#I rewrote this episode but with more drama

[youchangedmedestiel]

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Supernatural (TV 2005)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 1,675

Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Characters: Castiel (Supernatural), Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

Additional Tags: Episode: s12e19 The Future (Supernatural), Episode: s12e19 The Future - Mixtape Scene (Supernatural), Canon Rewrite, Sigils, wigglebox's Suptober 2024 Remixed (Supernatural), I was going with something silly at first but, oopsie it became angsty, Light Angst, Miscommunication, Stubborn Dean Winchester, Stubborn Castiel (Supernatural), Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, First Kiss, Canon Universe, it still fits with what follows in the show, don't get your hopes too high

Summary:

Dean uses sigils to ward his room against Cas because he is mad at him for not answering his damn phone.

@wigglebox

[frogskelton]

I do think heather is one of the best written characters in total drama in general, but I think all stars just removes all her development and just forgets about her rivalry w Gwen. It just turns her into a two dimensional villain, I mean the whole concept of villain n hero team removes the ideas of nuance around characters. While they do TRY to show nuance with all the team changes, but it still sucks because it’s so heavy handed in execution and focus on how the character reacts to the externa al change in their reputation, rather they how they change in a subtle way.

Also retconning the end of world tour for my little all stars rewrote thing, Heather gets her MONEY. She gets to have her moment, through is a bit bummed they no one can seem to find Alejandro and doesn’t get to talk bout anything.

Though I was a bit on the fence bout her coming back for another season because in a way to detracts from her ending. I was thinking maybe she could come back for a episode and having fun to mess w the contestants. I feel like it does slightly elevate the issue of Heather being put back in a situation where is at odds with her fellow campers and has a tendency to slip back into her old character. I feel like that was explained very badly.

But to recap, Heather has some time away and enters contest on the later side to have space to breath and so she can bask in her win and wow everyone w having a little bit of humanity.

Aleheather - when she comes they r at sort of odd, Alejandro is somewhat cold and does talk much (though remember he is in loser mode). He does still like her and admire her, but he is distant due to his she did leave him to die (like he’s not mad at being kicked, cuz he thinks that’s like a totally normal thing) They do sort of talk things through a little and go on a small date together in the competition, it goes well; although, Alejandro is still more reserved and Heather feels like while they go together well that in their relationship wouldn’t be exactly healthy. So they decide to not date. They r both very bummed n sad but they’ll be fine.

Aka, They try, but it’s overall fun, but superficial and they have an emotional distance in the events of the finale and decide to work through through as friends.

[chevelleneech]

I like your posts! Tho I hope Qimir won`t be dead, kicked in the ass, injured, maybe loosing a few fingers but after so many sw romances being tragedies I just want at least one where they stay alive ;_; I want some drama and tears but please, maybe some form of a happy ending ( ╥ω╥ )

Hi, thank you!

When I say Qimir could die, it’s because they finished writing the show before audience reaction. So it’s possible Qimir was meant to be a season one villain, because while Lesley wanted Manny specifically, and rewrote certain episodes to better fit him in because she knew people would love seeing him, that doesn’t mean the overall story was meant to see him survive.

However, with how popular Qimir is, how quickly people latched on to Oshamir, and how good the chemistry is between Amandla and Manny, I don’t see them committing to his death if it happens. They might, because the impact of him not coming back would appease people who don’t want Oshamir as well as reaffirm the notion that death is permanent in most cases.

That said, if Disney agreed to casting Manny without an audition, agreed to rewrites to have him in more episodes, and are now seeing the hype around him… I don’t see why they or Leslye would shoot themselves in the foot by not essentially retconning his death, if they filmed it.

Leslye also said Qimir was meant to have more of a presence in s2 prior to seeing Manny in action even after she cast him (at least that’s how I interpreted her words), so I imagine even though she rewrote things, there’s still some version of s2 that will be built to show more of Qimir as a threat. Because I doubt they scrapped everything.

Now, will he survive beyond s2? I have no idea. They could go the opposite route of most Star Wars relationships and say yes, but at the same time I don’t think Osha and Qimir are destined for forever love. This show is set before majority of the events we’ve already seen, so having them survive and have a “happy” ending wouldn’t make too much sense if Osha does go dark. It would make more sense for her to eventually surpass Qimir or realize he’s holding her back because of her love for him, and kill him.

That doesn’t have to happen as soon as s2 of course, but I’d imagine by s3 if the show goes that far. Mainly because if they don’t, they’d have to give him some form of redemption to keep him interesting and in opposition with Osha to keep their dynamic interesting.

[rush-the-stars]

cieloooo I've come to maybe beg for some more ideas your wretched horror movie geto au if u are willing to share.... 🥺

oh twist my arm why don’t you niku!!!

hehe yes..,.i will share more ideas from this wip..,..,putting this under a read more bc it got too long

the way i’m mostly just talking about set up too…..SILLINESS. i wish i could write this au in 3 hours and show you what i mean. alas…..

cw: bad power dynamics

the premise is that getou (though rather young for this career) has become a pretty accredited and beloved horror movie director/writer. bit of a cult following. maybe not a household name, per se, but anyone who enjoys film a bit more than average would recognize his name and his films

he elicits strong opinions; some abhor his work. some adore it.

his films are known for being deeply disturbing and strangely sexual. most feel like an erotic fever dream. gripping, stunning, and horrible is what most of his reviews entail.

then, of course, there is his leading man; satoru gojo. started as an indie darling doing psychological thrillers and dramas; he and getou go aaalll the way back to university together, where they first met. getou asked gojo to star in his third film, which is the one that took off the most and put both massively on the map. gojo has been in just around half of getou’s films. getou likes to use him a great deal; he thinks that there can be something rather unnerving and powerful about gojo’s performances, if you know how to capture him right

(of course getou thinks only he can capture gojo just right on camera)

gojo, for his own credit, has been called the actor of a generation. a rare gem; the best of the best and anticipated to have an incredible career.

and then you enter the scene; a stage actor with little experience on camera except the two roles in a short film and pilot episode that didn’t go far

getou saw you in an adaption of a tragedy on stage; howling and bloody and crawling across the apron and down into the audience aisles like a wild thing

(he’d fallen in love then, maybe. or, at least, he knew he had to have you. for him, it might as well be the same thing)

he finds you after the show. calls your performance visceral. raw. refreshing. he’d like to keep in touch.

you think little of it, except as a reminder to check out his most recent film again. gojo is in it. you watch alone. you hardly sleep that night.

then, months later, he’s asking you to audition for his upcoming film. he needs a lead.

(once he’d seen you, he could only picture you as the role—rewrote moments just for you. for him.)

and suddenly you’re doing chemistry reads with gojo. tests and audition reels.

after your audition is complete, they both watch you back on the camera with gojo your opposite in the scene, the way you look up at him, eyes alight. you’re bursting at the seams. getou just needs to capture it right. in the scene, gojo’s hand settles on the side of your head, easing so your neck crooks, then the rest of your body tips to his command as you ragdoll. your eyes roll.

