#and this is why how we get buddie in every ep like tim said

[eddiewithcat]

ok oh my god

the more i think about ryan and him saying “we get closer than ever this season” …

and “giving the audience what they want” …

what if something happens to bucks loft / bucks lease is up so he has to look for a new place to live, and eddie offers he stays with them in the meantime?

cue them being closer than ever… because they now live together.

their dynamic changing….

their feelings changing…..

it would be the perfect way to set up buddie especially going forward (if it’s just build up this season and then s8 their canon era)

[buddiebeginz]

When I go back and forth over what may or may not be happening in next week's ep I keep coming back to this 👇

Not to mention them putting Buck and Eddie together in practically every scene they've been in thus far in season 7. Them using Ryan and Oliver for 98% of the promo stuff and interviews. Plus allowing them to actually talk about Buddie repeatedly.

Putting a Buddie centric story in the 100th ep and naming it after a love song.

Having Buck be out right jealous over Eddie spending time with another guy.

Having some kind of make up scene with the two of them in Buck's kitchen with romantic mood lighting and Eddie touching Buck's waist.

Having two people who worked on significant Buddie eps work on the 100th ep: Chad Lowe who also directed 3x03 ("there's no one I trust with my son more") and Andrew Meyers one of the the same writers who did 4x13 (the shooting) he also wrote on 5x06 (when Buddie were kidnapped) and 5x02 (which gave us a lot of Buddie scenes especially their heart to heart about Ana) and 5x13 (with Eddie's breakdown)

This all has to mean something right?

I know we all overthink and overanalyze everything because we really want Buddie to happen but I can't see how this isn't leading to canon Buddie eventually. It just feels like it would be a really stupid move on the part of abc knowing how beloved Buddie is (and Ryan and Oliver have made it clear in multiple interviews everyone knows how big the fanbase is) for them to tease us this much only for it to be something where they just reconfirm their friendship and no forward momentum not even with Buck's sexuality or anything. Like why waste a 100th ep (something most shows will never see now) on something like that if that's all this ep is?

Plus if abc wants the show to go on for a good few more seasons and I believe they do (else they wouldn't have put money into the show and canceled their other first responder show) they're going to have to shake things up a little. Most people under a certain age aren't even watching regular tv now so if abc wants to pull in new viewers they're going to have to give them a reason to tune it. I know Buddie could do that. Honestly I think so many people will lose their shit (in the best way) if Buddie becomes canon. Like we love them and want to see it happen but I've seen lots of people talk about them who don't even watch. Even just this season there have been multiple Buddie centric articles from major sites especially some that are more geared towards lgbtq news.

Given everything that's gone on around and since season 7 has started it does feel like abc is more on board with the idea of Buddie than Fox probably was. And like I said I do think they're aware of how dedicated our fanbase is but they also obviously have to keep their general audience in mind when making decisions too. This is part of why I think they're moving Buddie forward in steps.

This gives Buddie's story a chance to play out slowly and organically with the added bonus of drawing out the drama in a will they/won't they kind of thing. It also allows the ga to get used to the changes and allows abc and Tim etc to see how people are responding as things move forward. I think what happens with Buddie in season 8 is somewhat dependent on how people respond to the changes they're making now. Which is why I'm hoping people don't flip out next week if they don't see exactly what they want in that episode. We have to be patient and see where the rest of the season is going. I also think the more we can give abc positive interactions on their social media regarding Buddie the better.

[lovecolibri]

This whole 'let's make a characters trauma about another person' and 'character with a history of terrible trauma can totally handle another one like it's no big deal' on 911 thing reminds me of Roswell and Carina's approach to storytelling in the worst way. She was doing it with Malex and Alex's enlistment, not to mention just with Alex's character in general, and she was doing it with Max and Michael too about Michael's abuse in foster care. What's baffling the most is Athena and Bobby are right there on the same exact show maturely dealing with Athena's trauma as something that primarily happened to her but also affected someone who loves her and their relationship. This show keeps failing Eddie and his PTSD specifically, first with that weird fight club subplot that went nowhere, now this, and it's pissing me off.

Uuuuuugh, MOOD. I really liked the Bobby/Athena scenes the past few eps because it shows them getting upset in a very emotionally compromised and complicated moment (Bobby is Going Through It with sponsoring that lady and if I recall didn't Michael cheat on Athena? So she might be triggered by Bobby lying to her though I don't think her mind went to cheating. Can you imagine?! Bobby would never.) but after cooling off they took the time to think about what the other person said and stand in their shoes and then talk it out like *gasp* actual mature adults. I personally thought it was really refreshing to see.

And yet. On the flip side we have that interview that made it clear Eddie getting shot was only to further Buck's storyline, and specifically b*ckt*ylor. What?! Also, weird choice given that Eddie getting shot should have been a reason to further Eddie's storyline with Ana, either to solidify that relationship (😑) or to break them up. Instead she had *checks notes* zero lines? *deep sigh* Eddie is an interesting character and while most of Buck's scenes all episode were so great (Oliver killed it this ep as always) especially the ones with Eddie and Chris, it still feels like this episode should have been more about Eddie. And if I had hope it would be explored next season I might be more inclined to let it go, but again that interview was...frustrating to say the least.

