#(because you know they would if s3 were realistic)

[emily-ispirata]

Ok I’m not saying S3 is the best season by any means because we all know it’s got some Issues, but I do really love how Cleo’s character development in it.

I actually don’t think that she’s acting unlike herself for most of the season. Cleo’s been through a lot over the years, especially in season 2- her mom leaves, she has a major breakup, and then one of her best friends moves away. It makes sense that she’s not as innocent by the end of the series as she was at the beginning of season 1, especially if you consider that she goes from being 15 to being around 18 by the time the series ends. With her mom leaving, she’s forced to step up at home, and especially how her mermaid powers go sort of off the rails in the first episode of S2, I think it makes sense that she’s irritable and jealous and not always her best self that year. That’s a lot to be dealing with for a teenager! There’s absolutely times when she goes too far, especially with how she treats Charlotte. But it’s also unfair how the narrative punishes the girls (especially Charlotte, again, but this post is about Cleo lol) for basically being teenagers with a ton of responsibility and other stuff just sitting on their shoulders.

By the time we hit S3, it feels like Cleo has sort of hit her stride with dealing with her mom being gone. She feels more grounded and in a way that feels sort of like a natural continuation of her development in S1- becoming more self-confident, less naive, etc. I don’t think people give Cleo enough credit for being smart, even before S3. Sure, she’s sort of innocent and sheltered, but she also mentions being in calculus in like the third episode, and it’s clear that she and Lewis have been study partners for a long time, and they might not have developed that habit if they weren’t in at least most of the same classes. She doesn’t seem to ever really struggle academically until S2 when her breakup with Lewis sort of suddenly forces her to change her study method. The way that Don reacts to her failing an exam makes it seem like that’s very out of character for her (although is also a little bit of Don Sertori overreaction...) In any case, her having at least some history of doing decently in school means that her increased academic success in the last year isn’t completely out of left field.

As an aside, it’s also great to see her and Lewis just sort of, existing as a couple? For a whole half of a season? Which is not something that we get to see a lot of in the previous seasons. Most of their development centers around them getting together, breaking up, and getting together again, which is entertaining, but I love seeing how they interact as a couple who aren’t just focused on the will they/won’t they aspect of their relationship. In the first half of S3, you can see how the two of them work together trying to solve the mystery of the tentacle. It’s Cleo who’s determined to find the answer when they’re attacked, and it’s her who comes up with an idea to help Lewis find an alternative science project when she inadvertently messes his original idea up. Then, when Lewis has to leave mid-season, she’s matured enough to be willing to step up and do the work by herself. It’s unfortunate that it feels like Lewis has to leave for her to realize her full potential, but I like to think that if he’d stayed she’d have developed the same anyway, especially with how invested she was in figuring out the water tentacle in the first few episodes.

I don’t feel like she loses herself this season- she still feels like a mediating force who just wants people to get along, but she’s not afraid to call others on their shit when they’re acting out of turn, like Zane (S2 Zane would never, but again, we’re talking about Cleo...)

I might be sort of biased, because I relate a lot to her development this season- I too am someone who for years was perfectly decent at math/science but preferred the humanities and liked to make fun of my friends for being science nerds, but my last year of high school took some advanced science courses, ended up being a STEM major in undergrad and now has a graduate degree. And I also relate a lot to her struggles with stepping up into the “leader” role- it’s something that I struggled a lot with in high school as someone who was sort of the quiet one, but as I got older, I got a lot more self-confident and now fall more into the same “well if no one else is going to step up, I guess I’ll fucking do it” category. In any case, I don’t see her development in season 3 as being a completely different person, just as someone who’s grown up and through a lot of difficult scenarios over three years fully maturing and coming into her own.

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve and Gareth as Cousins, no longer a warm-up and now called Lifelines, part three! I’ll throw it up on A03 when I finish the fourth part. 

Prior parts can be read here: Part One / Part Two 

First things first, the most amazing @ sereinpetrichor managed to track down the OG Twitter thread this runaway train is based off of! 

It was this thread by @gatorthots, the Tumblr version of which can be read, here.  All blame for this idea firmly rests on their brilliant, plot bunny inducing shoulders. 

The other, follow up thread I mentioned was this one by Silas, whose tumblr name I do not know. 

As always and forever, shout out to the most amazing @chalkysgarbagefire​ who helps me edit/plot/pats my head while I’m crying in their inbox bc the words aren’t wording right. 

Warnings: Steve and Robin are canon (S3) drugged. I took a slightly (kinda sorta) more realistic approach. Vomit mention, canon threat of violence/guns (the Russian guards) Mention of pantsing/past bullying, Steve and Robin’s drugged asses not understanding personal space, Dustin’s canon...Im gonna go with assholishness? but like, I think its more than he’s a young kid and doesn't quite have the emotional growth/awareness yet in this kind of insane situation to know how to react to the whole address/torture bit (really who does)/its a defense mechanism--and Gareth sort of has a panic attack. 

Whatever the hell they had been drugged with, Steve and Robin went from 'giggly happy fun time' to 'vomiting into toilet bowls while loudly wishing for death’ awfully fast. 

Gareth was not an expert on drugs. He knew Eddie wasn't either (the guy never dealt anything stronger than your average psychedelic--had some agreement with his Uncle about only selling "the 70s basics") and repeated looks towards him proved Eddie was still trying to figure out what Steve and Robin were on. 

Answers hadn't exactly been forthcoming--Eddie's gently made attempts at ferreting out information had only caused more confusion.

Like why the two of them were so freaked out about a gate, or what had made Robin gasp, and then laugh so hard she cried when Steve had made a particularly rough noise then muttered; "Even that sounds better than Tammy Thompson." 

Either way, Gareth was mostly trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do, because sobering up in a busy, public mall wasn't exactly the best idea. 

"I regret," Robin tried to say, in-between gagging. "I regret--hrk--" 

"Me too." Steve moaned, head resting against the stall wall. Gareth, still caught up in panic, had been permanently regulated to door guard while Eddie alternated between sweet talking, rubbing backs and offering quietly whispered advice. 

"Let's go back in time and ignore the whole silver cat thing." Robin continued, slumping back down onto the floor. 

"Wouldn't have mattered." Steve muttered. "Dustin would have figured it out without us. Kid’s too damn smart." 

"So?" Robin grumbled, quietly thanking Eddie as he once again brushed her hair out of her face. 

"So he would have gone down there anyway, which means I'd be down there anyway." Steve concluded. "We shouldn't have gotten you involved though." 

He shakily pushed himself up, staggering to his feet and looking like bambi on ice while doing it. 

Eddie quickly came round to offer his help, hands spread as Steve groaned out a curse and clutched his head.  

The older took a step forward right as Steve lurched back, unbalanced and shaky. 

 "Oh shit." He said, eyes wide as he crashed backwards into Eddie, the latter catching him with a grunt. 

Despite the entire situation, Gareth found himself stifling a laugh as Eddie wrapped his noodle arms around Steve's chest, trying to hold the other up without falling himself. 

"Come on big boy, why don't we just siiiit back down." Eddie said, slightly breathless as he helped guide Steve back to the floor. "There we go…"

They did so outside the bathroom stall, Eddie sinking into a kneel as Steve sort of flopped down on top of him. 

Blinked a few times, like the drop had rattled what little sense he’d managed to recover in the last few minutes. 

A pleased noise came out of his cousin's throat, and holy shit was Gareth going to have blackmail for life, because rather than vacate Eddie's lap, Steve just turned around in it. 

Reached up with one finger outstretched and proved himself to be very much still under the influence as he touched Eddie's nose.

"Boop!" He said, and then giggled as Eddie dropped onto his ass in surprise. 

Gareth watched Robin as she took the whole thing in, from Steve's snickers to Eddie's shocked expression, eyes growing wide in excitement. 

He failed entirely to cover his own amusement when Eddie abruptly found himself with two sailors invading his personal space, each taking turns to boop his nose. 

“Uh.” He managed to get out, blinking rapidly and at a loss for words. “Ah.” 

Steve caught the metalhead’s awkward, red-faced expression and proceeded to drop his head to Eddie's shoulder, muffling his laughter against the man's vest. 

The helpless look his best friend sent him was one Gareth would remember for a long time. 

“O-kay.” Eddie said, frazzled, as Steve recovered far too quickly, turning to rest his cheek against a slim shoulder as he walked two fingers up Eddie’s battle vest and towards his hair. Likewise, Robin had discovered Eddie’s wallet chain, and had begun fiddling with it. 

