#i feel like ive forgotten to talk about something with this episode but i cannot remember what ah well

[variousqueerthings]

She enjoyed that way too much.

OH NO CLARA DIED. I knew that was going to happen, I have seen it all on the tumbls. but how did she die? I genuinely couldn't remember (all I had was the toymaker going "killed by a... bird?") and yeah that's what I was thinking too. a bird? really? alright then

sexism rank objectification (female character is ogled/harassed/turned into a sex joke by the doctor and/or a lead we’re supposed to root for and/or the camera): 10/10

sexism rank plot-point (lead female character is only there to serve plot, not to have her emotional interiority explored, or given agency to her emotional interiority): 6/10

interesting complex or pointlessly complex (does the complexity serve the narrative or does it just serve to be confusing as a stand-in for smart, this includes visually): 5/10

furthers character and/or lore and/or plot development (broader question that ties into the previous ones, at least two of these, ideally three should be fulfilled): 9/10

companion matters (the companion doesn’t always have to be there, but if the companion is there, can they function without the doctor– and overall per season how often is the companion the focus or POV of the story): 6/10

the doctor is more than just “godlike” (examines the doctor’s flaws and limitations, doesn’t solve a plot by having it revolve entirely around the doctor’s existence): 9/10

doesn’t look down on previous doctor who (by erasing or mocking its importance, by redoing and “bettering” previous beloved plotpoints or characters, etc.): 8/10

isn’t trying to insert hamfisted sexiness (m*ffat famously talked a lot about how dw should be sexier multiple times, he sucks at writing it): 8/10

internal world has consistency (characters have backgrounds, feel rooted in a place with other people, generally feel like they have Lives): 6/10

Politics (how conservative is the story): 6/10

FULL RATING: 73/100 (if I can count….)

alright so we're on Big Episodes Time. technically Face The Raven is the first of three episodes but it very much stands alone in Vibe, so let us look at it

OBJECTIFICATION: seriously, we're pretty good on this by now. almost like one doesn't have to make a million jokes about women's appearances or sexually harass them to write a story

PLOT-POINT: okay first contentious rating, because the whole thing about Clara in this episode is that she figures out she is Gonna Die, which is all about her emotions isn't it?

I mean... a bit. but I think it highlights two things 1. "Maybe this is what I wanted. Maybe this is it. Maybe this is why I kept running. Maybe this is why I kept taking all those stupid risks. Kept pushing it" <- this is Clara being like "ah fuck I'm gonna die, but who knows maybe that's what my whole story and self was about" and I'm scratching my head a bit, going... was it? is that... the core of Clara? do the writers know the core of Clara? Or is this just her comforting the Doctor which is my second point 2. sooo much of this death is about Clara comforting the Doctor and telling the Doctor to not get revenge and to be okay with her dying. my love, you are about to die, why are we not getting more on you?

if this story had, say, echoed way back to early days Clara (s7) who was coming to terms with the fact that she was going to die over and over again, but then is rescued from that fate in one reality (I mean, it didn't quite nail that premise, but there's cool ideas within it), and this reality of Clara being afraid of death, but wanting to engage with the fun of life instead, to the point that maybe she forgot death was even an option... there's certainly some things you can use to read this into her, but it's not textual, it's not -- I would even say -- deliberate

Clara just kinda bounced about in the story a lot of the time, as if the writers had forgotten to do a simple character bible or something to that effect with her, so that in this moment when she dies... I'm not sure how it echoes back to how she lived. "Be brave" can mean anything, it's not a Clara-based mantra that relates to anything about her before. it doesn't relate to the idea that she's died before in a bunch of different lifetimes, or that her partner died to save her -- even though she mentions that death, but it's in the context of how she should also be brave and face it, and I'm like. no! aside from how I feel like Danny Pink's narrative was written, he at the very least canonically died so that Clara would not, it seems kind of not how that was framed to go "ah well, he could do it, so can I," he would be Upset at this idea surely???

we reach the seeming end of her life and I understand how it affects the Doctor -- hell how it affects Me and Rigsy -- more than how it affects her

I didn't rate this point lower, because I do think there's some emotional throughline in the episode itself, the problem is that it feels like it didn't relate to the entire rest of her run

COMPLEXITY: there's a Plot. who did the Plot? we don't know yet. we will find out! that's fine, this is the season finale one of three, we don't need to know everything yet

Me was hired to do the plot, and she did so in... kind of a complicated roundabout way. I kind of wish she'd targeted Clara to begin with, because why would she think Rigsy could get in contact with the Doctor? I really like Rigsy, I'm happy to see him again, and he's clearly doing well, but it's a bit ooh and then this plottwist happens, except I wasn't quite following why it needed to be twisted like that in the first place + I mean the fuckn. bit at the end when Me realises what's happened with Clara feels like it's doing so much heavy lifting "I didn't know she'd do something so stupid" really? I didn't realise it was stupid, because it's just inventing stuff as it goes along

I like a lot of the stuff around the plot, but that's another point!

CHARACTERS/LORE/PLOT: I mean yeah, Clara dies and the Doctor is transported... sooomewhere. (actually when I was watching Heaven Sent I hadn't realised it was this transporter that sent him into the Confession Dial, it took me until now)

Me is running a safe haven -- again, a compelling idea that isn't really explored a lot -- and is working for sooomeone to fuck with the Doctor. villain

so yeah, big stuff. Confession Dial now out of the Doctor's hands

COMPANIONS MATTER: second contentious rating perhaps, but Clara makes one big decision in this episode, and it's a huuuge mistake and gets her killed -- the fact that everything around that mistake was kind of silly aside, it's kind of a symptom of one of the main things that frustrated me for a lot of Clara's run (and Amy's for that matter) which was that M*ffat couldn't seem to figure out how to make them make decisions without the Doctor holding their hand, and the second she does in this episode, she literally dies

“GODLIKE” DOCTOR: the Doctor goes on a bit of a murder mystery romp in this one, and that's quite fun. again, I think Clara's death was more about him and how he might react to it, than about her, but on the whole there's nothing else egregious in this

also we get the return of the flashcards, I do enjoy the flashcards!

PREVIOUS DOCTOR WHO: Mmm there's not much in this one. obviously the Time Lords are about to arrive bit by bit, but on the whole -- apart from showing some various aliens...

“SEXINESS”: Clara mentions Jane Austen as "a great kisser" in this episode, and it's... the second? third hint? that she's not quite straight. I know it's baaaasically canon at this point, but I think generally Clara being bi was handled pretty terribly, in that it wasn't

INTERNAL WORLD: there's that secret world of aliens, which mimics a bit the Zygons outside. I kind of think this deserves more than what it gets, but it's not really about it, it's just a bit of set dressing

still, some cool concepts within it. I do wonder if I sometimes am unfair about when I think something is well-developed or not -- after all, Rings of Akhaten was also an alien culture briefly shown but not too dwelled on. I think that episode really did show bits of how that space worked, and crucially the religious festival aspect of it, whereas with this you get a sense of a kind of fucked up underlying politics, but it's not important to what's happening -- heck, we discover that Me pretended to kill someone and framed someone for that fake murder, so that she could lure the Doctor there, and it's confirmed that the law is so strict that just "assuming" someone committed that murder is enough to condemn them to death without trial or chance for defence

but we don't really understand how this affects the people in this supposedly safe haven, we don't really care about any of them, and Me's "plot" is never discovered or important to the running of this place (and the next time we meet Me is in the final episode at the very very end of the Universe so whatever this place was, it's gone now, it's just some random time she spent doing this thing)

I kind of wish there was an episode that was actually about this place

POLITICS: so we've got the refugee/secret society of aliens on earth, which is... somewhat thinly depicted. and the structure of this society is veeery not-good/vicious. but I guess it's mainly just that none of this really matters to the story of the episode

I like that we showed Rigsy again and that he has a kid and seems to be doing well for himself, I think having him specifically as a recurring character was a good choice

FULL RATING: 73/100 (if I can count….)

this is the highest-rated episode of the season actually, and I do enjoy a fair bit of it. some of this rating though comes from it being a Very Big Episode that sets up various things. I realise in structure it's got a bit in common with Utopia leading into that season's two-part finale (although of course, very different finales). straggler society that's holding on, Doctor arrives and is hoping to fix things only to get hit by a curveball in the last few minutes

I think that this is where the stuff that I do like about s9 comes up against the stuff that I knew wasn't going to land for me -- things like how Me is written into the lore feeling kind of clumsy to me, Clara not being as developed as I'd want her to be, and this season having a certain "and now suddenly something really important happens that came outta nowhere" style of writing

but it's a sweet little episode on its own, with some cool worldbuilding, and Rigsy is there!

also the post-credits Rigsy graffiti'ing the Tardis was beautiful. now we head into the. Final Episodes!

*

I'm not gonna lie -- this is not fair to the episode but oohhhh seeing Letitia Wright was transphobia jumpscare! she wasn't super transphobic and anti-vaxx back then either, it's just. yeah, jumpscare, as my friend and I call it whenever we don't expect sudden casual transphobia reminders

[astroyongie]

TXT - November Reading Edition

Note : please remember to take these readings lightly and with a grain of salt. next coming are: ITZY, NCT 127, Aespa, NCT Dream, IVE, WayV, Red Velvet, BTS, Gidle and Treasure 

Yeonjun

Love: it seems like Yeonjun and his partner went through some harsh time. It feels like they had broke up but at the same time their history isn’t finished yet. Like there’s still some things to talk about and make clear. It was not the most healthiest relationship compared to when they first started to date. Yeonjun might have been a little bit too authoritative with them

Career: He is having a little bit of trouble to focus on his work, a little bit lazy lately but he is still managing it well and he is balanced enough to know when to rest and when to work. He has been having a lot of money too, spending quite a lot. I feel like he writes a lot about his experiences.

Health:

Physical: X

Emotional: He sometimes feels like his mind is a prison he cannot escape of

Dates: 2, 7 and 17 (Days or December)

Soobin

Love: He is still single after his last breakup and it seems like despite his “male energy” and despite seeing people sometimes fo this needs he gets bored easily and he runs away from everyone when things get too attached. He also hasn’t”’t forgotten about his ex yet.

Career: He had been having some trouble when it comes to his career to know what he really wants. However he is surrounded by professionals that help him making the right decisions. He wants to try acting

Health:

Physical: Needs to be careful with hair loss, his skin and his face in general but also his bones and backs. Needs to eat more properly

Emotional: He is in a bad state mentally, depression episodes happen often, he doesn’t sleep or eat well, a lot going on in his mind and he feels extremely lonely

Dates: 21 November, 5 days or December and 6 months

Beomgyu

Love: Still in his realtionship with he same person however it feels like the realtionship became more “open”. He is happy with the situation he has now, free to be with that person and still see other people if he wants to. He knows he is “impossible to love and love”. It feels like he has been ignoring/havign conflicts with his family as well

Career:  Things rent going very well for him when it comes to his career. He has a lot of burdens and work that he doesn’t know how to manage, he feels stressed everything he has to do something idols related and there’s a lot of conflict and arguments within himself but also with his staff, company and members.

Health:

Physical: He should check for any heart disease and his digestive system, he needs to eat a little more and eat healthier

Emotional: Stuck in the past but overall okay

Dates: tomorrow, 1st of December, 26 of November, 13 days or December

Taehyun

Love: It seems that since my last reading, Taehyun had someone in his life however they have broke up like two weeks ago. He is currently moving on from that place and it was also due to cheating (don’t know who did it tho)

Career:  Things are equally complicated when it comes to projects that have been negative to him and poor money income as well. I feel like he has someone in the company that enjoys putting difficulties in his life however he knows about it

Health:

Physical: Stomach aches are recurrent

Emotional: Not in his best state of mind either, he has a lot of negative self talk and bad ideas? Despite knowing it’s not a good thing he can’t help it

Dates: 8 days or December, 15 days or December, 28 of November

Kai

Love: It seems like Kai had his eyes on someone but things didn’t go his way. He feels slightly betrayed and disappointed because he really thought that this could work out with this person. I also feel like he has no luck in life at the moment due to karmic blockages and energetic blockages

Career: He fought with someone (I don’t know if its a teammate or someone in the company) but this person also doesn’t want him any good (just like Taehyun’s situation) and are here to make his life more complicated. He comforted this person however but he is still very angry about his career situation

Health:

Physical: He should check for diabetes or insulin levels, bladder and kidney troubles  

Emotional: X

Dates: 18 and 14 (days or December) , 27 of November

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recaps: Volume 8 “Dark”

Welcome back, everyone! Can you believe it's been six weeks already? I can't. Something something the uncomfortable passage of time during a pandemic as emphasized by a web-series.

But we're here to talk about RWBY the fictional story, not RWBY the cultural icon. At least, we will in a moment. First, I'd like to acknowledge that shaky line between the two, growing blurrier with every volume. A sort of good news, bad news situation.

The bad news �� to get that out of the way — is that we cannot easily separate RWBY from its authors and those authors have, sadly, been drawing a lot of negative attention as of late. This isn't anything new, not at all, but I think the unexpectedly long hiatus gave a lot of fans (myself included) the chance to think about Rooster Teeth's failings without getting distracted by their biggest and brightest production. There's a laundry list of problems here — everything from the behavior of voice actors to the quality of their merch — but as a sort of summary issue, I'd like to highlight the reviews that continue to pop up on websites like Glassdoor, detailing the toxic, sexist, crunch-obsessed environment that RT employees are forced to work in. A lot of these websites requires a login to read more than a page of reviews, but you can check out a Twitter thread about it here. 

Now, I want to be clear: I'm not bringing this up as a way to shame anyone enjoying RWBY. This isn't a simplistic claim of, "The authors are Problematic™ and therefore you can't like the stuff they produce." Nor is this meant to be a catch-all excuse for RWBY's problems. If it were, I'd have dropped these recaps years ago. I'm of the belief that audiences maintain the right to both praise and criticize the work they're given, regardless of the context in which that work was produced. At the end of the day, RT has presented RWBY as a finished product and, more than that, presents it as an excellent product, one worth both our emotional investment and our money (whether in the form of paying for a First account, or encouraging us to buy merch, attend cons, etc.) I'll continue to critique RWBY as needed, but I a) wanted fans to be at least peripherally aware of these issues and b) clarify that my use of "RT" in statements like, "I can't believe RT is screwing up this badly" is meant to be a broad, nebulas acknowledgement that someone in the company is screwing up, either creatively (doesn't have the skill to write a good scene) or morally (hasn't created an environment in which other creators are capable of crafting a good scene). The real, inner workings of such companies are mostly a secret to their audiences and thus it's near impossible for someone like me — random fan writing these for fun as a casual side hobby — to accurately point fingers. Hence, broad "RT." I just wanted to clarify that when I use this it's as a necessary placeholder for whoever is actually responsible, not a damnation of the overworked animator breaking down in a bathroom. Heavy stuff, but I thought it was necessary (or at least worthwhile) to acknowledge this issue as we head into the second half of the volume.

Now for the good news: RWBY has reached 100 episodes! For any who may not know, 100 is a pretty significant number in the TV world because, when talking about prime time programming, it guarantees syndicated reruns. Basically, networks don't want audiences to get burned out with a show — changing the channel when it comes on because ugh, I've seen this already, recently too — and 100 episodes allows for a roughly five month run without any repeats, making it very profitable. RWBY is obviously not a television show and doesn't benefit from any of this (hell, modern television doesn't benefit from this as much as it used to, not in the age of streaming), but the 100 episode threshold is still ingrained in American culture. Beyond just being a nice, rounded number, it is historically a measure of huge success and I can't imagine that RT isn't aware of that. Regardless of what we think of RWBY's current quality, this is one hell of a milestone and should be applauded.

All that being said... RWBY's quality is definitely still lacking lol.

Our 100th episode is titled "Dark" — keeping with the one word titles, then — and I'd like to emphasize that, as a 100th episode, it definitely delivers in terms of plot. There's plenty of action, important character beats, and at least one major reveal, everything we'd expect from a milestone and a Part II premiere. The animation also continues to be noteworthy for its beauty, as I found myself admiring many of the screenshots I took for this recap. There are certainly things to praise. The only problem (one we're all familiar with by now) is that these small successes are situated within a narrative that's otherwise falling apart. It's all good stuff... provided you ignore literally everything else surrounding it.

But let's dive into some examples. We open on Qrow starting, awoken by the thunder outside. Robyn has been watching him and makes a peppy comment about how none of them will be sleeping tonight, followed by a more serious, "Sounds bad out there." Yeah, it does sound bad, especially when they all know — thanks to Ruby's message back in Volume 7 — that this is due to Salem's arrival. I think a lot of the fandom has forgotten that little detail because people often discuss Qrow as if he is entirely ignorant of what is going on outside his cell. Even if we were to assume that he's forgotten all about the pesky Salem issue (the horror of Clover's death overriding everything else, perhaps) he still knows that Tyrian is running loose in a heat-less city with a creepy storm going on and, from his perspective, the Very Evil Ironwood is still running the show. So it's bad, which begs the question of why Qrow (and Robyn, for that matter) hasn't displayed an ounce of legitimate worry for everyone he knows out there. Thus far, their interactions have centered entirely around Qrow's misplaced blame and Robyn's terrible attempts to lighten the mood, despite the fact that a war is raging right beyond that wall. It's another example of RWBY's inability to manage tone properly, to say nothing of balancing the multiple concerns any one character should be trying to juggle. Just as it rankles that Ruby and Yang don't seem to care about what has happened to their uncle, Qrow likewise doesn't seem to care about what might be happening to his nieces. When did we reach a point where these relationships are so broken that someone can be arrested/chucked into a deadly battle and the others just... ignore that?

So Robyn's otherwise innocuous comment immediately reminds me of how badly the narrative has treated these conflicts and, sadly, things don't improve much from here. We are thankfully spared more of Robyn's jokes when Qrow realizes that what he's hearing can't be thunder. A second later, Cinder blasts through the wall — called it! — and Qrow instinctively transforms. 

The only downside to this moment is that the whole ceiling falls down on Qrow and the others because APPARENTLY these cells don't have tops on them. Seriously. As far as I can recall we don't see the stone breaking through the forcefield somehow and this looks pretty open to me.

If it is... you're telling me these crazy powerful fighters who practice landing strategies and leap tall buildings in a single bound —

— can't just hop over this mildly high electric fence to get out? Qrow can't just fly away?

We're, like, two minutes in, folks.

We transfer to Nora's perspective as she wakes up, seeing Klein giving her the IV. He tells her not to worry, that "you and your friend are going to be just fine." What friend? Penny? Klein went upstairs prior to Weiss hugging Whitley or Penny crash landing outside. I had thought them bursting through the door with another unconscious friend was the first time he learned what the big bang outside was, but apparently not.

Penny is, obviously, a mess. While I now understand the choice to make her blood such an eye-catching color when that's crucial to the Hound's hunt, I still think it looks strange visually. Like someone has taken a copy of RWBY and painted over it. It doesn't look like it fits the art style. More than that, it implies some rather complicated things about Penny's humanity, especially in a volume focused around her being a "real girl." Real enough for Maiden powers, but with obviously inhuman blood that isn't even referred to as "bleeding." Penny "leaks" instead.

Toss in the fact that she's literally an android who is made up of tech — recall the running gags about her being heavy, or it hurts to fist-bump her, to say nothing of keeping things like multiple blades inside her body — yet Klein says that her "basic anatomy" is the same and he can "stitch up that wound."

I'm sorry, what? Whatever Penny looks like on the inside, it's not going to resemble a human woman's anatomy, and Klein might be able to stitch the outer layer of skin she's got, but that won't do anything to fix whatever metal bits have been broken underneath. Penny isn't a human-robot hybrid, she's a robot with an aura. Penny has knives in her back, rockets in her feet, and a super computer behind her eyes. When our clip introduced that Klein would be the one to help Penny, my initial reaction was, "Seriously? He's a butler and a doctor and an engineer?" But RWBY didn't even try to get away with a Super Klein explanation, they just waved away Penny's very obvious, inhuman anatomy. Yeah, I'm sure "stitching up" an android wound is just like giving Nora her IV. I hope the surgical sutures he used are extra strong!

In an effort to not entirely drag this episode, I do appreciate that Whitley is allowed an "ugh" moment about the non-blood covering his shirt without anyone calling him out on it. That felt like the sort of thing the show would usually try to make a character feel guilty about and I'm glad that, for once, he was just allowed to be frustrated without comment.

Then the power goes out and May calls, which raises questions about what state the CCTS is in and when scrolls are available to our protagonists vs. when they're not. But whatever. She's checking in because she just "saw another bombing run light up the Kingdom" and —

Wait. Bombing? Salem is bombing the city? I know we've seen explosions in the sky, but I'd always just attributed that to evil aesthetic. Why does this dialogue sound like it's from a World War II film and not a fantasy sci-fi show about literal monsters launching a ground attack?

May looks pretty against the sky though. I like her hair color against that purple.

I'm admittedly grasping at positives here because we finally return to her "You have to choose" ultimatum and — surprise! — May has pulled back completely. Ruby says that once they've helped Penny, "We'll...we'll do something!" which is once again her avoiding making a decision. Ruby still refuses to choose, instead falling back on generic, optimistic pep talks. They'll figure out how to stop Salem later. They'll think about the impact of telling the world later. They'll choose who to help later. Ruby keeps pushing these problems into the future where, she hopes, a perfect, magical solution will have appeared for her to latch onto. When that continues to not happen, others pressuring her to actually do something and stop waiting for perfection — Ironwood, Yang, May — she panics and continues stalling for time. Wait an episode and the narrative supports her in this.

Because initially May was forcing Ruby to decide. Now, May enables her desire to keep putting things off. "Don't beat yourself up, kid. At this point, I don't know how much is left to be done." That's the exact opposite of what May believed last episode, that there was still so much work and good to do for the people of Mantle. This is precisely what the show did with Yang and Ren's scenes too, having people call Ruby out... but then return to a message of, 'Don't worry, you're actually doing just fine' before Ruby is forced to actually change.

None of which even touches on May calling her "kid" in this moment. That continues to be a convenient way of absolving Ruby of any responsibility. When she wants to steal airships or Amity Tower, she's an adult everyone should listen to, the leader of this war. When the story wants to absolve her of previously mentioned flaws, she becomes a kid who shouldn't "beat herself up." I said years ago that RWBY couldn't continue to let the group be both children and adults simultaneously, yet here we are.

So that was a thoroughly disappointing scene. Ruby gets her moment to look sad and defeated, listing "the grimm, the crater, Nora, Penny" as problems she doesn't know how to solve. Note that 'Immortal witch attacking the city I've helped trap here' isn't included in that list. Ruby is still ignoring Salem herself and no one in the group is picking up where May left off, challenging her to do more than wring her hands over things others are already trying to take care of: Ironwood is fighting the grimm, May has gone off to help the crater, Klein is patching up Nora and Penny. Ruby, as one flawed individual, should not be expected to come up with a solution to everything, but she does need to stop acting like she can come up with a solution to everything when it matters most (office scene) and rejecting others' solutions when they ask for her help (Ironwood, May).

If it feels like I'm dragging the flawed, traumatized teenager too much, it's not in an effort to ignore those aspects of her identity. Rather, it's because she's also the licensed huntress who wrested control from a world leader and violently demanded she be put in charge of this battle. Ruby, by her own actions, is now responsible for dealing with these problems, or admitting she was wrong and letting others take the lead, without purposefully derailing their plans. She doesn't get to suddenly go, "I don't know," cry a little, and get sympathetic pats.

But of course that's precisely what happens, courtesy of Weiss.

During this whole scene I kept wondering why no one was celebrating Nora waking up, especially when Ruby outright mentions her. Have they just not noticed given all the Penny drama? Because Nora absolutely woke up.

Aaaand went back to sleep, I guess. What was the point of that POV shot? No worries though, she'll wake up again in a minute.

Willow arrives and announces that they can fix the power (and Penny) using the generator at the edge of the property. I'm convinced RT doesn't actually know what a generator is because the characters are acting like it's some super special device that only richy-rich could possibly have. Whitley says that it's the SDC executives who have their "own power supply" and that it's "extremely unfair." Now, don't get me wrong, a good generator powering large portions of your house can run you 30k+, but you can also get one that plugs into your extension cord and powers your fridge for a couple hundred. There's absolutely a class issue here, just not the one Whitley and Weiss seem to be commenting on. They make a generator sound like the sort of device that only a politician-CEO could possible have and it's weird.

Likely, it sounds weird because it's a choppy way of getting Whitley to bring up the wealth disparity so he can then go, 'That's right! We're crazy rich with a company housing tons of ships! We can use those to evacuate Mantle.' Awkwardness aside, I do like that the Schnee wealth is being used for good purposes, but... evacuate where? To the city currently under attack by a giant whale? In a RWBY that wasn't determined to demonize Ironwood, this would have been a great plot point during the office scene instead, with Weiss offering her services to Ironwood, even if the group decides that a continued evacuation still isn't possible.

Instead, we get it here from Whitley. Do I need to point out the obvious? That Whitley is the MVP of this episode? He's done more good in an HOUR than the group has managed in a year. Give this kid some training and make him a huntsmen instead.

We're given a (very pretty!) shot of the shattered moon because it wouldn't be RWBY if we weren't continually reminded that gods once wiped out humanity before destroying part of a celestial body... and absolutely no one talks about that lol.

Blake's coat might not make any sense for her color scheme, but it does make her easy to spot as she and Ruby run across the grounds. Oh my god, they're actually doing something together! It only took eight years. They even get a lovely talk where Blake admits how much she looks up to Ruby, despite her being younger, and once again I'm struck at how much more I would have loved this scene if it had appeared elsewhere in the series. It is, indeed, as sweet and emotional as all the RWBY GIF-ers are claiming... provided you overlook that this is the exact opposite of what Ruby needs to hear right now. She doesn't need to hear that she's more mature and reliable than her elders when she's functioning under a "We don't need adults" mentality. She doesn't need to hear that not knowing what to do is totally fine, not when that led to her turning on Ironwood, despite not knowing how to stop Salem. She doesn't need to hear that "doing something" — doing anything — is a strength, because Ruby keeps avoiding the big problems for smaller ones she's comfortable with, like standing by Penny's bedside instead of deciding between Mantle and Atlas. Blake's speech is heartfelt, but it's a speech that suits a Beacon days Ruby who is having some doubts about her leadership skills, not the girl whose impulsive — and now lack of — actions is having world-wide repercussions. Everyone is babying Ruby to a staggering degree. It's like if we had a med show where the doctor is standing by the bedside of a coding patient, fretting between two treatments. 'Don't worry,' their colleague says, patting their shoulder. 'I've always looked up to you. You'll do something when you're ready' and then they continue to watch the patient, you know, die.

Also: who does Ruby look up to? Everyone talks about how much they depend on and trust Ruby, but who does Ruby look to for guidance? A number of her problems stem from the fact that she has rejected the advice of everyone who has tried to help her improve: Qrow, Ozpin, Ironwood, even Yang. Ruby is presented as the pinnacle of what to strive for in a leader, rather than a leader who has only been doing this for two years and still has a great deal to learn.

