was out for the night, because I literally shrieked "WHAT?????? WHAT???????" when that "Nate Shelley Out at West Ham" graphic went up.

I didn't get to Nate in my 3.09 writeup, and it's just as well, because anything I wrote before that graphic would have been immediately rendered pointless. Nate quit West Ham off-screen. He quit off-screen.

I am going to reach way, way back to the Nate Shelley I liked in season one and say: that Nate did not deserve this shit.

It has been obvious throughout this entire season that the writers weren't interested in telling the story that season two set up. They didn't especially want to dwell on or in the toxicity that bottomed Nate out last season; they didn't want to do the harder narrative work of actually building back an unlikeable character through a slow but steady redemption arc, even though they've spent entire seasons doing exactly that with Jamie. Instead, they said, "yeah, but Nate isn't really That Guy."

Does the show regret what it did? It sure feels that way. It feels like, in the pursuit of telling a story about a good guy on an ego-fueled descent, the show went way further than it meant to and has now decided to backtrack on that by treating the whole thing like a guy waking up from a bender and going, "I did what last night? Why did I do that?" That wasn't really Nate who did those things, that was Drunk Nate! He did five shots of narcissism and got blackout drunk on jealousy, and he woke up in the morning with a new job. What wild shenanigans will ensue? 

So, sure. The only way any of it makes sense is if none of it meant anything. Fine. Even then, what was the point of sending Nate to West Ham and throwing all of Rupert's smothering, menacing glitz at him only for NATE QUITTING HIS JOB AND WALKING AWAY FROM RUPERT AND WEST HAM to happen OFF-SCREEN so they can CATCH US UP ON IT via FAKE SPORTS NEWS INFOGRAPHIC??

If they didn't show it because they felt the real rejection was in Nate going home to his girlfriend, that is very poor storytelling in a season that started out with the most literal Rupert is Palpatine visual parallels imaginable. If they're trying to say that the real climax of Nate's story isn't in rejecting Rupert, but in the amends he makes with the people he hurt, then why did they drag the West Ham stuff out until the tenth episode??? Why is all of this being left for the end, when none of the West Ham stuff has ultimately mattered at all, and pulling the plug on it earlier on could've left a lot of room for handling Nate's healing process at a slower, more organic pace?

Ultimately, this is a story about a good guy who lost his way a little and wound up hanging out with a bad crowd, and now he has to apologize his way back into the hearts of his real friends. The storytelling along the way has been wildly incoherent and had brutally terrible pacing, but if you completely disregard how we got here and pretend season one Nate just woke up from a West Ham bender, there's still time to enjoy the endgame.

3. Isaac is team captain again!

So – Isaac went into the crowd and wasn't banned for the remainder of the season? Let's close our eyes for a moment and imagine that the football gods looked upon Isaac's actions and said, "yeah, that seems legit, let's give him the smallest possible set of consequences." He was sent off with a red card. For assault. But the football gods are treating punching a fan like having a go at an opposing player! Cool. That's still, what, three games?

So even if we assume he only got a three-game ban, and keeping in mind that Richmond isn't in the Champions or Europa leagues and the FA Cup is just – not happening, I guess? So they probably don't have a ton of midweek games, which means that it's been … weeks.

But wasn't the win streak at eight games last week? So – did Isaac just – not get a ban? At all? 

Nope. No. Self, you are a Ted Lasso Doylist now, remember? Nothing that happened last week was actually about Isaac in any way, so why would there be ongoing consequences for him from that storyline? Deep breaths.

Isaac is one of my favorite characters in this show, and I'm not particularly interested in there being ongoing consequences for him from whatever that was last week, so – this is fine. Don't question it. We float on an ocean of vibes. Everything is great.

4. Why?

Why did we just take a beat for microaggression with Ted being shocked Bumbercatch is Swiss? Is this really where we're at these days, comedy-wise?

I'm genuinely not sure that anyone involved here knows how to write Ted without making him completely exhausting to be around, anymore. Is that on purpose? Let's pretend it's on purpose.

5. Do we think Nate is capable of being involved in something like that?

"Nah." – the writers, who are pretending they haven't seen season two

6. Jade

I like her so much, but I am 99.95% sure that's because she is being written to be likable, with no other discernible qualities. Who is she? What motivates her? In a season full of long episodes, was there really no time to show her existing when Nate isn't in the room? Did no one in the writer's room stop to wonder, "hey, is it at all dicey if that woman in the restaurant who dislikes Nate suddenly falls in love with him so he can be healed by the power of love?" Did no one say that out loud and hear how it sounds?

Anyway. Jade. Big fan. Looking forward to hearing all about her hobbies and backstory in the ample time remaining.

7. Dani vs. Van Damme

I have a feeling this completely random side adventure into our purest angel having an asshole hypercompetitive side isn't going to land for everyone, but you know what? Sure. Why not. There are epic tales out there of teammates facing each other in the Olympics, the World Cup, etc. and trying to destroy each other and then going home like none of it ever happened. I'm totally onboard for this kind of plot in theory! They took it a little too far with Dani breaking Van Damme's nose, but as we've established, "they took it a little too far" is the story of this entire show. 

You know what would have improved this a lot? If it had happened near the beginning of the season and kicked off a recurring storyline in which someone else now has to face Dani on a spring international break. Shoved in at the end of the season (and probably the end of the series), it loses a lot of its potential, so the placement is … strange. Instead of being an ongoing character trait they could slowly build up and make funnier in the re-telling, it comes out of nowhere and immediately goes to 11. But otherwise, why not.

8. Beard gets it

Beard is the only one who watched season two. He gets it.

It would explain a lot about Beard and this entire season if Beard used to be a time traveler, so he's the only one in Richmond immune to changes in the timeline. Maybe somewhere just out of sight there's a genre show about time travel happening, and this football team just happens to exist in that universe – so the world of Ted Lasso is constantly being rewritten, but no one notices. Ted Lasso as a Doctor Who spin-off in which no one has ever met or heard of The Doctor. 

No one but Beard, anyway. Is Beard also the only one who remembers that Isaac went into the crowd last week?

9. Uncle's Day

10/10, no notes. Every time I think I'm out, this show uses Jamie Tartt to drag me right back in.

(Actually, no, one note: Jamie was joking about Isaac being his best friend, right? That was just to screw with Roy? I'm going to assume Isaac was the choice for that line because it's so obviously unlikely given how rarely they interact, and not because the writers think Jamie and Isaac are still BFFs. It would be very in keeping with this season for them to think Jamie and Isaac's friendship is just running on cheat mode in the background, but like – I'm going to assume. For my sanity. That it's just a joke.)

The funniest part of this scene winds up being that they accidentally made it look like Phoebe was having an "oh. oh" moment about Roy and Jamie. I had to rewind that twice to figure out that she was spelling it out in her head, and not like, catching on.

I would've understood if she had caught on. Roy stares at Jamie for 10.6 seconds before he says "I love it."

10. Super League? In this economy?

+10 points to Leslie for "I hate to break it to you, Rebecca, but those children are dead."

Unfortunately, -10 points to Leslie for "who cares why Rupert invited you?" Historically speaking, Rebecca should care. Rebecca is totally justified in wondering why Rupert invited her!

Why would Richmond be invited into talks about a Super League at all? Richmond? Recently promoted Richmond? Complete lack of international play Richmond? It's sus as hell. If I were Rebecca, I would absolutely assume this was some strange plot by my evil ex-husband.

(I'm not convinced it wasn't, in fact, a strange plot by her evil ex-husband. Something is going on there.)

Super League is about the richest teams banding together to shake off the chaff. As a Spurs fan, I fully, completely understand the concept of a team that isn't actually rich and successful trying to buy into an exclusive club – yes, Spurs were involved in Super League drama; no, you shouldn't ask me about their season or we'll still be here next week while I cry on you – and we are definitely already outside the tethers of reality when West Ham is at the table, but it, truly it makes no sense.

(And even if Rupert weren't the one extending the offer, "go check it out, what's the worst that could happen?" is naive at best. What's the worst that could happen? The media finds out that Rebecca was at a Super League meeting and now Richmond is being dragged into a shitstorm, whether Rebecca decided to buy in or not. Girl, do not go in there! If you don't want to join, don't join! Why is any of this happening! Get Keeley back in the building before someone runs into a PR problem they truly cannot back out of!)

11. Is the psychic's prophecy still a thing?

So … is the show going Tedbecca? After that weird flirty moment she had with Sam earlier, the matchbook almost calls back to Sam more than Ted, but the show did make a point of having Ted pull out that matchbook a few episodes ago, and here it's directly paired with his toy soldier. 

(Honestly, slow clap for everyone who did those green matchbook / green soldier gif sets earlier this season, I thought you guys were reaching straight into outer space with that one and apparently I was dead wrong!)

Ted and Rebecca have barely even talked to each other in the back half of the season. Every week I log on here and see shippers shriveling into dust, their crops unwatered. Is the matchbook/soldier thing a misdirect, or are they going to cram a significant relationship change into the final two episodes of the season after largely ignoring them in the lead-up?

I have no idea which way this is going to swing, and that's kind of terrible, because there are only two episodes left. There isn't time left to do any kind of meaningful build. There's only time for a sudden last-minute rush of drama.

When I put it like that, I think they probably are going to shove it into the endgame. Either that, or the houseboat guy suddenly shows back up out of nowhere. Whatever happens, it is going to have a "bet you didn't see that coming" flavor, because there isn't time for anything else.

12. Roy has an epiphany

What the fuck even is this?

Listen. It never made sense for Roy to have broken up with Keeley. It was clearly something they did as a way to inject some new drama. THAT SAID, they did it, and they committed to it for almost an entire fucking season, and TEN EPISODES ON a teacher with a crush on Roy makes a way-too-personal comment about how she hopes his mess hasn't caused any damage, and THAT'S what makes him suddenly realize he needs to apologize to Keeley? THAT? Just like. Boom. Realization sets in. Lightbulb visibly goes off overhead as he mutters "fuuuuuuck" to himself. A fully illustrated epiphany!

What the fuck does this show think it's doing having Roy suddenly realize that he probably hurt Keeley and needs to apologize? 

In episode ten?????

