#and also broadchurch i forget he was in broadchurch…

[gnomebud]

my parents (and by extension myself when i am home) watch cbs sunday morning every week and today cbs had an interview with jonathan bailey. they’re going on and on about his dreaminess in bridgerton and fellow travelers and i am just going I REMEMBER YOU AS THE WEIRD LITTLE FREAK IN CRASHING

[dyketennant]

am i allowed to cross-pollinate this other to tumblr and ask everyone to go vote david tennant for dilf of the year

[raz-writes-the-thing]

Alec Hardy NSFW Alphabet

Alec Hardy x GN!Reader 18+ ONLY / requests are open

BROADCHURCH: @clarina04 @kaylinelizabeth4004 @yeethaw13 @stevekempscocktails @go-bonkers-go-foolish @peytonpenguin37 (send an ask to be added to a tag list!)

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Alec is a big fan of post-coital cuddles. He comes off as such a tough guy, but is really just a sweet marshmallow inside. He loves to just have mindless conversations about random things. Sometimes he likes to bask in the afterglow together, but it just depends on his mood if he’s feeling quiet or chatty. 

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

His favourite body part of his partners’ is their hair. He’s a sucker for pretty, soft hair. 

His favourite part of himself is his fingers. He likes to watch them disappear and reappear inside you. 

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Alec will leave his jaw on the floor if you swallow his cum. Whenever you do this for him, he is absolutely smitten. 

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Dirty secret following on from the cum HC- he loves to kiss you after you’ve swallowed his cum. The taste of him on your tongue and in your mouth makes him feel the best kind of filthy. 

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Alec does not have the most experience, but he’s a fast learner. At the beginning of your relationship, that learning curve was reasonably short as he learnt exactly what made you flush with heat and endorphins. 

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Missionary. Alec adores the soft romanticism of missionary- being able to look into your eyes as he rocks his hips against you. The feel of your thighs around his hips, your arms around him as he fucks into you. Absolutely it’s his favourite position. 

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

Alec is a bit more serious in the moment. He prefers a more romantic than goofy mood for the most part. 

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Alec is trimmed neatly but lets himself go reasonably often. It is more a time-constraint thing than anything else. He gets so wrapped up in his cases that he forgets to take proper care of himself, and trimming his hair down there isn’t high up on that list. 

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

King of romance and intimacy during sex, Alec is. For your first time together, he pulled out all the stops with the rose petals, the music ( he even attempted a massage- it was not that great, but you appreciated the effort), soft loving caresses and all the praise you could ask for. 

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Alec gets so wrapped up and stressed when it comes to his cases, that sometimes he ends up just needing to take a break and beat one off. He always thinks of you when he does. 

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Alec has a budding daddy kink, as well as a thing for giving praise. 

L = Location (favourite places to do the do)

He’s a bedroom man, through and through. Though he doesn’t mind a romp in the backseat, either. 

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Honestly, even a sultry look will turn Alec on. He’s incredibly easy to tease. 

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs)

Gun-play, knife play and he’s not at all big on cnc. 

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

His preference is for giving. The smell and taste of you drives him absolutely wild with pleasure. There’s nothing that gets him off more than going down on you and palming himself or rutting against your shin. 

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

For the most part, soft and slow. Very sensual. Though he’s been known to be a bit harsher on occasion. 

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Alec doesn’t mind a quickie here and there, particularly when he’s worked up and stressed, but his preference is for taking his time. Lovemaking. 

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Alec isn’t huge on risks, but doesn’t mind the occasional fuck on his desk in the office, handy in the car or oral against in the bathroom stall. These are few and far between, however. 

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Alec can only really go for two rounds maximum before he’s tiring out and falling asleep, but he does like to go down on you once more after you’ve fucked. 

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Alec doesn’t own toys himself, but he’s more than happy to use them on his partner. 

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Alec isn’t too much of a tease. He only really teases when you’ve been irritating him on purpose. He will tease you with his head rubbing against your clit or hole (masc and femme anatomy) until you break down and beg him to fuck you. 

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Alec isn’t super loud, though he does grunt a lot as he gets closer to orgasm. He’s much quieter than others you’ve been with. 

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Wild card HC is that Alec goes absolutely insane for lingerie. Absolutely adores you in it. Reveres you like a god(/ess).

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

He’s pretty long, and reasonably skinny, and his dick leans to the left when he’s very hard. There’s also a vein that pulses right from the base up the underside of his cock to the beginning of the tip. It’s very sensitive. 

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Alec doesn’t have a necessarily high sex drive, but he’s easily swayed into the mood. 

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Pretty much within five minutes he’s conked.

[miss-edith-cushing]

For the Good Omens ask game: 1, 9, 15, 24! :)

Aaaaaahhhhh, thank you so much for asking these questions!! Sorry for responding so late to them, I swear I enjoy them very much!

1. when did you first watch/discover good omens, and how did you find out about it?

I saw the trailer for it somewhere around November 2018 and thought 'Huh, this seems unique, and it has David Tennant in it, I might check that out'. And then I've forgotten about it completely. Then after the premiere of season 1 my dashboard was completely full of it, like, I can't remember how many people I've followed back then, but 90% of them were posting and reblogging posts about it. So I remembered that I wanted to watch it anyway, did it in the course of one week and the rest is history.

9. Have you seen any other work by david tennant and/or michael sheen?

Yes, yes, yes! I was aware of DT as a Tumblr's sexyman, but I first saw him in Jessica Jones, which I also watched because of the posts on my dash, and I became a little obsessed with him for a while. I've seen Casanova (if you guys haven't seen it, do it, it's so freaking good), You, Me and Him, Broadchurch, Bad Samaritan, Des and Inside Man. In my opinion he has a very uneven career when it comes to the quality of the projects he's involved in, which is surprising, but not uncommon (Peter O'Toole is the best example of it). But he always gives his 1000000% and I can't remember not enjoying seeing him performing.

I saw quite a few films with Michael Sheen and liked him before Good Omens, but never to the point of being a fan. I first saw him in The Queen or in Frost/Nixon, then in Midnight in Paris and Nocturnal Animals. Oh, and in the Twilight Saga obviously! Then after Good Omens I've watched Underworld, Wilde, Far From the Madding Crowd, and Prodigal Son. I'm planning to get back to watching Masters of Sex, he's so good in it. He's an acting chameleon and I don't that before Good Omens the fact that he's all those characters ever clicked in my head

Oh, and Staged! Obviously!

15. Do you have any good omens playlists?

I'm a dinosaur and I don't use Spotify or Youtube to listen to my music; there was one Good Omens related playlist that @racketghost created for @mochacoffee fic Call Me Your Angel (that was the name of the playlist too), but it's not on Spotify anymore. I've recreated it on my iPod, so I can't share it anymore, but I'll try to bully Racko to make it again.