One finger curled around a strand of brown hair and Eddie jerked his head, removing the tempting piece away from Steve’s hands. 

“I know you’re used to getting whatever you want, your highness.” He said, his own hand smacking against his waist before Robin figured out the other end of his chain ended in a handcuff, “But you of all people should know the hair is off limits.” 

Completely undeterred, Steve just gave him a loose, easy grin. “It’s so pretty though.” He complained, fluttering his eyelashes in a blatant attempt to try and turn on the ol’ Harrington charm.  “You can touch mine if you want.” 

Yeah, Gareth’s blackmail was getting better by the second. 

He might even get a new piece for his drum kit out of it, if this kept up. 

Free weed too, considering Eddie’s blush was now fire-engine red. 

“Man,” Eddie said in a clear bid to deflect the entire situation (and Steve’s fingers) away from his hair, “the last time someone called me pretty was right before I got pantsed—-is Tommy H hiding in one of the stalls again?” 

Steve picked his head up, confusion crashing down his face. 

“Did he do that?” He asked. 

Then, with growing horror; “Do you think I’d do that?” 

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that your whole little court’s M.O.?” 

Steve sucked in a breath, looking downright hurt. "I wouldn’t do that." He insisted, eyes wheeling from Eddie to Gareth and back, as though hoping Gareth would back him up. 

“I’m not--I’m not friends with Tommy anymore.” Steve continued, voice growing smaller as he spoke. “I’m not friends with anybody anymore, except maybe Dustin.” 

It sounded so defeated; trodden on and subdued that Gareth stepped forward automatically, to do--something. 

Provide the fucking comfort his cousin was oft denied and hug the guy. 

As always, it turned out to be the wrong move. 

"Oh thank god." A kid said, seconds after bulldozing through the main door and nearly bowling Gareth over in the process. "I found them!" He shouted over his shoulder as swept into the room. 

“Speak of the devil.” Steve said flatly, and even drugged, he managed to pull himself back together from distressed to stoic in mere seconds. 

The curly-haired kid--Dustin apparently--stormed right up to the pile of humans splayed on the floor, hands on his hips. "What the hell. We told you two to stay put!" 

Steve rolled his eyes as Robin booed him. 

“Have you forgotten what’s happening? Or how we’re kinda in a Red Dawn situation?” Dustin continued, looking like he’d just escaped from a summer camp. 

The kid even had a walkie talkie clutched in one hand, of all things. 

“We know.” Steve and Robin deadpanned at once, before looking at each other; Steve pointing a finger towards Robin and Robin pointing one back. 

This caused the kids to trade their own long suffering, “can you believe this shit” faces. 

"We need to go, and the only way we’re gonna get out of here unnoticed is if we blend in with the crowd." Dustin said impatiently.  “Now come on Steve, get up already, you've had worse.”

"I really don't think I have." Steve muttered, but moved to push himself to his feet anyway. 

Eddie beat him to it, and he and Gareth both hovered nearby in case Steve was still unsteady. 

Thankfully, the kids' presence seemed to sober up Robin and Steve both. 

Not actually sober, that wasn't how drugs worked, but whatever was left of the fun was sucked right out of the bathroom, replaced by two teenagers who were sort of functional on whatever they'd been drugged with. 

Stress and adrenaline, Gareth knew, could overcome a lot of things. Including Russian "truth serum" apparently. 

“Yeah well you're lucky you got found by these guys and not anyone else. " Dustin continued pointedly, before turning his attention towards Gareth and Eddie both. "Thanks for watching our friends, but we've got them from here." 

Gareth made a sort of unhinged, disbelieving noise. 

 “No, no you do not.” He declared, anxiety clawing at his gut at the mere thought of abandoning Steve to two children. 

"I don't think you heard him." The girl stepped forward, braids swinging about her face as she lifted her chin and nailed him with a cold glare. 

 As if this entire situation couldn’t possibly get weirder, Gareth suddenly realized she had a helmet in her hands and knee pads on.

 "He said we got this. So scram." She flicked her fingers out in a dismissive sort of "shoo" gesture.

"And leave my drugged cousin with his new girlfriend behind!?" Gareth challenged right back, emotions far too raw and frayed to care he was snarling at a little girl. "I don’t think so!”

"Cousin!?" Dustin bit out, sounding almost betrayed for some reason, at the same time Robin who'd been climbing to her feet with Eddie’s help, shouted; "I am not his girlfriend!" 

Steve, clearly unwilling to entertain whatever fight was brewing, clapped his hands together. 

"Yes cousin, Dustin. It's a type of family member." Steve said, after they all flinched and looked to him. He at least looked steadier on his feet this time, though Gareth still lingered nearby in case he took a wrong step. 

"I know what a cousin is, Steve!" Dustin shot back. 

“Then why are you acting like a lunatic?” Steve complained, and Gareth got to watch in real time as Steve pulled on the persona he often wore in high school down around him. “You said it yourself, we don’t have a lot of time. Worse, I don't know if anyone saw Gareth and Munson here with us.” 

He jerked a thumb sideways in Eddie’s direction, not that anyone couldn’t figure out who “Munson” was. 

“They stay with us until we’re out of this mall.” Steve finished, before he started towards the door.

One step he was Gareth’s cousin, drugged and vulnerable because of it. 

The next he stood taller, talked smoother, took charge with an aurora that said he expected everyone to listen to him. 

It was fake as hell, but it worked. 

“I know you’ve got a plan Dustin, so spill it.” He commanded as he walked.  

 Dustin, despite all the squawking, did just that. 

xXx 

Of all the things Gareth had expected to see upon escorting their little ragtag crew out of the bathroom, groups of intimidating, mean looking assholes wasn’t on the list. 

He found himself repeatedly nudging Eddie in the ribs, unable to take his eyes off what was clearly a checkpoint as he staggered to a halt. 

It was one thing to be told people were after Steve and the “Scoop’s Troop” As Robin had jokingly named them. 

It was another entirely to see the security guard directly in front of him look over a woman’s ID before apologizing to her, a sleazy grin matching his oily pony-tail as he waved her on. 

They really were looking for someone. 

Not someone, Gareth realized in dawning horror.

Them. 

Robin apparently, came to the same conclusion seconds later, because she snatched Steve and Dustin’s arms both, hauling them backwards. 

“Argue about Dustin’s address later, we need to find a different way out.” She hissed quietly as she tried to slowly reversed direction, movements still a bit sloppy. 

She might have even gotten away with it, had Sleazy Pony-Tail not turned and made eye contact with Gareth right after she spoke. 

His eyes swept over him, then to the rest of the group, freezing like a cat that had spotted its prey.

“Abort, abort!” Dustin sputtered, wheeling about on his heel. 

Erica, whose name Gareth had learned when she kicked him in the shin after he asked why an actual infant was running around with Steve and Robin, pointed towards the escalators before she beelined over to it, ducking into the center and riding it down like a slide. 

Something Eddied was downright delighted to copy. 

Gareth might have enjoyed it himself, had he not been looking over his shoulder to see not one, not two, but four security guards giving chase--and gaining. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuckikity fuck.” He heard Robin chant as she shot past, Steve planting himself at the top as he made sure everyone got down to the next level before sliding down himself. 

"Do not let them leave!" One of the guards yelled to the others, accent clear as a bell. 

"Holy shit that guy's actually Russian." Gareth found himself saying as he skidded across the floor and bolted after the others, Steve hot on his heels. 

He had kinda expected the Russian thing to be some sort of drug influenced inside joke and not an actual, honest-to-God Soviet. 

Which led to the question of why the fuck adult men in security uniforms had drugged random teenage retail workers.

Food workers.

Whatever the fuck one called a two people who scooped ice-cream in sailor costumes. 

"There's another group up ahead!" Eddie yelped, swerving sideways and nearly taking Erica out while doing it. 

Noise erupted ahead of them in the form of foreign shouting and loud, harshly barked commands to “Freeze!”  

‘Oh hell no.’ Gareth thought wildly, as he caught the form of the giant fricken gun the guard closest to him held. 

“Split up!” Dustin howled, and before anyone could comment about how bad an idea that was, Gareth found himself being yanked sideways. 

Steve swore loudly behind him as Robin, who’d crashed backwards, pulled him in the opposite direction and in a second their group broke in two. Gareth, Eddie and Dustin going one way, Steve, Robin and Erica another. 

