#awkward 4x05

[gotskamstuff]

Hi lovely people, this is the awkward post where I self insert my own creations (?) and I pretend not to feel vulnerable about it!

You can find me on AO3 as NinaFiona and I mainly (actually only as of now) write about OBX Jiara!🤍

Outer Banks - Jiara:

• I can run but I can’t hide (from my family line) (Ao3 link)

Picking up the story right where we left it on 4x05 with JJ dealing with this life shuttering revelation, breaking the news to everyone and learning how to accept it thanks to Kie’s help…while also dealing with some complications.

• Anything for you (Ao3 link)

The story of how JJ and Kie became Jiara in a collection of missing moments throughout the years, from locked doors, Kiara’s kook year, Poguelandia and more!

• This time next year (Ao3 link)

A lot of Jiara's firsts were lost in the 18 months time jump, so here is them celebrating their first anniversary and simply being disgustingly in love with each other! (some sort of sequel to "Anything for you" BUT it can 100% still be taken separately)

• If the world was ending you’d come over, right? (Ao3 link)

During her Kook year Kiara finds herself in trouble and she'll find the courage to reach out to JJ to ask for help, hopefully getting her best friend back.

• It will be alright (Ao3 link)

A little missing moment on how the Pogues dealt with Sarah and John B’s disappearance set between S1 and S2; as long as the three of them kept that promise of being a Pogue for life it was going to be alright just like JJ told her and she believed it.

• Don’t hide from me (Ao3 link)

Taking it all the way back to S1, this takes place during episode 1x08 the night Kie and Pope have the fight on the Pogue over her Kook year and JJ is there to pick up the pieces as he discovers what truly happened during Kiara’s year at the Kook Academy.

• Everything to lose (Ao3 link)

10 months after returning home from South America JJ is finally living the life of his dreams: financial stability, a houseboat, a business of his own and most importantly Kiara by his side but when Luke makes a sudden appearance back in Kildare, JJ will be forced to face his past and find the strength to close the last chapter of the life he left behind ‘cause for the first time he has something to lose.

[oswidower]

Snowpiercer 4x05 Reaction + Major Spoilers

No Oz in this episode. Sad.

Lots of major things happening though!

Dubbs is back! Ngl, I completely forgot about that man hahaha

I still wonder if Nima is Alex's father. Both socially awkward smarty pants. He probably is but through some scientific insemination way.....

Ruth, I love you. You made it back to the the correct train just in the knick of time. Thank you Tristan for buying her that last second.

Ruth is such a cutie, holding that baton ready to whack the guards to help Layton.

OMG RIP Ben. Thank you for your service. Once they started playing that emotionally sad music when him and Bess were talking I thought it might be the end for him.

Thank God for Miles. Imagine if they didn't have him on the train going back to New Eden... They would have been left with no engineers meaning they would have all died!

We saw Liana. She's safe... for the most part...

[raayllum]

i also think one of the reasons Rayllum works whenever they have a solo (couples?) quest is because the circumstances leading up to said solo adventure make sense.

In S3 in particular, it's because Ezran has made the choice to go back, and while it does mean he'll interact with his brother and their friend less, it does flesh him out even more as an individual, and the core group (the main trio) was already pretty small. This is particularly true as the second a travelling companion is introduced (Nyx) she's meant to be an obtrusive obstacle and a threat, not necessarily a buffer.

In S4 when the whole group is together for the bulk of the season, we see different dynamics be explored through scenes and dialogue: we get to see more of Soren and Callum, Ezran and Rayla, Soren and Rayla, and of course the broyals, often times with scenes developing multiple relationships (4x05 in particular is great with this).

In S5 you could argue the split going a little bit more either way, but it still lets Callum and Rayla have more time to flesh out their dynamic (5x01, 5x02, 5x04 in particular) before taking more of a backseat in other episodes (5x03, 5x06, 5x07, 5x09) other than one or two small moments. And again we can assume in S6 that Ezran's duties as king will be what keeps him in Katolis, the same way he went off to deal with dragon diplomacy things earlier, and because Callum and Rayla both have the most individual incentive to go to the Starscraper / set up with Aaravos at this time.

Meanwhile in other shows, I've had it happen where it feels like the show is shoving two characters together by forcing them to regularly spend one-on-one times in ways they would not, and not only does it lead to a less than well developed romance, it also forces them to spend significant chunks of time away from the rest of the main cast (think 4 other main characters) for no real discernible reason other than to have awkward romantic tension.

[spinelli-gemelli]

A Degrassi Essay Series About Rick Murray

(Part 5)

In the last post we looked at those students who antagonized Rick in their interactions with him. Let's now focus on those who served as his allies in what was otherwise a miserable school environment for him. This will be a fun post to write considering all of the following characters have different reasons for why they're interacting with Rick, yet they all seemed to have left a strong, positive impact on him.

Darcy

I'm starting with little Miss Edwards because she is the most neutral towards Rick out of everyone on the list. She agreed to kiss Rick for five dollars, Toby being the one to pay her. Because she's a freshman, or as they say in Canada, in Grade 9, she is unaware of who Rick is and why everyone at Degrassi hates his guts. It's her inquiry about Rick's reputation that earns her the five dollars to begin with. We watch this minor scene unfold in "Islands in the Stream" (4x06) as this ninth grader gets Rick's attention while he's walking past her in a hurry and compliments his glasses, causing him to pause and face her. For someone so young, Darcy was very smooth in her delivery. It helps when you don't care about the guy you're being paid to kiss. This prompts Rick to tell Darcy about the "game" he and Toby are playing. Darcy, armed with meta knowledge of the game already, asks what she can do to help him win, and that's when Rick replies with, "A kiss." He tells her he doesn't need a lips or a cheek kiss, but before he can finish his sentence, Darcy stretches up and smooches him on the cheek, and we cut to see Rick grinning from ear to ear afterward. Hell, his face is even a soft shade of pink. After all, he was losing this game in a humiliating (and honestly hilarious) defeat, so that kiss must have felt like heaven to him. It kind of shows us as the audience that Rick wasn't all there since he had the audacity to believe that women would be a fan of his after what he did to Terri and after the ribbon campaign that was launched against him just a few weeks ago. I mean c'mon, dude. I guess he assumed that just because the head organizer of the campaign softened her defenses against him, he believed that every other girl would too. Think again!

