#9 1 1 lonestar season 3

[krittec]

the only thing i hate about 9-1-1 is that it never airs in the UK when it airs in the US so everything is spoiled bc i would’ve loved to watch bi buck as it happened than on twitter. would much rather have an awful sleep schedule and get it live than this

[bam-bi-buck]

As today is the Fall Finale for 911 Lonestar & Thursday is the Fall Finale for 911 & Doctor Odyssey I feel like we’re all gonna get for punched in the gut with a bunch of Near Death Experiences (NDE) this week

*Correction - 911 LS Fall Finale is Dec 2nd (however I could still see a NDE happening tonight based on the promo so we’ll see) Ty abazoochyk for the correction 🙏🏻

For Lonestar I’m theorizing one of the following:

1) The soup man (we know he gets shot from the promo)

2) Carlos - he’s supposed to be getting a major clue this episode regarding his father’s murderer which

A) could cause a target on his back

B) cause him to do something reckless and get hurt

3) TK

A) we know he’s in the house where Campbell gets shot with the other Rangers so he could take a bullet meant for someone else (probably Carlos if this is the case but could be another member of the 126 or a Ranger as well)

B) to follow up on Carlos maybe putting a target on his back, they could decide to go after TK as a warning for Carlos

For 911

In the promo we saw Eddie & Buck trying to free the two people stuck in the car that’s filling up with water

Both Eddie and Buck have a history with water, they’ve been doing a LOT of call backs this season, & they highlighted Chris’s love for water

So NDE could be

1) Buck or Eddie in the car

2) Buck and Eddie in the car

3) Plot twist - Chris in Texas has a NDE with water

4) Buck &/or Eddie in the car, survive - get a call about Chris

5) Bobby - Brad is obsessed with him, could accidentally hurt him trying to “help” or in anger if he’s not getting the attention he wants

6) Buck, Brad’s obsession with Bobby leads him to hurting Buck

7) Athena, Sparks loses his mind and goes after Athena

8) Chimney, he’s happy with his family expanding and he was worried about something happening to Maddie so surprise twist! he’s the one in danger instead

9) Hen - hasn’t had one since the 911 / 911 LS crossover I believe, maybe this episode is gonna gun for her just for that?

For Doctor Odyssey

1) Op in this post, Cassodre made an excellent argument for why Tristan is going to have a NDE as he’s not seen in the infirmary when Max & Avery are twice

2) Avery had appendicitis & Tristan got carbon monoxide poisoning so it could be Max’s turn and Tristan’s absence in the promo is a red herring

What I’m most worried about is not the potential NDEs themselves exactly (if there are any I already know it’s gonna make me 😵‍💫 so I’m prepared lol) but if there is any (or even multiple) NDEs that are not resolved by the end of the episode and we’ll have to wait THREE MONTHS to find out what happens (for 911 & DO)… 🫨🫨🫨

Anyways I’m really to be a wreck this week : )

[pumpkinprincess22]

When watching particularly emotionally intense episodes of 9-1-1 or Lonestar (so like over half of them) it it’s important to remember the three key rules:

1) Children under the age of sixteen* don’t die unless it is part of a main character’s backstory. e.g. Bobby’s kids or Marjan’s friend (that one is a bit complicated because they try and trick the audience into thinking it’s not a backstory at first but the rule technically holds up)

2) Pets who are seen onscreen alive will not die in the episode. E.g. The dog in the earthquake or the season 8 plane emergency

3) Main characters are immortal. I don’t need to provide examples for this one do I?

*the girl Hen hits with her ambulance and the cheerleader were both 16 or older so 16 is a wobbly line but under 16 they’re safe.

I find it important to remember these rules in times of stress. Especially during Masks

[strandnreyes]

9-1-1: Lone Star Countdown Tag Game

thanks @bonheur-cafe @she-walked-away @lonestar-s5countdown !!

(1) Which character death in 911 Lone Star hit you the hardest?

Hit me the hardest in terms of most impactful and lasting repercussions on the rest of the show? Gabriel. Hit me the hardest as in surprised me the most? Charles. The only one I didn’t see coming

(2) What is your favorite grief-related moment in the show?

The end of 4x17 through the start of 4x18. I love tarlos getting ready for the funeral and actually seeing the funeral. And then that beautiful couch scene at the beginning of 4x18 with Carlos clearly suffering and finally seeking some comfort from TK 😭

(3) Do you think there will be a character death in season 5? If so, any guesses about who it might be?

Hm. Nobody specifically I’m suspecting, but maybe!

(4) Which living character's death would destroy you the most?

TK and Carlos equally. I would grieve that irl. Honestly, it might be less painful if they both died because then one of them wouldn’t have to grieve the other, but still. 0/10. Never want to experience. Nightmare material

(5) Which character's childhood trauma do you think was most significant in shaping them?

definitely Owen. Everything from his job to his family

tagging @reyesstrand @tellmegoodbye @paperstorm @carlos-in-glasses if you haven’t yet + open tag!

[tellmegoodbye]

Tag Game: Grief

Thank you @lonestar-s5countdown for the questions and thank you @bonheur-cafe @strandnreyes @literateowl @reyesstrand and @decafdino for tagging me!

---

(1) Which character death in 911 Lone Star hit you the hardest?

In terms of shock and the events in the aftermath, it had to be Gabriel. Watching Carlos break down the way he did, seeing how differently he dealt with his grief compared to the way TK shut down after Gwyn's death, it had me crying until the very end.