And don't get me started on the writing for Taylor. That 'you didn't chase after me' line after she made it clear multiple times they were just friends? Not to mention the scene people seem to forget where she lectures Buck and specifically says derogatory things about behaviors we were literally just shown in Buck Begins are trauma responses. I could have lived with them being shenanigan-having friends because those eps were great! But every time they try to push the romantic aspect it just doesn't work for me. I don't understand because this show already has a great lesbian relationship with Hen and Karen so I don't know why they are so adamantly opposed to letting Buddie happen. Tim even said he knows it's a thing but he doesn't want to stop writing the characters like he is. Like, what the actual fuck is that?! You would not have to change anything about how Eddie or Buck are written! The only thing that would change is the lackluster parade of women being thrown at them with zero development. That's it!

Now I'm all fired up about 911 AND Roswell New Mexico, because damn was that a spot on parallel. Sorry for rambling nonnie, I just have a lot of feelings.

[matan4il]

I'm a little nervous about Monday. Why is every single cast member using the word "unexpected" to describe the episode? The only unexpected thing would be for Eddie to choose Ana and for Buck and Taylor to move past their budding friendship to romantic partners. Or perhaps, temporarily, Eddie takes an indeterminate sabbatical to figure out if he still wants to be a firefighter.

(Side note, I hope Maddie gets help. My sister went through bad ppd and I had to go over every day to check on her and the baby for a while.)

Hi lovely! great question about what do they mean with 'unexpected' and one I kept asking myself at the start of the season, when we had Buck's mystery calls with a woman. I had assumed the 'crush' talk was a red herring and that the woman would turn out to be Buck's therapist. The main thing that was giving me pause was Tim saying something along the lines of this woman not being who we think she is. I wondered who does he assume we think she is? 'Coz if he figured we'd guess she's a therapist, then she's not. But if he's speaking to a more casual general audience, then he's assuming "we" (without distinguishing fandom from other viewers) accept the in-show teasing about a crush for a fact... Turns out, the latter is what he was doing. So I'm assuming the same applies now, when they're saying "unexpected" they probably mean, "unexpected for the general audience". If the show goes in the direction you described, it really wouldn't be unexpected at all. But the show could still catch us ALL by surprise. We'll know soon enough and I can't wait!

(and lots of hugs to you and to your sister. My mom probably had undiagnosed PPD when she had me, so know that I feel you more than I can express and I am sending TONS of love! xoxox)

Hey ! I just wanted to say that I absolutely LOVE your blog and I always look forward to read your metas after each episode! And I do have a question: so next episode is gonna be intense ! And I was wondering do think we’ll get something buddie-wise like Realisation of feelings or Buddie moving in together ? Because the events have been piling up for a possible Buddie SetUp right ? Oliver live tweeting the finale even though he said himself that everything he says is taken the wrong way and him saying that this episode is gonna change things for s5... ? And do you think that Buddie will ever become canon or are the writers just messing with us? (Sorry for the long ask)

Hi Nonnie, and thank you so much for the kindness! I'm so happy you're enjoying my meta! As for 414, I'm never 1000% sure about anything a show will do. Because shows can disappoint, because there can be elements behind the scenes, unknown to us, influencing storyline decisions... But in terms of narrative, I can't see having both the 'follow your heart' talk and the intense Buddie shooting scene (because it IS a Buddie one. Eddie is shot, but the scene is just as much about Buck's reaction and their connection during this) in the very same ep and then not letting this lead to some sort of Buddie feelings realization. The show can still disappoint and not follow up on its own build up, I'm just not sure how they can take it in any other direction. Mind you, I remember when quite a few fans were hyped after the kitchen scene and were sure Buddie will kiss in the next scene, but I didn't think they would at the time. This feels different. The narrative is begging for this resolution and they made it the intense cliffhanger for the first half of the season finale. Everything they've done this season is pooling into this scene in 413 and the follow up in 414. It's all lined up just right for this development. Add the stuff you mentioned from outside the show, and yes, it feels like it really can happen now. It's not a guarantee that it will, but this is the first time I've felt like the moment in canon is right, when before it all still felt like a part of the subtext that the show may or may not deliver on. Does that make sense? Thank you so much for the ask and let's do a prayer circle together for the show to come through! xoxox

[eddiediaz-buckley]

Time to talk about Monday’s ep and buddie.

I noticed that after Monday night’s ep people were freaking out and thinking Buddie won’t happen just because of the content of the ep. And I honestly don’t get that at all. Is it because Abby is coming back? I’m assuming that’s it, but here’s why I think this ep was important and actually a stepping stone for buddie to happen.

We all want Buck and Eddie to confess feelings and kiss as soon as possible, but realistically speaking that isn’t possible yet. They both still have some growing to do before they can come to terms with possible feelings for each other and think about pursuing a relationship. This episode was very important in showing us Buck’s feelings and insecurities and that in a way he isn’t over Abby yet. How could he be? He never got closure. But he will now (I’m assuming, I really don’t think it would make sense for Abby to come back otherwise).

This episode showed us how lonely Buck feels, even when he’s surrounded by people he loves and that love him. Which is completely valid. It’s something I feel sometimes, even if logically I know there are people who would never leave me behind. Sometimes (especially now!) it feels like you are so alone in the world, even if there’s people surrounding you. I know I have friends and family who love me, but right now I’m coming home from work every day to a quiet, empty apartment. And that sucks.

