#I can only assume the remaining episodes of season 6

[mlpoutofcontext]

[rey-jake-therapist]

What was Galadriel's "last temptation", really?

There's been a lot of discussions about the finals, but there's one big question mark that remains : why were the tracks of the fight called "Last Temptation" and "The Fall of Galadriel" ? For what we could see, Sauron didn't really try to tempt Galadriel again, and she didn't seem even remotely tempted to join him. As for her fall... Well, she fell off the cliff, but the track covers the entirety of the fight, so surely it was meant to have another meaning than a literal fall, right ? And yet, she resisted Sauron again, she didn't fall for him, so what are these titles about ?

I think I know what this is about. I know it for a pretty long time now and have this meta in my mind for quite a while, but yesterday I had a sort of epiphany... Regarding something that Sauron said.

Galadriel's last temptation

We're led to think that there wasn't any temptation, because we expected to see it happening under the guise of manipulation. We all went into episode 8 believing that Sauron would shapeshift into Halbrand and use Galadriel's love for his past self to lure her to the dark side. Then surprise ! Sauron turned into Halbrand indeed, but only for a short while, and not even to tempt her : he wanted to destabilize her because she had just kicked his ass, he looked like an idiot and needed to find something to take the upper hand. But mostly, he wanted to give an answer to her accusation, "We were never alike, it was just another of your illusions". Shapeshifting into Halbrand and repeating what he had told her in season 1 episode 6, then into Galadriel and Celebrimbor all had the same purpose : telling her that she was wrong. They were more alike than she liked to think, and this demonstration was meant to make her accept that. Did it work ? Season 3 will tell, but I think it did.

So, no temptation here. Telling her "the door's still open" was a very vague, brief lived "temptation", but she made her point very clearly by claiming "the door is shut" (spoiler alert : it's not lol), and kicking him in the face. My point is : she wasn't tempted at all, during all this fight, to join Sauron.

So what was it ?

This. This was when the last temptation happened :

(I couldn't find an actual gif from the episode, but as you can guess, it's when Galadriel pretends to give Nenya to Sauron)

Of course ! It's difficult to see it that way because there's almost no talking here. Besides, all that we see at first view is the brutality of his act : it doesn't look like a temptation, because he's taking by force what she refuses to give him. He uses Morgoth's crown to bind her to him against her will, leading us to think that he's no longer asking, and yet the fact remain : he asks her, again, to join him here.

Now that he's bound to her, he has a direct access to his mind, and I assume, she to his. That's why he doesn't need to talk out loud to her to ask her for her ring, as he can speak directly through her mind now. As it's been observed many times, he could have just snatched Nenya from her, like he did with the Nine.

But no, he wants her to accept that his goal is worth all the terrible things he does, and he wants her to give him the means to achieve his true purpose, "heal Middle-Earth". Again, he could just take Nenya and use it; we saw Adar take Nenya by force from Elrond, put it on his finger and successfully use it to heal himself, so Sauron could have just done that too.

So here it is, my friends, the "last temptation". Now that she's bound to Sauron (and she knows she is, her face when he stabbed her told us), it's harder than ever to say no to him. He influenced her already before, but here, well... He literally wormed his way into her mind. As Adar said, "he bores a hole and the rest of him slithers him. For a while, he even lets you believe that his power is yours". I mean, this moment was foreshadowed in episode 6, when Adar warned Galadriel about Sauron's method.

It happened to Adar after he made a blood oath with Sauron, probably this day that Adar tells "Halbrand" about : "He offered me wine, red as a blood moon. He offered me wine and on that dark and nameless peak, I drank it, I drank it all.”

It was probably not wine, folks, but Sauron's blood. That's how he got Adar to fall for him.

And that's why Galadriel lets herself fall off the cliff : because it's the only way she can think of to escape him, or more precisely, to escape the temptation to trust him again, and to join him. It was a desperate act, and not necessarily useful at first view, since her death wouldn't prevent Sauron from taking Nenya and enslave her. As Gil-Galad explains, her immortal spirit would have been drawn into the shadow realm, which Sauron now controls.

It's generally admitted that Galadriel did that to protect her ring from Sauron, but I disagree tbh. I mean, she surely had the vague hope to do that, but he could have easily gone down that cliff, taken Nenya and let Galadriel pass into the Unseen world, where he would have had a total control over her. After all, if he wanted her to be his slave, eternally bound to him, not really dead but not exactly alive either, he could have just let her fall off that cliff without trying to catch her hands. If she hadn't survived the fall, her body would have died but her immortal spirit would remain; she would have been his forever, problem solved.

But I don't think that's what he ever wanted. I think he *asked* for Nenya because he wanted her to submit to him. He wanted her to understand, to validate him at last. I think he would have healed her, if she had given her the ring. I don't think that he's not interested in Galadriel's light anymore. Actually I think he craves it more than ever, and he will probably never stop. And since despite the bond he had just created between them, she still refused, he abandoned, again.

Coming back to Galadriel, if she had access to his mind, she also probably knew that he wouldn't come for Nenya if she killed herself. I mean, it's a logical assumption : if he wanted her to give him Nenya while he could have just taken it, there was no reason to believe that he would have taken it over her dying body. I think it's even possible that she knew that he would want to let her a chance to live, and for this to happen, Nenya was her only chance. It may be delulu to think that scene that way, but it's pretty much the only way for Galadriel's decision to make sense, actually. Because if she wasn't certain that Sauron wouldn't just take Nenya and leave her body to die, it seems pretty useless, in retrospect.

Whatever went through her mind, it was the right choice : he didn't come for her, but looked down to make sure she was alright, sulking like a little boy who broke his favorite toy, killed poor Glug who interrupted him (tbf with Sauron, it was the second time Glug showed up at the wrong time. Can't he ever have a bit of privacy ?!), and looked down again for her.

The "epiphany"

It's interesting that Sauron took the Nine without hesitation, but wanted Galadriel to give hers. And it's what he said that explained this difference to me : "The rings are mine". He was only referring to the Nine here, not to Nenya. Why? Because for him, while the Nine belong to him, Nenya belongs to Galadriel. Each time he refers to it, he says it : "Give me your ring, and the Nine", "Galadriel, give me your ring". Sauron wanted her to have that ring, remember ?

We often joke that since she broke up with him, he wanted "the engagement ring back", but that's not it. Galadriel giving him her ring would have been the confirmation he wanted : that she knew he wanted to heal Middle-Earth, and trusted him to do that. There was no point for him in taking it if her true owner, the one person he gave it to, refused to believe him. That's why he's so miffed at the end, after she jumps. He may even have a moment of self-awareness, where he admits he'll probably never get her back, but will it last? Probably not.

Now that she's bound to him, he will probably be more obsessed and possessive than ever. He put his mark on her, in his mind she's basically his, now.

The Fall of Galadriel

Galadriel fell of the cliff, but she also "fell" when Sauron stabbed her with a dark artefact covered with his blood. By doing so, he not only bound her to him, but he also shared some of his darkness as well. So inevitably, she's going to "fall". If you genuinely believe that her struggles with darkness and temptation for power are all behind her now, that she has "shut the door" for good on Sauron and darkness altogether and that she's ready to become 3rd age ethereal Galadriel... I think you're up for a surprise in season 3. As Gil Galad said, it's no mere wound. Of course it will influence her in the years to come.

Nenya may have healed her and prevented her immortal spirit to be drawn into the Unseen world, but Galadriel will keep carrying that wound all her life. It will damage her, physically but mostly spiritually. She passed one test : she won't ever be tempted again to become Sauron's queen. But her last test, the one that will get her the redemption she longs for, she'll pass it thousands of years later, when Frodo offers the ring and she'll refuse it... The showrunners said that she Galadriel knew that having the One ring would be dangerous, because she knew what she was capable of, and not in the good way. We haven't seen anything of that in Galadriel, yet, so believing that the dark times are behind her and that she's ready to become the Lady of Light and quietly move on with her life... Is wanting her to run before learning to walk, imho.

And don't you doubt that Sauron is letting her forget that she's forever connected to him through an indestructible bound now... He will definitely use that access. He won't just throw rocks at the window hoping she'll open. That will come much later, imho.

[coraniaid]

Here is a list of every Buffy character who appears in, or is mentioned by name in, at least one episode of every season.

These are the characters that, you might assume, are the most important over the course of the whole show. The ones that the writers cared about most and refused to stop caring about. The ones that did the most to shape who Buffy Anne Summers herself would become as a person. Put simply: the main characters of the show.

Each of them appears in the first season and also appears (in one case, as a post-death vision) in the last.

Just for fun I've added (in parenthesis) the number of episodes each of them actually appears in. Can you spot the odd one out?

Buffy Summers (144) Willow Rosenberg (144) Xander Harris (143) Rupert Giles (126) Joyce Summers (58) Angel (58) Amy Madison (8)

That's right, Xander Harris is the obvious odd one out.

All the others appeared in an even number of episodes, but -- because he doesn't appear in Season 7's Conversations With Dead People -- Xander only appears in 143 of the show's 144 total episodes. Thus making him, quite literally, the odd ...

... okay, okay, obviously it's Amy.

Amy Madison appears in one -- and only one -- episode of each of Seasons 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 and in three episodes of Season 6. She doesn't appear in Season 5 at all but Willow does mention her, by name, in Season 5's Triangle.

Other characters introduced in Season 1 who appear in or are mentioned by name in most of the show's remaining seasons include

Cordelia Chase (who is in 54 episodes over three seasons starting from Welcome to the Hellmouth, plus 88 more in the Angel spin-off; but is not mentioned by name in Season 6 or Season 7 [although there's a brief flashback via archive footage in Season 7's Him that I don't think should count]),

Principal Snyder (18 episodes over just three continuous seasons starting with The Puppet Show (and a posthumous appearance in Season 4's Restless), mentioned by name in every following season except Season 5)

Harmony Kendall (14 episodes over five continuous seasons, starting with Season 1's The Harvest, plus a dream appearance in Restless and 18 more episodes in Angel; mentioned by name in Season 6 of Buffy but not in Season 7 [unless you count that previously mentioned archive footage in Him but I still don't think you should).

Why and how Amy manages to make it on to this list is genuinely something of a mystery to me. The writers very obviously do not care about her as a character at all, they treat her primarily as a joke or a plot device, they never bother to give her anything resembling a coherent arc or show any sign of treating the various traumatic things that happen to her (months with her body magically stolen by her own mother; years living as a rat; retroactively a magical junkie and somehow the only straight witch in Sunnydale) with any sympathy at all.

