#how many good writers are we missing out on bc they’re struggling to pay the bills and feed their families and don’t have the time or

[ofmermaidstories]

prostrate in the sawdust of my enclosure staring up at the ceiling.

[mego42]

1x07 Discussion Questions

My b! My b! I usually try to do these when the episode is fresh but instead I went to sleep, I am at peace with my priorities, tbh. As always, many thanks to @pynkhues​ for her time and energy putting these together and shout out to @foxmagpie​ for the assist. 

1. What was your favourite scene of the episode? Tell us why!

Lot of contenders, tbh. I really love the scene with Mary Pat when she puts together the (extremely transparent) bullshit that is the whole secret shopper scheme (I mean come on y’all, did you even try????), I love Ruby and Stan’s date (high five to Stan for coming through with my parks & rec reference, it’s nice to know there is one (1) man I can count on). The Annie and Greg bit is REALLY SWEET LEAVE ME ALONE. The god tier brio content, specifically The Grab Heard Round The World My Living Room and the Give Me A Name bit. Some classic Rio nonsense (do you think if we asked him to point to an egg he’d point to an apple?) Tyler and his “reeeeeeally fill out the surveys?” was, obvs, the best moment on the entire show. Anyway, one of those for sure.

2. Was there any scene that missed the mark for you? And if so, how?

The Boomer setting up Annie stuff always falls flat to me and idk exactly why? Like, individual pieces of it are great, Mae does EXCELLENT work post police station and when getting arrested in the first place but ultimately I find it fairly forgettable in the grand scheme of things.

3. Let’s talk about the secret shopper scheme! What do you think were the strengths of it? The flaws? Do you think it had longterm potential? Or was it always going to crash and burn?

I said this during the rewatch but I straight up blocked out the fact that all of the shoppers are hitting the same store on the same day (waving around upwards of $5k in cash???? no less???????) because my brain cannot comprehend how three women we’re supposed to believe are reasonably intelligent didn’t realize this was the stupidest, most transparently obvious, most short-sighted scheme in the entire world. 

I struggled with the sustainability of it a bit when I thought they were spreading their efforts around (they roped in A Lot of people, there are only so many Costcos in the Detroit metro area and waving around that much cash and then returning it all, again for cash, is uh, already p memorable) but I could deal with it when I thought they were spreading it around. Short-sighted, immediate solutions are a cornerstone of Beth’s brand, after all, but all of them at the same store at the same day???? Too much. I cannot. 

4. The girls spent their money in very different ways! Ruby on romancing Stan, Annie on clothes for her son, and Beth on jewellery for herself. What do you think this tells us about them and their arcs? Particularly coming off the back of Ruby’s conflict with Stan, Ben’s issues at school with clothes, and Beth leaving Rio her pearls?

Love these connects. The show’s got a pretty clearly defined and consistent visual/character motifs (this may or may not be the word I’m looking for, shut up) when it comes to depicting the girls priorities and motivations. You also see it reflected and reinforced with their repeated coping mechanisms throughout the show. Whenever bad stuff happens, Ruby goes home to Stan, Annie crawls into bed with Ben and we usually close with Beth either alone (ouch david) or connecting with Rio in some way (exhibit a: the aforementioned pearls). 

In all of the instances it comes back to the heart of their priorities:

Stan is Ruby’s number one, (which isn’t to say her kids aren’t a part of that, I think Stan is both himself in this sense while also representing her whole Hill family unit—TV is all about visual shorthand kids—but also it serves to illustrate that Ruby has something Beth and Annie do not: a true partner). 

Ben is at the root of everything Annie does, she makes choices based on not only his. well-being, but how he sees her and he has the most influence over how she sees herself and what actions she takes as a result of that.

Beth, on the other hand, is at a contrasting point. She’s done the devoted partner and mother thing (lowkey implied by the little bits and pieces we get of her and Annie’s childhoods to some degree more or less for her entire life) and is now putting herself first, her needs, her wants. Which isn’t to say she doesn’t give a fuck about her family, she waits until she’s got a fat stack of cash and they’re taken care of before splurging on a thing, but as a symbol I think the necklace pretty clearly illuminates that for whatever Beth tells herself, she’s building an empire for herself, bc she wants it, needing it is secondary.

5. Eddie’s arrest is arguably what sets us on a collision course with the finale! Do you think Eddie was loyal to Rio until the end? How much do you think he told Turner? And what sort of loyalty do you think Rio inspires in his boys? And why doesn’t it translate with the girls?

OF COURSE EDDIE WAS LOYAL TO THE END HE HAS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED HE HAS SOME KIND OF CODE OF HONOR HOW DARE YOU SLANDER MY BOY LIKE THAT.

Tbh idk how to answer the loyalty question without more information from canon because the gang and how they operate, how they all came together, etc is pretty well shrouded in not-central-narrative-focus, though I think it’s been implied somewhat heavily that what’s going on with the girls is not standard operating procedure.

My personal headcanon for Eddie is tied up in my personal backstory for Rio and Mick that I started for my (lmao first) Mick POV fic. I gave Rio and Mick a friends since we were kids backstory and decided Eddie was a kid in their neighborhood, slightly younger then them, and always looked up to them/followed them around/thought they were cool. He ultimately got involved in crime because they did and they looked out for him and brought him up with them (which, you know, makes how it all turns out that much more tragic). Obvs, this is all just me and my tendency to imprint on random side characters and give them backstories. Let me live.

6. This episode introduces us to Mary Pat, who’s probably one of this show’s most complicated antagonists! What do you think of her generally? And could you have predicted her arc with Boomer and Turner?

I love her and I’m done lying to myself about it.

LISTEN, first off, Allison Tolman is great. Her line delivery is fantastic, she has a knack for subtly adding SO MUCH to every scene she’s in and uses her face and inflection and pauses exquisitely. Top notch comedic timing. Truly a gem.

Second, on a character level, the lady is in a bad spot and the girls basically gift-wrapped the circumstances and handed them to her like here is a present!!!!!!!!!!!! What was a struggling girl to do besides accept what was offered to her??????!!!!!!???

7. This episode features a very pivotal scene in terms of the Beth, Ruby and Annie dynamic. What starts as tension between Annie and Beth quickly pivots when Ruby criticises Beth and Annie leaps to her sister’s defence. What do you think this tells us about the dynamic between the girls as pairs and as a trio?

I am so!!!! curious!!!!!!! about the backstory that exists in the writers’ heads for Ruby and Annie (all three of them, really, but the bff and little sister having an independent friendship is of particular interest to me bc it isn’t something you, or I guess I, run into a lot) and how much of it was defined at this point vs how much it’s evolved/fluctuated as the show goes on. This fight pretty clearly illuminated that when it really comes down to it, it’s Beth and Annie vs Ruby which a) breaks my heart and b) isn’t totally a dynamic I think the show ultimately stuck with? Or maybe intentionally fluctuates? Idk this is a half-baked thought. Ask again later. 

8. Greg is the one who kisses Annie! Who do you think left who in that relationship, and/or what were the biggest issues in that relationship?

I feel like there’s pretty much no way Annie wasn’t the one that called things off with Greg. Not just because of how it plays out this time but because he’s got a kind of persistent yet also go with the flow attitude that makes me think he would absorb a lot in the name of making it work whereas Annie seems to have a pretty established history of cutting her losses and bailing when she hits her limit. Based on how fond they are of each other and how much affection they clearly still hold, I tend to assume they just grew apart as they grew up which makes it almost more complicated and tragic because it leaves all of the good stuff and just mixes it with the knowledge that it wasn’t enough. 

9. What did you think of Ruby’s sauce story? And what do you think it meant as a turning point for her arc?

I HATE THIS STORY SO MUCH USED BAND AIDS ARE GROSS ENOUGH ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT MIXING IN FOOD SERVICE AND MONTHS, MONTHS, OF MARINATION. I REFUSE TO TALK ABOUT IT. GET OUT OF MY HOUSE.

10. Knowing that Beth, Ruby and Annie’s system of paying Mary Pat off doesn’t work, do you think there was a way they could’ve handled her on their own that would’ve worked? Or do you think Rio’s intimidation (and potential murder) tactic was the only way out?

Idk maybe I’m just cynical, but I take trust no bitch to heart, they pretty well screwed themselves into a corner by being idiots. 

[ktheist]

story time: wartime child

warning: spoilers ahead.

this is where i rant, cry and scream about my fics. not all fics have a story time though! the ones that do just kind of have a special place in my heart ♥️

ok. where to start?

i.

i think the how i get inspiration for wartime child should be a good start.

i don’t really remember though. all i know was i read @softlyjiminie’s to hold a dragon’s heart. the part where she highlights the forest made a big impact on me - esp being someone who needs to imagine the scenes as i read, i was easily transported into that fic’s world. (and of course fraener was influenced by taehyung’s shapeshifter character!)

so i wanted to write another universe. the idea of races being at war was already there since who knows how long and i already wrote an excerpt of it months ago - before i even thought of the main character being jungkook or the involvement of a certain magical baby. but the concept was much darker and made it hard to me to continue writing. initially, the oc was supposed to be queen of the underworld who got tired of hiding and decided to rule the humans. then war breaks out - that’s as far as i got.

but felt like i needed to do extra research about races and their abilities. and of course ya girl was too lazy to research so i scraped the dark themes of war - not that the current wartime child is light but it’s lighter than i originally had in mind. couldn’t have been all fluff since someone actually died lmao

so i got started again on the idea after reading THADH. it just started coming to me yk - who’ll it be about? jk because he’s easiest to write. is there a twist? a magical baby! and ideas kept pouring from there on.

and i’m so glad i took my time with the fic - didn’t rush it, slept on some scenes and woke up with a better version or addition. i suppose it wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for quarantine and that gave all the time in the world.

but i hope everyone stays safe and that this pandemic ends soon. there are people out there who can’t afford to miss their jobs and have bills to pay. i hope the government does its job and help the people and let go of whatever political, financial interest they have. and to my readers specifically, i hope they’re holding on and staying safe and healthy.

ii.

i think i’m particularly proud of myself for holding back mary sue-ing the oc. i’m so glad i made her human and stuck with that until the end.

her character is a personal landmark for me - she’s the first character i wrote that isn’t emotionally detached in order to make an oc look “strong”. in a way, that kind of thinking (being emotionally distant to be a strong person) is toxic.