24. what's a theory for season 3 that you NEED to be included?

My theory (which for me isn't even a theory, it's just so obvious I can't imagine it not being included in season 3) is that Metatron will try to erase Crowley from the Book of Life and that's what will make Aziraphale rebel against Heaven again; the same can happen to Aziraphale or to them both.

I would also LOVE to know what's up with Crowley not remembering some of the other angels and demons and why does he have passwords for Heaven's files (personally I would hate it if he turned out to be Raphael or was some another Heaven's VIP, I'm just curious about it).

EDIT: I just have stumbled upon gifs from Fright Night and yes, I've seen it too. How could I forget it? I have very good reasons to remember this film fondly, very, very good reasons.

[muddyorbsblr]

I knew I forgot something 😂 How I could forget Broadchurch I'll never know, but I also watched the US adaptation of it called Gracepoint. That entire story was a ride and a half (and I still have to watch S3 of Broadchurch one of these days bahahaha)

*looks at that gif* Ex-fucking-scuse me?! 😳🫠 I am on the ground, bestie omfg I definitely gotta add this to the list…and maybe bump it up to top tier priority 🥴

Inside Man was definitely another ride and a half and also one of those stories where you're gonna be screaming at his character for leading his entire life down a spiral that he could have damn well prevented but also…he's a vicar that's all imma say 🥴

and because you deceased me with that gif, lemme give you one in return…

GOOD OMENS SEASON 2 IS COMING JULY 28😍😍😍🥳🥳🥳❤❤❤

WAHOOOOOO!

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Could you do a Vardy thing where Lucian is afraid of Hardy being in sunlight because of what usually happens to vampires, and especially because of what happened to Sonjia?

Okey-dokey!

Even though he has seen Hardy outside, the weather was probably cloudy in the few times they've met during the day at this point in their relationship (the early days, when Hardy didn't trust Lucian all that much).

On with the fic!

--

It was a bit alarming to see Hardy so openly walking around outside, a rare ability for a vampire to do.

Yes, Lucian had met a few in his many years who, due to where they lived, could easily move about due to limited sunlight, or they adapted to it and could stand it for a few hours. But most died so easily in the horrible light of the sun.

It was not a sight that Lucian ever liked to see, nor one he could ever forget.

Hence, if he found vampires, he always tried to do it without the help of the sun, though UV lights allowed for a good defense.

Still, here in Broadchurch, where it was still early spring, not quite summer yet, the sun hadn't been around much. Too much cloud coverage, so maybe the kind of vampire Hardy was allowed him to move about easily when there was limited light?

It was weird, but the idea of Hardy burning actually made Lucian uncomfortable. He figured that this man knew how to deal with his limitations and weaknesses, he seemed the type to do so. But then again, Lucian also knew that Hardy clearly didn't take the best care of himself, as shown with how easily he became winded and dizzy, the coldness of his touch and clear lack of a strong heartbeat. Lucian could barely hear it when he was close enough, and even when he could, it had too slow of a pace.

So, Hardy could be forgetful, end up in the sun when it showed up through the clouds, and get hurt.

Why would Lucian need to worry about a man who didn't like him anyway? This wasn't any of his business, really.

But something about seeing him hurt bothered Lucian greatly, he couldn't let the man be stupid enough to allow himself to be harmed by a vampire's main weakness.

So, on this mildly warm, spring day, he trailed behind the detective.

It was surprisingly easy, the vampire stood out so easily in this town, even if nearly everyone except three people knew what he was. He didn't match the locals, so Lucian could keep a distance, but still see him.

The cloud coverage was still thick, enough for it to be bright outside, but not powerfully so. But when the sun broke through, he watched as Hardy, who had been stepping down a flight of steps to the beach, covered his eyes, looking a bit pained, and Lucian suddenly moved on his own.

Hardy let out a shout when Lucian threw his coat over the man's head. "W-what the fuck!?" He lifted it up, glaring at whoever had done that, only to see Lucian standing before him. "What the hell, Lucian!?"

But Lucian didn't say a thing, he grabbed a hold of Hardy's arm, bringing him down and moving him to stand in the shade under the platform of the stairs. Hardy looked annoyed and alarmed, staring down at Lucian.

"Bloody-! You've finally gone mad, haven't you?" He hissed, baring fangs in warning.

Lucian ignored the weak attempt at a threat, instead looking towards the sky. Looks like the sun was going to be out for a bit, the clouds weren't moving much.

Then it seemed to hit Lucian what he had done and he stepped back, feeling embarrassed and wanting to knock some sense into himself, what the hell, you don't just do that in broad daylight!

"Sorry, I just..." He looked up at the sky. "You're out in the daytime."

"Yes..?" Hardy raised an eyebrow, Lucian noted he hadn't removed the jacket from his heat yet. "And?"

"How are you... how are you alright in the light of the sun?"

Hardy looked at him funny and shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. I mean, it's always been like this, since I was bitten. Thought it would kill me the first few days after I woke up, but the worst is does is give me a nasty sunburn and makes me itchy if I'm out for more than two hours or so."

Lucian felt some of the tension he hadn't noticed before leave his shoulders. "So, you're alright?"

"'Course I am! Wouldn't be working day shifts if I wasn't." He huffed. "Why do you care?"

"... Because I don't like to see vampires burning in the sun." Lucian said after a long pause.

The detective stared at him, as if trying to read him. His hardened face softened just a bit and he removed the jacket, holding it out to Lucian. "Thanks for trying to protect me, but trust me, I'm alright, I know my limits on this."

"And yet you starve yourself of blood." Lucian replied as he took back his coat.

Hardy made a noise. "You sound just like Miller. And she also did what you did, thinking I was going to burst into ash. I'm fine, really. I think the kind that I am is from somewhere sunny."

Did he really have no idea? Hmm, a vampire from a sunny location would most likely adapt to being out, that makes sense.

Lucian had a feeling he was going to have to do some research on this vampire.

[margoshansons]

While I absolutely won’t diminish the obstacles he faces as an out actor, I still do think Jonathan Bailey probably stands to have the best post-Bridgerton career. He was the most established and accomplished (Olivier) before the show. He’s played both gay and straight roles. He is, imo, easily the best actor on the show (in a cast of talented people). He’s worked with prestigious creators already—something no one else in the cast really has. Michaela Coel and Phoebe Waller-Bridge both regard him well still since they’ve each given quotes about him for interviews. Of the leads so far, I think he has the best foundation and the most talent to parlay Bridgerton into something better.

