#gen loss: the social experiments episode 1

[r3d-m3dic]

so i watched Gen Loss for the first time tonight (it's 4:32 am rn. help.) Loved it. Charlie is so funny bro holy shit. charlie is my favorite so i drew him in episode ond

:3

[tu-es-gegg]

I need to know,

Was I the only person who was thinking during the last episode of generation loss thinking, " This isn't the end, also long as we are watching the show will go on. "

Or am I just a tab bit insane?

NO YOURE RIGHT I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING BECAUSE LIKE;

Generation Loss (Gen 1), to me at least, was about the effect of an audience, what sort of things happen when suddenly a mass of eyes flock towards a person so suddenly, its so prevalent throughout.

It's a commentary on the media industry and how its focus seems to be ONLY the audience, not its creators. They don't have any problems torturing their subjects, forcing filters and inhibitions to act on a democratic whim, just so they can have an audience. But the audience is not exempt from being used by the industry either. The audience is a part of the social experiment, we are just as much the lab rats as the streamers are.

The ending of the 3rd episode brought that home for me because literally the audience is a perpetrator and witness to a poor guy's death. It's what the audience chose to do when they cant look away. It's what the audience will ruminate on as the credits roll with his dead body being zoomed away from. They can't stop seeing the corpse, the camera won't let them all the way until the end.

All the glitches into the "reality" were intentional otherwise the cameras would've panned away, cut to a technical diffulties break. But no, they showed the blood in Charlie's gut for a split second, they showed the characters freezing on hold as Sneeg is being reset.

The audience can't help but watch a comedy and a tragedy. So the show goes on with that in mind. They want the audience to laugh at the bits and jokes, they want us to cry and plead when our favourite character is threatened. The audience gives Showfall Media power when they react, when they give their eyes where they shouldn't be.

The only way it ends is when people look away, but Showfall Media won't let that happen.

[freyrmedia]

GOOOOOOOOD MORNING GEN LOSS FANDOM!!!

Founder’s Cut was good last night, eh??? 👀 Can I introduce you to one of my personal project? The Backland Barn

Generation Three: The Backland Barn was intended for an au and a solo idea between me and my friends, as it features a lot of my irl friends.

I put this idea and concept as Generation Three since Ranboo had an idea for Generation Zero and Generation Two, since I didn’t want to mess with the canon stuff Ranboo was writing.

It is intended for just a thing between me and my friends, the story of it was, Freyr, the hero was looking for a place to paranormal investigate and when she reached this icky looking barn, she gets knocked out and wakes up somewhere that feels like a set of the barn.

Like how Gen Loss: The Social Experiments were, the host puts Freyr through a carnival game like game show. They’re called the Ringmaster, which I haven’t decided if they should be played by Ranboo or not. Ranboo said themselves that they would not play a major role in the next generations, if at all. So possibilities? But I’m not sure yet.

Generation Three has a total of five episodes. Rounding the series to 6 hours and 35 minutes.

Episode 1: Bare with the Traps

Episode 2: Carnival Games

Episode 3: Means of Motivation

Episode 4: The Dead of Dawn

Episode 5: You FAILED.

Runtime: 6h 35m

Episode 1: 1h 27m

Episode 2: 43m

Episode 3: 1h 45m

Episode 4: 37m

Episode 5: 2h 3m

But apart from that. Let me show the art I have for this au.

[nyseehallow]

Hetch, Red, And Others Like Him: Genloss Mini Theories

Disclaimer

A lot of the theories is just me trying to make sense of Hetch's existence in the bigger scope of genloss cause honestly he's pretty sussy. Also, there'll probably be lots of lore inaccuracies and all theories could be easily debunked when the founder's cut gets released. Still, I hope there's still some substance in my rotting brain :)

!! Spoiler Warnings Ahead !!

General Background

At the end of episode 3, I find it strange that we don’t get much of Hetch’s personal motives and intentions as to why he “finds” people for the cast; why he still bothers going on with these experiments. Though that isn’t clear, I don’t think his motives matter as much in the context of the general lore of the entire series. But, I do think his presence on gen 1 will say a lot about the plans of the founder and the prevalence of “generation loss” in the lore. Because of this, I’ll be dividing this into different mini theories and connecting it into one big theory:

The color red on Hetch and the red censor box

The inauguration and its connection to Hetch

Infinite generations = more people like Hetch

The Theories

1st Theory: The color red on Hetch and the red censor box

From the 3rd episode, the symbolism of the black box has been made pretty clear: death or something similar to it (ex: the box closing on Ranboo). But for the red censor box, it hasn't been shown at all in TSE literally. My theory is that it's shown more figuratively in TSE, that the person under the red censor are people who are given a purpose by the founder. In TSE, that would be Hetch. I have a couple of reasons why.

In this pic from Gen 0 with the video titled: T_1, the person censored with a red box is the one teaching the genloss symbol to a class of students.

