#and now they’re foreshadowing Eddie not being there

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Your son almost died and you weren’t there feels awfully forshadowy to me 😳😳😳

[realbylershit]

Alright so it’s safe to say that someone is shouting for Steve to run away from something and the first instinct is to be worried for Steve because he would definitely pull the sacrifice play if he had to…but personally I’m a little bit more worried about Robin (or both of them)..let me explain why.

We know Will is there, a source claimed that in fact ‘everyone’ is. But we also know that Millie isn’t, as a picture of her not being on set right now came up. So it’s safe to say that we most likely have a big portion of the cast around during the shoot and not the entire cast.

In the first recording it was pointed out that someone could have been yelling out Mike’s name instead of the first “Steve!” and whereas that’s personal interpretation I can definitely hear it. And I can also hear Will’s voice out of that. Makes sense, right? Will shouting Mike’s name? That would just mean that Mike is present, too. We knew that he and Will would be attached to the hip in season 5 thanks to the foreshadowing in season 4. And we confirmed that there is someone else that will at some point team up with both of them.

Dum dum dum, Robin.

I personally believe it’s only Will shouting but regardless of you believe it to be and who it actuallyis (Dustin or Jonathan perhaps), they’re telling Steve to run, which means that Steve most likely refuses to leave the battle field.

To point another thing out about the video, I also believe that we can hear Steve himself at the very beginning of the recording and he sounds kind of desperate, in my opinion. If I’m not completely crazy I’m pretty sure I can hear a “Let her go!”

So what I’m trying to say is, what if Vecna has Robin and Steve refuses to leave her side and that’s when himself is targeted, which we can hear in the second recording.

I can’t add the video but Maya Hawke has recently talked about Robin’s arc in season 5 and stated that she’s more involved in the supernatural stuff than ever and finding friends and looking for love.

I find it really hard to believe that they are going to kill off Steve, Dustin’s second father/big brother figure after doing it to Eddie in season 4. I’m pretty sure they introduced him so they didn’t have to kill Steve. Besides, Steve means a lot to most people in the group whereas Robin is probably the least connected person as she’s the newest, meaning that her death would hit everyone, but it wouldn’t break them like Steve’s death would- except for Steve himself.

It’s clear to me and probably most people that Will is going to suffer plenty next season and him making friends with Robin and then losing her to Vecna right away would definitely hit home. And because he already lost Robin, he doesn’t want to lose Steve too.

Just another small theory I wanna throw into the mix:

Will shouting for everyone to run reminds of him telling Joyce to run through the lights in season 1. Despite being in the upside down, he found a way to help Joyce by telling her to run. I’m thinking that in this scenario Vecna might have him trapped somehow, in a way that results him being cut off from the others in some way that they can’t hear him? As in basically torturing him because he can’t help his friends out, who possibly don’t see Vecna coming, and has to watch them die. That at least would explain even more why he’s the one yelling…

[mazzystar24]

Bestie im worried again, like I’m glad Eddie looked proud/supportive of Buck for the kiss, but I can’t shake the feeling that they’re going to continue on with that and just have him be “supportive best friend” even though that would make no sense after how he was acting at the party.

I feel like they keep luring us in with subtext and setting up plots, just to flip the script completely and rip the rug out… like they did in ep 4 with building up the fact that Buck wanted Eddie’s attention the whole episode and then suddenly out of the blue…. it wasn’t Eddie’s attention he wanted?

None of it is making sense to me, and I’m scared they’re doing what other network programs always do and are just baiting us with the ship most of us want when they’re just going to leave us with something rushed snd watered down that has had like zero buildup or foreshadowing… like Buck’s sudden devotion and interest in Tommy came entirely out of left field and it feels so weird to me thst they’re keeping him here because it just doesn’t make sense.

Hey bestie!

I wouldn’t worry babe like it makes sense for him to be supportive even if they do go the buddie route, like he loves loves loves him, so the fact that he saw him not a week ago awkwardly lie to HIM and doubt himself sm he asked “is that weird” when coming out to him and now seeing him happy and carefree and coming out in the most buck way imaginable? No matter what he may feel or whether he realised it or whatever else, he’d be feeling enormous amounts of pride because that is his best friend and someone he truly loves regardless of anything else

As for episode four I think the fact that Eddie is SO heavily embedded in the episode was so hopeful for us, like the man’s name being used hit a record high in that episode istg😭😭 (saw someone say it’s the bechdel test except try not to talk about Eddie edition and that is the funniest and truest thing😭😭)

Like before 7x04 came out even and people were speculating bucktommy being a thing I was saying that the second they make one of them queer I would feel more sure that buddie canon is coming or is rather more definitely on the table and nothing I’ve seen since has changed my mind tbh

As for buck being suddenly devoted to Tommy, buck falls hard and fast like we know this about him so it makes sense I’m not saying that like oh yeah he’s in love with him and yada yada butttt he is enjoying his time and this new relationship and that’s good to see. Like the audience is meant to kinda feel what Buck feels so every scene with that relationship gives you that new relationship energy where it can go either way you know?

Anyways I’m yapping but the point is I honestly think that things have been looking up for buddie fans and I would be cautiously optimistic 🫡

[sitron-sunni]

I watched the new episode of 9-1-1

a personal essay on queerbaiting (sorta)

I watched the new episode of 9-1-1, and immediately burst into tears as the credits started rolling.

Then I rewound the last six minutes, and watched the scene again, pausing to rewind the kiss. Again. And again. And again.

We got a kiss. I didn’t know we were getting a kiss. I sorta knew we were getting bi Buck, but I didn’t know we were getting a kiss. After last week’s episode, a lot of people were 100% convinced we were getting bi Buck. I saw their reactions before I watched that episode, too, and I was so confused once I finished it. Had we seen the same episode? That guy, Tommy, Buck’s so-called bisexual awakening-guy, was barely in there. He had about two memorable lines, and then he was in the background of a different shot, where he received a job-well-done slap on the shoulder from Buckley. That last one’s the one people were focusing on online. Look at the way this is framed, look at how he’s positioned, between Buck and Eddie. This is foreshadowing how he’s gonna get between them. Buck and Tommy is gonna be the gateway into buddie. They’re actually gonna do buddie, why else would they introduce a relationship between Buck and Tommy?

Reader, I’ll keep it straight with you. I did not believe them. After a while I gathered a lot of people already knew the name of the next episode; Buck, Bothered and Bewildered. They’d seen some stills, they knew there would be conflict and jealousy within that trio. They were putting it all together with comments and hints dropped by the actors. All those things added up, and it did paint a far more convincing picture. And I thought it was fun! I reblogged a few posts about it, I think, or at least I liked some. But the fact remains: I did not believe them. I thought, oh, imagine how cool it would be if they actually went there. I thought, yeah, realistically it would make sense to bring in a third person if they were actually gonna do it. That way they could test the waters, gauge audience response, and it could work as a catalyst for the relationship after so long. But mostly I thought Okay, so they’re gonna bring in Buck’s fear of not being enough for the people he loves again, this time through his friendship with Eddie, and we’re gonna get some sort of final resolution for that. Like, a big moment of catharsis. Or something along those lines, anyway. It just seemed to me like the most realistic thing that could happen. I mean, the idea of canon buddie was nice, of course it was! The queerbait is why I started watching the show in the first place: I wanted a good queerbait! But ultimately, a ship like that going canon was completely unrealistic. I speak from experience, after all.

Maybe it would’ve been different if I was younger. I remember being in fandoms when I was a teen. I remember reading theories, watching youtube-videos with “proof” that this or that was real, that it was gonna go canon. I remember getting my hopes up, thinking Oh my god what if they’re actually gonna do it!? for shows and pairings that, in hindsight, were completely unrealistic. Maybe that’s why I, even with fairly good evidence in front of me, didn’t actually get my hopes up this time. Because why be that stupid? Why invest emotionally like that? Why not just enjoy what we actually had instead, and then get anything extra from fanworks? Haven’t we learned by now?

I woke up this morning and opened tumblr, and I read half a sentence about how we actually have bisexual Buck confirmed canon now, before I quickly closed the app to avoid too detailed spoilers. Oh my god they were right! I can’t wait to watch the episode, I thought happily, and went on with my day. I opened the app again a few hours later, and scrolled for a few minutes, until I saw a brief glimpse of one, maybe one and a half gifs. Bucks face, Tommy’s face. Warm orange-y yellow lighting, Buck’s loft, you still owe me a beer. Close the app, move on. There were other posts throughout the day, more glimpses, all along the same lines as the first one. The last one came late in the evening, this time on twitter. Just the word in all caps; ANNOUNCEMENT, and then Bucks face and a bisexual pride flag.