Oh I completely agree but I think with the way the internet collectively exploded when RJP appeared on our screens and with many people thirsting over Simone Ashley and calling for more interviews with her, there's a very high chance that those two could also have the same success.

I also think that if they ever give him anything outside of comedy and sex scenes, Luke Thompson has just as great a chance as JB. He already puts so much nuance behind Benedict with what little he's given and I think in terms of the Bridgerton siblings he's the closest to JB in skill and unpacking his characters imo. Although Claudia Jessie is also fantastic.

You forget that Jonathan Bailey worked on West End for years before Bridgerton, so he had the opportunity to work with people like Samantha Barks and Marianne Elliot along with his TV credits in Doctor Who and Broadchurch, which directly puts him in contact with greats like Peter Capaldi and David Tennant. Jonathan Bailey is gonna succeed after Bridgerton because he's a smart working actor and knows how to make connections and spread out his resume. Bridgerton merely launched him into the public spotlight much like RJP.

So yes, he's gonna have a great post-Bridgerton career not just because he's talented but also because he spent most of his life working to ensure that he had those connections and enriching his resume to the point where anyone would be an idiot not to hire him.

[angelsnuffbox]

Hello! I have no idea if I'm doing this right! Whould you be open to recieving an ask about your deleted works later? And if not you still have so many lovely fics! I love your works dearly but the one I'm currently rereading is "Tadfield's Finest" : 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 13 and any other question you would like to answer.

Hi anon! Yeah, deleted works are alright if there's anything you'd like to know more about :)) 2: What scene did you first put down? I can only write fics in proper sequence so the very first scene lmao 3: What’s your favorite line of narration? I think the part where Aziraphale shelters a soaked Crowley with his umbrella and Crowley tells him how he got that bruise on his cheek! “Slipped and banged my head on the sink, alright?” Crowley grumbled, averting his gaze. It was the most uncool thing he’d ever seen Crowley do, but his heart still stirred at the sight. The flash of anger he’d had mellowed down to light amusement, slipping easily into a kind of fondness that could only be justified by someone so madly in love as he was. He liked it, Crowley admitting this to him.  It made him feel like he had a piece of Crowley with him. 4: What’s your favorite line of dialogue? “Don’t want you to think I’m doing it because I’m nice.” His (Crowley's) cheeks turned a light shade of pink. “I do it because it’s you. I mean, surely you know that.” 5: What part was hardest to write? I honestly don't remember anymore which specific scene was the hardest for me but I think a more general answer would be ALL the smut scenes because this was my first smut fic ever and each time I posted an update I was SO nervous about what people would think about it. 9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic? Umm so confession i guess but Tadfield's Finest came from an older idea I had for a Bill Masters/Alec Hardy fic that never came into being 😂 I chickened out of writing it and then later on decided to rehash the whole thing as a Good Omens human AU, so I guess you can imagine an alternate version would be somewhat the same story but with Hardy as Crowley and Masters as Aziraphale 11: What do you like best about this fic? I love that it's a mix of a lot of my interests! Ineffable Husbands, Broadchurch (STILL my favorite show ever), detective/mystery fics (because before GO i mainly wrote for murder mystery genre fandoms), and high fluffy romance with a happy comforting ending. It's also the fic that really got me into writing Good Omens, so even though I periodically forget this story I'm still very fond of it for being a huge step for me as a fanfic writer :) 13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading? This was so long ago so I don't remember exactly, but I THINK it was a lot of Japanese 80s city pop. Off the top of my head, some songs I recommend are 'Misty Mauve' - Tatsuro Yamashita, 'Tell Me, Tell Me' - Mariya Takeuchi, and 'Dream in the Street' - Noriyo Ikeda When writing, I also like to look for 2 to 3-hour compilations of city pop music like this one :)) I find that when I listen to English songs it distracts me cause I'm also writing in English, so Japanese is always my go-to for that 😂 (and also, because I'm formally studying Japanese, it kind of helps me learn the language by osmosis) Thank you so much, anon! You made me relive a lot of happy memories with this x Tadfield's Finest Ask me about any of my fics!

[oranges-for-calico]

okay so I kind of just did a long bullet point list in my notes app, so i'm just going to pick some of them and copy them here! spoilers for Broadchurch season one! :) also like.. source material typical content warnings apply. and these were as I was watching so I got a little heated at times sorry about that

also these might be like not entertaining at all. I really don't know

also the dog ends up being okay so don't worry

EPISODE ONE - i looove the trope of somber/creepy music over happy scene. - i like the detective lady so far she’s so passive aggressive. also she’s returning from maternal leave or something - ALEC HARDYYYY

- “cameraphone” what decade is this - 2013, presumably

- “go down to check it out get yourself some fresh air” SENDS HIM. TO THE DEATH SITE OF A CHILD - JACOB ANDERSON AKA LOUIS IS IN IT WHATTTT

- fucking asshole. of course it was fucking twitter this is why twitter sucks. not fucking cool - GO OFF ALEC. BLOODY TWITTER - he’s a little shit is fucking right. die olly - wow the news industry seems very exploitative.

- “why didn’t you look in on him last night” WOAHH THERE - “why didn’t you” - “where were you last night” OOP - YOU HESITATED

- news lady fucking die. heartless fucking asshole who would do that. i hate you. the entire news industry should go die actually how disrespectful can you get

EPISODE TWO

- cctv footage hell yeah alec - alec are u ok - character trope: you think he’s mean but he’s actually just fucking miserable 24/7 - beth is not doing okay omg - rory!!!:)

- who asks a 15 year old for a light - oh she gave the stuffy back oh aw okay she’s kinda sweet fuck. sorry i told you to die reporter lady - “so you’re snooping on me now” SMOOTH LMFAO - how tf can you not remember your mates name. his story has so many holes - i think it’s a red herring though ? dude idk how this show works - you are not slick bro - why is he making that face - HIS PRINTS ARE THERE HAHAHAHHA

EPISODE THREE

- dude i could not commit a murder for many reasons but specifically i would not be able to come up with lies like that

- “you overcompensate” “i know”

- ur alibi is rubbish - there’s bloods in the boat mark. - eeee i’m scared of fishing hooks. that one time we looked at them in girl scouts scared me - “because i’m ashamed innit”

EPISODE FOUR

- nice to see alec in a good mood

EPISODE FIVE

- they’re making tom act as danny in the reconstruction ??? brutal - i keep forgetting this shows from 2013 - okay i hate the fact that the age of consent is 16 there

- awww look at them gossiping - bro i’m sorry i just *can not sympathize with a man who married a 17 year old when he was 40* - oh—

EPISODE SIX - why the creepy music? is toms dad sus - “i’m always alright” that’s a very The Doctor thing to say

- “i didnt assault him it was a joke gone wrong” that’s not a great sentence - WHY do people get so defensive when they’re being questioned. IF IT WASNT YOU JUST PROVIDE THE EVIDENCE . YOU DONT NEED TO GET ANGRY

- oh boy tom what have you got. i mean you’re very sneaky so good job on that but girl please just tell the police what’s going on………..

