#episode 1 spec

[apricustar]

Eddie answers the call without opening his eyes.

It can't have been more than an hour since he had finally fallen asleep; he had spent the day in an odd state, waiting and checking his every notification, hoping it was Buck.

He knows Buck is on shift, of course, but Buck usually always finds the time to respond to any number of Eddie’s messages, even if it’s just with his selected heart emoji of the day, or a call on borrowed time to save waiting for a response, both their voices mingling as close as they can while he’s here.

He wasn’t quite asleep, truth be told. There had been a restless itch under his skin all day; a sort of tingling sensation of wrong that had only been exacerbated by not hearing from Buck—an ache that went back to those first few struggling days of him being in El Paso, where he began to silently wonder if everything between them was constrained to Californian borders. But then, Buck texted, and Eddie FaceTimed, and now they haven’t gone a day without either.

So, when Eddie’s phone rings at an ungodly hour, he swings his right hand out to an estimation of where his phone is on his nightstand—score—then answers without the need to look because who could it be but Buck?

“Buck?” he rasps, “Everything okay?”

There’s a pause at the end of the line, a quiet exhale, then a throat clears, and Eddie knows he’s miscalculated.

“Diaz,” Tommy’s voice rings out, far too close to his ear for comfort. He pulls the phone from his ear, and yep, there it is: ‘Tommy Kinard (x)’

With the hand not holding his phone, he puts the call on speaker, then pushes his thumb and first finger into his eyes, half-hoping this is some weird dream.

“Kinard,” Eddie says, voice flat, almost monotone. He doesn’t have it in him to muster anything warm for Tommy, but he can’t bring himself to be outright cruel either—not with the ghost of Buck’s disappointed eyes lingering in his mind. So he settles for something like neutrality with. Well, with Kinard, who, in his opinion, is an idiot undeserving of any of B—his time.

“Look, Eddie, I know you don’t want to hear from me, but it’s Evan,” Tommy says.

Eddie sits straight up in bed, heart in his throat, “Explain.”

“Shit- I mean. I’m sorry, Evan is not hurt. Not physically, I should have led with that…” Tommy laughs a bit ruefully, “I- Eddie there’s no easy way to say this. Bobby is dead.”

Bobby is dead Bobby is dead Bobby is dead Bobby is dead

It repeats, like a mantra. A cruel one. As though his brain believes that in saying them, they’ll start to make sense.

They don’t.

Eddie opens his mouth, but no sound comes out.

He blinks—squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as possible—trying to reign in his emotions; Kinard called for a reason, and he needs to figure out what happened to Buck.

He blinks again and suddenly he’s standing, body moving on its own accord. Somehow, he’s gotten a pair of pants and a shirt on without realizing. He pauses, inhales slowly, trying to feel less like a reanimated corpse and more like a person, thinks of Buck beside him at the dinner table, sunlit and golden in the kitchen, asking:

‘Eddie did you know we breathe 22,000 times in a day? And, also, I read last night that when you take the time to become aware of your breaths it can help when you feel panicked? Like-‘

Eddie had cut him off there, quirking a half-smile, and told him he didn’t panic. He remembers. He remembers.

Buck had sighed, loud and theatrical, rolled his eyes—but finished his spiel anyway. Of course he had; listening to and learning from Buck were some of Eddie’s favorite pastimes.

He falls into that memory.

A kitchen filled with years of love and laughter. Crumbs on the counter from Chris’ after-school snack. A fridge full of things both he and Buck had picked out. Feels himself there in that moment: heart slow, face warmed; Chris safe in his room, and he at the table with—

Buck.

Brighter than everything, at the center of it all, haloed by the setting sun, smiling that I-know-you’re-entertaining-my-whims-smile—the kind where his lips curled to the side, like he was tucking a secret away. It made him look boyish, years younger than the truth, lighter than the world ever let him be.

The Eddie of the past ached with something unnamable. The Eddie of now aches with too much knowledge.

He exhales slowly, blinking back to himself, the warmth of the memory crashing against the cold of the present.

He fishes his phone out from where it’s buried in the covers, feeling off-footed by the sudden want—need—for Kinard to still be on the line.

Somehow, impossibly, he is.

The screen glows: call still active, minutes still ticking by.

Eddie grips the phone hard, slightly swaying on his feet for a second, unsteady, then braces a hand against the wall. His breath stutters. He tries to count them like Buck told him—one, two, three—but they catch in his throat, shallow and fast.

His other hand curls around his phone, knuckles white, “What happened to him,” Eddie says. Not a question. A demand.

Then, before Tommy can answer, “Buck—where’s Buck?” he asks, voice cracking like a fault line. “Is he—?”

“Evan is alive.” Tommy reassures, voice coming fast, “He’s alive, Eddie, but he isn’t okay. None of them are, but—”

Tommy hesitates, then continues, “I’ve never seen him cry like that. I watched him fall apart in a hallway over security footage. He collapsed, screaming. I’ve never seen—God. I’ve never seen someone grieve like that. Evan—he’s always so sure, you know? Always so bright and—and okay. He tried to explain once what Bobby meant to him I guess I didn’t fully realize it until…”

Eddie’s jaw locks, the ache in his chest flaring with something sharp and hot. A part of him aches to be cruel, to push back against Tommy’s casual expression of knowing Buck, how could he-

He bites down on the inside of his cheek until he tastes copper. It’s not fair. It’s not rational. But it burns all the same. He inhales instead. It comes back out shaky.

“I know I shouldn’t be the one calling,” Tommy admits, voice thick with something unspoken. “But I saw him and I just—“He swallows audibly, “I know he needs you, Diaz. I’ve never seen a relationship like the two of you have and whatever my feelings about that are, I think you’re the only person who can get through to him right now.”

Something twists in his chest. He doesn’t respond right away. Doesn’t trust what might come out of his mouth if he does. His hand is still braced on the wall, still trying to keep him grounded, but it doesn’t help the way his body feels like it’s vibrating with too many things at once—grief, fury, fear, love.

Finally, he says, low and hoarse, “Send me where Buck is. Get him to answer when I call.”

He ends the call without waiting for anything more, phone still clutched tight in his hand as he crosses the room in three long strides.

There’s only one thought in his head now, clear and steady:

Get Chris. Get home. To his family.

[thatgirl4815]

Intimacy Progression Per Couple (Ep 1)

In this tweet, Jojo mentions how sex will reappear throughout the series because all of the relationships are based upon it. This got me thinking about how we’ve seen these relationships progress so far (in sex and otherwise) and how these progressions are indicative of each couples’ plot down the line.

