#his relationship with paul makes me sooooooo

[fannyyann]

Keeping up with the Florida Panthers (aka Sara Civian interviews Matthew)

EP Rinkside: What's something away from the rink that’s making you happy these days?

Matthew Tkachuk: I would say, just, I'm lucky at this time of year. Especially across the whole country, it seems like it's freezing everywhere. It's beautiful down in Florida. And we just moved into our new practice rink recently, so that's been awesome.

EP: There was a quote floating around from (head coach Paul Maurice) from before the nine-game win streak and before you started getting hot on the scoresheet. He said people are going to say “Matthew Tkachuk is back,” and he's going to say you never left. Did you see that?

MT: I did, yes.

EP: How did you feel about it, and what's your relationship with him like?

MT: Well, Paul's been a very important part of my last few years. He’s one of, if not the best, coaches that I've ever played with. He's been very important for my development, and I just think that he trusts my game, and I trust my game. I wouldn't say (the puck) was going in early, but I haven’t changed one thing, I'm still doing the exact same thing, it's just finding a little bit more success right now.

It’s been a great year for our team and as of late, it’s picking it up a little bit for myself. Hopefully, we can just keep trending into the second half of the year here.

EP: How important is that trust between a coach and a player and how is it developed?

MT: I just think that he's always given me the right leeway, but still expects me to play the right way. He knows that there's some parts of my game that (are unique) I need to maybe take a little bit more chances than the average player. He gives me full leeway to do that, but also expects me to work my butt off and to lead by example.

EP: We always talk about “buy-in,” it's kind of cliché at this point, and you guys obviously have that factor. But how does something like that start?

MT: I just think being so close to winning it all last year has made it very, very easy to come back this year and have that immediate buy-in from the guys wanting to win a championship here. So many returning guys who are so close and so upset with not finishing it off. There's a lot of motivation.

EP: Do you have a favourite moment from last season's run?

MT: I would say, probably all of the series-clinching wins, the series-winning goals. The overtime winner in Boston, the overtime winner in Toronto, the last second one at home against Carolina.

All three of those are by far the greatest goals I've ever been a part of.

EP: I feel like we're not as a society talking about Sam Bennett enough. Can you give us a little bit about what he's like off the ice and what it's like to play with him?

MT: He just plays so hard.

He was one of the first guys I met when coming to Calgary, and we've been so close ever since. I'm so happy that we got to play together again down here in Florida. He was the first guy I talked to when I got traded, and we've just been so close for eight-plus years now.

It’s so fun that we're able to play with each other still, we just have such great chemistry on and off the ice. He just plays so hard and he complements my game so well. And off the ice, we're just super close and have a great group of guys that pretty much do everything together away from the rink.

It makes it so much fun to come to the rink every day, work with them, and then when we leave the rink, do stuff together.

EP: If you became the commissioner of the league today, what's the first thing you'd change?

MT: Overtime until somebody scores. No shootouts. And no back-to-backs. I don't know if we need any more back-to-backs right now.

EP: Other than you, who has the best chirps in the league?

MT: I'd say the guy who chirps a lot on our team is Brandon Montour. He has some good ones. Nick Cousins has got some good ones. (Ryan) Lomberg, too. They all have some good ones.

EP: Best advice your dad ever gave you?

MT: Two things: Compete and be a good teammate.

EP: Last year you gained some recognition outside of the hockey world, and it kind of sparked, like, a debate about personality in the NHL. I've always wondered What you actually think about this whole conversation, like, do you like being kind of the personality guy in the NHL?

MT: Well, I’m never going to not be myself. I grew up with great parents that taught me great things and around a great family. I’ll carry that for the rest of my life. I’m not trying to do anything, and some guys are (quieter) and that’s OK. This is just how my personality is.

EP: Can you give me three words to describe the current Panthers?

MT: Oh, I would say very fast. So fast. Close – we’re a super close team.  I've never seen a team like this where, you know, we're going to dinner on the road and we're having, you know, 15 people reservations and everybody hanging out with each other. it's been awesome. Fast, close, and fun. Nobody has more fun than our team.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

Wait pls share your Nuanced Take on Nowhere Boy cause I actually like the film, and I understand some of the criticisms, but then theres a lot of takes that just have me like,,,,,,,,,no ❤️

Okay, buckle up folks:

So...