“visceral,” getou says again, watching you move like a strange puppet at gojo’s command. it’s eerie; disjointed and uncanny. it’s perfect for what he’s thinking. “she’s visceral.”

needless to say, you get the role.

and begins your own form of horror, caught between these two, in strange sets and odd scenes.

intimate scenes and gross scenes and erotic scenes

scenes where getou gets close and murmurs to the two of you. it’s strangely embarrassing. he says filthy things to the two of you, to try and coax you to new emotions or moments

it’s unprofessional

it’s…hypnotic.

gojo is your constant partner. getou your ever-present voyeur.

in the movie, gojo has command over your character, but on set, getou commands both of you like his own puppets.

you lose yourself.

getou will be the one to find you

[nataliescatorccio]

Hello, Becca! I hope you're doing well! Bit of a random question perhaps but since you are a woman of great tastes, I am curious: What are your top 10 favorite shows?? Feel free to add what you like most about them! Thanks for indulging me and keep being amazing <3

hello phoe! hope you're well too<3 i'll be honest, whenever i get this kind of question my mind immediately goes blank and i forget any show i've ever watched, so this is by no means a 'definitive list' because there are definitely things i love that just slip my mind, but here are more shows i've really enjoyed this past year:

the witcher: for the women who take shit from no one and kick ass, but also for the found family vibes. the witcher will always have a special place in my heart, the characters are both fantastic on their own and interacting with each other, and this show will always feel like home to me

shadow and bone: just because i've giffed it a lot this week and it brought back all the feelings. comedy mixed with action, it was just an adventure and a joy. shadow and bone brings back the young adult fantasy nostalgia my brain craves, but injects a freshness of sarcastic comedy into it with the addition of the crows (my beloveds)

yellowjackets: rewired my brain chemistry. it was the biggest surprise of a show for me because i actually thought i really would not vibe with it as it's marketed towards horror and i am a scardy cat who does not vibe with anything horror. and yet, from the first episode it completely grabbed me. the wanting to know what happened next of course, but mostly just getting to see the intricate relationships between girls. there is nothing out there quite like yellowjackets, and for that reason it really is a special one

house of the dragon: divorced lesbians let's go! i love a show that's a tragedy. i love a show where i know the ending and it's inescapable. i love watching everything crumble whilst knowing there is no way out, and yet begging at every second for something to somehow change. just fantastic worldbuilding, fantastic characters, and fantastic relationships to watch burn. if you like angst and pain this one's for you!

our flag means death: i don't think anything exists quite like our flag means death. it's a breath of fresh air in the tv world. there's a character for everyone to love, whatever archetype you fall for. and it's guaranteed to be a rollercoaster of emotions: this show has made me laugh and cry but most importantly it never disappoints

the last of us: show of 2023 for me. i knew very little about the last of us game watching this, and for that reason i was hooked the second i started watching because i just had to know what happened. i still have to know what happens, the wait for 2024 may kill me. just a great action-packed show with the most beautiful acting in existence

good omens: good omens was just a little bit of light in my life this year. where a lot of shows in the currently tv world rely on heavy action sequences, or gore, or even sexual content, good omens challenges that perfectly. it's a light-hearted relief, even silly at times (in the best way possible), but also knows how to make you think and make you cry. i just adore how the plot is done, with a 'present day' storyline but also several stories that run in the past to see how the characters got to where they are now, it's a trope that i very much enjoy

bridgerton: i absolutely love a good period drama. i grew up watching many a jane austen adaptation with my mum, and so there is something incredibly comforting to me about adaptations set in this time. bridgerton is just a good vibe, i know it will make me feel warm and fuzzy inside no matter what drama it also serves on the side. plus kate and anthony? rewrote the definition of chemistry

the umbrella academy: honourable mention to my little superhero show of chaos. if you like superhero shows, watch the umbrella academy. if you don't like superhero shows, watch the umbrella academy. it's a chaotic mix of found family and time travel and trying to save the world and that makes it perfection

merlin: shoutout to this classic because i've been rewatching it lately and damn, they just don't make tv like they used to in the mid to late 2000s. at times it's cheesy, at times it makes you want to bawl your eyes out, and you know what? you'll never know which one it's going to be. it's absolutely ridiculous but entirely fun. once you accept that the bad cgi is hilarious you'll be guaranteed a wonderful show, just take your tissues with you for the sudden gut-punches of emotion it provides

[tritannus]

This episode could've been so much more. We've seen before Flora is not as confident in herself. Bloom encourages her and then she gains the confidence to locate the Lilo. Then Bloom questions her once more?! Honestly, nothing hurts more than someone who gives you confidence questioning you. I feel they could've done something there. Flora being questioned by Bloom making her lose her confidence a little and that's when they find the Lilo.

Macy knowing the Winx shouldn't have come as a surprise since they literally make people believe in fairies in the previous season. But honestly, this episode pushes Flora aside once more when it ended. Though with Flora losing her confidence can help eventually with finding the gem of self-confidence. Also, the Winx learned the Lilo grants powers and can be extracted and somehow they bathed in the magic the Lilo gives out. Great, they can do such thing without consequences, got it.

Let's talk about Mitzi, as much as she's a great antagonist, she's not exactly a terrible sister, not saying she's good either. Yes, she doesn't act nice to Macy, but she still delivers her to the garden, where Macy literally gets snatched into mid-air. However, she was quick to give Macy a ride away from the mall when the Winx and the Trix were fighting. Honestly, Mitzi wasn't overall not believing in fairies, she just doesn't like Bloom. Their own drama, I suppose.

The ending, was bad. Honestly, let Flora take the win. She used her powers throughout the episode to locate the Lilo, she saved Macy, and somehow she's not supposed to get the credit for it? Let Macy run up to her and throw herself at the fairy of nature because one, the Lilo was saved, two, she was saved. All thanks to Flora. Forget about Bloom getting a hug.

I actually rewrote this part to which Macy rushed up to Flora and jumps to hug her, Macy thanking Flora for saving her life and all that. No Bloom jumpscares.

[nancydrewwouldnever]

He's just got really basic taste. ----- I read this and it IMMEDIATELY reminded me of the difference in his and Pedro's photoshoots and red carpet wardrobes. Such a small thing, but the difference is stark! I was reading about how Pedro changed his stage name so many times in the initial phase of his career coz he thought it would bring him more opportunities. He said he was ready to do anything just to get some work. Here I see someone struggling SO much and just wanting to work. So much talent and yet so much hardship. And then there's Chris. The more I come to know about him now via Tumblr blogs (coz I've never been part of his fandom), the more I feel he's the basic white man personification. Hilariously, I came across your blog and started following it coz of your Pedro posts. Gotta thank you for making me fall for that man!!! 😄

Yay, more Pedro love! He totally deserves all the love.

