#1x13 spiral

[demisexualnathanvuornos]

Audrey Parker+stimming

1x1 Welcome to Haven

1x5 Ball and Chain

1x11 The Trial of Audrey Parker

1x12 Resurfacing

1x13 Spiral

2x2 Fear and Loathing

2x13 Silent Night

3x9 Sarah

[oocstephenkingtv]

Haven 1x13 Spiral (2010)

[phrynefishersfrocks]

Hats & Hairpieces Recap

Season Two

Phryne wears a total of 36 hats and hairpieces throughout the second season, nine more than the 27 items in the first season. Her headwear ranges jeweled hair slides to elegant cloches to feathered headbands. The clear favorite of both this season and overall is her breaking and entering cat burglar beret with sixteen uses - ten of which are in season two alone. Coming in second is her linen detective hat, with seven uses this season and fourteen appearances overall.

1.Spanish Hat - A traditional Spanish hat in black felt with a wide brim and black ribbon hatband - 2x01, 2x01

2. Hello Jack - Blue straw hat with a curved brim, and antique ash-brown, blue, and black feathers attached to the black hatband - 2x01

3. Burlesque Headpiece - Spiral headpiece adorned with strands of glass beads - 2x01

4. Sequined Headpiece - Headpiece made in-house by the costume team stringing sequins onto very fine pieces of wire - 2x01, 2x01

5. Cemetery Hat - Black straw with green and white feather detail - 2x01, 2x02, 2x06 (base seen in 1x13)

6. Cat Burglar Beret - Classic black French beret made in a circular fashion - 2x01, 2x03, 2x04, 2x05, 2x05, 2x06, 2x07, 2x11, 2x12, 2x12 (also 1x05, 1x05, 1x06, 1x09, 1x10, 1x10)

7. Tan Straw Hat -  Finely woven straw hat with a modest brim and brown ribbon trim with a matching wide hatband - 2x01

8. Grey Summer Hat - Grey straw hat with blue overtones, organza petal detail and pearl decoration - 2x02

9. Beaded Headband - Black headband with black beaded detail - 2x02

10. Detective Hat - Tan linen wide-brimmed hat dyed to match her car coat - 2x02, 2x03, 2x04, 2x06, 2x07, 2x10, 2x12 (also 1x02, 1x02, 1x04, 1x06, 1x08, 1x09, 1x13)

11. Spiral Hair Slides - Jeweled spiral hair combs - 2x03 (also 1x12)

12. Beach Holiday Hat - Cream straw hat with pink and white silk organza band and button - 2x03

13. Beach Sunhat - Cream wide brim summer hat with raffia embroidery detail - 2x03, 2x03

14. Harlequin Hat - White felt with original Victorian twisted raw silk trim, osprey feathers, silkworm thread, and velvet bind with crystal buttons that match the coat - 2x04

15. White Felt with Bronze Motif Hat - Cream felt hat with bronze period flower motifs and hand-painted ‘pearlized’ beads - 2x04, 2x07 (also 1x05, 1x07, 1x12)

16. Pearl Headdress - Silver headdress made with glass beads and pearls - 2x04

17. Pom-Pom Hat - Plum felt hat with a 1920's silk pom-pom, navy vintage feathers, and antique navy ribbon - 2x05, 2x08

18. French Navy Hat - Antique silk moire band with buttons on a French Navy felt hat - 2x05

19. Showstopper Headband - Yellow feather pom-pom attached to a black headband - 2x05

20. Navy Velvet Hood with Tassel - Lucious navy velvet with silk satin insert and tassel - 2x06 (also 1x03, 1x07)

21. Red Flower Cloche - Burgundy red felt with cut out flowers and feather detailing - 2x07 (also 1x01, 1x01, 1x02, 1x04, 1x04, 1x05, 1x06, 1x09)

22. Red Felt Circle Hat - Red felt hat with black, red, and cream felt interlocking circles set on matching ribbons - 2x07 (also 1x05)

23. Racing Cap - Tan leather driving cap with metal guides at the sides to hold googles in place - 2x07

24. Leopard Print Cloche - Cream cloche with leopard spots, thin black ribbons holding cream and black feathers - 2x08

25. Maroon Day Hat - Deep pink felt hat with a pom-pom decoration of colorful modern and antique feathers - 2x08

26. Hollywood Felt - Chartreuse felt hat with pink velvet hat band, pink and black feather detail and bronze leaf - 2x09

27. Golden Girl Headpiece - Antique metal leaf with diamantes and black feathers - 2x09

28. Blue Feather Cloche - 1960's navy felt hat modified into a cloche, with 1920's feather band added - 2x09

29. Director's Hat - Green felt fedora with a matching hatband - 2x09

30. Vineyard Hat - Hat quality felt with green and black antique feathers with a black hatband and crystal button - 2x10

31. Radio Station Hat - Pink felt hat with brown hatband and a variety of colored feathers - 2x11

32. Green Velvet Hood - Green velvet hat with green silk organza insert - 2x11

33. Butterfly Hair Slide - Jeweled hair slide with a butterfly shape in the center and two loops extending to either side - 2x11

34. White Cloche with Grey Swirl - White felt cloche with icy grey velvet swirls - 2x12

35. Dr. Zhivago Fur Hat - White faux fur circular hat with felt insert - 2x13, 2x13

36. Christmas Party Headband - Dyed orange and black feathers with a 'nest' and small egg-like bead inside - 2x13

Hat and headpiece photos from the official Pinterest, official Facebook, Screencapped.net, Alekino Plus (now defunct) and various sources (x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x, x).

[kiss-my-freckle]

It's 2024 and people still say Damon was mad at Elena in 2x01 and that he snapped Jeremy's neck because Elena wouldn't kiss him. They also say Stefan killed Andie to protect Elena which is full of crap.

Damon's season 5 spiral is written opposite 2x1. In season 5, Elena has that control over Damon. In 2x1, Katherine has that control over Damon. That's why, in 2x1, he's with Katherine first and Elena second. Why, in season 5, he's with Elena first and Katherine second. He was lying when he said he didn't need Katherine to push him over the edge. It's what happens when Damon lies about his humanity.

Elena repeats Katherine's words because she's meant to sell the same concept as season 5. She took over Katherine's body in 2x1. That's why all three characters speak to this fact.

Elena said it

Elena: That's not the problem, Katherine is. She's already messing with both of your heads and Damon is not stable when it comes to her. The last thing we need is to make things worse.

Stefan said it

Stefan: It's Katherine. She got under his skin. She undid everything that was good about him.

Damon said it

Damon: Katherine really pissed me off and I snapped and...

The key part of Elena's statement... "The last thing WE need is to make things WORSE." She's referring to her and Stefan. She made it worse when she repeated Katherine's words. That's why they pulled what they did in 1x13. Elena is able to lie to Damon just as she's able to make him lash out BECAUSE she's Katherine's doppelganger. The same words came from the same mouth and the same voice. They're exact replicas. He might as well have been standing in front of Katherine when he snapped Jeremy's neck.

"Stake HER, rip HER head off, something poetic. We'll see."

Killing Jeremy was something poetic. It's what made Damon want to better himself. It sparks the beginning of his resurrection journey. Consider him in Elena's season 6 shoes, rediscovering himself in Katherine's absence because she's the one who defined him.