First of all, I do wanna say the GROOMER SITUATION BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR AND THE ACTOR IS GROSS! But with that out of the way, here are some thoughts:

First of all, the opening sequence where he's running with the AHDN opening chord and the crowd noises and he's looking back and falls over, directly referencing the opening sequence of AHDN, while making perfect sense, since he's in his school uniform and probably just running from a teacher or something is like Properly INSPIRED Cinema

That being said, the first fifteen or so minutes are super weirdly paced and, while it's a pertinent detail from a historical perspective, I think including Uncle George was useless in terms of the plot of the movie and detracted from time that could've been spent on fleshing out John's relationship to Mimi and Julia more.

I feel like this movie was almost made more for uber Beatles historians, rather than casual fans. There's a LOT of weird shit in it that is basically not addressed, which can somewhat be rationalized, but context is simply missing within the movie itself. Main example is Julia's je-ne-sais flitryness with John, which may very well have been a real thing, but it's basically not acknowledged by the narrative and it makes it soooo deeply uncomfortable (especially given the grooming situation surrounding this movie). I also picked up on this suggested jealousy John may have had over Julia being nice to Paul, which is actually deeply interesting, when considering that 1) Paul clearly got along well with her and also is known to have charmed and sought comfort with maternal figures and 2) John easily got possessive, especially of people he was afraid to lose, but the movie does absolutely NOTHING with this and it's only interesting to me because I know Paul. (I don't think this movie is inherently wrong to have sidelined Paul by the way. But yeah this aspect of the movie is only Weird™ if you don't know more than the movie shows you)

Generally, this movie does a mediocre job of establishing facts I find. Even to me, who knows most of what's being shown, it's confusing what things are a revelation to John (the character) and what things aren't Like.... does he recognize Julia in the funeral scene at the beginning? I really DON'T get it.

The confrontation scene with Mimi and Julia, while containing facts probably untrue like John being made to choose between his parents at 5, is straight up Great Cinema. The acting and blocking of this scene is sooooooo on point.

The resolution of this movie..... Feels kind of like the most historically untrue part of it. I could nitpick about In Spite of all the Danger ACTUALLY being recorded before Julia died because cHRONOLOGY, but the issue, to me, is that a fundamental part of John (in STARK contrast to Paul – and I have written mental essays about this, actually, which I could maybe write down too) is that music did NOT come to him easily when he was suffering a lot. In actuality, when Julia died, the Quarrymen went on hiatus for months and it seems like Paul basically had to force John to come back. And of course, John was distraught by Julia's passing for a long time, so killing her off and immediately providing him with catharsis feels very...... just wrong. They do skip two years afterwards technically, but it's done so seamlessly, it may as well not be a time skip, from the POV of a viewer with no foreknowledge. And then, they end the movie playing Mother almost as if to call themselves out for making it look like John was AOK after this, when he literally Was Not, as the song demonstrates (though I also have more complicated thoughts related to that, as in, how much John suffered from his childhood at what point in his life).

While the movie is probably a bit too pro Mimi for my taste, I do appreciate the nuance with which they try to address Julia's mental health, and feel like if Julia had been protrayed less as a manic pixie dream girl it would've been pretty well balanced between the two.

I think that's all my thoughts, hope none of them are cancel-worthy

[our-time-is-now]

May 29-30, 2019: Beautifully cheesy

(previous play)

You can find more information about the authors, translators, content warning and additional information about the plays in the pinned post on our blog.

Wednesday, 10:17 pm:

Matteo: *Hans and Linn had suggested Lasagna as a flatshare-dinner and have relatively quickly taken over the reins* *Mia and Matteo mostly sat at the kitchen table and tasted the wine that Hans had bought* *there has been a lot of laughter, a lot has been eaten and even more has been drank* *in between he thought that it's strange that the mix of 4 so different people somehow does fit together really well* *after dinner Hans got out some liquor that apparently is totally in at the moment and which unfortunately was also pretty tasty* *now, at almost half past 10 everyone is more or less sprawled out on the sofas in the living room* *Matteo is pretty drunk and really laughs about every stupid joke Hans is telling* *hears him say: "... and then I told him sorry, but you can't tell anyone that you're an artist, even I could draw that better"!* *Mia laughs and Matteo jolts* Shit! *he gets up but staggers so much that he has to sit back down* David! I have to get to David! *all three of them laugh and Hans shakes his head: "Sorry, sweetheart, but we won't let you into the Berlin night-traffic this drunk".* *Matteo shakes his head and tries to get up again* But I told him that I would come... to him... tonight... *Mia pulls him back gently but determinedly: "I'm sure he understands, just text him"!* *Matteo grumbles but takes out his phone* *types on it, grumbles, types some more and gets annoyed* Doesn't work... *Hans gets up and holds out his hand: "Give it to me, I'll do it"!* *it says a lot about Matteo's level of drunkenness that he really gives him the phone* *Hans deletes Matteo's jumble of letters and then types a message to David* WhatsApp Matteo/David: Matteo: Hello David, this is Hans, Matteo is so drunk that we would rather not let him leave tonight... *he stops when Matteo wildly waves his hands in front of his face* Tell him that I'm soooooo sorry! *everyone laughs and Hans continues typing* He says he's sooooooo sorry, but I think when he's sober tomorrow I'm sure he'll call you. :-) Good night, butterfly-boyfriend <3 *Hans sends the message and hands Matteo's phone back* And now we'll watch an episode of Ru Paul and then we'll all go to bed!

