#(I’m not an empath)

[major-comet]

the biggest problem with tos’ episodic format is that the episode usually ends pretty quickly after the conflict resolves and then they never really talk about it again - no matter how intense or harrowing it was

which means that we don’t get to actually *see* the interpersonal fallout of bones being diagnosed with and cured from a previously-incurable terminal illness (that he didn’t even want to tell jim and spock he had), and then just four episodes later drugging them so that he can go be tortured (and likely die) instead of spock, and so jim doesn’t have to make the choice between them.

did they talk about it? beyond just a standard debrief and a “never fucking do that again bones i swear to god i mean it this time”? did they make it the captains’ quarters for the debrief, only for mccoy to be pulled into a crushing, trembling hug as soon as the door shut while jim tried to assure himself that bones was still here, was still breathing? spock hovering nearby - a hand gently coming to rest on his shoulder?

why didn’t mccoy want to tell them about the xenopolycythemia, anyways? to try and hold onto a few more normal-ish months before every time they looked at him their eyes would be filled with grief - mourning a man they hadn’t yet lost? the same reason he ran away; to spare them what he went through with his father?

only for him to immediately turn around and throw himself back to the wolves to (almost) die right in front of them anyways

i don’t really know how they handled it. whether they talked about it and attempted to soothe the hurt, or just resolutely tried to bottle it up.

but i do know this: spock eventually came back from gol because jim simply (though accidentally) called out for him in a moment of need. bones only came back because jim personally drafted him back into starfleet

[doctorsiren]

“Sometimes when magicians vanish, they leave something behind…That’s how Trucy became Trucy Wright…my daughter. To be honest, I was pretty lost those first few days. Thinking back on it, it was a pretty dark time in my life. But Trucy…happy, smiling Trucy…she was my light.”

[king-crawler]

Something about “HIS SINISTER STANK”

[casstelli]

do usamerican leftists think that if they don’t vote the government will spontaneously collapse to make way for their socialist utopia

[discoonthegrass]

Amok Time: In the throes of his Pon Farr mating period, Spock must return to Vulcan to meet his intended future wife, betrothed from childhood.

The Empath: Trapped in an alien laboratory, Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet an empath and are involved in a series of experiments.

This is the last poll of Round 6, which means…

WE’RE AT THE FINALS

The 3rd place bracket will happen next Wednesday. Then, join me on Friday for the GRAND FINALE of the best Star Trek TOS episode!

Make sure you’re spreading the word to all your moots. It’s gonna be contentious, but so very worth it. I’ve loved going on this journey with you all! As always, check out the other polls here!

[ennard-is-near]

Michael Afton has such a terrible response to imminent danger. I know this is just part of the games but he will NOT move his ass is not fighting or flighting. He always freezes. And I think that’s really interesting and has a lot of potential for a character trait for him.

My friend pointed out how he doesn’t move when the power goes out in FNaF 1, which reminded me of The Scooper from 5 and how he infamously could have dodged it very easily. And in every game he just stays in the office (which I know is part of gameplay, let me have this) and doesn’t move an inch unless it’s to do very small preventative measures to stop him from being killed immediately. But he never does more. And while I’m sure everyone can come up with their own lore reasons for this, instead of running or fighting, Michael Afton always freezes.

[montymollusk]

man. the idea that some people walk around in the world with functionally infinite money and there’s still so much fucking suffering is bananas to me.

do you know what i’d do if i suddenly had a billion dollars? i’m walking down the street and paying off the medical debt of everyone i see. pass by a grocery store? oops, bought everything inside and now the food’s free! people experiencing homelessness get to be first in line to check out, just so i can give them the keys to their new house. i bought every hospital in the country and burnt down their billing department— same with the insurance companies, but they don’t get to rebuild. every single public school just got an anonymous donation big enough to revive the arts department, and give every kid in town free meals until they graduate from college. which, by the way, is also free.

the absolute most that money is doing for just me is like, getting a really big tattoo. and i’m still tipping the artist 1000% just because i can!!

what in gods name would anyone even want with all that money, if not to make the world a better place???

[orpheuscas]

“Dean.” A creak of the floor as Cas pushes himself to standing. Then the dip of the mattress as Cas settles on the edge of it. His voice is closer when he says, “I’m worried. Please tell me what’s going on.”

Even if he were able to speak, he doesn’t know how he would explain this to Cas. Everything is just so much, and how can he make Cas understand that?—Cas, who created galaxies, who witnessed all of human history from its very beginning, who even now could crumble skyscrapers into dust with one withering look. Dean doesn’t have the strength today to sit up in bed. He doesn’t know how to explain this to a being more powerful than he can possibly comprehend.