Here's a fun fact behind this scene. The actress who auditioned for Darcy (Shenae Grimes) read her Darcy lines while a woman in the audition room, who I'm assuming was Linda Schuyler, read lines for Rick. Grimes' audition was an extension of Darcy's scene with Rick. As Darcy is walking away after having kissed Rick, "Rick" (played by Schuyler) asks for Darcy's name, which she has no problem telling him. When Darcy then asks for his name in return, Rick is awkward and can only respond in verbal pauses. "Uhhh...d-uhhh...". It's as if Rick didn't want her to know who he really was for fear of her hating him too. Darcy closes out the scene with the line. "Guys are so weird." No, Darcy. It's just that guy who's weird. The rest of them are simply stupid (lol, just kidding).

Jimmy

Jimmy started off much like Spinner: he was understandably hostile towards Rick in the beginning, then began using every opportunity he could to meddle Rick at school after the protesting died down. We get the famous foreshadowing scene in "Anywhere I Lay My Head" (4x05) where Rick shows up to the Spirit Squad car wash in his mother's black Volkswagen. Jimmy walks up to the driver's window after he notices Rick talking to his girlfriend, Hazel, and threatens to shoot him with the water hose, telling him to "bounce." As Rick is driving away, Jimmy sprays the water gun at the back of Rick's car. Jimmy is also the one who is with Spinner as they both throw him in the dumpster in "Time Stands Still" (4x07).

Something happens though. By fate, Jimmy is Heather Sinclair's replacement on the Whack-Your-Brain team after she falls ill with mononucleosis. Now that they are forced to work together, Jimmy realizes that Rick isn't the worst person on the planet. Rick even gives Jimmy a compliment, as awkward as his speech mannerisms are. "Futility perfected." Rick says to Jimmy during practice drills the day before the finals. Now that Jimmy notices that Rick these days is just minding his nerdy business, he sticks up for Rick in front of Spinner, Jay and Alex.

What a shame that Rick assumed that Jimmy was the culprit behind the paint and feathers prank based on what Spinner and Jay told him. The scene in which Rick approaches Jimmy in the hallway with every intention of shooting him regardless of what Jimmy said is a mixture of frustration and dread. Jimmy, being the bigger person, decided to set aside his differences with Rick and move forward with the seemingly not bad person he was during the time of "Time Stands Still". He was the biggest supporter to Rick on stage as he answered all of the trivia questions correctly on stage. Maybe they wouldn't have been buddies in an alternate future, but similar to the crew that was featured in "The Breakfast Club Episode" of Degrassi (3x16), they would behave civilly towards each other. They would come to an understanding. Jimmy would defend Rick against the bullies in the halls as he promised to Rick before he decided to shoot him. "...and if those guys give you anymore problems, I got your back." Jimmy Brooks being the classic good guy. Sadly it cost him his legs, though none of it was the cause of his own doing. Rick was quick to believe the lie he had been told since Jimmy did resort to plain old bullying like Spinner and Jay after the protesting died down, and that was the Jimmy Rick had in mind as he approached him slowly, blinded by his incorrectly perceived injustice and rage. To Rick, in that moment, he was a fool to believe that Jimmy would really want to be his friend. He should have known it was too good to be true, and in his mind, it was. Jimmy betrayed him.

Emma

Yes, we're talking about Emma again. After she leads the charge against Rick, puts an end to it, sets the record straight about how she feels about him, Rick and Emma tolerate each other as classmates. After all, they seem to share at least three classes together as both of them are in grade ten. Then something happens in "Islands in the Stream" that changes the tone of their relationship. In a bet where Rick and Toby each try to get a kiss from Emma in order to win, she winds up kissing both of them. There's just a bit of...inconsistency in her behavior here. If you're a girl who learns from the upperclassmen about how Rick Murray beat his ex-girlfriend, organized a campaign to get rid of him with said upperclassmen, would you not be disgusted at the thought of kissing him? Being a woman beater is a major turn off. It's one thing if you buy into Rick's repentance and believe that he is different from last year. It's another if you just put up with the fact that he's around, like Emma originally did.

"Things got out of hand, and I stopped it." Emma tells Rick at the end of episode 4x04. "It doesn't mean I like you, and it doesn't mean we're friends." Then, two episodes later, she has no problem pecking him on the cheek? Maybe this was the moment Rick believed that Emma was into him. If you take away this scene in his character arc, then yes it seems like Rick developed this delusion of Emma flirting with him out of thin air, but the fact that she decides to kiss him suggests at the very least she can't dislike the guy the way she implied at the end of "Mercy Street". To Emma, perhaps her motivation to do so was that she didn't want Toby to believe that she was into him, which is why she discretely kissed him on the cheek. Isaacs then went and blabbed about it to his new friend, so Emma, being annoyed that Toby didn't follow her lead, evens the score by kissing Rick. "This is so you're not lonely." She says to Rick before she leans in to make her move. Her attempt to not show any favor towards either boy had the opposite effect on Rick. He seems to think that the fact that Emma kissed him does mean she likes him. She did make it clear two episodes ago that she wasn't his fan. Maybe he's making the implication in his mind after she pecked his cheek--and we're talking a smooch so light and so fast that if you blink, you'd miss it.

Ironically, he doesn't respond to Darcy's kiss the same way he responds to Emma's. In NotaVampyre's video essay, the uploader points out a small detail at the end of episode 4x06. Toby and Rick are plot B of that episode, and in it they have a little competition to see who can get the most girls to kiss them by the end of the day. We learn that Toby wins, managing to get eleven kisses that day, but Rick only had one, which was Darcy, and even that was only because she was paid to do so. In Rick and Toby's final scene, Rick says that Darcy's kiss has given him all of the confidence he needs before strutting down the hall with his supposed new confidence. When Toby asks "To what?", we see Rick's "confidence" is short-lived as Jay looms over him, successfully intimidating Rick to turn the other direction. Rick never goes into an explanation about what he meant, but NotaVampyre suggests that the confidence he's speaking of was meant for asking Emma to be his girlfriend. This suggests that Emma's affectionate gesture towards Rick meant more to him than it did to her. This explains why Rick thought that Emma being more pleasant towards him during episode 4x07 meant that she returned the same feelings he had for her. It wasn't just that she was being nice to him in this episode, but also because of the kiss she gave him in the previous episode. As I write about this, it sounds as if I'm creating a mountain out of a molehill, but from Rick's perspective, this is exactly the point. Any minute, friendly gesture that Rick receives from the opposite sex is inflated in his mind. Hell, the same is true with members of his same sex as we saw in his interactions with Jimmy.