"This isn’t happening." Gareth muttered, words made in a sort of pleading denial as he and Eddie turned the corner and immediately vaulted over the counter of an Orange Julius. “I smoked or drank or did something and this is a hallucination that is not. Actually. Happening.” 

Dustin at least, was smart enough to dive around the counter instead of over it, sliding towards them on his knees. 

Eddie quickly yanked him down to the floor in-between himself and Gareth once he was close enough to grab, one hand going over the hat to shove the kids head down. 

Annoying or not, he was at least several years younger than them, and Gareth could practically feel Eddie’s protective instinct kick in as he kept his hand on Dustin’s head. 

Together they tried to silence their breathing as the guards’ shouting continued on behind them. 

What was worse than their noises though, was when they unexpectedly and suddenly, went silent. 

Gareth’s breath felt far too loud as the stillness gained a suppressive weight, pressing down harshly against him and making it harder and harder to inhale. 

‘Panic attack.’ He realized, thoughts a touch detached. ‘You can’t afford to have a panic attack right now.’ 

Not when it had a high chance of getting them all killed. 

Slowly he moved his own free hand, placing it atop of Eddie’s, fingers gripping down in a way that was no doubt painful. 

Eddie glanced over to him and Gareth thanked every single time he’d smoked way too much weed, because his best friend immediately clocked what was wrong. 

Turned his hand over, so that Gareth could hold onto it atop Dustin’s hat. 

It didn’t help with the knowledge that his very much still drugged cousin and his equally drugged not-girlfriend were also hiding somewhere, or that there was significantly more Russians than there where terrified teenagers (and one--whatever age Erica was.)  

Flashlights cut shapes into the wall overheard, trailing along the Orange Julius menu. Quiet voices covered even quieter footsteps and Gareth had the sudden realization the probability of there being more than one guard carrying a huge gun, was very, very high. 

Worse?

This part of the mall wasn’t that big. There were only so many places to hide, and as such, only so many places to look. 

Death comes for everyone eventually, but Gareth hadn’t exactly expected it to show up before he hit twenty.

Not that they could do anything but wait. Pray to God and the universe and any other higher power he could think of to intervene, head pressed hard against the wood behind him as the small noises drew nearer.

What he hadn’t expected was for said prayers to get answered in the form of a of a fucking car being thrown into the Russian’s like bowling balls. 

“Run!” Dustin shouted, and Gareth wasted absolutely no time in doing just that. 

The only goal on his mind was to find Steve, get out, and then have a very long discussion about what the hell this all was, in that exact order. 

[plantsjustwannahavefun]

I used to think that the reason I wasn't satisfied with Izzy's death was because I was too attached to his perspective as a character and couldn't focus on the big picture of the season and the main Gentlebeard relationship enough. I mean, I was still convinced that his death and the way it was carried out was a shit writing decision, but everyone else outside the Izzy Canyon circles seemed fine with it, so I was starting to think that maybe they were right.

So I looked back on the rest of the season and rewatched the finale... And realised something that I'd been trying to ignore because it was too painful to admit. A huge part of why Izzy's death hit so hard (in a bad way, not that delicious masochistic pain of having a beloved character die a good, narratively satisfying death) was because throughout this season he was the only character who actually had a satisfying arc and development. Practically no one else did. I didn't actually care for Gentlebeard this season, not the way I cared in S1. From episode 1 to 8 and a half, Izzy's arc was crafted with more care, kindness, subtlety and narrative weight than the main Gentlebeard arc which, in comparison, felt like a string of choppy beads badly tied together in an approximate shape of an arc, but collapsed as soon as you looked at it too closely.

Yes, we all know this season suffered for being 2 episodes too short, but I don't think that's all there is to it. This is starting to feel like GoT season 8 all over again. Would it have been better if it wasn't so rushed? Maybe. Or maybe it would have been even worse because this season just didn't seem to know what to do with itself or the characters. The themes and symbolism are all over the place and completely inconsistent. Ed and Stede's characters are practically back at the same place they left in S1. All they did was bounce off the walls back and forth with no real growth. As soon as they took a step towards fixing their relationship or growing as people, they either tool three steps back or it just got dropped. Stede letting fame get to his head? Interesting and realistic development. And how was it resolved? It wasn't. Stede and Ed being whim prone? I'm glad they brought it up. And then they just fell for another whim and it was presented as a satisfying ending.

Ed went from the Kraken, to taking the first steps towards being Ed, then suddenly all the way to being Ed by way of a Night of Magical Healing Sex that he he didn't actually want to happen because he wasn't ready. And then all of a sudden he pivoted to abandoning Stede and piracy and becoming a fisherman... for 5 min. And then back to Blackbeard again because two fishermen were mean to him for 5 minutes. And then abandoning it again to open an inn. How was any of this even remotely coherent or satisfying? They didn't even have a single conversation about any of it. Ed had more proper closure and communication with Izzy during his dying scene than with Stede and the rest of the crew put together. Izzy's arc got sacrificed to do the heavy lifting for Ed's arc and became nothing more than a shortcut to speed run his character growth. Except it didn't even lead anywhere. "Ed, they're your family, they love you" no they don't, he didn't even have a single positive conversation with any of them except Fang. Of course this could have been the point, and Ed could have seen Izzy's death, his own discovery of found family and his dying words as a pretext to repair his relationship with the crew. But he just left them and stayed with Stede instead.

Sure, you could say this was only the second act of the story, and S3 will resolve everything. But the second act is still meant to move the story and the characters forward in some way. Yes, of course if we get S3, I imagine Stede and Ed's life as innkeepers won't exactly be idyllic. But the problem is that the conflicts they'd have will only be a rehash and repeat of the same conflicts they've already have, or were supposed to have, this season. Multiple times, even. We already know that Ed is simply unable to live with himself no matter what life he chooses. The title of S1 was literally "wherever you go, there you are". We already know Stede's love isn't enough to fix him. We already know their goals in life are completely opposite. Maybe they could have shown Stede realising, after his humiliating in S7, that piracy wasn't all it was cracked up to be or he isn't suited for it, and that's why he chose to leave it behind and open an inn, but that's not the explanation we were given. It was just another whim. They literally didn't learn anything this season. They had two baby conversations in E4 and E5 and didn't take anything from it, just kept doing the complete opposite of anything. "We're both prone to whims, let's take things slow" became "let's take things extremely fast by moving in together permanently and becoming entrepreneurs". They never talked about the actual, deepseated, longstanding trauma issues they needed to resolve before they could even begin to have a proper relationship. They literally got a heavy-handed glimpse in what their life would become if they just stuck together without addressing their own personal issues, and chose to do that very thing. It that's what S3 is going to address, then why were Anne and Mary part of this season instead of the next one?

I remember everyone saying they wanted Ed and Stede to reunite as quickly as possible in S2, and I get why. They have great chemistry together. The season is about them. But for it to work, spending more time apart is exactly what they needed. They needed to learn how to live with themselves and others, first. Romantic love alone can't fix you as a person. You have to fix yourself first. Community can help (as with Izzy's case), but you still have to put in the work. In retrospect, I'm glad that Izzy didn't get a love interest this season - because he wasn't ready yet, and had to learn how to have normal relationships and friendships with other people before attempting an intimate romantic relationship, lest he ended up falling head first unit another toxic mutually dependent relationship. That's what Stede and Ed should have tried too. Instead the show just ended up using Izzy's death as a quick surgical fix, robbing Ed of his agency and having to do the hard work repairing himself and his relationships with other people. There's a sad irony in getting exactly one character's arc just this, and then using it as a sacrificial lamb to patch over the main character's arc.

[electraslight]

What did you think of the mutation Kevin arc in season three of alien force?

