#arrow 2x07
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235 FAVORITE SHIPS OF ALL TIME (ranked by my followers) 51. oliver queen and felicity smoak - arrow
#olicity#arrowedit#olicityedit#dctvedit#userbettycooper#oliver queen#felicity smoak#arrow#otp: there was no choice to make#**#235ships#mine: arrow#mine: oliver and felicity#arrow 2x07#arrow 4x06#arrow 3x20#arrow 4x08#arrow 3x01#arrow 4x01#arrow 4x09#arrow 7x08#arrow 5x22
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No Choice to Make: Arrow 2x07 Review (State v. Queen)
Is there anything better than Oliver saving Felicity? The correct answer is no. Of course, my feminist side is screaming Felicity can take care of herself (and does in most circumstances), but my inner Gloria Steinem needs to zip it. I want romance novel heroism and âState v. Queenâ delivers on a swoon worthy level.
Letâs dig inâŠ
Olicity
This is easily my favorite Oliver protecting Felicity moment because there are so many nuances in their two primary scenes. However, to understand those nuances we have to review a little background information.
The Count escaped from Iron Heights during the earthquake (and released the Dollmaker while he was at it). I love this explanation for returning villains because it makes total sense. Logic in Arrow is rare jewel â treasure the moment.
Moira's trial is under way, but Diggle is not feeling well. Oliver sends John home, but he collapses in the bunker.
Oliver: I heard you passed out.
Diggle: I told Felicity not to call you.
Felicity: Yeah, but before that you said âgawâ and âthudâ so I didnât take it very seriously.
Felicity has John's blood tested and there are trace amounts of Vertigo in his system. They try Oliverâs antidote, but it doesnât work. Adam Donner, the lawyer prosecuting Moira, also collapses in court due to Vertigo poisoning. The Count kidnaps him and forces him to take the drug to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms. Itâs broadcasted live, so everyone affected knows the only cure is Vertigo.
I feel I would make a pretty good drug lord after watching Breaking Bad, Power and Queen of the South. The key to success is return customers, so this is not a half bad plan. You have to admire the Countâs industriousness. Ghost and Walter White would definitely approve.
Oliver hoods up after Felicity tracks Adam Donnerâs location through the city seal of the Starling Municipal Records Department, which is reflected in Donnerâs eye. Ok, so science is not sciencing in this episode. Felicity is immediately concerned about Oliver.
Felicity: I know what you're thinking.
Oliver: No you don't. I made a choice not put an arrow in this guy and it was the right choice. Thereâs no more killing.
Felicity was concerned Oliver would regret allowing The Count to live, but itâs just the opposite. Heâs doubling down on his vow to Tommy. Oliver is not a conflicted man. He knows he made the right call. That's called growth, my friends.
Felicityâs little assertive nod means she backs Oliverâs decision one hundred percent. In fact, Iâm sure she had a whole speech prepared for why not killing The Count was the right thing to do. Itâs not just Oliver who believes there is a better way â Felicity and Diggle believe it too. This is as much their mission as it is Oliverâs. They also made a vow to Tommy to do better.
Unfortunately, The Count has caught wind that The Arrowâs aim is not lethal these days. The Count holds his arms wide open â an easy shot â and taunts Oliver to kill him, while Donner is held hostage by a henchman. Itâs always a bit of a pickle to determine how Oliver is going to get himself out of these situations without killing. Iâm all in favor of the vow he made, but killing does have some practical applications.
Of course, Oliver always finds another way. He fires on some flammable canisters, which creates a fire in a drug factory â clearly against OSHA regulations. Oliver spins and throws a flechette into the henchmanâs arm, so he drops Donner and they make their escape.
THIS SCENE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. REMEMBER WHAT OLIVER DID.
Felicity and Diggle determine the common denominator between all those poisoned with Vertigo is a flu vaccine, but they need to be sure. Oliver is busy with his motherâs trial at the courthouse and Diggle can barely walk. Felicity decides recon is on her tonight and seeks out the vaccine distribution van. Low and behold, there is an entire shelf of Vertigo in the van, but The Count catches Felicity as she snoops.
Oliver and Thea are waiting for their motherâs verdict, which could be coming at any moment, when he receives a call from Felicity. But itâs not Felicity. Itâs The Count.
The Count: Oliver? Is it okay if I call you Oliver? Surprised to hear from me, right? Not as surprised as I was. You see, I find this⊠not unattractive blonde getting all up in my business. And what does she have on her?
Source: Â laurelscanaryÂ
Oliver can hear Felicity crying on the other line and closes his eyes in absolute horror when he realizes sheâs being held hostage.
The Count: A Queen Consolidated ID badge. Now, I think to myself, why does that name ring a bell? Oliver Queen. He tried to buy off me last year just before the hood put me in a padded cell. Ipso facto, ARROW.
Source: Â laurelscanaryÂ
Oliver doesnât bother to contain his rage and without a second thought leaves the courthouse. Thea calls after him, reminding him that the jury will have a verdict anytime. All Oliver can tell her is that something came up at the office, but he cannot hide shakiness in his voice. Oliver is afraid.
Oliver arrives at Queen Consolidated, suit on but hood down. For practical purposes, he doesnât need to conceal his identity from The Count because he already figured it out â something so many other characters have failed to do with much more information than he had.
But from a symbolical perspective, the hood down is crucially important. Oliver is not here as The Arrow. He is here as Oliver Queen. This is personal to him. So much of this series is about Oliver struggling to reconcile his two halves â the hood and the man, but Felicity is one of the few people who truly knows both sides. He doesnât have to hide with her.
Oliver approaches very slowly. He recognizes The Count has the upper hand and he cannot afford any mistakes. Felicity is zip tied to a chair and The Count holds a gun on her while he strokes her ponytail. That action alone sends the creep factor sky high.
Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet
There is a sexual element to Felicityâs kidnapping. The Count referenced her attractiveness on the phone with Oliver. Now heâs stroking her ponytail. Oliver asks The Count what he wants and he responds, âWorld peace and personal satisfaction. Though not necessarily in that order.â He massages Felicityâs shoulders at âpersonal satisfactionâ in the grossest way possible.
Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet
Itâs a thinly veiled threat of sexual assault, which does not go unnoticed by Oliver. There are few things worse than rape and it serves to amplify Felicityâs terror and Oliverâs powerlessness and rage. If the writers intended to keep Oliver and Felicity strictly platonic they would not introduce this terribly disturbing aspect into the scene.
The Count monologues for a bit longer and tells Oliver someone else hates him almost as much. This mysterious benefactor funded the Vertigo operation, so The Count could draw The Arrow out and kill him. (Spoiler alert: it was Blood).
The Count gets the drop on Oliver and fires off a couple rounds. It forces Oliver to run and dive behind a couch. It always surprised me The Count was able to get the upper hand in this moment, which points to Oliverâs fear for Felicity more than anything. Heâs not thinking strategically when itâs her life in danger. He canât.
The Count cuts the zip ties and grabs Felicity by the ponytail. He drags her to the spot where Oliver was hiding, ready to finish him off, but this time Oliver gets the drop on him. He points an arrow squarely at The Countâs chest, but he is using Felicity as a shield. The Count holds two syringes of Vertigo (a lethal dose) to Felicityâs neck. Itâs important to remember Oliverâs antidote for Vertigo did not work on Diggle.
Source: @yet-i-remain-quiet
Donât ever say to me Felicity Smoak is not a hero. She was willing to die to keep Oliverâs vow to Tommy. Felicity was ready to trade her life for Oliverâs soul. She believes in Oliver, and their mission, that much. What's madness is thinking Oliver would put the vow before her life.
The Count orders Oliver to lower his bow, which he does and tosses the arrow to the floor. Then we see him do something Oliver never does â he tries to negotiate.
Again, Oliver doesnât bother to hide the fear in his voice which makes the negotiating sound a lot like begging.
The Count: Consider this your penalty for making me go to plan B in the first place.
The Count raises the syringes to Felicityâs neck and Oliver manages to pull not one, but three arrows in rapid succession - killing The Count.Â
The look on Oliverâs face when he fires the arrows, tell me two things. First, this kill is emotional. When Oliver shoots to kill he typically only needs one arrow. The Arrow never misses. Three arrows is excessive. It is literally overkill which means one thing â pure rage. Â
Second, the act is instinctual. The rapid succession in which he fires the arrows shows there is something programmed deep in Oliverâs bones to protect Felicity. Her life was threatened and his body simply reacted.
Felicity drops to the floor and The Count crashes through the window. Oliver closes his eyes and exhales like heâs been holding his breath the entire time. I think it is part relief and part regret. He doesnât regret killing that bastard, but regrets he couldnât find another way this time. Â Â
Or was there? Upon this rewatch I noticed a couple things. First, Laurel was held hostage by the Dollmaker and Oliver did not kill him. (Sara did the honors that time). But consider the scene with Donner. Oliver threw a flechette into the henchmanâs hand to free Donner. The henchman let go of Donner as a reflex to the pain. Could Oliver attempt the same with Felicity? Would a flechette in The Countâs arm free her as well?
The point is weâll never know. Oliver made a calculated risk at the municipal when he fired on the flammable liquid and injured, but didnât kill, The Countâs henchman. Oliver was willing to take the risk when Donner and Laurel were involved, but not Felicity.
Iâve been watching a lot of Bridgerton, so the next scene screams romance novel to me.
Source: AARONSWARNER
Oliver makes his way to Felicity who remains crouched on the floor and crying. He gets down on one knee and tenderly touches her shoulder.
Source: AARONSWARNER
Felicity immediately flinches in fear at his touch, so Oliver in a voice so soft itâs almost a whisper, gently reassures her. She finally looks up and sees Oliver staring back at her with concern and love. She exhales with relief.
Source: AARONSWARNER
The shock wears off quickly once she hears Oliverâs voice and feels his hand on her shoulder. Oliverâs first thought is for Felicity, but her first thought is for him. SHIP COUPLES WHO WORRY ABOUT EACH OTHER FOR CLEAR SKIN.
Source: AARONSWARNER
Oliver moves his uninjured arm from Felicityâs shoulder and cups her face. The man has an actual bullet in his shoulder, but can feel no pain because Felicity Smoak is alive and safe. She is all that matters to him.
Source: AARONSWARNER
These physical moments are no small thing. Oliver keeps an extremely rigged line with Felicity that he rarely crosses. Shoulder touches are the maximum physical contact he allows and even those are on rare occasion. But she almost died tonight, so Oliver allows himself to take it one step further and touches Felicityâs face. Oliverâs whispered reassurances in his reserved-for-Felicity-only voice unveil the real intimacy between them. He comforts her. Not in the way Oliver would like, but in the way he can allow. The line is still there, but itâs blurred at the moment.
There is no moment which better encapsulates the two sides of Oliver Queen than this scene. One moment he is a rage filled killer and the next he is a soft spoken, loving and tender man. It is not an accident the two sides merge into one for her. Darkness and light working in perfect cohesion to be the hero Felicity Smoak needed.
Source: @laurelscanary
Oliver makes his way back to the courthouse. He is so visibly shaken that Thea asks Oliver if heâs okay. She touches his injured shoulder and Oliver flinches, but itâs not the bullet thatâs bothering him. He came too close to losing Felicity. Way too close.
