#Not because they’re intrinsically better - if they were put in the scenario the former were wouldn’t they react similarly? -

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

anyone want my 1600 unstructured rant about morality and fate in the first age? Here, it’s yours.

Absolute morality concerning doom and fate in Tolkien’s Silmarillion

The justification and persecution of the first age and its participants are heavily discussed, heavily disputed topics. In this we will explore the relevance of the first age to Eru’s plan, the extent of its events as products of fate, and the eventual moral judgement of participants in light of actions and given circumstances. Lore used follows the published Silmarillion (Ainulindalë, Valaquenta, Noldolantë) and the End of Days prophecy most recently given by Tolkien. We aim to draw accurate moral judgments and either demonstrate reasoning for or create hypotheses of characters’ fates by examining textual evidence of Eru and the Valar’s moral standings and involvement.

Of Eru Iluvatar, little is given. Here, we assume he is motivated by love for creation, and he would pass this to the three races of his children as their purpose of existence. Therefore the End of Days ushers in a peace free of evil that is devoted entirely to creative progress. However, the action of the first ages is concerned with the destruction of evil (being wilful and unprovoked immorality) due to Melkor’s rebellion. Let is infer that Eru has foreseen Melkor is incurably evil, and thus sees he must be wholly destroyed or absolutely captured; we infer also the existence of a law of conservation of power as a tenant of Eru’s plan (which men alone can withstand). Given this, the hand of men is needed to overcome Melkor’s power. Eru, who has power to create souls tied to the life of Arda, possessive of greater power— elves, and souls dissevered from it, possessive of lesser— men, contrives to mix them and breed a new race.

This new race is that of the Dúnedain. They have strength enough to face Melkor and can subvert the law of conservation of power, evidenced by the prophesied role of Ar-Pharazon’s fleet in the End of Days (wherein they will be unburied and their alliance decide the winning side). Before the siege of Utumno the quendi were taken to Valinor, and must return to meet men and breed the numenorean race. To the end Eru applies himself.

After Melkor’s first capture, he is offered mercy. This is a principled act: though Melkor had no remorse or feasible excuse, it is overhasty to punish a first-time offender. Melkor is instead given three ages of waiting and a chance to beg for release. This is similar to the fate of slain elves in Mandos. It is reasonable to assume that Eru was aware Melkor was incurable but knew also the initial forgiveness was necessary. In anticipation of his betrayal, and the darkness to come, Eru brought to life Fëanáro, greatest of elves, and put it into his mind to create the Silmarils. Fëanáro and his bloodline are designed as the vassals of the Noldor, responsible for leading them to Beleriand and protecting them from Melkor (evidenced by the march of Maedhros) while the first peredhil are born. Finwë’s second, marriage, too, was of Eru’s devising: he perceived Fëanáro and his kin were too volatile, thus the line of Fingolfin sired the numenorean race.

Nargothrond and Gondolin, devised at Ulmo’s will by Turgon and Finrod, were both indispensable in the creation of the peredhil lines. Of Nargothrond, King Finrod Felagund’s loyalty saved Beren Erchamion; of Gondolin, Tudor and Idril there met. They are therefore necessary to Eru’s plan. Of the meeting of Elwing and Earendil, it may be said that the respective falls of Doriath and Gondolin were necessary, though the manner in which this occurred (the turning of kin against kin) may not have been.

Now we examine the independent actions of Noldoli relevant to the designs of fate above described. First and foremost is the oath, which can be named rather rash than evil (though there may be evil in Fëanáro’s forcing of its swearing upon his children, the acts committed in its name are independent). Fëanáro’s following of Melkor to Beleriand to avenge his father and reclaim his property is not suspect, but the first kinslaying is. It was later proven that the Helcaraxë was not an impossible path, therefore making the weighing of Fëanáro’s need against the Teleri’s sentimentality obsolete. It can be claimed that the Teleri ought to have joined in Fëanáro’s cause or given the boats willingly, but it cannot be claimed that battle was an appropriate solution. Of the burning of the boats, we say Fëanáro’s actions were wilful, but not unprovoked: the early death of his mother, remarriage of his father, and the latter’s recent murder suggest significant grief and trauma, such that Fëanáro’s actions, while morally wrong, were not evil.

Fëanáro is the first elf we can properly describe as victimised, as his parents’ situation was outside of his control. Eru likely arranged it such so that Fëanáro would grow hale and steely, and thus be capable of leading his people to exile, and it is a similar thing that is done to Maedhros. His captivity in Angband taught him the internal strength needed to hold the east against Melkor, and thus allow the births of the peredhil and creation of the numenorean strain. These situations (and many similar) complicate the judging of acts based on immediate morality alone, for the undeserved emotional suffering occasionally accounts (as in the case of Dior withholding the Silmaril). Of Celegorm and Curufin in Nargothrond, much of their actions can be ascribed to the power of the oath: explaining but not justifying their part in Finrod’s death. This was their treachery not wilful and not evil. Their withholding of Luthien may be pronounced evil, though softened as it did no lasting damage— except, perhaps, politically between Doriath and the sons of Fëanáro, excusing Thingol and Dior’s withholding of the Silmaril.