i don’t know if it is for others but i can only speak from my experience. i’d been that girl that thought crying was a part of being weak and not showing emotions means you’re strong - i was wrong sue me lmao

but yeah, i have a soft spot for the oc because she’s finally the “evolved” version of my mindset.

i think more often than not, we tend to associate the words “strong women” with physical strength or having a sort of control over people. while it is part of strength, it’s not the only definition of a strong woman. i’ve always held onto to the concept that the root of empowerment isn’t breaking the stereotype but it’s being able to choose to do whatever the fuck you want - stereotype or not. you want to go to work, have a successful career life? go for it. you want to get married, stay at home and take care of your kids? yas queen. you wanna find your own path and skip college? inspiring.

so to me, the oc was strong in her own way. she had decided to keep her kid and live for the two of them - ofc it was dumb of her not to ask for monetary aid from the baby daddy but her pride is part of her flaw and i love it. she was prideful in the beginning and didn’t want to depend on anyone. but what’s empowering for me is she took a brave step to reach out for jk for the best of her child’s interest. and when she found out he wasn’t coming back after jumping into the portal head first, she stayed strong for jun and raised him by herself - ofc she had help from taehyung and taeyeon but friends can only help so much. at the end of the day it’s just her and her kid. it’s just - her choice to be the mother to her kid is so powerful to me.

but i guess i mary sue-d jun a bit. but then again, you don’t always get a magical genius kid and struggle to raise em because they’re not how you raise normal kids lmao

iii.

god i hate kids.

but there are some that are sweet and pure and we just don’t deserve them yk? those are the kids i absolutely am soft for. and whew the baby fever - i saw too many baby videos on my timeline on twitter so you get jun!

i don’t want kids mainly bc they’re assholes but i’m horrified if i had one, i end up raising them as an asshole.

that’s when jun was born - the manifestation of the kid i never had and how i’d raise him. but irl isn’t that easy, you might slip up and end up raising a mini you-asshole. and ik for a fact that a neutral evil (me) is somewhat an asshole.

at first, i thought of just giving him a minor role here and there but i’m a winger and don’t outline my fics so he ends up probably with more screen time than jungkook.

call it fanfiction but koo’s baby edition lmao

iv.

the real mvp?

definitely the manga/manhwa(s) i read prior to writing wartime child. they’re another form of universe that sucked me in completely.

i have them to thank because i think my narration got way smoother. i used to struggle with that - i couldn’t convey my character’s emotions properly to the readers and i think that’s what makes a big difference in whether a fic becomes liked more or less.

but then again, the likes may very well depend on tumblr’s algorithm. so at the end of the day, i think got lucky with the amount of notes.

v.

none the less, the support i got was beyond my imagination. mainly because it was all fluff and angst and lacked sexual content.

not that i’m saying a fic needs to have smut in order to attract more readers but i think we should acknowledge that the ones with sexual content gets better audience and that’s amazing too. shout out to all the writers who are able to write amazing sex scenes - that shit ain’t easy 🙌

i wish i could thank every single one of my readers for reading and the potential ones who probably liked or reblogged as a “to-read-list”. and i don’t know if my sincerity reaches the ones i manage to thank. i’m not good with words and i want each respond to a feedback to be different and meaningful but i don’t know if i managed to do that. but i’m truly grateful for those who reblogged with a comment, it made my whole week.

and i remember kirbykook’s ask - i’m guilty for keeping it in my inbox for longer than i should. they’d asked about the future of the fic and what would happen after jun’s little sibling is born. it gave me a reason to revisit wartime child’s world and realize how much i enjoy writing that fic ♥️

x

so that’s all for story time! thank you for reading 💓

[florrickandassociates]

TGF Thoughts: 4x02-- The Gang Tries to Serve a Subpoena

Under the cut.

This isn’t the first episode of season 4, but since it’s the first episode that doesn’t take place in an AU… it’s basically the first episode. 

Reddick, Boseman, and Lockhart has been rebranded as “RBL: A division of STR Laurie”. Remember when Will tried to rebrand Lockhart/Gardner as “LG”? At least RBL isn’t a well-known appliance brand. But I think this might be the same “sleek” font as the LG rebrand.

The acquisition of the firm has led to a remodel. I enjoy how every season RBL looks a little bit less like the LG set.

This remodel makes the offices look like a spaceship/villain’s lair/cyberpunk nightclub. There is a giant spiky cocoon thing (nope, I don’t have better words to describe that) coming out of the ceiling in the conference room and a new spiral staircase near the name partners’ offices. It looks ridiculous and intimidating (and it is supposed to). 

There are also dogs roaming around off lash.

And neon lights and a giant fucking GARGOYLE outside of Adrian’s office. It’s so huge it looks like it was taken from the Harold Washington Library. (This may be the most authentically Chicago thing in this episode.)

Much like the last episode, the first thing we see after the teaser is Diane arriving at work and being greeted by Marissa. And, also much like the last episode, Diane is disoriented.

As it turns out, there’s been a bit of a time jump since the end of the last episode-- Diane’s been traveling/resting (doctor’s orders), so this is her first day back to work in 9 months. “What happened here?” Diane asks. Does it make sense a name partner would be so out of the loop on major renovations? Nah. We are not meant to spend much time wondering why Diane/Adrian/Liz would agree to an acquisition or how the talks played out. This is the premise for season 4 and we’re just supposed to accept it. I’m usually wary of this kind of re-premising, but this doesn’t bug me too much. We saw last season the firm had no identity (bc when the firm had an identity in season 1 it was ALL BC OF BARBARA KOLSTAD) and we saw them lose their top clients. Diane’s been on leave so she probably wasn’t that involved in conversations, Adrian probably welcomes acquisition because it’s more money, and Liz… has always only been idealistic to a point.

My point is: our heroes aren’t actually, and have never been, heroes. Sure, they’re the underdogs dealing with a big corporation… but also, they sold to the big corporation.

Marissa says the cocoon spike thing is a sunset. K.

Jay’s never been up to STR Laurie’s floor. The dogs running around, however, have been upstairs. Monday and Wednesday are pet days, but the pets always come through the RBL floor instead of the STR Laurie floor. 

The name partners can bring dogs. (How many name partners are there if there are this many dogs and STR Laurie is at most 4 people and RBL is 3 and none of the RBL partners brought in dogs?)

JUSTICE FOR JUSTICE! (Poor Justice is probably not still around 11 years later but I had to say it.)

In the partners’ meeting, even the food everyone’s eating looks more upscale. Adrian officially welcomes Diane back. One of the non-name partners is not so happy to have her back. Or, rather, he’s not so happy the name partners got a ton of money in the deal and the non-name partners got screwed. Fair point.

I guess neither Lucca nor Rosalyn got the partnership.

Adrian expositions that they were acquired because they couldn’t survive after losing ChumHum, and STR Laurie is the 7th largest firm in the world. Got it. 

Diane’s check from the acquisition of the firm is so huge it stuns her. You would think she would have known these details. But we’re here now and this show works better if you look at the themes instead of wanting all of the character motivations to always make sense. I’d probably be chewing this plot out if it happened on TGW-- why would x make y decision!? Why didn’t we get to see it!?-- but with TGF I have an easier time accepting radical changes in tone. 

And TGF did need a change in tone. You can’t get that much mileage out of episodes about 45 (whose name might not even be mentioned this ep? I will try to look out for that as I watch) and clearly no one on the writing staff is interested in small, character driven intraoffice power struggles as the primary plots. If the writers have something to say about massive corporations, I’d rather sacrifice a few scenes of character development for a season that has a POV than sit through a season as uninspired as s7 of TGW.

(Perhaps this is why I’ve always liked TGW season 6 more than others-- it’s messy, but it’s INTERESTING. I like the Kings’ work best when it has energy and say what you will about season 6, but it’s not lacking for energy.) 

There is a dog peeing on Adrian’s office door and he is NOT happy about it (no one would be, but he is ESPECIALLY fed up). One gets the sense he’s not just appalled that it’s happening but tired of the dogs altogether. 

Diane is summoned to go upstairs to meet with the overlords. According to Adrian, Mr. Laurie isn’t bad, but Mr. Firth might be. 

Upstairs, there is a very long, very white hallway. It looks like it’s out of a sci-fi movie. 

I see TGF has finally leaned in to their tradition of casting British actors by just… having STR Laurie be a British firm. 

The set decoration of Mr. Firth’s office looks like it belongs on Evil. It’s over the top, has a piece of art that looks like horns (much like the therapist monster thingy… just watch Evil okay) and light fixtures that are clearly crosses. 

Mr. Firth asks Diane what she wants to do and she says she wants to get back to work. “What work?” he asks. Diane wants to get back to her clients and Mr. Firth tells a story about a poor man who wanted to give everything, even the moon, to a thief. Neither Diane nor I understand. Mr. Firth says this story is about how he’s giving Diane her “moon” by having her head up their pro-bono cases because she shines when she has a goliath to face. True, but what does this have to do with the story!? I legit thought that story was going to be about how Diane gives too much of herself and should learn to accept high pay checks while doing no work and getting out of STR Laurie’s way. Maybe I missed something?

Anyway, Diane is getting the pro bono department with 22 lawyers and 40 cases. This is to keep her happy and to make STR Laurie look good. Feels too good to be true. Diane gets investigator time and partner billable hours, and she’s told this is fine-- make the firm a good citizen no matter how much it costs. WTF is going on here? Is this a trick?

Diane walks downstairs, happy, as Lucca heads up the stairs. Maybe she’s not a partner, but she’s important enough to be summoned upstairs. 

Mr. Firth explains to Lucca that he is “the sorting hat of lawyers.” Lucca explains she’s never read Harry Potter because she doesn’t “like wizard shit.” Impressively brave to say that to your new overlord, Lucca. I have missed you and your give no fucks attitude. 

“Yes, fuck wizard shit,” Mr. Firth responds, somewhat stiltedly. 

Mr. Firth wants Lucca to work on a divorce case for one of their top clients as the client has a personality clash with their head of family law. Their head of family law is, of course, David Lee. Welcome back, I guess. At least David Lee happening to end up at this firm that acquired RBL makes a ton more sense than all the ways they found to keep David Lee relevant to TGW in its last two seasons. 

David Lee hasn’t changed a bit.