David: *has really spent his evening doing research on surgeons and mastectomy online and has written down three doctors that he wants to contact on Friday* *at some point didn't feel like researching anymore and instead has sketched a little to get his head free* *lost track of time and at some point flinches when his phone vibrates* *looks at the time and realizes that it's pretty late* *immediately thinks of Matteo and wonders when he'll be here while he opens the message and reads it* *hesitates for a moment but then answers* WhatsApp Matteo/David: David: Hello Hans, thanks for the information. I hope you had a nice evening. Good Night! *puts the phone aside and leans back* *thinks it's nice that Hans has told him and really thinks that it's more responsible for Matteo to spend the night at the flatshare instead of walking to him drunk, but is still a little sad that he won't see him tonight* *at the same time he thinks it's ridiculous and has to grin because for one, they have only said goodbye to each other 5 hours ago and they'd also see each other tomorrow anyways - he'll certainly manage one night without Matteo* *sketches some more and turns on music and around half past eleven he gets ready for bed* *when he lies in bed he realizes that apparently he has gotten so used to Matteo's clinginess and cuddling that he can't really make use of the space in his bed and the freedom of moving his arms freely* *tosses around a few times and tries to find a more comfortable position* *while he tosses he wonders whether Matteo's already asleep and takes his phone twice to text him, but then doesn't because if Matteo was really so drunk that he wasn't able to text him himself, then he either wouldn't be any less sober or would already be fast asleep sleeping it off* *misses him and feels weird because Matteo isn't that far away and it's only one night where they aren't together* *at some point does fall asleep, but it's restless and he dreams wild things and constantly wakes up because he thinks his phone vibrated or someone rang the doorbell* *every time it takes some time for him to fall back asleep*

Matteo: *thanks to the alcohol did fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow* *wakes up during the night and automatically feels around for David* *grumbles slightly when he touches nothing but the mattress* *pulls the second pillow closer, but that isn't a replacement either* *grabs his phone to check the time* *sees that it's 3:22 am and that he maybe shouldn't text David, after all* *briefly considers getting up and going over to David's* *shakes his head at himself* *wonders if he really is one of THOSE people who can't even spend one night without their boyfriend* *tries to fall back asleep but it's difficult* *only manages to fall asleep for a moment and wakes up two more times* *one time goes to get something to drink and one time goes to the bathroom* *tries to talk himself into thinking that he didn't wake up because he missed David* *shortly after 8 gives up trying to fall asleep and gets up to shuffle into the kitchen and make some coffee* *sends David a text knowing that it will reveal his dependence, but doesn't care right now* WhatsApp Matteo/David: Matteo: Okay, we tried the whole sleeping alone thing, I'd say we won't do that again... what do you think?

David: *wakes up again shortly after 8 because he had the feeling that his phone vibrated* *feels like he barely slept when he reads the message* *has to read it twice to understand it in his overtired state and has to smile automatically* *writes back* We tried, but I, for one, failed miserably. I miss you! When are you coming? *feels somehow calmer now that he has heard from Matteo but is still bone-tired* *has to laugh quietly because apparently it was the same for Matteo and he wonders what it says about him and their relationship but comes to the conclusion that they seem to be wired very similar*

Matteo: *immediately smiles when his phone beeps* *reads the message and smiles even wider* *answers* WhatsApp Matteo/David: Matteo: In one cup of coffee and one shower... so half an hour? ;) *thinks that all of his friends would probably make fun of him for being so addicted to David* *right now, doesn't care about that at all*

David: *feels the phone vibrate in his hand and only realizes then that his eyes have fallen closed again* *reads Matteo’s message and looks at the time* *writes back with a smile* WhatsApp Matteo/David: David: Hurry up! Maybe you’ll even manage in 28 minutes! *stretches and throws back the blanket* *thinks that he could go shower and make some coffee because if he stays in bed, he might fall asleep again and might not hear the doorbell, after all* *hopes that he’ll be able to have a little afternoon nap with Matteo* *so puts on some coffee, gets some clean but comfy clothes and goes to the bathroom to shower*

