#and what if this is how we get the whole christopher storyline resolved because now buck and eddie both have talked about it

[mischiefbuckley]

Okay what if we do get a Bathena Buddie parallel in this upcoming episode of Buck going with Eddie to the church like a parallel of Bobby asking Athena to go to church with him from back from season 1 after the call where Bobby breaks down from hearing the dad saying his goodbyes to his kids and that’s the scene that Oliver referenced that happens between Buck and Eddie that “speaks volumes to what the relationship between them is and how even when they don’t have to say too much to each other, the know how to be there for each other” because what if during one of the calls that the team responds to in this episode it triggers something in Eddie because we have been seeing how slowly the mask that Eddie has put up is fading away and how he can’t hold it in any longer, so what if we so get that parallel of Eddie feeling at a lost with how he feels and he can relate to one of the calls again like that parallel of Bobby hearing the man saying goodbye to his kids before he dies, but Bobby never got that goodbye with his kids, so what if we get a parallel of that with Eddie and that’s why there’s already the parallels in place with Eddie in terms of the calls the team seems to be responding to like the call of a kid being stuck in a well a callback to the “Eddie Begins” episode and where after that incident Eddie goes out of his way to legally change his will to make sure that if anything happens to him, Buck would take care of Christopher and then the other call being of a divorced man and although Eddie was never officially divorced from Shannon, she did bring up that they should get divorced after she also tells she’s not pregnant so he seeks comfort in one of the last places he would expect and he asks his best friend if he can join him because again Eddie is someone who always holds everything in until he has a breakdown and he’s never been someone who knows how to articulate how he’s feeling because he was taught as a young child to not show any emotions because he’s a man and men shouldn’t feel anything because again he was taught that he had to be the “man of the house”

[gigigazelleloves]

Ok now that I've had time to process the first episode and read some post-episode 1 articles, I have some theories about where the storyline is going for each character in season 8a.

Athena

I have a strong feeling that we're going to have a lot of Athena focus this season. I think it's going to contrast the heavy Bobby focus we got last season. I feel like this trial is going to not be just for the 3-parter premier but instead for the entire part of season 8a. We also have the great B plot of Bathena house hunting and seeing in this first episode how they have different tastes, I have a feeling we'll have some lighthearted moments for Bathena this whole season.

Bobby

Bobby is totally going to return as Gerrard might have kicked the bucket or gotten permanently injured. But I also have a feeling we will be seeing more of the "hotshots" actors appearing at Bathena's doorstep because Bobby can't help but adopt strays. I feel like Bobby is also going to feel some guilt about the whole fiasco that happened last season such as leaving the firehouse and also dealing with his house burning down as I feel like those things have still not been emotionally resolved. Overall though hoping that Bobby has a more lighthearted season.

Chim (and Maddie)

I know that everyone is manifesting that Chim and Maddie are going to decide to have another child but I have a feeling that Chim and Maddie might be forced to adopt Mara as I feel like something wonky is going to happen with Henren's trial. However I have a feeling they are not going to be a main focus until season 8b.

Hen (and Karen)

Basically the same thing I said for Chim and Maddie and that this who Mara and Councilwoman Ortiz. I also feel like that storyline will also transfer over into season 8b.

Buck (and Tommy)

Buck and Tommy is where I feel like we'll see the main plot come in for season 8a. From interviews Oliver has stated that Tommy and Buck are in the honeymoon of their new found relationship. But Oliver has stated that there are some uncomfortable truths they're going to have to face. I think from what he said it could be one of three things (realistically). 1. Tommy's racist past, as Chim is Buck's brother-in-law and Buck is going to maybe struggle to wrap his head around Tommy's past actions 2. It's going to be related to Tommy's father who if is anything like Gerrard is going to cause some havoc in the relationship directly or indirectly. I also think there could be a lot of insecurity with Buck feeling like Tommy is hiding things from him in the relationship which has happened before in his past relationships. 3. I think that Buck will have panic that he's doing something wrong and do a full Buck and avoid Tommy until he talks to someone about it (hopefully someone who is apart of the community like Hen or Josh). I feel like this could address the issue of maybe Buck feeling like he's late to the party when it comes to discovering his sexuality. I feel like it can also resolve the issue Buck has had when it comes to his relationship issues. I think overall this arc can show him becoming more comfortable and confident with his sexuality, solve his past relationship issues, and maybe establish him and Tommy as a solid couple.

Eddie (and Christopher)

All in going to say is I think Eddie is either going to find himself inside of a confession room or inside a therapy room. I hope they don't give him a new love interest as that would low key ruin his arc, I just want to see him become more secure with himself. I have my doubts though about him getting Chris back before the end of season 8a, but there is a slim chance it could happen. I just need him to figure himself out before he gets his kid back. I hope we see more Chris though in season 9, cause I doubt we will this season.

Overall I'm excited for all these arcs but honestly I'll be happy if there's just more Bathena 😝

[graendoll]

I finally watched the finale of 911 season 7 and my thoughts are below the break.

I have a lot of feelings about what they did and some of them are pretty "oof". Anyway, I realize I swept into Buddie fandom like two months ago and fell deeply in love with Buck and Eddie but after everything that is happening in fandom and in the show, I may slip back out as quickly as I came in because I'm not sure I can deal with the ship wars between now and season 8.

So yeah, if you want to hear what I think about where everything ended up, keep reading. Also...still a Buddie shipper in case it needs to be said 😅

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT PROCEED W/CAUTION

First, Eddie's story has me absolutely heartbroken even if I suspected a lot of it. Chris calling his grandparents, him leaving even if temporary. I knew it was coming and it still hit me really hard. I know Gavin was considering pulling back so I get it. And Chris will obviously still be a part of Eddie's narrative but ouch that hurt.

Next, the scene between Buck and Tommy was just icky to me. Daddy kink is one of those things I filter out of fic because it's a major fucking squick so the fact that Tim Minear put that on my screen against my will nearly had me throwing hands. Any positive I was trying to find in their date interaction was quickly vomited out all over my coffee table.

I'm not optimistic about Tommy leaving quickly in season 8 for any reason. The date was very much a get to know you situation and while I thought Tommy was being a bit harsh about Bobby, I can guarantee the BT's are probably drooling over the implications of that scene.

(This is one of the things seriously impacting my desire not to watch this show anymore.)

On to Hen and Mara - I am very glad we have a mostly resolved situation with Mara going in to season 8. Honestly this whole story line felt unnecessary and written for the sake of drama. The show is feeling very soapy and while I was giving it the benefit of the doubt because of how much the writers were trying to do in 10 episodes, they better knock that shit off. It's a far cry from the writing of episodes like Buck Begins. (The second reason I may not watch anymore.)

Also, every once in a while Athena does something that makes me absolutely despise her character and this episode was one of those situations. Her jumping to conclusions and threatening Amil was just, rushed, overly dramatic and felt unnecessary

If you needed to get her to Amils house for the cartel arrival, maybe have her go without homicidal tendencies?

Honestly the only storyline that got any room to breath in this episode was Eddie's.

Which brings me to my final thoughts, specific to Buddie and the future of that ship in canon.

First, that will is never going to come up again. It belongs to us now. The writers have elected to ignore it for three seasons and it's never going to come up again, unless Eddie actually dies.

Second, the continuation of BT and the loss of Christopher is like a fucking death knell for Buddie in canon imo. I hate it, but without Chris, they are no longer a little family. Whatever magic was happening with Buddie up to the shooting scene has not been recaptured, and I'm not sure it's ever going to be at this rate, especially I'd the writers don't fix their soapy garbage.

Am I old and cynical? Yes. Does that make me wrong? Maybe...but right now what we have is Buck happily engaged in a weird Daddy kink relationship, Chris, one of the main points of connection between Eddie and Buck, out of the picture, and Eddie probably finding God and repenting for his sins.

Okay I made that last part up but it's a real fear!

In either case, I feel like we were horribly ship bated all season, and it was done only to create buzz for the show on a new network with a new queer character.

I miss when fandom didn't have access to creators and didn't feel like a place you could win because the BTs are going to be A NIGHTMARE for the rest of the hiatus and frankly I don't want to deal with toxic ship wars while we all wait for season 8.

So yeah, happy season 7 finale? 🤣

[kitkatpancakestack]

Still tumbling headfirst through my 9-1-1 re-watch and now I'm throwing this into the abyss: the parallel between 3.12 (Fools) and 2.01 (Under Pressure).

I know it is well established that 70% of Ana's existence is just to parallel Buck in regards to Eddie, but I still don't think we talk about it enough! It's kind of unhinged?! Fools is an insane episode for setting up the Buck/Ana dichotomy, and the context within which that dichotomy is explored is essentially what is revisited in season 4.

Don't be fooled (lmao), this is absolutely a there's-no-way-buddie-isn't-endgame post.

All the rest under the cut, because ya girl is about to monologue.

Okay, so the episode opens immediately on the group of kids trying to be internet famous. These are the same kids in 2.01 with the whole microwave and cement fiasco. It's easy to make this connection because they had a memorable emergency. Right off the bat the show is more or less forcing a recollection of what happened in 2.01 onto the viewers, and since it is literally the opening minutes of the episode, that collective acknowledgement now exists, and will be (at least it was for me) a parallel undercutting the entire episode.

Let's summarize real quick what this episode was about. Yes, Ana is introduced, and it seems like the show is hinting at Eddie maybe moving on with her now or in the future. But the main storyline follows Eddie and Christopher, and Eddie figuring out how to show his son how to navigate the world with CP. It's important that this episode isn't just Eddie-centric, it's Eddie and Christopher-centric.

Additionally, the emergencies in this episode are about relationships either not being what they seem, or pulling through when it seemed like they were doomed from the start (the kid at the beginning "needing new friends," the woman who got shot by her husband, the woman who got stuck in the window on her first date). Yes these relate to Eddie and Ana, obviously, but dare I say this also relates to Eddie and Buck? Humor me here:

Besides the 2.01 implication at the beginning of the episode, there's a moment with Eddie and Carla walking through the hallway of Christopher's new school. It's probably tinhatty and purely conspiratorial, but the first thing out of Eddie's mouth is about the room number 201. I just . . . I spit out my drink. It could have been any room number - in fact they could have worked the script a dozen different ways so as not to necessitate a room number - but they do and then they just happen to land on 201? *side-eye intensifies*

(side-bar: there's something about the science teacher, in a classroom painted with solar system paraphernalia, talking about how "Christopher tells everybody Tsunamis are no big deal," literally bringing Buck into the scene even though he isn't physically there. Hello seemingly pointless dialogue???? Things that make you go "Hmmmm.")

