#7x01 discussion

[poirott]

With @john-deco's permission, I'm adding a little domestic scene to the "Vegetable Marrows AU": Suchet's Poirot and Branagh's Poirot are tending to the garden and everything is going well, until THERE IS A SLUG, oh no! Suchet's Poirot has some advice on keeping pests away from their prized vegetables:

Different Poirots retiring together and trying out new hobbies (with varying levels of success) gives me warm, cozy feelings. Thank You, @john-deco, for the perfect fanart! <3

(Advice is from this How to Control Slugs and Snails article. :))

Two Poirots converse while three other Poirots tend to their unique agricultural endeavors.

A silly little AU concept returns.

[peanutbutterandbananasandwichs]

A tale of two wrecked Impalas . . . .

2x01 vs 7x01

So, I want to talk about two superficially similar scenes that are actually very different in terms of what they say about Sam and Dean's relative agency and autonomy.

Let's start with how they are, on the surface, similar. Both scenes occur during season openers in which the Impala had been heavily damaged to the point of being almost beyond repair in the season finale of the proceeding season. In parallel with the Impala in both cases, one of the brothers has suffered some kind of life threatening situation. Both scenes feature a conversation between one of the boys and Bobby about the state of the car. In both cases, the state of the car is explicitly being used as a means of talking about the state of the other brother and a desire for them to recover. The scene in 2x01 is particularly interesting to me because it is one of the only times in which the Impala acts as a mirror/stand in for Dean. As is pretty well discussed on Samblr at this point, often throughout the series, the Impala serves as a mirror to Sam and to his place within The Roles (x, x). "Looks like Dean's taken care of this old beast. Seems like he's taken good care of you too." As Lucifer (as John) says, calling back to John's S1 line "I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it." These lines reflect the idea of the Impala, and by implication, Sam being passed down from John to Dean as a possession. The possession aspect is amplified in these lines in particular to me because of the notable lack of female pronouns used in reference to it "the damn thing" "ruin it" "the old beast", all of these serve to strip Sam of his personhood, dehumanising him. Dean's place in the position of power within his and Sam's relationship is reflected here.

Whilst the scene in 7x07 does use female pronouns (and that they are female pronouns is important) for the Impala, it still tacity treats Sam as an extension of the Impala (an extension of Dean) - "we'll glue him back together too" - both the Impala and Sam are objects, with the illusion of personhood, but who ultimately belong to Dean. The scene demonstrates Dean's sense of entitlement and ownership over Sam's agency, his body, his autonomy. "No matter what shape he's in. . ." It doesn't matter what is done to Sam as long as "Sammy" is preserved in some form. By contrast, the scene in 2x01 begins with "[Dean] is gonna wanna fix this" - immediately, this embodies the agency with Dean, if the Impala in this scene is acting as a mirror to Dean then it is saying that the ultimate agency over his own body here belongs to Dean. "If there's only one working part, that's enough" whilst, again, similar sounding to "No matter what shape he's in", I think does have fundamental underlying differences in intension and tone. Sam's line, especially in combination with the first line, suggests that he will look for a working piece, and if he can find it they can help to rebuild the Impala (Dean) around it, and ultimately, Dean will be the one to conduct the final repair. Despite the comparison to the object of the Imapala, I find Sam's approach here to be humanising of Dean. "Working" is I think, especially relevant here when drawing a comparison to 7x01. Dean's line doesn't care whether the parts of Sam they "glue back together" are "working" or not, and there is certainly no indication here that Sam would be involved in the process. Dean will shove parts of Sam back together whether he likes it or not. The 2x01 scene also reflects the relative balance of power in their relationship, Sam as neither the intention, or the power to claim ownership of the Impala and by proxy Dean, the way Dean does over the Impala and Sam in 7x01.

Ultimately, whilst these scenes may appear similar, they are profoundly affected by the relative positions of power Sam and Dean inhabit within the bounds of The Roles, and the effect this has on their relative agencies.

[waywardmillennial]

PH 7x06 Reaction

yes, this episode aired on Watcher TV weeks ago but my life got complicated soon after that, then I was in limbo about do I post or not? so I decided to wait until it aired on yt for everyone

WARNING: spoilers for the finale and the whole season under the cut!!

THAT FINALE THOUGH!! What an incredible season!

The reveal that Sprat was behind not only Shane's murder but also Dorothy Ruth's?! T_T

Ryan and the Professor being sent to Purgatory!! OMG!!

shout out to those captions - truly a masterpiece

So who is going to tune in next season for Puppet Mathematics! /j

part of me wonders if Dr. Sprat is wearing a hat to appeal to viewers, after all the discussions we've had around the updated Professor not wearing his hat

I would like it on record I pretty much nailed it with Sprat being Pythagoras, but didn't feel like we had concrete clues to really think it was going to happen and not be a red herring

I was so close on some of the theories and directions I was looking into! I feel a little like Dr. Sprat being Pythagoras was obvious but also not? The only time he's referred to as Hoagy in the 7x02 I thought it was spelled "Hoagie" so didn't put the anagram together

Only found this spelling on a rewatch. Turn on those captions y'all!

