#S-Hawk was SERVING in this episode

[beif0ngs]

S✪Hawk

[theworldremixed]

Ossan’s Love Thailand is a series for the tired millennial (part 1)

I often go on Reddit to view what people think about OLTH and, while there are the accolades to Earth’s acting (deserved, imo) and the cries of “this series is so underrated” (an opinion I also share), there’s a subset of people who find it… boring and filler-y.

So I’m trying to think about why that could be, because I don’t necessarily think those opinions come from a place of hate and could be valid criticism. And yet I don’t share that opinion and I’ve wondered why I’ve been loving this show so much. I’m tuned in like a hawk every week.

That’s when it dawned on me: OLTH is a slice of life sitcom.

So I was blabbing my incoherent thoughts on Twitter (it’s only a plus that blabbing helps the hashtag) here: https://x.com/expensivegherl/status/1896777150222725411?s=46

…and now that my thoughts are more cohesive, here’s why I find the series so relatable.

Heng is a representation of the burned-out optimist.

I think most fans/watchers got MAJOR WHIPLASH when comparing probie!Heng to present Heng. Lots of tweets were saying, “what happened to him?”

Sure, this Heng could be just the idealized version in Mo’s flashback, but he certainly looked more polished than he does now, which is this:

Eight years have lapsed in between his probation period and his current job as property consultant at Okaeri Real Estate. Heck, he isn’t even mid-management like Ten is. And yet, because he’s comfortable enough funding his hobbies, his VR, and his Mr. Saturnworld collection, he doesn’t think it worth it to move up (even if in his head, he DOES want to, as seen in his dream sequence in Episode 1).

The thing is… this is all so familiar, because heck, I’m facing this right now. Mom’s asking me why I can’t buy a house yet, or get married or have kids.

We’re just raised in different times.

How many times have Millennials been chastised by the boomers and Gen X for not attaining society’s standard of success? Remember how news sites would critique spending our money on avocado toasts and expensive coffee, instead of buying a home and raising a family?

I’m not making this up! Remember these articles?

Which brings me to…

Mr. Saturnworld is every Millennial’s hobby, ever.

Millennials love their hobbies. Heck, this abandoned site is proof eternal of how we are when we get our hands on hobbies. Coffee brewing (and the gear that comes with it). Pokémon card collecting. BL merch collections.

The New York Times call it “life-improvement splurges” for personal growth:

…I call it escapism.

We were thrown into college/the workforce post- ‘08 recession. Thrown into a reality where home ownership is becoming increasingly unattainable. Where salary increases don’t match inflation. Where company loyalty isn’t rewarded with set-for-life benefits. Climate change. We’re replaceable.

And so when Heng spends his money on Mr. Saturnworld, it’s because Mr. Saturnworld is attainable when a house isn’t. And it’s enough of a comfort to confront the next day, and the next (else we all go crazy).

Anyway, I want more Saturnworld merch.

With our mundane 9-to-5, we only ever remember the shenanigans of the week.

I think the difference between filler episodes and “shenanigans of the week” is that the latter serves the sitcom/slice of life format, while filler episodes help “fill” downtime outside of the main plot.

The thing is, filler episodes serve characterization in a plot-driven story/series/format, but sitcoms and slice of life series are NOT plot driven. They’re character driven.

We shouldn’t expect an overarching plot of how Heng gets his man in OLTH, because Heng getting his man is only secondary to Heng (and all the other characters) navigating their messy-ass lives.

And so, because OLTH is character-driven story, the “shenanigans of the week” allows us to see how Heng, Mo, and Kongdech (principally) navigate the curveballs.

Who remembers what they’re doing in their 9-5? I don’t. I only ever remember my weird clients, my using sick leaves for vacation getaways, and who got drunk in an office outing.

And office gossip, of course.

So yes, “haunted house” and “outing episode” might seem filler-y, but that’s only if you expect the series to be principally a BL romance with comedic elements.

OLTH isn’t that, though. It’s straight up a slice of life comedy with romantic elements… and some people might not like that. That’s okay.

But there are those of us really tired millennials who want to tune out and laugh along with people we could relate to.

There’s more I have to say about this, but my lunch break is over, and I have work to do. If I’m minded, I might just do a Part 2.

But in conclusion: OLTH is made for me! And I’m so happy I get to tune in and watch this show every week. The only shame is we’ve only got 3 episodes left sigh.

[behindthesefangirleyes]

“When I watched [the sex scenes] in the context of the show, I quickly realized that most of them feel forced or contradictory to the characters’ personalities. I think these scenes are the only aspect of ‘Fellow Travelers’ that feels like it exists to serve shock value rather than the story. 80% of them absolutely did not need to exist, or at least to be so explicit.”

That is a fan-review that I just read on Instagram, and it’s a damn shame. It’s unfortunate that the sex scenes had such a minimal impact on the story for the viewer.

I recently rewatched the first 3 episodes as I was traveling and out of courtesy for my one (adult) flight neighbor, I fast-forwarded through these scenes and felt that there was a significant loss to the story and the characters’ motivations.

Each of the sex scenes in each episode felt like a power grab to me. Especially how the story goes from Hawk on top and fully in control to that being chipped away where we see the power flip in his more vulnerable moments in episodes 7/8.

Not to mention what episode 6 reveals about how Tim views himself and his relationship to God through the lens of sex and his body (in terms of what he’ll allow his body to do and the guilt that he feels / what decisions he makes next based on that guilt [turning himself in] that alter both of their lives in permanent ways).

Even if these scenarios weren’t enough to serve as thought-provoking, the act of 2 men finding each other behind closed doors in the 50’s compared to the openness that Hawk witnesses in San Francisco in the 80’s and how we’re now seeing these freedoms stripped away again in modern times are reasons enough to applaud the brazenness and unapologetic nature of the sex scenes in “Fellow Travelers”.

[deantrenh]

Let's take a closer look at the 80s. Yes, there are few of them, but we will look at them anyway.