However, I think I cried the most after Charles' death. One Day is one of those episodes I always come back to because it's just guaranteed to make me cry. Seeing Tommy hold it together all episode only to finally break down in the end? Seeing the way Grace and Judd fall apart when they put the pieces together while watching Tommy's kids? I don't think any character death is topping the way this one broke me.

(2) What is your favorite grief-related moment in the show?

There's so many! Tommy's grief group. Owen and Andrea talking about Gwyn and Gabriel before the wedding, even if that was a deleted scene. Everyone dealing with their grief surrounding Tim's death in their own way in 2x02. Tommy finally breaking down in 2x13. Owen's talk with Carlos about obsession.

My favorite probably has to be Owen's dream in 3x18. He's been carrying around so much guilt and trauma up until that point and it's been eating him alive, but he was finally able to see that continuing to hold onto that guilt isn't helping him. It's hurting him. In a way, he was finally able to let go of a lot of things (his brother's death, his family falling apart, 9/11, the mistakes he made with TK, Gwyn's death, etc) which is one of the hardest steps to take in the grief process. It doesn't mean he'll forget, it just means he can move forward and live with a little more peace in his heart.

(3) Do you think there will be a character death in season 5? If so, any guesses about who it might be?

If there is, I don't think it would be any of the main characters. A minor character death can be impactful in many different ways though, and I wouldn't put it past lone star to kill off someone we would least expect, so we'll see!

(4) Which living character's death would destroy you the most?

Probably Owen. I say that because killing off TK or Carlos is just not an option and I think we're all in agreement that they're off limits. Owen's death would make a lot of sense at some point down the line. After he's finally found the peace he's been looking for and gets to see his son thrive in his job and with his soulmate. Once Owen has nothing left to worry about, killing him off would make a lot of sense and still be devastatingly tragic at the same time.

(5) Which character's childhood trauma do you think was most significant in shaping them?

All of these characters have such unique backgrounds that it's kind of hard to try and compare traumas (and that's not something I like to do) so instead I'm going to say in terms of time, it would be Owen. His trauma has been accumulating longer than most of the rest of these characters have been alive, and the longer you live with something without properly dealing with it, the more it will bring you down. You could also say Judd because like Owen, he has a lot of childhood guilt and trauma as well as some recent trauma. It makes sense why these two ended up being such close friends. They understand each other in that sense.

---

Open tag because a lot of people have done this already!

[happilylovingchaos]

911 Lone Star Countdown - Disasters Week Questions

Hello and thank you for including me @lonestar-s5countdown! This is a little trickier for me to answer tbh. I think 9-1-1 might stand to have longer-lasting consequences from their natural disasters (no need to skip past tsunami wreckage recovery or months-long rebuilding of the highway collapse, those would make some meaty dramatic narrative arcs), but otherwise it so far edges out Lone Star when it comes to order of experience (like, which state got which disaster first).

1) My favorite disaster… okay, gonna have to divvy btwn the 9-1-1s for this!

The plane crash in 9-1-1 (OG) would probably be my underrated favorite in terms of narrative developments for Buck, Bobby and Abby.

Season 4’s heat wave was more glossed over for plot setup, but I didn’t mind this natural disaster precisely because it was a little smaller in scale and because the plot setups (even the Iris arc tho that definitely needed fine tuning in hindsight) hooked me in already. (I also didn’t mind Brianna and Caleb in this one b/c this time Caleb’s situation was not his own fault.)

2) Since they’ve already done tornadoes (though, there’s always a chance they’ll do those again), a volcanic eruption, wildfires and a winter storm, I would think the only disasters LS hasn’t gotten down yet are freeway collapses, floods (barring how the cast would look while soaking wet, don’t ignore areas like Galveston, writers! There’s WAY more to the state than farmland, Dallas, Austin and El Paso yk! Let’s just say before I digress I kinda wish the showrunners were able to film in actual Texas), a border skirmish (just out of genuine interest— not getting any more political and no Owen’s refugee rescue doesn’t count) or droughts/ water shortages (no, heat waves also don’t count). I also just realized that the domestic terrorist arc could have waited for a later season too! O’Brien and Owen had chaotic good vibes much akin to him and Billy Tyson (if the three of them worked together tho? The 126 should probably move their whole firefighter team out of Travis County b/c they ain’t gonna go through the second-hand pain again).

3) They had and lost me at meteor/ asteroid, so I’m not sure I’d say looking forward to it. It all depends on execution, I suppose? (Sorry for the question mark, I’m just baffled since that usually needs film-length amount of time— I’ve seen the film Deep Impact. Scientific nitpicks aside the investigations, action and future implications in that film were well-paced enough.)

4) My top 3? Judd b/c he’s a great all-around leader whenever shit hits the fan— honest (sometimes to a fault but I can kinda relate), strong integrity and conscientiousness, and so dad-like even before he became a dad. Mateo b/c he’d be like the underrated badass youngest brother of any group— speaking as an only child tho. Third… boy, I can’t break this tie. It’s a draw between Tommy (she’s very composed and professional even during the times she isn’t) and Paul (I’d like to learn memorization-observational skills from him, and he fits the “cool Zen mode” temperament a little better than Carlos, don’t @ me).

5) This is painful… okay I’m so sorry. I don’t think I can answer this one as of now.

