#3x06 Revelations

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Weekend everyone :) Whew we are almost halfway through s3 already it's crazy. I love how when we get little content the previous ep the next one has loads. This is Lucy’s first real foray into UC. Seeing that deeper Harper/Lucy bond. Tim’s freak out and protectiveness. Such a good one for so many reasons. So many more gifs I wanted to use but sadly Tumblr keeps me to 30. They need to up that ha Oh well let’s get this started.

3x06 Revelations

Our ep starts out with Tamara and Lucy. Lucy making sure she gets at least one good dinner for the week. I just love their relationship so much. Tamara was such a good addition to the show. Adding some extra depth for Lucy. She is an excellent pseudo mom to her. Tamara asks if she can interview Lucy for a paper for school. Has to do with women in male dominated fields.

Lucy is adorable in her reply saying she's honored she’s asking her. How far these two have come. Lucy says she should be off early tomorrow. Let's Tamara know she’s just doing site security with Tim. It’s for the CCOA. Basically a convention for UC cops. I did love her saying ‘My Sergeant’ when explaining her work plans tomorrow. Made me happy. Yes he is. In more ways than one. Heh

We first join our lovely duo running security checks at the entrance. Lucy asking if Tim does this every year? Tim tells her no but he went with Isabel once to this. Look our boy bringing up Isabel casually. Being the one to and not have it bring him down. I'm so proud of him. Doesn’t phase him like it used to. Not only that but he’s cracking jokes over here.

Saying he just worked on his tan while Isabel attended seminars haha Replying to her question about what they teach here with sass. Tim tells her he has no idea but he's clearly having fun with his reply. Lucy still isn’t used to his sassy side. Her reaction above says it all. You did this lady hehe Enjoy the fruits of your labor madam.

Their lighthearted moment is interrupted by an old friend of Tim’s. He drives up like a bat out of hell. Tim is excited to see him (at first...) Tim is in such a good mood when he rolls up. Just outside cracking jokes with his girl having a good time. Even introduces Lucy (by her first name BTW) to his friend proudly. Shortly after their reunion Tim realizes the girl in the car is not his wife….

She blatantly hits on him calling him pretty. I mean he is. Look at the man. I’ve said before he is sex on stick. Mack notes he only gets prettier with age. He's not wrong...it’s true. Loved Eric since his DOOL days. Was in love with him then as a teenager and even more so now ha So that is accurate. Aged like a fine ass wine. *chef kiss*

Tim pulls Mack aside and wants to talk. Lets him know if he wants to run around on his wife that's his business. But he looks high as a kite. I love the way Lucy watches the interaction. Already in protect Tim emotionally mode. Mack tells him it's just oxy. He got hurt on the job month ago and the pain is a bear.

He takes off before Tim can say more and the look of worry on Lucy's face only increases. She can tell Tim is shook up about seeing his old friend this way. It’s affecting him more than he would like. I think he must’ve been in the academy with Tim. To watch someone you used to be close fall from grace is never easy to watch. Especially when it's so closely related to what Isabel was like.

Lucy spies on Harper giving a lecture to potential female UC’s in the making. You can see her interest is piqued. Harper even spots her before she shuts the door. Cracks me up the way she jumps when Tim catches her. I always love me some arm crossed disapproving Tim. Mmm. gimme. His emotions are written all over his face. They honestly color his attitude for almost the entirety of this episode. He’s not upset she snuck a peak. He’s upset she’s interested in UC. The way he looks back that that sign says it all. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach has settled and its not going anywhere.

This next scene we start to see Tim’s demons about UC surface a little. That good mood of his is long gone. He immediately confronts her about it. Asking her if she was spying in on seminars? She can’t lie to save her life when he looks at her. She adorably replies maybe…She's so excited by the prospect of UC she isn’t picking up on the stress Tim is throwing down in this scene.

He chews her out a little for spying and why it was wrong. I think we all know this has zero to do with the spying. That it 100 percent has to do with the subject matter that’s peaked her interest. He is trying to cut this off at the pass. He is not remotely excited about her being interested in UC at all..

We return to our couple reporting to Mack’s room. His wife Beth is banging on the door. His mistress won’t let her in. Tim doesn't have time for this and kicks the door down. Oh my. He runs inside and sees Mack has OD’d. Lucy goes and gets the Narcan to revive him. Mack comes to and is begging his wife to stay. He is so very out of it. His wife storms off saying she can’t do this anymore. Ugh poor Tim. The look he shares with Lucy kills me. The pre-tears and all. The fact that he's upset and looks back at her for support. My heart. This was not how he envisioned spending this day. It was supposed to be an easy security site job that turned into so much more.

Tim rejoins Mack at the hospital. He is so very angry with him. His pre-tears are killing me in these scenes with Mack. Poor Tim this ep is bringing up a lot of demons for him. Ones he truly thought he was putting behind him. Not just UC ones either. Telling Mack he’s not making the same mistakes he did with Isabel. Tim has made major strides when it comes to her but those scars still linger. They’re not gone and probably never will be fully. I’m sure he still tortures himself about his inaction with her. He won't do that again. To Tim this is a way to make up for that. Atone for that sin.

Lucy is leaving for the day when she spots Harper waiting at her car. Now I said when Harper joined the show how excited I was. That her and Lucy’s relationship was one of those reasons. These are the moments that I love so much. Harper is straight with her and says 'You know we’re gonna have to talk about it right?' Clearly referring to her sneaking a peak.

Lucy thinks Harper is there to scold here just like Tim did. The beautiful thing about this scene is she doesn’t. Nyla encourages and supports her UC aspirations. This is where she becomes her UC mentee really. After Lucy explains why she peaked in Harper can’t help but want to help Lucy with this.

Can sense her genuine excitement about it. Even agrees to drinks to talk about it. Hell it’s her idea how far we’ve come ❤️ Lucy postpones her interview with Tamara to go out with Nyla. Harper then gets a distress call from one of her old UC contacts. Asks if Lucy wants to come instead of a rain check on drinks? She jumps on this offer immediately. Wanting to see first hand what an operation is like.

Harper sends Lucy into the bar solo while she spots the tail on her friend. Lucy looks so amped to prove herself. She finds June or ‘Coco’ as she’s known right now at the bar. Sato joins the table immediately after Lucy does. Obviously he is the tail June has been worried about. The balls on Lucy in this moment. If Tim could see her right now he would have a friggin heart attack. Lucy throws a damn drink in his face.