Yes, it is such an interesting comparison. Chris basically went straight to Hollywood at age 18 with his first job set up and then just kept moving up that casting ladder until he got the Marvel contract and all the doors that opened. I won't say he didn't work hard, because I think everyone in that world has to scrap to keep working. I think he just also got incredibly lucky because he had a family money cushion to support him at the beginning, and looks which fit what everyone was casting for in the early aughts.

So, here's the thing, when you look at it - Pedro and Chris have been in the industry for basically the same amount of time, and even the same years. Chris went out in 1999 for Opposite Sex. Pedro was done with college by then and got his break with that Buffy episode in 1999. But Pedro had decided to do the more traditional route of college first, so started at a slightly later age than Chris. And then, of course, the huge personal tragedy that rewrote Pedro's path at that time as well.

Here's what's really crazy to me. Carly is three years older than Chris. Carly went to the drama program at NYU right out of high school. That means, if my math is right, there's an overlap in years that Pedro and Carly were in that program at the same time. So, Carly might have known Pedro in college. Weird.

[destinygoldenstar]

Ninjago: Crystalized Redemption (Calling All Artists)

You guys asked for it.

Yes, I have officially started the work of a full on season rewrite of the final season of Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu.

I say 'final' because Dragons Rising is a sequel show. Kind of like the Star Wars sequel trilogy. That doesn't count.

I think we can all agree that an 11 year story we've all grown up with deserves a better conclusion that ties everything together into a grand finale that's entertaining, action packed, heartfelt, and maybe a tear jerker?? (We'll have to see)

I swear there's more cartoons that's endings crash and burn than ones that actually work. (Star Vs, Steven Universe, blah blah other stuff) What is up with that?

In actuality, and this may come as a shock, I don't hate this season as much as everyone else seems to, though I do agree with pretty much all the complaints. I think Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitsu is a worse season personally. But Crystalized has a lot more requirements to fulfill than that, and is even more disappointing as a result.

And I do have experience with rewrites, as I also rewrote Total Drama Action, which you guys seemed to really like that. So thanks for the confidence.

However, this has far higher stakes than that... my luck.

Anyway, I am currently working on the outline of the rewrite as we speak. It is still going to be 30 episodes, 11 minutes each. However, some episodes will not have the same titles as canon, because from my structure so far, it's not the same as the show.

The rewrite will be posted here, and we will be going episodic once we feel the rewrite is good and ready, so stay tuned.

And here's the purpose of this post:

You know in my TDA rewrite posts where I had some of those bad quality images showcasing a scene?

I'm going to allow fan artists to get a moment to shine and shed some love to the show with this.

And also help with criticisms towards my outlines and drafts of the rewrite, to make this work. Or if you have any crazy ideas for the story you want to suggest.

On a discord, I have a server for artists and potential writing editors.

This is where I'll be posting my outlines for episodes when I get them done, and on that server, artists can draw out the scenes. (Any scene, from the show or a completely new scene I add)

If I think the artwork is good, I'll add it to the post of the episode where viewers can get a great visual of the rewrite, and you will get a shoutout for your Tumblr blog.

This is also a place for said artists to suggest ideas for the narrative or scenes, so I can get a perspective on what people want to see. Criticize my outline or drafts so I can fix that before I officially post the episode, or otherwise.

Any art style will be allowed. You can replicate the show's style, or do your own, I will allow that. I do have some rules with that and it will be said on the discord too: Age appropriate. This is still a kids media. (Very high chance your work won't be on the post if you break that rule) In terms of non-lego artstyles, in the discord we will agree on a certain look for certain characters so that the story is consistent. We're not gonna have one image with massive bulky Cole and another where he's the same side as the others, that's what I'm getting at. We'll decide collectively what works, and I'll have some people make specific character designs as a board for other artists to use.

Also, this is unpaid. This gonna be for fan artists who love the show and want to help me give Ninjago the ending it deserved. And if they just want to get recognized and credited for their work.

What's on the discord stays on the discord and should not be posted on any other platform, unless you go to me first and get permission. We'll see what happens ninja artists.

[ramblingcj]

I've found myself going down the rabbit hole that is "bury your gays" because I love torture apparently.

Found myself reading about The 100 and the Lexa controversy. I never watched the show and so I completely missed the whole drama surrounding it. I knew about it vaguely but that was it. And... wow.... that whole thing was somehow more cruel than other examples of that trope.

The relationship between Clarke and Lexa was used under the guise of giving lesbian/bisexual representation to draw in viewers. The creators needed their show renewed and the LGBT+ fanbase is strong and loud. So they baited them in with a character that they fell in love with. A character they still love considering how popular Lexa still is as a character years later.

But the "bury your gays" trope was (and is) a real fear. The fans were literally begging "hey please don't kill this character off". Or asking them about the "bury your gays" trope. This went on for weeks or even months prior to that episode. And the creators were like "don't worry guys, we totally won't do that". One writer even went as far as going into a lesbian forum to reassure everyone that nothing was gonna happen to Lexa. They knew about the trope but they didn't care. All they cared about was getting the views and stroking their egos.

Fans were practically begging them not to do it and they still did. Worse, they thought they did something good or groundbreaking.

Instead of... you know... really hurting people. The fact that the first thing some people did was tweet out the number to suicide hotlines after the episode was a heartbreaking thing to read about. And these assholes just didn't care.

Well...I bet the creator cared when he lost 15k followers on Twitter and the backlash came. So much so that the "Lexa pledge" became a thing. He got the attention he clearly craved, just not the kind he wanted.

It was a wild ride to read this. It was frankly pissing me off.

The, out of curiosity, I watched the scene. And now, I'm even more annoyed. THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT HAPPENED TO TARA IN BUFFY.

Step by step. Practically scene for scene. Just listen to this:

Lesbian character is on the outs with the girl she loves, but they are slowly rebuilding. Things happen, and they eventually find themselves coming together again. They have sex, spend some time cuddling (or going for round 2) before finally getting dressed.

While they are dressed and just enjoying the afterglow as it were, some jackass comes running in with a gun. He fires madly but misses his intended target. Instead he hits the lesbian character by accident. She then dies in the arms of the girl she loves.

Did I describe what happened to Lexa or Tara?

Both actually.

Not only did these assholes cruelly use Clexa to draw in fans while reassuring them that nothing bad will happen, but they were fucking lazy about it too! They just rewrote the whole thing with Willow and Tara.

That somehow makes this controversy worse. Not only did they hurt people with what happened, they couldn't even be bothered to write something original.

I think that's enough Internet for me today.