Tagging next: @lutavero @reyesstrand @toomanycupsoftea @fitzherbertssmolder @marjansmarwani @trkstrnd

[theghostofashton]

grief week

thank you @lonestar-s5countdown @bonheur-cafe @corsage @reyesstrand for the tags!!

1. Which character death in 911 Lone Star hit you the hardest?

gabriel's, for sure. i was in denial that they would actually kill him all the way up until they did it. i don't think it's fully sunk in yet. it probably won't until s5 starts and they reference it and i'll have to face it head on lol. ik it was the very point of the storyline but thinking about everything carlos lost in losing his dad, the potential of their relationship.... it was a lot, especially within the context of the end of s4. really excited to see what they do with this in s5!

also, as many have said, the astronaut call from 1x10 hit me really hard. every time i rewatch, i know it's coming, but it still ruins me.

2. What is your favorite grief-related moment in the show?

i think the carlos owen conversation in 4x18 is probably my favorite. what owen says about not letting obsession ruin his life, him giving carlos knowledge he probably wished someone would have given him when he was grieving his brother, his old crew, etc is just...it's really beautifully done, especially as we've watched owen grapple with the consequences of the way he handled his grief

i also love the 126 getting together to pay tribute to tim at the end of 2x07, and tommy asking tk if he'd be interested in going to the grief group with her. the scene where she asks him is so sweet and i love how much care these characters have for each other, her knowing how that group's helped her and wanting to share that with tk.

3. Do you think there will be a character death in season 5? If so, any guesses about who it might be?

i really really hope not lol the only one i can think of enzo, that's why he's showing up to texas out of nowhere

4. Which living character's death would destroy you the most?

any of them tbh. they're all so close, such a tight-knit family, that losing any of them would mean not only grieving that character but also watching the rest of them be destroyed over it and that would be so awful

5. Which character's childhood trauma do you think was most significant in shaping them?

feels like a cop out to say this but truly all of them? i don't like comparing trauma because things that are "objectively" the worst may affect someone less than someone else being more affected by something that may not have been objectively bad.

but things like owen having such a hero complex because of all the people he wasn't able to save (his brother, his old crew, etc), marjan being such a fierce and loyal friend and placing so much value in that due to losing a dear friend at a young age, judd losing a friend as well and sort of losing himself in the way the aftermath played out, tk dealing with the fallout of his parents' divorce, the way 9/11 changed everything for their family, paul being so atuned to the details of a situation so he could watch out for anything that could harm him, developing that sense of threat assessment, as he figured out his identity, mateo being forever changed by losing a cousin he was so close with, nancy dealing with how to move forward after losing tim in such a horrifying, tragic way, carlos signing himself up for a life he didn't want and struggled to be okay with because he was so affected by the way his parents reacted to him coming out.... it's hard to truly say because i think they've all been so impacted by what they been through, it's impossible to separate that from who they are

leaving an open tag bc i'm very late to this!

[philcoulson-redtapeninja]

Getting to know me tag game

Tag game rules: Start a new post and tag 9 people you want to get to know better.

Tagged by: @peyton-warren

Last song: Phantom Racer by TWRP

Currently watching: Mission Impossible(1966), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes(1984), and 911:Lonestar

3 ships: IcemanxMaverick(Top Gun)

IllyaxNapoleon(The Man From U.N.C.L.E)

and Joan Waston and Sherlock Holmes QPP(Elementary, or basically any iteration of them)

favorite color: Periwinkle

first ship: dredging up things from the past, but I think Starfire and Robin from the older Teen Titans cartoon

relationship status: single

Last movie: I'm currently working on my Kovid Kilmer Kuest, so Top Gun

but outside of that Pride and Prejudice(1995)

Currently working on: I have about 3 fics I'm working on right now, 'How would the IMF handle counseling? What security protocols would they need?' The Fic, 'Simon Templar spends time fucking with the leverage team during his retirement. Deems them suitable replacements', and Season one Mission:Impossible(1966) Daemon!au because I miss them.

I also have a 5 podfics I want to be working on but I huave covid, "blue-black stains (and other ways to spell love) by liass21", "slow hand by popmart (tambsi)", "Quid Pro Quotidian by OrionLady", "To come to such a place as this by Liviapenn", and "Keeper of the Sphinx by Shades_of_Hecate"

I have a goal to podfic every fic, who's author wants one, in The Saint (1997) fandom tag on AO3. I'm 1/22 of the way done

feel free to participate if you'd like. Tagging @ruztyryan @calkale @thoughtless-gay-frog @spiciestmarinara @avianii @icemavslastbraincell @cha0screat0r @cosmicswindler @mthevlamister

[sevensoulmates]

https://www.tumblr.com/sevensoulmates/748150924126666752/deeper-depths-of-his-queer-love-the-realization

See I both love this and hate it. Love it because it’s very well thought out. And this so many details. But I hate it because realistically I just don’t see the show going to a 10th season so if they don’t actually get together until 9b, assuming the show stays at its 18 episode count, we’d get 9 episodes of them together and that’s it. And after all these years of waiting that is just… not enough time and would start to feel to much like a oh well it was the end of the show so what do we have to lose here ya go.