And the parallels don't stop there! I know this one has been mentioned before on this site but it bears repeating for this post. When Eddie and Ana meet, we have yet another callback to episode 2.01, when Ana correctly guesses Eddie is short for Edmundo, and Eddie says, "Most people guess Eduardo." Most people who, Eddie? I know one person and that person is Buck, and it occurred back in 2.01 when they were still in the thick of their enemies to lovers speed-run. Once again Buck is insinuated into the space without being physically present.

And then the scene with the woman stuck in the window, and Eddie and Buck divided on either side of her. The way this scene starts disastrously but ultimately ends on a positive note. The way Buck airs Eddie's laundry out of nowhere after remarking how he himself is indeed single. The way the scene tells the audience that even when things go wrong, everything will work out in the end if you're with the right person. The way the next scene is Eddie and Buck sitting down to discuss Christopher and the skateboarding incident.

I know I'm deep in crackheadery territory at this point in the hiatus but I cannot get the weird feeling out of my gut when I think about this episode. Superficially, yes, it appeared to be about Eddie and Ana's rocky start to their relationship. But with all the mentions of 2.01 and knowing what I know now about how heavily Buck and Ana are paralleled, the ep starts to feel like a metaphor for Buck and Eddie: the rocky start to their relationship, how far they've come, the fact that with the right person everything works out (see: the advice Eddie chooses to follow regarding the skateboarding incident)

It's almost like they created that divergence on purpose. They gave us two episodes, one where Buck met Eddie and things went wrong, and another where Eddie met Ana and things went wrong, where both conflicts are eventually resolved, as if they want us to consider their standing in Eddie's life side-by-side. They tacked 2.01 as an undercurrent to the events of 3.12 from the very beginning because they want us to pit these two against each other. Not to mention heavily, heavily foreshadowing Eddie's main conflicts in the next season, which we couldn't see when Fools aired, but with season 4 hindsight is 20/20.

I feel like the show just knocks us over the head with it sometimes. The parallels demand us to consider which of these two people, who represent different things Eddie is looking for in his life, is the correct fit. And (especially considering season 4) it unsubtly suggests that the surface appeal of Ana is chronically incomparable to what Evan Buckley brings to the table for the Diaz family. Eddie spent the entire episode searching for very specific advice regarding Christopher, advice he wouldn't know until he heard it, and for that matter of the three people who offered advice about Christopher, Buck was the only person Eddie actually requested it from. I don't fault Carla because she needed to say what she said, but it was still mostly unsolicited. We won't even talk about Ana and her fundamentally incorrect assumptions about Christopher's needs. But we see Eddie seeking out Buck's opinion and support, and just . . . holy cow. We know how it ends, too.

Ana and Buck just aren't even on the same level, they never have been, and I don't think anybody could be. And I think by the end of season 4, Eddie is finally starting to realize this, too.

[theladyyavilee]

will I ever be over how IMPLICITLY season 3 starts of on the theme of parenting in all the different ways (the dad and son with the car, the father and his two kids at the retirement home, the woman attacked for her baby, the newly-weds and ‘she’s the love of my life but he is the love of  hers’  and then of course outside of the calls maddie and chim talking about having kids, henren working on having a baby, bobby and athena having multiple talks about kids and kids growing up and how bobby sees himself in sort of a fatherly role for buck, athena and may working together) only to then have SUCH A BIG FOCUS on buck and christopher and how much eddie trusts buck with christopher? like? insane?

anyways I am also loving the parallels to season 5 because once again there is a big parenting focus going on but like where season 3′s starting theme seemed to be more about starting a family & what constitutes family/being a parent & chosing to be a parent (which is a very hopeful take, but maybe also slightly naive in a way, that gets emphasized by all the struggles they face later on (the buck-bobby-conflict, hen and karen and the struggle with the failed baby-journey, ‘do you have any idea how much christopher misses you’?) there is something about the way that season 5 approaches it that is more mature in that it sets out with all these struggles and hardships and how parenthood isn’t always easy, but still worth it? and how it takes work and sweat and tears and a lot of love? that it takes working on it and working on it TOGETHER? (maddie and chim and the ppd storyline, which is hard to watch right now, but we know that there is a resolution and healing coming, athena and harry and her guilt over it and harry’s trauma, but them overcoming it together, henren (who got on this theme a little early with the second half of season 4 and their journey after having to give nia back) who we sadly haven’t seen a whole lot of yet, but what we did see with eva being back also tied into that theme, because she is a factor of uncertainty especially for karen in her role as a mum for denny that got resolved, and then eddie and dating ana mostly for chris and realizing that that was not the right way and whatever happens in 5x10 with christopher being upset will - I’m sure - tie into this theme of ‘it can be hard and hurt, but we’ll overcome it together and it will be worth it’)

anyways, all this to say DEEP DIVE INTO THE BUCK AS A COPARENT STORYLINE AND OVERCOMING THE CURRENT STRUGGLE OF DISTANCE AND UNCERTAINTY OVER HOW HE FITS IN WHEN??!!! (also parenting-related bobby-storyline when? 👀 because I’ve been talking to B about the potential there multiple times and I want it so badly!)

[extasiswings]

That episode truly put me in such a sour mood after what they did to Eddie!! Like the real Eddie would never do any of that stuff! He's a devoted loving father (the best father) who wouldn't do anything that his son isnt okay with! And I'm still super bitter that we didnt get a Eddie/Christopher scene once he got him from Bucks. Like I love the Buck/Christopher scene and it was important and lovely and I'm glad it was in the episode but a Eddie and Christopher scene would've been even more important and definitely needed! And don't get me started on her calling Chris sensitive 🤬 and Eddie not having a reaction towards that like he should! Ugh this is not the mood I want for the next 6 weeks! I'm just hoping that our Eddie, The real Eddie is back in 6 weeks and stay permanently and doesnt let that imposter use his face again!

I feel like the worst part is not only how dirty they did his character but how much it was a total waste of an extremely important and emotional arc.  Like...Eddie taking his first steps into moving on and navigating that with Christopher should have been big, should have been meaningful, should have been handled with at a minimum the same care and attention with which they handled the skateboard incident and Eddie and Christopher’s related conversations in “Fools,” and should have been something that clearly established (or at least strongly foreshadowed) what’s going to happen with their development moving forward into the rest of the season.  I was looking forward to it!  I wanted to see it!

And at the beginning, the rest of the absolutely cringeworthy and barely watchable date scene aside, it was clear that yes! Eddie was reluctant to talk about this with his son!  He was worried!  He had concerns!  And I thought, oh excellent, this is going to go well.

Then, Eddie got home and immediately lied directly to Christopher’s face about it and I thought...oh no.  But even then I still thought, hey now, they can pull it back!  I did actually love Christopher’s reaction!  That part was great!  And honestly, I can even accept Eddie deciding to give Christopher time to cool off instead of going after him to talk immediately.  

There was no reason to have the video call with Ana.  It was unnecessary and only ended up being a vehicle for Invasion of the Body Snatchers Eddie to *checks notes* be totally dismissive of his son’s extremely valid feelings without even having had a real conversation about why Christopher reacted the way he did and what exactly his concerns were!  Not to be dramatic [lie, I’m always dramatic], but I felt like I’d been slapped, it was so abrupt and OOC.  [And, as I mentioned in a separate post, it makes zero sense to have had Eddie be worried about telling Christopher at all if he wasn’t going to actually care about Christopher’s feelings, so not only was he ultimately wildly OOC, his characterization wasn’t even consistent within the confines of the episode.]  

And I’m sorry, I love the Buck and Chris scene, I do, but as much as we joke and clown, Buck is not Christopher’s parent. Plus, their conversation wasn’t even directly about Eddie dating!  It wasn’t directly about Christopher’s concerns with Eddie dating [so therefore, I’m still not clear on exactly what those are/were although I can guess] and there wasn’t even a token attempt at directly addressing that particular elephant in the room!  Yes, kids need reassurance and support from multiple adults they love and look up to in times of crisis, but we got nothing from the most important person and most important relationship in Christopher’s life: his dad. 

It would have been SO EASY to have cut the video call [avoiding the OOC bullshit] and used that time instead to have added on to the Buck and Christopher scene.  Example: Buck and Chris end their conversation, Eddie arrives, having rushed over in a panic, hugs his kid and says some variation on “we can continue this at home, but I’m sorry I lied to you, I should have told you first, but just know no matter what happens or who else comes into my life, I love you and you’re never going to lose me.”  THERE! DONE! I FIXED IT IN THIRTY SECONDS! 

Ideally we would have gotten a longer extended Eddie and Christopher scene because, again, their relationship should have been the focus of this storyline, but if we had even gotten just that little bit on top of the Buck and Christopher scene, it would have cut my salt levels at least in half.  Instead though, we got NOTHING and the next time they were on screen it was because Ana was coming over to the house and suddenly everything was A-OK????? WHAT???? 

Writing tip 101: YOU CAN’T RESOLVE SOMETHING THAT IMPORTANT OFF SCREEN! Like???? Christopher ran away from home and we got zero acknowledgment of the severity of that, zero acknowledgment of the resolution of that, not even a token throwaway line about “we discussed it and everything’s fine now” [which would have been a gross cop-out but still would have been SOMETHING more than the whole lot of absolute BS NOTHING we got].

Once again...Eddie didn’t even let Shannon back into Christopher’s life for months when she came back, but we’re supposed to believe he’s bringing over a new woman he’s not even serious with yet after just a few dates because...what, she was Christopher’s teacher so at least he knows her?  Make it make sense!  [And as a side note, what was the point of having Ana point out multiple times that they could/should go slow with respect to Christopher if she was ultimately going to be totally cool with that weird Meet the Girlfriend introduction? And a side side note, I completely agree, the “sensitive boy” comment rubbed me the wrong way completely and came off as super condescending so thanks I hate it on MULTIPLE levels.]

Anyway...yeah, the whole thing was a goddamn travesty.  I may be a Buddie clown, but I am an Eddie Diaz lover first and foremost and idk who that was in the episode but it sure as HELL was not Eddie Diaz.  @ the guest writer for this episode, the door is that way, please let it hit you on the way out.  Hoping they can do some serious damage control after the hiatus [currently Christopher is credited for 4x9 but Ana is not so there may be some room to set things right] but right now I’m just...very pissed.  Haven’t seen a character assassination this bad since Lucy Preston in the Timeless Christmas Special.  Fucking YIKES.  