Of Beren and Luthien, their actions were sound though directly contributed to the provocation of the oath and subsequent kinslayings (explaining but not justifying them). Whether the retrieval of one Silmaril was necessary to Eru’s plan or not is questionable: what would have happened if Thingol had not demanded such a price? Their quest is the crux around which the first age falls, and though it inadvertently caused great tragedy, it is likely alone responsible for the meeting of Earendil and Elwing, and their sailing to and convincing of the valar (a last resort). Thus is the second kinslaying in a sense completely justified: as a necessity of fate.

Unless one holds the Silmaril itself responsible for the safe passage of Earendil to Valinor (thereby necessitating the third kinslaying) then for Sirion can no excuse be made. The action of the oath alone and the psychological torment of the remaining brothers is sufficient to turn hate into pity; though one may not go far as to say they had no choice, one is compelled to offer forgiveness. Integral to the viciousness of this act are both the relatively defenceless state of Sirion and the importance of the Silmaril to its people: in this case, the benefit it brings outweighs the natural claim Fëanáro’s sons have for it. Elwing would have been morally right to suggest surrendering the Silmaril on the condition the brothers keep it in Sirion, but her suspicion of them due to their ransacking of her home prove this is not unprovoked, though still unjustified.

Here the nature of the oath is discussed. Foremost in discourse is its universal nature, such that even Fëanáro and his kin themselves are subject to it, and the supernatural power it has upon the foresworn. It is unclear whether the oath refers only to current perpetrators, or to those past including. If the latter is true then doomed are all foresworn, if only the former then the oath’s end shall come at the End of Days, when the Silmarils are broken (this particular act unspecified in their oath) and the oath becomes void.

Of Elu Thingol can we be most judgemental. If we hold the necessity of Beren’s quest in creating the numenorean line as unproven, then his hubris may be condemned as rash (similar to the swearing of the oath). Indeed, these two acts work against each other in the kinslayings. Thingol’s initial coldness towards the noldor is explained by their slaying of his brother’s kin, and his refusal to surrender the Silmaril by his hatred for their capture of his daughter. The latter especially is morally incorrect, though the Silmaril’s growing hold on him (which would lead to the fall of Doriath) again would turn our hate to pity. Thingol’s actions may be judged as no better nor no worse than those of Fëanáro’s sons.

Thus is no individual in the first age wholly evil, though the kinslayings and Thingol’s bride price may be held as morally wrong (as are Thingol and Dior’s withholding of the Silmaril). Of punishment, the suffering of the perpetrators would beg mercy, and, indeed, the fates of Maedhros and Maglor may be called apt. The torment of Maedhros as necessary in his role as Lord of Himring in particular may absolve this, and the peculiars of his mental state regarding the Nirnaeth Arnoediad as relative to its inspiration by Beren’s quest further complicate the matter of Thingol’s innocence, and further insinuate that Maedhros’ actions were not entirely wilful.

Inconsistencies between the silmarillion and our understanding of Eru’s plan may be understood through the intervention of men. Beren being the most prominent: his and Luthien’s love, provoking the bride price and then the quest, was doubtless unexpected. The Silmaril’s retrieval being half Luthien’s doing, it is possible that Eru foresaw her completing a similarly great deed (simply the overthrow of Sauron’s tower, perhaps) which he would hold to provoke the Nirnaeth Arnoediad: in his eyes, perhaps, a winning battle. It is, though, Ulfang’s betrayal that ultimately ruins the plan. Thought this text concerns itself only with the fates of elves, of Ulfang it can be said his deed may only be repented should the numenorean fleet side with the Valar in the Dagor Dagorath. Indeed, the End of Days alone brings full forgiveness for many actions of the first age, the fate of the Silmarils being with both entwined.

[nat-20s]

this is a Wild™ prompt so no pressure to actually do it, but i’ve had the scenario of “somehow s5 martin ends up in s1-s2, has to figure out how to deal with that” and if u want a narrower thing, maybe how he reacts to seeing someone again/for the first time? (Sasha, Juergen Leitner, Prentiss, etc)

Please have fun with Whatever this is:

“Don’t go wandering off in the middle of the apocalypse” seems like a pretty simple rule to follow. “Especially don’t go through any weird doors, Christ, Martin, how can that possibly be a good idea on any level, do you remember nothing from the last five years of your existence?” also seems like a generally easy thing to keep in mind. And yet, Martin is guilty of the same sin that appears to be intrinsic of all of those who find themselves under the influence of the eye, his need to know something overriding his common sense. In his defense, the door was only like 2 meters away and he wasn’t planning on going through it or even touching it at all. He just wanted to look, because it appeared to be made of a liquid version of frosted glass, and it was translucent enough that he could sort of make out the other side of it. As he got closer, he confirmed that the other side of the door a: definitely didn’t match the rest of their own little hell-scape, and b: seemed familiar in a way he couldn’t quite make sense of.  

Of course, in the dream logic of their reality, you don’t have to place your hand on the door knob in order for you to enter some place new. All it takes is getting within a foot of the door, squinting to futilely try and bring the scene across from him into better focus, and a blink and suddenly he is not where he’s supposed to be. Instead, he is staring down the hallway of his former apartment complex, watching as a familiar woman attired in a red dress and countless words is steadily knocking at his door. There’s a weight in his hands that wasn’t there before, and he looks down to find a fire extinguisher in prime position to be fired. Huh. How serendipitous.