Maybe I would've agreed with you just after season 6 ended and the announcement of a shift to ABC. I might've thought then they don't have many seasons left but I've changed my mind about that over the last few months since they started heavily promoting season 7. ABC said that they want to keep 911 going as long as they can, and they even said they want to continue making spin-offs like Lonestar (hopefully better than Lonestar) in different cities in the U.S. That doesn't sound like a network that wants to cut 9-1-1 off after season 9.

I'm sorry but a network that approved Grey's Anatomy to have 20+ seasons is ABSOLUTELY gonna approve 9-1-1, their number one money maker right now, to have 10+ seasons. I'm fully expecting to get to AT LEAST season 12, and I'm being so fucking serious.

ESPECIALLY if 9-1-1 actually follows through with the groundwork they're setting up right now with Buck and Eddie. I'm not kidding when I say, if you feed your fanbase they'll keep coming back for more for the rest of time like a feral cat to your house after you feed them. Once people catch wind that buddie went canon, they're gonna be throwing money at ABC so fast that ABC just might approve an additional 3 seasons right then and there.

As for the second part of your question, no. I don't think the show would just throw buddie at us at the end to "throw us a bone" once the show's slated to end for real. If they didn't do that at Fox when they had a real chance of wrapping it up for good, they're not gonna do that with ABC. "What do we have to lose" doesn't feel like the right mindset here. If that was the case, they never would've had Buck come out in early season 7. That was their riskiest first step, and it paid off, and now they have proof that they have SO MUCH to gain if they actually explore these stories organically with enough time to feel satisfied. So, no, I don't think we're just gonna get them shoved into the end with no development.

And I also just think that this fandom and casual viewers/journalists too, vastly underestimate how much these writers care about these characters and the story they're telling here. Yes, I do think that some of the writers have shown biases (KR) and have made some missteps in handling storylines, but again, they're beholden to a whole chain of bosses and external circumstances. BUT I think at the core, this show WOULD NOT EVER have been so beloved by many if the writers did not CARE about these characters deeply. So no, I don't think the writers would just "throw" anything at these characters just to placate viewers unless they really think it's necessary or works for the character arc. Yes, that includes things like Marisol and Natalia or "Shoehorned in" plots. I think the writers do their best to do right by these characters to the best of their ability. And I think that's so INCREDIBLY rare both in the past and currently.

So yeah, sometimes the writers make mistakes or don't handle plots the best in certain circumstances but when it comes to the bigger picture I never once questioned that they care and want to give these characters the best they're capable of.

[incorrectbuckandeddie]

Just had a truly chaotic idea of how to make Buddie canon. It’s a regular degular episode of 9-1-1 Lonestar and their crew receives a save the date for a wedding. It’s the Diaz-Buckley nuptials. It is never mentioned again and 9-1-1 continues on as normal because frankly at this point those two might as well be married.

I changed my mind. It is mentioned on 9-1-1 but only like 3 seasons later because Buck forgets to take his ring off at work and Eddie is afraid he’s going to end up getting injured if it catches on something.

[soapymess]

About Me + Roleplay Stuff!!

READ BEFORE ASKING TO ROLEPLAY!

NHL HOCKEY MPREG BLOG THING

About Me:

demi-girl

she/her pronouns

adult

roleplayer

est timezone

writer sometimes when I feel like it

if u interact with a post of mine I will probably follow u!!

Roleplay Info:

avaliable most of the time

semi literate to advanced literate

ill do double ups sometimes if im desperate enough

7 years or so of experience

I do not do straight up smut scenes!!

dm me whenever you'd like to rp im very much open

I do mostly rps revolving around pregnancy or mpreg just because that's what I'm used to doing plot wise unless I don't state that I'd like pregnancy in the plot! as for double ups, only my side would have to include the pregnancy plot!

Fandoms:

this changes alot

star by the things im mainly interested in rn

some mcu stuff

9-1-1

supernatural (on season 10)

house m.d. (season five)

yellowjackets ☆

hannibal (on season three) ☆

nhl ☆

umbrella academy (up to season three)

sharp objects ☆

rdr2

9-1-1 lonestar

glee (on season two)

stranger things ☆

Current top men to impregnate for roleplays <3:

Diego Hargreeves (The Umbrella Academy)

Arthur Morgan (RDR2)

Javier Escuella (RDR2)

Coach Ben Scott (Yellowjackets)

Carlos Reyes (9-1-1 Lonestar)

TK Strand (9-1-1 Lonestar)

Wolverine/Logan Howlett (X-Men)

Possibly Evan Buckley (9-1-1)

[bam-bi-buck]

As much as I would love for 9-1-1 to continue on and on, at some point the show will end (😭)

I wonder if we’ll see each one of the 118’s career trajectory before it ends

We know at some point Bobby will retire and we know that Hen is on track to become Captain

What about the others?

