#ben meredith knocked it out of the park

[bisexual-in-denial]

I have absolutely no authority, credibility, nor does my opinion matter in the slightest, but I'm claiming s3 and s4 Elias Bouchard for specifically the Lesbians.

[eiael-thinks]

It’s been about 22 hours, and I’m still listening to the Stellar Firma patreon drop from yesterday on a loop.

Tim Meredith album when???

[joysmercer]

Grey’s Anatomy 15x19-15x20 Final Thoughts

I’m going to combine last week’s and this week’s reviews together, because I didn’t have time to do one last week and it segwayed nicely into this week’s anyway. Because of content from last week, please read with caution. Let’s get started. 

Amelia, Teddy, Link, Owen, Koracick, and Megan: ok, first of all, wow that was a mouthful. I was really hoping I could separate these guys from each other by the end of the episode, but I can’t, due to some plot points that the writers are refusing to leave alone.

I’m still very conflicted about Amelia and Link. They are very good to and for each other, and their personalities match almost perfectly. However, there are two things that are stopping me from completely jumping on this train. Firstly, Amelia is moving on much too quickly, and hasn’t really taken the time to process anything properly – as we saw from this episode, there are still some ~things~ she needs to make her peace with before, I think, she’ll be able to properly leave her past behind. Her trajectory right now isn’t healthy for her or Link. Secondly, Amelia and Link are in a kind of friends-with-benefits arrangement right now, and I’m almost completely certain (given the character’s and the writer’s track-record) that Link will want something more (and Amelia will not). This could be disastrous for both of them. Next week’s promo looks promising, though, so hopefully they work some things out then. 

Teddy and Koracick are adorable. They should move in together. also Koracick should actually kick Owen’s ass, because that man does not know how to back off.

I’ve been seeing a lot of Megan-hate on here after the episode, and while I see where it’s coming from, I don’t agree with a lot of its sentiments. I think Megan just got overly-excited about a lot of things and didn’t really think things through before she started ordering her brother around. And honestly? I agreed with a lot of what she said. Owen treated both Amelia and Teddy like dirt, and if he had an ounce of common sense, he would have fought for one of them, and he’d be happy with them right now instead of caught in the middle with two babies and no significant other. Also, she had an excellent point about Owen needing to get help dealing with things. I wish she didn’t try to convince him to make Towen a thing, because that ship has long-since sailed, but also I can’t really blame her – don’t forget that she’s seen these two together for much longer than we have, and because Owen has conveniently not told her anything about anything for two years, she has a right to believe they would work. In her shoes, I would too.

The Grey-Avery-Webber gang:

While Webber’s roped third-year-resident Deluca into an appy, of all things, Jackson, Catherine, and Meredith are working with most of the love-circle on another abdominal-wall transplant, except this one also involves a urology component as well. Fun. I was honestly not that interested in this whole aspect of the storyline; not only was the surgery literally something they’ve done before, but everything that happened was just…boring. Meredith freaking out about her boyfriend? same as the past few weeks. Jackson overly-worried about his mother’s health? we’ve seen that before. Webber terrorizing Deluca? he did that back in season 12, too. Some patient has issues, doctor1 refuses to do the surgery,  and doctor2-who’s-going-through-the-same-thing swoops in and saves the day? it’s happened too many times to count, including two weeks ago. I’m over it.

One thing I do have to say is that Jackson’s facial expressions during the hallway scene where the Hunts were yelling at each other were on-point. The poor guy’s been caught in the middle of too much drama concerning the love-circle, and if it wasn’t so funny, I would feel bad for him.

Bailey:

Her and Ben’s storyline last week was completely unnecessary. While yes, consent is important, it took away from the main plot. 

I found the whole leadership thing this week a bit out-of-place. Surely they could’ve used the time to better develop one of the other plots of the episode?

Also, Bailey’s spent basically the entirety of the past few weeks begging Alex for her job back, and I’m glad we got to see that he was actually really good at his job, and she acknowledged it. Hopefully Bailey gets some better (read: actual) storylines soon.

Jo, Alex, and Link:

The autism storyline was really good. They approached the situation with care and grace, and even though it wasn’t a central part of the plot, it was still very sensitively-approached.

Guys, I’m really happy they had Link play a part in this arc. His friendship with Jo has so many things in it to explore, and I’m happy that we got to see a bit of it this week, despite the circumstances. I’m also glad that Alex trusts him enough to get him to check on Jo. When the backstory was first introduced, I was worried that they would make Alex regard him similar to how Meredith treated Jo early-on (ie. rudely and with a lot of distrust), but I’m glad these guys are acting like actual adults and friends.

Last week’s episode was so wonderfully done. There were times when I was literally sobbing, and other times when all I wanted to do was reach into the TV and wrap Jo in a hug. Camilla Luddington’s acting was poignant and emotional and real, and the parallels between her visit to her mom and the surgery happening in the hospital were excellent. I think it was the best episode from this season by a long-shot. 