Diane’s first client is XIOMARA VILLANUEVA!!!!!! 

But in this universe, she’s a restaurant owner whose restaurant is about to be torn down because of eminent domain. Diane tries one of her usual tricks- asking Xo (I’m sure she has a name on this show and once they say it again I will stop calling her Xo) to bring her food truck outside of the courthouse so everyone can smell how great her food is and be more sympathetic to her case. 

“You’re not the lawyer I expected,” Xo tells Diane. Diane responds, “I’ve changed.” Diane, I am pretty sure that’s not what she meant, but ok!

Lucca and David Lee’s first meeting with Bianca Skye, the high profile client, is a bit awkward, but Bianca instantly takes a liking to Lucca. (“I didn’t know this firm had any black lawyers,” Bianca notes. “Oh, they hide us,” Lucca jokes. But it’s not really a joke when all the black lawyers are the RBL staff and they’re on a different floor…)

David Lee has Bianca tell Lucca her whole case-- which is fairly straightforward-- with way too much detail. Before Lucca asks David if he’s just trying to run up billable hours, it’s clear he’s dragging this out on purpose.

“Oh good, the Angry Black Woman has made an appearance,” awful human being David Lee says after Lucca calls him out. 

David Lee plays rank on her and tells her to watch and learn. Yes, making a racist comment and then being condescending without explaining your strategy is DEFINITELY the way to get the lawyer characterized by her complete lack of interest in being a cog in a machine on your side. 

Adrian, Liz, and Barry are all helping Diane do a mock trial before her first day back in court. It’s fun. 

Adrian is SO over the dogs. His face when a pack of them run past is priceless. 

Diane’s mock trial strategy goes well; the evidence is on her side. And Julius, as luck would have it, is the judge on this case. (Why this is in federal court I don’t know.)

Julius is very happy to be a judge. 

Canning is back. Feels weird to have him here without Alicia. But, honestly, I was prepared for worse. As we’ll see as this scene progresses, Canning is the PERFECT person to have as opposing counsel. If there’s a new rule to exploit, he’d be the first to know about it. If there’s a slimy strategy to use while playing innocent, that’s his schtick. If there’s a corporation doing bad things, he’s your guy. 

Canning tries to explain his condition to Julius. I guess Julius must have been in the New York office when Canning was at LG in late season 5. Diane laughs, knowing that Julius can’t be tricked by Canning. 

Canning probably also knows it won’t work, because he’s already prepared to ask Julius to recuse himself. I feel like this is entirely reasonable. Diane isn’t just an acquaintance… they were partners at the same firm for over a decade.

Diane is TOTALLY the type of white lady to overdo the pronunciation of “chorizo”. 

The delicious smelling food seems like it’s going to work, but we quickly learn that what used to constitute tricky is now just child’s play. The CEO of Rare Orchard, who has been subpoenaed, has decided not to show up. He doesn’t have an excuse. He isn’t delaying. He’s just not going to show up. Like, remember when we thought it was egregious that the CEO Canning was defending in 4x11 kept putting off depositions and Alicia calling the judge was an effective strategy? HA! (Anyone know if this case is based on something or if it’s the writers taking some creative liberties for the sake of plot? My fear is that aspects of it are real because I can’t see the writers being this interested in a plot point they invented.)

Canning says he thinks the CEO doesn’t recognize the legitimacy of the subpoena. Julius reminds Canning that he is a federal judge and his subpoena is legitimate. Canning is all, “yes, I know that’s your position” as though laws are opinions. AAAAAAAAA.

This show loves this kind of thing, just totally taking the basic assumptions away and letting chaos reign. 

This CEO sent Julius a memo telling him to “go fuck yourself.” Eeek.

Diane doesn’t even get to do much lawyering.

Then there is a random cut (which I hate) to a scene of a massive set falling apart during a battle scene. Why the fuck is this here? And what is this from? If I ff to the credits will it tell me? Nope. Dammit. Someone help me out here. 

Credits! Things are exploding again, yay! Aside from the images on the TV, these credits look really similar to S3. I think they may have increased the saturation on the color of the liquids exploding but I could be making things up.

Julius’s outrage at the situation continues after the credits. 

David Lee tries to get Lucca to agree to just be comforting to the client. Lucca is like, no, because I was brought on for a reason I am going to do my job. 

DLee calls this “PC shit” and says something else racist. Bianca answers the door and asks to do the depo prep on the run. What this means is that they’re all getting on her private jet and going to St. Lucia. 

David Lee is TERRIFIED of the private jet. I would be too since I hate small planes (and all planes, but particularly small ones), but I am still enjoying watching him squirm. Lucca is too. 

Lucca DELIGHTS in reminding David they’re in a small metal tube with nothing holding them up. It’s fantastic. 

Bianca offers David Lee a CBD cocktail, because of course she does. This episode is doing a good job of reminding me of why David Lee and Canning were both once really effective characters, so if the writers can use them this way moving forward, I’ll be happy.

Bianca googled Lucca and demands to see pictures of her very cute baby. She then takes Lucca’s phone and starts up Tinder. This is a strange dynamic because it’s friendly but also sudden and also Bianca is paying Lucca for this time. But both of them could use friends, so I’m just going to be cautiously optimistic a real friendship could grow out of this. 

David Lee chugging a CBD cocktail is most definitely something I needed in my life. Thank you writers! 

Our characters are wealthy but everyone they deal with in this episode is ultrawealthy. Like, disgustingly wealthy. Bianca seems nice but holy shit no one needs to fly to St. Lucia for lunch. 

Court stuff happens. This episode is more interesting than just “court stuff happens” but the point is pretty simple-- Julius gets increasingly outraged at the breakdown of the system he believes in, and things keep getting more and more bizarre. 

Julius turns to the corrupt judge Adrian is sleeping with (I think the writers need to tell me what I am supposed to think of her because… I just don’t understand who she’s supposed to be, unless “corrupt judge who creeps me out yet for some reason Adrian is still into” is the point OR unless I am supposed to see her corruption as somehow excusable... ) for advice. She calls their job “shadow play” and says the system is all fake. That would explain why she’s open to bribery, then. She agrees to help Julius get the CEO into court, but I think she’s just helping to illustrate how futile this will be if he tries to resist again.

David Lee also doesn’t like the food on the island. It’s so funny. 

Lucca’s dress is really cute.

Bianca says Lucca must think she’s crazy for flying just to get guava for lunch. Lucca says, “No, it’s just a very different lifestyle from mine.” That’s an understatement. Bianca’s life changed in the last few years, and she’s worried it’s all going to go away (so, it’s implied, she’s living it up now). It seems she has some sort of skincare/cosmetics empire. 

Bianca is worried that in the next recession (oh look at that timely comment), her products will be the first thing people cut back on. Curious to know if this is happening. 

Bianca’s other concern is that she has no friends now because she’s rich. Everyone wants something. “You’re so full of shit,” Lucca says, refusing to pity Bianca. This makes Bianca like her more. 

Bianca talks about a service to matchmake friends. She found it weird, but she doesn’t find “this” (befriending Lucca, even though she is probably paying Lucca WAY more than the friend matchmaker fee) weird. Lucca is always entering into friendships so formally! Okay it’s just two scenes (this one and the one where she and Alicia become friends) but still.

Lucca reminds Bianca she’s also her lawyer.

Bianca asks if DLee is drawing out the case. She’s not stupid. Lucca says David isn’t drawing it out, but I think they both know the answer.

(Question based on what happens later in the ep- if David actually has reasoning, then why in the world would he not tell Bianca OR Lucca about it? And why do they need to have overly long meetings to draw things out? Can’t they just schedule them with large gaps? Idk the whole thing is weird and if David isn’t going to share his strategy that’s on him.)

The CEO finally shows up in court and Julius thinks he’s won. He hasn’t. He says he’s asserting privilege he can’t reveal because it is privileged. The CEO acts like Julius is in the wrong, which pisses Julius off. The CEO gets held in custody and Julius says that the restaurant can’t be bulldozed until the CEO complies. 

Then Julius gets the mysterious MEMO 618. Dun dun dun. 

I know there must be more but I feel like we know what Memo 618 is? Like, no we don’t know who sent it or exactly what it means, but we know the effect of what it does. What is the mystery? Who sent it? 

At night, Julius takes the mystery memo to Judge Hazelwood. She plays dumb because-- as we find out later-- Adrian is within earshot. Adrian’s jacket is apparently very recognizable because Julius spots it. I believe it; Adrian has a distinctive style. 

Adrian talks about taking their relationship public. So Judge Hazelwood bribing people didn’t end the relationship? 

Adrian also asks about Memo 618. He knows she knows what it is. She distracts him by getting on top of him.

Depositions for Bianca’s divorce get contentious but she has the upperhand. Lucca suggests that Bianca settle now and get the ex out of her life-- “balance money with psychological wellness.” Sounds reasonable to me!

At work, Judge Hazelwood is more forthcoming. And Julius did recognize the jacket. Judge Hazelwood tells Julius to let the CEO out and stop asking about the memo. Julius wants to get her on tape, but instead she tells him to get in an Uber and go to an address. She also warns that the court has a program if you break your phone. Sounds like a threat…

Julius finds the Uber easily and then goes on a long journey to the countryside. The driver, it turns out, is a former federal judge who didn’t comply with a mystery memo and he warns Julius to just do what they say or he’ll end up an Uber driver barely able to support his family. (THINK OF YOUR SIX CHILDREN, JULIUS.) 

Lucca wearing heels at her standing desk is… just silly, why would she do this? She wouldn’t take off one heel to stretch her foot; she would have a pair of flats to wear in her office. (This episode is written and directed by men, just fyi.) (Do women actually do this? I hate heels so I would never even consider it, but I feel like everyone hates heels??? Even the people who wear them all the time???) 

David is all mad at Lucca for encouraging Bianca to settle because it has tax implications. Two things: One, if there’s this obvious reason to delay, I feel like Lucca would have figured it out. Two, LUCCA IS ON DAVID’S SIDE. And if he’s allowed to say this out loud now, he could have said it earlier. So… no pity for David Lee. This is why you cooperate with your colleagues instead of antagonizing them. 

Liz-- who has been quite underused in this episode-- is also fed up with the dogs. She and Adrian storm upstairs to say, in Adrian’s words, “they can’t use this floor as a toilet for their motherfucking dogs.” 