Martin’s surprised to find that he doesn’t feel afraid, not in this moment. It appears that for all the two weeks spent hiding from her still frequent more often than not in his nightmares, for all that the sight of canned peaches still makes him nauseous, in his (probably) waking hours, she is far less intimidating than the myriad of horrors he has faced since. Or, perhaps, it’s simply that he is actually equipped to face her, and that takes away some of the teeth of his fear. Any semblance of preparation, of a plan, has given him comfort when he had little else, and that continues on now. Admittedly, though, while he does have preparation for this encounter, his plan is little more than “get Prentiss off of my fucking lawn and then see where we go from there” before he’s striding towards her.

He’s able to get close to her, about as close as he’s willing to get, before she takes any notice of him. Once he’s about five feet away, she turns her head, and briefly pauses that incessant, infuriating knocking. She gets as far as saying, “Oh, aren’t you inter-” before he sends a spray of foam directly to her face. It’s far from enough to kill her, but it’s enough to kill off some of the worms, so there’s no way that it doesn’t at least sting quite a bit. The CO2 makes her stutter and take several steps back, swatting at the foam at an attempt to get it off.

He considers pulling the handle once again, but he’s really more concerned with getting her to leave than hurting her further, and he doesn’t to run out of ammo this early should she recover and decide to go on the attack. However, he likes to think he’s not too much of a fool, so he keeps the nozzle trained on her as she becomes less frantic.

Finally she stills her swatting, breathing heavily and glaring at him, as much as she can make any sort of facial expression with what’s left of her face. “That was rather rude of you, little one. And we are trying to offer you an escape from being so tragically singular.”

Martin raises the nozzle slightly higher, just enough to bring focus to the motion as he replies, “Yeah, well, it was rude of you to stalk my apartment for two weeks and try to kill me and my coworkers, so forgive me if I don’t feel all that grateful for your oh so generous offer.”

“Hmm. So you are his future. That’s a shame. We are made so loneliness is impossible, it would not wrap itself so throughly into your form. Our love could still be given to you, in this time.”

“I have no interest in your hollow version of love. He has no interest in it. Now, leave.”

Prentiss give an airy wave of her hand, and the worms that had been trying to find any crack in the sealed door come crawling back to their home. “Fine, fine. This was just a bit of fun, anyway. I’ll be seeing him soon enough anyway.”

Martin makes a hum of acknowledgement, though he response makes little difference to her taking her leave. There’s a few silver-grey disgusting stragglers that be promptly and throughly kills with a combination of the fire extinguisher and some well placed stomps. It’s only after he finishes this that the hesitation hits him, the trepidation curling low in his stomach until it solidifies into something akin to fear. He’ll take a worm monster over facing himself any time of any day.

What would he even say to himself? Good luck, the next years of your life are completely fucked? Hey, congratulations, you actually made it to your 30s, so that’s a bit of surprise, but you’re almost certainly not going to get to 35? Don’t talk to a man named Peter Lukas, or maybe just avoid any Lukases in general? Maybe he should lie, tell him things are going to turn out okay when they’re definitely not?

Wait, okay, maybe he has something with the Peter tip. If there’s an opportunity to give this version of him some advice that could prevent future grief, he might as well go for it. It’s like, how badly could he actually mess up the time line with his interference? The world could end again? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. Upon the realization that basically no matter what he does right now there’s basically no where to go up but up, he makes an executive decision to go in there and confront himself head on. Hell, maybe that’s the Thing that’s needed to get him back to Jon.

As he goes to turn the door handle he also, briefly, thinks that he should bring up that he’s madly in love with someone who feels the same. It’s not immediately relevant for trying to prevent some of the mistakes he’s made, but Martin remembers being 28, utterly convinced both that love was real and something that was completely unattainable for something like him. Being wrong on the second part of that conviction is one of the few true comforting things he can provide.

The door is, of course, locked, so he goes with plan B. Turns out fire extinguishers are rather handy for smashing things, and he brings it down several times in rapid succession until the knob breaks. There’s one step down, but he had forgotten about the furniture barricade that had been put in place. He can get the door open about 7 centimeters before it refuses to budge, and he begins to wonder if all of this is an exercise in futility. At least his voice won’t be muffled when he calls out, “Martin? You in there?”

There’s nothing but silence, and he sighs and leans his head against the apartment door. “Seriously, Martin, could you respond? And maybe move some of this furniture? If you’re dead that means things are way more messed up than I expected.”

After a beat, a strained voice calls out, “Oh, so a bad impersonation of me is part of your dumb monster powers now? Piss off!”

After a groan and an eyeroll, Martin calls back “I’m not-!” before cutting himself off. He meant to say “I’m not a monster, I’m you” but both of those things are only about 60-70% true. Instead he goes with, “I’m not an impersonation. If I was something pretending to be someone else to get inside, wouldn’t I pick one of your coworkers coming to get you? Like Tim or Jon or Sa- you know, um, one of them?”

Silence.

“You have a peephole, right? You could look through it, confirm that I’m not worm-infested?”

