#also this episode is really sweet with a tinge of queerness...

[theriverwaves]

"There comes a time when you don't want to bully everyone. You just wanna bully someone you love"

[sortasirius]

"There Goes the Groom" and Buck's Queer Joy

Hey so...remember when I did post ep meta for two years? Anyway we're back like we've never left.

Best Hen <3

OBSESSED with micromanaging party planner Evan Buckley. The clipboard was there in spirit.

"You are late."

I'll take married for several years for $500, Alex.

"Ooo sliders."

"Ah ah. No."

"You didn't just do that." PLEASE

Tommy giving Eddie a bro-y high five and then a soft, sweet "hey" for Buck and a hug??? Fellas I might need to be sedated.

Also obsessed with the tinge of bitchiness in Eddie's tone. It's like jealousy without even realizing it's jealousy. And I think it's an interesting mix of "hey my best friend has a new friend" and something else that Eddie cannot label.

Ryan Guzman you must be studied for that little side eye lmfaoooo

I LOVEEEEE TOMMY HE'S SUCH A BITCH, he said I do not care for your party themes. Me for real.

Why were they all so obsessed with the sliders???? I love them all so much.

"Reach for them and you'll be pulling back a bloody stump." WITH THE RAISED EYEBROWS AND THE LITTLE HEAD TILT RYAN GUZMAN I AM KISSING YOU ON THE MOUTH.

"Wholesome, 80s-themed karaoke."

Buck was a party planner in another life and I stand by that.

"We should totally go as Crockett and Tubbs."

"Absolutely."

They are literally this meme:

The little shoulder rub that Buck gives Tommy <333333333333

The way Buck and Eddie are sitting during the party scene, Buck's arm absolutely SLUNG around his shoulder...yeah okay. Okay. I'm normal about this.

The whole party was two idiot best friends pointing at each other and saying "exactlyyyyyy." Yes, I would die for them.

I just want to say that every single thing about Chimney's journey this episode was heartbreaking and scary and I HATED that I didn't know what was going to happen to him the whole time. Ok thanks for your time.

From that guy stealing his car to every Doug jumpscare, I think they did a really good job freaking the audience (at least...me) the fuck out without actually revealing what had happened. Like..we know he's sick, we know something's wrong, but it was a well-paced episode, even if in my perfect world it would have been like two hours long lol.

And the fact that Maddie is always going to look for him, always going to find him, just like he would do for her...don't look at me I'm emo.

Chim essentially pushing the fact that he is actively dying from encephalitis to the side because being a paramedic and saving lives is so deeply ingrained in him it's something the can't forget? He's so important to me.

Then...Kevin. He's such a huge part of Chim's life, his arc, how he became a firefighter, and it essentially include him in the wedding (even though it was in a very scary way), I think it's a really great take on the idea that our loved ones who can't be there for milestones are there even when we can't see them, especially with his line "you invited me, remember?"

Doug was never there, but Kevin was, Kevin will be there even when Chim can't see him.

"I was trying to get back to you the whole time." THEY ARE EVERYTHING HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THEM. ALL THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH, ALL THEY'VE HAD TO DO, AND THEY STILL FOUGHT FOR AND CAME BACK TO EACH OTHER!!!!

Bobby officiating and saying "and the Los Angeles Fire Department" THEY ARE A FAMILY!!!!

And then...perhaps one of thee most important scenes ever aired on television ever:

"Sorry I'm late, that fire was a beast."

"So are you."

And STRAIGHT in for a SERIOUS kiss??????? 911 writers room you can have my life, take it, it's already yours.

Tommy's little huff of surprise and then hum of "yeah okay I'm down for this." PUT THEM IN THE DICTIONARY NEXT TO THE CUTEST COUPLE OF ALL TIME

And last...Buck coming in to the room where his family, both blood and chosen, is, with soot all over his face, and a smile so bright that it had to have lit up the entire west coast, not caring who saw him or who knew exactly what he had just been doing...yeah, that's what this shit is all about.

EDDIE'S beautiful smile when he realizes how happy Buck is they are best friends FIRST and that is all that matters to me!!!