She covers her ass so well and pretends she’s the chemist. Really smart move on her end. Even though he buys Lucy’s story Sato and his guard make them both move outdoors. Harper is waiting in the wings like the BAMF she is. Takes out Sato’s guard easily. Harper tells Coco there’s a tracker on her car. They must be cops. Sato is now the one in trouble saying they’re not. Salonga his boss just wanted them surveilled.

Coco up's the price for pissing them off. He tells them if they do the price hike Lucy better be at the buy. Harper tries to shield Lucy. Telling them she doesn’t go on buys. Lucy jumps in and says she’ll go. That she's already spent her share in her head. Shocking both Harper and June. If Tim could see this he would be losing his damn mind. Well he will later on….

Crazy how good she is at this right away. Harper notices the immediate potential in her. They tell her she better bone up on chemistry. She beams like the nerd we all know and love. Says she got straight A’s in chemistry in high school. Of course you did haha Lucy gets so caught up in the moment she forgets she was supposed to do the report with Tamara. Oops.

Tim comes to Grey’s office about his report on Mack. Wade is asking him if he’s sure he wants to do it this way? Tim so desperate to right the wrong he did with Isabel he doesn’t hesitate. Says it’s the right thing to do. That it’s what he should’ve done with Isabel in first place. He warns him he'll lose his pension. Tim continues on says its right thing to do. Grey doesn’t disagree. Wade then tells him Lucy will be occupied with a UC op today. He is none too pleased about this and quickly heads to roll call room.

Tim acting like a mad worried husband from here on out. He is SEETHING above. That determined strut and crossing of his arms. His whole demeanor screaming his discontent. Anger ready to spill over onto Harper. So very worried because Lucy has volunteered for a UC op and a very dangerous one at that. He doesn’t hide his stress in the least. Lucy has become such a fixture in his life at this point. To potentially risk losing her to a UC op like he did Isabel…He can't handle the idea of it. The rest of this scene reflects that.

His demons coming out to play extra hard in this one for him. Lucy looks so excited when she's asked to stand up. She's so ready to prove herself. She is just excited in general. Then she turns around and sees Tim’s disapproving stance and stare. She freezes immediately and instantly feels reprimanded. Looks back at him one more time and sees his body language hasn't changed. Tim is emanating anger and Lucy knows it. Whew lord. He’s ready to eat Harper.

Before we move on let's take a moment to enjoy the forearm porn we’re getting here in the gif above. Hot damn. Arms are crossed, biceps bulging and his forearms look toned as hell. Sweet baby James should be a crime to be this attractive. But let’s get back to the episode before I gawk at him any further LMAO

The very SECOND the meeting is over Tim is all over Harper. Pushes off the wall and storms toward her. He is ready to tear her a new one about allowing this. Let’s remember this episode has been VERY rough on Tim to this point. It’s like he’s being forced down memory lane in the worst way possible. With maximum PTSD. He started the ep casual, having fun with Lucy. Even bringing up Isabel at a UC convention without it bothering him. Then Mack showed up and dominoes started to fall and haven't stopped. This scene is his boiling point with good reason.

From Mack who’s his friend forcing him to relieve his trauma with Isabel. Having to make an ethical call about his career due to him becoming an addict. To Lucy going undercover which he feels she was roped into. She wasn’t but he’s not exactly thinking straight right now. It's what happens when our emotions drown us. The logical part of our brain disconnects and all that’s left is intense suffocating emotion. Lashing out trying to get some semblance of control.

We also need to remember the last time he was involved in a UC op Isabel was shot in the head. Almost died. His PTSD is crying out in his scene. Harper tries to calm Tim down by saying she volunteered, Grey approved it and she has the best backup she could possibly have. The thing is though no matter of logic is going to penetrate his panic right now. Tim telling Harper she’s using Lucy and he’s losing his mind over it. He felt Isabel was used in her OP and now those feelings are bleeding over into Lucy’s. He is showing all his cards emotionally in this scene. The sheer terror he feels over Lucy going under cover. He doesn't want to lose her to same thing.

I love the writers for tapping back into these issues of his. They don’t just go away. They tend to linger on for a long time. They’ve left deep scars on him. This shows how raw this nerve still is for Tim. Now to top his day off they’re throwing his person into the one thing he fears the most. Lucy has become the one constant in his life. This incredibly resilient sunshine person that has become so important to him. He can’t stand the thought of being hurt or worse. His fears from 2x19 echoing in this scene. About not being about to protect her. To losing her and him having no say in the result.

I don’t think Tim even understands why he’s reacting this way. Most of their relationship he is like this. Acts without understanding the why behind it. Only that it is a driving force for him. It's not until 4x22 he starts to understand why he acts the way he does with her. He only knows right now it’s instinctual and he can’t stop himself from letting it out.

Lucy looks absolutely crushed by the time he says his line about her being used. The look they share before before he walks away. It's crushing to say the least. We all know how badly she wants to impress him. For him to be proud of her and what she’s accomplished to even be in this OP. Tim has always had her back. Supported her and truly seen her as a person. Had unrelenting faith in her this entire time. To not have that in this moment is rocking her entire world.

I adore Nyla for how she helps Lucy after Tim hastily departs. She’s the best mentor Lucy could have. I love these moments between them. The way she tells her it’s Tim’s issues not her. (It’s true but also it being Lucy adds tons of fuel to the fire for him) Lucy feeling stupid for wanting him to be proud. Harper is so wonderful in validating how she is feeling.

Doesn’t shame her for wanting Tim’s approval. That he got her this far. It makes sense she would want that. Tells her there is NOTHING wrong with it. Such a good scene for them. Why I love their dynamic so much. Harper is so good for Lucy and her confidence building. She covers what Tim can't. What I love about it. These were the scenes I was so excited to get to once she was on the show for these reviews.

Tim and Nolan have joined the op to surveil overhead. No way in hell he wasn’t going to be apart of this. I'm sure after that scene with Harper no one was going to stand in his way. Also how else could obsessively keep his eye on her if he’s at the station? Hehe Nolan thinks he’s helping by comforting Tim in this scene. Sorry John you don’t know him like that and his replies show it.