I liked a lot of aspects of it. I think it was a good decision to remind people that Kevin has issues beyond being a con man, because season one and two of alien force, while I love them, very much erased kevins long history of mental illness, addiction, and violence, as well as honestly not giving him much of an arc. Plus I think the mutation was a really good way to explore how kevin actually feels about being mutated when not being corrupted. It was a great concept! I just feel like a lot of things around it were flawed. First, I don't like the decision to make a 16 year old boy wear that little clothing for a whole series. Yes, I know he's supposed to look like metamorpho man, but then you think about charmcaster grooming him and that really strange bit in trade off where they tried to imply that the energy transfer was a rape allegory- not a good time to have him almost naked. Second, gwen and ben were AWFUL to him. Gwevin fans idk how you can just gloss over how many times she outright states he's hideous when, let's be real, he's a pretty, muscular boy who's only abnormality is that he's carved out of materials. Ben sucks in general and everyone knows that but no one talks about how much gwen sucked too. I think the resolution was pretty dumb too. Why did destroying the omnitrix affect anything about Kevin's mutation? It wasn't attached to him or constantly feeding him energy, so realistically he would have dropped the transformation within a few days. Dumb shit. You can really notice the change in quality from s1 and 2 and s3. But kevins my waifu and I'll never complain about getting more of him,so I digress. Here's a dumb screenshot redraw, thanks for listening to my rant.

[princessbrunette]

princess, do you think rafe in a relationship would be soft!rafe or dark!rafe ?? just curious :)

okay so honestly, as much as i love writing rafe to be all dark and stuff it’s hard to tell what he’s actually like in a relationship because we don’t see him going around treating women poorly (aside from his sister but obviously that’s different). the worst we got from him was “tell kiara she looks pretty hot for a pogue” and honestly that’s not even that bad + was said just to get under jj’s skin. in season 1 we see rafe at that party having normal interactions and joking around with the girls he’s selling to, not being creepy or a weirdo — and in s3 we see that he’s actually very courteous and respectful towards sofia. anyway tangent aside

i think there’d be a mixture of both, realistically. whilst rafe was being nice and respectful towards sofia we don’t truly know because it seemed that they were just sleeping together and not in a relationship, and plus they met like a week ago — so we can’t tell if he’ll develop into being more psycho and controlling or if he is able to separate his romantic relationships to his personal struggles.

i think he would be pretty good towards you for the most part. would try and control his anger (doesnt mean he wouldn’t lose his temper occasionally but he’d definitely hold back) the darkness would come more from him keeping secrets about the shady stuff he gets up to / bad things he’s done in the past (shot the sheriff, shot sarah, drowned sarah etc) and probably manipulative when he wants you to see things his way. other than that, not as bad as ppl might think he’d be 😭

[dancingdorito]

i'm gonna rant, and yes this is about certain screener spoilers from s3 that i've seen circling around the fandom. i've already had to unfollow someone because they were being so rude about this. im defending colin bc no one will.

some polin stans don't treat colin as his own character, they just simply see him as a means to pen's happiness or they treat him like an object. may i remind you the reason why the romance genre is a thing is BECAUSE men did that to women??

so even if these rumors are true, that doesn't mean colin HAS to be perfect in order to deserve penelope, because that is not what bridgerton is about. also, in this time period, sex worked differently! believe it or not! so if colin has a few scenes with sex workers to show how he bends to society's expectation for him or for character development or whatever, then so be it. polin will end up together either way.

to say that colin has "red flags" because he has sex with sex workers and has done drugs is so fucking dumb. do you actually hear yourself? WHAT person on earth do you know that hasn't had sex with someone they don't know or done drugs or both. be realistic. multiple times luke has stated that this season deals with how young colin and penelope are and how they are still finding themselves and navigating how to love under that burden of youth and immaturity. to say colin has red flags and PENELOPE DOESNT? bruh. I am a penelope defender to the death but she has made many questionable choices. These "red flags" are simple human actions, largely made off of good intention, and it doesn't make them evil or mean that they're gonna cheat on each other or anything. it just means that they're multi dimensional, and that they're like us in that way. because literally no one would relate to a character that never makes mistakes.

stop treating colin like he's just a way for penelope to get laid. he is a multi dimensional character like penelope is, which is why they work so well together. to say that these fictional characters can't make mistakes is unrealistic and stupid. the fact that i have to state that colin is not an object is not something new in this fandom. please be better.

please use your braincells.

[still-a-morosexual-help]

So since we’re making pacts with the 7 brothers again, do you think it’ll be the same order?

I personally can’t see Mammon making a pact with a stranger while his brothers need him.

I also don’t see Levi being willing to make a pact with some random rn, mans got tons of deep rooted hatred for demons after fighting them for years

No idea,

But I think it makes the most sense if Mammon's the first because;

• Mammon being MC's first friend/companion/tour guide is consistent throughout different AUs in om! (that we see in events and devilgrams). So it'd be odd if that suddenly breaks off here?

• He's also instantly intrigued by them/interested in them when he meets them as an angel in the celestial realm. I just imagine this is a constant for Mammon?

• Mammon in S3 says he wouldn't make a pact with a random human. Which is exactly what he did in S1 because despite being intrigued by MC at the time he didn't know them. However, S3 also shows that MC wasn't a random human. They travelled back in time to when the brothers were still angels, made a lasting impression on the them (they encourage Mammon's dreams, laugh at his pranks that no one finds funny and according to him they keep staring at him despite being called out twice). And though MC's and the brothers' memories of this time are erased, Michael says that the effect of their presence will be felt. Angel! Asmo & Lucifer also dream of MC though they can't remember who exactly they're missing (which means the others definitely had similar dreams). So then Mammon's decision to make a pact with MC in S1 could have been subconsciously influenced by this encounter (and it was a decision because being much stronger + faster than Levi & MC he could have easily gotten Goldie back without having to make a pact). Nightbringer happens after that encounter in the Celestial Realm. So the impact of that encounter would, realistically, still be felt in Nightbringer. In other words, the brothers may still feel drawn towards MC/feel like they're familiar

• In S1, MC is also instantly comfortable with him (enough to talk back to him over and over again) while they're reserved with the rest of the brothers until right before/after they make the pact. They've also been called out multiple times (in the main storylines or chats or devilgrams or events) for having a bias towards Mammon. Beel in S1 also said that MC had a tendency to seek out Mammon to talk with him. <- MC, themself, might just gravitate towards Mammon without him having to do anything

• They also never register Mammon as a threat, even during circumstances where they should (vampire devilgram, first paws event, s1). They're comfortable enough with him that they start regularly sharing a bedroom in S1 before they're even proper friends. So again, they may just gravitate towards him.

• Like in S1, Mammon might be the only safe option for MC in the beginning. He's clearly the only one who's got his shit together right now, while the others are visibly heavily traumatised. He's the only one with no regrets about his decision/who seems to have come to terms with what happened. It makes less sense for the ones who are Going Through It to make a pact with a random ass human than the one who is actually (considering the circumstances) extremely well adjusted

• MC's being dropped into Nightbringer to be a therapist to the brothers during their worst moment of life. Previously, Mammon's the one who took on this role (as seen in "The Rulebook" Devilgram). As you said Mammon's brothers need him and literally the best thing he can do right now is team up with the person who's also trying to help them in the same manner he is. It makes so much sense for them to be working together towards their common goal from the beginning, than to be at odds with each other until they make a pact later on

• By the process of elimination, Mammon's the only one who's mentally in a place to make a pact right now. AND at this point his brothers see him as extremely competent (because he is) and reliable - someone who can do anything he puts his mind to. After they Fall he's calm and collected, he's the one who talks them down/soothes their injuires and nightmares. They trust him. They'll, therefore, be much more open to making a pact with MC if Mammon already has one, if they feel like Mammon trusts MC.

• Mammon was literally created by the writers to be MC's "sidekick". It'd be weird to suddenly break away from something that was a major defining point during the creation of his character

I don't know what order they'll go in to make the pacts but listen,

I'm not even saying this as someone who's simping for this idiot;

It's just, objectively, it makes much more sense for Mammon to be MC's first pact again, than for any of the others.

[demaparbat-hp]

Even if zuko has a plan to end the war, making katara work amongst people who likely hold racism towards her and aided and supported the genocide of her people is still weird, especially since zuko benefits from the fire nations oppression of people throughout s1 when hunting the Avatar. Not good choices to make in a zutara au :/

Believe me, I've made these arguments against myself over and over again.

I know I'm putting Katara in an extremely difficult and unjust position in this AU with—from an outsider's point of view—little to no reason other than "I just wanted to see her in Fire Nation armor and kicking ass" and no consideration for the context. I'm not trying to somehow forgive nor redeem the Fire Nation's actions in war just because...well...just because. Not at all. People who've read Soundless (or any other of my wips, really) know that's not the case. On the contrary—I always do my best to see the war through a realistic, mature lense. And that includes everything that makes the Fire Nation so terrible in the first place.