Hen being like "it's about damn time." SO TRUE QUEEN OF COURSE SHE KNEW!!!!!

I haven't really been able to put this into words yet, but the way they are handling Buck's bisexuality and his first relationship with someone of the same gender as him is just...it's almost astounding. It's been handled with such care, from Oliver to Lou to the writers to the NETWORK, everyone is so clearly fully onboard with this and not afraid of it.

And there's no pain here, his coming out is not born out of trauma or being forced or caught or guilty. Tommy made him feel something that he had never been able to put a name to, and Tommy is helping him figure it out. He's letting Buck be overeager without taking advantage, he's letting him move at his own pace (which, of course, is at light speed) but is also confident enough in himself to pump the brakes when he feels like he needs to.

I just can't get enough of that smile, of how fucking happy Buck is. Happy in himself, happy with Tommy, happy to finally have a name for who he is, and not be afraid to share it with the people he loves. His parents' reactions don't matter, because he knows the people that matter to him most won't care who he's with, as long as he loves them and they treat him well.

It's such a huge step for Buck, who has so often fallen prey to what other people might think, it's so refreshing to see him get to explore this without fear of what others will say. Tommy is a steady constant, experienced and knows who he is. He teases Buck and calls him Evan and flirts with him shamelessly, and it flusters him in the best way.

To see a character like Buck, who was, essentially, billed as straight from the beginning of the show, be able to come in to himself and experience real queer joy...wow. For me, it just can't be overstated.

I can't wait to see where Buck's journey goes, and I am just so...grateful to be able to watch it.

[bengiyo]

Between Us Ep 9 Stray Thoughts

I feel like I've lost track of where we are. I last remember Prince being chided by his manager about Bee, but Bee decided to be forthright. Team studied with Win and it was kinda cute.

According to the previously on we are at the Christmas lights portion of UWMA.

We don't always talk about skin tone in these shows, so I'm glad that joke was between two darker guys.

Prem and Boun are good. I'd like to see them together with a more dynamic direction style.

There is something very specific about Prince and Bee. I often feel like New is working through things in his shows, so I have questions.

I really like Benz for this role. I know some things get lost in translation, but there's something very queer about the tacit acceptance of gay as a label because it technically applies.

Bee is also pretty special. New just did the same thing with Cake in My Only 12%. I'm okay with BL boys accepting that they're queer because they like a boy.

Someday we will get a decent sound recording of characters speaking in a hug, but today is not that day.

Tae and Benz were not a pair I saw originally, but I'm alright with it.

I think I mentioned this before, but I want to acknowledge again how much effort Prem clearly put into getting into swimming shape.

Baby boy won a gold medal. I'm so proud and relieved.

Still not sure where Tul and Wan are headed at this pace.

That wasn't exactly true, Team. You may not have a girlfriend, but you are involved with someone.

I do like cutting to Win's dysfunctional family after seeing Team with his parents.

Meanwhile, A, Bee, and Sea are eating on the bed. 🤮

Damn, Bee kicking out his boys and they ain't even finished the snacks.

I don't like the use of the UWMA piano track from that song for every tender moment. The tinge of melancholy was appropriate for Pharm and Dean, but I don't like it for Bee and Prince.

Team was apparently serious about sleeping with his parents. His parents seem really sweet.

New said he doesn't care if Fluke and Earth aren't leads. Someone is going to cry their heart out every episode. Prem, you're up.

I often wonder about the personal losses New has suffered, because grief seems to come up frequently in his projects.

Santa does precocious well. Hoping to see different kinds of characters from him next year.

Both of them are gonna be so sick from being out in this rain.

I wonder if they're filming in actual rain. I often wonder about how little rain we see in these shows with Thailand being such a rainy place.

That's right. You better call your mom and let her know where you are.

Oh goody. We finally reach THAT SCENE next week.

[absolutebl]

So can we take a second to talk about He's Coming To Me. I couldn't help but just feel good after watching it. Ohm and Singto made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. They were so soft and sweet with each other and the whole cast was great.. However, when Thun came out to his friends and him mom I was an emotional mess. It was handled so beautifully and let Thun be truly vulnerable which was so nice to see. I saw on one of your posts that your goal is to get everyone to watch Seven Days and honestly both shows left me feeling the same warm way. Anyway, it got me thinking, what are some of the other great coming out scenes in BL?