[ridley-was-a-cat]

What I Watched This Week – 2/11 – 2/17

Lovely Complex – After that contractor who worked on the English dub for this posted that long Patreon post about how awful this series was and how he rewrote it to be better in the dub script, naturally I had to go back and re-watch this to see if it was drastically different than I remembered, or if he was just full of shit. After re-watching it, I can confidently say that anyone claiming that the main girl was an unlikeable sociopath, or that the mangaka was some kind of narcissist sicko, is just a garden-variety misogynist with poor reading comprehension. The story aged just fine. The Osaka setting and Kansai dialect should clue in even the most clueless observer that the insults and roughhousing between the two leads is slapstick/manzai comedy and not anything abusive. Seiko’s introduction earlier in the story is certainly clumsy, especially by today’s standards, but after that she’s just one of the girls, and none of the sympathetic main cast ever deadnames her. It was honestly even a bit funnier than I remembered it. Risa is a sweetheart, her friends are golden, Otani is the shorty male lead we need more of in shoujo, and the whole thing is just a great time. Now that I own the Blu-ray, I might just watch the English dub to see what that idiot did or didn’t change. 8/10

The Quintessential Quintuplets Movie – This two-hour movie caps off the series, and I have to say that my first foray into pure harem anime was a bit of a mixed bag. As a work of romance fiction, I can’t say I care for this. While I suspected the “winner” would be who she was, it wasn’t because she had the best chemistry with the lead, or because the story took the time to establish a strong relationship between the two, it was because it felt like the series was saving her story for the end. Without that bit of metagaming on my part, I could easily have seen him end up with any of the girls. If the main character has the same amount of chemistry with everyone, it’s functionally the same as having chemistry with no-one. As a drama, I wasn’t terribly taken with it. A lot of the dramatic moments it brought up just felt silly or empty. As a comedy, though, I could kind of get into it. It was fun to watch a guy juggle the moods of five girls with very different personalities, and the pranks they’d play on him from time to time could be pretty funny. I think if I watch any other harem anime, I’m going to seek out ones that lean into the comedy rather than the romance or drama. 6/10

Seikimatsu★Darling – I have watched pretty much every BL series available on the various legal streaming platforms, so I’m down to watching short, fansubbed OVAs, like this one-episode OVA from 1996. BL was just built different in the 90s, with triangle chins you could cut yourself on and plots that are a little out there for the modern BL reader. The main characters of this OVA are two coworkers who have developed feelings for each other but resist taking their relationship to the next level, as neither one wants to be the bottom. This is all mostly played for laughs, and I will admit that it got me to chuckle a few times, but it definitely feels extremely dated. Still, it’s not exactly a major time commitment, and it was interesting to watch an older entry in the genre. 6/10

[serpentmessmer]

8 Shows to Get to Know Me, tagged by @wastemanjohn and @bossymarmalade i am blowing u both kisses with tongue

twin peaks - i feel like i have to put it first because it is my comfort show of ALL TIME actually. i love almost every character (even the evil ones, i love to watch those fuckheads go) and seeing the late 80's pnw aesthetic makes me feel like i'm home. also dale cooper foundationally changed my life with "every day, once a day, give yourself a present"

the borgias - high honors on my rotation for whenever i need both maximum sexual drama and costumes that make me want to rend my own clothes. jeremy irons as pope fucksalot was so inspired

the whitest kids u know - if i have to give people one show to explain what my sense of humor is, it's that one. i love the unexpected and the dumb and i will be upset about trevor moore's passing for the rest of my life, actually (also watching the movie barbarian was SO jarring because zach cregger uses the EXACT same setup/payoff timing to show you FUCKING HORRORS!!!! and my brain kept going "ok and here's where you laugh")

supernatural - this is a given, especially the first five (3 if i'm in a mood) seasons. they came out SWINGIN in that first season with some of the most banger tv of all time and i have literally never been the same

what we do in the shadows - also absolutely foundational to my sense of humor. i love media where the characters fucking suck and are bad at things which leads me into my next one

it's always sunny in philadelphia - a show of all time to me. i love watching those assholes get into the dumbest fights the human mind can conceive.

jojos bizarre adventures - if i could get people to watch one anime, it is this one and i would even more specifically pick part 3 because literally every character is everything to me and is also dio being absolutely peak toxic towards this family for no good reason whatsoever hes just like that

hannibal - ACTUALLY REWROTE MY BRAIN CHEMISTRY. like first of all it's gay, second of all it's SO FUNNY to watch hannibal lecter be just so incapable of having a normal one, third it's highkey one of the prettiest shows i've ever watched, the color grading in every episode is insane, the way blood is lit and colored is so juicy, scenes of violence are SOOOOO beautifully coordinated

i'm gonna tag @deanwinchesterpregnant, @witchoil, @a-fantastic-disaster, and @corpsecoded TALK ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE SHOWS 😘😘

[amethystina]

Hi <3

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about "Gravitational Pull"? Answer it now!

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about "Who Holds the Devil"? Answer it now!

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

I hope you are okay and have a lovely day/night <3

Hi! 💜

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about "Gravitational Pull"? Answer it now!

I honestly have no idea. But to avoid this being the most boring answer to a question ever, I guess I can explain that Gravitational Pull was only meant to be a stand-alone fic at first but, as time passed, I realised how tempting it was to keep going with a series of connected "What if" fics where I basically wreck the canon.

Apparently, making Yo Han and Ga On kiss in episode 13 can throw everything out of whack if you want it to.

There will be five fics in total if my plan holds up (fingers crossed?) and will basically feature the rest of episodes 13-16 of the drama. Except each fic will have one, big "What if" scenario slapped onto it which will change the events considerably. And, obviously, also change the events that will take place in the coming instalments.

I'll basically be pushing a bigger and bigger snowball of canon divergences as I move along until I eventually reach the end. And who knows what that ending will entail?

(Why am I doing this again?)

Anyway, in the next one, the "What if" scenario is: "What if Ga On gets shot instead of Soo Hyun?" and the one after that is: "What if Ga On can derail Kim Choong Sik's execution without telling everyone that the Live Court Show is fake?" and so on and so forth.

And they will be posted as separate fics, not additional chapters to Gravitational Pull, since they will all have slightly different themes and focus. It just felt more reasonable from a narrative and storytelling standpoint to post them separately.

And, naturally, the one I look forward to writing the most is the fifth one — because fuck my life x'D

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about "Who Holds the Devil"? Answer it now!

This is just as difficult as the first one, if not more so because, uh, there's a lot to talk about when it comes to Who Holds the Devil. But a lot of it I say in my author's notes already so it's kind of hard to pinpoint something I haven't already said xD

But here's a fun fact: The most difficult chapter to write so far was Chapter 1. There have been difficult chapters since then, especially those that are emotionally heavy or, more recently, demand a certain level of suspense, but none were as difficult as that first one. Partly because I had to restructure it three times before I got it right. The very first draft actually jumped straight to Ga On getting the text from Elijah but I realised that didn't give it enough impact, so I basically rewrote the entire thing two times until I was satisfied.

And, admittedly, it also took me a while to get Ga On's voice right. Or, rather, to let myself write him the way I instinctively tried to do but my brain kept second-guessing. Partly because he was a new character to me (which is always daunting) but also because the style is a little different from how I usually write. My writing is always pretty descriptive, but Ga On takes it to a whole new level x'D Especially where emotions and impressions are concerned. It's all very visceral and that threw me for a second. Not to mention that a lot of it seems to rely on repetition, which most people are taught is a bad way to write. So there was a lot to get used to.

