#specualtion meta

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Buck (and Eddie) mini meta - 7x10 (probably but could also be 7x09!)

I was going to make a quick post about this new shirt we have bts pictures of Buck and Eddie wearing - but well, I spiralled and it turned into this!! (under the cut to save your dash!)

So let's do Eddie first shall we!!

there are actually two shirts we've got bts of Eddie wearing which have me 👀👀👀

first up is this green number we have bts of him wearing at the firehouse (not 100% sure if this is an actual costume or just Ryan's clothes but I'm fairly sure it's an Eddie outfit!)

Why am I side eyeing so hard at this do you ask? well its a very similar shirt to the one we have seen him in before - in 5x13 when he has his break down. Its not the same, but similar - no cut off sleeves, but its the same army green.

We see this tee at he culmination of Eddie isolating himself from the fire fam (especially Buck) through the start of 5b and then blowing up his life in 5x13 - when he trashes his room and Chris calls Buck.

I think we're about to see something similar play out in the last couple of episodes of season 7 - Eddie increasingly choosing to isolate himself from the fire fam (especially Buck) as he spirals out with this vertigo arc. Ryan has said in interviews that Eddie will be isolated by the end of the season, this costume therefore parallels Eddies arc of 5b - especially if we include the use of white on Eddie as well (and Buck in Blue in the same scene!). Eddie does something drastic and then pretends everything is ok - before proceeding to spiral out and blow up his life in some way.

5x11 - we have the aftermath of Eddie leaving he 118 - dinner with Buck and Taylor when he and Buck have a mini disagreement about Eddie coming back to work - which is preceeded by us being shown how Eddie is not actually ok - leading in to 5x13 when Eddie has his breakdown whilst wearing an army green tee and Buck breaks down the door to get to him and literally steps in to the mess, bringing the 118 into help as well (represented by Bobby being there when Eddie wakes up).

Then we have season 7 - the aftermath of Eddie asking Marisol to move in with him and then it is made clear that Eddie has moved too fast, that he doesn't actually know Marisol, or ultimately feel comfortable with the relationship - and now we've watched him (still in white in the scene where he sees Kim) spiralling out and heading towards isolating himself in the same way he did in season 5. The use of a similar army green tee in 7x10 suggests that we're going to see something similar unfold as things come to a head in the vertigo arc. Im especially intrigued because Buck it seems is going to be in uniform for the scene (which side note plays into the Buck and Eddie blue green colour palette they've been using and in a reverse of the gym scene from 7x05!) we don't know where in the episode this scene falls, but my guess would be that its actually a scene from earlier in the episode - allowing for the blow up to happen and the fall out begin. (I also think this because of Helena and Ramon appearing - which I think will be later in the episode and in response to Kim's existence being more widely known about, but thats just me speculating!)

We do also have the t-shirt from 7x01 - which is not the same as the other two - its darker and more brownish than the two above, but it does play into a similar narrative - Eddie finding out about Chris and his multiple girlfriends and Buck stepping in (at Eddies request this time) to help and support the Diaz boys!

Eddie outfit two!

Then we have this outfit - which is contrary to popular belief, not the will reveal outfit, but actually the Ana as Eddies girlfriend reveal to Chris outfit.

The two outfits are very similar, but the will reveal outfit is a navy blue shirt (which is important as it plays into both blue/green and blue/yellow theory - which gains even more significance now we know that it is likely this was meant to be the beginning of at the very least a queer narrative for Buck and the implication is that it would've been the beginning of buddie canon) this shirt and the Ana reveal shirt are both black and have silver eyelets on the shirt opening

For me, the fact that it is the same outfit as that reveal rather than the will reveal is suggestive that this outfit is in some way going to be connected to the reveal of Kim. In the same way that the Ana reveal outfit is connected to two scenes

- Eddie telling Chris and the salad bowl getting smashed,

- Eddie realising Chris has gone missing only to find out he's run to Buck's

I feel like this one is also likely to be connected to two scenes - what they are and where this hospital scene fits within the wider episode, it is hard to fully form ideas on the full meaning behind the fact that he is wearing the same outfit. Because does this scene come before or after the arrival of Helena and Ramon, what is the connection to Bobby being in the hospital and Eddie wearing this outfit? My personal opiion is that this outfit is going to be involved in people finding out about Kim.

As an addition to this, we should also talk about the fact that Eddie always wears black in relation to key scenes with Marisol and Kim and it continues a trend of Eddie wearing black in key scenes in relation to his relationships.

When Eddie and Marisol meet at the hardware store he is in black, when asking her to move back out, black shirt. Then with Kim -both scenes with her when he talks to her he is in black - black shirt in the store and a black jacket when they go on their date.

He was also wearing Black in key moments with Shannon (divorce request scene as well as in flashbacks) and with Ana ( first meeting and panic attack scenes). I've spoken before about the choice to put him in a black singlet when he's in an emotionally vulnerable place, but with these additional scenes in mind, as well as the fact that we see him wearing black in the hospital during Bucks coma, as well as the fact we also get a similar shirt on Eddie back in 7x01.

I think its fair to associate black more generally with Eddie being in a vulnerable place emotionally - the singlets are just worn at points when those vulnerable moments are about to tip Eddie into something stupid and this makes the use of the singlet in 7x04 for the basketball game even more interesting as it places Eddie into emotional vulnerability around Bucks bi journey and less about Bucks own emotional vulnerability - plays a little into the idea that they were going to have Eddies queer journey come before Bucks!

From a purely speculative position - my feeling is that this outfit comes after the arrival of Helena and Ramon and possibly towards the end of the episode.

The fact Eddie is wearing it at the hospital is possibly important, but I get the feeling it will be an outfit with more than one key scene attached to it (much like Eddie being in a black shirt when Buck came out to him was in two key scenes - Bucks coming out and Eddie asking Marisol to move out).