In one of the episodes (if my memory serves me correctly, this is specifically the 4th episode)

Hawke says, " He is as zealous in his (Tim)leftist views as he was with McCarthy's support"

Do you see that smile on his face? He is literally looking at the person with whom Hawk would be willing to share his entire life until his death. But society and time dictated their own rules to them .I think that look literally says, "I fucked up everything.But I'm so glad to see my boy. "At that point, Hawk already knew that Skippy was very few left. We've seen Fuller's reaction to this. And I understand that it's not easy for both of us. Because both of them couldn't be absolutely happy.And I'm truly sorry. what is LGBT And I'm truly sorry. what is LGBTK+ The community had to go through so much pain and horror in order to gain freedom. And that the fight for it is still ongoing. Just imagine how many such "Hawks and Skippies" there were, how many died and how many more will die simply because society and the government say that this is "wrong and contradicts completely incomprehensible principles and views"

It 's the same here . Tim was able to find a little bit of happiness only when he was already dying. But when Hawk arrived and they just had dinner, they just sat with friends. And at the same time, as soon as Hawk sat down in the circle, their gazes crossed with Tim. It would be therapy for them, for all of them, even though they had a little quarrel later. But in a long-term relationship, this is not something new.In the 80s, they would have screwed up everything that they had missed. I can't even imagine how Hawk felt when Skippy was taken to the hospital. Because here it is an emotional break literally. And the moment when he goes to bed with Skippy and a lot of such small moments warm my soul and make me believe in their love. In their sincerity . I think I like how their relationship started and what it eventually led to. We see the price for homosexual relationships at that time. I promise that in my head these two are together and happy. Because they deserve a good ending there and all that they didn't get in the canonical universe. The 80s are a reflection for us for We see the truly happy within the limits of the possible Timi, we see the happy within the limits of the possible Hawk. Yes, there will always be flaws and irregularities in their relationship. But a healthy relationship is one where both partners are satisfied with everything. That's why it's interesting to watch. And of course, thanks a lot to Jonathan and Matt for these two wonderful characters. For how you feel about them, capturing all these microscopic moments that I will be looking at under the microscope of my heart for a long time.

[metallicbluemorpho]

Visions of Greed Inspirations

My fic isn't finished yet, but I saw a post by @Whatiwishfanfiction where they shared their inspirations for their fanfic: The Great Lorax Movie Rewrite and I also wanted to share some of the things that inspired my own Once-ler fanfic: Visions of Greed (link to fic below).

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49094197/chapters/123860446

Long post just FYI cause I was inspired by a lot of things.

The Teen Titans episode Haunted was without a doubt the most inspirational piece of media related to this fic. As I mentioned in the fic's intro, the story was basically created from a desire for more Once-ler content and also more content similar to that episode.

This influence is most notably seen in Chapters 12 and 13, where Once-ler and Greed-ler fight, but the influence is honestly present in almost every interaction Once-ler and Greed-ler have in the fic. I have a lot of fun coming up with all the different ways the interactions between them can be done and making them catered to my preferences (I am adverse to blood, gore, and horror but I like pretty things and animated action scenes.)

Going back to Teen Titans, aside from Haunted, other influential episodes include The Apprentice parts 1 and 2, Fear Itself , The Beast Within, and pretty much all the episodes that feature the villain character, Slade. The character of Slade himself is also one of the main inspirations for Greed-ler's characterization.

Other sources of inspiration:

Miraculous Ladybug is another show that I derived a lot of inspiration from. Not so much specific episodes in the case (With the exception of that scene in Chapter 7 that was a direct reference to the episode Passion where Natalie pinned Gabriel to the table ) But I was instead inspired by the show's overall themes/ideas such as the concept of Akumatization (most notably in Chapter 19), the manipulation and corruption of people's desires by Hawk Moth, the themes of creation and destruction, the changing of personalities with the changing of costumes, Hawk Moth's butterfly motifs, and the melodrama LOL.

The character of Hawk Moth/Gabriel Agreste was also very influential. Hawk Moth, like Slade served as a basis for Greed-ler's manipulative personality. While Hawk Moth's civilian identity of Gabriel Agreste influenced Isabella's characterization in regards to how she treats her son, Once-ler. Gabriel Agreste also influenced the character(s) of Once-ler/Greed-ler himself. I imagine that they would be an influential fashion mogul like Gabriel after they became famous.

Sailor Moon (both the anime and manga) also provided a lot of inspiration, mainly with The character (s) Hotaru Tomoe/Mistress 9/Sailor Saturn (Once-ler's internal struggle with Greed-ler). But also with other tropes and motifs such as Queen Nehelenia and her mirrors, Rei Hino's prophetic nightmares, magical girl tropes in general, and also how beautifully drawn the manga is. I strive to make the words I write and the scenes I create “pretty” in a similar way. Especially the nightmare and hallucination sequences.

Other magical girl shows/manga/comics including Winx Club, W.I.T.C.H., Angel's Friends, and Tokyo Mew Mew were also influential in too many little ways to mention.

Other media influences include:

The American Dragon: Jake Long episode: The Doppleganger gang. Where the main character creates an evil doppleganger that tries to become the “real” version of him.

The Avatar the Last Airbender episodes with Azula's breakdown and the one where Zuko got conflicted and developed a fever (that episode along with some episodes of Tokyo mew mew were the inspiration for Once-ler's stress fevers.) Some stuff from Sonic X (I used to dabble in the Sonic fandom a bit):

The scenes with Sonic and Shadow fighting, Shadow's ability to warp away, Shadow punching Sonic in the gut in the finale, and those episodes where Sonic and Shadow pass out multiple times (happens to poor Oncie quite a few times in this fic.)

Death the Wolf from the movie Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was also quite influential. (Haven't seen the movie yet but I've seen clips.) The way that Death stalks and haunts Puss is very similar to what Greed-ler does to Once-ler.

Meanwhile the Schlepper Brothers from the obscure movie Rock and Rule were one of the main inspirations for Once-ler's relationship with his brothers. Where the brothers tease the immature and less manly brother but are deeply concerned for him when he gets seriously hurt.

I also made a reference to the Edgar Allen Poe story The Raven (Chapter 17) and another Edgar Allen Poe story called William Wilson will have a influence on the fic's finale.

I also included scenes inspired by the Greek Myths of Narcissus (Chapter 20) and Pandora's box (Chapter 15).

I also looked up Halloween is Grinch Night to see how Dr. Seuss himself implemented a nightmarish sequence.

Music

Music also served as huge a inspiration for this fic. I like to listen to music when I write sometimes and it can really sometimes get the flow going. I really like Electronic/EDM music such as freeform hardcore. (The reason why I write about Once-ler dancing in the club so often.) But I've also been enjoying some awesome rock/alternative songs with very relevant lyrics. Music become so influential of the story that I created a playlist to serve as a soundtrack for the fic of sorts.

The songs with the most influential lyrics however, are featured in my Once-ler's corruption playlist.

A few noteworthy songs that had scenes directly based on them in the fic include/will include the following:

Imposter-Red

Run and Escape-Red

Already Over- Red

Lights Out- Breaking Benjamin

Let Go- Red

Breath- Breaking Benjamin

Voices- Alesti

Artificial-Daughtry

Hollow-Breaking Benjamin

Evil Angel- Breaking Benjamin

Dark Things- Starset

Death of Me- Red

Dance With The Devil- Breaking Benjamin

My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)- Fall Out Boy

Madness in Me- Skillet

I also plan to include scenes directly based on the music videos for the songs Death of Me by Red and My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up) by Fall Out Boy.