He is gruff, deflects and is cocky in his replies. All things he does with those he’s not comfortable around. Only Lucy gets soft Tim. I will commend Nolan for having the balls to say anything though. The gall of Tim to say 'Who said I was worried?’ Uh only anyone who’s interacted with you since this whole thing started. LOL The way you bit off Harpers head in front of a room full of people. But sure love you’re not worried…

Eric is so amazing in this scene. His face says the opposite of 'not worried' His stiff body language encompassing all his immense worry. Side note let’s not ignore the amazing shots of his jawline in this scene. Could cut glass on that thing. All scruffy too mmm love it lick it like a lollipop. Ahem anyways...His continued annoyance with Nolan shows as the scene goes on.

Especially when he tells Tim about how Lucy can handle herself. Tim is VERY aware of how capable she is. It’s why he’s a little offended in his reply. He seems annoyed Nolan even mentions she can handle it. As if he's telling Tim this for the first time. Like he hasn't ridden with her pretty much every day for a year plus. He's watched her develop into who she is now. He knows dude. Nobody knows it better than Tim Bradford how damn capable she is ya schmuck...(Oops my Nolan annoyance is showing) It’s what shakes him the most with her interest in UC. That she’s going to excel at it and that scares the hell out of him.

He is playing the worried husband to the letter. Easy Tim your feelings are showing. Showing enough that John Nolan who is usually scared of you is commenting on it. John is doing it to comfort Tim which I respect. But for Tim when it's not Lucy he isn't as receptive. As I stated about earlier he is only going to deflect, be cocky and gruff in his replies. Hence his line above. Tim isn’t going to be able to relax or breathe till she’s on the other side of this. So until then he is going to ward off Nolan and his compassion by being self assured. That he trained her so he’s not “worried". Whatever gets you through love.

Lucy acts like a complete bad ass during the whole thing. No surprise. Gets pulled into the limo with the boss and holds her own. Even speaks Tagalog impressing Salonga even further. Writes out the formula and preserves the OP. Doesn’t take long before she’s released and they’re given the money. That’s when everyone swoops in and arrests everyone. I read in theflyingdutchwoman’s amazing analysis in their anatomy Of a scene series (if you haven't read her stuff I highly recommend it) about Tim bailing on his post during this section. I couldn’t agree more I have no doubt the minute she stepped into that limo his ass was off that rooftop immediately. Ready to go when she needed him.

Tim is in fierce protector mode until he reaches Lucy. Then breathes a sigh of relief. Morphing into soft Tim instantly. Only for her. He quietly asks her if she’s ok? That small set of words exposing EVERYTHING about how he’s feeling. The anxiety and how stressed he was till this moment. She nods fervently and his body continues to relax. What follows this is so sweet. Let’s admire the way he holds her cuffed hands.

How gentle he is with her as he escorts her to the shop. He could have put his hands on her arms or elbow like Nyla got with Nolan. But then Nolan isn’t in in love with Nyla…He legit held her hands all the way to the patrol car. I love it sfm. Like he needed to do this to ground himself after the adrenaline rush he just experienced. Proving to himself that she’s there. She’s safe and he can relax.

Then comes the more beautiful part of the scene and really the episode if you ask me. Lucy isn’t expecting anything from Tim in this moment. Last time she saw him was his outburst about her even doing this. Then in the most Tim Bradford-esc way he voices how very proud he is of her. By telling her ‘You did good.’ To anyone else might not mean much. Or seem like much. To Lucy Chen it means the entire world. She knows Tim’s hang ups with UC. The demons he had arise with this. She also knows he’s putting aside those feelings to let her know he’s proud of her. Which is HUGE.

Because at the end of the day this OP was about Lucy and building her confidence in this area. He wants her to know that and does so. She craves his approval and support so much. Let’s not forget she grew up in an emotionally abusive household as well. Parents who withheld praise and support for anything she did. Never proud her. (I know that life) It’s why Tim’s approval means so damn much to her.

Why she lives and strives for it. Tim has had nothing but unconditional faith and support in her since day one. When he blew up about her doing this she thought she had lost that. These three words restore that for her. I don’t think Tim even knew the depth of how much him being proud of her meant. Ugh these idiots. I love them and their slow burn sfm. To round out the scene I adore Nyla’s wink at the end. She is also so very proud of Lucy. Handled herself like a damn pro. I love her so much for the impact she has on Lucy it’s unreal.

Poor Tim (said this a lot but seriously this ep is hard on him) has the episode end pretty roughly for him. Beth comes to find him and rip him a new one. Tim tells her he can’t excuse the past. But this is now and he stands by what he did. It calls back to 3x04 when he was telling Lucy the same thing. That he can’t fix what he did then but would make sure it wouldn’t happen again.

This situation is proof of that. Doing for Mack what he should’ve done for Isabel. It’s awful to watch her tear him apart. But the right thing and the easy thing are rarely the same. Unfortunately this is very true for Tim in this instance. He ends this ep on a low note and I just wanna hug him.