I’m glad Maddie was the one to comfort Buck after Red’s death and to reassure him again that she loves him and she’ll always come back to him. It was an important moment for them and it showed how strong their relationship has become.

Now, onto Eddie. I’m not saying everyone needs a romantic partner to be fulfilled in life, certainly not every wants or desires that, but it seems to be a factor in Buck’s feelings of loneliness. Everyone else in his life has someone to go home to at the end of the day. Eddie doesn’t have a romantic partner either, but he has Christopher. And we all know Buck has them, but does Buck know that? Doesn’t seem like he does. Doesn’t seem like he realizes how much people care about him, and after the lawsuit I can see why. I think everyone else needs to step up and again remind Buck that they love him and are there for him. Especially Eddie.

Why? Because Eddie hasn’t apologized for calling Buck selfish and exhausting, not that we’ve seen anyway. Do I think Eddie really meant that? No, I think he was upset and missing his best friend and dealing with Christopher and his nightmares and lashed out. But he still said it in the heat of the moment and I think this needs to be recognized. Eddie did some important growing this season too. He’s very closed off emotionally, but through the street fighting storyline, we saw his insecurities and how he sometimes feels like he’s failing Christopher, and how he wasn’t over Shannon’s death. But I feel like in 3x09 he looked at that picture of Chris and Shannon and realized he could finally move on. He and Christopher were okay. Eddie has grown a lot and it would make sense for him to open up a little and let Buck know he cares for him and that he’s sorry for being a dick basically.

So anyway, what I’m saying is that we needed to see their insecurities and fears in order for their relationship to progress. We needed this so it could lead to them both getting closure for their major past relationships so there’s nothing hanging over their heads next season.

What about Ana? you ask. I am zero percent concerned. If she’s even here next season, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, but really, if anything she’s just another stepping stone in this river of eventual buddie.

What about Abby? you ask. Again, I think she’s here to provide closure and nothing else. It would be really stupid for them to get back together and I know Tim knows that.

What about all of Ryan’s recent comments on buddie? you ask. First of all, up until recently he was calling buddie edits “memes” so give the man a break, he clearly is not up to date with all things fandom related. Also, he literally said in his last live that a buddie relationship is not up to him, but he’s excited to see what Tim writes and is open to anything. Right now, Ryan sees them as brothers because right now their relationship is platonic and nothing more. As the actor portraying Eddie, he is certainly allowed to interpret things how he sees them and because he doesn’t have an outsiders perspective, he may not see what we see. And that’s okay! He’s still down for anything regardless based on his comments.

Also, did some of y’all forget Eddie Begins already? Cause like I haven’t and if anything, Buck’s reaction to Eddie being trapped confirmed for me that this is going somewhere. It may be a slow journey, but the train has left the station. I fully believe Buck is aware he’s in love with Eddie, he just hasn’t said anything to anybody yet, not even Maddie. And with that montage that was basically a buddie video, I think Eddie knows on some level he’s in love with Buck, but he’s no where near as in touch with that as Buck and has probably barely acknowledged it himself yet.

This is going to take time. At the rate things are going, I feel like the earliest buddie could become canon is the 4a finale. And my opinion on that may change based on how this season ends. But I have never believed in a ship more than this and I’m thinking its gonna happen. We should continue to express our desire (respectfully) for canon buddie to Tim and the writers, as they make the decisions here. But I trust Tim and I think it’s already in the works.

[gaamagirl565]