I mentioned once before that in terms of progression, the couples follow a semi-“Goldilocks” formula, though only where physical intimacy is concerned. From this standpoint, RaySand and BostonNick stand on opposite sides of the spectrum, with TopMew fitting nicely in the middle. It’s interesting that they’ve been laid out this way because 1) it creates variety and 2) this variety suggests the role sex could play in the foundations of each relationship.

RaySand

Before the series aired, I was massively confused about the distinction between Bed Friend and FWB (still am, tbh). But after episode 1, we know that RaySand has at least some emotional foundation to their relationship prior to their sleeping together. I believe in their case, they will be friendly towards each other (idk if I'd call it a "friendship" exactly) beforehand, unlike their direct counterpart BostonNick, who had sex before any sort of emotional connection was built.

RaySand’s story being noticeably devoid of romance so far (despite the obvious hints of it) is what leads me to believe that they have the greatest chance of working through their issues. This is not to say that any relationship rooted in sex from the get-go is doomed to fail, but the fact that we have been exposed to the individual aspects of Ray and Sand—namely, Ray’s drinking problem and Sand’s helpfulness—before their characterization as a couple implies that their relationship will focus a lot on their individual issues and how those pose a threat to relationships in general. For Ray, it seems pretty clear what those issues could be given his very obvious drinking and self-worth problem. For Sand, those issues still remain unclear.

Again, this is not to say that the other couples are not given individual characterization prior to their relationships with each other--with the exception of maybe Nick, given that we see him rather sparingly in this first episode and the only thing we see him do each time is a) thirst over Boston or b) hook up with Boston. So not too much to work with there (yet). While Sand is scarcely seen outside of his interactions with Ray in episode 1, these interactions notably say a lot about who he is as a person independent of Ray (helpful, frustrated, patient, forgiving, etc.). For Ray, we're provided some additional context for his self-worth issues from his interactions with his friends as well as Sand.

I don't think RaySand is going to remain chaste for very long considering the show we're watching, but the fact that we have been given a slower build to it could say something interesting about the nature of their relationship (and where sex is involved). My guess is that RaySand's relationship will be more rooted in the comforter-comfortee trope (for lack of a better term): Sand gives and Ray receives. These roles have already been set up in episode 1, and I think they will maintain them for a period of time before Ray's inability to give back to Sand (emotionally, as opposed to physically) forms a wedge between them (see Sand's "Focus on me for once, will you?").

I would argue that sex will bring Ray and Sand closer, but I think it will inevitably mean more to them once they realize that there are actual emotions involved; what one (or both) might imagine as a hookup soon becomes a dependency. Which brings me to...

BostonNick

As mentioned above, BostonNick establish a sexual relationship before anything else. The parameters, even now, are pretty clear: they don't know each other but they're attracted to one another, they hook up and continue to do so = FWB. The problem being that Nick starts to develop actual feelings, wanting an exclusive relationship with Boston who has no desire to be exclusive with anyone (except for maybe Top, but that's up for debate).

So far, the importance of sex to this relationship is pretty clear: it is the relationship, in fact. Based on the trailer, there is a very clear boundary that Boston wants to uphold that Nick is determined to challenge. For Boston then, sex is a selfish act (this reminds me of what we heard Top tell Mew in the trailer about wanting to make him as happy as possible--I believe Boston could relate to the idea of desiring sex wholly for his own pleasure rather than his partner's).

I think Boston navigates sex in fascinating ways, and we see that through Top. I still believe Boston desires Top to feed his own ego and not much more. He can't understand how someone like Top could honestly want someone like Mew beyond a hookup. Could any of this have to do with Boston's deep-seated insecurities about relationships? Is he scared of forming a long-lasting relationship, so he settles for these quick one-offs to boost his ego and be done with it? Is he simply disinterested in settling when there are so many options? These are all questions that we don't have enough context to answer, but I think Nick's influence will force him to contend with them a bit. I'd imagine there has to be at least some of this conflict in BostonNick's storyline, otherwise the plot would be rather static.

TopMew

Mew's response to Top's advances provides a good outlook on his own values and boundaries. Just as Top views Mew as a challenge, I think Mew view Top as a similar challenge. Mew isn't naive; he knows who Top is just like he knows who Boston is. He will play Top like a fiddle. In that sense, I think he is withholding sex for two reasons: 1) because of his own values, as he states, and 2) because it's the thing he knows Top desires. To test Top's intentions, he can simply withhold sex and see whether Top's interest wanes. (This is likely what leads Top back to Boston, affirming what Mew already suspects about Top and Boston's similarities.)

For both players in TopMew and BostonNick, sex means something different. For Top and Boston, we can assume they have fairly similar ideas of it (which will notably change over the course of the series, I'm sure). For Mew, sex is about more than temporary satisfaction--it's something he holds in high esteem and wants to cherish with someone he's built a strong relationship with. For Nick, sex is a way of bringing him closer to Boston emotionally (tbh, I'm sure Nick didn't plan on forming an emotional attachment to Boston, but here we are).

*Side note, but it's funny that Nick seems on par for the course that Mew outlines for Top in episode 1:

Mew has an acute understanding of himself, and that's what gives him all the power in his relationship with Top. Top might think he's in control, but Mew is the one dictating. And if Top decides to leave, then Mew will have simply proven what he has suspected since their first night together. Mew wins no matter what (unless, of course, he starts to cave and lets his real feelings get involved).

~ X ~

This ended up being a bit of a rant, but in response to those critics on Twitter that Jojo felt the need to call out: sex isn't just sex for the sake of it. It's already informing the way these characters view themselves and their emotional ties. The emotional element of sex seems like a major component in the series, as the lines between mere physical intimacy blur with those of emotional intimacy. I think we will see that conflict come up in each of the relationships to some degree, but in vastly different ways.

[cerastes]

I still think it's really cool how Amuro starts as the shittiest pilot alive (because he's a 15-year old) that only gets carried because he's in the biggest, fattest stat stick in-universe at the time (a few retroactive additions made in the future notwithstanding), enough that even its crappy vulcan guns are tearing Zaku IIs apart, and when he starts getting a bit too cocky, Char and Ramba Ral show up in objectively inferior pieces of junk and absolutely deliver his pizza, they just drag his face across every available surface in Planet Earth like he's a Yakuza mook, all because they are simply that much better at piloting, and the thing is, Amuro takes that very seriously.