For Lucy it ends better. She makes up the report for Tamara by providing not just herself but Nyla and June for her repot as well. It’s cute to watch Tamara absorb all their banter. I love Lucy’s speech here it’s so good. Praising the women next to her in a way Tamara is revering them all. It's perfect way to the ep for them both. Such a good one.

~~~~

Side notes-non chenford

I love the introduction of Silas. I think that’s it’s didn’t really care about Nolan’s classes SL tbh. But cool castle reunion.

Thank you always to those who like, reblog and comment. Make creating these reviews so worth it shall see you all in 3x07 :)

[renegadesstuff]

Just Tim making sure Lucy's okay 🥹🤍

[itsclydebitches]

Don't mind me, everyone, just gonna slip on my Tedependent conspiracy hat for a bit...

Okay, for real though, can we talk about how Trent's backstory in 3x06 completely re-contextualizes his dinner with Ted in 1x03? Based on my own interpretation, the implied timeline is that Trent was married to a woman, attempted to come out to her and was dismissed (perhaps in large part because they were married: what do you mean you're gay? You can't be. You love me, etc.), either having his daughter forced Trent to become more honest about what he and his family needed, or they had her in an attempt to "fix" the marriage, she gets caught in the crossfire of all this, Trent comes out again, this time his wife believes him, they divorce, are still good friends, and their daughter is happier than ever because she has two loving parents who are now living their best lives.

Given her age - 3 at the start of the series, about 6 now - that means there's a decent possibility that Trent was still married at the beginning of the show.

And that his dinner with Ted is one of the things that pushed him to try coming out again.

As his core Ted is someone who is authentic and that authenticity is what catches Trent's interest. He's dismissive of it at first, literally thinking it's a "fucking joke," only to later end up with the revelation, "You really mean that, don't you?" - that Ted honestly enjoyed spending time with him. AKA, Ted says and does what he means, even when it seems completely unbelievable. How freeing must that be to see? I'm just imagining this interview-turned-dinner through the eyes of a man who is still unhappily married, mostly closeted, and struggling to help his daughter through the stress of that dynamic. Then he meets this sunshine of a coach who is so authentically himself that it initially comes across as an act, an exaggeration, a joke. But Ted never wavers, simply refuses to be anything other than himself. Soon he's doing even more than that, breaking down gender norms by characterizing the masculine, aggressive Roy Kent as the "little girl" from A Wrinkle in Time, burdened with the responsibility of leadership. He turns what should have been the end of a horrific day of shadowing into a dinner date and Trent finds himself answering the hard-hitting questions instead of his interviewee. Ted brushes off his accusation of greed with, "Wait, I'm supposed to be getting paid?" but Trent is completely caught off guard by Ted's "What do you love?"

The textual answer is "writing" and the fun fandom answer is "you," but if this is a Trent who still hasn't fully come out yet that's! A hell! Of a question!!! A closeted, queer individual's mind is going to jump to their biggest secret and, when offered an out, they're going grasp at it, so Trent eagerly agrees with Ted's guess of "writing" the same way Colin eagerly pulls the 'This is a gay bar? Haha, my mistake' card and makes a run for the door. Reading this interaction as Trent not just being gay, but potentially being closeted and unhappily married makes it less about the journalism (this strange coach likes me and thinks I can be a good person despite my invasive career choice) and more about his sexuality. Oh, no big deal, just having an intimate dinner with another good-looking man who's questioning me on love of all things and slowly inspiring me to be the best version of myself, which would require coming out to my wife again. This is a totally normal and not at all life-changing night! I definitely don't need to run away now!!

Via this reading Trent's article feels so loaded. Ted is "out there in the community" either "bravely or stupidly facing the music." That sounds a hell of a lot like a parallel to literally coming out and facing the music of a community's potential rejection, with Ted's American background/inexperience/unique personality acting as a stand-in for sexuality; the reasons he's labeled a "wanker" before anyone actually gets to know him - as the pub trio does while those very words are narrated by Higgins.

And then we have this:

"If the Lasso way is wrong, it's hard to imagine being right.... and though I believe that Ted Lasso will fail here... I can't help but root for him."

There are other elements at play here, like the football's celebration of ego and the threat of the club being relegated, but underneath it really sounds like a still-cynical Trent wanting to see the kind of changed world that those like Ted could bring about, but not really believing that it's possible. Given his history, is he really just talking about football when it comes to "the Lasso way"? I doubt it. Trent is potentially feeling trapped at this point in time, pessimistic to the point where yes, he still thinks that Ted will fail at football and creating a more inclusive, accepting community... but even still, Trent can't help but root for him. Of course he can't. He wants what Ted is offering. He needs it.

But then, of course, Ted succeeds! Not just in doing well by the club, but by the community as a whole. He maintains that inspiration and hope until, potentially, Trent felt like he could do something about his own situation. He found the nerve and strength to try again. So he comes out to his wife, they divorce, their daughter is happy, he goes on a date with a mustached man at the local pub, ditches him to try and 'interview' Ted, blows up his career because he realizes that his job is undermining the very thing he's been rooting for and he can't not give Ted a heads up, begins shadowing Ted as he looks for something "deeper," and then comes out to Colin, gazing wistfully across the water as he imagines being able to kiss a man after a win...

I'm not saying Ted Lasso is going to go there - and I'm DEFINITELY not saying there should be ANY accusations of queer baiting if/when they don't, because we've absolutely built the majority of this ship in fandom spaces - but I AM saying that if Trent's potential intersection of his history with Ted's influence and Ted's desire to shake things up while imagining bisexual triangles actually led to something... it would be a damn well done setup!

[thetarttfuldickhead]

I often wonder about how and when the team learns about Roy and Jamie’s special training arrangement. In 3x04, Roy and Jamie are just getting started; in 3x05 they’re not keeping it a secret but who knows what they team is or isn’t picking up; in 3x06 everyone is obviously aware of their new and predictably unhinged deal.