And yet, by at least one metric [admittedly a pretty silly and arbirtrary metric] ... the most important recurring characters on Buffy -- the only ones to be mentioned in every single season of the show -- are

Buffy herself;

Buffy's best friend, her college roommate, the woman she shares a house with for the last two seasons of the show, her metaphorical spirit, the girl she was prepared to die for in Season 1, the all-powerful witch who brings her magically back to life when she dies in Season 5;

Buffy's other best friend, her metaphorical heart, somebody who isn't afraid to tell her that she's his hero and inspiration in the dark, the ordinary man who she trusts to protect her last living family member in an apocalypse, the boy who brought her (non-magically) back to life when she died in Season 1;

her Watcher, her metaphorical mind, the mentor who instructs her and guides her and lies to her and ultimately abandons her, the closest thing in the whole world she has to a father, somebody who cares about her so much he is convinced she would be better off without him in her life;

her mother, the person who raised her, the parent whose good opinion she's most afraid of losing, the woman who she spends two years hiding her true nature from, somebody who loves her and fights to protect her and -- ultimately -- accepts her, but isn't quite able to ever truly understand her, the mother whose untimely death marks her own transition into adulthood;

the centuries-old vampire with a soul she falls in love with as a teenager, setting in motion a tragic series of events that will culminate in him losing said soul, forcing her to send him to hell and making it hard for her to ever admit her love for anybody else (plus to him getting his own five-season spin-off show);

and ... a girl she meets in sophmore year for cheerleading tryouts, (which they both fail) and who she will have one single direct conversation with again, five years later, a conversation that comprises a total of twelve syllables ("Hi Buffy." "Hi. How've you been?" "Rat. You?" "Dead." "Oh.")

Whenever people talk about Buffy as if it was meticulously crafted and plotted from the beginning; whenever they insist you can't possibly understand a character until you've seen a flashback episode that aired five years after their first appearance, whenever they make reference to the show's Original Plan in a way that implies any deviation from this plan is something remarkable that needs to be explained, I always think about Amy Madison.

What better evidence do you need in favour of the idea that, in fact, the writers were just making it all up as they went, right from the beginning? What Plan did the writers ever have in mind for Amy? How can all of this possibly have been on purpose?

[onlymurdersintheafterparty]

Updated OMITB S4 Killer Theory

After watching this week's episode I have a new theory for who killed Sazz. There are some plot holes proving otherwise but for now this is what is sticking with me the most. I think it also ties some of these storylines together. I'm putting this all under a spoiler tag just in case since it hasn't been a full day yet.

I think Bev is actually Dudenoff. From what we know so far, Dudenoff is rarely ever home and is currently in Portugal. Bev living and working in Los Angeles means that she could go back and forth collecting rent, hire someone to do so, or just have it deposited directly. Maybe she inherited one of the apartments, saw an opportunity for the others and took it. Plus it's a nice side hustle that can help to fund her film projects.

The mysterious person in the group with their face scratched out could very well be Helga. Vince said that Helga was the wrong type of weirdo and Rudy, Inez, and Ana were all trying to paint her as mentally ill and paranoid. I think we can assume she's not dead since we heard her on the radio, but she is clearly in hiding meaning she didn't leave the West Tower on her own accord. I think she uncovered a secret about Dudenoff or whatever other crime these Westies are into and was going to tell Charles so he could expose it on the podcast.

Sazz was digging around searching for clues before she was killed, even going so far as to discover that someone was watching Charles and gaining access to the code for the Dudenoff apartment. This season has been playing around a lot with the concept of stunt doubles, twins, and actors portraying actors. What if Sazz bore a strong resemblance to Helga and was successfully able to pass as her which is how she got entry to the Dudenoff apartment? If the theory that Helga was going to snitch is correct, maybe during the night of the party one of the Westies looked out the window, saw Sazz in Charles' apartment and thought she was Helga and killed her to keep her from telling?

If Bev is Dudenoff there is a possibility that she was in attendance at the party at the end of season 3 and was also in town to collect the rent owed by the Westies. Maybe at the party she saw Sazz and because of the Sazz/Helga lookalike theory thought Helga was in disguise to get close to Charles. Having her side hustle exposed would lose her money and with how she hounded the trio to sign over their movie rights she sounds like she's struggling financially. In episode 4, the actors are referred to as faces because there's a dynamic where stunt people don't get recognition for their work and aren't recognized outside of the work that they do. At the party when they discuss the wine Charles has upstairs, Bev could have overheard that Sazz was going up to get it and saw that as her chance to strike. As Dudenoff it would be easy to run over to the apartment she owns and gain access to get the job done. Plus we now know she knows how to handle a gun after she is seen holding the trio at gunpoint at the end of the episode.

The question remains whether Sazz was the intended victim or Charles and I'm still going to go with Sazz for now. I know there's the whole "Everybody hates Charles" agenda but he's basically a homebody so I doubt there would be enough interactions over time for someone to actually hate him. The only other reason is that a family member of one of the victims in the podcast or the killers is mad at him for profiting off of their death like what the bartender said at Concussions.

So this is where I'm at right now theory wise. There is still plenty of time to change that because we have 6 episodes left. I know there's so much more to be discovered so I can't wait to see what direction the show will take over the next few episodes.

[zabala0z]

S3 is once again killing me again with all the lore and I love it. School started up so I might be slower with my thoughts but I got episodes 92, 93, 94 and 95 to talk about!!!

MAG 92: Nothing Beside Remains

Elias makes me want to eat my phone, similar to that one guy from MAG 65 :) I was like screaming the whole time. Of course he can see everything, he literally called the police before Daisy came. I took that as "oh he has spies" but no he can see everything, I hate that. Is Jon eventually gonna get that ability or does The Eye give different gifts. Elias hasn't shown any "compellling" sort of power so I assume the latter. ALSO MORDECAI LUKAS?? I need to see a statement from a Lukas member cause what is up with that family, I'm dying.

Guess Basira is now working there. Hope Elias is paying her. the fact he won't tell Jon shit is so funny to me. So The Stranger is now, basically, the confirmed main villain. BBEG yknow? Mildly terrified, I hate circuses and mannequins so this season is gonna like body me

Not much to say on MAG 93 but whatever entity has the whole "gross shit" as its deal, I'm guessing this falls under it. Purple fungus, the obsessive cleaning, etc. Also yaaay Breekon and Hopes!! Again!11!! get out! Poor Georgie. Love her for being like "Do you even have qualifications??". Jons explanation helped me a lot because during Elias's explanations, I'm mostly just muttering curses to myself because I HATE Him. Avatars. Baller. So Jude Perry was the avatar of The Desolation (destruction, fire, etc) Michael Crew was the avatar of The Vast (sky??, emptiness, general loneliness) and then like Jon is an avatar and I'm guessing so is Elias. I think you can have more then one avatar but anyways.

MAG 94: Dead Woman Walking

Jon refereed to the entity as "The End" which, using my notes, was mentioned in Mary keys statement when gertrude asked where the book came from and Mary said "The End" and said she could never serve it, not finding death interesting. Wild that she can't feel fear anymore??? Like damn. This kinda read as someone in a depressive state in some form. Or like a nihilistic person. Cause like "everything ends, time, it has already ended". Wild.

Not much to say on MAG 95 but I did understand the context vaguely which is more then what I can say for the other war statements. Also Martin and Basira friendship??? Love it. She gets really engrossed in books. I dunno if she was like lying or this is something supernatural related but I love Basira

MAG 96: Return to Sender

Literally screeching oh my god. The fact these things just hijacked this mans business is almost funny. They also talked with a circus ringmaster. Nikola Orsinov? gregor Orsinov? A different one. the statement was given 1996 and Gregor was the leader around the 40's but Nikola, by her description I think, sounded young. So. Who was this ringmaster? Maybe Im getting the timeframe wrong. or they're like eternal. Maybe they like just shed skin and steal a new body, just going by the same last name- okay I don't know.

Also, SARAH BALDWIN???? Welcome back girl. The fact the gorilla skin was stolen by gertrude means she was trying to stop The Unknowing, and likely that's why its been this long for it to happen, because they need that skin. Ew. The Stranger loves skin a little too much. Also Sarah being filled with sawdust and cloves. Great. If Not Sasha was shot, would we have seen that? Or is it different with every one of those, NotThem.?

Anyways, I think that's everything. Every statement, I'm kinda thinking, "which entity does this fall under" now that I know the surrounding universe. Tough since I only know 6 by name and I think there's more. 6 too many entities for this world though

[branzinos]

seeing sooooo much debate about unresolved plotlines in abbott s3 but i think people just aren't realising that the show is moving in the direction of self-contained, easily syndicatable episodes, like a Friends or a Frasier, where you can turn on a random episode 6 years later without needing to know what's going on in the overarching season plot. it's abc's most watched show in a million years, and they are going to make sure they get their moneys worth out of it. s1 was the show proving its marketability, s2 was the show stretching its legs and seeing if it can fill a full season order, and it did with (mostly) no filler, but i think most of us can agree it did not handle overaching plotlines (like the legendary schools drama) in a very elegant way, just sorta fizzled out. it seemed like they were struggling with whether to have season long arcs, or resolve in one episode and move forward - and i think s3 is the answer to this question. the comedy itself works best when a episode of the day's tension is handled in the course of one episode, because they're not trying to juggle multiple emotional beats. previous stuff can be mentioned in passing, like it can be clear that a character is still processing things, but for the show to be easily picked up and put down, the plotlines need to be self contained, and the jokes need to still stand on their own.

apart from janine, nobody is going to get the satisfactory season-length arc that will satisfy everyone. it isn't an ensemble in the way Friends is, this is Janine's (+Gregory's) story, and her arc is the thread that ties the show together, with the comedy of the other characters happening in the orbit of it. i think the more people come to realise this the easier it is to relax into what the show is trying to be. it's why Smoking hit so well - it was sharp and the pace was fantastic and laugh-a-minute and could be repeated on tv at any time and you wouldn't need to know which season or episode it is. That's the direction I think they're going to be taking it going forward. I saw @serendipitouscontaminant summarise (here) Willard R. Abbott as "An Episode of Abbott Elementary" and not "An Episode of Season 3 of Abbott Elementary" and i think that's a good way of putting it. like in the future you'll be able to watch any episode from S3 and just go "ok, Janine's working at the school district" and you'll know roughly where you stand without having to orient yourself into the other characters' spaces. In a short season order like this one I think there may be some loss of emotional beats just because there's less episodes to put them in, and I assume there'll be some Very Special Episodes with a Message going forward ala "Mom", but on the whole I think Smoking is a better example of what we can expect from Abbott going forward from S3 into S4, from a purely monetizable perspective. I think this is only more proven by the fact they're throwing a million guest stars at it (as announced the other day), to catch peoples' attention in an 8am repeat in like 2029. Basically, going forward, if something happens to a character other than Janine or Gregory, we'll see it in that episode and the fallout from it is implied offscreen, with maybe a joke here and there that can still stand on its own (ala Melissa going out drinking a lot). Obviously this is pure speculation but I really think this is where we're going. Whether it'll hurt the heart in the show I guess remains to be seen.

[trojanteapot]

This may be me jumping the gun by judging the season too early (only just finished episode 6, which actually was pretty fun), but I dunno, Buffy season 3 is kinda turning into the "gas leak year" of BTVS?

It's mostly just the stink of the first two episodes, not really feeling the chemistry between Angel and Buffy (though I will say, Buffy is more convincing than Angel by at least an order of magnitude), and me being very adamantly anti Willow/Xander, but I have not really enjoyed s3 as much as the previous two seasons. Still very enjoyable for sure! But just... less?