He doesn’t hear a response with words, but he does hear the sounds of motion coming from inside. After a few minutes, the furniture is pushed aside, and the door is opened for him. Jesus, the guy on the other side of the door looks like shit. He probably doesn’t look much better, apocalypse grime covering every inch of him, but still. The man in front of him has deep bags under his eyes and a gauntness to his face that will take a while to ease. Worst of all, he looks painfully young and painfully afraid, and while Martin can recognize himself on a logical level, there’s a forced disconnect that makes him feel like he’s looking at a stranger. The knife that’s being held between them probably doesn’t help matters.

His former self’s voice shakes with a mix of adrenaline and exhaustion. “You got the hair color wrong. And the age.”

“That’s because I’m 32. Also, still not an impersonation.”

“My hair goes white in 5 years?”

“Not in the natural way. You know those hokey stories where people are so scared their hair turns white? That’s...sort of what happened. And it’s not going to happen to you, if I can help it.”

That’s the wrong thing to say, apparently, as the younger Martin’s face twists up. It’s a lot, Martin thinks it’s a lot and he’s far more experienced in the reality of the esoteric, but sometimes things being a lot is unavoidable, and he’s pretty sure time travel is one of those cases. He shrugs in response to the younger’s confusion, and says, “Can I come in? I think I’m here to dole out some advice, and I’d honestly prefer to do while not standing in worm corpses.”

He’s studied for a few brief moments, before he’s told, “You broke my doorknob.”

“You’re never gonna live here again, and it’s not like you were getting the security deposit back anyway. Does it matter?”

The younger one’s face collapses, despondent when he replies, “But. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

Martin’s been experiencing a nauseating mixture of anger, pity, and compassion while seeing his past self, but that’s enough to kick in his care-taking instincts, and he really just wants to wrap the guy in a blanket. That’s not going to help either of them, but what he says next might. With a frankly ridiculous wave of fondness for that uncomfortable cot (or, more accurately, for the memory of a certain someone offering said cot), “You will. After you go back to the institute, you, um, you won’t have to stay here again.”

Martin, junior edition, only looks more lost, but he does step aside to let Martin inside the apartment even if he doesn’t lose his death grip on the knife. Martin pulls the door behind him, and as he does so, it transforms into the door that got him in this mess, so looks like he made the right choice. It doesn’t immediately take him (hopefully) back to his own time, but Martin’s gut is telling him that he won’t be spending much longer here. “Okay, so, you have a notebook around here, right? Because I’m about to dump quite a bit of information on you all at once, and I happen to know that our memory for things of this sort is not fantastic.”

The younger one glances over to the table where a notebook and pen are laying and while he moves towards it, he’s clearly hesitant to occupy both his hands with writing. The precaution makes sense, but Martin’s getting tired of it nonetheless due to a combination of running out of time and generally being tired of people seeing him as a threat. With a sigh, he tries his best to evenly say, “The next few years are going to be, um, messed up, to say the least, but hopefully if you have more information than I did, they’ll be less messed up.”

Younger Martin finally concedes, putting the knife down to pick up the pen, and flips the notebook open. Primed to start writing, he gives slight nod of his head to tell Martin to keep talking. Martin takes a breath, lets it out, and spills everything he can think of. “Okay, most immediately, CO2 kills Prentiss’s worms, and enough of it will kill her. A fire suppressant system will do the trick, but make sure there’s a way to actually trigger it inside of the archives. Makes sure the weird spooky table doesn’t get destroyed, it seems like it should be destroyed, this instinct is wrong. Generally speaking, you should get a buddy system set up, as it’s usually when people go off on their own that particularly bad things start to happen, whether it’s on an investigation or going to America. Speaking of, don’t let Jon go to America. Don’t let Tim go to stop the Unknowing. The Unknowing won’t work anyway, but you’ll probably still want to have the circus blown up, just make sure everyone is doing it from a distance. Don’t let yourself work for Peter Lukas, actually don’t interact with Peter Lukas, except maybe to, I don’t know, hit him with a shovel. And most importantly, kill Elias Bouchard as soon as possible-”

“-What?!-”

“-and in particular make sure you destroy the eyes, that’s vital to this whole thing. Turns out he’s actually a 200 year old scumbag named Jonah Magnus, you know, the founder of the institute, and by getting rid of him, you’ll save yourself a quite literal world of pain.”

“I don’t, what, I don’t think I could kill somebody-”

Martin felt a sharp tug towards the door, and he knew his time here was up. “Oh, wow, I really have changed, huh. Anyway, uh, final notes: you’re not going to end up alone and unloved and forgotten before you’re even fully gone, so feel free to lay that fear that occupies a disconcertingly large amount of your mental space to rest. Good luck, and try not to die!”

Before he can hear his other self’s response, he’s back in the wastelands he currently calls a twisted version of home, and Jon’s arms are wrapped around his neck in a fierce hug. As far as he can tell, nothing’s changed from his little literal trip down memory lane. There’s a few explanations for it, but since Martin’s not going to go out of his way trying to prove any of them, he choses to believe in the one that’s the most hopeful; that somewhere, out there, with some well timed words, there’s a universe that has turned out kinder than their own.

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 2X03 - Lady of the Lake

Did you think it was safe to go back in the water?

Well, you’re half right!