They bust through the doors to the long hallway (which in real life would DEFINITELY have a key card reader on it) and push past the receptionist. 

Mr. Firth is holding a very cute dog named Avenger. Mr. Firth also refers to Liz as “Elizabeth”. 

Liz asks that the dogs stop “shitting” on their floor. After all, this was supposed to be a partnership, not an acquisition (does anyone believe that? I think Liz is just using their BS corporate talk against them). Mr. Firth says he will find a way to deal with the dogs. Adrian takes the opportunity to mention that the equity partners need their money. “How do we want to satisfy this?” Mr. Firth asks. “Give them money,” Liz says. Mr. Firth agrees to meet about this next week. He also gives Liz and Adrian access to the executive elevator. He’s just trying to appease them so they’ll be more on his side.

Liz and Adrian both recognize that was too easy, but decide to take the win. I feel like this problem is going to come back…

Julius apologizes and releases the CEO. He recuses himself but says that in the meantime the restaurant will stand. 

Diane knows something’s off and confronts Julius. She’s furious but Julius asks her to leave. I wonder what Diane would’ve done in Julius’s situation. It’s very easy to become complicit…

The restaurant is torn down anyway, making Diane even angrier. She tells Julius it’s on him and he reminds her that he is a judge.

And this is how systems are perpetuated.

That’s the end of the episode, save for the message about the two week break before episode 3 from the cast and crew. I appreciate that they included this, and that they included the whole crew rather than just the Kings and the cast. 

I don’t even recognize most of the crew! I recognize the cast (duh), Dan Lawson (the costume designer), the makeup artist (I think I’ve seen her in various instagram posts), Brooke Kennedy, and the Kings. 

Jonathan Coulton is in the video too (he’s totally a part of the TGF family at this point-- and is one of few people to be on TGW, BrainDead, TGF, AND Evil) to lead everyone in an adorable (but somewhat out of sync) singalong. Awwww. 

[smores100]

once again we’re in full agreement lol. What’s your take on s3 remakes you’ve watched? Wondering how you feel about Skam FR as it’s kind of a similar situation to me where the chemistry & beauty is there but the writing and style is iffy (overwrought &overdramatic). My favorite s3 is druck. As a wlw I had high hopes for españa but it was p slow/v desexualized—a whole discussion, but my other gay friend & I were disappointed given how remakes with guys don’t hold back in that respect.. Thoughts?

Honestly re: wtfock tho I really do wonder if they had like one good writer in the room surrounded by fools. Bc it really does feel like some group projects I’ve been in where I feel like I’m the only one who’s not a fucking fool and carry the whole thing while having to fend off bad ideas (but when the majority rules, those bad ideas/execution get put in). I wonder if that’s what happened w wtfock.

re: wtfock, lol group projects are the worst….idk what wtfock’s writing process was like, but i’d love to know it. according to their wiki there were 3 writers this season? all seem to be male, naturally. did the two other writers have good ideas but there was a main writer who overruled them and did his own thing? or maybe they’re the rl one brain cell squad, that would explain a lot :p in any case, i’m unimpressed (friday’s clips did not help with that).

as for the other part of your ask….oh damn i have so many Thoughts on that, lol. this is probably gonna get long and messy, but you asked for it!

* druck - my absolute favorite. it’s the only one i’ve watched since s1, so that definitely played a part in my emotional investment and attachment. still, there was more to it than that. it was the closest to og imo in vibe and style (it felt small, real, lowkey, quiet, natural like og, as opposed to - as you said - overwrought and overdramatic + overproduced like the others); they cast an actual trans guy to play a trans character, if you wanna talk about a skam remake doing something REVOLUTIONARY? druck is the one; i loved matteo’s and david’s characterizations, how they both had a bit of isak and even in them, and the role reversal in some scenes, made things feel fresh *and* fit their characters/story; i LOVE that teens matteo and david were played by actual teens michi and lukas!! they’ve completely ruined me for all other remakes, bc thissssss is how it’s supposed to be! thisssss is how it should look like! THEY ARE KIDDOS. and they (druck and michi/lukas) truly captured what it’s like to be young and fall in love for the first time, the awkwardness and the nervousness and stuttering and fumbling around, the softness and pureness and innocence of it all!!! also they have THE BEST dynamic - other people might prefer all the hot kissing and steamy making out and the smouldering looks, but me? i just couldn’t get enough of their dumb chaotic energy, best friends who love each other deeply and are also constantly little shits to one another. gimme them pranking each other and playfighting every day! and then being soft and THE HANDS and matteo being a clingy koala basking in david’s affection :3 i also loved how for the most part they didn’t just copy/paste og’s storyline, they made some changes and knew how to make *other* changes accordingly for it to make sense and fit the story *they* were telling - for example, replacing the ‘call your gf’ scene with matteo’s panic attack/breakdown (one of my fave scenes), or their reunion at the end of ep 7 (replacing the desperate kissing + sex with a comforting and relieved yet also bittersweet and melancholic hug), or even matteo getting advice from his drug dealer instead of the school’s doctor, lol. also THE BEST BOY SQUAD, hands down. and matteo is my favorite isak bc to me he felt like his own character instead of just another isak, he was different and reletable and a constant Mood. that being said - it wasn’t perfect and it had its issues. there were a few times when i did feel they stuck too close to og scenes and it didn’t *entirely* work for me, just felt a bit off; i will forever be disappointed that they didn’t directly address and acknowledge matteo’s mental state/depression, bc there were enough signs imo to indicate that he did suffer from something. they mentioned ‘therapy’ in mia’s, alex’s and kiki’s cases, i truly thought they would with matteo as well, but alas, they dropped the ball on that one; i was extremely upset with david’s outing, but i’ve since calmed down and have managed to see it in a more positive light, tho i still have mixed feelings about it and am not fully on board with that decision, still wish it had been done differently (but at least! it wasn’t brushed off and was addressed immediately and eventually led to david having agency and yelling out his pain!!! which was good and important and cathartic); also eps 8 and 9 were pretty messy writing-wise, things either didn’t make sense or would’ve made more sense had the clips were organized differently (that random ping pong clip….?). overall tho, the good outweighed the bad, and it remains my fave

* skam france - now that’s a tricky one. the way i felt about it in the first half of the season, is different from the way i felt about it in the second half of the season, is different from the way i feel about ever since watching druck’s s3. it’s funny you should say how similar it is to wtfock for you, bc i’ve been thinking the same thing for quite some time. those neighboring countries sure have a shared flair for the dramatic! fr’s s3 was pretty much the first s3 i watched (i gif-watched half of skamit, couldn’t get into it). i wasn’t planning to (i was extremely unimpressed by the couple of s1 eps i tried watching, and same by axel’s acting in those first two seasons), but even is the loml and they got me gooood with their eliott pov trailer, which might have affected my excitement over it during the first half. back then i really enjoyed it for the most part, despite some clips being rushed or missing the point thus not fully having the required effect (their locker room scene, for example, or the ‘generalizations are bad’ convo), or how much i hated basile (a character so obviously written by a man it’s amazing), or the cheesy piano music. there were enough good things for me to focus on instead (more in a bit) that i could ignore the things i didn’t like or weren’t as good imo. however, all the positivity got sucked out of me when yann noped tf out after lucas came out to him bc WAY TO MISS THE POINT OF SKAM!!! and things went downhill after the director’s IT’S NOT DISNEYLAND IT’S FRANCE 2019 comment. i’m getting all upset just thinking about it, but to say *that*, to explain that horrendous decision bc lowkey homophobic reactions are realistic!!! only to THEN be all ‘haha jk yann isn’t homophobic! we just wanted you to *think* he was! he’s actually an awesome friend who took several days to reflect on all his past wrongdoings while his bff was at home having a nervous breakdown bc he believed his bff hated him!’ ughhhhhhhhh, miss me with that shit. great that they had yann apologizing for his past comments, but the way in which it was done was for pure shock value and angst, completely ooc for his character (all season he was all ‘tell me tell me tell me let me help let me help let me help’ only to do *that*?? nahh), and interesting how out of everyone the only black character was the only one with a negative reaction (remind you of anyone), highlighted even more during ep 7 aka the ott lucas coming out tour. then ep 8, that should have been 100% all lucas and eliott and building up to eliott’s manic episode suddenly had that weird random pov changing clip in the middle of it which truly wtf, basile was still basile, lucas thanked chloe for outing him, more scenes felt rushed, they had sex in school where people could come and go in front of huge windows in broad daylight and luckily didn’t get poisoned from licking all that paint! and i did not like the flatshare, i absolutely hated mika and lisa kicking lucas out of his room - which he pays rent for! - and manon not even trying to put up a fight, and them being like ‘roommate isn’t just a place, it’s a way of living. that’s a family, and you’re more like a cousin.’ ‘a second cousin.’ ughhhhhh and then when eliott was recovering from his depressive episode, they *still* didn’t give lucas his room back or at least let eliott stay there, he was sleeping on the couch, i’m aldjlajdafj. can’t believe i’m gonna say it, but TAKE NOTES FROM WTFOCK. tl;dr there were some good moments in the second half, but i was feeling bitter more often than not about certain things, so my enjoyment wasn’t as high as when it first started. and after watching druck, druck’s brand is definitely much more my style. plus, i was already struggling with making myself believe axel and maxence were in their teens, but after druck it’s completely impossible, so i just pretend they’re in college or something lol. all my issues with it aside, i’d still rate it higher than wtfock, bc overall the writing was better, more coherent, and made much more sense. i also liked lucas’ friendship with the girls; i loved that instead of copying the underwater kiss + 21:21 like some others have, they came up with their own thing i.e. polaris, which i thought was lovely; the lucas/manon crying in the middle of the night together in front of the tv was one of my fave scenes of the season; also love how we were introduced to eliott on the first week! and they spent time together! and specifically the piano playing scene, ohhhh; and in general elu are sweet and i reeeeally like axel and maxence and their friendship. so yeah, it had some major issues, but i’d rather have a coherent story with something done for shock value and drama ONCE than an incoherent story with several shock value moments.