“I’m tired,” he says finally.

Even the half-truth is so shameful that it makes tears burn behind his still-shut eyelids.

[dean is having a bad time. cas is there for him. read on ao3]

[catherinetheprincessofwales]

The Prince and Princess of Wales. “I think we could do with some more empathetic leadership around the world. So that's what I'm trying to bring, that's what Catherine is trying to bring as well.” - The Prince of Wales, Nov 2024.

[sesamestreep]

“requiem for methuselah” crazy ass episode for many reasons. Kirk is being fully insane, like I don’t actually think, even controlling for how quickly and easily and readily he seems to fall in love with anybody at the slightest encouragement, that he’d go that bonkers for that android woman he just met while everyone on the ship was this close to dying, but that’s neither here nor there, because in the background you’ve got an equally but much more subtly insane episode for Spock, who extremely uncharacteristically admits to experiencing an emotion (or nearly experiencing, whatever) and that emotion is ENVY of all things. And then spends the rest of the episode warning Kirk away from this new love interest (something that doesn’t usually happen, even when Kirk has very inadvisable love interests) and is, in the end, the person who accurately identifies that Rayna’s competing love for Kirk and Flint is ultimately what overwhelms and destroys her with the most killer line in maybe history???

And then to wrap it up we get an equally uncharacteristic sort of denouement scene (TOS loooves to cut an episode off right after the actual climax, leaving little time for falling action or character reflection, or to stick a sitcom-y button on the end where the gang all smiles and laughs at their misadventures and everything resets to zero, which is not a criticism, it’s just the style of that era of tv, honestly) where Kirk is literally miserable over Rayna’s death (again, kind of unusual for a lot of his love interests, he tends to be able to move on pretty quickly) and Spock goes to see him and he falls asleep right in front of Spock (also odd) and then when Bones comes in to give the final word on Flint, Spock waves him off from waking the Captain (tender) and Bones gives him that awful speech about how it’s sadder that Spock can’t even imagine the love Kirk felt for this random android woman than it is that Kirk lost her in the first place (debatable but also rude) and how his great tragedy is that he can’t love at all like they can and how all he wishes is that Kirk could forget about all of this and move on. AND THEN, to have Bones leave and Spock go over to Kirk and very gently, tenderly, reluctantly touch him and put his hand to his forehead and tell him to forget and HAVE THAT BE THE END OF THE EPISODE??? What am I supposed to do with that??

[the0retically]

Thinking about Ava Ferin, thinking about Lizzie and Jay and their fight and how they just both love her, thinking about how her death was the catalyst and it was the tool to start the war, thinking about how she’s just a girl, but she was a navy officer, but she was a friend, but she was a sister and she didn’t deserve what happened to her

Thinking about how unsure Jay was at the start of joining with Chip, but now she knows where she is is correct and her sister would’ve been on her side

Thinking about how devastated Lizzie must’ve been at that bar in Allport when her and Jay were finally getting along but then all she could see for a moment was Ava and was struck with the loss of someone she loved

Just, god her impact on the narrative is so encompassing

[notaplaceofhonour]

“overzealous”? “the occasional broken window or offensive slogan”? girl hwat

[the-woman-upstairs]

It’s just…so painful to watch Armand readily submit in order to obtain the love he so desperately craves. And while it’s most assuredly a manipulative tactic, it’s still one borne out of fear and desperation. He cannot lose this person he’s come to love and so will become whatever they want, do whatever they want just so they’ll stay with him. But it won’t be enough. No matter how much he acquiesces or seeks to control (himself, others, the environment), he won’t be able to make Louis stay with him in the perfect life, perfect self he built in the hopes of finally being loved. It will all crumble with Armand left alone in the rubble of what he created, the author of his own abandonment.

[discoonthegrass]

Balance of Terror: The Enterprise must decide on its response when a Romulan ship makes a destructively hostile armed probe of Federation territory.

The Empath: Trapped in an alien laboratory, Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet an empath and are involved in a series of experiments.

This is the last poll of Round 5. We’re so close to the end! Feel free to reblog in order to help this poll reach the most people and remember to vote on the other polls in this round, listed here!

The semifinals will start next Monday. Exciting!

[coquettejohnny]

i cant hate anyone in the outsiders ever bc i can sympathize with all of them in some way

[lorelilly]

I’m not sure if anyone has paired these two photos together yet. But I need a laugh so here’s one for y’all too. 😂