But if I had to pick just one song to be the theme song (although it is a hard choice) I would pick Fight Inside by Red.

I was also inspired by various elements of nature including things like:

Flowers (specifically, daffodils AKA the Narcissus blossom)

Emerald Gemstones

The Moon (Blood Red Moon)

Snow/Ice

Light/Darkness

Smoke

The classical elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Air,and Energy

Butterflies, a symbol of transformation most notably the Emerald Swallowtail butterfly, specifically the one pictured below.

I took the pic myself when I visited a butterfly house. This little guy was the main inspiration for the Masquerade Metamorphosis in Chapters 18 and 19 and was the direct inspiration the costume Greed-ler wears in those chapters, and in some chapters yet to come ;) That butterfly is also featured/mentioned in Chapter 16.

I also played around a lot with symbolism, including color symbolism (white, green, silver, and gold).

Along with fanfic tropes, such as sickfic, and whump prompts such as the scene where Once-ler falls through the ice in Chapter 22.

Finally I was also inspired by real life including my own experiences with working, dealing with my own greedy relatives, and coping with some of my own personal issues/insecurities

If you read this far I sincerely thank you. I hope you consider checking out the fic. As you can probably tell I put WAY too much effort into it. XD

[purplerakath]

Cobra Kai Season 6 - A bunch of Little Things

So Eps 11-15 are... good, minus the wedding which was stupid, but the kind of stupid that's okay. It's not really a... problem so much as a sign the writer's room was all dudes. It's bad, don't get me wrong, but it isn't... narratively bad. Just a kind of tacky feeling.

The rest of that five ep block is very solid conclusions to every story, that are good enough to pass as a happily ever after. The overall main narrative flows and the path of events is followable and workable.

Eps 1-10 are another matter. There's a lot of stuff wrong there that doesn't work, it detracts from where we're going, and generally hurts the overall season. Time to go through a bunch of them.

Spoilers, etc, you know the vibes.

Kreese's Redemption

So they set up Kreese was realizing maybe he was wrong with Johnny back in Season 4, during the All Valley. Where he choose to back Tory's plan over pushing for Silver's cheating. It's a small moment, but a noticeable shift in the character. And, with the right plot beats over Eps 1-10 would make his realization in Ep 11 work very well (it works, but it feels unearned).

Kreese needs to feel shady without actively being shady. Which you can do by having him back both his students differently. He backs Tory's desire to win on her own skills and merits, and back Kwon being a little shithead to everyone off the ring to mess with them in the ring. He's not actively antagonizing Daniel or Johnny, but he's not- undermining their assessments of him either. Keep his general motives vague, and his specific goal (to win the sekai taikai) on point.

Now to keep the Silver reveal surprising, of course, there's still a guy with a cobra tattoo messing with Daniel, and Daniel distrusts Kreese because Daniel's never met a grudge he couldn't nurse for 50 years. But Kreese isn't egging it on, he just exists and Daniel's a little shit about it.

It'll smooth the path between Season 4's finale to S6 E11 out to be a more gradual path of Kreese learning he made mistakes.

Tory's Relationships

I'm not going to try to fix Robby and Tory's relationship (that's a lot more work I can't do here), but they can buttress it by putting more focus on Tory's other relationships in the first five episodes. Showing more of her and Amanda, or her and Devon.

This is not just because Devon needed a better plot, she is a pretty solid shadow to Tory as a character and easy to work into this.

Showing other characters caring about, and noticing, when Tory is off, and checking in on her. Which will help sell her big speech at the end of the series. Also showing them advocating for her while she's not there. (The difference between Johnny blaming Daniel for messing up with Tory, and Amanda doing the same thing? Huge.)

During 6-10 you can have Sam and Devon put a little more time into checking in on Tory. If you wanna get spicy you can give a scene to Miguel or Johnny. The lack of Johnny and Tory comparing notes on Kreese is honestly criminal.

Hawk - Past, Present, and Future

So Hawk's whole 'I don't know if I want to go to MIT because I'm not who I was a few years ago' is good. It's a shame it got tossed aside so Demetri could be a victim in all thi- wait, no, that's next section.

This section is that they could have spent more time focusing on who Eli is now, vs. who he started, and who he was in Cobra Kai. This probably would be best served by giving him time with Kwon. Kwon attempting to mess with Hawk, and Hawk just- no selling the whole affair. "You think that shit is going to work on me? I've been you. You're going to wake up one day with nobody having your back, alone with all that anger you have and for what? I have better things to do than waste time on you."

There's no real capstone on Eli's arc over the series, and they could have put one into 6-10 to really seal the deal that Hawk (the bully) is gone, and Hawk (the hero) is here to stay.

Free Space - Demetri whining

So I've done a whole thing about Demetri here, and I am always ready to complain how badly this character is handled. Still, Eps 1-5 put a lot of effort into his 'mad Hawk has decided to explore other colleges than the one he promised to go to when he was like six' plot that, all told, did barely anything for Hawk and nothing for Demetri.

Also, just, my read? 'They agreed' was 'Demetri insisted' and Eli, being absolutely terrified of being alone with all the bullies, agreed to anything Demetri said because that was their pre-canon relationship.

The easy answer is don't do this plot. At all. Honestly the easy answer is don't have Demetri be part of the team going to the Sekai Taikai. He doesn't like Karate, every part of him in 1-10 is generally worthless and also tacky and they don't really build off of it.

If you have to, give him any motivation to compete that isn't 'fucking over his friend Eli' or 'fucking Yasmin.'

Any. Motivation.

Ghost of Miyagi Past (AKA Free Space - Daniel whining)

So the whole 'mystery of Miyagi' thing didn't do anything. It could have done something though, and I'll talk about that first. So the big problem with Daniel this series has been refusing to see change unless it matches his perfect view of karate. This is his general big character weakness the show refuses to scrutinize and there is a way to work this.

If Miyagi did a crime thing in the past, because at one point he was hot headed arrogant, mad at the world due to systemic issues that are preventing him from being happy, and he moved past that to a state of peace and contentment... it could teach Daniel to cultivate that sort of change In Johnny instead of the 'Johnny will never change he'll always be my high school bully' thing Daniel had going on.

Because the biggest threat to Daniel and Johnny working together has always been Daniel being like this!

Now, doing this doesn't fix the deepfake'd Miyagi face they did (which is tacky and bad). Or the... white person absolving a nonwhite person of his crimes done during a time where being visibly Asian was the crime. But it'd at least be a Daniel character growth moment and I'd take that.

