#I’m only on ep 13 season 1

[annoyinglyobsessive]

Ok so mal is just prime defenders Niklaus then. Cool, cool.

[alilixx]

Heyy could u write a greg house x reader

Shes a doctor or prob a surgeon and its like season 1 ep 13 , she gets sick and needs a heart transplant or something like that but she doesn’t want to then house convinces her coz he likes her and house lies for her so she can get the transplant and they used to flirt before and all but after that they confess about liking each other and start dating ☺️ thanks

IM SOO SORRYYY SCHOOL STARTED AGAINNN SOO LESS TIME FOR WRITE FANFIC BUT I WILL TRY WRITE FOR EVERY WEDNESDAY AND WEEKEND <33

Surgeon!FemReader x Gregory House

You had already noticed unusual signs for several weeks. At first, it was just fatigue. Nothing more. You convinced yourself it was due to your endless hours in the operating room, those sleepless nights that kept piling up. Just a bit of exhaustion, something every surgeon knows well. But the palpitations intensified, followed by slight dizziness, then that crushing sensation in your chest, as if your own heart was fighting against you. You eventually ran a series of tests, discreetly, hoping it was nothing.

But the results didn’t lie: severe dilated cardiomyopathy. Your heart, your most precious instrument, the one that allowed you to save lives day after day, was betraying you. But you refused to believe it.

Today, as you sat in House’s office, surrounded by his diagnostic team, you were desperately searching for a way out, an alternative explanation. Something that would prove this was all a mistake. After all, you were a doctor, you knew diagnoses were never infallible.

"I want your opinion," you finally said, crossing your arms as if to shield yourself from what was coming next. "I did my own tests, but I want to be sure. Maybe I'm too involved to see things clearly."

House looked up, intrigued by your direct tone. "Too involved? You mean, too much in denial."

Cameron stepped forward to review your results, her eyes scanning every detail. "The echocardiograms clearly show dilatation of the heart chambers. You already have a heart murmur, you’ve felt it, haven’t you?"

You frowned, hesitating to respond. Of course you had felt it. But admitting it would make everything more real.

"I want to believe it’s something else," you murmured, your voice betraying, for the first time, a hint of vulnerability. "I’m a surgeon. I can’t... afford to have a failing heart."

Foreman shook his head, pragmatic as always. "You can’t afford not to act either. If you let this get worse, you won’t even have the chance to enter the operating room next time."

You looked away, your throat tight. Fear was rising inside you, a fear you hadn’t felt in a long time. You had always been able to control everything, every incision, every move. But now, it was your own body slipping through your fingers.

House, as always, wasted no time twisting the knife.

"It’s fascinating. You’d rather believe that all this will resolve itself, as if your heart is just going to miraculously decide to heal. Spoiler alert: it won’t." He tilted his head, scrutinizing your face. "But I’m curious. Why consult my team if you’ve already done the tests yourself? Looking for validation or an excuse to do nothing?"

His sarcasm irritated you, but you knew he was right. "Because I want... I want to be sure."

"Sure of what? That you’re dying? Let me confirm it for you, you are. Now that’s settled, we can move on to the next step: you’re refusing the only solution that could save you because you’re afraid of losing control. Interesting, but not surprising."

"I’m not afraid," you retorted, more to convince yourself than to answer him.

House didn’t believe you for a second. He moved closer, leaning his cane against the edge of his desk.

"You’re lying to yourself." His gaze pierced through yours, as if he could see past all your defenses. "You’ve seen how many transplants fail. But you’ve also seen how many succeed. So why condemn yourself when you know you have a chance to make it?"

Silence fell over the room. His words struck you deeper than you wanted to admit. You had spent months running from this reality, pretending it was just a passing episode. But here you were, sitting in front of specialists who left you no escape. That’s when House chose to play his final card.

"I’m going to ask you a very simple question." He sat back behind his desk, tapping the file of his favorite patient: you. "Do you want to die just to stay loyal to your own arrogance? Or do you want to live long enough to annoy me even more?"

You felt a strange warmth rising to your cheeks. House hadn’t spoken those words with his usual cynicism. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but you knew he genuinely cared about you. And that thought unsettled you more than anything else.

You lowered your eyes to your trembling hands. You were a surgeon, a strong person. Yet, for the first time in a long while, you felt vulnerable. And House had seen it from the very beginning.

The silence in House’s office was heavy after the intense discussion about your condition. The diagnosis was now certain: a heart transplant was your only chance. Yet, one question remained, one that had been haunting you. If you were really going to undergo this operation, there was only one person you trusted enough to put your life in their hands: House.

So, in a rare moment of vulnerability, you took a deep breath and asked the question you had been dreading from the start.

"I want it to be you. You’ll be my surgeon."

The team exchanged stunned glances. House, however, remained silent for a moment, his piercing blue eyes fixed on you. Then he let out a dry laugh.

"Me? No. Bad idea. Very bad idea."

You frowned, stung by his reaction. "Why? You’re one of the best doctors I know."

House straightened up, pressing his cane against the floor before fixing you with an unusually serious look. "I’m not a surgeon. I diagnose. I play with ideas, I take risks, but I don’t hold a scalpel over living patients. I don’t do surgeries."

You couldn’t believe what you were hearing. He was so confident, so skilled at solving impossible cases, and yet, here in front of you, he seemed hesitant. You stepped closer to him, determined to understand.

"Are you afraid of messing up?" you asked, your voice low but sharp.

House let out a sarcastic laugh, but you sensed a certain nervousness behind his tone. "No, I’m afraid of killing someone because of my damn leg and my trembling hands. If you want someone to do this surgery without screwing it up, ask a real surgeon."

His rejection hurt you deeply. You had opened up to him, and he was pushing you away without a moment’s hesitation. You felt anger rising within you, mixed with the pain of a feeling you didn’t want to name.

"I thought I could trust you," you whispered, your eyes burning with disappointment. "But I see I was wrong."

Before he could respond, you turned on your heels and left the office, leaving House and the team behind. The sound of your footsteps echoed in the empty hallway as you walked towards your own uncertain future. Your heart was pounding painfully, both physically and emotionally. He had rejected you when you had offered him your fragile trust.

A few days later, you found yourself in the pre-op room, your face calm, but your mind in turmoil with conflicting emotions. You had finally accepted the transplant, even though it terrified you. Another surgeon had been assigned for the operation, a competent colleague, but not House. His refusal still haunted you, the abrupt way he had pushed you away, as if your life meant nothing to him.

The medical team busied themselves around you, but all you could hear was a dull hum, lost in your thoughts. An anesthesiologist approached, and as you lay down on the operating table, a strange sense of calm washed over you.

Then, in the haze of preparation, something caught your attention. A voice, familiar, behind the masks and caps.

"Start the anesthesia. We’re going ahead with the transplant."

You weakly opened your eyes. It was House.

Your heart skipped a beat, as if, even before the surgery, he already knew how to unsettle you. You tried to move, to speak, but the anesthesia was already taking effect. Everything became blurry, but you heard his voice clearly, that deep, slightly rough voice that comforted you despite yourself.

"Sleep now, it'll be fine. You’ll be alive to yell at me later."

Then total darkness.

You woke up in a hospital room. The soft morning light filtered through the curtains, and you felt a dull ache in your chest. But more than that, you felt your heart beating. A new heart. A strange sensation, both comforting and unsettling.

You slowly turned your head, and to your surprise, you saw House sitting in the corner of the room, his gaze fixed on you. He looked exhausted, as if he hadn’t slept in days. His eyes locked on yours with a new intensity, almost worried.

"I knew you were stubborn, but you really outdid yourself this time," he said, without a hint of humor.

You looked at him, still too weak to speak. Then, slowly, you remembered what had happened before the surgery. He had refused. You had been hurt. But now, he was here.

"You... operated on me?" you finally murmured, your voice hoarse.

House gave a slight nod, avoiding your gaze for a moment. "Yeah. I didn’t really have a choice, apparently. Everyone’s incompetent except me." But there was something else in his voice, an unspoken admission.

You tried to sit up, but the pain in your chest made you wince. House immediately stood up and moved closer to you. "Take your time. Don’t be stupid."

You stared at him, still in shock from what you had just discovered. "Why? Why did you do it when you said you didn’t want to?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because..." He paused, searching for the right words. That wasn’t like him. "Because I couldn’t let another surgeon kill you. If someone was going to save you or lose you, it had to be me."

He looked straight into your eyes, and this time, you saw the fear behind his usual cynicism. The fear of losing you, the fear of failing. It wasn’t just about the surgery, it was about feelings, the ones he didn’t want to admit, but which were so clear in that suspended moment.

"You were scared," you said softly, a slight smile on your lips. House looked away, grumbling. "I’m not afraid of anything. I’m just smarter than everyone else."

But you knew. You knew he had taken this risk because he cared about you, even if he would never say it outright. You placed your hand on his, a simple gesture, but one that spoke for you. And, against all odds, he didn’t pull his hand away.

The days following the surgery were filled with moments of uncertainty and relief. Each steady beat of your new heart was a promise that life would go on, a victory against fate. But something lingered, like a palpable tension between you and House. He came to see you almost every day, always with his usual sarcasm, but something had changed.

That morning, you woke up with the same familiar pain in your chest, but this time it was different — the pain of healing. You slowly sat up in your bed, observing the soft light filtering through the hospital curtains. Your body was still weak, but each day felt like a small victory. And despite the fatigue, you were more clear-headed than ever.

The door to your room opened gently, and of course, House walked in, leaning on his cane with that familiar limp you knew so well. He stared at you for a moment, as if assessing your condition, then casually remarked:

"How’s my favorite patient? Still alive, apparently."

You managed a smile, even though part of you still wondered why he could never be serious for more than a few seconds. "I’m doing well, Greg. And you know it."

He raised an eyebrow at the sound of his name. That wasn’t something you used often. Usually, you always called him "House," like everyone else.

He came closer and sat in the chair next to your bed, letting out a sigh. "Well, that’s good news. I would have hated to explain to the team that I messed up my best patient. That would be bad for my reputation."

You knew he used humor to mask something deeper. A silence settled in, almost comfortable, but filled with unspoken words.

"Why did you decide to operate on me?" you finally asked, breaking the silence. "I hurt you when I asked, but you did it anyway."

House looked away, as he often did when faced with a question that was too personal. He tapped his cane against the floor, searching for words or perhaps a way to sidestep the answer.

"It was a challenge. I couldn’t let another surgeon handle such a complex operation, especially on someone as annoying as you." He smiled, but his gaze betrayed something else, something more sincere. "And I guess I was a little afraid you’d slip away from me."

This confession took you by surprise. You knew House wasn’t the type to openly express his emotions, especially not with such direct words. You watched him in silence, your thoughts swirling. He had taken a huge risk by operating on you, not just medically, but emotionally.

"I’m not going to slip away from you, Greg," you murmured. "Not now."

His eyes settled on you, softer than usual. "Not now," he repeated, almost to himself.

Initially, it was supposed to be temporary. Just long enough for you to fully recover from the surgery, for your body to adjust to the new heart, and for you to be closely monitored, "just in case." House had insisted, almost casually, on this option.

"It would be stupid to leave you alone. If something goes wrong, I’d rather have you in my sight, not on the other side of town," he had said, as if the decision was purely pragmatic.

You had hesitated. Living at House's, even temporarily, seemed risky, given the complexity of your relationship. But somewhere, you felt that beneath his usual cynicism, he genuinely cared about you. So you had agreed, thinking it would last just a few days, maybe a week or two.

The first night at his place was strange. His apartment, which you had visited a few times before, felt more welcoming than you had imagined. A blend of old and modern, of perfectly organized chaos, typical of House. Medical books stacked everywhere, piano sheets scattered about, whiskey bottles casually left on the coffee table. You felt like an intruder in his space, but he made no effort to make you feel otherwise.

"Make yourself at home. I don’t have silk pillows or almond milk, but there’s unlimited Ibuprofen," he had said, settling onto his couch with a glass of whiskey.

That first night was calm. House kept an eye on you from the corner of his gaze, even though he pretended to be absorbed in an old documentary. Despite the strangeness of the situation, a certain serenity had settled in.

The next day, as you began to get used to this new arrangement, someone knocked at the door. You weren’t expecting visitors, especially not this early in the morning. House, already up (for once), went to open it, and you immediately recognized the familiar voice of James Wilson.