I think the event that began Rick's crush on Emma was that in the beginning, she was the only person who rushed to his aid as the protesting got out of hand. It is suggested that Rick is into blondes after we see his list of his "Top Twenty" crushes at the school (episode 4x06), with Emma and Ms. Hatzilakos both being in his top three. This puts Emma in an uncomfortable and frustrating situation. She's trying to do the right thing and help support Rick on the Whack-Your-Brain team, but because she's smiling at him and being nice to him, Rick assumes that she's now into him, which encourages him to make the moves on her...if you want to call it that. Most of the viewers watching Rick find his tactics to be cringe, awkward, creepy, and uncomfortable. After Rick is humiliated on stage, Emma famously goes after him in the hallway to console him, but unfortunately, Rick misreads her actions yet again. He decides that this is the time to make his big move--he grabs her face and kisses her on the mouth, which causes Emma to pull away from him, shocked, repulsed, and upset. Rick says to her, "I thought you loved me." It's this simple line that lets us know as the audience that Rick doesn't have it all together upstairs. Emma scoffs at him, telling him to get a clue, that she only felt sorry for him.

Before Rick winds up resenting Emma for not reciprocating his love for her, Emma seems to come full circle in her interactions with Rick. This seemed to be very healthy for him until, of course, he was humiliated on stage, and his delusions of Emma flirting with him were shattered when he was forced to face reality. It makes me wonder what would have happened if Rick hadn't been pranked on stage and was still rejected by Emma. Would it have hurt as much if he got to win the tournament and receive positive feedback from all of his pupils? I'm inclined to believe that while, sure, he would have been hurt, he wouldn't have resorted to a gun. Emma's rejection was simply the straw that broke the camel's back, the icing on the cake of despair.

Toby

Toby's character becomes something of a glorified extra in season three all the way to season seven where he actually becomes a recurring guest role in season six. Sadly in t.v. shows that feature a large ensemble cast, some members get thrust into the shadows. The writers don't do this intentionally; however, it is hard to give equal screen time to multiple characters, especially when you're restricted by a tight budget and twenty-two minutes of showtime. That isn't to say that they don't have any significance. In this case, I'm referring to Toby's friendship with Rick. Toby is also the only character in the whole show who Rick remained friends with all the way to his tragic end. I don't believe Rick ever meant to hurt Toby. He was just unfortunate in being caught with one of Rick's targets: Emma.

I see some people say online that one of Toby's worst offenses was befriending Rick: a known abuser. I disagree. Throughout Toby's time at Degrassi, he and his closest friend, J.T., have been growing apart since the beginning of season 3. It is even mentioned in Google's episode description of "Gangsta Gangsta" (3x06), which reads "...while J.T. leaves Toby behind by spending more time with Paige and the popular kids". In season 4 you see the pair of them, along with Manny and Liberty, hanging out in Liberty's hot tub in her backyard, but it is still suggested that J.T. prefers to spend his leisure time with Danny Van Zandt over Toby, and since the cool kids reject Toby, he sees something of himself in Rick. It has nothing to do with the fact that he put Terri in a coma. Some fans say that Toby should have condemned Rick for what he did to Terri rather than form an allegiance with him, which I think is absurd. He's a teenage boy, for one, and adolescent boys don't make for very good activists of any kind. Again, Isaacs related to Rick being a loner, not an abuser, and Rick has since acknowledged how terribly he treated Terri in the past. They were both nerdy outcasts with shared interests in role playing dice and computers. Toby certainly doesn't condone what Rick did last year, but rather accepts who Rick is in the present day as good enough of a friend as he can get at this time. I think that Toby knew that something was off about him after he visited Rick's house the day of the Whack-Your-Brain finals and heard him inflate the truth about their relationship with Jimmy and Emma. Still: it isn't his duty to be an activist. He's a kid who just needs a friend.

I've seen another voice online saying that people underestimate the impact that Toby's friendship had on Rick, a statement that I agree with. While it was certainly a tragedy what Rick did, who knows how much worse it could have been, how much further he could have spiraled, how many more lives he could have devastated, if not for the presence of Toby. It would be unthinkable to bear the brunt of being bullied completely alone with nothing but your private thoughts to console you. There was a moment in episode 4x06 where Jay slams Rick into a locker, and shortly after he does, Toby is right there to offer Rick a hand. Something as simple as helping someone off of the floor after they've been knocked down can make a huge difference to a bullied victim.

It also tells you something about Toby’s character, someone who is boastful about his victories, that he goes out of his way to make sure Rick isn't humiliated at his own game. In this case, Rick deserved to lose in such a mortifying way. A guy with an abusive history needs to keep his ego in check. Still, Toby has a heart and wants Rick to get some satisfaction out of participating in their silly bet, so he pays Darcy to kiss his friend. He even lets Rick believe that the kiss happened organically as Rick is reminiscing about it the next day. Since Jay is around to witness this ordeal, he decides to punish Toby for it by shoving him into a locker. Fun fact: we get another bit of foreshadowing in this scene. Right before Jay pushes Toby into his own locker, he explains to Jay why he did what he did. "Look. Rick’s my friend. I was just trying to save him from humiliation." How sneaky of the writers to tell us what was going to happen to Rick in the next episode! Sadly, Toby wasn't able to save Rick from humiliation when it counted the most.