I don't know how much time has passed, because in Ted Lasso season three time is an illusion, but at minimum – months. Months later, he suddenly realizes he might have hurt his girlfriend when he broke up with her??? That isn't character growth. That is completely fucking absurd. They needed Roy and Keeley to get back together and pushed it too close to the last minute, so they did some schoolteacher deus ex machina. Of all the abrupt plot turns in this episode, this might be the second worst.

(There's a clear winner and this isn't it, but second place? It's a contender.)

13. What happened to the corporate pixie dream girl?

So the overall implication here, between this and Trent's rumor of West Ham workplace misbehavior, is that Rupert is probably headed for some workplace harassment trouble, right? If withholding the mystery of it all turns out to be why they didn't show Nate quitting in this episode, I'm going to scream. I will literally shriek with the frustration of a thousand bad plot decisions.

14. Nate's nostalgia journey

This is, sincerely, great stuff with the photo albums and the music and the journey into the attic. There is still time to enjoy the endgame!! Disregard how we got here!!

15. Rebecca vs. Super League

Just watching this scene made me feel like I've now put in enough time on Ted Lasso to be allowed by contract to take some PTO. Ted Lasso needs to pay me for my time while I recover on a tiny island in the Outer Banks. I've earned it.

So – they thought – having Rebecca scoldingly yell "what do you think you're doing? Just stop it!" while picturing aging rich men as little boys was, like … feminist? Someone involved in this process thought, wouldn't it be great if we empowered Rebecca by making her everyone's scolding mother, and no one along the way went, wait, what? 

But then it keeps going so that we can humanize Rupert, which – what? Why is this happening? Why do I know Rupert's humanizing backstory when to my knowledge, Jade was born inside Taste of Athens?

This is the most I have ever seen Rebecca care about football. It's a lovely speech, but where is it coming from? Since when is she this invested? The only thing that rings true about this is that Super League is an ugly money grab and many, many owners do not give a single shit about their team's fans. Someone wanted to write a speech about that, so we're getting it through Rebecca, just like we got that speech about deleting your camera roll through Isaac. 

Also – the food: I know that the food is a continuation of Edwin Akufo's whole thing with Sam, but it is a weird fucking choice to put so much emphasis on Ghanian food and then reduce it to slop thrown at Rebecca.

Beginning to end, we could've done without this entire Super League story and been just fine. It isn't like this 63-minute episode required extra filler.

16. 24

10/10, no notes. They really do pull me back in with Jamie every time. He revealed that 24 and I, like Roy Kent talking to a schoolteacher, suddenly realized that I ship it. Jamie wore Sam's number?? I'm going to vid this so hard.

17. Nate's dad

I did say there was a clear winner for the episode's worst plot turn.

Nate is sad at home for one episode and suddenly his dad does a complete turnaround after almost three entire seasons? It isn't like we heard a story one time about Nate's dad and now we're getting a reveal on what actually happened there – we've seen him a lot! Nate's entire motivation set is built on his dad and their relationship!

"I pushed you to succeed so you would have more opportunities than I did" is a completely legitimate story to tell, but this has been almost three seasons of disapproval so thick that it threw toxic sludge across the entire show. Nothing Nate has done has ever been good enough. Now we're at the end, and they want to heal it so that Nate can grow, so all of that is being retconned into, "I never cared if you were successful, I just want you to be happy," and suddenly his dad is a completely different person. Boom, fixed! Definitely not the kind of thing you have to heal from over time!

I say again: Nate's story deserved better than this. By pushing this all the way to the end, they've run out of room to take their time with it, so it's just being dropped in. What a mess this season is.

18. Rebecca, do NOT do it

This season is, in fact, such a mess that for a minute there, I believed that Rebecca might actually go for it with Rupert. 

I think, more than anything, I'm puzzled by the perceived necessity of this closure on Rebecca and Rupert. I get that they wanted to give us a taste of what brought Rupert and Rebecca together in the first place – to have Rebecca to see him in that old light again before taking a step back, so she could acknowledge the past in a way that helped her finally make a clean break. I get it. But … why? Was this really something lingering out there for her to overcome?

Rebecca's entire season-long conflict with Rupert has felt like intentional backsliding for the purposes of The Drama. If you imagine that she came into this season still very fired up and insecure about her ex-husband, the arc from "I want Zava so Rupert can't have him" to "I don't care about beating Rupert anymore" is fine. But … did she? Is that really where we left her in season two?

And why did an episode in which Nate quits West Ham spend so much time breaking up Rupert and Rebecca, who were already broken up, while Nate quit off-screen? 

19. What's left?

Two episodes to go! That's so much time in which to accomplish so many things!

I said to someone last week: you know, I thought this was headed for a "Nate takes over as Richmond's head coach" place, but there isn't enough time left in the season for them to do that, so I guess he's just going to be staying at West Ham?

Turns out they can do anything, because they're just going to drop in whatever at the last minute. Nothing means anything! We exist in a world without the constraints of plot and continuity! Everything is on the table.

So, what's left to shoehorn in?

- Manchester City has been inevitable all season (ask Arsenal how that feels), and we're probably going to get some stuff with Jamie's dad there. Jamie has been one of the only characters they've consistently done right by, so my fingers are crossed they don't screw that up at the finish line.

- Will Trent ever come out to the Diamond Dogs? Maybe being out in the workplace isn't his thing, but it feels like a missed avenue of storytelling to have Trent be right there in the coaching offices, in on all the gossip and sharing and advice, and not have whatever he has going on be a part of it. That would have been such an easy way to integrate queer identity into everyday conversation over a decent chunk of the season, instead of playing it almost exclusively for drama the way they have been.

- Still on Nate's apology list: Colin and Ted? If apologizing to Ted doesn't involve the believe sign somehow, I really don't know anything about this show anymore.

- Is Ted staying in London or going back to Kansas? A lot of people seem resigned to the idea that he's going back, and a lot of Tumblr is hoping he stays for Rebecca, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's some secret third thing. Two whole episodes! There's still plenty of time for them to drop a surprise twist on us. (If he goes back to Michelle, it won't be a surprise twist, but I will turn this car around.)

- Are we ever going to learn what was up with Baz's friend who got kicked out of the pub? I really thought we were headed for some bigger integration of Colin's story, wherein it turned out that was Baz's secret boyfriend or something, but … … …?

- Is anything going to come of Trent's book? I have $5 on there being an epilogue time skip in which we fast forward to the book release and see what the characters are up to (aka the "no seriously, this is it, the show is over" ending) and another $5 on the show ending on Ted in the airport and the book not ultimately meaning anything.

Two weeks until we find out!

#ted lasso #ted lasso meta #episode reactions #we float on an ocean of vibes #everything is fine

[bloodmoons-knife]

okay. so it seems the greater fandom fucking despises Earth.

well i adore her already, this is the funniest fucking shit to me. i DO want more lunar and nice!eclipse content, who doesn't? but that could be the next episode for all we know!

i'm excited to meet Earth, and given that she was said to enjoy her namesake, tbh i imagine she's gonna be a wanderer who might just fuck off to the woods every so often.

is she probably traumatized? of course, that's just the celestial animatronic fact of life.

either way i actually like how she's just been sprung upon sun and moon, the creator is a complete and utter asshole for doing this, but is it really surprising?

long story short, im very excited to meet Earth properly, and ill form my opinions about her as a character then.

#sun and moon show #sun and moon show spoilers #sams earth #episode reactions #the lack of buildup to her existence makes sense for the creator #he doesnt Care to tell sun and moon things #anyway heres to hoping she'll be a fun character <3

[beltthesea]

Oooo I made myself a little sad thinking about episode 10-1, so I drew my sad thoughts and then a happy family hug 🥹

As per usual, please listen to spout lore and talk to me haha

#spout lore #my art! #vyng #billie #tuk #Dathaniel #Maggie #episode reactions

[televinita]

Good Omens 2: the first 2 episodes

Watching w/ husband, who Does Not Binge, so I think it is probably gonna take minimum 2 weeks to finish the new season (love how I ignored season 1 for nearly a full year, casually looking at every post and gifset known to mankind in the meantime, and now I'm like NO SPOILERS, SPOILER LOCKDOWN, TELL ME NOTHING. the lack of press has allowed me to exist in a state of truly knowing only what was shown to me in the one (1) trailer).

That said, it means you get Thoughts!

Crowley's AUUUGH GABRIEL! scream is the funniest thing ever

A close second is "there! no one even noticed that tiny fraction of a miracle" / *jump-cut to: alarms blaring with flashing red light*

I'm so bored with the coffee shop ladies already

Beelzebub is still disgusting

Awww at soft!Crowley the Angel. He is literally mesmerized by the beauty of the world (or at least the process of creating it).

Orange-Cat-Level Himbo Gabriel* in general is also proving extremely entertaining. (*aka Jim, "Short for James. Long for Gabriel.")

Crowley "literally smoking" and then exploding lightning bolts everywhere: 👍

I'm SO CURIOUS what is going on! But no, I shan't, I shan't look at ze spoilerz.

EPISODE TWO

Oh my god I love this show's flashbacks so much. Even when they feel more blasphemous than usual, so I have to ask Google what the story of Job is and then have to retract my statement because "oh. all righty then. did in fact make a bet with Satan in canon exactly like that." (also canon: Bildad the Shuhite, an old friend)

Husband and I as the cute lil' goats are zapped: NOOOO! Husband and I as it turns out the goats were just transfigured: WOOOOOO!

Youngest child's enthusiasm to be turned into a lizard (specifically a blue one): aces

Ty as the wildly spoiled and disdainful eldest child? Perfection.

Jane Austen's long list of wild activities, and Crowley's patent disbelief that she also wrote books. "Jane Austen? That Jane Austen? an author?? well, good for her."

My shipping meter in episode one: (silence) My shipping meter when Aziraphale starts crying about being basically a demon now and is fully distraught about having betrayed his purpose, and Crowley's sunglasses barely hide the adoration beaming out of his eyes because Aziraphale is the most pathetically adorable being in the universe: FWIP! (arrow slams 180 degrees from "cold" to "scorching"

Husband declared this his favorite episode of the series so far, including season 1.

#episode reactions #good omens #good omens 2

[wench-and-jezebel]

Dark Angel Reaction: Pollo Loco

Jezebel (@typicalopposite) reacts [with occasional asides by Wench (@scripted-downfall)]

The pre-episode conversation:

Wench: Here it is.  You ready?  ARE YOU READY??? 