Stefan killing Andie had everything to do with the opposite of Stefan's very want. First warning, "What you're supposed to do is let me go." Second warning, "I don't need any saving. I just want you to let me go." Andie's death, "I said let me go!"

What's the opposite of let go, but hold on. Stefan killed Andie, all-knowing that she was Damon's distraction from Elena. In removing that distraction, he believed Damon would hold onto Elena for the sake of letting him go.

First warning, Delena's 3x10 kiss. Second warning, Delena's 3x19 kiss. Elena's death, then to Damon because she was letting Stefan go all along. The very point of their 3x10 soundtrack and why their kiss in Denver mattered.

Any fan that believes otherwise is an idiot.

[jinkieswouldyoulookatthis]

if you ever have the desire i’d love to hear your thoughts on the unprincipled relationship dean has with being normal/outsider. for someone who never cared about school or the white picket fence or being liked/accepted by civilians at all, and didn’t empathize much with young sam’s yearning to be part of a common (healthy, 'proper') whole, etc., it always blew my mind how judgmental he became in the s4 arc. suddenly 'can you not see how far off the reservation you’ve gone' when it felt to me like a dean who was actually deeply validated by sam's deviation from 'normal' (things that might make him leave dean) would have shown more integrity to the character as he was otherwise painted quite consistently. what purpose does that wild nomad unconstrained by social contracts persona serve if it isn’t applicable to the most selfish, soft white underbelly parts of him? the staunch resistance to seeing sam get all twisted up like that (and almost entirely over dean), when for all intents and purposes (and as you’ve been saying recently) his self worth pretty universally hinges on everything sam, just never sat right with me. it felt like we could have seen a much more complex and interesting dynamic evolve and still lead us to swan song, if dean had appreciated sam's spiral for what it was - a deeply unhealthy attachment to dean - instead of alienated him and in turn made them both vulnerable to everybody's influence. i've always blamed bad writing but would love to know if you ever had thoughts on this

So, Dean and normalcy, huh? Okay.

Dean is a wounded child wearing a mis-matched, layered up, suit of armor. He found the pieces of it as he grew and did his best to graft them onto himself, to make them a part of his skin, so he wouldn’t get hurt again.

Dean’s armor is made from shit his dad’s said, stuff he saw on tv, ways he saw other guys, tough guys, acting and the things they said, the way they said them, and how they moved through the world. One of the layers of his armor was made by convincing himself that losing his old “normal” life was a good thing, a blessing in disguise. Because he gets to grow up to be a hero now. Everybody knows that heroes don’t come from normal, picket fence, suburban lives. Heroes are outsiders, set apart from everyday people by the extraordinary circumstances that set them on their journey. So not only is it okay that they don’t have a home, don’t have roots, or friends, or boring stuff like that, it’s better that way. Not having friends is a good thing. Friends tie you down, friends can be used against you, they can turn on you, ask you questions you don’t want to answer, can’t answer, or call your bluff, or find out enough about your family to think that they should pity you or laugh at you. But he doesn’t need friends that he’ll just have to leave behind in a few days or a few weeks, months, when he has his brother and his dad.

And hey, moving so much can be great because then you can be whoever you want to be in this town, because you won’t stick around long enough for them to find out that you’re faking anyway. Because that’s what Dean did growing up, he crafted a persona that he could wear that would make him stronger and use it to slip through the cracks in the everyday world leaving little to no trace of himself.

But Sam, well, Sam never understood the power or the freedom in living like that. Sam wanted roots and he wanted friends, he wanted to feel like he belonged, because it was something he’d never had, so he’d never had to go through losing it (not until he lost Jessica).

When we first meet Dean in season one, almost everything we see is his armor. We get little glimpses of the real Dean here and there, like in Route 666 (1x13) when we learn about Cassie and how serious Dean was about her before she broke up with him (for being honest with her, which reinforced his need for armor in the first place). But the first real good look we get underneath is during Shadow (1x16) when he’s talking to Sam about why he came and got him from school and how he wants them to be a family again. We see how vulnerable he is and how desperately he needs the only two people he actually feels a real connection to. Because that’s the drawback to not having other people you care about, that you can trust, the ones you do have become that much more important and necessary to you. But even as much as Dean needs his dad and his brother, he doesn’t believe that they actually need him. That armor protects him, but it also stops him from feeling how much John and Sam rely on and need Dean. Even though he exhausts himself holding his broken little family together, he doesn’t get that they need him or that he even really matters in the grand scheme.

So he teases Sam for wanting what Dean has worked so hard to protect himself from, that’s part of the armor too, the teasing. But Sam still says over and over that he doesn’t want to hunt forever, that he wants a normal life, which Dean hears as a rejection of their family and of him. So he believes that Sam will be better off without him anyway, finally free to go back to being normal. And then Dean gets back from Hell and sees that Sam has gone the opposite way. And now his little brother is consorting with a demon and it freaks him out. Because Sam is good and Sam wants normal and Sam doesn’t need him. But here Sam is falling off the edge and behaving in very un-Sam-like ways because Dean left him and it’s all wrong. So Dean addresses it the only way he knows how, he gives Sam shit about it. He tells Sam that Sam is out of line and messing up. And in trying to get Sam back on track but then having to let Sam go jump with the Devil into Hell, Dean finds himself turning to normalcy because he’s got nothing left. His dad and brother are both gone and Sam made him promise that he would try. So he goes to Lisa and tries to be normal as hard as he can, but it doesn’t ever fit right, it can’t because he’s worked too hard and for too long to make sure he wouldn’t fit in.

Supernatural was always the story of two broken, lost boys growing up and learning to accept their lives, not for what they wanted them to be but just as they were.

[thepromisethatlovecouldbeeternal]

Hi!

Loving all your posts.

I saw a great post on Reddit a while ago that Damon had his humanity off until Elena hugged him in 1x14. I didn't think of it until my recent season 1 rewatch and now I think this person was absolutely correct. There is a stark, vast difference from Damon 1x13 to 1x14. Yes he cared enough to help Elena after the accident in 1x11, and 1x12, and even after she betrayed him 1x13 so that could be an argument, but he was different after 1x14. His "dealing" with the heartbreak in 1x15 and 1x16 could argue that his humanity was slowly slipping in. He's certainly not spiraling but dealing with reality, humanity on. Or there is a "dimmer switch" before vampires turn it back on? He seems to be stable in 1x17 and 1x18.

And then obviously he's awesome in 1x19.

Thoughts? Gifs if you agree?

oops late reply.. 🫠 It seems like it sometimes but also, I think Damon is basically being a vampire the way he was taught via Katherine. I did think that that was a possibility but in 1x03 he strokes her face with a lot of care that I don't think his humanity was off. Esp with 1x11 as well. The way he cares about her at the accident is not humanity-less Damon.