Rick has also stood up for Toby. We see this in part one of "Time Stands Still." Jimmy has just joined Whack-Your-Brain and is still at odds with Rick at this time. Jay and Spinner come after Toby in an attempt to find Rick. When Toby refuses to give away his friend's whereabouts, Jay punishes him by slamming his face into the water fountain he is drinking out of. When Toby meets up with Rick, Emma, and Jimmy in the gym, he has a bloodied lip. Both Rick and Jimmy know Toby had been attacked, and Jimmy tries to pry information from Toby. Instead, it is Rick who responds to Jimmy, challenging him to see the error of not only his ways but also the ways of his friends. The most poignant part of the dialogue is when Rick says, "Toby doesn't deserve this. Nobody does." This tells the viewers a couple of things. One, it shows that Spinner, Jay, and Alex are actually bullies at this point in the story since they've reared their aggression towards Toby, a kid who, unlike Rick, has done nothing wrong. Secondly, it shows that Rick is thinking of more than just his own suffering, as he is visibly upset at the fact that his bullies came after his friend. I point this out because people tend to say that Rick's return to Degrassi in search of forgiveness is only for the sake of his ego, arguing that he doesn't take into account anything else except his own problems and his own suffering. This scene with Jimmy proves that he is capable of feeling sorry for more than just himself. Abuser or not, Rick’s display of sympathy for Toby proves that he's not the "psycho" that everyone has branded him. Notice that Rick doesn't say "I don't deserve this," which takes the focus away from himself, but rather says that no one deserves to be tortured by other humans, and he is right. Granted, he does say right before how he has "...been suffering for weeks," which suggests that the viewers should garner empathy for Rick's situation, but nonetheless, Rick has the moral high ground for the first time in the series.

While this essay was dedicated to those who showed kindness towards Rick that most would argue he didn't deserve, it's a tragic irony that two of the people on this list are the ones he targeted at the end of his character arc. I remember watching the "Time Stands Still" two-parter and feeling a mix of emotions from indignation, to anxiety, to sadness. Toby could only watch helplessly as his friend was determined to kill his other friend since seventh grade. Before Rick pulled a gun, Toby tried to convince Rick to stay home after the prank, but Rick insisted that that was the one time he wanted to be at school. Toby tries to talk Rick out of it, but Rick isn't hearing any of it. The cold, malicious glare he gives Emma the entire time Sean tries to deescalate the situation is so unnerving. It's like he doesn't even see Toby standing in the halls with them, or doesn't care. Although Rick felt like he was betrayed by Jimmy, Toby was truly betrayed by Rick. I can't imagine being the person associated with a dead school shooter because I was friends with him. Rick might not have aimed a gun at Toby's face, and Toby might not have wrestled for the gun the way Sean did, but he was just as impacted by the shooting as Emma and Sean.

[eddiediaaz]

911liveblog Anon

I am on the episode with the Buckleys. I hate that Maddie ambushed Buck like that. Albert is adorable. I don't like the parents. I wonder what the secret is.

Chim is so awkward when he knows. Please tell me that we learn the secrets.

OOOF oh my goodness good luck. these 2 episodes (4x04 and 4x05) are so solid! you will know mostly everything about the buckleys yeah

chim cannot keep a secret to save his life it's HILARIOUS

[themattress]

OUAT Observation

I want to conduct an experiment and list every major character (so important characters to the plot and/or characters whose actors had “Regular” status) who dropped out of the show, and then see how often they were referenced again or appeared again in any capacity.

Graham Humbert/The Hunstman: Wow. Following 1x08, the episode after his death, Graham was never mentioned again for the remainder of the season, and only showed up briefly in the finale as the Huntsman in a flashback. He fares no better in the later seasons, only getting one flashback appearance in 2x17 and one offhand mention from Emma in 4x03. I’m inclined to believe this is because of how awkward it would make Regina’s redemption if the circumstances behind his death were ever revealed, but it seems ridiculous given that Emma wouldn’t have her position as Sheriff of Storybrooke if not for him. He deserved better.

August W. Booth/Pinocchio: After Season 2, August received no mention in Season 3. He then showed up again and played an important role in Season 4B, only to go without mention once more in Season 5. He then appeared in back-to-back episodes 6x11 and 6x12, then disappeared for the remainder of the show. Maybe he should’ve stayed gone the first time...

Albert Spencer/King George: Following his arrest in 2x07, he received mention in the flashbacks of 2x10 and 2x20 and appeared in the flashback of 2x13. Otherwise, he only got mentioned in the Season 3 finale and briefly in 5x15, and only ever appeared again in 6x12.

Cora Mills/The Queen of Hearts: Cora died in 2x16, but was still constantly referenced by other characters for the remainder of the season. She then showed up in the flashback of OUATIW’s 11th episode, referenced throughout Season 3B and even appeared both in flashback form and as a ghost in 3x18, was mentioned occasionally throughout Seasons 4 through 6, showed up in the flashback of 4x20, and appeared in 5x12 and 5x19 where her character was definitively sent off. Despite all of this, Season 7 only referenced her twice, in 7x06 and 7x11, adding to the feeling of disconnect that season had to the rest of the show.

Ruby Lucas/Red Riding Hood: After just up and disappearing following 2x17, Ruby had mentions in 3x07 and 3x09, and then in 3x11 there was often an open slot in crowd shots where you swear she was meant to be digitally inserted in but wasn’t for some reason. Then in 3x12 she really was digitally inserted into a crowd shot, then had a brief cameo in 3x13. A waitress that was possibly her is seen from the backside in 3x17, then she played a major role in the two-part season finale. Following this, she disappeared again only to resurface in 5x09, which explained her disappearance and was later followed by her send-off in 5x18. Megan Ory is great, but her character was more important and should’ve just been recast.

Malcolm/Peter Pan: Pan was mentioned quite a lot following his demise in 3x11; coming up in 3x15, 3x16, 3x17, 3x20 and 3x21. He wasn’t mentioned much afterward in Season 4 and the first half of Season 5, only to then return in a major recurring role in 5B across 5x12, 5x14 (voice only), 5x17 (visual cue), 5x19 and 5x20, and given mention in 5x23. In Season 6, he was referenced in 6x11, 6x16 and 6x17, and appeared in his adult form in 6x19′s flashback. His Wish Realm counterpart appears in 7x21, mainly as fanservice since he does nothing.

Neal Cassady/Baelfire: Given that this character was a major driving force across the first three seasons of the show, it’s understandable he was referenced a lot afterward; in 4x01, 4x03, 4x04, 4x05, 4x08, 4x17, 4x20, 4x21, 4x22, 5x03, 5x05, 5x06, 5x08, 5x10, 5x11, 5x16, 5x20, 5x22, 5x23, 6x01, 6x06, 6x08, 6x09, 6x10, 6x11, 6x12, 6x17, 6x19 and 6x22. He also appeared in person in 5x12, and in the flashbacks of 5x14 and 6x13. In Season 7, however, he was only off-handedly mentioned in 7x04, 7x09 and 7x21. There’s that disconnect again!

Ingrid/The Snow Queen: Following Season 4A where she was the Big Bad, Ingrid is only mentioned in 4x12, 4x19, and 5x02. Ultimately, she didn’t really leave much of an impact.