"Hey, House, I brought donuts. I wanted to talk to you about a case..." His voice cut off abruptly as he entered the living room and saw you sitting on the couch, a cup of tea in hand.

The silence that followed was almost comical. Wilson looked at you, then at House, then back at you, as if he had stumbled upon a scene he couldn’t quite comprehend.

"What the... ? What are you doing here?"

You gave a slight smile, a bit embarrassed, while House, completely unfazed, grabbed one of the boxes of donuts that Wilson had brought.

"She lives here. Well, temporarily," House replied before taking a bite out of a donut, as if the situation was perfectly normal.

Wilson stood there, speechless for several seconds. "You... you let her live with you? You?"

House shrugged. "It’s easier for post-operative monitoring. And besides, she’s not unbearable. Well, not all the time."

Wilson blinked, still in shock. He slowly sat down on a chair, setting down the other box of donuts. "That... that’s so unlike you, Greg."

"Well, maybe I’ve changed. Or maybe it’s just convenient." House made a dismissive gesture, but you could see that even for him, this situation was still new.

Wilson gave you a questioning look, searching for answers. You simply shrugged, an amused smile on your lips. "It’s temporary, really."

Wilson shook his head, clearly disturbed but also amused. "If you tell me he let you choose a movie last night, I think I’m going to faint."

You laughed lightly, and even House cracked a small smile, despite himself. The tension slowly faded, and Wilson relaxed, even though he continued to shoot you incredulous glances from time to time.

Days passed, and what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement stretched on longer than expected. There was no specific date for your departure, and House didn’t seem in a hurry to see you go. In fact, he even seemed to enjoy your presence, even if he categorically refused to admit it.

One evening, as you settled into the couch with a blanket over your knees, House sat down next to you without a word. He turned on the TV and flipped through channels until he found an old black-and-white movie. It had become a routine: you spent the evenings together, sometimes in silence, sometimes exchanging sarcastic comments about what you were watching.

It was in this tranquility that Wilson made his second appearance at House's place.

"I brought wine," he announced as he walked in, looking noticeably more comfortable with the situation this time.

You smiled, shifting a bit to make room for him. House raised an eyebrow. "Wine? Since when do you bring wine to my place?"

Wilson shrugged. "I thought we could celebrate... I don’t know, this strange normality?" He glanced at you as if to make sure everything was okay.

The evening went off without a hitch. The wine flowed, sarcasm flew, and Wilson, despite his more serious habits, allowed himself to be caught up in the relaxed atmosphere. The movies changed on the screen, but soon it was the discussions that took over.

"I have to say, I’m still surprised you let her stay," Wilson remarked, casting a glance at House.

House, lounging casually on the couch, responded without really looking at Wilson. "It’s not so bad. She doesn’t bother me too much. Unlike you."

Wilson rolled his eyes. "I bring you wine, I do my best not to invade your space, and this is how you thank me."

You laughed, shaking your head. "He doesn’t know how to do anything else, James. You know him."

"That’s true," Wilson replied with a smile. "But anyway, I’m glad you’re recovering well. He seems to be taking good care of you."

You turned to House, who was clearly avoiding your gaze. "He’s doing what he can," you said softly, but with a smile in your voice.

House pretended not to hear, focusing on the television. But in his silences, you could feel that he was getting used to this new life.

Days passed, and what was supposed to be a temporary living arrangement quietly settled into a routine. Little by little, you had begun to integrate into House's daily life, and he, without a word, had allowed you to do so.

One evening, after a long day at the hospital, you got home before him. House had sent you a terse message: "I’ll be late. Bistro operation in the kitchen." You smiled at his words, already imagining what that meant.

Tired but determined not to let it get you down, you began rummaging through House's kitchen cabinets. He had everything, but nothing was in its place. A controlled chaos that, surprisingly, made sense to you. You grabbed some vegetables and an old skillet, determined to prepare something before his return. The kitchen was a place where you could lose yourself in simple tasks, away from the complexities of your work as a surgeon.

A few dozen minutes later, as you were focused on a sauce you were preparing, the door opened. House entered, looking tired but intrigued by the aromas wafting from the kitchen.

"Are you pretending to be a chef now?" he said as he approached you.

You smiled without turning around, continuing to stir the sauce. "I thought it would be a change from pizza boxes and whiskey."

House leaned in slightly to smell what you were making, nodding his head in approval. "I suppose that works for me. But if it’s bad, you’ll hear me complain for days."

You chuckled softly, knowing very well he meant it half-seriously. He made no attempt to push you away from the kitchen; on the contrary, he grabbed a knife and started slicing the bread, his movements precise despite the cane that always lingered nearby.

The scene was almost domestic. House, with his usual sarcasm, and you, focused on your sauce. You didn’t talk much, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. There was a certain peace in these simple moments. You sensed that he was getting used to this new dynamic, even though he was still incapable of admitting it out loud.

"I have to admit," he finally said, slicing a piece of bread, "you’re not doing too badly for a surgeon. Maybe it’s time to change careers."

You gave him an amused look. "You say that now, but just wait until you taste it."

"Oh, I fully intend to critique every bite."

He was smiling slightly, but you could feel the bond growing a little stronger with each shared meal, each simple task completed together.

It had been a long time since you had left the operating room, but you didn’t miss your home at all, and House understood that... well, House is House.

A few weeks later, after several similar evenings, you had finally made official what was happening between you. It hadn’t been a grand romantic declaration, far from it. As with everything involving House, things had evolved naturally, in a sort of unspoken agreement that was becoming clearer and clearer. One evening, as you were both settled on the couch, he had placed his hand over yours, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Do you mind if we drop the ‘temporary’?" he asked, his eyes fixed on the television screen.

You felt your heart race, even though the question was posed in that casual tone that characterized him. You squeezed his hand slightly in response, your smile overshadowing the answer you didn’t even need to say. Indeed, it was his way of asking you to be his girlfriend.

The following Monday, things were different, but not enough to shake up the universe of Princeton-Plainsboro. You had decided to keep nothing hidden, but without making it a topic of conversation. After all, it was impossible to hide anything from House’s team.

Wilson, of course, was the first to react. When he saw you enter the hospital together that morning, he furrowed his brow, an expression somewhere between amusement and surprise.

"So, it’s official? You finally made it official?"

True to form, House simply rolled his eyes. "Officially? If it makes you happy to label it that way, then yes."

Wilson smiled, a little too pleased with himself. "I knew this would happen, but I have to say, it’s impressive that you held out this long before admitting it."

You couldn’t help but chuckle softly, amused by the dynamic between the two friends. "He has his moments of resistance," you added jokingly.

But the real test came when you arrived in the diagnostic room, where House’s team was already gathered. Chase, Cameron, and Foreman were discussing a new case, but they all looked up when you walked in together.

Chase was the first to react, his eternal smirk in place. "Oh, I see. That’s why we all stayed until midnight last week. You had ‘personal’ plans."

House stopped, crossing his arms with a piercing look. "You’re right, Chase. And if you keep talking, you’ll end up with the chore of sanding the autopsy room again. Unless, of course, you want to find yourself a social life."

Foreman cracked a playful smile while Cameron seemed half-surprised, half-envious. "So... you’re together?" she asked with a mix of shyness and curiosity.

You exchanged a glance with House. You hadn’t discussed how you were going to handle this with the rest of the team, but it seemed it was already out in the open.

"Yes," you replied simply, with confidence. "We’re together."

Without missing a beat, House added with a smirk, "But don’t worry. It’s not going to affect my desire to make your lives miserable."

You had gotten into the habit of cooking together from time to time, even though House continued to tease you about your culinary skills. You also spent many quiet evenings talking about everything and nothing or simply watching movies in silence.

One evening, as you were chopping vegetables in the kitchen, House approached you and set a glass of wine on the counter.

"Looks like we’ve become boring, huh?"

You laughed softly, setting down the knife. "If that’s what you call boring, I’m perfectly fine with that."

He looked at you, a smile softer than usual on his lips. "Well, as long as you’re okay with it, I guess I can get used to the boredom."

It was the first time he admitted, without sarcasm or dark humor, that he enjoyed this new life together. And you knew that behind his facade was a man deeply attached, even if he showed it in his own way.

[grace-williams-xo]

RAMBLING THOUGHTS AFTER FINISHING PART TWO. GONNA ADDRESS MY P1 THOUGHTS FIRST. SPOILER WARNING.

1 & 2: I think Debling could’ve worked in the second half, and I’m kinda sad Cressida didn’t get a happy ending. The Creloise fell of a CLIFF after ep 5 but I think it could still be saved

5: no cishet man has ever loved his wife more than Anthony Bridgerton I’m gonna be ill

6 & 12: kanthony’s absence was felt BAD in the finale, I think their reactions to LW were sorely needed. Also Jonny and Simone have both said they’ll be at every sibling’s wedding and stick around for years but they missed Francesca’s??? Also felt their absence too much then. They’re both booked and busy I think we’ll continue to only get a couple episodes a season from them

8: Francesca did get to thrive happy in pt 2 my baby I love her

9: I think they managed to disconnect the mondrich plot even further like 😭 once again, I don’t mind them their plot just feels very empty

10: Pen and Delacroix CONTINUE to be my fave duo I love them so freaking much and they can never get rid of it

13: Portia’s growth this season continued to be 10/10 I loved her and Penelope’s relationship it really showed what it’s like to be closely related to people you oppose and the process of needing to forgive and understand them for your own peace of mind

14: that was not how I was expecting Colin to find out about Whistledown

15: Marcus felt a little rushed in part two but I think I need to watch the whole season together to fully decide

17: this was indeed the longest 27 days of my life I got Covid day after it dropped lmfao

MY ~NEW~ THOUGHTS:

We finally got character development from Cressida and if they write her out I’ll be inconsolable (as will Jessica Madsen)

I hope they paid Golda Rosheuvel good for her feet exposure. Worth more than titties in this economy

I feel the need to tell everyone that £5000 in 1815 is in the realm of £500,000 today and we cannot brush over the fact Penelope has made herself the equivalent of a literal millionaire

Anthony has two moods ‘I’m obsessed with my wife’ ‘I want to win this game’ like it is comical how drastically different his facial expression is in the game of charades compared to pretty much every other scene

Anthony saying the marriage is perfect and not hard work and Kate being like BOY I will humble you,,,, doing the lord’s work I love her so much

At some points I felt like Francesca was fighting Anthony for ‘Violet’s least favourite child’ award lmao

John saying he’s off to look at the wainscotting was unfairly funny

Cressida in the red dress is even better than I imagined fuck even if she’s not gay then I am

Peneloise back together the universe is healing I love my babies all we need now is creloise lovers and peneloise friendship simultaneously I don’t like it being one or the other sue me

However much Brimsley is getting paid isn’t enough,,,, Hugh Sachs the man that you are

I adored Penelope’s wedding dress so much and as bitter as I am still about no kanthony wedding in s2, it felt kind of right somehow for Polin to be the first wedding we properly see in this show

Most of the costumes and makeup feel like they got worse,,,,, big ‘I hired a 14 year old’ energy. I don’t need historical accuracy but I would like a modicum of care and the costume/hair/makeup dept looking at a single historical reference from before 1850,,,, please

We all got the bi Benedict we’ve been asking for and I appreciate it, and recognise that he needed Tilley to explore that, but I still would’ve preferred if they first main queer experience was not a threesome

If they go straight into benophie in s4 (which idk, I’m so torn bc I feel like F, E and B all could work well next season) then I also feel like bi Benedict was just them throwing a bone for 5 mins but meant nothing

The CONTENTIOUS Michaela Stirling,,,,, I was undecided until I saw it but that was the definition of gay panic from Francesca and it worked so well I am so excited.

As your resident peerage expert, it is much easier for women to inherit titles in Scotland than England so I wonder (not that anyone on this show knows anything) if that was a reason they chose Francesca to be sapphic [general peerage info and female inheritance info if you care]

On the above, if they can canonically end racism with one marriage then they can end homophobia with one marriage as well

We all know Eloise was the easy and obvious choice to be the queer love story but part of me does kind of like them not taking the easy route, and them going something more unexpected, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want Creloise/Sapphic El like they had eight children let’s be honest

Finch’s sneeze and Phillips’s “now Varely! The bugs!” were unfairly funny

Everything Lady Danbury said to Penelope about suspecting her and what not felt very in character and you can fight with the wall idc

Did they tell us the name of Polin’s baby boy???