There’s a lot of ways the revelation can play out and I’m in love with all of them, but my favourite version (tonight, at least) has one of the other players just stumbling on some candid posted on the site formerly known as Twitter a few days after Zava’s left for his avocado farm. Roy having Jamie pull his bike is a little too late for this grand reveal, but I crave that same level of insanity; say it’s Jamie doing push-ups in the middle of the Richmond Green with Roy standing next to him and keeping a foot on his back, or some such.

“Guys, have you seen this?” Sasha might ask, rushing into the dressing room with his phone held high.

They haven’t. They’re all suitably awed/astounded/alarmed.

“Did Jamie piss Roy off again?” Colin wonders aloud, leading to a smattering of yeah, must have and nah, Jamie’s been minding himself, hasn’t he? and says here the chick who posted it sees them every morning there’s more pictures look and the discussion runs loud and agitated with no clear consensus, and then Jamie walks in, and they immediately swarm him, like the fuck is going on here, bruv?

“Uh, yeah, Roy’s been coaching me, hasn’t he? Like, privately.” Jamie’s doing a fair job of playing it cool, like it’s no big deal, like it’s just a thing, no particular reason for it. It’s nice to be the focus of the team’s attention once more, but he suspects they wouldn’t be best impressed if they realised it’s all to make him better than Zava ever was. (Which is bullshit, really, because Zava’s a right knob, yeah, and he fucked them over too, like properly.)

“He can’t actually force you to do that shit, can he?” Jeff asks, his silly brow furrowed in concern, and he’s sounding just a little uncertain, because he knows that technically he’s right, but this is Roy they’re talking about and… who the fuck knows what Roy can or can’t do, really?

“Yeah, mate, you should talk to the gaffer,” someone else chimes in, and there’s nods and yeah, Ted’ll say something, right, he’ll sort Roy out and stop him from torturing Jamie further.

Jamie waves their concern away. “No, lads, listen, I want him to do it,” he tells them. “It’s to make me better, right?” It’s already working, too; he can feel it, his endurance building, his strenght growing. He’s better than he’s ever been, and he’s only getting started.

The team contemplates that for a few moments, in hushed silence. “Man,” Van Damme eventually offers, “you couldn’t pay me to do that shit.”

“Yeah, well,” Jamie says, with a wink and a smirk, “no one’s offering to pay you, mate.”

And that’s that, really. The teams murmurs and shrugs and moves on. Just Roy and Jamie doing Roy and Jamie stuff, innit?

(Roy steps into the coaches' office, and Beard looks up from his book. “What?” Roy asks, because he knows all of Beard’s completely blank faces, and knows this one for the pointed interest it is. “You and Jamie, huh”? Beard asks. “Yeah, well,” is all Roy says, but Beard nods because yeah, that makes perfect sense actually.)

[vole-mon-amour]

I think we, as a fandom, moved on from 3x06 too fast. Trent and Colin. Roy and Jamie. Rebecca finally getting her needed relaxation time. The himbos' pillow fight. Will and his threesome. Higgins playing. Ted's revelation about Total Football. Coach Beard. Roy and Jamie again. Don't you worry about a thing.

[queseraone]

Positivity time—

Your top 5 badass, confident Lucy moments.

Because it never hurts to remind everyone what our girl is made of ☺️

Ooooooh yesssssss!!! Our girl is such a badass!!

This is actually kind of hard, because there are soooo many to choose from!!

1. Pilot (1x01) - The very first scene, arresting that guy who was going to steal her car. Is this is most badass thing she's ever done? Of course not, but it's a wonderful introduction, truly setting the stage for her character. She doesn't take that guy's shit for one second, and the confident, proud look on her face when she brings him in? YES!

2. I can't make a list of Lucy's most badass moments and not include the entire DOD/Caleb/Rosalind arc. Is it cheating to lump this all together? Sure. But you only gave me 5 spots total, so I have to get creative here! Starting with Day of Death (2x11), from her bravery through this entire ordeal, to the way she sought out and seized every single opportunity to fight back (physically and psychologically), to ultimately saving herself. The most badass to ever badass. Moving past DOD and into the following episode, Now and Then (2x12), we see Lucy's insecurities. But it's the very fact that she pushes through that shows us what she's made of. Not many people would be able to go through what she did and come out the other side, let alone as a stronger person. We see this again in nearly ever other instance that Rosalind or the case is mentioned, and we know Lucy is haunted by it. In Consequences (3x01), when she dismisses Tim's unease about having her visit Rosalind in prison, in Coding (4x17) when she her sense of justice ahead of her own trauma, in Double Down (5x01) when we see her visibly shaken by the news of Rosalind's escape, but then pushing her own feels aside and putting the case ahead of it all, and even in The Choice (5x04) we see her using her trauma - she won't let Bailey be left alone, subtly acknowledging her trauma and using it for something positive.

3. And here I am with another sneaky way to include more moments in this list - every single time Lucy is undercover. These moments alone would have eaten up every single slot. No matter the scenario she's thrown into, regardless of the amount of time she has to prepare, she fucking kills it. As the chemist getting into the back of Salonga's car (Revelations (3x06)), to her stint with the Rowena Razors (Crossfire (5x07)), to her middle-of-the-night, spur-of-the-moment rescue of Noah (Exposed (5x16))... as Nova (Triple Duty and Threshold (3x13 and 3x14)), as Sava (Double Down (5x01)), as Jamie (Going Under (5x21)). She's the most badass of badasses.

4. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1x03) - The fact that she's willing to stand up to her asshole of a training officer? A man who most people are afraid of crossing? SO BADASS. Not only does she stand up to him, but she refuses to back down after.

5. Safety (2x07) - I loved seeing Lucy work with Nyla here (and every other time it happens), and seeing her tiptoeing through that bomber's house, knowing one misstep could make the place blow? Bow down to the queen. You know she's scared - the very fact that she threw up the moment the coast was clear proves that - and yet she persevered. Because that's what makes a badass - not the absence of fear. We're all scared of something. It's what we do in the face of that fear that shows what we're made of!

I absolutely guarantee I've left out so many great moments. Truly I'm listing more off in my head right now. This woman is SUCH a badass. She's confident (not insecure), strong, and frankly just the best.

[raayllum]

I don't know if anyone has pointed this out yet but I see a parallel in Callum and Viren's dark magic dreams.

For Callum: "Your destiny is already written" vs "No! Destiny is a book you write yourself."

For Viren: "The path of Fate is already chosen." Vs "No, every step forward is a choice. I am free and so are you."

They both face the darkened corrupted versions of themselves who tell them their destiny is set in stone. But the untainted versions, they set themselves free.

The contrast lies in the perspectives the dreams are set with.