[loisfreakinglane]

I FOUND ONE I LIKE!!!!!!!!! SAVING IT HERE FOR POSTERITY!!!!!!

and a copy/paste of the schedule behind the cut bc i am paranoid about sites going defunct always :)

SEASONS 4 / 1

Buffy 4x01 - The Freshman Angel 1x01 - City of... Angel 1x02 - Lonely Hearts Buffy 4x02 - Living Conditions Buffy 4x03 - The Harsh Light Of Day Angel 1x03 - In the Dark Angel 1x04 - I Fall to Pieces Buffy 4x04 - Fear Itself Buffy 4x05 - Beer Bad Angel 1x05 - Rm w/a Vu Angel 1x06 - Sense and Sensitivity Buffy 4x06 - Wild at Heart Buffy 4x07 - The Initiative Angel 1x07 - The Bachelor Party Buffy 4x08 - Pangs Angel 1x08 - I Will Remember You Angel 1x09 - Hero Angel 1x10 - Parting Gifts Buffy 4x09 - Something Blue Buffy 4x10 - Hush Buffy 4x11 - Doomed Angel 1x11 - Somnambulist Angel 1x12 - Expecting Angel 1x13 - She Buffy 4x12 - A New Man Buffy 4x13 - The I In Team Buffy 4x14 - Goodbye Iowa Angel 1x14 - I've Got You Under My Skin Angel 1x15 - The Prodigal Buffy 4x15 - This Year's Girl (1/2) Buffy 4x16 - Who Are You? (2/2) Buffy 4x17 - Superstar Angel 1x16 - The Ring Angel 1x17 - Eternity Buffy 4x18 - Where the Wild Things Are Buffy 4x19 - New Moon Rising Angel 1x18 - Five by Five (1/2) Angel 1x19 - Sanctuary (2/2) Buffy 4x20 - The Yoko Factor (1/2) Buffy 4x21 - Primeval (2/2) Buffy 4x22 - Restless Angel 1x20 - War Zone Angel 1x21 - Blind Date Angel 1x22 - To Shanshu in LA

SEASONS 5 / 2

Angel 2x01: Judgment Angel 2x02: Are You Now or Have You Ever Been Angel 2x03: First Impressions Buffy 5x01: Buffy vs. Dracula Buffy 5x02: Real Me Buffy 5x03: The Replacement Angel 2x04: Untouched Angel 2x05: Dear Boy Angel 2x06: Guise Will Be Guise Buffy 5x04: Out of My Mind Buffy 5x05: No Place Like Home Buffy 5x06: Family Buffy 5x07: Fool for Love Angel 2x07: Darla Angel 2x08: The Shroud of Rahmon Buffy 5x08: Shadow Buffy 5x09: Listening to Fear Buffy 5x10: Into the Woods Angel 2x09: The Trial Angel 2x10: Reunion Angel 2x11: Redefinition Buffy 5x11: Triangle Buffy 5x12: Checkpoint Angel 2x12: Blood Money Angel 2x13: Happy Anniversary Buffy 5x13: Blood Ties Buffy 5x14: Crush Angel 2x14: The Thin Dead Line Angel 2x15: Reprise Angel 2x16: Epiphany Buffy 5x15: I Was Made to Love You Buffy 5x16: The Body Buffy 5x17: Forever Buffy 5x18: Intervention Angel 2x17: Disharmony Angel 2x18: Dead End Buffy 5x19: Tough Love Buffy 5x20: Spiral Buffy 5x21: The Weight of the World Buffy 5x22: The Gift Angel 2x19: Belonging Angel 2x20: Over the Rainbow Angel 2x21: Through the Looking Glass Angel 2x22: There's No Place Like Plrtz Glrb

SEASONS 6 / 3

Angel 3x01: Heartthrob Angel 3x02: That Vision Thing Angel 3x03: That Old Gang of Mine Buffy 6x01: Bargaining: Part 1 Buffy 6x02: Bargaining: Part 2 Buffy 6x03: After Life Angel 3x04: Carpe Noctem Buffy 6x04: Flooded Buffy 6x05: Life Serial Angel 3x05: Fredless Angel 3x06: Billy Buffy 6x06: All the Way Buffy 6x07: Once More, with Feeling Buffy 6x08: Tabula Rasa Angel 3x07: Offspring Angel 3x08: Quickening Angel 3x09: Lullaby Angel 3x10: Dad Buffy 6x09: Smashed Buffy 6x10: Wrecked Buffy 6x11: Gone Angel 3x11: Birthday Angel 3x12: Provider Buffy 6x12: Doublemeat Palace Buffy 6x13: Dead Things Angel 3x13: Waiting in the Wings Angel 3x14: Couplet Buffy 6x14: Older and Far Away Buffy 6x15: As You Were Angel 3x15: Loyalty Angel 3x16: Sleep Tight Angel 3x17: Forgiving Angel 3x18: Double or Nothing Buffy 6x16: Hell's Bells Buffy 6x17: Normal Again Buffy 6x18: Entropy Angel 3x19: The Price Angel 3x20: A New World Angel 3x21: Benediction Angel 3x22: Tomorrow Buffy 6x19: Seeing Red Buffy 6x20: Villains Buffy 6x21: Two to Go Buffy 6x22: Grave

SEASONS 7 / 4

Buffy 7x01: Lessons Buffy 7x02: Beneath You Buffy 7x03: Same Time, Same Place Angel 4x01: Deep Down Angel 4x02: Ground State Angel 4x03: The House Always Wins Angel 4x04: Slouching Toward Bethlehem Buffy 7x04: Help Buffy 7x05: Selfless Buffy 7x06: Him Angel 4x05: Supersymmetry Angel 4x06: Spin the Bottle Buffy 7x07: Conversations with Dead People Buffy 7x08: Sleeper Buffy 7x09: Never Leave Me Buffy 7x10: Bring on the Night Buffy 7x11: Showtime Angel 4x07: Apocalypse, Nowish Angel 4x08: Habeas Corpses Buffy 7x12: Potential Buffy 7x13: The Killer in Me Buffy 7x14: First Date Angel 4x09: Long Day's Journey Angel 4x10: Awakening Angel 4x11: Soulless Angel 4x12: Calvary Angel 4x13: Salvage Buffy 7x15: Get It Done Buffy 7x16: Storyteller Buffy 7x17: Lies My Parents Told Me Angel 4x14: Release Angel 4x15: Orpheus Angel 4x16: Players Angel 4x17: Inside Out Angel 4x18: Shiny Happy People Buffy 7x18: Dirty Girls Buffy 7x19: Empty Places Angel 4x19: The Magic Bullet Angel 4x20: Sacrifice Angel 4x21: Peace Out Angel 4x22: Home Buffy 7x20: Touched Buffy 7x21: End of Days Buffy 7x22: Chosen

does anybody have a favorite buffyverse rewatch guide? i've been looking for buffy/angel episode order lists and there's so many

does anybody have a preference?

[camelotsheart]

Writing (or more like copy-pasting) this down because @witchmd13​ told me to. Thank you for always encouraging my spirals 😂💖

I’ve heard people throw around the theory that Kilgharrah lied to Merlin in the finale, and I think there is a potential parallel in Merlin lying to Arthur about Excallibur in 4x13 to prevent him from giving up on Camelot, and Kilgharrah lying to Merlin in the finale to prevent Merlin from giving up. They both even use similar phrases: "when Camelot needed it most" vs "When Albion's need is greatest". Plus, the scene where Merlin tells this to Arthur (the same scene he says "and I believe in you. I always have") has Freya's theme over it, drawing an allusion to Avalon and Freya's ‘return’ at "Albion's time of need" in 3x13.

The beautiful thing about this hc is the potential self-fulfillment of the prophecy and the reason of Arthur's return.

