#but don’t think to hard I’m just biased cause I’m not a fan of Abby

[iamchickenhearmesquawk]

Saw a few people saying they think Haley seems the most “straight coded” out of all of the bachelorettes which is actually crazy to me.

[mikereads]

“I’m terrified of roller coasters” Um…

“It’s not too late. We can turn around and leave her now.” Wow Eddie what a heterosexual thing to say….👀 but seriously Eddie break up with her already. Seriously there is always a little truth inside a joke just saying. Also it’s just about s’mores which in itself is odd she’s never had. Like everything else about her is off.

“You two aren’t going anywhere”… wtf like yes it’s a joke but literally no the way this scene was so awkward like everything was said aloud how they truly felt but said in a joke so it’s okay… right 😬…. Yeah no Eds! Also damn girl leave them alone he’s not that into you Jesus. Eddie/Ana had no chemistry so to say Eddie has even less with Marisol is saying something there is literally nothing there not even like oh a good friends vibes and we are supposed to think they are dating… no ma’am. If someone told me they just met and were strangers I’d believe it. This little game also proved he knows nothing about her… you don’t know me huh you don’t say.

Also the way she hugged them like girl let my boys go but also wtf loosen your grip. Like this is literally Marisol with Eddie and Chris

I know they won’t last but the way they are trying so hard and making it even more awkward. Also the forces laughs like Eddie sweetie 🥴 no just no

“Everything’s fine I promise” he says as he lies through his teeth. Like okay I’m not gonna lie not a fan of this storyline seeing someone that’s identical to his dead ex wife sorry not sorry it’s way to soap opera to me but if it gets Eddie to realize they had a bad relationship/ marriage and stop romanticizing it okay good finally like enough

Also I’m sorry but people saying Ryan and the actress that plays Shannon has chemistry like where? Is the chemistry in the room with us because nope. Eddie and Shannon were never good together/ supposed to be together but now this proved that they don’t have good chemistry even outside of the characters because now she’s someone else and well it ain’t it. (Yes I’m biased I don’t want Eddie with anyone but Buck but the two can coexist)

“Are you looking for anything specific? I’m not sure” the way this says so much about where Eddie is in his life and what he wants. Also she’s so freaking corny like yes she’s making a sale but also um no pls stop

This is our best selling candle it smells like nothing and coasts a hundred bucks it might also burn your hand but whatever

“Do you trust me? I don’t know you.” Like I know this is supposed to mean something big to Eddie and it cuts deep on the trust thing but also this relatively is just a woman trying to make a sale because she’s a sales woman and this isn’t Shannon so it’s honestly really just him getting closure and sorry can’t help but remind me of Buck and Abby and how she can back in s3 but also how he got with Taylor because she reminded in of Buck 1.0 in s2 but also reminded him of Abby because of her red hair (absolutely nothing else)

“Oh no uh just me and my son Christopher. Single dad” literally just proved in one scene, sentence that him and Marisol are done literally giving her the Ana just friend treatment and worse cause he didn’t even mention her at all and the sales woman gave him the opportunity when asking who he was shopping for a friend or girlfriend etc…

It’s also interesting how this episode has so many call backs. Maddie and the call which goes back to Doug (more on that) also the call she had in s3 and how she flinched when Chim placed a hand on her shoulder.

Maddie and Eddie having flashbacks of there abusive exs and yes it’s different abuse but still

Them recreating the Eddie/Shannon sex scene is sick I can’t 🤮 I barely wanted to watch it the first time around but the significance to Eddie. Still sneaking around but for a very different reason. I swear if he has her sneak out the same way I’m done. Like so many thoughts not only is he trying to relive and romanticize what they had but he also knows his current relationship is bad for him so not only is he trying to ruin it on purpose but he’s going back to bad behavior and this time it not only adds another level to it cause he’s actually cheating but so much as happened since then.. like she died! And it’s not her - oh wait it’s him imaging it as he sits with her which somehow makes it even worse?

Eddie it wasn’t incredible stop lying and yes it was unexpected sir wtf but also the way this sort of in a way mocks the storyline the first time around and how him sleeping with Shannon the first time around was unexpected not in the way of storytelling it’s sadly been done so many times but for Eddie it was unexpected

“When no one else is home!!!” Did I call it or what huh

“Recreating the moment? Looking for a new wife” oh come on especially out of context. Which ends in a car crash oh come on. Tim did this all on purpose to remind us of who Shannon actually was and not Eddie’s romanticized version of her. ( clarifying she wasn’t as bad as Doug or this guy but she also wasn’t good) for the last time stop comparing how she left to how Eddie left it isn’t the same thing

Buck slamming the guy to the floor must have been cathartic.