That being said, there are some things I considered when deciding to make Katara side with them (even if her true motives lie elsewhere) in this AU. And they are not excuses. Just, different layers of context.

First of all, she was desperate. By this point in her life, her mother was dead, her father had left to fight the war, her brother followed behind a few years after, and she was left filling the empty spaces when, by all means, she wasn't ready for the responsibility. She had been feeling helpless and hopeless for years, and ached to do anything to help her people beyond doing chores and taking care for the children.

Let it be known that Aang's apparent betrayal comes from a place of trauma and misplaced anger on Katara's part. Much like how she put the Fire Nation's sins on Zuko's shoulders in S3. She is not on the right here, but this is her natural way to process and understand grief. There are many different aspects of her development as a child involved in how she views the Avatar—and, by extension, Aang—but more on this later.

Katara was young, and reckless, and she had just been "betrayed" by the first person who ever looked at her and saw more than the perfect caretaker she was forced to be. She was not in the right state of mind to make a decision like that and, to be honest, she couldn't have predicted the consequences. She saw a clear path to contribute to the end of the war, and by La she would take it.

On Zuko's end, you might argue that he should have known better than to let her join him and, well, you would be right. But there were many things about Katara's trauma response and state of mind that—unless he had known her for a long time—he couldn't have known. He will definitely blame himself later on, when the racism and cruelty towards Katara begins, and especially when word reaches her family at sea.

It's Katara's job to smack some sense into him from time to time and tell him that, yes, he should have tried harder to stop her (and she would probably be better off because of it) but what's done is done. And, by all means, the decision was hers to make. If anything, it's their fault, not his alone.

Now, Katara doesn't suffer the entire AU. That would just be cruel.

Zuko's crew was handpicked by Uncle Iroh, so you can expect dissidents, traitors and a few White Lotus agents who were smart enough to keep their true opinions quiet. There are...mixed opinions in that bunch, of course, but that's expected and, to be honest, rather easily dealt with. They are mostly honourable people just doing their best to end the war from the inside.

The real problem comes when they cross paths with, say, Zhao's fleet (or Hakoda's, let's be real).

And you may ask why Zuko is hunting down Aang, then, if he's secretly a goody-two-shoes himself... I'll explain that later in depth, so stay tuned.

In short, I know the decisions I've made, as a creator, are debatable at best, and downright blasfemous at worst. But they're deliberate.

I want the readers to feel conflicted about Katara's choices in this AU. I want people to have mixed opinions about the war, the (apparent lack of) morality, the characters, you name it!

I'm not trying to glorify a victim of war joining the side of the ones responsible for her people's genocide, even if it's just for show and she's actually set on destroying their government from within. Not at all.

Katara made a stupid, horrible decision, and she's going to suffer the consequences. But she's also going to fight to reach her goals, because she's stubborn like that.

I know most people may have a little trouble understanding where I'm coming from, because they don't have all the information necessary to make a full opinion.

I'm really thankful for these kind of asks. They let me explore these concepts and AUs in depth, and see what you think about them. I'm only human—my opinions are not infalible, nor The Right Ones, and this is a kind of discussion that I love to have.

So, keep the asks coming!!!

[box-fivephantom]

BRIDGERTON SPOILERS

KANTHONY SPOILERS

I’ve had a few hours to process the rest of season 3 regarding to Kanthony, since it was why I am (or rather) was a fan of the show.

I cannot get over how bad the writing was for them was this season, the choices the writers made lead to nowhere. If I’m being honest the whole season didn’t feel cohesive. I understand Kanthony cannot be have much screen time but at least write something that makes sense within their characters.

In season 2 (and somewhat in s1) it was very heavily emphasized how Anthony was burdened with a duty he could not escape, how he wanted and needed a viscountess to fulfill part of those duties, that’s why he was so unhinged all the time. But Kanthony apparently had a 6 month honeymoon, then returned only to leave again for the extended honeymoon and then when they returned now they are to leave for india?? Where are the duties that were so important? What are those duties? How can you easily leave? In s2 Anthony tells Violet that his future bride would be in charge of his sister’s debut in society and suddenly Violet is the one that is still in charge. Kate threw one party (and not even a ball) and Anthony was like ; yeap baby viscountess duties full filled LETS GO TO INDIA.

I get that marrying Kate changed him, made him free in a way. He is no longer burdened but he should still be focoused on his family it’s one of the things Kate and Anthony have in common, they may no longer feel they owe their family but they sure care for them a great deal . Tell me why a man who was so affected by his father’s death, who almost watched his mother and sister die during childbirth, who almost watched his wife die right before his eyes, are you telling me this man would put his pregnant wife on a ship for several months? Wasn’t that journey alone like 6 months? Anthony tells Kate he wants the baby to be born in India but let’s be realistic…that baby is to be born on that ship. Anthony cannot have changed that much to put his wife at that risk, there must be things he still overthinks…the security of his wife and baby perhaps?

I know India it’s a plot device but the writers could have come up with something more realistic and not OOC.

And to give Kanthony a sole plot line: Have a baby. And then NOT SHOW THE BABY AT THE END was foul.

For two years we’ve been told the lack of Kanthony in s3 was because Jonny was so busy filming fellow travelers and with the rehearsals for Wicked but it turns out it was BRIDGERTON who had priority in Jonny’s filming schedule. The problem wasn’t the amount of time they had for filming its was the writing.

I’ve seen Simone has confirmed she’s returning for s4 and Jonny wasn’t at the premiere yesterday so we have no idea if he returning aswell.

[thoughtsthatgounnoticed]

Can we please collectively cry about Colin’s speech to Penelope in Episode 8? 😭

It’s almost been a week of mourning since the end of Season 3 and I’m now at my final stage of grief - Acceptance. As emotions subside, some of us will be rewatching S3 and may have a change of heart. Despite the issues I had with S3 P2, I’ve realised there is so much to love about Polin in S3.

Every season Bridgerton delivers a swoon worthy love speech/confession, but Colin’s actually made me cry and had me reflecting on what type of love I want for myself not in my fantasies, but in real life.

It was tender, loving, and romantic. Borne out of his vulnerability and sincerity. I know many wanted the book confession, but this one suited Pen and Colin so well thematically. Colin, who up to this point, has had to grapple with the LW revelation and that means acknowledging feelings of betrayal while experiencing forms of jealously, self-reflection, and love, while letting go of his hero complex, speaks with so much adoration. It evokes a sort of passion that is gentle and quiet, but delivered with unquestionable conviction and belief.

It’s more realistic than dramatic, more grounded than grandiose. He speaks with such reverence and humility to the person he loves - a true moment of softness and calmness, not of anger or desperation. I only wish the show allowed us to be more privy to his thoughts or private character moments, because the realisation of his feelings that is now reflected in his words would have been beautiful to see.

He even says that IF he was to only live with the sole purpose of loving Penelope he would be fulfilled. It’s of course hyperbolic, because we know he has purpose and passions outside of his love story whether that be in his writings or travels, but it paints an incredible image of immeasurable deep devotion. Kind of like when you say you love someone as deeply as the UNIVERSE, or that you will meet and love them in EVERY lifetime. Or even on the other end of the spectrum, when you say you will never love this person even if they were the LAST person on earth! It’s a figure of speech that is limitless.

I also love the simplicity of Penelope’s response. To praise someone for something as pure and as simple as their goodness is so beautiful. Penelope, who has always been moved by Colin’s gentle goodness and kindness to her despite feeling unseen by society, is clearly touched. By letting go of his ego and hero complex he becomes a true hero to Penelope - a GOOD man that proudly stands beside the woman he loves. They could have used any other expression, but she chooses to value the goodness in him. It’s an interesting word choice!

I’ve seen some people think his speech is all about Pen and that devalues his importance or puts him beneath her. I disagree. Despite his insecurities, Colin (a rich man from a loving family) will always have an opportunity to find himself and his purpose, to travel, and to have a voice in society. In a society where men are privileged, Colin uplifts her to be his equal. He says he stands beside her, not behind her.

It’s just so endearing and I’ll be looking forward to seeing all the reflections people have once we take a breather. To be lucky in this fandom is to have seen your favourite couple grow and evolve across the span of 3 seasons - even if it’s not perfect, and with their appearance in S4 confirmed, we’ll get to see more of them - no matter the capacity in which they’ll return.