While there’s not a lake, you CAN go below the fathom of the cut to see my thoughts on this episode, and that’s cool too!

Press Release Emma and Mary Margaret, with the aid of Mulan, Aurora and brave knight Lancelot, attempt to find a portal that will bring them back to Storybrooke. But a dark force threatens their safe return. And Henry tries to talk Jefferson into reuniting with his daughter. Meanwhile, back in the fairytale land that was, on the eve of meeting Prince Charming’s mother, King George poisons Snow White, and the only antidote lies within the waters of the Lady of the Lake. General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness Past So this is another case of the segment being all well and good, but not leaving me with a lot to say. I think the story worked pretty effectively, the characters were pretty consistent, and it was an enjoyable and emotional story to take in. I actually got choked up as Ruth was dying.

I did have an interesting character point to make about King George: ”I had a son I loved die before his time.” Now, when you take “A Murder Most Foul’s” flashback into consideration, should one consider George’s love for James as being love to the best of his understanding, albeit more problematic (Along the lines of Cora for Regina or a certain Infinity War spoiler) or as a fake love that’s just for show? His next line about wanting to “replace” James and the fact that he cried at James’ funeral makes me think of the former. Enchanted Forest I’ll never get over how disturbing Cora is when she pretends to be friendly. Normally, with characters like Umbridge, the creepiness of a false friend character comes from how sickly sweet they are, but that’s absolutely not the case with Cora. She plays her roles so naturally that if she were any other character, I feel like I’d believe her at first sight. There’s a warmth in her voice and a gentleness to her being, and that holds over to when she’s “Coralot” too.

Emma and Snow have a really great conflict in this episode. Emma’s unfamiliarity with the fairytale aspects of her culture when combined with her stubbornness allows her to gel really well against Snows understanding of the world and people here and it pits them together in a very interesting scenario where they’re definitely not fully getting along, but there’s unquestionable love there.

Additionally, the metaphorical as well as physical place where this episode brings Emma to is just beautiful. I actually forgot just how good the buildup of Emma and Snow’s relationship was, but the way that the episode builds so subtly and slowly to that revelation leaves me speechless as I am overcome by how profound it is.

“I’m not use to someone putting me first.” It’s so beautifully sad hearing Emma’s voice break as she says this. I know how a lot of people wanted more backstory for Emma, and don’t get me wrong, I’d never oppose an Emma-centric, but I feel like lines like this capture everything we need to know about Emma’s backstory better than any centric could. In this line is a dropping of one’s guard and vulnerability.

One thing that I think is misconstrued in this fandom is strength. Strength in this show is not simply the ability to yield a sword, make snappy one liners, or destroy an apple tree. Strength in this series is emotional vulnerability. Characters in this show are at their strongest when they make they discuss the darkness in their lives and why it made them who they are or what they discovered on their journey. Try to think of your favorite main character and your favorite moments with them. I’m pretty sure that among the more serious moments you chose, those where they expose the most raw parts of themselves to those they love rank highly. That’s why I love the final scene between Emma and Snow in the bedroom. It’s a revelation, and an empowering revelation, one that will come back during their later confrontation with Cora on the way home.

And speaking of Cora again...

Cora’s display of power in the episode’s climax is really amazing here. In the past, the only beings we saw her go up against with her magic had no magical or weapon-based abilities (Or in Regina’s case, she wasn’t aware of those abilities) and in this episode, we saw her magic take down not only Emma, a tough fighter, but Snow, someone we just saw shoot an ogre in the eye, as well like it were nothing. It made her (temporary) defeat so much more meaningful as it (a) involved Emma learning from her fairytale surroundings and (b) only came about as a means of unpredictability thanks to Mulan, allowing for Cora to retain that menace. Storybrooke I love how David is the only Charming who hasn’t spent an extended amount of time with Henry, thus passively characterizing him as the only one who wouldn’t see Henry running away from school coming from a mile away. That leads to some great bonding between the characters and further paints just how deep in the shit David is.