Devon Taking her Chance

I don't, for the record, hate the Devon drugging Kenny plot, innately. I do think it needs to be better set-up to make it work. I think the best answer would be that she did it based off of something Johnny said to her she interpreted in the cruelest way possible. Something along the lines of 'life doesn't give you opportunities, there are the ones you take for yourself. If that asshole isn't going to notice you, make him notice you. Make sure he can't help but see you.'

And then realizing that doing that sucked and she hates what it meant and maybe she shouldn't be there.

Alternatively you can, hypothetically, cut Demetri from the squad in the tournament, give Kenny his spot, and give Devon a better plot. Devon's insecurity as being the newest to Karate, also letting her act as Johnny's proxy in any argument among the kids, would work really well.

Robby get your Head in the Game

Robby has two problems, not counting the SA shaped problem I talked about here. I don't need to talk about the Zara thing anymore so this post is safe on that.

The message that 'Robby already won he has a real family now' needed more groundwork in 1-5. Instead of focusing on him and Tory (for the... two scenes they got), give him moments of Carmen, Carmen's mom, Miguel, and the LaRusso's geniunely being there for him. And especially Johnny. Show Johnny giving Robby 1 on 1 training in 6-10. Things to make it clear he has a family.

The other problem is that in 6-10 while he's spiraling over Tory, it'd help if he got some support from anyone. Prior to Miguel standing up for him at the end. Sam is probably the right call for this, alternatively having Kenny there from the start (in place of you know who) means that Kenny can advocate for Robby (sowing the dissention needed for them to suck that early in the tournament).

Miguel and the-

Okay, listen, the whole 'fly home to fly back' thing? That? Don't do that. Just- no. That was not needed. Do anything else.

Sam's Drive to Win

Once Tory leaves, centering Sam's whole arc on what her desires for the future are seems good, so that when she forfeits in the semi-finals it has a narrative backing. That she's not enjoying proving herself in the tournament, and that she's stopped having fun now that everyone is bickering with each other.

That her drive to win was more tied to the situation than anything else. And that the only time she really enjoys Karate is with her dad, her boyfriend, and her future wife rival. Anything outside of that just... no longer fuels her.

I get one SamTory joke, I am showing restraint.

So she's still motivated in the tournament (to make her dad look good, to protect her boyfriend in matches, and to get her last round with Tory) but she is so over all the petty drama Kwon and Zara are trying to stir up.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Stephen A. Crockett Jr. at HuffPost:

I’ve always been stunned at former President Donald Trump’s physical prowess.

I mean, who can forget when his White House director of communications, Anthony Scaramucci, gushed about witnessing Trump throw a perfect spiral through a tire? Or his claim that he’s seen the confirmed thousand-aire at Madison Square Garden in a top coat at the foul line swishing free throws? And despite all of us knowing that the former president’s diet relies heavily on fast food, that didn’t stop his White House physician, now Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), from praising his genetics. “Some people just have great genes,” Jackson told reporters in 2018. “I told the president if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200.” So it has been quite the show watching the gymnast-like contortions of the former president to avoid getting to know, or actually court, Black people to support his campaign. Earlier this month, in his latest episode of “See? Black people like me!” the president stood during an obvious photo-op at an Atlanta Chick-fil-A while smiling Black workers appeared to pose while taking his order. Trump reportedly ordered 30 milkshakes and some chicken, dealing out fast food for free publicity before heading to a high-dollar fundraiser in a largely white neighborhood.

A Black woman in the restaurant said, in her best untrained actor voice, “I don’t care what the media tells you, Mr. Trump, we support you!” I later found out the Black woman was in fact Michaelah Montgomery, a conservative activist who had arranged the entire scene. To her credit, the bigger story was supposed to be a conversation between students from nearby HBCUs and the presidential candidate about conservatism and possible inroads with the Black community. The moment became a meme. As with most Trump moments. Because what Trump and those around him don’t understand or care to involve themselves with is that Black people, more specifically Black women (also known as the spine of the Democratic voting bloc), are three dimensional, alive, actual human beings.

In Trumpland, Black people are caricatures of all of the worst stereotypes that have ever been imagined. They are rapists, thieves and murderers who want to terrorize… wait, no, that’s immigrants. But the point remains: The idea of even possibly courting Black voters never moves past stereotypical ideology. Which is comical when you consider that in 2024, the year of our lord Dawn Staley, an actual presidential strategy for winning the Black vote was… wait for it… sneakers. In February, Trump unveiled his $399 “Never Surrender High-Tops” at SneakerCon in Philadelphia. Trump didn’t just premiere the gaudy gold high-top decorated with an American flag motif, the sort of faux patriotism that’s truly become Trump’s signature brand, he actually went to the event to help hawk the ridiculousness that was an attempt to capture not just youth culture but ... well, I’ll just let Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo say the quiet part out loud. “This is ... connecting with Black America. Because they’re into sneakers. They love sneakers. This is a big deal. Certainly in the inner city.”

Arroyo got bashed for his take, as he should, but his take was a glimpse into how many Republicans, especially Trump, see Black people as sneaker-loving, inner-city dwelling and easily swayed by shiny, expensive things. It’s Republican typecasting in which a Black person remains the villain/magical negro who serves only to further the white protagonist’s storyline. And make no mistake about it, in the story of Trump, as told by the narcissistic narrator, the former president is always the hero.

Which brings us to Blacks 4 Trump (aka Black Voices for Trump), you know, that hodgepodge group of Blacks (mostly men) who have proclaimed their allegiance to Trump and who stump for him despite his lackluster attempts at any tangible metrics with the Black community. Don’t act like you don’t remember Michael Symonette, Maurice Woodside and Mikael Israel (these are not three people; it’s one man who has gone by three names), more commonly know as “Michael the Black Man” (his name for himself, not mine) who magically appeared behind Trump at a 2017 rally in Arizona. Always strategically placed in the camera’s view wearing a shirt that says “Trump & Republicans Are Not Racist” or “Blacks 4 Trump.�� The funny thing is that the group Blacks 4 Trump didn’t ever seem to really do anything other than allow their Blackness to be co-opted for the then-president’s political gain. The group didn’t have an agenda or a political manifesto (at least it never presented one) that noted how Trump could actually earn the Black vote. They just showed up and allowed their images to be used to sell a product.

Because, never forget, Trump is always in the Trump business. Which leads to arguably the most disturbing attempt by Trump’s campaign to court Black voters, which Trump’s camp openly admits they need to win over in the upcoming election: Insisting that because Black people have been the victims of an unjust criminal system, they relate to Trump more because he, too, is a victim of the Man.

[...] Trump acknowledges that there is discrimination and, more important, that Black people have been discriminated against. This means nothing to him, of course, as that only serves to get him to his second point, which is that he can relate, which therefore makes him more relatable to the discriminated class. He doesn’t want to fix the problem, he only wants to leech off of the sympathies related to it. It is in this brushstroke that Trump ― who has been charged by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Black woman; Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Black man; and New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Black woman ― that he, too, is a victim of systemic racism.