[thestrangestthing89]

Part 1

Part 2:

To me, the thing that gives away that something happened with Will and Mike when they were younger is in the way that Jonathan is also treated by Lonnie and the rest of the town. We see Jonathan getting bullied at school by Steve and his friends in S1. He gets called the f word. We know Jonathan isn't gay so these comments are likely just based off of those kids being assholes. They think Jonathan is weird so they call him something mean. But they probably don't even really believe what they are saying. They are just trying to be mean. Will has a lot of the same personality traits as Jonathan - he's quiet and sensitive. So him also getting bullied at school for this makes sense. However, I don't think it's enough evidence for people to actually believe that it's true when they are saying it. The whole town thought Will was gay and that that was the reason why he was killed. They don't talk about Jonathan like this - It's only Steve and his popular friends. Lonnie also doesn't call Jonathan the f word. In fact, when Will's fake body is found he's all about moving back into the house so they can be a "real family" again. In his mind, Will was the problem.

Lonnie has a lot of problems with toxic masculinity that are displayed with both Will and Jonathan. He makes them both go hunting to toughen them up. He also tries to get Will to go to baseball games to get him to like "normal" things. It's unclear if he also did this with Jonathan. It's likely he did up until Jonathan got old enough and started to refuse. But Lonnie doesn't have a problem with Jonathan even though he is also quiet and sensitive. In fact, Lonnie seems to try to get Jonathan on his side when Jonathan goes looking for Will at his house. Jonathan doesn't get called the f word by Lonnie. Only Will.

The time period matters here. People didn't ever discuss being gay especially in a small, conservative town. It would not have ever been mentioned. Kids at school saying slurs probably don't even really know what they are saying (especially the middle schoolers). They just know that it's insulting so they call the kids who they think are weird those insults. It doesn't mean they actually believe it, they are just trying to be mean. But Will is different. Everyone knows this kid is gay. They believe it. It's not simply that he was different or quiet or sensitive. But the thing to me that says the most is that Mike and Will's parents know it. Joyce knew it was important enough to mention it to Hopper when she reported Will as missing. Karen tries to talk to Mike about his feelings when Will is missing and it's a conversation that is very coded. She doesn't want him to hide anything from her. She wants him to trust her with his feelings. Ted makes a lot of passive aggressive comments about Mike being gay throughout the series - "you see what happens Michael", "our son with a girl". All of these conversations came from something and weren't just because Mike and Will were a little weird and nerdy. They were close. People are sure of this in a way they aren't when they are saying slurs off-handedly to Jonathan.

Mike is also very desperate to have people view him as normal. It's what accounts for a lot of his behavior in S3. He's scared. In order for him to know to be scared people would have had to have said something to him. He changes his behavior to be what people like and part of that includes avoiding Will. This isn't just about him being bullied for being a nerd. That's the story that's on the surface. There is more to it than that.

This in no way takes away from either character arch or the LGBTQ story. Both of them being bullied by their entire town since they were little kids is very realistic especially for the time period. And Mike trying to adapt and change his behavior to fit in because he was bullied for this makes sense. This wasn't simply about them being nerds. The show is never what it seems like on the surface.

Edit: I ended up adding another part to this because the more I think about it the more it makes sense.

[dbphantom]

oh yeah i was going to do a mini write-up on why i really love how H2O flips the script on who you'd think would be hyped about being a mermaid vs who wouldn't be

Emma isn't happy because she has to quit the swim team and is super bummed because she's dedicated her LIFE to this, but ultimately she does find it really cool outside of that, especially when hanging with Rikki because they get to compete! She's also the first one to tell the others not to tell anyone, when you'd think responsible Emma would be trying to convince the other two to tell a doctor and get them all help immediately. But no, she doesn't, and she GETS why they can't and it's very cool to see her immediately take charge of the secret. "not even mum." It's also really cool to see her embrace it so quickly because it's something she can't control and didn't ask for, which you'd think would be causing her a conniption. But no, she goes with it, she's trying to convince Cleo it's okay and even shows off her competitive side with Rikki! and I think her embracing it so quickly also ties into her moonspell showing what she really wants/needs (to let her responsibilities go for a little while, which being a mermaid helps her do bc instead of constant training for swim team she gets to have fun and chill out for a bit).

Then there's Rikki, who is a bit of a tomboy and a rebel and you think oh MAN she's the type of character who's going to think this is way too girly for her tastes BUT NO she embraces it immediately! she's the first one to go out swimming on her own (intentionally)! she doesn't even get a power in the first episode and she's STILL hyped as all hell! and you know what? that's SO real. Rikki always walks to the beat of her own drum because she's always been a loner anyway and does not GAF what other people think of her. Of COURSE she embraces it so quickly and wholeheartedly, even if it doesn't match her 'aesthetic'. Who cares about any of that?! She got super powers and the ability to swim to Fiji!!

and then there's Cleo and she's the average teenage girl with the ocean-themed room, who has a deep love for her fish and dressing cute and you'd think she's the perfect image of a girl-turned-mermaid (until Bella arrives, but Bella is s3 so you know the deal already by that point) and SHE HATES IT! she loathes it to the point of not even wanting to use the proper name when referring to what happened to her (just calling them 'things' or 'mer-freaks'). and it makes sense because early Cleo wants so badly to be accepted and loved by others bc of her low self-esteem, so if she's different in such an obvious and visible way (when she's in high school where being different = getting ostracized and bullied), then OF COURSE she's not going to like it!

I love it! I love it so much! It's such a great spin on the 'archetypes'. If it were ANY other show, Rikki's type of character would've HATED it, she would've been like "oh hell no, this is waaaay too girly, you won't catch me dead as a mermaid" but in the actual show she's the first to accept and embrace it and they never really bring up how it might 'contrast' with her character (beyond a throwaway joke implying disbelief that RIKKI is a mermaid) and I love that for her so much.

And if it were any other show Cleo's type of character would've embraced it because mermaids = pretty and elegant, but NO, they made the tails realistic and being a mermaid badass (and slightly weird/gross) and so it turns everything on its head and it works so so so well. the girls' characters in s1 are peak. idc idc idc they're SO GOOD.

i love H2O

[tangerinecherrygal]

Thoughts on Bridgerton S3 so far.

Under the cut for the sake of my poor moots and for spoilers. And first and foremost, I am a hater, so I will have some complaints but most are positive.

Positives:

Developing Cressida’s character. I’ve wanted this since I started watching with season 2. I love that she isn’t a cardboard cutout mean girl bc she gets shat on (deservedly sometimes) a lot by the main characters. Also I’m not sure which way they want to go with her character but I don’t think she needs any kind of redemption, maybe just a softening of her character.

Disabled visibility. It’s very clunky, but it is a step in the right direction.Period pieces tend to be worse than other types of shows and movies at erasing disabled people. It’s easy to forget that disabled people did exist and were apart of society. I can’t speak much to how they were treated, but this is bridgerton so it is very possible to portray them in ways that are realistic to the more modern experience of, say, being in a wheelchair.

Portia Featherington. Send tweet.

Benedict being a fun little guy.

Sibling dynamics of the bridgertons are really sweet to see and always make me smile.

Penelope serving cunt, intellect and agency.

Thr Mondrich family being on screen more. I’d love a side show on them like Queen Charlotte. Their relationship is so sweet and I am observing 👀 with upmost respect.

I do like Colin’s new look buuut… we will come back to this.

Francesca’s new actress is so talented. The shy girl rep that I need. She looks a lot like Phoebe and fits in perfectly.

The other stuff (and how i would change it)

Penelope’s makeover seemed rushed. I think her transformation should’ve been gradual as she gains confidence. Almost like Kate’s last season. She starts to reflect her confidence e gains throughout the season and i’m thinking that a fanfic may be brewing oh no.

Colin’s makeover is needed bc they had to downplay the actors beauty in earlier seasons. But I don’t see him as a devilishly handsome rake all of a sudden. Luke Newton has a kind and approachable (kind of baby) face and I think that they should play on that. A pretty kind of handsome instead of trying to immitate the more masculine look that they used for anthony. I know it’s because he is putting on a performance but I think they could have gona another way. His look in season 2 is great in my opinion, maybe if his clothing was more relaxed but he kept the same hair then it would be perfect.

They’re trying to convince us that he’s suave and smooth with the ladies but it’s not consistent with his character

The threesome scenes? Not a hundred percent sure who that was for. Sapphics let me know if you appreciated those scenes because I know they weren’t doing that for their famously large straight male audience. I also saw someone say it reduces the sex workers to props but in context that kind of works into the story so idk.

