#and i liked how it explored ian’s mental health more

[m4ndysk4nkovich]

i feel like one of the only people who loved gay jesus. like- it was one of my favorite storylines and without it gallavich wouldn’t be endgame. it’s so overhated and i get it seems unnecessary but it really was so important.

[lalazeewrites]

What are your personal favorite Gallavich fics?

OKAY, BUCKLE IN!

I actually answer this fic and Tumblr like glitched and deleted it and I was crushed about it, but now I'm back. Ready to tackle this again!

First off, I have 90 Gallavich fics bookmarked. So let's start with the fact that I have a lot of fics that I LOVE and I'm going to link you right here to my Gallavich Bookmarks, should you want to look. I didn't add to my list any purely smutty fics and I have A LOT of amazing ones Bookmarked.

That being said, here are my personal standouts. I'm NOT putting these in order of how much I like them, because I would simply die on the spot under that kind of pressure.

BELOW THE READ MORE: 25 FIC RECS & SHORT RAVE REVIEWS

Life, or Something by @palepinkgoat

This fic encapsulates a lot of things that I crave in a fic that is designed specifically for my tastes. Personal journeys that begin rocky and work toward healing. Dark themes that are treated in a very matter-of-fact way instead of rolling in angst. The growth of mental health. You'll probably see those themes a lot in the fics I love. I also have a fascination with all things death, as someone who has almost died many times and who struggles with a chronic illness. This fic is so. . .beautiful? Articulate. FEELING. I love everything about it.

Belladonna by devovitsuasartes

Oh, THIS. Oof. Okay, this is fantasy HOW I WANT IT. So intricate, so unique, so embedded into the world-building that isn't word-dumped on us with exposition, but SHOWN to us. Witches and forced familiars, complicated family dynamics, rough pasts, coming full circle between the beginning and the end. Emotional journeys, coming back from tough experiences, PINING. This is the fantasy for ME.

Is There Somewhere by andchaos

Soulmates! Soulmarks! Mute Ian who is really fucking funny and sweet and Mickey who doesn't think he has a soulmate because he has no 'first words said to me' mark. I love the dance, I love their rapport, I love how warm this fic is. I've read it several times for comfort.

You Can Bite Me by @goodkwuestion

It's easy as breathing to love all of this author's fics, but this is the one for me, and it has nothing to do with the fantasy vampire aspect. This is one of the only fics that has made me cry. I don't cry from fics, almost ever. The write in this goes from hilarious, witty, clever, and sharp, and then swoops you into appreciating the beauty and sanctity of life, traversing the journey of loss and grief, embracing the passage of time, welcoming love into your life, and simply embracing what it means to be human. This fic touched me in ways I'll never be able to express without a five page essay.

Etherized Against The Sky by Snarfle

A canon-divergent story from 1x09 onward. I couldn't put this into words if I tried, because it is EVERYTHING. Everything that I could ever want in a canon compliant type of fic. Holy shit, does this make me ache. It explores so many facets of their growth, mental health, self-acceptance, found family, rebuilding blood family, and learning how to live in the world of Shameless, but this time, thriving. A complete work of art.

You make me feel human by Dragona

Listen. LISTENNN. Are you listening? Anything that is considered a 'dark' AU is going to be my jam. Anything that dips its toe or severed foot into Hannibal or Murder Husbands type worlds are not just up my alley, but they're leading right up to my fucking house and knocking on the door. This is it, folks! This is the one! No one did it like this fic did it! PLUS: A happy ending? Bitch, I'm on the ground.

My Nine Lovers by @annatrow

While we're talking kiss kiss bang bang gun boyfriends, let's just slap this fic right down here, because holy fuck, I have read it at least three times. The pining? The smut? The secrets? SEXY MURDER BOYFRIENDS TURNED HUSBANDS??? Yeah, honey, I'm here in the front row with my little #1 fingie! My Bookmark comment says "This was so fucking clever and reverent and heartening and joyful."

The Mask of Insanity by @annatrow

Yeah yeah, I am trying to pick only one per author, but I simply cannot with this one. It's so fucking gritty and smart and sharp and emotional. Full of depth, character growth, strange life coincidences, bad boys and good guys and where they fall in between together. I'm big on fics that make you fall down, get scraped up real good, then pick you up by the armpits and say, bitch, we're got more to go!

Conflict of Interest by @thisdivorce

Everyone and their mom knew this was coming. It has everything I crave in a fic. Exceptional characterization. Deeply flawed, real humans living through real life events. The struggles of being queer and unsupported, specifically within the trans community. Journeys through mental health and the pitfalls of navigating the world when you don't see it as clearly as others might. Tearing and screaming out of the confines you've built around yourself, even if they're comfortable and safe, but knowing it's no longer right for you. This fic as everything and more and I've read it three times now because it fills my heart.

(And since this author is possibly probably my fav ever in this fandom, check out WIPs Reckoner and Change Like Shifting Shadows because their writing speaks to my pain and love on a bone deep level.)

Burden of Proof by DodgerBear

Okay, I really fucking like crime fics. Whether on the good side, bad side, or grey side, I love crime fics. This one is soooooo good, and I LIVE for the pining, the draw between them, the SPICE. Please! This is so fucking well done! Whip smart and sexy!

(and shout out to WIP by the same author, Quatervois, for which I will wait an eternity to update, I don't care, go read it NOW.)

Wild West Ian and Mickey by 09cityskylights

Always always always, I will be invested in Western AUs. Any fandom, anywhere, any time. I love for Westerns and this author does it so perfectly. I fucking adore this journey and I can't recommend it enough.

Can't Figure You Out by Crimson_Bebop

If I'm going to pick one office AU from the lot (and there's so many good ones, check out this post for more), it's gonna be this. It's nerve-wrecking, hot as hell, an emotional rollercoaster. You're rooting for both of them so badly, but they both require different but equally important things in their lives, and finding that middle ground is MESSY.

Dancing After Death by @squidyyy23

Oh man. Oh shit. I don't know where or hot to start, because this combines two of my fav things, Sons of Anarchy with Shameless. It combines them, yes, but more important, this is completely it's own beast with an incredibly detailed timeline of events. It's hot as all HELL, it's gritty, it's real, it's loving and tender and difficult and highly charged with emotion and struggle. LIVING FOR IT. I have read this three times.

Teenagers Scare The Living Shit Out Of Me by Mellow_Yellow

Oh hey, we're back at the Lala Loves Murder & Crime Show, and yeah, this one is FULL of it. It's so fucked up. It's so well written. The character growth is fucking A+, the murder reveal is exceptional, the mystery is FRAUGHT WITH DANGER. Guys! It's so fucking GOOD!

Teenage Dirtbag by @celestialmickey

Hah. . .I have read this three times. I'll never have read it enough times. Ian is 17 in 1999 here and I was 12 at the time, so everything this fic speaks to speaks of my entire adolescence and I just. Deeply cherish every moment. I savor every chapter of slow build. I revel in their victories. I sing along to all of their songs that I already know by heart, I wiggle in my seat to the Spotify soundtrack, I live for the vingettes of their happy ending. This fic is so magicl and wias written with such love and care.

you'll never see us again by @spoonfulstar

Okay okay okay, listen to me. Yes, we ALL love Intro to Quantum Dating by this author. I fucking adore it. I open it up at random chapters just to read and make myself smile. But THIS FIC??? THIS ONE??? You have got to be kidding me. I cried. I fucking yearned. I hurt, I hurt so bad down to my toes, and I smiled when things went right, and I teared up when it didn't, and I hoped and prayed for a happy ending, and yes I got one that was fulfilling and beautiful and poignant. Did the fact that I am a kidney transplant recipient play into my deep-seeding feelings about this fic? Absolutely. Do I think everyone should read this fic to grasp what exceptional storytelling looks like? BIG TIME.

Solid Skies and Slate-Blue Earth Below by @sentimentalspiders

This is one of the weirdest fucking fics I"ve ever read and I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT. Best alien!Ian! Exceptional, fascinating, vivid writing style! The narrative is articulated in such an ethereal, out-of-the-box way that is perfectly fits a story that is about an alien and a very lost man. It's SOOO COOL.

Brand Spanking New by J_Q

I don't know what to tell you. Micky gets sent to a fuckin' retreat when he gets professionally spanked (by Ian) to fix his horrible behavior. He gets out of there and then he and Ian start a very detailed BDSM relationship. This is SOOO my wheelhouse of JOY, but if it is not yourself, y'know uh. I mean, I still recommend it anyway. It's so wildly delightful and hot as FUCK.

That's a Wrap by @crossmydna

Am I biased because this was written for me as a gift? Shut the fuck up, of course I am. But also, no, because well before Cross took on prompts, they were working on The Menagerie which is in my top five favorite Gallavich fics of all time, and I read it all the time AND YOU SHOULD TOO. Anyway, back to this fic. What can I say, it's EVERYTHING I WANT. Actor AUs! Meet Ugly, the hottest smut imaginable, banter that's sharp and strong, badass Ian & Mickey, everything everything everything.

The Stargazer by crazynadine

Hey yeah, hi, welcome to my Daddy Kink. There's a lot of it. Let me show you around, its got scrappy heart of gold sex worker Mickey, it's got age difference bearded and jaded by life Ian, it's got panties and road side motels, and secrets, jealousy, and hot hot hot smut, like holy shit. But if daddy kink is not your jam, then y'know. . .ahem.

The Question of Normal by blue_newman

Ian is a prison counselor and Mickey is in prison. The way that I LIVE for Ian breaching any of his professional protocols to help Mickey (this goes for so many fics in my bookmarked fics) is unholy, but how about you five me a fucking break okay. I just like it when they break the rules, as they should, because this is Shameless LOL. But seriously, this is so thoughtful and heartening and left me feeling really fucking right in the world after I read it.

Well, I hope this helped! This is only about a fifth of my Bookmarked fics, and I wanted to write about SO MANY MORE. Anyone is always welcome to ask me to rave about fics, I am always here for it lol.

I said this in the begining, but I have bookmaked A LOT of smut fics that I think are exceptional works, so I suggest you filter my Bookmarks by works under 10,000 words and you're gonna find 'em all.

[aria-ashryver]

6. do you have a favorite quote?

20. favorite skincare products? (Reverse Uno! lol)

25. what inspires you?

:)

6. do you have a favorite quote?

oooh not a quote per se, (and generally I can't settle on a favourite anything lol) but let me share a poem from Chris Tse in his anthology, How to be Dead in a Year of Snakes.

This one is my fav at the moment. I read the whole anthology in one sitting a few years ago and cannot praise it highly enough. [TW: racism, murder] - it discusses racism; murder; the way POC names are reduced to no more than representations of acts of violence done to them; the simultaneous glorification and spectacle of white murderers whose names and lives are remembered in the media for the atrocities they commit, while the voices of those they enact that violence upon are forgotten and buried.

It's so so so well written!! (also really looking forward to getting my hands on his queer anthology, He So Masc, which I haven't read yet, but I'll probably find my next favourite poem in ✨)

20. favorite skincare products?

My skin is super sensitive (she's just like me omg), so I really love things that don't have fragrance, are super hydrating, and work to restore the skin's moisture barrier. KLAIRs as a whole is just *chef's kiss*, I freaking 💖love💖 that brand! But here are some of my personal favs

Cleanser

Wishtrend Green Tea & Enzyme Powder Wash

Toner

KLAIRs - Supple Preparation Unscented Facial Toner

NEOGEN - Real Ferment Micro Toner

SIMPLE - Micellar Cleansing Water

Serum

THE ORDINARY - Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (actual godsend)

KLAIRS - Freshly Juiced Vitamin C Drop (another godsend)

THE PLANT BASE - Quesera Ceramide

NEOGEN - H2 Dermadeca Serum Spray

Moisturiser

SIMPLE - Hydrating Light Moisturiser w Vit B5+E

MISSHA - Super Aqua Cell Renew Essential Moisturiser (WHY is it so expensive though 😭)

KLAIRS - Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask (love love love)

Sunscreen

NEUTROGENA - Ultra Sheer Face Lotion SPF50+

I'm still looking for a good sunscreen tbh, the sun is brutal in NZ and I'm white, so... 😬 lmao

25. what inspires you?

omg, everything and anything!! I'm taking this in a "what inspires you in terms of your art/writing" kind of way - most recently, music is inspiring me tons, especially watching the MVs for DPR Ian's songs. He is such a talented artist, and the way he explores mental health through the visual imagery in his self-directed videos is just on another level of artistry. Dude is so cool. Everything he creates is so vulnerable and real while being so pretty, I love it!

[popmusicu]

Mental health and music

The relationship between mental health and music is a profound and multifaceted one, reflecting the powerful ways in which artistic expression and psychological well-being influence each other. Music has long been both a solace and a form of expression for those grappling with mental health issues, providing a therapeutic outlet for emotions and a medium for connecting with others. This dynamic is vividly illustrated in the lives and works of many musicians throughout history, such as Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Sinéad O'Connor, Billie Eilish, Amy Winehouse, Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett, Daniel Johnston, Chester Bennington, Demi Lovato, Ian Curtis, and Michael Jackson.