Arthur doesn’t try to pull the sword out because believes Merlin's story; even when he’s already pulled it out he comments “you’re making this up”. Arthur believes and trusts in Merlin. And in the end, Merlin's fake prophecy about the sword comes true anyway because Merlin considered Arthur to be worthy and gave him the power to pull out the sword. From this we can assume that in 5x13, Merlin doesn't believe Kilgharrah, but he believes in Arthur; in Arthur's love for his people and his speech of about how he will fight for the future of Camelot, Albion and the united kingdoms. So if we draw the parallel, the prophecy of arthur’s return will come true, just like Merlin’s prophecy does. Both prophecies become self-fulfilling.

Furthermore, if we draw a parallel with Freya - we can infer that Arthur’s personal reasons for returning is not to save Albion. That is merely a side effect. Because Freya's ‘return’ in 3x13 saves Albion, but when Merlin thanks her for her help, she replies: "no, it's giving me the chance to see you again". Freya saves Albion, but she returns for Merlin; to repay him for making her feel loved and to see him again. Arthur will save Albion, but he returns for Merlin; to repay him for all that he’s done for Arthur and Camelot (and to see him again).

This is even more highlighted by the fact that that the next scene after Kilgharrah makes the prophecy is Merlin throwing Excallibur in the water and Freya catching it. The soundtrack in there is the exact same one used when Arthur pulls the sword out of the stone. In the finale, this scene is probably the one with the most hopeful tone, tying with Gwen’s coronation and the very last scene where old Merlin walks by Avalon, which is backed to the soundtrack used in 1x13 when Gaius comes back from the dead (or near-death). In fact, there are a lot of parallels to be had with 1x13 and 5x13; amongst them the quotes: “We haven't done all the things we're meant to do.... He's my friend" (not to mention the book version of this scene which states Merlin put more importance in the fact that he wants to be by Arthur's side over Arthur fulfilling his destiny”), “My destiny? This is my mother!” (”All you have dreamt of building has some to pass” “I can’t lose him, he’s my friend!”), and Merlin saying to Hunith "I don't want you to worry about me. I know that the gods will look after me. And that one day, I will see you again"

[lassieposting]

Does Lucifer have ptsd? I remember that a cast member said that S5 Lucifer would have it but I haven’t seen it yet, unless they mean after God shows up. Which I think is possible considering Lucifer’s reactions towards his mother.

Okay so, I am not a psychologist and can only really speak to my own experience with certain aspects of PTSD, so I’m gonna use the symptom criteria given by the mental health charity Mind, which goes thusly: 

Reliving aspects of what happened

This can include : 

vivid flashbacks - we’ve seen Lucifer have one of these, when he Goddess reveals that Chloe is a miracle. 

intrusive thoughts or images - his constant fear that his dad is controlling/targeting/manipulating him probably qualifies

intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma - Lucifer gets very upset and stressed about how humanity sees him and that his father essentially vilified him for eternity as well as throwing him into hell

Alertness and feeling on edge

This can include: 

hypervigilance - there’s a screenshot of Linda’s file for Lucifer that mentions he feels “paralyzed” struggles to relax because he feels like he’s being watched constantly by God. 

lack of sleep or disturbed sleep - the same screenshot mentions sleep issues and that he can, presumably, lay awake worrying “for hours before falling asleep” (apparently he’s also iron-deficient, which...probably ties in with the fact that hell doesn’t get a lot of sunlight)

being easily upset or angry - just look at how upset he gets whenever someone says “the devil made me do it”

avoiding feelings or memories

which includes: 

avoiding anything that reminds you of the trauma - see: repeated, messy amateur-hour wing amputation because he can’t stand to be reminded of what he was/what he lost or to be linked to his father again

feeling emotionally numb or cut off from your feelings - the man hasn’t emotionally matured in billions of years

self-destructive or reckless tendencies - i mean. lucifer’s self-destructive spirals are legendary. like the time he tried to goad that rookie into shooting him, or the time he stood in front of a sniper and begged him to shoot and nobody ever mentioned it again

inability to express affection - he can’t tell chloe he loves her. if he says it out loud, it makes it real, and she becomes something his father can take away from him and know it will hurt him. as long as he doesn’t say it, he’s got some plausible deniability, he can pretend he doesn’t care. also, while he’s getting a lot better about it, early seasons lucifer clearly doesn’t understand nonsexual physical affection (i.e. being hugged) and his attempts to express affection to chloe are often mistimed, inappropriate or bizarre. this is a man who’s grown up in a completely loveless environment. he didn’t know how to love or be loved. humanity had to teach him. 

alcohol and drug use - lmao. “Only if you call ingesting millions of dollars worth of cocaine a problem. I call it a Tuesday.”

difficult beliefs or feelings

which includes: 

feeling like you can’t trust anyone - his reaction to chloe’s betrayal in 1x13, when she tries to arrest him. it’s been a while since I watched the ep, but he says something like “The one person I trusted - you - I thought you were different. I was wrong.”

feeling like nowhere is safe - again, that screenshot. he thinks he’s being watched All The Time. his own family has repeatedly tried to kill him. he’s never been allowed to feel safe on earth before because he was always trying to outrun amenadiel showing up to drag him back to hell. him choosing to stay and make los angeles his home - and then fighting for it when lux was at risk of being demolished - was a huge step for him.

feeling like nobody understands - he’s outright said this to chloe and linda a few times. “why bother [talking to chloe about his problems]? you won’t believe me anyway, you think everything i say is a metaphor.” and the “how can you possibly presume to know god’s intentions? stick within the limits of your own intellectual capacity” conversation

there’s also complex ptsd (c-ptsd), wherein sufferers experience ptsd symptoms as well as additional issues such as: 

feeling permanently damaged or worthless - clearly. early seasons lucifer can’t conceive of a relationship that doesn’t revolve around a human wanting something from him; sex, or a favour, or a desire fulfilled. it doesn’t even occur to him that he’s loveable in his own right, the only value he assigns himself as a person comes from what he can do for or give to others. lucifer is very vain, but he also uses that vanity to hide his non-existent self-esteem. 

feeling like nobody can understand what happened to you - i mean, he’s kind of justified here in that what happened to him was eons of torture and divine retribution, and nobody can understand because a) we don’t live that long and b) the majority of his human friends think he’s harmlessly insane, but he’s said as much to chloe and linda

avoiding friendships and relationships, or finding them difficult - until chloe, lucifer’s relationships with humanity had all been surface-level sexual liaisons with no attachment or commitment. “the best night of my life”, say all those people in their interviews with chloe, but none of them considered it to mean anything, even though it clearly meant something to lucifer. he pushes people away or flees when they get too close, because he’s terrified of emotional intimacy. he’s terrified that they’ll eventually realise that he’s evil and worthless and all the things humanity says he is, and that he doesn’t deserve their love. poor thing has been in therapy for years to try and navigate Baby’s First Friendship. lucifer is naturally sociable, but he’s so traumatized and messed up from the billions of years of solitary confinement that he’s terrified of connecting with people even as he’s desperate for it

suicidal feelings - we’ve had at least two onscreen suicide attempts, even though neither was ever really addressed by his loved ones. both times he tried to goad someone into shooting him, knowing that chloe was nearby and that he was vulnerable; he knew he would be killed if either gunman took the shot. he even tells amenadiel he was trying to achieve a “nice, messy” death. 

in conclusion: yeah he’s traumatized as fuck, god barging into his life after several billion years of abuse and abandonment is probably gonna fuck him up hard, and someone should address his suicidal tendencies. like...@chloe wrap your devil in a blanket and cuddle him, maybe? he’s Sad? look after him? 