Matters of the heart ep 7

Matters of the heart Episode 7 Learning from the best {OPENING CREDITS} {Open to Isaiah playing with Draki on the hay bale} Isaiah: *giggles as Draki slithers over him* Draki! Ah! That tickles! {Draki nuzzles into his neck; Isaiah pets him} Isaiah: Love ya too buddy… {Varian walks out of the house tying up his hair} Isaiah: Dad! Dad! Look at this new trick Draki and I can do! Ready boy? {Isaiah tosses Draki in the air and as he comes back down Isaiah reaches his hand up and lets his snake effortlessly glide from one arm to the other and onto a nearby tree branch} Varian: wow...you two are getting good at that...just...Be careful okay? Isaiah: Daaaaddd...I milk his venom every day plus Draki would never hurt me! Right, Draki?...Draki? {Pan to Ruddiger hissing at Draki and Draki doing the same; Isaiah runs over and picks up his snake} Isaiah: Can you two go one day without fighting!? {Zapada walks into frame} Zapada: Snakes always seem to have a chip on their shoulder in my opinion… Varian: Well hello there… {Varian walks over and kisses her forehead} Varian: Isaiah, aren’t you going to say hello? Isaiah: *rolls eyes*...hello… {Varian narrows his eyes; Isaiah looks away} Varian: Don’t worry...give him time Zapada: E în regulă, iubirea mea...I just came to give you luck for your big day… Isaiah: Big day? Varian: Your grandfather is going to be teaching me the ins and outs of leadership… Isaiah: Can I come too!? Draki and I would love to help! Right Draki? {Draki pops his head out from a bush with a mouse in his mouth} Varian: Well normally this kind of event is for the current leader and the heir...but I don’t see why you can’t ask your grandfather if-? Isaiah: WOOHOO! Zapada: I will come too...If it’s okay of course... I will how you say..S-Spectate… Varian: how can I refuse you? {Zapada blushes and pulls on her cloak; Isaiah gags; cut to Varian walking onto the field with Isaiah and Zapda in tow} Quirin: There are my boys! You ready to get started? Varian: Actually dad...Isaiah has something he wants to ask. Quirin: Oh, Really? Isaiah: C-can I learn too? Quirin: well normally the tests of a leader are for the heir but...I don’t see why not. Isaiah: Yes! {Zapada sits off to the side} Zapada: Go team-...oh my...who do I root for? {cut to a hillside} Quirin: The first test is a test of strength...you must these two barrels must get to the bottom of the hill without damaging the goods inside and load them onto the cart below. It’s a steep incline so all your muscles will be working. Good luck! {Varian picks up the two barrels and slowly makes his way down the hill; Meanwhile, Isaiah has trouble lifting the two heavy barrels} Isaiah: urrgh! This is impossible...Dads lived on the farm his whole life, of course, he’s used to it...hmmm. {Isaiah gets an Idea and put the Barrels on their sides} Zapada: What is he….oh no… {Isaiah ties a rope around them and slowly starts lowering them down the hill; the rope snaps and Isaiah struggles to grab one of the barrels and it pulls him down the hill at a high speed; he zooms past Varian and plunges into the cart turning all the apples in the barrels to mush} Varian: Isaiah! {Varian, Zapada, and Quirn rush over to the cart} Varian: Buddy, are you okay!? Isaiah: *giggling* l-lets do that again! Varian: Phew… Quirin: Well considering you damaged both barrels, Isaiah...Varian wins. Isaiah: But I got here first! Varian: but you damaged the apples… Isaiah: And made a new product!...apple sauce… {Varian has an “are you serious look and we cut to the next test} Quirin: This test is a test of Cunning...you’ll need all your brainpower to figure this out...at the top of this tree is a flag...your goal is to retrieve it by any means. Don’t think you can just climb it. The thorns on this tree are poisonous. Touch one and you’ll wish you hadn’t. Zapada: wait...if you can’t climb it...how did you get the flag up there? Quirin: Not through easy means. Zapada: *gulps* be careful, Varian! Varian: Don’t worry! Your man has got this! {Isaiah examines the tree and gets and idea} Isaiah: Draki! Here boy! {Draki slithers up his arm} Isaiah: Think you can get that flag? {Draki looks up and hisses before slithering onto the tree} Varian: What the? {Draki gets to the top, grabs the flag and come down} Quirin: Isaiah wins! Varian: EYYY! He used a snake that’s cheating! Quirin: nope! I said by any means… Isaiah: Looks like I’m a better leader… Varian: oh ho...really? Zapada: oh dear… Varian: care to place a wager on that? Isaiah: now you’re speaking my language...lets so whomever wins the most cleans the lab for a month. Varian: deal! {they shake hands; begin montage of the challenges} Quirin: this test is one of diplomacy! {shows two sets of kids fighting over and apple; Varian cuts the apple in half and has his two share it; Pan over to Isaiah who is holding each kid back from killing each other} Quirin: this test is one of empathy… {shows a homeless on the road} Varian: here have some coin….