[sprolden]

please, do tell us why matthew will/won't die

thank u, anon, for endorsing me

enjoy an extremely long meta analysis on what i think will happen to matthew fairchild in chain of iron (+ chain of thorns)

ETA: the new tungle jungle update killed list formatting so all my bullet points are now below each other instead of having sub points but its Fine, i’m FINE, u just have to read over it i guess, let’s get to it

let’s start out with some reasons why matthew is extremely unlikely to die (spoiler warning for chog and tid!!!)

plot protection! matthew is more plot protected than.. literally anyone imo. the storyline of his secret and his romance with cordelia are two reasons he’s very unlikely to die because there’s too much to be resolved. killing him off would mean leaving those plotlines entirely unresolved.

similarly, matthews deep mental health issues funnily enough protect him from dying. cc never kills off characters who are struggling with themselves. (jessamine is the exception to this, more on that later)

same goes for the fact that matthew is bi- lgbt characters generally don’t die* in cc’s writing. she avoids the kill your gays trope like hell which, tbh, good for us???

not as stong of an argument, but it would make tlh too similar to tid- killing off the herondale’s parabatai who’s also interested in the main girl? yeah. i know cassie recently spoke about how she doesn’t really care for comparisons between tlh and tid, but i feel like this would be pushing it.

but then again, there’s a Lot of reasons why matthew might be dead as hell by the end of coi i’m sorry

most of all, book two madness! shit always goes down in the second book. cassie has also hinted at Shit Going Down in coi, and considering a lightwood already died in chog, i wouldnt be surprised if a main dies

“But Victoria Why On Earth Would That Be Matthew” well! because literally everybody else Cannot die:

it won’t be anna, alastair or thomas bc of said avoidance of kill your gays (And they still need to kiss kiss fall in love); grace, lucie, james and cordelia are simply too important to the plot for cc to kill them; and jesse’s... already dead idk what to tell u

i’m aware this leaves out christopher too, but tbh? i wouldn’t be too surprised if he dies. the only thing saving him rn are that he still has to marry grace if we’re following the family tree and that he has to invent fire messages but....... those are attainable goals for a single book imo (unlike matthew sorting out his Stuff) so... Perhaps it’s gonna be kit but thats a whole nother post

yeah i know i also just listed a bunch of reasons why matthew wont die but bear w me

so why matthew? because, plot-wise, there’s advantages to him dying, that other characters’ deaths wouldn’t have:

it would solve the love triangle. as a fairstairs it pains me to say this but it’s fairly straightforward: matthew dies, the gracelet is destroyed, jordelia lives happily ever after. we know jordelia will probably be endgame, so.. yeah.

on that same note: matthew doesn’t have a love interest besides cordelia. we know we won’t be seeing the tlh characters in another series, so everybody that lives has to get their happily ever after, which in cc’s case means being happily married. if i recall correctly, the only main characters that have ever ended up single at the end of their books were tda characters that we know we will see again in twp.

he isn’t on the family tree. we know for a fact that we can’t trust the family tree, but i think it’s unlikely for cc to just... ignore something as big as that.

but vic, wouldn’t a dead person be on the family tree? good question! that leaves us with our third option: matthew dies, but doesn’t die, aka downworlder/disowned matthew

basically, the whole idea is that matthew either becomes a downworlder and loses contact w the gang, or he gets stripped of his runes/disowned for what he did to charlotte

it would be a way for him to distance himself from the shadowhunters without actually dying- so it would create none of the ethical issues that come w dying (such as kill your gays) but it would distance him from the shadowhunters enough to let jordelia do their funky business.

matthew being stripped of his runes would explain why he isn’t on the family tree too, bc we know shadowhunters that were stripped of their runes aren’t allowed to have contact w their family.

i’ve talked about vampire matthew before but basically: there’s some hints at matthew staying young forever in chog, and him dying but becoming immortal instead would basically be pulling a jessamine. he dies, but doesn’t die.

becoming a vampire would also give us the Drama™ of his death scene, mayhaps some dramatic confessions, plus it would give him literal eternity to sort out his alcoholism/underlying issues (though i think that will be sorted out by the end of cot)

this also fixes the lack of love interest: if he’s immortal, that means we will probably see him again (maybe in twp/tec?) (with a hot vampire bf/gf, of course)

the only argument against this is again, that it would be too similar to tid, which we know cassie might be avoiding.

also perhaps that ppl might see it as as a way to execute the kill your gays trope without actually doing it, but then again, she sent haline to wranger island Just Like That so,,.,. she doesn’t seem to have any problems w that :^)

basically, i have no idea what’s gonna happen to matthew. i think downworlder matthew makes a Lot of sense, but at the same time it’s a bit of reach imo. if anything, i think it might make too much sense. (i had theories for tda that made a lot more sense than giant naked angels but We Got That Too, didn’t we!)

knowing cc’s writing, i think Matthew Suffers, But Somehow Lives is probably the route she will take. i just have no idea how it will be executed.

thank you for coming to my ted talk!

tl;dr: matthew’s death would be very convenient for some parts of the plot, but it would create a lot of issues with other parts of it. because of this, i think cc might take some sort of dying-but-not-really middle route.

* generally, because there’s a few exceptions: michael is bi but started out dead, which doesn’t count as killing people off imo. the faerie characters that died could be considered lgbt because technically all faeries are bi/pan, but none of the faeries that died ever had a same-sex romance. the aro/ace character that died in tmi is the only one i can think of, but he wasn’t explicitly aro-ace on page until the novellas that followed after tmi. matthew is very explicitly bisexual and has always been very explicitly bisexual.

[chocolate-raspberries]

Thoughts on season 2 of The Order, BIG SPOILER WARNINGS FOR SEASON 2. Also this is kinda rambly and unedited I apologize in advance

Okay, to start overall I did enjoy this season a lot, possibly more than the first season. I want to start with discussing the plotline. I read this in another review (by @georgesezra ) that the 2 episode formula works very well and I highly agree with that. I think overall, in the beginning the pacing went well for the mini-plots that the show is going for. The way the plot is built up, with distractor antagonists/ not the top antagonist ( Salvador ) is very reminiscent to me of early seasons of Teen Wolf ( especially season 2 with the Kanima storyline but this is not a Teen Wolf Review. )

The Early episodes were the best episodes, in my opinion, the amnesia plotline was resolved relatively quickly, but there still was some fun with it, especially with seeing Jack as a cheerleader. Also Blonde Jack, definitely the best move and I really missed the blonde in later episodes. The first half of the season the Knights Dynamic felt like it was there and real. They want to Be the Knights of St. Christopher and outside of the Order, not the Order’s pets whenever they need werewolf strength.

However, things to me go to shit when Lilith goes to the demon realm. All of a sudden many characters seem to go slightly ooc without the proper character development shown in the show. I’ll discuss this more when I touch on certain characters, but Hamish especially seemed to take a complete 180 this season, but didn’t show on the screen how we eventually lead up to that point. 

Going back to the main plot, I really enjoyed the concept of Praxis, Salvador and liberating magic. The dilemma of keeping magic only to those deemed worthy by a secret organization most people are unaware of, with their own set of strict rules where people are expected to not question the authority of the grand magus. Battled with the complete choice of free will and that everyone should be able to wield magic. Those two ideas battling is a very good concept and I wish it could’ve been used a little more or introduced earlier into the season. I think the first place we see this idea is with Rogwan. The demon that takes fear away from oneself. So, people are going completely based on their first instinct without the fear of death. This, in my opinion, is foreshadowing to what could happen if everyone could use magic. That it sounds good in concept, a life without fear sounds good, but quickly can turn disastrous and cause ( in this case ) the Apocalypse.

Parallels and callbacks are very well done this season and I loved them. With the repeated Jokes of Randall calling Hamish different nicknames, the repeated discussion of Hell versus Demon Realm with the Knights. Callbacks to events that happened in the first season. Bringing back Kyle and Professor Clarke. Showing the difference between having Midnights hide on Jack versus Silverback. Also, still showing that they are college students who are trying to just go through college, especially with Jack saying how he needs to pass his exam to keep his scholarship etc. These are things that the show does very well

Moving onto my thoughts of characters

Starting with Nicole, she was only a side character but I really enjoyed her when she was on the screen. She had a lot of conflicting morals with helping the order versus her affection for Lilith. When Lilith leaves her only concern is getting her back, seemingly more than the knights which I’ll touch on later. She spends seemingly all of her time after that trying to save Lilith and it is very apparent she just wants to use magic for the good of others, but the limitations of the order does not allow her to do so - “ the only altruistic thing i have done so far is fix someone’s car”  I hope we get to see more of her in a season 3 and see her develop more

The Sons of Enoch and Orbin. I’m going to be honest I didn’t necessarily care that much for this plotline. The thought of a hive mind is a very interesting concept and I did enjoy how they show’d to explore this concept. However, it seems like The Order makes this alliance with them and then it’s never used?? Also Alyssa joining this collective so soon ( ik she was on the juice but still ) it seems that Alyssa easily pledges loyalty to groups without getting the full story, I’ll touch on that later, but it was a frustrating to watch with her so easily trusting them despite Jack’s protests and the original reason they were there. However, the makeup and set design for Tree Jack was wonderfully done, all of the Sfx makeup is done super well 

Gabrielle turned into one of my favorite characters this season. I hated her character last season, with the whole being a complete bitch and unnecessarily cruel ( the truth glove. ) However, we get to see her have a lot of growth this season. Showing that she wants to be part of a group and have friends, she just uses her bitchness as a deflect ( smartly pointed out by Randall, I’ll touch on the relationship later. ) Her early season with her treating Jack as her pet was annoying, but at least entertaining, like I said I was a big fan of blond Jack. Seeing her being willing to help the Knights on their various quests to help save Lilith or help Jack is nice, sure I’d rather have Lilith, but at least Gabrielle is given time to have character growth. Having Midnight choose her as a champion was a good plot choice in my opinion. I’m not sure in the long run if it was, but for what it was in season 2 I liked it. She wanted to find a group that she could fight for and would fight for her, and the Knights seemed to be more than The Order. However, seeing her try to fight Midnight off, fight Kyle off and seeing her completely vulnerable is a nice change and I’m hoping is a season 3 we get to see more of the other sides of Gabrielle. However, her character seemed to be one of the most consistent while being able to have growth

Getting to the Knights

Starting off with Randall. I loved him this season a lot. His struggle with just wanting to be a knight and sticking to what he knows to be the Knights of St. Christopher is refreshing to see throughout the season. Especially in the fear chamber when his biggest fear was having to join the Order. Also is this our fears or a sight of the future was very spot on. I’m glad that the Lilith/Randall plotline was thrown out bc it was an out of nowhere part of season 1. Being not only comic relief but being able to show more strength and fight for what he believes in, which in this case is just saving Lilith, is nice to see. However, with Hamish being out of commission in my opinion it seemed like a lot of Randall’s options were limited. I highly enjoyed him killing Kepler but keeping it from Nicole in the finale. It finally seemed like something the Knights would do and how they would do anything to save a fellow knight

Lilith, we sadly did not get to see her much this season. I’m not sure if this was a prewritten plotpoint of Devery Jacobs had other projects she had to film outside The Order. However, looking at it from a storyline point it is a very poor choice in my opinion. Lilith is a fighter and she is not scared to stand up to authority. She would have put Hamish in his place for fulling committing to the Order and many things would have gone different this season, besides her being thrown to the side as a “we have to save Lilith” storyline that continuously gets put on hold. It is interesting to see what will come out of demon/werewolf Lilith in a season 3

Okay, let’s get to Hamish. Now listen I love Hamish especially in season1 and early season 2. However, the whole Vera/Hamish plotline that mostly takes place offscreen totally changes his character. Now, self-growth is important, but this seemed to be a 180 that came out of nowhere. From season 1 to killing Jack for being in the Order to not saving Lilith due to having to help the order just seems so ooc to me. Also, turning completely sober, like I said personal growth is good if we see it on camera, not when we are just told it is happening behind the scenes. However, I did really enjoy him in the early Praxis scene where he pretended it was a very good magic show, and I still love seeing his character on screen, it just was very frustrating to have this flip where it kinda came out of nowhere.