And then finally, finally, after I’d brushed my teeth and gotten into bed, I was alone with my laptop, and I could watch the episode. The hype had built up, I was so excited to finally watch it. I was internally vibrating just a little bit. I was giggly, I was grinning widely, I was making comments to myself out loud, and laughing. I said oh my god, they’re really laying it on thick. I remember watching that scene for the first time and thinking how Tommy really looked so nervous at some points. That last one I found interesting. I really liked the actor’s portrayal; His facial expressions were quite subtle, and I thought he captured that nervous feeling so well. Maybe I took such notice of it because, well, I wasn’t quite expecting it.

I wasn’t expecting nervousness in an interaction between Buck and Tommy, because I still wasn’t actually expecting anything. At least I don’t think I was. Even with everything I’d seen online. Even as I was watching the show, I convinced myself. Those words, you still owe me a beer, they’ve misinterpreted them. They think it’s an invitation to a date because Buck’s jealousy in this episode is making it more plausible than ever before. Sure, the show’s leaning into it this time, but they’re gonna pull the rug out next episode. No, of course it wasn’t an invite to a date, what show were you watching, are you delusional? It’s just gonna be one week of people speculating and theorizing and building it up, and then the show’s gonna resolve it with some no-homo followed by a nice new buddie moment. The buzz will die down, and things will go back to normal.

And then the kiss happened. And then I burst into tears.

And now I think, oh my god isn’t it wild that they’re introducing a new romantic relationship for one of the main characters, and for the entire lead-up to the relationship, both Buck and Tommy are entirely focused on Eddie? Like, they’re just making everything about a third person! Imagine if they did this for anybody else! and, oh my god Tommy’s gonna break up with Buck because Buck’s basically already dating Eddie or something, isn’t he? and, oh my god it’s gonna be glorious! and, oh my god I can’t wait!

And I’m also thinking, I was wrong, and you were right. And I’m so happy I could cry.

TL;DR: If you and I share sterek, or destiel, or god knows what other similarly-shaped trauma, 9-1-1 might heal ya.

[ninjatrashpanda]

Season 8 Episode 4 Write-Up

Hello and welcome to Week 4! We’re past the opening disaster now and are finally getting started with the regular storylines and calls with episode 4! And what an episode it was! I won’t waste anyone’s time and get started! If you’d like to see my thoughts on episodes 1 through 3 you can find my masterlist here.

1. Gerrard

So right off the bat… Why is Buck golfing with Gerrard in the first place? Like, yeah, he’s the guy’s new favorite (His “Little Buddy” lmao), but how does that translate to having to spend his free time with him? Either way, the opening scene brings up the budget cuts and then tells Buck to pick someone to get fired. My immediate thought was “Pfft, he’s gonna volunteer himself before he picks someone else!” In fact, I fully expect this particular plot thread to come back later like Ortiz did last Season, and for Buck to still volunteer himself. I don’t expect Buck to actually go through a ‘Fired’ storyline, simply because it’s too close to Fire Marshall Buck, and because we just had a similar storyline with Bobby, but I do believe Buck is gonna volunteer to go should this come back to haunt us.

Which brings us to the ending of the Gerrard, Ortiz and Bobby storylines. And I want it known that Gerrard did not get redeemed. He did what he did exclusively and explicitly out of his own self interest. Gerrard wanted to retire from active firefighting duty anyway and only came back because Ortiz played into his ego. He thought she put him in charge because she agreed with his stances and thought he was a good captain. But in the end, she used him, and he refused to let that happen and made a deal with Bobby.

He wasn’t redeemed. He’s still the same POS he’s always been. Bobby just roped and manipulated him into an “Enemy of my Enemy is my Ally” scheme.

2. Bobby

So Tim (I think, correct me if I’m wrong) said in an interview post episode 3 that he wants Bobby to be lighter/more humorous this season, and the opening trilogy already did a good job with that, honestly. It continues here, because yeah, Peter definitely plays Bobby…well, lighter. It’s subtle, but noticeable, and Bobby (and Athena) getting the more comedic/lighthearted C plot was a good move. They don’t usually get those. They usually only get to be silly when everyone is silly. 

Their first scene is mostly setup for the rest of their plot this episode, which is in itself setup for their larger plot this season (or half-season). I love Bobby’s snippy comments and Athena being That Person that doesn’t know what she wants, just that it’s not *vaguely waves hand around* this. Also, stealth foreshadowing Bobby’s return with “This one’s closer to the firehouse.” “But further away from set.” “That’s another good thing!” (Paraphrased, you get it.)

The second scene, where Athena suggests building a new house on their land is pretty nice too, though I don’t have much to say about it. Athena going “Let’s rebuild the exact same house the exact same way it was!” is a little insane, tbh, but me and my sister actually joked around saying “LMAO what if Season 8 starts and the Grant-Nash house is just there again with a throwaway line about how lucky they were that Michael still had the blueprints. The fact that we actually got like, half of that in canon was hilarious to both of us.

The scene of everyone coming to Bobby for advice that mirrored the one in Season 2 was amazing! From Hen insisting that Bobby is her captain, no matter if he’s currently a technical advisor on a TV show set or not, over Buck not wanting to be Gerrard’s “Little Buddy” (No, I will never let go of that line, it’s too good.) over Eddie missing Chris (Bobby insinuating that Chris won’t talk to Eddie because of the ‘stache! Eddie genuinely being offended! Please give Peter and Ryan more comedy, they’re really good at it!) to Chim being the one to smell that something’s fishy about Gerrard taking over as the 118’s captain in the first place. He’s ultimately wrong about why Gerrard didn’t retire when that was his plan, but without him pointing things out to Bobby, Bobby’s ruse later on wouldn’t have worked. So yes, I’m applauding Mr. April!

Going into the Hotshots scene, something I completely missed on my first three watches of this episode is that Bobby asked Gerrard to come to set. I spent three full watches wondering why tf Gerrard showed up so Bobby could manipulate him, when Bobby asked him to meet him there. I feel kinda dumb.

Anyway, I like manipulative Bobby and want to see more. Cause let’s get real, nothing he said was wrong exactly, but he absolutely had to sell it to Gerrard in a way that still appealed to him. Also, why is the silly weewoo show suddenly Game of Thrones levels of intrigue and mind games???

Also also, between the awkward ass hug with Buck last season, the weird thing he had about Buck having been tight end on his high school’s football team, and him now fanboying over Brad…Yeah, the Gay Gerrard theory has certainly some merit lmao.

The ending scene, where Bobby openly tells Athena that he doesn’t want to rebuild the old house because it was never really his was really nice, honestly. I know a lot of people wanted this to build as a bit of conflict between them, but I disagree. I feel like it would’ve been out of character for Bobby to keep this to himself and go along with rebuilding the old house, especially since “keeping things from each other like that is bad” is a lesson both of them learned in Season 4.

3. Ortiz/Henren

So, outside the fact that body cams on firefighters and paramedics sound unethical and straight up illegal, the funniest thing is that had Hen worn a body cam during Kyle’s call, Ortiz would see that he refused care and subsequently have to admit that Hen didn’t do anything wrong, at least from a perspective of protocol. She’d have no leg at all to stand on. I think that’s kinda funny.

The courtroom scene was…a lot. I did question (not online lol) at the end of Season Seven if what Maddie and Chimney were doing was actually legal, and now we know it wasn’t! The fact that Hen and Karen didn’t tell their lawyer about still having contact with Mara shows that they knew that, too. And for Hen to then fall into a frankly insane sounding speech about how an evil politician has it out for her and is orchestrating everything… Yeah, there was no hope here. We learn later that the judge was actually in Ortiz’s pocket, so it wouldn’t have mattered either way, but even if she hadn’t been… Sorry, but the outcome would’ve been the same.