And looking back, it's similar to how Hetch has been running these social experiments with the help of Showfall, brainwashing the cast into propaganda that keeps them in a time loop of death. But why draw this similarity? Well, it has something to do with the color red. While there are a few characters with the red motif, Hetch is the only character who has full autonomy and control over the cast and Showfall in all eps of gen loss with heavy use of the color red. Not once have we seen him being explicitly mind controlled or reset by Showfall. Instead, his red motif appears whenever he tries to "hack" into the system or even just simply talking to Ranboo in ep 3.

Examples below show Hetch appearing with red glitches whenever he communicates to Ranboo in ep 1 & 2.

In ep 3, the screens behind Ranboo turned red when Hetch announces the results of the audience, controlling the box trap and Ranboo's fate of death.

It signals to me that Hetch knows his control over the cast and control over his affiliation with Showfall but is being held back by the founder. He was able to say the full truth to the cast and us the audience but not the outside world past the mall's exit doors. In short, he has control but not the entirety of that control. Hetch is only a fraction of it.

This pic shows that he was once those students but is an outlier amongst everyone (outliers will be called as "chosen ones" for now).

It leads me to my next point as to how the founder picks these chosen ones (referring to Hetch) to be part of a generation.

2nd Theory: The inauguration and its connection to Hetch

In the vid: T_2, us the viewers are being interviewed and asks us some weird "would you rather" type questions. I won't analyze every question, but the last 2 questions are vital to my theory that the inauguration is a final test for people who are chosen by the founder.

"You or Them?"

If we were to compare it to Hetch's character progression throughout TSE, he was very much willing to let the cast members die and being rebooted back to the show. And yes, while he did "help" Ranboo and got himself "killed", he still came back to life and ended up killing Ranboo. My speculation is that the founder wanted the chosen one to be selfish enough to be able to put themselves over others, but not enough to betray the founder in the end.

"Are you Alone? Yes or No?"

Okay I will say this one may be grasping at speculation since we don't know if Hetch was ever with someone during his inauguration but the fact that he was alone in delegating the show raises a lot of questions. He was alone in hacking into Showfall, he was alone in helping Ranboo, and he was alone with the responsibility of making these experiments go to plan. I think that the founder is just making sure that Hetch truly was alone and that Hetch wouldn't suddenly just try to go off not doing his purpose. But what is Hetch's purpose? The next theory is mostly speculation so take it with a grain of salt.

3rd Theory: Infinite generations = more people like Hetch

Whew... you somehow made it this far. With the last video posted on the genloss channel, we finally get to see the founder and how TSE has all been taped/recorded from the start. Now don't get me wrong, it would be safe to assume that the story of Gen 1 would be continued in Gen 2 or at least be connected to one larger story, but Ranboo has said otherwise.

Ranboo answers a question from a chatter about this. (credits to @/GLUpdate on Twitter for the screenshots)

So since Gen 1 and Gen 2 will most definitely have an entirely different plot from each other, what if the founder had inaugurated these chosen ones to individually make sure that each generation will take place? I'm not saying that Hetch will be a reoccurring character in all of the generations but I do think that people like him who are given a purpose are making sure that there will be infinite generations. It's really just a question of how far the rabbit hole can go, how far can the founder can really go into these generations. And with that, comes betrayal.

The Actual Big Theory

So what's the connection with all three of these theories? The real big theory I have for people like Hetch and the future of genloss is that there will be a generation where a chosen one will try to really get full autonomy of the founder's plan, trying to break this cycle of infinite generations. This is why there's an inauguration taken place to make sure that these chosen ones will be kept at bay and won't do anything stupid. And it's also why the chosen ones are kept separated and alone; they know too much. In short, the founder is not to be trusted and that the chosen ones are being held back by something twisted that make them continue doing bad things (possible ex: killings) for the founder and their own generation.

Thank you so much for reading this :D! I will be genuinely surprised if this somehow doesn't get debunked immediately once the founder's cut gets released kek :) Feel free to ask me questions about this theory cause I would love to hear your thoughts :DD!

[caffiene-fueled-fuckery]

My M*A*S*H Fic Olympics Contributions

Hello!! I thought I’d link the pieces that I wrote for the M*A*S*H Fic Olympics that ended on Monday. I didn’t get to do all 7 days, but I got 5, so I’m super proud! Links and brief summaries below!