Jack Morton. I really liked Jack this season a lot. The beginning of the season I was a huge fan of vengeful Jack. With just wanting to get revenge on The Order and kill them all. Honestly was a big fan of that Jack and how his feelings were amplified by having Midnight. Then, the internal struggle of having both hides and the discussion in the collective unconscious of how it is a choice of what kind of person he wants to be and there are no wrong choices.  He had a lot of character growth this season as well. Still the non-rule follower, but this time around it is complete revenge on one character like with coventry. He truly seems to want to do the right thing for the people around him. Taking many sacrifices this season - fear chamber, confessing to the murder, multiple times facing Praxis!Alyssa. He is willing to do what it takes to make things right. Again, a complaint I had about Hamish is putting Lilith on the backburner, especially when Jack was there when it happened. However, Jack did have previous loyalty to the Order and he is shown being a person who struggles to stay on one path ( what is my actually major? ) Jack still makes a very good lead for the show and I am excited to see what the future holds for him in later seasons

This is going to be a controversial opinion, but I do not like Alyssa Drake. This does not go to say I don’t understand where her character’s motives come from, because I do. I also think it is very interesting to make her the final villain in the show. She wants to feel like she has control over her life and magic gave her that. She has said multiple times that magic is her life. So, finding out that Vera betrayed her by not destroying the Vade Mecum that blocks her magic would definitely be a good cause for her to not trust the order. To finally see Jack and fellow knights season 1 opinions. That everyone in the order is inherently selfish. And it is hard to dismiss that. Higher ups, especially the nogstic council ( that definitely is spelled wrong sorry ) are shown that they will do anything out of their own selfish needs. Saying all this and understanding Alyssa’s motives still doesn’t make me like her. She is easily manipulated by people - Coventry, the sons of Enoch, and now praxis. With this desire to be her own person completely, she loses sight of who she is. Alyssa tends to dedicate herself to one idea and sticks to that without listening to the insight of others. Season 1 with not initially believing Jack about Coventry, not listening to him about the sons on enoch. It all came to a head with Praxis. Now, I don’t believe some white boy needs to save her. I think Alyssa just needs time to figure out - who she wants to be, where her moral standings are, etc. Her delve into completely taking away Vera’s power and doing anything to get the incantation can either be seen by her being influenced by - Salvador, the Vade Mecum, or she has lost herself again. This is very reminist of me to the character or Alice from The Magicians ( whom I also am not the biggest fan of, but that is due to poor writing choices etc. not a Magicians review ) I hope in season 3 and beyond Alyssa can figure out what person she wants to be and find some sort of closure, but as it is now she is dead, so there may be a collective unconscious storyline there. It would be interesting to see her maybe talk to Ellie in there?? Idk just some ideas

Vera Stone. She stole the show. I loved Vera a lot this season. Seeing her still be a baddass and command a room is nice. It is nice to see a powerful woman in charge of an organization and not just seen as a mean bitch or completely characterized that way. Of course there is the whole side plot of  Kepler undermining her and trying to get her replaced which is frustrating. Especially from the perspective of seeing it as another woman trying to take down a woman in power. However, seeing that Vera is trying to do the right thing and is able to make the tough choices is pleasant to see. She understands that her ideas are not always ideal, but there isn’t very many options to run off of. Especially when most of our main cast doesn’t necessarily listen to what she has to say. I hope we get more of a backstory to Vera after seeing what she did under the hive mind of the sons of enoch and having her and Jack being able to bond more after that is nice. The dynamic between Jack and Vera is very well written and I like how it is explored. Although Vera is strict she still understands that these are young adults, who question authority, make mistakes, and believe that they have the right vision about the world. I am a huge Vera Stone fan and this season did her well. Her losing her magic and paralleling that to Alyssa is important to show. Both of them are more similar than they believe and both of them felt completely lost without their magic. In Vera’s case she wished she was dead instead of lost without her magic. However, how they deal with it is different, despite losing her magic, losing who she is, she still does everything she can in her limited power to save the world and try to save Alyssa along with it. I am excited to see what her storyline delves into for a season 3.

Now onto relationships

As said by @madroxed the Order cannot write a good relationship and I agree wholeheartedly. They probably put what I am going to say in words better, but I have a very similar viewpoint if you want to read their review.

Starting off with Randall and Gabrielle. It isn’t horrible, I think, like most relationships on this show, came out of nowhere. All of a sudden they are in this on and off relationship this is mostly shown offscreen, giving us little leadway what happens behind scenes. I think a frenemies to friends to then maybe in a season 3 to lovers trope would work better. Or just sticking as friends. Randall is the first one to truly call Gabrielle on her facades and I hope that with her becoming Midnight and killing Alyssa there friendship dynamic can be shown more. Not the worst, just started to quickly

Nicole and Lilith. I love more WLW representation especially seeing it come from POC women. I think this relationship has a lot of potential and is good character growth for both of them. Yes, there will be trust issues between the both of them lying to e/o about facets of their lives ( memory wiping, the robbery ), but perhaps this could make a good subplot for season 3. Also I am happy the Randall/Lilith plotline was thrown out because they also just work better as friends

Hamish and Vera. Now this was hinted a little in season 1, and it could be well. If it was written on screen or shown on screen honestly at all. It was just mentioned by Randall “someone is hot for teacher” they both have strong  leadership abilities and understand what it is like making tough choices. However, all this relationship did was make Hamish completely complacent to the Order and he not doing whatever it takes to get Lilith back, whom he has known as a part of his family, brotherhood for a lot longer than Vera.

Jack and Alyssa. I love seeing their complicated relationship on screen. Long are the days of the season 1 instalove trope, that I am not a big fan of. Having them acknowledge that their relationship is toxic to both of them at times, but still establish that they both deeply care for eachother is important. They both are constantly on other sides of whatever situation they are on, but still are willing to risk themselves for the other. I am not sure where I stand on liking or disliking the relationship, but throughout this season I think that the discussions that were started with how they view their relationship is important. 

The ending of Season 2. I’m not sure how I feel. As I have seen many other people say it was rushed ( which I agree with ) and ending on a reel of powerful women being hurt in the arms of men is kinda disheartening to see. It feels like a man! Savior trope. I want to believe it wasn’t written this way on purpose, but seeing it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. That is not to say I didn’t like how the storylines ended, but how they showed the end and having all of the bad happen to women as men watch is,,, not the best.

Overall, these were the goods and bads of the second season of The Order. I still love this show a lot and it’s nice to see the fandom grow bigger. If you read through this whole rambely, unedited mess thank you. Feel free to send an Ask or Message me with your thoughts!

[aislinceivun]

Hi! I know that you’ve said that you won’t continue with the sequel planned for Wandering Bird, but I was wondering if I could inquire on what you might’ve written? It’s just, I really adore your fic; can’t get it out of my head actually (so I’m so sorry if I’m being insensitive!) You mentioned once that you were going to do a POV from Arthur Gwen and Morgana- does that mean they (Morgana and Gwen specifically) had an idea of Merlin’s fate? Could Arthur “see” Merlin during his adventures? Part 1

Part 2: (Again, I apologize for my questions-your story just has so many interesting plot points!!) How would Bonnie and Co interact/react to Arthur’s return? Why couldn’t Freya interact much with Merlin; Was it a lack of magic, interference or something else? Somewhat weird question: but did you have anything in mind for Merlin’s Vigil Night? (If he can get one poor dear). (Gushing continued in third ask I’m so sorry)

Part 3: I loved how you showed Arthur considering legal reforms before his death-and the Phoenix as the emblem? *Chef’s Kiss* Was the creation of the phoenix’s later on a reference to that? Random aside: I really adored how badass you made Merlin, without making him too edgy or dark, you know? Also I really loved the many prophecies/legends surrounding just Merlin as “Emrys”! I adore literally everything about Aithusa, and her final scene made me bawl (also your art is gorgeous!) You’re amazing!

------------------------------------

Don’t ever apologize for asking questions about fics! Even if they’re old fics the author doesn’t plan on returning to, these kind of asks can really make their day and I’m sure 98% of the time they’ll just be over the moon that someone still thinks so much about their work :D I am!!

I still get emotional thinking about Aithusa, so I’m super glad her storyline made you feel so deeply. And that yuo liked Merlin’s portrayal and the lore about him! And thea art! Ahh, just, thank you! 🥰

Unfortunately, I no longer have my original outlines and the roughly 15k I’ve written due to my old laptop crashing, and it’s been 7 years (oh my gosh how) so I no longer remember the details. Which is too bad - I have several abandoned fics in my mother tongue, and I always uploaded summaries of what was supposed to happen to provide some kind of closure to readers. I can’t do that properly with Wandering, but I’ll try my best!

Putting the rest under a cut. :)

Feathers was inteded to be a series of 7 fics: 3 long main stories and 4 shorter (8-15k) standalone side-stories. The graphics are pretty much the only thing I still have  left x’D

You know this one, 75k of how Merlin spends those roughly 1500 years between the end of the show and Arthur’s rebirth. Then, the stuff that never got finished:

The Gwen POV side story, set during ch1 of Wandering. Focused on Gwen dealing with Arthur’s death, managing the kingdom and working on abolishing discrimination against magic users. Also getting together with Leon after a few years.

The Morgana POV one, at parts corresponding to ch1 and ch2 of Wandering. Honestly, I’m no longer sure about the details, but the early parts were supposed to explain and detail show canon, and then... I think I meant to bring her back in as a literal bird. With the life span of it, just keeping her consciousness, so she can watch what happens in the world. She probably watched over Aithusa, too, and Merlin, and IDK but the goal was to show her thoughts and eventually give her character justice and closure.