[demisexualnathanvuornos]

Elizabeth Hansen/Wuornos in Haven 1x11 The Trial of Audrey Parker (2010)/ 1x13 Spiral (2010) 5x20 Just Passing Through (2015)

[oocstephenkingtv]

Haven 1x13 Spiral (2010)+ pastries 2/ 2

[lovecolibri]

Eternally fucking salty about the wasted potential of season 2. I was so ready for it and we should have seen messy, spiraling Michael for MORE than one episode. That 2x04 scene where Alex says that he blames himself for everything his family had done could have been part of Michael realizing how Alex has been feeling about all this and what was going on with him. And then when Alex started dating Forrest because he thinks Michael isn't an option anymore, that could have been what snapped Michael out of his spiral. THEN Michael could have doubled down on dating m*ria because he didn’t think ALEX was an option. We could have gotten lots of longing glances, a touch of jealousy. Maybe Michael making a snide comment about how it must be nice for Alex to finally have someone he likes being seen in public with, and Alex just snapping back that at least Forrest is staying with his family and if Jesse murdered him and buried his body in the desert someone would notice. Which could make Michael think for a moment about the threats Jesse might have used to keep Alex away and scared all these years. Alex would get napped and Michael would go feral and maybe break up with m*ria because it's ALEX and he has to GO, or we could have gotten a “thank god you’re alive” kiss when Michael saw Alex finally and then he would actually rescue Alex and after they solve the bomb problem (without killing Jesse because there was more story there to tell with him, but WITH Greg stepping between the gun and Michael because WE STAN GOOD BIG BROTHER GREG) they would just stand there holding each other with their foreheads pressed together and would have totally forgotten m*ria, and f*rrest  (or anyone else for that matter) existed until m*ria comes up and sees them. They would separate with things still uncertain but then by the end, Alex would sing, we’d get an epic Malex kiss or an equally epic talk ending with some kind of “What do we do next?” Narrative satisfaction.

But now, because we had Michael being weirdly ambivalent about  Alex without any reason (as he says in 2x04 that  Alex isn't to blame for what happened, so whyyyy didn't he return to Alex in 1x13 if that was the case?! It doesn't make any sense! Oh right! Because c*rina couldn't hit emotional beats or fulfill a narrative arc or take a character's motivation for doing things into account to save her life 🙄), and because Alex was forced to not be allowed to be shown having ANY emotions about m*luca, now we are going to be left with something that will ultimately be narratively unsatisfying. Because the only options are a) Michael isn't allowed to have emotions about f*rlex which doesn't make sense for his character (we should see, like we should have seen with Alex, at least a private moment where he has feelings about it) and undercuts how desperately in love for 10 years these men have been, and undercuts their importance to each other and the "cosmic" soulmates story, b) Michael is jealous and picks fights with Forrest and/or Alex and acts like the one who was jilted, which is ridiculous considering how he acted last season with m*ria and how Alex wasn't allowed to be anything but supportive and will make Michael look like such a dick, or c) he will just be sad and pining which, while it should make sense for his character and would normally be what I would want to see, it feels unearned after how he was written in season 2 and looks hypocritical. So instead of getting mutual jealousy and pining like we could have seen if they were dating other people at the same time, culminating in Michael's rescue of Alex and a desperate hug/kiss, we got them looking like they didn’t actually care all that much about each other because Michael “moving on” wasn’t really difficult for either of them. 

*deep sigh* at least it looks like they going with sad pining Michael and I’m more than happy to watch that and block the haters and FINALLY move on from that trash fire we got last season. May it never again rise from the grave.

[lux-i-fer]

S5 Trailer Thoughts Part One: Major plot/ characters

Intial thoughts: Fascinating plotline!! The Lucifer team really seems to have a cohesive storyline this time around. But let's talk about the elephant in the room, yeah?

Michael is here and what an interesting villain he is! What does he want and why does he want it? Well we know he wants to take over Lucifer's life on Earth but his reasoning behind it is less clear. My initial thought is that his motive has something to do with both Chloe's miracle status and Lucifer's redemption arc last season (i.e. Dad seemingly forgiving Lucifer). Based on what we've seen of Michael's personality so far, I'd say he's quite depraved himself; however, I theorize that Dad isn't so forgiving with the other siblings as he is with Lucifer 😉. While we're on this topic, let's talk more about Michael's character!

This shot is honestly what sold me on Michael as a character and Michael as a threat. I feel like this is the scene where we truly see who Michael is as a person, not as an embodiment of his twin, Lucifer. In this shot I truly believe Michael is the other side of Lucifer's coin. They share many facial quirks, such as the cold eyed stare and sardonic grin; however, there are discrepancies. Where Lucifer stares with almost righteous rage, Michael's stare is filled with so much contempt that it seems to devalue whoever it's directed at and whittles them down to an ant to be crushed under his heel. If that truly is indicative of his personality, what does that mean for the humans in Lucifer's life? Sure, Michael claims he doesn't want to destroy Lucifer's life on Earth, he simply wants to hijack it, but what is his definition of hijacking? Michael doesn't seem to value humanity in the way Lucifer does, what happens if/when he grows tired of their petty mortal lives?

Then we have their smiles, which is equally the most similar and dissimilar thing between the two. What I see in Michael's smile is a sadist type of joy that Lucifer's "laughing but it ain't funny" smile lacks. Michael seems to revel in pain, both as the punisher and punishee, if his fight with Maze is anything to go by. If Lucifer feels too much, I'd almost define Michael as feeling nothing at all. I view Lucifer as the morning star (obviously) and Michael as a black hole: devoid of humanity and absorbing everything in his path. He just seems to command this scene. We know that Maze just beat the shit out of him, and normally a fight like that would be the highlight of the scene, yet Michael just seems to suck all that attention away from Maze and to himself the moment he opens his mouth. He's fascinating and otherworldly in a way we've only seen from the likes of Mom, Uriel, Remiel, and s1 Amenadiel. To close out this section I'd like to put words to what many people are already thinking: Michael represents who and what Lucifer could have become had he let himself waste away in Hell. He is the embodiment of the callous Other living amongst humanity, detached and uncaring of anyone or anything that isn't himself.

But let's steer away from analyzing Michael and back to the plot at hand: Michael is attempting to pull the ol' Parent Trap scheme, except nobody's happy and there's more at stake than just some botched camp ear piercing and a London plane ticket. I know I've already seen some anxiety surrounding this plotline and to that I say: why? In my opinion I feel as though this bait and switch will fool no one. Just look at him for God's sake! There is simply something wrong about Michael's interpretation of his brother. To a stranger, perhaps Michael could pass as Lucifer; however, to people who know him, I'd find it very difficult to keep up the charade successfully. Sure, it may fool #TeamLucifer for a little bit (Michael bought himself some time by telling Chloe "thousands of years in hell has changed me") however I doubt this will fly for very long. Chloe may have turned a blind eye to some glaring things about Lucifer in the past, but I don't think she can quite convince herself to do it again for s5.