{Varian gives him money} Isaiah: here sir… {Isaiah gives him a cloth blanket and a bag of apples} {Varian pouts; Zapads face palms; fade to the Cult HQ} Noremoth: Come now sweet Vessel you must eat… Cassandra:.... Noremoth: It’s your favorite…please? You need strength! Cassandra: so I can kill my friends and family? I don’t think so! Noremoth: don’t think of it like that! Think of it like...Liberation for the weak! They’re constantly ignored in Corona!...you would know about that...wouldn’t you? {Cassandra lunges forward and grabs him; her eyes glow} Noremoth: oopsie daisy! Strike a nerve, did I? Cassandra: if you want to keep your tongue I’d shut up… Noremoth: or what, Sweet vessel o’mine? Larkspur: Noremoth… Noremoth: M’LADY! I-I…*kneels* Larkspur: Now now Noremoth you should know better than to antagonize our most important asset. Cassandra: I. am. not. Yours! Larkspur: no? Oh your right!...you belong to Zhan tiri. Cassandra: I DON’T BELONG TO THAT THING EITHER! {Magic surges through Cassandra making her scream and fall to her knees; Noremoth cringes and feels sympathy for her} Larkspur:..Zhan tiri seems to disagree… {Cassandra stares on in shock} Larkspur: Listen Vessel...you are no longer whom you were in the past...your past self died the second you stole the moonstone… {Noremoth looks between his leader and Cassandra} Larkspur:...There is nothing but Zhan tiri now...I suggest you make your peace with it… {Larkspur goes to walk away and noremoth follows leaving Cassandra alone; cut back to old Corona} Varian: OW!... Zapada: Sorry! Why on earth did you think using a cactus was a good idea!? Varian: It seemed like...A good idea at the tim-AHH! Zapada: well now you ARE a cactus! Look at all these spines! Varian: ughh… Zapada: is it not quite silly what you’re doing? Varian: huh? What do you mean? Zapada: this silly competition...what is the point? You’re next in line as the leader anyway. Varian: well it’s...fun… Zapada: competing to the point of injury is fun? *plucks a spine* Varian: OWW!...when you put it like that...ah!..it’s just ya know..Father-son bonding… Zapada: This is father-son bonding? Varian:....yes? Zapada: I will never understand Corona… Varian: OWWW! {Cut to the next challenge} Quirin: This next test is one of courage...you will have to face your worst fear. As a leader many things will frighten you but you cannot let it stop you. Especially when people count on you. Isaiah: *winces* Quirin: Your fears are...different...hard to emulate but we did our best… Varian: Deep breaths..c’mon… Quirin: Varian...you are afraid of blood...but you will see plenty of it as a leader… {Varian nods} Quirin: Over there is a bucket of sheep’s blood… Varian: *gags* Quirin: You will remove your glove and stick a hand in it for 60 seconds… Varian: oh lovely… {Varian walks over to the bucket} Quirin: Whenever you’re ready... {Quirin holds up a pocket watch} Isaiah: Too chicken, dad? {Varian growls and shoves his ungloved hand into the bucket} Varian: Uagh!... Quirin: hmm… {Varian is cringing but doesn’t move} Zapada: oh, iubirea mea… Quirin: Alright! Thats a minute {Varian jumps from the bucket and over to a trough of water to wash is hand; all the while gaging} Quirin: Isaiah you’re next… Isaiah: what is mine? Alchemy? A small firecracker? Quirin: Rain… {Isaiah’s eyes dilate in horror} Isaiah: w-what? Quirin: as a leader, you must face all kinds of fear...even past traumas...we’re able to imitate rain by using a rainstick and pouring water into a bucket with holes at the bottom… Isaiah: *wince* Quirin: You will stand with eyes closed under the bucket for a whole minute...like your father… {Isaiah pales and his breathing quickens} Varian: Isaiah..it’s okay you don’t have to- Isaiah: no!..I’ll do it…. {Quirin nods and takes out the pocket watch; Isaiah goes and stands under the bucket; with a deep breath he closes his eyes} Isaiah: I’m ready… {Quirin nods at the two men that were standing by; one man turns over the rainstick making it sound like falling rain; the other pours water in the bucket have small droplets fall out the bottom and onto Isaiah} Isaiah: *whimpers* {Varian bites his lip; Zapada looks on in confused shock; Isaiah opens his eyes and is suddenly on dead mans curve watching his mother and the duke be killed by bandits in the rain} Estelle: Isaiah! Help me! {Cut to reality} Isaiah: *screams and lunges away from the water and onto the ground whimpering loudly* Quirin:....30 seconds…. {Varian runs to his side} Varian: Isaiah? {Isaiah yelps and jerks away from him; Isaiah looks around with panic before running away} Zapada:...What..just happened? Quirin:...Isaiah failed the test of courage…and...I think we did too much... Varian: Isaiah…. {Cuts to sunset and Isaiah is sitting under a tree with Draki in hand} Isaiah: I tried my best...right Draki?...maybe I’m just not a leader… Varian: Isaiah? {Isaiah looks over and immediately looks away; Varian walks over and sits by him} Varian: Buddy?...I’m sorry that happened...you wanna talk about it? Isaiah:.... Varian: Isaiah...I know what you thinking of… {Isaiah looks up at him} Varian: sometimes I think of it too...how scared she must’ve been...I made a promise to protect your mother and I failed her...so maybe I deserve to fail this too… Isaiah: I just wanted to show you that…I’m not a screwup… Varian: What? Isaiah: I keep messing things up...I wanted to prove people wrong and I got a scar! I wanted to impress the princess and instead almost got Akina killed!... I lied to you so I could get revenge… Varian: oh, buddy… Isaiah: I just thought maybe if I could pass these tests I could..I don’t know..show you I’m not a screwup... Varian: ...show me? Or show yourself? {Isaiah buries his head in his knees} Varian: Isaiah you wanna talk about being a screwup? The first time I met the queen I blew up my village with boilers I had underground… {Isaiah looks up shocked} Isaiah: okay..pfft...thats pretty bad… Varian: My point is...People mess up..it’s part of being human...whats important is to learn from your mistakes...and Isaiah...don’t try to make other people proud of you...Be proud of yourself...there is only one of you...and you are amazing… {Isaiah hugs him} Isaiah: I love you dad… Varian: I love you too… {END CREDITS}

[ncfan-1]

ncfan listens to The Magnus Archives: S1 EP011 (’Dreamer) & EP012 (‘First Aid’)

In which I have a lot of questions, and I feel like I’m not the only one.

No spoilers, please!

EP 011: ‘Dreamer’

- The imagery of this organism like a strangling vine choking the city is nice and visceral and creepy.

- So we’ve established that there’s a limit to what sort of cases the Institute will take on. It’s nice to establish this. I do wonder about stuff like that in series like this, because if the Institute treated seriously every fever dream they were told about, they’d never get any work done.

- “I know how that sounds.” Yeah, if someone said that to me, the first thing I’d assume is, uh, very different from what you’re telling us, Antonio Blake.

- Wait, Antonio’s ex is named Graham? I… I compared the statement dates of this one and ‘Across the Street’, and I think this is in the right timeframe to be right around the time Graham from that episode was replaced by not-Graham. Obviously, if this is referring to a different Graham (and yeah, I know I said not to rely on coincidences, but I think the same given name isn’t as much of a link as the same surname would be, unless the surname was, like Smith or Jones or Patel) I’m following the wrong thread, but if it is the same Graham, then wow, there’s some nasty subtext to that breakup.