For Callum, it is from the point of view of the callum who is a clear slate. Going through his vivid dream connecting the dots along his adventure so far. Dark callum is defeated but he still doesn't wake up, he only does after figuring out the connection to the sky arcanum. Making his breakthrough.

For Viren, it is from the point of view of an already dark mage. Going through his life, but twisted in the dream. And at both the beginning and the end of it, Viren sees the younger version of himself. Not the younger Viren seeing him. It is inverted in Viren's dream. Because he has already lived a life of darkness, walked that path to the end. And yet, in his dream, his younger version still sets him free. And then he vows to do dark magic never again. A breakthrough.

They both wake up realizing something crucial and i wonder it is mote than just a motif of sorts that "your dreams will guide you" because of a very particular link.

STAR MAGIC. Hear me out. So, the dark dreams are associated with moments of life (though not portrayed as exactly as they happen, but things related to them), fate and destiny (being reminded that it is chosen when that choice can be very easily broken and one can walk away from the temptation of dark magic)

Fate and destiny and I think memories and dreams too relate most to the star arcanum. It's not so strange then that Aaravos, a star touch elf is tge founder of dark magic.

What are your thoughts?

Dreams, visions, fate, and wishes all relate to the Star arcanum. I wouldn't be surprised if experiences of revelation, highly obtained knowledge, and transcendence could as well. I think the dream visions Viren and Callum have - particularly with the ones in which they were discussing with their mirrored selves - are supposed to show the contrasts between them among said discussions.

For Callum, he has only just been tainted by dark magic and needs to reject his darker, corrupted self (shown through the cloak, the cube, and the face form at the end). He's determining his future and that it is not already written by others or by magical limitations.

For Viren, this is his second time around - the first time he had these dreams ("We meet again. Only this time, here I am on the other side") he was far more comparable to who Callum is in 2x08: having just done dark magic, but nowhere near what he would become. Now, Viren is his corrupted, tainted self (for lack of better terms, perhaps) and needs to embrace who he has in the past to carve out a future.

In some ways, then, I think Viren's dreams/arc are definitely more mature simply because Callum was wrestling with his initial decision t do dark magic, yes, but it was mostly about him choosing who he wanted to be. Viren, meanwhile, is looking back at everything he's done over a series of decades - the person he became that he didn't want to be at almost any point, in a lot of ways - and learning he can be someone new. There's new emotional baggage there.

It is worthwhile to note, I think, that pre-series and initial Arc 1/2 Viren is very much someone who bought into what dark!Callum was selling:

Humans weren't born with magic, but you were born to do magic. The kind of magic that humans can do! You can have unlimited power. You can make a real difference in the world. All you need to do now is accept it. Your destiny is already written.

This is precisely what Aaravos says to him in 3x06, re: "The key is the Dragon Prince. You must capture the baby dragon, and then you will have the attention of all the world, and the power to do what you want." Which is also similar to their exchange in 2x09: "I am having some trouble getting people to listen to me. To hear the importance of what I'm saying." "Then we will have to get their attention." (Which is also similar to Viren's last conversation with Harrow, but post about that here.)

Which Viren needing to be told by Himself that he's free, vs Callum being told Harrow (a loved one) that he's free also reaffirms their respective states. Even when he's being driven in terms of more positive character development, Viren is still an island whose biggest obstacle is himself, while Callum is always integrated into the relationships with those he loves (and the way they influence him accordingly).

After all, his whole "The path of fate is already chosen" is very similar to what Viren has said before ("His destiny will be the destruction of humanity!" / "Guide us. Lead us to our destiny") and to what Aaravos taunts Callum over: "and destined to play right into my hands." And 'the path' is of course harkening back to other stances he's taken over the course of the series, specifically: "What is done cannot be undone. I am offering you a path forward" -> "No matter where you are on the path, every step forward is a choice" -> "I find myself here at these horrifying crossroads because I have followed a dark path. No more dark magic! Never again!" Which all ties together in Callum's "What if I'm on a path of darkness?"

But yeah, it is interesting how much they're following each other's own paths. Viren receiving a lot of parallels to the positive character development both Soren and Callum underwent in S2/S3 and S2 respectively, just as Callum begins to take on more of Viren's 'negative' character development. Hell, whenever Callum ends up breaking away from Aaravos in a future season, that inevitably end up harkening back to Viren doing so as well, simply because the former dark mage did it first.

If Primal magic helps you understand truths about reality/your place in the world and natural cycle of things, it's not surprising I suppose that dark magic would feature an alienation of those things - putting you in an unreality of your internal psyche to see you do or don't justify breaking that natural order to yourself (and all the death associations that come with it). I don't think it's necessarily something Aaravos intended to come out of dark magic use (it did leave both Callum and Viren ultimately disobedient, so I'd be curious what a 'successful' dark magic dream sequence would look like) like the ability to possess people, but it could indicate a lingering overlap with star/blood magic.

[chenfordspiral]

Tim and Lucy in every episode of The Rookie 3x06 || Revelations "You did good."

[all-eyes-lead-to-the-truth]

All Eyes Lead to the Truth | Season Three Master Post

We’ve come to the conclusion of a momentous season! From some of the most iconic episodes to some of the most beloved characters, season three was full of intense chapters!

Check out this thread to see all the characters we got to meet!

3x01 | The Blessing Way - The Well-Manicured Man (@fridaysat9

They were all living on the precipice of the end of the human race, but they were only concerned with jobs, school assignments, and playdates.

Life, as it should be.

3x02 | Paper Clip - Victor Klemper (@monikafilefan)

The offspring of a rebel syndicate member unearthing truths Victor has spent decades trying to bury beneath buttercups and begonias has marked him for certain death.

3x03 | D.P.O. - Darin Peter Oswald (@gaycrouton)

His friend was scared of him, and it made Darin feel powerful.

3x04 | Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose - Clyde Bruckman (@fridaysat9)