Day 2: Weather

Title: When It Rains, It Pours

Pairing: Gen, Hawkeye & BJ, Charles & BJ

Prominent Tag(s): hurt/comfort

Word Count: 1,129

Status: Complete

Day 3: Horror

Title: Blood in the Water

Pairing: Father Mulcahy & OC

Prominent Tag(s): hurt/comfort, trauma response, blood and gore

Word Count: 2,159

Status: 1/2 Chapters

Day 4: Orange

Title: Shades of Amber, Heart of Gold

Pairing: Gen, Max Klinger & Kellye

Prominent Tag(s): POV Max Klinger, One-sided Attraction, Colour Theory

Word Count: 362

Status: Complete

Day 6: Injury

Title: God, Keep My Head Above Water

Pairing: Father Mulcahy & OC

Prominent Tag(s): Deaf Character, Hearing Loss, Hurt/Comfort, Developing Relationship, Mutual Pining

Word Count: 3,766

Status: Chapter 1/?

Day 7: Secrets

Title: Halfway Between

Pairing: Gen, Radar O’Reilly & Max Klinger, Radar O’Reilly & Henry Blake

Prominent Tag(s): s03ep24 Abyssinia Henry, Episode Continuation, Max Klinger Sees Ghosts, Grieving Radar O’Reilly, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 1,868

Status: Complete

I had a lot of fun the past week writing all these pieces! It was definitely a challenge, especially being so new to the fandom and trying to gauge how my interpretations of the characters fit into the narratives. I’m typically an angst writer, so the short piece about Kellye was a challenge, but I ended up being really proud of it! Also, the OC in both the fics with Father Mulcahy are the same OC. I’ll put some details about her down below! Those fics were both floating around in my head before the fic olympics started so yeah, it was self-indulgent. Apologies, lol. If you give any of these a read, I’d love some feedback! Reblogs are welcome! :)

About my OC in the two Mulcahy fics:

Name: Della Woods

Gender: Female

Pronouns: she/her

Sexuality: Straight

Birthday: May 12th, 1922

Age: 29 (at the start of the war)

Hair Colour: Chocolate brown

Hair Style: curly, falls just below her jaw

Eye Colour: Light brown

Skin Tone: very pale

Height: 5′9″ (yes she’s tall for a woman, esp in the 50s)

Job: Nurse, has experience with psychiatric patients (though this doesn’t come through in the first fic, I hadn’t really thought about it yet)

Love Language (giving): Physical Touch (main), Words of Affirmation

Love Language (receiving): Quality Time, Words of Affirmation

Temperament: Energetic, Playful

MBTI: ENFJ

Scars or markings: One above her left hip that curls around onto her stomach (from an accident many years ago), lots of freckles

Her relationship with Mulcahy: they’ve been really close friends/best friends pretty much since Della joined the 4077th, which was just after Mulcahy did. He got very comfortable with her over time because she never tried to pull anything on him, but she wasn’t cautious around him and actually called him by his name (which is John in these stories bc I can’t keep up with how many times it’s changed, but he tells the other nurse to call him that so idk that’s what I went with). She’s very physically affectionate and likes to tease him, and she’s pretty much the only one who can get away with that. Aside from Hawkeye, she’s the only one that Mulcahy will be vulnerable in front of. 

While he’s shy, Della is a social butterfly, and she’s kinda wild when she wants to be, which makes him worry. It’s warranted, she’s a bit of a daredevil, lol. But when the roles are reversed and he pulls something reckless, she’s all over him. And again, aside from Hawkeye, she’s the only one that’s comforted him/seen him cry, and also is the only one that knows how to handle him when he gets sorta panicky (I wrote in another post somewhere that I headcanon him as having terrible anxiety). They both love each other a lot and overall it’s a very playful relationship, but don’t mess with either of them because you will feel the other one’s wrath. 

When it comes to jealousy, Della knows she gets jealous and tries not to, but ultimately fails. Mulcahy on the other hand doesn’t understand why his chest feels so tight when he sees her off with some guy or hears the other men talking about her (she sometimes sleeps around and dates but it’s really only because she can’t have the person she really wants. Or at least she thinks she can’t). They both have rather intense feelings for each other, but Della never said anything because she figured she could never have him and he never said anything bc of his vows and also a lot of denial. TLDR; they’re chaotic and playful but also very emotionally close and care about each other a lot. Best friends fr. 

Other random facts about Della:

-she’s incredibly perceptive to subtle changes in people and their moods

-99% of the time is chaotic and playful but when something happens or someone is upset she immediately cools to like 1% and is incredibly gentle. It’s like whiplash, honestly. 

-she’s terrified of birds. Especially chickens. But somehow, hot chicken sandwiches are her favourite...