At least one other Watcherina found it!

I was close though, mentioning the triangle glasses and trying to find a name anagram, but I digress

There was a lot of Lore in that dumpster with the rat, including the hat from episode 6x02 (Wu Zetian) and the foam finger from episode 6x03 (Nika riots). And of course the genie lamp! Sprat may be a genius but he threw away a genie lamp? Lame!

and of course seeing the generator that the Substitute used is so exciting!!

Seeing the Substitute again would be so cool. And it's such a big tease, it's practically guaranteed now!

So what happens next? I've been asking myself that for weeks and I don't know

Open Questions -We never got confirmation on who was leaving messages on Ryan's board in 7x02 and 7x04 and I'm not sure we ever will

-Also, Shane shared this sketch on March 1st on Instagram (which has since been deleted/archived...hmmm) that shows the Triangle from 7x01 in front several other previous puppets, making some of us think we'd revisit Purgatory this season, but we didn't

-Sprat seems like he'd be a main character next season, which has me wondering how they'd make that work with Sam Reich doing the voice work? Maybe they'd defeat him in an early episode and then carry on as normal

-I'm kinda hoping for a 2025 Christmas-ish episode that wraps up a lot of the s7 Lore (like the Wondrium Arena episode) that's not a regular trivia quiz show and that'll get us a little closer to our normal setup 🤞

-We also got this lore drop in 7x06 about the Professor being an eternal being and someone on yt did the math for it

I have my fingers crossed that this means that HISTORY will never die and that we'll soon see the Professor, Ryan, the dino parents, and past puppets rescued from Purgatory!

💙💙💙

Major kudos to Shane and Garrett's writing, Charlie's editing, and Adam's cinematography!! Season seven was so much fun and very high quality!

hahaha remember when the trailer aired and we were all wondering about Liza Minnelli and nothing else? simpler times

[theredhairedmonkey]

Alright people, since I already made a theory about what Aaravos wants from Callum, with just a few hours to go I thought it might be a good idea to write out how I think it's all going to go down. So, without further ado:

As discussed, when Aaravos finally captures Callum, his true purpose becomes clear. The timing is crucial - he waits until after Callum's transformation at the Starscraper, after he has "filled his heart with light that casts out the darkness." This wasn't just about waiting for Callum to become powerful enough; it was about waiting for him to become pure enough.

The manipulation of Claudia (making her believe she could resurrect Viren in 7x01) was always going to be a smokescreen. Aaravos's true goal was always Leola, and he needs Callum's purified heart - the "true heart" the showrunners alluded to - to bring her back. This explains why Aaravos's heart is shown as a void; since Leola's death, he's been incomplete, his heart blackened by grief and revenge.

In short, it's a spell - one which requires Callum's heart - to bring back Leola.

And there are pretty much two ways I can see this going.

First, Callum chooses to use dark magic one final time - but this time he only uses one ingredient - himself. This isn't the desperate act of his past, but a conscious sacrifice. Having seen the truth of reality as "stardust held together by love," he knows that corrupting his own essence will prevent Aaravos from using him. The dark magic spell goes differently because it's not consuming external life force but freely given sacrifice - a profound distinction that winds up going pretty differently this time.

Alternatively, like Callum's breakthrough while under Finnegrin's blood freezing spell, Aaravos's control pushes Callum to one final revelation. Building on his understanding from the Starscraper, Callum realizes that love isn't merely an emotion - it's a cosmic force.

Just as gravity holds celestial bodies together, love is binds life together. Gives it meaning and purpose. Love is what gives form to the stardust we all are.

This leads to Callum breaking free through this deeper understanding of love's true nature and reaching his full potential. The confrontation with Aaravos starts out as a battle of power, but culminates a moment of shared revelation. Aaravos, who has spent centuries plotting his revenge, finally realizes that his grief had twisted his love so completely as to be unrecognizable.

This realization brings back Aaravos’ heart, giving him the opportunity to bring back Leola in exchange for his own life. He hesitates, realizing that she’d be all alone in the world. Callum assures her that she won’t, that she will always be surrounded by love (alluding to his friends). This is all Aaravos needs to hear.

The show closes out with Callum, Rayla and Ezran, all taking care of their newfound friend, Leola.