Hen walking in and begging Ortiz to stop, trying to basically guilt trip her with that video of Mara, was also…maybe not the best thing to do, legally speaking. I also feel like the show just…went too far on villainizing Ortiz here. Like yeah, most of us expected her and Gerrard to be in on everything together, but her saying that since she had to go on without Kyle, Mara, a little girl who is maybe ten years old, should learn to go on without Hen and Karen is so far removed from regular corruption and awfulness that it made me question what Ortiz’s point was. 

Because I was under the impression that Ortiz was, not unlike the Buckley parents, an exploration of what grief does to someone when it isn’t properly addressed. Instead of mourning her son, she instead focused that grief on hating who she believes to be responsible, and said hatred kept growing and growing because there wasn’t anyone or anything to help Ortiz keep it in check. I halfway expected that video of Mara to stir something in her, to realize that she is hurting a little orphan girl and maybe start seeing a clearer picture.

But nope! None of that was actually the case! Instead, Olivia Ortiz is actually just the Wicked Witch of the LA City Council who is one-dimensionally evil for evil’s sake with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Not gonna lie, that’s kind of a waste of both a potentially complex antagonist, and of Veronica Falcón.

Mara coming home made me cry though, so it’s still all good.

4. Cheerleading Call/Eddie

So, for reasons you’re probably aware of, I’d like to immediately throw out that Weston was never confirmed any kind of sexuality, so any and all “Gay Eddie Truthers” who somehow try to use him as “proof” need to check their believe in toxic masculinity at the goddamn door. Seriously.

Anyway, wtf do you mean Eddie saw someone’s torso being turned 180 degrees in Afghanistan????

But to come back to the matter at hand, Medical Professional Eddie was a great showing! I’m questioning the legality of what he did here, because as far as we know, Eddie is not a certified paramedic (and like many of us, I wondered if this would lead to him getting the boot), but nonetheless, I think they should lean into it more often.

I don’t think I have to say anything about Weston calling Eddie “Dad.” It’s heartbreaking for both of them, honestly, but I also think it’s one of the most important things to happen to Eddie in regards to his character arc.

And then Eddie joins the stalker league. No, seriously, I get why he did, it’s for a good cause, and it worked out in the end, but this very easily could have ended very badly.

To actually focus on Eddie’s talk with Mike (that’s what his name tag says, I’m assuming that’s his name lol), it’s the first step of Eddie’s character arc: acknowledging that it’s his fault Chris isn’t home. He is the one that drove him away. He allowed Kim to come back into their house, he played along with her crazy ass Shannon channeling improv session, he is the one who, frankly, didn’t do much of anything to reconcile or apologize to Chris. He threw Buck at the issue and expected him to fix everything. Ryan himself has said that Eddie has a habit of using Buck as a scapegoat, to try to shortcut difficult situations and conversations with Chris. Not all the time, but often enough. And doing it this time was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

As much as this conversation is about fatherhood, though, it’s also about toxic masculinity. Ryan goes over it in his recent interview, how deeply ingrained in Latino culture toxic masculinity is, how it affected him growing up, and how it drove him to attempt suicide. That article/interview is really, really good, and I wish I had bookmarked it so I could link it, but alas. The gist of it is that, as Ryan says, it took him time and effort to unlearn things that had been drilled into his head since he was a kid. He had to learn that being vulnerable, that feeling his emotions is a good thing, and that it didn’t make him gay. And it’s clear to me that unpacking all of this is also going to be part of Eddie’s storyline/character arc this season. I could take a potshot at a certain part of the fandom that took Ryan’s interview and turned it into something it isn’t right now, but I won’t. I will only refer to the beginning of this section where I told people to check their belief in toxic masculinity at the door.

6. The Tiger Call

Why did this dude ever believe that the pitbull line was gonna fly? I mean, he raised a tiger in a studio apartment, so he’s clearly kinda stupid just in general, but like…you couldn’t have come up with a better excuse???

Also, Bing. The tiger, which is based on Ming, the tiger, is called Bing. Okay, show.

“He wasn’t 400 pounds when I got him. He was an adorable cub.” Sir, this does not explain how you got this tiger, wtf even. Also, why is animal control so useless in this show? They never handle the animal calls, what is up with that?

Chim cocking the tranquilizer gun like a badass, you will always be famous. “I wish I was hitting him with a paint ball.” “Here, kitty, kitty.” Have I mentioned yet that I love Chimney Han? That he’s my special little man (not related to Kenny Choi’s height, I swear!), that I would never in a million years trade him away for anything?

Also, yeah, the CG tiger kinda sucked, but like…bad special effects aren’t anything new to this show. The “babies” they have on calls literally look like dolls they bought at Walmart, why would the CG tiger be good? It’s part of the show's charm imo.

7. Final Thoughts

This was a weird episode, man. The last like, five minutes, after Eddie’s and Mike’s talk, were super rushed, and yeah, it does feel like every plot thread Season 7 was neatly wrapped up with a bow, along with the budget cuts this very episode introduced. Thing is, I don’t believe it is? We know Brad shows up again later, so it stands to reason Gerrard might too. Ortiz was publicly embarrassed and ran out of office. I’d be surprised if she didn’t make another appearance to try and take revenge again later. And like I said, I fully expect the budget cuts to come back to haunt the 118.

Also, for an episode that was advertised as a Henren episode, there was not enough Henren. Or Karen in general, for that matter. Tracie had what, two lines? The fuck?

As it stands, I like this episode quite a bit. If it wasn’t for the rushed, weird ending, it’d be an easy 9 out of 10 for me! With that ending, it’s still a 7.5. Eddie’s plotline was the episode’s highlight for me, simply because oh my god, they finally give Eddie an actual arc! My favorite scene though is the “Asking Bobby for advice scene.” Great comedy, great character moments in it, parallel to Season 2, just an all around great scene!

*

And that’s it. If you read to the end, thank you for reading! If you want to discuss things with me, write a comment, reblog, shoot me an ask, whatever you want! Or don’t, that’s fine too. I’m gonna be back with more random thoughts next week.

Bye bye!

[lazyvase]

Sinister Six + Venom

This world better be prepared to get laced

Venom is tough.

They are both an iconic and major part of the Spider-Man mythos, as well as being big enough to stand on their own. Venom just has a lot of baggage. They are a lot to introduce at once.

Before things get crazy, just know I'm certain that there will be Venom content in Beyond the Spider-verse. These movies have proven a pension for foreshadowing (which I go into detail on the Doc Ock post).

Venom Foreshadowing:

Mrs. Chen's cameo

One of the canon events showcased by Miguel is of the symbiote taking over Spider-Man.

Peni looks depressed (more on that later)

Now, let’s go over how we could see Venom:

Gangbang

The most obvious and most likely way Venom appears is as a cameo by the Tom Hardy Venom. Live action has already been put into Spider-verse, so the CGI symbiote and Tom Hardy could easily show up. I don’t know how the cameo would work, but I’m sure Sony will find a way to put it in.

It’s in her brain

Due to her comic accurate mech and tired disposition, there’s a very likely chance that Peni Parker has encountered Ven#m. I would not be surprised if Addy Brock got mentioned. I doubt it will go any farther than that, as there is already so much going on.

We are Venom

There could be references/cameos to other Venoms. This one is kinda a given. Take your pick.

Because they’re gonna taste

They could introduce an entirely new Venom. However, as stated before, there’s already a lot going on. I’m not sure if there’s enough time to introduce a new Venom. Venom is such a complex and baggage filled character. Due to their tendency to team up with Spider-Man, Venom isn’t someone you can easily throw in to fight Spider-Man. Venom is an event character. When they show up, you kinda have to focus on them and the effect they have on Spider-Man. Not to mention you have to go into who is wearing the suit. Is it Eddy Brock? Someone with no relation to Miles. Is it Flash Thompson? Someone with no relation to Miles. Is it Harry Osborn? Someone with no relation to Miles. Is it Scorpion? If so, who cares. It’s just Scorpion wearing black. It’s not a real Venom. The bottom line is that introducing Venom requires a lot of context.

New Suit, New Me

The final way Venom can be introduced is by just having the symbiote. Miles can encounter a symbiote that will latch onto him. Insert joke about the symbiote not really changing his costume much. The problem is that the symbiote is supposed to bring out the wearer’s worst impulses. But the main impulse Miles is fighting against, doubt in his place in the world, is already kinda conquered internally. Granted, the symbiote can bring back these feelings worse. But there’s already a character introduced that can do this much much better. Miles!Prowler. Or as I like to call him: Tails. Tails could easily serve as a constant reminder that maybe Miles wasn’t destined to be Spider-Man. Much more than a suit telling Miles mean things.