On the topic of the first two episodes, they really kind of dropped the ball on both of them in two different ways:

For episode 1 of season 3, it was that they really advertised in bright flashing lights "Look at us! We are doing a Very Special Episode about Real Issues! This is a Serious Episode about Homeless Youth!" but they like... almost had it? You can see the ideas the writers had, and all the setup was there, with Buffy meeting Lily-Chanterelle-Anne, and the different ways they ended up in that no-name city (which I just assumed was Oakland... sorry Oakland). But the evil entity they had to defeat was maybe too... cartoonish? Like ok I know they were going for "cults prey on the vulnerable, just like runaway youth like Lily and Buffy" but then they kinda... trapped them in more of a looney-tunes-esque torture dungeon than any sort of metaphor-for-capitalism that actually landed.

And I think this episode made me realize how spoiled we are in this era of television post golden-age, because Buffy just resolves her character arc by punching some demons in the face... instead of actually having a resolution that made sense both for her character arc, and saving the day at the same time. One wonders if maybe an even more down-to-earth episode would have served its purpose even better in terms of Buffy's character arc, but I guess starting off season 3 with a bang trumped that.

As for episode 2 of season 3... well, it just felt like they weren't being fair to Buffy at all. Everybody acted like Buffy running away was like her committing multiple felonies, and everyone was so focused on how her disappearance affected how they felt and not even trying to understand what could have pushed her to run away in the first place! Especially her mom and Willow being so selfish in their reactions was quite unexpected for me (like Xander talking out of his ass and being a selfish dick I understand, but Willow?!), and whatever reasonable points they had were just kind of lost in them acting extremely unreasonable, and kind of just out-of-character just so Buffy can Feel Bad and be at Maximum Guilt for running away.

I would make an excuse like "oh maybe times were different and they didn't understand PTSD".... however In episode 1 of season 2, Buffy was also acting out and arguably being more selfish in her behaviour to her friends due to her PTSD from the events of season 1... but her friends called out her behaviour but still remained reasonable and empathetic towards her until she "snapped out of it" by the end! It doesn't make any sense that they would suddenly not know how to use these skills now a year later.

Anyway, with all that being said, I still find BTVS overall very enjoyable. And I feel like Giles has actually become the MVP of the season so far, with him actively searching for Buffy in ep1, advocating for her in ep2 and consistently being just cool and supportive and USEFUL, and of course, stealing the show in ep6. All in all, I'm just very invested in these characters.

Except Xander, I couldn't care less about him, ew.

[starseneyes]

Chenford - Lucy Chen / Tim Bradford - The Rookie - Season 5 - Ep 22

"Under Siege" AKA "Who in the Writer's Room Likes Horror?"

It's a bizarre day. If you love Chenford, then you need to know what's going on with the WGA - Writers Guild of America. They are striking for a fair wage and basic protections.

WGA members craft this ship and show we love so much, so please show solidarity for them as they fight for not only their future, but for future generations of writers.

SPOILER ALERT: If you want to remain spoiler free, I have no bloody clue why you're here. I can only assume a friend told you to check this out as a cruel joke. First off, dump that friend. Second, buckle up. It's about to get spoilery!

All good? Great! I can't wait to dive in.

Arrest Me... but make it SCARY

A bit of a different vibe for our opening tonight. No, this isn't Chenford-direct. But, it's important to know the vibe of this episode going in.

If any of you are Avengers: Infinity War fans, you might recall the Wanda / Vision relationship, and their whole sequence where they were ambushed. Originally, it was a lot longer, and had more of a horror movie vibe.

I loved that they went outside the box on that to play with genre throughout the movie.

I feel like The Rookie is playing with that a bit. It's been a while since my heart pounded during an episode.

In all honesty, it was probably Day of Death that last had me on the edge of my seat... and I watched that after I started Season 5 with near-canon Chenford.

Yes, I'm spoiled. Yes, I think OG Chenford fans deserve medals for their patience.

Speaking of which, your patience with me is likely wearing thin... let's get to the Chenford.

"Hey I heard it was Thornson."

Tim and Lucy show up together, and I'm having flashbacks to the two of them bailing out her UC buddy in the dead of night. These two know how to get moving when it matters.

Tim and Lucy immediately separate on their separate missions. That didn't work out too well for Celina and Aaron, but it looks like Chenford survive the night.

Look, I have a lot of ship trauma. "Leaf on the wind" anyone? Yeah, I've got ship trauma.

"A blood drive has been set up at the hospital. If you can do so, please volunteer at the end of shift."

I'm reminded of the fact that Tim Bradford regularly gives blood, so I'm heart-warmed that he's the one who gets to deliver the news to the team.

"Those are not store-bought Halloween masks."

It struck me immediately that Lucy is sitting front row like a Rookie.

Yes, I know that they are packed in there, so somebody has to sit up front... but it's Lucy, so it feels symbolic. As though she is sitting in the Rookie spot in Celina's honor.

"Hey. We heard the good news about Aaron. Unfortunately, none of our CIs have heard anything about a gang targeting the cops."

I know it's a little detail, but I love Tim and Lucy showing up together everywhere.

Of course, someone on Twitter called out the 4x01 parallel to them showing up at Wesley's together after I initially watched the episode. And they're so right. It's another parallel among many in this episode tonight!

"I hate to say it, but this is not gonna break tonight."

This one I spotted immediately the first time through—it's another night where he's sending everyone home because there's nothing more to be done... just like when they lost Jackson.

And I have to wonder if the intentionality of these parallels is to confirm or subvert expectation.

Like, are we supposed to see this similar sequence of events as an omen of doom? Or are we drawing these parallels with the intent of intensifying the torture before the cathartic release of Aaron's survival?

I guess we'll find out together in Season 6.

"I can't lose another."

Oh, Grey. Poor Grey. I guess I wasn't the only one having flashbacks.

Tim and Lucy Embrace

Tim knows Lucy is having that same flashback. There are too many similarities, too many things tying them all back to Jackson and the loss they all endured.

Angela about to give birth. Someone targeting them. An ambush and a shooting.

Yes, Aaron has a chance at making it. But the weight of this moment is not lost on this team who has suffered too much loss before.

Lucy and Tim step into the apartment, and they barely make it past the door before they're in one another's arms.

It's wordless. Tim motions to Lucy, and it reminds me of the hand motions when he offered to carry the War Bags after their last ride together.

Tim and Lucy no longer need a shorthand... they don't even need words.

He knows what she needs without her asking, and she knows what he's offering without a word spoken.

Back in Season 4 Episode 1, Tim asked what she needed. She asked for the hug. Now he knows what she needs in this moment as easily as he knows his own—some semblance of comfort in the horror of history repeating.

QUICK EDIT: Upon rewatch, I find I didn't imagine his "Come here" the first time (another call back), so technically he did use words... but they weren't needed.

Tim holds Lucy in his arms—so similar to their positioning in 4x01—but that's where the similarities end. Because Tim and Lucy of Season 4 no longer exist.

Everything has deepened between them since then. And while, yes, the hanky panky is fun... the trust is what they both need here.

They can't trust that everything will be okay. But they trust that with one another they are truly safe. And right now, they both need that comfort.

"It's okay," he whispers as he holds her, wishing it were true.

Tim kisses Lucy's forehead as he holds her, rubs her arms, and tries to offer some comfort as she leans against him, sobs overtaking her... like the first time he held her in Day of Death.

I know that we're going for the 4x01 parallels with how this is shot and staged, but I see the DOD ones, too. This is where they are safe when nowhere else feels safe.

Tim's hand cradles her head as he holds her. And much as this hurts like hell, this moment is important.

Tim and Lucy are one another's safe place. With each other, there are no pretenses or pretending, anymore. They no longer hide from one another or themselves.

They've embraced the beauty of who they are together, and while there will be many moments of joy... the sorrow is a part of the journey.

Tim and Lucy have had their share of it, true. But this is the first time they've traversed it as boyfriend and girlfriend. And the impact of enduring possibly losing another officer and friend to an ambush is too much.

Does being together make it easier? Hell, no. Is there a slight comfort in knowing you're not enduring it alone? Oh, yes.

"No we know. We ran your prints ... you don't get out of bed for less than 20K a day. Who hired you?"

Tim and Lucy are very good at what they do, and I love how they are supporting one another and building upon each other.

I miss them riding together, but we see what makes them great—they both think on their feet and they are sensational at the "yes, and".

I love getting to see the professional side still fires so beautifully between them. It's a feat I feared fumbled, but I'm freakin' psyched it fared fine.

Oh my goodness, that's way too much alliteration. But, I'm leaving it. It's ridiculous and it makes me smile!

The Trip Wire

Another commonality with Season 4 Episode 1. Gee wiz, we're going for lots of references with this one, and that leaves me curious about the intention... and whether there's a common thread that we're somehow missing that leads all the way back.

Or, I'm reading too much into it because I'm weird. I can roll with that, too.

Tim joins up with Lucy outside the house where she asks him for clarity that none of them have. What the hell is going on!?

"We should move on." "What? No."

Love that Lucy still stands up to Tim at work.

Look, even when he was her TO and then her supervisor, Lucy never shied away from speaking her mind. In this case, she sees something they're missing. And she's not going to let them miss out on an important piece of the puzzle.

"You think it's personal?" "I mean, look, if I was gonna go to the extreme of targeting police officers, why not take out some of my enemies along the way?"

And with that, Lucy BadAss Chen cracks the case. No, I don't know if that's her legal middle name. But it should be.

My brain immediately goes back to Tim accusing her of a social media obsession that happened to crack a case back during one of the Documentary episodes.

There's no skirting around this one—it was all Chen.

"I'll take Moran." "You're not going by yourself." "I'll go with her."

Alright, Fierce Protector. You do you.

"You should be out kicking doors with Metro." "I'm good." "I don't need you protecting me."

Well, damn, I thought it was just me! I thought I was gonna be the only one in this Meta calling out Tim in the Protector role, but I guess my on-screen bestie had to chime in, too.

Also, bringing back "Good" in this scene, which truly feels like their word, and I love it.

Tim will always have Lucy's back. He knows that she is capable and strong, but he's also her boyfriend and spent a lot of time as her TO and then Supervisor. Worrying about her was a part of his job, and now it's an ingrained part of his life.

He's not trying to undermine her independence or capability. He simply wants to be close because then he knows she is safe and doesn't have to hold his breath wondering.

"So, clearly what you're saying is you need me protecting you." "Clearly. You know me so well."

It was pinging my brain, and I couldn't figure out why until someone pulled out the DOD GIF on Twitter and I started slow-clapping like a sports movie.

Yes, of course! When Lucy woke up in the hospital to find Tim by her side... as he is, now.

I kept seeing DOD parallels in this episode, and I'm strangely comforted that others did, too.

Plus, a return of "Clearly", which has been another of Tim and Lucy's words. "Clearly, Ashley's gotta go." "Clearly this isn't working out."

"I'm happy it's you at my six." "Back at you."