Matteo: *grins broadly when he reads the message and quickly answers* WhatsApp Matteo/David: Matteo: I’ll try my best! *pours himself some coffee and pours the rest in a thermos and puts it on the kitchen table* *puts a post-it on it that says “fresh coffee, I’m at David’s, enjoy :) M.”* *slurps his coffee, showers hastily and gets ready just as quickly* *throws some clean clothes in a bag because he brought back dirty laundry from David’s yesterday and then leaves* *manages to get there in 25 minutes and rings the doorbell*

David: *has finished showering and just taken his first sip of coffee when the doorbell rings* *checks the time and grins because it really took Matteo less than half an hour* *puts his mug down and shuffles to the door to buzz him in* *leans against the doorframe to wait for Matteo and smiles when he finally sees him coming up the stairs*

Matteo: *beams when he sees him and might go upstairs a little faster* *greets him even before he arrives upstairs* Hey… *kisses David when he arrives and wraps his arms around him* *drops his head on David’s shoulder* Missed you…

David: *returns Matteo’s greeting with a smile* Na? *starts to spread his arms a little even before Matteo is completely up the stairs, returns his kiss and then presses Matteo to him* *grumbles because he feels so good and has to smile into the hug at Matteo’s words* Me too… I’m so pitiful I couldn’t sleep half the night… *closes his eyes, breathes in the typical Matteo-smell and realizes again how tired he still is* *pulls Matteo into the apartment while still hugging him and releases the hug only a little once they are inside* I only had one sip of coffee, I really need more to not fall asleep again immediately… *grins slightly and asks* Kitchen or my room?

Matteo: *nods slightly* Likewise… *gets pulled into the apartment* *drops his bag on the floor and takes off his jacket while David closes the door* Then kitchen and coffee, otherwise we’ll fall asleep again… or no coffee, and we go have a nap?

David: *grins slightly at Matteo’s suggestion and longingly looks into the direction of the bed* *laughs quietly* Okay, you won. We’ll go back to bed… but I’ll put the thermos in my room for later… *pulls Matteo toward him again and kisses him* *murmurs into the kiss* I have catching-up to do… *lets go after all and quickly goes into the kitchen* *takes another sip from his mug, grabs another mug and the thermos and puts it on his nightstand before he drops down on the bed and reaches his arms out for Matteo* *is glad that he didn’t put on his binder in the first place to be more comfortable*

Matteo: *laughs with him and nods* Good… *kisses him back* Me, too… *grabs his bag and goes to David’s room and drops the bag on the floor* *kicks his shoes off and then crawls onto the bed and into David’s arms* *kisses him again before he lies down next to him and basically fully attaches himself to his side* *after some time quietly says* Do you think that we’re very pathetic for not being able to spend one night apart?

David: *quickly pulls the blanket over them before wrapping his arms around Matteo* *feels how he relaxes immediately, closes his eyes and simply enjoys having Matteo with him again* *has to grin slightly at his question and starts to run a hand through his hair* Hmmm… I felt pretty pathetic last night. But I feel better now that I know that you felt the same way… *runs his lips over Matteo’s forehead and kisses him slightly* *at some point quietly says* So we either have to do the whole sleeping apart thing more often to get used to it again… or we… simply are one of those awfully cheesy clingy couples that really aren’t able to spend one night apart…

Matteo: *hums slightly when David runs his hand through his hair and closes his eyes* *slightly nods in agreement at David’s words* *opens his eyes again and looks at him* *shakes his head* Sleep apart voluntarily? Noo! *has to think about Jonas asking if they’ll turn into one of those couples and has to laugh slightly* I’d say we are one of those awfully cheesy couples… *puts a hand on his cheek and kisses him slightly* Somehow I don’t really care what others think… as long as you are there…

David: *grins slightly when Matteo is so vehemently against sleeping apart* *nods in agreement and murmurs* I agree! *adds* … but we’ll scratch the “awful”! We are one of those incredibly beautifully cheesy couples… *gets kissed and then notices once again how his heart starts to beat a little faster out of love at Matteo’s words* *murmurs agreeingly* As long as we’re together! *briefly hugs him closer and both are quiet for a moment* *at some point quietly says* It hasn’t even been three weeks, but I feel like you’ve been there a lot longer… so… familiar and good and much and… *grinningly grumbles and hides his face in Matteo’s shoulder* Argh… I’m getting cheesy… maybe we really should sleep some more…