Good Cop vs Bad cop callback but also to have a Henren family scene to then go to the Buckley-Diaz family I see you show

Henren family scene > Buckley Diaz > Madney family scene really oh come on

Oh Eddie back to your old mistakes. Sorry but this just proves him and Marisol will be over before the season is over. We knew they were breaking up but now we have an idea it won’t be prolonged until next season or….

[justlightthefirstspark]

As promised, my analysis/opinion/thought piece on today’s MUWFC game vs Spurs. Everything is chronological which I feel like should go without saying but in the interest of clarity 🤷🏽‍♀️ but not everything is tagged to the minute cause I am an idiot that didn’t realise that that would be helpful til like the 2nd half. Also, if I missed anything, or got players mixed up or anything pls lemme know and I’ll edit accordingly! I’ve never really done any from of sports based writing before (I don’t think tweets count lol) so pls be nice, merci 😘

Line up as follows, I guess this is pretty common knowledge but you know, coherency and such.

Tbh it was kinda hard to see *a lot* of this game, especially on the far side of the pitch and by both goals because of the weather, felt like I was watching Silent Hill for a little while there, but I did my best. My wifi is also horrendous atm, and we all know that the FA Player can be problematic so there’s a very good chance I might have missed something due to a lag or buffering btw. Just drop me an ask if you notice anything that mightn’t be quite right, and I’ll fix it asap! Some ~analysis~ (if you could call it that lol) is more detailed than other bits cause there was a lot happening and today I learned that it’s kinda hard to write one thing and watch another at the same time lol

First half:

Quick, fast and almost successful start. A much-needed improvement on the stagnancy vs Bristol a few weeks ago, and obviously we couldn’t see the midweek game vs Brighton so I can’t compare them.

I have to say I’m not a massive fan of all the back passes, all the time. I think a more attacking FB might be needed in the summer, or maybe Ökvist should be given some time to acclimatise to the WSL soon? I was never the biggest fan of Harris last season, I personally don’t think she’s fast enough – she gets outpaced down the flank by attackers 90% of the time, which isn’t good. I think A. Turner is the strongest FB option currently, at least defensively, and she’s shown she has a decent attacking ability, and has a wicked long ball, as well as crossing. My only issue is sometimes those tackles of hers can be a liability, giving away unnecessary fouls. It’s almost like she doesn’t think before she flies in sometimes, which is a shame, cause I love them. A lot.

There were a couple of really good chances in the first half, including a great ball in and run up from Galton, which should have resulted in probably the opening goal but whether it was as a result of the weather or just misjudged timing and placement from both Ross and Sigsworth, the chance went to waste. Groenen had an excellent chance to net her first for United but unfortunately sent it just wide. Another glorious link up between A. Turner and Galton led to another decent chance, a gorgeous cross in from the right to the opposite side of the box, and the perfect header which unfortunately was aimed straight at the keeper. Very unlucky to head in at the break with nothing.

There was an incredible double save from Earps around halfway through the first half. I have to say, I have some anxieties with her sometimes. She is quite good, but has a tendency to make some silly mistakes, and doesn’t always make the right call for a save. But my god she was on her game today, even if a potential error might have led to the first save. Didn’t disappoint me anytime she was called on this afternoon.

A few frustrations started to show around the 30 min mark, a few sloppy passes and challenges making the rounds. It was also around this time that I realized I’d picked a pretty poor game to start this thing on because I could barely see anything.

Zelem seems to be back in form, which can only be a good thing. But I would very much like it if somehow she could drag some of the other girls back up with her.

There were a fair few soft calls going Spurs way, which I wasn’t entirely convinced by. But then again I’m probably just naturally biased towards my girls.

Another great ball in to Sigsworth from A. Turner which was just *chefs kiss* but unfortunately came to nothing. There was also a spin move either to commit or avoid a challenge, I couldn’t really tell tbh, which was very impressive, as was her chase down on Mitchell at around 43 mins. (Amy’s my favourite player, can you tell?)

Booking for Kirsty Smith just before half time, but I gotta be honest I couldn’t see it due to the fog, so I have no idea what happened. Couldn’t find anything about it in the United post-match report either so apparently we’re just deleting that from the history of the earth which is completely fine by me to be honest.

Second half:

My main takeaway from this game is that both Sigsworth and Ross always seem to be looking for the same ball in the penalty area, and there very rarely seems to be anybody else around looking for a potential rebound. I think that James (who missed today’s game due to suspension) seems to be our main (only?) front line creator and finisher; Sigsworth is fine, that girl works like a dog and always gets the job done, I think she may have just needed another goal to boost her confidence, but I have no real concerns with her. Ross, however, I’m not entirely convinced by, I think a lot of her finishes have been a bit lucky and flukey so far. I’d start Toone over her for the rest of the season to be honest, Ross hasn’t done anything that tells me she deserves the starting place. Feel free to disagree with this of course, this is just my own personal opinion.