In the same way that in season 4 the Ana reveal was paired with a scene where Chris runs to Buck my feeling is that we're going to see something similar in season 7 with this - further adding to the parallels between the two seasons (see this excellent post by @iinryer for more on those!).

Part of my thinking comes from the fact we had this other bts of Buck, Eddie, Chris and Helena and Ramon. So we know that Eddie will be wearing a maroon henley for a scene in this episode.

I've spoken about Eddie wearing maroon long sleeved tops in relation to things being about Chris and Eddie parenting, and this one is likely to follow that theme, especially with Chis seemingly wearing the same outfit he was wearing when the fact he had multiple girlfriends was revealed.

The fact that buck is in a reverse outfit to the one from his discussion with Chris after that reveal (navy blue bottoms and yellow ochre top v yellow ochre bottoms and navy blue top), suggests to me that the are trying to do a couple of things here - they are flipping the scene - so it is still about a multiple girlfriends reveal, just Eddies rather than Christophers. It is also possibly a way to contrast the fact they set up Buck as sitting in parallel to Shannon (from both a costuming and directorial perspective), now they are reversing it and setting them in juxtaposition with one another - playing on the concept of one being alive while the other is dead and contrasting the actual reality of Eddies life with Eddies rose tinted version of things - the version he's trying to recreate with a doppelgänger.

Onto Buck

The shirt that changes colour depending on which picture you look at - is it brown and cream or dark greyish brown and blue/grey?!!

My personal feeling is that it will look more brown and cream on camera, but that we might see a little bit of the blue pinstripe come through! This means we need to not only look at Buck in pinstripes, but also when he has worn brown!

So lets look at when we've seen Buck wear brown!

We have 2x05 - a scene where Maddie is ranting about Gloria calling her constantly. In this scene Buck is in a brown marl tee (you'll have to take my word for it - I ran out of pictures and this one was the least important!), personally I don't think it fits into the narrative as it is a tee rather than a shirt or jacket, so I'm not including it in my wider anaylsis!

We get Brown sports jacket Buck - in 3x04 when he delivers the results of the 118's assessment and discovers Lena filing his space - Buck gets jealous and a little mad. (had to include the still where Edie is checking out Bucks ass because it will never not be funny and now has the added layers to it`!)

one episode later and we get more brown in the divorced buddie era 1.0 supermarket arguement of 3x05.

Things go quiet on the brown front for Buck until 4x14 and the 'it would've been better if it had been me who got shot' scene - this is is a borderline brown - it sits in the yellow ochre spectrum, but is closer to brown than yellow! This, like the last tine he wore brown, comes in the aftermath of Buck doing something stupid (climbing the crane)

Then Buck doesn't wear any brown in season 5, so its on to season 6 where we have 6x04 and this russet brown (which is a reddish brown) which Buck wears when Connor pays him a visit regarding the sperm donation.

Then later in the same season - 6x18 - we have the most recent Buck in brown sighting - when he is talking to Connor once more about Kameron being at his loft. with the added bonus of this being veritcally ribbed making it look like stripes!

As you can see we only see Buck wear brown in very specific moments and they tend to come in pairs - we get bright russety browns in the build up to Buck doing something stupid followed by a darker more muddy brown in the aftermath (in both s2 and s6). Only the one from season 4 doesn't fit the pattern as it doesn't have a pair.

But while events in seasons 3 and six are essentially of Bucks making - he sets things in motion - season 4 is not - Buck is not the instigator, he is a bystander dropped into the middle of something, if anything the fact his brown has yellowish undertones plays into its having a reverse effect - that it is the same as the russet browns - setting something in motion, but its pair is the brighter yellow ochre shirt from the will reveal - which sits in opposition to the darker browns - its not something Buck needs or wants to try and fix - its more of an affirmation of Bucks belonging and not something he needs to fight for.

I've spoken before in various meta's about brown being a colour of stability support and protection. it is also a colour of wisdom and counsel - and I think all of these will come into play with this new shirt in some capacity, because to put Buck in brown at this point is definitely a choice with intention behind it.

Now onto Buck in vertical stripes!

We'll do the light ones first. It's still insane to me that the first time we ever see Buck in vertical stripes is the shooting scene in 4x13.

Then ten episodes later, in 5x13 we see the next white striped shirt and its when Taylor is moving into the loft. These are the only two we have in a white and black/grey colour way.

The next time we see light stripes is in 6x01 - only now they are cream and blue rather than white and black/grey - when Buck moves his armchair and decides he doesn't need a couch .

Followed by 6x08 when Buck is in Uncle Buck mode and looking after Jee and being given the run around by her - again cream and blue.

The last Buck in light shirts with stripes sighting is from 7x05 - when he meets with Tommy for coffee, this time its cream with black and red stripes.

Then we have a couple of outliers - this light blue jacket from 6x01

and this grey one from 6x09

Then we have the dark ones!

This one from 4x14 when Taylor appears back on his doorstep after the shooting and kissing him

This one from 5x09 - the most awkward 'I love you' scene in the history of mankind

6x04 when he tells Conor and Kameron that he will be their sperm donor

in 6x07 we get two - both when he is trying to donate sperm and not being successful in this endeavour

in 6x17 we see him in this shirt when Maddie comes by for help with getting her stuck engagement ring off

and finally we have Buck and Tommys first date - which ends in failure.

and now we have a brown and cream/blue one joining the mix!

I've written before about Bucks vertically striped shirts - in various episode metas, as well as a separate post which is linked on my pinned post under Buck, But I'm going to talk about them again because he just keeps on wearing them at really interesting moments!

Buck seems to wear them at moments when he is essentially ‘imprisoned’ by something mentally - at moments when he either steps forwards or backwards in his self development, or stays in stasis - and which of these it is, is determined by the colour of the shirt and the stripes. The lighter ones are connected to moving forward and ultimately escaping, while the darker ones are about Buck being trapped and moving in the wrong direction.