“When I did the mug shot in Atlanta, that mug shot is number one,” Trump said. He added that the Black population “embraced it more than anyone else.” He also said: “I’m being indicted for you, the Black population.” First, the obvious. I’ll just let President Joe Biden’s campaign spokesperson Jasmine Harris explain it. “The audacity of Donald Trump to speak to a room full of Black voters during Black History Month as if he isn’t the proud poster boy for modern racism. This is the same man who falsely accused the Central Park 5, questioned George Floyd’s humanity, compared his own impeachment trial to being lynched and ensured the unemployment gap for Black workers spiked during his presidency,” Harris told The Washington Post.

“Donald Trump has been showing Black Americans his true colors for years: an incompetent, anti-Black tyrant who holds us to such low regard that he publicly dined with white nationalists a week after declaring his 2024 candidacy.”

Stephen Crockett Jr. wrote in HuffPost that Donald Trump's attempt to court Black voters is based on stereotypical traits of Blacks from a conservative POV, including by claiming to relate to being victims of an unjust criminal system that Black folk face.

[damnitiloveyou]

This part of an interview that Max Gao did with Ron Nyswaner and Robbie Rogers (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna122481) perfectly sums up my feelings towards 80s Hawk and the complexities of Hawk/Tim's relationship by the time we see them in 1986:

“In the ’80s, you see a side of Hawk that is much softer, and even if it’s a look or him going to San Francisco to see Tim, you’re like, ‘Oh, there is something more here that he’s not showing us.’ It takes Hawk much longer to express and to see how much he loves Tim,” Rogers previewed. “I think early on you get a sense of that, because we’re not just with him in the ’50s where Hawk is much harder. But when you see old Hawk, it’s impossible not to feel for him as well.”

Although there are moments in the series when Tim could have cut Hawk loose for making self-serving decisions that put an intentional strain on their relationship, Rogers said he doesn’t think of Tim as someone who should be pitied for how his life has turned out with or without Hawk.

“We all behave differently, and we all protect ourselves in different ways,” Rogers said. “Tim is much more expressive, and he would maybe even more so than Hawk believe that he deserves love. Although I wanted to protect him, I never felt any pity for him, because their love story is complicated — and I think the best ones are.”

Yes! That is perfect!! Hawk is complicated and messy and infuriating. No one is arguing that but I don't understand how some people refuse to acknowledge his pain or why he is the way he is. Tim and Lucy are not the only victims and rather people like it or not (some of you look away) they're not victims of Hawk. They are all victims of the era they were born into. Hawk and Tim were not allowed to openly be who they truly were. Lucy grew up being told she had to be a wife and mother. Marry a respectable man with a respectable job, who also has the approval of her father. She was then instructed to just close her eyes to the uglier parts of her marriage. None of them had a chance. The really sad part is that by the time society was in a place where they could have made, at least some, different choices, Tim was the only one who did. He lived a life as true to himself as he could. Sadly for Hawk and Lucy making those choices would have come at a higher cost. Neither one was willing to do that, and I don't fault them for staying where it was comfortable and familiar.

I do believe Lucy was in love with Hawk at one time, I do not believe she's in love with him anymore, and I don't think she has been for a long time. I think she only knows this one way of life, which Hawk represents, and the idea of not having it scares her, as it would anyone. Hawk has never been in love with her. He loves her in his own way but he has never been in love with her. He can't love her like that. It's not who he is. He is in love with Tim and Lucy has known this since the 50's. You can make the argument that Hawk robbed her of a chance at a life with a man who could have loved her like that, and that's a fair argument to make. It's why I genuinely don't understand the group of people who want the two of them to run off to Milan together in the last episode. That's a fraudulent life and they have been living that life long enough. They both need out.

I really liked the comment about not pitying Tim. I don't pity him for spending his life being in love with Hawk. I pity that he's dying and at this point in our history no one in a position to help gave a shit that he was dying. I wonder if we will see Hawk have this realization as well. The man he loves is dying and he can't do anything to help him but there are people who could and those people just didn't care. I keep waiting for his snap moment and I feel like it will happen in the last episode.

[triple-moon-rp]

Swift Justice

Drabble starring Stella & her imp servants

TW: graphic description, Mastermind spoilers, I kinda just wanted to write her being ruthless

--

Afternoon tea, Stella's favorite time of the day. And to top it off, she finally has the house to herself, no more being forced to stay somewhere else especially during the full moon. At least for a hundred years. Thinking about that trial didn't bring her as much joy as she hoped. Of course, it didn't! The imp was the least of her concerns and there wasn't enough to ensure a proper sentence against Stolas. Something she was working on before Andrealphus rushed the court proceedings. And by her working, she means her imps were working.

"Watson? How are the agents I hired progressing on Earth? Any findings besides those pieces of metal from the mortal realm?"

"They should be returning sometime this evening, your highness..." the overdressed imp butler replied timidly, careful with his words.

"Good. Now fetch me my tea," Stella commands before opening her tablet and allowing some true crime podcast from Earth to play. Today's episode seems to be about an absolute massacre at a government facility. How quaint.

As the narrator prattles on, Watson silently brings the tea platter to her table, a silver pin right next to the small porcelain cups and a large fancy kettle in the middle. She perks up at the sound of liquid being poured, watching him like a hawk as he places her teacup in front of her. Once he backs away, as always, she dips the pin into the golden brown tea for exactly 30 seconds before bringing it close to her face to inspect it fully. She immediately knew something was off when it didn't come out black and corroded, if anything, it was faintly brighter.

She grumbles with a sharp look, addressing Watson harshly, "Watson, bring me whoever made today's batch of tea."

He doesn't dare question why, simply dashes to the kitchen and fulfills Stella's demand before he could become a victim himself. The teabrewer stands stock-still in the mansion dinning room, staring at the Ars Goetia princess as if she was the reaper.

"Come closer, won't you?" she asks in a sickly sweet tone but the look in her eyes were as cold as ice.

Regardless, they obey, not stopping until she signals them to.

"Are you the one who made today's batch? Do you mind telling me what your blend is? I'm not very familiar with it."

"... Sure," a quiet phew sound escaped their lips, "I heard you were interested about Earth, so... I thought you might like one of their blends. It contains Assam and... pekoe? I believe that's how it's pronounced."

"Oh, how interesting!" she maintains her sweet facade, voice high-pitched and overly-friendly, "Have you had a taste of it before?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Why not have a drink, then?"

"Excuse me, your highness?"

Stella just smiles at their bewilderment and gently nudges her cup towards them, "Go on! Drink it~"

"I- I'm not thirsty..."