Major "We protect each other" vibes, and I bloody approve. Look, we know that Tim is a Fierce Protector. But he also knows that his girlfriend is a kick-ass bad-ass.

Now, we enter into a fight scene that is a bloody masterpiece.

Yes, I wondered why they emptied their clips at the Riot Shields, but I'm not a cop, so I don't know if there's some logic behind it I don't possess. Other than that... this fucking rocked.

Like, literally. I couldn't have been the only Xennial rocking out when Janes Addiction started playing! Someone go hug the Music Supervisor, Music Coordinator, Screenwriter, Director, or whoever threw that track out there, because it's bloody brilliant.

Tim and Lucy are working together, talking it out as they go. And we see all that time they've put into building their communication is really on display, even in a bloody battle.

"We stand a chance, but only together."

Hell, yeah, Lucy! I've been saying that all season. No, not in terms of having the high ground (rest in pieces, Anikan Skywalker's limbs), but in terms of getting through this thing called life.

Tim and Lucy stand a chance of surviving as Chenford through end of show only if they work together.

And on-the-screen in this particular moment, the same holds true.

"Pull not push, copy that."

Love. Them. Look at Tim taking the word of his capable wife and putting it into practice.

Tim and Lucy are literally fighting for their lives, here, and they are fighting together. When one's on the brink of being overwhelmed, the other is there.

Lucy delivers a strike to free up Tim. He takes on several at once, and she goes for the shield. I was screaming, "Hell, yeah, baby girl!" like the big sister I am to my on-screen bestie because she was crushing.

Tim is the master of pepper spray, I swear. He's used it in many creative ways, but super smart to go straight for the eye-holes on the masks to try to penetrate.

Lucy's close to losing consciousness when Tim rips the guy off of her, repaying the earlier favor of her freeing him up. It's a literal give-and-take... in a fight for their lives. This is bloody brilliant.

Nolan finally makes it up there, and Tim helps Lucy through the door to the stairwell, literally shielding her with his body.

Once inside, Tim has his hand on one of his favorite places—Lucy's leg. But this isn't a sexy-time touch. This is the, "Thank God you're alive" touch. If they hadn't worked together, that could have ended very differently.

"I have Bradford and Chen secured upstairs."

Chen and Bradford, sir. It's Chenford. Not Braden.

"You should be on your way to the hospital." "We'll go after."

At least Tim is saying he'll go. Like, seriously, this guy is the king of avoiding medical attention. And too often when he's gone in, he did so knowing nobody was waiting for him on the other side.

Now, not only is he willingly going to go in with his girlfriend, he knows that they'll leave together. Look how far our boy has come.

A Glance

Our last moment of Tim and Lucy is just a glance... a subtle glance between the two of them where that wordless communication comes in.

They've always have this layer to their relationship—communicating without a word. But it's so much deeper, now.

And as we reflect on the end of a season, I have to say it's been incredible to witness their growth alongside y'all in real-time.

This season has been an absolute roller coaster, and my first with all y'all! I started with 5x01, had to catch up, and have loved this whole journey.

Thank you all for being so welcoming to a late-comer like me. And thank you for reading!

Remember, love one another. Give yourself grace. Don't worry about "perfect" because it doesn't bloody exist. Go after your dreams. Fuck Fear. And believe in yourself, always.

And if you're not ready to believe in yourself... know that I believe in you. And I'm always rooting for good things to come your way. You've got this.

[thyfggfy]

We are continuing my self-indulgent little project with the fandom's favourite blorbo-Derek Hale

I am not going to beat around the bush here.His outfits 90% of the time are pretty lame .From a production standpoint it makes total sense .Why bother putting Tyler in something cute when the script demands for him to be half-naked 5 minutes later , you know?

However , I do think that Derek goes through a solid style evolution when it comes to his colour scheme and a few other elements .

During the first two seasons we see him wear primarily greys and blacks

There are a few exceptions from the rule.He wears a white t-shirt in the pilot

a brown one in season 2

and if you really feel like taking a dig at me , I guess you can also count the times when he wears standart denim

But overall it is pretty bleak and from the flashback episode we can see that he wasn't allergic to colours

So we can assume that something must have happened during this time period. (We knowww what happened , but for the sake of this post we are pretending to be a bunch of film students who haven't watched a lick of tw).

In season 3 we see Derek finally starting to get his sh*t together. He tries to be a better alpha , rebuilds his support system and slowly but surely gets on the path of overcoming his trauma.That is reflected in his wardrobe that seems to become significantly more bright and colourful.

You can also notice that his iconic leather jacket starts to make less and less frequent appearances .

which can symbolize that he is stripping away his armour.Fitting , considering the fact that this is the season where he gives up his alpha status.The one thing he worked so hard to reinforce in the previous season.

In season 4 his character arc concludes . In that season we see him wearing (you might need to sit down for this one) jackets that are not black

Let that sink in.

Outside of that his style remains pretty consisted with what we've talked about so far.

I realize that this might not be fashion related (quite the opposite actually) , but I feel like it is appropriate to point out that when he finally confronts Kate he is fully naked

signifying that he is no longer afraid and that she has no power over him.

Season 6 doesn't diviate from the established points either

neither does the movie

We will finish this post with the only other outfit that is memorable in the fans' eyes and that is the thumbhole sweater .

and this time around I have to fully agree. This is cute as hell.I want one.

Parts: Jackson ; Liam ; Mason ; Theo ; Scott.1 ; Scott.2 ; Stiles.1 ; Stiles.2

[pencil-peach]

G Witch Onscreen Text: Episode 6

GRAAAHH!! This is part SEVEN in my attempt to transcribe and discuss all the onscreen text in G Witch!! Because I CAN!!! GRAHH!! We're on episode 6, halfway through season 1!! Grah Graaaahh!!!

Click here to go back to Episode FIVE!! Grahhh!!!

Let us begin.

Not text, but during Bel and Prospera's initial confrontation, the building they're in has art pieces on display. Maybe it's some kind of museum?

Not text again, but we don't get very many looks into the common areas of the 3 branches, so here's Jeturk House's. It's really flashy and gold, huh? It also matches the aesthetic of Vim's office.

During the scene with Bel and El4n, Bel consults the data on this monitor when she tells him that he'll be fine piloting the Pharact for the duel against Suletta. We get a couple of shots of this monitor, so I'll do my best to glean what information I can from it.

On the left side of the monitor is a mockup of the Pharact. TEXT: (Top Left) REGISTERED NAME: PHARACT MS: FP/A-77 PMET CODE: P017-0046

(Bottom Left) MANUFACTURER: PEIL TECHNOLOGIES STATUS: IN TEST OPERATION

We see the Pharact's Permet Code here, that being PO17-0046. The 'P' probably stands for 'Peil.' Also, have you noticed the the MS IDs for all of Peil's mobile suits have a '/' in them? The 3 branches all have their own unique naming conventions when it comes to their MS codes. It's obvious, sure, but it's something you might not have noticed unless you were looking at it.

This info here, on the right side of the monitor, is much more interesting. TEXT (Header) No. 4 ENHANCED PERSON >PILOTING DEPARTMENT >ID. NO: KP002 NAME: ELAN CERES

This screen is how we learn that El4n is indeed the 4th Enhanced Person in the show proper.

Underneath the header is this info box and a graph. The box on the left says DECISION CRITERIA D2 ***EXAMINATION

What this box means is mostly speculation on my part, but I believe this is a grading system that evaluates the remaining health/usefulness of an enhanced person. There's a red arrow pointing down, implying that this grade, D2, is worse than the grade from the previous evaluation.

The graph to its right is a bit harder to analyze.

It's exceedingly similar to the graph shown during the Shin Sei Inquiry by Shaddiq, that measured Aerial's Permet Influx, but they probably aren't measuring the same thing.

I think it's probably closer to the little bit of this graph we see in the prologue, that I speculated was a measurement of a pilot's exposure to a data storm.

The graph has no title, it only says PHASE on the header, followed by Sys REC Ver. 2.0, which means this data was either recorded from the Pharact of El4n's body. The highlighted point is labelled CHH.

My BEST guess is it's measuring the amount of Permet radiation his body is suffering from.

Underneath the graph is this subfield TEXT (top to bottom.) PMET LINK COMPATIBILITY TEST TEST CASE: 04 | STATUS PMET LINKED CNS | CONTROLLED PMET LINKED PNS | CONTROLLED PMET-CNS INTEGRATION | NO ABNORMALITY MOTOR FUNCTION TEST | NO ABNORMALITY HEMANALYSIS | NO ABNORMALITY CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION TEST | NO ABNORMALITY NERVE DAMAGE TEST | CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTABLE CELL SURVIVAL TEST | CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTABLE

This is an evaluation of El4n's body, and from this we get a really good look into the true danger of piloting a Gundam.

To start, CNS stands for Central Nervous System, and PNS stands for Peripheral Nervous System. The first box is analyzing the status of the artificial nervous system implanted into El4n's body.

PMET-CNS INTEGRATION can thus be assumed to be analyzing its integration with the rest of El4n's body. MOTOR FUNCTION TEST is self evident, an analysis of El4n's motor skills. HEMANALYSIS is an analysis on the chemical composition of one's blood. CARDIOPULMONARY FUNCTION TEST is a test evaluating the strength and health of your heart and lungs.

NERVE DAMAGE TEST and CELL SURVIVAL TEST are self evident, but what's most important about them is that, unlike the rest of his results, they're labeled CONDITIONALLY ACCEPTABLE. If he hadn't been disposed of by Peil, we can see that this is probably what would have killed him. A combination of Cellular Necrosis and Nerve Damage.

We can glean from this chart that over exposure to Permet primarily affects the Nervous, Cardiovascular, and Pulmonary systems, as well as cause cellular necrosis.

Finally, though we unfortunately never get a closer look at it than this, there's this final box here, labeled EEG[???], and contains what i think is a CT scan of El4n's brain.

TEXT: PROPULSION CONTROL SYSTEM HIGH MANEUVER MODE

When Suletta is piloting the Aerial to test out the thrusters, we can see the system and mode being tested.

When talking to Miorine and Nika in their shuttle, we can see SS/O.M is added to the com screen on Suletta's phone. Not sure what it means !

Not text but I love Mio's face here after she finishes giving Suletta the pep talk, but before she responds to Nika. She's like, hm! Helping Suletta felt really good. I hope this doesn't awaken anything in me.

El4n doesn't have anything in his room whatsoever.

When Suletta asks to talk to El4n, they can't get a hold of him directly, so they just do a HOUSE WIDE BROADCAST instead.

TEXT: MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT ID No: KM079 NAME: EARLTON WELLS.

Not important, but one of the two students Suletta speaks to is named Earlton Wells.

During the duel, Bell can tell that El4n isn't doing well because his flight path is jagged, he can't fly straight anymore.

We can't read this error message, but we can read PMET SCORE 4, so its most likely an error related to that.

We can see the alert message on El4n's screen when he's about to run into the meteor. It just says ALERT.

When Suletta is trapped and Aerial increases its Permet Score, we can see little whispy things on the main monitor. Oooohhh..pretty...