Overall. Venom is inevitable. But the forms they take can easily vary.

[reservoirreputation]

Why Not Both?: Extras

Notes for my ResDogs fic of the same name

title ideas, as I’m not totally sold on ‘Why Not Both?’:

Chaos Trio

Hate Fucking

summary: Larry and Vic are both into the new guy on the crew, fresh-faced Freddy. Both wanna shoot their shot, but the other guy is constantly cockblocking. Freddy goes from confused to flattered to annoyed in record time, and tries to scare at least one of them off; he’s interested in both men, and it’s up to Larry and Vic to figure out what they wanna do about it. Shock of all shocks, Vic agrees- and Larry can’t let him win, quickly agreeing, as well. Freddy plays it off like he’s won, in the end, but has a constant inner monologue of ‘oh SHIT, what now??’ going through his head. 

the world, expanded: AU of the events of the film, but Freddy isn’t a cop. It’s still Vic’s first job fresh out of the clinker, still on probation. Joe expresses some caution, and wants to ease Vic back into work (could be Vic got beat up in jail, got sick, maybe something happened to Eddie? To Joe, even? Maybe Joe’s plans for the jewelry store simply fell through, maybe there was a leak in the LAPD warning him about their plans to get in Joe’s inner circle. A moment even, of showing how competent Freddy was in the film to get as far as he did, and how the undercover job could’ve gone tits up before it ever got off the ground, in the hands of someone else. Really, this is an examination of ‘what if everything else in the story remained the same, but Freddy went down more the path of ‘Orange’ rather than ‘Officer’, showing that he was fully capable of both since as long as he could remember.

Still have it be the first time Larry and Vic interact; have Joe be cautious, probably about the LAPD tip, and want any of his guys to work alone, but for there to also be no big jobs. And, wouldn’t you know? Vic Vega and Larry Dimmick have never met. And if this thing between Vic and Eddie is that serious, Vic should get to know some of Joe’s oldest and most trusted allies. So, these two buddy up as a pair, maybe an occasional word from the other dogs, especially Blue.

After a couple of stressful, small jobs, Larry and Vic blow off some steam at a local watering hole- and someone quickly catches Larry’s attention. Cute older guy, likely in his 40s. Larry starts off talking to him, goes to use the bathroom, comes back out-

-and Vega’s flirting with his catch.

During a moment where the cute 40-something is gone, Larry asks Vic what the fuck he’s doing? ‘Aren’t you with Eddie?’ ‘we’re not exclusive.’ ‘Well, how big of you. Now why don’t you leave this guy to me? I wasn’t exactly being subtle about my intentions’ ‘shouldn’t what’s his name get to choose? Put on a better game, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.’ and Larry doesn’t care for this, just lets it go. Frustrated, sure, but he’s not in high school and doesn’t need this immature bullshit. The next time, about a week later, they’re at a different bar, and Larry has his eyes on a new prize; a gorgeous woman, closer to his age. It’s only been a few months since ‘Bama, and Larry’s more in the mood for dick, but he’s certain that Vic won’t care about cockblocking him on this. Which, of course, Vic has to go and prove him wrong, and do just that.

Vic motivation: he actually finds Larry attractive, and could use his words, and be very clear about his intentions, but he just loves winding people up so much. Maybe even foreshadow it with a ‘fight’ between Vic and Eddie at the start of the story. So, Vic really wants to sleep with Larry, but wants to piss him off, first.

Multi POV or only one? I think Larry’s POV is necessary, maybe some of Freddy’s, but the comedy of Larry’s ‘OH’ moment when he realizes Vic’s into him really hinges on us (the reader) being on the outside when it comes to Vic’s motivations.

The outline:

-Open to Joe’s office, and he’s giving Larry the lowdown on Vic Vega’s release, and how he’s anxious about any big jobs, because of the LAPD leak. How he’s shelved the jewelry store idea, and wants Larry to walk Vega through his probation. All that Larry knows about him is what Eddie rants and raves about, and thinks that Vega can’t be too bad.

-First time Larry and Vic meet, and Larry gets a bit of the creeps. Realizes pretty quickly that he’s met Vega’s kind before, and that the guy’s likely a psycho, wonders what the hell Eddie sees in him. 

-As a bonding exercise, Larry, Vic and Eddie go out for lunch. Vic just endlessly antagonizes Eddie, and Larry wonders how the hell they can stand each other. Maybe a narrator moment of Larry looking away, and Eddie and Vic giving the closest thing to puppy dog eyes that they’re capable of.

-A recap of the first week, and various smalltime jobs. Larry mostly drives, leads the charge, and Vic starts needling him about this, implying that Larry’s a control freak. Larry doesn’t take the bait, keeps his place behind the wheel. He does feel a bit ridiculous though, physically taking charge when Vic’s obviously so much bigger than him (a fun parallel to that one scene in BSN)

-First bar, Larry’s trying to ignore Vic’s general weirdness, and sees a hot, younger guy as the perfect distraction. Cockblocking ensues.

-Another recap, this time of week two. A meeting with Joe, where he’s starting to get more comfortable with the idea of a medium-sized job. Wants to bring in a new face, has his eye on a few guys, including the likes of Dennis (Brown), Mark (Pink) and Freddy (Orange). Wants Larry to go over these potential hires with him soon, probably take Joe another week to really check these guys over, make sure there are no undercover fucks/snitches, considering how close the last call was. 

-Second bar in as many weeks, Larry tries shooting his shot with a woman around his age, thinking that Vic’s just gay, but the guy makes a point to ruin Larry’s chances (be it by flirting with the woman, himself, or by scaring her off). Larry’s really annoyed, but still tries to be the bigger man. He justifies his just- letting it go, by convincing himself he needs to more professional, and that these bar trips were still very much on the clock.

-Week three, and the auditions begin. Blue joins as a panel judge of sorts, and Larry’s in quiet awe because he’s heard so much about the guy. So, Larry, Blue, Joe and Eddie go through the new candidates (another throwback, this time to S&R, but instead of a panicked Larry looking for his LAPD contact-) and Larry’s kinda happy to be rid of Vic, feeling like he can properly breathe for the first time in days. Sure, there was downtime at home, but work always promised more interactions with the psycho. Funny enough, Larry’s mind keeps wandering back to Vic, showing that distance does make the heart grow fonder. All that goes out the window when Larry lays eyes on Freddy Newandyke. Instant connection, palpable chemistry, and Larry’s smitten. He finds himself thinking as well, ‘Finally, something that Vic can’t mess up!’ and tries to push down the odd feeling of guilt that rears its ugly head.

-At home, able to digest everything, Larry (attempts to) comes to his senses: he likes the new kid, Freddy, but he’s so young, even younger than Vic (ad why should Larry make that comparison to begin with?). That, along with how new the kid is to a more organized operation, it would be all kinds of gross to take advantage of that; surely Larry could say ‘jump’ and the kid would ask ‘how high?’. It’s unethical, unprofessional, and, besides, ‘what would Vic have to say about it?’

-The next day, Joe tells Larry that he and Vic are doing so well as a duo, that he thinks Larry can fit more on his plate. Blue’s taking on Dennis and Mark, so it’s only right that Larry and Vic take on Freddy. Happiness surges, and is quickly tamped down, as Larry agrees to the arrangement, because what else is he supposed to do, to say?

-The first job of the new trio. If Larry’s a people person, and Vic’s the muscle, then Freddy’s a smooth talker. Where there’s a generational gap between Larry and some of the people they have to talk to, Freddy fills in the gap, quite nicely. Larry can’t help but reflect on this with pride, at the end of a long day.

-The fourth week, and fourth bar. Freddy’s been giving Larry signals all week, and Larry can’t help but get his hopes up… because it’s plain as day that Freddy’s been sending the same signals to Vic. Again, trying to be the rational one, Larry figures that Freddy’s just got a flirty personality, and doesn’t mean anything by it. Only, one particular talk between him and the kid clinches it, and he knows for certain that Freddy’s interested. Larry’s high on love, though it’s too soon to call it like it is. He heads to the bathroom, cleans up a bit, justifies sleeping with the guy, that Joe can’t be that much of a hypocrite, giving Larry shit over a coworker lay while letting Eddie and Vic continue on, unbothered, and is also just so jazzed that a young, confident catch like Freddy wants anything to do with him. He’s so high on the potential lay, that all the air is sucked out of the room when he leaves the toilet-

-and sees Vic chatting Freddy up. Like the two previous outings, Vic’s ready to spoil his catch. Larry, completely fed up at this point, isn’t willing to let Freddy get scared off/swept up just like that.