For many musicians, creating and performing music serves as a vital coping mechanism for dealing with mental health issues. The act of writing lyrics, composing melodies, and performing can provide a form of emotional release and self-reflection. This process allows artists to articulate feelings that might otherwise remain unexpressed, serving as a form of self-therapy. For instance, the grunge movement in the early and mid 90’s is probably the best example. Kurt Cobain’s raw and confessional lyrics in Nirvana’s songs resonated deeply with listeners who shared his struggles with depression and bipolar disorder (then called manic depression). The frustration, anger and the self depricating sentiments and misery exposed throughout Nirvana’s work (deeply developed in In Utero) resonated deeply with a generation that didn’t identify with the braggadocious nature of Glam and Hard Rock. Similarly, Chris Cornell’s powerful vocals and poignant lyrics often addressed themes of despair and inner conflict, offering listeners a sense of solidarity and understanding. Layne Staley’s work with Alice in Chains develops in a similar way, touching on his own struggles with depression and addiction, in addition to the struggles of other people (see the song Rooster and how it touches on war related PTSD). A more modern example can be found in Kendrick Lamar’s music, that has touched in his music deeply personal issues regarding depression, suicidal thoughts (see the song u), impostor and savior syndrome (Savior) and generational trauma (Mother I Sober).

In a different note, mental health disorders can profoundly shape an artist's creativity, influencing the themes, tone, and intensity of their music. While mental illness can be debilitating, it can also drive an artist to explore complex emotional landscapes, resulting in moving and innovative works. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, despite battling schizoaffective disorder, produced some of the most groundbreaking and acclaimed music of the 20th century. His ability to channel his struggles with mental illness into intricate harmonies and melodies exemplifies how mental health struggles can fuel artistic genius. Similarly, despite his short carreer, Syd Barrett’s contributions to Pink Floyd’s early material, known for it psychedelic and experimental nature, were shaped by his deteriorating mental health associated with LSD consumption, leaving a lasting legacy in the music world. In this line, the works of Ian Curtis in Joy Division and Daniel Johnston come into the discussion, being their work deeply influenced by epilepsy in Curtis’s case, depression and anxiety. In a similar vein, as he became one of the biggest artists of the world in the 2010’s decade, Kanye West’s music often delved into his struggles with addiction, depression and mostly bipolar disorder, just like he exhibits on many of his albums like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, The Life of Pablo, Ye, Kids See Ghosts and Donda.

Kanye’s case helps to also delve into the topic of the role of public perception and the stigma surrounding mental illness. The public’s perception of musicians with mental health issues can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, artists who openly discuss their struggles can help destigmatize mental illness and encourage others to seek help. West’s candid discussions about his bipolar disorder, for instance, have sparked important conversations about mental health in the public sphere. On the other hand, the pressure of public scrutiny can exacerbate mental health issues, contributing to a vicious cycle of stress and emotional distress. The intense media scrutiny faced by Michael Jackson in the span of decades, coupled with his complex mental health issues associated with childhood trauma, underscores the detrimental impact that fame can have on an individual’s well-being.

There’s also many musicians that, understanding their influence, use their platforms to advocate for mental health awareness, leveraging their influence to promote understanding and support for those affected by mental illness. Demi Lovato has been particularly vocal about her struggles with bipolar disorder and addiction, using her music and public appearances to raise awareness and reduce stigma. By sharing their personal experiences, these artists humanize mental health issues, making them more relatable and less taboo. Billie Eilish’s openness about her battles with depression, anxiety and tourette’s syndrome, reflected in her introspective lyrics, has resonated with a younger generation, encouraging a more open dialogue about mental health.

There’s also the not often associated with mental illness topic of addiction and substance abuse and how it conditions the artist’s music. Artists like Amy Winehouse, Layne Staley, Kurt Cobain and John Lennon have made music talking about and influenced by their addiction to several drugs, be it heroin, cocaine or alcohol.

Music itself can have therapeutic effects on listeners, providing comfort, solace, and a sense of connection. For fans, knowing that their favorite musicians have experienced similar struggles can be incredibly validating and empowering. Songs that address mental health themes can serve as anthems of resilience, helping listeners feel less alone in their battles. Chester Bennington’s music with Linkin Park, for example, tackled themes of trauma, depression, and hope (One More Light), offering a lifeline to many fans facing similar issues. The cathartic power of music can thus play a crucial role in mental health, both for the creators and the consumers.

In the end, the relationship between mental health and music is a complex and deeply impactful one, with multiple layers to dissect. Music serves as a therapeutic outlet, a medium for advocacy, and a source of connection and solace for both artists and listeners. Understanding the particularities of each case as each person’s trouble and mental condition is very complex and different from each other, the aforementioned experiences of musicians like Kurt Cobain, Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, Kanye West, Sinéad O'Connor, Billie Eilish, Amy Winehouse, Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett, Daniel Johnston, Chester Bennington, Demi Lovato, Ian Curtis, and Michael Jackson highlight the profound influence of mental health on creativity and the potential of music to heal and inspire their listeners and fans. Their stories remind us of the importance of compassion, support, and understanding for those facing mental health challenges, and the enduring power of music as a vessel of expression, liberation, venting and freedom.

- Ignacio Haro

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Well I listened to an episode of the Peacock & Gamble radio show today that follows interestingly from the post I made yesterday about how the dynamic’s changed a bit, Ed and Ray have a somewhat more adversarial relationship, Ed in a more clearly “straight man” role, it’s still very funny but some things work less well. There was other stuff going on too, but it seemed to turn around a little bit in episode five (March 24, 2014 – the first episode in which they actually said the date at some point during the episode, and I’ve been able to work out the previous episodes’ air dates from that, so I finally have those). When they’re three hours each, a lot can change in just one episode.

Adding a cut because this got long. Some discussion of misogyny ahead. Not from the comedians.

Episode 5 immediately felt a bit different because Ed was doing a fair bit more talking than usual. And not just talking more but talking first, cutting Ray off a little quicker than usual, being the person to drive the direction of conversation slightly more. I’d noticed in previous episodes that he sometimes faded a bit into the background in these, as he’d occasionally done in their interviews from Edinburgh, but in this episode he was getting right in there.

I have a guess as to why this was, and it’s related to the fact that he’d developed a new running joke throughout the episode, which was cutting Ray off to say “Don’t start talking about your depression.” Which probably looks terrible out of context so it’s only fair that I clarify, at no point did it sound like Ed Gamble thought anyone, including Ian Boldsworth, should not talk about their depression in real life. He said it in a jokey way, had picked this as an episode catchphrase it’s of a funny thing to say (because you’re not supposed to say that and saying things you’re not supposed to say is funny, Peacock and Gamble based a whole double act on that principle) – but also doubled as a way to genuinely cut Ray off any time he started on something that could go off the rails. Like when he brought up his dead fish again, or his Muppet collection that was in the bath because he hadn’t unpacked his new place. Ed would shut that down with “Don’t start talking about your depression” and change the subject.

They also referenced the fact that Ed had been to his place the other night and found him in a bad way, and I’m going to guess that the balance of Ray Peacock’s mental health breakdown had recently been tipped to Ray being genuinely worrying to the people around him, and Ed didn’t want him driving the direction of the radio show in that state. Ed sounded slightly nervous about this, I think, and the dynamic was different again.

Then their fucking guest arrived. He arrived during this song, which I got fully caught up in. I’d never heard that song before, but since I first heard it on their radio show about six hours ago, I’ve downloaded it to my phone and I’m obsessed with it. I sat on the train to work today and was amazed at how good it was. I may have been especially drawn into it because it happens to be very thematically relevant to the Ray Peacock stand-up shows I listened to yesterday and hugely enjoyed (I say “happened to” as though it’s a coincidence, I assume Ray Peacock was into this song then because he was writing that show). Not just the general theme of mental health, but this song covers the specific topic that show explored, about nature vs. nurture and origins stories of issues, those topics had stayed in my mind because that’s what a very very good stand-up show will do to you, then then this song came on the next day, it was so good, I was enjoying it so much.

Then, this voice I haven’t heard before interrupts the song, and asks what the fuck is this rubbish. Ray and Ed interrupt their own songs all the time, it was a remark of respect for this song that they hadn’t interrupted it yet, but it was jarring to hear someone else get in there and be so rude about it right off the bat. They told him it was Amanda Palmer (helpful, that saved me a Google since I didn’t know the song but immediately knew I wanted it), he said it was fucking awful and they should turn it off. Their guest had arrived, and had immediately created a sour atmosphere both in the radio show in general, and in my specific experience of it, cutting that off so abruptly.

They said their guest was a porn star, and I immediately assumed it was a comedian who does a terrible character (the guests in the first four episodes were all comedians – Al Murray, Thom Tuck, Johnny Vegas, Angela Barnes), but I Googled him and he’s an actual porn star. He’s also a terrible person. Those things are not related, not all porn stars are terrible people. But fucking hell, he was.

It was all right for a while. They asked him a bunch of questions about what it’s like to do this job that most people know little about (little about how it works, anyway), a couple of the answers were sort of interesting, it was a bit awkward and the guy was being a bit of a dick but not that bad. Ray, who’d been fading slightly into the background (for the first time, as far as I can tell, ever) earlier in the episode, really came alive when he had the chance to ask a professional all his questions about dick size and gay experimentation and other topics on which he frequently fixates. They seemed to have more correspondence than they’d ever had before from listeners as well, constantly reading out questions they got over Twitter and texts from people who wanted to know things about the famous porn star (including one message from someone named Danielle Ward, and – I assume it’s not that one, surely she has better things to do than listen to this, but if she was listening to that horrible interview, makes it more understandable why she quit working public performance, you’d want to get away from that shit).

So it was all right for a bit, they were bantering with him and reveling in saying rude and inappropriate things because he works in sex and that’s inherently rude and inappropriate and that fits right into P&G comedy, and they’re so into it that it takes a little while for the atmosphere to catch up when it turns from funny-inappropriate to bad-inappropriate. The guy tells a couple of stories that have the tone and cadence of the funny-inappropriate stories, but if you think about them for half a second they’re actually about genuinely exploiting vulnerable people (specifically vulnerable women) in real life and they’re horribly fucked up.

Ray and Ed dealt with it relatively well, I’m not sure there is a really good thing to do in that situation unless you’re willing (and able) to just kick the guy out of the studio. Ray got back in charge a bit, started occasionally pointing out that these stories aren’t really okay, but the guy didn’t really seem bothered by that.

I found it interesting as a look at the old issue of irony in inappropriate comedy. You know, the thing that makes anything Peacock & Gamble have ever done acceptable. Saying awful things ironically these days is considered less okay than it used to be, and I think that’s a sign of the actual comedy changing, as well as audience attitudes about it changing.

Twenty, fifteen, even maybe ten years ago, if people said something awful ironically, it was reasonable for other people to assume they didn’t “secretly mean it”, the joke was that they understand it’s a bad thing to say and are making fun of people who’d say those things for real. At some point in the last decade, we’ve all figured out that the genuinely terrible people use irony as a shield when they say awful things, and if someone is saying that stuff “ironically”, there’s a decent chance that they do secretly mean it and are justifying it that way. Or that they might not personally mean it, but they’re happy to intentionally appeal to audience members who do, who will laugh because “You can’t say anything anymore, isn’t it great that that person’s standing up for my right to be racist!” Or that the joke “It’s funny because it’s true”, rather than “It’s funny because some horrible people believe this for real.”

Of course, sometimes, even ten or fifteen or twenty or thirty years ago, people would say horrible things as a joke, and the joke would be “It’s funny because it’s true.” But they didn’t usually wrap it up in irony, at least back then. You could tell the difference more easily. The difference between comedians saying awful things because they think awful things are funny, and comedians saying awful things ironically because they want to make fun of the people who actually think that way. I think there did used to be a much clearer difference than there is now.

And that is why I will accept a lot more ironic awful things in comedy from the 00s than in comedy that’s made today. Why I will laugh a lot at Peacock & Gamble saying something terrible in 2011, when if someone said the same thing in 2024, and tried to claim the same amount of irony, I’d say irony’s not a good defence for that. I guess in that one specific way, it’s true, you maybe can’t say anything anymore. But that's not my fault. It's not the Wokerati's fault (I am, to be clear, among the Wokerati). It's the fault of the terrible people who broke the pact where we all promised that irony means we don't really mean it.

Though to be fair, I have never heard any comedian from the last few years, who does material where they “ironically” say horrible things, and is anywhere near as funny as Peacock & Gamble. So there’s another extremely significant difference, I’ll laugh at Peacock & Gamble in 2011 and not at people who say horrible things in 2024 because the former was much much funnier than the latter. But there’s a political difference too.

This is something I think about at times, because to be honest, I’m surprised Ed Gamble hasn’t been canceled. Cancel culture’s not a real thing, most cancelations are just someone getting in trouble for a few weeks and then everyone forgets about it, that’s all that I’d expect to happen here. But with all the “re-surfaced clips of wholesome entertainer saying something terrible back in the day, people will get mad for a few weeks and everyone will shout ‘cancel culture!’ and then everyone will forget and it’ll be fine” – with all the times that’s happened, I’m surprised no one’s done it to Ed Gamble. I’ve tried to be a bit careful, while listening to the old P&G stuff, I’ve posted audio clips from it less often than I do with other stuff I listen to, and when I have posted clips, I’ve done some pretty surgical cutting to make sure I don’t get the worst stuff in there. Because it doesn’t seem fair to take some shit he said that long ago and post it on social media with no context in 2024, and I don’t have time to explain the massive amounts of context involved (including the stuff in this post, it would need to come with an explanation of “this was back when irony was used to demonize rather than normalize terrible things, or at least, that’s how most people thought it worked”, as well as “Okay they did plan all that out, the other guy was in on it, it’s all right”), and even with the full context there’s plenty of it that’s still not justifiable.