Source: @laurelscanary
Sadly, this somewhat reinforces what Oliver said to Felicity in 2x06. There is a direct correlation between proximity to Oliver and danger, so he thinks itâs better to remain emotionally unattached. In his mind, keeping Felicity at armâs length means keeping her safe.
But thereâs what Oliver says and what he feels. He can refuse to acknowledge or act upon his feelings for Felicity, but that does not eradicate them. If Oliver is truly worried about proximity then why does he allow Felicity to be part of the team? Two reasons, Oliver needs Felicity and firmly believes they can protect her. But this was a frightening close call and Oliverâs fear is stemming from a more than friendly place. Felicity Smoak has become too important to him and it is scaring the crap out of him.
Source: FERRISBUELLER
Oliver returns to the bunker after his motherâs verdict to check on Diggle and Felicity. The way he looks Felicity up and down yâall is⊠a lot. Queen Consolidated is formulating a non addictive antidote for the people with Vertigo poisoning. Moira is not guilty. Allâs well that ends well, so Oliver tells Diggle and Felicity to go home and rest.
But Felicity needs to get something off her chest.
Felicity: Oliver, I uhâŠ
The way this man spins at the sound of her voice like he's a golden retriever who saw a squirrel. He is so gone for this woman.
Felicity: I just wanted to say thank you.
Oliver: (nods) Yeah.
Source: laurelscanary
He truly cannot fathom what she is apologizing for and steps much closer than necessary.
Source: laurelscanary
It seems Felicity has inherited a little bit of Oliverâs guilt complex. YOU WERE KIDNAPPED MY PRECIOUS CUPCAKE!!!
Source: laurelscanary
HE. TAKES. HER. HAND. We had a shoulder touch, tender face caressing and now holding hands. At this point, this equivalent to first base for these two. MY BRAIN SHORT CIRCUITED.
Source: laurelscanary
Earlier in the episode, Oliver and Felicity discussed not killing The Count previously and how it was the right decision. Oliverâs certainty in the rightness of the decision solidifies his commitment to his vow to Tommy. It is not something Oliver is questioning or wavering on.Â
But Oliver is not qualifying what happened to Felicity in those terms. This is not about right or wrong. In fact, it wasnât a decision at all. Oliver was not calculating the risks. Oliver was not thinking about a vow, or honoring his best friend, or the mission. His only thought was Felicity and her safety. Oliver simply reacted. All he could see was Felicity. All he could feel was the unbridled rage that came from anyone threatening her life. It is programmed deep into Oliverâs bones to protect Felicity. There is no rational thought when it comes to her.
Nor does he care if it was right or wrong now. Oliver is not Monday morning quarterbacking the situation. Someone raised a hand to her, so that person is dead. End of discussion.
There is a war happening between Oliverâs mind and his heart. Oliver was clearly thinking with his head when he told Felicity in 2x06 that he will not allow himself to love her. But this episode was a completely different story. Sometimes life and death circumstances bring a much needed moment of clarity. Oliver may believe he has a choice whether or not he loves Felicity, but his actions show his heart knows different. There is no choice to make.
Moira Queen
The trial is not going well, so Moira is forced to testify. Laurel is lead prosecutor now that Donner is infected with Vertigo. "Conflict of Interest" is flashing in a neon sign. On any planet in the solar system, Laurel would recuse herself. THE INSANITY GIVES ME A MIGRAINE.
Laurel also decides sheâd like to get disbarred and visits Moira in prison because they are âfamily." Yack. Give me a break. She doesnât want Moira to take the stand because Laurel will have to prosecute her to the best of her ability and use their smoking gun. Sure, because now she cares about legal procedure.
So, Moira comes clean to Oliver and Thea and tells them she had a one night stand with Malcolm Merlyn while married to their father. The kids are shocked to say the least. Oliver has a solid case of the yicks. Thea is more than a little angry since she accused her mother of having an affair with Merlyn last year. Moira assures Thea it was not an affair, so technically she didnât lie. Moira should teach Professional Gaslighting 101.
Inexplicably, Moira is found not guilty. (In my notes: Hahaha suck it Laurel)
Even Oliver is wondering what the fuck just happened. Upon release from prison, Moira is driven to a secret location to meet up with none other than MALCOLM MERLYN. His explanation for being alive is basically, âIâm a super awesome actor and faked it.â Oliver â did you check his pulse? What happened to the body? Did we miss a step Team Arrow? CLEARLY WE DID.
Merlyn bought the jury and Moiraâs freedom (Ummm thanks I guess?) so he can deliver the second bomb. He ran a DNA test and knows heâs Theaâs father. PLOT TWIST! Honestly, this makes a lot of sense. I wasn't that surprised. Thea looks more like Tommy than she does Oliver.
Wait, this means Thea kissed her brother. Are we just going to Star Wars this and never talk about it again? Works for me.
Stray Thoughts
Oh shut up Laurel. Quit your bitching - me every time she opens her mouth lately.
Ivo is looking for the hosen because it contains coordinates to a sub that sunk in WWII. Whatever is on the sub can save the world. Shado and Oliver hope it can save Slade, so Team Island is going on a submarine field trip!
Slade has burns on half his body and yet he can still move. The man is not human.
"I have this thing about needles, all pointy things, which is ironic given who we work for.â I just love her so much.
David Ramsey is so enormous he doesnât fit on the table. The mind cannot conceive of all that muscle.
 âMom secrets are what put you into this situation. Secrets and lies. And now is the time to give truth its day.â Oh the irony, Oliver.
Donner took drugs on live television. Re-election is going to be a real bitch for the DA.
I like the Theaâs boxing moment with Roy. Nice foreshadowing. Girl is going to have a lot of rage to work through.
Laurel did make a good point about Walter and Merlyn. See? I can be positive about her.
