#ep 2x10

[eg515]

"Kol, the wily troublemaker, out for no one but himself." - Klaus says in a voiceover as we see Kol on screen putting himself out there for Davina

[vanmarkus]

9-1-1 • S2E10 ↳ “Merry Ex-Mas”

[nicholasdaymiller]

~two dumbasses who fell in love at first sight [2.10/6.22]

[tarttedup]

jamie and his little bags

bonus:

[dailytalesofarcadia]

TOP 5 EPISODES OF SEASON 2 OF 3BELOW AS VOTED BY OUR FOLLOWERS

↳ 5th Place: The Big Sleep

[greghatecrimes]

im going to jump out a window

[jeeyuns]

hen wilson in every episode 2.10 -> Merry Ex-mas (26NOV2018)

[imminent-danger-came]

MK: "No way! I may not understand your irrational love of noodles, or working hard, or being angry all the time—but you are always there when I need you, so it's time for me to return the favor! Because Pigsy's Noodles, are noodles worth fighting for!"

(2x04 Sweet'n Sour)

-

Subodhi: "Zhu Bajie was a stubborn one too." Pigsy: "Oh! So you think we're the same just cause we're pigs huh, bet you think I'm just a disgusting little monster too." Subodhi: "Zhu Bajie had his vices, however, like all the companions he grew up. He struggled the most, but he worked hard, not unlike yourself. Although he didn't start out this way, in time he became a deeply caring and protective creature, and a powerful ally—one of the best in fact. The heart you have in abundance, the power? Why, you've barely scratched the surface of your potential! And that's saying something."

(4x09 Roast of the Monkie Kids)

-

Gettin' emotional over my favorite hard working Pig man.

[on-this-day-btvs]

November 24, 1997

What’s My Line (Part 2) aired for BTVS season 2, episode 10. Buffy and Kendra work together to fight Spike and Drusilla. Kendra reminds Buffy: "You talk about slaying like it's a job. It's not. It's who you are."

[zoominsainz]

Can you believe cleon XVII looked hotter getting beat up by bel riose than when he was fighting naked my brain is rotted

[twelverriver]

oh my god the xena scrolls make me fucking insane oh my god

Xena: "Now, you listen to me. Gabrielle was never useless. She cared for others more than herself. She was the finest friend anyone could ever have."

JANICE: You make her sound important.

"She is to me. Be proud you're part of her family. I am"

[purplerakath]

Cobra Kai S2 - Agitators and Instigators

I think I have a name for how S2 somewhat shoots itself in the foot over the course of the season on... basically every plotline.

Except Johnny's arc.

For the record I think this season drops the ball with every character that isn't Tory, Miguel, Johnny, and Hawk. Special shout out to Moon for meaning well though.

So Season 1 had a lot of antagonists starting fights with words, and the protagonist solves a fight with sweet karate violence (except one instance). Kyler and Yasmine do their things, all the time, and are properly labeled 'the bad guy' and the resolution is physical. This is sort of the nature of this show, violence for the right cause = good.

So why is so much of S2 good guys talking shit and then being surprised violence happens?

This is about framing.

So a good example of framing is how Miguel and Robby trade places in Season 1. Miguel is our underdog protagonist all the way up through his break-up with Sam, and he takes a hard pivot to antagonist for the last two episodes. So that his victory at the end of the All-Valley feels wrong.

In turn, and in equal timing we start with Robby clearly as a conniving 'cool motive still murder' antagonist with all he's doing early in the show, but with Daniel showing him compassion he turns a corner toward good guy. Making him the babyface underdog at the All Valley.

Season 2 continues this sort of framing of the Cobra Kais (not Miguel) growing more antagonistic and aggressive. More violent, more destructive, more cruel. Cool. So naturally it should be framing the Miyagi Do students as, lemme check my notes.

"Untrustworthy snakes with no self-awareness who believe they are the victims of everything all the time forever. But they do their things for the right reason so it's cool."

...huh, weird, not where I expected this to go.

Sam accuses Tory of theft (she didn't do) and just- believes Tory is the worst every time they meet. Sam spends almost every time she's confronted with Tory pining for Miguel and certain Tory is the worst person.

Robby, actively being given his second chance by the LaRussos, actively believes all Cobra Kais and Johnny in particular are beyond second chances. Is given proof one of them (Miguel) is not as bad as he initially thought... and lies about that proof immediately because he wants the girl.

Demetri... just- everything. This drum I come back to often because it just bothers me. I don't believe anyone who says Demetri would never hurt Hawk watched 2x09 recently because... literally all of that is hurting Hawk (and more Demetri cowardice and facing no consequences for his actions).

Which brings us to Daniel.

So with the teenagers everyone is meant to be read as a little bit gray, that's how this works. It's a thesis of the show said by Johnny to show how the series moves forward. It sure would be great if the fan favorite other adult in the series had a position other than 'All Cobras are evil until they repent their sinful ways.'

Some of it, admittedly, is Kreese's doing, but Daniel was already on this soap box last season. And the season frames Daniel as 'overtaxed but overall right.' Rather than really painting him as 'obsessed zealot in need of a reality check.'

In general the season's structure (music cues and scene cuts) are meant to show Miyagi Do as the protagonists... but it doesn't write them that way. I feel there's a way to edit the sound design and shot comp to make it clear both sides are wrong.

To set-up for the real endgame being the Johnny and Daniel on the same team message that never happens because every time Johnny tries Daniel does Daniel shit.