I do think Chim, Buck, & Eddie could end up staying at the 118 under Hen’s captaincy if they chose for her to remain at the 118 as Captain as they could do a storyline where’s she’s offered a captaincy somewhere else

If she were to remain at 118 as Captain after Bobby I do believe the others would be happy under her captaincy just as they are Bobby’s

That is one way 9-1-1 could end with Bobby’s retirement and Hen taking over (if Peter stays on the entire duration of 9-1-1)

However that isn’t the only way they could end the story

Chim has acted as Captain before but he did have a difficult time figuring out his captaincy style and dealt with two major tragedies regarding his crew - Shannon’s Death & Freddie targeting the 118

This could have impacted his overall view of captaincy and make it so he’d rather just stay in his current position, I believe when Bobby was choosing an interim captain in S6(?) Chim even said absolutely not or something to that effect

He could also be Hen’s lieutenant (Just realized, unlike in Lonestar we don’t see anything about Lieutenants - so I looked up the rankings, apparently LAFD doesn’t have them and have Firefighter ranks 1, 2, & 3 instead? Interesting… so never mind on that idea lol)

Anyways, he’s shown no problems working under Hen, but he has shown discontent at the idea of Hen not being his partner (when Hen was starting her journey to become a Doctor) so while he may have no problems working for interim Captain Hen, it might be hard for him to lose her as a partner completely

Would that inspire him to become a captain himself? It would be a really good storyline for him to overcome any doubts he may have due to his previous experience as Captain

Or would be ultimately decide that he’d rather continue working with Hen even if they aren’t partners, that would also make a good storyline

I think one problem if they go that route is who becomes his partner? More on that later

For Buck, I do think he could continue as a firefighter and be happy but we have seen them start to sow the seeds for him also to pursue captaincy, such as him trying to be a good candidate when Bobby was looking for a interim captain as referenced above and at the end of season six we saw him take charge of an entire scene and save everyone

And even in this current season we’ve seen him use his smarts to solve a lot of problems

He would make an amazing captain- however he would then have to lose part of his 118 family - not entirely but partially if they’re no longer working together (if they are in fact continuing with Hen becoming a captain trajectory which I’m pretty sure they will)

So if Buck also goes down the captaincy route himself there’s several options

1) Hen becomes Captain of the 118 and he later becomes Captain of another house

2) Hen is offered Captaincy elsewhere and Chim becomes Captain of 118 and Buck becomes captain of another house

3) Both Hen and Chim become captains elsewhere and Buck becomes the 118 captain

That could be a good storyline for Buck, having to accept his family going down different career paths and choosing a career path that’s good for him and helps him grow as a person, not based on trying to keep everyone under the 118 roof and realizing they’ll always be a family even if they’re no longer working together

Eddie though, I don’t think he’s shown any interest in becoming a Captain

When Chim was searching for Maddie Eddie was partnered more with Hen, (and I believe we’ve seen Hen as interim Captain and Eddie helping Chim? might be misremembering that) and this season we’ve seen Eddie work with Hen and Chim

They have been emphasizing his skills as a medic this season as well

We could see Hen become Captain and Eddie become a paramedic and Chim’s partner

I think that would be hard for everyone involved, Chim not having Hen as a partner, and Eddie and Buck not working as partners anymore

If he doesn’t become a full time paramedic, he’d probably remain Buck’s partner as long as Buck remains a firefighter (if Buck does go the captaincy route)

Eddie has also stated the he enjoys the camaraderie of firefighting, not that the Captain can’t be apart of that, but they are held a bit apart from the rest, that’s just one of the effects of being a leader

He’s also shrugged off the idea of being even interim captain, like when he talked about it with Buck when Buck was frustrated to not being in the running

Unless they start sowing the seeds for him to be interested in captaincy as well, I just don’t see it happening based off his current trajectory/attitude

If he does become a captain then it’s a similar situation as Buck above

If Buck becomes captain and he doesn’t, I imagine he’d want to go with him or be a full time paramedic on his team unless #buddiecanon happens and and then they may have to be separated (as this is a show and not real life they may decide they can remain in the same house if one of them becomes Captain even if I’m not sure that would happen irl, idk)

But then if they are separated by the brass and Chim doesn’t become captain I’d imagine he’d stay with Hen & Chim and if both Hen and Chim become Captain then he’d stay with one of them if he couldn’t stay with Buck for any reason

There is another possibility of them all who become a captain remaining at the 118 and ending up as captains of different 118 shifts but I can’t really see any of them wanting to give up A shift or wanting to go have alternative shifts as the others as that would make spending time together as a family outside of the firehouse even harder and losing both firehouse time together and outside of firehouse time together would wreck all of them

I have no idea if the show will end with us knowing what future paths they follow career wise but I think it’s interesting to think about where they may take them if they do

[twwpress]

Weekly Press Briefing #42: April 9th - April 15th

Welcome back to the Weekly Press Briefing, where we bring you highlights from The West Wing fandom each week, including new fics, ongoing challenges, and more! This briefing covers all things posted from April 9 - April 15, 2023! Did we miss something? Let us know; you can find our contact info at the bottom of this briefing!

Challenges/Prompts:

The following is a roundup of open challenges/prompts. Do you have a challenge or event you’d like us to promote? Be sure to get in touch with us! Contact info is at the bottom of this briefing.

The Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda Josh/Donna prompt fest (hosted by @jessbakescakes and @thefinestmuffin) is open for claiming; fics reveal on June 24th. Details here. 

Photos/Videos:

Here’s what was posted from April 9 - April 15.

Allison Janney posted photos of herself backstage at the Late Late Show with Bryan Cranston and Brett Goldstein. 

Amy Landecker posted photos of her and Brad’s pets: 1 | 2 | 3

Bradley Whitford posted a photo of his dogs.

Janel Moloney posted a photo of her kids’ easter baskets (plus Cocaine Bear!).

Josh Malina posted a mirror selfie of himself and a castmate backstage at Leopoldstadt. 

Kim Webster posted photos from Alexa Bliss and Ryan Cabrera’s prom-themed anniversary party. 