-she has a friend back home who is deaf and knows very basic ASL

-her mother died when she was a teenager

-she’s from Philadelphia, PA, just like Mulcahy, but they never met before the war

-she became a nurse and moved into an apartment with her best friend, but her friend moved out when she got married, and now Della just has a vacant room in her apartment back home

-she shares a tent with Nurses Kellye, Baker, and Able

-Klinger knows she has feelings for Mulcahy but never says anything about it. Just sort of gives her a knowing look

-Frank actually doesn’t bully her like he does with a lot of the others. He actually seems to like her. And everyone is bewildered by this. But Della is a little shit and will use it to her advantage to help the others

-Mulcahy may be camp therapist tm but Della is group therapist tm. She’s also the only one who knows how to calm Mulcahy when he’s anxious (I head canon that he has horrible anxiety but I’m likely just projecting but its fine) and is the only one (other than Margaret and BJ/Trapper) who can calm Hawkeye when he’s it one of his rants or is overstimulated (back on my ADHD/Autistic!Hawkeye bs)

-She used to play field hockey

-She finds her dress uniform too stuffy and would much rather wear her worn in fatigues instead

-She’s a night owl and goes on walks a lot at night after stressful days

Anyway yeah so that’s my M*A*S*H OC. I might make another who is closer to Radar’s age bc let’s be real, he needs a friend his own age. Thanks for reading if you made it this far. I was brainrotting and needed to put all of this info somewhere so here it is!

[newstfionline]

Sunday, March 14, 2021

Warp-speed spending and other surreal stats of COVID times (AP) The U.S. effort in World War II was off the charts. Battles spread over three continents and four years, 16 million served in uniform and the government shoved levers of the economy full force into defeating Nazi Germany and imperial Japan. All of that was cheaper for American taxpayers than this pandemic. The $1,400 federal payments going into millions of people’s bank accounts are but one slice of a nearly $2 trillion relief package made law this past week. With that, the United States has spent or committed to spend nearly $6 trillion to crush the coronavirus, recover economically and take a bite out of child poverty. Set in motion over one year, that’s warp-speed spending in a capital known for gridlock, ugly argument and now an episode of violent insurrection. Once, the attack on Pearl Harbor was the modern marker for national trauma. About 2,400 Americans died in the assault on the naval base in Hawaii that drew the United States into the Pacific war. The nearly 3,000 dead from the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001, became the new point of comparison as the ravages of COVID-19 grew. The U.S. reached a total of 3,000 COVID-19 deaths even before March 2020 was out. By December, the country was experiencing the toll of 9/11 day after day after day. With deaths now moderating—so that a 9/11 toll comes cumulatively every few days—the U.S. death toll now has surpassed 530,000, exceeding U.S. combat deaths of all of the last century’s wars.

The Fighter Jet That’s Too Pricey to Fail (NYT) Last week, the new head of the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Adam Smith, said in an interview that the F-35 fighter jet was a “rathole” draining money. He said the Pentagon should consider whether to “cut its losses.” That promptly set off another round of groaning about the most expensive weapon system ever built, and questions about whether it should—or could—be scrapped. Conceived in the 1990s as a sort of Swiss army knife of fighter jets, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter was meant to come as a conventional fighter for the Air Force, as a carrier-based fighter for the Navy and as a vertical-landing version for the Marines. The problems, and there were lots of them, set in early. All three versions of the plane ended up at least three years behind schedule, and sharing less than a quarter of their parts instead of the anticipated 70 percent. Many of those already built need updates; hundreds of defects are still being corrected; the jet is so expensive to maintain that it costs around $36,000 per hour to fly (compared to $22,000 for an older F-16). At the current rate, it will cost taxpayers more than $1 trillion over its 60-year life span. So, kill the monster and start looking for alternatives? Or declare it too big to fail and make the best of it? Last month, the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Charles Brown Jr., gave his answer when he said that the F-35 should become the Ferrari of the fleet: “You only drive it on Sundays.”

Colorado and Wyoming brace for severe snowstorm and potential blizzard conditions this weekend (Washington Post) A major winter storm is set to unload massive amounts of snow, the most in years in some areas, in parts of Colorado, Wyoming and western Nebraska this weekend into early next week. Before the wintry onslaught is over, some locations in the Colorado foothills and eastern Rockies might end up with as much as four feet. Winds are also going to howl, bringing the potential for blizzard conditions across parts of the region. Gusts of 35 to 50 mph or higher will cause blowing and drifting snow, as well as compromised visibility and whiteout conditions. Winter storm warnings are in effect in Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins where the National Weather Service predicts 12 to 24 inches of snow. In Cheyenne, Wyo., also under a winter storm warning, 22 to 34 inches of snow is forecast.

Stay or go? Fence, Guard pose Capitol security questions (AP) Nobody, it seems, wants to keep the security fence around the U.S. Capitol anymore—except the police who fought off the horrific attack on Jan. 6. Lawmakers call the razor-topped fencing “ghastly,” too militarized and, with the armed National Guard troops still stationed at the Capitol since a pro-Trump mob laid siege, not at all representative of the world’s leading icon of democracy. “All you have to do is to see the fencing around the Capitol to be shocked,” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., said in an interview Friday. How to protect lawmakers, while keeping the bucolic Capitol grounds open to visitors has emerged as one of the more daunting, wrenching questions from deadly riot. With warnings of another attack in early March by pro-Trump militants and threats on lawmakers that have nearly doubled since the start of 2021, the police, the Pentagon and lawmakers themselves are wrestling with how best to secure what has been a sprawling campus mostly open to visiting tourists and neighborhood dog walkers alike.