I’m careful in what I post on Tumblr because of theoretical principle, but to be honest, I could post whatever the hell I wanted on here and it would have no effect on Ed Gamble’s career because no one’s look at Tumblr. But I have definitely heard some things in those old episodes that have made me think “If I really wanted to ruin a few weeks of Ed Gamble’s life, and I wanted to clip the worst of this out of context and post it on some social media sites the people actually read and do that thing where you tag people so it gets picked up, I bet I could cause a problem.” I wouldn’t do that, to be clear. I’m just saying I find it a bit weird that I think I could. Because if I could, then that means anyone who’s heard those podcasts could, and I find it surprising that no one has. Surely someone will at some point.

Anyway. The point, to get back to that, is that this fucking guest really drew a line that illustrates how much irony does mean something. Maybe it doesn’t these days, maybe these days if you say something awful then that probably means you’re just awful no matter how much irony there is. But in that radio show from 2014 (not all that long ago, by some measures), there was an extremely clear difference between the guys who say terrible things because it’s funny to have a giggle about breaking the rules, and the guy who started saying terrible things because he was clearly a genuinely terrible person. That difference was so clear, and it became clear so very fast, and you could listen in real time as Ray and Ed realized it was there and didn’t know how to confront it, and it made for incredibly uncomfortable listening. Not funny-uncomfortable, the way I find a lot of things, I will frequently laugh at an uncomfortable comedy situation just because it’s uncomfortable. But this was a different thing, nothing about it was funny.

It escalated bit by bit, and by the time Ray said they only had a couple of minutes left and would wrap this up, I thought, that was rough but could have been worse. I thought it might end without too bad an incident. But then, in the “wrapping it up”, they brought up a show this guy did years ago on which Lucy Porter also appeared. The guest started talking shit about Lucy Porter, and even if I hadn’t heard him say a word so far that episode, I would immediately know he was a dick, because who talks shit about Lucy Porter? Lucy Porter is wonderful. No decent person hates Lucy Porter.

This guy starts saying “She was horrible to me on that show,” and I’m thinking, “Good for her, I’m sure you fucking deserved it.” Then he said “She thought I was some sort of misogynist,” and I’m thinking, “Good for her for working that out so fast.” Ed and Ray are hanging back a bit, obviously not willing to join in and talk shit about a comedy colleague live on air (actually, they have talked shit about comedy colleagues in the past, but ones who’ve deserved it, which obviously Lucy Porter doesn’t), but not able to just tell the guy to fuck off. Until Ray announced that a producer in his ear has just told him Lucy Porter is, by total coincidence, in the next studio.

I can’t imagine why anyone thought it would be a good idea to tell him that. That’s the only part of this that makes me slightly wonder if it could have been a setup – why the fuck would they tell compulsively impulsive Ian Boldsworth, who was known to be in the middle of a breakdown and even more impulsive than usual – that Lucy Porter was next door while this was happening? But apparently they just told him that because they thought it would be interesting information. Ray, of course, immediately announced that he didn’t feel comfortable listening to someone say those things about her when she had no right of reply, and he was going to go get her so they could settle this.

You can then hear him get up and run out of the room. Just as you hear the studio door close, the porn star guest makes his most overtly misogynistic comment yet, saying she’s not even funny and she only gets work because she’s a woman. There were misogynist undertones in nearly everything he’d said so far during that interview, there were misogynistic overtones in the way he’d talked about Lucy Porter, but that one comment crossed a new line, and he said it when only Ed was in the studio.

At this point, I hadn’t laughed in a while. I’d laughed a little bit early on in the interview, but my laughs had stopped once he started telling legitimately terrible stories that were just about exploiting women, it was bad-uncomfortable rather than funny-uncomfortable, the irony was long gone, it wasn’t okay. But I have to admit, when that happened, I did find myself having to cover my mouth and work really hard to stifle hysterical laughter on a crowded bus. But I took one moment to think about the situation Ed Gamble was in, and that suddenly seemed incredibly, amazingly funny. I still think that’s amazingly funny, I stand by my laughter there.

Fucking hell. He started that episode clearly a bit nervous about the way he needed to step up a bit and keep this show on track while Ray was having a breakdown, maybe handle a little more than he was used to (I mean, obviously he was very used to things like this as he’d been performing comedy for years, but he wasn’t used to being the main person driving the chat in this specific radio show), make sure it doesn’t go entirely off the rails. And then he had to deal with an incredibly uncomfortable interview where he and Ray were faced with the choice, live on air, of how hard to push back on this guy saying awful things, always a tricky balance to strike in the moment. And then this guy had suddenly escalated his terrible-ness, including attacking a comedy colleague, putting Ed in an even more difficult position. And then, just as it reached its peak, Ray ran out, doing two things to make it worse for Ed: 1) he had to worry about what will happen if Ray manages to actually get Lucy Porter in there because bringing her in might be the sort of “going off the rails for real” that he’d been trying to prevent, and 2) he was left alone with the horrible porn star, still live on air, excepted to talk to him, and just as he was left alone, the overtly misogynistic comment got said and he had to answer it himself.

That was the funniest fucking thing that could have happened. I laughed so hard. What a terrible thing to be dropped into. It was like it had crossed the line twice, reached farcical levels of awful that can only be funny. Not to mention, that’s just straight-up relatable comedy. We’ve all been left in situations, like that, right? Difficult situations where luckily you have a more experience partner whom we’re relying on to competently get us through this, and then they suddenly leave the room and you’re left to try to sort it out? I’ve certainly been there. And I found it very funny to imagine Ed Gamble there multiplied several times over.

Ed awkwardly asked the guy about his TV show, managed to turn it into a borderline normal interview for about 90 seconds. Then Ray bursts back into the room, and at that point I was so sure that either this had been some sort of setup and Lucy Porter was never there and no one told Ray anything in his ear and he’d say he couldn’t find her, or maybe she somehow was there but obviously she was busy and he’d have to say he’d failed to find her and this guy can get out of the studio now. But nope. I hear a voice that’s very familiar to me off Radio 4, he’d actually fucking brought Lucy Porter in.

I’m as sure as I possibly can be that this wasn’t a setup. If it had happened on a radio show I didn’t know, I’d automatically assume it was a setup. But I really don’t think this was. No one sounded prepared for it. They threw Lucy at him, explained live on air what had happened. She said she remembered that show from 15 years ago, she had disliked him. And then she apologized for that, which I didn’t think she should do because I’m sure she was the one in the right, but also I didn’t blame her for a moment, because what the fuck was she supposed to say? This went on for a horribly awkward minute or so, then they said Lucy Porter really does have to leave, and it turned out Ray had burst into Sean Hughes’ show that was actively recording in order to get her, and they needed her back in the other show, like really actually needed her back and you’re not allowed to just go into other studios and steal their guests, Ray shouted something about how theirs was pre-recorded and this was live so more important, but Lucy went back to the other show, and like I said, knowing everything I know about Ray Peacock, I fully believe that none of that was a lie for the microphones.

Anyway, they got both guests out of the studio, and then they had another hour of their show, just Ray and Ed, and that was different. They said they usually go for extra filth in the last hour, but they don’t really want that after listening to that horrible guest and all his filth (meaning “filth” as in sex talk and “filth” as in unironic misogyny, conflating them in a very uncomfortable way that highlights how careful they normally are to keep them apart, it also highlights how well they keep ironic misogyny apart from unironic misogyny, as soon as they had to interact with a guy who doesn’t), the mentioned thinking they need a shower.

Shortly after that, Ray put on the Ben Folds cover of Bitches Ain’t Shit (a song that Kitson was obsessed with in the 00s and used to play on his radio shows all the time, on the subject of comedians who used to do ironic bigotry but pulled back on that once the world moved to a point where it’s not so simple or okay). Ray introduced it by saying they’re going to play this now because bitches aren’t shit, and then he added “That’s not my real opinion I’m just introducing the song”. I had never heard Ray Peacock do that before. I’ve sometimes heard him say it in interviews, or when talking about something he’s done before – he’ll describe his own words and actions as ironic. But I’ve never heard him making a joke, and immediately before or after the joke, clarify that he doesn’t really mean it. He just lets the irony be obvious, which is always is.

Partway through the song, Ray and Ed started talking over it, explaining the obvious, that the misogyny in this song is ironic, it’s Ben Folds ironically covering a Snoop Dogg song, the original song may actually not have been ironic but the cover is. They were sort of semi-ironically explaining that (the irony being that of course they knew we don’t really need that explained, but they felt the need to say it anyway), but even then, they ran into more stuff on this theme, trying to explain that maybe Snoop Dogg was being unironically misogynistic but Ben Folds was only being ironically misogynistic so it’s all okay, but when you put it like that it sounds like a weak defence. Then Ray just turned the song off before it was over, Ed asked him why, he said putting on so much overt misogyny, even ironically, feels genuinely uncomfortable after the interview they’ve just had. And he was right, it did feel uncomfortable. I like that song (the Ben Folds cover, I mean), but I felt uncomfortable hearing it in that context. And that seemed like a microcosm of what was happening with ironic misogyny in general in around 2014. A perfect metaphor for it, really. Some guys are having fun and messing around with ironic jokes, then a horrible person comes in and says a bunch of misogynistic stuff and tells stories about exploiting women for real, he leaves, they try to put on a playfully ironically misogynistic song, suddenly it seems less funny. That’s basically what happened to all of culture in the last ten years.

So that was interesting. The last hour of the show was also interesting, because I think it’s the most comfortable with each other Ray and Ed have sounded since the FUBAR Radio run started. That was where this post started – saying I want to follow on from the post I made yesterday that said their dynamic has been slightly less cooperative, they’re a bit more stuck in adversarial roles. Well for the last hour of this show, I think that got a bit better. It’s like they were so relieved to have their guest gone that they just had a great time with each other. They did Ed’s Amazing Births and it actually worked, Ed relaxed into the silliness easily. It ended with Ray doing more Meatloaf karaoke and Ed talking over it about how bad this is (I’ve realized this will be a running feature, which I still don’t think is as good as Ray and Ed singing Meatloaf together, but I am finding it funnier as it goes along), but it felt vaguely cathartic and they sounded like they were having a good time.

What a fucking roller coaster for one three-hour episode. Maybe all they needed was a common enemy. Maybe they got along so well in the early days because they were united against Raji James, and they united so hard against Raji that they were able to ride that wave of being in synch with each other for years, and it didn’t start to fade until 2014, when a misogynistic porn actor brought them back together (not really, obviously I know what actually happened is they stopped spending all their time together and Ed started outgrowing Ray in a variety of ways, but I like my theory better).

[ear-worthy]

All In The Mind Podcast: Does Our Brain Fart?

I have to admit this. I'm crazy for psychology podcasts. Sure, I know that's an oxymoron, but I find any podcast where you can learn more about how the mind works, is fascinating and worthwhile. 

I think one reason I found psychology podcasts so fascinating is that mental illness -- recognition, diagnosis, treatment -- still suffers from a 19th Century mindset and 20th Century treatment options.  

Have you ever had a brain fart? Or, if you prefer, a brain cramp? If so, why does that happen? If any psychology podcast has any chance of answering that age-old question, it's The ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) podcast, All In The Mind.

It is one of the best such podcasts I've encountered.

 All In The Mind does possess a wandering eye that focuses on a wide range of topics that loosely fit under the typical "psychology" umbrella.

For example, consider the recent episodes "What influences your inner voice?" Controlling chatter part two continues a fascinating discussion on that voice inside your head - where does it come from? What does it sound like? (Strangely, my inner voice sounds like that of actor James Earl Jones.)

The late February episode about Supercommunicators is like a training camp for becoming better at what most humans lack -- the ability to receive and send messages to other humans. The episode asks: What do working for the CIA, navigating hot-button topics and talking to teenagers all have in common? The answer: They're situations that supercommunicators excel at. In the episode, host Qadar interviews Charles Duhigg, Reporter for New Yorker Magazine and author of the new book, Supercommunicators

 The show's host is Sana Qadar, whose resonant voice is soaked with empathy and a desire to inform in a cadence that sounds like each spoken word is carefully curated before being uttered.

 Qadar is an award-winning podcaster and journalist whose work has featured on the ABC, BBC, SBS, Al Jazeera, and NPR to name a few. Most recently she was acting Deputy Editor, Multicultural at ABC Life, and co-hosts the SBS podcast Eyes on Gilead, which won a 2019 Australian Podcast Award for Best Fancast.

  In an interview I did with Qadar two years ago, she said: "I’ve done radio reporting in the past, but I got my start in podcasting with a show called SBS Eyes on Gilead: A Handmaid’s Tale Podcast. It’s all about, as you might have guessed, The Handmaid’s Tale TV series. That got me interested in exploring other styles of podcasting (EoG is very much a chatty, conversational pod). At a certain point, I pitched a series idea to the ABC, which didn’t get commissioned in the end, but that put me on the radar of some key people. A few years later, they approached me and asked me to pitch for All in the Mind. The rest is history"

 All In The Mind doesn't have a novel structure or memorable narrative flow. But it's so good at delivering fresh insights into each episode topic. In addition, Qadar acts as the narrative glue here, giving voice to well-chosen guests and then summarizing their conclusions. It also helps that the production quality and sound design on the podcast are exemplary. Kudos to the people behind the microphone.

One of the most powerful recent episodes is one titled "Nine big myths about depression — busted." In the show, Qadar interviews Professor Ian Hickie Psychiatrist Co-Director, Health and Policy, Brain and Mind Centre at The University of Sydney. He's also the author of the book The Devil You Knew. 