OLIVER. STOP. ASKING. LAUREL. IF. SHE. IS. OK. Her whole âhow can you possibly forgive meâ speech was also nauseating and not believable. I like her better drunk.
âIâm pretty sure they arenât interested in Buddhism.â Slade is burned over half his body but he jokes.
30-30-175-12 Iâm sure that has something to do with the comics but I donât care.
Some guy named Cyrus survived Bloodâs Frankenstein experiment. So thatâs not good.
Listen to the Watchover podcast reaction to 2x07!!!
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#arrow#arrow 2x07#olicity#olicity 2x07#arrow reviews#arrow episode review#arrow review#oliver and felicity#oliver queen#felicity smoak#john diggle#moira queen#thea queen#anti laurel lance#malcolm merlyn#arrow season 2 episode review#arrow season 2 episode reviews#watchover#watchover with jen and calli#watchover podcast#season 2 episode review#season 2 episode reviews
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MALCOLM MERLYN IâM GOING TO STAB YOU
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i like the count's coat
#arrow#2x07 rewatch#style things#count vertigo#he's creepy#i like his outfit tho#also i find it kinda funny him playing with felicity's ponytail
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What did Sauron meant by âNot All of Itâ in 2x08?
Did Sauron deceive Galadriel all along, when he was pretending to be âjust Halbrandâ? Was he even pretending, to begin with? Did he seduced her on purpose and to manipulate her? Which part was true? And what was the deception?
To find the answer, we need to look at the visual clues, more specifically the color code of Sauron in âRings of Powerâ:
Red
Red is a color that, in âRings of Powerâ, has appeared in association with Sauronâs deceptions and treachery, over and over again.
On the negative side, the color red is, symbolically associated with danger, aggression, dominance, power and betrayal. In some cultures, red is associated with evil and death.
2x01: Sauron demands the Orcsâ allegiance (and heâs accused of straight-out lying, in this scene).
1x05: Galadrielâs vision on PalantĂr has a red stripe to foreshadow the âfall of NĂșmenorâ plot (triggered by Sauron).
1x05 and 1x06: Bits of red on Halbrandâs NĂșmenĂłrean armor = King of the Southlandsâ deception.
1x07: Halbrand injury on the blast of Mount Doom, and creation of Mordor.
2x01: Adar and his tale of Sauron giving him red wine on *that* peak.
2x02: Celebrimbor falling prey to Sauronâs deception (heâs wearing red + red wine).
2x02: The background of Galadrielâs vision about Celebrimbor.
2x03: Ar-PharazĂŽn wears red to MĂrielâs coronation to foreshadow the âfall of NĂșmenorâ plot (triggered by Sauron).
2x07: The missing ruby on FĂ«anorâs hammer (Sauronâs illusion on Celebrimbor).
2x07: Sauron displays the red blood on his wound (to instigate the guards to confine Celebrimbor in the forge tower for him to finish the Nine).
2x08: The arrows that Sauron shots at Celebrimbor (the ultimate betrayal).
Green
Then we have green, the complementary color to red (meaning they are in opposite sides of the color wheel). In Design, there is an unspoken rule that âred and green should not be seen togetherâ. Hence its safe to admit that green, in Sauronâs color code in âRings of Powerâ, also serves the opposite purpose of red.
Green is the color of health (healing), and is symbolically associated with hope, growth, rebirth, balance, fertility and prosperity.
1x02: Sauron first meets Galadriel (a new beginning, full of hope and potential).
1x02: The stone on Halbrandâs pouch (King of the Southlands heraldry) is green (the ânew lifeâ and âsome place betterâ that Diarmid promises him in 2x01);
1x04: Halbrand garments on NĂșmenor.
2x01: When Sauron ârebirthsâ as Halbrand form.
2x06: Celebrimbor starts to wear green once he begins to suspect Annatarâs intentions (the deception begins to crack).
In Season 2, this color becomes highly associated with Galadriel herself, as we see her wearing green dresses. This color is also used by Mirdania, at Eregion, a character that reminds Sauron of Galadriel (and he says so, himself), and the possibility of redemption he was denied.
To further solidify the idea of the colors green/red having opposite purposes/meaning in Sauronâs color code in âRings of Powerâ; in 2x02, we see Celebrimbor wearing red, at Eregion; and Galadriel wearing green, in Lindon. This is meant to show to the audience that these two characters have different places in Sauronâs character arc.
Itâs also worth mentioning that, in Season 2, both Mirdania and Celebrimbor were wearing green when Sauron killed them, symbolically marking the end of his redemption arc.
Blue
Halbrand/Sauron wears blue in 1x08, the episode where Halbrand is revealed to be Sauron. Blue is considered the ultimate âcolor of truthâ and intuition.
Blue is symbolically associated with wisdom, imagination, loyalty, order and creation. In some cultures, blue is also associated with freedom, inspiration, sincerity and faith.
In 1x07, Halbrand/Sauron wears a blue cloak when he travels to Eregion with Galadriel, to be healed by the Elves. Throughout History, blue has been associated with royalty, yes, but this is a odd color for Sauron to wear, nonetheless.
In 1x08, while at Eregion, Halbrand/Sauron is also wearing blue, after his healing and while working at the forge (and ânerding outâ with Celebrimbor).
Based on Tolkien lore, I would say that blue, in âRings of Powerâ, is associated with Mairon (not Sauron), since it symbolizes the qualities he was designed to embody by Eru himself, before Morgothâs corruption: goodness, trustworthy, creation, and order.
This could provide an explanation as to why Sauron didnât âsoiledâ the Three Elven rings of power with evil, when he spent so much time at Eregion with Celebrimbor in 1x08, handling the mithril and testing different alloys, and the âeye of Sauronâ even appears as the metals combine to make the Three.