Hyacinth saying she thinks of Gregory as the family pet,,,,, girl you an icon walking amongst mere mortals

Predictions I got right:

Anthony didn’t kill Colin, but “are you gonna duel your own brother” lmao I was on the right track

I knew Polin would win the Featherington baby race and I love that for them (but why were Prudence and Phillipa pregnant most of the season, barely showing, Kate was showing almost immediately, and then in the epilogue the sisters all had baby’s similar-ish ages???? Give the writers room a calendar please)

I SAID FROM DAY DOT THAT THE FURNITURE THEY BROKE FROM SEX WAS A CHAISE I CANT FIND THE POST BUT I KNEW IT I FUCKING KNEW IT WHERE DO I COLLECT MY PRIZE SOME OF YOUR GUESSES WERE TRULY FUCKING COOKED

Okay that was too long if you made it this far I’ll make you cookie ily

[writing-for-life]

Sandman Predictions

So we’ve been speculating wildly what the remainder of The Sandman might look like on here and in our community (join us!) for a while.

And I thought it would be fun to put my predictions to paper (so to speak) so I can be embarrassed about them later and laugh at how wrong they were 🙈

Taking all the casting announcements and BTS in consideration I’ve collected like a magpie (check out my #sandman S2 tag), I will have a stab at it…

Only 12 Episodes or Aiming for Renewal?

Both is possible, but I am more and more leaning we’ll get the whole thing in twelve episodes in two batches of five each with two wraparound episodes (one will be AGoY/THCoL in the middle, one the last three issues of The Wake).

We know the episode names for six episodes that are directed by Jamie Childs. That doesn’t mean they were in order, or that there won’t be other directors involved. It wouldn’t surprise me if they at least went for female writers/directors for AGoY/THCoL, and if that’ll be the episode that separates (or rather connects) SoM and Brief Lives. So here comes my totally unhinged prediction for 12 episodes, including the titles we know (mind you, they might also be working titles). The chapters from the comics are to be seen as fluid and not absolute, because there are a lot of scenes that are not linear in chronological terms and will probably be shuffled around a bit:

Batch One

“More Devils Than Vast Hell Can Hold” (that title is a direct quote from AMND): A Midsummer Night’s Dream, SoM Prologue & Tales in the Sand flashback

“Season of Mists”: SoM ch. 1-3, ch. 4 is getting dropped

“The Ruler of Hell”: SoM ch. 5 through Epilogue

TBA: AGoY & THCoL “Brief Lives”: Brief Lives ch. 1-3. Maybe the first parts of Thermidor (could also be ep. 5).

“Brief Lives”: Brief Lives ch. 1-5 “The Song of Orpheus”: Brief Lives ch. 4-6 and The Song of Orpheus segueing into

“The Song of Orpheus”: Brief Lives ch. 6. Bast is an excellent cut to SoO. “Family Blood”: Brief Lives ch. 7-9. Parts of Thermidor will also be in there.

Batch Two

“Family Blood”: Brief Lives ch. 7-9 TBA: TKO ch. 1-4

TBA: TKO ch. 1-4 TBA: TKO ch. 5-7

TBA: TKO ch. 5-8 TBA: TKO ch. 8-10

TBA: TKO ch. 11-13

TBA: The Wake (all of it apart from…)

TBA: Sunday Mourning/Exiles/The Tempest

Edit 19/09:

[strikeouts in text done on same day]

So I’ve read The High Cost of Living again over the past few days because it didn’t want to leave me alone, and I’ve now convinced myself we’ll get it as a side-plot to Brief Lives in episodes 4-6, and that we’ll get tiny bits of AGoY, (mostly to set up Wanda/Ruby for Brief Lives and Hazel/Foxglove for THCoL) as a side plot to SoM in episodes 1-3. Spoilers ahead, so skip if that’s not your thing:

Both Sexton and Orpheus have a death wish. I don’t want to drag this out too much because the post is long enough as it is, but suffice it to say, Sexton rethinks after spending a day with Didi/Death, while Orpheus is granted his wish. And this is what ultimately sets Morpheus on his own path. The meaning of “So live” would be beautifully contrasted that way because it has different meaning to different people, depending on their own experience. Add to that Death spending a “brief life” for one day herself, and I can somewhat see the vision.

Failing this, THCoL could also be a special in episode 13 that hasn’t been announced yet (I’d rather have Overture though if I’m honest).

In more detail:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest will be bookends, one before SoM, one after The Wake (they don’t necessarily have to be full episodes, they could be half each and make up roughly an hour combined. It really depends on overall runtime).

We’ll kick off batch one with Season of Mists (maybe the prologue and will also be in episode 1–there are several points in AMND that would make good cuts into SoM), and Tales in the Sand won’t be a full episode but incorporated as flashbacks (maybe around the family dinner). After we conclude SoM, we’ll get one episode of AGoY will be a side-plot to SoM, as per above (if it happens at all), and leads into THCoL as a side-plot to Brief Lives as per my edit above, because there’s a through-line in there for Fox and Hazel, plus we can set up Wanda/Ruby for Brief Lives.

Bonus 1:

Johanna will be somehow involved in SoM (she’s the Hellblazer after all), and we’ll get her to hook up with Murphy. No need for a longwinded introduction of Thessaly. Or, failing that, we just cut out the love interest completely, Morpheus does his moping session because Nada rebuffs him again, but Jo will still take Thessaly’s place as the crone.

We’ll move into roughly three episodes of Song of Orpheus/Thermidor and Brief Lives from there. Wanda will die in Brief Lives like Ruby, not in AGoY.

We finish the first batch with Morpheus alone on his chair after you-know-what 😩

Second batch: TKO and The Wake. Little bits of World’s End will be woven in where it fits, maybe already in the first batch as well. Same goes for little bits of standalone issues from Fables and Reflections.

Jo will take Thessaly’s place and protect Lyta because she’d just believe it’s the right thing to do (she also sympathises because she lost Astra). Whether she also holds a deeper grudge depends on if they set them up as having an affair or not.

My guess is four episodes TKO and one for the Wake. Sunday Mourning and Exiles will be done in one episode. The movie concept art that Jill Thompson did ages ago showed Daniel in the distance on the beach with the other three, and I think that’s a good tie-in point to lead into Exiles. Even the Tempest might fit in there if they make the last episode more feature-length. And you’ve got your two Shakespeare bookends.

Bonus 2:

Hob will be reinstalled to his narrative purpose because at least half the fandom will drop him like a hot potato and ship Morpheus x Cluracan instead. Because:

If you think 12 episodes are tight: Yes, if you want to see every detail and issue of the comics. But not everything you see in a graphic novel translates well to screen, plus you don’t perceive time the same way. What takes ages to read can be something like 30 seconds in a film. Add to this that the movie that never happened was conceptualised as a trilogy if I’m not mistaken, so probably 6-8 hours planned runtime in total. So they always had a definite idea how to streamline it, and they were planning for it before. 12 episodes with 45 to 60min each give us more to play with than a movie-trilogy (plus we can already take the time off that we spent on S1). I think it’s doable, but of course it means tightening arcs and dropping stuff.

However, I’ll be honest with you: With all that’s been going on, and having seen that they filmed right through until the end, I’d rather have them wrap up now. Because I honestly can’t see a S3 happening after all that’s already been cancelled and put on hold because of you-know-what (I’m thinking of Disney shelving The Graveyard Book and Amazon putting GO on hold and sitting on the Audible despite it being finished).

But also: These decisions have likely been made long before these considerations even became an issue: Renewal was on a knife’s edge, and choices were made back then we can only guess at. Scripts aren’t written over night, neither are sets changed around wildly on a whim (plus actors aren’t just tied to one project and can’t just willy-nilly change their schedules). And some sets for TKO were already confirmed and booked in May. So they were always going to do what we’ve seen in BTS shots. It’s not a sudden development.

In any case: If they aimed for more seasons than two, I think this prediction could still hold in general, we’ll just get it more fleshed out. In that case, I’d say 10 episodes of SoM and Brief Lives (5 each), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and THCoL as standalones with the rest as side-plots woven in (that includes AGoY). Then S3 comprising TKO and The Wake with more space for standalone episodes and World’s End. Maybe even Overture as a special. I very much doubt they would go for more than three seasons in total though.

So these are my predictions, now I’d love to hear yours…

[mazzystar24]

If you guys know my blog by now you’ll know that I will latch onto random shows/movies like a leech and will sometimes connect them for funsies in my brain

So

I still don’t know what bones/booths ship name is so ignore that but I’ve just (I’m on like last ep of season 2 ) started watching bones and I can’t stop with the buddie parallels in my brain

1. Ex soldier (Eddie for 911 and booth for bones)

2.with a complicated relationship with his ex

3. who at one point slept with her repeatedly after they’d broke up

4. who he also shares a kid with

5. Not confirmed in canon outright but definitely implied neurodivergent character (buck, who definitely has ADHD and Temperance Brennan who’s definitely autistic)

6. Neither of whom understand most pop culture references

7. Both of which are constantly given lectures by friends about how they run head first into danger

8. Both of which also know a lot of random facts (granted with bones it’s more purpose serving😭😭)

9. Also both were lied to by their parents their entire lives and said parents forced an older sibling who at the time was still only a child to promise not to tell them anything about this secret

10. Both have abandonment issues as a result of that

11. This parallel I pointed out before in their respective hospital scenes and them wishing it was them instead

12. Booth digging Bones out with his bare hands when she was buried alive and buck trying to dig Eddie out of the mud when he was buried alive

13. Both Bones and Buck having a love interest leave to travel the world

14. Both ships are like workplace romance, slightly enemies- mostly a spat- to friends to lovers (for one at least is canon), also the same vibes of both are coworkers and “partners” who act not how normal work partners or friends act (and get called on it by outsiders)

There are probably more but I’m tired and can’t think but yeah so many parallels and yet only one is canon😔 collecting this as evidence that if one side of buddie were female making the ship heterosexual then they’d have been canon ages ago

[extremlynerdyfairy]

Someone call me Dimension 20’s MatPat, cause I have some INSANE theories to share!!

‼️⚠️Spoilers for Fantasy High: Junior Year (Mostly Ep. 13 and back)⚠️‼️

❤️‍🔥🔮🌹Theory #1🌹🔮❤️‍🔥:

Cassandra is in the court of stars?!

When Adaine goes to the court of stars, I found something peculiar in Brennan’s description of the interior of the place. He mentions how in the center of the room, there’s a MASSIVE rose that is surrounded by shimmering, indigo-purple energy. Who in this entire franchise has been associated with those colors and Brennan ALWAYS described their magic/aura having that same vibe?

CASSANDRA!!!

WHAT IF the timeless rose in the court of stars is one of the few remaining items that has some of Cassandra’s essence?

But that’s not the end of it. The rose is described a huge rose, right? You could even say it’s GIANT sized. If my phrasing wasn’t obvious enough, I think the rose might’ve had a deeper meaning/connection for both Ankarna and Cassandra. I googled it, and it’s said that roses usually bloom around early spring and late autumn. This means that PEAK rose blooming season could possibly be summer. Ankarna’s domain.

So there’s a possibility (or better said a hunch) that a possible old gift amongst these two forgotten and corrupted deities is in Fallinel. But considering the fact that a monument about the wedding is in Fallinel, I wouldn’t be surprise if the flower in question is what remains of a bridal bouquet (roses are traditionally associated with love and are a popular bouquet options for weddings…👀). But we’ll see if anything will from this crazy observation of mine.

👹🔥👨‍👩‍👧Theory #2👨‍👩‍👧🔥👹:

Who’s Fig’s REAL daddy, really?

I know this might seem like a bit, but I think it’s one worth thinking about. Usually Tieflings are just descendants of one mortal being and an infernal being. To my knowledge (and I encourage any DND buffs to fact check me on this), Tieflings can pop-up in a family tree as long as ONE of the bio parents has infernal blood or ancestry in them.

Now, why does this have to do with Fig’s bloodline? Gilear even stated in sophomore year that him and Sandra Lynn weren’t having bedroom fun before fig came along. Well I’ll bring you this question as a rebuttal: If Gilear was always aware to some degree about Fig not being his, how did Sandra Lynn get away with that lie for MANY years?