Starting with the white shirts - I know on the face of it, it isn't easy to see either of the white shirts with black pinstripes as Buck moving forward, but while the scenes they are worn in themselves may not seem to be freeing, the resulting actions - the will reveal for the first one and the second one reveals Bucks true thoughts on his and Taylors relationship and thus marks the beginning of the end, I mean obviously the kiss is the actual moment that marks the beginning of the end but this moment - when he is talking to Maddie, the audience is made aware that Buck really and truly isn't all in with Taylor and that he has imprisoned himself - his ability to recognise that - the fact he is able to verbalise that he is afraid of being left - that is the moment of growth and escape for him.

The unhappy moments, the moments when he is regressing or clinging are signified by the black shirts with white or silver pinstripes.

With Taylor the two scenes we get black shirts with pinstripes are connected to Buck being in trauma response mode - the first in the aftermath of the shooting - starting a relationship when he's in a super raw place - his best friend has been shot and he's looking after said best friends son and climbing cranes to try and protect the rest of his found family (also adding Maddie's impending PPD to this as well as the Daniel of it all although those are less central in this moment in time).

Then the second one comes in the 'I kinda love you for it' scene - and off the back of Buck feeling and fearing that he is being left - that Taylor is pulling away from him.

The three all connected to the sperm donation all play into the narrative that Buck hasn't thought the sperm donation through fully - that the universe is screaming at him and he's trapping himself in a prison - we do see some of that play out as the season progresses when he becomes embroiled in Conor and Kameron's marriage and pregnancy dramas when his part in it all should've been done.

The scene with the stuck ring is a scene very much about Maddie but Buck does drop himself in it on two fronts - the ring cutter and in letting Maddie know that Hen and Chim had an arguement over Chim proposing to Maddie.

Buck and Tommys first date - again a prison of Bucks own making - this shirt very much plays into the disastrous nature of the date - with Bucks 'I'm and Ally' and comment about going to 'find chicks'

Then we have the shirts that somewhere in the middle. - the blue one from 6x01 where we have a Buck doing some mental self torture trying to work out why he’s been passed over for the interim Captain job but finally figuring it out,

The three cream ones are all essentially the cure for the previous, darker stripes - they play into the idea that Buck is learning and growing - in a way he wasn't when it was just black and white shirts and stripes from seasons 4 and 5 when we got a white shirt followed soon after by a black shirt (4x13 - White - 4x14 - black) or vice versa (5x09 - black - 5x13 - white).

We have 6x01 with the blue then cream - Buck in a mental prison around what he wants in life, but choosing to embrace being on his own and seeing where life takes him by the end of the episode. 6x04 and 6x07's navy blues connected to the sperm donation arc followed by 6x08's cream and blue one of the very real children in his life - one who he gets to be an active part of watching grow up. 7x04's navy date shirt one followed by 7x05's cream, black and red shirt when Buck requests and is granted a do over with Tommy

So how is this brown and cream one going to fit in? Well that is the million $$$$ question isn't it! My feelings are that it's going to fit in with the pattern and have a reverse one to go with it. Now I have two theories - the first is that its actually the brown pair to the one from season 4 - that its going to connect into Buck's statement that it would've been better for Chris if he'd been the one hurt - and therefore connect into the will of it all, playing on the concept of Chris (and Buck) finding out about Kim - connecting Eddies outfit into the equation - and lead to Buck once again stepping up to look after or support Chris in some capacity (maybe we'll get a parallel of Chris running to Buck after finding out about Ana and have Chris running to Buck after finding out about Kim, who knows!).

The other option is that we'll only see the pair to this brown striped shirt later down the line - whether we see that before the end of the season or have to wait for the start of season 8 I do't know - it really depends on how they close out this season and the Buck and Eddie arcs.

I'd like to think the fact that its brown and therefore means stability, support, protection and wisdom, means that it will be connected to Buck discovering Eddies cheating and then stepping up to support him and Chris through the fall out (after perhaps taking a moment to consider things) and that it is tied into the season 4 parallels, but I guess we'll all have to wait and see!

Essentially all of Bucks striped and or brown tops have a pair and play on the idea of light and dark to varying degrees as well as the concept of being trapped or imprisoned by some form of traumatic event.

Hopefully this makes sense and that you've enjoyed reading this deep dive into Bucks stripes and Eddies wearing of black! I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Tagged people below

@theladyyavilee @mistmarauder @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @bewilderedbuckley @spotsandsocks

@bewitchedbewilderedbisexual @rogerzsteven @wanderingwomanwondering @oneawkwardcookie @leothil

@copyninjabuckley @shammers86 @crazyfangirlallert @missmagooglie @katyobsesses

@radiation-run @gayandbifiremenofmine @bi-moonlight @crazyaboutotps @princesschez75

@alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @sherlocking-out-loud @satashiiwrites @lover-of-mine @yramesoruniverse

@extasiswings @favouritealias @pop-kam @b-dwolf @maygrcnt

@chaosandwolves

[iamnotawomanimagod]

I know the blackmailing got explained with Jeff, but did we get a full explanation for Travis? I know it could either be that he really did just kill himself intentionally or that Lottie's story is true, but did Lottie say anything about the symbol being around him? Because that's the one detail that's still really weird to me. Unless he ended up thinking along the same lines that Lottie ended up thinking - that there really was Something out there with them and he had to give it what it wanted. So maybe he put the symbol there. I genuinely can't remember if we got any explanation for that.

Wait. Wait. If we accept that one of two options for Travis are true (either he really did commit suicide or Lottie's story was true - and even that has two possibilities. Either Something really did kill Travis OR something with the machine malfunctioned and it was an accident and Lottie interpreted it as supernatural) have we answered all the lingering mysteries and questions of s1 and s2? We know who the Antler Queen is. We know what the dripping was. We know how the hunting got started. There's really no loose threads heading into s3, is there? Other than maybe an overall answer of what the symbol is/means and whether there really IS something supernatural out there or not. Am I missing anything? I wonder if that's going to hurt s3. S2 still had an element of unraveling the mystery set up in s1, but if we've essentially answered all of that, then all s3 can do is....continue things. Deal with the fallout. And I'm worried that won't be as interesting.