So, bit of a mixup here, before, when Suletta defeated Guel in the rematch, it said she had 2 wins, which made it seem like her previous win had been reinstated. That wasn't true! It was just a mistake, because when she defeats El4n here, she still only has 2 wins. Can't win em all !

Here, we can see that time and temperature in Asticassia's simulated environment. It says 26 degrees and is sunny, which means that Asticassia uses Celsius and not Farenheit.

When Bel begs the Peil Witches to reconsider, if you look at the monitor, you can see Elan hanging up in front of the laser. They're watching him die here, and Bel saw it too.

AND THATS IT!!! HUAAAAHHH!!! THANK YOU FOR READING! I NEED TO GO! YOUR FINAL GIFT:

You ever notice how since the beginning the Enhanced Persons were alluded to be like Eri because only 4 and 5 were ever able to see and hear her when they're overloaded with Permet?

Click here to go to Episode 7!

Click here to go to the Masterpost!

[paperclipninja]

The continued ramblings about that ending

Oh look, I've watched the final fifteen™ for the 11,000th time so of course I now need to ramble about more things that I have noticed (that I acknowledge other people have surely noticed too)! Well, two things.

I'm sure I'm not the first to have this epiphany, but when Aziraphale is trying to convince Crowley to go to heaven with him, this line suddenly jumped out at me - 'We can be together. Angels!' <- this, THIS right here is what has been holding Aziraphale back the whole damn time. I mean, Aziraphale was walking heart eyes this entire season, and the minisodes were very deliberate in showing us Aziraphale's increasing insight into Crowley's true nature, his kindness, his goodness, and Aziraphale seeing and knowing that about Crowley. I mean he did already, but this season we really saw how it challenged Aziraphale and ultimately made him fall in love with the demon.

The other thing we saw, imo, was longing. Aziraphale is longing to be able to be with Crowley, but there is still that stronghold of 'right and wrong'. I mean, it's taken him 6 millennia to be able to call him his friend! and not because he wasn't his friend, but because of what acknowledging that means. It goes against everything Aziraphale has been told is ok, is right. Is allowed.

And while I still maintain that Aziraphale didn't have choice in returning to heaven (as I rambled about here), after Crowley's declaration of a desire for 'us-dom' and once again saying they could be together, we hear Aziraphale say, for the first time, 'we can be together'. And he means it. Because it's not that he hasn't wanted to be with Crowley every other time the demon has suggested it. It's because he's not allowed. Angels are not allowed to befriend, let alone fall in love, with demons. And despite just witnessing the Supreme Archangel and Duke of Hell say 'screw this' and run off together, the visit from Metatron reminds Aziraphale of the power and persistent presence of heaven (that he was beginning to slowly untangle himself from post not-apocalypse), and that he can be pulled back into that at any time.

So what is his answer? Angels. In this moment, the only way Aziraphale can conceive he and Crowley can be together is if they are both angels, because then, it's not wrong. Unconventional, maybe, but it's not fraternizing with the enemy. It's allowed.

We get this incredible admission from Aziraphale following Crowley's (very justified) response to the offer:

Because Aziraphale does want to be with Crowley, does feel the same way Crowley does. I don't think anyone is questioning that the two feel the same way about one another. But despite adopting many human qualities during his time on Earth, choosing love of the enemy over duty to God has remained one bridge too far for Aziraphale. Did Aziraphale expect Crowley to go with him? Perhaps. I think it can be argued that just as Crowley assumed Aziraphale would've said no because he would choose Crowley/Earth over heaven, Aziraphale may have assumed Crowley would've said yes because he would choose being with Aziraphale and free from the torments of hell over Earth.

I think what is so agonizing is that they are both declaring they want to be together but are on completely different pages about the how they want to be together. Actually they're in completely separate books if we're being honest. But that's ok, the bigger the angst, the bigger the payoff.

The other moment I keep thinking about and have thought about a lot every time I watch those last few minutes is this:

I don't know whether I think these two have been exchanging silent messages to one another or if either really knows what the other is thinking or perceiving up until this point, but since the very first time I watched this episode, I have found the way Aziraphale turns to look at Crowley so incredibly odd.

He's just heard that he will be heading up the Second Coming, his reaction to that news is clearly not great, and sure, perhaps he's turning to catch one last glance at the love of his life before he brainstorms a plan to thwart apocalypse 2.0. But the way Aziraphale stops, holds himself so rigid and turns, seems measured and deliberate to me. And sure, Crowley might be standing there to show that he can still change his mind, to see if the angel really will walk away. But if there was ever a moment in those final fifteen™ where any kind of communication or signal is happening between these two, my money is on this moment right here.

As has been pointed out by many before me, this season focused a lot on slight of hand, trust and the connection between our two faves: In episode 1 we find out that Crowley can tell when something's wrong because he knows Aziraphale's different tones on the phone; Aziraphale mouths 'trust me ' in the magic show, and so Crowley does; The two take unspoken cues from one another with Job and follow each others' lead. And that is what I believe is happening in that final exchange before Aziraphale steps onto the elevator.

Just as Crowley knows Aziraphale's different tones and what they mean, I'm willing to bet that he knows his body language and when something is wrong or Aziraphale is trying to communicate for him to be careful. There is something about the way Crowley remains fixed and unmoving that also feels deliberate, like he's waiting for a cue or for reassurance, it's the stillness of him and the rigidity of Aziraphale together that show two creatures full of tension, but still looking out for one another.

All conjecture on my part obviously, but the more I watch it, the more this final wordless exchange between Aziraphale and Crowley strikes me as significant and the looks on their faces as the credits roll are of determination, not pain.

[randomsufff]

No ok but I NEED to just spit out my personal analysis of what the fuck was going on in the last 10 minutes of episode 6 because I’m actually going insane just holding all these THOUGHTS in my brain and have quite literally been thinking of nothing else for the past few days.

Cause we all know what Crowley was saying: I love you, let’s finally acknowledge this THING between us, run away and be together with me, fuck everyone else. Quite literally the same mindset as when the Not-pocalypse was going on.

Now AZIRAPHALE ON THE OTHER HAND…

Ok let’s get into this whole scene from the very beginning shall we… with Metatron sending Aziraphale to break the news to Crowley:

“You don’t have to answer immediately, take all the time you need…Go on and tell your friend the good news”

Ok so this make it seem like Aziraphale haven’t accepted the offer right? With the good news being the offer itself, right? But THEN, (skipping ahead here sorry) after the whole kiss scene the Metatron comes in and says:

“Right, ready to start?”

So it seems like Aziraphale already accepted the position??? And it’s not the Metatron is forcing Aziraphale to make a decision right there and then because everything said after implies he was prepared to leave/ already made his choice. He doesn’t look taken aback or like that question came out of left field when The Metatron asks if he’s ready, he replies with a sound “No” when asked if there’s anything to take with him, and he starts to says “I think I..” when they start to leave, the rest of which I’m sure was going to be “I think I made a mistake” or “I think I want to stay, actually” which, again, SOUNDS LIKE HE MADE HIS DECISION BEFORE HE ENTERED THE SHOP

(Not to mention when Crowley asked: “Tell me you said no…” Aziraphale didn’t say: “I didn’t says yes either”, or “I haven’t told them my answer”, he just remained silent which implies he said yes)

So going back to the first line, we can only assume there was another offer made to Aziraphale, one he maybe didn’t tell Crowley about, and the “Good News” is 1) the offer of making Crowley into an angel and 2) Aziraphale choosing to go to Heaven.

What I’m going insane after is WHAT THE FUCK IS “You don’t have to answer immediately, take all the time you need” REFERRING TO

Ok… now moving on to literally everything else (beware- it is extremely long underneath):

So right after Metatron dismisses Aziraphale, and as Aziraphale walking to the shop, we linger on him and he looks NERVOUS and like, uneasy. There’s not a hint of that huge smile he gives Crowley when he gives his “incredibly good news” Which you might be like, obviously he was nervous, he’s about to break this huge news to Crowley. BUT, counterpoint, if Aziraphale actually thought that what he was about to say was this incredibly great news that Crowley would have absolutely loved to hear, he wouldn’t be nervous, right? He’d be fucking ecstatic from the moment he walked away from The Metatron. So that fact that he ISNT, makes me believe that either Aziraphale himself didn’t like the decision he made or he KNEW that Crowley wouldn’t like what he was about to say, but said it anyways (for what reason, we speculate later)

When he enters the shop, he even gives Maggie and Nina a tense smile. You know, a smile you would give someone passing on the street when you were absolutely stressed out of your mind but didn’t want anyone to see it.

AND THEN, he give this little look that so full of love and a little sigh that’s kind of like a “yes we do have a lot to say” in response to Nina’s “It seems like you two have a lot to talk about”, which just reminds you of how during this ENTIRE SEASON, we see Aziraphale be incredibly openly fond of Crowley. That he is just as smitten for Crowley, since probably before the Beginning. I mean, right after Beelzebub and Gabriel fucked off to space, Aziraphale was STARING at Crowley with such heart eyes that it looked like man’s was about to risk it all after everyone left.

And here’s where I can’t tell weather he’s genuinely excited over the news he’s giving or if he’s just gotten realllyyy good at pretending. He’s constantly looking out the window, to where the Metatron is waiting, at the cafe, and overall very jittery and nervous. And, granted, this could just be him getting excited over the news(for reasons we’ll talk about)- but again, it’s news that seemed to give him a bit of stress.

So then we go onto the flashback of the conversation between the Metatron and Aziraphale. And here’s where I can’t believe people think Aziraphale just ran back to Heaven at the slightest bit of praise because the Metatron point blank tells him, “you’re a leader, you’re honest…I need you to run [these enormous projects], you are just the angel for the job” and Aziraphale doesn’t look happy. He’s stressed and clearly uncomfortable. The Metatron is literally singing his praises about how needed and valued he is and he could not give less of a shit. AZIRAPHALE STRAIGHT UP SAYS “I don’t want to go to Heaven” after alllllllll that. THE ONLY THING that convinces Aziraphale to accept the offer is the presence of Crowley right by his side.

So QUITE LITERALLY Aziraphale accepted the offer BECAUSE of Crowley, and that is the lenses I will be looking through his dialogue with from now on.

“You could come back to Heaven and… everything, like the old times, only even nicer.” I think the “everything” part of this sentence is talking about everything Pre-Fall Crowley had: one who was happy and was beloved by others, one who had quite literally everything they wanted. One who LOVED creating nebulas and had such passion for the beauty of the starts that he complained that the universe isn’t just some “fancy wallpaper”. Someone who wasn’t outcasted for (what he now realizes) such a stupid thing as just asking questions and doubting intentions. And I’m not sure what re-sending (?) would entail, but according to Aziraphale it seems like he would still be himself, just have that official angel status. The “only nicer” referring to how they’ll know each other, how their relationship and history will allow them to truly be together in a way they weren’t, and COULDN’T before.