- dean lives on a farm haha nerd - wow alec is not doing well

- “he used to be my friend” interesting wording tom

- girl nigel did you just steal the dog - that’s not nice - FIND HER BASTARD DOG. NAEW - NON NPLEASE DONT KILL THE DOG - NINOJIJNNO - NOPE

EPISODE SEVEN

- “you nearly died on me” “neowww” - alec you are literally out of breath pleasee go back to the hospital - i love how alec wears a button up over another button up that’s so gay

- OMGGGGGGG SUSAN KNOWS WHO IT IS!!! - tbh i bet it’s nigel, he’s mean and (probably) killed the dog

- ?? - actually do tell alec i’m really curious - oh?? were you having an affair? - OH. SHE WAS HIS WIFE

- FUCK NO NOT THE DOG NO NO - fuck no. no no no no - the dog is okay as of now

EPISODE EIGHT

- OKAY. - NOT THAT IM SURE YET BUT. TOMS DAD IS THE PERFECT KILLER. HES BEEN HERE IN THE BACKGROUND THIS ENTIRE TIMR BUT. HES NEVER BEEN A PRIME SUSPECT - SHOE SIZE MENS TEN FUCJ YEAH - “you’ve done good work on this miller, well done.” - THE SUSPENSE OMGGG - allllec.

- 59 DAYS EARLIER THIS WILL BE GOOOOD

- SHUT UUUUP HES INTERROGATING MILLER LMFAO - it was indeed joe. harsh though lol - can alec get some proper medical attention now

- and i thought they’d hug - FINISHED:)

if you found this entertaining lmk and I will post my notes from season two and three maybe :3 also I took notes while watching deadloch too

i watched Broadchurch last year and took notes like the entire time, would anyone be interested in me posting some of the funny ones?

[eloura]

Appreciation for the 13th Doctor, why I love Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor

This has taken me forever to write, so I hope at least I few people read it. Granted, once I start talking I can’t shut up. I’ve seen an array of hate towards Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor, and I thought it would be nice to write a post on why I personally love her and why she’s my favourite doctor. And no, it’s not because she’s a woman. Though, it was one factor. And for context, I’ve been watching doctor who since I was a child, and my old favourite used to be the tenth doctor, so it’s not because I haven’t seen previous seasons either.

I’ll get this one out the way, the thirteenth doctor is a woman. This is a big deal for me, in a positive way- I’ve always looked up to the Doctor, always wanted to be like him, for years I wanted to cosplay him as well but as a feminine lady I wasn’t comfortable with cosplaying a man. Then Jodie comes along, she’s everything I wanted in a female doctor, I never through in a million years we would ever have a female doctor. When I first watched The Woman Who Fell To Earth, I just started tearing up,

This. This moment. Because in this moment I though, yes. This is the Doctor. And she’s wonderful and brilliant. What I love most, is her personality didn’t change because she’s a woman now, she doesn’t really wear makeup, she still wears a tux, she’s not bothered about the way she looks, it’s just nice to have a female characters who’s so heroic, kind, and intelligent. It just hit differently for me watching her. She doesn’t forget.

Now, one can argue there’s not much continuity and 13 doesn’t mention her past, which I can understand why you would think that but I disagree.

Here, you can see she still remembers her past, and is still hurting from the ones she lost, from Rose, Martha, Donna, the Ponds, Clara, Bill, etc etc. And with the fez reference, and little lines like “Talking about wasps, have I ever told you about me and Agatha Christie?” Or “Half an hour ago I was a white-haired Scotsman!” Keep long term viewers happy, while not completely alienating new fans, as I feel with series 11+ it’s like a blank slate for new viewers to get into the show, which in my opinion is a good idea. 

Another thing I really love about the thirteenth doctor, is how positive and hopeful she is.

I feel like each doctor symbolises different things, and to me I feel like she’s represents hope and positivity. I really love this about her because I have a lot of personal issues where it leads me to feeling a bit down, but when I watch her Doctor I always feel a lot more happier, positive and hopeful, and for me I really appreciate that.

I also really love how witty she is. Now, I know every Doctor is a little bit quirky and funny, but I find 13 one of the best. She’s a little bit childish, excitable, cute. I love the running gag of her forgetting that she’s a woman now, it’s a nice touch that’s unique to her Doctor.

The Doctor’s speeches are always spine chilling. and for 13, it’s no exception. I love how protective she is of Earth and humans, as previous Doctors have been. A lot of people say the writing isn’t all there, I get where you’re coming from but I personally like it, especially moments like:

She’s confident, she’s protective, she’s loving. It’s just something I really love and appreciate with her Doctor. I  feel like she always wants to do the right thing and will always put everyone first before her own safety.

Talking more recently, I like how she interacts with The Master, she’s not trying to reason with him, convince him to travel with her, mend their friendship, she’s just done. She is sick of him at this point,

She’s rolling her eyes, she’s taking no chances. It’s different, as with Ten, he was doing anything he could to convince the Master to see the universe with him. With Twelve, he wanted Missy to stand with him. with Thirteen and the Master, she isn’t interested. She just wants to save humanity.

I also love the family dynamic. I know we’ve had that before with Rose and the Ponds, but having the entire ‘fam’ as she would say, in the TARDIS with her, idk I find it really cosy and nice. A lonely traveller finding a family to show them the universe with is just really nice, and in my opinion a lot better than having one companion where they /usually/ fall for the Doctor.

Finally, I want to talk about Jodie Whittaker’s acting. I’ve been hate for her online saying she can’t act, which I disagree with, have you seen Broadchurch? Anyway, for this, it’s not fair to blame Jodie for what is the writer’s fault. I like series 11 but its undeniable that Jodie doesn’t have many chances to truly shine as an actress. However, I feel like this is changing in series 12, I especially liked her acting when seeing the destroyed Gallifrey, and how angry she looked when listening to the Master admit her did it. With hope, public opinion of her will change after this series.

Right, well, I think I've babbled on for enough about Doctor Who. If you’ve made it this far, I am surprised with your patience! And if you disagree with me, that’s fine of course! We won’t always agree or like the same characters and that’s completely fine, as long as it’s respectful. 

[lostinfic]

hello! was curious: you always write abt hannah and alec post-sdoacg or mid-broadchurch. how much chaos do you think there’d be if alec was more present in her life *during* sdoacg?