And, quite honestly, I almost stopped writing the DAY after I had started x'D I felt so out of depth and everything was new and strange and I was so nervous about writing a story set in a country and culture I don't actually know (that still makes me panic every now and then) and... yeah. Just a lot of anxiety there at the beginning.

Thankfully, a lot of it has settled by now and I feel a lot more confident about both the writing itself and my characterisation. And that's no doubt why the first chapter will always be the most difficult one I had to write, since it was the one that gave me the most anxiety.

The second most difficult chapter to write was Chapter 23, because I was injured and also couldn't decide on what I was actually writing so the chapter became an unstructured, unstable mess and I almost had to completely rewrite it. And the third most difficult was Chapter 25 because of the sheer level of pain, anxiety, and grief Ga On goes through. The fact that my grandad died while I was working on it definitely didn't help, either.

8. What song would make a great fic (to either write or read)?

I'm so bad at this question that soon I'm going to have to start picking obscure Swedish songs that the majority of you won't understand and just hope you don't call me out on the weird choice xD

Anyway, jokes aside. I answered this question in this ask but, if I have to pick another song, I'll go with There's a Rock by Brolle (or Brolle Jr as he was going by at the time). It's a duet he sings with Frida Snell and I was reminded of how much I love it two weeks ago.

So I'm picking that, not necessarily because it has the most spot-on lyrics, but because it's a song I genuinely love.

(Fun fact: My big sister went to the same high school (-ish, the school system is different in Sweden) as Brolle but he graduated the year before she got there. So her only claim to fame is that she stole his chair when she visited the school for an open house/school tour before actually applying for it)

Questions for fic writers

[berkmansimagines]

No, no, no you guys have to think of what comes AFTER Barry.

Listen, I'm just as devastated as you are that the show is ending. But: Bill directed all episodes. They rewrote season three to fit the last season better, meaning the story has continuity. We still have all the original cast/writers/director/producers etc. And they are ending on their terms instead of being canceled by the Network or something similar. WE GET PRESS WITH THE CAST.

AND: Then Bill is free to do other stuff. Hello?! That's amazing. He said that he was solely focused on Barry the last few years. We can be so excited for what he does after this. I'm sure he will keep on directing, but I also wonder where we will see him as an actor. Rom-Com? Period Drama? Mockumentary about Pandas? Voice acting again?

Maybe he will even host SNL again or do something with his friends. Maybe he'll act in another season of Documentary Now!, which he was not able to do because of Barry.

Or what he will write or produce. Think of the endless possibilities!

So yes, I'm a bit sad for the shows ending but this is the perfect set up for a perfect ending and then we have so much more time for Bill's other projects that I cannot wait to see.

1000% AGREE!!! I think Bill Hader is a fantastic director and I can't wait to see what project he does next. I'd love for him to direct a feature. He has a great eye! It would also be amazing to see him back on Documentary Now! I've missed seeing him on that show.

And I really hope that he guest hosts SNL again while he's promoting Barry! He's always great ❤️

[the-matte-blvck]

come back home.

chapter i.

type: series

pairing: jiimin x yoongi

genre: angst, drama, romance, action

⚠️ tw: abuse (mental/emotional), homophobia, ...

⚠️ this story is still developing, so many trigger warnings may not be considered until future chapters. there's a lot that will be written about; please message me before reading to ask about specific warnings. all warnings in each current chapter will be stated. I'm not too familiar with trigger warnings, so please message me respectfully, and I will gladly add them and apologize ⚠️

word count: 3023 words

summary: a smart, goody-two-shoes momma's boy is sick and tired of being treated like a child and runs away from home, right into extremely dangerous gang territory. With a gun pointed at his head, all he could think was how hot someone could look when they are threatening to kill you.

a/n: i've had this story sitting in my drive for awhile waiting to see the light of day again. if you think you've read it before, i have revamped and rewrote a lot of it so please take a chance on me once more.

» i take requests for just $1 for published oneshots, and $2 for personal oneshots. message me for details, conditions may apply «

The feeling of isolation has been present for some time now. Everyone close to Park Jimin disowned him, and the only people who could have helped him from his despair disappeared before the fallout of being outed to an unsupportive family. 

Every day he feels a mixture of anger and self-loathing, wondering why his life had to turn out this way. He used to have many panic attacks and manic episodes; after a while, they grew farther apart until they disappeared. He had grown numb in his solitude, waiting for the day he could escape.

“Please, Taehyung,” Jimin pleaded, curling up onto his bay window with his phone loosely held up to his ear and cheek. “You have to come and visit soon…I miss you like crazy.”

“I will get the time off work as soon as I can. And then we can spend time together just like we used to, I promise.” His best friend replied, his tone conveying positivity to uplift the younger’s spirits. 

“You are always working, Hyung. You barely have enough time to call me anymore.”

Jimin’s best friend, Kim Taehyung, had moved away almost a year ago across the country. He relayed to the younger that he was forced to work at one of his father's hotels after graduation. But Mister Kim pulled him out of school before the ceremony. So Jimin was left to spend his last year of schooling alone because other kids and adults publicly shamed him for his homosexuality.

He has always planned to move to America with Taehyung. The intention was to attend the same college and dorm together. Jimin knew they would be happy together, as friends or even more, if Taehyung allowed it. The younger knew Taehyung was the reason he was sexually attracted to men. After all, he was the one that introduced Jimin to the idea of same-sex couples.

Jimin’s mother was super religious, and things got worse after her husband died, Jimin’s father. The relationship was strained after the tragedy; she never understood her son like her husband could. They were always so close, and it was the end of the world when he passed. She had to learn to properly take care of her son for the first time since he was an infant.

“I know, I know…I’m sorry, Jiminnie,” Taehyung sounded sincere in his apology. “This job is demanding and worsens the longer I’m here.”

“Why? Isn’t your uncle that hotel’s manager? Can’t he cut you a bit of slack?”

“It’s not that simple. There’s too much on the line. So many…”

“Why did you say it like that?”

Jimin straightened up his body as he tried to focus. Background noise started to grow louder. He could hear men talking and then shouting. It got even louder, he had to take his phone away from his ear, and even then, he could still hear them. They sounded like the voices of all older people, and Taehyung began to yell in turn. When Jimin brought the phone back to his ear to listen in curiosity, Taehyung was frantic and trying to end the call immediately. 

“I’m sorry, Jiminnie, something has come up, and it’s an emergency. I-I’ll call you back as soon as I can this week.”

The phone line went dead, and the feeling of loneliness quickly returned. Tears streamed down his face as he stared at his phone. Jimin missed his best friend tremendously; he was the only person there for him after his father died. He was the only one left he felt understood him. The younger had longed to see Taehyung. He was happiest most when they were together. 

He tossed his phone onto his bed and brought his legs up onto the window sill. He rested his head on his knees and closed his eyes, quietly sobbing. The conversation ended awkwardly and abruptly in every phone call. He felt like he was drifting away from his friend faster than he could process this.