Take this shot, for example. Chloe's face tells me that something is Very Off. And not to mention Dan! Dan, of course, seems to look to be more exasperated than anything, although I wouldn't be surprised if he noticed something off as well. Dan has spent a season and a half (and the better part of his down spiral) hyperfocused on Lucifer. He knows Lucifer better than Lucifer himself would probably care to admit. We see in episodes like 1x05 and 2x07 that they do have things in common both interest-wise and personality-wise. I feel as though discounting Dan's intuition just because of his current (erratic) mental state is extremely preemptive. The show has already showed us that we shouldn't be doubting characters who possess paranoia towards Lucifer. Some of the most paranoid characters (Reese, Jimmy Barns, the Street Preacher from 1x13) every criminal ever) have all been correct about Lucifer's true identity. Why would that change now? I think Dan has always been the character to watch regarding the supernatural, and I stand by that claim even more so for s5.

This is a change of pace from character analysis, but I'm just curious about this shot! It's clearly a Shining reference, but why? Is this symbolic of Lucifer wasting away trapped in hell, similar to how Jack wastes away trapped in the Outlook Hotel? I'm curious to find out!

The last screencap I want to discuss is this one. Right off the bat what I notice is the wing color; they're not white!

Later on in the trailer we see that Michael's wings are a different color than Lucifer's white ones! So is this Lucifer or is this Michael? The wing color would imply this is Michael; however, as we've theorized up above, it seems uncharacteristic of Michael to care this much about humanity (especially when that human is Chloe!). Is Michael willing to feign emotion to pass as Lucifer? It's hard to know from the trailer alone!

Closing Thoughts:

This season seems to have a lot going for it. S4 set up this arc beautifully and I can't wait to see where the cast and crew take us. I firmly believe based on what we've seen so far that Michael will be the perfect character to tie up this five season story. (Obviously s6 has been greenlit but considering that to my knowledge s5 has not been altered to accommodate for it, I'm treating s5 as the conclusion to the previous overarching plotline.)

Part Two

[jadelotusflower]

Robin Hood Rewatch: 1x13 A Clue: No

“Previously on” recaps can be annoying, but there is an art to it and I love a good one. This is a very, very good one, summarising the last episode with ramping tension as the music builds, then cuts to a different take of the last scene as the theme song starts, and we’re into the opening credits.

This is a long one, so it’s going under the cut:

Guy estimates that the “inner circle” of Robin’s gang is “a dozen at the most” and I find it very funny that neither he nor Vaisey have twigged that it’s always the same five people around him. What’s more annoying than funny is that they don’t know how many are in the “outer circle” because that really should have been A Thing in the show (Forrest and Hanton should have come back to guest star! I will never let this go!) After all, we see Little John with more men in the first episode, there are other outlaws in the forest/across the shire that are either working with Robin, or pose a risk to them, and I wish this had been explored.

Djaq manhandling and holding her sword to Pitts’s throat - I love Djaq.

The first arrow Robin shoots is intended for Vaisey, but one of the guards inconveniently walks in front and gets it in the chest. The second arrow is intended for Vaisey as well but he ducks (”my tooth!”) so we can’t fault the writing for a credible attempt at Why Doesn’t Robin Just Kill The Sheriff, because in this scene at least, he tries.

Bye Pitts. You certainly were.

I actually really love this scene (which probably seemed odd given the high body count), but Robin drawing his sword and charging, with Much, Djaq, and John backing him up to avenge Marian’s apparent death/make a final stand, as the music shifts from the jaunty Rescue Theme to Marian’s Theme, just gets me every time.

Although thanks to the cast commentary, I can’t unsee Djaq flipping that guy over her head twice, but hey, it’s a badass move. Clearly they didn’t shoot enough coverage of this fight, because we get the same action from several different angles.

Other than the flashback in episode 8, I think this is the only time we see Robin in Crusader mode, and just how lethal he (and the gang) can be when unleashed and with nothing to lose. Even when the enemy retreats Robin remains kind of wild-eyed with rage unsated, and it takes a beat for him to snap out of it. It’s symbolism time - he sticks his sword in the ground and leaves it there, and we don’t see it again this episode (or much in season 2).

There’s some nice acting going on from everyone in this scene - just utter exhaustion, Allan and Will oblivious to why the rest are so distraught, Much taking it upon himself to tell them but can’t say the words, and Robin with the finality of “she’s dead.” Their faces!

Djaq is still holding two swords as she enters the cave, which is a nice character beat - no doubt the fight also brought back unpleasant memories/triggers for her, and she remains on edge, for the moment unwilling to give up her defences even when the threat is gone.

I really love this scene too (the gang mourning Marian) and I think it’s quite deftly written - Djaq’s immediate reaction being the importance of a quick burial (as per Islamic tradition), Robin trying to keep it together, attempting to ask John/Will to build a coffin but unable to, so deflecting to ask Djaq to prepare Marian’s body, before trying twice again; John soothing him and taking charge. Will’s single tear and speaking of Marian’s goodness. Much responding with “Good? Oh, she was... She was...” looking to Robin because of course his thoughts are for Robin’s grief before his own, and also that his own relationship with Marian was complex. Allan: “She was alright...yeah” that says so much, and of course John’s “Her, we liked.” Again, some fine acting, kudos everyone.

“I loved her and I never told her” is ironic because Robin still won’t tell her until halfway through the next season, and if he had in the aftermath of her apparent death he could have spared himself a lot of the angst of the rest of the episode. But of course he doesn’t tell her, doesn’t learn from this moment, because emotions are hard, and sometimes we make the same mistakes over and over again.

I really love that it’s Allan that notices that Marian is alive, and his little “told ya” flourish.

Score note: while Marian is “dead” her Theme is strings, when she opens her eyes, it’s back to the guitar.

Guy’s guilt in finding out his impending marriage to Marian is based on false pretenses - would he still have forced the marriage if he’d known that from the start?

Djaq still has her two swords as they take Marian back to Knighton.

Guy, if your first instinct when told Marian is not at home is that she’s run away rather than marry you...maybe take a hint? “She cannot run from me” is a big yikes, and this confuses me as to Guy’s motivation in this scene. Did he intend to tell Marian the truth, but then convince himself otherwise (because “the excitement of the wedding” =/= “the wedding excites her”), but then why so angry when he thinks shes run? The difference between getting someone go/being left, I suppose.

Illness is a perfectly plausible explanation for delaying the wedding that no one seems to think of.

Edward is actually pretty bang on in this scene with Robin from a father’s perspective, telling him to let Marian go if he cannot stop it, and do the right thing. On the other hand...

“I am sick of doing the right thing” is why Robin is such a compelling character for me - because it is hard to always be good, to be held to that higher standard, and make the unselfish choice. I enjoy narratives that explore that, and this show is surprisingly unflinching about it, exemplified by:

The next scene, which is one of the most emotionally brutal/hard to watch of the entire show, in which Robin lashes out and does everything to drive Much away, including calling him “a pox”  and a “small man” until Much’s heart visibly breaks.