You know, I've been thinking/worrying about this too. On the one hand, I'm glad they didn't leave so many of those mysteries lingering on forever, especially since so many shows never make it to their intended ending. But there is a lot less to discover, moving forward.

We've hit on all the major unknowns and more or less have answers to them. I agree that the only things really undiscovered yet are the symbol and whether or not they'll land firmly on the "it's supernatural" side of things.

I do think that the symbol and what happened in those woods before the Yellowjackets landed there could still be pretty compelling mysteries. My biggest questions are - why was that symbol there before? Who put them there, carved into the trees? Why, in Jackie's death dream, did the man from the attic welcome her, and say they've been waiting for her? Was that just a delusion, or was that a true glimpse into some supernatural "other side" that we haven't fully explored yet?

I think that they could potentially find a really compelling story in explaining a bit more about the cabin, the man with the plane, and what happened to him (and maybe his people/friends/family) that caused him/them to create and spread that symbol around.

Do the symbols all lead to other ways to survive in the wilderness, like Javi's cave? Are these remnants of some other survivors? Who gave Javi the warm clothes??? (I have to let that one go.) Who was Javi's "friend" who told him to stay away from the other survivors?

Does Lottie know the significance of the symbol, or has she just clung onto it after all these years because it's familiar? Or does she keep it around because she can't figure it out, and she's obsessed with the mysticism of it? Do the adults in 2021 even know what the symbol means or why it was there? If they don't know, how will the story tell us?

I read online somewhere (so take it with a grain of salt) that the writers have a five-season plan set for the story. We're about 9-10 months deep in the teen storyline, and we know they get rescued after 19 months. (I'd still be very interested to know how exactly they get rescued, but that story might be more boring than I'm picturing now.) That's a lot of time to fill in the remaining three seasons, especially since we know how the hunt started and how the Antler Queen came to be. We know how they survived the harsh and starving winters, at least in terms of feeding themselves. It's not hard to imagine how they went from a spur-of-the-moment hunt like with Javi, to the more ritualized hunt of Pit Girl. And we have the cabin burning down, so we know that the next several months aren't going to get easier for them.

I think based on all of that, they can probably still squeeze some story out of the wilderness. Will it be three seasons worth, with half of the time in the wilderness already behind us at the end of s2? Maybe not.

(Maybe the final season would deal with the aftermath of the girls being rescued, or something else, to add a little extra space to the teen storyline?? Just speculating.)

I think the part of s2 I struggled the most with was the adult storyline, which really felt like it lacked the focus and tension of the first season's, with Adam Martin and the blackmailing mystery. So I'm most worried about the adult storyline, if I'm being honest.

The most interesting moments from the 2021 characters have been when they're together, and it's becoming a clearly established pattern that the adults only fully come together at the end of the season. If they keep going that way, what in the heck are they going to do with these ladies?? I'll watch them go through the fallout of losing Natalie, but what mysteries remain for them? Mostly just the symbol, and since I'm not sure exactly how much they know about the symbol, it's hard to know where they'll take that in the adult storyline.

But the stakes for the adults especially are at an all-time-low. Shauna and the Sadecki's aren't going to prison for Adam's murder (which I'm fine with, love that dysfunctionally functional family;) Lottie is going to be institutionalized again; Natalie is dead; Misty will completely lack focus without her (but she does have Walter for potential new stories;) Van has her cancer storyline (which I imagine will take center-stage in s3;) and Taissa obviously still has to deal with all the fallout of abandoning her wife at the hospital. (I just remembered that Tai draws the symbol on Simone when she's in a coma - implying that at least Shadow!Tai maybe knows the meaning???)

Like you said... a whole lot of just "continuing on," not a whole lot of answers to be found.

I guess we'll have to see! Production is on hold for the WGA strike still. It's impossible to know how that will impact everything.

Oh and - wrt Travis's suicide, I honestly have no clue. I think that might be one of the places they'll continue to keep some uncertainty around, especially since it connects to the symbol, the one major mystery left. From what I remember, Lottie never touches on the symbol being present at Travis's suicide, or even mentions the symbol being there.

I do think we're supposed to question Lottie's version of things, especially with the hindsight that she is in full psychosis for most of the season - once we know that her "therapist" is just her teenage self, it really calls into question anything and everything that Lottie says about it. Especially given that witnessing Travis's suicide comes with a delusion/vision of Laura Lee. I don't know if we'll ever get a completely clear answer of whether or not Travis's suicide held a supernatural element, was a mechanical failure, or if something else happened entirely - mostly because we'll likely only ever know Lottie's version of it, unless we have some Travis flashbacks or something.

Lots to chew on and think about! I'm definitely still excited for s3, but we are starting to reach that place in television writing where it'll either get even better, or start to suffer a bit from the need to produce more seasons.

[fermented-writers-block]

Since my last post on the potential hint at a fourth, purple gemstone and color beyond the main three RGB triad and how Valeriana or Mother Olm could be that power’s bearer, it has gotten me thinking.

Why is there a single grey gemstone in Mother Olm’s chamber amidst a bunch of perfectly well lit purple gemstone around her chamber? What is the significance behind the statue above the entrance to her chamber being the sole instance of representation of the other three races out of Proteus? Why are there so, so many blue crystals throughout the city and her chamber?

And what does this entrance message to Proteus mean, and why is it even there?

Then it hit me.

“ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS SHOULD ENTER”

Haven’t we seen this kind of thing before?

What if the underground space Proteus is in now used to be/is a “fourth temple” of sorts, and Mother Olm’s chamber was supposed to be/is a charging station location just like the Wit Temple’s outhouse, the Heart Temple tower, and the Strength Temple’s pedestal?