Jezebel: YUSSSSS

Wench: I CAN'T HEAR YOU: ARE YOU READY??!?!?!

Jezebel: YUSSSSSSSSSSS

Wench: Okay.  OKAY.  Here.  We.  Go.

Jezebel: AHHHHHHHHHH! READYYYY????

Wench: YESSS

Jezebel: 3!  2!  3!  4!  5!

Wench: alsdkfjladskjf Gooooo

Jezebel: 4!  3!  2!  1!  GOOOOO

– – – 

GOD DAMN NOW A LIVE CHICKEN…  Ma’am!

Foreshadowing

I FEEL YA OC

I FEEEL YAAAA OC! ☠️☠️

It’s Ben  [Ben ded]  Oh?  [That's what they just said; they found a dead body with a barcode, and it's Ben]  Well now I’m confused

Bby Ben  [He was a storyteller :(]  😭😭😭

Wot?  [Was this about the Nomlies?]  I think yeah lol  [Nomlies are, essentially, Manticore rejects.  Flawed genetics, personalities, etc, to the point that they've been moved to the basement for reprogramming or permanent retirement]

…. Wait.  Wait.  🤔🤔🤔🤔  WAIT.  Isn’t that how she… Is this 🤔🤔🤔  [SPEAK]  Is this the future and the episode is leading up to the death?  [*whistles*]

[Nope.  I just lied to you]  You.  My friend.  Are a *redacted OFMD!Izzy cursing*

[Ma'am didn't say the nickname :(]  LINTLICKERRR  [There we go]  🙂

OOOOHHHH AHHHHH  [This is a thing now :)]  LIKE FUCKING NAILLSSSSS ON A CHALKBOARD

Bruh  [Ma'am didn't even wait for a response]  WHY NOT TELL HIM  [Max is being Max again, what can I say]  *sigh*

[I'm actually starting to recognize the kids this go-round]  

Holy hell deep voice

[I don't know if that kid's dealing with the tryptophan thing btw]

When he said the blue lady was he referring to the Virgin Mary?  [Yup.  Ben storytelling again]

ACKLESSSSS HAS ARRIVEDDDD  [He has indeed]

BUDDY WHATCHA DOING 👀👀👀  [Being homicidal.  As one does.]  

👀👀👀

Well damn

[Okay, look.  I know we know that she was lying.  But to be fair.  It's kinda ridiculous that they act like the kids would all be recognizable.  It's been.  11.  Years.]  Yeah that’s fair… But I mean I think I look like me from 11 years ago ☠️  [You didn't go through puberty in that time tho.  I think they were like.  9]

["Closest thing to a brother"  Bitch, ZACH IS SUPPOSED TO FILL THAT SPOT]  Excuse you Zach doesn’t need to be filling no spots 👀😮‍💨🤢  [MA'AM WATCH THE SHOW]

‘Cause I’m an angsty bitchhhhhhh  *sigh*

[Church]  Time to repent.  Then kill the priest.  Then repent again.  ["There's things, there's…people… feelings that I want to experience differently than I have before"]  🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Awww man… Teef.  That’s brutal.  Blech  [“Summer teef.  Sum 're teef, sum 'ren't”]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

☠️☠️☠️☠️ Noooo

Priest is like… ma’am you gud  [No, she ain't]

I had stuff to say but Ackles has reappeared instead (like an Angel)

Oooh jumpscare

The smileee

The smile is gone  🙁

Uhhh no… I don’t

Speed run  ["Blurring," in the in-universe speak]

☠️☠️☠️ I swear he comes in so randomly WITH GROCERIES  like

– – – 

Wench: What were you saying when Ackles showed up? alskdjf

Jezebel: 😮‍💨😮‍💨  It was a joke and I don’t fully remember it enough to retype ☠️  Ackles just rewired my brain and it erased.  Irrelevant.  Non existent.

Wench: :))) Fair

Jezebel: But noooo the smile at Max 😮‍💨😮‍💨 I-  I swoo— I’m married sir how dare you

Wench: Nooo

Jezebel:  I- I have forgotten how to midpoint! All I wanna do is fangirl rn ☠️ and he’s only been in two scenes

Wench: I almost spilled my cereal at that one alksdjflaksdjf  But I understand completely

Jezebel: Will be a better endpoint

Wench: Aight… on we go?

Jezebel: YESSSS

– – – 

The priest is gonna get ded

“Faith in the lady”  That’s… ok  🤣🤣🤣

Priest is like… shit.  Time to find another line of work

[The eagerness with which he seized on the soldier explanation 😭]  😭😭😭

“The lady”  I’m dying

Oh noooo

I fucking jumped

["I'm not a liar"... murder = okay, lying = not.  This says something]

Ok I see what he’s doing I think

I’d be ded.  “Slide the wot IN WHERE!?!  Pretty boy help!”

“Click”?  Oh, or maybe it was loaded after all

Poor priest

A lot, lady.  A lot

[Poor Ben having a crisis of faith :(]  💔💔💔 Damn.  It be like that kid

Oooop  [He invaded her perch]  He gonna start talking in circles now  [He already did... Devour-coded]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[THIS IS THE "SHE"!  (The one I said to be concerned about)]  Ohhhh… That wants the kids killed?  [Yup]

[X5-493 = Ben, btw]  494 Alec?  [Yup.  And X5-452 = Max, iirc]

Ohhhhh military Karen  [She calls him Deck]  Milataren… Lintlicker and Militaren.

[Oop- Ben is back.  Important scene!]

Bruh he looked back like oh shit  [She annoys me here too btw.  Like.  bro, your brother is clearly losing himself.  And you're more interested in being bitchy about it than being caring.  “Bet he’d love to figure out what the hell went wrong with you.” Whyyyy did that need to be said?]

Lintlicker is like a fucking dog fighter with his little gaggle of pit bulls

Oh shit, crazy kids  [Azazel-coded]  Ooooof, trueee  [I heard it in his voice alksdj]  

[he wears fine blood well]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️  [Sorry, kinda had to]

Logan whatchu doin  [He sneak]

Lintlicker whatchu doin  [He protecc his kid]

Oooop- Logan you been had

["You think because she's so pretty, she isn't as dangerous?"  Bruh, there was a whole unit designed to use attraction as a weapon asldkfj  *cough cough* Alec]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️

[I'd be concerned about Ben too, tbh]

Ooooop  [“Do you hate yourself that much?”  Yes  He does.  Have you not been watching?]

[This woman sees her brother losing himself and is like.  Aight.  I got this.  Let me make it worse!]  ☠️☠️☠️

AHHHH 

NOOOOO 

THE SAD

OMG HIS HEIGHTTT.  It’s visible here

YOU COULDN’T HAVE DONE THAT THE WHOLE TIME???  [Her physical acting there was so weird]

Ooooop

Oh.  The forest.  THE forest.  Ack.  ACKKKK.  [:)]

[This man playing the actual original comic book villain: "It seems his faith wasn't strong enough."]  RIGHT

OH CRAZY SMILE

BRUH

HOLY SHIT

Oh.  Oh that’s broken.  Ack

OH SHIT

ACK

AAAAAAACK  ["Ben, I can't carry you; we'll both get caught"  Bitch, tell that to your pilot-episode self]

ACKKKKKKK

HIS VOICE  [I KNOW]

ACHKKS

Nooooooo

Why couldn’t you just do it

Why

We don’t need a story

Ack

Ooooof

Ack  [Coherency has gone bye-bye]

Welp… Ack

Mood, Max

I’m

Um

Ack

Also tho.  The thing back then isn’t entirely fair they were kids

The priest is gonna be like…. Nope

[Priest survived, but he also has a weirdo barcode tattooed on his neck, and that's gonna make his life hella tricky in s2]  Ohhhh, he comes back?  [Nope.  They forget about it.  But everyone learns about the Manticore barcodes.  And that's the main way of IDing transgenics.  So like… Buddy boutta get slammed.]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️ Fair

– – – 

Jezebel: So, like, endpoint….  What even is an endpoint?

Wench: "Ack,” perhaps?

Jezebel: What even is life?  I’m not ok

Wench: I broke you alskdjf

Jezebel: … Ack.  Which is like ack…les. So even more ack.  I hope you and the minions are satisfied.  Evil.  Evillllll!  ACKKKK!!!!!  I AINT EVEN GET ANY JAM PONY TO MAKE IT BETTER

Wench: Okay, but s2 is better!  Alec is only three episodes away!

Jezebel: I got two seconds of OC- THAT’S A WHOLE THREE HOURS AWAY!  😭 180 minutes

Wench: Do you see what I mean about it being the best episode of season 1 though?

Jezebel: Yes!  It very much so was!

Wench: HAH!

Jezebel: Also noooooo the titleeee makessss sense nowwwwww!!!  Ackkkkkkkkk  What am I doing with this pain????  It’s like a reverse gift

Wench: You just kinda acked your way through the emotional scenes; I sent the script so you can compose your thoughts :)

Jezebel: Ohhhh.  Well… That was a lot of 😦 Like, I get him going crazy.  Also, I think I missed a part of Logan saying he had been doing this for a while (How long is the part I missed)

Wench: I don't think they said how long it was.  But, regardless, Lydecker's been covering for Ben.  Shutting down the investigations and all.

Jezebel: And, about that… On one hand I could go the anti Lintlicker route and say he’s only covering his ass because the woman wants to put them down and he doesn’t want to. And it’s nothing about him caring about them or anything.  But I could also go the pro Lydecker route and say he was trying to cover it up to get to him so they could in his eyes fix the problem and he would have another “kid” home.

Wench: I think it's probably a mix of both, tbh. He does care about them, but, like we've discussed, in a twisted kinda way?  So it might have been a "bring him home if we can" kinda thing.  And… thoughts on Max?

Jezebel: She was meh at best this episode but the end, with the story, I really felt for her.