In the episode, Qadar and Hickey discuss whether depression is REALLY a chemical imbalance in the brain, the difference between being depressed and distressed, and psychedelics as a viable treatment solution. It's a powerful show. Professor Hickey pulls no punches in destroying the pernicious myths that still afflict understanding depression and treating it.

From dolls to personality to music, All In The Mind is a podcast that launches its mind missiles on a wide variety of topics. To this podcast, psychology isn't just an academic study, but a search for truth in all our experiences.

Too often, we read an article or listen to a short podcast about "life hacks," as if success in life can be distilled into "Marie Kondo-like" rules. The ABC All In The Mind podcast is not about giving us the right answer, but helping us to ask the right questions. 

[workscounselingcenter]

The Enneagram, Therapy, and You: Enneagram Nine

Hello! I am Shelby, a licensed professional counselor who loves all things enneagram, and works with clients at The Works Counseling Center located in Nashville, TN.

Today, we are wrapping up our nine-part series focusing on the enneagram and how it may be used in therapy. If you are interested in reading previous blog posts on this subject or want to explore earlier numbers, please click here.

Disclaimer: This blog is not meant to be all-inclusive about this enneagram number, nor is it intended to replace or provide professional counseling services; this blog’s intended purpose is to provide informal discussion on the enneagram as it relates to professional counseling and mental health. *

Let’s begin.

The “peacemaker” is the name of the enneagram type nine. Rightfully named, the peacemaker archetype is characterized by a strong desire to promote and maintain harmony with a strong

adversity to conflicts and tension. Some famous examples of this enneagram type are: Barack Obama, Abraham Lincoln, and Ronald Reagan. Notice a pattern there?

When peacemakers are at their best, they are able to cultivate harmony in tension, and bring others together without sacrificing their own needs. They are adaptive, strong communicators, and natural teachers. At less healthy levels, someone who identifies with this enneagram type may feel overburdened with the responsibility to promote peace and may cope with this by sacrificing their own wants and needs. If an enneagram nine copes this way for too long of a period, they may eventually experience a loss of their sense of identity and have a difficult time knowing what they want. An enneagram nine may become apathetic as a result.

When an enneagram nine comes to counseling, something they may focus on in their work is waking up to their own wants and dreams, and learning their identity outside of being the one to mediate relationships. An enneagram nine can learn to balance their need for external peace without fully sacrificing their own needs. Peacemakers are adept at creating and maintaining peace, and are just as worthy of peace of mind themselves.

A message of affirmation and healing for our peacemakers: “Your wants and needs matter.” A challenge: To learn that conflict can also be a part of creating peace.

Enjoying learning about the enneagram and want to know more? Please find book suggestions and references below.

Books:

The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery

By Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile

The Path Between Us: An Enneagram Journey to Healthy Relationships By Suzanne Stabile

If you are interested in exploring the enneagram with professional therapy services or would like to work with a mental health professional, pleasecontact The Works Counseling Center for more information.

[queenaeducan]

five favourite fics

tagged by @gaysolavellan tysm for tagging me ;v; these are all solas-related b/c i am confident in my ability to do one (1) thing relatively well although thanks to exchanges i am expanding my ao3 tags little by little. i even got a mass effect fic in there now.

so anyway.

Who Am I in Your Arms? | Other | T | Nonbinary Lavellan/Solas wip title: head shaving tw: suicidal ideation This has become my default answer for a fic I’m proud of. Solas and Ian mean a lot to me and I have a lot of Thoughts about Solas and mental health that I like visiting in fics, and this was the chance I got to write him confronting it in a barefaced way. Weaving that in with the reality of what his relationship with Ian has become just let me give it an extra twist of angst, even if it springs from loving and acceptance and even hope. It also let me talk about my headcanons regarding hair in Elvhenan (and specifically Solas’ hair and his relationship with it) in a natural way. There’s not a lot of dialogue as it’s mostly internal / descriptions but idk I think it’s neat.

Remembering Well | Gen | G | Solas & Varric Tethras wip title: solamancy zine Another work where Solas reckons with his relationship with Wisdom after its death! Funny how that happens, it’s like I’m consumed with what their friendship must have been like for Solas to have considered not returning to the Inquisition altogether upon its death. But anyway! I’m proud of this one b/c I liked it enough that I didn’t feel embarrassed that people paid money to receive this work in print. It was also just fun to write, I had the chance to explore what storytelling means to Solas and Varric, laying out in narration the reverence I hear in some of the stories we hear Solas tell in game. Writing friendships is one of my favourite things to do, so getting to explore Solas & Varric, Hawke & Varric, and Solas & Wisdom was a real treat.

Pride in Compassion | Gen | G | Solas & Cole wip title: cole & solas lmao god i swear some of my wip titles are fun Woops! Another gen fic. I started this fic as an exercise in writing Cole b/c I wanted to add him to my multimuse, and I figured playing him off of Solas would be a comfortable way to ease into it. Cole and Solas legit have one of my fave relationships in the series, I think people super underestimate how close they are. I’m proud of this one ig because I do like how I settled on Cole’s narrative voice and I’m really fond of how I ended it. I took the opportunity to do sprinkle some spirit and Elvhenan headcanons in there, too, which is never something I’ll skip over if I think there’s any possible way I can work it in.

Because I Asked | Other | Explicit | Nonbinary Lavellan/Solas wip title: sundress smut I was nervous to post this one because I don’t write nor indeed enjoy a lot of smut, but I did have a lot of fun writing it and I am still quite proud of it even though I don’t think I write sex in a way other people might find titillating. Which is fine b/c it’s mostly for me, anyway. I’m proud of it b/c I did publish it despite my nerves, and I actually think that the descriptions I wrote are some of my strongest. Idk I’m just very fond of every description of Ian and the apartment in particular because it’s dripping with Solas’ love, and the dynamics at play between them are deeply appealing to me lmao. I love whenever Ian is the more forceful one of the pair I literally never get tired of it.

To Feel Another’s Woe | Gen | T | Female Cadash & Solas wip: hinterlands battle tw: some kinda gross descriptions of violence but typical to the games Battle scenes are another thing I don’t write all too often, but I like the one I wrote in this. My main purpose of this fic was to establish the foundation that becomes Thora and Solas’ friendship. I ignore the fact that the “I’ll protect you” line in your first conversation with Haven is a romance line and have Thora say it, so I use this first real outing together as a chance for her to put some weight behind the “However I had to” response when Solas questions how she’ll protect him. It’s a throughline that continues into DA4 as Thora vows to prove him wrong and save him from himself. Getting to introduce her past as a smuggler of mages out of the Circle also is important to her hero’s story. I love Thora a whole bunch and her friendship with Solas is actually what made me fall in love with him, so getting to write the early days of what would become a defining friendship in their lives?? Chef’s kiss...

Tagging: @apeacebone, @mercenarysexuality, @rosella-writes, @dreadfutures, @darethshirl, @ whoever else wants to brag on themselves by all means @ me!

[kaypeace21]

What's in a name? (Analysing all the names in stranger things)

*I'll be repeating some names more than once as I break down categories .

Show , book, and tv easterggs

Alot of character names may have deeper meaning but some are also refs to stories they liked. The stranger writers twitter posted a list of movies said to inspire s4 (which I’ll be referencing).

Dart- dustin names him this after d'artagenean (a 3 musketeers book character) and one of Dustin's fav candies (3 muskateers). Similarly his pet turtle yurtle is implied to be named after the dr Seuss’ story 'yertle the turtle'.

Brenner- main character from 'the birds', which was on the st s4 list.

Byers- john byers from x files. The duffers mentioned x files was an inspo for the show. Although John byers (from x files) resembles Murray as an unhinged conspiracy theorist. The documentary paradise lost was also cited as inspo for st- john byers and his son, terry, Michael, and Steve were names in said film

Jim Hopper- in Predator (another st inspo) he was a soldier who was flayed to death in the woods. Another character in the film with a similar fate was “Hawkins”.

Detective Wheeler and elle Holloway- from silent Hill franchise. Another ref mentioned by the Duffers. Holloway was the surname of st's Heather. Elle (is el) and Wheeler is Mike's surname. Wheeler was also on the ep of twiglight zone (another cited ref by the duffers) . In the ep 'mute' sheriff wheeler takes in a mute psychic girl as his foster daughter. So some hints at hopper too . Hopper even mentions el-anor (gilipse) in s1. The surname of a main character in the silent hill series.Lt. Colonel Sullivan (s4) could be a eastergg of silent hill 4 which had a Sullivan character.

Henderson- st twitter mentioned how all the bond films were on the s4 inspiration list . So Dustin's surname being the same as one of the bond characters is a nod. Duffers also mentioned ‘freaks & geeks’ as inspo- and 1 character’s surname was also Henderson (another nod).

Mrs Driscoll (from s3) - a nod to invasion of the body snatchers which was mentioned as inspo by the Duffers. And clear inspo for s3.

Powell (cop and partner of hopper ) - diehard films also on s4 list. He's named after the cop powell.

Callahan (cop and partner of Hopper) - father Callahan ref. He shows up in many of Stephen King novels. The Duffers have cited over 10 novels and books from him as inspo for st

Nancy- she's called ‘Nancy drew’ (from the novels). And the duffers have mentioned they are fans of elmstreet - who's main character was Nancy. Nancy also references 'Oliver twist" ,and that book has a character named Nancy in it. Nancy was also a first Lady in the 80s similar to her friend Barbara- who was also a first Lady in the 80s.Nancy's name might also be inspired by "Nancy Wheeler", a secondary character in the 1970 book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret written by Judy Blume.

Fred (s4)- apparently a high-school journalist who may be friend or foe. This one is a stretch but given nancy maybe being an elmstreet ref- and her enemy being fred-die kreuger. Fred may have animosity to Nancy and that's why his name is Fred. I mean ... they even cast a new s4 character with Freddie kreuger's original actor.so...

Jason (s4) - is in the 1986 Nancy drew novel (when s4 takes place). He is similar to the duffers description. In the novel he's a rich, popular, arrogant jock and blackmailing students at the high-school . S3 even named one of its episodes after a nancy drew novel- so wouldn't surprise me.

Christie carpenter (s4/reffed in s1 by hopper)- christie is the main character in the hellraiser series (which is on the s4 st list). Carpenter is the surname of the director of 'the thing' name dropped in s3. (The flesh monster in s3 also resembles the thing) , and in s1 mr clarke watches it ,and mike has the thing movie poster in his basement.

Argyle (s4) - die hard 1-2 were on the s4 st list. And is a name of a diehard character.

Max- her name is 'mad max' like the 80s film. But since the Duffers like videogames. Her name may be a ref to max caufield from the ‘life is strange’ game as well. She has a 'never Maxine rule' similar to max in st. But the game character is similar to jonathan as she is a teen photographer and says similar words to jonathan in s1 saying she would rather watch people through a camera than interact with them.

Eddie munson (s4)- not going to lie. I have no proof of this but I immediately thought of the TV character Eddie Munster (the friendly monster ).

Possible comic book easteggs

The duffers are no stranger to comic book references. The duffers have already directly reffed xmen, wonderwoman, and green lantern. Kali's place also has a comic book ref to 'the invisibles' on the wall. While the s4 movie list mentions thor ragnock , age of ultron, and 2 batman films. Some of these refs will go over your head if you haven't read my DID theory. But a lot of this analysis will still be enjoyable. :)

Jane st ives (jane ives aka el). marvel. (jane st ives sees her dad k*ll her mom and vows revenge against him.Sort of similar to what brenner did to terry).

Stephanie harrington (Steve harrington)- 80s marvel comic. DP.7. Will DID ref. Antibody, is a medical resident who can project from his body a dark figure of himself (also called an "antibody", a word play on the medical term) that flies, can become intangible, and transfer its memories to another person by physical contact (mindflayer).  He later merges with the antibody. like how susie refs ‘wizard of earthsea’ -the novel where the young wizard Ged releases a shadow monster (said to be an ancient evil) but it turns out to be the dark aspects of his personality and the only way for the chaos to stop is to accept his darkness and merge as 1.

Barry bauman (Murray bauman) . marvel comics - Will did easteregg.Bauman lived in never ending darkness. He felt, that there was a realm outside the darkness and started to explore the entire content of his brain thus using now more than the usual 10 % .Also had telekinesis.He turned his attention to the stars in order to exact revenge on the human race which spends billions of dollars to kill each other, but wouldn't spend the mere million or so it would have cost to cure him. For his vengeance he transported the suns near our galaxy into his omnipotent brain. As the people of Earth would learn of the disappearing of the suns they would panic and feel Bauman's loneliness before he would destroy Earth.Despite the death of his physical body, Bauman's consciousness somehow survived and began hopping from body to body throughout the galaxy, his powers growing until the Star Thief was recognized as a major threat to galactic society.

Sinclair- last name of xmen rhaine.  Will Did ref. storyline Rahne Sinclair is mentally bonded to Havok against her will(Will/mf).She is subsequently manipulated by the Shadow King. Her bond with Havok causes her to act irrationally, sometimes threatening teammates, sometimes by flirting with them.  She undergoes more than one attempt to undo the bonding, with varying results. Her instability also manifests in many odd dreams, in which her identity is merged into pop culture figures. What’s funny is charlie heaton (jonathan byers) was just in an xmen movie with this Rhaine character.

Victor creel (s4)-sounds like mutant victor creed of the xmen comic. x men Mutant with ab*sive dad and poor socioeconomic background. He had a "birthday tradition" of ab*sing his young relatives on their birthdays. Which reminds me of Lonnie making jonathan cry for a week (because he forced him to k*ll a rabbit on his b-day). Not to mention Lonnie is prob coming back for Will’s b day in s4... so... the name is prob a ref to that ‘birthday tradition’. Could also be a stephen king reference -since Duffers love him. The Creel family was in sk’s book “pet cemetary’-which fun fact (the actress who plays El’s aunt is in the recent remake)!