The Arthur POV one. He was kept in some kind of otherworldly, underwater palace-like place and could only interact with Freya, really, but he did get constant flashes of Merlin - especially where he was near Albion. This short was supposed to be very dream-like, as time works differenetly in that place. It’s kind of like when you’re half-asleep, y’know? So Arthur didn’t really live those 1500 years like Merlin did, but he followed his journey, in a way. When Freya “woke him up” at the end, they did have a conversation about it. He lost these memories when he was reborn. (But he still often dreams of water and a kind lady)

The next big one! Set in 2012, this would’ve started with Arthur & Merlin going to uni and “meeting each other” and ended with Arthur finally regaining his memories. Merlin kept away from him while Arthur was growing up, you see - aside from that one time when he learnt that by pure chance, Ray (who became a PE teacher) ended up being one of lil’ Chris/Arthur’s teachers. As old man Emrys, he got himself some history teaching shtick because he wanted to see how Arthur was doing, but he quickly realized that this is not going to work, what with him being in love with the man Arthur is going to become. xD So he left after a few months, and kept away from Arthur. (But kept pestering Ray with questions :D)

Anyway, when Arthur goes to uni (by this point, he exclusively goes by ‘Arthur’ btw, dropping Christopher) Merlin magics himself back into his eighteen year old form and gets enrolled in the same school. Agatha and Mike would have had prominent roles as basically Merlin’s sidekicks. Aggie is especially close with him, after him mentoring her about magic all her life.

Arthur has no memories either of his old life or about the years spent with Freya, so the dynamic at first is pretty much show S1. Most of the angst would have come from Arthur finally wanting to get together with Merlin but Merlin pulling away because there’s just too much Arthur doesn’t know; how is he supposed to be together with him when he’s hiding so much, lying so much? This Arthur is pure and free of the tragedies of the past, and maybe it’d be best if Merlin left him alone... But something must be happening - something the world needs Arthur for, if he slept through WWI and WWII but NOW fate decided to send him back...

Anyways, he would have gotten back his memories aroud the end of this instalment. Cue a lot of crying from Merlin’s part.

The last big one, a direct sequel to With Memories. A lot of recap and talking in the early parts, Merlin and Arthur reconciliating who they were in the past with who they are in the present and who they wanna be in the future. 

There was a Big Bad of some kind of malicious magical origin (not necessarily a person, but an “end of the world” kind of thing/entity. It was 2012 after all. Little did we knew the real shit was coming 8 years later It was revealed that Arthur had magic himself, plenty of it - he couldn’t use it, at all, but he wielded a lot of pure magic, maybe related to how he was basically marinated in magic-juice for over fifteen centuries and how his soul was pushed back into the world xD There was a lot of magical and dragon-related lore to be revealed. The Phoenixes came back to play a part in resolving the Big Bad, too. But it’s all very hazy. What I do remember is that to fix the Big Bad, Merlin AND Arthur had to hold their Vigil Night, in a way - not dying, god now, but both of them hand to give all their combined magic back to earth.  This resulted in the Big Bad no longer happening and Merlin losing his immortality =)

After figuring out their shit in the first half, they were pretty much together, btw. Learning each other in a new way. Arthur digged Merlin’s Phoenix emblem tattoo, that’s for sure. A lot of communication was needed, especially because it wasn’t easy for Arthur to understand Merlin’s grief (sometimes, Merlin looked so old despite the young form he wore; sometimes he felt ancient, and Arthur was a bit scared in his presence - not scared of Merlin, but scared of how to measure up to him, reach him, help him.) And Merlin had to understand that even with his old memories, Arthur wasn’t exactly that Arthur, the king - he had a life of his own in the present, a new identity, and it was unfair of Merlin to expect him to be the same. They no doubt talked a lot about Merlin’s lived experiences, his lost ones, Aithusa. (Merlin never stopped wearing the pendant made of Aithusa’s scale)

Happy end, of course :)

Well, that was a lot of vaaaague stuff, but hopefully gave you an idea? Bonnie wasn’t around too much, though I’m sure I’d have included some scenes with her. She probably didn’t met Arthur until Together Again. Aggie liked him fine but kept teasing him and she could be a bit harsh, what with her being so overprotective of Merlin. Mike and Arthur got along really well. Arthur was shocked when he was first fully introduced to the whole family and was met with his old PE teacher AND that brought up the fact Merlin attempted to teach him for a few months xDD 

Buuuuut.... this was still just 6, eh?

Last instalment, another side oneshot, and a prequel to the whole series. Kilgharrah’s POV. Set a few generation’s before Uther’s rein, elaborating on some of the lore and backstories revealed in Together Again. (all of which I no longer remember, rip) I know we’d have met an ancestor of both Merlin and Arthur through Kilgharrah: Aurelius Ambrosius, who does some good deed to Kilgharrah, and the dragon blesses him - after this, the man takes the name Pendragon. And Coel, who was a dragon lord, husband to Ystradwal high priestess. Coel had a cheerful and kind personality, and he was the first human Kilgharrah came to like. They became friends. Coel was supposed to be Merlin’s grandfather, I think. Kilgharrah and his mate were expecting their first egg to hatch when Uther’s purge started, and that was pretty much the end of this short =(

------------

All I have left aside from these is some tidbits of dialogue from the single file on the sequels I have:

~

“Whoa, Merlin, slow down. I can’t follow you.”

“I’m different from you. Okay? I’m not... I wasn’t... I didn’t reincarnate. I’m not a reincarnation of the original Merlin. I am the original Merlin. Do you understand? I never... Look, I never died.”

“You are. The same Merlin." Merlin nods. "The same Merlin who mucked out my horses and saved me countless times and magicked his way into my life.”

“I’m afraid, sire.”

The title comes without a conscious thought, and when he realizes, his heart twists and cracks.

Arthur just stares at him.

~

“So? Who are you guys, then?”

“I wasn’t lying about them. They are family. No! Gods, no, not like that,” he adds quickly upon seeing Arthur’s widening eyes.

“He’s our magical fairy godfather,” Mike and Aggie say in perfect union, completely straight-faced.

 ~

“The only times I was really miserable were the very first few hundred years, and later the roughly three centuries that followed Aithusa’s death. For the rest of the time, I wasn’t completely alone, and that... helped. A lot. But... it was hard. I hated how everyone I cared for withered away and died before my eyes, so I tried to keep people away for a long time. I was lonely, but that kept me safe from heartbreak. At least, that’s what I’d thought.

“But then I met Bonnie, and as I watched her grow up and start a family - a family that welcomed me - I realised how foolish I was for attempting to condone myself to a solitary life and deny myself the warmth of others’ love.”

~

Arthur wipes a hand over his face. “Owning a magical heritage but no apparent talent to use it... Just. Great. I’m a fucking Quibble!”

------------

Phew!! What a trip down memory lane xD And I actually remembered more than I thought I would, so that’s nice. Thank you for enabling me to ramble and recall some stuff a really liked about this verse. I hope I was able to give you some closure! Cheers!♥

[austennerdita2533]

I was wondering if the GG revival changed your opinions on the ships? I was SO frustrated that LL still have zero communication and no emotional maturity. They missed the chance to have kids because they can't even have a real conversation! And even though I'd always shipped literati tbh I found myself thinking that Jess deserved far better than the mess Rory has become and hate the idea of him waiting around for her to finally consider him romantically, which she hasn't really done in decades.

There were a lot of things in the revival that I wish had gone down differently - like how they weaved in/handled Richard’s death, for example - and I was disappointed in it overall, ngl. I’ve actually only watched it the whole way through twice whereas I pretty much watch the original series on a continual loop. 

(Make of that what you will. 😇)

As for your question, I wouldn’t say that revival changed my ship preferences at all, no. I still bleed Luke and Lorelai and Rory and Jess all the way. Probably always will. I am not easily swayed once I go “all in” for a ship. I think this resolve of mine largely stems from the fact that I grew so attached to them as ships in the original series, you know? Plus, I look at them as complements to one another. They’re always there to support but also to challenge/push the other out of their comfort zone when they need it.

That said, I was frustrated over Luke and Lorelai’s communication issues. It was almost like they and the status of their relationship was frozen in time from 2007 to 2016. (Too much “drama for drama’s sake,” imo.) I have a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that they never discussed kids again after they got back together. ESPECIALLY with the whole “kids would be good” convo they had during the OG series. Granted, I know they’d been through a lot emotionally with the whole engagement break-up and sleeping with Christopher thing, possibly making things awkward between them at first, strained even as they got back into the swing of being a couple again, but I feel like they would’ve had to work past that at least a little bit in order to stay together. Particularly so they could avoid falling back into the same we’re-not-communicating pattern that plagued them last time. By the end of the OG series, it seems they both WANTED to do that. Or to try. 

I realize that communication issues can crop up in any and all relationships in some capacity but I would’ve thought Luke and Lorelai would’ve tried to work on some of theirs. I thought that was what the whole Hay Bale Maze conversation was meant to show? Them attempting to be better. Them trying to converse more openly than they had in the past.

Maybe that sounds too hopeful and not at all realistic considering where we left them at the end of s7 but, hey, that’s just how I interpreted things!

With Jess and Rory, I can’t help but still OTP them. Even with all of Rory’s borderline unlikable antics in the revival. Mind you, I wish we had gotten more interaction between the two of them in the revival because I think it would’ve showed more where they’re at in relation to one another. It’s kind of ambiguous, isn’t it? 

Might be what ASP wanted to convey, tbh. In which case, she succeeded!

Still, Jess showed, again, that he was there for her when she needed someone  to hold a mirror up so she could look at herself clearly, to give her a push, and it’s largely because of him she finds a way to get her life back on track. I like that they’ve fallen into this “I know you better than anyone” familiarity. It’s what first attracted them; it’s what has remained between them through everything. It’s nice because it manifests platonically after they break-up - or maybe “unconditionally” is a better word? - but there’s still an undercurrent of romantic tension between them always, on one side or the other. I don’t think either one of them want to tread too close to that, though. They’re afraid. They’re more cautious now. More...guarded. For Rory, in particular, we won’t mention her inconsiderateness for the feelings of her boyfriend, her sense of entitlement, or her philandering storyline with Logan because all were awful in the revival, I think she’s willfully oblivious to how she feels about Jess. She ghosts over it whenever possible. 

It always struck me as similar to how Lorelai was with Luke in the beginning, you know? She wasn’t “ready” yet. And I mean that in the Doesn’t Have Her Shit Together sense as well as the not ready to admit to herself that they could be “more than” sense. It’s not much different with Rory and how she regards - or in this case, doesn’t regard - Jess in the revival. All she knows is he is/was there for her when she needed a shoulder (and some afternoon whiskey!), and that’s close enough to comfort for her now. ;)

Anyway, I suppose what I mean to say is that I always envisioned Literati had a longer arc full of angst and friendship and eventual love epiphany, anyway, so the events of the revival didn’t change that for me. They just...complicated it a little more. Okay, okay, a lot more.