Perhaps the blue crystals point towards a particular connection between purple and blue, which could be why the blue gem is at the top of Mother Olm’s inscription as part of the border itself.

And, maybe, it connects further to why all three gems are actually surrounded by a purple glow at that, thus potentially indirectly connecting purple to where the prophecy even came from in the first place.

There’s so many different ways the idea of Proteus/the past underground space being a “fourth” temple could play out, like it possibly being a “proto” temple template the other temples were based on, the fourth gem being intentionally hidden away and maybe the actual first stone to be discovered, or perhaps that Mother Olm USED to be a part of this hypothetical fourth temple but has forgotten all about it by the present day.

Like my good friend @mira-blue would say, I wonder if this might mean something…

[hotdiggitydollie]

I believe someone in the wwdits writer's room is a big fan of the wonderfully wackadoo NBC soap Passions which ran from 1999. Fully on board, I loved it too. It was so ludicrous in plot, pacing and character with an OTT quality that seemed more like a parody than a traditional show. If you haven't seen it, the supernatural figured prominently and provided some of the most memorable storylines.

#PassionsOnThisDay in 2000, Kay was shocked to see Charity floating outside her window

One of my all time fave storylines is the Luis Imposter. In order to separate Sheridan Crane and Luis Lopez Fitzgerald for good, her brother Julian hired a bit of rough to don a Luis mask (no magic involved) and scare Sheridan off. The only way to tell the difference was the imposter had a toothpick!

It was so impactful to me that I've been super fond of toothpicks ever since, AND if I see someone with a toothpick I call them an imposter.

So you can imagine when I saw On the Run and met Jackie Daytona, Passions was my first thought.

Jackie Daytona is the most direct influence but Nadjita is also reminiscent of Passions. The most dynamic duo on the show was local witch Tabitha and her living doll Timmy.

They were tasked with enhancing evil in The town of Harmony. Timmy would turn back into a doll when any humans saw him, save for Julian Crane who was almost always drunk and had a penchant for Timmy's mixology skills. They shared many a martimmy.

Tabby lost Timmy for good when he gave up his immortal soul to be a real little boy.

Tabby is very similar to Nandor in that though she purports to be a vessel for evil, she actually has a big, soft heart.

And similar to Buffy TVS, there was a portal to hell in Harmony in the neighboring Bennett house. (at 5:15) Best storyline ever!

So that all said, my pet wwdits season 4/5 prediction is that a hell mouth will open (maybe at Sean and Charmaine's house) unleashing many creatures. Guillermo's slayer skills will be invaluable and likely postpone his turning again.

I'm sure there are so many absurd references to be culled from Passions, so we'll see.

[kitsoa]

A Case In Stubborn Belief

I don’t feel like I’ve reassessed my theories properly since things started going to hell in khux. The benefit to this torturous slog of releases is it allows me to adjust my mindset and theories in real time so as to have a healthy theorist mindset. In other words I use the time between releases to justify my theories and dig my heels in. Hahaaa-- so like, let me preface this by saying that there is plenty of reason to hold onto seemingly jossed theories and evidence because...

1.) Multiple things can be correct at the same time. 

2.) Red herrings are frequently employed. 

Now. I have, in the past summed up my thoughts in this 3-prong Theory for Khux post which is a little dated but subscribes to three ideas.

The Master of Masters is the Author of Fate

Ava is the Traitor 

Ven harbors a split personality.

And while recent events have definitely had me going to the drawing board. I still kinda believe in all three ideas. Let’s work this out. 

Ven as the Murderer

In my original Split-Personality Theory, I proposed that the Darkness within Ven was suppressed to the point that it gained sentience and acted with a will of its own. As Re:mind supports, Vanitas refers to existing long before their split. 

The primary take away was, regardless of who did the dirty deed of killing Strelitzia, Ventus was innocent because he lacked agency. This is still true. 

Now, it seemed as though this theory was disproven in last months flashback of the murder. Ven is clearly coerced by this physical shadowy Darkness to go to the scene of the crime, from which the Darkness strikes Strel down, orders Ven to pick up the Leader Book aaaand physically takes on the appearance of Ava. 

All interactions with this force suggested that Darkness was an external force simply using Ven as a pawn in the scene. Darkness had to order Ven to pick up the book. Darkness manifested separate to Ven. This isn’t something coming from within Ven, it’s simply grabbing hold of him. 

But then we have to consider the entire context of the scene. Ven was planted in the Leader position by Darkness. Darkness set it up so there was some foundation of legitimacy with Ava being seen with him. It was orchestrated specifically for Ven’s benefit... but to what end? Ven’s a pawn sure, but if the goal is getting a hold of a Union Leader, an external force of Darkness shouldn’t have to go through a very risky murder plot to make room. If the goal is to sow discord among the Leaders then killing someone close and framing one of them is all you need to do. If the goal is BOTH then why Ven? His presumable innocence? Is he just convenient scape goat?

This is where I think this months update comes into play. Darkness, spawns from Ven. Darkness has been hiding inside Ven. Ven is the Trojan Horse. While Ven blames himself for the death of Strel, he asserts that “It’s not me”. Darkness isn’t Ven. But that could be wishful thinking on his part...

That Darkness, no matter how external it behaves, is Ven’s. While not behaving like a split personality in the conventional way, the force is essentially Ven’s darkness given autonomy and sentience while still bound to his heart. That Darkness becomes Vanitas. Same idea different manner of arrival.

Is Darkness Legion?

“You’re finally aware, of us.”

In line with this speculation, this line could be referring to Darkness and Ven in the plural. Vanitas was very fixated on Ven and himself being the same being. I don’t see why Darkness can’t have that same attachment.

But if he’s NOT referring to himself I guess I have to talk about my Author of Fate theory.

This line would then suggest that Darkness is most likely one of those monsters in human form MoM was talking about wayyyy back in Cornerstones of Rebirth. In my Figurative Language post, I use MoM’s potential as a disillusioned author of the entire KH reality as a means to interpret his words more figuratively. 