He looked out the window into the backyard of what used to be the Kim Family house. An older woman was outside fixing her garden after the winter ruined the greenery. The sky was a beautiful blue filled with fluffy white clouds. The clouds brought infinite images of beauty, and the trees budded with new leaves fresh for spring. 

Jimin wasn’t allowed outside anymore. His mother had grown overprotective in that she didn’t want people to be reminded of who her son was. She pulled him out of school to finish high school from home. She does all the grocery shopping alone, and if Jimin ever needed anything, he had to make a list or get permission to make online purchases. 

Maybe the seventeen-year-old wouldn't feel so lonely if his mother hadn't captivated him inside his own house. But instead, after he came out and told his mother about his sexual preferences, she was even more strict about what her son could do. It started after his father died and worsened once Jimin announced he was gay. 

Jimin hated how his mother treated him now, knowing he was "different”. However, he was still the same, just with a new-found fascination with men. However, she didn't see it this way and made a huge deal about it. There was endless arguing about how it was only a phase and how Jimin was only confused. But no matter how often he denied these accusations, she didn't want to listen to him. He lied and told her he was bisexual to try and gain some of her respect, but it didn’t work as well as he had hoped. She now considers her son “only half broken” and tries to sway Jimin to like women, so he’s “not on the fence anymore.” She thought her son still had hope of being "normal" again. He knows all she wants is for him to find the perfect girl to marry and have children with, but he knows this is impossible from the bottom of his heart. Jimin felt comfortable talking to Taehyung about this stuff because he always knew he would listen. And now? Now he's trying to understand why they keep contact with each other if he's going to be abandoned. It's become even clearer recently that the elder was always too busy to continue a conversation. As much as Jimin hated to think he was boring his best friend, it was times like this when he felt outcasted and mistreated and needed Taehyung's support the most. But he never stayed to listen. Jimin didn't want to sound clingy towards Taehyung, so he didn't complain all that often aloud. Unlike himself, his friend had a life he needed to maintain. He understood the elder had more important things that were a higher priority than him. He wouldn't have a problem with this if he didn't make everything sound like a lie. Thoughts rolled in and out of his mind. He wanted to talk to someone. Someone other than his mother or Taehyung. Someone who he feels will listen and not pretend to make him happy. Someone who will be able to accept him for who he is as a person and not what their expectations were. But where would he find such a person if his mother controlled his life?

Jimin heard a door slam shut outside; when he looked out, he saw his mother’s small green sedan had pulled into the driveway. He jumped up from the window sill and panicked slightly. He made the room look like he had been working on schoolwork the entire time. He staged notebooks, pens, and sticky notes across his bed after he messily made it first. The old dinosaur of a laptop he was given for school purposes was in his hands as he crossed his legs and placed them in his lap. 

Footsteps eventually made their way up the stairs. The louder they got, the deeper Jimin’s stomach sunk. He was afraid of getting shouted at and degraded. He closed his eyes tight and said a little prayer under his breath.

Miss Park called out for her son before knocking and opening the door to the bedroom. 

“What?”

"Is that how you talk to me?" She snapped at him, causing her son to straighten himself up awkwardly. He apologized and answered her correctly. "I thought I said I wanted this laundry folded by the time I got back." Instead, she dropped a basket full of clean clothes onto his bed, crushing all his stuff. "What is this still doing in the laundry room?" "But mom, you said after I finished my homework-" Jimin's mother walked out the door, leaving him mid-sentence. He sighed and bit back his tongue. He was not in any mood to fight back. No, not today. After he put the basket onto his floor, he gathered enough courage to follow her out of the room.

The two of them made their way into the kitchen, she had left the few bags from the market on the counter, and Jimin rushed passed his mother to put them away. His mother walked deeper into the kitchen and towards the sink. She let out a heavy breath and hummed aggressively. Jimin knew she was about to complain about something else. 

"And these dishes aren't done either." She said, slamming her hand on the counter. "You mean to tell me you were upstairs this entire time doing schoolwork?"

“It’s just a plate and fork,” The seventeen-year-old stated questioningly, wondering if his mother was crazy. “I was going to wait until after dinner to put all the dishes in the dishwasher.”

She disappointedly shook her head and began unloading the market onto the counter and throwing the plastic bags all over the floor. Jimin was frantically trying to pick them up and run around the kitchen putting things away before she started complaining again. He attempted to think of a way to change the subject, but he didn't know what to say.

“I…uh…I got a call from Taehyung today,” He started cautiously, side-eyeing his mother as he walked by. “I-it was a quick call…as I…had to hang up to finish school work.”

She became idle as she turned slowly to turn toward her son. The woman scrutinized Jimin with the intense stare of a stranger who had no regard for trying to mask their unfriendliness or judgment. Miss Park added her son’s words to the metaphorical algorithm she created to criticize him and form opinions.

"You're always on that damn phone." Miss Park complained. "Why don't you get off your dang electronics and do something for once?" "So…should I take this as my permission to go out?" "No." She sternly replied without skipping a beat. “Why don’t you start by doing that laundry I told you to do hours ago?”

Jimin sighed and rolled his eyes. He was annoyed by the way his mother was treating him. It was always like this; her snippy attitude undermined his every word and action. It would be best if you did what she tells you; it's her way or no way, and if you don’t like it, you might as well leave. 

“Yes, ma'am,” Jimin huffed in response and sulked his way out of the kitchen. 

Jimin was glad she didn’t mention that a boy had called. It must’ve been because she knew Taehyung and his family. And his best friend was also still in the closet before he left. Miss Park doesn’t know that Taehyung is bisexual. She doesn’t know it's his fault Jimin is attracted to men. 

He mentioned turning Jimin into his secret “occasional sex partner” before he left. The elder attempted to teach him some things and did him a favor in providing experiences and a good time. However, they only got so far into their relationship before Mister Kim took his first real crush away. Jimin’s stomach started to flutter, and his face began to redden. 

Taehyung doesn’t talk about it anymore, so he tries not to think about it often. 

“And make sure you finish that reading I assigned to you. I’m quizzing you first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Mmhmm, you got it,” Jimin replied, slowly returning to Earth. 

When he was out of sight, Jimin booked it up the stairs. He couldn’t wait to get away from all the negative energy that stained the kitchen. Plus, he didn’t want it to clash with the sudden intrusive thoughts about Taehyung. It wasn’t worth having his mother ruin a fond memory for him with her hostility and pessimism. 

The young boy shuffled his way toward his room, not looking forward to having to fold his clothes. If it were up to him, he would throw them into the drawers haphazardly, but then they would be too wrinkled, and his mother would be even more upset with him. But, on the other hand, he didn’t know why it wasn’t like anyone would ever see him and his apparel anyways.