* skam espana - sorry to hear you girls were disappointed! i only watched half of it, so i can only comment on what i saw. i decided to binge watch s1 and give s2 a shot when i heard they were giving cris isak’s story - it felt a bit weird to me, but it was also something different and new, and i did have an appreciation for their decision to have a wlw season (also much more revolutionary to me than showing a gay bashing), so i was intrigued and willing to try it. sadly i didn’t really vibe with s1? it’s totally a personal preference i think, maybe even a cultural thing idk, but it felt very fast and loud and hectic to me, idrk how to explain it. i was just more into the chill more lowkey vibe of druck and skamnl. but i still gave s2 a shot, and idk, it still wasn’t my cup of tea. i thought it was ok for the most part, but there were some things that bothered me - joana/cris felt underdeveloped to me? and things b/w them felt like they were moving so fast from the second they met, like jona was so intense and forward ALL THE TIME, they had like 6 almost kisses in a really short time, like shhh slow down. i remember disliking their ‘call your gf’ scene, it felt really petty and kinda mean to me? bc i felt like joana came on to cris *really* strongly and *very* frequently, so cris was more than entitled to feel hurt and betrayed when she found out joana had a bf, but then cris was kissing a dude and joana positioned herself and her bf in front of cris so she’d see them kissing too, and i just didn’t like bc seriously?? cris is valid, just apologize to her and explain?? idr much else tbh, they had some really cute and sweet scenes afterwards, i’m still against doing the underwater kiss + 21:21 so i was kinda meh about that (tho aesthetically speaking it was BEAUTIFUL, and i’m like, fiiiiine girls deserve an underwater kiss too, i’ll allow it just this once!), and that cuddling clip in ep 6 i think was sweet and the last one i watched. like i said, i was less vibing with this remake, and iirc it was going on during druck’s s3 and skamnl’s s2 - which were my faves, plus skamfr was on too i think and i was lowkey following it too, so….there was just too much all at once and something had to go, and it was skamesp. it was also around the time when panaphobia-gate happened, so *shrugs* i’m not wlw myself so your opinion on it being desexualized is probably more valid than mine? i just know when i did watch, there was a lot of kissing and making out and being cute and touchy with each other, so i thought it was ok? as i’ve mentioned before, i don’t need to see a naked butt or anything like that to *get* it lol, i thought they were lovely! but that’s just me. i will say that my faaaave part was most definitely the cris/amira friendship. they were so wonderful! one of the best skam friendships imo. i might one day go back and finish the season just for the heck of it, but they didn’t do anything major or highly offensive that made me have negative feelings towards it, it was just a personal preference + circumstances (too many remakes!) that made me be less into it and drop it before the end.

[leviathiane]

SHOW US YOUR WROR RAW UNPROCESSED WHOLE GRAIN ORGANIC NOTES

this is going to be a long-ass post i am so sorry to Everyone! i take a lot of notes.

So, as You specifically know (as well as all of my lovely Soggers) I take a LOT of notes. Obsessively. I write fucking everything bc i have very little memory and very much paranoia. This results in literal Piles of notes. Raw planning, on paper, on my phone– doodles of scenes im brainstorming, bulletpoints, entire SCRIPTS– it’s all there but scattered (I’ve got scenes planned in the margins of my goddamn anthropology notes and deciphering it was a NIGHTMARE) 

I won’t even upload all the photos of my writing notebook, because itd be like 50 pages of illegible nonesense. but heres a couple of planning phase pages. (may be hard to read, I dropped this notebook both into some tidepools, into a creek on campus, and accidentally leaked my waterbottle onto it in my backpack :/) 

if you can’t tell already, yes they all look exactly like this. Some are even more illegible, because I wrote them with the notebook half under my actual class notes. Because i wrote most of them in class. During lectures. And pretending very badly that i was not doing exactly that. (pay attention in class please i got away with this bc i was filling up elective units) 

I’m also flat out MISSING a large portion of my notes bc some of it? isnt even in the damn notebook. its on a sheet of binder paper, or on the empty back of an assignment. I’ve now lost most of those notes, but the ones i do still have are just as (even more, actually) indecipherable chicken scratch: 

Wow, how clean and tidy and easy to follow! i am in hell. 

and this doesnt mention the PAGES and PAGES of outlines that are on my laptop, and the pages of outlined scenes that are on the notes app of my phone. if i put them all, you would have entire chapter spoilers up to the very end of the story so i cant post a lot of them– and also theres just a goddamn lot of them. currently i have 16 pages of outlining. There are no spacing breaks. It is a solid 16 page block of text. Looking at it gives me a migraine. 

some assorted notes which i have dredged up from the deleted parts of the main draft google doc go all the way back to when i started Wror in June and they are Barely more readable than my handwriting on sheer account of: articulation is not my strength. These include: 

“Ch 8 plan: sabo gets trained specially, awakens his armament haki, beats ace in a bunch of spars and proves himself to be anything but vulnerable. The boys are like “we fucking recognize that technique ryu taught you before us!!” and goad ryu into finally starting them both on basic haki training, just to awaken it, since sabo already has. Also this is the chapter that ace finally confronts ryu for his devil fruit after ryu confirms that some devil fruit users can’t be hurt without haki and ace immediately catches onto that and tries to slam his pipe through ryus head. It doesn’t work, ryu catches the weapon with a haki covered hand, to avoid turning to flame with hit and ace just gets frustrated and accuses ryu of hiding his devil fruit, because he remembers what he saw in grey terminal and that now that he has seen haki he can distinguish it from what he saw and he’s sure no one could do what ryu did. He calls ryu a hypocrite for coddling them even after telling them to stop coddling sabo and ryu has to sit them down and explain that yes he does have powers and he has been hdiing it and explains his reasoning. However instead of understanding th eboys just get fired up and say they don’t wnt to be scared of fire, especially not when it means ryu isn’t taking them seriously in a spar. Ryu finally agrees to start them on desensitization training for fire trauma. Fire desensitization training happens on the beach, so that they have water nearby in case things get out of hand. At some point ace gives ryu a considering look and is just like “if you have a devil fruit that means you can’t swim either right?” and ryu is basically just like “lmao yeah” and then ace immediately attempts to drown him. Lots of murder attempts in ace’s department toget his older brother to be less of an idiot with little success lol(extra: ace tried to attack ryu earlier both to confirm that ryu has a devil fruit that would force him to use haki to hide it, and because he now knows that he CAN’T hurt ryu without haki and as thus can’t beat him and make him admit he’s awake without being good at haki.)” [chapter 8] 

“Small sabo lost his hat and goggles in the incident and while he doesn’t remember having them future sabo notices he looks uncomfortable and keeps touching his hair and head. Ace yells at him for it thinking he bandaging are bothering him and that he can’t touch them but little sabo just comments that something about it feels wrong. Luffy blurts our that he had a hat, like luffy does, But he doesn’t now ace begrudgingly mentions that they can’t get a new one in town. Future sabo doesn’t even hesitate and just plops his own hat onto his younger selves head. It clearly too big for him, and almost falls over his eyes but he grins up at future sabo and is like “wow!! Thank you! I’ll take care of it till I have one of my own” and creates a paradox like Luffys own hat. The footsteps younger sabo has yet to fill. This HAS to happen AFTER the talk where they explain that future and past sabo are both the same person, to give little sabo that pressure.” [chapter 9]

“(Right after this older sabo takes them down to the ocean so that they can play a little and desensitize themselves and immediately fucks himself over when he goes weak in the water bc he somehow fucking forgot his own devil fruit again and now even younger sabo is on his case about not letting him near the fucking ocean that little goddamn HYPOCRITE—) )” [for chapter 9]

“Ch 9 plan: they finally leave dawn island. Starts with the boys getting a haircut after training and luffy mentions how long it’s been since they’ve last needed a haircut, giving sabo and ace time to point out that it’s been 2 months now since ryu joined them, and that sabo was completely healed by now. The boys are now aware of the basics of haki, and while luffy hasnt awakened either yet ace and sabo both have a little bit of weak armament haki. (sabo won’t awaken observational haki until he gets his memories back) ryu tries to sneak off into the city to steal a boat but his brothers refuse to leave him behind and keep sneaking out after him, not wanting him to go alone and saying that since he’s been training them they’re clearly stronger and he needs to let them do this. Ryu eventually just lets it go because why the fuck not it’s a dream and they make him feel better. They get the boat out on open ocean and finally fucking sail out, cheering loudly, ryu struggling to make them all calm down but also not really trying. He’s happy as shit, and they’re all so excited and happy and sabo dips a hand into the waves and then smiles so fucking wide and tackles ryu so violently they both nearly tip into the water and it’s just very very good. “ [also for ch 9] 

** I flat out dont Have any outlining from before chapter 6, because i only started actually outling chapters after that. i tend to just sit down and Write up until i hit a plot point or writers block and then am forced to actually think it through and plan rather than letting it come naturally. thats also why the quality and editing is better in later chapters despite everything being written within the same time frame. 

besides entire chapter outlines, there are the scene specific phone notes like:

“(ADDED) Right after they leave dawn, when sabo is sure they’ve gotten enough of a head start, he calls Garp. He doesn’t say who he is, but that all of the boys are safe and happy with him and has them all talk into the phone to assure him that they’re fine. Garp is honestly just pissed off he doesn’t know who’s calling and when he asks sabo just laughs and says a disobedient brat before hanging up. “

“(ADDED) TO EXPAND ON CH 3: sabo gets offered the chance to go with dragon, and he hesitates on the offer to go through with his previous life with the family he’s made in the revolutionary again. He almost agrees, because the bought of losing them in this lifetime is near excruciating but reminds himself swiftly that it’s no place for his brothers and not what they’d really want, and he wants selfishly to be with them as long as he Can until he “inevitably” wakes up. The boys are visibly relieved by this, especially ace. (Sabo gets asked who he is by dragon, who wants to know more about the stranger with his son, but dragon has always been quicker to make connections no one guessed and he just smiled knowingly at sabo and tells him he’s sure the other will have no trouble finding them if he’s in need. Sabo in turn warns him to keep Kuma close, and to look for a slave girl named koala.)”