Anyway, they get the generator on and the Hound shows up.

I am begging RT to just make RWBY a horror story. All their best scenes the last three years have been horror I am bEGGING —

Anyway, while Ruby waits to be eaten we cut to Willow and Klein, the former of which is reaching for her bottle, pulling back, reaching again, all while her hand shakes. This is good. This is what we should have gotten with Qrow. Which isn't to say that their (or anyone's) addiction should be identical, but rather that this is a far more engaging and complex look at addiction than what our birb got. Willow tells us that she doesn't drink in the dark despite bringing the bottle with her; tries to resist drinking when she's scared and ultimately fails. Qrow just decided to stop drinking after decades of addiction, seemingly for no reason, and that was that. Why is a side character we only met this volume written better than one of the main cast?

Blake manages to call Weiss about the Hound and she asks if Whitley can handle the airships without her. I mean, I assume so given that Weiss is looking at the bookshelves while Whitley does all the work lol. He makes a teasing comment about how he can if she can handle that grimm and she comments that they still need to work on his "attitude."

No they don't. Weiss stuck a weapon in her kid brother's face. Whitley made a joke. Even if Weiss' comment is likewise meant to be read as teasing, it's clear that we've bypassed any meaningful conversation between them. That hug was supposed to be a Fix Everything moment even though, as I've laid out elsewhere, it didn't even come close.

We cut back to Ruby getting thrown through a wall into the backyard and the Hound creepily coming after her. She's freaked out by this clearly abnormal grimm and Blake is weirdly... not? "It's just a grimm. Just focus!" Uh, it's obviously not. Have we reached the traumatized, sleep-deprived point where the group is sinking into full-blown denial? I wouldn't be surprised. They've been awake for like... 40+ hours.

Because the Hound knocks Ruby out with a single hit. Just, bam, she's down. "Focusing" is not the solution here.

Weiss calls to warn the others about the grimm, telling them to stick together. Willow (understandably) starts freaking out and flees the room (classic horror trope!). Klein is left alone when Penny wakes up with red eyes. Oh no!

Don't worry. You know nothing meaningful happens.

She shoves Klein before (somehow?) resisting the hack, her Maiden powers going wild in the process. Just when it looks as if Penny might cause some serious damage, Nora wakes up, takes her hand, and says, I kid you not:

"Hey... no one is going to make you do anything you don't want to do... It's just a part of you. Don't forget about the rest."

Okay. I want to re-emphasize that I love hopeful, uplifting, victory-won-through-the-power-of-love stories. Istg I'm not dead inside, it's just that RWBY does this so badly. I mean, what is this? It has similarities to the character shouting, 'No! Resist!' to their mind-controlled ally, but this is not presented as a desperate, last-ditch effort by Nora. She just speaks like this is the most obvious truth in the world. If you don't want to have your mind taken over... just don't! It's that simple. The problem definitely isn't that Watts has changed her coding and has implemented a command she can't override, it's that Penny has forgotten about the "rest" of her personhood.

And this works. Granted, not for long, but we leave Nora having successfully calmed Penny down and until her eyes unexpectedly go red again scenes later, we're left assuming that this is a permanent solution. That, imo anyway, is taking the Power of Love too far, overriding the basic reality of Penny being hacked. It’s not a personal failing she must overcome, it’s an external attack. I would have rather had Nora react to the scars she saw on her arm, or have a moment with Klein, or get some love from the group. Not a wakes up, falls asleep, wakes up again to save Penny with a Ruby level 'Just ignore reality' pep-talk, then back to sleep again.

So Penny isn't attacking her allies, or mistakenly hurting her allies with wild Maiden powers. Not that the group doesn't have enough to deal with, but still. Weiss arrives to help with the Hound and attempts a new summon, only to fail when two minor grimm burrow up into her glyphs. I really enjoyed that moment, both for the wing visual and the knowledge that Weiss' glyphs can fail if you break them somehow (which makes sense). Also, I just like that she failed in general? Weiss is, as per usual now, about to demonstrate just how OP she is compared to the rest of the team, so it was nice to see her faltering here.

The Hound tries to make off with Ruby and Blake does an excellent job of keeping it tethered. Ruby finally wakes, only to realize that the grimm is actually after Penny since it's staring at her power up through the window, no longer trying to escape. Moments like this remind me that there's someone on RT's writing team that knows what they're doing, at least some of the time. The assumption that the Hound is after Ruby as a SEW, the surprise that it's actually Penny, realizing it holds up because Ruby is covered in Penny's blood and Blake is not... that's all nice, tight plotting. More of that please!

The Hound drops her and Ruby's aura shatters when she hits the ground. I want everyone to remember this moment as an example of how strong the Hound is. The group may be tired, but unlike YJR they've been sitting around in the Schnee manor for a number of hours, regaining strength. We saw the Hound hit Ruby twice — once through the wall and once to knock her out — and then she falls from a not very high distance for a huntress, yet her aura is toast. That's the level of power and skill the Hound possesses. Decimating YJR, knocking Oscar out, same for Ruby, avoiding Blake and Weiss' hits, soon to treat Penny like a ragdoll. Just remember all this for the episode's end.

Blake tells Weiss she'll take care of Ruby, you go help the others. Yay breaking up the duos more! Bad timing though as the new acid-spitting grimm pops out of the ground and Blake is now left alone to face it.

Weiss re-enters the mansion, knowing the Hound is somewhere nearby, but not where. Suddenly, Willow's voice sounds through her scroll with an, "Above you!" which... doesn't keep Weiss from getting hit lol. But it's the thought that counts! Willow has accessed the cameras she's set up throughout the manor, watching the Hound's movements, and I have to say, that is a WAY better use of her separation from Klein than I thought we were getting. I legit thought they'd have Willow run away in a panic, meet the Hound, die, and then Weiss could be sad about losing her mom.

It does say something about RWBY's writing that this was my knee-jerk theory, as well as my surprise when we got something way better.

The Hound runs off, uninterested in Weiss, and she asks Willow to keep tabs on it. It heads for Whitley next (also covered in Penny's blood) and very creepily stalks him in the office with a, "I know you're here." Whitley is seconds away from being Hound chow before one of Weiss' boars pin it against the wall. He runs, then runs BACK to finish deploying the airships, before finally escaping assumed death. Goddamn this boy is pulling his weight.

I assume all these ships are automated then? I hope someone takes a moment to call May. Otherwise it's going to be super weird for the Mantle citizens if a fleet of SDC ships just show up and hover there...

I don't entirely understand how Weiss saved him though. She's nowhere to be seen when Whitley leaves and he runs a fair distance before he and Willow encounter Weiss again. We know her summons don't have to keep right next to her, but are they capable of rudimentary thought, attacking an enemy — and an enemy only — despite Weiss being a couple corridors down and unable to see the current battlefield? I don't know. In another series I'd theorize that this was a deliberate hint, a way to clue us into the fact that Willow, someone who we currently know almost nothing about, had training in the past and summoned the boar herself. Weiss and Winter certainly didn't get that hereditary skill from Jacques. Hell, we might still get that, Weiss reacting with confusion next episode when Whitley thanks her for the boar, but I doubt it. That scene with Ruby and the Hound aside, the show isn't this good at laying groundwork and then following up on it.

Case in point: Weiss says, "I didn't forget you" to Whitley after he gets away from the Hound, the moment trying to harken back to her promise to Willow. Key word is "trying." Because she absolutely forgot him! Weiss threatened and ignored Whitley until he proved his usefulness. I also shouldn't need to point out that, "Don't forget your brother" does not mean, "Don't let your brother die a horrible death by abnormal grimm." Weiss acts like her saving him is a fulfillment of her promise, rather than just the most basic of human decency. And also, you know, her job.

So that part is frustrating. The entire Schnee dynamic is a mess, from Weiss making a joke of her father's arrest, to Willow (presumably) fixing their relationship by putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Okay.

Then Weiss cuts off the Hound by summoning a giant wall of ice. My brain, every time this happens:

YOU COULD HAVE FIXED THE HOLE IN MANTLE'S WALL.

Moving on, Blake's fight against the acid... thing has some great choreography, including Blake using her semblance which we haven't seen in AGES. 

I really like the fight itself, just not what Blake is shouting the whole time. "I need you, Ruby! We all need you!" This has really gotten ridiculous. Ruby is presented as everyone's sole savior despite failing time and time again. It's not that I don't think Blake as a character should have faith in her leader, it's that I don't think the writers should be crafting a story where everyone puts their unshakable hopes in an untrained, disloyal, impulsive 17 year old. I mean, Ruby is currently unconscious, yet Blake is acting like if she doesn't wake up — she, as an individual, if Ruby Rose does not re-join this fight — then all is lost. If Ruby doesn't save them, no one can. Which is, of course, absurd on numerous levels. Blake doesn't need the passed out, aura-less Ruby right now, she needs the still very healthy Weiss pulling out multiple summons and an ice wall! Use your scroll and call for backup again.

But of course, Ruby wakes up and kills the new, terrifying grimm with a single hit. It's a preview of what's to come with the Hound and it's just as ridiculous here as it will be there.

Speaking of the Hound, am I the only one who thought this was... cute?

I can't possibly be the only one. That head-tilt is exactly what my dogs do and my brain instinctively went, "Aww, puppy!"

Murderous puppy.

The Hound realizes none of the Schnees are who it's looking for and runs off. Penny, meanwhile, has been fully taken over because, well, that's just what's convenient now. She resists long enough keep Amity up, then succumbs, then resists to apologize to Ruby, then succumbs, then resists because Nora asked her to, then succumbs once it's time to knock her out. If RWBY was willing to commit to consequences, Penny would have been taken over and that was that. The characters would need to deal with whatever outcome happens as a result. Instead, the show very carefully avoids any of those pesky consequences by having Penny successfully resisting at key moments, despite no explanation of how she's managing that.

She shoves Klein again (Klein is having a Bad Time) and starts walking down the main steps. When Whitley wants to know where the hell she's going, Penny mechanically responds that she must "Open the vault, then self-destruct." I suppose the change Watts made was the self-destruct order? Ironwood obviously wants the vault open, though not necessarily Penny's death. Think what you will of his moral compass, she's a damn powerful ally — a research project, perhaps — and a Maiden to boot. At the very least, her death may give the powers to someone even worse.

God, please don't let them have brought Penny back and made her a Maiden just to kill her again.

The Hound arrives though and, as said, knocks Penny out. We're back to square one with her, then. Note though that this attack is near instantaneous. She grabs its hands one second, is hanging limply the next. Wow, the Hound sure is a terrifying antagonist!

Not for long.

"That's enough," Ruby says and one-shots it with her eyes.

Now, I want to talk for a moment about the implications of that line. "That's enough." Obviously Ruby is #done with this situation and emotionally unwilling to let the Hound kidnap Penny (congratulations, Nuts and Dolts shippers), but there's a meta reading here as well. Not intentional, but glaring to me nonetheless. Basically, the idea that the Hound has, from a plot perspective, done enough. It has served its singular purpose. It kidnapped Oscar and now it dies. Never-mind how insanely powerful we've established the Hound to be, never-mind how Ruby's eyes also work or don't work according to whether anything of actual import is on the line. From a plot perspective "that's enough" and the Hound can be disposed of instantly. It got Oscar and gave us an episode of filler creepiness. Move along now.

The idea behind Ruby's eyes isn't bad, but the execution absolutely is. RT has undermined a huge portion of the stakes by giving their protagonist an instant kill-shot that always works precisely when she needs it to. Starting with the Apathy, we have yet to get a moment where Ruby's eyes fail to save the day when she really needs them to, no matter how incredible the challenge. The Hound was very intentionally written to be a grimm outside of the group's current power level. It thinks, it talks, they literally can't touch it. This creates the expectation that the group will need to grow stronger — or at least become smarter — in order to surmount this new obstacle, yet Ruby's eyes undermine all of that. The group hasn't grown in years, the show just makes enemies weaker as needed (Ace Ops), or has Ruby pull out her eyes as a trump card. It wouldn't be that bad if we'd at least gotten a good battle out of it, one where the group gets close to defeating the Hound on their own, but needs Ruby's eyes to finish it off. Instead, she literally walks up without any aura, announces to the audience that this antagonist's time is up, and blasts it out a window.

Granted, Ruby's eyes don't completely finish it. The Hound pulls itself to its feet and we see this.

Yup, that's a guy and yup, those are silver eyes.

I would like to issue a formal apology to the "It's secretly Summer!" theorists in the fandom. I mean, I still think it would be ridiculous (and at this point highly improbable) that Ruby's dead mother has actually been a grimm mutant this whole time, just hanging out in Salem's realm while she waits for the plot to start before attacking the world, and then sends some no-name faunus dude after the group instead of their leader's mother for extra, emotional torture... but you all were definitely right about the “It's a person” part! I... don't know how I feel about this. Admittedly, it seems to be a logical continuation of the other grimm-human hybrids we've seen — namely Cinder and Salem herself — and it finally explains why Salem wants Ruby alive (even though it actually doesn't because WHY did she want more SEWs for Hound grimm when she wasn't even attacking back then? And already has all these other insanely powerful tools??), but at the same time, it feels like it's complicating a story that doesn't need further complications. The group fights monsters and has an immortal enemy. You don't need to add 'Some of those monsters are secretly human' to the mix.

It doesn't hurt that this twist is giving me Attack on Titan vibes, which, ew. A dark time in my fandom life, folks.

The Hound staggers a few steps before Whitley and Willow dump a suit of armor on it. That's all it takes to kill the most dangerous grimm we've ever seen: a single flash of silver eyes and some heavy metal. This also wreaks havoc with the implication that Salem wants SEWs alive because they create such powerful grimm. Obviously not. I mean yeah, normal huntsmen are going to have serious  problems, we’ve seen that this volume, but any other SEWs nearby will take a Hound out instantaneously. For a villain with so many other powerful abilities — immortality, magic, endless normal grimm, her nifty soup — Salem would be much better served just killing SEWs straight out. Clearly, creating Hounds isn't worth the effort.

The Hound leaves some bones behind and Ruby collapses to her knees, overcome with the knowledge that this was once a person. Again, uncomfortable Attack on Titan parallels.

We finish our premiere with Cinder clearing away rubble to reveal Watts. Honestly, I like that we ended on this because her rescue is hilarious. She just slings him over her shoulders like a sack of potatoes and blasts off with her magic fire feet. Fantastic.

Note though that with this scene we've seen almost everything from the clip and the trailer. What's to come in the rest of Volume 8? No idea. Outside of Winter leading the charge with the bomb, we got it all here.

Time to update the bingo board!

I'm crossing off "Introducing new grimm that are quickly abandoned." Between the Hound and acid-dude both falling to a single blast/cut from Ruby, we've more than earned this square.

It doesn't look as if we'll get another Watts-Jacques team-up now that he's left, but you never know.

Maria's got me worried. I feel like her Yoda fight against Neo is the one thing she'll be allowed to do this volume, but given that we didn't see anyone except Ruby's group this episode, we don't yet know whether the story is now ignoring her and Pietro, or if they'll re-appear in another episode like YJR.  

Qrow is free. Will he get a drink before trying to murder Ironwood? Perhaps.

Still no bingo :(

All in all, the episode was by no means horrible. I think there were lots of horrible parts, but also some legitimately well executed moments, fun action, and scenes that I can easily imagine as squee worthy if you lean back and squint. Everything is comparative and in the growing collection of bad RWBY episodes, this one isn't securing a top slot. Which doesn't mean I think it's good, just... not as bad as it could have been and primarily only bad due to long-running problems, not things this specific episode has done. That's my bar then, so low it has officially entered the underworld.

Still, RWBY is back and a part of me is eager to see where this volume takes us, for better or for worse.

Until next week! 💜

[Ko-Fi]

[fymagnificentwomcn]

No, she isn’t. The whole „evil Kösem” thing isn’t played straight in MYKS2.

Kösem was in a role no woman was before her in Ottoman Empire – she was a woman who governed on her own and it wasn’t a role expected of a woman or one subject to any real legal regulations, and the fact that she often formed an alternative source of power in time of weak, tyrannical or mentally ill rulers just made people more to treat her as usurper, someone who made difficult decisions that she wasn’t entitled to make, since they weren’t traditionally within female sphere of influence in the Ottoman Empire, especially in minds of certain bureaucrats. If she had been a padişah, nobody would have given her such wank for them.

This is best exemplified in one of the conversations between Kösem and Murad where he accuses her of being “plague that entered their dynasty by deceit” and “sick woman”. He mentions that yes padisahs made numerous painful sacrifices for the state, but here he is the PADISAH, so he may do what he wants, while she is not entitled to do so just for the fact she’s not the monarch in what was always absolute monarchy. He’s the only person who can make decisions concerning dynasty, no matter what sort of decisions they are, even if destructive ones. He is, nota bene, proven wrong in about this when in his final episode he is criticised by the mufti Yahya Efendi (who for some time was his big supporter) for ordering to execute Ibrahim and Mustafa, thus placing the end to the Ottoman dynasty, which decision is deemed as impossible to carry out. Similarly, he is also called out by Kösem upon executing Ahizade because even the padisah couldn’t execute the Grand Mufti – Kösem calls it “similar unflawlufness that what happened to Osman that she will not allow” even after Murad’s argumentation that since the public killed the sultan, he might execute the chief judge because who he is next to a padisah.

Halil Inalcik in one of his interviews stated that the fact that the mere fact that a woman was ruling the Empire over a padisah (in this case he was talking about Ibrahim’s reign) was viewed negatively and was labelled in chronicles written by contemporary bureaucrats as tagallüb, that is unlawful tyranny, “unjustified taking power into her hands”

It generally shows position of many women that dared to rule, even Elizabeth I in England had to face criticism of people calling her reign illegitimate, and she was a crowned queen regnant.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND&TRADITIONAL POSITION OF WOMEN IN POWER IN OTTOMAN EMPIRE

Hürrem got criticism in Ottoman Empire for influencing Suleiman and yet she still pretty much moved around what was “acceptable” because she was dependent first and foremost on Suleiman…criticism of her stemmed that while she did what was expected, that is to lead her sons towards the throne, she also was thrust more in consort role similar to European queens than Imperial consorts before her, so influencing padişah representing state (and as such objective, non-partisan justice) for her personal interest instead for benefit of state was seen as crossing the boundary of what was acceptable. She wasn’t just a mother of princes, but continued to be also Suleiman’s consort.

Kösem obviously crossed even more boundaries.  The chief difference between Hürrem and Kösem is that while they were both rule breakers, the rule breaking concerned a totally different sphere in both cases - in case of Hürrem it mostly concerned the institution of the harem and its rules, while Kösem was rule-breaker in matters concerning the political sphere. There is also huge difference in historical context between Suleiman’s and Kösem’s times. Suleiman inherited Empire after a string of good, successful predecessors and could only further work on its greatness (though, by the end of his reign first signs of decline appeared, but again it was also a sign of necessary transformation). When Kösem appeared on political stage, the decline was already quite advanced. This quote says it all:

This period, later known in Ottoman history as ‘Sultanate of Women’ occurred in the midst of period of transformation in Ottoman rule, many rebellions and neverending wars. This term is in Goffman’s view very often viewed in an unjustly pejorative light because women began to be heavily influential in the Ottoman palace when the decline had already started earlier and blaming them for problems that had existed before they began to have power is unjust and simply making them metaphorical scapegoats.

Taken from: Özlem Kumrular,  Kösem Sultan - Iktidar, Hirs, Entrika (trans. mine)

Sultans now also began to often ascend the throne straight from the harem without any experience in province, sometimes spending their whole lives closed in kafes and living in fear. If not mentally ill, they often had other issues, like Murad IV’s anger problems or alcoholism. They were often dependent on their mothers and advisors, also often people their mothers surrounded them with. As such, they could make rash decisions after years of feeling powerless too.

There’s also issue of portrayal of women history, which also Özlem Kumrular mentions in her biography of Kösem Sultan: women in history [and not only lbr] are often seen as either angels or devils, there’s no middle-ground.. Not like complex personalities placed in particular context that also influences evaluation. For example, blaming on Kösem that Empire was not as grand as during times of e.g. Suleiman the Magnificent is pointless due to the factors I mentioned above – it was a totally different reality, and during her lifetime Empire and dynasty were on the brink several times.. The fact that she preserved them is already huge achievement. And the devil-angel dichotomy also is exacerbated in case of women that go beyond their prescribed roles, usually a motherly role. We can sooner forgive women who make sacrifices to protect their children, but not women-politicians taking care of whole state and dynasty, who “exceed” what is allowed for them in a male-dominated sphere, especially if people don’t see them as holding the relevant legal title, and even more especially if it means having higher authority than males in official power. And then also consider that it was traditional for woman’s power in this system to come from a male belonging to the dynasty and Kösem managed to have her own power outside of her spouse or son. She even stayed in power after all her sons were dead.

All of these issues are at play in MYKS2, which also plays with the way women like Kösem were perceived back then in history.

In Kösem’s monologue beginning the final episode she wonders how she will be judged and remembered and the following line appears “a woman who kept together a state and prevented it from ending  or a woman who for her own ambitions killed her sons” - it again says the crux of problem – men make sacrifices for state, but women may be driven only by personal ambition, or at least one connected with her own family’s benefit – there’s no such thing like taking care of state and dynasty in general envisaged for women. She also mentions that people are often remembered for their deaths, so if they don’t die in their glory, everything that they did before may be forgotten. Following this we have Safiye’s quote famous quotes about women and her many roles, all different facets of complex personality that cannot fit into one label – and it is again summarised by the quote I mentioned at the beginning of her paragraph because this is what women in particular are in danger of (and Kösem does mention she fulfilled ALL these roles)

Let’s now look at the “metaphorical scapegoat” aspect – blaming women in power for everything was very common, and in general many things were blamed on anyone but the sovereign, it was even observed during the reign of Suleiman when many tried to put sole blame on Hürrem or his viziers. And again, women were easy to target because they began to cross the sphere of what is permitted by previously established, “godly” order.

Leslie Peirce mentions in Empress of the East about such critics that:

rather than directly criticizing powerful or popular individuals for their unpopular actions or breaches of conduct, they deflected blame onto their associates.

and

This tendency to assign responsibility to the sultan’s associates for unpopular actions or seeming breaches of proper monarchical conduct is typical of the attitude of Ottomans toward their sovereign. They preferred to see him as blameless, and if the author of harmful policy, then the victim of self-seeking and treacherous intimates. Sultans were more easily and comfortably judged misguided than unwise or cruel. the popular view of the fallibility and corruptibility of the sultan’s associates.(...) Exploiting satellites of the ruler as scapegoats for criticism and failure is a universal tactic of absolutist government (indeed, even of democracy).

Taken from: Leslie Peirce, The Imperial Harem: Women and Sovereignty in the Ottoman Empire

Moreover, Kösem was a survivor and her continuing to have a political career following the demise of all her sons was also seen as something abnormal since there was clear connection between power and having a son in that system, it was motherhood that allowed her to have her share in dynastic power – it was again established order that mother’s career ends with her son’s demise, and after that all she has left is eternal mourning. Plus, since Kösem was seen as the holder of most power, but yet not a sovereign, we saw everyone expecting her to fulfil all their personal wishes, not striking for a solution benefitting state and as many members of the dynasty as possible. Compare and contrast it with what was often said to Suleiman in MY – “you cannot satisfy anybody, they must accept your will”.

Honestly, out of all major players in MYK Kösem is the only one willing to compromise, spare and try to work out to minimise damage and try to work out solutions that are least harmful for everyone, and without ordinary people not connected with the matter to suffer. I’d say her only opponents that weren’t worse than her were Handan and Derviş. In world where now everyone is “let the world Empire and dynasty be destroyed, if I/my son can’t be on throne”, she’s the only one trying to protect state, dynasty and nation, which was again something unheard of for a woman – her contribution traditionally was supposed to be charity and advising her son to get to the throne and manage the harem once he ascends. She was again “bound” to her son, her power was supposed to come from him and motherhood. The position of Valide has risen during the Sultanate of Women, but after Safiye co-ruled with Mehmed pretty unsuccessfully (he was almost deposed because of army having problems with her), Ahmed later found his mother’s involvement to be too much, even though as a co-regent she helped him to build his own network of people and get rid of the old one… yet Ahmed was determined not to let his mother interfere too much. The rumour about him poisoning her has never been proven as true, but he didn’t seem like a good son, willing to take advice from his mother. There was likely no Valide during Osman’s reign, which also contributed to his downfall because he wasn’t supplied with good advisers; Halime, while formally not a regent, ruled really badly for Mustafa, so that the country was on brink again… and Kösem stabilised the country again, and was the first Ottoman woman to truly rule for a longer period of time, obviously gaining her own strength apart from her son.

Again Kösem is the only person who thinks about bigger impact or consequences, not just to put her own son on throne, as evidenced by her introduction of anti-fratricide law – she could have easily put her own son on the throne with all her power, but she did want to introduce deeper changes to the system.

SCAPEGOATING

Let us now look at the scapegoat – Kösem always protects MUSTAFA even though his existence poses threat for Ahmed and her sons, she always encouraged Ahmed to spare Mustafa – putting Mustafa in kafes was Ahmed’s sole idea, and it’s not like Halime, Dilruba, and Safiye didn’t give him valid reasons. Then Kösem encouraged Ahmed to eventually release Mustafa. Even after Halime&Dilruba exiled Kösem and tried to kill all her children, Kösem spared them… but everything is Kösem’s fault, obviously. She even disobeyed Ahmed in arranging Halime’s meetings with her son.

Then, OSMAN. Kösem clearly didn’t treat him differently than her other children, he was actually indeed her favourite, which actually caused Mehmed’s bitterness because he felt that his own mother cast him aside for someone who wasn’t from her blood, so something that was again not typical of Ottoman system. It was clear that Kösem wanted to make the new law to be obeyed by setting a precedent - she undoubtedly planned for Osman to eventually succeed Mustafa, that’s why he was the only one she actually hid from Halime. Unfortunately Osman was young and listened to Lala Ömer working on Safiye’s orders – for him naturally Lala was the one preparing him for success according to tradition, while Kösem was after all still a mother of first and foremost her own blood and his rival – Mehmed. He didn’t understand her intentions of her setting the precedent, he read this as her doubting him because why such unconventional move instead of snatching the throne for at least her adopted son? This monologue is very poignant:

 All he could say to her was accusing her of snatching his BiRtHright from him even after she put him on the throne, her explanations how she wanted to change order forever were ignored by him because why would a woman want such things? Her whole role is to keep only her own sons safe.