Notes on outline, draft #1: to make it stand out more from other fics, and vary up the locations, cut down on the amount of bar scenes. Maybe only have 2: the first weekend, and possibly Larry and Vic stop by a gay bar for the sake of convenience, and the auditions, where we meet Dennis, Mark and Freddy for the first time. Week two could be a taco truck by the beach, and Larry seeing the older woman out in the wild. Week four/Larry’s pass at Freddy can be in the car on the way home; maybe Larry’s hoping for privacy, but the route means dropping Freddy off, first, so he tries to make the proposal while they’re getting dinner (though Larry’s not really hungry) and he keeps waiting for Vic to give them some space, like heading off to the bathroom, or even just calling Eddie to pick him up, something. Just to get a variety of settings and locations.

[ultraforgottenwords]

6x07 - 6B Spec

okay y’all i have a stretch of an analysis about 6x07 the ‘cursed’ episode and foreshadowing for 6x10-6x12 because this show makes me feral!!

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cinematography wise, there were a couple interesting shots focusing from one blurred character to another; first with the crystal shop lady owner in the foreground panning to Buck in the background; second is the scene that pans from Bobby to Felicia in the background where she’s worried about Alexis and wants to go with her in the ambulance (haha Eddie getting in the ambulance with buck in 6x10?) thirdly, we have Buck in the background panning to Eddie in the foreground right before Eddie says he’s cursed, and lastly we have the scene panning from Eddie in the background to Chris in the foreground when they’re on the beach.

these shots caught me off guard the first time i watched the ep; it felt like they were shot purposefully to bring our attention to not just Eddie, Buck and Chris, but the context of worrying about a loved one when they’re injured. it all feels so intentional???

so we have shots panning from the shop lady (signifies where Alexis got hurt) - pans to Buck

then we have the scene of Bobby with Alexis, pans to Felicia and Eddie where she is worried 

shot where the camera pans from Eddie to Buck right after Eddie and Felicia are talking about how she’s worried about Alexis 

shot panning from Buck to Eddie when he says he’s cursed (he’s gonna end up worrying about Buck in the future maybe?)

then we have the shot from Eddie to Chris at the beach where he’s talking on the phone about his future?? after a conversation about Shannon’s death and then his son almost dying in a tsunami and the other important person in his life who also almost died in that tsunami? plus mix in all of Buck’s talks about the future...i??? (psssst. you are each other’s future)

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also these???

Eddie introducing Chris to buck in 2x02: i'm all he's got

Eddie picking up on the vibes between Felicia and her assistant during 6x07

Felicia to Eddie when Alexis is hurt: she's all i have

camera instantly pans to Buck after Eddie and Felicia's conversation

Eddie says he's cursed because he realizes that Chris now has Buck as well and it's not just him anymore and it brings up some ~feelings~

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Eddie to Felicia at the beach: how’s Alexis?

Felicia to Eddie: she’s gonna come stay with me (ahem, Buck staying with Eddie after he gets out of the hospital after getting hit by lightning anyone??? minus the blessing maybe?) 

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Eddie: he survived...he almost died in this ocean (YEAH BECAUSE BUCK SAVED HIM SAY HIS NAME YOU COWARD) 

Felicia: must have been terrifying

Eddie: it was, he was scared for a long time, we both were 

Felicia: well you wouldn’t know it now (relating to Eddie no longer being afraid that he won’t feel normal ever again?? he’s healing and ready to move on from Shannon)

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Sooooo this post by @lover-of-mine got my brain going brrrrrr over the Mitchell Mitchell Charlie Charlie ambulance of it all

Because there are also two Freddie’s tied up in this as well but it’s more than that - it’s the living/dying danger/no danger (technically) of it all.

Bear with me - I need to set it out for my brain because there’s something about the Mitchell’s dying and the Charlie’s putting Buck and Eddie in the line of fire (by this I mean both of them at the same time and not one or the other being in danger)

We have Charlie 1, who puts the both of them in danger (unintentionally) with the grenade in his leg. Up to this point Buck and Eddie have been at odds but this bonds them and we get the ‘we might end up real close’ line. This is essentially the foundation stone/ moment of their relationship.

Then, 7 episodes later we have Mitchell 1, who gets crushed by a car and dies. Neither Buck or Eddie are in any danger during this call. And we have the establishing of Bucks method statement - ‘you don’t find it you make it. (Which imo is the first time we see buck misunderstanding the assignment)

Then we have Charlie 2, again Buck and Eddie are both put into (again unintentional) danger when the come under gun fire. This time Eddie does get hurt but it plays into the might end up real close concept as ultimately we see the bond getting even tighter through the will.

Then guess what 7 episodes later (you can’t tell me this isn’t intentional at this point) we meet Mitchell 2, who like Mitchell 1 dies. Whilst Buck and Eddie can be seen to be in danger throughout this episode, in reality neither of them are truly in danger - killing them wont get Mitchell what he wants, so even though we are held in suspense through the episode, the reality is that they’re ‘safe’.

There is something about how a Charlie binding them ever closer together while Mitchell’s are a omen - they foreshadow events later in their respective seasons.

Mitchell 1 gets crushed by his car, foreshadowing Bucks crush injury at end of season (and the hand holding parallel is not lost on me either - Thomas holding Mitchell’s hand and Eddie being the one holding Bucks).

Mitchell 2 is Eddie’s foreshadowing - he blows out his brains to protect his heart so it can be transplanted into his son. This is foreshadowing Eddie’s mental health breakdown - he neglects brain in trying to protect his son - his heart - Mitchell’s heart is a literal one and a metaphorical one while Eddie’s is more just metaphorical.

Then there are the two Freddie’s - Freddie Costas sets of bomb that crushes buck and Freddie Vaughn is the guard who is lax with Mitchell and ends up injured at the initiation of the prison riot.

And now we have two Thomas/Tommys - both who seem to be there to direct Buck to the correct path in some way - Thomas set buck on the path of you make it and it feels to me a bit like Tommy is going to play a part in either reenforcing that concept for Buck (correcting his path) or building onto the idea of making something.

Basically we need to be on the look out for Charlie’s Mitchell’s Freddie’s

[ambrossart]

I’m so sorry to spam you but a few other things that occurred to me —

Gareth calling was the PERFECT addition to the part. It was so funny and Eddie’s whole reaction to Reader made me so flustered. And once again, your foreshadowing never ceases to amaze me, since you’re potentially writing that bonus project where Gareth feels out of the loop.

And when Eddie was laughing about how everything worked out — AHHHHHHH!! Like, she started their relationship by killing him six years prior. He started that night by yelling at her in front of everyone. They’re so fucking cute, especially now that they can finally just be happy!! It makes me want to laugh, cry, die, come back, die again, etc.

Okay, long story longer, this series has consumed me.

Oh yeah, that short story is the next one coming up!

And Gareth feeling out of the loop is something that’ll be consistent throughout the entire series. He’s the one always getting left out because he’s younger than everyone else. He’s also Eddie’s most faithful soldier, so… he’s in for quite the surprise when he finally figures out what’s going on. 🤭

I’M SO EXCITED TO BE DONE WITH PROM! Now I get to write about them dating and being adorable, lovable dorks… until, inevitably, I have to tackle "Vecna Lives!" I’m not looking forward to that at all. I’m gonna have to sandwich that between some fluff; otherwise, I might not be able to recover 😭💔

[buckmyluv]

random 911 6x11 qs...

so... maybe my mind was warped by Buffy (and specifically “Restless”)... but I can’t shake the feeling these bits the 911 writers put into “In Another Life” might have had more meaning than meets the eye. these stood out during my initial watch and i can’t stop thinking about them.

loud music playing throughout the scene(s) at Chim’s

it might have just been not-great sound-mixing, but the song was louder than I expected for a dialogue heavy scene. Need to rewatch to try to figure out the song and mine for clues

"My lungs just stopped working.”

idk idk on the face of it, it’s just a statement of fact. but there was something about the way that line was shot, it just didn’t feel like a throwaway line. could this have more meaning for Buck/his life? 