Elsa: 4x15. That is the first and last time Elsa was mentioned beyond Season 4A.

Maleficent: Despite Season 4B building her up as a major permanent presence in Storybrooke going forward, Maleficent was never seen again afterward. She received mention in 5x02, 5x09, 6x21, and 7x16....and none of these refer to her directly by name.

Lily Page: In one of the most notorious instances of a character receiving a lot of build-up for being important and then just disappearing without closure, Lily was never seen again after Season 4, the season that introduced her and built her up, and she was only mentioned in the final episode, 7x22, with her dangling plot thread reduced to a joke. (Seriously? Zorro!?)

Will Scarlet: In another one of the most notorious instances of a character receiving a lot of build-up for being important and then just disappearing without closure, Will literally dropped off the face of the Earth without further mention after Season 4. As a result, everyone has come to agree that OUATIW takes place after Season 4 rather than before as was planned, as this perfectly explains his sudden disappearance without contradicting any hard facts.

Isaac Heller: While the position of the Author remained important, the prior Author himself wasn’t spoken of again following his arrest in the Season 4 finale and subsequent 5x01 until reappearing in 6x16 where he was let out of jail in exchange for revealing a major plot point. 

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice: Following his death in 5x01, we see him in 5x07′s flashback and in the Underworld in 5x15, plus hear references to him in 5x05, 5x06, 5x11 and 5x13. Additionally, his Wish Realm counterpart appears in 7x21 and gets to play a significant role.

Merlin: He dies in 5x10, and then is referenced in 5x13, 5x15, 5x17, 5x23, 6x08, 6x16, 6x18, 7x01 and 7x21. But here’s the thing: all but one of those (5x17) has him referenced as “the Sorcerer” rather than by name and is generally tying in with Henry’s position as the Author. This gets me asking...in the end, what was the point of the Sorcerer being Merlin? Why not just make the Apprentice the Sorcerer, given that he ends up with a more lasting presence? No wonder Elliot Knight was pissed off after leaving the show; his character got screwed!

Violet Morgan: Despite being Henry’s first girlfriend and a recurring character in Seasons 5 and 6 (and an adorable one, at that!), Violet only receives an offhanded mention in 7x20. 

Hades: The Big Bad of Season 5B only gets brought up in 6x01 and 6x18 afterward.

Robin Hood: While dying in 5x21, Robin still gets brought up in the two-part season finale, and then in 6x01, 6x09, 6x10, 6x11, 6x12, 6x13, 6x14, 6x18, 7x10, 7x11, and 7x14. His spirit makes an appearance in 7x21, while his Wish Realm counterpart appears in 6x10 through 6x14 and has a brief voiceover in 6x22. And so his legacy, however dubious, was honored.

Mr. Hyde: Remember in the Season 5 finale, where it looked like he was going to be a major villain going forward? Well, after dying in 6x04, he only gets mentioned in 6x05, 6x06 and 6x09. He ultimately ended up being as pointless as the Land of Untold Stories he came from.

Gideon: Despite so much of Seasons 5B and 6 being dedicated to this fucker, he only appears in 7x04 and is mentioned briefly in 7x18. The disconnect...it’s so disconnecting!

Fiona/The Black Fairy: She is never referenced in Season 7 at all. Yes, really. The villain that A&E hyped up as the Ultimate Evil, the creator of the Dark Curse who was thus billed as the one behind almost everything that went wrong in the show...and she is totally forgotten.

Belle: While she dies in 7x04, the show never lets you forget about her as she is now Rumple’s primary motivation and thus comes up in 7x06, 7x08, 7x09, 7x15, 7x17, 7x18, 7x20, 7x21 and 7x22, the last of which also having her appear one final time in spirit form. Given that she wasn’t initially meant to be a major character and the writers clearly gave up on making her interesting by the end, it’s bizarre that so much of the final season and Rumple’s characterization ends up being built around the memory of her. It just feels off.

Victoria Belfrey/Rapunzel Tremaine: After perishing in 7x11, she is brought up again in 7x12, 7x13, 7x14, 7x15 and 7x20...although all things considered, I wish that she wasn’t.

Ivy Belfrey/Drizella Tremaine: After she leaves in 7x15, she’s mentioned in 7x16 and 7x18.

Nick Branson/Jack/Hansel: He gets brought up again in the episodes following his death...and then isn’t at all in the two-part series finale, because really, who cares about this guy?

[vole-mon-amour]

4x05, part 1.

Literally MCU.

I am SO tired of her. One of the most annoying characters in the show, ever. She just can't shut up, can she? Somebody please help her to shut up.

Butcher is just so great at agonizing EVERYONE.

Lmao.

Welp. If this ain't me.

The fact that Butcher feels awkward for Kimiko seeing him releasing the bunny and for approving his action. Butcher!! Stop it!! Be human!! Be free!! Share it with the people that still care about you!!

:)

He faced his past and all the problems and suddenly turned on the good dad thing? Why are your eyes so red? Have you been crying again?

LMAOOO. The way he looks at him. Antony, I like your acting.

"Why are we doing this?" "Because we like money."

I like how Homelander proved a point just by these simple gestures. While Ryan got to keep the Jaguar and the wallet, lmao.

"Except for you and me."

This is kinda cute, but I also don't trust him. I'm so curious now what happens in 4x08 that the fandom was crying, Homelander was crying, and the episode has a high rating.

Hehe. Also, this place feels like that farm in TUA in s3?

Frenchie, you're adorable & I love you.

LMAOOO.

I'm so not used to this Homelander that I see more of Antony in this. Calmer, charming, sweeter.

I just wanna a behind the scenes video of Antony walking around. They took the pic with the kid with actor that plays Butcher there, right?

I'm sooo not used to this thoughtful Homelander. Calm Homelander? In this universe??

THEY'RE SO CUTE??? Hey, this kind of villain I'd fall in love with immediately.

He is SO cute??? The entire fucking show I just wanted him to die, but this scene? Totally swooning over him. Antony, the actor that you are. Also, considering all the shitty things Silco's voice actor did, I think they should've rehired Antony as one. He'd nail it. He kind of should voice video games? He has a really cool voice & he knows how to use it.