Her pitch lowers slightly along with the corners of her mouth, "You know... it's quite rude to reject my command. I wonder... what possible reason could you have... to serve me something you won't drink yourself, hmm?"

They stutter and stammer, losing their cool so easily. What a feeble attempt as an assassin. It's laughable that they made it this far.

"If you won't drink it and prove it is safe for demons to drink, then... shall I take it as an admission of guilt?"

They look at the cup, sweating bullets and praying to whatever would listen. With shaky hands they grasp it, and take the tiniest sip possible before putting it down. "S-see! It- it's fine!"

"All of it."

"What?"

Stella isn't bothering to put on that eerily fake smile anymore, scowling at their attitude, "Drink the whole cup."

"I- I don't--"

"DO NOT question me! Either drink it all or I can snap your neck. No need for a trial for an imp. I can kill you right here and now for trying to kill me."

When they hastily drained the tea, Stella gave the smarmiest smirk as she watched them suddenly collapse to their knees. Tears built in their eyes as their hand flew to their neck, gasping out "it burns" quietly before going into a coughing fit. Black blood oozed out the corners of their lips as it filled their mouth with more than they could cough up. As if it couldn't get worse, Stella decided it can and will by dumping the remnants of the kettle on the suffering imp. The sudden burst of agony ripped a fresh scream out of them.

"Tut tut... A classic reaction to holy water, by the looks of it. Not enough to kill a royal, but an imp? I'd say... yes~" Stella mocks the would-be assassin while they choked.

"Um, your highness?" Watson hesitated to speak. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Stella glared at him for "interrupting".

"What?! This better be important."

"The agents have returned from their mission, your highness..."

"Oh! Delightful. In that case, go ahead and take out the trash. I've been waiting all day for those reports!"

Once Stella left the room, Watson let out a breath and tried to help the poor creature. It was them or him, he repeats in his head as he cleans up the mess. He offers them tap water trying to rinse off the acidic effects of holy water, inside and out. It isn't much, but it was all he could do before walking them to the mansion's gates. Any more, and they would grow suspicious of him as well. No one wants to incur a Goetia's wrath. "Justice" is always on their side.

[thebreakfastgenie]

Tbh I think the joker is wild is only so disliked because of where it is in the shows whacky continuity. If it didn’t air like 7 episodes before GFA where we see Hawk at his lowest it would’ve been better received and not so much as BJ fuckin with his deeply mentally unwell friend. Honestly I could see it taking place a little bit after period of adjustment as another form of BJ coming to terms with this is going to be his life for a while. Trapper left, Radar left. Bj is stuck. Idk when I was younger I always loved it cuz haha Bj pranks his friend !! But now I have mixed feelings

I can't speak to why anyone else dislikes The Joker Is Wild. For me, it's the following reasons:

As you said, it feels cruel to do to Hawkeye in season 11, especially in hindsight knowing what's coming. In that sense, it probably would play better if it happened earlier in the show. That being said, the narrative of that episode seems to assert that Hawkeye deserves it, and I don't think that was ever true. It's disproportionate to drive him to paranoia, but more than that, Hawkeye's pranks were rarely cruel, and when they were the victim was Margaret or Frank or, on a handful of occasions, Charles (BJ always helped with those) and it was never acknowledged as cruel. I think it was @majorbaby who first suggested this episode would be excellent if Margaret was the mastermind and I agree. That would be a well-executed continuity nod and a successful metacommentary on the early seasons of the show. As written, it is neither of those things.

I struggle to believe that Margaret or Mulcahy or Klinger or someone wouldn't have questioned the plan once it became apparent how it was affected Hawkeye. I know that was impossible because of the reveal, but I think it's unfair to those characters (for reference, I don't think Fallen Idol is unfair to any of them or OOC).

This episode characterizes pranks as cruel which they never were on MASH before. Even episodes like April Fools and An Eye for a Tooth end with even the victims laughing. The exceptions are, of course, early pranks on Frank and Margaret, but they were antagonists and considered deserving. Dear Sigmund, the episode that establishes BJ as a prankster, is pretty straightforward about what pranks mean at the 4077th. Sidney describes the practical joker as a folk hero. The pranks are meant to make everyone laugh and they serve to boost morale. Even the victims usually enjoy them and they're fairly harmless.

The Joker Is Wild tries to do a continuity nod--rare for M*A*S*H--and does it badly. This is more or less unforgivable to me. All of the references to Trapper as a gifted practical joker make no sense, because that was never Trapper's thing. Trapper only ever participated in pranks with Hawkeye, and while the offscreen ones may have been more equal, onscreen Hawkeye masterminded them. Hawkeye has an entire storyline in Showtime where he engages in a solo prank war against Frank; Trapper is not involved. By contrast, pranks are BJ's thing, as established in Dear Sigmund.

The pranks just aren't good. The ones BJ does, the ones Hawkeye talks about that Trapper supposedly came up with... their sophistication and epicness are purely informed attributes. If you're going to do this kind of an episode, you need writers who are good at pranks. An Eye for a Tooth works because it was based on a real prank war in the cast.

BJ was already unsympathetic to me when he nailed Hawkeye's shoe to the floor because For Want of a Boot really struck a nerve for me and he just left a hole in that shoe!!!

BJ did not win the bet. There is no room for interpretation here. There is no "well the real point was..." It doesn't matter, because the episode treats it as if he won the bet, and he did not. The bet was not that he could get Hawkeye, it was that he could get six people. He got one person. He lost. Period. What bothers me the most about this is I don't think the writers realized this. I think they forgot what the bet actually was. The meat of this episode is the rivalry between BJ and Hawkeye and I think somewhere along the line someone just failed to notice that the set-up didn't make sense. That's sloppy writing and I dislike it.

Most of these issues are magnified by bingewatching. I think a casual viewer--and even a lot of dedicated viewers in the 80s--gets what you got as a kid: haha, BJ pranks his friends! If you can enjoy it on that level, good for you! I can't change that I watched the show in sequence and it made me deeply uncomfortable (and I do think it's poorly written). I would personally not like it more if it came after Period of Adjustment, but I might if it happened in seasons 4-6.

[cartoonygothopossum]

Ladybug and Cat Noir: The Movie

I saw this movie being mentioned a couple times on social media, but when I first became aware, I had not yet caught up with the latest episodes of the main series. Thankfully, I managed to avoid spoilers, for the most part, except for that one fan art that I liked on Tumblr. So, over five months after its initial theatrical release, I got around to seeing it. The movie was sweet, romantic, and action-packed, just like the series it was based off of.