Hi! I’m not sure what you mean by chaos, but the ficlets I’ve written that are set during SDOACG tend to be angsty, so that gives you an idea.

If we’re going with my “they’ve been friends since before she became an escort” headcanon, I think there would be a lot of tension between them. Hannah wants Alec, but he’s married. Although Alec doesn’t admit it to himself, the woman he loves is sleeping with half of London and picking up shitty boyfriends along the way.

On the other hand, she definitely could have used someone stable and reliable like Hardy. And he could have used an escape from his work. So I imagine there would be a lot of arguments, but also a lot of late night phone calls just to talk, and some showing up unannounced to vent and laugh and feel safe with each other.

▹ Excerpt from a WIP set during SDOACG and before Broadchurch:

[It’s Hardy’s birthday party. Hannah is surprised Tess invited her, she goes with her boyfriend, Alex. During the party, Alex receives a call from the hospital and has to go back to work. Later, Hardy offers to drive Hannah home. They’re alone in the car on the way to London.]

Suddenly, Hannah straightens up on her seat. “Oh fuck! I forgot your gift.”

“Don’t,” Hardy says.

“Don’t what?”

“You’re gonna say something about a blow job and I don’t want to hear it.”

She laughs. “Who’s got a dirty mind now? I have such a good influence on you. And I wasn’t going to say that, but now I want to.”

“Shut up.”

“Is Tess going to do that for you tonight, then? For once.”

“Dunno.”

“Right, if you knew you wouldn’t have offered to drive me home. You’d have stayed home and kicked everyone out.” She pokes her toes into the side of his thigh. “I would blow you and not just on your birthday.”

“You already do it all the time, what’s one more man?” Hardy replies.

“Knob.” She laughs and slaps him on the arm. “Does it bother you, how many penises have been in my mouth?”

She likes to shock him, test him.

“… I don’t like thinking about it. It’s not disgust, it’s… I don’t like thinking about it.”

“Well, my dentist has never complained.”

“About putting his penis in your mouth?”

“No! About— I’ve got great oral hygiene is what I’m saying. It’s not disgusting.”

“Right.” He slows the car to catch the exit lane. “If memory serves you weren’t that good at it anyway,” Hardy says, a smirk betraying his tone.

“What?! You did not just say that. Take it back,” Hannah cries.

He shrugs. “Meh.”

“Shut up! You used to come so fast.”

“I didnae!”

“Besides, I haven’t sucked you in, what?, five years? I’ve learned a lot. You wouldn’t last a second.”

“That a challenge?”

They laugh, but this time it’s uneasy. The conversation dies down as Hardy focuses on navigating London traffic.

The car slows in front of her building. She looks up, there’s a light on in her flat-- Alex probably. She doesn’t get out.

“You live together?” Hardy asks, his voice rising slightly. “It’s serious.”

“Yeah.”

She doesn’t say more, she wants to see his reaction, his jealousy. She thinks his fists are clenching around the steering wheel, but she can’t be sure.

“No, we don’t,” Hannah relents. “He’s got a key, but it’s not like that. He did me a favour, let the plumber in when I couldn’t be there, and I don’t know how to ask him to give it back to me.”

The engine’s still turning. Rain spatters across the windshield. Alec’s doing that thing with his jaw when he’s not saying what he’s thinking.

“Does he know about your job?” he asks at last.

“Hmmm….”

“You haven’t told him. Hannah!”

“I know, I know, I’m waiting for the right moment.”

She slouches in the seat and bites her thumbnail.

Hardy scoffs at that.

“I’m slacking off though,” she adds.

“How do you mean?”

“I’ve been seeing fewer clients… I just don’t feel like it.”

“Oh, so you’d quit for him?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Forget it.”

“You never like any of my boyfriends,” her voice rises.

“You never love any of your boyfriends.”

“Well, maybe this time it’s different.”

“He… he doesn’t even know you!”

“Christ, you’re worse than Ben.”

“Don’t get me started on him.”

Despite herself, Hannah laughs. Hardy’s serious dimples disappear, and he cracks a smile too.

“You can’t keep me for yourself, Alec,” she says softly.

“I don’t want you to get your heart broken again.”

Hannah glances out the car window again, at the illuminated living room where her boyfriend is waiting.

She rests her head on Hardy’s shoulder. “Keep driving.”

[wonderingnerd]

Sorry to take your post and going with it, but I just really love what you wrote and I want to add some stuff.

First of all, it’s the way Chibnall writes bc somethings don’t seat right with me. I watched Broadchurch and I know he can write amazingly! And, even if some of his plots may be boring (for some people at least, and it varies) I don’t understand how a few things don’t add up by the end of the chapter. Not major things in the whole Doctor Who Universe, but small thing a that would make the episode more “complete” and solid. It bugs me bc I feel as if this is a post production problem, as if they cut things out bc of time and didn’t bother to look at them so much. At first, I felt as if this was a director problem, where the directors were cutting parts of the script when shooting bc of time, but after seeing a few shots of the things that weren’t aired (but filmed), I feel it may be more a post production thing.

This, for me, doesn’t comes into the Doctor contracting herself. This one I think it was thought. Mainly bc Chibnall is a huge Doctor Who nerd. Jodie said on an interview that he made a whole ass document and printed it out for her explaining the Doctor’s history and addressing even the contradictions on the story throughout the years and different regenerations. So he knows. And, most of all, he addresses it. When the Doctor says her “rules always changes” and when she asks if she was “using points or golden stars”, even forgetting she was using points at one point! She keeps going over it and forgetting her own settings and it’s such a Doctor thing to do!

And, about the Empire thing, you couldn’t be more right! I was struggling to explain what it was drawing be to it and you were able to say it! British people can be unaware of the hardship people from other countries went through and how this was their fault too. As a Brazilian, seeing how the Doctor was taken away and explored by someone that took a motherly role to her, it’s heartbreaking but also hits home. There were many native and African children that had the same fate and their story got lost over history bc they didn’t have the voice to be heard. It’s sad and I feel as if on the verge of tears when thinking about it.

It’s the same to the things they talked about on the filler episodes. They all were about pollution and the destruction of the planet. As an environmental scientist that saw my job played on TV, I get sad and frustrated every time people say they don’t like the episodes bc it’s boring. Damn! You guys have no idea how truthful they were and even I could see it multiple times and not have my ecological anxiety triggered (and I have no idea how Chibnall was able to do it).

There’s so much more but I needed to add those things bc it’s stuff I don’t see talked a lot. (Also, sorry if a few things don’t make a lot of sense. I just woke up, like 40 min ago and idek if my thought process has kicked in yet)

I come from a place of sheer curiousity and I just wanna ask genuinely- you say that you're a fan of 13s/ the chibnall era. Why? Doctor who is my favourite show and I've connected with every incarnation deeply and immediately, but have never been able to "click" with 13, despite my best efforts. What is it that you like about her? What is it that you like about chibnalls writing? I want to know and I want to like her/it too, but as of right now, I just... don't. Obviously you're not obligated to, but can you explain why?