I have…. many of these. I have Many of Everything. 

finally, i have scene doodles. if i hit a bad writers block it usually helps me to sketch scenes or the character designs to regain my grip on what the hell is happening in the plot– Breach of Intention has character design sketches, pakcbond has MANY scene sketches, even some of my nsfw has some sketches. my wror skecthes arent Good of course, I am an art teacher for children and that means i am more often explaining the color wheel and brush techniques over drawing perfect human replicas– and i just dont really make a lot of fanart? ive never drawn sabo before but i sure have a bunch now. i wont include close ups because they genuinely suck but heres an example pic 

So… yeah thats about everything. this is a VERY long post and yet i only included like maybe ¼ or 1/5 of all the notes i have dbskhjgfkjadns lmk if anyone wants more (or notes for my Other stories, which contain NO WHERE the same absurd amount of shit that wror does.)

[inkstainedfanfics]

Burdens

Request: Hi! I know you probably have so many requests right now but i have one too, and you can add it to the list and do it whenever you like. I was thinking newtxreader where everyone says reader is dumb compared to newt and calls her names and stuff and she feels like she's just a burden to newt and that she's just holding him back? When newt realises how everyone treats her he gets angry but then makes her feel better? Fluffy fluff fluff at the end bc i need that after your angsty fics!!

Word Count: 1,899

Pairing: Newt x Reader

Tag List: @dont-give-a-bother (you requested this I hope you love it!!) @red-roses-and-stories @caseoffics @ly--canthrope @thosefantasticbeast2 @myrtus-amongst-the-stars @benniesgalaxy @whatinbenaddiction @studyforthreehands

“For such an intelligent man, I must say I expected more from his wife.”

The businessman’s words are a whisper as they always are, an attempt to hide an opinion that harms. Not that they truly care. If they did, they would keep their words to themselves.

You try to shrug it off, turning your back to the man that whispered it, to the look he gives you as you spin away, to hide the faltering smile that you struggle to retain. But it’s useless. There’s no ignoring those words.

It isn’t the first such comment you’ve heard at the party, and it certainly won’t be the last of the night. The words, the sentiment, are always accompanied by a snide tone and a lip curled into a sneer or twisted in confusion, eyes darting to you, to your burning cheeks as you pretend not to hear, not to notice the way they see you, the way they compare you to the man you love.

But this time it’s worse. This time, despite the gentle rumble of the crowd and the hum of the band’s song, Newt hears.

He stiffens immediately, head cocking in confusion, as though he can’t quite believe what he just heard.

You’re reaching for his hand to pull him away before he can say anything, but it’s too late. Newt’s at your side, shoulders tense, hand clenched around the ornate glass of butterbeer he’d left your side to grab.

“Hello, love,” he murmurs, voice low as he presses a kiss to your temple.

The men in front of you brighten as Newt approaches, smiles you despise lighting up their faces, stretching across their cheeks. They both raise their glass to Newt. One’s already spilled a tad bit of wine on the light blue of his button-down shirt, a shirt that does not match his green eyes. And the tie’s as black as his hair, a strange combination you take comfort in mocking in your mind. How can a grown man not know how to dress himself properly?

But Newt nods at him, “Cooper.”

“Newt!” The man says, voice too loud, too cheery to be genuine. He stands in a fading streak of sunlight that’s been tinted red by the stained glass windows that run the full length of the room’s towering walls.

Newt’s voice is icy, nod short, eyes flitting to the other man, a brunette with crooked teeth and bad breath. “Jones.”

“Mr. Scamander, a pleasure. A wonderful party the ministry’s thrown for you here.”

“It’s lovely,” Newt murmurs, free hand slipping around your waist and tugging you to his side. “A shame your wife couldn’t make it, Jones. I understand she’s home for the night, right?”

“Right, keeping the kids in order. They’re wonders, the both of them.”

Newt forces a smile to his face and nods. “Is that so? Honestly, I’ve heard otherwise.”

“Excuse me?” He takes half a step forward as you glance at Newt in surprise. A rude comment, certainly. What is Newt doing?

Newt just squeezes your side gently. “Now was it Tommy that I heard shattered another boy’s nose at Hogwarts?”

Jones’s smile falters, and he raises his glass to his lips. “An accident, nothing more.”

Newt shrugs, eyes narrowed as he also raises his glass to his lips. “Truly? I heard that it was intentional. Some silly feud over bloodlines?”

You watch the exchange in awe, heart speeding as Newt attacks the other man. As he defends you in the best way he can.

Jones shifts from foot to foot, both hands wrapping around his glass now as he thins his lips. “I’m not sure where you heard this rumor, but I can assure you that it isn’t true.”

Newt raises an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well, I must say I’m relieved. I wouldn’t want to work with someone that raises a prejudiced child. Reflects rather poorly on the parents, doesn’t it?”

Jones coughs out something that resembles a laugh, an attempt to mask the discomfort clear in his tense stance, his clenched jaw, his tight grip. “It surely does, Mr. Scamander. Say, have you considered that advertising deal from Stowna’s firm? I must say, it seems a wonder for our book.”

“My book,” Newt clarifies, a wry smile on his face. He ignores the question, eyes darting to Cooper’s miserable attempt to suppress a smile. “Enjoying the party, Cooper?”

“Oh, very much so. The ministry clearly put effort into the celebration. Not that you don’t deserve it. 20,000 copies sold is quite the accomplishment.”

“I’m very aware. Say, you wrote a book, correct?”

Cooper puffs out his chest, chin raising. “Indeed I did. Sold thousands upon thousands of copies, it did.”

“Mmm,” Newt hums, thumb rubbing up and down your side as he sips his butterbeer. “Congratulations. You had a celebration?” Newt swirls his drink, staring at it as he asks the question.

“Yeah, at home. It wasn’t anything nearly as grand as this, but it was all I needed.”

“That’s good. Did you invite Harlowe?”

Cooper’s face pales, the smug smile fading quickly as you watch on in wonder. “Who?”

“Mia Harlowe? She’s a talented writer. Surely you’ve heard of her.”

Cooper clears his throat, looking toward Jones for help, but the other man says nothing. “I—I’m afraid I haven’t—I don’t know her.”

“It’s a shame she hasn’t had anything published under her name. You know, she was researching the various effects of wand cores as well. Perhaps you should send her a message, compare your notes.”

Cooper’s mouth is open, whether to speak or drink you aren’t sure, but he hasn’t a chance to decide as Newt’s arm leaves your waist, instead intertwining his fingers with yours.

“I suppose we should greet others, right love?”

You nod, allowing a smile at the men’s stunned and shamed expressions. “Right. There are plenty of people waiting on you.”

Newt nods at the men one final time, raising his glass. “Do enjoy the festivities.”

And with that, Newt leads you through the crowd, but he’s still the slightest bit tense, fingers just a little too tight in your hand, back just a little too straight.

“Newt,” you question as he leads you away from them, “what was that? You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, well, some people need to be put in their places sometimes. Even elected officials and publishers.” He stiffens again. “I heard what they said and I couldn’t… I can’t…” He shakes his head, sucking in a breath. “They’re ridiculous.”

You swallow, eyes dropping in shame as your cheeks heat up. “Maybe.”

Newt stops at this, warm hand tugging you to a stop as well. “Sorry, what was that?”

People swirl about, their conversations rising and falling with the live band in the corner. The ministry is packed, filled with men and women that refuse to miss an opportunity to schmooze with high ranking officials. And there are plenty of them here, but Newt’s not paying attention to any of them now as he pulls you to the stone wall, only offering the slightest of smiles and nods to those congratulating him along the way.

“Newt, don’t worry about it,” you murmur as he begins to make his way through the crowd again, leading you to an isolated area of the room, away from the bar and the musicians and the people.

“Love,” he says, spinning on you, releasing your hand to run his own through his hair, “they’re wrong. I know you. They’re wrong.”

You shrug, rubbing your arm, heart pounding in your chest. You hadn’t meant for this, hadn’t meant for him to ever hear someone speak about you that way. Of course he’d be upset.

“I guess I just… worry. I mean, you’re you. A world class author, traveling the world, able to repeat hundreds of facts about creatures at a moment’s notice, crafting potions that heal and restore memory and… and I’ve done nothing. I don’t even understand half of the stuff you talk about sometimes.” You stare at the tips of Newt’s shoes, polished to a shine for tonight. “I don’t know, I guess I just worry that one day you’ll realize they’re right. Everyone’s… right.”

“Dear—”

“No, it’s fine.” You wave a hand, misery settling like a blanket over the night. You hadn’t meant to make him feel this, feel like he had to stand up for you. You’d only wanted him to have a wonderful night. “This isn’t your problem. Not tonight.”

He frowns. “Love, I think you’re brilliant because you are. It has nothing to do with how intelligent others think you are.”

You shift from foot to foot, avoiding the solemn, green eyed gaze that you so love. It’s not his problem, not his fault you can’t understand things that he can, not his fault that you can’t just learn simple concepts, so why is he making it his problem? He’s supposed to be enjoying the night, meeting businessmen and old friends and instead he’s here, in the corner, dealing with your issues. Isn’t that proof? Isn’t this proof that you’re dragging him down, that you’re his greatest problem?

“Newt, I should go. I don’t… I can’t do this right now.”

Newt grabs your arm gently, head tilting, wry smile growing. “You’re brilliant in every sense of the word. Cooper, Jones, they’re fools. They’d never be able to do what you do.”

“Drag you down?”

“Pardon me, love, but you’re being ridiculous now.

You recoil. “What?”

He chuckles, stepping closer so that he’s bathed in the same strip of golden light as you. “A mite ridiculous, but wholly adorable. Love,” and when he says the words, it’s drenched in tenderness, one that’s just barely matched by the way he runs a thumb over your cheekbone as he cradles your face with his free hand, “I adore you, every inch of you. There’s not a bit of you that I would change. I don’t know anyone else that can understand my notations like you, or that can maintain a journal’s worth of free floating noted pages. Nor does anyone else treat creatures with the care that you do. You know all of their names, and you can tell them apart with a glance. Do you think men like Cooper or Jones could ever be able to do anything like that?”

“See, dear,” he continues, closer and closer until you have to tilt your head to look up at him, “you’re perfect.”

Tears are welling up in your eyes, but not from harsh words anymore, but sweet ones, from the love apparent on Newt’s face.

Until, that is, he grins mischievously. “Other than your penchant for snoring. I suppose I would change that.”

You smack his shoulder, stepping away from him lest others notice the closeness between the two of you, the intimacy of the moment. “Whatever, Newt. You snore just as loud.”

He laughs again, taking a sip of his drink before reaching out to rub your arm. “You’re feeling better, I trust?”