What we, the audience, saw in 1x08 was a glimpse of the original Mairon (blue), after his healing process (redemption) was triggered by Galadrielâs light (green). At the beginning, Mairon was one of the most powerful Maiar, and the purest one, too. And these were the qualities that transferred onto the Three, in contrast with the cruelty, malice and deception of the Seven and Nine. More; this can also explain the healing properties of the Three (because Mairon, himself, was healing).
When Mairon is tortured by Waldreg and the Orcs, at Adarâs orders, in 2x01, heâs also wearing blue. This is a callback to the unspeakable tortures he endured under Morgoth, to bind him to darkness, and to power. Hence, the repentant Mairon begins to disappear, making way to Sauron.
What all of this means?
Red (the color associated with Sauronâs deception) only appeared on Halbrand/Sauron and Galadriel interactions, back on Season 1, on two occasions:
When he accepts to be âKing of the Southlandsâ;
His injury due to eruption of Mount Doom (to bring him into Elven territory).
The use of the colors green and blue on Sauronâs arc in Season 1, can confirm that Sauron was, indeed, on his ârepentant eraâ.
âHalbrandâ was the original Mairon, and we see a lot of his primordial personality traits (before Morgothâs corruption) on Halbrandâs character: good, loyal, generous, creative and highly intelligent. Charismatic but a bit withdrawn (he only opens up with Galadriel). Not outright antisocial but usually on the background, a follower and not a leader (the Maia in service of a Vala). And of course, his love and talent for smithing and craftsmanship (Maia of AulĂ«).
The âHalbrandâ that Galadriel fell in love with, was, in fact, âMairon the Admirableâ seeking redemption.
Halbrand/Mairon wears green because heâs seeking redemption and a new beginning (rebirth);
Galadriel starts to be visually associated with this color because sheâs the embodiment of the redemption Marion seeks;
Halbrand wears blue in 1x07 and 1x08 because âredeemed Maironâ is starting to come through.
Why was Halbrand/Mairon shamelessly flirting with Galadriel, then?
Because repentant Mairon was attracted to her, on a physical and spiritual level (they are both immortal spirits).
Iâll quote myself, here:
Mairon was created by Eru as a Maia of Aulë, the Vala (God) of smithing and handiwork, yes. He was among the most powerful Maiar. Eru created him to be good and trustworthy, but also to love several things: crafting, creation, beauty, order and perfection, and to dislike wastefulness.
And who better embodies the qualities of âbeautyâ and âperfectionâ than Galadriel herself? Her beauty is the stuff of legends, and everyone is at awe when they first meet her. Her very gold/silver hair inspired the most legendary jewels in existence: the Silmarils. The light of the Two Trees of Valinor shine on her hair and eyes. How could Sauron/Mairon not love her? Thatâs the question. Sheâs the materialization, the physical form, of everything he was designed to love.
The color code on Sauronâs arc in âRings of Powerâ tells us, the audience, that the mutual attraction and connection Halbrand/Mairon and Galadriel shared was real. It wasnât a deception on his part, nor did it had any hidden motive.
Mairon flirted with Galadriel because, like they say, he really wanted to âtap thatâ, âshake the sheets (or the forge table)â, âNetflix and chillâ all night long, whatever you prefer. And she wanted the same, as confirmed by Charlotte BrĂ€ndström.
In both 1x05 and 1x06, when Halbrand/Mairon shares intimate moments with Galadriel, the bits of red (deception) of his armor are hidden, either by a cloak, or by camera work (focus on his face). This artistic choice means there was no deception there. It was real.
And both Sauronâs deceptions with Galadriel, back in Season 1, had the purpose of keeping her close to him:
Accepting the âKing of the Southlandâ role: Galadriel was leaving for Middle-earth, leaving him behind in NĂșmenor;
Bringing him into Elven territory: Mairon didnât know Galadriel would take him to Eregion to meet Celebrimbor (in show canon, she lives in Lindon, not Eregion).
Why? Because Mairon craved her light, and, like it has been established by the color code, Galadriel embodies the redemption he desperately seeks. Hence, he wants to be around her, and keeping her close. Galadriel represents his chance of redeeming himself after everything he has done under Morgoth.
And, in 1x08, when Galadriel denies his offer, it symbolizes the denial of his redemption:
Galadriel: You are a friend of Morgothâs.
Sauron: When Morgoth was defeated, it was as if a great, clenched fist had released its grasp from my neck. And in the stillness of that first sunrise, at last, I felt the light of The One again. And I knew if ever I was to be forgiven⊠That I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin.
Galadriel: No penance could ever erase the evil you have done.
Mairon, then realizes, there will be no redemption for him. Redemption and Galadrielâs light have been denied to him. And, so, he falls back into his old ways under Morgoth, back into evil.
They say that Morgoth found the Silmarils so beautiful that after heâd stolen them, for weeks he could do nothing but stare into their depths. It was only after one of his tears fell upon the jewels and he was faced with the evil of his own reflection that the reverie was finally broken. From that moment, he looked upon their light no more. FĂ«anor's work nearly turned the heart of the Great Foe himselfâŠâ
Celebrimbor to Elrond, 1x01
It's not strength that overcomes darkness but light. For in its presence, all darkness must flee.
Celebrimbor to Galadriel, 2x07
In the vision Mairon shows Galadriel in 1x08, there is no red (deception), only blue and light. The spikes of his crown are, also, fading away, meant to symbolize his redemption, with Galadriel at his side. A lot of fans assume this is a vision of Dark!Galadriel, but they are wrong.
This means that Galadriel, indeed, could have helped Mairon achieve the redemption he was seeking.
We foresaw that if Galadrielâs search should have continued, she might have inadvertently kept alive the very evil she sought to defeat. For the same wind that seeks to blow out a fire may also cause its spread.