Wench: Yeah, I get that.  I don't fully agree --- I think her handling of the Ben situation was pretty atrocious, tbh, even if it did end up working for a bit --- but otherwise... yeah, not bad.  And the end was kinda hard to fully hold against her.  (Also, talk about a picturesque death scene alsdkfj)

Jezebel: Right?! Like, oh, let’s have this lovely scenery, and plop a dead kid in his sister’s arms… oh, and sister is the murderer… Like… Wot?  Ack

Wench: Also, the childishness of the way he was speaking tho 😭

Jezebel: I KNOWWW  😭😭😭😭  Budddyyyyy

Wench: Honestly, the character as a whole has that quality.  He's so... beseeching.  Legitimately, all he wants is someone to understand 😭  He tries to get that with the priest in the confessional --- "I'm a soldier"--- and with Max at the tower --- "Don’t tell me you don’t wake up with the sound of your heart pounding in your ears." --- and then again with Max at the end.  Even the goading-Max-into-hitting-him bit.  He wanted her to understand the violence and she didn't even give him that 😭

Jezebel: 🥺🥺🥺 I just 😭😭😭😭 He’s such a good actorrrrr  😭😭😭

Wench: Agreed... *sigh*  But there ya go!  Ben episode!

Jezebel: *sigh* indeed!

Wench: Final thoughts?

Jezebel: … ACK

#dark angel #dark angel reactions #reactions #episode reactions #s01e17 #pollo loco #max guevara #logan cale #ben #jensen ackles #jezebel (pr)

[kutputli]

Well, this was the first episode of Ted Lasso where I was actually in tears. I feel scraped raw, watching Nathan Shelley, and its almost a form of escapism to admire how committed Nick Mohammed is to pushing the character to the extremes, because, I just can't. I cannot with watching this play out.

It's not that Nathan and Shandy were breaking my heart - its that I was walking down a busy road with them, fists pre-emptively clenched, waiting for the slur or the catcall to indicate danger, constantly blaming myself for choosing the wrong outfit.

I don't think the show was written for the likes of me, or that my reactions were what they wanted to elicit.

#ted lasso #ted lasso spoilers #nathan shelley #shandy fine #episode reactions #my meta

[typicalopposite]

#tumblr polls #fandom #multi fandom blog #Destiel #gentlebeard #steddie #dark angel #the witcher #Sherlock #the musketeers #spn #ofmd #stranger things #wench and jezebel #episode reactions

[talleryn]

Friends, enemies and those still under consideration!

I just realised I forgot to review last week’s episode of the Mandalorian so I’ll do that now and talk about this week’s one later

Ok so spoilers for S3E2

Honestly I loved it. I appreciated that they didn’t go down the whole side-quest thing with IG-11, although I do think we’ll get him back or they wouldn’t have brought it up. This whole episode felt like a lore episode but it wasn’t lacking in action, which I really liked. I think it’s really cool how they’re delving more into mandalorian history and culture. Bo’Katan on her throne in her castle was iconic as she’s a queen of nothing at the moment (don’t mind my holly black reference) and this seems like a small detail to bring up but. I love the architecture. All the Mandalorian architecture ties in really well with the look of their armour, they use the same shape language for everything and it just ties it all together and makes the culture feel so cohesive.

Another thing. Bo’Katan talking about her parents and Din responding with “this is the way”. At first that seems kinda detached but. That is essentially the summary of his identity in one phrase. Saying “this is the way” to someone is the deepest and most meaningful thing he could do as it shows he sees her as one of his people. And given how at first Din was adamant that Bo’Katan wasn’t Mandalorian, that she didn’t follow the creed, that she wasn’t one of his people, it means so much more that he’s gone from that to showing her the deepest form of compassion he has to offer by acknowledging her as one of his people.

Bo’Katan being a badass filled me with joy. Another thing I found interesting was that when we see Din using the Darksaber, he clearly doesn’t know how to use it, whereas Bo’Katan clearly does. I hope we get a kind of training montage with them or at least show him becoming more competent.

The bionicle was creepy but very cool.

And at the end? The Mythosaur??? Omg omg omg I hope he gets to ride it. This has been foretold for aeons. I was kinda laughing when Din slipped and fell into the water but damn did I shut up when the Mythosaur came on. Cannot wait to talk about next episode omg

#shitpost #mandalorian s3 #the mandalorian #mando spoilers #mando #the mandalorion spoilers #mandalorian season 3 #the mines of mandalore #siege of mandalore #Star Wars #din djarin #pedro pascal #katee sackhoff #bo katan kryze #Mandalore #clone wars #episode reactions #episode review #spoilers #brainrot #Star Wars brainrot #the Mandalorian brainrot #grogu #Jedi #Darksaber #mythosaur

[scripted-downfall]

Dark Angel Reaction: PILOT

@typicalopposite reacts [with occasional asides by scripted-downfall]

Hawkins lab vibes are strong

Shoot them!? They are bebes

Hawkins vibes gone he didn’t try to kill her 😂😂  Just bring her back

Now lady hawke vibes? She fell through the lake

Ok discount Clint Eastwood.

Ma’am.  Ma’am why were you in the clearing.  Where they can see you.  Under the ice.  When there’s all that snow covered spaces

“Hope is for losers.  Still, I hope they are ok.”  LOSER

[scripted-downfall here mentions that clips from this show were used in Hitman despite them not making any sense given the film’s plot]

She was not bouncing around fren.  She was seizing.  There’s a difference

Ok so regardless of how I feel about her character or the actress herself. Ma’am’s foine [scripted-downfall here mentions that she should watch Sin City, then]

I love his accent ☠️☠️☠️

I have met Normal

They have lgbt; How advanced [scripted-downfall here says: OC MY BELOVED]

Oh bby not the first date anniversary

Is that Logan?  On the tv?  I know the voice 😂 Tony was my favorite on NCIS [scripted-downfall confirms because she has no follow-through on the no-spoilers rule.  Also, she’s already said way too much previously to try that now]  now I’m just picturing a news reporter kneeling over a dead body with a quill pen… dipping it in the blood to write

I have no idea what she just said. Just heard ones and zeros… then No way.   

I thought he said he pissed on some one. ☠️☠️  But he said I pissed and moaned

CHEATER!!  CHEATER!!  OMG!  ON THE BIG 1-0!  How dare he?!  MENNNNN

WHAT A GIFT  Bruh.  Men.

“Hey bby girl. I know you're mad at me for leavin you for someone else. But I only did cause you sucked.  Take me back”

“You’re like a mystery… it’s… mysterious”

Ma’am, you can’t drive your bike in here

Them straight across brows Are killing me 

I thought that was Mary.  Or Ellen.  Le gasp

“She was a white lady! With blonde hair and blue eyes. How hard is that to find!”  ☠️☠️☠️

How.  Howwwww.  Did that little ass knife.  Open that door

Don’t do it max- Fuck that.  Lady just yeeted her self off the building

Tony!  I mean Logan

It looks like he cocked a flashlight

This is the most monotone back and forth

That run.  THAT RUN ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Oh shitttt They slicing him up, poor kid 😖😖😖

[scripted-downfall, while watching the show for the second time: this is the most friendly/smiley I’ve ever seen Max; wth happened!?]

Oh Theo dyinnggg

“We gotta talk” “Nothing” Bruh MEN

🤔🤔🤔 Why did she open the can in his face ☠️

It’s scary spice’s hi for me.

“Let me get my coat”  “The one you’re wearing?” ☠️

A man that understands she’s stronger. A little respect!

Poof she gone  *insert “A ghost!” gif*

Ok Lydia stfu

I’m ded.  This whole scene ☠️☠️☠️  “Imma claw you.” *sticks hand in face… max grabs it*  “let go of my hand.”  Just.  Wot

“I broke into your house.  HOW DARE YOU BREAK INTO MINE?  And then cook for me!?”

Is Peter a robot?  He seems like a robot

“I had to see you… pretty thief lady”

[scripted-downfall interrupts: WTF IS THAT CHIN GRAB I DIDN'T REMEMBER THAT]

– – –

Brief hiatus because we had to pause for a bit.  After being asked about what she thought thus far: 

Not too bad.  I’ll definitely have to rewatch it once work comes down and I can watch it at home but I like it

– – – 

Gotta love the classic your telling me exactly how it was but I’m gonna play dumb

He’s like bitch you got a barcode on your neck

Oh nooooo guy got mugged.

 Well, “Mugged”

Oh nooo Theo

Ninja kids!  Minus one

Ooooh. Normal, buddy… you just put your foot all the way down your throat [scripted-downfall interjects: Yeah, he, uh.  Does that a lot.]

Not robot Peter!!!

Ahhh guilt

So she gonna go save the kid?

Is that discount Clint Eastwood?

“Oh pretty boy! I’m sawwry I got you ded”  [scripted-downfall: I hadn’t noticed the religious imagery starting this early because I didn’t know the significance from Pollo Loco.  That’s interesting.]

He needs to just sit up and go… bitch wtf are you talking about

Pshhhh you’re face screamed guilt shush woman

“I don’t feel guilt. Imma save him… cause he’s pretty. And imma talk to him and tell him a story the whole time… but I don’t feel guilty”

Blahblahblah angsty girl blah

Side note: We should totally watch a scary movie and commentate on it [scripted-downfall: YES.]

No one sees spider girl.  Yeah. Right

Well that was easy ☠️

Ooo 👀  [scripted-downfall: ma’am is looking disrespectfully]

Her hair is a lil greasy tho

… welp I had a dirty thought to that ☠️  Just gonna keep it to myself ☠️☠️☠️☠️

☠️☠️☠️ MEN

Le gasp Is she double crossing or is this part of it?

You have tired eyes.  But… same so eh

Typical MANNNNN

SAME MAX (her face at his little attempt)

Oooh super speeed [scripted-downfall: as you can see, she’s being very subtle about being from Manticore]

She just threw that man by her ears

Did she really ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ [scripted-downfall: was that about her smacking his ass?] Yes.  She pulled his pants down and I was like…. What’s this rated again  [Yes.]

How long can ma’am hold her damn breath. Cause GEEEEZ [scripted-downfall: Another Manticore power.]

Okie dokie [scripted-downfall: *inserts Supernatural “I like him; he says okey-dokey” gif*.]

Why is the one holding his mouth like that!?!

angelic music cause buddies are dumb

Clint sees something [scripted-downfall: His name is Lydecker, btw]

Nah man you just had her, dummy

More angelics to ride away angstily on

[scripted-downfall: This won’t make sense yet, but I didn’t realize that Sky was already here in the pilot.]

Oh wow Normal. That’s dirty.  They just be shipping people. That’s- Is that legal?  IS THAT LEGAL?  I can’t even take my dad in the car with out his death certificate; cops might think he’s cocaine [scripted-downfall:  I don’t think the cops much… care.]