He goes from shitass kid in an unfortunate situation that doesn't want to get in the robot to the most unwell child soldier in the war, which is really saying something, but most importantly, becomes so good at piloting the Gundam that the Gundam physically cannot handle Amuro's piloting. They need to apply "Magnetic Coating" to its joints so they don't fucking snap away from the main frame because Amuro, one, moves too damn well but also in too extreme a way for the frame to handle it, two, despite being equipped with two sabers, a shield, a beam rifle and vulcan guns, Amuro is a stern believer in introducing most everyone in thagomizer range to his Rated Z for Zeon hands, the single most official pair of hands in the business, tax free. He KEEP going Ip Man on these dudes, he does NOT need to do a Jamestown on these mother fuckers but he INSISTS. Somehow even the Gundam Hammer, which is a giant Hannah Barbera cartoon flail-- Ok, look at this thing, words do not do it justice

Even this god damn Tom and Jerry prop is less savage that whatever Amuro decides to do the moment he's done throwing his shield to get a free kill on someone and it officially becomes bed time forever for the unfortunate sap at the business end of his ten-finger weapons of mass destruction.

The RX-78-2, "Gundam" for its friends and family, even has a top of the line cutting edge Learning Computer that 'learns' alongside the pilot and their habits. This data extracted from it was so absolutely fucked up that it completely revolutionized Mobile Suit combat afterwards, which is a wholesome thing to think about when The Best Combat Data Ever came from a really angry, really stressed 15 year old that doesn't even like piloting. He was 15! He made Haro with his own hands! Amuro literally just wanted to make funny cute spherical robofriends! Amuro was out there trying to make Kirby real, but fate had other plans for him. His cloned brain put in a pilot seat is one of the setting's strongest 'pilots'.

They made fucking Shadow the Hedgehog with his brain, god damn.

By the end, Zeon is rolling out Gelgoogs out of its mass production lines. These things are in the Gundam's ballpark in terms of overall specs (or "power level"). Amuro is bodying them as if they were episode 1 Zaku IIs.

AND THEN HE GETS FUCKING PSYCHIC SPACE POWERS. Not that he needed them, he bodied a couple Space Psychics without any of those powers before awakening to them. But heaven's most violent child was not done evolving, whether he liked it or not.

Char bodied him in a souped up Zaku II at the start, a machine objectively inferior to the Gundam. Amuro more or less one-sidedly beats the shit out of Char when he's in a custom Commander-type Gelgoog that you could consider to be equal spec-wise to the Gundam. Amuro is the embodiment of Finding Out. He is Consequences. You tell him he better make it hurt, better make it count, better kill you in one shot, buddy, he needs half a fucking shot. The complete transformation. One could consider the central 75% of the show as long drawn out training montage turning a kid into the Geese Howard of giant robots.

[lizardsfromspace]

It's probably going to look odd in retrospect that, at a time in spec fic history where so many were trying to be optimistic and move away from dystopia - where we coined half a dozen terms for a genre of optimistic spec fic - where so many were trying to capture the energy of old Star Trek, new Star Trek was mired in a sea of being Dark and Edgy

I've heard it brought up that it makes sense because it's capturing the times. But the idea that you have to go as dark as the times to capture them doesn't work. For one, a lot of "dark" new Star Trek has little to say. Season 1 of DIS starts with a rather decent first half about a war between the Federation and Klingons, sparked by Klingon's fears of their culture being erased by the encroaching Federation, told from both POVs, and then halfway through it ditches all that to become a story about evil people from the evil dimension. Season 2 of DIS starts with a scattershot story about the Space CIA's AI gaining power and turning on its creators, and then becomes a story about a generic evil computer doing bootleg Borg activities to capture data from an alien ball. Deep Space Nine it is not

But Star Trek always reflected its time. The original series reflected the Cold War and Vietnam by...giving us a Soviet on the bridge, and telling stories that undercut conflict: the Romulan Captain telling Kirk in another timeline they're of a kind, the reveal that the Gorn are invaded and not invaders, the whole first Klingon episode revolving around seemingly primitive aliens who force the superpowers into ending their war and who tell them they'll be allies in the future. At the height of Reaganism, they firmly established that the Federation is a utopia without money or a profit motive. You can "reflect the times" by showing the *opposite* of the times - by imagining something more optimistic than the world around you.

[66kenobi66]

Vivziepop Can't Write LGBT People (In General) PT. 2

It seems, just like many other artists, Vivziepop seems to think: More representation = Good representation. When honestly, in execution, it ends up being the exact opposite.

TRANS (Sally May)

Sally May: Not terrible representation, actually. She's nice, pretty, cool, and I'm pretty sure her VA is actually a trans woman. My biggest sticking points with her are that: 1) It's kind of a let down that our only real representation is a side character who's only showed up in 2 episodes (one of which was a short, not even a full episode) and; 2) sexualized in her merch for having a bulge.

And before someone says: "What about background character #45965464???" Those don't count. A background character with no lines, impact on the story, or name does not count as proper or meaningful representation, for obvious reasons.

ARO//ACE SPEC. (Mammon, Alastor)

Alastor: Seemingly, he's not even aware of his own orientation when you consider his surprised reaction to Rosie calling him "an Ace in the hole". Now, I would normally have no issue with a character finding out their identity through-out a show, but apart from Rosie's comment and jokes about him being unnerved by Angel's sexual comments to him, there isn't really any other implications of Alastor's aromantic/asexual identity. And considering how Husk and Sir Pentious (2 non-aro/ace characters) also reject Angel's comments, there are no real references to Alastor's orientation apart from Rosie's offhand comment.

Mammon: Came out of literally nowhere. There's even less implications than Alastor we're left to work with. He even behaves like a typical sleazy, creepy, predatory, boundary-pushing boss, which seems slightly strange when paired with his supposed asexuality (ex. Selling the Fizz bots/dolls, calling Glitz/Glam "hotties", etc.) I've already said my piece on why I believe Vivzie made this choice in another post, so you can check my account for that.

All her Pan characters are getting their own post because it's a whole mess.

[doraminatook]

I wrote a spec script for Good Omens.

This past week, I was out to coffee with a friend of mine and we got to talking about writing (as we often do). She has more of a television/movie background while I have more of a theatre background.

In the midst of our discussion, she brought something called a "spec script". When asked what exactly that was, she explained (at least in terms of television), it's an unprompted and uncommissioned script written for an already established show. The purpose is to help demonstrate a writer's ability to match the style, format, and voice of a show they didn't create.