[extasiswings]

Also idk if it’s a timing and scheduling thing or they just didn’t have the room for it but I find it odd that Eddie has been with Marisol for how long now? And we’ve had no significant scenes with them two at all. Like Tommy showed up swept Buck off his feet and smooched his ass in like an ep or 2. But like we’ve seen crickets from Eddie and Marisol. the story has to be that they’re gonna eventually break up because truly and honestly what has there been that would even have us remotely root for them lol. And she’s definitely showing up next episode but I sincerely doubt that they’ll be able to get people on that train. Which brings me back to the point that we are not supposed to think that they last because genuinely why would they

Yeah, not to put too fine a point on it, but regardless of how compressed a timeframe they're working with, if they wanted us to care then they would be trying to make us care, and they just aren't. If her coming back in 7x05 was intended to be anything other than the beginning of the end for them (and if this was intended to actually be a relationship instead of a plot device for Eddie's development), they would have made at least a bare minimum of effort to reintroduce her and their relationship. They could have given her more than a one line drive-by appearance in 7x01, but they didn't. And that's not because they didn't have the time, no, it's just that they made a choice to dedicate a solid 1/3 of the episode instead to Buck/Eddie/Christopher and Shannon, which basically tells the audience "this woman doesn't matter, but these relationships over here, those are the ones that are important." Eddie mentions that Marisol watched Chris twice while he was out with Tommy, but similarly, Buck finds that entirely nonthreatening - Chris spending time with Tommy and thinking he's cool though? That sent Buck into a whole spiral. Also similarly, Eddie's relationship with Tommy has had more screentime and development than his relationship with Marisol. And yes, that's partly because it was key to Buck's bisexuality arc, but still - it's signaling what they care about and what the audience is supposed to care about. And right now, Eddie's new friendship with Tommy - shown through both screentime and discussions of their shared interests - is substantially more believable than his relationship with Marisol who we don't know anything about as a person let alone anything about their relationship. Which...considering the title of 7x05 is "You Don't Know Me," I have an inkling we're going to find out that Eddie knows about as much about his own girlfriend of several months as the audience does. A whole lot of nothing meaningful. And if it seems at all like Eddie's just going through the motions or has doubts? There's no coming back from that when the audience doesn't care about her in the first place. So, yeah, even if it takes a few more episodes, they're donezo.

[a-heart-of-kyber]

Whenever anyone bitches about Reid in Proof I'm just overhere like, "I would've been worse."

I'm not gonna beat around the bush and both sides this; imo Reid had a right to his anger and JJ was in the wrong.

Whenever I see the anti Reid arguments for this episode, it's always "Reid's anger was valid, but-" and then they proceed to invalidate his anger....

Now this is very Anti JJ, and not exactly pro Emily or Hotch either, and I am not looking to be convinced otherwise. There are tags and a readmore and now a warning. If you are bothering to read this any further and you disagree... you made that choice, not me.

Starting with s6 Emily. She literally put them all in danger and Knew it. She never would’ve prepared them until Doyle did what he did despite knowing they were threatened even before meeting with Doyle. Meaning one or more of them could've died probably without even understanding why. It's only because Doyle was looking to trap her that none of them were hurt.

Now, Proof opens and we immediately find out that JJ had already been bugging Reid to hang out before the episode. Which she clearly had been doing despite her knowing he was actively avoiding her. "He hates me." Makes it clear this wasn’t a one-time ask.

Hotch then, ignoring the tension, pairs them up.

Is Reid passive-aggressive? Yep. Is his passive aggressiveness based on her (JJ's) actual actions and the breach of trust and deconstruction of character caused by those actions? Also, yes.

Not once does JJ open one of these potential conversations with "I'm sorry." Because, guess what, even things you view as Necessary and Right can genuinely Hurt People. Best way to handle it? Take Accountability for your damn actions and apologize.

Hotch takes accountability in 7x01 and the first words out of Emily's mouth are "I'm sorry."

Instead, JJ puts the onus on Reid to open up because, to JJ, she is entitled to know his feelings. To JJ, she is entitled to his forgiveness.

During their period of grief, JJ should have steered him elsewhere to grieve because she was Lying to Him. To Reid, she spent months lying to him and play acting at a grief that he perceived as mutual. That would be mortifying to discover. It'd make someone feel foolish and betrayed. It's incredibly fucked up.

Then JJ goads Reid into a fight by insulting his intelligence and essentially calling him arrogant by suggestioning this was all just the result of a bruised ego, after spending the episode clapping back instead of apologizing. Their fight's foundation is steeped in a feeling of broken trust and manipulation/betrayal on one side and righteousness on the other.

And people have the audacity to say that Reid telling the Truth is being manipulative....after literal months of JJ doing that to him. The only difference being that she was Lying.

Frankly imo, when you push for a fight by hurting someone Even More (Reid had been actively trying to leave), you do not get to play victim when their truth hurts you.

And only after that does she even think to say "I'm sorry."

Plus let's not discuss the bit of this necessary secret where no one seems to actually consider the safety of those who didn't know if Doyle came knocking. Reid, Morgan and Garcia were potential and unwitting pawns/sacrifices the entire gd time. (Rossi says he figured it out....swell.)

In 7x01, Reid wasn’t requesting reinstatement. He would've quit/taken the fall. He was at the very least considering it.

He can't be mad at Emily because she came back to life and said sorry. He can't be mad at Hotch because that's his boss, and he didn't melt down in front of him.