Now I don’t want to excuse Robin here, because he is objectively awful to someone who doesn’t deserve it, who is trying to give him support but also telling him some much needed hard truths (even if it is slightly self-serving, which is what what seems to set Robin off). But at the end of the day, if he loves Marian he needs to accept that it is her choice to marry Guy, to “do the right thing” to (she thinks) protect her father - and later of he does just that. For now Edward and Much are both right, it is more important for him to try and protect the king from Vaisey, because if he is ousted and Richard back on the throne so many lives would be improved, including the people of Locksley. But Robin has been pushed to breaking point all season, and has now snapped and can’t see reason, but is stuck in his own grief/rage.

But unlike previously, when Robin said regrettable things in the heat of the moment and then immediately took them back, this is a calculated attack designed to hurt Much the most, because he loves Robin so much that it takes A Lot to push him away. It’s a bold move to make your hero so unlikable in such a moment, because Robin really is unforgivably cruel here, and trust the audience to understand why. I mean, I don’t want to bang on about the PTSD, but it’s (partly) the PTSD, based on a triggering, precipitating event causing a self-destructive spiral. Robin needs some Ye Olde Therapy.  

For all the talk about Robin getting his title and lands back, nothing is said about what happens to Gisborne once he does, other than that they can’t prove he was the one who tried to assassinate Richard. Because really, Richard probably would believe Robin even though the tattoo was burned away, and Guy’s certainly committed other crimes that could be testified to just like they’re intending for Vaisey - and let’s be real, it’s not like a king needs evidence to order someone’s death (hello, season 2 finale). Boom - Guy executed, marriage to Marian annulled, problem solved!

So, the scene between Marian and Guy, in which Marian is more concerned with whether or not Guy tried to kill the king than the fact that he stabbed her. But its understandable, because Marian thinks there’s no way out that doesn’t risk her father’s life, and it’s easier to convince herself that maybe Guy didn’t do it to make the best of things. I think she does have some kind of feelings for him, or is at least moved by his feelings for her, and believes if nothing else she can influence him/continue working from the inside; giving up the mantle of the Nightwatchman but doing the same work (in a different way) as Lady Gisborne.

And then it’s Robin/Marian angst, round 3, and it’s a far cry from their interaction in the cave milliseconds away from “I love yous” - in both tone and body language they’re back in defensive positions talking past one another. The tension, it be thick.

Marian is making her best rationalisation with “deprived of love” and Robin not at all buying the Woobification 101. Once she tells him her decision to marry Guy, he accepts it, but it’s Marian’s reaction that’s telling, she’s surprised that he doesn’t argue, deep down she wants him to fight for her, to say that the real reason she shouldn’t marry Guy is because he loves her. It’s quite a contrast from the previous scene where Guy was very open about how he feels about her, while Robin deflects, but while she was conflicted about Guy trying to kiss her, she’s frustrated, disappointed, and angry when Robin leaves.

But really, this is rather unfair of Marian, because Robin did already declare himself in the cave (”we should be together”) without her reciprocation, so expecting him to take the first step again without any encouragement is a bit much.

Would a depressed person sit slumped against a tree all night?

“But by taking Marian in holy wedlock, I will wash away those crimes. Her pure heart will cleanse mine.” Yeah...not going to touch that one. I appreciate that there’s a lot going on with Guy and many, many people find it compelling, but I’m afraid it’s not really a narrative that interests me.

Speaking of pure hearts: Much. Faced with the same choice he was counseling Robin on, but with the additional wrinkle of knowing the king’s an imposter, he still decides to stop the wedding. “Her heart belongs to another” is A Moment and I don’t know exactly why but I find his very soft pleas following this and calling her “my lady” very affecting. 

She’s beauty and she’s grace, she punched Guy in the face.

“A trap. I knew it.” I haaaaate this line. NO YOU DIDN’T KNOW IT ROBIN YOU KNEW NOTHING OF THE KIND IF YOU HAD KNOWN YOU WOULD BE EVEN MORE OF A DICK FOR LEAVING UGGGHHHH.

“We can’t be seen together” Right in front of my salad two guards on front gate duty, who get front row tickets to the kiss. Look at them! They’re right there! This show drives me absolutely bonkers sometimes.

I do love this dress though.

“An audience with the king has been suspended!” Going out on one last pun.

Regardless, I really love this episode. Despite the lack of fallout from the emotional wringer they all went through, I can’t help but smile when the gang does their silly little jump for joy at the end.

[gra-sonas]

The s2 synopsis that came out right after 1x13 was vague, and almost all of it applied to only the first episode. Remember when we thought Michael would spiral for at least half a season and actually deal with stuff, but he was already the perfect boyfriend candidate by the end of 2x02? I would expect much of the s3 synopsis is 3x01, and Liz will be heading back to Roswell by the end of the episode with the new guy. If Liz is firmly back in focus, they can't isolate her for long.

Yeah, Michael’s spiraling was cut VERY short. 😑

I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the S3 synopsis either. They had to write it before S2 even ended, and it was written at a time when CAM was still in charge. For all we know S3 could be heading in a completely different direction.

According to the announcement, Heath is a recurring role (meaning he’ll be in more than one episode). Why would he follow Liz to Roswell tho? It’s not like there are plenty of job opportunites for super ambitious biomedical engineers. Also, if he follows, does that mean there’s a romantic link between them? Does he tag along for fun and is roped into alien shenanigans? 

Either way, Liz better be firmly back in focus. It’s what she (AND JEANINE) deserves!

[lambourngb]

he’s got a smart mouth but a good heart - Michael Guerin

It’s Day 2, celebrating characters, and much to my own surprise, at the end of season 2, Michael Guerin decided to move into my brain and take up residence. Obviously I still love Alex Manes (He lives first and foremost in my brain since 1x08), but there was something about how Michael buried his own pain about his mother to help everyone in season two that rang pretty true to my own life right now. I didn’t always like what he was doing in season 2 but I understood it.

Anyway, when I find a story that celebrates how complicated he is, I cheer and rejoice- so here’s a few of the stories that I have gone back to again and again.

Truck stop knives and other assessors of childhood @angsty-aliens (13,200) I can’t lie, I love a good trope story, and I especially love a good sci-fi trope story, so this story hits all of my buttons. It takes our two science nerds, Liz and Michael, mucking around, and accidentally creating a version of Michael- but not just any version, but the child who hitchhiked to Fosters ranch, completely over humans and desperate to find his family. The kid who was feral from neglect and abuse... he was the cutest thing and the most mortifying thing that ever happened to Michael to be displayed and shown. This story takes the de-aged trope and turns it on its head, and oh yeah, there’s a sweet backdrop to Michael and Alex getting together.

Implicit Memories of You by @ninswhimsy (3464) - So this is an amnesia story canon-divergent story set after 2x11 basically, where they use the mind erasing drug on Michael. I know, I’m reccing this about Michael characterization, but it’s so solidly him after all the memories are stripped away and he’s acting on instincts, locked in a room to torture Alex with before death. There’s so much going on in so few words, something that Nin is a master at, especially the ephemeral remembrances of his mother that Michael has- oof right in the feels.

Maybe this time (he’ll stay) by @hannah-writes​ (7700) This is a sequel to one of my favorite stories I recced last year, dealing in alternative timelines where in one world, Michael is lost and alone and has pushed Alex away, and in another world where Alex came home from Iraq in a flagged draped coffin. It answers the question, what about Mikey? Where’s his happy ending? The confirmation of the multiverse means there’s an Alex out there who needs him- and through trial and error, Michael finds him. The world building in both stories is top notch, because for every action, there’s a reaction and reason shaping Michael.