“Can you help me find my dad?” “I can’t right now. [...] I’m always gonna feel guilty for that one.” 

again idk but this gave me strong Restless vibes! Very “be back before Dawn”! Is “dad” in this sentence in fact Buck?? Will he always feel guilty because what he couldn’t do right now was realizing he already is a dad to Chris?? I can’t shake this one. But is the 911 writers’ room trying to do this... idk.

Coma dream Bobby with the pills

Caveats: Look, I do NOT want anything to go wrong for Bobby ever. also coming to this with addiction experiences. And finally, keeping in mind all of our speculation about things going worse for Bobby might come to fruition in 6x12 and beyond with what looks, from the promo, to be an arson setup with the rehab center. 

But -- besides Buck’s parents and the obviously absent Eddie -- and despite what Buck said about only Hen being the same -- I feel like most of the qualities of the key people we saw in Buck’s coma dream were them amplified, or pre-growth versions of them. Maddie -- caring for others around her but suffering quietly. Chim -- reliable, trying to help, a bit cynical. Hen -- kind and honest, connecting the dots. Which brings me to Bobby. He seemed very different -- manic, a bit mean. But it was the drinking and taking of the pills that got me, particularly when Buck then says (lies) that Bobby was the same, just like Hen. Could it be foreshadowing, that Bobby will continue to be locked into this spiral around Wendell and Buck and such, and addiction will take a new form? there was so much speculation about him relapsing with alcohol, but idk... something about this. it could also just be a worst-possible-interpretation for coma dream buck but... it’s bugging me. 

and some final thoughts:

- loved Oliver’s acting! and those moments of his pure joy, i was transported back to him opening the door to Maddie upon her return.

- Also Bobby broke my heart the whole episode. silently praying so hard with the rosary beads... “she brought two kids and you brought one”!! 

- honestly pretty shocked at how little Eddie time there was... what we got was good but it was just... bizarre. 

- I feel like Maddie was oddly excluded from convos with medical staff, whereas Margaret and Phillip got top billing there. It just seemed weird -- could have been scheduling?? or just to shove the parental reconciliation arc. but e.g. having her in the circle up with the doctor in the hall (latter half of the episode) would have made more sense to me than just Margaret and Phillip -- they’re not around! I’m imaging maddie or bobby (or eddie but he got shafted this episode) is his medical proxy so... what gives?

- On the (valid) critiques about the Buckley parents reconciliation arc: I definitely have qualms about it. They have been pretty egregious in their actions for decades. But I’m also coming at this from a similar context (though much less dramatic context with deep dark family secrets). Parents emotionally neglectful/emotionally abusive, just because they were swimming in their own emotional challenges. perpetual dismissal, personalizing your choices, etc. And I battled for years with wanting to be enough for them, trying to prove myself to them -- until I finally got therapy, realized how they had treated me, and began to call them out on it. And -- they started to change. I don’t think they’ll ever be 100% what I need them to be, and I’ll always have a wall up. But they’ve changed enough that I can accept the relationship somewhat more. And accepting what they do offer -- not literally a couch, but like a couch -- because it’s how they know to show their love.

anyway. that’s that on that.

[dumbass-hyperfixations]

This was such good foreshadowing for the entire season and the course of their relationship, I can’t get over it. Them talking about the difference between dating and friends hanging out. There are no difference between the two, EXCEPT for the underlying sexual tension.

Then we get Eddie and Tommy being just friends, BUT there’s something bothering Buck. Buck and Tommy on a date, BUT Eddie thinks they’re just bros hanging out. Buck and Eddie wearing an actual couples costume as bros, BUT Tommy shows up very visibly not in costume and leaves very early. Buck has a boyfriend now, BUT Eddie is calling him to lean on him emotionally when Chris wants to leave.

There’s such a clear triangle drawn here, all laid out for us in the “it’s not much different than him hanging out with his other friends. EXCEPT only in one case there’s an underlying sexual tension.”

why did buck say this in season 7 like insanity pure insanity

[extasiswings]

Ok I need your big brain, do you think that maybe talking with eddie will make buck understand that he can’t be a father and walk away? or he will be rejected to be a donor for family history or whatever and Eddie’ ll be there to pick up the pieces? I think I’ll prefer option 1, so I hope that buck decides for himself, but what do you think?😘

Honestly, I think right now it's looking like he's not going to talk to Eddie about this at all and they're primed for it to blow up in their faces (as I said in another post, really not unlike Hen and Karen right now, with Hen making decisions that are going to impact not just her but her family without talking to her wife). The way the episode framed it was that this is a secret. Yes, he did ultimately go to Hen for her advice, but he's very deliberately not talking about certain things with certain people and not listening even when those conversations happen (like blowing off Maddie's thoughts about his "year of yes" or whatever, theoretically musing on Hen's question about whether he can walk away but then agreeing anyway). See also, the foreshadowing of Buck on the bike, charging off without a word, and Eddie shouting after him "Where the hell are you going?" Because Buck's going off down a path that Eddie can't see or understand and Buck's not saying a word.

I also do think he'll end up being rejected as a donor, or otherwise not following through in a way that's related to the Daniel of it all (as opposed to something that makes his withdrawal voluntary). I totally understand and respect the desire to want to see Buck set healthy boundaries for himself and say no on his own for healthy reasons, and I'll be perfectly content if I'm proven wrong, but I genuinely don't think that Buck's there yet.

Because Buck does not set real boundaries even when things are hurting him. He spent nearly a year in a relationship with Taylor that was making him miserable, trying to force himself to accept the things he didn't like about her, changing himself rather than setting a boundary, accepting that he fundamentally cannot compromise on certain things, and ultimately ending things. That took a year. And frankly, with all the self-help nonsense he's ingesting, there is nothing about the path he’s currently on that is going to help him get to a point of being able to set the boundaries he needs to and learn to say no to things that are harmful to him.

And here's the thing. These writers are so intentional and so good at telling difficult, adult stories about trauma and healing. And they are consistent. They have made clear with so many other characters, Athena, Maddie, Eddie, (and Bobby, Hen, and Chim on somewhat lesser scales), that when you ignore and avoid your trauma instead of facing it, you will hurt yourself and the people around you and you will not be able to make the healthy decisions you need to for your life.

Buck is not facing his trauma. Buck got a little bit of therapy, washed his hands, and said he was all good (including with his parents). But Buck has massive issues, as we've all seen over the seasons. And Buck’s lack of self-worth, his feelings of expendability, his inability to set boundaries—those are all intrinsically linked to his root trauma—Daniel, the “spare parts”/“defective parts” of it all that was revealed in What's Your Grievance/Buck Begins but that Buck has never actually reckoned with in a meaningful way. And until he does, he cannot achieve any sort of meaningful healing and growth.

It's like the hotel walkway that collapsed at the Happiness Convention. They identified the problem, but never made the repairs, so years later it finally gave out. That’s the story they’re telling. That's Buck. (Similarly with the birdwatcher and the tree, the thinking it's fine to get close to something because it seems harmless now, only for something to shift so that now you're being crushed under it without warning).

The Daniel of it all needs to come up again, because otherwise Buck will simply keep ignoring it. And as painful as this storyline is, it's also a perfect vehicle for that, particularly after they went to the trouble of giving us Maddie in Dumb Luck (really only about 8 episodes ago) talking/worrying about whether she should have had children at all because of their family medical history. I don't see a way where it doesn't come up, and that's why I also think it has to relate to Buck ultimately not going through with it, whether because he's rejected by the parents after they find out, or because a doctor tells him he shouldn't (or can't), or something to that effect.

[Related to Buck not setting boundaries or talking about things that hurt him, I've mentioned before that he's misunderstood Eddie and Christopher and the will entirely, but he's also never acknowledged that, and so Eddie's out here thinking he made Buck his partner and co-parent as a sign of his love while Buck feels like he's just a fallback and not a real father and is sitting in that space of feeling miserable about it. So in that sense, in his mind this donation maybe doesn't feel all that different to what he's doing with them. And while him learning that lesson (that he already is a father, that his family is right there) is part of his journey, I think he still has a ways to go before he'll be able to see that, especially if he continues hiding things from Eddie and therefore not giving him the chance to clarify anything].

[thranduel]

byler and jancy parallels and more analyses!

i’m not sure if anyone else has mentioned this but i can’t believe i only just noticed it while rewatching

season 2 episode 3:

nancy and jonathan are having a heart-to-heart on top of jonathan’s car after nancy couldn’t say “i love you” to steve

season 4 episode 5:

mike and will are having a heart-to-heart on top of a car after mike couldn’t say “i love you” to el

nancy then says “all this time, i’ve been trying so hard to pretend like everything’s fine, but it’s not” and they talk about how it feels like they’re carrying this huge weight around. this is really reminding me of mike and how he’s forcing himself to fit into society’s definition of “normal” by trying to convince himself that he’s romantically in love with el when he actually has repressed feelings for will instead (and remember how finn said "mike's just trying to be as normal as possible and trying to keep on a normal path. he might be into some new things" and also how mike is discovering a lot about himself and his relationships? season 4 has also been focusing on the theme of "forced conforming", and eddie specifically talks about it. he mentions how it affects people, and you can see many examples of it throughout the season). jonathan agreeing with nancy about how it feels to carry a huge weight is like a parallel to will, who is also facing the hardships of mike being in a relationship with el because it hurts him to watch and he’s struggling with his feelings for mike. jonathan then says “maybe things can’t go back to the way they were” which is a parallel to mike telling will “like it was a fight that you can't come back from” in season 4 episode 4 after his fight with el when he couldn't tell her he loves her.

*something else to note: just before he says that, will notices mike is still staring at the letter that says "from, el" (from, not love!) and he sighs. then he says "if you keep staring at that, it's not gonna change, you know?" and then mike agrees and crumples up the paper and throws it in the bin. the fact they focused on this and zoomed in on it makes me think that it's definitely foreshadowing mike and el breaking up, otherwise why would they make it seem so dramatic?

mike then says "maybe i should've said something, and if i would've said that thing, then maybe she'd want me there with her", and i noticed... he couldn't even say the words "i love you" as an example when talking to will about what the fight was about. he didn't even go into detail about it at all. he just said "something" and "that thing", like he was trying to avoid it with will too. if mike truly loved el romantically and will is just his friend, why couldn't he properly explain what the fight was about and actually say the words? it's because mike knows that he doesn't love el romantically, and he's slowly starting to realise and accept it more now. he would be lying even more if he pretended that he did, and at the same time, he would probably push will away further which he clearly doesn't want to do. some people claim that "mike can't say i love you directly to el because he has trouble expressing his feelings to her because he's so in love with her", but he had no problem expressing it to a group of people in season 3 when she wasn't there. but now, when he's alone with will, he can't even say it anymore at all, because he knows it's not even true. el isn't there either, so it's not like he's "struggling to express his feelings". if he loved her, he would've been able to say it while explaining the fight to will, but he didn't.

which leads me to my next point... will says "you're gonna see her again, and whatever you didn't say, you can say it to her then". it's obviously not going to be the words "i love you" because why are they keeping it so open and mysterious to the audience as well, as though we have no idea what he's going to say? he couldn't say it to el. he couldn't even say it when explaining the fight to will. if he can't say it now, what makes you think he'll be able to magically say it a few episodes later? and why would they bother making such a big, dramatic deal about it if it's going to be so expected? the truth is that he does not love el romantically, and that's what mike is going to tell her. that is what he was unable to explain during their fight because he was too overwhelmed and didn't know how to tell her (and in ep 5 during the car scene he literally says "i should've explained myself". if all you had to say were three words and you truly love her romantically, what is there to explain??). they've been focusing on this far too much for it to be something so predictable, boring and repetitive. the audience has seen mike and el in a relationship for the past 2 seasons, being all lovey dovey and even saying they love each other. so why would they include a dramatic fight and make such a big deal out of it? and even worse, why would they bother getting will involved, a young gay character who has suffered enough AND been in love with his best friend most likely before el even came into the picture, just to end up making it unrequited and hurting his feelings? it also wouldn't make sense or explain any of mike's weird behaviour towards will. if mike runs back to el, it would just ruin his character because he changes so much when he's with her and it would mean that he treated his best friend horribly for nothing, and i know mike isn't that type of person. even dustin, lucas and will have all confronted mike and called him out for being so consumed with el, which says a lot and shows that it's just not healthy and that's not the mike they know and love. he's pretending to be someone he's not when he's with her and it's not okay at all. it's also not fair for anyone in the situation. mike, will and el are all struggling because of this societal pressure and "forced conforming", and they're all probably so confused and afraid. plus, after all this subtext and buildup and teasing, there is absolutely no way that they're going to queerbait with byler. queerbaiting is already so harmful and wrong, but it would be absolutely ridiculous and even ruin the characters and storyline if mike ends up rejecting will and running back to el. there would be no character development or growth at all and all the scenes we've seen would basically be meaningless.

i’ve spoken about this next part already but when will says “sometimes, i think it's just scary to open up like that. to say how you really feel. especially to people you care about the most. because... what if, what if they don’t like the truth?” when talking about opening up and confessing feelings, you can see that mike is listening carefully, slightly nodding and agreeing with him. we obviously know that will is talking about his own feelings for mike and trying to disguise it as advice, but why would his "advice" to mike be about telling a person something they don't already know? he's talking about confessing something brand new, something that the other person won't expect, and that's why it's so scary. it makes sense when you watch it from will's side, because we know he has feelings for mike that he's afraid to confess. but with mike, why would he be nodding and agreeing while hearing this? in fact, why would he even need this sort of advice in the first place if he's so confident about his relationship and knows what his feelings are? he's already opened up and shown el how he feels many times, and el knows it. she even heard him say he loved her in season 3 and said it back to him at the end (even though he looked very awkward especially when she kissed him). so him telling her he loves her is nothing new that he has to "open up" about or feel scared of. and why would he be nodding and agreeing, especially when will said "what if they don't like the truth?", when mike already knows el wants to hear the words "i love you"? if he was just going to tell her what she wants, why wouldn't she like it? if he truly loved her romantically, he would've said it by now. but he hasn't. if he failed to say it when she was crying right in front of him, how is he going to randomly say it a few episodes later? and what makes it even more weird is that she just got her powers back. she's already insecure and questioning if mike only loves her for her powers (part of their argument was when he said "you're a superhero" and she said "not anymore"), so if he suddenly says "i love you", it just won't even feel genuine at all and she'll constantly question if she loves her for who she really is. it just wouldn't be fair for any of the characters involved and it would also ruin so much character and story development because it wouldn't make sense.

that's why i think mike is going to tell el he doesn't love her romantically and they're going to have a mutual break up, and they're either going to officially confirm or heavily imply that mike and will like each other by the end of volume 2. there's no way they would add all these meaningful scenes, hints, parallels and subtext if it wasn't going to result in a new outcome we haven't seen before.

[obamas-ass-cheeks]

My (il)logical predictions for stranger things 4/5:

Nancy finds the missing shotgun in the upside down that Will was holding when he disappeared and shoots vecna in the fucking face😌💅🏻✨

Mike finds the crumpled painting Will made after time skip and it’s just a luscious portrait of his face and on the back it says to like love Will and he realizes he loves will back and they live happily ever after💧🫦💧 cuz if that doesn’t happen I’m writing a fic

The gang defeats vecna and we think he’s dead but he returns in s5 following Eddie’s dnd campaign where vecna returns when they thought he was dead which would parallel to the first season where Will says the demogorgan got him👀 we love foreshadowing told through dnd🫡

Mikes parents divorce in s5 dear god plz someone save that woman. Cue mike having an existential crisis about who he wants the spend the rest of his life with. (I am very new to Byler but mileven just isn’t hitting as hard)

I pray to god s5 is set in the 90s so they can fix their ugly ass haircuts. Actually now that I think about it pretty sure bowl cuts were still around in the 90s so will might be a lost cause they can just kill him off then

We haven’t gotten much of Will in v1 other than him being a pining gay boy so he’ll definitely be hate crimed by vecna in v2😟

The government or whatevs is like looking for will and mike and Joyce isn’t home so they probably gonna raid the wheeler house😀💔 omfg I hope they accidentally kill Ted😬 (I don’t actually hate ted btw) but my girl Karen can find a new hubby and get that insurance bag🤪💰sry not sry Ted

The California gangs gonna to back to Hawkins and Joyce is gonna come back from russia and find a bullet hole filled house and missing children😭