Of course, I’m not sure this is the same Graham we’re talking about. Graham Folger had such a pervasive air of isolation around him that it stretches my suspension of disbelief a little to believe he had a boyfriend. But I suppose it would explain why he was often out of his flat, and it’s not like having a boyfriend would have helped him much when he was at home. Alone.

- I winced when Antonio detailed how he didn’t wake up from the dream when he fell from the roof of Canary Wharf, and didn’t wake up when he experienced the phantom pain of the landing. I’m terrified of heights, and the mere act of dream-falling would have been enough to wake me—and indeed, I think it would have been for most people, if they’re having normal dreams. But this isn’t a normal dream.

- I wonder if Antonio’s fear of taking the elevator up to the twenty-third floor is supposed to be indicative of a premonition involving an elevator malfunction.

- So the death of the head archivist at the Magnus Institute triggers some catastrophic change in supernatural activity in London? Or was there some drastic change, and the Institute—and Gertrude—was at the epicenter of it?

- “And the bridge was knotted high with the flashing vines.” I checked, and a cursory search with a few different search phrases didn’t show me any statistics that indicate that a statistically large amount of people jump from London Bridge in suicide attempts each year. If this was taking place in San Francisco and we were talking about the Golden Gate Bridge, I’d have no doubt that that’s what the vines are about there, but here, I’m not as certain. It might be a combination of suicides and car crashes, or, if the vines have been accumulating for centuries, it could just be the accumulated deaths of centuries upon the structure.

- The Magnus Institute, as described… is not entirely dissimilar from my own workplace in appearance. My workplace being a combination of administrative offices and archive for a local heritage center. Where I work as an assistant archivist. …You might see why this disturbs me a bit.

- And now Jonathan suddenly has so many questions. As he should. I can understand his gut response being to assume that it was a prank, and can equally understand his being freaked out upon discovering that no, this was probably not a prank.

- So Jonathan doesn’t know exactly what happened to Gertrude, and didn’t even know she was dead when he got the job? His comment about asking if she was available to give him some job training, I think, confirms something I was wondering about—whether or not he had a great deal of experience as an archivist before this. He sounds fairly young when he’s reading the statements (and when he gives his assessment of them it almost sounds like he’s trying to make himself sound older than he really is) and his seeming inability to understand that it would be better to get the hard copies of the files in chronological order before trying to digitize or record them were making me wonder. Jonathan, buddy? I hate to say this, but unless you pull some archiving info out of your head to wow me, your assistants may be better at this than you are. Yes, even Martin. Possibly especially Martin, given that he seems to have been working with the Archive in some capacity since 2010.

- Yeah, Elias sounds sketchy.

- So Tim’s the only one of the assistants you trust not to pull a prank on you? I guess I’ll have to file Tim away as the serious one.

- “But if anyone comes in ranting about dreaming my death, then I very much want to hear about it.” I’m just trying to imagine Jonathan’s possible conversation with Elias after this. Especially considering how high-strung he seems to be.

Jonathan: Hey, I just read a statement about some guy predicting Gertrude Robinson’s death in a dream. Elias: Don’t worry about it. Jonathan: But the statement is dated to just before she died. Elias: Dude, it’s not your business. Jonathan: It’s not my— You didn’t even tell me how she died! She could have overdosed on heroin at my desk for all I know! What else aren’t you telling me? Elias: Don’t worry about it. You know it’s all head-in-the-sand management around here—or did you not figure that out when I dumped you in a disorganized Archive filled with thousands of incomplete case files that hadn’t been organized according to any system, with only three assistants and no other help, and without giving you the slightest warning about the way Gertrude was running the place? I mean, if that didn’t tip you off that I’ve got no interest in giving you guidance of any kind, then I really don’t think there’s any hope for you. Jonathan: *not-so-internal screaming*

Friendly reminder that this is the kind of assignment that can make people start fantasizing about killing their boss.

EP 012: ‘First Aid’

- Yeah, so I have a new favorite episode. Already. I know; I’m fickle.

- I can speak to emergency rooms never really being empty, no matter the time of night. I had to go into the emergency room at three in the morning, once, and it was in a small hospital in a rural area, and me and my parents still weren’t the only ones in the emergency room. It wasn’t full by any stretch of the imagination—again, small hospital in a rural area—but there were other people there. There was also an asshole doctor who didn’t want to take seriously the idea that I was in any real pain or medical danger, despite the fact that my lower lip had swollen to about five size its normal size and was starting to split open and leak pus.

- So we see the weirdness start to infect the hospital early with the too-quiet waiting room.

- It occurred to me that for the two men to have been burned everywhere on their body (the older truly everywhere, and the younger everywhere below his neck where there wasn’t a tattoo), they also had second-degree burns on their genitals. I flinch in sympathy, no matter what these two were getting up to that led to the burns.

- Oh, look, Jared Key’s back! I’m sure that won’t be important at all.

- I do wonder what happened that the burns stopped at his neck.

- And Jared has been tied to eye imagery again. My Tolkien roots are showing, but I am reminded a bit of the Lidless Eye, always watching.