Gil-galad to Elrond, 1x01
The true meaning of this quote is: Galadriel didnât f*cked up because she found Halbrand/Sauron and brought him back to Middle-earth. She screwed up because she denied Mairon his chance at redemption: not only by rejecting him, but, mostly, because she exposed him at Eregion and cause him to flee.
It was Galadrielâs pride that caused her to confront and expose Halbrand as Sauron. The pride that every single character has been warning her about, and the reason why sheâs banished from Valinor, in the first place. Yet, she couldnât bring herself to tell Celebrimbor and Elrond about Halbrandâs true identity because, yes, of her wounded pride. And she allows the Three rings of power to be made.
In âRings of Powerâ, it was Galadrielâs pride that condemned Middle-earth to Sauronâs tyranny, and I hope the show explores this further.
In Season 2, Sauron still believes that he, truly, wants to heal Middle-earth. But this isnât the case anymore, because his redemption was cut short. This is confirmed by Celebrimbor in 2x07, when he says to Sauron/Annatar: âyou truly are the Great Deceiver. You can even deceive yourself.â
But that boat has sailed. There is no more redemptionâs arc for Mairon. That was Season 1. In Season 2, heâs now embracing his arc as âshadow of Morgothâ. And so, green and blue wonât be present on his color code anymore, as red takes the spotlight, alongside black to embody his role as the new Dark Lord.
What now?
Sauron and Galadriel are now bound together, since he forced their bloods to unite using Morgothâs crown, in 2x08. They now have a open line to each otherâs soul, mind and everything else. And this will come into play in Season 3.
One of Galadrielâs inner conflicts in Season 2 was the idea that âHalbrandâ was nothing more than one of Sauronâs illusions and that he deceived her, all along. In Season 3 and through being bound together with Sauron, sheâll probably realize this isnât the case, and that Halbrand was very much real, and, in fact, Mairon in seek of redemption. How will this play out, I have no idea. But thereâs a lot of potential here.
And in Season 2 we were told that Elven memories donât dim. Meaning; the memory of Halbrand/Mairon and their love for each other and âwhat could have beenâ, will haunt Galadriel forever (yes, even after Celeborn returns).
#saurondriel#haladriel#galadriel#sauron#sauron x galadriel#galadriel x sauron#galadriel x halbrand#haladriel is canon#Halbrand#mairondriel#saurondriel speculation#saurondriel theory#the rings of power#rings of power
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Top 5 Adar who FUCKS moments?
LMAO okay, just off the top of my head and in no particular order:
-the one that made us all collectively Lose Our Minds. i'm so glad i caught up with ROP just in time that this could be my first (maybe second) live episode and i could experience the mass Awakeningâą that occurred because of this moment.
-he likes to be held at knifepoint by girlbosses but he ALSO likes to choke out twinks. he has the range.
-making halbrand put his head in the dirt at his feet to swear loyalty to him. he was fully suspecting halbrand was sauron at this point and STILL chose to humiliate him even further and piss him off even more AND be kinky about it in the process, just because he could.
-sitting atop his throne in the 1 moment of true contentment he got to have in between thousands of years of torment and then more shit immediately hitting the fan
-screencaps don't do this one near enough justice, but when he fiiiiiinally enters the battlefield in 2x07 and just TANKS through everyone there (and catches an arrow in midair). he đ fucks đ
and honorable mentions to:
"[calmly puts out the flaming arrow galadriel shot at him with his hand] a star shines on the hour of our meeting, lady galadriel" like sir leave some rizz for the rest of us good god (in hindsight i think this was probably my Hot Adar Who Fucks awakening and my adariel shipping awakening, and then the knife-throat moment in the next episode just solidified it)
"why didn't you defeat sauron back then?" "because i hadn't yet met you" or whatever, once again, leave some rizz for the rest of us
channeling his inner mr. darcy by creating some period-drama-5-alarm-spice Hand Shots with galadriel
"you have the beauty of your foremother and if you've also inherited her wisdom then you'll know you can't defeat me in battle" just tell elrond you want him to be your pretty little sugar baby, it would be quicker
i will also add an s1 moment, when galadriel threatens to obliterate him and calls him an orc and puts a knife to his throat and he just looks at her and quietly corrects her "uruk" and almost smiles a little, homeboy was Ready to be on the receiving end of some knifeplay but alas sauron interrupted
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Takashi Natsume Whump | Natsumes Book of Friends
1x01 Slammed against tree, trips, lonely childhood, pinned 1x02 Head grabbed x2, nightmare, passes out (18:30) 1x03 Lonely childhood, jumped, [flashback; heartbroken, crying] 1x04 Falls down the stairs 1x05 Restrained x2 1x06 Passes out, possessed, head thwacked, elbowed, nearly trampled, crying 1x08 Falls off cliff, trips 1x09 Trips, caught mid-air (kinda hot ngl), nightmare, restrained x2, choked, caught in spell 1x10 Pinned, possessed, carried, sneeze, nightmare, jumps off cliff, unconscious 1x12 Cursed, worsening pain, head thwacked, trips 1x13 Trips
2x01 Ball to the face, choked, nose thwacked, pinned, grabbed 2x02 Nightmare, choked, hands burned 2x03 Restrained, dragged, nightmare, subconsciously crying 2x04 Trips 2x05 Fever, passes out (10:10) 2x06 Nightmare, cursed, captured 2x07 Missing/captured, restrained by the neck x2, falls down cliff, rope burns, poisoned/youkai blindness, head thwacked, knocked down, passes out 2x08 Thrown out the window, choked, drowning 2x09 Uppercutted, freaked out x2, coughing, knocked unconscious, fever, passes out 2x10 Chewed, weak 2x11 Arm bit 2x12 Uppercutted, bullied, hand bleeding, bandaged, tackled 2x13 Depressed, restrained, knocked unconscious