But JJ acted as if his forgiveness was assumed, mandatory almost. That was his Best Friend who let him drown right in front of her....again.

I would've told All of them to get fucked and ghosted because I wouldn't have been able to trust them ever again. And while I have abandonment issues, I don't have them to the extreme that Reid does. The fact that he stayed is a miracle.

[mayasdeluca]

Danielle discussing the Marina kiss in 7x01

[raayllum]

New podcast ep about Dreamer's Nightmare and 7x01 details from NYCC!

[presumeddeaddie]

I think one major thing people don't recognize is that Buck actually has learnt what being a parent is. This shows so clearly in the Connor-Kameron arc when Kameron comes stays with him after the couple have a fight. Connor wants to become a dad but Buck reminds him that he has to BE a parent. Being a parent is about sticking through the tough times and doing whatever your kid and partner need in those times. Buck stepped up then too while Connor came in after the baby was born and just got to bask in becoming a dad. Even Natalia observes this whole thing. This is the thing that Buck does for Chris - he shows up whenever needed. And he shows up fully willing to take every step needed. He STAYS through the problem till things are okay. He shares the good and bad times, engages in Chris' likes (the games and discussion about Star Wars movies and regular zoo trips), is invested in the school activities and other childhood development (the summer camp and the dating talk and the 7x01 thing). Buck grew into the role by trying over and over. I'm already betting that he's going to be involved even more in S8.

no notes tbh. this was *chef’s kiss* mwah mwah EXACTLY

[dangerpronebuddie]

(Hold onto your hoola hoops, folks, I wrote this at 2am after a paper that fought me tooth and nail, so if it makes no sense I'm sorry 😁)

Okay. I can't stop thinking we're in for some Eddie whump. (The whumper in me says we're overdue pero ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ that's beside the point). Anyway. The foreshadowing has been in the making since 4x14, and with them discussing that arc so much, I can't help feeling like they'll bring up something about it. (Under the cut, cause this gets a bit long)

This show doesn't often leave storylines open, so addressing the will again is inevitable. But what would prompt it? Eddie thinks Buck understands it (he doesn't), so why would they need to bring it up again?

They promoted Chris/ Gavin along with the main cast. No other kids were. So why?

You could argue the 7x01 storyline was the reason behind it, but I don't think that line is completely done. The premieres usually foreshadow some events through the season. Bringing up Shannon not only gives new viewers a glimpse into the Diaz boys and their trauma, it sets up something they'll revisit. She's been mentioned a few times throughout the season, and having her be a part of the guilt storyline makes perfect sense and is absolutely beautiful.

Eddie still holds this guilt about their relationship. All these if onlys. He's come a long way in his healing and growth, but it isn't linear, and that loss will never completely heal. He's still looking for that magic, that deep love he had (and still has) for her. He can't move past the guilt he feels about it all.

A coma dream of his own, or some kind of hallucinations, would be the perfect way to get him to forgive himself. How we get there? I'm not 100% sure. But I have some ideas!

1. Trapped dads (thank Anna)

@lover-of-mine can explain it so much better, but we've been rooting for this for ages. We thought they were going to drown Buck this season, but it doesn't look like they're going that way. So, we thought about flipping the scenario. Eddie is the one gravely injured, not Buck. Aborted confession? Possibly! Buck being the sole parent while Eddie is in the hospital? Absolutely. It would bring about so many possibilities. Eddie wouldn't confess to Buck as he was dying, he wouldn't make Buck carry that. But Buck might confess to Eddie as Eddie is dying so he knows he'll die loved. When he saves Eddie (desperate CPR when???) they have to live with what was said in the moment. Even better if Eddie is in a coma afterwards. Bonus points if they're still in their relationships through it all. Mutual pining anyone? Buck will be taking care of Chris in the midst of it all, possibly revealing to T and M that the will exists. The season ends with Eddie awake and healing, knowing how Buck feels. He of course won't say anything because they're still dating other people. Allows for a LOT of pining through s8.

2. Hallucinations (thanks Saturn)

I hadn't really considered this possibility, but @steadfastsaturnsrings brought up a great idea. I tried to find out the specific episode that takes place in the desert, but as far as I've found, they haven't specified. I'm assuming 7x07. Since 7x07 is Ghost of a Second Chance, Shannon could be appearing in that one. And if 7x07 is the one in the desert, then there's a lot of possibilities there too. Heatstroke or snake bite... either could cause hallucinations. Since the writer for 7x07 is likely Taylor Wong (wrote 6x15) then some Eddie and Shannon angst is definitely possible. Any way we look at this, the will could factor in. Eddie can't care for Chris, so Buck steps in. I think something happening in the desert could add some visions focused around his service and we get some very Eddie Begins type scenes that maybe show more positive calls between Eddie and Shannon. We could also possibly get a callback to 6x15 and Eddie's fear of dying alone (and having Buck there with him would prove him wrong. Wishful thinking).