Matteo: *nods with a grin* Okay, beautifully cheesy… *wraps his arm around him* *hears his words and has to swallow slightly* *kisses his hair when he hides his face* I think so, too… and we just agreed that we are cheesy… *kisses him again and cuddles into him* … so we can enjoy that now… I think it feels wonderfully right… and I never had that… so… *shrugs one shoulder and then kisses David’s shoulder on which he lies* … okay, let’s sleep some more…

David: *nods slightly when Matteo says that it feels wonderfully right and murmurs quietly at his next sentence* Me neither… *smiles when Matteo agrees to sleeping some more, takes his face off his shoulder so that he can breathe better and pushes one of his legs between Matteo’s to be a little closer to him* *opens his eyes again for a moment to be able to look at him and smiles when he realizes how comfortable he feels having Matteo so close to him* *leans forward again to kiss his lips and murmurs* Sleep tight, Florenzi… *closes his eyes and falls asleep within minutes*

(next play)

[tellywoodtrash]

What ITV pairings would you like to see on screen (that haven’t already happened and perhaps some same sex ones too even tho ITV is quite far from that happening)

Oooooooooooooooh! Sooooooo many attractive people to pair up! I’m particularly emotionally invested in my Shehzad/Nehalaxmi casting rn (you can see all my previous fancasts here.)

Okaaaay, let’s get cracking!

(Ofc, because I’m compleeeetely extra, I wanted to have images and an ideal show for each of my pairings. That’s why I took a while to answer.)

Varun Toorkey/Shrenu Parikh

Cute + Cute = Super Maha Cute.

Ideal Show: Something soft and happy and full of good vibes. Nothing problematic whatsoever. Maybe something like two introverts falling for each other but thinking the other isn’t interested and it’s a comedy of errors full of misunderstandings, that ultimately has a happy ending.

Gaurav Khanna/Jennifer Winget

I feel like Gaurav’s hotness is so underappreciated? Why doesn’t he get better shows?????? He’d look so good with Jen!

Ideal Show: Something like a desi version of Suits/The Good Wife; business associates in a high-powered setting, occasional clashing based on ideals (but with respect for each other), palpable sexual tension.

Arjun Bijlani/Surbhi Jyoti

They’re both the optimal balance of cute/hot. Khoob jamegi jodi.

Ideal Show: Fake dating/marriage trope. They start out due to majboori and would rather have been paired with anyone else, but quickly the feelings grow real.

Barun Sobti/Aditi Dev Sharma

Barun deserves a female performer who’s strong enough to hold her own against him, and Aditi is definitely IT.

Ideal Show: Tu Hai Mera Sunday - the serial. He’s smart and funny and chill (a little too much so), and she’s a little too tightly wound up coz of Life™. They keep running into each other, and form an easy friendship that helps balance one another out; for it to ultimately grow into a loving and supportive relationship when they realize they’re the voice in each others’ heads.

Namik Paul/Namita Dubey

Look at them, they’re so tall and beautiful. (Idk Namita’s height, but she LOOKS tall.) And they both have that smart, dignified, well-read vibe about them. She definitely seems well matched with him.

Ideal Show: Something super sweet and heartfelt, where Namik really gets to romance the pants off her with his earnest face and melty eyes. I’m thinking something like John/Vidya’s story in Salaam-E-Ishq/The Vow; they’re an established, happily settled couple, but due to an accident, she loses her memory. He has to work hard to remind her of their deep love for each other.

Kunal Jaisingh/Surbhi Chandna

No need for me to create a graphic; pics already hain!

(gif by @rk-pc)

(gif by @manmarziiyan)

These two have some ridiculous, next level chemistryyyy IRL; esp. for people who were playing bhaabi-devar. I’d really like to see what happens if you put them against each other romantically. I predict fireworks!

Ideal Show: Something with high-intensity hotness and angst and fighting against each other and their emotions. Basically I’m saying that maybe I’d like Silsila 2 a lot more if Mishti was played by SC.

Same sex couples

Shrenu Parikh/Additi Gupta

I really loved their sparring in IB, and wanna see more of it!

Ideal Show: They’re the sisters of a bride and groom (who are childhood sweethearts) and haven’t been able to stand each other for as long as their siblings have been in a relationship. They’re thrown in close quarters during the wedding and there’s pranks, passive-aggressive flirting, mind-games, jealousy, and a few stolen kisses. (Think Arnav/Khushi during the Payal/Akash wedding.)

Surbhi Jyoti/Reyhna Malhotra

Ummmm, two of my dreammmmm girls?!? Yes please!!!!

Ideal Show: Something Killing Eve-esque; where Surbhi’s a cop who’s tracking and tailing this super elusive femme-fatale bumping off some Very Important People, but they quickly grow equally obsessed with each other. Lines are blurred and no one quite knows what the rules of the game are anymore.