Poor, poor Jo. She spent her entire childhood, most of her life, actually, with no one to care for her, no one to love and protect her. When she finally met her mother, I was hoping that she would finally get some closure, but all it’s done is throw her entire life for a loop, and her reaction is, predictably, all over the place. CL knocked it out of the park again this week with the acting.

Finding out that she was unwanted by her own mother, that she was born because of a horrible act…it’s awful. I understand Alex’s concern, but I also don’t see her opening up to him anytime soon. I hope he’s patient and doesn’t push the issue, but I’m really not sure how long he’ll be able to hold on before getting upset.

As for their future, we know they both want(ed) kids in the past, but is this still the case? I don’t know, but it will definitely need more discussion than what they’ve already had. Hopefully the writers approach the situation (if it arises) with more caution and care than they did with Amelia’s predicament earlier.

Miscellaneous:

Maybe I’ve been watching too much b99 lately, but I couldn’t help but notice that we had some unusual pairings with the plots this week, and I really liked that they happened: Meredith texting Owen, Meredith working with Jackson, Maggie and Alex, etc. It was interesting, and I hope they do it more often.

Also, what are the ship-names for amelia/link and teddy/koracick? I need a tag for them :P

[vices-aand-virtues]

OTP MEME I wasn’t tagged by anyone, I just thought it was time to update my OTPs and see what has changed over the year(s)...sadly, sometimes a new OTP emerges, and knocks others down a few pegs...

PICK YOUR TOP 10 SHIPS WITHOUT READING THE QUESTIONS 1. Luke x Lorelai (Gilmore Girls) 2. Ben x Leslie (Parks & Rec) 3. Danny x Mindy (The Mindy Project) 4. Jon x Ygritte (Game of Thrones) 5. Lucy x Wyatt (Timeless) 6. Nick x Jess (New Girl) 7. Diana x Steve (Wonder Woman) 8. Lizzie x Darcy (Pride & Prejudice + The Lizzie Bennet Diaries) 9. John x Sherlock (Sherlock) 10. Ten x Rose (Doctor Who)

DO YOU REMEMBER THE EPI/SCENE/CHAPTER THAT YOU FIRST STARTED SHIPPING 6?

“Cece Crashes” 1x05 when they make a thing of the feet pointing toward each other...that’s when I Knew

HAVE YOU EVER READ A FIC ABOUT 2?

Still haven’t! For me, ships just have to have a certain quality that push me toward fic. Part of it is lack of satisfaction regarding their storyline, but there’s also something I can’t quite put my finger on. I adore Ben x Leslie, but only on my TV and in gifs/screencaps.

HAVE A PICTURE OF 4 EVER BEEN YOUR SCREENSAVER/PROFILE PIC/TUMBLR?

Nope! .

IF 7 WERE TO SUDDENLY BREAK UP TODAY, WHAT WOULD YOUR REACTION BE?

WELL...considering I had to watch Steve die on screen with my own two eyes, I would have to say my reaction would be pretty...not great.

WHY IS 1 SO IMPORTANT? 


My first real OTP….they’re the first couple I remember being obsessed with; I’ve been shipping them since I was 14-15. Watching their relationship unfold on screen is just beautiful but also heart wrenching - they go through hell and back, together and apart, and still find a way back to each other cause that’s true love, baby!! The way they’re able to truly understand each other and forgive one another no matter what (even if it takes time) is magnificent. I also love that their relationship exemplifies what it really takes to be in a serious relationship. They’re so clearly made for each other, but they allow obstacles and pride to cloud their vision so they let things go to shit because they won’t communicate with each other over these things - it’s so important for people to just TALK to each other, no matter how well you think they know you or how long you’ve been riding the same wavelength. I could go on for years about these two….

^ I said this before and I stand by it. 

WHICH ONE HAS THE STRONGEST BOND? 


That is an extremely hard question...Luke x Lorelai and Lucy x Wyatt have been through some shit together so their bonds are strong af. Both?

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU READ/WATCHED 10’S FANDOM?

Only once because that’s all I can take.  


WHICH SHIP HAS LASTED THE LONGEST?

Technically John x Sherlock or Lizzie x Darcy since they’ve been together for, like, a hundred years. 

HOW MANY TIMES IF EVER HAS 6 BROKEN UP?

Once? What a miserable time that was. 

IF THE WORLD WAS SUDDENLY THRUST INTO A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE WHICH SHIP WOULD MAKE IT OUT ALIVE, 2 OR 8?

LOL well considering there is a whole book about Lizzie x Darcy kicking zombie ass...gonna have to go with them.  DID 7 EVER HAVE TO HIDE THEIR RELATIONSHIP FOR ANY REASON? 