My theory is that Sandra Lynn originally didn’t know WHO fathered Fig since (and I’m just spit balling here) she probably had adult fun with Gilear shortly after Gortholax (probably due to guilt and making sure Gilear didn’t catch on to the cheating) and basically decided to wing it and after Fig started growing her horns didn’t hesitate to consider Gortholax the father. BUT WHAT ABOUT GILEAR’S DEMONIC BLOODLINE?! We recent learned Gilear is a descendant of Backur and we know that the curse attached to the Feith family is past on to the eldest of the family to the oldest of their children.

What if Gilear IS Fig’s bio dad AND that Fig being a Tiefling was because of Gilear being a descendant of Backur?!

Tbh this is a theory I’m only 65% sold on, since I’m not sure my DND knowledge is correct or if Brennan’s world even operates under those same rules. But it’s fun to think about.

🐀🤓😈Theory #3😈🤓🐀:

Kipperlilly, the rat grinders, and Ankarna?!

I know that the season is leading up to a final confrontation between both of these adventuring parties, but here’s the fun question to ask:

WHY? Why the FUCK are these nerds SO determined to have the Bad Kids eat shit?

Very simple answer. Conquests. ✨ACADEMIC✨ Conquest. We know the rat grinders are basically exp farmers and (in many ways) are dark parallels to many of the Bad Kids own party members (Buddy and Kristen, Ruben and Fig, Oshin and Adaine, etc.). And we’ve seen how salty they are (Cunt-head Bitch face, especially) at how the Bad Kids (despite many of them not taking their academics seriously) are able to achieve things the Rat Grinders think THEY deserve. And who was recently revealed as a goddess of Conquest? Ankarna.

But HOW would the Rat Grinder’s know about Ankarna?! Well… remember Lucy?

Lucy’s death is very much hinted to be caused by the other members of her party (tho, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s revealed that it was someone else, most likely Kalina). But WHY did Lucy die?!

What if Lucy was trying to pull a similar stunt that Kristen pulled in sophomore year? After all we know Lucy wanted to switch gods and the name on the paper for that switch within the school was blank. Kinda like the god’s name wasn’t found or couldn’t be said…like Ankarna. I 1,000% believe that Lucy was trying to bring the uncorrupted version of Ankarna back (similar to how Kristen brought Cassandra back from her Nightmare King form). How she found out about Ankarna is a whole entire debate (maybe from her original goddess or through research, we’ll find out what more episodes released) but we are left with one MASSIVE question:

WHY DID THE RAT GRINDERS KILL LUCY?! What could they possibly gain from killing their friend?! Well…what if the rat grinders didn’t want Ankarna uncorrupted?

Afterall, Ankarna’s corrupted domain (that of conquest, rage, and dominating over others) fits better with Kipperlilly’s need to be the best at the school. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rat grinders’ end goal is to use Ankarna’s corrupted domain to help them (mostly Kipperlilly) win the elections.

After all, Cunt-head Bitch-Face did make it VERY clear from the beginning that her goal is to see the Bad Kids get what they deserve (which is expulsion) for their lack of academic integrity; and, for her party (the group that has been doing things by the book this entire time) to get what THEY deserve. Absolute power over the school.

Those are all my theories! PLEASE share your thoughts. And remember, it’s Just a theory… A DIMENSION 20 THEORY!!!

(Note: I went back and fleshed out a bit more theory #3 because I was writing it at 2am and forgot to add a few of the important details of that theory 😅)

[myargalargan]

A Classical Polinalysis: Ep. 2

Hello friends, Polin stans, and classical music nerds!

Picking up from my episode 1 analysis, I am back with the second installment in the series of episode-by-episode analyses I mentioned when I shared the playlist I made of all the Classical pieces used in Bridgerton season 3.

The tracks on the playlist are all in order of when they appear in the show, and here are all the pieces that were used in episode 2: 

Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: VI. Finale. Allegro

Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV 1042: III. Allegro assai

Mozart’s String Quartet No. 8 in F Major, "Viennese", No. 1, K. 168: IV. Allegro

Mozart’s String Quartet No. 3 in G Major, "Milanese", No. 2, K. 156/134b: I. Presto

Mozart’s String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, "Prussian", No. 3, K. 590: IV. Allegro

Joseph Schuster’s String Quartet No. 2 in B-flat Major: I. Allegro di molto (formerly attributed to Mozart as the "Milanese" (or Paduan) String Quartet No. 2, K. 210)

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”: II. Andante con moto 

All of this music is used over the course of the Full Moon ball, and the choice of music and the scenes each piece of music is paired with turns the ball something of a microcosm for the entire episode. What the hell do I mean by that? 

This episode is all about flirtation, fertility, and passion, and the action in this episode sets into motion some of the major conflicts of the season. We have the Mondriches settling into their new home and attending society events for the first time, the Featherington sisters getting a healthy dose of Sex Ed, Francesca being granted the Queen’s favor, and—of course—Colin and Penelope beginning their lessons and all the tension and drama that brings. So let’s get into how the Classical soundtrack compliments this very meaty episode…

Looking at the track list in order, we’ve got a bit of a composer sandwich (get it? meaty episode? ha-ha-ha?) with Beethoven bread, Mozart filling, and Bach and Schuster toppings. The allegro finale of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13, which starts as Colin and Eloise’s conversation about Penelope in the carriage ends, welcomes us to the ball. The second movement of Beethoven’s “Appassionata,” which Francesca is playing when Lady Danbury sneakily invites the Queen to observe, concludes the whole event. But I have a lot to say about both Beethoven pieces, so I’m going to save that for later! To start, I want to talk about the flirtatiousness of the other pieces used during this episode. 😏

The next piece after the Beethoven string quartet is the third movement from Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2, which plays when Benedict asks Miss Stowell to dance. We only hear the very beginning of the concerto in this episode, but the distinguishing characteristic of a concerto—which is also what I find so flirtatious about this piece—is the back-and-forth between a solo instrument (in this case, a solo violin) and an ensemble (in this case, a chamber orchestra). In particular with shorter pieces like this Bach concerto, which is an energetic two minutes long with concise musical verses, you get the feeling of a lively conversation, where the ensemble has their say, the soloist replies, the ensemble adds another musing, then the soloist replies, and so on. 

I also think this concerto is fun for this scene for a couple other reasons. One, the soloist-ensemble dynamic calls to mind Benedict getting cornered by a pack of ladies. But also, this concerto is in what’s called “ritornello” form, which means that the ensemble repeats the same musical theme every time they come back in, and I love this as a funny little musical illustration of Miss Stowell’s persistence with Benedict—she keeps coming back, over and over, just like that repetitive musical theme! 

The next piece is the fourth movement from Mozart’s String Quartet No. 8, which starts playing right as Portia tells Mr. Finch that his wife is a pastry and continues as Penelope talks with Colin about his writing. This piece actually elides seamlessly into the track from the season 3 OST called “Attempts to Flirt” the moment Colin says he’ll consider letting Pen read more of his writing if she talks to at least one lord that night, which is a fun little tie-in to our theme. And the string quartet is great for this moment between Colin and Pen because of its fugal quality. A fugue—such as Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, which is used in a ton of films including the original Fantasia—refers to a structure where the musical theme is introduced in different voices or instruments one after another. (Kind of similar to a musical round, like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” but not as simplistic.) Like the concerto, there’s a repetition of musical ideas, and those ideas bounce around from instrument to instrument, again creating a sense of lively conversation. Almost as if one person starts to tell a story to a group of friends, and then another person jumps in to say, “Oh, yes, I know what that’s like!” and tells their own anecdote, and so on around the group as the conversation feeds on everyone’s enthusiasm. 

I love this for Pen and Colin’s interaction because it has a similarly flirtatious energy as the concerto, but at the same time it’s more complex than a simple back-and-forth. There’s a layering aspect to a fugue—when a subsequent instrument picks up the theme, that doesn’t mean the first instrument stops playing. I think this has a similar energy to the way good friends who are comfortable and excited together might end up talking over one another or picking up the ends of each other’s sentences. I think it’s also illustrative of the complexity of Colin and Penelope’s relationship, especially at this phase. They’re friends, yes, but other feelings are starting to get all mixed in. They flirt quite easily with each other, but that makes things more complicated. A playful but multi-layered fugue illustrates this pretty well, I think.

Then we have our second Mozart string quartet of the episode, the first movement of Mozart’s String Quartet No. 3, when Eloise inadvertently lets it slip to Cressida that Colin is helping Penelope find a husband. This piece isn’t a concerto or a fugue, but it does still have an interplay between the instruments that, to me, creates a similar effect. There are several moments within this movement where the violin will start the musical line and one of the other instruments will finish it, like passing a baton. Or, again, like lively and comfortable conversation! To me, it feels a little bit like two people winking at one another as they catch each other’s meaning. 

There’s also a fun little bit about two-thirds of the way through the piece where, for not even 30 seconds, the tone of the music changes entirely, to something darker and more dramatic. Musically this part is known as the “development,” which is where the music meanders and does a bunch of interesting things before it returns to the main theme that was introduced in the beginning. This is a very common musical technique, but it doesn’t appear quite so starkly in any of the other pieces used in ep. 2. Since this piece plays during an Eloise and Cressida scene, we could take this darker interlude to be a reflection of Eloise’s relationship with Penelope—how it has taken a dramatic turn but will be righted again before long. We can also look at it through a Polin lens, since Penelope and Colin’s relationship takes a similar trajectory. Either way, I like the idea that there’s a bit of dark foreshadowing in this otherwise playful, flirtatious piece of music.

From there, we have the fourth movement of Mozart’s String Quartet No. 23, which plays as the Mondriches enter the scene. Other than the Beethoven pieces, this is the longest piece used during this episode, and it gets the most airtime. It plays for the entire duration of Benedict’s spiel about how married couples are free from the rules of society because they have already fulfilled their duty. And I love this piece for this moment because it really goes places. This movement has some fugal passages, giving it that same flirtatious quality as the other pieces used this episode, but there’s also moments where the tone gets much more dramatic, moments when the tempo seems to slow or get interrupted, syncopated sections that almost feel cartoonish… The character of the piece is surprising, and it evolves over time, and—I think—it reflects the journey the Mondriches have been on since season 1 and the surprising evolution their life has taken in season 3. And will continue to take! As they figure out how to navigate this new world and learn that it’s not as simple as Benedict made it seem.

Okay, now onto the last bit of sandwich filling, the first movement of Joseph Schuster’s String Quartet No. 2 in B-flat Major, which plays while Lady Danbury leads the Queen away from the main ball and while Eloise’s group of debutantes lament their chance to show off. Is this piece also flirtatious? Yes, I think this piece has a similar quality to Mozart’s String Quartet No. 3, where sometimes musical lines started by one instrument get picked up and finished by another. But another thing I find really interesting about this piece is that it’s a case of mistaken identity. This piece was composed around 1780, but until the 1960s music scholars attributed the piece to Mozart. And to use this piece during this scene is particularly compelling, because it’s the moment that Cressida denies having any good gossip, but also the moment when the gossip about Penelope and Colin begins to spread throughout the ball anyway, which Eloise (and Colin) mistakenly blames Cressida for. There’s also maybe a deeper meta here about mistaken identities that could tie into Cressida’s false claims to the Lady Whistledown name, which is interesting to consider in contrast to this moment at the ball where Cressida—unlike later in the season—chooses to be the bigger person and renounces the lure of gossip in favor of protecting her new friendship with Eloise. 

Which brings us to the final piece of music featured at this ball, the second movement from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23, the “Appassionata.” Which is of course relevant because Francesca earlier admits to loving it so much during her abbreviated conversation with Lord Petri. Petri describes Francesca’s favorite pieces as “expressive music,” which is fitting for a musical work nicknamed “Passionate.” Francesca also says, “I mostly enjoy the chord progressions,” in response to Petri getting all “can’t you feel it in the music?” and although Petri was talking about the Ries Piano Trios, I like thinking about Francesca’s response in relation to the second movement of the “Appassionata” because that movement is one big theme-and-variation—there’s a musical theme introduced at the beginning, and then that theme is repeated two more times with variations in the melodic structure but always with the same chord progressions.

One thing I love about this piece as the close-out to the ball is the way, with each subsequent variation on the theme, the music builds and builds. It starts out slow and in a low register, and it gets faster and higher pitched as it goes (the part we hear Francesca playing is the fast high part). There’s a really obvious analogy to sex here, which is clear in Petri’s reaction and Francesca’s discomfort with his reaction—which is appropriate because sex is such a major motif in this episode (“Inserts himself? Inserts himself where?”). But there’s also the analogy to the build-up that we’re about to experience at the end of the episode, the way everything Penelope has been through the past couple episodes (couple seasons, really) culminates in that first unbelievably passionate kiss between her and Colin. 