Nehalaxmi Iyer/Aneri Vajani

They’re both young and fresh-looking and would be so adorable together!

Ideal Show: Gimme a bubbly college romance between these two, where Aneri’s the popular cool girl, and Neha’s the snarky topper. (Basically Nupur/Mayank from MJHT, but wlw!)

Sakshi Tanwar/Sudha Chandran

Two dignified Queens.

Ideal Show: A mature romance about two middle-class neighbours who find companionship and love with each other.

Namik Paul/Harshad Chopda

Tall puppy + Muscular puppy = Twice the puppy goodness. Gimme it!!!!!!!!

Ideal Show: Something like You’ve Got Mail, but without the animosity of one of them putting the other out of business. Instead, just a buncha instances of missed connections and confusing feelings when online and real life clash (they meet each other in real life and feel a strong connection, but are too loyal/attached to their online paramours.) Namik is the cynical, snarky one, who makes Harshad laugh, and Harshad is soft and Pure™ and makes Namik feel all gooey inside. All-round mushiness and cute!

Barun Sobti/Kunal Jaisingh

Both are sass/snark-masters and we need that to be showcased to the max.

Ideal Show: I want  them in something like The Proposal (Barun being the uptight boss, Kunal the cool creative design head or something, whose dept. is extremely overworked and desperately needs an expanded budget that Barun is never willing to sign off on) Shenanigans with Kunal’s large and loud (but very loving and accepting) family, good-natured hilarity, lots of banter!

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Timeless Thoughts--2x7

--Okay, going to try something new--a Timeless “live” blog but just in one big post (lol, kind of like I do when I review fics).  This could be interesting…or a train wreck.  That remains to be seen…

--So much Lucy/Wyatt/Jessica/Flynn in the previously on.  Pretty sure I know what this episode is going to focus on (I mean…outside of the historical stuff, of course).

--Wow police officers. A bit overly aggressive there, don’t you think?

--Aaaaaand then right into Jiya angst.  Why, Timeless?  Why do you have to hurt me?

--Oh Garcy at the very beginning….so awkward, lol.  And then Wyatt sees her leaving his room, even more awkward.

--Yeah, Flynn, you’re right. Wyatt totally needs to talk to Lucy, and he needs to realize he can’t have her and Jessica both.  Rough situation for him (and for everyone, really), but you’re not the only one hurting here, buddy.

--At the same time, I get where Wyatt’s coming from…not just from an “I’m in love with Lucy” position, but from the team’s soldier position.  Flynn was the time travelling terrorist the team was after for all of last season.  He’s shot at Wyatt, shot Rufus, kidnapped Lucy, assassinated Lincoln, almost assassinated a young boy, etc.  I totally get Wyatt not trusting him without him spending a LONG time proving himself, and I get him being protective of the woman he loves, even if he’s still with Jessica.

--Lol, Flynn and his sass when Wyatt’s all “hell no” about him coming on the mission.  I’m going to love their antagonistic dynamic, aren’t I? I just love Flynn in general.  He’s such a burning dumpster fire of snark and sass, and he’s kind of perfect.

--Lol, Lucy talking about how Alice Paul is such an incredibly influential woman, and Rufus’s is like “Even more than Beyonce?”

--Lol, Flynn to Rufus: Don’t worry!  I’m not going to kill you this trip.

--Haha!  I continue to love their cover identities.  Ally McBeal and Johnny Cochran!

--Lol, Mrs. Sherlock Holmes just flat out succinctly brings up all Lyatt’s issues before they even open their mouths.

--Lol, the police officer is such a jerk.  Love how Mrs. Sherlock Holmes puts him in his place.

--Lucy:  Guess we’re supposed to be Watson?   Lolol!

--I like Alice Paul’s voice. Very melodious and soothing.

--I love how Mrs. Sherlock Holmes takes no crap from anyone.

--Okay…Lyatt is going to have it out right here in the police station.  Maybe not the best place, but this conversation is long overdue.

--OMG Flynn and Rufus is the brotp I never knew I needed!  Rufus:  You know, sometimes I think you’re normal, than you say stuff like that and I remember ‘Oh wait, no.  He’s freaking nuts.’  Bwahahahaha.

--Haha!  “What, you two a couple of Dicks?”  Loving the “this word doesn’t mean the same thing in the future as it does now” humor.

--Emma shoots the cop…this could be bad.  (I mean, got Flynn and Rufus out of trouble, but she’s trouble herself, so who knows what she’s up to here.)