Immediately, I said, "That just sounds like fanfiction!"

(Obviously, it's not, but I enjoyed the parallels nonetheless.)

So, of course, I had to write a spec script. (Season 3, episode 1 of Good Omens.)

Let it be known that I did not do this in the hopes of joining the writing team as I know Neil has that MORE than covered. I just did it for fun, but I'm really proud of it and I hope you head on over to AO3 and take a look at it.

Probably too many swear words. Probably too much AziraCrow too quickly. Probably too blasphemous. Definitely wonky formatting.

But I had fun! And that's what fanfic is all about.

[fallloverfic]

Thoughts on the live-action adaptation of The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells, Episode 3: Risk Assessment:

(It's really critical this week, folks; please, if you have any interest in this show, read the books, they're so much better)

I am somehow less impressed with this episode than the previous two. My primary comfort at this point is that there are 7 more episodes and also the episodes are extremely short, so it's not a major time investment.

I know part of this is book accurate to a degree, but I dislike that the story is focusing more on Murderbot's disgust with humans - particularly from a sex angle - than it is on Murderbot's paranoia about safety and its criticisms of the company it works for and its relatively nonchalant attitude about how shit everything is. The line, "Equipment failures aren't unknown" is almost an afterthought, without any clarification on why that's a thing, and focus is more heavily emphasized on Murderbot as a danger than the company in general as a danger. Compare this to the scene in Chapter Three of All Systems Red:

“Pin-Lee was calling up specs for the beacons. “Aren’t the emergency beacons designed to trigger even if the rest of the comm equipment is destroyed?”

The other good thing about my hacked governor module is that I could ignore the governor’s instructions to defend the stupid company. “They’re supposed to be able to, but equipment failures aren’t unknown.”"

Just... tonally. Completely different.

Yes, Murderbot is potentially a threat, and it notes that, and wants PreservationAux to be aware of that, purely from the sense that it isn't made well, has gone rogue in the past, SecUnits are dangerous, and the company is not looking out for PreservationAux, but rather their own interest. There's just, again, this heavy emphasis on PreservationAux being weird hippies and Murderbot's primary issues being human grossness rather than, you know, it's company property and humans treat it that way. Again, the show has one character say, "It's slavery" and then that's it for the episode, basically. Mensah is overbearing (I love her but she is), Ratthi is tactless in a way that's infantile, Pin-Lee and Arada (though mostly Arada) are being guided (like Ratthi) by their sex drives rather than, you know, their scientific focus (like wtf with that "first" line? Yes, I'm glad it's openly queer, but with everyone acting like sex-driven children and the focus on PreservationAux as free-loving hippies, it's just... ugh), and Gurathin is just fucking weird, and that, generally, is the focus of the episode. 1968-100a was right on the money when they said everyone is far less emotionally intelligent in the show. And understanding that's likely because they're going to get development arcs is not encouraging because they've been so screwed up that it's not enjoyable to watch.

I would say maybe I'm being too picky about the tone, but also around when episodes 1 and 2 aired, articles popped up indicating the showrunners stated they handled Murderbot's tone by ignoring it. This was not reassuring last week, and it's less reassuring now that episode 3 is out, and I'm less than enthused about what is to come in the rest of this series.

Again, I appreciate the focus on the fake soap operas. It's cute. I'm less enthused that it's so dominating the story when other important things - like the evils of capitalism - are sidelined. For instance, there's really no interrogation of why Murderbot is getting ideas from the soap operas it's watching, e.g., that it wasn't trained in a lot of ways that would help keep humans alive, because of cut costs and the company being focused on its own assets and money rather than actual safety, and the company has an agenda in not necessarily keeping people alive all the time. Also that SecUnit is security, not a medical unit of some kind. The specific role of agenda and who has one and what it is and how that conflicts with ethics and personal safety is an important one in Murderbot. It's somewhat gone in the show, and warped for... whatever Mensah talks about with the Company hoping they'll fail or whatever.

About Ratthi asking the awkward questions: he doesn't frame it the way he does in the show. He doesn't say, "Wooow... Does that mean you have like, human feelings, too?"

This is the scene in Chapter Four of All Systems Red:

“We heard—we were given to understand, that Imitative Human Bot Units are . . . partially constructed from cloned material.”

Warily, I stopped the show I was watching. I didn’t like where this might go. All of that information is in the common knowledge database, plus in the brochure the company provides with the specifics of the types of units they use. Which he knew, being a scientist and whatever. And he wasn’t the kind of human who asked about things when he could look them up himself through a feed. “That’s true,” I said, very careful to make my voice sound just as neutral as always. "That's true," I said, very careful to make my voice sound just as neutral as always.

Ratthi’s expression was troubled. “But surely . . . It’s clear you have feelings—”

I flinched. I couldn’t help it.

Overse had been working in the feed, analyzing data from the assessments. She looked up, frowning. “Ratthi, what are you doing?”

Ratthi shifted guiltily. “I know Mensah asked us not to, but—” He waved a hand. ���You saw it."

There's such a leap of relative respect in the difference here. Ratthi in the show is like a hyperactive child driven by his dick with a bit of progressive flavoring. Ratthi in the book is a scientist trying to figure out how to engage with a new team member he doesn't quite know how to handle, who is considered property by most of society. It's awkward, it's still got issues, but it's way more emotionally mature than he is in the show.

The whole thing with Gurathin at this point is just... why? I like that he reached out to Bharadwaj. That's nice. But the rest is just... why? The funniest thing about Gurathin doesn't even feature Gurathin: it's when Murderbot insists it's more of a machine than Gurathin is as a point of pride. That actually made me chuckle.

The crabs were neat. Random, but sure, if you've got a CGI budget, go for it. However, why is Ratthi acting like a child? Why is everyone on this show acting like a child? Why did PreservationAux bring... gifts on their check-up to see if DeltFall needed help? (I know it's for the stupid hippie shit). Why is Murderbot lying to Mensah about the status of the residents of DeltFall? Mensah is supposed to be watching its feed, she knows what Murderbot is seeing, and also it's a way to get Mensah to leave when it explains??? Also, why are they using hand communicators? The impression I always had was that everyone has coms in their heads, similar to what Mars Express and Ghost in the Shell do.

Where. Are. Murderbot's. Drones??????