56 mins – confusion has entered the chat. McManus ends up pretty much through on goal, and then the ref whistles for what I assumed to be an offside. So naturally I nearly kicked my laptop out the window. The ref then awards a United penalty, and I’m even more confused now than I was in the beginning. I genuinely didn’t see anything but did hear a few shouts from what I’m assuming was the United bench for handball, so I have no idea what happened here.

‘58 – GOAL. Who else? God bless Katie Zelem is all I’m saying.

‘61 – Hanson 🔁 Ross. I think this was a good swap. I don’t think Ross was particularly good today, and Hanson immediately sparked that RW. I would have subbed Ross off sooner but that’s my only issue.

’64 – GOAL – Sigsworth with a pretty perfect if slightly scruffy strike from a corner.

A much better corner than previous attempts, and Spurs hadn’t defended any of them particularly well. I think that we have a major issue with set pieces, I dunno what exactly the problem is, whether they need to allocate a new taker or whatever but before today had we scored from a corner all season? Lemme knowwww.

’65 – A few decent chances for Spurs around this time. One pretty clear run in from the right, and one or two shots bounced right of the crossbar and the post. Basically my heart stopped for about 8 mins.

’66 – I DO NOT WANT TO SEE BACK PASSES IN THE BOX AS OPPOSITION PLAYERS SWARM IN. CLEAR IT. I DON’T CARE WHERE IT GOES JUST GET IT OUT. (sorry for the caps but my anxiety was out in force this afternoon)

United started playing much better after both goals, think they just needed a kick up the arse. *Ahem* A confidence boost. 👀 Much better intensity for the final 30 mins than the previous 60 imo.

’68 – Another decent chance for Spurs, with Earps coming way too far off her line than sat right with me. Very lucky nothing came of that.

’69-72 – Around this time I started to get *very* confused between Amy and Abbie cause they both had yellow boots on and literally the only thing I could see on the far side of the pitch was feet. That was fun.

’73 – The wasteful corners made a return. Slightly less panicked about that one considering we were already 2-0 up but still, I would like to see the glaring set piece issue sorted asap thanks girls x

’75ish – Toone 🔁 Groenen. Man I love Jackie Groenen. She really has been immense for us so far, and there’s a definite difference in how we play without her.

’78 – Harris 🔁 M. Turner. I’ve said my piece about Harris above but man, can we take a second to appreciate Millie Turner. She never, ever stops. Literally the heart of our defence.

’86 – GOAL – Oh captain, my captain. Beautiful strike from a free kick just outside the box, with the perfect bend around the wall and subsequently the keeper to make it 3-0.

United were very obviously stronger in the second half, almost looked like a completely different team at times. Whether they just got the hairdryer treatment at the half (I would imagine Casey is terrifying when she’s mad.) or the goals gave them that spark they desperately needed to kick on, they definitely made up for all the missed chances in the first half.

’90 – 4 additional minutes.

’92 – Another United free kick. McManus found herself almost clear in (again!), but due to an unlucky fumble with the ball at her feet unfortunately nothing came from this one. Surely a 4th goal otherwise.

’93 – FIIIIIIIIGHT. Kinda. You love to see it. Spend a little while conducting some, scientific research 🌚 and have concluded that Toone was tackled from behind just as the ball left her feet, which led to the ~scuffle~. Have to say that Amy walking away with Ella was extremely 🥰🥰🥰 (This is my research - https://twitter.com/48hours8/status/1218896406020349953?s=21)

’94 – Red card for Tooney. I would assume for her reaction more than anything but the camera didn’t catch it so I guess we’ll never know. I would have thought a yellow would suffice, considering that’s all the Spurs player in question received, but apparently not. 🤔 I’m still kinda confused tbh.

’95 – Full time.

Thus concludes what was certainly an interesting match. Please enjoy this comparison of United vs Spurs chaotic energy from @danieljamesmufc

Also thanks for reading if you got this far, it’s a bit stop-starty and clunky cause I just wrote down thoughts and whatever as they came into my head and then pieced it all together later on. I also just wanna say that I was massively impressed with Smith today. She hasn’t had many chances to prove herself this season, but that combo of herself and Galton down the left was lethal today imo. 🔥

Some extra thoughts:

I’m not a huge fan (like, at all) of fans singing men’s orientated chants. Let the women’s rivalries develop on their own, in their own way, and don’t drag the vulgarities across! That said, I do think that particular group of United fans has the potential to be a very, very good thing.