3. God only knows

He gets trapped in a collapsed building? T involved? Sinkhole? Some kind of blood loss? We don't know! But I do know that Juan Carlos Coto usually writes huge episodes for Bobby, Eddie, and Buck (3x09, 4x05, 5x13, 5x16, 6x10 just to name a few). And since he's writing 7x08, which is titled Step Nine, the guilt and Shannon could happen there too. I mentioned in another post (which I can't find, naturally) that Step Nine in AA means making amends, no matter what. So, while Bobby is likely making amends with Amir, Eddie is making amends with himself, Shannon, and his guilt surrounding it. (There's a possible firepilot storyline there, depending on how 7x06 goes but I won't get into that rn).

Any way it goes, Shannon appearing, especially appearing older, will show Eddie all those if onlys he's been dwelling on. It will show him how different his life could've been (parallel to 6x11) and it will show him he hasn't failed. He has nothing to feel guilty about. He's not going to find what he had with Shannon. But he can find something just as deep and meaningful. And it's something Shannon (his subconscious) has to show him. Something he has to figure out on his own, like he usually does. No outside force is going to push him past it, no matter how hard he tries.

Perhaps in that dream/ hallucination, he'll realize he's not a commitment phobe, he's not a failure, he's not a sinner doomed to hell. He's human, and he's found love he's not allowing himself to feel.

Feelings realization (or more acceptance of those feelings) and some delicious pining is imminent. How we get to it? I'm not sure. They usually repeat kinds of injuries so I'm leaning more towards trapping him somewhere, but I love the idea of a snake bite. It's happening to someone, based on the fact they had dangerous reptiles on set (or a prop for it). Any way it happens, it'll be amazing, especially if this happens with it.

[mattoidmeerkat]

This is me working through my main issues with Bathena in 7x01. If you have no issues with the transition from 6x18 to 7x01, I'm happy for you and there's nothing to see here. If you'd do see some issues and/or are willing to help me work through some of them, please continue reading after the cut.

Disclaimer: The long hiatus and my recent cold definitely did not positively influence my experience. I'm aware of this.

Man, I'm so conflicted about Bathena's story in 7x01. I mean, the acting was top notch. The scenes and dialogue? Instant classics. The dancing? Swoooon. And we finally get to explore the foundation of their relationship? What's not to love?

Well, this really feels like the perfect follow up to Season 4. They had just addressed their communications issues and still had topics to work through. They would soon be empty nesters and didn't know how that would impact them.

But this isn't the beginning of Season 5. This is Season 7. Since then we have seen Athena and Bobby go through so much separately and together. They have grown closer and have developed their communication skills and the foundation of their relationship.

They struggled together and supported each other through the Hudson ordeal and the fallout around Harry in 5A. We've seen them make time to focus on their intimate relationship (5x09, 6x13) and to sharing personal history (5x15, 6x02, 6x03, 6x13) and support each other through oh so much personal trauma (5A, 5x14, 5x16, 5x17, 6x02, 6x03, 6x09, 6x12, 6x17). They've put the other's happiness before their own without a moment's hesitation (5x05) and developed a deep and easy intimacy with each other (5x08, 5x09, 5x11, 5x15, 5x17, 6x02, 6x08, 6x12, 6x13, 6x17) without ever losing their individuality in the process. Athena built a relationship with Bobby's sponsor and Bobby shared his AA world with her. Athena allowed herself to be vulnerable with him by admitting fears while she developed a deep understanding of how Bobby worked on a fundamental level (6x14).

And then Tim came back and decided nope, none of this. Gonna reset Athena to Season 4 (when he left as showrunner) and leave Bobby as confused as me.

I love me some good angst and conflict to explore characters and their dynamics. But what explanation were we given for this drastic change in Athena's personality? She is afraid to find out who they are when it's just the two of them? Which we have just seen again and again in Season 5 but much more so in Season 6?

Characters being flawed and acting irrationally is not bad writing. On the contrary, it can be excellent writing because flawless characters are boring and bland. And Athena and Bobby are so deliciously flawed. Have been from the very beginning.

So why not provide us with an explanation for how 6x18 Athena went from happy and confident in her marriage after settling into her empty nest with Bobby for a year, to the neurotic mess we see in 7x01? (A highly entertaining and cute mess, but still a completely different Athena than literally one episode before.)

How did 6x18 Athena, after recently celebrating her fourth wedding anniversary with Bobby and saving him from a bridge collapse, from one moment to the other decide to go to therapy (something she canonically avoids like the plague - see Seasons 3, 4, and 5) and do a 180 on cruises (despite copious discussions of cruises her fear did not come up with Bobby in 5x18, 6x01 or 6x18, with May in 6x01, or with Hen in 6x01, or in the conversation about cruises with her parents in 6x01 despite those two apparently being responsible for that fear)? How did that Athena then board the cruise with Bobby at the end of 6x18 full of joy and happy anticipation after a last minute cancellation? And how did Athena then manage to have a therapist appointment about the last-minute cruise two months in advance somehow?