WE CAN ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HE'S COMING TO ME!!!

It's a fantastic BL that just never gets the recognition it deserves. Such a good story and wonderful acting. I mean, come on, there isn't miss in the whole cast. It's GMMTV at its absolute best.

(If you haven't seen them, different tenor entirely, but 3 Will Be Free and Great Men Academy are the other 2 of Thailand's forgotten golden children. Precious gifts of beautiful story + killer casting.)

I couldn't agree more. HCTM has one of the most dramatic and best coming out sequences in BL. it's AWESOME. In the gym. With the dropped balls. The symbolism of it all. Gah. And with Thun’s mom? So good.

Suddenly I feel compelled to go watch episode 6 all over again. It was this episode that made me fall in love Ohm's acting. (And I’d seen Dew & MIR already.) 

I happen to be one of those queers who fucking adores a good coming out scene. But honestly I really like the supportive parent ones the most.

So let me think, some of my favorites off the top of my head. 

In no particular order.

BEST Coming Out Sequences in BL

Okay so I think we can all agree that He's Coming to Me is the best. *holds up hand* no contest, but there are other really good ones.

Arthit in SOTUS in front of his friends with his arm over Kong shoulder. ALSO in SOTUS S in front of his coworkers. I just a love a grumpy tsudere being “yeah, he’s mine, I’m gay, deal with it.” 

Dean in Until We Meet Again kneeling in front of the grandmother he's never met before, explaining that not only is he gay but that history is repeating itself and he will absolutely not let it end badly this time around. And then bringing her long lost brother HOME to meet her? OMG I tear up just thinking about it. 

Pete's dad. I mean, who doesn't love Pete's dad in the Kiss series?

And of course, also Kao's mom in Dark Blue Kiss, with his head in her lap? And then later in the same series with both parents and then their friends just teasing the shit out of them for unsuccessfully keeping it secret.

And how Pete comes out accidentally to everyone in a live video with a teddybear?

DBK has to be up there as one of the best long form roll outs of coming out. (More realistic in my experience.)

I thought Golden Blood’s PitchBank coming out to the girls was really cute. 

Tein’s coming out to his bestie in Tale of Thousand Stars was great too. I don’t have a screen grab but I wrote about it at the time. I can’t remember the character’s name but White plays him, which was fun given the last entry on this list.  

Can publicly kissing Tin in A Chance at Love in order to shut his sister up is probably the most outrageous version of coming out. 

I love Shi Lei coming out to his mom in Be Loved In House: I Do. 

The only one from japan I really like is in Life: Love on the Line. Both characters' coming out sequences are so different and we know why, as a result, only one of them ever had the courage to live honestly.

It’s beautifully done. If sad.

Although Shun coming out to his whole village in His is really good, it’s also SO awkward. 

HIStory 3 the bL that shall not be named has a GREAT friendship coming out sequence. Where Bo Xiang comes out first, and then Hao Ting is like,

“Wait, you didn’t realize I was courting a boy too?”

Our bi himbo king is the best! And HE DIDN’T DESERVE WHAT WAS DONE TO HIM. 

Stupid writers. 

I am well aware it has been years but I am STILL BITTER. I’ve had breakups that wrecked me less than this show did. 

Let’s see, Korea isn’t big on coming out sequences. But in Light on Me the bit where Shin Woo tells the story of his first crush to Tae Kung in order to make him feel better after his heart got broken, and says, sort of softly, 

“It was a boy.”

Is basically a coming out moment and I LOVE IT. 

And one of my first favorites, of course, is Noh’s friends basically dragging him kicking and screaming out of the closet in Love Sick.

Normally I wouldn’t like this kind of exposing behavior, but they all know, and Noh knows they all know, and they’ve been running a long con just to get him to be honest with himself and then they are all SO CUTE and teasing and supportive about it. It’s adorable. 

My Top Parents in BL

The supportive straight best friend.

That’s MY BOYFRIEND! 

(source)