“Well, if you ask if the darkness they fought was comprised of monsters… maybe so. They looked the same as us, so it’s a bit different from now.”

In my interpretation these beings of Darkness were a summation of the darkness of human nature causing endless conflict. It was MoM’s way of explaining that he is who he is because he’s tired of senseless evil. This is where I think 2 things can be correct at the same time. Darkness can be a manifestation of a pure force of evil similar to the heartless AND be a figurative reflection of MoM’s perspective on humanity. After all, the theory postulates that MoM created everything. It’s a reflection of that “Real Evil” creeping into things.  So is this force which I believe born from Ven a part of some kind of new race of Darkness? Yes and No. Yes because I think MoM’s interpreting a realistic evil through the creatures of the series. Whatever impulses formed Darkness inside Ven, is the same tendencies that MoM witnessed in his youth. No-- because the Darkness by virtue of being in this reality gain a form of autonomy that I don’t think MoM’s story is actually depicting. Literal Monsters in human skin basically detach humanity from the consequences of Evil. And while that’s not the case in reality, Mom’s interpretation paved a way for that to be the case in KH cause he’s the author. 

Got really meta there. In my speculation, MoM is coping with the helplessness of reality. Poor guy. 2020 sucks.

What about Ava?

That’s the question isn’t it? Most of my Ava speculation is based on her behavior leading up to the end of Khx. The suggestions from that line of thought haven’t changed. I mean, nothings really modified the implications of Ava clashing with Luxu and starting the first war. If we take into account that MoM manipulated the Foretellers into their own destruction and Ava potentially discovered this, then her actions would make sense. Even with recent developments we know that Ava took action to defy MoM’s plan by changing who received the BoP. Ava is the Traitor. 

So she is actively trying to circumvent this written fate... and all she succeeded in doing was swapping around a book? Yeah, that’s not enough. 

My original theory speculates that Ava is trying to sabotage the entire Data-Daybreak town because it’s a part of MoM’s plan. And while Luxu’s Secret Report in KH3 has wording that suggest that the Data-Daybreak Town is destined to never have the Keyblade War, meaning that the manner needed to sabotage that is to.... cause the Keyblade War. So the way to ‘save’ her Dandelion’s from being MoM’s play things is to trigger the Keyblade War that they wanted to avoid, all so that she can attempt to remove them from MoM’s clutches (I further speculate this is because she doesn’t understand the extent of MoMs ownership over fate and therefore thinks its possible to defy fate enough to escape him).

So this puts her in the perfect motive to do whatever she can to make sure shit hits the fan and war breaks out. It’s an ironic little reversal cause once again Ava is becoming MoM in order to ‘stop’ MoM and she is really the fool here. This desperation might have her joining forces with some unsavory forces and pushing for some... drastic measures (like permitting murder!). It’s all for the greater good of course and she needs to free them from being in MoM’s creation. 

This is why I still think, Ava is a benefactor/ accomplice to Darkness. I think she ultimately gave it access to the Dandelion ranks and orchestrated a deal that would ensure the escape of some Dandelions (through the Arc business with Maleficent) while also the assured destruction of the Data-Worlds that imprisoned them. This is because of the Darkness’s actions with Maleficent and paving a way out of the Data World which seems counterintuitive to the actions of Darkness through Ven, sowing discord and killing little sisters. Sure there could be more than one with more than one agenda but this can come together if you’re stubborn enough. So yeah. Ava is still in cohorts with Darkness. I really want her to be a well intentioned extremist don’t I? 

---

Anyway. I am not so deluded that I can’t accept my theory being wrong. It’s okay. I’m not like... seriously hung up about it. But, not only do I think these 3 ideas are just insanely compelling, I DO believe that everything is a monthly slow confirmation here. One week seems to destroy an idea and the next resuscitates it. It’s incredible how they don’t just drop every plot twist at once. As someone trying to write a compelling mystery in my KH fic, I am impressed with how this has stretched out over years. 

I’ll let you know when I’ve really given up. Until then, I’ll just start digging my plot on this hill. Read my theory master list while I do that.

[lizacstuff]

Do you think they'll ever bring Max and Isobel's alien parents into the picture? I'm imagining Liz being introduced and then them being immediately able to recognize what she is to Max. Do the aliens have a special name to soul mates? What are there thoughts on their relationship?

Oh, great question. Actually after Michael met his mother in the prison, one of the first things I said to @counttotwenty was, “Do you suppose Max and Isobel’s parents were in there as well?”

I think the opportunities are too rich for them to never make an appearance. If they do there are so many questions. Are they some sort of anointed ones or VIPs, or are they regular folks who happened to spawn the Savior? Are they good or evil? Were either of them on the ship that crashed?

Obviously. I have no way of knowing, but my best guess is that Max and Isobel’s (I’m gonna assume they are really twins until we find out they aren’t)  parents might not be on earth. In terms of potential story line, having them, or at least one of them, alive and not on earth, might give the show more to play with down the line. 

For instance if the victors of the war come looking for the Savior, it’s hard to see what leverage they’d have over him. Why is he going to give up his life on earth, and his soul mate, to willingly go with the people who caused him and his people to become refugees?  The best leverage they could have over him are people that matter to him, and since he doesn’t know or remember anyone from that time in his life, then it would really come down to an important blood relation like a parent to lure him back. 

On the other hand, if Max is “the Savior” and so important that another alien race is going to come looking for him, why would he be traveling without his parents? Unless they were prisoners in the war on their planet and asked their loyal friends (like Michael’s folks?) to protect their kids and get them off the planet? Or maybe Max and Isobel were kidnapped and taken on the ship against their parents will? There’s also the question of the hijacker. Was the ship hijacked because the Savior was on it?  

Or are the parents evil?  Perhaps they were on the wrong side of the war or tried to exploit their savior son for their own gain. In that case, maybe someone benevolent took Max and Isobel and put them on the refugee ship to protect them from their own parents?