But, more than that! The second movement of the “Appassionata” doesn’t have a true ending—it’s through-composed with the third movement, so that the two are meant to be listened to back-to-back. If you listen to the end of the second movement by itself, you’ll hear a chord that sounds like it’s supposed to resolve to a nice clear ending, but then instead of resolving, that chord is followed by an intriguing, dissonant, kinda jazzy-sounding musical lick. If you didn’t proceed to the third movement right away, musically, you’d be left hanging. (And even once you’re into the third movement, it takes a while for the music to properly resolve.) And I love this! Why do I love this? A while back, I did an analysis of Polin’s theme (from the original score) and wrote a bunch of stuff about how their musical theme, the way we hear it in part 1 of the season, feels unresolved, suspending us in the tension of their uncertain relationship status. We only get proper musical resolution in their theme in part 2, after they’re engaged. So using the second movement from the “Appassionata,” with its false ending, at the conclusion of the Full Moon ball—a ball which encapsulates so much of what’s going on in the episode overall—is such a great way to foreshadow the end of the episode: the build-build-build to the passionate kiss and then—! Leave us hanging as Penelope runs away and Colin’s life starts falling apart around him.  

Speaking of endings…! It’s time to circle back around to the first piece of bread in our Beethoven sandwich, the sixth movement from Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13…

If you’ve stuck with me this far, hang in there for just bit longer! Maybe take a quick break and grab a snack. ;) 

I thought a lot about the usage of the allegro finale from Beethoven’s Op. 130 in this episode. It’s such an interesting choice, not necessarily because of the music itself, but because of the history of the entire quartet. See, when Beethoven first composed String Quartet No. 13, it had a different final movement. However, at the first performance, that movement received such a negative reaction that Beethoven’s publisher convinced him to write a replacement. The replacement is what’s used in the show. And it has an entirely different character from the original. The new finale is light and cheery, while the original was dense and complicated. The original was panned by critics as being incomprehensible, inaccessible, and difficult to both listen to and play. (Give it a listen. You may find that it makes you deeply uncomfortable 😅 but it’s definitely an experience!) The new finale, on the other hand, is…a dance! It’s bouncy and positively Haydnesque, and completely uncontroversial.

The original was ultimately published as its own work under the title “Grosse Fugue,” as Beethoven’s Op. 133. However, some Beethoven enthusiasts and music scholars will argue that the correct way to play String Quartet No. 13 is with the original ending, the way Beethoven intended. Preferences vary, though, and what this means is…there are two possible, perfectly valid, endings to this piece of music. And each ending has a completely different vibe. 

Do you see where I’m going with this? 😉

This piece plays as we are welcomed into the Full Moon ball, and when I set out to do this analysis, I was originally looking at the allegro finale on its own, trying to find something meaningful in its structure or its harmonies… But I think what’s most interesting about it, in the context of this episode, is that it represents the duality of choice. And there’s a few different layers this could apply to: Eloise and Cressida’s decision whether or not to share the gossip about Colin helping Penelope, Colin’s choice to help Penelope in the first place (and to continue to help her after the journal faux pas)...his choice—at the end of the episode—to kiss her. The Queen's choice of a diamond, even! But if we’re talking about possible endings, then this piece is really setting us up for the ultimate narrative choice between Colin and Lord Debling. And it’s fitting as an introduction to the Full Moon ball because it’s at this ball that Colin gets his first taste of jealousy and competition, and then of course it’s Penelope’s humiliation at this ball that is the catalyst for the kiss that sends Colin into his downward spiral of desperate, all-consuming love. So whereas at the end of ep. 1 Colin may have been able to go about his life acting as though he was unconcerned about whatever feelings he may or may not have had for Penelope at that point, by the end of ep. 2 that’s simply not at all possible anymore. And so the show starts building the foundations of one of Penelope’s possible choices, one of her potential endings. (And I guess whether or not you consider Debling to be a perfectly valid alternative ending depends on what kind of Polin shipper you are. 😉) 

So there you have it: the drama of choice, the sexiness and frustration of building yet unresolved tension, misunderstandings (and, you might even say, the probable pains of friendship), SO much flirting—some easy and straightforward, some ceaseless and unvarying, some deliciously complex… All present at the ball, throughout the episode, and in the Classical soundtrack.

♥

And here's some of the research I did for this post:

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13: https://www.earsense.org/chamber-music/Ludwig-van-Beethoven-String-Quartet-No-13-in-B-flat-major-Op-130/

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13: https://www.brentanoquartet.com/notes/beethoven-quartet-opus-130/

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13: https://www.maramarietta.com/the-arts/music/classical/beethoven/

Bach's Violin Concerto No. 2: https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/4549/violin-concerto-in-e-major-bwv-1042

Mozart's String Quartet No. 8: https://fugueforthought.de/2018/07/01/mozart-string-quartet-no-8-in-f-k-168/

Mozart's String Quartet No. 3: https://fugueforthought.de/2016/08/27/w-a-mozart-string-quartet-no-3-in-g-k-156/

Mozart's String Quartet No. 23: https://www.talkclassical.com/threads/mozart-string-quartet-23-k590-sq-review.81909/

Schuster's String Quartet No. 2: https://www.earsense.org/chamber-music/Joseph-Schuster-String-Quartet-in-B-flat-major-No-2-KAnh-C2001-K-Anh-210/

Beethoven's "Appassionata": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR706pYvNl0&

[horsetailcurlers2]

a rough, addison-centric timeline of grey's anatomy/private practice

an anon sent me an ask about when greys/private practice took place and a rough timeline for addison. then i went to edit the draft and accidentallly deleted it. so, i'm sorry, anon! i hope you find this post lol.

okay, so, the grey’s universe contradicts itself multiple times when it comes to the timeline so this is my best approximation/what makes the most sense. i’m putting this in bulleted list format lol bc initially i had a long rambly paragraph that was me basically doing the math as i went. i also got way too carried away and this may be more detailed than you needed. 

Pre-show/establishing age

addison is 39 by the end of season three. this makes absolutely no sense considering her extensive credentials but shhh dont worry about it. in my head i justify it bc she canonically graduated college early, and in my head she skipped a grade or two

she and derek are heavily implied to have met their very first semester of med school. they married in 1994. So there is no official timeline on what years she completed her undergrad, when she graduated med school, or when she completed her residencies and fellowships. 

GA seasons 1-3 

the first three seasons of greys are all one year (they span meredith & friends' intern year)

i initially thought season one took place in 2005 (when the show airs) but in order for everything else to fit it must be 2006. the show contradicts itself about this a few times. personally, i think 2005 makes more sense because addison and derek were married in 1994 and they were married for 11 years at this point. but, they must have made allowances for the fact that three seasons spanned one year.

season one runs from summer to fall 2006. meredith spends two months with derek before addison shows up. addison spends those same two months with mark in new york. so her whole pregnancy/abortion/blonde-hair-for-a-minute all happens in late summer/fall, then she shows up in seattle at the end of season one and by her fabulous fur lined coat, we can gather that it’s fall.

season two picks up directly after season one with no time gap. We get christmas and thanksgiving episodes, and it stretches into spring 2007 (the hospital prom takes place during actual prom season for richard’s niece)

season three once again picks up directly after season two with no gap. addison and derek’s divorce is finalized pretty quickly into the season but i couldnt get the date. the season ends definitively around mid june, because that’s when cristina and burke’s wedding was meant to take place. the two part backdoor pilot for private practice spans the two episodes directly before the wedding/finale, so addison presumably visited L.A around late may/early june 2007 and then came back before the wedding

PP season 1 (+GA season 4)

season one of private practice aired concurrently with grey’s season 4 and the timeline runs directly parallel. there are only nine episodes and they make very very few references to time, so we have to extrapolate from grey’s.

they say that there's a short gap between cristina’s wedding and the start of their second residency year so, season four picks up around early/mid july, meaning private practice also starts around this time. 

grey;s has a halloween episode early on (episode five or six) and presumably runs through the rest of fall and winter. PP season one ends after the ninth episode, which aired before the ninth episode of grey’s. then, addison comes to seattle in GA S4 ep 13. in the episode directly after this, the article comes out about burke winning the “2008 harper avery award”, so i believe this visit is already early 2008. 

PP season 2 (+GA season 5)

seasons 4 and 5 of GA take place over one year, so pp seasons 1 and 2 must also be one year. there are very few time references, so we have to extrapolate from grey’s again. there is a few months long gap between seasons 1 and 2 (bc of the time during which grey's was airing but pp was not)

episode five of grey's takes place in october (so ep 5 of pp must also be around october)

GA 5x14 and PP 2x15 run parallel to eachother. addison calls derek at the end of these episodes. i'm pretty sure this is meant to take place in january or february 2009 (at this point the air dates are closely lined up with the in universe dates). this whole crossover arc spans two episodes of PP and one episode of GA and i’m pretty sure its meant to take place over just a few days.

2x18 of PP takes place over three months so im guessing its at least early summer 2009 by the time the season ends

PP season 3 (+GA season 6)

season three picks up directly after season two (violet’s attack). season 6 of GA also picks up directly after their previous season (george's death). but then GA 6x1 and 6x2 take place over forty days and PP 3x2 picks up a month after 3x1. So theres a lot of futzing and messing with the timeline to make up for gaps and cliffhangers between seasons already. 

they mention that seattle grace mercy west is established in 2009

PP 3x3 is a direct continuation of GA 6x5, for reference

the grey's holiday episode this season (6x10) spans from november 2009, to january 1st 2010. and then PP 3x11 is a direct continuation of GA 6x11. i am assuming it's still january 2010 at this point. (this is also directly after addison finds out the truth about bizzy and susan)

there's a valentines episode of greys (ep 14), so pp 3x14 is probably also february 2010

3x16 to 3x19 take place over two months but then i'm not entirely sure on the timeline of pete and violet’s custody battle

the two part grey's finale/shooting episode takes place some time in late spring or summer 2010 (the next residency year starts in july)

PP season 4 (+GA season 7)

i couldn’t catch the date on dell’s headstone but his death was definitly late spring 2010.

7x1 of GA takes place two months after the season six finale. The episodes where they have to treat the casualties from a college campus shooting (7x10 and 7x11) take place around christmas 2010

4x6 of PP takes place before halloween (pete and violet talk about lucas’s costume) so its october 2010

the musical episode (7x18) is sofia's birthday, which is in may 2011. the PP episode 4x18 runs exactly parallel to it.

callie and arizona’s wedding is 7x20 and its stated that sofia is 3 months old, thus this is three months after both GA 7x18 and PP 4x18

So to recap: private practice season four takes place from around late spring/summer 2010 to spring/summer 2011

PP season 5 (+GA season 8)

here where it gets more tricky bc they do some time jumps around amelia’s pregnancy 

the first episode of season 8 of greys takes place on july 1st 2011. the three episode arc in which teddy’s husband dies (eps 8, 9, 10) take place around mid january i think, based on what she says in the valentines episode (ep 14). the plane crash (the final ep of the season) takes place around mid may 2012.

season five of pp picks up right after season four (pete’s heart attack). the second episode jumps to a month later

episode 5x8 (amelia’s intervention) takes place 12 days after 5x7. assuming this lines up with greys, her intervention, ryan’s death, and her admission to rehab probably take place in late december 2011. then her episode in rehab (5x9) spans the course of fifty days, so the next episode (5x10) likely takes place in mid february

amelia is 20 weeks pregnant in 5x16. i’m going to assume that christopher was conceived very close to the night of ryan’s OD, so i’m guessing it's late spring at this point

5x19 is the episode where amelia gets the horrible news about her baby. There is a time jump. she is six months pregnant at the beginning and seven months pregnant at the end. She gives birth in the season finale. i'm guessing it's already late summer at this point, though somehow addison and amelia did not know about the plane crash. 

so based on the timeline of amelia’s relapse and pregnancy, plus the grey’s timeline, i'm fairly certain season five of private practice take place summer 2011 to summer 2012.

