#and may do a rewatch

[goblins-riddles-or-frocks]

forever obsessed with dynamics between vampires, specifically that of a maker and fledgling, as a way to explore abuse. the creation of a vampire itself can so easily be a literalization of the lasting impacts of trauma and also much more simply the ways a perpetrator might shape their victim’s very identity. the extremes of isolation in the way that the new vampire, in most narratives, must cut all ties to their mortal life, or else go through an elaborate charade to maintain the facade of humanity, while forever still being removed from it. and the sheer dependence and vulnerability of being in an entirely new state of being, wholly uncertain of what it entails, and relying on another person to define… everything.

[forged-in-kaoss]

Episode 110 vs episode 1100

[sgtpeppers]

Get Back (2021): Day One - Thursday 2nd January, 1969 "The Beatles face a daunting task."

[wolves-in-the-world]

the thing about eliot spencer as a character, right. the thing about him.

(and as always your mileage may vary on my analyses so if we disagree that's cool actually)

is that he is in fact a somewhat emotionally constipated idiot who is occasionally sensitive about his perceived masculinity and gets defensive about emotional intimacy around other men (largely hardison, who's much more comfortable expressing affection and embracing a softer kind of masculinity), but eliot displays enough emotional awareness and sensitivity and respect for women etc etc that anyone who's been subjected to that era of television will put on rose-tinted glasses without even looking twice.

(and he is, don't get me wrong, incredibly emotionally aware for a professionally punchy guy with enough trauma to sink the titanic. it still startles me to see.)

on top of which we have the layers and the accessories and the excellent hair with the secret braids and the way he barely has an ego and he's good with kids and protective of his team without taking it too far, and some of us never stood a fucking chance.

[wardengrill]

Hotch in Painless

[samipekoe]

Sami youre going to kill me with your ranma art. your swag is too strong, your pairings are too good! (If you draw Shampoo i WILL pass away irl)

thank you! I am too strong from releasing my years of pent up Ranma obsession. I haven't drawn shampoo in a long time so here's a quick one

[merryslilhobbit]

You know, BBC need to go back to creating shows like Merlin, Atlantis and Musketeers. Those were top quality.

Give me all the beautiful people, their adventures and silliness and barely concealed homoerotic subtext.

[frankiebirds]

I love this scene a lot and it lives in my head rent-free. I can't really think of another way to interpret it other than that this is elle telling reid that the reason he can't get a date isn't because of something wrong with him that he needs to change but simply because he doesn't ask people out (or, more broadly, lacks confidence).

I have seen some spencelle shippers read this as elle saying "hey. ask me out" but i disagree, not because i don't ship spencelle (i sort of do, elaboration in the notes) but for the following reasons:

I think elle would have realised very early on that if she was going to wait for reid to ask her out, she would be waiting years

i don't think she gives enough of a fuck about gender roles to wait for The Man to ask her out

she generally seems confident

i lean more towards her being very new to the BAU in the early episodes. I don't recall right now if there's an official anti-fraternization policy or if that's a fanfiction trope, but even if there isn't, entering a relationship with a coworker that early on is an easy way to mess up her career.

i think she was waiting until she was more established to start anything, but then, well, everything happened, and she left before becoming established enough to feel comfortable taking a risk like that

[silverview]

happy halloween! 👻

[gay-strawberry]

i just think is fun how the same quote was told twice in the same ep

[hauntdoesthings]

let's talk about: Husk

Husk is a character that I see a lot of love for, but not a lot of discussion about, at least not the same way we talk about Angel Dust or Alastor, so I'd like to start the conversation since I've noticed certain details about him during a rewatch.

How He Socializes

Husk puts it best himself; "Everybody likes to bitch to the bartender." He knows more about everyone than anyone else, whether they tell him or not. Not only is he the one people turn to vent to at their lowest, he has incredible skill at reading others. It's most likely something he picked up as a gambler, but we can see he still utilizes it to read the other residents, like knowing Angel shouldn't be getting drunk after his long shift and realizing when he's masking right afterwards.