- The bit about everyone in the hospital apart from the patients too ill to be moved disappearing (and later shown to all get up at the same time and file outside to parts and for reasons unknown) is pretty creepy. I do wonder how the patients who could get up and go outside fared, considering it was December in Britain, where it tends to snow at that time of year.

- “It sounded like… the growl of an animal, a rolling, angry sound, and I realized that the floor was shaking ever so slightly.” What was going on with the vending machine could potentially account for this, but I also like the idea of the slowly creeping horror, invisibly stalking the halls of the hospital.

- “And then I saw it. […] But I now saw that the one on the left, a clear-fronted machine that stocked bottled soft drinks, was shaking violently. As I got nearer, I saw why. In every bottle, in every row of the machine, the drinks appeared to be violently boiling. Cokes and lemonades and fruit juices shook and bubble, before one by one, the bottles exploded, coating the inside of the clear plastic front with liquid that still kept steaming and hissing. It couldn’t have taken more than thirty seconds for all of them to pop.”

One: great description. Two: I wonder what the people who restock the vending machines made of this.

- Jared is just as ambiguous a figure in this episode as he was in ‘Page Turner.’ His actions in the events of the episode itself are beneficial to the narrator—it’s possible that he saved both of their lives—but he’s clearly caught up in the affairs of things moving just beyond our ability to see them. Things that are not benevolent. He doesn’t come off as being malicious in personality, but he’s still caught up in a lot of shady shit. And we’ve seen him kill at least once, possibly at least twice if he killed his mother and didn’t just skin her after she voluntarily committed suicide.

- “Something told me if there was a coherent explanation for everything that had happened since the ambulance arrived, then I would be no better off for knowing it.” What, no, listen, Lesere, this is absolutely the time to be asking questions.

- “Better beholding than the lightless flame.” Something to file away, I guess.

- I hope we get more information about Jared later.

- Jared was released into the care of his mother? Wasn’t Mary already dead by this point? Let me check ‘Page Turner.’ *checks ‘Page Turner’* Okay, the events of the episode take place in December 2011, and Mary turned up dead in 2008. So what, is she not really dead? Is the ghost Jared summoned with ‘Key of Solomon’ able to move around outside of their old bookstore/house? Was that someone pretending to be Jared’s mother? Well, at least now I know what Jared meant when he said he’d had worse burns than the ones you get picking up a super-heated metal trashcan.

- And now Lesere feels like she’s being watched. Lady, if I was you, I’d be more concerned by that.

- Yeah, where did they all go? Because the patients who could walk went outside, too, and I feel like standing in your bare feet in the snow for fifteen minutes would be injurious.

- “The feed cuts out for less than a second, and is replaced for a single frame, by a close-up of a human eye staring back through the video feed.” Yeah, that’s… that’s not good. You don’t want these sorts of things to take notice of you.

[the-real-tc]

Review Ep. 1101: Baby On Board

(Cross-posted over on Facebook.) Loving the ultra-widescreen opening sequences, as always. I think my heart was in my throat at that near-miss with the Briar Ridge trailer and the big rig truck and pickup. Yikes. Glad there was no actual collision (like in the Season 3 opener, ‘Miracle Girl’.) Nice CG with the reflection in Flame’s eye as the rig flew by: it gave a visual impression of the traumatic experience being imprinted on the horse’s memory. (I like that the same effect was utilized later when Georgie was first trying to bond with Flame.)

I liked seeing Amy’s unabashed joy at riding Spartan again, and Spartan looking as handsome as ever.

First look at five-month-old Baby Lyndy, and it’s precious, as expected. She’s sitting up, alert, and getting some solid foods (though we learn later she’s still getting bottle-fed with milk Amy’s been pumping.)

It quickly becomes clear Ty is not keen on having Grandma Lily come see Baby Lyndy. It’s already been five months, and she still hasn’t made an official visit? That’s not normal, Ty! It’s not like your mom’s living on another planet. Vancouver really isn’t *that* far away. We soon learn that Ty is highly over-protective, irrationally unable to relinquish care of the baby to his mother, whom he considers unstable and unfit to look after an infant, even for one evening.

 I loved the exchanges between Lily and Ty in this episode. It’s never been smooth sailing for these two, and Heather Conkie gives Graham Wardle and Megan Follows some good lines to chew on. Harsh words are spoken, and hard feelings come to the surface, forcing both mother and son to confront long-buried events from the past. Was Lily a “bad mother”, as Ty seems to infer? Is that why he won’t trust her, or take her advice, or accept her gift of a harmless lamb blanket?

 Another powerful scene was Tim and Lily having a heart-to-heart about their respective addiction problems. It’s these details about the characters the fans know, but it’s the first time these two have acknowledged this commonality, and it was great. Further, I like that they schemed to put up a baby gate. That baby gate later leads to a funny scene that partially defuses a very tense moment between Ty and Lily. It’s the kind of scene that seems like it could have been ad-libbed and was left in because it worked so well, but was probably scripted.

 Staying with Ty for a moment, there’s his need to buy a new truck. We can recall Jack went through similar pains in Season Three’s “Man’s Best Friend”. Ty, eschewing all help from well-meaning (but pushy) Tim, decides he’s going to buy a used truck from a guy who claims he’s selling it because his wife wants a van, instead. (Ten-to-one that was a line and he’s probably not even married.) The truck predictably breaks down after the deal has been made, leaving Ty with a truck he can’t fix, and a previous owner who won’t give him a refund.