“I am, thank you. I’m sorry again, for everything,” you mumble.

“I’m here for you. Just say the word. Now, let’s go greet everyone so we can leave early.”

You roll your eyes, allowing Newt to wrap an arm around your waist again as you reenter the party. “Try to be social for a while.”

He shrugs. “We’ll see.”

[sometimesrosy]

So I'm rewatching a lot of Bellarke scenes (I have no good reason why. Let me live) and I JUST CAN'T. Their scenes together are by far the most genuine, the most vulnerable and the most well written and well acted scenes in the entire show. I can rationalize when people say they are just platonic (not really, but I can respect it at least) but I CANNOT understand it when antis they say BC isn't a partnership, or that they aren't even friends. WHAT SHOW ARE YOU WATCHING ANTIS!?

This is one of the things I’ve gotten into trouble for on this site. That I have dared to say that some interpretations are actually wrong. 

Tumblr culture has the idea that no one can ever be wrong. It’s all just opinion. And one opinion is as true as another. That our feelings about a story are the same as truth. And tumblr has the tendency to believe that the more they hear an opinion, the more true it is. So the loudest voices can actually spread false interpretation and inaccurate readings, and the fandom takes it to be true and a “known fact.” And they try to silence voices who challenge that truth.

I’ve said things like, “L is not the hero of The 100,” and caused people to block me and call me names and set up a fandom rivalry for challenging their authority and interpretation. But no matter your authority, an interpretation is still just an opinion, not an objective fact. If it is disproved by canon facts, then it’s an incorrect assumption. 

The writers may have shown L in a sympathetic way in order to get Clarke and the audience to feel for her and the grounders, or to understand her story, but she is still not the hero. She might have a type of heroic character, but she is not “the hero.” She might be the hero of her own story, but her story is not what The 100 is about, it is a subplot. ADC was a guest star for a short period of time and the titular heroes are The 100 and the main hero is Clarke Griffin, and the secondary hero with secondary billing and equal screen time is Bellamy Blake. This is not an opinion, it can be backed up with facts, no matter how many times people want to deny Bellamy’s lead status or call him a villain. It is also borne out by the continued narrative that has seen Bellamy and Clarke work to overcome their character flaws of last season and L to fall to hers. We can have discussions about whether L’s effect on the characters in The 100 was positive or negative, and we do not have to come up with the same interpretation, but the hero of the show is still Clarke Griffin.

We always need to be careful when we hear convincing sounding interpretations and declarations of meaning. Just because a person is confident in their interpretation, or can talk a good game, or throw around terms and logic that may or may not be faulty, does not mean that their interpretation is better than yours. And this includes MY interpretation. No one has to accept anyone else’s interpretation, we can all come up with our own, and we should. 

We can have opinions on what the facts mean. On what the heroes are struggling with. On how the writers wanted us to look at the antagonists. On what the journeys of the heroes are. On how to define the heroes’ relationships. But while we are coming up with our theories, we should be checking them against canon to make sure that they fit. 

But if we ignore or deny canonical facts of the show, just so that our interpretation sounds good, then no, we are NOT CORRECT. 

 We actually have to look at the show in order to understand it, and that includes the parts we don’t like about it, and the part that doesn’t fit our interpretation. If we refuse to account for Bellamy’s place in the show, we will fail to understand it. If we ignore a character, simply because we don’t like her, or are disappointed in her, or do not stan her, then we cannot have a clear view of the story. If we don’t admit to how important the Polis story line was in Clarke’s story, then we are missing a big part of the narrative. If we refuse to see that this show has been telling the story of Bellamy and Clarke’s changing relationship as they work to save their people, then we are not paying attention to the canon show, but instead only the part that catches our fancy.

Don’t think they’re romantic? Okay. That’s interpretation, and we can find canon evidence to support it. Don’t think Bellamy and Clarke are co-leaders? We have gone off canon and are now ignoring the narrative and text and instead taking interpretations and fanon as fact. If we want to have that incorrect interpretation and enjoy the stories that it makes possible, that’s fine. It’s our way of engaging with the story. Go crazy. People ignore canon all the time. I love that fanfiction has allowed us this ability to rewrite the stories so that they belong to us. But that doesn’t change the canon of the original story. Opinion=/=Fact and Interpretation=/=Canon

You want to tell other people they have no right to their own opinions and force them to have yours?

No.

You’re wrong. 

[amtushinfosolutionspage]

Chain vs. Plank, Who Ya Got?: The Weekend in College Football

Welcome back to The Weekend in College Football, VICE Sports’ new column. Each week, we’ll take you through everything you missed on Saturday (or, God forbid, Friday night), the things worth learning, and look ahead to what happens next. Enjoy.

1st and 10: The CFP Race Is Insane

The College Football Playoff has certainly been a success in its three years of existence, and the run-up to the Playoff is far more exciting than the debacle that was the BCS. But I have a confession to make: Last year was boring as hell.

As excited as we try to get about the annual selection show, at this point last year we all knew which teams—Alabama, Clemson, Washington, and Ohio State—were going to be selected. Only two other teams, Michigan and Oklahoma, had any real hope of cracking the list.

This year, other than Alabama, I really can’t tell you who’s going to be selected. Because at this point, there are multiple top teams in multiple conferences that have a chance.

Clemson: Probably the best non-Alabama bet, but only has one great win (Auburn) and lost to Syracuse, somehow. If the Tigers lose the ACC Championship Game to Miami, they’re out.

Miami: This week’s darlings (more on that later) after destroying Notre Dame, but is the schedule strong enough to get in, even with one loss? Probably not.

Wisconsin: If they win out, they’re in. But if they lose to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game, their best win will be either Michigan, Northwestern, or Iowa. As 2015 Iowa can attest, that’s probably not going to be enough.

Oklahoma: Probably the second-best chance behind the ACC champion, but the Sooners still have to go to West Virginia and play the No. 2 team in the conference in the Big 12 title game.

Georgia: The Bulldogs just got blown out by Auburn, but if they win the SEC Championship Game, they’re in.

Auburn: The win over Georgia is impressive. Maybe they’ll get themselves into consideration if they beat Alabama?

Ohio State: The Buckeyes dominated Michigan State after being blown out by Iowa (which is still hilarious). If they similarly dominate Michigan and Wisconsin, they’ll have a very strong resume, despite the losses to Iowa and Oklahoma.

Do any of those teams have a better than 60 percent chance of getting in? Clemson, Miami, and Wisconsin certainly control their own destiny. Oklahoma most likely does, too. Georgia might. With just a little bit of help, Auburn and Ohio State will both have strong cases.

The selection show is in less than a month and we’re officially in a wild playoff to get to the Playoff. That’s how it should be.

2nd and 8: Miami Is Awesome and You Should Cut It Out with the “Catholics vs. Convicts”

The Miami-Notre Dame rivalry was branded “Catholics vs. Convicts” when the top-ranked Hurricanes visited the Irish in South Bend in 1988, and it was memorialized by an ESPN 30 for 30 with the same name.

The moniker speaks for itself: Notre Dame players were choir boys, while Miami’s mostly black team was branded a group of criminals. No, Miami didn’t run a particularly clean program in the 1980s, but “convicts” certainly wasn’t an adequate way to describe the players on the team. Moreover, in recent years Notre Dame has been guilty of some deplorable actions of its own, including academic fraud and railroading an investigation into a reported sexual assault by a football player, after which a woman committed suicide.

And yet, the reputation has stuck with the Hurricanes.

You might think this is just a cute little tradition, but given the not-so-subtle racism involved, and the fact that it seems to bug the current Miami players who are definitely not convicts, maybe you should stop using the name.

Clip of the Week

Ten years ago, Georgia players celebrated a big win over Auburn by dancing to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” on the field.

Auburn didn’t forget. Ten years later, the Tigers celebrated their blowout victory over the Bulldogs the same way.

That’s some excellent college football trolling.

Tennessee Should Hire Lane Kiffin

The Butch Jones era is mercifully over at Tennessee after the Vols lost 50-17 to Missouri and fall to 0-6 in SEC play. Tennessee remains one of the toughest jobs in college football because the fans have massive expectations, but the Vols don’t have the recruiting advantages that many of their conference brethren—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, and even Texas A&M—enjoy.

Here’s how the Vols will deal with these built-in burdens: They’ll copy the rest of their conference’s teams and hire a Nick Saban clone who will never be as good as the original (hello, Dan Mullen).

Here’s what they should do: Hire Lane Kiffin.

Admittedly, the No. 1 reason the Vols should do this is the hilarity of it. Kiffin, you’ll remember, had perhaps the most tumultuous one-year stint in coaching history while in Knoxville, before ditching town for USC. Tennessee fans hate him, probably for good reason.

But there are two other reasons Tennessee should hire Kiffin: For one, he’s a good coach who’s off to a great start with Florida Atlantic. And two, it would piss Saban off to no end, which might play into Tennessee’s hands.

Kiffin was the offensive coordinator at Alabama until Saban got so fed up with his antics that he sent him packing the week before the 2016 national title game (which Alabama lost). The Vols haven’t beaten the Crimson Tide in over a decade, so why not add some sass to what has become a stale rivalry?

Kiffin, for one, seems on board.

Have some fun with this, Tennessee. If you hire another generic SEC football coach, nothing is going to get better.

3rd and 1

This weekend was Veteran’s Day, which meant it was time for college football programs to show their support for the military. That meant flyovers, flag helmets, and patriotic displays on the field.

These “tributes” seem harmless, but in reality, they’re a way for teams to use jingoistic marketing to build their own brands. Pledging allegiance to the military through vague patriotic symbols and playing dress up isn’t the same as helping veterans, and it’s disingenuous to suggest otherwise. Veteran and sports writer Matt Ufford, who graduated from Northwestern—a school that loves integrating patriotic imagery into its football team—said it best in his attempt to “debark the bullshit train to Jingotown“:

Sporting events, particularly around Veterans Day, have a habit of condensing military service into an easily digestible slice of patriotism. The PA announcer says words like “heroic” and “sacrifice” without context or meaning while soldiers and sailors stand in camouflage or dress uniforms, a 38-second tribute that squeezes an emotional trigger for the audience while whitewashing the devastating effects of war — its 500-pound bombs and rubbled buildings, its stolen sons and daughters, its impossible and unfair cruelty.