[happilylovingchaos]

Thank you for having me @lonestar-s5countdown! Also tagging @decafdino @littlemissmarianna @alrightbuckaroo

1) I have a few Found Family moments I like from each season. Some of them are already mentioned, but I think there are a few not mentioned that I liked:

Season 1: Near-hijabgate (1x03), Mateo’s firefighter exam study montage (1x06), Paul’s “good ol’ boys” argument to Judd (1x07) and TK’s moment of clarity/ group hug (1x10)

Season 2: Cancer remission party (2x02– we get only a second of Tim back-patting but fuck hindsight I HAVE FEELS), the commemoration ambulance for Tim (2x07), the ice cream party (2x10), Catan game (2x11), and the station cleanup (2x14, Billy Tyson and all).

Season 3: The plane landing montage with everyone watching and worrying for Owen and TK (3x08, including the transitions btwn 2017 and 2022), Paul’s CPAT (3x10), and the Nanteo intervention (3x17).

Season 4: Seeing off Marjan (4x05), Paul’s basketball game (4x07), Marjan’s date chaperoning (4x12), the short firefighter vs paramedic row (4x16), and the Reyes-Strand debate (4x18, even tho it’s bts).

2) TK and Mateo, Owen and Judd, Nancy with literally either Paul or Marjan. Considering all the storyline developments and the Grace-shaped hole in the story, I would like Owen and Judd to lean on each other for moral support. This time, let TK in on some of these talks, though?

3) It’d be a draw between Paul, Nancy, Judd and Mateo. But for the most part, I’d probably be a bit too reserved or shy-seeming to approach anyone.

4) I am by nature an introversion-leaning ambivert— honestly, I would alternate between the Tarloft and the Ryder house for the game nights and stay for the camaraderie. The board games/ trivias/ video games? Icing, confetti, gravy, apertifs. ☺️

5) It’d be interesting to see if Wyatt got arrested again in some AU where he stayed in college but still became discontent enough to accompany a bad crowd for (slightly) longer than in canon. Maybe even long enough to be strong-armed into becoming a getaway driver, or he takes over as designated driver at a bar hop gone nuts. I could def see Carlos experiencing deja vu if he ran into and processed Wyatt (he’d probably have had the least to drink— I’d hc him as either having such a low alcohol tolerance that he only had less than half of an alcoholic drink or none, and his breathalyzer count was lower than the rest of the gang), and Judd/ Grace couldn’t pick him up in time. So maybe not bail so much as a supremely awkward first meeting. And Wyatt facing painful disappointment from all three of his found family members (TK can relate hard). And Carlos would never let himself live down the fact that he’s had to arrest four people in his entire social circle (Wyatt is kind of an outlier to him but still. Ouch).

For the first of our weekly countdown tag games, we have some Found Family-themed questions!

(1) What is your favorite 911 Lone Star Found Family moment?

(2) Which platonic pairing/friendship dynamic are you most looking forward to seeing again in season 5?

(3) If you could pick one Lone Star character to be friends with, who would you choose?

(4) Which would you rather attend: Catan night at the loft or game night at the Ryder house?

(5) A character of your choice ends up in jail. Who would they call to bail them out (assuming their romantic partner, parent, and/or child didn't pick up)?

Answer the questions and tag some more people to play! Make sure to tag @lonestar-s5countdown so we don't miss your answers!

Open tag, but also tagging:

@lemonlyman-dotcom @strandnreyes @she-walked-away @ladytessa74 @herefortarlos

@thisbuildinghasfeelings @paperstorm @heartstringsduet @alrightbuckaroo @happilylovingchaos

@fifthrideroftheapocalypse @literateowl @birdclowns @nancys-braids @emsprovisions

@tellmegoodbye @reasonandfaithinharmony @ironheartwriter @bonheur-cafe @tkslittlesway

@goldenskykaysani @toomanycupsoftea @carlos-in-glasses @guardian-angle22 @reyesstrand

@welcometololaland @rmd-writes @lightningboltreader @tinyluminaryzombie @sugdenlovesdingle

[swiftedittland]

[autumnrory]

Anyway, that’s the last time I partied at Butter.

[awkward-sultana]

(Almost) Every Costume Per Episode + Bahar’s dark teal gown with green detailing in 4x05,8,12,14

[destinyschildrencultmember]

ABSURD THEORY (butt not really): Will and Mike were actually dating season 1 - 3, but in the end of season 3 when Will moved to Cali they broke up. Then Mike visited Will in season 4 and they got back together!

Let me list the proofs:

1. You can tell by the look Mike gives Will in 4x06 that they’ve been apart, but now they’ve overcome that and are stronger than ever.

2. In the beginning of season 4 Mike and Will are super-duper awkward which clearly indicates that they broke up.

3. BUTT! In 4x05 you can see that the awkwardness has disappeared and they’re their old selfs again!

4. As a redhead myself, I can safely assume that will changed his hair while he was in Cali and Mike was back in Hawkins. Butt, when he finds out he’s going to see Mike again, he changed it back. This is because he wants Mike to see him as his true self, MIKES TRUE LOVE!!!! <3

I don’t think we need any more proof than this!!!

[raayllum]

 Don’t you remember who you are?

Was mulling over this scene specifically from 4x06 and the interesting commonalities / weight to it, particularly paired with the way S4 quietly starts deconstructing the identities that Callum and Rayla have built over arc 1 and into S4, both individually and together.

Ezran attempts to get them to work together by stating basically that working together is an intrinsic part of who Callum and Rayla are, at this point. A part hat they need to remember even as a stressful situation mounts. It’s similar to Ezran’s faith in their love for each other in 4x01, buoyed by his love for them, in which Ezran knows Callum still loves Rayla even if he’s heartbroken and unable to say it aloud, and Ezran knows that as long as Rayla has breath, she likewise has love for his brother. So there’s that.

Then you have what Ezran says. To each of them, he starts with their more formal titles, titles they are chafing or splintering under. Ezran doesn’t know (or isn’t taking into account) how awkward and apprehensive Callum is about his formal high mage title and following so directly in Viren’s footsteps, unable to say the man’s name aloud either. Then you have Rayla, who shirked off her Dragonguard title the night before with an eye-roll and a big change in character, something she’s done her best to repress and has thus far been decently successful at doing so. Titles that don’t accurately capture who they are, or at least aren’t titles they feel secure in. 