Jimin sat on his messy bed, proceeding to do his chore. He knew that it should’ve been done about an hour ago or so, but when you have more important things to worry about, the annoying chores can and will slip your mind. He tried to ignore the fact that his mother was harsh towards him. Everyone knew she makes and puts on the most significant shows about minor things.  The best thing he could do now was to go along with it. He was still living under his mother's roof, therefore having to follow her word. Even if he didn't agree with her or her rules, he still had to respect his mother. No matter how close she drives her son toward the brink of insanity. 

He wishes they would finally see eye to eye about everything happening. Or at least respect each other's feelings, choices, or preferences. Jimin admits that he doesn’t understand his mother’s “religious nut” side or that she never seemed to take his father's death as hard as he did. But his judgment upon her was far less extreme than hers was towards him. Folding the clothes calmly, Jimin hummed a song as he worked. He began to think about what life would've been like if his father had still been around. Would he have let his son go out and explore the world? Would he be so hard on Jimin as his mother was when he came out? Instead, he was a fantastic man, quite the opposite personality compared to Miss Park. He was so cheerful, caring, and very friendly. He could talk about anything and everything for hours, never refused to help, and always encouraged an optimistic lifestyle. 

Maybe that's why Jimin stayed for so long. Perhaps he believes that there's hope that his mother will come around eventually. He hopes his mother realizes that the relationship she could have with her one and only son isn’t worth losing over her religious beliefs and blatant homophobia.

Just as he finished folding that last article of clothing, Jimin grabbed his phone from under his pillow and leaned back onto the bed. He mindlessly scrolled his way through the social media accounts his mother doesn’t know he had. He never posted photos of himself or his life anyways, as he was too self-conscious to put himself out there due to his mother’s constant demeaning comments toward him.

His feed and timeline consisted of positive quotes and pictures of animals, delicious-looking foods, and famous people. Nothing that exciting, but it helps him get through his rough days. Jimin’s finger, though, brought him to Taehyung’s profile. He hasn’t posted in a while, though, hasn’t even shown him as active online, either. 

While not even thinking, Jimin was now finding himself about to leave a message to his friend. “Hey, I would like to talk to you again soon!” he wrote. He couldn’t even fathom why he wrote it or why he was about to consider sending it. It wasn’t like Taehyung would read it, and he would only call when available. Which, according to past experiences, could take weeks.

Jimin’s bubble popped when he heard his mother yelling for him from downstairs. He carefully got up from his bed so as not to knock down the piles of clothes he had just a moment ago messily folded. Then, with the door opened, he shouted back toward her.

“Yes, mom?”

“Make sure you take a bath before dinner." The mother yells from the kitchen. "We have company coming over, so please dress nicely as well." Company? Who in their right mind would want to come here? Jimin was curious and hurriedly made his way down the steps, planning to head into the kitchen to question his mother. The last guests visiting them were when the Kims still lived next door. Almost a year without anyone over; why the sudden change of heart?

It was very puzzling indeed, and Jimin wanted to find out why.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. Can you repeat that? "I invited a friend from the church over for dinner. Please get ready and make yourself look presentable." His mother continued to keep her attention on the dinner she was preparing, not even once glancing at her son. "Then why do I have to get dressed if it's your guest? Can't I eat in my room?" Jimin whined, hoping that maybe one time he could get his way. "Stop being rude." She demanded. "I promise it won't be as bad as you might think."

Jimin let out a huff louder than he had intended; he knew this was not true. His mother turned toward him and shot him angry daggers. Her eyes shouted, “you ungrateful brat,” and Jimin knew that was his cue to leave. 

Dysfunctional families can be made functional. Jimin has always held onto hope that this was true. Maybe he left room for his mother to self-reflect and improve and realize there had to be adjustments in this household to heal. Her allowing people into the house was a step forward. At least, that's how Jimin sees it. 

[nono-bunny]

Unless I missed something in terms of the language used, I think the thing with the VP and the principal was like, just a joke about how the VP is insensitive and keeps bringing up a fun experience he went to without the principal, who was bitter over missing it in the first place and being constantly reminded sure didn't help. Honestly I mostly just had to wonder when they both went on a vacation together lmao, because the implications definitely gave a certain vibe that possibly shines a whole different light on their relationship... I mean, this episode already has one gay subtext, what's one more? Truly, idk what the deal with those two are but they fascinate me.

I was also rather confused about their version of Romeo and Juliet, ngl. The whole point (at least, in terms of drama) is that they both die in the end- and they just... Rewrote that part, specifically? It's one of three scenes we see them do, and not a single one felt reminiscent of the original beyond the basic setting. It all felt incredibly strange, especially considering how in the past I've definitely seen shows with similar age demographics still keep that in their respective class play episodes (istg those episodes are always the best! Miss me with the beach episode trope, I want every anime to get the characters to act together!!), so it feels incredibly strange if that was something they tried to write out because kids would be watching haha

Precure Day 037

Episode: Futari wa Precure 37 - “Make your Stage Debut!! Romeo and Juliet won’t be defeated” Date watched: 16 May 2018 Original air date: 24 October 2004 Screenshots: https://imgur.com/a/8dhLDIj

Same, Shiho. Same.

Keep reading

[leonardcohenofficial]

here’s the NYtimes interview with alan alda reflecting on the fiftieth anniversary of M*A*S*H (text below the cut)!!

By Saul Austerlitz Published Sept. 16, 2022 Updated Sept. 17, 2022, 1:10 p.m. ET

When we think of the default mode of much of contemporary television — mingling the tragic and the offhand, broad comedy and pinpoint sentiment — we are thinking of a precise mixture of styles, emotions and textures first alchemized by “M*A*S*H.”

Created by Larry Gelbart and Gene Reynolds, “M*A*S*H” aired on CBS from 1972 to 1983. (It is currently available to stream on Hulu.) Over the course of its 11-year run, it featured alcohol-fueled high jinks and other shenanigans alongside graphic surgical sequences and portrayals of grief, blending comedy and drama in a fashion rarely seen before on television. Set among the doctors and nurses of a Korean War mobile surgical unit, “M*A*S*H” made use of the mockumentary episode decades before “The Office” ever tried it, featured blood-drenched story lines long before “The Sopranos” and killed off beloved characters without warning well before “Game of Thrones.”

The “M*A*S*H” series finale, titled “Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen,” remains the most-watched non-Super Bowl program ever broadcast on American TV. The heart of the series was Alan Alda, who played the acerbic and devoted surgeon Hawkeye Pierce throughout the show’s more than 250 episodes and also wrote and directed dozens of them.

The actor revisited “M*A*S*H” in a video interview ahead of the show’s 50th anniversary, on Sept. 17. Alda, 86, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, discussed famous scenes, the series’s battles with CBS (“They didn’t even want us to show blood at the beginning”) and why he thinks the audience connected so deeply with “M*A*S*H.” These are edited excerpts from the conversation.

How have you been feeling?

Good, thank you. You mean with regard to Parkinson’s or the Covid or what?

All of the above, I suppose.

Parkinson’s I’m on top of. And I haven’t come down with Covid yet.