The first thing I noticed about the movie was that the character models all looked... different. The art style looked closer to what I tend to see in most recent Disney movies. I wonder what the reason(s) for the different art style was. I didn't expect that the movie would be a musical, also like a lot of Disney movies. I enjoyed the songs, though I would've preferred if they were sung in the characters' normal voices. Speaking of voices, I thought there was something different about the characters' speaking voices too, but when I checked online, it appeared that most of the English dub cast reprised their roles. Actually, the only character whose voice sounded completely different in the movie was Nooroo, who had a feminine voice in the movie but a masculine one in the show. The two criminals that Gabriel Agreste/Hawk Moth hired looked vaguely familiar, but I don't remember which akumatized characters they were.

At first, I thought that the movie was going to be an in-depth origin story for Marinette and Adrien, but as the movie progressed, I started wondering how canon it was supposed to be, in relation to the show. The plot moved in a direction that would've contradicted the events of the show. I liked how Adrien called out his dad for being so absent from his life. I was surprised to see Hawk Moth find out that one of his adversaries was his own son, before reverting back to his civilian form. When Gabriel confessed that he was trying to bring his wife back, it looked like there was a chance for redemption. I mean, he seemed remorseful enough. It wasn't clear what exactly happened to Adrien's dad after that scene, but he still would've had to face consequences for his actions. Of course, in keeping faith to the show, Gabriel somehow got a hold of his wife's body and hid it under the house. On a more positive note, I was glad to see Marinette reveal to Adrien that she is Ladybug and that she (probably) figured out Adrien is Cat Noir. Though secret identities serve an important purpose, they can mess with your love life when you have to pretend to be two different people. Overall, I would say this movie functions more like a standalone work than a part of the main show's canon, and perhaps that's not necessarily a bad thing.

[mashficolympics]

REQUESTS AND FILLS

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REQUEST LIST

Write about privacy. The lack of it in a place without hard walls. The difficulty in achieving it in the latrine, the showers, your bed, anywhere. Even those who sleep alone - Margaret, for example - can't maintain any sense of genuine privacy. The clerk sleeps indoors, behind a door, and they're always at the ready for the phone. They're cut off from the world, except when they're not, and they're never cut off from each other. It's get used to it or go mad - and the flip side of not having privacy is guarding secrets closely, because there's nothing else. from @cosmictuesdays

"Where are you going to sleep tonight?" "In a bed." from @cosmictuesdays

write a fic about a break up and a makeup. canon at any time — pre, during, and post — or any AU. from anonymous

Write a fic based on the plot of a Grey’s Anatomy episode — preferably one from seasons 1-5. from @quolant

[ TW : main character death ] The Life You Save AU where the sniper didn’t miss Charles. The rest of the camp is left to cope with the loss of the life they couldn’t save. from anonymous [FILLED]

[ TW : gunshot injury , main character injury ] Deal Me Out AU where, in the struggle to save Frank from the gunman, Trapper winds up being shot. from anonymous

Crisis AU where Charles is there and he and Henry are both snoring in The Swamp. from anonymous

someone has an injury that requires they be on crutches for a bit, and we see how everyone chips in to help them out. carrying stuff for them, getting their tray ready in the mess tent, helping them balance, etc. from anonymous

someone gets bridal/princess carried for any reason. injury, asleep, for the bit, just because. from anonymous [FILLED]

Takes place after Rally ‘Round the Flagg, Boys where a vengeful and completely unhinged Colonel Flagg returns to get his revenge on Charles for outsmarting him. Only to get outsmarted by him again. from anonymous

peg character development fic, gay or bi awakening while bj is away. from @hyperbo-lee

punnicutt noir au (pls i will freak out with joy) especially if hawk and bj are the Very Smart private investigators on the surface and peg is the Actual Brains Behind It. from @hyperbo-lee

McLean and Wayne don’t leave at the end of Season 3 but Alan does and is replaced by DOS. So we have Henry, Trapper, Frank, and Charles. from anonymous

[toastess-with-the-mostess]

Let's Rewind! Toast watches Voltron: Defender of The Universe (1984)

Season 1, Episode 13: The Witch Gets a Facelift

Man they really didn't pull punches with their titles huh I hope we can bring that back

Oh shit Haggar herself is on Arus this time?? Shit's about to get REAL

Hunk is reduced to a fat joke Pidge is an animal whisperer! He calls over a carrier (messenger?) hawk after the boys see it land inside a potted plant in the castle

Allura got so excited that another kingdom on Arus had survived and ran out in only a towel, to which the boys laughed about instead of gawking at her (except Keith I think) Once she has a robe on Coran tells her it's from her aunt Orla, her mother's sister maybe her mother was a half sibling? Still trying to make sense of why she was buried outside lol

I know Allura is excited to see a possible relative but Coran is right, it might not be good news or her at all

She looks cute! She's getting to the castle by carriage Except Haggar jumps them and steals her identity

"Orla" is found unconscious by the team and Pidge is yelling about someone being no good for knocking her out, but his heart eyes say he thinks she's pretty

Haggar can't hide that she's cold-blooded so when Allura tells "Orla" she's freezing she lies and says it's from shock When Nanny tries to kiss her hand she rips it away making her fall and getting a laugh from the boys, as they should

Man Haggar can't even fake being nice, she takes one look at the mice and yells about them being disgusting They walk off pissed that she insulted them like that

Now her cat is at the castle to get rid of the mice, but they're seen by Pidge and now everyone is on high alert And Keith being Keith, he guesses the plot immediately after being told Haggar is nearby

Allura obviously is pissed that they even think that, so she dismisses it Once again I get why she's so defensive but there have been like 2 other times at least that someone has disguised themselves as an ally only to be the enemy

Hunk yells for the cat, and then get s face full of it's claws I feel bad that he's almost always the punching bag

The floor is waxed in prep for the mice to lead the cat to the team, except when they get there, Lance Pidge and Hunk are dumbasses and slip on the wax Keith is the only one smart enough to use a rope to catch the cat

Honestly I don't think it was the best idea to expose Haggar in front of a group of people because imagine who she could if it wasn't any of them or Allura But that's what they do, and she reveals herself before Keith can through a bowl of punch on her Classy commander

See I was right! Nanny comes in to serve more food, but Haggar uses that chance to get a hostage! Guys please plan better ffs

omg Pidge is so cute hiding behind Hunk like that

Haggar is doing such a great job fighting the team omg, she has two of them captured already, and she's taken the lights out so nobody can see Ah shit alfor ex machina strikes again, he's the reason the team is saved and Haggar runs away for the team to bring out their lions

Allura chases after her and almost gets her ass before obviously a robeast gets thrown into the mix and throws Allura into a nearby lake I noticed they've been calling the robeasts claw-beasts, that's an interesting different

ALMOST THERE THE ICONIC PREAMBLE IS ALMOST THERE JUST ONE MORE REVISION

Robeast defeated, Allura finds her real aunt, and now they can actually celebrate that another royal family member survived the initial war

Episode end! I wonder if because Orla is alive and already a queen, then she'd take over ruling Arus for a bit until Allura is of age Especially because they don't know how many other royal houses survived the war, so they'd have control over the planet basically Or maybe Allura's mom married into like The Royal Family and Allura is forever going to be the ruler until she has an heir

[beej-honnecticutt]

My M*A*S*H 10x14 ( A Holy Mess ) fav moments;

This was too good so I’m just gonna drop a few facts and encourage everyone to watch it!!