And then the second thing Ezran says is something that reminds them of the journey they went on together. Callum became the first primal human mage in centuries because Rayla called him a mage and was there every step in the way in his journey with magic, from none to dark to the Sky arcanum, always hearing him out and even helping him learn a couple of spells. Ezran cites something akin to what Rayla said about Callum when vouching for him to Sol Regem back in 3x01 (“The only reason the Dragon Prince is alive is because of this human”) and refers back to something we know is already on Rayla’s mind (circa 4x05′s “Then you spread your wings, and you saved me”). She’s the real reason Zym is still here, but the only reason she’s still here is because of Callum.

And then she looks at Callum, arches an eyebrow, and waits for his judgement call (like almost always, ever since “Say the word”) and he collects himself and passes his staff over to her so he can think. So they can work as a team, again. 

[mikewheeler]

Mike will never make these people happy bc they made up a whole different personality for him in fandom 😂

I like him. He’s so weird and awkward. That’s how I’ve always been 😅

I'll be honest I haven't read a lot of the mike hate because I'm not interested and I know it's invalid, but I can guess what it's based on.

Mike is literally the most sensitive, passionate, and loyal character in the show. He can also be a snarky little shit, but never in a way that is damaging or harmful to those around him, and I think those two characteristics go hand in hand. He feels things SO intensely, good and bad. He's also a teenager, which we all know means heightened emotions.

In season 4 he doesn't react in the specific way some people wanted him to, specifically regarding his conversations with Will. He doesn't see what's going on beneath the surface, unlike Jonathan (bless). But that is A) because he's not in love with him and doesn't share that special connection with him and B) because he's distracted by his concern for El, who is missing and in danger, and by a looming supernatural threat in Hawkins, two extremely legitimate concerns. It would be hard for any person to focus on anything else, and Mike, who feels things intensely, is especially freaked out. Frankly, I felt like his actions were valid all season... and when he was wrong, he apologized. He apologized to Will for losing his temper with him in 4x05, and he apologized to El for not giving her the affirmation she needed in 4x09.

I think you're right that for a lot of people Mike just serves as a vessel for their own desires for the show and when he doesn't play into the narrative they want for the show they blame him for it. When in reality he's just a 15 year old boy trying his best.

[love-hope-faith-feels-like-a-lie]

Another one for you! What are your five "go to" GG episodes you find the most rewatchable? They Shoot Gilmores and The Lorelais' First Day at Yale are definitely both on my list, but I'm still trying to pick just three more from the zillion other episodes I love :)

Thank you for this. I really appreciate it💕 Right off the bat I’m going to apologies for how long this is. I couldn’t keep it to just five episodes and I had a need to explain why these are my most rewatchable episodes.

1) Forgiveness and Stuff (1x10) I’m such a sucker for Luke being there for his girls. The way he gives Taylor, the guy he’s thrown a frying pan at because he’s annoying and he hates him, the keys to his establishment just shows how much he cares and knew Lorelai needed him. It makes me happy. Plus it’s where we get the classic blue hat. Lorelai saying Luke always looks good and Luke saying “I can’t imagine anyone seeing you as a disappointment.” Such cute moments in this episode.

2) Dead Uncles & Vegetables (2x17) Just as I love Luke being there for his girls, I equally love when Lorelai and Rory are there for him. Luke and Lorelai are a cute married couple in this episode (and pretty much all episodes really) and you can’t convince me otherwise. Also, don’t we all just love the way Rory makes Jess help out. It’s so funny seeing him just let her and we all know he’s loving it.

3) A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving (3x09) If you don’t join in when everyone is chanting ‘Jackson,’ then you haven’t been watching this episode right. I love getting to watch the girls go through their Thanksgiving traditions, especially Lorelai and Luke’s. The Lane and Dave moments are cute! The girls eating with Luke and Jess is adorable and they all look like a cute happy family. I adore the fact that Lorelai takes food from Luke’s plate. I’m telling you these people have been married since day one. Plus it’s Jess and Rory’s first Thanksgiving together as a couple and ain’t that cute! I love drunk Sookie! She’s funny and I can’t help but say her lines with her.

4) A Tale of Poes and Fire (3x17) It’s super fun seeing Michel interacting with Miss Patty and Babette. Lorelai screaming ‘Stella’ for Luke to come to the window is always fun to watch. But the best part is Lorelai telling Luke about her dream and how they smile while discussing it. Lorelai not being about to tell Luke that they kissed in her dream because it hits too close to home brings out the feels. Oh and Rory’s going to Yale!

5) The Fundamental Things Apply (4x05) Luke and Lorelai’s first movie night. I love how Lorelai teases Luke about not having watched many movies and not knowing what the FBI warning is. It’s so fun to watch. I love how comfortable they both look while they sit and watch Casablanca. Luke helping Rory out with her awkward date is cute, and a little Dad moment which fuels my ‘Luke has always been a father figure to Rory’ feels. The best moment is when Luke is sleeping on their couch and Rory says, ‘He looks comfy there, doesn’t he?’ and Lorelai looks like she doesn’t want to think about how comfy Luke looks because she doesn’t want to admit how much she likes seeing him there. And I’m definitely reading way too into that look but it makes me happy so it counts. 

6) The Incredible Sinking Lorelais (4x14) The proud and happy smile on Lorelai’s face when she’s looking at the gum wrapper with the Dragonfly’s first reservation makes it worth watching this episode. She’s adorable and I’m so proud of her. Lorelai wearing her Bon Jovi hat and Luke commenting on it is fun. The best part about this episode has to be, as Lorelai puts it ‘the meltdown in the park’ moment. Lauren Graham is so good at emotional scenes (and pretty much everything this woman does) that it always hits me when Lorelai is breaking down. Of course I love the fact Luke instantly knows something is wrong when he sees her and he’s there to comfort and support her. 

7) Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out (6x8) Lorelai jonesing for her colours is super fun and cute. Colin and Finn are funny when they’re drunk. ‘I’ve forgotten how to get into a car,’ always cracks me up. Then he appears. The man of the hour. Yes, Jess Mariano. It’s nice to have Jess back for this episode. I alway forget how much I love his interactions with Rory until I watch them again. I’m super proud of all he’s done and seeing him come back, showing his book to Rory and telling her that he couldn’t have done it without her is such a beautiful moment. Probable one of my favorite between the two. And of course seeing Jess questioning Rory and being able to wake her up and make her realise that she’s not acting like herself is the best. All that said, the part which I just love is when Paul Anka gets sick and Lorelai is in Rory’s room watching him sleep. Once again Lauren is just incredible and makes my heart hurt at hearing Lorelai say she's a bad mother. Luke being there to comfort her is an added bonus, especially the way he touches her hair to comfort her. 