This segment does a great job with Henry. We see not only how good of a schemer he is, but also how vulnerable and unfamiliar Henry is with these magical elements. It’s rare that Henry gets such a central role, but when he does, until he hits his adult iteration, it’s important that these two things are present. Henry retains his competence as both someone who can weasel out of pretty much anything and someone who knows how to emotionally bring people together. But, the story is also clear to show his failings when his search goes too far with the snakes. It paints him as a kid, someone who can be overwhelmed with circumstances, but can also handle quite a lot, painting a more nuanced picture to his character. Additionally, while it’s only in one speech towards the end of the episode, we see the first inklings of Henry’s several seasons-long arc of wanting to be a hero in the same vein as Snow and Charming. Henry gets to talk about how he wants to sword fight and ride horses All Encompassing The theme of this episode is parents putting their children first and it’s pretty overtly shown. Note that every character framed positively (Snow, Emma, Regina, Charming, Ruth, and Jefferson) intrinsically knows this to be true and only needs to prove their understanding of this to someone else or reinforce it for the audience’s sake (Snow and Emma risk their lives fighting monsters to protect and get back to their kids, Regina respects Henry’s wish not to see her by getting David to pick her up, Charming doing more to involve Henry in their quest to save everyone, Ruth through not taking the potion, and Jefferson through heeding Henry’s advice and finding Grace for her own sake). Meanwhile, those negatively framed (Cora and George) take steps that belittle what their children want (Trying to get back to Regina after Regina banished her and George making Snow infertile). It’s a very well delivered theme that’s effectively felt throughout the episode. Insights - Stream of Consciousness -Emma, run! She’s bad news! -I really miss the more unorthodox Operation names. Cobra, Scorpion, Firebird, and Mongoose were just so clever and while those with weaker names are cool too, if only because they were normally named by characters who aspire to be more like Henry, I do like the really out there ones! -Watching the tall-as-hell Lancelot hugging the teeny-weeny Snow is just the most adorable thing ever! -”We can trust him.” *Rumple clips about knowing the future proceeds to play forever* -I actually completely forgot this subplot of Aurora being out for Emma and Snow’s blood! And now Aurora’s got a knife! -Lancelot’s actor, Sinqua Walls, does remarkably subtle yet poignant acting as a disguised Cora. -”Family is everything. Losing all hope of having one -- there is no greater misery.” *Can’t help but roll my eyes as I don’t want kids* -I’m loving watching this great Emma and Snow scene while Aurora is trailing them in the background. I missed that the first time! -Regina looks so cute in her moving outfit! Everyone rocks short sleeves in my not-so-humble opinion and Regina/Lana is living proof of that! -I would pay real money to see who had the balls to ask a magically-powered Regina to leave! -What a douchey throw! It’s bad enough you poison Snow, but throw her out? What a douche! -Awwww! Ruth is just so fucking cute!!! -I love how Charming’s performing his biggest display of sword prowess yet in the exact place where Anna taught it to him! -”Back away from my daughter!” Anyone else getting a Molly Weasley vibe here, or is it just me? -Ruth is just so loving to Snow and it’s so beautiful!!! -Going back to those short sleeves, Emma’s quite the contender too!!! -You have to wonder, did Henry know his late grandpa’s name from his book or Regina or did he just discover that little tidbit now in the vault? While Henry does give a weird look at the placard with the name, given how Regina visits his grave, it’s possible that he learned it from her or even through the book. -Also, not to beat a dead horse, but I love how Henry has an easier time unlocking the secrets of the vault than Graham. -Not to jump on a bandwagon that I don’t much care for, but Regina, you really should return those hearts. -”Maybe we should’ve gone with Operation Viper.” This is an underrated one liner. -Nice segue between the vault and the bones. XD -Ruth, no! Snow’s infertility is a temporary problem that can possibly be fixed with help from the fairies. Your problem? Not so much! I’m so glad that Snow learned from this come Season 6 when it came to another curse that befell her. “Parents put their children first,” indeed. -I know it’s night time, but i hate how dark this scene in the castle is. This is such a poignant scene, Emma discovering what should have been her room, but it’s so hard to make out! -I’m legitimately choking up at Ruth’s death. -Lancey, trust me. You want to stay FAR AWAY from that cup! -Okay, so all of my Ruth tears went away the SECOND Snow pulled out that sword on “Coralot!” Snow, I love you so much!!! You’re such a badass! -”I killed him [Lancelot] a long time ago.” Don’t be so sure about that, Cora! -Why does no one try to put the fire out? Like, water, a blanket? At least try! -Again with the badass segues from a roaring fire to a candle. Also, that candle reminds me of a “yahrzeit” candle, a candle that those who follow Judaism light in honor of deceased relatives. -”Is there something I should know about?” I love you, David! You’re doofy as all hell and I love you for it! Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing? Emma accepting her parents - This was such an important episode to further this arc. The scene in what should have been Emma’s room is particularly poignant because for the first time, Emma gets to see a physical manifestation of all of Snow’s hopes and dreams for Emma and the fact that it’s all in ruin matches perfectly with the feeling of the two of them as to where their relationship is as of now (Note how after their final scene, Snow’s final look at the bedroom shows it repaired and in its original glorious state once more). Additionally, Snow in general gets to prove her support to Emma in this episode through her sheer protectiveness. And Emma’s speech in her old room is just a magnificent moment of realization that follows through on the conflict from “Broken.” Finally, she’s given context and it’s this that brings about the change in her. Emma and Snow stuck in the EF - We get to see a bit more of an exploration as to how Emma and Snow can hope to get home. I think this plot is so far going at a good pace, balancing out character work (see above) with exposition and world building. Storybrooke working to get them back - While not doing much in terms of forwarding the plot, David comes to the realization of needing to work together with Henry to bring Emma and Snow back. Regina’s Redemption - Regina’s redemption doesn’t get a lot of focus in this episode, but there are two big actions having to do with it. The first, obviously, is Regina preparing to leave the mayor’s office. It’s a great show as to the progress she’s trying to make and a great progression of her efforts. The second is shown not through her, but through Cora’s sheer determination to get to Storybrooke, something that threatens (And succeeds temporarily) to undo Regina’s redemption. Favorite Dynamic Henry and Jefferson - Now, to be honest, Emma and Snow had the best dynamic, but since they’re the main players in their plot, I wanted to highlight another dynamic so that I wouldn’t run the risk of repeating myself. Additionally, I did find that this was a great dynamic and given the hard time I’ve given Jefferson’s present form, I wanted to highlight just how impressed I was with him here. For the first time since the past segments of his centric, I didn’t feel like Jefferson was behaving like a moron while communicating. He, while still clearly agitated and off, was clear and actually spoke like someone who wanted to persuade Henry to leave him alone. This is what I wanted from a Jefferson scene because it’s consistent with his past self and pits him against a belief-heavy character at his lowest point who can relate to this conflict, but still disagree and provide real advice. And Henry’s a good character to do this with. He has a childlike innocence and bluntness that would make Jefferson more likely to talk with him. There’s even a great contrast to Jefferson’s common line through Henry: “Not knowing is the worst” and because so much of Henry’s current anger at Regina (And later on this season, Emma) comes from not knowing, it’s especially strong. Writer Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, last season’s best writers, are up for their first shot at bat this season and they knocked it out of the fucking park! Three fantastic stories were told and the portrayal of the episode’s theme was very well shown, and only one occasion made it anything but subtle. I’d say that this is their best episode since “Fruits of the Poisonous Tree” just on the centralized theme and Emma’s speech. Rating Golden Apple This episode was delightful. As I said before, each ot the stories were really fun to watch and that was made even better through their combined theme. Each character got their time to shine, in ways both outward (Ex. Snow, Ruth, and Emma) and subtle (Regina). Additionally, Emma’s character development as she and Snow explored the land and all of its dangers was simply divine. Finally, we got to see Cora at her best (Or rather, at her worst) and further reinforced her menace as the main villain of the half season. Flip My Ship - Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Snowing - Snow and Charming are just so dopily in love in this episode and Ruth is such a great show of that. Throughout the episode, she’s so giddy and happy for them and she just makes every Snowing moment a million times cuter! ()()()()()()()()() This season better find a new body of water soon because it is on FIRE! Thankfully, I think I know just where it can find one. We just have to follow the crocodile. ;)