Oh so is he paralyzed the whole show? [scripted-downfall: It’s… iffy.  You’ll see.]

“I need you to do a little leg work for me” Cause mine don’t

Angelics one more time.  [scripted-downfall: You do know the show’s called Dark… Angel.  Yeah?  :)]  On top of a building.  In front of the moon.  How angsty.

-- -- --

I like it!  But alas I cannot watch another!  I’ll publish a summary judgement later though

[scripted-downfall: That's a wrap, folks! Next episode will be... tomorrow? *smiles and puppy-dog-eyes at @typicalopposite and prays it works*]

#dark angel #max guevara #logan cale #original cindy #s01e01 #pilot #reactions #episode reactions #typicalopposite #typicalopposite’s trip to manticore

[amberthedwarf]

Best Episodes in Supernatural Season 1

Season 1 Ep 9 Home - This is the episode where we get more info on Sam and Dean and their past.

Season 1 Ep 12 Faith - It is a fun monster of the week ep but I had a great time watching it.

Season 1 Ep 13 Route 666 - I love the dean backstory and the story is engaging.

Season 1 Ep 17 Hell House - I love Sam and Dean playing pranks on each other as well as the fake ghost hunters.

Season 1 Ep 18 Something Wicked - They just don't make homophobic children like they used to.

#supernatural #dean winchester #sam winchester #episode review #episode reactions #??? #Fav episodes

[starsandwriting]

Me listening to magp 8: What a fascinating spin on a Lonely statement that asks what if it was the Place that was lonely, so hungry that it desires to quite literally ea- WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCKKKKKK WHAT WHAT WHAT THE FUCKKK WHATTTTTT FUCKING WHAT WHAT COME AGAIN HUH WHAT FUCKING WH

[ID: Cartoony art of people who look comically shocked, terrified, and overwhelmed, with their eyes bugging out and their mouth open, sweating in shock and trembling. End ID]

[Plain text: Multiple variations of "What the fuck" and "come again" written in caps lock. End PT]

[Thank you to @princess-of-purple-prose and @ryutarotakedown for the id's :] I hope it's ok to merge the two!]

#THE LATTER HALF OF THE EPISODE FUCKING KILLED ME THEN KICKED MY CORPSE INTO BURIAL #the magnus protocol #tmagp #tmagp spoilers #magp 8 #samama khalid #celia ripley #gerry keay #gertrude robinson #I FUCKING GUESS?????? #THEY CANT KEEP GETTING AWAY WITH THIS #WITHOUT WARNING #myar #those pictures are my legit reaction btw #i was legit like. jaw on the floor head in hands staring into nothing

[trelkez]

Me watching Ted Lasso 3.11:

I truly thought the last few episodes of the show had broken any remaining faith I had in its storytelling, but no. The second scene of this episode: that broke any remaining faith I had in Ted Lasso's storytelling. This season is NOT GOOD. And yet: are they going to make my OT3 canon? Are they?

I'm going to process Ted Lasso 3.11 (mostly) the way I did last week, by doing a rewatch and taking everything in order as it happens. The show's writing is so incoherent at this point that I'm not going to attempt to impose order on it; things just occur. This is the way.

1. Ted's Mom

I spent the entire opening credit sequence mentally reviewing every Ted/Trent fic I've ever read that had some kind of take on Ted's mom – and realizing that whatever we were about to get wasn't going to be as interesting as anything I'd read in fic, because this season is hell-bent on the idea that all conflict can be washed away in the space of a single conversation. 

Remember when I would've just been excited to finally meet Ted's mom? Pepperidge Farm remembers.

2. Jade hates working with her boyfriend

And who can blame her? This woman has one thing, and that is working at Taste of Athens. Come on, Nate, get your own thing!

3. "We want you to come back to Richmond."

So, okay.

I've already written pretty extensively on how badly handled Nate's redemption arc has been. This has been a problem all season long; before I moved back to Tumblr, I was writing small, irate tweets about it.

Let's go back and look at some of the things I said during and after season 2:

2.07: Nate - his characterization has been really consistent: he's always been a jerk to Will, he uses his power over others to belittle them to make himself feel better, he conflates being assertive with being aggressive, this stuff was in s1 too

post-s2, 1/3: the show put a lot of work into showing Nate punching down, his growing narcissism, the ways feeling underappreciated makes him cruel to others and himself; I don't think we're meant to take away that being denied a Nespresso machine justifies a heel turn

post-s2, 2/3: Nate's history with women as shown is not great - when he thinks he's fired he immediately calls Rebecca a shrew; "perhaps you'd like to give me your number, too" to Jade the hostess as soon as he feels like he can order her around; kissing Keeley at all

post-s2, 3/3: when he kissed Keeley I was like, sure, this tracks; (for him) it becoming solely about him being mad that it wasn't enough to get Roy's attention also tracks. but the rest ... and some of the media takeaway ... is weird to me. is this relatable content?? should it be?

What gets me about all of this is that sometimes, this season has almost convinced me that Nate leaking the panic attack story to Trent was just a weak moment for which an otherwise lovable guy should be forgiven – but the evidence isn't there. They were so consistent in how they built up Nate's fall; they seeded that in as far back as season one. They signaled it through hair color! They unfolded it piece by piece, in a deliberate, escalating spiral from which there ultimately was no last-minute escape.

And then we get to season three, and two seasons of careful character building immediately becomes meaningless. Season three's Nate is a different person. This entire season is taking place in an alternate universe. And there's no reason they had to do that, because they had an entire twelve-episode season of increasingly long episodes in which to slowly but surely make Nate a better person! Time for him to learn a series of important lessons that tie into past behavior; time for him to slowly reconcile with his father; time for him to grow without erasing the person he had always been. Time to build him up into a better version of himself.

Instead, this is what we have. And even then, some of the most important parts of the story of Nate's redemption have happened off-screen. Nate quitting off-screen last week was truly shocking; the team discussing Nate's situation, deciding to forgive him, and voting on whether or not to invite him back – that happening off-screen is unforgivable. The West Ham storyline has, thus far, mattered so little to this season that maybe (.......maybe) we can say that severing ties with Rupert wasn't a key part of his journey, even though that's absurd, but Nate's return to Richmond is everything. That's the whole ballgame. 

For Colin to be part of the welcoming committee is truly fucking egregious. Even this very season, Colin is still repeating his affirmation from therapy as he actively works on building up his self-confidence – something Nate deliberately tried to destroy. At no point did I imagine that a one-on-one with Colin wasn't going to be part of Nate's apology tour. But now – one sprig of lavender for Will, and that's all it takes? Nate's treatment of Colin isn't going to be addressed at all? 

This is the same team that collected red cards like candy against West Ham after Roy and Beard showed them the video of Nate ripping up the "believe" sign. Remember the power walk of fury past Nate to open the second half of that game? Why do they now suddenly want him back? Because they heard he was working in a restaurant and felt sorry for him? Because they heard he apologized to Will and decided that was enough? At this point, I genuinely think the writers didn't know how that conversation would go, so they skipped over it. If you aren't sure how to get the team back on Nate's side, just have it happen off-screen; then it doesn't matter how it happened, only that it did. If you only tell and never show, you can make anything happen without having to get from A to B. 

All of this mess, all of this time, and we don't get to be in the room as the team reaches some kind of closure on everything Nate did.

4. "Richmond have won fifteen matches in a row. With two games left, you're just four points off Manchester City for the Premier League title."

Thanks for expositing all of that, Reporter Guy. If it weren't for the occasional infodump, we'd never know what was going on in the team's season! Exposition Characters, you're the true heroes.

5. "That goal is a lie. It should be retracted from the record. I apologize to everyone, especially the kids."

If they had kept to this kind of funny-but-alarming tone without going too overboard on it, Jamie's pre-Manchester depressive episode would've been a lot more effective.

I know this show can handle depression, anxiety, and parent-induced stress in a thoughtful way and balance that with tonally appropriate comedy, but can it do that … anymore?

6. Ted's ever-increasing mom stress

To that end: the way they built up Ted being so put out his mother was in town, I thought for sure we were going to find out he had been dodging her calls about something (was Michelle getting married after all?) and this would reveal whatever it was to the audience. 

I think – I think – that the actual intended effect here is to underscore that Ted ran an entire continent away from his problems and all of his unprocessed trauma, and having all of that catch up to him without warning triggered a stress cascade resulting in the meltdown we'll get at the end. But if that's the intention, what this episode really underscores is that they simply do not know how to handle this sort of storyline anymore. Dottie Lasso is lovely and entertaining and you definitely can look at her and see where Ted comes from, but the Ted parts of this story are about as nuanced as a sledgehammer on concrete.

7. "Trent, your hair is fabulous. It really is. It's just stylin'."

I never thought that Trent would actually meet Ted's mother in the show. I can't wait to see what fic writers do with this. (Please don't get discouraged by however the show ends and walk away, fic writers! We need you now, tonight. We need you more than ever.)

8. Van Damme's mask

This is officially more follow-up on a previous episode's subplot than we have had about almost any other subplot this entire season, and it's about one of the most disposable stories they've told.

9. OT3 Watch: "Shouting is Roy's love language."

Does Trent ship it? One of us, one of us.

10. OT3 Watch: Jamie crying on Roy

There's a lot about this scene I loved, so let's take a break for positivity! That sounds nice, doesn't it?

Jamie bursting into tears and then, when asked what's wrong, saying, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know": intensely relatable. He's already in tears as he walks into the boot room, just barely holding it in, and the second Roy pushes him to toughen up (in general), he loses it, because of course he does: he's dreading another trauma at the hands of his abusive dad, in the hometown that hates him. It makes perfect sense for Jamie to be having a serious depressive episode, and it is entirely in character for him to describe that as "I don't use any conditioner anymore, because what's the fucking point."

This is one thing this season has done well, with patience and consistency: it's believable for Jamie to break down crying on Roy because they put the time in to get these two to that point. Last season, it was a big fucking deal when Roy hugged Jamie. This season, if Jamie is going to cry on anyone, of course it's going to be Roy.

That said: I think it was a mistake to go quite so hard on playing this for laughs. Depression and trauma absolutely can be mined for comedy. "Do you think a depressed person could make this?" works because it's still Ben Wyatt, it's just Depressed Ben Wyatt. Jamie smushing Roy's face around as Phil Dunster gives it his absolute best comedy wailing sob doesn't … feel like Jamie? It just feels like comedy. If the moment isn't organic to the character, probably it needed a rewrite.