Hopefully these ramblings of mine make some sense to you. Fingers crossed they managed to answer your question at the very least! 

xx Ashlee Bree

[sophie-studies]

My thoughts re: Trixie and Christopher (Call the Midwife, Season 7 Episode 1)

 I really, really wanted to like this episode. Disclaimer: I have loved Trixie and Christopher since watching them in Series 6 and was so excited to see where their relationship went in Series 7. However, after re-watching their scenes, and reading their/talking to @beatrix-franklin (who has talked about Trixie’s sobriety and alcoholism really well and I’d highly recommend you read her post!!),  I honestly feel like in regards to them this episode left a lot to be desired, and to be bluntly honest, their storyline just… didn’t sit with me.

CW/TW: references to sex

Christopher seemed very out of character to me. In all the other episodes, he’s seemed relatively genuine, sincere, rational, etc - whether or not he should have told Trixie earlier is another debate, but he was genuinely worried about what Trixie would think of him because he was divorced and had a daughter (so he’s obviously aware of the moral and social issues re: marriage etc at the time). Therefore, he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy that rushes into things, or is pushy (I can’t think of a time he’s previously been pushy/made Trixie uncomfortable??) towards Trixie. Christopher in Series 6 and in Series 7 feel like two different characters to me, honestly. Christopher’s comment about “I wouldn’t have minded” made NO sense to me. 1) you didn’t mind WHAT??? Do you agree with Moira’s comment?!!!! And 2) SO out of character!! Christopher in the trailer saying “you need [help]” - IN CHARACTER. This episode - not in character.

Continuity wise (and this is what REALLY gets me to some extent) it just doesn’t make sense. Trixie and Christopher had this trip planned in the last episode. So surely this discussion should have been had THEN and not now? I strongly believe Trixie would not go away on a holiday with her boyfriend without actually knowing what was happening re: room arrangements?? Also, surely Christopher wasn’t going to just NOT tell Trixie about this before they went?? SEE POINT 1.

It seemed rushed for what really was something considered a big social and moral issue in the 60s compared to now. If they wanted to deal with this situation (which is a real situation which happens), then I think they should have dealt with the start of it in the 2017 CS and potentially resolved it this episode, even the next one!! Also as I was discussing with @beatrix-franklin since Christopher obviously implies sleeping together, what kind of contraception does Trixie use?! 1) she saw a woman DIE because of it and was very clearly affected by it, + 2) the family planning clinic is for women who are married or about to be married so what happens next?? does Christopher sort this out??

Hear me out - I can’t tell the reason as to why Trixie didn’t want to sleep with Christopher to begin with. It was obvious from her body language and what she said that she didn’t want to sleep with him BUT I can’t figure out whether it’s because a) she just doesn’t want to (in that case, no is always no) or whether it’s because 2) she’s worried about her reputation and being “that girl”. Christopher’s ex-wife’s comment about being a “tart” obviously really affected Trixie and I’ve been trying to determine if one of the reasons as to why Trixie didn’t want to sleep with him was because by doing so, she is essentially becoming “that girl”. This would also explain why she mentioned her “reputation” to Christopher. HOWEVER if this was the case I don’t think it was anywhere near the mark to be honest and I don’t think it was quite clear enough.

Now I’m wondering what happens next with their relationship. Are there going to be ongoing issues? Is everything going to be tickety boo?? Because there’s issues with BOTH. Are we going to find out if Trixie actually did follow through with her decision or whether she said no??? We can tell from the trailer there’s obviously some ongoing issue with Trixie and so how does that relate to this??

If the issue is to do with Trixie shutting herself off from love (which was sort of discussed last series, when she kept on blowing Christopher off) after meeting with Nadine, then there’s a whole new issue about the fact that sex ≠ love.

For the first time ever with Call the Midwife, I seriously think I’m going to have to put this storyline aside for the time being because it just doesn’t feel right to me and I don’t feel like it’s realistic for the characters themselves. I honestly feel like I have to hope that in the next episode it’s been rectified and they are back “in character” :(

[nitrateglow]

Halloween 2017 movie marathon: Frankenstein (dir. James Whale, 1931)

“Dangerous? Poor old Waldman. Have you never wanted to do anything that was dangerous? Where should we be if no one tried to find out what lies beyond? Have your never wanted to look beyond the clouds and the stars, or to know what causes the trees to bud? And what changes the darkness into light? But if you talk like that, people call you crazy. Well, if I could discover just one of these things, what eternity is, for example, I wouldn't care if they did think I was crazy.”

College graduate Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) decides to bunk out in a watchtower with his crazy hunchback assistant Fritz (Dwight Frye) and reanimate a dead body. This shocks his conservative mentor Dr. Waldman (Edward van Sloan), fiancée Elizabeth (Mae Clarke), and the storyline’s mandatory normal guy Victor Moritz (John Boles). Henry isn’t too worried about the whole thing, even if his creation was accidentally fashioned with a criminal brain. Unfortunately, the Monster (Boris Karloff) is abused, demonized, and cast aside once its behavior becomes slightly unpredictable. When the Monster escapes from the tower, Henry finds he needs to try and clean up this tragedy of his own making before the bodies start piling up.

These days, everybody begins their reviews of Frankenstein the same way: “Do we need another review of James Whale’s masterwork?” “What else can be said about Frankenstein?” Frankenstein is in that same category as Star Wars: so iconic and influential, so quoted in the popular culture that it seems redundant to talk about it and downright impossible to view it with fresh eyes. Even people unschooled in classic horror could pick out scenes: the grave-robbing, the creation of life in the lab, the little girl by the lake, the bride stalked in her chamber, the burning windmill and the angry mob. So, is the common refrain true? Should I not even bother writing this? Well, if you tell me not to do something—I’m going to do it anyway and do it with gusto! And though we may sneer and scoff, call this movie primitive, Frankenstein still retains a strange power once you cast off that 21st century cynicism and allow yourself to succumb to its spell.

People often ask “did 1930s audiences ACTUALLY find this scary?” And yes, disbelieving reader, they did. 1931 audiences had an advantage we don’t after almost a century of pop cultural osmosis: they got to see all of this with fresh eyes, without Young Frankenstein or anything else coloring their perception. There had been a handful of cinematic and theatrical adaptations of Mary Shelley’s novel before, but nothing proved as memorable as Universal’s version. Looking at Karloff’s make-up alone today, so much of the impact is diminished because of how iconic it is, but if you were a normal cinema-goer back in 1931, it must have been startling. These people were not exposed to modern zombie flicks; Hollywood movies, even in the pre-code age, generally never showed anything like a decaying body. But Karloff’s cadaverous face, imposing physique, and heavy walk must have seemed grotesque.

When the Monster makes his entrance, we get a progressive close-up, honing in on his intense, half-dead stare, forcing the audience to take in every unseemly detail of his haunting visage. One must also remember that the original audience by that point had no clue as to what the Monster would do or if he was criminally lethal. We’re told he’s been implanted with a criminal brain, but Frankenstein and Waldman debate as to whether or not this will affect the Monster’s behavior. This tension probably fed much of the audience’s suspense and kept them terrified once the Monster was loose, even as Karloff and Whale endowed the character with pathos. One of the original newspaper ads for the film claimed of the Monster, “You hate it… fear it… yet it wrings your heart with pity!”

James Whale was a champion of the outsider in many of his films, whether that outsider was a monster, a shell-shocked soldier, or a lonely prostitute. As much as the characters in this movie preach about not transgressing in God’s domain, you know Whale’s totally behind Henry and his unnatural creation. He certainly has no sympathy for Henry’s unpleasable father who criticizes his son for not settling down like a good aristocrat or Dr. Waldman, a scientist with the mindset of a medieval clergyman. Indeed, Waldman is arguably the most loathsome character in the film, crying for the Monster’s head before it harms anyone and even going back on his promise to dispose of the Monster gently, deciding a vivisection before murder might be a nice thing to do. As much as he criticizes Henry for overreaching, he sure has no problem studying his “failure” and profiting from that. As Sir Christopher Frayling mentions in his marvelous commentary track, Waldman is the opposite of Dracula’s Van Helsing, hardly heroic and a regressive figure. Even harmless characters like Elizabeth or her deadly dull suitor Victor don’t capture our attention: they’re nice but they have no ambition, no desire to look beyond as Henry does.

It’s Frankenstein, the Monster, and Fritz who remain the most memorable, the people who aren’t seen as normal; however, the outsiders have no solidarity in this world. The misshapen Fritz sees the Monster not as another ostracized person, but as a thing to dominate and torment, as though he’s elated to find someone who’s more of an outsider than himself. Though disappointed by his own father’s lack of emotional support, Frankenstein doesn’t learn from his father’s mistakes and quickly gives up on his creation the moment things go wrong. And of course, we all know how the Monster lashes out once he accidentally kills the one person who treated him well. It’s a world of lost, lonely people, and that’s one of the saddest elements of this movie.

Though the Monster is a sympathetic figure, his motivation in the second half of the film becomes muddled. The question of whether or not the Monster was doomed to violence from the start is never resolved and it is easy to assume that his mistreatment at the hands of his creator is the sole cause for his strange behavior. The moment when the Monster breaks into Elizabeth’s room has always struck me as strange, because it isn’t entirely clear what his intentions are. In earlier screenplay drafts, the Monster was a demonic id-figure that clearly had sexual designs on his creator’s bride, even going as far as to tear her clothes and attempt to climb atop her according to historian Rudy Behlmer (even for the pre-code era, that would have been strong material, had they gotten away with it!), but the Monster is certainly not that, well, monstrous in the final version. He does growl in a rather flirtatious manner at the terrified woman, but he ultimately leaves her alone once she swoons. (Maybe he was just curious. Maybe he wanted to see if a grown woman might float better than a little girl.) It’s the same with his kidnapping of Henry. When he knocks his creator unconscious during the last pursuit, the Monster does not immediately kill Frankenstein, but instead carries him to an old windmill to—do what? It’s never made clear whether he plans on killing him or not. These ambiguities were likely a big part of the Monster’s fear factor for 1930s audiences who didn’t have the same fond nostalgia most classic horror movie fans now have for the character.

Some viewers regard these moments as plot glitches, and maybe they are, but one cannot deny that these bizarre scenes lend the film a dreamlike tone. If the gothic expressionism of the set design does not signal that this is a different, more heightened reality than our own, the story events certainly do. I’ve always felt the 1931 Frankenstein was like a nightmare committed to celluloid because of how bizarre certain story elements are in addition to the gothic mise en scene. It possesses an otherworldly feel, an almost fairy tale like conceit that became more pronounced in the sequel.

Over the years, this film is usually deemed a historically significant yet artistically inferior film when compared to its sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein. The follow-up does have the benefit of more sophisticated cinematography and some truly striking editing, as well as memorable characters like Dr. Pretorious and the Bride herself. However, when it comes to horror, the first movie retains a chilling power and sense of tragedy that the sequel does not accomplish as well, at least not for me. I believe the more primitive nature of the first movie is a strength; the crackling hiss of the soundtrack and the lack of music lends the movie a sort of creepiness, as does the silent Monster’s far more alien nature. Since 1931, filmmakers have created Frankensteins truer to the novel or more viscerally horrific; some of them are quite good or even great, but none have haunted cultural memory like James Whale’s and I think the reason for that goes beyond mere nostalgia.