--Well look at that. With Flynn, Emma’s not freaking annoying.  She’s kind of sassy and entertaining.

--Jessica wants to help the rest of the team in the bunker and Connor, Jiya and Christopher are super side-eyeing her.  Same bunker time team.  Same.

--The sleeper is a suffragette…oooo plot twist!

--Alice is DEAD?!  Oh, this isn’t good.

--Poor Lucy.  She’s so frantic to make sure history doesn’t change vis-à-vis the 19th amendment, but the women want to honor Alice with a silent vigil.  How’s she going to save votes for women now?

--Oh….I’d forgotten Emma used to work with Rufus and they were friends.  Well this kind of hurts.

--Emma has a bit of a tragic backstory with her abusive dad.  Doesn’t change what she’s done, but at least I believe she’s working toward the same goal as the time team this time around.  I guess that’s good…

--Suffragette woman suggesting Lucy gives the speech.  That would be awesome!

--I am sooooooo glad that Lucy got a chance to tell Wyatt how she feels.  She’s spent this whole season trying so hard to do the right thing and be happy for him and all of that, but she deserves a chance to be honest about her feelings, and Wyatt really needs to hear it.  I understand the position he’s in.  I really, really do, but he doesn’t seem to realize how incredibly agonizing this is for Lucy, and he needs to hear it.

--Yaaaas!  Mrs. Sherlock Holmes saved Lucy’s life, and then Emma continues the saving.  Lol, poor Lucy’s like ?????

--Wyatt, Rufus and Flynn fighting for the suffragettes.  I love it. I also love that Flynn came to Rufus’s defense.

--Yaaaaaas!  Mrs. Sherlock Holmes gave the speech!  I love that her ideas changed after she saw for herself what is really happening out there.

--“The rest was elementary”, lol!  Love it.

--“There’s something very strange about you.  Where you’re from.  You’re Canadian.”  Hahaha!

--Oh….Wyatt looking at Lucy while Jessica kisses him.  His eyes are opened (lol, literally, but also figuratively).  He finally realizes how much this situation is killing Lucy, and he doesn’t want to hurt her.  My Lyatt heart!

--Emma and Nicholas. Yuck!

--Jessica’s picture is part of the secret Rittenhouse file Connor decoded!  What does this mean?  Is she Rittenhouse?  Is she a Rittenhouse target?  Whatever this means, it makes Jessica look super shady.

--Yay!  Rufus and Jiya make up!  Love it.

--Another Wyatt conversation.  Yay! This last one was really good too.  Lucy is still being really good about everything, but she’s laying down some ground rules.  She’s happy that Wyatt found his wife again, and she WON’T get in the middle of that, but this situation hurts her, and she’s not hiding that from him anymore.  I think Wyatt has gotten some serious food for thought in this episode too.  Being on that mission with her, made him realize how much he still loves Lucy, but he realizes he can’t have it both ways.  He can’t continue pining after Lucy if he’s going to commit to Jessica.  I think this will be the beginning of the end for Jessica/Wyatt.  He finally has the impetus he needs to let his guilt over what happened to Jessica go. He finally has the impetus to really give that relationship a good hard look and realize his love for her is in the past.  He finally has the impetus to walk away from her and make things work with Lucy. (Fingers crossed that if Jessica is Rittenhouse, Wyatt walks away from her/chooses Lucy BEFORE the reveal.)

--For what it’s worth, I’m glad all Lucy did with Flynn was talk, because I’m still not getting a romantic vibe from them.  I’m still getting more of a protective big brother/little sister vibe.

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

OK my initial thoughts on midnights

reputation's older sister we all deserve

i can't decide if it's more production-driven or lyric-driven. obviously the production is Very In Your Face (not in a bad way) but i think it's a lowkey powerhouse lyrical album. it's packed with so many clever lines that she just glosses over that will take me probably a hundred listens to fully appreciate.

i know the entire album will grow on me over time because it's produced very well, but right now i find the album as a whole "good" with some fantastic standouts. anti-hero is far and away my favourite. sweet nothing is everything to me. you're on your own kid fucks me up. i know vigilante shit is super billie eilish but i LOVE it. midnight rain disappointed me at first but now i love it. chasing the PAIN. HE STAYED THE SAME. question...? also was one that's grown on me. sounds kinda 1989-ish? i need to give the rest a better listen. esp the 3am tracks. meaning i will be back with more brain dumps

the way that taylor has a song called vigilante shit and then 4 tracks later claims she's too soft for it all is Very John Of Her

mastermind is EXTREMELY paul coded as a whole, but the opening lines??? JPJPJP: Once upon a time, the planets and the fates/ And all the stars aligned / You and I ended up in the same room / At the same time ??!?!!? okay taylor your mclennon is showing

back to anti-hero. i think it's both paul/john coded and here's why:

One day I'll watch as you're leaving / 'Cause you got tired of my scheming / For the last time - this is paul!!!