"It probably needed a rewrite," the Ted Lasso season three story. – Then again, I wonder all the time how much of this season's problems are due to the infamous production-halting Jason Sudeikis rewrites, so … maybe not? Maybe this season needed fewer rewrites and more Bill Lawrence? Who can say.

("Will, you missed a good one" is a great closing note for the series-long gag of overheard emotional scenes in the boot room. If they do another one in the finale, they'll have overshot it.)

11. "Hey, Roy, would it bother you if we brought Nate back?" / "No, I don't give a fuck."

At this point, I briefly stopped watching. 

I went back to 2.12 to see if Roy knows that Nate was the source for the panic attack story: as of that episode, as far as I can tell, he doesn't. 

I went to 3.04 to see if there was any indication during the West Ham episode that Roy had figured it out by then, but that episode focuses on the "believe" sign, which everyone but Ted seems to be finding out about for the first time.

Roy doesn't know that Nate actively tried to ruin Ted. (Does it make any sense for Roy to not have done the math when he was in the room when Ted opened up to the coaches about his panic attacks? Probably not, but that appears to be the canon.) He does know what Nate was like, particularly toward the end; he knows that Nate abandoned ship for West Ham; he knows that Nate ripped the sign, and he used that to turn the entire team against Nate for the West Ham game; and perhaps most importantly, Roy is not especially known as an easygoing, forgiving guy.

This is a man who carried a devastating news clipping around in his wallet for his entire career and beyond. A guy who couldn't hug Jamie in celebration until he headbutted him to make them even. This is Roy Kent, who is known even by people who don't watch this show as the one with the anger issues.

And he's just – fine? To bring Nate back? He holds no grudges? Roy Kent? We're really going to have Roy Kent as the voice of "yeah, whatever, I don't care" while Beard is left to fume alone?

12. "If you bring that Judas back, I will burn this place to the fucking ground."

Once again, Beard is the only one who's seen season two. And yet, this is being set up as a conflict that Beard has to set aside. 

Has Nate apologized to Ted at this point? No. Was Nate an increasingly toxic presence in the locker room last season? Yes. Do they have any knowledge of his coaching style at West Ham that we're aware of that would suggest that he's had a major personality change? No. Are they currently on a fifteen-game winning streak without Nate? Yes. Are there only two games left in the season? Yes. 

Is there any reason to bring Nate back at this point? No. And Beard, who has been the only one all season long who has retained any emotional awareness of past events, is only allowed to have that awareness so that it can be used as a justifying force for Nate's return.

I support you, Beard. This is all some bullshit. You should be allowed to be pissed about it. 

13. Nora!

Is Rebecca's aside about Nora telling her to stop using her private jet the closest we're going to get to a Nora appearance this season? There's still time for her to pop up in the finale, but that seems unlikely.

14. OT3 Watch: Keeley checking in on Jamie

I was on the fence about whether or not they were going too hard on humor with Jamie's depression until "a suitcase is a drawer without a home … wahh." This is the best they could do for depression comedy? This is a comedy series that did an entire season about depression!! Phil Dunster really is doing his best in this episode, but not even he could elevate that line.

I do like the general concept of Roy going to Keeley for help with Jamie, only for Keeley to make it all worse. Roy being better at comforting Jamie is conceptually very funny. Writing dialogue that does justice to a story outline is tricky, isn't it? Mm.

15. Sam and Rebecca???

Are they doing this, or are they just going to tease it every single episode? Are Sam and Rebecca endgame? Surely not, right. If it were endgame, wouldn't we have gotten into the meat of it a lot sooner than … the finale?

If you know a Tedbecca shipper, maybe give them a warm cookie this week, because this episode did not move that anywhere promising.

(My money is still on Houseboat Guy popping up out of nowhere.)

16. OT3 Watch: Jamie and Keeley follow Jamie home

If this is the first time Keeley is meeting Jamie's mom, that means – he never took her home when they were dating?

Roy staring in absolute slack-jawed shock at Jamie and his mom cuddling on the couch is me. Roy is me. Setting aside for a moment just how much is going on there, I never would have guessed that Jamie had a relationship like this with a mom who was still in the picture. 

In 1.06, Jamie talks about how his mom got him into football and supported him but probably wouldn't be proud of him lately; in 3.06, we hear about a trip they took to Amsterdam when he was a teenager. Is that … it? Have there been other references to his mom? In 2.08, when Richmond plays Manchester City, there is a lot about his dad but no reference to his mom that I remember. The show is so laser-focused on Jamie's dad that I assumed his mother, whether dead or estranged or somehow unwell, wasn't an active force in his life in the present day.

This is a show about dads. They've told us that in interviews all along. Ted's dad, Nate's dad, Jamie's dad, Sam's dad, Rebecca's dad, even a whiff of Trent's dad; Ted's relationship with his son, even Phoebe's relationship with her Uncle Roy. We see Nate's mom, but that is almost entirely about Nate's relationship with his dad. The only characters who get to have meaningful ongoing not-about-dads onscreen relationships with their mothers are Rebecca and Nora, which is … weirdly gendered?

But now, with the curtain about to drop on this show, they're doing a Mom Episode. We get two moms we've never met before dropped on us in one hour. We know almost nothing about these moms, because they've never been made central to the story in a way everyone's dads have been; and here, in an episode titled "Mom City," their stories are still mostly about each character's relationship with his dad. 

Even so, those stories need to fit into what we know about Ted and Jamie. "I love meeting people's moms. It's like reading an instruction manual as to why they're nuts," right? Ted and Jamie's moms, introduced here at the eleventh hour, should shine a light on things we already know about these characters and make us think, "this explains so much."

Does Jamie's mom actually explain anything we already knew about Jamie? Does it actually make sense for Jamie to have had, all this time, a sweet, supportive mom available for hugs on demand, or does this just create a lot of new questions the show doesn't have time to answer? I don't think Jamie's mom as we meet her (or his future GBBO star baker stepdad) are fully outside the realm of possibility for his character, but we could've had more time to untangle all of this if they had spent as much time on Jamie's mom as they did on his dad. Instead, I'm left with: you're telling me Jamie Tartt isn't actually touch-starved? Jamie Tartt?

You're telling me Jamie's mom watches all of his matches … but has never been to one? Jamie's mom got him into football and drove him to all of his practices, but he's playing right down the street and she's watching from home? Jamie's mom is this important to him, but never met Keeley? Jamie's mom is this important to him, and we've only ever heard about her as the reverse side of a story about Jamie's dad? There are some drop-ins you just can't make in the eleventh hour.

Also: what is going on here? I'm with Roy. Wow. Wow.

17. Jade really hates working with her boyfriend

Is this really just a way to get Nate back to Richmond? Yes. Is it nonetheless completely valid for Jade to not want to have to hear about Nate's salty nuts scheme after work hours? Also yes. You might be a girlfriend ex machina, but you are nonetheless valid, Jade.

18. OT3 Watch: Jamie's posters

*chinhands* So are they, like … are they doing this on purpose, or … no, they have to be doing it on purpose, right? Right?? Maybe it won't ever go any further than this, because even now I have a hard time imagining an OT3 becoming canon, but they are surely at least tipping their hat to it. 

19: OT3 Watch: walking off arm-in-arm

Surely they aren't going to make it canon.

20. Pep????

They actually brought on Pep Guardiola for a Ted Lasso cameo? In an episode about Manchester City leading the title race, airing in the same week City won the title irl? I'm legit impressed.

21. Jamie's injury drama

This is honestly the dumbest way to generate in-game drama. Jamie goes out on injury and Ted's coaching masterstroke is to act like they've just lost a player to a red card and now have to defend a one goal lead with ten men? Just in case the training staff can shoot Jamie up with enough painkillers to let him finish the game on an injury he couldn't walk on? 

I know Jamie is their star striker and all, but did Sam, Dani, and Colin suddenly lose their scoring abilities when Jamie hurt his ankle? We just had a major subplot last week about what a heater Sam has been on – did that suddenly disappear? Does this team have no ability to adjust to the loss of a player? They've won fifteen straight games!! In real life, that would be one of the longest win streaks in Premier League history! No team becomes that successful without quality substitutes. Just get someone on the pitch, before Manchester fucking City takes advantage of being a man up and gets the equalizer we're told they've been on the verge of for the entire second half.

Why. This is Ted Lasso, why am I getting hung up on its football strategy? This isn't about strategy, it's about Ted and Jamie. Nothing matters except the conversation they're about to have on the sideline. Everything else happens exclusively to allow that conversation to happen. The football is just set dressing. None of this matters.

It's just so dumb, though. God.

22. Jade hates working with her boyfriend so much

Truly next level of her to blackmail her boss to get Nate fired so she can have some peace in the workplace. Does she only exist in this show to advance Nate's storyline? Yes. Is she doing this to be a Good Girlfriend? Yes. Can I ignore both of those things and pretend this is just a badass move by someone who does not care to mix her relationship and her job? Also yes.

23. Ted Lasso and forgiveness

This season's insistence on total forgiveness – that the past is the past, that holding a grudge is a moral failing or a poison of the soul – is one of its biggest flaws. Everything needs to be tied up just so. Characters can't truly grow unless they let go of whatever anger they're holding onto. In the end, everything must come around to wholesomeness and healing. As the show nears its end, it is doing everything it possibly can to wash all slates clean. 

(Except, possibly, with Rupert. We'll see.)

In a void, Ted's mini-speech to Jamie about how he should forgive his dad so that he himself can heal might be – not something I would at all agree with, but fine, in that I don't have to always agree with characters on television shows and Ted is clearly doing some projecting here re: his situation with his mom. But in this broader context of what's going on with Nate, on the sideline of a game, it just feels … forced, and kind of gross. FORGIVE YOUR DAD SO YOU CAN KICK FOOTBALL. FORGIVENESS FIXES EVERYTHING. Okay, Ted Lasso. Okay.

Remember when Dr. Sharon said, "I think you [still hate your father] too, Ted, and that's okay," and they talked about the things Ted both hated and loved about his father, because it was okay for him to hold both of those things inside him at once? Where has that gone?

24. Manchester Loves Jamie

I'm not going to ask what the point of putting Jamie back on for one minute and then substituting him straight off was – do they truly have no one else who could have put them up by two? – because honestly, the City fan ovation was so unbelievable that football strategy pales in comparison. They spent an entire game booing and shit-talking him in the stands, and then he scores a goal on a wobbly foot and they suddenly realize he's Good, Actually and cheer him off? In a game that could decide the league title?

Manchester City could have won the league title right here in this game if Jamie hadn't scored that goal and the City fans cheer him off? In what universe. In what version of reality. Were there no even vaguely believable feel-good moments they could engineer for this game???

25. OT3 Watch: Roy whispering sweet nothings

They aren't going to make it canon, right??

26. Jamie's dad in rehab

This is one of the only "thing we heard nothing about and then suddenly it happens" moments where it makes sense for no one to know what's going on. It's positive growth for a shit character that I can actually get behind and believe in.

Jamie's dad is here doing the work and trying to get better. Instead of having it as an extremely brief reveal in the penultimate episode of the series, imagine if they had done this earlier and shown his dad getting out of rehab, and spent some time on Jamie deciding whether or not to forgive his dad now that his dad is sober. Emphasize the hard parts. Show them building a new relationship as different people. That would be so much more in keeping with the actual themes of this show than the magical thinking this season has engaged in.

27. Pep??????

"Don't worry about wins and losses, just help these guys be the best versions of themselves" from Pep Guardiola is THE MOST TED LASSO version of Pep Guardiola I can imagine. I cackled out loud. I threw back my head and laughed like a woman eating a salad. A+ comedy, intentional or otherwise.

28. Nate hiding under the desk

Why? Why. I mean, I get why – this humanizes everything Nate did in 2.12 and makes him seem like a pathetic guy who can't even ruin a sign right, and retcons some of the most potent parts of Nate's season two arc to make us feel empathy for him where we might not previously have; I had this issue with the rolling chair pratfall video earlier in the season, too – but it just exhausts me. They couldn't spend the time redeeming him organically, so they're rewriting what's already happened to make it seem less bad.

Going back to Ted's funeral therapy session with Dr. Sharon: remember how Ted had this deep, terrible fear of losing someone he loved because he didn't do enough to make them feel their worth, and Nate unknowingly cracked that wide open when he accused Ted of "abandoning" him? Remember how Nate could only feel important if he was the most important person in the room, so being one part of a team felt like rejection – and Nate at the absolute bottom of his spiral, having already tried to ruin Ted's life in the press, tore at him with every emotional weapon he had on hand?

Now we're going to reframe all of that as, "ahhhh, this little guy, can't even do a harm to a desk chair, look at him hide from cleaners, so sad, someone rescue him from restaurant!!"

I'm so ready for this show to end. It'll be easier to pick and choose the parts I want to hang onto once canon is closed.

29. OT3 Watch: champagne

But they aren't going to make it canon, right?????????

Honestly, get someone who looks at you the way Roy looks at Jamie here. Just incredible.

If this is the most OT3 we ever get, it'll be enough.

30. Beard's backstory

Let's pause here a moment.

As a coping mechanism for whatever the show was going to throw at me in this episode, I made myself a bingo card. Every time I got a square, I won a tiny piece of chocolate. I made some of the squares obvious hits, some of them decent possibilities, and some were wild swings at things I knew would never happen.

Earlier in this episode, I hesitated over giving myself the "Beard Backstory" square for Beard and Dottie having nicknames for each other, wondering if that qualified as our Beard backstory for the episode. And then … Beard showed up at Nate's door.

In that moment, I truly felt I had cursed myself with this bingo card. Don't invite possibilities you aren't willing to see play out on-screen, I think is the lesson here?

"Just like in Les Mis." – Nate, and all of us

I really don't know how to feel about this Beard backstory. In theory, I have no issue with Beard having a backstory about being incarcerated for meth and Ted helping him out afterward, but in practice, I'm not sure it makes any sense whatsoever. Beard has a record that no one knows about? He's been an assistant coach in the Premier League for three seasons and it's never popped up in the Daily Mail that he was in prison on a drug conviction? I know in the real world Ted wouldn't be allowed to coach Richmond to begin with, but just how far into fantasyland are we?

(I also have some questions about the "and then I stole his car" twist. What exactly are the writers trying to say here about people freshly out of prison? He had a difficult re-entry, totally understood; he found a place to land, and immediately turned back to crime? Should they maybe have spent a little more time unpacking this story before they made it canon?)

All of that aside, I'm not sure I really wanted a Beard backstory. For the entire run of this show to date, Beard has been something of a Ted-adjacent cryptid with a very clear personality but relatively opaque motivations, whose history we've learned about through wildly random drop-ins that always raise more questions than they answer. He's a guy who roams the city at night and collects subcultures like stamps. He's in an eternally tortured relationship with a manic pixie nightmare girl who somehow suits him perfectly. His devotion to Ted has never, ever been in doubt. 

I just don't think it actually rounds out the character of Beard to know exactly where he's coming from and why he's with Ted. The mystery is part of the character. Introducing an in-depth backstory in the penultimate episode of the entire show feels … kind of cheap? I would completely understand if other people felt it was long overdue and are happy to get it before the end, but to me, pulling back the curtain feels like a misunderstanding of what makes Beard a great character. We don't need to see the man behind the curtain. Being able to wildly speculate about what makes Beard Beard is a big part of his appeal. 

And to drop this in as a plot mechanism for bringing Nate back into the fold – to make this significant change to a major character as a shortcut on Nate's mismanaged path to redemption – I'm just so tired.

This whole thing where Ted emotionally manipulated Beard into forgiving Nate by invoking Ted's own past assistance to Beard – I'm not sure that comes across the way they think it does. Ted wants everyone around him to forgive Nate and the only one who isn't willing to do it is Beard, so Ted forces the issue by hitting Beard where it hurts to get Beard to project his own past trauma onto Nate's situation. Does Ted really think that Beard stealing his car is equivalent to Nate putting his mental health history on the front page of every newspaper in London? Even if he does, why does he think it's fair to Beard to pull out Beard's trauma like a trump card? 

31. Fuck you, Mom!!

What was Ted's relationship with his mother back home, that she comes to visit him in London and within 48 hours, everything he's been holding onto for years comes boiling out of him in a series of F-bombs borrowed from Jamie Tartt? What was their dynamic like in Kansas, that the minute she shows up his shoulders go up around his ears and he can't handle anyone he cares about liking her at all?

Is this happening now because Ted unlocked all of this in therapy? Is it happening now because he's been away from her for so long? Was he not visiting her on those trips to Kansas? Is it the change in setting – having her in London, in his space, meeting his people?

This whole "thank you / fuck you" speech feels overcooked at best, well-acted as it is, and it veers into some really incoherent areas. When Ted tapped his chest, I thought, "oh god, is he impotent in his soul?" Honestly, that would have made more sense than Ted saying he's afraid to get close to his son because "I know he's going to leave."

Yes, Ted is afraid of losing people, but we know because Ted has said so in therapy that his response to that fear is to pull people closer in. To try to make people feel wanted, feel valued, feel good about themselves.

In Ted and Henry's relationship, if Ted has projected his dad onto anyone, it's been himself. If there is a monster under the bed here, it is Ted's fear of turning into his dad, of having the potential for that inside him. That line would have made 110% more sense if it had been, "I'm afraid I'm going to leave," even if we would have had a lot more to unpack on-screen at that point. As it is, it's just – kind of nonsense?

Did they feel like they had to pull out some extra motivation for Ted having been in London all of this time? They didn't. The degree to which they are trying way too hard in some areas and not at all in others sure is something.

32. I've read this fic

Rebecca and Bex? Yeah, I've definitely read this fic. That "Bex divorces Rupert and takes West Ham" square on my bingo card is going to reappear next week.

33. "Do you know what time it is?"

"It's the time of the season when we do X" is a little too much meta self-awareness for me, and the "I'm going to invoke truth bombs as a concept but I don't actually have one" is clunky execution to set up Ted's cliffhanger line, but the staging: flawless. In seasons one and two, Rebecca comes into Ted's office and stands on the left of the frame, facing right. In season three, Ted is the one who comes into the office and stands on the left, reversing their positions both physically and narratively. That kind of attention to detail is A+. 

(I wish they gave that much attention to the plot, but I'll take it where I can get it.)

What's next?

One more episode left to cram in everything they could possibly want to do with this show! We're on a real run here of episodes that cram in abrupt resolutions to ongoing stories while also dropping in a ton of new elements we don't have time to explore, and I wouldn't expect the finale to be all that different.

- Before 3.11, I thought the chances of Ted going back to Kansas were 85% for, 15% against. Now … I think it might actually be closer to 75% for, 25% against?

This episode pushed so hard on sending Ted back to Kansas, and we're being set up in that cliffhanger for him telling Rebecca he's quitting after the season ends, and – there's still an entire finale to go. Will the episode just be one long goodbye, or will there be some last-minute twist to keep him in London? I think the chances of him staying in London are actually slightly better now that the "I'm going back to Kansas" twist isn't being held for the end. Still pretty unlikely, though.

I say again: if he goes back to Kansas, fine, we can fix that in post. If he goes back to Michelle, I'm turning this car around.

- Every social media feed I have has been frantic with speculation as to whether or not they're going to make the OT3 canon in the finale. My money is on Not Canon – I think a wink and a nod at it is as much as they're going to do – but I'll be happy with anything that isn't a flash-forward in which Jamie has a girlfriend. Just let us walk off arm-in-arm-in-arm with room to speculate, show.

- So Nate goes back to Richmond, Ted leaves, and Nate becomes head coach, right? Just like we could pretty easily guess was going to happen before this season even started? There's still a chance of a surprise shake-up there, but I'd put it at, like … 5%. A 5% chance of this not going in the most predictable possible direction.

- If Ted leaves, does Beard stay or does he go? He stays, right? If they try to convince us that Jane is dying to move to Kansas, I'll have to Eternal Sunshine the entire finale from my memory banks.

- I am very much hoping for a thoughtful farewell with the pub trio. They've earned it.

- It's West Ham they're going to be playing in the last game, right? If Nate's West Ham storyline is going to have any meaning, he has to go up against his old team with his old old team in the last game of the season while Rupert's drama plays out in close-up.

There should also be some simultaneous game drama happening with Manchester City. They were four points down before this game, so on the final day of league play, they'll be one point down. If City wins, they win the title. If City draws or loses and Richmond wins, Richmond wins the title. If City loses and Richmond draws, then … actually, there could be interesting last-minute drama if they're trying to break through on goal differential, but I don't think the show would go that far into technicalities. Richmond has to win, right? They aren't going to send the show off on anything less.

Five days until we're free!

#ted lasso #ted lasso meta #episode reactions

[bloodmoons-knife]

I LOVE HER SO MUCH. EARTH SUPREMACY LADS.

she has autism. they all do. also monty simping is hilarious????

#sun and moon show #episode reactions #sun and moon show spoilers #sams earth #also shes so pretty???? her model is lovely #sweet girl. shes just vibing #she got fucking distracted for several weeks i adore her so much

[vestsfriends]

OK but out of ALL the theorized reactions that Lucifer was gonna have to Charlie telling him abt Vaggie being her girlfriend—

NOBODY EXPECTED HIM TO BE LIKE “OH THANK GOD” LMAO

#hazbin hotel #episode 5 #dad beat dad #lucifer morningstar #Vaggie #charlie morningstar #chaggie #my random shit #reaction #funny

[televinita]

That 90s Show - thoughts after 1 episode

But first, background re: me and That 70s Show --

I watched it when it aired, and I’m pretty sure I even started with season 1, as an actual teenager. It was one of the first and few primetime shows I latched onto before age 16, and I watched it all the way to the bitter end*. Have also rewatched it countless times in syndication and on DVD; it has infinite replay value to me and I love everyone and quote random lines to this day.

(*although honestly, I didn’t hate season 8! As much as I missed Eric, I loved Randy and thought he was a fine alternative option; my qualms were limited mainly to the Jackie/Hyde breakup and the even worse switch to Jackie/Fez)

So I went into this very scared of how this might tarnish the original. I came out...so relieved and happy!

The Actual Thoughts, In Three Acts

Part 1: Adult Formans

I DEEPLY UNDERESTIMATED THE PURE JOY I WOULD FEEL AT SEEING RED/KITTY/ERIC/DONNA/THE FORMANS’ HOUSE IN A NEW AGE

Topher Grace has not aged in the last 15 years, amazing.

ERIC/DONNA ERIC/DONNA ERIC/DONNA

(I have always shipped them at least by default, because obviously, but their married dynamic takes it to a whole new plane of joy I didn’t know existed)

Eric as a dad is the other kind of joy I didn’t know my life needed. I love the idea of her being his “little buddy” all her life. If I cared more about the daughter we would rapidly be approaching Jurassic World levels of family squee here.

who am I kidding, his final blessing and their hug (and my relief that she didn’t actually get a hole poked in her perfect face) gave me EXACTLY that.

P.S. PROFESSOR ERIC WHO GETS TO TEACH A CLASS ON HIS MOST BELOVED HEART’S JOY! and PUBLISHED AUTHOR DONNA! I love these journeys for them.

I love that Red is clearly a softie where his granddaughter is concerned (the request for a cheek kiss!!), but also still has an edge. That’s exactly what I wanted.

Kitty serving up those “the nights are the hardest...but then the day comes and that's every bit as hard as the night...and then the night comes again!...” guilt vibes. 😍 😍

and the “I wish you’d call me Mom” / “feels forced” war

and her joy in going out to shop for “all the -itos!” to feed the newest batch of stray-cat teens

basically everything this Core Four did or said was glorious

also loved Eric’s tiny meltdown as first Donna and then his own mother betray him by supporting Leia’s wish to ditch father/daughter space camp, followed by Baby(skin)’s First Foot-In-Ass Threat.

I didn’t write down most of the quotes because there were too many good ones, but I absolutely love “Leia staying here isn’t the craziest idea. Your parents can watch her.” / “Were you not here with me in the 70s??”

And also Red’s “you’re Upstairs People now.” Hehehehehe.  

Part 2: Other Nostalgia-Based Feelings

I am so sad that Danny Masterson turned out gross and awful because I miss Hyde and this world feels off-kilter without him.

But I am grateful that the show is going to simply ignore him instead of stamping down some awful canon reason like "hyde can’t come to the screen right now because he’s DEAD” (or in prison)

I’ll allow Jackie/Kelso for the sheer meta-cuteness of them having eventually ended up together in real life, even though really, it would have been nice if she had ended up with someone rich and successful and not from Point Place.

I will not allow this rude, shallow, worst-of-season-1 Jackie who gets married and divorced to the same old idiot on a whim. what is this. where is the GROWTH. Did Fez use some sort of FDA-banned hair treatment on her that leached memory-destroying poison into her brain??

maybe she gets better later. I will hope.

love that I can’t be sad about Donna’s childhood home being sold because let’s face it, that is an ugly house. Looking forward to finding out where Bob went. I assume he’s a millionaire now, given his life’s impossible success trajectory to date.

(also, I really liked seeing her old room updated for the 90s!)

speaking of houses, I love SO MUCH that the set decorators knew what they were doing and kept fair bit the same while updating some key pieces like the living room sofa, i.e. how real people live. At least, that’s the fleeting impression I got; will have to study it more (or read other posts from people who have) to know for sure.

My single biggest fear starting That 90s Show was that they’d go buck-wild with swearing, but they.....held themselves to the same FCC standards as the original???? I am afraid to ask if it stays this way but I hope.

Part 3: The Kids

First impressions (while watching): oh, yeah, they’re a vapid school-of-fish nothing to me so far.

Second impressions, upon reflection: Leia has some potential to be likeable, and maybe Gwen if she softens a bit? Also, I went into this ep like “please don’t make them be into each other just to increase your diversity quota,” but then all the boys turned out unappealing of face or personality and more importantly, from the very first second Creeper Leia peeked in through Gwen’s window there was chemistry, so. Notes and expectations for season 2!!

(side note: I remind you that I am the woman who 9 times out of 10 cannot come up with a single f/f couple she actually ships; also will normally choose “best friends” over gals being more than pals 999 times out of 1000; also if there is an option for the opposite-sex offspring of two couples who are friends to be into each other that is ALWAYS where I align. Until now, apparently. That’s how strong this chemistry is.)

As for the other kids... Ozzie’s voice is currently intolerable to me and I don’t care about the rest or even know the dating couple’s names, although the non-Kelso guy is serving up some decent Original Kelso vibes that could grow on me.

tl;dr you can lead me to a show ostensibly about teenagers but you can’t make me emotionally invest

In Conclusion: I only remember the highlights, so, A+ start! Looking forward to more random what-year-even-is-it, anachronism-is-fine 90s trends/references in future episodes; I am not even going to bother worrying about how the chronology works since it was the late 70s for eight years straight last time and we can’t even all agree on whether season 8 counts. :p

#that 90s show #episode reactions #when will I see episode 2? who knows! the more I say about a show the more invested I get in it #which means that I am Very Content thinking about that small amount of content for way longer than I would be otherwise #sometimes I can live for a month or even a year on one episode. like a python. #plus I am watching this with husband. otherwise I would have just watched the whole thing in 3 days I bet

[wench-and-jezebel]

Dark Angel Reactions: Bonus Content!

We had some time to kill before the next episode --- Art Attack --- so we decided to play a little game... Wench (@scripted-downfall) sent random photos of either Alec or Ben in a shuffled order, and Jezebel (@typicalopposite) guessed which was which. The results:

Wench: First up:

Jezebel: Ben

Wench: Cha-ching!

Jezebel: Hmmmmm…. Alec?

Wench: Yup! :) Well, more or less, but yep!

Jezebel: Ooooof ummm Alec

Wench: Yes

Jezebel: Mmmmmben?

Wench: Damn! But yes.

Jezebel: Alec! But Maxs hair is a giveaway too

Wench: Oof, that's fair (Also... this one might not be fair, I admit)

Jezebel: 🤔🤔🤔 Alec

Wench: Damn, woman! Yes. (I am running out; there is an end in sight. But we're not quiteee there yet)

Jezebel: This one I really have no clue. Ben

Wench: Yes. Also... just for funzies, a random side profile

Jezebel: Ooooof on this one’s the hardest. Maybe Ben again

Wench: Yup

Jezebel: Mmmmm Ben.

Wench: Yes

Jezebel: Alec

Wench: Yup

Jezebel: Alec

Wench: 'Tis right! I think I've got like. Two more each btw. Maybe.

Jezebel: Ben

Wench: Yes! And I have to send this one because jackles in a confessional is SPN-coded

Jezebel: Sooo still Ben 🤣 (Just cause he was in a church)

Wench: ladsjflkajdflkadsjf Oh, and Jackles wiping his hands with a red rag is also SPN-coded so this is obligatory too

Jezebel: Ben

Wench: Ma'am your record is astounding

Jezebel: Alec

Jezebel: Alec

Jezebel: Ben

Jezebel: Oh shit... Ermmmmm Ben?

Wench: Alas, tis Alec

Jezebel: Dern! 🤣🤣🤣

Jezebel: 🙂 Ben. But you know the biggest give-away?

Wench: Do tell

Jezebel: S1 is more warm-toned; S2 is like grayish. Or cool-toned.

Wench: Oh, that's fair

Jezebel: Ben

Wench: Oop- dang, I thought I was possibly gonna fool you with that one ('cause it's lighter)

Jezebel: This one I’m going off his jacket ☠️☠️ And her hair

Jezebel: *squints* bbbben?

Wench: Yeah!

Jezebel: Them brows are on fleek tho! ☠️☠️☠️ ack I can’t even believe I said that

Jezebel: Alec

Wench: Yep! Okay, I lied, three more photos BUT. Two are together. So. Which is Alec and which is Ben? (This is an easy one plzzzz don't make a fool of me :) You can see her hair *and* the background)

Jezebel: Ben, then Alec

Wench: Bravo! :) Last one

Jezebel: Alec

Wench: Damn, my dear! That's-You missed… what, one? Out of how many?

Jezebel: it's the Jackles stuff! They don’t even look the same 🤣🙃 How? He’s... How?

Wench: !!! DO YOU SEEEEEE

Jezebel: I do! Ackles explainnnnn

Wench: We'll just have to get to the episodes... ready for the next?

Jezebel: Let me know when!

#dark angel #alec mcdowell #ben #jensen ackles #dark angel reactions #reactions #episode reactions #kinda