What does it mean to you to know that people are still interested in “M*A*S*H” 50 years later?

I got the script submitted to me when I was making a movie in the Utah State Prison. And it was the best script I had seen since I’d been in prison. I called my wife and I said: “This is a terrific script, but I don’t see how I can do it. Because we live in New Jersey, and it has to be shot in L.A. And who knows? It could run a whole year.” To go from that to 50 years later, it’s still getting, not only attention but it’s still getting an audience, is a surprise.

What kinds of conversations did you have with Larry Gelbart before the show began?

With “All in the Family,” I think the door was open to doing stories about things that really mattered. So when I got out of prison and went down to L.A. to talk to them, the night before we started rehearsing the pilot, I wanted us all to agree that we wouldn’t just have high jinks at the front. That it would take seriously what these people were going through. The wounded, the dead. You can’t just say it’s all a party. And we talked until about 1 in the morning at a coffee shop in Beverly Hills.

Do you feel there was a shift over the first season away from the booze-fueled humor of the early episodes?

Yeah, there was. Partly because people who were submitting story lines thought that that’s what was wanted. Larry Gelbart rewrote most of the shows the first season. Midway through the first season, there was a show called “Sometimes You Hear the Bullet,” and that was a real turning point. Because in that show, a friend of Hawkeye’s shows up among the wounded, and he dies on the operating table. That’s the moment where McLean Stevenson [as Lt. Col. Henry Blake] says: “There’s two rules in war: Young men die, and then Rule 2 is there’s nothing you can do about it.” Something like that. [The exact quote: “There are certain rules about a war. And rule No. 1 is young men die. And rule No. 2 is, doctors can’t change rule No. 1.”]

The network was furious about this. Some guy in charge of programming said, “What is this, a situation tragedy?” Soon after that, we were getting more popular. And the more popular you get, the less they complain.

Was CBS also concerned about the language used to tell these stories?

The most striking example to me was early in the series. Radar [Gary Burghoff] is explaining to somebody that he’s unfamiliar with something. And he said, “I’m a virgin at that, sir.” With no sexual context. It was just that he’d never done something before. And the CBS censor said: “You can’t say the word ‘virgin.’ That’s forbidden.” So the next week, Gelbart wrote a little scene that had nothing to do with anything. A patient is being carried through on a stretcher. And I say, “Where you from, son?” And he says, “The Virgin Islands, sir.”

Early in the show’s run, Gelbart and Reynolds went to South Korea and recorded 22 hours of interviews with doctors, nurses, pilots and orderlies there. How did those interviews make their way into story lines for the show?

We had reams of transcripts of those conversations. I would go through them looking for ideas for stories. And I could see that the other writers were doing the same thing, because there’d be circles around sentences and words. Sometimes one little phrase would spark the imagination of one of us, and that phrase could turn into a story.

Larry and Gene went to Korea at the end of the second season, and they got a lot of material for stories. But they had also found that we had, by paying attention to the lives that they lived, we had made up stories that were very similar to things that had actually happened.

People may not remember that you directed 32 episodes of “M*A*S*H” and wrote 19 episodes. How did you start getting interested in writing and directing?

At the end of the first season, I wrote a show called “The Longjohn Flap.” I borrowed the idea of “La Ronde,” but made it long johns instead because it was reflective of what their lives were like in the cold. I had been trying to learn writing since I was 8 years old. I wanted to be a writer before I wanted to be an actor.

Were there story lines that you thought “M*A*S*H” hadn’t quite tackled yet that you wanted to bring into the world of the show as a writer and director?

When I wrote, I tried to find out a little bit more about each of the characters. Who is Klinger [Jamie Farr] really? What was underneath — I almost said, what was underneath the dresses. [Laughs.] What was underneath the wearing of the dresses? Who was Margaret [Loretta Swit]?

I see on the internet that people assumed that because I was politically active, trying to get the Equal Rights Amendment passed, that in my writing I was trying to make political points, too. And I wasn’t. I really don’t like writing that passes as entertainment when it’s really propaganda. I want to hear a human story.

The unexpected death of Colonel Blake (McLean Stevenson) in the Season 3 finale, “Abyssinia, Henry,” remains one of the biggest surprises in television history. What was it like to shoot that sequence?

Gelbart showed me the scene. I think [it was] the morning of the shoot. I knew, but nobody else knew. He wanted to get everybody’s first-time reactions. And it really affected Gary Burghoff on camera. I think everybody was grateful for the shock.

It shocked the audience, too. I had a letter from a man who complained that he had to console his 10-year-old son who was sobbing. But it was one of the ways for the adults in the audience to realize that another aspect of war is that things happen that you don’t expect.

Was there ever a point when you got tired of fighting the Korean War on TV? The old joke is the show lasted almost four times as long as the actual war.

Around a year before we finally ended it, I felt we were getting toward the end of our ability to be fresh every week. I started suggesting that we do a final movie-length episode that really could end it. First of all, we were getting too old to play these people. And after you tell stories about a group of people 250 times, it’s hard not to repeat yourself or say things that sound like they’re supposed to be funny but aren’t really.

What did it mean to you to have Hawkeye leave Korea scarred by the death of a child in the final episode?

You just described exactly what I wanted to do with all the characters on the show. I was looking for stories, each in a different way, that showed how everybody left the war with a wound of some kind. Everybody had something taken from them. And Hawkeye was just one of them.

Earlier in your career, you had been on another great military comedy, “The Phil Silvers Show,” also known as “Sergeant Bilko.” What did you learn about acting from your pre-“M*A*S*H” TV work?

The first thing I learned on the “Bilko” show was you have to know your lines before you go in for the day’s work. I had come from the stage, where I would learn my lines during rehearsal. And the first thing they did is say, “OK, you’re up for your phone conversation,” where it’s a page of dialogue. It was an eye-opening experience. [Laughs.] I staggered through that.

Why do you think the audience connected so deeply with “M*A*S*H”?

Aside from really good writing and good acting and good directing, the element that really sinks in with an audience is that, as frivolous as some of the stories are, underneath it is an awareness that real people lived through these experiences, and that we tried to respect what they went through. I think that seeps into the unconscious of the audience.

They didn’t even want us to show blood at the beginning. In the pilot, the operating room was lit by a red light, so you couldn’t tell what was blood and what wasn’t. Which, once we got picked up, was ditched.

And giving us a feel for the circumstances that the real people had to go through, so that you could see that the crazy behavior wasn’t just to be funny. It was a way of separating yourself for a moment from the nastiness.

You can’t get as harsh as it really was.

Correction: Sept. 16, 2022 An earlier version of this article described in error the viewership statistics for the series finale of “M*A*S*H.” It was the most-watched non-Super Bowl program ever broadcast on American television, in terms of total audience, not the highest-rated non-Super Bowl program. A rating refers to the percentage of TV households that watch a program. The “M*A*S*H” finale remains the highest-rated program, of any kind, ever broadcast on American television.