#and his reason was so selfish too like ok you're retired what does that have to do with congratulating someone on their recent achievement?

[getting-messi]

can I ask about the whole Messi Pique thing?? I knew they weren't speaking anymore but nothing more than that

ok so i take everything with a pinch of salt and didn't really believe most of this story until recently.

I know that multiple barca players were being super stubborn with their contracts before Messi left and refusing to take a paycut and then when he left, several negotiated lower wages almost immediately after - pique being one of them.

I rolled my eyes when i heard people saying that pique was involved with Messi leaving because it just didn't make sense to me at the time. It was clear that soon after Messi would visit Barcelona with his family and hang out with Busi, Jordi and others but NEVER with Pique.

Then there were reports saying that Pique told Laporta to not renew Messi's contract and i still was hesitant because the problem with Messi leaving wasn't fully from Barca's end but from La Liga blocking the deal so i didn't think Pique could have been involved with that.

Then he made some comments a few months later saying that now that Leo has left, Barca have settled their financial problems........which is COMPLETELY false, we are still under water and our failures in UCL/Europa only make it worst. So i started sideyeing him at this point because that's a pretty rude comment to make considering the fact that Messi was willing to take a 50% cut to help the club and the stupid conspiracies about barca being in crazy debt because of messi are just insulting even more so from a player like Pique.

But what really opened my eyes to them fighting was the fact that Messi didn't say a single word or make a post when Pique announced his retirement.

Now with Pique recently talking about how he didn't watch the world cup and didn't congratulate Messi on winning 'because thinking about football post-retirement' was hard for him and he was trying to keep his distance......absolute BS.

[crime-wives]

ok so i've been rewatching the good place recently and there was once scene in season 2 episode 6 that stood out to me.

the scene between michael and janet in his office where michael refuses to kill her. "why are you making such a big deal about turning me into a marble forever?" "because of reasons. there are reasons. they exist, and I just don't want to explain them right now." "what are the reasons?" "they're reasons, janet!" "okay, but what are they?"

"the reason is friends!"

after he says this, we see michael blink in shock over the fact that he actually, truly cares for someone. it surprises him that he even has the ability to care. it humanizes michael to the audience by showing that even after years of nihilism, he still cares somewhere deep down. this is the first time we've seen michael express his feelings honestly. and it feels raw and real in a way that is emphasized so well in the show. before this moment, michael was trying to form excuses over his reluctance to kill janet, i.e. 'vicky will find out' 'we need you to escape to the real good place' etc etc. after the shock has set in, michael stands by his statement.

"but for me, our… our relationship has become important. you're my oldest, my truest, my most loyal friend. i can't just get rid of you and replace you with some other janet I don't even know."

in this moment we see michael recognize the value of external connection and companionship. the realization that things, that people matter to him.

i talk a lot about michael, but this moment also humanizes janet. i mean this in a way that's different from michael. throughout the show so far, we've seen janet as a comic relief, or as someone who really isn't very fleshed out as a character. she's mostly used as a device on the show for the main characters to gain items or knowledge for their own benefit. it's established very early on that she's not human and therefore does not have feelings. however, as we progress through the show, after all of the reboots, we see janet begin to develop feelings. she becomes more human because of that. additionally, this scene impacts janet as well. this is because it's different for janet to matter to someone not just because she's useful to them. michael values her because she's his friend, because he cares about her. not what she can provide him. maybe it started like that, but now, she has value outside of being useful. it shows janet that she is not replaceable, no matter what she may think. however, even with her developing psyche, she's still pragmatic to a fault. insisting that killing her is the choice that causes the most good.

in fact, now that i think about it, this is an interpretation of the trolley problem presented for michael. 'kill his closest friend to save the neighborhood, or not kill her and let the neighborhood be destroyed, and his experiment deemed a failure, risking retirement'

in the previous episode titled "the trolley problem" we see michael's fickle grasp of ethics as he plots on how to cause the most carnage. however now, when faced with the exact scenario in a way that applies to him, he is unable to do anything. he chooses to save janet's life, risking the entire experiment, his future, and the existence of everyone else. and is that selfish, sure. but it shows that michael has grown. that he prioritizes the people he cares about over all else. it shows that michael is loyal, a trait we have not seen him display so far in the show.

anyway, what was i on about again? oh right, the importance of michael and janet's relationship in the development of both of their characters. about how friendship, having people to lean on, being vulnerable, caring, having external support can help you build yourself into a better person. i think that good place is a show centered on the belief that everyone can change, that it is never too late to improve oneself. the good place shows that being "good" is a choice. that you have to choose it over and over and over again. and that even in this bleak world, it matters. all you can do is be kind and caring and good towards others, and i think this is the moment where michael chose it for the first time.

[whoreforthebauteam]

The BAU team as 👆 this picture.

Aaron Hotchner: He grew up with judgement, hatred, bigotry, rage, violence, favoritism. His mother judged everyone against an impossible standard, nobody (him included) was ever good enough. His brother was always the good one, the loved and favored one, Aaron was a blight on the family name. His father beat him, screamed and shouted and blamed Aaron for every little thing. And when caught with another guy... Aaron never truly recovered.

But he grew, he matured, he escaped to college. To freedom.

Now he gives understanding, unconditional love, acceptance, equitable help to his family. He's a shoulder to cry on when spencer admits he's a little in love with Derek (Aaron hugs him, its ok to be gay). He never stopped caring about Elle, he'll always feel guilty and she'll always forgive him. When Penelope gets headaches due to the harsh lights in her office, he cashes in a favor and now she's comfortable. When someone messes up, he's calm. He still loves his family when hes upset because love isn't supposed to leave bruises.