Yuri (s4)-Yuri Topolov (Russian: Юрий Тополов) was a Soviet scientist and the first foe of the Hulk. 

Dimitri (s4)-Dmitri Bukharin was born in Kuibyshev, Russia (some sources say Moscow).  First appeared in Iron man.

Peter ballard ( s4 character) may just be a hellfire ref . since I guy with last name ballard was a double agent for the hellfire club (name of st s4 ep 1). And ballard means bald which the actor is certainly not lol. I don't think he's literally associated with hellfire but its just a ref. And because its implied in his st character summary despite working for the mental hospital-where brenner is most likely at- he's horrified by the treatment of the psych patients. So that may be where the double agent aspect would come into play.

Ian Hargrove (billy hargrove)- batman comics. had a history of mental health problems dating back to childhood, which his parents were unable to afford treatment for. His brother John hargrove tried to keep him out of trouble but Ian developed an uncanny talent for explosives (will the wise fire powers). He ends up at Archam asylum. Cough billy is Will's alter. Why he has the name billy (a nickname for William) . Jonathan in s2 mentions how he likes the writer vonnegut- who wrote slaughter house 5- the main character was Billy. Already mentioned how it connects to my did theory .

Jason carver (s4)- carver is the last name of the comic hero thunderbolt (in the flash)-the first name of thunderbolt is Will and his brother is named Lonnie. There was also a John carver in the comic.

Holland (barb's last name) last name of Swamp thing. I think its plot has quite a few s4/5 spoilers but Im not diving into it right now.

Names associated with religions or mythology 

(if you’ve read my DID theory- some themes will appear relevant in relation  WIll’s alters or to WIll’s past/tr*uma).

-‘Kali prasad".Kali  is the name of a Hindu goddess . Kali’s iconography and mythology commonly associate her with death,  violence, s*xuality, but also paradoxically -motherly love. In myths ‘she only k*lls demons’ and is described as  ‘overflowing with incomprehensible love for her children’ - (aka ST’s Kali k*lling people from hawkins lab for hurting kids). Her third eye stands for wisdom (like Will the wise).Kali is called at times ‘ the bright fire of truth’ (will the wise/fire powers).The devotee makes her image in his heart and under her influence burns away all limitations and ignorance in the cremation fires. This inner cremation fire in the heart is the gyanagni (fire of knowledge), which kali bestows (cough Will the wise-fire powers). The goddess also could create a darkcloud of lightning (similar to the mf). The phrase “brilliant as a dark cloud” is a snippet of one such prayer dedicated to Kali.The name Kali is derived from the Hindu word that means “time”. Kali receives her name because she devours ‘kala’ (Time)- like clocks ticking when El sees demogorgan/clock being wonky when Will see mf/clocks in s4 promos.’ After devouring time she resumes her own dark formlessness. “This transformative effect can be metaphorically illustrated in the West as a black hole in space” (cough mf cough hopper blackhole/time refs). Kali’s s2 butterfly-“Kali is the Hindu goddess associated with eternal energy. ... The cocoon, butterfly and the karmic golden wheel reflect Her deep connection with life.”And Prasād (her last name) is a material substance that is a religious offering to gods in  Hinduism .

-While, EL is the name of a Cannanite (male) god associated with “salt water “ (pool filled with salt in s1) who “dwelled in a tent” (in s1 Mike’s blanket fort) .And his gray-beard was described as " "full of wisdom.” él’  in Spanish means ‘he’- which could be a nod at her ( androgynous) presentation in s1. El can also be translated to "God" or 'god'. The el character has various mythologies depending on which culture/ religion is using the term 'el'. In the post-biblical period, "el" became a regular element in the names of angels such as "Gabri·el," "Micha·el," and "Azri·el," to denote their status as divine beings.And Jane translates to " Yahweh (god) is gracious/merciful". The cannanite god El was also dubbed “Compassionate God of Mercy.”  Earlier, a ninth century B.C.E. inscription  identifies Ēl- the name of the Babylonian water god Ea, lord of the watery subterranean abyss (cough watery  dark void in st). Terry (el’s mom-aka Teressa) was originally used in the Middle Ages for a “child baptized in holy water” (El in the sensory water tank/Terry used it too,according to Becky in s1). Eleanor (called this in s1)- can mean "sun ray" (possible the opposite of the ‘shadow monster’ or Kali who can represent a “black hole”). 

-Will-the s4 st movie lists (‘red dragon’, gods of monsters, & ‘blade runner’ ) mention the artist and writer William Blake  (specifically his painting of the angel michael fighting a dragon in revelations - reffed in st s1). He was one of many painters part of the exhibition of “ The World Turned Upside Down: Apocalyptic Imagery.”The World Turned Upside Down explores the myriad ways that artists in England visualized the apocalypse in a period fraught with political, religious, economic, and cultural change. 

During this period Blake was commissioned to create over a hundred paintings intended to illustrate books of the Bible along with revelations .  He also drew illustrations for the novel Dante’s inferno. Blake’s brutally satirizes oppressive authority in church and state.He said those who proclaim restrictive moral rules and oppressive laws as “goodness” are in themselves evil. Hence to counteract this repression, Blake announces that he is of the “Devil’s Party” (cough hellfire club ref-and dissing the satanic panic of the hellfire club and other marginilised groups) . He also says “men forgot that All deities reside in the human breast.” So Instead of looking for God on remote altars, Blake warns, man should look within.He produced a diverse and symbolically rich œuvre, which embraced the “imagination as “the body of God.” He wrote his own stories based on biblical writings- one includes the fire wielding character of Los (will the wise) who represented jesus. Los (like jesus does in revelations) causes the destruction of the world and the second judgment unfolds. The poem ends with Los’s unfallen state rising up and shepherding in science and removing the dark religions. I also talked about  how this story ‘book of los’ hints at the DID theory-but this is getting long-so you can just read the explanation here if interested. Also, hellooo Both names are William B(yers/lake). Billy (a alter of Will-sharing the name William) in s3 he even wore “lady of pillar” medallion- i.e about jesus/mary.

JOHN (supposedly Jesus’ blood relative- who wrote ‘revelations’.) In scripture John was called “the disciple whom Jesus loved as a brother” .Fire is the most typical element associated with the Saint John's Eve celebration (Jonathan did light the demogorgan on fire). Many scholars consider John & Jesus ("apocalyptic prophets"). Jonathan itself translates to " yahweh (god ) has given" in Hebrew.

Michael- Similar to kali, he’s a religious figure known for killing demons. He’s the arch-angel from the book of revelations (Apocalypse). A evil Beast (with seven heads usually translated to ‘satan’ or ‘dragon’) appears .“it was a 7″ causes Will to be attacked by the demogorgan ( which in d&d is a demon with multiple heads). The Archangel MICHAEL fought and defeated this 7 headed beast/satan. Corresponding with Mike at the end of s1 writing a fictional d&d story for Will (based off defeating the demogorgan) which was about helping kill a 7 HEADED MONSTER! Michael is also the archangel who oversees on Earth the natural element of fire (Mike telling Will the wise to use ‘fireball’ to defeat this same 7 headed monster in the game, at the end of s1)! Ironically though Jesus /Christian god is also associated with 7s a lot (he has 7 angels and during the apocalypse causes 7 plagues , he has 7 candles etc .)cause the number seven, represented ‘perfection’ according to ancient numerology . Will’s b day is March 22- (3) +2+2 =7 (“it was a 7”). Will’s bday even falls in what christians call “the holy week”( the week immediately preceding Easter.)  At the end of s1 they even defeat this 7 headed monster because Will rolls a 14 (which can be broken down into two 7s). Michael & William also have 7 letters in each of their names respectively- equating to this 14. This dragon biblical story (of Michael) is also William blake’s most popular painting. Also, random fact in revelations god has a rainbow throne (with thunder /lightning -will the wise powers- coming from the throne, and seven lit torches next to it ) . He also wears a rainbow halo. Lol. Michael also roughly translates to  ( 'Who like el?' The answer being roughly translated to ' no one like el' ... which i mean literally is saying there is no one similar to her. But I still think its a linguistic pun/ burn that Mike is not actually into El romantically).

Jim (James) hopper- According to the s3 script Hopper’s real name is James. JAMES (JIM) was an apostle to jesus- brother of john. And in the bible was called a ’son of thunder ’. Will’s powers/ hopper being an alter of Will's so technically brother of jonathan and thunder powers. Not to mention David on Instagram saying hopper has " he has risen. like bread" is a Jesus ref to 'he has risen"... even the bread ref could be a catholic ref to the last supper.

  Martin Brenner/marsha holland-  have their first name reference the roman god Mars who was originally a ‘thunder or storm deity’ (will the wise/mf powers). EL (in cannanite mythology) also allowed Baal the storm god to rule the entire earth.

ROBIN- was the God of Thunder’s- Thor’s- favorite bird. And Dustin also means ‘Thor’s stone.’The red belly robin is also an important bird in Christianity. Legend has it that the robin got its red belly from a fire in which it was trying to protect Jesus. Robin also name drops the greek god prometheus- the god of fire (will the wise) who brought human beings life and knowledge. And Steve looks at Robin and says "let there be light" a biblical passage. The robin represents selflessness for a higher truth. 

Barb- Saint BARBara- dad kept her locked away from the outside world (like el/brenner) . He tried to k*ll her when he learned she didn’t believe in his religion- so the dad was punished by “god” who electrocuted him with lightning/lit him on fire. (Will the wise powers).

Nancy- is derived from a medieval diminutive of Annis, an English form of Agnes.  There’s the christian saint Agnes- who was beautiful and from a wealthy family. She was the Christian saint of girls and v*rginity . And the duffers subverted this along with the problematic horror movie trope of the ' v*rgin female heroine surviving while her more se*ually liberated female friends are punished by the villain' ( by having her survive specifically because she decided to have s*x).Agnes was also led out and bound to a stake, but (allegedly) the bundle of wood would not burn, or the flames parted away from her (will the wise fire powers). Also people claimed that any man who tried to r*pe her was struck blind.

Hopper's wife’s name -Dianne- is also the roman goddess of ,nature, hunting and wild animals( and greek equivalent to Artemis) .Becky  means ‘snare’ -for hunting animals .Teressa (Terry) means ' huntress'.  The name was originally used in the Middle Ages for a child baptized in holy water . Name of 2 saints-Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux. Lonnie’s gf (Cynthia) was originally an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, as well.

Power couple Angela & jake (s4) - Angela means 'messenger of God". And Jake (also means ”supplanter”) is derived from jacob. Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca in genesis. El’s aunt,Becky (Rebecca) is wife of isaac.Other theories claim that Jacob is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".The name jacob is also where the names James/jim is derived from.

couple Steve spies on in s3- Anna Jacobi & Mark Lewinsky. Anna ( name of the mother of the Virgin Mary) Jacobi ("he who supplants"-aka same meaning as jim since both names are derived from jacob). Mark (”the god mars”-same meaning as martin brenner) .Lewinsky (lion-same name meaning as Lonnie). Also derived from the Hebrew root לוי‎ (leví, “priest”)

Joyce means "lord". Could also be a ref to the ('unofficial') saint Joyce who gave up wealth to live in poverty.

Ted-is the short form of the names Theodore and Edward. Theodore is a Greek name meaning "gift of God", Edward has an English origin and means "wealthy guard." Eddie (from s4) also means ‘wealthy guard”

Holly (nancy and Mike's sis)- Holly meanings are 'One who is pious' or 'sacred'

Karen- can be short for Katherine-one of the first christian saints.”Saint Katherine of the Wheel “(er). A 4th century martyr who suffered t*rture on a spiked wheel.  Wheeler does mean ‘occupational name for a maker of wheels’ after all. 

Gospel of LUKE (lucas?) , or simply Luke, tells of the origins, birth, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Sinclair- Catholic saint of computers and TV screens (i mean... he is in the av club).

MAXimilian was deemed a saint in the 1980s- saint of journalists and radios. (Both aspects of s3)

Saint stephen/steven ( STEVE)-an early disciple and deacon . Considered one of the first m*rtyrs of the church.Stephen is first mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as one of seven deacons appointed by the Apostles to distribute food (lol icecream) .According to Orthodox belief, he was the eldest and is therefore called “archdeacon”.

Sara- Her name is a feminine form of sar (Hebrew: שַׂר‎), meaning “chieftain” or “prince."  She was the wife and sister of Abraham (ew -given her being an alter of Will though, such a name doesn’t surprise me). Similar to st Barabara’s dad - Abraham tried to k*ll his son isaac in the name of god. Becky (El's aunt) - is derived from Rebecca - wife of Isaac.

Claudia (Dustin's mom)- Christian woman of Rome greeted by Paul in his second letter to Timothy (in the bible).

Sam mayfield (max's dad) -  Short for Samuel or Samantha, from the Biblical name Shemu'el, which means "God has heard", from the Hebrew shama, meaning "heard" and el, meaning "God". Samuel is rumored to be argyle first name.

Marsha Kelly (s4)- Kelly means "frequents churches" or " bright headed". Given she's a counselor the bright headed pun makes sense. But maybe she's not to be trusted if she frequents churches during a satanic panic arc which was fueled by Christian religious extremism . Or she's someone who contrasts the rest of the religious people in town since she's not originally from hawkins...who knows. x files’ main character was catholic but in one ep she criticized a small town for the satanic panic occurring-and says how accusing these kids who listen to rock as satanic or being k*llers is ludicrous.