Even after Osman exiled her, she never planned to replace him with Mehmed – actually if she had wanted to do so, it would have been better for her not to do anything and wait for him to make mistakes instead of still trying to help him, even though behind his back. Even despite her (justified ) anger and  bitterness, she never wanted to kill him, and any plans to dethrone him were short-lived, also once he put all blame on Mehmed’s death on her, continued to keep his brothers in kafes and also blamed her for the death of his young son, while welcoming e.g. Safiye with open arms (who killed both his mother & father). Despite all, she forgave him everything&again fought for his cause, but it was too late… Osman also understood and acknowledged his mistake, but fate had other plans, which was a pity because Osman was mostly young and he could learn from his mistakes that he acknowledged and regretted. Both him and Mehmed were such kiddos, and it’s sad how they fraternal quarrel put them at risk so early because it wasn’t such long-lasting conflict way into adulthood that Selim and Bayezid had, which was very hard to remove in adult princes.

GÜLBAHAR&BAYEZID – of course it was hard for Gülbahar to be in Kösem’s shadow and perhaps never going to Ahmed again, but again, Kösem brought her back to the palace when she heard she was pregnant, allowed the child to be born and didn’t intend to harm them… of course it’s natural she would crave for more, but if she had encountered e.g. Hürrem or someone else, she likely wouldn’t have  been even allowed to give birth or live (remember e.g. Nazenin or even random concubine sent to Suleiman by Fatma, who was murdered on her way to Suleiman’s bedchamber on Hürrem’s orders simply for entering the Golden Path). When all the shit following Ahmed’s death happened, Kösem protected Bayezid as much as her own sons. Upon Murad’s accession, she never intended him any harm even though he was next in line for succession. Yet Gülbahar tried to dethrone child Murad…and not only her son was spared, but even she was merely exiled, which was truly an act of mercy in that situation. Likely it was mostly because Kösem didn’t want for Bayezid to become embittered with her and his siblings and to prevent any possible fraternal quarrels, so Bayezid got not deprived of his mother. There are no inclinations that he had any problems with his siblings and Kösem, and he was after all next in line after Murad. Moreover, Kösem did take care of him and he even called her mother until he began corresponding with Gülbahar. Again, all quarrels and squabbles in family began after Murad deprived his mother of regency, we saw brothers in good relations in first episode, even Kasim and Bayezid. Kösem again tried to warn Murad against inviting Gülbahar back and well… wasn’t she right? Nobody wanted to take his throne from him at that moment except for Gülbahar&Sinan. Even after Bayezid told Gülbahar about Kasim&Elanur, Kösem kept Bayezid’s involvement in this secret because she wanted to protect him and by extension his brothers and not to open door to fratricide again. Then, even after everything Gülbahar did, Kösem still hid from Murad  that Bayezid had incorrectly released a person despite Murad’s order because she knew Murad would most likely have executed him. And when before that Kasim began talking how Bayezid wasn’t her son, so he might cause problems like Osman, Kösem defended him and insisted that Bayezid was one of them.  Bayezid’s quarrel was with Murad and Kasim, not Kösem… she tried to be fair and didn’t even believe Kasim’s accusations against his brother or that he was ever involved in Gülbahar’s sceming. She only lost her patience after assassination attempt on her was carried out (with Bayezid’s approval). Still, it all ended on talking…. And it was sad he never felt any gratitude for her – yes, he was a prince, but he only had his birthright, while this woman had worked for Empire for many years, and the fact that he was a prince did not make the way he talked to her right after he had wanted to have her killed and had lied to her face many times… calling her a slave who will never have their precious Ottoman blood no matter how powerful she is.. really Bayezid? I’m so disappointed in you ☹ /still like you though, my poor boy/. And the last straw for Bayezid was when Murad ordered him to kill Kalika. He clearly committed treason and Kösem couldn’t oppose Murad’s order when she had two more sons that Murad would have wanted to immediately target if she had refused. And Bayezid himself was aware of the extent of Murad’s cruelty because he mentioned to Kösem that endings for all them (him, Kasim and Ibrahim) were going to be the same, and it truly hit Kösem hard because she began to be truly acquainted with the reality that going against one of her sons (Murad) would truly become a necessity. She was clearly heartbroken, so heartbroken she quickly run to balcony so he might not see her tears, and lamented that the switch to anti-fratricide system was again undermined. Bayezid implied to her that she wouldn’t have carried out the order if he had been her biological son… but earlier he had refused her as his mother figure. You didn’t want to treat her as your mother figure, but she was to treat you as 100% your son… ok, fine. Not to mention that Bayezid was himself aware there was no way out for him at this point – he mentioned the fate of Suleiman’s Bayezid and how he was caught after all and died in foreign land.. his only way out could have been a bloody civil war with help of Persians, and he rejected that. And following Bayezid’s execution, it was repeatedly often blamed on Kösem, and she even initially honoured Bayezid’s promise not to execute Gülbahar (which later caused a lot of problems) and she did leave Bayezid’s letter for Murad to read.

Now time for MURAD, pretty much the guy who took “blame your mother for everything” to new level and main creator of the “evil Kösem” concept. Frankly, we can see the switch of blaming your mother and “trying to put her in place” even back in S1 with Ahmed and Handan.Back in MY you didn’t see Suleiman, Mustafa and Hürrem’s sons behaving in this way towards their mothers, even if they disagreed with them. You can see that princes in MYK show different, more paranoid, more quarrelsome nature from early on to much bigger extent than in MY and have many more psychological issues - after all, Suleiman’s sons had a stable life until they reached adulthood and competition began. Ahmed’s sons were thrust into strife very early on. But back to Murad - Osman’s bloody deposition was an event that shook the Ottoman Empire for years to come – nothing could be the same. It wasn’t merely a deposition and execution of a ruler, but an occurrence of unimaginable barbarity and cruelty. Both Kösem and Murad developed some sort of paranoia following it – Murad being all anger, while Kösem tried to balance out state benefit with safety of her kids, something that was her problem throughout her life (following Ahmed’s death she stated that two things are most important for her – the safety of her children & the Ottoman Empire). Perhaps sometimes she wasn’t as strict with traitors as they deserved, but there was rationale behind it – she was still a single mother, who also couldn’t cross certain borders because she could be immediately labelled “usurper” or “tyrant”. She knew Murad was more hot-headed and angry than Osman could ever be, so yes she knew he would immediately go iron fist on large scale once he took all the power.You could see how she was practically in hysterics when he went missing or stayed all night in town – she reiterated multiple times how she was afraid of opening another hell like the one that took Osman and Mehmed from her. And Murad pretty much confirmed her worries with each step even with regards to his brothers, starting from locking Kasim up with their mad uncle, after which Kasim and relations between all brothers were never the same. Even after Kemankeş told Kösem to make Murad trust her&ask her for help by not doing stuff behind his back, and Kösem did actually follow the advice.... however during this time the Kasim thing popped up, and then she resumed holding clandestine meetings following Murad’s execution of innocent people in episode 10 because honestly it was clear at this point things were going out of hand. Later on she notices that not only he never listens to her, but he also purposefully does the opposite to what she advises him to do.

Similarly, Murad is hardly trustworthy, even his monologue in first episode of MYKS2 contains contradictions – he complains about being shouldered with responsibility at young age, but then also that he couldn’t be a proper ruler at young age because of his mother. We even see that he’s always there when decisions are made, he attends Divan etc. before taking Kösem’s regency, which only gave her right to intervene if she deemed it necessary. If anything, it seems that Kösem coddled him too much – after all the pain and mayhem following Ahmed’s death she wanted him to have as normal  & careless childhood as was possible, but in a way thus precluded him from suffering consequences of his decisions (but then again it is understandable-  she saw how Osman faced consequences – it was so disproportionate to mistakes he made), so it could also contribute in part to his shifting the blame on everyone else, especially his mother. Murad’s whole arc is about understanding that his biggest enemy is himself, even Yahya Efendi tells him the dude on horse appearing in his dreams is his biggest enemy, and failing both the fight and even the recognition of it (remember how he saw Bayezid approaching on his horse as the hooded figure from his dreams)… he fights with the whole world because he can’t contain his anger and once he gets Sinan’s letter he finally convinces himself fully his enemy is his mother, so he goes full-on destruction. But it’s made clear that no matter that while ironically Murad is throughout fixated on the issue of his enemies and eliminating them, his biggest enemy is himself. The big revelation comes during his visions in the forest (and mud :p), but following the revelation, instead to listening to voices of other people – Ahizade, Ayse, Kösem, Gevherhan etc. telling him how he is his biggest enemy and that his anger will destroy him and everyone else around, along with Empire, he chooses to listen to his Dark!self and allows it to fully drown him in mud while proclaiming that he won’t be like ordinary people governed by feelings&emotions such as mercy because he is the padisah above all of them, who answers only to God. From now on, even a darker Murad than before appears (he has several turns lol, the last one being after he spent time with Mustafa and then issued all his prohibitions), one that will not stop even from destroying his own dynasty. He completely loses it and wants to destroy absolutely everything, including his own state upon his death… which ruler before his death acts so that the state can be destroyed after his demise? When he gets the letter from ironically one of his biggest “enemies”, a dude who was the spy he was searching for his entire reign and who killed his sons, he convinces himself that his mother is his enemy, and once he convinces himself of it, he releases himself from any shred of scruples he still might have had left… and in yet another act of irony, he releases Sinan and believes him to be one of the few people who are still loyal to him (and it was Kösem who was conspiring now with Venetians, she caught Sinan to frame him of course because she was the one conspiring, not making a deal with them to hand over the Jesuit spy they were seeking for so long, while Murad planned to go and kill all Venetians in Ottoman Empire instead of searching for any deal, our king of diplomacy strikes again) and even orders him to execute Kösem. No one was a bigger enemy to him than he himself and his anger. As Kösem put it – his bans were an attempt to take out his anger legally on the nation for what happened to Osman, him and by the extension – the whole house of Osman.

They were never for reform or religious issues – Kumrular mentions in the Kösem biography that it was truly stark contrast – people were punished with death for things that Murad himself did, while he, in addition to parties with much alcohol and smoking apparently didn’t even practice Ramadan or go to mosque often. He himself stated in the show that it wasn’t about tobacco or alcohol, but drilling absolute obedience. And obviously while some fanatical groups (whose support he used, like the group led by Kadizade) supported his bans, we see other members of ulema criticising him, especially Sivasi Efendi, who openly calls his behaviour acts of cruelty. Murad tries to execute him twice for criticising him, but both times there’s divine intervention – first time a sick child is brought to Sivasi, who heals it – because that’s the true meaning of religion, not being “true death”. Second time Murad is interrupted by call for prayer [BASICALLY: EVEN GOD HATES U MURAD, GET IT]

Murad is also hardly reliable, he also imposes on his visions what he wants to hear in order to get rid of any scruples. When he encounters Osman’s vision in the forest, at first Osman calls him out on becoming cruel and  “being more dead than he is”… Murad also tells him that yes, he’s killed many of his subjects, but now his decisions began to affect the dynasty. However suddenly we see Murad and Osman in different setting, inside a hut and Osman’s “ghost” changes its tune - ultimately Osman begins to talk in how Murad wants to see the situation, even going as far to Osman telling him with anger that Kösem abandoned him completely&she didn’t even avenge his death because she killed Halime&Co. only to protect Murad’s reign.. making Murad’s twisted mind jump to conclusions that she stopped caring about Osman and simply moved on to next son. However, suddenly Osman disappears and we see Murad talking to old man in hut, who tells him “I found you, it’s just me, you’ve seen now what you wanted to see”. The man again tells him that his mother will always be as close to him as he ALLOWS her (and lbr ALL of them pushed away Kösem first, except for Mehmed IV I suppose, though it was a totally different case as I discuss below) and that his biggest enemy is the man on horse, and this fight will determine who will carry on the dynasty. Once Murad faces his enemy aka himself, the fate of dynasty is sealed. Murad returns to palace only to impose further prohibitions and order Bayezid to kill Kalika – which is last straw for Bayezid and he decides to oppose Murad because he realised he either takes his fate into his own hands or will become his brother’s next victim. Once Murad is returning from Revan after Bayezid’s execution, he meets the man again, but this time he has a clear answer to him:  fate of the dynasty was decided long ago because he lost the fight long ago, became the slave to Sultan Murad and his power, and one of his brothers will carry on the dynastic line against his will. Murad caused fratricide to occur again, killing Bayezid and Kasim, while abusing IBRAHIM so that the latter became mentally disturbed, and this sealed the fate of dynasty and whole state – Murad asked the guy precisely about dynasty because his behaviour began affecting it (death of his children), and then he lost the fight once he emerged as even more ruthless and often pretty much unhinged. In a way, Murad’s execution of Bayezid also led to his sons being killed in act of revenge (though this was not justifiable at all).

When Kösem intervenes and asks Murad’s viziers during the Divan to convince Murad to introduce other punishments for subjects than death penalty she mentions that the Empire loses daily as many people as if it were in state of war, it tells you all. It’s not a normal or natural condition and Murad’s only counter-argument was traditionally his BiRtHRight &being “shadow of God on Earth” allowing him in his mind doing what he wants i.e. instilling fear. As Peirce mentioned in Imperial Harem: during Murad there was a short return to Ottoman Empire’s military glory, the looting and booty from conquered lands brought everyone profits (and it was bloody too), but for Murad to go for that campaign thousands of his own subjects paid for it with their own blood.

Another part of Kösem’s tragedy was the changes in succession law she always fought for – once her sons ascended the throne and the threat no longer concerned them, but endangered their BiRthRight, including being the one to prolong the dynasty, they began to switch back to the cruel law, not even caring that it could affect their own sons.. Kösem told that to Murad that since he had two sons already and actually without even an age gap, one of them would kill another (and similarly Farya didn’t think how it would affect her sons, not only Murad’s brothers), but Murad just didn’t care. Moreover, after law was changed it was breaking the law by the padisah – clear sign of tyranny, this is why supreme judges&scholars always supported Kösem in this. Bah, during Murad’s reign judge Yahya Efendi was originally big supporter of Murad, but still told him that Murad was breaking the law when he introduced going back to old law. Murad’s only defence was: “You also got lured to my mother’s side” because he only sees matters in such light, as eternal fight between himself and his “enemies, real or imagined”; same situation was with Osman, who again broke all the rules when he decided to get fetva from a military judge to execute Mehmed. Breaking the law even by an absolute ruler like the padisah is sign of tyranny. As Kösem quoted Ebusuud “Unlawful can’t become unlawful even in padisah’s hand”.

The danger of Murad eliminating Ibrahim was a huge threat for the whole Empire and its people – a padisah, even a weak one, is still a guarantee of continuity of State that is inseparably connected with the Ottoman dynasty. End of dynasty there would have meant civil wars, rebellions and total chaos. No padişah meant for people no law and this is why when people suspected a padisah died and a new one didn’t take the throne, they felt allowed to rob, cause riots etc. Even after Suleiman died and only one of his sons was still alive, it had to be hidden from public that the padisah had died before the new one got crowned. No one would accept Crimean khan and Murad was undoubtedly aware of this (Kösem mentioned it to Kemankeş, that Murad does it precisely because he wants to destroy everything as he goes aka if I can’t be a padisah, nobody will, and you will all pay for this), but his anger was stronger. Murad ultimately becomes proud of his destructive nature. When he lies on the battlefield during the battle of Baghdad, he prides himself on such bloody victory and states that he’s now not afraid of being called cruel and bloody and remembered as such (and ironically he also sees his mother there, showing how she is always there and part of his life anyway). It is also interesting to make a call back to Kösem and Murad’s dialogue following him seeing her during Divan meetings with his Viziers – Kösem tells him that in the end both she and he will be gone, but the state will remain – well, now Murad out of spite tries to show her he she was wrong – he has the power to even destroy the state if he wants.this. At the moment when Kösem decided to switch Murad’s medicines for placebo,his fate had been already sealed – he was fatally ill due to cirrhosis and it was said multiple times it was impossible to recover from it and nobody survived having it. Kösem’s decision was cold calculation, even though a heartbreaking one – medicines prolonging Murad’s life could have given him more time to kill his brother and continue his cruel policies, while he was eventually doomed anyway. It was made clear that information about Murad’s fatal illness was here a game changer for Kösem.

“THE EVIL KÖSEM” CONCEPT LEFT BY MURAD

Murad’s another parting idea was to instill the “evil Kösem” image, in which he was supported by Yusuf, a Persian, who while he cared about Murad, did not care about the Ottoman Empire at all. Murad also used the fact that people to whom he told everything hadn’t been there all the time – and it was sometimes downright ridiculous, like suddenly he began blaming his mother for Osman’s death (which he had never done previously, only began so after he came back from mud, and in the same conversation he also threatened Kösem with lives of her and the remaining princes, after which she stated that he was becoming completely crazy), called his uncle Mustafa “his mother’s victim” in the same episode he executed him (and it’s no like he wasn’t the padişah all these years and couldn’t for example release his uncle from kafes). Yusuf also used the knowledge about Kösem&Kemankeş’ love to prove Kosem’s immorality. People they managed to convince were mentally ill Ibrahim, Atike, who also began blaming her mother for everything following Silahtar’s demise (while never admitting her sins) because she had made it to be the biggest tragedy of her life due to her continued belief in their happy married life, and Madame Margaret, who again hadn’t been there, but was jaded because of Farya and she was sooo in Farya’s camp she was totally rooting for Murad executing Ayse and seeing Murad’s lack of mercy as okay in this case, never gave a damn when Farya was hinting at Murad turning dark (and was repeatedly shown to be ignorant of Ottoman system, with everyone being ??? when Murad /with clear purpose/ made her a kalfa, while miraculously forgetting how much Farya had suffered because of her abusive husband.

Kösem stated plainly to Atike that Murad tries to poison her&Ibo before he goes – and he even manipulates certain information – he never tells Atike that he got cirrhosis due to wine addiction in the first place and even though he has a doctor’s assistant telling him that the medic was only relieving his pain, but not prolonging his life (not applying poison), he still writes to Atike that he was poisoned and doesn’t mention that he acquired a fatal illness first and that he even chose to completely disregard doctor’s recommendations and continued to drink heavily even with the knowledge he had cirrhosis and arrogantly kept dismissing what the doctor “told him to do”. Same with the situation after Kösem’s attempt to dethrone him and Kasim’s death - he himself knew the plan and was put to Uncle Mustafa’s place, but he told Atike their mother had lied to her and had tried to kill him.

He’s determined to paint his mother as villain to both the world and himself, even in his flashbacks he begins to frame her as villain, while never admitting to any fault in himself following his emergence from the mud. And the hard truth is that he was main source of destruction – there isn’t a person in his circle that he didn’t destroy – Gev, Ayşe, (and by extension his kids), Farya, his brothers and relations between them, Atike (because he should have tampered her behaviour as an older brother instead of all the time telling her how special she is and placing her in marriage that could never be happy at young age, without even chiding her for her behaviour ever + his injustice only further poisoned relations between the sisters), Silahtar, who pretty much lost his head out of grief and became obsessed with being the one closest to Murad when Murad forced him to choose between absolute loyalty to himself and Gev (and ordered him to marry Atike as a measure to test his loyalty, following forcing this on him also by forcefully affecting his mind due to putting him in praying cell), his mother, who until the end of show was a sad, more and more detached, guilt-ridden shadow of herself. And of course Ibrahim, who after all abuse, was irrevocably damaged. He damaged those who emerged alive out of his reign so much that dynasty’s fate was not easy after his death :what remained after his death was mentally disturbed Ibrahim and a bunch of people whose mind was poisoned, but it was his doing that it came to this that the throne was to go to a weak and mentally ill Ibrahim. Basically, what Ayşe had predicted turned out to be true - he annihilated everyone he loved.

Murad’s biggest supporter by the end of his life, Yusuf, also manipulates the narrative when he tries to have Murad be against his mother even more… when he tells the story of Sultana Khayzuran, he deliberately omits certain bits of information, like Musa intending to kill his younger brother. Following the story Murad declares he doesn’t want to be like Musa because he HAS TO WIN, even if it means destroying everything in the process. Even when he requests fetva for Kasim’s and Ibrahim’s execution after Kösem takes the princes to janissary barracks, he doesn’t inform the mufti that he’s fatally ill, so killing the princes would mean an end to the whole dynasty.

He doesn’t get the message why everyone step by step is betraying him. He tries to make himself feel better by for example having a foreigner praising him all the time, while failing to see why “his people” are against him, and completely enabling a dude who was the spy working against him from day one, trying to put another prince on throne via using Jesuits, Venetians and Persians, and later only wanting to destroy dynasty and state (and Murad himself) because of revenge. He died surrounded only by a foreigner from a country that is the Empire’s big nemesis and the spy he was looking for his entire reign – a tangible reflection of his blindness and how bizarre things turned out to be – Yusuf prides himself on being Murad’ most loyal subject while being a Safavid – yes, because being loyal to padişah does not mean supporting the Ottoman Empire anymore and what is good for it anymore. And Murad’s blindness surrounding Sinan is truly hilarious – if he had listened to Kösem first and hadn’t executed Topal without checking for whom he was working, he could have efficiently discovered “the Jesuit spy” immediately, but he preferred to instill fear& “make a show” instead. He learned from Farya’s letter that Topal worked for Jesuits, but he didn’t know which one, so he ultimately expelled all, but SURPRISE, the one he was searching for managed to stay, while a bunch of innocent people, including merchants bringing profits to Empire, were expelled for nothing. Murad’s anger&need to instill fear blinds him even in his favourite hobby of hunting down traitors and renders him ineffective.

ATIKE has become so jaded because of “evil Kösem” that her chief goal to protect her brother meant removing her mother&Kemankeş, even though these two ruled well and Ibrahim could instead chill after years spent in kafes. To use a famous quote (lol): he didn’t want it and it was better also for him that he didn’t rule. Atike’s delusions persisted, just as her frustration with her mother destroying her “happy marriage”; she couldn’t accept that her brother was irrevocably mentally ill and couldn’t be a “real padişah”, nor did he want to. Atike focused all her energies on removing her mother, but completely ignored Cinci&other hyenas and didn’t even offer Ibo any alternative – didn’t help with him ruling and didn’t find him a capable vizier to rule for him. The title of episode with Kemankeş’ execution – “Traitor to Faith and Nation” is ironic because while Kemankeş is accused of it, it’s Cinci who’s the real traitor, as is later directly stated in further episode. Again, the title shows how difficult it is to provide the definition of a traitor – is it a person who contests Sultan’s decisions if they are being wrong or the one who while in no way criticises him, but acts to his and state’s detriment? We know that later Ibo also feels guilty for “executing” Kemankeş as evidenced by his visions in which Kemankeş calls himself innocent and how he protected and supported him for years and Ibo tries to justify himself that he executed him because “he was angry and Cinci told him to”. I don’t know what Atike was doing during the period when Kösem was exiled when the country went to disaster and Ibo became even more ill. As always however, she played the morally pure and superior, without ever acknowledging any mistakes or fault of hers. She loved Ibo and wanted to protect him, but was too blinded by her own bitterness to truly help him. She even wanted to work with Turhan, who conspired against Ibo from start, only to be against her “evil mother”… ok. She accuses so many people of blindness, but she’s the most blind person in this whole show.

The fact that Atike only began truly caring about Osman being legitimised (same with Ibo) again shows what it was truly about – if Ibo had so wanted Osman to be his heir, he should have expressed this opinion and fought for it (and Atike should have supported it) when something could have been done (and he knew about Zarife being pregnant) because suddenly making an heir a boy not even listed in palace records was a huge risk, especially since there was all the talk about the padişah being mentally ill around. “Precious dynasty blood and 100% certain legitimacy”were too much of a deal there, after all we talk about court where even harem servants that attended ladies had to be castrated.

Zarife’s mistake meant a lot for Kösem because she was well aware that in light of Ibrahim’s mental illness selecting the right mother of his heir was crucial (because of course Kösem supported strongly the seniority succession law, even after her conflict with Turhan began, she never considered the option of putting one of Mehmed’s younger brothers on the throne first). She couldn’t allow the mother of Ibrahim’s heir to conspire behind her back and perhaps try to dethrone Ibo, this is why she offered Turhan so much power even as haseki. Zarife committed not only stupidity and act of disobedience, but also showed that she was willing to take rash risks for her own personal gain, instead of thinking about dynasty or Ibo, so for Kösem it was a big red flag. If you ask me, in light of prolonged Zarife-Turhan conflict (and no, Zarife and Osman didn’t live in kafes all the time, it was clearly stated it was only while Ibrahim was out of capital) that even amounted to threats and both of them very ambitious in having her son as eldest (including the famous “my son will get on throne, the fate of yours and you will then be in my hands”), removal of Osman to palace far away where they would live in luxury truly sounded like best solution for everyone. It was clear even Ibo would have eventually accepted it if Zarife and Osman hadn’t been kidnapped by pirates and handed to Christians, and we know that it was Turhan behind it, who later was all about being superior for “not killing princes” – well, you put a child at truly huge risk here (and she clearly stated she doesn’t care what it’s done to ensure Osman doesn’t come back just to make sure), but maybe you don’t count him as a prince. Actually, after talking to Kösem first, Ibo was willing to let the matter drop and was convinced by his mother’s arguments, but then Cinci saw the opportunity and seized it to wrap Ibo around his finger. 

Atike’s behaviour was also determined by Yusuf’s words – she believes in these artificial rules now and makes similar assumptions that Kösem had made back in S1 regarding Handan – sultan’s widow falling in love again “betrayed” her sultan and it is a proof of immorality and treacherous nature. Atike’s character doesn’t really change following Silahtar’s death (how could she truly change when she never even acknowledged what she had done to Gevherhan and that she and Silahtar had never been and could never have been a happy marriage) – she matures to an extent, does not make scenes anymore and behaves in more dignified manner, (as also evidenced by changes in her hairstyle and dresses,) takes care of her nieces&nephews.. but while she now intends to focus on protecting her brother, her delusional nature that is based on perceiving the world in terms of what she wants to believe is present until the very end; her “change” is as illusory as her way of thinking&perceiving the world. Her contribution is only talking&complaining about others, not any real actions until it is too late and we may argue that her attempts to provoke rebellions to return Ibrahim to the throne in fact do not work in his favour at all either, though her desperation may be understandable here. It’s easy to play morally pure when you are passive&only criticise&put down others. She’s still convinced of her own special status, but while once she played it by chasing a guy she chose as her husband despite him not wanting to marry her, now she finds it in illusion of being the prudent, responsible and adhering to rules one, including chiding Kösem for visiting Kemankeş at night (and how she prided on visiting Silahtar whenever she wanted in the past lmao). Atike clearly relishes in the feeling of being morally superior and often she keeps parroting others instead of doing her own critical thinking. 

Love this parallel showing how she didn’t change at all, for example:

https://youtu.be/ei2tqHg6WEs

Even in her last conversation with Kösem where it’s Kösem who is clearly upset, having tears in her eyes and feeling horrible with herself and whole situation, Atike stands before and keeps lecturing her as if reciting something, proudly exclaiming “you killed all your sons, all princes and sultans for your own ambition” (and again, she wasn’t even there when some of your brothers died, while you forgot about what your precious Murad did, but yeah he gave you Silahtar), and then when she leaves, she walks proudly and smug-faced (which hit me hard during rewatch because I recall that moment from fanworks and I was sure it was from another moment because how could she walk like that after her beloved brother just died?)