 It’s Jack to the rescue this time (isn’t it always Jack to the rescue in these matters?) He secures the refund for Ty; it’s only later we learn Jack threw in one of Ray Phillips’ old longhorns to sweeten the deal.

 Ty ultimately ends up buying a truck from Mitch (his father’s truck), something we knew from the very beginning would happen. Mitch, it seems, has got himself a job in Calgary. Lou is apparently unaware while she’s off in New York with Katie. (Mitch, buddy, I love the beard. I wish you’d keep it; alas, I know you do end up shaving it off. Also, stay away from Lou until she sorts herself out and learns to be less petty and self-centered. You deserve a woman who knows how to be compassionate and less hypocritical.)

 It wouldn’t be a great episode of Heartland without something to do with horses, and we get that box checked off in the form of Flame, the traumatized horse that belongs to (the much-maligned) Val Stanton. My, she’s come a long way since her Season One sneers and doubting ways. Not only is she confident Amy can work a miracle on champion jumper Flame, she pretty much demands it! Luckily, she also has Georgie on the case, as the plucky teen wants to see what she can do to help. Somehow, she manages to form a bond with Flame, obviously having learned some techniques from Amy over the years. Georgie fortunately has that “fearless” gene that grants her the ability to tackle the challenge of this unruly horse who refuses to jump. Going bareback, Georgie “The Natural” manages to do what the Briar Ridge trainers couldn’t: she takes him over the jumping course, impressing Val Stanton enough to grant her the opportunity to ride Flame in an upcoming competition. (This ticks off Flame’s original rider, Chad, who couldn’t get him to do squat except squeal and skitter around the jumps.)

Now, time for some “opinionating”:

 I know there’s a portion of the fandom that absolutely despises Georgie for seemingly usurping Amy’s position. I could see Georgie’s bond with Flame as being another reason for folks to hate the kid even more, but I think it works well for the show to have someone other than Amy who’s able to jump horses well. Otherwise, Amy just turns into some mythical Mary-Sue who can do everything right and everything well, and nobody else can or should, because Amy is the best! (Look up the definition of a “Mary-Sue”, if you don’t know the term. You don’t want Amy to be a Mary-Sue.) I’ve said in the past that unless the show takes risks and is willing to change, it’ll become a parody of itself with repetitive story lines. Amy has already “healed” crazy-expensive jumpers that won’t jump. I’d like to think of Georgie as Amy’s protégé, and now she’s getting a chance to show what she can do. It doesn’t diminish Amy’s gift by any means (in my opinionated opinion) and gives the writers a chance to explore new avenues. Young kids who are only now discovering the show can appreciate Georgie more readily than they might appreciate a grown-up Amy.

We know from tweets from the set that the Georgie and Flame thread runs through the season, so expect more of this duo. Hopefully, Val’s investment starts to pay off, because as she pointed out, there are a lot more experienced riders who would jump at the chance to be in Georgie’s position right now.

 Side notes:

 1) They acknowledged that Lily wasn’t at Ty and Amy’s wedding (Val meets Lily for the first time and she comments on the absence; Lily claims she was “ill”. Val says that’s a shame since the wedding was beautiful.) As viewers, we knew Lily and Wade were not present; a valid reason was not forthcoming. To hear from Lily’s own mouth a sort-of reason was interesting, indeed.

 2) I *loved* the heart-to-heart Jack had with Ty about how he's been treating his mother. Jack brought up that dream Ty had back when he was nearly dying of pneumonia, along with his own latent fears about not being a good father. Jack points out that Ty's overcompensating, and that he needs to let go and enjoy these precious moments with his daughter, because they go by far too quickly. (And just as I write this, I'm struck by the fact Jack has had to deal with the loss of his own daughter, Marion.) They are words Ty takes to heart, because there's this amazing bond of trust and respect between Jack and Ty that's been fostered through all these years.

 3) Amy got to ride Spartan not once, but *twice* in this episode! And one of those times was on the jumping course

So check off “Amy works with horse(s)” and “Amy rides Spartan” in your little “Things I Expect to See in Each and Every Heartland Episode”.

 Final thoughts: Glad Ty learned to relax a little. Hopefully he’s dumped that goofy “Baby App” for good. Amy seemed a little reluctant to go along with Ty’s obsessiveness with regimenting Baby Lyndy’s every move, but she humoured him, something I thought was a nice touch. Since it wasn’t really doing the kid any harm, new mom Amy seems content to roll with whatever her crazy husband deems necessary for their first child’s development.

 If you didn’t feel even the slightest tug on your heartstrings at that final scene of Amy, Ty, and Baby Lyndy slow-dancing on the back of the “new” truck, then I have to conclude that A) You actually don’t have a heart; B) You haven’t seen “Man’s Best Friend” to get the significance of that dance, or C) Both A and B, or D) You’ve never seen an episode of Heartland before now and you’re not at all invested in the characters.

 So a huge "Welcome Back!" to Heather Conkie, cast and crew of Heartland; it's a delight to have you on my screen again. I'm looking forward to what else Season 11 has to offer.