Well I don’t know that they ever actually told anyone they were in a relationship? I think it’s implied but then Steve dies so...I don’t think they hid it on purpose if they did. 

IS 4 STILL TOGETHER? 


No :(( THANKS A LOT OLLIE 

IS 10 CANON? 


Sort of? Rose is with TenToo, and it’s implied in the anniversary special (imo) that he still very much loves her and misses her. 

IF ALL 10 SHIPS WERE PUT INTO A COUPLE’S HUNGER GAMES WHICH COUPLE WOULD WIN?

Probably Jon x Ygritte but Lucy x Wyatt could give them a run for their money

HAS ANYBODY EVER TRIED TO SABOTAGE 5’S SHIP? 


HAHAHAHA!!!! *side eyes Rittenhouse*

WHICH SHIP WOULD YOU DEFEND UNTIL DEATH AND BEYOND? 


Luke x Lorelai

DO YOU SPEND HOURS A DAY GOING THROUGH 3’S TUMBLR PAGES? 


NO ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!

...that’s a lie.

IF AN EVIL WITCH DESCENDED FROM THE SKY AND TOLD YOU THAT YOU HAD TO PICK 1 OF THE 10 SHIPS TO BREAK UP FOREVER OR ELSE SHE’D BREAK THEM ALL UP FOREVER WHICH SHIP WOULD YOU SINK?

Jon x Ygritte since it’s dead anyway. 

HONORABLE MENTION SHIPS (in no particular order):

- Will x Alicia (The Good Wife)

- Ross x Demelza (Poldark)

- Meredith x Derek (Grey’s Anatomy)

- Will x Elizabeth (Pirates of the Caribbean)

- Hank x Sarah (Parenthood)

- Rory x Logan (Gilmore Girls)

- Four x Tris (Divergent)

[sakurablossomstorm-blog]

3. "Stay with me," 12. "Despite what you think, I am completely capable of taking care of myself," 24. "You're so fucking hot when you're mad," and/or 39. "Please come home; I miss you." 😊

Here you go! 24 has been asked by someone else so I’ve done the rest!

~~~~

3. ‘Stay with me.’ (Set in the ‘Those Who Teach’ universe.)

The sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the crack in the curtains, onto Leslie’s face. She grunted in discomfort and turned away from the harsh light, right into the arms of her super, sexy boyfriend.

She peered at the clock on his bedside table. 6:36. Wow, she slept in today. Usually she was up and ready to go by about 5:30 every morning without fail.

She tried to lie in bed and concentrate on everything that she could do today once Ben decided to wake. They could make cookies, watch some history channel documentaries, maybe go for a walk, visit Ramsett Park; holy crap there was so much to do today. And she was wasting the day away lying in bed.

Ever so carefully, she tried to peel herself away from Ben’s arms, who had snaked them around her waist without her knowing. But the movements shifted him, causing him to wake up and nuzzle into his pillow.

“What time’sit?” Ben grunted.

“Time to get up” Leslie answered.

Ben smirked, his eyes still closed. “Is that Leslie Knope time to get up or actual time to get up?”

Leslie blushed. “Um…it’s my time to get up.”

“No” Ben said adamantly, tightened his grip on her. “Stay with me. S’too early.”

Leslie knew he was right, and he wasn’t the first to tell her that. In her dorm, Leslie was always the first one to wake up, and would wake up so early that sometimes she would see people coming back from a night at the student bar, still wasted and giggly.

Ann used to tell her that a morning relaxing in bed never hurt anyone. But Leslie used to reply with ‘the early bird catches the worm.’

Ben had to adjust to Leslie’s habits. He loved sleep, and since getting together with Leslie and her spending more nights at his, he had to try and break her terrible sleeping pattern. He made her go to sleep at a reasonable hour and stay in bed until at least 8am.

“You’re suffocating me,” Leslie gasped dramatically as she flopped back down next to Ben.

He angled her so that she was lying on his chest. “Stay there. Go sleep” he mumbled exhaustedly.

Leslie couldn’t hide her blush as Ben lay her back down on his chest, stroking her hair as he drifted back off to sleep. She knew she’d never go back to sleep, but at least she could daydream about their day together while she snuggled into his warm chest.

~~~~

12. “Despite what you think, I am completely capable of taking care of myself,” (Set in the ‘Apartment 7C universe.)

“We are starting with these” Ben said, gesturing to the multiple birdhouses on Leslie’s dining table. “We live in an apartment building. On the seventh floor. You do not need birdhouses.”

“They aren’t for me. They’re for the City Hall” Leslie pouted; trying to defend all the hard work she had put in making the birdhouses. “I want to put them out in the courtyard so that we get more birds there, rather than all the pigeons that currently gather there.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Alright. Can we move them to storage at City Hall?”