The end fight was fine. It's partly why I'm more annoyed with the soap operas at this point, though because less focus was given to Murderbot's competence as a security unit - or where it wasn't competent because the company was cheap and didn't care to train it in certain things - and more to the soap opera stuff. We did at least see more of Murderbot's competence this episode with guiding and insisting the humans stay behind, as well as its competence in the fight. But it's treated less like someone who's cagey and more like someone who struggles with basic moment-to-moment existence for things it should be better able to hide/mask, particularly in relation to its job. Yes, Murderbot is awkward and struggles to relate to humans and figure out what it wants, in a way that is frequently obvious when its helmet is down and even in conversation. It is however, not as obvious as it is on the show. I get that seeing its face is going to be a different experience to being in its head, particularly when Murderbot is an unreliable narrator, and exaggeration is normal for visual media. I understand that. But given how much dialogue they're rewriting and adding and how they're modifying things, and how much of the tone and themes they're modifying, this just doesn't work. It feels too clueless. Too caught out. Too... incompetent.

One thing that really got through to me, though, is how much better this series would be as a video game. Certainly, imagining that was far more interesting than watching episode 3.

From a broader standpoint, and I know there's not really dodging around this because it's a book point (and it was always uncomfortable in the books): it's uncomfortable to know this is a U.S.-made show with a central plotline about a character wearing a face covering being strongly asked to keep the face covering off so other people can see their face. Racism against various groups wearing headcoverings which specifically target head coverings in the U.S. is old hat, and that's on top of the whole anti-mask thing a lot of people have been pushing throughout COVID. It's just... It's uncomfortable to see. And it makes me far less kind to Mensah than I have been.

I don't know what to think. I'll probably still watch episode 4, though I'm not exactly looking forward to it. The end fight was at least fine. Please read the books. They're so much better. Kobo sells DRM-free copies, too.

Other thoughts:

Episodes 1-2, Episode 3 (You are here), Episode 4, Episode 5

(Reply)

[shallowseeker]

My favorite thing is when Dean gets mad at Cas for doing the same things Dean does RIGHT AFTER DEAN DOES THEM.

I'm not even being facetious. I love it.

12x09:

DEAN: *plans to sacrifice himself; calls Cas on the phone and tells him GET HERE but mentions nothing else about said death deal*

LATER: DEAN & CAS find each other in the nick of time and ride in the back seat together. DEAN stares longingfully at CAS with big sad eyes (but still says nothing about the deal)

CAS: *puts himself in danger to stop said deal from coming to fruition and harming any of them* ... DEAN: *spends the whole next episode being irrationally angry at CAS for putting himself in danger*

SPECIAL NOTE: Dean's not seen to be laying into Mary*** for putting a gun to her own head. No, he's mad at CAS specifically.

It's setup as a bit of a fun in-joke the VERY next episode. These two very similar actions are set up as DIRECT CONTRASTS TO ONE ANOTHER.

We know Dean's not giving her the silent treatment, at least, because...

"You hear from mom yet?"

VS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"You talk to Cas yet?"

It's hilarious, because Dean's reactions to Cas tend to be wonderfully disproportionate and emotionally charged.

////Spec, but I suspect that if the roles were reversed, and Cas DIDN'T tell Dean ON THE PHONE about the Billie deal RIGHT THEN, Dean might’ve held it against him for not telling him the Truth (TM)… for a little while anyways.

(But ultimately, Dean gets it... because he gets wanting to keep loved ones out of harm's way. After all, after an initial mini-explosion, Dean was very sympathetic to Cas in 12x19, even after Cas lied AND took the Colt.)

But here's... the thing. In 12x10, it was READING as anger. Fear-anger. Franger, if you will.

Dean's fear sometimes reads as anger, just like Cas's fear sometimes reads as a lack of trust. Both tendencies can blown up in their faces and lead to snap decisions.

But! Their actions are very very very much rooted in love-fear. Cas understands that Dean has low self-worth, and though Cas may get desperate and angry about Dean making "a stupid deal," he totally gets it, too... because he's pretty much the same.

But yeah, as for Dean, his initial reactions and grudges about things like this tend to be much more emotionally volatile, so they narratively FEEL very big. He gives Cas the silent treatment about cosmic consequences, but won't look too hard at the hypocrisy of putting his own life in jeopardy. (Pot-kettle.)

Messy, messy, messy.

SPECIAL NOTE #2: This season, Mary and Cas are twinned by this trauma of losing Dean and Sam, and, in a thematic echo, it drives them both to try and take Dean and Sam out of the equation because they can't bear the though of losing them. Mary pivots to BMoL because she wants big-family-manpower... and, very importantly, she doesn't care if the BmoL die. Likewise, after 12x09 and 12x13, Cas freaks out and pivots to working with Heaven. (I really need to write the Mary mate to this someday; it's so crunchy!)

Even Dean verbalizes something similar when he sneakily takes Ketch* with him to Apocalypse World in place of Sam and Cas in 13x17-19: because, in his own words, he “doesn't care if Ketch dies.”

Dean's headspace from script 13x19 via @spnscripthunt-inactive

ALL of these above instances are inflamed by recent losses and feelings of powerlessness, but I don’t view this specific behavior of needing to shield loved ones and "keep them out of it" as unique to angel wiring by any means, even when that involves lies of omission.

Lies by omission in Supernatural are primarily driven by (1) protecting perceived innocents (2) protecting loves ones because you're horrified at the thought of losing them or (3) avoiding the great big painful emotions that telling them The Things will dredge up.

Extra credit for (4) You're putting yourself in danger and playing loose with not only your own but also potentially the whole world's safety.

///

BONUS EXAMPLE: Not wanting to face the big scary Emotions

14x12

& ofc

[dock57]

What are your favorite songs from the Monkey Wrench ost?

[Man that's a hard one! Its been awhile since I last listened to the Monkey Wrench OST as a whole. So I had to sit down and listen to it again to find my favorites (and least as well). First off, I got to say but Ockeroid made an AWESOME OST for Money Wrench, absolutely adore the work! Its been so long since I heard a soundtrack that is so focused on using clear sounding instruments, particularly the guitar in the MW OST! To be frank, the use of the guitar and majority of the OST having a rock vibe to it all is something I have not seen in awhile in a OST, so its a bit of a refresher. It reminds me a bit of No Straight Roads, a video game that I adore, that had a really sick rock 'n' roll OST as well. The score itself... it does such an amazing job at capturing the overall mood and feeling to the series. I can listen to each track and visualize the part where it takes. As for some favorites, I know the first one I have to mention is well, the overall "Monkey Wrench theme" (Tools in Space) and along with the "Monkey Pit." I mean the theme itself pulled me in for the show, that build up intro and the sick guitar solo that is blasting in my ear- I love the mood it set already, it was already telling me that Monkey Wrench is going to be an adventure based show with a cool story to go along.