Peter ballard (s4) - Peter was also the name of an apostle. 

Tina (side character s2)- like christy (s4) it’s short for Christina which translates to "follower of christ" or 'stream'. Tina was the gal who hosted the t halloween party and also the name of one of Erica’s friends in s3.

Samantha (goth girl jonathan talks to in s2 party) translates to "told by god".

Tommy (s1-2) "God's gift" or "twin".Thomas is the Greek variation of the Aramaic name Ta’oma’. It came about because there were too many apostles named Judas; Jesus renamed one Thomas—meaning "twin"—to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot and the Judas also known as Thaddeus.

carol (tommy’s gf)- Carol is the short form of Caroline and the meaning is derived from the English vocabulary word for “song” or “hymn". A hymn being a religious song or poem.

Benny ( who helped El at his dinner) - originally derived from latin bennedictus which means "blessed"

Stacey (s2-3 ) rejected dustin at dance. Stacey- "resurrection "

Grigori (the guy following and tracking hopper, Joyce, and alexi)- The name was adopted by early Christians heedful of the Biblical passage located in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful."grigory now means 'watchful and vigalent'

Alexi- prob based on the russian folklore story of alexy. A clever priest's son who tricks a dragon.

Harrington- similar to Robin's religious animal iconography. Harrington means 'he goat'.The most popular image of the Satanic goat dates back to the ever-mysterious Knights of Templar, who were accused of worshipping an idol known as Baphomet (a 1/2 human 1/2 goat man). Roman Catholic society decried it as a demon that demanded human sacrifice — but it would take a few more centuries before the goat became a truly occult symbol.Anton Lavey adopted Baphomet as the sigil of the Church of Satan in 1966, and it has appeared on countless metal album covers. But, Baphomet isn't the lone source of inspiration for our goat-like depictions of Satan.it's also believed that early Christians, seeking to demonize preexisting Pagan traditions, drew comparisons between the Devil and the Greek god Pan (god of nature), who happened to resemble a goat.Some cited how in revelations- during the apocalypse- Jesus separates the 'lambs from the goats'. ( supposedly Good vs bad)

Given the fact s3 alluded to the satanic panic. A Christian movement in the 80s that demonized and said d&d ,rock music, homosexuality, other religions, stephen King,horror films, wearing black,and non conservative ideology were 'satanic.' I wouldn't be surprised by this possible ref. Heck even William Blake criticized similar religious movements in his own time period. Several movies from the s4 list allude to this. The most obvious being the documentary paradise lost (named after the fictional retelling of satan/adam and eve story) - the documentary directly focuses on a witch hunt of rock loving teens (wrongfully accused of m*rders) in a small town during the satanic panic. Not to mention ironically s4 is hinted to be around easter. So Using such symbolism to address religious fundamentalism and the bigotry/hysteria it can cause isn't surprising. No i’m not lumping all religious people into this negative category- obviously.

Other Names with similar definitions

*Hunting /forests woods, nature, animals

Hunters and people in forrests

name meaning : becky - snare (a trap for catching birds or animals). Teressa-huntress. Dianne/Cynthia (Hopper’s ex wife/Lonnie’s gf) - is a roman/greek goddess of hunting and wild animals.  Rhadaghast- Will's password for cb is a lothr wizard who protects forests/wildlife.martin/marsha- previously god of agriculture/plants.As an agricultural guardian, he was believed to directed his energies toward creating conditions that allow crops to grow, which may include warding off hostile forces of nature (pumpkins rotting in s2). El in phoenician culture was called Elus and its Greek equivalent Cronus (god of agriculture) steve- he goat- associated with pan- god of fields, groves, wooded glens . brenner- ‘someone who cleared forests by burning’. the blond women, Brenner worked with,  Fraizer-  “of the forrest men”

* FUN FACT: Kali’s name originally was going to be ‘Roman’ (which is derived from Romulus-the son of Mars... aka Martin Brenner) .

Trees

Ives and owens- ives means 'yew wood' while Owen means 'yew tree. ' bauman- nickname for someone who lived near a tree.comes from the German word "baum," or "boum" in Middle High and Old German, meaning "tree’. Jennifer hayes- Jennifer  derived from Old English words "jenefer", "genefer" and "jinifer", all of which were variants of Juniper used to describe the juniper tree.Lonnie means "oak tree; or lion". Lion plushie in cb and the lion el has along with the tree establishes a connection between all 3 maybe? Oak groves were especially sacred to  the goddess dianna too. Buckley (it has many different translations) - Old English "boch ley" (with boch meaning beech tree and ley meaning wood, glade or clearing).

Nature

buckley if translated from "bok lee," means meadow, or field. mayfield- open country (field) where madder (mæddre) grows. Holland- wood land, Bruce (who was also possessed) - means WILLow lands . Keith (s2-3) : woods or forrest.Hargrove- meadow filled with rabbits (Jonathan’s hunting story).Holloway is a topographic surname, which was given to a person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, stream, or type of tree. Tina means 'river' . Burness (guy who claimed he jumped into quarry)-stream. Neil- cloud. Lowe (Bruce's last name)-This surname is derived from a geographical locality 'at the low,' i.e. the hill. Hayes means "hedged area'.

Flowers

Flo (hopper's secretary)- means flower. Suzie-  lily flower. Susan (Max’s mom)- means lily, lotus flower or rose. Karen (in Japanese can mean)- flower, lotus, or water lily. Heather is also a variety of small shrubs with pink or white flowers which commonly grow in rocky areas.  Erica is a type of "heather" plant. martin/marsha: in the legend of Mars,his mother become pregnant with him using a magic flower- which was given to her by the goddess flora.

Bright (aka intelligent)

Bob- nickname of Robert . Both Bob and Robert mean 'bright, shinning or fame'. Aka smart -he's called ' Bob the brain ' for a reason.

Robin- is also diminutive of Robert . And we all know robin is smart too. Being multilingual/ cracking the code.Robin (like Robert) also means 'bright, shining , or fame.'

Lucas- means "bright" or "shinning" aka he's also a smart cookie. His firework plan saving the day.

Lonnie and Larry (the mayor) can both be nicknames for Lawrence which also means ' bright one' or 'shinning one'. Well... both are cunning I'll give them that. Lonnie is unfortunately ...smart. I think this detail had other foreshadowing. Joyce to Will about Will the wise ' if he's so wise why does he need the fireballs? can't he just outsmart the bad guys? " Will: " yeah. Usually. BUT sometimes the bad guys are smart too." I never understood why on earth Joyce would be with someone as awful as Lonnie in the first place- than be with his literal opposite Bob- but maybe she just found intelligence attractive?

Names associated with thunder/lightning/fire (Like Will/mf/Will the wise)

Byers-reprsents Greek Zeus (god of thunder/lightning). Martin - references the roman god Mars who was originally a ‘thunder or storm deity’ .ROBIN- was the German God of Thunder’s- Thor’s- favorite bird. And Dustin also means ‘Thor’s stone.’Jim- “son of thunder”. Christian god- has throne (surrounded by thunder /lightning). Kali- could summon thunder storms.Nancy/Barb-both saints associated with fire. Kali-is called at times ‘ the bright fire of truth’ /and bestows the fire of knowledge. Robin also name drops the greek god prometheus- the god of fire. Mars -the keeper of Rome's perpetual flame . The Robin bird in a Christian story myth protects Jesus from hell's fire. William Blake- wrote about a fire wielding character of Los who represented jesus. Jesus during end times wields fire. Michael is the archangel who oversees on Earth the natural element of fire. Fire is the most typical element associated with the Saint John's Eve celebration (Saint John- called Jesus’s brother).

Animals (and their symbolism)

Byers- means ‘ cattle shed’.The Greeks considered the bull animal totem to be a symbol of Zeus (god of thunder and lighting - will the wise powers). He is the head of the gods and the almighty ruler of Olympus.  I”n hinduism, Shiva is known as Gorakhnath, means the lord of the cows.  And is also known as, Pasupathinath, the lord of all animals (similar to Rhadaghast). According to some scholars, Shiva’s association with cows and bulls might date back to the Indus Valley period. Cows have a special significance in Hinduism, as aspects of Mother Goddess and as symbols of selfless service. Mahatma Gandhi declared the protection of cows a central feature of Hinduism.Hindus worship cows as the Mother Goddess and symbol of motherhood, kindness and forbearance.”

Tigers: (Sarah’s plushie/ Hawkin’s macott/ Will & Mike have tiger posters in their rooms): The goddess Kali & God Shiva wore a tiger skin (this fact was actually mentioned by Kali in the prequel novel ‘suspicious minds’ ).”In many tribal traditions of India, the tiger (or lion) is worshipped as a god. In some Hindu hymns the domestic fires are compared to the tigers that guard the house.Tigers also figure prominently in many Indian folk-tales, Jataka-stories, and the Panchatantra.”

Lions:(Lonnie means ‘lion’ and el and Will have matching lion plushies)- In the Bible, the lion has two opposite meanings: it is compared to the Devil (1 Pet 5:8) and to Christ (Rev 5:5). Aka: Lonnie is the devil. The kids are the opposite. Nancy also compares the demogorgan to a lion. “In many tribal traditions of India, the lion is worshipped as a god.One of the ten incarnations of Vishnu is Narasimha, who has the head and shoulders of a lion, but the torso of a human.Goddess Durga, a fierce form of Parvathi or Shakti, has a golden lion as her vehicle, while Rahu, a planetary guard, rides upon a black lion as his vehicle.Lions form an important part of Hindu religious art. The face of the lion (simha-mukha) is used in images and sculpture in many Hindu temples to decorate the doors, walls, arches, and windows.The memorial pillar at Saranath  contains four beautifully carved standing lions at the top on a round abacus representing the imperial power. They now constitute the official emblem of the government of India.”

El almost k*lling a cat- “Some superstitious beliefs are also associated with cats in Hinduism. For example, killing a cat is considered a grave sin, for which one may have to offer prayers and give in charity at least seven golden images of the killed cat. “

Harrington- he goat. Buckley- has various translations. Anglo-Saxon: ‘bucc and leah’ meaning goat and wood respectively. And obviously there’s the robin-bird. And I've already discussed their symbolism. Goat= baphomet/pan. 

Robin- thor's fav bird/ helped Jesus from hell's fire.

Buckley- can also translate to " field filled with deer" (like the deer attacked by the demogrogan or the bambi film jon reffed in relation to the hunting story about lonnie).And Karen ( when from it’s Hebrew origins) can mean- antler or horn. Also the caananite God el was usually depicted with animal horns on his head.Diana in Roman art usually is accompanied by a hound (demo dog) or deer.  Because of the story of her turning an attempted r*pist-hunter into a deer/ and then causing dogs to attack him.  Deer is also one of the symbolic animals accepted since early Christianity as an allegory of Jesus Christ and the Christian Disciple. And when associated with Shiva (kali's husband) in Hindu iconography, the deer omen denotes sovereignty over nature and symbolizes the lord of all animals, humans, and the King of the Forest. In many visual and written illustrations, human beings and deer appear as close companions and in some cases, humans adopt the face or antlers of a deer, in images more common in stories of human strife. Deer also have a supernatural significance and appear as apparitions of divinity and in legends of spiritual awakening.

Hargrove- meadow filled with rabbits (like the rabbit lonnie made jonathan k*ll.) Hopper sounds like thumper the rabbit- which jonathan mentions in relation to bunnies . And ... idk... Hopper did make that pun in s3 about bunnies to Larry (lawerence) ? We also have rabbit refs elsewhere like with- el in Benny's. They play the song 'white rabbit' a song referencing Alice in wonderland and in el's room at Terry's house is the white rabbit from that story. Also paralleling to jonathan- el was almost made to k*ll a cat by her father (Cheshire cat aka Alice in wonderland ref + cats are associated with magic powers/witch craft).In Celtic folklore, the rabbit is seen as a supernatural being from the Otherworld.The rabbit symbolism in Christianity has found its way through the Germanic deity Eostre from which the name Easter came to be (s4 will most likely have the Easter holliday).One tale describes the rabbit as the pet of Jesus Christ. And rabbits were often inserted into art of jesus' mother .

Creel- basket or container of fish.fish is taken as symbolizing Christ’s faith, charity, and abundance. A biblical story goes how Christ fed his disciples with 2 fishes and called them “fishers of men.”  The Christians made an acrostic from the Greek word for fish, “ichthys” as early as the first century and it is, “Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter”, meaning Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.

Names hinting at character traits (which are very literal)

Mr clarke (science teacher)- clarke means 'scholar'

Dottie (in kali's gang)- she was in an insane asylum . And ‘Dotty’ is a very old British slang term  for 'crazy'

War (usually relates to ‘villains’)

Troy- means ' foot soldier'. Martin brenner: Martin means 'war like'. Lonnie is diminutive of Alonzo or Lawrence. Alonzo means 'ready for battle'.

In contrast to Lonnie, Will can mean "desiring peace. " Axel  who is part of Kali’s crew (who i think Will created along with others ) even means "father is peace."

Twin

Tom (Heather's dad) and Tommy mean ‘twin’. Robin's crush Tammy ('twin') Thompson ( 'son of tom’).

* Besides similar/identical name meanings.There’s also a lot of other repeated names that go into this whole twin/mirror imagery which i find strange... makes me wonder about @strangertheory ‘s version of the did theory. If not...maybe it’s just a allusion to the whole Will vs Will the wise arc (possibly) coming up?