Also, just wanna say that these are my girls, and I would die for every single one of them. None of my criticism is meant to be intentionally negative, I just tried to be as objective and realistic as possible, without being a fangirl lol. Even my faves aren’t immune to criticism unfortunately.

And this picture is now my favourite thing ever to exist

[scuttleboat]

tbh, I think the list scene was more about Bellamy and Clarke acknowledging their guilt and self-loathing than it being about not being able to live without the other. Bellamy hates himself enough that he flat out doesn't believe he should be on the list and Clarke couldn't even write her name down. Do you think it's a shipper interpretation to see the List scene being about them refusing to live without the other?

((I got the ages ago and never replied for whatever reason, but I’ll give it a shot today.))

The List Scene

That’s a pretty layered question, anon, and I’m gonna try to unpack it in a couple different ways. First let’s go with your opinion that the list scene is about their own self-loathing, being unable to put themselves on the list so they put each other. I think this is definitely the major thrust of the scene–particularly for Clarke. Bellamy accepts without argument that she wrote him down–in a way he probably was prepared for that because of her insistence in the earlier scene. He is willing to accept it if Clarke makes it so, because he trusts her. Clarke, for herself, CAN’T write her name because she feels so strongly that she’s taking away a seat from a more worthy person. But doing the list is her task, and she _wants_ to live. That’s why her guilt and conflict is so intense here, you can see she was listening to people work outside and looking at Bellamy (who in this moment is a symbol of her future with her loved ones if she writes her name). All of that is compounded and it breaks her heart, because she believes she’s not worthy, yet she wants to live. But also her wanting to live at the expense of others surely must be a selfish choice, thereby making her even more unworthy and creating a negative feedback loop.

Bellamy steps in then and does what she already did for him–he unburdens her. He makes the choice so that she doesn’t have to, going as far as taking the tool and completing the task on her behalf. It’s not a power thing, it’s a gift of emotional mercy. He is returning the gift she gave him by writing his name. It’s every bit as dramatic and magnetic as the choice to pull the lever together in Mount Weather. At that time, he was sharing the load she was determined but terrified to take on. In 403, they both take on the burden for each other. This lets them excuse each other from that final step of guilt–from the outside it probably looks selfish, like they’re just saving each other. And they ARE!  We know that because someone in the crowd called out as much in 404, asking why Bellamy was listed. So this was a mutually selfish act as much as mutually generous. But…they’re human, and this is a terrible thing Clarke has been asked to do. 

Fumbling through that pain and shame together is the best they can do, and it’s hard to condemn Clarke or Bellamy for wanting each other to live, or for wanting to live themselves. Especially on The 100, it’s a motive we all understand. The fact that Clarke and Bellamy both need outside validation that they still deserve to live is incredibly tragic and unfair. Life is a right.

That feeds me into my next point which is about not wanting to live without each other. This is tough because with two characters as emotionally entrenched as bellarke are, how do we draw the line between “he insists she must live” and “he can’t imagine a future without her in it”? Whoevers name goes first and the question becomes moot for the next. Clarke writes down Bellamy’s name because she sincerely believes that a) he deserves to live, b) he is of great necessary value to the group, and c) she cannot bear the idea of him not getting to live. Then its Bellamy’s turn and all those a, b, and c reasons stand for Clarke’s case too. He thinks she is worthy and he cannot tolerate a situation where she dies. Not because he needs her for his own happiness, but because he wants her to LIVE. Him being in the picture is valuable in as much as it gives him grounds to insist that she lives. They both use their influence to save the other.

We see this same scenario play out in 411. Clarke arranges for Bellamy to be kidnapped and taken inside the bunker (on the list). When he pushes her to open the doors, Clarke knows she can save her mom, herself, and all their other friends and loved ones but three people (3 out of 500, and 1 likely dead already). Clarke can tolerate the other two dead people being Kane and Octavia but she can’t handle if it means the third person who has to die for their safety is Bellamy. The person she prioritizes, the person she trusts, the person she loves. His death is a price she can’t pay, so she gives up and lets him decide.