[kitxvoss]

randolph bell in every episode / 2x10

[over-grown-foliage]

Work Song by Hozier is very Garcia Flynn coded

[brotherconstant]

Hi! Could you do some random GIF sets from Foundation season 2, either episode 3 ("King and Commoner") or episode 4 ("Where the Stars are Scattered Thinly")?

(Whichever one would be more fun to you!)

hello :) aw, those eps are equally SUPER fun to me because they heavily feature constant, poly, and hober, so i'll do them both and post them separately <3

[adhd-merlin]

I've read the Will post you reblogged, it's all very sweet, but: Merlin himself has said that the years before he came in Camelot were the loneliest years of his life. His mother, Will, the entire village of people not hostile to magic were less dear to him that his destiny service to Camelot. So, no: relationship with Will is secondary to him, there ficwriters are right writing them in such manner. This passage about loneliness was probably created by the writers to emphasize Arthur & Merlin's unusual kind of friendship, like they only have each other, but in fact it devaluated Will for Merlin and the knights for Arthur.

Hi anon! Cool glasses.

Yeah, I haven't analysed that post that deeply, I just thought there were some interesting points in there (as someone who's never given much thought to Will). And for the record, sometimes I might agree with 90% of a meta post and go "eh, I don't know" about the rest — I might still reblog it, because it's still food for thought, and I'm okay with not agreeing 100% with everyone all of the time. (Unless I think they are blatantly wrong about the remaining 10%). People can interpret things differently and that's alright. That's what makes things interesting!

That said.

Merlin himself has said that the years before he came in Camelot were the loneliest years of his life.

This passage about loneliness was probably created by the writers to emphasize Arthur & Merlin's unusual kind of friendship (...) but in fact it devaluated Will for Merlin

Merlin was always lonely. He might have been less lonely in Camelot than he was in Ealdor, just by virtue of being around more people and feeling like he was working towards a bigger purpose, but he was lonely. He is so lonely it's heartbreaking.

It's... lonely. To be more powerful than any man you know, and have to live like a shadow. To be special, and have to pretend you're a fool.

It's a loneliness born out of having to hide his true nature and, at the same time, being unable to befriend those he could be open with about his magic, people like him — Morgana and Mordred, of course, but occasionally also the Baddie of the Week — because fate and prophecies have set them on opposing sides. It's tragic.*

(Colin Morgan himself briefly touches upon Merlin's loneliness in his commentary to Ep 5x02, when he says "there's a sense of loneliness in all the magical characters, I think. [...] All united in the loneliness.")

So, personally, I don't think Merlin talking about his loneliness says anything negative or even especially significant about the quality of his friendship with Will. Merlin was (and remains) lonely because of his nature and of his circumstances. It's not really anything to do with Will.

His mother, Will, the entire village of people not hostile to magic were less dear to him that his destiny service to Camelot

Just because magic isn't banned in Cenred's kingdom, it doesn't mean that the people there are less hostile to magic. If people in Ealdor were tolerant towards magic, Merlin wouldn't have had to hide it the whole time he was there. He might not have been burnt at the stake for it, but it's very much implied he would've been (at the very least) viewed with mistrust or even ostracised by the other villagers.

And I don't believe S1 Merlin considered his mother less important than his destiny. He tries to bargain his life for hers in 1x13. (Even in 2x09 he is ready to give up his destiny to run away with Freya. Also almost killed Arthur, btw. And yes, in my book that is pretty much a murder attempt).

I assume you're saying that because he initially refused to use magic to defend his village? But like I said, Ealdor was only slightly less hostile to sorcerers than Camelot, and Arthur was right there. It wasn't just a matter of what was more important to Merlin, it was a matter of his own survival too. S1 Arthur wasn't ready to hear about Merlin's magic. He literally lectures Merlin about magic being dangerous while he's watching his childhood friend burn on a funeral pyre (dick move, by the way). The man who died saving his life. So that didn't leave Merlin with much choice, despite what Will's rebuke implies.

In the end he does use magic, and he's almost discovered — he only gets away with it because Will takes the blame. So his reluctance in using magic to defend his village wasn't completely unfounded.

Was Will more important than Arthur to S1 Merlin, or even equally important? I suppose that's a matter of interpretation.

The author wrote:

I feel that Merlin’s relationship with Will is something that is important to him, and something that he has never considered to be secondary or less important than the relationships he built in Camelot.

IMO, Will was clearly a dear friend to Merlin, regardless of his comment about feeling lonely in Ealdor. And I don't know if Merlin's relationship with Will was as important to him as the relationships he built in Camelot (in which I include people other than Arthur, like Gaius and Gwen), but it clearly was important.

Will was literally the only person who knew about Merlin's magic, other than his mother, before he met Gaius. The only person he didn't have to hide his true nature from. That's got to count for something.

And as much as Merlin cared about Arthur, he never had that with him. It was, tragically, a very one-sided relationship, until almost the very end.

I think you might still argue that Merlin's relationship with Arthur was more important — if you were so inclined — because of the whole destiny thing and how it gave Merlin a sense of purpose. But based on the friendship alone? Very one-sided, like I said. And I don't think Merlin was significantly less lonely around Arthur.

Sorry, I've just rambled on.

_____________________________________________

*I'm 100% sure I wrote a short meta post (well, random thoughts) about this because it's something I've thought about so much. And now I can't find it. Why do I even tag posts when I can't find anything half of the time!!

ETA: found it