3x01 Passes out (06:30), collapse/unconscious (09:35), shoulder painfully bit 3x02 Choked 3x03 Lonely/bullied childhood, nightmare, snatched 3x04 [Childhood; bullied, ambushed x10, crying] 3x05 Choked, freaked out x3, mini-smacked x18, SNATCHED, knocked unconscious 3x06 Choked, dropped from the sky, knocked down x3, pinned, dragged, knocked unconscious 3x07 Captured, restrained, large fall down cave, grazed by arrow, bleeding, knocked down, held 3x09 Falls down bridge, freaked out (09:00), pinned, crying (happy tears :)), fingers pricked x4, knocked unconscious, nurses bed 3x10 Mirror absorbs into eye, great eye pain x5, head grabbed 3x11 Mirror absorbs into eye, hit with hammer 3x12 Collapse, fever, nightmare/jolted awake, subconsciously crying [Flashback; knocked unconscious, flown off a cliff, hospitalized, crying] 3x13 Lonely childhood, falls into pit
4x01 Manhandled, choked, knocked down, captured, briefly unconscious, restrained, catslapped 4x02 Imprisoned, knocked down, falls down slope 4x03 Hands scratched up, poisoned, pain, choked, cheek grazed, restrained 4x04 Pinned, protected 4x05 [Flashbacks; lonely, neglected] 4x06 Trapped in a bottle 4x07 Trapped cont., scared, collapse, exhausted 4x09 Knocked off the balcony, knocked unconscious (log trap) 4x10 Panicked running/trips, passes out, sick from exhaustion 4x11 Passes out, nightmare, parent lore, denial, crying, emotional pain 4x12 Childhood bullies/trauma, manipulated, restrained, catslapped, possessed 4x13 Possessed cont., unconscious, [Childhood; emotional pain x3, scared, bullied, hit x20], choked, crying
5x01 Nightmare, jolted awake, passes out, scared, squeezed 5x03 Blackmailed 5x04 Choked x3, manhandled 5x05 Unconscious (20:20) 5x06 Pinned, voice taken, soft coughing x5 5x07 Passes out 5x09 Tired as fork 5x10 (Different POV of 3x16; Lonely, bandaged/after hospital) 5x11 Fever, collapse, hallucinating, very sick for multiple days, headache, nightmare, worsening sickness 5x12 Passes out, carried 5x13 Repetitive nightmare, tired
6x01 Transformed as child, amnesia, manipulated, terrified 6x03 Freaked out x3, pinned 6x04 Knocked off roof, pinned, SNATCHED 6x05 Head bonked, awakes/cared for 6x06 [Flashbacks; lonely, nightmare, found unconscious] 6x10 Squeezed
#whump#emotional whump#whump list#whumplist#anime whump#natsume#natsume takashi#natsume takashi whump#takashi natsume#takashi natsume whump#natsumes book of friends#natsumes book of friends whump
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Hi ace âșïž!!!!! My fav trope is forced to watch/listen (especially if they are in the same room and whumper does nothing to the caretaker but keep asking them to reveal their secrets if they want it to stop đ) but I cant find nearly enough of this trope
So if you know any media with this trope in it can you share ?đ„°
(Also it has nothing to do with the ask but whenever I think of people outside of tumblr I imagine them with their pfp so your face is aaron in my mind sk3kdkdk đ
)
Mmmm yes that is a very good trope and yes it's also hard to find. Sometimes it pops up in fanfiction but off hand I can't think of any (I read so many it's hard to remember sometimes and I haven't updated my masterlist in a little while with tropes). Let me see what I got to rec.
My immediate thought was Chicago P.D. 3x01 when the team watches via video while Jay Halstead is beaten and tortured.
Hawaii Five-0 10x22 Steve is forced to watch a beaten and bloodied Danny through a video sent to him.
There's also this scene in Red Notice where the Rock and Ryan Reynolds are tied up and The Rock's character is tortured.
In Iron Man 3 Tony is forced to watch as Pepper is injected with Extremis
The Following 2x07 has a scene where Mike Weston is forced to watch
Stargate Atlantis 3x07 John is tortured and a video of it is shown to the team.
Stargate SG-1 5x07 Danny is forced to watch Jack be tortured
Legends of Tomorrow 1x05 Mike and Ray are tortured in front of Stein.
Arrow 1x18 Roy is tortured in front of the others via video.
Killjoys 1x05 D'Avin is tortured and Johnny watches the video
Graceland 1x08 Mike Warren is forced to watch and participate in torturing someone.
Falling Skies 5x05 has a great listening scene
Avengers Infinity War Loki watches as Thor gets tortured
Teen Wolf 3x04 Derek is tortured by the Alpha pack while his sister Cora has to watch
A Discovery of Witches 3x06 Matthew is tortured in front of Diana
Hudson & Rex 3x09 when Charlie is buried alive and the team is shown him via live video
Sense8 2x11 (finale) when Wolfgang is captured and tortured
NCIS 3x08 when Tony gets beaten in front of Ziva and NCIS 7x01
9-1-1 5x17 when Chim is tortured in front of Hen
Also, to your last point, that's so funny and I honestly do the same thing and I'm honored to be seen as just Aaron Tveit running this blog lol.
#whump#whump recs#forced to watch#forced to listen#tortured in front of a loved one#mod replies#ask#tropes
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in reference to what i mean in this post bc now i'm just thinking about meta as a structured debate it'd go like (arrows for 'rebuttals')
I see Callum as more focused on the greater good because he left Harrow in 1x03 in order to help return the egg â That's one of the reasons I see Callum as selectively loyal to just Rayla and Ezran in the manner / have never posited that Harrow was part of his 'inner circle'. He cares about the greater good but will ultimately put Ez and/or Rayla above it when push comes to shove, and he knew the castle wasn't a safe place for the egg or his brother.