“I guess” Leslie mumbled. “But I like looking at them.”

“I know” Ben replied. “But we are supposed to be cleaning up your apartment, so you don’t get another health code violation.”

Leslie winced. “Ron told you about that huh?”

“He asked if he knew what I was getting myself in to by helping you” Ben smirked. “To be honest, I’ve spent enough time over here to see for myself.”

He chuckled when he saw Leslie’s face drop, and she folded her arms and stomped her foot like an adorably grumpy toddler. “Despite what you think I am completely capable of looking after myself.”

“Oh, I have not doubts in that, I mean a regular person couldn’t survive in this. But it’s also not healthy to live like this” Ben told her, as he picked up stacks of magazines that were dated 1998. “Now, are you going to stand there and pout or are you going to help me?”

“I’m not pouting.”

“You’re pouting a little” Ben commented, and the immediately dodged a pillow Leslie threw at his head.

“Come on” he said to her. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner you’ll have a nice clean, hazard free apartment.”

Leslie sighed and picked up a box in the corner and started packing up the birdhouses. “Fine. But I like you a lot less, Wyatt.”

Ben just shook his head and smiled.

~~~~

39. “Please come home; I miss you.” (Set in the ‘Apartment 7C universe.)

‘Please come home. I miss you.’

Ben could only grin as he read the text on his phone. Leslie had been texting him every hour on the hour, telling him to come home. He would, soon enough. But for the moment he was in his old place in D.C, packing up his apartment so he could move back.

To Pawnee, to home.

“I promised myself I wouldn’t cry today” His roommate, Chris said as he packed away Ben’s extensive DVD collection “but I have already broken that five times today.”

Ben patted Chris on the back. Chris was thrilled for his friend, but was going to miss him as a roommate. And Ben would miss Chris too, other than his need for forcing Ben to take vitamins all the time.

“You can come visit. I know Leslie would be happy to meet you” Ben told Chris, and he smiled.

“That would literally make me the happiest man ever” Chris beamed at him, and then promptly burst into tears, collapsing into Ben’s arms and hiccupping loudly.

“Oh…there, there, buddy. Let it out” Ben mumbled as he awkwardly comforted Chris.

~~

“You’re back!” Leslie squealed as she darted through the crowds at the airport, pouncing on top of Ben and nearly knocking him over.

“I missed you so much” Leslie cried as she hugged Ben with all the strength she could muster. “Why did you have to take so long to pack up an apartment?”

“I’m sorry, babydoll. But I’m here now” He said, kissing her passionately, not caring that there were about thirty eyes on them right now.

He told Leslie about Chris on the drive back to the apartment block. How Chris cried in total about fourteen times, and how he had recently been in therapy for manic depression, and felt a little alone, and how Ben leaving wasn’t exactly the best thing.

Leslie sighed as she pulled into the parking lot. “Now I feel bad for telling you to come back, you should have taken a week there and made sure he was ok.”

“He’ll be fine” Ben reassured her. “He’s got plenty of friends out in D.C, and I told him he could come and visit.”

“He’s more than welcome any time,” Leslie said. “But not all the time, because I want to be able to jump your bones whenever I want and not be interrupted by your friend.”

They climbed out of the car and Ben dragged his suitcase out, while Leslie took his carry on bag for him. All his other stuff would come by moving van tomorrow.

As they climbed out of the elevator once it arrived at the seventh floor, Leslie told him how Ann had been on a string of dates and nothing seemed to work out. There had been several guys that hit on her during a girls night out, but they were all weird, one guy even said that Ann was pretty, but not as pretty as his sister.

It wasn’t until after they got into Ben’ apartment, and clothes were ripped off and bodies pressed together when it came to him.

“Hey” He said, nudging Leslie slightly. They were lying in the middle of his bed after amazing welcome back sex and Leslie was dropping in and out of sleep.

“Mm?” Leslie mumbled, looking up at him with one eye open.

“What do you think about setting Ann and Chris up?” Ben asked.

Leslie sat up a little and pursed her lips. “Do you think they’ll like each other?”

“Why not? They’re both good looking, and they have two great best friends, and one of those best friends has an adorable face and a great rack.” Ben grinned as he buried his face into Leslie’s bare chest, causing her to cackle loudly.

“It could work” Leslie mused, after she managed to push Ben away. “But he still lives in D.C.”

“We could invite him to stay, and take him out with us and Ann. And then we’ll subtly nudge them together from there.”

Leslie smiled at Ben and kissed his lips. “I like that idea. And if Chris is anything like what you’ve said, I think he’d be great for Ann. But I’m going to be critical. We need to make sure he really is the perfect guy for the wonderful Ann Meredith Perkins.”

“Of course, if you approve, we’ll hook them up” Ben said, kissing the top of her head and pulling her closer.