On the other hand, reading people like this doesn't seem to fit with his character in earlier episodes. In the first episodes, Husk makes it very clear he doesn't want to at the hotel and by extension doesn't want to be around the residents. His first line is literally about how he's forced to be there and pretty much all of his screen time is spent being anywhere from unfriendly to outright aggressive towards the rest of the cast. He surely doesn't care enough to read people to get closer to them, so why does he? I believe it's either a subconscious behavior or possibly as a defensive measure. Like in a poker game, he reads his "opponents" to stay ahead of them while keeping his own cards close to his chest.

It's already clear Husk values his boundaries when watching his earlier interactions with Angel, but this combined with other behaviors makes me think he's a very defensive person in general. His body language is constantly closed off, often crossing his arms or physically being separated from others behind the bar. This could just be indicative of his surly personality, but there is a specific behavior makes me think more of it. During my rewatch for this post, I realized Husk has a tendency to hug himself during certain moments of discomfort, like the entire first trust exercise in episode 3(more on that later), and during his first argument with Angel in episode 4, he actually shields himself with his wings when AD insults him before leaving.

Speaking of, episode 4 is really a great example of how Husk view others, especially since this is when his mindset finally shifts.

It's easy to see how dismissive Husk is of AD during this episode, with his constant reiterations of how "fake" he is and even saying that he'll be fine after running out despite knowing that he's had a hard night. Looking a little closer at his mannerisms though, it's clear that he cares more than he wants to let on. He insults the scripts and setting of AD's video rather than his acting and even says that that's specifically what Angel tends to complain about. Even when Valentino sudden calls up AD, Husk's face is more upset than "I told ya so." He realizes that Angel is unhappy with his work, but at the same time, he doesn't think too deeply about it.

Husk assumes that because everyone tends to spills their guts to him while drinking, he knows all he needs to about them, and he's correct to a certain degree; however, despite everything he knows, he doesn't appear to think too deeply beyond what he can easily glean. Charlie wants to help others so she doesn't have to help herself, Vaggie projects her self-hatred and high standards onto those around her, and Angel bullshits his way through everything because he's an actor who doesn't know how to be real. Husk realizes these things easily, but not why the others are this way, and it especially shows during his confrontation with AD, as when Angel finally snaps and reveals his true motives, Husk is visually taken aback.

He's so used to knowing and analyzing people easily that this sudden, truly heartfelt moment from Angel makes him rethink how he's been going about their interactions, how he's been thinking of him this whole time. And this is the moment that makes him decide to open up about his own past. Whether it was seeing that common thread between himself and Angel or possibly a realization that he won't accept help from someone who doesn't offer any input of their own, this is the first time we really see him offer any of his private, personal life, and afterwards, there's an obvious shift in how he treats Angel and everyone else.

"Loser Baby" is the first time we see Husk willingly initiate physical contact onscreen when he's always be visibly tense and uncomfortable at even most mentions of it, though most of that was AD being suggestive so it could be an issue with sexual intimacy than physical. He's comfortable enough in episode 6 to go clubbing with the group and genuinely looks like he's enjoying himself, especially compared to when he went to keep an eye on Angel in episode 4, even helping look out for Niffty when needed and supporting Angel after standing up to Valentino. In the lead-up to the Extermination, there's not a single insinuation that he would've left the hotel, choice or not, and he is with the rest of the cast during all the important moments of the battle, from Sir Pentious' death to the ending number. Even when Alastor is presumed dead, even if he assumed Alastor wasn't really gone, Husk could've easily run off during his absence, but he sticks around to help rebuild, undeniably of his volition, wanting to help his friends and possible family.

That note also brings me to something I've really been wanting to talk about:

Husk and Alastor

Unless we see a shift or get new knowledge about Nifty, Alastor and Husk have a really unique relationship both in theory and as evidenced. Husk is a former Overlord, presumably from before Alastor's rise if he was willing to bet his soul in a game with him. This opens up a lot of questions for me, mainly about what their bet entailed, what led Husk to making it in the first place, and if there's a certain respect between them. Yes, Alastor refers to Husk as his "pet," but Husk also comes to him with his suspicions about Mimsy and it can almost be read as worry. Alastor even responds that "it's nothing [he] can't handle." There has to be a certain level of trust for someone to bring up "hey, that friend you've known for decades only ever comes to you when they need something" and have their concerns taken seriously, even if Alastor's care for others is negligible at best. This whole scene seems to be showing that despite their deal, their past as equals has not been totally forgotten by either of them, leading to a certain understanding of each other that neither, particularly Alastor, have had with anyone else up until now.