-

Penelope Garcia: In her early years, she had love and life and direction. Parents worth killing for. And then they where gone, she had nobody. All she had left was fear, loneliness. All she had was darkness. She turned to crime, stealing because she had too. Who in their right minds would help someone like her? Loss turned her bitter and hard.

Then she met Hotch, joined the BAU, she found hope.

Now she's bright, colorful and giving and loving. She bakes cookies when her family is sick or hurt. When they need a hug she's there. When Derek called her his God-given solace, he meant it. Shes all of this because she had it once and then lost it. And, even if it kills her, nobody will ever have to walk in the same shoes she got to leave behind.

-

Spencer Reid: Abandoned and neglected, bullied and ridiculed, shamed and used. Nobody wants to be associated with a freak. His father left him. A 10 year old boy left alone to care for a mother that was too sick to get out of bed most days. His teachers used him for bragging rights, his fellow students pushed and sneered and punched because "what makes you so special you freak?". He was never accepted or included or wanted.

But he was wanted, by the BAU, by Gideon, by the team. He is wanted and accepted.

When the team is on a case and there's smart or strange or odd youths, Spencer's there. He knows, he's been there. He knows what its like to be unwanted. So he helps, he encourages, he guides, he makes everyone around him feel wanted and included. He is special, and so is his family.

-

Jennifer Jureau: Her parents where loving and kind. She grew up in a nice place. She didn't want for much. How could she not see the signs, how could she not see her sister giving up? How could she be so blind? She played soccer and laughed while her sister, her assigned-at-birth best friend, lost the will to live. And when her sad sister finally had a day of happiness, laughed and sang and gave JJ her favorite necklace, all she thought was "finally, she's happy again, she'll be okay now". But all there was was blood and death and loss and guilt. That horrible, nasty, green colored guilt that constantly tells you that its your fault. You could've helped her you could've saved her you should've seen the signs its your fault.

And maybe JJ didn't need much growing up, but her sister did.

Now she knows what to look for.

When Hotch comes into her office one day, gives her a fresh cup of coffee and a rare smile, and tells her he appreciates her and all that she does, she stops him. Asks him if he's ok, is he eating? When Spencer can't concentrate, shes there. A willing and eager listener, its because of a paper he's writing. When Morgan comes into work with a bandaged wrists, her heart nearly stops. She almost cries when he shows her the pictures he took, he was busting down a wall and didn't step back far enough and drywall isn't easy to clean out of cuts or scrapes. Hes ok.

She couldn't save her sister but she can save her family.

-

Emily Prentiss: She learned young that people only care about what you can do for them. The hand that feeds you is the same one that takes. As long as she was present and cordial, who cares? Not her parents. Its all about face, don't show anything less than perfect. Reputation. Don't let anyone see that you're broken because they'll use it against you.

"I need to know that I can be human"

She unlearns stoicism, learns that emotions are meant to be shown. Unlearns perfection, bottling up every trauma is unhealthy and her family truly wants to help. She finds that a helping hand is sometimes just that. No tricks, no blackmail, no favors. Just help. When Spencer shares his snacks he doesn't expect anything in return. When JJ gives her a ride to work she doesn't want gas money, just someone to sing along to annoying pop music with. When Rossi listens to her problems, he listens, he doesn't use it against her.

She learns to be the friend she needed, to help without expectation. To have no shame when her and Garcia go to the store at 2 am in pajamas and runny makeup because they ran out of girls night snacks. She's human and humans are fragile, they break down and panic and they aren't perfect. She doesn't need to be perfect and neither does her family.

-

David Rossi: Dave grew up with family, holidays where big and loud and the house was packed with people. There was love and hugs and warmth. How could he not want that for himself? How could he not want to be the one sitting at the head of the table surrounded with his family? He almost had it... he married a wonderful woman and they were having a baby, a sweet baby boy.

But it wasn't meant to be. Premature. Weak lungs. Say your goodbyes. He all but accepted that he wasn't meant to have a family, no one to spoil and encourage, nobody to protect.

He came out of retirement for unfinished business, a selfish reason. But he gained so much. He gained daughters. He planed JJ's wedding and he's a shoulder to cry on for Emily. He listens to Penelope go on and on about computers because she's happy when she talks about them. He gained sons. He protects Derek when he gets reckless. He encourages Spencer to speak up, be himself. Dave has a family, its unorthodox and strange, but its HIS family.

-

Derek Morgan: His father died, his mother worked long hours to feed his family, and his sisters needed him. He was the one to walk the girls to school now. He was the one locking the doors at night. He was the one checking for monsters. Who protected him? When he needed help, who could he go to? And when someone offered help, he was betrayed. Ruined. Broken.... Carl Burford wasn't being nice to him because he was giving, he was nice because he was creepy. Derek didn't tell anyone because he wanted it he didn't tell because he was scared. If he told anyone, he was weak. He was the man of the house now, and men are strong.

He's not weak, he was a kid. He's strong now, he has more power to help and if it was up to him... he'd help everyone.

Now he fights the same monsters that haunt his dreams. He puts the worst people in the world away. When the team goes out for drinks, nobody messes with them. Derek is there and he makes sure everyone takes no for an answer. When Derek picks up Jack from school, because Hotch is sick, he looks at every teacher. Stares them down. Hotch may have done background checks but whats the harm in another one. He goes to the park with JJ and her family sometimes, JJ knows her boys are safe because uncle Derek isn't going to let anything happen.

Derek learns to accept help. Learns not be scared when touched. On a case, their vehicle got cut off, Hotch hit the breaks and held an arm over Derek's chest. A move made with children, protective, comforting, not something to fear. On the same case Rossi pulls him out of the way of a bullet. He doesn't flinch, or try to run. Because his family is safe, they protect him, and he returns the feeling.