We have two plots:

1- a man has gone AWOL and first Pierce and Hunnicutt try to help him, then send him over to Father Mulcahy.

2- they get fresh ( FRESH ) eggs

( it all makes sense )

So this man goes AWOL and Hawk and BJ kinda cover him, as he’s just a kid and they understand his reasons, but the MP’s eventually find him and he uses Sanctuary.

Father Mulcahy talks to him in the mess tent, and everyone is freaking mad bc they can’t use the mess tent to eat the eggs ( as they’ve locked themselves in it ) and BJ&Hawk try to make time

I loved this scene in particular because Colonel Potter trusts Father Mulcahy SO much ( such a badass Mulcahy episode tbh ) that he also tries to make time for them without making anything ilegal, and when the lieutenant MP insults the Father, he jumps with this:

And here we have them talking with BJ & Hawk on the background trying to keep the crowd of rioting, serving them the eggs as a picnic instead of a brunch

I think everyone should watch it!

[prince-of-elsinore]

Dear M*A*S*H: S1 Ep 02 “To Market, to Market”

Previous episode here.

This is a tight episode that establishes some important recurring aspects of the series, namely the black market and idiocy, absurdity, and inefficiency of military bureaucracy and regulation. It is supremely ironic that Hawkeye and Trapper must scam to save lives; they must lie to the army in order to do the job the army expects and pays them to do--or at least, to do it well. Here is a further development on the theme established in the pilot, that the priority of these surgeons is saving lives, not merely ticking off boxes and following orders--doing things “the army way.” The episode provides a snapshot of how impossibly broken and corrupt the system they find themselves in is: black market and army both, each making the doctors’ jobs impossible, squeezing them from both sides.

The show never misses a chance to lampoon the brass: General Hammond won’t provide the hospital with more hydrocortisone, which will presumably save lives, because they’ve already received the allotted supply. Never mind if it was stolen; the box has been ticked off. And the General has more important things to do than talk to a lowly Lt. Colonel pleading for life-saving medicine; he has a meeting with MacArthur. Self-obsession, self-aggrandizement, and absurdly misplaced priorities are the hallmarks of the military and every antagonist on the show.

Crucially, the answer the characters provide to the problem of rampant theft is not stricter regulation and harsher discipline. If you can’t get rid of it, work with it. The solution to theft and the black market is: theft and the black market.

Charlie, the black market boss Hawkeye and Trapper go to see, is a stark contrast to General Hammond in many ways. First of all, check out his sweater and silk scarf. He looks relaxed and approachable. And the guy clearly cares about appearances, a fact Hawkeye picks up on and uses to his advantage. “For Charlie Lee, nothing but the best,” Charlie says with a winning smile and Midwestern accent. He’s personable, enjoys the finer things in life, and comes across as reasonable. No, he won’t help Hawk and Trap out of the goodness of his heart; he’s not running a charity. But he has real, concrete reasons for turning them down, unlike Hammond, who refused on empty, abstract principle. And when Hawkeye makes an offer that appeals to his vanity, he can’t refuse.

It’s also worth pointing out that Charlie and Hammond--who is simply the Brass of the Week--aren’t so different at their cores. There are plenty of instances over the course of the series wherein military men are shown to be equally susceptible to self-serving plans, even if they go against regulation. While not the focus of this episode, the hypocrisy of the brass and their “do as I say not as I do” attitude is often put in the spotlight. In this respect, the biggest difference between Charlie and Hammond is simply that Charlie never pretends to be anything he isn’t. The criminal world is like a fun house mirror to the military; it reflects back its human flaws, but wears them proudly on its sleeve.

You all know how it turns out; Henry’s oak desk, introduced as nothing but a gag about Henry’s own self-obsession, becomes the linchpin of the caper, the leverage that will allow Hawkweye and Trapper to get the hydrocortisone. Of course, stealing from one man overly concerned with appearances to give to another is presented as a morally correct action. Stealing from the rich, to give to the rich, and get what they need for the poor. Hawk and Trap are the Robin Hoods of the 4077. And while Henry is far more sympathetic and likable than either Hammond or Charlie, his fate is narratively sealed in his opening scene when he appears far more concerned with his shiny new toy than with the doctors’ dilemma. For the sake of ethics, he’s got to be taken down a peg.

(Seriously, Henry, why are you looking at your desk like that? While rubbing it and talking about solidity and strength?)

Other thoughts:

This episode was especially egregious with the use of “humorous” music cues and stingers: for instance, the “boing” sound when they open the back of the truck to find it empty. I assumed moments like that might be made slightly less awkward by a laugh track, but I checked and that’s a moment without the canned laughs!

I don’t think we ever hear again that weird “funky” version of Suicide is Painless that plays at the end as the helicopter flies off with the desk. Thank goodness.

Biggest laugh: Frank and Margaret’s exchange in Henry’s office in the dark while Hawkeye and Trapper hide behind the desk. Frank’s idea of seduction is truly something else. “Us, you, me... meeting like this... the way the flashlight catches your hair.” Cringe humor before cringe humor was a thing.

Parting thoughts: Overall, a solid follow up to the pilot. In fact, “To Market, to Market” is a classic caper that I was surprised came so early in the series, considering how that final gag of the helicopter flying off with Henry’s desk has stuck in my mind. 

[onekisstotakewithme]

I do love how M*A*S*H basically offers up the Poly ship potential on a silver platter.

From season 4 onward we get to see Hawkeye falling in love with BJ, and BJ falling in love with Hawkeye (although both would deny it in the name of their friendship).

But at the same time as BJ is falling in love with Hawkeye, he never falls out of love with his wife, whom he is deeply in love with when he goes to Korea and when he goes home.

One love doesn't replace the other.

In fact, given that Peg and Hawk conspire at least once (in "Oh, How We Danced"), and how there are jokes about it in other episodes, it really is teed up for us that BJ doesn't have to make a choice.

He's stealing a helicopter for Hawkeye one episode and sending his wife money for a down payment on a house the next. He goes home to his wife and daughter but leaves his best friend a heartfelt goodbye (and an implied "I love you").

TL;DR MASH basically served up a poly ship on a silver mess tray, and to that I, a bisexual, say, "finally some good fucking food!"