8) Santa’s Secret Stuff (7x11) I know what you’re thinking, how is a season 7 episode where Lorelai and Chris are still together on my most rewatchable list? Well let me tell you why. I love getting to hear about Lorelai and Rory’s Christmas traditions, such as how they put green and red M&M’s in their cereals on Christmas day (which I did last year and let me tell you it be yummy) and getting to see the girls go through those traditions is nice. Gigi isn’t my favorite character (honestly have no opinion on the kid) but she’s adorable when she copies Lorelai as she says ‘The redcoats are coming.’ The fact Lorelai doesn’t think twice about helping Luke with the character reference warms my heart to no end and is just super cute. Talking about cute, Luke and April! These cuties! Always love any Papa Luke moment. Luke being a Dad is so cute to watch and I love April (just hate what the writers did with her storyline in season 6 but that’s a rant for another day). Love that she’s 60% atheist and 40% agnostic. This girl is so quirky and I’m so here for it. What makes this episode one of my most rewatchable episodes is that scene between the girls and Luke and April when they’re all out shopping. This scene is amazing because it shows how much Luke cares for Rory. He’s always cared about her and throughout the years has always given her gifts for her birthday and holidays and maybe they weren’t the best gifts, but the love is what counts especially since Luke finds going out to buy presents such a daunting task. It just makes me happy seeing how much Rory means to him. What makes me love this scene is the smile and just the look on Lorelai’s face. If that look doesn’t show how much she loves and admires Luke then I clearly need new glass. (side note: I actually do need new glasses but that’s besides the point lol) 

9) I’d Rather Be In Philadelphia (7x13) This episode just really shows how great Luke is. The fact the moment he finds out about Richard being at the hospital he just had to go and see if everyone is okay, to see if Lorelai is okay is next level cute and just reminds me why Luke is always going to be the better man. Yes, he has issues and has dealt with somethings in ways that I just want to punch him so hard his hat starts spinning like Daffy Duck's beak, but he’s always there for his girls even when he’s not with Lorelai which just further shows how much he cares and is generally such a great guy. I love that Luke let’s Emily give him chores to do and that it kinda feels like he’s part of the family because he’s helping out, but then I remember he’s not and that hurts. I love that he comes back with food and a fish bag. He’s a cutie. Love that Lorelai is happy to see him. Logan is there for Rory which is nice to see. It’s interesting to see how everyone deals with Richard being in the hospital this time around compared to in Season 1, mostly Emily. All her moments especially when she has a little breakdown in front of Lorelai, and then her talk with Richard hurts to watch but in a really good way.

10) It’s Just Like Riding a Bike (7x19) Lorelai’s dress at the start of this episode is the only reason I rewatch this episode endlessly. Ah well that and some other things too, I guess but mostly the dress. When Lorelai calls Sookie, that whole scene I personally feel like it presents a parent having to deal with sick children so well. Sookie’s place being a mess, her sniffing what I’m hoping is milk from the kid’s bottle and using it for her coffee, and also picking a lollipop from the tablecloth is really how life looks like for a parent just in general, let alone when their kids are sick. So it’s refreshing seeing this being presented in a realistic way. Luke and Lorelai car shopping is awkward but I love every moment of it, especially when Luke starts ranting and then they starts bickering. The smile on Lorelai’s face. Lord take the wheel because my heart can’t deal with the cuteness. The smile screams ‘I have him back’ to me and I love how happy she is about that. Luke doing everything in his power to make Lorelai be able to have her old car is just sweet, and have I forgotten to mention that this guy is just the best? I love it. 

Okay, I’m finally done and the fact you’ve gotten to the end of this is amazing. It was hard to narrow it down to just these because there are a lot of episodes I love and rewatch often, like a bunch from season 4 and 5 but these just happen to be the ones I go to when wanting to rewatch an episode. It really only occured to me once I was done that I have no season 5 episodes on this list and more season 7 ones which I’m not even sure why that’s the case but it is. They Shoot Gilmores and The Lorelais' First Day at Yale is definitely episodes I watch often, especially because they both have cute moments: ‘Another kid might be nice’ and 'Rory says thanks for everything, too,’ are some. Thanks again for the ask, It was a fun distraction. 💕

[botanicallyinclinednerd]

Scenes that highlight Elyan and Arthur's friendship:

3x07: Arthur being impressed by Elyan’s skill with a sword and Elyan being an awkward bean replying with "well practice makes perfect, I guess"

4x02: Elyan going over to Arthur and giving him assurances that he wasn't alone that he had the knights beside him "look around Arthur. We would fight a thousand armies with our bare hands for you." He also convinces Arthur to let him take over watch so Arthur could get some rest. Arthur puts his hand on Elyan’s shoulder and thanks him sincerely

4x05: Elyan leading the knights into Arthur’s tent and assuring him that they all would gladly lay down their lives for him.

4x06: Arthur wondering if the traitor could be Elyan since he didn't ride out with them and Uther killed Tom. Arthur also wonders if Elyan doesn't like that Arthur is dating Gwen. He does seem doubtful Elyan is the traitor though "I find it hard to believe that Elyan would think ill of me"

4x10: the whole episode. Highlights include: Arthur referring to Elyan as his friend, "Don’t make me kill you, I don't want to kill you," letting possessed Elyan get away, Arthur catching and holding Elyan after the spirit stopped possessing him

4x12: Elyan refusing to give Morgana Arthurs location and context clues say it took quite a while for Morgana to get the information out of him

5x03: Elyan provides insight on Arthur’s attitude to the anniversary of his coronation

5x06: Arthur talking to Elyan in the woods, offering comfort and support. Arthur leading Elyan back over to the group with his arm around Elyan’s shoulders.

5x06: Arthur’s proud smile and nod to Elyan when he insisted he was going with Arthur to get Gwen.

5x06: Arthur expressing concern and alarm at Elyan going ahead of them. He protests heavily, calling after him

5x06: Arthur rushing into the room, horror and alarm on his face as he sees Gwen with a fallen Elyan and dashes over. Arthur is solemn and sad over Elyan’s death