Bruh imagine mikes reaction to El’s shaved head and she’s like still pretty?💁‍♀️💞 and he just says nah bruh…💀💀

Also what happened to that girl Kali and her Payday gang🤨 El had her emo moment and dipped that was weird I hope we see her in s5

I saw a theory on tiktok that said 001 was actually El’s dad something about dr brenner wanting to create like a mega powerful baby and that’s why 001 gave her advice and helped her try to escape. But I was thinking and he was like telling her like 001s powers grew when he let his anger out or whatever I can’t remember the exact line and before at the end of s3 hopper who’s her father figure tells her to remember the hurt cuz the hurt is good which is when El’s powers are the most powerful. We 👏love👏 parallels👏 anyway I just wanna see a dramatic reveal of that except he just says in a demonic voice 👺I’m yo daddy👹

I’m overthinking this entire show basically I just want Dustin back together with steddie they’re his parents

Oh my lord I completely forgot about that vengeful bitch Jason with his basketball posse. Honestly if I had a man who sent out a search party to avenge my gruesome death I’d be blushing in my grave😍 he Fr thought Eddie was using evil satanic powers tho to kill Chrissy and patrick that’s kinda embarassing😬 it’s the thought that counts. I heard there was a spoiler that Eddie survives but imagine they like win or whatever and Eddie like smiles at Steve like yay we survived hell🎉🎊 and then this bitch Jason appears out of nowhere and murders him. That would be crazy. I’m totally thinking out of my ass rn I’m finished

Not sure why the spaces r so big in between🤨 also not sure if these r predictions or if they’re headcannons. Can they be headcannons if I’m trying to predict the future?? Not sure how that works

[starbylers]

Speculation about potential spoilers—related to the leak we just got but some extra info you might care to hear

Okay about that leaker’s reliability: yes. I’ve also seen multiple people on Twitter claim that they’ve been wrong about stuff in the past & then tried to cover it up allegedly, so like…it is possible they have something that's just plain wrong. It's also possible they just guessed at it, because it’s a pretty obvious observation someone could make and then later claim they were right when it inevitably happens. Or it’s possible they do have something real but it’s missing a lot of context (cause I don’t believe for a second Will has an endgame new character love interest lol). In which case yeah I agree about the possibility of a side character.

So I’ve always sort of theorised that that could be one of the ways they hint at Mike’s feelings before the reveal. Given they just rebuilt their friendship and promised to be a team and all the visual foreshadowing to emphasise that point, it makes a sense Mike would be unhappy at the prospect of what he sees as Will replacing his spot as "best friend" even if he doesn’t understand why it bothers him so much until he realises his feelings later on.

If it was to be a more substantial plot point it could begin before the season does to avoid taking time from the main story. One of my theories has been that the boys drift somewhat over the skip because of everything they’re individually going though (Dustin with Eddie, Lucas with Max, Will with Vecna but also his sexuality issues, Mike with stressing about El who’s stressing about Max and Henry, and his relationship simultaneously coming apart at the seams), and that scene we saw with all their hands is a friendship reunification of sorts. It's possible Will could’ve been hanging around new people and met someone who's like him. Doesn’t even have to be a result of drifting, could just be someone Will crosses paths with now he’s back in Hawkins permanently. Possibly it could be something that we see in timeskip flashbacks, that's done/is about to be done by the time we get to present day because, well, many possible reasons (he's still dealing with internalised homophobia; it was just a minor crush or flirt/someone who liked him more than he liked them; he's obviously still head over heels in love with Mike—matches with Alex’s leaks you mentioned). Maybe Mike complains or starts an argument about this person later on when him & Will are inevitably working together because of the supernatural and that's when it’s hinted that he's jealous.

But it could also just mean a brief flirtation with someone like idk a classmate or someone in town, a one time or even few time recurring character, who clocks Will as gay and that Mike happens to witness and acts weird about. A very minor plot point (maybe even played slightly comically), main purpose to again give clues about Mike.

These are all just thoughts but to make a point that a "love interest" rumour can be interpreted in many ways. Generally I do think it could be positive for his development to not spend however long the jump is just being miserable over Mike and instead maybe getting some life experience. It could very well be a way for them to progress his self-acceptance arc, which we know is a major part of his story and the show's conformity themes. Although I think in any scenario it would be wrapped up by the first episode, after which his & Mike's relationship grows. The Mileven break up could hypothetically coincide with this. It also works with the leak you mentioned from the hopsital person from ep 2 about their ‘relationship developing’. I think there are lots of ways a "love interest" could be a thing without it being a hinderance to Byler's development.

Also: they’re nearly halfway through filming and we’ve heard nothing about what would be a pretty significant character if it was to be his genuine endgame love interest. There’s been no sightings or reports of someone unknown filming with the main cast. They’ve said no new characters and I know there’s been Linda & that kid but I think it’s more plausible they meant no new ensemble cast members like Robin, Eddie & Argyle. They were always going to need new characters for plot purposes, I don’t think anyone disputed that idea.

It honestly makes more sense to me that there would be an epilogue extra as a love interest rather than a fully fleshed out character who Will has relationship development with and ends up with, but I don’t for a second believe that is true either just because of the numerous analyses I've made of this whole story.

Also about Noah: he’s said a lot of stuff at different points in time but literally a month or so ago he liked that TikTok calling them boyfriends, and of course back in Jan he did the whole ‘Byler kiss….we’ll see 😉😉’ thing on his live like you kinda mentioned. I really don’t think he has a reason to string Bylers along. It’s not like he’s Netflix trying to market, and also he’s notorious for just being excitable and not being able to keep his mouth shut which tracks with the liking a romantic Byler s5 TikTok and also liking multiple TikToks asking if it was Will screaming in the leaked video. I swear he also spoiled Hopper being alive in s3? He loves spilling and I mean he’s the one playing the character, I’m slightly more inclined to put stock in the words/actions of one of the only people on the planet who 100% knows the whole truth as opposed to "leakers" especially this early on, who get monetary gain from stirring chaos and don't cite their sources. Also like you said he's capable of toning it down when he's unsure, like he said in the past Mike likes El and that he doesn't write the show etc, but since filming he's only encouraged the idea.

Anyway thanks for sharing! I def don't believe there is any true love interest i.e. someone he will end up with, outside of Mike of course (I don’t really believe the leak is legit at all tbh, I just like covering all the possibilities). I may be biased but I'm just that confident in Byler haha

Warning! Potential spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5!

This account has tweeted a ‘scoop’ stating that Will Byers will have a love interest in season five. I’ve seen varying reports on this acc’s reliability - otoh it has apparently revealed Marvel spoilers, but on the other it’s been called out for making up things, so it’s hard to say.

It has tweeted this in the past:

That RejectedScooper person is being incredibly unreliable. First they insinuate it is Mike:

the they deny it:

then they like a byler tweet:

However, while RejectedScooper is absolutely not reliable, MyTimeToShineH is more debatable. One stranger things stan acc on twitter, an acc which closely follows filming, dm’d then and was told only that it’s a ‘new’ character, with no elaboration.

I’m sharing all of this to paint the fullest possible picture, as I know many of the accs here aren’t on twitter. It’s worth noting that they’re on filming for episode 4-5 now, and no leaks of any plausible Will LIs have emerged… but the casting for the Turnbow parents didn’t get out either, only that of the kid who has a crush on Erica.

It could be a side character whose role is to make Mike jealous. Noah was very uncertain about byler when asked back when he had only the first few episode scripts - ‘don’t be sad if it doesn’t happen’, etc. Right before filming in January, however, he went on tiktok live and read out ‘byler endgame’ and ‘byler kiss’ comments - this is after he got up to episode 7. The video of this is in my Noah Schnapp tag. Could just be a ploy to keep bylers strung along, however, and I am remaining pessimistic.

I will be sure to update the byler tag again if we get more details on this!

ETA: One last note: if you check my other posts, you’ll see that the messages Alex gets are all straightforward about Will not being over Mike in the first few eps. There’s a leak floating around stating that he’s very upset when Mike is injured and that he arrives at the hospital in an awful state.

I have also personally seen, from a reliable source present during ep 2 hospital filming, statements that they’ve heard Will’s relationship with Mike is ‘developing’, that he’s more of a leader this season, and that Mike is having a self-discovery arc and is being more like the protector he was….