The biggest reason I bring their relationship up though is Alastor's deal. With all we've seen, I believe Husk is the one character besides Alastor himself and whoever the other party is that knows about the deal and its possible connection to Alastor's disappearance.

For one, Husk is the one that confirms Alastor is "on a leash" in the first place, and he shows no surprise that Husk knows. Alastor is definitely not the kind of person to let anyone know about something like that no matter how close they are, so this makes me think either Husk had to know or that he was possibly there during the deal.

It also stands out to me the specific phrasing that Husk and Alastor use during the scene.

"You've been gone a long time, and it's not like anybody knows why." "They don't need to know!"

This kind of phrasing makes it feel like Husk is specifically being excluded from that group by both himself and Alastor. If it's true that Alastor's deal is the reason he disappeared, then Husk knowing about both the deal and why Alastor's been gone lines up perfectly. Maybe Husk will be the one to reveal more about this to the audience or even the rest of the cast later on, but it's clear that he does know more than anyone not directly involved and at this moment is the most likely to talk about it, assuming Alastor doesn't immediately tear him a new one for it.

Little Details

Last section, I promise. This is just some little details I noticed while rewatching for this that didn't really fit in anywhere else and questions/speculation about them.

Remember how I mentioned Husk hugging himself earlier? The first time I noticed this was during episode 3 when, after seeing the stage, he declares "I'm not about to put on some show for these fucking chumps." Not sure how much of everyone's backstory is still canon, but it was stated that Husk was a magician during his life, so maybe this is hinting that he has some stage-related baggage?

Also during episode 3, we see Husk sneak down the stairs before Vaggie can toss him off the roof in the warzone, and since he didn't come back up with Angel and Pentious, he presumably left before they made it out. However, at the end of the episode, he's laughing with everyone over the events of it. He comments that SP can "take a beating like a champ" and "you did ok, new kid," so was he just pretending like he was there or did he just hang out on the sidelines and watch? Husk wtf?

Husk specifically says that AD's video is "not a very convincing interrogation scene." Does Husk have experience?

When the bartender pours drinks for the gangster getting Angel a refill, Husk immediately watches the drinks themselves, before the guy even reaches for that little bottle. He's a bartender, he's probably seen too many people have their drinks fucked with to the point it's just an instinct now.

He was ready to square tf up when Valentino hit Angel, but waited until Angel walked away instead of jumping in like in episode 4. He really does trust him to take care of himself and was ready to back up whatever he did.

During "The Show Must Go On," it's minor, but Husk actually tucks his wings around the group hug and it's aasfjkdsajfd

For those who've made it this far, thank you so much for listening to my overthinking and ramblings. Please feel free to ask about anything incoherent, add on to anything, or point out things I missed, I'd just really love to get the discussion started on some of these things!

[fan-kingdoms]

mai is THE prime example of the ‘drop your weapons! all your weapons. i said ALL your weapons. *character keeps taking out an increasingly comical number of knives*’ memes like girl just has projectiles Everywhere on her person and i love that for her. how does she store them without tearing her clothes

[sneepity-snoop-snorpity-sneep]

SWK, putting on a mask: I will conceal my face and make this industrial pipeyard my bachelor pad so no one knows its me

also SWK: *has this epic motorcycle monkey sculpture on display*

IT EVEN HAS THE SAME BLING HE DOES SIR!!!

HOW DID NO ONE KNOW IT WAS YOU

[pasquey]

To me, those two Angel speeches are pretty easy to reconcile, as him picking and choosing what to tell her that feels most tactful/the most like what she needs to hear in the moment. So the actual Angel arc would be more like: human Angel finds meek, well-mannered women boring, meets Darla (who is conventionally beautiful according to that time but also very *dangerous* in a way that Halloween-costumed-Buffy isn’t), gets intrigued, gets vamped, enjoys Darla’s evil and a lot of other lovers ranging from evil vampires to “bad girl” type humans, gets bored of it, gets souled, falls for Buffy. So “not into that kind of woman while I was human” and “no longer into bad girls” can both be easily true.