PP season 6 (+GA season 9)

this one's gonna piss me off bc they do so many time jumps in an attempt to tie up loose ends before the show ends

there is a bit of a time jump before season 6, but in the season premiere, amelia celebrates one year of sobriety. so it must already be late 2012. i’m leaving wiggle room with my guesswork for last season, because imo the canon timeline they’re establishing of the last season is a little iffy.

its implied that addison and jake have been together for these past few months between seasons

pete’s memorial happens in 2x2. addison gets the call that mark has been taken off life support, so this episode must run parallel to greys 9x1. there has also been a time jump between GA seasons. it’s unclear whether or not addison visited mark while on life support, but it had likely been a few months so it's possible. they state that mark died in 2012 so it's not yet 2013.

they jump back and forth in time too much over the course of charlotte's pregnancy, henry’s adoption, and vivian carlsmith’s death. the entire season was meant to be a finale, so a lot of episodes focus only on one or two characters and have events that happen concurrently with the events of other episodes and it gets all muddled. but i'm pretty sure episodes 1-12 span a little under nine months (charlotte discovers she's pregnant at the beginning of the season and gives birth in ep 12). so her pregnancy serves as a backdrop to all these other storylines that overlap in these 12 episodes.

there is some kind of time jump between the triplets birth in 6x12 and addison’s wedding in 6x13 but not a very long one.

there is a thirteen week time jump between addison’s wedding and naomi’s ultrasound, then a little longer before sam and naomi’s second wedding.

so from what i can gather, season six took place over the course of around a year, starting in late 2012 and ending in late 2013 (potentially early 2014?? at some point this season the timeline diverges from greys so that they can utilize all the time jumps)

[disventure-rewrite-takes]

I’m SO tired of the amount of romance drama in this fucking show it’s making me insane. The only THREE characters in Dcas who don’t have romance being an important part of their arc in this season or their original season is FIORE, MIRIAM AND LAKE. The two who basically CAN’T have a romance plot because of their ages, and Lake who was only rlly close in age to Maggy from her season. Shoutout to Lake for being spared from the horrors.

Otherwise they are ALL involved in romance in some way or another, and it’s so tiring especially bc this show just has to go out of it’s way to ruin every single one of them either by some several episode long conflict or giving them 0 screentime. Hell, they can’t even resist doing the same thing to many of the friendships in this series. Tess, Ally and Hunter barely interacted at all after all the set up in season 2, Tom and Gabby barely interacted until the episode he was eliminated in, I don’t think we got a single scene with Jake and Miriam after ep 1, like… what is The Point. There’s also Grett and Gabby, and they were great!!! But they REALLY could’ve started that whole arc earlier. Episode 12 ends with them being Reluctant friends, they don’t really start getting along great until the end of episode 13, and then we get one single episode and Gabbys gone. Awesome. If they KNEW they were doing this, why couldn’t they have started having them interact since the moment Gabby joined the villains alliance? As much as I enjoyed their interactions, it did feel a bit undeserved to me how they were treated as Absolute Bffs forever after 2 episodes when they had more time to set it up. For example, the scene where Riya tells Grett off for not standing up for herself could’ve easily been Gabby, Riya and Grett don’t even interact after that.

Now basically the only friendship we have left is Jake and Aiden.. PLEASEE don’t ruin them for some stupid forced drama I’m begging you!! I think we’ve officially gone past the Jake’s character arc takes 50 steps back and causes a dumb conflict for no reason point, but there is still the fact that Aiden doesn’t know Jake is the reason James was eliminated. I’m just waiting for them to bring it up and ruin everything again at this point.

i hate how ONC handles every single relationship. want romance? heres two guys that have chemistry but GUESS WHAT MISCOMMUNICATION now their chemistry is gone. sorry about that, heres sapphics HAHA NO BUILD-UP OR MEANINGFUL SCREENTIME GET FUCKED. what? straight people? but theyre not marketable to fujoshis- ughhh fine heres an OFF-SCREEN ROMANCE YAY!!!!!!!

want a friendship? sure here!! *ellie betrays jake* aw dang it! *fiore betrays alec* aw dang it! *gabby betrays dan* aw dang it! *ally and jake start arguing bc jakes immature* aw dang it! *jake gets ashley out cuz hes an idiot* aw dang it! *miriam and jake have almost zero interaction in AS* aw dang it! *connor and alec are ruined bc of a love triangle* aw dang it!

and the FUCKING. LOVE TRIANGLES IM GOUGING MY EYES OUT. i hate the love triangles and i hate this show and i hate this studio if they ruin reality resort with their shitty writing i am going on a killing spree

[sadquickchristmassnowman]

do you know significant dates for community episodes like for example december 10th for comparative religion (idk does make sense)

yes I think I get what you mean.

so, actually, for seasons 1-3, I’m pretty sure the dates the episodes aired, for the most part, line up with when the episode is meant to take place within the community universe. it's convenient that american networks have a similar schedule to the american school year, so it makes the timeline of shows set at schools line up pretty well with dates in the real world. this is no longer true for seasons 4-6, as they were likely pushed to midseason (making the season start airing in january/february and still end around may, making it half as long). so, for example, the season 4 halloween episode aired on february 14th, 2013. the halloween episodes for seasons 1-3 all, obviously, aired very close to halloween.

I do have some specific examples that support this, if the simple fact of the school year and network schedule lining up isn’t enough. as you said, in 1x12 comparative religion, they mention multiple times that it is december 10th. that episode did, in fact, air on december 10th, 2009. same with 2x11 abed's uncontrollable christmas; they mention that it is december 9th, and the episode aired on december 9th, 2010.

all this yapping to say: for seasons 1-3, a lot of the episode air dates are likely compliant with the in-universe set date. although, I do doubt that they had specific dates in mind for every single episode. it's just not super relevant. but, if you really wanted an estimate, I would consult this list of community episodes, which includes the date each episode was aired.

but, to more directly answer your question, I'm going to try to compile a list of episode dates I'm 100% sure about.

1x12 comparative religion: december 10th, 2009

2x10 mixology certification: december 4th, 2010

2x11 abed's uncontrollable christmas: december 9th, 2010

4x05 cooperative escapism in familial relations: november 22nd, 2012

not as long as I would have hoped, but ofc it's entirely possible there's things I missed.

to dive deeper, here's a list of episode dates I’ve speculated:

1x05 advanced criminal law: october 15th, 2009 (in contemporary impressionists, abed says that he and troy made a deal: "october 15th, friends don't lie to each other." this parallels their story in 1x05, and the 5th episode of season 1 being in october makes sense logistically in the canon. this episode also aired on october 15th, so it lines up in that way too. this episode does span across multiple days, though, so october 15th would just be one of the days included in the ep)

2x04 basic rocket science: october 16th, 2010 (this episode aired on october 14th, 2010, which is a thursday. they mention in the episode that it's a saturday, and the 16th is the saturday closest to the air date)

2x19 critical film studies: march 24th, 2011 (this is the date this episode aired, and is the generally accepted date for abed's birthday)

3x07 studies in modern movement: november 12th, 2011 (the episode aired on november 10th, 2011, which is a thursday. again, the mention in the episode that it is a saturday, and the 12th is the saturday closest to the air date)

3x10 regional holiday music: december 8th, 2011 (following the trend of the two previous christmas episodes, which took place on the last day of classes. again, this episode spans multiple days, so december 8th is theoretically the date of the episode's final scene)

5x11 g.i. jeff: november 20th, 2013 (this one is a little rougher. jeff's actual date of birth is a whole other can of worms, but it was originally listed as the same as joel mchale's, which is november 20th. a lot of people accept this as jeff's birthday. although, it is a little hard to justify for me, for one specific reason. if season 5 is supposed to span across an entire school year, and there's only 13 episodes, episode 11 should logically be sometime in the spring, not in november. so, either there is a months-long gap between episode 11 and episodes 12 & 13 (in order to make the finale line up with the end of the school year), or season 5 is only supposed to cover the first semester of the 2013-2014 school year. but, again, that is kind of weird, giving that all the other seasons cover the entire school year. the air date, however, is april 3rd, 2014. so. I could go on and on about theories on backtracking in the writers' room and whatever else, and I will if you want me too, but for now I think I've written enough. believe what you want about this one)

holiday episodes are kind of a whole other issue. you have to take the date of the actual holiday, the air date of the episode, and logically how the celebration would interfere with an actual school day, and try to extrapolate a canonical episode date. (ik I put the season 3 christmas episode in the list above, but I'm more sure about that one than any of the episodes I’m about to list) idk if you even want me to do this, so I’ll try to make it quick.

1x07 introduction to statistics: aired on thursday 10/29/2009, halloween was saturday 10/31/09. ep is centered around an after-school party, so I’d guess it's actually set on friday 10/30/09.

1x16 communication studies: aired on thursday 2/11/2010, valentine's day was sunday 2/14/2010. I’m pretty sure the dance is on a school day, so I’d guess it's actually set on friday 2/12/2010.

2x06 epidemiology: aired on thursday 10/28/2010, halloween was sunday 10/31/2010. I'd guess this dance was on either friday or saturday, although I have no clue which one. so, I'd guess either 10/29/2010 or 10/30/2010.

2x15 early 21st century romanticism: aired on thursday 2/10/2011, valentine's day was monday 2/14/2011. the episode description says it's set actually on valentine's day. I tried looking at liverpool v. man u soccer games, but the only one in the spring of 2011 is on march 6th, which is the opposite of helpful. all I know is it's set on a school day. maybe they actually did have a dance on a monday, or maybe it was the friday before (2/11/2011). who knows.

3x05 horror fiction in seven spooky steps: aired on thursday 10/27/2011, halloween was on monday 10/31/2011. based on vibes alone I think this one is set on a saturday, but idk. so, I’m guessing saturday 10/29/2011.

I'm not going to list the halloween and christmas episodes from season 4, because the season 4 timeline is so irrevocably fucked up. (it's the first time the show was pushed to mid-season, so the air dates don't match up with the canonical ones whatsoever, jeff "graduates a semester early," but they celebrate christmas and go into the spring semester while he's still attending school, etc etc etc). in conclusion, I wouldn't recommend trying to make any sense out of any season 4 canonical dates. whatever.

seasons 5 and 6 don't ever really mention specific dates (as far as I remember), and, like I mentioned earlier, they are half-length seasons, so the air dates don't really match up with the school years anymore, so it's all kind of up in the air. you could potentially try to go in and analyze things further, but I'm not going to do that right now. I could do it in the future if someone really wants me to, or if you guys think it's worth doing? but in this moment I don't think it's worth it. I’ve already written WAY too much to answer a simple question LMAO. anyway.

I do want to reiterate that there Probably aren't specific canonical dates in mind for most of these episodes. but yk. it's fun to speculate I suppose. I hope this was somewhat helpful, and I am once again opening the floor to anyone who has anything I missed 💯💯💯

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Sunday, September 22nd

Xander: “Hey, Red. What you got in the basket, little girl?” Buffy: “Weapons.” Xander: “Oh.” Buffy: “Just in case. Like the tux, Xander.” Xander: “Bond. James Bond. Insurance, you know, in case we get turned into our costumes again. I’m going for cool, secret agent guy.” Buffy: “I hate to break it to you, but you’ll probably end up cool head waiter guy.” Xander: “As long as I’m cool and wield some kind of power.”