There are so many possibilities and obviously which direction the show takes will influence how the parents feel about who their kids have become and who they love. I suppose it matters what Max’s parents think about his destiny.  If they think that he must sacrifice everything to fulfill it, well then I think they’ll not like Liz at all. However, if Max’s parents love him more than any status associated with him being the Savior, then they’ll eventually accept that he’s in love with a human.  

Or maybe they’re both dead and this is all moot.  

However, I think it’s safe to say if push comes to shove, Max is probably not going to care what they think about his choice of girlfriends. At this point, they’re no one to him, and Liz is everything.

[proudtoehaver]

What if in EpIX Rey has decided she’s not going to be a Jedi?

I mean, the lightasber has been destroyed and she doesn’t have the knowledge to build a new one. She never received any actual training. And, and this one is the clincher, she’s never been shown to have any motive to pick up that mantle except because.

Like Anakin whom her character emulates to a large degree Rey has been shoved into a world and a role she doesn’t really want, but people are expecting her to pick up. A large part of Anakin’s downfall was his inability to say “no, I’m not doing this anymore” and to make the choices for his life that would make him happy.

So what if in IX Rey has put down it all? She remains a member of the Resistance/Rebellion/whatever but only as a “mundane” member. Refusing to touch the lightsaber or anything else as it is not what she wants and that it could never give her that.

[d-cockroach-blog]

Can we talk about when Narti possesses Throk his eyes turn purple? Like they seem to resemble...

...oh.

So can it be assumed that Narti’s powers work by manipulation of quintessence?

Considering how the show implies that everything in the universe is powered by quintessence with how Prorok and others could be used to make robeasts and how the Komar can be used to harness quintessence from entire planets, it’s safe to assume that Narti in some way is manipulating the quintessence in Throk in order for him to do her bidding.

“But Dee, the Puigian leader’s eyes were normal when he was possessed.” Well that’s true, but consider this:

Kova is also infused with quintessence/had his tampered with and his eyes have remained the same for thousands of years. It’s possible that on certain individuals, the change is not visible.

So in conclusion, it’s looks like you don’t have to a druid or Altean for that matter, to manipulate quintessence.

[dachi-chan25]

tlj as jane eyre??

Ok, so I wanted to write this out after I’ve seen the movie, but with so much panic going on I wanted to tell you why I think based on the spoilers and that twit comparing ep 8 with jane eyre Reylo is now more posible than I ever thought.

THIS CONTAINS POSSIBLE DETAILED SPOILERS AND SPECUALTION SO PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T WANNA BE SPOILED.

——————-

So based on some spoilers I’ve seen floating around at the end of TLJ Kylo and Rey go on their separate ways, Kylo kills Snoke AND Luke and he becomes the First Order’s new Supreme Leader.

Taking this information at face value can make a lot of us who believe in the redemption arc very disheartened, that is until we add that twitt into the equation.

Why?

Well if you’ve read Jane Eyre (or other period pieces I won’t del ve into right now like Pride and Prejudice and North and South) you’ll recall that dramatic and heartbreaking scene where Jane discovers the truth about Mr. Rochester being married on her own wedding day!! Of course as a modern audience we are bound to be more understanding of Edward’s situation, he wanted a real life and a real love with a woman who he views as his equal and beyond his every expectation this woman loves him too and he has spent so many years living with his past mistakes that yeah his situation is understandable BUT ultimately Jane is fucking right, he wasn’t even going to mention Bertha to her at all, he expected her to go against her moral compass without even telling her so she does something that hurts them both: She leaves.

How does this connect to Reylo and the Spoilers?

Well of course Jane left the house for properties’ sake on part but she also left because she knew if she stayed her love for Edward could make her do something that would make her lose part of herself, and also to protect and prevent Edward for commiting another mistake. My speculation is that Rey will leave because she can’t stand by Kylo’s decisions (very respectable and makes their relationship waaaay more interesting) and because maybe if she stays she would lose part of herself and her presence will somehow validate Kylo’s actions which is something she absolutely musn’t do if Kylo has any chance of redemption after killing Luke (honestly I think Kylo killing both Snoke AND Luke is significant to his redemption but that’s a meta for after I watch the movie).

Do you guys see where I am going?

Ok, so Jane leaves and works for St. John and his sisters who become a family to her, St. John shares her moral compass but he takes it to the extreme not allowing feelings to get in the way of his goal, he proposes to Jane and she is tempted to accept his offer because even if she does not love him in a romantic way the life he offers is something she can accept and before she knew what love was like she would have accepted such an offer in a heart beat BUT ultimately she doesn’t and not only that she has a premonition/dream of Edward calling out to her which makes her against all reason go back to Thornfield to find a blind Mr. Rochester and now with Bertha dead she can finally stay and follow her heart. (On Pride and Prejudice Lizzy and Darcy get separated multiple times as well most notably after Darcy proposes and gives her a letter after her brutal refusal, and also on North and South, with the infamous ‘look back at me’ scene, this is not only an ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’ trope but also helps both parties gain perspective about the other and if it’s worth to fight and change their ways: John Thorton being more human to his employees and Darcy helping out Jane’s family for whom he showed contempt before. In order to be with their loved ones)

Similarly I think this separation summed up with the loss of his family will make Kylo face the truth of his actions and decide wheather to change or not, also I think Rey will go back to the Resistance to find out she can no longer learn from Luke, she doesn’t have Kylo or Leia to rely into, just Finn and the rest of the Resistance but I think she is not gonna agree completely with the Resistance and like Jane she will ultimately go back to a suffering Kylo and maybe help in get back on his feet like Jane did to Rochester. ..

This was written in a hurry and maybe I’ll edit or expand on it after I’ve seen the movie, I just wanted to get my thoughts out here.

[fermented-writers-block]

Honestly, looking back, it strikes me as a bit funny the way much of the fandom collectively agreed since True Colors that if Sasha were to get her calamity power back, hers would be fire themed. And yet over the course of S3A, it’s become more and more clear that that distinction would actually belong to Anne most of all.