I'd love to find some explanations for this beyond sloppy writing at best and blatant disregard for the prior story lines at worst.

At this point my only hope is that the next two episodes will shed some light onto what exactly triggered Athena's abrupt change in personality from one episode to the other. (actually retroactively within the previous episode somehow) But I won't get my hopes up too much because so many of Athena's, Bobby's and Bathena's story lines have been left to fizzle out without any kind of explanation or resolutions over the years (under both Tim and Kirsten).

So what's my takeaway here? I desperately want to love this episode. It has so many amazing scenes. But the retconning is making it really difficult for me to process as a coherent story line. And that's on me. Shows do this all the time. THIS show has done it plenty of times in the past.

But I feel so sad that I seem to care more about Season 5 and 6 Bathena than the show itself. It feels dismissive of the growth those two have gone through. And it makes me fearful of what kind of disregard the show might display towards these characters, their arcs, and their growth journeys in the future.

Thoughts? Helpful ideas? Number of a good therapist? 😅️ (One that doesn't just say "I'm sure you'll be fine.")

[tiva-challenges]

The September challenge is getting close! ❤️ We're very excited to dive into such a special TIVA episode. 🎶 "Like we were in Paris"...

Are you struggling to come up with fic ideas? We have prompt suggestions and ways you could explore this! Have fun with it!

🛏️ "The One-Bed trope"

By the end of the episode, the audience realizes both Tony and Ziva lied about who took the couch. But what really happened? Did they fight to get the one bed? Or did they silently agree to it? Was it funny or vulnerable? We'd love to know!

✈️ "The Before-Sunrise trope"

Having to stay the night in France to escort their witness the next day, the audience realizes both Tony and Ziva spent a whole night alone in Paris. What did they talk about? Did they see any sights? What changed them? Romance in the city of love!

🥐 "The Casablanca trope"

Only one night? Scrap that! What would happen if Tony and Ziva had more time in Paris, now knowing they couldn't live without each other? La Marseillaise plays in the background... And Rick and Isla stay together in our version 😌 Change the story!

🔥 "The Forced-Proximity trope"

So, there's only one room available and only one bed... And could you please not sleep shirtless? Why are your pajamas so flimsy in the middle of the European winter? And... is that your hand under the covers? We like heat! Write about it ;)

🦴 "The Skeletons-In-Our-Closets trope"

Jet Lag 7x13 happens right after Tony and Ziva overcome what happened in 7x01 in Somalia. But is everything truly resolved? These are complex, I-can't-talk-about-it characters. They can't help but worry about each other. Make them talk!

💌 "The Elizabeth-Bennet trope"

We discover later in the series that Ziva has a habit of writing about a lot of canon events in her diaries. There surely must have been an entry about Paris in them, must have not? What was she thinking during their stay there? Be her outlet!

🛵 "The Back-To-The-Future trope"

Discuss Paris. Tony has an entry on his bucket list that we never got to see: why would he need to later discuss it with Ziva? In Paris, it's difficult not to be in love. Well, now's the time! Be their genie inside the lamp, grant him this wish!

📸 "The Family-Heirloom trope"

Years later, Tali may ask about what that Ziva in Paris photo meant. We know it was Tony's favorite picture—the only one with someone in it. But what about the others? What memories do they guard? Tell Tali the secrets Tony and Ziva still hold dearly!

more information about the September TIVA fic writing challenge is in our pinned post! have fun with it ❤️

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Saturday, September 14

XANDER: The center of Sunnydale's Hellmouth was- BUFFY: Under the library. XANDER: Right. Now, exactly where the library was, we have- BUFFY: Principal's office. DAWN: So he's evil? BUFFY: Or in a boatload of danger. XANDER: The last two principals were eaten. Who'd even apply for the job?

~~BtVS 7x01 “Lessons”~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Leather Jacket (Spike/Reader, not rated) by sapphistically

The mysterious time traveler had disappeared after one more night [...] (Buffy/Spike, not rated) by hiddenbysuccubi

Frosty Hearts (Buffy/Spike, M) by loverswalk89

The Ten Second Rule (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Girlytek

[Chaptered Fiction]

a long way from sunnydale, Chapter 1/? (Ensemble, Charmed xover, T) by s6ullys

Shadowed Suspicion Volume XI, Chapter 6/? (Ensemble, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure xover, T) by arcanedreamer

Aegis, Chapter 17/? (Xander, DCU xover, T) by dogbertcarroll, Narsil

In the Company of Witches and Slayers:, Chapter 157/200 (Willow/Tara, E) by VladimirHarkonnen (TheLightdancer)

There's A Crack In Every Wall, Chapter 5/7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by bunniesarebad

A-Z of Sex, Chapter 2/26 (Buffy/Giles, E) by KatyAmberAuthor

After Life, Chapter 6/? (Buffy/Faith, E) by Alwaysandforevermylove

Supporting Loki (And Thor), Chapter 9/18 (Buffy, Willow, Marvel xover, M) by SomeMeaninglessName