~~Fear, Itself~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

The Rod Beneath by Ellen_Brand (Batman crossover, Buffy/Jason Todd, Buffy & Giles, G)

Reflections Of Tomorrow by LoneFrog (Xander, FR15)

Just the Way You Are by Zab Jade (Buffy/Spike, 13+)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Something Red - Chapter 1 by Little_Bites (Faith & Willow, not rated)

Truth and Consequences, Ch. 25 by JamesMFan (Buffy/Spike, R)

Hope is the thing with feathers, Ch. 12-13 by will_ (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

The Degradation of Duality [Series Part 2] Ch. 52 by Ragini (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Little Light, Ch. 9 by Melme1325 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Linchpin, Ch. 5 by hulettwyo (Buffy/Spike, Adult Only)

Troubling Deaf Heaven, Ch. 5 by JuneCurry (Buffy/Spike, R)

Unholy Matrimony, Ch. 1 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Dawn Rising, Ch. 75 by Luna (Buffy, Dawn, FR15, self harm)

Oh My Goddess, Ch. 4 by Maxine Eden (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Drawings by darthmimaulette (Buffy, Buffy/Spike, probably worksafe)

Manips: The Hungry Wolf by spyder-baby (Drusilla, Spike/Drusilla, worksafe)

A Buffy the Vampire Slayer button in progress by lunar-goodness (no people depicted, Buffy quote, worksafe)

Sims by mistyintherivers (Scoobies, Drusilla, worksafe)

drew some buffys! one from the tv show, and one from the medieval flashback in the 1992 movie by nodudeshutup (worksafe)

A Gachnar doll in progress by Nocturnal-Nycticebus (worksafe)

Welcome 2 the Hellmouth collage :) by DefDoomedPod (Buffy, Darla, Luke, the Master, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Episode 5.4 - Hell Bound - crossposted by rock-and-compass

The dialogue in IWMTLY [I Was Made to Love You] by Stoney, HardlyThere

Buffy Season 1 is low key maybe my favorite season by AmbitiousOutside7498

SEDUCED BY A TEACHER? Up The Buff! Ep 4 - Teacher's Pet by bigbadllama

Buffy Season 3: Where will it go from here? by RedRxbin

Vampire F/X- film or tv? by CaseTarot

the way season 3 final episodes are epic is beyond by Kindly_Ad2280

[Fandom Discussions]

I had a dream that Angel was helping Buffy... by oveliagirlhaditright

If you couldn’t have the original cast - which cast would you choose [BtVS S1] by primal-slayer

Skeptical of how realistic it was for the characters to consider working for Wolfram&Hart by thequeenofsastiel

Was Spike a special or unique vampire? by garfan and others

Are any of you involved in Scholarship on Buffy? by friendofathena

Looking for DVD set that has "Once More With Feeling" NTSC 16:9 native NOT letterboxed by Maximum-Telephone268

Fancast: Once More With Feeling - dream cast in music theatre by Icy-Morning6813

Did you know that TV tropes exists because of Buffy The Vampire Slayer? by Cailly_Brard7

Spike VS Faith (who wins in a fight?) by FoxIndependent4310

Has anyone gone to the Buffy Popup in Chicago? by BalrogSlayer00

What campfire songs do you think they sang? by AndrewHeard

Quotes from the show to remember when you're in a dark period of your life? by incantopatronus

A defense of Xander by foreseethefuture

Has your opinion any character shifted as you’ve aged? by Tamika_Olivia

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

James Marsters UltraCon 2024 Reports, Pics & Videos via dontkillspike

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Coming to Free Streaming (Tubi) Just in Time for Halloween

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[rahuratna]

WAIT I ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED SUBMIT WKDNNDKSKKD.

My bad, I don’t know what to do… 😭 😭

Uhh, I’ll just continue you off here… (I’m so sorry).

Ahem. Mahito. My sworn enemy. Murderer of the love of my life. I will never ever forgive— but, oh gosh, why is his voice so… AHEM. I got distracted.

Mahito said this one thing that piqued my interest. Don’t remember the exact words but it was something along the lines of: “I’m grateful to you.” So interesting. We talked a lot about how gratitude was one of Nanami’s motivations, how it gave him purpose. And it came from the innocent/weak and his comrades. But this is coming from a curse 😬

I can’t really give an explanation as to why… because his interaction with Nanami led him to discovering domain expansion? Is that it?? I guess Mahito growing stronger is something he gets off of, the thrill of it and also identity shenanigans, but I do not spend time pondering over my mortal enemies 😁 (Just kidding… here I am… intrigued by Mahito and his stupidly cute voice��� I still hate him… I can’t help but wonder… ugh)

The reason I find this so interesting is how at the end, Mahito is stronger than Nanami. When Mahito ends Nanami, I doubt that he remembers or acknowledges any of the gratitude back then. Specifically because he said to Yuji, “I’ll probably forget you in the future too.” Gratitude to Mahito is meaningless. I think that also just shows how different curses are from humans. Gratitude plays such a big part for a lot of human happiness. But not for curses.

I found Mahito’s philosophy very interesting, the way that he saw everything as pointless which led to him doing whatever he wanted to do. Which is killing people (my beloved 😭) and propelling the endless cycle of war between curses and humans. It reminds me of nihilism sorta kinda maybe IDK. Again, I just haven’t given it much thought because he’s Mahito…

Ah, you know what. This reminds me of Attack on Titan (🥸). Marleyans vs. Eldians. Each side is fighting for survival, so they can have their own world. They wanted the same things, have their own peaceful world, but it just so happened that they were on opposing sides with a long history of violence and racism. Same thing with curses and humans. They both want to occupy the world, live their own lives, but they just can’t coexist. Mahito doesn’t see any side as right or wrong. His choices and decisions are based on impulse and desire. The lack of empathy is what makes him realllly different from Eren but I think the vision is very similar. They both stick to one side and fight for it because that’s the side they were born into. It’s so cool how there are overlapping themes of endless cycles. Like either with humanity against curses or a divided humanity against itself.

In conclusion, I feel very frustrated, confused, mad, and intrigued about Mahito. UGH. How dare he have an amazing VA and also cause so much pain and suffering. UNFAIR. CRUEL. I dislike him but I don’t. Would I have disliked him more if I only read the manga and he never had a voice? 😐😑😐

(Side note, I also realized ep 13 was when Nanami actually actually acknowledged Yuji as a sorcerer. Now I have to draw more Papamin. Sigh. I swear, everytime the topic of Nanami is brought up, it evokes a physically sigh from me.)

Sighing to sign off,

courtney 💜💜

Hi @courtneedsleep ! I am the world's biggest procrastinator, both in the way you mentioned and with regards to work I don't like/have little interest in. When it comes to series, absolutely! I put things off when I know I will enjoy them. I have a whole list of shows (anime included) that I know are brilliant and have been putting off for some time now, all because I know I will love them and want to savour them properly!

So, essentially, I don't know when I will end up watching Paranoia Agent, Odd Taxi or From the New World, but I know I'll love them 🤭

I've actually been re-watching some of season 1 myself (ah, simpler times) and Mahito is genuinely such an excellent character (as much as I want to do unspeakably horrible things to him).

Mahito initially came across, to me, as something of a contradiction. He was evidently born from human folly, and shows great delight in manipulating and tormenting humans, as he does with Junpei. You could almost say that he uses humans in the same way that sorcerers use cursed tools. That's what they are to him. Tools to be used to further the ends of cursed spirits.

This is where Mahito struck me as being truly dangerous: his fight with Nanami. He comes across (as Nanami comments) as fickle, sadistic, immature, barely aware of the impact of his own actions and with the air of a child playing with and destroying their toys. What is doubly terrifying is the power that he possesses, leaving others at the mercy of his whim.

Mahito's power is also terrifying and, from my initial perspective, almost inappropriate for a cursed spirit like him. He is able to accurately perceive the soul, in spite of being an 'immature' spirit, and downright psychopathic (by human standards). His power, like you said, is heavily instinctual and relies on his reading of a moment, emotions or the way a person responds to things.

The moment when he 'thanks' Nanami also stands out to me. It's almost like a child thanking their parent for a new plaything, something that might increase their status or bargaining power on the playground. Naturally, the child won't remember that act of gratitude for long, over the pleasure that their possession brings, or the manner in which they use it. That's going by the standard of regular children, of course, and Mahito is anything but regular, let alone human.

When Mahito eventually kills Nanami, he feels nothing of normal human gratitude. As far as he is concerned, Nanami has played his part, has helped him achieve more power, and can now be disposed of like all of the other human 'tools' as a means of furthering the cause of cursed spirits.

Yes. Pretty callous and inhumane overall. As expected. But then, Mahito subverted my expectations. As the series progressed, I began to see what you described; the attachment to his comrades, declaring a clear purpose for cursed spirits on earth, bringing about the return of Sukuna, and creating a new reality beneficial to cursed spirits overall. Very similar to the Marleyans and Eldians, this shows two species that are determined to carve a place for themselves in the world, to declare their right to exist, but also not able to tolerate the existence of each other.

Mahito suddenly displayed characteristics that were so much more human. I could no longer think of him as 'just another capricious curse' with no real understanding of the havoc he caused. His attachments to his own comrades spoke very clearly of that fact that he understood just how sadistic and terrible his actions were, they were just directed at humans, and so, he simply didn't care.

He was able to be so carefree not because he was totally unhinged, but because he saw humans the way humans saw curses. If we think of it from that perspective, he killed Nanami, just as Nanami exorcised cursed spirits.

Is there therefore a difference between him and Nanami, as viewed from either side? Fundamentally, yes. Nanami is shown to offer comfort and compassion to transformed humans, even as he has to take their lives. He understands all too well the weight of taking lives; Mahito does not.

This is all too clear when he prioritizes taking out Nobara, someone who's technique is a direct threat to him. Mahito suddenly learns what mortal peril feels like, what it means to be on the receiving end. Unlike Nanami, who truly did expect to meet his death as a sorcerer, and fully understood the risks, Mahito was still a child playing in an adult world, albeit, a horrendously powerful and dangerous child.

It's also extremely clear later (I won't spoil things, because I'm not exactly certain where in the show you are) that he is terrified of Yuuji's single-minded pursuit of him and desire to eradicate what he represents. Mahito does learn the true meaning of fear, he does come to understand the weight of lives, he does come to understand his own smallness on the scale of things. As philosophical as he came across, he applied those concepts very narrowly, and in ways that were heavily prejudiced by his own conception as a cursed spirit.

Mahito is such a great character, a truly adaptable and ever-evolving antagonist, and he's just delectably detestable, isn't he?

(Side note: It WAS the first time Nanami acknowledged him as a sorcerer! Proud Nanamin. 😭 I love that he's so caring and compassionate to Yuuji without ever overstepping the bounds of what he believes is true. He won't give praise where it's not deserved. He's not a sentimental man given to overt displays of affection. He's blunt to a fault. Which makes the occasions where he DOES acknowledge the students so much more meaningful and precious).

[avorbl]

Avor's Watchlist

I spent most of the last 24 hours rescuing my PC by connecting and configuring a new hard drive, which has put me a bit behind on the series’ I wanted to finish this week.

Currently Airing

4 Minutes 4/8 It currently presents itself like I am watching the fixit fic alongside the source material and I am enjoying it.

Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko 7/8 The last two episodes were so uncomfortable and made no sense in how they handled Hiroko

Battle of the Writers 3/12 Silly pretty pictures

Blue Canvas of Youthful Days 2/12 This looked like it could be a solid Chinese University BL with all the alienation and abandonment typical of the genre

Cosmetic Playlover 4/8 Story overall moves too fast but also in-episode arcs feel miscalibrated alot of space is given to the setup and not much to the resolution

First Note of Love 2/12 I am hoping for more chemistry between the leads next time. They both look interesting

I Hear the Sunspot 8/12 Apparently the plot was moving to fast after EP6 because they made Maya the only active character in EP7 and that was very jarring

With You I Bloom 11/20

Mr Mitsuyas Planned Feeding 4/10 Slowly but surely the relationship develops. Acting and story are great the badly done seasonal changes are as funny as they are distracting though

Seoul Blues 1/8 Sukfilm has this very narrow interest in their queer stories. But they find more angles to look at it.

Sugar Dog Life 2/10

Takara’s Treasure 7/11 It gets better with each episode.

What I am catching up on

Boytoy 5/13 Feels like an early BL

Like Love 2/15 I need to catch up Chinese Bls

Love in the Air 11/13 Someone explain to me why this is one show and not two

The Double 31/40

The Founder of Diabolism Donghua Season 1 4/15 I’m trying it out but if the other two seasons are harder to find I will probably not be inclined to search for them

The Princess Royal 19/40 the royal aspect of this couple makes this weaker than The Double

Unstoppable High Kick 21/167 Its fun but I cannot imagine watching more than two episodes a week

Word of Honor 13/36

Finished in the last two weeks

Bad Guy 06.08.24 8/10 Another short series where Sukfilm examines the struggle between societal pressure and being true to your own desire.

Century of Love 08.08.24 7,5/10 A good core idea and story, music was a bit off and had few odd choices esp in ep 9

Knock Knock, Boys! 08.08.24 9/10 At bit slow at the start. A light hearted show that was suprisingly earnest in its potrayal of queer life

Meet You at the Blossom 15.08.24 7,5/10 Failed to maintain the comedic balance it set out with. Otherwise the Chinese costume BL it seemed to be from the start.