The harder part is that I think both instances of categorizing women by type (the “simpering morons,” the “bad girls”) are incredibly sexist in that low empathy way of not bothering to consider the inner lives and individuality of the women involved. The Watsonian response would be either that yeah, Angel’s kinda sexist, or that Buffy’s dealing with a lot of internalized sexism and Angel’s playing along with it as the fastest way to help her feel better. But I suspect that the Doylists win out on this one - I really don’t think the writers were considering the sexism here.

I don't want to bash Angel or Bangel as such -- I've said before that I think Buffy's relationship with Angel is a fundamental part of the show that you cannot really ignore or dismiss without missing the point of lots of the post-Angel seasons -- but it is very funny, I think, that Angel gives Buffy the "you're not like other girls" spiel twice and

it is played as straightforwardly charming and romantic both times; despite

the 'other girls' Angel is disparaging and saying Buffy is unlike being pretty much the exact opposite each time; and

both claims being contradicted by both established canon and later flashbacks.

In Season 2's Halloween, Buffy dresses up like "a princess" because, in part, she's jealous of the relationships she imagines Angel used to have with "the kind of fancy girl [he] liked when [he] was my age". And Angel tells her not to worry, because when he was a lad he was a raging misogynist. Uh, I mean, he says

"I hated the girls back then […] They were just incredibly dull. Simpering morons, the lot of them. I always wished I could meet someone … exciting."

So, to be clear, when Buffy dresses up like this:

She is not reminding Angel of anyone he might have known or been attracted to when he was younger, or followed into a dark alley at night and been murdered by, or had a century-long romance with as a vampire. Not at all.

Then, a year later, in Season 3's Earshot, Buffy is worried that Angel must have enjoyed kissing Faith when pretending to have lost his soul again. Because, well. Who wouldn't? ("To the naked eye it looked like fun", Buffy says. "Not that [Faith] was so bad to have around […] I think she was hurting a lot, and some people -- protective-type people -- might be drawn to that […] the thing about Faith, I'd understand. You know, she has that whole 'bad girl' thing working for her.")

Faith isn't dull, in other words. She's someone exciting. She's very much not the sort of girl that Angel claims to have hated last season.

And yet, when Buffy confronts him, Angel says:

"Kissing [Faith] meant nothing. I don't want a bad girl. I've done that before. I've lived a long time […] I've been with dozens of girls like her. More."

And … okay, but this kind of undermines the Halloween bit, right? "I always wished I could meet someone exciting … and then I did, dozens of times, and got really bored of it" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

Also interesting, I think, that this latter quote only makes sense if Angel identifies with Angelus in a way his own show will later insist he doesn't. Because the souled Angel who "lived a long time" was very obviously not getting with "dozens of girls", bad or otherwise, while he was busy eating rats in alleyways and listening to Barry Manilow. And if he's only talking about the things he did as a human, then why even mention that he's "lived a long time"?

(I would like to believe that the tension here is deliberate, and that the audience is meant to be unimpressed by Angel's big speeches, but I'm not sure I can persaude myself that this is true.)

[thesorcerersshadow]

the way merlin is firm in trying to put an End to what he sees is a clear abuse of power / "hey, come on that's enough" & "you've had your fun my friend", the careful but decisive way he puts his foot on the shield... but still approaching the situation with an air of friendliness, of the goodhearted approach that this guy in heavy armor with pointy swords who's bullying a servant might not REALLY be that much of dick, he just got a bit carried away... his smile and gentle-but-assertive voice and easy offer of his hand in friendship... and it's only when arthur continues to be a dick and refuses to meet his goodwill with the same attitude that he's like "alright, fuck this guy" lmao. merlin is a good mediator is what i'm saying.

[harbingermotel]

my hope for the next episode of never stop blowing up

is that usha as g13 realizes kingskin and greg are in danger and rushes into the eastminster club, then subdues the dogs using her incredible neck grab/rubbing skills