Colin went from being lost at the end of last season to gaining a sense of identity that isn’t implied to be an act.

Lots of side stories make it seem messy and wastes time that can go into understanding Francesca, Penelope, and Colin. Instead of focusing on stories like Lady Bridgerton’s romantic story they really should make a QS 2 where they can explore the older cast of characters.

Paaaaacinnng. Everything is happening so fast and the side stories mean that Polin doesn’t even make much sense to me. I don’t feel any chemistry. I’m not going to count how long they’ve been on screen together this season, but it’s not enough for me to believe that Colin finally sees Pen in a romantic way. The helping Pen find a husband quest lasted for a second and immediately he realises his feelings. I just don’t buy it. I almost want to cut away to horny ass Kanthony to see actual chemistry.

if anybody reads this and has their own takes pls comment. I love talking about the show and hearing what other people thought.

[purpleheartskies]

One thing that's always bothered me after s3 came out is the claim that Robby didn't have remorse after the school fight.

First off, it was very clear from Robby's demeanor in his scene with Daniel at the rehab center that Robby was very truly remorseful. Also, Robby clearly took accountability. He literally stated what he had done.

"But I caused all of this. I'm the one who kicked Miguel..."

It's also always important to call out that it had been an accident. Miguel had without a doubt pushed Robby to his limit. Robby reacted within seconds of Miguel letting go. It's ridiculous that some people say that Robby should have calmed down immediately after Miguel let go. Let's focus on this for a bit. According to some people, Robby isn't supposed to have very human emotions or have very human responses after having been in a fight like that after being attacked. Would those same people be able to calm down immediately? No. Plain and simple. Even Robby running away afterwards was very understandable because (1) "flight" response and (2) his parents are useless and had recently left him to starve for months and Daniel had just disowned him again. He knows he's alone. He ran out of fear, not malice. Robby had injured Miguel by accident, but he still had remorse for doing so. Other characters have intentionally physically hurt him, and those characters have yet to have remorse or take accountability even by the end of s5. After the school fight, it took time for Robby to calm down, which is a realistic portrayal of trauma responses because they can last for some time even. For example, in s4 Robby stayed in his "fight response" of wanting to do whatever it takes to win the tournament for months, until after his match with Kenny.

Back to the scene with Daniel. Right after Robby clearly took accountability about it with Daniel, even refusing to let Daniel take the blame, Daniel ambushed Robby with the cops. Even though Daniel hadn't planned for it to be an ambush like it became, it's especially important that Daniel hadn't talked to Robby first before calling the cops. Daniel didn't give Robby that time, space, and trust to make the decision on his own. Like I talk about in my post about Robby being like the wild rare bonsai tree, Daniel made it clear that he doesn't have faith in Robby.

Now, as parents and adults, Johnny and Shannon are useless to Robby. Johnny had spent maybe a couple of hours looking for Robby before giving up, and that was only after Daniel went to Johnny and convinced him to help after 2 weeks of Johnny not doing anything useful. Shannon seemed to have immediately called Daniel after Robby showed up at the rehab center and just handed Robby over to Daniel, letting him handle everything. And what did Daniel do? See the above.

Johnny's reaction when Robby asked him where he'd been for over one month after their "one good day" together before the school fight. Johnny literally has no legitimate response he could give Robby.

So the 3 adults Robby was supposed to rely on were the complete opposite of truly supportive or helpful. They weren't there for him like he needed them to be.

In all of this, some people are like "Robby didn't have remorse?" Really? Robby had been experiencing trauma after trauma, including those inflicted on him by these "caring" adults (neglect and abandonment are traumas too). Robby went into survival mode. He has no one, and he had to look after himself. He didn't have adults or friends or anyone who truly supported him. It's not that he didn't have remorse or didn't care. He literally had to focus on keeping it together and making it through the whole situation, including juvie, on his own.

When Sam made her speech at the city council meeting in s3e8 and said,

"Sometimes the scars you can't see are the ones that hurt the most"

I thought of Robby. And, as I talk about in Robby's rejection of toxic empowerment post, Robby's behavior later in the episode is exactly the result of that: his scars that no one sees. His trauma responses, including that "fight" response at Miyagi-Do, are the result of hurt. Robby had been in an unsafe, traumatizing environment for months, and within minutes of seeing Miguel for the first time, Mr. "Strike First" Miguel stepped up and challenged Robby even though Robby had told him to stay out of it. Robby had been keeping his distance from Sam and his anger under control. Miguel was once again worsening a situation that was under control. And before this scene, Miguel had hurt him that day in school and at the s1 avt and at the canyon party. Robby's history with Miguel is mostly Miguel hurting him. It's so ironic that Miguel made that speech at the city council meeting, talking only about his injury and recovery and leaving out that he had assaulted Robby first and escalated the situation in school.

Miguel's actions leading to Robby accidentally injuring him. Miguel had attacked Robby, choked him at one point, attacked him again, even purposely kicked him into the railing at one point, and then was going to break his arm for no reason at all. Of course, Miguel left all of this and his taunts to Robby out of his speech to the city council, portraying himself as only a victim in the fight.

He also talked about bullying as only being a victim of it, but completely disregarded his own past actions against Robby. Even trouncing the Miyagi-Do demonstration at Valley Fest had been an act of bullying, something Miguel had done to not just Robby but to Sam as well. Miguel had been proud of what he'd done, and then went back to trying to win Sam back soon afterwards. Miguel later implied to Robby that Miguel himself isn't an asshole, never acknowledging anything he'd done to hurt Robby. Whenever I watch Miguel's city council speech, I roll my eyes. I also find it so funny (in an ironic way) that both Kreese and Miguel spoke about themselves as well-intentioned heroes who believe that they're innocent and just do good in the world, yet they both cause and have caused so much hurt. They've given and continue to give people scars that can't be seen.

"You did it, Sensei!"

"No, WE did it!"

Miguel deflecting his culpability onto Johnny, despite Miguel's own intentions being to ruin the Miyagi-Do demonstration. He also deflected his culpability onto Johnny during the s1 avt and after the school fight.

Based on comments since s3 about Robby not having remorse about Miguel's injury or not feeling sorry for Johnny or not being understanding of Johnny abandoning him for Miguel or not agreeing with Daniel for not believing in him, some fans apparently believe that Robby isn't allowed to have emotions that don't suit what they want him to feel. It's not just Johnny that wants this from Robby. It's some fans too. Robby isn't allowed to put himself first, even when he is enduring traumas that these other characters inflict on him.

Also, where is Miguel's remorse? In s5, he still didn't have any remorse or take accountability. Instead he took his pound of flesh as if he had always been entitled to it. He's definitely acted that way since s1, before the school fight. Johnny has also just moved on and wants Robby to do the same and keep his negative emotions to himself or he's going to get abandoned again. Even Daniel just wanted Robby to accept what Daniel had done to him after the school fight without trying to understand Robby. All of this is consistent behavior by these characters even in s5.

Robby was the one eventually making things right with the others. The others didn't do anything to make things right with him. But some people still comment that Robby had no remorse. Or they only like Robby now that he took a beating from Miguel with Johnny's blessing, bowed his head in defeat, and is now expressing only the feelings that Johnny, Miguel, Daniel, and others want him to show.

Robby reluctantly agreeing that all is good now between him and Miguel to appease Johnny.

The other characters aside, some fans themselves don't want Robby to have emotions that make sense for what he's experiencing. He is given those emotions though. And the writers confirmed that those emotions are all still there and that things aren't resolved. Robby burying the egg to keep it safe during Chozen's lesson was a clear representation of how Robby keeps himself safe too: hiding who he really is by hiding his emotions to feel safe and accepted. The other kids also protected their eggs the way they handle situations too: Miguel is possessive/controlling, like he is in his relationships with Sam and Johnny; Sam thinks she's got things covered but isn't cautious enough, like when she didn't plan beyond having enough numbers for the arcade fight (she didn't consider that more Cobras might show up); Anthony gives in easily, like he did with his friends and bullied Kenny; Hawk is overconfident and doesn't consider that his opponent might do something unexpected, like he is later with Kenny during the trials; etc...