A funny thing happens when you see your own death. At first you try to make sense of it– what could it mean, why the tears, why her? Then you try to change it.

3x05 | The List - Dr. Juan Ullrich (@monikafilefan)

Juan fidgets with an evidence bag, trying not to blatantly stare at the agents holding an entire conversation with their eyes while systematically categorizing every sway of their bodies, every touch of her hands.

3x06 | 2Shy - Lauren MacKalvey (@gaycrouton)

2SHY > You have no idea how beautiful I think you are. I must confess… I feel inextricably drawn to you. I can’t stop thinking about what you said the other day… You don’t deserve to feel lonely, Lauren.

3x07 | The Walk - Leonard 'Rappo' Trimble (@admiralty-xfd)

Every night, he walks again. And every morning he wakes in the same bed with the same phantom pain. Every day he wishes he’d just died; that explosion that didn’t quite kill him cost him his life, anyway.

3x08 | Oubliette - Lucy Householder (@monikafilefan)

She has to go. It’s all so clear now. She has to go back. Through the woods, through the house — into the dark. Maybe she was never meant to leave it at all.

3x09 | Nisei - Penny Northern (@gaycrouton)

It was the strength of these women that got her through those experiences, and it was the strength of these women that would help her embark on this dark path they were all destined to walk.

3x10 | 731 - First Elder (The Well-Fed Man) (@admiralty-xfd)

The one thing that can be manipulated more effectively than any other is her fear of the unknown… of what happened to her last year.

3x11 | Revelations - Owen Lee Jarvis (@fridaysat9)

He gave of himself, abandoning what little life he’d had, to honor God’s words and do as he had been called.

3x12 | War of the Coprohages - Dr. Bambi Berenbaum (@gaycrouton)

Bambi felt a flush spread across her chest as his hypothesis brought a smile to her face. Hearing that he hadn’t been merely indulging her earlier was a refreshing change of pace.

3x13 | Syzygy - Detective Angela White (@admiralty-xfd)

Detective White stops as Agent Scully finally glances over at her, somewhat defensively. And then she gets it. Everything about the way she’s been treated since the agents arrived makes perfect sense.

3x14 | Grotesque - Agent Bill Patterson (@fridaysat9)

Patterson figured that Mulder might have a theory about a potential copycat killer, but no; he’d been researching gargoyles and goblins. Monsters recorded in dusty old tomes pulled from the library shelves.

3x15 | Piper Maru - Kimberly (@monikafilefan)

Kimberly Cook is good at her secretarial job. So when the man she’s been working closely with for two years is troubled, she refuses to let him file the feeling away like some confidential case in his cabinet.

3x16 | Apocrypha - Luis Cardinal (@admiralty-xfd)

The Scully woman is not simply angry, she’s unhinged. And there’s a small part of him that understands; it’s the part of him that, prior to working for the Smoker, had never been asked to shoot an innocent woman before.

3x17 | Pusher - Agent Frank Burst (@fridaysat9)

Frank doesn’t care if he has to tell him his mother’s maiden name and his favorite breakfast cereal if it means getting his location.

3x18 | Teso Dos Bichos - Officer (@monikafilefan)

He doesn’t get paid enough for this shit.

3x19 | Hell Money - Hsin Shuyang (@gaycrouton)

The gods might not be listening, but the devil was waiting for him down the street, ready to play a game with all the men whose American dreams had turned into nightmares.

3x20 | Jose Chung's From Outer Space - Detective Manners (@fridaysat9)

That's a bleepin' dead alien body, if I ever bleepin' saw one.

3x21 | Avatar - Carina Sayles (@monikafilefan)

She can tell he doesn’t do this. Doesn’t drink alone in a bar, letting a stranger slowly seduce him.

3x22 | Quagmire - Queequeg (@gaycrouton)

Queequeg was loved.

3x23 | Wetwired - 'Doctor' Stroman (@admiralty-xfd)

Another town, another test, another shitty motel room… but always the same boss.

3x24 | Talitha Cumi - Teena Mulder (@monikafilefan)

If only Bill had known back then that the untrustworthy person he was referring to would sleep with his wife and father his son.

Stay tuned for more perspectives coming in Season Four!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

[starcrossedsoulmates84]

A submission for this week's @galladrabbles prompt: Revel in Your Time--Gunship from @edmercer

An AU drabble of episode 3X06

***************************************

The night of the sleepover was like a dream. After they both stopped pretending to watch the movie, they shyly moved to Mickey’s room. Once they were there, they slowly undressed each other. Ian’s arms slid around Mickey’s neck, skin against skin. 

Mickey’s eyes showed that he was also feeling the gentle glow that enveloped them that night. 

The following morning, everything came to a screeching halt, and a monster threatened to take that night away from them. 

Mickey found himself in a position to take out the threat as a single shot rang out followed by shocked, hopeful silence. 

[bronx-bomber87]

The Rookie Reviews Season's 1-5 Master List. Will be Pinned To Blog for Easy Access. S6 To Be Added This Summer.

Top Eps Listed Season's-1-4 Made a ranking list my fave eps for an ask. Wanted to include in this list.

Started: 5/13/23

Last Updated : 02/13/24

Works: 98

Season 1

1x01-Pilot

1x02-Crash Course

1x03-The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

1x04-The Switch

1x05-The Roundup

1x06-The Hawke

1x07-The Ride Along

1x08-Time Of Death

1x09-Standoff

1x10-Flesh and Blood

1x11-Redwood

1x12-Heartbreak

1x13-Caught Stealing

1x14-Plain Clothes Day

1x15-Manhunt

1x16-Greenlight

1x17-The Shakeup

1x18-Homefront

1x19-Checklist

1x20-Freefall

Season 2

2x01-Impact

2x02-The Night General

2x03-The Bet

2x04-Warriors and Guardians

2x05-Tough Love

2x06-Fallout

2x07-Safety

2x08-Clean Cut

2x09-Breaking Point

2x10-The Dark Side

2x11-Day Of Death

2x12 Now and Then

2x13-Follow Up Day

2x14-Casualties

2x15-Hand Off

2x16-The Overnight

2x17-Control

2x18-Under The Gun

2x19-The Q Word

2x20-The Hunt

Season 3

3x01-Consequences

3x02-In-Justice

3x03-La-Fiera

3x04-Sabotage

3x05-Lockdown

3x06-Revelations

3x07-True Crime

3x08-Bad Blood

3x09-Amber

3x10-Man Of Honor

3x11-New Blood

3x12-Brave Heart

3x13-Triple Duty

3x14-Threshold

Season 4

4x01-Life and Death

4x02-Five Minutes

4x03-In the Line Of Fire

4x04-Red Hot

4x05-A.C.H

4x06-Poetic Justice

4x07-Fire Fight

4x08-Hit and Run

4x09-Breakdown

4x10-Heart Beat

4x11-End Game

4x12-The Knock

4x13-Fight or Flight

4x14-Long Shot

4x15-Hit List

4x16-Real Crime

4x17-Coding

4x18-Backstabbers

4x19/4x20-Simone/Envervo

4x21-Mother's Day

4x22-Day In The Hole

Season 5

5x01-Double Down

5x02-Labor Day

5x03-Dye Hard

5x04-The Choice

5x05-The Fugitive

5x06-The Reckoning

5x07-Crossfire

5x08-The Collar

5x09-Take Back

5x10-The List

5x11-The Naked and The Dead

5x12-Death Notice

5x13-Daddy Cop

5x14-Death Sentence

5x15-The Con

5x16-Exposure

5x17-The Enemy Within

5x18-Double Trouble

5x19-A Hole in the World

5x20-S.T.R

5x21-Going Under

5x22-Under Siege

[renegadesstuff]

Tim Bradford's love language 🤍 Part 1.

[alaffy]

Only Murders in the Building, Ep.3x06 – Ghost Light  (Spoilers)