Breaking the Code, Chapter 8/? (Star Wars xover, Dawn, Buffy, Illyria, G) by Buffyworldbuilder

Situation Normal - All Faithed Up, Chapter 7/? (Buffy/Faith, M) by QuillBard

Out of Ashes, We Rise Anew, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike/Angel, T) by anneikenskywalker

Forces of Good, Chapter 20 (Buffy/Faith, M) by Faith-rulz

All Roads Lead Back, Chapter 6 (Buffy/Spike, M) by loverswalk89

Forty-eight days in L.A., Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Blissymbolics

Stupid Thing, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Misti

Little Light, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Melme1325

Incarnate, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Sigyn

Aegis, Chapter 17 (Xander, DCU xover, T) by dogbertcarroll

Enchanted Dawn, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by VeroNyxK84

Viral, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, R) by Harlow Turner

A Taste of Buffy, Chapter 4 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxine Eden

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork: [Misc AtS AU doodles] (ensemble, worksafe) by artsying-ifer

Gifset: Every Tara look: S4E17 Superstar (worksafe) by lovebvffys

Moodboard: [Moodboard with red and white tones] (Buffy, Giles, worksafe) by buffyannegiles

Moodboard: [Moodboard with pink tones] (Buffy, Giles, worksafe) by buffyannegiles

Gifset: Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school! (ensemble, worksafe) by orion-lake

Artwork: I hate you - Episodic art for BtVS 2x22 “Becoming, Part 2 (Buffy, Spike, worksafe) by revello-drive-1630

Video: Buffy The Vampire Slayer | Full Q&A | For The Love Of Fantasy (London) 2024 by Monopoly Events

Fanvid: Tara + Willow - Fight for it by Faith Victoria

Fanart, FNTM II: I think I was in Heaven (Buffy, worksafe) by christytrekkie

[Reviews & Recaps]

Interview with The Date - Never Kill a Boy on the First Date by Slayin It with Juliet Landau

First time watcher: Few thoughts about Buffy and Spike's abusive relationship. by psychenock

PODCAST: It's Got The Spike (S4E20) by It Stakes Two

PODCAST: Buffy 2.16 Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered by Once More Podcast

PODCAST: Episode 73: Doomed (w/ Ally!) by Gym Was Cancelled

[In Search Of]

Does anyone ever say "I'm looking for Spike" in the show? requested by SoFLShelfLove

Help finding an episode !! requested by Fair-Ad-9396

[Community Announcements]

Obsessed With You 2024 by otherworldly_chemistry

[Prompt with no fills] Buffy and Giles - magic made them do it/sex pollen/f*ck or die by buffyversekinkmeme

[Fandom Discussions]

[ask by anniemurphy] Just curious are you more Fred x Wesley or Fred x Gunn or are you like you like them at different times answered by destiel-wings

ATS in their recap of Spike’s final moments on btvs in 5x2 very very intentionally [...] omitting Buffy telling Spike she loves him is actually so embarrassing of them by raisedbythetv89, messedupdoilies

Spike fit the trend of her ex’s leaving town but he came back by aphony-cree

Does anyone else feel like Buffy lowkey neglected Dawn? by coachscottsleg

[Headcanon with commentary in tags] still thinking about how pike is a way better love interest than angel (and spike) and should have followed buffy to sunnydale by froggods

Does anyone else skip season 1 and half of season 2 during their re-watch. by denn_r

Is there anything you wish the show had done differently? by HinduHillbilly

Becoming part demon: Buffy vs Cordelia by Dry-Dragonfruit5216

What's something the Buffyverse writers did that made you feel like they were "out of touch" with the audience to a certain degree? by PristineSituation498

Music fans, which episode has the best instrumental score (without lyrics)? What's your favorite track? by rfresa

Can you spoil angel for me? by Lemonstarklion

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[mayasdeluca]

Station 19 7x01 Thoughts

We finally got Marina back on our screens! I missed them so much. 😭 You could tell Carina was connected to that little baby from the start and the fact that it made her realize she wanted a fresh start with Maya in a new home because the waitress didn't make it. (Loved Maya reassuring her saying she did everything she could too!) I loved that scene (that was mostly spoiled) except the kiss angle! Like come on ABC, we are on at 10pm now, that can't be happening! Even if I get they were probably going for the 'sneaky' vibe since they were at work and I loved that they were trying to be a little secretive about it but we better not see any of their other kisses like that, there's no excuse!