Marlee Matlin posted

Rob Lowe posted a clip of Fred Armisen and himself in his new Netflix series Unstable. 

Rob Lowe posted BTS from 911 Lonestar of himself rescuing a fake baby. 

Rob Lowe posted a blooper reel from Unstable.

Rob Lowe posted a date night selfie with his wife.  

Donna Moss Daily: April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 12 | April 13 | April 14 | April 15

Daily Josh Lyman: April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 12 | April 13 | April 14 | April 15

No Context BWhit: April 9 | April 10 | April 11 | April 12 | April 13 | April 14 | April 15

This Week in Canon:

Welcome to This Week in Canon, where we revisit moments in The West Wing that occurred on these dates during the show’s run.

Season 7, Episode 17: Election Day, Part II aired on April 9, 2006.

Editors’ Choice:

Because Election Day, Part II aired this week in 2006, we’re recommending fics set during the Santos Administration!

smooth operator by MasterofAllImagination | Rated G | Bruno Gianelli, Josh Lyman, Matt Santos, Arnold Vinick (No Pairings) | Complete | Over his Chief of Staff’s strong objections, President Santos coerces Bruno Gianelli out of retirement.

 The Times They Are A-changin' (Series) by justdreaming88 | Rated G | Ainsley Hayes/Sam Seaborn, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss, Helen Santos/Matt Santos | A series of completed fics mostly set during the Santos administration. 

 And the Pursuit of Happiness by welcometoyourworld | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn, Ainsley Hayes/Donna Moss | In Progress | It's the first year of the Santos Administration, and now that he is more or less at the peak of his political career, Josh must finally reckon with all the parts of himself he kept hidden away in pursuit of success.

OR: Santos’ fight for meaningful education reform is stymied by a war in Kazakhstan, the rise of the alt-Right, and a Chief of Staff engaging with The Self.

 Unpacking by theycallmethejackal | Rated G | Bram Howard, Otto (West Wing), Louise Thornton, Amy Gardner (No Pairings) | Complete | “What are you doing?”

“Setting up my office.”

 The People’s Servants by Speranza for musesfool | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss  | Complete | It's Big Block of Cheese Day in the Santos White House.

 What's Next by sam_writes_fics | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss  | Complete | Josh and Donna explore what life is like as Chiefs of Staff. This story starts right as "Tomorrow" ends; my attempt at their life post-canon.

 The First 100 Days by BimadaBomily | Not Rated | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss  | Complete | And now this roller coaster's plunging into the transition, with its time-pressure demands and then the inauguration and it's hit the ground running and the first hundred days...

100 moments in Josh/Donna's relationship during the first 100 days of the Santos Administration.

Fics:

Presenting your weekly roundup of fics posted in the tag for The West Wing on Archive of Our Own.

Josh/Donna

this is the wonder (that's keeping the stars apart) by joshatella (shuuuliet) | Rated T | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

i want you, baby (like you can’t understand) by hanyolo for flowersinapril | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

everything I need is right here by my side by WitchyPrentiss for flowersinapril | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | Complete

Domestic Days by spooky_spacegirl | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

 C.J./Danny

None of Us are More than Caretakers by onekisstotakewithme for daylight_angel, miabicicletta, Luppiters, hondagirll | Rated T | Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg | In Progress

Ten Weeks by Jxjxjx | Rated T | Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg | In Progress

nobody knows how to get back home by Luppiters | Rated T | Danny Concannon/C. J. Cregg | Complete

 Other Pairings/Gen Fic

Wait For Me by imperfectirises | Rated M | Abbey Bartlet/Jed Bartlet | In Progress

Staying on Script by Mabis | Rated G | Josh Lyman/Sam Seaborn | Complete

sturgeon by hell_to_breakfast | Not Rated | Ellie Bartlet | Complete

A Different Life by PreppyPrincess5103 (JAG crossover) | Rated M | Sarah "Mac" MacKenzie/Sam Seaborn | In progress 

So Why Did You Decide to Come Here by Hackney123 | Rated E | Ainsley Hayes/Original Character | Complete

In Conversation with Edie Ortega by Hackney123 | Not Rated | Edie Ortega, Original Characters | Complete

cat’s out of the bag by Anonymous | Rated T | Jed Bartlet & C. J. Cregg & Josh Lyman & Leo McGarry & Sam Seaborn & Toby Ziegler | Complete

 Multiple Pairings

Labor of Love by mlea7675 | Rated T | Zoey Bartlet/Charlie Young, Josh Lyman/Donna Moss | In Progress

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xx, What’s next?

[samrsgyi]

Hello my fellow marshmallow peeps I know I've been gone for a little while but I'm just trying to catch up on schoolwork and watched demon slayer season 3 episode 4 and it was fire. But today I'm thinking I should either write for Chicago fire, Chai saw man, or demon slayer. I'll be back with la's finest don't worry but, I'm also thinking if I should also do 9-1-1 or even 9-1-1 Lonestar. You guys tell me in comment section what you would like any character from my master lists. Bye marshmallow peeps, have a good night

[girlmadeofstarlight]

It was not a good idea to binge watch 9-1-1 Lonestar when my emotions were riding high from the loss of character in season 2, now they shocked us again with the loss of another character?!

Poor TK and Owen and the loss of a mother and ex-wife. This episode was great, it was important to see Gwen's role in TK's sobriety and the flashbacks between them. Also, to see the bonding between Owen and TK.