Jennifer hayes (popular girl) & Jen (Mr clarke’s gf). Tina (highschool gal) & Tina- erica’s friend- Tina & christy are also nicknames of christina (s4 character). Susie (dustin’s gf) & susan (max’s mom). Sam (max’s dad) and Samantha (girl at party)/ samuel (possibly argyle). Billy Hargrove, Bill (dianne’s new huband),  and Will-all being nicknames for William. Robin & Bob-nicknames for Robert. Lonnie & Larry-nicknames for Lawerence. Ted  & Eddie being nicknames for Edward.James (Will’s bully), Jim Hopper (real name James), jacobi, and jason- all 4 are derived from jacob . Marsha Holland (barb’s mom) and marsha kelly (therapist s4)/martin relate to mars. Tom (reporter), tommy (highschooler), thompson (other highschooler).

it’s definitely peculiar to repeat names like this in a story. Unless it means ...something... I talked about how David was mentioning alot of doppelganger/twin imagery recently-here. So the name mirroring could just be an allusion to the Will/WW arc coming up ...possibly?

[mickey-millagher]

So there’s this episode of b99 where this guy says something about how a surprisingly high amount of employees on cruise ships have criminal records and this got me thinking

Shipwreck gallavich AU, they didn’t grow up together but still ended up with their felony records like in the show. Both now released and off parole and have struggled getting jobs so end up working on this awful cheapskate cruise company but in like rival departments, like Ian works retail and Mickey works in the bar and the stop outlets have a little friendly rivalry going on, mostly to keep them entertained while out on sea

Of course Ian and Mickey, being dumb end up taking this friendly rivalry too far and start to kinda not really like each other

Of course this all comes to a head when one night there’s a massive storm and turns out the cheap combat cut one too many corners to save money and now the ship is sinking and of course the next morning when they wake up stranded on a desert island they’re the only ones there

At first they decide to just ignore each other, you get one side of the beach, I get the other kinda deal and figure that it can’t be too long until rescue comes

But the days turn into weeks and still no one’s found them and one day Mickey wakes up and doesn’t see Ian

At first he doesn’t think much of it. The guy has been running round like a golden retriever pretty much since they got here, building a shelter for himself, exploring the island, gathering supplies (and if that sometimes a few of turn up on Mickey’s side of the beach, well he’s not gonna say anything) so not seeing Ian? Not surprising, probably off trying to more food or something

But as the day drags on and Ian still doesn’t show up, Mickey can’t help but start to feel, not worried (he definitely doesn’t care that much about the guy, not at all) but a little apprehensive, Gallagher is the only other person around, it’s only natural he doesn’t want to be completely alone on a deserted island

So he goes over to Ian’s side, maybe there’ll be an idea of where he went at least

Instead he finds Ian curled up inside his little shelter and he won’t talk to him and Mickey can’t quite work out how Ian went from hyperactive to this but damn if he’s gonna leave him alone on this fucking island so he ends up making sure Ian eats and drinks at least once a day until slowly he’s able to do it himself

A slightly better Ian explains what happened and how it’s going to keep circling until they can get off this island and he can get his medication again. Of course this version of Mickey doesn’t really know much about mental health but everyone’s got their shit to deal with, that’s just Gallagher’s shit so sort of shrugs it off

Afterwards they form a sort of truce and begin working together, they start finding that they have a lot more in common than they ever cared to know back on the cruise ship and start to actually like each other, which is a problem because they’re both idiots they think the other still doesn’t really like them

They begin to swap stories about their messed up families and childhoods and after a while, once Mickey really begins to trust Ian, he tells him part of the reason he went to prison and a bigger part of why he took such a shitty job on the cruise ship was cause he was sure his dad would kill him if he ever found out he was gay

Cut to Ian gaping

Cut to Mickey getting defensive

But they quickly sort out that little miscommunication and well you know…

Eventually they do actually get rescued from the island and get to return to their normal lives. Ian thinks now they’re off the island, Mickey isn’t going to want anything to do with him anymore, despite Mickey leaving him his number (he was just being nice, despite that fact that Mickey is many things but nice is not one of them)

So Ian’s all sad and heartbroken cause he misses Mickey but he’s also getting reused to his medication again so his family just thinks he’s readjusting to life

Mickey, however, is pissed that Ian didn’t contact him (and maybe a little bit worried) has to track him down and so a couple of weeks later, Mickey is banging down the Gallagher door so hard that the rest of the Gallaghers think he’s a thug that Frank pissed off so won’t open the door

That is until Mickey calls out for Ian to get his pasty ginger ass out here. And Ian has a bit of an oh shit moment and finally opens the door

After calming the rest of the Gallaghers down, Ian and Mickey finally actually talk, right on the Gallagher porch and well they don’t sort all their shit out right there. Mickey is still under his homophobic dad’s thumb and Ian’s head is all over the place still from the reintroduction of his medication and they still have no idea how to actually communicate properly but they’re starting and that’s something

And if a few months down the line Mickey gets his own apartment that only a very select few members of his family know the address to, well that’s no one’s business but his own

(And if a few months after that he gets a ginger housemate than well that’s no one’s business other than his and his boyfriends)

[solamancyzine]

Welcome to our “get to know our creators” series! Presenting…

WRITER SPOTLIGHT: @queenaeducan

Role: Writer

What do you like or find compelling about Solas’ character?

I find the rebel aspects of his character most compelling. It would have been easy to have Solas fit easily into the disaffected immortal trope, and there are aspects of that trope he embodies, but it’s clear he both still cares and values life. That he cares enough about it to forsake everything he knew and loved, and that he continues to do so even through Inquisition, is as moving as it is tragic. It’s nice in a story which often centers the player that as much as we can come to mean to Solas, we ultimately matter less to him than his people.

What do you think is going to happen in DA4?

I think we’ll be playing a hero with less power than any of the heroes we’ve played before. I think there’ll be more parallels with Solas (the teaser we’ve received indicates as much, but I don’t want to refer to direct quotes in case people don’t want spoilers!). I also don’t think he’ll be the final challenge we’ll face by any means, and I do think that the Veil coming down will probably be unavoidable. It may potentially even be within the first act of the game, similar to the attack on Haven in DA:I.

What do you love about being a writer/artist/comic artist?

What I love about being a fanfic writer in particular is that I can explore moments that are either glossed over in canon or center someone else’s experience. With a character like Solas, who keeps so much from the player and has such a long history, exploring his perspective is fascinating, and the talented people who wrote, animated, and voiced him were sure to leave a lot for us to read into. I also love being able to explore things as a fan without the oversight that often hinder original IPs, again with Solas in particular I can explore why I think he works so well in queer narratives. DA in particular is a great fandom to create in because the world and characters are both very distinct, but with plenty of room to breathe in our interpretations.

Link us/share with us one piece you want to show off (link to finished art/fic) and tell us why it’s special to you

“Who Am I in Your Arms?” - (Solas x NB!Lavellan) - Content Warning: Suicidal Ideation - Any piece I write with Solas and Ian is special because Ian is my spouse’s Lavellan and writing them together is actually how we met. 

This one in particular is special to me though because I get to let Solas’ grief breathe and explore a manner of intimacy in a relationship that’s brand new to Solas. Letting himself be broken in Ian’s presence and receiving no judgment, only support, was therapeutic to write. It also allowed me to explore aspects of my Solas interpretation, his struggles with mental health, and headcanons about my interpretation of Elvhenan, such as the role hair (or lack thereof) played in Solas’ growth and changing identity throughout his extensive lifespan.

I have a plans for a sequel set after Trespasser that I’m looking forward to writing once I get some other ideas out of my system (including the one I’m planning for this zine!)

Link to Fic

[you-show-me-love]

Breaking Down the Character

For @y0itsbri ❤❤

Frank "Rat King" Gallagher

How I feel about this character: Fuck Frank! I get that the show primarily centers around him but he's the worst! He's narcissistic and selfish and reckless, a user and an abuser. I don't think I ever felt sympathy for him in all 11 seasons.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: much like his daughter I don't think anyone should suffer the wrath of Hurricane Frank. He only likes someone as long as they're fun or provide him money or drugs or a place to stay. If I had to choose... I do like the references to the past relationship he and Kate the bartender had because their banter is pretty funny.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I'm always conflicted in sayinv this but I like Frank with the younger kids. It's conflicting because you know he's using them in some scheme or another but you also know these kids love the attention and quality time. We see how jaded Fiona, Lip, and Ian are but Carl, Debbie, and Liam are young enough in the series to still crave a father figure.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I wanted to see his life carry more severe consequences. At some point in the series they made his antics more ridiculous and his punishments less severe. It got to a level where I could no longer attempt to empathize with him and could only be frustrated with how he got in and out of situations. I imagine its how any of the Gallagher children feel as Frank flits in and out of their lives tbh.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: I wish Frank had died a lot earlier in the series or even developed his dimentia earlier than season 11. His health should have had a greater emphasis in the show and given some tension and anticipation to the characters demise.

Monica "People Like Us" Gallagher

How I feel about this character: where Frank garners no empathy from me Monica gets all my empathy/sympathy. This woman is mentally ill and can't take care of herself but no one else does it either. Frank only loves her in her mania, other lovers only use her or manipulate her, its implied her family abandoned her and then of course her kids can't be/shouldn't be responsible for her. She's a compelling character in how she's an adult who has been married and has had children and has explored her sexuality and found happiness when and where she could but also in how she's inherently childlike in her innocence, in her trust, in her self worth.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: here's the thing: remember when Ian said he gives a piece of his heart to everyone he's been with? Yeah thats Monica in a nutshell. Monica hops from relationship to relationship putting full trust and love into each one. She belongs to everyone because she allows herself to be and yet no one because they haven't earned it.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Monica may not be the best mom but her relationship with Ian is my favorite in that way that breaks your heart. I think she has good intentions and she tries to connect with him, to let him know he's not alone, but she just doesn't have the capability to offer this support in the way Ian needs it, in the way she should have received it. Its tragic watching her try and fail and see the way these attempts impacted Ian even after she passed.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I wish we had seen her more frequently over the course of the series, seen her put more effort into being there for her kids. The times she did come back into their lives and provide what she could and when she could created a fantastic dynamic for each child.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.: when Monica voluntarily admitted herself to the psychiatric ward I really really wish Debbie and Frank didn't get her out. In that moment she showed some mental clarity and a desire to improve herself for herself and her family.

[ianenjoyer]

here by unpopular demand: why Ian and Mickey are narrative foils 

For reference, the definition of a narrative foil is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) to highlight qualities of the other character. 

1. introduction to the show

Mickey is introduced to the show as an antagonist and somebody out to get Ian who, at this point, is the ‘protagonist’. He’s presented as the direct opposite of Ian: dirty, obviously not well taken care of, crass, homophobic, etc. As the show goes on we learn that most, if not all, of these things are a defense mechanism and not actually indicative of who he is but before 1x07 these are the only things we know about him. Basically, he’s introduced as a stereotypical neighborhood thug contrasted against sweet, hardworking, ambitious Ian.

2. family

The Milkoviches and Gallaghers are narrative foils, too, and in better world the show would have explored this even further but I digress. They’re similar in the way that they’re both poor Southside families trying to make money to stay afloat but the comparisons pretty much end there. The biggest difference is that the Gallagher children always had somebody looking out for them, while the Milkovich children didn’t. Talking about Ian and Mickey, it’s not to say that Ian didn’t have his fair share of having to fend for himself or that he had it easy, but at the very least his family really loved and cared about him and it’s shown really early on that Mickey didn’t have that. In fact, he lived in perpetual fear of his father and was loyal to him because of this, as opposed to Ian who hated Frank and avoided even associating with him most of the time. Ian and Mickey in the early seasons explicitly show what difference growing up knowing you’re loved and thinking you have a chance in life makes and how much that affects your personality and general worldview.

3. driving character arcs

This boils down to Mickey’s main obstacles being external and physical while Ian’s are internal and psychological. Neither one is worse or more important than the other but it does mean a lot in terms of who they are as characters and the things they had to overcome.

     3a. Mickey’s sexuality

     Ian has always been shown to be comfortable in his sexuality and, even though he wasn’t out for all of the early seasons, it was never shown to be a source of contention for him. Mickey on the other hand, doesn’t get comfortable in his sexuality until season 5 (and even then he’s shown to revert to having sex with women when he’s stressed). In this regard, Ian operates as Mickeys foil, serving to highlight how different Mickey’s experience with his sexuality was compared to Ian’s, as shown in 2x08 when you see Mickey terrified of being outed while Ian looks on really not understanding what he’s so afraid of. As Mickey said, they lived in different worlds, and moments like 2x08 or all of season 3b serve as proof of this.

     3b. Ian’s bipolar

    Ian’s return in season 4 marks a real turning point for his character. Even though his main traits never falter he seems to be, in many ways, a completely different person. As time goes on you learn why this is and, especially after Ian’s diagnosis, you see Ian and Mickey once again living in different worlds. Mickey operates as his foil here because Ian sees the diagnosis as a death sentence and has a hard time coming to terms with it. After what he saw with Monica, it seems impossible that he would see it any other way, which is made worse by the way his family talks about it. Mickey, however, has none of these pre-existing connotations or stigma about it. To him, it just means Ian’s sick and needs help, not that he’s broken or different or that there’s anything wrong with him at all. Once he gets over the initial hurt and confusion it really doesn’t change how he sees Ian at all, which juxtaposes Ian’s warped perception of himself, which goes so deep that he breaks up with Mickey after spending time with Monica and seeing the future he thinks he’s doomed to end up in.