Thanks for reading and as always to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales for putting this together and helping me keep the lights on. See you all next time!

Season 2 Tally (30/220)

Writer Tally for Season 2: Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (10/60) Jane Espenson (20/50) Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (10/50)

Operation Rewatch Archives Tags: ouat, once upon a time, watching fairytales, ouat episode code, ouat rewatch, jenna watches ouat, ships mentioned

[scoutshonor56]

COP NATION

“Bad boys, bad boys, watcha gonna do…”

 As I’ve watched our country being torn apart these last three weeks, I’ve been tempted to voice an opinion, but I thought I would let things simmer and roil a while before setting my thoughts to words – see how events evolved.  What has become obvious is that what we have are two separate issues, albeit both intrinsically woven together, joined at the waist: Racism, and what America calls “law and order”; specifically, those who are tasked to uphold this social contract, the police. Those sworn to protect and serve.

 Well, like America’s fixation with guns, I have also written about race many times – so many times that I’ve given up writing about either years ago; there is simply nothing more to be said, nor has anything significantly changed. So instead, I’m going to put out there some observations and insights about law enforcement here in America.  I draw upon mainly two sources: Last Monday’s (June 8) John Oliver show, and a recent post in the social platform, Medium: Confessions of a Former Bastard Cop.

 A quick addendum about the Medium piece: some may question it’s validity and alleged source, as is wise today – there is a huge, digital quagmire of untruths and bullshit floating around the mass communications world, where anyone is free to write anything and instantly put it out there. I myself am a stickler for checking sources and facts before voicing an opinion.  That being said, I choose not to waste time digging and poking around on this one for the simple reason that it’s irrelevant; in my 64 years I’ve seen it all happen – a lot.  From the war protests and race riots of the 60’s, to the beating and drowning of Joe Campos Torres by the Houston police my first year down here (‘77), to the fatal shooting of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas during a “no knock” botched drug raid January 18th of last year - yes, just like the one that lead to the death of EMT worker, Breonna Taylor, of Kentucky, who was shot eight times, in her home, just last March 13.  

 Also, a lot of the material touched on in this ex-cop confession is mirrored in the Oliver show.  For instance, you might ask yourself, “Is there really such a thing as a ‘killologist’ who regularly trains our police force?”

 Why yes little Sarah, there is indeed, and you can see him on the Oliver show!

 I encourage you to read the post in Medium (it’s lengthy, but if anything, at least read the closing suggestions) and watch the Oliver show, and then ask yourself: Why does America far and away lead the civilized world in police use of firearms, death by firearms, and imprisonment of its citizens?  What are we, as a society, doing wrong or differently?

 How did a simple case of an Atlanta black man, Rayshard Brooks, inebriated and asleep at a Wendy’s drive thru, result in his shooting death just days ago?  By the way officer Rolfe, bravo sir, bravo!  Job well done – so how does it feel to take a human life, shooting him twice in the back for the offense of being drunk and resisting arrest?  Hey, here’s a crazy thought, a wild reimagining: Considering America is now a tinderbox just waiting for a spark over policing methods, how do you think this would have played out if you and your partner, after finding Mr. Brooks too inebriated to drive, said “You know anyone you could call to take you home?  You can park your car right over there, come pick it up in the morning…”  

 The days of dismissing these incidents as “a few bad apples” are long gone; thanks to today’s technology, everyday citizens (not to mention the ubiquitous security cameras that are everywhere) now have the power to record with a handheld phone; anywhere, anytime, and it has become increasingly obvious that no, the problem runs deeper - right to the core of police culture and training.  A culture that recently got Tulsa Police Department  Maj.  Travis Yates in hot water when during a recent podcast he said that systemic racism “just doesn’t exist”, and further suggested research shows the police are shooting African Americans “24% less than we probably ought to be.”