My Sweet Mobster 17.08.24 7/10 It had some good points on rehabilitation but overall standard fare with some lengths

Dropped in the last two weeks

Bad Guy 8/50 11.08.24 -/10

[booklove22]

I’m having such a hard time with this episode - and I saw the larger beats coming a mile away. I knew it would be a solo-visit to the 70′s for Nancy and Tristan and that the Drew Crew would be left in the current timeline. I knew it would be Nancy and Tristan dancing. So none of what happened with them was like “OH NO I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE NACE DANCING”  - like I was already mentally prepped for that. But what kills me about this is all of the missed opportunities...and I’m trying to be objective here and not just wrapped up in the romance aspects - but the larger storytelling opportunities that were also missed.

1) It’s a 13 episode season, but for all the “this is going to be among the greatest ND episodes of all time” chatter from the writers and Kennedy, this felt distinctly like a filler episode. Something that would have been at home in an 18+ episode season, but here feels like a weird detour. It feels especially wasted since the 2nd most recently deceased corpse died in 1975! This could have been an ideal opportunity to explore more about the corpses and...they blew it. They chose to dabble in something time-travel adjacent tor....a spider? 

2) There was absolutely no reason to have Bess do the errr...c-section? Like, Ace’s job is literally cutting people open? Like, as a writer, isn’t the goal to up the emotional stakes as much as possible? Can you imagine how much more tense the scene would have been if he was the one doing it instead of Bess? Again I’m not even talking anything romantic here - just more...he was the right person for the job. 

3) Ace watching Nancy slow dance with Tristan was repetitive. Like, it didn’t hit or hurt nearly as hard as when he was in the liminal space and seeing it with Park. I know it was probably an intentional callback, not unlike the Gil kiss>Park kiss mirror, but here it just felt like they could have achieved the same outcome another way? Not that I want to hurt more than I already do, but at some point you have to weigh whether a callback is a better choice than some new kind of painful visual. 

4) The Ace/Chunky storyline was hit or miss. I prefer when the entire drew crew is working together toward a common goal and when someone is missing (or in this case working on a totally unrelated “case”), the entire vibe of the show feels off. I thought the conversations between Nick and Ace were interesting and I’m still marinating on them. Honestly, they were probably the most interesting part of the episode to me - particularly Nick’s observation that Ace trying to go back to the “friendship” he and Nancy used to have might be a futile effort because what they had might have always have been more than friendship, whether they knew it then or not. Like DAMN NICK, don’t hold back. Everyone else is telling them to move on and Nick’s the only one out here gently letting Ace know that his whole grand “friendship” plan may be impossible. 

5) Speaking of Chunky....I’ve seen some people say that Ace let him go out of spite. But my read on it was more that Ace realized there may have been a kernel of truth in what Nick said. Letting go of Chunky was him realizing that there is no going back to the relationship they used to have..so now the journey is figuring out how to be in her life moving forward if its not what they were before they knew they had feelings or what they could have been had the curse not been in place. 

6) Finally, I don’t get the vibe anymore that we’ll be seeing Ace’s “ire” over her whatever with Tristan. Ryan’s for sure. But I don’t know...after this ep, I just don’t see “ire” being the thing that comes out of Ace. At the end of the day, he knows Tristan was key to saving Nancy and she would have died otherwise. I’m not saying there won’t be jealousy or anger but I think its something he’ll let fester inside of him rather than calling her out on it (at least for now). 

Anyway, I just...I didn’t like that episode. I feel like it had the potential to be so much more and just fell short of what it could have been.

[cannibalovers]

Hannibal song of the day: song no. 13

a bit about the song:

"The Lovers" (2017) is a song by Nine Inch Nails, appearing in the EP "Add Violence". It was written by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, two members of the group. It has a very anxious, almost threatening, but calming sound to it due to the amount of reverb, deep electronic bass, Trent's muffled vocals, and the instrumental which features a sound manipulator, "Luminist Garden", which is supposed to sound like finger-tapping to connote anxiety, inherent in addiciton. It fits alternative genres like alternative electronic rock and experimental. The lyrics of the song began as a poem by Trent, exploring the “inevitability of addiction and seduction” and a possible path his life could have taken if he didn't end up recovering from his drug addiction. The title can also tie to tarot, the 6th card in the major arcana being "The Lovers" - this card represents love, but also two oppositional forces coming together, in balance, as well as in a more personal light, becoming whole as an individual, coming to terms with ones flaws, strenghts, beliefs and accepting one's self. Overall, the songs meaning is about seduction and succumbing to what one shouldn't succumb to, feeling contempt and complete - whatever that may be.

i've never realised just how vulnerable and dark this song is, it took me a while to appreciate its beauty

i've had this song in my playlist since the beginning, not thinking that much of it until i finished the show, especially after the wrath of the lamb. looking back at the lyrics it reminds me of Will SO much its insane. the succumbing and the serenity the protagonist feels, GOD. in my eyes it describes Will's thoughts perfectly.

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Verse 1

"I can hear you breathing I’ve slipped out of time again Leaving all of you behind And I’m free"

The protagonist is losing himself, succumbing to the drug. He is losing his sense of timeas it can often be with substances, leaving everything behind - most likely the reality, people who care for him and normality as he feels enlightened. He even personifies the drug or perhaps the feeling he's experiencing, as he can feel it breathing, growing. It all feels so empowering, yet disturbing.

The opening lines summarise what I personally believe went through Will's head as he layed his head on Hannibal's chest SO well. He can feel him breathing, they're finally so close, all the boundaries have been crossed, it feels so surreal. He left everything behind, his perfectly crafted life, his wife and kid, something he cared for so much, his life as a criminal profiler, everything before that, leaving all of his whole old life behind - He doesn't care anymore and has never felt more alive and free before this.

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"To return to the place where I already am And have always been If I just really looked and allowed myself To see"

The protagonist realises that he has been repressing and ignoring what he now believes is his true purpose, he now believes that this state and feeling are what he was born for, what he was made for. He feels like he's on the "right path" once again.

Will has also been repressing and ignoring. He recognizes his ferocious nature and didn't want to accept it - Yet Hannibal did everything he could to drive him to it, to kill, do what he was made for. They caused so much destruction together around themselves. That's why he separated himself from Hannibal in the first place - they were perfect and the worst for each other simultaneously.

But season 3, the longing for Hannibal has never left him, it only was easier to ignore now that Hannibal was out of the picture - but just one visit, just one look was all it took to change his mind, exactly what Will was afraid of when coming back. He has returned and started to regret leaving, again. He knew that his true purpose was with Hannibal and that he wanted to be with him, he has always been there, longing for it. He couldn't ignore it again. Finally, murdering Dolarhyde together with Hannibal has made him see it and accept it, finally allowing himself to see what Hannibal was trying to show him all these years. No hiding anymore.

------------------------------

"The confusion is seducing me warm perfect flowing Wide his eyes Summer Hypnotize they see inside of me Hot swollen skin want me take me perfect embrace Black and bloody Rotten and perfect The center has moved on and all that’s left is free Finally Finally Everyone seems to be asleep but me"

These lines are supposed to represent the setting of the song itself - New Orleans, hot summer, the protagonist describing his current state; eyes blown, hypnotised, seen, accepted, sick, rotten. So horrible yet perfect, it felt so right. A paradox. The "everyone seem to be asleep but me" line is also a reoccuring imagery in the "Not The Actual Events" EP and the rest of the "Add Violence" EP, with "I can't seem to wake up" lyrics in "Not Anymore". The repeating theme in my eyes talks about the blindness and subconsciously ignoring a feeling, maybe even an intuition, a bewildered state of mind. The protagonist seems to go between feeling like they are alive and the only one seeing the reality amongst all the blinded people and like they can't wake up, realising something is wrong but cannot pinpoint what is it. Here, they feel on top of the world, like they have gone through an awakening and are the only ones to realise just how free they can be and now, are. The center could refer to stability and morals, now moving on, lost and thrown away.

This summarises the show perfectly, especially Will's side as he now realises and accepts how beautiful this all is, monstrous, sickening, but so very beautiful. A paradox that he is finally willing to accept as it is and relish. The confusion he feels, comforting instead of frightening now,

This sounds like Will's point of view of the whole thing so accurately it drives me INSANE. The confusion he feels, unusually comforting instead of frightening. Catching Hannibal's eyes, so hypnotising and warm as he tries to hold himself up and stagger to him, Hannibal's touch burning his skin so delectably. Finally, he achieved content. The feeling he has been longing to experience for his whole life.

------------------------------

Chorus

"Take me Into the arms of the lovers Free Take me Into the arms of the lovers"

the progatonist is finally accepting what he now sees as something that cares for him, accepts him for who he is and makes him feel satisfied and at peace, an equivalent of a lover. The embrace representing acceptance and the two opposite forces coming together, back to the possible interpretation from the tarot card "The Lovers".

just Will wanting to cuddle and hug, cmon. but also indeed the embrace both showed his acceptance of Hannibal and himself, as well as accepting how safe and accepted Hannibal made him feel, how content he feels now that he has accepted his nature thanks to Hannibal.

------------------------------

Verse 2

"Oh I see you floating there How could I ever hope to forget Always rearranging, this is Those words are a lie a mirror reflecting in a mirror of a lie A light shines still always Shadows in every wordBeneath black eaves Please don’t leave me here I could stop it Maybe I could stop it (if I wanted to)But I’m not the one driving anymore I know who I am But I know who I am Right?(Please don't leave me here with them)"

The last verse is very desperate, again admitting to ignoring their past, trying to grow and move away from the addiction but not being able to. Everything felt like a lie, but the truth always comes out - the protagonist loses control to what has been tempting him, realising it yet still trying to convince himself that he is himself, he is his own he let this happen because he wanted it to. The protagonist seems to be constatly on the hunt for connection, anything, anywhere where he won't feel alone. Maybe that's why they succumbed.

For Will, this reminds me of the lingering effect that Hannibal had on him. How could he ever forget what Hannibal did to him, how he changed him? Even he himself said that his life splits into two chapters; "Before you, and after you". Hannibal always haunted him and he couldn't escape him - not like Hannibal would let him. He always found a way to get to Will. But now, Will accepts it, even wants it. He realises just how lonely and dreadful life was without Hannibal, even if he chose to walk away. After all, how do you recover from cutting off someone who has made you feel so accepted and known?

Hannibal's manipulations and acts to try and win Will's heart has made Will feel at a loss of control, constantly messing with Will's sense of identity in season 1, making him question who he is. He tried to regain control, what he made sense of, at least - leaving Hannibal, striving to achieve the normalicy and perfection that he always wanted as he thought that that's what would make him happy and normal, cure whatever he has been longing for, thinking it was just loneliness and a need for someone caring - but Hannibal showed him what it was exactly that he was missing - acceptance and understanding, even of his darkest and most flawed parts. This feeling and realisation he could never forget. He longed and longed, hoping that he could regain this kind of connection he has with Hannibal with someone else, but to no use. He was the only person that he couldn't hide himself from and be fully seen. I think in wrath of the lamb he finally accepted that, and after that, he would never want Hannibal to leave his side or to leave Hannibal, no matter how lost and confused he feels around him. Before the fight with Dolarhyde, Will says that he doesn't think he can save himself anymore, and that might be just fine. Instead of questioning the right and wrong once again, he listens lets Hannibal lead, show him what he wanted to show all along to him instead of stopping him like he did before. Finally accepting what everyone else would see as his "downfall".

------------------------------

these two make me insane and unwell and this song combined with with them and me being unable to fucking express my views and thoughts cohesively drives me even more insane.

anyway thank u, hope u enjoyed<3

------------------------------

additional notes:

the pun in the last sentence of v2 was actually not intended i didn't realise that LMAOOOO

ffs i reedited this for like 50 minutes straight and tumblr went oopsies smth went wrong couldnt save. i left it in drafts for a few says thinking maybe i will find motivation and will to reedit it but all i feel is irritability and the urge to delete the post so yall getting the unchecked version sorry WHY ARE U SO DIFFICULT TUMBLR

my playlist post

[ophernelia]

Also there is literally no way s3 can only be 22 episodes. I have too much stuff to get through. We are on like ep 13 and the wedding hasn’t happened yet. They still have the November holidays to get through. Then the SK trip. And then maybe a 2-3 year time jump. And then back to the stuff we covered in episodes 1-10. And I’m not pushing it off to season 4. I don’t even know if there will be an s4. Like I wanna change how I do stuff. I’d rather view it from a book lense and technically season 1 and 2 would be smooshed together. That’s like the first few chapters. Idk.