Building on that idea of Callum's loyalty being tethered to Ezran, in 1x06 Callum is willing to leave Ezran under the ice to retrieve the egg, even if he's worried, showing he is willing to put the mission and the egg's safety first. â I view that interaction as one Callum reluctantly participates in given the fact he 1) is stopped by Rayla from going after Ezran, 2) has to be convinced not to, and 3) doesn't settle down until Rayla points out they have to stay up on the surface in order to be able to pull Ezran out.
Unlike Viren (pre-5x09) and Claudia, Callum is disgusted and put off by dark magic, showing that he has a different view of dark magic than they do. â I agree that Callum has a different view of dark magic than either Viren or Claudia do - he's not using it for power (Viren), appearances, or casual uses (Claudia), but that just emphasizes his choice to use it, which from 2x07 onwards always felt very "I know something is Wrong and I will do it anyway," as while we can understand and rationalize his decision in 5x08 as 'not that bad', he is clearly fucked up over it and does view as something bad. He just did it anyway, which in some ways makes it all worse.
For both cases, information and specific examples are being offered to explain the interpretations. If someone does view Harrow as having been in Callum's inner circle, than an interpretation of Callum being more globally focused makes sense, but if you're like me and you don't view Harrow and Callum's dynamic that way, then you're probably going to lean more towards Callum not only being selectively loyal but prioritizing that loyalty, etc etc. Understanding where people diverge and then respecting it accordingly by being able to provide well thought out, consistent examples for either (or both) interpretations for a character is not only a great way to gear up a brain for more analysis, but can also help you greatly develop worlds, stories, and characters of your own.
#analysis series#the english major strikes again#snake boi callum#anyway im done on this subject and will shut up now i promise
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Jess Watches // Mon 3 June // Day 250 & Tues 4 June // Day 251 Synopses & Favourite Scenes & Poll
Julia (with mum) 2x07 Shrimp and Grits
After receiving an invitation from the White House, the WGBH crew travels down to the nation's capital for a chance to film inside the president's own kitchen.
Avis getting blacklisted at the White House for being vocally anti-war and gleefully going back home only to see her new boyfriend has just slept with his student. Tbf to the student, I too would want Avis to teach me about life. And the bus bench conversation between Alice and Zephyr, how sometimes you can say more with a whisper. Also, Judith & Blanche's mutual love confessions speeches were lovely.
Fallout 1x03 The Head
The Wasteland's got its own Golden Rule.
Maximus getting scammed out of 5 caps for a 2-second repair job. And his day just kept getting worse, poor lad. Lucy was also having a no good, very bad day getting drowned as bait and put on a leash. Give these kids a break already. A warm blanket and some freshly made soup.
Sweet Kaaram Coffee (with mum) 1x04 Break From A Break
The trio recover what they have lost, but they are lost now. They seek respite in the unknown.
The flashbacks/forwards seeing the lives they could've/would've led if they had made different choices. Bonding over their shared heartache.
Frasier (with mum) 6x12 Our Parents, Ourselves (mid-season break)
Frasier is a wannabe Cupid when he arranges a supposedly chance meeting between Martin and Roz's visiting mother, but the love arrow gets bent when Frasier learns that his father can't stand the old 'gasbag.'
Martin has enough on his plate with his two gasbag sons Frasier and Eddie Niles. He can only tolerate so much.
#julia hbo#fallout#fallout tv series#fallout prime#sweet kaaram coffee#frasier#polls#tumblr polls#jess watches#day 250#day 251
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11k celebration: top 50 m/f friendships (as voted by my followers) #35. oliver queen and thea queen - arrow
#oliver x thea#arrowedit#dctvedit#olivergifs#dailyflarrowgifs#oliver queen#thea queen#arrow#**#11kcelebration#mine: arrow#mine: oliver and thea#arrow 2x21#arrow 2x07#arrow 6x16#arrow 1x03#arrow 3x03#arrow 6x07#arrow 5x09#arrow 2x13
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I make no apologies for the Polin gif fest that is about to befall this blog. I will also probably have to write some thoughts on this season because as I am sure you've all noticed - I'm obsessed.
Arrow 2x07 is up next for review!!!
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If I had a nickel for everytime an Arrowverse hero received a back related injury from a villain dressed in all black âduring their first encounter with said villainâ that caused them to lose confidence in themselves and have flashbacks during training that are totallyyyyyyyy not symptoms of PTSDâ nopeâ theyâre fineeeee
Iâd have two nickels. Which isnât a lot, but itâs weird that it happened twice right?
#also if it were just for when a villain dressed in all black beat the shit out of the hero in their first encounterâ Iâd have three#arrow posting#arrow#arrow 1x10#the flash#the flash 2x07#oh and I also kinda hate both episodes#ok fine I hardly remember the arrow one but Iâm watching it rn so weâll see#my posts#barry allen#oliver queen#I FUCKING HATE GORILLA WARFARE. I HATE IT I HATE IT
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I liked 2x07 though tbh I yelled at the screen so much that the staying-home-sick-from-school kid came upstairs to find out what was going on
In no particular order:
âBut sheâs your auntie! On both sides!â
âNice reverse callback to Isengardâ
âBut Bronwyn isnât waiting for you in Mandos, she canât, you know thatâ
âOh jeez that wedge formation is too tightly packedâ stopping without a pileup? Really??â
âWhy are yâall taking *aim*, just do arrow volleysâ
âEpic metal character song and heâs gone just like that??â
âOMG heâs gonna Lancer all of themâ (Fate franchise reference)
and of course âThere goes the Celebrian theoryâ
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slade is so awesome
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