This episode had less to do with advancing the mystery, than it did getting the characters where they needed to be for the final four episodes.  Still, there were a couple of revelations and a few important things to note. 

The episode begins the day after the previous episode.  Howards comes to Mabel’s apartment and confesses to killing Ben.  However, when Charles and Oliver arrive, we find out that Howard believes he’s responsible for Ben’s death as he didn’t sweep the ghost of a dead actor away.  He says it was because the broom was in K.T.’s office and the office had been locked.  The reason why Howard is telling them now is because Howard saw the ghost in the theater that morning. 

Charles and Oliver learn that Tobert spent the night at Mabel’s and knows of the murder board.  They aren’t happy with him investigating with Mabel.  Well, Charles is upset because Joy has left him and he’s insecure about another relationship ending.  Oliver is upset because he’s afraid that Loretta might have killed Ben (he saw her handwriting and there’s a chance it matches the writing on the mirror).  The three of them decide to go with Howard to the theater.

At the theater, Charles is almost hit twice by falling sandbags; making it look like the ghost is real (as that is how the actor who became the ghost died).  They go to K.T.’s office, which makes her jump.  K.T. mentions how this screwed up her highlights on a script page.  And then we get very close shot of K.T.’s page highlighted in green and orange being shredded by a paper shredder.

They tell K.T. about the sandbags.  She and Howard go to check the stage.  The rest of their story is about how to deal with the ghost, so I won’t go much further with them.  However, K.T. mentions that if her office was locked the night of Ben’s murder, she wasn’t the one who did it.  So, given this information and the detailed shot of the script going into the shredder, something clearly happened in K.T.’s office that night.

Meanwhile, Mabel notices a sign in sheet on K.T.’s wall.  Mabel says they can use that to compare the handwriting on the mirror.  Oliver quickly grabs the sheet and, as Mabel and Charles discuss Charles clearly having an issue processing his breakup, Oliver sneaks away.  Mabel and Charles get into a bit a fight and go their separate ways.  Charles will soon find himself locked in a closet, where he will spiral about his insecurities about people leaving him.  It's a couple of funny moments, but not much more than that. Skip.

Mabel, meanwhile, discovers that Tobert has come to the theater.  It turns out he’s following Johnathan.  Not surprisingly, we find out quickly that the reason why Johnathan was talking to Ben’s “doctor,” was to get the same kind of “medicine” that Ben was using to perform.  It turns out that Johnathan has high anxiety because he’s now the lead man and he hasn’t said anything because, well, he’s kind of doing this for Howard.  It also means that the theory that he killed Ben to get the lead doesn’t make sense. 

Oliver, meanwhile, is trying to see if the handwriting on the mirror does match Loretta’s.  It’s a bit inconclusive.  Oliver hears a noise and, when he goes to investigate, finds a hidden area.  There, he finds that an old friend of his happens to be living in this space.  Furthermore, it sounds like this director had been working at the theater until he was fired by K.T.  (if I understood that correctly).  Oliver admits to his friend that he had fallen in love with Loretta and was concerned that she may have killed Ben.  Oliver’s friend mentions that Loretta has a temper.  Oliver asked what he means and Oliver’s friend tells him about the fight that Loretta and Ben had.  The friend says that Ben and Loretta were rehearsing, and Loretta got upset when Ben took a joke too far.  Apparently, that’s when she called Ben a “fucking pig.”  He then tells Oliver how Charles hit Ben.  Now, it should be pointed out that this friend is a bit of an unreliable witness as he couldn’t hear everything in the conversation and because he’s a bit…mentally unwell.

Afterwards, Oliver’s friend gives Oliver some advice that Oliver had given him years ago about how indecision is the worst thing and…look, Oliver, considering where your friend is now maybe we don’t listen to his advice.  However, Oliver does and this leads to him wiping the lipstick message off the mirror.  It’s at this moment, Charles and Mabel come into the dressing room.

And, I’m sorry, but I don’t really like Oliver at the moment.  I get he doesn’t want to loose Loretta, but he says some really horrible things to Mabel and Charles.  Anyway, this leads to a big fight between the three.  Oliver tells Mabel about how Charles didn’t tell her that he had hit Ben.  Charles tells Oliver that was because he wanted to protect Oliver, but after the way Oliver is acting he’s going to quit the musical.  Mabel is upset with Oliver because he’s being an ass and at Charles as he hid information.  And she also has a valid point, a man is dead.  While Charles and Oliver both have personal issues going on that do need to be recognized and dealt with, it shouldn’t be overshadowing the fact that a man was murdered.  Mabel also lets them know the Cinda had told her that Mabel needed to find another team who wasn’t so busy with other projects. 

So, at the end of the episode, the three have separated and Mabel is now working with Tolbert; which, and I may be paranoid here, why wouldn’t I be shocked if Tolbert and Cinda know each other.

As for Ben’s murder, I still don’t think it’s Loretta.  Maybe.  But there’s something we’re missing and I think Charles has the answer.  Going back to the fight between Loretta and Ben, rather going back to Charles’ reaction to that fight…something has happened before this.  It doesn’t make sense that Charles, if this had been the first time he’d seen them fight, would have just hit Ben.  Like Charles doesn’t ask what’s going on, he just tells Ben to get away from her. And the fact that he warns Ben later to stay away from Loretta…there is something else Charles has seen. 

But then we also have a couple of other interesting questions that come from this episode.  One, obviously, what was going on in K.T.’s office.  The other comes from what Johnathan said about Ben’s drug use.  Mabel mentions that, if Ben took those drugs before the performance, there should have been traces of meth in the toxicology report, from when Ben was killed the first time, but there wasn’t.  Is it possible that the poison was in the drugs?  I have a feeling the answer will be no as I feel like the drugs are another red herring. Like I really wouldn't be surprised if we find out that doctor had been telling them he's been giving them these drugs, when it all is a placebo.

And I still am convinced Ben was professing his love to cookies.    

[shelbbswrites]

This week’s Ted Lasso pays homage to the titular character’s origin story with a trip to Amsterdam.

Huge character-driven revelations (Jamie & Roy! Rebecca & Dutchman with a boat! Ted & triangles! Colin & Trent!) tie together this mid-season finale.

As always, if you like my review and want to support me, please click the link and engage with my tweet, too. It's REALLY helpful!

[hideundereyeliner]

BTVS - 3x06 Revelations Icons Feel free to use these. Do not claim as your own. Icon credit goes to me. PSDs credit to Evey-V.