The chef immediately going up to Carina and saying he wanted to adopt the baby gave me weird vibes from the start and you could tell Carina was upset at the idea...I also really like that the name ended up being Liam because it has its own meaning that doesn't have to do with anything else and it's a cute name! (in my opinion)

The last Marina scene...I really wish it was longer and they had gotten more of a chance to really discuss the idea of adopting a baby because they really didn't bring it up at all? I liked that Maya was the one who suggested it first even if we saw that Carina was already attached but I just wish they could have expressed their feelings about it more before automatically just saying yes we can do this. I get they are crunched for time and there's a lot going on but it just feels like they're cheapening what is an important story. But I'm thrilled that they added they will still try to get pregnant and continue that process...here's hoping by the end of the season they will have two babies. (My theory of Carina giving birth in the finale and that being the 'crazy Grey's crossover' with a character being at Grey's in a way they haven't before is definitely following that.)

The Andy speech was even worse in real time. Like really? She even had to name every single person who was captain before her? Excessive and unnecessary. Show don't tell. She's definitely going to get on my nerves this season.

Ghost Jack was...interesting? I guess it added something. Not surprised he won't be able to fight fires anymore since we all basically guessed that anyway. I am curious if he'll be on throughout the whole season or if he'll end up leaving or something.

Vic was amazing with the Crisis One stuff. Theo is still an asshole and I want nothing to do with him. The Ross/Sullivan stuff? Eh.

Oh also the fact that Travis and Emmett got the 'sex' scene of the episode and not Marina? 🤡 Some choice words about that but hopefully ours is coming...

All in all I wish we got more Marina but they are moms!!! They have a little boy!!! Liam Deluca-Bishop is theirs and I can't wait to see them with him! Give me all the cute domestic scenes because that baby is adorable! 😍

And this was everything. ❤️

We are so back!!

[bucksbeagle]

in the spirit of discussing something else about the episode. I havent seen anyone mention it but to me it was incredibly side eye to me that eddie mentioned getting shot. throwaway lines are sometimes really intentional. but also it could mean nothing. but also lets not forget 2 buddie gay jokes in 7x01

THANK YOU I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THIS REALLY BAD. WHY DID HE MENTION THAT. HE NEVER TALKS ABOUT IT

[kmze]

Just wanted to let you know that after our discussion on s7,I looked up on YouTube and found this one interview that had Plec,King,Neil and Melinda talking about the season.And I laughed because what they said and what happened was so so different.This proves, yet again, that what writers say in interviews are either lies or they mostly make up sh** to bait and switch.I mean we already knew julie wasn't involved in that season but she straight-up made up a scene where Caroline wasn't ready to leave Stefan behind when Stefan's life was in danger.And Neil said they knew going from s6 that the long arc of s7 would be about Damon-Bonnie and Stefan-Caroline.I don't remember Bamon and Bonnie getting importance at all except the first few episodes and the last few episodes although most of that was happening in Enzo's presence.The only two things that remained constant were Plec blaming Candice for getting pregnant and Dries for the flash forwards.Unbelievable!

Oh Anon I had no idea they did hour long podcasts for each season a few years ago until this! I've seen snippets of the clips on Twitter but I didn't realize it was a whole series. So I watched it and I actually felt like it validated my theory that Dries was behind so much of the S7 fuckery. There's a part where Julie says she can't do "math" storylines and that Dries whole pitch about the FF involved that so that's why she stepped away from the plotting of that. Makes sense Dries would use that to be like "oh don't worry I got this whole plan it's gonna be great" and Julie believed her until she started seeing the finished episodes (while they aired apparently *sigh*) and was like WTF. I feel like Neil and Melinda were talking about what they thought the season was going to be about with continuing the arc but then Dries derailed that.

I mean Neil's episodes had good Bonnie and Bamon in them (7x04 then later 7x21) so it makes sense he'd say that even if overall it wasn't a lot. That's because Dries hates Bonnie and I remember her being so rude to Kat at SDCC before that season aired when Kat was talking about how fans liked Bamon. Julie hates it too but at she'll at least give importance to their friendship, Dries does everything in her power to exclude it. Julie also said how Stefan and Caroline's storyline changed once Candice told them she was pregnant. I thought there was going to be way more Lily/Caroline/Stefan in S7 especially in regards to vampirism/ripper-dom but instead Valerie got inserted there. I remember how in 7x01 Valerie has straight light brown hair and then it becomes curlier and blonder as the season progresses and I know that was intentional.

I think the lazy development of Bonnie and Enzo falls on her too! I know a lot of people like them but I just find them so basic, I never like ships with so little build-up like that. They also talked about how they had to connect the FF with the current episode and I feel like that caused BS too like Stefan burning the car and needing to say in the present "do whatever you want but do not touch my car" was a jab at SC because Lily was holding Caroline captive.

Edited to add: OMG there was a lot sorry, I don't know what Julie was talking about with the motel scene and Candice seemed to confuse it with the scene in 7x12(I think?) when Matt saved her in news studio but, Neil was the only one who knew what he was talking about there. He summed up the 7x21 scene as at first how Stefan didn't respect Caroline's choice (TO DIE FFS) by being caveman-y but then they talked it out and why he did it. But that scene has wayyyy more nuance to it in the overall character of Stefan that can't be explained in a podcast setting like that.