Ok so this ended up being a Long Post, so I'm putting my response under the read more. Also I'm assuming you've actually watched the Chibnall era up to The Power of The Doctor, if you haven't then heads up for spoilers and stuff that might not make much sense without context.

Oh and I'm gonna @ @rearranging-deck-chairs and @ssaalexblake because I see their DW opinions all the time and they're really good and they can probably give more nuanced answers on some things. (Idk how well I did on explaining why I liked some of them, and it really is up to personal preference on some things)

Thirteen herself:

There are a lot of reasons I like Chibnalls era, but one of the biggest ones out the gate is definitely Jodie and her acting in the role of the Doctor. I think the way she balances bouncy gregariousness with the colder more angry and mean aspects of the Doctor is great. She does this thing where she can just make her eyes go dead and then smile like it's a threat, like she's gonna bite, especially when going up against villains. It's great. And Jodie herself is a delightful person.

Beyond just physical acting choices, I find the thirteenth Doctors struggle between her anger and secrecy, vs her desire to connect and her joy at life very very compelling. She keeps this distance that's really interesting I think, where she's genuinely attached to and trying to be a friend to the Fam, but still trying to keep her whole past out of the deal, which doesn't work that well, as we see in s12 and Flux. She's surrounded by death and haunted by the knowledge of how little time she has with her friends, (Grace, and she just came back from bill) but she still wants and needs that connection, and she learns to live in the present a bit. I made a whole post about her final regeneration speech here. I love her arc a lot even if it hurts. Also she's such a horrible hypocrite about so many things, which also makes her a fun character to rotate in my head and study like a bug. I do see it as being on purpose, some people seem to think it's just bad writing that she contradicts herself but imo that's a big part of her character.

Chibnalls writing:

I personally like the timeless child plot because :

There are a lot of stories and ideas in the Chibnall era I like, and a lot more I find very compelling. Whatever your opinions on the writing (and I definitely have had a lot of critique for some bits), there were a lot of ideas introduced that were fun and interesting. One of the weaker points of the era IMO is having so much fun stuff set up, but only shallowly or quickly exploring it, and then adding more stuff on top.

A lot of things didn't get the exploration/screen time I thought they deserved (especially characterization and interaction/dialogue wise). But that just gives my brain more to chew on at the end of the day, and I do love what was done during the seasons itself, not just all the potential stuff.

1) I can connect with it, I know Chibnall was coming at it from a place of being an adoptee, but as a native person the story of a kid taken and raised into an imperial/colonial society, who had their history stolen and their body exploited to further that societies ends, hits very close to home.

And 2) I have a "everything is true at once" approach to canon and I think the more origin stories we make for the Doctor the funnier it is.

This era had a lot of repeating themes, ideas that showed up and we're explored in a lot of different circumstances, often with a rule of 3 aspect to it. One is themes of Empire and Exploitation. Particularly through the stenza in s11 (empire using up planets, introduced to us basically doing foxhunts for clout, but with People instead of foxes), the dalek specials, the Cybermen in s12, and Division/the timelords in flux (as well as the sontarans &co).

Within that there's the repeating motif of how by exploiting people or their beliefs for power the imperial power/bad guys sew the seeds of their destruction. From Tzim Sha using the Ux and them turning against him, to the Division being destroyed by the Ravagers, who they tried to use to get rid of the Doctor/the old universe (and the doctor and even the master going rogue in the first place). Hell even Kerblam! (I know I know) Has a version, where the AI system being used to do terrible things is the one to call the doctor for help!

Another standout are themes of breaking cycles, Ryan is estranged from his dad and was distancing himself from Graham, but they both put in the work and grow extremely close over their two seasons. He also chooses to leave the TARDIS when he realizes he's absent from his friend's lives and wants to be present. And the Doctor gets to break the cycle of exploitation that Tecteun started, when she meets a vulnerable being with mysterious power (the energy being from TPOTD) she helps it free itself, on a way she wasn't helped.

Individual character stuff:

Going again into more individual character stuff I love, I've gotta give it to Sacha Dhawan for being a fucking superb Master. His acting is bonkers amazing and he does a great job portraying the sorta huge personal crisis the master is going through, and externalizing via evil schemes. At the end of Twelves run we saw Missy try to be like the doctor, to get her friend back (and even succeed a bit) but end up dying for it. Now we come back to a master who died trying to be like the person they see as their only equal, and has discovered (wrongly) that they were never equal to begin with, that the doctor is so much more than them. So he tries to make her like him instead, and If she won't become like him and kill them both along with the rest of gallifrey, then he will become her properly this time (by body snatching), ruin her legacy, and die with her eventually (overtaking her in the same way his whole existance has now been caused/overtaken by the doctor in his eyes, because of her being the source of regeneration)

Also can we talk about the Yaz?? I've been dying to talk about Yaz!!! I love her a lot and I find her fascinating, shes probably my favorite companion based on just sheer amount of time spent Thinking about her. Her doctorification/character arc is so good

Yaz is into the travelling and saving the day lifestyle the Doctor gives her for the responsibility of it all, for feeling useful and capable and good. Her early characterization Monet's include her complaining about not having more interesting jobs as a cop because she wants responsibility, she wanted to be important and helpful (that's the entire reason she became a cop, to help people like she was helped when she was in a dark place, and she finds a better way of doing that with the Doctor). And she GETS THERE, narratively and on a character level, she spends three years on earth with her own companions! She co-pilots the TARDIS and can fly her herself! She saves the day when the master steals the doctors body! And most of all SHES EXTREMELY SAD AT THE END BECAUSE THE PERSON SHE LOVES DIED BEFORE HER!! JUST LIKE THE DOCTOR !! (ugly crying) (I could write a whole other post about thasmin, good and bad, but a lot of people have put it better than me)

Also, I'm a big TARDIS girlie, she has somehow ended up being one of my favorite characters in doctor who, and the chinball era does so much fun stuff with the TARDIS!! Different writers take different approaches to the TARDIS, and how alive vs inanimate, or how active vs passive she is. I think the Chinball era had something special in terms of the way the TARDIS was depicted, and I loved it a lot. We never really get to see past the control room but it's a gorgeous control room! And throughout the era the TARDIS just feels so alive, it's always humming and beeping and chirping, I especially love the moments when the lights change color to match the doctors mood (mostly to blue, for sadness, sometimes red to yell at that dalek that one time). And speaking of the doctor, starting with ghost monument thirteen has a bunch of sweet moments of banter or just ~emotions~ with the TARDIS. I genuinely teared up a bit when she entrusted the timeless child memories to the TARDIS,and before her regeneration speech when she asked the TARDIS to look after her. Because who can she trust with her past AND her future except her oldest truest friend.