Atike is a character that never ever acknowledges any mistake or wrongdoing of hers in the course of the show. And first and foremost she’s the creator of her own misery – what she did to her sister was awful (and calling her weak afterwards was plain disgusting), she failed to perceive that what Murad was doing to her was not rewarding her but using her to drill absolute obedience into Silahtar (and the real triangle was Gevherhan-Murad-Silahtar actually) by placing her in marriage that could never be happy, and how Silahtar was destroyed and changed as result of being put into dungeons and later due to Gevherhan’s death and Atike demanding them still to be a normal married couple. Atike was really cruel for a person who never directly killed anyone or who even wasn’t power hungry. Her greatest tragedy was that denialism and blindness that made her fail to perceive her own situation – she mocks Kösem for “choosing to be lonely” or that “cruel people die in loneliness” when she herself truly ends up alone – maybe she decided against marriage for other reasons, but she always seemed to want to have husband and family, so her unmarried status likely indicates she decided not to move on from Silahtar, so by hanging up on her delusions in various aspects of her life, by her blindness of which she accused her mother, she put herself in endless string of misery because she never let her “dream” (or more like obsession) of Silahtar truly go.

Atike’s feeling of superiority can be traced back to first episodes even when she was still kinda cute. She repeatedly has small digs at Gevherhan, whom his sees as the boring one obedient to their mother.. she proudly states how she will marry the man of her own choosing, not like Gevherhan (to the latter’s face), but surprise the dude you chose preferred that boring sister of yours. She also looks down on Ayse (becomes totally and uncritically supportive of Farya/Murad romance, while failing to see how much harm it might do) and states that “Murad finally found a woman worthy of him, she can wield a sword like a man”! (yikes). She’s even bitchy to Gev when they sit with Kösem – yes, Topal was a traitor, but you didn’t have to talk to your sister in such a tone (as Kösem pointed out to her). Well, even her most beloved brother told Farya “how Atike is so daring, not like other sultanas”. It clearly got to her head, especially since she didn’t know any hardships in her life- she was a child when her father and her two eldest brothers died. After first hardships in life, she becomes eternally embittered. Kösem calls out Atike how she can accuse her of choosing loneliness when she keeps losing everyone, “what do you know of life and me? I keep losing everyone, you just lost Silahtar”. Even Kösem telling her she’s lost only Silahar is indeed true – she’s quick to forgive Murad killing Kasim, she quickly moves on from deaths of Gevherhan or Ayse’s kids, even Kasim, while making Silahtar’s death the tragedy of her life and the death she’s most hung up on, and even in this particular scene she’s all focused on Silahtar’s death, while completley brushing off the matter of Murad being a brother-killer.

Her later feeling of superiority is more based on being the one believing to bring order back, but to some idealised version… because based on her own reality. As such, she expresses her feeling of superiority via her judgmentalism, which makes her a very Walmart version of Beren!Kösem tbh. Her going against Kösem & Kemankeş has flashbacks to Kösem vs Handan&Dervis, with chief difference that Ibo wasn’t capable of ruling himself and needed the politically savyy K&K duo. Plus, Kösem was capable to support Ahmed in ruling, while Atike… well. Her wanting to make a real padişah of him ended with removing the K&K duo and once she does something it’s trying to poison the janissary commanders, who want to have a coup.. which in the end only incensed people more. The coup was happening anyway because everyone was fed up with Ibrahim’s reign and this move only made everyone more angry. She never got a clue how much people suffered under her brother, she was completely ignorant of why he couldn’t rule anymore and didn’t care about people other than Ibrahim. Even her making threats that once Ibrahim gets back to throne, he’ll kill everyone dethroning him… please, you are not helping in trying to preserve his life at all.

I once thought Atike’s blindness and denialism were unrealistic, but I have to say that by observing some people nowadays, she doesn’t seem so unrealistic, so many truly just “see what they want to see”. Same with her “white feminism”  or “performative” feeling of superiority or doing something.

Again, Ibrahim didn’t want to be a real padisah and it’s not like he was locked up or forbidden to attend Divan etc. If Kösem so had wanted to have him unable to rule, she wouldn’t have searched for help to his ailments and wouldn’t have brought Cinci to court. Kemankeş even asks him to come to Divan and Ibrahim laughed him off. And there are also rules that even the padişah needed to obey, so it was Kemankes’ duty to tell Ibo that appointing Cinci as judge is... very, very bad idea, yet Atike of course had to jump at him for trying to stop Ibo from doing what he pleased, even if it was contrary to basic&fundamental rules of the Ottoman Empire.

Turhan’s backstabbing despite Kösem sharing her power with her &actually also offering emotional support, with cheering her up when Ibo was with other women or defending her before Ibrahim was a severe blow. Kösem also knew Ibo and Atike executed Kemankeş to make her suffer. While her approach to Ibrahim with bringing him to kafes where Murad killed Kasim was rather manipulative and not the right approach, it also showed her extreme desperation at this point. Ibo was her last son, after all. And again, Ibrahim completely disregarded how much Kösem risked to save him from Murad and only talked about his BiRtHRIGHT and how God wanted to see him on the throne, which was again sad.

After situation boiled to Empire being on brink again and people even starving because of Ibrahim&co.’s rule, Kösem had to face the hardest challenges ever – her son was again tyrant, but there was no e.g. military glory to balance it out like with Murad, and people were deeply frustrated and moreover she had another person who gathered significant political power and this person wanted to have Ibrahim killed as soon as possible, was unscrupulous and full of hatred towards Ibrahim. Ibrahim’s dethronement was a necessity and an occurrence improbable to prevent, and people’s frustration was higher than even towards Osman. Turhan being in charge of deposition could have meant not only Ibo’s death, but humiliation and torture similar to those experienced by Osman, of which even Ibrahim was aware as he saw no point in even trying to run away from the palace. Kösem joining coup against her own son was her opportunity to control what was happening, and it was made clear when Turhan came to Kösem and pretty much blackmailed her to cause a bloody coup if Kösem did not agree to co-operate, and later it all turned to reality when Turhan ordered to shoot despite Kösem’s orders not to and incited people to demand Ibo’s execution, thus making the coup take a violent turn. Even when Kösem visited Ibo in palace for wedding after years she told him she intends to keep her promise and not allow for his death.

It cannot be surprising that Kösem wanted to become big Valide considering she had already seen what Turhan was capable of, when there were also other princes and very much alive Ibrahim. Ibrahim was unfortunately in constant danger by both people trying to free him and put him back on the throne and those who wanted to have him killed out of anger. It was clearly stated Kasem sent Kemankes to accompany Ibrahim to kafes because he was the only person she could 100% trust since there was danger Ibo could have been murdered on the way to kafes. If situation had calmed down, he would have likely been transferred to Mustafa’s place, but it didn’t calm down and instead even fetva condemning Ibo to death was issued by the judge&Turhan urged Mehmed to sign his father’s death warrant… I just know I would never want to be in Kösem’s shoes… on the hand, the life of her last son, who had been through so much (and she also recalls his words he doesn’t want to live in constant fear in cages like his uncle and prefers death) and on the other lives of sooo many people&condition of the state (yes, she had promised to defend him at cost of HER life, which she had done when she had saved him from Murad, but at the moment there were so many other people that needed to be taken into equation), plus I’m afraid Ibrahim was already doomed at this point because even if he had been brought back to throne, I can only expect Turhan not resting until she had him killed, again probably even in similar way to what had happened to Osman. 

Ibrahim’s execution is a beginning of Kösem’s downfall because it affected her mental state heavily. Even before she made the decision, she had confided in Kemankeş that she still can’t forgive herself the Murad matter and Ibrahim’s execution would only increase her burden. We saw that change in her following Murad’s death – a sadder, more distanced persona wearing black constantly as sign of eternal mourning. After Ibrahim is executed, we have Kösem scene with Ahmed’s portrait and Anastasia – in this vision Anastasia accuses Kösem of killing all her sons not because this is true, but because at that moment Kösem begins to believe in it and blame herself, she sees herself as total moral failure, she begins to believe all accusations people have thrown at her, Anastasia even repeats Atike’s words, or earlier Kösem hears Safiye’s voice, thus believing she’s like her now… so later she’s determined to at least manage to protect the state, at any cost. As she again confided in Kemankeş when she decided to dethrone Mehmed – she sacrificed Murad&Ibrahim for state, so at least she wants to ensure it was not for nought, even if she failed at everything else. Even after vision ends, Kösem still maintains the slave girl she knocked off was Anastasia, which shows she’s now pretty lost touch with reality.

As Kemankeş, the person who knew her best, said: “her soul was withdrawn and she became someone else” following Ibrahim’s execution.

She was desperate to eliminate whom she saw as threat to dynasty and state (and Turhan gave her very valid reasons, also to think she would kill other princes, her deciding not to kill Mehmed’s brothers was more of a plot twist actually). Anyway, Kösem using such methods clearly was uncharacteristic of her – killing a child was not unheard of in MY/K, but she never stooped to such methods before. Remember the Kösem who told Handan how no child would be killed from now on in this palace? Each time Kösem shared her power before or it slipped from her hands, bad things happened, so then she was just desperate and stopped playing carefully. She also committed a mistake that cost her life.

Good thing was that even after Kösem stooped to such a method, she still continued to protect innocent bystanders and secured harem. Turhan didn’t take such into attention and went on full, brutal power.

KUSCU AS SYMBOL OF SCAPEGOATING&PEOPLE SEE WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE

 And there comes Kuşçu’s betrayal – many people are puzzled by the character and its sudden re-appearance and stress how his betrayal made no sense – after all, yes Kösem killed his father, but he was a confirmed traitor and danger to the state… and even after Kuşcu tried to kill Kösem, she spared him and supported him. It’s not that Kuscu decided to betray Kösem out of loyalty to current padişah, which would have been understandable.Kuşcu is in fact a symbol  – he’s a symbol of scapegoating that Kösem had to endure all her life. After all, we haven’t seen him since Kösem pardoned him and as such audience has no emotional bond with him, so they can assess his behaviour in more objective way.  It all depends all what you see – all Kuşcu see is a person who hurt him personally by killing his father, even though his father needed to be executed. Even Kösem’s mercy wasn’t enough for him to stop blaming her because he got fixated on that one thing. As Kösem said “People see what they want to see”.

CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE “SEE”

There’s also an important scene when Kösem talks to Mustafa after years – while he mentions that Kösem now reminds him of Safiye because of her trying to dethrone her own blood and how he sees no more innocence in her – has Kösem truly become Safiye, a woman who tried to dethrone (and kill) Ahmed where there were no reasons for it because he didn’t hurt his subjects or wanted to kill his brother, was no danger to dynasty or state? The answer is a bit later – Mustafa then expresses his grief about Dilruba’s and Halime’s deaths, something that I think nobody hates Kösem for – they both deserved it and it was a necessary move to protect Murad’s reign. The point is – which also makes Kösem cry – that while it was a necessary move in this political world, for Mustafa it was simply a loss of mother and sister because for him simply two people close to him  died… So, no, she’s not Safiye, the comparison is superficial . but for Mustafa’s innocent mind there’s no such thing as necessary sin – sin is a sin, and innocence has been lost, no matter for what intentions it was committed.  And once innocence is lost, there are always things that other people may use in an attack against you, even simply for their own self-interests, especially if you are a woman in Kösem’s position.

/(even look at their different behaviour during “dethronement of their blood” Safiye unceremoniously dodges all dead people not caring and just as nonchalantly happily sits herself on Ahmed’s throne... Kosem meanwhile is too busy ensuring everything goes with least harm for everyone, being torn and anxious for all her sons, also upset about not being able to see Ibrahim, who had just attempted suicide in kafes)/

That points again to different perceptions even concerning the same person – Beren!Kösem and Nurgül!Kösem are the same person, even if the latter is hardened and more disillusioned, but also more mature and wise -yet the core of her person stood the same – when she was young and victorious, she was hailed “an angel without wings” etc. even often with exaggeration. But once each her attempts to stabilise Empire were no victory for her since it was at cost of personal sacrifices, became a sad older lady with heavy burdens, later also dressed in black, she suddenly became ‘evil”  (add to this also her even bigger power and stepping out even more from traditional role) for some. She was also more ineffective because sometimes she wasn’t fighting her enemies, but people close to her- see this exchange for example:

(and as we know she later she also did lose Kasim because she tried to dethrone Murad without killing him)

She’s no longer victorious slay queen, the illusions sunk and the fairytale image is heavily undermined by even showing a different side and perspective of her taking power at the end of S1 in S2 when meeting Mustafa. Because of what Kumrular mentioned – women, especially with power, are often seen as angels or demons, not complex, morally grey people… and Kösem has always been a morally grey person, not an angel or demon, and first and foremost – not an ideal fantasy from Ahmed’s portrait. It is also mentioned when Ibrahim asks Kösem whether she’s angel or devil and there’s no answer because she’s neither – she’s simply a human being placed in particular historical context.

The angel-demon dichotomy first appears when Murad begins questioning his mother and wondering whether she’s a demon who wants to destroy him for power (read as power for the sake of simply power and ambition) or the maternal angel who protected him… there’s no middle ground for him, unless she is 100% innocent and completely devoted to him (and only him, rest of dynasty doesn’t matter) or he immediately begins demonising her to the point of calling her Azrael. /And it’s interesting how he begins calling her Devil shortly after Nef’i calls him Satan and Anti-Christ... deflection again/. Judging by what he said, the moment he died, she should have laid herself in grave with him, not thinking about next step or the future of others. It was what always made me soo about Ottoman sultans – you have a system where there is no simple accession to throne, riots may explode at every piece of rumour sultan is dead or succession is uncertain, then one who gets the throne may execute you and your whole family, and then you are sooo offended by the mere thought that people think what to do after your death or make plans. No offence, but in this system there truly isn’t any time for mourning until situation is stabilised. Murad being butthurt that his mum didn’t believe he wasn’t dying just like he had when Ahmed had got small pox.. you realise that your mother is no longer a carefree Nasya without other children and a bunch of other obligations? And her deal with the old witch she had made in her rush of youthful love isn’t romantic in the hindsight – it truly doomed everyone around Kösem, no matter her efforts to prevent death, there was always something going wrong, despite all best efforts and intentions, as she stated expressly after Gevherhan’s death “No matter how I try, I cannot prevent death”. 

“My father always said you cannot run away from date” says Nasya in one of her first episodes.. little did she know how her life would be determined by fate until the very end.

Short addendum because I couldn’t decide where to insert this small thought ;)

It is also interesting how Kösem and Murad have their breaking points at the opposite – Murad when he convinces himself that it’s the world which is cruel not him and his mother is his chief enemy, while Kösem when she convinces herself she’s a total moral failure, and their breaking point is expressed in also very different actions – Murad wants “to burn it all” and put destruction to state, while Kösem intends to do everything to save the state, even by a horrible act of killing an innocent child.

Murad and Kösem are juxtaposed multiple times (when he has his even darker turn in mud and she refuses to pacify the mob so as no blood is spilled and calms down everyone without violence, when Murad orders to execute Farya and watches without emotions until she begins to scream she’s pregnant vs Kösem putting her own life and reputation at risk and challenging the padisah to save Kemankeş from execution) - look at how after Gevherhan’s death when Kösem calls Murad out on what he did, he goes to Silahtar, whom he earlier had scared (and scarred) so much, and pretty much goes: my mum says it’s my fault, but she isn’t right? And Silhatar has to go my lord, how you can ever do something wrong, we always must accept your decisions yhy. At the same time, Kösem blames herself in front of Haci.

- Joanna

Links:

Translations of episodes taken from here

Some quotes about the Ottoman system

Some (selected) quotes about changes in Ottoman system in 16th and 17th century

Addendum 2:

I think I’ve found two quotes also relevant to the topic from the book Medieval Queenship by John Carmi Parsons (ed.), it is here used in context of medieval England, but I think it is very universal:

This allowed the public roles of women to emerge from their familial ones, but at the same time constrained the public woman with the idealized behavior of the wife, mother, and daughter. That idealization was conceived from a largely male viewpoint. It failed to recognize, let alone resolve, the contradictory expectations of wife and mother in a patriarchal family, or the specific problems of women as stepmothers and second wives in a polygynous society. It suppressed the tensions of familial and dynastic politics behind images of harmony. Family and court were mythologized, idealized, and paralleled as centers of harmony and consensus. Early medieval writers found it difficult to describe or accept the legitimacy of political conflict, even the conflict of interest that we would now take to be central to much of politics. In such family imagery women pass from the apotheosis of wifely counsel and motherly loyalty to the degradation of sexual seduction and self-seeking ambition.

and:

If any group of women are likely to receive a good press from interested ecclesiastics it is the powerful; if any group is likely to suffer the ultimate denigration of their transgression of the accepted female role, it is the same. The relationship of writer and subject, in time and place, as patron and client, can be critical here. Dead women may be treated differently from the living, more readily sanctified or vilified according to the needs and purposes of the writer; a patroness or powerful queen is treated more circumspectly. A powerful woman filled different roles at different stages of her life, and she learned from experience. Pictures of her created at different times should be separated, not just according to author and intention, but into those produced during and after her lifetime, in her youth, middle, and old age. All this seems obvious. But all too often such disparate sources are used and either reconciled into a composite character, or worse, read in isolation and generalized into a series of contradictory assessments in which the same woman is unrecognizable (Chibnalll988).

Taken from the following essay: The Portrayal of Royal Women in England, Mid-Tenth to Mid-Twelfth Centuries by Pauline Stafford

[douxreviews]

Star Trek: Short Treks - ‘Calypso’ Review

Zora: "Craft? On your world, if we were lovers, would you tell me your name? Your true name?" Craft: "If we were lovers on my world, you would give me my true name." Zora: "Oh. Well, then, I already did."

By nature I love brevity: A thought-provoking, engrossing story that has a lot going for it. It also raises some very intriguing questions that may have serious repercussions for the entire Star Trek franchise.

'Calypso' opens mysteriously, with countless unanswered questions. Craft (Aldis Hodge) is floating in a propulsionless shuttlecraft, adrift and alone, with nothing but Betty Boop to watch for a month. He's tractored in by the U.S.S. Discovery, at which point he awakes in the ship's sick bay. As Craft wanders around the Disco, it's clear there isn't anyone around, yet the lights and other systems are clearly being controlled by someone. That someone reveals herself with a voice; she calls herself Zora (Annabelle Wallis), and she's an Artificial Intelligence.

As Craft and Zora talk, details come out about their pasts. Zora and the Disco have been adrift for a thousand years; Craft has been away from his family and his planet for ten. Craft left because he was fighting a war against his enemies the 'V'draysh,' who he says are "In love with old things." The thing is, both Craft and Zora are also in love with old things.

Craft's mind remains on his wife and child on his homeworld. Even when he becomes distracted during the episode and he forgets, his priority always remains with them. And Zora, longing to make any sort of human connection, watches wild romance movies of the past in the hopes of feeling something. It's not only Zora that needs a human connection, though. Craft, after ten years of life away from his family, has forgotten what it's like to be human.

What Craft and Zora give each other is precisely what they both need. Zora has never been anything but alone, and Craft has been alone for too long. Unlike the previous 'Runaway,' however, things aren't perfect or wrapped in a tidy bow. What Zora really longs for, Craft can't provide; Zora's real hope is to find love, no doubt fueled by the exaggerated romance of movies like Funny Face. Craft is still tied to his family, and he can't stay to give Zora the permanent connection she desires.

Zora is a parallel for Calypso of 'The Odyssey,' and Craft is Odysseus. In the myth, Calypso is doomed to perpetually seek her soul mate. Every once in a while, the man of her dreams will arrive on her island, and she will attempt to convince him to stay. But in every case, for one reason or another, the person she longs to be with has to go, and she cannot leave with him. Her curse is to make connections, to fall in love, and to have those connections severed right away. They say that it's better to have loved and lost, than never loved at all, but what if that was your life? What if you were doomed to always love and to always lose?

But there's one important difference here. It's a clever sci-fi twist. Zora is a computer, and there's no reason she can't make the connection last forever for her. In the final shot, as Craft's shuttle goes to warp, we see Zora's holographic representation of herself dancing with a holographic representation of Craft. For a computer, all that is real is its memory, and as long as Zora can remember Craft, he is with her. Craft leaves a lasting impression on Zora more than Odysseus ever did for Calypso. And Zora's impression on Craft is the same way. When Odysseus returned to Penelope, he probably forgot all about all the things he had done on his trip. At the very least, they didn't matter to him anymore. But Zora showed Craft how to be human. He will not forget that.

And there's one last element of this Short Trek, one you might not have noticed. This is a fan theory that was actually confirmed by the writer of 'Calypso.' Craft's enemies are the V'draysh, who are in love with old things. On instagram, Michael Chabon confirmed to a fan that 'V'draysh' is a syncope of 'Federation.' This raises huge questions about Star Trek canon. For one thing, 1000 years past the final mission of the U.S.S. Discovery, whatever that mission may be, is way past anything Star Trek has done before. Even if the Discovery were to be abandoned in that nebula at the end of DIS S2, that puts this story in at least the 33rd Century. Daniels from Enterprise is from the 31st Century. The final scene of VOY: "Living Witness" is 'many years' after 3074, but there is no indication of how many years.

All in all, this was a moving and poignant short film, a literary adaptation with a sci-fi twist. I love it..

Strange New Worlds:

We hear about, but do not visit, Alcor IV.

New Life and New Civilizations:

We don't know much about the V'draysh, but they seem to be a new variation on an old civilization. Also, in the culture of the humans on Alcor IV, you receive your name from someone who loves you.

Pensees:

-Was I the only one waiting for an 'I'm afraid I can't do that, Craft' moment from Zora?

-I liked the moment when Craft tries to put on a shirt in sickbay and it doesn't fit. That was funny.

-Betty Boop's Snow White probably qualifies as torture when it's played on a loop for a month straight.

-So far, both Short Treks have focused on two people meeting and having a positive effect on the courses of each others' lives. We'll see if that trend continues into 'The Brightest Star.'

5 out of 6 Taco Tuesdays

CoramDeo is in love with old things and happy with it.

[8147]

reading hamlet for the first time (act 5: the finale)

masterlist

none of you told me it was going to be this painful . none of you.

a5s1

“Ophelia’s dead.” “Enter CLOWNS!”

Like im sure this has a different meaning in EMA but im gonna make fun of it because it’s fucking hilarious. (future (present? (now past once more (?))) antares coming back to say i did look at nfs and yeah theyre gravediggers)

“First Clown: What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the shipwright, or the carpenter? Second Clown: The gallows-maker; for that frame outlives a thousand tenants.” damn not even just this one quote but these are some depressing clowns

hamlet and horatio!

okay there’s something about all of hamlet’s skull talk that makes me uneasy. like, not even the topic, just something in the words and how earnestly and (pardon my pun) gravely hamlet’s speaking about this. and it’s almost a mournful tune, too. it’s a huge difference from his “we’ll all be eaten by the same worms” speech to the point that it’s almost haunting.

“HAMLET: I will speak to this fellow.” C O N F R O N T

“HAMLET: I think it be thine, indeed; for thou liest in't.” (incomprehensible scribbling)

HAMLET, NOT IN ENGLAND: oh yeah lol he was sent to england huh u know why lmao

wait. did the. did the pirate situation get resolved. before act V.

I mean i think hamlet mentioned something about three years but the pirates are so fucking glossed over like what the fuck

“First Clown: 'Twill, a not be seen in him there; there the men are as mad as he.” HOLY SHIT ROAST THEM JFC

“HAMLET: Let me see. (Takes the skull)” THIS IS THE SKULL SCENE! I fucking KNEW it was bullshit that holding the skull was in the to be/not to be speech. I saw it being presented as such like once or twice while reading and I KNEW IT

hm okay so hamlet picks up this guys skull, of someone he used to know, and sure maybe i could ignore the “those lips i have kissed” but then he goes on to mention alexander the great and i mean come on

but jesus like i feel like im not doing justice to the stuff hamlet’s saying. just, the gravity of it all. Its kinda hitting home a bit hard bc like ive had a crippling fear of what happens after death and being forgotten etc since i was like in fourth grade and this is @ing that phobia

like, with that julius ceasar thing. “O that that earth which kept the world in awe / should patch a wall to expel the winter flaw,” it’s so strange. like, every fucking human who has lived, whether they be emperors, murderers, inventors, peasants, or philanthropists- as long as they weren’t blind, they’ve all looked at the same sky. like. It doesnt matter what the fuck you did or didn’t. It’s wild.

“First Priest: No more be done: We should profane the service of the dead To sing a requiem and such rest to her As to peace-parted souls.” hey i get that there are cultural taboos around suicide but like this guy’s a dick it isnt even clear if it was suicide, like, she was so fucking crazy she might not have even known she was, y’know, in a lake or w/e

laertes, dude, my guy. maybe jumping into a grave is cosmic foreshadowing for something you don’t want to happen to you. js.

“HAMLET: [Advancing] What is he whose grief Bears such an emphasis? whose phrase of sorrow Conjures the wandering stars, and makes them stand Like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I, Hamlet the Dane. (Leaps into the grave)” hamlet is NOT one to be out-extra’d (posting-antares here to say, wait, ‘whose phrase of sorrow conjures the stars? is this my aesthetic-speeches-summon-ghosts theory? probably not, but i havent mentioned it for a while)

“LAERTES: The devil take thy soul! (Grappling with him)” IN A FUCKING GRAVE. THEY ARE FIGHTING. IN A GRAVE.

all because hamlet doesn’t want to be out-extra’d. my god.

“QUEEN GERTRUDE: This is mere madness: And thus awhile the fit will work on him; Anon, as patient as the female dove, When that her golden couplets are disclosed, His silence will sit drooping.” Ah yes gertie just talk about the distraught and angry madman as if he isn’t there. that’ll diffuse the situation.

You know what? We still haven’t discussed the pirates.

a5s2

“HAMLET: So much for this, sir: now shall you see the other; You do remember all the circumstance?” If this isn’t gonna be about the pirates im gonna. scream.

“HAMLET: My fears forgetting manners, to unseal Their grand commission; where I found, Horatio,-- O royal knavery!--an exact command, Larded with many several sorts of reasons Importing Denmark's health and England's too, With, ho! such bugs and goblins in my life, That, on the supervise, no leisure bated, No, not to stay the grinding of the axe, My head should be struck off.” god, though. imagine that. being exiled to another country by the person who killed your father, only to find out that they were going to have you killed, anyways. that’s fucking terrifying. jesus christ.

Damn this idea that pretty handwriting is ~beneath~ nobles confuses me so fucking much. I got called haughty once just because my main handwriting is cursive. I mean, they were right, but their evidence was circumstantial at best.

“HAMLET: That, on the view and knowing of these contents, Without debatement further, more or less, He should the bearers put to sudden death, Not shriving-time allow'd.” Hamlet’s Revenge. 

but also, what the fuck, dude. two wrongs dont make a right.

damn i kinda lost myself while reading but it really doesn’t sound like hamlet’s insane anymore. Like he’s… tempered himself. he doesn’t feel insane, just solemn.

“OSRIC: Your lordship is right welcome back to Denmark. HAMLET: I humbly thank you, sir. Dost know this water-fly?” goddamn ROAST HIM HAMLET (also what a fucking mood)

Osric put on your fucking ha--

The wind is

The wind is northerly

“HAMLET: No, believe me, 'tis very cold; the wind is northerly.” I remember someone saying that this is important

Okay here: “HAMLET: I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.”

oh no

Osric just wear ur fucking hat u doof

“OSRIC: Exceedingly, my lord; it is very sultry,--as 'twere,--I cannot tell how. But, my lord, his majesty bade me signify to you that he has laid a great wager on your head: sir, this is the matter,-- HAMLET: I beseech you, remember-- (HAMLET moves him to put on his hat)” excuse me a WAGER

but alas all hamlet cares about is osric’s fucking hat

“HAMLET: What's his weapon? OSRIC: Rapier and dagger. HAMLET: That's two of his weapons: but, well.” hamlet u sarcastic little shit i love you

I mean so is horatio. I love him too.

This stuff with the competition is. not gonna end well. not at well.

“HAMLET: I do not think so: since he went into France, I have been in continual practise: I shall win at the odds. But thou wouldst not think how ill all's here about my heart: but it is no matter.”

hamlet no. listen to your heart or whatever. jesus christ don’t do it.

“HORATIO: Nay, good my lord,--” HAMLET LISTEN TO HORATIO

Ohhh hamlet

okay reading what laertes said, you know what? i’m giving laertes one last chance. please do not prove me a fool, laertes. 

everything is giving me mad anxiety. e v e r y t h i n g.

claud’s speech is insanely sketchy

“KING CLAUDIUS: [Aside] It is the poison'd cup: it is too late.” One, so that’s why it was sketchy. Two, the POISONED CUP?

IT’S TOO LATE?

Gertie’s. Dead.

Shit, shit, shit

“LAERTES: [Aside] And yet 'tis almost 'gainst my conscience.” YES! SO PLEASE! STOP FIGHTING!

“LAERTES wounds HAMLET; then in scuffling, they change rapiers, and HAMLET wounds LAERTES.” Oh no oh no oh jeez eheu they’re hurting each other, shit, fuck,

“LAERTES: ...woodcock…”

“KING CLAUDIUS: She swounds to see them bleed. QUEEN GERTRUDE: No, no, the drink, the drink,--O my dear Hamlet,-- The drink, the drink! I am poison'd. (Dies)” one, i love how claud is desperatley trying to stick to the plan, its almost adorable in a childish sort of way. two, oh god. ohhh god. gertie. 

Oh no. 

this is the bloodbath. THIS IS THE BLOODBATH.

BODY COUNT: 1

“HAMLET: The point!--envenom'd too! Then, venom, to thy work. (Stabs KING CLAUDIUS)” ...

BODY COUNT: 2

wait and hamlet’s on death row, as with laertes. Oh no.

“LAERTES: He is justly served; It is a poison temper'd by himself. Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet: Mine and my father's death come not upon thee, Nor thine on me. (Dies)’ oh my god already??? I haven’t even really accepted king claud’s death?? jesus christ??

My friend just sorta nudged me and asked if i was alright and i. I’m not. i’m in shock. goddamn. what?

BODY COUNT: 3

goodness thats three in like less than thirty seconds JESUS CHRIST

“HAMLET: Heaven make thee free of it! I follow thee.I am dead, Horatio.” that’s chilling. just, the poignancy. that’s so fucking spectral. i’m not okay.

“HORATIO: Never believe it: I am more an antique Roman than a Dane: Here's yet some liquor left.” No no no on no nononon NO NO oh my god are you going to-

“HAMLET: As thou'rt a man, Give me the cup: let go; by heaven, I'll have't. … If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story.” hey i’m crying in study hall. i’m actually crying. what the fuck. I don’t cry unless i’m thinking about that one pair of 18th century shoes with the really good photo quality (transcribing-antares here. I fucking love those shoes. I’m looking at them right now and they’re so fucking beautiful. they look how velvet feels, which is odd, bc they're apparently silk. I don’t care they’re just so fucking lovely)

F O R T I N B R A S?

“HAMLET: O, I die, Horatio; The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit.” I’ve identified my emotion. Dread. pure, unadulterated Dread.

for all of you that’ve listened to the penumbra podcast: do you remember the concierge, right before final resting place, saying “you do realize you can just like, leave, and everything will be hunky dory and you won’t have to deal with the emotional consequences this episode will bring you” because i’m seriously considering doing that right now.

“HAMLET: The rest is silence. (Dies)” shit. (posting-antares here to say that i forgot to do the body count but honestly im crying while formating because of this goddamn fucking 400 year old play)

“HORATIO: Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince…” oh god. horatio.

“Good night sweet prince…”

(yet again tis transcribing-antares here to say that im fucking sobbing right now, the shoes are no match for this, and ‘goodnight sweet prince’ is actually never going to leave my head.) (editing-antares here to say im fucking crying again god fucking damn it) (posting-antares back again saying that this fucking line. this line. my god.)

“HORATIO: What is it ye would see? If aught of woe or wonder, cease your search.” oh, horatio. god. that isn’t something said without tears staining your skin and a bitter tone hard-won, not that its possession is a victory.

oh my god. this can’t. no. this can’t end like this. What. no. people must have rioted. No. no!!

i typically hate it but i would GLADLY accept a deus ex machina right about now!!

okay my friend just took my phone away from me and shut it off because i kept on trying to scroll past the end

jesus christ

okay so i’m not going to be okay for like, several eternities, so im going to play the sims until i. until i die, probably. my god.

masterlist

[getoffthesoapbox]

[FMP!IV] EPs 1&2 - Alone Together at the Edge of the Abyss

Wow, talk about a suckerpunch. I recently completed a rewatch marathon of Full Metal Panic’s first three seasons to prepare myself for the Invisible Victory, and I must admit some regret that I did. These first two episodes might have been easier to bear if I hadn’t just reminded myself of the journey these characters have taken to reach this point. As it was, my heart was completely shattered after I was done watching them, and so there’s nothing to be done but to hash it all out. There is so much to work through here.

It’s not normally my style to follow anime series closely via my blog, so I’m not sure how regular I’ll be (or if this all I’ve got in me) with any posts. I’ve also never read any of the source material, and I prefer to remain spoiler free on that, which means my thoughts will be based solely in what I have already seen. I really just want to process my reaction to the episodes rather than speculate on how the story will unfold (there’s no real point in speculation for a series like this that already has completed source material). 

Raising the Stakes

With so much to unpack in these two episodes, I don’t even know where to start. I guess we’ll start general and then get into specifics, maybe. First off, I think Episode 1 of FMP:IV is probably the best episode so far in all four seasons. I cannot get over how intense and tight the writing is, and how much it manages to achieve in such a short span of time. 

FMP:TSR left us in a relatively good spot for our lead couple, Sousuke and Chidori. I should think it’d be obvious, but I’m definitely on board the S.S. SouKana and have been since day one. Anyway, TSR left us in a good spot--Sousuke had set himself apart from Mithril and had found the place for his own heart to rest: with the woman he loves and in the life he’s built with her. At the same time, TSR had hinted that Chidori’s troubles were only just beginning, with most of her plotline from TSR remaining open-ended and in a troubling state of ambivalence. However, Chidori seemed to recover once she was reunited with Sousuke, and all was forgotten. But ever since TSR ended, I’ve been hoping to see the rest of the story Leonard’s character introduction promised, and here comes IV to save the day. 

It was an absolute delight to see we were going to pick up in IV exactly where we left off in TSR. But this also makes it all the more difficult to watch what’s inevitably coming--this appears to be an arc where both Chidori and Sousuke will be sorely tested, both individually and as a couple. The first episode hammers this home from multiple angles, and all I could think as each blow hit was how much this arc is going to hurt. It’s almost one of those arcs that you might be better off watching once the fifth season has started airing, haha. I don’t have that kind of discipline though. ;)

Our villains this season feel more credible than in the past ones, and the difficulties the characters will be going through seem far more visceral and gripping and organic than in the past. That, plus this season building on the previous three, is going to make for one hell of a tough ride. It feels like we’ve leveled up a bit in maturity, and the themes the narrative’s starting to address are more what one would expect from a story with such a premise. But let me go ahead and dig into the characters, since they’re where all the gold is.

Tessa - Laying down the Law

I’ll get Tessa out of the way first since I’m not a huge fan of her character, though I definitely appreciated her more in IV’s first two episodes than I have in most of the previous seasons. Tessa’s main flaw isn’t really her fault; it’s the writer’s fault--rather than writing her as a capable commander with her own life and love interests, she gets pulled into the harem hijinks for Sousuke which are completely unnecessary given how stunted his growth is as a person. A woman of Tessa’s rank and caliber shouldn’t even notice Sousuke other than as a subordinate, and it lowers the level of the story to have her switch from capable leader into fawning schoolgirl just because Sousuke is the “lead character.” It would have been different if she wasn’t a captain and was just window dressing on the ship, but the story wants us to take her seriously despite also trying to have its cake on the side by shoving her into the “clumsy simpering rival” role. 

My frustrations with Tessa’s general direction aside, FMP:IV definitely brought out her better sides, which I sincerely appreciated. We don’t see much of her in Episode 1, but I definitely enjoyed her first scene with Leonard (Leonard brings so much to this series). The scene with her uncle when the communication channels were on the fritz was one of the most intense in the episode, and I genuinely felt like the stakes had been raised significantly and that Mithril was in deep trouble. The set up from her sections really helped set the stage for how isolated Mithril is, and how even more isolated Sousuke and Chidori are because of that. 

Episode 2 is where Tessa gets to shine, though. She’s always at her best when she’s with her crew rather than butting into Sousuke and Chidori’s storyline, and this is readily apparent when she steps in to quell a mutiny among the mercenaries. Tessa acts as a mirror for Chidori this episode--while Chidori is clearly a sheltered girl who is dealing with war for the first time, Tessa is the other side of the coin: a young woman who is further down the road of battle than Chidori is and who has seen death firsthand. For Chidori, Sousuke’s battlefields are a fantasy world she enters periodically and then returns to her daily life, but for Tessa this is daily life. And in Episode 2, we see Tessa is more than capable of handling it. She threatens the life of the mercenary who is attempting to mutiny, and her threat is credible. You really believe it that she’ll shoot him if he keeps pushing. This again mirrors Chidori’s inability to accept the war conditions breaking out in her backyard--while Chidori is unable to separate wartime behavior from peacetime behavior, Tessa is fully prepared not only to see lives be taken, but to take one if necessary. 

I’m assuming Tessa will continue to act as a mirror for Chidori as this series rolls on--Chidori’s clearly meant to confront the horrors of war, and Tessa has already come out on the other side of that confrontation. Hopefully this mirroring is used to help Chidori’s character rather than for harem hijinks (I will definitely resent it if the story tries to imply Tessa is “better” for Sousuke because she’s in the military--there is no reason a military man can’t find happiness with a civilian woman and it’s not helpful to either of the girls’ characters to use their personal tragedies as point systems for which one is “better” for the boy they both like). 

Okay that’s enough on Tessa for now. On to more important things, like Leonard. ;)

Leonard’s Arrival - Diving into the Crucible

When Leonard first appeared and showed an interest in Chidori in TSR, it felt like the real story had finally settled into place. Unlike Sousuke, Chidori is a young woman who has lived a typical life and is reacting to unusual circumstances. Leonard offers her an atypical life and the seductions that come with such a life. Sousuke, on the other hand, fights to protect the life she’s leading currently, though he’ll follow her wherever she wants to go. Because Sousuke is a character who follows rather than leads, the narrative does best when Chidori is at its center--she is a character with strong convictions who is smart and able to butt heads with the villains while also falling prey to their psychological torment. This is the stuff good story arcs are made of.

There is just so much going on in the exchange between Leonard, Sousuke, and Chidori. Leonard clearly has an interest in both characters, though for now his focus is on Chidori. Needling Sousuke is just a bonus for him at the moment. 

What I found remarkable about his scene with the two of them is how much lies in the subtext. Chidori clearly hasn’t said a word about Leonard or Leonard’s forced kiss to Sousuke, which creates a barrier between her and him that wasn’t there before, and is something Sousuke actually notices. And unlike Sousuke’s own adventures away from Chidori, this barrier will have huge ramifications because Chidori has more emotional maturity than he does. When Sousuke doesn’t talk about things, it’s merely because he interacts with the world in a factual, logical way without taking emotions into account normally; if someone doesn’t need to know something, he doesn’t tell them unless asked, and then he’s completely honest--there’s no deceit in him. Chidori does not interact with the world this way--when she hides something, it’s because she has something to conceal. And secrets are snakes in a relationship--for Chidori to have them now is the first step toward creating a fissure between her and Sousuke that can then be exploited by their enemies and rivals.

The three of them jockey around each other, with Leonard knowing the most, Chidori having the next highest amount of knowledge, and poor Sousuke knowing jack nothing about anything and trying to protect Chidori anyway. This, unfortunately, allows Leonard to run circles around him. Leonard baits Sousuke into attacking him in order to make a point about the magnitude of the power difference between them. But the target of his psychological attacks is Chidori, with Sousuke as a side effect. 

Leonard is definitely Chidori’s villain, though likely she won’t get to defeat him. The scene sets up the conflict between them, and the temptation for Chidori. Leonard views himself as an “elite,” and he thinks Chidori (and likely his sister) should join him in that view. He tempts Chidori to switch her view of the people she loves and lives with every day from acceptance and appreciation to looking down on them. Chidori is likely going to be sorely tested by this, even if she’s firm in her dedication to viewing the people around her as worthwhile--her abilities and powers are growing at an alarming rate, and even if she doesn’t want to become separated from those she loves, a separation will likely occur if the growth continues. It reminds me a bit of Flowers for Algernon’s premise, where the more intelligent the experiment makes the main character, the further away from the people he cares about he grows. Chidori’s going to face a similar challenge here. 

But Leonard doesn’t stop with just tempting Chidori--he throws everything and the kitchen sink at her in order to get her. First he attempts to blackmail her (and this will be what works in the end)--he warns her that if she doesn’t come to his side willingly, the town she loves will suffer for it. Then he attempts to create a false intimacy with her by reminding her of the forced kiss, which will have the additional effect of widening the growing fissure between her and Sousuke. Isolating her from the people she cares about is likely going to be a key tactic of Leonard’s--if Chidori becomes dependent on him as the only one who can comfort and protect her, she will have to come to his side by default. If he can put enough doubt in her heart about Sousuke, he’s won half the battle. To accomplish this, he throws out one last barb. To a casual viewer, it might seem that he’s doing this for Sousuke’s sake, but given the staging of the scene--Chidori is the one who’s reactions are highlighted first--it’s clear these barbs are meant for her. He flat out taunts Sousuke about how unfair it is that he’s killed nearly a hundred people and is here living freely. This certainly will be something that haunts Sousuke’s character during this arc, I’m sure, but what’s really going to hurt Sousuke is what this knowledge is going to do to Chidori’s view of him. Chidori’s love and acceptance is what’s being tested here, not Sousuke’s “right” to live freely. If Leonard can get her to doubt Sousuke, he can worm his way in. Needling Sousuke and getting Sousuke to doubt himself is just an added bonus--it’s not the goal as far as I can tell.

Either way, I love what Leonard brings to the table and I’m so excited to see how everything plays out (even though I know it’s going to hurt). 

Sousuke - Navigating “Normal”

Sousuke’s got several challenges coming his way in this new arc of the story. His character has grown in leaps and bounds since the beginning--he’s found his place in life, he’s found a woman he wants to protect, and he’s decided where he wants to be for now. This is all wonderful development, but a new test must always arise. The new test comes in the form of how committed he is to his new growth, and whether he’ll slip back into old habits.

The former student council president neatly summarizes what I think is Sousuke’s new trajectory, as well as the key points of conflict that will arise for him. The ex-pres points out that Sousuke himself is in a good place, and is well on track to learning how to live a normal civilian life. The problem is the woman he has chosen for himself eventually won’t be able to fit into that civilian life, because her abilities are anything but normal. Sousuke’s challenges in this arc are going to be how to merge his violent past with his peaceful present and make the most of it while still being able to protect the woman he loves and help tether her to the normal civilian life they both want. 

The problem is, of course, that their relationship is going to fracture because of the challenges she’s going to be facing, which will make it harder for Sousuke to reach her, since he hasn’t fully leveled up in emotional maturity yet. Navigating the difficult minefield of psychological trauma and damage is a new challenge for Sousuke, and this is going to be one he needs to learn a bit of finesse in order to get right. 

On top of what the ex-pres brought up, we also have Sousuke’s past coming back to haunt him, but in an unexpected way--Sousuke’s ease with war and with killing is going to form a barrier between Chidori and himself, especially when Chidori’s personal life is thrown into upheaval because of it. In his conversation with the ex-pres, the specter of Sousuke leaving Chidori is brought up again. Now, we’ve already dealt with this from Sousuke’s end--when ordered to leave her, he did, and he regretted it bitterly. But this will be a different kind of separation--this will be Sousuke choosing to leave despite wanting to stay with every fiber of his being, for Chidori’s sake. If a new separation occurs, it will because Chidori either wants it or Sousuke senses it would be best for her mental state. This is yet another test he’ll have to overcome, because ultimately they both love each other and they should work through their problems rather than running from each other. 

The ex-pres’s “waystation” idea is probably going to be important because of this separation--when Sousuke decides to let Chidori go (for her sake), it will be because he has faith they’ll be reunited later. He’s going to bet on the waystation idea to allow her to regain equilibrium. However, this is going to backfire, because school is the waystation--not their relationship.

Chidori - Awakening

I am so excited about the focus on Chidori this season that I can’t even contain my enthusiasm. TSR was such a disappointment because Chidori wasn’t as involved (the ex-pres is right, this story is at its best when she’s at the center of everything ;D), so it’s an absolute delight to have her taking center stage for IV. 

Just like last arc was Sousuke’s growth arc, it is now Chidori’s turn. There is a lot of ground to cover with her. First, she’s going to have to grapple with her abilities and her reality as a Whispered. She’s going to have to deal with the fact that, as Leonard says, she is “special” and with that status comes certain perks as well as significant drawbacks. Chidori’s been in denial about how special she is ever since the story started, and now is the time for her to come to terms with what that means and what she needs to do about it. 

As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, she also is being targeted and is at the center of why her normal life is about to explode. This kind of pressure is going to make her question whether or not she has any right to a normal life, especially when it results in harming so many people. We already see hints of this in Episode 2--after her brave denouncement of Leonard, she begins cracking immediately when she sees the results of her declaration: everyday normal people are now being involved in the terrorist battles between her side and Amalgam, and beyond that, her home and the places she’s lived near all her life are turning into a war zone because of her. People are going to die because she wouldn’t play along with Leonard. This is a huge burden for her to carry, and something she hasn’t had to face before because most of the kidnappings were child’s play in comparison to what Leonard and the other Amalgam members have cooked up this time. 

On top of this, she’s taking a second look at Sousuke. This is important for her to do in general anyway--before now, she hasn’t really “seen” Sousuke or tried to understand him. She doesn’t know his past, or what he’s done, or anything about him, really, other than the fact that he barged into her life and became dear to her through his ridiculous antics. Whenever she was in tough spots in earlier episodes in the previous three series, Sousuke was always her rescuer and her somewhat dense and oblivious crush. But now she’s going to see him with fresh eyes--Sousuke is not just a nice young man who likes guns, he’s a soldier who is desensitized to death and holds the lives of people he doesn’t know as lower than the lives of people he does know. This becomes readily apparent in Episode 2, when Sousuke drags Chidori away from the injured man in order to protect her, yet leaving the man prone with no one to call for help. With Chidori’s friends in danger in Episode 3, likely this will become more pronounced because Chidori will want to sacrifice herself to save her friends while Sousuke will want to sacrifice her friends to save her. She’s going to have to take a step back and reconsider him as a partner and as a love interest, because his values are a complete 180 from hers, and this is something she’s never truly grappled with before. 

Her arc is going to be so painful, but I care not. Bring it on anyway, show! 

Chidori & Sousuke - Love Blooming in Adversity

Anytime you get this much romance at the start of a series, you know you’re in for a world of hurt. These two are so sweet they make my teeth stand on edge. I’ve got to take the time to gush over the good stuff and why it’s so important for us to see this before shit hits the fan.

Sousuke and Chidori are in a new place after TSR--Sousuke has realized that Chidori is the one he loves, and they’ve come to terms with each other, even if it’s still unspoken. In IV, after mulling over the ex-pres’s parting words, Sousuke takes a huge step forward and asks Chidori to hold hands. This embarrasses both of them, but the whole scene is so freaking endearing because despite the embarrassment, neither of them wants to stop holding hands. Ugh. Kill me now. It’s too cute for this world. What I love about it too is that even though Sousuke’s not all that experienced as a lover, he’s firm and assertive at exactly the right moments. Boy’s got great instincts. 

The mood in the hand holding scene is clearly meant to lead to something more, especially given the UST in the elevator. They’re both adorably determined to see this thing through to its logical conclusion, and their similar wavelengths are utterly precious. These are reminders that these two, when they’re on the same page, are utterly unstoppable in whatever they decide to do. It also will make the story all the more heartbreaking when the inevitable fissure erupts between them. 

Sousuke’s little smile when he and Chidori link hands again, and Chidori’s responding glance are just HNNNNNGGGGG. I can’t even describe it, it makes me so happy. I just adore how clearly in love with Chidori Sousuke is. This is ridiculously rare for shounen-based stories, and it makes my heart soar. I also love how honest and assertive Chidori is; she’s a girl who knows what she wants and doesn’t have to pretend she doesn’t. She’s also got this wonderfully coy, assertive, muted sexiness that is so refreshing. 

Unfortunately, their date is canceled thanks to Leonard. When we see them again next, they’re in stakeout mode. This scene is heartwrenching in so many ways. We get to see how compatible they are as a functioning couple here. Chidori worries about Sousuke not sleeping and scolds him. Sousuke’s body language here is quite interesting--he looks away from her and doesn’t meet her eyes. Obviously part of this is due to him keeping an eye out for enemies, but some of it (perhaps unconsciously) is avoidance because he knows this isn’t a situation she wanted and he knows he’s pushing himself and that she won’t like that. 

Sousuke tells Chidori she’ll be safe once she’s squirreled away at Merida Island. Chidori’s first thought is whether they’ll be able to return home once the coast is clear. Sousuke clearly fears this won’t be possible, due to his own past with protecting the Whispered candidates before Chidori as well as due to the past incidents with Chidori herself. They argue a bit about her abilities, and it’s easy to see their mutual fears coming out here: he is afraid she will continue to be in danger no matter what they do, and she is afraid that her abilities will make her lose all she loves. 

What I love about this scene is Sousuke admitting that they can’t rely entirely on Mithril, because Mithril’s goals are antithetical to their own. He gives Chidori’s concerns and fears and desires full credit, which is utterly adorable. He doesn’t dismiss her wishes as silly or childish; he wants to find a way to grant them. When she complains about wanting to keep her life the way it is, he actually reassures her that he knows how important her current lifestyle is to her and that he feels the same as she does. It’s honestly utterly refreshing to see a couple in a story have a functional conversation like this, even while they’re both holding their own secret thoughts and fears, without the typical ridiculous misunderstandings these stories usually rely on. 

And at the end he almost asks her to run away with him. This is what really breaks my heart. He wanted to run away with her, this practical dense boy was able to come up with such a stupidly romantic, idiotic plan because he loves this girl too much to let her get swallowed up by Mithril or Amalgam or some other organization. She means so much to him, and he’s will to sacrifice whatever it takes to help her go wherever she wants to go. 

But even though he’s at this point, she’s not where he is yet. She needs to come to terms with him first, before they can reach a stage where they can take on the world and its systems together. 

Chidori & Sousuke - Comforting Banter

The comedy between these two has leveled up in IV. It used to be the comedy between them was just Sousuke doing something stupid and Chidori smacking him, but thanks to their relationship developing, we’re now at a point where slapstick isn’t necessary because their banter more than makes up for it. 

In Episode 1, when they’re walking home together and Sousuke just keeps saying “Yeah” when Chidori’s telling her story about Shiori’s latest boyfriend hijinks. It’s a classic bored boyfriend trope, and for Sousuke to display it is utterly adorable. (Of course, he’s not bored--he’s lost in thought, but the comedic timing is still there.) Chidori gets mad at him and tries to dig for what’s bothering him, but he shuts her down. 

There’s another cute little moment at the end of the episode when they’re in the car where Chidori makes fun of his rations. He’s so practical when he tells her to just deal with it. Their banter here makes them seem just like a fond married couple. She’s fondly exasperated while he’s stubborn and no-nonsense. It’s too cute for words.

The last moment before shit hits the fan is the great moment in Episode 2 after Sousuke crashes their car. He pulls Chidori out of the wreckage, and the two of them take cover behind another car. Chidori complains good-naturedly that she’s never going to let him drive her anywhere again. And Sousuke, rather than getting offended, immediately contradicts her and says that whether she likes it or not he’s going to be driving her if its for her protection. He’s not even going to humor her on this one, it’s so cute. 

These little scenes demonstrate the remarkable sync between these two characters, and the perfect ebb and flow of their dynamic. I’m endlessly amazed by how naturally they fit together, despite how different they are, and the many sides they bring out in each other. They really are a couple that embodies both the romantic ideal of love and the more practical idea of love--even in the midst of a “destined” romance where they understand each other without words, they still find ways to push each other and grow into better versions of themselves together. 

I think it’s so important that the story highlight these aspects of them in the first two episodes, because likely their relationship is going to be tested harshly in the coming episodes, and we’re going to need these reminders that they do have what it takes to make it through the storm. 

Chidori & Sousuke - Cracking Under Pressure

Unfortunately, despite all the reminders of how wonderful this couple is when they’re working together, all the flags are pointing toward them falling apart for a while. There’s still some more growth left to be done, and it’s mostly going to be on Chidori’s end this time. Her unfinished business from TSR is about to break out into the open. 

Chidori still hasn’t dealt with Sousuke abandoning her in TSR and what that meant for her. Sousuke clearly still doesn’t know what she went through while he was gone, and that’s going to be a pendulum blade above their relationship until it’s out in the open and resolved. 

Leonard’s appearance sets the stage for the faultlines to shift in their relationship. His appearance brings up not only the unspoken scene from TSR, but it also carries a reminder that Sousuke is not what he appears to be. This reminder is something that clearly hangs over Chidori for the remaining screentime of the first two episodes. We don’t see it unfold much in Episode 1, but a little hint of it is there: after Leonard leaves, Chidori begins trembling in the aftermath of the shock of seeing Leonard again. Sousuke attempts to comfort her by putting a hand on her shoulder, and she jerks away from him violently, something she never does. It’s a clear sign that the pain and hurt he caused her in TSR and the fears that grew within her during the time when he abandoned her have not been resolved. Deep inside her, she still feels she can’t rely on him for help. It’s easy to forget that in TSR, when she called Sousuke’s name to save her, it wasn’t Sousuke who answered her call--it was Leonard. And Leonard answered with death, bringing death into her life in a way it hadn’t been before. This is something she is going to have to grapple with, and something that’s going to be between her and Sousuke until it’s addressed.

Episode 2 establishes some new fissures forming between them. First, during the car chase, Sousuke is struggling to keep them alive during their fight with the Alastors. Chidori offers to take the gunner position to help him, but Sousuke fiercely refuses with uncharacteristic force. Chidori of course is confused by his vehemence, but it’s easy to see that he wants to protect her from the other side of killing--once that line is crossed, the psychological damage is permanent. So Sousuke’s motivation of keeping Chidori free of war and innocent of its effects forms another wall between the two of them. He wants to be the one who takes on all the burden of war, leaving her helpless and bereft in a misguided wish to protect her from what she can’t escape. 

The next crack forms when they’re escaping, and Sousuke opens fire in the middle of an intersection after they nearly escape death by car crash, traumatizing a group of local citizens who tried to help them. Chidori’s breakdown over Sousuke’s inability to value any life above hers begins at this point and continues when a cyclist gets caught in the crossfire between Sousuke and the Alastor. Chidori’s first instinct is to help the man, but Sousuke can’t allow them to rest because they’re still being pursued. Although Sousuke’s reaction is correct in this situation (Chidori standing around is just going to make wherever she’s standing a war zone), because he doesn’t explain to her that moving will help the man more than staying, she begins to have an emotional breakdown because the norms she’s used to are being thrown out the window left and right. 

When Gebo 9 arrives at last and takes out some of their pursuers, instead of feeling relieved, Chidori is dismayed. Sousuke, of course, is pleased to see the danger being taken down, and though this is how he’s always been, Chidori is now looking at him with a fresh perspective and is horrified by what she sees. She interprets his smile as delight in their enemies’ deaths, when really it’s just that he’s seen so much death and has lived through so many life-or-death battles that for him the loss of life is nothing compared to protecting the woman at his side. By the time Sousuke boards Al, Chidori can no longer process the war zone her life has become and has a complete breakdown. Even though she’s seen Sousuke fight armored mechs before, she’s never seen him fight people before (despite this being something he’s always done, as a soldier), and the sheer amount of killing she’s been exposed to in the span of what is probably only a few hours on top of seeing Sousuke in his natural element is too much for her to take in. She understandably flips out.

Even with all of this, I do believe she could have overcome her initial concerns if she’d been given space to breathe and think things through with Sousuke. Sousuke doesn’t blame her for freaking out or being distraught over the situation--this was something he’s been trying to protect her from seeing, because he knows firsthand how hard being in the midst of war is. But unfortunately we start to see the beginning of Chidori believing she’s responsible for everything and that if she’d only just done what Leonard asked her to, none of this would have happened. The ending of Episode 2 only serves to highlight that point--now those nearest and dearest to her have been caught up in mix. The pressure’s intense, and Chidori is cracking. 

Sousuke’s not going to be able to help her through this before she makes a drastic decision, and after that, it’s anyone’s guess (other than those who’ve read the source material of course) how they’re going to be able to fix what’s about to break. 

Whelp, guess we’ll find out in a few hours when the next episode is released, haha. That’s what I get for being slow on this one. ;) I do want to say, though, the opening and ending visuals are heartbreaking and gorgeous and I cannot wait to see everything they’re hinting at unfold. This is going to be fun (I hope). ;)

Until next time!

[thethirdwheel404]

Med Rewatch Series (#2)

\haha yeah I was totally planning on sleeping but I literally cannot think about anything else other than getting this idea out of my brain. so, we will try to get through the finale of s2: Love Hurts. please enjoy.

-okay so right off the bat before even starting the episode, i noted a few things. the episode description is “Robin experiences complications and a new face arrives at the hospital.” How fucking annoying that it’s the season finale and the entire episode is centered around connor? of course, at this point we don’t know that the ‘new face’ is his future love interest.

-also!!! the fact that ava is mentioned in the episode description of the season finale? That’s huge!

-the episode description makes it sound like nothing fucking happens in this episode.

-also i am extremely scared to start the ep bc i feel like it is going to through me straight back into the deep end and put me in a state of emotional shock.

-i will try to take very deep breaths before the episode starts. okay. here we go.

-does this episode open with robin being carted in on the ambo bc if this is the ep im thinking about, i remember appreciating how angsty this scene was

-i still remember charles yelling ‘2 of adavan!’

-okay hi sarah i really was not expecting to see you this soon

-oh wow. just. sarah calling shots in the ed. in control. you love to see it. also. im just now remembering how early in the ep we get to meet ava. i always remembered it as being at the very end but. i remember connor being distraught with his messy hair.

-also i’m highkey loving how out-of-control connor is rn

-reese. god i missed you so much.

-they counted again. love that.

-okay but like i have no analysis just every time sarah’s onscreen i just want to say ‘i love you’

- i have not heard sarah speak in a HOT SEC and god i forgot how deep her voice was and it is sending me (its not even that deep i just like, forgot.) It has been years and I honestly think i have forgotten who sarah really was. sad.

-like i don’t remember the last time i could describe her as in control but right now treating robin she’s calm (honestly bc she’s the only other shrink on the show, but HOLD ON WAIT DOESNT CHARLES GET SHOT AT THE END OF THIS EPISODE WHAT THE FUCK. reese has one moment. and then her and charles start bickering. i remember why i was so mad)

-i’m in love with her.

-i really have to sit through the next 40 mins of this and just everytime i see sarah going ‘i love her,’ and now you do too.

-oh my god CHARLES SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU CANNOT BLAME CONNOR FOR THIS

-also the reason i became disillusioned: dr charles just started being suuuuuper sus.

-i do love sarah. and honestly, connor, not my favorite, but this storyline really made me empathize with him. his girlfriend is having a psychotic break and people keep shitting on him. (maybe the reason i didn’t like ava at first. really kicked him while he was down)

-I... haha. sarah. hnghhh. you can guess the rest.

-if you were in this situation, with robin, would you be thinking like connor or would you be thinking like charles? personally- connor. Robin was fine. maybe a little impulsive to take her home, but charles was being suuuper overprotective (from what I remember).

-Charles: “This is on you. You did this.” I remember that line hitting really hard when I watched it the first time lmao damn.

-SARAH. HER EYES ARE RED. SHE’S SAD. SHE’S CRYING! COME ONNNN MEDDD YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME!!! (and I swallowed my water the wrong way which somehow triggered my gag reflex so now im crying too please god stop Im sorry what did I do)

-yay sarah. hey guys look at that. sarah gets to, like, do her job.

-ALSO I JUST REALIZED THAT S3 STILL SUCKS FOR SARAH BC OF HER INTENSE INTENSE PTSD??? LIKE SHE WHOLE ASS PEPPERSPRAYS HER PATIENT???

-also these are the clothes charles got shot in and honestly i’m not even mad. I’m mad that him getting shot put sarah through so much pain (i talked a lot about ava but y’all are really gonna see just how protective i am of sarah. like god even I forgot.)

-you can see how much sarah cares about connor. which is like, fantastically crazy. (it fuels the rheese shippers which is why i tend to be against it) but just like, that’s just how sarah is. she cares so much. she’s not even close to connor, but you can see how much she cares. this is why its so unfair for sarah to work in psych. like, she’s way too soft for that come on man. (y’all remember the huge car crash episode and at the end she tells ethan that it was nice to be back in the ed bc you can fix people’s bodies but not their minds? 1) she was adorable in that. 2) i am so scared for her. she just cares too much)

-okay but the above bullet is probably the exact reason why people ended up shipping ava and sarah. they both are characters who care way more than they let on. sarah is the only one in the hospital who would probably give ava a second chance after an icy first encounter. That being said, being realistic? ava is probably the only one who would she the bullshit that sarah has to go through everyday, so she would never have the icy first encounter. which in turn sets sarah’s empathy bells off or whatever.

-honestly? ava is a mean to people because she thinks they deserve it. that’s it. she’s not a bitch or anything like that (and yeah, ava stans do a little bit of overlooking her behavior bc hey if a careless med student bumps into her while passing by, thats on them). (and of course, in this world and in reesker minds, sarah has never done anything wrong, ever.)

-look guys, i did it. i boiled reesker down to its bare essentials! (lmao tho literally walking through it again from almost a totally fresh perspective, it is still so easy to see how they would have been great together.)

-also. uh. not to pile on the reesker but. ----- connor just got paged by latham. is-is it happening?

-refusing to go home and sleep because the person you care most about is lying in a hospital bed is such classic angst oh my god

-wtf? charles has meds i completely forgot? for his heart? when is he gonna get shot the suspense is killing me.

-ALSO. YOU ARE TELLING ME. THAT S3 SARAH HAD TO DEAL WITH PTSD AND A POSSIBLE PATIENT LAWSUIT. AT THE SAME TIME HER FATHER WAS BEING SUSPECTED OF MURDER, AT THE SAME TIME HE TRIED TO RECONNECT. it is a fucking crime that that is the season we have to rewatch. its a crime they abused her so much.

-waiting for charles to keel over and die like

-the worst thing is that like, he actually cares. he actually truly cares about sarah, he just did a lot of bad things. so sarah has to justify them all! and sarah had no idea how to feel because now she’s disillusioned again. please chill

-lmao stoll wow 

-oh. soft sweet boy noah. he really doesn’t know better, and that’s almost the worst thing.

-also. dr. shore. that’s really all i have to say about that.

-ohhhhh my god nat fucking chill

-what is it with couples on mad and not being allowed to be happy. (this could be about reesker if you, like, reallyyyy squint)

-aw! hey, look! it’s jay! he’s nice to look at too. ooh i also forgot how deep his voice was lol

-counting

- i honestly forgot what a good source of angst this show was. this guys parents are flying in from germany to go to his graduation and then he got hit by a car??? damn

- i still forget how much i like the cop/doctor brother duo. I love it.

-GUYSSS

-GUYSSS ITS HAPPENING

-the air literally left my lungs I am not ready.

-ITS FUCKING

-oh my god

-it is 3 am and I just screamed out loud holy shit

-I FORGOT I FUCKING FORGOT. IT DOESNT HAPPEN WITH HER IN CASUAL CLOTHES. THAT IS AT THE END. I FORGOT THEY INTERACT WITH HER IN SCRUBS

- I FORGOT I FUCKING FORGOT

--holy shit she is fucking stunning. she was just allowed to be like that? in her first introduction? while connor looks like complete shit? IMAGINE THE POWER SHE HAS HOLY SHIT. THIS IS THE GREATEST POWER MOVE IVE EVER SEEN.

-uh for those of you who are confused, ava bekker has entered the scene and holy. shit. is she fucking amazing. and she hasn’t even said a word yet. all she did was turn

-H E R P O W E R

-uhhuufhuahdoas back to the analysis - latham reiterated all of the points we just discussed in the premiere, only goes to show how this was planned, from the start.

- t h e p o w e r ava has to step on the scene and instantly fuck things up. I ASPIRE

-okay let me try again to move forward. (nope. i tried to go back to the tab and just. the expression on her face. guys. i cannot express the emotions. we will press on)

-deep breaths

-she’s so pretty oh my god

-I-uh- okay listen. it is really, really, really hard to analyze this because i have not watched an actual scene or actually heard her talk in her very very pretty accent in two years. I, uh, i need a minute.

-i honestly cannot recall a thing she just said. (i am literally in fucking love) (i’m gonna go back and rewatch the scene and see what I pick up)

-THE----the fucking way she puts her hand back in her pocket

-GOD IM FUCKING GAY

-as for analysis - god that cheeky little smile.

-she’s blunt. is what took me about 75 words to say. this is gonna be a nightmare. (if i torture myself and make myself watch s4 and s5 then I’ll be really sad) (at this point can you imagine what would’ve happened if i had watched her death? I’m remembering exactly how crushed I was)

-OH. YEAH. IN CASE YOU FORGOT? THAT GIRL? THE SNARKY ONE? ON SCREEN RIGHT NOW? SHE’S. FUCKING. DEAD. CANONICALLY SHES DEAD. HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

-like just that fact is sending me so hard. i am already so sad. I had like thirty seconds of elation. it’s not FUCKING FAIR

- i need another minute. AND SHE STILL HAS ANOTHER LINE.

-this doesn’t really pertain to the theory but the “loyal, that’s sweet” line has got to mean something. Like something to be said about how connor couldn’t commit to her in s4. (its just so fucking unfair that she’s dead but we really need to move on)

-this also means that ava isn’t entirely loyal? bc she’s looking down on connor for being loyal? I um really don’t have all the info to unpack All of that, but it should be noted.

-DID YOU CONNOR? DID YOU ENJOY WORKING TOGETHER???

-from ava stan perspective: @ connor you like made her life hell, which wasn’t your fault but still. uhh she’s the one that’s dead, you’re not, so obviously one of you enjoyed it a little more. let’s move on.

-i love her.

-haha oh man jack kelloggs back. FUCKING MERC HIS ASS (i don’t hate charles that much and this storyline gave me so much fucking anxiety throughout the ep)

-god jack kelloggs such an asshole

-OKAY BRUH ETHAN AND APRIL HAVE A THING THIS SEASON? jesus this show really moves

-there are a lot of things I could complain about.

-will: “Why’d she do that? Cut her hair. A woman makes a change like that, it’s a big deal.” S4 AVA WHAT DOES IT MEAN

-i can’t believe its the season finale and they have enough time for will to ask maggie why nat cut her hair. this show is the reason I have anxiety. charles is about to get shot and what are you doing

-oh. oh wow. noah and sarah bickering/noah flirting. it’s like, adorable. which i don’t think is really fair. just, sarah’s the best

-I- uh- can’t believe that was the first time I watched an ava scene in years? that was a really big step for me?? god wow.

-god remember how sarah just like, saved robin? yall remember that? REMEMBER WHEN SARAH COULD DO THINGS? there’s a reason i hated this show.

-okay but just like the fact that charles was - content with letting his daughter be holed up in a room for the foreseeable future? when sarah had a perfectly logical answer? who is he trying to undermine here? (and that is why i hate charles)

-sharon: “where’s the daniel who doesn’t give up? doesn’t your own daughter deserve that much?” kind of a reach but if charles really cares about sarah as much as he does, and sharon knows this, the double meaning here is almost impeccable.

-oh hey guys! ava’s back!

-okay this is like super nitpicky but at this point it feels like norma didn’t have the accent down packed and its a little exaggerated and awkward at times but, come on, still love her.

-Ava: “excuse me, you’re an emergency medicine resident, why are we even talking” AVA BEKKER REALLY TAKES NO SURVIVORS (the writers just really weren’t banking on the fans being that attracted to ava) (like i forgot how blunt she was and holy shit. wow. i kinda see where the haters were coming from. its amazing to see how we clawed her back tho [by we i mean the lesbians])

-analytical. That’s what ava is. It’s almost like that thing where people purposefully say something outlandish just to gauge people’s reaction. she doesn’t argue with connor, at least not now. she just looks between him and ethan, sees she’s outnumbered, and walks off. She doesn’t know how the place works yet. she’s testing the waters. - this could be why she slowly gets more and more confrontational as the series progresses. she sees that no matter what, everyone will be on connor’s side. she doesn’t fight a losing battle. but when you’re constantly losing, its frustration. (reminder, these things only hold true in s3. s4 doesn’t exist)

-I’m fucking?? where the hell did jeff go?

-also, oh, this is maggie’s storyline. the guy dies right but he wanted to propose to the girl? wait no that doesn’t seem right...

-yooo its the girl in the gorilla costume. certified iconic. also how the hell did they have enough time for all this crap in the finale. this show fucking moves.

-for like a split second i forgot that noah and april were siblings

-noah’s a sweetie

-oh hey look it’s ava

-knock knock. who’s there? oh boy, point one for ava stans, she’s right about the surgery (potential evidence showing how this is the first scene of connor not being shit/actually being out or equally matched)

-OKAY WOW SARAH GO OFF (she’’s just fantastic i mean look at her. she’s adorable)

-ava: “Why do all the residents in this hospital think they can offer their opinions?” DR BEKKER PLEASE (okay but like i said last ep i had the exact same question. go off ava)

-connor just took control of the case (first instance of ava outright saying ‘i disagree’) (and let me guess, he’s gonna be right in the end because he literally fucking always is)

-if you look at it from a different perspective, ava was necessary. they needed someone to put connor in his place. at least, she tried. (very disappointing that she also had to sleep with him but that’s not the current point) if they wanted to fix his problem of coming off as spoiled, ava gave him a force to fight against, to earn his stars. they could’ve done it better, and actually had him lose a few times. because what does constantly letting connor win do? it undermines ava, it also undermines his attending. his attending who he is constantly having to stick up for. dude. hero complex chill. ava never had a hero complex. which cannot be said for a lot of the people on the show (IF YOU EVEN TRY TO ARGUE THIS POINT IS WRONG I POINT YOU TO THE EPISODE WHERE AVA PUSHED THE CREDIT FOR THE SURGERY ONTO CONNOR WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER WAS HUGGING HER) they did it wrong. they tried to, idk, fix connor by giving him humility, but they kind of completely forgot the humility part. and the part where he learns things. HE EVEN HAS TO STAND UP FOR AVA TO HER OWN MENTOR. LITERALLY? DUDE? FUCKING. CHILL.

-okay but that’s what it is though. ava was always meant to be the villain. because she was always a counter for connor. and connor is the hero. (you may be thinking this goes against my theory because I’m fighting for ava rights, but my actual theory is that ava was never supposed to stay past s3. the only reason she stayed was because she became a fan favorite. she was supposed to take connor’s mayo clinic offer. and you know how it probably would have happened? Connor probably would have gave her the offer. letting him be the hero one last time. [of course, this isn’t what happened. we all know.])

-OKAY FUCK THIS RESIDENT? “good call, Dr. Rhodes” SHUT THE FUCK UP??? (resident speaking rights revoked)

-I have nothing for this but just want to point out how she looks around and says “yes” all contemplative. god if i could just think about what she was thinking

-jack bro stop

-okay. was there ever an active shooter in the hospital when ava was around. bc if there was. i legally need to know

-lmao stoll

-sarah... makes me smile.

-fun fact: we are at about the half way mark. I am so sorry.

-no no no nono. so, robin just got diagnosed and is getting prepped for surgery. Sarah. don’t give charles credit for solving it. stop.

-Hey! yall remember how the best characters on the show only got thirty seconds of onscreen time together? yeah! I’m still mad about it too!

-aww connor being worried. (i think im fine with connor as long as like, ava is no where near. this scene is just very pure)

-when is this guy gonna get shot already

-aww he loves her. i want to kill him. (why? playboy. gets feelings way too quick. stop him. keep him away from ava)

-HAHAHAH okay. robin just got put into surgery and latham and ava are performing it (is it a brain surgery? yes. are they ct surgeons? yes. don’t ask questions) BUT you can see this emotion on ava’s face. she feels sorry for him. it’s up for us to decide if its condescending or she just feels bad for or bc she is on a surgery he wanted, but for the sake of opinion, i’m inclined to say she just felt bad for him (cough empathy cough)

-literally everytime charles is on screen im like when is he gonna get shot

-this scene where both connor and charles admit they were wrong is very nice (hey actually look, connor does have humility! not in front of ava tho so hmm) (sexual tens- literally no, shut the fuck up)

-HAHA HOLY SHIT I FORGOT CONNORS MOM KILLED HERSELF?? HOLY SHIT? THIS FUCKING GUY LITERALLY CANT CATCH A BREAK (maybe take a hint bro? and go far far away? well he did. too little too late ig)

-connor: “i obviously couldn’t save my mom, but I sure as hell didn’t try to save robin” *through cupped hands* HEY! HEY CONNOR! D-DID YOU TRY? WITH AVA? DID YOU TRY? okay literally what is it with this guy and people dying. for such a good surgeon... oh yeah, irony.

-hi sarah! how nice of you to check in with connor and charles about robin!

-sarah: *looks between charles and connor, who have probably agreed on something for the first time since connor got with robin* “everything okay?” literally she’s so sweet my heart.

- sarah: *laughs in disbelief* SARAH STOP MY HEART IS ALREADY FULL

-this man needs to button the top button of his shirt, i do not like that i can see it

-I------ HOLY SHIT?

-WHY DID NO ONE FUCKING WARN ME THAT JOEY WAS STILL ON THE SHOW???

-FUCKING EXCUSE ME???

- the air left lungs on that one again, i was Not expecting that.

-HOLD THE FUCK ON. I JUST WENT OF HIS WIKI AND HE APPEARS IN S4??? FUCKING WHAT??? SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT HE FUCKING DID AND IF IT WAS IMPORTANT

-sarah reese is such a fucking dork she got her boyfriend a rubik’s cube as a gift?? a guy who is so nerdy that he definetly already has like five of them. hmm. things don’t add up. also he’s nerdy enough to give back a gift at the breakup. dude seriously. get some social cues. in like the bargin bin at goodwill. please.

-IF SARAH FUCKING CRIES I SWEAR TO GOD

-oh yeah she’s pregnant. that’s how the story ends.

-okay. natalie comes off as empathetic but like, in the most condescending way.

-like its fucking obvious she’s only ever caring about herself (ava bekker would never. sarah reese would never. get your head out of your ass) (ok wow that aggression came from nowhere lmao)

- i really wanna say something about - Connor: “We all know that love can hurt, but loneliness? that’ll kill you.” have fun with that fic writers. (insert obvious connection to loneliness killing ava? have we had enough? this doesn’t pertain to the theory)

-jesus will at this point stop hesitating at the ‘if we’re wrong, it could kill him’ stage. we all know you don’t care

-how funny would it be if the family just like, disowned that girl

-this will nat and co. love triangle is already so fucking exhausting

-JAY REALLY SAID WILL I AM TAKING NONE OF YOUR BS

-is he really about to break up with her. right now. i swear to fucking god

-this is so fucking stupid (what i would pay for ava to hand him his ass right here right now) (that’s a hc idea right there)

-FUCKING LEAVE ALREADY WILLIAM

-sarah and noah stay adorable

-aww stolllll, my heart

-lmao i forgot the girl who played robin was on once upon a time and i was like ‘ive seen her recently what was it’

-FINALLY HES GONNA FUCKING GET SHOT! HELL YES!

-charles looks high as balls

-the queen returns. she’s back

-IM GONNA FUCKING JUMP OFF A CLIFF

-okay. from the previous ep i mentioned ava’s line being something like ‘you’re quite the gossip magnet, your mother commited suicide, drove your girlfriend crazy, and you murdered your attending.” right?  we all remember that?

-well lads, do we remember connor’s response?

-connor: “...Well you’d better watch yourself, hadn’t you?”

-...

- I-

-hahahah this is not okay.

-AND GOD. JUST THE WAY AVA TAKES IT AND JUST SMILES, ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE. holy shit. this fucking breaks my heart.

-i like almost can’t even appreciate the easy ending of noah’s grad party.

-oh yeah charles still hasn’t gotten shot.

-god sarah is still adorable. the way she finally relaxes FOR ONCE and lets herself have fun. fun fact: this may be the last time we see sarah just easily enjoying herself. also maybe the first.

- i am officially starting the save ava campaign, anyone who wants to join can. the goal is pretty simple. save ava. save our hearts.

-oh my god is he finally going to get shot?? like what dude come on

Okay. another episode down, the first full one, and what have we learned?

Well, this was Ava’s first episode and we learned how it seems she was doomed from the start. It makes no sense, even just her writing is disconnected from s2 to s3, like how do they do that? This ava lines up so well with s4 ava it’s almost uncanny. if you completely cut out s3 her character arc would make complete sense, in a frighteningly tidy way.

Like I said at the top, the fact that Ava was referenced in the episode description of the season finale is huge. It means she is a big character, ground shaking, almost. I really don’t know why they had to make this introduction at the end of s2 and not the beginning of s3, other than making it fit with the three month time jump that i’m pretty sure starts the season.

The way I see it, Ava had 4 main interactions/points. 1) She called connor loyal (and was blunt about Latham) 2) She remarks that residents shouldn’t have speaking rights (that one’s just funny) and disagrees with connor on the surgery, which they go with connor’s decision because of course they do. granted they switch to her plan midway through) 3) connor takes over her surgery after they disagree on whether or not the patient can be saved. Connor is right. and 4) we have the final ‘I like dangerous men’ interaction.

Let’s focus on the train of Ava vs. Connor disagreements. If we go by my previous statement which was Ava was designed as the villain to Connor’s hero, so the hero could win the favor of the public by defeating the villain, the trajectory of their interactions is not surprising in the slightest.

First, Connor wins the first point bc they initial go with his plan. Then, mid surgery, they have to switch to Ava’s plan, because she was right. This obviously pisses him off, that he was wrong and she was right.  His crown had been knocked askew. But then, he wrestles it back. They disagree on whether or not the patient can be saved, connor takes complete control, and he actually ends up saving him.

It’s interesting that the final disagreement came at the sake of a patient’s life. Ava was quick to dismiss the heart as gone, but Connor fought for it, being the hero. It’s easy to shut Ava down right then and there, call her heartless and call it a day.

if s4 had come immedietely (i have no clue how to spell that) after, it would be completely in character for ava to be a psychopath from what little we’ve seen. And honestly, no one would care. The villain would get her due justice.

Let’s switch gears to the conspiracy theory, or the redemption arc. whichever sounds cooler.

A hero is only as good as their villain. That’s really my argument. At this point, yeah, s4 seems like it was planned, just based on s2.

Okay, so, what? Is that another layer of the theory that I’m adding? that the connor/ava plot of s4 was ACTUALLY supposed to be in s3? I... no. we’ve established that is is very rare for the med writers to plan storylines that far ahead. so what am I saying?

I think that the s4 plot was actually a scrapped plot potentially to be used in s3. and when they were left floundering at the end of s3 for an answer? they retreated. sacrificing character development in the process.

So what the hell happened in s3? A horrible fluke? why was it so different?

in s3 ava became more of a rival and less of a villain. while those words can have very similar meanings, the bulk of it is that neither of them really wanted to be that mean each other, they never went out of their way to stomp on the other (at least that I’m aware of). they just were always forced to work together, naturally leading to friction.

This shift meant all the difference. Connor no longer had to beat Ava. it wasn’t required. as a result, ava was very very slowly allowed to interact with people other than connor. she was allowed to slightly develop.

Why the shift? well, the conspiracy theory suggests it’s because they wanted someone who could follow up connor if he left at the end. IF they were true rivals, each of them should be able to hold their own without each other.

okay yeah, i managed to get like 4k words out of like 5 minutes a screen time and 8 lines. jesus christ.still didnt do my hw tho

next we watch the premiere of s3 and see what happens. thanks for reading

-

read the next parts:

Part 1 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Part 6 / Part 7 / Part 8 / Part 9 / Part 10 / Part 11 / Part 12 / Extra

[totallyrhettro]

The Lone Jedi, Chapter 18

Word Count: 2469 Rating: This chapter: G. Overall story: explicit Warnings: None Summary: Jedi Knight Rhett McLaughlin managed to escape the purge of the Emperor to become one of the last of his celibate order. After years of a solitary life, he finds himself with a former slave for a friend. Despite his efforts to maintain anonymity and the jedi code, he starts to realize that doing either is easier said than done. Notes: Star Wars AU; Events take place between episodes III and IV

First Chapter

Previous Chapter

*See the end of each chapter for additional notes on star wars terms*

Rhett POV

The rebel forces left Jor’s city not long after Rhett had made it far enough away. They were still scattered throughout the sector, as was protocol, making sure they were in the clear before returning to base. The empire was sure to arrive soon to investigate, but not because some slavers had a run in with local terrorists and lost a few slaves. No, they would be looking for a jedi.

He had to act fast if he was going to get all of his work out in time. To have his years of copying old teachings down lost because his stupid weakness… he couldn’t bare the thought. It would mean that he stayed out of the fight, ignored the pleas of the resistance, for nothing. The idea that he had made the wrong choice was already worming it’s way through his mind, like a infectious parasite. It stalked every moment, hiding in every corner of his brain, taunting him constantly. The idea had been forming for awhile now. Had he not seen it? Had it always been there? Or did it all start on that fateful day when Link came into his life?

Was that when his life turned completely upside down, when he started to question the teachings of the old masters? He wanted to say yes, wanted to pin all of his inner turmoil on that one event, on Link and not himself, but it just wasn’t true. His doubts about the jedi code had been there for years, maybe even before his forced exile, before the fall of the Republic. Link just helped him realize that those doubts were there.

Link. How could a man brought up in such a grim life see so clearly? His spirit was not one of a broken slave, but a gentle and caring man. Being a slave didn’t make him mean, or vengeful. Quite the opposite. Somehow it had made his heart kind. He saw the galaxy in a different light, an alternative point of view from anything Rhett had been taught. He was unlike anyone the jedi had ever met. Maybe anyone he ever would again.

Never again.

It didn’t take long for him to gather all of the data pads scattered throughout the ruins. As he wandered through the halls and rooms that he had made his home for half a decade, it wasn’t those past years that came to his mind. Passing the garden that had once been a place of solitude, he recalled the weeks when Link was there by his side, chatting and laughing without a care in the world. Standing in the makeshift dining hall, he remembered the many meals they ate together, talking about everything and nothing that mattered. Then at last, in the bedroom they shared, he could almost see Link’s sleeping figure in the bed across from his own, as if he could stare long enough and the man would materialize from beneath those crumpled sheets.

Finally, with a duffel bag filled with everything he’d managed to copy over the last few years, Rhett found his way back to his meditation and training room. He could remember a time when this had been his sanctuary, a place of quiet contemplation and self reflection. Here he had tried to calm his troubled mind. Here he had mulled over the teachings that he had read that day. Here he had taught Link how to fight. Here he had lost himself.

Placing his bag by the door, Rhett walked across the empty room towards the large window that faced the valley below. It was tranquil here. So high up even the birds were absent, their songs silent. Only the chilling breeze of oncoming winter could be heard, the crisp air the only movement.

‘One last time.’ Sitting cross-legged before the picturesque landscape, the jedi took a deep breath. In and out. Slow and steady. In and out. Calm and one with the Force, his meditation began. Time was short, but this was likely to be the last time he would ever be here again, in this ancient and sacred place. The old masters studied and lived here. Fought and died here. They were strong with the Force, and their spirits still touched every stone and blade of grass. Closing his eyes, Rhett could feel them. He reached for them, their guidance, their wisdom. He felt lost, and he needed their council.

‘I am adrift. I have lost the path and I cannot find it.’

The air grew still. Rhett could feel the Force flowing through him, strong and fierce, gentle and yielding. It was part of him. He was part of the Force.

‘I have failed the code. I failed my friends…. I failed myself.’

All at once, he felt a presence before him, a sense that he was no longer alone. It was a familiar aura, someone he had known for a long time and he didn’t need to open his eyes to recognize her. There was a familiarity that could only exist between a master and a padawan; a teacher and her student.

“I don’t recall ever teaching you to fail,” she said, her voice an echo of her past tone. Rhett gazed up at her ghostly form. Faded cerulean and translucent as tinted glass, the woman he’d known for years now stood before him, a reflection of the jedi that long ago made him a knight. He had guessed that she had died in the purge, but seeing her now, like this, proved it.

“Master Xan,” he greeted. Master Ilena Xan had been one of his favorite teachers at the Jedi Temple of Coruscant. She specialized in hand to hand combat and taught him everything he knew about using a lightsaber as well as fighting barehanded. “Forgive me.”

“I cannot forgive you when you cannot forgive yourself.” Her tone was surprisingly soft, not harsh as her teachings could be. She wore a knowing smile and her eyes were kind and unjudging.

“I have failed as a jedi…”

“These are hard times for all jedi. Hard times for the galaxy.” Master Xan stepped away to look out over the distant mountains. “We all failed, Master McLaughlin. We failed to see the threat looming in the dark.”

“The Sith,” Rhett surmised.

“Yes. Now there are precious few of us and the Sith grow stronger every day. The Empire expands and the galaxy grows darker.”

“I feel it, Master. I worry that our order will be destroyed and forgotten. I...” His eyes fell away from the image of his Master, unable to meet her gaze. “I have tried to stay true, to keep the order alive in my heart but… I have strayed from the path. I cannot see it.” Master Xan’s smile did not falter as she looked down at her student.

“You have not strayed from the path, it is laid out before you.”

“I… I wanted to find strength in the code, but… I question it everyday. I… have doubts.”

“The code is not meant to chain you, but to guide you.”

“I am lost!” Rhett did not mean to shout, but everything inside him was threatening to explode from his chest. The questions, the fears, everything that kept him from achieving peace had turned over in his mind and stomach until he couldn’t hold back any longer. “My mind and your teachings tell me one thing, but my heart argues relentlessly. I have tried to remain true to what I believe but even that fails me. I… I don’t know what to believe anymore. I thought I knew what the Force wanted of me, but now… I do not hear it’s call.”

There was silence as Master Xan regarded the man before her and when she finally spoke it was with the authority that she was known for.

“Do you remember the code?”

“Yes, Master. I-”

“Recite it for me,” she demanded. Rhett gave a somewhat frustrated sigh, but complied all the same.

“There is no emotion. There is peace.”

“Emotion must be understood, not ignored,” Master Xan instructed, interrupting Rhett’s reciting. “Confront your thoughts and feelings, do not deny them. Only when you confront your feelings will you achieve peace.” Rhett looked up at her, confused but calm. These were not the teachings that he had learned as a student. “Continue.”

“There is no ignorance. There is knowledge.”

“Be mindful of the world around you, always learning. Use not only your rational mind but your intuitive mind and the truth will be revealed. Sometimes it is better to feel than to think.” Rhett took her words to heart, but the next tenant was one that he had struggled with many times since Link came into his life.

“There is no passion. There is serenity.”

“Passion leads to the dark side,” Master Xan stated, and Rhett flinched. It was a fact that he knew all too well. It was also his greatest fear. “A Jedi must always act with a calm mind, and a calm hand for actions done with passion can lead to harm.” Raising an eyebrow, Master Xan continued. “Passion can cloud one’s judgment, but one can have a clear mind and be passionate.”

“I feel like my mind is nothing but fog,” Rhett admitted.

“There is no chaos. There is harmony,” his master recited, as Rhett fell into his thoughts. “All things are interconnected and interdependent. Through the Force we understand every event has a purpose, even if we don’t know what that purpose is.”

“I had a purpose. I wanted to save the teachings of our order so that they would not be lost to time and the Sith.”

“A noble goal. There is much in the old writings that may still be relevant in the years to come.”

“May?” Seeing his confusion, Master Xan knelt sat him, her ghostly form shimmering in the evening light.

“The teachings, like the code, aren’t meant to be binding laws or absolute truths. They exist to help us become something greater than ourselves. It’s important to also remember that the tree that stands tall in a storm is doomed to break, while the tree that bends to the will of the storm will survive.” She chuckled softly to herself at that. “And sometimes it’s better to stay indoors.” When Rhett didn’t laugh, she continued. “The point is, no matter how much we wish it, storms will come and go and we must accept that. Some may try to stand against the wind, but ultimately they will fail.”

“I wish I knew which way the wind was blowing.”

“No one can see the wind, Master McLaughlin. We can only feel it, like the Force. Tell me… What do you feel?”

“Scared. Angry… Alone.”

“Master Yoda would tell you that these feelings are the path to the dark side of the Force, and I would never argue with Master Yoda.”

“But?”

“No ‘but’. He’s absolutely right… However-” Rhett hid a smile. “-just having these emotions does not turn one into a Sith. It is what we choose to do with them that matters. Fear can keep one alive when the need is great. Anger can urge one to fight for a just cause. Loneliness will lead us to seek out others.”

“And… Love?” Rhett hesitantly asked.

“As jedi, we forsake all commitments so we can truly devote ourselves to our work, but that is not to say love is a failing of non-jedi. I have seen people do great things out of love. Love for a person, a people, a cause. Love is not a bad thing, but sometimes loving someone so much that you care for them more than anything else can make it hard to see things impartially.”

“I have tried to be the jedi you trained me to be, but I am not sure how I can be that anymore.”

“Then don’t.” Rhett’s head snapped up sharply, not expecting that in the slightest.

“What do you mean?”

“If the teachings are telling you one thing, and the Force is leading you the other way, maybe you should listen to the Force. It has a will of it’s own, and it cannot be denied.”

“I… What are you saying? That I should stop being a jedi?”

“I think you should listen to your heart. Rhett…” Master Xan placed a ghostly hand on his shoulder. It wasn’t cold, but it was barely there. “The Force will guide you... you must trust that. If sticking to the old ways is more important than fighting against the Empire then go right ahead. We were never meant to be soldiers, but keepers of the peace. When the time changes, so must we.”

“If we fight, we could all die and there would be no order.”

“There is no death. There is the Force.” The final tenet of the code. “Death is not the end, Master McLaughlin, only part of the eternal cycle. Our bodies may fade, but we live on in the Force, and it will always find its way back into the light.”

“The light is waning.” A truth of fact as much as in metaphor. The sun was setting over the distant mountaintops. It was time to leave. No doubt whomever the Empire had sent to investigate would soon arrive.

“Like the sun rises each day, the light side of the Force will always return. Not even the dark lord of the Sith can stop that. In the meantime…” Master Xan got to her feet to stand at attention once more. “All we can do is protect those that the dark side tries to take, and follow the will of the Force.”

“What does the Force wish of me?” The image of Master Xan was quickly fading back into the ether.

“Control emotion to act through peace.

There is no ignorance if you seek knowledge.

Do not be clouded with passion but clear with serenity.

Do not fear death for the Force is with you.”

“Master…” Rhett stood and reached out for her hand, but his own just passed right through.

“Be true to yourself and you’ll find your path was there all along.” With these last words the sun and the image of his master were gone. Rhett stood on the cold floor of his meditation chamber, staring at the spot she once stood, contemplating the words she had spoken. He wanted to spend more time turning over all this new wisdom in his heart as well as his mind, but there just wasn’t time. Dashing to his shuttle, he could already sense the imperial cruiser entering the atmosphere. As he started up his ship, Rhett knew going back to the rebel base now would lead the Empire directly to them, and Link.

He had to find another way.

Next Chapter

Additional Notes-

None required.

More Fics

[ts-nightingaleislands]

Episode #10- “Is Cheatham actually high regularly or is it just a figment of his imagination?”- Sara

that was such a HARD tribal for me. i loved having noah on my side and stuff but also i know he would be one of the ppl to make a big move on me if he stayed . its getting harder and harder for each vote . i just gotta stay focused and hope my alliance stays strong another round or two . tumblr survivor gods i hope your pulling for me!

Austin and Vincent have to be testing me. I dont get why Austin is playing dumb with me or why he act like he didn't know. According to Vincent Austin was in on it. I mean regardless I know who Im just wanting to stick with but yeah, the weird jumped out. Cheatham is also saying this was a week or so then went MIA so thats cool

(LATER)

Austin and Vincent are coming off super sketchy. I mean it is nothing new with Austin, but Vincent oof. I dont mind it all that much because of who I prefer to go with, but it is interesting. If these guys are coordinated then, well, seems uncoordinated

(LATER)

So right now Austin, Cheatham, and Vincent have added me to a chat I guess to work together. I actually worry I am not Natalie Anderson, but Sierra Dawn Thomas Worlds Apart. Nonetheless, I think its smart for me to wait til F7 or so to make the move against Austin/Cheatham. I can't allow enough time to pass for the idol to bite me in my butt!

(LATER)

I now see that Austin probably thinks he can manipulate me, so I have to time when I vote him perfectly. Him feigning ignorance on the Noah vote tells me he likely feels I'm naive enough to believe him and hey people do prefer to keep the ones around they feel are lesser than themselves!

(LATER)

Ive had a change of heart- I think now Kyle is going to get dragged by people, however, I strongly believe he would choose me over anyone so its just a matter of navigating 6 tribals

Inane ramblings from Vincent's cf, dated 3 AM on December 26, formatted terribly bc this cf is dated 3:06 AM on December 26: >i'm looking ahead to the future >austin is likely going to want liam out >bc when he said he wanted to make a move he'd have to mean one of them >them being liam/am/sara >and as far as i can tell liam is being perceived as the glue >so if he goes then am/sara become lone wolves who are easier to manipulate >however if liam stays then the other one, maybe am, is linked with them and they will be mad at austin for doing this >so those are numbers on our side >my previous boot order (EDITOR'S NOTE: never discussed in a cf, but will be discussed at length later) changed due to the unexpected development that austin is willing to flip on his group >however i'll note now that there is a very good chance he's faking >although if he is i can't imagine why he'd put his true allies in such blatant danger when kyle is literally right there as a vote >*person to vote >so let's say 5-3 vote up next >me/cheatham/austin/chris/kyle all against liam's trio >ideally voting out sara >bc she is the messiest and the one i trust least >my goal will be to convince the others that this is the best vote >liam and i are good and he is my decoy f2 >too early for goat stuff but am is a better goat than sara imo >just keeping my options open >liam/cheatham/annmarie could easily each be in my f2 >but not in a "ideal f4" way >so if austin is with me for this vote then he should at least appear to establish further connections with me >he can't do anything without one of chris and cheatham >or kyle i guess >kyle is easily the most expendable of those 3 >so to limit austin's options we need to vote kyle >we >my old boot order is more or less the same >just kyle vote goes from getting austin's trust back to weakening him >then at f6 cheatham chris and i stick together >vote out am unless liam becomes dark horse threat >f5 austin goes >f4 chris >f3 liam >then maybe i win >wow this seems so real >like usually in orgs when i'm at the merge im like'well maybe it's still possible that i could maybe end up at the ftc but lmao imagine getting votes' >oh no i'm becoming overconfident >wow meeting noah in jury again is going to be awkward huh No matter how I place this is honestly one of my better confessionals. Either full of dramatic irony and I look stupid or I win and I look good. One outcome is significantly more likely than the other, of course. But neither isn't so bad, is it?

God I feel this challenge is gonna stir up so much shit! I just hope my target dont get bigger because of it.

Where I stand now is that Austin is very willing to have Kyle go this round quote unquote, but what is to say he may not actually want somebody else? It is interesting seeing him discuss his perception and everything. I guess he cannot help but try to downplay himself, but I feel the ship has sailed for him and now it is only a matter of time. Watch him pull a W

(LATER)

I can't wait for someone to get offended by this Touchy Subjects challenge. I know I won't. If anything, I'll just adapt with it! I also feel like now, it's important to see how AnnMarie and Sara handle things from here on out- either they're willing to try and go for Austin/Cheatham/Vincent, or they'll settle for Kyle. If this happens to go the way I think, I may end up as a potential swing in F7, but I sure as heck am not about to be like Miss Sarah Lacina Cop-Turned-Criminal in Cagayan. No Ma'am! I'm not ever feeling safe until I'm sitting in the Final 2

(LATER)

So Austin asks me for a name and I am like ok I dont mind if it is Kyle unless you guys are up to do someone else. Austin proceeds to say he wants to have options and just wants a name and I'm. It really feels like a bit of a bait just to go to X to say I said their name. I could be wrong but its just weird becaise I haven't heard him say a name yet

(LATER)

Austin! Do not think that Ive forgotten your leaky faucet ways! Like that's the odd thing about it- Austin has shown what he is capable of and it is just weird of him to press about this when I know he has lied to me before. Like right now I literally told him I am fine with anyone going and his response was to know who I actually want out. I really don't know what he wants me to say other than a name to implicate myself but nuh uh! Not I!

(LATER)

The way it looks, I can make the move to get Liam out but I highly doubt I will last much longer. All it will take after that is to say Chris did X lets do him  and so I want to try and wait at least to chat to Kyle. I also want to see how willing AnnMarie and Sara are willing to talk about this vote instead of waiting. I definitely do not want Cheatham/Austin/Vincent all in F6 or at worse F5 however that is easier said than done for this lot

Wowza, Cheatham is playing hard now. SO, basically the votes are supposed to go 6-2, Chris being voted out. Now I do not wanna go any further with Sara, AM, and Liam bc they will take out me and Austin first. So I talked with Chris and now there is a 4 person alliance with Austin, Me, Chris, and Vincent. Im going to use my idol on Chris and then Chris and Kyle will vote out one of the others. Kyle is a wild card and we don't wanna tell him EXACTLY what's going on because he is kinda crazy. So we are thinking about having Vincent vote with Chris to ensure that one of the others go home. This is yet again ANOTHER big move on my part. Im getting worried that people will think that I'm the biggest threat with MORE idols in my hand and doing all the big moves. All I can do is wait. If I keep winning individual immunity like this week then I'm golden.

I think I've had an epiphany and it took talking to Cheatham to figure it out. Apparently I am the vote for tonight, though he wants to do something I've been wanting Cheatham to do in this merge and that is take advantage of the idol system- in doing so he gains a lot of leverage and I felt disppointed that he wasn't optimizing it. Having that said, I think I got a little sad because he told me people feel like I never give a name and truth be told I don't and it is a mistake on my end. I feel like I'm so scared to say a name because it failed miserably for me in the first half of this game and now that I don't do it anymore, people use it as a reason to vote me out. I do feel like its like I can't win with these people, but I want to change as much as I can to give myself a chance

(LATER)

HI am seeing that Austin, Cheatham, and even Vincent legitimately want to work with me and so perhaps I should consider going with them. The question with this vote is how I do I go about it. I've already named Sara because I have the most reason to do her AND I know Austin/Cheatham lowkey wanted her so its a win win for all of us, but it would be interesting to split it if the idol were used on me. Regardless, I just want this to end greatly for me, be that new start to a Chris that has what it will take to make it to the end and win.

I have...lots of questions right now... Am I being voted out tonight? Wouldn't surprise me. Does AnnMarie have a f2 w/ Austin? Cuz I accidentally caught her in something the other day where she told me she knew Austin was asking others for finals. But it might have been an accident because I mentioned that Austin asked for us 2 in a f3 with him....never said f2. Is Cheatham actually high regularly or is it just a figment of his imagination? Why do people get weird and quiet when they're planning a blindside or change loyalties? I literally brought this up to Liam last night a while after results. Gwen/Rizo/Chris did this exact same thing. It's Survivor. Lie and make a move if you have to. I'd respect that a whole lot more. Ignoring people is just shit jury management and I'll totally call Cheatham out at tribal now if I go! At least Vincent gave me an ANSWER! *Giggle* And also...is Austin actually that nice or is it game? Cuz I lit dunno if I'll ever be able to write his name down if that's really his personality. x)

Cheatham wants to invent a situation in which he would play his idol and gain full access to two others. This really feels like a resume padding thing more than a legitimate move out of necessity, because we have the numbers to vote out our target now, and there's no reason that would change any time soon. To me, this solidifies that Cheatham really can't make it to the end, just like Austin. Ideally I want to be able to choose between Liam and Chris because I think I have an ok shot against them both, and it's reasonable for both of them to make it very far. Of course it's the final 8 so it's still way too early to think about the end, but I definitely can't take Austin or Cheatham with me bc they both have a good shot at winning against me.

Sara me and Liam are apparently a strong group so there are plans to usurp our place on the throne! I'm watching a documentary about Queen Elizabeth while writing this. Cheatham apparently wants us gone as well, which hurts. I thought he was with me. I guess not. That is all.

So this round is insane, originally it was gonna be Chris but apparently Cheatham is gonna idol him so we’re having to take out the biggest goat in this game, which is so annoying, but if it must be done to save Sara so I have a shot at making it to the end then so be it. There’s still so much game to play so I need to make the most outta it.

5 votes Kyle (w/ self-vote), 2 votes Sara, 1 vote Chris (negated by idol.)

[survivor-rebelsvsroyals]

EPISODE 2- I made an oopsie!! - Asya

HEY GUYS WELCOME BACK TO MY CHANNEL lmfaooo it’s been so damn long i’m so rusty but we’re here and we're doing this ladies! Going into this I was worried it was gonna be a ton of new school people I didnt know who were all friends but I was fairly pleased that I actually know a good majority of the cast and I know everybody on my tribe except Anabel which is WILD. I didn't expect to know that many but its great. I’m gonna talk a bit about everybody then ill go into more: Anabel is the one person I didn’t know coming in but i’ve heard she’s super social which is MY THING so i gotta watch my back with that. We’ve had fun conversations though so nothing bad to say yet Dane Dane Dane where do I start? I don’t trust him one bit. I know we can have fun conversations but because of personal things with my friends I will forever watch my back with him because i’m a stubborn protective Mama Bear. Ryan and I already talked about getting him out lmfao Gloria has always been sweet to me but I have to figure out how to talk game with her. I’ve never actually played with her myself before just been in VLs or a jury host for a game shes in or something so this is a different perspective. Im not sure how its gonna go yet. Linus is my TUMBLR SURVIVOR BUDDY HERE LMFAOO Ive played with people on this tribe before but I don’t think i’ve played TS with anybody else? Either way we played to the end of Myanmar- oh wait excuse me ALMOST THE END BECAUSE OF A DUMB TWIST but yeah I honestly trust him alot because if I remember correctly he wasnt afraid to make moves but he was straight up with me and I appreciate that I’d rather someone be blunt with me and I dont like what they say than deal with a shady bitch! Also we just have good conversations imo and I think we’d be on the same wavelength talking game so he’s definitely someone I wanna work with Pippa is a SWEETIE I always love talking to her we can talk musicals all day all night but with her schedule we’ll have to see how much shes here because idk if she’s gonna be that into it tbh Ruthie is another sweetie but shes also smart and she knows i’m smart so I gotta watch she won’t kick my ass and stab my back singing Zip-a-dee-doo-dah Ryan Matthew OK SO RYAN AND I HAVE A WILD HISTORY we always either love or hate eachother and so far we’ve decided this is a love game? Hopefully it’s legit but we’ll see im sure he’d flip on my ass if he felt like it lmfao but i’m gonna take it for what it is right now. We both don't trust dane and want him gone so I think right now we’re kinda following that “the enemy of your enemy is your friend” kinda motto. I actually wanna work with him this time though so we’ll seeeee RTP is always a blast I don't remember if i’ve actually ever played with him before but we’re both old as fuck in this community so we’ve been around the BLOCK. I know he knows how shit goes so he’ll probably pick up on bullshit quick so I wanna keep him on my good side! I definitely can see myself working with him Seamus i’ve always assumed is a hot ass mess lmfaooo he’s another one i dont remember if i’ve actually played with but I dont know if I trust him we had fun chats but idk how much I’ll trust him as a strategist but we havent gotten to that kind of discussion so we’ll see how that goes. For the most part I have general vibes/ experiences with these people on their own but I don’t know how they’re gonna mesh together so I really gotta watch them all and try to sort it out. I really think I can be in a good spot on this tribe and weasel my way through it but I have to calculate it PERFECTLY. These people aren’t newbies all of us have been here before and know how this works. I’m gonna work my social, be decent in the challenges and keep my mouth zipped while I try and figure our where everyone lies. I haven’t honestly really tried in a game in a long time and if people have forgotten what i’m capable of when I give a shit I can use that to my advantage. So i just gotta try and gage where everyone falls. STAY TUNEDDDD ALSO I JUST WANNA SAY MY FRIENDS AND PEOPLE I KNOW I COULD TRUST ARE ON THE OTHER TRIBE AND IM SAD I wanna work with them 😩😩😩 I need Dan Coffeycakes and Asya to get to swap but I'm also praying to the survivor Lorde™️ for the Royals so I don't die lol i’ll give more entertaining updates as thing progress but I just wanted to knock out the basic intro update ok byeeeeeeee 😘

THE GAME HAS OFFICIALLY COMMENCED AND I AM IMMEDIATELY SHOOK. My number one ally and my friend or die and most importantly my friend got first boot but I’m proud of myself that I didn’t sell myself out and didn’t vote him. So the vote was 7-1-1-1 7 Keaton 1 nic 1 Lachie 1 Raffy which was me After the tribal finished I told everyone on call (Chloe Asya Lachie and Raffy) THST I voted Raffy because I had already told John anyway and I didn’t want it to get spread around so I came clean and I can just hope they all respect me for it. I gotta take it day by day and continue to build and maintain bonds. I wanna see if I can’t build a majority alliance I gotta go balls to the wall and leave no stone unturned because for my own sanity I want no regrets when I’m eventually voted out. I think Raffy respected that I can’t clean and that our game relationship can be worked on from here.

Tribal was absolutely crazy. Keaton just popped the fuck off on everyone. He was the fourth crackhead that we needed, but didn't deserve. Asya, Lachie, and I being in an alliance? Nic controlling the game? Absolutely wild. The most interesting thing for me is that Brien voted me. I get that you know Keaton personally, but that just tells me that you will always choose your pre-existing relationship over me. It makes me hesitant to work with Brien since I don't know if he has anymore of these relationships throughout the game. I need to be careful what I say to him and how I come across from now on. I'm still playing the social game, talking with everyone, making sure things are going well for them. Hopefully it continues to go well and I can position myself into multiple alliances, but I don't know if I want to get that messy just yet. This two day challenge enables me to branch out my social game, so that's a plus. John brought up an alliance with Asya and Lachie that would include the Crackheads. However, he meant it as a joke. I wouldn't be entirely opposed to such an alliance. Though I would replace Lachie with someone else like Brien or Nic. It's just that I talk the least with Lachie and Asya so it would go pretty terrible in my opinion. We have to talk about that on call soon.

*a little while later*

Brien wants to start an alliance with me, him, John, Nic, and either Chloe/Trace. It would be a majority alliance, but I need to tell the Crackheads about it. We all need to be on the same page about things, otherwise we'll be a hot mess of an alliance (more so than we already are). Personally, I'd be perfectly fine with that kind of alliance, it'll give me the majority that I so desperately want.

i’m gonna cry i have no time to do this challenge i hate this i hate isaac pls let someone be the dummy who doesn’t submit at all so i don’t get 19th

Calling John and Raffy is like the highlight of my day

*a few minutes later*

"I need to find a shirt that I don't mind getting wet" - John 2K19 

 So what I'm hearing from that is he doesn't wash his clothes

My tribe is absolutely THRIVING and I’ve never been happier. I know I’ll see tribal one day but until then it’s nice to have another night off! I can go about my day not scrambling around to make sure I’m good! Now to search for the idol HMM

It sucks that we lost the challenge again. It's really bringing down morale. Because of this, I do think the next vote is going to be based on challenge performance which I take issue with. The two who did the worst are Chloe and Asya which means it's a pretty clear cut choice for me of who goes. It sucks because I like Asya a lot, but she just hasn't been as active as I would like her to be. At the end of the day, however, I just have to let it go and focus on the now. I'm not going to be pushing for Asya, but I sure hope she goes instead of Chloe.

i made an oopsie !!! was the lowest scoring person in the whole game so that’s hot !!! don’t feel good about my chances this round since in the early game, challenge strength IS what you have to go off of. but i’ve had good conversations w people and i will continue to build on that til i’m gone. i think i have a solid grasp on dan, chloe and lachie. like i don’t think they’ll vote me. i think i’m getting along well w brien? idk. there’s also that one unaccounted for stray vote from last round so like. much to consider. i just need 4 people to not vote for me and i’m fine. who i’m voting for? wish i knew !!

I was talking to Nic about the vote and he brings up two names: Chloe and Asya. I obviously preferred Asya to go so I said that to him. Then, not 5 seconds later, I hear from Chloe that Asya came up to her saying that I threw Asya's name out. Obviously Nic told Asya that I said her name. He's a little snake. I want him out of this game because he cannot be trusted with any information right now. I'm trying to leverage the situation in my favor by spreading that Nic told me it was Asya. So, something needs to be done.

*a little while LATER (you know the drill, this man talks A LOT)*

I'm currently talking to Lachie and Trace. However, Nic has also gotten to them too. I don't like this gut feeling that I am getting voted out. Apparently, Trace is onboard with getting Asya out according to Nic. Furthermore, Chloe told me that Asya is confused about what is happening with this vote. I am trying to confuse her. I told her that her name is getting thrown around, but I want to keep her. I need to keep this up till tribal in order to keep myself safe. Paranoia is the best coverage. Honestly, Nic going right now would not be bad. However, I need to make my play carefully

*literally like six seconds later*

Nic is very shady. The Crackheads want to vote out Nic now instead of Aysa. Chloe suggested making an alliance with Lachie and Asya to vote him out this tribal council. This only works if the two of them are online and agree. Lachie seems down for it, but Asya is a mystery. I just have a feeling that things are going to blow up in our faces. Hopefully, we can make a big move, but if Asya doesn't respond then nothing can happen.

Everyone is confused

ok SO im now in an alliance w me dan nic trace and brien which like?? is not the alliance i envisioned myself in but idc because thats majority and im not trying to go home tonight. with that group not an option i kinda wanted to push for raffy to go so i brought up how like aggressive he is and not even a second later nic tells me that raffy is saying my name so like. it's time for that man to go. did i flop in the challenge? yes, but i know how to talk my way out of a bad situation and thats what im gonna do. mark my words, raffy is getting voted out tonight. keaton made points!

*exactly 11 minutes later*

ok so... ignore everything i just said. it's been wiped from the record. never happened. i'm officially aligned with everyone on my tribe one with myself, dan, brien, trace and nic, and another with myself, chloe, raffy, john and lachie. alliance one is voting raffy, alliance two is voting nic. I ! AM ! THE SWING ! shook. if i don't get a vote tonight then... my fucking mind but... there will be consequences no matter what i do. at this point in time, i think that nic is a snake. raffy is a bigger target, and if he makes the swap he will keep making himself a target. nic is sneaky and will slide thru this game. so. i think my mind is made up

The Godfathers Alliance is officially set in stone. With this, we can make a move against Nic who is very talkative. Now we have a majority alliance that will dominate this tribe. I'm winning in this stage of the game.

The royals are killing it and I’m so proud of this tribe. So far I’m not a part of any official alliance, there’s been very little actual game talk, but Dane and I are both saying we won’t vote each other if we lose, and Seamus and I started sharing idol guesses. I wish there was more I could say but really when it comes to talking the tribe is kinda a bunch of lame ducks right now. A loss would probs change that, but it’s a slow burn atm.

Dan was messaging Asya about voting Nic, so we are trying to bring him into the vote in order to lessen the blindside. Plus, if we let Dan think he's in control, then we can put the heat on him in case of a potential blindside.

I'm sharing my idol guesses with Amanda and Ryan. I kind of made a F2 with both of them and they're my dream f3 but I have no idea how they feel about each other. But idk i guess im kind of fake. Tried my best at immunity, I hate scav hunts!!!!!!! But thank god we won immunity I never wanna go to tribal. I wanna be immune until f2.

[adambstingus]

Leave Lauren Alone: ‘Summer House’ Recap

Catch up on last week’s recap here!

What better way to continue the momentum from last nights unpredictable Oscars ceremony than with an episode of? Say what you want about Warren Beatty but I think we can all agree that years from now, will stand along with in the cultural zeitgeist.

As if losing best picture wasnt upsetting enough, now they tell me theres only 3 weeks left of ! How could they do this to me?

We pick up where we left off: Lindsey finding out about Everetts potential foursome.

She confronts him. Everetts first response is What? which is a sign he’s definitely about to lie his face off.

Everett: Well thats just impossible because I physically cannot fit in a bed with four people.

Airtight logic. Wow.

Im sorry, but Id trust Stephen over my own boyfriend. And Ive never even met Stephen (a sad but true fact).

Lindsey: Did you bring me a coffee?

Everett: I brought you something better *pulls out a sunflower*

Id be like bitch but where my coffee at tho.

Cristina says she loves to break a story which is a fancy way of saying she loves to gossip.

Just when you think Stephen cant get any better, he stops a workout to puke in the bushes. Honestly Im a little concerned for myself due to how much Im stanning for this random man.

Kyles like Theres two weekends left, Im a single guy, its a marathon and theres no quitting. I think thats what Kendrick Lamar meant when he said I pray my dick gets big as the Eiffel Tower so I could fuck the world for 72 hours.

Lets take a moment to discuss Lindseys shirt.

“Fridays we be like squad goals”? It’s so bad I’m convinced it has to be satire.

Lauren: I feel like I need to have a conversation with Carl.

NO YOU DONT. You went to froyo and he went to one dinner with your family. It was one time!

Lauren: IDK where you got this assumption that I wanted some grandiose gesture.

Strong words coming from the girl who took her hookup of a few weeks to meet her parents.

Lauren: I dont hook up with someone for three weeks and then expect a proposal.

Nobody said you were expecting a proposal but we all think you’re expecting a relationship.

SURPRISE this convo ends in a kiss. I will begrudgingly give Ashley a +1 for predicting this.

Lauren: IDK if Carls crazy because he keeps coming back, or if Im crazy because I keep taking him back.

You. Its you. Youre the crazy one.

Everetts doing some fundraiser race thing that I cant reasonably make fun of. America! For the troops!

Damn this group of like 10 people raised over $25K? How rich are they?

I said I wouldnt make fun of this, but this race is a bootleg version of Thats all Im gonna say.

Did Ashley break her ankle without even falling? That’s impressive.

I was super into my fruit salad until Lindsey said together Everett and I can take over the world. THANKS FOR THAT. You owe me $2.79. (What I meant is, I threw it up. OK I’ll go fuck myself now. Mahalo.)

Oh my God if Lauren is gonna overreact that much over Ashley rolling her ankle she should talk to me after my twin tore her ACL. Ill spare you the details of that trying ordeal for me, but long story short I I lived. Against all odds.

So shes in a cast but her ankle is not broken

Do you really need training on crutches? You put them under your arms, you walk.

Ashley on the couch:

DAMNNN BRAD LEVEL 5 ADVANCED PETTINESS: Well you wouldnt have rolled your ankle if you were here in California.

Ashley is more upset over leaving her sister than about leaving her husband. #Priorties

I would rip on the fact that this group hired a party bus to go to a brewery, but Im honestly jealous. Are you guys gonna be in Montauk this summer? Pls tweet us if so.

Fuck a party bus, this is like a party jitney. Im dead.

Kyle holding an entire cooler of mojito for himself is my spirit animal.

Carl: What are you supposed to do on a party bus? They dont call it a chill bus.

Insightful.

Ashley: Lauren and Carl are PDA like theyre in seventh grade.

Also Ashley: I just want Lauren to find a guy and be married like, yesterday because shes really missing out on life.

And again, Ashley: What is Lauren gonna do without me? I dont trust her to make decisions alone.

OH MY FUCKING GOD, she is hooking up with a guy whos not that into her, shes not shooting heroin! Jesus fucking Christ, leave Lauren alone! (Yes, I wrote that in my head in Chris Crocker’s voice, in case you were wondering.)

OK but cmon Jaclyn WAS all up on Carl at the bonfire. Objective, non-alternative fact. Check my recap, I wrote it down word for word in the event that something like this would happen. Check the receipts.

Carl probably just came watching Lauren do that beer bong. Honestly, I did.

Actual footage of me when Ashley said Crashley:

STEPHEN IS BACK. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? DONT EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN.

Jaclyn, you can join me and Stassi on team forever alone. Consider this your formal invitation.

Honestly, Stephen said what I was gonna say: Why do we GAF that people made out? Are we in the 4th grade? Let me know when someone fucks.

Damn has this shit really been going on for 10 weeks already? Jesus Christ. What has happened to my brain cells.

Everett tries to deny the bed incident.

Stephen: You said it.*Sips drink*

ScrewStephen really belongs on

Not even going to summarize this argument. Fuck all this, I side with Lindsey on this one. That shits hella inappropriate and Everett obviously knew it, otherwise he wouldnt have lied about it. BOOM. LAWYERED.

Cristina got cornered and shes forgotten what words are and her voice just went up like 3 octaves. Anddd that’s all for this week, folks.

Check out our Vanderpump Rules recap!

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/21/leave-lauren-alone-summer-house-recap/ from All of Beer https://allofbeercom.tumblr.com/post/163245115087

[samanthasroberts]

Leave Lauren Alone: ‘Summer House’ Recap

Catch up on last week’s recap here!

What better way to continue the momentum from last nights unpredictable Oscars ceremony than with an episode of? Say what you want about Warren Beatty but I think we can all agree that years from now, will stand along with in the cultural zeitgeist.

As if losing best picture wasnt upsetting enough, now they tell me theres only 3 weeks left of ! How could they do this to me?

We pick up where we left off: Lindsey finding out about Everetts potential foursome.

She confronts him. Everetts first response is What? which is a sign he’s definitely about to lie his face off.

Everett: Well thats just impossible because I physically cannot fit in a bed with four people.

Airtight logic. Wow.

Im sorry, but Id trust Stephen over my own boyfriend. And Ive never even met Stephen (a sad but true fact).

Lindsey: Did you bring me a coffee?

Everett: I brought you something better *pulls out a sunflower*

Id be like bitch but where my coffee at tho.

Cristina says she loves to break a story which is a fancy way of saying she loves to gossip.

Just when you think Stephen cant get any better, he stops a workout to puke in the bushes. Honestly Im a little concerned for myself due to how much Im stanning for this random man.

Kyles like Theres two weekends left, Im a single guy, its a marathon and theres no quitting. I think thats what Kendrick Lamar meant when he said I pray my dick gets big as the Eiffel Tower so I could fuck the world for 72 hours.

Lets take a moment to discuss Lindseys shirt.

“Fridays we be like squad goals”? It’s so bad I’m convinced it has to be satire.

Lauren: I feel like I need to have a conversation with Carl.

NO YOU DONT. You went to froyo and he went to one dinner with your family. It was one time!

Lauren: IDK where you got this assumption that I wanted some grandiose gesture.

Strong words coming from the girl who took her hookup of a few weeks to meet her parents.

Lauren: I dont hook up with someone for three weeks and then expect a proposal.

Nobody said you were expecting a proposal but we all think you’re expecting a relationship.

SURPRISE this convo ends in a kiss. I will begrudgingly give Ashley a +1 for predicting this.

Lauren: IDK if Carls crazy because he keeps coming back, or if Im crazy because I keep taking him back.

You. Its you. Youre the crazy one.

Everetts doing some fundraiser race thing that I cant reasonably make fun of. America! For the troops!

Damn this group of like 10 people raised over $25K? How rich are they?

I said I wouldnt make fun of this, but this race is a bootleg version of Thats all Im gonna say.

Did Ashley break her ankle without even falling? That’s impressive.

I was super into my fruit salad until Lindsey said together Everett and I can take over the world. THANKS FOR THAT. You owe me $2.79. (What I meant is, I threw it up. OK I’ll go fuck myself now. Mahalo.)

Oh my God if Lauren is gonna overreact that much over Ashley rolling her ankle she should talk to me after my twin tore her ACL. Ill spare you the details of that trying ordeal for me, but long story short I I lived. Against all odds.

So shes in a cast but her ankle is not broken

Do you really need training on crutches? You put them under your arms, you walk.

Ashley on the couch:

DAMNNN BRAD LEVEL 5 ADVANCED PETTINESS: Well you wouldnt have rolled your ankle if you were here in California.

Ashley is more upset over leaving her sister than about leaving her husband. #Priorties

I would rip on the fact that this group hired a party bus to go to a brewery, but Im honestly jealous. Are you guys gonna be in Montauk this summer? Pls tweet us if so.

Fuck a party bus, this is like a party jitney. Im dead.

Kyle holding an entire cooler of mojito for himself is my spirit animal.

Carl: What are you supposed to do on a party bus? They dont call it a chill bus.

Insightful.

Ashley: Lauren and Carl are PDA like theyre in seventh grade.

Also Ashley: I just want Lauren to find a guy and be married like, yesterday because shes really missing out on life.

And again, Ashley: What is Lauren gonna do without me? I dont trust her to make decisions alone.

OH MY FUCKING GOD, she is hooking up with a guy whos not that into her, shes not shooting heroin! Jesus fucking Christ, leave Lauren alone! (Yes, I wrote that in my head in Chris Crocker’s voice, in case you were wondering.)

OK but cmon Jaclyn WAS all up on Carl at the bonfire. Objective, non-alternative fact. Check my recap, I wrote it down word for word in the event that something like this would happen. Check the receipts.

Carl probably just came watching Lauren do that beer bong. Honestly, I did.

Actual footage of me when Ashley said Crashley:

STEPHEN IS BACK. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? DONT EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN.

Jaclyn, you can join me and Stassi on team forever alone. Consider this your formal invitation.

Honestly, Stephen said what I was gonna say: Why do we GAF that people made out? Are we in the 4th grade? Let me know when someone fucks.

Damn has this shit really been going on for 10 weeks already? Jesus Christ. What has happened to my brain cells.

Everett tries to deny the bed incident.

Stephen: You said it.*Sips drink*

ScrewStephen really belongs on

Not even going to summarize this argument. Fuck all this, I side with Lindsey on this one. That shits hella inappropriate and Everett obviously knew it, otherwise he wouldnt have lied about it. BOOM. LAWYERED.

Cristina got cornered and shes forgotten what words are and her voice just went up like 3 octaves. Anddd that’s all for this week, folks.

Check out our Vanderpump Rules recap!

Source: http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/21/leave-lauren-alone-summer-house-recap/

from All of Beer https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2017/07/21/leave-lauren-alone-summer-house-recap/

[allofbeercom]

Leave Lauren Alone: ‘Summer House’ Recap

Catch up on last week’s recap here!

What better way to continue the momentum from last nights unpredictable Oscars ceremony than with an episode of? Say what you want about Warren Beatty but I think we can all agree that years from now, will stand along with in the cultural zeitgeist.

As if losing best picture wasnt upsetting enough, now they tell me theres only 3 weeks left of ! How could they do this to me?

We pick up where we left off: Lindsey finding out about Everetts potential foursome.

She confronts him. Everetts first response is What? which is a sign he’s definitely about to lie his face off.

Everett: Well thats just impossible because I physically cannot fit in a bed with four people.

Airtight logic. Wow.

Im sorry, but Id trust Stephen over my own boyfriend. And Ive never even met Stephen (a sad but true fact).

Lindsey: Did you bring me a coffee?

Everett: I brought you something better *pulls out a sunflower*

Id be like bitch but where my coffee at tho.

Cristina says she loves to break a story which is a fancy way of saying she loves to gossip.

Just when you think Stephen cant get any better, he stops a workout to puke in the bushes. Honestly Im a little concerned for myself due to how much Im stanning for this random man.

Kyles like Theres two weekends left, Im a single guy, its a marathon and theres no quitting. I think thats what Kendrick Lamar meant when he said I pray my dick gets big as the Eiffel Tower so I could fuck the world for 72 hours.

Lets take a moment to discuss Lindseys shirt.

“Fridays we be like squad goals”? It’s so bad I’m convinced it has to be satire.

Lauren: I feel like I need to have a conversation with Carl.

NO YOU DONT. You went to froyo and he went to one dinner with your family. It was one time!

Lauren: IDK where you got this assumption that I wanted some grandiose gesture.

Strong words coming from the girl who took her hookup of a few weeks to meet her parents.

Lauren: I dont hook up with someone for three weeks and then expect a proposal.

Nobody said you were expecting a proposal but we all think you’re expecting a relationship.

SURPRISE this convo ends in a kiss. I will begrudgingly give Ashley a +1 for predicting this.

Lauren: IDK if Carls crazy because he keeps coming back, or if Im crazy because I keep taking him back.

You. Its you. Youre the crazy one.

Everetts doing some fundraiser race thing that I cant reasonably make fun of. America! For the troops!

Damn this group of like 10 people raised over $25K? How rich are they?

I said I wouldnt make fun of this, but this race is a bootleg version of Thats all Im gonna say.

Did Ashley break her ankle without even falling? That’s impressive.

I was super into my fruit salad until Lindsey said together Everett and I can take over the world. THANKS FOR THAT. You owe me $2.79. (What I meant is, I threw it up. OK I’ll go fuck myself now. Mahalo.)

Oh my God if Lauren is gonna overreact that much over Ashley rolling her ankle she should talk to me after my twin tore her ACL. Ill spare you the details of that trying ordeal for me, but long story short I I lived. Against all odds.

So shes in a cast but her ankle is not broken

Do you really need training on crutches? You put them under your arms, you walk.

Ashley on the couch:

DAMNNN BRAD LEVEL 5 ADVANCED PETTINESS: Well you wouldnt have rolled your ankle if you were here in California.

Ashley is more upset over leaving her sister than about leaving her husband. #Priorties

I would rip on the fact that this group hired a party bus to go to a brewery, but Im honestly jealous. Are you guys gonna be in Montauk this summer? Pls tweet us if so.

Fuck a party bus, this is like a party jitney. Im dead.

Kyle holding an entire cooler of mojito for himself is my spirit animal.

Carl: What are you supposed to do on a party bus? They dont call it a chill bus.

Insightful.

Ashley: Lauren and Carl are PDA like theyre in seventh grade.

Also Ashley: I just want Lauren to find a guy and be married like, yesterday because shes really missing out on life.

And again, Ashley: What is Lauren gonna do without me? I dont trust her to make decisions alone.

OH MY FUCKING GOD, she is hooking up with a guy whos not that into her, shes not shooting heroin! Jesus fucking Christ, leave Lauren alone! (Yes, I wrote that in my head in Chris Crocker’s voice, in case you were wondering.)

OK but cmon Jaclyn WAS all up on Carl at the bonfire. Objective, non-alternative fact. Check my recap, I wrote it down word for word in the event that something like this would happen. Check the receipts.

Carl probably just came watching Lauren do that beer bong. Honestly, I did.

Actual footage of me when Ashley said Crashley:

STEPHEN IS BACK. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? DONT EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN.

Jaclyn, you can join me and Stassi on team forever alone. Consider this your formal invitation.

Honestly, Stephen said what I was gonna say: Why do we GAF that people made out? Are we in the 4th grade? Let me know when someone fucks.

Damn has this shit really been going on for 10 weeks already? Jesus Christ. What has happened to my brain cells.

Everett tries to deny the bed incident.

Stephen: You said it.*Sips drink*

ScrewStephen really belongs on

Not even going to summarize this argument. Fuck all this, I side with Lindsey on this one. That shits hella inappropriate and Everett obviously knew it, otherwise he wouldnt have lied about it. BOOM. LAWYERED.

Cristina got cornered and shes forgotten what words are and her voice just went up like 3 octaves. Anddd that’s all for this week, folks.

Check out our Vanderpump Rules recap!

from All Of Beer http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/21/leave-lauren-alone-summer-house-recap/

[jimdsmith34]

Leave Lauren Alone: ‘Summer House’ Recap

Catch up on last week’s recap here!

What better way to continue the momentum from last nights unpredictable Oscars ceremony than with an episode of? Say what you want about Warren Beatty but I think we can all agree that years from now, will stand along with in the cultural zeitgeist.

As if losing best picture wasnt upsetting enough, now they tell me theres only 3 weeks left of ! How could they do this to me?

We pick up where we left off: Lindsey finding out about Everetts potential foursome.

She confronts him. Everetts first response is What? which is a sign he’s definitely about to lie his face off.

Everett: Well thats just impossible because I physically cannot fit in a bed with four people.

Airtight logic. Wow.

Im sorry, but Id trust Stephen over my own boyfriend. And Ive never even met Stephen (a sad but true fact).

Lindsey: Did you bring me a coffee?

Everett: I brought you something better *pulls out a sunflower*

Id be like bitch but where my coffee at tho.

Cristina says she loves to break a story which is a fancy way of saying she loves to gossip.

Just when you think Stephen cant get any better, he stops a workout to puke in the bushes. Honestly Im a little concerned for myself due to how much Im stanning for this random man.

Kyles like Theres two weekends left, Im a single guy, its a marathon and theres no quitting. I think thats what Kendrick Lamar meant when he said I pray my dick gets big as the Eiffel Tower so I could fuck the world for 72 hours.

Lets take a moment to discuss Lindseys shirt.

“Fridays we be like squad goals”? It’s so bad I’m convinced it has to be satire.

Lauren: I feel like I need to have a conversation with Carl.

NO YOU DONT. You went to froyo and he went to one dinner with your family. It was one time!

Lauren: IDK where you got this assumption that I wanted some grandiose gesture.

Strong words coming from the girl who took her hookup of a few weeks to meet her parents.

Lauren: I dont hook up with someone for three weeks and then expect a proposal.

Nobody said you were expecting a proposal but we all think you’re expecting a relationship.

SURPRISE this convo ends in a kiss. I will begrudgingly give Ashley a +1 for predicting this.

Lauren: IDK if Carls crazy because he keeps coming back, or if Im crazy because I keep taking him back.

You. Its you. Youre the crazy one.

Everetts doing some fundraiser race thing that I cant reasonably make fun of. America! For the troops!

Damn this group of like 10 people raised over $25K? How rich are they?

I said I wouldnt make fun of this, but this race is a bootleg version of Thats all Im gonna say.

Did Ashley break her ankle without even falling? That’s impressive.

I was super into my fruit salad until Lindsey said together Everett and I can take over the world. THANKS FOR THAT. You owe me $2.79. (What I meant is, I threw it up. OK I’ll go fuck myself now. Mahalo.)

Oh my God if Lauren is gonna overreact that much over Ashley rolling her ankle she should talk to me after my twin tore her ACL. Ill spare you the details of that trying ordeal for me, but long story short I I lived. Against all odds.

So shes in a cast but her ankle is not broken

Do you really need training on crutches? You put them under your arms, you walk.

Ashley on the couch:

DAMNNN BRAD LEVEL 5 ADVANCED PETTINESS: Well you wouldnt have rolled your ankle if you were here in California.

Ashley is more upset over leaving her sister than about leaving her husband. #Priorties

I would rip on the fact that this group hired a party bus to go to a brewery, but Im honestly jealous. Are you guys gonna be in Montauk this summer? Pls tweet us if so.

Fuck a party bus, this is like a party jitney. Im dead.

Kyle holding an entire cooler of mojito for himself is my spirit animal.

Carl: What are you supposed to do on a party bus? They dont call it a chill bus.

Insightful.

Ashley: Lauren and Carl are PDA like theyre in seventh grade.

Also Ashley: I just want Lauren to find a guy and be married like, yesterday because shes really missing out on life.

And again, Ashley: What is Lauren gonna do without me? I dont trust her to make decisions alone.

OH MY FUCKING GOD, she is hooking up with a guy whos not that into her, shes not shooting heroin! Jesus fucking Christ, leave Lauren alone! (Yes, I wrote that in my head in Chris Crocker’s voice, in case you were wondering.)

OK but cmon Jaclyn WAS all up on Carl at the bonfire. Objective, non-alternative fact. Check my recap, I wrote it down word for word in the event that something like this would happen. Check the receipts.

Carl probably just came watching Lauren do that beer bong. Honestly, I did.

Actual footage of me when Ashley said Crashley:

STEPHEN IS BACK. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? DONT EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN.

Jaclyn, you can join me and Stassi on team forever alone. Consider this your formal invitation.

Honestly, Stephen said what I was gonna say: Why do we GAF that people made out? Are we in the 4th grade? Let me know when someone fucks.

Damn has this shit really been going on for 10 weeks already? Jesus Christ. What has happened to my brain cells.

Everett tries to deny the bed incident.

Stephen: You said it.*Sips drink*

ScrewStephen really belongs on

Not even going to summarize this argument. Fuck all this, I side with Lindsey on this one. That shits hella inappropriate and Everett obviously knew it, otherwise he wouldnt have lied about it. BOOM. LAWYERED.

Cristina got cornered and shes forgotten what words are and her voice just went up like 3 octaves. Anddd that’s all for this week, folks.

Check out our Vanderpump Rules recap!

source http://allofbeer.com/2017/07/21/leave-lauren-alone-summer-house-recap/ from All of Beer http://allofbeer.blogspot.com/2017/07/leave-lauren-alone-summer-house-recap.html