 Uhhhh -  wow…

 Maybe it’s time to look at this nationwide problem from a totally different perspective; maybe we continue to put Band-Aids and cosmetic patches on something that needs to be addressed before the bleeding even starts.  The cause, and not the symptoms.  

Yet, once again we assuredly will see some tepid policy changes, banning chokeholds, mandated race relations seminars, increased accountability and monitoring, policy reviews, blah, blah, blah – as we’ve seen it all before, for decades (Hey, remember Rodney King?), and in the end nothing changes.  If these methods were effective, why are these incidents only increasing in frequency? I join the many who have seen enough; who feel America needs to erase the board and start this equation over, or this bloody ugliness will continue, and only get worse.  For an expansion on this, read an excellent recent editorial written by Mariame Kaba, featured in the NY Times.

 Unfortunately, the Dems have come up with a reasonable start, but decided to call the initiative “Defunding the Police”.  Really?  That’s the best you can do?  Something that anyone could easily interpret as “let’s starve the cops financially!” Until what – they die on the vine?

 No.  But let’s take a look at what this financial restructuring really means, and start with the fact that the police force militia (which it has now become) is amply funded.  This is because every politician, be they a Democrat or Republican, loves running on a “law and order” platform – it’s an easy grab line.  Who doesn’t support law and order in our society?  And if it means the police want something from a military garage sale, like a Humvee, an assault vehicle, military grade ordinance and all kinds of fun urban warfare toys?  No problem!  

 Jeez, why does America accept this as necessary? Because our culture, out TV shows, our movies, are saturated with the fairytale myth of “they’re out there everywhere, the ‘bad guys’, and the only thing protecting the sheep from the wolves are the police!”  We glorify and promote the idea of our security and protection depends on a steely-eyed squad who are not afraid to use a gun; from the days of the old west, to organized crime during prohibition, to Nixon in 1971 making drug abuse “public enemy #1”, declaring war on the scourge of violent drug dealers that overtook our streets and enslaved our children!  

 Which, I might add, has proven a laughable failure by any and all standards, and has cost the U.S. over a TRILLION dollars since 1971, while glutting our jails to overflowing with non-violent offenders and ruining countless families.

 Watch a cop show (or movie) and see how long it takes before the guns come out to finalize justice, to provide closure and a happy ending. Justice ends with the scum bleeding out on the sidewalk.  “COPS”!? Are you fucking kidding me?  I didn’t even know it was still on the air – 31 years…  Oh, we feel so safe and secure in our homes as we watch the shirtless rabble led off in handcuffs to the squad car!  

Who watches a show filled with actual arrests for entertainment?  

 Meanwhile, let’s leave fantasy land and take a look at the real world: Did you know the vast majority of police action is what they call “reactive”?  Meaning responding to noise complaints, issuing parking and traffic citations, dealing with the homeless, domestic disputes, and other noncriminal, societal issues.  Most cops make one felony arrest a year – one.  And here lies the nut of the problem: armed police being called out mostly to deal with issues such as these.  

 Things that should, and could, be handled by trained professionals in these fields, not some cop who got 1,000 hours of training at the academy, little of it having to do with these issues.  And I say this in defense of the police, and this is what “defunding” really means.  They shouldn’t have to deal with these problems, and most are ill equipped to do so – they’re cops!  If all you have is a hammer (club and gun), and you were trained to be a carpenter, everything gets treated like a nail.  This is ridiculous that our police are expected to wear so many hats and are so over extended.  Free them up to deal with actual criminal issues.  If one of the other scenarios turns violent or threatening, then call the police.

 Why does America find this concept so alien – so non-applicable here in the USA?  What, are our citizens somehow different than in the rest of the world?

 Bottom line, these are problems that exist because of the anemic funding in areas such as education, housing, and our shameful, for profit healthcare system that leaves millions uninsured and one medical emergency away from bankruptcy.  The positively obscene gap of income inequality that grows ever larger.  The false promises of politicians.  America is increasingly angry and frustrated with a government that is structured to favor the rich.  So yes, let’s try diverting some of police funding and instead put it into social programs involved with education, housing, mental health, etc.  These areas and the lack of funding are the seed, and then the root of most of society’s ills today – and yes, that often grow into crime and violence.  Often these are people that we’ve let fall thru the cracks, who didn’t get the same chance, the same opportunities; and who need a little help.

 Pay the police a better wage, attract and demand a more educated and diverse pool of applicants, and free them up to do what they are ideally supposed to do – PROTECT AND SERVE THE COMMUNITY.  They shouldn’t be seen as our enemy, nor should we be theirs.

 “You have to dominate, if you don’t dominate you’re wasting your time – you’re going to look like a bunch of jerks…You have to put them in jail for ten years and you’ll never see this stuff again.”   

- Trump addressing governors during a video conference call, June 1