I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror / It must be exhausting, always rooting for the anti-hero - this is john!!!

I wake up screaming from dreaming / One day I'll watch as you're leaving / And life will lose all of its meaning / For the last time - this is both john and paul!!!

ok i'll be back over the coming days with more thoughts :)

let's go through this systematically:

yes. agree 100%

I think in a way both because, based on the description of how it was made, I think it was probably mostly written on the spot in the studio or with minimal preparation in advance from Taylor? So I think the production was chosen whilst the song itself unfolded which I think contributes to some of the really cool, unique moments.

Agree, the album didn't throw me around the bender on my first listen like folklore did, but so many moments just had me grinning. Anti-Hero is like the FIRST TIME that my fave is everyone else's fave + the song getting the single treatment. The music video is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. Sweet Nothing is so astonishingly nothing and You're On Your Own, Kid gives me CHILLS towards the end I don't know how she does it. I really love the structure/narrative framing of Question…? it's really unique and adds so much depth. Labyrinth is sooooooo

She's a bad bitch with anxiety <3 let her be <3

ACTUALLY. hottake among swiftles perhaps (?) but I don't think Mastermind is Paul-coded in that I've never perceived Paul to be Like That about a relationship (vs about like his art). I mean... maybe? But that's not the vibe I've ever gotten from him. John? IDK maybe, they both come off differently to me, more stumbling into their relationships jkddfjk. It's actually hard for me to associate the song with either because when I heard it, I was just like. Yup. That's YOU. Like it's one of the most quintessential HER songs I've ever heard, not like, it's a staple of her writing technique but it's her personality. It literally makes me in love with her lol

Yeah I see the song as both now, but I think it's much more close to a song John would actually release I guess? It's also the fact that this is Taylor at her messiest, which doesn't bring up Paul-associations, if that makes sense?

ALSO DID YOU SEE THE MUSIC VIDEO???? IT'S SO GOOD!!!

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

Can you share your plans on ILTY in terms of JP dynamic? I realise currently it stands as platonic, but I couldn't help but feel something a little different in certain sentences. I remember you said that you feel the situation is too stressfull for John to start exploring his sexuality and doesn't exactly provide the best ground for romantic feelings. But I was wondering, wouldn't it also be a chance for John to discover just how significant his connection to Paul is, that Paul sort of is a constant in all these "changing timelines", and even if this Paul is slightly different from the past, it is still his Paul, and he is just as important for John as before (and vice versa for Paul himself, but with some other nuances, like missing John etc.). Which may smoothly or not so smoothly develop into realisation of some deeper feeling :) Is this something that was on your mind while writing, or you already have the whole story in mind with them staying where they are now in terms of relationship dynamics?

And thank you again for your amazing work, which I have been rereading again! Btw, sorry if wording was a little clumsy! (English is not my first language)

Hey anon thank you for this and no need to apologize for your English, it's fine! Super exciting to me that you've been rereading that's sooooooo cool to know that you find it worth coming back to <3

I can see why you've picked up on ~something more, because I did write things I knew might be interpreted that way. They weren't specifically intended to be romantic/sexual (or at least not consciously, from either of their perspectives) and a lot of those moments are actually based on times in my own life, during which platonic relationships got Very Intense – in a way that a lot of people in my life find "odd" i.e. hard to believe was in fact merely platonic. And I understand why they thought that; if someone wouldn't do xyz with a platonic friend, then it makes sense to think it isn't platonic. I'm talking a lot!

My point is: it's somewhat intentionally a grey zone! (that being said I'm interested if the places you picked up on this are in fact the same ones I'm thinking about.)

I've actually considered a way to let the story unfold into a realization of sexual feelings for John; the main issue is doesn't exactly fit into the narrative, which is mostly fully outlined, and resolving this new conflict would end up feeling tacked on. (And Paul's reaction – whatever it might be – would even moreso feel tacked on)

Or it would be left completely unresolved – more or less just the realization with an uncertain path forward. I actually personally would find that kind of interesting, but I'm not exactly sure if it would really… add anything? And I'm afraid of backlash over it.

That being said, John's connection to Paul is a focal point of the story and while I'm planning to leave the nature of it ambiguous/unresolved, I have absolutely zero intention on downplaying its significance to either of them and it'll be critical for the ending!

I hope that makes sense to you :)