I could add a lot more of specific things from the era I love (solitract my beloved) but I think this is getting long enough as is lol.

[fangirlingquietly]

Ok, time to talk about Doctor Who's Revolution of the Daleks. There will be spoilers below, so if you haven't seen the episode yet, steer clear for now. (I'm an international stan, so VPN and iPlayer were my best friends. Hope this helps you too.)

I live in the future, somewhere about 7 hours ahead of London, so I had no plans of watching the show's broadcast live, but for some reason, I was still up when the show went live and I was like, "What the hell - let's do this."

Despite watching the episode at around 3AM in my side of the world, it was definitely entertaining and enjoyable! I like 13's era, and I think Jodie Whittaker's amazing, but I do share some of the other stans' feedback about how Chibs' mostly expository dialogue drags out episodes, mostly telling what we should know instead of showing it to us. Having said that, I think Chibs' took some of the constructive feedback because RotD is an emotional, action-packed, and exciting return for the Doctor and the fam. It will go down as one of Chibs' best-written episodes, definitely.

Plot-wise, it's really interesting. The stakes couldn't have been higher. The fam is stuck on Earth while the Doctor is trapped in what she calls Space Prison. What's worse is that Daleks are back on Earth, working for the British government as security drones. It's reminiscent of 11th Doctor's Victory of the Daleks set in WWII, but at the same time, it feels errily like the present. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it, but living in the time of Black Lives Matter and distrust in law enforcement is at an all time high, it's hard not to draw parallels wherein people in power use technology to spread hate and divide for personal gain, oftentimes, at expense of everyone else. While the Daleks represent the real and imminent threat of the episode, I think Chris Noth's Jack Robertson is a hidden and even more chilling villain. A man of immense wealth, power and status who is using all of his privileges for more personal gain; someone who is willing to trade off his race for survival, and despite all that, he comes out unscathed, and can manipulate himself into being celebrated. It's too real, it's scary. I like to think Chibs is not yet done with Robertson and it would definitely be interesting if he'll crop up again in the future Whoniverse.

There was a lot of fan service in this episode, all of which I enjoyed thoroughly. More than a decade since we last saw him, Captain Jack is (properly) back! I love him and Torchwood, so if we're to believe the rumors that his return, the mention, and his albeit off-screen reunion with Gwen Cooper will signal Torchwood's return, I AM ALL FOR IT! His presence also brought an interesting dynamic with the other companions. Let's face it - it's gold when Jack flirted and called Graham "silver fox".

But let's get to my favorite sequence of the episode - Jack's talk with Yaz. I love how raw and emotional it was, and in just a few minutes it showed Yaz' motivation for staying with the Doctor, set up her possible dynamics with 13 in the future and alluded to Ryan and Graham's departure, all done sincerely. When Jack said, "coz the joy, it's worth the pain" my heart just broke. I don't know if it was intentional on Chibs' end, but I think it was a good callback to when Sarah Jane Smith said "Some things are worth getting your heart broken for," in School Reunion and when Madam de Pompadour said, "One may tolerate a world of demons for the sake of an angel," in A Girl in the Fireplace. That sentiment just rings true to all of the companions' stories - travelling with the Doctor is amazing, but it's not without it's heartbreak, it's just up to them whether it's worth the risk, before it's too late (A good and very real life lesson to take away, if you ask me).

And for Ryan and Graham, there's more exciting adventures waiting for them on Earth than with the Doctor. I'm okay with Ryan & Graham's departures, though personally, I'm more of a fan of the more tragic companion departures, like Donna, the Ponds, River and Clara. I like that for all of the agency that their characters lacked in the two seasons they were there, Chibs gave Ryan & Graham the option to leave the TARDIS on their own terms, contradicting what Jack said earlier that whoever travels with the Doctor basically had no choice - whether you stay until you die, forget or get sent back in time or the Doctor abandons you. Come to think of it - maybe the tragedy of Ryan & Graham's departure is as subtle as their character developments. It may not be as loud as the other companion's, but it doesn't mean it's not as painful. It made me think that maybe the stoic dynamic among the fam in the earlier seasons was deliberate (and not because Chibs cannot write an ensemble dynamic. That's just BS - the man wrote Broadchurch, and that was a masterclass in writing for an ensemble) , and the regret of losing people important to you before you're comfortable enough to open up to them is the real tragedy for the Doctor. The Doctor's regret of not being able to go back to them in time before they changed their minds will sit in her hearts as heavily as the guilt she feels with Donna's fate or any other companion. Moreover, it's also saying that when Ryan and Graham found a family in each other after both losing Grace is as important and as amazing as Donna saving the universe and becoming the most important woman in the universe. Rory's line in God Complex comes to mind: "I'd forgotten not all victories are about saving the universe," and that made their departure more bittersweet.

Can we also talk about how beautifully shot this episode is? I've always said that I'm a fan of the more gritty, realistic but Broadchurch-esque cinematography for Chibnall's Who. It makes the story, no matter how otherworldly it is, a bit more grounded. There were hits and misses in the previous episodes in this approach, but I think it's in this episode where they've perfected it. Also, the CGI is so good, and his Dalek redesign is sleek and sexy (sorry, Moffat).

This is me probably nitpicking, but I expected that the impact of the Timeless Children will be more explicit in this episode, but the only TC reference gave 13 and Ryan a good heart-to-heart, where Ryan had to remind the Doctor that despite her current identity crisis, she's still the Doctor. Again, I don't know if it's deliberate but it feels very reminiscent of Clara in The Day of the Doctor where she reminded Eleven that "We've got enough warriors. Any old idiot can be a hero... Do what what you've always done. Be a Doctor." I really love callbacks. It just shows so much respect and reverence to the history of the show.

What RotD did very well is give a very entertaining story, but it also set up Series 13 very well. I'm looking forward as to how they'll explore the repurcussions of the Timeless Children. John Bishop's addition to the cast is really interesting. It's being marketed as a new companion, but historically, that kind of end credit introduction was just done with John Hurt's War Doctor. I don't know how they'll play it out, but the possibilities are exciting. On a last note, I do hope that the next season will give Jodie Whittaker her Water of Mars/God Complex moment - an incident that will push her Doctor to the darkest pits and just give her that emotional acting playground that she's so capable of maximizing.

Thank the heavens we don't have to wait long for the next series. BBC's projecting that they'll be back before 2021 ends. Until the Doctor returns, maybe another rewatch?