4. relationship

All throughout the show, their storylines are inverses of each other (I’ve made a couple gifsets about that here) and the relationship itself serves to highlight different parts of each character at different points throughout the show.

    4a. seasons 1-5

In seasons 1-3, Ian is shown to be the steady one in the relationship, he has the luxury of not being terrified of being outed and having a support system, so he’s able to pursue Mickey in this way. Then, enter seasons 4 and 5, and all the stability and surety that has defined Ian for his whole life is ripped away from him. This completely flips their dynamic on it’s head and forces Mickey to both pursue Ian, and become the stable one in the relationship, in seasons 4 and 5, respectively. 

     4b. seasons 6-7

In season 6, Mickey is a reminder of Ian’s ‘past life’ and everything he was desperate to move on from. It’s not that Mickey did anything to deserve this, but the fact is Ian associated him with everything from the past year or so that had completely destroyed his life and his perception of himself. 

In season 7, Ian had gotten himself to a place where he was able separate Mickey from that and come to terms with his feelings for him. Mickey was his foil here in the sense that he represented love and passion as opposed to the precarious stability Ian had worked really hard to carve out for himself. The situation forced Ian to make a choice between the two and revealed just how much Ian values his mental health and safety, highlighting how much he’d grown from seasons 4 and 5.

     4c. season 10

In season 10 their relationship had finally reached a point where they can just be together, which opened the door for the insecurities that they both still harbored to come out of the shadows. Mickey’s feelings of abandonment and his need for Ian to prove that he’s committed go up against Ian’s commitment issues brought on by his bipolar and the connotations that marriage held for him. To Ian, getting married meant Mickey tying himself to him forever, and he couldn’t imagine why he would want to do that; to Mickey, it just meant them committing to being together forever. They were essentially looking at the same picture but seeing different things which highlighted really key parts of their personalities and the way they operate in a relationship.

tldr: Ian and Mickey’s relationship is incredibly complex, but the main thing that remained consistent through it all is that they constantly challenge each other and bring out both the good and the bad in each other and that they fiercely love each other.

[oatmilkovich]

Every day I actively mourn what s10 could’ve been. I don’t hate it, but if I had the ability to rewrite it, scrap the privilege storyline. Have them in every episode, resolve the “Mickey's fear of being with behind vs ians fear of not being enough” with parole. then the second half can be planning their wedding and adjusting to the outside world. Just use prison, it’s too heavily traumatized, very emotional, 22/23-year-old in essentially a giant bottle episode.

imo it feels like the writers post s5, don’t know how to write ian and Mickey “equally”? This isn’t how I see them, but when talking to people who watch but aren’t as invested, it feels like s10 mickey got the short straw. Because when I ask, they understood Ian’s reasons, but since there was no mickey POV, they thought he was just acting out, responding to Ian’s fears of inadequacy and being unlovable with infidelity, (if you can call Byron “cheating”)

The writers just suck, they're just not good. If ian and Mickey are the draw to get people to come back to the show, why not actually utilize them?

imo they definitely should've been in prison longer. there was so much more scope for them to explore different things in a small, confined space – a bottle episode, just like you said, but like one that actually allowed for actual resolution. we could've seen them post ian getting out and them having to deal with mickey being behind bars alone again – there was a huge opportunity to make up for the scene in 6x01. the wedding storyline easily could've come up from those discussions – commitment, their future and their past.

i do agree that there is an imbalance post season 5, but i think that obviously comes with the territory of mickey not being in the show. they have always been reluctant to show mickey's point of view as he isn’t a gallagher (we got a small amount of that, more so than in season 10 i think? in season 11 but nowhere near the same). something that was barely even touched on post courthouse was the emotional impact of being left at the altar! that's a really huge thing to happen to someone and the show didn't really want to address it for what it was – instead they turned it into the weird jealousy storyline w byron and cole (also mickey wasn't cheating on ian when he was with byron, ian had left him at the altar). they gave ian a brief moment of expressing his fears of getting married/mental health, but didn't dare follow through on it. they just... sprinkled it on top.

both boys were seriously misused and their relationship was given a huge disservice by the writers. especially as cam and noel had been asked back because they knew they were such a huge draw to the show after they lost emmy. they like to use ian and mick to their advantage, but only to exploit them for viewership, not for the actual storylines on the show.

[hazelcephalopod]

My Shameless unpopular opinions.

Disclaimer: I watched after the show fully ended and had read some of the synopsis for seasons and some episodes. No regrets but I’m sure it’s one reasons I’ve got some of these opinions. Also not actually sure if their that unpopular.

Btw it’s pretty long

Honestly every time Frank failed to die or be murdered was a disappointment to me

Fiona as a character makes sense honestly and her arc is good -in a trash fire way- but fuck do I never want to rewatch any of her relationship drama ever again. Or the landlord shit

Lips story and arc were really good. He just wasn’t a success story, it wasn’t fun or happy but it was realistic. He didn’t have the tools or desire to succeed at what everyone was pushing him to. The pressure sure didn’t help either

Lips rxn to Fiona after she starts to spiral in season 4 is b/c she’s basically his parent. He’s always been able to rely on her, the season before she promised safety and security by becoming the kids -including him at the time- guardian and her actions in season 4 feel like a betrayal to him. Like the rest of the kids this sort of behavior is a huge trigger and he looses tolerance for it overtime from being burned so much, he doesn’t want himself or the others to be a victim to that behavior anymore. (Which isn’t to say he never does similar thing but it’s more complicated than just hypocritical)

Ian and Mickey breaking up at the end of season 5 was good for them. Ian needed to figure out and accept his shit outside of a relationship. Mickey probably did too and it’s a shame we didn’t get to see more of that.

Caleb and Trevor deserved better from the writers and fans. They weren’t long term compatible with Ian but they were ok relationship partners and decent people.

I must restate Caleb especially deserved better. Idk what that shit at the end was for his story but fuck that

Trevors rxn to Monica was fair. We never see Ian fully explain his issues with her to him, and i honestly don’t believe he ever went into detail. Bc- Being with Trevor was an ideal to him, I think Ian admired him because he idealized him as a great person, when he was just a dude who had a job that did a lot of good. He fucked up with Ian there but that’s because he’s a flawed person too

Wish the story had allowed Trevor and Ian to remain friends.

Debbie is a good character. Not a great person but there’s reasons she’s the way she is. Because…

All the kids could have used mental health services and it’s a shame we didn’t get more of that. All of them probably have something or the other in terms of mental illness (outside of what was explored with some of them)

Like Lip for instance clearly has some intimacy issues stemming from a variety of problems and

The show definitely could have explored better how fucked up sexual and romantic relationships fucked everyone up. And I mean everyone

As well as their trauma in general in a srs way. (Don’t think this one is unpopular tho)

Chucky deserved better and how he was treated was awful. Hope he’s happy with Queenie

Debbie should not have had a baby but Fiona should have given her longer before she *had to* pay rent after having Fanny. As a whole that was handled poorly. She was still only 16. Not that I don’t understand why Fiona did it, she did have reasons.

The Gay Jesus storyline wasn’t that bad. No worse then Frank becoming the Pauper Tyrant of the South side. I’ve seen worse plots and didn’t even rank that low. Ian didn’t actually mean to start a movement, he just went of his meds and was too charismatic for his own good. Also I enjoyed watching it, homophobes being verbally torn apart was pretty cathartic for me *shrug*

I’m torn between feeling kinda like the writers sucked a bit at writing women and were a bit misogynistic. On the other hand they gave a lot of interesting stories to the women

I hate a lot of what Svetlana did but I liked her character. And what she did made sense for her

Vee deserved better. Also she shoulda just been bi

Carl becoming a cop makes sense. Like… he probably wouldn’t remain a cop but he would become one

Season 11 wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t the best season of a show but it was fine.

Coulda used another round or two of editing

Ian and Mickey having a rocky marriage to start makes sense. They’re about 25, emotionally stunted, and lack good relationship models.

Also trying out being poly makes sense for this reason. Tbh wanting to explore sexual relationships with others but only with each other makes sense, especially for Mickey. Ian is -and I don’t say this as an insult- promiscuous, and Mickey is probably curious, but happily married and too repressed to explore that on his own. So ya, that’s fine imo

Lip and Tami are probably doomed but that’s ok

Lip is kinda a jerk but I still like him

There isn’t really a right answer to selling the house or not IMO. Everyone had fair arguments but they sucked at communicating effectively or healthily.

Frank dying of COVID was fine by me. Honestly wish it had happened a bit slower is all.

That said personally I wish they’d gone deeper into exploring how everyone dealt with COVID as a whole. An episode where they were all in quarantine together would have been interesting.

Liam did deserve much better though.

And they didn’t need to bring back Fiona to talk about her

I think this one is more popular but I also want to say this show wasn’t as funny as it wanted to be or thought it was. The drama was excellent tho, and it still was sometimes funny just didn’t land all it’s “jokes”

I think I’m far enough down just to throw out (aka 2 headcanons and 1 extra point)-

- I think Carl and Mickey are autistic or something. Maybe Debbie too *shrug*

- One or two of the kids shoulda been bi. Clearly Fiona but also Lip or Carl.

- Jody was kinda a creep. Why did a 30 something yr old man marry a teenager?

[isthisclever]

The Other Side Chapter 19: Commentary

SPOILERS BELOW FOR CHAPTER 19: NEW YEAR // PLEASE CATCH UP ON "THE OTHER SIDE" BEFORE READING

So Chapter 19 was, for all intents and purposes, the beginning of Arc III of this story, and it is the climax/denouement arc. It'll likely be shorter than the other two arcs (10 chapters and 8, respectively), but I'm not yet entirely sure how many chapters it'll end up being. Broad strokes are planned but not prewritten, and the finer details still need to be figured out.

Now on to the commentary!

I really wanted to show the Frasers in this flashbulb family moment. Like, Hogmanay in Lallybroch with wee Brian and Fergus and everyone's really happy and fulfilled is this defining moment for them that I think they'll end up looking back on for the rest of their lives. But, let's not like, it's also a moment that will bring great pain because it's exactly what they'll always known they lost.

In this fic, Fergus is a little more fragile after losing his hand than he's shown in canon. We see in the later books his struggles with his mental health and the practical results/consequences of being disabled in his society, but we see very little of that in the books/show right afterward. I really think this is, in large part, because Fergus at that time knew he was a really big support for Jamie, who was still dealing with his depression and his grief. Fergus had pain, but even as young as he was and knowing the guilt Jamie carried for what happened to him, he really had to be the support for Jamie almost and couldn't really express any of that pain. But here, he hasn't had to live with being Jamie's reason to keep going on. He hasn't had to grapple with his hero drowning in depression and grief. So here, he's a lot more able to open up and let his vulnerabilities show. I wasn't sure what specifically he'd confide in them until I wrote it, but it kind of made perfect sense to me. He's seen Jamie and Claire, and even Jenny and Ian are shown to be deeply loving as a couple. And at this point in canon, he's right on the cusp of courting/sleeping with girls, and it made sense that this would kind of be on his mind. That he's just started that part of his life/development, but now he's afraid he'll never be wanted again, and will that mean he won't ever find the kind of love he sees in the adults in his life?

I also wanted this convo to happen because Claire was feeling really passive in this chapter. When I posted about the chapter not being right, that was exactly the problem. I had this whole thing where Jamie goes around before midnight on Hogmanay and gives toasts to everyone (including an indignant wee Jamie, who was offended he didn't get one). But it was kinda boring, kinda repeated a lot of stuff he's said already, and Claire really had very little active involvement in the chapter. I really liked this a lot better. Canon focuses heavily on Fergus's and Jamie's connection, but I try to explore Claire and Fergus just as much. Especially in those months after Faith died, Fergus and Claire really were comforts for each other. But beyond that, I think there are just some times you yearn for your mother's comfort, and I wanted that here. That he loves Jamie of course, and he idolizes him even. But he really needed to feel safe with his mother. Even though Fergus is now closer in age to Jamie and Claire (at this point, he'd only be ten years younger than Jamie now), they've re-entered his life at a point that he really needs them as parents, even though they're closer in age.

Also, a small thing that kinda happened on accident, but Jamie and Claire are almost always the ones carrying around Brian; in my head, they never really hand him off to Mrs. Crook. But I see this as a natural reaction to them having lost Faith, having come close to losing each other so many times. They now have this baby that they just cannot let go of unless it's between one of the two of them. I think it's also a tell that, subconsciously, they know that they aren't completely safe.

Oh, boy, the redcoats arriving! This has been a scene that's played in my head since I decided they were coming back to the past. I wanted to do a sort of flip on canon Jamie hiding from the redcoats with wee Ian. I knew we needed some action to start off this arc and what's to come, and them being shocked out of their false sense of security was the best way forward, I think. They've made general plans but haven't firmed them up yet, both thinking they had more time as well as really dreading when they'd have to leave. Earlier chapters have seen them both kind of grappling with the emotional toll of knowing that this time with their family is temporary. There's also a brief discussion about why the stones may have brought them to this year specifically...I think more of that will be made clear by the end of this fic.

Also, can we say Mrs. Crook for the win for not only getting Rabbie out of the house to warn Eilidh about the lie they told, but also managing to distract the redcoats so the Frasers could sneak from the house? Runner-up MVP next to Ian for concocting that story on the spot and Jenny for having the presence of mind to use the letter to their advantage!

Thanks so much for reading! Hoping not too long before Chapter 20 is ready.