“Well obviously you said no to Hell, you’re the bad guys. But Heaven. It’s the side of truth, of light, of good.” SIR WHAT THE FUCK??? This line threw me off the most because honestly man what the fuck. Not even a “They’re the bad guys” it’s “YOURE the bad guys”. Unfortunately I feel like this confirms that Aziraphale does still think them as opposing sides. Sure they’re a team, but unlike Crowley who think they’re their own group: a THEM, I think Aziraphale still thinks them as a angel and a demon. I think he’s very aware they are still on “opposing sides”. Sigh… anyways through the Heart Eye lenses I think Aziraphale is referencing how… good Crowley is. Because as much as he protests how nice he ISN’T- he still saves kids, still condemns offing one’s self, care for humans well-being and safety. He’s constantly doing the RIGHT thing, and in Aziraphales eyes that is synonymous with the Heaven he wants/ images, the good guys. He doesn’t belong in Hell so therefore he must belong in Heaven.

(Thinking about that shade of grey scene- and honestly the “you’re just of a bastard to be worth knowing” lines- I feel like Aziraphale DOES, or at least SHOULD, understand that things aren’t black and white. That there is nuance. But since he’s looking at Crowley through Gold Colored glasses, he thinks Crowley is straight up good- nothing else. He’s thinking “well Crowley SAYS he’s not nice but that’s obviously not true, so he’s just lying to save face and he’s really a great person deep down no matter what he says” (which- wow invalidating much Aziraphale, but that’s another convo). All of this just to say I think Aziraphale thinks Crowley deserves angelic status, way more then any other stuffy angel currently up there)

Then Crowley says “When Heaven ends life here on Earth, it’ll be just as dead as if Hell ended it”, and it doesn’t look like Aziraphale disagrees with that statement. Obviously right? Because that was the whole point of season 1. Aziraphale just looks… frozen? Almost kind of realizing that Crowley is very much not taking this as well as he thought? Isn’t hearing what he’s trying to say? I don’t know. Point blank, Aziraphale knows blindly following after Heaven is bad, he knows Heaven, AS IT IS, is bad. He knows that, which directly leads to his “If I’m in charge, I can make a difference.” line

Now AS CROWLEY SPEAKING, Aziraphale almost looks… taken aback? At first? Like, in a, this isn’t how I planned this to go what are you going to do rn way. He narrows his eyes a lot, which makes it look like he’s not so much confused on what Crowley is saying/ doing, but wondering why he’s doing it NOW. (Which kinda confirms they both very well knew what was happening b/w each other and said nothing like the dumb dumbs they are). He also glances at the window- again, at the Metatron. This conversation is very much not how he thought it was going to go, and he starts shaking his head as Crowley verbally rejects both Heaven and Hell. WHAT ARE YOU SHAKING NO AT, MAN? Trying to deny that Crowley is rejecting you? Trying to get him to stop saying blasphemous things about Heaven when The Metatron is right there??? Idk.

But as soon as Crowley says “…Just be an us. You and me, what do you say?” Aziraphale immediately jumps on that, says “Come with me” says they can be an “us” in Heaven, both on the same side, both doing good just as they have always done the in the centuries before. He goes from “I can make a difference” to “WE can make a difference”. THEY BOTH WANT THE SAME THING: TO BE TOGETHER RAHHHH. But most importantly- “we can make a difference”. I think the main point Aziraphale accepted the offer, like many people have speculated, was to make Heaven a place deserving of Crowley. I think he knows by now that the reason why Crowley was cast out of Heaven was incredibly stupid. That Crowley’s curiosity, objections, and connection to humanity make him a better person and angel then he is (I mean some of y’all forget Aziraphale was about to straight up shoot Adam in Season 1, not to mention it being his meddling in Scotland that lead to a young woman dying that night). So to have an opportunity to not only make Heaven acknowledge that casting out Crowley was a MISTAKE, but to possibly change they system so they can create a Heaven that encourages questioning and objection, to create a Heaven that is as ACTUALLY good as it should be, would be a dream.

Of course the “Nothing last forever”. A lot of people attribute this to him talking about material possessions (and it very well could be). But it also feel like Aziraphale was referring to this life they’ve carved out for themselves, this peace. His tone is slightly… pitiful? Sorrowful? Wistful? Perhaps Aziraphale knew realistically there’s no way they could have spent the rest of their centuries in this bookshop, that Heaven and Hell would eventually plan for either the end of them or the world yet again, put in motion what they think is inevitable.

Again, everything said after this has an emphasis on being TOGETHER. Then after Crowley refuses to respond or even look at him: “I don’t think you understand what I’m offering you”, which is clearly said in a angry, last ditch effort for Crowley to say something. Aziraphale is visibly frustrated while he says this line and he probably thinks he’s offering Crowley safety (wether that’s true or not remains to be seen) and everything he DESERVES.

Finally a passive aggressive “Then there’s nothing more to be said”. But, (as many others pointed out) dudes just as devastated as Crowley, is just as rejected.

The kiss? Not unwanted like some might say. I think it’s pretty established Aziraphales gone for the dude, and he definitely could have pulled away anytime. I mean, the reason it probably lasted so long is cause neither of them wanted it to end. Dude was fighting for his life not to reciprocate.

Ahhhh here we are at the elusive “I forgive you” line. As I said before, it’s a way to put himself above the things he as feeling. A way to emotionally run away from the inner turmoil Crowley confession and subsequent kiss created in him

(Quick 12/10 applause for Micheal Sheens acting chops on heartbreak so depressing it gets me feeling just as heartbroken as Aziraphale is :D)

Though shortly after the heartbreak turns into anger and he wipes away the kiss, frustrated in how much more complicated Crowley made things and how he didn’t accept his offer. When The Metatron comes in, Aziraphale immediately turns to wipe his tears and compose himself, putting on a cheery act. He tries to stall, almost calls after him to tell him he made a mistake, but when he turns to look at Crowley waiting out the window and decides to go to Heaven anyways, I can’t say with 100% certainty it’s for good reasons. It almost looks like he does it to SPITE Crowley’s rejection. That IN SPITE of Crowley rejecting his offer, he’s going to PROVE that he can change Heaven to be something worthy of Crowley. Idk, looking closely at his expression, it’s not an expression you make when you decide to nobly sacrifice yourself to the front lines for a loved one, it’s more of a side-eye,I’ll-show-YOU, scorned, lover look. And it’s that same look of- “hm I’ll show HIM” that Aziraphale puts on when following The Metatron.

When The Metatron mentions the next step of the Great Plan, and Aziraphale says “Yes, you mentioned that… can I know what it is?” Now this phrasing interests me because it implies that 1) Aziraphale noticed The Metatron’s mention of “Big Plans” and took note and 2) the light tone and passively asking way of “can I know what it is” vs something demanding like “and, what exactly are these plans?” makes me think he is very much aware of the precarious position he is in and how carful he has to be to keep his standing with Heaven and The Metatron light and friendly. He knows what he’s facing, he just thinks the ends (Crowley’s safety and happiness) justifies the means.

THEN, The Metatron mentions needing an angel who familiar with Earth, and seems to genuinely smile at that. I mean, I don’t think Crowley ever mentioned that Heaven was planning for a second Apocalypse, as there really was no time for discussion after Crowley came down from Upstairs. (Which really, they I hope they talk about that next season cause wtf Crowley) So I think this smile from Aziraphale is him thinking Heaven is finally going to work with and acknowledge the good of humanity.

Of course that is immediately crushed when The Metatron says “the Second Coming” and we can very clearly see how distressed Aziraphale is over the idea. And that dramatic musical cue too, as Aziraphale looks off in horror for a second. I think it HERE at this point, he decided to go to Heaven to learn more about this “Second Coming” to prevent it. He smiles disarmingly at The Metatron and quickly tries to pull himself together after this revelation and new goal. But before leaving realizes there’s no way he can contact Crowley about this, not anymore. Aziraphale is about to go somewhere Crowley can’t follow, to a place where Crowley can’t swoop in and save him if he massively fucks up. He’ll have to face the consequences of his actions directly.

He takes a breath before stepping in, one that feels like one would take before charging head first into battle, and it sort of feels like he’s convincing himself he’s making a choice that’ll benefit the greater good or something as he goes up.

(I’d also like the note The Metatron letting out a breath as soon as the door close, like he wasn’t sure that Aziraphale was going to completely follow him. I think he definitely planned this all to separate them due to how powerful and how unpredictable they are now that a second apocalypse is approaching)

SO WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN????

I don’t know man, I. don’t. KNOW. Was Aziraphale faking all that giddiness in a last ditch effort to try and convince Crowley to accept an offer he knew he would refuse? Was he actually happy about the deal? Ok- the two theories I came up after alllll this that make the most sense are these:

1) He took the deal in order to reform Heaven to be a place worthy of Crowley/ to keep them safe etc., even though he knew Crowley wouldn’t like or approve of it. Crowley confessing threw off his whole explanation and he never got to fully explain this in the way he wanted. The kiss only complicated this decision further but ultimately still decided to go through with it because he genuinely believes he can fix the broken system to be what it’s SUPPOSED to be . Only after learning of the Second Coming does he decide he can also attempt to stop that, or at least gather as much info on it as he can and run if he fails.

2) He took the Heaven deal to double cross them from the start. He realized what The Metatron was trying to do and accepted to get first hand info/ snoop around Heaven easily. He argued what he lowkey believed to be true in order to convincingly fight with Crowley since The Metatron was watching them through the window across the street, and was trying to get Crowley to either subtly understand what he was doing or to get him as far from his as possible for his own safety. Unfortunately Crowley’s kiss and confession mucked that up and he never got to clarify his decision. He’s either frustrated that Crowley never let him explain and stormed off or is mad Crowley would ever believe Aziraphale would truly abandon him and decides to continue on with his plan to double cross since it’s for the good of humanity- THEIR side. Learning of the Second Coming only solidifies his resolve to learn more.

AND- if there really was a second offer The Metatron made like the beginning dialogue suggests. Perhaps the first of the two was a deal or passive threat Aziraphale couldn’t refuse. It was something that alluded Aziraphale should watch out and keep on his toes, something that would be easier to monitor if he was in Heaven.

[saltygilmores]

Thoughts While Watching Gilmore Girls, Season 2, Episode 18: Back In The Saddle. Part Six

Part 1 Part 2 Part 2½ Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Really thought this was just gonna be a cute filler episode I could whack off (lol) in like 2 or 3 parts but somehow we're on part 6? My longest review EVER both in number of parts and also in words? (A Tisket A Tasket may have gone on for 10 parts had Lorelai not made me rage quit).

How the hell did we get here? Oh.

Mark my words. I will hunt you both for sport. The only saving grace here is that our favorite pornographic film, Insatiable Cougar Does Her Daughter's Boyfriend, will mercifully cum to an end in about 1 minute and the remainder of the episode will return to pointless filler once more. I just realized there is no Jess in this episode, at all. Not even a counter-wiping scene stuck on at the end. BOO. Dean is confused by this concept of giving Rory "personal space" so Lorelai, of all people, is going to try to explain it to him like he's 5. No, literally, he does not know what "Space" means. Behold!

Absolutely breathtaking. The audacity of Lorelai Gilmore to gently tell Dean that Rory needs "just a little bit of space" after his behavior in this episode that fits the legal definitions of stalking and harrasment (I looked them up, lol). Where does she find it?

Did your parents spoon feed you lead paint chips as a child? How can one person be this fucking dumb? How have your remaining brain cells not yeeted themselves out of your head already?

"I... don't understand."

Rory Gilmore, you are in grave danger. Your mother is so blinded by her DeanLust she is throwing you to the lions (again).

Never ever, Dean. She's going to give you a sloppy beej when this talk is over. L (flirtily): If I was trying to get rid of you, I'd start telling you stories about my family! Har har har! You're soooo funny, Lorelai Gilmore!

L: I'm not telling you this to try to get rid of you, but to help things between you guys. Just try it! Ms. Gilmore, please explain to the court where Rory asked for your help. Just try not be doing a scary douchecanoe for one hour, Dean. I know that seems like a Herculean task, my man. But just try it.

"Wash my car"-stick your dick in my mouth"

What sexual favor is "a soda” code for, as she's asked him twice already (he keeps sounding reluctant to accept, so I am to assume it’s some freaky thing that only comes with the experience of a much older woman, and he’s nervous about his first time).

Whew. That had to be the most overwhelming sexual tension I've had the misfortune of witnessing thus far on my Gilmore Girls hell-journey. I'm scarred. It's going to be imposible to remove from my psyche, stuck there like chewed gum, or like Jess Mariano's sidewalk drawings. And I thought nothing could ever eclipse these levels of sexual tension:

Or one of the many instances of this

No, this one beats em all by a mile. The big difference being that the other scenes make me want to throw up my hands and rejoice, while this scene made me want to throw up my intestines.

ARE YOU DONE?!

The remainder of the episode contains the conclusion of the z plot involving MIchel's mother which I've barely paid attention to.

Michel is mad at Lorelai because she overstepped her boundaries once more, so that's good. Let the hatred flow my man! I need to recruit as many soldiers as possible for my Anti Lorelai Gilmore army. Take your anger a step further and report her to the labor board in Connecticut for her undoubtedly shaky bookkeeping, close down the whole operation, send her out to the streets and Rory into a nice foster home, and you can find a nice job at a real hotel. Am I thinking too far ahead again?

"The lunchbox of the new Millenium." or the RX 2002 First Aid Kit? Which lame-o creation which would only excite the most lifeless of Teens will emerge victorious?

Now here's some sexual tension I don't mind. Thank god. I needed relief.

And another sucky competitor throws its hat in the ring!

Spoiler alert: they are not it.

The part where he finishes these sentences with "including yours" must have gotten left on the editing room floor.

Just another reminder that Madelyn over there in the background invented the smart speaker, and Rory said her smart speaker couldn't be made because no one at Chilton knew how to build a robot, but there's a sign behind her for an invention called "The robotic dissector", whatever the hell that is. They should have had those dudes on their team, because every single person on the RX 2002 development team was completely dead weight except for Paris.

I totally forgot about this other male douchecanoe. WTF is a "hose hook"? And a locker refrigerator? WHAT? I thought these were supposed to be practical inventions? Why is every invention so god damn terrible? How can Douchecanoe Charleston possibly choose a winner? I can never un-know Charleston as Doug Heffernan's dad on one of my favorite shows, King Of Queens, where he had a completely different accent and not the quasi-British thing he's got going on.

The Locker Alarm wins. Grown Adult Man Richard Gilmore take this loss of a high school invention fair, one his granddaughter contributed nothing to, quite personal. In a tired sequence of events that we have already seen unfold many times before and one which will unfold to the extreme in the next episode, something unfortunate but hardly life altering happens to Rory that she takes in total stride while the adults in her life invalidate her feelings and lose their shit on her behalf anyway. If you guessed “Richard is having a coronary over Rory's loss at a silly school business fair and Rory could not care less”, come on down and collect your prize.

R: You've all put in an extrodinary amount of time, effort, and thought into this. Rory's entire contribution to the project was "This is amazing. I want one of these." Richard is not having it and he is taking it up with DCC. I get the sense this is not actually about Rory at all and is really some kind of Old Man Vs. Old Man Personal Beef about stocks and bonds or golf or something.

In what should come as a surprise to no one, I was right about something again 😁 turns out Richard was bored with retirement or something, so his solution was to take out his frustration on Douche Canoe Charleston because he knew him from Old Man Business Land, and he was jealous DCC had a job? And he didn’t care if he humiliated Rory in the process. I have no more room for screen shots and I refuse to make this a seven parter so you're going to have to use your imagination for the last 8 minutes, kay? Rory expresses to Richard that she's okay with the loss and she does not want Richard to bring this up to the principal but he doesn't listen to her. He says she was robbed and he is not going to sit back and let it go! ARGH!! My poor girl!!! Richard complains to the Manager while Rory has to sit back and watch and while wishing Lorelai would just dump her off with some strange relative like Liz did to Jess so she didn't have to be part of this awful family. Richard to DCC: Out there in the real world, there is no way a locker alarm would be a viable business investment! It's a school that should be training children for the real world! Oh, right, a locker alarm is useless, but a lunchbox full of band aids isn't. The only ground Richard has to stand on here is that if the best minds in this expensive school can't create anything better than a "hose hook" and a "locker refrigerator" then indeed, their educators are clearly failing them. If Richard and Emily had raised Rory instead of Lorelai, you know Richard would have been picking a fight with Rory's kindergarten teacher if she came in second place in the class spelling bee. Richard: I DEMAND A RECOUNT! DCC: Richard, this is not the real world, this is just school. This is so embarrassing. Rory should go on and pull the fire alarms and evacuate the school just to put an end to this humiliation. I feel like every time I have stated "I got no problems with Richard" at the beginning of an episode I've been so, so wrong. I'll stop doing that from now on. At Friday night dinner, Richard is sulking in his room like a baby over his granddaughter's loss at a high school inventors fair, and Lorelai GIlmore, of all people, suggests to Emily he should go to therapy, because "there's nothing wrong with getting help". Does Lorelai ever listen to herself? Where does she keep finding the nerve to advise other people to do things that she refuses to do herself? Clean up your own house first, woman. Emily of course responds that therapy is only for deviants, people with multiple personalties, and disturbed people who lick parking meters and think their dogs can talk. And so another week goes by where all four Gilmores push their numerous emotional traumas deep, deep down inside once more where they can continue to bubble and fester. Things aren't looking too good for little Chaz Gilmore, Rory's son, to break the cycle. (I've decided Rory has a boy just to throw the whole darn Gilmore Woman dynamic off its axis and give things a little pizzazz). (but what would Rory name a boy? Please do not say "Jess Jr." ) After hours of sulking, Richard emerges from his room chipper as a daisy asking for dinner, confusing us all. We come to find out that due to Rory's non-contribution to the invention of a Lunchbox full of Band Aids, Richard has been inspired to come out of retirement. That makes a whole lot of sense. Rory recieves a page from Dean on the way home from FND and Lorelai is pleased as fucking fruit punch to learn that her sloppy but satisfying sexual services earlier in the kitchen were enough to convince Dean to reduce his harassment down to one page per two days. Rory states he hasn't "Called or mysteriously appeared next to me" in two days! Lorelai is pleased that he's "calming down"! The bar is so low! Rory is relieved to get some breathing room from Dean, so to celebrate, Lorelai encourages Rory to call him anyway, then when Rory says no Lorelai asks if she’s super duper sure that she doesn’t want to call Dean.

You can keep your corny little froo froo sitcoms where people learn valuable life lessons at the end of every episode. No one ever learns anything or betters themselves on Gilmore Girls and that’s the way we like it.

Lorelai arrives home, late at night, after dropping Rory off at Lane's house (weird turn of events, but OK, I'm sure this is going to be some kind of set up for Teach Me Tonight) to find Dean sitting on her porch, sulking. Despite the fact that this is the second time in one day that he has shown up at her house to wait for Rory completely unannounced, Lorelai does not find his repeat behavior the least bit concerning. Little baby is pouting and trespassing on private property because he really struggled and put his four brain cells to work to come to a conclusion: his repeated harrassment towards Rory, for some strange reason, isn't endearing her to him, so she may just prefer the company of Jess instead of a DoucheCanoe Wtihout A Paddle. Lorelai merely sticks out her lower lip, gives him some puppy dog eyes, and pities this poor dumb creature who she has an unbearable, aching sexual attraction to. Then he walks off into the night, hopefully over a steep embankment into a pit of alligators. Goodnight.

[orionsangel86]

Hey so does anyone have any more info as to where this bit of speculation on twitter has come from?

Personally I want to assume its utter horseshit made up by Twitter in an attempt to make a hit tweet for the masses buuuuut if it IS true I would be sorely disappointed in the show...

Since Netflix hasn’t even agreed to call “more episodes of Sandman” an actual “Season 2″ for starters its clear this is a stretch. Though I CAN see the Netflix showrunners wanting to spend more time focusing on the Morpheus-centric storylines.

However I think this would be a huge mistake. The comics have a nice pattern to them where we get a Morpheus-centric arc followed by an arc centered around other characters, with some one-off stories dotted about inbetween.

1. Preludes and Nocturns - Dream’s capture, escape, and recovery

2. The Dolls House - Rose Walker discovers she is the vortex, chaos ensues.

3. Season of Mists - Dream’s quest to save Nada from Hell, and all that follows.

4. A Game of You - Barbie has some dangerously life threatening dreams.

5. Brief Lives - Morpheus and Delirium go on a road trip

6. Worlds End - A bunch of travellers find themselves stuck in a mysterious inn.

7. The Kindly Ones - the culmination of the previous 6 main story arcs and climax of the story. (Morpheus-centric - obvs)

(The one off story sequences found in Dream Country, Distant Mirrors and Convergence I’m not including because whilst important, they don’t follow the major story arc structures and tend not to be Morpheus-centric anyway)

Following this structure in the show should be simple. We have half a “season” following Dream, and half a season focused on another character but with heavy involvement from Dream. The only reason I can even begin to imagine them skipping straight to Brief Lives is because they want to “skip to the good bits” because they are fearful they may not get the chance to adapt the whole story (is Netflix going to pull their usual asshole stunt and cancel after a season 3 hmm?)

Also, I think Neil Gaiman knows all too well how desperate people are to see Wanda’s character brought to life in the show. Skipping a Game of You because it’s not “Morpheus-centric” is a bad move imo. Besides, a Game of You is also an important growth arc for Morpheus as ultimately it is about the death and decay of a certain distance skerry of the Dreaming where he pulled a Mr Rochester and hid an old girlfriend/wife/queen in the “attic” so to speak. Having to face Alianora so soon after facing both Nada AND Calliope is IMPORTANT and I won’t accept its erasure from the story the show is telling us.

Besides, it also kinda goes some way to explain why he then falls into a bad rebound relationship with Thessaly (though whether or not that will be adapted remains to be seen).

Of course it could also just be a reordering of the stories, but that makes even less sense as it would mean adapting Game of You AFTER Brief Lives which would surely lead us to a “season” with just story arcs that don’t focus on Morpheus.

Either way its a bizarre choice. So I’m calling bullshit. Whilst I can certainly see the show tweaking the storylines and maybe expanding and changing certain elements (I am still very curious to see if the Lucifer/Azazel threat at the end of the show will lead to a more “epic” conflict within Season of Mists than just Lucifer handing over a key), I can’t see the whole story structure being switched out, removed, or mixed up. It wouldn’t flow right and I doubt very much Neil would butcher his own work that way.

The other reason this so called bit of news is bullshit is because Brief Lives alone is long enough to take up an entire “season”. We don’t exactly know how many more episodes Netflix has commissioned at this stage, though if we do assume it will be another 11 episodes like season 1, that should give us enough time to adapt Season of Mists and A Game of You. Brief Lives should be “season 3″ on its own. It is in Brief Lives that we should get all the Orpheus stories, including The Song of Orpheus and Thermidor, AND all the flashbacks involving Destruction.

At the end of the day, I am pretty sure that everyone involved in the show is going to remain very tight lipped about the structure and what we can expect. I am sure if someone asked Neil Gaiman about this, he would tell you not to listen to random twitter accounts that don’t provide sources.

Anyway, to make sure I wasn’t missing some actual important leak, I scoured the internet searching for a source for this rumour, and found nothing. Instead I did find a ScreenRant article that was updated 4 days ago with everything they know about the show’s future episodes, and we all know how much Screenrant loves to jump on a rumour if it has any basis in fact. Anyway the most that article gives is news from Mason that shooting begins in the summer and more hints about the shows structure not following conventional streaming shows (understandable since its an anthology and I am convinced they will release it story arc at a time with a few random eps released in one offs like Midsummer Nights Dream). What this article DID remind me of, is that both Boyd Holbrook and Jenna Coleman both hinted at returning soon. This is MUCH more interesting to me than any dumb twitter rumour because it leans into my theory than Constantine will get brought into stories where she (he in the comics) does not appear. Also the Corinthian being remade earlier than The Kindly Ones delights me and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for him.

If anyone does have any idea about where this rumour came from please let me know, and please feel free to add on your own thoughts and speculations. I love talking Sandman and am always happy when other people share in my hyperfixations :)

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Mando season 3... sigh. Sadly, I'm beginning to lose interest. The story seems disjointed, and the production value feels like it's diminished in quality.

I'm having difficulty suspending my belief. For example, the location of the covert. It looks like they're in the middle of nowhere. There are dangerous beasts all over the place, so why are they still there? Why did they save those baby monsters if they're only going to turn into more dangerous predators? It looks like no one has a ship, so how are they getting supplies? Where are they getting gas to fire forge? Practicalities like these are knocking me out of the narrative.

Also, the fact that Favreau said there's no end in site concerns me because shows seem to lose quality over time when there isn't a plan. The words "jump the shark" come to mind.

I'll keep watching, but I miss being excited for a new episode to drop each week. In fact, I haven't watched the latest episode and am in no hurry to do so.

Hi Michelle!! 😀 I was so happy to see you pop up in my inbox! I hope you’re doing well, lovely!! Thanks for swinging by with this!!

I’m sorry that you’re not enjoying this season as much as the previous ones. It seems like you’re not alone - I have seen quite a few people expressing less than favorable opinions on what’s going on with s3 - but that’s still unfortunate, and I hope that the remaining episodes give you and others more to enjoy about it!

That being said, I’m actually really liking this season so far, which probably (maybe?) isn’t what you were expecting me to say, but here we are. 🤷🏻‍♀️

But let’s talk about the things you brought up. Going under the cut to avoid spoilers for anyone who doesn’t want to see them:

I’m gonna start by saying that I do agree that the production value feels a little diminished. I’m wondering if it’s because of bigger budgets on other SW shows (I’m thinking Andor & Ahsoka- which I have HIGH hopes for), and them banking on the fact that the Mandalorian series already has a large fan base. It doesn’t feel (to me at least) as diminished as the production value of BOBF felt (that low speed chase on 50s era mopeds was … a choice), but I’ll agree that it feels like a half step down from seasons 1 & 2.

The only thing I personally have had a hard time with as far as the storytelling/disjointedness goes, was the way that the Pershing episode was structured. It was 5 minutes of Din/Bo/Grogu, and then a whole chunk of Pershing and the least trustworthy character in all of star wars, and then another 6 minutes of Din/Bo/Grogu. I didn't hate that we got some info on what was going on on that side of things - I have theories about where they're going with Elia Kane and all of that, and they were strengthened by some details in the latest episode - but I wish they had structured the storytelling differently by sort of breaking it up and sprinkling it into the rest of the episodes.

As far as the covert being in the middle of nowhere goes, it’s entirely possible that at least one other Mando has a ship, and it’s hidden. I always assumed that their tunnels and caves on Nevarro were more expansive than what we ever actually saw - Din at one point says he’s not familiar with a certain section of them, which made me think they were LARGE and possibly even connected to other tunnels where a ship (or ships) that belongs to the covert might be kept for emergencies or just to use when needed. I also recall a line (when the covert was on Nevarro) about how living in the shadows means only one can go out at a time for secrecy and safety, and that made me think that it’s not just Din who comes and goes off world, that others do, too if or when they need to. It’s also possible that they had a pre-arranged backup plan, so they didn't all need to leave Nevarro together, they just had to find a way there even if it wasn't right away. But again this is all just what my brain came up with throughout the series, so I have no idea if it’s canonically correct.

The fact that there are so many dangerous beasts on that planet was probably one of the things that made it a desirable hideout - because no one in their right mind would try to settle Dino World, but Mandalorians aren't in their right minds so I get why they chose it from that perspective.

THE BABY MONSTERS!!!! Can I tell you that as soon as the mama went down I gasped and said "but the babies will die now!" And then as soon as they turned up back at the covert I was filled with relief like "oh, nevermind, they're going to be loved and cared for!" I love that they were "adopted" by the Mandalorians. For one, raising them from hatchlings will allow them to bond with the lil beasts and possibly even rely on them for battle backup like Boba did with the Rancor. Also? I just love the reiteration of how important adoption is to Mandalorians. It's a part of their belief system that they take care of any children that need taking care of, no matter who or what their parents were. "Mandalorian isn't a race, it's a Creed" extends even to beasties and I just think that's very sweet coming from a group of tin cans. (idk what the beasts are called. I've been calling them pterodactyls to fit the Dino World theme - I've seen articles and posts where people are calling them shriek hawks, but I'm pretty sure shriek hawks are smaller and have feeyethers. I could be wrong about that, though!)

*thanks, Dieter*

The "no end in sight" is admittedly concerning, but I'm choosing to believe they won't let it go beyond where it needs to. Depending on where this season ends, I think it could probably go one more. With all the tie-ins from the Clone Wars & Rebels series (which honestly, I know animation isn't everyone's jam, but Rebels was truly great, and there is a LOT of Mandalorian lore and history in that show, including stuff pertaining to the Darksaber, Bo-Katan, and Clan Vizsla, so if you're ever looking for something to watch I recommend it, or at least the episodes that concern Mandalore) that have been popping up, I'm hoping that Filoni will take good care of the rest of this story. My fingers are crossed.

I hope that you do keep watching, and I hope that you do find things to enjoy about it as it continues! I'm very much looking forward to the next episode.

Thank you again for dropping in! I know my response was probably different from what you were expecting, so I hope that's okay!

[adultswim2021]

Ranking the Shows (as of 2008), CONTINUED!

A ranking of Adult Swim's original programming up through 2008! Continued from yesterday's post. Read that one first for a COMPLETE ranking.

15. Delocated (2008)

Only one to go off of, but it's pretty wonderful. Jon Glaser is another one of those guys who should just be allowed to make whatever show he wants. Uh, on cable, anyway. Let's be reasonable, here.

14. Welcome to Eltingville (2002)

Of all the passed-over pilots in Adult Swim's past, this one could've been a bonafide classic. It's truly ponderous how much I didn't like this back then.

13. Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004)

Didn't always hit it out of the park, but a handful of these were truly great. It rarely outright disappointed me. The show felt like a revelation at the start and I was always excited for a new episode.

12. Korgoth of Barbaria (2006)

Beautifully animated and cool as fuck. I am assuming it was too expensive to pick up as a series, but that's only a testament to how great this show looked. And it was funny!

11. Metalocalypse (2006)

Immensely watchable, and occasionally extremely funny. It also uses cheap, ugly animation to it's advantage, which other Adult Swim shows fail to do. I can only imagine how much I'd love this show if I actually gave a shit about metal music.

10. Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000)

Of all the shows that exemplify the Adult Swim/Williams Street formula, this one will always be remembered as THE ultimate example. It's frequently very good, but it's best days were probably in the 4:3 days. The Great episodes make it easy to forget about the more mediocre episodes.

9. Home Movies (1999)

Some stone-cold classics, and most of the non-classics are still really wonderful. At times I considered this to be a top-3 show, but that final season was much worse than I remembered. Still, it deserves to be celebrated more than it is.

8. Xavier: Renegade Angel (2007)

Dizzingly funny and sometimes difficult to keep up with. This show is an insane, unique masterpiece.

7. Moral Orel (2005)

One of the few shows on the block that palpably felt like it had a higher purpose. At worst it was still a pleasant way to pass the time. At best it could either be ingeniously funny, heart-breakingly sad, or soulful and beautiful. An important achievement that doesn't get the credit it deserves.

6. The Venture Bros. (2003)

A show whose total sum is greater than it's parts. In less-nice terms, it's uneven humor-wise. But it's so well-crafted that the weak episodes still go down easy. The great episodes are VERY memorable, and the show can be really hilarious.

5. China, IL (2008)

Brad Neely is one of the funniest people on earth, and the China, IL short that aired was incredible, and there's a possibility that I'm sorta letting it stand-in for his Super Deluxe work at-large. I sure hope they make this into a show some day, and that they ruin it's wonderfully unique style with digital animation.

4. Superjail (2007)

Not every episode is mind-blowingly great, but the ones that aren't do come pretty close. It easily occupies both extremes of being an "Adult" "Cartoon", by being very Adult and very Cartoony. Very obviously a labor of love in the way most TV shows aren't. A wonderful, entertaining spectacle!

3. Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007)

I may have not been so hot on season three, it still had a lot of inspired sketches and ideas. The show can feel dashed off in an unpleasant way, but it still manages to be one of the best sketch shows ever made.

2. Tim and Eric Nite Live (2007)

Technically speaking, this is a Super Deluxe show, but I am counting it because it's close enough, and I also need to demonstrate that Awesome Show would be in this spot if it weren't for season three.

Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1994)

Not only is it foundational to such a degree that it would make perfect sense to just rank this #1 for purely symbolic reasons, it still remains my favorite show out of all of these, and the one show I'm almost always in the mood to watch. It's also the only show on the list that I could very easily spend all day watching. There's maybe only a couple of episodes I'd deem "skippable", but even the less-than-classic episodes feel like I'm home.

The only conceivable way I'd bring this down is after watching the GameTap episodes, which I still haven't done. Uh oh.