[weavemeamyrtlecrown]

Tag 9 people you want to catch up with

Tagged by @aadmelioraa and I’m actually remembering to do a tag game pls congratulate me. 

6 favorite ships. (this is very hard how am i supposed to know what i like)

Bellarke (catch me laying on the floor, face down, thinking about them at any given time)

The Darkling/Alina Starkov (it’s hot and interesting and fun, not sure if it should/could have been endgame but it’s still fun to think about and checks my “evil powerful man and his equally powerful wife who thinks he’s just a little bit pathetic” boxes)

Katniss/Peeta (this doesn’t get old? there’s no holes to poke in it? perfection)

Darrow/Mustang (BRO. B R O. “My wife is like an ocean... I stir her tides” dramatic bitch. Tied with blarke for ultimate power couple, tbh.) 

Kestrel/Arin (The Winner’s Trilogy, enemies to lovers kind of? it hurts because they LOVE each other but they can’t admit it because pOLITICS)

Zutara (i almost forgot about zutara. how could i forget about zutara. zutara birthed me as a shipper)

there is, no doubt, something obvious missing from this list and i am honestly looking forward to someone pointing it out to me because it’ll be hilarious 

Last song I listened to:

Beth’s Theme, from the Broadchurch Soundtrack (Ólafur Arnalds). It’s on a fic playlist and I’m trying to listen to convince myself to write :(

Last movie I watched:

Over the Moon, I think. Very cute!

Tv show(s) I’m watching:

I was kind of doing a West Wing rewatch but Sam is leaving soon so who knows if it’ll keep my attention in the same way

I started watching Merlin? For some reason? It’s fun but also each episode makes me SO ANXIOUS. I’m not good with second-hand embarrassment or tricky situations. It always ends up fine but what if it DOESNT

The Mandalorian. My weekly Star Wars fix. 

Tagging @sly2o @hushedhands @apotter @thetravelerbewithyou @darrowsrising pls have mercy i don’t think i know nine people 

[isagrimorie]

Reading the Doctor Who series 12 scripts.

I’ll go more in depth but as of right now my initial impressions are:

- I love Vinay Patel’s scriptwriting and he does work well with Chibnall, complimenting Chibbs rather sparse writing. Patel is very descriptive and he knows how to use the right words to paint a picture.

The TARDIS spins through galactic colours. Inside the TARDIS, GRAHAM, RYAN and YAZ scattered across the upper steps of the TARDIS --looking at THE DOCTOR who's at the controls. She's tetchy, hitting things, switching things. A dark mood.

This captures the mood and the scene really well and what everyone is feeling at the moment.

My next favorite script and writer is definitely Maxine Alderton -- the words and language and how much she’s able to work with an ensemble without forgetting anyone (*stares at McTighe*).

I love the poetry of Maxine’s words and the monologue Thirteen gives? Even in prose form I can feel the tension. The script really, really helped Jodie Whittaker access that part of The Doctor, IMO. I am really glad Alderton will be back for series 13. I won’t be opposed for her to rise higher in the ranks (unfortunately, Patel is leaving to produce his own show).

Charlene James is also a very descriptive writer too and I enjoyed Can You Hear Me? Unfortunately, its not a strong script as it’s winding down.

And, weirdly, I think Orphan 55 is more compelling on page than it was on screen -- especially the snark. I enjoyed Jodie’s delivery and that’s because the script practically sings with it.

Chibnall’s scripts are almost exactly what they are on screen and unfortunately the things I found weak watching Timeless Children are still the same reading his script for it. The things I did love were the mythmaking parts of Gallifrey. This is something that, in a 24 episode season could have seeded in more, IMO. But then again, I’ve mentioned this since watching Broadchurch and Torchwood -- he isn’t really great with endings IMO.

But there are hidden gems in his writing like:

THE DOCTOR, sat on the floor, huddled up, in a distant corner. Traumatised. The room dark, mournful, in flight. Close in on the Doctor. Something beeps. She reaches in her pocket. A tiny round device --a close smaller cousin to a Gallifreyan confession dial. She activates it.  A hologram of O pops up.

Like, damn. The implication of that -- a close smaller cousing to a Gallifreyan confession dial. The Master must know what the Doctor initially thought it was, for a split second. And now it feels like the dark mirror of Twelve giving Missy the Doctor’s confession dial.

[moonlitlex]

exactly like plenty of characters are bad at clear communication and the doctor is easily one of them but up until chibnall became showrunner they still did express how they felt about their companions, they would just not do it in the direct "you mean so much to me and i will explain why right now" way. chibnall refuses to even let his characters interact enough to develop a relationship. to the point where fans have to start writing fanfiction to just. make thirteen be in character. it's wild like you'd think he'd understand how character writing works considering he did broadchurch but no??

thirteen is just wildly out of character. there's her weird attachment thing which rtd does his best to explain without straight up retconning chibnall's entire run. but even other stuff like... her morals are so weird and honestly just wrong and completely inconsistent. she's been a morally grey character for a fairly long while imo (i kinda feel like people forget seven was also dark and manipulative and just focus on the new who doctors but that's neither here nor there) but chibnall completely botches her moral compass over and over (like when she decided to torture those spiders instead of kill them....)

i also sooo agree about chibnall writing her like a cliche scientist character like that's exactly it. it's so exhausting. i don't mind those tropes too much but the fact that chibnall is doing it to the doctor specifically who has this mad scientist energy and like genuinely loves all the awesome space stuff and making her flat and boring and detached is just so. tiring. like she can't even command a room?? the doctor, who has consistently been the biggest presence in any room she's walked into for the entire show? where did all her confidence go? she's suddenly all awkward and it's like.... what happened to the doctor? the main character of this show?? why's she so boring and flat why isn't she fun anymore

now that it's been long enough since thirteen's era has ended for me to reasonably be able to do some sort of retrospective can i just honestly ask: what the fuck is going on with thasmin???

like. okay i watched the whole thing through. all 3 season and all the specials. outside of the "designated thasmin scenes" where thirteen and yaz make googly eyes at each other or say something romantic, there's literally no indication in the entire story of there being any chemistry between the two.

thirteen and yaz don't even seem like good friends. they both barely have personalities of their own. i would've loved an actual thasmin romance plot à la ninerose or tenrose or hell, even eleven/river (who i still don't like but at least they actually flirted????). even clara/eleven had some sort of chemistry and tension going on that could be interpreted as romantic.

and then they just write in that yaz is on the same level as river (the doctor's wife. implied wife at minimum. who they spent 24 years with on darilium???). i don't even think river and the doctor got proper development of their relationship but at least there's something. there's something you can point to and say look, that shows they care about each other. thasmin have nothing.