I also love "Scrambled Bird" from episode 1, Ghost Egg, which played during the whole scene where Shrike, Beebs, Tyneen and Scratch basically was fighting over for Norbert at the port. I just love the overall beat to this one. Its funky, funny and motivating!

I will be honest with you guys, but episode 2, Lythops Liberation has some of my least favorite tracks- mainly "Lil Guys (Wah Wah!)" and "Lil Campfire Song." These tracks in the actual show, not bad! But alone they are- a bit to suffer through... that "wah wah wah" chorus might drive me a bit nuts after awhile...

As for a favorite from this episode, it would be "Granny 2.0." Just another track with an awesome beat to it. I love the attempt at insisting fear with it, as during the episode, Granny was posing to be quite a damn threat- should have watched more cartoons back in her days though.

Episode 3 OST is just *Chef's Kiss* such a good soundtrack. I am just a sucker for that acoustic guitar and of course every time I hear it, it makes me think of Beebs. Because of that, I got to say that "Hello Stranger" is one of my favorites. I love the overall feeling it gives off, mysterious but, comforting. Damn I just want to listen that guitar being played all day...

I also love "Tales of the Cataclysm." When alone, its such a beautiful track. The piano, the mysterious yet curious feeling it creates, it makes me want to flow down a river of endless space and cosmos. Its such a relaxing track for something that's suppose to appear sinister.

As for Episode 4, Plague Walkers, it also has a soundtrack that I just go 👌Like Perfection~ As for my favorites, I would place "I was Trying to Help" and "Alien Strip Club" next to each other for my favorites for their overall beat. Alien Stripe Club just has a really sick beat to it, that well, could be perfect to get down to. While Trying to Help, I guess it reminds me my favorite scenes in this episode, the moments that felt so well taken care of, which is when Shrike is self-deprecating and when Beebs and Shrike confront each other after being chased by Ajax and Kara. Those interactions are so well done, they hit me, as well as the soundtrack that goes along with them.

My last favorite is "Kin vs. Kin." Its the first episode where we are finally getting some specs to Beebs' lore and this track, I love the combination of the two different personalities mashing together. You have Beebs, the rock, and Ajax, represent by the classical sound of instruments. I especially LOVE that towards the end, around 1:51, you can heard this faint "heart beat" in the distance. Its a beat alone, but I love the feeling it gives- anxiety, stress, the overall feeling of being pressured. Listening to it tells me so much about Beebs, a man with a troubled past, trying to run away from the stress of it, while the past is trying to claw it way back into Beebs' life. It feels like a "time bomb" for him, waiting any minute to go off.

That's it for this ask! If you haven't already, please check out the full OST and give it a listen! Just like the show, the OST is a work of art. A soundtrack really helps make a show memorable, and I wound say that this one does it job's really well!]

[eye0fharmony]

I’m honestly so disappointed in Isaac in Heartstopper, because each season they keep doing 5% of what a normal characters’ progression would be in a single season, and then shove him off to the side when they want to focus on the couples again, completely ignoring the story potential of an aroace character. Hell, Alice Oseman themself is literally aroace and also wrote a book about an aroace character and you’re telling me the most you could do with Isaac this season is how he’s feeling left behind by his friend group as they focus on their relationships, only to then side line him to focus on the other characters’ relationships.

Additionally, at the end of season 2, Isaac finally discovers the word asexual but by the beginning of season 3 he’s already fully figured out his labels. Nick’s entire arc in season 1 was learning and accepting the fact that he is bi, and you’re telling me that most of the learning that Isaac does is fucking off screen??

I know and love that they tackled Isaac feeling isolated because his friends are focusing more on their partners than on being friends as that’s a common experience amongst a-spec people, but that conflict was solved by the end of episode fucking 3, so most of the season he has fuck all to do.

Why do we have to spend so much time on relationship dynamics that all boils down to the same basic things as about 500 other stories, and scenes showing that Solitaire is happening in the background instead of developing a character who’s probably a lot of people’s main exposure to an incredibly under represented group?? Doubly so because he’s a completely original character for the show so they could do literally anything with his character.

[here-there-be-fics]

Bucktommy thoughts after 805:

They are doing such a good job of integrating Tommy into the main ensemble without it being jarring. They are easing him in as a recurring but significant character and it adds to my confidence he'll be here for the long term.

Having most of Tommy's scenes once they began to date just with Buck in Season 7, made sense as there were not many scene to go around but they made a distinct effort to include those scenes.

They're pacing themselves well this season and diversifying his involvement. With episode 1 reminding the audience not just of their relationship but his friendship with Eddie.

Episode 5 we got Tommy with Eddie again, to reiterate the friendship, and that Tommy can share space on screen with more than one main character with ease. I think adding nicely to the Buck and Eddie scenes we are so familiar with and giving it a bit of a fresh dynamic.

Icing on the cake was obviously the hospital waiting room, Tommy is there, part of the group but ever so slightly outside still with not being in the groupchat. It's not shoving it down our throats and just making it seem like he is just one of them now because of his relationship with Buck but setting up for him to be brought into the fold in his own way. This makes me confident in his longevity and where he differs compared to other romantic partners we've seen before.

I think the more comedic element of 805 was a good way to create a run up to the deeper stories and character development. It means the audience enjoys him as a character and as Buck's boyfriend before launching into issues and angst.

I've got so many specs and ideas that I've drafted but I just wanted to show my appreciation for what we have so far before I possibly throw out spec on where things are going!!

[foxbuck]

BuckTommy or Buddie (Endgame Spec)

Pt. 1- BuckTommy

I've seen a lot of theories about why BT/Buddie would go cannon, but I haven't seen anyone compile all of them yet. This is my best attempt at a semi-comprehensive guide to the theories that I think hold some weight! I didn't get all of them of course, so if I missed an important one please please put it in the notes. For the most part I'm using other users' ideas and then building on them, so all users and the post I referenced are linked next to their theory (go check them all out!!!).