Now I'm halfway through season 3, trying to catch up before the new episode next Tuesday.

[happilylovingchaos]

First time not reblogging a countdown post! Thank you for having me, @lonestar-s5countdown and for tagging me @lemonlyman-dotcom and @thisbuildinghasfeelings ☺️ (I have been busy for three days doing upper body strength exercises at my parents’ storage locker— explaining, not excusing how late I posted my answer for the last day of Redemption!)

Let’s see how essay-length I get in my answers— I have several moments from all 4 seasons, so if I have more than 3 that I remember off the top of my head, they’re going in as bullet points.

(1) Which 911 Lone Star character redemption moment is your favorite? (Feel free to interpret “redemption” as loosely as you like. This can include moments of forgiveness, moments characters proved themselves, moments characters learned from their mistakes, etc.)

I’ll give a few examples of each definition of the word. This is gonna be a bit of an essay, so…

Regarding “moment of forgiveness”, I liked Dustin and Michelle finally clearing the air with each other about her sister’s disappearance— with some prodding from Owen (when he was drunk and chemo-sick— how did he even Uber himself back home without collapsing and waking up with a less-intense-than-IRL hangover?). Watching season 1, I could understand where Michelle came from with considering her sister’s “loser” boyfriend a murderer, but to the point that she earns a reputation among his neighbors as a “crazy lady”? Getting him fired? Harassing him so often that he couldn’t even explain himself? …yeah. I could totally understand why Dustin lashed back at her (kind-of) good faith visit at his school. But crazily enough, it really helped both of them share in the grief and pain over losing Iris, and then part ways on better terms than they started on. Dustin might have been an almost-all-round jackass, but I don’t doubt that he cared enough to regret giving up on her when her schizophrenia manifested. And even with Liv’s frankly indie-movie portrayal of Michelle (which I think is still not the best acting, but it’s not the worst either), that’s some fierce sibling love to keep going on for three years. I understand now why it helps for two arguing parties to approach each other with level heads and a shared/ similar thing in common.

Another “moment of forgiveness” that stuck out to me was Owen and Walter’s conversation. I have a complicated relationship with my own father, who didn’t really cut himself out of my life in the same way, but he’s his own son of a bitch for not realizing that his values and actions have an impact on his friends and family (who are themselves guilty of those same values and actions). Hearing Walter validate Owen’s trauma and feelings then admit he’d gotten too overwhelmed by the grief of Tyler’s loss to support Owen and his mother, Owen say that he remembered everything that happened to cause the triggers of his childhood trauma beyond 9/11, and the ultimate takeaway being that Owen work on forgiving himself after? That still hits me hard, because I don’t know if I’ll ever get that. In my life, my dad is stubborn and ignorant enough that he probably can’t, or will probably never, fully understand how he hurt my mom with his actions and inactions, and how it hurt me to be witness to both. I don’t know if I’ll ever forgive him because of that, and I don’t know if I can forgive myself. But… on the latter part, I don’t want to even try until I can figure out how to do it in a balanced way. That’s how messed up I feel and how connected to that Strand moment I became. That’s the heavy of it.

For the definition of “proving one’s self”, I’d go with the moment Pearce sued the Paragon company after the ambulance explosion. Buildup? Executed. Complaints? Very noted. Things with Tommy square?… here’s hoping. Do I still have an ambivalent opinion on him? Yes. Is he still a know-it-all jackass? Yes, likely. But do I think this showed his lawfulness could line up with the “cowboy culture” he looks down on? Hell yeah. Karma is a beautiful bitch.

(2) Is there a character you think deserved more of an on screen redemption moment than we got in the show?

At the end of “Push”, I think it would’ve been nice to see Billy resolve things with Judd, Grace and Owen for real for people to believe that there are truly no hard feelings. That’s another thing I think the show’s time skip went warp speed on. There’s a good chance Owen did sign the apology letter, but look— sticking by your best friend’s wife for a legitimate reason when things got drastic? Helping her get to a safe place to give birth? Billy and Judd have one hell of a complicated friendship and that warrants a good heart-to-heart.

I think Iris has been talked about before, but at the end of that story arc in season 4 I really wanted a scene between her, TK, and Carlos clearing the air. TK doesn’t have to be a fan of her still (kinda like how Dustin and Michelle don’t need to be buddy-buddy), but he def deserved some closure on his hurt feelings. (Iris needs to work on clarifying herself a little better, Carlos for getting in his own way and not realizing his feelings were spilling onto THE MAN YOU ARE MARRYING REAL SOON, YOU LŌLŌ*).

(3) Is there a recurring (or even one-time guest) “villain” that you would like to see return with a redemption arc? Or if not, is there a “villain” you absolutely would not want to see get a redemption?

I think Sadie Becker should not deserve a redemption. That is to say I like her as a villain but I agree that she should not be released from prison early.

I might be the only person in the fandom who feels at least a little sorry for Walter Strand— the guy gets called a “son of a bitch” for giving Owen his lasting childhood trauma, and Robert and TK the risk of Huntington’s disease (which panned out for Robert). Even when not calling him an outright “villain”, I feel he’s a tragic character on his own and he never would’ve wished either of those things on anyone, let alone his family.

Trudy (from the Iris arc) and Al (Idk if I’m the only one who remembers his name but calling him “lard-ass” just sounds like bullying) are the two main one-time guests who I would like to see redeemed, though.

(4) Are there any unresolved conflicts from the first four seasons that you wish were reconciled on screen?

This is gonna be a long one.

Season 1:

Did Marjan decide to find another mosque after all? Was she kicked out of the one she was at, and to what degree did the mosquegoers’ reactions to the corn silo video change how she followed her Muslim faith? After rewatching 1x03 and mulling on it, I infer that she was able to bounce back from the viral video after at least a month, but I still wish there was a little more space in the show to explore her relationship with her own religion and any Muslim Texan/ Floridian people. But there’s also the fact that I only know part of the gist about Islam, so…

The plot twist in season 4 that Carlos and Iris used to be married works in theory, but in hindsight I think there should have been scenes with Carlos and Michelle acting like sibling-in-laws off the job (and sometimes reminiscing on better times with/ without Iris), or Carlos showing at least a little of his inner turmoil (which I think he actually externalized in season 4 but I will get to it) on the outside as Michelle got into more trouble with Dustin and they followed the leads on Iris’ disappearance.

I found Wayne’s character (Owen’s chatty cancer buddy) charming, especially in “Studs”, so I lowkey want closure on what happened to him— do he and Owen stay in touch? Did they fall out of touch? Did he get a recurrence of his own and die from his own cancer offscreen?

Season 2:

It would’ve been nice to meet Enzo in this season! I mean, even if he were introduced as a rough character he was still a father figure to TK and clearly a better life partner to Gwyn after she and Owen divorced. And his reaction to Gwyn’s pregnancy (and hearing her confirmation from the paternity test email) would add another POV— he’d have his own complicated feelings about being a father for real this time. (And the three of them getting into shenanigans would give TK early gray hair— sorry, dude.)

Does Marjan keep in touch with the roller derby team? They seemed like another group that would’ve unconditionally had her back through her social media drama. No need for the 126 to get jealous.

Michelle doesn’t seem like someone who would simply peace out without informing the 126 she was resigning. Tim must’ve really grown to respect and care about her given his angry reaction in the season 2 premiere.

Tommy, Izzy, Evie, Charles and Buster shenanigans. I like that that would show a part of Tim being present in the LS story. (And it gives Tommy a little more in her family to revolve around.)

Where did TK and Carlos temporarily stay at after the last arson attack on their home?

I think Paul could have used a little more of a “Begins” segment with his mom and sister.

Edit add: Gwyn needed some extra time with TK for 3x08 to pay off.

Season 3:

It’s been talked about before (and I gave my own opinion in the last question): The post-ice storm arc has some timeline gaps to fill. Like at least 4-6 months’ worth of time for TK and Paul to recover from their respective bouts of hypothermia, Billy to fully make amends to Owen and Judd, and Tarlos to have that heart-to-heart about their insecurities and arson trauma and the loft purchase.

TK’s backstory had such a macaw-shaped wasted opportunity! I feel like another childhood story he shared at Tommy’s grief support group involved Gwyn and her macaw somehow. Like, does he develop some complicated feelings with Ginsberg during/ after the divorce? Did it mean Gwyn got joint (and majority) custody of TK? Maybe he even took care of the bird for a while before he got into drugs.

Does TK arrange what his will is going to be like, for real this time?

I think Judd shouldn’t only trust his gut on Wyatt being his son; he should have double-checked with that paternity test.

How involved did Carlos and Grace’s phone call to LAPD/ Athena become, I wonder? It would’ve taken quite some pull for them to get to sit in on the arrest via FaceTime and they got casual in convo real fast.

Does Dave end up moving back to the UK or taking a 9-1-1 dispatching position in another region of Texas? He seemed rude at first to me, but then I got a little attached and noticed with hindsight that he sort of dropped off the radar after 3x15. (Actor’s circumstances notwithstanding)

Season 4:

Paul explains to Asha why he suddenly deflated during their date when she brought out the yearbook, right? She had to have noticed his mood change at some point and they would’ve needed more to catch each other up on more than just the surface level of their lives.

I hope Owen and Kendra honor their agreement to remain platonic since she attends Tarlos’ wedding as his plus-one.

Carlos has quite a bit of apologizing to do for TK after he recovers from his head injury. And Iris should help. (Plus Owen.)

I wonder if Tommy calls Julius to accompany her singing at the Tarlos wedding? If so and it was a possible recast, that would strengthen the parallels between TK, Carlos and her, because of their unexpected and tragic losses. And it would be a sweet way to remember Charles by proxy.

Poor Gutierrez must get rousted often for him to make that off-handed comment after Carlos almost shoots him. I hope Carlos takes his chances to make things with the guy, especially since it seems like he might appear again in the Gabriel Reyes murder mystery.

How much do Andrea and Gabriel know about Carlos and Iris’ “marriage”, especially in the years after she went missing?

I really hope Tommy and Judd worked things out with each other while they waited for updates on Wyatt, because the resolution to their conflict also seemed pretty sudden to me.

(5) Which main character would you like to have a more developed backstory?

Nancy, Tommy and Paul have had parts of their backstories shown, but I’d like for them to be developed more!

*Lōlō: Hawaiian adjective word for “crazy”. Essentially, I used to think Carlos was a bastard for getting mad at TK in 4x03; thinking on it that was too strong a word, so now I let in my local Hawaiian side to call him “stupid-head.”