Punt

Football coaches tend to struggle with math and probability. Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is no exception.

With 6:30 left in the game and the Bulldogs tied with mighty Alabama, Mississippi State faced 4th-and-3 at the Alabama 42-yard-line. Given how great the Alabama defense is, it wasn’t particularly likely that the Bulldogs would get down to that point on the field again. But instead of seizing the opportunity to keep the Crimson Tide on their heels, Mullen decided to punt.

The punt ended in a touchback, helping MSU gain all of 22 yards of field position. The Crimson Tide scored two possessions later to win the game, after the Bulldogs couldn’t move the ball past their 24-yard-line. Shockingly, the decision to punt put MSU in far worse field position overall and diminished its chances to win.

Don’t punt in plus territory with the game on the line, kids. And especially don’t do it against Alabama.

Player Who Deserves to Be Paid This Week: Baker Mayfield

Besides being the best player in college football and the Heisman Trophy favorite, I’d like to congratulate Mayfield for again beating long-time nemesis TCU, this time to keep the Sooners in College Football Playoff contention.

Mayfield and TCU coach Gary Patterson have been feuding for years. Mayfield said in 2017 that he doesn’t like the Horned Frogs because he was promised a scholarship by Patterson that never came.

Recruiting can be a frustrating and deceptive process for players, but rather than understand that, Patterson got all defensive.

He said, “If Baker Mayfield wants to blame TCU for 128 BCS schools not offering him a scholarship, that’s fine.”

It’s true, Mayfield didn’t get any major scholarship offers out of high school, but now he’s one of the most marketable, exciting, and talented players in the game. Pay the man, already—and take the money out of Patterson’s paycheck.

Obscure College Football Team of Note: Kennesaw State

Miami has gotten a lot of attention for its very cool turnover chain, but the Hurricanes have officially lost the award for best turnover prop to Kennesaw State, which has a turnover plank.

Good plank.

Something to Look Forward to

Alabama plays Mercer this week, so it’s annual Nick Saban Gets Mad About Reporters Overlooking a SoCon Team to Ask Questions About Auburn Week. Set your DVRs and Twitter searches accordingly.

Chain vs. Plank, Who Ya Got?: The Weekend in College Football syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

[flauntpage]

Chain vs. Plank, Who Ya Got?: The Weekend in College Football

Welcome back to The Weekend in College Football, VICE Sports' new column. Each week, we'll take you through everything you missed on Saturday (or, God forbid, Friday night), the things worth learning, and look ahead to what happens next. Enjoy.

1st and 10: The CFP Race Is Insane

The College Football Playoff has certainly been a success in its three years of existence, and the run-up to the Playoff is far more exciting than the debacle that was the BCS. But I have a confession to make: Last year was boring as hell.

As excited as we try to get about the annual selection show, at this point last year we all knew which teams—Alabama, Clemson, Washington, and Ohio State—were going to be selected. Only two other teams, Michigan and Oklahoma, had any real hope of cracking the list.

This year, other than Alabama, I really can’t tell you who’s going to be selected. Because at this point, there are multiple top teams in multiple conferences that have a chance.

Clemson: Probably the best non-Alabama bet, but only has one great win (Auburn) and lost to Syracuse, somehow. If the Tigers lose the ACC Championship Game to Miami, they’re out.

Miami: This week’s darlings (more on that later) after destroying Notre Dame, but is the schedule strong enough to get in, even with one loss? Probably not.

Wisconsin: If they win out, they’re in. But if they lose to Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game, their best win will be either Michigan, Northwestern, or Iowa. As 2015 Iowa can attest, that’s probably not going to be enough.

Oklahoma: Probably the second-best chance behind the ACC champion, but the Sooners still have to go to West Virginia and play the No. 2 team in the conference in the Big 12 title game.

Georgia: The Bulldogs just got blown out by Auburn, but if they win the SEC Championship Game, they’re in.

Auburn: The win over Georgia is impressive. Maybe they’ll get themselves into consideration if they beat Alabama?

Ohio State: The Buckeyes dominated Michigan State after being blown out by Iowa (which is still hilarious). If they similarly dominate Michigan and Wisconsin, they’ll have a very strong resume, despite the losses to Iowa and Oklahoma.

Do any of those teams have a better than 60 percent chance of getting in? Clemson, Miami, and Wisconsin certainly control their own destiny. Oklahoma most likely does, too. Georgia might. With just a little bit of help, Auburn and Ohio State will both have strong cases.

The selection show is in less than a month and we’re officially in a wild playoff to get to the Playoff. That’s how it should be.

2nd and 8: Miami Is Awesome and You Should Cut It Out with the “Catholics vs. Convicts”

The Miami-Notre Dame rivalry was branded “Catholics vs. Convicts” when the top-ranked Hurricanes visited the Irish in South Bend in 1988, and it was memorialized by an ESPN 30 for 30 with the same name.

The moniker speaks for itself: Notre Dame players were choir boys, while Miami’s mostly black team was branded a group of criminals. No, Miami didn’t run a particularly clean program in the 1980s, but “convicts” certainly wasn’t an adequate way to describe the players on the team. Moreover, in recent years Notre Dame has been guilty of some deplorable actions of its own, including academic fraud and railroading an investigation into a reported sexual assault by a football player, after which a woman committed suicide.

And yet, the reputation has stuck with the Hurricanes.

You might think this is just a cute little tradition, but given the not-so-subtle racism involved, and the fact that it seems to bug the current Miami players who are definitely not convicts, maybe you should stop using the name.

Clip of the Week

Ten years ago, Georgia players celebrated a big win over Auburn by dancing to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” on the field.

Auburn didn’t forget. Ten years later, the Tigers celebrated their blowout victory over the Bulldogs the same way.

That’s some excellent college football trolling.

Tennessee Should Hire Lane Kiffin

The Butch Jones era is mercifully over at Tennessee after the Vols lost 50-17 to Missouri and fall to 0-6 in SEC play. Tennessee remains one of the toughest jobs in college football because the fans have massive expectations, but the Vols don’t have the recruiting advantages that many of their conference brethren—Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, and even Texas A&M—enjoy.

Here’s how the Vols will deal with these built-in burdens: They’ll copy the rest of their conference’s teams and hire a Nick Saban clone who will never be as good as the original (hello, Dan Mullen).

Here’s what they should do: Hire Lane Kiffin.

Admittedly, the No. 1 reason the Vols should do this is the hilarity of it. Kiffin, you’ll remember, had perhaps the most tumultuous one-year stint in coaching history while in Knoxville, before ditching town for USC. Tennessee fans hate him, probably for good reason.

But there are two other reasons Tennessee should hire Kiffin: For one, he’s a good coach who’s off to a great start with Florida Atlantic. And two, it would piss Saban off to no end, which might play into Tennessee’s hands.

Kiffin was the offensive coordinator at Alabama until Saban got so fed up with his antics that he sent him packing the week before the 2016 national title game (which Alabama lost). The Vols haven’t beaten the Crimson Tide in over a decade, so why not add some sass to what has become a stale rivalry?

Kiffin, for one, seems on board.

Have some fun with this, Tennessee. If you hire another generic SEC football coach, nothing is going to get better.

3rd and 1

This weekend was Veteran’s Day, which meant it was time for college football programs to show their support for the military. That meant flyovers, flag helmets, and patriotic displays on the field.

These “tributes” seem harmless, but in reality, they’re a way for teams to use jingoistic marketing to build their own brands. Pledging allegiance to the military through vague patriotic symbols and playing dress up isn’t the same as helping veterans, and it’s disingenuous to suggest otherwise. Veteran and sports writer Matt Ufford, who graduated from Northwestern—a school that loves integrating patriotic imagery into its football team—said it best in his attempt to “debark the bullshit train to Jingotown":

Sporting events, particularly around Veterans Day, have a habit of condensing military service into an easily digestible slice of patriotism. The PA announcer says words like "heroic" and "sacrifice" without context or meaning while soldiers and sailors stand in camouflage or dress uniforms, a 38-second tribute that squeezes an emotional trigger for the audience while whitewashing the devastating effects of war -- its 500-pound bombs and rubbled buildings, its stolen sons and daughters, its impossible and unfair cruelty.

Punt

Football coaches tend to struggle with math and probability. Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen is no exception.

With 6:30 left in the game and the Bulldogs tied with mighty Alabama, Mississippi State faced 4th-and-3 at the Alabama 42-yard-line. Given how great the Alabama defense is, it wasn’t particularly likely that the Bulldogs would get down to that point on the field again. But instead of seizing the opportunity to keep the Crimson Tide on their heels, Mullen decided to punt.

The punt ended in a touchback, helping MSU gain all of 22 yards of field position. The Crimson Tide scored two possessions later to win the game, after the Bulldogs couldn’t move the ball past their 24-yard-line. Shockingly, the decision to punt put MSU in far worse field position overall and diminished its chances to win.

Don’t punt in plus territory with the game on the line, kids. And especially don’t do it against Alabama.

Player Who Deserves to Be Paid This Week: Baker Mayfield

Besides being the best player in college football and the Heisman Trophy favorite, I’d like to congratulate Mayfield for again beating long-time nemesis TCU, this time to keep the Sooners in College Football Playoff contention.

Mayfield and TCU coach Gary Patterson have been feuding for years. Mayfield said in 2017 that he doesn’t like the Horned Frogs because he was promised a scholarship by Patterson that never came.

Recruiting can be a frustrating and deceptive process for players, but rather than understand that, Patterson got all defensive.

He said, “If Baker Mayfield wants to blame TCU for 128 BCS schools not offering him a scholarship, that’s fine.”

It’s true, Mayfield didn’t get any major scholarship offers out of high school, but now he’s one of the most marketable, exciting, and talented players in the game. Pay the man, already—and take the money out of Patterson’s paycheck.

Obscure College Football Team of Note: Kennesaw State

Miami has gotten a lot of attention for its very cool turnover chain, but the Hurricanes have officially lost the award for best turnover prop to Kennesaw State, which has a turnover plank.

Good plank.

Something to Look Forward to

Alabama plays Mercer this week, so it’s annual Nick Saban Gets Mad About Reporters Overlooking a SoCon Team to Ask Questions About Auburn Week. Set your DVRs and Twitter searches accordingly.

Chain vs. Plank, Who Ya Got?: The Weekend in College Football published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv