#i cried Again at Tony's death scene

[queersouthasian]

Overlooked/Minor/subtle details to destroy you in case you have not been destroyed enough:

1. The last moment shared between Charlie x Babe was not the argument, it was during the race when both looked at eachother, Babe was determined and mad so there was a sharpness in his eyes but Charlie's eyes were teary exactly the way it was in ep7 when he for the first time mentioned dieing. Even though Babe didn't look for long, Charlie did, his eyes were on babe until he overtook him. So the last thing babe saw was charlie's teary concerned yearning eyes whereas for Charlie, the last thing he saw was babe's angry eyes and disappointed face.

2. Babe plants exactly 3 kisses on Charlie's face just like Charlie did when Babe was injured.

3. Someone pointed out Pooh's dried tears during the hospital scene, YEAH

4. Babe cried asked for the gloves in the exact tone he uses when he wants to convince (playfully, like when he asked him to not take pics in ep6) Charlie of something

5. Charlie has been alone his whole life, he most probably felt unimportant compared to others which would explain why he is so ready for self-sacrifice BUT the reason he fakes his death is because Babe has loved him as him, Charlie is special to babe so he is going to come back 'cause loving babe has not been done yet

6. Babe always cups Charlie's face when he kisses him whereas Charlie holds his neck, so when Babe kissed Charlie's "dead body", he again cuped his face

7. The first time we publically see Babe say "I love you" is during the cemetery scene

8. Charlie promised to take care of babe for the rest of his life, and he "died" just in order to do that, so even his death is a form of "care" for solely babe, even his death doesn't belong to him, he has surrendered it to babe

9. Babe's hand was shaking when he was removing the cloth over Charlie's face in the hospital

10. Charlie was never supposed to race instead of/along with babe, it was not even a part of Charlie's plan (even though it did infact help him modify his plan later on), Babe was the one who offered Charlie so y'all can imagine the absolute gut-wrenching regret and grief the "I should not have pushed you to your death, Charlie" line carries

11. Babe is the "I can kill for you" kind whereas Charlie is "I can die for you" kind and both do that, simultaneously, in one.single.episode

12. Remember when Babe said if he couldn't race he would be nothing, NOW he can finally race in peace without tony hunting him down but he can't race, he doesn't want to, without the love of his life racing by his side.

[manidk1273]

🎀 — Wedding.

Tony was never the best father to you, even he knew that. You were a variable he never considered.. until you were 17. Surprisingly, Nick Fury himself recruited you for the Avengers. That's where your relationship starts again.. it was rocky, difficult but at least you each other as teammates.

Your name wasn't an unknown name, just like your biological father you were a genius. Even without powers, you were skilled. The first time you fought crime (though it was an accident and just sudden.) You wore a black surgical mask, and got in the fight scene. There, Spiderman himself saw you before you ran away.

„ Who are you? ”

. . . .

„ Whatever you wanted it to be, Spider. ”

You said, masked appearance as you stepped to the edge of the building falling elegantly but not to your death. At first, people thought you had powers but it was debunked by yourself. Tony met you— He never realized you were his kid until he met your parents. The woman he hooked up with years ago, and her now husband.

It was awkward at first but he shoved it off his shoulders. Ever since then, he has tried to restore a relationship. It was awkward between you two at first but you've gone from teammates to friends. Sure, Tony was relieved but he still felt like he wasn't doing enough. Especially when your step father(Mother's husband) would come with your mother. You even called him dad, he thought it was preposterous to him. He wasn't your real dad.

After years in the battlefield.. the world was at peace, but of course it wasn't always gonna be like this so you finally decided to marry your s/o this time of year. You met them having your career as a superhero, and you were so proud of them.. you were so lucky to have them in your life. It took him a slap to the face and Pepper to realize he was actually just jealous.. he was in denial.

Of course, every Avenger was invited. Close friends too.. and especially family. It was a small wedding, no big things.. but the venue was perfect for the two of you. Everyone attended with a plus 1, as the invitation suggested. As the ceremony began.. the usual traditional stuff happened. But one thing made Tony's heart drop.

Your step father was the one who was walking you down the aisle to your groom. It was awakening something in him.. of course, he's proud and happy for you. But when he saw that scene.. that moment, he felt like ripping your father's soul apart from his body. But he quickly shook away the thought. As the beautiful ceremony ended, he didn't stay for the feast. Pepper noticed when he wasn't near the tables and went to the parking lot to see him near the car, sitting by himself.

She knew Tony too much, she already knew what was happening. She sat beside him and took his hand to her palm.

“ Feel like shit, Pepper.. ”

“ I know. ”

It took a few more exchange of words before he just cried to her chest, she didn't expect the conversation to go like that but she was glad he wasn't bottling up his emotions.

He feels like shit, he really does. He knows he doesn't have the right to walk you down the aisle— but it hurts so much. He does see you as a kid, he really did. But he can't just.. reverse years of absence just by a year. He can't blame you.. you're just living your life.

He never wanted to become like his father. He wanted to show he cared, but.. sometimes you just.. become what you don't want to become.

I've been getting ideas I just needed to write. Again, I'm just getting back to the writing industry and I'm still very rusty.. but I hope you like my attempt at angst:)

As usual, Thank you so much for reaching the end and I hope you have a great day.

- Velvette 🎀

[heartilywrites]

♡ — Leaving tonight ; H. Callahan

cw: angst, but like, a bunch of that ; avengers: endgame strong references ; avengers: infinity war final battle reference just at the beginning ; spider!hazel; black widow!reader ; mention of death

word count: 2.8k

a/n: love me some angst, this is my post ~celebrating~ endgame happening canonically now, i just happen to remember we made spider!hazel a thing and i needed to write her in the mcu timeline. . . i made peter exist at the same time as haze because,,, why not? i think they would be best friends idk. anyways, hope you enjoy!

“ 𝓐ll alone, all we know, is haunting me. . . Making it harder to breathe. ”

⠀⠀Ever had that feeling that something is about to end very very bad? Great! That was the exact feeling everyone at the battlefield had, even the most optimistic person could be doubting about the conclusion of that fight. Yeah, you were winning against the army, but that gut wrenching feeling that it may all be in vain was there, haunting you.

You fought with everything in your system, but there wasn't really much to do as a Widow besides helping to stop the alien army and hope for the more powerful avengers to stop everything from the source: Thanos. . . And then you saw wakandians disappear in dust, your heart dropped to the ground when you realized what that meant and your feet were quick to run looking for Natasha.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Please, please, please.” you begged while your eyes began to accumulate tears.

You heard your name being shouted and were fast to recognize Natasha's silhouette running to you too. An almost crushing hug was what you received, after making sure neither of you were about to disappear you look to the scene next to you. 'Oh god' the captain's voice whispered in disbelief. You lost.

And that was just the beginning, once you arrived back from Wakanda you were fast to look for your friends only to find that Brittany was the only from your group still around, both of you cried as soon as you saw each other and hugged.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Where's Hazel?” her voice asked, “I know she ran out the campus with you, didn't she?” your eyes widened.

Hazel. She and this other spider–dude went to fucking space as a stowaways when you clearly heard on the earpiece Tony's voice telling them to stay on New York, obviously neither of them listened even after your own scold while helping on the ground as much as you could.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I'll be back, darling, I promise!” her voice in a robotic sound told you before losing signal with her.

You didn't know if she was alive anymore, but after the first couple weeks, you were beginning to accept the idea that she did dust away along with the other kid, Tony and the wizard dude. And you started to grief.

At least you were until one night in the compound an earthquake caught everyone's attention on a possible attack, curious your feet took you out of the building and in your visual field a spaceship appeared with a glowing woman directing it to the ground.

You were far behind from everyone, squinting your eyes to see a bit better your jaw almost fell to the floor to the sight of Tony coming down the stairs with a blue woman and. . . Wait.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Hazel!” an exclamation came from you now running to help the girl, once again crying, but those were tears of relief. She hugged you tight as much as she could. “I thought I lost you.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I thought I lost you.” she repeated back on a sob, once you pushed away you saw how bad she looked. “Oh my god, Steve shaved?”

At that question, you turned your face to the captain who was talking with Tony and frowned. “I guess. . .” once again, your eyes were back at her and a sniff was heard from both of you. “Fucking idiot, I'm confiscating your web–shooters everytime we see a spaceship.”

After laughing at your comment, she gave you a weak kiss, leaning on you after a bit and you guided her steps to the building.

They did a little meeting to get the ones on space to date, your teeth were biting your bottom lip trying not to cry at the pictures of those you called your friends that weren't around anymore.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “We lost Peter.” Hazel whispered while watching the argument the two grown men had. She, just as Tony, were connected to an IV and you were on her other side holding her hand. “We lost everyone, we–.”

You calmly shushed her, your thumb was leaving caresses on her hand. “We did what we could.” you smiled weakly. “And we're going to do everything to get them back.”

And you were one to keep a promise.

The next thing the group did was trying to find Thanos, but you didn't had the right mind to go with them. You wanted to stay with Hazel and take care of her, so that's what you did; stay. You hugged Natasha while wishing them good luck, telling them to 'get that bitch's ass' as she laughed and assure you they were going to bring everyone back. . .

But then, 5 years went by.

As soon as they got back, everyone took their own way. Defeated, neither of you needed to ask what had happened, because their faces said it all.

Once Hazel got better, both of you decided to move on, try to have a normal life. Kept studying at collage with Brittany, the three of you grew closer together. Deep down you knew things really won't be back as they were, missing Josie, Isabel and PJ became something constant like breathing; the first two years you usually went to the compound to train with Nat, but after that you started to drift away from the avengers to continue with your life, she didn't stopped you at that.

Sure, you did missions once in a while, but it wasn't as much as you did before the events. Your relationship with Hazel got serious and one night, she proposed to you. Obviously you said yes, you wanted to be with her for the rest of your life if it was possible, she had been your rock all those years in work, such as you were hers and it finally felt as the universe was trying to let you two rest at least a little bit.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “We need you two, kid.” Rogers' voice was heard after his speech and a bit of silence, you were serving the dinner, passing a plate to him and one to your now fiancé, both of them smiled. “We need as many hands as possible.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I. . . I don't know, Mr. America.” Hazel was the first one to speak, you took your seat across from her.‍ “Our graduation is near, we're planning a wedding as well.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's our second chance, girls.” he said, his eyes moved from Hazel to you.‍ “Congrats on the wedding, by the way, but this is our only chance to get everyone back.”

Your eyes darted back to Hazel as she did the same.

Maybe you'll get your friends back, maybe they'll be here for the celebration. What else could you lose? It was something easy, he said, risky, but easy enough. Travel in time to the stones, take them to use them, bring everyone back and take them back as if they never left their timelines. Piece of cake, right?

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are you sure you want to do this?” Hazel asked you while saving both your and her suit in a bag.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are you?” You shot back, raising a brow her way. You sighed and walk to her side of the bed.‍ ‍ “Haze, we can get them back. Have Josie, Isabel and PJ on our day, don't you want that?” Her eyes looked down to the bag.‍ “Didn't you say you wanted to have them as best women?”

She laughed and nodded slowly.‍ “Fine, but we're only helping with the stones, yeah? Once that's done we come back home, we still need to choose between daisies or jasmines.”

You nodded with a funny smile and gave her a tiny kiss.

Once in the compound it was explain how everything would go down, where the stones have been seen and who had them at that time. It took no more than two days to get the information in order and everyone did teams; yours was the one going to Vormir and Morag, the soul and power stones.

A pretty good speech, a couple of words exchanged and a promise to come back was said by everyone before everyone started to travel.

Arriving to Morag was quite the experience, you've never been to space so looking around was almost inevitable.

A scream was heard from Hazel before kicking. . . Something similar to a rat, you laughed while taking away the white suit, underneath that it was your well–known black suit, your fiancé had her classic one without the mask.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Are we ready?” You said looking at your teammates, they nodded.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Good to go, kiddo.” Now it was your turn to nod. A small hug was received by the older man for the both of you. “Get the stone and comeback, no messing around, okay?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Yes, dad.” Hazel said jokingly, after a bit she took your hand and started to walk towards the ship.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Take care of each other!” he exclaimed, you gave him a military salute followed by an 'aye aye, captain', the doors closed.

You both looked around the ship while walking to the pilot and co–pilot seat, once buckled up, the ship itself began the trip.

Your hand was holding tight to the seat, both laughing at the speed and colors, truly an experience worth living.

When arriving to Vormir, both of you looked shocked at such landscape. Nothing like we had on earth, you thought.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Let's go, m'lady.” Hazel called for you, offering her hand, you took it with a smile. “Let's get this stone and go back home.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Easy work, we should've choose New York for a bit of a complicated level.” you said while walking.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “And miss the opportunity to come to space? Nuh–uh, maybe we should've changed planets with them.” she responded back. “This planet is way too dark, feels sad.”

A laugh fell from you mouth. Now infront of the big mountain in there, Hazel got the both of you up with webs, knowing it would take more time if you climbed the mountain.

Once at the top, you took your gun out for precaution and both sets of eyes inspected every corner they saw.

You heard a voice say your name and your father's name, at least you figured that was him since after the same voice pronounced Hazel and her father's name as a welcome later on, such jumpscare made you both be on guard ready to attack. Then you saw a. . . A man? with red face, floating. “Consider me a guide to you and all of those who seek the soul stone.”

You exchanged looks with Hazel before putting down the weapon, your fiancé never let down her guard. “Yeah? How do we get it then?” she asked, still a bit scared.

The entity floated in the middle of the two, you followed him to almost the edge. “What you seek lies in front of you,” he said while both heroes walked to see down. “In order to take the stone you must lose that what you love, an everlasting exchange.” you could feel how your heart dropped, turning back to see Hazel. “A soul for a soul.”

You walked a bit back to think about what was just said, sitting down on a rock in silence. “There has to be another way,” Hazel said after a couple of minutes in silence. “Or maybe he was joking.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I don't really think so,” you responded blinking a couple of times. “Think about it, Haze; Thanos came here with his daughter Gamora, got the stone and left without her, that has to mean something.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Maybe he lost her somewhere else, how do we know he isn't making shit up and the stone is somewhere else?” Hazel stood up from the rock, clearly stressed at the situation.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “He knows my father's name. . . I don’t even know it, I don’t think he'll be guessing if I knew him or not.” now you stood up and took her hands. “If we don't get that stone, billions of people will stay dead. . .”

She nodded sighing. “Whatever it takes, right?”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Whatever it takes.” you responded with low voice. Cutting distance with her, your lips met in a sweet kiss; one filled with sadness too knowing what was about to come, regret at the thought of accepting the mission, but calm at the thought of saving people. Once you pulled away, a smile showed on your face. “I love you, Hazel, remember that, yeah?”

The girl blinked confused at your words. “Did we just thought of different endings?” she shook her head, taking your arms. “Honey, you have the wrong idea.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Hazel, please, let me do this.” you almost cried, taking a step back. “I promised you that, didn't I? We're going to do everything to get them back and this is how. After everything I've done. . . This is my way to redeem all the pain I caused.”

She didn't answer, in your distraction she pinned you to the floor while shaking her head. “No, you'll tell the girls I love them.”

You were quick to change positions and stand up while pointing at her with your electric gun. “Tell them yourself, Haze.” your voice defended before shooting her, seeing how the shock did its work at keeping her down you started to make your way to the edge.

Hazel was fast enough to remove the shot from her and sit up, when trying to use her right web–shooter she realized you had covered it, but not the left one so she changed hands and shot you on the ankles making you fall. With a curse coming out of your mouth, your hands were fast to get the small knife from your belt and cut the webs as Hazel was about to reach the edge.

You ran as fast as you could just as she jumped, hugging her and shooting a gadget which you attached to her was in matter of seconds. The mutant was fast to take your wrist.

The gadget was short, and it was right on her hip so she couldn't reach you with her other hand if she wanted to.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “Don't do this, please, don't do it.” she pleaded, your hand was open so if she tried to shoot another web at you with the left shooter, she'll drop you.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “It's okay.” you smiled at her, with quick hand you took away her left shooter. “Let me go, it's okay, I promise.”

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I can't, I need you, please, don't do this.” Even with her sight blurry from the tears, Hazel was able to see how calm you were.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “I love you.” your voice breathed out one last time.

Taking impulse from the rock, your feet pushed you as Hazel's grip slipped and let your wrist go.

A bloody gut wrenching scream came out of her mouth, feeling how throat hurt from said action, a lightning took her away while she called your name.

Next thing she knew, she was on a pond lying down. Sitting down, on her left hand she could feel the stone, Hazel opened her hand and tears began to stream down her cheeks at the look of the yellow infinity stone. What was she going to say know? How can she show her face back home without you by her side?

It took a couple of minutes for her to find any strength to stand up and get back to her time, but as soon as she arrived to the circle, she felt again on her knees. Completely numb, hearing the other voices muffled celebrating and asking her about you once her knees made noise.

Natasha's voice brought her back, Callahan looked up to her, tears falling from her eyes silently, she couldn't bring herself to tell her how her apprentice sacrificed herself for the stone.

So you could only imagine how she felt once the whole team won over Thanos again and brought her friends back, only for them to ask for you after hugging her and thanking for bringing them back.

Your funeral was alongside Tony's, but Hazel didn't cried, she just stood silent watching at her own ring on her hand, sitting on the stairs of the cabin.

Brittany was the one who sat next to her when she realized she wasn't inside with everyone else, they both were in complete silence.

‍ ‍ ‍ ‍‍ “You know. . .” she finally talked after hours of silence, hoarsely. “I just. . . I hope she knows that we did it. That we won.”

Brittany looked at her, compassionate at the way she was feeling. “She knows.” she said, passing one arm on her shoulders, Hazel leaned her head on her friend letting a couple of tears leave her eyes. “I'm sure she does.”

[olliandre]

Charlie originally wasn’t selfish (novel comparision)

Actually, I don’t really blame people for not liking Charlie, because I also am upset with what drama did to his character. There are many reasons to dislike him, starting from the fact he lied to Babe and schemed behind his back, ending at what made it worse - that he promised to never hurt Babe ever again, but repeated it and never apologized.

However, in the novel he approached Babe purely for the fact that he heard Tony’s gonna hurt a person named Babe and make him pregnant with their house’s Enigma's child. He especially searched for Babe to save him from this fate, terrified by his adoptive parent cruelty. Only after watching his races did he get interested in it and started admiring Babe. Yes, he planned to take his power. No, he didn’t plan to use him to fight against Tony. His sole purpose was to shift Tony’s attention from Babe to himself, which also meant making himself the new target. He didn’t gain anything from it, it only made his life more difficult. And he chose to do that, because he really fell for Babe.

When Charlie faked his death, unlike from what was in the drama, he was dying from guilt. He couldn’t forgive himself for doing this to Babe, for hurting him like that despite promising not to lie again. He hated himself to the point of not feeling worthy to come back to Babe’s side after everything ended. It was a really big deal for him and I have no idea why it was cut out from the series.

There was this one scene in the novel, in which Charlie called Babe in the middle of the night just to hear his voice. Encountering the silence, Babe started asking desperately if it was him, but Charlie didn’t respond, he just cried silently. And afterwards, when Babe saw Charlie during Tony’s auction and realized he’s still alive, he wasn’t mad at all, actually, he was happy beyond recogniction and he kept repeating how he knew he didn’t actually die. He didn’t care about his reasons, didn’t demand an apology, he was just so glad to have him back. Every of this made Charlie realize just how much his actions broke Babe and because of that he felt even worse with himself. He wasn’t as shameless as in the drama, coming back like nothing happened, without any consequences.

In their relationship, it was always Charlie making every decision. And so, at the end he decided to give Babe something nor he, nor Way never did - freedom. He told him everything and let Babe choose what to do next. After hurting him so much, Charlie didn’t feel like he deserved to be with him anymore. But Babe asked him not to be selfless for a moment and confess what was in his heart, whether he himself wanted to stay. When he replied he really did want to stay, Babe said that he should, then. Just like this.

And Charlie realized that with him or without him, Babe was already miserable. By leaving, he would make him even more unhappy. Despite his massive guilt, he stayed. He stayed, because he truly loved Babe. No matter how hard it was for him emotionally, he did what Way couldn’t - he chose the difficult thing, to atone for his mistakes for the rest of his life. He chose to make Babe the happiest he could.

Unlike from the drama, it took time for them to come back to normal. Babe was suffering from depression and PTSD, had to took medications and had trouble sleeping. Whenever Charlie disappeared, even for a moment, he would start panicking, but after finding Charlie in another room, he would still tell him to stop feeling guilty after seeing him getting scared like this. Both of them fought for the relationship at the time - Babe by learning to trust again, Charlie by supporting him nonstop.

I think there’s a big difference between Charlie in the drama and in the novel. Because in the drama, he crushed Babe mentally, causing him a massive trauma, and came back like nothing happened. On the contrary, novel’s Charlie stayed, because that’s what Babe needed him to do, instead of running away from the responsibility like he intended.

[oluka]

Thoughts on Invincible Iron Man #8 and #9

When I read Invincible Iron Man #8, I couldn’t believe my eyes. A reference to Iron Man #182, in my Iron Man comics? More likely than I thought. The fact that the reference was tasteful and also showcased Duggan’s understanding of Tony’s character was the icing on the cake. To sum up the scene: Tony just got hurt very badly by two Stark Sentinels and is half conscious. He reaches out and asks Emma for help. She gets into his mindscape, which we discover is a snowy alley full with empty bottles and sad tags on the walls.

“No way out, safe, hope”. This is the melodrama I want to see in my Iron Man comics. I also loved that Emma didn’t dismiss Tony’s trauma: “It’s real, but it’s not what’s happening right now.” She helps him get out of this flashback/mindspace, and the fight goes on.

There’s this beautiful panel where Tony surrenders his suit to save Emma:

Look at it!! Look at the colours! Look at the lines! The motion!

Anyways. Tony manages to get Emma away from the fight, taunts Feilong to kill him. Then in issue #9, he refuses Steve’s help when he arrives (because he needs to be alone and he wants to protect his friends) and then he meets up with Emma in the sewers, runs back to his workshop to make her a ring to conceal her from Orchis, and comes back to her. He also bandages his own injuries.

He gets down to the sewers again, and gets into an argument with Emma about his and her actions (or lack thereof) against Orchis/Feilong. And then…

Tony has a panic attack. Which I think is the first time, ever, we see this happening explicitly in an Iron Man comic (I’m happy to be proved wrong). He has a panic attack because everything is going to hell and Rhodey is getting hurt in prison and Feilong is trying to kill Rhodey and Tony. Tony is hurting, physically and mentally, and Duggan does not shy away from showing that. I think that Frigeri made an excellent job in drawing Tony so angry and literally foaming at the mouth: he’s not doing well, his emotions are all over the place. He cries (!!) and asks for help, again. I’m really surprised that Tony asks for help twice in as many issues. Is it because he trusts Emma to calm his mind? Is it easier for him to ask her instead of his friends because it’s less personal? Or is he so desperate that there is no other way? I don’t know. Regardless, it’s interesting.

This time, Emma brings him to his happy place:

His happy place, his “idealistic self-image”, is him surrounded by the Iron Man armours. Emma’s comment about there being less unsavoury people and “tramps” than she’d expected pleased my vindicative heart. But more importantly: last issue, we got to see Tony’s worst mindscape, where he falls into when everything is going to hell and he’s dying. And it was him, alone, in the snow, surrounded by his biggest weakness and fear: alcoholism. In this issue, we see his happy place, which is essentially: Iron Man. What Tony loves most about himself is Iron Man, what he hates most is his alcoholism. AAAAAAAA. This is such quintessential Tony. It’s him. I think I haven’t seen such a good characterization in Iron Man comics in a decade. I still barely believe it.

The following panels set up Tony and Emma’s alliance for the upcoming comics. Judging from the solicits for IIM 12 and 13, they’re going to be a team for at least until those issues, and maybe further.

Emma’s ruthlessness and Tony’s genius can make for a deadly combo. They’re not playing around. I hope we will see them shine together. I can’t wait for them to give Feilong and Orchis what they deserve. Also, note the way they phrase their alliance: “To their deaths.” Add to that the way they are framed, both dressed sharply and facing each other like that, and my mind immediately made the connection to wedding vows: “Until death do us part”. Am I reading too much into it, or was this intentional from Duggan and Frigeri? Maybe future wil tell.

To end this long post, here are unrelated thoughts:

1. I love the current trend of Avengers actively helping Mutants fight against Orchis. We have Tony, of course, but also Steve who reformed the Uncanny Avengers to fight against Orchis; Thor just saved a mutant in Immortal Thor #1, we’ve had mentions of Vision, Reed and T’Challa helping on the information side… It’s great. Between AXE Judgment Day and Fall of X, it seems that Marvel writers/editorial have decided to stop pitting the X-men and Avengers against each other. Let’s hope it stays that way. Avengers help everyone, and it’s nice to finally see it even in x-men books. Also, it gives us awesome panels:

2. Tony is his own nemesis confirmed. Thank you, Duggan.

And that’s it! If you’ve read this far, consider telling me in comments or tags what you thought. I might start doing posts like this for every Iron Man comic week.

[hazelnut-u-out]

EPISODE REVIEW TIMEEEE:

(contains spoilers for “analyze piss”)

sooo…. goddamn….

that was dark, and lighthearted, and inspiring all at once.

i was stoked to see rick seeking out therapy, adapting to it, and being open to growth and change.

i think because of the serious nature of this episode, i’m going to divide my specific initial thoughts into two categories- “light” and “heavy.”

i have to give this ep a 9/10 on first-watch. it feels like a crime to not appreciate this for what it is.

light thoughts:

-NIMBUS CAMEO NIMBUS CAMEO. i didn’t realize how much i love and miss this character until we got to see him again. i am so interested in his dynamic with rick and how much potential he has to be explored.

-YEEEUPPPP. this moment still holds up-

- lmao for once i found myself rooting for jerry in a fight. i’m astounded at how much that showed for his character development, too. he was defending his daughter. his actions later on in the ep are questionable, but no more petty than what we’ve seen from rick.

- it was also cute to see morty and summer be proud of their parents for once. super nice contrast from previous moments that showed they are usually not too thrilled with being associated with them (like in “childrick of mort,” etc.)

- i loved how everyone was celebrating rick for accepting therapy. jerry having his back was really sweet- and beth kissing him on the cheek. it’s nice to see this family unit show some support for each other.

- LMAO RICK IGNORING MR. GREEN BEAN WITH HIS SUNGLASSES ON

- it was so sweet to see rick genuinely happy for his family. just :) while they were climbing on board. (idk if that was him being facetious towards himself, considering he was pulling from his flask, but i thought it was cute)

-shoutout to wong for tricking rick sanchez into doing therapy homework. woman works wonders.

okay… time for the heavy stuff:

- they handled the topic of suicide beautifully and respectfully, which i assume would be a difficult move for a “comedy” to make.

i cried a lot during this episode. a lot.

- wow. just… wow. that was a lot to take in. i found it interesting that rick sought out piss master because he related to him. he knew he was probably complex and misunderstood.

it’s reminiscent of “the old man and the seat” to me, but it seems like rick found it easier to accept another “piece of shit” as his friend than he did tony, who was generally a decent person.

the fact that piss master had a daughter also reminded me of rick’s relationship with tony. rick related to tony because of his dead wife, which drove his decision to forfeit his toilet. rick related to piss master because of his relationship with his daughter, which drove him to make his death something she could be proud of (and wouldn’t blame herself for).

- building off of my last thought, it seems like every time rick decides to open up and accept friendship, they end up dying (with an exception of BP, squanchy, etc.). he’s growing, but he’s still not allowed to let new people in yet.

- that scene of him trying to save piss master was gut wrenching. just… all of it. he really didn’t want him to die. he really cared. he’s really a person- wholly and fully. piss master wasn’t just some guy to rick in that moment.

- that scene where he has a conversation with piss master’s daughter (literally SPEAKING AS piss master) hit me hard.

i really think, in his mind, he was talking to beth there.

piss master is someone rick can relate to, not only for his daughter, but the fact that he wanted to take his own life. the show isn’t shy about the fact that rick has attempted suicide before.

here’s the scenes this scene reminded me of:

rick has literally tried to kill himself in his daughter’s house. i wonder if that made him think of how that would have made beth feel- to have found him there. if she would have blamed herself…

he wouldn’t ever want his little girl to think that.

piss master is a lot like him: a piece of shit whose daughter loves the fuck out of him for some reason.

i also don’t think it’s a coincidence that piss master’s daughter looks a lot like beth. that look through the peephole at her? damn… how do you think that felt?

(can’t find a screen grab of her yet, but when i do i’ll update this.)

we know he’s a sap for men with dead wives/daughters. this one hit home.

-in the end, morty is his best friend. he couldn’t bear to hurt alone.

i don’t think that he confided in morty to be a dick, or to regress at all. i think he was trying to healthily share his feelings, but that wasn’t fair to morty. he could’ve called wong, or told her earlier. that’s what therapists are for.

- it shows a lot that morty retaliated immediately.

“i can’t sit with that!”

“and you expect me to?!”

great moment that shows his growth.

(i really don’t feel like i’m giving this episode justice, so i’m going to rewatch soon and make a full analysis).

[cricket-reader]

Something in Common

Masterlist | A03 | Wattpad | Recommendations | Inbox | Taglist

Summary: you get captured and held in captivity. Bucky finds you and has an argument with your dad, Tony. Later, Bucky confesses his feelings for you

Warnings: language, kidnapping, torture, injections, near-death experience, amputation, fluff, Tony (yes, he’s a warning), Tony and Bucky’s strained relationship

Word Count: 1622

Prompt: "Breathe, damn you!” I Shock | Amputation | Infection

A/N: Day 8 of June of Doom by @juneofdoom

You can’t remember when you got here. You don’t even know what day it is. All you know is that for the past however many days, weeks maybe, they have been coming into your room and injecting you with stuff you knew shouldn’t be in your body.

First it was bright green which only managed to get you a rash. Then it was blood red which again only gave you a rash, that time worse than the last. Then it was neon yellow which did absolutely nothing except make you really tired. After that it was kind of a blur. You’re suspecting they’re going to try the whole damn rainbow.

You know why they took you too. You are the daughter of some very influential and important people. Hell, your dad is Iron Man. Who wouldn’t want to kidnap you? But usually people kidnap rich people’s kids when they’re young, not when they’re your age, and when they do kidnap a rich person’s kid, they usually ask for ransom. You don’t think that has happened yet.

You can barely lift your head when the metal door creaks open. The same man walks in, you only know him as “the doctor”, but you have a fair amount of nicknames for him in your arsenal; none of them are that nice, though.

You’re so weak from all the injections that you’re surprised he’s still going. He’s probably trying to create a supervillain out of you as some ploy of revenge against your father. In his years on earth, Tony Stark has gained a lot of enemies. You wish you had been taken by some of his enemies that are actually good people like Hank or something.

At this point you can barely feel your arm, so when he inserts the needle, you can barely feel it. You don’t feel the liquid entering your veins anymore either. Really, it’s almost a blessing at this point.

When he finishes injecting you with the bright blue liquid, each of your muscles tenses up. Heart beating faster, you wonder if this is the one that finally kills you.

Tears form in your eyes as you begin to feel the first bout of pain you’ve felt in days or even weeks.

The feeling is so intense, you don’t even notice the door open again. You don’t notice the blood from the doctor getting shot In the head.

In your state of shock, you barely register your restraints being released and your body being carried out.

Tony clambers up behind Barnes, who has been the one to find you. Your left arm is marked with ugly purple and black bruises.

Bucky sets you down on a stretcher in the Quinjet and backs up so the doctor and nurse they brought along can do their job.

Bucky has tears in his eyes, and he can’t honestly remember the last time he’d cried.

Tony, on the other hand, was by your side in an instant. His hand holds yours and he mutters under his breath. He needs everything to be okay. He needs his baby to be okay.

“She’s not breathing! Stark back up!” one of the medical professionals yells. Tony freezes on the spot. His heart shatters hearing his baby isn’t breathing.

Bucky ends up having to drag him away from the scene as he starts yelling, “Breathe, damn you! Don’t do this to me! Please!”

Only once Tony is away from the situation, does Bucky let him go. Misplacing his anger, Tony shoves Barnes. “What the hell?”

“I should be asking you the same thing, Stark! You need to let the medical professionals do their fucking job!”

“You don’t understand, Barnes. Is that your child in there? Has your child been missing for the better half of a year? Has your child stopped breathing? Oh wait, you don’t fucking have a child.”

“I may not, but that does not mean I do not care for her.”

Stark scoffs and turns away, running his hands through his hair. “You don’t know what this has done to me… she is my child and you could never understand the pain of knowing she is out there and you’re helpless to do anything even though you’re a fucking superhero.

“Tell me what is the point of being a superhero if the ones you love aren’t safe? Huh? You wouldn’t know anything about that, though, would you?”

“Don’t tell me what I do and do not know,” Bucky mutters, “the person I love with all of my heart has been missing for the better half of a year and I had to spend that time going around as if nothing ever happened, okay?

“You got to be an asshole because your kid had been taken, but I had to carry on as if the love of my life hadn’t been ripped away from me before I even got to fucking tell them.”

“So don’t you dare tell me that I don’t fucking know what it’s like to be a superhero whilst the ones I love aren’t safe because I fucking love them and they weren’t safe and I was useless in finding them.”

Both men stare at each other, not uttering a single word after Bucky’s breakdown. They don’t exchange any more words thereafter.

When you wake up both of your parents are sitting next to you along with one of your best friends. That alone is practically a miracle given that your dad and your best friend are never in the same room.

Your dad calls out your name as soon as he sees you’re awake. Pepper, your step-mother that you consider your real mom, goes to get someone. Your best friend Bucky stays put in his seat, his hands twitching, aching to be near you.

“Hey, sweetheart, you’re okay. You’re safe now.” He’s crying. You know it’s serious when your dad is crying. How long had you been captured for?

You try to reach out for your dad but you still can’t feel your arm. Brows furrowed, you look down at the site of your injections to see it missing. Eyes blown wide, your heart starts beating faster. Tears form in your eyes as you panic. Where is your arm? What’s going on?

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay, just breathe for me, okay? Everything is going to be okay.”

“Dad, what… where… what happened,” you choke out.

“Your arm was really badly infected. The only thing they could do was amputate it. I’m so sorry, honey.”

“No, no, no, why?” you cried out. This isn’t fair.

Tony wrapped his arms around you,

and you cried into his shoulder. The doctor comes into your room not long after, and checks up on you. She makes sure everything is alright before leaving you.

“Stark?” Your heart beats out of your chest, having forgotten that Bucky has been in the room this whole time.

“Is it okay if I have a little time…”

Your father huffs, frowning deeply. “Fine, but just know I’m not happy about it.”

“I know,” Bucky dejectedly sighs. When your father is out of the room Bucky picks up the conversation. “So… I’d ask you how you’re doing, but I’m pretty sure you’ll punch me for it.”

You both chuckle. Bucky has never been one to be real sappy, and you like that. Especially now that everyone is going to be asking you that god forsaken question nonstop.

“I missed you…”

You smile. “I missed you too, Buckaroo.”

He shakes his head, “I even missed that stupid nickname.” You gasp, feigning shock.

“Don’t tell the others,” he warns, a small smile still on his handsome face.

“Your secret is safe with me.” You wink at him. You notice him shift uncomfortably as he frowns. “What’s wrong?”

Bucky opens his mouth to confess everything. To tell you how much he loves you. How much he cherishes every moment spent with you. He longs to tell you that you’re the only one he thinks about before going to bed and when he wakes up. He yearns to tell you how he needs you like he needs the very air he breathes.

Bucky’s past self would be kicking him if he could see him now.

He gets a text on his phone and ignores it. He has to tell you. Another ding from his phone and he wants to chuck it across the room. This moment is supposed to be perfect. Yet here he is standing like a bumbling fool with his phone going off like crazy. “Sorry,” he mumbles, taking out his damn phone.

Shock registers on his features when he reads “Stop staring at her like a gaping fish and just ask her already.” Bucky looks around the room with narrowed eyes.

“Buck?”

His heart stops hearing your small voice. How the hell is he supposed to ask you out when your father is watching his every move? Bucky take a deep breath and wipes a sweaty palm on his jeans.

“Iwaswonderingifyoumaybewantedtogooutwithmesometime!”

You blankly stare at him. In all the years that you’ve known Bucky, he has never acted like this before. What is going on with him?

“What was that?” You giggle a bit. He looks like he is going to be sick or something.

“I was… well I was just wondering if uh… if you maybe wanted…to go out with me sometime?”

“Is that why you’ve been so nervous?” You smile. He’s so adorable. “Of course I would, Buck!”

He breathes out in relief, shoulders realising their tension as if the weight of a thousand boulders have been released.

“And we already have something in common!”

Bucky furrows his brows. You smile at him and wiggle your stub of an arm.

Taglist: @harleycao

[hermanunworthy]

!DNDADS S2 EP44 SPOILERS!

aTONYment??? what does pepperoni tony have to so w this. oh my god are they gonna visit him in heaven or something. wtf is happening. guess i gotta listen and find out (im scared)

- BETH PLAYING AS NPC BETH MAY

- "ron... what ARE we?" WTF IS HAPPENINGGG

- ROGUE TAYLOR??????

- MORE GOOFY FREDDIE NUMBERS IM EXCITED

- NO NO DONT SAY THE LINCOLN FACT AS LINCOLN THATS GONNA MAKE ME SAD

- WILL IS SO SILLY i love that man

- i like the energy at the start of this one its fun

- wait is anthony doing a regular dad fact

- ANTHONY. 😭

- FREDDIE DEATH SOUND MY BELOVED

- DID LINCOLN JUST CALL HIS GRANDPA ZADDY. NEVER AGAIN

- "i had more fun in the other place" GREASE CAR FLASHBACKS.

- OMG EARLY HERMIE APPEARANCE (i choked on my food)

- "no! we cant! my scene partner!" they are so besties (worsties)

- "MY FUTURE LIFE PARTNER" HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK HOLY FUCK OAKWORTHY CRUMBS. OH M GOD . FUTURE LIFE PARTNER.

- MEATBALL SCARY

- TERRY JR SOON. GUYS

- oh wow beth hasnt cast unseen servant since. goth

- ANTHONYS BABY VOICE

- so lincoln is looking for the eleanor shellstrop okay (this whole heaven/hell stuff has just constantly been reminding me of tgp)

- "he looks up at them asianly" has the same energy as the "cries in spanish" meme

- FREDDIES LITTLE SONG HAS ME SCREAMINGGGG

- ARE TJEY ACTUALLY GONNA FIND TONY. OH MY GOD

- WOW ALL U GUYS THAT WERE JUST TELLING ME HOW U MISS PEPPERONI TONY. HOW ARE YALL FEELING

- SCARY HAS A CHANCE TO APOLOGIZE.

- 4:30 MILE IS ACTUALLY INSANE. MATT.

- HOW DID WILL FORGET THAT SOCCER IS LINKS WHOLE THING

- GOD LINK CALLING NORMAL OUTTT

- HERMIE. FUCK OFFFFF

- SPARROW OFFERING NORMAL A HUG????

- FUUUUUCK. NORMAL

- help i would like to interrupt for just a sec to say that in the middle of the episode just now i got hired at spirit halloween. dndads reference GAKDJD

- TONY WAS WAITING FOR MARGARITA WAAAAA

- SCARY SOUNDS SO NERVOUS NOBODY HMU

- IM GONNA CRY. I CANT DO THIS

- PLZZZZ LET THEM SEE MARGARITA AGAIN PLZZZ

- SCARY WHY WOULD U ASK IF IT HURT :[[

- WHAT IS THE VIBE OF THIS SCENE. HELP

- NOOOO I NEED SCARY AND MARGARITA TO INTERACT AGAIN. THEY ARE GFS

- SCARY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT....

- THEY ARE BEING SO AWFUL TO NORMAL. QUIT IT

- SCARYS TALKING ABOUT TERRY. END ME

- "he never knew me when i was someone to be proud of" OOOUGHGHHH

- IF THAT FUCKING SWORD GOT INTO HERMIES HANDS. THEY WOULD BE UNSTOPPABLE

- NORMAL. BURIES MY HEAD IN THE FUCKING DIRT

- ooo normal dragging the sword would make cool fanart

- i honestly love salty normal but it also makes me really sad

- SCARY DIDNT INCLUDE HERMIE AMONG HER SPOUSES????

- TY WILL FOR REMEMBERING NICKY

- TAYLOR DEFENDING HIS DAD AWWW

- WTF IS THIS FIGHT???? HELLO??

- IS NORMAL FINALLY SNAPPING. IS THIS HAPPENING

- "I AM JEALOUS I DONT HAVE ANY COOL DYNAMICS W ANYBODY!!!" FUUUUUUCKK

- i cant do this i feel sick im SICK

- "why are they arguing i thought they liked each other" WHAT IF I BURST INTO TEARS RN.

- THE NORMAL ANGST IN THIS EPISODE IS TOOOO MUCH FOR ME

- NORMAL PUT THE MASCOT COSTUME BACK ON. FUCK. FUCK

- "ME AND MY THREE BEST FRIENDS AND MY FUTURE BOYFRIEND" GUYS. GUYS I CANNOT DO THIS

- THESE KIDS ARE SOOOO TRAUMATIZED WHAT THE HELLLL

- OH RON WAS IN SCARYS POCKET

- TERRY IS IN THE "PLANES OF MISERY"????

- "maybe he saw what u could be" BETH.....

- LINKS TRYING TO TALK TO NORMAL AGAIN PLZ END MY SUFFERING

- TERRY AND GLENN ARE FUCKING FIGHTING EACH OTHER????? WHATTTT

- OH NEXT EPISODE IS GONNA BE WIIIIIILD DUUUDE

[depressedstressedlemonzest]

THEY'RE GETTING MARRIED 🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷

Rumplestiltskin... this thing we have, it's--it's never been easy. I've... I've lost you so many times. I've lost you to darkness, to weakness, and finally, to death. But now I realize... I realize that I have not spent my life losing you. I've spent my life finding you.

Belle. when we met, I wasn't just unloved and unloving. I was an enemy of love. Love only brought me pain. My walls were up. But you brought them down. You brought me home. You brought life into my life and chased away all the darkness. And I vow to you I will never forget the distance between what I was and what I am. I owe more to you than I can ever say. How you can see the man behind the monster I will never know.

But that monster is gone. And the man beneath him may be flawed... but we all are. And I love you for it. Sometimes the best book has the dustiest jacket. And sometimes the best teacup is chipped.

SOMETIMES THE BEST TEACUP IS CHIPPED 😭😭😭😭

Goddammit rumple. You're killing me here.

And I'm still crying.

So belle likes to hike? Good little nugget to remember

He's such a dork for her.

OH MY GOD IT'S THE BALLROOM SCENE WITH THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST OUTFITS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

David I honestly think if you went with baelfire rumple would've murdered you in front of everyone.

"There is always a crisis, perhaps you should consider living your life during them, otherwise you'll miss is."

Again this show has some banger lines.

EVIL SNOWMAN RUN!!!!

😂😂😂

I laughed so hard I cried at that fucking bo peep line.

Emma and David the sarcastic duo amd I'm fucking here for it. I can see them antagonizing the shit out of snow for fun. See who makes her crack first.

And then he pulls the "what are your intentions with my daughter" talk

"THATS old fashioned even by my standards and I still pay with dabloons" 😂😂😂😂

Hook using a cell phone seconds later is funny as fuck

Fucking Tony markovich is hans and it is so fucking funny.

In fairness I never tried to kill her.

I didn't try to kill her! I left her to die! Important distinction.

😂😂😂😂

Should she want to be held I want to do it with both hands.

😭😭😭😭😭

Them being total dorky parents is so cute.

And I love how emma didn't notice his hook was gone at first. Like it's not something she even sees about him being a flaw.

Your daughter is in very good hands.

That's what I'm worried about especially since you have two of them.

Omg fucking Anna. Rumple looks like he's ready to kill her right there for being an airhead.

A deal anna.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Hereditary (2018)

Keen viewers will foresee the ending of Hereditary fairly early on. Having seen the film three times now, I’ve realized that's not a bug; it's a feature. The point is that you see the train coming but you can't move out of its way. With a superb performance by Toni Collette at its center, terrific, inventive cinematography and impeccable direction by Ari Aster (his feature-film debut), it's a joy to examine the filmmaking at work. It also happens to be horrifying.

Following the death of her estranged mother, Annie Graham (Toni Collette) attends a loss support group to try and cope. She’s been sleepwalking again and can't shake the feeling that something's... not right at home.

In class, Annie’s son, Peter (Alex Wolff) isn’t paying attention to his teacher's lesson, but he should be. The students are asked whether it’s more tragic for a hero to know they're doomed but be unable to change their fate, or be unaware of the misfortune awaiting them. This idea is what makes the ending of "Hereditary" work. There’s something about watching people slowly inching their way towards annihilation unsettling. With every passing second, you can feel the walls of their cage tightening. You’re an outsider, powerless to react and when the danger is as intense as it is in Hereditary, you’re glad to be nothing but an onlooker. In the most intense scenes, nothing could be more frightening than the characters turning towards you for help. Of course you would if you could. Annie, Steve (Gabriel Byrne), Peter and Charlie (Milly Shapiro) go through so much you don’t want them to suffer but your curiosity has also gotten the better of you. What’s coming will surely make your skin crawl and your hairs stand on end but you want to see just to be sure. Maybe things will go a different way. Or maybe they’ll go exactly how you expect they will.

Key images in the film fill me with dread just thinking about them. It makes me want to claw my eyes out so I don’t have to see them anymore, which makes me admire the filmmaking even more. The longer you look at this movie, the more things you notice. In many scenes there are symbols hidden in the background, there are things standing in the darkness, recurring images and foreshadowing telling you what’s incoming. It all ties back to that question posed to Peter. The more you see, the more you wonder whether you want the characters to know what you do or if you’d rather they stay ignorant of the doom that awaits them. The recurring theme of decapitation is on its own more than enough to give you the willies.

The performance by Toni Colette turns something you would normally passively watch into a reality you’re forced to confront. Her wails as she cries pierce your chest and wrap their fingers around your heart. Her panic as she pieces together what’s actually going on is palpable even if you don’t quite understand all of the “rules”. This film is quite good at giving you the minimum amount of information required and leaving the rest for your mind to fill in the blanks. If you're the king of person that won’t be able to sleep until you know everything that happened, don't worry. There are a few scenes that spell it out for you. Our lead is so good you’re likely to overlook how well everyone else does with their roles. Milly Shapiro, for instance. You’d never guess A) she was 15 at the time and B) that she’s a perfectly normal teenaged girl. Obviously they used prosthetics to make her look the way she does but she so subtly off you just don’t know what to make of her.

There are certain aspects of the film you could criticize. Hereditary is essentially a modern update on a couple of well-known horror films and a scene during the beginning makes it very easy for you to know this story’s final destination. This may detract from some of the fun but it certainly won’t take away the scares. In fact, it gets more intense, more terrifying upon rewatches because your eyes can focus less on what’s happening in the foreground and more on the stuff hidden in the margins. There’s a brilliant scene with a rolling ball every aspiring horror filmmaker needs to take note of. It's just one example of the many scenes ready to conjure up some recurring nightmares. (March 20, 2020)

[forensicated]

Smiffina Episodes - Episode 384

Last episode, Smithy was found unconscious behind the wheel of his car that had crashed down a bankside. There was a bottle of vodka on the dash and Louise had died in RTA.

This episode, Smithy slowly comes round not knowing where he is or what has happened. Yvonne supports his neck and tells him to keep still as Tony urges the ambulance to come quicker.

June calls Adam and gets him to come back in, telling him what has happened. She says Smithy was found unconscious at the wheel of his car by a man out walking his dog who saw nothing else. The accident was logged at 6.15pm - when he'd still be on duty - and he was in 'half blues' (his uniform shirt with his coat over the top). Adam asks June to let him know as soon as Smithy is able to talk as thankfully it looks like it's just cuts and bruises at the moment.

At the hospital, Yvonne whispers to Tony that Smithy doesn't yet know that Louise is dead. She has to get him to take a breathalyser and the hospital say he can be released as he's got minor cuts and bruises and is drunk/starting to hang. Smithy asks Yvonne what's happening because he's got a banging headache and feels really sick and she gets him to take the breathalyser. Smithy is literally stunned that he's over the limit and struggles off the bed to grab the machine to do it again himself.

Smithy panics, not knowing what is going on or how he got to the hospital or why he's there, begging them to tell him what is going on. Yvonne has to arrest him as Tony gently breaks the news that a woman was knocked down by his car. Smithy is clearly stunned and asks if she's okay.... Yvonne has to tell him not only that the woman has died... but that it was Louise. Smithy passes out - only stopped from hitting the floor by Yvonne and Tony holding him up.

June has to book a clearly shell-shocked Smithy in at the station, asking Yvonne to go see the Superintendent. A silent Smithy shakes his head to refuse a solicitor or a fed rep and Tony literally has to propel him across the floor to get him to move for an official breathalyser test. He blows a 47 which is over the limit of 35.

Adam asks Yvonne what happened and she tells him that Louise was hit at speed by a car that drove away. Smithy's registration plate was found at the scene and he was found at the wheel of his car a short distance away. Yvonne tells him she doesn't know if Smithy could have knocked Louise over - but the evidence points that way.

The FME tells June Smithy isn't fit for interview so he's bailed until 8.30am the next day when the DPS will interview him. Smithy tells Yvonne there's noone to contact for him as he can't face anyone else so she tells him he's coming back with her. He tries to resist but she won't take no for an answer as he needs someone there for him whilst he comes to terms with the entire situation.

Adam arrives takes him aside, asking him why he left when he was still on duty. Smithy tells him he wanted to speak to Louise and tells Adam he doesn't know why, he just had to see her. He almost passes out again and Adam helps him to a chair as he cries. "I don't understand, I don't know why any of this is happening to me." Adam comforts him and strongly advises him to request both a solicitor and a fed rep - not just for the sake of his job but also for the chance he might go to prison. He tells him to go home with Yvonne and try and sleep and hopefully things will start to come back to him.

Smithy does exactly that and Yvonne goes to put the kettle on, leaving him alone for the first time since he found out what had happened. Smithy glances mournfully around the room before breaking down heavily in tears as he struggles to process the last few hours.

Yvonne has to tell the relief that Smithy has been arrested over Louise's death. She also tells them the DPS is running an investigation internally over it. Roger and the rest of the relief mock that news whilst Emma looks strangely uncomfortable.

"Looks like we're leaving just in time, the DPS have arrived." growls Roger. "How can you tell it's him?". "The smell, Lewis. The smell and the look on his face like his mother couldn't run fast enough away from her cousin if you get my drift." Good job that the DCI talking to Adam isn't any of their fathers on the quiet, hey Emma?

Frank Keane isn't overly popular in Sun Hill. This is not least because he's investigating Smithy, that he's part of the DPS... but he's also the man who investigated Jack when he was accused of taking backhanders (Episodes 378/379). "He's the best man for the job." Adam assures Jack. "If you're sure, but if you ask me, he'd be knitting at the foot of the guillotine." Jack mutters.

Zain asks Jack what they're going to do about Smithy. Jack says the DPS are handling it and they're not allowed to. Zain isn't impressed and insists that they don't know Smithy and they won't be able to solve the case correctly. Jack tells Zain he feels exactly the same way but what can they do about it? Zain fixes Jack with a Paddington Bear Stare. They can work it of course!

Jack relents and agrees to let Zain make some discreet calls. "I've had enough of Keane to last me a lifetime."

Frank asks Adam what Smithy's account was. Adam admits he couldn't remember much. Frank scoffs unsympathetically and suggests now he's sobered up he'll remember more. Frank asks if he knows Louise and Smithy were having an affair. Adam admits that he knew and that Smithy had told him it had ended. Frank points out that it clearly hadn't and berates him for lying to which Adam insists it was probably to keep his private life private and that noone at the station thinks Smithy had anything to do with it. Frank just shrugs, telling Adam they now have a witness that they're tracing and to hope that he is singing from the same hymn sheet. The witness has been spotted on the CCTV from the area. Admittedly it's not clear but he can be seen in the telephone box - it's the man who rang 999.

JT tries to get Yvonne's attention to the front desk but she's too busy to come through and hurries off so Adam has to be contacted . It turns out it's Smithy at the front desk, having to be signed in and 'collected' for his interview.

Zain comes to Smithy and tries to reassure him that he is doing everything he can to clear his name. He offers to talk it through with him and they go into the front interview room whilst Smithy waits for Adam and Frank. Smithy tells Zain he thought he could get to Louise and back within half an hour. He wanted to say a final goodbye to Louise before she went to enter Witness Protection. This was about 10 past 4 but the accident has been timed at just over 2 hours later at 6.15pm when the phone call was made to the emergency services. He asks Smithy what happened in those 2 hours. Smithy doesn't know, he doesn't remember drinking, driving or anything... but he knows he did not and would not kill Louise. "I've been set up." Zain nods. "First thing I thought of. Pete Larson." Smithy confesses that he also thinks he was drugged as he's had a few of the symptoms of GHB or rohypnol poisoning.

In an interview room with the DPS, Smithy is still refusing legal representation or a fed rep. He tells Frank he wants to try sort it out between them if they can without any official legal involvement. Silly boy! He tells Frank he still can't remember much but he's sure he's been set up by Pete Larson. He'd tried to kill her before (and had attacked Smithy!) and this time he's succeeded because she's the only one who could put him away. He thinks that he didn't kill him because he needed someone to pin it on, and that it's also a way of punishing Smithy for 'taking' Louise. Smithy fights back tears and tries to compose himself repeatedly. He admits they tried to stop the affair but couldn't... his voice breaks as he allows himself to start to say that if they had stopped... but he can't complete the ending that - Louise would/could still be alive if they had.

Smithy confesses their plan for the future, that Louise was going to fly to Australia after the trial and set up a new life. Smithy was going to hand in his notice and fly out to join her so they could be together. Frank scoffs that Pete couldn't set up all this from inside, but Smithy insists his influence is all over London as he is a powerful man with all sorts of contacts. "I was drugged! I was set up!" Smithy tells a disbelieving Frank. Frank wonders aloud if Smithy is pointing the finger at Pete to divert attention from himself. Smithy gets worked up as Frank insinuates that he's the guilty party that they argued and he 'accidentally' clipped her as he drove off in a rage. Smithy refuses to hear a bar of it. "I didn't kill Louise, because I couldn't." he chokes out. Frank cuts off the interview, saying they'll have the forensic results soon.

Jack asks Zain for any updates, he tells Jack that there was a room booked in that hotel under Smithy's name. The staff don't remember seeing Smithy but they do Louise. Zain continues that it ties in with Smithy's theory that he was drugged and can't account for the missing 2 hours.

Frank tells Adam that he's had an update on Smithy's phone and that a text was sent to Louise's from it at 6.10pm saying: 'Meet me at the Bestborough Hotel. I've got a surprise for you.' "This means his story doesn't hold up." Frank insists with Adam nodding. OR IT COULD MEAN THAT HE WAS, Y'KNOW, DRUGGED AND SET UP AND IT WASN'T HIM THAT SENT IT?! Fucks sake, Frank and Adam!

Frank agrees that Smithy should be bailed for now and Adam goes in to tell him. Smithy is blaming himself after his realisation earlier... he tells Adam he should have finished it and that it's 'all down to me'. Adam appears to be regarding Smithy differently and seems rather standoffish compared to the day before, telling him only to go home and sleep and nothing about the alleged text. (It wouldn't be so bad if it didn't come quite so soon after Adam's own set up problems with Isaac Collins in episode 329!!)

Adam and Frank attend the scene where the traffic officer confirms that it was Smithy's car that caused Louise's death after the forensics had been completed. The tire tracks proved that she was hit at speed and that the car mounted the kerb to do so and then did a U turn and came back on itself to drive at her a second time. It was no accident.

Back at Yvonne's Smithy has managed to fall asleep finally and the TV quietly plays a film to itself. At guns are fired on the screen, Smithy's brain helpfully replays some of the day before - specifically being taken hostage at gunpoint. He then goes to pour himself a drink of vodka but before he can drink it the smell causes another flashback, being force-fed and almost waterboarded with a bottle of vodka. He rings Zain and updates him.

Neil returns to Sun Hill on attachment from MIT at personal request of Jack and Adam. (Background: If I remember rightly, he took a sabbatical when his paedophile father in law was found out and murdered in 344 and it turns out in 366 he's with MIT for a change of scenery/get away from ghosts when he returns for a short while to investigate the serial killer targeting gay men ending in Lance's death. He then returns again for a short while in 378/379 when Jack is accused of taking backhanders. He returns for this and then when MIT are dicks, he refuses to be involved with their investigation into Smithy as he knows the man and knows he wouldn't do it and so transfers back properly in 387. )

Frank presents Yvonne with CCTV picture of the man that they want to trace as a witness. Roger glares down the corridor as he watches with some other uniform officers... but Emma can't escape this time and when Frank says hello the others wind her up for being on first name terms with the DPS and she has to confess that he's her father...

Neil updates CID with what has happened and that it is now a murder case and that it was a deliberate murder. Zain insists that it was a set up by Pete Larson and Smithy was drugged. Jo adds that Smithy's symptoms - amnesia, nausea, loss of consciousness - do back this up. Frank just insists that it 'could' be a convenient cover. Sun Hill are not happy - literally glaring back at him after a group "WHAT?!"

Frank insists that Smithy is a copper and he would know how to play the game and that he could be making it all up. Jack quickly jumps in to stop them lynching Frank, saying they have to check everything that could give them a lead. They also want to interview Louise's friend who let her stay at her place over Christmas whilst she was away to see if she can tell them anything about her and Smithy.

Smithy comes in to speak to Neil and Frank, telling them he's remembered that he arrived at the hotel as usual, parked in his usual place and the next thing he remembers there's a man with a gun in his face telling him to get back into the car and drive. He remembers being ordered to drink vodka or be killed - or watch Louise be killed. He was wearing a balaclava so Smithy can't give a description. Neil asks about the man's voice and Smithy says he can't remember if he was young or old or if he had an accent and FRANK LITERALLY ROLLS HIS FUCKING EYES right in front of him! He clearly doesn't believe any of it. Thank god for Neil being so calm and helpful for Smithy or I'd need to replace my monitor by now... Smithy can't remember the gun - which given his knowledge and history is a big fuck off sign too! - and insists he was drugged.

Frank takes over and asks what happened in the missing two hours of his life. "I was out. cold." Smithy repeats. "Then how was a text message sent from your phone at 6.05pm to Louise?" (that's changed considering it was 10 past earlier...) HE JUST FUCKING SAID THERE WAS A MAN IN THE CAR WITH HIM WHO FORCED HIM TO DRINK AND DRUGGED HIM. That is an answer for BOTH OF THOSE.

Ahem.

Frank doubles back to knowing that it was a deliberate killing now and not an accident and that his theory 'could' be right that they did argue. (so could Smithy's, not that you believe it Keane!) and that he loved her so much that he'd risked his life for her and that rage and fury took over. Neil is clearly not happy with Frank's methods.

Emma tries to talk to Roger about her father. Roger's still not happy, telling her that Smithy is innocent and that if her father condescended to talk to any member of the team he'd know that. Emma storms out when Roger tells her that it'll take as long as it takes for the evidence to come forward because it will be found and Smithy will be cleared, whatever her father thinks. She returns with a list of telephone numbers to all the shops and churches etc in the area that the telephone box was in and she splits them with Roger. They appear to track him down as a landlord says it sounds like one of his regulars.

Jack is in the Sgt's office with a shell-shocked Smithy who can't believe that Frank thinks that he killed Louise. Jack reassures him they'll clear his name and asks him about Pauline Burton. Smithy tells her that she's an old friend of Louise's. When she and Pete got together the two women fell out but they've patched it up and Louise has been staying with her. Smithy admits that if Louise would tell anyone that she was going to leave the country for Australia it'd be Pauline.

Jo and Zain have to tell Pauline that Louise has been killed in an accident. Pauline is gutted and slowly explains that she and Louise had patched things up. She says that she'd met a new man who had made her see Pete for what he was and that he was called Dale Smith. Unfortunately though she can't say that she'd ever met Smithy as the relationship was over just before she moved in. Noone thinks to ask her if she'd been around for the entire fucking time though - they don't see that she's been away for Christmas... or even consider that Louise was a known private person used to keeping secrets (this is why them staying at hotels doesn't make sense when Smithy has his own place and Louise was staying in a 'safe' place away from Pete!) Oh no...Frank just angrily demands from Smithy why Pauline is telling them that the relationship was over. Smithy explains that the less people who knew the less risk there was of Pete finding out.

Also? Smithy already told them before that the man had black gloves and a balaclava on but Frank's all 'yours is the only dna in that car' which is literal bullshit anyway because what? Smithy's never given anyone a lift? He brought it absolutely brand new? It's a GG51 reg! It was a 5 year old car by that point! There'd be loads of DNA in that car that would need testing and no way fibres from the man's clothes wouldn't be amongst them too!

Smithy's blood results show that there's no sign of GHB or anything else in his system but GHB is only detectable in his blood for up to 8 hours. He didn't have blood taken at the hospital! And given that if it was administered at say before 5 (it works for 3/4 hours after) to make him pliable to get everything set up if the drinking didn't work and to get the vodka in too he'd need it taking before midnight/1am to show it up! (The others would last longer but urine samples are a more common test for Ket/rohypnol according to google as they're more reliable). Neil reassures him and tries to gently jog his memory again.

Roger tells Emma that the landlord is pretty adamant that the witness is a man called Carl Caplan who is an insurance clerk in the day and a delivery driver at night. Sounds like a man with money issues no...? Two jobs? and one who frequents a pub often enough for a pint before doing his delivery driving job (...!) to be recognised?

Neil is concerned that the evidence is stacked against Smithy and MIT are working to that. Jack insists that he's still innocent and they will prove it.

Caplan is approached by Emma and Roger and brought in. Jack and Smithy think it's going to be good news. This is The Bill after all... how can it be? Frank praises his daughter and tells her she's too good for Sun Hill and that she should take the fast track option. She's adamant that Smithy is innocent as her team tell her. "If it's good enough for them...."

Caplan tells them that he is working two jobs because he's struggling financially after a messy divorce with maintenance, a house mortgage and rent for his bedsit. He tells them he was too scared to come forward because 'the way that man was driving, it was obvious that he meant to hurt that woman.' Carl seems shocked that Louise is dead and insists he was scared that the man would find out who he was and go after his kids. He seems awfully detailed on exactly what they should be told too. He tells them that he saw her as he passed the hotel, she was getting out of a car whilst reading a text message. There was no one else around and then a car came from nowhere and charged at her. He shouted look out to her and she ran but the car hit her. He says he got a good look at the driver and can identify him. He picks Smithy out of a WADS line up. Jack has to tell CID who clearly can't believe it either. Zain instantly points out that he's clearly a plant. Jack agrees - and tells Jo to set up financial checks into Caplan. "I don't believe this. Only one witness, who just happens to ID Smithy who just happens to be involved with the wife of one of London's biggest gangsters. Caplan has been briefed and placed at the scene!" Insists Zain. "Let's prove it." Jack adds.

Neil tells Yvonne that they've got the ID, Caplan identified Smithy... and Yvonne has to charge him as duty Sergeant - despite not agreeing with it. He's charged with Louise's murder in front of Frank, Adam and Neil in the Sgt's office...He remains silent for the entire time, even when he's lead to a cell, simply handing over his warrant card to Adam.

[sailors-fightinginthedancehall]

Okay so I saw Black Panther Wakanda Forever last night here are my thoughts.

(DM's are open for incoherent screeching about how good it was)

Chadwick Boseman. My god. This movie felt like closure for us too, as well as the characters. It was truly beautiful. I was in a cinema with a couple of assholes who liked sprinting down the stairs making fast noises and talking but they were silent with that intro. Everyone was. It was so goddamn powerful my god

This movie was so fucking emotional. I lost count of the amount of times I cried. This is the first cinema I've been in where EVERYBODY clapped when Shuri was there in her Black Panther suit, "The Black Panther lives!" And it felt amazing.

The themes of grief and vengeance feel awfully similar to Peter in No Way Home, having lost absolutely everyone and getting so goddamn angry, but in the end you don't kill them because you're not like that. And this is in no way a complaint. I LOVED that Shuri was able to show all these emotions and yell and scream and grieve and cry. I honestly would have said "fair enough" if she killed Namor. Letitia Wright is such a fucking amazing actress and she absolutely blew me away.

Also just every woman in this movie makes me so goddamn gay and we love them for it

Anyways speaking of Namor! He was really cool! I could agree with his motives and his look was just so cool. The underwater scenes were breathtaking. And I absolutely fucking LOVED the siren song sort of thing they had. Literal chills, just seeing them all. Jump off. Just like that. They really were a show of power and I was genuinely uneasy about the outcome of the fight.

I feel M'Baku definitely convinced me in this movie that he's more than just a comedic relief side character, he really gave it his all and was there for Shuri and he's iconic in his skirt.

The Dora Milaje remain as every fucking badass, I love them so much. I will now be holding onto Ayo and Aneka for the time being, for safekeeping. And Okoye remains as ever an icon, the scene where she is stripped of her rank really hit you right in the feels.

I never really thought of Queen Ramonda a lot, but she really left a lasting impact for me here. Her speech at the UN was very powerful and she held the attention of any room she was in. Her death is fucking heartbreaking and M'Baku holding Shuri back while she screams for her mam - like fuck. Why do you do this to me. Why.

I think Riri Williams will be fun to see again, I don't really have much to say about her in this movie but she was a good character. The parallels to Tony Stark were not gone unnoticed.

T'CHALLA AND NAKIA HAD A SON😭😭😭

Everett Ross could probably have gone without being in this movie lol but he was good to see, we love our American white boy trying to keep things peaceful while having no fucking clue of anything that's going on. He's just trying his best.

And I hardly recognised Val, so she's the director of what, the government?? Also that nugget of information that she was married to Ross at one stage it's like wait what - 😃 But anyways. Hope she shows up more and maybe we can learn more about her!

Overall this was a fantastic movie, it made me cry so many times and gave us a beautiful story. Thank you everyone involved in making it and RIP Chadwick 🕊️<3

[askatrigenderlgbt]

This post is gonna get serious. I wanna talk about Tony's death in the MCU and how I was affect by it and my past.

Trigger warning: I'm gonna be talking about PTSD, death, depression, and overall a lot of heavy stuff. If this stuff bothers you, you should skip this post. I have plenty other posts that are more for humor or fanfiction.

Tony's death.

This rocked me to my core. I cried when he spoke his last words and how he ended his arc the way he did. I cried cause the character who brought me into the MCU had left it after all this time. I had cried for the character who had become so important to me, only to cry all over again when Steve decided to leave too. Both goodbyes that were from important parts of my Marvel experience were gone like that.

It was a perfect, tragic, ending for both characters. The pain and loss, to the end of their arcs showing how much they changed.

The thing is though, seeing Tony's death, and Steve's choice to leave, had me mentally and emotionally shut down the first time I watched those scenes. I had been lost unconsciously to the past, back to the moment that still haunts me today.

I have PTSD. And my trauma came from my grandfather passing away when I was four. It was traumatic, loud, messy, and lots of crying from my mother. The only person I had to call 'dad' was simply gone in mere seconds.

He past away in my mother's arms, and from the way my mom can remember he was also coughing blood. His lung cancer finally caught up to him.

When children are exposed to stimulation it is already so much for them, every experience being many things: an inconvenience being the end of the world, a new little fact being a huge joy, every experience is learning how the world is. But in terms of trauma? It's greater damage to the mind as a kid compared to an adult.

I had watched my grandfather pass away, got stuck in the loud chaos, and had been unable to process what just happened. I only knew that he wasn't coming back, and that answer only left me empty.

After this moment things changed a lot for me. It was made worst when my mother had to hospitalized for three days sometime after this event. This was another thing that had sent me into a deep form of hurt. I cried hard at my mother's disappearance. I thought I was being abandoned, left alone in a world I still can't understand today.

I had lost a parental figure in my life, thought I was being abandoned sometime later, and was unable to process anything. I only knew the facts, I couldn't do anything beyond that. Any emotions I should have been feeling wasn't there. I didn't feel anything. It was like I didn't know how anymore, I only could feel apathetic. Like I was shunning away the moment.

It was the start of my mental decline.

Tony became an important character for me as he was the hero who felt real, one I could find myself in the same sort of spot with regarding pain.

Every time I see a character I've grown so attached to die, I remember the first time it ever happened. Then I dissociate to cope with the trauma, emotions disappearing into numbness, and I can't watch anymore.

The pain of watching real tragic deaths or of fiction that I've come so attached to, it sends me into a twisted mess. It also happens with goodbyes. Seeing someone or something for the last time, never seeing them again, also sends me back. The feelings of loss and abandonment causing me to push things or people away.

When Tony died on screen I had been left numb, I had left the theater wanting nothing more than to curled up in a ball on my bed and sleep. Forgetting about the moment I watched him die.

I wouldn't get to fully process my trauma till this year. I wouldn't get to the moment of processing till now.

Tony's death, Steve leaving, and the pain left behind was too much for me to handle. Now though I can say that it was tragic but also a beautiful end to their respective arcs. I can't watch certain parts of the movies again for reasons, but I'm able to watch the movies again as I'm now moving forward. I can watch knowing that this time I can finally watch the series and accept each goodbye that happens. I can allow myself to process the emotions I feel freely, letting them come and simply be.

I write this post as a form of my own little therapy. A way of sharing my story to those who might need it and those who need to hear this:

You are not alone in your grief. You are not alone in your pain. Pain comes to everyone and it varies on the person how they respond to that pain. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, these are common disabilities that are found in a large percentage of people. I used to think nobody would understand, but overtime I realized that pain is universal.

When I began to heal I learned that it's okay to be vulnerable, to be weak. To allow yourself the chance to express the emotions held inside out. Feeling those emotions freely is what helped me move forward, but it may be different for you.

What Marvel has helped me to do is learn that it's okay to be human. We are a mess, but we learn together how to be better. Not everyone is nice, not everyone is mean. We are simply people. As we heal from trauma we see those around us differently, unable to go back to the mindset in the past. We can also see those who have similar mindsets to are own.

In conclusion: Tony's death hurt me and pushed hard at an old scar. The pain came and I allowed it to be. I learned to move forward, and learned from Marvel that all you can do is move forward. Tony's death had left the universe safe, Steve leaves behind a legacy and passed down his shield to Falcon. And I learn to come to terms of what happened years ago now.

I wanted to share this in hopes of those who need it see it. And I hope maybe that you, the person reading, have taken something from this post. A person who understands or possibly a new perspective on something.

I hope that you remember that you deserve to be loved, that you are not alone in pain or grief, and that you are amazing.

[wench-and-jezebel]

NCIS Reaction: Hung Out to Dry

Wench (@scripted-downfall) reacts [with (maybe) occasional asides by Jezebel (@typicalopposite)]

This is starting right after the last episode, so there’s no introductory conversation, alas.  Instead, the space in between reactions was filled with Jezebel ignoring me and then insisting I send her the link to the show despite it being RIGHT THE FRICK NEXT TO THE LAST EPISODE.  Hmph.  Problematic one.

Sir is both an asshole and manipulative

[Welp.  That’s a mood killer.]  Ma’am was in the neighborhood and thought she’d invade my reaction, I see.  [That.  Was not to you.  But actually kinda works.]

Oof.  Sir leaves the door unlocked but has no phone.  Unreachable except when he isn't, I see alkdsj

What are the chances he wasn’t already dead and that’s why his chute didn’t open?

"My dad's gonna kill me"  Welp.  Bit dark given the circumstances, but go off  [☠️☠️☠️☠️]

Logan, please.  Wait, shit: *Tony, please

“It was a death rattle”  “You ever hear a death rattle?”  “I was using it as a trope.”  Dude, you’re a tool.

I mean… dead dude = pinata.  Checks out to me, Ducky

Guess the groan might rule out my already-dead hypothesis, but idk if I trust this kid’s judgement

"Why didn't he pull it" BECAUSE HE WAS DEAD

She's still needing to be told to put on gloves alskdjf

Tony and the frivolous photographs.  Max wouldn't take that kinda shit without bitching and you know it (but I love it, so, and I don’t care abt Max’s judgement anyway, so.)

THOSE BOOTS LOOK AWESOME; I'M JEALOUS

Tony, focus.

Tony is not focusing

"It's his anniversary"  "Which marriage"  Anniversary of a death, maybe?  Dead wife?

Oh dammit.  So much for that^.

Tony continues to not focus and I appreciate this

"We don't stop for casualties in war.  Nor do we in training" that's stupid [☠️☠️☠️☠️ military *sigh*  This is a spin off of Jag btw.]  Ah, I see.  [iirc Gibbs was in an ep of jag and people liked him so much he got his own show…. That’s still running] Damn

"I'm not calling my boss.  I'm calling yours"  Well, damn.

"Thumper" like the bunny rabbit? aslkdfj

IT IS THUMPER LIKE THE BUNNY RABBIT

“Was he dead when you reached him?”  NO HE WAS DEAD IN THE AIR; GUARANTEEEEEE  (I’m gonna cry if this is wrong; I’m so convinced about it at this point)

"Obviously his reaction time was too slow" or maybe he was DEAD

I spy with my little eye a scene from the intro

Dammit.  FINE, okay, guess he wasn’t dead when he fell.  Hmph.  Rude. (*cries*)

Okay, Tony and Abby and their art conversation are, at once, my beloveds

“Double your pleasure”  “Double your fun”  Please.  PLEASE.  These two are hilarious together

Poor Tony, stuck being the audience scapegoat since someone had to ask about opioids and obviously he’s stuck in that role 

Um.  An acid?  That’s.  That’s so specific.

Tony, why are you fiddling with the parachutes?  Someone’s gotta re-rig that now alksdfj

Oof, not the criminal recor- I’M SORRY, SHOPLIFTING AND DRUG POSSESSION??? THOSE ARE NOT REALLY THE MOST GATEWAY CRIMES TO MURDER

Okay, hair still isn’t regulation, and lab coats aren’t supposed to be open, but I appreciate the other PPE.  CSI doesn’t even use goggles most of the time.

I continue to love Abby

NOT TONY STILL HARPING ON THE ELECTRICAL TOOLS

Gibbs is still an ass, and the Alec-coded character continues to suffer the brunt of it.  But Jezebel has said that there’s an even more Max-coded character later, which will be.  Interesting.

Wait, I’m sorry.  Excuse me.  Nine of the sixteen chutes were sabotaged.  They’re randomly handed out.  The entire point of this information is that — unless more is learned — no one specific person was being targeted.  So saying “this person had a grudge against the dude who happened to die” is so illogical because they just spent the last five minutes pointing out repeatedly that it was a random chute assignment!?!??!  AHHHHH

Abby picking on Tony feels more affectionate, ngl.  I don’t hate it

Oh, no, not the epithelial analysis alksdfj

– – –

Did I forget the midpoint reaction again?  Mebbe.  But that’s a good sign because clearly I was just.  So absorbed.

ANYWAY.  Still enjoying it!  I’m kinda annoyed by the whole, you know, pick-on-Tony brigade (not as much with Abby because it feels like banter not picking, and those are different, but it still is a bit.  Hmm.) but otherwise, not bad!  I don’t know enough about the show to say if I like this episode better or worse than the pilot, but I’ll get more of a sense of that as the season progresses.  Abby, my beloved.  Alec Tony, my vaguely-idiot beloved.  (Yes, I am seeing him as an extension of Alec; what of it!?)

On we go.

– – –

“For every legal firewall, there is a way around it”  That’s not concerning at all

Not Tony knowing where Gibbs was going with the horse analogy; how many times you used that one, bud?

Y’all, please, this is twice now (once in the title, once in a quote) that y’all used “hung”.  It’s hangeddddd

“Scuttlebutt”  Tony, I appreciate you

Tony, stop rambling about Gibbs’ wife.  Ex-wife.  Whatever.

Can we please stop making Tony an idiot; this wasn’t in his character in episode 1 and it’s rude [Oooof. You. You may be in for an unpleasant surprise]  *sigh* Look.  As I said.  I’m viewing him as Alec 2.0.  I still like Alec better, but.  Yeah.  So I’m unhappy with this development

Poor kid (not sarcastic)

Being nice to the kid = way to ingratiate yourself with the grieving widow, I see

I, too, would ruin my outfit right before a funeral because I wanted to climb trees.  (I did that once, actually.  Went to a wedding wearing high heels and managed to strip the fabric off the heel because of how much running around playing tag I was doing.  I was a teenager.)

Not a bad salute, to my knowledge

Oh, no.  Tony, please be safe.

"Research for Abby"  Is that what they're calling it these days?

“How did you get into NCIS?”  Rude.

Y'all, I'm begging you.  If you have long hair.  TIE IT BACK.  Speaking as someone who has worked in an actual lab, this is killing me.

... Sergeant Nutt, huh?

THE SCUTTLEBUTT RETURNS

Y’all, please.  Once again.  Stop.  Acting.  Like this was targeted.  To “Thumper.”  The chutes were randomly assigned.

Leave Tony aloneeeeee

Poor Tony.  (They didn’t leave him alone.)  [Alas they typically don’t]

I am once again begging y’all to consider that this was a RANDOM ACT OF SABOTAGE

“With Gibbs you never know”  Yeah, buddy’s a bit enigmatic.

Cocaine = Motive!  Except!  Once again!  Apparently!  It!  Was!  Random!

Not the Significant Looks

Oh, no.  I thought the “Oh, no.  Tony, please be safe.” jump was bad enough.  This is.  Worse.

I'm sure it'll be made clear but how dare y'all stick him with a broken reserveeeee

NO THIS IS ACTUALLY HILARIOUS  “No, 4’s unlucky in China”  “We’re not in China”

I’m vaguely annoyed that the drug possession apparently was the gateway crime to murder.  You couldn’t have given the guy an assault charge or something?  That feels a bit more in line with murder.

Did.  Did Tony just fall out of the plane.

I guess he's having a good time doing it, but.  sir.   This is not what I meant by "please be safe"

This kid is adorable, and I appreciate Gibbs helping with the treehouse.

THAT’S A WRAP!

– – – 

This episode may or may not have aggravated me.  A lot.  It would have been soooo easy to just leave off the whole “the chutes were given out randomly” bit if they wanted it to be targeted.  Or, if it were supposed to be random, then have one of the riggers be pissed for mistreatment from the whole unit, so it didn’t really matter who got sabotaged.  But now, there’s this glaring writing illogic that is.  Bugging me.

I still love Abby in all things.  Tony’s characterization feels iffy compared to last episode, but whatever; I still, currently, am okay with it.  Gibbs continues to be a bit of an ass.  Kate and he continue to be… complicated.  I like Ducky, but he wasn’t in that one much.

Still enjoying, though, so we’ll see what it’s like when the first episodes’ jitters work out!

[redsoapbox]

I, Daniel Blake: Review

Hayley Squires and Dave Johns

Kevin McGrath reviews I, Daniel Blake, directed by Ken Loach and praised for its engaging story and timely politics. 

The title character of Ken Loach’s “comeback” film is a gentle widower, probably aged somewhere in his late fifties, recuperating slowly from a massive heart attack and all the while itching to get back to plying his trade as a carpenter. On the surface, one ordinary Joe’s fate at the hands of an unscrupulous Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) doesn’t seem particularly fertile ground for box-office success in 2016, especially when up against blockbusters like Dr Strange and Bridget Jones’s Baby in the battle to put bums on multiplex seats. Loach, however, the great social-realist director of our age, has spent half a century giving a voice to people otherwise ignored by mainstream cinema and television drama departments and it’s the very fact that the tragedy of Daniel Blake, a casualty of war in the life and death struggle between Britain’s rich and Britain’s poor, could just as easily befall any one of us that will ensure this Palme d’Or-winning film finds a receptive audience.

Loach’s career as a radical filmmaker began after he enrolled in a director’s course at the BBC in 1963. An apolitical figure at the time (he suspected his late father may have voted Tory), he quickly absorbed the left-wing politics of producer Tony Garnett and story-editor Roger Smith when they collaborated together on the groundbreaking BBC series “The Wednesday Play”. Loach was deeply influenced, too, by the social realism of Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop and the plays of John Osborne and the other Angry Young Men being staged at the Royal Court Theatre. The sixties Cultural Revolution was gathering pace and Loach suddenly found himself with an opportunity to make films about the death penalty (Three Clear Sunday’s) and the post-war generation’s new-found sexual freedoms (Up the Junction) all for a ready-made audience, Mary Whitehouse’s National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association not-withstanding!

The astonishing success of “The Wednesday Play” culminated with Loach’s tour de force, Cathy Come Home (1966). Written by Jeremy Sandford, who based the script on his own radio documentary Homeless Families, the play told the story of a young couple Cathy and Reg (Carol White and Ray Brooks), and their harrowing descent into homelessness. The coruscating final scene, in which the couple’s small children are forcibly taken into council care, caused a wave of genuine anger to sweep across the land.

In fact, such was the docudrama’s impact on its twelve million viewers (a quarter of the nation’s population at the time), that it was repeated just a fortnight later with a follow-up discussion taking place on ITV as well as the BBC straight after transmission. Following its broadcast many councils abandoned their policy of separating men from their wives and children and the homeless charity Shelter was founded just 15 days afterward, in recognition that something had to be done in a country where 4,000 children a year were being placed in care because their parents had become homeless. Loach had wanted to ‘draw blood’ and the unprecedented response to the play earned Cathy Come Home its place in the history books.

Fifty years later, Loach has drawn blood again with I, Daniel Blake, a film that cries out in undisguised anguish against the Tory government’s routine punishment of the poor, the sick and the disabled. The film begins with Daniel (under)played to perfection by stand up comedian Dave Johns (continuing Loach’s career long preference for using club comedians in dramatic roles on the basis that ‘they weren’t acting- they were being’) finding out that he has been deemed fit for work by ATOS, a private company contracted by the DWP to carry out ‘work capability assessments’. (Between 2010 and 2011, 10,600 people died in this country while going through the assessment process in which administrators acting as ‘healthcare professionals’ use a point scoring system to override the expert opinions of GPs and Surgeons as to whether a ‘client’ is fit for work).

While attending a DWP meeting, Daniel witnesses single mother Katie (in a beautifully judged performance that should launch a stellar career for Hayley Squires) being ‘sanctioned’ for arriving late for an appointment with her benefit officer. The loss of her income leaves her and her two small children dependent on charity to survive and is the cue for a scene that unfolds in a food bank that’s as agonising to watch as the famous scene that concludes Cathy Come Home. The film plays out by following the fortunes of Dan and Katie, contrasting the kindness and humanity that they show each other, with the institutional barbarity of the DWP as it drives some of the most vulnerable people in society to death’s door.

As wonderful as I, Daniel Blake is, it’s not without its flaws. Loach sensibly lets the straight forward story speak for itself, resolving not to get himself sidetracked in the tangled web of factional socialist politics (a temptation not altogether easy to resist, no doubt, for a former member of the Workers’ Revolutionary Party), so there are no stump speeches, soapbox lectures or crash courses on Marxism for beginners, and aside from one minor character’s semi-coherent rant against Iain Duncan-Smith and the Tories, the subject of politics doesn’t really come up at all in this, the most “political” of films.

While this “show not tell” approach may be pitched correctly in storytelling terms, there might have been a little more political context to illuminate the darkness of Dan and Katie’s lives; a character to mouth off against austerity, the bankers or our rabidly right-wing government (all of which surely drove Loach to come out of unofficial retirement to make the film), while supping a pint in their local, or waiting for their food parcel to be cobbled together. In twenty years’ time it will be possible for a new generation to watch this film without any real sense of which party was in power and quite why they persisted, in the face of opposition from all manner of charities and pressure groups, with the unspeakable cruelty of the Bedroom Tax and cuts to the Independent Living Fund. All the more surprising, perhaps, given that Loach himself has been critical of Cathy Come Home for not being political enough, for not ‘tackling the ownership of the land, the building industry and the financing behind it. Otherwise you’re not really challenging anything.’

When the great socialist playwright J.B Priestly broadcast, during the darkest days of Britain’s fight against fascism, (his Postscript programme was being listened to by a third of Britain’s adult population at its peak), that the ‘common folk of this island rose to meet the challenge and not only saved what we had that is good but began to dream of something better’, declaring the Second World War ‘a people’s war’ to ‘bring into existence an order of society in which nobody will have far too many rooms in a house and nobody will have far too few’, Churchill forced the BBC to take him off the air despite knowing the effect it would have on the morale of a people standing alone against the might of Hitler.

Ken Loach continues to argue for that socialist society and that is the story that lies just beneath the surface of I, Daniel Blake. The great social reforms of Attlee’s post-war government, from The Welfare State to The National Health Service, are being undone at the behest of the Murdoch Press and the foul gang of neo-liberal economists that infected the centre/right political parties of Britain during the reign of Margaret Thatcher and which were then enshrined in Tony Blair’s vision of New Labour. It’s a scandalous ambition, made easier by the complicity of the mainstream media in general and state broadcasters in particular (hang your heads in shame all those commissioning editors at the BBC and Channel 4 who fed the nation a constant diet of ‘poverty porn’ in place of programmes honestly examining welfare provision in time of economic collapse). Ken Loach is still fighting Priestley’s good fight and I, Daniel Blake is a masterful clarion call for us to come to the rescue of an endangered Welfare State, and in so doing, to restore to each and every one of us a sense of common decency.

Any chance to watch the footie "match" from Ken Loach's Kes, I'm going to take it. One of the funniest scenes in the history of film.

This review first appeared in Wales Arts Review in November 2016.

[ageofgeek]

Ok, rewatched Endgame for the first time since seeing it in theaters (also in preparation for Loki), and... 😬

Look. Endgame is an okay film up until the last 15 minutes, and it has some really great scenes.

Now, does the time travel make sense? No. Are the fat!Thor jokes ok? No. Is Smart Hulk kinda weird? Yes. Is the """"gay representation"""" and """"girl power"""" scene forced and uncomfortable and unearned? Yes.

BUT. I really, really like the Time Heist - that entire 2nd act was done so well. I really like the closure we got with Thor & Frigga, Nebula & Gamora, Tony & Howard, etc. I really like the 1st act too - rescuing Tony, the confrontation between Tony & Steve, the 5 year gap, Scott Lang!!!, the Avengers bonding over time travel, etc.

And the final fight scene??? 😙👌 Chef's kiss, amazing. Tony, Steve, and Thor fighting Thanos 3 on 1??? Iconic. King shit. The Big Three finally got a fight scene together and it's awesome!!! The PORTAL SCENE??? brings tears to my eyes every time. Wanda and Carol going 1 on 1 with Thanos (even though it's fucking ridiculous that they didn't kill Thanos right there, just bc of plot armor), Peter and Clint and T'Challa handing off the gauntlet, STEPHEN STRANGE BEING A BADASS? Yes. All yes.

HOWEVER. Will I ever forgive them for killing Tony Stark, when they easily could've had him survive and retire w/ his family? No. Fuck you. It's bullshit and I hate it. News flash - traumatically killing a character who has wanted nothing more than to be at peace and have a normal life isn't a satisfying resolution!!! It just fucking sucks.

Will I ever forgive them for RUINING STEVE'S CHARACTER ARC??? No. This still fucking infuriates me, even more than Tony's death. At least Tony died in character. They ruined Steve - and made Peggy a voiceless love interest with no agency, while fucking up the rules of time travel in the process. And rewatching the movie made me even MORE infuriated, because STEVE SAYS, in this movie, that we have to move forward, we have to move on, and thEN HE JUST DOES THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THAT. HE STAYS IN THE PAST WHERE IT FUCKING SUCKS AND SEGREGATION STILL EXISTS AND WOMEN ARE TREATED LIKE SHIT AND THERE'S NO FUCKING INTERNET AND BUCKY IS STILL A SLAVE TO HYDRA AND HIS ALTERNATE SELF IS STILL IN THE ICE??? LIKE, WTF??? HOW IS THAT A HAPPY ENDING??? Fuck, it infuriates me.

And lastly. Will I ever forgive them for killing Nat, even though all of the narrative and thematic signs point to CLINT being the logical person to sacrifice himself? No. Fuck you x2. They kill Nat on Vormir - where GAMORA also died, because apparently only women die on Vormir - and we're supposed to be happy with it bc, well, Clint has a family! Yeah, you know who also had a family? NATASHA. SHE SAID SO, IN THIS MOVIE - the Avengers are her family! But bc this movie is so fucking heteronormative, Clint's family - and thus, his life - is subtextually judged to be worth more than Natasha's, which is bullshit. Clint had the whole fucking redemption arc laid out before him - loses his family, goes on a killing spree, becomes semi evil, is brought back to the light by his best friend and is motivated by getting his family back at any cost, and then he's given the opportunity to redeem himself and they just...choose to kill Nat instead. For no fucking reason. Like, Clint had a full-on ANAKIN SKYWALKER redemption arc going on and they just said, "Nah, you know what? What if, in ROTJ, Luke died to save Vader?" YEAH, TELL ME HOW THAT'S SATISFYING, MARVEL???

...

I just.

So yeah. Turns out that 2 years later, I still have a lot of Thoughts™️ about Endgame.

However, watching the movie again WAS good to get a sense of the time travel/multiverse nonsense that we're going to (hopefully) get into in Loki, so I'm actually going to lay out my thoughts about that in another post.