Bolivia arrests ex-leader in crackdown on opposition (AP) The conservative interim president who led Bolivia for a year was arrested Saturday as officials of the restored leftist government pursue those involved in the 2019 ouster of socialist leader Evo Morales, which they regard as a coup, and the administration that followed. Jeanine Áñez was detained in the early morning in her hometown of Trinidad and was flown to the capital, La Paz. She had earlier warned that officials were searching for her, terming it “abuse and persecution” in Twitter posts. The arrest of Áñez and warrants against numerous other former officials further worsened political tensions in a South American country already torn by a cascade of perceived wrongs suffered by both sides. Those include complaints that Morales had grown more authoritarian with nearly 13 years in office, that he illegally ran for a fourth reelection and then allegedly rigged the outcome, that right-wing forces led violent protests that prompted security forces to push him into resigning and then cracked down on his followers, who themselves protested the alleged coup. Dozens of people were killed in a series of demonstrations against and then for Morales.

British police officer charged with murder in missing woman’s kidnapping and killing (Washington Post) A British police officer was charged late Friday in the kidnapping and killing of Sarah Everard, whose disappearance and death has sent shock waves through the nation. Wayne Couzens, 48, who previously had posts at Downing Street and the Palace of Westminster, was charged with the kidnap and murder of Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive. She was last seen at 9:30 p.m. on March 3, walking home from a friend’s house in south London. Her disappearance sparked a national outcry in Britain over the harassment and abuse of women. The case has struck a chord with women across the country, with many demanding change. In the days after Everard’s disappearance, women have taken to social media to share their own experiences and fears about their personal safety and walking alone. Caitlin Moran, an author and journalist, tweeted: “Being a woman: my “outside” day finishes at sundown. If I haven’t taken the dog for a walk/jogged by then, I can’t.” Writing in the Guardian, columnist Gaby Hinsliff said: “When she went missing, any woman who has ever walked home alone at night felt that grim, instinctive sense of recognition. Footsteps on a dark street. Keys gripped between your fingers.”

Car bomb kills at least 7, injures 53 in Afghan Herat province (Reuters) A powerful car bomb near a police station on Friday night killed at least seven people and wounded more than 50 others in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, officials said. Herat Governor Sayed Abdul Wahid Qatali said that at least 53 people, including civilians and security forces, were hurt when a van packed with explosives went off in a crowded part of the city in the evening.

4 killed as Myanmar forces continue crackdown on protesters (AP) Security forces in Myanmar on Saturday again met protests against last month’s military takeover with lethal force, killing at least four people by shooting live ammunition at demonstrators. Three deaths were reported in Mandalay, the country’s second-biggest city, and one in Pyay, a town in south-central Myanmar. There were multiple reports on social media of the deaths, along with photos of dead and wounded people in both locations. The independent U.N. human rights expert for Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said Thursday that “credible reports” indicated security forces in the Southeast Asian nation had so far killed at least 70 people, and cited growing evidence of crimes against humanity since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

For Syrians, a decade of displacement with no end in sight (AP) Mohammed Zakaria has lived in a plastic tent in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley for almost as long as war has raged in his native Syria. He and his family fled bombings in 2012, thinking it would be a short, temporary stay. His hometown of Homs was under siege, and subject to a ferocious Syrian military campaign. He didn’t even bring his ID with him. Almost 10 years later, the family still hasn’t gone back. The 53-year-old Zakaria is among millions of Syrians unlikely to return in the foreseeable future, even as they face deteriorating living conditions abroad. On top of his displacement, Zakaria now struggles to survive Lebanon’s financial meltdown and social implosion. Nearly half a million people have been killed, and about 12,000 children have died or were injured in the conflict in the past decade, according to the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF. The conflict also resulted in the largest displacement crisis since World War II. The Norwegian Refugee Council this week said that since the war began in 2011, an estimated 2.4 million people were displaced every year in and outside Syria. Hundreds of thousands of Syrians face continued displacement with each year that the conflict continues and economic conditions deteriorate.

Number of missing Nigerian students raised to 39 after armed raid (Reuters) Nine more students than originally thought are missing after gunmen stormed a forestry college in northwest Nigeria earlier this week, a government official in Nigeria’s Kaduna state said on Saturday. The revision brings the total number of missing students to 39 following Thursday’s nighttime raid on the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, the fourth mass school abduction in northern Nigeria since December. Kaduna city is the capital of Kaduna state, part of a region where attacks by gangs of armed men, referred to as bandits, have festered for years. Military and police attempts to tackle the gangs have had little success, while many worry that state authorities are making the situation worse by letting kidnappers go unpunished, paying them off or providing incentives.

[moon-yean]

harlots; 2x06

This episode was everything. I’m still at a bit of a loss for words but I thought I might try to sort through some of my thoughts, in no particular order:

When Amelia was stabbed, I was almost convinced that she would actually die because she is honestly too pure for this world. She literally took a bullet knife for Rasselas, when will your faves 😭 (Now that she lived to the end of the episode, I’m fairly certain that she’s going to live and testify against Lord Fallon. And this near death experience will prompt Violet to reconsider what she said earlier. I pray that there will be a good solution to all of this.)

Run, Rasselas, run! When Lydia sicced Lord Fallon on him, I almost bit my fist because the tension was unreal.

I’m 50:50 on whether Margaret is going to hang. On the one hand, she did murder Sir George and confessed to it, so there seems to be little in the way of saving her. On the other hand, there are still two episodes left. So I see three scenarios, 1) she hangs, 2) she doesn’t hang but dies another way, 3) she doesn’t die. Samantha Morton has been cast on TWD which suggests that, unlike her fellow cast members, she knows that she won’t be in season 3, no matter whether the show will be renewed or not. That would suggest that Margaret dies. But wait, I have another crazy theory: What if Justice Hunt helps her escape. I’m thinking of a scenario here where she’s lead into a cellar or some other dark and secluded place to be executed (she did specifically ask him not to make a spectacle out of it). And so we think that he’s honoring her request and giving her a swift ending. But instead of the killing blow/noose awaiting her, Justice Hunt is like “quick, let’s get you out of here” and spirits her away under the guise of night and she leaves the city and sails away with William and Jacob to live her best life somewhere else. Charlotte becomes the new bawd of Greek Street, Justice Hunt has his big character moment where he breaks the law but upholds it in another place (by, let’s say, convicting Lydia Quigley... I doubt Lord Fallon will survive the season, even if he’s arrested), the last girl Lydia abducted will play a vital role in her downfall, Hunt will release Amelia from her promise to marry him and she’ll be happy with Violet, hopefully not in penury, and Lucy will be without a keeper again and, idk, become a lady of society under the guidance of Lady Isabella. Okay, that last one’s unrealistic. Probably all of it is unrealistic. But that’s just a bit theorizing about a best case scenario. Ideally, I would want Charlotte to get out of the profession as well but there has to be an element of circulus vitiosus to it, I suppose.

There will be so much egg of my face if they just hang Margaret. And if Lord Fallon survives. And if Amelia marries Justice Hunt.

Do we think that any of the Spartans will survive the season? Harcourt is a goner for sure. You can’t introduce an utterly odious character like that and let him get away with his villainy (and he’s not the type of character who you can just incarcerate). I feel like Lord Fallon is also a goner and that Lucy will deliver the killing blow, as I have also theorized in my thoughts after 2x04, but I don’t find that storyline wholly predictable. Lord Lidington... well, he might just end up in jail.

Maybe they will end the season with a hint at the remaining members of the Spartans. I hope they don’t. Cutting the head off the snake might not kill it but cutting off their means of supply (Lydia) should, hopefully.

Emily and Charles will inherit Golden Square once Lydia is dead or in prison. Harriet will become the bawd of the House of the Exotic. And if Charlotte does become the bawd of Greek Street, it’d be like the next gen of bawds. I hope that doesn’t mean that they think they won’t be renewed. Since the story of the first two seasons was a continuous story, they’d have to come up with something new. I hope they do because it’d be a damn shame if they end it there.

Charlotte and Margaret. I don’t even know what to say. So many feelings, it’s overwhelming. I almost cry again just thinking about that scene. It was just... so much relief and sadness and pain and love rolled all into one.

Charlotte and Lydia. That was so powerful. Lydia has got to be one of the greatest villains ever. You can’t help but pity her because you just know that the world (the cruelty of MEN) made her who she is. Once more the hint that it was her father who first abused her. But we also know of the kind of evil she inflicts on others. It’s so warped and I was with Charlotte when she was screaming at her how she hated her and it was so visceral and did you see that vein on Charlotte’s forehead as she was ready to burst?! Jessica Brown Findlay deserves all the awards! In fact, she, Lesley Manville and Samantha Morton all deserve all the awards. (There is not one weak link in the whole cast but these three just get to play the meatiest parts and they knock it out of the damn park every week. This week was beyond though. Just beyond.)

I’m not here for any hate on Lucy. I think the writing for her this week was amazing, so layered even though she did not have many scenes. Just her scene back in Greek Street said so much in so little words, I could write a whole essay about her character. Before this episode, I had the theory that maybe she was playing Lord Fallon all along but this is so much better and makes so much more sense and it’s so much more realistic. She is young and in desperate need of validation.

Lord Fallon was hilariously inept at being a predatory murderer but to be fair, he was put under a lot of stress so it’s no wonder he underperformed. That plus the whole daylight thing and having to actually chase his victim made it a lot more difficult for the poor guy. How creepy was his scene with the servants btw? It was short but it showed exactly the type of guy that he is: controlling, abusive and quick to anger. I think that he does have a lot of, let’s say, appreciation for Lucy but there are just some people you don’t want to be liked by. It’s just poor Lucy’s luck that the only person who ever happened to show a great interest in her happens to be him.

I liked what the episode did to develop minor characters like Anne Pettifer. We don’t know a lot about her but we can certainly infer some things. Clearly, she is intelligent because she figured out that the best way to survive in Quigley’s house is to ingratiate yourself with her. Too bad that this makes her an accomplice to such a foul person. But imagine that she was an innocent girl once and it all becomes too clear.

That’s what the show does so well at its best and it was at its best this week: It shows this great variety of women and how none of them are purely good or purely evil but all victims of their circumstances. And the most perverse effect of them all: To make them complicit in the victimization of others in the hope that this might elevate their own status out of victimhood. This is even true for Margaret. She only ever wanted the best for her girls but she also profited off of them. It’s all very mixed up and conflicted and heartbreaking.

There are, however, degrees to this and Charlotte recognizes that. She recognizes that there are different ways to be in their world and that there are certain things you don’t have to do (and, more importantly, when she tells Lydia that “that’s not the way to be a bawd”, it comes with the realization that her mother was never like that and it clears the way for their reunion and her forgiveness).

I think the show did well to have that one scene earlier in the season where Violet explains to Justice Hunt just how exactly running a bawdy house works. And what benefits this has for the women as opposed to working on the street. (Except for the freedom that they have to give up, although they have only a small measure to begin with. This is even more true for Violet. I cannot imagine that the season will end with her still in servitude, that would be awful. Amelia teaching her how to read must have been good for something. Maybe Justice Hunt can employ them as the world’s first social workers.)

Charlotte and Isabella. I won’t waste words on Harcourt although it was as we all had expected. The scene between Charlotte and Isabella was lovely, however. I don’t see the problems with it that others are seeing. But I’m too tired to go into details now. I hope we see some more affection between them in the next episode, although I think that’s all that it is, an understanding and a kinship and an intimacy, not a love story per se. Doesn’t make it any less touching and I’m sure Lady Isabella will play a crucial role in bringing down her brother and Lydia for good.

So, yeah. Lots of thoughts. I can’t wait for next week.

[your-dietician]

Experiencing Bipolar Disorder? - NeuroSpa

New Post has been published on https://depression-md.com/experiencing-bipolar-disorder-neurospa/

Experiencing Bipolar Disorder? - NeuroSpa

Bipolar Disorder: The Highs and the Lows

For a diagnosis of bipolar disorder to be made, a person must have significant symptoms of depression that have at least once alternated with a condition called mania, or its milder form, hypomania. A person doesn’t have to have alternating cycles of depression and mania, although some people do. Just one manic episode is enough for a mental health professional to diagnose bipolar I disorder, also called bipolar type I.

Symptoms of Bipolar Mania

A person having a manic episode feels intensely happy, even euphoric. They may become dangerously impulsive, energetic, and unable to control themselves. People in a manic episode often believe themselves to be capable of any feat and may become psychotic.

Other symptoms of mania include:

pressured speech (a person can’t get their words out fast enough)

many new ideas emerging all at once

high levels of enthusiasm

inability to sleep, sometimes for days at a time

elevated, even overwhelming levels of energy

leaping from one idea to another (flight of ideas)

delusions

unusually risky behavior, like promiscuity, overspending, gambling

flashes of irritability, anger, outbursts that look like rage

making impulsive, life-altering decisions, like quitting one’s job, with no planning

grandiosity

Hypomania, a milder form of bipolar mania, isn’t as extreme as full-blown mania, but it still constitutes a debilitating part of bipolar disorder. This combination of depression alternating with hypomania is called bipolar II disorder.

  Symptoms of Bipolar Depression

Remember, for a person to be diagnosed with bipolar they must have experienced one episode of mania, with longer episodes of depression. Bipolar depression is quite similar to that experienced by people living with major depression. It involves the following symptoms:

Feelings of deep sadness that are present most of the time

Loss of pleasure in activities you used to enjoy or the inability to feel pleasure at all (anhedonia)

Feelings of emotional numbness

Lack of energy, persistent fatigue

Sleep problems (too much or too little sleep)

Difficulty concentrating, problems with memory, decreased ability to concentrate, or an inability to make decisions

Feelings of guilt and hopelessness

Preoccupation with death

Withdrawing from friends, family, and/or social situations

Bipolar disorder usually develops in a person’s early 20s, although it can affect teenagers. It’s vital to take action after a person’s first manic episode, as the earlier a person gets treatment, the better their mental health recovery will be.

  I’m Bipolar—Now What? Living with Bipolar Disorder

While dealing with bipolar disorder can be challenging, this disorder responds well to proper treatment and is a manageable condition. Getting started with treatment is essential, as over 80 percent of all people with bipolar experience severe and disruptive symptoms. Managing bipolar disorder requires a combination of treatment approaches and lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes alone won’t help bipolar disorder, as the causes are in part rooted in a person’s unique biology.

The most effective way of coping with bipolar disorder requires psychotherapy combined with medication. Great strides have been made in the last 20 years in developing medications that treat bipolar disorder without the side effects of lithium, the 20th century medication of choice for bipolar disorder.

Medication

Treating bipolar disorder with medication can be tricky, as antidepressants can trigger mania. Typically, bipolar disorder is treated with a mood-stabilizing medication. Lithium carbonate is exceptionally effective as a mood stabilizer but requires regular blood tests to ensure its levels are just right. It also has a narrow range of effectiveness, which can make getting the correct amount challenging.

Newer medications, like topiramate, lamotrigine, and divalproex sodium, have proven to be effective with fewer side-effects. Medication for bipolar disorder must be taken consistently to work correctly.

Therapy

Talk therapy, also called psychotherapy, helps a person deal with the issues that come from living with bipolar disorder. Common and effective types of talk therapy include:

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is helpful in identifying and changing habitual patterns of thinking that contribute to poor outcomes in a person’s lives. Automatic thoughts and judgements often keep a person from adapting to difficult situations, which is where CBT can be exceptionally effective. 

Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy (IPSRT). IPRST helps people understand how disruptions to the natural rhythms of life, like the sleeping and waking cycle, can make bipolar disorder worse. Its goal is to stabilize personal and social rhythms, which make a person more resilient. 

  Social Support 

Social support is an essential part of recovery from bipolar disorder. Online forums for bipolar disorder, bipolar blogs, and bipolar support groups can all provide contact with others living with bipolar disorder. Connecting with people who are coping with similar situations can help you form a stronger support system while providing support for them as well.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) for Bipolar Disorder

If you’re living with bipolar disorder and looking for treatment, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a newer treatment approach. TMS uses high-powered magnetic fields to precisely stimulate areas of the brain that are responsible for a person’s mood. TMS is FDA-approved for the treatment of Major Depression Disorder, produces no systemic side effects and is a medication-free treatment. TMS is eligible for coverage by most private health insurers, as well as Medicare and Tri-Care.

  This blog post is meant to be educational in nature and does not replace the advice of a medical professional. See full disclaimer.

  Works Cited

Agarkar, S., Mahgoub, N., & Young, R. C. (2011). Use of transcranial magnetic stimulation in bipolar disorder. The Journal of neuropsychiatry and clinical neurosciences. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4102108/. 

Bipolar disorder. (2018, January 31). https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355961. Retrieved July 18th, 2021

Bipolar Disorder: Age of Onset. National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Bipolar-Disorder. Retrieved July 18th, 2021

Butler, M. (2018, August). Treatment for Bipolar Disorder in Adults. Treatment for Bipolar Disorder in Adults: A Systematic Review [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK532193/table/ch2.tab1/. 

Hurley, K. (2020, November 24). Bipolar Disorder and Depression: Understanding the Difference. Psycom.net – Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1996. https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.depression.html#:~:text=Bipolar%20disorder%20is%20easily%20confused,disorder%20includes%20symptoms%20of%20mania. 

Hurley, K. (2020, November 24). Bipolar Disorder and Depression: Understanding the Difference. Psycom.net – Mental Health Treatment Resource Since 1996. https://www.psycom.net/depression.central.bipolar.depression.html 

Miklowitz DJ, Otto MW, Frank E, et al. Psychosocial Treatments for Bipolar Depression: A 1-Year Randomized Trial From the Systematic Treatment Enhancement Program. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007;64(4):419–426. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.64.4.419 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/210013 

Miklowitz , D. J. (2019, April 12). Different Types of Therapy for Bipolar Disorder. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/April-2019/Different-Types-of-Therapy-for-Bipolar-Disorder. 

NAMI (2021, June 28). What Is Mania, and What Does It Mean to Have a Manic Episode? Here’s What Experts Say. What Is Mania, and What Does It Mean to Have a Manic Episode? https://www.nami.org/Press-Media/In-The-News/2021/What-Is-Mania-and-What-Does-It-Mean-to-Have-a-Manic-Episode-Here-s-What-Experts-Say?feed=In-the-news. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017, November 17). Bipolar Disorder: Statistics about Bipolar Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/bipolar-disorder. Retrieved July 18th, 2021

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bipolar Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml. Retrieved July 18th, 2021

What are hypomania and mania? Mind. (n.d.). https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/hypomania-and-mania/about-hypomania-and-mania/. Retrieved July 24th, 2021

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