Like seen above, the dual flame/lotus symbolism extends to her powers itself, not just her shirt symbol. I’ve done a fair bit of theorizing on what this duality could possibly symbolize for Anne’s arc for the end of the show, but in all of this, it begs the question of what Sasha’s Calamity power theme would be if Anne already has dibs on fire.

For me, I’d like to introduce my proposal with a particularly eye-catching feat of nature revolving around fire’s elemental opposite:

Just as blue flames actually burn much hotter than red flames rather than cooler as color theory might make one believe (make of those potential implications for Anne as you will), I feel that Sasha’s Calamity form taking after this kind of rare water phenomena would make for an incredibly striking inversion of the usual element-color associations made in fiction.

In short, a BLUE fiery Anne and a PINK/RED watery Sasha.

However, my reasoning extends further beyond just mere symbolic aesthetics.

From an interview with Matt on the metaphor behind Anne’s power, applying a similar idea to Sasha’s Calamity power would likely necessitate its theme to also be symbolically reflective of her as a person and her growth. In essence, both what she used to be and what she needs to learn to become.

Basically, I’d compare pre-Turning Point Sasha to a fast moving torrent of water coming out from a spigot/flowing across land. From the suggestions that Sasha’s behavior isn’t new across the show, it seems she essentially carved out a metaphorical mental rut for herself over the years in which she felt she had to be in control 100% of the time - presumably from feeling a lack of control in regards to her home life.

Water is a incredibly powerful element, capable of eroding and shaping the very landscape of continents, and the longer Sasha had the water pressure knob set to high with her in control of the flow. Thus, the depth of her path lowered until we got to the girl who couldn’t and wouldn’t climb out of the valley she had shaped for herself, who would flow over and around any obstacle that fell in her way to keep going the same way, and who dragged along anyone who fell in with the direction and sheer force of her current up until they got fished out like Anne and Marcy, found the strength to swim to shore and get out like Percy and Braddock, or subsumed under her waves.

After all, just as it’s difficult to fight against a heavy current and even harder still to divert the course of a river, that’s how her intense personality and persistent drive influenced those around her.

That is, until a stream’s velocity is slowed enough - whether from to where its path can meander much more easily rather than just going straight.

In essence, a water theme for Sasha’s powers and her growth could revolve around the idea of teach her how to let go off the water pressure knob. Rather than dictating the direction of the flow and forcing her surroundings to follow suit, she could learn how to slow down and go with the flow of her surroundings, becoming much, much more flexible and able to change directions while being considerably calmer and clear in mind than before.

In comparison, Anne is someone who used to be and still is someone who tends to jump headfirst into burning her candle at both ends to take on others’ responsibilities, effectively setting herself on fire to keep others warm. With careful moderation, fire can provide warmth, guiding light, and a deterrence to dangerous animals, but fire also has the capacity to spread out of control and burn down entire swathes of land should proper care not be taken with it.

Between her trauma and avoidance of addressing how she actually feels, I can’t help but feel that Anne might struggle to do exactly that in the future, and just like a fire gone out of control, she may need some external help to cool her down.

Overall, Anne’s fiery, passionate emotions and the forceful pull of Sasha’s currents are what makes me feel these elements fit them and their possible upcoming character arcs quite well.

The former would need external help to control and simmer down should her emotions run wild, and water is quite an effective tool for such. And the latter would need an extra hand to keep Sasha’s head above the turbulent waters coming her way and point her towards calmer pastures, or at least help guide her up the slopes and keep her from sliding back down into the valley she had created.

Such is the way of the potential burning perils of fire, and the landscape shifting power of water.

[fermented-writers-block]

So does anyone else wanna talk about how these drinks have been the only instance thus far in the entire show where humans/amphibians reacted badly to the others’ food due to wildly different biochemistry?

Like my friend @mira-blue would point out, there’s the potential significance of the red and green colored drinks making Anne and Hop Pop hallucinate that they had magic powers and that the former had vibrantly blue hair like her Super Anne form. Add in this being such a bizarrely isolated incident out of the five months Anne ate Amphibian cooking and the several weeks the Plantars have been eating human food, and it really starts to make the whole thing feel all the more out of place when you think about it.

Now, while this seems strongly like it’s foreshadowing something about the Calamity powers, it’s a bit hard to tell exactly what it could be about exactly or if we may get some more of this sort of thing later, but what do you guys think?

(Also, anyone else in the mood for fics and art of Anne/the Plantars dealing with this all over again? Ngl, kinda sad there hasn’t been much exploring this any further)

[fermented-writers-block]

You know, that it was explicitly confirmed a while back that Anne’s shirt symbol is meant to represent both a flame and a lotus, I’m honestly kind of surprised there hasn’t been much discussion on analyzing what the dual symbolism could potentially mean for Anne going forwards in Season 3. I have had a couple of thoughts on how it might be suggesting unexpected connections between Anne and the Core, but overall, most of what I’ve seen in the fandom doesn’t seem to dive all that deeply, and especially for what the fire half of the symbolism could be about.

Amphibia’s love for the rule of three could potentially connect this symbolism to the idea behind the Three Fires (or Poisons as they’re more commonly known) of Buddhism in some manner, or perhaps it could be some kind of layered metaphor about a “heartburn” in terms of emotions, but now, I can’t help but look at Anne’s S3 behavior of focusing on getting back to Amphibia in unhealthy ways and think of a particular saying:

“Don’t set yourself on fire to keep others warm.”

Sure sounds a lot like Anne’s tendency to push herself to provide perfection for her friends and loved ones, doesn’t it? Her super form does include quite the flammable materials in her hair after all…

But that’s just what my thoughts are. Anyone else have any alternative thoughts on what the fire could potentially signify/foreshadow for Anne or how it might connect to the lotus half of her symbolism?