Constant as the northern star by celzmccelz (53,000) - don’t know the tumblr here - This is an Mpreg, and it starts solidly after 1x13 and goes AU from there. But what if in the 100 mile drive home from Caulfield, Michael and Alex share a grief-induced moment of insanity where they fall back into their oldest language- sex for comfort, and then Michael does everything he does in the finale, including turning toward Maria, what if there was a souvenir? Despite the trope of mpreg, this is just how I see Michael, deeply in love with Alex but unable to trust that Alex feels the same depth in return. The friendships in here are also top-notch, from Kyle being a baby-doctor, to Isobel having her own Max-related spiral unable to let go of her brother only to refocus on Michael, to Liz fucking off with Rosa for the first half of the story because she’s caught up in her own grief (which turned out to be canon!). And there’s a whole plot here! With Jesse Manes being the worst.

Leave the light on by @sabrinachill​ (36,900) - Confession time- I love fake dating as a trope, I know, shocked right? But I especially love it with RNM because Malex are exes by 1x03. Mattie nailed the dynamic of pining and the assumption of unrequited love so well in this story. Although the POV switches here a bit between chapters, (and Alex is fabulous) what I really really loved was how she wrote Michael, in love but convinced that he’s messed up too much for Alex. Aware of his faults but not in a sullen way, but an acknowledgment that he was in a bad place and Alex hasn’t always been the best remedy him in the past. It was a very mature take on the “give me another chance” trope in Malex reunion stories, where both sides had a share of blame. The plot was suspenseful and tight (how do people do that???) with a climax that honestly shocked me! I really enjoyed rereading it while I prepped my rec-sets, and I won’t be surprised if this story isn’t mentioned by everyone doing ‘Creators Week’. It’s worthy of all the love.

Temporary wounds by @prouvaireafterdark​ (7800) - How many times can I rec this story? Hopefully you’re not bored by my adoration of this Lynne.  So even though it’s set post-season 1 with the assumption that Michael/Maria will fizzle out while Alex/Forrest date- it’s actually perfectly set for season 3 (an author who is psychic??). As a rule, I hate jealousy as a trope, but this story has the only type of jealousy I want to see on screen- where Michael wonders what was missing inside of him that Alex didn’t want to be public during their long affair (even with the acknowledgment that Alex was too scared before)- like that type of sad pining is my catnip!

The first who ever did by nostalijinks (33,000) post season 1, but really it also stands pretty well after season 2.  There was an interview during season 1 I think that talked about how all Michael really wanted was to be a hero to Alex (the way he stepped in front of Jesse as a kid)  but he thinks he failed at it since Alex enlisted. That failure soured him in ways but he never stops trying, for Alex. This is a really well done 5 times plus 1 story, with an overreaching arc of reconciliation between Alex and Michael, starting as teenagers, then as adults while Michael is with Maria, then as friends, real friends, trying to support Alex as Alex dates. The whole emotional journey of maturity that Michael takes here is so well done, where there’s no real villains in the friend group. I just love it. I wish the author had written 100 more like this one, but as a standalone work it’s epic.

The person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger by @iwontbeyourmedicine​ (25,000) Ly has a very large body of work, that you could spend days paging through on AO3 or tumblr, but this one hits two of my kinks hard- the amnesia story line and true love conquers all. So three fandoms ago I was huge into Steve/Bucky, that iconic moment in Cap 2 where Bucky breaks through the brainwashing has never left me. This story takes my love for that moment, and makes it Malex. Alex gets programmed by his family and set loose on his friends, on the aliens and it’s a shitshow bloodbath since he’s really fucking good at kicking ass. Michael is caught between keeping everyone safe and trying not to hurt Alex, and the tension is just top-notch. I love how it’s not an immediate fix either, the way they circle each other in the aftermath, wanting to come home, but home would be a totally new step for both of them. Just chef’s kiss good at joining action, angst, and romance together.

Into the palm of your hand by @haloud​ (5900) hal is a treasured friend, so I am admitting some bias here, but we both enjoy talking about how wonderful and sad Michael is and how desperately we enjoy poking at that softness and then wrapping him up with love again... so this story was written pre-shamegate (and if you know what that means, I’m sorry) but it matches my head canon of what the history of hiding does to someone. The internalization of believing maybe there’s a reason behind the hiding that has nothing to do with homophobic townies. Alex has an ex boyfriend come to town, and he doesn’t tell Michael. And omg the journey hal takes us on with Michael’s spiral and Brave Little Toaster act was so wonderful and painful and real. The communication between these two was top notch as they worked through a road bump from the past, and let’s face it, once we get our malex back, these things are going to happen, and it will either tear them apart or bring them closer together- I prefer to believe it will be closer together.

There is beauty in a failure by @jule1122​ (2400) There’s been a few Greg and Michael stories to pop up on my radar after 2x10, and this one was one of my favorites. This is a Greg who pulls no punches in exposing his brother’s past to Michael, but also gives Michael the space to work through what he wants. It’s an AU from 2x12, that allowed Michael to break up with Maria for basically the same reasons that Maria used on him in 2x13. The way Michael is able to what he wants and communicate it Alex in the end- so good! We can only hope to see something similar in season 3.

I don’t know what to think (but I think of supernovas) by @queersirius​ (3900) This story is a delight from start to finish- I mean frustrated cursing turns the console on into a hologram who then takes the most pleasing form to Michael’s eyes? SIGN ME UP for those shenanigans. I fucking loved how Isobel saw it first too. And then the comedy of Alex discovering it? And what happens afterwards? Oh it’s so delicious. Now of course, full disclosure, this light-hearted romp through the feels also inspired me  to think up a much much sadder version of Michael building an AI for companionship considering how isolated he ended up being at the end of Season 2 and we all know Michael needs friends, badly.

Innuendo by the Roswell anon (6000) written for @bisexualalienblast​  the roswell anon is my favorite treasure in this fandom, I could pretty much list all of their stories as examples of some very fine Michael Guerin characterization. This one was one of my favorite post-season 1 fix-it fics though, because it has some of the most real 28-30 year old guy dialogue I’ve come across- from the crude jokes, to the sharply self-deprecating observations- this is Alex and Michael stripped down, all edges but what’s left is fatigue and love. The resolution at the end, where Alex observes that yes, Michael has tried the last 10 years but this is their first chance to try together- to pull in the same direction? It just lays me flat on the ground with how true that is to canon.

Whenever You Want to Begin, Begin by @foramomentonly (3200) - this is a sequel, and the first story is dynamite- don’t get me wrong- but it moves from the hopeful side of an ending to legit Happily-Ever-After here, and I devoured every word. First of all, having Michael turn to photography as a way of self-improvement is fucking genius. Photographers are always at the center of every happy event, but never the focus, and that screams Michael to me, the way he lives on the outskirts of the 9-5 job and literal outskirts of town in his trailer. The other thing is photographers are revealed by their work, and that’s also something I head-canon with Michael just in the mundane- he’s good with his hands, he wants to leave a car better than he found. Anyway, this story is gorgeously written, moves a bit like a really good bottle of wine- heavy but soft, as you watch Michael become Alex’s friend, and even more importantly, Alex becomes Michael’s friend. Fantastic- I’ve read it about four times now since it was published.