#And then we not-so-subtly flirted with each other at the crime scene while talking about the killer

[justaweirdonothingtoseehere]

Margot asks him wtf happened to his window and he’s like. ‘Oh. Yeah. A stag got caught in it bc of a storm or whatever’

But imagine how fucking funny it would be if he answered honestly???

[messy-nonbinary]

It’s Always Been the Pretty Boy

Warnings: mentions of murder; serial killer; swearing

Paring: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader | NCIS x Criminal Minds crossover

Rating: PG 13 for murder

Summary: Morgan and Torres are fighting over Y/N while they have to do a joint investigation and Y/N eventually just goes on a date with Spencer.

This is fairly long sooo... Sorry for that

----

Y/N was spinning in her chair, watching as the orange walls around her spun. “You okay, Y/N?” Ellie asked. Y/N stopped spinning and smiled at her. “Yeah I’m fine. Just waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Nick asked as he walked into the bullpen, drinking his coffee and handing Y/N a bag of her favorite chips. “Oh hell yeah! Thanks, Nick.” Y/N said as she opened the bag. “Yep. Last bag in the vending machine.” He said, sitting down. “We’ve got a case, get your bags and let’s go.” Gibbs said as he grabbed his stuff from his desk. Everyone stood up and followed him to the elevator. “But what about McGee, Boss?” Nick asked. “He’s meeting us there.”

----

At the scene, Y/N took pictures, Nick collected evidence, while Tim and Ellie talked to the couple that found the body. “What do we got, Duck?” Gibbs asked. “Well, two GSWs, one two the stomach and one to the head. See the amount of blood here? That says that the shot to the stomach was made before the one to the head. I suppose to weaken the man. But as usual, we won’t know more until the autopsy.” Ducky stated.

----

Everyone finished at the crime scene and once they showed back up to the bullpen, they noticed 3 people standing there. “Uhh Boss? Who are they?” Tim asked. “Leroy!” Vance called from the top of the stairs, next to two people he didn’t recognize. “These Agents are with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. You’ll be working on a joint investigation. I’ll leave you to make your own introductions. Play nice.” Vance chuckled as he left for his office.

The two agents upstairs made their way down and in front of the others. The taller outstretched his hand toward Gibbs. “Hello, I’m SSA Aaron Hotchner and this is my team. SSA’s David Rossi, Jeniffer Jareau, and Dr. Spencer Reid.” He said, pointing to everyone respectively. “I’m Agent Leroy Gibbs, these are agents Nick Torres, Eleanor Bishop, Tim McGee, and Y/N Y/L/N.” Pointing to each respectively. Once introductions were out of the way, everyone exchanged information.

“Soo what makes you think it’s a serial killer? Nick asked. “Well, so far we’ve had 4 victims, all killed the same way, and all have or are working for either a branch of the military.” Hotch stated. Y/N stood up. “Boss, I’m gonna go check up on Ducky and Palmer.” Gibbs nodded. “Mind if I come with you, Sweetness?” Derek asked and Nick glared at Derek. “Sure. Follow me.” Y/N said.

Gibbs got a phone call. “Yeah, Abbs? On my way.” Gibbs said, putting his flip phone back in his pocket. “Who was that?” Hotch asked. “Our forensic analysis.” Gibbs said. “Mind if I come with?” Gibbs shook his head. “Sure. But we’ve gotta make a stop first.” Hotch nodded and followed behind.

“He still uses a flip phone?” JJ asked. “Yep. Refuses to upgrade.” McGee said.

----

“Alright Ducky, what do you have?” Y/N said cheerfully. “Ah! Y/N! Where’s Jethro?”

“He’s in the lab. Where’s Jimmy?”

“Oh something came up with Breena. Who’s the fine young fellow?” Ducky asked looking at Derek. “Ducky, this is Derek Morgan with the BAU. Derek, this is Dr. Donald Mallard, or Ducky.”

“Oh..FBI, I bet Jethro is not too happy about that.”

“He is not.” Y/N said, chuckling. “So, Ducky, what did you find?” Derek asked. “Apart from the two GSWs, this young man is quite healthy. There is also some adhesive residue on his wrists and ankles.”

“Time of death?” Y/N asks. “I’d say around 18:30-19:00 hours.

But I did find something rather peculiar.” Ducky says as he picks up a small petri dish with a piece of paper in it. “I was just about to take it up to Abby to see if there was any.”

“What is it?” Derek asks. “It’s a piece of paper, it just has the number 6 on it. It was lodged down his throat. Almost like he was forced to swallow it but refused.” Ducky said. “Does this mean anything to you?” Y/N asked. “No, I’ll see if any other bodies had something shoved down their throats.” Derek said as he dialed the number for Garcia.

----

“So what are you doing?” Nick asked, walking up to Reid. “I’m creating a geological profile based on where all the victims were abducted and disposed of.” Reid said without looking away. “Does your friend always flirt with women he’s just met?” Nick said.

“Usually. But I’m sure you're the type too.” Nick looked at Spencer confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you wear tight shirts when you really don’t have to. You just want to show off your physical shape. Whenever Y/N walks by you you subtly flex your muscles and puff out your chest. So either you like her, or she’s smart enough to not give you the attention you so very much desire.” Reid said as he turned around and looked at Nick, mouth agape.

They heard snickers from the others. “Oh shut it McGee.” He said, sitting down at his desk. 

----

“Gibbs! Gibbs! Gibbs! What took you so long?!” Abby yelled. “Abbs..”

“Right!” Abby stopped when she noticed Aaron. “Gibbs, who’s this?”

“Agent Aaron Hotchner.” Gibbs said with a sting in his voice. “With the BAU.” Hotch held out his hand to Abby and reluctantly, she took it. “I’m Abby. So, what I found was some DNA that wasn’t our Petty Officer’s, it was animal fur. Like, dog or cat hair. I can’t tell what just yet. But, was able to see where he was last seen due to a credit card transaction he made about 30 miles away at a coffee shop. I found camera footage that showed him talking to someone, then being led away by that same person.” Abby said, pulling up the video.

“So he must have somewhere else he keeps the victims. But since there was no physical evidence of torture, it must be psychalogical.”Hotch said.

*Beep*

“Oh! It’s Ducky!” Abby said, answering the facetime and showing it on her screen. “Hello Jethro and Abby!” He said. “Hey, we found a piece of paper lodged down our Petty Officer’s throat. It has the number 6 on it.” Y/N said. “There must be two more bodies we don’t know about. I’m having Garcia check on it now.” Derek said.

----

Sure enough they found two more bodies, two parents Kevin and Maria Grant, in the marines. They were both shot in the stomach, forced fed the piece of paper, and then shot in the head. The mom had a number two, and the dad had a number one. Police thought it was their 14 year son, Lyle Grant, but they had no real evidence to support that.

---

“Garcia said that Lyle doesn’t have any addresses under his name. But something has come up. There’s a missing person. Female, brown hair, and physically fit. Fits the female portion of our victimology.” Derek said, putting the phone on speaker. “Okay Garcia, try looking for something in the comfort zone under the parents’ name.” Rossi said. “Nothing.” Garcia said. “Who was Lyle’s legal guardian after the murder?” Ellie asked. “Got it, strange voice I’ve never heard before. After killing his parents, he went on to live with his Aunt Jamie Frank…”

“And where is she now?” Ellie asked. “She died about 4 months ago.”

“That’s our trigger. Garcia look for something under her name.”

“Umm we have an abandoned veterinary office that she used to own but is now owned by the state and set to be demolished.”

“Address Garcia.”

“Already sent.” She said as she hung up. “Morgan, JJ, Rossi, you’re with me.” Hotch said. “Torres, Bishop. Come on.” Gibbs said and all of them left.

“So, since we are here for a bit, let’s get to know each other.” Y/N said, sitting next to Reid and McGee. “Y/N you should’ve seen it. Dr. Reid made Nick turn as red as a strawberry.” Tim said. “Ohh what’d you say?” Y/N asked. “I just pointed out the obvious. He clearly likes you in a romantic sense.”

“Ha! He wishes.” Y/N laughed. “You don’t like him?” McGee asked mockingly. “Ha. Ha. No, I don’t like him like that. I mean yeah, he’s a great guy but he’s not my type.” Y/N said, rolling her eyes. “Really? I-I mean he’s confident, strong built, and he seems somewhat willing to settle. Statically, that’s what most women go for.” Spencer said.

“What people find attractive can’t be put up to stats, Dr. Reid.” Tim said. “Yeah. And besides, you’re more my type anyway.” Y/N said, looking at Reid. He turned bright red. “You’re-You’re I’m- your what-”

Y/N chuckled at the chaos she created. “I think you broke him.” Tim said. “Yep. You’re my type. Speaking of, wanna catch dinner after this case? I know this amazing restaurant downtown.”

“I- sure.”

---

“Alright listen, Y/N is taken.” Nick said, pulling Derek to the side. “And I don’t think your advances are really gonna work.” They had just arrested the unsub and found the missing girl, all they had to do was finish up searching the building for anything else they may have missed.

“Oh really? Who’s she taken by?” Derek smirked. “Well- she’s not like- taken, taken. But she will be. After I ask her out when we get back.”

“So she’s single. Thanks for the heads up man.” Derek said, patting Nick’s shoulder and laughing. “Wait! What I mean is- She’s going to choose me over you.”

“Oh really?”

“Yep. She barely knows you. We’ve known each other for so long now.”

“Riightt. But I can tell she doesn’t like you. I notice behavior, remember?”

“Yeah well you’re behavior noticing skills are not as good as you think.”

“Guys! Are you two seriously fighting over Y/N right now!?” Ellie yelled. “No!” Both Derek and Nick said, going their separate ways.

---

“I’m sure he’ll be fine with it.” Reid said. “It's just a day. I’m sure they can find something to do until then.” He said as the elevator dinged. Everyone piled out of the elevator and into the bullpen.

Y/N grabbed the rest of her stuff while Reid asked Hotch if they could stay for one more day.

“So, Y/N..” Nick said as he walked up to Y/N. “I was wondering, if you wanted to go get dinner with me tonight?” Y/N looked up and Nick. “Yeahhh no. I’ve got plans.”

“With who? Him?!’ Nick said, pointing to Derek. “Nope.” Y/N turned around and smiled at Reid. “Hey Spencer you ready?”

“Yep. He can hold off for a day.” Spencer said, smirking at Nick and Derek who both had their jaws dropped. “Okay Pretty Boy, I see you.” Derek said as Reid locked arms with Y/N. The two walked towards the elevator.

“This is your fault.” Nick said, glaring at Derek. “She never liked you anyways, Nick.” Ellie said, patting him on the shoulder as she left. “Ellie’s right you know. You didn’t even stand a chance.” McGee laughed as he left. “I wanna beer.” Nick mumbled to himself. “Let’s go then.” Derek said. “We can wallow in our sorrows together.” He said laughing. “Sure, let me get my coat.”

[bellakitse]

“I’m not jealous, I’m just practicing my pout.” Tarlos please? Ps. I love your writing style! Never stop please 😊

That Green Colored Thing

TK Strand is not jealous.

Just because Carlos has been across the bar for the last fifteen minutes, talking to some handsome idiot who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of personal space and is so close to Carlos, they might as well be glued together doesn’t mean he’s jealous.

30 days of Tarlos - Day 21

this request was actually sent to me 3 times from the soft sentence list, including @sciscoekid, so i hope all of you that wanted it, enjoy it. 💜

TK Strand is not jealous.

Just because Carlos has been across the bar for the last fifteen minutes, talking to some handsome idiot who doesn’t seem to understand the concept of personal space and is so close to Carlos, they might as well be glued together doesn’t mean he’s jealous.

He’s concerned, not jealous.

He watches as Carlos says something that makes the tall, dark, and annoying guy throw his head back laughing while not subtly shifting his body so his side brushes against Carlos’ hip, and scowls.

“If you keep making that face, it’s going to stick like that.”

TK turns his head at the comment to find that his dad and Michelle have finished dancing, and are back at the table the crew took hold of when they first arrived at the bar an hour ago. Looking over their heads, he sees that the rest of his friends thankfully are still dancing.

“What face?” he grumbles, and even he can hear the petulant tone in his voice, it makes him wince as his dad and Michelle share a knowing look between them.

He looks away from them for a moment, turning his head just in time to see the guy Carlos is still talking to, place a hand on his forearm. He frowns as Carlos doesn’t do anything about it, letting it rest there.

“That face,” his father speaks up. “You look like you’re ready to knife the guy talking to Carlos.”

“I’m not jealous,” he snaps off quickly, cringing again when his dad and Michelle raise both eyebrows at him in unison, and he distantly misses the days they annoyed each other instead of being so in sync like they are now.

“Okay,” Owen answers, and TK can’t help but roll his eyes at the pacifying tone in his father’s voice.

“I’m not jealous, I’m just – ” he starts strongly only to lose steam midway. “I’m just practicing my pout,” he finally finishes, blushing at how ridiculous he sounds to his own ears.

“TK,” Michelle says gently, and he can see that she’s struggling not to laugh at him; there is a soft, amused smile on her face, while his father is downright grinning at him.

“Shut up,” he mutters, his blush deepening as his tone finally makes them both chuckle.

“I’m going to the restroom,” Owen tells them as he shakes his head. “I hope by the time I come back out, you will have realized that that’s nothing, and you have nothing to worry about so you can stop pouting.”

TK lets out a long, loud huff, but nods at him anyway. Looking over at Carlos again, he lets out a breath of relief that the fool he’s still talking too isn’t touching him anymore, and at least now there is a foot of space between them. Progress.

“Your dad’s right, you know,” Michelle speaks in that soft raspy voice of her’s, she tilts her head towards the bar. “That’s nothing.”

“You don’t know that,” TK argues, he knows flirting when he sees it, and the guy is definitely flirting with Carlos. “He’s hitting on him.”

Michelle turns to face the bar; he watches her study the scene with a sharp eye. “You might be right,” she says, with a considering face. It’s a sick sense of satisfaction he feels; he doesn’t want to be right. “But Carlos isn’t flirting back,” she says firmly.

“How can you be so sure?” he asks, hopeful.

“Body language for one,” she answers, pointing with her chin back at Carlos.

TK looks over at the pair; his hackles rising as the guy takes a step towards Carlos only for his boyfriend to shift away subtly.

“There’s also the fact that I have known Carlos since he was 19, and know there isn’t a player bone in his body,” she continues, turning to look at him, her blue eyes serious and protective of her friend. “He’s not that kind of guy; he would never hurt you like that.”

TK swallows around the remorseful lump forming in his throat. He knows she’s speaking the truth. Carlos is one of the sweetest, most honest men he’s ever known; he doesn’t have a deceptive bone in his body.

“I know that,” he says quietly. “Deep down, of course I know that.”

“I just – “ he exhales, his shoulders dropping with sudden exhaustion. “I dragged my feet with him when we first met, and even though we’re together now and happy – God, we’re so happy,” he smiles, and it makes Michelle smile too. “I keep waiting for the day he wakes up and realizes I’m not worth all the effort he puts in.”

Michelle makes a soft sound in the back of her throat before reaching out to take his hand in hers.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she shakes her head, there is a softness to her gaze that makes him grateful she cares about him. “That’s not going to happen.”

TK nods in agreement even though he doesn’t believe it himself. Sooner or later, Carlos is going to realize he can do better, and he will be left heartbroken from losing him when he already loves him so much.

Michelle narrows her eyes at him, and before he can blink, she reaches out and flicks his ear hard.

“Ow, Michelle!” he complains as he rubs at the sting. “What the fuck?”

“You’re thinking stupid,” she says, casual as can be. “Had to snap you out of it.”

He scowls at her, still rubbing his ear. “That hurt.”

“It was supposed to,” she says unapologetically. “Now, do you know what Carlos said to me the first time he mentioned you?”

TK shakes his head; he feels his face go red at the smirk she gives him.

“He said you were a ten,” she tells him, amused as he goes even redder. “And that he couldn’t get you out of his head. It has gotten sappier with every conversation. He rambles about your eyes. He can talk for hours about your face, your good heart, and he sighs like a schoolboy with a crush when he says your name, TK.”

TK licks his lips, his heart racing at Michelle’s words. “Really?”

“Really,” she answers, with a kind smile. “He’s crazy over you, darling. So why don’t you go over there and save him from that guy who can’t take a hint.”

He takes a breath and looks once more over at Carlos.

“Go, TK.”

He nods, getting off the stool and takes another breath as he starts to make his way across the bar.

“Hey,” he calls out when he gets close enough to the pair for them to hear him.

He watches as Carlos turns to face him, his eyes relieved as they land on him. “Hey, baby,” he says happily, pulling him to his side when he’s close enough, his arm around his shoulder, as his arm goes to Carlos’ waist.  “Derek, this is my boyfriend TK, who I was telling you about,” he addresses the man across from them before looking once more at him.

“TK, this is Derek,” he nods towards him. “We used to work at the same precinct before he transferred to East Austin.”

TK says hello to the man in question as politely as he can.

“Nice to meet you, TK,” he says, giving him a half-smile. “Carlos just talked my ear off about you.”

TK startles at the comment. Turning his head to look at Carlos, he smiles when he spots his blush. “All good things, I hope.”

Carlos smiles at him softly, his brown eyes shining with love. “The best things, baby, the best.”

Derek laughs, amused. “Yeah, man, the best, he might have done three minutes on your eyes alone,” he teases.

“Not three minutes!” Carlos protests jokingly as he kisses the side of his face. “Five at least, babe,” he promises, and TK can’t help but laugh.

Derek laughs with him. “Who knew Carlos Reyes in love was this hilarious,” he smirks, shaking his head. “Anyway, I’ve taken enough of your man’s time. I should get out of here, but it was nice meeting you, TK.”

TK nods again, taking Derek’s hand when he offers it. Derek shakes Carlos’ hand too and wishes them a good night before he heads for the door.

“Thank god you came when you did,” Carlos says once they’re alone. “I didn’t know how to end the conversation politely,” he turns to rest his back to the bar, pulling him against him. “Derek is nice, but he’s kind of thick, he didn’t get that I just wanted to get back to you.”

TK feels his heart flutter at Carlos’ words.

“And that’s why you kept telling him about me?” he teases, his breath catching when Carlos’ raises a hand to cup his face, his thumb running gently over his cheekbone.

“No,” he shakes his head. “That’s just because I love talking about you. My amazing, wonderful boyfriend, who I can’t believe is actually mine.”

TK swallows around the lump forming in his throat, in awe of the way Carlos tells him how he feels about him so freely.

“I was watching him with you,” he starts slowly, grimacing from his previous thoughts. “He was so close, and I got jealous.”

Carlos frowns, his hands cupping now both sides of his face. “Baby, you have nothing to be jealous of, ever.”

“I know,” he answers, feeling a sting behind his eyes. “I know that you would never give me a reason to be jealous in the first place, but I get scared that one day you’ll realize you can do better than me,” he whispers, looking away.

“Look at me, Ty,” Carlos says softly but firmly, and TK can’t do anything but do as he asks, what he finds in Carlos’ expression leaves him breathless. There is so much love and fierce protectiveness in his gaze.

“There is no one better than you,” Carlos starts. “You aren’t perfect, but you’re perfect for me. I love you, TK. I’m so in love with you. I can barely see straight most of the time from all the love I feel for you. So no one is better for me than you. You’re it for me, got it?”

“Got it,” he says thickly, earning a smile from Carlos in response.

“Good,” he says, still smiling. “Now, how about a dance? I haven’t held you in my arms all night, and that’s a crime.”

TK laughs, it comes out a little wet but happy as he nods in agreement. Carlos beams at him, taking his hand, as they start to head to the dance floor he catches Michelle's eyes, rolling his when she looks at him amused and knowing.

Okay, so she was right, but she doesn’t have to be so smug about it.

[dreamingofscully]

6x16. “Alpha” - X-Files Rewatch

This episode is all about Scully being the Alpha, who marks her territory (Mulder). What casefile? Through this lens, I really enjoy this episode. You wouldn’t think there would be much to analyze here BUT BOY YOU'D BE WRONG. Also, there’s so many corny jokes, I love it.

Scully arriving from elsewhere in the building with her coat/briefcase seems to indicate she has an office elsewhere in the building. Perhaps she requested somewhere close to the labs? It’s super cute that she comes by to check on Mulder before she leaves. Despite how uncomfortable she was with his silliness in “Arcadia”, I think things are good between them now.

“Aren't you going home?” - Scully “I am home. I'm just feathering the nest.” - Mulder

This is cute, but also kinda sad. The work is his life, how can it be any different?

Mulder subtly trying to get Scully interested in the case. 

The desk lamp is POINTED AT THEIR PICTURE. Awww. ❤️

“What happened to the dog?” - Scully “Dog gone…. Dog gone… Doggone.” - Mulder, proud of his joke “Yeah, I got it.” - Scully

Sitting closely, and Mulder being even more of a dork than usual with his corny jokes. Scully loves it though. They’re so happy to have the X-Files back. Life is good for a little while.

THEIR CUTE SMILES AND FLIRTING ❤️

“Don’t mind him, he’ll go on forever.” - Scully

Mulder has definitely missed going on long monologues about weird shit in front of local law enforcement.

Of course Mulder’s heard of the animal. He has had even more time than usual lately to cram his brain with random strange things.

“You get a biscuit, Scully.” - Mulder, with more stupid jokes. But he’s gazing at her here, so we’ll forgive him. I’m not even mad about it anyways.

Their cute banter in front of the worker installing the fence at Karins. SO FLIRTY. (Also, being mistaken for a couple again!)

“You two looking for Karin about boarding?” - Stacy Muir “No, it's actually more of a behavior problem.” - Mulder “Yeah, he doesn't listen and he chews on the furniture.” - Scully, glancing at Mulder

Inside Karin’s house, Mulder’s random touch and Scully’s shiver in reaction. Reminiscent of his two-handed touch in “Arcadia” - is that done deliberately? Scully doesn’t seem uncomfortable, but shivers in reaction, as if she definitely enjoys it. Oof. Things are REALLY good between them.

Scully Being Territorial, Exhibit Number 1:

“How is it that you know so much about her but you don't know what she looks like?” - Scully “I never actually met her.” - Mulder “But you assume that she's going to help us?” - Scully “No, actually, it's not an assumption. She is the one who told me about his case.” - Mulder “Oh, so you two are chummy?” - Scully “Well, I've read her books.” - Mulder “Ah. The Wolf Inside... Dogs Don't Lie... Better Than Human... Better Than Human?” - Scully “She's not a real people person.” - Mulder “Well, she seems to have made a connection to you.” - Scully, looking at the I Want To Believe poster on her wall (highlighting it with a desk lamp, sound familiar?)

Standing close by the bookshelf.

Mulder introducing himself as “Fox”, what? It probably has to do with her obsession with canines. They probably joked about his name, and it’s what she would refer to him as in their emails.

This would make Scully feel even more uncomfortable/jealous

Scully Being Territorial, Exhibit Number 2:

“Mulder... She's a friend of yours?” - Scully “We met on-line.” - Mulder “On-line…” - Scully “Two professionals exchanging information.” - Mulder

Standing close in the alley/crime scene.

Scully Being Territorial, Exhibit Number 3:

Her expression when Karin shows up, and calling her “wolfwoman”. (Recognize this? She made a similar face in “Syzygy”.)

Karin’s “Classic dominant alpha territorial behaviour” when talking about the police officer being killed.

By contrast, Scully doesn’t need to be aggressive or violent to assert her dominance - just needs to exist. ❤️

Scully Being Territorial, Exhibit Number 4:

Mulder touching Karin’s hand on the computer mouse. Scully notices, shoots Mulder a sharp look. She immediately starts questioning Karin’s ideas. Her EXPRESSION. She thinks she’s figured Karin out, that she is attracted to Mulder, and she’s not going to let her get away with anything. It’s not only possessiveness but protectiveness. She only recently got Mulder away from the clutches of Diana, and she knows how vulnerable he is to women that seem vulnerable themselves.

Scully Being Territorial, Exhibit Number 5:

In the car, Mulder knowing something’s wrong with Scully

Scully warning him: “She's enamored of you, Mulder. Don't underestimate a woman. They can be tricksters, too.” (I think this is also a veiled reference to Diana, that Mulder does NOT get, nor is he meant to.)

Mulder is gullible and oblivious when it comes to certain women, and Scully knows it!

Mulder gives her a curious look - thinks she’s jealous, perhaps?

Scully won’t tolerate anyone trying anything with Mulder, she’s fucking had it. After dealing with Diana so recently - no one else is going to try anything. She’s getting ahead of something before it develops. Mulder is empathetic with people who are different/loners (Oubliette/Mind’s Eye). He CAN be manipulated by a woman with a sad story.

Scully Being Territorial, Exhibit Number 6:

Going to see Karin alone, confronting her about her intentions with Mulder. Look at that lean forward.

Scully’s “With Mulder, you found somebody you could communicate with.... someone who challenged you... But that wasn't enough. You needed to lure him out here.”

She knows what having a special connection to him feels like!

Karin’s “I lack your feminine wiles.” (Which is hilarious, because when it comes to Mulder, Scully doesn’t have ANY of that manipulativeness that she implies.)

“I'm watching you.” - Scully “You watch... But you don't see.” - Karin

Perhaps Karin did mean to lure Mulder out here to meet him, and she does lie about the creature. HOWEVER...

Once she sees Mulder and Scully together, she abandons her ideas of deepening her relationship with him. She sees what everyone else does - that M&S are incredibly close, that their body language and glances to each other suggest that the only person in the room that matters to each other is them. Karin’s suggestion here (to the case I’m sure) is also a reference to what Scully can’t see is right in front of her - that there’s no reason for her to be territorial because Mulder only has eyes for her.

I also believe Mulder would have mentioned Scully to Karin. She’s such an integral part of his life. Once Scully shows up, things “click” for her, she understands that she has no chance.

Mulder trusts Scully’s judgement, goes to see Karin for himself and asks about being misled. (This is a pretty big deal.)

Karin - she loves Mulder, in her way. He's a kindred spirit, like Scully says, the only other human she knows that she actually likes. Once she realizes that he belongs to another, that he has someone who is a good person (based on how her dogs react to her) and will look out for him, she realizes what she needs to do to stop the animal - risk and (potentially) sacrifice herself. After lying to Mulder about what she thinks the animal will do next, and he goes to Scully, she LOOKS AT THE “I WANT TO BELIEVE” POSTER. Did she choose to wrap it up and send it then? In essence, disconnecting herself from him, and giving him a gift as her last goodbye?

I love that Mulder calls Scully to the hospital so they can do the surveillance TOGETHER. ❤️ Mulder’s “You should take a load off. We might be here all night.”

Scully’s “So, what is he going to do? Walk in here, skitter across the linoleum and pee in the corners?” is so cute. And Mulder loves it when she jokes. Like I said earlier, they are in a good place again.

Scully Being Territorial, Exhibit Number 7:

“Mulder, the only thing Karin Berquist is interested in is you.” - Scully, to which Mulder seems bashful about it. He’s so oblivious about women being interested in him. It’s adorable.

When Scully takes his magazine she sits a bit further from him than normal. She’s uncomfortable with her jealousy, tries to distance herself from it’s source.

Of course Scully falls asleep. ❤️ I love how she can sleep anywhere. She’s SNORING (quietly) - IT’S SO CUTE I CAN’T EVEN--. 😭 He’s gazing at her while she sleeps, then wakes her gently with the magazine. ❤️

At the ending, Scully’s tenderness about Mulder losing his friend is touching. The whole episode she was antagonistic towards Karin, thinking she had an ulterior motive, but in the end she did something altruistic. She was Mulder’s friend, and proved that in the end she wasn’t a bad person, at least in some ways. Scully knows he’ll blame himself, as well.

They have a really sweet interaction here. Scully making sure he’s okay, Mulder reassuring that he will be, talking about how he “believed her too quickly”. (He is a learning animal. Oh shit I made another corny joke, my b.)

The lamp is still aimed at the picture of them in the office. Like a fucking spotlight saying “THIS PLACE IS OURS.”

Scully Being Territorial, End Notes

I’m partially being silly when talking about this aspect of Scully’s personality, but I have to discuss a few things.

After the shit they’ve been through with Diana, I can’t blame Scully for overreacting and being protective of Mulder, not wanting to see him manipulated again.

That being said, this isn’t the first time she’s been possessive when it comes to him. I think it’s probably one of her flaws - she can get irrationally jealous when Mulder gets attention from another woman. It’s NOT just protectiveness but stems from her longing for something more with him, her fear that someone will swoop in and take the place in his life that she wants. I can empathize with that, I suffer from terrible jealousy sometimes myself (so perhaps this is a bit of self-projection, but hey, this is my analysis, so that’s what I see).

I absolutely love Scully, but I love that she seems like a real character, with flaws and eccentricities that truly make her unique.

[jaredhollyheiditruth]

Solicitation of Minors, Part 2 (Charlie)

The second accuser to come forward with accusations against Jared Knabenbauer is a user that goes by the Twitter name “Charlie.” Charlie was introduced by Chai initially, and the two of them are friends. According to Chai, he learned about Charlie’s dealings with Jared while building his own case, and then the two of them spent over a year building a case before presenting it to NormalBoots and several other influencers on the YouTube/Twitch scene.

Now, Charlie’s case is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, Charlie has actual chat logs between them and Jared, so there’s a strong indication that the two of them actually did have sexual conversations and trade pictures. On the other hand?

Charlie admits Jared never knew their age.

So, already, we have an issue. As I mentioned in part one of the Solicitation of Minors posts, the accused has to knowingly solicit or be in possession of nudes of minors. Charlie entered a blog that outright stated it was for 18+, never stated their age, and then proceeded to commit a crime by sending pictures to Jared. Charlie even states openly at one point that the entire reason they didn’t tell Jared their age was because they feared Jared wouldn’t want to interact with a minor:

There’s a good reason why Charlie would think Jared wouldn’t interact with a minor. Every single one of Jared’s blogs was full of warnings that only 18+ (and in some cases, 24+) were permitted, and numerous sources have claimed to see him check for ages, including people that were publicly against him and just trying to prove he kept the blog going:

Maybe Charlie slipped through the cracks. Maybe they’re the one that Jared somehow forgot to ask. That still doesn’t change the fact that they not only entered an adults-only blog and failed to reveal their age, they admit they did so because they feared Jared wouldn’t knowingly interact with a minor.

Charlie posted chatlogs between themself and Jared, and at this time I would like to briefly explain a concept called “Poisoning the Well.”

Wikipedia summarizes the definition of Poisoning the Well a type of informal logical fallacy where irrelevant adverse information about a target is preemptively presented to an audience, with the intention of discrediting or ridiculing something that the target person is about to say.

What Charlie engaged in when they presented their logs was a variation of this logical fallacy. First, let’s take a look at some of the chatlogs by themselves, and remember, Jared didn’t know Charlie was a minor, so objectively, this is a conversation between two presumed adults. Also, be warned that the following logs contain explicit language of a sexual nature. That should be a given, but I still want to warn people.

Now, I’ve never been the type to engage in sexting but once or twice, but at face value there’s absolutely nothing in these messages to indicate age, coercion, or any inappropriate behavior. To me, these just look like two people flirting and sexting, consensually, with no force or reluctance. But what happens when we add in Charlie’s subtext? You see, they didn’t just post these logs because the logs themselves aren’t incriminating. They don’t show any manipulation or unwilling behavior, so Charlie had to make sure people reading these logs had a “poisoned mind” before going into them, and we get what’s seen below. Note that in order to cross-reference the full post Charlie is commenting on, you may need to refer back to the logs in their entirety that I posted above.

Charlie tells us that telling a fan they’re cute is “skeevy” and that it implies impropriety. I don’t feel like this is an interpretation anyone would really come to on their own. Furthermore, Charlie makes sure to point out that they were “spurred” on by the attention, implying they didn’t want to continue. These are words geared towards making the reader feel a certain way before even reading the logs.

“Masturbating to someone you know without their knowledge is kind of weird, even if your relationship is sexual.” - I never knew this. Apparently, those past times where I masturbated while thinking of my sexual partners was weird because I didn’t call them first to let them know? And again, this post ends with Charlie frontloading how you’re supposed to interpret Jared’s wording, rather than letting the reader come to conclusions on their own.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard an adult refer to themselves or another adult as a “baby” because they were too timid to do something, I could retire. Here, Charlie is telling the reader that it “clearly” expresses that they’re “young, inexperienced, or vulnerable.” Again, I would like to remind you that Charlie was the one that brought up the orgy in the first place.

Again, Charlie is urging us to interpret their language as “childish” because their entire narrative relies on somehow being able to discern age, since Charlie intentionally hid their age.

I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do with this. Complementing in all caps is meant to trigger a strong reaction? This is the first time I’ve ever heard that logic. I always thought it was meant for emphasis, like shouting out of excitement or anger.

This one really got under my skin a bit, for a few reasons.

This wasn’t a random “send nudes at 3:00am” request, it was in direct response to Charlie saying “aw shit well now I’m horny.” Charlie tells Jared they’re horny, Jared says send nudes, and Charlie calls that a random solicitation?

“I say no.” No, Charlie didn’t say “no.” What Charlie said was “I would, but I’m curled up in a blanket rewatching your Until Dawn playthrough.” This doesn’t equate to “no,” it equates to “I want to, but I’m comfortable.” Also, when Jared says “pause that shit and fap!” Charlie’s response isn’t “I don’t want to,” but rather a sexually suggestive comment about having to go get a vibrator, to which Jared replies “Then you’re stuck being horny.”

Between posting these logs, Charlie still found time to take some attempted witty jabs at Jared’s expense, for no other reason than to ridicule him and make the reader biased against him:

Subtly making fun of Jared’s penis...

Making fun of Jared’s erotic writing skills...

There’s not much else to it, really. Charlie intentionally hid their age from Jared because they saw, based on the warnings in his blog and Jared’s routine blocking/dismissal of minors that it was unlikely that Jared would want anything to do with a minor. They were deceptive then, and now, when they post their side of the story, they lace every single log with “poisoned well” mentality, frontloading each chat message with bizarre logic and strange interpretations in order to force bias upon the reader. When taken in their proper context, it’s plainly obvious that Jared had no reason to believe he was talking to a minor, and that Charlie was not only happily complicit in the mutual exchange of sexting and nudes, but many of the instances were initiated by Charlie.

[bussanbaby]

As Alec walks into the New York Police Department, the first thought that hits him is that this place is so much more lively than the Institute. For a simple errand, he’s decided to forego the total glamour, settled for only hiding his runes, as that is more convenient; Luke doesn’t have to make it look like he’s talking to something other than air, while Alec can just pose as a friend that swung by to chat. He almost fits in with his dark get-up between all the navy uniforms, and nobody really pays attention to him, which he’s glad for.

He slinks past the information desk, tips of his ears still subtly burning from the flirting debacle months before, then does a casual jog up the stairs to the first story. His senses are overwhelmed by all the noises and visuals around him - fax machines robotically spit out paper after paper, phones ring in unison from different corners of the floor, people chatter about cases and daily life; Alec has to constantly sidestep out of someone’s way, once or twice doing the awkward waltz where both people move in the same direction.

He manages to find Luke’s office after walking through labyrinth-like corridors, all laden with wood-paneling and illuminated by yellow-tinted lights hanging overhead. Everything here reminds Alec of those old cliche crime novels and noir movies Magnus has a soft spot for, even the ‘Det. Luke Garroway’ written in bold lettering over the rippled glass in the door. With a perfunctory knock, Alec peeks his head inside, almost expecting to find Luke in a beige trenchcoat and with a cigarette between his fingers, the off-white smoke curling in wisps towards the ceiling.

Instead, the werewolf is sat at his desk with his feet up on it, a cup of what Alec assumes to be coffee in his hands. When he sees Alec, he smiles wide, with a wave of a hand welcoming him further in.

“Hey, man, good to see you,” Luke says, setting down his mug and straightening up before shaking Alec’s hand, cold from the autumn chill outside.

“It’s been a while,” Alec answers, unzipping his coat and searching through the leather messenger bag hanging on his shoulder. “You should come by more often, Magnus has been complaining about you missing cards night last week.”

In quite a short timespan, Luke has gone from an associate Alec worked with out of convenience to a close friend and basically family at this point, an unmovable fixture in the Lightwood home. Through all of the harrowing events in their crazy lives, he’s been there from the beginning to the end, a loyal and dependable man that has stolen Maryse Lightwood’s heart with his steadfast strength and that charming smile.

Magnus has once told Alec over a glass of wine that he’s glad they’re all friends now, and Alec couldn’t agree more. Secretly, he and Magnus have been planning to ask Luke to ordain their wedding, but so far there hasn’t been a good moment for that; it doesn’t seem right to drop the bomb on him just in the middle of a case or over a quick beer at the bar.

Luke rolls his eyes with a chuckle as he accepts the files Alec hands him, segregated neatly into three manila-colored folders.

“I’ll make it up to him, I promise, cross my heart and all that.”

He starts thumbing through the files, eyes flicking over lines of text and attached photos; Alec watches him for a bit, perched on the edge of his desk, but finds it awkward to stare so his gaze starts to wander about the office.

He’s not here often, so he takes in the dark decor, the other desk he passed earlier, much less cluttered than Luke’s, a brown leather jacket draped over the back of the swivel chair. The din and chaos of the station are subdued here, reduced to a steady murmur; the fan above their heads makes a soft noise each time it turns, just lazily pushing the warm air around.

“How’s Maryse?” Luke inquires, aiming for casualness, but missing the ballpark entirely; Alec knows how much time these two have been spending together lately, going on small little dates, holding hands when nobody is looking, and eating dinner together during Luke’s breaks at the precinct. And Alec’s glad for it, he really is, as he hasn’t seen his mom this happy in what feels like forever. When she smiles now, she glows, radiant and more beautiful than when she ever was with Robert.

She’s in love and how does Alec know that? He looks at Magnus the exact same way.

“She’s good, although a little stressed.” Alec senses Luke’s eyes on the side of his head as he glances down at his linked fingers. “She’s filing for divorce next week. I’m sure she’d enjoy your company.” He adds meaningfully, looking up with a soft smile tucked into the corner of his mouth.

Luke smiles as well, pleasantly surprised with Alec’s words. “You’re okay with me getting together with your mom?”

Alec shrugs, running the pad of his thumb over the ring on one of his fingers. “You make her happy, so why wouldn’t I?”

The werewolf sighs, mouth slack as if he’s weighing what to say next, but it turns into a grin he tries to hide by looking down at the files again - Alec can see his eyes crinkle at the corners, the way they do when he laughs at his own dad jokes; when he’s happy.

After a moment, Luke closes the file he’s been browsing through, an air of seriousness hanging between him and Alec.

“I’m glad,” he says earnestly and before it can get too sappy, he adds, “Also there are probably the most detailed mortuary reports I have ever seen in my career.”

“I’ll make sure to tell Izzy,” Alec chuckles, pride curling in his chest at the praise of his sister’s work. Since she’s back and healthy, she’s been working harder than ever before, picking up new responsibilities and basically becoming Alec’s trusted right hand.

“I’m gonna go give these to the evidence folk for comparison, be right back,” Luke announces and as he passes by, he cordially claps Alec on the shoulder and then the shadowhunter is left alone, yet not for long.

After a minute or two, the door creaks open again and a woman walks in, head bowed down in focus, holding a conversation with a person on the other side of the phone stuck to her ear.

She seems familiar, all tall frame and long brown hair - at first Alec can’t quite put his finger on it, but he quickly realizes she is Luke’s snooping partner. Alec has seen her during the Azazel case and later when they had to deal with the fallout from when she found out about the Shadow World. They debated how to deal with her having proof of the existence of NYC werewolf packs during the weekly council meeting and in the end, they’ve decided against clearing her memory (again), since it was just a matter of time before she’d be back sleuthing.

For the first few weeks after she and her partner were sworn to secrecy, they were monitored just in case something slipped out, but aside from bombarding Luke with tons of questions about, well, everything, she’s been staying low and not meddling with any more affairs.

“We have some suspects for the Harley case, but I can’t tell you anything solid before the analytics lab gets back to me about the substances found at the scene.” The woman - Ollie - looks up, sensing someone is in the room with her. Her eyes narrow at Alec and a mix of barely concealed curiosity and distrust settles in her expression, her whole body tensing up for a possible fight.

“I’ll call you back,” she barks out and ends her conversation. With the phone still by her ear, she moves her arm towards the holster sitting on her hip, gun secured inside.

Alec placatingly lifts his palms to shoulder level, just on the right side of amused. While it wouldn’t be difficult to move out of her aim with the help of his speed rune, Alec’s never been too fond of firearms in general, too unpredictable and destructive for his liking.

“I’m just running an errand for Detective Garroway, none of that is necessary.”

Ollie visibly relaxes, but that last thread of wariness is tightly woven into her posture as she lets her cell clatter onto the desk, choosing to lean against the back of her chair instead. She observes Alec and he allows it, only cocking up a questioning eyebrow.

“Are you a werewolf from Luke’s pack?” Ollie asks without any preamble; Alec appreciates the straightforwardness, but he can understand why Luke sometimes looks like he just got done with a six hours long interrogation.

Alec shakes his head with a quiet chuckle. “No. I’d tell you what I am, but that’s against the law.”

“Are you really giving me the old ‘if I told you, I would have to kill you’ spiel? I’m not-” Ollie stops abruptly in her tracks as realization dawns on her face. “You’re not kidding, huh.”

“Nope.”

Ollie is about to ask another question, undoubtedly one Alec can’t answer either, but before that can happen her phone starts ringing, the vibrations shaking the entire surface of the desk. Involuntarily, he glances at the caller’s ID which shows the name ‘Samantha’ on top of a selfie of Ollie kissing another woman on the cheek, one with darker hair and a wide grin.

She hastily grabs the cellphone and swipes across the screen, strands of hair flying into her face. The conversation is mostly one-sided, only interrupted by Ollie’s hums of acknowledgment; she doesn’t seem to realize the soft smile inching its way across her lips. As much as Alec tries not to stare, he can’t help but notice how different she looks with her guard down, how the caution directed at Alec falls away to reveal a gentler side.

“Yes, I’ll buy cookie dough. No, I won’t forget. Yes, I know I’m the best. Love you.” She hangs up and smiles sheepishly at Alec, caught in a moment of weakness in front of a stranger. “That was my girlfriend, Sammy,” She adds as an explanation, and while her voice is still friendly, Ollie stands a little taller, her chin tilted up defiantly.

She’s silently challenging Alec to call out her choice of words, to doubt her relationship like most of the world; Alec feels like he’s seeing himself in a strange mirror, all the moments in which he introduced Magnus as his boyfriend, held his hand and kissed him in public. He used to be scared, but not anymore - now he’s proud to love Magnus and ready to fight anyone who disapproves, shoulders squared and eyes intense.

“Don’t worry about it. My partner does something like this too, he calls me to make sure I ate something other than granola bars and coffee.” Alec says with a faint laugh, but this is more than a relatable moment - it’s two people from entirely different worlds finding a connection, encountering the intrinsic solidarity that comes with similar experiences. Alec might already like Ollie just a little bit more, no reason at all.

The atmosphere between them warms and Ollie pulls out her chair, sitting on it the wrong way around, forearms resting across the back.

“Oh, that’s sweet! What’s his name? Tell me something about him,” She inquires like an old friend, chin propped up on a palm and interest gleaming in her eyes.

Usually, Alec would cut her investigation short, but there’s a certain pleasure that comes from talking to others about how great Magnus is, so he indulges in it, more open than he’d usually be - especially to a Mundane.

“His name is Magnus,” Alec speaks slowly, picking through all the information about the love of his life that’s stored in his brain, from how many sugars he takes in his tea, through all the important dates to all the painful confessions. “He’s a little bit older than me, has a great fashion sense and is the most incredible person I’ve ever met.”

Ollie coos teasingly at Alec’s sappiness, then laughs when he rolls his eyes. “How long have you guys been boyfriends?”

“Over a year now.” Alec folds his hands together, thumb running against the smooth gold of the ring. It’s been a couple of months since Magnus has proposed to Alec and slid the band onto his finger with utmost reverence, kissing him breathless after.

Sometimes, Alec still can’t believe it all happened - turning to see Magnus down on one knee, his golden eyes filled with love and devotion, hearing ‘Alexander, will you marry me?’ and getting to answer with ‘Yes, yes, of course I will’, because there was never a doubt in his heart.

Alec shakes his head to get out of his thoughts and back into the real world before he looks up at Ollie. “You know, we got engaged. So technically, he’s my fiancé.”

It feels so good to say the words out loud, hear them ring through the room with pride. There are moments when Alec glances over at Magnus doing something entirely ordinary and the need to tell the entire world about their love skyrockets until he wants to climb the tallest NYC skyscraper and shout it from the top.

The smile on Ollie’s face grows tenfold and she draws a little closer, pushing herself over on the swivel chair.

“Congratulations are in order.” Head tilted to the side, Ollie juts her chin towards Alec’s palm. “Could I see the ring?”

With a nod, Alec stretches out his arm and Ollie lightly takes hold of his palm, turning it slightly this and that way. He’s almost used to it by now, after breaking the news to his closest people so many times, whether alone or with Magnus at his side. They compliment the ring and tell him how amazing it is to see both of them so happy, how bright Alec’s eyes are and how much he has changed. And he loves it all, he really does, preening on all of the praise, taking in their unwavering support and joy over his and Magnus’ prosperity.

Ollie admires the ring with a complicated expression, delighted yet wistful in a way, almost longing.

“I’m happy for you, Alec.” She tells him quietly, swallows around the next words. “I hope I get to be in your shoes one day.”

Alec’s heart gives a painful tug and he sighs, pulling his hand free to set it on Ollie’s forearm, squeezing gently.

“You will, I’m sure.”

At times, it feels like all hope is lost, but Alec now knows that it’s important to fight for his own happiness, even when the world seems bleak. Despite people telling them nothing could be done, he and Magnus didn't give up, didn't throw in the towel when troubles weighed down their shoulders. They’ve made it so far and they keep going strong, already setting next goals to achieve.

“The ring is engraved and do you know what it says?” Alec pauses for dramatic effect, a lopsided smile bright on his face. “Amor vincit omnia. Love conquers all.”

A comfortable silence falls across the room as Alec takes his hand back, once again starting to play with his ring, a constant reminder of his contentment, his home, the stability it brings. If someone told him that one day he’d be telling someone else that it does really get better, that dreams of loving freely are achievable, he would laugh and call them insane; yet, here he is.

Ollie sighs, eyes downcast and thoughtful when she rises from her seat, then wanders back to her desk. She raps her ringed knuckles against the wood and then leans her hip against it, obviously gathering the right words to say next. “Should I be expecting a wedding invitation anytime soon?” She quips, but there is a thankful note to it, an answer given without obvious words.

“I’ll try to squeeze you in between all the magical folk already on the list,” Alec jokes back.

Their conversation is interrupted by Luke, who freezes in the doorstep, at first just looking between Alec and Ollie as if he can’t believe they aren’t at each other’s throats yet, or at least haven’t started digging the trenches to hide in. With a short, pleased hum, Luke smiles to himself, crosses over to where Alec is to hand him another bundle of files.

“These are all the evidence reports relevant to the case. I thought they might come in handy, see if you can make any connections.” He informs Alec, voice lowered for the sake of privacy and Alec nods in response, halfway through putting the documents in his bag where they’ll be safe and sound until he can drop them off at Izzy’s desk.

They both look up to Ollie watching them conspicuously, clearly not interested in any personal boundaries as Alec has realized long ago. He and Luke share a knowing look and Alec stands up. “I’ll be going then. Luke, see you later?”

“You got it. Say hello to your mother for me.”

Alec gives a two fingered salute to both of them as he moves back towards the door. When he passes by Ollie’s desk, she shoots him a conspiratory wink, like there’s a secret only the two of them are privy to. As the door closes behind him, Alec can hear Ollie ask about his mom and the first half of Luke’s heavy and pained exhale.

It’s been a productive first half of the day, Alec thinks - he surprised Magnus with breakfast in bed, held a meeting at the OPS Center, met Maryse for coffee amongst all the other things, and perhaps the most important one of all: he made an unlikely friend.

[poipoi1912]

Carisi-centric thoughts on Ep 19x03

Yet another solid episode! This season is going to be a winner. Also, THE BARISI CORNER IS OFFICIALLY BACK :D

But first:

Overall Thoughts

OK, this wasn’t much to write home about, but it was more than serviceable. All three actresses were very good so they kept me engaged, the case was pleasantly twisty but not convoluted, Sonny had significant input as a lawyer (and I loved how Liv was all “we’ll follow Carisi’s suggestion!”) and Barba delivered a heated and eloquent closing argument. I enjoyed it.

Squad Thoughts

More sharing of personal information! I swear, Sonny and Fin have talked to each other more in these last two episodes than they did in the previous 3 2 seasons! And they didn’t need some random case-related segue, either. This week, they were just driving to a crime scene, and they were shooting the breeze on the way there. You know, like normal colleagues do. Like real people do. Not cardboard cutouts. Something small like that, something as silly as stealing candy as a little boy, it can breathe life into a scene which would otherwise be mundane.

The thing is, even when an episode is not as exciting, it’s still worth watching just to see our characters interacting and being friends. That’s what SVU seemed to have forgotten, and it’s also the key to making a watchable procedural. Let’s face it, all the cases have been done before (often by SVU itself, because it’s been on for a hundred years), but the team interactions can )and should) be enough to maintain the viewers’ interest. This season, it’s clear the team dynamics are being cultivated, instead of being ignored, and that makes me happy.

The Barisi Corner

WE'RE BACK.

Just like I hoped, it's like S18 never happened. We're back to the S17 Barisi dynamic of friendly teasing and inside jokes. In the deleted scene from the premiere, we got the classic "booyah, Fordham law" type of interaction, except in its advanced S17 form. Where in S16 Barba would be biting with his remarks, in S17 and in the 19x01 deleted scene he was just making a joke for the sake of a joke, because that's what they do. Sonny tries to impress Barba, Barba is totally impressed, and then he makes a joke to pretend he's not actually appreciative of Sonny's input.

In this episode, we got an even more advanced interaction. We got Sonny making a smart legal observation not just to impress Barba, but because he wanted to contribute to the case. And, just like in S17, Barba was impressed, and then he used a joke not to diss Sonny, but to praise him.

See, there are two kinds of humorous Barisi interactions.

There's "Sassy Sonny Tries to Impress Barba" which comes complete with Sonny's dimples, and Sonny's smirks, and Sonny's cocky remarks like, "Oh, Rafael, are you mad you didn't think about it first?" This type of Barisi interaction always ends with a Barba side-eye and a snarky comeback. When Barba knows that Sonny is flaunting, he's always quick to shut it down. That's the joke. Sonny starts blathering on about a hypothetical argument, just to show off his legal skillz, and Barba is amused, but he also acknowledges the alterior motive, i.e. Sonny's desire to get Barba's approval.

But then there's "Dedicated Sonny Tries to Crack the Case" which comes with Sonny's frown and Sonny's desire to get justice, and Sonny's casual use of legal terminology like "obfuscated." This type of Barisi interaction always ends with Barba subtly praising Sonny, using a joke to cover up a genuine compliment. When Barba knows that Sonny is trying to be helpful, he's always quick to encourage it. That's Barba's favorite thing. Seeing Sonny creatively solving a legal problem with no ulterior motive. Sure, their games are fun, and they've been fun for 3 2 seasons now, but at the end of the day they're both trying to get justice, and Barba loves it when Sonny focuses on their work.

That's the thing. Both Sonny and Barba have evolved. Sonny used to thirst for Barba's approval, early on, in S16, but soon after that he found his confidence, and his footing, and his place on the team. He still tries to show off for Barba, because it's fun, but that's no longer his main motivator when he speaks legalese. Sonny isn't a law student looking to get that A, he's a lawyer looking to get that D. And his actions and words have come to reflect that. Now he doesn't just state the obvious as Barba jokes "save it for night school." Now, Sonny has original ideas which can actually help SVU.

And Barba, who treated Sonny so condescendingly at first, Barba has come to see the change in Sonny as well. The humorous element of their interactions persists, because Barba is a snarky bastard, but now those same interactions are loaded with respect. With friendship. With flirtation. Barba is no longer dismissive of Sonny, and hasn't been for a long while. Barba sees Sonny as a useful presence in the squad, with legal knowledge the other cops don't possess, and it's clear he welcomes Sonny’s observations. It’s right there in his smile smirk. Barba is willing to listen, and he’s even willing to entertain the notion that Sonny just might think of something he didn't, which is beautiful to see :')

Barisi Hopes

Now all I want is that other type of S17 interaction, the quiet support. Sonny always supported Barba in tougher moments, like the death threats (what death threats lol?), or a trial gone wrong, but Barba also supported Sonny, especially during that Catholic Church case, as we all remember. I'm loving the new showrunner's tendency to use humor to display the bonds between our characters, it's just the perfect thing to balance out the grim nature of the cases, but I'd love to see some more muted, more emotional moments between them (between all of them, but Barba/Carisi especially, lol). We have an entire season ahead, so there's still plenty of time. I'll be waiting.

For now, I'm just happy the classic Barisi dynamic is back.

I've said it time and time again, and I don't even mean romantically (that's what fic is for). Those two characters, Barba and Carisi, they have a dynamic that's gold. Clashing personalities (Sonny is dorkier, Barba is more sarcastic), contrasting temperaments (Sonny is sunnier, Barba is a little more bitter), common interests (the law), a reluctant mentor-mentee relationship (which has evolved now that the student is no longer a student, though he's far from being a master), a constant willingness to joke back-and-forth (which keeps building up their relationship and strengthens their bond), fundamental differences which breed a potential for unexpectedly emotional moments ("I admire your...", because Sonny is an openly affectionate person, and Barba and his wide eyes tend to shy away from affection), it's all there.

Good writing, plus a willingness to explore that bond, plus the natural ease Peter and Raul have with each other as actors, plus Sonny’s sweetness and Barba’s sass = television gold. And Barisi gold :’)

Yummy Thoughts

Barba was flirting. End of story. Textbook “there is no heterosexual explanation for this.” And I’m grateful.

Barba Thoughts

I’ve always said it, I prefer seeing “shrewd legal mind” Barba instead of “slave to his emotions” Barba, but the latter sure is fun to watch. That closing was intense, and you could see that Raul really dug his teeth into those lines.  I mean, damn. It’s not every week that he gets to really show off, with more than an eyebrow raise or a smirk, but when he does, wow.  I was just thinking, they rarely let Raul have a legitimate monologue, even though he’s a lawyer and theoretically we could be watching his opening and/or closing arguments every week. This episode tells me that the writers might be saving those moments, and using them sparingly, so they’ll have more of an impact. And I think they’re right.

That said, I wonder if we’ll be seeing a focus on Barba’s more emotional side, to better juxtapose him to the upcoming ADA, who’ll be more black-and-white and (I’m assuming) less emotional. If so, this was a smart way to start doing that. In this episode, we still saw how smart Barba was, but we also saw a passion we don’t often see from him. I’m assuming Barba and Peter Stone will clash on more than their positions, they’ll clash on philosophy, as well, and I hope this was an example of that. We have to see the “new” (but old) Barba, he has to be established first, under the new showrunner’s reign, and then we can be introduced to Stone, and see what they have in common and what they’ll never agree on.

Stray Thoughts

Just like I thought, last week's dramatic ending (and Sonny’s potential subsequent trauma) was not directly referenced. It may come up again in the future, but again, as I said in last week's post, this is classic Original L&O stuff, a self-contained dramatic episode which ends and is never mentioned again. L&O in its earlier seasons was much less serialized, and I think the new showrunner is bringing that back. I don't mind it.

Another thing I didn’t mind? Flirty Sonny using his masculine wiles to cozy up to that witness and get her to help. Now that’s how you use your assets :D

“CONFIRMED.” I love Fin.

That old high school pic? I love that NBC employs people who have a passion for graphic design :’)

More background on Sonny’s family! The show remembers he has a niece! His mom used to cover for him for childhood shenanigans! He went to confession for stealing candy! Classic Carisi material. And continuity galore. This is the Sonny we know and love.

Amanda dismissively saying “pills, booze” to judge a woman who was on prescribed anxiety meds and enjoyed, like, a beer? Never change, Amanda. actually, please change (that said, yay for continuity!)

What a waste of Annabeth Gish.

So Brooke Shields is the grandma? Wasn’t that what everyone guessed? I was trying to come up with other guesses because I actually believed them when they said “no one has guessed who she’ll play”. Oh well. That said, she looked amazing, and I’ve always liked her. It’ll be nice to have someone with a (seemingly) kinder demeanor fighting against Liv. Not a criminal or a lawyer, you know? We haven’t seen that before.

Amanda and Liv’s jackets keep slaying my existence every week.

WHY DIDN’T WEE SONNY’S REACTION TO “YUMMY”???? HUH???? WHERE IS THAT CLOSE-UP OF HIS SMIRKY DIMPLY LIL’ FACE???

Did I write more than 900 words of this post about a 5-second Barisi interaction? HELL YEAH I DID :D

[simplyshelbs16xoxo]

Sherlolly - A S3 Breakdown

Sherlolly Appreciation Week 2017 Day 4 // Season 3

Alright, not sure how long this is gonna be but prepare yourselves. I wil split each section by episode!

If you want to read a shorter fangirling version of TEH, click here.

The Empty Hearse (Sherlolly the Movie™)

first thing’s first…THAT KISS HOLY SHIT WELL DONE BC 

anywho, on to the meta…

Molly being the 2nd person he goes to see and the way he does it is absolutely adorable. That blurred smile of his in the mirror kills me. It’s so genuine.

Sherlock’s sudden concern about Mycroft’s lack of a love life is certainly telling. The two years away has definitely humanized him in ways that can’t be reversed. I also feel this showing that Sherlock acknowledges that he, too, is lonely in that area. Not long after that scene, we see him waiting by the window a bit anxiously and then Molly appears in the doorway. He appears to be nervous in asking her to solve crimes with him. The shaky intake of breath he does before asking as if he’s trying to figure out how to ask her is so telling. Especially in comparison to when he got John on board. When I first watched that scene before I became a hardcore Sherlolly shipper, and had immediately thought he was asking her out. I had no shipper goggles on during the first time.

Now, as he’s asking her, the music is a variation of John and Mary’s theme. I personally think the tone of it is even more romantic than the original. While we’re on the topic of music, the melody played during the stairwell scene is filled with wistfulness, romanticism and heartbreak. I’m not a music expert but a music junkie so to speak lol. Why would they make those two scenes so romantic if it wasn’t a mutual love? In other Sherlolly scenes, the music never compared to that of The Empty Hearse music. I uploaded the specific bits of this music. 

Listen to it here:

All of the cases he takes on within 221B are all dealing in relationships. Those cases usually bore him, as we know from previous episodes. But yet, he is so attentive to the woman who’s being catfished. He looks truly sympathetic to her case. AND THAT LINE: “and you really thought he was the one didn’t you? the love of your life.” HE GIVES MOLLY THIS KNOWING LOOK AS HE SAYS IT. SHE LOOKS A BIT TAKEN ABACK WHEN THEIR EYES LOCK. 

Going back again to that bit of “You’re not being John, you’re being yourself.” This shows that he at least platonically loves her for who she is. Just as he platonically loves John for who he is.

The fake crime scene Anderson sets up is still a bit wonky for me haha. They work together quite well, obviously admiring each other’s observations. John’s voice in his head, I think, is partly due to missing him and partly due to it being his conscience telling him off. Another bit of proof that Sherlock has been humanized…he now acknowledges his conscience more so than ever. 

“Welcome to my world.” It’s almost as if he’s trying to show off a bit here which is kind of adorable alright. That’s it. That’s all I got lol.

The childish giggles at the ‘mind the gap’ doorbell okay?? That’s one of the cutest things in this episode.

Mr. Shilcott talks about his girlfriend being a big fan of Sherlock and when he scoffs at it, laughing as he turns his head toward her, Molly gives him a death glare which causes him to apologize. He obviously thought she might laugh with him but quickly pulls it together. I’ve never seen him do this on any other case ever.

The flirty eyes and smirks and silly faces omg I cannot. The “he said he liked trains’ joke is just wonderful. Okay, this is hard for me to explain but like these subtle things are how I flirt in relationships or at least with someone I fancy. But that may be just me. They’re being playful with one another and it’s just so sweet.

Sherlock asks her out to have chips. HE FUCKING ASKS HER OUT STRAIGHTFORWARD. “Fancy some chips?” LIKE HELL YESS I DO. but instead, Molly’s confused like “what?” Now, keep in mind that Sherlock does not eat while on a case, therefore this is ‘off the clock’ so to speak. It really was in a date capacity. 

His thank you was so sweet too. He told her she was the person who mattered the most to him. I’ve no idea if he noticed her ring back at Baker Street or not but it definitely looks like he only just noticed it in the stairwell. The fact he tells her how he hopes she’ll be happy and that she deserves it is another telling sign of his growing love for her. If someone wants you to be happy even if it’s not with them, that is true selflessness there. He could have very well made himself much more clear on his intentions with hopes of getting her back so to speak, but he doesn’t.

“After all, not all the men you fall for can turn out ot be sociopaths.” I feel like this is him basically saying he doesn’t deserve her and that she deserves better than that. But as Molly says, maybe it’s her type.

THE DAMN SMILE HE GIVES HER BEFORE KISSING HER CHEEK…OR IS IT THE CORNER OF HER LIPS? IT LOOKS LIKE THE CORNER OF HER LIPS. THAT SMILE IS HEARTBREAKING AND WISTFUL AND FULL OF WHAT IFS. 

As he’s walking out of the building, you can hear him sniff as he bundles his coat and scarf. This is either because of cold weather or he may have been holding back feelings. He looks a bit defeated.

 She glances at him walking away as if in wonderment and it breaks my heart. I only wonder what would’ve happened had Tom never been in the picture.

HE STILL WENT TO GET CHIPS BY HIMSELF I’M CRYING

Upon meeting Tom, he doesn’t say a thing to embarrass her or point out that she is not over him at all. That is such growth on his part.

The Sign of Three

not much Sherlolly in this but so much to talk about…

Sherlock is so obviously observing Molly and Tom together. It looks a bit forced on Molly’s part but ya know that could be me. Why would they have it shot that way if Sherlock wasn’t jealous? Just sayin’.

All of the smiles and glances and twisting of her engagement ring during Sherlock’s speech is telling that she’s not over him if Tom being a knockoff of Sherlock wasn’t the tell-tale sign.

Sherlock goes to Molly for help on the the alcohol intake for John’s stag night. He obviously doesn’t need help, as she points out the fact he’s a graduate chemist. Another thing she knows about him that is talked about but clearly shows their closeness and infers that a lot of scenes of simple intimacy such as just talking casually and confiding in one another (note ASiB), happen off screen. They are talked about but never shown.

The playful back and forth of their conversation shows a level of comfort between them. Remember those scenes that are mentioned but never shown? The scene of him and Molly in the lab talking was not necessary by any means. Or maybe it was to show subtly the Sherlolly development? Obviously the show does not focus on romantic entanglements except that of John and Mary but that’s because it’s Sherlock. It’s not meant to. So the Sherlolly intimacy is always subtle but it’s there.

“You look…well.” DO NOT TELL ME HE WASN’T GONNA SAY PRETTY OR BEAUTIFUL OR LOVELY LIKE COME ON.

“How’s…Tom?” HE NEVER REMEMBERED ANY OF JOHN’S GIRLFRIENDS’ NAMES BUT HE REMEMBERED TOM’S? WOW.

MOLLY MENTIONING THE FACT THAT SHE AND TOM ARE “HAVING QUITE A LOT OF SEX” WAS TOTALLY ON PURPOSE. YOU CANNOT TELL ME OTHERWISE. SHE KNEW IT WOULD MAKE HIM UNCOMFORTABLE AND HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE. In the words of Taylor Swift: darling I’m a nightmare, dressed like a daydream. She totally wanted to laugh at him.

THE DEATH GLARE SHE GIVES JANINE WHEN SHERLOCK THROWS THAT FLOWER THING TO HER OMG IF LOOKS COULD KILL Y’ALL

WHEN SHE NOTICES SHERLOCK LEAVE THE WEDDING, IT’S ALMOST AS IF SHE WERE ABOUT TO GO AFTER HIM BUT THOUGHT BETTER OF IT. MY FEELS.

His Last Vow

Sherlock was obviously ashamed of Molly finding out about his relapse.

“Sorry your engagement’s over. I’m fairly grateful for the lack of a ring.” Grateful because those slaps would’ve hurt much worse and of course, Tom is out of the picture finally.

IF MOLLY AND SHERLOCK WEREN’T ENDGAME WHY WOULD THEY BOTHER WRITING IN THE BROKEN OFF ENGAGEMENT? WHAT IS THE POINT?

Molly is the one that helps him survive in his mind palace. He trusts her with his life completely ever since TRF. 

MOLLY’S BEDROOM IS ONE OF SHERLOCK’S BOLT HOLES. IT IS THE ONLY BOLT WHOLE IN WHICH THERE IS ANOTHER PERSON PRESENT. IT’S NOT SO MUCH HER BEDROOM AS IT IS HER. Molly is a safe place for him. He can be emotionally vulnerable with her. That is a level of intimacy that takes so much trust. Sherlock never allows anyone to climb his walls, but he lets Molly in. This is another instance in which it is mentioned but never shown. 

that concludes my S3 meta. I hope y’all enjoyed it!

@sherlollyandspoilers

[theconservativebrief]

If you’ve been following the world of TV Twitter this spring, you probably know that a certain subset of this nation’s great, professionally paid TV viewers has gone a little goofy for Showtime’s Billions. Observe!

Your occasional reminder that Billions is really good, even if it’s not about a crime-solving business tycoon named Jack Billions.

— Todd VanDerWerff (@tvoti) June 4, 2018

I could go on. But my larger point is this: Billions is a show that a lot of critics wrote off somewhere in early season one, and while it got the typical, “Hey, this show has gotten a lot better” write-ups late in that first season and (especially) in season two, the recently concluded third season seems to have crossed some sort of threshold in terms of its popularity and the willingness of its fans to bug you about it nonstop on various social media platforms.

Billions has managed this rise in its fortunes despite being a show about white-guy antiheroes — a type of series many critics have cut less slack in recent years — and despite being about the mega-rich and the lawyers who fail to prosecute them at a time when nobody’s particularly enthused about either of those things.

It’s managed this rise in its fortunes despite the fact that its entire premise, involving one of said lawyers deciding to make an example of one of those billionaires, was basically torpedoed by reality, where the Trump administration has been, let’s say, much friendlier to the mega-rich.

And it’s managed this rise in its fortunes despite the fact that its storytelling is frequently completely ridiculous, often predicated on its characters hiding incredibly elaborate strategic gambits from each other, to the degree that it’s hard to imagine how they kept something so skillfully from seemingly everybody they knew.

That makes it a fun show to goof on, only helped by just how funny the show has become, thanks to its deep bench of actors who are incredibly agile with a one-liner. From jokes about the show’s potential for a crossover with The Americans to “FUCK ‘EM UP, BILLIONS!” this is a series that can handle a solid bit of snark — a must for social media takeoff.

But Billions is really good and sometimes great TV (in its third season, especially). It’s one of the rare shows that has genuinely been bolstered by the times: In an era of very dour shows about the dark times we live in, sometimes great (The Handmaid’s Tale) and sometimes mixed (Westworld), Billions is pure pulp thriller, but in a way that never loses sight of how poisonous all the vipers within it are. Here are three ways Billions overcame its early shakiness to become its best self.

Chuck and Bobby try to find common ground. Showtime

The original premise of Billions was probably unsustainable. It centered on Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti), a US attorney for the Southern District of New York, who grew tired of prosecuting small-time crimes and decided to take down Bobby Axelrod (Damian Lewis), a titan of finance he knew was crooked. Chuck’s wife, Wendy (Maggie Siff), worked for Bobby and thus became an unlikely figure in both men’s games.

In the early going, it wasn’t always clear what the show was, beyond an excuse to watch its two big-name stars snarl at each other. My review of the first half-season liked some aspects of the show (particularly the acting) but found its attempts to dig into the world of high finance too surface-level and obvious. It was clear the show was interested in income inequality and the corruption of US systems that led to the wealthy abusing them endlessly, but it also flirted frequently with lapsing into straight-up lifestyle porn about how cool it was to be rich.

Slowly but surely, the series corrected some of these flaws in season one, but then the question became what the show would even be once Chuck put Bobby behind bars, or Bobby somehow triumphed over Chuck. On a network that had already had a show that centered on an investigation of Damian Lewis that lasted at least one season past its welcome, Billions felt caught in a trap.

And then somewhere in early season two, Billions started overhauling itself for the long haul. You wouldn’t know it to look at the surface of the series, where Chuck and Bobby were still launching long-range attacks at each other (remarkably, it took until mid-season three for the two to share significant screen time). But underneath that surface, the show’s writers, led by Brian Koppelman and David Levien, were focusing more on other cases that fell under Chuck’s jurisdiction, as well as stories about how the corruption of the mega-rich had so infected the entire system that to try to defeat that corruption meant becoming corrupt yourself.

The second season concluded with a series of revelations that showed just how long of a game the series could play and substantially muddied its ethical waters. The question wasn’t whether to root for Chuck or Bobby; instead, the question was figuring out a way to tear down the entire system they existed within. The show still had the gleam associated with wealth and power, but it was interested in questions beyond its central battle. When it finally moved past it in the middle of season three, there was a wealth of other stories waiting to be told, including…

Asia Kate Dillon plays Taylor Mason. Showtime

Much has been made of how Asia Kate Dillon’s Taylor Mason, a promising new employee of Bobby Axelrod’s company, Axelrod Capital, is almost certainly the first nonbinary regular character on a major American TV show. (Both Taylor and Dillon use they/them pronouns.)

Dillon is one of TV’s most electric performers, and they’ve made Taylor into a force within the show, to the degree that almost all of the third-season finale revolves around major decisions they make. The show even subtly codes which characters are not to be trusted based on whether they use Taylor’s preferred pronouns — and the fact that Bobby and his various cohorts take no time in adjusting to using “they” and “them,” despite being scoundrels in countless other ways, is meant to convey the immense respect they have for Taylor, even when they’re incredibly mad at them.

But Taylor’s nonbinary identity and Dillon’s performance don’t explain, in and of themselves, why the show seemed to take off almost immediately after it introduced Taylor in its season two premiere. Instead, I would argue, the presence of Taylor has immediately pried apart some of the show’s most rigid elements, in a way that has benefited both it and almost every character within its world.

Somewhere near its core, Billions is an exploration of toxic masculinity, of the ways that codes of behavior between men can sometimes curdle and go wrong, most obviously affecting the women around those men but also hurting the men themselves. Billions’ most obvious example of this is in the relationship between Chuck and his father, Charles (Jeffrey DeMunn), a ruthless legal shark who abhorred any signs of weakness in his son and seems most at ease when the two are trying to kill each other.

But it’s also present in the constant dick-measuring at Axe Cap, or the scenes where Chuck and Wendy’s love of BDSM threatens his burgeoning political career. Nothing is more important in the world of Billions than the appearance of raw, masculine strength, but that raw, masculine strength is strangling everybody near it.

In the first season, this resulted in a lot of scenes of guys competing to see who could be the most macho, while Wendy and the handful of other women on the show tried to find places to fit amid the swagger. Simply by their mere existence, Taylor stands out as a rejection of this fruitless binary — a one-character expression of the idea that some of the systems we’ve come to rely upon were rotten to begin with.

If the larger idea of Billions is that a failure to seriously question the status quo will destroy the world, Taylor immediately makes viewers question many things the other characters accept as simply the way their lives are. And that extends to other aspects of the series, where Taylor (who is, after all, really, really good at playing the markets to make lots of money and, thus, part of the same corrupt economic system as everybody else) might not have as much immediate bearing.

I didn’t get a chance to talk about my beautiful boy Wags (David Costabile, left) in this article, so I’ll at least put him in a photo. Showtime

If toxic masculinity is near the center of Billions, then the show’s absolute core is the idea that while unchecked capitalism might be fun to watch a TV show about, it’s destroying the world all the same. The more the characters maneuver to hang on to their power, the more entrenched the horrible systems that need to change become.

Chuck goes from trying to bring down Bobby to more or less propping up the whole system Bobby used and abused to become as rich as he is, and in the third season, the government (a not-that-fictional spin on the Trump administration full of fire-breathing evangelicals and grifters in greasy suits) is only too happy to let him do the propping. In the process, innocent lives are destroyed, a woman who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time is deported to Guatemala, and the titans at the top of the credits don’t even blink.

Billions was still interested in these ideas back in its first season, but it kept shifting awkwardly between the modes of “Chuck and Bobby snarl and hurl invective at each other” and “Unchecked capitalism is destroying everything.” One of the show’s co-creators is journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin, and in season one, certain storylines in the series felt more reported than they did written, like the show was trying to get across a point but hadn’t quite settled on what that point was or the best way to sell it.

In season two, however, the series simply shifted all of its eggs into the “pulpy business thriller” basket, and trusted that audiences would notice all the horrible venality that happened in proximity to the long war between Chuck and Bobby. When watching people do very bad things is as fun as it can be on Billions, it makes viewers feel all the more complicit in those bad things — and helps increase the sense that we’re just as complicit in the bad things happening in our own reality.

By wedding its larger concerns to the sheer, propulsive fun of the business thriller, Billions found a way to serve the audience its cake, then keep serving them so much cake they wondered where all the cake came from and desperately wanted to stop eating it. That makes Billions, at times, a show where it’s hard to find someone to “root” for, but the series is canny enough to know that’s the whole point.

We’re not damned; we’re already in hell, and we need to find a way to pull it down around our ears to make something better. But good fucking luck with that.

All three seasons of Billions are available on Showtime’s streaming apps. Season four will arrive in 2019.

Original Source -> How Showtime’s Billions went from dull to dazzling

via The Conservative Brief