As the grounders take back the bunker in 411/412, we see this again, where Bellamy assures Abby that no matter what he’ll make sure Clarke is safe inside the bunker once Octavia takes control. At this point, Clarke must have low expectation that she will make it through even if there’s a peaceful transition. Luckily the bloodbath she feared doesn’t happen. But Abby, and Bellamy are of course going to ensure she has a place. Because–this literally is not news–they love her. That’s not a shipping statement that is a reality of the characters. Bellamy’s love for Clarke is just as powerful as Abby’s love for her, or as his love​ for Octavia. Clarke’s love for Bellamy is a powerful as her love for Abby, or she would have taken that kill shot. Clarke and Bellamy are at a point now that to let their family member die or to let each other die is a zero sum game. They are both deeply and profoundly loved and it’s trust that saves them… Clarke decides it’s better to trust Bellamy’s call than to lose him because of fear.

So… I’ve wandered off topic, let’s bring it home. Yes, they both believe they don’t deserve to live. Yes, they both believe the other does and will fight for it, even letting that believe in each other outweigh their doubt in themselves. The big question then: is that the same as being unwilling to live without each other? It almost feels like we’re blurring the source vs the symptoms. The cause vs the consequences. When it comes down to it, I think Clarke’s love and Bellamy’s love are pure, unselfish loves. Bellamy is fine being off the list bc he’s confident she will be on it (as will his sister.) Clarke writes his name confidently because she wants him to have a future regardless of where she ends up (oh, that’s some for shadowing for the finale maybe). The love and faith that drives each of them to write down their names is unselfish—but the desire to also stay, to prioritize themselves, that’s the part where wanting a future with the other person comes in. And it’s there, in the wings… that hope of future with someone you love.

 Ultimately I don’t know if their choice in the list scene is  about worthiness or about love–i think it’s both. I think the two topics are so deeply entwined in Clarke and Bellamy’s approach to relationships–with each other and with themselves–that trying to parse all that is ultimately fruitless. Their refusing to live without each other is a consequence of them both being intolerant of a world where the other doesn’t get to survive. Love is unarguably at the root of both.

Shipper Interpretation

There’s one final part about your reply that I wanted to talk about. See beneath the cut…  

You mentioned a “shipper interpretation”. There’s a thing in fandom that this phrase epitomizes, which is the idea that people interpret the scene(s) differently if they ship the characters or if they don’t. And the subsequent implication is that the POV of the acknowledged shipper is a biased POV, tainted by a preconceived assumption. The thesis there is that shippers can’t interpret the show objectively because they go into the show with expectations. That the opinion of shippers will always be somehow opposed to and inferior to that of non shippers. I believe part of that stems from “our ship must be canon bc then we win”, which makes the non shipper fan assume that the shipper doesn’t want to acknowledge story elements that suggest a situation where it’s not canon (and they don’t win). But that is a HUGELY inaccurate assumption, because “becoming canon” only matters to some shippers, not all. Depending on the fandom, it may not even be the majority. It’s true that the loudest online voices in The 100 fandom are obsessed with being canon (hi, it me!), but that doesn’t make us the biggest group. It just means we’re the loudest.

But back around–is it true that a “shipper interpretation” is automatically biased? Why? Certainly I’ve been in situations in all my fandoms where I think “shipper goggles” is a real thing. It seems like it’s real for The 100 a lot of the time. AND YET…. those shipper interpretations are proved right just as often as they’re proved wrong. Let’s look at Clexa for instance. Some people said that Clarke loved Lexa and others said that was a shipper interpretation–but in 307 and 316, the show makes it clear that Clarke did love Lexa both romantically and intensely. So… was believing “Clarke loves Lexa” a shipper interpretation? Or just accurately watching the show? Then take Clexa again–many people who weren’t shippers saw the heavy for shadowing of her death. But the shipper interpretation was that their love was “endgame” and it would be resolved somehow and even that Lexa would become a series regular. In that case… the shipping interpretation of all the 302-306 Clexa scenes was wrong. Lexa died, and their romance won’t be the one that the series ends on.

So if shippers can watch the show and be wrong and yet shippers can watch the show and be right, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN??? *Oprah_whatisthetruth.gif*

I think maybe it just means that people are people, you know? Watching a show from a shipping context doesn’t make your opinions any less valid than the next person. My brain didn’t get sucked out from between my ears once I started reading bellarke fic, and I’m sure yours didn’t either. I still would make the same story predictions even if I was not invested in a screen relationship, and at times I even triple-check my own reaction just to be sure that I’m not overly biasing myself.

We never know what’s going on in someone else’s thoughts. If they see the show a certain way, we can’t magically know if their perspective is biased or not. That’s life. We do our best to manage our own output; that’s all we truly can know. ….And yeah, we may get judgy at times. We’re all human and sometimes we read a post by an individual and think “OMG that POV is stupid and biased.” But that doesn’t mean that all shippers are wrong just bc they’re shippers. It’s easy to generalize fandom groups but it’s never wholly accurate to do so. People are people, individually and within communities.