[ktley1986]

My husband isn’t nerdy, at all.  Which is okay because I happen to be nerdy enough for both of us-I love comics, video games, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Battlestar Galactica, etc.  I love all of it, mainly because I happen to know a lot about history and world events and the main theme of history is that people are super shitty to each other, all the time, usually without very good reason.  And once you know that, sometimes the only way to stay sane is to find solace in imaginary worlds-maybe that’s not always the healthiest thing, but at least if someone is cruel in one of those worlds they usually get a satisfying comeuppance, which sadly, rarely happens in the real world.   Now that we’re all suitably depressed, Mike and I were watching The Phantom Menace the other day and he made the grave error in judgement to remark that he “didn’t remember this movie being that bad.  People like it when it came out!” I mean, is that technically true? Yes.  I definitely enjoyed these movies when they came out as a teenager (I was also afflicted with a debilitating crush on Hayden Christensen, which has since died a death of natural causes) and I will stand by that, because I didn’t know any better.  Now with the benefit of experience and foresight I realize the serious damage done to the Star Wars universe and the overwhelmingly potential of what could have been.  Because it’s fresh in my mind after having given an impromptu mini-lecture to my husband earlier, I will explain my problems with Episodes 1-3 of the Star Wars film franchise. The whole Space Jesus thing You know what I’m talking about-the fact that Anakin Skywalker doesn’t have a dad, but is basically just the product of the Force and his long suffering, cipher of a mother figure.  That doesn’t even kind of make sense and it’s so lazy and shitty as to be actually insulting.  Let’s also remember that he’ll eventually become Darth Vader, the ultimate bad guy (and if you’re currently feeling the soft and fuzzies for him, remember he did kill a whole temple full of children.)  He’s such a special snowflake, he’s totally selfless, he’s the most amazing pod racer or whatever, he’s basically Valentina from Season 9 of Drag Race, and she turned out crazy too.  He just needs to compare himself to Selena to make the transformation complete.

Obi Wan to Anakin, honestly.

My problem with that is this could have been a much more interesting story, in the hands of someone who gave a shit about storytelling or the emotional arc of a character.  What if he was just a regular person, who had a dad and a mother who wasn’t window dressing for made up emotional issues later, but maybe he was kind of a reckless dick, then they could have made a more interesting story about how some people aren’t fit to have power, even if they are technically proficient.  It could have been an interesting twist on the idea that all Jedi are totally perfect peace keeping good guys, but what if he was able to convince them he was, but in reality, he was actually a dick?  At least that would make more sense later when he in fact does turn out to be a dick.   The whole Jango/Boba Fett story arc Famously George Lucas had this whole series written out back in the 70’s but the studio was only interested in making episodes 4-6, since the storyline was more cohesive.  I believe that’s true, and I even believe that a lot of the nonsense he put into the first 3 episodes was present in those early drafts, but I can’t be expected to believe that the basis for the clones was Jango Fett, and that his clone son would grow up to be Boba Fett, kick ass bounty hunter extraordinaire.  I get that Boba Fett was a wildly popular character, despite having zero lines as far as I can recall, and getting knocked into the pit of Sarlacc to be digested slowly over a thousand years, he’s my brother’s favorite character, so by default one of mine too, but honestly?  This is endemic of a wider problem in the first three movies in my opinion which is shoe-horning in fan favorite characters rather than making new and interesting ones which serve the story.  Why the everloving fuck is young Anakin making his dirt farmer slave mom a protocol droid?  Does she have a lot of use for translations of over 6 million forms of communication?  Lucas just wanted to take what worked from the original movies and force it into the new ones, although to be fair his stab at original characters did give us Jar Jar Binks, so maybe it’s a good call after all.   Darth Vader’s reasoning for becoming Darth Vader This is where it really hits home for me how much cooler this story could have been-the transformation into one of the most iconic villains of all time was just so lame in these movies.  For one thing, the romance between Padme and Anakin is painful and embarrassing, and this is coming from someone with a fairly comprehensive crush on Anakin.  So much cringe though, seriously.  But making it about him thinking that his wife might potentially die, is just stupid, especially because he ends up choking the fuck out of her.  Again, this is where the story could have been served by establishing him as a bit of a dick from the beginning, instead of a heroic space Jesus type character.  I mean, I am very much in love with my husband, probably irrationally so, but it would take a lot more than the premonition that he might, maybe, potentially die to make me murder an entire Jedi Temple full of younglings. And I don’t even like kids.  And then he just hates Obi Wan for not letting him live his best life or whatever, I mean they could have gone the route of him thinking there was a relationship between him and Padme, although I find the whole turning into an evil warlord over a lady to be one of the tired-est tropes on the planet.  It could have been so much better! Midi-chlorians Just no. So much politics and talk about trade negotiations. Oy! I get that George Lucas doesn’t really get how to write strong female characters, and I guess it’s kind of flattering that he thinks women’s strength is in the political arena, but man I do not give a fuck about trade embargos in the real world, so I definitely don’t give a fuck about trade negotiations in space.  I watched these movies for the first time as a young person and I could not have told you one thing about why the Nemoidians were doing, or what exactly was going on in the space Senate.  The beauty of the original trilogy is that things were simple, motivations were clear and no one had to put anything to a vote.

I don’t think the whole thing is awful-Darth Maul is pretty sick, General Grievous is cool, Christopher Lee is always a welcome addition to any movie, now that I’m older I can definitely appreciate young Ewan McGregor

I need to resolve my feelings about bearded Ewan McGregor

Now I’ve stalled out. Huh.  I know there are probably parts of it that are redeemable, but I can’t remember any, and I can’t be bothered to actually watch it again.  My point being is that it could have been so much better, if they were interested in telling a great story instead of making millions of dollars in merch.  Does anyone else remember all the merch associated with this, you couldn’t even buy a bag of chips without Jar Jar Binks dumb face looking at you.  While this isn’t something I would normally say, but I’m glad that Disney has the reins now, and they’ve already made some great Star Wars movies, sans mention of midi-chlorians which personally leaves me excited again to visit a galaxy far, far away.

My Epic Retcon of Darth Vader’s Backstory

Okay, so he’s just a normal kid, who has a mother AND a father, both of which are fleshed out characters, and he gets selected for Jedi training in a normal, non-mystical space Jesus way.  He turns out to be super great, a special snowflake, blah blah but then (plot twist!) he falls in love with another Jedi, and they have a clandestine affair until she gets pregnant with their baby.  Now, we all know Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments blah blah, but they never explore what happens if you did, so it could be an interesting way to explore that idea.  So, the female Jedi (which really shouldn’t we get some female Jedis by now? Seriously?) refuses to tell the council who the father is, and she gets banished, without Anakin being aware of it until it’s already over.  She dies in childbirth, totally not the Jedi’s fault, but Anakin doesn’t know that, and that’s why her children are taken away and given to other families.  Anakin either finds out that Obi Wan took his children and that’s why they have their big battle where Obi chops his legs off and roasts the rest of him once he realizes that Anakin is the father and he’s so pissed at this point that he is going to try to kill him.  See, I literally just pulled that out of nowhere and managed to shoe horn a lady Jedi (which this series badly needs, come on!) and no mention of midi-chlorians! Is it a perfect story, no, but does it contain no mention of trade negotiations and Jar Jar binks, yes!

[stretchearsnotvaginas]

Before I eventually end up starting the new year with resolutions and realistically set goals, I need to wrap up 2018. Last year was one for the books; no pun intended. All along the way, I finished 30 books in total, and 27 of them are in the slideshow at the bottom of my screen (I left out the three for school). While 30 might not seem like a lot to those of you that can finish a book in a day, after looking at my stats, I’ve found out that I can too! Most of these took under 10 hours for me to read, so while it is possible… I just don’t have the time to sit for that amount of time every day. However, I will continue on my reading streak, and I’ll set the bar even higher for this year!

After reviewing the stats, I’ve noticed that surprisingly, most of these books received five stars from me! Unfortunately, that’s not as realistic as I’d like it to be. So, in this recap of my 2018 reads, I’m going to… in a way… re-rate all of my books (besides the three for school). So, let’s dig in!

(I’m also going to tie in Goodreads reviews to each of the book titles in the mini reviews I provide.)

1. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Game of Thrones exceeded my expectations. The show is eerily similar to the book… almost word-for-word, and I really enjoyed it. The relationship between Khal Drogo and Daenarys was revealed more in the book than it was in the movie, and it took me a bit to get through, but it was definitely good enough for me to snag the second book.

2. Fight Club and 3. Fight Club 2 by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fight Club was one of those books that made me squirm a little, but I can’t talk about it (see: Chucklehead101). So you’ll just have to read this yourself!

Fight Club 2 was unexpected honestly. It’s a graphic novel, and the narrator’s name was finally revealed as Sebastian. Also, Chuck made quite a few cameos! They gave the book more depth and “broke the fourth wall” in literature. I loved the overall feel of this book and finished it a little less than two hours. I can’t wait for Fight Club 3‘s release this January!

4. Invisible Monsters Remix by Chuck Palahniuk

Invisible Monsters Remix is going to have it’s own review here shortly!

5. Phoenix by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I distinctly remember reading Phoenix in a hotel room in Golden, Colorado. Phoenix was only around 50-pages long, but it stood out enough for me to give it five stars. Even though Palahniuk is one of my favorite authors, I still choose to review his novels without being biased. Phoenix was a quick read, but it was resolved really quickly. The book discussed showed a broken marriage pretty accurately, and even though I’m a cat person… I couldn’t put it down.

6. Choke by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Whenever I go to pick up any Palahniuk book, I always have semi-high expectations. So, giving this book 3-stars isn’t unusual. Choke was one of those books that seemed to try too hard. I love Palahniuk, but this just wasn’t… it. The narrator was prude and he just seemed like a fuckboy. As someone who doesn’t mind reading things “out of the norm,” Victor Mancini was just too much. He was just frustrating to read about, and while I appreciated his storyline, I just didn’t care for him. However, if you don’t mind reading things about a mans’ “dog” every other page/paragraph, then take a shot at it!

7. every day by David Levithan

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not one to read Young Adult books as much anymore, but every day really stood out. While it’s only receiving around 3-stars from me, it was still a unique plot line. However, I just didn’t like the ending as much as I hoped I would’ve. I love the concept behind a non-binary character such as the narrator, but the ending is honestly what ruined it for me. I’m still going to buy the next book to see if it’ll redeem itself, but as for just this one? I don’t think it should standalone as much as it does.

8. the woman in the window by AJ Finn

the woman in the window was my all-time favorite book of 2018. I can’t really put more of what I want to say into words, so check out Review: “the woman in the window” by AJ Finn (2018) for my review!

9. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m not one to read romances like this, but it was a book I received from a book subscription I used to have called PageHabit. They’re no longer in commission, but I still have quite a few books that I have to read from them.

The Wedding Date, in particular, wasn’t one that I’d find myself reading again. It was a cute story, but it was definitely a cliche right from the beginning… which is why I don’t tend to read romances anyway. The characters in the book were cute and charming, but Alexa Monroe (the main character), was a little short-tempered. However, after reading more and more about Drew Nichols, I realize why she is. He is more than just a quirky guy in an elevator, but the more she finds out, the more shady he seems to become.

10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Before I start in on this one, I’ll admit that I’m not a huge fan of JK Rowling anymore. After following her on Twitter, and after I’ve seen her decide to bring to light new things about old characters just to stay relevant… I’ve decided to no longer support her. I’ll always ALWAYS love Harry Potter (proud Ravenclaw here), but she’s become another author that only discusses her characters if they can create a shock factor. So, even though I’ve come to dislike JK Rowling, I’ve decided to separate her from her work. Just because I’m in love with the world she created, doesn’t mean I have to like her as a person. Similarly to how I’ve decided to buy Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King, just because his son wrote it with him (and we all know how much I love him).

Anyway, I devoured Fantastic Beasts in one day. I found myself falling in love with Newt and his creatures fairly quickly, but there’s just one thing I would’ve changed. The dark side of this novel, should’ve been darker. After watching the movie, the book just seemed light compared to how devious the creature came to be. I loved the entire concept of creating a world before our beloved Hogwarts, I loved the snippet of Grindewald, but since this isn’t technically a YA novel like the Harry Potter series… it just should’ve been darker, which is why it got 4-stars from me.

11. Simon vs. the Homo sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have to be one of the only people on the internet so far (from what I’ve seen) that didn’t 100% love this book in its entirety. I’m glad that it brought a few LGBT issues to light, but I just can’t do the cutesy romance books at all apparently. This was another Young Adult novel that flopped in my reading conquests, but I will say one thing… the movie adaptation was really cute. Even though Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda wasn’t my favorite, I still appreciate how everyone came together and read it upon its release.

12. the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time was so unique. So, so unique. It’s from the perspective of Christopher Boone, a fifteen-year-old boy on the autistic spectrum, which only made it more significant. In the book, it shows how Christopher lives by patterns, rules, and the diagram that he keeps in his pocket. The way he moves throughout the world, and how he acts whenever he finds a dead dog across the street. While the entire book is filled with Christopher’s quirks and the way he solves and unseen mystery, I still found myself struggling to get through it on its own. So, I downloaded the audiobook, which led me to a reading by someone who gave Christopher his own unique voice; Jeff Woodman. He managed to create a character with even more depth than Haddon intended. Now, I’m not one to listen to audiobooks all the time, but I’m glad I did with this one. So, if you have Audible, I highly suggest it.

13. Adjustment Day by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ll admit, Adjustment Day was not my favorite Palahniuk book at all. While it was still better than Choke, it just didn’t feel right. I love that Palahniuk is back in the world of fiction after four years, but this book just gave me a 1984 vibe with a transgressive fiction twist. Honestly, that’s all I can say about it, other than the fact that the idea behind this was pretty ingenious and it could very well happen with the way society is going. I also find it hilarious that in my logo for my blog, I’m reading Adjustment Day. The cover was too great to ignore, and I found myself reading it for hours on end… unfortunately, it just wasn’t… enough.

14. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gone Girl was an enigma in itself. Not that it was too puzzling to figure out, but the whole plot line is really what hooked me. From the beginning, the first paragraph stood out for me; when Nick describes the back of Amy’s head. So, even before all of the crazy twists and turns, this book already starts out on a rather, unusual note.

I oddly found myself rationalizing with Amy Dunne, and realizing that what she did really did have a reasoning behind it. Plus, her whole plan was just ingenious. The plot twist in this book was seriously unexpected, and the fact that it has the potential to be so realistic is really what brought this book to life.

15. The Merciless IV by Danielle Vega

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ahhh, The Merciless IV. The fourth novel in The Merciless series by Danielle Vega… aka a candy-coated horror novel. Honestly, this series has been hit-or-miss with me. I loved the first two, but I needed more insight on a few of the characters. I really liked how this was set in Italy, and it was just as stomach-churning as the rest of them.

Now, I’m not sure if there’s going to be another installment in this series because it’s called Last Rites, but I’m going to stay hopeful that there is going to be at least one more so Vega can round it off more with Sofia.

16. Providence by Caroline Kepnes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Providence was a very unusual take on a monster story similar to Frankenstein. This book was equally terrifying as it was mind-bending. It left me wanting more throughout the whole thing, and I was filled with hope that Jon would find justice in the end. Kepnes seriously created a masterpiece filled with illusion, self-destruction, love and obsession. I found myself reading it outdoors in my hammock, falling more and more in love with the relationship between Chloe and Jon, but I just wish it could’ve ended in a better place. To prevent spoiling this piece of art, I won’t go any further, just know that if you haven’t read ANY Caroline Kepnes books. You should pick up this one, and then continue onto YOU and Hidden Bodies (there’ll also be a review on these soon!).

17. Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sharp Objects was definitely not a favorite. Going into a Gillian Flynn novel after Gone Girl, I was hoping for it to just have more depth to it. instead, I stumbled in upon characters who were tricky and a little cringy. Honestly, the whole idea behind Camille visiting her hometown, definitely reminded me of whenever I’d visit mine. The quaint little town, the drama, the family, it was all surreal how Flynn captured it in this. Yet, I still wasn’t drawn to it. I ended up taking a while to finish it, and I couldn’t focus on it for too long before I got annoyed. However, I did love the show adaptation of it, even though I’m a little biased towards Amy Adams. I just couldn’t grasp onto reading about the characters that were brought to life. The plot twist at the end wasn’t enough for me to grab her books The Grownup and Dark Places, but I know I’ll inevitably end up buying it on one of my bookstore conquests.

18. I Could Pee On This by Francesco Marciuliano

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Could Pee On This was one of those books that only a true cat lover would love. It felt as though my cats actually wrote each one of these poems, and I found myself actually laughing at the thought. Throughout the whole book, it shows pictures of the “authors,” so not only do you get cute, quirky poems, but you also get cute, quirky photos of the cats themselves. Even though this was an extremely quick read, it still made quite the impact, and instead of having it reside on my “finished” shelf, it now has a place on my desk among a few others.

19. Talking As Fast As I Can by Lauren Graham

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Talking As Fast As I Can was such a hilarious autobiography. While I read it, I heard Lauren Graham’s voice, and shortly after I ended up watching Parenthood and Gilmore Girls. This book really brought to life how difficult it can be to get to where Lauren Graham has gotten. She created a quirky novel that came off as though Lauren Graham was Lorelai Gilmore while she was writing. I got through this autobiography as quickly as she talks, and I’d recommend this to anyone who loves her. Even though there are spoilers to the Gilmore Girls reboot, she does warn about them. So, if you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it! Then check out this book! As someone who doesn’t read very many autobiographies, I found myself so attached to this one that I finished it fairly quickly.

20. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even though Coraline is a children’s book, it was still written very well. I only gave it 4-stars because I didn’t finish it. Before you jump on me for this though, I only didn’t finish it because it was TOO close to the movie. Even though it would’ve been a quick read, I couldn’t imagine my own characters. I love the movie adaptation, but once I already know what the characters look like… the books are almost ruined for me. However, if you like creepy stories, or if your kids like creepy stories, I highly recommend this. Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer, so only you can use your better judgment on this one.

21. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is going to have it’s own review here shortly!

22. Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tell Me Lies was extraordinary and filled with a ton of relationship issues that many authors don’t tend to discuss. Written from both the perspectives of the relationship; the gas-lighter and the “gas-lightee,” this book is unique on its own. I actually found myself uncovering more about Stephen in the beginning chapters than I realized. As someone who’s been a victim of gas-lighting, I was surprised I was able to catch the signs so soon. Stephen was an expert in his craft, and it was frustrating to read about Lucy falling for it over and over again, but I couldn’t put it down. Overall, it was a great read, and definitely one of my top five of 2018.

23. Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

First thing first, if you’re going to read Rosemary’s Baby – don’t; LISTEN TO IT. Like I said before, I don’t really love copping out of “manually” reading a book, but this one was worth it. Mia Farrow herself reads this and incorporates all of the screams and different voices. It really created a world that was just as intense as this was 50-years-ago. Dare I say, it was scarier in the audiobook version than it was in the film adaption or the book itself? Next is Son of Rosemary, and one can only hope she recorded that one as well (update: I just looked it up and it turns out she doesn’t… which is unfortunate).

24. Saving Red by Sonya Sones

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Even though Sonya Sones is a YA writer, Saving Red was a great story. It was unique on its own, and I can say I’ve never read a story like this before. In this story, a 14-year-old named Molly decides to help a homeless woman named Red. She had to have been only a few years older than Molly, but she ended up on the streets. I read this around Christmastime, and surprisingly it was set around the same time. This book was really cute and heartwarming and, even though I don’t read YA novels, I’ve always found that Sonya Sones’ books will always have a special place on my shelves.

25. A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eerily similar to Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, A Simple Favor just wasn’t as appealing to me as I hoped it to be. While I think it was a good standalone book on its own, without comparing it to another book, I think the rating I gave this book was pretty accurate. A Simple Favor, was filled with just the right amount of plot twists, but it was still predictable. Although, as someone who reads thrillers frequently, I’ve found that this is the case for most thrillers at this point anyway. I loved the unique point-of-views, but I still wish it was a little more intense. However, I think this would be a great book for people who are new to the thriller genre. I’ve talked to several people who have loved it, and several who didn’t think it was the best, but if you’re just starting out with thrillers, try this!

26. Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Machado

⭐️⭐️

Her Body and Other Parties received the lowest review of the year, not only because it was a schoolbook… but because it seemed as though it was written purely for shock factor. I couldn’t even make it through some of the chapters, but I had to for school. This book was another that I needed to download the audiobook, and while a few of the chapters were clever, they weren’t good enough for me to rate this any higher.

27. Bait by Chuck Palahniuk

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It’s not unusual that Palahniuk has presented us with a collection of short stories. It certainly isn’t his first collection, and it won’t be his last. However, what makes Bait unique is that there are photos you can color along with.

While I was reading it, I couldn’t put this book down at all. A few of my favorite stories were: Conspiracy, Let’s See What Happens, and Bait. Even though they were all unique, those three really stood out among the eight in the whole book. Plus, the illustrations really rounded it off.

      This slideshow requires JavaScript.

      Danielle’s 2018 Reads Before I eventually end up starting the new year with resolutions and realistically set goals, I need to wrap up 2018.