For the sake of ease I'll be referring to all the pieces as "___ theory." Also I don't know what the fuck the writers are doing in that damn room so don't take any of this too seriously. It seems to be a general consensus that they're making some peculiar decisions recently so who knows what the hell is gonna happen next episode/season.

sahtinekryz post BuckTommy is Chekov's Gun

"A narrative principle emphasizing that every element in a story be necessary, while irrelevant elements should be removed. For example, if a gun features in a story, there must be a reason for it, such as being fired at some later point." (Wikipedia)

The Checkov's Gun theory claims that Tommy's repeated appearances must have a narrative purpose. Tommy has been consistently reappearing/mentioned in s8. His story hasn't closed yet because the gun hasn't gone off yet. Something major is going to happen with him, and a very likely explanation is that he will get back together with Buck.

Personally I started with this one because it has a lot of weight imo. Sahtinekryz mentioned this in their post, but the showrunners probably spent a significant amount of money to have Tommy and his expensive-ass helicopter stunt in 8x15. He is reoccurring in these episodes for a reason. I'm not going too into depth with it because a lot of the other theories build off of it, but definitely keep Chekov's Gun in mind while reading the other theories.

-

Main Character Tommy

vanpalmersgf post Tommy Character Independence

This theory states that Tommy is being set up to be more important in the show because they are giving him scenes where he is a) present and b) acting independently from Buck (maybe ((hopefully)) implying that the runners are trying to give him his own arc??)

The best evidence for this is Tommy's appearances in the 8x16 flashback saving Bobby and in the funeral procession. In both instances, Tommy was involved because he is a character that the show sees as important--he wasn't just there to interact with Buck. The showrunners want the viewers to like Tommy.

Building off this idea, giving Tommy's character more independence in the show and establishing his relation to the 118 in his own way (in contrast to his only connection being through Buck) allows for him to later be recognized as an important part of the 118 family, which is damn near exactly what distantreverbs brings up in their post about Tommy's 7x04 wish. distantreverbspost 7x04 Wish

“I was super jealous… All of you. The 118. How it’s become like a family over there. I mean, how you all… were willing to put everything on the line for one another. I wanted to be a part of that.”

I really do like how well these two theories fit together. Tommy outright said last season that he wants/wanted to be a part of a family like the 118. Tommy's character getting this independence feels like he could be set up for his own mini-arc, and as op said, "Tommy’s entire narrative is clearly being built around fighting through his demons and getting the loyalty and love he so desperately craves as his reward."

As I mentioned already, giving Tommy's character more independence from Buck in turn tightens his individual connection to the 118 as a whole. Having a closer connection to the 118 leads up to his 7x04 wish being granted, and, being reintroduced to the 118 through Buck, the reasonable follow up would be for him to reestablish his connection with Buck.

-

distantreverbs, niraves, Chug Ugly (yt) Invisible/Red String Theory

I think this is a relatively popular theory but I can only really find a few posts and a video so I linked those.

"String theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings."

Just kidding. I can't find a definition for this one though, idk where y'all get this shit from. Anyway.

Invisible/Red String Theory basically states that soulmates are connected throughout time and space with an 'invisible string.' I'm not exactly sure how to explain this, but I think that giving some examples of how this applies helps.

1. Tommy leaving the 118 opened the space that let Buck join. (This one feels the most tangible, almost like Tommy is literally pulling Buck along behind him.)

Abby connection (including in s1 where Abby's parents thought Buck was Tommy.)

The bubbling scene (where Buck and Tommy are thinking about each other at the same time.)

As niraves mentions, previously these were all accidental. However, the 'Abby reveal' makes it seem like Minear is solidifying them and making them now seem intentional in-universe. The showrunners are actively giving this theory substance (and Minear reposted the yt video so ..!) Points for Bucktommy.

-

Parallels

I'm not giving these a lot of weight because they can happen on accident a lot of the time I think, but I figured I'd mention a few recent ones since it was already mentioned that some accidental things are being made to be seen as noteworthy now. I also only found a few so.

sahtinekryz post Madney/Bathena parallel in 8x15

In 8x15 Maddie and Athena both listened/watched as their s/o was laying down in immense pain, paralleling Tommy watching Buck collapsing on the camera at the end of the ep. In all instances, there was a barrier between the pair (glass, distance [only audio or visual]). Iirc Tommy's scene was actually decided on film day that they should show him watching Buck. Take from that what you will.

bucktommysource Try Again

[Buck in 5x18] "Is that really love? Right, shouldn't it be when you're at your worst, they're at their worst, you have every reason to give up and you still decide you want to try again"

[Buck in 8x11] "You want to try again?"

ambernotember I should go.

[Maddie talking to Chimney] "I should go."

[Tommy talking to Buck] "I should go"

firehose118 BuckTommy at Madney wedding

Buck and Tommy having a major scene Maddie and Chimney's hospital wedding implies a parallel between their love and the love that Maddie and Chimney have. Narratively, if this parallel holds, it makes no sense to not have Buck and Tommy reconcile/be endgame

That's all for now! Feels really short so I know I missed a lot, but I wanted to get this out now so I'll have to come back or make a continuation post.

I'm planning on making a part 2 with Buddie theories so if y'all had a theory you want me to add then definitely comment/put it in the tags; it would help me make a bit of a longer post than this one (and save me a lot of research time lmao) <3. Same with if you have anything you think I should add to a BuckTommy cont. post.

Setting aside long-term spec, I really don't think that we've seen the last of the Buck/Tommy relationship. All of Tommy's minor reappearances hint at him doing something, and that is really undeniable. These theories are all of course about a BuckTommy romantic relationship, but even if we don't get that, all signs point to them making up at least platonically.

Also please no shipping discourse in the notes, these are all just theories written in good fun, not meant to say one ship is better than the other <3

[wemmwu]

bro wemmbu is soooooososo interesting to me because it's kind of clear she doesn't want to get attached to anybody, but she thrives off of interaction. in early season 1, she very clearly puts her trust in people (egg, zam with the "vault" and kind of in the escape room, wato in the escape room, and i'd say mane to an extent even though i wouldn't count that episode as "early uu"), but it almost always ends in her getting hurt (half of the times out of the examples i gave, but uuzam was so mean to her it probably counts 5x), so her being hesitant to trust sunflower squad and wanting to just use them to get to her greater goal (killing jaden) makes sense because she's so used to people (ZAM) using her that she probably doesn't know how else to treat her allies.

aslo, aroace spec wemm is SOSO real to me... but also taxes restocks and wemmjoice.... grrr..... 😾😾😾

this makes so much sense omfg😭😭😭 why is she like this omg

aroace spec wemmbu canon!!!!!! 😸 source trust me br o

[rimatsu]

Hello! I'm another anon who has to thank you for your optimism and good sense all these months!