We have 5 seasons of Robby experiencing trauma after trauma. Robby's emotions due to his traumas have always been valid, but people dismiss his traumas and his emotions. The double standard in the fandom is also blatant. For example, Miguel pushes Johnny away and Johnny runs after him. People praise Johnny for being a "father" to Miguel. Robby pushes Johnny away and Johnny doesn't run after him. People excuse Johnny for this and blame Robby for pushing him away. Also, people praise Johnny running after Miguel to bring him home safe as Johnny showing "fatherly love" for Miguel, while people dismiss Johnny tricking, lying to, and gaslighting Robby to use him to get Miguel back as okay. Some even call it Johnny "trying" with Robby. The blatant contrast in how Johnny prioritizes Miguel and his emotions over Robby and his emotions is there for anyone to see throughout s5 as well. If people wanted to have empathy for Robby, they could choose to.

"There's nothing complicated about it. You had a choice and you chose."

(These are general thoughts and not directed at anyone in particular.)

(Note: Please don't reblog/reply with any dismissive comments/tags about the show writers, the writing, or the serious aspects of the show. Such comments/tags minimize the contents of the post. This blog (link) explains my general thoughts about posting after s5.)

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Season 3 Predictions (?) Part II

Critics, teamwork, awards (?)

If interested, please check Part I right HERE.

I will stay away from Sydcarmy for a whole minute here, guys. But later on I will get into to it, because... why not?

In terms of The Bear, I think the key is gonna be in the critics.

That's why Storer made sure to wipe out the 1st S3 teaser that came out, where Fak and his brother called Carmy in and showed him the wall full of critics’ pics. It was a HUGE tell and Storer doesn't like to show all his cards at once. He's into breadcrumbs.

So, the critics → Some are under pseudonyms, like Sue Chan and Chris Black. Some others are not, like Julian Black.

That article above also mentions that this season of the Bear could be about positioning for the top — perhaps even for its own James Beard Awards. No mention of a Michelin Star, which I think very well could be the show's grand finale, in S4, if they don't get it this season that is, which let's face it, would be far more realistic. Although there's this little voice in my head that thinks that if Storer made a point outta mentioning that when Ever opened it won Best Restaurant in the World and got 3 stars THE SAME YEAR, that's foreshadowing Storer style right there, so The Bear might follow Ever's steps (Chef Terry's steps). I don't listen to the voices in my head that often though. I will make up my mind about that one once I watch S3. 📌 Putting a pin on it for now.

So back to the critics, they are real food critics IRL, Storer doesn't fuck around. That's no coincidence, he could have easily come up with original fictional characters, but he didn't. Now, there's a chance that because that scene got leaked, he will cut it out and it will die in the Editing room. But we all saw it already, so it doesn't matter. If you haven't seen it yet, here it is:

Source ↑ : @portraitofariel (thanks!)

Carmy and those guys on the wall go way back. They also made him who he is. Carmy knows them all, Carmy owned them in the past. He obviously didn't get to where he was: "Most excellent CDC at the most excellent restaurant in the entire United States of America" without owning their asses. But the price he paid for that was "too high", that's why when Syd said they were going to get a star he was not amused. Nothing new here, moving on.

Here's where the rock & roll really begins, Storer's style:

Some say that Sydney's character is inspired by the James Beard Award Nominee Mariya Moore-Russell (there's the M word again).

Mariya is from Chicago and was the first black woman to be awarded a Michelin star in 2019, when Storer was working on The Bear's script.

So clearly, those critics will play a pivotal role in all those awards and reviews that pave the way for those accolades.

[We are now entering Sydcarmy territory] Let's not forget that this is not really about The Bear or the awards for Carmy, it's about what he told Syd under the table:

And on the table:

So IMO is pretty safe to say that Sydney will follow Mariya's steps and be at the very least a JB award semifinalist, or will actually take the price and thus match Carmy. Now, that star, well... IF, and I can't emphasize this enough IF The Bear doesn't get its 1st star during its 1st year of tenure (back to the aforementioned Ever's foreshadowing), then that's because Storer will keep that ace up his sleeve for the series finale (S4), that is being shot as we speak. I'm not putting any money on a 5th season ever happening, but I don't think I ever wanted to be more wrong in my entire life. * fingers crossed *

My point is: S3 will be all about getting those awards, slaying the critics, and paying whatever price has to be paid to make that happen.

According to THR the 3 main characters that will carry the weight of the whole season on their shoulders are Carmy - Sydney & Richie, naturally our dynamic duo in the BOH and Cousin in the FOH. And according to FX's description of S3→ their bonds will be put to the test. I'm guessing Syd and Carmy will at some point be at each other's throats, well past the point of the "sorry" sign. This makes total sense because Sugar will be more focused on her baby and struggle to balance The Bear and her cub. (also, mending her relationship with her own mother). And also because Syd, Carmy & Cousin are the 3 characters that “love taking care of people”. Carmy makes Sprite for preggos, Syd makes omelettes for preggos and Richie loves taking care of his daughter whose his only soft spot. All of it was breadcrumbed in S2. Sugar doesn’t count on this one because basically she’s such a sweetheart that mothers everything that moves, it’s not a special trait of hers.

I also think Clairmy will not survive even if at some point they get back together, Carmy is gonna be in a relationship with his old Psycho self, and therefore he won't have any capacity to be in a romantic relationship with anyone else. The only exception, I hope, could be Sydney, because she will be on the exact same journey, which Storer foreshadowed on 02x02:

So, let's go! I'm sooooo ready for this!

[misfithive]

Thank you for the way you handled that ask about Wille's and Simon's drama. Because that sentence 'On the other hand, Simon needs to have a bit of more drama thrown at him' made me so furious. It was so insensitive! The fact that he suffers in silence and alone in his room not to bother other people doesn't mean he doesn't suffer enough and needs some more! The fact that he didn't jump on the table or say he feels like dying doesn't make his experience any less traumatic than Wille's. What he needs is to process his trauma rather than brushing it aside, not to get some more.

Once again thank you, you put it all beautifully.

Yes 😭 this is a very common hope for Simon to get pushed to the point of a breakdown but it’s like .. at what cost?😩 He has been thru enough trauma for a lifetime and a half. And the thing is, most people cannot actually stop and process the trauma if they are constantly being hit with more. I think we are more likely to get simon opening up if he is able to find safety which he did not really have. he is expected to be the strong one by everyone in his life. His friends try their best but still, telling him to rebound is the same message him mother gives him of “you are strong”. Bc they dont want him to sit with his feelings and cry (it’s uncomfortable and not the norm for them), they want him to forget about the Prince and move on. Up until s3 he has not had someone to cry to- thats why he writes his songs and holds wille’s sweater. Even when he is talking to Rosh and Ayub in the kitchen if he was actually crying to them i feel they would show it- it appears he probably cried on the way home before they came (this is my hc if yall think he cried to them u can believe that if u want)

i think Simon’s character is very accurate to what a lot of men, people socialized as men, and also people of color experience and how we deal with our emotions. I get that for a lot of people it is cathartic to sob but for many of us, crying like that especially in front of someone else is terrifying. we are conditioned that letting other people see u in that vulnerable state is a weakness (puts you in danger or will be used against you & that anger is safer). I know some men who have not cried since they were children and told me they dont even remember what it feels like to cry or how to actually let the tears fall from their eyes. It is messed up. Is that fair? No. Is it true that it is a weakness? No. But not everyone learns that. The patriarchy sucks and harms us all lol i wish people would understand that and have empathy for the deep sadness that simon is carrying and hiding whether he lets it out or not.

Not to mention everyone deals with their trauma differently and i think it is cool that the show is realistic and shows people dealing with things in different ways. Simons character is relatable bc of this and instead of people saying “it’s not fair that Wille gets to express himself in this way and Simon doesn’t” i want people to think about WHY Simon is not be able to. I know wanting simon to cry comes from a good place but it does upset me a little bit bc even if he doesnt have a breakdown s3, that doesnt mean that the writers hate him and arent doing his story justice which is what people say abt s2. At the same time, if he does have a break down, that would be totally warranted. i'm just saying that if it doesn't happen that's valid too.

THAT BEING SAID. I think s3 is a great opportunity for Simon to hear from Wille that he doesnt always have to be strong and that Wille can be a reliable safe space. I think Wille’s tenderness is something that Simon sees and now that they are on good terms and Wille has worked to rebuild the trust, I hope Simon will turn to Wille for emotional support however that looks.

Ermmmn I’m very sorry that this turned into a dump but i had to get it off my chest.(made a few edits for clarity and spelling mistakes bc i posted this in the middle of the night)