I've seen your posts about speculation and I agree with most of it;

I think Eddie will move back to LA with Chris, because I think if they were going to stay in El Paso, the show wouldn't have gone down the "Chris isn't really happy and himself when he's with his grandparents" route. Chris could have chosen to move back in with Eddie and still enjoy chess and the life his grandparents were building for him, with Eddie reconnecting with them. Instead, the idea is that the distance between Eddie and his parents might be the healthy choice for the Diaz boys.

I don't know if it's going to happen, but I would like the bucktommy conversation about moving in to come full circle, with Tommy now reprising the "why be apart when we can be together?" and asking Buck to move in with him, because now they'd both be ready and on the same page.  They're also leaving that place at Fox studio (?), and I think it would make sense to have a new location/setting (Tommy's house?), like in the past we had Michael or May's apartments. I think if May or Harry come back, they'll live with Athena now.

Otherwise, I think it's more likely that Buck will think about a transfer but decide against it (imagine a callback to the harbor tour conversation + 8x05 speech, with Tommy helping Buck to realize he didn't need to transfer+the big emergency happening) and I'd love to see Buck supporting Hen as Captain instead of competing with her, that would show maturity on his part. I just don't know if this franchise has the courage to put a black lesbian as the definitive captain, since it seems like the rule of the OG and spin-offs is to always have a white man in charge of a diverse team.

hi! you're so sweet, thank you <33 as for specs, ditto! i agree with most of yours as well:

1) in 8a, chris seemed pretty settled and content with his living arrangement, and i'm on record here saying that uprooting a teen from that stability and his new friend circle would be cruel. 813 recontextualized the situation: i doubt he'd feel too torn up about the prospect of losing that support system now. awfully convenient for eddie and any future relocation to the west coast...

2) athena's insistence that the dream house was for her and bobby rather than the family home harry and may envisioned in 814 supports your theory. that felt very pointed. she might not have initially designed floor plans with her children in mind but i can hardly see them leaving her side now. the move-in might even be permanent if may ends up joining the fire academy to keep athena directly and intimately connected to the 118 as tim suggested

3) bucktommy sharing a roof by the finale would be circular and narratively satisfying. living together was brought up twice now, and the rule of three makes one expect a third discussion on the matter

4) i believe gerrard's soft spot for buck will come back into action next episode: he'll probably recommend buck for a promotion. now i'm still of the opinion that the show has not only primed hen as the next captain of the 118 but also foreshadowed her future position in 816, so i doubt buck will do more than contemplate the option before ultimately declining, be it in s8 or early s9 (with the acknowledgment that wearing the captain hat is something he hopes to achieve one day but isn't ready for yet). hen and buck temporarily seeking the same title could be an interesting source of tension and conflict, especially if buck internalizes bobby's last words as a request to take on his mantle while hen fears the weight of his legacy. but i've said it before and i'll say it again: promoting the relatively inexperienced 34 yo white man over the qualified black woman with seniority and several stunts as acting capitan under her belt would be egregious. however they'd justify it in verse, it'd still reek of misogynoir. now if you ask me, it's specifically because nashville has cast another white male as its lead that i think og can "afford" to part with that tried-and-true formula. they've already shaken the status quo with bobby's death. if anyone wants to see another bone-ash pasty guy give orders, they can check out the new spin-off or ls. at the dawn of s9, 911 is taking risks and trying new things: i'd say now is the perfect time for a black lesbian capitan

[secretlysamcro]

Hi!

I'm currently rewatching the SOA series, I came to an unserious realization that I have to bounce off another person, how many white Air Forces do you think Jax has on rotation? Or does he own one pair the whole time? Then that got me thinking of his hoodies that he wears underneath that leather in the scorching heat of Charming whilst everyone else is in t-shirts??

Like? 😂 he has to smell a bit musty beyond the cigarette smoke, grease and outside air. Jax Teller the character should be thanking his lucky stars for Charlie Hunnam for playing him, because on paper chile, he is not cute enough to be this raggedy. Sorry I had to read Jax a little bit, I'd like to hear what you think. 👋

Pls cause I’ve had the exact same fucking thought. Those air forces? Forever fucking fresh, not one fucking crease. This guy is killing, running, stabbing, gutting, shooting, fighting, plus god knows what & the only time we see a SPEC of evidence is the last episode when he chucks them in the bin.

Part of me likes to think that between all the madness he at least has a moment to go out and buy himself some fresh air forces, cause if not? He must be using the strongest crep protect known to man 🤣

Pls I KNOW especially season 1-3 Jax was musty as fuck but do u know what? I don’t care, I’d be waiting for him STILL with open arms, heart & legs. Hahaha nah but honestly imagine just reading the character on paper not knowing HOW he actually looked, ahhhh! Who is this musty fucker 🤣🤣🤣

[azaharinflames]

My spec, let’s see if I’m right.

8x16 is about Athena and 118 having flashbacks. Tommy as at funeral but he and buck have 2 seconds moment only. Buck is being all I’m fine 😐

The last minute of the episode - buck knocks on some door and tommy answers - buck breaks down crying- end titles.

Alternatively since they prob don’t have a set for Tommy’s house - tommy knocks to check on buck and finds him crying.

In 8x17 it is revealed that they decided to try again.

I think it's a solid one, Nonnie!

I'd only be a bit disappointed at not seeing the actual reconciliation scene, but more and more I'm starting to think we'll see the beginning of it, but not fully it. Kinda in the same way we saw Karen take Hen back in Season 1, but not the conversation that followed once she went back into their home. In a similar way to Bucktommy, their issues (aka the cheating) had been talked about previously, up to the point where we could assume how things would work once Hen made it home. And I wouldn't be surprised if they followed this same line with Bucktommy. A bit sad, because I want a proper reconciliation on my screen, but I know that's just my selfish side lmao. I'll be good with a reconciliation, no matter how we get it. I'm just a bit greedy here.

But. I think your structure could work very well! I am pretty sure Tommy won't be in 817, so it would make sense for them to fix it in 816, have it at the end so we know it will happen, but it's off-screen, and have Buck confirm it come 817.

818 will mostly be about the mass casualty emergency, and I'm guessing they will dedicate the end of the episode to close off the remaining storylines, and put a nice ribbon on it. If we were correct and we get a Madney and Bucktommy dinner scene, I'm starting to believe it'll be part of the montage at the end of 818. And as much as I want to see a proper double date with them, I will love it either way. Because it will show them to us as a family, if that makes sense.